Yo, good to see you all back to read another chapter. Now then, this chapter and the next chapter will work as a Q and A. After reading this chapter leave a review asking any questions about the story, characters, or world and in the next chapter I'll answer them in the authors notes at the end of it. You'll ask a question right? ...Right? Anyway have fun with chapter 28 ^^
Kokabiel Arc Chapter 28: Ethernanos
Near greek territory in the underworld, the same night of Biblical Vanguard's shopping trip.
"I must admit wrangling these mutts was more of a headache than I thought." Kokabiel said, looking around with an annoyed look.
What stood before him was a field of destruction. Guards in black robes with pitch forks and scythes laid dead on the ground. The ground was torn up and they all were several meters away from large gates. Kalawerner, Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and Freed with their holy swords floated in the air above four creatures, unconscious on the ground with scratches on them.
The creatures were large, three-headed dogs around 10 meters tall. The bodies had thick legs, each with a set of sharp claws. Each head has a pair of red eyes and a mouth lined with sharp fangs.
"Indeed, I suppose these Cerberus' really are made to be the guard dogs of hell." Kalawarner said, putting her Holy Sword in a pocket dimension.
"And let's not forget these damn devils and reapers" Dohnaseek said, resting his Holy Sword on his shoulder, his free hand on his coat pocket.
"But, you gotta admit it was fun cutting these bastards up. And we got ourselves new puppies!" Freed said as he descended and repeatedly stabbed one of the devils lifeless bodies while patting one of the Cerberus'.
"And of course we're the only ones capable of this thanks to Lord Kokabiel giving us these power ups and the Excaliburs we stole." Mittelt said, cheerfully while waving her sword around.
"Aha, ha, ha, indeed, now let's return to base before those fools Hades, or Sirzechs detects our presences." Kokabiel said, as he lifted his right arm and the four Cerberus' all levatated and floated behind him. He then summons a large purple magic circle beneath himself as his four followers step on and they teleported away.
They arrived in a large abandoned Vatican in the mountains of Japan. It was surrounded by trees and had a protective barrier around it so that no one could sense those inside it.
Valper who was working on a special project sensed their arrival and turned to them. "Ah, your back, Lord Kokabiel. And you brought the Cerberus'." Valper said putting his hands behind his back.
"Indeed, these four will be a valuable asset to our forces once they're under our control." Kokabiel said as he summoned a magic circle under them and put them into his pocket dimension.
"Now then, how is the Abyss Break coming along?" Kokabiel asked, approaching him.
"It's coming along smoothly, but as I've said previously, it'll take another 3 weeks for the organic link magic to be completed." Valper said turning to a pedestal. It had a marble looking podium with an orange crystal ball with formulas swirling around inside on top of it and at the foot of it was an orange magic circle that was slowly forming around it.
"Grr, must it take so much time?" Kokabiel said in annoyance.
"Unfortunately yes, that is how long it must take. It takes four individuals for it to work, however this is a magic mostly used by humans. And because these four are fallen angels and not humans, it'll take more time, but the result will be far greater than if it were humans in the link." Valper said, twisting his mustache.
"SCREW THAT, CAN'T WE JUST PUT MORE OF OUR POWER INTO IT AND PICK UP THE PACE GRAMPS?! I'M READY FOR SOME WAR!" Freed yelled in irritation. Mittelt glared at him and stomped on his foot for him speaking out of turn.
Valper frowned and turned to the stray priest. "No, that isn't how it works, Father Freed. If we're were to try and accelerate the process the Abyss Break would either become incredibly weakened or the link between the organic link would be disrupted and break. Therefore we must let it's process run this way." Valper said, sternly as Freed clutches the foot Mittelt stomped on.
"What's done is done, Sellzen. Deal with it." Dohnaseek said, to which Freed made a "Tch" sound and let go of his foot.
"Precisely, for now we should work on bettering our use of our Excaliburs." Kalawarner said as she summoned her Excalibur Nightmare.
"Yeah, these things can be a pain to use." Dohnaseek said in exasperation while summoning his Excalibur Rapidly.
"Count me in. I want to see what this puppy can do." Mittelt said, enthusiastically while summoning her Excalibur Mimic.
Kokabiel goes and sit on his throne on top the Alter. "Indeed, it's as Kalawarner said. Work on your use of those swords. I expect you four to have mastered your use of them by the end of these 3 weeks." Kokabiel said, sternly as he rests his head in his hand to which they all said "Yes, Lord Kokabiel."
Freed summoned and looked at his Excalibur Blessing while gripping it tightly. "Just you wait Irina, and you too Xenovia. I'll show you just how much better I am than you before war time." Freed said with a mischievous grin.
The next day
Jiro and Irina woke and followed their usual routine. They ate breakfast, got dressed, and left their house to go to school. However this time they shared a good morning kiss.
They approached the school, Irina's arms wrapped tightly around Jiro's left arm. As soon as they walked through the front gate and immediately becoming the main target of gossip as usual.
They walked by them, ignoring their words of jealously, particularly the guys. However now it didn't feel embarrassing since the they had admitted their feelings for one another and finally started a real relationship. The two entered their homeroom class and sat down in their seats. As class proceeded Matsuda, Motohama, Murayama, and Katase spared occasional glances at them feeling the air around Jiro and Irina had changed.
lunch came and Jiro and Irina were walking hand in hand down to the cafeteria when Jiro realized something. "Aw crap, I forgot my English text book in the classroom. Can you wait here for a second?" Jiro said, turning slightly.
"Of course, go ahead." Irina said, smiling.
Jiro smiled back and went back to the classroom leaving Irina standing there alone. Murayama and Katase, seeing that Jiro had left from afar, approached Irina.
"Hey, Irina-chan. You and your 'childhood friend' seem to be as close as ever." Murayama said, playfully.
"Heh, heh, yup, careful though others might start getting the wrong idea." Katase said, teasingly.
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. We're actually boyfriend and girlfriend now, so its all good." Irina said, cheerfully.
Murayama and Katase's Jaws dropped upon hearing that. "WHAAAT?! THE TWO OF YOU ARE ACTUALLY DATING NOW?!" Murayama yelled, almost hysterically to which Irina nodded proudly.
"Being childhood friends is one thing, but being in a relationship with him of all people is insane! Aren't you intimidated by what he's become?!" Katase asked, a bit calmer, but just as shocked as Murayama.
"Nope, not one bit. If anything I think he's much cooler now than when we were kids." Irina said, with a dreamy expression and her hands on her cheeks.
"Well, you know how violent delinquents are. What if he starts abusing you, or mistreating you." Murayama asked, still shocked and slightly concerned.
Irina's face turned slightly more serious at her question. "No way. Jiro-kun would never hurt me, even if his life was on the line." Irina said, sternly while in her head she said "Outside of training, of course."
The girls expressions soften slightly upon hearing her serious response. "Well, I guess since you've known him longer, you would know him way better than us. We're just a little worried about you know, we're your friends after all." Katase said, softly.
Irina's expression softened and she smiled. "Of course I know you're my friends. And I appreciate your concern, but don't worry, I love Jiro-kun with all my heart, he would never do such a thing as be abusive towards me." Irina said with a reassuring smile.
"You're quite the loyal girlfriend aren't you? But as we've said before: if he lays a single hand on you just let us know and we'll thrash with him like there's no tomorrow." Murayama said, pumping her fist as Katase nodded.
"Who will be thrashing whom exactly?" Jiro asked as he walked up behind them.
The two girls turned around and looked up at his scowling face and crimson red eyes. "Eeeeeeek!" They yelled as they embraced each other in fear.
"Oh, Jiro-kun your back. Did you find your English text book?" Irina asked, cheerfully.
"Yes I did. Now who did you say you'd be thrashing again, little girls?" Jiro asked as he grabbed the top of the girls heads up and squeezed them while lifting their them up.
"Eeeek, No one, we'll be thrashing no one, we swear!" Murayama said, frantically as she kicked her feet rapidly.
"Y-yeah, it was just a joke, a harmless bad joke!" Katase said, mimicking Murayama's movements.
"Hey, don't go killing my friends now, Jiro-kun." Irina said, pouting with her hands on her hips.
"Oh, these two are your friends?" Jiro asked, to which Irina nodded.
"Hmph, well then, I guess you get to live for now." Jiro said as he let go of their heads, letting them land on their feet.
'What did he mean for now?!' The girls said in their minds as they rubbed their heads.
"Alright, I'll see you later in the kendo club. Later, girls!" Irina said as she wrapped her arms around Jiro's arm and pulled him along while waving to them.
"We are so gonna make her spill the bean on how they got together in the club later." Murayama said as they waved back while smiling mischievously.
"Oh definitely. Those two are the most unlikely couple I've ever seen." Katase said with a mischievous smile of her own.
Jiro and Irina walked to the cafeteria and were greeted by an unexpected sight. Ravel wearing the Kuoh Academy girls uniform with a dark gray sweater vest, instead of the cape and corset. She sat at one of the tables next to Koneko who was eating her lunch while some other girls talked to Ravel.
Girl 1: "Hey, you're Ravel Phenex right, the new transfer student?"
Girl 2: "Phenex is such a cool last name, it sounds like a superhero."
Girl 3: "Omg, I love your hair, whoes you're stylist?"
Ravel giggled at their questions and comments. Jiro and Irina approached as the girls dispersed either feeling intimidated by Jiro's presence or feeling to shy to be near him because of his good looks.
"Hey, Ravel-chan, I didn't expect to see you here. And hey to you as well, Koneko-chan." Irina said cheerfully to both of them to which Koneko said "Yo, what it do" while nibbling on a rice ball.
"Heh, I'm guessing Rias got you in." Jiro said, to which Ravel nodded.
"Hi Lord Jiro and Irina, yes Rias was the one who helped me to attend this school now that I'm part of her peerage. And thanks to that I get to make some new friends and I'm in Koneko's homeroom class. It's so lively here." Ravel said, smile brightly.
Jiro and Irina smile in turn as Akeno and Kiba walk up to them. "Yes it's good to see that Ravel is settling in nicely." Kiba said, patting her on the back.
"Fufu, yeah, and speaking of Rias, look who having a good time over there." Akeno said, pointing at the far end of the table where Issei and Rias were chatting amicably while eating much to all the male students jealousy.
"Looks like Issei finally found himself a girlfriend. 'Bout damn time." Aika said, playfully as she, Matsuda, and Motohama walked up next to them.
"Damn you Issei! Why do you get to be with one of the schools best babes." The perverted duo said in unison as they glared at Issei with tears in their eyes.
The group laughed at the antics. The day progressed normally as everyone prepared for Jiro's training later on. Soon enough the school day had finally ended.
Irina had finished her kendo club activities while gossiping with all the girls of how she and Jiro begun their relationship much to their excitement at how romantic it was. The 4 salamanders left to go continue training after Issei gave Rias a goodbye hug much to her joy. Ravel had gotten to know everyone in her and Koneko's homeroom class and was admitted into the student council.
The five devils stood in the student council room as they waited for everyone to arrive. Soon enough Irina walked in and waved.
"Hey, hope everyone's ready for another day of training." Irina said, to which they all nodded. Although Ravel had very nervous since it was her first time training with them.
A few minutes later Raynare, Asia, and Xenovia walked in. "Hiya, ready to get sweaty?" Raynare said, playfully making them all chuckle.
"Alright, that's all of us. Now we just wait for Jiro." Rias said, to which they all nodded.
"A little late for that, Princess." Jiro said, startling everyone. They all turned to him and see him sitting at Rias's desk with his feet up, much to Rias's annoyance and casually read a certain book.
"Jiro-kun? How long were you sitting there?" Akeno asked, eyes wide in surprise.
"'Bout fifteen minutes." Jiro answered, casually while flipping a page.
"How come we didn't sense your presence at all?" Kiba asked, his expression mirroring Akeno's.
"Just shows how lacking you are in your training, but I'm here to fix that." Jiro said flipping another page.
"Hey, is that my notebook!" Rias yelled as she ran up to him.
"Yes it is. Classes end at 3 pm. Student council business end by 3:30 pm. Jiro's training starts at soon after pm. Quite the lady with a plan aren't you?" Jiro said casually as Rias frantically tried to take the book from him only to be stopped by Jiro holding her up by the top of her head as she yelled "Give it back".
Jiro then turns another page and sees a drawing of Rias walking arm and arm with Issei with a nicely drawn heart around them. He look at the drawing with an eyebrow raised and glanced at Rias who was blushing furiously and had a pleading expression as if silently begging him not tell any of them.
"Aha, ha, ha, this is so funny, it's too good to share with the others." Jiro said as he let go of her head and handed her the book to which she took quickly and held it close to her chest while the others sweat dropped in confusion.
Jiro stood up from Rias's desk and his expression turned slightly more serious. "Alright, before we start sparing, I'll teach you all about the powers that live within you. Let's go to an empty classroom." Jiro said to which they all nodded and started following him.
They all left the old school building and went back to the main building of Kuoh Academy. By this time all the students and staff members had already left, leaving them as the only ones in the whole campus.
The group finds a suitable classroom and they all file in and takes a seat. Jiro walks up to the white board and picks up a black marker.
"Alright, to start, I've got some new info on Kokabiel's exploits." Jiro said, intriguing them.
"As for his plan, just as Gabriel guessed he's planning to restart the Great War between the Three Biblical Factions. As for when he'll make his move, it'll be 3 weeks from now." Jiro said, shocking them.
"So, we have three weeks to prepare for his attack and you'll be training us until then?" Xenovia asked, to Jiro nodded.
"And not only that, there are at least four other fallen angels working for him. Ravel and Xenovia, you haven't met them, but I'm sure the rest of you remember them. It's Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and Freed Sellzen." Jiro said to which their eyes widened.
"Those four are still working for him?! You've gotta be kidding me. I was sure he would've killed them." Raynare said scowling slightly as Asia gulped and shivered slightly at the reminder of her previous captors.
"Oh yeah, the four fallen angels we fought before." Rias said in a low tone as she remembered them.
Rias's peerage members all narrowed their eyes upon remembering their fights with the fallens and the fallen invasion, especially Akeno. Ravel looked at them in confusion and slight concern.
"Chilax, Ravel. We'll tell you what happened later." Koneko said, noticing her expression.
"And... Freed is with them as well?!" Xenovia said, trembling in shock, horror, and disbelief.
"Y-yeah, he is. I even had to fight Freed-kun myself for a little bit. But don't worry he's still alive, sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Irina said, her expression turn slightly downcast.
"No, it's fine Irina. I get why you'd hesitate. And don't worry I'll be fine, I'm just a little bit shocked to hear of his current occupation." Xenovia said, giving her a reassuring smile, but the slight pain is evident.
Irina nodded as she smiled back at her partner. Jiro looked at them with a sympathetic expression, remembering Irina's story of the last 10 years, but chose to stay on the task at hand.
"Now then, to be ready to combat them, I'll teach you all about the source of your abilities. It's a little something called Ethernanos." Jiro said as he writes it on the board.
"...Ethernanos?" a majority of the group said in confusion.
"Oh wait, you mentioned that before before, didn't you?" Irina, Raynare, and Asia asked in unison.
"Yes I did. Now I'll explain it fully for all of you. You see Ethernanos are an element that lives inside all living beings, the atmosphere, and across the entire planet as well as in other known alternate worlds and dimensions like the upper realm and underworld. Not just humans, but other beings like angels, fallen angels, and devils can harness it to utilize Magic and is the source of all Magic Power." Jiro explained as they all listened intently.
"Interesting, but I have two questions: how did these 'Ethernanos' come into existence and why are they not widely known across the supernatural world if they are the source of all Magic?" Rias asked, scratching her chin with her thumb.
"(Ethernanos were created by the God of the Bible and it's not wildly known due to unfortunate circumstances.)" Ddraig said, surprising them.
"It was God who blessed us with the use of magic? Oh thank you, dear lord for lending us this gift." Irina, Xenovia, and Asia said, in unison while folding their hands together in a prayer, making the devils and Raynare shiver.
Jiro and Ddraig chuckled at the scene before Ddraig continued. "(Heh, as I was saying, Ethernanos were created just before God's death. Similar to the Sacred Gear System, Ethernanos were a way for humanity to defend itself. However, unlike the Sacred Gears, the Ethernano particles were incomplete and God perished before they could be finalized and delegated to just humans and the human world and before knowledge of it could be spread. Only a select few such as myself know of it and they ended up being dispersed through all of reality, the human world, the upper realm, and the underworld. Now you all use it without even realizing it.)" Ddraig explained as they nodded along.
"You all heard the dragon. Ethernanos course through all of you as we speak. It's the very thing that allows you to use your respective magics and is even the very thing that powers your Sacred Gears." Jiro said, looking between them.
"I also must ask, if these 'Ethernanos' dwell within our bodies, how do they function and how do we harness them?" Kiba asked, with an eyebrow raised.
"To obtain Ethernanos, the Mages in training have to undergo not just physical training, but also intense meditation as the most effective means of absorbing it is from the air around them. Training their own Nervous System and wisdom for Magic, thus becoming a vessel for Magic Power. Everyone has a 'container' inside their body where the Ethernano for your 'Magic Reserves' is stored that determines the limits of your Magic Power and Energy. Everytime one casts a spell, the amount of Ethernano within lessens, that is until you rest and the Ethernanos automatically come from the atmosphere and enters the person's body and after a while, restoring their Magic Power. The amount and size varies between individuals, one can expand their through further training." Jiro said, to which Kiba said "I see. That makes sense."
"There's no need for any of you to learn how to use it since all of you can already use magic to some extent, but I'll be making sure you expand your Magic Power and Magic Reserves." Jiro said, making them gulp in anticipation.
"How exactly will you be doing that?" Akeno asked, curiously.
"Well, not only will you be sparing with me you'll be split into groups and have your own training assignments." Jiro said as he uncaps the marker again.
"You see, I like to divide team members into types. Mage Types, Strength Types, and Technique Types." Jiro said as he drew a diagram on the white board.
"Rias, Akeno, Raynare, Ravel, and Asia would be Mage Types due to your immense and unique magic abilities. Rias with your destruction power, Akeno with your lightning, Raynare with your light magic, Ravel with your Phoenix flames, and Asia with your Twilight Healing." Jiro said, to which they nodded. Although Ravel had a face of doubt that Jiro noticed, but chose to address it later.
"Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba would be Technique Types due to your skills in swordsmanship, fast movements, and close range combat." Jiro said, turning to them as they nodded.
"And Koneko, you'd be a Strength Type because of your strength and defensive properties as Rias's 'Rook'." Jiro said, turning to the "Rook" who nodded.
"Although some of you could somewhat have some traits in your fighting styles that resemble properties of other types. For example Raynare and Koneko. The way Raynare fights with light swords and Koneko with her martial arts skills, both of which resemble that of technique types. That can in fact be beneficial to your growth in a way." Jiro said, making their eyes widen in contemplation, before nodding.
"OK, that should do for an explanation. Anymore questions?" Jiro asked, looking around while capping the marker and putting it down.
Upon hearing no responses he nodded and erased the diagram. "Alright then, let's go outside start sparing." Jiro as he walked out of the room, the others, standing up and following behind him.
They all left the school and went onto the track field. The group lined up side by side as Jiro stood in front of them.
"Alright now, you know what to do. Come at me." Jiro said, making a come on gesture with his right hand.
The group prepares their respective weapons and magics, Irina summoning Ascalon from a gold magic circle and they all take fighting stances. Asia runs over to the bleachers to watch and stay out of harms way while she waits to heal everyone once their done.
They charge at Jiro weapons and magic ready. Their sparing match continues for the next 2 hours as everyone tries their best to push Jiro even a little. How just like their last sparing match Jiro doesn't even move from his spot aside from having to jump to reach those who were flying. During the brawl Jiro notices that Ravel's flame weren't even that hot despite how powerful Phoenix Flames are meant to be and the Immense amount of power she had underneath. Jiro also notices Akeno and Koneko's aura exuded more than just devil power, he couldn't tell what Koneko's aura was just yet, but he was certain he knew what Akeno's felt like.
After they finally finished they all laid on the ground beyond exhausted while Jiro stood completely unharmed. "OK, that should be enough for today. Asia, that's your que." Jiro said, looking down at them and then turning to Asia.
Asia, at the call of her name and seeing the fighting was over, rushed to them to heal them. "Jeez, we're not even able to move you a little. I can't believe you're so strong." Irina said, sitting up shakily as she rubbed the back of her head to which Jiro chuckled.
"Heh, anyway, while Asia heals you, here's what you'll be doing for the next 2 hours." Jiro said to which everyone looks at him in anticipation.
"I want you all to learn and master special magic abilities that fit your fighting type, so listen up, here's what you'll all be learning respectively." Jiro said to which everyone, including Asia as she heals everyone, listens in anticipation.
"First, Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba, I want you to learn something called Requip Magic." Jiro said, to which they said "Requip...?".
"Requip Magic is a type of magic that specializes in the summoning of various types of equipment." Jiro said as they nod.
"Summoning types of equipment? So it's essential like my Sacred Gear?" Kiba asked, curiously while holding up his sword.
"In a way, yes. Requip Magic allows you to store items in a pocket dimension so they can easily summon it at any time, even during battle, which gives you a much higher level of flexibility in combat. However, there is a limit to how much the pocket dimension can store, but that limit will increase as you grow stronger. The main differences between it and Kiba's Sacred Gear is that one Requip Magic can allow you to summon your weapons almost instantly in your hands or around you with just a simple thought rather then gradually summoning it from whatever surface like your Sacred Gear or pulling it out of magic circles and two you can store away any kinds of weapons and armor within that pocket dimension, not just swords." Jiro explained as they listened intently while Kiba said "I see"
"Hmph, observe." Jiro said as he lifted his right fist in front of his left shoulder which glowed red for a second, then suddenly four large daggers of various designs appeared between his fingers.
"Presto, and that is how you do Requip Magic." Jiro said as the three swordsman looked at the daggers, eyes wide slightly as they said "W-woah".
Jiro chuckled at their reactions as he summoned four more daggers in his left hand and out stretched his arms quickly while throwing the blades near their feet, making them stick into the ground.
"Use those to practice it." Jiro said, pointing down at the daggers to which they nodded and picked them up.
Kiba: "You can count on us. This could do wonders for our swordsmanship."
Xenovia: "Yes, we shall master this Requip Magic in the 3 weeks time we have."
"Looking forward to it. Oh and Irina, I expect you to practice your use of Ascalon while you are at it." Jiro said, turning to his girlfriend.
Irina smiled and nodded in response. "Of course, I'll make sure to make perfect use of the gift you gave me, Jiro-kun." Irina said, determined while gripping Ascalon's handle.
Jiro smiled and nodded back in return. "Glad to hear it. Next, Rias, Akeno, Raynare, and Ravel, I want you to learn something I like to call, Ether Zone." Jiro said to which the girls look at him in confusion.
"Ether... Zone...? Do tell." Rias said, curiously.
"First, Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba, I want you to learn something called Requip magic." Jiro said, to which they said "Requip...?".
"Requip Magic is a type of magic that specializes in the summoning of various types of equipment." Jiro said as they nod.
"Summoning types of equipment? So it's essential like my Sacred Gear?" Kiba asked, curiously while holding up his sword.
"In a way, yes. Requip Magic allows you to store items in a pocket dimension so they can easily summon it at any time, even during battle, which gives you a much higher level of flexibility in combat. However, there is a limit to how much the pocket dimension can store. The main differences between it and Kiba's Sacred Gear is that one Requip Magic can allow you to summon your weapons almost instantly with just a simple thought rather then gradually summoning it from whatever surface like your Sacred Gear or pulling it out of magic circles and two you can store away any kinds of weapons and armor within that pocket dimension, not just swords. All you have to do is visualize the weapon in your minds, focus the Ethernanos into your hands, and pull it directly out of the pocket dimension instantly." Jiro explained as they listened intently while Kiba said "I see"
"Hmph, observe." Jiro said as he lifted his right fist in front of his left shoulder which glowed red for a second, then suddenly four large daggers of various designs appeared between his fingers.
"Presto, and that is how you do Requip Magic." Jiro said as the three swordsman looked at the daggers, eyes wide slightly as they said "W-woah".
Jiro chuckled at their reactions as he summoned four more daggers in his left hand and out stretched his arms quickly while throwing the blade at their making them stick into the ground
"Use those to practice it. And you can keep them." Jiro said, pointing down at the daggers to which they nodded and picked them up.
Kiba: "You can count on us. This could do wonders for our swordsmanship."
Xenovia: "Yes, we shall master this 'Requip Magic' in the 3 weeks time we have."
"Looking forward to it. Oh and Irina, I expect you to practice your use of Ascalon while you are at it." Jiro said, turning to his girlfriend.
Irina nodded in response. "Of course, I'll make sure to make perfect use of the gift you gave me, Jiro-kun." Irina said, determined while gripping Ascalon's handle.
Jiro smiled and nodded in response. "Next, Rias, Akeno, Raynare, and Ravel, I want you to learn something I like to call, Ether Zone." Jiro said, turning to the girls who looked at him in confusion.
"'Ether Zone' you say? Do tell." Rias said, intrigued.
"Ether Zone is a skill that allows a mage to manipulate the Ethernanos in an area around themselves. Thus, the mage can gather together and utilize more magic than they would be able to normally. Observe." Jiro said, and then lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers. Then suddenly a small burst of flames appeared between the four girls before dissipating.
"Woah, what the heck?!" They said in unison while jolting.
"That was Ether Zone. I ignited the Ethernanos in the air in front of you. All it takes is pure focus, concentration, and precise control of your magic. Offensively, that ability can be funneled into spells to increase their size, number, and range, be used to launch attacks in and from any direction within the zone, and spells can be cast all-around your opponent to keep them from escaping within, or behind a them to catch them by surprise." Jiro explain as they listened intently.
"Wow, amazing, so you want us to be able to do something like that?" Raynare asked to which Jiro said, "Precisely".
"OK then, we'll try our best to master this Ether Zone technique." Rias said, smiling confidently.
"Fufu, sounds fun. I can't wait to see what I can do with my lighting." Akeno said, giggling excitedly while Jiro secretly had a special plan for her.
"Um, I don't know if I can do it as efficiently as the rest of you, but I'll do my best." Ravel said with faux determination to hide her self-doubt which Jiro noticed and planned to have a talk with her another time.
"Good, next Koneko. I want you to learn a very special ability called Ether Gear. There are multiple versions of it, but the one I want you to learn is one called Gravity Ether Gear, or Satan Gravity." Jiro said turning to the "Rook".
"Sounds dope. What's that?" Koneko asked, bumping her fists together with her usual deadpan expression.
"Heh, by focusing the Ethernanos in your body into certain body parts and in a specific way, Gravity Ether Gear allows the user to freely control their personal gravity, enabling them to perform various feats; such as levitating in midair, falling sideways, clinging onto walls and ceilings, and altering the density of their body. When applied properly into your fists or feet, it can it can do some serious damage, perfect for your 'Rook' abilities." Jiro said, to which Koneko nodded.
"Once again, sounds dope. Show me." Koneko said, pointing at him.
"It works like this." Jiro said as he crossed his arms, then a second later he started levitating a few feet off the ground without his wings as a small gust of wind came from his feet while Koneko watch intently. "Here I'm focusing my Ethernanos through my feet and pushing it outwards for zero gravity to levatate."
"Well damn, and with no wings." Koneko said, uncharacteristically in wonder.
"Yup, and here's what happens when I pull the Ethernanos in and gain gravity." Jiro said as he then dropped down with enough force the ground beneath him shook slightly and dirt flew up.
Koneko's jaw dropped slightly at the display. "Badass!" She said in awe.
"Glad you like it. Like I said, when applied into your fists or feet it can do some serious damage, so get that mastered in these 3 weeks." Jiro said, pointing at her.
"Got it covered, Boss Man." Koneko said while cracking her knuckles.
"Good, now, last, but not least Asia, don't think I forgot about you." Jiro said, turning to the former nun.
"Y-yes, of course." Asia straightening up, having just finished healing everyone.
"What I want you to learn is Enchantment Magic." Jiro said pointing at her.
"Enchantment Magic? That sounds whimsical. What is it." Asia said with child like wonder.
Jiro chuckled at her cute expression. "Enchantment Magic is the process of transferring amounts of the casters own Magic onto living or inanimate objects, thereby increasing their natural attributes. Similar to your healing, at the cost of your energy and Magic Reserves you can give others special abilities or enhance their abilities for awhile." Jiro said, to which Asia's expression brightened.
"Wow, so you're saying I can make everyone stronger as they fight and heal them?! I would love to learn that!" Asia said, smiling excitedly.
"That's right, but not so fast. Like I said, it also comes at the cost of your own energy so it's not something you could do over and over, or forever." Jiro said, to which Asia nodded, understanding, then her expression turns uncertain.
"But can I really do it? All I know how to do is heal with my Sacred Gear. I'm not really proficient in magic or Ethernano control like the rest of you. Can I really do something of such skill?" Asia asked, looking down.
"What did I tell you about talking like that?" Jiro said as he walked up and flicked her on the forehead again.
"Eep, owie." Asia said, rubbing her forehead.
"Like I told you before, you may only be human, but your Sacred Gear is an invaluable asset to have. And on top of that Enchantment Magic is actually quite simple to learn." Jiro said, to which Asia said, "Really?".
"Yeah, all you have to do is transfer some of your Ethernanos from your Magic Reserves into someone or something increasing it's strength, or giving them other attributes, but for now focus on strength enhancement enchants, in fact, I can do something quite similar." Jiro said, as he summoned the Boosted Gear on his right hand and poked her forehead.
"TRANSER"
Said the voice of Ddraig as Asia felt a surge of power course through her. "W-wow, so it works that? Ok, I'll do my best. And thank you for replenishing my lost energy from healing everyone, Jiro-san." Asia said, determined while bowing slightly.
"Don't mention it. Oh yeah, starting tomorrow while we're all sparing you'll be doing laps around the track field." Jiro said, to which Asia said "Huh?" with a surprised smile.
"If you just sit on the bleachers the whole time it wouldn't be training now would it? Doing so will improve your stamina and increase your Magic Reserves allowing you to heal more and do more enchantments when you learn it. But I'll give you a handicap, when you know you can't keep going then you can rest but when you've recovered, right back to running. After we're done sparing I'll transfer some power to you so you can heal everyone." Jiro said, pointing at her.
"I see, I understand." Asia said, nodding firmly.
"Good, now all of you know what to you'll be doing, so hop to it. And remember: your Magic, Sacred Gears, and Ethernanos are all tied to your will and emotions. As long as your will is strong enough then there's no spell, technique, or ability you can't learn and if your emotions are intense enough then there's no limit you can't surpass. So I expect you all to surpass your limits right here, right now." Jiro said, turning towards everyone.
"Right!" They all said in union. The group then moves onto individual spots of the track field to practice their assigned ability. However before they could get started Jiro walks up to Akeno.
"Yo, queeny, before you get started come with me for a little chat." Jiro said as Akeno turned to him in surprise. She could sense the slight seriousness in his voice and it intrigued her.
"O-oh, ok, I don't see why not." Akeno said as she and Jiro unfurled their dragon and devil wings respectively. The others look at them curiously, wondering what the sudden suggestion was for.
"Don't worry everyone, you can get a head start. I'll catch up later." Akeno said as she and Jiro took off. Jiro glances at her, eager to know... why she's hiding her true self.
To be continued
Annnd... cut
And with this chapter we begin our mini training arc in preparation for the fight against Kokabiel and his crew.
Now I know what you're all thinking and yes I'm aware Gravity Ether Gear is an ability from Edens Zero not Fairy Tail. I thouhgt it would nice to give a nod to another work by Hiro Mashima cause I honestly think, when not comparing it to Fairy Tail, Edens Zero is actually a really good series. And the way the protagonist Shiki uses it in his fights is a really good fit for Koneko and her brawler style.
And another thing you might be wondering, yes Ether Zone is a reference to Mana Zone from Black Clover. Since I'm combining 2 worlds of magic (Highschool DxD and Fairy Tail and a bit of Dragon Ball) might as well reference a world where magic is everything, am I right? And of course as I said with Koneko, it's a good fit for Rias, Akeno, Raynare, and Ravel since they're our mage girls.
Now then, as I said at the top be sure to ask any question you might have about the story, character, or world and I'll answer them at the end of the next chapter.
Next we have an Akeno centered chapter. See you there :)