High School DxD: Inheritor of Malevolence

by dvdryms

There exist infinite universes, infinite possibilities. In one of them, an almost normal first-year high school student will discover that there is more to the world around him than meets the eye following a certain encounter. But where will his path lead him when the forbidden power sleeping within him awakens?

51. Pride

Chapter 51 – Pride

[Sona-chan…hear me!? Just…alright!? Me…blubbering pigeon…weirdo in the mirror mask! Don't worry…to your side…quickly as I—]

The communication magic circle next to Sona's ear let out a few sparks before vanishing, prompting her to frown.

"Student President, Leviathan-sama…she's having a tough fight out there, right?"

"It would seem so, Tsubaki." Sona said to her Queen, who was next to her. "Judging from her brief description, her opponent should be one of the mysterious men who appeared during the conference, the one called Megrez."

"On the bright side, she's not alone out there, though I'm sure she doesn't appreciate the company."

"Yes, having a reliable ally like the Seraph Gabriel next to her puts my mind at ease." Sona said. "On the downside, they're facing a formidable individual, meaning we'll have to keep fending for ourselves for now!"

Sona said as her water lance skewered a Titan Worshipper that had got too close for comfort. It had been several minutes since the Khaos Brigade's forced transfer had brought her and her Peerage inside the artificial field, and every second of them had been spent fighting for their lives.

Some distance away, a roar echoed as a three-headed Dragon launched waves of fires at a battalion of terrorists trying to swarm him. Glancing at Alivian, Seekvaira's Queen, Sona hoped that she and her Peerage, who weren't too far from them, were holding their own as well.

No time to worry about them. Sona thought. We have to deal with the crisis here.

Enveloping two charging Devils with water and freezing them, Sona turned her attention to her Peerage, who were fighting a short distance away from her.

[Promotion, Queen!]

Ruruko and Genshirou shouted together, with the former dashing toward the Khaos Brigade members and tearing through armor and flesh alike with her kicks. The latter launched a multitude of lines from his hands, catching several terrorists and Annihilation Maker constructs with them. Apart from draining their energy, the lines also ignited, immobilizing their prey and burning them alive.

"Damn brats!"

A Titan Worshipper howled, summoning several Gorgons and sending them at Ruruko. Before their petrifying gaze could affect her, Tsubasa's fire-clad Twinkle Aegis flew towards the Gorgons, tearing through them. At the same time, Tomoe rushed at the monsters, slicing them apart with quick strokes of her aura-clad blade while avoiding their eyes.

"Blast these lowlifes to pieces!"

Following that command, several sphere-shaped Annihilation Maker constructs with numerous eyes on them rose on the air. Their eyes shone as they unleashed a barrage of energy blasts at the Sitri Peerage members below.

"Saji, connect your lines to Hanakai and Tsubaki."

"Yes, Student President!"

Following Sona's command, Genshirou attached the ends of his lines at his comrades to transfer excess power to them. Using her empowered Applause Wall, Momo formed a large semi-transparent barrier that easily withstood the barrage.

At the same time, Tsubaki conjured an oversized mirror before her, which released a powerful radiance upon shattering under the force of the incoming attacks. Said radiance engulfed several terrorists and constructs at once, eliminating them without leaving a trace behind.

"Blasted Sacred Gears…!" A high-ranking Devil cursed upon seeing their effects, turning to the large armored knight-types and assassin-types close to him. "You lot, attack—"

"Attack the Khaos Brigade's Devils!"

A high-ranking member of the Titan Worshippers gave this unexpected command all of a sudden. The high-ranking Devil didn't even have time to question those bizarre orders, with one of the knight-types bifurcating him with its oversized cleaver. Similar scenes unfolded around the area as the constructs that had heard that command began attacking the Khaos Brigade Devils.

"Oops~."

The Titan Worshipper stuck his tongue out as he put his hand on his face. A brief flash of light enveloped his body, which transformed into that of Reya, who was wearing Proteus Visage's mask on her face.

[Well done, Kusaka.] Sona's voice came from the communication magic circle next to her ear. [To think they were fooled by such a simple ploy though, the enemy's friend or foe recognition systems are sorely lacking in some critical aspects.]

"Their loss, our gain." Reya smiled as she cast an invisibility spell on herself. "Time to cause some more mischief~."

Reya said as she headed for another battalion of terrorists. Meanwhile, Genshirou was facing several Titan Worshippers, who summoned an array of ice weapons and launched them at him. The young Pawn grinned at that.

"Looks like someone doesn't know their history well enough!"

Genshirou's armored tail swung forward, with the ice projectiles becoming vapor that was absorbed by the tail. Before the stunned Titan Worshippers could react, Tsubasa was upon them, her armored fists sending them flying.

"Come on, come on!" Tsubasa said as she threw her wind-clad Twinkle Aegis at several constructs while delivering jabs and uppercuts with her gauntlets at any enemy that came close to her. "These babies won't charge themselves, you know!"

Four oversized centipede-like constructs erupted from the ground and aimed at Tsubasa at the moment, only for Genshirou to stop them with his lines. He then sent them flying upwards with his Rook-enhanced strength. As they fell down, Tsubasa delivered several uppercuts that tore through them, with their pieces scattering on the battlefield.

"Nice assist!" Tsubasa gave a thumbs-up at Genshirou while manipulating her Twinkle Aegis to slice through a pair of charging Manticores. "You're growing stronger, Saji!"

"Don't mention it!" Genshirou said as he trapped several Titan Worshippers charging at him with a torrent of black flames and struck them with his tail, draining the water from their bodies and turning them into shriveled husks. "You're not too bad yourself, Yura! I'm kind of dreading our next spar now!"

"Aw, don't say that!" Tsubasa said while smashing her light-enveloped Twinkle Aegis at a charging Devil's face and kicking away a four-armed construct aiming at her from the side. "Seeing the roughed-up Saji after a tough practice session is a treat like no other!"

"Thanks, I guess!"

"Hey, don't flirt with Yura-senpai that much! Pay attention to my awesome technique as well, Saji-senpai!"

Ruruko complained as her aura-clad kicks deflected all attacks aimed at her before taking down the terrorists charging at her. Despite their best efforts to pin her down, Ruruko was moving so fast that she seemed to be at three places at the same time.

Receiving a power boost from one of Genshirou's lines that was attached to her, Ruruko gathered copious amounts of aura around her right leg. Swinging it forward, she released a powerful blast that vaporized several enemies before her.

Taking advantage of her brief pause, three Titan Worshippers slammed their hands on the ground, creating a small earthquake that knocked Ruruko down. The terrorists charged at her, only for a semi-transparent barrier to materialize around the fallen Ruruko and shield her from the attacks.

"Sheesh, must I always clean up after you?"

Momo said with a sigh as she formed several energy rings around her, launching them at the terrorists and forcing them to dodge. However, they slammed on a thick barrier that Momo had conjured through Applause Wall, sending them crashing on the ground.

Before they could get up, Ruruko was upon them, taking them down with a few well-placed kicks. She then turned to Momo with an annoyed expression on her face.

"You didn't have to butt in. I had it under control."

"Sure you did."

Momo smirked as the two girls turned to face the terrorists charging at them.

"Useless!"

Spinning the Tonbokiri in front of her, Tsubaki yelled as she deflected the numerous thorns aiming for her. She then swung the spear, launching a crescent-shaped energy wave that bisected the Titan Worshippers before her. Using her Knight trait, she evaded several harpies aiming towards her, her aura-clad spear tearing through them.

Upon seeing that Tomoe was about to be cut off, Tsubaki rushed to her while taking off a paper talisman and placing it on her chest. Electricity enveloped her body as she fell upon her enemies with the force of a meteor, scattering them.

Taking out another talisman, Tsubaki threw it on the ground just as the enemy Devils launched a demonic power shot volley at her. A diamond wall rose from the ground, shielding her and Tomoe from the blasts. Making a sign with her fingers, Tsubaki touched the wall, which shattered into numerous diamond bullets that pelted the terrorists, shredding their bodies.

"You bitch!"

An armored Devil shouted as she conjured a demonic power blade and charged at Tsubaki, aiming for her back. Before she could even reach the Sitri Queen though, Tomoe blindsided her, slicing her legs and sending her crashing down. Burying her katana in her head, Tomoe unleashed a stream of light and dark energy that vaporized her body and consumed four Devils that were rushing to assist her.

"These guys are so damn persistent!" Tomoe shouted as she evaded a Lamia's bite and decapitated her with a swift stroke. "This is so not how I wanted to spend my day, Shinra-senpai!"

"I understand how you feel!" Tsubaki said as she took out another talisman, causing several iron stakes to erupt from the ground and skewer a quartet of Titan Worshippers aiming for her. "I was looking forward to having a nice chat with Kiba-kun about the latest releases over some tea once his game was over!"

"Yes, yes, being unable to spend time with your crush is the worst!" Tomoe said, the storm of light and dark energy around her katana solidifying into an energy blade that sliced through a Cerberus rushing at her. "You must be even more frustrated that me!"

"Not this again!" Tsubaki shouted, a small blush on her face as she stabbed the Tonbokiri in the ground and unleashed an aura outburst that sent all nearby enemies flying. "How many times do I have to say that there's nothing between me and Kiba-kun before all of you are convinced!?"

"Probably an infinite amount of times, so I wouldn't bother if I were you!"

Tomoe said with a grin as the two girls evaded a Cyclops' blows with agile movements. Slicing it apart in a methodical manner with their weapons, they rushed to support Tsubasa next.

[Delete!]

A short distance away, Genshirou used Delete Field's ability to reduce the strength of the Devils targeting him. His black flame-enveloped lines and tail made short work of them, with Genshirou using his black flames next to immobilize a battalion of Centaurs charging at him. Using Absorption Line and Drought Call to absorb their energy and water, Genshirou conjured a small magic circle at the tip of his tail unit.

"Take this, Student President!"

Genshirou activated a communication magic circle to address Sona as a transport magic circle appeared near her, with all the water he had absorbed thus far rushing out of it.

"Much appreciated, Saji."

Sona said, shaping the water into an army of beasts that rushed to support the rest of the Peerage and pounce on the terrorists. She also pointed her water lance at the Khaos Brigade members, shooting a barrage of needle-shaped water bullets at them that pierced through their eyes and skin.

The enemy's numbers are dwindling by the second. Sona thought. Just a little more, and then we can—

A communication magic circle appeared next to Sona's ear, interrupting her thoughts.

[Run, Sona!] Seekvaira's panicked voice came from the magic circle. [Get out of there at once! One of the enemy leaders has—!]

An earsplitting howl coming from high above cut off Seekvaira's words, with Sona turning her attention to its source. Falling down from the sky was Alivian, several gashes on his chest. His body smashed through two rock formations before crashing on the ground a short distance behind Sona and her Peerage.

"That is all the proud Zmei amount to in this day and age? How disappointing."

The one who said so after landing on top of a nearby rock formation was Victor Rahovart, his white hair billowing in the wind and his hands having turned into blades similar in shape to a praying mantis' forelegs.

Sona's Peerage gathered around her in a hurry as they glared at Victor, brandishing their weapons and directing their killing intent at him. He smirked at that as he spoke.

"I admire your bravery, but resistance is meaningless. I fear we have the upper hand here."

Victor pointed at the distance, where a large group of Devils accompanied by tall humanoid Annihilation Maker constructs that had alien-like features, long limbs and several tentacles growing from their body were making their way towards the Sitri Peerage. The one leading them was Lalasyu Beelzebub, and next to her—

"Seekvaira!" Sona shouted upon seeing the battered and bound form of her friend, who seemed to have lost consciousness. "What did you do to her, Lalasyu Beelzebub!?"

"What, this?" Lalasyu smirked as she patted Seekvaira's cheek. "It's a little discipling that the young Agares heir brought upon herself. Not only did she foolishly attempt to oppose me, she expended most of her power to place her Peerage in a time stasis field that rejects outside interference before we could dispose of them. Sacrificing herself for her servants, that is the height of idiocy."

"Despite that, you haven't killed her yet." Sona said, her mind working on overdrive as she struggled to come up with a way to escape from this predicament. "Why? I thought you old Devil King descendants and supporters had it out for all Devils who refuse to kowtow to you."

"True, but personally, I hate spiling precious noble blood if I can avoid it." Lalasyu said. "The Agares clan is a prestigious one with a long history of service, so having it end here would be a tragedy. With a little…reeducation, I am certain the young heiress here will come around to our way of thinking."

"By 'reeducation', I assume you mean brainwashing." Sona sneered while giving a discreet signal to Momo and Genshirou. "That doesn't surprise me one bit. It's what I would expect from lowlifes like you."

"It is a king's right to enforce their will by any means necessary." Lalasyu smiled. "Seekvaira Agares will have a place in our new world, but the same cannot be said for you, Sona Sitri. If you must blame someone for that, blame your sister for sullying the Leviathan name by stealing it from its righteous heir."

"A small person through and through." Sona said, forming a small magic circle in her hand. "You know you are no match for my sister, so you resort to taking your frustrations out on me. However, if you believe I'm easy prey, then you're sorely mistaken!"

One of Genshirou's lines attached itself to Sona's back, transferring power to her. Snapping her fingers, Sona had all her water constructs turn into vapor, creating a huge smokescreen that covered the field.

At the same time, Momo crossed her wrists as another line attached to her Artificial Sacred Gear, forming a large and sturdy spherical barrier all around the Sitri Peerage.

"Move, everyone!"

Sona commanded as the Sitri Peerage took flight, the barrier shielding them from the barrage of demonic power blasts launched blindly by Lalasyu's Devil troops.

I'm sorry, Seekvaira. Sona apologized to her friend in her thoughts. I swear I'll come back with help.

"Foolish girl." Lalasyu snorted. "Did you think you could escape from me?"

Lalasyu snapped her fingers. In response, the alien-like humanoid constructs moved, covering the distance that separated them from the Sitri Peerage in a single leap. Despite their scrawny looks, their blows tore through the reinforced barrier with ease, sending the screaming Sitri members crashing on the ground.

"…The Hell…was that…?" Momo coughed as she stood up. "Have to…put up the barrier again…"

"I don't think so."

Victor appeared next to Momo, his legs having turned into grasshopper-like ones. Before anyone could react, he delivered a powerful kick at Momo's abdomen that caused her to spit out blood as she was sent flying, the force of the blow knocking her out.

Without missing a beat, Victor shot several stings at Reya, piercing her body in several spots. Reya screamed as the venom in them seeped into her bloodstream, causing a great amount of pain and immobilizing her.

"Kusaka-senpai! Momo-senpai!"

"You bastard!"

Ruruko and Tsubasa shouted as they charged at Victor, with Tomoe rushing at him from the side. Shooting web threads from his fingers, Victor entangled Tomoe and tossed her at the charging Ruruko. Both girls collided together and were sent flying.

Evading Tsubasa's thrown shield and her jabs, Victor grew eight spider legs from his back. As the light-clad shield came at him from the back, he deflected it with three of his extra appendages while piercing Tsubasa's body in several spots with the rest. Her feeble attempt to counter was met with a kick to the face that sent her tumbling backwards.

"Hm?"

Victor frowned as a vortex of black flames erupted around him, sealing his movements. At the same time, Tsubaki charged at Victor, her Tonbokiri enveloped by a storm of energy, while Sona sent several water serpents and razor-sharp water blades at him.

At that moment though, three beams of concentrated demonic power came from behind Victor, scattering Sona's attacks while also striking Tsubaki and Genshirou, with both of them screaming as they fell on the ground, their bodies battered and burned.

"Tsubaki! Saji!"

Sona cried out upon seeing her servants being reduced to that state.

"With that, your pitiful resistance is at its end." Lalasyu said as she descended from the sky, an organic cannon-like construct attached to her right arm. "Your servants are incapacitated, and there is no escape."

Looking around, Sona noticed that the Khaos Brigade's soldiers had surrounded her and her wounded Peerage members from all sides, cutting off all possible escape routes. Even if she was coldblooded enough to abandon her Peerage and run, there was no way she could break out of this encirclement on her own.

I guess this is the end. Sona thought. I'm sorry, sister, everyone. The only thing I can do now…is face my imminent death in a manner befitting of a member of the Sitri family.

Sona lifted her head high, doing her best to project a fearless and defiant attitude. Seeing that, Lalasyu grinned.

"Trying to act all brave and proud is so cute, little Sitri princess." Lalasyu said with a sinister smile. "Let's see how long you can keep this façade up. Victor, be a dear and kill her in the most excruciating way possible. I wish to see her beg for mercy before her life expires."

"It would be my pleasure, Lalasyu-sama."

A cruel smile appeared on Victor's face as he walked towards Sona, who conjured two magic circles, resolving herself to go down fighting and not give even an ounce of satisfaction to her enemies.

"…I…won't let…you…"

Despite his injuries, Genshirou forced himself to crawl forward, grabbing Victor's leg with all the strength he could muster. Seeing that, Victor's expression contorted with disgust.

"Don't touch me, you filthy lowlife!"

Victor kicked Genshirou away, sending him rolling several meters away. Coughing up blood, he forced himself up despite his trembling legs and stabs of pain throughout his body, standing between Victor and Sona with his arms spread wide.

"Stand down, Saji!" Sona shouted. "With your body all battered up like that, you're only hastening your death!"

Although Sona had resigned herself to her fate, she still held some faint hope that if the Khaos Brigade wasted their time torturing her to death, someone might at least come to her Peerage's rescue. That was why the sight of Genshirou trying to sacrifice his life to shield her had agitated her.

"That order…I can't follow it…" Genshirou said, forcing a toothy grin. "…I'm…Student President's…Pawn… Protecting you…until the bitter end…is my duty…"

"Even though you are a fake Devil, your loyalty to your master is commendable." Victor said, conjuring a whip made out of demonic power. "That being said, obstructing your betters is a crime punishable by death!"

Upon saying so, Victor began swinging his whip at Genshirou, its lashes opening small gashes on his body. Genshirou let out pained grunts, fighting to retain his consciousness and keep himself from screaming.

"Stop! Stop that!"

Sona tried to rush to Genshirou's side, only to jump back as several energy blasts struck the ground before her. At the same time, several chains made out of demonic power erupted from the ground, binding her hands.

"Your time will come soon, so be patient until then, my dear." Lalasyu said, several oversized flies hovering next to her. "This is turning into quite the entertaining sideshow, so I would appreciate it if you didn't interrupt it. The crowd seems to love it after all."

Glancing at the assembled Devils, Sona could see them laughing and jeering at Genshirou.

"Look at that pitiful brat trying to play hero!"

"Bet you he's going to pass out in twenty more lashes!"

"Hey, hey, do you think he's going to piss himself before it's all over?"

"I'd rather he starts bawling like a baby. Wonder how stupid his face will look then."

Such mocking comments could be heard from the enemy's ranks, while other were cheering on Victor. Eventually, a particularly nasty strike across the face sent Genshirou flying. After rolling on the ground a bit, he laid there unmoving.

"Stubborn brat." Victor said, dismissing the whip and turning to Sona. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, young heiress. If this barbaric sight has made you uncomfortable, you needn't worry. I promise to use more…refined methods on you, ones that befit an individual of your stature."

Stingers dripping with poison grew from Victor's wrists as he said that. Meanwhile, Genshirou, who was still conscious despite the beating he had received, struggled to move, but found himself unable to.

Get up! Genshirou shouted in his thought. Get up, damn you! I swore I would protect her…no matter the cost! Even if I have to give up on everything else, I won't give up this wish! I…I won't let it end like this!

All of a sudden, an outraged roar echoed within the depths of his soul, with Genshirou feeling as if something had cracked inside him. His eyes turned violet, black light enveloped his Sacred Gears and a large amount of black flames erupted from his body as he howled.

"What's happening!?" Victor shouted in an alarmed tone. "What kind of trick is that lowborn scum trying to pull now!?"

"Saji…?"

Sona muttered as several tendrils of black flames rushed forward, aiming for Victor. He jumped back in haste as the flames swelled up even more and a distorted voice echoed.

"[Vritra Promotion]"!

Following that shout, the raging flames converged and solidified into the form of a large black eastern Dragon with three violet eyes and several tentacles growing from the back of his body. The Dragon bellowed in outrage as his gaze zeroed in on Victor, aiming its tentacles and fire breath at him.

Jumping high to evade the attacks, Victor transformed his hands into sickles once again, delivering a series of slashes at the Dragon. A wave of black flames rose from below, blocking his attacks and covering Victor's body, immobilizing him and reducing his strength at the same time.

Unable to free himself, Victor received a powerful blow from the Dragon's tail and was sent flying back. The tentacles on the Dragon's back also shot forward, entangling Victor and draining his power. Smashing him on the ground several times, the Dragon tossed Victor in a nearby rock formation, which collapsed on him.

The Dragon then launched a volley of fireballs at the assembled Khaos Brigade members, forcing them to take to the sky in order to dodge them. Those that weren't quick enough to move were incinerated by the black flames. The Dragon roared as his tentacles swung forward, aiming for the Devils closest to him and tearing through them.

"That is…the Prison Dragon Vritra?" Lalasyu frowned as she watched the black Dragon charging at her troops. "Has he manifested himself using that boy as a medium? How unexpected. Still, in that freshly awakened and feral state he is in right now, he is no match for all of us."

Lalasyu gave a signal to her troops, who arranged themselves in a formation. Half of them began launching a barrage of demonic power blasts at Vritra, while the rest conjured ropes made out of demonic power and directed them towards the Dragon in an attempt to restrain him.

Letting out a furious howl as his body was pelted by the enemy's attacks, Vritra lashed out at them by spewing out large amounts of black flames while also aiming his tentacles at them. However, having moved past their initial shock, the Devil troops were able to avoid his wild attacks with ease. At the same time, several ropes bound his body, restricting his movements.

Taking advantage of his immobilized state, the humanoid-type constructs pounced on Vritra. Their tentacles wrapped themselves around their arms, causing them to become twice their size. Their powerful blows sent Vritra skidding backwards, with the Dragon letting out a mournful howl.

"Time for some payback, you wretched beast!"

Victor emerged from the rock pile, dense black aura enveloping his body and two large stag beetle antlers growing from the sides of his head. Striking Vritra at his throat, he sent him crashing on the ground. The nearby Devils applied even more restrains on the fallen beast, preventing Vritra from escaping.

"To think I would have to rely on Ophis' power for such a trivial matter, this is truly embarrassing." Victor spat out as large stingers extended from his wrists once again. "You will—"

"Allow me." Lalasyu cut off Victor, a large mutant fly attaching itself to her arm again and morphing into a cannon-like construct. "We have wasted enough time here already. I will make sure that both Vritra and Sona Sitri meet their end, and that there will be no more last-ditch efforts."

Taking aiming at her enemies, Lalasyu unleashed a raging torrent of demonic power with the intent to obliterate them. However, at that moment, a comet comprised of azure flames descended from above and collided with her blast, creating an explosion that raised a large dust cloud.

"Oh, what is it now!?" Lalasyu bellowed in outrage. "Who dares interfere!?"

"I do."

A gust of wind dispersed the dust, revealing a white armored form with wings of light extending from his back. Dismissing his helmet, Vali gazed at the assembled Khaos Brigade members with a confident smirk on his face.

"Vali Lucifer…?" Lalasyu grimaced with evident distaste. "What is the meaning of this? You weren't supposed to be in this area."

Vali ignored Lalasyu's question, turning his attention to the writhing Vritra instead, who was exerting his aura in a vain attempt to break through his bindings. Placing his hand on the Dragon's head, Vali activated his Sacred Gear.

[Divide! Divide! Divide!]

The unstable aura enveloping Vritra's body dispersed as Albion's voice echoed.

[That should do the trick. Can you understand my words, Vritra?]

Vritra let out a low growl as his eyes focused on Divine Dividing, the rage in them abating and being replaced by confusion.

[…Al…bion…?] Vritra said with evident effort. [What…What has happened to me…? Where am I…? The last thing I remember…is the blinding light from Indra's Vajra…]

[Easy, old friend.] Albion said. [Your mind was fragmented as a result of your soul's division into several pieces and subsequent imprisonment in different Sacred Gears. Your soul was recently reconstituted through the union of those Gears, and your current host's fury and determination must have stimulated your slumbering consciousness.]

[…I see.] Vritra said. [Several questions come to mind…but I fear I must leave them for later. My host's body…it appears to be reaching its limit. I cannot remain in this manifested state…any longer…]

[Rest and recover, Vritra.] Albion said. [Leave the rest to us.]

[Don't mind…if I do…] Vritra said, his voice becoming fainter. [Later…]

After Vritra said so, his body turned into a mass of black flames that dispersed, leaving behind Genshirou's battered body. Grabbing him before he could hit the ground, Vali deposited him next to Sona. Taking out his wand, he swung it once, shattering the chains binding her.

"You saved us…?" Sona eyed Vali with suspicion as she rubbed her wrists. "Does that mean you're an ally?"

"If I said I was, would you dare trust my word?" Vali grinned, turning his attention back to the Khaos Brigade members. "Either way, your part in this is over, Sona Sitri. From this point on, this is my stage."

"But my servants—"

"I have it covered." Vali said. "Le Fay?"

"At once, Vali-sama!"

The space next to Vali rippled, with Le Fay, who was riding a hovering broom, becoming visible. Taking out her own wand, she waved it once, with several magic circles appearing on the ground around her. One flash of light later, the members of both Sona and Seekvaira's Peerages appeared there alongside Seekvaira herself.

"What!?" Lalasyu exclaimed in shock upon seeing that Seekvaira was no longer hovering next to her. "How in the nine Hells did that pesky human override my spells!?"

"Oh dear, all this looks rather serious!" Le Fay said in haste, conjuring more magic circles that let out a faint light. "Don't worry, everyone. I'll patch you up in no time."

As Lay Fay started treating the injured Devils, Lalasyu glared at Vali.

"So, you have finally shown your true colors, you rotten brat." Lalasyu said as more oversized flies emerged from magic circles around her and came to hover next to her. "Shalba was right to mistrust you. Rest assured that your act of treason will not go unpunished."

"Treason, you say?" Vali said as he took flight, coming to hover on the same height as Lalasyu. "I don't want to hear that from those who have been conspiring against me from day one. You and your brother were looking for an opportunity to eliminate me from the get-go, no? Unfortunately, since you're heading straight for a bad end, you won't get your chance, not now, not ever."

"On the contrary, this is the perfect chance." Lalasyu let out a sinister smirk as she took out a vial containing a black snake inside. "You are surrounded by Beelzebub loyalists and powerful Annihilation Maker constructs that only obey my commands. I do not know what possessed you to save these wretches, but you should have focused on trying to take my head first. That arrogance of yours will be your undoing, Vali Lucifer! Take him down!"

All enemy Devils aimed their magic circles at Vali and launched a volley of elemental attacks, while the humanoid-type constructs aimed their tentacles at Vali, unleashing streams of energy at him. However, Vali was unperturbed as his helmet appeared over his head and Divine Dividing shone.

[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]

The blasts heading towards Vali began shrinking in size and losing their power. By the time they reached him, they had become so weak that they dispersed harmlessly upon striking his armor. Several magic circles appeared on Divine Dividing's wings at the same time, unleashing a barrage of energy bolts that felled dozens of Devils too slow to react.

"Impossible!" Lalasyu exclaimed in shock. "How could you activate your ability without having touched us beforehand!?"

"Who knows?" Vali shrugged. "What good will knowing the answer do for you? Your life will soon come to an end after all."

"Don't underestimate me, you accursed half-breed!" Lalasyu said as she swallowed Ophis' snake, with her aura swelling up as a result. "Before this battle ends, I'll have you grovel at my feet!"

"Don't exert yourself with this worthless maggot, my lady. Allow me to deliver the traitor's head to you instead!"

Victor said as he rushed at Vali, his arms transforming into centipede-shaped whips and his eyes turning into compound ones. Before he could reach him however, he abruptly changed direction as he caught sight of an extending staff aiming for his head from the side.

"Hey, don't try to hog all the fun here, Vali! Let me play with these guys as well!"

Bikou said while letting out a hearty laugh, the golden cloud he was standing on picking up speed as he chased after Victor. The Rahovart heir clicked his tongue as he swung his whips at him while also growing butterfly wings from his back that released poisonous vapor.

"You've got an amusing gimmick there!"

Dispersing the incoming poison cloud with a swing of his staff, Bikou surrounded his body with Touki. Weaving between the incoming whips, Bikou delivered a heel kick at his opponent, only to be surprised by Victor's toughness.

"Hoh, a carapace, eh?" Bikou smirked as he noticed the black shell underneath Victor's clothes. "Looks like you won't be an insect easy to squash."

"You've got that right, primate." Victor sneered as his carapace expanded to cover his entire body, forming glistering black armor that gave him an imposing appearance. "The likes of you cannot hope to contend against me."

"Challenge accepted!"

Bikou said as he pulled several strands of hair from his head and clones of himself, directing them to attack Victor from several angles.

"Forward, my soldiers!" A Devil commander barked an order at the troops around him. "We must assist Lady Lalasyu against the traitor!"

[Yes, commander!]

The Devils shouted together, spreading their wings and rushing towards the site where Vali and Lalasyu were clashing. However, they were obstructed by a swarm of bats that appeared out of nowhere and threw them into disarray. The swarm solidified into the form of Milena, a playful smile on her face as she licked her lips.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, ladies and gentlemen?" Milena asked in a playful manner, brandishing her broadsword. "Wouldn't you rather party with me?"

"You dare obstruct us, you wench? Kill her!"

Following that command, the Devil troops charged at Milena while yelling. Her smile became wider as her body morphed into liquid, with weapons and magic alike passing through her harmlessly much to the surprise of her opponents.

Rushing forward in blinding speeds in this state, Milena entered the Devil commander's body from his orifices. He only managed to let out a strangled cry before his body swelled up and exploded, bits of his flesh showering the nearest soldiers.

As Milena reformed herself, she cut her wrists open, with the blood rushing from them solidifying into sharp crystals that pierced through the Devils charging at her. Changing from solid state to liquid once again, Milena's blood turned into razor-sharp threads that sliced apart several Devils in one go.

Reinforcing themselves with demonic power, another battalion of Devils weaved through Milena's blood constructs to approach her, hoping to overwhelm her with close-quarters combat. Milena dashed these hopes by slicing them apart with her broadsword or overpowering them with her blows, her strength being enough to shatter her opponents' limbs and send them flying.

Pointing her arm at another battalion of Devils coming at her, Milena shot chunks of her flesh at them. Her projectiles pierced their bodies with ease, either killing them instantly or burrowing into their bodies and parasitizing them, turning them into unwilling puppets for Milena to use against their comrades.

Turning into mist to avoid a barrage of attacks, Milena reformed in the midst of an enemy squadron, her eyes shining as her Vampiric charm hypnotized the surrounding Devils. Mesmerized by her, they were too slow to react as Milena cut their throats opened with lightning-fast moves, sucking their blood in quick succession.

"Good, though not quite as delectable as my dear Vali." Milena said, wiping her mouth. "Still, this is a wonderful feast by all accounts. Don't you agree, Arthur?"

"Not quite. This is a poor test of my skill as a swordsman."

A short distance away from Milena, Arthur said so with a neutral expression, his Caliburn cleaving a humanoid-type construct in half with ease. Evading a second one's charge by sidestepping it, he thrust Caliburn through its back, with the blade's holy aura vaporizing the creature.

Opening a rift in space and stepping inside it to avoid a barrage of demonic power blasts and elemental attacks aimed at him, Arthur emerged behind the battalion that had attacked him. Swinging Caliburn with deadly precision, he vanquished them in a matter of seconds, with even his few glancing blows becoming fatal injuries due to the potency of his blade's holy aura.

Five humanoid-type constructs jumped at him next, their arms and legs having swelled up due to wrapping their tentacles around them. Avoiding their combined attacks by jumping up, Arthur manifested Pridwen and began running on air thanks to its ability.

The constructs chased after him, but Arthur launched a crescent-shaped wave of holy power at them in response, vaporizing two of them. Jumping into another rift in space as the constructs launched energy blasts at him, Arthur appeared above the third one, burying his blade in its head.

The other two constructs aimed their kicks at him, but Arthur slid underneath them, severing their legs with two rapid strokes. The wounded constructs were too slow to react as Caliburn opened two small space rifts near their torsos, bisecting them with ease.

Seeing that another battalion situated on top of a nearby rock formation was aiming at him, Arthur increased the aura enveloping Caliburn as he delivered a slash at seemingly nothing. The next moment, several cuts appeared on the sky above, with a large number of glowing rock fragment-like objects falling from them and crushing both the rock formation and the Devils situated there.

"Hm, best not to use that move too much." Arthur said. "Creating too many dimensional debris might compromise the stability of Kuroka's barrier."

At that moment, two more constructs pounced on Arthur. However, an energy arrow tore through both of them, destroying their cores. Nodding once at his teammate in the distance, Arthur turned his attention to another group of enemies near him and swung his blade, unleashing a wave of holy aura at them before charging.

"And that's another enemy commander down."

Arash remarked as the energy arrow that flew from his bow sailed through the air, striking an armored Devil through the eye and killing him.

"I don't know why you bother pulling all these difficult shots." Kuroka, who was next to Arash, said with a bored look, her body surrounded by a thin sheet of ki. "Your Bow of Ormuzd is absorbing my ki, meaning your attacks are as effective as Senjutsu, nya."

"True, but I mustn't grow complacent." Arash said as his bow took in Kuroka's ki and formed another arrow. "Otherwise, my skills will degrade, and that's something I can't afford."

Upon saying so, Arash let his arrow fly once again, with it slipping past a small gap in an enemy squadron's defensive magic circle formation and striking their commander in the center of her forehead.

"Show-off."

Kuroka huffed, with Arash smiling. His expression turned serious once again though when he noticed Khaos Brigade's forces heading towards their location.

"Looks like someone was a little too flashy, nya." Kuroka said as she turned to Arash. "Next time, you should—"

Kuroka's voice trailed off upon realizing that Arash was no longer there, prompting her to let out a deep sigh.

"…How does he keep doing that?" Kuroka said as Touki enveloped her body. "Well, whatever. Right now, we have some nasty Devils to entertain, nya~!"

Using her ki, Kuroka lifted the nearby rocks, launching them towards the incoming terrorists and forcing them to dodge in haste. Conjuring a magic circle in her hands, she transmuted the rocks into torrents of soil that enveloped several terrorists. Tossing several spores into them, Kuroka had them grow into numerous vines with razor-sharp leaves that slashed apart several Devils.

"Damn Nekomata!"

A female Devil howled in outrage as she slashed at Kuroka with a demonic power blade, only for her weapon to pass through her harmlessly and her figure to dissipate. The enemy Devil barely had time to frown in confusion before receiving a chop at the back of her neck that severed her spinal cord, killing her instantly.

"Sorry, but little old me isn't that easy to catch, nya~."

Several copies of Kuroka appeared all over the area, with the Devils being incapable of telling them apart. The copies proceeded to launch a barrage of ki bullets, felling Devil after Devil since they were unable to discern which attacks were real and which were illusions. Manipulating the vines as well, she had them join together and form a pair of massive fists that sent the Devils flying.

"Take them all out with a saturation attack!"

Following that command, the assembled Devils and constructs launched a concentrated barrage of blasts at Kuroka's clones, paying no heed to the fact that several of their comrades were caught up in their attack. A massive explosion rocked the area, raising a large smoke cloud.

"How cruel of you. I guess there's little solidarity to be found among terrorists, nya."

The assembled Khaos Brigade members turned around in haste, finding the unscathed Kuroka hovering above them. She swung her hand once, with a crunching sound echoing as a spatial distortion rushed forward and sliced through several Khaos Brigade members with ease. Three humanoid-type constructs dashed at Kuroka, aiming their fists at her, but she vanished in an instant, appearing a few meters to the right.

Launching several Kasha at the enemy Devils, annihilating those struck by them due to the power of purification in them, Kuroka gathered lightning around her palms. The lightning spread throughout her body and was absorbed by her Touki, forming a dress made out of lightning around her body and creating a circle of electricity similar to Raijin's drums above her.

"Here comes a shocking surprise, nya~."

Kuroka smirked as numerous streams of lightning erupted from her body and struck the nearby Devils, who let out screams of agony as both their bodies and souls received grave damage. The drum constructs on top of Kuroka also released lightning arrows, tearing through a squadron of Devils and humanoid-types that were rushing at her.

Crouching a bit, Kuroka vanished with a burst of speed, delivering powerful lightning-infused blows that vaporized her opponents in quick succession. The circle of electricity sprouting from her back also transformed into a pair of wings that further boosted her speed and sliced through those unfortunate enough to get caught by them.

The Khaos Brigade members tried to take aim at Kuroka, only for their numbers to be further dwindled as energy arrows started coming at them again, taking down terrorist after terrorist. Even more astonishing was the fact that some arrows would collide with their demonic power blasts, absorbing them and turning into arrows of demonic power that struck down the terrorists.

"Damn it!" A Devil commander howled as he looked around with evident agitation. "Where the Hell are these arrows coming—!?"

His words were cut off as another arrow tore through his head, silencing him forever.

"I know everyone is strong, but it would be nice if they fought a bit more prudently." Arash said as he shot down a humanoid-type that was about to pounce on Milena in the distance. "Having to cover everyone's blind spots at the same time is a bit taxing…"

"There's the sneaky bastard!"

Arash jumped to the side, evading a humanoid-type's aura-clad punch just in time. A large number of Devils and constructs surrounded Arash's position, their weapons and magic circles aimed at him.

"You've caused us a lot of grief, but this is the end of the line, human." A high-ranking Devil said with a savage smirk. "Even a skilled archer like you can't deal with all of us together at this distance. Kill him!"

The assembled terrorists unleashed their combined attacks at Arash. Instead of trying to run, Arash touched the silver pendant around his neck. Before the enemy's shots reached him, a towering pillar of light erupted from his position, dispersing the enemy's attacks.

"What!?" The high-ranking Devil cried out. "What's that human doing!?"

Following the enemy leader's words, several silver chains emerged from the pillar, striking down the Devils and humanoid-types closest to them before retreating within the pillar once again. Once the light died down, Arash could be seen standing there, his body encased in armor comprised of interlocked silver scales and a cap-shaped helmet, with chains wrapped around the waist, forearms and forelegs.

Tapping his bow with his finger once, Arash generated a storm of energy around it that solidified into energy blades enveloping the bow's limbs. Bouncing up and down a couple of times, Arash jumped, reaching a height unthinkable for a normal human as he swung his bow, bifurcating the enemy commander before he had a chance to react.

The chains wrapped around his armor shot forward, wrapping themselves around the nearby enemy troops and immobilizing them. Despite their best efforts, they found themselves unable to escape from them. While he fell towards the ground again, Arash aimed his bow at the surrounding troops, shooting a volley of energy arrows in quick succession that tore through their bodies with ease.

As he landed on the ground, the chains constricting his captured opponents let out a final squeeze, shattering their bodies and letting their mangled remains fall on the ground. The assembled Devils howled in outrage as they unleashed a volley of attacks at Arash, only for his armor to withstand them without a scratch on it.

"How in the name of Beelzebub are you still standing, you damned human!?" A Devil cried out in shock. "What the Hell is that armor you're wearing!?"

"An heirloom from my mother's family, once belonging to my illustrious ancestor." Arash said as he put his hand on his chest. "My name is Arash Esfandiyār Ruyintan, descendant of the hero Arash from my father's side and the hero Esfandiyār from my mother's side. If you are familiar with Iranian Mythology, you should be well aware that my armor can't be pierced by attacks of this caliber."

"A Hero descendant with a dual heritage?" The Devil's face spasmed upon hearing that. "Such a ridiculous thing…!"

"We are the Vali team." Arash smiled. "Ridiculous and absurd are our trademarks. You terrorists, feel honored that you shall fall by my hand!"

Arash said so as he aimed his bow at the Khaos Brigade members, releasing another volley of arrows at them.

"Ah, ah, look at everybody go. As rowdy as always."

Medb said, sitting cross-legged near Le Fay and watching the unfolding battles with a disinterested gaze. Next to her, Sona was also observing the battles raging around them as she spoke.

"Shouldn't you be assisting your comrades?"

"Are you kidding me?" Medb responded to Sona's question with an incredulous tone. "Running around like these fellows means I'll get all dirty and sweaty. It's both gross and bad for my impeccable complexion. Not to mention a huge bother as well. Live life to the fullest while putting the least amount of effort is my motto!"

"…Won't Vali Lucifer and the others get angry with your nonchalant attitude?"

"They might, but it's a small price to pay for keeping the world's number one beauty in pristine condition."

Medb grinned, leaving Sona flabbergasted. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she turned to Ley Fay and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Pardon me for asking, but why is such an…unmotivated individual part of your team?"

"Medb-sama is a little…strange, that's true." Le Fay let out a nervous chuckle as she kept treating the wounded Devils with her magic. "Still, personality issues aside, when it comes to fighting, she—"

A dozen humanoid-types crashed near the group at the moment, their tentacles aimed at Sona and Le Fay. The latter conjured magic circles in haste, forming a multitude of barriers in a matter of seconds. Once the humanoid-types struck them, the barriers absorbed and redirected the force of the blows back at them, destroying three of them.

Waving her wand once again, Le Fay launched several bolts of pulsating black energy at the constructs, destroying two more. Before she could do anything more, several streaks of crimson light cleaved through the constructs, reducing them to chunks of black flesh.

"You maggots…" Medb glowered at the constructs' dissipating remains, a crimson spear surrounded by a storm of sinister aura in her hand. "My dress got all filthy because of your messy landing! Even a thousand deaths aren't enough to atone for this sin!"

"That spear…could it be?" Sona seemed surprised. "Is that the infamous Gáe Bolg?"

"The one and only." Le Fay said. "Medb-sama received it while she was training under Scáthach-sama. Vali-sama was also a candidate for receiving it while he trained in Dún Scáith, but turned it down. He hates using anything other than his Sacred Gear and demonic power in battle."

"Enough talking." Medb said, her gaze focused on the Khaos Brigade combatants approaching them. "Reinforce the barrier you've placed in this area, Le Fay-chan. Much as I despise this, those nasty terrorists are determined to involve me in this mess as well."

"Understood, Medb-sama!"

A set of runes appeared on Medb's legs as she took flight, rushing towards the terrorists in high speeds.

"Incoming—!"

The enemy Devil's words were cut off as Gáe Bolg tore through his chest, piercing his heart. Pulling her spear out, Medb spun it to deflect a volley of demonic power shots aimed at her. Two constructs also aimed their enlarged fists at her, but she ducked underneath their blows with a relaxed smile.

"Sorry, but I'm not the kind of woman who allows just any man to touch her."

Medb said so with a smirk as she engaged the Khaos Brigade members. Moving in a graceful manner akin to a dancer, she overwhelmed her opponents with accurate and deadly strikes, her spear tearing through armor and flesh alike with ease as it sprayed blood all around the area.

Despite the fact that some terrorists would only receive minor wounds, they let out guttural screams as numerous barbs erupted from their bodies all of a sudden, turning them into human pincushions. If one looked closer, they would notice that Medb's spear would leave small fragments from its tip inside an opponent's body when it struck them, with the missing pieces being replaced almost instantaneously.

Drawing a rune with her finger next, Medb generated a warm glow that caused her nearby opponents' eyes to glaze over as they began daydreaming. Piercing a charging humanoid-type with her spear, she formed another rune that let out a concussive blast, pulverizing her hypnotized opponents.

"Careful!" A Devil commander shouted. "That wench is also a Magician!"

"Oh my, even if you are careful, you can't escape my deadly charm~."

Medb winked as demonic aura gathered around Gáe Bolg. Jumping high into the sky, she threw the spear at her opponents. The spear multiplied into numerous copies midair, with her carpet bombing-like attack felling a large number of terrorists at once while also causing an explosion of corrupted aura that ravaged the area.

Recalling the spear back to her hand, Medb buried it in the ground, generating a storm of dark violet aura that consumed the few enemies still standing near her.

"Now! Blast that bitch into oblivion!"

A squadron of Devils that had taken flight high above aimed their magic circles at Medb, unleashing a volley of powerful demonic power blasts. Several constructs next to them also added their attacks to the mix. In response, Medb clicked her tongue in irritation as she clutched Gáe Bolg with both hands.

"Damn you for making me do this…"

Medb grumbled as her spear itself transformed into a storm of dark violet aura that enveloped her body. The ensuing aura outburst scattered the incoming attacks and generated a powerful shockwave that cracked the ground beneath Medb. Once the storm dissipated, the assembled Devils couldn't help but let out surprised gasps at the sight below them.

"What in the nine Hells…?"

One of them murmured. Standing before them was Medb clad in a sinister-looking dark violet armor with red lines running through it, a barbed tail, a blade-shaped horn and large gauntlets with crimson spearhead-shaped protrusions extending from it.

"Ah, this is the worst!" Medb complained. "To think I would be forced to put on this disgusting and not stylish at all armor that totally ruins my impeccable figure, it makes me want to throw up! You lot, don't think even for a second that you're leaving this place alive after disgracing me like this!"

Upon saying so, Medb dashed towards the Khaos Brigade members, her spearhead-shaped blades slicing through their bodies with ease. Several spearheads also emerged from various areas of the armor, tearing through the terrorists' bodies. Even when they did manage to get an attack in, it proved completely ineffective against the current Medb, dispersing upon striking her armor.

"Retreat! We need to regroup with the others if we want to deal with this monster!"

The remaining Devils and constructs retreated in haste following their comrade's words.

"I told you won't get away from me!" Medb said as she formed a summoning magic circle next to her. "Come, Arion-chan!"

A beautiful horse with caramel-colored fur and a jet-black mane emerged from the magic circle, letting out a resounding neigh.

"Good to see you again, Arion-chan." Medb smiled as the horse rubbed its head against her helmet. "Can I borrow your strength to crush some irreverent fools, pretty please~?"

Arion let out another neigh, his body turning into a sphere of light that was absorbed by the leg armor. Its shape changed in response, coming to resemble the lower half of a horse and making Medb's appearance even more haunting.

"Here I come!"

Dashing fast enough to create a sonic boom, Medb fell upon her retreating enemies, tearing them apart in a manner of seconds. Scalding water geysers would also erupt on the ground her four legs stepped on, further adding to the chaos.

Meanwhile, some distance away, Bikou and Victor were still fighting each other. The latter had grown a scorpion's tail and three antlers resembling an atlas beetle's ones, using them to destroy the last of Bikou's clones.

"You are supposed to be Sun Wukong's descendant?" Victor sneered as his tail barely missed Bikou's head. "The apple has fallen very far from the tree in your case. His renowned strength is nowhere to be found in you!"

Changing his legs' shape into that of a grasshopper's, Victor aimed a dropkick at Bikou, hitting him squarely in the chest. Despite being sent flying backwards and wincing a bit, the young Youkai didn't seem to have received much damage, with Victor feeling like the impact of his blow had been absorbed somewhat.

Growing spider legs from his back once again, Victor chased after Bikou. Just as he was about to reach him, the golden cloud Bikou had been riding on rushed below him and caught his legs, forcing him backwards. His stance having crumbled, Victor was unable to evade the incoming staff, whose tip was enveloped by solidified Touki in the form of a spearhead.

"Tch!"

Victor grimaced underneath his helmet as he conjured several defensive magic circles and wrapped his spider legs and tail in front of him in haste. However, Bikou's staff tore through his defenses and extra appendages, sending him crashing down on the ground.

Victor's mouth opened wide as he spat out globules of venom at his opponent, but Bikou transformed into a serpentine Dragon, letting out a fire breath that incinerated them and forced Victor to dodge by rolling to the side.

"Damn, so close to turning you into charcoal." Bikou said as he switched back to his human form. "Also, what was that about me not measuring up to the old man? Got to speak up because I can't hear you while you're flat on your ass, you overgrown bug."

"Impudent beast." Victor growled, long stingers extending from his hands and a protrusion resembling a mosquito's proboscis extending from his mouth armor. "You will soon find that your feeble skills are no match for the power I possess!"

With the aid of his grasshopper legs, Victor leapt in the air and created platforms of demonic power to jump off from, leaping from one to the other in speeds almost too fast for the eye to see.

"What's wrong, oh proud descendant of the Monkey King!?" Victor laughed. "Can't keep up!?"

Bikou tried to follow Victor's movements with his eyes, but found himself unable to. As much as he hated to admit it, the elder Devil was faster than him right now.

"Guess I'll have to use that new trick I've been practicing…" Bikou muttered as the Touki enveloping his body became denser, obscuring his form a bit. "What a pain…"

After jumping around for a while longer, Victor leapt at Bikou, his demonic power-clad stingers and proboscis aiming for his opponent's back. Instead of piercing them though, a dull sound echoed as their tips broke.

"What!?"

Shocked by that unexpected occurrence, Victor failed to evade Bikou's backhand blow, which sent him flying and shattered his helmet. Focusing on his opponent, Victor noticed that Bikou's body was covered in a pitch-black material almost in its entirety, with only a small opening near his mouth and nose.

"That's…graphene?" Victor frowned at the sight before. "But this feeling is…don't tell me, you actually solidified the Touki surrounding you into a physical construct?"

"Something like that." Bikou grinned. "By infusing the element of earth in my Touki like how Kuroka does with fire and lightning, I ended up with this nifty armor. Got the incentive to practice this after a certain crazy Dragon almost turned me to mincemeat. You've experienced its toughness for yourself, and as for its strength…"

Bikou's golden cloud appeared below his feet, with the young Youkai dashing at his opponent. Victor attempted to dodge, but stumbled as he felt lightheaded all of a sudden and his vision blurred.

"This is…!"

Unable to get out of the way in time, Victor received a heavy blow to his abdomen that shattered his chest armor, sending him crashing to the ground. Coughing up a large amount of blood, he struggled to stand up, but found himself unable to as he fell to his knees once again, his armor slowly crumbling.

"I forgot to say this, but my armor is also an excellent ki conductor." Bikou smirked as he landed a few steps away from Victor. "Really increases the potency of Senjutsu as you're finding out the hard way."

"Bastard!"

Victor howled in outrage and charged, aiming his left stinger at the openings on Bikou's armor. Bikou snorted as a blade formed on his left hand, with the Youkai slicing the charging terrorist's arm off.

Victor screamed in agony, his remaining arm cradling his stump in an attempt to staunch the blood flow. Paying no heed to his pitiful condition, Bikou shaped the armor in his hands into spiked maces, using them to smash his opponent's head into a pulp. The now headless corpse of Victor Rahovart fell on the ground, with the armor around Bikou dissipating.

"One less annoying insect to bug us." Bikou said, turning his attention to his comrades. "Better go help the others. We can't let any terrorists escape from here alive after all."

Summoning his golden cloud, Bikou jumped on it and took flight, heading towards a nearby enemy battalion.

"You're throwing plenty of power there, but you should have realized you won't get anywhere with just that. May I suggest a change in tactics, Lalasyu?"

"Shut up and die already, you filthy mongrel!"

In another part of the battlefield, Lalasyu snarled as she unleashed a volley of demonic power blasts from her cannon-shaped attachment and sent several oversized crimson flies at her opponent. Vali remained unfazed as his wings shone.

[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]

The incoming blasts' power was reduced once again, rendering them incapable of inflicting any damage. Forming two azure flame whips, Vali used them to incinerate the swarm of incoming flies, which exploded in midair. One of his strikes also severed Lalasyu's armament, forcing her to jump back in order to avoid losing her hand as well.

Several flies appeared around Lalasyu once again, transforming into shuriken-like weapons dripping with venom and flying towards Vali. Clapping his hands together, Vali conjured several Evil Light spears surrounded by azure flames around him. His spears tore through the incoming blades with ease, aiming for Lalasyu.

The Beelzebub descendant summoned more oversized flies in front of her that transformed into shields to protect her, but Vali's light and flame constructs destroyed them as well. The ensuing explosion sent Lalasyu skidding backwards, her skin singed in various spots.

"You little…!"

Lalasyu spat out as another large swarm of flies emerged from magic circles around her, their bodies lighting up as they unleashed a barrage of energy blasts at Vali. He sighed in exasperation as his Sacred Gear shone once again.

[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]

The blasts were once again weakened to the point where they became ineffective, with several forked tails made out of azure flames sprouting from Vali's back next. Swinging them around, he cleared out the flies before converging them into an oversized flaming arm that delivered a lightning-fast chop.

Lalasyu activated a short-range teleportation magic circle in a hurry and evaded the attack, which vaporized the ground below and opened a large chasm. Emerging from another magic circle some distance away from her previous position, Lalasyu eyed Vali, who seemed content to wait for her next move, with a wary gaze.

"…So that's it." Lalasyu said. "I can see now why my attacks have been ineffective so far. I don't know how you accomplished it, but you managed to project your Sacred Gear's ability outwards, creating a field that allows you to divide anything that comes within its bounds."

"Congratulations." Vali clapped in a mocking manner. "You aren't as dense as I presumed, Lalasyu. Your strength and skill though…they leave much to be desired. Using Ophis' power as a crutch while challenging me, have you been sitting around doing nothing for the past few centuries? For shame."

"Insolent brat." Lalasyu scowled. "What about you? Despite being our creator's heir, you are content with letting a faker like Sirzechs sit on his throne and arrogantly claim his name for himself. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"Why should I be?" Vali said. "Sirzechs Gremory is a Devil fit to carry the name of Lucifer. For the time being, he's better than me in all aspects and has been acknowledged by the Underworld due to his unmatched strength and charisma. I see no reason to be ashamed or dissatisfied with the current state of affairs."

"Spoken like a true weak-willed coward, one who never belonged in our ranks." Lalasyu snorted in derision. "Where has your pride gone? Has the filthy human blood you inherited from that whore you call mother diluted the noble blood of Lucifer to that extent? It seems I have one more reason to purge you posthaste. Before this day ends, I will have your corpse strung up and paraded before our troops as an example to all."

"Is that so?" Vali said with an icy tone. "Then, allow me to make a declaration of my own, Lalasyu Beelzebub; I will end you while remaining rooted on this spot as I have done so far. Since my patience is running low the more you flap your lips, you had best give it your all while you still can."

"Such bravado." Lalasyu said while grinding her teeth. "Then, as you wish, I shall spare no effort in killing you from this point on!"

Lalasyu howled as she spread her twelve wings, with a large number of magic circles appearing around her. Numerous flies emerged from them, attaching themselves to her wings, arms and lower body. After a couple of seconds, what stood before Vali was a grotesque creature with twelve large deformed wings, the lower body of a fly and two elongated limbs with sharp claws at the end of their fingers.

Several summoning circles appeared around Lalasyu next, with several humanoid-type constructs emerging from them. Small flies approached each of them and were absorbed into their bodies, transforming them into humanoid flies with four arms extending from their torso and wings growing from their back.

"You will regret angering me, Vali!"

Lalasyu laughed as her wings vibrated, with powerful soundwaves that shattered the ground below aiming for Vali. Pointing his wand forward, Vali cast a spell that created a vacuum around him, preventing the soundwaves from reaching him. No sooner had he blocked that attack than the fly chimeras were upon him, sharp talons extending from their hands as they aimed to shred Vali.

Snapping his fingers once, Vali had several oversized Evil Light blades erupt from the ground, bifurcating almost half of his attackers. A rain of Evil Light spheres fell from above at the same time, pelting the remaining constructs, who struggled to evade them while moving towards Vali. However, a barrage of oversized Evil Light rings with curved blades around them tore through the remaining constructs.

As the last construct fell, Lalasyu spread her wings wide, unleashing a barrage of demonic power blasts on an unprecedented scale along with streams of acid and noxious fumes. Her lower half sprouted several tentacles with numerous proboscis-like protrusions on them while her monstrous arms stretched forward in an attempt to squash her opponent.

"Pathetic."

Vali scoffed as vast amounts of azure flames erupted from his body, forming a towering pillar around him that consumed the demonic power blasts, becoming even more intense in the process. Two oversized clawed arms erupted from it, batting away Lalasyu's own arm constructs, while the tentacles and poison all were vaporized by the flames.

Enveloping her wings in dense demonic power and solidifying them further through magic, Lalasyu aimed them at Vali next, hoping to break through the flame pillar and crush him with sheer force. Swinging his wand once, Vali increased gravity in the space the wings were passing through, throwing their aim of as they fell on the ground, dragging Lalasyu with them.

Seeking to capitalize on this opening, Vali gathered copious amount of highly condensed Evil Light around his hands and formed an inverted cross with his arms.

"Phosphor Burst."

A powerful beam of Evil Light erupted from Vali's right hand, tearing through Lalasyu's arm constructs, several of her wings and part of her fly-shaped lower half. The Beelzebub descendant shrieked, but Vali paid no heed to that as the flames enveloping him transformed into numerous arcs that flew forward and slashed apart the rest of Lalasyu's extra appendages.

Swinging his wand, Vali generated a dense line of Evil Light from its tip that tore through Lalasyu's right shoulder. She cried out in pain as she fell on her knees, feeling like her body was on fire, with Vali pulling her closer to his position by tugging on the line hard.

"Took you down without moving once." Vali grinned. "If nothing else, I'm a man of my word, Lalasyu Beelzebub."

"Im…possible…" Lalasyu wheezed out, the light poisoning sapping her strength. "How…could I…?"

"Now you're using cliché last words spoken by small-time villains as they're about to die?" Vali snorted. "What a pitiful sight. No wonder it was so easy to defeat you."

"I'm…the daughter of the venerated House Beelzebub…" Lalasyu muttered, half-delirious from the pain. "I…cannot be defeated… It's my destiny…to reclaim our legacy… The lost throne and status…will be ours again…"

"Even now, at the end, you understand nothing." Vali said. "All of you Devil King descendants are relics of a bygone era, hollow existences that are only defined by the infamy and accomplishments of their ancestors instead of your own merits. Cowering in some light-forsaken corner of the Underworld for centuries and reducing yourselves to lapdogs for a terrorist organization in a desperate attempt to claim what is no longer yours, I can't help but laugh at this. You said I lacked pride, but you threw yours away long ago. That is why you have lost."

"It wasn't supposed…to be like this…" Lalasyu muttered as she tried and failed to stand up. "Why…is it you…? If it wasn't…for your Sacred Gear…"

"Because unlike you, I am more than my heritage or my Longinus." Vali said. "Being Lucifer and the White Dragon Emperor are only parts of what make me Vali, the man who will one day stand at the pinnacle of existence. I take pride in myself as an individual, and also in the effort that has brought me thus far."

"How…ridiculous…"

"Oh, and one last thing." Vali glowered as he kicked Lalasyu in the face, sending her tumbling backwards. "Don't you dare insult my mother with that filthy mouth of yours ever again."

Lalasyu coughed up blood as Vali ran his fingers down the length of his wand and spoke.

"This is the final judgment from the king; it's death!"

A ripple of light travelled down the length of the line piercing Lalasyu, entering her body. She screamed in agony and writhed on the ground as her body started cracking in various places, with silver light escaping from them. A couple of seconds later, Lalasyu's body exploded, releasing a pillar of silver light that rose several meters into the sky before dispersing.

[A splendid fight, Vali.] Albion remarked. [Your hard work on expanding the range of our dividing ability has paid dividends.]

"Thank you, Albion." Vali said as he dismissed his armor, a small frown on his face. "However, I'm still rather dissatisfied that you insist on not cooperating with me on the matter we discussed before."

[This again…?] Albion sighed. [For the umpteenth time, we may be partners, but that doesn't mean I have to satisfy your every whim, Vali. Childish notions such as having my Sacred Gear announce the names of your made-up techniques are beneath me.]

"Divine Dividing already announces your techniques, so I don't see why you can't help me add my own moves to the mix."

[It wasn't my choice to include that feature, but rather Deus Trinity's for whatever odd reason.] Albion said. [Do you think Ddraig and I shouted 'Boost' and 'Divide' each time we used our abilties back when we had our physical bodies?]

"Be that as it may, I have no intention of budging on that matter." Vali said. "However, that discussion will have to wait for later."

Spreading his Devil wings, Vali took off, landing close to the area where Le Fay was treating the wounded Devils. The rest of his teammates had also made their way there, with the battlefield having grown eerily quiet as all Khaos Brigade members had been exterminated.

"Whew, that was fun." Milena remarked with a satisfied smile, patting her stomach. "I'm so full I don't think I'll have to drink any more blood for the next week or so. Of course, if Vali offers me some of his, I won't say no~."

"I made that mistake once when we first met, and you almost sucked me dry." Vali said, turning to Arash. "Have all the Khaos Brigade members in this area been eliminated?"

"Unless they're using extremely sophisticated concealment spells, then yes, we got them all." Arash said. "Kuroka can verify that as well."

"Apart from the members here, there are no other life signs within my barrier." Kuroka said. "If we're lucky, with all the chaos outside, no-one should have noticed our sneaky actions here, nya."

"Even if they have, we only need to cut them down as well." Arthur said. "I would welcome more worthy challengers."

"Picking a fight with the entire Khaos Brigade is not advisable, brother." Le Fay said. "I'm sure you'll get to face plenty of formidable opponents in the near future."

"What I need isn't more enemies to face, but a nice hot bath to wash off the sweat and grime." Medb grumbled, embracing Vali from behind. "Let me nap on your back for the rest of the day, Vali. I promise I'll pay you back with interest if you do~."

"Don't act like a spoiled child, Medb."

Vali said, extracting himself from Medb's embrace. Meanwhile, Sona was observing the members of the Vali team with narrowed eyes.

Not one of them looks particularly winded or injured even though they've participated in an intense fight. Sona thought. There is no doubt Vali Lucifer's team is formidable. Where do they truly stand though? Was this a simple fallout between rival factions, or has Vali Lucifer turned against the Khaos Brigade in its entirety?

"You've got a scary look there, young lady." Bikou said while grinning. "Don't be so tense. It's not like we're—"

The sky rippled at that moment, followed by a sound resembling glass breaking as the barrier enveloping the area shattered.

"What happened, nya!?" Kuroka cried out in alarm. "Who destroyed my barrier!? No, how did they discover it in the first place!?"

"What is going on here?"

The one who had spoken while approaching the Vali team was Sairaorg Bael, a faint glow enveloping his body. Walking behind him were the members of his Peerage, their expressions alert and their weapons drawn. Upon catching sight of the unconscious members of the Sitri and Agares Peerages, Sairaorg's expression became harsh as he turned to Vali.

"You are Vali Lucifer, yes?" Sairaorg asked. "Are you the one responsible for their condition?"

"If I said I was, what are you going to do about it, Sairaorg Bael?"

Sairaorg clenched his fists and looked ready to attack the smirking Vali, only for Sona to rush and put herself between them.

"It's alright, Sairaorg." Sona said in a hurry. "Vali Lucifer and his comrades saved us from Lalasyu Beelzebub for reasons I can't fully fathom as of yet."

"Saved you…?"

Sairaorg frowned. Meanwhile, Arash put his hand on Vali's shoulder, a disapproving look on his face.

"Don't go picking meaningless fights and causing trouble for everyone, Vali." Arash said in a hushed tone. "I can tell you're intrigued by this man's strength, but this is neither the time nor the place for a showdown. You don't want the Governor to scold you again, do you?"

"I understand…"

Vali seemed dissatisfied, but relented. Meanwhile, Kuroka was sizing up Sairaorg with a curious gaze.

"You're wrapping your body in Touki." Kuroka said. "Does that mean you've practiced Senjutsu even though you're a Devil? Is that how you took down my barrier?"

"No, I'm not a Senjutsu practitioner." Sairaorg said. "As for the barrier, I sensed something unusual in the area when we passed by it, and one of my Bishops located the barrier. Since we had trouble taking it down through conventional means, I punched it."

"You…punched it?" Kuroka said, her eye twitching. "My barrier that I put so much work into was taken down by brute force?"

"So much for your prided skills, Kuroka." Bikou said while chuckling. "If a guy using Touki on instinct could break your barriers, then I guess you aren't as good as you thought, no?"

"Unless you want to get a mouthful of poison, shut up, nya."

"So, where exactly do you and your group stand, Vali Lucifer?" Sairaorg asked, still wary for any potential traps or ambushes. "You may have aided Sona Sitri and the others, but that doesn't mean I can trust a known terrorist. Are you friend or foe?"

"I was tying up some loose ends and happened to save these fellows in the process." Vali said. "Nothing more, nothing less. Since there is still work to be done, I bid you adieu for now. I'm looking forward to challenging you under less tense circumstances."

Following Vali's words, Le Fay raised her wand high, forming a large teleportation array on the ground. One flash of light later, the Vali team was gone, reappearing on top of a large rock formation close to the shrine the Gremory group had teleported in.

"Too bad we didn't get to fight these guys." Bikou said as he sat on the ground cross-legged. "All of them looked pretty strong for Devils, especially the buff guy leading them."

"Again, that's not allowed." Arash said. "The Governor's request was to move in a discreet manner and offer support to the Three Factions' personnel from the side. If we act too rashly, we risk blowing our cover or interfering with the allied Pantheons' movements."

"What Arash-sama says." Le Fay nodded. "We can't cause trouble for Governor Azazel."

"That's what they say." Milena said, turning to Vali. "How do you want us to move next, Vali?"

Instead of answering, Vali remained silent, his gaze focused somewhere in the distance.

"Heeeey, Vali." Milena said, moving her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Vali, do you read me?"

"…Can you feel that, Albion?" Vali said, giving no sign that he had heard Milena. "That mass of evil and corrupted draconic aura swirling over there?"

[…That's a nostalgic, yet also unwelcome presence.] Albion said with evident distaste. [Finally, after one thousand years, he has awakened at last. However, will his advent bring forth more chaos, or could it be the turning point?]

"This I have to see up close." Vali said, spreading his wings. "Take care of the rest here, everyone."

"Vali!? Hey, where do you think you're going!?"

Arash called out to him, but Vali ignored him as he took flight, leaving the rest of his team behind.

"The best era indeed." Vali said with a wide smile. "There seems to be a never-ending supply of powerful rivals and entertaining events to take part in. And the one who will stand on top of it all will be me."

After saying so, Vali increased his speed, heading straight for the enemy's stronghold.

---

This concludes Chapter 51. First, in response to your questions.

—To Appolyon: If I remember correctly, during the Azazel Cup, Nakiri Ouryuu was able to use the ley lines within a Rating Game field to great effect even though he couldn't draw the same amount of power he would if he was standing on actual land. Either way, even if the power output is lower, Damian compensates for that through his ability in this case. As for the simplified armor, I'll put some more thought into it, but I'm not too enthusiastic about this idea.

—To yliaster: Yes, Ultraman Geed is Vali's favorite, while it's Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Zero for Leon and Takeshi respectively. As for your question about the Geats Riders, I guess Takeshi would be Buffa, Leon would be Tycoon and Vali would be Geats.

—To RyukiPendragon: Right now, I don't have plans for anything else since I'm fully committed to this story. Once it's done, we'll see.

I know I said before that the Gremory group and a new Evil Dragon would also feature in this chapter, but a combination of some personal issues and the fact that this chapter seemed to be getting too big once again prevented me from writing everything I had planned. As such, I restricted myself to showing the Sitri Peerage and the Vali team's fight here.

Well, that's all for now. As always, please read, review, favorite, follow, but most of all, enjoy!

See you all next time!