I'm back with another translated chapter!
This will be the last daria update at the moment, most likely you will see the next chapter in 3 or 4 days.
In the last chapter a reader pointed out some mistakes I had made with the translation in the last chapter, and that is the fact that Xenovia repeated certain actions and/or sequences in several paragraphs due to a mistake. I apologise for that, as I didn't pay enough attention to notice it. There was also something that also happened to me when I first wrote the chapter, and that was the fact that I got Durandal's name mixed up. It was another lapse of attention, for which I apologise again.
Putting this little altercation aside, it's time to answer a review:
The Beast of Sanity: I'm glad to see that we're starting to see some improvements in the translation in these last chapters, it's a pity what happened in the previous one, although I think that more than translation errors, they were more my mistakes than anything else. I'm glad that you like the continued passionate development between Tiamat and Issei, and I hope that the introduction of Penemue will also be to your liking. Without much more to say, I'm very glad you're liking these chapters and I hope you'll continue to love the story until the end.
With nothing more to say, it's time to begin.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 15: DEMONS, EXORCISTS, CRAZY OLD MEN, SACRED SWORDS AND A CADRE!
"I would never have guessed that the bearer of the Welsh Dragon belonged to the Demons." Xenovia commented, as they were resting even in the created Dimension, along with Irina.
"It's a long story..." Issei replied. He was sitting on the grass along with the exorcists, as he waited for them and Kiba to recover.
"Looking back on it now, I guess it wasn't so bad talking to you guys." Xenovia's comment made everyone look at her in mild astonishment. "If you're with the Sekeryuutei, it means your chances of winning weren't as imaginary as I thought."
"Don't try to deflect the topic."
"Kiba!" all of his teammates exclaimed, seeing that he had finally woken up.
"You guys lost. Hold up your end of the bargain, and hand over the swords to me." Kiba commented with a certain coldness in his words.
"Huh?!" Irina exclaimed, completely startled. "We shouldn't have been so confident, Xenovia!" her companion reprimanded, causing Xenovia to lower her head, she was clearly sorry that she had let herself get carried away with her apparent superiority.
"I'm sorry, Irina." Xenovia apologized, looking away. "They all looked too weak..." The exorcist fixed her gaze on Issei. "I didn't imagine that the weakest of them could manage to multiply their levels in such an absurd way." Xenovia withdrew the sword from her back, intending to hand it to Issei.
Issei stared at the sword for a few seconds, thinking carefully.
"I was the one who won, so that means I get to decide what the deal will be, doesn't it?" Issei asked, receiving a look of intrigue from Xenovia.
"Well... yes, that's what we had agreed on. But weren't you both looking for the same thing?" She asked, looking at Kiba.
The blond looked at Issei, clenching his fists slightly for obvious reasons.
"On second thought, I'd like to make another kind of deal." Kiba tried to get up to interrupt him, but was stopped by Koneko.
"This is not the time for you to get carried away with your emotions, Kiba." The albino reprimanded him, causing Kiba to only grit his teeth.
"What kind of deal?" Xenovia asked with clear interest in the subject.
"You can keep the swords." He commented, a sly smile beginning to appear on his face. "But they must fight alongside us to stop Kokabiel."
"What?!" " Absolutely everyone shouted, without exception.
"Issei, it's absurd for the followers of God and Demons to fight together!" Akeno exclaimed, in a very disapproving tone. "Do you know what that means?"
"What's wrong with that?" Issei asked with an innocent smile on his face.
"We accept." The Demons looked at Xenovia with great surprise. "A deal is a deal." He said simply. "And blondie." She mentioned, causing Kiba to look at her coldly. "When this is all over, you can do whatever you want with the Excalibur shards." Hearing this, the blond blinked in surprise. "A sword that has caused so many people to suffer does not deserve to bear the title of Holy Sword." She concluded, rising to her feet.
"Hey, hey!" Irina squatted down at a frighteningly fast speed towards Issei, causing him to panic. "Why are you agreeing to help some exorcists?"
"I-I just, I don't want anyone to die." Issei commented, flustered by the sudden approach.
The two exorcists were visibly surprised by his response. "Not even us?" Irina asked, a cheerful gleam in her eyes.
"Of course not." Issei replied seriously. "That's why I invited them to form a temporary team. I know there are differences between us, but we all seek the same goal."
"And what is that goal?" Xenovia asked, looking over her shoulders at him.
"Not to let innocent people die for this." Issei stated with great seriousness.
The decisiveness and firmness in his words made the two exorcists stare at him for a short second.
"Let's go now, Irina." Xenovia commented, looking straight ahead.
"Yeah, yeah!" replied Irina, jumping to her feet.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the Academy after school to make plans." Xenovia commented. Both women started to leave, but before they left, Xenovia gave Issei one last look. "I almost forgot. Sekeryutei, I have a message for you." Hearing this, Issei watched her with great intrigue.
"The Hakuryuukou has already awakened."
After hearing that name, Issei could feel every inch of her skin bristle all over. He didn't know why, but just hearing that made his entire body go into a deep shiver that seemed to have no end.
Issei didn't understand why he had reacted like that, but if he could be sure of one thing...
That reaction couldn't indicate anything good...
LINE JUMP
"Join the exorcists?..." Rias stares at them, thinking calmly. "... I think that's not a very bad idea. At least, just this once." Declared the president, observing all her servants. The only ones not on site were Kiba and Issei. "We need all the help we can get to stop Kokabiel, and only someone with a very bad temper wouldn't accept help." She finished, with a smile as she saw that things were turning out better than she expected.
"How do you plan to use them?" Asia asked curiously.
"From what I was informed, they are much stronger than Kiba. Therefore, they would serve on the front line." Rias narrowed his eyes somewhat darkly. "That way, if anyone dies, it will be them and not us."
"Rias, I have a doubt." Koneko commented, with her typical neutrality.
"I hear you."
"How do we know we'll be enough to defeat Kokabiel? From what I understand, his power is much higher than Raiser." The albino commented, making it clear that they did not know the potential of a Cadre.
"In Kokabiel's case, he is known to be the weakest Cadre. That doesn't mean it won't be a problem, but I think all of us together and with Hyoudou's help it will be a piece of cake." Rias sorted through his papers, giving them all one last look. "If things get complicated, Sona will take care of calling my brother and Serafall. Obviously, I wouldn't want to go that far, because I'd like to prove to Sirzechs that my nobility is powerful enough to enter the Rating Games, despite not being complete."
"Of course, I hadn't thought of that last one..." Akeno clarified, ducking his head. "It's a perfect opportunity for you to rise above the other Demons of your generation."
"That's right." Rias nodded, with an ambitious smile. "I want to prove to the Demon World that I am far better than my cousin."
"But, for them to accept those terms, you'll need a ridiculously strong servant." Koneko made her point, taking a sweet.
"Speaking of which..." Rias raised his gaze, denoting great intrigue. "Where's Issei?"
The three women looked at each other seriously, then turned their gaze to their mistress. "We think the matter may be a bit delicate."
Rias blinked expectantly after listening to Akeno, waiting for the answer.
LINE JUMP.
"Concentrating a large amount of magic without using a Magic Circle is very tricky. Don't bother if you don't even get it in a few months." Tiamat commented, studying with her gaze as Issei was trying to release all his magical reserves in his hand, but he was barely carrying a small violet orb that was barely visible. "Personally, it took me over four months to be able to perfect the attack I demonstrated to you earlier."
Seconds passed, and he got no response from Issei. Which she found very strange.
She looked up, to see that Issei's face seemed to be... different than usual. He seemed to be very worried about something.
Obviously, this was something Tiamat wasn't going to let go of, being someone so important to her.
"Hey, Issei, are you listening to me?" Tiamat asked, standing up and passing her hand in front of his eyes, causing Issei to wake up.
"Oh!" The protagonist exclaimed, destroying what little concentration he had, causing the small robe to disappear from his hands. "I'm sorry..." He apologised, looking away. "It's just that I heard something..."
Hearing this, Tiamat quickly sat down in front of him. "What's troubling you?" she asked, hoping she could help him.
"Yes..." Issei rubbed his hair, giving a big sigh. "It's the Hakuryuukou, he's already woken up. And, I honestly don't know what to think. Ddraig has always told me that all the bearers end up killing each other. The battle to the death between them is fated." Issei looked Tiamat in the eye, denoting great uncertainty in his gaze. "Being one of the two bearers, I suppose my fight against him won't take too long to happen..."
"Are you afraid?" Tiamat's question made Issei's eyes widen beyond belief.
"...Afraid?" he wondered aloud to himself.
"Yes." Tiamat replied. "Fear of dying."
Issei rubbed his hair, as he thought carefully about the question. "I think... I think so..." Issei lowered his gaze, a depressing smile on his face. "I'm a coward, aren't I?"
Tiamat looked at him for a short second without saying a word, until finally a smile appeared on her face.
She rested her hand on Issei's shoulder, giving it a small comforting squeeze, causing the young man to look at her with great surprise.
"That's not true." The dragoness declared with great conviction. "Being afraid of death doesn't make you a coward, it makes you someone."
"It makes me someone?" Issei asked, not quite understanding what she was referring to.
Tiamat brought her hand to Issei's cheek. "It makes you someone, because you can feel." Tiamat used her free hand to bring Issei's hand to her chest, making him able to feel her heartbeat. "Do you feel it?" The dragoness asked.
Issei couldn't help but avert his gaze with a small blush, but he was still able to answer.
"Yes..."
"Now, tell me..." This time, Tiamat brought Issei's hand to his chest, entwining her hand with his so that they could both feel the heartbeat. "Do you feel anything?"
After the question, Issei couldn't help but look up at her to answer her. At that moment, it was when he could notice the small blush that accompanied her cute smile.
Her light blue eyes were shining with an uncharacteristic intensity.
It only made her look more and more beautiful.
In fact, the impact was so great for Issei that all sound became inaudible, accompanied by absolute darkness. All she could see and hear was Tiamat's beautiful figure, along with the beating of her heart.
Suddenly, the voices of his friends Matsuda and Motohama began to be heard in his mind, only to be followed by the voices of his precious club mates.
"I can feel it..." Issei replied, with a smile. "I know why I'm afraid of dying. I wouldn't like to forget my best friends, I wouldn't like to forget my mates, I wouldn't like to forget my mistress..." Issei would fix his gaze on Tiamat's face, causing her to blink with intrigue. "But above all things, I would not like to forget you."
Issei would give her a tight hug, causing a large blush to shoot across Tiamat's face at his action and his cute words.
Even so, she didn't take long to respond to him, showing him how fond she was of him with a single hug.
"I can feel, thanks to you. I wouldn't want to forget you for anything in the world either." She would cling even tighter to the embrace, sinking her face into Issei's neck. "And I wouldn't want to lose you for anything in the world either. That's why I'll protect you as often as it takes."
"That will be so, only until I become stronger than you." Issei commented with some amusement, drawing a small chuckle from Tiamat.
The dragoness broke away from Issei slightly to look him in the eyes. "Still not giving up, huh?"
"I'm not going to!" Issei exclaimed with a toothy grin.
"It'll be hilarious when he finds out I'm one of the 4 Dragon Kings..." Tiamat thought.
"Well, shall we get back to training?" Issei asked with renewed energy.
"No." Tiamat replied, separating herself completely from Issei. This caused the chestnut to look at her with confusion. "Being afraid is fine. What's not fine, is letting yourself be controlled by fear." Declared the dragoness more seriously than usual. "At least for today, we will be doing special training..."
"Special training?" Issei asked with slight enthusiasm, though it was quickly overshadowed by a growing terror as she watched a large, icy, terrifying aura begin to surround Tiamat.
"That's right." Tiamat would cross her arms, just as a grim look graced her face. "Special training to control your fear."
Several hours later...
Tiamat would appear in Issei's room via a celestial magic circle, laying the brown-haired man down on his bed.
You could clearly see how Issei's soul wanted to leave his body at all costs.
"I think I've gone too far..." Tiamat would rub her hair, seeing how Issei was feeling.
Just as he was about to leave, she gave him one last look. Her eyes glowed warmly, and she proceeded to cover him.
"See you." She said softly, giving him a small kiss on the forehead.
LINE JUMP.
"I still find it incredible that you agreed to work alongside them." Irina commented, moving her feet happily on one of the pews of the Church that had been vandalized long ago.
"As I said before, a deal is a deal." Xenovia clarified seriously, eating the noodles calmly. "Besides, I must admit that the Sekeryuutei's help will come in handy." The exorcist looked up from her, narrowing her eyes seriously. "When we attacked him, he was moving so fast that we couldn't even see his movement. In fact, it seemed like he was using some kind of magic to get our attacks through him. It was impressive."
"Do you think that will be enough to defeat Kokabiel?" Irina asked, starting to eat with her friend.
"I don't know. I'm sure the Sekeryuutei used all of his power against us, but I can't say the same for Kokabiel." Xenovia replied, looking intently at her noodles. "For that reason, we must not trust each other."
"Yeah!" Irina exclaimed, raising her hand with joy.
Xenovia started to stir her noodles, remembering the talk she had with Issei.
To be more specific, she remembered the very noble goal that she had mentioned.
"Do you know something?" Irina looked at her friend with great intrigue after hearing her tone of voice. "After what your childhood friend told me, he makes me believe that the disappearance of the Demonic Corruption are not mere rumors." She concluded, with a small smile on her face. "No Demon would want to defend innocent people."
"You think so too?!" Irina exclaimed with a big smile on her face, being answered by a nod from Xenovia.
LINE JUMP.
"Have we all met yet?" Rias asked with his typical smile, seeing that his servants and the exorcists were sitting on the chairs, while all the Sona Nobility was at the entrance together with the aforementioned.
The only one missing from the meeting was Kiba.
"What do you think if we organize the plans and don't waste any more time?" Xenovia asked, clearly uncomfortable being surrounded by so many Devils. Luckily for her, she'd had to share a place with the only Demon she'd liked so far.
"She is right." Issei nodded. "Kokabiel is already in the city. We don't know if he could attack in a week, or today."
"There's no need to be so uptight." Rias clarified with a nervous smile. "We already discussed everything with Sona. We know what roles each one will have in the fight."
"Considering that the Academy is our Territory headquarters, Kokabiel will attack this place without a doubt." Sona stated seriously. "The plan is for me and my Peerage to create a powerful shield so that no one can teleport from the inside out, and vice versa."
"I get it. That way, the enemies won't be able to escape." Xenovia said. "But are you well aware of the risks involved?"
"Of course." Sona adjusted her glasses. "If the situation becomes critical, I will remove the spell and call the Maou and my sister."
"And why not do it now?" Xenovia asked, narrowing her eyes in great suspicion. "We would save ourselves a lot of trouble."
"What do the details matter?" Rias answered her, making Xenovia look at her carefully. "You lost the previous bet, so you don't have the right to question anything." Rias put her hand to her face, giving a small sigh. "If you want to know the answer so badly, Sirzechs and Serafall are too busy to attend to a problem like this."
The tension began to be felt in the air, making Issei swallow hard.
After Xenovia and Rias were staring at each other, the exorcist finally relented and closed her eyes.
"I guess you're right. It's not my concern what the Demons do. Oh more, what they DON'T do." A small mocking smile shot onto Xenovia's face after her last words.
"I think you have a lot of experience with it." Akeno declared, covering her mouth to hide her typical smile. "After all, they have completely failed to recover the Excalibur fragments."
"Can we focus, please?!" Issei got up from her seat with a big jump, cutting off the heavy atmosphere that was being generated in the small room.
"You're right, Issei." Rias sighed. "This is no time for silly discussions." She clarified with great seriousness. "Listen well. As we already know, Kokabiel is in league with that Freed guy, and the creator of the Holy Sword Project, Galilei. The latter won't be a problem, but Freed is something else. He will use the already unified Excalibur fragments to fight, and that will be a big problem for the Devils." Rias looked at Xenovia and Irina. "For that reason, I want you two to lead the attack on him, while we take care of Kokabiel."
"I'll also take care of Freed, and Galilei."
Everyone looked towards the entrance in surprise after hearing a familiar voice.
"kiba!" Issei exclaimed with joy, after seeing her partner again at the Club after several days.
"I'm glad you're back, Kiba." Koneko commented with a small smile, something out of the ordinary for her.
"Issei." Issei looked at him expectantly at the mention of him. "At first, I was angry with you for denying me the chance to destroy two fragments of the Excalibur. But then I thought about it with a colder mind, and I think you're right." Kiba tightly clenched his fists. "The best option is this."
"Very good, Kiba." Rias cleared her throat of her, causing the blond to look at her with a bit of pity.
"President..." he said, not even being able to look at her face.
"Don't worry. We can fix our misunderstanding later." Rias clarified, causing Kiba to look up from her in genuine surprise. "Then, you too will fight alongside the exorcists."
"Yeah!" She responded without delaying more than a second, kneeling down to show him respect.
Issei could only smirk seeing that the team seemed to be back.
"Issei."
"Yeah?" The protagonist immediately turned his attention to his mistress after hearing her call.
"You will be the most important in the operation." Rias's words caught him a bit off guard. "We will support you, you have to kill..."
Rias could not finish issuing his orders, since a huge tremor occurred in the Club.
"What the hell is going on?!" Saji exclaimed, after almost falling over due to the huge tremor in the place.
"It's here." Sona declared with absolute seriousness, making everyone stand up from their seats and grab their respective weapons.
"You know the plan, let's go!" ordered Rias, receiving a nod from everyone.
LINE JUMP.
Kokabiel was sitting on top of Kuoh Academy, waiting for his potential victims while tapping on the roof with his fingers, indicating his impatience.
After waiting for several seconds, a big Machiavellian smile appeared on his face when he saw how Rias appeared running from the Academy's garden, along with his Entourage.
"You finally show up." Kokabiel declared with his smile still valid. "I was beginning to get impatient on this long night."
"Kokabiel!" Rias exclaimed, looking towards the top of the Academy.
Kokabiel's smile twisted into a serious look when he noticed something strange. "Wait a minute..." The Fallen Angel searched his gaze. "Where is the brat Sitri? I can still feel her energy around this place..." The answer fell instantly as a huge violet-colored barrier completely covered the entire Academy, causing Kokabiel to take a small surprise.
"I see..." he said seriously, and then a creepy smile appeared on his face. "So, some mere Reincarnated Devils and the bratty Gremory think they can beat me?" he asked himself, laughing at them.
"It's the least I could expect. After all, the Gremory is a spoiled brat who has no idea of the power I possess. But I didn't expect that from the Sitri, since she had a reputation for being more or less intelligent." Kokabiel thought with a mocking smile.
"Sure she's runny she must have convinced her." Kokabiel thought, fixing his gaze on Rias. "After all, they both live in a bubble. I'll be very amused when they deeply regret not calling their brothers from the beginning." Kokabiel raised his hand, making a small snap with his fingers.
"But for now, I think I can have some fun..."
Rias and his Entourage watched as two figures made an appearance after Kokabiel's snap.
"Oh?" Freed was the first to speak, fixing his gaze on Issei. "Long time no see! How have you been, you fucking Demon?!" Freed asked, with his typical psycho smile.
"Did they teleport in with the barrier? No, they're already at the Academy before." Thought Rias, slightly serious his gaze. "I wonder if he's hiding something else..."
"We will be your opponents." Xenovia, Irina, and Kiba stepped forward, pointing their respective swords at him.
"Oh I see!" Freed exclaimed, waving his sword like a moron. "The three of you want a rematch? They can come at the same time, I don't care. The result will be the same!" Declared the deranged exorcist, making his sword shine with great intensity.
"The only thing I ask of you is that you don't get in my way." Kiba declared, taking a step forward.
"That should say me." Xenovia replied, imitating the blond's action.
"By the power of the Church, and by the power of God, you will be punished for your crimes!" Irina exclaimed, joining the duo.
"That remains to be seen, whore!" Freed yelled, disappearing from the place like the other three, starting their fight.
Kokabiel lowered to the ground, causing the remaining people to look at the Cadre cautiously.
The Fallen Angel looked up from him, denoting an evil smile on his face. A smile that had to be slaked with blood.
"Do you think they'll be able to make it?" Saji asked, being able to keep the barrier active with some difficulty.
"The only thing we can do is trust them." Sona declared solemnly.
"I guess the numbers don't favor you too much, Kokabiel." Rias sneered, crossing her arms with a smile.
"Numbers? Do you think I would need more allies to kill vermin like you?" Kokabiel asked, laughing at Rias' baseless confidence. "But you're right." A sinister smile graced the Cadre's face. "If we even up the numbers a bit, this will be a lot more fun and interesting."
Rias blinked in disbelief at his words. "What do you mean pair up?"
Kokabiel's smile intensified even more at the question.
The Cadre raised his hand to the front, creating two magic circles where two terrifying dogs with three large heads appeared.
"Summon Cerberos from the Twelve Gates of Hell?!" Rias exclaimed in complete disbelief. "Only Ultimate-Class Devils are supposed to have access to the Inner Abyss of Hell…!"
"Ha ha ha!" Kokabiel laughed out loud. "That's right! Killing that wimpy Demon in the Great War at the end was of any use to him!" he exclaimed with a sadistic smile on his face.
One of the Cerberi went in the direction where Freed was fighting, causing the fight to be interrupted.
"Thanks, I really needed a little hand, boss!" The exorcist exclaimed with a mad smile on his face.
"How annoying...!" Xenovia whispered under her breath. "Irina, take care of the damn dog!"
"OK!" The exorcist exclaimed with a big smile on her face.
"I guess there's no other choice..." Rias said to herself. "Issei, we'll take care of the Cerberus!"
"OK!" Issei took a big leap, sliding behind the Cerberus with ease.
"Ohhh...?" Kokabiel put a hand to his chin with a smile. "Do you have that much trust in this guy?"
"I'll make sure to subdue him, until he gives up, President!" Issei exclaimed, putting the gauntlet in front of her face to emphasize her words.
A reddish energy completely surrounded him, indicating that he had been accumulating a large amount of augments without anyone noticing.
"Issei, this is not a Rating Game!" Rias yelled at him, dodging an attack from the Cerberus. "This is a real enemy, you can't risk it! You have to kill him!"
Hearing those words, Issei's eyes widened.
"...Kill him?"
"That gauntlet..." Kokabiel thought aloud in amazement. "I see... It wasn't just rumors..." He concluded, making a huge sick smile appear on her face. "This could be much more interesting than I imagined from the beginning."
"*Partner, this is not the time to hesitate!*" Ddraig exclaimed, releasing Issei from her internal fight.
"Y-yes..." Issei's answer only made Ddraig worry even more.
"If he continues with those human thoughts, this won't end well..." Ddraig thought, gritting his teeth.
"Let's see what you're made of, wielder of Ddraig." Kokabiel commented, crossing his arms. "But before we start, I'd like to make you a proposition." Issei looked at him with great curiosity. "I can let you live after our fight, if you agree to join me." Kokabiel raised both of his hands with a big toothy grin. "What do you say? In addition to having exciting and unforgettable battles every day, I also promise you all the women you want!"
"Do not be ridiculous..."
"As?" Kokabiel looked genuinely surprised. Hardly anyone dared to insult him.
"Do you think I'm going to abandon my classmates and friends, just to save my butt?" Issei's question sounded more like a threat, causing Kokabiel to look at him in astonishment.
"Hm hm hm! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Kokabiel laughed out loud at the unexpected attitude of his opponent. "Very interesting!" Kokabiel got into a fighting stance. A serious expression graced his face for the first time. "So... let's get started!"
Issei tightly clenched both of his fists, trembling slightly.
"*What the hell are you doing, partner!? Use Balance Breaker!*" Ddraig yelled in his mind.
"No... First I want to see if it's necessary... Maybe I can come to my senses with him."
"* Damn! There is no way to reason with a guy who is blinded and obsessed by bloodshed! Don't be naive! *" Ddraig tried to make him reason, but his words were of no avail. .
Issei quickly charged at the Cadre with various kicks and punches. The Fallen Angel was able to block each of them with great ease. His serious look turned to a disappointed one, thinking that he had expected too much from the guy in front of him.
"You don't even make me sweat..." Kokabiel commented, blocking all the attacks without breaking a sweat. "Are you really the Sekeryuutei?" The cadre sneered, clearly disappointed in the demonstration he was receiving from Issei.
"Be quiet!" It was the only thing Issei could say, trying to hit him in vain.
Kokabiel was having it easier, he even took the trouble to look away from him to Freed, to see how his fight was going.
"Stop moving so much, you fucking bitch!" Freed yelled, attempting to slash Xenovia with the Excalibur fragments that had been assembled.
"Without a doubt, combat is made much more difficult with the Excalibur's abilities combined." He declared the exorcist, doing a backflip, then rolling on the ground to dodge various slashes, finally jumping up to clash his sword with Freed's. "It would be a big problem, if she was fighting alone." She finished, with a smirk.
Freed gritted his teeth as Kiba appeared from behind him, hoping to end the match by splitting him in half with his demon sword.
Seeing this, Kokabiel caught Issei's fist as he blocked it. Following that, the protagonist punched him with all his might in the abdomen that did not flinch the Cadre, causing Issei to widen her eyes in disbelief. Kokabiel raised her hand to where Kiba was, creating a small magic circle that began to materialize a strong ball of golden energy.
"Kiba, watch out!" Issei yelled, intending to get in the way of the attack, but since Kokabiel was grabbing him, it was impossible for him.
The attack went off in less than a second, creating a huge explosion on the spot.
Freed and Xenovia flew out of the dust, but they hadn't taken any damage.
After a few seconds, the dust completely dissipated, seeing that there was a crater of considerable size, where Kiba seemed to be fairly well. Or so it seemed, since he was standing with light scratches on his body. His sword was missing, apparently.
"That cockroach..." Kokabiel said with a smile. "He just deflected the path of his sword to block the attack. He survived by a miracle."
Kiba wiped the sweat from his face, while trying to control his erratic breathing.
"I heard that an experimental subject managed to escape." Kiba looked up from him, clenching his teeth tightly. "And of all things, he became a Demon." Galilei commented, approaching the weakened Kiba. "I have to say that I am grateful, because thanks to you my goal was achieved."
"Did it come true?" Kiba asked, not understanding what he meant.
"The holy will that the experimental subjects had was not enough for a Holy Sword." Galilei raised his finger, to emphasize his next words. "Then, I came to a conclusion. I just had to divert that subject's will!" He clarified with a sadistic expression on his face.
Hearing this, Kiba couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
"And I did that, crystallizing it." Galilei removed a small blue crystal from his pocket. "This is the crystallized holy will of that moment." Kiba looked at the stone with a frozen expression. "And now this is the last one left!"
Freed laughed out loud, getting up from the floor. "Except me, all the bodies broke and died trying to integrate the crystal into their souls!" Freed raised the Excalibur with great pride. "When you look at it like this, you'll see that I'm really super super special!"
"That's what someone puts on when performing the ritual to use a Holy Sword…" Xenovia thought, remembering that she and Irina had to use it.
"Those hypocrites tried to get rid of me, while shamelessly taking the results of my research." Galilei explained with a maniacal grin on his face. "Now they try to divert the holy will without killing the subjects." I conclude, laughing.
"That means there was no need for us to die back then." Kiba declared, getting fully to his feet as he glared at him with great hatred. "Because?!"
"You were just experimental material." Galilei shrugged. "We had to get rid of you once the objective was achieved."
"We always believed it was a just death..." Kiba clenched his fists tightly, trembling with hatred. "We were just... we were just disposable materials?" Kiba wondered, unable to believe everything he was hearing.
Galilei threw the stone at his feet. "You can keep it if you want." He commented with complete confidence. "We are capable of mass-producing something much more refined than that."
Kiba grabbed the crystal, as a melancholy look crossed his face.
"Flees!"
"Leave us and run!"
The voices of his friends came like a painful memory to his mind, causing him to squeeze the glass tightly with both hands.
"...How could he have done something so cruel?" Issei wondered out loud, not being able to believe what she was hearing.
"This is the Supernatural world, brat." Kokabiel's words made Issei look at him. "It is normal for misfortune to persecute the weakest."
"All of us..." Kiba squeezed the crystal even harder, causing it to start to glow. "We die..." Kiba started to mumble, his face remaining obscured by his hair.
"Didn't you listen?" Freed asked with a psychotic smile. "You died in vain!" He yelled with great joy, causing Kiba's body to start trembling greatly. "Do you want me to repeat it to you again?!" The sadistic tone in his voice was unbearable. His maniacal laughter was cut off instantly when he saw something strange about the blonde.
The blue aura began to change into a black one, expanding around Kiba.
"Hate."
"You hate it?"
"Kill him."
"Destroy it."
"Finish it."
"Tear it to pieces."
"Don't leave anything of him."
Voices began to haunt Kiba's head, making the hatred in his heart intensify even more, increasing the black aura that was surrounding him.
Galilei watched all this with wide-eyed eyes. He couldn't understand what was happening.
Kiba opened his hands slightly, revealing that the blue crystal slowly began to turn black.
When the darkness took over the crystal completely, the darkness that was around Kiba entered his body, and the crystal shattered into pieces.
"It doesn't matter that you are in league with a Cadre. Vengeance will be mine." Kiba fixed his gaze on Galilei, making the old man take a step back, startled.
"*Doesn't that remind you of something, Issei?*" Ddraig's words made the protagonist listen to his mind. "*It's the same as when you got your Balance Breaker. The only thing different, is that you got it through goodwill.*"
"Ohhh..." Kokabiel looked at the blonde with crossed arms.
"I'll make sure..." Kiba materialized a completely black sword, which contained a thin golden line down the center. "To avenge them. It's all of them. It's us." Kiba pointed his sword at Galilei, intending to cut him into a thousand pieces.
"Free!" Galilei yelled with great fear, being instantly attended to by the aforementioned, getting in the way of Kiba.
"Kiba, smash the Excalibur!" Issei's scream made Kiba look at him. "Show that your Balance Breaker is stronger than that cursed sword! Show that your will is stronger!" Issei exclaimed with great confidence.
"Issei…" Kiba looked towards his enemy, flashing a small murderous smile. "Of course my will is strong. Otherwise, I would never have gotten here. If I hadn't had a strong will, I would never have sold my soul to the devil." The blond thought, increasing his smile a little more. "Everything, to savor this moment."
"Of course you will, Kiba." Rias declared, releasing a great power through a magic circle that finished destroying Cerberus at last. "You are the Knight of the Gremory Clan. A Holy Sword like Excalibur is nothing to you." Kiba just nodded at his master's words.
"I guess my time to get serious has come as well…" Xenovia commented, throwing the Excalibur shard at Kiba's feet, then taking out Durandal through a magic circle.
"That sword?!" Galilei yelled, taking a step back.
"Duranda...?" Kokabiel wondered with a smile. "Interesting." He concluded, starting to get bored of blocking all of Issei's punches.
"Are you seriously going to use Durandal?" Irina asked, dealing with the Cerberus with a bit of difficulty. "It's better for me, so you end that fight quickly and help me finish off this rude dog." She concluded, dodging the bite of all three heads in one leap. Seeing this, Rias and the rest of her decided to help her to finish off her less important enemies quickly.
Kiba looked at the Excalibur shard seriously, then gave a slightly evil smile. Him breaking her into a thousand pieces with his sword.
"That?!" Freed yelled with great exaggeration, jumping back.
"There's one..." he would say to himself, fixing his gaze on Freed.
The deranged exorcist would glare at him with great rage, pointing his sword at him.
"Remember that your opponents are two." Xenovia commented, joining Kiba.
"Damn..." Freed whispered seriously, then flashed his psychopathic smile as usual. "It cuts them into a thousand little pieces!"
"I'm starting to get bored!" Kokabiel exclaimed with great impatience, grabbing Issei's face with great force, making the young man cry out in pain. "I can't believe that such an interesting guy is being the most boring in my last battle before the Second Holy War starts..."
Kokabiel threw him with great force to the ground. Issei clutched his head as she got up off the floor, watching as Kokabiel slowly approached him with a disgusted look on her face.
"What the hell are you doing, Hyoudou Issei?!" Xenovia yelled, cornering Freed with great ease thanks to his skill and sword. "Use Balance Breaker once and for all!"
"Balance Breaker?" Kokabiel wondered with wide eyes. "So, if you can be much stronger..." The Cadre broke into a huge smile. "I see, don't you plan to use it?" Kokabiel disappeared from Issei's sight, making the protagonist blink in disbelief at such speed.
"Shit! Am I seriously going to die for a fucking Reincarnated Devil and a whore?!" Freed yelled with great rage, being completely cornered by the two swordsmen.
Just as Xenovia and Kiba jumped in to finish him off, the guy disappeared without a trace.
"That?" Irina and those of the Rias Nobility shouted when they saw that the Cerberus had also disappeared.
"If you don't plan to use it, I guess I have no choice but to force you." Kokabiel's voice made everyone look up at him, seeing how Kokabiel was flying, noting for the first time his pair of wings. The other two were standing on top of magic circles, waiting for the show to start.
"Damned...!" Kiba started to fly in the direction of Galilei, intending to cut him into a thousand pieces. "You won't escape!"
"Kiba, wait!" Rias shouted, but it was already too late.
"How naive..." Kokabiel declared, raising both hands with a creepy smile on his face.
When his hands reached the top, everything went into slow motion.
A strong purple light completely covered the entire site.
Kiba slowly widened his eyes in horror as a huge amount of purple magic circles covered the entire place.
All the others reacted much the same way as the blonde, completely frozen by what they were seeing. Even the Sitri Nobility were completely speechless at what they witnessed.
The blinding purple glow intensified even more, causing Kokabiel's smile to intensify even more.
Before the purple glow completely blinded the place, it could be seen how Issei ran towards her companions in slow motion, while a red glow completely surrounded him.
The last thing that could be seen, was Irina throwing herself on top of Xenovia to protect her.
After the entire site was decorated by a purple light, Kokabiel's next words were heard:
"Let the Second Great War begin...!"
A huge crash was followed by a large amount of dust, dirt, and debris that covered the entire barrier.
The magical barrier did not take a second longer to break, hearing numerous screams from the Sitri Nobility. Having nothing to contain it, all the destruction caused by the attack dispersed even beyond the area with great rapidity due to the magnitude of the attack, resembling a second burst.
The sound of the numerous explosions finally subsided, at the same time that the earth and the debris stopped advancing, falling to the ground.
The consequence of that devastating attack was a huge curtain of dust that had left everyone completely blind, if anyone had survived such an attack.
After several seconds of silence, a red aura could be distinguished from the dust and debris.
"They are fine?!" Issei yelled loudly. His figure was slowly revealed, seeing himself with his crimson armor on, except for his helmet.
"Yeah." Rias declared, seeing that her friends were also in perfect condition. "You arrived just in time to defend us." I finish, trying to make out something among all the dust, just like the others.
Issei remained with his arms open, ready to create another barrier over his companions if necessary.
"Look!" Asia pointed, making everyone look in the direction.
Everyone widened their eyes in shock when they could see that Kuoh Academy had been completely destroyed, leaving only a few pillars and rubble scattered around the place.
"It didn't even take him a second to prepare the attack..." Akeno said what everyone was thinking, unable to believe the rate of destruction he had caused.
"If it hadn't been for Issei..." Koneko stated, seeing how all around her was destruction.
"Shit, Kiba!" Issei exclaimed, widening his eyes like he couldn't. A feeling of utter tranquility invaded his body when he could make out how Kiba emerged from the rubble of Kuoh Academy. Though he quickly fell to his knees on the ground, gasping for air as a large number of grievous wounds graced his body. "Hold in there!" Issei shouted, with the intention of going to help him.
"Awesome." Kokabiel's voice made Issei stop instantly, looking in various directions.
After much of the dust cleared, Issei and the others were able to watch as Kokabiel and his companions landed unscathed on the ground.
"This time it wasn't for the sword..." Kokabiel crossed his arms, keeping a serious look. "It's amazing that he could withstand the attack." A big sadistic smile flashed across his face, after looking at Kiba's injuries. "Although he managed to survive by sheer miracle."
"Irina!" Everyone, without exception, shifted their gaze to Xenovia who was screaming inconsolably.
Issei's eyes slowly widened, opting for a completely transfixed, flabbergasted expression.
Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the figure of how Xenovia tightly hugged the limp and bleeding body of her friend as tears ran down her face.
Xenovia's broken gaze glared at Kokabiel's neutral face with great rage.
"Damned...!" She got up, carefully supporting her friend's body on the ground. "God won't let you get away with it!" She screamed loudly, grabbing Durandal off the ground.
"Who?!" Kokabiel asked, wiping away a hate. "Do you plan for a dead man to stop my plans?"
Xenovia widened her eyes in shock after hearing that.
"... What did you say...?"
"Oops! I'm not supposed to say that!" Kokabiel exclaimed, then covered his face and began to laugh out loud. "But I'm starting another war, so it doesn't matter anymore! God died during the First Great War!" Xenovia's eyes began to twitch at what she heard, slowly approaching madness.
"God... is he dead?" Rias widened her eyes as she couldn't after hearing what she heard.
"It can't be… you have to be lying…" Xenovia's legs started to shake.
"With the death of God, Pure Angels cannot reproduce or be created. Pure Devils and Pure Fallen Angels are rare. Right?" Kokabiel commented with a gloomy look on his face. "Didn't you find it weird that the Three Factions started recruiting humans after the Great War? That's because all three of them stooped so low!" Xenovia's legs increased in trembling of hers, falling to her knees on the ground. "The Angels, and Fallen Angels who heard the news, decided to keep the secret to protect all humans who believe in God."
"Lie. You lie." Xenovia declared, on the verge of fainting from all the mixed emotions.
"That doesn't matter now." Kokabiel stated, clearly annoyed. "What really annoyed me, is that because of the death of the Demon Lord and God, everyone decided to stop the Great Holy War." Kokabiel put her hand to his chest, taking it strongly. "I can't take it! I can't! I need to kill! I need another war that lasts forever, I want to quench my endless bloodlust!" Kokabiel's eyes filled with uncontrollable fury. "All because of the idiot boss we have, and the stupid woman who abandoned her bloodlust for killing a human girl! Fuck me!"
"But…the prayers…he always received them…" Xenovia stated, still trembling.
"Hmph!" A small smile appeared on Kokabiel's face. "Michael is doing great."
"It can't be..." Xenovia slowly turned her face to Irina's body, making her eyes go dull. "You died protecting a lie..." Those were her last words, as she fell completely fainted to the ground.
"I already understand it!" Galilei exclaimed, raising both hands with a maniacal grin. "That explains why the blond brat can use a Holy-Demonic sword!"
"Indeed." Kokabiel agreed. "It's obvious that his sword is tainted by demonic power, but it still has a small drop of Holy Power on it."
They all seemed completely overwhelmed by the talk.
Everyone except Issei.
The protagonist cared little about the death of God. He still couldn't take in what had happened.
"She...she's dead?" Issei continued to stare at her, his face expressionless.
"Why did he kill her? For pleasure?" He asked himself.
"Does he dirty her spirit, just for taste? Does this guy's taste equal life itself from her point of view?" Issei slowly turned her face, fixing his gaze on his opponents.
"Who will be next to sate her taste?"
"Are you listening to me?! Hey!" Kokabiel yelled at Issei, giving a small sigh when he saw that he didn't answer. "I guess my plan to make this more fun won't do. What's the point of using your Balance Breaker, just to save your teammates?" Kokabiel crossed his arms, completely indignant.
Issei could only limit himself to watching him.
His mind was not blank.
His mind was completely saturated.
There was a knot that he needed to break so that he could move.
That knot was his morale.
"I'm tired of talking!" Freed flashed a big murderous grin. "It's time for me to pay you back, you fucking blonde!"
Rias and the others widened their eyes in horror, when they saw how Freed charged at Kiba with a huge leap at full speed, using the power of the Excalibur.
Kiba tried to get up, but couldn't even materialize a sword. He could only watch as the Excalibur was a few meters from going through his head.
...
He only expected the end ...
...
"Do you think that without killing anyone you will be able to protect your loved ones?"
"Will you protect your ethics and morals, no matter if it destroys your life?"
"Is there any value in someone who does not value the lives of others?"
When the sword was about to touch Kiba's face, Issei appeared out of nowhere on top of Freed, breaking his spine with one blow and destroying his entire body with just the impact, generating a huge crater on the ground.
Issei raised his face while Freed's blood soaked into his face, glaring at Kokabiel.
Kokabiel raised both eyebrows at what he had witnessed.
One by one, they all opened their mouths in complete shock at what they had just witnessed.
He killed him with one hit.
He killed him...
That's right, the memory of the talk with Tiamat had managed to break that knot completely...
END OF CHAPTER!
There were some problems with the translator in the middle of the translation, but I think I was able to fix everything for the most part.
Remove some things, change the essence of others, and add new things. The term of the Twelve Gates of Hell will be very important in the future, but at the moment it will not be talked about too much. I just want to clarify that the Cerberus have NOTHING to do with Hades. These are simple monsters coming from one of the doors, which when the time comes we will go into more detail about that.
I wanted the death of God to remain a secret that the Demons did not know for reasons that will explain themselves later. That is to say, basically it seems the same, but the reality is that the motive is quite different from the cannon.
The Kokabiel fight consists of three phases. This was the first. The second will be the inevitable one vs one. The third will be a surprise.
Once again, thanks for the support. I'm always excited to see that my ideas can be liked by people.
As always, I hope you liked it and see you in the next one!
Have a good day!