(My Hero Academia OST - Runaway Battle)
"Come on, sister of the Lucifer Satan! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.
Rias growled and took to the air, the wind pressure building around her intensifying as several large red magic circles formed at her sides. Large black balls of Destruction energy concentrated at the center, rippling with power.
With a yell, the black bolts blasted forth, forming together and simulating the head of the dragon that birthed such power. Kokabiel continued to laugh, holding his arms forward and taking the brunt of the attack head-on.
"Yes, yes! This is what I've been looking for! I dare say this even compares to what your brother is capable of!"
"JUST SHUT UP AND DIIIIIE!" Rias roared, willing more of her power forward into her attack. Despite her best efforts, Kokabiel was able to deflect the energy. As Rias exerted herself, she suddenly felt the power boost begin to fade, her body feeling weak as her attack ended. With nothing left to give, Rias felt light-headed, unable to sustain her flight as she began to fall toward the ground.
"Rias!" Izuku cried out, spreading his wings and flying up to his master. He caught her in his arms, making sure she wouldn't hit the ground.
"It was a good effort, Rias Gremory! I will praise your strong will!" Kokabiel laughed, grinning down at the group as he made the gap between him and them painfully clear.
"Then how about this?!"
Everyone looked up to see Momo hovering above him, electricity crackling from her fingertip as she focused her energy.
"Momo, no! He's too powerful!" Rias called out, watching her queen in fear.
Their protests fell on deaf ears, Momo unleashing a powerful torrent of lightning at Kokabiel. The Fallen Angel Cadre merely smirked, wrapping himself in his raven wings to block the attack.
"Well, well. I see you do have some of Baraqiel in you, after all."
"Do not speak his name!" Momo exclaimed, eyes lighting up in anger as she poured more energy into her attack, her pupils turning into slits. "I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT CREATURE!"
"Baraqiel? Who's that?" Izuku asked, sweat trailing down his brow as he witnessed Momo's rage.
"A Fallen Angel leader, like Kokabiel. He's known for his great control of Holy Lightning. I can see that they use similar power, but what would Baraqiel have to do with a Devil?" Xenovia explained, brow hardening in wonder as she looked up at Momo.
Momo finally ceased her attack, her breath bated as she exhausted a good portion of her energy. "Not even a dent…" She muttered, glaring at Kokabiel despite herself.
"I must admit, I'm quite curious as to how you became a Devil. Why would you fall so low as to become one?" Kokabiel chuckled, smirking at Momo as he crossed his arms. "It seems both you and your brother have a penchant of having outcasts in your group, Rias Gremory: The Red Dragon Emperor, a former Holy Maiden, a ruined Holy Sword Project reject, and Baraqiel's estranged daughter!"
Momo gasped in horror as all of her friends turned to her in shock.
"What?!" Yuuto gasped.
"Seriously!?" Ravel gaped.
"Momo-senpai…" Koneko whispered.
"Say what?!" Ochako asked.
"What…?" Ibara stuttered.
"Momo…" Izuku looked to her.
"Momo is it true?!" Rias called to her Queen. "You're father's a fallen angel?!"
Momo didn't respond as her pupils returned to normal. She wanted to face them but was afraid to do so.
"What? You didn't know?" Kokabiel laughed. "That's fucking hilarious! You've allowed yourself to fall so far by becoming a devil and yet you never told your master your true heritage?" He laughed at Momo.
This enraged Rias and she pushed herself away from Izuku's hold. "Anyone who slanders my brother or my servants is someone who deserves total annihilation!" She exclaimed.
"Really? You honestly think you can stop me, the ancient enemy of the devils?" Kokabiel smirked. "You truly are a proud bunch. How about you show me more of that bravado of yours?"
"Gladly!" Xenovia shouted before rushing at him, both Yuuto and Irina close behind her. A pair of light swords flashed into Kokabiel's hands as soon as they got up close to him. He blocked strikes from both Yuuto and Irina with each of his swords. Xenovia tried to cleave through him in the front with Durandal, but he caught the blade with his foot before she could reach his chest.
"So that's Durandal," Kokabiel remarked, not looking all that concerned that the blades were only inches from his face. "It is a remarkable holy sword. Had we have taken all of the Excaliburs it would have been a sight to see it against the fully reforged Excalibur!" He shoved his foot out, knocking Durandal to the air and shoving a kick into her stomach. Xenovia hacked as she was knocked backward. He twisted his light swords around, pushing both Yuuto and Irina off of his sides.
Irina rebounded back on the ground and lunged again, rushing around from behind and trying to get a strike from behind the back. He casually somersaulted over her as her sword sliced through the air. He pirouetted in midair to look down at the exorcist as she looked up and gaped.
Kokabiel brought his wings forward, swinging them directly at Irina with great force, sending her toward the tree line, the Hauteclere landing further away.
"I expected more from the current wielder of Hauteclere," Kokabiel spat. "But it appears you're still a novice with that blade."
"Rashomon!" Kokabiel turned and saw two black maws rushing toward him. Smirking, Kokabiel raised his hands and blocked the attack, though it did force him back some feet. 'He stopped it with his bare hands?!'
Kokabiel then took hold of the Rashomon and pulled, pulling Akutagawa as well. Kokabiel swung the Rabid Dog in the air before throwing him back down. "I expected more from the Port Mafia's Rabid Dog. Now, where's that little traitorous Raynare?"
"Right here!" Raynare threw a spear of light straight at Kokabiel's face. But the Cadre mealy lifted his hand and block the spear with his pinkie.
"You disappoint me, daughter," he stressed the last word, causing Raynare's eyes to widen in shock. "But you can still redeem yourself," Kokabiel's features had turned pleasant. "Kill Rias Gremory. Do that and you will be back in my good graces once again."
He could practically smell her fear of him. See her shaking. But her eyes were ones of defiance. That meant only one thing. "I see. So you have chosen death." Taking the spear of light Raynare had thrown, Kokabiel threw it back.
Raynare, still in a stupor from what Kokabiel said, barley could avoid her own spear, it scraping her arm as she moved away.
Raynare, shaking off the pain, smirked and quickly jumped back, confusing Kokabiel.
*BANG! BANG!*
Kokabiel reached quickly by opening his wings and deflected Higuchi's bullets. The blond Mafioso continued to fire at him, but all shots fire bounced off the black wings.
"Come now," said the Fallen Angel. "You can't be serious."
KA-BOOM!
A giant explosion of plasma went off underneath the Cadre's feet. Mizu, her hands shaking from the attack, huffed in exhaustion. She was sure that she at least injured him.
"That was a good one."
Mizu's blood ran cold when she heard Kokabiel right behind her. Grinning evilly at the back of her head. He attempted to backhand her, but Mizu instinctively created a magic circle to block it.
"Hmm, not bad," Kokabiel grinned. "You certainly are the Sorcerer Supreme's apprentice."
*Bash!*
Kokabiel felt something hard hit him in the back of the head. Taking this chance Mizu jumped away as Kokabiel turned in annoyance. Several meters behind him, Tsubasa stood, her arm having a metallic appearance, lifting a large piece of rubble, and threw it at Kokabiel.
Scoffing, Kokabiel backhanded the thrown bolder with ease. "Really?" Kokabiel sneered. "I am a Cadre of the Fallen Angels! Do you really think you can beat me by throwing rocks, devil?"
"It's called a 'distraction', smart guy," Tsubasa smirked.
"For this," Koneko muttered emotionlessly, rushing in from out of nowhere and landing a slug on Kokabiel's face. The blow from the two almost backed him an inch slightly, nearly twisting his neck. He let out a small grunt before landing a returning blow on her… with a spear of light shooting through Koneko.
"Koneko-chan!" Ochako cried as Koneko gasped, blood escaped from her mouth.
"Weak!" Kokabiel yelled before blasting the two away. Koneko rocketed across the field before slamming into Tsubasa.
"Ochako! Koneko-chan! Yura-san!" Izuku called.
"We got them!" Ravel said, she and Ibara already rushing to their side.
"Stopra!" Ochako casted a spell, causing Kokabiel to freeze in place. "Takamaki!"
Milia nodded and rushed in, her claws extended. The girl was about to slash at Kokabiel when the Cadre started moving again. He blocked Milia's attack with a Spear of Light with ease. "Nice try!" He then swung his Spear of Light and hit her with enough force to knock her back, crashing into Ochako.
"Hey, ugly!"
Kokabiel turned his head towards the direction of the voice, and saw Hyde, the Insulator pointed at him. A blast of energy fried from the blade, trapping Kokabiel. "Gah! What is-?" Kokabiel didn't finish his sentence, noticing Hyde's Insulator gathering dark energy as he raised it into the air before delivering a downward slash.
"RAGING ROAR!"
A massive arch of red and black power raced towards Kokabiel at great speeds.
From outside the barrier, Kyoka watched as the Sitri and Dantalion's peerages beginning to struggle keeping the dome up when suddenly…
*BREAK!*
Red and black energy broke out, the protective barrier starting to break and fall apart like shattering glass.
The devil's all cried out in shock, some were thrown off their feet by the sudden attack. "What the hell was that?!" Kyoka exclaimed.
*Thud!*
Hyde slumped to the ground, exhausted from his attack. "Did it… work?" He huffed out. Looking to where Kokabiel stood… there wasn't much of anything left. The ground, a nearby tree, even part of the main building, had been obliterated by Hyde's attack.
"I admit, that one actually had me worried."
Hyde gasped in shock, looking up. There Kokabiel floated up in the air, still alive, having managed to free himself somehow at the last second. Though there was some consolation. Kokabiel's left arm was gone, replaced by a bloody stump. But he also had a look that was a mix of being utterly pissed, and very excited.
"It's been millennia since anyone's damaged me this much. You should be commended… after I end your life and claim that blade as my own-"
Two arrows suddenly pierced Kokabiel's back, casing the Cadre to groan in pain as he turned to the one responsible: Griselda. "That won't be happening."
Kokabiel's glare turned into an amused smirk. "Oh? You may be an exorcist, but do you really think you can defeat me with only a bow and some arrows? Speaking of, I must ask, why the change in weaponry. You were such a promising holy sword user, even a potential candidate for one of the Excalibur's from what I heard, but then you started using a bow," Kokabiel smirked. "Don't tell me that your time with Lailah was the reason? You were tortured by her hands and now you can't even wield a blade?" He guessed. "How utterly pathetic!"
"Don't you dare talk about Griselda that way!" Xenovia exclaimed, suddenly dashing at Kokabiel with Durandal reared back for a slash.
"Xenovia, don't!" Griselda cried out in fear.
"Ho-ho~! Struck a nerve, have I?" Kokabiel grinned again, a light spear forming in his remaining hand. "But I suppose a churchgoer like you would need someone to rely on with their master gone!" Before Xenovia could get close enough, Kokabiel sent the spear forward, forcing her to block again and pushing her back several meters. She slashed through the attack but fell to one knee out of exhaustion.
"So powerful…"
"But what he just said…" Yuuto muttered, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"What are you talking about, Kokabiel?" Irina demanded, standing up and glaring at the Fallen Angel. "What do you mean by our master being gone?"
"Uh oh. Did that slip? That's supposed to be a secret," Kokabiel hummed in amusement, placing a hand on his face. Despite his weak efforts, Kokabiel began to break out in laughter, deciding not to contain himself. "Oh, what's the harm in it? After all, I'm planning to start a war anyway! I might as well enlighten you all about what really happened during the Great War!"
"What are you talking about?!" Rias said this time, walking up next to Griselda.
"The truth is…" a smirk plastered on Kokabiel's face. "God is dead. It wasn't just the four original Satans who perished at the end of the war. God was killed as well."
The group stood in dead silence at the news, especially the ones who were connected to the Church. The only one who didn't seem shocked at all was Akutagawa. "He… He's dead…?" Xenovia whispered, nearly dropping her sword in shock.
"That can't be true…" Irina nearly screamed, "No… you're lying! There's no way He's dead!"
"It's that very reaction you both currently have that made the Church considered not telling even their own exorcists," Kokabiel replied. "The angel faction lost so many high-level angels and pure ones can no longer produce. Even pure-blooded devils are just as rare, right? More than half of the 72 pillars have ceased to be. And fallen angels have to increase their numbers by having remnant angels fall. That's why all three sides have to rely on humans to survive! If humans found out, they would lose faith! And the factions are completely dependent on humanity. They each need humans to continue surviving, especially now more than ever!"
"No, it has to be a lie… Take that back! That can't be the truth, Kokabiel!" Xenovia exclaimed, rage suddenly replacing her shock as she pointed Durandal at the Fallen Angel. "You have to be lying!"
"He's telling the truth." All shocked eyes turned to Mizu, who stood eerily still, her gaze toward Kokabiel. "All members of Kamar-Taj are told this once they complete their training as a sort of final test, to gauge how they handle a truth like this."
Griselda, who was perhaps the most collected of the exorcists, weakly nodded. "I… knew as well… because of Lailah…" she growled.
"And yet you still serve the Church who has hidden this truth from even their own exorcists?" Kokabiel mockingly asked. "Keep in mind that I don't give a damn about any of that," Kokabiel's face twisted in anger as his fist shock, an angry holy aura surrounding him. "What really pisses me off is that after God and those Satans died, the remains of the three Biblical Factions decided to end the war right then! Are you kidding me?! How dare they keep me from squashing my enemies just when it was getting fun! We were so close to winning! Even that bastard Azazel declared that there would be no second Great War! WHAT THE FUCK!?"
"If the Lord is gone," Ibara whispered meekly. "Then the love and the answered prayers we received from Him… where do they come from?"
Kokabiel sighed as his aura vanished and looked into the sky. "Michael is doing a fine job managing the system. But one angel can only do so much on his own."
Irina's eyes widened. "The Archangel Michael is acting as God's messenger? Then… what about us?"
"As long as the system continues to work and there are a sufficient amount of followers, things like prayers and exorcisms will continue to work as intended, even without the influence of God," Kokabiel explained. "Valper seemed to have understood it from the moment he saw the Sword of Betrayer. A sword capable of using holy and demonic power, two elements that naturally opposed one another. A contradictory miracle like that could only happen if the leaders of both opposing sides were no longer in power, which confirms that God is not with us any longer."
The revelation of it all seemed too much for Ibara to handle. She fainted right there on the spot. Ochako went to her side and grabbed the shell shocked nun before she hit the ground, "Ibara! Ibara, wake up!" the Rook pleaded.
Xenovia watched as Ochako tried to shake Ibara back to her senses, a pitiful look entering her eyes. 'I can't blame her… for someone who continued to believe in God even after becoming a devil, this discovery is nearly impossible for her to take. I can't quite believe it myself,' she thought to herself bitterly. 'It's ironic. Just the other day I tried to take her head because I believed a devil who followed God's teachings was blasphemous, but after everything I've learned, I now understand and even sympathize with her.'
"I suppose the drastic decline in the number of human believers hasn't helped things, does it?" Kokabiel continued. "Without someone like God to watch over the system, the balance between Good and Evil has been ignored in parts… thus allowing something contradictory like the holy devil sword to exist. That's why the war must continue… and I'll ensure it does by taking your head, Rias Gremory!"
Rias was trembling and struggling to keep herself together. "It's my fault," she muttered, suddenly drawing attention to herself. "I… I really was too prideful. Mizu… Momo… you were both right. We… we all may die here because of-"
*Slap!*
Without warning, Izuku cut her off by slapping her. Every devil of Rias' peerage, as well as Tsubasa, Milia, and Hyde, went white eye at seeing this, while the exorcists, Mizu, and the Mafiosi looked on in surprise. Kokabiel, meanwhile, chuckled in amusement at the unexpected event. Rias herself couldn't process what happened for a couple of seconds, her eyes turning to look at Izuku in shock.
"Don't give up, Rias," Izuku told her. "Whether God's dead or not doesn't matter. What does is that we're here now. The world kept moving without Him, right? It's our duty to both Him and everyone else to make sure it does."
"The Welsh Dragon is correct," Akutagawa spoke up. "I never really believed in God to begin with, so such words have no meaning over me. What matters now is wining this fight."
"Izuku…" Rias whispered, rubbing her cheek.
Kokabiel laughed, "So the current Red Dragon Emperor believes that the world can move on without God?"
"It has. The world continues to move on without God even now," Izuku replied. "But you don't care about that, do you?" Izuku glared at the Cadre. "This isn't about God or the old Satans at all. You're nothing more than some petty villain throwing a tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted."
"Tch, how cute," Kokabiel sneered. "Very well… Then show me this conviction of yours so that I may shatter it!" Kokabiel's smirk instantly vanished from his face, a fierce snarl replacing it when he realized that Izuku had vanished.
'He's fast!' Kokabiel noted. Suddenly, a sharp pain echoed through his head.
"DRAGON SMASH!"
Kokabiel screeched from Izuku's attack as he clutched his nose, which was now broken.
"Nice one, Midoriya!" Hyde cheered.
"I expected nothing less from a hero," Ravel smiled.
"Get that bastard, Izuku!" Milia cheered.
"Izuku-san really is amazing," Momo nodded with a light blush. 'Kyoka, Rias, I'm sorry… but I'm starting to fall for him, too.'
"They're right," Rias said with confidence. "What's important now is that we haven't lost this battle yet. We can't give up. Let's take Izuku's lead, everyone!"
"Hai!"
Kokabiel rose back to his feet, his nose having already been pushed back into position, though blood still streaked down his face. He glanced at Izuku and couldn't help but release another dark chuckle, his wings spreading out behind him. "First a lowly human takes my arm, and now a low-ranking devil manages to reach my face. Both feats are damn near impossible! I find this interesting! Very interesting!" he chuckled darkly.
"Hahaha. So do I," a new voice called out from above the field.
Kokabiel scowled as he looked up to the sky. "Who's there?" he demanded just as a powerful magical attack hit the roof of the protective dome, causing it to quickly disintegrate into nothingness, shocking everyone present. The only ones capable of doing that with such ease had to be as strong or stronger than Kokabiel.
The light quickly diminished, revealing a completely white armored being. In composition and design, it looked fairly similar to when Izuku used his balance breaker Scale Mail. The only difference was it was white with blue gems rather than red and green. It also has wings, each illuminated the night with blue energy.
Hyde, Ochako, Tsubasa, Milia, and Momo all quickly recognized the resemblance it had to the armor Izuku had during the USJ. "That looks like that armor Midoriya had!" Hyde said.
"But… it's white. And has wings," Tsubasa pointed out.
Milia quickly glanced over to Izuku and saw that he was shaking. "Midoriya-kun?"
The others quickly noticed Izuku shaking as well. "Izuku, what's wrong?" Rias asked in worry.
"My body… just started shaking…" Izuku stuttered. The moment Izuku laid eyes on the armored person, an unknown fear and nervousness suddenly ran throughout his body. "Is that… the White One?!"
"Why is the Vanishing Dragon here?" Kokabiel demanded. "If you're here because you were captivated by the Welsh Dragon then you'll have to wai-" Before Kokabiel could finish his statement the mysterious figure dove down at the fallen angel and ripped off two pairs of his black wings. The fallen angel howled in pain as his wings were pulled from his back.
"Your wings remind me of a filthy crow," a male voice called out from underneath the helmet. "Azazel's wings are darker, deeper… like everlasting darkness."
"You bastard!" Kokabiel seethed as he reached behind himself to feel the stumps of where his wings had once been. "What the fuck do you think you're trying to do?"
"Someone who's fallen lower than the ground hardly needs wings, do they?" the Vanishing Dragon sneered as he stared down at the fallen angel.
Kokabiel seethed and launched himself into the air with his last remaining wings and proceeded to create the single largest spear of light yet, easily seven times the size of the one he had used to obliterate the gym earlier.
As Kokabiel was about to throw the humongous spear at the armored figure, he brought his hand up just as the air in front of him began to shimmer.
(Divide!)
The spear instantly began to shrink, being reduced to nothing within a few seconds. "What have you done!?" Kokabiel demanded as he felt his strength escaping his body.
"His name is Albion. One of the powers of my Sacred Gear is 'divine dividing'. Every ten-seconds it cuts the power of whatever it's touching in half and sustains me with that power."
"Divides?" Izuku repeated. It was the opposite of his own Sacred Gear.
"You better hurry or you won't be able to defeat a Quirkless human," the Vanishing Dragon taunted. "If you're still bored, I can make this a bit more fun…" The Vanishing Dragon disappeared from sight and went towards Kokabiel while creating tracks of light.
His fist went deep into Kokabiel's stomach. Kokabiel's body bent a lot and he vomited blood. He didn't even have a trace left of the overwhelming opponent from before. "…Im…Impossible… I…"
"I was told by Azazel to take you back by force if necessary even if it took all of my power. Though it appears I won't need even half of it." The Vanishing Dragon then took Kokabiel, rocketed upwards, before falling back down at great speeds, pushing the Fallen Angel in front of him.
"AZAZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL!" Kokabiel bellowed out to the heavens, as he went down.
*BOOM!*
The collision to the ground caused a crater to form that sent out a shock wave. Then, the magic circle created and used by Valper rose into the air before disappearing. When the dust cleared, the Vanishing Dragon was standing in the center of the crater. Kokabiel, the great Fallen Angel who had 10 wings, was put on his shoulder. Defeated.
"Holy shit…" Hyde muttered, he and everyone else shocked at how easily the Vanishing Dragon defeated the fallen angel, where the most any of them could do was scratch him.
"I suppose I should collect Freed as well. Assuming he's still alive, there are a few things we need to ask him. After that, we'll look for that rouge angel." He flew out of the hole, landing right in front of the downed priest, picking him up effortlessly.
[Are you ignoring me, White One?] Ddraig said, allowing everyone present to hear him.
"The dragon hand talked?!" Raynare gasped, as the Vanishing Dragon turned towards the boy after getting his attention.
(So you've awoken, Red One?) A disembodied voice spoke from the Vanishing Dragon's wings.
[I've been wondering when we'll meet again.]
(As have I. We're still fated to fight eventually, but not today. I don't sense the usual hostility from you…)
[Likewise. It seems that we both have other things on our minds other than fighting.]
(Indeed. Just let me enjoy myself for a while longer. It's not so bad to take a break now and then. We'll meet again, Ddraig.)
[I'm looking forward to it. Another time, Albion.]
Both of them gave their farewell, and the White Dragon Emperor prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Izuku shouted, catching his attention. "Who are you?"
The Vanishing Dragon just stared at him in silence for a few seconds before answering. "You'll need even more power if you want to understand. Keep getting stronger, my rival. While Albion may not be keen to fight the Red Dragon Emperor, I, on the other hand, can hardly contain myself. We will fight one day and I hope you make a worthy opponent."
As he said that, a bright white light slowly engulfed him and the other two. When it disappeared, their mysterious savior had vanished into thin air.
Everyone present stared at where the Vanishing Dragon stood, as well as the destroyed school field in silence until it was broken by the arrival of Sona, Kudelia, their peerages, and Kyoka.
"Momo!" Kyoka called, running up to her girlfriend. "You okay?"
"No…" Momo shook her head. "They know…"
"Rias!" Sona called out as she and Kudelia came to a stop near her fellow king.
"Sona, Kudelia," Rias called back as she looked around to see the group of devils beside her.
"You okay?" Kudelia asked.
"Still alive, if a bit shaken," Rias replied.
Sona looked past Rias, at the spot where the Vanishing Dragon had just disappeared with her arms crossed under her chest. "I wonder why the White Dragon Emperor suddenly showed up out of the blue like that."
"I wonder if he realized he just saved the city," Rias replied with a small smile on her face.
"Hey, what happened to those Port Mafia guys?" Hyde asked. Sure enough, Raynare, Higuchi, and Akutagawa all vanished.
Several blocks away, Raynare, Akutagawa, and Higuchi, all wearing disguises, walked casually towards the train station. As the battle was over, they left as soon as the Vanishing Dragon did. It would've been bad for three members of the Poet mafia to be caught on a hero school's campus, let alone U.A.'s. Higuchi was currently on the phone, talking with a superior, trailing behind Akutagawa.
"Akutagawa, I couldn't help but noticed you deliberately tried to avoid killing the devils and exorcists," Raynare said. "How come?"
"The boss gave me explicit orders to only attempt to kill those responsible for the thefts," Akutagawa answered. "He wished to avoid any unnecessary conflict with the devils and church."
Raynare nodded. Her thoughts quickly returned to Kokabiel. specifically, what he said. 'There's no way. He lied. There's no way he's…'
"Is that Kido Hyde?" Kudelia asked. "What's he doing here?"
As Rias explained to Sona and Kudelia what happened, Tsubaki turned her head towards where Yuuto was standing. She saw how deep in thought he was. Then a strange feeling entered her heart that was telling her to go to him. Was it pity or sympathy? The Queen couldn't tell, but she started to walk towards him.
"Kiba-kun?" The blonde Knight was brought out of his thoughts and turned towards the direction of the voice, seeing that it was Tsubaki. "Are you okay?" she asked, retaining her stoic look.
Yuuto was silent for a moment, before looking at his Holy-Demonic Sword. "I was just thinking…It's finally finished. Even if someone intruded, this town's safe," he said. He didn't know why, but he started to just speak of everything on his mind to Tsubaki. "But then I think it hasn't ended yet… Because there was someone who took over Valper's research at the Vatican headquarters. When I confront that person, what will I do with this Holy-Demonic Sword… I still don't know…"
Just then a hand was placed on his shoulder, making Yuuto gasp lightly when he saw who it was. It was Tsubaki, who was giving him something she rarely gave anyone: a smile. Smile met to comfort him. "Let's not worry about the complicated stuff for now," she said. "For now, you can say that it ended for now, right? Besides, when you cross that bridge, you'll have your friends," Tsubaki then turned around and walked away towards her group.
Yuuto was left there to stare at her with widened eyes. He never told anyone, but he's always found the young bespectacled woman to be very beautiful. Sure, there was Rias, one of the most gorgeous girls in the school, but Yuuto always found himself staring at Tsubaki. And just a rare smile was enough to make him smile too.
Nearby, Irina sat on the ground. Kokabiel was gone, Valper's dead, and Freed may be dead, but she didn't feel like celebrating. God is dead. And worst of all she learned that both Him and the Church she served aren't as kind as she always believed. She just wanted to sit there and cry until she died.
"Rinchan?"
Looking up, Irina saw Izuku standing next to her, a concerned look on his face. "Zuku."
"Are you… okay?" He asked.
Irina shook her head. "No. I'm not," she said. "God is dead, Zuku. I spent my whole life devoted to him, and now I can't help but feel it was all for nothing. I don't know what to do now." She began to cry.
Izuku watched for a moment, seeing the utterly devastated look on her face. He needed to do something. Gently, he placed his free hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear, getting her attention.
"I… can't exactly say for certain, but I don't think God would want to see you cry," he said, wincing at the mention of God. "If anything, He would want you to live on."
"Live… on… for Him…?" She muttered.
Izuku nodded with a soft smile.
Irina couldn't help but smile back with a slight blush. "You're right," she said. "Humanity has done many terrible things in God's name, but we've also done plenty of good in His name as well," she stood back up. "You may be a devil now, Zuku, but you're my hero!"
Izuku reflexively blushed. "T-Thanks,' he chuckled nervously. "Oh, and here," Izuku handed out the Hauteclere to Irina.
"Thanks, Zuku. It would've been bad if I-" Irina then realized something. Izuku was holding onto the Hauteclere, a holy sword that can only be touched by those with a pure heart. And Izuku was actually touching the blade with no ill effect. That meant Izuku, a devil now, had a pure heart!
"Uh, Rinchan, is everything okay?" Izuku asked, worried by the sudden blank look on her face.
"Huh, wha, I'm fine!" Irina replied. She took hold of Hauteclere. "But are you okay?"
"Hm. Yeah. Why?"
"…It's nothing," Irina said. "I should go check up on Xenovia and Griselda."
"Okay," Izuku nodded. "Talk to you later."
"Yeah," Irina nodded before she walked over to where Griselda and Xenovia were.
Griselda was already in the process of collecting the shattered fragments. Xenovia, though, was watching the Gremory peerage talking amongst themselves before she noticed Irina walking over to them. "How are you feeling?" The blue-haired exorcist asked her partner.
"Much better now," Irina answered.
"That's a relief," Xenovia smiled. "Your faith is stronger than mine, so I was worried about you."
"Well, good thing you don't have anything to worry about!" Irina smiled back.
"Good to see you two are okay," said Griselda as she gathered the broken Excalibur pieces. "Kokabiel has been defeated and the Excalibur pieces have been recovered… but…" Griselda muttered, dread overcoming her. "I don't believe everything is over for us just yet."
"Yes. What we learned was… quite damning," Xenovia muttered, a crestfallen expression coloring her face. "What do we do, Griselda?"
"…For now, let's finish collecting the Excalibur pieces, Valper's body, and his research. We'll make our report to headquarters tomorrow. It's been a long night."
"How are we going to get Valper's body back to the Vatican?" Irina asked. "Last I checked, dead bodies aren't exactly flight friendly."
"You can leave that to me," Mizu walked up to the exorcists. "I can arrange for Valper's body to be transported to the Vatican without drawing any unwanted attention. You three can even stay at my place for the night if you want."
"Buchou, everyone, thank you… Thank you all for your support."
Yuuto bowed in front of Rias and the rest of the Occult Research Club. After Rias had sorted out what was to be done with Mizu, Kudelia, and Sona, Yuuto gathered everyone up to express his gratitude.
"Yuuto," the blond Knight looked at Rias and saw her welcoming smile. "I'm glad you've decided to return. Also to reach Balance Breaker. As your master, I am proud."
Yuuto then kneeled down on one knee, with his head low. "…Rias. I… To everyone in the club… Most of all, I betrayed you who saved my life once… I can't find the words to express my apology…"
Rias went to him and kneeled down, and then patted his cheek with her hand, comforting him like she always did. "But you have returned. That is enough for me. You can't waste the feelings of your comrades."
"Buchou… I will promise you once again. I, Kiba Yuuto, will protect you and my comrades for the rest of my life as the Knight of Rias Gremory's group."
"Ufufufu. Thank you. Now, onto your punishment…" Despite Rias' smile, a magic circle formed in her palm, causing Yuuto to flinch. "I'd say that's a thousand spanks you've earned."
"Wh-What?" Yuuto coughed, recoiling as he failed to hide his fear.
"Before that, though," the magic circle in Rias' hand disappeared, her eyes wandering to Momo. "There's something vital we need to discuss."
Momo fidgeted from the look Rias, along with everyone else, gave her.
Later, the ORC stood gathered in their club room. All of them were stood or sat quietly, their eyes all on Momo, who stood on the opposite side of the room, Kyoka standing with her.
"Momo, all we want is the truth," Rias began. "Are you really the daughter of one of the Fallen Angel leaders?"
Momo hesitated to answer, not even bothering to look up at her friends. Kyoka gently took hold of the mature-looking girl's hand reassuringly. Momo briefly looked to her for a moment before nodding. "Yes… I'm the half-breed daughter of the Fallen Angel leader Baraqiel and a human," she said in a sad and depressing tone. The group's reactions were mixed.
"Have… any of you heard of the Vermilion Hero, Creati?"
"I have," Izuku said, surprising no one. "She was a pro hero who could make anything for any situation…" he trailed off, realizing something. "Don't tell me…"
Momo nodded in confirmation. "She was my mother, Yaoyorozu Shuri, though she was born Himejima Shuri."
"Himejima?" Rias repeated. "Wait, as in the Himejima Clan? One of the Five Great Families who are blessed with the power of the Vermilion Bird?!"
"Yes," Momo confirmed. "She was exiled for becoming a hero instead of following the clan's traditions, which is why she changed her name," Momo smiled fondly at the memory of her mother before she continued. "One day, she came upon a wounded fallen angel and nursed him back to health. She did her job well. They fell in love. And soon enough, I came along."
Momo then expanded her wings. Everyone gasped in shock at what they saw.
There were two wings, but it was different from the usual two wings of Devils Momo normally had. The right one was that of a Devil, while the left one was the black wing of a Fallen Angel.
"Those wings!" Ochako gasped.
"I know. One from a devil, one from a fallen angel. Signs of my heritage I tried to hide. I hated my wings so much that I asked Rias to become a devil just to get rid of them, just to spite my father, but it just resulted in a sad and disgusting mix of both wings, something I didn't realize until later," Momo's wings receded.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Yuuto asked.
"She wanted to, okay," Kyoka shot at him.
"Wait, Kyoka-san, you knew?" Ibara asked.
"Yeah," Kyoka nodded. "Her mom and mine were friends growing up. About a year after Momo's mom died, my family took her in."
"I wanted to tell you, all or you, for so long," Momo continued. "But you all hate fallen angels, correct? Izuku and Ibara especially," the two mentioned devils fidgeted uncomfortably when she said that. "I mean, who wouldn't after what they did to you two. It isn't hard to imagine what you think of them," she said sadly with a sullen expression on her face.
"You're wrong."
Momo looked to Izuku with wide eyes.
"I admit, after everything I don't like fallen angels," Izuku said. "But that doesn't mean that I hate all fallen angels."
"Yes," Ibara nodded. "You're not like Raynare or Kokabiel, Momo-san. We can tell."
"You're a bird, but I like you," said Koneko.
"I'm not part of the peerage, so I don't have any real say in this," Ravel said. "But I am glad you've opened up about this."
"There's no way we'll hate you, Momo," said Ochako.
"Right," Yuuto nodded.
"I understand why you didn't tell us, but the fact is that you violated my trust by keeping this secret," Rias said sternly before she gave a gentle smile. "But I am willing to look pass it."
Momo was flabbergasted. She had honestly thought they hate her for hiding her heritage. Instead… they understood and accepted her regardless. Tears starting forming in her eyes before she started crying, embracing the closest members; Izuku and Rias.
Izuku, of course, blushed at the fact a girl, a crying girl no less, was hugging him, while Rias returned the hug.
Once she finished, Momo started to wipe away her tears. "I'm so sorry for keeping this secret. I promise to make it up to all of you however I can."
"Good. You still need to earn back my trust, Momo," Rias said. "You can start by helping me deliver Yuuto's punishment," she sweetly added.
Yuuto flinched in fear.
It wasn't long before Yuuto was bent over and Rias began spanking him. Yuuto managed to put up a smile, albeit a pained smile, during most of it, though it started to crack when Rias got to 800 spanks.
SLAP!
"And that's 800," Rias said before backing away. "You can deliver the last 200 spanks, Momo."
Nodding, Momo went up, a magic circle similar to Rias' appearing in her hand, and she started to spank Yuuto.
SLAP!
"Gah!"
Something in Momo changed when she heard Yuuto's cries. As ashamed as she was to admit it, but his screams of pain… made her feel hot. She had noticed this before, like during the Rating Game against Riser and she fought his Queen along with Izuku, she enjoyed Yubelluna's screams. She was so engrossed by these… dirty thoughts that she actually spanked Yuuto more than the required 200.
"Momo, that's enough!"
"Huh, what?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Momo realized that Rias had pulled her hand back.
"You gave Yuuto enough spanks already," Rias said.
Yuuto, for his part, was lying on the floor whimpering, Ibara using Twilight Healing on his sore rear.
"Sorry, I just… lost track," Momo tried to explain. No one bought it.
"You were enjoying it," Ravel stated. "She's totally a sadist, isn't she?" She asked Kyoka.
"W-What, no!"
"I… can't argue against it," Kyoka admitted.
"Come to think of it, if Momo-san's hero costume was black instead of red, she would look like a dominatrix," Izuku muttered.
"Pervert…" Koneko deadpanned.
"I-I'm not a pervert!" Momo was blushing madly in embarrassment.
Morning soon came after the battle against Kokabiel. Sona and her peerage did an excellent job of repairing the school grounds after the fight with Kokabiel. They had almost completed the work by the time Sirzechs' troops arrived who aided in the final tasks of repairing the school, including repairing the obliterated gymnasium and fixing the damaged school grounds.
By the time morning came and classes started, there was no evidence that a massive fight had taken place mere hours ago.
And yet Mizu couldn't help but feel unease. Principle Nezu had called her this morning and wished for her to meet in his office after school. 'I wonder what this is about?' She thought as she knocked on the door.
"It's open. You may enter," came Nezu's voice. Walking in, Mizu saw that Nezu was at his desk, reviewing footage of some sort on his computer. "How are you adjusting to being a teacher, Akari? I certainly hope your other activities don't interfere too much."
"Uh, 'other activities', sir?" Mizu questioned.
Nezu responded by turning the monitor so that it was facing her.
Her eyes widened at what she saw. Footage of her and the others battling against Kokabiel.
"While putting all security footage on a loop for a night was a good idea, I'm afraid you failed to account for the possibility that I secretly installed an entirely separate security system after the USJ Incident that is completely independent of U.A.'s main system."
Mizu made an audible gulp.
After school ended for the day, Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako went to the clubroom. Sona, Saji, Tsubasa, and Tsubaki from the student council, along with Kudelia, Tye, and Milia from the Newspaper Club were present also. Mizu wasn't currently present, though, having been called away by the principle for some reason.
That didn't mean there wasn't an unfamiliar face present.
"What's up, Red Dragon Emperor?" a familiar blue-haired, golden-eyed figure greeted casually.
"Eh? Xenovia-san?" Izuku said in surprise. "You're still here? And… that uniform…" Indeed. She was wearing the U.A. High School uniform for girls, albeit with a pair of sneakers instead of loafers.
"To be perfectly honest, after I found out that God is dead, I wasn't sure if I could continue down the path as an exorcist. So I decided to give that all up. In other words…" She stood up, and a pair of black wings shot out from her back.
Izuku's eyes widened in shock, with both Ibara and Ochako mirroring each other with their hands over their mouths. "Devil wings?! Then you…" he looked over at Rias, who gave him a knowing, cheeky wink.
"So you managed to complete your peerage, Rias," Kudelia smirked. "About time. Now Sona's the only one with a few short."
"Since I chose self-exile, I asked Rias Gremory to induct me into her Peerage, which she accepted. I've been given the designation of 'Knight', which is perfect for my swordsmanship style. And as such, I've been transferred into this school. Starting today, I'm a first-year U.A. General Studies student and a new member of the Occult Research Club. So let's get along, Izuku-kun," she said, the last part clearly trying to sound cute. It didn't work.
"…No offense," Izuku sweat-dropped. "But that cute voice doesn't match you at all, especially with such a serious-looking face."
"I know. I was trying to mimic Irina, but it seems I can't do it," Xenovia murmured in thought as she rubbed her chin.
"Buchou, are you fine with this? I mean, that was your only other Knight piece, right?" Izuku asked.
"I don't see the trouble," Rias said as she leaned over her desk. "Having the wielder of Durandal would be a great assist. And with Yuuto already here, I now have two swordsmen in the party," she added, glancing at Yuuto who smiled proudly.
"Hm. That's right, I'm a devil now. And with God dead, my life as an exorcist was all for nothing," Xenovia stated, with a hand on her chin to show she was thinking. "But I'm not sure if become my old enemy is the best thing. But… for the little sister of the Devil King, she's been shockingly kind. Oh, I hope I made the right choice." Straining her thoughts, she placed her face in her hand. "I feel like I have, but there's so much doubt," Xenovia then puts her hands together to pray. "Please, help me, oh Lord! AGH!" She received some damage because of that, holding her head down while mumbling something.
"Déjà vu…" Koneko quipped.
"So what happened to Rinchan and Griselda-san?" Izuku asked.
"They'll be leaving tonight, taking the five Excalibur pieces, including my own, back to the Vatican," Xenovia answered. "Even though four of them were destroyed, our alchemists can still reforge them into new holy swords since their cores were left intact. The mission still counts as a success. I still have Durandal, so I'm fine with it."
"Is it alright for you to betray the Church like this?" Milia asked her.
"About that…" Xenovia continued, turning downcast. "When I mentioned God's death to them, they spoke not a word. I ended up becoming an outsider knowing God's absence. The Church hates outsiders and heresy very much. Even if it's an exorcist, they will cut them off. I'm in the same position as Shiozaki Ibara now."
Ibara looked down silently and appeared heartbroken. The Church it seemed was really extreme with what they considered to be 'traitors'.
"Irina's faith is much stronger than mine, but thankfully she and Griselda kept silent about God's absence. I don't think they suspect that they know. And then there's the fact that Irina learned the blessing she received to wield holy swords was instead the non-blasphemous version of the crystalized genes of those deceased children used to increase her aptitude. She learned a lot of forbidden truths recently. I was afraid she might go off the deep end," Xenovia continued, closing her eyes in sorrow. "But it was thanks to you that she kept her faith from waning," Xenovia said, opening her eyes and giving him a grateful smile to Izuku. "I don't know what you said to her, but it truly did help. Thank you."
"Oh, it was no problem…" Izuku blushed.
"Dang, bro!" Saji suddenly wrapped his arm around Izuku's shoulder. "You gotta teach me your tricks."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Dude, you can't be serious," Saji sighed. "Do you not realize how many chicks are- OW!" Tsubasa suddenly started pulling his ear.
"Back on topic, the Church also reached out to us in regards to the incident," Rias cut in. "More precisely, the Satans. They said: 'We are truly regretful over the dishonesty of the fallen angels and for our failure regarding this incident. We wish to make light of these events.'"
"They also apologized and took responsibility for the past actions of Valper," Sona added. "Word is that Heaven wasn't happy with the way the Church handled the situation and has asked the Pope to step down. Meanwhile, the truth about this incident was sent by Azazel, the fallen angel's governor-general. The theft of the Excaliburs was an action taken by Kokabiel only. Azazel was completely unaware of the whole thing. He only wanted to break the tension."
"So then, Kokabiel was acting on his own," Xenovia sighed, leaning back on the chair. "That eases the stress somewhat. But this school is pretty terrifying. I never would've thought there would be two sisters of the Devil King's attending here." Almost in response to what she said, Sona pressed her glasses slightly. The adjustment made them gleam menacingly in the light.
"What happened to Kokabiel anyway?" Kyoka asked.
"In light of his treason and attempting to shatter the ceasefire between factions, he's been frozen in eternal ice down in the lowest level of Hell, Cocytus," Tsubasa answered. "The Vanishing Dragon who defeated Kokabiel is actually with the fallen angels. Since they took care of the problem, they got to decide on his punishment."
At the mention of the White One, Izuku looked to his hand. 'The White Dragon Emperor… He's already achieved a perfect Balance Breaker, something I haven't accomplished yet. We're destined to fight someday, and until then I need to get stronger.' All Might's offer once again entered his mind. 'Maybe…'
"Yes, his plans to restart the war came to an end and now he's paying for it," Rias said, getting Izuku's attention. "By the way, what was this 'failure' the Church mention?"
"Apparently, someone within the Church leaked the locations of the Excaliburs, which is how Kokabiel was able to steal them," Sona answered. That sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"Someone deliberately told the enemies of the Church where the Excaliburs were?" Xenovia asked. "Why?"
"They're still investigating," Sona continued. "They're hoping that Kokabiel would know. I've also been informed that the leaders of the Three Factions will convene sometime soon."
"Yes, I've heard of that as well," Rias huffed. "I've also heard that Azazel will be making some kind of proposal. We've also been invited to report on what happened."
"Does that mean Kido-kun will be joining us?" Ibara asked.
"Please tell me those Port Mafia guys aren't invited," Ochako begged.
"I can't say for sure about Kido yet, but I doubt the Port Mafia will be attending," Rias reassured.
"What about the White Dragon Emperor? Will he be there, too?" Izuku asked.
"He's with the fallen angels and he did stop Kokabiel, so I see no reason why he won't be in attendance," Rias answered.
"That's right," Xenovia confirmed with a nod. "He's working with Azazel, who's gathering strong Quirks and Sacred Gears, specifically Longinus. I don't know why, but I doubt it's anything good. The Vanishing Dragon is the top fighter among them. I heard that he is the fourth or fifth strongest out of all of them, including the leaders of the Grigori. Since he appeared in his Balance Breaker, he must be extremely powerful."
"Dang, no wonder he took care of Kokabiel so easily," Kudelia whistled.
Izuku gulped. 'I have to FIGHT him!?'
Xenovia then turned her attention towards Ibara. "I owe you an apology, Ibara. I am very sorry for the horrible and hurtful things I said to you. I can't get the way I was treated by the church for knowing the truth out of my head. I must have made you feel the same way."
"Please don't feel bad for me, Xenovia," Ibara said sweetly as she placed her hand over her heart. "Even though I'm a devil now, I've never felt more blessed. I've met so many wonderful people who mean so much to me. I've never been this happy before in my life."
"I see," Xenovia said with a small smile on her lips before she remembered something. "Oh, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"What is it?" Ibara asked curiously.
"I would really appreciate it if you would show me around the school sometime," the azure-haired knight said with a warm smile.
"I'd love to," Ibara replied instantly.
Xenovia then turned towards Yuuto who was sat down on one of the sofas in the clubroom. "Also, if it isn't too big of a deal, I thought it'd be fun to try out my Durandal against your holy-demonic sword."
"I was thinking the same thing," Yuuto replied with a smile.
Rias stood up from her seat and attracted everyone's attention. "Now. We've got a new member so let's get the Occult Research Club back open for business!"
"Hai!"
As the ORC went about their activities for the night, Izuku walked over to Momo and Kyoka for a moment. "Uh, Momo-san, Kyoka-san, can I ask you for a favor?"
"A favor?" Kyoka repeated.
"What is it?" Momo asked.
At Haneda Airport, Irina waited patiently as Griselda bought their tickets to Italy. The Vatican had already received Valper's body, now she and Griselda needed to get the Excalibur fragments and Valper's research back home safely. 'If only she could join us,' she thought sadly, thinking of Xenovia. Xenovia was the only one among them that had mentioned God's death. Now she has been branded a heretic.
"Thinking of Xenovia?"
Irina didn't even look up as Griselda walked over to her. "Yeah. Was her becoming a devil really the only option?"
"I'm afraid so," Griselda said sadly. "Being with Rias Gremory will give her both a home and protection from the Church," sighing, Griselda gestured for Irina to follow. "Come. Our flight leaves in an hour and I want to get through security quickly."
Nodding, Irina got up and began to follow. But before they got far…
"Irina! Griselda! Wait!"
Gasping, Irina turned around and saw Xenovia, accompanied by the ORC, running up to them. "Xenovia! Zuku! Everyone!" She happily exclaimed. "Why are you here?"
"We came to see you off," Izuku answered.
"And to make sure Xenovia gets to say goodbye," Ochako added, earning her a glare from said girl.
"Really?" Griselda looked to Xenovia.
"Uh, yes," Xenovia fidgeted slightly. "I just wanted to say thank you, Griselda. You're the closest thing to family I ever had. And Irina… I'm sorry that I have to stay."
"It's okay, we understand," Griselda smiled, ruffling Xenovia's hair. "Just be sure to keep in touch."
"We may be on different sides now, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends," Irina added before hugging Xenovia. Xenovia winched in pain and backed away. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Xenovia pointed to where he cross neckless used to be.
"Oh, right! I forgot about that."
Griselda giggled happily before she turned to Rias. "If anything happens to her, I'm coming after you, Rias Gremory," she playfully warned.
"I'll be sure to make sure she stays out of trouble," Rias replied.
"We better get going. Our flight will be taking off soon," Griselda said.
"Before you go, I've been meaning to ask," Rias spoke up. But her expression quickly darkened as she addressed Irina. "Back during the duel between you and Izuku, you said you kissed him when you were kids. You only said to distract him, correct?"
"Uh…" Irina gave a nervous chuckle as she received glares from not just Rias but also Ibara, Ochako, Ravel, and even Momo. Glancing over at Izuku, who looked to be on the verge of blushing madly and wondering how to calm everyone down, she felt her cheeks heat up.
'You know what, screw it!' Smiling, Irina walked over to where Izuku was located.
"Uh, Rinchan, what are you-"
Without warning, Irina pressed her lips against his, his eyes nearly coming out of their sockets, and his face becoming as red as Rias' hair.
Everyone stood in absolute shock at what they saw. Rias, Ibara, Ochako, Ravel, and Momo had the color drained from their bodies, horrified at what they were seeing. Koneko, Yuuto, Kyoka, Xenovia, and Griselda merely had blank expressions.
About a minute had passed before Irina pulled away, leaving a blushing, shocked, and embarrassed Izuku standing before her as she smiled widely.
"That was my goodby gift to you, Zuku, at least for now." She playfully gave him and the others a winked. "By the way, that was our second kiss."
"We better get going," Griselda smiled. "Goodbye, Xenovia."
"Bye Xenovia! Bye Zuku!" Irina said as she followed.
"Goodbye," Xenovia returned.
"Oh dear," Yuuto chuckled as Rias, Ibara, Ochako, Ravel, and Momo all glared at Izuku in jealousy, who seemed to be malfunctioning given how his eyes were white orbs at the moment.
It had taken Izuku about an hour to recover from Irina suddenly kissing him. When he finally did he found himself back in his bed, a naked Rias next to him explaining that Koneko carried him to his room.
Embarrassed for most of the day after, Izuku only snapped out of it when Momo told him that All Might had agreed to meet. So here he was, looking over Dagoba Municipal Beach, waiting for his idol to arrive.
[Finally made your decision, huh?]
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "I was barely able to do anything during the fight against Kokabiel. The most I did was break his nose, but that hardly mattered. And then we met the White Dragon Emperor."
[Indeed. Now that the two of you have met, it's only a matter of time before you fight. Given the huge gap between you two, you'll need any advantage you can get.]
Izuku nodded. The most any of them did to Kokabiel was Hyde taking his arm, but the White One was able to beat Kokabiel within seconds. If he was going to face people even stronger than Kokabiel, villains or not, then he needed to get stronger.
"All Might should be here soon," Izuku then hummed in thought. "Now that I think about it, you and All Might sound a lot alike."
[Yes, I noticed that as well. I suppose it might be fate.]
Izuku chuckled a little. Maybe…
"Young Midoriya!"
Looking up, Izuku saw All Might, currently in his emaciated form walking toward him. It still felt strange, knowing that the skeleton of a man before him was actually All Might. "All M-"
"Shhh!" All Might hissed, placing a finger over his lips to emphasize.
"R-Right, sorry, uh…"
"Yagi Toshinori."
"Sorry, Y-Yagi-san," Izuku corrected.
"It's alright," All Might said. "Young Jiro and young Yaoyorozu told me that you've made your decision."
Izuku nodded. "Some things… happened recently and they made me realized… if I want to become a hero, I'll need to get stronger. I know that sounds a little selfish, but it's true. My power is pretty amazing, but there are plenty of limits that push it back. And mumblemumblemumble…"
All Might sweat-dropped as Izuku began to mumble… again. "I think I get the picture, kid," he interrupted.
"Uh, right," Izuku smiled nervously. "I guess what I'm saying is… I'll become your successor."
All Might let out a deep sigh of relief. "Good, kid. I don't know what I would've done if you said no."
"Huh?"
"Uh, I mean, uh, excellent decision, young Midoriya."
[Nice save.]
Izuku sweat-dropped.
"Alright, let me see what you can do first before I pass the torch," All Might continued. "Take off your shirt and pants so I can inspect if your body is ready."
A little nervous, Izuku took off his clothes until he was just wearing his boxers, allowing All Might to inspect his body closely. "Hmm, good muscles," the number one hero complimented, checking Izuku's muscle structure. The muscles on Izuku were meant for fighting, not for show like some bodybuilders.
"Ordinarily I would have suggested training a little, but your body is already a worthy vessel strong enough to use One for All without your limbs exploding into pieces."
"Explode!?" Izuku shivered at the thought of his limbs flying off his body. 'Guess I have Tannin-sama's training to thank.'
"But, one warning I must give you. You have to learn how to handle at least one percent of One for All's output soon before the Quirk begins to stockpile power," All Might said before buffing up. "Let us not waste any more time, young Midorya! It is time for you to inherit One for All, a power that has been passed down for generations!"
Izuku straightened up his posture, his arms straight and hands touching his hips, in an almost military position. "I'm ready, All Might! I won't let you down!" Izuku said as he prepared himself to take the mantle as the next holder of One for All.
All Might then plucked a hair from one of his bangs. "Eat this!"
"…Huh?"
Cocytus, the deepest part of the Underworld, there was little to no light. The only source of light here came from a large pillar of ice in various hues and shades of purple. Inside of this pillar was Kokabiel. Frozen in the ice with a look of anger, despair, and agony.
All was silent in the dark area, until, in a fountain of dark energy, a figure appeared. "Well, ain't this pathetic?" The figure said mockingly, walking towards the pillar of ice. Whoever it was, they were wearing a black cloak and a black hood over their head, hiding their face. "You came so close to getting the war you wanted so badly, only to be beaten by a kid. And if that wasn't enough, you're now stuck down here as a popsicle. If I was you, I'd lose my mind by now. …Hello~?"
The figure began tapping against the ice. "Can you hear me in there? No? Ah well…" The figure in black turned around. "While I doubt they'll get anything out of you, you're still a loose end I need to… tidy up. If they learn of my involvement, it'll make things harder. So…"
*SLICE!*
At lightning speed, the figure drew a sword out of thin air and neatly sliced Kokabiel in two, the upper half of the frozen fallen angel sliding down to the ground.
"Sorry, but you were only good for helping set the main stage. Now the fun can really begin." The figure disappeared through the same energy they arrived in, leaving Kokabiel to die.
AN:
Aaaaannnnd scene! We are officially done with the Holy Sword Arc! Man, this took longer than I had thought.
I think the hardest part about this chapter would be Izuku's response to Kokabiel revealing that God's dead. Another thing that tripped me up was figuring how everyone could get a shot in against Kokabiel.
But anyway, now everyone knows the truth about God, the White Dragon Emperor has appeared, Xenovia was branded a heretic by the church and has become Rias' second knight, Irina kisses Izuku again, Kokabiel's dead, and Izuku has accepted All Might's offer. Given some of the threats later down in both the DxD Light Novel and MHA manga, he'll need it.
And before you ask, no, the hooded figure who helped Iida and pointed Hyde to U.A. and the hooded figure who killed Kokabiel aren't the same person. They don't know the other exists, but they'll both play VERY important roles later.
Also, I decided to FINALLY give you an update for the harem: Rias Gremory (main girl), Uraraka Ochako, Shiozaki Ibara, Yaoyorozu Momo, Tokage Setsuna, Jiro Kyoka, Xenovia Quarta, Shidou Irina, Ravel Phenex, Asui Tsuyu, Melissa Shield, Hatsume Mei, Toujou Koneko, Milia Takamaki (OC), Toujou Kuroka, Rossweisse, Liana Kozuki (OC), Kendo Itsuka, Kodai Yui, Hadou Nejire, Ashido Mina, Le Fay Pendragon, Hagakure Toru, and Yura Tsubasa.
Anyway, next time we'll finally get to the sports festival! A nice, fun set of chapters await. Until then stay safe and stay healthy. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!