"This was amazing." I turned as Serafall spoke, looking down to see her smiling happily while carrying three Isaiah plushies and looked at my own free arm where I was carrying a jumbo-sized one.
"Why…do you need this many of me?" I asked and she looked up at me with a sly smile.
"Do you really wanna know~?"
"…On second thought, no. I feel like I might find out something that I shouldn't know."
"Oh, don't worry. The big one is just going to be my cuddle buddy and these are for the other three."
"Wait, other three?" I asked, watching as she grinned and nodded.
"Akeno, Tsubaki and Kuroka. I want them to see what our date was like."
"You just want to rub it in their faces, don't you?" I spoke with a smirk, shaking my head as she just smirked & stung her tongue out at me.
"Anyway, are you ready for tomorrow's meeting? I don't know much about Yasaka other than the information we have on her so you're going to have to take charge on this."
"You sure? This meeting is determining whether or not they will join our side in this war."
"You think they'd rather talk with an immature Satan than someone that's risked his life to save their home?" Serafall asked with a raised eyebrow and I simply rolled my eyes.
"Firstly, I see your point. Secondly, you're not that immature. Simply an acquired taste."
"One kiss and he's already fallen for my taste. And here I thought it would be harder to woo House Gremory's Unholy Wolf."
"Urgh, I'm going to beat up whoever came up with that name."
"I like it. It makes you sound so…rugged, majestic."
"It makes me sound like a emo dork that likes werewolves." I responded with a deadpan, smirking at her giggle before blinking as I realized that we were nearing the bridge near our inn.
"Yo! Boss!" I blinked as I heard Issei's voice, both Serafall and I looking to the side to see him along with Asia, Saji and Tomoe walking towards us.
However, I was more focused on him linking arms with Asia, chuckling as they both blushed the moment they noticed where my eyes were.
"So, what's this? A double date away from your classmates?" I asked while looking at Saji, who simply raised an eyebrow while Tomoe giggled as Asia & Issei turned even more red.
"While I do appreciate the compliment, I like my partner to be a bit…on the younger side." Tomoe answered and I blinked before turning to Saji.
"She's a shotacon."
"Nice." I answered with a nod before looking down at Serafall as she rose an eyebrow.
"Nice?"
"You are centuries old dating a 17-year-old." I spoke with a simple smirk and she looked to be in thought before nodding.
"Fair point. So then, is this a little date for you two?"
"Yep, and we're here because our other classmates are playing Spin the Bottle."/ "And I didn't want to go shopping with Reya and Momo for the fifth time today. I already got what I needed." Saji & Tomoe answered respectively, to which I hummed before blinking as I felt the air shift.
However, as I stretched out Air Current Sense, my eyes widened as a dense purple fog appeared in the area around us before all colour vanished from the world.
"Boss?" Issei asked as the Boosted Gear & Dividing Gear appeared on his arms, Asia hiding slightly behind him as pale blue vines slithered out of Saji's clothes while Tomoe blinked as my crest appeared below her & expelled a Holy-Demonic Katana.
"You need a weapon?" I asked as I looked at her, to which she nodded in thanks and took it while Serafall's outfit shifted into her pink magical girl one.
"Alright! Who dares interrupts Levia's date?!" I sighed at her shouting while Tomoe giggled, the others looking just as amused before I groaned as a familiar voice spoke up.
'Right, I forgot about this part in the story.'
"Hey, looks like we hit the jackpot." Cao Cao spoke with a grin as he walked out of the fog, his entourage not surprising me either as Georg followed after him.
However, their third member surprised me and probably everyone else as a pointy-eared man with long black hair tied up in a ponytail, violet eyes and dressed in an exquisite black outfit with dark red belts & motifs walked out besides them.
"I thought you guys hated devils?" I asked as Gram appeared at my side, resting my hand on it as Cao Cao snorted while Creuserey Asmodeus gave me an amused smirk.
"They felt like they needed the help of a superior being to defeat you." He spoke and to my surprise, no one corrected him on his behaviour as they all simply frowned.
'Something's wrong.'
"Sera, see if you can break the barrier around us." I whispered as I unsheathed Gram, to which she simply gave me a look as a dark green glow covered the demonic blade in my grasp.
"You see it too?"
"Yeah, they didn't glare at him when he said that, which means he has something that makes them confident enough to face us here."
"Okay, good luck." She whispered and I smiled & nodded before she vanished in a dark blue flash, turning back to the group to see them waiting patiently.
"Not going to try and attack?" I asked and Cao Cao snorted as he shook his head.
"While I do wish I could fight you, my target is at your side." He said while pointing his spear at his opponent, Issei frowning as he readied himself.
"And I'm guessing you & I are having a round two?" Saji asked with a smirk as he looked at Georg, who frowned as magic crests appeared at his sides.
"I'm simply here to keep you entertained while Cao Cao takes care of your friend."
"Hmm, Boss. A?" Saji asked as he looked at me, to which I hummed before nodding.
"A." Before anyone could process, Creuserey rose an eyebrow as Issei and Saji scattered outwards, to which he frowned before smirking as he looked at me.
"You know, you do realize that we just wanted you alone, right?" He spoke before blinking in confusion as I chuckled.
"Oh, I do. That's why your friends are not here anymore." I spoke with a smirk as the green glow around Gram shattered and he hummed as both Cao Cao & Georg vanished like mirages, looking down at the ground to see a pair of dark shadows racing away in opposite directions.
"The Vritra user?"
"Yep. So, Creuserey, you're not going to be a disappointment like Shalba was, are you?" I asked as I went into my opening stance before being surprised as instead of rage, a gleeful chuckle escaped his lips.
"Oh, you thought that I was Creuserey? Ah, isn't that cute? No, Isaiah. This body is simply a vessel for something much, much darker than that little bat could ever be." He growled and I frowned as pure malice flooded the area with each word he spoke.
"Tomoe, take Asia and run to the south. Now." While I didn't like using my True Voice to force her, her asking questions would just waste time and it appears my thought process was right as I 'saw' her opening her mouth to ask before nodding as she took Asia's hand & quickly ran away with her.
"So, who are you then?"
"I am they who fought the storm." The simple response made me sigh in frustration before I shook my head to get ready for battle, watching as tears of blood and a dark purple miasma began to exude from its body before it bolted forward.
"Thank you all for returning for the second half of our meeting today." Pope Benedict announced with a smile as he stood up from his throne, the other priests settling down from their discussions while Sona & Rias readied themselves for another session of talking.
Or so they thought.
"Now that we have summarized all of the past year's agendas, it is time to start with a new one. Namely, one that the young devils in front of us are here to propose." That threw both heiresses for a loop as they looked at the pope, who smiled & nodded while gesturing for them to speak as he sat down.
'You take this one.' Rias gestured to Sona with her eyes, who simply sighed before clearing her throat as she stood up and focused everyone's attention to her.
"Thank you, your Holiness for the opportunity to speak. Now, both Rias and I know that we along with our respective Queens are not considered welcome here, even after the alliance we forged with Heaven. We know that a time will come where devils & humans can live side by side, but that is most likely millennia beyond our years. However, today, I come here not as a devil, but as an individual that is concerned about the current threat to our world."
"The Khaos Brigade, correct?" Vasco Strada cut off Sona with a simple question, humming as she nodded.
"That is indeed correct, Eminence Strada. Today, we face not just one pantheon or two, but an allied group consisting of nearly every supernatural species in the world and despite how each faction have their own agenda, they all work towards the same goal: Getting rid of the current status quo."
"Yet, all of this could have been prevented had your people simply taken care of the Satan descendants, could it not Heiress Sitri?" Cristaldi asked with a raised eyebrow, Sona frowning at how the other priests whispered in agreement in each other before she nodded.
"Yes, it could have. However, the same could be said for the rogue exorcists, the Sacred Gear wielding humans and even the few Holy blades that the Khaos Brigade were found to possess. Pointing the finger does not help anyone in this situation besides the common enemy we now have."
"The young heiress speak the truth, Cristaldi." Sona was surprised to hear Strada agreeing with her, a bit smug at how Cristaldi simply frowned at his fellow Cardinal's words before nodding as she continued.
"Thank you, Eminence Strada. As I was saying, pointing the finger will not help now, but this new alliance will. Heaven has already agreed to it and has received significant support in their project to create the Brave Saints. Now, we ask the Church as its own individual faction to join our alliance and help us create a better world for mankind to live in."
"This sounds good and all, heiress Sitri, but one problem remains. You say that this alliance is for the good of everyone, but what will you do when a noble of your race decides that it wants a nun as its servant?" One of the younger priests seated at the front asked with his hands crossed in front of his face, Sona noting as the others looked just as curious for her answer before she turned as Rias spoke up.
"They will be stripped of their ranks & titles, the victim will be given their fortune along with a substantial amount for the rest of their life and depending on how severe their actions were to the former human, their punishment will range from eternal imprisonment in our highest prison to death by drowning in holy water." Rias' answer surprised everyone in the room as they looked at her, Sona smirking as she saw the authoritative look in her friend's eyes.
"Are those words what you mean or are you simply saying that to appease us, heiress Gremory?"
"As the sister to Lord Lucifer who is leader of the Underworld, my words have more meaning than that of any regular noble and I assure you, Cristaldi, my brother feels the exact same way." She spoke bluntly, Cristaldi's gaze turning cold and everyone around him shifted as a holy aura radiated off of him.
"I believe you meant Eminence Cristaldi, Gremory?"
"I did not. Anyway, I do believe it is time for another break."
"That is up to his Holiness, Gremory. Now, sit back down."
"I have better things to do with my time than listen to an old man shooting down every suggestion because his pride can't handle it. Akeno, we are excusing ourselves."
"With pleasure." Akeno spoke with a vindictive giggle as the two walked out of the room, Sona sighing as Tsubaki giggled while Christ simply looked amused.
"Apologies for my friend. She gets very…irritable when someone tries to undermine her friend."
"It's quite okay, heiress Sitri. I could say the same about Cristaldi when something doesn't go his way." The pope spoke with a chuckle, some people snorting and looking away as Cristaldi simply glared at the table in front of him.
"Thank you, your Holiness. Please, excuse us."
"While they are getting themselves together, Heiress Gremory's suggestion for a second break sounds quite good. Why don't we…" The door closed behind Sona and Tsubaki as Christ continued speaking, both of them easily finding Rias & Akeno outside the cathedral within a few minutes thanks to the corrosive acidic smell in the air that was left by sparks of Power of Destruction.
"You okay now?" Akeno asked as Rias laid on the grassy ground, the redhead sighing and nodding while the ground around her was nothing but withered & charred.
"I've calmed down."
"While I would usually chastise you for your ill-manners, I will overlook it this time."
"Because you're pissed too?" Rias asked with a smirk as she looked up, watching how the humidity in the air had increased tremendously, enough that it actually felt as if she was breathing in nothing but water.
The humidity soon disappeared as Sona sighed while rubbing the bridge of her nose, Akeno wiping the trails of water of her arms while Tsubaki wiped the fog off of her glasses.
"Apologies for my lapse in manners. Don't say anything to anyone." She warned her friends, who simply giggled as they nodded before turning as they heard footsteps nearing, Rias smiling at Christ walking towards them with a concerned look.
"Are you all well? I feel like there might have been some hostility in the meeting."
"A bit, yes, but we have calmed down, Christ."
"Hah, good. Truthfully, I'm not the best one to deal with anger and all the raging emotions in your body, so I wasn't sure what to tell you all if you hadn't cooled down." He muttered with a shake of his head, to which the girls giggled before their eyes widened as a voice spoke up.
"Hello there. May I please speak with you all?"
"E-Eminence Strada." Rias spoke as she quickly stood up, dusting off her skirt before blinking as Strada chuckled and raised a hand.
"No need for the Eminence and no need to bow, young Rias. I can't exactly expect for you to bow to someone that isn't highly ranked in your own society."
"W-While that is true, tales of you and your power are known throughout all of devilkind so it wouldn't feel right to simply be casual, Eminence Strada." Sona answered and Vasco hummed as he nodded.
"Very well, I like the sound of Sir Strada so that is what you will call me from now on. No need for the Eminence."
"As you wish, Sir Strada." Rias spoke, to which Vasco nodded before he spoke.
"Well, I simply came to ask if everything is okay. It appears that there was some tension between you all and Cristaldi."
"We…spoke before the start of the second meeting?"
"And he made some unwanted comments, didn't he?" Vasco said with a knowing look, shaking his head as the girls nodded.
"That man. Apologies on his behalf, but Ewald is…well, you have met his student Freed Sellzen so you can see where Freed got his zealousness from."
"Wait, that crazy idiot was his student?" Rias asked, all of them surprised as Vasco smirked & nodded.
"Yes, Freed was quite the prodigy, touted to be on the same level as Siegfried, Xenovia and Irina. However, Cristaldi got to him before I could and made him into what you saw. Then, he decided to let him go into the world and…well, you all saw how he ended up."
"I guess the student has surpassed the master in something at least." Sona muttered, to which Vasco chuckled as he nodded.
"That, he did. Well, if all is good, I shall be removing myself from your discussion since it was a pri-!"
"Your Eminence Strada! Your Lordship!" Both men blinked as Irina burst through the door, everyone a bit surprised & confused to see her out of breath while a panicked look was on her face.
"What's the matter, Irina?" Christ asked and she took a deep breath.
"You…need to come. We…are under attack!"
"By wha-?" Rias was cut off by a series of guttural and malevolent roars echoing through the atmosphere, her eyes widening along with Sona's as a whisper escaped her lips.
"Dragons."
A/N: And the action is finally starting as both Isaiah & his group along with Rias & her group are attacked simultaneously. Who their attackers are, you'll find out in the next chapter.
Anyway, for the newer ones as well as the ones that haven't seen it, here is the new & improved schedule on Pat-reon that will also include a couple of new stories that are not on here so look & see which ones you like.
Monday: Foxy Adventures(A Naruto SI in the middle of the Chunin Exams) & Sage? Nah, I'm Pain(A Nagato SI after his parents died)
Tuesday: Voice of the Almighty(An Issei OOC with an angelic father) & Sparking Soul(A Thor SI just as he lands on Earth/ Midgard)
Wednesday: The Unholy Wolf & Harbinger of Ruin(The Rewrite of The Unholy Wolf)
Thursday: King of Hellish Gravity & Cursed Soul(The Rewrite of the King of Hellish Gravity)
Friday: Perfection? Not For me & The One-Armed Titan(A Future Gohan SI that starts after he loses his arm)
Saturday: Devilish Gaming & The Spiritual Don( A Don Kanonji SI that starts the day Ichigo gets his powers.)
Sundays are my off-days, but I have started an Q & A on the Pat that I'll also be doing there where you can ask me questions and I'll answer as many as I can.
In the meantime, tell me which ones you like and don't like and yeah, that's the new schedule.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until next week...
Enjoy the cliffhanger & Ba-Bye~!