Edit - 7/29/2023 - Made some changes because apparently "Nephilim" was plural all along? Huh.
The two strange men floated into the air, their minion horde pouring out of the woods surrounding the area, gathering behind them.
"Advance!" Smar called out, pointing at the trio. "My Creepers! Bludgeon them into fragments!"
The large eye-looking creatures charged, aiming to swarm their enemies to death.
With a baton in one and a borrowed knife in the other, Kuraima once more took a combat stance. He swung the former, smashing into the uncomfortably delicate tissue and popping it like a balloon.
Koneko threw her arms up in an X formation, using her Rook abilities to tank the damage. Then she swung outwards, bashing several of the eye monsters.
Helenski kinda just froze up in fear, even though none of the Creepers targeted her.
The Astral Student grit his teeth, still feeling a little sore from his previous fights. "Damnit! One problem after another!"
He turned upon hearing the sound of some rather nasty coughing fits. "K-Koneko-san?!"
The little girl was hunched over, a hand over her mouth as small amounts of blood seeped between her fingers.
"W-What the hell?!"
"Po...poisoned…" She managed to rasp out between coughs. "Don't touch...They're...coated in different types of poison..."
Oh.
Oh god, oh fuck.
He grabbed Koneko by the arm and pulled her out of the way of a small group of five Creepers attempting to ram her.
"Koneko! Can you hear me?"
"Muuh…"
"Sola-san! Can you do that healing thing like what you did for my arm?"
"A-Ah...I can try…"
Kuraima nodded. "Good enough for me. Koneko, once you get healed up, find yourself a weapon."
"Alright…"
Kuraima faced towards the Brain of Cthulhu person (He's not sure where that name came from), scowling as his [Rage] filled ever so slightly faster.
The red man smirked, suddenly disappearing.
"Kuraima-san! To the left!"
The student turned to see Smar rematerializing, his fist reared back and more than ready to deck him across the face.
Thanks to Helenski's warning, he was able to make his counterattack and swung his baton, slamming it into the brainiac's abdomen. Hard.
While Smar was recoiling, Kuraima followed up with another savage blow, beating the shit out of Mr. Thesaurus until he managed to teleport away.
Smar reappeared next to Laye, nursing his wounds.
"Assist me, you obsolescent neanderthal!"
The hobo man shrugged. "Sorry, dude. Kinda figured you had it in the bag there."
Smar grabbed him by the shirt collar and began shaking him. "EVEN LITERAL DOG EXCREMENT WOULD BE MORE FAVORABLE THAN YOU RIGHT NOW!"
Laye smiled half-heartedly even as he was being violently jostled. "Okay, maybe I'll do something. But only if I get extra nap time."
He turned to Kuraima, and cleared his throat.
"Hey, kiddo. I'm sorry that I gotta do this, but...uh...it's nothing personal, aight? At least, nothing between me and you. I hope."
Laye halfheartedly chuckled.
"Now let's get right to it."
Armored, gnarled eyeball monsters gathered around him, a swarm of green pupils staring down the Astral Champion.
"Good luck, pal. You're gonna need it."
Laye's Dank Creepers rushed at Kuraima. Not really anything different compared to Smar's Creepers, at least in terms of strategy.
In response, the Astral Champion swung his baton as he tried to move out of the way.
Key word being tried.
One of the Dank's horns scratched Kuraima, but it was all that was needed to set his arm on fire.
"GuuuuaaaaAAAAAAH!"
It was a very little fire, one that could be put out with a few hard smacks.
Except Kuraima found himself unable to smother the flames, no matter how hard he tried, for it was the same type of fire that Eatah had used.
And it hurt like hell.
Koneko found her entire body feeling reinvigorated as Helenski held her close, a strange green flame— much darker than Eatah's and Laye's cursed flames— covering her body.
"W...What magic is this…?"
Helenski sighed. "W-Well...it's...a little complicated…This is one of the abilities of...my...my Sacred Gear…"
"A variant of Twilight Healing?"
"No...no...it's just a minor ability…my Sacred Gear lets me control a special type of fire…this is just a secondary ability the...spirit inside taught me how to use."
Koneko gave her the usual thousand-mile stare.
"...O-Okay! Fine! I'm—"
Kuraima's blood-curdling scream interrupted her as more Dank Creepers struck his body, setting him ablaze.
'This…this is ridiculous…!'
Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the man she had grown to love being tormented in such a horrid fashion.
Something snapped inside of Helenski.
'No more!'
Koneko's eyes widened as the normally shy girl suddenly clenched her fists, the air growing warm at an alarming rate.
Sola grabbed a piece of rock, a piece of debris created by Eatah's rampage. It cracked like an egg, which startled Koneko because she didn't expect that at all.
"Stop it!" With that desperate plea, she threw her payload.
She might as well have been an 18th-century cannon firing grapeshot down a corridor full of enemy soldiers.
They struck a tight group of Smar's Creepers, who were attempting to pummel Kuraima while he was down.
The eye monsters detonated into showers of gore, but the carnage didn't stop there. Her projectiles kept going, only halting when they embedded themselves inside the fountain.
"W-What the actual fuck!?" Smar screamed, breaking away from his normal character.
"Duuuuude."
The fragment suddenly began to glow a dim orange, brightening until they exploded, arcing strange magical energies through the air that chopped through the gangsters' minions like a knife through boiled eggs.
The fountain was gone, all that was left was a large spout spraying water into the air, which came back down as a light mist.
Koneko's stoic facade was broken. "Wh...What…?"
Unfurling behind Kuraima's girlfriend was a pair of wings.
A pair of feathered bat wings.
The wings of a true Nephil.
Koneko had heard about these. While it was pretty rare for Fallen Angels to be reincarnated into Devils, they didn't count Nephilim as Reincarnated Devils, simply put, are just people artificially altered to have the traits of a Devil. If anything, Reincarnates were more of a subspecies.
Nephilim, on the other hand, were biological hybrids. The aftermath of taboo union between (Fallen) Angel and pureblood Devil. The best of both worlds, without the latter's inherent weakness to Holy energies.
Nobody could say how many have been born in the past decade. Most supernatural races, with lifespans easily in the late hundreds to even thousands, have incredibly low fertilization rates compared to humans.
A baby being born from two different species? Especially Devils and Fallen? Statistically, you'd be more likely to get attacked by a shark than successfully conceive a Nephil.
Not only that but the mere rumor that someone harbored or birthed a Nephil could destroy one's reputation in Devil Society beyond any hope of recovery. As such, most Nephilim children are abandoned or straight up killed, provided that the incompatibility of two very different magics killed either the mother or the child first.
Her very existence wasn't a proverbial landmine— she was the entire damn minefield.
Something still didn't add up, but Koneko just couldn't…quite…
Oh...yeah...only humans can be born with Sacred Gears.
"What the hell are you?!" Smar screamed, pointing at her, "You...You're a monster! A glitch of the natural order!"
Helenski visibly recoiled at his words.
"Laye! Activate phase 2!"
"Eh? Seriously?"
"JUST DO IT."
"Ugh, fine, but I get the whole weekend off."
The two threw off their overcoats, revealing the horrors that revealed within.
Smar's chest was wide open, revealing a beating heart, with a living, blinking eyeball on one of its chambers.
Laye didn't look any better. His chest and stomach were both split down the middle with rows of gnarled teeth that just barely interlocked with one another. The only thing keeping him from splitting in twain might've just been his spine.
Inhuman roars filled the air as the two teleported away, only to reappear close to Helenski.
Kuraima was laying on the ground, totally exhausted.
He no longer had the willpower to get back up and fight.
All that filled his mind was the sheer agony that had been inflicted upon him.
Deep down inside of him, his soul dimmed, utterly crushed by his overwhelming defeat.
"Hey."
No response from Kuraima.
"You're gonna get up, right?"
The Astral Student looked up, seeing nothing but a black void.
"Come on. You've got a lot to live for."
Everything seemed to glitch out. He suddenly found himself in the middle of a burning village, on the ground, looking up at the familiar visage of the man in the mechanical red armor. Gunfire echoed in the distance, broken up by the sounds of guttural screams and the sounds of rapid-fire blasts.
'What kind of bootleg Shirou Emiya backstory is this?'
"Your mom and dad are safe. A bit roughed up, but it's nothing a healing potion can't fix."
The man's smile was even warmer than the air as he lifted his right arm, which burst into flames and materialized a shield that vaporized...what Kuraima was sure was a tank shell. Didn't even have time to explode.
Several flaming spears appeared in the air behind the man, sorta like Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.
[Daybreak Prototype]
'crimson skies bear the torch; our sun
today, my love, we'll be as one'
The Daybreaks shot out, absolutely obliterating whatever just tried to attack him.
"Come on. You wanna be strong, right? Then take my hand."
Slowly, but surely, Kuraima raised his hand, and accepted the man's gesture.
"Attaboy."
Everything seemed to 'glitch' as instead, Kuraima found himself staring face-to-face with the Wannabe-Samurai.
Except...he was staring at an honest-to-god mirror image, save for a long, thin scar that ran straight down the middle of his face and neck.
The mysterious samurai smiled. "I knew you'd come around."
The Astral Student's body began to warm up as glowing hairline streaks began to form across his body, starting at his hands and trailing up his arms until they covered his entire body.
It felt...weird, yet...somehow not wrong.
TerrariaUI_V5.6 initialized…
[Third Eye] has been upgraded with the passive ability [Appraisal]
[Inventory] unlocked.
User data downloaded.
Name: Sensou Kuraima
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Health:120/200
Mana: 100/100
Rage: 4500/10000
Adrenaline: 75/1000
"Go on. Reach out. Destiny awaits, Champion of Earth."
"Wait, who the hell are you? You're not Astrum Deus!"
"I'm afraid my time here is up."
Kuraima desperately reached out as the samurai faded into purple motes of light.
"H-Hey! Wait!"
'I'll see you when you break the next seal.'
He clenched his fist, scowling. "Damnit, he disappeared…"
Looking back out into the endless void of blackness, Kuraima took a deep breath. "Reach out, huh?"
Once again, he extended his arm...and something began to take shape.
The hilt of a sword materialized. It was a dull gray, resembling an untextured 3D model.
Quickly, the Astral Student grasped it, getting into the stance that Kiba had taught him a few days ago. As he did, the rest of the sword began to form.
The pommel formed, resembling a miniaturized version of [Stella Dominus], albeit without the somewhat pointy outer half-rings.
Next, the blade— a strong, sturdy broadsword; A neon orange edge with a silver-colored fuller and a finely pointed tip.
Item Identified: Sidus
Type: Melee
Average knockback
Average Speed
'A unique sword, created by the user's will, shaped by desire, fortified by need, and powered by the stars above.'
'The North Star watches. When powered with magic, this sword calls for aid from the heavens.'
Helenski dodged yet another strike as the wielder of [Sanguis Cerebrum] repeated warped around her, trying to bludgeon her with his martial arts skills.
"Remain in a stationary position, abomination!"
Helenski held the power to easily wipe the floor with these guys, and then some.
So why didn't she fight back?
The answer was simple; she was afraid of killing them.
Her previous attack was already enough to be legitimately classified as multiple war crimes.
While she ducked under Laye's punch, Smar moved in for a roundhouse kick.
Only to be halted in his tracks when an armored hand grabbed his leg mid-swing.
"Hands off…"
Kuraima was standing there, his burn wounds disappearing as his body healed at a rapid pace.
But now, instead of his casual clothing, he was more prepared for a fight.
Chainmail covered his body. A pair of greaves with oversized poleyns (knee pads) covered his lower legs, with large, boot-like sabatons.
His lower arms were protected with gauntlets, dotted in orange orbs.
"...of MY GIRL!"
Smar found himself being decked in the face, thrown through the air by the impact.
Buff: Astral Page (Incomplete Balance Breaker)
'This won't last long, but it should be enough.'
Increased overall strength and health regeneration
Time remaining: 3 minutes
Kuraima reached out, forming Sidus in his hand. Once more, he took a combat stance, the sword's edge glowing with an assertive thrum.
"What are you waiting for?! Come at me!" The Astral Champion called out with newfound vigor. "Helenski is MY lovely abomination. If you have a problem with that, well…"
"...I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!"
Author's notes
I know I said I'd conclude this in the last chapter, but...honestly, I felt like this was a pretty good cliffhanger.
Helenski reveals her true...well, nature? Her true biology? Dunno.
Anyways, Kuraima gets an upgrade that makes him more like the Terrarian, and a bit more.
No, he won't be going full Gamer, just the Terraria stuff.
And honestly, this Samurai thing? It wasn't exactly planned out from the beginning, and I don't exactly discuss it that much with my fellow writers because of spoiler stuff.
For a more accurate image of Kuraima's incomplete Balance Breaker, refer to the cover image. For mobile users, look up Tehpootisman on Deviantart. Then, imagine that he's only got the gauntlets, greaves, and some chainmail. I might draw that at some point, I dunno.
Anyways, for those worried about balancing issues, I've got plans.
Here's what I have said on the topic during a discussion on the Unofficial Calamity Lore Server:
"Issei is pretty weak compared to Kuraima, (Note: This is because Kuraima has had minor combat training from where he grew up in the United States plus his exercise routines, yet Issei can't even use a teleportation circle on his own) however, being a reincarnated Devil, he has the potential to surpass whatever limits Kuraima's human body has.
In addition, Kuraima's strength (as of now) mainly relies on [the usage of] multiple different powers (Such as Blessing and Third Eye), while Issei can just use the power of exponential growth to close the gap with raw power"
Regarding the Balance Breaker...
"Issei has to sacrifice his arm just to achieve his first balance breaker for *15 seconds*, however even then it's really strong. In that 15 seconds, he's able to use holy water [...] to beat a High-Class Devil, whose ability is *immortality* (Read: Regeneration that rival those of Terrarians), into submission.
On the other hand, I've decided that Kuraima will unlock his Balance Breaker piece by piece.
Because of this, his Balance Breaker would last much longer than Issei's, at the cost of raw power and some durability (Until he unlocks the full set)."
TL;DR: Issei would whoop Kuraima's ass in terms of sheer power, provided he can get there in the first place.