Boy, this was a long one to write! Though, it's only because I had so much to cover in a single chapter.
And just a heads up, I had to go back to Chapters 23 & 24 and change the number of Karlel's wings from ten to twelve for a reason that will become obvious as you read this chapter.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
Luke felt his senses return to him and noticed that there was something different about the meeting room. Michael and Seiryuu were staring out the window, Sirzechs and Grayfia were having a serious discussion, and Azazel seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
"What just happened?" Luke asked.
"Luke, you're okay!" Pyra came up to him with an expression of relief.
"Welcome back, Naughty Boy." Karlel playfully greeted Luke.
"Huh?"
Luke's attention was drawn to Issei, who seemed like he just came out of a trance. It was at that moment Luke realized that some of the people in the room were frozen in time.
"Ah, the Red Dragon Emperor's back." Azazel noticed Issei become unfrozen.
Sirzechs, Grayfia, Serafall, Azazel, Karlel, Michael, Seiryuu, and Pyra were able to move, but only a few of those he immediately knew were in the same position.
"The only members of my peerage able to move are myself, Luke, Yuuto, and Xenovia." Rias stated.
"From my peerage, it's just Issei, Azusa, Katherine and I." Melody, also unfrozen, spoke up.
"And from mine, just Emery and Setsuna." Seth added.
Prompted by the roll call, Luke saw that Akeno, Koneko, Fumiko, Misaki, Hikaru, Spiral, Akira, Asia, Annabelle, Alastair, Hana, and Sona were all still frozen.
"Luke, you and Issei were able to recover quickly because of the power of the Heavenly Dragons." Rias explained. "Yuuto has his Holy Demon Sword, and Xenovia and Azusa invoked their Holy Swords just before it happened, while Setsuna brought out her Demon Sword."
Just as Rias said, Luke saw that Xenovia and Azusa had Durandal and Dyrnwyn in their hands, emitting dangerous auras before they were put back in a pocket dimension. When he saw Setsuna, she was holding her katana with wind swirling around it.
"So, you picked up that this is a Demon Sword." Setsuna said.
"It's not just any Demon Sword, is it?" Seiryuu approached Setsuna as she unsheathed her katana.
The katana in Seiryuu's hand was emitting a calm, but chilling aura from its blade. It looked so sharp that it felt like it could stab someone just by looking at it.
"My sword is reacting to it." Seiryuu stated. "This is the Holy Sword Masamune, crafted by the legendary swordsmith of the same name, Gorō Masamune. Your blade was forged by his counterpart, the Demon Swordsmith Sengo Muramasa, wasn't it?"
Setsuna's eyes narrowed at Seiryuu. "You are correct. This is one of the Demon Swords Muramasa-san has forged."
So Muramasa really was a demon swordsmith?! Luke thought. I thought it was just a pop culture thing!
"With regards to Azusa and me, our bodies learned to recognize the approach of time stopping and felt that using Durandal and Dyrnwyn as shields would protect us." Xenovia explained.
"It looks like we were right." Azusa simply said.
"Setsuna, you never experienced that sensation." Xenovia looked toward Seth's Knight.
"I sensed danger approaching, even though I couldn't understand what it was at the time." Setsuna replied. "I made a split second decision to summon Fujinto and you can guess the rest."
"I managed to pick up on the time-stop before it happened and protect myself using Senjutsu." Emery sighed.
"Okay, but can someone explain what's happening?" Issei asked.
"It looks like…" Rias was about to say.
"A terrorist attack." Azazel finished for Rias before pointing toward the window. "Take a look outside."
Luke and Issei looked out the window and saw several flashes of light outside of the barrier, which seemed to be magic bullets being fired by many humanoid figures in black cloaks.
"No matter when or where, there will always be those who oppose peace and do anything to prevent progress." Azazel smiled wryly before explaining to the rookie dragons. "Those must be the magicians I heard about. They use a kind of magic originally developed by the sorcerer Merlin Ambrosius, who studied demonic powers. Based on their display of strength, I'm guessing these magicians are each on the same level as a Middle-Class Devil. They're basically humans with skills similar to Devils, but with a few tricks that you guys can't pull off, of course. A human with a Sacred Gear who learns magic is such a pain to deal with. Luckily, they'll never break through the barrier erected by me, Sirzechs, and Michael. We made sure it was the strongest barrier possible, but it's also our prison at this point."
"But why would they oppose everyone being friends?" Katherine quizzed with a puzzled expression.
"It could be any number of reasons." Seiryuu tried to explain to Katherine. "Vengeance, profit, power, or maybe they've become so comfortable with the status quo that they fear anything that could potentially change it."
"Grown-ups are so complicated!" Katherine said.
"Hahahaha!" Seiryuu heartily laughed at the female Dhampir's reaction. "No argument here!"
"How did you manage to avoid getting frozen, Dhampir?" Karlel inquired of Katherine. "I don't recall you having a Sacred Gear."
"What do you mean?" Katherine tilted her head in genuine confusion.
Melody took notice of Karlel's questioning, walked up to her, and created some kind of barrier in the space between the leaders and the others. She appeared to be speaking to Sirzechs, Grayfia, Azazel, Karlel, Michael, and Seiryuu, who were the only ones able to hear her as everyone else couldn't hear anything.
"Why is Melody-sama keeping us from listening to what she's saying?" Issei wondered aloud.
"My guess is that there's something about Katherine that Melody doesn't want people to know about." Seth responded. "But it would look suspicious if she was keeping secrets in the middle of a conference where mutual trust is an absolute necessity, so she made an exception for the higher-ups. It's probably nothing to worry about."
After Melody and the leaders were finished speaking, she dispelled the sound barrier.
"Sorry, but I had to talk about something highly confidential with the leaders." Melody said as her voice could now be heard again. "But Katherine is now cleared of suspicion."
"Yay!" Katherine happily cheered.
If Melody was just talking to the leaders about Katherine, why did she block any of their words from reaching our ears? Luke tried to deduce the nature of the conversation. Is Seth right that there's a secret about Katherine that we can't know about? "Anyway, that time-stopping thing we all felt just a moment ago? It felt exactly like Gasper's Sacred Gear."
"They likely used a Sacred Gear or spell to transfer power to your Dhampir friend and force his Sacred Gear to go into a Balance Breaker state." Karlel answered. "It's probably temporary, but it's impressive that it managed to affect most of us here even though he can't see us. He has potential, but it still isn't enough to stop the strongest of us here."
"That means Gasper's in trouble!" Luke worried.
"But how could they do that with a Sacred Gear?" Issei asked. "I thought only my Boosted Gear can do that."
"Boosted Gear combines the abilities of near limitless doubling and transferring power." Azazel informed. "There are other Sacred Gears that have only one of these abilities. Longinuses are unique because they hold multiple abilities. It's that combination of powers that don't normally mix that make them so powerful. A favorite theory in Grigori is that it's a result of a bug in God's Sacred Gear System, that Longinuses are products born from several errors. Ah, sorry for the rambling. But yes, there are other ways of transferring power just like Boosted Gear can."
"To think that they've taken Gasper and used him against us by activating his Sacred Gear from inside the old school building…" Rias walked up to Luke's side with a scary crimson aura around her. "How did they know we left him in the clubroom? And they enacted this plan in the middle of such an important conference? I've never been this insulted in my life!"
"If you haven't already noticed, but our forces outside the school all seem to be frozen, too." Azazel told Rias. "Man, you kids sure have some overpowered servants."
Azazel placed his hand on Rias's shoulder, only for her to ruthlessly brush it off, causing the Fallen Angel governor to sigh. He then raised his hand toward the window and as if on command, countless spears of light impaled the magicians with the barriers they tried to cast to protect themselves proving to be completely ineffective against Azazel's attack, their corpses now littering the school's courtyard.
He wiped out all those magicians like they were nothing! I had a feeling the governor was incredibly strong, but this is a case where the legends don't even do reality justice!
"There's a barrier around this school, but they've somehow managed to teleport inside." Azazel continued. "That must mean someone opened a magic circle from within that connects to the outside. If they increase the power of Forbidden Balor View any further, they might even be able to stop one of us. They're using the magicians' assault to keep us pinned to a single location to buy time until they can stop time again and destroy the building while we're utterly helpless. And they're more than willing to expend a large number of troops to succeed."
Luke gnashed his teeth in anger. "Those bastards! They're treating living beings like cannon fodder!"
"Luke, please calm down." Pyra placed her hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly, many magic circles appeared outside and more magicians popped out of them as if replacing the ones Azazel massacred a few seconds ago.
"We just take them down and more take their place." Azazel casually remarked. "I gotta give their timing props for a bunch of terrorists, to say nothing their strategy. I wouldn't even be surprised if they have a man on the inside. Looks like we've been betrayed, huh?"
Are you taking this seriously at all?!
"Is there a way out of here?" Issei asked.
Karlel shook her head. "No. If we run, we'd have to lower the barrier and who knows how much damage their attacks will cause to the human world. I'll wait for the ringleader. If we stay here long enough, they might wear themselves thin and we'll force their hand. But we shouldn't just charge in without backup plans or we'll walk right into a trap."
"In other words, we leaders won't be able to move until the preparations are complete." Sirzechs said. "However, our first objective should be to retrieve Gasper from the old school building, which seems to be the terrorists' base of operations right now."
"Brother, I'll rescue him." Rias declared without hesitation. "Gasper is my servant and my responsibility."
"I knew you would say that." Sirzechs chuckled. "But how will you infiltrate the old school building? The school grounds are crawling with magicians and they're preventing us from using our transportation magic."
"I keep my last Rook piece safe in the clubroom." Rias answered.
"Castling. They might be expecting us to reclaim your Bishop, but they won't expect that and you'll be a few moves ahead of them."
I was told that in chess, Castling is a maneuver where the King and a Rook switch places. It must work the same way for Evil Pieces.
"Very well, but it would be dangerous to go alone." Sirzechs agreed to Rias's suggestion. "Grayfia, is it possible to use my power to transfer my sister's Castling ability to someone else?"
"Hmm… A simple ritual is the best I can do here, but it should be possible to send one other person with Lady Rias." Grayfia replied.
"I'll go!" Luke volunteered. He's my fellow first year. I want to help President to rescue him.
Sirzechs looked at Luke for a moment before turning his focus to Azazel. "Azazel, I heard that you've been researching how to control Sacred Gears for certain periods of time?"
"Ah, yeah." Azazel answered. "What of it?"
"The Sapphire Dragon Emperor can't activate his Balance Breaker without a cost and only for a very limited amount of time."
Azazel went silent, but he reached into his pocket. "Hey, Mr. Sapphire Dragon, catch."
The Fallen Angel governor tossed a couple of things to Luke, which he caught and realized were a pair of large rings with layers of characters engraved on them.
"Those bracelets can allow someone to control a Sacred Gear to some extent." Azazel explained. "Just put one of these on that half-vampire kid to get his power under control."
"Why did you give me two?" Luke asked.
"The other's for you." Karlel answered for her father. "You can't fully control the Paradise Dragon's power, right? Try it on. As long as you don't overdo it, you can use your Balance Breaker without paying a price since that bracelet is the payment. However, it will also temporarily break the seal Rias Gremory placed on your Pawn pieces. You'll need to use your Promotion to access Opheria's true power. Breaking the seal will mean unleashing her full potential. Are you fine with that, Rias Gremory?"
Rias narrowed her eyes without saying a single word.
"Only use that ring as a last resort." Azazel told Luke. "You can't control how much stamina you'll use and just end up exhausting yourself. That Scale Mail will drain your energy pretty quickly."
"Understood." Luke gave Azazel a nod.
"This applies to you, too, Mr. Red Dragon Emperor." Azazel turned to Issei.
"My name is Issei Hyoudou."
"All right, Issei Hyoudou. You might be Devils now, but at your current level, you aren't much better than regular humans." Azazel affirmed. "No matter how powerful your Sacred Gear is, if the host is unremarkable then it won't amount to much. Your dragons' powers might give you the edge over inexperienced opponents, but against anyone who knows how your abilities work, you're going to be crushed. If you don't master your power, you'll end up dead."
"I-I get it." Issei replied.
"Right." Luke then stared at the bracelet he was just handed.
"Azazel, just how much research have you made on Sacred Gears?" Michael sighed.
"Do you have a problem with my hobby?" Azazel grinned at Michael. "It's not like God's here to explain this to anyone. I heard there are a lot of things you still don't know about Sacred Gears. Someone has to know what they're talking about around here."
"The problem is that you're the one studying them…"
While Azazel and Michael bickered, Sirzechs approached Seth while Grayfia was helping to prepare Rias and Luke for the Castling strategy.
"While we have time, there is a question I and the other leaders would like to ask of you, Calamity Dragon."
"So, you know of Apokálypsis?" Seth asked back.
"How could we not have heard of the Evil Dragon that waged war against the gods of Olympus? As the possessor of the Longinus housing him, we ask of you the same question we asked the Heavenly Dragons. What is it you desire?"
Seth answered without an ounce of hesitation. "I just want a world where my little brother can live peacefully and happily and have many wives and children. The only way to achieve that is peace. Is that an acceptable response?"
"As an older brother myself, that answer is more than acceptable."
After receiving orders from Karlel, Vali unfolded his wings of light.
"Balance Break."
Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!
Vali's entire body was enveloped in a radiant light and when it subsided, he was wearing the pure white, full body dragon armor everyone saw him in when he came to bring back Kokabiel during his attack.
That White Dragon Guy can activate his Balance Breaker so easily! I know I just started learning how to use my Sacred Gear but getting to his level feels incredibly far away.
Vali opened the window, leapt outside, and flashed across the school grounds, easily cutting down hordes of magicians like they were flies. However, just like before, more magicians teleported to take the place of their fallen comrades.
"Azazel, I would like to pick up on what you said just a moment ago." Sirzechs said.
"Yeah, what?"
"Why are you gathering so many Sacred Gear users? I heard you even have a few Longinus possessors in your ranks. Why have all those god-killing weapons when God is long gone?"
Azazel shook his head. "I'm preparing."
"That sounds ominous coming from someone who claims to have given up on war." Michael stated.
"I was telling the truth about not wanting to get into another fight between our races. I don't even intend to start any wars… but the Fallen Angels need to defend ourselves. Not that I'm expecting an attack from either of you."
"Then who are you expecting an attack from?" Michael inquired.
"The Khaos Brigade."
"The Khaos Brigade?" Sirzechs raised his eyebrow.
"I only learned of their name and background recently, but Shemhazai caught wind of their suspicious behavior some time ago. They're supposedly gathering a large number of dangerous individuals from various factions. Some of them are Sacred Gear users capable of using Balance Breaker. I've even noticed a few who have Longinuses."
"What is their goal?" Michael asked.
"As their name suggests, chaos and destruction. They oppose peace with every fiber of their beings. Simply put, they're terrorists. And their leader is a dragon mightier more powerful and vicious than even the Calamity Dragon."
The entire room became silent with Azazel's last sentence.
"… I see." Sirzechs was the first to speak with a grave expression. "So, they've finally made their move. The Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis. The Infinite Dragon God. Even God Himself feared Ophis… the being who has remained supreme since the very beginning…"
Everyone in the room except Issei and Katherine became pale upon hearing the name 'Ophis'.
Is Ophis the one Vali hinted at being the strongest entity in the world?!
"Yes, Ophis is the leader of the Khaos Brigade." An unfamiliar voice echoed throughout the room.
Suddenly, a magic circle appeared on the floor of the conference room.
"The mastermind has made their move." Sirzechs clicked his tongue in frustration. "Grayfia, send Rias and Luke to the old school building now!"
"Understood." Grayfia did as Sirzechs ordered and urged Rias and Luke into a corner and conjured a magic circle just big enough for two people. "I wish you luck, Lady Rias."
"Wait! Grayfia! Brother!"
Just as Rias called out to her brother and his Queen, she and Luke were engulfed in a bright light before being transferred to the old school building. After the two of them disappeared, the leaders all recognized the insignia within the magic circle on the floor.
"That is the emblem of Leviathan." Sirzechs said with a sour expression.
"I've seen this in the Vatican Library…" Xenovia pointed at the insignia on the floor. "That is the symbol of the original Leviathan."
"Hm…" Azusa made a quick hum to confirm Xenovia's statement.
Appearing from the magic circle on the floor was a woman wearing a dress with a revealing neckline and a slit showing off her leg.
"Hello, Lord Sirzechs, current Great Satan Lucifer." The woman greeted him.
"Descendant of the original Leviathan, Katerea Leviathan. What is the meaning of this?" Sirzechs demanded to know.
"Most of those who sided with the Old Satan government decided to join forces with the Khaos Brigade." Katerea announced with a condescending tone.
"So, the Devil's civil war has escalated to this extent?" Azazel scoffed. "Is everyone dealing with rebels these days?"
"Katerea, am I to interpret your words literally?" Sirzechs asked.
"Indeed, Sirzechs. We are leading the charge of this attack."
"So, it's a coup? Why, Katerea?"
"Sirzechs, we came to the opposite conclusion to you and the other leaders here today. If God and the old Great Satans are dead, then we believe the world should be reformed."
"Can Ophis really see that far into the future?" Azazel questioned her logic. "Even for them, that seems hard to believe."
Katerea sighed at Azazel. "Ophis is only a symbol of our strength and gathers powerful allies to our cause. With that power, we will destroy the world and rebuild it from the ground up under our rule."
"Katerea, why are you doing this?!" Serafall looked at Katerea with sad eyes.
Katerea leered at Serafall. "Don't speak to me, Serafall! You are the one who stole my birthright from me! I am a true descendant to the name of the Great Satan Leviathan! I hold Leviathan's blood in my veins! I deserve to be a Great Satan!"
"Katerea…" Serafall looked at her in sorrow.
"But worry not, Serafall. I will kill you here and now and reclaim the title of Leviathan. Ophis will become the god of our new world with a new system, laws, and ideals. Michael, Azazel, Sirzechs, this school will be your grave."
The expressions of Sirzechs, Serafall, Michael, and Seiryuu all became dark at Katerea's words, but Azazel and Karlel were instead amused and burst out into hearty, boisterous laughter.
"What's so funny, Fallen Angels?" Katerea appeared to grow agitated at their laughter.
"Hahahaha! You and your followers…" Azazel tried his best to speak while containing his laughter. "Honestly believe you can create a new world?"
"Of course." Katerea replied. "This world is-"
"Corrupt? Run by foolish humans? Dying?" Azazel interjected. "If you look closer, you'll see that everyone is doing fine. Prospering, even."
"Even after all these years, you've done little to change, Azazel. You have so much power, but you accept an imperfect world…"
"Enough of this 'imperfect world' bullshit." Karlel calmed down from her fit of laughter and looked at Katerea with a dauntless grin. "I had a good laugh at your RPG/manga villain monologue. Seriously, how much more cliché can you get?"
"You must be Azazel's brat!" Katerea gnashed her teeth at Karlel. "I've had enough of you!"
Katerea floated into the air as her body became shrouded in a powerful demonic aura.
"Old Man, I got this." Karlel told Azazel. "I've always wanted to fight a descendant of Leviathan."
"You have no intention of surrendering, do you, Katerea?" Sirzechs asked as he gave her one last chance.
"Absolutely not, Sirzechs You were a good Great Satan, but you're too compassionate. We will replace you as the new Great Satans."
"… I see…" Sirzechs closed his eyes in regret. "I'm sorry to hear that."
With that confirmation to fight back from Sirzechs, Karlel unfurled her twelve black wings and her body started to emit a subtle but powerful aura.
"A battle between the descendants of the Fallen Angel Azazel and the original Great Satan Leviathan. This should be fun." Karlel smirked with anticipation.
"I'll enjoy clipping your wings, filthy crow!" Katerea trash-talked.
Both women flew outside and high above campus, duking it out far from those still on the ground.
"Just how powerful are those ladies?" Issei murmured to himself as he looked at the sky in amazement.
"Listen up, kids." Azazel turned to the remaining young Devils. "While Michael, Sirzechs, and I are strengthening the barrier, the rest of you will be culling the magicians as much as you can to keep them from focusing fire on Karlel."
"But what about you, Governor Azazel?" Melody asked. "What if you get flanked?"
"They've got nothing to worry about." Seiryuu unsheathed Masamune and rested it over her shoulder. "Nothing's getting to them while I'm here. You kids just deal with the magicians. Oh, and don't die."
Seth felt that something was off and noticed that someone was missing from the group.
"Where did Pyra go?"
In the old school building, Luke and Rias suddenly found themselves inside the clubroom.
"How did they teleport in here?!"
"Those Devil scum!"
The room was filled with female magicians dressed in dark robes with Gasper tied to the chair with the paper bag on his head.
"President! Luke!" Gasper called out to his clubmates.
Did the magicians put that bag on his head? Or did he before getting tied up? Luke thought.
"Gasper, thank goodness you're safe." Rias sighed with relief. "I was so worried."
"President… I… I-I… I don't want to do this anymore!" Gasper broke into tears. "I… I would rather die! Please, President, Luke… kill me! As long as I have these eyes… I'll never have friends… All I do… is cause trouble for everyone… I'm a coward…"
Rias gave Gasper a warm smile. "I would never abandon you, Gasper. Do you remember what I said when I reincarnated you into my servant? That I wanted you to live for me and find your own happiness, too."
"… I couldn't find happiness…" Gasper shook his head "All I ever am is a nuisance… I don't deserve to live…"
"Gasper, you're a member of my peerage and my servant." Rias continued trying to reach out to him. "I won't abandon you, especially after you can finally go outside."
"President is right, Gasper!" Luke assisted Rias. "No one in the club will give up on you!"
One of the female magicians smacked Gasper in the back of the head and pulled on his hair while showing Rias and Luke a cold grin.
"You're both fools! Treating a dangerous Dhampir like he's your friend! It's just like the Old Satan Faction told us. The Gremory family is as affectionate as they are stupid and powerful." The magician gave Rias a look of contempt. "Perhaps this half-breed would have proved himself more useful if you brainwashed him? If you made his Sacred Gear go wild and threw him into a den of Fallen Angels, he might even take out one of their leaders. Why haven't you done that already? Do you really think of this creature as a close friend?"
What a bitch! Luke gritted his teeth. She can't talk about Gasper like that to President!
"I… treasure my servants." Rias calmly replied.
The magician fired a small magical bullet at Rias, blowing a part of her uniform away.
"Impudent brat! And what gives a Devil the right to be so beautiful?" The magician pulled out a knife and held it up to Gasper's neck. "Move and the kid dies. Now, I'm going to have some fun."
With her free hand, the magician readied to shoot another magic bullet at Rias. When Luke noticed that she was aiming for Rias's face and she had no intention of dodging, he instinctively jumped to shield her from the attack. The magic bullet hit Luke just below his neck, in which he started bleeding a little from the wound. Rias stepped out from behind Luke and continued walking toward Gasper.
"Gasper, I want you to keep causing trouble for me. I'm going to scold you every time. And then I'll comfort you every time! Because I will never abandon you!"
Rias's words touched not only Gasper, but Luke as well as he couldn't help but tear up a little.
"P-President… I… I…" Gasper started crying again, but this time his tears were those of joy.
"Gasper!" Luke called out to his fellow first year. "I won't abandon you, either! And neither will Akeno, Pyra, Fumiko, Xenovia, Koneko, Yuuto and everyone else in the club! Some of us know what it's like to be alone, but it's thanks to President that we never have to feel alone again! None of us will ever abandon you!" Luke summoned his Gradivus lance. "President, permission to Promote to Queen."
Rias nodded and Luke used his Promotion to gain the qualities of the Queen piece. As the magicians prepared for his next attack, Luke took some of the blood spilling from his wound and slathered it on the tips of Gradivus.
"Gasper, while it's good to rely on your friends, you need to learn to be able to stand on your own." Luke said. "You can't keep cowering after a woman just gave you some encouragement."
Luke extended his Gradivus at such a blistering speed, that the magicians couldn't react and the blood on the spear's tip flew off and landed on Gasper's cheek.
"There you go, Gasper. My blood is sure to give you the strength to stand up. Show me how strong you really are!"
Gasper nodded with a fire in his eyes and licked Luke's blood dripping down his face. The moment his tongue made contact with the blood, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed and Gasper had disappeared with only the ropes that once tied him to the chair remaining. The magicians started frantically looking around the room for the Dhampir until they heard a chittering sound from above, a swarm of red-eyed bats flying near the ceiling.
"That damn vampire transformed!"
"Die!"
Before the magicians could fire their magic at Gasper's bats, black arms came out of their shadows, knocked them off balance and pulled them to the floor. The magicians still standing were caught off guard and tried to shoot magic at the black arms, but they simply dispersed and regenerated. As that happened, the bat swarm descended upon the magicians and started clawing and biting at them.
"They're trying to suck our blood!"
"No! They're sucking our magic, too!"
"Are those… Gasper's vampire powers?" Luke looked on in amazement.
"Yes, drinking your blood must have awakened his latent strength." Rias replied.
"Does that mean Katherine has the same abilities?" Luke asked.
Rias simply nodded to Luke's query.
"That's it!"
The magicians moved their arms towards Luke and Rias and fired a collective barrage of magical bullets at them, but they were suddenly stopped in midair.
"It's useless. I can see your every move." Gasper's voice echoed throughout the room, his bats' eyes now glowing crimson as they used his Forbidden Balor View to stop the magicians' attacks. "Now all of you will stop!"
With a flash of the bats' eyes, all of the magicians in the room became frozen in time.
"Luke, now!" Gasper called out.
"Right!" Luke prepared to strike.
"Let's go, Luke!"
After hearing a familiar voice, he saw Pyra enter the room with her blazing Aegis sword in hand.
"Pyra!" Luke exclaimed. "How'd you-?"
"I can't stop them forever! Take them out now!" Gasper urged them to finish off the magicians.
Luke switched out his Gradivus with Falchion and he and Pyra cut down all of the frozen magicians. With that, the mission to rescue Gasper was successfully completed.
Above the academy, Karlel and Katerea were continuing to battle with the Fallen Angel being at a significant advantage.
"I underestimated you, spawn of Azazel." Katerea panted as she was trying to catch her breath.
"I've been sparring with my old man for over 200 years." Karlel stated with a grin. "How do you think I got so many wings at such a young age?"
Agitated, Katerea pulled out a vial which looked to have a small snake inside of it and swallowed the contents. Suddenly, Katerea began emitting even greater demonic power than before.
What did she just ingest? Karlel analyzed.
Karlel summoned several spears of light and fired them at Katerea, but she deflected them all with a wave of her arm.
"That's a lot of aura for a descendant of an original Great Satan." Karlel said. "Where did all that power come from?"
"Why bother telling you when you're about to die?" Katerea fired a large and powerful blast of demonic power at Karlel.
After the blast died down, there appeared to be nothing left of Karlel and Katerea smirked, but she suddenly felt something pierce through her stomach. She looked down and saw that a spear made of water had run her through.
"GAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Katerea screamed in complete agony as it felt like her blood was on fire.
"Too bad you missed."
Katerea became shocked when she turned behind her to see Karlel without a scratch on her. Karlel was also holding a few spears of water that looked exactly the same as the one that just stabbed Katerea.
"I don't just have my old man's skills." Karlel smirked.
"So, you're also the spawn of Holy Water Daphiel!"
"You're absolutely correct. I inherited my mother's Holy Water ability, not too different from the Leviathan and Sitri's family Power of Water, except imbued with the power of holy light. So, better."
"How?! I need a source of water in order to use my power! How are you able to conjure water from nothing?!"
If we were fighting under different circumstances, I would tell you that the source I use is the water in the air. "It's a shame. I thought for sure you'd know."
"GrrrrrrrAAAAAAH!"
Katerea arms stretched and her fingers became extra arms, with the fingers on those extra arms forming new arms, all aimed for Karlel.
"I'm using a self-destruct spell on myself and I'm taking you with me!"
With a wave of her hand, Karlel surrounded herself in a thick, spherical barrier of Holy Water. Katerea's arms tried to go through the barrier, but they turned to dust before they could even reach Karlel.
"KYYAAAAAAAAGH!"
"If only you had surrendered when Sirzechs asked…" Karlel expressed her regret.
Extending her hand out, Karlel shot out a large spear of water through the barrier that stabbed Katerea right in the head and her entire body was reduced to nothingness.
In another area within the barrier, Michael, Sirzechs, and Azazel were all putting their power into strengthening it enough to withstand the continuous bombardment from the magicians outside.
"Azazel, are you sure your daughter can defeat Katerea?" Sirzechs asked.
"Heh, I know Karlel's strength better than anyone." Azazel lightly chuckled. "I'm the one who trained her after all. The lady's lacking in experience compared to the rest of us, but I suspect it won't be long until she surpasses me in terms of strength."
From his blind spot, Azazel was about to be struck down by a blade, but Seiryuu suddenly appeared between them and blocked the sword with her unsheathed Masamune.
"So, you were the traitor…" Seiryuu said as the swords created sparks.
After they had tied up the defeated, but still living magicians, Luke had a question to ask Pyra.
"Pyra, how did you get here?" Luke inquired. "Campus is crawling with magicians, that's why President and I had to use Castling to get here."
"I came here on foot and defeated all magicians in my path." Pyra answered with an innocent smile.
All by herself?! Luke was stupefied. Does she really even need me to help her reach Olympus?!
The Aegis ranks among the most powerful Holy Swords among mythologies. Opheria said to Luke. And she has yet to unleash her true power…
Oh! Opheria, have you heard of that dragon Azazel mentioned? Ophis?
The Ouroboros Dragon, a being of infinite power. The only one God would never cross.
This Ophis sounds so terrifying, I'd have to invent a new word to accurately describe it.
Ophis is far stronger than the Heavenly Dragons. Those statements alone should give you an idea.
If Ophis really is that strong, then there's no way we can defeat these terrorists in the long run!
Rias, after changing into a spare uniform, used a magic circle to send the magicians straight to the authorities in the Underworld. Also, Gasper had returned to his original form and was wearing the bracelet to control his Sacred Gear.
"Luke, is your neck okay?" Pyra asked with concern in her voice.
"I'm fine… Although, I am feeling a bit lightheaded…" Luke said as he sat down. "Can you get the first aid kit?"
As Luke sat on the floor, Pyra went to grab a first aid kit and immediately tend to Luke's wound to stop the bleeding before he passed out.
"There! All better!"
"Thanks, Pyra. At the very least I didn't take another spear of light to the stomach."
"Did that actually happen to you, Luke?!" Gasper gasped. "That sounds really violent!"
Yeah, my life did get more violent when I got involved in the supernatural world. "Anyway, Gasper, how did it feel to drink my blood?"
"I could feel incredible power flowing through me, but I'm back to normal now." Gasper answered.
"Now that the magicians have been dealt with, Luke, Gasper, let's head back and help the Great Satans." Rias commanded her young servants.
"Right!" Both Luke and Gasper responded simultaneously.
They left the clubroom and made their way to the main entrance of the old school building. As soon as they exited the building, two figures dashed past them, moving so fast that they could not be seen with the untrained eye, the sound of clanging swords moving away from them and in the direction of the schoolyard.
"What was that just now?" Luke tried to catch his breath after the sudden occurrence.
"It looks like our traitor has revealed himself." Pyra leered in the direction of the high speed duel.
"So, you saw them, too, Pyra?" Rias asked before turning to Luke and Gasper. "We're heading back to the schoolyard."
Upon Rias's command, they all followed the sound of clashing blades all the way to the schoolyard where the others had finished fighting the magicians. The figures finally stopped fighting and they were revealed to be Seiryuu with Masamune in her hands and Vali in his Scale Mail with his sword unsheathed.
"Seiryuu-san?! Vali?! What's going on?!" Issei exclaimed as he saw the two suddenly appear.
Karlel descended to the ground, looking straight at Vali. "So, you were the traitor this whole time. Eh, Vali?"
"That's right, Karlel." Vali answered calmly.
Everyone was rendered breathless from the shock.
"So, Vali was the one who allowed the magicians to invade during the conference?!" Luke gasped.
"How long have you been working with these terrorists? And what was it that drive you to them?" Karlel interrogated him with eyes filled with disappointment.
"They reached out to me as I was taking Kokabiel back to HQ." Vali didn't even bother hiding the details. "The world they strive for sounds more interesting."
"So, the Vanishing Dragon serves Ophis now?"
"No, it's more of a collaboration. They made an offer too enticing to refuse: a fight against Asgard. Neither you nor Azazel would ever declare war on Valhalla, against the Aesir. You don't like war."
"You know, my old man and I told you to become strong, but also not to endanger the world in the process." Karlel sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.
"I just to keep fighting for all eternity."
"The old man always had a feeling you'd leave his side one day. Ever since we first met, you've wanted to test your strength against the powerful."
Vali rose into the air and pounded his fist against his chest. "My real name is Vali Lucifer."
Lucifer?! As in…
"My great grandfather is the original Great Satan Lucifer. My father is his grandson and my mother is human. Although it was purely a circumstance of my birth, my Sacred Gear is thanks to my human half. Perhaps it was fate that the Vanishing Dragon awakened within a descendent of the original Lucifer… Just joking."
Alongside his wings of light, a pair of Devil wings appeared on the back of Vali's armor.
He's… just like Seth!
"Impossible…" Rias stared at Vali in disbelief. "It can't be…"
"It might sound like a twisted joke, but it's the truth." Karlel came up to Rias. "That combination will likely make him the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history."
"All that power and all he wants to do is fight." Melody leered at Vali.
Seth stared at Vali as if he could feel something deep within his heart. He's not just seeking power for the sake of it.
I sense the hatred in his heart as well. Apokálypsis telepathically spoke to Seth.
That doesn't change the fact that he's siding with terrorists planning to destroy the world.
"Gah!" Gasper screamed.
Luke, Rias, and Pyra looked to Gasper and saw that his eyes had magic circles embedded into them.
"Sorry, but I'm sealing that Dhampir's sight." Vali said. "I wouldn't want him to cause any problems. No matter how strong the ability, if an opponent knows how it functions, it isn't all that special. There are a multitude of ways to disable a person's vision. A few illusions could even turn his Sacred Gear against his allies."
He's right. Luke thought to himself. Each of us have a lot of weaknesses that can be easily exploited.
Vali then turned his attention to the grounded Issei. "Fate can be cruel sometimes, wouldn't you agree?"
"Huh?" Issei looked at Vali with a puzzled expression.
"I, a descendant of the original Lucifer, have the power of a legendary dragon within me. And you are a mere human, also with another legendary dragon's power. I would call that a cruel twist of fate. Our dragons may be rivals equal in strength, but the difference in their hosts is immense."
Issei pointed at himself.
Vali nodded. "I looked into your family. Your father is an average businessman and your mother is an average housewife with a part-time job. Their bloodlines are completely ordinary. None of your ancestors have any connection to legendary figures. Even you yourself were an ordinary high school student before being reborn as a Devil. Boosted Gear is the only remarkable thing about you. You're so boring that when I learned what you are, I found myself laughing instead of being disappointed. If only you were as interesting as the Calamity Dragon over there."
Vali pointed at Seth, who just continued watching him for sudden movements.
"He is a Half-Devil like me, but his human mother is much more interesting than mine." Vali stated. "Issei Hyoudou isn't the only person I looked into. Calamity Dragon, Seth Sigmund, while your father is a noteworthy Devil in his own right, he has no relation to the Great Satans or even the 72 Pillars. But your mother, who you also share with the Sapphire Dragon Emperor, is a descendant of the Norse hero Sigurd."
"Kh!" Both Luke and Seth widened their eyes in shock.
"Our mother… was…" Seth muttered under his breath.
If what Vali is saying is true, then that means both Seth and I are descendants of Sigurd!
"You can believe me or not, but I have no reason or desire to lie to you." Vali said before looking directly at Luke. "Looking into your father was quite interesting… I couldn't find any information regarding his ancestors, but I did discover that he stayed with the Evergarden magician family before marrying your mother. That's it. There isn't even any indication that his line is average. It's a shame he's no longer alive to ask him myself."
Evergarden? That's also the last name of the strange woman with eyes like my father's. Was President right that she's connected to the Evergarden family?
"Definitely more interesting than the current Red Dragon Emperor…" Vali was deep in thought for a moment. "I know. I will make him an avenger." He turned his focus on Issei. "How about I kill your parents?"
Issei found himself frozen and starting to well up with intense emotions upon hearing Vali's declaration.
"That would make you a little more interesting." Vali continued. "If they were slain by my hands, it would give you a purpose to your destiny. Yeah, that sounds good. As they are now, they're just living out painfully average lives. Dying early to serve a purpose is a lot better than continuing to live out such a dull existence."
"GO ANYWHERE NEAR THEM AND I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
Everyone was surprised to see that Issei was not the one who lashed out at Vali like that, but Luke, who had searing hatred burning in his eyes.
"Oh?" Vali became intrigued by Luke's outburst. "That was meant to enrage the Red Dragon Emperor. Why did I enrage you instead? You have no stake in our battle."
"If you looked into my past, you should know why you pissed me off!" Luke responded with anger in his voice. "You just threatened to kill Hyoudou's parents simply to alleviate your boredom! I don't know how you would feel if you lost your parents, but I know I felt when I lost mine. Even though I still had my brother, I felt hopeless, lost, and alone… The loss of those you love… is something I never want to feel again! And I'll never let it happen to anyone else if I can!"
"Luke-kun!" Issei shouted at Luke. "I appreciate you sticking up for me, but I'm the one who should beat this asshole! You're right, Vali. My dad is an everyday businessman who works all day to provide for his family. And my mom is a typical housewife who cooks for us three times a day… But it's because of them that I'm the person I am! To me, they're the best parents I could ask for!"
The jewel on Issei's gauntlet began glowing brightly.
"Why should they have to die for your satisfaction?" Issei growled. "You think you're so important? That you have some kind of grand destiny? Enough of that bullshit! I won't let you lay a finger on them! Luke-kun, did you use that bracelet Azazel gave you?"
"Huh? No, I haven't." Luke answered.
"Do you mind if you give it to me to teach this bastard a lesson?"
Luke took the bracelet out of his pocket and tossed it over to Issei. "You got it!"
"Thanks." Issei caught the bracelet and put it on. "Ddraig, do you think we can do this?"
You might not have to pay a price with that bracelet, but since this will be your first time, you will no doubt exhaust yourself doing so. Ddraig's voice echoed from the jewel in Issei's gauntlet.
"Fine, as long as I can give him a good slugging!" Issei responded.
Issei's Sacred Gear suddenly exploded in a fiery, red aura.
Welsh Dragon Over Booster!
Issei became encased in red, full body dragon armor with green jewels embedded in various spots.
"That's… Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker!" Melody exclaimed in surprise.
"Hooray for Issei!" Katherine cheered.
Luke watched as Issei and Vali duked it out. Although Issei was tremendously unskilled, he did manage to take Vali by surprise a few times such as overloading his Divine Dividing's absorption ability and taking one of the jewels from Divine Dividing's Scale Mail and combining it with Boosted Gear's Scale Mail to make Vali's power his own. As the fight continued, a thought came to Luke's mind.
… Opheria? Is this… what will happen to me and the Emerald Dragon someday?
Just as red and white are forever rivals, so too are sapphire and emerald. Destiny is set in stone.
… Is it?
Hm?
Is destiny really set in stone? Or was stone set around it and someone said that it's stuck there?
Are you saying that you are fighting against destiny?
No, I'm saying that I'm just being told I have no agency over my life. Luke looked back at the still fighting Issei and Vali. I don't want to end up like them, trapped in an endless cycle of fighting. I… don't want that! This all started because you and your brother got into an argument, so it's up to me and the current Emerald Dragon Emperor to make amends before we turn out like the Red and White Dragons. This is my life! I don't expect to have complete control, but I want to at least have a say in the things I can!
… Heh, very well. If that's how you wish to live, I won't object. Just know that the current Emerald Dragon Emperor might not share your sentiments.
"Were you talking to Opheria, Luke?"
Luke looked up and saw Pyra watching him. "Yeah…"
In the middle of the fight, a shadow dropped down with the moon to its back and landed between Issei and Vali. It looked like a young man wearing traditional Chinese armor.
"Vali, I've come to fetch you." The young man said.
"Bikou, what are you doing here?" Vali asked him.
"Don't be like that. I heard my partner in crime was in danger, so I came all the way to this island country. Everyone at HQ is going crazy, you know? We'll be fighting those northern folks soon, so why didn't you retreat once your mission failed? Katerea failed to assassinate any of the leaders, yeah? Your job as an observer is over. So, let's go home already."
"I see… So, it's already time."
"Who are you?!" Issei shouted and pointed at the young man.
"That's Bikou, a descendant of Sun Wukong." Karlel answered.
Both Luke and Issei had their jaws dropped.
"'Sun Wukong'?" Luke asked. "As in 'Journey to the West Sun Wukong'?!"
"The very same." Karlel confirmed. "More accurately, he's a monkey Youkai who inherited Sun Wukong's powers. Still, I never thought he would ally himself with the Khaos Brigade."
Bikou snickered at Karlel's comment. "I'm not like my legendary ancestor! My life is my own and I'll live how I like! It's nice to meet you Red Dragon Emperor." Bikou then noticed Luke and Pyra. "And you must be the Sapphire Dragon Emperor and the Aegis. If you had actually followed orders, Vali, I wouldn't have gotten to meet all these interesting people at once."
The monkey Youkai made a long pole appear in his hand and he spun it over his head a few times before pounding one of the ends into the ground. Both he and Vali were surrounded in a wave of darkness that was dragging them in.
"I'm both the White Dragon Emperor and the descendant of an original Great Satan." Vali said to Issei, Luke, and Seth. "I have my hands full dealing with enemies other than Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. We'll all fight again one day. I want you to become stronger, Heavenly Dragons and Calamity Dragon."
After saying those words, the darkness disappeared along with Vali and Bikou.
With the battle over, the armies of the Three Factions were disposing of the magicians' corpses and apprehending those that were still alive, with Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel giving orders to them.
"I must apologize for Katerea's actions." Sirzechs expressed his regret. "Her grievances were with us Devils, not the Angels or Fallen Angels."
"Don't worry about it." Azazel waved away his concern. "I'm at fault here for Vali's actions, too… In hindsight, I should have done something sooner before things turned out like this…"
"Now then, I must be returning to Heaven to prepare countermeasures against the Khaos Brigade." Michael said.
"I'm sorry things turned out how they did." Sirzechs apologized. "My people were responsible for this summit."
"There's no need to apologize for any of this." Michael assured Sirzechs. "I'm just glad our factions have started on the path to peace. This should at least reduce the number of useless quarrels between our people."
"Well, we'll probably have a few people who'll refuse to accept the new norm." Azazel stated.
"It was unavoidable, considering we have been fighting each other for so long." Michael said. "Even if it's gradual, things will change. And our next obstacle is the Khaos Brigade."
"Then let's deal with them together."
Azazel and Michael nodded at Sirzechs's suggestion.
"I better get going." Michael motioned to Seiryuu. "I will return as soon as possible to sign a formal treaty."
"Michael-sama, the dragon boys have something to ask you." Seiryuu arrived with Luke and Issei at her sides.
"Yes? What is it, Dragon Emperors?" Michael asked them.
"It's… it's because of God's system that Xenovia and Asia can't pray without taking damage, right?" Luke inquired.
"Yes." Michael confirmed. "Should a Devil or Fallen Angel pray to the Lord, they will take light damage. It was built into the system and continues even after His death. Why do you ask?"
"Well, um… I'm sorry for making a request, but…" Luke hesitated a little due to the standing between him and the Archangel.
"What he's trying to say is…" Issei was about to speak in his stead.
"Can you change it so Xenovia doesn't get hurt?" "Can you change it so Asia doesn't get hurt?"
Luke and Issei both asked in unison, but Michael understood and was surprised at such a request. Xenovia and Asia, who were listening in, were equally surprised.
"Xenovia and Asia were excommunicated through no fault of their own." Luke stated.
"Even after becoming Devils, they can't break their old habits." Issei added.
Michael gave all of them a light smile. "I understand. I'll see what I can do when I return to Heaven. We might be able to make an exception for two people. They're both already Devils, and I can surmise that they have no intention to make dealings with the Church again. However, I have questions of my own. Asia, Xenovia, both of you know that the Lord is gone and yet you still wish to pray to Him?"
Both women nodded.
"Yes, I still want to pray to Him, even if He is no longer here." Asia replied.
"I feel the same." Xenovia responded. "I will give thanks to the Lord, and you as well, Lord Michael."
Michael smiled at their answers. "Very well. I will see to it, then. It would be nice to have at least two Devils who can pray without suffering damage."
Asia happily embraced Issei.
"Luke, why did you request that?" Xenovia inquired as she approached him.
"Remember how you told me you were struggling to find a new purpose in life after the Church kicked you out?" Luke asked back.
"Yes."
"I know you still have Durandal, but I thought at the very least you should also be allowed to pray again."
Xenovia stared at Luke as she remembered something he said to her the other day.
("I want to make women happy.")
"I think I see why you've attracted so many…" Xenovia murmured with a light blush on her cheeks.
The next day at school, Luke, Fumiko, and Pyra were sitting at their desks and waiting for class to start. However, this was supposed to be a new class that the faculty decided that all students should take.
"I wonder what this new class is about?" Pyra wondered aloud.
"Really sprung up on us at the last minute." Luke said.
"But the semester's almost over." Fumiko stated. "Why would they have a class start at this time?"
All of the students immediately quieted down as soon as the sliding door opened up. As their teacher entered the room, all of the students were entranced by her unparalleled beauty, except for Luke, Pyra, and Fumiko who all had their mouths agape.
"Good morning, class. You can call me Ms. Karlel."
The teacher of this new class was indeed Karlel, wearing a black blazer with a white polo shirt underneath, a black mini pencil skirt, stockings, and a pair of black high-heel shoes.
"Starting today, I'll be your Sex Education teacher."
… WHAT?! Luke shouted in his head with a red face.
In the clubroom after school that same day…
"So, starting today, we're going to be your club advisors." Azazel finished, wearing a worn out suit.
Azazel and Karlel told them how they were permitted to stay in Kuoh Town as long as they help the members of the Occult Research Club improve their Sacred Gear abilities and prepare them as future deterrents against the Khaos Brigade. As Azazel chatted with the Sacred Gear users of Melody's peerage, Karlel focused on the members in the Gremory peerage.
"Your name is Gasper, right?" Karlel knelt down to the young Dhampir. "That Vali guy really took advantage of your Sacred Gear's weakness, huh?"
"Bah! I'm so sorry!" Gasper frantically apologized.
"It's fine." Karlel calmly assured Gasper. "Once I'm done, no one will be able to stop you." She then turned to Yuuto. "Yuuto and Fumiko, how long can you maintain your Balance Breakers?"
"As I am now, only about an hour." Yuuto answered.
"The-the same." Fumiko also replied.
"That isn't good. At the very least, you'll want to be able to maintain it for three days."
"It's better than mine." Luke said. "I can only use it for ten seconds and that's with an asterisk."
"Both Vali and your big brother can keep up their Balance Breakers for an entire month." Karlel stated. "That should tell you the difference in your strengths."
Karlel then looked at Akeno. "What about you? Do you still hate Fallen Angels? Or rather… Baraqiel?"
"I have no intention of forgiving him." Akeno spoke with a sour expression. "It's because of him that my mother died."
Karlel watched Akeno for a few seconds before sighing. "I shouldn't involve myself in your family matters."
"I do not see that man as my father!" Akeno declared.
Karlel didn't say anything in response and Akeno eventually had a conflicted expression.
"Luke?"
Luke raised his head as Karlel called on him.
"Don't think of this as me trying to make amends. I'm doing this because I want to."
"That's good to hear."
"Great!" Karlel pulled Luke toward her with a bright grin on her face. "Don't worry, Naughty Boy! With my help, you're sure to get a massive harem!"
"H-harem?!" Luke exclaimed with a bright red face. "I think you've got me confused with Hyoudou."
"Oh? I thought for sure you wanted a harem. You just seem like the kind of man who falls for women easily and can't bear to break their hearts. Besides, it's totally natural for a boy your age to imagine yourself with dozens of women."
Luke suddenly found himself being pulled by Rias and into her arms.
"Luke's chastity belongs to me!" Rias pouted. "I decide who gets to take his virginity!"
President, I know you care about me, but I should be the one to decide who I give my virginity to!
"Luke, do you really imagine yourself having a harem?" Fumiko asked.
Please don't ask me with such a sad puppy face, Fumiko! My heart can't take it!
"My, my, looks like my affair is still far off." Akeno placed her hand on her cheek.
Enough of the affair!
"With the President in charge of Luke's chastity, it will be difficult for us to have a child…" Xenovia muttered to herself.
You're still on that?!
"What's 'chastity'?" Katherine asked Melody. "Can I have it?"
Melody sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'll tell you when you're… mature."
"Wow, Luke! You're so popular!" Gasper looked at him in amazement. "If I wasn't a shut-in, I wish I could be like you."
"Looks like you won't be able to complain about me anymore, Luke-kun." Yuuto joked.
"I'm not surprised." Karlel continued smiling. "After all, dragons have a natural tendency to develop harems."
And the Occult Research Club continues to become livelier as time marches on.
A/N: I finally got this chapter done! I hope you all enjoyed it!
I did originally plan for Luke to assist Issei later on in the Vali fight, but I was running out of time and had to scrap that.
As for Luke and Seth's mother being a descendant of the hero Sigurd, that was something I decided on at the last minute as it would make sense given their last name and how they are able to be so compatible with their dragon-type Longinuses. As for Luke's father… well, that will have to remain a secret for a bit.
And not only do Azazel and Karlel join the ORC as advisors, but as teachers with Karlel taking up the position as the school's Sex Ed teacher which was too perfect to pass up!
As for the break chapter, I decided to move that for after the original arc because of a certain character's mindset right now. Speaking of the original arc, that will start in the next chapter and it will largely focus on Emery and her backstory, as well as the return of an OC that hasn't made an appearance since their debut.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!
Luke Harem: Rias Gremory, Karlel, Annabelle Wright, Akeno Himejima, Fumiko Kazuya, Melody Morag, Setsuna Kazama, Xenovia Quarta
Issei Harem: Misaki Shirayuki, Asia Argento, Hikaru Ueda, Akira Kazuya, Kiyome Abe
Rias Gremory Peerage: Rias Gremory (King), Akeno Himejima (Queen), Yuuto Kiba (Knight), Xenovia Quarta (Knight), Koneko Toujo (Rook), Fumiko Kazuya (Bishop), Gasper Vladi (Bishop), Luke Sigmund (8 Pawns)
Seth Sigmund Peerage: Seth Sigmund (King), Annabelle Wright (Queen), Alastair Wright (Rook), Emery Belmont (Rook), Hana Sakuya (2 Bishops), Setsuna Kazama (Knight)
Melody Morag Peerage: Melody Morag (King), Misaki Shirayuki (Queen), Katherine Petrova (Knight), Spiral Hirano (Knight), Azusa Hirano (Rook), Akira Kazuya (Rook), Hikaru Ueda (Bishop), Asia Argento (Bishop), Issei Hyoudou (8 Pawns)