Chapter 16
P.S this story starts a few years before the start of our favorite DXD verse!
AND I DON'T OWN ANY DXD MATERIAL, ALL CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL WRITERS!
"Talking out aloud"
'Thinking with ones mind'
"Spirits inside the sacred gears talking"
Without further delay, lets start the chapter!
Sounds of brutal battle raging on would have been heard for a mile if the Fallen and Devils hadn't placed an overlapping privacy barrier around their battlefield. For that reason, the citizens of Kuoh weren't woken by the sound of battle and lightshow illuminating their peaceful night sky.
It had been a good few minutes since Kenta and Issie rushed towards the church. The battle between the infiltrating Devils and defending Fallen had been going on for just as long. It was a high-paced battle with the Fallen applying pressure on the Devils, keeping them on their toes to ensure they didn't get a foothold in the battle.
Well… at least two of the Devils don't get a foothold in the battle.
"Stop moving, you insolent bat," Kalawarner snapped angrily, frustrated at being unable to end the battle in one swoop. Her pride had taken quite a few hits since the battle had started since she was utterly famished, and Yumi was yet to be hit.
"You need to do better than that to get me, Fallen," Yumi spoke calmly as she lazily sidestepped before summoning a burst of demonic magic she sent toward her opponent.
"Shit," Kalawarner cursed under her breath at the attack approaching her. With a swift motion, she unfurled her wings and took to the sky to dodge the demonic blast, which would have damaged her quite a bit, even taken her out of the battle completely.
"What a pathetic excuse of Devil you are if that's the best you can d…" Kalawarner's boasting was interrupted the second she saw the cheeky smile on Yumi's face and a follow up demonic bast heading straight towards her.
"Shit," Kalawarner cursed again once she realized it had been too late for her to dodge the attack. She soon dedicated all her effort into summoning a sturdy shield before using her wings to guard herself if the demonic blast coming towards her gets past her shield.
"AAHHHH!!!" Kalawarner screamed in agony as the demonic blast sent her way slowly got past her shield. Thankfully, her wings could ensure her body didn't feel the full brunt of the attack, but that didn't mean her wings were safe from the attack.
She soon fell down from the sky onto the ground once her charred wings gave out. The null in the battle gave Yumi a chance to look around the battlefield to check out how others were doing. Unfortunately for Yumi, what she saw didn't bode well for the chances of this mission ending in a success.
Kiba was being pushed back by the sole male fallen angel on the battlefield. The sheer power difference between the two had negated Kiba's speed advantage in the battle. While on the other hand, Koneko was having a difficult time against the petite Fallen, who was clearly the magician of the group. Her widespread magical attacks had Koneko unable to close the distance with the Fallen. Leaving her in the same situation as Kiba.
"I will praise you for lasting this long against me, but your luck won't win this fight" Millet smirked as she saw her attack once again barely miss Koneko's head. The Devil in front of her was showing incredible endurance for such a low-class being, in her opinion, but it was only a matter of time before she caught the Devil in her trap.
Koneko responded by rolling out of the way the newest barrage of magical blasts sent her way. Her roll found herself near a boulder leaning against the now-damaged tree, courtesy of the battle raging around them. Koneko swiftly leaped to her feet before throwing the boulder towards the Fallen Angel.
Initially surprised by the Devil using her surroundings to counter her magical prowess, Millet shook herself before unleashing an impressive demonic blast to blow the boulder into pieces before it could contact her. After all, she was one of the strongest two winged angels in the Grigori after Raynare. She was on the brink of achieving another pair of wings due to her magical arsenal, and she was proudly showcasing her power against Rias Gremory's Rook, who herself was only a low-class Devil in rank only, after all her combat ability rivaled mid class Devil.
The explosion sent debris everywhere, marking a lull in the battle. Both of the fighters each other in new light as they recalculated the others combat skills. This battle hadn't gone the way they had thought, but that didn't mean it couldn't end that way.
Both Koneko and Millet eyed each other in their own little arena, dimly lit by the twilight of the moon. Both of their gazes locked in unwavering determination. Koneko's cat-like eyes burned with a fierce intensity as she crouched low, her fists clenched in preparation for the battle. Millet, her wings bearing the scars from her previous battles, stood poised, with her hand ready to cast her magic sigils on a moment's notice.
Koneko launched herself forward with impressive speed, something she hadn't showcased in this battle, in an effort to close the distance between them. Millet, recognizing the danger of Koneko's hand-to-hand combat prowess, conjured a barrier of shimmering light, creating a protective buffer between them. Koneko's punches landed with an explosive force against the magical shield, but it held firm, absorbing her attacks with a violent hum.
Millet seized the opportunity to retaliate, her hands cracking with energy. Soon, magic sigils appeared on her hands, which casted a barrage of spells, sending projectiles of searing magic darting toward Koneko. The petite Devil danced and weaved through the onslaught, her acrobatic movements a testament to her agility. A few bolts grazed her, leaving smoldering burns on her skin.
As Koneko advanced, Millet chanted incantations with rapid precision, summoning chains of fire that lashed out at her opponent, attempting to ensnare her. Koneko's cat-like reflexes saved her big time; she rolled, twisted, and contorted her body to evade the magical restraints.
The battle raged on, a testament to the clash of their differing strengths. Koneko fought relentlessly, striving to close the gap, while Millet maintained her distance, exploiting her magical arsenal. Each punch and spell were a testament to their determination and skill.
Soon, their battle reached a critical juncture when Millet saw Koneko slip on her step due to an exploding blast near her. Millet gathered her energy with a grim determination as her body glowed in yellow hue as she unleashed a devastating magical blast that surged toward Koneko, a harbinger of impending defeat.
But just as the blast was about to land its fatal blow, a shimmering shield barrier materialized before Koneko, much to both of their shock. The demonic blast struck the barrier with a deafening explosion, scattering destructive energy in all directions. Their attention briefly diverted to the sidelines where they saw the caster of the shield, Yumi, giving Koneko an encouraging smile.
"Why you!?!" Millet snapped at Yumi in frustration before sending a magical blast towards her.
Yumi, well versed in magical combat, prepared to sidestep the attack. However, her efforts were left hanging when she, to her shock, was blindsided by Kalawarner.
"You are going to regret taking it easy on me," a bloodied Kalawarner snapped angrily before shoulder-slamming Yumi into the incoming blast.
Unprepared by Kalawarner's actions, Yumi was stunned and wasn't able to stop herself in hurtling towards the blast.
*Boom* the sound of the explosion shook the battlefield as Koneko stood there with wide eyes while the two female Fallen Angels shouted in exhilaration.
"That's what you get for underestimating the Fallen, you bitch!" Kalawarner boasted proudly as she looked at the aftermath of the explosion, which would have, at the very least, taken the annoying Devil out of the fight.
"Nice job getting your revenge Kala! By the looks of it, that Devil Trash did quite the number on you," Millet teased her fellow Fallen, something she didn't take nicely.
"Why you!" Kalawarner spoke harshly, her anger rising and light spears appearing in her hands.
"Lets not start fighting among ourselves. As you may forgotten, we still have a few Devils putting their noses where they don't belong," Millet reminded Kalawarner before continuing, "It would be for the best if you would go back to the church and take care of the Devil trash that had gotten past us… If the exorcist hasn't killed them first," Millet laughed aloud as she condescendingly looked down towards an angry Koneko.
"You are quite arrogant if you think you could defeat both me and Kiba-senpai all on our own" Koneko raised her eyebrow, readying herself for the second round of fighting at the same time. The thought of seeing Yumi defeated going on the back burner for now.
Millet's smile only grew more once she her opponents reply, "I would have killed you if that Devil trash hadn't interfered with our battle. And as for the cute Devil, you are speaking of… he is doing far worse than you think he is doing," Millet replied arrogantly as she pointed towards the other side of the battlefield where Kiba had been fighting the sole fallen of the group.
Koneko's eyes cautiously followed Millet's gaze, and what she saw confirmed her worst fears.
"KIBA-SENPAI!!" Koneko shouted in pure fear as she rushed at full speed towards Kiba. All the while, the female Fallen duo just hung in the air, sporting arrogant and condescending grins towards the petite Devil.
"You all will regret entering our base," Millet promised sadistically as she took in the battlefield.
"By the end of the night, you will know your place. Underneath our foot," Kalawarner spoke arrogantly as she gleefully saw the panicked Koneko rushing towards the cute Devil swordsman.
Before the two female Fallen could move on to defeat the remaining Devils, their eyes were drawn back to Kiba as their eyes widened in realization at what had happened.
Other side of the battle field
"How long do you think you can keep running from me, you little brat?" Dohnaseek proudly boasted as he brought Kiba on the ropes. The speedy knight couldn't do anything but dodge and look for a miracle opening to appear in the Fallen's defenses. So far during the battle, it had been him on the defensive against Dohnaseek's more powerful yet wide attacks.
'I am not getting anywhere like this… I need to start taking some chances and get in close to attack this Fallen,' Kiba thought seriously as he decided to change his tactics. Kiba sped up and charged Dohnaseek. Due to the change in speed, Dohnaseek wasn't able to stop Kiba from getting into his guard, which turned out to be a big mistake on the Fallen's part when Kiba managed to land a strike across the Fallen's chest.
"Uggh" Dohnaseek groaned at the huge slash the knight had just given him.
'As long as I keep getting in and out of his guard before he can raise his defenses, then I will be fine.' With a plan made, Kiba rushed the Dohnaseek again, landing many slashes on the body of the stunned Fallen.
Despite Dohnaseek raising his aura to protect against Kiba's strikes, all Dohnaseek was able to do was ensure that none of Kiba's strike struck his vital organs.
"I am getting tired of this!!" Dohnaseek roared as he flared his aura to the maximum, making a temporary protective bubble around himself.
"Huh" Kiba was surprised by the Fallen's rise in power and disregarded his plan get into Dohnaseek guard again. Unfortunately for him, due to Dohnaseek releasing his aura to the maximum, his speed had also increased drastically, which the Fallen used to its maximum advantage when he lunged and grabbed his retreating self by the arm.
"I got you," Dohnaseek replied sadistically when he realized he literally had the knight in his grasp. Not wasting a moment, Dohnaseek landed a mighty right hand to Kiba's torse, which had sent him hurtling into the debris of their battle.
"AAAGGGhhhh" Kiba gasped as the wind left his lungs. The force of the strike sent him crashing into a tree, leaving him temporarily defenseless.
"You will regret taking a fight with me, Devil trash," Dohnaseek roared as he summoned half a dozen light spears and threw them at the stunned knight, who could not dodge them.
"KIBA-SENPAI!" Kiba and Dohnaseek heard a feminine outcry from somewhere, but they ignored it for different reasons. Dohnaseek wanted to dash severe punishment to the knight who had damaged him this much, while Kiba tried to snap himself out of his daze.
Fortunately for him, a barrier shimmered into existence just in time to protect him against the raging light spears.
*BOOM* *BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM*
The sound of the light spear exploding onto the shield wall finally brought Kiba out of his daze. He looked towards his left, where he had thought he would find his savior. To his surprise, he saw a relieved Koneko running towards him. To protect him, he guessed in his brain, while he didn't see the person he would have thought would have saved his hide yet again.
'Where is Yumi?' Kiba thought seriously as he took a quick glance around the battlefield, his eyes briefly lingering a moment longer at a smoke cloud up in the air. Indicating a clear sign of an explosion of some sort.
His hunt for Yumi was cut short when he saw Dohnaseek get over his shock before lunging toward him at breakneck speed with only one goal in mind.
"I will kill you all right here and now," Dohnaseek shouted in rage as he went in for the kill… or so he thought.
"NO ONE IS GOING TO DIE TODAY!!" To everyone's surprise, a feminine voice shouted from the smoke cloud in the air. Much to their growing surprise, the cloud emitted a streaks of red light arrows, before being completely replaced by an injured Yumi, a gauntlet in each hand with slight burns and bruises all over her body.
"TAKE THIS!!" Yumi shouted again before unleashing a torrent of red arrows made out of concentrated light towards the stunned Fallen Angels.
"The Hell??" Millet shouted in confusion before using a combination of defensive magic and air maneuverability to protect herself against the incoming light arrows. Both Dohnaseek and Kalawarner fending for themselves rather than helping each other out, an act that Yumi found distasteful.
Despite their best efforts, all of the Fallen Angels got hit by numerous light arrows. Luckily for them, their natural resistance to light magic made their injuries hurt less, but they still did hurt.
"Damn you, Devil" Kalawarner spoke angrily as she felt intense pain all over her body. Other Fallen weren't that far behind, dishing out curses at the Devil responsible for their injuries.
"None of you would have been hit by my light arrows had you all stuck together rather than selfishly running away, to fend out for yourselves. But then again, what can you expect from a crow?" Yumi spoke dryly as she landed beside Kiba and Koneko.
"Fuck you," Dohnaseek snapped back with a roast. After all, he was a brawler and not a roaster.
"Sorry, but I have some standards," Yumi replied, earning chuckles from everyone, even the two female Fallen.
"Why you!!" Dohnaseek raged further as he summoned a light spear in each hand as he prepped himself to launch at the person who had insulted him and his manhood.
"How are we going to do this?" Kiba asked his fellow Devils tentatively. After all, the group was a hair length away from being defeated and possibly killed. They had to work together to win this battle without sustaining any fatalities on their side. Satan's knew the pain their masters would put on them if any one of them dies today.
"Koneko-chan, if you would handle Dohnaseek and Kiba-kun could fight against Millet, it would greatly increase our odds of winning this battle," Yumi spoke seriously to her fellow Devils.
"But I would be at a disadvantage against Dohnaseek if he uses light spears in close combat," Koneko retorted in a monotone voice.
"I know, which is why I will support you," Yumi replied with a soft smile. "I will support both of you," Yumi said softly as she laid a comforting hand on both Kiba and Yumi's shoulders.
"If you support us, then how would you fight your own battle?" Kiba asked, a little worried at what his adoptive older sister was suggesting. Sure, it would greatly help both him and Koneko in their fights, but it would jeopardize Yumi's safety and put her at risk.
Koneko couldn't help but nod in agreement with what Kiba had said.
Yumi just smiled at them, deeply touched that both Koneko and Kiba were worrying about her safety rather than worrying about how they will be winning their fights. "While I appreciate your worry for me and my health, your worry for me is not suited well since I won't be fighting during the time you both will be battling your opponents," Yumi replied, much to the confusion of the remaining two Devils. Unfortunately, they didn't got the time to clear their confusion with Yumi because by this point all three Fallen angels were charging at them with the clear intent to kill.
"Go," Yumi spoke sharply as she regarded Kalawarner with serious eyes.
Before any of the Fallen or the Devils reacted, Yumi vanished in front of their eyes only to appear in front of a charging Kalawarner. Kalawarner, who was surprised by the surprise burst of speed by Yumi leaving her unable to defend against a well-timed kick aimed at her thoracic cavity.
"Aghhhh" Kalawarner's eyes widened as she spat blood the moment the kick connected with her body.
"The hell," Millet yelped in surprise, clearly not expecting that speed and close-range prowess from someone she believed to be a wizard-type fighter.
As if unaffected by the surprise and comments, Yumi proceeded to double axe handle Kalawarner into the ground before sending out a block of demonic blast at her grounded opponent.
*BOOM* the blast impacted the backside of a stunned Kalawarner who barely had any time to process anything that was going on. The blast created a big dust cloud. Once the cloud cleared, it revealed a heavily damaged and knocked out Kalawarner.
"How?" Kiba asked in awe as he saw his adoptive older sister efficiently taking out a Fallen that he would have struggled to defeat.
"Illusion magic" Yumi replied with a prideful grin before explaining to a stunned group of mythological individuals like a good teacher, "It wasn't my speed that defeated Kalawarner over here, but rather her incapability to see through my illusions. When one can't see through an illusion, they are usually caught off-guard with anything you throw at them," Yumi explained to the group like a good teacher.
Her prideful attitude took a turn when she regarded everyone with a confused expression. Her gaze eventually landed on Koneko and Kiba before comically replying, "Don't just stand there and fight someone! We still need to provide Kenta-san and Issie-san support in the church. Who knows what kind of backup these idiots have in there!"
Yumi's words rang loud and clear in everyone's minds, effectively bringing everyone out of their comical stupor.
"Why you?" Dohnaseek retorted angrily as he lunged at Yumi.
Yumi, as if expected, the lunge sidestepped before unleashing a barrage of light arrows at Dohnaseek's unprotected back. Dohnaseek seeing this, used his wings to maneuver out of the way of the light arrows, unknowingly coming into the path of Koneko, who already had her fist cocked back and ready to unload at someone who had tried to harm Kiba, who she had looked as a big brother.
"Fly" Koneko spoke in a monotone voice as she landed a clean hit on Dohnaseek's cheek, sending him into the debris.
"Why you?" Millet spoke angrily before summoning a torrent of magic aimed at her former opponent. Before she could fire, she had to dodge quickly at the sight of her new opponent charging at her.
"I am your new opponent," Kiba spoke seriously as he attempted to slash Millet.
"Shit," Millet cursed as she barely managed to bring up her magical shield to protect herself from the slash that would have resulted in her losing her left arm.
With the start of round 2 with new opponents, the tides of the battle shifted in the favor of the Devils as the Fallen were being heavily pressured by their foes. Kiba's incredible speed made it impossible for Millet to catch him with one of her magic spells, while Dohnaseek's power advantage against the Gremory knight was nulled by the Koneko, who was able to match Dohnaseek on every turn.
"Damn it all! Why can't I hit you?" Millet groaned in frustration at the ineffectiveness of her magic against Kiba. She hadn't been able to even hit him even once, while Kiba was able to land a few deep gashes on her body courtesy of his incredible speed.
"You are a very good magician, there is no doubt about it, but you are letting your pride get in your way. Had you three Fallen worked together from the start, there was a very big chance that you would have beaten us in battle," Kiba spoke seriously as he danced around the incoming projectiles, all the while looking for the next opening to exploit.
"Fuck YOU!" Millet practically squealed in the end when she felt Kiba get into her guard yet again to stab her. Despite her best efforts, Kiba was able to impale his demonic swords in her thigh, effectively crippling her, before quickly moving around to slash her unprotected back.
"Agh!" Millet screamed again before collapsing onto the hard ground beneath her. The last attack from Kiba had effectively ended will to fight as she succumbed further in her injuries.
"Good Job, Kiba-kun," Yumi spoke with a smile while keeping her eyes on Koneko's match.
"It's all thanks to you, Yumi. If you hadn't protected me and Koneko-chan and taken charge of the battle, there was a very big chance we wouldn't have been able to leave here with only a few cuts and bruises" Kiba slightly blushed before thanking his older sister.
Yumi, for the fact, didn't blush but turned to Kiba while giving the most motherly smile the Gremory knight had ever seen on someone's face, "If I can't protect my younger brother, what kind of an older sister am I?" Kiba blushed after hearing that.
His blush only lasted where he heard a particularly large groan. His gaze turned to the only battle happening on their battlefield. Unlike his match, the battle between Dohnaseek and Koneko had been far more even than once anticipated. While Koneko had greater combat prowess and natural strength than Dohnaseek, Dohnaseek was able to negate her advantage with the constant use of his light-based weapons, which is a natural counter to the Devils.
"Surrender, or you will die," Koneko spoke in her usual monotone voice as one of her punches landed plush on the Fallen's abdomen.
"Ugggh" Dohnaseek groaned before grabbing Koneko's extended arm tightly.
"You truly are naïve," Dohnaseek said with an evil smile appearing on his before using a greater part of his strength to punch Koneko on her cheek, sending her crashing into the outer walls of the church. Without waiting, Dohnaseek mustered all of his strength to conjure the most number of light spears he could conjure before throwing them at a stunned Koneko.
"Koneko-san"
"Koneko-chan"
Both Yumi and Kiba screamed in panic as they tried to assist their stunned ally. Kiba used every fiber in his body and blindly rushed to get Koneko out of the way while Yumi begin summoning powerful barriers and shields around Koneko , trying to protect her from the dozen light spears coming her way.
*BOOOM*
The sound of impact rushed the battlefield as debris flew in the wake of a massive explosion. An impressive dust cloud rose in the air, occupying the spot where Koneko just had been a moment ago. All eyes glued to the impact zone, waiting to see what happened to the petite Devil.
Few minutes ago
'Battle is really picking up out there. Perhaps I should do the same' Issie thought with a grimace as he equipped his sacred gear before continuing to dodge the attacking exorcist to the best of his ability.
It had been few minutes since both him and Kenta arrived in the church. During this time Kenta had equipped himself with two swords of fire, which Issie correctly assumed to be a gift from his sacred gear, as he had taken the bulk of the enemies all the while Issie did his best to avoid getting hit by the exorcist and their light based weapons.
Due to Issie's Devil nature, he had gotten more powerful than an average human but was in no way powerful enough to fight against a small group of exorcists. That is not counting his lack of combat experience; the only fights he had gotten into were petty schoolyard brawls with his two perverted friends. This truly would be a long night for him.
On the other hand, Kenta himself was struggling in his own battles with the exorcist. However, unlike Issie, he wasn't struggling because of lack of combat experience but rather his incapability to truly wound his opponent in the fear of them dying.
'Only if they weren't humans! They have so low vitality that one strong hit could kill them' Kenta growled in frustration within his mind. Adara did her best to console him, but it was all for naught since the exorcist were gaining more confidence every second.
"Issie focus up! I cannot always protect you" Kenta snapped at Issie as he had to abandon his position to jump in front of him to protect him from being impaled by the two rushing exorcists he hadn't noticed yet. Despite Kenta successfully saving Issie, unfortunately, he couldn't defend himself from getting cut, hence his anger towards Issie.
"Sorry about that Kenta" Issie quickly apologized before jumping over the benches, using them to get some distance between himself and his attackers.
"You won't survive long with that tactic, someone will flank you soon which will result in your downfall Issie" Kenta growled as he used a little bit more of his strength to overpower two exorcists he was locked in battle with.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I don't have any fighting experience" Issie shouted back as he barely dodged a flanking exorcist.
"Make the fight dirty, do whatever you can to survive and win" Kenta quickly replied before blocking a incoming exorcist and then quickly kneeing him in the stomach with such force that it knocked the exorcist out.
"What do you mean by making it dirty" Issie asked indecorously before pushing a charging exorcist into others giving him some breathing room.
"I don't know! Kick them in the balls or something" Kenta replied comically before proceeding into doing the same thing he had advised Issie to do.
"I cant do that! I cant break the bro code!!" Issie replied, horrified at the thought of kicking someone in the nuts. As a man he had felt the pain of being hit in the nuts and this was a pain he didn't want to bring over any other man. This was an unspoken rule between men after all.
"They are trying to kill us because we are Devils and they hate us on the sheer principle. These guys aren't your bro's" Kenta replied comically before dodging his opponent and then carefully slashing them in their back. Effectively taking them out of the fight.
Issie grimaced but he knew Kenta was right. If he didn't do it, with his own lack of experience in fighting, the chances of him walking out of this battle weren't looking that great.
'Then there is also Asia. Isn't she going through some ritual?' Issie thought in horror before steeling himself into doing what he must do.
Issie dodged his opponent without wasting a second before kicking them in their nuts. He could have sworn he heard something crunch over the pained scream of the fallen exorcist.
"Have you no honor Devil" one of the exorcist spoke in anger as he saw his fellow exorcist fall to Issie.
"You are one to speak about honor! You are helping these Fallen Angels perform some ritual on a human who was once part of the church" Issie replied sternly, his anger slowly rising.
"This is because she is a witch. She can heal Devils" The exorcist justified his and actions of his brethren, even though he knew the Devil in front of him was right.
Issie was having none of it as he rushed forward, "She can heal Devils, so what? She helped someone in need! Isn't that what your Lord teaches? To help people regardless of their beliefs, ethnicity or religion??" Issie responded angrily.
Issie's heartfelt reply got through to the exorcist as he froze in the middle of their fight giving Issie more than enough time to get into striking range. "This is for Asia" Issie roared before using all his might knock the exorcist out.
*THUM* sound of the strongest exorcist dropping onto the floor echoed through the church as it caused the null in the battle. Most eyeing Issie cautiously as he had defeated the strongest among them in single hand combat while others who had been able to listen Issie talk to their leader now felt conflicted on whether or not support a cause which, to their knowledge, would cause Asia her life. Asia who had been a high priestess of the Vatican once. The most respected and sought out Priestess. Someone who had followed their Lord to the T and who still did despite being exiled by the church. Even after joining the Fallen Angels, she didn't abandon her faith or the beliefs. Now they were part of the cause that will result in the death of such a saint. Surely, they couldn't stand by and watch it happen!
To the shock of many, one by one the exorcist who had listened to Issie's heart felt and honest words dropped their weapons.
"What in the nine layers of hell are you doing Alexander" one of the exorcist who had been trying to hold off Kenta bellowed at his fellow rouge exorcist.
"Despite of who he is… The Devil is right, John. I can't support a ritual that could potentially result in the death of someone like Lady Argento. Hundreds if not thousands owe their life to her. We cannot abandon her in her time of need" the exorcist named Alexander sighed before turning back to his stunned colleagues.
"I will help this Devil save Lady Argento before killing him in mortal combat for the sin of an existence he is. This is something even our Lord and his scripture commands us to do. For the Greater Good" Alexander spoke sternly before eyeing an astonished Issie.
"Lady Argento is in the basement. I will escort you there" Alexander spoke seriously before turning on his heels and leading a stunned Issie to the entrance way to the basement.
"Betrayer" John shouted in anger before lunging at Alexander at full speed. To his shock his attack was halted by one of the other exorcist who had agreed with Alexander.
"What are you doing Micheal? Have you gone MAD!!?!?" John bellowed at the exorcist named Micheal who had stopped him from killing Alexander.
"You will be facing me, John. Alexander is right. Whatever our dispute with the Devils is… we can deal with it once we rescue Lady Argento" His words begin the start of a new brawl. A brawl between the exorcists.
"Kenta?" Issie asked Kenta in confusion. Not sure what to do.
"They are right! Go with the one exorcist named Alexander to save Asia. We can deal with our issues after we save her. I will give you cover in the mean time, so get a move on!" Kenta replied sternly as readied his weapon to provide Issie and Alexander cover.
"You got it!" Issie replied with confidence before rushing towards the entrance to the basement, where Alexander had been waiting for him.
"No, you don't!" one of the rouge exorcist tried to stop Issie but they were stopped in their tracks by Kenta.
"If you want to get to them then you would have to get through me first" Kenta replied with a sinister voice before attacking the exorcist who barely had the time to duck out of the way of a strike which would surely would have taken his head off.
Downstairs in the basement
"Where is Asia?" Issie asked Alexander tentatively. The duo had descended the stairs to the basement in utter silence. Both of them wondered if their temporary ally would turn on them the next second.
"She is just past that door in the ritual chambers," Alexander muttered anxiously.
"Ritual chambers?" Issie asked fearfully before his attention got snatched towards the door from where he was sure he was hearing some mantra in a foreign language he didn't recognize.
"Let's get a move on if we want to save Lady Argento." Alexander brought Issie out of his hesitation before making a run for the door.
*Click**Clack *
"ASIA!!!" Issie screamed as he burst through the door only to find Asia hung up on a cross attached to some device he didn't know. His breath hitched further once he saw who the only other person in the room was.
The person who had played with his heart.
The person who killed him.
The person who forcefully took his humanity away.
The person was none other than the Fallen Angel Raynare… or someone he knew as Amano Yumma.
"Yumma-chan," Issie muttered in shock. Now realizing she was the only Fallen the Devils hadn't encountered until now.
"An exorcist working alongside a Devil… You truly have an unnatural ability to bring people from opposing races together," Raynare spoke with an amused tone without turning towards the newcomers.
"I am not associated with this Devil! I am just working with him to the extent to save the former high priestess of the Church from the current fate you have planned for her," Alexander said cautiously as he slowly advanced towards Raynare while also keeping a close eye on her.
Despite being confronted, Raynare showed no fear and was rather looking excited at the prospect of finally being able to complete her ritual. With her back confidently turned towards the duo, Raynare focused on Asia, who was ironically hung on a wooden crucifix attached to some advanced magical machinery that the other occupants of the room had no idea what it was about.
Soon the ritual came to its completion as a green hue emitted from the device and surrounded the former Nun who began screaming in pure agony.
"What are you doing to her?" Issie asked urgently, alarmed at why Asia was screaming in such pain.
Rather than replying to Issie's question, Raynare kept her attention solely on Asia, aiming to complete her ritual as soon as possible, a ritual she had yearned for many months now. A ritual that will help her in her own personal goals.
Eventually, screams of Asia were too much for Alexander to bear, so he summoned his light sword and rushed Raynare. Issie joining him in the attack, in an attempt to protect Asia from what looked like unimaginable pain.
"Stop it now" Alexander screamed as he closed in on Raynare, aiming the sword right at the Fallens head.
"Like if you could do anything to stop me" Raynare huffed arrogantly before lazily throwing one of her destructive light spears, right through the exorcist torso.
"UGGGgghhhhh!!!" For only a few moments, Alexander felt the light spear run through his torso, he felt unimaginable pain coursing through his body. Pain more potent than anything he has ever felt in his long exorcist career. Before he could comprehend, the moment of his torture was over with a binding explosion of light that destroyed his body from inside out. His body exploded from the inside, sending its remains all over the basement of the church. The only thing protected from his inner guts was the altar where Raynare had been performing the ritual on Asia.
Issie was caught in the aftermath of the explosion, which sent him into one of the pillars of the basement. He powerfully crashed into the pillar as blood came sprouting out of his mouth as he felt his ears ringing furiously.
"That's what happens when you cross me! Know your place, filthy human!" Raynare remarked with a smirk before continuing with her ritual. Issie's loss of concentration gave her more than enough time to complete her ritual.
"RAYNARE PLEASE STOP!!" Issie begged at the end, making a last-ditch effort to stop the pain his friend was feeling at the moment. However, like all of his previous requests regarding Asia, his current request also landed on deaf ears as shortly after, Raynare completed her ritual with the green hue slowly disappearing and Asia finally losing her consciousness.
"Finally!" Raynare spoke in pure jubilation. After all of her hard work, she had finally acquired the Twilight healing. The ring signifying the sacred gear slowly came out of Asia's chest before landing on Raynare's hand. "All of this trouble for this little ring," Raynare softly spoke as she eyed the rings in pure fascination. While some part of her felt somewhat apologetic and sympathetic towards the Devil behind her or the soon to be dead former Nun of the Vatican. However, her goal assigned to her was achieved, and now, with a little selfishness, she could start getting revenge on people who had wronged her.
"A-Asia?" Issie said softly as he slowly walked towards Asia, with trembling hands and quivering lips.
"She would be dead in a few minutes. Thank me for relieving her from the life she was destined to have. One way or another, she would have been captured by someone and forced to be their slave for the rest of her life. This way, I got her eternal peace at a small cost," Raynare huffed as she briefly regarded a quivering Issie, who was slowly walking toward Asia.
Raynare eyed him for a second, some part of her feeling remorseful of her actions for killing Asia and Issie. She had orders she had to follow, but that didn't mean she went a little extra overboard to torture both Asia and Issie. Well, for Issie, she could have just killed him rather than taking her out on a date and then mercilessly killing him. And for Asia, she could have spared him rather than taking her own sacred gear for her own selfish desires.
"As a reward for you reaching this far in your endeavors to save the woman, here you go." With that, Raynare snapped her fingers, which released Asia from the machine he was hung on.
"Asia!" Issie shouted as he caught Asia before she could land on the floor.
"I-Issie-san?" Asia spoke softly as she slowly opened her eyes. Her gem green eyes looking into Issie's brown eyes.
"Asia don't worry about anything, I will take you to a doctor! You will be fine after a good night's rest," Issie replied frantically, trying to reassure Asia she won't be dying tonight. His worries grew when he saw Asia skin going pale and her energy lowering.
"Issie-san, I am thankful to God for the friend he gave me in you! Even if our friendship didn't last that long… it was a friendship I would cherish until the end of time! You truly are a good friend," Asia thanked Issie softly as she started to tear up a little.
"W-What are you saying?!?" Issie rubbed the tears flowing from his eyes, trying to his best to act strong for Asia. "Don't say things like that! We will go somewhere and have fun when you are all healed up! We will go Karaoke, go to the gaming arcade, try different food cuisines, go bowling and have lots of fun!" Issie did his best to act strong, but the tears just kept flowing from his eyes.
He didn't even want to think about losing Asia, but fear started to creep in his heart that he might be witnessing the last few seconds of his friend. He was brought out from his dark thoughts when he felt a soft hand cupping his cheek.
His eyes widened when he saw Asia looking into his brown eyes with a small smile.
"It wasn't for long but I am glad that I was able to find such good friends in you and Kenta-san!" Asia spoke softly as she remembered the memories she had with her two friends. While her memories with Kenta had been brief and formal, it didn't take away from the fact that both Kenta and Asia had found good friendship in one another. The duo had bonded over their dark past together, becoming each other's first friends.
"What are you saying Asia?!? We have so much we need to do together… We will bring Kenta on in the ride too" Issie replied back tearfully before continuing, "I also need to introduce to my friends… Matsuda and Motohama! They might be a little perverted, but both of them have a good heart! I am sure they will love to be your friends as well."
"If I had been born with you, I would have gone to school with you! Have made friends over here alongside you! It would have all been wonderful…" Asia found herself tearing up as well. Not being able to stop herself from thinking about 'what could have been'.
"We can enroll you into my school! Sure, paperwork would be a nightmare, but my parents would love you! You would be a daughter they didn't have." Issie giggled at the thought of his parents adopting Asia as one of them. Knowing them, Issie knew his parents would have loved Asia to bits and given her a safe haven she deserved.
Asia couldn't help but smile at the thought of living in a house with Issie. Surrounded by people who wanted her for her and rather not for what she brought to the table. She could make as many friends as she could, live closer to both Issie and Kenta while going to school. As a high priestess in the Vatican, Asia was never afforded that luxury in her previous life.
"That sounds good. Perhaps in the next life I am born here and live alongside you and Kenta-san. We can go to school together and have fun while protecting each other from the harshness of the world!" Asia spoke softly as she took a last glance towards her friend before closing her eyes.
Issie was left horrified at the thought he had just seen someone take their last breath in front of him. For that person to be Asia, tore his heart to pieces.
"Asia… Asia… Come on! quit playing around and wake up." Issie gently shook Asia as tears started to run down his face. Reality hit him slowly that his friend had indeed passed away, and he had been unable to save her.
"Why did she have to die… She was such a kind girl who'd cure anyone who was injured, even if they were Devils!" Issie started to cry uncontrollably as he hugged Asia's lifeless corpse with all the life left within him.
"Hey God!! I know you are listening to me!" Issie turned towards the sky and screamed at the top of his lungs. "Don't take her! Please, I beg you! She didn't do anything wrong. She just wanted to live a happy life and make some friends! Aren't you supposed to look after your own people! Why didn't you help her! She had such a pure heart and wanted to help people! Isn't that what you teach people in your religion!" Issie screamed in despair. Hoping some higher power would listen to him and help him save Asia.
"Won't you listen to my desperation because I'm a Devil! Does her life mean nothing because she became friends with two Devils?!? Please, God, I beg you to please save her," Issie begged again and again. Slowly, his call of prayer turned soft as he kept on crying over his friend's body.
"You won't listen to me because I am a Devil now! Now who should I pray to? The Satan? Please save Asia…" Issie cried his eyes out as he called out to pray every deity he had heard about that. Surely one of them would respond to his cry for help.
"It truly is a rare side to see a Devil pray in a Church! Fate truly is a one nasty Bitch" Raynare replied with an amused tone at seeing the sight in front of her. Some part of her felt guilt for the pain she had caused, but Fallen were always a ruthless bunch, and she had orders to follow.
"Raynare…" Issie said quietly as he slowly turned towards the only other person in the room.
"Sacred gears are wonderful artifacts, aren't they, Issie-kun?" Raynare spoke cutely for a second before healing a small cut she had inflicted on herself using the sacred gear she had stolen from Asia.
After healing herself, Raynare looked at Issie for a second before continuing, "Sacred Gears are wonderful tools for us Fallen Angels. Especially since we lost God's Divine protection," Raynare explained to Issie as she summoned the twilight healing in its ring forms on her fingers.
"With this sacred gear, I can increase my rank as a high-class Fallen Angel and enact revenge against all of those who have wronged me over the years," Raynare spoke to no one in particular as she took in a deep breath as a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"Like I give a damn about that" Harsh words from Issie brought Raynare back to reality as her gaze snapped towards the Devil pawn in front of her, who was now in the process of slowly lowering Asia onto the ground before standing up to Raynare with a unusual glint in his eyes. Something she wasn't expecting on the pervert she had known. A look of vengeance!
"She never discriminated against Fallen Angels, Devils or Humans! All she wanted was to help people," Issie spoke in quiet intensity.
"You should be thanking me Devil! Humans chosen as the Sacred gear wielders aren't destined for long lives. Most of them are usually killed by other humans after they sense something supernatural from them, or the sacred gear wielder just pushes their luck way too much to the point where the sacred gear starts using its wielder's life source to respond to its wielder's wishes. It was only a matter of time till Asia pushed herself to the same limit she had as a human. That is the destiny of all sacred gear wielders." Raynare shrugged off Issie's attitude towards her. She was going to kill the Devil soon anyway.
"That's no destiny!" Issie shouted at her.
Raynare, as if not affected by Issie's outburst, focused more on her nails than the conversation she was having with Issie, "But it is!"
"What?" Issie raised his eyebrow at Raynare's dismissal.
"Sacred gears are too much for a human to handle. No matter how wonderful they are, unusual powers are bound to be feared and their wielders are shunned. Wasn't she branded as a heretic?" Raynare asked Issie a rhetorical question to which he simply stayed quiet.
Raynare continued as if not interested in Issie's reply, "That's simply how it is! Thats just how humans are; weak, thoughtless, and uncaring about everything. That's why humans are God's greatest mistake!" Raynare added at the end before beginning to laugh.
Her laugh was cut short when Issie finally stood up to his full height before looking deep into Raynare's eyes, an act that sent shivers down her spine.
"I don't care about God! I don't care about human limits! I don't care about your goal! All I see is someone who killed my friend." At that, Issie screamed at the top of his lungs before summoning his twice critical on his left arm, much to the shock of the Fallen in front of him. Only one thought ran through Raynare's mind: the Devil was going to fight her despite knowing he couldn't hurt her.
*BOOST*
With that Issie felt his power double, before leaping towards Raynare at full speed. Hoping to take advantage of Raynare's brief lapse of concentration, Issie clocked back a punch, aiming for Raynare's head.
"TAKE THIS!!" Issie screamed as he attempted to punch Raynare at full power.
The Fallen shook off her surprise and reacted quickly by dodging the incoming punch. While the punch wasn't powerful enough to do any lasting damage on her, she would be damned if she let a low class Devil land a hit on her.
"So you will die fighting huh? Honorable but worthless," Raynare spoke in a bored voice before leaning back to dodge another incoming punch. To her surprise, Issie wasn't deterred by her words but rather was more motivated by them. While none of the punches he threw at her landed, it was truly surprising for her since, with every punch, his power and speed increased by a considerable margin.
"Hmm… Your sacred gear increases your power and speed! Interesting, but even with that, you won't be able to beat me. Like I said… your attempt is honorable but worthless," Raynare spoke confidently. Her confidence shook for a second when Issie's latest punch sped towards her with speed Issie hadn't yet showcased in battle. It went through her first guard, forcing her to make a block for the first time in their battle. Her astonishment grew further when she actually felt a sting of pain when the punch was blocked by her forearm. It didn't hurt enough to grit her teeth, but it hurt her more than a mosquito sting. It was truly baffling for her to accept that a low-class Devil forced a block off her, and for the block to sting a little showed the potential for sacred gears in her eyes.
'How in the nine layers of hell is his powers and speed increasing at this rate. A simple twice critical shouldn't increase its wielders power that much! Is it because of his Devil heritage? Is this why he is growing this powerful this quickly?' Raynare thought analytically, not picking up the basic clues for the answer being right in front of her.
"It's not worthless if I can kill you Raynare!!" Issie screamed in anger, not liking the fact he was being treated like a child. With punches not working, Issie decided to switch his offensive strategies by throwing a kick at his enemy's gut.
"Treat my name with respect you low class peasant!" Raynare snapped in outrage before grabbing Issie's legs before throwing him into the stands that held the armory of the exorcist.
"Agghhh" Issie groaned in pain as he landed harshly onto the shelves and stands which held few Japanese Katana's.
Raynare looked down at Issie's downed form in disgust. However, before she could do anything, her senses flared up. Telling her something was off.
She used her advanced sensory skills to sense the conflict inside and around the church.
'Hmm, I can't sense either the exorcist or the other Fallen. It looks like they were defeated by the other Devils. That's a shame, but they were always a means to an end. With the task completed, I should just leave. There is nothing here that is worth my attention,' Raynare huffed in disgust before turning towards the exit in an attempt to leave.
"You aren't leaving this basement," a voice from her behind caught her off guard. Her surprise grew further when she felt someone grabbing her arm. It was Issie who had grabbed Raynare by her arm.
"There is only one person out of the two of us that is going to leave this place alive, and unfortunately for you, I have no desire to die today!" Raynare turned around only to find Issie with a katana in his hand mid-swing, his eyes glowing with determination, vengeance and domination.
For a moment, dread seeped in her heart as fear crawled in her brain, only asking one question of her… Who did she just piss off?!?!?
Chapter End
There you have it people! The second chapter of the first arc of the story is finally done! With Asia dead, Issie and Raynare find themselves in a confrontation. A confrontation which will lead to someones defeat. And for some reason, Raynare couldn't help but feel some hesitation and fear crawl into her heart regarding the whole mess.
What do you think will happen next! Please write a review and let me know!
There is really nothing else to say other than I will see you guys soon enough with the final chapter of this arc. Hopefully soon and not after a month long break… lol!
Furthermore, before I end this chapter, I just wanted to urge you all to please COMMENT on the chapters and let me know what you all think. Please write constructive criticism so I know where I am lacking or if my story has some plot holes. These help me greatly improve the quality of my chapters.
Until then stay safe and have fun!
DGZalama out!
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