Arthur sat stiffly at the small round table inside the bakery, his fingers drumming against the wood as his eyes flicked toward the girl sitting across from him.
The vampire's crimson gaze bore into him like needles.
This only made the scene more awkward as she pouted, arms crossed, and tapped her gloved fingers against the table.
Sitting beside Arthur was Dulio, who looked far more relaxed, already sniffing the air for the scent of baked goods, while Lavinia sat on his other side with her usual calm, collected demeanor, her chin resting on one hand as her icy-blue eyes observed the situation.
As for Valerie and the other C×C members, they decided to explore the town and voted for Dulio to join Arthur to meet the vampire guest, much to the strongest exorcist's disappointment.
Arthur cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence.
"So… uhh… how are you? My name is-"
*Slam!*
Before he could finish, the girl across the table slammed her hands down, startling him enough to make him lean back slightly.
Her crimson eyes narrowed as she hissed.
"Five hours."
Arthur blinked, confused.
"Eh?"
"Five hours!"
She repeated, her sharp voice attracting the glances of a few customers.
"I arrived here at eight in the morning, and I have been sitting here, risking my life from sunlight exposure, waiting in this bakery.... for FIVE HOURS!"
Her lips curled in irritation, and she let out a huff, puffing her cheeks slightly like a sulking child, though her aura was anything but childlike.
Arthur scratched the back of his head, sweat forming on his temple.
"Ah… right. That…"
Dulio chuckled awkwardly, raising a hand as if to calm her down.
"Yeah, sorry about that, miss. We kinda got a 'little' sidetracked."
He emphasized the word little, but his grin betrayed that it was anything but.
Lavinia let out a soft sigh.
"We apologize for the delay. Things… became more complicated than expected. Still, I hope Avalon has treated you well during your wait."
The vampire girl huffed, her crimson gaze darting to the side.
"Hmph! The town is fine, I suppose."
She muttered reluctantly. Then she looked back at Arthur with sharpness in her tone.
"But let us not waste any more time. I would rather not end up waiting another five hours for you to remember your duties."
Arthur gave a small nod, his sweatdrop practically visible.
"Yeah, right… Okay then, let's start with introductions. My name is Arthur Pendragon, leader of the C×C."
The girl elegantly picked up her teacup, taking a slow sip before setting it down with deliberate grace.
"Elmenhilde Karnstein, noble heiress of the House of Karnstein and chosen representative of the Carmilla Faction."
She said with a refined but haughty tone.
"And for the record… I am already very well aware of who you are, Son of Satan."
Arthur simply nodded, silently deciding not to push her buttons further.
At that moment, the waiter arrived with a tray of fresh pastries and steaming tea. Dulio's eyes lit up instantly as he leaned forward.
"Ohh, food!"
He wasted no time, snatching up a pastry and biting into it with blissful satisfaction.
"Mmm, this shit is awesome~"
Elmenhilde's expression twisted into mild disgust as she muttered under her breath.
"This is Heaven's strongest exorcist? Good grief…"
Arthur leaned toward her, whispering quickly.
"Just ignore him. He's an idiot."
"I heard that."
Dulio mumbled around a mouthful of pastry, but didn't care enough to argue, happily munching away.
Lavinia, unaffected by Dulio's antics, took a sip of her tea and set the cup down gently.
"Shall we continue with the reason for this meeting?"
She asked, cutting through the awkwardness.
Elmenhilde nodded firmly, glad to redirect the focus.
"Yes. Let us begin."
The group launched into discussions.
An hour passed as Arthur, Lavinia, and Elmenhilde negotiated the terms of their alliance.
They spoke of the exchange of information regarding rising threats, sharing news about movements within the supernatural community, and the assurance of aid in times of crisis.
Dulio chimed in occasionally, though his suggestions tended to stray from the usual diplomatic tone.
At one point, he leaned forward, and suggested.
"Hey, for the Carmilla Faction's food source, why not use death row inmates and irredeemable criminals? You know, the ones no one's gonna miss. Human or otherwise. Oh, and maybe even livestock? Like cows or pigs, or even blood banks are okay!"
Elmenhilde's face darkened as she glared at him.
"Livestock? Truly, you think vampires would stoop so low as to lap at the veins of barnyard animals?"
Her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Arthur quickly interjected, trying to prevent the conversation from derailing.
"Well, the death row inmates and criminals make sense. At least that way, there's some… order to it."
There was a back-and-forth discussion, with Elmenhilde firmly rejecting the livestock idea but eventually conceding that criminals and blood banks could work as a sustainable source.
The conversation shifted to the matter of dhampirs, and specifically Valerie Tepes. Arthur's expression grew serious as he leaned forward.
"Valerie is under my protection. So are the other dhampirs who decide to settle here in Avalon. They're safe as long as they remain in this town."
Elmenhilde studied him with a calculating gaze before nodding.
"That is acceptable. It would be… beneficial to keep them under your protection. However…"
She tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"What of the girl's Longinus? The Sephiroth Graal? Surely you know what it represents, Arthur Pendragon."
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"I do."
His tone carried a note of unease, as he didn't like where the question was leading.
But Elmenhilde raised a hand lightly, stopping him before he could get defensive.
"Rest assured, we are not here to seize her. The Carmilla Faction has already decided to guide her vampiric heritage, as the last of the Tepes bloodline. To help her reach her full potential. Nothing more."
Lavinia leaned in, her voice calm, reinforcing the point.
"Ultimately, the decision will rest with Valerie herself. No one will force her into anything."
After a tense moment, Arthur finally relaxed and nodded.
"Then we'll let Valerie decide for herself."
The negotiations drew to a close, and all four stood from the table.
Arthur extended his hand, and Elmenhilde met it with her own, and they shook hands.
"It's a pleasure meeting you, Lady Karnstein."
Arthur said.
Elmenhilde's lips curved ever so slightly, a faint smile forming.
"No... The pleasure is mine, Sir Pendragon."
They left the bakery together, the bright afternoon sunlight spilling over Avalon's streets.
Elmenhilde opened a parasol, shielding herself from the rays as she walked beside Arthur, Dulio, and Lavinia.
As they strolled, she glanced around, her crimson eyes scanning the restored buildings, the bustling market stalls, and the laughter of children in the distance.
"I must admit, your town's infrastructure is impressive. The peace here is enviable."
Dulio casually shrugged, licking powdered sugar off his fingers.
"Eh, thank the builders. I just show up when the food stalls open."
Arthur chuckled at Dulio's remark as he looked at the people around them.
"I'm glad that Avalon has become a place like this."
Lavinia walked at his side, lips parting as though she wanted to say something, but before she could, a thunderous boom ripped through the air.
*Boom!*
The ground shook beneath their feet as an explosion echoed from afar.
Smoke billowed into the sky, screams filled the air, and panicked townsfolk scattered in every direction.
Arthur's eyes widened as he snapped his head toward the rising smoke.
"What the-"
His expression hardened instantly, his green eyes narrowing.
"So much for peace…"
He broke into a sprint, his coat billowing behind him.
"Arthur! Wait up!"
Lavinia called out, quickly dashing after him with urgency.
Elmenhilde blinked in shock at the sudden chaos, her grip tightening on her parasol.
"I thought you said this place was peaceful... Also, aren't you going to follow them?"
Dulio simply shrugged, unbothered.
"Eh, they can handle it. For now, do you wanna try out this new place that serves good crêpes? It's just down that way."
He pointed casually.
Elmenhilde stared at him in disbelief, then, after a pause, she slowly considered his words.
"Crêpes, you say?"
"Best in town, from what I heard."
Dulio grinned.
After a long silence, Elmenhilde gave the faintest nod.
"Very well. Lead the way."
DxD
A few minutes earlier.
At the edge of Avalon, the quiet breeze carried the sound of rustling grass as Siegfried and Jeanne strolled casually side by side.
The sunlight filtered through the clouds, giving the town outskirts a gentle glow.
Despite the peace around them, their conversation was anything but ordinary.
"So, imagine this, the Khaos Brigade one day finds us with an army, Arthur standing there in full dragon rampage. What do you think happens?"
Jeanne began with a mischievous smile, her tone teasing.
Siegfried smirked, scratching his cheek.
"They'd probably surrender before he even raises his hand. That or they'd all faint in terror."
Jeanne laughed at the mental image, covering her mouth politely.
"Hahahaha! You're probably right."
Siegfried shrugged, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"But it's not as terrible as Georg dancing the Macarena when he was drunk. That's something I'll never be able to unsee."
Jeanne nearly doubled over laughing.
"Don't remind me! He almost tripped over the table. Do you remember his face when he fell face-first into the punch bowl?"
"For a genius wizard who controls space and dimensions, he couldn't even control his own speech that night."
The two shared a genuine laugh, their steps slowing as they wandered into a small clearing covered with soft grass.
The air was fresh, the chirping of birds filling the silence between their laughter.
But then Siegfried stopped walking.
Jeanne blinked and turned to him.
"What's wrong? Why'd you stop?"
Siegfried rubbed the back of his head, looking uncharacteristically uneasy.
"Speaking of the party… there's something I wanted to talk about... About what happened this morning."
Jeanne's face immediately turned red, the memory flooding her mind.
Her hand twitched unconsciously as she tried to maintain her composure.
"O-Oh… that…"
Siegfried avoided her gaze, which was unusual for him.
"Y-Yeah... Look, I still have no idea what I did wrong. But… whatever it was, I guess I should apologize."
Her eyes widened.
Jeanne had known Siegfried for years, long enough to understand the kind of man he was.
He wasn't the type to apologize easily... or at all.
He was blunt, often rude, and always confident in himself.
But now, for the first time, he was lowering his pride... for her sake.
She smiled faintly, shaking her head.
"There's nothing to apologize for. Really. I may have… overreacted. I shouldn't have done what I did."
Siegfried raised an eyebrow at her.
"Overreacting is an understatement."
Her face twitched, her red eyes narrowing into a glare that could pierce through your soul.
"Excuse me?"
"Okay, okay! Maybe I shouldn't have said it like that. My bad."
Siegfried quickly held up a hand defensively, chuckling awkwardly.
The air grew awkward between them.
Neither spoke for a while, the silence filled only by the wind swaying the grass. Jeanne fiddled with her fingers, her cheeks still pink, while Siegfried tried to act like he wasn't uncomfortable, though his stiffness betrayed him.
Finally, Jeanne lowered her gaze, her voice soft and shy.
"I… I didn't really mind that... you saw me... naked..."
"..."
For a second, Siegfried's mind went blank, and he felt his heart skip a beat.
Jeanne had always been strict and somewhat socially naive, but this bashful, gentle side of her made something stir inside him that he had never felt before.
His face warmed, and his thoughts scrambled.
(What the fuck? Did I hear her right, or is she messing with me?)
Siegfried blinked, trying to get himself together as he asked for clarification.
"W-What... did you just say?"
Her eyes widened in panic, and she quickly shook her head.
"N-Nothing! Forget I said anything!"
She forced a smile, waving her hands in panic.
Before she embarrassed herself further, Siegfried sighed and decided to change the subject... for her sake.
"Anyway. It's been a while since our last spar. How about we go for a round?"
Jeanne blinked in surprise.
"A spar? Now?"
"Yeah. I want to see if you've gotten soft on me."
Siegfried summoned his Demon Sword, Gram, the blade glowing faintly with demonic energy.
Her lips curled into a grin, her earlier embarrassment fading away as her battle spirit ignited.
"Is that so? I'm the one who should be asking that question."
She raised her hand, summoning her Holy Rapier through Blade Blacksmith.
The holy light contrasted sharply with the demonic aura of Gram.
"Get ready to eat dirt, Sieg."
Siegfried smirked, twirling Gram effortlessly before pointing it at her.
"We'll see about that."
They stood still, eyes locked, tension thick in the air.
A single leaf drifted down between them, landing softly on the grass.
The moment it touched the ground, both charged.
*CLANG!*
Their blades clashed with a sharp clang, sparks flying as holy and demonic energy collided.
Jeanne's movements were swift and graceful, her rapier darting like lightning.
Siegfried countered with precision and brute strength, Gram meeting every thrust with unwavering force.
"You've gotten sharper."
Siegfried remarked between clashes.
Jeanne smirked.
"And you're getting sloppy!"
They pressed against each other's blades, their eyes locked, before pushing off and exchanging rapid strikes.
With each clash, the air around them shook, the grass beneath their feet flattening from the force.
What neither realized was that they were being watched.
In the shadows of the trees at the edge of the clearing is a figure covered in pitch-black armor with jagged edges, the being crouched low, its breath heavy and ragged.
In its gauntleted claws, it gripped a massive serrated broadsword that is coated in shadow.
Its eyes glowed crimson with unrestrained rage as it growled lowly, its focus fixed on Jeanne's glowing rapier.
"Holy… Sword…"
Its voice was guttural, animalistic, filled with hatred.
The armored figure trembled with the urge to strike, its body coiled like a predator ready to pounce.
Neither Jeanne nor Siegfried noticed as they were too caught up in the heat of their spar, blades ringing across the clearing, laughter mixing with the sounds of battle.
The armored figure's eyes narrowed further, the growl deepening as it slowly approached the so-called 'NOT couple'.
Siegfried and Jeanne pressed their respective blades against one another, the force crackling in the air as their locked swords pushed back and forth.
Their grins widened in unison.
For all the chaos surrounding their lives, these little moments of clashing steel were the few things that felt normal to them.
Jeanne's eyes gleamed as her rapier pushed forward, while Siegfried leaned in with his usual cocky smirk, his demonic blade Gram humming with energy.
"You're not bad today, Jeanne. Getting a little sharper, aren't you?"
Siegfried teased, his tone half playful and half challenging.
Jeanne smirked back.
"Maybe you're just getting dull, Siegfried. Or do you finally admit that I've surpassed you?"
Siegfried let out a sharp laugh as he shoved forward and then twisted his blade, forcing her to backstep.
"Not a chance. How about we take this to the next level?"
Jeanne narrowed her eyes slightly at his tone.
"The next level? You mean…"
She trailed off, lowering her stance slightly.
"Are you sure? You might regret it."
"Tch, I don't regret anything. It's you who's going to regret this, Arc."
Siegfried's smirk widened as his silver hair caught the breeze.
The two leapt back simultaneously, giving each other space.
Jeanne raised her rapier, preparing to unleash her Balance Breaker, her lips parting to speak the words.
"Balance-"
But Siegfried's eyes suddenly went wide as he looked past her shoulder.
"Jeanne! Watch out!"
He roared, charging forward with explosive speed.
Jeanne froze for half a second before instinct kicked in.
Her Sacred Gear, Blade Blacksmith, responded instantly.
From the earth behind her, a wall of holy swords sprouted upward, their light blazing to protect her from whatever was approaching.
The protection lasted only a moment.
"CRASH!"
The holy barrier shattered in an instant as a massive black broadsword, jagged and serrated, came crashing down with enough force to split the ground.
From behind the wall emerged a black armored figure, its body covered in obsidian plating that gave off an unnatural black smoke, and glowing red eyes pierced the darkness of its helmet, burning with primal rage.
Its guttural voice echoed like a growl from a beast.
"Holy swords…"
The blow would have cleaved through Jeanne if Siegfried hadn't intercepted.
With a defiant yell, he swung Gram against the monster's blade, creating an explosion of force that sent all three flying back.
*Boom!*
The two heroes were blown toward Avalon, crashing into a fruit stall with a cacophony of wood splinters and rolling produce.
The vendor screamed in shock while nearby civilians gasped, covering their mouths.
Apples, oranges, and even pineapples rolled across the street as Siegfried groaned, lying on his back with Jeanne sprawled half atop him.
"Oww…I think... I landed on a durian..."
Siegfried grunted, face twisting in pain as the smelly, spiky fruit dug into his back.
Despite the tension, Jeanne blinked and then stifled a laugh before quickly standing.
"Idiot."
She muttered under her breath, extending a hand to pull him up.
He grumbled as he accepted the help, brushing fruit pulp off his coat.
Before they could regroup, a squad of exorcists in white cloaks rushed onto the scene.
They bowed slightly at Jeanne and Siegfried.
"Miss Jeanne! Sir Siegfried! Are you both unharmed? What happened here?"
Jeanne shook her head quickly.
"We don't know. Something attacked us out of nowhere, and now..."
Siegfried clicked his tongue, scanning the smoke in the distance.
"Whatever it was… that freakshow isn't done yet."
As if on cue, a tremor rolled through the ground.
The sparring field where they had been only minutes ago erupted with black smoke.
From the haze, the armored figure sprinted forward, each step cracking stone under its weight.
Its guttural voice rang out once again, filled with bloodlust.
"I'll hunt them all... All those wretched swords... And all of you... Down to the last one!"
Its roar chilled the air as it charged straight toward them, broadsword raised.
Jeanne's eyes hardened as she turned to the exorcists.
"Evacuate the citizens! Clear this area at once, we'll hold it off!"
The exorcists looked hesitant.
"But we can fight alongside you-"
"Didn't you hear her, dumbass?!"
Siegfried snapped, his voice sharp.
"Get them out of here before this bastard cuts them in half! That's an order!"
Startled by his tone, the exorcists finally nodded and began ushering panicked civilians away, directing them down side streets as Jeanne and Siegfried readied themselves.
The black swordsman reached them in seconds, its blade descending like a guillotine toward Jeanne.
She spun her rapier and summoned a phalanx of glowing swords that formed a shifting wall, intercepting the blow.
At the same moment, she directed several blades outward like missiles, firing them at the enemy.
The swordsman bellowed in rage, parrying the blade projectiles with inhuman speed.
Siegfried circled behind, summoning Balmung, the blade glowing with swirling wind.
"Got you now!"
He shouted, striking from the rear.
But the armored swordsman twisted unnaturally, spinning its jagged broadsword behind itself to block.
The clash sent Siegfried skidding back, his boots digging trenches in the dirt.
Before he could recover, the monster delivered a brutal kick to his chest, hurling him through a lamppost.
"Siegfried!"
Jeanne cried, but forced herself to focus.
She conjured a cage of swords that enclosed the enemy in a prison.
The blades crossed and locked, trapping it like an insect.
Jeanne leveled her rapier, her voice stern and commanding.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?!"
The swordsman froze.
Then, with a guttural roar, it flexed its body.
Black smoke surged, and the holy prison shattered like glass.
Jeanne's eyes widened as the monster lunged, its serrated broadsword swinging toward her neck.
The killing blow never landed.
Three demon swords, Gram, Balmung, and Nothung, intercepted the strike with deafening force.
Jeanne gasped, realizing Siegfried stood between her and death.
But from his back sprouted four silver dragon arms, each wielding a demon sword of its own. His Balance Breaker, Chaos Edge Asura Ravage, glowed with raw, overwhelming power.
In his hands and dragon arms are Gram, Balmung, Nothung, Tyrfing, and Dáinsleif.
His eyes burned with fury.
"Leave her alone, bitch!"
Siegfried roared, forcing the enemy back.
The sheer force sent the swordsman crashing through the walls of a nearby flower shop.
Not stopping, Siegfried swung Dáinsleif, summoning a towering pillar of ice that engulfed the shop.
He then pointed Balmung forward, conjuring a spiraling tornado that drilled into the ice, detonating it in a massive explosion of frost and wind.
The shockwave knocked Jeanne's hair loose from its tie as she shielded her face.
Slowly, the mist cleared and Siegfried, breathing hard, extended his left hand toward Jeanne.
"You good?"
She nodded, then took his hand.
"…Did you get him?"
Siegfried narrowed his eyes at the frozen rubble.
"…Hell if I know. But there's no way anyone's walking away from that."
Jeanne exhaled slowly, her rapier lowering slightly.
"…That thing... it was aiming after me."
"Yeah. It wasn't swinging for me until I decided to intervene."
Siegfried muttered, adjusting Gram in his hands.
He was about to press her further when a sudden whistling filled the air.
An array of black swords shot out from the ruins of the flower shop.
Jeanne barely had time to summon another wall of holy blades, the two barriers colliding violently.
But then, to their shock, the enemy swords began draining the holy energy from her constructs, absorbing the light and turning it to ash.
"What?!"
Jeanne gasped.
The black swordsman burst from the ruins, leaping high onto the roof of a nearby building behind the duo.
It roared again, its glowing eyes narrowing at Jeanne.
From its hands, two new blades materialized out of thin air, one covered in flames, the other crackling with lightning.
"DIE!!!"
It slashed downward, sending waves of fire and bolts of lightning crashing into the streets.
Siegfried and Jeanne dodged and parried desperately as buildings erupted in smoke and sparks.
Behind another blade wall that Jeanne made, Siegfried cursed.
"What the fuck is this thing? It's making weapons out of thin air now!"
Jeanne's eyes flickered with realization.
She stared at the conjured blades, her breath catching.
"No… it can't be…"
"What?! You got an idea what we're dealing with?!"
Siegfried barked, ducking as a fireball singed past them.
Jeanne parried another black blade as she eplained.
"It's possible that it's the Sacred Gear, Sword Birth. It has the ability to create demonic swords with unique powers… Its basically a demonic version of my Blade Blacksmith."
Siegfried clenched his jaw, muttering.
"…So we're fighting a bloodthirsty weirdo with a demonic version of your own Sacred Gear. Just perfect."
Jeanne gripped her rapier tighter, her expression grim.
"That must be why it's after me. It may want to challenge me and my blades."
Siegfried exhaled sharply, his mind racing.
"…Then maybe we can use that against it."
DxD
Hello readers!
Here's another chapter, so gimme your Kidney Sto- I mean, Power Stones.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!