I do not own Fate/stay night or High School DxD.

"I gradually fell from grace; alas, you dove in headfirst!" – Ahmed Mostafa

The distinct sound of steel clashing against steel reached my sensitive hearing, so, I gazed in the direction it came from as I evened out my senses.

It permeated the air, both holy and unholy elements, even from this distance. Abandoning all thoughts of a quiet evening, I ducked into an alleyway before leaping onto the closest rooftop.

With my steps as light as a feather, I ran across several rooftops at an incredible pace. Having taken countless precautions to keeping my identity hidden, I stuck to the shadows of the night, clinging to them as though they were the very layer of skin attached to my flesh.

From my vantage point – a decently sized three-story home – I focused onto the street below. Though it was blanketed by the darkness of night, a single streetlight flickered on and off, indicating its dire need for maintenance. However, what drew my attention were the sparks of light that flew from various parts of the street as the two swordsmen clashed fiercely.

The light flickered once more, and standing beneath it, with golden hair magnifying his princely features, a frown of utter loathing marred his visage. Still dressed in the academy's uniform – now tattered – Kiba Yūto appeared as though he were an avenger prowling the night.

In his hands, he wielded a sword that seemed to glow with darkness, a terrifying thing of beauty that caused my hairs to rise. His hands moved weakly as his laboured breaths shook his exhausted body, his posture becoming weaker with each passing moment.

Yūto was on his last legs.

A shrill laughter tore through the darkness as my gaze focused on the individual. Garbed in clerical robes, the maniacal grin on his lips was not one befitting an exorcist. Though I had yet to meet this man, it was the blade that forced a frown onto my features. I knew him.

Freed Sellzen.

Once a promising talent for the Church, he was exiled for his terrifying lust for battle that marked him as an indiscriminate murderer, leaving countless bodies of supernatural beings and humans in his wake. My fist tightened at my side.

He was one of the few targets that had eluded me.

"Holy Eraser! "

Yūto attacked, dark tendrils extending from his blade towards his opponent. They wrapped around the jagged Holy Sword, but the blade began to glow, disintegrating the Demonic element of the writhing serpents.

"Yeah, that's not gonna work." Freed lolled his tongue before dashing towards Yūto. "My Excalibur's made for killing Devil shits like you!"

My gaze narrowed at the glowing blade.

I had learned of this world's Excalibur not too long ago, and it had further cemented the fact that while both worlds were similar, they were not the same.

Artoria Pendragon's Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, was like no other. A legend so vast, so glorious, that it embodied the essence of humanity through the hands of the King. It was perfect.

It is unbreakable.

Regardless of how it ached my heart upon discovery, this world's Excalibur had etched itself into the history of the Church. It remained a potent with Holy Power, and even in its fragmented state, it was extremely poisonous to the creatures of the night.

As Freed was about to clash with Yūto once more, my hands readied by my side as mana coursed through my circuits. Choosing to ignore the consequences that would come with abandoning my cover, I made to grab the hilts of the married swords that were taking form. I will stop this meaningless slaughter.

However, my intervention was not necessary.

A concentrated ball of destructive energy shot past Yūto and burst into an acidic wall that halted the swordmen's advance. Appearing from behind the blonde boy, Rias snapped her fingers and spikes jutted out of the other side of the wall, causing the stray exorcist to retreat.

"You bitch! Are you trying to kill me?!" Freed grinned maniacally. "That's a dangerous little spell you have there!"

"I will kill you." The words were spoken with such clarity that it caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. "Two times you have invaded my territory and that is two times more than necessary to warrant your death."

Then, Rias, pointed a single finger in the direction of the exorcist and a beam of crimson energy cut through the air, striking the flat side of the Excalibur fragment as he guarded. Freed was pushed back by the incredible force, skidding to a halt several yards away, tilting his sword and deflecting the attack to the ground.

The ground smouldered from the heat, turning the tar into a lava-like substance. Freed panted, his brushing of hands with death appearing on his visage, before a scowl replaced it and he readied to attack. However, a small green magic circle appeared next to his ear and he released his stance.

"Well, smell ya later, little Devils!" He cried before leaping into the darkness.

I clamped a hold onto my mana to avoid detection and my favoured weapons broke into specks of light, illuminating the shadows I hid within. With a quick glance towards Rias catching Yūto, I retreated.

After leaping down onto the streets, I followed behind the exorcist as discreetly as I could.

I watched as my Knight panted from exhaustion and studied the numerous injuries that he had received from the Excalibur fragment. Though poisonous to Devils, the shallow cuts that covered his body were not life threatening. He would survive.

To think that something as dangerous as that fragment is in my territory.

I had been tending to Issei and the rest of my peerage at his home. They'd been going through his family's photo album, laughing at his baby pictures, when Yūto spotted a peculiar object that triggered a vicious memory.

The boy had left so abruptly, and I had sent a familiar to follow him closely. But due to some stroke of a Devil's luck, my Knight had walked into Freed Sellzen murdering a priest. I glanced towards the – now – cold body by the end of the street, its essence pooling beneath it. I shifted my gaze from the corpse to focus on a single rooftop.

Before my spell flared, I had sensed and spotted it, a figure hidden within the shadows of the larger home next to it. Initially, it had registered as a human, similar to those within the confines of their homes. But I couldn't sense its presence.

Until I could.

A well of mana so vast appeared and vanished so quickly, I thought it to have been my imagination. It had distracted me, leaving me unable to efficiently manipulate my power as the exorcist struggled against it. As curious as I was to know, protecting Yūto was my top priority. I was confident that I could hold my own against the psychotic exorcist, but I couldn't risk his life.

Freed Sellzen was infamous for his reckless abandon that would have dragged the civilians from their homes and into the midst of our battle. So, I chose to keep him at a distance while being wary of the unknown. Without my peerage, taking down the madman would have become a difficult affair.

No. My prime directive is to protect my servants and this town's citizens. Everything else comes after that.

Glancing back to the rooftop, I wondered what attracted so many supernatural beings to our territory. Fallen Angels, Stray Exorcists, and even beings that hid themselves under the guise of man.

It isn't just about the Sacred Gears anymore.

There is something else brewing in our territory and it worries me that I do not know what it is.

Following after him was exceedingly simple.

For someone who had barged into a town governed by Devils, he acted as though there is nothing to fear. Granted, he wielded a blade that could harm Low-Class Devils with its mere presence, I supposed the Excalibur fragment served well enough to deter any Devils from approaching him.

I crouched above the rooftop of a modest house located towards the edge of the town. Anything beyond this street was outside the Devil's control. It made sense why they chose to gather there. Unfortunately for them, Freed had broken the only unwritten rule that maintained peace between the Three Factions.

I extended my senses, the barrier surrounding the abandoned warehouse not deterring me for more than a passing moment. While it was an average one in this world, it paled in comparison to the Bounded Fields that the humans of my world crafted.

Two.

One individual walked out of the warehouse at a sedated pace and welcomed the stray exorcist. My eyes narrowed at his bespectacled visage, with garbs belonging to the Holy Priests of the Church that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I knew of this man, too.

Valper Galiel, the Twisted Priest of the Holy Sword Project.

His actions made my stomach to churn and my heart to be filled with an unadulterated fury. His crimes had been hidden by the Vatican, and instead of stopping him when it mattered most, they had allowed his experiments to continue.

For the greater good.

It did not help that the research had assisted the Church and Heaven for the better. But even as my heart pounded within the confines of my chest, this burning anger did not wither away.

I let out a calming breath as I reached out to my familiar. As strange as the feeling may be, I was connected to my dove, Yona. She served as both a messenger and as a connection between myself and places that I could not physically infiltrate for one reason or the other.

"Where's the boss?" I heard, recognising the voice to belong to Freed. "And how come its still the two of us, old man?!"

"Our Lord will return with his forces on the morrow, my boy." An aged voice spoke. "Soon, we will complete our mission here, and all will be well."

"I just wanna kill more of those fucking priests and Devils." Freed cackled madly. "You should have seen the look on the face of the Devil I fought tonight! He thinks he can destroy my Excalibur! Hah!"

Valper chuckled amusedly. Despite his elderly façade, the tone that his voice carried was of a nauseating intelligence akin to that of a predator.

"You'll get your chance to kill him. That test subject has caused me more grief than I can account for."

With narrowed eyes, I watched the two men walk into the abandoned building, their backs retreating before I eventually turned away. Yona landed on my shoulder a few moments later and began to nuzzle into the crook of my neck, an effort to calm my raging emotions.

I rubbed a finger under the dove's wiry neck. "Sorry."

I was connected to my familiar, and she to me. Whatever emotions I felt extended and resonated within her as she was essentially a part of my being, a manifestation of my soul given form.

A handful of heavenly familiars were created in this manner. Some gave more of their souls to create familiars that they could partner with in battle like Griffiths, while others such as myself relied on smaller creatures like doves or messenger birds. I didn't need to worry about who would defend my back during battle.

I am enough.

It was the following morning when I sensed their arrival before they knocked on my door.

I didn't know what to expect when I had received the message from my superiors about reinforcements being sent from the Vatican. It could mean anyone, really.

There were few extremely skilled exorcists, such as Shidō Toji and Nero Raimondi. But those two were currently based elsewhere, so they were out of the picture. Although, considering the severity of the mission, I wouldn't be surprised if they were to assign the role to someone just as skilled.

What I didn't expect is that they would send two girls a year or two my junior.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

I refuse to believe this.

The search for the stolen Excalibur fragments was a mission of the highest priority. I had been allowed to handle it since I was qualified and that I was already within the territory, but I had been expecting more experienced exorcists as reinforcements.

"It is an honour and a privilege to meet you, Master Emiya." The blue-haired girl bowed deeply. "I am Xenovia Quarta, an exorcist of the Vatican and a Holy Sword user."

I blinked in surprise.

"And I'm Shidō Irina, also a Holy Sword user from the Protestant. It's very nice to meet ya, Senpai." The chestnut-haired girl waved excitedly.

Okay. Perhaps, they weren't as unqualified as I initially believed them to be.

"You two girls must be the reinforcements." I offered them a smile before making way. "Come in. You must be hungry."

The two girls walked into the house, Xenovia strutting in stiffly while Irina paused to take her shoes off and leave them by the door. She nearly leapt towards Xenovia, who turned in surprise, before following her partner's lead and taking off her shoes as well.

The pair of exorcists were dressed in white cloaks covering everything underneath. Although, I could see a bulge protruding from Xenovia's back. Seeing as they were still standing, I walked up to the stove to continue with my cooking.

"Don't just stand there." I gestured towards the dining table. "Xenovia, you can place your weapon anywhere. This house is pretty sturdy, so don't worry about it damaging anything here."

I returned to my work and continued to prepare a meal that would be enough for the three of us. I vaguely heard a dull thump when Xenovia laid her weapon against the wall.

Aside of Irina humming to an airy tune while kicking her feet under the table, the silence would have been too awkward.

Xenovia, it seemed, was the quiet type. Stoic and precise, she was the kind of exorcist that followed through with any order they were given. Their almost zealous belief in their superiors and faith made them some of the most prejudiced individuals in the Church.

I would have to be firm with her.

Irina, however, seemed to be the flexible type. Clearly the more vocal of the two, she probably served as the negotiator if things came to it, so it was possible that she was less prejudiced. Then again, exorcists were anything but prejudiced.

The older ones at least.

"Oh! That's a cute bird!" Irina started and I glanced over my shoulder. "What's its name?"

Irina stood in front of the bird stand, studying the beautiful dove. As if to revel in the praise, she turned and fluttered her intrinsically woven wings as though to humour the girl with her majesty.

"That's my familiar, Yona." I chuckled. "Don't praise her too much. It might get to her head."

I turned around and began to set up the various plates and cutlery on the table. The girls' eyes widened at the amount of food that I presented before them; Irina even seemed to drool. I placed several plates and bowls of miso soup, natto, a vegetable salad, mixed rice with ikura, and a tray of grilled fish.

"Dig in." I all but commanded.

As they dove into the assorted breakfast, I reached into the cupboard and opened a packet of refined seeds for my familiar. A few moments later, I took a seat at the round table and served myself enough food to last me until lunch break.

Breakfast was a nice affair. There were claims of my food being godly from Irina, and admonishment from Xenovia for the name being used in vain. I took it all in stride.

This scene somewhat reminded me of home.

After I'd summoned Saber, Sakura and Fuji-nee were adamant on staying with us in case something happens or whatever they assumed. It hadn't been a quiet affair at all. Saber would gobble up any and everything I cooked, saying that " hunger is the enemy." Fuji-nee would complain, and Sakura would side with her during some occasions.

And that was before Rin joined us.

"Sir." Xenovia's call shook me out of my thoughts. "Thank you for the breakfast."

Glancing down at the table, I realised that the two had been starving. Most of the plates had been wiped clean that it almost made me laugh.

"It's fine. A senior's duty is to take care of their juniors after all." I placed down my chopsticks. "With that said, we have much to discuss."

The girls' attention focused on me at that very moment. Good.

"The Vatican tracked the Excalibur fragments to this town, Kuoh, after they were stolen nearly two weeks ago." I nodded in agreement. Our information matched, so I let Xenovia continue. "But given that this town is controlled by Devils, we were advised to proceed with caution."

"What did you have in mind?" I raised a curious brow.

As young – younger – exorcists, this was a learning experience for them should they survive. Any experience would help them handle future situations appropriately, and if they were wrong during this one, a superior would guide them along the correct course of action.

That is my duty at this moment.

"We were going to demand that the wretched Devils allow us to proceed with our mission lest they seek their own deaths." Xenovia stated plainly.

Of course.

"Ask." I stressed. "Regardless of your opinion of them, Xenovia, this is still their territory."

I noticed her about to retort, so I raised a hand. I understood why she would go along with that method. It was a blunt and straightforward course of action. But this situation was very delicate.

I maintained a level gaze. "This territory is governed by the Gremory and Sitri heiresses, Xenovia. Do you understand the implications of that?" I asked and she remained quiet. "Those two girls are the younger sisters of the Satans Lucifer and Leviathan, respectively. Any threat against them would not go unpunished."

Xenovia's eyes widened in realisation.

It was a precarious situation, really. Even my existence in their territory bordered along the greys of the unwritten rules. It was why I could not attack Freed Sellzen and Valper Galiel when I had the chance.

There was a grander plot in the works, and unless they weren't viewed as a threat to the people of this town, the Church, Heaven, or the Underworld, then they would be treated as such.

But the truth is that they are a threat.

Skirmishes between Factions weren't uncommon. It was one of the reasons why I hadn't immediately intervened during the clash between Freed and Yūto. They weren't a part of my Faction, but that did not mean I would watch as someone was killed by a psychotic stray exorcist.

"I managed to find the base of Freed Sellzen and Valper Galiel last night." Their eyes widened. "It's in the outskirts of this town, and despite it being outside the barrier, its too close to this territory. Heaven doesn't want to spark a war with the Devils; not when there are signs of a third party being involved in this. Which is exactly why this must be brough to the attention of the overseers of this town."

A strange silence permeated the room as the two girls contemplated the proper way forward. I poured myself a cup of tea and waited for their response; seeing as I had laid out all the cards on the table, I had to leave it to them to figure out.

"How long have you been here, Senpai? In Kuoh?" Irina tilted her head curiously. "You've been off the grid since nearly three months ago, from what I heard."

It was true. After my reincarnation and subsequent resuscitation, I'd been sent to a Church in Italy, a little ways away from the Vatican. I had been trained in disciplines befitting all exorcists and had been apprenticed under a swordswoman.

I glanced at Xenovia for a moment; I could see the resemblance between the two.

"About two months or so." I replied. "I was sent to investigate the situation surrounding the excommunication of the Holy Maiden, Asia Argento."

"That witch is here?!" Xenovia hissed.

I frowned again.

Asia Argento was considered to be a Holy Maiden, a Saint, because she had the ability to heal indiscriminately.

So, when she had been excommunicated by the Church for healing a dying Devil, it had come as a shock to many of us in Heaven. The entire situation reeked of foul play, whether it was within the Church or not, at the time we did not know.

"She was killed by Fallen Angels for her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing." I muttered. "It seems there truly was a ploy behind her excommunication."

"What?!" Xenovia stood, her hands slamming onto the table. "Sir, are you implying that someone in the Church plotted with Devils and Fallen Angels?"

"Yes." I set my gaze firmly on hers. "Don't you find it odd that a Devil would appear that close to Holy Land, before a Holy Maiden no less, injured and begging for help? Even more, that there was someone to witness the entire ordeal?"

Xenovia's resolve weakened and she slumped into her chair. She seemed confused, disbelieving in fact.

It was understandable. From her point of view, the Church was incapable of wrongdoing. Unfortunately, the hierarchy was made up of Humans, creatures capable of sin.

"But she was spared from death. Rias Gremory and her peerage defeated the Fallen Angels and managed to reincarnate her into a Devil." I sighed. It bothered me immensely that I failed to save one as devout as that girl. "Fortunately, everyone involved in that matter was dealt with except for Freed Sellzen."

I glanced towards the clock on the counter. It was past seven in the morning and classes would begin at eight. Fortunately, I had already bathed, so all I had to do was to get dressed.

"If you're not sure what to do, then go meet with Rias Gremory and Sōna Sitri. Make it known that your mission here is to search for the Excalibur fragments, nothing more. If they offer you help, accept it because we don't know just how many enemies, we are dealing with this time around." I said as I made my way to my bedroom. "You'll find that not all Devils are as cruel as the ones you'd find within the scriptures. Some just enjoy living alongside humans in peace."

I ducked into my room before backtracking and peeking over the side of the wall.

"Oh, and could you please clear up the table while I get ready for school? I'm afraid I might be late if I try doing that."

I sighed.

A while ago, I sensed Holy Power coming from the Occult Research Club. Fortunately, it was suppressed; nothing more than a show of power, but something that would bring more trouble than necessary.

From my seat by the window, I glanced outside and noticed my two juniors heading out of the schoolyard. It seems that the situation hadn't escalated, but I would have a word with Xenovia. She failed to grasp the severity of her actions due to her prejudice.

The door to the classroom slid open and I watched as Rias walked in with an unwavering gait. It made me happy to know that she had managed to deal with her situation, and she was smiling more freely as of late. In fact, she walked with purpose and intent, as if that unbearable weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

As soon as she took the seat next to mine, she sent a wave and a smile that I returned.

Turning back to the lecture, I listened on as the lady discussed the history of the Three Kingdoms. I knew this story but my world's version had birthed a legend of unparalleled warrior in Chinese history.

Several minutes passed before the bell rang to signal the end of the day.

As I packed my material, a lithe finger poked at my shoulder and I turned to find Rias smiling deviously. Instinct warned me to be wary of it, seeing as mischief was dancing in her eyes, but my rationality told that I have nothing to fear.

"Thanks." She started. "For holding down the fort."

I tilted my head with confusion before realisation dawned on me.

Nearly two weeks ago, after our lunch together, Rias and her peerage had disappeared for a number of days. Today was actually the first I was seeing her since then. I had promised to handle her part of the assignment should she need my support, and the presentation had come and passed by swimmingly.

"And don't tell me to think nothing of it, Emiya-kun." Rias frowned cutely. "As a woman of virtue, I always make sure to repay my debts."

Is this what they call the Devil's Price?

"Of course." I smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

Rias smirked and it was then that I realised her hands were hidden behind her back. Even though I towered over her while standing, I did not have the ability to elongate my neck so I could look around while I was still seated.

Suddenly, she presented a set of boxes wrapped with a bow. I studied the contents before reaching out to see it fully and my eyes widened as soon as I saw the logo.

"I told you, did I not?" Rias' smile widened. "I am a woman of expensive taste."

I looked back to the box set before releasing a sigh.

It was a brand of tea that I rarely ever touched, let alone taste. The leaves were exported from Croatia and made the finest and most expensive tea.

"I can't say no to this, can I?"

Rias beamed and uttered the words I would not have expected to turn on me.

"As long as I get to see my friend happy, I'll be content."

The brilliant smile that accompanied those words sent a shiver of excitement.

Night blanketed Kuoh Town once more, but this time, a biting chill swept from the mountain range and down to the deepest parts of this suburbia.

Atop one of the few skyscrapers, or a relatively tall building in this case, I crouched and monitored the battlefields through my senses and familiar's efforts.

Yona soared through the skies above the Academy, and through her eyes, I could see the five ritualistic magic circles forming on the sports fields with the Excalibur fragments in the centres, including Excalibur Mimic which belonged to Irina.

The Academy itself was surrounded by a barrier, one maintained by the efforts of Sōna and her peerage. It was layered with hexagonal barriers that attached themselves to each other and continuously spread to cover the entirety of the school.

It wouldn't hold for long, but that was fine.

I fixed my gaze on the battle about to take place within the courtyard. An amassed force of Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists numbering in the several dozens patiently waited for the order from their leader.

Kokabiel was one of the venerated commanders of the Grigori, but as he sat upon his hovering throne viewing the battlefield, he looked nothing more than a barbarous tyrant.

And I heard it all.

His intents. His purpose. His revelations. I had heard and seen it all. Their morale had plummeted. Xenovia had fallen to her knees. Irina stood frozen. Even the Devils were shocked by this revelation when they were the ones who were meant to celebrate.

The truth that Heaven was unguarded.

That the very being that they worshipped or feared had been gone for over a thousand years.

I sensed an explosion of Holy Power and looked though Yona's vision. Within the magic circle, four fragments of Excalibur had been combined. A newly formed holy weapon in the hands of the filthy.

Freed cackled madly when Kokabiel ordered his soldiers to slaughter the Devils of Kuoh and every citizen within it.

Enough.

Trace, On.

Mana burst as I shed my guise, unveiling my pure form. To this day, it always shocked me how complete I had become upon my reincarnation.

It was as if my very essence had found where it belongs; found home.

I reached out my left arm and grabbed at the air, an object manifesting within its grasp. It was a material unlike anything that had been discovered in my time, a relic of a future past. Its translucent string formed between the ends as I prepared my arrow of choice.

Hand laying in wait, it formed and fell into my grasp. Gripping at its hilt, I attached it to my bow and pulled. The sword, one that looked like a long screw, extended, unwinding into a thin form.

The first time I saw it, the first I felt a connection to myself, I had been awed. Terrified at its power but awed, nonetheless. But what I held in my hand was not the same.

No, it was more.

I am the bone of my sword.

And I released the torrent of power.

"Caladbolg II ."

We are going to die.

I felt my knees buckle beneath me, heaving at my powerlessness to prevent this situation. We had tried our very best.

But our efforts weren't enough.

Earlier today, two Exorcists from the Vatican had warned us of a possible danger that laid in wait in our territory, and I had leapt at the opportunity to deal with it. With two Holy Sword users wielding the Excalibur fragments, we had a fighting chance.

It wasn't until our group had stormed the enemy base that we discovered how truly and utterly unmatched we were.

My peerage.

I gritted my teeth. We are Devils, we kill. But I didn't want that for them. They had stained their innocence for my cause. For my safety. Yet I had failed to protect them for my sake.

Issei knelt on the ground, exhausted but still clutching onto the dying body of my Rook, Koneko. A Light Spear had torn through her when she tried to shield Yūto. But the boy had still lost his dominant arm.

My eyes pricked as I looked over my shoulder, studying my allies.

Asia and Irina were huddled together, helpless. Xenovia stood her ground but she was visibly on her last legs. Yūto was seething venomously, a single hand clutching a holy and unholy blade in its grasp. Gasper was bloodied, his frenzied eyes showing that it had been triggered. Akeno had released her wings, her real wings.

After Kokabiel gave the order for our slaughter, I stood helpless as I watched an army charge towards us. A shrill laughter came from the accursed stray exorcist who leapt to the sky, a newly made Excalibur spinning through the air.

It was at that very moment, I sensed it again. An unbodied vastness of power.

And it was as though time had stopped.

Somehow, I could tell it wasn't Gasper's doing. Because when I tried to move my hand, it followed. So, I turned, and then, I saw it. And so did they.

As if it were a shooting star soaring across the night sky, it distorted the fabric of space before it, tearing through the barrier that Sōna and her peerage were maintaining. Yet we remained frozen for those passing moment, bearing witness to a spectacle.

I called out to my allies as I realised the imminent danger and as I gritted my teeth, I unveiled my wings and summoned my Clan's crest in an attempt to shield them.

The star collapsed before my eyes, so I tried to clench them shut. But they remained frozen, even as they burned, and watched as dozens of men, women and beast alike vanish under the thundering explosion. A force of wind billowed violently and, finally, my eyes shut as the scalding heat washed over the entire area.

As my feet dug into the ground beneath me, I remembered hearing of him through the tales of the Shinto Pantheon. Wherever the God of Storms walked, the earth quaked, the wind billowed, and the skies torn asunder. With certainty, as I felt my crest chip away, I believed that he had regaled us with his presence and unparalleled might.

Feeling the dust particles whip past me, I burned through my energy, mending the barrier even as it withered almost immediately. My allies cried out in shock, fear and discomfort. I sensed the effects of the explosion dwindle, and as I did so, I remembered.

A word of advice that resembled a dire warning. In my foolishness, I had pushed it to the back of my mind, confident that it wouldn't come to it.

"Our Senior will not be involved." Xenovia warned. "He will only do so should our lives be in peril."

"Don't we need all the help that we can get?" I asked. "We do not know how strong or enemies are nor their number. Given that your leader is certain that a third party will be involved, isn't that reckless?"

Every Devil in the room, especially the newly reincarnated, shivered when Xenovia revealed her weapon, Excalibur Destruction. Its potent Holy Power caused lower class Devils like Issei and Asia to take an involuntary step back.

"Believe me. If our Senpai gets involved, it would end within the blink of an eye." Irina paused, casting a glance at every one of us. "You've all met him, and you might have heard of him. Because of that, he doesn't want you to fear him."

Immediately, my mind raced through the many faces I saw each day, looking for one that might have struck an oddity. Despite my popularity, I was well acquainted with many students in the school; whether it was from the moments I offered a helping hand, or when an underclassman would profess their love to me.

"Diodora Astaroth." Irina continued. "Have you been told of his fate?"

I paled when I recalled that information.

During the time my peerage and I were in the Underworld for the Rating Game against Riser Phenex, I had learned of his fate, a High-class Devil bordering on Ultimate-class. Strangely, my brother had insisted that I understand.

What that was? I did not know.

But it was said that he had been in the Human World, seeking a particularly powerful recovery-type Sacred Gear. As a Devil with particular hobbies, his was searching for Holy Maidens to turn into Devils.

And he had targeted one Asia Argento, my Bishop.

Upon learning of the machinations at play, Heaven dealt with the traitors within the Church and Diodora Astaroth by sending a single soldier, an emissary.

He had not lived to see the next day.

"Y-You mean to say that man is here?!" Sōna stuttered, speaking out for the both of us.

Her face had become pale and her violet eyes spoke of terror. I, too, felt my throat dry with anxiety.

Diodora was but another tally.

Many Devils considered to be stray, evil, or those that wrought death and destruction across the Earth were rumoured to have been dealt with by that single man.

Irina pouted and shook her head. "This is exactly what he fears." She warned. "Senpai is a pretty great guy, but…"

"S-Senpai…"

I turned sharply towards the direction of Koneko's weakened voice; it barely resembled a whisper, but it expressed a joy and relief that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Dust still covered us and I could hear coughing from within, yet I could barely see my Pawn and Rook despite knowing that they were the closest to me.

It was at that moment that my senses shrieked and my hands shook violently. A gnawing thought, a voice so similar to my own, told me to flee, to scurry away with my life from this creature.

But my heart wouldn't allow it.

Conjuration was as simple as breathing for us Devils, but as I formed that concentrated and precise energy like I had seen from my brother, crackling and churning into something that I failed to fully grasp even after an entire decade of learning. The Power of Destruction was an ability with vast destructive capabilities, but even it paled to that; Ruin the Extinction.

"That should do it."

A voice so very familiar responded and I faltered.

I felt as though I was lost in a dream. I searched the opaque, reaching out to the shadowed figure that stood to its fullest height. And I felt it. I could sense it. The essence of my Rook that was once becoming a scarcity, being spared. But I wanted to be sure.

I have to be sure.

As the floating sands blew away in a zephyr, I felt my body still as I stared into his golden eyes.

I felt it, again. Unfiltered and uninhibited, unlike his usually strange but comforting presence. His nature so suffocating, I felt myself being plunged into the deepest of oceans without a way to return to the surface. I tried my best, but the force of it trapped my body and only helped to make me lose my breath.

He is pure. He is powerful.

But he betrayed me.

I couldn't fight nor flee though my conflicting natures told me so. Not when our saviour was a friend. Not when he was one, I could relay my deepest worries to without the fear of being seen as revolting or weak.

But somehow, my body took a step back.

Even as my eyes glared into his own, a never-ending compassion tinged with sadness and acceptance was all I could see. The vaguest of realisations that which he feared had inevitably come true.

So, he turned away.

And as he walked past me, I heard a chuckle so bitter that it set me on edge. But the words that followed struck a chord of confusion into my fragile heart.

"So, this is what he meant?"

His body was clad in a black armour, with white sleeves so taught, they seemed to hold up his strong arms as though he were a puppet. A white shawl hung from his waist, billowing like a cloak as he walked forth with intent.

Then, he spread his arms wide.

"Kokabiel, formerly known as the Angel of the Stars, and one of the leaders of Grigori, the Fallen Angel Faction. You were meant to watch over the Children of God." Shirō called to the Fallen that had abandoned his throne. "For your crimes against Heaven, against the heiresses of the Gremory and Sitri clans of the Underworld, and against this city of Humans…"

As if to magnify his splendour, a halo hovered above his head, and out of his back, pure, unfettered and magnificent, they appeared.

A Seraph.

Twin blades formed in his outspread hands. One as dark as the moonless night while the other as majestic as the skies beyond the stars.

"Heaven has decreed that you perish tonight."

"...he's not infallible."

Edit: 06/09/2022