Ch. 30: Go! Occult Research Club!
"Now things are getting interesting! Yes, what you've got there is a Devil's power to the highest degree! You've been blessed with strength on par with that of your big, bad brother, little girl! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.
Rias summoned several magic circles and formed two energy orbs channeling her Power of Destruction. "In that case… BEGONE!" She combined the two orbs into one giant ball of destructive energy and fired it at Kokabiel, the energy blast taking on the shape of a dragon as it soared toward its target.
Kokabiel held out his hands to block the blast, and even though he actually had to put effort into stopping it, he still had that same grin on his face. He was clearly enjoying the challenge, not a hint of worry on his face. "So much better and far more interesting. Almost as good as Sirzechs!"
Rias kept on the pressure and launched a second volley of destruction energy at Kokabiel, but even that didn't seem to affect him as he laughed in amusement.
And then, Rias collapsed in exhaustion after using up the last of power in that last attack while Kokabiel remained unharmed.
"President! No!" Izuku shouted as he went to help her up.
"Go! Akeno!" Rias called out.
"Now ring out… THUNDER!" Akeno fired a thunderbolt at Kokabiel, who simply enveloped himself with his raven wings to block. "Here's more!" Akeno then used her Quirk to materialize ironsand which she then shaped into long spikes with electromagnetism before launching them at Kokabiel.
"Could it be she who possesses the power of Baraqiel is trying to fight?" Kokabiel commented.
Akeno's eyes opened wide in rage at the mention of that name. "Don't speak his name. I am nothing like that creature!"
"Baraqiel?" Izuku asked.
"One of the Fallen Angel leaders. He can use lightning and thunder," Xenovia explained.
"Just like Akeno…" Izuku noted. It seemed too similar to be a coincidence.
Back up in the air, Akeno's lightning fizzled out as she used up all her magic power, and her iron constructs dissolved back into ironsand grains.
"Oh dear, say it isn't so," Kokabiel mocked as he uncovered himself. "Why choose to fall so far as to be a Devil?" He then turned to Rias on the ground. "What an amusing house, Rias. The Red Dragon Emperor. A ruined Holy Sword Project subject. And Baraqiel's daughter!"
"It can't be!" Asia exclaimed.
"Huh?!" Ravel shouted.
"For real?!" Eijiro gasped.
"Say what?!" Mina asked.
"No way!" Itsuka yelled.
"Akeno…" Izuku muttered. "You're the daughter of a Fallen Angel?"
"How terribly amusing," Kokabiel sneered. "A propensity for inferior products must run in the family."
Rias gritted her teeth at the insult and stood up. "Your insulting comments about my brother will not be tolerated! But for insulting my servants, you will pay the ultimate price, and die!" She declared with anger and determination in her voice.
Kokabiel only seemed amused by Rias's outburst as he descended to the ground. "By all means, go ahead and try. Possessor of the Welsh Dragon, Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin, and the Devil King Lucifer's baby sister! Please tell me you realize you're confronting the archenemy of Devils. Might as well take advantage of this opportunity. You may never get it again."
"In that case, we'd be happy to oblige!" Xenovia said as she charged at Kokabiel with Yumi and Irina by her side.
Kokabiel smirked and formed two light swords in his hands, using them to block strikes from the latter two, hardly having to put in the effort to do so. Then, Xenovia came down from the air with Durandal raised high, but Kokabiel raised his foot to block the blade before it could cut him.
"Oh! What's more fun than Holy Swords and Holy Demonic Sword attacks at the same time?" Kokabiel remarked, not at all concerned that he had three blades pointed at him, aiming to slice him to pieces.
"This…" Koneko emotionlessly said as she appeared above Kokabiel, ready to pounce with her fist ready.
But then, without even looking up, Kokabiel spread out his black wings and in quick succession, Koneko was sent flying back, her uniform torn and several cuts covering her body, as well as Yumi, Irina, and Xenovia who were sent flying to the floor a few feet away from Kokabiel.
"Koneko!" Izuku shouted in concern as he, Chacha, and Asia hurried to the Rook's side.
As Yumi, Irina, and Xenovia began getting back on their feet, Kokabiel chuckled darkly before swinging his swords in an X-shape, sending out two slashes of light energy at Yumi and the Exorcists and Izuku's group.
The three swordswomen were able to block Kokabiel's attack with their blades, even if they were knocked back by the force. Chacha summoned her Bird Shield to project an energy barrier that managed to withstand the attack.
"I hate this jerk," Chacha said.
"Me too," Izuku said. "Is everyone okay?"
"I'm fine," Asia replied before glancing towards Xenovia, Irina, and Yumi. "But what about those three?"
Xenovia, Irina, and Yumi were catching their breaths as they got up once again. "We're not done yet!"
"Still wanting more, huh? Well, hop to it already!" Kokabiel demanded.
Yumi was the first to make her move as she glared at Kokabiel.
"SWORD BIRTH!" Ten magic circles appeared surrounding Kokabiel, and from each of them, a sword emerged before they all shot forward to impale him. However, that did not happen as Kokabiel used his wings to defend himself.
"Cute, but is that all you've got?" Kokabiel taunted as he flapped his wings to shatter all the swords.
Then, Yumi appeared right in front of him with her Sword of Betrayer held out ready to stab him. However, Kokabiel stopped the blade right in front of his face with just two fingers. That did not deter her as she summoned another sword in her left hand and swung it at Kokabiel, but he caught that one as well.
"Give up yet?" Kokabiel asked mockingly.
"Never!" Yumi then formed a sword in her mouth and with a sharp turn of her head, slashed Kokabiel across his pale face, drawing blood.
Kokabiel backed away in pain, holding the side of his face where blood was trickling down. "You cut me!" He grunted in fury.
Kokabiel then formed a large ball of light and fired it at Yumi, who was a bit low on stamina to dodge. Luckily, she was saved by Xenovia and Irina, who used their swords to block the attack. After a brief struggle, they managed to push onward and slice up the ball of light.
The Exorcists then charged at Kokabiel again, but he threw out a light spear forward to separate them.
He then went after Irina first, lashing out at her with his wings, forcing her to defend herself with Hauteclere before a wing attack from Kokabiel struck her with great force, knocking her back into a tree with the Hauteclere landing a distance away.
"Seems you're just a novice with that blade," Kokabiel spat. "A shame, I was hoping to see what a wielder of Hauteclere can do."
"How about this?!" Xenovia ran toward Kokabiel with Durandal pointed straight at him, intending to run him through with her blade.
Kokabiel scoffed as he blocked Xenovia with a light sword. "Even with Durandal, it seems you are no match for me." He then shoved his leg forward, kicking Xenovia in the stomach. Xenovia hacked as she was knocked backward.
As Kokabiel held up his light sword to bring it down on Xenovia, Tomoe, in ball-mode, came rolling toward him, forcing Kokabiel to dodge and allowing Xenovia to get back safely.
Momo then threw a sack at Kokabiel, who got ready to counterattack, only for the sack to open up and several matryoshka dolls in Momo's likeness scattered across the ground, to Kokabiel's confusion, leaving him open to Itsuka, who used her whip to restrain him.
Then Eijiro, charged at Kokabiel with his body hardened, ready to strike, along with Ball-Tomoe. However, Kokabiel broke free of the whip, and with a spread of his wings, managed to strike down Itsuka, Eijiro, and Tomoe all at once, knocking them back.
"A cute distraction, but futile," Kokabiel said, paying no mind to the Momo dolls scattered around him.
However, Momo had a hidden grin as Kokabiel didn't suspect a thing. Inside each doll, there was a bomb, and she held a detonator behind her back. She then proceeded to trigger the bombs to explode. Kokabiel only had a second to react as the dolls began flashing.
*BOOM!*
As the smoke began to clear, there was no sign of Kokabiel. As Momo looked around for the Fallen Angel leader, she heard his chilling voice behind her.
"I admit. I didn't see that coming. How creative."
Right behind her, there was Kokabiel, smirking, and he had not a single scratch on him. He either managed to avoid the explosion in time or protected himself. Kokabiel then swung his arm to backhand Momo, but before he could hit, Hilda rushed over and swept Momo off her feet before getting her to safety.
"Thanks for that," Momo said.
"No problem," Hilda replied.
"Here. This might help," Momo then created an iron hammer for Hilda.
"Oh, yeah. This looks awesome," Hilda said as she hefted the hammer over her shoulder.
Then, Mina slid toward Kokabiel by spraying acid from her feet and threw a glob of acid at him, making him flinch from the acid burn. Kokabiel then used a light sword to slash at Mina, but Ethel came to her defense with her own sword.
Kokabiel then grunted in pain as two arrows struck him in the back. It was from Chacha using her bow. Kokabiel scoffed and aimed a light beam at her, but she leaped to dodge before summoning her spear and throwing it at Kokabiel. At the same time, Hilda threw her hammer at Kokabiel and Ethel summoned a tomahawk to do the same, but he summoned protective magic circles to block the attacks.
As Kokabiel was about to attack again, Ravel took to the air and fired a big fireball at Kokabiel, who knocked it aside with a palm swipe before aiming a spear of light at Ravel, but before he could throw the spear, a green fiery slash came flying toward him, forcing Kokabiel to block, and Hisashi, with the Homurasaki blazing in green flames, traded blows with Kokabiel.
"Hmm, not bad. Just what I'd expect from one of the best the Mystic Keepers has to offer," Kokabiel remarked as he backed up. "Though I must ask, why fight so hard for a group of losers who don't even know they've lost their master?"
Nearly everyone looked hesitantly curious at his words.
"What?" Xenovia asked.
"Mind clarifying?" Rias asked.
"Kokabiel, tell us what 'lost their master' is supposed to mean!" Irina demanded.
"Whoops. That just slipped right out," Kokabiel said nonchalantly.
"Answer the question now!" Xenovia demanded.
Kokabiel chuckled darkly before breaking out into full-blown maniacal laughter. "I guess I am trying to start a war. There's no point in hiding it any longer, I might as well tell you the brutal truth," he hummed in amusement, placing a hand on his face as he regained his composure. "In the previous three-way war, God was actually killed along with the four great Devil Kings!"
The group stood in dead silence at the news, especially the ones who were connected to the Church.
"No way. God's dead…?" Xenovia whispered, nearly dropping her sword in shock.
"He's what? God has been dead? How is that possible?" Rias muttered in shock.
"That can't be true… No… you're lying! There's no way He's dead!" Irina screamed.
"Back then, the Devils lost all their kings and most of their High-Class Devils. The Angels and Fallen Angels lost almost everyone except for their leaders. Pure Angels could not increase their numbers, and purebred Devils are just as rare, aren't they?"
"It's not true. It can't be…" Asia whispered.
"All sides have been ruined to the point where they have to rely on humans to survive. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils. The leaders of the Three Factions had to seal away this information. That way, the God-fearing humans would keep on fearing and praying."
Xenovia's legs gave in from the shock of Kokabiel's revelation. "Lies. They're lies. It's not true."
"He's not lying," Hisashi hesitantly confirmed, all shocked eyes turning toward him. "Once we reach a certain rank within the Mystic Keepers, we are told this secret, kind of like a rite of passage."
"Now, try to remember I couldn't care less about any of that. What drives me crazy is the fact that after God and those Devil Kings died… It was decided to stop the War! Why would they do something like that in the middle of winning?! How dare they try to keep me from squashing my enemies just when it was getting fun! We would have won! Even that bastard Azazel declared that there would never be another war! WHAT THE FUCK!?"
"God doesn't exist anymore?" Asia whispered meekly. "Then where is the love that has been given to us coming from?"
"Heh! Michael has been holding his own so far. He's the one who's been keeping the Angels and humans together in God's stead."
Irina's eyes widened. "The Archangel Michael is acting as God's agent? That means… all our prayers?"
"As long as the system works, prayers and exorcisms will endure to a certain extent. I'm sure someone has been listening," Kokabiel explained.
The revelation of it all seemed too much for Asia to handle. She fainted right there on the spot.
"Asia!" Izuku called.
Xenovia watched as Izuku tried to shake Asia back to her senses, a pitiful look entering her eyes. "It's a natural– a natural reaction. I'm surprised I can still think right now." She said to herself bitterly. 'It's ironic. Just the other day I tried to take her head because I believed a Devil who followed God's teachings was blasphemous, but after everything I've learned, I now understand and even sympathize with her.'
"Well, I suppose knowing the number of believers in God has drastically dropped probably doesn't help anything, does it?" Kokabiel continued. "But without anyone to manage the balance between Good and Evil, it's no wonder that something contradictory like the Holy Devil sword would appear. Which means the war must continue! And I'll keep it going by taking your heads if I have to!"
Rias was trembling and struggling to keep herself together.
"Are you okay?" Akeno asked.
"Again. I let my pride get in the way. It's my fault," Rias muttered.
"THAT WON'T HAPPEN!" Izuku shouted, getting everyone's attention. As he turned to face Kokabiel, he also used his Sacred Gear to store up Boosts. "I'm not gonna let you destroy this city or my friends! Even if God is dead, it doesn't matter. What does is what we do now! The world moved on even without Him, and we can continue doing so!"
"So the infamous Red Dragon Emperor believes the world can move on without God?" Kokabiel chuckled.
"We can! We've all made it this far," Izuku replied. "But that's not the reason you're mad. It doesn't even have anything to do with God or the Devil Kings. You're just a petty Villain who's too busy throwing a fit about not getting what he wanted!"
"Is that so?" Kokabiel sneered. "Tell me, would you really preserve the lives of Angels and Fallen Angels, the enemies of Devils just to keep the world in this pathetic state of peace?"
"I don't give a damn about that! I'd save anyone in need, Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, I'd save all of them! Because… THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HERO!" Izuku replied with full determination and zero hesitation.
Izuku's last declaration really spoke to the Exorcists.
'He'd save all of them? Even Angels and Fallen Angels…?' Xenovia questioned mentally.
'Because that's what it means to be a Hero?' Irina continued the thought.
"Very well then, 'Hero,'" Kokabiel mockingly said. "Show me this conviction of yours so that I may shatter it!"
[Explosion!]
"You're going down, Kokabiel!" Izuku shouted as he spread his wings, ready to take off.
Kokabiel formed a light spear and threw it at Izuku, but the Devil boy didn't flinch as he smashed the light weapon into pieces with a single blow as he flew right toward Kokabiel.
"DRAGON SMASH!" He landed a left hook on Kokabiel's face.
"Nice one, champ!" Hisashi cheered.
"I expected nothing less from a Hero," Ravel smiled.
"Get that bastard, Izuku!" Chacha cheered.
Kokabiel screeched from Izuku's attack as he clutched his nose, which was now broken. "So this is the Red Dragon Emperor's conviction? Unbelievable. What in the world are you?"
"My name is Izuku Midoriya! I possess the Boosted Gear powered by my drive to protect everyone I care about! I'm also Rias Gremory's Pawn!" Izuku declared.
"You tell him, Midoriya!" Eijiro cheered.
"Words of a true Hero!" Hilda shouted.
"It's times like this where he's at his coolest," Yumi added.
"Word," Koneko said.
"I suppose that's Izuku for ya, right?" Akeno nodded with a light blush. 'I'm sorry Rias… I'm starting to like him, too.'
"He's right," Rias said with confidence. "What's important now is we haven't lost yet. You can only lose when you give up. Let's take Izuku's lead, guys!"
"Right!"
Kokabiel got back to his feet, his nose having already been pushed back into position, though blood still streaked down his face. He glanced at Izuku and released a dark chuckle, spreading out his wings. "For such a low-ranking Devil to reach my face is damn near impossible! This is interesting, boy! I find it very interesting!" He chuckled darkly.
"Haha. So do I," a new voice called out from above the field.
Hearing this new voice, Kokabiel looked up to the sky. "Who's there?"
Then, a crack appeared on the roof of the protective dome, and soon, the entire barrier shattered into nothingness, while also forcing Sona, Latia, and their peerages to defend themselves from the resulting shockwave.
Up in the sky, there was a figure in white armor with dragon-like traits and blue jewels across their arms, chest, and legs. In addition, there were two glowing blue wings on their back and a long tail.
The moment Izuku laid eyes on the armored person, an unknown fear and nervousness suddenly ran throughout his body.
"Izuku?" Chacha asked as she glanced over to Izuku.
"My body is starting to shake… Don't tell me that's…" Izuku muttered.
"Why is the Vanishing Dragon here?" Kokabiel demanded.
"The Vanishing Dragon? What's going on here?" Izuku asked.
"Come on. Surely the White Dragon must be captivated by the Red as well–" Before Kokabiel could finish his sentence, the Vanishing Dragon dove down at the Fallen Angel and ripped off two of his black wings, causing Kokabiel to howl in pain as it happened.
"What are they doing to him?" Izuku asked.
"I don't know. I couldn't see," Yumi said in shock.
"Your wings remind me of a filthy crow," a male voice called out from underneath the helmet. "Azazel's wings are deeper… like everlasting darkness."
"You bastard!" Kokabiel seethed as he felt the stumps where two of his wings used to be. "What are you trying to do?"
"Someone who's fallen lower than the ground hardly needs wings, don't you agree?" the Vanishing Dragon sneered as he stared down at the Fallen Angel.
Kokabiel flew into the air with his remaining wings and created the largest light spear yet, measuring several times bigger than Kokabiel himself.
But before Kokabiel could even throw the gigantic spear, the armored figure brought his hand up, causing the air in front of him to begin shimmering.
(Divide!)
Then, the light spear instantly began to halve in size repeatedly as Kokabiel felt his strength leaving his body.
"What have you done!?" Kokabiel demanded as his spear shrunk to nothing.
"His name is Albion. One of the powers of my Sacred Gear is 'Divine Dividing.' Every ten seconds, it cuts in half the power of whatever it's touching, sustaining me with that power instead."
"Cuts power in half?" Izuku questioned. It was the opposite of his own Sacred Gear.
"Better hurry, or you won't even be able to defeat a Quirkless human," the Vanishing Dragon taunted.
"The Red Dragon Emperor multiplies its owner's power and transfers it to something. While the White Dragon Emperor halves the enemy's power, using that gain for its owner," Rias compared. "So the legends were right."
"Are you still bored? Here, let me make this a little more fun for you…" The Vanishing Dragon disappeared from sight and went towards Kokabiel, his fist going deep into Kokabiel's stomach, causing him to vomit blood.
"I've been told you're getting out of hand. Azazel asked me to bring you back, even if it took all my power." The Vanishing Dragon then took Kokabiel and rocketed upwards before falling back down at great speeds, pushing the Fallen Angel in front of him.
"AZAZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL!" Kokabiel bellowed out to the heavens as he went down.
*BOOM!*
The collision with the ground caused a crater to form and sent out a shock wave. Then, the giant magic circle that Kokabiel created to destroy the city rose into the air before disappearing. When the dust cleared, the Vanishing Dragon was standing in the center of the crater with the great Fallen Angel Kokabiel, on his shoulders, defeated.
"Oh good. There are a few things I need to ask our Stray priest as well. We'll take care of the rest afterwards," The Vanishing Dragon flew out of the hole and picked up Freed.
[Are you going to ignore me, White One?] Ddraig said, allowing everyone present to hear him.
"Did Midoriya's hand just talk?!" Ethel asked; Hilda also had the same reaction as her.
The Vanishing Dragon turned towards the boy who got his attention.
(You're still alive, Red One?) A disembodied voice spoke from the Vanishing Dragon's wings.
[I've been wondering when we would finally meet again.]
(As have I. We're still fated to fight. It is inevitable.)
"I can't imagine a battle between those two," Rias said.
(Let's meet again, soon, Ddraig.)
[Yes, let's. Albion.]
Both of them gave their farewell, and the White Dragon Emperor prepared to leave.
"Hey, wait!" Izuku shouted, catching his attention. "Who are you?!"
The Vanishing Dragon just stared at him in silence for a few seconds before answering. "Before you can understand, you will need more power. Become stronger, my archrival. We will fight someday."
As he said that, a bright white light slowly engulfed him and his "passengers" as he took off into the air. Asia regained consciousness in time to see the White One departing.
Everyone present stared at where the Vanishing Dragon stood, as well as the destroyed school field in silence until it was broken by the arrival of Sona, Latia, and their peerages.
"Rias," Latia called out as she and Sona came to a stop near her fellow King.
"Latia, Sona!" Rias called back as she looked around to see the group of Devils beside her.
"Are you okay?" Latia asked.
"Still alive, if a bit shaken," Rias replied.
Sona looked past Rias, at the spot where the Vanishing Dragon had just disappeared, with her arms crossed under her chest. "I wonder why the White Dragon Emperor suddenly showed up out of the blue like that."
"I wonder if he realized he just saved our city," Rias replied with a small smile on her face.
"Oh, I certainly doubt it," Sona dismissed.
Soon, Rias got to explaining to Sona and Latia about what transpired during the fight, including Hilda and Ethel's presence here, and in turn, explained to the two girls about their true nature. As the Kings were discussing the fight, Tsubaki couldn't help but turn her head toward Yumi. Then, something inside Tsubaki compelled her to go to the Knight's side as she saw how deep in thought she was.
"Kiba?" Upon hearing Tsubaki's voice, Yumi snapped out of her thoughts and turned in her direction. "How are you feeling?" Tsubaki asked, retaining her stoic look.
Yumi said nothing, gazing at her Holy Demonic Sword before speaking. "Even if the city is safe… There are people who took over Valper's research. My fight is not finished yet. I don't really know what to think…" Yumi confessed.
And then, Tsubaki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, to Yumi's surprise. Not only that, the stoic Tsubaki had a rare expression on her face: a smile. Smile meant to comfort her. "Well, it's over now, isn't that good enough? There's no use in worrying over every complicated details," Tsubaki advised. "Besides, I'm sure your friends will be there with you when the time comes for your next battle." Tsubaki then turned and went to rejoin her group.
Yumi couldn't help but stare as Tsubaki left. She never mentioned it to anyone, but she always found herself staring at Sona's Queen. She was also happy to have gotten a chance to fight alongside her back in the fight against Vincent Bellios. And the rare smile from the Queen brought a smile back to her face as well.
Nearby, Irina was curled up into a ball on the ground. The news of God's death really hit her hard. Not only that, she learned of some dark secrets kept hidden by the Church, especially about the blessing she was granted to become a Holy Sword wielder. She just wanted to sit there and sulk.
"Icchan?"
Looking up, Irina saw Izuku standing next to her, a concerned look on his face. "Ikkun."
"Are you… okay?" He asked.
Irina shook her head. "No. I'm not," she said. "God is dead, Ikkun. I spent my whole life devoted to him. And now, was it all for nothing? What do I do now?" Tears started to well in her eyes.
Izuku couldn't stand to see the look on his childhood friend's face. He had to comfort her. Gently, he placed his free hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear, getting her attention.
"Um… this is just a guess but, if God was still here, He probably wouldn't want to see you cry," he said. "I think you should live on. For His sake."
"Live… on… for Him…?" She muttered.
Izuku nodded with a soft smile. It reminded Irina of back when they were kids. Just like the smile they saw on All Might on the news.
Irina couldn't help but smile back with a slight blush. "You're right," she said. "Despite all the bad things we've done in His name, we can't forget the good that we did too. We're God's legacy on this Earth, so we have to live on for Him." Irina wiped her tears and smiled. "You may be a Devil now, Ikkun, but you are and always will be my Hero!"
Izuku reflexively blushed. "T-Thanks,' he chuckled nervously. "Oh, and I picked this up for you," Izuku handed out the Hauteclere to Irina.
"Thanks, Ikkun. It completely slipped-" Irina then realized something. Izuku was holding onto the Hauteclere, a Holy Sword that can only be touched by those with a pure heart. And Izuku was actually touching the blade without problems. That meant Izuku, a Devil now, possessed a pure heart!
"Uh, Icchan, is everything okay?" Izuku asked, worried by the sudden blank look on her face.
"Huh, oh, I'm fine!" Irina replied. She took hold of Hauteclere. "But… you're okay, right?"
"Hm. Yeah. Why?"
"…It's nothing," Irina said.
"Okay," Izuku nodded. "I should go check with everyone else."
Meanwhile, Xenovia watched this exchange with amazement. 'To him, it doesn't matter what the other person is. He will save them because he's a good man.' Any doubts she had about Izuku's words about saving even Angels and Fallen Angels were completely gone. 'Izuku Midoriya… You really are something else.'
Then, Xenovia noticed Irina coming over.
"How are you feeling?" The blue-haired exorcist asked her partner.
"Much better now," Irina answered.
"That's a relief," Xenovia smiled. "Your faith is stronger than mine, so I was worried about you."
"Well, good thing you don't have anything to worry about!" Irina smiled back.
Meanwhile, Izuku was conversing with his father.
"So that was the White Dragon Emperor," Izuku said.
"Yeah, to think he was able to go toe-to-toe with a Cadre of the Fallen Angels in his Balance Breaker. The legends don't do it justice," Hisashi replied. "And to think he is your rival. But I have a feeling that you'll figure out something to even the scale a bit. You always do."
Izuku nodded as he looked at his hand, 'The White Dragon Emperor… He's already achieved Balance Breaker, while I haven't. We're destined to fight someday, and until then I need to get stronger.' All Might's offer once again came into his head. 'Maybe…'
Then, the ORC joined up around Yumi.
"Um, Yumi? We can do club activities together again, right?" Asia asked.
"Hey there, Asia," Yumi greeted.
'I can't imagine how she must be feeling after learning the truth. But still, what's important is everyone is safe. The city is safe. That's enough for now,' Izuku thought.
"Yumi," Rias said as she joined her servants after sorting out what to do next with Hisashi, Latia, and Sona. "I'm glad you decided to come back to us. And for you to reach your Balance Breaker, as your master, I can't tell you how proud of you that makes me."
Yumi then kneeled down on one knee, with her head low. "Still though. I betrayed the club members. And more importantly, I betrayed the one person who saved my life such a long time ago. I can't make up for what I've done…"
"But you came back. That's enough for me, Yumi. That's enough for all of us," Rias reassured, to Yumi's surprise. "Next time, don't let everyone's feelings go to waste."
"President… I'll make my vow to you once more. I, Yumi Kiba, promise to protect you and my companions as a Knight of the House of Gremory for the rest of my life."
Rias went to her and kneeled down, gently cupping Yumi's cheeks with her hands before bringing her head into her chest for a warm, comforting embrace. "Thank you. And welcome home."
The embrace lasted a few more seconds before they broke apart and stood back.
"Now then, Yumi…" Rias said.
"Yes?" Yumi responded.
A red magic circle formed on Rias' hand, and Izuku had a good guess of what was about to happen. "It's time to accept your punishment. Here's 1000 spankings."
"What…?" Yumi asked, fear evident in her voice.
"Um… My condolences," Izuku said, trying to show sympathy.
Soon, Yumi was bent over on the ground, getting spanked by Rias. Izuku, Koneko, Saji, Momo, Tomoe, and Chacha couldn't help but give sympathetic looks to her, remembering their own spankings from before. Tsubaki, on the other hand, sported a faint blush at the sight.
Despite the painful sensations on her butt, Yumi managed to keep a smile on, albeit a pained one. All in all, Yumi was just happy to be alive and back with her friends and everyone she cared about.
By the time morning arrived, the entire school grounds were repaired looking as good as new thanks to the work of the Student Council. Everything, including the destroyed gymnasium, had been fully restored with no evidence that a battle had taken place hours ago remaining.
That evening, after all the classes were over, Rias received a call to Nezu's office. Because of this, she suspended club activities for the day, feeling it might take a while and reasoning that Izuku and the others needed to prepare for the Sports Festival anyway. However, she was caught off-guard when she saw her two friends there.
"Sona, Latia, you're here too?" Sure enough, Sona and Latia were just about to knock on the principal's door when Rias called.
"We're just as surprised as you, Rias," Sona replied.
"Yes, I thought it was just me, but guess not," Latia added.
"It's weird how the three of us were called in at the same time," Rias said.
"Do you think he knows? Or suspects us?" Latia asked.
"It can't be," Sona argued. "We covered our tracks thoroughly."
"Then why the three of us, specifically?" Rias countered.
"I'm sure we'll find out inside. It's probably nothing big," Sona insisted.
"Well, then let's hope you're right," Latia said skeptically as she knocked on the door.
"Come in," Nezu's voice called.
Latia, Rias, and Sona entered the office and stood before Nezu's desk. From the sound of things, he was watching a video of some sort on his computer.
"You wanted to see us, Principal Nezu?" Sona politely asked.
"Ah, yes, I wish to speak with you regarding your extracurricular activities," Nezu began.
"Extracurricular activities?" Rias asked.
Nezu turned the monitor around, showing the three Devils the footage of the fight with Kokabiel. There were even scenes of the Student Council and the Calligraphy Club holding up the barrier around the school.
"W-Wha? B-Bu… How?!" Sona stuttered, her mouth hanging wide open; Rias and Latia also had the same expression.
"You're truly an intelligent young woman, however, you made the fatal flaw of underestimating mine, Ms. Sitri," Nezu spoke, referring to Sona by her real family name, causing her jaws to drop further. "I commend you on the idea to loop all security footage for an entire night, but you see, what you didn't know, or anyone else for that matter, was that after the USJ incident, I secretly installed a new independent security that works separately from U.A.'s main system. And as you can see, that investment was very much worth it! MWAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
As Nezu continued to laugh maniacally, the Devils were left utterly dumbfounded and frozen in place as they made loud gulps.
The next day after school, Izuku and his friends were in the club room when they received an unexpected visitor.
"Hey, Red Dragon Emperor," a familiar blue-haired, golden-eyed figure greeted casually. Not only that, but she was also wearing a U.A. female uniform.
"Xenovia? Why are you here?" Izuku asked. "And why are you wearing our school uniform?"
"Oh good, you found us," Rias greeted, not at all surprised to see Xenovia.
"President? Why is she here?"
"She's the newly-made Knight of the House of Gremory," Rias answered. "Welcome home, Xenovia."
"Now, it's important you get along with her, Izuku," Akeno added.
"She's your new Knight? But that means…" Izuku's question was answered when Xenovia sprouted a pair of Devil wings from her back before quickly retracting them.
"You've been transformed into a Devil?" Asia said.
"Well, that's a rather unexpected development to say the very least," Yumi commented as she took a sip of tea.
"After I found out that God had actually died, I was desperate. So I begged her to take me in," Xenovia revealed.
"Wait, you begged for this, seriously?" Eijiro asked.
"It'll be nice to have the Durandal user added to our ranks. With this, you and Yumi will be the swordswomen covering our right and left flanks," Rias said, glancing at Yumi who smiled proudly.
"And I transferred to this school earlier today. Starting tomorrow, I'll be a first-year Hero Course student," Xenovia added.
"Wait! Hero Course?" Izuku asked.
"But aren't all the 48 Hero Course spots filled?" Mina asked.
"Well, let's just say it wasn't hard convincing the principal to let Xenovia try out as the 49th student," Rias muttered. After the meeting with Nezu yesterday, she let everyone in the club know how he had found them out, and while they weren't in trouble, the rat would most likely be keeping a closer eye on them in the future.
"So, you know which class you're gonna be in?" Izuku asked.
"They said I would know tomorrow morning," Xenovia answered. "It looks like we get to work together, Ikkun," she said, clearly trying to sound cute on the last part. However, the effect was ruined by her poker face.
"Um… Were you trying to act like Icchan?" Izuku sweat-dropped. "No offense, but that serious-looking face doesn't match the cute voice at all."
"That was my goal, but I guess I just didn't quite get it right," Xenovia murmured in thought as she rubbed her chin.
"So, are you sure this is what you wanted?" Itsuka asked.
"Without God, I have no meaning," Xenovia stated, with a hand on her chin to show she was thinking. "I honestly don't know if becoming my old enemy is the best thing. But for the little sister of the Devil King, she's been shockingly kind. Oh, I hope I made the right choice." Straining her thoughts, she placed her face in her hand. "I feel like I have, but there's so much doubt," Xenovia then puts her hands together to pray. "Please, help me, O Lord! AGH!" She received some damage because of that, holding her head down while mumbling something.
"Anyone else getting déjà vu?" Koneko quipped.
"Hey, if you're joining the Hero Course, I think we gotta know, what's your Quirk?" Mina asked.
"Here," Xenovia set her left hand on the wooden table and picked up a metal spoon with her right hand. Then, her left arm took on the texture of the wood while her right arm took on a metallic appearance. "It's called Absorption. I can absorb and take on the properties of whatever matter or energy I touch."
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Izuku said, already having his notebook out to take notes. And then, another thought entered his mind. "So what happened to Icchan?"
"She'll be returning to our headquarters tonight, taking my Excalibur Destruction and all four of the destroyed Excaliburs' cores. Our alchemists should have no problem re-forging those cores into Holy Swords. We've accomplished our mission and I still have Durandal, so I'm fine with it."
"I'm surprised the Church was okay with you just ditching them like this," Itsuka commented.
"Actually…" Xenovia continued, turning downcast. "It was all over for me when I told them I knew God was gone. I'm now a dangerous person who found out the truth about something I shouldn't have, so the Church has declared me a heretic."
"They kicked you out. That's why you became a Devil," Asia realized.
"Irina's faith is deeper than mine, but she didn't mention God's absence, and I don't think they suspect that Irina is aware of the truth. It also probably helped that she found out that the Holy Sword blessing she was granted was the non-blasphemous version of the crystalized genes of those deceased children. I was afraid what she might do after all the forbidden truths she learned…" Xenovia continued, closing her eyes in sorrow. "But thanks to what you said, it kept her faith from waning," Xenovia said, opening her eyes and giving a grateful smile to Izuku. "What you said to her truly helped. Thank you."
"Oh, it was no problem…" Izuku blushed.
"And it had an effect on me as well," Xenovia continued. "What you said about saving anyone in need, even Angels and Fallen Angels despite being a Devil. Because that's what it meant to be a Hero. I was truly in awe. That's why I decided I want to follow your example and be a Hero too."
"Oh, really? Wow," Izuku blushed harder.
"Back on topic, the Church has reached out to our side about this incident. To the Devil Kings specifically," Rias cut in. "They said, 'This is highly regrettable, but we'd like to discuss with your people exactly what happened in light of the Fallen Angels' treachery.'"
"They've also taken responsibility and apologized for overlooking Valper's actions in the past." Hearing Sona's voice, everyone looked toward the doorway where there were Sona, Saji, Tomoe, Momo, and Tsubaki from the Student Council, in addition, Latia and Chacha from the Calligraphy Club, were present as well. "According to the Fallen Angels' Governor General, Azazel, the whole plot to steal the Excaliburs was just Kokabiel acting on his own. The others had no idea what he was doing."
"This school is a frightening place. To think that the relatives of three of the four Devil Kings attend here," Xenovia commented.
Almost in response to what she said, Sona pressed her glasses slightly. The adjustment made them gleam menacingly in the light.
"What happened to Kokabiel anyway?" Ravel asked.
"In light of Kokabiel's scheming to rock the balance between the Three Factions and start another war, he's been frozen in eternal ice down in the lowest level of Hell, Cocytus," Momo answered.
"That Vanishing Dragon who put a stop to Kokabiel's rampage is actually on the side of the Fallen Angels. Seeing as they took care of the problem, they got to decide what to do with him," Saji added.
"I've heard that the leaders of the Three Factions are going to convene soon," Rias said. "Apparently, Azazel is going to make some kind of proposal. We've also been invited so that we can report on exactly what happened out there."
"What about the White Dragon Emperor? Will he be there, too?" Izuku asked.
"He's with the Fallen Angels and he did stop Kokabiel, so I see no reason why he won't be in attendance," Rias answered.
"That's right," Xenovia confirmed with a nod. "Azazel is gathering strong Quirks and Sacred Gear users, specifically Longinus. The Vanishing Dragon is among the best of the best. They say he's the fourth or fifth strongest in of all in Grigori. Even though you're technically his rival, him showing up in his Balance Breaker means he's far stronger than you at the moment."
"The fourth strongest!?" Izuku gulped.
"It explains how he took care of Kokabiel so easily," Latia noted.
Then, Xenovia turned to Asia with a remorseful look. "Asia, I owe you an apology. The things I said to you were wrong and hurtful. You may hit me if it will make you feel better."
"Um, no thank you," Asia declined.
"For a Holy Sword user who should be respected to be cast out for knowing the truth. It's changed the way I look at everything. I can't get their treatment of me out of my head. I must have made you feel the same way."
"Xenovia," Asia began as she placed her hand over her heart. "Don't feel bad. In case you couldn't tell, I'm incredibly satisfied here. Even though I'm technically a Devil now, I've never felt more blessed. I've met so many people who mean so much to me. I've never been this happy before in my life."
"I see," Xenovia said with a small smile on her lips before she remembered something. "Oh, and I had a favor I wanted to ask of you."
"What do you want?" Asia asked.
"I would really appreciate it if you would show me around the school sometime," the azure-haired Knight said with a warm smile.
"I'd love to!" Asia smiled.
Xenovia then turned towards Yumi who was sitting down on one of the sofas in the clubroom. "Also, if it isn't too big of a deal, I think it would be fun to try out my Holy Sword Durandal against your Holy Demonic sword."
"I was thinking the same thing," Yumi replied with a smile. "And next time, I'm going to win."
"We'll see about that," Xenovia smirked.
Rias stood up from her seat and attracted everyone's attention. "Now, we've got a new member, so let's go ahead and get the Occult Research Club back open for business!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
At Haneda Airport, Irina purchased her tickets and was making other preparations to board. With the Excalibur fragments retrieved, now she just had to bring them back safely. 'If only Xenovia could come too,' she thought sadly, thinking of Xenovia. Unlike Xenovia, she made no mention of God's death, and so was not excommunicated.
Irina was about to head to the security check-in, when suddenly…
"Irina! Wait!"
Gasping, Irina turned around and saw Xenovia, accompanied by the ORC, running up to them. "Xenovia! Ikkun! Everyone!" She happily exclaimed. "Why are you here?"
"We came to see you off," Izuku answered.
"And to make sure Xenovia gets to say goodbye," Mina added, earning her a glare from said girl.
"Really?" Irina looked to Xenovia.
"Uh, yes," Xenovia scratched her head while turning away slightly. "I wanted to say goodbye, and I'm sorry that I have to stay."
"It's okay, I understand," Irina smiled. "Just be sure to keep in touch. We may be on different sides now, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends."
Irina then hugged Xenovia, causing the latter to wince in pain and back away. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Xenovia pointed to where her cross necklace used to be.
"Oh, right! I forgot about that."
"Before you go, I've been meaning to ask," Rias spoke up, her expression quickly darkening as she addressed Irina. "Back during the duel between you and Izuku, when you said you kissed him when you were kids, is that true?"
"Uh…" Irina gave a nervous chuckle as she received glares from not just Rias but also Asia, Ravel, and even Akeno gave a sadistic smile. Glancing over at Izuku, who looked to be on the verge of blushing madly and wondering how to calm everyone down, she felt her cheeks heat up.
'You know what, screw it!' Smiling, Irina walked over to where Izuku stood.
"Uh, Icchan, what are you-"
Without warning, Irina pressed her lips against his, his eyes bulging out, and his face becoming as red as Rias's hair.
Everyone stood in absolute shock at what they saw. Rias, Asia, Ravel, and Akeno had the color drained from their bodies, horrified at what they were seeing. Koneko, Yumi, Eijiro, Itsuka, and Xenovia merely had blank expressions. Mina squealed cheerfully.
About a minute had passed before Irina pulled away, leaving a blushing, shocked, and embarrassed Izuku standing before her as she smiled widely.
"My goodbye gift to you, Ikkun. Like a promise to see each other again," Irina gave him and the other a playful wink. "Bye, Xenovia! Bye, Ikkun!" Irina said before departing.
"Goodbye," Xenovia returned.
"Oh dear," Yumi chuckled as Rias, Asia, Ravel, and Akeno all turned a dark expression toward Izuku in jealousy, who seemed to be malfunctioning given how his eyes were white orbs at the moment.
An hour later, Izuku finally recovered from Irina's sudden kiss, finding himself back in his bed; Rias explained that Koneko carried him to his room.
However, the embarrassment had to wait as he had made his decision on a certain offer. Getting his phone, he quickly texted All Might and they arranged to meet at Takoba Municipal Beach.
And now here he was, waiting for his idol to arrive.
[Made up your mind, huh?]
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "I wasn't much help in the fight back then, and even though I did break Kokabiel's nose, that was nothing compared to what the Vanishing Dragon did."
[Yes. And now that you have met each other, a battle between you two is inevitable. And when that time comes, anything that can balance out the power gap would be beneficial, if not outright necessary.]
Izuku nodded. It was most likely that he would face other more powerful foes than Kokabiel in the future, Villains or not. And he would certainly need the power to face them when the time comes.
"All Might should be here soon," Izuku then hummed in thought. "Hey, don't you think that you and All Might sound a lot alike?"
[Yes, I actually considered it as well. Funny thing, coincidence is.]
Izuku chuckled a little. "Yeah…"
"Young Midoriya!"
Looking up, Izuku saw Toshinori Yagi walking toward him. It was still bizarre that he was looking at this skeleton of a man and was still seeing All Might. "All M-"
"Shhh!" Toshinori hissed, placing a finger over his lips to emphasize.
"R-Right, sorry, uh…"
"Toshinori Yagi."
"S-Sorry, Mr. Yagi!" Izuku corrected.
"It's fine," Toshinori said. "So, you've made your decision?"
Izuku nodded. "After some… recent events, it got me thinking… I need to get stronger if I'm going to become a Hero. It might sound selfish, but that's what I believe. Even with my current power, there are still drawbacks I need to watch out for, and mumblemumblemumble…"
Toshinori sweat-dropped as Izuku began to mumble… again. "Yeah, I get your point, kid," he interrupted.
"Yeah, sorry," Izuku smiled awkwardly. "So, put it simply, I've decided to accept One For All."
Toshinori let out a deep sigh of relief. "Whew. I was almost worried you were gonna say no. I don't know what else I would've done."
"Huh?"
"Uh, I mean, uh, excellent decision, Young Midoriya."
[Real smooth.]
Izuku sweat-dropped.
"Before I pass on the sacred torch," Toshinori continued. "I need to check if your body is ready, so let me see your muscles." Izuku removed his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers, allowing the Number One Hero to inspect his body. "Hmm, good muscles. These are definitely the muscles built for combat rather than just for showing off." Toshinori observed. "Normally, I would've suggested some bodybuilding to strengthen yourself into an ideal vessel, but it looks like you already took care of that. This way, your limbs won't shoot off if you try to use One For All."
"Seriously!?" Izuku shivered at the thought of his limbs blasting off his body. 'Guess I have another reason to be grateful to Master Tannin.'
"But, one warning I must give you. You have to learn how to handle at least one percent of One for All's output soon before the Quirk begins to stockpile power," Toshinori said before changing to his Muscle Form. "Let us not make any more delays! It is time for you to inherit One for All, a power that has been passed down for generations, young man!" He then plucked a strand of hair from one of his bangs.
And so, Izuku held out his Quirkless (but not weak) hands to grab the future. "I'm ready, All Might! I won't let you down!" Izuku said, ready to take the mantle as the next holder of One for All, imagining All Might taking out One For All from his body in the form of an orb of light or a fireball burning with heroic spirit.
However, reality was not so kind.
"Eat this!" All Might presented him with the hair strand.
"…Huh?"
"To inherit my power, you've got to swallow some of my DNA! That's how it works!" All Might explained.
"This isn't exactly how I imagined it…" Izuku admitted. And that was still an understatement.
[All that buildup for this?] Ddraig asked in disappointment.
"Look, I know it sounds weird… and gross. I get it! But trust me, this is how I got it too!"
With no other options, Izuku sucked it up and took the hair.
And there we go. The fight against Kokabiel comes to an end, and by extension, the Excalibur arc. Depending on how things go, we might see the start of the Sports Festival in the next chapter.
I did what I could to give everyone a shot against Kokabiel, I hope what I delivered was to your liking.
Also, like in canon, Xenovia's been kicked out by the Church and joins Rias's peerage, not only that, she's joining the Hero Course as well. Since I've already expanded each Hero class from 20 to 24, what's another addition, huh?
Last but not least, Izuku is about to receive OFA.
See you next time. Go beyond! Plus Ultra!