~ Decapitation isn't working ~
They awoke in an infirmary. Their decision to not immediately possess their prey has gone well. The Devil meat walked to the place of the Devils, unaware that they were already in him. Hahaha! The Devils didn't look like they saw them inside the Devil meat. Not even the two cats. Looks like that priest was right, sparing him did give them a better meal.
The Gremory servant licked their lips. The sclera in his eyes turned yellow and bloodshot. His pupils and irises shrunk until they were no longer visible. His skin paled till he looked dead. Fingernails turned into jagged claws and two more rows of teeth grew from his jaw.
It was time to feast! Devil meat tasted rich. They wondered how these Devils tasted like.
"Gremory? What are you-!" *CRACK* the servant of Sitri was cut off as her head was snapped with a quick twist and her body collapsed onto the floor. They grinned as they opened their mouth to eat her up. Hair, clothes, bones, and all.
Tastes like meat brined in fine wine.
"We have to attack now, Sona!"
"And I am saying that it is impossible to seal the Mad Ghoul right now! Much less kill it."
"Are we not the sisters of Satans?"
"That is besides the point, Rias."
All of the Student Council, the Occult Research Club, and Issei with his Peerage were in a meeting in the Occult Research Club right after the news about the Mad Ghoul reached them. Aika's bruises had been treated earlier, and she was fine now. They left the wounded servants in the old school building's infirmary as they recovered.
"So what do we do?! More innocents will die! I will not just sit around as the Mad Ghoul rampages around Kuoh!" Rias shouted. "Cleria Belial left this territory in our hands, and you just want to- to let the people die?"
"And so what if I just let them die? They are merely humans. They will multiply back in a few years. We cannot handle this, Rias."
The two Kings stared each other down. "Can't we just," Issei butted into the conversation, albeit a bit nervously, "call for reinforcements?"
" "No!" " they agreed on that one at least. Issei winced.
"Rias, the plans we have been putting together based on the limited information that we have is nearly done. The seal magic just needs a little bit more power until it could temporarily seal an SS-class danger for five days; it could barely hold an S-class for right now. All I am saying right now is to let us give ourselves two more days-"
Akeno tugged Issei's blazer to pull his attention away from Sona. She gave him a wry grin and whispered into his ear. "These two are both younger sisters that are living under the shadow of their elders. They want to be seen for their own accomplishments, that is why they didn't like the idea of reinforcements. Bagging the Mad Ghoul on their own would also be a very large boost for their prestige."
Issei nodded at that and Akeno stepped back as she let the three Kings talk.
"Do you want them to die? Rias!" Sona finally lost her cool and shouted at Rias. Issei was lost. Weren't they just talking about the sealing earlier?
Rias looked like she wanted to shoot that down. To butt her head stubbornly against Sona. Her face lost all the anger and her eyebrows unfurrowed. She gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine. Let us just finish the magic circle, then we go against the Mad Ghoul. Hide the bodies that the Mad Ghoul destroys and the story will be that a serial killer was on the run."
Sona nodded. "I am glad that-"
A servant burst into the room. "Excuse me, Miladies the Mad Ghoul has been sighted by our sentries stationed."
"Where is it headed?" Sona asked.
"He-" the servant of Gremory never finished. His head was shredded in one fell swipe by a clawed hand. Behind the first servant of Gremory was the injured servant that they had treated earlier.
Rias turned into her Demonic form, and a pair of diabolical horns protruded from Sona's forehead.
They were given no time to react however as the Gremory servant leapt upon its nearest victim. Its jaws were open wide and its claws were outstretched. Koneko braced herself for impact.
Time stopped.
Time resumed.
The head of the Gremory servant was decapitated and on the floor. The body right beside it. Blood pooled around the clean rug that had the Gremory insignia on it.
Issei twitched, dropped his bloodied blade, and retched.
"Well done, Ise," Sona praised as he vomited his dinner and midnight snack.
"T-That was a servant of the Gremory," Rias stuttered in shock. She approached the corpse. A little levitation magic and the head was looking at her. "He was possessed."
"By what?"
CRASH
The window to the Occult Research Club shattered and a golem of flesh flew in. Jagged rows of teeth, layered upon one another decorated its jaw. Cuffs were on its limbs, connected to large steel chains that clinked as it moved. Its eyes were pure yellow, madness clouding them. The stench of rotting and the dead was all it smelled like. And it stood on all fours like a monkey. This was the Mad Ghoul, an S-class danger that survived Sirzechs Lucifer's attack.
The clocks in Issei's eyes stopped ticking.
Time stopped.
The Mad Ghoul swiped its claws at Issei, giving him four long gashes upon his stomach.
He screamed and was thrown away.
The clock resumed ticking.
Time resumed.
There was a crash of furniture as Issei was flung across the room, around the couch, and through the wall from the sheer force of the attack. The others in the room looked in shock at what just happened.
Time stop failed?
The roar of laughter from the Mad Ghoul awoke them from their daze. They leapt into action.
Kiba and Saeko flanked the Mad Ghoul while Rias and Koneko faced the Mad Ghoul head on. Sona's Rook and Knight, Yura and Meguri respectively, followed their lead and charged the Mad Ghoul. Sona spawned magic circles in her hands, waiting for a good opportunity. Claws and fangs were bared. Swords were unsheathed.
The Mad Ghoul's claws were parried and held in place by Rias and Koneko. Its head was decapitated and its heart and liver pierced and sliced through. Its spine was broken and its arteries cut up.
The head grew back with a splatter of blood. It was an instantaneous regeneration of a lethal body part to lose. The Mad Ghoul groaned. The group of six looked at each other in surprise. Their eyes widened. The bodily mass of their foe grew in size. It roared in defiance.
"Get back!" Sona shouted. Water poured out and wrapped around the ghoul's body. The water turned into magic particles. Sona gaped. The Mad Ghoul was immune to the Seir time stop and the Shitori water manipulation. "Get back!" Sona shouted once more with more emergency in her voice.
"Lock it in place!" Rias ordered.
Koneko and Kiba moved to lock it in place while Saeko moved to the front. Yura and Meguri hung back in response to their King's orders.
A few more people jumped through the open window into the room, they were the Gremory and Sitri servants that were reported dead! All had the same look of madness in their eyes.
A stray red ball of destruction sent their way annihilated two of them as soon as they came in. A spike of water put another one in pieces.
"These ones can be affected by magic," Sona muttered. "Momo, Reya, keep these ones at bay," she ordered when the corpses that dropped started regenerating, although not as fast as the Mad Ghoul itself.
"Yes!"
Sona took a seat and analyzed the situation. The Mad Ghoul was the one that broke through the window. The earlier Gremory servant was clearly possessed by the Mad Ghoul, but ghouls weren't known to be able to possess anything. They were known for eating humans. Ghosts and spirits were the ones that possessed. Was the Mad Ghoul like that legendary evil spirit, Legion? A spirit that possessed a ghoul was troublesome.
Not to mention that Issei's time stop seemed to have no effect earlier. It worked against the possessed Gremory servant. Why didn't it work on the Mad Ghoul?
"Ow, ow, ow, that hurt," Issei groaned as he crept out of the rubble that he was buried under. He coughed a bit and looked around him. It was total chaos. More ghouls had joined the battle. Rias and her companions already had a hard time pinning down the one that was immune to time stop. And Gremory servant that Issei decapitated earlier was starting to move-
It was starting to move! It was closing in on the defenseless Sona.
Issei ignored the pain and hoped that his adrenaline would kick in sooner or later. He jumped onto the Gremory servant that he had downed earlier and held him in place. "Where's my sword? Where's my sword?" he muttered to himself as the body below him started thrashing. "Tch," he clicked his tongue.
The clock in his eyes sped up. Time for Issei accelerated. With a swift motion he smashed the head against the wooden boards of the Occult Research Club. The old wooden boards were still strong enough to break the skull, but not strong enough to stay intact after that bash.
Issei shouted as he dropped with the corpse down to the first floor of the old school building. He grunted as he got back up. The fall was painful even with the corpse under him.
Speaking of the corpse, it started moving again. Its head was reforming. Blood vessels stringed out from the neck, bone was solidifying, and brain matter was regrowing. These all happened in a matter of seconds and it was whole again within a minute.
Issei groaned and got up. He looked around for a weapon. They had landed in the infirmary. He ran to the shelves and searched for a weapon. He found it. A pair of scissors. At this rate, using the wooden boards that fell with him would be more effective!
The ghoul jumped on him as Issei was bemoaning the lack of a weapon. It sank its teeth into his shoulder, gaining a cry of pain from Issei. Issei jabbed the scissors into the ghoul's eyes, making it howl in pain and release him.
Issei cursed. Pain throbbed through his right shoulder like it was on fire. He recovered faster than the ghoul did and moved to stab it through with a puny pair of scissors. It howled in pain once more, blindly swinging its sharp claws. The Mad Ghoul was fighting Rias and the others up there, time stop wasn't feasible. It could somehow move through the world of stopped time, who knew what would happen if he stopped time here.
Issei gripped the scissors. Time to pull a Juan Wick. He moved to stab it through the eyes one more time. No regenerating that!
The ghoul couldn't catch Issei, Issei was too fast. His training with Saeko and Kiba was paying off, the ghoul moved slowly compared to them.
Stab, stab, stab
Issei slipped in and out of the ghoul's range of attack. He didn't even need to use the Seir powers. He pushed the ghoul back and kept stabbing it lethally, but it wouldn't die. Its regeneration seemed to slow down the more Issei cut it with the small scissor. Issei kept aiming for its eyes, making sure that the ghoul was blind and didn't heal them before he attacked once more.
"Heave," he heard an emotionless voice before the ghoul was crushed by a couch. "Nice going Issei-senpai," Koneko dropped from the ceiling. "You knew I was coming and pushed the ghoul there."
"Y-Yeah. That's right," it was all coincidence.
Koneko prodded the body with the edge of her foot, as if daring it to get back up. "It's dead."
Issei accepted that.
"I used senjutsu to check if it is dead," she explained. "They have a limit to their regeneration."
"I didn't doubt you."
"Mu. Sona-senpai is advising a tactical retreat. With your time powers being ineffective against it, it is best that you recover for now and wait for a time to attack the Mad Ghoul," Koneko said. She handed him his sword and sheath. "Rias-senpai is distracting the Mad Ghoul as Sona is thinking up a plan. Rias-senpai and Sona's Peerage are planning on switching on holding it in place."
"I understand," Issei got up and took the sword. While it hurt him a bit that he wasn't strong enough to compete with them, it was better he retreated here. "How about the magic barrier that they were preparing? Could that be used?"
Koneko shook her head. "Not enough magic power."
"Alright. I'll rest for a bit then. Where are Saeko and Aika?"
"Saeko is with Rias," Koneko said. "Her battle hunger is crazy…" she shuddered. "Aika is hiding."
Issei noticed the wound on her leg. "I think you need to get patched up."
"I am fine," Koneko defied.
"I don't think so. As your senpai, I say that you must get that fixed."
"But-"
"Nyaa~" Koneko's defiance was silenced when a black cat rubbed itself around her leg and meowed.
"...Fine."
"Nya~" the black cat seemed to agree.
"Okay, here we go," Issei said and swept Koneko off her feet.
"I-Issei-senpai?" Koneko yelped as she was princess carried by Issei away from the old school building.
"You can't walk like that. And it's fine, you're pretty light," Issei said. "Where's Aika?"
"Over there," Koneko guided him through the building. She kept an arm close to her while pointing out where Issei should go. She was careful not to touch any of Issei's wounds in the process.
Issei followed her directions until he found his Pawn huddled in a corner with her legs close to her chest. The darkness of the night blanketed over her but some of the moon's light touched her arm.
"Aika," Issei called out in a soft voice. "Let's go home."
The girl perked up, her eyes red from crying. "Y-Yes," she got up and followed Issei and Koneko out of the old school building. "Y-You're bleeding," she said weakly.
Issei winced as he took notice of the wounds on his stomach and shoulder. "I'll get it patched up."
Issei awoke. It has already been five hours since he fell asleep. He needed to go back to check on the situation in the academy.
His wounds have been cleaned and bandaged by his loyal maids. It was a bit painful to disinfect it but their soft fingers helped him get through it. Issei wanted to have sex, but his conscience stopped him from having his fun while Rias, Sona, their peerages and Saeko were still out there fighting and he had fun? No.
"Issei-sama," Hitsui and her two companions stood to the side of the bed. "Toujou-sama has been patched up and both her and Aika-sama are asleep."
"Good," Issei sat up and picked up his blazer. It had some blood on it, but it was serviceable for now. He turned to his three maids. "Are you sure you want to come?"
"Your safety is our top priority."
"We suggest retreating to the Seir house for now, Issei-sama."
Kurenai and Haku said those words.
Issei shook his head. "My friends need me." Issei took his sheathed sword and wrapped the belt around his waist and prepared to leave. Just as he was about to leave the door to his house, a friend came up to him.
"Good morning Issei!" a familiar face greeted.
"Good morning, Irina," Issei smiled wryly.
"I came over to play!"
"Er-"
"Uh. Is now not a good time?" Irina lost her smile for just a bit but was still able to maintain it. "Ah, don't mind me! I'll just come next week. For now, have some snacks. It would be a waste if they weren't eaten, right?" she didn't give Issei a chance to speak and dumped a basket of sandwiches in his hand. "Make sure you are free next week, alright! See you then~!" she left and didn't give him a chance to say goodbye.
Issei looked at his outfit and saw the blood on his blazer. "What did she think about that I wonder?" he thought to himself. He took one of the sandwiches and ate it. It filled him with a sense of home. Like something that calmed him down. Maybe it was because it was Irina that made it for him?
"Want some?" he offered some to his maids.
They looked at each other, communicating through their eyes. "We decline. Thank you Issei-sama."
"It's your loss."
Issei nearly finished the basket of six sandwiches on his way to Kuoh Academy. He didn't know he was very hungry. Thankfully he managed to save one. Souna might want it?
"Yo, I'm back," Issei said when he arrived at the now destroyed old school building. He climbed the stairs and entered the Occult Research Club, which was now destroyed. It lacked all four walls and pieces of roof littered the floor. He made sure not to shoot into the hole that he made earlier that night. Sona still sat where she was last night and didn't look like she had moved a muscle. "So-chan, Yura-senpai told me to find you here."
"Issei," Sona acknowledged his presence with a mere word but didn't move her eyes. "The Mad Ghoul is not very destructive," she said. "A normal human with a bazooka could cause more damage than it. What makes it dangerous is that it has a very high regeneration, a never ending stamina, and its superhuman strength. And, as we have deduced last night, high magical immunity. Your Seir powers, Rias' Gremory powers of destruction, and the Sitri's power over water have been ineffective. Any skilled hunting team could kill it just by holding it in place and killing it repetitively, switching people over time."
"But?" Issei asked. The whole thing also looked strange to him. S-class individuals were very dangerous, weren't they?
"I told Rias to keep herself on her toes. The Mad Ghoul is hiding a card under its sleeves," Sona said. "The fact that the Mad Ghoul is still alive despite the experts having killed it multiple times means it has a means to survive. But what is it?"
"How strong is Rias-senpai?" Issei whispered to Kurenai.
"She is around A-class," Kurenai whispered back.
"Got it, thanks."
"Come with me, Issei," Sona spoke. "Yuuto came earlier with news saying that the Mad Ghoul has been detained."
"Alright, So-chan."
"Stop calling me So-chan. It sounds so childish."
"You will always be So-chan for me."
"Cringe."
"By the way, Irina gave me some sandwiches. You want some?"
Sona looked at the offered basket then gave Issei a disgusted stare. "Why would I ever touch something that you defiled?"
"That hurts you know? And it was Irina who made this…" Issei moaned in mock pain.
"I had those sandwiches when I visited her once," Sona said. "And are you supposed to be eating before you see something gruesome?"
"I haven't had breakfast yet. Have you?"
"I'll have it when all this is over."
Issei and his maids followed Sona down to the battleground. Holes were all over the ground. The well kept gardens of Kuoh Academy were desecrated. Trees were strewn all over the place and much of the school building had been torn down. Shattered stone bricks, glass shards, torn books, and broken shelves were all over the grounds like a hurricane had gone through the school.
"Most of these are Rias' work. The power of destruction is… destructive," Sona sighed at her slip while Issei grinned in amusement. "I have ordered the principal to shut down the school for the day on the pretense that there is a dangerous individual roaming the place; you never know who might come to school on a weekend. A warding barrier has also been erected so that normal people wouldn't dare intrude."
"Wow, you've got enough power to order the principal."
Sona's eyeglasses glinted as she smirked. "Surprised?"
"Yes. This is the same girl that would cry whenever I put a cicada on her head."
Sona elbowed him in the ribs while he laughed. His laughter died when they passed a burning pile of corpses, which Issei assumed to be the previous servants. Issei clenched his fist. His maids won't suffer the same fate as them. He will make sure of it.
They arrived at the site where the rest of the Devils of Kuoh were conducting an execution. Blood flooded the pool and body parts floated in the lake of blood. The stench was overwhelming and Issei had to hold in the reflex to barf the sandwiches that he just ate. A bloody body was pierced by a thousand swords from the ground up to prevent it from moving and two swordswomen, Tomoe and Saeko, stood guard around it. The body had no limbs and no head, bloody stumps took their places. The stumps looked to be regenerating slowly, unlike last night where it healed critical points almost immediately.
The whole scene was revolting.
"Sona, Issei," Rias greeted as they approached. Rias was seated on the ground, tired of the night of fighting, her clothes all torn in places that Issei would have admired if it wasn't for the current situation. Akeno wasn't with her, nor was Yuuto. She threw a prisoner cuff at Sona, who caught it. "That thing has anti-magic inscriptions on it. That is why it was immune to the magic that we used."
"Why didn't Yuuto tell me this earlier?" Sona asked.
"Probably slipped his mind. In the end, we took it down, right? We're all tired," Rias waved off. "How are their wounds?"
"They have all been treated," Sona said with a small sigh. "We're lucky that none of us have died in this battle."
Issei nodded with them. He felt he didn't contribute much to this fight, but he was happy that there were no deaths. Looks like he didn't need to come back after all.
"Where's Koneko?" Rias asked Issei, concerned for the safety of her Rook.
"She's resting at my place with Aika. My maids cleaned her wounds, don't worry," Issei showed Rias the basket with sandwiches. "Would you like one?"
"I see, thank you. A sandwich? Maybe next time, I am more tired than hungry right now," Rias smiled. "Now, shall we send this fleshbag to the Gremory House then and collect us a bounty?" she lost her smile and indicated the body of the Mad Ghoul.
Sona smiled, although there was no joy in her eyes. "No, he shall be sent to the Sitri House."
Both heirs had a staredown while Issei smiled wryly to the side. This was how friends talked. The situation with the Mad Ghoul didn't go as bad as he thought. It could have been worse!
"Well, well, well, what do I have here?" a mocking voice interrupted their small talk. A priest. A priest. A priest in bloodstained robes and a two-handed sword laughed from the rooftop of the school building.
That familiar voice. It sent chills down Issei's spine. Spoke too soon.
Rias immediately turned into her Demonic form.
"Oh, by the way~ your Devil servants were pretty cute. So I just had to fuck them up and cut them up~"
A couple heads dropped, decapitated from their bodies. A grenade fell with them and blew up the Mad Ghoul. Their prisoner started regenerating itself, and soon enough, it was whole again.
"Freed Sellzen…" Issei gritted his teeth.
The Mad Ghoul roared, glad to be free from the swords that bound him; ignoring that it had just been blown up into bits a few seconds prior. "Freedom! Freedom from those accursed chains (swords)!"
The stray exorcist had one last word before all hell on Earth broke loose. "Oops?" He grinned mockingly.
Edited by: Dzius and Aerex
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