Love and War

by A Decent Hoonter

Cursed with a power he feared, Alfred lived his life in anxious loneliness until one day, a letter arrives. Come to Kuoh, it said, and all your dreams will come true. It was an odd thing, but he had long since learned to accept the strange. Or at least, so he thought. But in a town controlled by devils, he will have to face stranger things than he could ever dream of. (WC inspired)

8. Friendship and Hatred

"Does everyone know what they need to do?"

Alfred stood in the large training hall, viscerally aware that he was the odd one out of everyone there. Everyone else was either a devil, working with the devils, or not going out into the field. He was the only one with a solo assignment; to take care of Akeno while they got rid of the fallen spotted by an abandoned church by Kiyome's fairies.

Though, as the short white-haired devil glared bloody murder at him, he figured it was probably for the best.

"Good. Beginning the teleportation process."

Isami was the first to go, disappearing in a flash of light followed by Koneko and then Kiba. Kiyome then paused the teleportation, meeting eyes with Rias who nodded and then turned to face him. "We've yet to talk one on one, Mister Evander. A shame, I would wager."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kiyome gripping her arms tightly as she forced herself to allow Rias her time to speak. It didn't bode well in his mind, but he did his best to try and keep civil with the devil. "I guess. Though is now really the best time?"

The devil laughed as she placed a hand on her hip, far too casual about the situation for his liking. "Perhaps not, but then, I only have one thing to say anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Her eyes narrowed as she dropped her playful attitude, aura growing tense as she managed to tower over him with presence alone. "I'm leaving Akeno in your hands solely because you're the most suited to the task, understood? Should you fail or otherwise unnecessarily harm my precious queen, I won't leave enough of you left to fill a teaspoon."

"U-Understood, Ma'am."

"Wonderful! Good luck, Mister Evander."

Her cheery attitude was back, though now he could see through the mask. She was a terrifying woman, easily stronger than him if her aura was anything to go by. He was almost thankful when she disappeared in a flash of light, giving Kiyome a look as he let out a breath. "I can see why you're not the biggest fan of her. She's… intimidating."

"Among other things. Stay safe, Alfred. Okay?"

The look she gave him was enough to sober him up from his nervousness, unwilling to make her feel just as anxious as he was. "I will, don't worry. Wouldn't want to rob you of your favorite test subject."

She smiled at him, a hand tracing down the side of her arm as her cheeks ran a little pink. "Exactly. G-Glad you can see it my way."

The ritual circle beneath him began to glow, spinning around as his view of the training hall was replaced by the dark grim of an industrial district.

"Time to face the music, Alfred."

Sending a tendril to the top of a nearby building, he pulled himself up to a rooftop and grimaced at the sight before him. The part of Kuoh Akeno had last been seen in was not one he frequented often, it being a rundown part of the city filled with industrial buildings and low-income housing. To call it a slum would be a bit harsh, though not fully inaccurate, as the locals had their own derogatory name for it.

The Shattered Shanties.

Bad luck seemed to follow any attempt to make this place into something other than a nearly abandoned district, leaving the place in a constant disarray of half-completed projects. Even being here made his senses shudder a bit, the feeling of an old curse tainting the land being unavoidable as he swung through the district.

He made his way to an abandoned factory, a large complex full of scaffolding and bits of old machinery. It was the perfect place for a showdown, full of places for him to use as cover to avoid her lightning and hide if need be. The many small buildings which surrounded the main factory formed a sort of network of alleys and walkways which would have been used for workers to travel had the thing ever seen the light of day. Instead, it acted as the perfect place to fight Akeno without worrying too much about property damage or her trying to escape. It was closed off, tricky to navigate, and full of odd spaces to hang out in.

So long as Kiyome's fairies managed to hypnotize all the squatters staying in the building, they were free to fight without worry of casualties of any kind.

Alfred climbed to the highest point of the factory, standing on a never used smokestack as he pushed his core to the limit and let the energy travel through the air around him. His mask formed around his face, senses sharp as he closed his eyes and felt around for Malice in his mind.

-energy was right there. Leaving behind her current hunt, Akeno-

His eyes snapped open as he turned to face the direction she was coming in, body tense as he was barely able to make out a figure flying directly towards him in the darkness. He slowed his core down, absorbing the negative ki back into his body as he prepared for what would likely be the hardest battle of his life so far.

"You came quickly."

Akeno floated before him, wings spread wide as blood covered her face and black feathers were stuck to her clothes. She must have killed one of the fallen then.

"Must be the first time you get to say that."

"Well, that was just childish."

She circled around him, hands twitching like an addict in need of a fix as she eyed him as if he were her drug. "Maybe. But then, I don't really care. New look?"

Small talk. Not what he was expecting but he'd roll with it. "Yeah. Had an interesting day. You look just as insane as you did earlier."

"I try."

A bolt of lightning shot his way suddenly, something which would have taken him by surprise had he not been expecting it. A sword formed in his hand from Threat's mass, the lightning redirecting itself to hit the blade as it absorbed the power and transferred it to him. He'd have to thank Kiba later for letting Threat eat a copy of his Lightning Eraser sword.

"Fufufu, picked up a new trick from Kiba, I see."

Sheathing the sword on his back, he cracked his knuckles both to get himself mentally ready for this and to give off the vibe that he was fully prepared for this. He wasn't, but better to make her think he was. "That, and this."

Searing Whisper burst into existence, resting in his hands as Malice threw a tantrum strong enough that he could feel it through their faint connection. The anger of the Goetia transferred over to Akeno, he eyed the spear with a twitching brow. "Seems you replaced our dear Malice rather quickly."

He shook his head, angling the spear down with both hands as he spread his stance. "No. I'm going to do what I should have done earlier and develop Malice into a proper Goetia. Even if that means I have to beat her off of you to do it."

Fire licked at the blade of his spear, casting Akeno's face in an orange light as she spread her hands. Yellow electricity sparked between her fingers, a vicious sneer on her face as she all but laughed at his claim. "You? Beat us? We'd like to see you try."

The time for words was over, and they both leapt towards one another in a clash of fire and lightning.

… … …

Isami knew she was out of her league. How could she not be? Unlike her teammates, she was a human through and through. And unlike Alfred, she wasn't a freak of nature who could fight toe-to-toe with devils in spite of his humanity. She was just a normal girl with a dragon in her arm, nothing going for her except being God's Brattiest Sub and that didn't seem too useful in a fight.

If I ever hear you tell anyone that title, I will bar you from my powers for a lifetime.

She stuck her tongue out to the gem on her arm, somewhat glad for Ddraig's snide comment as it distracted her from the impending danger. Somewhat.

"You seem nervous, Miss Hyoudou."

Kiba stopped beside her, a black blade in hand as they waited for Rias' signal. The blond had been the one to volunteer to keep an eye on her, something which she was eternally grateful for. "Why wouldn't I be? Last time I saw one of these bastards they almost killed me!"

He took her panicked outrage in stride, simply nodding as he looked up towards the moon. "That may be so, but it doesn't appear that was enough to stop you from coming."

Isami crossed her arms, grumbling to herself as she bit back at his response. "What, and leave my friend with those assholes?"

"My point exactly."

Her bitterness faded a bit at his words, her fear at the situation taking a backseat as she realized he was right.

The boy is wise for his age.

"Still, what am I even supposed to do here? I'm no fighter."

Turning the blade over in his hands, magic flashed along the sword's edge before he pushed the handle in her direction. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure your partner will be with you every step of the way."

Hesitating for a brief moment, she grabbed the sword and felt its weight settle in her hands. It wasn't as heavy as she thought it'd be, not straining her every muscle to keep the thing from falling to the ground. If anything, it felt right to hold. Like it had been modified to fit her hand and no one else's.

"The sword should help guide you, somewhat, though I'm not quite familiar with that specific trait so it may not be the best. Still, it should work fine for you."

Kiba smiled at her, and in that moment, she finally understood why so many of the girls at school were down so bad for him. Had she not had a preference for redheads, boobs, and futas, she likely would be as well. "Thanks."

"No need, just stay safe out there."

His calm demeanor then changed in an instant, his eyes narrowing as he reached towards his pocket and pulled his phone out. He listened to whatever Rias had to say on the other end, his head bobbing as he hung up. "It's time. Follow me."

Kiba took off immediately, barely giving her a moment to process what he said before she was all but forced to run after him. They ran out of cover behind an abandoned building, following a trail leading to the forest as a tingling sensation ran down her spine.

We draw nearer to our enemies. [BOOST!]

She ran a bit faster, glad that she had begun training her stamina ever since the first fallen attack. While she knew she was only keeping pace with Kiba because he was slowing down intentionally for her, it made her feel a little less like dead weight and that was enough for her.

A white glowing bullet then rushed from the trees, barely missing her as she let out a terrified squeak. The two of them stopped as over a dozen exorcists stepped forward from the trees. Her sword was raised in an instant, hands shaking as some crazy looking gray haired dude cackled at them. "Hello there little devils, my name is Freed Sellzen and do I have some good news for you! We have been dispatched to remove you from your sickly mortal coils and cleanse the Earth of your filth! Exciting, isn't it?"

"I-I'm not actually a dev-"

Freed shot the ground in front of her, making her jump as her knees shook beneath her. "Shhh, if you tell me that then I might get in trouble with the Big G for killing you and raping your corpse."

"O-Oh fuck."

"That was the plan."

Kiba stepped forward, unperturbed by the insane exorcist as he stood his ground against their greater numbers unflinchingly. "Your foul souls will go no farther, stray. Condemn us all you like, but do not pretend to be any better. Your stench gives you away."

The mad exorcist cackled at Kiba's threat, wiping a tear from his eyes as he pointed his gun at them. "Ah, funny. Rattle 'em boys!"

Isami closed her eyes as she held her sword in front of her, waiting for a dozen bullets to fill her body. Several bangs went off, but seconds went by with no pain flashed from any bullet wounds. She opened her eyes, breath hitching as shadowy tendrils wrapped around her, having absorbed the glowing bullets into itself.

"The Holy Eraser, a blade made for handling scum like you."

Walking out of the protection of the Holy Eraser, Kiba flexed his hands before glancing back at her. "I'm trusting you to watch my back, so show me the fire of your soul!"

"Y-You got it, man."

Holy fuck he was cool.

I wish he was my host instead of you.

"Shut up, Ddraig!"

The exorcists all charged at Kiba, guns firing and blades of light swinging. The power of the Holy Eraser took care of the bullets, leaving him to defend against the blades. He did so with ease, two pale swords with yellow electricity crackling along the blades forming in his hands as he parried a strike from one exorcist and deflected another, sending the light sword which had been aimed at his heart into the shoulder of one of the other exorcists.

Watch out! [BOOST!]

The sudden jump in power gave her enough speed to step away from a light sword aimed at her head, the blade in her hands dragging her forward as it nearly impaled itself into the exorcist fighting her. The hooded man swore, swinging again only for Holy Eraser to lift itself up and block the attack. Shadows began to drain the sword, making the exorcist panic as he tried to retreat.

Isami wouldn't let him.

"EAT SHIT!"

She clumsily threw her entire body forward, her enhanced speed and strength allowing her to overpower the exorcist and stab him in the chest. She blinked, watching as the bastard fell off her blade and stared at the blood which dripped down to her hands.

…I am aware that taking a human life can be traum-

"FUCK YEAH! EAT MY ENTIRE ASS YOU CREEPY ASS PEDO!"

…Or not.

"If anyone's a pedo here, it's me!"

Her celebration was short-lived as Freed rushed towards her with a toothy grin, moving faster and with more skill than the previous exorcist had. She followed the sword's instincts, barely able to keep up even as Ddraig boosted her once more. "How are you so strong!?"

"Cocaine and steroids, sweetheart!"

Their swords clashed once more, and Freed used that to trap the Holy Eraser with his light sword and point his gun towards her chest. "Sad day having to shoot tits. Hope that 18-year-old pussy is worth it."

"I-I'm sixteen and a half actually."

"Even better."

Before the bastard could shoot her, he suddenly leapt back as a sword rushed past where his head once was. Freed scowled as Kiba rushed forward, the two of them locking blades as the blond pushed the exorcist back. "Lay a hand on her and you'll lose more than just a limb."

Isami stumbled backwards as she fell onto her bum, heart racing as she glanced to where Kiba had been moments prior. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a massacre, several blades of different kinds and shapes sticking out from at least fifteen dead exorcists. He had managed to do all that, while she barely took care of one and was almost shot by another.

That guy was just on a whole 'nother level.

"You're certainly a feisty sinner, aren't you?"

Freed and Kiba circled around one another, forcing Isami to follow behind Kiba lest she end up close to the exorcist. Freed's grin twisted into a scowl as he weighed his odds, grumbling to himself as he grabbed something from his pocket. "Pussy ain't worth dying for, sorry girlie. I'm sure we'll see each other again one day!"

The bastard threw something at the floor, smoke exploding from the ground as Kiba rushed in. She couldn't see what was going on inside but didn't need to as Kiba walked back out with an unsatisfied expression on his face. "The exorcist escaped, somehow. Are you alright?"

He offered a hand to her, which Isami gladly accepted as she felt the tension leave her body somewhat. "Totally totally. Perfectly peachy after hearing some creep yell at me and say he was going to fuck my dead body. It's a real… it's a real Tuesday fucking moment."

Everything about that asshole made her feel gross, as if the air around him was tainted by his mere presence. It made her angry more than anything, not just at him but also at herself. She was pathetically weak, barely able to defend herself without Kiba having to step in and save her. Never had she ever given much thought to rape, delighting in the genre in her hentai even. But to be so close to the idea of it herself… it recontextualized a lot of her porn in ways she didn't much appreciate.

"Do you need a moment to get your thoughts together?"

Isami shook her head, taking a deep breath in before letting it out to calm her nerves. "No, we don't have the time for it. We need to go and meet up with the others."

Seeing that her conviction had yet to falter, Kiba took her at her word and led the way deeper into the forest.

"…Ddraig?"

Yes, partner?

Her voice never went any higher than a whisper, not wanting to show her weakness so plainly to Kiba. "After this is said and done, I need to get stronger."

Then you shall.

Never before had she heard any sense of pride regarding her come from Ddraig, but those three words held more pride in her than she had ever heard when he talked about himself. Maybe he did care after all.

No matter our disagreements, you are my host. I will support you the best I can, my honor demands it.

She'd take it.

"We're here, stay low."

The two of them began to crawl through the grass, staying low as the sounds of fighting crashed around them. Flashes of light flared above them, breaking through the bushes they used to keep themselves hidden and crawl towards the back of the abandoned church.

"Through here."

Kiba led her through a broken window, moving aside shards of glass as they quickly took in their surroundings. The church itself was empty, not a single soul within it as the cross which should have stood tall lay on the ground, shattered.

"He has left his place, it seems."

Gesturing her to follow, the two of them traveled around the main altar and walked down into the church's basement. The smell within was musty, old as hell and ominous as they made their way down the stone steps and into the basement proper.

"Asia!"

She could see her blonde friend, arms bound on a wooden cross as the girl's head hung down. Her heart swelled, and she couldn't help but rush forward to greet her.

"Miss Hyoudou, wait!"

Ignoring Kiba's yell, she ran to Asia and tried to wake her. "Asia, it's okay! We're here to save you!"

She shook the unconscious nun, ignoring the creeping feeling coming over her as she undid the bindings keeping the girl on the cross. She grabbed her, carefully laying her on the ground before noticing a ritual painted on the floor around the cross. "Asia?"

The girl didn't wake up, head rolling to face her as the blonde's green eyes stared vaguely in her direction, dull and lifeless. They were too late.

"My oh my, what do we have here?"

A fallen entered the lower floor of the church, standing in the doorway leading out as two silver rings gleamed on her fingers. Her wings blocked the exit as she stalked forward, Kiba falling back as he summoned a sword to his hands. "Isami, we need to leave."

"Asia…"

The fallen cackled as at her heartbreak, a purple spear of light appearing in her hands. "Dead, and quite a while ago too. Though don't worry, she gave me quite the gift. Do you want to see it?"

"N-No…"

Isami watched with a blank expression as the rings on the fallen's fingers glowed a bright green, the same green Asia's rings had glowed whenever she healed anyone. Those were Asia's rings. Why did the fallen have them? Why!?

"Poor thing's already broken. How pitiful. Oh well, perhaps you could provide some entertainment for me, devil."

Kiba summoned a second blade to his hand, an exact copy of the one he had given her. "Death is the only thing I can provide something like you."

"HA! You've certainly got some bark. Let's see if your bite can match."

Several more light spears formed behind the fallen, whose smile was full of teeth as Kiba's body tensed. "Remember the name Raynare, so that you may know who it was who sent your tainted soul to the abyss in your dying moments."

"My dying moments will have nothing to do with you."

The two of them clashed as Isami held the cold body of her friend, hands clenched around the girl's arm as she pulled it in for a hug.

[BOOST!]

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I thought I could do it, I thought I could save you."

Tears fell down her cheeks as the desire to remain strong fell to the wayside, guilt overpowering every other emotion as she rocked with Asia's body back and forth.

[BOOST!]

Light flashed in front of her, the shadows of Holy Eraser doing their best to absorb each spear being thrown Kiba's way but unable to keep up. The spears nicked at his skin, burning the flesh as their holy power weakened him with each scratch. That wasn't to say that Raynare wasn't also getting injured, but each blow he managed to land would heal in seconds thanks to the power of Asia's rings.

"You can't kill me, devil! The power of Twilight Healing has made me immortal!"

[BOOST!]

She should have come faster. Should have acted sooner. She stalled too long, too eager to let others do the work for her instead of pulling herself up by her bootstraps and doing it herself. She was a damn coward, and now Asia was dead because of it.

[BOOST!]

Your body can't handle much more. Act carefully.

Gently laying Asia on the ground, she picked herself up and let every ounce of her rage guide her actions. "You fucking got it, Ddraig."

Power began to build up inside her palm, the energy of her boosts being redirected from her body into one central point. Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she ground her teeth together, murder on her mind as she watched Raynare push Kiba back.

[BOOST!]

"Oh? What's this I feel?"

The fallen slammed her spear against Kiba's swords, sending him flying back into the wall as she turned her attention away from him and onto Isami. She scoffed at what she saw, resting her spear on her shoulder as she mocked Isami further. "What are you going to do there, little girl? Punch me as hard as you can? You'd die before you could even try."

[BOOST!]

Pure power rushed through her body, her muscles feeling like they were being ripped from the inside out as she spat at Raynare. "Not gonna punch you."

"What?"

[BOOST!]

Something clicked in Raynare's mind, her grin fading as she flapped her wings and dove to stop Isami's Hail Mary. Before she could, however, she was forced to stop dead in her tracks and parry a volley of swords being thrown her way as Kiba leaned against the wall, bleeding from the head as he distracted her.

It was all or nothing.

She raised her left arm, all of the energy gathered from Ddraig's boosts condensed into an orb the size of a golf ball. Giving it one last boost, Isami let go of what little control she had over it right in Raynare's shocked face.

"YOU WORTHLESS-"

A blast of magical energy interrupted her, forcing the fallen to raise her spear to try and block the attack. Glaring at her over the glowing energy, Raynare slowly began to get pushed back midair. But it wasn't enough. She needed more. One more boost, just one more.

You'll be drained of energy for the rest of the battle. Are you sure-

"JUST DO IT!"

[BOOST!]

The beam doubled in size, engulfing Raynare as it slammed her against the ceiling. The fallen screamed, matching Isami's own as her power overwhelmed her human body and tore at her from the inside out. She roared, blood dripping from her lips as the ceiling began to crack. "ANOTHER ONE!"

[BOOST!]

The ceiling shattered entirely as the fallen was blasted through the basement and out of the church, her beam practically disintegrating the stone it touched as it finally began to sputter out, the last of her power fading as she fell to her knees.

[BURST!]

Kiba was at her side in an instant, throwing her arm over his shoulder as the Boosted Gear vanished from her arm. "That was reckless, Hyoudou, but perhaps the most awe-inspiring thing I've seen in a long time."

"I think I'm gonna die."

He laughed at her misery as he grabbed Asia with his other arm, throwing her body over his shoulder as a pair of devil wings revealed themselves from his back. "You're going to be fine."

Carrying the both of them out of the basement, Kiba took them outside the church proper where Rias and Koneko stood waiting for them. Two fallen were by their feet, tied up in some sort of magical rope as they growled into their gags.

"Kiba, Hyoudou. I see you've taken care of the ringleader already, good work."

Kiba let Isami go, allowing her to stumble forward as she fell to a knee. Her insides felt like mashed potatoes, but it was better than being dead. Probably. "Yeah, but… we didn't make it in time."

He laid Asia's body on the soft grass, stepping away as Rias observed the poor girl. "I see. I can only imagine the pain you must be going through right now, but things may not be so hopeless as you may think."

"Wh-What?"

Opening the palm of her hand, Rias summoned a chess piece from out of nowhere. "As a devil with my own peerage, I can reincarnate her into a devil and save her from death. A shame she doesn't seem to have those rings you told us about but-"

It was then that a body crashed beside them from the sky, Raynare crawling from the crater as she screamed at them. "I AM UNKILLABLE YOU HUMAN WRETCH, WHAT PART OF THAT DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!?"

Despite her claims, she looked half-dead. The feathers to her wings were partially burnt off, revealing the scorched skin underneath. All across her heavily exposed body were burns and torn bits of skin, all slowly regenerating thanks to the rings on her fingers, but not fast enough to hide the bones peeking out from the worst of her wounds.

"Ah, there they are. Kiba, if you would."

"Of course."

A flash of silver crossed in front of Raynare before her forearms fell to the ground in a spurt of blood.

"AAAAARGH!"

The fallen screamed as she stared at her oozing stumps, before a punch from Koneko knocked her unconscious. "Annoying bird."

Kiba handed Rias the forearms, who thanked the knight with a smile and pulled the rings off of their fingers. Placing them over Asia's body, she put the bishop piece on her heart and snapped her fingers. The bishop began to sink into the girl's chest, followed by the rings as a flash of crimson light blinded Isami. The light soon died down, revealing an unconscious, but breathing Asia.

"Sh-She's alive."

Rias hummed in a rather satisfied manner, a magic circle appearing around her hand as more magic ropes tied up Raynare. "Indeed. Plus, we also have ourselves some prisoners to interrogate as well. What a nice haul."

Staring at where the chess piece had been placed on Asia's chest, Isami couldn't help but indulge in her curiosity. "So, would she be stronger as a devil?"

The redheaded devil before her feigned ignorance as to what she truly meant with her question, tapping her chin as she spoke. "Well, I suppose she would. After all, devils are naturally much more powerful than humans. Not only that, but her life would be extended by quite a while too. Alas, it's a sad thing that the girl was a nun, otherwise I'm sure she would have loved indulging in all the carnal desires she could ever have."

…She's obviously playing you.

Yes, yes she was. And it was working. "So, could anyone become a devil? Like, without dying?"

Isami would later say that she saw her life flash before her eyes as Rias grinned, a chess piece manifesting in her hand. Of course, that was a lie. In truth, she mostly just saw a taller, more dominant woman approach her with a very alluring look in her eyes. "Of course. Though, if I reincarnate you, I'm afraid you'd belong to me. Would you be okay with that?"

Had it been anyone else, she would have probably said no. But, again, it was a taller dominant woman asking her with two very large and compelling reasons. So naturally, Isami said yes in a heartbeat.

… … …

Alfred crashed into a brick wall, bending his knees as a clawed hand carved through the bricks right where his head would have been. A tendril shot out of his shoulder, latching onto a nearby building as it reeled him in and away from the monstrous strength of his opponent.

"Are you going to do anything but run?"

Akeno followed him, her claws clashing against his spear as he kicked her stomach to push her back. A flicker of frustration appeared on her face before she smirked and snapped her fingers. Twelve orbs of electricity formed around her, double the amount she had been able to make at once previously.

"Oh shit."

"Indeed."

Stabbing the spear into the ground, Alfred pulled the sword on his back out and caught all twelve blasts of lightning at once. The construct glowed a bright yellow before exploding, having taken in too much power at once. His heels dug into the roof, the power of the explosion sending him back but not knocking him off his feet.

"You've gotten stronger rather quickly."

He said nothing as his core strained itself to its limit, his body's natural ability to hold way more energy than it should working overtime as the power in his flesh condensed itself as tightly as possible. Holding his hand out, he watched as Searing Whisper flew out of the ground and landed in his grip. Giving the spear a twirl, he tapped into its core and made it spin as fast as possible.

"Oh? No quips this time? Fine then, be that way."

They both lunged forward, lightning striking his spear as he batted the attack away. Fire swirled around him as he thrust the spear at her exposed midsection, stopping just short of piercing her as a gout of flame surged forward and crashed against her.

She tumbled off the edge of the roof, wings flaring out as she caught herself midair and flew around the building. More orbs of lighting began to form, trailing after her as she stopped above him and threw her hand forward. The orbs began to rush at him, forcing him to slam his spear against the ground and push his body into the air to avoid them.

That didn't seem to stop her, as she thrust her arm into the air, making the orbs follow. Alfred swore, using another burst of fire to launch him towards the roof of the factory itself.

"Running again, are we?"

Grinding the tip of his spear against the concrete of the roof, he swung the weapon upwards and sent a volley of fireballs in her direction. She rolled in the air, avoiding the fireballs but not noticing his foot until it collided with her face. He bounced off of her, flipping in the air before sending two tendrils at her and pulling himself back in. Both of his feet slammed against her upper chest, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending them both to the roof.

She landed back first, grinding against the concrete as he used her almost like a human skateboard. Growling, her body began to spark as she blasted him in the face with another bolt of lightning, successfully getting him off her though not doing much damage as he simply somersaulted and landed on his feet.

"How's that for running?"

Akeno rolled her eyes as she kicked off the ground, landing on her feet as electricity crackled around where she dragged her foot. "A good hit means nothing if it barely hurts."

"Then I'll just have to make the next one hurt like hell."

"Good luck with that."

A tendril formed in her hand as she swung it like a whip, yellow lightning racing across the length of it as he tried to use his spear to block the attack. The whip simply wrapped around Searing Whisper, yanking it out of his grip as a second whip wrapped around his neck. She yanked on the whip, spinning him around as lightning ran through his body.

Grabbing the tendril around his neck, Alfred dug his claws into it and nudged Threat to take the power of the light swords it had eaten and push them to the blades that made up his claws. Akeno screeched as the holy energy burned Malice, letting go of him as she glowered in his direction. "Relying on dirty tricks now, are we?"

"Never said I wouldn't."

A pair of guns formed from his hands, both of them glowing with holy magic as he fired them right at her. She had the wherewithal to realize what they were, her wings disappearing into her back as she made herself a smaller target and began to dodge the hail of gunfire. She utilized the enhanced agility Malice gave her to its full effect, twisting her body around and practically ignoring gravity as she used her hands to push off the ground and flip through the air.

Knowing when a strategy wasn't working, he turned the organic-looking mass of the guns into two curved blades which radiated holy light. He caught her claws with one of the blades, making her hiss in pain as she spun around and kicked him in the stomach. Using the distance she created between them, he pushed more power into the constructs and tossed them in her direction. She dodged as he anticipated, his hands clenching as the two of them exploded into a white light.

"You tricky bastard!"

Parts of Akeno's face were burnt, the flesh knitting itself together as Malice's healing properties worked its wonders on her. Of course, said healing ability was not without its cost, likely burning through her magical reserves with every bit of flesh healed. Good.

Balling her hands into fists, she slammed them into the ground. A wall of electricity expanded outwards, forcing him to the air just as she brought her wings back out. She dove through the air, catching him before he could escape and digging her claws into him.

"I should have just done this from the start."

She began to drain his ki, refilling her reserves as a manic look entered her eyes. Malice crept further up her neck, getting to her jaw as he grabbed her face and transformed more of his ki into holy light around his hand.

"DAMN IT!"

The draining stopped, allowing him to turn them around midair as he straddled her waist. Holding both his arms out, he shot two tendrils from his hands and yanked the two of them back onto the roof. The concrete cracked as they landed, the stability of their battlefield coming into question as he leapt back up into the air. Two more tendrils attached themselves on either side of Akeno, and he pulled himself back down onto her just as she was getting back up.

They crashed through the roof, her back landing hard on a metal bar while he tumbled further down. He landed on an inactive conveyer belt, dizzy from the impact but quick to shake it off as he pushed himself up.

His eyes squinted as they darted around the dark factory, his lack of night vision being a hindrance as he was forced to rely on his other senses to try and find her. He stepped forward, moving slowly as chains clanked together behind him. He spun around, head shifting from one position to another as he tried to find where she was hiding.

"It's quite dark, isn't it?"

Her voice echoed unhelpfully, leaving him no closer to finding her as he jumped at the sound of metal pipes falling to the floor.

"Don't be nervous now, it's just you and me here."

The groaning of metal alerted him to something above him, but when he looked, she wasn't there.

"Just you and me."

Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, his foot digging into the conveyor belt as he stopped and examined all around him.

"Peek-a-boo."

A pair of hands covered his eyes, electricity blasting directly into them as he screamed. He dug his elbow into something soft before the hands let go of him, eyes still blind as they slowly healed. Laughter came from every direction, his footing unsteady as his lack of sight impeded him every step of the way.

"If it was dark then, it must be pitch black now."

He raised his arms above his head, focusing on his breathing as he leaned back on his less natural senses. The ki around him fluctuated, the lack of living things making a sudden concentration of it stalking behind him all the more glaring. He turned suddenly, a tendril lashing out as it knocked Akeno away from him and left her scurrying along the walls.

"Fufufu, you are just full of surprises."

Light began to enter his eyes normally again, but still not enough to make them useful. He focused on his ki sensing, tracking her as she prowled around him silent as the night. He waited until she got close, using her cockiness against her as he pretended to start looking around for her again. She got within mere feet of him, hands stretching out as she readied herself to blind him once more.

He wouldn't let her.

His fingers twitched as Searing Whisper burst through the wall, stabbing itself into her arm before she could register what had happened. She growled, grabbing the weapon and tearing it from her arm as he gathered his own electricity into his hands. Throwing his fist into her face, he launched her through the wall as red electrical energy blasted out of his knuckles and into her.

Picking the spear up from the ground, he blinked away the dancing lights in his vision as a predicament came to mind. She was being too conservative with her magic still, and while he was holding his own, she was still stronger than him in every way. She was eventually going to get used to his tricks, and his own power was waning with each blow. If he wanted to win this fight, he needed her to go all out and waste her energy.

He needed to escalate the situation.

Alfred leapt out of the hole Akeno made in the building, orbs of fire sparking into existence around him as he mimicked her own orb attack. She caught onto it quickly, creating her own as both sets of orbs crashed into one another. The explosion that followed created a sort of smokescreen, blinding both of them but allowing him to use his ki sensing to lock onto her.

He rushed through the flames and delivered a powerful knee to her jaw, his leg extending as he kicked off of her chest and landed on the factory's outer wall. She held her jaw, wincing as she rubbed the skin before unfurling her wings and taking to the sky once more.

"You're seriously starting to piss me off, Berserker!"

She shot more lightning at him in her frustration, each of which were absorbed as his bladed claws took on the property of Lightning Eraser and absorbed the magic into him. He ran along the width of the wall, dodging her blasts or absorbing them as he taunted her. "Well maybe if you weren't so weak, you wouldn't be getting your ass kicked by a human!"

"I am NOT weak!"

More lightning began to fall, forcing him to retaliate by shooting balls of fire at each one to tank the hit for him. "I dunno, I'm just not feeling your power right now! Maybe you've just lost your edge!"

Running up the wall, he flipped onto the roof and flourished his spear, readying for her next attack. Akeno seemed to notice this but was too high on her own malice to care as she began to pool her magic together. "Fine, you want power? I'LL SHOW YOU POWER!"

Her entire body burst into electricity as she raised her arms up. The fabric of her attire began to shift between cloth and energy, her anger temporarily pushing her power to a new stage it had never been to before. It was an intimidating sight, but not one he hadn't been expecting.

Holding Searing Whisper with both hands, Alfred slammed his spear into the ground. The flames around the blade began to swirl around him as the power he had been stacking within his body was finally used for something. The flames began to grow in size, slowly surrounding him in an inferno as he drained all the magic he had been storing for this one attack. Both cores were pushed past their limits, the one in his spear fairing better than the one fused with his soul as the latter began to shake due to its instability.

"RAAAAAAUUUUUUGHHHHH!"

He wasn't quite sure which one of them screamed, or if it had been both of them. What he did know was that both attacks were launched at once, Akeno's massive lightning bolt crashing against his wall of fire as both fought against each other. The swirling of the flames soon began to turn the bolt against her, the energy following the spinning as he retracted all of the energy into his spear. He then reared his arm back, tossing the spear in her direction as it transformed into a massive flaming serpent, yellow lightning shooting across the entire length of it as it collided with her in a deafening eruption.

The force from the blast began to crumble the decaying structure of the factory, the ground under his feet falling as the building collapsed. He tried to escape the falling rubble, but the strain of the last attack made it impossible to avoid entirely as he soon found himself buried under some rubble.

Taking a few moments to catch his breath, he stressed his core just a little more as he pushed the rubble out of the way. He crawled out of the collapsed building, coming face to face with an absolutely livid Akeno.

"You."

"Oh."

Her garb was torn to shreds, the threads slowly reconnecting as her burnt flesh did the same. Her wings were just as damaged, the leathery skin on the left one having several tears through it as the right one-

Oh shit."

Had his ability to sense magic been any better, perhaps he would have realized there had been an illusion cast upon her right wing the entire time. He, however, never noticed it as even when she was unconscious, she never had as little magic left as she did now. With the illusion now lacking the power to sustain itself, it revealed her right wing to be full of black feathers rather than harsh leathery skin.

"You're half-fallen."

Her face twisted into something wrathful, her limited patience having reached its end several times over. "I am not one of those things, YOU INSIGNIFICANT FUCK!"

She limped towards him, electricity trying to generate around her but unable to due to her complete lack of energy. He wasn't much better, body bruised from the collapse and limbs heavier than they've been in a long time.

In the end, the climax of their battle devolved into a down-on-the-ground brawl.

Her claws tore into his skin while his fist fractured the bones of her ribs, the two of them collapsing to the ground as they grappled. Akeno grabbed his head, screaming as she slammed it into the ground. "WHY WON'T YOU STAY DOWN!"

His feet pressed against her midsection, kicking her off him as he straddled her waist and slammed his fists into her face. One punch, then two, then three, each one cracking the concrete beneath her as he stopped just shy of ten, his fist shaking as he held himself back. "Because you idiot, I STILL HAVE TO SAVE YOU DAMN IT!"

Her frustration infected him in a way that was distinctly nonmagical, making it hard not to yell even as she grabbed his shoulders and rolled them over until they hit a wall. "I don't need saving! Not from you, and not from anyone!"

Back hitting the wall, he grunted as she spun around and bashed the heels of her feet into his chest. The bricks behind him shuddered as they both got off the ground, the two of them all but spitting at each other as he shot back. "If you could see yourself right now, you'd disagree."

An angry and immensely tired cry left her lips as she went to punch him, missing as he slid to the side. He grabbed her extended arm, pulling her around and pushing her back against the wall as he held both hands above her head by her wrists. She spat on his face, eye twitching as they both stopped for a breath. "Arrogant prick. You think you can just save me? That of all the people in the world, it has to be you? What gives you the right!?"

"Because I put you in this situation in the first place, okay!? Is that reason enough for you!?"

That didn't seem to suit her, as she threw one leg around his waist and twisted her hips, getting her other leg around him as she loosened his grip and threw both her hands down onto his head. "I still don't need you to save me! I can save myself perfectly fine!"

He stepped backwards, still reeling from the hit before his legs tensed. Grabbing her face with both hands, he threw them both into the wall and held her arms in place with his elbows. "Can you just stop being stubborn for five fucking minutes and let me help you!?"

"Never!"

Using her sharp teeth, she bit down onto his arm and forced him to let go. Her fist then landed square on his nose, stars shooting in his eyes as she used her hold on his waist to get herself around to his back and hands on the floor. Digging her fingers into the concrete, she lifted him with her legs and slammed his head into the ground.

"F-Fucking bitch, why do I even bother with you at this point!?"

They both crawled away from one another, bleeding from too many places to count as his mask unraveled to reveal his face. He spat out a mix of blood and saliva, dizzy but too pissed off to stand down. She did the same, both of them squaring up as they went at one another yet again.

"You bother because you're an idiot with a savior complex!"

He raised his forearms to catch her fist, kicking at her knee to destabilize her footing. Lifting his other leg, he kicked the side of her head and stumbled to get his footing back. "It's the only way I can atone!"

From beneath him she grabbed her leg, wrapping one arm under and the other over as she lifted him up and threw his back onto the ground. "Atone for what, helping too many grandmas cross the street!?"

His thighs tightened around her head as his knees locked together, hoisting his upper body up as he twisted his hips and forced her head to the ground. "You condescending- you don't know anything about me!"

"And you don't know anything about me!"

Lifting both herself and him off the ground, she grabbed his thighs and rammed them both into the brick wall. He swore, grabbing a handful of her hair and punching the top of her head. Her hold loosened as he pressed his hand against the wall, sticking to it as he unwound his thighs around it and lifted himself up until he was parallel with the floor. He then swung both legs down, hitting the back of her skull and mashing her face against the wall.

"Why is that my fault!?"

Extracting herself from the wall, she grabbed him by the ankles and threw him across the alley. "It isn't!"

He landed on the remains of the factory wall, panting as he glared at her. "Then why are you yelling at me about it!?"

She leaned against the wall across from him, brow furrowed and lips curled downwards. "Because I hate you!"

They both pushed off whatever they were leaning on, swaying on their feet as they both threw a clumsy punch, fists landing against cheeks with as much force as a weak wind. "Is that it!? Seriously!?"

Another hit, one to his chest and another to her shoulder. "You wouldn't understand."

The winds in both their sails were all but gone as they reduced themselves to limply hitting one another, Akeno managing the strength to throw herself at him and send them tumbling. They gasped for air, her on top of him and him beneath her. "Fucking try me."

Her elbows jabbed into him weakly as she lifted herself up, sweat dropping onto his face as she slapped his face. "I… you…"

He grabbed her waist, groaning with the effort of throwing her off him. He laid down on his side, hair sticking to his forehead as they both stared at one another with as much anger as they could muster. "What? Words too hard for you?"

Her arm shook as it tried to grab at him, but failed as she lost the strength to. Her face was flush, more than his was, jaw clenched as she spit out something resembling a sentence. "I hate you cause… I hate you cause… I… ugh."

Taking a moment to rest once more, they got to their knees and each attempted to hit the other. The dizziness did them no favors as they missed each other by a wide margin, their arms going over the other's shoulder as their faces were mushed together cheek to cheek. "All that shit talking, all that gloating, for that?"

She mumbled against his face, hand slapping the wounds on his back. "I hate you cause I want you to hate me."

"…The fuck?"

Their sagging forms eventually led to gravity dragging them both to the ground, arms retreating a bit as they simply grabbed each other's shoulder. Their noses touched as both of them wished they had the strength left to strangle the other, one from humiliation and the other from annoyance.

"You stupid idiot."

At this point, they didn't even have the will to be angry with each other. Instead, they just lay on the ground tangled with one another, breaths hitting each other's face. "You are the biggest pain in the ass I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with."

"And you are the dumbest sack of shit I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

They stared at one another, waiting to see if the other did anything before eventually pulling away. Alfred laid on his back, the moon shining down on him as Akeno did the same. Their shoulders pressed against one another, hands limp as the two limbs were forced into one another.

"…Hey, Akeno?"

His head turned to hers just as she did the same, her rage having simmered down to a grumpy pout. "…What?"

"Why do you hate humans and fallen so much?"

Her eyes studied his face, looking for something he couldn't hope to know. Eventually, she must have found it, as she closed them and sighed. "Because my clan, my mother's family, killed my mother in front of me while my fallen angel father never bothered to save me when they tried to kill me."

"…Oh."

"Mhm."

"…Hey, Red?"

He looked back at her, his breathing growing a touch lighter. "Yeah?"

"Why do you want to help people so badly? People that you've never met and owe nothing."

Staring at the moon, he saw its crescent shape and remembered the smile his mother gave him before slitting her throat. "Because I accidentally made my mother kill my father and herself in front of me, and if I don't use this power for good, I won't have anything to distract myself from the fact that their deaths were my fault."

"Ah."

"Mhm."

The moon traveled across the sky as they laid there, not saying anything as the fatigue in their bodies slowly faded away. At some point, they ended up sitting upright against one another, hands still mushed together as they digested each other's stories.

"…Hey, Red?"

"Hm?"

Her hand locked with his properly, hair covering her face as she spoke in a quiet voice. "Malice would like you to complete the ritual. To complete her."

"Ah, right."

He had honestly forgotten that was what he had initially planned to do, the past hour or so having been a roller-coaster of emotions and pain. He squeezed her hand, closing his eyes as he linked his mind with Malice's.

Creator. Fix me?

Giving Malice a metaphysical nod, he scraped together what little power he could and extended his being into the Goetia. She followed suit, the two melding together as a true connection was formed.

"Done."

"That fast? I'm disappointed."

He opened his eyes, watching as black and purple outfit Akeno had been wearing shifted back into the classic priestess garb that she typically wore. Her eyes softened as she took a breath in, smiling gently as she took her hand away from his. "What, no comeback this time?"

"…I didn't want to be too fast with it."

"Heh, fool."

They continued to sit there, both too tired and too comfortable to move. Another hour passed, and still they sat there in silence. It was companionable, nice even. And though Alfred couldn't ever hope to understand her mind, he had a feeling Akeno would stay the same.

"…Gremory and the others are going to get worried if I don't return you safe and sound."

She snorted, leaning into him as they used each other as support to stand up. "What, like it's almost time for my curfew?"

"You did kind of go awol for a day."

"Shhh, don't mention that."

They took a few steps, sore in places they never wanted to be sore in again, but they did manage to lean off each other and walk on their own. Was it pretty? Not in the slightest, as their pace would make a snail embarrassed, but it was something.

"…Hey, Red?"

"Yea-"

He was cut off as she placed her hand against the back of his neck, using his weakened state to drag his head down and kissed him. His eyes went wide, unsure of what to do as her soft lips pressed against his in an almost shy manner. It didn't last all too long, barely a few seconds really, before she pulled away from him.

"What was-"

Her fist then buried itself in his stomach, the attack not all that strong but still enough to make him double over.

"Mention that to anyone, and I'll aim lower next time."

He groaned, holding his stomach as he hobbled after her. "I'm gonna get you back for that."

She stopped, head tilting as she smirked at him. "Good, I'd hate it if you didn't."

"Damn sadist."

His annoyance just made her laugh, a finger tapping against her lips as she gave him a secretive smile. "Yes, but you know what else?"

"Do I want to know?"

Leaning down to the side of his face, her breath tickled his ear as she whispered softly. "I'm also a huge masochist~"

She then leaned away, continuing her hobble of a walk as she left him behind, clueless as to what to make of her. Gingerly letting go of his stomach, he chose to just shake his head and limp after her.

Questioning every odd occurrence that happened in life would just lead to headaches, after all.

… … …

Just under 10k words, oh boy. I hope you all enjoy this end of arc chapter as we breeze past the 60k mark. The idea of having Akeno and Alfred bare knuckle brawl at the end was one I just really wanted to do, just a slow build of exhaustion until they couldn't fight anymore. A bit antithetical to the usual explosive climax, but I think it fit here quite well. To be honest, I spent most of today on this so my brain is a little fried at the moment. I'm sure there are things that I want to say that have just skipped out on my mind, but whatever at this point.

I may or may not take a break tomorrow, depends on how I'm feeling. And if I don't, it won't be a very big chapter. Again, I've been updating this story every single day since the 16th, so forgive me if I'm a bit drained. Oh, and I'll also actually be putting his up on FF since the arc has finished and I actually really like this version of LaW (that's what this fic is labeled in my files and I'm sticking with it). So if you enjoy reading on that site, fucking go for it. And if you're reading this on that site right now, I'm not joking when I say this entire thing was written in a week. It took some effort.

This has been A Decent Hoonter, and mind is fading away into sleep as we speak.