Schlink!
The sound of wet meat hitting the pavement echoed through the abandoned warehouse. A stray devil looked up into the slowly darkening sky, reaching for a salvation that never came. Its killer stood idly by, calmly sheathing her blade as it listened to the death rattle that came from the Stray Devil's mouth.
Her mismatched eyes were devoid of any remorse or emotion. To her, this was just another monster slain. A paltry side objective to what she truly came here for. As she left the premises, a familiar sensation tickled her senses. She looked up, turning and seemingly staring at nothing in the distance. Her hollow eyes lit up with a small flicker of emotion for the first time in centuries.
She took a step forward. The ground trembled slightly with each step. The air pressure around her grew heavier, causing the metal around the warehouse to creak and groan as the strain on their bodies increased.
"Four years… it's been four years since we've last seen each other, my foolish student," the woman said softly.
Her white hair blew gently in the generated breeze.
"No."
Ichika felt as if she had been slapped in the face. Sophia and Shin stood off to the side while Ichika argued her case to Rias. Shin could sense the frustration building up within his childhood friend. Her face was in a rare display of anger and fury.
Ichika slammed her hands against the desk, causing Akeno to jump slightly. Rias stared back unflinchingly at her.
"No means no. This isn't our case. It's Shin's now," Rias said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Besides, I can't let you run into a church. Even if they are pests in my territory, I can't move. My hands are tied. Your actions reflect on me as a Devil of my peerage. Your actions can be interpreted as mine.
"Fine, then I'll go by myself. I can tag along with Shin. As long as I don't reveal I'm a devil, it should be fine right?" Ichika argued.
"You? Go with Shin. Are you really that stupid? After all that effort Shin and I went through to bring you back, are you really going to go back in there to throw your life away? You'll die for real this time," Rias replied.
Ichika clenched her fists. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she tried to think of anything. Any method she can use to run to Asia's rescue.
Rias's gaze softened when she saw her Pawn's distress. "Look—"
"Then I'll go with Shin."
Rias raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I'll die if I go by myself, right? It should be okay if I go with Shin and Sophia," Ichika said.
Rias remained silent and glanced at Shin out of the corner of her eye. Ichika caught this and turned to him.
"Shin-chan! I know you don't want me to go but please! Please let me go with you!" Ichika pleaded.
"No."
Her face fell at his answer. She tightened her jaw and furrowed her brow. "Why not—"
"You'll only slow us down."
His blunt response was like a stab in the heart. Ichika took a step back in shock and stared at her friend incredulously. He had said it earlier to her when she asked if she could come but hearing it again in such a brutal manner was too painful for her.
Ichika glared fiercely at her childhood friend.
Shin refused to back down from her stare. "What are you going to do there? It's just going to be me, Sophia, and Sona. The three of us can't protect you all the time. Just forget about running into the Church and—"
"Asia did nothing wrong! She's innocent! How can all of you just sit here and wait for an innocent girl to die!? Sophia!" Ichika honed in on her.
Sophia blinked in astonishment and pointed warily at herself.
"Wasn't your mission to bring the Saint back? Why are you just standing here!? I can be back up too! Tell Shin and Rias that I can help!" she pleaded.
Sophia bit her lip and looked between Shin and Ichika. "Er… while I don't doubt your ability to defend yourself, these aren't your standard judo opponents, Ichika," she said carefully. "Besides, I believe this is a matter between you and your childhood friend… as a third party, I shouldn't be involved, haha!" she laughed nervously, driving an elbow into Shin's side.
Shin almost winced from the sudden bump. He sent her a slight sideways glare. As he refocused his efforts into dissuading Ichika, Ichika spoke up. "You once told me that a Faulkner never turns down anyone in need!" she said.
"And you!" Ichika rounded on her King.
Rias almost wanted to shrink in her chair from the immense pressure that the younger girl before her was radiating. "Wasn't blowing away the enemy the Gremory's way of doing things? Of protecting the people we care about? Are your words as empty as your soul?" Ichika snapped.
A look of offense crossed Rias's face and she glared at her pawn.
The two stood off, glaring at each other before Rias let out an exasperated sigh. "That girl is a servant of God. I cannot get involved with the enemy. I'm risking a lot letting a member of the Inquisition poke her nose around my land—"
"Technically, the Shinto Gods own this land—"
"Not now, Shin," Ichika snapped.
"And even if you vouch for her and say she isn't our enemy, there's just no way. You'd best leave this to Sophia and Shin. You going will only complicate things so just forget about her," Rias said.
Fury bubbled beneath Ichika's skin. Her eyes began to flicker as flecks of white began to creep up her hair. As she was about to continue screaming, Akeno walked over and whispered something in Rias's ear.
Her face turned serious. A grave expression unlike anything Ichika had ever seen was present on her usually calm and friendly face. "Shin, you and Sophia go. Akeno and I have to deal with something."
Sophia raised an eyebrow. She made a few hand signs to Rias.
"You're going?" she signed.
"Yes. Something came up and Sona won't be able to provide an assist. Something about her older sister detecting something in Kuoh," Rias signed.
"Wait! I'm not done with you!" Ichika said.
"Ichika, I'm going to overlook your blatant disrespect for my authority just this once. But before I go, let me tell you a few things. First and foremost, during our excursion two nights ago after the whole Phenex debacle, you believed that pawns are the weakest piece, correct?" Rias asked.
Ichika blinked and raised an eyebrow, unsure of where she was going with this. "Y- Yeah?"
"That right there shows that you have no idea how to play chess. Pawns have an ability that sets them apart from all other pieces and that ability is called [Promotion]. Simply, put as long as you step foot in anywhere I deem enemy territory, you can become any other piece save for the King," Rias said, smiling.
"What does that have to do with—" Ichika's eyes suddenly grew wide. She looked at Rias for a few seconds before opening her mouth to talk. However, nothing intelligible came out.
"What? No! NO! Rias, what the hell!?" Shin yelled.
"I have no choice now. Something came up and she can't go with you two—"
"Then why the hell are you allowing Ichika to go now!? I thought we were on the same page!" he said in frustration.
"There's been a change in plans—"
"So what? Now that Sona can't go, Ichika can suddenly tag along! She's not ready!" Shin snapped at her.
"I get that! I really do but… Shin, is this really about her?" Rias asked.
"What… What the fuck are you talking about? Ichika died under your watch… do you want her to die under your watch again!?"
"Excuse me!? My watch!?" Rias stomped toward him, glaring angrily at Shin.
"Yeah, your watch! You're supposed to be the administrator of the town! This was your responsibility! Was Ichika's life really that worthless to you that you didn't even have proper fucking security monitoring their every move!?" Shin shouted.
"How dare you!? How the hell was Ichika supposed to be my responsibility!? You! She was yours! You're her childhood friend! If anything, the fact that she was killed by Fallen Angels was because you fucked up!"
The pressure in the room skyrocketed. A blue aura began to radiated from Shin's body, clashing with the crimson aura of Rias's. The wind in the room picked up and the building shook violently. Magic circles began to appear behind Rias just as weapons began to manifest behind Shin.
"That's enough!" Sophia stepped forward. Her voice caused their auras to recede under the force of her own. "Rias! Enough!"
Rias hesitated for a few seconds before retracting her demonic power.
"Shin. Stop. Now," Sophia commanded.
Shin glared fiercely at her, his aura refusing to retract. Sophia narrowed her eyes and stared him down, her aura clashing with his full force. Plants around the room began to wilt and decay rapidly as the two stared each other down.
"Down now." There was no room for argument in Sophia's voice as the intensity of their auras kept rising. Cracks began to appear across the entire room as it struggled to contain the weight of their power.
After a few seconds, Shin let out a sigh. The ethereal blue weapons faded into harmless pixels. He stalked off to a corner of the room and leaned against the wall.
Rias let out a frustrated sigh. "I get how you feel… Shin. But you can't cage her forever. She's going to have to face this. I'm sorry. I really am… but eventually, Ichika will fight things much worse than Fallen Angels. Wouldn't it be better for her to face it while you're watching over her? That way… she won't become like Mi—"
"Don't you fucking say her name…" Shin growled.
Rias nodded. "Ichika, don't do anything stupid. I don't have any pieces strong enough to revive you." With that, Rias and Akeno vanished in a flash of red light.
"Shin…, I'm going," Ichika said softly.
"You… you really are reckless, aren't you?" Shin sighed.
"Well, I guess that's your problem now, isn't it? For once," Ichika grumbled.
"And so are we."
The three turned to see Yuuto and Koneko standing at the door. "We overhead everything Buchou said. As a fellow member of the peerage, I won't let Hyoudou-san go alone to the Church."
"Yuuto…"
"I don't like how you smell," Koneko said. "But… Buchou is right. A member is a member. As your senior, I shouldn't let my junior run into a Church with an exorcist of all people." She gave Sophia a pointed look.
Sophia blinked, wondering why everyone was sending her such hostile stares today.
"I still don't approve of this. You just reincarnated. I don't care what Rias says. I'm not going to risk your safety just so you can run in there and save Asia," Shin said.
Ichika narrowed her eyes. "And since when did I need your approval? Last time I checked, you weren't the King of the Gremory Peerage. Rias gave me permission to go."
"As your childhood friend and someone who's worried about your safety, think about what you're doing. You're running into an active battlefield without a plan!" Shin said.
"Plan? We have yours! I can just follow what you do!" she snapped.
"This plan didn't account for me having to protect a sitting duck!" he fired back.
"A sitting duck! Is that what I am now? Fallen Angel target practice!?"
Sophia, Yuuto, and Koneko shrank as their argument began anew. Ran hid herself behind Sophia's legs as Shin and Ichika's voices grew louder with each passing minute. The two, who were normally close enough to be described as a married couple, were now bickering viciously. Barbed insults flew across the room as they traded verbal blow after blow.
"Aren't you the responsible one!? Where in your mind did you think that running into a den of every possible thing that wants to kill you was a good idea!?" Shin snapped.
"And I told you I'm not going by myself! I have you, Sophia, Koneko, and Yuuto with me!" Ichika fired back.
"Bringing you along will just double our burden! You barely survived the fight at Aniki's place! Do you think you won't die this time… and for real!?"
"Burden…? Is that what I am to you now? Well, sorry for being brought back to life and being a load for you to carry, Shin! Maybe you should have just left me to bleed out and die in the middle of the park seeing as how you don't even care about me at all—!"
Sophia got in between the two and split them apart. "Okay! That's enough! Both of you stop now!" Her eyes glowed, causing the pressure in the room to suddenly increase.
Shin and Ichika panted slightly before looking away from each other. Ichika stalked off to where Yuuto and Koneko were standing, both of who were too stunned to say anything.
"Ichika, you and I will talk later. And you!" Sophia grabbed Shin's cheek and pulled it. "Your older sister told me to put you on a leash since she knew this might happen— not in the way she hoped but still! Like it or not, our collaboration is with Gremory and not Sitri right now so Ichika is going and that's final! This is my mission and if this is the cards I'm handed, then I'll play it."
Shin swatted Sophia's arm away and rubbed his cheek. "Fine…"
Sophia smiled. "Then let's go"
The Church at the edge of town had been abandoned for years. Yet, despite that, there was somehow still regular maintenance on it from the town's government. Having dilapidated property was bad for revenue and attracting new residents. The Church having residents was no one, not even the current Devil Administration had hoped to anticipate.
Sophia projected a map of the Church before them. "The altar and sanctuary are probably crawling with exorcists. God only knows what kind of rituals—" Sophia looked up when she saw the devils wince from the word. "Anyway, there's a basement underneath the altar. When I scouted this place a couple of nights ago, I found it. If I were a betting girl, I'd say that's where they are. We just have to move the slab."
She dispelled the holographic map.
"So… you and Shin have been doing this for a while. Is there like…a good way to enter?" Ichika asked.
Shin and Sophia exchanged glances.
"We can just open the front door. This place isn't guarded anyway," Sophia said.
With that, she walked up to the gate. A black mist covered her hand and she grabbed the lock. Almost instantly, the lock, along with the entire gate crumbled to dust. "Come on."
"I still don't like this," Shin muttered. He glanced over his shoulder at Ichika.
The girl caught his eye and looked away angrily.
"I understand how you feel. Trust me, I do. Losing your ward… and then losing her… I can't even begin to imagine how you must have been feeling at the time. But you need to give her a chance. You can't just keep her in the shallows forever. A fish has to swim into the open ocean eventually," Sophia said as they walked up to the church doors.
Shin closed his eyes and sighed. "Let's talk about this later after we finish the job." Blue light gathered within his hands. He nodded to Sophia and pushed the door open.
Emptiness was the one thing the two didn't expect upon entering. However, their senses immediately told them that there was danger. Shin scanned the area, eyeing the empty pews as they made their way down the nave of the Church.
The altar ahead was stained with dried blood. The crucifix had a headless statue adorned on it.
"Creepy," Ichika said.
"Stray Exorcists are exorcists that have been excommunicated from the Church. Sacrilege is a common activity for them. As beings who were rejected by God, they think defiling places where God is worshiped is an insult," Sophia explained.
"Someone's here," Shin said. Ran began to growl at the altar.
The sound of slow mocking clapping echoed across the entire church as a familiar figure stepped out from behind one of the pillars on the altar.
"Well, well, well, isn't this a touching reunion! And we even have guests! Two shitty devils and a… member of the Inquisition?" Freed raised an eyebrow.
Shin narrowed his eyes. Clarent manifested in his left hand and a black and blue pistol on his right. "Looks like you're all healed up. I guess I need to finish the job properly this time." His soft blue light glowed within Shin's eyes.
"Oh? Oh? Ohhh?" Freed tilted his head in an insane manner.
"Where is Asia!?" Ichika demanded, fear having been forgotten.
"Who? Oh you mean the Saint! Pffft, ahahaha! My bad, calling her a Saint is a bit too much of a compliment! After all, a sow that runs around and becomes friends with devils is nothing more than a whore destined to burn, right? Maybe once she's done with the Saint, I can go a few rounds with whatever's left!" Freed licked his lips.
There was no reason in his eyes. Just pure blood-crazed insanity.
"Why you—!"
"Wait." Shin held his arm out, blocking her path. "Sophia."
"Got it." Sophia pulled a bladed weapon that was strapped to her waist. The blade unfolded along with the handle until it became a large menacing scythe. "Ahh, I haven't drawn Burial Blade in a while. I trust this guy won't go down in one hit like everything else?"
As soon as she said that, a putrid black flame wrapped itself around the blade.
"Ichika, Sophia and I will hold this guy off. You, Yuuto, and Koneko go down into the basement and get Asia. Ran will go with you," Shin said.
"But—"
"You wanted a battlefield situation? Well, here's one. Go do your part of the job."
Ichika clenched her fists but said nothing.
Ran barked and hopped off his shoulder. She ran up to Ichika and barked.
"Ran, turn into your human form once you get down there," Shin said, tightening his grip around Clarent.
"Yes, Master," Ran said.
"Strategizing are we? Did you think I'd let you get the one up on me like you did last time? Unfortunately for you, I won't be holding back anymore! Shitty devil worshippers like you should just—"
"First move wins."
"Huh?"
Freed's eyes widened as a gunshot cracked the air in the room. A blue beam of light pierced his shoulder, causing him to fall to one knee. He clenched his jaw and jumped as the Burial Blade's blade came crashing down atop him.
The altar was sliced in half along with the crucifix that hung above it.
"Go!" Shin said. He vanished from his spot.
Ichika clenched her fists as she watched sparks fly from where Shin and Sophia were engaging Freed.
"Ichika," Yuuto said.
"Right. Ran, I—"
"I'll be beside you, Ichika-sama," Ran said. Flames swirled around her body as she transformed.
Ichika nodded and the four made their way into the basement, leaving Shin and Sophia to fight Freed unrestricted.
Shin jumped back, avoiding Freed's light sword by mere centimeters. He jumped into the air and fired several shots from his pistol.
Freed swung his sword, parrying the shots. However, one shot made it past his defenses and struck him in the arm.
"Shit! Fuck!" Freed cursed. Warm blood flowed down his arms and onto the floor.
"Parrying Failnacht's bullets isn't easy. I have to commend that at least," Shin said as he twirled the pistol in his hand.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Freed's neck stood on end. He jumped, narrowly avoiding the blade of Sophia's scythe as it crashed into the ground. The rotten black flames that radiated from his blade began to corrode and eat away at the ground below it.
"Shin's right. You really do have good instincts. It's such a waste of talent that you're this shitty of a person," Sophia said, pulling the Burial Blade out of the ground. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have time for this and neither do the others."
Two pairs of pitch-black feathered wings unfurled from her back. The darkness of her wings faded to violet at the tips of her feathers. A misty black halo appeared atop her head.
"F- Fallen Angel? No, this feeling is different," Freed said as he tightened his grip around his sword. "You—! You're one of them! You're just like that damn white-haired bitch!" Rage began to bubble up within him. "Do you think I'd let someone like you… someone like that bitch kill me!?"
"Unfortunately for you, we're not asking," Shin appeared behind Freed.
Freed turned around, only to have Shin's fist connect with his jaw. Freed flew into the air where he was intercepted by Sophia.
Blood sprayed across the pews as Sophia sliced into Freed's side, tearing off a large chunk of his flesh along with it. Freed gritted his teeth and landed with a roll on the hardwood floor, holding his side.
A flash of blue lightning alerted him and he managed to dive out of harm's way as Clarent came crashing down on his former position.
Freed stared at his quarry with some fear in his eyes. The two kids before him weren't normal. Those two were monsters. Every animal part of his brain yelled at him that he was staring at a predator. There was no winning this fight no matter how much he tried to envision a path to victory.
"I guess this is what they call a crisis, huh?" Freed chuckled. His vision was swimming. He was losing too much blood. He eyed them carefully before reaching into his pocket.
Shin shifted his heel and shot forward at blinding speeds.
However, Freed had moved fast enough, spurred by his innate will to live. "As if I'd die here to shitty kids like you!" He pulled a small sphere from his pocket and threw it on the ground.
"Shin, watch out! It's a—"
Sophia's words were cut off as a blinding flash of light filled the room. Sophia and Shin were forced to close their eyes as the light overpowered their senses. After a few seconds, the light vanished.
Shin rubbed his eyes as his vision returned. He growled. "Damn it! Fucker had a flashbang on him. You okay?" Shin asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry about him. He's not our priority. Let's follow the others into the basement, okay?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah, let's go," Shin said.
The situation in the basement was not much better than it was upstairs.
As soon as Ichika and the others descended, they were almost immediately met with fierce resistant. Koneko's senses had pinpointed Asia right away. At the end of the hallway, tied to a cross in a mocking fashion was Asia.
However, between them and their target, there was a swarm of stray exorcists that stood in the way. And at the end of this sea of humans, the current target of Ichika's hatred stood, smiling in an almost mocking fashion.
"Fufufu, it's too late for you, Ryu-chan. The ritual is almost complete. Soon, I will take the power of this Saint for myself!" Raynare cackled.
A bright light began to surround Asia, causing her to scream in pain.
"Let her go, damn it!" Ichika said as she tried to fight through the swarm. A flash of red light appeared around her arms and legs.
[Boost]
Ichika ducked underneath the swing of a priest's blade before retaliating with a vicious palm thrust to their jaw.
"Ran! Can you get a good aim on them?" Ichika asked.
Tremors violently shook the ground behind her. Several priests went flying into the air at the force of Koneko's hits.
A swirl of black flames appeared around Ichika as Ran manifested by her side. She eyed the Fallen Angel and the Saint bound to the cross and smiled. "Something like this… is child's play for me, Ichika-sama." The flames around Ran swirled around her finger as she took aim at Raynare.
"Yuuto! Koneko! Help me cover her!" Ichika called out as she slammed her fist into another rogue priest. She wove around the swing of a light sword before grabbing her assailant and used them as a shield against a hail of oncoming light bullets.
"Ichika, remember what Prez told you! The power of a [Pawn]!" Yuuto said as he appeared in front of her.
Darkness began to cover his blade, or rather, the shadows began to take the shape of a blade in his hand. As soon as it made contact with a Priest's light sword, the shadows began to devour the blade.
"No way… is that also a Sacred Gear?" Ichika asked.
"No time. Focus. The objective is right before us," Koneko urged as she threw a punch at Raynare.
A blast of concussive air rocketed across the gap, plowing through what remained of the Priests.
"Ran! Just shoot!" Ichika called out.
[Boost]
Another surge of power flooded her body. She shot forward at Raynare. What I need right now is speed! Speed to reach them! Once Ran fires, it'll be all over! Come on, Ichika! You need speed don't you so promote! Promote to a [Knight]! She prayed.
Her body lightened. A sense of freedom filled her body and she suddenly felt like she was walking on air. Her body rushed forward at speeds her mind could barely keep up with. Her surroundings turned into a blur as she ducked, side-stepped, and danced around the attacks of the Priests that barred her path.
As she got closer to Raynare, a Stray Exorcist got in her way. He pulled a small glass bottle of water from his pocket. He grinned and uncorked the bottle.
"Ichika! Watch out! That's holy water!" Yuuto yelled as he sliced into a Stray Exorcist.
Ichika's eyes widened and she tried to weave around it, however, it was too late.
The Stray Exorcist splashed the entire bottle on her, soaking her upper body in Holy Water.
"What…? What the hell? I'm wet now?" Ichika slowed to a stop, glancing down at her semi-transparent uniform.
The Stray Exorcist in front of her was stunned into a stupor. Taking advantage of his shock, Ichika ran up to him, grabbed him and flipped him over her shoulder. The Stray Exorcist hit the ground hard, sending spiderweb cracks across the floor.
Before he could recover, Ichika drove her fist into his solar plexus, knocking him out.
"W- What the hell? How did that not—!?" Raynare's sentence was cut off as Ran's fire blast shot across the room, almost striking her head-on had it not been for a last-minute roll.
"No…. No!" Raynare snarled. She formed two spears of light and prepared to charge at Ichika.
"Ichi!"
She turned her head to see Shin and Sophia joining the fray.
"Damn it! Damn it all!" Raynare roared. Symbols began to rotate around her as she raised to throw one of her spears. "Taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to Heaven and broke and blessed the loaves… and he divided the two fish among the people…"
She threw the spear. What was one spear became hundreds.
"Ichi!" Shin rushed forward, appearing in front of her in a burst of speed. A violet cube appeared around the two, blocking all the light spears with great ease. After the onslaught ended, Shin lowered the barrier and scanned for Raynare. However, she had fled.
"Damn it! She's getting away!" Ichika broke off from Shin and ran after Raynare.
"Ichika, wait!" Shin yelled. As he tried to go after her, a Stray Exorcist tried to attack him, only to be reduced to ribbons of meat.
"Shin, grab Asia!" Sophia called out from the chaos.
"But Ichika—!"
However, it was too late. She was already gone.
Ichika ran up the stairs, using her newfound speed to easily catch up to Raynare.
"Tch! Can't you just give up!?" Raynare screamed. She formed another light spear and threw it at her.
Ichika darted to her left and dashed toward Raynare. Her newfound speed caught the Fallen Angel off guard. And before she knew it, she felt Ichika's palm connect with her stomach. A powerful force traveled through her and sent her flying up the stairs. She crashed into one of the pillars and fell down to the ground unceremoniously.
[Boost]
The announcement echoed throughout the church as Ichika slowly made her way up the stairs.
Raynare shakily looked up at Ichika.
"How… What are you? How are you not hurt!? You're soaked in Holy Water!?" Raynare screamed.
Ichika took a step forward.
"I've been through a lot of shit because of you, you damn crow. You're supposed to be a superior being right? How about we finish this then, here and now?" Ichika said.
[Boost]
"Impossible… I refuse to lose to insignificant scum like you…!" Raynare flapped her wings and took to the air. Light gathered around her, forming a bright pink aura that exuded a large amount of holy power. "This time! This time! I won't stop at skewering you! I'll make sure there's nothing left of you when I'm done!"
[Boost]
"Do you think that increasing your power a little bit can make you a match for me?" Raynare said. A twisted grin morphed her features. Twin spears of light manifested in her hand. She lunged forward at Ichika.
Ichika side-stepped a thrust before rushing in and delivering a volley of blows.
Raynare weaved around them, parrying each strike before using her spear to knock Ichika off balance.
"It's useless! Doubling your power can never bring you close to my level! If my power level is 1000, then by the time you reach it, you'll already be DEAD!" she cackled. She thrust the light spear at the downed Ichika.
Ichika rolled out of the way, hissing as the spear cut through her side. She ignored the blood that flowed freely.
"Does it hurt? Light is poison to devils," Raynare said, twirling her spear. "A low class like you should be melting on the inside by now."
"Really? I don't feel anything. Maybe your light isn't as strong as you think!" Ichika said, rushing into her and slamming her whole weight against Raynare.
Raynare stumbled. "—!?" she felt Ichika grab her underarm before flipping her over onto the ground.
She quickly rolled and took to the air a mere instant before Ichika's face could connect with her face.
"I have to admit… that one actually hurt a bit," Raynare taunted.
Ichika said nothing and widened her stance. She had taken this stance since the interschool tournament. She took a deep breath. Her eyes darkened as she locked onto Raynare.
"Oh? What's this? Finally broke? Have you realized that you're no match for me? Well, surrender is too late for you, Devil scum!" Raynare raised her arms, manifesting a dozen light spears behind her. "Let's see what kind of art I can make after I poke a dozen holes in that squishy body of yours!"
Ichika calmed her breathing. Her eyes remained solely fixed on Raynare.
"Ddraig," Ichika whispered. "You said to call you when I got back out here. Now's a really good time to heed your Empress's call…"
[Roleplaying, even during a moment like this.]
Ichika's eyes widened slightly. She opened her mouth to talk when Ddraig cut her off.
[Don't talk. Just think. I can hear your thoughts if you communicate to me in that manner. By the looks of things, there's a crow in front of you, Partner.]
"I know. You don't have to remind me—!?" Ichika darted to the right as the hail of spears began.
She rushed toward Raynare, moving in a zigzagging pattern. Small cuts opened on her arms and cheeks as her wide dodges soon became near misses the closer she got. Her focus never wavered as she barreled through the oncoming hail of spears.
[You've amassed quite a bit of power now. I think it's time you unleashed it into one decisive blow, Ichika.] Ddraig commented.
"One blow? How the hell am I supposed to do thaaaat?" She slid underneath a light spear aimed at her head before quickly recovering and continuing her charge.
[Sacred Gears respond to one thing and it's the user's desire. One mode you can use unleashes all that stockpiled power if you want it hard enough. But remember, that form will eat up your stamina. At your level, you'll be stuck in bed for about a day at most.] Ddraig said.
"What about that silver fire?" Ichika asked.
[I… I wouldn't dare to touch that.] Ddraig said.
"Then… let's see if I can use the magic, my loyal servant taught me." Ichika jumped into the air and made several symbols with her hands.
"O' Heaven, by divine providence. Crush this obstacle with the lion's fangs... Saigan Shishi"
She slapped her palms together before white rings appeared in front of her armored fists.
Raynare chuckled before throwing a light spear at Ichika.
"Let's see how well that flimsy stick can hold up!" Ichika punched the light spear, shattering it in an instant.
Raynare's eyes widened at the sight. "What! Impossible! How— Gaahk!" Raynare felt spit fly out of her mouth as Ichika's fist connected with the side of her face.
She slid back, holding her cheek. It took a moment for the shock she felt to give way to pain. "Y- You! How are you!? I'll kill you!" Raynare screamed.
"Kill me. If you were capable of that, you would have done it a long time ago. Face it, before a Dragon Empress, your power means nothing to me! Let's go, Partner. We still have enough to show this insolent crow what it means to stand before the Red Dragon Empress of Domination!" Ichika declared.
[Hah? Red Dragon Empress of Domination? How odd. My title was "Red Dragon Emperor". Fitting for you, Partner.] Ddraig mused.
[Explosion]
The gems on Ichika's Sacred Gear began to glow with a bright green light. The light bathed the room in an emerald hue. Ichika's smile widened as she felt an insane level of power rush through her body. A wispy red aura emanated from Ichika's body.
"It's time I unleashed my secret weapon!" Ichika said. Her eyes shifted color to a silvery-blue as flecks of silvery-white began to intermix with the reds of her power.
"!?" Raynare stiffened when she felt an intense pressure press down on her shoulders. "No, what is this!? This can't be possible! Isn't that Sacred Gear supposed to be a [Twice Critical]? Why am… Why do you have this level of power!? This power… it's something that belongs to a Mid… no, a High-Class Devil!?"
Symbols began to float around Raynare as she built up power in a desperate attempt to survive this ordeal.
"How you ask?" Ichika grinned. "Well, I'm a bit talented… you see!"
"No! NO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" she wailed. Her wings flapped as she took to the air. Lightning, fire, and ice manifested around her.
[The Seventh Plague of Egypt? This must be the strongest Miracle she can muster… unfortunately for her…]
Raynare threw her hands forward, firing the elemental onslaught at Ichika.
The ground beneath Ichika cracked under the force of her jump. She vanished as she shot toward Raynare.
The Fallen Angel scanned her surroundings frantically.
Ichika's body flickered into existence behind her. A silvery-white flame built up around the palm of her hand.
Raynare sensed her and quickly turned to ram a Light Spear into her. However, she wasn't fast enough. Ichika's palm strike connected with Raynare's chest.
A sickening crack echoed across the entire church. The shockwave of the blow shook the foundation of the entire building and blew away several pews.
Raynare flew and violently crashed through the wall at the back of the altar. She landed violently outside, kicking up a ton of dust in the process.
Ichika landed on the ground, panting as the power from her Sacred Gear began to wear off. "Prey slaughtered… no, wait, enemy slain? Ddraig, what's a good cool one-liner that epitomizes my power?" Ichika asked as she brushed dust off her ruined school uniform.
[You… You cannot be seriously asking me that question right now…] Ddraig sighed.
"Ichika!"
She turned around at the sound of her name being called. Shin and the others rushed out from underneath the altar. Asia was being helped by Sophia, who supported her as they ran up to her.
"Good job, Ichika. You beat that Fallen Angel by yourself," Yuuto congratulated.
"..." Koneko remained silent. She walked past them, making her way out the hole in the wall.
"Wow… Shin, you were worried about her?" Sophia whistled.
"Shut up…," Shin said.
Ichika turned to her childhood friend. "Well, I'm alive, Shin-chan. I beat a Fallen Angel by myself. Are you going to take back your words—."
"Idiot…" Shin walked forward and punched her in the arm.
"Ow! What the—!?" Ichika glared slightly.
"Good job, Ichi," Shin said, hugging her.
"...And people say I worry about you too much," she whispered, returning the hug.
"You do."
"What…? Way to ruin the moment."
The two pulled away from the hug and were met with odd stares from their friends.
"Are… Are you two really not dating?" Yuuto asked.
"No. Why?" the two responded in perfect sync.
"Er…"
"Ara, is the battle over already?"
Everyone turned to see Akeno and Rias coming out from the basement.
"When did you get here, Prez?" Ichika asked.
"Just a bit after. We had a bit of a hard time getting through the woods to get to the cellar door but we managed in the end. Looks like you finished off that Fallen Angel, Ichi," Rias said.
"Yeah, well, it took a lot… and I couldn't have done it without Shin-chan and the others keeping the Exorcists off me," Ichika said.
"Prez, I brought it," Koneko said, walking up to them. She dragged the struggling Raynare by the wings.
"Unhand me!" Raynare snapped.
"Fallen Angel Raynare," Rias said, walking up to her.
"Devil of Gremory… have you come to gloat about your victory?" Raynare sneered. "Killing off the other members of my team and then finally coming to me? You devils really are scum."
"Scum? Scum is reserved for those who target innocents for their own pleasure. You are the only scum here," Rias said disdainfully.
Shin stood off with Ichika to the side, listening to what would be a brief exchange between Rias and Raynare. He glanced over to Ichika, who stood and watched Rias with rapt attention. A small smile made its way onto his face. Maybe, things would be different this time. As he was about to open his mouth to talk to her, a sharp pain shot through Shin's left eye.
"W- What… No…" Lightning crackled around his eye as it flickered from black to red. He gripped the left side of his face, eyes wide in shock.
"Shin-chan?" Ichika asked, worried.
"You… You can feel her too…"
"What?" Rias asked, sensing a change in Shin and Raynare's demeanor.
"No… she can't be. Why would she be here?" Sophia asked, realizing what was happening.
"We need to go… now!" Shin urged. Red lightning crackled around his now blood-red left eye. "She's here!"
"Haah, I should've fought them. It would've been a good use of my time."
Mittelt yawned as she sat on a branch. Two devils had walked past her earlier, not even noticing that she was in the trees. Perhaps that's how well-crafted this vessel was. However, the two that came before could not compare to the thing that was approaching her position in an almost casual manner. Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about her next course of action.
In the end, she jumped down from the tree and landed on the ground to meet the person who so boldly approached her spot.
"Mmm? So… it is you. That bastard Kurt told me you've been hopping from country to country. As if those bastard Stars weren't annoying enough, you have to be involved too?" Mittelt asked. "What's next… are the Seven going to get off their thrones now too? Or maybe the Black Dragon will finally exit the Abyss?"
A red aura manifested around her, causing powerful gusts of wind to blow. The ground shook and the increase in pressure caused the earth to fracture.
"Two wings yet the power radiated belongs to at least a High-Class Fallen Angel…" Her snow-white hair blew gently despite the powerful gales. Her tattered scarf and coat billowed in the wind. The black button-up underneath her jacket became ruffled by the winds. "But then again, you're… not an Angel…" she said.
Her mismatched eyes glowed. A black and red aura manifested around her and reality and space became undone, cracking like glass around her.
Mittelt's eyes widened before a smirk spread across her face. "Losing this body… is going to be worth an attempt to jam a spear in your throat, God of Chaos." A jagged red spear formed in her hands before she lunged forward.
Yet, in the end, the only sounds that could be heard through the woods was the sound of metal whizzing through the air and meat being split in half.
The miracle Raynare used was Jesus multiplying loaves of bread and fish to feed the multitude.