Draconis: Kenshin, you've got most of this chapter off...if not all of it.
Kenshin: Hmn..fine then.
Alma: So that gives all of us the day off too. Hey Yukari-Chan, Miyuki-Chan. I'm going to seduce your brother, don't interrupt. You too Eva-Chan.
Yukari, Miyuki and Evangeline: Like hell you are!
Granberia: Now they know what I used to deal with.
Tamamo: To be honest I'd join in, but I'm just not in the mood.
Issei: Why is he getting laid and I'm going into a fight? !
Draconis: Relax Issei, it's not like-
Erubetie: (Passes Draconis) Come on Issei, I'll show you a good time before your battle.
Issei: Yes Erubetie-Sama...
Draconis: Wow, uh...let's get started. Jeez I was gonna do something similar for Issei next chapter.
Dragon of the Elements
Chapter 120
Excalibur and a Zombie.
Draconis: Begin!
(start)
On the Sitri side of the Battlefield.
A few minutes had passed since they had arrived. Kiba looked around. The battlefield in question was the ruins of a church. "Kind of like what Raynare-San chose as her base." He looked over seeing Raynare look down solemnly. He approached her. "Are you OK?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Raynare nodded. "Just...having bad flashbacks."
"Alright, just checking in." Kiba nodded.
"Thanks." Raynare said with a smile.
"Of course." Kiba said as he walked away. He felt his arm being grabbed and turned to see Hikari smiling.
"That was awfully kind of you." Hikari said.
"Th-Thanks Hikari-San." Kiba said with a nervous smile.
"Hmm? What's with the nervousness?" Hikari asked.
"S-Sorry. I've been around beautiful older women before, but you take the cake." Kiba chuckled.
"Hahahahaha, thanks for the compliment. I'll let you get away with calling me old." Hikari laughed. "So how are things going with you and Tsubaki-Chan?"
"Oh, they're going just fine." Kiba said waving her off.
"That's good." Hikari smiled. "I like you two as a couple. I think Ken-Chan did too, that's why he kept teasing you two."
"Well, I'm glad he did." Kiba said with a smile. "He helped me realize how much I liked Tsubaki-San."
"Hmhmhmhm!" Hikari said with a giggle before bringing Kiba into a gentle hug. "You were orphaned right?"
"Y-Yes?" Kiba asked, looking up at Hikari between her breasts, which she had hugged him in between.
"Then, if you want." Hikari smiled. "You can call me Mother or Auntie." She said.
"!" Kiba blinked for a moment before smiling. "OK, Aunt Hikari."
Hikari giggled with a blushing smile. "Alright, Yuuto-kun~!"
"H-Hey!" The two turned to see Tsubaki glaring at them.
Hikari waved her hands. "Tsubaki-Chan, relax. I was only asking Yuuto-Kun if he wanted to look at me like a member of his family. He's calling me Aunt Hikari."
Kiba blushed but Tsubaki paused and giggled. "Oh, I see. If that's all, I'll call you Aunt Hikari too."
"Of course Tsubaki-Chan!" Hikari giggled. "I'd be happy if you did."
"Anyway." The three looked over seeing Dulio and Griselda approaching.
"So you two and Irina will be acting as leaders?" Hikari asked.
"Over the Brave Saints yes." Griselda said.
Dulio approached Kiba. "I gotta say. I didn't expect to be together with you on the frontlines Kiba-kun." He said.
"Well it's an honor to be here." Kiba said. "I mean I've fought you several times by now in mock battles."
"Yeah, when I wasn't helping Kenshin come up with things we could do with our Sacred Gears." Dulio laughed. "He constantly berates me for sleeping, but he's a good guy...though I've heard about the complicated situation surrounding your origin. I figured you wouldn't want to cooperate with me."
"It's true. I hated the Excaliburs, but the wielders themselves? If I had just broken their sword I'd have left them be." Kiba said.
"That's good, but as long as the core was intact it could be repaired." Dulio said.
"That wouldn't matter to me." Kiba said shaking his head. "I'd have proven myself stronger than it. I would have been satisfied."
"That's good. I heard about Kiba-kun's past and was worried that Kiba-kun will be bloodthirsty today." Dulio said before pulling something out of his shirt. An origami paper crane. "In the underground Church facilities around Kuoh, a ceremony regarding the dispelling of a Sacred Gear will be held."
"..." Kiba watched as Dulio made the paper crane fly with his Zenith Tempest.
Dulio's eyes reflected sadness as he continued. "There's a child whose legs are disabled. He spends most of his time in a wheelchair. He actually has a Sacred Gear related to the legs."
"That's...That's awful." Kiba said.
"Yeah, I took Kenshin to meet him and he felt so sorry for the boy." Dulio said. "The boy's resistance to the power was too weak and it caused his power to develop in a bad way. It was a Sacred Gear that would allow his legs to run faster, but it actually grew to bind his legs. He said it hurt too much to walk. Kenshin even tried using his onmyoudou charms to heal him, but it didn't work...Sacred Gears, they're convenient, but frightening."
Dulio went on. "Thanks to the Grigori's successful analysis and hard work. The dispelling process has already entered a trial run. In theory only, they've reached perfection, still, the child chose to undergo the dispelling procedure."
"What will happen afterward?" Kiba asked.
"The hindrance from the Sacred Gear may weaken, and he may be able to live a normal life. In any case, it relies on the technology of the former Governor General, so it will definitely be successful." Dulio said with a smile. "The child wanted to go to an amusement park. Using his own two feet, he wanted to play at every amusement part. Kenshin and I just laughed and said we'd take him to every amusement park we could." Dulio raised his hand, letting the paper crane fly on the passing gust of wind. It looped around in the air before the wind died down and returned to Dulio's hand. "I think that simply being able to protect the dreams of those children is already enough." Dulio said as he moved to leave. "Well, what comes next is the time for battle. It's time for a reunion with that scary teacher, we should go and greet him."
"? !" Kiba's eyes widened as figures of warriors appeared before them. They wore a priest's outfit, but it was easy to pick out female warriors who dressed like Xenovia and Irina. At the same time, Kiba spotted white haired priests like Freed, yet lacking the same bloodlust Freed had. Still Kiba felt the hostility. Looking at their numbers. Kiba closed his eyes. "The same number or more must be awaiting Chief Rias and the others." He thought as his eyes opened again. Landing on Ewald Cristaldi, who wielded the replica Excalibur. He wore modern vestments He was the teacher of warriors, the one who taught Xenovia and Irina swordsmanship. The replica Excalibur as it exuded a holy aura.
Dulio stepped forward and waved. "Heya Sensei, long time no see." He said.
Cristaldi closed his eyes, speaking lowly. "This reunion, should it be happy or sad. Dulio and the reincarnated angels. If you still recognize me as a mentor, then could you accept the punishment of my sword as well?"
Kiba glanced at Irina who wore a complicated expression. "There are a lot of things we want to ask as well. After all, it would be better if we could discuss things."
"..." Ewald Cristaldi saw through his former disciple and said. "This place you've been frequenting will soon hold a ceremony to dispel a Sacred Gear, right?"
"Yes. You are correct." Dulio replied. "I just received the information earlier."
"We received it days ago. That facility has been occupied by Devil's rituals. This was already sinful. I need to carry out judgment on those whose minds and bodies have already been dyed black...I and my subordinates believe in these views! We are true believers, in our position, we can't help but deny those words!" Cristaldi shouted.
"You mean to say that you want to destroy that facility?" Dulio asked. "What about the children who live there?"
"In purgatory they will be purified of their sins. If I say that what will you do?" Cristaldi asked.
Dulio's eyes narrowed in anger. "Are you kidding me old man? I don't care if you are joking, don't you dare say such things in front of me, sensei!"
Cristaldi shook his head in disappointment. "Dulio, why? A good warrior like you, someone who even reached the position of Joker, yet why haven't you realized that even if there is an alliance that evil still needs to be eradicated, or did your heart changed after Michael-Sama reincarnated you as an angel. Your power of Zenith Tempest can destroy the Balance of this world, you know that right?"
"No Sensei." Dulio closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I never once thought about a world like that. No matter what happens I will only go about doing one thing. I will do what is within my power to protect the smiles of those children. I don't care if they are human, youkai, angel, fallen angel or devils! This is what I became strong for! This is what I became Joker for! That belief is unwavering!"
This statement sent discontent through Cristaldi's ranks. "Your Eminence Cristaldi, continuing this conversation is meaningless. You can't shake the heart of this boy."
"But I can shake yours." Hikari said appearing next to Griselda. She pointed at a figure dressed in all black. "You...I was begging to find you."
"Oh? Is that right?" She replied back
"Your name is La Croix, right?" Hikari growled as a black aura flared around her. "I'm going to kill you for defiling the bodies of the family I never knew, making my eldest son and daughter put them all down again!"
Cristaldi turned to La Croix. "What is she talking about? She makes it seem like you have the power to raise the dead."
"...She's not wrong." La Croix said taking off her mask and black jacket, revealing white hair that reached down to mid back, and an asterisk like symbol with a skull on it on her forehead and two short pointed horns jutting out from either side of her head. She also had hollow purple eyes, purple skin and a black and purple marking on either side of her face. She wore a white lab coat with purple endings, bandages over her abdomen and a maroon pair of pants. "Funny that you're angry that I resurrected people you didn't even know...maybe I'll do the same with you." She said with a calm smile. "Present your zombified body to your children."
"That's if you can kill me!" Hikari shouted.
"Hm?" La Croix looked down, seeing the Excalibur replica pressed against her throat.
"The only reason you're breathing right now is because you're helping to take some of the opposition off us. Make no mistake however, when we're finished here, I shall execute you for your grave sins." Cristaldi growled.
La Croix pushed the sword down. "I am a scientist first. What you call a sin, I call research."
"Callous harlot." Cristaldi growled, before sighing and looking up at the sky. "Truly a stupid man. Hasn't changed a bit."
"You're going to say that about Dulio, while literally accepting the help of a necromancer?" Griselda asked.
"I wasn't just referring to Dulio." Cristaldi said. "Youkai woman!" He said pointing his replica Excalibur at Hikari.
"Hm?" Hikari grunted.
"If you can dispose of this filth I mistakenly allied myself with, I would appreciate it." Cristaldi said.
"Hmph..." Hikari smirked. "Say no more." She said as she held two Incendium Gehennae spells at her side that immediately turned to a jade color. "Magia Erebea! Duplex Complexio! Incendium Gehennae! Equip Armament! Jade Tiger Empress!"
"Oh my." La Croix said.
"Alright then...I'll follow my beliefs as well. Even though the deceased God we respect is the same, if the Justice we believe in is different, it will have to be corrected!" Cristaldi exclaimed pointing his blade at Sona's party. "Continuing to talk is pointless! You are right about that! If you are warriors like us! Use your weapons to make me...no, to make us yield! My Fellow Warriors! This is a battle that Heaven allows! Let us all lay out our beliefs here! For them all to see! !" Cristaldi yelled, his warriors joined in his howling.
"..." Kiba stepped back a bit. "Even the air is trembling..." He thought before looking over at Hikari. "...She doesn't even looked phased...Of course, she's been through war before twice now, she knows what it's like." Kiba hardened his gaze. "Yet so have I!"
"La Croix! I am going to kill you!" Hikari roared charging through Cristaldi's forces, rushing toward the necromancer.
La Croix smirked. "Come on, come and get me!" She said as Hikari rushed her.
A figure appeared as Hikari slashed, her tigress claws grabbing a sword. This woman wore a gray head protecter, had short purple hair and purple eyes and skin. Wore a green top with a dulled white girdle. And combat pants and a black thong. She wielded a very short sword, almost comparable to a knife. "Hello Hikari-Tsuki-San, my name is Fernandez." She introduced with a calm smile. "I was a famous youkai swordsman back in my day."
"Krrrrhhh!" Hikari growled, grinding her claws against Frenandez's blade. She looked Frenandez over. "You're dressed quite scantily for a swordswoman." She grunted.
"Oh please, like those lewd tits of yours have any room to talk!" Fernandez laughed before jumping back. "
"At least I cover mine up!" Hikari yelled throwing Fernandez back.
"Hikari Tsuki, meet some members of the group you're about to join." La Croix said with a smirk. "The Cirque du Croix."
"Demon Skull Beheading!"
"? !" Hikari looked up, crossing her arms and flaming paws as a purple feathered, decaying skinned harpy slashed her left wing down at her. "Grrrrhhhh! Rrraaahhh!" She threw the harpy off and it landed next to Fernandez.
"This one is quite strong." Fernandez commented. "What do you think Refletsia?"
"Indeed." Refletsia said before piping up. "Tell me, do you know how my failure of a son, Jordan is doing."
"Failure?" Hikari said with narrowed eyes as battle raged all around them.
"He killed me, his own mother, for trying to dominate the continent we lived on." Refletsia balked. "Such a being can only be called failure."
"!" Hikari's eyes widened as she recalled a past conversation during the Youkai Revolution.
"Your mother tried to wage war on the Masouen Continent?" Hikari asked.
"Yes." Jordan said. "She waged battle after battle. To the point that the harpy race as a whole was in danger of going extinct. Eventually...I saw her for what she was...and I killed her, but still...that fact haunts me every night...that I killed the one who gave birth to me."
A magic circle opened up next to Hikari's ear as she watched the two zombies get up. "Hikari-San." Sona said. "Do you need any help?"
"No." Hikari answered. "I can handle this, but in the meantime tell Mana to keep an eye on my fight."
"Alright." Sona said.
Another magic circle opened. "What do you want me to watch for? I am kind of busy." Mana said as a sniper shot was fired off, disrupting the flow of one of Cristaldi's swordsman's holy swords.
"Sorry Mana-Chan, but just glance over and see if you can find any openings. I'm pretty sure this bitch has more in store." Hikari said.
"Alright." Mana said.
"I'll help keep an eye out too." Kazumi said through the same communication circle.
At the same time as Hikari engaged La Croix and her Cirque du Croix Sona began speaking to everyone else. "Well, everyone, it's begun. Tsubaki, Tsubasa! Advance forward and form a shield!" Sona ordered.
"Right!" Tsubaki and Tsubasa said
Tsubaki's Mirror Alice broke, dealing twice the damage to the one that broke it, while Tsubasa's Twinkle Aegis prepared as the warriors lined up and launched projectiles from the back. Guns of Light, or long ranged Sacred Gear users. All of them fired off attacks together. Tsubaki in return formed a countless number of mirrors.
"!" Kiba's eyes widened as he stared at her from behind. "Tsubaki! Be careful!"
Tsubaki glanced back at him with a smile. "Don't worry Yuuto-kun, I'll be alright." She said as the warriors attacks were reflected back at them, while Tsubasa's Twinkle Aegis enveloped their long ranged attack in flames and destroyed them.
"Get wrecked!" Saji shouted.
"Saji, focus." Sona said.
"Oh I know Sona. I'm just happy to see us getting shit done!" Saji said.
"Hmn." Sona smiled on the other end. "I'd be lying if I didn't feel the same, but still, focus."
"Right." Saji said before his eyes widened. "Hey! Their close rangers are moving! Information from Kazumi-San!"
"Well, we'll use our close ranged members to engage! Ruruko, Tomoe, Bennia and Rugal!" Sona said. "You and several Brave Saints as well as Yuuto Kiba get in there!"
"Haaa!" Ruruko kicked several rebel priests with her grieves, Tomoe, slashed at them with her artificial Sacred Gear, Shining Blazing Darkness Samurai Sword. Rugal battled several exorcists back. Standing in front of Tsubaki and Tsubasa. Kiba, Ruruko, Tomoe, Rugal, Kiba and the Brave Saints battled the exorcists back.
"Tch!" Kiba grunted as the exorcists fought back with swords of light, and the tips of the barrels of their guns had been doused in holy water. "Still though, we were prepared for this. Half baked attacks like this won't hit us!" Kiba thought, using his knight piece's speed to evade the attacks. "Haa!" He yelled breaking his opponent's swords with a single blow, using a holy demonic sword. He left them laying there and proceeded onward. He saw Ewaldi Cristaldi who hadn't moved since the start of the battle, the Excalibur replica stabbed firmly into the ground.
"So troublesome." Bennia said as she batted exorcists left and right with the blunt end of her scythe, as slicing them directly would result in their death and they didn't want that.
"This is going to be a test of that..." Rugal said, his arms coated in fire magic to knock away numerous warriors.
"Man this is difficult, but we have to go along with this." Ruruko said.
"Well, it will be good to test out the destructive power of my sword." Tomoe said.
Suddenly Tsubaki shouted. "Kaichou! The conditions have all been satisfied!"
"I see, good. Tsubaki, Everyone, fall back!" Sona ordered.
Hikari nodded and leaped back. Kiba however was confused as the rest of them jumped back. Tsubaki maintaining her distance. "Balance Break!" Tsubaki shouted. "Come out, Mad hatter, Dormouse, March Hare!"
A demon wearing a hat, an enormous mouse as well as a hare which wore a tailored coat came out. Kiba recognized them from the battle at Megalomesembria. Sona announced through the communication circle. "This is Tsubaki's Balance Breaker, Nostalgia Mad Tea Party. She was only able to make full use of it in the battle in Megalomesembria, though she had limited use of it in our Rating Game against Kenshin."
"The three creatures were generated are using specific abilities." Sona said.
"Dormouse will put everyone in a fixed area to sleep." Sona said as a large mouse ran into the warriors ranks spewing a gaseous substance from it's mouth. The warriors all fell to the ground. Sona looked outward with a smile. "This one you're familiar with, the Mad Hatter." She said as some of the warriors burst out into mad laughter and even began to riot as the hare leaped into their ranks as the air around them rippled. "March Hare causes it's targets to become violent and Mad Hatter causes it's targets to see illusions."
La Croix jumped back with Fernandez and Refletsia. "You two don't need to breathe so don't." La Croix said.
"Yeah, well we can't exactly help it if it just happens to seep into what's left of our bodies." Refletsia said.
"I understand this." La Croix said. "Huh? !"
"Hwaaa! Uooo!" Some of the warriors burst out in mad laughter.
"Aaaahahahahahahaha!" La Croix looked over seeing Fernandez laugh manically and turn and attack Refletsia.
"W-What the hell? !" Refletsia shouted.
"Hahahahahaha! I don't know why I'm doing this!" Fernandez shouted.
"Hrmn!" Hikari smirked and charged toward La Croix.
"!" La Croix's eyes widened. "Oh forget the Queen Lamia, Mermaid, Titania and Scylla. If this is the power they have, they'd be useless here!" She thought.
Hikari watched as a coffin popped out of the ground and a figure shot out of it. She was dressed in a blue dress and a white apron. She held a brown teddy bear and had long blonde hair hanging down to mid back. La Croix sent Fernandez and Refletsia back into their coffins.
"!" Hikari felt a massive amount of power rolling off of this woman.
"Hello." She said with a smile. "I am Alipheese the Eighth, how do you do?" She asked.
"!" Hikari's eyes widened. "How am I expected to deal with her of all people? ! Gah! No matter!" Hikari readied herself. "So you're the infamous Black Alice huh?"
"Ara? Is that what they call me these days?" Black Alice answered with a polite smile.
"It's what Tamamo calls you." Hikari grunted.
"Ah yes, Tamamo." Black Alice mused. "Just how is that fox doing anyway?"
"I wouldn't know. She's been gone for a few days now, she's back in Makai." Hikari said. "Probably not too good seeing as she and my son Kenshin are going to do battle against her mother and sisters."
"Hm? Why does that matter?" Black Alice asked. "I understand that it's her mother and family, but still."
"Because her mother is the Dark Goddess and her sisters are the other five Ancestral Youkai." Hikari said.
"...?" Black Alice just stared at Hikari, blinking curiously. "I...see...wait, if she is one of the Six Ancestors why didn't she put me down after that wretched Shinigami sealed my Vessel of Darkness to always remain active?"
"She's been sealed until very recently, she could break it temporarily sure, but you could likely outlast that time frame." Hikari said.
"Hmn, I see. So she didn't have a choice." Black Alice said.
"Excuse me! Will you stop bantering with her and fight al-!" La Croix was cut off as Black Alice glanced back at her.
"Don't presume that you can order me around Shirome Artiste." Black Alice said with a cold look. "You may have resurrected me with that wretch Yama's help, but I refuse to be controlled."
"Hey." Hikari called out, gaining Black Alice's attention.
"Hm? Yes?" Black Alice said with a curious look.
"I'd kinda like to see where I stack up against Youkai Royalty. Would you accept my challenge?" Hikari asked.
"Oh my? You mean to challenge me Neko-onna?" Black Alice said with an entertained smile. "What is your name anyway?"
"Hikari Kuroshi Tsuki. Last living matriarch of the Tsuki clan." Hikari said.
"Ara? The Kuroshi and Tsuki clans united?" Black Alice asked. "Back before my unfortunate meeting with Yama, they were some of my greatest protectors of peace, yet when I lost it, they both abandoned me."
"This must have been before my parents time." Hikari said. "RyuuTaisho Kuroshi and Aki Tsuki."
"Oh? They went on to lead full happy lives?" Black Alice smiled. "I attended their births."
"Uhm...they were pretty young for demons though." Hikari said.
"Oh, must have been their ancestors then." Black Alice said.
Shirome looked on with an annoyed expression. "Look Black Alice, I know I can't control you, but could you two please get started before one of these holy sword wielders get any wise ideas?"
"Ah very well." Black Alice shrugged before bringing her stuffed bear upward. "Time to have a party Beary."
"? !" Hikari's eyes widen as the teddy bear she was holding rose up and grew in size, becoming at least three meters tall and let out a roar at Hikari.
"Do be gentle with him." Black Alice smiled carefreely. "It was a gift from Heinrich."
"Tch." Hikari smirked warily. "Not sure how good that's gonna go while I'm using this."
"Oh? Your flaming limbs? Not to worry, when I got him I cast a spell to making him resistant to all the elements." Black Alice waved her off. "Now Beary, play nice~" She said.
"Grruuoohhh!" 'Beary' let out a roar and punched down at Hikari.
"Hmn." Hikari smirked and disappeared, leaping into the air.
"!" Beary looked up at her only to cock her fist back with a smirk.
"Jade Flame Tigress !" She said summoning a small but powerful tiger crashed into Beary, knocking him onto it's back, it lurched forward after knocking Beary down and sunk it's teeth into Beary's neck.
Beary let out a cry worrying Black Alice as she looked over seeing her teddy bear immediately collapse.
"Don't worry, I just wanted to end it quickly." Hikari said. "You know, even with the bite marks, it still has a relatively pristine form. I'll repair it myself." Hikari said.
"You...damaged it..." Black Alice said.
"Huh?" Hikari said.
"YOU DAMAGED IIIIITTTTTTT!" An aura of dark mana exploded around Black Alice who glared with a smirk. "I give you a duel and told you...to be gentle...and this is what you do? To hell with it! You're my next meal!"
"I said I could fix it!" Hikari shouted.
"Hahahaha! That was about the dumbest thing you could have done." Shirome said with a laugh. "Just because Yama and I brought her back, doesn't mean that her mental instability from when she was alive in the past went away."
"Hrrh!" Hikari growled as she raised her arms to block Black Alice's fist as it drove her back. "What are you talking about? !"
"She died as a madwoman, hellbent on destroying everything. All because Yama sealed her Vessel of Darkness technique to always be active after fighting her." Shirome said. "The imbalance of chemicals in her brain didn't go away you know. Just the slightest thing could set her off. The only one who could save her soul at this point is Heinrich himself, yet because of Yama he's dead now."
"Grrrhhh!" Hikari threw her arms out throwing Black Alice back.
"..." Black Alice glared soullessly at Hikari.
"Come on then you mad bitch. Feel the wrath of your former subjects." Hikari said with a smirk.
Black Alice smiled back, but Hikari could tell her eyes carried some measures of madness. "Alright Hikari Kuroshi Tsuki."
Hikari went into a chant before shouting out. "Iovis Tempestas Fulgriens!"
"Lambda Spark!" Black Alice yelled.
"Krh!" Hikari growled as Black Alice's spell met hers with ferocity.
"You see Hikari Kuroshi Tsuki, you are outmatched here." Shirome laughed.
"I'll show you who's outmatched!" Hikari yelled, pouring mana into her spell.
"G-Grrh!" Black Alice growled as she was driven back.
"Incredible...Kenshin Kuroshi's group is powerful." Shirome said with wide eyes.
(boom!)
The spell detonated on Black Alice's end. "Haa...haa...haaa." Hikari panted, her jade flames still however flickering brightly.
"Hahahahaha!" Shirome and Hikari looked up seeing Black Alice unharmed.
"So that did nothing to her, interesting." Shirome said.
"Damn..." Hikari cursed.
"Huhuhuhuhu. You thought you'd done me in?" Black Alice laughed. "You said you wanted to measure yourself, well I'm sorry to say, but it will take way more than that to measure up to me."
"Well, I'm sorry for holding back!" Hikari said, appearing in front of Black Alice, her arms cocked back. "Jade Tigress Pounce!"
Black Alice extended her hands forward and caught Hikari's flaming paws. "Hmm! That's more like it!" She said digging her heels into the ground.
"G-Grrh! Well, let no one say you didn't earn your place as the Eighth Demon Queen." Hikari grunted. "Seriously though...I can repair your bear. I had to do it for my children when they were little."
"Hmn, I accept that. Take Beary with you to repair and give him back to me, when we next meet." Black Alice said.
"That easy?" Hikari said, before being driven back.
"You did ask for a duel after all!" Black Alice said as a tail spawned out of her dress before throwing Hikari back.
"? !" Hikari's eyes widened as she noticed that her tail replaced her legs.
"Why the shocked look? The Fateburn Family has always been lamias in some shape or form!" Black Alice said slapping Hikari to the ground.
"Gah!" Hikari bounced off the ground but immediately backflipped, dodging Black Alice's next tail swipe. Hikari smirked. "I've been training with Elemental Masters all my life. You think your moves surprise me?"
Black Alice smirked back. "Well, I haven't shown my entire set, but I must say you're strong in your own right. It took Heinrich becoming an elemental master to fulfill my request to put me down before."
Hikari rushed forward, the two of them trading blows. "Wait, you wanted Heinrich to kill you?"
"..." Even while trading blows Black Alice smiled with her eyes closed. "Make no mistake, while Yama's actions drove me to insanity...I loved Makai and it's people. Lilim and Lilith of Murasaki Village will tell you as much...and probably how much their hearts broke at the news of my death." Black Alice finished before smacking Hikari away.
"Ghh!" Hikari stabilized herself by bringing out both her dragon and devil wings.
"So your son is going to face the creator of Youkai, the Dark Goddess herself, yes." Black Alice said licking her lips. "I'd like to test that strength of his out for myself."
Hikari charged forward, chanting a spell. "Dios Tukuos!" She said swinging her right arm downward, an ax of lightning striking Black Alice.
Again, Black Alice was unharmed, wrapping her long serpentine tail around herself. She unwrapped it and laughed. "That was impressive I got to admit."
"There's something you should know, if you want to fight my son." Hikari said.
"Oh? And what's that?" Black Alice said.
"When Heinrich died in Heaven he tossed Angel Halo to Kenshin. Kenshin told me that Heinrich's soul was inside and transferred to his body." Hikari said.
"!" Black Alice's eyes widened in shock.
"I'm just saying...he might let Heinrich try to talk you down first." Hikari said.
"...I...I see..." Black Alice said with her head bowed for a moment. "Thank you for telling me this Hikari Tsuki." She said.
"Not at all." Hikari said as she noticed Beary had shrunk down and flashed over to pick it up. "Hm..." She looked over it. "Hm...this won't take very much material at all. I just need to strip away the burnt bits."
"Burnt bits?" Black Alice asked curiously.
"You underestimate how hot my flames burn." Hikari replied with a smirk, casting the flames away.
"I see...well let's contin-!" Black Alice jumped back as several spheres of darkness appeared in front of her.
"Huh? !" Hikari looked up only for Mana to land in front of her, holding a pistol and a sniper rifle at the ready. "Mana? ! I thought you were supposed to hold the-"
"There's no perimeter to hold, so Kazumi just told me to do as I like. Then I felt this ones mana explode." Mana said brushing her raven black hair out of her eyes.
"But aren't you more of a long distance fighter?" Hikari said.
"Hmn." Mana smiled. "Make no mistake, that is my preferred form of combat, but I have no blind spots, besides I have to teach that Aika girl how to really shoot, so I'm not dying here." Mana said.
"Hmhmhm." Hikari giggled. "There's also your attraction to Kenshin to consider."
"..." Mana went silent.
"I mean, why else would you do so many jobs for him for free?" Hikari teased.
"It isn't free." Mana grunted. "In return for my work, he promised he'd donate my payment to the orphanages across the world."
"I'm sure he did, as a courtesy, Daddy Long Legs." Hikari said referencing her codename before sighing with a smile. "Just because Serizawa-kun is gone, doesn't mean you can't still experience love, ask Kenshin out when you get a chance."
"..." Mana blushed, but before she could reply, both her and Hikari dodged several purple tentacles and looked over seeing Black Alice exposing, more of an amalgamation of tentacles with breasts on the side. Her right side to be exact while she still wore her blue and white dress.(1 ) "Hikari, get out of here. That La Croix bitch is your true enemy."
"But won't you need help?" Hikari asked, worried.
"Don't worry., I'll be fine." Mana said.
"Ok, stay safe Mana-Chan." Hikari said. "I'm sorry to make you step in like this."
"No, I'm sorry I robbed you of your duel against her." Mana said.
"No worries!" Hikari said rushing past Black Alice and toward La Croix
"Huh? !" La Croix yelped bringing out Fernandez and Refletsia to defend herself, only for Hikari to slash through them like butter.
"Heh." Hikari smirked. "If it's not that Alice in Wonderland lookin' girl. Your zombies can't stop me."
Meanwhile, Mana faced down Black Alice who smiled. "My My, you're stepping in for her? I don't sense much strength from you."
"That's because I haven't unleashed it yet." Mana said as her hair dyed white as her coat flapped in the wind.
"Ara?" Black Alice said. "Interesting, you're a hanyou."
"Indeed." Mana said. "Though in Mundus Magicus I am referred to as 'Demonfolk.'"
"Are you strong?" Black Alice said with a coy smile.
"Who knows? I will say I'm not weak in any sense of the word." Mana said.
"Well then, I'll be the judge of that!" Black Alice said sending several tentacles at her.
(bang bang bang!)
Several gun shots were heard as Black Alice's tentacles fell into useless goop, she retracted and regenerated the stumps. Mana blew the smoke off the barrel of her pistol. "Spellbreaker bullets. Renders means of magical attacks defenses ineffective, though they have their limits."
"Those weapons...I've never seen anything like them..." Black Alice said with narrowed eyes.
"Well, welcome to the 21st century former queen." Mana said. "I may not upend you in strength, but I will find my own way to win."
"Hmn. Interesting." Black Alice said with a smirk. "Prominence!" She shouted sending a large scale fire blast at Mana.
"Nice try." Mana said with a smirk of her own as she fired her sniper rifle at the blast several times, in several different places. Explosions went off in front of Black Alice's attack, causing it to collapse in on itself.
"Huh? !" Black Alice said with wide eyes.
"Exploding rounds. The heat from your attack made them go off earlier than they should have. My explosions sucked the air away from your flames and caused them to extinguish." Mana said before she was blown backward. "Wha? !"
"Well even given that, I'm afraid the mana itself was still there." Black Alice said with a smirk. "Slowly but surely, I'll figure you out. Despite what Yama did to me, my pride as a Fateburn won't allow me to lose here!"
"Haa!" Mana pointed her sniper rifle at Black Alice, a concentrated blast of mana firing out of the barrel.
"Ouh!" Black Alice doubled over, holding her stomach.
Mana smirked. "You're not the only one who can fire blasts of mana Alipheese the Eighth."
"G-Ghh...such a thin launching point...wouldn't that imply immense accuracy?" Black Alice asked.
"Hahaha." Mana said with a laugh. "Luckly for me, I can see where you go with this eye of mine." Mana said before firing a round into Black Alice's tail.
"Ghhh!" Black Alice grunted her tail exploded into goop before she regenerated it. She brushed off her dress and smirked. "You're interesting."
"..." Mana didn't respond, but thought. "I need to keep my distance here. Even with my demonfolk blood. A close combat fight plays to my utmost disadvantage against her." Mana thought.
(break)
With Hikari.
"Haaaaa!" Hikari roared slashing at La Croix, or rather Shirome.
"Grrhh!" Shirome raised her arms to block the attack, only for Hikari to blow her backward. She caught her grounding and held Hikari back with a barrier. "Damn it! Outside of Black Alice. None of my other zombies are able to fend off that woman's abilities." Shirome cursed as Tsubaki's Balance Breaker was still wrecking havoc across the battlefield.
"Haaa!" Hikari shouted as she shoved Shirome back. "You're gonna pay for defiling the bodies of my family."
"Will I now?" Shirome asked. "Let's see it!" She said lunging toward Hikari, several vials of peculiar liquid between her fingers. She proceeded to throw them at Hikari, breaking them, surrounding Hikari in a pink smoke.
"Kouh! Kouh!" Hikari coughed violently, the smoke choking her. "Damn it...!" She thought. "I can't breathe!"
"Hahaha!" Shirome laughed, diving into the smoke, attacking Hikari relentlessly.
"G-Grrh!" Hikari raised her flaming paws to defend.
"Heh!" Shirome kicked Hikari in the head.
"Gaah!" Hikari yelled, before going into another coughing fit.
Shirome grabbed Hikari's head and slammed her to the ground.
(Whooosh!)
"Huh?" Shirome said.
"Heh." Hikari smirked, looking over, seeing Dulio with his hand extended toward her. "Come on!"
Shirome's eyes widened as the Tsuki Matriarch made her move, nailing her across the face with her knee.
Shirome shook her head around. "Damn you."
"Heh!" Hikari smirked back at her in defiance. "What's wrong bitch? Things not going according to plan?"
"Tch!" Shirome growled as she lunged forward, interlocking her fingers with Hikari's.
"G-Grrrhhh!" Both Shirome and Hikari growled as powerful auras wrapped around them both. "Grrrhh!" Shirome growled as burns developed across her skin. "Grrhh!" She growled as she pulled Hikari forward, kneeing her in the chin.
"Tch!" Hikari charged forward only to be blocked by the former queen Scylla, whom wrapped her flaming limbs around her decaying ones. "Burn away!"
"Aaaagggggghhhh!" The Queen Scylla cried out in pain as her body was covered in heavy burns before Shirome threw her back into her coffin.
"Damn it, you're the worst matchup for my Cirque du Croix." Shirome said.
"Damn right I am." Hikari said before slashing her flaming paws across Shirome's torso.
"? !" Shirome fell back, as the bandages covering her torso burned away.
"? !" Hikari paused, seeing a lack of any sort of a torso, instead seeing several nerve like endings wriggling around like they had been severed from each other. "...You're a zombie too."
"...Yes." Shirome said. "...Hikari Tsuki...I am sorry about your kinsmen, I was being threatened by Yama to restore them into revive worthy shape. Yama wasn't the one I wanted to lay me to rest." She said as she laid on the ground.
"...You have a little sister named Chrome, don't you?" Hikari asked.
"Yes." Shirome nodded. "Yama will likely revive me again." She said. "Though I'm curious as to how you know about her."
"Kenshin met her in Makai, and she mentioned you." Hikari said.
Shirome closed her eyes and smiled. "Only another Artiste can render my body incapable of resurrection, so please, tell Chrome...that her sister Shirome is already dead and she wishes to be laid to rest." Shirome said.
"Alright." Hikari nodded with a morose look. "But I have to ask...how did this happen?"
"We weren't always just necromancers you know." Shirome said. "We were scientists however. I had recently purchased a new, but dangerous chemical for my research. However I forgot to label it as such. So when my sister went looking after she got home, I had assumed that the chemical Chrome was using for her own experiment looked identical to it...how wrong I was. When I realized that she grabbed the wrong container I rushed to our lab only to find I was too late as she was pouring it on her experiment. I covered her body with my own. We were both knocked unconscious, but my body was blown completely in half at the waist."
"How did you not die?" Hikari asked.
"We didn't use them often, but we did have the necromancy skills shelled away, like Chrome probably did, we'd ask the passed away souls for permission to use their body." Shirome said. "So I used them on myself, turning me into this and left before Chrome came to. I knew I'd become a walking corpse at any rate, so I looked for a way to bring an undead body back to life...and that's when Yama found me."
"He had the power to raise the dead, but wouldn't revive you?" Hikari asked.
"Yes. He said he found my research interesting, as you saw...my zombies, my Cirque du Croix were completely obedient." Shirome said. "He pressed me to continue my research...and I killed numerous humans and youkai, though he presented Black Alice to me...by then I was too far gone...I was no longer Shirome Artiste. I had already become La Croix. I even presented the Cirque du Croix to Alipheese the Fifteenth and Lord Shin Tatsu...and they banished me for it."
"...to be clear. I don't feel sorry for you, but your story is a sad one." Hikari said before looking over at Black Alice and Mana's fight. "What happens with her?"
"I don't expect you to feel sorry for me." Shirome looked at the sky. "What I've done is horrible...but I can't...I won't stop...as for Black Alice. Without me to at least put her away, she'll run loose."
"Whenever you arise again. I'll be there to stop you." Hikari said with a hard look.
Shirome closed her eyes and smiled. "I'd expect nothing less, Lady Tsuki, hmn...off I go...into a temporary escape to peace." Shirome said, sighing as her body disappeared.
"..." Hikari looked on as Shirome disappeared. "...I guess I get why you want a certain person to kill you...in the past Kenshin and Yukari were the same...with Ryuushin and I."
(break)
With Mana
"Krrh!" Mana growled, blocking and dodging numerous tail swipes from Black Alice.
"Hmhmhmhmhm! You honestly expect to beat me like this? !" Black Alice said. "You can't hope to hit me with any of your paltry weaponry as long as I'm like this." She said brushing off her blue and white dress before lunging after Mana.
"I really didn't want to have to use this." Mana thought pulling out a charm tag. It shined brightly before Mana vanished.
"? !" Black Alice looked around. "Where did she go? !"
"Just a forewarning, I have guns that fire faster than the ones I've been using." Mana said from behind her.
Black Alice slithered out of the way as Mana fired a P90 machine gun at her. "Krh! Kaiser Phoenix!"
Mana jumped back as a large conflagration, shaped like a phoenix shot toward her. "Ikudansou!" A seal appeared on her chest as her leotard bulged in the front, a rocket launcher coming out. She set it on her shoulder and fired it at the phoenix. The rocket exploded and caused the phoenix to implode. "Get ready for the mana burst!" She thought, crossing her arms after throwing the launcher aside.
Mana was blown backward, only to have to turn around as Black Alice raced behind her. She swung her leg at Black Alice's face, only for one of her tentacles to grab her limb. "Krrh..." Mana growled as she took aim at Black Alice's head with her pistol, only for the former Demon Queen to restrain her.
"Enough of your pesky weapons...you're mine now." Black Alice said with capricious smile.
A hand, or a paw rather slapped down on her shoulder. "Guess again. Jade Tiger Empress' Fierce Assault!"
Black Alice was batted backward by several kicks and claw swipes, freeing Mana from her binds. "You...Shirome Artiste was bested that easily?"
"Fire and Zombies don't mix very well together." Hikari said with a smirk. "Still, begs the question as to why it isn't working on you."
"Shirome may have called me forth, but I am no zombie." Black Alice said. "She merely restored my body back to it's pristine condition, then Yama resurrected me. No apparatus though. He thought it would be a good test of her abilities to try and rein me in."
"Shit..." Hikari cursed. "OK, Mana." She said with a low tone. "I don't think we can beat her. Not as we are now."
"..." Mana said nothing at first. "I think you're right...she keeps getting up no matter what I shoot her with...and frighteningly enough. I think it's not even what she's really capable of doing."
"Why are you still using your guns with your demonfolk power active?" Hikari asked.
"I have been, since I'm mostly a long distance fighter. So I channel my power to my eyes. It's how I've been keeping up with her." Mana said before pausing. "Wait...Hikari, how were these zones we're in made again?"
"Through magic? So we wouldn't damage actual territories?" Hikari said, eying Black Alice, curious as to why she hadn't made a move yet.
"So, it's fair to say that this area we're in is teeming with magical energy?" Mana asked.
"You can just call it what it is Mana, I'll know what you're talking about." Hikari snorted.
"Whatever, just answer the question." Mana said.
"I mean, sure, why?" Hikari asked.
Mana smirked. "I've got an idea. We don't have to put her down, but we just need to neutralize her."
"?" Hikari looked over at Mana curiously.
"..." Mana glanced over at Black Alice who stared at them. "I feel like she's reading our lips...I feel like if we try to mask it, she'll attack. I'll act as the support, just fight her like normal. I need to get something ready."
Hikari blinked before her eyes widened in realization. "You're going to use that?"
"Yes, I only have a very finite supply, but I think the parameters for necessity are met." Mana said. "If I don't, we and many others might die."
"Right." Hikari said. "I just need one favor."
"Yes?" Mana asked.
"Just fire a few dummy shots before you start preparing."
"Alright but this gun's out of ammo. Machine gun magic bullets are in short supply." Mana said. "Just give me a moment to prepare."
"That's what the rush is for, I won't even use Shundou." Hikari said with a winking smile before taking off for Black Alice.
"Oh?" Black Alice smiled demurely. "Finally done with your futile planning? You cannot hope to defeat me. It took Heinrich to kill me before. The Second Dragon of the Elements."
"The fact that he's the second doesn't mean anything. My son Kenshin is the one that will be first to surpass Ragnarok." Hikari said with a smirk. "Those of us in Kenshin's peerage will surpass them both eventually!"
"Such faith you have in your son, let's see if you can measure up to it." Black Alice as she sent a rush of tentacles at Hikari who smirked back in defiance.
"Thanks for teaching me this Tamamo!" She thought as she brought her flaming paws back with a smirk. "Dance of Death!"
"Ghh!" Black Alice interlocked her fingers between Hikari's paws and scowled. "So...the Kuroshi Tsuki clan didn't lose their step since being banished by a future Demon King huh?"
"Heh." Hikari smirked after all of Black Alice's tentacles fell to goop before Black Alice after Hikari severed them all off. "What's wrong? Not much without your tentacles and beary?"
Black Alice smirked back. "I know you promised to fix him, but I won't have you bad mouthing Beary or myself...he was a gift from Heinrich!" She said.
Hikari was blown back, but was also chanting a spell. "Incendium Geheanne!" She yelled firing a massive jade fireball at Black Alice.
"If you think that will beat me, think again!" Black Alice said batting it into the sky.
"Heh!" Hikari smirked, appearing in front of Black Alice.
"? !" Black Alice's eyes widened in shock.
"I'm faster than you think." Hikari said. "Jade Tigress' Jade Star!" Hikari shouted as she fired a massive burst of youki at Black Alice, who emerged in her base form, without her Beary."
"Huh...this is what I get for not taking you seriously..." Black Alice said before she was pegged by a black bullet. "? !" She looked down seeing herself surrounded in a black sphere. "What is this? !"
"BCTL" Mana said appearing beside Hikari. "Bullet of Compulsory Time Leap. You can thank Kenshin's granddaughter from the future for this one."
"What? ! I had a barrier active!" Black Alice said in shock.
"Doesn't matter, these bypass magic barriers." Mana explained. "The only way to counter them is by evading them or shooting them down from a safe distance."
"That's what you get for not taking us seriously Alice-Chan." Hikari said with a winking smile. "See you in three hours."
"Hmn...keep your promise then." Black Alice said as she disappeared with the black sphere.
"Hrm...this won't even take twenty minutes." Hikari said taking out a sewing kit.
"Hm?" Mana said. "You promised to repair that thing?"
"It was a precious gift to her from Heinrich. She went nuts when I damaged it. Speaking as a wife who lost her husband, I can kind of understand her." Hikari said.
"I see." Mana said as they walked back to their side of the battlefield.
(break)
Kiba looked around, seeing the rouge priests attacking seemingly nothing, at times even attacking each other. "After being affected by the three abilities of Tsubaki's Sacred Gear, anyone would be unable to continue fighting. It's not like they know how dispel these illusions like Kenshin does. It's not a direct attack, but rather weakening them without force."
Kiba replied. "But wait, to be able to summon three demons which can use three different abilities. It's that the same as having a Sacred Gear with more than two abilities?"
"Not at all. It's all fair and well. Tsubaki's Subspecies only has the one ability, to be able to summoned demons with abilities from mirrors. I would compare it to your demonic swords having various attributes. Tsubaki has the ability to summon demons from her mirrors."
"Huh...I see. It's like my Sword Birth." Kiba thought, before glancing over at Hikari and Mana dueling against Shirome and Black Alice. "Why aren't they being affected?"
Kiba shook his head. "From what she told me. The Shinra clan, which could be compared to Akeno-San's Himejima clan, cast her and her parents out after Tsubaki's parents made a deal with the Sitri clan as Tsubaki would randomly summon things out of mirrors that did not exist in this world. If I'm being honest, from a Gremory family perspective, it's quite scary. Her power belongs in the trap category. We'd be especially vulnerable against it. Even Azazel-Sensei and Kenshin-kun agree that Sona's peerage is a grade above us. When this is over, we need to have a good training session for Issei-kun and Xenovia for technique types. We should probably include Kenshin-kun to help them out, so they can at least identify and deal with a technique type opponent." He thought. "That said...Tsubaki's Balance Breaker is working wonders here.
"...Hrmph...Withdraw."
"? !" Hearing this deep voice, the church warriors opened a path as Ewaldi Cristaldi pulled his replica Excalibur out of the ground, advancing to take them all on alone. An immense pressure exuded from him. A cold sweat developed on Kiba, and the Sitri group's faces. Dulio smiled falsely and said. "Kiba-kun. You should already be aware, but Cristaldi-Sensei used to be the wielder of Excalibur. Now, he might be wielding a replica, but it has all the abilities of the original, assume that it's true power is greater than four of the strongest holy swords combined.
"So in other words, he's a monster which far exceeds any expectations we had." Kiba said.
Sona spoke up. "Alright, listen up! The members of the Brave Saints and my peerage will remain to combat the rebel warriors. In return Cristaldi's opponents led by Dulio, will be Irina-San and Griselda-San. Kiba-kun will also be going!"
"Understood!" Dulio, Irina, Griselda and Kiba all shouted while the reincarnated angels opened their pure white wings while Kiba created several holy demonic swords around himself and took one of them for himself, getting into position as Cristaldi deliberately approached them. Suddenly he split into numerous avatars.
Kiba and Irina were next to each other as they conversed. "Rapidly's speed?" Kiba said.
"It could be, but it could also be Excalibur Nightmare's illusion create ability." Irina answered back.
"Cristaldi-Sensei! I'm firing!" Griselda shouted, firing numerous balls of light. The pierced avatars were destroyed, returned to nothing.
"!" Kiba's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, it's not-!" Kiba raised his voice at the same time Dulio did. "It's Mimic!"
Kiba jumped to the side. Irina faced Cristaldi's charge, wielding Hauteclere. She slashed through one of the clones of Cristaldi. Kiba watched as it returned to being a string which was yanked back. Kiba looked over seeing the real Cristaldi holding Mimic in it's sword form as he rushed toward Irina. However countless clones were made around him due to Excalibur Nightmare, while combining with Mimic.
"Haaa!" Irina shouted out as she used Hauteclere to block Cristaldi's attack. She smiled. "Please, did you think you could fool me with the Excalibur piece I used to wield, Sensei?"
Cristaldi smiled back. "It was worth a shot. Still though."
"!" Kiba's eyes widened as Irina was blown backward. He looked over and saw Cristaldi's Excalibur reverting from it's Destruction form. He looked back at Irina to see her wiping a trail of blood from her face, smiling fearlessly.
"Cristaldi-Sensei, in terms of destructive power. Xenovia's a notch better, and Kenshin-nii's leagues better." Irina said.
"Well, I figured that." Cristaldi mentioned with a casual shrug. "Still, you shouldn't measure Excalibur by it's destructive power." He said before taking several crosses from around his chest and threw them skyward. He went into a chant as they dispersed and planted themselves into the ground, surrounding Kiba, Irina, Griselda and Dulio.
"Quick!" Sona said. "Help them!"
Sona's peerage, as well as Hikari and Mana returning from their battles rushed toward the crosses before they were repelled. "What? !" Sona and Hikari both shouted.
Cristaldi smiled a bit. "Those Crosses I threw out using Blessing's power to enhance the barrier of the crosses. The Sitri peerage, as well as the Kuroshi Bishop and the hanyou won't be able to enter for around ten minutes. Even for Angels it's not easy to break through when it's strengthened by Excalibur."
"Damn it, he's right. I may have speed, but the flying capabilities of the reincarnated angels is hamstrung now. What's more is the Sitri peerage, Hikari-San and Mana-San can't provide assistance." Kiba thought.
"Haa!" Irina shouted out, pushing Cristaldi's sword back, making him leap backward. When he landed, he extended his hand forward, casting several waves of holy power right at them. In response Irina and Kiba fired off their own waves when suddenly evaporated like fog.
"Wait, is this an illusion?" Kiba thought. "No! Wait, they're still coming! The real thing is mixed in with illusions!" Kiba raised his voice. "Irina dodge!"
"Right!" Irina said as they both evaded the holy waves, only for them to change direction and come back toward them. "What the? !"
"I didn't have it back in my heyday, but I do occasionally user Ruler's abilities." Cristaldi said.
"Damn! He can freely control the waves with Excalibur Ruler! They're basically homing attacks!" Kiba thought.
"So be it!"
The waves Cristaldi were using were blown away by a lightning strike. Kiba, Irina and Cristaldi looked up to see Dulio with his hand extended toward them. Kiba looked back down. "Sparring against Xenovia is one thing, she can only use the abilities of the Excaliburs one after the other, but this man is different. Whenever he attacks, he's using at least two of Excalibur's abilities...no, this IS the power of Excalibur. He's just become more familiar with it than anyone else." Kiba thought.
Cristaldi took out a vial of holy water, small though it was and poured it on the blade of his Excalibur replica. "As long as I am wielding Excalibur, this situation is a piece of cake." Cristaldi said before vanishing.
"!" Irina's, Kiba's, Griselda's and Dulio's eyes widened. "Wait is this Transparency or Nightmare? !" Kiba thought. "Damn it! Everyone keep on guard!" Kiba shouted.
Several Cristaldi avatars appeared from their sides. "It's either Nightmare or Mimic!" Kiba thought.
"Kiba-kun!" Irina said raising Hauteclere.
"Right!" Kiba said raising his Sword of Betrayer as two Cristaldi clones rushed them. They parried them successfully. "Wait, what's going on...are they the real thing? ! That's impossible!" Kiba thought before the avatars finally vanished...only for hundreds more to appear in their place. "What? !" Kiba shouted. "Avatars which are tangible? ! Is this really an ability of Nightmare? !" Kiba said.
"It's a combination of Rapidly and Nightmare actually. High speed and illusions are used, which results in avatars that are physically tangible." Cristaldi said.
"? !" Kiba heard this voice from behind switching from Sword of Betrayer to Glory Drag Troopers, creating an army of Glory Drag Troopers as he and Irina jumped back, making some distance between them. Though to their horror, Cristaldi began slicing through them like butter and proceeded closer to Kiba and Irina.
"You know, Metaphorically speaking, even someone known as a strong devil like you cannot quite defend against the effects of holy water." Cristaldi said throwing a vial at Kiba as soon as he got in front of him.
"!" Irina tried to slash it away using the blunt end of Hauteclere but this caused the vial to break, showering Kiba's face and body in holy water as Cristaldi chanted a prayer.
"Aaaaggghh!" Kiba fell to his knees feeling indescribable pain.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry Kiba-kun!" Irina shouted in worry.
"These effects were heightened using Excalibur Blessing." Cristaldi said before smiling. "Tell me, would you like me to narrate the Bible with Blessing's power?"
Irina scowled. "Cristaldi-Sensei!" She said lunging forward, slashing Hauteclere at his neck. "? !" Irina looked horrified at what she just did as his head went flying.
"Too naïve, Shidou Irina."
"? !" Irina gasped in shock as the headless body of her former sensei went flying, before hearing a voice behind her.
He wanted to cause her to panic, but raised Hauteclere as Cristaldi slashed down at her. "Ghhh!" Irina growled. "Sensei...I won't...lose here, for Issei-kun's and Kenshin-nii's sake!" Irina said as her knees began to give, bearing against the force of Excalibur, the Excalibur Destruction which he was using.
"Don't forget that I'm here!"
Dulio hurled volleys of fireballs and spears of ice. However, when they were diverted as soon as they were about to strike Cristaldi, they diverted and struck empty ground.
Hikari watched this in shock from behind the barrier. "Is this the true power of Excalibur in limited form?" She thought.
"Did he take control of Joker's attack? !" Griselda shouted.
"Yes...as long as I have the power of Ruler, even the power of Sacred Gears...?" Cristaldi looked down seeing some of his clothing has been frozen. He looked up at Dulio. "...Can be controlled, but I'm already exhausted, being a reincarnated angel saved you, Dulio."
"Yeah, well you're actually this strong, natural born wielder of Excalibur!" Dulio said, still assaulting Cristaldi.
"!" Kiba looked on in shock as the two dueled.
"Hahaha! So that's why you can't say it! The other person who is also known as one of the two monsters of the church. Whether or not it's a replica means nothing, as long as it's Excalibur, Sensei is able to use his limbs in the same way." Dulio said.
"So he's not the user of a Sacred Gear?" Kiba asked defending against the various assaults from the exorcists.
"Neither his Eminence Cristaldi or his Eminence Strada posses a Sacred Gear." Dulio explained. "People have always commented on Cristaldi's skill and Strada's power."
"Well, if they are famous warriors of the church, even as a child I heard that even the highest class devils could be exorcised. I see how powerful they are now, now that I've seen it with my own two eyes." Sona's voice resounded from a communication circle.
"Right!" Kiba said extending his hand backward, a seal appearing behind his hand. "I'm going to release the Garm! The time that Dulio said has created an opening for is hard to come by!" Kiba said as he was surrounded in a dark aura and walked toward Cristaldi, however bindings of earth wrapped around Kiba's limbs.
"I'm sorry Kiba-kun, but this will not do." Dulio said landing in front of him with his left arm extended backward. "You intend to use up your own lifespan right? That isn't going to do. Kiba-kun. This battle is similar to a physical exchange between family members."
"I-I used it in Heaven!" Kiba said.
"I know, but I was too far away to stop you." Dulio smiled. "Live your life. Don't let it be consumed."
Kiba shouted again. "Our opponent is serious! If this continues, won't the injuries we've accumulated have been in vain? ! Do you plan to harbor the discontent of your own people? !" Kiba said.
Dulio smacked his hand on Kiba's shoulder with a smile. "You're wrong Kiba-kun, you big idiot. The true opponent worth giving your life to that Demonic Sword to is Qlippoth." Dulio hugged him tightly. "You came from one of the church facilities right? Heheh! Well, that makes you my younger brother!"
"E-Eh? !" Kiba said as Dulio's hug tightened.
"As an older brother. I can't allow my brother to be reckless." Dulio said. "Leave it to me. I'm not here for nothing."
Kiba watched as Dulio stepped toward Cristaldi who proceeded to ask. "Dulio, known as the strongest man in the Church, what do you fight for? !"
Kiba recalled something Kenshin told him. "I am searching for this answer myself, but why do you want to control the Garm? To protect those close to you? I don't think the Garm works like that. Though I agree with you on that front. To me..." Kenshin said to Kiba. "I want everyone to live a peaceful life."
At the same time Dulio said this as well opening his ten wings which were as white as snow. He concentrated the power of light into his palms, making a ring. What came of it were...bubbles, bubbles that glowed with the colors of the rainbow. They spread endlessly in the barrier, before surpassing it."
"What's going on?" Mana wondered looking around.
"I'm wondering that myself Mana-Chan." Hikari replied.
Dulio answered them. "This is a technique utilizing Zenith Tempest! Speranza Bolla Di Sapone!"
"I see." Hikari smiled as a bubble fell into her hand. "Rainbow Colored Hope..." She said, recalling her memories with Ryuushin, wanting to start a family, meeting Azazel after Ryuushin perished...getting to know him.
Mana felt a sense of nostalgia as well, remembering how her old master treated her, with loving care, yet when he died she remembered a red haired young man and woman saving her life. "Are you OK?" The boy asked.
"...This man is dead." The girl said. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do to help him."
"We'll burn the body, is that OK?" The boy asked. "What will you do you ask?" He smiled. "Well, we could take you to a school on Mundus Vetus called Mahora Academy. You'll make friends there. It's probably what your Magister wanted Mana Arcana-Chan."
A couple of tears rolled down Mana's cheeks. "Kenshin...I know it was you and Yukari that day...thank you." She thought, before her hand was grabbed. She looked over at Hikari who smiled.
"Kenshin and Yukari saved your life, didn't they?" Hikari asked.
"...Yeah." Mana said wiping her face. "They even allowed me to mourn my former master. He resembled Serizawa...which is why..."
"Don't." Hikari said hugging Mana. "I've lost a lover too. I know how it feels."
"...Hm..." Mana sighed, hugging Hikari back. "Thanks."
"Not at all~!" Hikari smiled.
A bubble fell onto Kiba's hand as well. "? !" Kiba gasped, remembering the times he and his friends would sing hymns, while in Valper's facility."
Kiba recalled all of his friends remarks. "Say, if we leave this facility. What does everyone want to do?"
"I want to be an artist! I want to draw a picture of Jesus that people will praise!
"That's right...we discussed our dreams every day." Kiba thought. "We dreamt of the hopes and life that laid out side.
"I want to become a Sister, but opening a florist shop would also be nice." A girl's voice sounded in his mind.
"I want to be a race car driver, I'll be driving the coolest F1 car at top speed!" A boy's excited voice sounded.
"I, as long as everyone's happy...I'll be very happy."
Kiba closed his eyes. "Is this what you dealt with, Kenshin-kun? Continually fighting for your family's happiness yet experiencing none of it for yourself?" He gritted his teeth as he choked out a sob. "I remember it all now. Back then, all I wanted was to live an ordinary life like any other child."
Kiba recalled asking Kenshin once before what kind of life he wanted. "Eh? The kind of life I wanted?" Kenshin replied. "Hrmn...well the life I got now is pretty swell, but to answer your question..." Kenshin paused to smile. "Honestly, before Dad died the first time. I would have been just fine living a life where my family and I were left alone. Dad, Miyuki and I would work odd jobs to bring money in. Yukari would help Mom around the house...just a quiet, happy life." He then chuckled. "Aah, ignore me, I'm just rambling. If Rias heard me say this, she'd get upset."
"No, Kenshin-kun, that sounds wonderful." Kiba replied with a smile.
Kenshin smiled back. "Thanks...after you kick Excalibur's ass, you should strive for the same..." Kenshin paused to wink with a thumbs up. "With Tsubaki of course~!"
"Are you ever going to stop teasing us about that?" Kiba glowered.
"Never~!" Kenshin laughed before smiling. "But seriously. I'm happy for you two. You go great together."
Kiba recalled his past memories, covering his mouth as he sobbed. "We never wished for revenge, and you Kenshin-kun, you didn't want revenge either. We all just wanted to live, nothing more!
Suddenly a voice floated into Kiba's mind that he immediately recognized." "Live for me, and yourself at the same time."
Kiba recalled the crimson hair of the one who revived him. Rias Gremory.
"You definitely can't die yet, idiot!"
He remembered the voice of the man he called brother in all but blood, Issei Hyoudou.
"Kiba, don't die. Tsubaki, Rias, Sona, Issei and everyone else would be so sad." Kiba remembered Kenshin's smile as he said this. He held a morose look. "Even in my fading moment I heard my families cries, even in my third death, I could hear Ophis crying, though just a bit."
Kiba wiped his eyes and smiled. "Rias...-nee san, Issei-kun, Kenshin-kun, Tsubaki. He looked ahead, seeing everyone on the battlefield were also in tears. With their weapons dropped onto the ground, they were sobbing and crying. Dulio said.
"These bubbles are able to remind the people who touch them about their precious memories, and their most precious people. That's all there is to this technique that I desired the most, so I used my Sacred Gear to create it." Dulio said.
"Haa...!" Hikari reached forward, not only seeing Ryuushin, but Aki as well.
"Heya Hikari." Ryuushin smiled. "I'm glad to see you doing well."
"My daughter." Aki said with a smile, her hands held at her chest. "I so hope that you're doing well." She said.
"Mother..." Hikari thought. "Ryuushin-kun."
"Live your life happily OK?" Ryuushin said with a smile.
"All of you...and tell Kenshin and Yukari...that we're so sorry for putting them through what we did." Aki said with a sad smile. "We deserve to go to hell for what we did."
A white haired figure appeared in front of Mana. "K-Kouki? !" Mana said with a gasp.
"I know." Kouki said with a smile. "Mana, I died protecting you, because it was the right thing to do." Kouki said. "I'd do it again every single time because I cared about you."
"..." Mana wiped her eyes, sobbing. "Kouki...t-thank you."
"It was nothing. Now...go be with the one who makes you happy." Kouki said.
"Mana, I wholeheartedly support your relationship with Serizawa." She remembered Kenshin saying with a smile.
"I see...even if you're attracted to me as well?" Mana replied with a smile.
"Eh, even if I am attracted. I can't help it if the girl wants another man." Kenshin chuckled. "If it doesn't work out, I'm still here."
"Hmn...thank you Kenshin, I'll keep that in mind." Mana said.
"Krrh!" Cristaldi growled with tears slipping down his cheeks. "Dulio you always were the church's most gentle child."
"You're right." Griselda said. "He even developed a technique for it. To make anyone gentle. Zenith Tempest is known as the second most powerful Longinus ability, yet he intentionally didn't use it for it's power. He used the method of another technique. He prevented harm and destruction."
"Nevertheless! If I don't settle this now, our rebellion will be in vain!" Cristaldi shouted raising his sword.
"Hrmph..." Griselda grunted. "Well, let's finish this." She said as six wings, a bow and arrow forming in her hands.
"Hauteclere! Lend me strength!" Irina shouted. "I will get even on the wielder of Excalibur and surpass my former Sensei!" She said spreading four angel wings.
In return Kiba created a holy demonic sword, however for the first time. He looked at it, it had an aura more pure than anything he'd previously created. The blade wasn't dyed at all. "It's like...it's shining to discard all the troubles in my mind." Kiba thought. "Like it's casting light on itself." He felt a pair of hands shoving him forward and looked back seeing images of Issei and Kenshin.
"Go get em pretty boy." Issei said.
The image of Kenshin looked down at his wrist. "Oh, it's time to kick some ass, better get to it." He said.
Kiba smiled and held up the sword. "This sword truly embodies the holy and demonic. It's the true Sword of Betrayer!" Kiba thought before he ran forward, chasing after Irina who ran first. "Irina-San!" Kiba said as he met up with her.
"Right!" Irina said as they began zig-zagging between each other.
"You think I'm a fool? !" Cristaldi shouted making avatars through Excalibur Nightmare and Rapidly.
However Kiba and Irina were not fooled and kept attacking, slashing through the avatars. They could feel it, they were getting closer to the real Cristaldi. "!" Kiba turned and blocked a slash he thought he'd destroyed, but was actually made through Excalibur Mimic. Kiba slashed through it, and as it was turning back into a sword, he swung his sword over Irina's head and caught the real Cristaldi.
Sparks flew as the two clashed. "!" Cristaldi gasped as his sword's holy aura began to weaken and change.
"What?" Kiba said as it's aura began to flow into his sword. It's holy aura being absorbed by the Sword of Betrayer's Devil element, strengthening it's Holy element.
"Absorbing my holy sword's energy using your demonic aspect to strengthen your sword's holy aspect? !" Cristaldi shouted.
Kiba looked down at his blade. "Using Devil energy to absorb holy energy to enhance my sword's holy attribute? Could the reverse be possible?" Kiba thought. "Could I control Garm using that instead of my own life force? Cao Cao and Kenshin seemed to agree on this. That holy demonic swords have many powers that weren't yet known." He thought as his blade completely absorbed the aura of Cristaldi's Excalibur Replica.
"Hauteclere! Use the power of purification!" Irina said also slashing her sword against Cristaldi's.
"Haaaaaa!" Crisaldi shouted out, pouring his own holy aura into his blade. However Kiba used his holy demonic sword to absorb it.
Irina meanwhile poured her strength into the final blow, suddenly a large beam of light was fired from behind them and into Irina's back.
"My arrows increase the power of an angel!" Griselda said.
"Haaaa!" Irina's power increased immensely and enhanced Hauteclere's powers making Cristaldi's holy sword lose it's aura and power.
"Alright Cristaldi-Sensei! Here we go!" Dulio said.
"? !" Griselda, Cristaldi, Irina, Kiba, Hikari, Mana, Sona and her peerage looked up as a huge thundercloud formed in the sky. They all shivered as a piercing cold wind blew.
"!" Cristaldi's sword began to freeze over. He looked down as his feet began to freeze to the ground.
"Indignation!" Dulio shouted as a large lightning strike impacted Cristaldi as Kiba and Irina jumped back. The strike broke the barrier and Dulio landed next to Cristaldi who laid on the ground.
"...If you used those bubbles at the beginning, you'd have won...no. If you had used your Balance Breaker or had mobilized the Dragon of the Elements...you should have been able to easily beat us." Cristaldi said.
"He's right. If Dulio used his bubbles, used his Balance Breaker or even if Kenshin-kun and his peerage aside from his mother had been here...this wouldn't have even been a battle." Kiba thought, seeing people from the church sitting on the ground, looking depressed. "Hell, even the battles against that La Croix woman and that lamia wouldn't have been a problem."
"True." Dulio said. "But I didn't want to do that, because the other warriors wouldn't have been satisfied." Dulio said. "I decided to use it after a certain period of time."
Mana spoke up from a distance. "You held back on purpose?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to cut the battle short, because exhausting all of your efforts would have been better, Also I really only want to unleash my Balance Breaker if my opponent is beyond redemption, a wicked person with no remorse." Dulio said.
"So...you wanted to allow them to vent...I see...Dulio...you truly are too gentle." Cristaldi said closing his eyes with a smile. "Please...let the others go. I brought them here. I'm the only guilty one."
"Please wait Dulio!"
"Kill us if you must!"
"Sensei was only responding to our feelings!"
"We're the ones who are truly guilty!"
The warriors desperately tried to protect Cristaldi, whom they greatly protected. However two figures appeared between them and their teacher. It was Hikari and Mana.
"Tell me, did anyone die here?" Mana asked.
"Well other than that necromancer that we were going to kill anyway."
"She'll be back." Hikari informed.
"Well then no."
"All your sensei will face is jail time then in Heaven's lockup." Mana said. "He'll be fine."
"But still!"
"Everyone here has had their lives derailed by Devils or Vampires. We couldn't find another way of life other than fighting those guys. Like you said, Punish me alone, those guys and gals out there will be able to change their lives.
Mana and Hikari glanced back at Cristaldi, reflecting on their own lives. Meanwhile Dulio shook his head with a sigh. "I'm not going to do anything." He said sitting on the ground next to Cristaldi.
"Why?" Cristaldi asked.
Dulio laughed. "If I defeated Sensei, what good would it have done? And as long as I live, I can freely eat good food. In this world, there are far too man people who don't know what is valuable."
Cristaldi sighed with a smile. "You really are too gentle...your heart is too kind."
"I'm not the only one." Dulio said making Cristaldi look up at him. "The Dragon of the Elements, Kenshin, he hates killing unless he has to. He suffered for four long years as a child. Getting beaten to near death by humans every day...yet...he still saved those same humans from a being known as Ialda Baoth. Who threatened to take over the whole multiverse, but at his heart, even I can tell he is a gentle child who wants to love and be loved, but at the same time will go to hell and back for those important to him. Pretty odd for a devil or a demon eh?"
Cristaldi looked up with tears leaking from his eyes. "If it's possible, I'd like to meet this person..."
Dulio smiled looking around seeing the warriors, who knelt down as they accepted Cristaldi's tears as a sign of defeat, other having discarded their weapons, smiling wryly. Dulio turned to Kiba, Irina, and Mana. "Yuuto, Irina-Chan, Mana-Chan. Go to Rias-Chan's and Issei-kun's side. Hikari-baasan could you help with the healing?"
"Right!" Irina, Kiba and Mana said.
Hikari stomped up to Dulio while canceling her Jade Tigress Empress form. "Listen here, I might be a mother, but that doesn't make me old!"
"Oh I know! I just didn't know what to call you since you look so young and beautiful for your age." Dulio said with a laugh.
"Oh." Hikari covered one of her cheeks with a laugh. "That's all you needed to say Dulio-kun."
"Sorry if I insulted you Hikari-San." Dulio said.
"Oh it's fine, It was just a mistake on your part." Hikari laughed before taking off to take care of the healing.
"By the way Cristaldi-San, next time, could you take a look at the facilities that have children in them. Check in on them you know? I'll bring a large cake to my little brothers and sisters." Dulio said.
"Of course." Cristaldi said before shouting out. "Wielder of the Holy Demonic Sword!"
Kiba paused. "My name's Yuuto Kiba!" He said.
"I didn't get your name at first, but His Eminence Strada is the true monster." Cristaldi said.
Irina and Kiba nodded toward each other as they proceeded onward. Both worrying how Xenovia was doing against Durandal's former wielder.
(End Chapter.)
Draconis: Well, seems like it will take two chapters to get back to you Kenshin."
Kenshin: (sipping a Warm Apple Pie) No worries here.
Tamamo: (Laying her head on his left pec) Yup.
Yukari: (laying on his right pec) Hell yeah.
Miyuki: (laying on his abdomen) Mmm
Evangeline and Alma: (Laying on his legs) We're OK here.
Erubetie: Grrh...
Draconis: Don't worry Erubetie, since we're out of chapter, I can do this.
Issei: Eh? I was just in the battle again-
Draconis: Out of chapter, let him have it Erubetie.
Erubetie: OK...Issei, you want a harem? I can make that happen by myself. (Smiles.)
Issei: Eeeeehhhh!
Draconis: Also Issei, if you're worried about getting left behind, I'm pretty much only pairing Kenshin with characters he has a history with like Mana and there's been a lot lately. I have girls in mind for you, I just haven't gotten to them yet...like a certain half royal.
Issei: Eh? Who's that?"
Draconis: Don't worry about it. She'll come eventually. Anyway, PEACE!
Draconis678 out.