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?

52. Curse

Chapter 52 – Curse

The sounds of battle resounded inside a wide and tall hallway, whose walls were decorated with various murals painted with vivid colors that made them seem like they were glowing and whose ceiling was supported by pillars reminiscent of those found in Greek temples. The light provided by the few glowing crystals embedded in the walls cast long shadows that only served to increase the eeriness of the place.

"Three more are coming from the right!"

Irina, who was holding Excalibur Mimic in her hand, shouted as her blade transformed into a pincer-like weapon that bisected the two Titan Worshippers she was facing. A few steps away from her, Rossweisse nodded as she conjured a magic circle, causing parts of the ceiling to collapse and fall upon the three foes aiming for her. Casting reinforcement magic on her limbs next, she blew away an incoming manticore with a well-placed blow.

Shaping Mimic into a katana again, Irina moved in a fluid manner as she evaded the Titan Worshippers' blades and sliced off their limbs with rapid strokes. Behind her, Rossweisse conjured another magic circle, transmuting the rubble into several branch-shaped rock constructs that smashed both the terrorists aiming for Irina's blind spots and the remains of the defeated terrorists that were in the process of being reanimated.

"Let's make this extremely flashy!"

Opening her wings wide while grinning, Irina released light from her entire body, blinding the Titan Worshippers and monsters coming at her. Several light rapiers appeared around her, with Irina hurling them at her opponents and tearing through them. Next to her, Rossweisse conjured a large halberd made out of condensed lightning and brought it down, vaporizing the enemies before her and opening a large gash on the floor.

"Perish!"

Surrounded by her Destruction Avatar in its first stage, Rias manipulated its four skeletal arms to eliminate the Titan Worshippers before her and a squad of Cyclopes aiming their clubs at her. Several oversized birds with bronze beaks that hovered in the back launched a barrage of steel feathers at her, but they disintegrated upon striking the avatar's bones.

"Stymphalian Birds, eh?" Rias frowned. "In this case!"

Two bows formed in two of the avatar's hands, with large arrows forming in the other two. Nocking her arrows into the bows, Rias unleashed a volley that annihilated the birds.

"Now!"

Several Titan Worshippers slammed their hands on the floor following that command, forming several giant stone hands enveloped by dark aura that grabbed Rias' avatar in an attempt to immobilize it. She was unperturbed as she conjured several Destruction rings next to her hands, hurling them at the terrorists and slicing through them with ease despite their attempts to shield themselves with defensive magic circles.

Aiming her fingers at the stone constructs imprisoning her, Rias shot several crimson arrows at them. With her Lock Control dismantling the magic holding them together, they collapsed into a pile of rubble. Forming a Destruction longsword in each of her avatar's hands, Rias manipulated them to skewer the remaining Titan Worshippers before her.

"Retreat!" One of the terrorists shouted in evident fright. "We're no match for them!"

"For miscreants who pick fights they shouldn't, there will be no escape!"

Rias shouted as she tossed an orb of condensed crimson energy high into the air. A rain of crimson arrows erupted from it, showering the retreating Khaos Brigade members. Those who were struck by them would fall on the ground with blank expressions on their faces and remain unmoving as Rias' ability locked their heart and brain functions, essentially turning them into corpses.

"That should be all of them." Rias said, dismissing her avatar upon making sure that no more enemies remained and turning to her allies. "Irina-san, Rossweisse-san, are you alright?"

"No problems here!" Irina smiled, making a V-sign. "For an impromptu team, we've been handling things quite well so far. It's a good thing Rossweisse-san was fast enough to link the three of us together with her magic when the terrorists' teleportation trap went off."

"Yes, I'm also grateful for Rossweisse-san's quick thinking and superb skills." Rias said. "If you are ever in need of a job, the Gremory family would be more than happy to employ you."

"Thank you for your kind words, but I can't be satisfied with this result." Rossweisse said with a frown. "My intent was to link everyone together in order to have them teleport to the same spot, but was unable to. Because of that, the other members of Gremory-san's Peerage are facing whatever horrors the enemy has unleashed upon them on their own."

"Don't beat yourself up over that." Irina said. "You were up against a top-tier Longinus after all. Right now, we should focus on getting out of here and finding the others. Everyone's as tough as they come, so I'm sure they're fine."

"Easier said than done." Rias said, having conjured a magic circle in her hand that was spinning in an erratic manner. "I can tell we're in an underground passage of some sorts, but nothing beyond that. Something in here is interfering with my spells, preventing me from getting more accurate readings."

"Mine too." Rossweisse said, a Norse-style magic circle materializing in front of her. "However, I'm picking up a large concentration of power ahead. Our next enemies are probably waiting for us there."

"Doesn't seem like we have much of a choice other than facing them." Irina said. "If Xenovia was here, she'd probably suggest that we blow up the ceiling or something in order to make our way out of this place."

"Since I'd rather not have the whole building collapse on our heads, let's not do that." Rias said, looking ahead with a stern expression. "Whoever's waiting for us there, I'll make them rue the day they decided to cross me and involve my precious servants in this mess."

The three girls began walking towards the source of the signal Rossweisse had received, their senses on high alert for any sign of danger. After a minute or so, they arrived in front of a set of large double doors, which opened with an audible creak. Looking at each other, Rias, Irina and Rossweisse nodded as they stepped inside.

"Ah, Rias. So nice of you to join me and my servants on this wondrous occasion."

The three girls squinted and raised their hands to cover their eyes from the light that was suddenly emitted from the chandeliers high above. After briefly glancing at the wide hall decorated with crystal sculptures that they had found themselves in, Rias turned her gaze towards the source of the voice that had greeted them.

"Diodora…"

Rias said through gritted teeth at the sight of the smirking youth sitting on a throne at the other end of the hall. Standing next to it were his servants, their fighting spirit and killing intent evident. Next to Rias, Irina tightened her grip on Excalibur Mimic and Rossweisse conjured two Norse-style magic circles.

"I see we have two uninvited guests as well." Diodora said. "No matter. I can afford to entertain them as well. Turning them away at this point would be rather boorish of me. Don't you agree, Rias?"

"You've long gone past the point of being merely boorish with your blatant acts of betrayal towards the Underworld." Rias said. "You were responsible for the death of the Glasya-Labolas family's heir, and you conspired with the Khaos Brigade to kill me and my servants. In the name of Duke Gremory and our Devil Kings, I will punish you here and now!"

"Not to mention, you have to answer for your crimes towards the Church as well!" Irina said, pointing Mimic at Diodora. "Scheming to have several nuns exiled so that you could break them and turn them into your playthings, that's unforgivable! You all, can't you see that this creep has destroyed your lives and is using you for his sick purposes!? The current Church will surely forgive you and take you in! That's why, leave his side and come with us!"

Despite Irina's appeal towards Diodora's servants, the unfazed girls offered no response. The Astaroth heir snickered as he addressed Irina.

"You are Michael's Ace, no?" Diodora said with a sly smile. "Those were some passionate words there, but I'm afraid it's no use. Why would my beloved servants ever want to go back to your oppressive coven when they've found true happiness by my side?"

As if to illustrate his point, Diodora beckoned at his Queen to come closer. He caressed her cheek before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She let out a blissful sigh in response, with a wide smile appearing on her face.

"Ah, Diodora-sama…"

"I would offer you the chance to experience the same liberating pleasures, but I'm afraid female Angels aren't my type of woman." Diodora said as he turned back to Irina. "My brand of affection would turn you into a Fallen Angel for sure, and that would be repulsive. I have my standards, you know?"

"You scumbag…"

"Do you hate me?" Diodora said. "I assure you, the feeling is mutual. Because of foolish people like you, I was forced to give up on Asia-chan even though she should have been the crown jewel of my collection. All that hard work for nothing. In hindsight, I should have known the Church wouldn't let go of Twilight Healing that easily."

"Are your sick hobbies the reason you betrayed the Underworld?" Rias asked. "Such depravity is—"

"Depravity?" Diodora snorted in derision. "You sound like a human, Rias. What's wrong with acting according to my desires like a true Devil does? Our race has operated in this manner for thousands of years, or at least it did before the current Underworld began turning away from our core values under the feeble guidance of the current Devil Kings."

"These values would have led our race to extinction." Rias countered. "The world will no longer tolerate a selfish race that seeks unrestrained indulgence without paying heed to those around them. That's why, we have to change in order to grasp the future."

"I beg to differ." Diodora said. "You know, I was something of a bookworm when I was younger, immersing myself in the tales of our ancestors. The Underworld of old was a source of endless fascination and amusement to me compared to the current stale one. Part of the reason I'm working with the Khaos Brigade is to reclaim that glorious past through their aid and reshape the world into one where we can freely enjoy ourselves to the fullest without being limited by anything or anyone."

"Part of the reason, you say?" Rias asked. "And what's the rest of it?"

"Something which you of all people should understand very well, Rias." Diodora said with a grin. "After all, you're living in the shadow of an illustrious relative as well, aren't you? A shadow which you can never escape from no matter how hard you try. We're rather similar in that regard, you and I."

Diodora's expression hardened as sparks of demonic power flew from his hands.

"No matter what I accomplished, it was always the same spiel from those around me; 'as expected of Ajuka-sama's family' or 'Ajuka would have done that in half the time with twice the result' or 'why are you, the scion of the main family, inferior to a member of the branch family?'. Nothing was ever enough, and there was no way for me to bridge the gap between me and my genius among geniuses of a relative. Some people are just born better. Life is unfair that way."

"Unfair, eh…?"

Rias muttered. As much as she despised Diodora, she couldn't help but sympathize with his sentiments on that matter to a degree. Many times, she too felt like she was being crushed under the weight of expectations others had for her as the heir of a renowned family that had produced many remarkable individuals, with her brother being chief among them.

"Since genetics and effort aren't enough, I turned to an alternate means of power." Diodora said, taking out a vial containing a small snake within it. "Thanks to the Infinite Dragon's gift, I can finally reach the heights I was unable to and become my own person instead of Diodora, the relative of the genius Ajuka. In the new world the Khaos Brigade will create, I will be the one my fellow Devils look up to and aspire to become, the one who shall lead the Astaroth family into a new era. Such a privilege can become yours as well, Rias."

"Are you asking me to join you in exchange for Ophis' power?" Rias frowned. "You, are you actually serious right now, Diodora?"

"This deal would be to your advantage." Diodora said. "Shalba might oppose it, but I'm sure he'll come around with a bit of persuasion. He won't be able to resist the idea of seeing Sirzechs Lucifer's devastated expression once he realizes his little sister has turned against him. Moreover, by joining us, you can save your life and that of your servants."

Diodora snapped his fingers, with several holographic images appearing above him that caused Rias to clench her fists. The members of the Gremory Peerage were displayed there, rushing through ornate hallways while taking down enemy forces before them.

"Each of them is on their way to confront a high-ranking member of the Khaos Brigade, opponents they stand no chance against." Diodora continued. "Your pet Dragon has especially rotten luck since he's heading straight for Shalba and Memnon, the leader of the Titan Worshippers. Their defeat and subsequent demise are a done deal, but your cooperation can change their grisly fates. So, what do you say? Do you feel like joining the winning side and becoming the matriarch of a new, stronger Gremory family?"

Rias remained silent for a few seconds, with worried expressions appearing on Irina and Rossweisse's faces. Neither girl knew her that well, and thus were incapable of figuring out how she would react to this sudden proposal. Then, Rias let out a derisive laugh.

"A selfish, twisted hedonist with a feeble mentality dares to say that he and I are similar?" Rias glared at Diodora. "There's a limit to bad jokes. No matter how I might feel about my family, I wouldn't stoop so low as to bend my knee to terrorists. Even if I could trust your word, the very thought of associating myself with scum like you in any capacity makes my skin crawl."

"Heh, is that so?" Diodora sneered. "You're fine with you and your servants being slaughtered like cattle then?"

"That's one more thing you're mistaken about." Rias said as demonic power enveloped her body. "I believe in myself and my servants. No matter what, we will triumph over you and your terrorist allies in the end!"

"And I'll be right here to offer my support as well." Irina said. "With immediate speed, I'll eliminate those who disturb the peace between the factions!"

"As Odin-sama's retainer, I cannot allow those who might threaten Asgard in the future to roam around freely." Rossweisse said with evident fighting spirit. "Even if you are the heir to the Astaroth family, I will show no mercy."

"Such idiocy." Diodora snorted in derision. "You three don't seem to understand your situation very well. I have the advantage in numbers, my eight Pawns have already promoted to Queens, and I have the power of Ophis backing me. There will be no victory for you here today, only death."

The three girls didn't respond as they assumed their combat stances, with Diodora chuckling as he stood up from his throne.

"Have it your way then." Diodora said as he opened the cap on the vial he was holding. "It looks like we will have our Rating Game match after all, Rias. The Gremory's insipid affection for their friends and family versus the relentless pursuit of desire advocated by the Devils of old and embodied by me. Let's see which way of life is superior, shall we?"

Diodora downed the contents of the vial in one go, with his aura swelling up in response and causing the chamber to shake. Demonic power enveloped his servants' bodies as well as they charged at Rias, Irina and Rossweisse.

"Let's do this, you two!"

[Right!]

Following Rias' words, Irina and Rossweisse charged at Diodora's servants. The second stage of her Destruction Avatar enveloped Rias as she aimed for Diodora, whose grin became wider. Copious amounts of black steam emerged from his body and clashed with Rias' weapons, with neither side giving in.

"Come, Rias!" Diodora laughed. "Show me that treasured pride of yours as a member of the Gremory family, and I'll smash it to pieces along with your body!"

"The only thing getting smashed to pieces today is you and your mad ambitions!"

Rias shouted as her Destruction blade clashed with the black cloud enveloping Diodora once again.

---

"Such a horrid decoration…"

Akeno remarked as she moved down the large corridor while observing the murals on the walls around her. All of them depicted gruesome scenes of human sacrifice, scenes from the Titanomachy and scenes of the Titans razing Olympus and slaughtering the Greek Gods.

"As they say, there's no accounting for taste." Akeno said. "More importantly, I hope the others are alright…"

Though she was well aware of everyone's strength, the fact that were separated and stuck in the middle of enemy territory with no idea of what they were about to face next didn't exactly fill her with confidence. Doing her best to suppress her anxiety, she pressed on towards what she assumed was the location of the enemy waiting for her.

I doubt I would be so lucky as to only face waves of minions until I stumble upon the exit.

Akeno thought as she arrived in front of a tall arch surrounded by raging flames. As she approached them, the flames parted before her, allowing her to step inside. She found herself in a spacious semi-circular chamber that had several large stone sundials placed in it. Lots of torches were also mounted on the walls around and there was no roof above, allowing Akeno to view the sky of the artificial space.

"Ah, our first sacrifice has finally arrived. Excellent, excellent."

Akeno turned her gaze to the other side of the chamber. Standing there before a large sacrificial altar with his back turned on her was a man of average height that wore a black cloak. As he turned around, Akeno saw that a golden funeral mask concealed his features and a medallion in the shape of the sun was hanging around his neck.

"I am Timaeus, leader of the Hyperion Sect." The man introduced himself. "Consider yourself lucky that you were the one to reach me, young Devil. Unlike some of my compatriots, I find the idea of playing around with my foes and torturing them to death to be rather distasteful."

"Himejima Akeno, Queen of the Gremory group." Akeno introduced herself as well. "You claim to dislike torture, but you're fine with sacrificing others?"

"Offering tribute to our masters is a noble act." Timaeus said. "A life otherwise wasted finds purpose in becoming sustenance to something greater. Can there be a higher honor than that? You should feel overjoyed that you get to experience such a wonderful privilege."

"Ufufu, such fervent conviction you have there, the true mark of an unhinged zealot." Akeno smiled as lightning surrounded her hands. "Alas, I fear I have no desire to experience this privilege you speak of. Moderns girls like me don't find such old-fashioned practices very appealing!"

Akeno said as she shot a barrage of lighting bolts at Timaeus, who raised his hand in response. A wall of flames rose in front of him, blocking Akeno's attack.

"You wish to struggle then?" Timaeus said. "So be it, young Devil. Our masters will be even more pleased with the offering of a defiant soul!"

Several large fireballs appeared above Timaeus, with the Titan Worshipper hurling them at Akeno. Batting them aside with her lightning whips, she enveloped herself in lightning as she charged at Timaeus.

Just as Akeno was about to reach him, Timaeus' body turned into a beam of light that shot past her and solidified itself again behind her. His fingers shone as he launched beams of light at Akeno, forcing her to conjure several defensive magic circles to shield herself.

Right, Hyperion is the Titan of Light apart from being the Titan of the Sun. Akeno thought as she summoned a torrent of water to douse the flaming swords aiming for her next. How troublesome…

Calling upon her Knight trait, Akeno dashed around the room, shooting lightning bolts at her opponent from multiple angles. Turning into light, Timaeus would evade and counter by slamming his hand on the ground, unleashing waves of flames that headed for Akeno.

Several lightning spears appeared around Akeno, who launched them at the incoming flames. They went through them and aimed for Timaeus, whose body was enveloped in a dense coat of flames. The spears were consumed by it, with Timaeus launching several light beams in response. Akeno evaded the majority, but two of them grazed her arm and left abdomen, causing her to let out a small cry as she fell down.

As the flames surrounding him intensified, Timaeus leapt at Akeno, aiming to crush her skull. Letting out blasts of wind from her feet that propelled her backwards to dodge his attack, Akeno snapped her fingers. Several magic circles appeared around the chamber in response, prompting Timaeus to grunt in annoyance.

"You set this up while dashing around, huh…?"

Instead of responding, Akeno unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts that struck the circles and ricocheted off them, surrounding Timaeus. The Titan Worshipper clicked his tongue in irritation, using shield-shaped flame and light constructs to shield himself. Despite his efforts, some stray bolts would strike him, peeling off parts of his flame armor.

Taking out several small metal spheres, Akeno aimed at Timaeus as her arm was surrounded by electricity and launched them. He tried to intercept them by launching narrow fire beams from his fingers, but a teleportation magic circle appeared in the spheres' trajectory, with them sinking into it.

Emerging from another magic circle above Timaeus, the projectiles struck the Titan Worshipper, shredding his cloak and destroying the mask covering his face. Upon catching sight of it, Akeno couldn't help but shudder in revulsion.

"This is… What in the nine Hells happened to you…?"

Timaeus' entire head was covered in scar tissue caused by severe burns, with not even a trace of hair visible on it. Taking off his tattered cloak, Timaeus was left wearing only a defensive skirt comprised of metal pteruges and his sandals. From what Akeno could see, the rest of his body, which was letting out a soft glow, was in the same horrid condition as his head, giving him a haunting appearance. Moreover, she noted that her projectiles had failed to inflict any sort of significant damage.

"This body of mine is proof of my complete devotion to Lord Hyperion." Timaeus said with a beatific smile as he placed his hand on his chest. "It is an honor to have been marked by his flames to this extent and received his favor. Ah, I can't wait to let the rest of this impure world experience his warm embrace once again…"

"…Pain might be its own kind of stimulation, but this is taking things way too far." Akeno said with a disgusted expression. "You people, what do you take your lives for?"

"Our lives exist only for the sake of our masters." Timaeus said. "Someone like you, a Reincarnated Devil belonging to a High-class master, should understand this well, so why do you seem so shocked?"

"Rias is nothing like those monsters you call masters." Akeno said with a cold tone. "The very idea of comparing them is a grave insult towards my best friend!"

Thick electric arcs extended from Akeno's fingertips, with the young Queen swinging them at Timaeus. A fiery tornado of great intensity erupted around him, consuming Akeno's attacks, destroying the magic circles around the chamber and sending her skidding backwards. She barely had time to conjure an array of defensive magic circles as several high-intensity light beams bombarded her position, destroying her defenses and generating a large explosion.

Sensing danger from her right side, Akeno took flight in haste, evading a large flaming blade that melted the floor below her. Before she could counter, Timaeus was upon her, his eyes glowing as his flame and light-enveloped fist tore through Akeno's lightning armor and sank into her abdomen.

"Gah!"

Letting out a cry of pain, Akeno flew backwards, with Timaeus appearing above her next and kicking her in the head, sending her crashing down. Despite using her Rook trait to enhance her defenses, Akeno almost blacked out from the force of the blow.

Joining his hands together, Timaeus unleashed a raging conflagration that enveloped Akeno, who barely managed to increase the density of her lightning armor to protect herself. The waves of fire sent her flying backwards and crashing on one of the sundials, destroying it.

"Ugh…"

Emerging from the rubble that had half-buried her, Akeno let out a hiss. She had suffered several burns as a result of this attack, and she felt like one or two of her ribs had been broken. Standing up with some effort, she glared at her opponent as she gathered her strength while also doing her best to come up with a way to turn this situation around.

"It's useless." Timaeus said as streams of flame and light enveloped his body. "Accept your fate and spare yourself from further suffering."

"Ara, ara, this amount of pain only serves to further excite me, Titan Worshipper." Akeno smirked as she licked her lips. "Moreover, our group is infamous for making comebacks from such desperate situations. That's why, there's no reason for me to give up here."

"That might have been the case in the past, but there will be no such miracles today." Timaeus said. "Your defeat, the deaths of everyone outside and our masters' revival, all these are foregone conclusions. Now, vanish within the flames of the true Sun God!"

Timaeus shouted as he rushed at Akeno, who unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts at him once again.

---

"This place is… I'm certain I've seen this somewhere before…"

Yuuto muttered with a troubled expression. After navigating the corridors of the building he had found himself in and facing the various assailants aiming for him, he had emerged in a wide courtyard. In its midst rose a large structure made out of black marble that resembled a mix of an ancient Greek temple and a tomb.

This building is very similar to a model of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus President had made in the past for a school project. Yuuto thought as he surveyed his surroundings. There is a barrier above, meaning I can't fly outside, and going back the way I came doesn't seem to be an option judging from the seals placed on the gates, at least not without considerable effort. Forging ahead seems to be the only way…

Yuuto turned his gaze to the large stairway leading to the interior of the tomb. Conjuring a Holy Demonic Sword in his right hand, he began climbing the stairs, a shiver going down his spine as the suffocating aura coming from the depths of the Mausoleum washed over him.

Upon reaching the entrance to the highest tier and stepping inside, Yuuto found himself in a dimly lit area, to the point where even his Devil senses couldn't let him perceive all the details in it. However, from what he could tell, the interior was modelled after the Colosseum, with the only difference being the statues of Iapetus placed all around the area.

"Welcome, Devil warrior."

Yuuto flinched and took a step back in haste, brandishing his sword. Standing across him on the other side of the arena was a tall, muscular man with short gray hair and obsidian eyes. He wore ornate silver armor and held a spear in his right hand that was enveloped in pitch-black aura.

"One of the enemy commanders, I presume?"

"Cleon, leader of the Iapetus Sect." The man said in a curt manner, brandishing his spear. "This fight, I dedicate it to my lord."

After saying so, Cleon kneeled and raised his hands up as if praying. Then, without warning, he rushed at Yuuto, his spear aiming for his heart. Dodging to the side, Yuuto summoned an ice sword to freeze Cleon's legs and conjured several drill-shaped blades around him, shooting them at Cleon.

"Hm!"

Swinging his spear, Cleon shattered the incoming blades. Exerting his aura, he melted the ice and pounced on Yuuto, delivering a multitude of thrusts at him. Conjuring a cleaver with a wing-shaped guard, Yuuto used its effect to increase his speed, countering Cleon's barrage. Slipping past his guard, Yuuto sliced at him, only for Cleon to block with the shaft of the spear and almost gouge his eye out with the sauroter at the bottom of his weapon.

Taking a few steps back to avoid Cleon's sweeping attack, Yuuto summoned several Stalwart Forts to create a defensive barrier that blocked the aura wave heading for him. A large number of Blast Ogres appeared around him next, with Yuuto throwing a pair of Shadow Binds at Cleon's shadow, binding it and preventing him from evading the incoming blades flying at him.

A massive explosion rocked the area as the Blast Ogres struck Cleon. However, when the smoke cleared, Yuuto was surprised to see that a large number of reanimated corpses, which had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, had thrown themselves in front of Cleon to shield him. The Titan Worshipper thrust his spear towards Yuuto next, unleashing an arrow-shaped wave of dark aura that grazed his arm.

"Gugh!?"

Yuuto let out a strangled cry. Despite the fact that this was only a minor injury, it felt like someone had torn his arm off. Although he managed to deflect Cleon's overhead slash in time, Yuuto wasn't able to evade his kick, which sent him flying to the other end of the arena. He spat out blood, feeling as if someone had repeatedly struck him with a sledgehammer.

That ability… Yuuto thought. Is he amplifying the pain inflicted by his blows?

Yuuto didn't have time to think anything else as Cleon aimed his spear at him again. Summoning Instant Swap in haste, he exchanged places with one of his Shadow Binds' broken shards. However, the ground below him erupted at that moment, with several skeletal hands grabbing his body and dragging him down.

As Cleon's spear came at him once again, Yuuto conjured several Earth Calls around him. Using their geokinetic abilities, he raised several rock pillars and caused a small earthquake, dislodging the hands restraining him and causing Cleon's attack to miss.

Multiple Needle Edges mixed with Starlight Flash's effect materialized above Cleon, their blades flying towards him at high speeds. The Titan Worshipper was unfazed as he spun his spear at high speeds, deflecting the incoming blades. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Yuuto rushing at him from the right and aimed a lightning-fast thrust at him. Although his attack went through his enemy's body, Cleon didn't feel that his attack had connected.

"Geh!?"

A blade slashed his chest, opening a large gash on it. Somehow, Yuuto, who was supposed to have been attacking from the right, had struck from his left side. In his hands was a new Holy Demonic Sword, a katana with a large ring where its pommel should be. Snapping his fingers, Yuuto formed several wakizashi above Cleon, their blades extending and aiming for him. He swung his spear in an attempt to counter, but was caught by surprise once as the blades pierced his body from below instead.

"This is the end!"

Yuuto declared as the blades exploded all at once, with Cleon's mangled body flying through the air and landing a few meters away from Yuuto. Glancing at his fallen opponent for a few seconds, he turned away to leave, only to freeze in his tracks upon hearing a voice behind him.

"I see. A blade that reverses my sight, eh?"

Yuuto turned around in haste, only to be shocked by the sight before him. Despite the catastrophic damage he had sustained, the wounds on Cleon's body started closing and his missing limbs began to regrow. In a matter of seconds, the Titan Worshipper had restored himself to his prior condition, grasping his spear once again as the dark aura surrounding his body intensified.

"You were able to recover even though this much damage should have been fatal?" Yuuto grimaced. "Such an absurd regeneration ability…"

"Killing me will require you to be even more thorough than you were." Cleon said. "And to make things more challenging…"

Cleon grabbed his spear with both hands, stabbing it into the ground. Copious amounts of dark aura erupted outwards, enveloping the entire arena before spreading outside as well.

"This is…"

"A life-draining barrier." Cleon said. "The longer you remain here, the more your lifespan will be trimmed until it vanishes completely. Also, to discourage you from pulling that trick with my eyesight again…"

Cleon plunged his fingers into his eyes, crushing his eyeballs. Despite the intense agony this had to have caused him, he remained composed. Furthermore, his eyes didn't regenerate.

"You crushed your own eyes…?"

"Victory is worth every sacrifice." Cleon said, brandishing his spear. "I don't need eyes to locate you, and pain only makes me stronger. You will fall before me, young Devil."

"Dear me, looks like I got stuck with a really troublesome opponent…"

Yuuto let out a bitter smile, raising his sword as he prepared to engage Cleon.

---

"Brrr… This place is freezing…"

Xenovia shivered as she muttered so while walking inside an ice-enveloped corridor, Durandal and Almace held in her hands and a thin sheet of demonic power enveloping her body. Swinging her blades without warning, she destroyed parts of the corridor around her. However, the ice reformed almost in the blink of an eye, restoring its previous appearance.

"It's no use after all, eh?" Xenovia remarked. "If I can't bring down this place, I'll focus on the enemy presence further down."

After saying so, Xenovia began sprinting, eager to leave this area behind and hopefully come across one where the temperature was more tolerable. Her hopes were dashed as she stepped into a large cavern covered with a thick sheet of ice that had several oversized ice pillars jutting from the floor, oversized nails with chains hanging from them bolted to the walls and several cages hanging from the ceiling.

"Took you long enough. You would have thought that after failing to destroy the walls with your swords the first five or so times, you'd have figured there was no point in trying for seventeen times in a row. You must be the musclehead of the group, I suppose."

The one who spoke to Xenovia with an annoyed expression on her face was a beautiful woman with short silver hair, amethyst eyes and a curvaceous body. She wore an ornately decorated robe, and in her left hand, she held a xiphos that let out ice vapor.

"My experience has taught me that persistence usually pays off in the end." Xenovia said as she pointed Durandal at the Titan Worshipper. "Who are you?"

"Looks like I have to deal with the most belligerent one…" The woman said with a sigh. "I am Calliope, second-in-command of the Coeus Sect."

"Second-in-command?" Xenovia raised an eyebrow. "Not the leader? Are you people looking down on me by sending only your second best against me? That's a little insulting."

"Someone seems to have a rather inflated opinion of themselves." Calliope let a sardonic smile. "Rest assured that for the likes of you, I'm more than enough, little Devil. Consider yourself lucky that our leader is taking care of the preparations for the ritual on the Greece front along with the others, or else you would have been killed on the spot without having the chance to even swing your blade."

"Ritual?" Xenovia frowned. "What ritual?"

"Oops, I spoke too much." Calliope chuckled, bringing her finger to her lips. "Either way, it doesn't matter, seeing as you won't be leaving this chamber alive!"

Pointing her xiphos at Xenovia, Calliope unleashed a spear-shaped wave of ice at her. Swinging Almace at it, Xenovia dispersed it and released a wave of holy energy from Durandal. Calliope evaded it with ease, forming several ice crystals around her and launching them at Xenovia.

Increasing the amount and density of demonic power enveloping her body, Xenovia rushed at Calliope, aiming to bisect her with her blades. However, the Titan Worshipper smirked as she evaded the attacks with ease. Frowning, Xenovia doubled her efforts, but her opponent would keep evading her attacks or parry them with her blade by striking at the exact spot she needed to kill the momentum of her slashes.

Stomping her foot on the ground, Calliope had several ice blades erupt from below and aim for Xenovia's abdomen. She evaded by taking a few steps back, but Calliope pressed on, raining a barrage of icicles on top of Xenovia. She protected herself by using Almace as a shield, but this left her open to Calliope, who slashed at her abdomen. The wound froze at once, with the ice starting to spread all over her chest.

"Kuh!"

Xenovia tapped the ice with Almace's blade, causing it to disperse. Swinging her blades, she unleashed powerful waves of holy aura, but Calliope slipped past them and slid on the ice, delivering a flurry of slashes that forced Xenovia back. Despite her attempts to parry and counterattack, Xenovia found herself overwhelmed by her opponent's technique, which forced her to give more and more ground lest she suffer a serious injury.

What's going on? Xenovia thought as she barely parried a thrust aimed at her head with Almace. It's like she can read all my moves with ease. Is that due to her skill with the blade, or is she using some sort of ability?

Jumping back to evade both Calliope's slashes and five ice hammers aimed at her, Xenovia gathered copious amounts of holy aura around her weapons. Keeping them contained inside the blades instead of releasing them, Xenovia propelled herself with a burst of demonic power from her feet, wincing from the strain, and pounced on her foe, aiming to use her superior strength and weapons to swiftly overwhelm her.

"So simple."

Calliope smirked as she kept sliding on the frozen ground, evading Xenovia's empowered weapons instead of meeting them head-on. She also formed a large quantity of ice weapons all around Xenovia, hurling them at her and breaking her rhythm as she was forced to dodge or counter them.

Pointing her swords forward, Xenovia released waves of holy aura, which Calliope dodged with ease. However, her true goal was to open the distance between the two of them by letting herself be propelled backwards. Gathering as much power as she could draw from her Holy Swords, Xenovia swung them, unleashing an oversized storm of holy aura at her opponent.

"Humph."

Calliope snorted in derision as a massive frost wave erupted from her body at the same time Xenovia fired her attack, enveloping the incoming holy aura and freezing it solid. The ice construct cracked and dispersed into frozen mist, leaving Xenovia dumbfounded at the fact that her attack had been countered so easily.

"You have a delightfully idiotic expression on your face." Calliope grinned. "The fact that I can easily read your moves and intent must have perplexed you, no? The answer is simple; this is the blessing I received from Lord Coeus along with the ability to control the element of ice, the power of future sight."

"You can see the future?" Xenovia grimaced. "That explains your unnatural combat prowess. What a troublesome trick. Even so, I will crush it with my power."

"Judging from your performance so far, I fail to see how you will accomplish that." Calliope said. "Your time will be better spent lamenting the foolishness that led you to this place. You can at least take solace in the fact that your soul will serve our glorious cause and help usher in a new golden age."

"Don't be too hasty to declare victory." Xenovia said. "As long as I can still swing my blades, this battle is not over!"

"In that case, let's see if we can fix that, shall we?"

Calliope let out a sinister grin as she rushed at Xenovia.

---

"…The eerie presence I felt ever since I got here is getting stronger. I must be close."

Koneko remarked, her ears and tails twitching as she used Senjutsu to expand her senses and scan her surroundings. Ever since she had been transported here, she had strained herself to the limit in order to locate any trace of her comrades, but she had been unsuccessful thus far. She assumed they were either too far from her, or the enemy had taken measures to limit her sensory capabilities.

"…I have to hurry." Koneko said. "Some of the others might be in need of healing right now."

Quickening her pace, Koneko rushed ahead, passing through a large arch, only to abruptly come to a halt. The large chamber she had found herself in was comprised of several platforms suspended over a wide pit, whose bottom was filled with water that swirled into a raging whirlpool.

"…I can tell you are there." Koneko said, her eyes darting around. "There's no use hiding. Show yourself."

Instead of receiving an answer, several sea serpent-shaped water constructs materialized behind Koneko's blind spots, aiming to shred her. Evading the first one, Koneko enveloped herself in Touki, with her flurry of blows dispersing the others. The first one circled around her, but received a ki bullet that vanquished it as well.

As her second tail emerged from her rear and the Touki surrounding her became denser, Koneko swung her arm, shooting a crescent-shaped ki blade towards her left. A water pillar shot up from below, preventing the attack from reaching its intended target. Immediately afterwards, the air at the place Koneko was aiming at shimmered, revealing the figure of a man wearing a dark blue robe with several arcane patterns woven in it.

"Tch, I guess it's not that easy to trick a Senjutsu user's senses, eh?"

The man said with an annoyed expression. He was tall and lanky, with shoulder-length black hair and crimson eyes. In his right hand, he held a long staff with several serpents coiled around it.

"…An enemy commander?"

"My name is Lysander, current second-in-command of the Oceanus Sect after that idiot Phineas got himself killed without accomplishing anything of note." Lysander said. "Well, to be expected from an incompetent fool who only rose through the ranks by brown-nosing Lady Electra."

"…Not much solidarity between you cultists, eh?"

"Our group's dynamics should be the least of your concerns right now, little Nekomata." Lysander said, with several magic circles appearing around him. "It's a shame that I have to kill a member of an endangered species, but on the other hand, your kind isn't needed in our new world. That's why, become an offering that will please the great Lord Oceanus!"

Several oversized angler fish emerged from the magic circles, their fangs aiming to chomp on Koneko. Kicking two of them away, Koneko grabbed a third and used it as a flail, sending the others flying. Pulverizing it with an elbow strike, Koneko turned her attention to Lysander, shooting a barrage of ki bullets at him as she rushed towards him while jumping from platform to platform.

Tapping his staff once, Lysander conjured more magic circles around him. Oversized turtles emerged from three of them, using their magic-reinforced shells to defend Lysander. A squad of monstrous seas serpents emerged from the rest, opening their maws wide and unleashing jets of pressurized water at Koneko. This forced her to abruptly change course in order to evade their attacks, using her telekinesis to deflect two streams that almost struck her.

As the serpents charged at Koneko, Lysander aimed his staff at her, releasing a barrage of water bullets at her. Shaping the Touki around her hands into claws, Koneko dodged the serpents' bites and the majority of the bullets, using her Touki cloak to shield herself from the rest.

Slashing apart three incoming serpents in quick succession, Koneko created four clones of herself through Youjutsu to confuse the rest of the summons. While the serpents were focused on them, she pounced on them, tearing most of them apart with ease. The two that remained, she forced together into a mass of flesh with her telekinesis and hurled them at Lysander, who was unperturbed as his turtle summons shielded him once again.

He appears to be a Wizard-type that fights through his summons. Koneko thought as she landed on another platform. Moreover, this battlefield is odd. That whirlpool below, it feels like it's pulling me towards it if I try to use my wings to fly. This limits my movements somewhat. What to do?

"You're very resilient for such a small creature." Lysander smirked. "How about this then?"

Several summoning magic circles materialized above Lysander once again, with enormous jellyfish-like creatures emerging from them. Aiming their tentacles at Koneko, they unleashed streams of venom at her, forcing her to dodge in haste by jumping on another platform.

Some of them swung their tentacles at her, with Koneko slicing them apart with her Touki claws. However, the severed limbs grew back almost as fast as they were removed, forcing Koneko to use Youjutsu to conceal herself in order to evade their ensuing attacks.

"You won't escape from me."

Lysander grinned as more summoning magic circles appeared around him, with large eel-like creatures emerging from them. Their bodies were surrounded by electricity as they unleashed lightning bolts at a specific spot, forcing Koneko to evade in haste. As if to make matters worse, several blowfish-like creatures materialized next, launching a barrage of spikes from their bodies.

Facing such attacks from multiple fronts, Koneko was too slow to avoid a jellyfish's tentacle that struck her leg, letting out a cry of pain as she felt its venom coursing through her veins. While doing her best to purge the poison from her body, Koneko shot several ki bullets and blades at the summoned creatures, bringing down some of them, while also using her telekinesis to turn their attacks against them.

"Next is this."

Following Lysander's words, a large magic circle appeared below the two combatants, letting out a fierce glow. A monster resembling the mythical Scylla that had six long necks with monstrous heads on it emerged from it, its sinister eyes focusing on Koneko.

"Resistance is pointless, little Nekomata." Lysander said while smiling. "You're strong, but you're facing the full might of the ocean's horrors. Only a watery grave awaits you here."

"…I won't give up. The Gremory Peerage never surrenders no matter what."

Koneko said in a defiant manner as she stood tall against the sea monsters bearing down on her.

---

"Uuuuu, w-where is everybody? I hate being alone in this plaaaaaaaace!"

Gasper cried out while trembling, his eyes darting around for any sign of more enemies. While he still wasn't a fan of crowds in general, right now, he would much rather be thrown in the middle of a densely populated city instead of being stuck in enemy territory on his own.

"E-Even so…I have to move forward…" Gasper muttered. "I'm…a member of President's Peerage…" Gasper muttered. "Everyone's doing their best for sure…so I have to d-do everything I can as well!"

Psyching himself up thus, Gasper kept walking, arriving in front of a large set of double doors shorty afterwards. The doors swung open once he approached them, with Gasper stepping inside and finding himself inside a large orrery. Giant models of the solar system's planets were spinning above him, with a model of the sun in the middle letting out a soft glow that illuminated the chamber.

"Hi, he, hehehehe, you're here, finally here. Yes, yes, the precious, very precious and lovely sacrifice to appease our wonderful masters."

Gasper flinched as he turned his attention to the top of the sun model. A middle-aged woman wearing a dark blue dress was standing there, her waist-length emerald hair almost glowing and her jade eyes focused on Gasper. Although she could be called beautiful, her crazed expression, dipping saliva from the corners of her mouth and excessive cackling ruined her image. In her hands, she held a pair of knives whose hilts resembled a ram's horns.

"H-Hiiiiiii!" Gasper squealed in fright at the sight of the bizarre woman before him. "W-Who are you!? An enemy!?"

"Name?" The woman snickered as she jumped down, landing in a spot a few steps away from Gasper. "You want my name? Do you really want it? Have you perhaps fallen for me? Ah, ah, that's not good. Apart from Lord Crius, I have devoted myself to Lord Memnon, so I can't return your passionate feelings, young girl. Ahhhh, Lord Memnon, this life, this body, everything is for your sake~."

"A-Actually, I'm a guy…"

The woman stopped cackling, scrutinizing Gasper with an intense gaze that made him feel uncomfortable. Then, she let out a wistful sigh.

"Truly, the mistakes of this world's Gods know no bounds…" The woman said. "Such a curious case. Makes me want to keep you a bit. Ah, but that's no good, no good. The sacrifices must be made, or else Memnon-sama will be disappointed, oh so very disappointed. But having him scold me with extreme prejudice, that would also be wonderful in its own way, hihihiehehe~."

"I don't k-know what you're on about…but I will defeat you here and now!"

Gasper's eyes shone as he activated Forbidden Balor View. However, several star-shaped constructs appeared around the woman, forming a light barrier that nullified the effect of his Sacred Gear.

"Not good enough, not good enough at all." The woman chuckled. "I'm Hypatia, second-in-command of the Crius Sect. The manipulation of stars, that is among my specialties. Creating artificial stars, generating several effects, yes, yes. Like so!"

The artificial stars arranged themselves in a bow formation, unleashing a multitude of energy blasts at Gasper. The young Dhampir shifted into a swarm of bats to evade the attack, circling around Hypatia in an attempt to find an opening to use his Sacred Gear. However, he was buffeted by a powerful gust of wind that knocked him into the model of Jupiter, forcing him back into his normal form.

"Ow…" Gasper groaned. "W-Where did that come from?"

"Surprised, yes?" Hypatia's grin became wider as more artificial stars appeared around her. "Controlling and regulating the wind, that was also one of Lord Crius' duties back in the old days, and it's also part of my power as well. Your feeble power, it's no match, no match at all!"

Several arrows of compressed wind flew at Gasper next, who froze them midair with his Sacred Gear. Numerous light whips also aimed at him at the same time, forcing him to shift into a wolf and rush out of the way in a hurry. The whips chased after him, but Gasper shifted into a swarm of cockroaches that hid in the floor's cracks.

Spreading out mist and changing back into his normal form, Gasper gathered darkness in his hands and launched several dark blades at Hypatia. He also activated his Sacred Gear to freeze some of her stars and prevent them from arranging themselves into a defensive formation.

Raising one of her blades high, Hypatia summoned a raging tempest that dispersed the mist and formed a dome around her, shielding her from Gasper's attack. Her star constructs arranged themselves into another formation, creating pincers made out of light that aimed to bisect Gasper.

"S-Stop!"

Using his Sacred Gear, Gasper froze the incoming constructs in midair. At the same time, he fired condensed bullets of demonic power at Hypatia. The Titan Worshipper was unfazed as her star-shaped constructs spun around her, forming defensive rings that shielded her.

Hypatia swung her hand downward next, releasing condensed wind blades at Gasper. Freezing some of them, he attempted to dodge the rest, but one was too fast for him, slicing his shoulder and causing him to cry out in pain.

"Ufufuehihehahahaha!" Hypatia let out a deranged laugh. "Such a beautiful sight, the flow of blood! That wonderful red flow, that agonized expression, that creeping despair, show me even more of it!"

The stars around Hypatia arranged themselves in a formation once again, shooting a blast of concentrated light at Gasper. He attempted to freeze it in midair, but was only able to slow it down somewhat, with Gasper rolling out of the way in a hurry as the blast destroyed the model of Saturn behind him and burned a hole in the wall.

If it keeps going like this, she's going to kill me! Gasper thought as he evaded several wind lances and arrow-shaped constructs aimed at him by turning into mist and solidifying back to his human form on top of Venus' model. It's risky, but I have to use this!

Taking out a vial from a magic circle that appeared next to him, Gasper opened it and downed its contents in one go, wincing as he did so. The next moment, his aura swelled and his eyes shone as all attacks heading towards him froze in midair.

"Oho, what's this, what's this?" Hypatia raised an eyebrow. "Your power spiked all of a sudden, did it not? Yes, yes, it did, it did. You're a Vampire, so you must have drunk some blood to strengthen yourself? That's nice, very nice indeed! If that's the case, I can fight with all I've got then as well, yes I can!"

The wind within the chamber picked up speed as the stars surrounding Hypatia became larger and brighter. This sight sent chills down Gasper's spine as he felt a profound sense of dread.

This…it might be my end. Gasper thought. Even so, just like Takeshi-senpai would, I will fight until the end as a man of the Gremory Peerage!

Resolving himself thus and enveloping his limbs in darkness and demonic power, Gasper charged at Hypatia.

---

"Well then, this definitely screams major boss room ahead."

Takeshi said as he observed the beautifully crafted set of double doors before him that were almost twice his size. Even if his senses hadn't become attuned to the supernatural, he was certain he would still be able to sense the vast amounts of power pouring out of the area beyond these doors.

Although Takeshi was still uncertain as to whether he had made the right choice, there was no turning back at this point. He had to fight his hardest and hope for the best as usual. Taking a deep breath, he gathered demonic power around his body, took a step forward—and delivered a powerful kick to the doors, sending them flying into the room.

"Knock, knock!" Takeshi shouted as he stepped into the wide and tall chamber somewhat reminiscent of a throne room. "Is anybody home!?"

"Ugh, leave it to a Reincarnated Devil to make his entrance in such a brutish manner while bellowing like a savage. Nothing less expected from the uncouth Evil Dragon User, I suppose."

Takeshi turned his attention to the person who had spoken. Standing on the tallest balcony that overlooked the chamber was Shalba Beelzebub, a disdainful look on his face. Next to him stood Memnon, a playful smile on his face as he scrutinized Takeshi with a curious expression.

Taking a quick look around, Takeshi noticed that a large number of Titan Worshippers and armored Devils stood on the several balconies overlooking the room, their weapons and staffs at the ready as they glared at the intruder. On the chamber's domed ceiling, a complex magic circle had been drawn, with Takeshi getting a nasty feeling just by glancing at it.

Outnumbered, and possibly outgunned as well. Takeshi thought. Bad day to get out of bed…

[Hey, don't start getting cold feet on me now, whelp.] Grendel said. [These appetizers before were nice, but this main course is shaping up to be quite the delicacy. Lots of quality prey to slaughter here!]

Sometimes, I wish I could be as simple as you, Grendel…

"To come here all by yourself, you must have a death wish, Evil Dragon User." Shalba continued. "Even if you are as formidable as the rumors suggest, something which I doubt, this is a fight you cannot hope to win. Before the might of this Shalba Beelzebub, the likes of you—"

"You're the greatest, I'm just lowborn scum, blah, blah, blah." Takeshi cut off Shalba, a mocking smile on his face. "Save your breath, Shalba. I'm not interested in your drivel. Right now, I want to see Pandora. Where is she?"

"Pandora, you say?" Memnon's smile became wider. "What for, I wonder? Is revenge your aim? The desire to punish her for betraying you and your friends? Or is it perhaps…ah, I see, I see! By looking at you, by hearing your voice, it's obvious! It's love, isn't it!? Wonderful! How wonderful indeed!"

Memnon spread his arms wide, a beatific expression on his face.

"The purest of emotions, the sincerest expression of devotion!" Memnon laughed in a deranged manner. "Yes, just like us, you are driven by love, Evil Dragon User! As we offer our everything to the Titans, so too are you risking your entire being in this quest to reunite with the one you seek! To this dauntless warrior of love, I shall grant the most fitting conclusion! Come to the stage and greet our hero, my dear!"

A figure jumped down from one of the balconies and landed across Takeshi, a sinister smirk on her face.

"There you are…" Takeshi muttered at the sight of Pandora. "This might not be the time and place, but I have to say you're rocking that military outfit. Love the dominatrix vibe you're giving off."

"You are too kind, Takeshi." Pandora smirked. "Shame that I have nothing to compliment in return when it comes to you. Having willingly chased after me here despite the way we parted, you must be the greatest idiot in all the realms."

"A title I bear with pride, my lady." Takeshi grinned, making a small bow. "It was thanks to my idiocy that you were saved from the Fallen Angels seeking to use you after all."

"Yes, I have to thank you for being such a sentimental buffoon." Pandora sneered. "Because of you, my infiltration went off without a hitch. Tugging at your heartstrings while playing the bashful and tragic maiden, it was delightful to watch. I lost count of the times I almost burst out laughing from your reactions."

"…You're saying your whole attitude all this time was a lie then?" Takeshi said with narrowed eyes. "From the start, you were deceiving us?"

"Didn't you get the hint when I tried to cut down Rias Gremory?" Pandora said in a mocking tone. "My loyalty always belonged to Memnon-sama and the Titans. I took advantage of our stronghold's destruction to position myself in a place where I could provide the most useful info to my superiors."

Pandora took a step forward as her smirk became wider.

"Chancing upon you guys was like winning the jackpot." Pandora continued. "Make no mistake though, I always despised that dumb little club, and you most of all. Having to entertain your delusions about our relationship was insufferable, to the point I almost decided to blow my cover a couple of times just to shut you up."

That's not true! The real Pandora screamed, having been reduced to nothing more than a prisoner within her own mind that was unable to interfere with Phaedra or shake off her possession. The one speaking, it's not me, Takeshi! Please, put an end to this body before it harms you or anyone else!

"Ouch." Takeshi said while wincing. "And here I thought we had something special, princess."

"Don't use that patronizing nickname with me." Pandora said. "I can tell you're still in denial, that you're desperately racking your brains in an attempt to find another explanation. There's none to be found though. As cruel as it is, what you see before your eyes is the truth."

"Pandora…"

Takeshi's voice cracked a bit. No matter how much he tried to joke around and seem unfazed, he couldn't suppress the hurt inside. The ever-increasing likelihood of Pandora being an enemy from the start, of him being forced to fight her to the death, it cut deep.

"Is there a point to this little drama, Memnon?" Shalba said with a fed-up expression. "Let's just kill him and move on. Our plan nears completion, and I won't be able to enjoy its success to the fullest with the commotion this lowlife is making."

"Patience, Shalba." Memnon said. "The epilogue of this tragedy, the tale of these two star-crossed lovers cursed by fate, it must be written properly. Rejoice, Ryuugamine Takeshi, for your glorious death will also be the beautiful fruit of love. Now, Pandora, it's time to lead our tragic hero to his demise."

"As you wish, Memnon-sama."

Pandora said as her fire-wreathed golden blade materialized in her right hand.

"I don't want to fight you, Pandora!" Takeshi shouted. "No matter what, I still think of you as one of my precious comrades!"

"Suits me just fine." Pandora chuckled. "Stand there and be cut down without resisting then!"

Pandora swung her sword at Takeshi, who summoned Hesperides Fort on instinct, blocking her slash. Even so, the heat emitting from the blade made his skin feel like it was boiling. Pushing her back, Takeshi conjured several rectangular barriers around her, boxing her in. Torrents of flames erupted from her blade in response, melting through the barriers. Swinging her sword, she unleashed a heat blast that forced Takeshi to dodge in haste.

She's serious. Takeshi thought as he glared at his opponent. There isn't the slightest bit of hesitation behind her attacks. Even though I don't want to do this…it doesn't seem I have any other choice here!

"Balance…Break!"

Takeshi shouted through gritted teeth as Cataclysm Zone and Berserk Devastator shone.

[Terror Rise! Stalwart Insomniac Awakening!]

Insomniac Haunted Ground's armor slammed on Takeshi's body just in time to shield him from several flame threads that Pandora launched at him. His five drone units detached from his armor and flew towards Pandora while surrounded by spherical barriers. At the same time, Takeshi stomped his leg down, releasing a torrent of mud that rushed towards his opponent.

"Looks like you're finally serious!"

Pandora smirked as she tapped the blue anima crystal on her wrist, with an azure-colored longbow forming in her left hand. Crossing her two weapons together, Pandora released copious amounts of superheated steam that obscured her and forced Takeshi to form a dome-shaped barrier around him.

As Takeshi looked around frantically in an attempt to locate his opponent, several ice arrows flew from several directions, striking his hovering drone units and freezing them in place. Appearing from Takeshi's left side, Pandora slashed at his barrier with her sword. At the same time, the limbs on her longbow transformed into whips that struck the barrier at the same spot her blade did.

The force of Pandora's attacks was enough to shatter the barrier, with her longbow changing its shape into that of a crossbow as she aimed it at her opponent and fired a barrage of ice arrows. Opening his mouth wide, Takeshi let out a roar that shattered the incoming projectiles and forced Pandora back.

A jaw-shaped barrier formed below her and chomped on her, locking her in place. Shattering the ice around his drones by launching several fireballs at them, Takeshi directed them at Pandora, aiming tofurther restrain her. Dismissing her sword, Pandora focused on the green anima crystal on her wrist. A violent tempest erupted around her, destroying the barrier restraining her and blowing away the drones, with Takeshi being sent skidding backwards due to the raging gales.

Once the wind died down somewhat, Takeshi saw that Pandora was now holding a glowing emerald-colored segmented spear that was thrumming with power. Pointing it at Takeshi, she released a concentrated blast of wind at him with the intent to tear him apart. His shoulder-mounted shields swung ninety degrees forward in response, generating several barriers to protect Takeshi from Pandora's attack.

Dozens of claw-shaped barriers appeared around Takeshi, with him shooting them at Pandora. At the same time, his drones formed a circle around the two of them, channeling Ladon's terror gaze in an attempt to immobilize Pandora and allow Takeshi to capture her. However, she was unfazed as she jumped up and evaded the barrage, with wind surrounding her legs as she began running on the walls.

"Tch!"

Takeshi clicked his tongue in irritation, generating and aiming several pillar-shaped barriers at Pandora. She slipped past them with ease, launching a barrage of lightning blasts from her spear and a volley of ice arrows from her longbow. Takeshi was forced on the defensive as he summoned barrier after barrier to counter Pandora's barrage of attacks.

[Oi, oi, what's with this disgraceful performance, whelp?] Nidhogg said. [Where has your usual ferocity in battle gone? That was one of your precious few good traits.]

[Hey, don't be so hard on him, Nidhogg.] Orochi said. [I'd hesitate to go all out on this fine piece of meat too, especially if I hadn't had the chance to properly savor it yet.]

[If he keeps this up…he won't get to savor anything…ever again…] Ladon said. [You should…have listened to me…when I showed you…the burdens of companionship…]

[Blah, blah, blah, you're all so noisy!] Grendel bellowed. [Less wavering, more killing, that's the way to go, whelp!]

Takeshi ignored the Evil Dragons' banter, forming a barrier below his feet and sliding on it to avoid Pandora's water whip blades. Forming several disk-shaped barriers, he threw them at the lightning bolts aiming for him, dispersing them.

After being blown back by a large twister generated by Pandora's spear, Takeshi detached his shields and formed two large rectangular barriers around them, throwing them at the walls and expanding them to form a cuboid barrier. Having reduced Pandora's area to maneuver, Takeshi gathered his drones and formed several vice-shaped barriers with them at the center, launching them at Pandora.

A grimace appeared on Pandora's face as she jumped off the wall, barely slipping past the incoming barriers and landing close to Takeshi. Stabbing her longbow in the floor, she summoned torrents of water that flooded the area and reached up to Takeshi's knees. Plunging her spear into the water, she released a lightning surge that lit up the area, forcing Takeshi to take to the skies in haste by propelling himself upwards through an explosion of draconic aura below his feet.

"You won't escape!"

Pandora declared as she channeled wind into the surrounding water next, creating a miniature storm inside the barrier-enclosed area. Takeshi gathered his remote-controlled units around him, conjuring a multitude of barriers to shield himself from the chaos unfolding around him.

As large quantities of water enveloped the defensive formation shielding Takeshi, Pandora shot an oversized ice arrow at it, causing the water to flash freeze and trap Takeshi inside an icy prison. Building up his draconic aura, Takeshi howled as he released it outwards, destroying the ice trapping him and shaking the whole chamber.

"Got you."

Unaffected by the outburst of draconic aura due to a dense wind barrier around her, Pandora said so with a sinister smirk, having nocked her spear into her longbow after condensing its power into a smaller form. The arrow of raging wind, water and lightning tore through the barriers and struck Takeshi head-on, destroying most of his armor and sending him crashing into the wall behind him. Letting out a groan, he fell on the floor as the rest of his armor dispersed.

Takeshi! Pandora screamed in her head, struggling in vain to wrest control of her body. Stop this, Phaedra! Don't you dare harm him!

You are in no position to give me orders, my dear. Phaedra addressed Pandora in her thoughts. If you want to blame someone for his current predicament, blame yourself. If he hadn't got tangled up in the threads of your cursed fate, he might have lived past today. Now, be silent.

All of a sudden, Pandora found herself unable to voice her thoughts. It was as if someone had put a gag on her mouth.

"Looks like this is it." Shalba remarked. "I have to admit, it was a somewhat entertaining show, if a bit one-sided."

"Indeed, but it's time to bring the curtain down on this tragedy." Memnon said as he gestured at Pandora. "My dear, if you would be so kind as to do the honors and put the finishing touch on this masterpiece."

"Nothing would please me more, Memnon-sama."

Pandora said as she raised her spear. As for Takeshi, despite having received a substantial amount of damage from his opponent's earlier attack and being in a lot of pain, his mind was working on overdrive. During his fight with Pandora, a profound sense of wrongness became more and more prominent in her way of fighting.

We've fought next to and against each other plenty of times so far. Takeshi said. Pandora's habits, her rhythm, her timing, her movements, all of it were different just now. No matter how good of an actress she might be, going to the trouble of adjusting her entire fighting style while she was with us is too farfetched. Could it be…?

Driven by his realization, Takeshi forced himself up with a grunt, ignoring the stabs of pain throughout his body. Summoning Mayhem Striker and using its ability to mend his wounds, Takeshi glared at Pandora, who sighed in exasperation.

"You still want to fight?" Pandora asked. "No matter what you try, it's useless. Against the current me, you have no chance of victory."

"You should know better than anyone else that I never quit, Pandora." Takeshi said. "Don't you remember what happened the first time we met? After you drew that portrait of me and I got suspicious? I chased after you through half the city before your Fallen Angels allies helped you escape. This much won't be enough to bring me down."

"Even back then, you were a huge bother for me." Pandora said. "However, all that ends today. You can at least take solace in the fact you won't have to suffer from the Evil Dragons' curse any longer. Now, prepare to—"

"One last thing before we do this." Takeshi said, raising his hand. "Who are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Pandora frowned. "Has the realization of your impending death messed with your mind? You know very well I'm Pandora—"

"No, you are not." Takeshi said with a severe expression. "The real Pandora would know that the first time we met, she gave me the slip without too much trouble, using her powers to distract me and vanish in the crowd. Furthermore, she had painted and given to me a picture of Minano before it was struck by the extreme phenomena she was forced to conjure. I still have it in my room. To top it all off, there are distinct differences in your fighting style compared to her. So, I'll ask you once again; who the Hell are you!? What have you done to Pandora, you damn impostor!?"

The girl across Takeshi remained silent for a while, and then a sinister smile appeared on her face.

"Bravo." The possessed Pandora said, her tone of voice and mannerisms changing completely. "I did my best to mimic that girl in all aspects, but I suppose deceiving someone who's spent so much time with her was a tall order, especially since I don't have access to all her memories. However, make no mistake, this is Pandora's actual body, young man. It's just that someone else is 'driving' it so to speak. I am Phaedra, a high-ranking member of the Cronus Sect under Memnon-sama."

"...Phaedra?" Takeshi's frown deepened upon hearing that name. "The wet nurse who raised Pandora? You, of all people, did this to her? She always spoke about you in an affectionate manner, saw you as the closest thing she had to a mother. You…how could you betray her like this!?"

"I do wish things had turned out differently." Phaedra said. "However, circumstances forced our hand. I needed a new body after mine was damaged beyond any hope of healing, and we needed Pandora's power for the sake of our plan. Possessing her was killing two birds with one stone."

"You bastard…!" Takeshi growled while glaring at Phaedra. "What do you think Pandora is!? Some sort of tool you can use at your leisure!? I will have you return her body to her if it's the last thing I do!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, young man." Phaedra said. "Besides, even if you somehow managed to separate my soul from her body, which is something far beyond you, it would change nothing. Both and your allies are set to die in a short while once the ritual begins."

"The formation up there, huh?" Takeshi said while glancing at the complex magic formation way above him. "What the Hell are you lowlifes planning?"

"Oh, you want to know?" Memnon said from above, a crazed grin on his face as he spread his arms wide. "I'm certain you're dying to know, aren't you? Then, allow me to give you even greater despair, Evil Dragon User! Consider this my reward for your amusing performance just now."

"Damn you and your theatrics, you crazed cultist…" Shalba grumbled in a low tone. "What point is there to all this…?"

"The formation above you is something we have been preparing for a very long time." Memnon said, seemingly not having heard Shalba. "It's based on ancient primordial magic from the time of our masters, with a few touches from modern magic systems in it. As for its function, it enables us to separate the souls from the bodies of those who haven't been marked with the special protective seal over a wide area, like this artificial space for instance. None will be spared, whether they are Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils or Gods."

"Some of the strongest Gods in their respective Pantheons are outside fighting, and you think they won't be able to stop one lousy ritual?" Takeshi said. "If you think that's the case, then you've really lost your mind."

"Oh, trust me, they won't see this coming, and they'll be powerless to stop it." Memnon said. "The only downside to this ritual is the vast amount of power needed to construct and activate it. That is why dear Pandora and her rare gift were of vital importance. Now that all the pieces have finally fallen into place, our victory is all but assured, and so is the release of our masters from the pits of Tartarus."

"You're quite ambitious, Memnon." Takeshi said. "As far as I know, Tartarus is one of the most secure prisons in the supernatural side. Even if you somehow succeed here today, it doesn't seem likely that you'll manage to break into the pits."

"Why break in when I can simply tear Tartarus apart?" Memnon's grin became wider. "The souls collected through this ritual will be funneled to my compatriots in Greece. There, the other leaders will use that concentrated power to open a rift into Tartarus, granting the Titans their freedom at last. Ah, ah, to think that the promised Arcadia is finally within our grasp, it makes my soul tremble with joy!"

"That's…" A horrified expression appeared on Takeshi's face as he considered the ramifications this act would have. "Tearing through the dimensional layers in such a manner and linking the worlds of the living and the dead, the consequences to the world at large will be catastrophic! The death toll among humans alone could reach millions!"

"A small price to pay for the realization of our dream." Memnon said with a beatific expression. "When our masters reclaim their rightful place, the world they shall build will a thousand times better than the current one."

Following Memnon's words, the magic formation high above lit up, with additional magic circles appearing one after the other all over it.

"It has begun at last!" Memnon exclaimed. "The moment we have waited for centuries is upon us at last! It's time to perish, o corrupt world order!"

"Before that though, it's time for this tragedy's exodus." Phaedra said as she brandished her spear. "Perishing at the hands of your beloved Pandora should be preferable compared to having your soul severed, no? In the end, despite your efforts you were unable to change anything. You will die in the same miserable manner your predecessors did, and Pandora will suffer the consequences of the curse placed on her like all her predecessors did."

Despite the desperate situation he had found himself in, Takeshi smiled as he dismissed Mayhem Striker.

"Why are you grinning?" Phaedra raised an eyebrow. "The situation you've found yourself in hardly calls for such an attitude."

"True, but I can't help myself." Takeshi said. "I'm relieved to hear Pandora hasn't betrayed us after all. I believed in her and was confident there was another explanation, but a small part of me couldn't help doubt her. That also means I can take this gamble without any hesitation whatsoever."

A small storage-type magic circle appeared next to Takeshi, with him pulling out the Malefic Cipher Azazel had given him.

"What's that contraption?"

"The plot twist to your little play." Takeshi said in response to Phaedra's question. "Pandora, I'm not sure if you can hear me, but I'll say it nonetheless; I intend to keep my promise to you no matter what. That's why—I'll lay my life on the line if it means changing your fate!"

"You!"

Phaedra charged at Takeshi as he swiped the card-shaped device in front of Cataclysm Zone's gem.

[Override!]

Copious amounts of violet-colored aura erupted from the belt, whose middle gem changed color to violet, generating a storm that blew Phaedra back and shook the entire chamber, causing small cracks to appear on the walls. Takeshi screamed as indescribable agony assaulted him, feeling like someone was flaying him alive.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Shalba shouted as he turned to his subordinates. "You all, eliminate this wretch posthaste!"

The assembled Devil troops conjured magic circles and launched a barrage of demonic power blasts at Takeshi, with the Titan Worshippers adding their own attacks to the mix. Dozens of aura tendrils formed around Takeshi in response, swatting away the blasts coming at him and destroying the surrounding balconies, forcing everyone to jump off them and land on the chamber's floor.

[Connection Complete.]

The aura storm solidified into three tendrils, with two of them slamming on Takeshi's hands and the other on his forehead. The former solidified into two ornate violet-colored pistols, with carvings of three Dragon heads placed on each pistol's cartridge area. The latter formed a lidless eye with a slit-shaped iris that was reminiscent of a Dragon.

"Daeva Scope…"

Takeshi muttered as the name of the Sacred Gear appeared in his mind. Meanwhile, the assembled terrorists felt chills go down their spines, taking a step back involuntarily due to their shared mounting sense of dread, Phaedra among them. Even Shalba and Memnon held their ground with difficulty at the face of the oppressive aura exuding from Takeshi.

As for the man himself, a rush of random memories and thoughts flooded his mind all of a sudden, blurring the line between himself and the entity that had awoken from its long slumber for several seconds.

Damn it…! Takeshi cursed in his thoughts while fighting back against the intrusion. Figures you'd be the type to try and mess with my mind as well! That's a jackpot of the worst kind! And that's supposed to be after Azazel's device mitigated the adverse effects!?

As Takeshi struggled to hold on to his sense of identity, a domineering voice echoed from the Sacred Gear.

[Your heads are held too high. Prostrate yourselves before me, you maggots!]

A magic circle flared to life next to Takeshi following that command. The next moment, all terrorists were forced on their knees as the gravity inside the room intensified to nigh intolerable degrees. The eye on Takeshi's forehead turned upwards, focusing on the magic formation.

[Oooh, that's nice!] A jovial voice echoed next. [Seeing such a well-made toy makes me want to break it~.]

[Soul severance formation in its final process of activation.] An emotionless, almost robotic, voice was heard this time. [Weak points have been identified and analyzed. Implanting methods for neutralization into host's mind.]

Takeshi barely stifled a scream as a torrent of information flowed into his mind in an agonizing manner. It was as if someone had split his skull open with an axe and was violently jabbing red-hot spikes into his brain in a rapid manner.

As the knowledge settled into his brain, Takeshi focused on his newly-acquired third eye, letting out a surprised gasp. He felt a sense of vertigo as his sight expanded, giving him a 360-degree view of his immediate surroundings along with entirety of the fortress and its adjacent shrines. In addition, he could see the flow of energy around the area and within individuals, along with a detailed analysis of the magic formation above.

This is…what exactly?

[My playground~.]

[My kingdom.]

[My truth.]

The three voices answered together, perplexing Takeshi. Choosing not to dwell on that now, he aimed one of his pistols at the formation, with several magic circles appearing around it. In response, the formation began losing its glow as parts of it were slowly being altered.

"Impossible!" Memnon cried out in shock as he exerted his power in an attempt to counter the gravity spell. "The magic formation is being thrown into disarray!? That can't be happening! Our safeguards should have been flawless!"

[That's the difference between the super first-rate me and the fifth-rate losers like you~.]

[The likes of you believed yourselves capable of thwarting me? Such hubris, you oversized termite!]

[Large-scale formations are powerful with plenty of utilities. However, complexity demands cooperation from multiple individuals. Overlapping spell formulas without impeccable coordination between casters increases likelihood of flaws in the end result. Sequences can be interfered with and torn apart through exploiting these flaws.]

The three voices said so one after the other, with a disbelieving expression appearing on Memnon's face.

"I see…" Shalba grimaced as he struggled to force himself up. "This atrocious power and arrogant attitude, it can only belong to a certain Evil Dragon…"

[I am Aži Dahāka, the foremost magic expert among Dragonkind, the one renowned as the Diabolism Thousand Dragon.] The Dragon introduced himself. [You mongrels, be honored that you stand in the presence of a true ruler.]

[You can also call me Zahhāk-chan~!] Aži Dahāka said, his tone changing once again. [Ah, sure is nice being able to interact with the outside world again after almost…woah, it's been nine centuries already? Damn, time sure flies.]

[Processing power and output appear to have been reduced to a tenth of the original capacity.] Aži Dahāka continued, his tone switching to the more mechanical one. [Deus Trinity's suppressive measures have limited me to a large degree. Intriguing. Must investigate further.]

"I don't care who you are, but I won't let you and your host interfere any further!" Memnon howled in outrage. "Not when we're so close to victory! Onward, my brethren! Even if our bodies are torn apart, we will slay this damned Evil Dragon!"

[Death is only the beginning!]

The Titan Worshippers shouted together as one, exerting their auras and forcing themselves up. Directing their attacks at the magic circle in front of Takeshi, they shattered it with their attacks, though the backlash killed several of them. As the effects of the spell faded, Shalba and his Devils also stood up, with the former conjuring three magic circles, out of which emerged three oversized armored flies.

"You're going down for sure this time!"

Phaedra shouted as her segmented lance extended like a whip and aimed for Takeshi. Memnon also pulled out an ornate scythe and struck the ground with it, causing numerous roots to erupt from the floor and target Takeshi. Shalba directed his flies at their sole opponent as well, while the rest of the terrorists aimed their weapons and spells at Takeshi as well.

[Heh, so you want to keep playing with me~?] Aži Dahāka said in a playful manner, turning his attention to Takeshi. [My first and current host, indulge them if you will.]

More information flowed into Takeshi's brain, with him gritting his teeth from the pain as he shouted.

"Promotion, Bishop!"

After Takeshi said so, several magic circles flared to life around him, opening rifts in space that redirected the incoming attacks back to the enemy. A chorus of screams ensued as the blasts tore through the Khaos Brigade members' ranks.

Performing a short-range jump, Takeshi vanished and reappeared on top of one of the ruined balconies, with several magic circles appearing around him. The harsh glow from one of them turned half a dozen terrorists to stone, while another released a gust of wind that stripped a few others down to their bones.

As several terrorists choked on the poisonous mist emitted from another magic circle, eight of them charged at Takeshi from the right side, only to slam on the opposite wall as the direction of gravity was altered. Landing next to them, Takeshi dispatched them with a few well-placed aura shots from his pistols.

Teleporting himself once again to evade an attack from Shalba's oversized flies, Takeshi appeared below them and aimed his pistols at them. Two massive energy blades erupted from them, slicing through the three flies and cutting through the walls. Their form changed into that of an energy dome in the blink of an eye, shielding Takeshi from the ensuing attacks of the terrorists.

Aiming below next, he launched a barrage of elemental blasts that bombarded the Khaos Brigade members below. They attempted to shield themselves, but many of the attacks slipped past their defensive magic circles, felling at least half of the remaining enemies.

Landing on the floor, Takeshi increased the force of the shockwave, sending everyone flying backwards. Aiming for the enemy troops before him, he formed another magic circle that released black energy tendrils which struck the terrorists. Their shoulders began contorting in a violent manner as the Khaos Brigade members screamed in agony, with large serpents sprouting out of them.

"It hurts! What's happening to my body!?"

"W-What the Hell are these!? Where did they come from?"

"Get them off, get them off!"

Their panicked screams were silenced as the serpents opened their mouths and sank their fangs into their hosts' heads, devouring their brains in a matter of seconds. Before their corpses even hit the ground, Takeshi had already started firing more spells, with a series of explosions rocking the area.

What's going on? Takeshi thought as he aimed his pistol at a squad attacking him, turning them into amorphous masses of flesh. Before I can even give form to my intent, spells I didn't intend to use are already going off. Not to mention, the anti-spell designed to dismantle the formation is still active and working even though I'm not focusing on it.

[That's because I'm assisting you, whelp. Be grateful that I'm in a good enough mood to have bothered doing so.]

[Parallel mind operation. A most efficient way of casting that enables the use of multiple spells simultaneously. However, the burden on the mind is also increased.]

[Small price to pay when you're slaughtering your enemies left and right with ease though, yes~?]

Aži Dahāka said as Takeshi closed the distance between him and the remaining four Khaos Brigade troops in a flash, opening his mouth wide and unleashing a magic-enhanced scream that pulverized them. As his vision abruptly changed from its normal state to its enhanced one, Takeshi noticed that Phaedra had concealed herself and was trying to attack him from the side, while Shalba and Memnon had been busy constructing a complex teleportation spell to force him out of here.

[Such pitiful tricks.]

Aži Dahāka scoffed as Takeshi fired a spell at the two leaders, shattering their formation and sending them flying backwards, with the serpents that had emerged from their subordinates' corpses rushing at them. At the same time, a magic circle flared to the life behind him, disabling Phaedra's invisibility spell and causing the Spirit Armaments in her hands to disperse.

"Wha—"

Phaedra's words were cut off as Takeshi placed one of his pistols on her head, a severe expression on her face.

"I'll have you return Pandora to me now, cultist."

[We can't have someone else playing with our toys~.]

[I won't tolerate anyone foolish enough to try stealing my belongings.]

[A Spirit Mage is a rare sample. Must be retrieved posthaste.]

With his enhanced sight, Takeshi could clearly see the two souls occupying Pandora's body and identify the foreign one. Drawing from Aži Dahāka's knowledge, and wincing due to the added strain, Takeshi fired several spells in succession at the girl before him.

Phaedra screamed as the spells holding her soul anchored to Pandora's body were dissolved, with her spirit being forced out afterwards. Pandora collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, with Takeshi rushing to catch her before she hit the ground.

"No…no, this can't be happening!" Phaedra shrieked in horror as she realized the state she was in. "It wasn't supposed to be like this! Pandora was supposed to be my second chance, the way to escape from the miserable state those accursed demigods reduced me to! A life free from agony and—"

"If you are afraid of pain, then you don't have to worry about that anymore." Takeshi cut Phaedra off as he aimed at her with his pistol. "You won't be feeling anything ever again. Consider this an act of mercy on my part for having raised Pandora all these years."

Takeshi pulled the trigger, with a golden bullet flying out of his pistol. Once it struck Phaedra, her soul began cracking. With one final howl, Phaedra's soul shattered, turning into light particles that scattered and vanished.

"Pandora?" Takeshi said as he turned his attention to the girl in his arms. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Pandora groaned a bit, and then opened her eyes slowly.

"…Takeshi…?"

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." Takeshi said with a smile. "We're not out of the woods just yet."

"Your eyes… you're bleeding…"

Pandora mumbled as she reached for Takeshi's cheek. Touching the corner of his eye with his finger and wiping away the liquid he felt there, Takeshi saw that it was indeed blood. Now that the adrenaline had subsided, he could also feel something dripping from his ears and nose as well, along with the splitting headache that made him want to chop his head off.

"Don't worry about it, Pandora." Takeshi said, doing his best to hide his discomfort as he helped her up. "At this point…it's just more of the usual."

Yes, more of the usual. Takeshi thought. Just like that time Thraetaona bound me and drove the chains into my necks…no, that didn't happen to me! Would you give it a rest already, Aži Dahāka!?

[Why should I listen to you, whelp?]

[Becoming me is pretty amazing, you know~?]

[Thousands of years of experiences to a mere seventeen years, one cannot make comparisons.]

Before Takeshi could respond, the sound of explosions echoed at the other side of the chamber. Emerging from the smoke and walking towards the two Devils were Memnon and Shalba, the latter having an organic blade construct protruding from his left hand. Upon seeing Pandora, Memnon's lip curled in disdain.

"The fact that you're standing next to the Evil Dragon User means Phaedra is gone." Memnon said. "All these efforts, all the preparations we've made, all for nothing. But that's alright. Our masters' patience is eternal, and as long as we have you, we can start over in the future. Now, it's time to come back home, my dear child."

"I don't think so." Pandora glared at Memnon with a murderous expression, forming her fire and wind-type Spirit Armaments in her hands. "You've used me as your tool for the last time, Memnon. It's time for your comeuppance. Takeshi, leave this scumbag to me. I need to vent my pent-up frustrations somewhere, and he's the ideal target."

"Make sure to give him Hell, princess." Takeshi grinned. "But before we begin…"

Takeshi aimed one of his pistols at the disabled magic formation, with several waves of energy shooting out of it. Two of them enveloped Takeshi and Pandora, while the others flew outside.

"This is…" Pandora looked at her glow in her hands which dissipated. "I feel so energized all of a sudden. What did you do, Takeshi?"

"Nothing…much…" Takeshi said, gritting his teeth due to the added stabs of pain he felt in his brain. "There's quite a lot of energy within that magic formation…so I drained as much as I could from it and channeled it to us and the others. I also added something extra…hopefully enough to help them…"

[I also did some mischief of my own~.]

Aži Dahāka said. Turning his attention to Shalba, Takeshi spoke.

"I'll handle Shalba. You had best change locations though. I can't handle Daeva Scope's power very well yet, and I don't want you getting caught up in one of my spells."

"Got it." Pandora nodded. "Be careful."

"Right back at you."

Takeshi said as Pandora's body was enveloped by wind. She dashed before any of the two Khaos Brigade leaders could react, tackling Memnon and hurling both of them out of the chamber through a large hall in the wall.

"Handle me, you say?" Shalba scoffed at Takeshi. "Show some respect to your betters, low-class scum. Even with Aži Dahāka backing you, I will still defeat you and make you grovel before me before killing you in the most painful manner possible."

Several magic circles appeared around Shalba, with a swarm of mutant flies emerging from it.

"You're confident for someone who's twenty thousand years too early to beat me." Takeshi said as he brandished his pistols. "Now, you'll be eradicated without fail, Shalba Beelzebub!"

[Let's have fun playing together, big bro~.]

[Dance for my amusement, you pitiful jester.]

[Your corpse is needed as intact as possible for study. Avoid excessive struggling.]

Following Aži Dahāka's words, both combatants unleashed their attacks, signifying the start of their battle.

---

This concludes Chapter 42. First, in response to your reviews.

—To Appolyon: Regarding the ley lines, I envision them as existing everywhere throughout DxD's world, acting as the Earth's circulatory system so to speak. That's why Rating Game fields employ them to a lesser extent as well.

—To Guest: I've been out of touch with Pokemon for several years, so making a story about them is very unlikely.

This time, it was the Gremory Peerage's time to confront Diodora's group along with several high-ranking members of the Titan Worshippers. Like I promised last time, Aži Dahāka's Sacred Gear, Daeva Scope, has finally made its appearance here. Its design is mainly based on Coyote Starrk's twin pistols from Bleach and Xanxus' Pistola Imperatore Animale from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

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

See you all next time!