I OWN NOTHING! I'M BUT A HOBO THAT SNEAKS INTO THE LIBRARY AND WAISTS TIME WRITING THIS INSTEAD OF WATCHING PORN!
"Hello there." - regular talking
"I am with you, partner." - sacred gears talking
"I can win I feel great!" - inner thoughts
This chapter was beta-read by Marethyu. Thank you for your awesome work!
"YES! LET US RECREATE OUR GLORIOUS BATTLE! FIGHT ME SEKIRYUUTEI! FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM! FIGHT FOR YOUR FACTION! FIGHT FOR YOUR LOVED ONES!"
If the Balance Breaker armor at least resembled a dragon, the Juggernaut Drive blurred the line between human and beast. The tail, now twice as thick, tore up the ground when it swung. Wings spanned over, much bigger and articulated, twitching and shifting, ready to propel their owner in the air at a moment's notice. The helm split open, but instead of a human face beneath it, it was a proper dragon's mouth, filled with fangs, ready to render flesh.
"Partner! Are you present?!"
"It's alright! I got it under control!"
"Then let's show this overgrown crow why God feared dragons!"
"BOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOST!"
"Partner! GET OFF THE GROUND, NOW!"
Issei took flight, cratering the ground he previously stood on, none too late, as the explosion of the BOOSTED power lashed out in all directions, taking the tops of the tallest trees. Some even reached Kokabiel, pushing him back slightly. But that only fueled his thirst for battle even further.
Cackling, he summoned a dozen Light spears with a swipe of his hand, all sent flying at high speed, whizzing through the air, until they met their end with a single flap of mighty wings, dispersing them into the atmosphere.
"You almost flattened the Exorcists with your power partner!"
"I've gotten too rusty, with all that time spent in the bar. I did not think this through. Yet it's still the best option at our disposal. I'll force him higher into the air, that should at least help concealment."
"JET!"
The boosters appeared from the back of the armor, not unlike the ones on Scale Mail, only bigger and much greater in power. With a burst of flame that left trails behind it, Issei flew with sonic speed hoping to catch the Fallen in his grip and take him up into the skies. But Kokabiel would not be caught off-guard so easily. Instead, the fallen threw his head back in laughter as he fashioned himself a lance made of light, and propelled himself with all of his wings and charged downward, assisted by gravity to meet Issei in a fierce clash.
Instead of switching tactics, Issei poured even more power into his jets, speeding up his ascent and preparing to meet the Fallen's weapon with his fist posed to strike.
"ISSEI! THIS IS NOT THE BULWARK, THIS ARMOR WON'T HOLD!"
"I don't need it to hold, I just need it to break the lance!"
Slowly the crimson Ki began pooling around the armored paw-like fist, creating an additional dense layer of defense.
"Prepare yourself Ddraig!"
"BOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOST!"
The Touki encasing the appendage thickened immensely, forming tightly over the armor, doubling its size. In answer, Kokabiel extended his lance's reach and refined the point even further so it may pierce through the Ki and the beastly armor.
Closer and closer they flew, their speed comparable, but Issei had the disadvantage of having to climb. At the same time, Kokabiel simply descended upon him like a falling star, a move which he used many times, before and after his Fall, befitting his moniker the 'Angel of the Stars'. Pushing his jets even further, Issei became a flaming comet, doing his best to match the velocity.
And then, the Star and the Comet clashed. For a single instant, there was a standstill. The refined point of the lance met the thick armor of Touki and plates, boosted beyond their normal level of durability. The point gave in first. But that was not the end. As the lance kept breaking, it also kept ramming into the armored limb, wearing down its defenses, until it pierced through the layer of Touki, and smashed into the armor directly, where it broke once more. Now with the weapon gone, Issei managed to shift his fist, pass the cadre's extended arm, and score a glancing blow to his jaw, almost taking out his other ear.
The Comet and the Star passed each other. The sky lit up in golden-red fireworks. The lance was broken, and the armor dented, yet whole. But Issei did not emerge unscathed. Although the gauntlet surrounding it was whole, the limb encased in it was a different story. Where there was before a hand, was now a purple bloody mess, with many bones fractured, if not shattered.
Xenovia's mind was split between awe and urgency. She found herself thankful for the painful lessons given to her by Father Strada, which prepared her for encountering beings of the high class and higher. Then she suddenly became aware of herself.
She was breathing fast, both from the rush and because... Irina could very well be dead. NO! She isn't! Trying to calm herself and listen to the sharp winds created by the clash, she could only hear her heartbeat.
How could she have been so stupid, to leave her alone?! But she said to, she must have known it would be alright! Lowering her sword, she tried to wipe her sweaty palms against the ground. Her eyes kept flicking between the path she ran, the fight in the sky, and her heaving chest.
She tried to stand, to move, but she felt glued to the ground, her mind running a mile a minute, she needed to do something, support Issei, check on Irina, puke her guts out-
"-arta! XENOVIA!" The sound of her name brought her back to reality, meeting the concerned eyes of the Gremory devil. Was it sympathy in those eyes, or pity? She composed herself as best she could, slowly standing up.
"Quarta. What happened?"
"Sekiryuutei is fighting Kokabiel."
"I can see that, how did it come to this?"
"My partner and I were lured into an obvious trap, so we turned it around on our assailant, Freed Sellzen. We had him on the ropes when Kokabiel chose to reveal himself. He toyed around with us, before choosing Irina to be his hostage, potentially because he knew of her past with Sekiryuutei. He sent me to collect him. Rather than trying to locate his residence, I ran out of town and flared my sword's power like a beacon, and luckily he responded."
"That explains the state of your friend- gah!"
Rias did not expect to find herself grabbed roughly by the exorcist, but before she could do anything, she was swiftly let go, courtesy of Akeno pointing a lightning-charged finger with a too-sweet smile on her face."
"I- I'm sorry. Please, tell me, is Irina alive? I need to know!"
"We got there in time and Asia was with us. Sona's peerage is there, concealing evidence and watching over for when she awakens."
Relief flooded her being. Her friend was alive. She should not let her be watched over by the devils though, it was high time to leave, she was no good here anyway. But before she could, the air became dry and hot, and all the sweat on her evaporated. She at least had the good sense to not look up and be blinded by the brilliant crimson sun.
"I warned you!"
"I won't let him build up speed anymore. Plus now that I'm higher, he'll have to chase me!"
"Those two statements contradict each other!"
Issei was no longer listening, busy blocking a blade of light, wielded in the hands of the Fallen. Kokabiel was a master swordsman, and to be deemed dangerous enough for him to resort to his greatest skill would normally be counted as an honor by many. Issei had no such thoughts.
The Fallen Seraph fought like an angel possessed, slashing, stabbing, and dodging at still-increasing speeds. The armor of Juggernaut Drive was famously durable and boosted further by both BOOSTS and Touki. Despite that, Kokabiel decided to take breaking apart the infamous defense as a personal challenge, testing every spot, looking for any weak chinks, switching between refined stabs and brute half-swording, and trying to pry the pieces apart. The six pairs of wings worked overtime deflecting Issei, whose expert martial arts allowed him to exploit the almost reckless attacks of the Fallen.
It was also in the best interest of the fallen to stay out of range of Issei's wings, which sported razor-sharp hooks, more than ready to stab into the target and hold it still while the teeth and fists rendered it into oblivion.
"Partner, we don't have time for stalemates!"
"I know! I'm running through options!"
Illusions were out, nothing he could conjure would even give pause to Kokabiel. Trying to match a Seraph in ranged combat was a fool's errand, Issei would be outmatched in both the number and speed of projectiles. Maybe he could go for an AOE attack, but Kokabiel might be hardwired to detect Dragon aura, after what happened last time… Then again, his nose was almost completely gone. He just needed something to mask it more.
Kokabiel shoved his attacking arm away, before flourishing the blade into a fakeout, striking the inner side of the elbow. Issei managed to open his Touki and angle the limb just right for the tip to dig deep into the flesh beneath the scales. He felt the warm liquid pool between skin and armor, and in the same flick he dislodged the tip, he launched a good amount of blood into Fallen's face.
Kokabiel flew backward, and Issei let him. Kadre wiped some blood with his fingers, marveling at the still uncomfortably warm liquid, and then extending his tongue to swipe a taste. His enemy did not notice the weird breathing tempo he was performing, instead marveling at "his" achievement.
"Ahh. Until that loss, those years ago, I never understood the practice of bathing in the blood of your enemies. Then in my quest for power, I slew a frost giant of Jotunheim, and his chilling blood fell on me like rain. I never felt cold again after. I've slain creatures upon creatures since then, some with noticeable benefits, some just for the pleasure of it! But none will compare to the bath I will draw with your blood! The power of your life seeping into me as I feast upon your dragon flesh! With that power even that fool Azazel will bow before me!"
"...Pfff! Azazel? Bow to you? The only ones he bows to are women who know better than to sleep with him, but still entertain his hopes for their amusement, before leaving him high and dry. Believe me, I'm his bartender. I've seen it many times."
The Fallen's face began twisting into an apoplectic rage. He may not like the Scapegoat, but it was still his race that was being mocked, something unforgivable in his book. But Issei wasn't done just yet, he needed a little bit more time.
"Also, you need a dragon boost to grow the balls to fight him? Spoiler alert, it won't work. Dragon blood has many uses, but it does no good to spineless cowards."
The Picasso painting that was Kokabiel's face became colored with indignation, but Issei had one more thing to say.
"Cowards are only good for one thing. BURN."
A snap of fingers caused a spark. Spark expanded into flame, which grew into a scorching inferno. Deep crimson flames shone in the sky, with the fallen stuck dead center.
"Ddraig! Damage control!"
Issei felt the control of fire hijacked, letting it go willingly to the much more experienced Dragon. What remained in his control was power and fuel. So he began pulling that power together, turning it inside out, switching the hotter inner core with the cooler outside, and in turn heating the core even more. And for the fuel… He gave it all. His happiness, the joy he got from serving his regulars, be it supernatural or not. His regrets, leaving the love of his life behind, lying to Irina about Georgie. His rage at Kokabiel, for daring to hurt his Irina, for threatening to destroy HIS town! Dragon's fire burned hot, but when fueled with emotions, it could scorch the Heavens themselves!
"PARTNER! WE'RE CUTTING IT CLOSE!"
Issei was forced to cut off the flames, letting what remained burn out. Kokabiel still stood, but he was now naked, charred from head to toe, all of his hair gone, and his wings barely skeletal remains, with few misshapen feathers still clinging.
"I can't believe it. You still held such strength. This fire, lesser than the one you used on Tannin, yet equally fearsome, showed me I was still not there yet. I guess it's a good thing I brought this along." Where he pulled that thing out from, Issei had no clue. But the feeling that it gave him was far more ominous than even Kokabiel himself.
It was a dark snake, emanating pure power, already wrapping around the Seraph as he released it from its containment. A sort of trance took over the Fallen, and words almost like a chant poured out of his mouth.
"Being defeated by you, incurred my Wrath. It made me Greedy for power. It made me even more Envious of Azazel, many of my subordinates flocked to him, after seeing me suffer such a loss. I channeled my Lust for war into bettering myself and healing my Pride. It was not enough. So I did the one thing that I despised the most. I took shortcuts. I sacrificed everything holding me down. I sacrificed my past. My memories of Heaven before the Fall. The names of my closest brothers and sisters who Fell with me. My love for my Seraph comrades, who stood by my side during the war. I sacrificed my future. I Glutinously gorged on potions, herbs, and bodies of every myth and legend to get stronger, no matter the consequences that would be there in the future. All, to be enough to fight you. Yet, it was still not enough. Now, this is the last, most Slothful shortcut that remains. Watch me, Issei Hyoudo, as I reach heights not even Azazel could."
Before Issei could even react, the snake was absorbed, and a cocoon of feathers engulfed the Fallen. Instantly, Ise could sense the sharp increase in power. Just as soon as that spike in energy had come, it vanished. What now stood before him was a completely different Kokabiel. He was completely healed, even the old scars, given by Issei during the Trial. His hair grew longer, reaching his feet, and out of his back… Seven pairs of most raven wings. How that was possible, he had no clue. But what drew his attention was Kokabiel's face. His opponent still laughed, but his eyes were crying. Was it because of the pain the body had to withstand? Was it because of the mind finally snapping under the strain of rituals, and fell deeds, all committed in the quest for power? Before he could question it further, his visage was obscured by the smiling beautiful face of his foe.
Suddenly the fallen vanished, and Issei turned around blindly trying to locate him. He found him in the distance, way further out than expected. Then he vanished again, this time Issei felt his presence behind him, much closer. Before he could yet turn, the Fallen was in front, cocking back his fist and firing a punch that stopped an inch ahead of his face. The shockwave blew him away, and he had to use his wings to halt himself and rush back in. But before he could, the raised arm of his foe bid him to listen.
"I ingested enough of the youkai to see your power is dwindling and your life will follow it. I will allow you to attack full power, while I'll defend to the best of my abilities. He who will stand last shall be the victor."
"Ddraig… What am I seeing right now?"
"I am not sure, partner. But that snake and its power could only come from one source. An angel with 14 wings, I've never seen anything like that in all my years… It doesn't matter, we don't have time, we need to defeat him, we got less than 5 minutes!"
"How many boosts can we handle before it drops to 1 minute?"
"Partner…"
"Ddraig! We're wasting time! Do it!"
BOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOST-
"EXPLOSION! 60 SECONDS, ISSEI!"
The Sekiryuutei flew towards his foe, his fist emblazoned with the Flames of his Will, the Touki sharpening into a spike, to further boost the power.
"We're putting our all into this Kokabiel! Face the Emperor's Crimson Tail Fist!"
"YES! BRING IT ISSEI HYOUDOU! BRING TO BOTH OF US SALVATION OF DEATH!"
"I'M NOT READY TO PERISH JUST YET, KOKABIEL! YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!"
The Fallen laughed before doing the last thing Issei thought possible. He clenched his hands in prayer and began chanting.
"Ave, o Maria, piena di grazia,
il Signore è con te.
Tu sei benedetta fra le donne
e benedetto è il frutto del tuo seno, Gesù.
Santa Maria, Madre di Dio,
prega per noi peccatori,
adesso e nell'ora della nostra morte.
Amen!
Proteggimi Vergine Maria! PRYDWEN!"
Before Issei's fist appeared the image of a woman, at first similar to most common descriptions of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. But then it began changing rapidly. After all, it is in Christian belief that Mary is the Mother to all nations on Earth. Slowly but surely the image began gaining likeness of Issei's mother. The shield of King Arthur, its greatest defense was the opponent's hesitation to strike even at the image of their mother. It had no effect on Mordred of course, he was raised to not care for any of his parents. Issei however loved both of his. The image in the shield smiled at him, and… He hesitated. He followed through too late, wasting precious momentum and power of the punch.
The crash was heard for miles, making people who heard it huddle up in their homes, too afraid to even look outside. Quite fortunate, because the point of impact produced enough light to damage normal eyes. After the glare faded, the state of the combatants became apparent.
Issei stood behind Kokabiel, smoke leaving his form, his gauntlet gone, and his arm an unrecognizable mess of flesh and bone. And Kokabiel looked like Hell ran over him, his new body marred with new wounds and burns which would undoubtedly scarr terribly. But he was still breathing, slowly turning around to gaze upon his opponent.
The dragon's wings were shaking, the armor being marred by cracks spreading rapidly. The Red Dragon Emperor made a mistake, and it cost him the match.
"BOOSTED GEAR! RESET!"
The Dragon became a human once more, starting to fall out of the sky, gaining speed. The Fallen Seraph looked split between chasing after it or finishing the job from a distance. This battle was everything he'd hoped for, and for his closure, it needed the perfect finish. But before he could decide, he was tagged on his back by another clawed gauntlet.
"DIVIDE!"
He felt strength leave his body and his new wings had to work hard to keep him afloat. But before he could confront Azazel's pet project, it already whizzed past him and towards its falling rival, intercepting it and lowering it much more slowly to the ground.
"Albion… Thank you for saving my partner."
"For you to say that to me… You must truly love this host don't you? "
"He's the best one I've ever had. ."
An assault of light spears interrupted the moment and the White Dragon Emperor threw up a barrier of magic. It wouldn't hold long, but enough to examine his fated rival.
"How long does he have left?"
"Before he would have gotten to see his forties, it was after we were uncertain of. But he fought to keep the Drive going, and despite me managing to shut it down just a second after he passed out, he might not see thirty."
"He fought well. He will remain a true rival to me. A certain individual, known to us, can help regain his lifespan. My destined foe should not die in his prime unless it's to me."
The barrier cracked but before even a single light spear touched the ground, White Dragon Emperor was already gone. His shining blue wings took him to the air, much higher than Kokabiel and he rained down spell after spell. The Fallen tried to doge, but every time he got clipped, he slowed down further and further. He stopped and decided to match the rate of fire.
"Thank you for standing still, it makes it easier. HALF DIMENSION!"
Suddenly Kokabiel and his attacks became smaller and he found himself overwhelmed. Keepin' on the attack would bring him nowhere, and despite his new power, Azazel's pet project caught him off guard and now had strength to spare.
"No! NO! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY LAST CHANCE!" He chanced a glance towards the ground, he could still finish this! But before the downed form of Red Dragon Emperor stood the wielder of Durandal, her injuries were gone, presumably due to the Nun standing nearby, being defended by the Gremory girl and Baraquiel's spawn. Wait, that was perfect!
"BANISHED NUN OF HEALING! HEAL MY RIVAL! I WON'T ACCEPT DEATH BY ANYONE ELSE'S HAND BUT HIS!"
Devils appeared uncaring for his demands, but the White Dragon Emperor seemed interested.
"By what right do you demand this of them? Accept your defeat and maybe you'll live to fight another day."
"Foolish boy, thinking your Sacred Gear gives you some kind of right to rivalry. I've been Sekiryuutei's rival longer than you've been aware of yourself! He hurt me! Humiliated me! To this battle, I dedicated every second since! There is no next time! If I don't fall by his hand, I'll end myself by blowing these woods to kingdom come!"
"I'll stop you before you can."
"You would mitigate the damage. But the devils and Sekiryuutei, they'd still perish. If my rival can't defeat me, then I'll just take the satisfaction from you as well!"
The Fallen's body bulged uncomfortably, and both Vali and Rias recognized the spell. Both also already began running calculations in their heads if it could be stopped, except Rias worked with more variables than Vali, who knew the limits of his Half Dimension. In the time it would take for the Fallen to explode, even if they both started right this moment, the chance of his rival being destroyed was still almost absolute. Rias bit her thumb in worry.
"Even if he's healed, there's no guarantee he will awake." spoke the blue gem, Albion's voice commanding attention.
"Heavenly Dragon will wake him. He did it before."
"Can you wake him Ddraig?"
"...Maybe. But he's in deep. There was always a catalyst to his miraculous awakenings before."
"It was the kitsune, wasn't it?"
Rias shifted uncomfortably under sudden attention. But she stood tall, she was a Gremory, and Demon King's sister to boot. In her effort to not buckle under pressure, she missed Asia sneaking off to the fallen dragon, Xenovia covering them both, and whispering urgently.
"Yes, the young fox. He always looked after her more than the other. The one sure weakness of the Sekiryuutei no one dared to exploit, because the one time she came close to death, the base they were raiding burned. And the next time he appeared his Balance Breaker turned into a subspecies."
"Well, the Kyoto leader won't appear here, so unless anyone has a better idea-"
"It's done! Do it now, Xenovia!"
"ISSEI! KOKABIEL STABBED IRINA!"
The Devil, the Fallen, and the Dragon are all caught off guard. It sounds like a joke, but it was true. No one noticed the sneaky ex-nun healing Sekiryuutei, nor were they expecting the exorcist to try and wake him up. But what surprised them most was that it worked.
The previously brown eyes now opened reptilian green.
"WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER! CRIMSON BULWARK!"
Only Albion and Kokabiel have ever seen the Boosted Gear Balance Breaker. But between the two of them, only Kokabiel had seen this subspecies version of Scalemail. Vali couldn't help but admire his rival, and Rias stood in awe.
The armor was thick and bulky, with shoulder pads and vambraces so large they could almost be used as a shield by an average man. The same was true for the greaves and tassets. A tail as thick as a man's arm emerged from the back of the helmet, likely acting as a counterweight for the terror-inducing visage of a snarling dragon maw. But in the time Rias took to process these details, the massive armor was already on the move.
"BOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOSTBOOST! EXPLOSION!"
"YESSS! COME SEKIRYUUTEI AND GIVE ME MY PERFE-"
A clawed gauntlet was reaching for his chest- No, piercing it already- No, it held his irregularly beating heart in its claws. For a split part of a second, it seemed like Sekiryuutei was waiting for his final words, but it was not to be, because the organ was already crushed, and he was falling, falling, falling. In his last moments, Kokabiel the Fallen wished he could see the stars past the crimson glow.
The victorious warrior landed harshly, and on his knees. As the armor began disappearing, a saddened face appeared. Issei was not broken, but the cracks seemed deep. He raised his sad, sad eyes at Xenovia, and was surprised to see her gleeful gaze.
"Irina is fine, Issei! Asia healed her before they came here!" he turned towards the blonde who seemed sheepish to receive his attention, but happy nonetheless to be of help to them.
The world rolled off his shoulders. He never took the courage to tell Mr and Mrs. Shido about Georgie, using his fugitive status as a convenient excuse. But if Irina had died, no excuses, he would have prostrated before her parents, offering up everything sans his life to them to ease the pain even slightly. But he did not have to do that. Instead, he squeezed the nun in as strong a hug as he could, not much, but the message came across, and she gladly hugged him back.
Next, he hugged Xenovia too, and though she seemed unsure if it was improper to hug him back, she did. But before he could ask more, he took notice of the white-armored man.
"Bearer of Albion, I give thanks. Without you, this battle would end in my loss."
"We accept your gratitude. Kokabiel dishonored himself, taking every shortcut and betraying every warrior code there was. I assure you I won't need any rituals or cheap trinkets when I face you in battle."
"Issei. He assured me he knows someone who can increase your lifespan. It would be wise not to delay."
"Ahh, it seems I'll be further in your debt. I apologize for the inconvenience, please lead the way."
Bowing in gratitude, Issei turned towards the rest of the devils. Akeno he found could not meet his gaze, staring down towards the ground, seemingly in worry, maybe even fear. But there was no time to ponder, he would have to address her King instead.
"You too, Princess of Gremory. Irina is my oldest friend still living, and saving her life means more to me than almost anything. Upon my return, should you require anything, ask and I will try my best to help."
Rias wanted to ask a hundred questions, most centered around his well-being, but the White Dragon Emperor seemed to have managed to contact his allies and a portal opened up behind him. Rias examined it briefly but only managed to learn it was made with Youjutsu, nothing of its originator or destination. At least it spoke volumes of the competence Hakuryuuko's healer possessed. In the end, there was only one thing she needed to know.
"When will you return?"
"Give me two weeks and I'll be back, Rias."
He turned towards the portal and noticed the Storm clouds approaching behind it. He knew what it meant and he had no interest in that meeting. Instead of stepping, he ran through the portal, right into… A tender bosom?
"Nya, so you're the man Vali wants to keep alive. Mmm, you smell so strong. Will you be the one to give me powerful dragon babies?"
Maybe confronting Susanoo while on death's doorstep wouldn't be so bad. But he'll never know. He is already trapped in the world's comfiest prison. Which smelled oddly similar to Koneko. Oh, you have got to be-