New Satan Stadium, Lilith, Underworld:
Isaiah's POV:
"Thank you for making it as quick as possible." Coriana said as soon as I walked into the waiting balcony and I nodded with a smile.
"I'd rather not hurt him any more than I needed to." She nodded before I walked to where Akeno and Alivian were waiting, wrapping my arms around her and resting my chin on the top of her head as we looked down at where the first match of the round of 16 was about to begin.
"As quick and ruthless as always." Alivian said with a smirk as we awaited the next match.
"Of course." I smirked before Akeno chimed in.
"I wouldn't say you're quick al-Eep!"
"Shush you." I said with an amused smile as I pinched her side, making her pout as Alivina chuckled.
'What do you think about him, Mel?' I asked my True Form as I watched Diamante easily weave around Leona's attack, her magma not even coming close to touching and I could see the boredom and amusement dancing in his eyes as he slowly got closer to her.
"He's powerful, perhaps the most powerful reincarnated Devil we've met in person apart from Sirzechs' peerage and Evelina." Mel responded and I hummed as Leona started coughing for no reason before Diamante gave her a hard roundhouse that knocked her out cold.
'His Smoke Manipulation is versatile too.' I thought as I felt the air inside and around the arena with Air Current Sense, revealing the thin wisps of clouds that slowly floated out of Leona's lungs before Diamante dispelled it all.
"The fact that the smoke clouds are invisible to us without Air Current Sense just makes me want to tell you to use your True Form and take him out before he can blink."
'I can barely use it for five minutes and if I have to fight someone, that limit is reduced to a minute.' I countered, making him groan before he spoke.
"I thought that training with Buddha and Wukong would've been enough to make you powerful enough to maintain it for at least a day, if not more. Perhaps Project Arsenal is the best choice for us, then?"He asked and I nodded as Diamante walked back to the waiting balcony, the medical team quickly taking Leona to the medical side as Reval announced the next match, which was between Sectaas and the Bishop of Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas, who had won his match.
The match was over before the bishop could begin attacking, Sectaas flashing in front of him and giving him a powerful punch that sent him flying backwards into the wall. The crowd roared with glee as Sectaas nodded at them before turning and walking out.
"That one is a problem as well, but he and Diamante might face each other in the Quarter finals so perhaps they take each other out." Mel said in a thoughtful tone and I nodded.
'Yeah, also how far are you with Project Arsenal?' I asked and Mel chuckled.
"The OG really was foolish to not place as many runes on Sword Birth and Blade Blacksmith as he did on the Longinus Gears. In about three to six months time, all of the seals on Sword Birth and Blade Blacksmith will be released and their true cores will bond with us, giving us the ability to create Divine Holy-Demonic Blades with whatever ability and runic enchantment we can achieve." I grinned in excitement at that as Reval announced the next battle.
"Now then, folks! It's a new day and already, two behemoths have gone through to the next round! The only question is who will follow them as we announce the next match! On one side, we have Liban Crocell, a Knight on the peerage of the Great House Bael's Heir Sairaorg Bael!" Liban walked out of his tunnel, the crowd roaring as he walked onto the fighting arena with a smile.
"And his opponent is the Queen of the Heiress of House Agares…Alivian!" Alivian walked out of his tunnel with a confident smirk and I could faintly hear Seekvaira cheer as he walked onto the fighting arena.
"Now, without further ado, let's begin!" As soon as the match started, the ground under Alivian cratered and he bent his legs slightly as Liban smirked, his irises glowing a bright white.
"Apologies, Alivian, but I must win this for Lord Sairaorg!" Liban exclaimed as he raised his hand, an orange magic crest appearing in front of him and it twisted before the temperature in the air dropped as ice slowly grew on Alivian.
"I just want to ask one thing." Alivian grunted as the ice had now completely covered his chest and arms.
"Go on." Liban said and Alivian chuckled before he stopped struggling, standing up with ease while completely destroying the ice on him.
"Did you truly think that was enough to stop me?" He asked with a smirk and the glow in Liban's eyes grew brighter. The ground under Alivian cratered even more, yet he was still standing as he smirked before he rocketed towards him.
Liban tried to pull out his blade, but Alivian just slammed his right hand on the pommel of the blade, keeping him from unsheathing it as his left hand flashed forward and connected with his face. I could hear the cracking of bones from up where we were watching the battle before Alivian kicked Liban's feet out from under him and drove him into the ground, the ground under them being completely destroyed as a shock wave bombarded the arena walls.
As the dust settled, Alivian was revealed to be kneeling on the ground, Liban completely knocked out as he picked him up before carrying him to the attendants, who nodded as they quickly rushed him to the medical room.
"What a blow from Alivian as he takes out his foe in one blow while resisting probably triple the gravity of the Underworld! Truly a foe to look out for!"
"…He had to be theatrical." I muttered and Akeno giggled before she pulled out of my grip.
"Wish me luck?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around my neck and I chuckled as I gave her a quick peck on the lips, making her whine in disappointment before I whispered in her ear.
"Win this one and I'll give you something better later." That put an excited smile on her face as she nodded before quickly rushing to the stairs, her opponent glancing at me with a serious gaze before walking away as I frowned slightly.
Wonder what that's about?
"And now, we have two very powerful females that are about to go head-to-head for a chance to be in the Quarter Finals! First, the Queen of the Heiress of House Gremory and the femme fatale who decimated her opponent in the last round…Akeno Himejima!" Akeno all but strutted out to the arena, her hips swaying before she turned towards the balcony and gave me a wink. Going along with it, I caught it before eccentrically placing it against my chest, making her giggle.
"Ah, young love~! Such a wonderful thing, but right now, Akeno needs to focus as her opponent is the sole Knight of the Heiress of House Agares and rumoured to be a prodigy on the same level as that of Isaiah Azathoth! Give it up for Bafeel Furcas!"
'Really? Well, this I got to see then.' I thought with a smirk before Mel spoke.
"Must you be so ignorant as to believe that man's words? Not a single person in this tournament except for Alivian, Sectaas and Diamante are good enough to beat us."
'Thank you for ruining my fun.'
"You're welcome." I grumbled, drawing a confused frown from Alivian that I just waved away before we turned to the battle.
"Without further adieu, let the battle…begin!" Akeno quickly jumped backwards as Bafeel appeared in front of her, her blade slicing through the air and nearly cutting her head off.
Three magic crests appeared in front of Akeno before a high-pressure jet of water spewed from the middle one, two large blasts of lightning coming from the other two and electrocuting the water.
Bafeel jumped into the air only for Akeno to fly after her, magic crests appearing around her and sending bolts of lightning after her in quick succession. Bafeel sliced through them before her eyes widened as a monstrous stream of purple fire roared towards her, Bafeel quickly bolting upwards as the flames scorched the air below her.
She was not fast enough, however, as her heeled shoes were caught in the blaze, making her hiss as she quickly sliced them off and let them fall to the ground. Small burn marks could be seen on her delicate skin and she glared at Akeno, who was smiling sadistically as light blue and yellow electricity sparked around her.
"Judgement." She intoned and a large magic crest appeared above Bafeel, light blue sparks of electricity running across it before a bolt of light blue and yellow lightning roared to life from it, slamming down onto her. What happened next baffled me as the bolt of lightning struck Bafeel, yet she just faded from view like a mirage before reappearing behind Akeno, left in nothing more than her white dress shirt and pants before she slashed at Akeno.
I suppressed every instinct in my body that wanted to run out to Akeno as I heard her scream before my eyes widened as I noticed the clear droplets of liquid on Bafeel's blade. She sheathed her blade once more before pulling it out, the liquid now coating the blade.
I gripped the railing tightly as Akeno floated in the air, breathing heavily and shaking slightly. There was a large gash on her left arm that also had a large burn around it that looked like an acid scar.
"Holy water, huh?" I heard her mutter with a smirk, wincing as the liquid was burning her skin before she burned it away, tearing off the right sleeve of the miko outfit she had on and wrapping it around the wound tightly. She then glared at Bafeel before the sparks around her grew in intensity and I grinned as runic crests appeared around them before she spoke.
"Let There Be Light." In a bright flash of blue, neon blue lightning burned in the sky, Bafeel's screeches of pain just barely audible in the booming thunder as Akeno reappeared in a flash of crimson on the ground.
This time, the lightning lasted for more than just a few seconds and I was worried that she might be taking it a bit too far, but thankfully, she waved her hand and the lightning and runic enchantments disappeared. I winced slightly at the state of Bafeel, her outfit completely in tatters and barely covering her privates as almost her entire skin was nothing but severe burn marks.
As she fell to the ground, Akeno waved her hand and a Gremory crest appeared under her before a gust of wind caught Bafeel and slowly carried her to the ground. The attendants quickly rushed both of them to be treated as the crowd applauded.
"Ah, such a great battle that showcases their full power! Now, then, let us give another round of applause for the two competitors!" I didn't stay to do that as I walked away from the railing, Alivian following with as we walked out of the Balcony room and down the hallways. Finally arriving outside of the medical room, I was not surprised to see both Rias and Seekvaira standing outside the doors with worried looks. Their faces lit up as soon as they caught sight of us before they rushed over to us.
"Is everything alright?" I asked Rias as soon as she stopped in front of me and she nodded.
"Yeah, the doctor said that the wound on our arm is not that deep and she'll be able to fight in the next round." I nodded before I turned to Seekvaira.
"What about Bafeel? Everything okay with her?" She sighed before she spoke.
"Thankfully, Akeno didn't focus too much Holy Energy into her attack as no vital organs were hit. She might have a bit of an aftershock for the next few weeks because of the Holy Lightning, but other than that, she should be fine." Alivian let out a sigh of relief next to me and I smiled.
"Good. I thought that they may have done some damage to each other that would have been irreversible." I muttered and Seekvaira smiled before we all turned to the medical room as the door opened.
"Ah, Rias and Isaiah. I should have known you two to rush here." Lord Sitri said with a smile as he walked out of the room, his notepad under his arm and I smiled.
"I should have known that only your medical expertise would be able to heal them, Lord Sitri." I said and he chuckled as he waved his hand dismissively.
"Just two drops Phenex Tears mixed with two drops of Undine tears and a sprinkle of Fae Dust and the Holy Energy seeped right out, leaving the wounds to heal. Not that hard, to be truthful." He explained with a shrug, all four of us giving him deadpan looks as he gave a sheepish chuckle.
And this man wonders why he's the best medical mind in the Underworld bar none.
"Anyway, you can visit them, but only for a few minutes. Akeno need to rest and Bafeel needs even more rest."
"We'll be in and out before you can blink!" Rias exclaimed and Lord Sitri just nodded with a chuckle, opening the door for us. Alivian and Seekvaira quickly rushed to Bafeel, who was barely awake, as Rias rushed to where Akeno was sitting upright. Glancing her over, I saw the slightly pink skin on her arm before looking up to her amused eyes as I smiled.
"Hey, you got hurt. I'd rather see for myself if the wound's gone."
"Ah, such a doting boyfriend~How can I soothe your worried heart?"
"Healing is a good start." I said with a nod and she giggled as I gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.
"So, how do you feel?" Rias asked and Akeno smiled.
"My arm is still a bit stiff, but it should be alright by the time my next battle starts, but other than that, everything is working perfectly."
"And Beluga Furcas delivers the final blow, taking his foe out and moving on to the Quarter Finals! Now then, we have the final match of the Round of 16 and this is probably the match most have been awaiting! Can the final two combatants please move to their tunnels?!"
"I guess that's my cue. Please, if you still feel a bit off, try and take it easy."
"I will." She said with a smile and I smiled as I leaned down, giving her a kiss on the forehead before I turned to Rias.
"Make sure she doesn't go overhead."
"Sure thing! You can count on me!" She exclaimed as she gave me a thumbs-up, making me chuckle as I nodded before I walked out of the room and following the attendant waiting outside the medical room towards the tunnel exit.
"And in the left corner, we have the young prodigy himself! The star for all the young Reincarnated Devils! Give it up for Isaiah Azathoth!" The crowd roared with glee as I walked out, their cheers getting even louder as I waved and smiled at them. My opponent was staring at me as he clenched his purple staff tightly, pulling the hood of his white cloak up as I walked onto the fighting arena.
"And now, Misteeta Sabnock vs Isaiah Azathoth! Let the match…begin!" Misteeta waved his staff and an orange crest appeared in front of him before a wave of fire erupted from it. It was larger than I expected as it covered half of the arena, but I smiled as a Lilithian runic pattern appeared in front of me and absorbed the flames in front of me.
Not deterred with that, he waved his staff once again and bullets made out of wind flew towards me only for them to be reflected by another runic pattern I created, this time one made of Enochian.
"I don't suppose you have any other tricks apart from magic, do you?" I asked as I pulled my hands out of my pockets and cracked my neck slightly, waiting for his response. He didn't speak as he waved his staff once again and this time, a circle of purple flames appeared around me.
I didn't feel any sort of heat coming off of it, but I grunted as purple runic patterns wrapped around my pants and bare arms before my runic crests in front of me shattered. I didn't even get a chance to recollect myself as a barrage of small fireballs was sent at me.
Trying to create another flame-absorption runic crest, I was surprised to see…nothing. Trying to create a blade from my Sacred Gears also didn't help as only sparks appeared around my hands, but nothing else. Quickly manoeuvring around the fireballs, I stared at the air before looking down at the runic patterns on my arms as everything slowly connected.
'Wait, this guy had that Sacred Gear that stopped his opponent from using an ability, right? What was it called again? Trick Eraser? Vanishing Gear?…Wait, Trick Vanish! Yeah, that's it, but wait. It's supposed to only be able to seal one ability at a time, so how can he seal both of my Sacred Gears and my runic enchantments at the same time if it only seals one ability at a time?' I stared at Misteeta, who was breathing a bit heavily before he spoke.
"Lord Sairaorg told us about how your fighting style utilises your runic enchantments to augment your physical prowess and your blades, but Lord Sairaorg helped me train my Trick Vanish to the point that I can now seal away three of an opponent's abilities at once. Right now, you're just a devil reincarnated with the Knight piece, just as average as the rest of us." I stared at him with a stoic face before I snorted, drawing a confused glance from him.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say I'm…nothing without my Sacred Gears and my runes?" I asked with a smirk and to my amusement, he actually nodded. I couldn't hold it in anymore as I burst out laughing, drawing confused whispers from the crowd and a confused glance from him.
"Why are you laughing?!" He exclaimed and that just made me laugh even harder as I covered my face with my right hand. Misteeta was now growing irritated and as he went to speak, my laughter stopped abruptly as I now glared at him through my fingers.
"I need my runes to fight…Who decided that?" My True Voice boomed and my aura was finally fully released, the ground under me trembling as my eyes glowed a bright blue.
"I need my Sacred Gears to fight…Who decided that?" Dense bolts of bright blue lightning gouged the ground around me, wind ripping off of my form and sending Misteeta skidding backwards. He had to kneel to keep himself from flying backwards and I glared at him as I walked closer. Storm King's Aura roared to life, making his eyes widen as I was now standing directly in front of him, glaring at his kneeling form.
"Only I get to decide. Now submit or be destroyed." Lightning gathered around my right hand before a blade made out of plasma appeared in my grasp. Raising the above my head, the air above us sparked as I awaited his answer and Misteeta stared at me before he sighed.
"I…I surrender." He muttered and that was all it took as Storm King's Aura disappeared, the blade in my hand disappearing as well as I patted him on the shoulder.
"Your ability is versatile and useful, but even the most broken of abilities is useless in the fact of pure power." I said before I turned and walked back up to the Waiting Balcony, catching Diamante smirking gleefully as he nodded at me. I just smirked as I nodded back, walking into the tunnel as the crowd finally screamed in approval.
A/N: And there we go! The Round of 16, done! Next chapter, the Quarter Finals! After that, we are continuing with a completely new arc that sends us back to the past!
Anyway, read, enjoy, review and I'll see you all in the next one. Ba-Bye~!