Disclaimer : I own nothing.
Chapter 24 : The beginning of a long night.
- Shin –
"Yo Azazel. I heard that you are having some trouble back home?" I spoke as I took a sip of my tea.
"Oh Shin. Yeah. You would have heard about it already. It has to do with your territory after all. Kokabiel is turning out to be a royal pain in the neck. I think you have already heard but he has disappeared somewhere. I even sent one of my best people to look for him but even that person has disappeared. This is turning out to be more of a mess than I expected." I could sense the fatigue in Azazel's voice.
"Yeah. I kinda heard about that, Tobio Ikuse. You sent him? I also heard that his girlfriend and fiancé Sae Toujou also disappeared somewhere. You think he might have been blackmailed?" I asked trying to fish for any information I could.
"….you heard about it too. One day I am going to find out your sources but till then, I have my doubts but I don't think that Tobio will attack his friends for Sae. If anything, he will be asked to keep away from the fight at best. I just don't know exactly what Kokabiel is planning this time considering that you all already know that he is targeting you people." sighed Azazel again.
"I do have a thought or two but nothing about how he is planning to attack especially now considering my new guests." I replied.
"Oh, new guests?" asked an intrigued Azazel.
"Remember I told you about the exorcists we kicked out last time?"
"Yeah. The ones who went way above their heads, I heard that one of them threatened you with war if you tried to interfere in their investigation." chuckled Azazel a little.
"Hahaha yeah that was a bit funny. I honestly had more trouble keeping Jibril and Sakuya from tearing the idiot apart than throwing all of them out. Anyways, I left an ultimatum for Heavens side that if they want to conduct any business here then they must take proper official steps. Serafall kinda blew up on them too and as a result Heaven sent an Angel this time along with two exorcists wielding Excalibur Fragments." I spoke and took another sip of my tea.
"I am surprised that Michael actually sent someone. He would have normally taken steps and sent an official apology but wouldn't risk angels in such cases." asked a curious Azazel.
"I personally think it is more about them getting a measure of me than handling Kokabiel incident actually….or at least that was the case until I told them of Kokabiel's initial plan. I have to say, it was kinda fun watching all colour drain out of Gabriel's face. I think I am becoming a bit of a sadist." I laughed.
I could hear the choking sound on the other end of the phone followed by a sound of things falling on the ground and then the call was picked up again.
"GABRIEL CAME THERE HERSELF?" I kept the phone a little away from my ear as Azazel shouted from the other end.
"Yup. She did. She is currently staying in Kuoh waiting for the attack. Although, I think her priorities might have changed after Jibril snapped at one of the exorcists. It was a tiring day for me too." I sighed a little.
"I didn't think Michael would make such a move. I mean even if the peace talks are going on….shit. This just got even messier." mumbled Azazel from the other side. "Shin, I need to talk to Serafall about this. If only the Fallen side doesn't send someone to take care of this matter, it would look like we support Kokabiel at least passively. I will update you on the matter after I take care of the call with Serafall." and with that Azazel cut the call.
Great. Now I have more people to worry about.
"Who do you think Azazel will be sending?" I asked the kitty sitting in my and snuggling into my neck.
"Don't know nyaa. Maybe the White Dragon Emperor Vali or any other member of the Slash Dog team. I don't know much about Azazel's contracts. That person is very tricky now even for me." answered Kuroka while grinding her hips against my crotch, her kimono slipping even lower and barely hanging on her nipple right now.
Know what. I'd rather have the desert in front of me than my tea.
Putting the cup of tea down, I picked Kuroka up. It was considerably easy knowing my current strength. I turned her towards me in a way that both her legs were on my two sides and her crotch was directly above mine. She seemed a little surprised by it as she widened her eyes but it quickly changed into a mischievous look. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. Her breasts squishing against my chest as she ripped my shirt apart to get more skin contact between us as she grinded her hips again.
No more words were needed as I leaned in and caught her lips with my own. they were as soft as I remember. Kuroka is a typical cat and a lazy one at that. She can be aggressive when she wants but most of the time she is really lazy. Her tongue entered my mouth and twirled with my own as my hands slipped from her waist to her ass giving it a good squeeze and making her moan in my mouth.
Her body leaned further into mine as we continued our kiss only breaking after a couple of minutes to catch a breath and leaving a strand of silvery saliva between our tongues. Her golden eyes completely intoxicated with the kiss.
I have had a LOT of practice in the last one and a half month and Kuroka for all that seductive act of hers is too cautious to let someone be so close to her to share a kiss. It was evident that she was inexperienced.
My hands roamed on her ass as I touched something soft. She squeaked a little letting me know just what I had touched.
Her tail.
Two black tails precisely.
"S-shin, n-not the t-t-tails nyahh~…." her words got caught in her mouth as I gently caught her tail and caressed it.
"Why? Does it hurt?" I smiled at her, my sadistic side catching up to me.
"I-it doesn't hurt, ahhhh….It feels AHHHH." she cried a little as I pinched the tip of her tail lightly before gently stroking it again causing her to glare at me before playfully biting my shoulder and sinking her teeth into my skin. Not sharp enough to cause serious harm but just enough to try to draw a little blood.
I immediately dragged her back before she could do so.
She was startled a little and looked a little hurt….emotionally.
"I was bitten by a basilisk three years ago. I was healed shortly after by a true Phoenix's tears but I still have some traces of that venom in my veins. I don't know if it is enough to hurt you but I won't take the risk until I can find a way to remove it completely from my body." I explained before I could cause a misunderstanding.
Her eyes widened a little before I saw a flicker of pain at my state, Senjutsu is really useful to feel such emotions before she pushed it aside to not show her pity towards me and smiled. She has been through a lot herself and knows that the last thing someone would want in this situation is pity.
"You are really weird nyaa. Who gets bitten by a basilisk at….how old were you again? 14, 15?"
"14. I know my life is weird. Even I can truly fathom that when a thousand year old basilisk's bite is termed as simply 'weird' for me." I smiled back.
"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked as she leaned in again only this time just putting her ears on my chest as if hearing my heartbeats.
"It would take too long. I actually have an entire file over it. A big hundred page file so yeah. It will take too long. You can read the file though. Only thing I can say is that both of us had dumb parents." I said as I caressed her back softly.
"Dumb parents? I don't know my father nyaa" she said, making me flinch lightly.
I didn't know that.
An expression like that is too much for someone as sharp as Kuroka to ignore.
She looked directly into my eyes before she questioned.
"What do you know about my father?" she asked seriously.
"I….are you sure you want to know? I would prefer it if you let it be." Really her father would win against James hands down for the position of the worst father in the world.
She looked at me again surprised and ….pained before she asked me. "Tell me everything you know."
I took a deep breath before continuing.
"You know how I have a connection with Death." I asked getting a nod from her. "I was using it as a means to gather information to prove your innocence. I needed to be prepared with everything I had to make Serafall have any chance to clear your name." she again nodded at me.
"I called back the spirits of your previous master." I said slowing down.
"Was he?" her face scrunched into an expression of horror.
"NO. No, he wasn't."
I gripped her firmly supporting her back.
"It was the man who was conducting the experiments. The scientist heading that project."
….
….
I pulled her into my embrace and she didn't resist at all.
Shit.
I fucked up bad.
"Shin."
"Hmm."
"Please don't tell Shirone."
Even as I was, my hands still trembled a little.
Even at this time, at such a period of pain, she is still thinking about her sister.
There is no way I was letting someone like her go away from me.
"I won't. I ….honestly wouldn't have told you either if I had known."
….
….
"…..thank you."
+4 Affection with Kuroka(99/100) for caring about her.
We stayed like that for a while. No words were said as the silence seemed very comforting. No wonder Ophis is working so hard for it.
It was then that the door to my room opened.
"Onee-sama, what are you doing?" came in the voice of Koneko as she walked towards us.
I could see Morgiana peeking from the corner as well.
"Shirone-nyaa? I was…." she changed her expressions expertly "….being lovey-dovey with Shin nyaa." she said she snuggled into me rubbing her face against my chest.
The torn up shirt barely hanging on my chest added further proof to her claim.
"Y-y-you. Shameless!." Ah, Koneko blushed up to her ears as she practically dragged Kuroka back.
"W-wait Shironeyaa. I was about to make kitties with Shinyaaa."
"Shut up."
It was at that time Rias entered the room with a smile on her face.
"You know what this is about?" I asked looking at her smile.
"I might have an idea." She smiled.
It was then that we heard Kuroka's voice again.
"….this means war you damn cow. WAR."
"Huh."
I looked at Rias once again. "Know what, I think that our house is becoming weirder."
"I have known it for a while." she answered as she undressed and walked towards the bath. "Are you coming in?"
Guess what. I am not getting blue-balled after all.
"….sure."
- Scene Change –
The next day brought forth new guests for us.
When will this farce even end?
We received a delegation from Azazel at our doorsteps.
It consisted of members of the Slash Dog team specifically Lavinia Reni, Suzaku Himejima, Natsume Minagawa, Shigune Nanadaru and Kouki Samejima. Their leader and strongest member Tobio Ikuse along with his girlfriend and lover Sae Toujou were missing as we were informed.
There was however another unexpected visitor.
"It's been a while Little Luci." I smiled at the now fuming Vali. I am having all the fun I can have."
"Kageyami." He ground out through his teeth.
"Ara Va-kun, you know him already? Won't you introduce us to your friend?" said the busty blonde in front of the group.
She somehow gave me a feel like Luna. Not the mysterious feeling from Luna….more of her air-headed part.
Vali for his part did his best not to blush.
"Stop calling me that." shouted Vali and I swear I heard someone sniffle a laugh behind me.
"Hehehehe I think it is very cute." giggled Luna from behind me causing Vali to focus his glare at her.
Luna however maintained her no-fucks-given dazed look.
"You think so too. See Va-kun, she thinks you are cute too. Maybe you can get a girlfriend finally and stop being so broody. No wonder you don't have any girlfriends yet." continued Lavinia completely unconcerned of others.
I took this opportunity to observe the ones that arrived.
Lavinia Reni
Demise Girl, Ice Princess, Glenda's Disciple.
Level – 78
Rank – Elite
Race – Human(Magical)
HP – 11,570
SP – 11,570
MP – 56,220
STR – 112
END – 108
DEX – 129
INT – 278
WIS – 225
CHA – 116
LCK – 127
Thoughts about you – Intrigue, Wariness.
Affection – +5.
I then turned my head towards the other girl in the group who was eerily similar to Akeno only a little older.
Suzaku Himejima
Vermillion Bird, Himejima Clan Head.
Level – 62
Rank – Elite
Race – Human
HP – 14,570
SP – 14,570
MP – 52,220
STR – 125
END – 98
DEX – 96
INT – 228
WIS – 275
CHA – 116
LCK – 157
Thoughts about you – Intrigue, Gratefulness.
Affection – +15.
Hey Game, I thought Lavinia was stronger than this? Why is it that her strength is so….underwhelming.
The Sacred Gears increase the level of the user when activated. It can vary depending on the state of activation and the power of the Scared Gear.
That explains a lot. How much though?
A Longinus in a Balance Breaker can increase the level of the user from 150 to 250 levels. The Higher level Longinus have more increase and the subspecies can increase the level too. The same is true for the Juggernaut Drive of such higher activation states.
Makes sense.
I cannot see Cao Cao having equal levels to Azazel but with his Balance Breaker, he can fight Azazel and others at an equal if not higher footing. So a temporary increase in level is good for giving me an idea about the power of such people.
I turned my eyes towards another meeting among the two groups.
"Akeno. It is nice to meet you again." said Suzaku as she walked upto Akeno.
"Suzaku-sama." Akeno bowed.
The two have apparently met before this. Not Tobio though if I remember correctly.
"It is nice to see that you are happy. Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any problems. I know the sins that the Himejima Clan has done against you are unforgivable but I will do my best to atone for it. If possible then, I would like you to call me Onee-sama once." she said in a serious tone of voice and she herself bowed.
It was at this moment that another voice sounded in the place freezing the bowing girl.
"Ara Ara Suzaku-chan has grown so big. She even speaks like a lady now. It feels like it was only yesterday when I used to change your diapers." said the voice.
The arrived people looked at the scene in interest but only one understood the reason.
"Y-y-you, but how? You are dead. I saw it myself. Not even Evil Pieces can reincarnate cremated people. How?" stuttered an incoherent Suzaku.
"What happened Suzaku?" asked a worried but hesitating Natsume as she placed a hand on her shoulder while the others tensed.
I could feel the people on my side slightly shift in position as well.
"It is true Onee-sama. Mother is back with us thanks to Shin-kun?" answered Akeno in a poised manner.
So poised that I can bet half my gold that she was having too much fun with this. That Onee-sama might not have looked anything but it contained a buttload of satisfaction and smugness in it.
This statement caused a reaction in another person.
Vali Lucifer was looking wide-eyed at the said woman.
I guess among the ones present, he is probably one of the few who knows about Akeno's identity and her relationship with the fallen side.
Suzaku turned towards me and then back towards them, "But how?"
"Shin-kun wanted me to name his and Akeno's child." Shuri smiled the innocent smile as she casually dropped a nuke although a fake one.
"WHAT?"
"OKAA-SAMA! It is not true. Please don't believe her. We haven't done anything like that yet." Akeno stuttered again.
"Ara Ara, I never said that you did anything Akeno? I am talking about when it happens. He did make me promise to name your first child after all."
….
I can certainly see where Akeno gets all this teasing side of hers from.
Apparently this was enough for everyone to lighten up a little.
Suzaku snapped out of her daze walked towards Shuri and kneeled in a dogeza, "I know that no words will ever come close to compensating for the harm and the pain that was caused to you and Akeno by the Himejima Clan but still I hope that you will find it in your heart to give us another chance. I swear on my honour to assist you in any form possible."
Shuri looked at her for a moment before sighing and lifting her by the shoulder.
"Get up Suzaku. You were too young when that happened and couldn't have done anything back then. I have heard from Shin-kun and others that you are helping to change the clan for the better. While I cannot forgive the ones who led my daughter to experience all those hardships, the Himejima Clan is still my home and there are still people there who have treated me well. I cannot wash away all of that because of the act of a few of them. I have decided to stay here with my daughter for now. I however do not mind if you visit us anytime as long as the man of the House," here she turned towards me, "doesn't mind."
I simply shrugged my shoulders.
"I am fine as long as they don't harm anyone. If they do, however, then I will not be responsible for any consequences. I know that I cannot always blame a leader for everything as there are always some fanatics but a leader is still expected to keep a tight leash over their people." I said while looking towards Suzaku.
Kouki Samejima however looked like he took an offence to that.
"Is that a threat devil?" he said while squinting his eyes at me.
"Threat? Nah. Threats are for kids." I looked straight back in his eyes, "It's a promise. Harm my family and Death will be a mercy."
"You….."
His words were cut off by Suzaku however.
"I will keep that in mind. I have lost my family once, I will not be making that mistake ever again. Thank you for bringing her back." she bowed towards me.
"Don't worry. I did it for Akeno. You don't need to thank me." I waved her off.
"….if you don't mind me asking, how? How did you bring her back?"
I went towards her and moved a hand to slightly cover my mouth. She leaned in to hear my reply.
I then slowly whispered in her ear.
"It's a secret~."
She looked at me with a deadpan expression.
"It is a secret. I do hope that you will understand how I cannot tell everyone about it. I can however tell you that it is extremely rare and highly unlikely that there will be another case like this."
She sighed lightly before saying, "I can understand that such a method will be rare and I can easily imagine the number of people who will want such assistance to resurrect someone dear to them. I will keep the information to myself."
"Much appreciated."
We talked about a few more things as we finally went inside and settled down.
"I have sent for Lady Gabriel to join us for the meeting. We will have to wait till then before sharing any information and discussing a plan of action."
It seems like Suzaku is the one who is managing the group in Tobio's absence as she answers me.
"That is fine with us."
She then proceeded to talk to Shuri and Akeno while I and Rias watched over the others in the house.
My attention was caught by another interesting conversation.
"Your host seems to be a very agitated White One? Are you scared of being in my territory?"
Would you look at that?
Even when locked up in an artifact, the dragon still retained his pride. Taunting his rival in this situation.
"I would say that it would make him live longer if he is aware of his surroundings. I admire that quality in him. And even if I do accept that I am scared….why would I be scared of you. Did you forget that the last two wins were mine?" taunted back the fancy wing on Vali's back.
The girls on the other hand had completely different conversations going on.
"Those wings are beautiful." said Luna in her dreamy tone.
"I know right. Va-kun is a tsundere. He acts like a delinquent but is actually a very sweet boy. And yes those wings are beautiful." Lavinia seemed like she was trying to sell Vali to Luna which was funny in its own way and then concentrating on the conversation further.
"Yes. He does seem like he has a wrackspurt infestation around him. It is not as bad as some other people and will be fine in time."
"Wrackspurts?"
"They are small magical creatures which enter through the ears of magicals and enter their head causing them to become confused and angry sometimes."
"REALLY! Va-kun? How do we remove those?"
"Daddy says that a radish necklace can make the wrackspurts go away. They generally go away on their own sometimes."
"Your daddy said so?"
"Yes. He even wrote an article in our family magazine about them. It also wrote how the Minister had a severe infestation of wrackspurts in his head causing him to make stupid laws but that was before daddy found out about the Rotsfang Conspiracy."
"Oh. What is that?"
….
….
….
….
Yeah. I am not stirring that hornet's nest anytime soon.
It was then that Gabriel and her two….underlings arrived.
I could sense a change in Gabriel's gaze.
An observe showed that she was feeling confused about me.
I guess our last meeting must have left her confused. I did see her giving Jibril a look and then shifting over to Asia.
"Lady Gabriel. Please take a seat."
"Are these the people Azazel sent for the task?" she said pointing towards the new arrivals.
"Yes. I take it that you got the news as well."
"We did. It was a big shock to hear about the disappearance of the Canis Lykaon wielder. Is there any possibility of him joining Kakabiel's side?"
"That is not possible. Tobio would never agree to join their side." answered Suzaku as she entered our conversation.
"That is what we hope for as well."
It was then Xenovia interrupted and I was tempted to glare at the girl if the point she raised hadn't been the exact thing I was thinking about.
"We have heard that his fiancé Sae Toujou was also missing. If those two cases are connected then things might change drastically."
"Are you implying that Tobio would betray us?" asked Suzaku in a low voice as if daring Xenovia to continue further.
"Okay. Let's hold this line of thought here. No one is implying anything." I interrupted before Xenovia's lack of tact causes another argument. "There are other ways to interpret that sentence. Let's say for example that they use some method to extract the sacred gear, we will have to face the wielder of Cannis Laykon even if it is not Tobio Ikuse. It is always better to consider all our options."
"That will not happen. Tobio Ikuse will not die that easily." interrupted Lavinia joining the conversation. Her tone was completely different than the girl who was having a 'normal' conversation with Luna just a moment ago.
….
I looked at her for a few moments.
"Well that is that then. Is there anything else that you would like to share?"
Suzaku broke the tense atmosphere as she began, "We have received reports of Fallen leaving their posts from many of their stations all over the world. It is either they are gathering or someone is killing them off to cause as much confusion as possible. There were several murders of Fallen Angels in those places as well. Kokabiel is throwing our side completely into chaos so that Azazel and the others cannot keep their attention on him."
Fuck this shit.
This was not so complicated.
Just how much did I change?
Think, what exactly can Kokabiel be planning?
"How many Fallen have disappeared and how many were killed? Were the disappearance only among the Fallen or the exorcists as well? Do you know any information about the mercenary groups that might be hired? What were the general strengths of the ones who disappeared, not killed but disappeared?" I asked as many questions as I could think of.
Need more information to narrow the range of my plans.
"….this. I am afraid that we do not know the full details of these matters. I don't think Azazel will tell you this either. It is a very confidential matter of the Grigori." Suzaku hesitated a little before answering.
Of course it is.
Fuck it.
"What are your thoughts on this Shin-sama?" said Gabriel.
Shin-sama?
That did get many raised eyebrows from the others but considering the topic of discussion everyone decided to let it be for now.
Though it did strike me as odd?
Was she deferring to me?
Was the Angel of Innocence being sarcastic?
Who knew?
Guess we all get to learn something every day.
I have to worry about other things right now.
"Kokabiel is out for war. No other motive behind it. The moment he killed the people of Grigori, it became clear that he has bet everything for this cause. A wild animal is dangerous but a wild animal with a clear goal and nothing to lose is much more dangerous. Kokabiel is then again not a wild animal but someone much smarter than that. I do hope that he didn't survive the Great War by being an idiot. We are facing one of the leaders of the three faction who is out for war. The worst part is that he probably knows more ways to start a war than I can imagine. We might….screw it, will be facing an army of Fallen and Exorcists very soon and we will have to fight till the end." I turned towards Rias. "Rias, contact Serafall and pass over the information. Meredith."
"Yes Boss."
"Set checkpoints throughout the city. I want every move monitored. Everyone that is entering and leaving needs to be checked for their energy levels."
"On it."
"I think we should all prepare ourselves. Will you all be staying in a hotel or should I arrange for a place for everyone?" I asked the new group.
"We will be staying at Azazel's house in the town." answered Suzaku.
The atmosphere in the room changed a lot from the new information.
"In that case I shall pass over the information to Heaven as well." Gabriel said as she and the two girls stood up to leave.
"Please do."
Rias took care of leading the rest of the guests out while I stayed at the same position as before.
Why the fuck did the second arc turn into THIS?
"Do you think we can find them before the attack?" Rias said as she finally sat on my side.
"No."
….
"The wards are working full time. I am sure we can detect them if they do arrive anywhere near us." said Meredith.
"I can think of a dozen ways to avoid the wards. Remember that we had to follow several restrictions while putting the wards up due to the treaty with the Shinto Faction. That has left too many holes in the defense. If it is just observing, sure we can. If it is stopping them. I am not so sure. Merlin."
"Yes."
"Prepare large scale barrier pockets. In case we get struck by the armies, we will take our own measures."
"On it."
"Remember, killing them is only a secondary goal or rather it might just be a means to an end and not the end itself. What we have to do this time is prevent a war."
We discussed several plans for the cases that I could think of. It is just that I don't have the information about all the cards that the enemy might have. Too many variables are unknown to make a viable plan.
"Lady Serafall has replied that she has called a meeting of the Satans and that we will get an answer by tomorrow morning." Rias answered.
"Okay. Call Sona and her peerage here. It is better if they stay with us today. While their place has good defenses, it is nowhere near our own."
"Okay."
Too many thoughts, too many plans and very little time.
Why did the game change difficulty level again?
- Michael –
Michael was sitting alone in the conference room of the Sixth Heaven. It had only been a few minutes since his brothers left the room after discussing the course of action regarding Kokabiel.
Great War.
It was a phrase that haunted the minds of almost everyone who participated in the last one.
Can they even survive another Great War?
Just what in Father's name was Kokabiel thinking for such a thought to even cross his mind?
Angels were barely a fraction of what they used to be. It is completely impossible for them to survive another Great War.
It was one of the reasons that Michael had to stop his hands and turn around from some of the inhumane experiments that the Church were conducting.
Even if that very thought filled him with disgust.
Even if those thoughts weighed so heavy on his mind that his golden wings had flashed black when he thought about it.
He still held on.
Why?
All of it to avoid another war. To see any more people close to him die.
Just like ….just like Father.
If Father had been here, he would have known how to solve this situation.
It reminded him of the news that Gabriel had passed on before this.
Shin Kageyami can make Angels.
An Angel. A two winged Angel as strong as himself calls him her lord and creator.
An Angel retaining their white wings even when they become part Devil.
The news which however shook him up the most is that there is no record of such an Angel in the system.
Can it really be true?
Has he really found a way to make Angels?
Even after all this time with the best of the Heaven's researchers working in secret, no one has been able to recreate a method of making Angels.
It was also partly due to a reason that Angels instinctively wish to avoid that as that would mean accepting that their father was not returning.
Michael could sympathize with them. After all he was one of them too.
But if someone else, let alone a child not yet of age has found the method of creating angels and even ones as strong as himself, then….
Creating Artifacts as strong as Longinus.
Supporting Asia Argento and defending her.
Scolding Gabriel but not condemning her even when knowing the truth.
No one around him getting hurt when hearing God's name.
And now creating Angels.
Michael couldn't help but look towards the Seventh Heaven.
Heroes were said to be reborn.
The spirit of the Maiden of Orléans was reborn in another body.
It was unfortunate that the girl herself left the Church and her whereabouts unknown.
Another fault of the mismanagement of the church.
Another failure on his own hands.
Then again, if heroes can return, wasn't it possible for….
No.
He must not lose himself in such thoughts.
He had to support all his siblings in his father's place.
With a sigh, Michael picked himself up and walked towards the Seventh Heaven where the system was located.
- Serafall –
This was all getting messed up.
She received a message from Rias just a while ago that Kokabiel might have reinforcements and that they might include the user of Canis Lykaon and another member of the Slash Dog team among other Fallen Angels.
Great.
Just fucking great.
As if the argument that the idiotic exorcist with that….bitch caused was not bad enough.
Oh what she wouldn't have given to see the face of that bitch when Jibril-chan had revealed her wings….or her power for that matter.
Of course she had known that the pink haired angel was stronger than her.
Her attitude and confidence was based on her skill and experience and not just empty boasting on her part.
It was still a surprise to have it confirmed by Sona that it was truly the case.
On one hand some might argue that such an action was a bad move on Shin's part.
But that would have been the case if they didn't already have a peace conference in line after this.
It seems that Kokabiel had gotten the news somehow and it would have been like castrating an orc and tying him up in a brothel for a warmonger like Kokabiel to watch the Three Factions be in peace.
Thus all of this farce.
Anyways, Jibril acting like that gave them a warning that the Devils had more than just the four Great Satan on their side. Shin, a relatively new Devil had someone who was stronger than Serafall on his side was the same as having another Satan Class Devil on the Devil's side. Maybe even two. She could never tell with Shin. His artifacts hid his power too well but knowing his resourcefulness, she wouldn't doubt if he could kill a Satan on his own. Maybe not a Super Devil but definitely a high Ultimate Class Devil.
Then again she had doubts about that Bishop too.
Merlin.
Was she the reincarnation of the real one or just a descendant….or someone from a completely different world?
You could never tell with Shin and his peerage.
This reveal will give the Devil's side an advantage when the negotiations for the Peace Treaty are drafted during the meeting.
A simple but effective show of power.
She had this urge to freeze Azazel's balls for not being able to control his people but then again it was the same case with their own side as well.
If she had truly been in control of their side, the Nekoshou Massacre would never have happened.
It was not like she didn't know how much Azazel was trying for peace.
Now she gets the information that Kokabiel might have an army behind him.
Shit just keeps on happening.
With the amount of attention Shin has gathered over this past month and a half, the old devils are watching him like a hawk. Looking for any sign of weakness to take control of him.
It would obviously fail.
The Satans and Zekram would never let them have anything from Shin.
But when had that stopped idiots from trying.
Not to mention that actively stopping them would cause too much tension on their political field.
As much as the Evil Pieces have secured the Devil's position as the strongest among the three factions, it has also made them the most vulnerable side for things like civil wars between the born devils and the reincarnated devils.
Pushing away the old devils in such a case is not an option.
Shin will have to be careful in this regard.
She flexed her fingers in frustration and felt the side of the training ground freeze completely.
….
The increased power was amazing.
Serafall finally had the chance to use the potion gifted to her by Shin.
And boy was it good.
A 40% increase in her total power.
For Shin, it might have been a simple number considering how absurd his own growth rate is but for her it was centuries of hard work.
People who thought that the Satans were all born powerful were all fools.
Even Ajuka and Sirzechs were born with only Ultimate Class demonic power reserves which while being extraordinary was still something that others possessed If they had not trained and experienced the battles they did, the best they would have achieved would have been a Satan Class naturally. That did nothing for their control and abilities.
It was all sheer hard work that they became the monsters that they are today.
This power boost has placed her at the same level as Michael who was stronger than her previously and Shin the person who did this was currently at risk.
Sirzechs had immediately agreed to send his peerage to assist in the fight.
It would have been easier if it was somewhere in the underworld. The Shinto Faction had made several rules to allow Rias and Sona in the territory to make the battle more difficult for their side.
Kokabiel obviously didn't care.
She called Sona to tell her to get to Shin's home until this matter is resolved.
Sona had been a bit upset that her abilities were being questioned but had then agreed rather than risk the life of her peerage members.
Sona, while stubborn, was still smart enough to accept her advice when needed.
Now she just had to wait until tomorrow before Sirzechs can officially send members of his peerage to back them up.
The Shinto pantheon will not take it lightly if Sirzechs marched there with his peerage on his own.
She can only hope that Shin can hold on from whatever is coming this time.
- Meredith –
Meredith was having a busy evening….again.
Her boss as cool and easy going as he was normally could be such a slave driver when he wanted to be.
Their training sessions were a good reminder of that. That was not to say it was useless.
She couldn't even imagine there being any other method to grow stronger that fast except using insane rituals or something similar.
None of those that she knew ended well.
This method was used to increase 'her' strength.
The ones who had rejected her were going to grovel under her feet soon and she would laugh.
She wondered if her boss was affecting her.
Her boss might not look like it from his usual goofy, flirty and caring demeanor but he was one sadistic guy.
No wonder even someone like Jibril adored him.
That Angel or Flügel was crazy and scary.
Then again so was Merlin, she just controlled it better.
Her first reaction when she heard about her fellow bishop's power was 'HOLY SHIT THAT'S CHEATING.'
This woman was over three thousand years old and was a female overpowered version of Merlin. Hell she even trained an Arthur Pendragon of her own.
Suddenly the pressure to match up to her fellow bishop became much higher.
In time though it lightened considerably when she started teaching her about other magics.
The types that she didn't even know existed.
It was like the woman was a walking library of magic.
Meredith, Hermione, Fleur, Asia and even Ingvild were learning a great deal about magic under her. She was not as good as Hermione who was taken as an apprentice as she was only interested in specific branches of magic.
Hermione on the other hand absorbed knowledge like a sponge, always eager for more.
Honestly there was something scary about that girl sometimes.
She knew that she had a trauma of some kind which she hasn't told them about but she could be really scary when she decides to fight.
She also helped everyone to study magic. A bit overbearing sometimes but she was like a nagging big sister that Meredith always wanted so she could look past that.
That said every one of them has grown much much stronger than they were a month ago.
While she was thinking about all this, she again checked the town for magical signatures.
They were expecting an attack from Kokabiel of all people.
Why couldn't her life be simpler?
A simple life. She had royal blood. All she asked was for recognition….it's not as if she had asked for the crown itself. A good place to live with a happy family, a few servants and all would have been a bonus.
Now she was a devil serving someone who could be….no scratch that, would be the target of any supernatural faction who knew about his abilities and right now she was preparing to fight a Fallen Angel cadre whose name has been mentioned in the bible.
Life was indeed strange.
The energy signatures across the town were pretty normal.
Sona and her peerage had arrived at the house about an hour ago, Gabriel and the stuck up bitches from the Church were near the abandoned church (apparently Gabriel fixed it with magic) and the Fallen Angel's team waiting at Azazel's mansion at the edge of the town but still within the range of their surveillance spells. Apart from them there were no other higher energy signatures.
It meant that she could relax for a while.
"Éclair, bring me a glass of juice and something to eat please." she called out through a spell to send a message to the kitchen as she sat herself down and patted the head of her summon, Silver.
It had grown quite big due to the constant hunting in boss' dimensions, almost as strong as a strong High Class Devil with speed being as strong as an ultimate class devil.
Battle Wolves are awesome.
Boss said that the strongest battle wolf had the ability to destroy a planet at its full power.
Looking at the adorable white ball of fur curled up at her feet she had doubts until she saw it slaughter orcs and trolls in one of the boss' dimensions.
As she was thinking of all this, she detected several energy signatures popping up from many parts of the town almost instantly.
It was so sudden that she had to recheck if there was malfunction in the spells.
There were no mistakes.
She immediately raised the alarm of the house.
"We have an emergency. We are under attack." she shouted at the microphone as Silver rose up from his sleep and growled a bit sensing her distress.
Guess she wouldn't be having that juice for now.
- Sona –
"We have an emergency. We are under attack."
Sona shot up from her bed as fast as she could at those words.
Beside her, Tsubaki was in the same position.
They were in one of the rooms of the Shin's house.
A few hours ago, she got a call from her sister to move into Shin's house until this mess was sorted out.
Easy to say, she was extremely offended by the notion.
It would make the Stiri House look extremely weak if she took refuge in Rias' house during the time of crisis.
She knew that Shin was much stronger than her and not to mention her peerage…. but there was a matter of pride.
Somehow when she saw Rias and her peerage nowadays, they all looked stronger than before but she couldn't really sense their growth properly because of those bracelets.
It was her own instincts and her friendship with Rias that she was able to observe the change in Rias over the last month. It might not really be evident to those who didn't know Rias very closely but Rias had gone over a great deal of change over the last month. She was a lot more composed and….regal compared to before. Her very presence commanded more respect. It was like she suddenly had a lot more charisma. Rias' beauty, while Sona would never deny was greater than her own, she was not so petty, but she never had this kind of commanding presence.
While before the students drooled over her, now they seemed to defer to her more. This was something that Sona yearned to have. It was something that she needed to develop to succeed in her own goals.
Then there was the matter of power. Call it her instinct but right now even with that….ridiculous artifact of her, even with the Sea Serpent of the End at her command, she had doubts that she could match the current Rias.
And it was not the case with Rias only. All the people living in this house were the same. Even the innocent Asia Argento, the girl who looked like she couldn't even hurt a fly and the air-headed Luna Lovegood, everyone felt extremely similar.
She had once tried to fish for information from her new friend Hermione Granger about the type of training they do. The girl had skillfully avoided giving out any secrets all the while implying that there was something behind it.
It was only when she saw the potion that Shin had given her sister that she got an idea of what it might be.
Could it be that everyone in the house had similar potions to increase their power.
Their training potions and not to mean the Room of Requirements V2 provided an extremely high rate of growth for all the members.
The fact that they can heal easily from injuries and fatigue using the potions was another plus. Normally this kind of training would be extremely expensive for anyone even if they are the members of a Pillar House of the devils, but in this case, Shin himself makes all the potions and artifacts so it is all free.
Getting help from their Satan siblings might be seen as favouritism by others in her and Rias' case but getting help from her own fiancé is not.
Why can't she get a good fiancé of her own? Why are most of the young devils dumb?
Putting these thoughts to the back of her mind, she hurried to take her peerage to the observation room. The room was already filled to the brim with the peerage members of Shin and Rias.
Everyone was tensed as they looked towards the screen and it took her only one look to know why.
The screen was filled with red dots, hundreds of them, all over the town.
They were caught in a war.
Even when she had mentally prepared herself for such a situation, it still made her freeze when she saw the number of enemies in the town.
"Rias, Meredith and Akeno contact Sirzechs, Gabriel and the team sent by Azazel. Ask them both to meet us on the roof of the building. Merlin deploy the barriers around the house and other important locations. Sona contact Serafall and tell her of the situation." Shin took command in an instant and it was only when her name was called that she broke out of her stupor.
She quickly bit away the shame that she felt in that instant.
There was no time for hesitation right now. The lives of her peerage members and friends are in her hands. She can wait to soothe her damaged pride for later.
In this situation, Shin's ability to lead them was far better than her own and she will not risk the lives of her peerage just because her pride as the smartest young devil had taken a hit.
She hurried to contact her Onee-sama.
"So-tan. Did you miss your Onee-sama? Did you have naughty yuri-yuri dreams and want to talk to your Onee-sama while doing naughty things under your blanket." came the voice from the other end.
Pushing down her annoyance with a great deal of stress, she concentrated on the task at hand.
"We are under attack. There are several hundred unknown energy signatures and they keep on appearing in town."
"Six hundred and forty six Fallen Angels, over a thousand exorcists and there are a few hundred other beings." Meredith states from the side.
"Remain at a safe location and defend. I am calling Sirzechs and arranging for reinforcements as soon as possible. Shin, defend the place at all costs and eliminate anyone you have to. I give you full support in my name as the Satan Leviathan." states a completely serious voice of Onee-sama from the other side.
"Shin is busy coordinating with the other groups and the peerages. I will pass on the message." I say as I look towards Shin who is hurrying from one corner to another, deploying any and all means to secure the place as much as he can.
"So-tan. Please be safe. I am coming there myself as fast as I can."
"I will."
"Heaven's side and Azazel's reinforcements have arrived. They are at the rooftop." said Meredith as she takes her place at the monitor.
"Merlin, take control of the security measures. I leave it and barrier details to you. The rest will follow me to fight." Shin said as he headed towards the roof.
I follow them with my peerage behind me.
At the rooftop, Archangel Gabriel along with the two exorcists and the Slash Dog team members with the White Dragon Emperor are standing looking around the area.
The area was like a scene of the Great War as told by Mother and Father in their stories.
The sky is covered with scores of Fallen Angel while the ground around the area near the house is surrounded by Exorcists.
There are other beings too. Black Cloaks with hoods that completely covered their faces.
Grim Reapers.
Has the God of the Dead decided to go to war as well?
This matter was turning out to be much worse than expected.
Only Fallen Angels were understandable but Grim Reapers….even the lowest ranked Grim Reaper was as strong as a Mid-Class Devil and there are more than six hundreds of them here.
She gazed towards the one at the center of it all.
In the sky above the house with twelve wings on his back was Kokabiel.
Twelve Wings?
Wasn't Kokabiel only a ten winged Fallen Angel?
When and how did he gain the last pair of wings?
"So Azazel sent his pets to stop me? Wouldn't be the first time though." said Kokabiel.
"Why are you doing this Kokabiel? Why do you want to start a war again? Do you really want to waste all the lives again due to a second Great War?" shouted Gabriel as she urged him to listen to reason.
Not that it would matter.
Insane people were called so because of their inability to reason.
"I am doing what should have been done during the last Great War. Azazel is a coward who pulled back last time, denying the Fallen their rightful victory in the Great War. This time however it won't be an option. The Angels have weakened and the same is true for the Devils. Fallen Angels are the only ones with their leaders still alive after the death of the original Satans and….God." smirked Kokabiel as he uttered the last words.
Original Satans and….God?
God was dead?
My mind blanked for a while until I heard a shout that made me turn towards the Exorcists who looked completely in denial.
"LIAR. YOUR DARE SULLY THE NAME OF GOD WITH YOUR LIES, FILTH." shouted the blue haired exorcist as she drew the blade from her back.
"A liar, am I? Then why don't you ask your Archangel? She cannot lie after all." He smirked again clearly enjoying the despair on the exorcist's face.
"Lady Gabriel, please." the exorcist pleaded towards the Archangel who was still stunned into silence. "Please tell me that he is lying."
"PLEASE PLEASE."
A lone tear falls from Gabriel's eyes giving them the answer.
The other exorcist falls on her knees. She hadn't even said a word from the very start.
The fight hasn't even started yet and we have already lost two of our fighters.
This is becoming worse than I expected.
"WHERE IS TOBIO, YOU BASTARD" came another shout from the Slash Dog team.
"Hmm, who knows? Why don't you make me speak?" was Kokabiel's mocking reply. "But then again that will be the case if any of you survive this."
As if those words were the trigger, the Fallen Angels including Kokabiel raised their hands as thousands upon thousands of light spears lit the sky making it seem as if morning had arrived hours too early. The sheer amount of light magic in the air made her skin tingle as she got goosebumps from it.
And then the light came down.
She looked at it before turning towards Shin almost on a reflex.
As if her heart knew that he was the only person right here that she could trust in this situation but all she saw was an impassive expression on his face.
No signs of emotions at all….or that was until the light spears came closer and she saw his lips twitch upwards on its corners.
It was at this instant that a voice was heard.
A voice that was the reason behind the smile.
Two words that changed the fate of undeniable deaths on their heads.
….
….
….
….
"Z- Za Warudoooooooooo!"
….and then the world stopped.
_x_x_
Beta Reader : LuluViBritania(FF.N, SB and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord)
Author's Note :
This chapter took a little longer than intended. Too much work these days.
I actually intended to write more but then I made a rough estimate and the chapter would have taken 10k more words(which is the length of my average chapter) so I decided to break here.
I had an Omake planned but it would go better with the next chapter.
On that note, I noticed that I haven't written one of those for a while.
Anyways, I have a bit of free time now.
I will try to complete the next chapter within a week.
Not going to keep you all hanging on that cliff.
This chapter was more focused on characters who didn't get much highlights before.
Sona's current thoughts on the progress of Rias and her peerage and Shin.
Meredith's view of her new life and thoughts about the war.
I did raise the difficulty level of the fight.
You might argue that with Shin's current team such a fight will be a breeze and that Kokabiel is dead meat already….well true.
That said we never know what the millennia old warhawk has prepared.
Also Grim Reapers.
Hades(the pseudo Ainz wannabe) has lent Kokabiel some support.
Kokabiel has also destroyed the morale of…. two weak exorcists. No worries there.
Any guesses why Asia didn't give a fuck about God's news. *whistle*
Luna and Lavinia getting along fine together because they are quite similar.
Both are air-headed witches who can be dangerous in their own ways.
Vali is bearing the eccentricities of the two blonde witches. Vali's great grandpa bless(or damn) his soul.
Anyways the battle has started and even though Shin's side had our lord and savior Dio-sam….cough cough Gasper, Kokabiel is also prepared with a new pair of wings, any ideas what he had for drinks(Red Bull gives you wings)?
I am currently writing the next chapter.
Enjoy this till I am done with the next one.
Good Day, Peace out.