Two Months Later:
Home/ HQ, Kuoh Town:
3rd Person POV:
"Yo, Issei!" Cao Cao greeted with a wave as he walked towards the boy, who was with his enotourage of two as expected.
"Hey, Ca- I mean, Aki!" Issei quickly corrected himself at Cao Cao's glare, making him sigh as Xenovia and Asia giggled at their interaction.
"Don't use my name so freely. You never know who's watching." He muttered, to which Issei just rolled his eyes.
"Didn't Gremory, Sitri and their peerages go back to the Underworld for some function?"
"Believe me. Without Gremory and her queen constantly badgering me to join her peerage or Sitri and her queen intensely focusing on my every movement, I've been relishing every single moment of peace and quiet I could get." He grumbled, Issei chuckling as he nodded.
"Yeah, they don't badger me as much as they do you, but it's still harder than I thought it would be."
"Yours is more them trying to sleep with you to have your babies than actually trying to make you join their peerages." Cao Cao with a deadpan, Issei blushing slightly as the two girls frowned.
"Then they'll have to get through us, right Asia?"
"R-Right!" Asia said with a determined nod, Issei just groaning as Cao Cao chuckled.
"I've been meaning to ask. What is this you three have going on exactly? Some sort of harem?" He asked, to which Issei just glared at him as Asia blushed brightly and Xenovia nodded proudly.
"Indeed it is and Asia is the head wife, so if she doesn't like the girl trying to woo Issei, then she does not join the harem."
"Xenovia!" Both Asia and Issei exclaimed in embarrassment, Cao Cao bursting out with laughter as Xenovia just looked confused at them.
"What? Is it not the truth?"
"W-Well, one could say…" Issei trailed off as he didn't know what to say, Asia just staring into empty space and ignoring everything around her before Cao Cao stopped laughing as he looked up at the sky, frowning at something.
"What's wrong?" Issei asked as soon as he noticed Cao Cao's frown, both girls noticing the change in his expression as they all stared at him. Cao Cao didn't say anything as he kept staring before a communication crest appeared on the back of his hand.
"Command, this is Heavenly Spear. We have three S-Rank bogeys in Kuoh! I repeat we have three S-Rank bogeys in Kuoh!" Issei's eyes widened at that before he stood up and followed Cao Cao, who had transformed into his battle gear before leaping towards the sky. Xenovia didn't say anything as she reached into her pocket dimension and took out Durandal, nodding at Asia who nodded back before chanting under her breath, a light barrier appearing under them before helping them fly after the two boys.
"This is Command. Can you identify the bogeys for us?"
"Hades, Susano'o and Loki!" Cao Cao exclaimed as he landed a few blocks from the HQ, an illusion spell from Asia making the humans in the streets continue on with their day as Issei activated his Balance Breaker, all four of them rushing towards the outskirts of Kuoh before Cao Cao stopped in his tracks as he saw the three men waiting for them.
"Hassan, Georg and Nikola will be there within the next minute. Can you hold out against them until then?" Cao Cao didn't say anything as he glanced back at the three next to him and all three nodded, making him smile as he nod.
"We can. Tell those old farts to hurry up."
"Ah, the wielders of True Longinus, the Boosted Gear and Durandal along with a Twilight Healing wielder. Not too bad for the town's protectors." Susano'o said with a nod, Hades just shaking his head as Loki rolled his eyes.
"We have a job to do. Make sure you all do it." Hades grumbled, the Norse and Shinto deities just glaring at him before they grumbled under their breath.
"Issei, take Loki. His illusions will not work on you as long as you keep on your Balance Breaker. Xenovia, Asia, you two take on Susano'o. He is still strong, but far weaker than at his prime so the two of you should suffice in keeping him busy until help comes. I'll keep Hades busy." Cao Cao barked out orders, Issei nodding and not wasting any time as jet thrusters appeared on his back and he rocketed forward.
Loki just grinned maliciously as he blocked the punch from the Red Dragon, the force of it dragging the two of them far away from the city. Susano'o watched them before swiftly raising his sheathed sword upwards, the ground under him cratering as he blocked the heavy downwards strike from Xenovia.
She gritted her teeth as she tried to bring her blade down further, but Susano'o's arm was steady as he smirked up at her before his eyes widened slightly as he felt something wrap around his ankles, looking down to see chains of light tied around them.
Looking back at Asia, he saw her smiling at him before he grunted as Xenovia spun and kicked at his chest, the blow delivering a slight bit of pain before she gasped as he grabbed her by the leg and swung down, smashing her into the ground.
Unsheathing the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his grasp from its sheath with the practised ease of millennia of experience, he swung it down and scoffed as it crashed into a light shield that appeared above Xenovia, adding a bit more pressure that shattered it, but that was enough time for the former exorcist to leap out of the way and back to Asia's side.
"You're certain you can keep me busy, boy? I may not like to boast, but I am still one of the strongest beings in the world." Hades said with an amused smirk as he transformed back into his human form, Cao Cao glaring as the Greek deity spun his bident around his body before settling into a stance.
"Oh, I know that for a fact, but according to the captain, you've trained him in how to use his trident since he could remember and I've been fighting him ever since I joined under his command. Let's see if that's the truth." Cao Cao said with a smirk as True Longinus appeared in his grasp and he leapt forward, a shock wave echoing throughout the field as the two fighters clashed.
With Issei and Loki:
"Come now, Dragon! You did not think the sparring partner of Thor would be weak in close-combat, did you?!" Loki exclaimed with a grin as he pulled Issei's fist to the side, the boy gasping as a foot smashed into his side and sent him flying away from the Norse God.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
Boost after boost were activated as Issei flipped to his feet before leaping backwards, Loki smashing into the ground with an axe-kick before the Norse God continued his onslaught.
Despite having been put through gruelling training by both Cao Cao and Theo, Issei was hard-pressed to even keep up with the Norse God's attacks as Loki relentlessly attacked him, fists and legs coated in dense divine aura making his body ache despite the armour protecting his form.
An emerald green aura covered his leg as he swung it upwards, Loki blocking the hit before he frowned as he felt the force of the attack nearly push him off his feet. Issei didn't stop there as he leapt into the air, his other leg coated in the same emerald green aura before he swung it in a roundhouse and connected heel first with the cheek of the Norse Deity.
Pain was all Loki felt as he felt the kick resonating through his skull, only his years of sparring and fighting with Thor keeping him from blacking out as he swung a divine fist into Issei's back before both fighters were sent blasting in opposite directions. Both fighters did not stay down for long as they flipped through the air and landed on their feet, quickly rushing back into battle against the other.
[PENETRATE]
Loki's eyes widened at that call as he quickly created dozens of defensive magic crests in front of them, all of them completely worthless as Issei's fist smashed through all of them with ease before crashing into his chest with the force of a train.
The pain he felt from the earlier blow did not even compare to the pain he felt now, feeling his ribs snap and his organs being jumbled as he was sent rolling across the ground.
It was only his senses warning him of danger that he managed to barely get his bearings and flip to his feet, jumping out of the way just in time for a bombardment of dragon bombs to crash into the ground and set off a devastating explosion.
Issei then frowned as he waited for Loki to come out of the smoke cloud before he gasped as pain erupted in his chest, looking down slowly to see a fist crashing through his armour and sending him flying backwards.
He was not spared as Loki appeared besides him, now revealed to be wearing just a dark green bodysuit and his skin a dark blue with ice horns sprouting from the top of his head, Issei's eyes widening and barely moving his body out of the way as a giant icicle speared into the ground where he previously was.
"Few can make me use my True Form in battle. Be honoured that you are one of them, lizard."
"Thanks." Issei said dryly, Loki frowning before he bolted forward. Issei frowned as he felt something was off, but he didn't get time to think on this as a right jab was thrown at him and as he lifted his hand to try and block the attack, he gasped as the fist came through his hand like a mirage before an attack smashed into his jaw from the left.
"Wha-!" Issei gasped as a boot smashed into his chest, followed up a roundhouse to the back of his head that led him into a rising knee that smashed into his forehead.
'Wait, illusions?! But when?!'
"I placed an illusion on you when I smashed through your chest piece." Loki explained with a smirk, Issei frowning as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, transferring a few boosts to the rest of his senses.
'So, Ddraig, what now?
' [Apart from running, you're pretty much unable to beat him on your own. Thankfully, he only placed a visual illusion on us and not any other.]
'Great.' Issei grumbled before he felt the air behind him being disturbed, leaning forward just in time for an attack to fly over the back of his head. He didn't stop there as he kicked backwards, feeling his leg hitting something before he grinned as he pushed off of it and flipped backwards, landing a few feet away from the attack while waiting for the next attack.
'I should have placed more than just an optical illusion on the boy, but I suppose in my hubris, I thought one dozen illusions would have been enough..' Loki thought to himself with a frown as he slowly circled the Dragon Emperor, clicking his tongue as the boy turned to always keep his front towards him.
'Well, if nothing else, I guess there's only one thing to do here.'
[Issei, don't you da-!]
"I, who am about to awaken," Loki's eyes widened at the chant before he bolted forward, an ice spear already in his grasp as he tossed it at Issei. It was nothing for the Dragon Emperor as he easily dodged it while also jumping away from the follow-up dropkick from the Norse Deity.
"Am the Heavenly Dragon who have stolen the Principles of Domination from God." Motes of green light floated out of the Scale Mail, each of them chanting in a different voice and creating a symphony of voices as Loki cursed under his breath.
"I laugh at the infinite and fret over the dream." The hands and feet of the Scale Mail cracked and shattered before transforming into the claws of a Dragon, wings sprouting from Issei's back.
"I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination." Loki tried all he could to make sure the boy did not finish his chant, but it was too late as the head piece transformed into that of a Dragon's head as it grinned at him.
"And I shall sink you to the Depths of the Crimson Purgatory. JUGGERNAUT DR-!" Issei was cut off with a gasp as a foot smashed into the back of his head, interrupting his chant and stopping the transformation as Loki let out a sight of relief.
"I do not believe Theseus will like it if I let his student die under my watch." Issei groaned as he pulled his head out of the ground before looking up, his eyes widening as he stared the being in a white mask and a pitch black bodysuit standing next to him.
"Hassan-i-Sabbah. I should have known they'd sent you to fight me." Loki said with a grin, Hassan saying nothing as they turned to Issei.
"Can you continue in this battle?" They asked him, Issei frowning as he stopped to feel his wounds before he grinned as he nodded.
"Ready and able."
"Good. Then, let's begin." And with those words, Issei's and Loki's eyes widened as dozens of Hassans leapt from the shadows of the trees around them, the Norse Deity not giving much chance to adjust before the assault began.
A few minutes later:
With Asia and Xenovia:
"You! Are strong! Pagan Deity!" Xenovia gritted out as she and Susano'o clashed, barely able to keep up as the Shinto God just gave her an amused smile.
"You do realize that I could have ended this battle long ago, right?"
"Then why didn't you?" She asked back with a grin, Susano'o chuckling as he nodded.
"Good to see you're not blind enough to follow every bluff you hear." He said before frowning as Xenovia was covered in a light green glow, her wounds visibly closing before the wielder of Durandal grinned as she roared.
Durandal erupted in a bright golden glow as she brought it down on him, Susano'o gritting his teeth as he now felt the heavy blow trying to push him to his knees.
'Damn that Lucifer for putting me in this pathetic weak state.' He grumbled in his mind as he pushed her off of him, twisting to the side to dodge a slash of golden Holy energy cleaving through his position before sharp winds covered his katana.
Gripping his blade with both hands he bolted forward before swinging it upwards, Xenovia's eyes widened as she placed Durandal in front of her and barely blocked the devastating hurricane that carved through the ground around her as well as leaving shallow cuts on her arms and legs.
'Asia can't keep up with healing my wounds and even if she does, she can't restore stamina, which means that Susano'o will win a battle of attrition.' Xenovia thought to herself with a frown as Asia created a light shield in front of her, blocking the wind blades coming at her before she bolted around the shield and towards the Storm Deity.
Durandal sung in her grasp for the first time as she raised it up before bringing it down, Susano'o grinning as Kusanagi was coated in lightning and fierce winds before he swung it up towards her.
Light and Storm clashed and completely eradicated the ground around them, hurricane-level winds gouging out chunks of the heavens and earth around them while light and lightning scorched and charred the ground they stood on.
Yet, that didn't stop the ecstatic grins on both fighters' faces as they pushed against each other, each trying to put down the other before Xenovia grinned as a bright emerald glow covered her form, roaring as she swiftly stopped pushing against Susano'o while moving to the side, the Storm Deity chuckling as Durandal sung through the air and crashed into his chest.
A torrent of blood spurted from the gaping wound in his chest as Xenovia jumped back, stumbling to her knees from exhaustion as Asia rushed to her side.
"W-Well done, young swordswoman. T-There's not many that have harmed me in my life. Be proud." He said with a nod, Xenovia smiling as she nodded before Susano'o pushed himself up to his feet with his word before a bright blue glow covered his form.
As the glow slowly subsided, Asia's and Xenovia's eyes widened at the Shinto Deity smiling back at them, his wound sealed shut as his right eye was glowing a bright white. The kimono he was wearing had disappeared, leaving him only in his hakama pants and the Kusanagi blade grasped in his right hand. A ring of drums were floating behind him and in his left hand that was made out of black lightning was a small wooden staff with hooked ends on both sides.
"I suppose it is only proper that I defeat you in my True Form. Now, rest in piece, young warriors." Susano'o declared as he raised the staff and tapped it against one of the drums, Xenovia giving a defeated smile as a large dragon made out of lightning cried itself into existence.
The dragon circled above them in the sky, Susano'o raising his hand before bringing it down and the loud boom of thunder echoed throughout Kuoh as the dragon rose high above the clouds before coming down as a monstrous bolt of bright white lightning.
"Ascalon." Both Xenovia and Asia looked on in shock as an armoured man appeared in front of them, a beautiful sword with a white blade and a golden hilt in his grasp as he swung it upwards.
The bolt of lightning didn't stand a chance as a dragon made out of wind slammed into it and carried it up above the clouds, the clouds instantly turning to water vapour as the bolt of lightning erupted.
"Saint George. I thought you were dead." Susano'o said with a smirk as he floated down, Georgios chuckling as he shook his head.
"My death was greatly exaggerated, Susano'o." Georgios said with a smile before he turned to the shocked Xenovia and Asia, smiling as he patted each of them on the head.
"Well done on keeping him busy, young maidens. Now allow me to take care of the rest." The two couldn't do anything but nod, Georgios smiling before he turned towards Susano'o with a benevolent smile and bolted forward, the Storm Deity chuckling with glee as he awaited this new battle.
A few minutes earlier:
With Hades & Cao Cao:
Sparks flew as True Longinus clashed with Hades' bident, Cao Cao and Hades having intense looks of focus and concentration in their eyes as their arms blurred.
Cao Cao parried a jab from Hades, trapping the bident to his body as he spun and swung True Longinus for a leg sweep only to grunt as Hades grinned, using his bident as support to leap into the air and float above the spear wielder.
"Persephone Kallichoron." Hades chanted as he pulled his bident back before thrusting it back downwards, Cao Cao quickly leaping out of the way as a cone of air shattered the ground where he previously stood.
Cao Cao leapt forward as soon as Hades touched the ground, grinning widely at the King of the Underworld as a bright golden aura covered True Longinus before he thrust it forward. Hades just scoffed as he put his bident in the way, Cao Cao frowning as a necrotic aura coated the bident and cancelled out the Holy energy before both fighters leapt back.
"I should have know you'd use necrotic energy to fight me."
"Of course I would. Unlike other gods, gods of death are both alive and dead, meaning we are weak to Holy-type attacks. Unfortunately for you, it will take a lot of Holy energy to injure me, which means…"
"I'll have to hit you in a fatal spot. You do realize you are being idiotic right now for revealing your weaknesses to me, right?" Cao Cao said with a smirk as he placed True Longinus in front of him, the blade pointed skywards. Hades just chuckled as he held his bident in front of him before cutting his hand and letting the golden ichor of his blood drip onto the weapon.
"Let's just say that I want to see how strong the lieutenant of my nephew truly is."
"Your funeral. Balance Break." Both Cao Cao and Hades were covered in bright glows that obscured their forms from view, Cao Cao's a dark gold and Hades' a sickly green.
"Polar Night Longinus Chakravartin." Cao Cao declared as the light around him vanished, revealing him now still in his battle attire and True Longinus in his grasp, but now an azure blue halo of light floated behind him and seven identical orbs of blue light circled slowly around his body like heavenly satellites.
The glow around Hades cracked before shattering, revealing him now clad in a royal pitch black robe with golden insignias of death scenes embroidered into the robe. On his right ring finger was a pristine white ring with a lime green gem in the centre and in his grasp was no longer a bident but a large golden staff with a crimson orb at the top.
"Your power is tremendous." Cao Cao said with a smirk as he felt the oppressive feeling of death and decay in the air, his Balance Breaker being the only thing that was keeping the aura from touching him and he frowned slightly as he noticed how all life around them, whether that be plants or animals, was slowly decaying away.
"Unfortunately, the power of Death is unending, but it does get dull with having this much power at your disposal." Hades said with a sigh before he waved a skeletal hand, Cao Cao raising an eyebrow as hordes of decaying undead crawled out of the ground, all of them snarling as they caught sight of Cao Cao.
"Kahabateiratana." Cao Cao chanted as one of the seven orbs floated to his right hand, crushing it in his palm before a large magical crest array appeared around him and Hades chuckled as an army made out of blue light and clad in Ancient Chinese armour appeared from the magic crest.
"Army vs Army, huh?" Hades said, making Cao Cao chuckle as he leapt onto a riderless steed.
"Of course. My ancestor was a commander of an army, so why not?"
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Truly, this is a great battle!" Both Cao Cao and Hades turned before Cao Cao chuckled at the sight of Tesla hunched over while quickly scribbling into the notepad in his hands.
"Oh, great. It's him." Hades grumbled under his breath with a skull palm, Cao Cao turning to him as Tesla grinned.
"Are you two acquainted?" He asked and Hades just groaned as Tesla nodded.
"Theseus introduced us to each other and I told him that death was simply existing in another life. He didn't like it." Tesla said with a shrug before he put his notepad away and took out an armband, placing it around his right wrist.
"Tesla Core 7. Activate Super Automaton Ω."
"Super Automaton Ω: Engaged." A robotic voice came from the bracelet before it swiftly expanded and stretched around the entirety of Tesla's body, coating his body in sleek golden and blue armour with his head being covered in a grinning eagle helmet.
"This is my only opportunity to get information of what death truly is, so show it to me." Tesla said with a grin before a large cage of bright golden electricity appeared around the armies and their commanders, the two commanders saying nothing as they raised their staffs before bringing them down.
And hell broke loose.
A/N: And there we go! Another chapter for another week!
Next chapter, the Organizations vs Deities & return of some very special people.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…
Ba-Bye~!