The skies of Asgard were covered in storm clouds. Many Asgardians had initially thought Thor had gotten drunk and started a fight with Tyr, however, that turned out to be the exact opposite.
The world around them was crumbling. Loud explosions were heard going off in the distance and in the skies above. And all had bore witness to the storm that partially destroyed Gladsheimr, the golden bastion of the Einherjar and a symbol of hope for the Aesir.
After that, the Aesir ran as the sky ripped in two, letting loose a deluge of golden lightning. Frigid rain fell upon them, searing their skin with its sheer cold. However, their overwhelming instinct to survive outweighed the agonizing sensation of ice burn they felt on their skins. And the ensuing chaos of the elements only fueled that desire.
Where the lightning hit, entire buildings and housing areas were obliterated, reduced to nothing but vapor. Even the Aesir that were hit by the lightning bolts did not survive.
One thought echoed throughout their minds as the citizens of Asgard fled in a blind, hysterical panic.
The devastation being brought upon their home only meant one thing. This hell they were being forced to live through. It truly must be Ragnarok.
Issei landed on the ground, having barely recovered from his initial injury
The Thunder God had not allowed them any time to recuperate. Asia had barely managed to close all of his major injuries.
"Issei, be careful. Perun crystallizes his Boundary within his hammer. If he hits you with it at full strength, you can kiss your life goodbye," Mastema warned.
[Partner! Dodge now!]
Issei jumped back.
Perun's hammer swung down with tremendous force. Even if he had dodged, the force of the impact had slammed into him with the same amount of force as Tannin's fireballs. Issei flew through the air, seeing the devastation a single swing had done.
The entirety of the area had been reduced to a crater half the size of Kuoh.
Irina appeared behind him, catching him to slow down his fall.
"Rin!"
"Don't worry about me," Irina said, letting him go.
The two hovered in the air, grimacing at the mass devastation. Each one of Perun's blows had the force of a meteor strike behind them.
"Mitsuki?" Issei asked.
"Loki is keeping her occupied. She and Vali are busy fighting him," Irina said.
"And the others?"
His answer came in the form of a massive dragon made of water. The dragon twisted and coiled before swallowing Perun whole and sending him into the sky.
The two saw Ingvild hovering in the air, holding her hand out. She closed it tightly, forming a fist and the water exploded violently.
Silence befell the entire area as everyone held their breath. The pitter patter of water droplets hitting the pavement echoed louder than the sounds of fighting in the distance.
"I didn't even feel that. For someone descended from that monster of a woman, that hardly even tickled."
Their mouths hung agape as they witnessed Perun standing in the air without so much as a scratch on his body. His massive hammer rested on his shoulders and he looked down on them arrogantly.
"Now then…" Perun lifted his hammer off his shoulder. He held it loosely to his side.
Issei clenched his jaw. He wasn't even taking them seriously.
Perun's eyes glowed. Flames swirled around his hammer. The flames burned brightly, forming a circular array that floated behind him. The array spasmed and surged, spitting out dozens of different weapons, each one unique in design.
"What the hell?" Issei asked.
"That's a Forge God's authority," Mastema said.
Forge God? I thought he was a God of Thunder! Issei said.
"I'll explain later. For now, just dodge as best you can!" Mastema urged.
Issei grabbed Irina and dove to the ground as the weapons began to fly from Perun's spot.
Ingvild flew toward them, catching them both and wrapping them in a dome of water. Ingvild stood in front of them, holding her hands out as the weapons rained down on them.
"Ingvi!" Issei yelled in concern.
"Not now… I can't… you two need to run before this barrier breaks!" she said.
"But-!"
"No buts! I can't hold it off forever!" she said, falling to one knee.
Perun sighed as Ingvild's water barrier began to wither away. He held his hand out and the flames responded by gathering into his hand. The flames twisted and shaped itself into a spear. He reared his arm back to throw it when a black orb of energy struck him in the face.
Perun was sent stumbling to the side, half of his face having been damaged by the sudden, unexpected attack.
"Ise!"
The water barrier dispersed, causing Ingvild to fall to her hands and knees.
"P- Prez!" Issei exclaimed.
Rias and the others landed on the ground.
"You? Are you hurt? Did he…?" Rias fussed.
"I'm fine, Prez. But more importantly, where is everyone else?" Issei asked.
"Azazel went to assist Vali Team in fighting Loki. Lord Odin is busy helping Lady Mokosh mitigate the damages being caused by this fight," she replied.
"And… Veles?" Issei asked.
Rias looked down. "He's going to assist us in battle, however, we left before him."
Issei nodded and turned his gaze back to Perun.
The God had been floating in the air, silently watching their every move. Golden smoke mist wafted off the visible wound on his cheek. The wound sizzled before closing. "A sucker-punch. A tactic reserved for the weak. But I commend you. Having the arrogance to strike me is admirable for an insect," he said.
Rias glared at the God fearlessly.
"Prez, watch out. He has the ability to use divine fire and make weapons out of them," Issei said.
Rias nodded.
"Are you finished? No amount of strategizing will ever give you a shot at winning. This is simply how the world works. Weaker beings like you simply grovel at my feet, wishing for the crumbs to fall off the table," Perun said.
"Are you done? Because all I've been hearing is you blowing hot air up your own ass," Issei said, pointing challengingly at the God.
Perun bristled, feeling offended that Issei even dared to talk back at him. "You're quite the insolent reptile, Red Dragon Emperor. I fail to see why she's so interested in you. Hmph, whatever."
He pointed his hammer at Issei and the others. The glow within his golden eyes began to shine even more brightly. The flames behind Perun glowed like the sun. Lightning crackled across the sky, and the winds began to batter the area fiercely.
A translucent green mist began to waft around the hammer.
Everyone prepared themselves. And in that instant, the Chief God of the Slavs struck.
Veles observed the ongoing battle with a frown on his face. Lightning. Fire. Mist. Winds. And in that distance, flashes of lightning and blue light were met with bursts of green flames and the roars of beasts.
Odin walked up to Veles with a wry smile on his face. "To think that Perun would do something like this at this time. Even I could have never foreseen that," he said.
Veles narrowed his eyes. Even if Perun was an arrogant God, attacking another pantheon was beneath him. Or at least, that was what Veles thought. Yet, here in front of him, Perun was clearly doing just that. "It's all strange… Something else is going on. Even if it is Perun, his actions are out of character to what's been going on for the past couple of centuries."
Odin saw the look in Veles's eyes and nodded.
"How is the evacuation going?" Veles asked.
"Edelweiss has rounded up most of the citizens in the nick of time after Perun let loose the Perkwunos on the entire city. I knew he was a rough god but to think he would unleash his Boundary and Divine Authority on innocent people." Odin clenched his fists.
Veles closed his eyes for a few seconds. He held his hand out. A discordant tune played alongside a melodious one, bringing both a calming and unnerving effect to all those who could hear it. A pitch black spear with a twisted helical edge that split, making it appear as a bident.
Odin's eyes marveled at the sight. He had heard stories of it from Hraesvelgr when she ruled Nifelheim in the Underworld.
The legendary spear of Welnos. The crystallization of a Boundary capable of restructuring the world with a mere thrust. To bring it out meant that their situation was indeed the most dire at the moment.
"I guess I should help those kids like I promised. I won't let these new sparks get extinguished before they even have a chance to become embers," Veles said. He reared his arm back and took aim.
The swirling mass of black clouds. He could sense the being at its very center.
"The rest will be up to you, Issei."
Veles's eyes glowed as he threw the spear.
Issei jumped back as Perun's hammer came down. The combined barrier of Akeno, Ingvild, and Rias shattered in an instant. Rossweisse's magical barrage and Koneko's relentless attacks bounced off the God uselessly.
Perun raised his hand, gathering green light into its very center. A squall of razor-sharp winds burst forth from his hand, blasting them back and inflicting them with numerous cuts.
"Heh…" The temperature in the area dropped. The moisture in the air rapidly became mist before condensing into shards of jagged ice. He closed his hand, causing all of the shards to fly toward Rossweisse and Koneko.
A torrent of red flames erupted between the shards and their target, melting them instantly.
"Divine Key," Perun said with some contempt in his voice. He raised two fingers upward.
Irina was thrown into the air by a sudden overgrowth of plants and trees. The sound of bones cracking echoed through the chaos of the battlefield. The flowers on the plants all began to bloom, gathering an enormous amount of light from their surroundings.
"W- What the hell?" Issei said. "Irina!" He took off and flew toward her, using the Boosted Gear's boosters to increase his speed.
The flowers unleashed a powerful beam of white hot light toward Irina.
No! I won't make it in time-
He suddenly lost control of his body. In that instant, where the light would strike Irina, Issei had managed to cross that distance and grab her, returning to the ground. He blinked. Issei never recalled ever moving that fast before.
Even Perun was taken aback slightly by Issei's sudden increase in speed. He turned to face him, tightening his grip on his hammer slightly. "It looks like there's more to you than meets the eye, Bug."
Fire. Lightning. Wind. Ice. What the hell is up with this guy? And… all of them didn't feel normal, Issei thought.
He landed next to Rossweisse, who had been watching Perun's movements the entire fight. Her eyes were wide in shock and fear as the realization dawned upon her.
"I don't know how but… he has the Authorities of multiple Gods," Rossweisse said, shakily getting to her feet. "All of those strikes were not normal magic. Not in the slightest."
"M-Multiple?" Rias stuttered.
"Impossible. A God with multiple authorities?" Akeno said.
"From other Gods?" Irina added.
Perun chuckled before shaking his head. "And what good will that information do for you? Do you think gods possess a single ability? Your Chief Deity's Authority allows him to control Magic and Death on a level only a God can achieve. What makes your information relevant?"
"Did you not hear what I said? Your Authorities… the ones you displayed. Fire. Light. Nature. Ice. Those Authorities are not yours, God of Thunder. Your Authority is Perkwunos. The divine authority to command storms and lightning. The realms of nature, light, fire, and ice do not belong to you," Rossweisse said.
Perun clicked his tongue.
"She's right. This is all a product of Perun's Boundary," Mastema said.
Perun's Boundary? Issei asked. It lets him the powers of multiple Gods?
"No. His Boundary… allows him to use the Authorities of everything he has ever killed. Perperuna. A Boundary born from Perun's warlike desire to be supreme. A Boundary that embodies the concepts of "Legion" and "Military". One aspect of it is… anything he slays in combat, he can add their abilities to his own." Mastema narrowed her eyes. "A bastard power… fit for a bastard god."
"You… stole all of those?" Issei said.
"Mmm? Hmph, I guess I couldn't hide it from another Ascendant. Yes, the Authorities I displayed just now belonged to Gods that didn't deserve them. To rebel against the one true divine. So I did what was truly right. I revoked their right to live as gods."
A twisted smile spread across Perun's face. Everyone felt a shiver go down their spines. This God was boasting about all the people he had brutally murdered simply due to a difference in opinion.
"Now…" A black and green mist spread across his hand. He flew into the air, expelling more mist from his body. The dark mist began to swirl, forming into clouds that eventually blotted out the sun of Asgard. Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled across the sky.
"Get ready," Rias said.
"He's combining multiple authorities," Rossweisse said.
"I have to thank Ziva, Dana, and Pogvidz. Pulling a trick off like this would have been difficult even with my original authority. And what's to say… I thoroughly enjoyed Dana and Ziva before I eventually killed them so that was a bonus," he said.
"Issei, switch with me," Mastema said
What? He asked.
"Don't ask any more questions. If you want your friends to live, then listen to-"
Mastema never finished her sentence. A loud boom shattered the sky. The storm Perun had begun to summon was instantly dispersed as a momentary streak of blue light lit up the entire atmosphere.
Issei watched as a messy pastel of colors bled across the sky. The familiar discordant tune that nearly ripped his entire being apart played briefly, warping the light, reality, and everything. He could see how the whole world momentarily melted into a mess of colors as if someone threw water at a fresh painting.
And Perun, who was struck by the streak of blue light, was unceremoniously knocked out of the sky. He landed brutally, leveling an entire district in the process.
A twisted black bident pierced the ground in front of them.
"That's Veles's weapon!" Mastema said.
"You just couldn't stay still, could you, Veles?"
Everyone turned to see Perun slowly getting up from the crash site. He gripped the side of his head as it slowly healed. There was a large gash on his side. Blood poured profusely from the wound, staining Perun's once immaculate robes with a crimson red.
"How many times?" he muttered before composing himself.
He fully got to his feet, his wounds slowly healing. However, rather than the thinly veiled arrogance he had earlier, Issei could see the unbridled hatred Perun had in his eyes.
"Fine… Veles. I'll start with these children and leave you for last. And I'll begin with that Ascendant child of a Dragon Emperor," Perun said, pointing his hammer at Issei.
"Issei, grab the spear. NOW!" Mastema said.
Ddraig. I need a boost! Issei said.
[You can count on me for that. Just focus on getting the spear, Partner.] Ddraig responded.
Issei shot forward, making a beeline for the spear.
Perun narrowed his eyes and swung his hammer, unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts toward Issei.
Before the bolts could reach their quarry, a barrier of pure water erupted from the ground. Perun looked up into the air and saw Ingvild pointing her finger at him. Five concentric magic circles appeared in front of her finger. "Moonshadow Beam!"
A violent beam of purple energy was let loose from her pointer finger, hurtling toward Perun at incredible speed.
"Hahaha! This again!" Perun swiped his hand, dispelling the blast. He snapped his fingers. Fire erupted from the ground, forming into an array of various weapons. He threw his hand forward, throwing all the weapons at Ingvild.
A series of red slashed the weapons apart. Irina had appeared in between the two.
Xenovia and Yuuto followed up her attack with a combo of their own. The holy-demonic power of the Sword of the Betrayer coupled with the sheer destructive power of Durandal were launched at Perun.
Perun stood there, unfazed by their display of power. He took his hammer, infusing it with a black and green mist. With one swing, he dispelled their attacks instantly.
He flicked his wrist, launching bullets of compressed divine winds at them.
Xenovia raised the flat of Durandal's blade, blocking the attacks. However, the force of the blows were too much for her to handle. She was knocked into Yuuto, sending them both away.
Irina managed to dodge one but not before a bolt of golden lightning slammed into her.
"Irina-"
"Don't!" she yelled.
Issei nearly faltered in his headlong sprint. He saw the determined look on her face as she shakily got to her feet. Her legs were barely able to support her after taking that attack head-on.
"Oho? You survived that? How commendable but…" Perun raised his arms. A myriad of different elements manifested behind him. The ground of Asgard shook as the hands of various specters erupted from the ground. A golden wave of dust seeped from the fissures, releasing a tremendous amount of divinity into the area.
The Devils began to feel an intense burning sensation that slowly got stronger as Perun walked toward them.
"Unfortunately, it was never going to be enough."
Mitsuki had seen her fair share of combat. Whether it was Blacklight or her time fighting in the Kendo National Tournament, she was no stranger to fighting. And now was no different. Her opponent was nowhere near as powerful as the Lord of Hunger. Even still, the opponent possessed enough power to erase her if he so wished.
Her blue wings of light flapped powerfully as she moved out of the way of one of Loki's magical attacks.
Getting to him after getting past Fenrir was no easy task.
She teleported above the God, raising her blade into the air. The sound of electricity crackling caught the God's attention as she brought her blade down on top of him.
A smirk manifested on Loki's face.
Her eyes widened when she felt the hot breath of the Great Wolf next to her. The gem on her bangle glowed as Fenrir's mouth closed around her, only to grab hold of nothing.
He had missed. His yellow eyes caught glimpse of her, mere inches from his deadly fangs. She had used that Sacred Gear to warp probability.
Mitsuki slashed upward, striking Fenrir in the eye.
The Great Wolf roared in agony.
While it was distracted, a barrage of magical spells along with a red staff pummeled Fenrir into the ground.
Kuroka landed next to Mitsuki, holding two spheres of blue flame. "Nya~! Can't that thing just stay down? Why the hell did that God have to go and break the Gleipnir for?"
Vali hovered above them. "Even with all of us, Loki is still overpowering everything we do. This is a battle of attrition. He isn't exerting his full effort just to deal with us. Adashino, got any suggestions?"
Mitsuki's eyes glanced over at the recovering Fenrir. The wolf growled, eyeing them with immense hatred in its eyes. The saliva in its mouth was a clear indicator that no matter what, it would devour them whole.
"Even with how we began. I admit, it was a bit touch and go there. However, in the end, mere devils and youkai cannot defeat a God," Loki said. He snapped his fingers, summoning an array of Nordic magic circles.
The circles glowed brightly, unleashing a deluge of magical attacks.
Vali thrust his hands forward, halting all of them before they could it.
[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]
The repeated announcements of the Divine Dividing echoed from Vali's armor as the attacks grew smaller and smaller with each announcement.
"Oho? So you can halve the power of magical attacks without contact? How interesting," he said.
"We need to get rid of Fenrir before we can take on Loki," Mitsuki said.
"And… how do we do that?" Vali asked.
"Use your Juggernaut Drive. I'll buy you enough time. After that, have Kuroka and the others take him away from here," she replied, unsheathing her substitute katana.
Mitsuki inspected its condition briefly. Even if she didn't, she knew that this blade would not last much longer. Her ki and demonic power were too dense for it to handle. She was fighting this battle at half strength with a blade like this.
"Let me help."
"Oba-san," Mitsuki said.
Sae landed in between her and Loki.
"Mmm? Another one? There are a surprising amount of humans here today," Loki said. "No matter. Fenrir."
The Great Wolf lumbered over to them, shaking the ground with each step.
"Hmph. I've never tested myself against one of the Top 10 strongest existences. This should be entertaining. White Dragon. Mitsuki. Back me up."
"Mmm?" Loki raised an eyebrow when copious amounts of electricity began to erupt from Sae's body.
The lightning was bright blue in color in contrast to Mitsuki's blood-red lightning. The lightning wrapped around her arms before condensing into a long shape in her hand. The woman gripped a handle that had formed from the lightning's movement.
In one draw, she drew her weapon. It was a simple katana with a black handle and a circular tsuba. On its pommel was a small blue gem that glowed brightly in response to her. She grabbed the sword and swung it with a flourish before resheathing it in its scabbard.
Aunt Sae… really went through and drew it, Mitsuki thought.
The Ama-no-Habakiri. No doubt, Albion can sense its aura. A Legendary Dragon Slaying sword that slew Yamata-no-Orochi. And this woman has it? It makes sense considering that she is…
"So you really do have it? I thought it was just a rumor but you having it really solidifies the image, Sword Saint," Loki said.
Sae lowered her stance slightly, holding her hand above the handle.
Fenrir growled before lunging at them, baring its fangs maliciously.
"Kagenotsuki."
A violet line drew itself vertically in the world, followed by a half-arced slash.
Sae slowly resheathed her blade while Fenrir landed on the ground behind her. A crack echoed from Fenrir's mouth.
Loki, along with everyone else looked on in shock. Fenrir's fang had a crack.
"Don't just stand there. Go!" Sae yelled.
It took a few seconds for her words to register in their minds. Mitsuki and Vali swarmed Fenrir, taking advantage of its momentary distraction.
[I who am about to awaken…]
Mitsuki increased her speed when she heard it. The opening chant of the Juggernaut Drive. I need to keep him off Vali while he finishes, she thought.
She teleported to Fenrir's side. "Mikazuki!" A series of afterimages peppered Fenrir's form, leaving on it, small minor cuts that could easily be ignored had it not been for the sheer number she was inflicting.
Fenrir howled in annoyance, swiping his paw at her. Mitsuki's bangles glowed once more, altering probability and allowing her a last-second dodge. She narrowed her eyes, analyzing Fenrir's attacks with every bit of effort she could muster.
His movements are similar to a dog's. I guess that had to be true given that he is one, she thought.
Sae shot past her, inflicting numerous slashes on Fenrir's body.
Loki watched with an anxious look on his face. For the first time, since Sae had drawn the Ama-no-Habakiri, he felt a seed of doubt grow. He shook his head. He would not lose. Not to these children.
Bikou jumped into the air. Ruyi Jingu Bang dramatically grew in size as Bikou slammed it down on the God-Killing Wolf.
Fenrir effortlessly shrugged off the attack before going on the offensive. Kuroka summoned multiple defensive barriers. Fenrir barreled through all of them with relative ease.
As it was about to close its jaws around Kuroka's body, a bolt of lightning struck Fenrir in the side of the face.
The lightning bolt pushed Fenrir across the street, slamming both of them into an Asgardian home.
"Insolent. Fenrir!"
Loki jumped back, narrowly avoiding Sae's blade. He clicked his tongue, summoning a magic circle to block her next attack.
She pressed forward, pushing against his barrier.
Loki's face contorted into one of pure fury when he felt his barrier giving way to her blade.
"Impossible… for a human to make me try this much! This is unforgivable!" Loki roared, releasing a burst of divine power.
Sae was pushed back. She landed gracefully on the ground and glared at the God. "Is it ready?"
"Yeah." Mitsuki appeared next to her, panting slightly.
Fenrir burst from the rubble of the home, making a beeline for Mitsuki. As it swung its paws, intent on reducing her to a pile of shredded meat, Sae lunged toward it, taking its claws on with the Ama-no-Habakiri.
"Now!" Mitsuki yelled.
"Gotcha~!" Kuroka clapped her hands together. "Sage Art: Dimensional Fault!"
A massive eight-trigram formation appeared in the sky. Sae looked up before parrying Fenrir's claws. She darted underneath its jaw, infusing her fist with a massive amount of ki. In one swift motion, Sae drove her fist into the underside of its jaw, launching it into the portal.
Lightning gathered around her as she jumped in after it.
"Bikou! Go! Now!" Kuroka ordered.
"I got it! Nimbus!" Bikou whistled loudly. A golden cloud came zooming down from the sky. Bikou hopped into it and flew into the dimensional rift.
"No!" Loki screamed. He gathered fire into his hands and threw it at the rift.
"Kai!" Kuroka released her hands, dispelling the spell.
"Looks like your aunt beat me to it. Kuroka. Go. Adashino and I can handle this," Vali ordered.
"Don't die." Was all she could say before she vanished in a flash of violet light.
The two turned their attention back to Loki, who had a look of unbridled rage and fury on his face. "You… disgusting lower lifeforms! I'll tear you apart and scatter your souls across Hel! A quick death is too much of a mercy for ingrates such as yourself!" Loki's divine aura surged.
"How do you want to deal with a God, Adashino?" Vali asked.
"You're currently accessing the full might of a Heavenly Dragon. I'll back you up. Even in that form, I doubt you could defeat Loki by yourself," she commented.
"Hmph. Maybe. But… what could be more exciting than facing the prospect of death in head-on combat."
Mitsuki almost wanted to laugh at his bravado. "Well, then. I'll make it so you can always hit him so… make sure you bring that bastard down a level."
Vali nodded. He flexed his wings, ready to take off at her signal.
"As if I would-"
"Emerald Divine Clock."
A vast glowing emerald circle manifested on the ground, expanding until it was about the size of Kuoh Academy's campus.
Vali shot foward, moving in a zigzagging motion towards Loki.
Loki let forth a barrage of spells. None of them hit. As Vali got closer and the very sight of all his attacks not even inflicting a single bit of damage, the desperation in Loki's eyes grew.
He held his arm out. His flesh bulged. His veins throbbed and the muscle tissue beneath began to writhe and twitch. An eye grew on his forearm. It opened, revealing a slightly serpentine pupil, while the mouth opened on Loki's palm.
That's… his Authority… she thought. "Vali! Stop him before he uses his Authority to create something!"
Vali nodded. Divine Dividing's wings of light increased in size. As it did, Vali's speed dramatically increased to the point where Loki began having a hard time tracking him.
"Did you think Fenrir spawned with those abilities? I can remake those for myself-"
Vali clotheslined Loki before he could finish his question.
The Norse God grinned, holding Vali back with one arm.
"Tch!" Vali narrowed his eyes and kept pushing. Even if he was in his Juggernaut Drive, his opponent was still a God. The difference between them as equal like night and day. However, Vali was not fighting alone. He needed to bring Loki down a peg.
[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]
Loki's eyes widened considerably. His power. It was being drained. He clenched his jaw and swung his arm, throwing Vali back.
That brat! He cut down a considerable portion of my powers. I need to be more careful around him, Loki thought.
Vali wasted no time jumping back in. He zigzagged, using his increased speed to gain the edge on Loki.
Despite having a large portion of his power drained, Loki still possessed the edge on the two in terms of power.
Mitsuki teleported behind Loki, slashing her sword multiple times.
The God parried her attacks. His fingers morphed into miniature versions of a serpentine dragon. A faint green mist exuded from their fangs and they shot forward.
Mitsuki's eyes widened as she bent backward, narrowly avoiding the snakes. She severed them with her katana before jumping back.
He made mini Midgard serpents with his fingers. This is bad. We can't give him the room to create another Fenrir…, Mitsuki thought. And…
She briefly glanced at her temporary katana. There was a noticeable chink in the blade. This thing won't last much longer. It's not built to withstand my ki and demonic power at the same time.
Loki hissed as his severed fingers regenerated. He glared fiercely at Mitsuki, who had her eyes trained on him.
"Vali. We need to hurry up and end this. I feel like…" she looked past Loki and saw the barrage of various powers raining down in the distance. "Aniki and the others won't be able to hold out against that Ascendant."
"How do you propose that? He's a God. We're not going to kill him that easily," Vali said.
"We both have Longinus. They're supposed to be Sacred Gears with the capacity to kill a God, right? We can somehow end this and get there. I'll back you up. Right now, I can make at least 2 miracles and this field will allow us to land all attacks with 100% accuracy. I just need an opening and you hit him with your strongest attack," Mitsuki said.
Vali nodded. He spread his wings, causing Loki to tense up. His heel shifted and he shot forward, barreling toward the Norse God of Chaos at extreme speeds. He became a blur to everyone, even Loki himself.
He zipped around, moving in erratic patterns. His unpredictable movements were hard to follow.
Loki held his hand out, conjuring a magic circle, and fired massive rainbow-like aura at Vali.
However, Loki's attack missed dramatically. Vali's speed combined with Mitsuki's warping field increased his chances of dodging the attack.
"Insolent brats!" Fire surged around Loki. He threw his hands forward, unleashing a tsunami of flames toward Mitsuki.
Mitsuki narrowed her eyes. She spread her feet apart and sheathed her blade. Lightning surged around her body as the wall of flames approached.
Mangetsu!
A flash of light followed by a thunderclap ripped the world apart as Loki's wall of flames were sliced in half.
Mitsuki stood at the center, sporting several burns. She winced as she felt the intense sting. She had just taken a God's attack head-on. Even she was aware that there was no coming out of it unscathed.
"VALI!" Mitsuki yelled.
She slammed her hands down on the ground. The circle began to rapidly rotate. All of Loki's magic circles began to flicker erratically.
"What are you-"
The flickering magic circles detonated violently. Loki felt intense agonizing pain as he was struck by his own unstable magic.
How is she…? Is she interfering with my magic? No… she's… I can't believe I didn't recognize it sooner. All my attacks missing. The White Dragon's attacks landing when they should have missed, Loki thought.
However, Loki could not afford the luxury of thought. Vali slammed into him head-on, pushing him into the sky. The two flew higher and higher, all the while, Vali sapped Loki's power. When they were high enough, Vali separated from the weakened Loki.
Vali said nothing as Loki plummeted from thousands of feet in the air.
"Oi! Adashino! If you have a plan, now's the time!" Vali said, summoning a communication circle.
"Way…"
She teleported above Vali. Her blazing red eyes focused on Loki's baffled form. She pointed her finger at him. Ten concentric magic circles rotated rapidly in front of her.
"AHEAD OF YOU!"
A dense beam of violet energy slammed into Loki, sending him hurtling toward the ruined landscape that was Asgard.
Issei heaved as he stood in front of Rias and Akeno.
Ingvild gripped her arm tightly.
Asia stood in the back, healing Yuuto, Xenovia, Koneko, and Irina.
They were all exhausted. Perun was much too powerful for them. And unlike the battle against Beelzebub, there were going to be no miracles to save them. Issei gripped the spear tightly in his hand. He had managed to retrieve it but it was useless if the God in front of him wouldn't allow even a single blow to land.
Mii, I really need your accuracy buffs right now, Issei thought.
"It's over… Red Dragon. I will thoroughly enjoy adding the famed Power of Destruction and the Boosted Gear to my collection," Perun said. He lifted his hammer into the air. Golden dust manifested from the hammer, transforming into different elements.
"Here it comes. He's summoning multiple authorities again," Rossweisse said, preparing her magic.
"Issei, go. Rossweisse and I will block the attack for as long as we can. Take everyone else and run," Ingvild said, stepping forward. Water surged around her, forming into various serpents.
"But-"
Before he could finish his protest, a beam of violet energy bulldozed into the ground a few meters from them.
A violent explosion occurred, engulfing the entire area in violet light.
Ingvild and Rossweisse conjured a barrier, blocking the blast wave. They were pushed back slightly from the sheer force of the impact.
Perun narrowed his eyes as the light died down, revealing two newcomers.
"M- Mii! Vali!" Issei said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Two more? The White Dragon Emperor and the user of Telos Karma," Perun grumbled. His golden eyes swiveled over to the beaten and disheveled God before him. "Loki… you lost to two children."
"Kch! I underestimated them is all. Just take care of them, Perun, and then we can finish this. I held my end of the deal and you need to hold up yours," Loki said, standing up shakily.
"Deal?" Issei asked.
Perun sighed before landing on the ground. He walked over to Loki, offering his hand toward the God.
Loki grinned. "I see you're smarter than your compatriot. That arrogant demon believes that his meager abilities can intimidate a God. With the power between us, we can wipe these scum from the planet and then-"
"A God? You? That title is wasted on you."
"Wha-?" Loki had no time to react. Perun's hammer came swinging at full force with such blinding speeds that the result was instantaneous.
No one had expected it, not even Loki.
In the end, the result was all they could see.
Loki's entire half had been erased, for a lack of better words. The force at which Perun swung his hammer had been great enough to completely pulverize Loki's upper half in a single strike.
"Y- You… He was your ally and you killed him!" Mitsuki roared.
"Ally? Him?" Perun let out a boisterous laugh. "An insect like him does not deserve to be called a God. Gods are dignified, absolute, and truly divine. He was merely a snake who lost to two children. Ultimately, he was useless to me. However…" Perun held his hand out. Gold dust gathered around his palm. Various eyes and mouths popped up on his flesh, all of them drooling and tongues writhing.
"An authority to create monsters that can slay Gods. Such an authority was wasted on an insect like him. I'll put it to better use. Now, then, Dragon Emperors."
Perun's eyes glowed. Golden dust gathered around him.
Everyone took a step back as various monsters began to manifest around Perun.
"Would you like these monsters to be empowered with Divine Authorities or not?"
Blacklight File: #19382
File Name: Perperuna
Classification: Boundary
Information: Note that our information is limited based on what we know from the Japanese Branch's collaboration with the Great Evil of Retribution. Perperuna is a Boundary that is connected to "Military Supremacy" and "Legion". Only one aspect is known of the Boundary. It has the capacity to "replicate" the Authorities and unique abilities of beings or deities that Perun slays. While this is a highly deadly ability in and of itself, perhaps the most dangerous aspect which has only been faced once by the Great Evil of Reverie is the conceptualization of the beings slain by Perun. A recreation of their entire being via the idea and granting pseudo-souls to a nigh-immortal legion that endlessly reforms and resurrects unless killed by a Boundary or a Fragment of one.
Perperuna is the name of an ancient Slavic rainmaking festival dedicated to Perun... or so Wikipedia says. Anyway, yes, Perun killed Loki and "stole" his Authority. Considering that this is the second Ascendant they have ever fought and the arc's main antagonist alongside the mysterious blonde and yellow eyed man, this was a more fitting opponent than Loki ever was. This arc isn't very long but it is part of the second volume, which consists of four arcs altogether so stay tuned.
Also to answer a few reviews I got:
Perun's Boundary is Perperuna and it allows him to "steal" the Authorities and abilities of gods and monsters.
Yes, the Dragon Gods are the "same". I'm putting quotes on it cuz RE:Wind will explain it later and Azure and the Doomsday Option make references to it so don't take this answer as the be-all-end-all of "Are Ophis and Great Red beyond time?"
No, the Ascendants are not weaker. They are more or less relatively the same except in this fic, they're holding more back because they're Boundaries/Laws are very very destructive hax-wise and physically. Also, Azure's feels stronger because it's written from Shin's and the perspective of non-Ascendants so they tend to beef them up in their heads.
Anyway, feel free to ask me more questions.