The Time of Isolation Hath Come
XXIII
[6]
Issei's world was nothing more than light and sounds.
His arms were raised as impacts slammed against them, one after the other without any sign of slowing down and it was purely the instinct to cover his face alone which had sprung this movement forwards.
Silver coated fingers pushed between his arms and gripped tight, his eyes widened as his guard was wrenched apart with all the ease of someone drawing curtains. Vali twisted in the next moment and all Issei could really see was the underside of an armoured boot accelerating towards his face.
Then he felt the dull crack he'd felt a hundred times before echo loud, his body moved against his will and he flew.
The air around him ballooned and then popped, a thunderclap burst his ears and he stared through dull and slowing eyes as the streaking comet raced towards him. It was with some lethargy that he was even able to turn his body, he didn't feel much of anything and was growing rather exhausted.
…Just tired of everything really.
Of being here.
Of being punched in the face.
Of every counter being blocked and rewarded with another beating.
…Really…what was even the point of-
His cheek burned, knuckles dug into his exposed skin and snapped his neck to the side with such force that it sent fresh lances of pain right down his spine, like his whole upper body was on fire. It was enough to jerk him back into reality as he twisted with the movement and spiralled through the air.
Then another flash of movement, he grunted and gasped, his body folded forwards and around the leg buried in his waist before he was launched upwards. Those fire-like kicks juggling him through the air, Vali giving chase without ever letting him have a moment to breathe or even think to himself about a way he could counter this.
"Where did all your fight go, Hyoudou Issei!?"
Vali's shout sounded almost offended.
Issei, meanwhile, just felt nothing but confused.
Fighting?
He could barely have the time to respond to-
Vali was above him, fists raised high and clasped together. Issei turned his eyes and looked upwards to the frozen image hovering above him. The piercing blue lights of the silver helmet, the blinding wings which radiated motes of sapphire blue, and the fists which were rapidly descending towards him.
He crossed his arms in front of his body, covering his head as best he could.
Issei was actually surprised he could manage even that much.
The impact was deafening, in that he really didn't hear anything so much as he felt it. The reverberation through his entire body, the rattling of his crimson armour and the wind pressing against his back as he was catapulted straight down. The journey to the earth felt eternal and lightning fast, perhaps it was both and perhaps it was neither.
Like a falling meteor he impacted against the ground and continued downwards, everything turned dark save for a dim light high above him, if he squinted hard enough he could see some shapes through the tiny little hole which - to his own eyes - looked to be no larger than an apple.
He blinked several times as he realised what happened.
[5]
Issei winced as the countdown resounded like a drum inside his head.
[You're getting our ass beat here, partner.]
"...No shit." Issei just rumbled a reply, half croaking and half wheezing as he lay on his back, limbs trapped under the weight of the earth around them. He could probably break free if he pulled but that was about it.
[Come on. He was right. You're losing your spark here.]
"...I can't feel anything."
[Good. Just means that even if something breaks, you can keep fighting!]
Though he was no doctor, he was absolutely certain that was the wrong thing to be thinking about at this moment. Issei just groaned all the louder by way of a vocal reply, he heard a matching huff echo through their link as Ddraig started to bear down on him, some different sense of urgency in his words.
[You really fine with letting that punk get away with beating you black and blue in front of that devil girl? She's gonna see that her Pawn is just some weakling who's gonna crumble when she needs him most?]
Issei twitched and narrowed his eyes a bit.
Those words were uncalled for, he was trying his best here.
He sighed and reached up, his hands pushed into the rock either side of him and curled, gripping tight and lifting his body upwards. The tumbling of earth around him and dust falling onto him brought a cough from him, he turned and looked upwards, easily spotting the mote of silver on the backdrop and black and red that served as a sky.
[Get back up there, partner!] Ddraig urged, his words coming louder and more…well, he would say prideful but there was something challenging within them as well. [Get in there and show that Albion bastard not to threaten what's yours!]
Issei narrowed his eyes, moving his hand to the exposed section of his face and wiped the grime away from him, clearing out his vision and frowning deeper than before.
Yeah.
Because this was the asshole who threatened his parents like it was nothing, threatened the people who hadn't even done anything to him.
[Boost!]
He took in a deep breath and exhaled.
[Boost!]
Only for a brief moment did he notice that this boost came faster than before, but it barely mattered to him as much as landing a single punch on the face of that guy and wiping that smirk off his face.
Maybe he couldn't see the smirk, but he could damn well hear it.
[That's the way of it, partner!]
Issei hunched down and tensed his legs, feeling strength build up within him.
He exhaled.
Then pushed off the ground, throwing himself upwards, the ground exploded around him and upended, his leap from the hole tore a crater which he barely saw as he flung himself towards Vali, closing the incredible distance so quickly that he actually struggled to register what was happening for a few moments, yet the instant he did he was yanking his arm backwards and forming a fist.
He threw a punch right towards the face of the silver coated asshole, it was blocked by a raised forearm but for the first time, he saw them shift ever so slightly under the power of an attack, it was barely an inch but for Issei it was more than enough. It proved that whatever he was doing was working.
And Hell if he was going to stop now!
"The dirt nap did you some-"
Issei cut his words short as he swung his left arm about, with a resounding shout from Ddraig and himself, a flash of black and cold burst from the tip of his gauntlet and swung down. Vali all but launched himself away from Issei as fast as he could manage, it saved him from receiving a blow from Asacalon at least, but Issei just saw the way the guy recoiled from the sword and felt a grin form on his lips as a result.
The grin was short-lived.
"Took you long enough."
There was something eager in that tone of Vali's something that made it sound as though he was waiting for Issei to do this.
[4]
Shit.
He was running out of time here, which meant he just had to go for it and hope for the best.
He needed to land something which meant Vali couldn't go after anyone else. Even if it wouldn't really be a win, it would be enough to keep the others safe.
Yeah.
Not a win.
But not a loss.
With that in mind, Issei brought up both arms and assumed a more clumsy posture of the one that Koneko had been teaching him. In the air it was more than a little awkward but-
Vali just assumed a flawless stance opposite him.
Issei felt himself flatten his features further than before, but it was a quick huff of resignation that flared within him before it just as swiftly vanished. An internal shake of the head later and he took in another breath before throwing himself forwards.
[Boost!]
He moved faster now, but still slower than Vali it seemed, given that his punch was handily knocked upwards and he barely tracked the fist which buried into his ribs. His body shuddered for a moment, another swing of the sword went high, the silver helmet ducked down as the blade passed over the top.
Vali caught his wrist and yanked him, spinning him around in the air.
Issei whipped around and caught an open palm slap to the side of the ear for his troubles, he blinked in stupification at the move as well as the fact it actually hurt. Then a backhand caught him across the other side of the head, knuckles catching right below his eye and forcing it shut from the impact, he hissed and threw himself backwards, or willed himself to retreat.
Whichever it was.
Fingers caught his forearm and pulled him before he could retreat.
Then a voice echoed out.
{Divide!}
Issei felt a gasp spring from the back of his throat as strength just fell away from him, like the fatigue of battle just set in. Though he could not have had long to come to terms with it as another punch to the face knocked him for a loop, eyes swirling around in his skull as his vision briefly whited out.
He locked onto the shape right in front of him and flung his body forwards, it was less of a tackle and more of an awkward hug.
But he clung onto the shape of Vali and forced himself forwards, hearing a bemused noise from in front of him but barely giving it thought as he just flew. The pair of them soaring as a tangle of limbs and clumsy grabbling on his part. His arms roamed around and searched out for the counterparts as details returned to his sight.
He called upon his Gear once more.
[Boost!]
He felt the strength he had lost-
{Divide!}
Plummet away in less than a second.
A sharp tug at the back of his head yanked him away, in the same movement he brought his own legs up and held them close to his chest before launching them out.
Only instead of feeling a solid kick, he felt something crack against his shins and had only a moment to register the fact that Vali had just parried his kick away with one hand before he was suddenly facing the completely wrong direction. With wide eyes and panic seizing his heart, he whipped around and swung his sword out in a diagonal slash downwards.
Vali caught him at the elbow, a fist buried into his gut right under his ribs.
Issei gasped from the impact, especially as another struck the same location in the span of a single moment of relief.
Then a punch struck home right in his armpit, Issei felt his whole body spasm against his will as he jerked and tugged to free his arm.
[3]
"Hm. That doesn't sound good to you, does it-?"
"Shut up!" Issei snarled, with a final pull he wrenched his arm free of the hold and swung back with an overhead punch, Vali crossed his arms over as the blow landed. Issei heard the thunderclap and felt his knuckles rather violently protest the impact. It was like he had struck a brick wall.
Vali's arms were trembling ever so slightly.
[Boost!]
He shoved more and managed to force his silver armoured opponent downwards and away from him, the guard shuddered for a moment as Vali gained some brief distance.
Issei chased him down.
[Boost!]
Once more, this time he thrust with the sword right for the head, Vali leaned to the side as the blade barely even skimmed past his cheek. Issei saw the sapphire blue orbs fix themselves upon him and he could feel the challenging smirk radiate off the bastard. Then a silver arm flew upwards and snaked around his outstretched limb, looping around tugging forwards.
Issei's gasp turned into a grunt as a fist buried itself into his face and broke away more of the helmet.
His vision danced between colour and darkness as the fist repeatedly slammed into him again and again, to the point where he could barely tell one state of affairs from the other.
Raising his hand in front of him, he caught the neck punch on his palm and clamped down his fingers purely on instinct. When the pressure on his hand did not abate, he realised he had actually managed to catch the next punch. With a brief spring of confidence, he yanked the arm to the side and cleared his vision.
Vali stared back at him.
{Divide!}
Issei sagged, then Vali drew back his head.
It was a movement that left him briefly alarmed that Vali was going to retreat again.
[2]
Vali stopped pulling his head backwards and seemed to just freeze.
Perhaps if he had time, Issei would have raised a brow.
Then he felt something cold grip him as he recognised the position.
He immediately released Vali's fist and made to push himself away, throwing up his knees between the two of them as Vali's head launched itself forwards, propelled like a silver comet. Issei felt his knee press hard between the two of them, but it was barely even a blockage, his bones groaned and protested and it felt like his leg was set on fire from the weight crushing it.
The armoured forehead hammered down into the bridge of his nose, Issei gasped and fell backwards.
Only briefly registering the moment the hold on his arm vanished.
It was swiftly followed by a blow to the chest that felt like a wrecking ball, his eyes tracked Vali rise above him and proceed to twist his body around like a gymnast.
Then the top of a foot was racing towards his head.
He jerked his body to avoid it-
The kick fell into his shoulder instead, cracking the armour around his collarbone and Issei felt pain wrack through his entire body. In the next moment he was just falling towards the ground.
[1]
In his dazed state, he barely heard the word.
Only really seeing the ground come closer and closer to him.
Vali barely paid attention to the drop of his rival, instead his mind was really elsewhere, only partially registering the fall before he sighed to himself and turned his head about to briefly look across the battle.
Yeah, things were starting to turn on their head.
Whatever surprise the rebellious angels had in a sneak attack with their Daemons, it was rather short lived. Most of them were dead and it was really only the Daemons still kicking and they were clearly starting to be pushed back from the heavy hitters in the three factions.
He thought as much as he watched one of them vanish in a plume of smoke and ice under the rather incensed aggression of Serafall Leviathan.
The others were…somewhere, he imagined.
But what was more interesting now was the faint little pinprick of danger humming in the back of his head, he turned and cast a short glance over his shoulder and dropped downwards to the land.
He raised a brow under his helm.
It looked like a squirming bush of bramble and vines, twisting and writhing around on the ground. Rather chaotic and almost feral, and though he could not see the epicentre of it, he could tell at a mere glance who would be the owner. His brows furrowed tighter as he strained his hearing, not quite getting much out of what was going on but this sort of animalistic behaviour was rather unlike the current Lucifer.
What on earth had happened to him while Vali had his back turned?
And where was that dragon slayer who was fighting him? Surely the man could not be dead already? That would have been a bit disappointing if Vali didn't even get the chance to trade a few blows with him before he perished.
…Actually, what did he say his name was?
Rider?
…Was that not one of those newcomers that Kuroka had been telling him about?
Meh, he could ask later.
His eyes turned away and back down, staring at the distant shape of the Red Dragon Emperor lying upon the ground in the centre of a small crater.
As far as fights went, it was certainly a bit of a letdown for him.
Even with the addition of a dragon slaying sword, the fight hadn't pushed him all that far and whatever glimpses he had seen, they were swiftly snuffed out by the sheer gap in their skill. Clumsy punches that showed barely even a passing glimmer of training and he clearly didn't even know how to wield a sword in the first place.
Vali grimaced before cutting his height and lowering himself towards the ground.
{It was as expected. You just had longer to train.}
It was the logical answer, Vali knew as such.
But all the same.
"You're disappointed as well though, aren't you?"
Albion didn't respond, but that was an answer unto itself. Even his initial words had been coated in some sort of boredom.
It seems as though they were both a little let down by this turn of events.
His feet struck the ground with a small thud as he stepped forwards, pacing to the prone body and staring down at it, tilting his head to one side and fighting back the urge to let out another sigh.
After all the effort he had gone into trying to force Hyoudou Issei into a reaction and this was the end result?
…Maybe he had just expected too much?
{Give it time.}
Vali snorted at the words of Albion, they sounded almost exasperated and as though he was making an excuse on behalf of Ddraig.
Well, it would certainly sting the pride of Albion if his rival was shown up in such an embarrassing fashion such as this. That extended to him as well, a convenient little way for the two of them to save face in that Hyoudou was rather early into unlocking his gear.
He had managed to make scale mail, even if it was limited to a timer-
Vali slowly blinked and furrowed his brows, staring down at the body.
…A timer.
"Albion." He spoke, feeling confusion rise up. "Hasn't it already been ten-?"
[Boost!Boost!Boost!]
The roar was very nearly lost on him with the speed it was delivered with, Vali jerked backwards as the red armour all but launched itself towards him.
His hand flexed outwards.
{Divi-}
Issei slapped away his outstretched palm and swung upwards with a sudden burst of speed, Vali had barely a second to realise what was happening before the uppercut caught him on the chin.
His eyes snapped to the sky, only to drop back down to the earth as he folded with a punch to the gut. Vali stumbled backwards and caught the next flash of light rocketing towards his head. On pure instinct, he raised his arm to block the attack only to glance at what was actually rushing towards him.
Ascalon.
He pressed off the ground and skipped backwards, not fast enough.
Agony burst across his arm as his armour was torn clean open as though it had never been there in the first place. A curse built up on his lips as he struck the ground and dented it under his boots, a blur of pain and a brief distraction of just how painful it felt seemed to be all Issei needed to press his advantage further.
There was a clumsy tackle, Vali grunted as the body collided with him and an arm looped around the back of his head. He brought his one arm that currently didn't feel as though it had been dipped in hot magma up to separate the hold. Then a sharp pulling dragged him down into a waiting knee, once more he felt the wind driven from his lungs as an armoured kick buried itself into his gut.
Stumbling again, he raised his eyes and blinked through the pain.
He dodged left, the punch for his head went wide, his eyes locked onto the glaring visage of Issei.
Vali grinned behind his helmet.
Finally!
This was more like it!
"Took long e-"
His foot was stomped on.
Hard.
Vali's turn ended with that movement, Issei pivoted around and he was granted just enough time to raise his arm to block before the elbow crashed into it, slamming it flat against his head and jerking him a touch. He pushed and knocked the blow aside, throwing out his own punch towards his rival.
It connected with a thud, striking hard in the shoulder. Vali jerked his foot up and freed it from under Issei's own, the movement staggered them. He twisted and spun around, completing a full turn and delivering a roundhouse kick into the exposed section of the helmet. Issei's face vanished under a shockwave as he was slammed clean into the ground.
Rising up, he drew his arm back and clenched his fist.
But then he glimpsed something.
The gem on the left arm was pointed towards him.
And glowing.
"Dragon shot!" It was a snarl muffled by earth, but he heard it loud as day.
Vali leaned backwards as a pillar of green light rocketed right past the top of his helmet's nose, he stumbled backwards as the sheer heat of the explosion was felt by even him. Something that lasted no more than a split second and followed also by an explosion in front of him. He raised his arms as dust and rubble threw itself into his face.
The recoil.
And the best part was that he did not know if it was intentional or not.
This was getting better and better!
Drawing both his arms wide - a wince shot through him at the slash across his forearm - he snapped them shut and clapped the dust cloud away. The thunderous boom revealed the sight of the Red Dragon Emperor leaping off one foot and throwing a punch right towards him.
Vali ducked and twisted, grabbing the arm and slamming his elbow into the gut of his rival.
He pulled, heaving Issei over his shoulder and smashing them into the ground under him, he followed through with a roll and mounted the top of them, his hand gripping their collar and he pulled upwards, only to deliver a jab to the face which knocked them right back into the dirt.
The next punch smashed into the ground right beside the shattered red helm.
Issei had dodged at the last second, lone eye glaring up at him.
Vali felt the knees strike under him as an arm pushed up into his face, throwing him off his rival and flat onto the ground. He rolled backwards and got back to his feet, snapping his head upwards and widening his eyes.
Knuckles dug into his throat, he stumbled back and choked, hands flying to his neck and gasping for breath.
He barely made it halfway there before his arm was grabbed and he was yanked forwards, lifted off the ground and then slammed into the earth in an over shoulder toss. He rolled, avoiding another kick which would have stomped down on his skull.
Vali surged to his feet, elbow raised and blocking a haymaker.
He needed to get his momentum back, he pushed the blow aside and countered with a jab to the chin, clocking Issei in the jaw.
Pushing further, he delivered several more blows in rapid succession-
Issei caught his arm.
His wounded arm.
Vali felt his eyes widen, his jaw clamped down like a vice as he fought back a cry of pain from the sudden pressure against the already agonising wound from Ascalon. It was no more than a brief moment of hesitation.
Issei yanked him forwards and kneed him in the gut, Vali pulled up and away-
Hands gripped the back of his head and pulled back down, the knee was driven into the front of his helmet once.
Twice.
Thrice.
The fourth time he managed to get his uninjured arm in the way and block the blow, pushing the knee away and sending Issei down to one knee. He couldn't so much as counter as he was too busy wiping a hand over his face, brushing away the scraps of armour which had been pushed into his skin.
He mirrored Issei now.
And the boy was already throwing another punch at his head, Vali felt his grin widen as he ducked under and countered, his blow landed against the ribs. Issei hissed and elbowed him in the side of the head, pain flared across him from the attack and he heard the tell-tale shout of Ddraig once more.
[Boost!]
Vali turned.
Right into an uppercut.
His eyes were shot up to the sky and he felt himself pull off the ground, blinking in a daze from the numb shock across his jaw and then watching flickerings of silver travel with him. Warm air brushed over his skin and his hair felt loose once more.
Vali realised, then and there, that his helmet had been punched clean off his head.
The moment he realised, he barked out a laugh even as he hit the ground and rolled hard over his shoulder and back to his feet.
Arms up, he prepared for the next blow.
Issei launched himself forwards, fist cocked back and already throwing it.
Vali knew of a dozen ways he could counter it now that he could see it coming.
Yet Issei likely knew that as well - had to know that - so he waited with bated breath for whatever trick-
The armour peeled away.
Vali blinked as the bare skin of Issei's fist smacked rather pitifully against his chest.
…What?
Neither of them said anything.
Vali slowly craned his neck down and stared at Issei in front of him, as the fist slid away from his armour and the teenager dropped down onto his knees. Panting and sputtering as though he had finished running a marathon.
Wait…no.
No.
That could not be it.
Not when it had been getting so good.
Not when it was finally getting good!
His hands started to curl into fists, his jaw clenched hard.
Issei was still just coughing and spitting underneath him, heaving up a mixture of blood and vomit to the ground. Vali did not even care to notice that some of it was seeping against his boots.
All he did was stare down at the sight in silence.
Slowly he took in a breath and then exhaled.
Once more he stared down at Issei.
Then he clicked his tongue.
{For an amateur…he did rather well. As expected of Ddraig's host.}
Vali grunted but said nothing, tilting his head to one side before raising it up and glancing at their surroundings.
The battle was starting to fade away.
Which meant that things would probably be-
He twitched and straightened.
Then snapped his eyes to the east as something rumbled in the distance.
Thunder.
But this was different, he knew that much.
This was-
"Ooooh boy."
He whipped back around and tensed, then slowly loosened himself as he looked to the new arrival.
"Was wondering how long it would be before one of them showed up here. Surprised it took this long really…Oh shit. That's one hell of a combo about to drop on everyone's heads as well."
The newcomer leaned forwards and pushed their glasses up and squinted to the distance, whistling once more.
"Well. If I were you, I'd skedaddle. Especially now. I'll grab the others and-"
Stopping, they turned and looked down at Issei, then raised a brow.
"What are you gonna do with him?"
Vali grimaced.
"...A tie." He responded. "I'll let him lick his wounds and then get stronger."
Leaning down, he snagged Issei by the back of his shirt and pulled upwards, dragging the teenager until they were eye level with one another. Even in that rather pathetic state, they were still looking at him with such determined fire that Vali could not help but smile all the wider at it.
This was the determination he expected from his rival.
This right here.
"Not quite today, Hyoudou Issei. Perhaps next time?"
If there was a witty retort to be had, he did not let the teen snap one out before he took off to the skies and dragged Issei with him, heading back towards the direction they had come from.
Dropping Issei back in front of his parents would definitely inspire him to get better.
He'd lost because he was too weak and was only spared because Vali felt like it.
That was it.
His lips thinned for a moment.
…Well.
…Perhaps not the only reason.
He knew this was bad.
He knew just how bad this was but getting the chance to get away was becoming rather impossible.
Azazel ducked under the black sword, retaliating with a thrust that sent his attacker skating backwards away from him. Though he had not the chance to pursue before he himself was leaping away from a sudden vacuum explosion right in front of him. Space distorted before falling inwards, his feet hit the ground and he swung up his hand in response.
Spells counteracted one another.
The blue of the Daemons eyes bore into his own before they twinkled.
It took in a sharp breath and then swept its hands outwards like unveiling a curtain.
The air around him hissed.
Azazel swung down, a dome covered himself as the air burst into flames a second later, the fires burning hotter and hotter as the seconds ticked past until they went from a burning right to a cold blue. The flames parted as a sea of cold fell down upon him.
His eyes widened and he twisted his bident before wrenching it upwards.
The dome around him expanded outwards before burst, the shockwave tore the flames apart and banished the cold.
A figure cloaked in black - the Hassan - all but appeared in front of him in the next moment. He brought his spear down and met the blade of his attacker, gritting his teeth under his helmet as he looked back towards them. A glint of their eyes was the only warning he received, the moment in which they flashed from blue to red, and then he felt the ground under him heat up.
Azazel launched himself upwards as a pillar of blue flame rose up from where he had been standing.
He spun in the air and looked down on them from above.
Those flames…they were…
Soul burning flames.
His eyes snapped to the bone mask of their wielder, the head of the Hassan turned and looked up to him once again. Only for them to step backwards and vanish in those same fires as though they had never been there in the first place. His eyes shot wide and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
Azazel whirled around and swung his bident.
It clanged loudly against the guard of the Hassan, the weapons scraping against one another before he finished the spin and sent his attacker flying off into the distance. Yet once more he saw the glint of blue flames and the man vanished without a trace.
He dropped down to the ground with such force that he caved it inwards, standing in a crater before charging towards the shadow of the Daemon. It raised its hands like a conductor, he felt the pulse of magical energy around it and cocked his arm back, then snapped his body into a position and hurled his polearm with all his might.
The Daemon stopped and twisted its hand.
Azazel just smirked.
Just as he calculated, it diverted the bident away from him.
But it didn't seem to notice the fact his foot was also standing in the centre of a small magical circle. He twisted his leg and activated it.
In the span of a single second, the ground transformed, stone teeth rose from the ground in mere seconds and climbed perhaps a dozen metres into the air. The Daemon howled as it was soon shrouded under the spiky embrace. Azazel rocketed forwards and blasted through the barrier or rock, drawing back his fist and clenching it tight.
The Daemon burst out with an explosion.
His fist crashed into their cheek in the next second, bone fractured across their face and teeth went flying from their mask. He pushed and activated another magical spell before he knocked them away. Another thunderclap sounded as the impact registered twice upon the head, this time flinging away half the mask from the head of the Daemon and throwing their body into the air.
His finger snapped.
The Daemon bounced off the spell in the air and was launched back towards him, his hand held out and drew forth the bident. It dropped into his hands in the next moment as he twisted around and swung.
A sword appeared in the path of his swing, a clear line split the earth right between their class as the air visibly wavered between them.
How was this Hassan doing it?
Every time he thought that his blow would be too strong for them they just seemed to take it on the nose like there wasn't a problem.
It did not make sense to him.
He was certain he was not underestimating them and he could not sense any change in their general power. There was no boost to their presence.
So how were they able to keep doing this.
A glimpse of light and then a beam struck his chest, Azazel grunted as he was thrown away from the weapon lock and flat against the ground. Twisting for a moment and then hammering his elbow down, righting himself back up and leaning to the side, avoiding the slash and countering with a thrust.
It was blocked.
His eyes narrowed as he resumed his offensive in earnest, pouring more and more of his strength into the engagement, speeding up until he was long since moving past the speed of sound. Each collision echoed a thunderclap, by that point they were already three blade strikes ahead of the impact.
Catching the blade on the pole, he twisted it over and spun on his heel.
The kick was caught between the claws of the Daemon.
Everything felt heavy, like suddenly a mountain was pressing down on his head.
He stumbled as best he could, then watched the blade descend towards his caught leg.
Azazel kicked off the ground and twisted his body around, kicking the sword away from himself and then spreading his wings as wide as he could. If it was only the weight of a mountain, then he could definitely handle something as trivial as that.
They should have dropped the weight of a continent on his head instead.
He pushed back into the air and dragged the Daemon with him but a single step, then flexed his wings the other way and launched himself forwards. His boot collided with their chin, their head snapped back and he had them staring up at the sky for all of a second, but their hold on his foot loosened long enough for him to tear it free, spinning around and hitting the ground.
He launched himself forwards and cocked back a fist, swinging upwards and driving it into their side-
Azazel froze as something pierced through his armour.
He stared at the dozen tiny glints of metal and whipped his arm back just as swiftly, it was impossible to think that something would have-
He stopped and stared for longer than he really should have.
The glimmering needle shapes vanished and there was no sign they had ever been there.
What-?
A fist caught his face and he was jerked backwards, a hand grabbed his arm and yanked him forwards into an elbow, then a knee found its way into his gut. He staggered just as the Daemon caught his throat and held him up before slamming it back down into the ground, he coughed out as a kick hammered into his ribs and sent him cartwheeling away.
Even as he was caught in the pain and rolled to a stop, his mind was still whirling with it.
Then he grimaced.
…Of all the Daemons.
It had to be this one, didn't it?
"Metus…" He groaned out, rolling from his back to his front and staggering up to his feet, raising his head and looking out towards the duo.
The Daemon dropped their leg back to the ground and huffed in response.
"That thou do forget the teachings of the heavenly father yet remember mine name sickens me. I would hast preferred thou to remain in ignorance."
Azazel smirked under his helmet and cracked his neck.
"Don't be like that…what's it been? Seven-hundred years?"
"It would hast been fewer, were thou not a coward."
He shrugged. "We can't all be big bad Daemons now, can we? Or get some old men to fight our battles for us."
Metus did not reply as they stalked forwards.
Azazel grimaced and held firm.
This was definitely going to suck-
He stopped.
Metus did too, as did the Hassan.
A distant rumble sounded in the distance.
But he knew it was nothing to do with the fighting happening, it was something far more ominous.
And far more angered.
"...Oh shit."
There was only one being in Japan who could wield the storms in such a manner and he should have figured as soon as the fighting started it would only be a matter of time before they showed up.
He clenched his jaw.
This was truly the worst case scenario.
Metus now looked far less confident than they had been moments ago, their blue eyes flickering to the distant sounds before back to him. Their hands clenched shut into fists and they drew up to their full height.
A low and angered growl rumbled in the back of their throat.
Azazel knew what they were planning.
He wished he could do it right now as well.
Run away before they got caught.
Metus switched gaze before taking a half step backwards, the growl grew louder and louder before a snarl burst free of them. Raising their hands above their hand and slamming down into the earth.
It felt like everything shifted for him in that second.
Eyes wide, Azazel stumbled as a wave of vertigo rolled over him, his balance gave out and he stumbled back and forth. Jaw clenched, he flashed out his hand and drew forth a hundred spears of light, hurling them forwards and throwing them towards the Daemons.
The spears tore apart the earth, levelling everything under a blanket of destruction.
As the smoke cleared, his eyes beheld nothing more than a blank space, no sign of either the Daemon or the Hassan who had been aiding them.
Azazel grit his teeth and spread his wings wide, then launched himself into the air, whirling around and forgetting all about the pair of them for the moment. Instead his eyes zoomed straight onto the horizon as he watched the roll of light pierce through the darkness that had subsumed the sky.
It was a distant thing.
Like the sun rising, the glare of light grew brighter and brighter.
Shit.
It was a curtain of fire.
It stretched miles into the sky, and expanded until it far went beyond the perimeter of the town. A blazing wall of heat that surged towards him, falling down with the weight of a mountain and threatening to consume him under its burning embrace.
Michael slowly raised his sword up, his other hand sliding around the hilt.
Moment by moment, the wall grew closer and closer.
He released a breath.
With a slow swing of the blade, almost lethargic, he brought it across in a side slash which stretched upwards.
For several breaths, there was only quiet.
Then with a splintering of glass, the world shattered around them. A clear slice tore through everything between himself and the wall and beyond, the fire was sliced in half perfectly, trailing after the direction of the cut and falling away like paper. In the next moment, he brought the sword about once more and did much the same, another slash formed in the wall of fire and removed clean chunks of them.
Drawing himself back, he tensed himself and dragged his strength to his wings.
Then he launched himself forwards, thrusting his sword.
A hole opened right in the midst of the flames, he passed through and spied Maalik instantly. The dark shape veering off to the side as he narrowly avoided being caught wake of the attack.
The mask swung onto him in the same moment he was already there.
A flash of fire, Michael swung his fist through it and punched them clean in the face, air ballooned around them and then burst, Maalik vanished into nothing more than a distant blur. Michael charged and turned the distance into nothing. He swung his leg up and drove it into the gut of Maalik, throwing them into the air.
Once more giving chase, only for Maalik to vanish into a cloud of black smoke.
Michael slowed and narrowed his eyes, stopping completely and thinning his lips.
He closed his eyes.
His senses stretched outwards and around himself.
He had experience with this.
He knew this.
Michael jerked backwards and felt the wind pass the tip of his nose, his eyes slowly opened to reveal the burning sword of Maalik rushing right past his chin, dropping his attention down he saw them surging up from below.
Catching the sword with the flat of his blade, he batted it aside and reduced it to nothing more than hot smoke with a mere touch.
Maalik's surprise was felt to him, as well as the growing alarm as they rushed to stop themselves, he saw the black smoke shrouding around their body once again.
No.
Not this time.
Throwing his hand down, he chopped into the shoulder of Maalik, jerking them away from the smoke and drawing a pained grunt from them. A muffled sound as he clenched his jaw to fight back the shout of pain he would have otherwise released.
Michael caught them at the shoulder and then pulled, dragging them up and slamming another knee into Maalik's gut. A sputter escaped, he ended it by dropping his elbow onto the back of their head. Then watched in silence as Maalik fell to the earth like a comet, smoke and fire dropping with them until they vanished into a haze of flame and smog.
He fell after them, falling down with his gaze devoid of emotion.
He knew what he was about to do.
And oddly enough, he had made peace with it.
Yes.
He had.
It was his mercy that had caused this violence, his belief that one day his brother could change his ways.
His mercy which had left Maalik alone in the cold and the dark.
His mercy which had caused this bitter confrontation.
It was his fault all these humans and his fellow Angels were now dead.
So he was long since past the point of mercy.
His feet touched the ground and he looked up to the crater, the point where Maalik had fallen. It was a hole which stretched down for some distance. A pit which was dozens of metres across and might well have stretched down for half a mile. Who could truly say?
Stalking forwards, he readied his sword for the inevitable rise, because of course Maalik would do that.
They were stubborn, if nothing else, and would never surrender until they perished.
He should have seen it years ago.
Michael stayed his feet at the edge of the drop and gazed down into the darkness, where only a dim ember could be seen flickering at the very bottom. He watched it for several short moments, then took a step backwards as the pit erupted into a pillar of fire which stretched higher and higher into the sky.
The heat was incredible, he was sure that it would have evaporated whatever clouds were nearby.
He could feel it.
And he watched as in the centre of the pillar, the shadow of Maalik emerged, not unaffected by his own flames as the heat started to peel away at his coak, revealing the rounded bands of darkened armour fused to his body. The bleached white mask darkened with each passing second, fires licked at him as he swung out his arms,
Michael raised his hand and stepped backwards as the pillar expanded and rolled over him.
His jaw clenched hard, the pain assailed him from every direction.
His armour started to glow as the burning seeped into the metal, he could feel it with every passing moment.
Then he took a single step forwards.
And another.
Then another.
He marched towards the epicentre of the flames and across the gap between them, his feet touching nothing and yet still walking as though there was ground underfoot. He pulled his hand away from his face, feeling the flames lick at his skin and at his hair.
Oh, it hurt.
It was one of the worst things he had felt for a long time.
But it could never hurt worse than if he were to allow Maalik to escape.
Michael pushed through the final stretch, almost at arms length as Maalik's eyes bore into his own. There was the surprise for a moment that burned behind that mask, but it quickly gave way to the rage all over again. The fires around them shifted, from golden to deep blue in an instant.
It was a roar that filled his ears, Michael stopped for a brief moment as his armour glowed a bright yellow.
Peeling away from him in drops of gold, falling away and blown into the winds.
Yet he took another step forwards, perhaps to the surprise of Maalik, or perhaps not.
Michael held up his sword, gazing down the edge of the blade as it was pointed towards the sky.
Then he thrust it upwards.
Golden stream of light peeled from the red blade and shot upwards and outwards, weaving their way through the pillar of blue fire and enclosing around it. The strands circled like vine and held their place.
Then Michael pulled.
Maalik grunted and staggered as the pillar was snuffed of fuel and faded away into nothing.
Before the Zabaniya could recover, Michael launched himself forwards and delivered a backhand across his brothers face, the mask rattled as his knuckles dragged a burning like right under the left eye and sent the shadow slamming into the ground and bouncing for more than a kilometre.
Michael breathed out.
Then followed after at a slower pace.
He did not need to look to see the state he was in, the pain was enough of a reminder.
Or it was a source of strength.
Telling him to end this now.
He stopped once in sight of Maalik and hit the ground, then raised his sword above his head.
Perhaps he should have had some words for them?
No.
There would be no more words shared between them for this.
Maalik turned and gazed up.
Michael swung down-
"Behind you!"
It was a shout that was almost lost amidst the sea of flame.
But Michael heard it and stopped, if only for the desperation in the yell which was almost familiar. He could not quite place the voice, despite the fact he knew he should, yet the warning resounded in his mind.
Michael turned around-
Pain lanced across his chest, his eyes widened as another blow followed suit and a fist crashed into his face, throwing him up and into the air. His wings carried him away from the slash of metal through the air, he hit the ground hard and rolled, throwing himself back to his feet and thrusting the sword down.
The sword pierced and he held firm.
His other hand slammed into his chest over the pain, he grit his teeth as he felt the golden ichor flood out of him.
His eyes snapped to the new shape and-
Michael felt his heart stop.
Shrouded in a dark robe, adorned in bells and with a hood that showed no face.
He watched as they swished their scythe to the side and splattered the drops of golden blood to the ground, taking up a defensive stance in front of Maalik.
Michael continued to just stare with wide eyes.
He could not find the words.
They just caught in his throat.
What…?
Why?
"Wh-why?" He croaked, struggling to keep himself from just shouting at them, demanding answers.
He did not know whether to cry or shout.
Azrael looked back.
"I warned thou. This conference had been the nails in which thy coffin was sealed."
Michael recoiled as though struck, his heart lurched and he felt his shoulders sag downwards as he stared at Azrael. Comprehension dawning upon him, glancing between them and Maalik several times.
It came crashing down on him with a terrible clarity to it.
"You…" His throat ran dry, the words barely escaped him as a croak. "You freed…?"
Azrael nodded slowly. "Once more, I warned the cost of peace too high, and there were many whom recall that dark day."
Michael released a sharp hitching breath.
No.
Not Azrael too…
"Was…" He swallowed, finding the words quiet. "Was it truly so horrible a path that you would resort to this…was I truly so fiendish to earn such…"
He could not say it.
He could not understand it.
Even as he went through it all in his mind, never once did it cross his thoughts that anything he did could have earned this level of…
Azrael slowly shook his head.
"Thy mistake is seeing a Heaven beyond the Heavenly Father. He could not be replaced. We were only ever the stewards, not the shepherds. I answer to the Will of Heaven…and without Father. It is quiet. Hence, that is its Will."
Michael could only stare in silence.
Then his jaw clenched, his grip around the sword tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"...You believe Fathers will would be to have us all die too?"
Azrael was silent, then stepped backwards and reached out, a cloaked hand dropped atop the shoulder of Maalik.
"We might not but withdraw, brother. There is no gain to be made in certain death now."
Michael stiffened, then stepped forwards, pulling the sword from the ground and raising it up.
"If you truly believe you shall-"
He stopped.
Neither Maalik nor Azrael were truly looking at him, instead their eyes were cast to the skies above.
…The…sky?
He dared to turn his neck and gaze upwards.
The dark cloud of smoke which had blotted the sun and the blue above their heads was gone, erased as if it had never been there, yet he could not see the blue. Instead it was a burning gold, a crackle which rumbled above them all. Michael felt his chest thunder away as his eyes were drawn to the sight and widened.
Projections of weapons.
A single weapon.
Multiplied a million times over, each one at the ready and each one pointed straight downwards, covering the sky for as far as the eye could see and all aimed without care for what lay within their sights.
The crackle grew louder as he beheld them.
The drawn bows and the burning arrows of lighting.
He knew what they were.
He knew who they belonged to.
"...Hachiman…" Michael breathed in dawning horror for the fate that would befall those who remained alive.
Perhaps he could endure such a barrage, but the others?
A massacre.
He tensed and whipped around, only to clench his jaw as he stared at the empty space where Maalik and Azrael had been, now devoid of the pair of them.
They had fled…
His wings spread out and catapulted him into the air before he could process their departure, soaring higher and higher and rushing himself back towards the school. Speeding right past-
He blinked twice and glanced over his shoulder.
That was indeed Penemue who was trailing after him.
So she was the one who warned him…but how did she…?
No, he could not think of that now.
He needed to save what few were left.
Akeno's wounds were healing well under Asia, but it tore at his heart to see her struggling as clearly as she was.
Romani reached out, laying a hand on her shoulder and drawing her eyes to him, they were half dazed and he could tell that she was barely even registering him there as a person. Purely on instinct alone was she healing now.
His grip tightened just a little.
What was he to say?
Encourage her to push herself or to tell her to take a break and let Akeno's wounds fester?
Never an easy choice for him, was there?
He rose back up after a moment, saying nothing to her, and turned towards the direction of the other group and paced towards them. Sona was the first to meet him with a grave expression, though he could see a brief tinge of relief on her face as he came to a stop and looked down at her.
Romani felt unsure what else to say.
So he said what he felt.
He opened and closed his mouth, then turned his head towards the sea of faces that were huddled around one another. Try as he might, he could not help but feel the ugly grimace pull tighter and tighter across his features.
He was really trying not to notice how many people weren't there.
Trying not to see how many faces were missing from this picture.
He tried.
But…
It was really hard not to notice.
…Why didn't he see this earlier?
Why didn't he see any of this earlier?
Why couldn't it have just been a couple days earlier?!
A couple of days would have worked!
Even the day before!
A few hours before!
Anything would have-
Something shifted overhead, a shattering of glass and then a rumble around them, he barely managed to raise his eyes before a silver shape appeared in front of him. Romani froze on the spot, hearing the hitching breath of those beside before he actually realise who it was that was right in front of him.
"You're…"
"Oh? So you're still alive." The voice sounded bored behind the tone, Romani barely even registered if they said anything else as they tossed something towards him, he caught it on instinct and jolted when it let out a grunt, turning his eyes down and widening them as he saw the shape.
"Issei!?"
Someone else shouted out the name instead of him, he snapped his eyes back up to the silver armoured figure, only to see them already levitating back into the air.
"I would worry less about him and more about yourselves."
Without saying further, they pointed upwards.
Romani blinked.
Then he looked.
He felt cold.
The sky was golden, but it wasn't sunlight.
He could see it, the crackle of thunder stretching across the horizon and more than that, he could feel it.
"I'd wish you luck. You'll need it."
Romani blinked and stared.
The silver armoured person just vanished, a single flash of light whisked them away before he could even track them down.
But that was…
"What the-they're all-!?"
He blinked, turning his head.
He could see it.
The same spots of light flickering like glitter, carting away whoever happened to be crossed under their streams and away to safety.
Or presumed safety.
It was definitely safer than here…
Romani clenched his jaw, turning his eyes and looking up.
"That…" He swallowed. "...That's going to…?"
"T-they can't…"
Sona sounded breathless behind him, disbelief, panic, horror.
A swirl of emotions that formed a knot in his stomach, he did not need to turn around to see what expression she was making and perhaps he did not even want to. But the words were enough to convince him that it was something bad.
He did not even need to use his eyes for that.
Whatever that was…it was going to fall on their heads.
And then they would all die.
Probably.
Maybe not everyone, but definitely all the regular people.
Romani lowered his eyes and looked at them all.
All those faces, all the students.
…Oh, was that the kendo club girls?
…That was a relief.
Ah, but…
Romani thinned his lips.
The knot was gone, instead there was nothing.
He felt empty inside.
Not even cold.
He looked back up.
That was going to fall on their heads and kill them.
Very slowly, he lay Issei down onto the floor, all without taking his eyes off the sky, and started to stand back up. Gradually, he stepped over Issei and started to move further into the centre of the people. A couple times he might have walked into one or two of them, but it was fine.
This was fine.
It was all going to be fine.
He stopped.
Then lowered his head and turned around.
"Everything is fine."
He said, even if he did not believe it, but he kept his voice calm and casual. Surprising himself with his ability to say something without even stuttering.
"You're all going to be fine."
He turned and looked back up.
He did not know who to ask.
He did not know who it was in there.
But someone had been able to use him to shoot a dragon out of the sky.
Whoever it was, wherever they were…
…He would get down on his knees and beg for them if that was what it took, if that was what they demanded.
It was his fault for being so bad that everyone was in trouble, because he had not seen it before.
So if nothing else…
If there was truly nothing else…
…Could he at least save these people?
Thunder crackled louder above their heads.
Romani slowly felt his arms pull up, reaching out as if he was trying to catch them.
But he did not feel strange or wrong in the least.
Everything just felt fine to him.
This was fine.
It was fine.
He was fine.
His hands closed into fists and he took in a deep breath.
A tingling spread across his skin, he felt as though there was something different about him but he did not really notice all that much. It was like having his hair done differently.
Maybe.
Who could say?
Light burned above his eyes.
Let him do one thing.
Please.
Just this one thing.
A sharp breath flooded his lungs.
His hands felt as though they were holding something, something that could not be seen, and he held all the more tighter than before. Then started to pull, stretching it out as though it were putty.
All he knew was darkness after that.
Sona stared up, strangely quiet, as everything she thought she ever knew came tumbling down around her.
There was a detached sense of numbness as she looked to the golden blots of light in the sky.
Even having to remind herself that those crackling lights that held the appearance of stars stretched across the azure blue sky were not anything beautiful. They were going to fall on her head - on everyone's head - and they were going to die.
It was all happening.
And she could do nothing more than stare through someone else's eyes, trapped in someone else's body, and watch as certain death boiled above them all. Without even blinking, she felt her limbs start to fail one by one until there were only her legs left and those somehow kept their weight tensed.
But it felt rooted, stiff.
As though any movement forwards or back would send her tumbling to the ground.
For some moments she imagined if these were truly going to be her final moments, as though there was some way this could all be avoided. She desperately tried to claw her fingers around that pointental and figure out some way they could live through this.
The Satans - her sister - was here, she told herself.
Her sister would never let anything happen to her.
Her sister who had bawled her eyes out for hours when Sona announced she was going away to manage her own territory.
Sona stared at the golden lights in the sky, at the stars which spelled only death, and told herself that any moment now her sister was going to do something and they would all be fine. That after this was done she would feel her sister's arms around her so tight that she would pass out.
Any moment now, that was what would happen.
The seconds ticked past and she felt nothing change around her, the drumming of her heart slowed to a steady beat.
Feeling nothing, not even cold.
Was she going to die?
Was this really how she was going to die?
That…that didn't seem fair…
Sona…didn't want to die.
She didn't want any of her friends to die, she didn't want any of this.
She just wanted to wake up from whatever cruel nightmare this was and-
A twitch ran through her, something cold dropped upon her cheek and started to run down it, tracing a chilled path from just under her eye right down towards her chin. At first she thought nothing of it, and then a second chill fell upon her forehead and that time it all seemed to spur into motion.
Her hand came up and she moved it towards the cold spot on her brow, brushing her finger over it and pulling away.
There was a droplet of water on the tip of her finger.
It was a cold drop of water-
Another spot fell on her arm, her eyes turned very slowly towards the wet patch on her sleeve.
Then another just beside it.
And another.
And another.
She blinked very slowly as a sound fell upon her ears, a steady drumming that grew faster and faster, louder and louder.
It took her a few moments longer than it should have to understand what was happening, what the noise was, and when she did she was staring at her soaked palm with some sort of rapt attention.
It was raining.
Her eyes flew up and she could see it, but what shook her was something else.
There wasn't even so much as a cloud in the sky and it was raining - pouring, even - upon them without so much as an ounce of grey in the sky.
In mere seconds she was soaked through, feeling a chill over her body and yet it wasn't uncomfortable.
No more than a faint breeze would have been.
And then it just…froze.
The water stopped and hung in the air.
Sona hitched her breath and stared at the water hanging in the air, the drops which floated all around her, and then her lips started to part. In the next moment, she found herself staring at the utterly improbable.
The water rose upwards, climbing towards the sky, peeling away from the ground and her sleeves and everything.
She followed its path as it rained towards the gold and then watched it divert away and flow towards something else.
A whirlpool formed in the sky, a spinning disk of clear blue distorted the rays of gold as it spread further and further, stretching across the sky above them and growing wider and wider as time went on.
The thundering grew stronger and stronger, she could see it if she squinted hard enough, the rain striking the ocean in the sky and adding to the volume, and yet it left no more than mere ripples and…
She just stared at it, at the water which was between them all and the golden lights.
It was a moment cast in time and-
It was an illusion broken by something in the corner of her eye, her neck turned very slowly to the one source of movement.
Arms stretched to the sky, she was staring at what would have otherwise been a dubious sight.
But now struck her silent for different reasons.
His right hand was turning in a circular fashion, there was a graceful slowness about it, the left hand clenched into a fist.
And Sona could see the movement.
A single impossible thought claimed her mind and she swung her eyes up and-
In the epicentre of the ocean…the water was turning with the same speed as Romani's hand.
Her mind made the link but she couldn't accept it.
The ocean in the sky grew deeper.
A single crackle rang loud, a thunderclap, and she watched as the gold dropped on them.
Screams of panic tore through everyone, even her, and she dropped down and covered her head with her hands-
…
…Nothing?
She blinked, several times, raising her head very slowly and turning and looking around.
Everything was…fine?
Another blink.
Her eyes climbed up.
The ocean was aglow with light, crackles of electricity - of bright roots - spread across its surface and hissed. The water steamed and boiled, burning with such strength that she was sure the ocean would just evaporate in the next moment except…
Except that didn't happen.
It stayed as it was, even more roots of brightness spread over it.
The moment lasted years, or might as well have done.
…When it ended, there was only a dreadful silence.
And then the ocean just…broke apart.
Large holes tore through its surface and started to fade away, she watched as such a mass of water gradually disappeared as abruptly as it had arrived and then there was just an eerie silence.
Half expecting the sky to become alight with gold once more and yet…nothing there either.
It remained clear blue, the sun shone down on them with a terrible clarity upon their ruined surroundings.
But Sona turned her eyes elsewhere, the place which held the greatest interest to everyone close enough.
Romani's arms lowered down.
There was a single moment where he wavered on his feet.
Then, like a puppet without strings, he dropped to the floor.
AN: Arc over.