Earlier, before the sun began to set and even before the King of Gremory began talking with her Magician and his group, the other part of the Gremory Peerage was still running around town.
At this time they were going for the more depopulated areas of the city, areas that usually wouldn't have that many people around.
"You wouldn't hide something as dangerous as Excalibur in a high populated area, would you?" Saji had suggested a couple of minutes ago and no one argued with him when he suggested that they should look by the industrial district or the docks.
They opted for the docks and even picked a taxi to cut travel time. Kiba felt anxious inside the car but that gave time for Asia to rest as he stamina wasn't as good as the rest of them. It was a pleasant ride and the driver didn't ask questions when a group of students asked him to stop close to an empty area of the town.
The man did throw a look of worry, especially towards the girls, however Koneko quickly dissuaded any other questions with her cuteness. The taxi driver took his money and left with a smile while Issei and Saji wondered if Koneko's cuteness didn't have some hipnotic qualities.
Unfortunately for them there weren't any clues or leads in the area to give them a direction to go. Even on a weekend the docks were full and sailors were working hard to leave or were just arriving after a long voyage, ships replacing their cargo or trucks transporting said cargo inside Fuyuki itself or Japan.
It was disorienting for a group of students and they all knew they needed a guide of some kind.
They found the manager's office easily enough, Issei lying about a nonexistent uncle helped a lot before hypnosis was required. There they found records about many ships that had arrived in Fuyuki the last few days but the man in charge failed to explain everything to them under hypnosis.
There were just too many different terms, numbers and names for them to get a solid lead. Even if the Order of Pendragon was using one of the ships in the area or had rented a warehouse they didn't file it with the name of their organization.
Maybe the manager would have been more useful if he was sound of mind but Kiba knew he wasn't one of those aware of the moonlit world and there was no reason for him to trust a bunch of teenagers with the information.
In the end they still understood enough to know that unless they had a proper ship name or number they wouldn't find the Order's vessel, if there was one.
After spending over half an hour checking the place and finding no members of the Order, the devils began to leave on foot back to Kuoh while checking some of the warehouses.
It was only when dusk was about to begin that they found an isolated warehouse that appeared to have no guards, with a huge gate slightly open and some metal crates visible from the inside.
The place was also isolated and practically looked abandoned with broken windows, falling apart, old containers left to dust and no one else around as far as the devils could see.
"This place looks shady as fuck." Saji couldn't help but comment, happy that his suggestion paid off, even ignoring Asia's pout and Issei's glare at the crude language. "Like the kind of place in movies that the Yakuza owns or something like that."
Issei took a look at the rundown building and shook his head. "I don't think even criminals would want to work here."
"That is exactly why they would use such a place." Kiba jokes, much to his own surprise. He couldn't help but blink and reflect at his change of attitude during the day. 'Is it because I am not alone?' He looked to his friends before looking back to the warehouse. 'Or did I grow up, just a little bit?'
"Found a boundary field." Koneko informed and when they got close enough all devils felt the boundary field surrounding the place. "It's bigger than the others. Much bigger, barely hidden."
"See. See! I told you guys we would find something around here!" Saji felt proud as the discovery confirmed he made the right call.
Pride lasted until Issei grabbed him by the neck. "Keep it down. We don't know if they are listening." He was still a little annoyed about his friend's crass language infront of Asia but now they had other concerns. "This was too easy."
"They already know we are here." Kiba reminded the Pawns by using the previous hideout incidents as references. "They always do when we touch the boundary field but for one of this size… I think this is a trap."
Koneko stoically replied. "It's a trap, just not for us." The Knight immediately understood who the Order was waiting for.
"For the Exorcists, as usual." It wasn't a surprise for them and Kiba couldn't help but feel a little bitterness at the implication he was an intruder in the Excalibur debacle.
While Kiba could understand the Order of Pendragon's obsession and traditions towards that sword for centuries he felt that he had priority when things were related to it. Part of the Knight told him that it was a childish train of thought but the blond didn't care. He suffered because of Excalibur, lost his family because of Excalibur and spent half of his life hating that sword.
It took Kiba remembering Ddraig's warning to calm him down and focus on the present, anger still lingering. "This trap may not be for us but we are here for it."
Asia felt nervous seeing the shadows inside the building. It reminded her of a particular abandoned church where she almost suffered an unpleasant end. "Should we… go inside?"
After a second Issei lets go of Saji, who failed to free himself, and looks at the Bishop. "You can stay here, Asia. We will get there and beat up these guys in a second." He showed his confidence by hitting his fist on the palm of his hand.
"It would be safer like this, less chances of accidents." Kiba could fully believe that the members of the Order wouldn't attack Asia if she didn't go inside, they were honorable like that. "Or we can do how we have done the last few times."
"Last few times." Koneko said with some impatience.
Saji agreded with the Rook. "Yeah, let's just go in and beat them up." Already his Absorption Line was out, the lizard eyes letting out an eerie glow.
Issei and Koneko both nodded in agreement and Kiba looked around before summoning Holy Eraser. "Then let's get this over with." He felt himself trembling again, much like he did many times during this day. 'Are they here?'
Kiba knew that if the Excalibur Fragments were around then they should be more cautious but so far the Order of Pendragon offered them no challenge. On the contrary they didn't even want to fight him so the Knight felt safe in getting to the entrance of the warehouse, fearing no trap or ambush.
When they got close enough Issei called for the Boosted Gear and used a hand to open the gate revealing what they already expected; thirty men and women in armor looking ready for a fight.
However there was a change compared to the last few places they found. "Greetings! I see that someone fell into our trap! Unfortunately it was the wrong prey!" Spoke a knight in blue armor and a woman's voice and figure standing on top of a pile of metal compartments, immediately putting every devil on guard because of a single change.
"A different armor. Did we find the right place?" Issei didn't really expect an answer from anyone..
"Whoever that person is, her armor is much lighter than the average knight we dealt with today." Kiba informed the others, quickly positioning himself to the side with Koneko in the front and the Pawns on her other side.
Truly when compared with the other knights of the Order the blue knight's armor was obviously much lighter; It had less metal in it, less plates, exposing the sides of the woman's midriff while protecting the front. As far as they could see beneath the teal cape there were pieces of armor on the woman's arms and her helmet looked like a falcon's beak with two clear openings for her eyes.
Like the average knight the blue armor also had a pair of gauntlets and boots but those were thinner and stopped at the elbows and knees with individual protection for both. Clearly that armor offered much less protection than the but marked her as a different kind of entity compared to the others.
The blue knight herself looked confident and since she was the one who talked that made obvious to the devils that she was the leader. With a hand on her hip, and all the knights between them and her, it wouldn't be a surprise if she was a strategist of some kind.
"Blond hair and blue eyes." The blue knight's soft voice could be heard around the warehouse. "You must be Isaiah!"
"You don't need to shout. The acoustics of this place let us hear you loud and clear. I also prefer Kiba." The Knight replied with his best attempt of a charming smile.
The blue knight offered him barely a glance before replying. "This isn't the first hideout you found." She pointed out with a grunt which Kiba nodded. "You also have no intention of giving up your hunt for the Excaliburs."
All knights around the area drew their weapons, getting ready for the fight. "You guessed correctly." Kiba admitted as his friends were already prepared. He pointed Holy Eraser at the knight before announcing. "If you don't want a fight, you better surrender."
"The other members of our Order didn't and neither shall I. It would shame me as a knight!" The woman declared loudly and proudly and some of her men began to hit the concrete floor with their feet or spears to show their support. "So you are the one who should prepare yourself!"
Issei found it a little surreal how the knights they had been kicking around the whole day showed far more excitement than all the others just by the blue knight's presence. 'Who the hell is this woman?'
From her beneath her cape the blue knight pulled her weapon, a spear with its shaft retracted that soon grew to its full size. It looked to be made of the same material as the armor with a sharp tip and no edges, about the same size as the knight give or take a couple of inches.
Spinning it in her hands, the blue knight points her spear at the devils. "Prepare yourselves for you all shall fall to Sir Gareth, one of the Four Great Knights of the Order of Pendragon and her brave soldiers!" More shouts roared around the warehouse and Asia covered her ears as all the other devils got ready to move. "CHARGE!"
Kiba immediately could tell that their opponents were more organized than the ones before; their charge was controlled and clearly planned with swordsmen moving forward first while the spearmen stayed in the back.
Usually it was the other way around both in the other hideouts and conventional warfare. Spears are the best weapons to keep enemies at a distance, mostly for mounted ones but considering they all were devils most of the previous hideouts started with spearmen trying to chip them down for the swordsmen after.
It was just a matter of reach, all members of the Order besides Gareth were advancing with shields but the spears fell back in favor of those with blades despite their superior reach.
However the change in the Order's approach didn't change theirs; Kiba took a step back with Asia as Koneko took the front with Issei and Saji right behind. They were already so used to the formation that words were unnecessary when Koneko jumped ahead to meet the knight's charge with her own.
"Don't hesitate! That little girl can break all your bones but not your spirits! Charge! For King Arthur!" Gareth's warning about Koneko broke away the thoughts that she was just a little girl and reminded her soldiers she was a devil.
So, for the first time since their group's hunt began, Koneko met swords directly in her first charge, something that she didn't mind doing. The metal could be strong and well forged but Koneko was a Rook of considerable power and skill, when she got close to the first sword she didn't even allow it to test her defenses, she just tilted her head to the side and got close enough to kick that person's shield.
That was another reason to use spears on the front stead of swords; the reach of the enemy also was taken into account during combat. Koneko was smaller than anyone else in the warehouse, she was barely tall enough to reach most of the soldiers' waist and under most circumstances she would have some trouble on reaching them.
However when the knights decided to start with swords things became easier for the white haired devil, her training made her fast enough to easily dodge the first blow and her natural strength not only broke the first shield but launched the knight against two of his companions.
Adding the weight of the armor and her strength, despite how much she was holding back, Koneko was sure that those three were already out. '27 more to go.' She had already counted and was already spinning in place to deliver another kick against another shield, sending another knight flying. '26.'
Those that could surrounded Koneko while others passed the group by straight against the remaining devils. "We can't let Koneko-chan have all the fun!"
[Boost]
"Took the words out of my mind, Ise!" Quickly Saji sends his Absorption Line against the knights and two of them saw it just in time to dodge. "Gotcha!"
Pulling his arm back the blue line moved with Saji's arm and grabbed one of the knights by the neck, the prisoner trying to cut it off as fast as he could with a knife as the others kept going.
Going straight against Issei who grabbed a man's spear-
[Explosion]
-and lifted the man up with his own weapon. One boost was already enough for him to raise the soldier above his head, armor and everything.
Issei smiled at the soldier who didn't know how to react when the Pawn used him like a club against one of his comrades, knocking both out from their feet and one out of the fight.
Assuming a comfortable boxing stance, Issei moved closer to another knight to deliver a punch to the side of his head and the person beneath buckled at the impact as the Pawn moved to a punch to his chest before grabbing him by the arm and throwing him at another one.
For his part the Sitri Pawn already had absorbed enough energy from his first opponent that when a spear came close to skewer him all the blond did was create a magic circle to block the weapon. "Oh it's your turn? My bad~"
Absorption Line retracts itself back to Saji's wrist fully before shooting again and grabbing the new knight by the arm as its user focused mana on his free hand and punched the knight back before looking to the side and sending a small blast of mana to unbalance another knight.
'I'm getting really good at this!' If there was one thing that chasing after Kiba and the others gave Saji was experience. Most of his spells still didn't pack much of a punch but the idea he could fight someone without having to worry much was helping him learn how to use the extra energy better. "Get over here!" He always wanted to say that.
Saji pulled his most recent capture closer and his fist with the Absorption Line grew purple with energy as he delivered an uppercut, sending the helmet flying and revealing a woman beneath who was already weak by the stolen energy and lost consciousness with the last attack.
With another victory under his belt Saji sent the Absorption Line against the knight he unbalanced before with a weak blast of magic. "You are my food and you aren't escaping!"
'They really got good at this.' Kiba thought with a smile at seeing his friends growing stronger. 'But still not good enough.'
The observation was born from the group of knights who ignored the Rook and avoided the Pawns to challenge him directly with their swords.
A quick glance and nod at Asia was all Kiba needed to reassure her as he threw himself before his opponents.
The Knight could tell they all were skilled as the first one had gone for a swipe to take out his legs while another moved to intercept his sword with a third moving to cut him from the side. Another two soldiers hung back and stood ready but Kiba ignored them for the moment.
Holy Eraser moved swiftly as Kiba accepted the challenge of the second soldier, sparks escaping the swords as the first one still went for his legs. But Kiba was a Knight, he knew his legs were his greatest strength and paid close attention to how they were targeted.
He moved slightly to the side to let the second soldier fall against the first one, the commitment of the second knight now being their potential ruin as they fell straight towards the sword.
But the first one moved quickly and pointed their weapon down, allowing the second to use his shield to stop him from falling against the back of the handle and take another swing at Kiba.
The blond devil reacted fast by taking another step to the side but that was when the fourth and fifth soldiers shifted and charged at him, the third one moving closer to the ones on the front to cover for them as Kiba had jumped in the opposite direction just to avoid him.
"Kiba-san!" Asia shouted in warning but was not needed, Kiba was aware of the situation around him and knew he was caught between two other soldiers and his feet were still off the floor.
But he was a devil and so the Knight unleashed his wings and managed to easily dodge the swords. He had floated just enough to get out of their reach and moved back to where Asia was while the Bishop took a couple of steps back towards the door to give Kiba more room to maneuver.
'Holy Eraser is the wrong sword for this.' Kiba realizes and quickly discards his sword with a hard throw that the fourth soldier deflected while the fifth one kept up the attack, just as Kiba expected. With a flick of his wrist Kiba drew a more suited weapon to deal with his opponents, one that would give him even more mobility. "Jet Sword."
In a blink of an eye Kiba was inside the zone of comfort of the fifth soldier who he cut the chest of before delivering a kick to the side of his helmet. Not missing a beat, more mana was pushed into the sacred gear born sword and Kiba quickly approached another one only for a wall of shields to stop him.
He managed to stop himself by crashing against the wall with his sword but quickly retreated 'These guys are stronger than the ones before. This hideout is probably the main trap for the Exorcists.' By the skill and coordination the knights were showing him, Kiba could easily believe those were some of the strongest members of the Order of Pendragon.
Their teamwork was impeccable and the Knight of Gremory wasn't the only one in trouble. "Shit!" Issei cursed as he had to block a sword with his sacred gear only for a spear to pierce his shoulder.
[Boost! Explosion x2]
The Pawn of Gremory unleashed more power to push back the knights but an order from Gareth had them retreating. "He raised his power two times over! Move back a couple of steps! He is going for a swing at you Gordon!" An apparent random soldier side stepped Issei's attack as the blue knight kept shouting orders for the others. "Keep the Rook contained! Unlike the others of her Piece she favors speed over defense! Your spears are still sharp enough to cut her!"
Koneko glared at the blue knight away from the fight as she was having difficulties finding openings to land any more strikes. All spearmen around her had discarded their shields and were moving fast enough to avoid her, always covering each other.
Especially when Gareth called her moves before Koneko finished them. "She is going for another swipe with her leg! All of you four steps back! She is about to jump to the first person in front of her!" But dealing with that many fighters as a single commander was difficult and soon Gareth had to turn her eyes to another fight, this time Saji's. "Keep a grip on the rope! Vritra's host isn't as strong as the Red Dragon Emperor! He can't lift you up! The rest of you attack now!"
"Fuck off!" Saji tried to command the Absorption Line back but truly he couldn't and a spear managed to hit him on the leg before he punched his attacker back.
'This is bad!' Kiba thought just before Gareth's eyes turned to his own fight. 'She is taking us apart by just analyzing our fighting styles. The first knights we defeated were probably calculated losses!"
That realization was practically confirmed for Kiba when Gareth pointed her spear at him. "His sword is sharp enough to get through your armor but is mostly focused on speed! Move together and push him against a wall!" She then motioned to Asia. "He isn't willing to leave the girl alone! Use that!"
The fact that the soldiers moved side by side in an instant and began to advance with their shields together in a wall of steel showed how well trained they were. There were no words once again after the order was given, just a steady march towards Asia's direction that had the Bishop nervous and forced Kiba to drop between the former nun and the members of the Order.
Calling for Sword Birth to make another sword had Storm Monarch appear in Kiba's hands as he prepared both weapons. "That one also uses wind! Take care!"
Gareth's warning surprised Kiba. 'How did she know? I haven't used Storm Monarch's ability yet!' But now that the secret was out the Knight didn't hold back as a small gust of wind began to form around the blade as he took a swing against the wall of steel. "Storm Monarch!"
Thanks to Gareth's warning her soldiers had already braced themselves and barely budged against Kiba's initial attack. A particularly brave man took a step forward and Kiba had to increase the wind intensity to stop him.
Dust began to cover the area as Kiba's winds got worse, the majority of the fighters were having their vision imparied as the fight grew more intense.
As a former nekomata Koneko didn't need to rely on her eyes to know where everyone around her was, her other senses were more than enough. She grew aware how some of the knights began to hesitate and stop their attacks to not harm each other.
Since she was a Rook and the strongest person present, at least until Issei got another few Boosts, she was also the person dealing with the most knights with twelve people going against her.
It was fifteen before but she knocked some out with her strength before Gareth had ordered them to stop engaging her directly. With their spears they kept constantly poking Koneko while keeping her surrounded and she wasn't able to get any new hits in the fight.
When Kiba began to use Storm Monarch, almost everyone lost their sight or began coughing because of the cloud of dust. Koneko observed how some of her opponents grew more packed together as their vision grew imparied and they looked for reassurance in numbers.
She could attack freely now but Koneko realized that even if the lack of sight allowed her to defeat some of her opponents it wouldn't finish the fight.
So she made the problem worse by hitting her palm hard against the floor and kicking up more dust for Kiba's wind. While the warehouse's closed space helped Koneko blind the members of the Orderm it wouldn't last long unless the Knight tried to keep the dust around.
Already it was beginning to escape through the many openings like holes on the walls and open windows and some soldiers were recovering their bearings and Kiba changed tactics and charged with both his swords.
When the knights previously surrounding Koneko got ready to continue they noticed that the white haired devil wasn't around anymore as the last cloud of dust disappeared and no one could find her.
Koneko had used the cloud of dust as cover and moved at her full speed between the soçdiers until she could get behind one of the huge containers in the area. She didn't take time to congratulate herself for a successful escape as that was only the first part of her plan.
Jumping high in the air and spreading her wings, Koneko launched herself like a missile towards Gareth from the blue knight's side, a blind spot because of the helmet the older woman was using.
It was a simple maneuver to take out the enemy commander and Koneko prepared herself to throw a hard punch as she approached quickly, completely unseen. Every instinct that the Rook had told her that Gareth didn't know about her approach, the blue knight's distracted by the other fights.
There were clear indications that Gareth wasn't expecting any attack at her so Koneko didn't know how to explain why she failed to hit the knight as she was hit by the teal cape. Having lost her own vision didn't slow Koneko down and if anything she began to fly faster as something hit her back right between her wings.
The next thing Koneko felt was a sharp pain in the middle of her back as she hit the floor hard enough to kill a normal man.
""Koneko-chan!"" "Koneko!"
All the other devils call for the Rook in a panic as the blue knight returns to her previous position no worse for wear. That wasn't the first time Koneko was hit that day, some members of the Order got lucky and got her with their swords, but the Rook's defense kept the little devil unharmed as she was more resistant than most.
This time it was different as Koneko crawled out of the teal cape still covering her, the attack having come so surprisingly fast that some wounds covered her skin and the former nekomata looked to be in a small daze.
[Boost! Explosion x2!]
The roar of a dragon marked that Issei lost any patience as he used more power. Those surrounding him learned to fear the Red Dragon Emperor. "You bastards!" Mana gathered in his hand and the Pawn quickly punched it towards the blue knight. "Dragon Shoot!"
The wave of power was so strong that some were thrown off their feat, the Red Dragon Emperor not holding back in his wish of making Gareth pay.
The blue knight was already moving before the attack was unleashed and the blast of red mana missed her and demolished the rooftop of the warehouse. 'I can only hope no one was paying attention in this direction. Unless they are the Holders then that may be enough to catch their attention' Gareth admired the size of the attack before turning back to Issei to see that his fury had not subsided.
Most of the roof was completely gone after the blast but the blue knight had dodged perfectly. However the other devils took advantage of the confusion on the enemy side with Kiba using Storm Monarch once again before using Jet Sword to get closer and swiftly dispatch the soldiers closest to him.
Not having expected what happened, Saji reacted a little slowly but grabbed one shield and quickly beat a soldier with it, tying the man up with his Absorption Line before charging against another two. The duo raised their shields when Saji threw a haymaker but that was a feint, the Pawn was too far to hit them with his fist.
He hit them with their tied up comrade as he kept going in Koneko's direction while taking wide swipes with his improvised morning star as the group that Koneko was facing before turned to meet the other devils in combate.
But it was Koneko herself who dispatched them. Having already recovered from her daze and the damage she took, the white haired devil jumped for a quick elbow on someone's back before taking another down with a punch to the side. She followed up with a kick against another soldier's knee and by the time the members of the Order turned to fight back they fell victim from more punches and kicks.
After slamming on the floor Koneko was slower than previously, her body hurting all over. She wasn't ready for what happened so she only had her natural defenses to help her resist the impact. She still made sure to defeat all knights in her line of vision before falling with only one hand and knees to support her as her right hand touched her side.
Considering previous experience, mostly from training with Yoruichi, Koneko was pretty sure something was wrong with her ribs. She wasn't surprised, her defenses were at her minimum since she was focused fully on attacking when Gareth countered her.
Some blood even was flowing from her back and the former nekomata was sure that if she wasn't a Rook then she would be dead.
[Reset]
It happened suddenly as Issei felt his exhaustion after using many Boosts at once and letting too much of his power out. He was tired but still could fight even as he lost the extra power but still jumped and punched ab enemy.
When a soldier came for him Issei grabbed the spear with his naked hand before punching with the Boosted Gear. Even without Boosts the brown haired Pawn knew he was stronger than most humans and after eight successive punches against the soldier's shield arm it lost its strength and Issei finished them with another three against his.
Gareth barely recovered and got into position again when she saw that most of her men were already defeated. Without her warnings and caught by surprise at the devils' second wind there was nothing they could do. Some stragglers tried to keep up with the devils but Kiba was now moving around the battlefield and dispatching anyone that could keep fighting with quick sword strikes.
In a few seconds the fighting began to die down as the Order members couldn't recover once their formation was broken and Gareth could feel the sweat from her forehead as she was the last knight standing.
As far as traps were concerned Gareth knew things were going badly and that the odds of her group defeating the Exorcists were getting smaller by the moment. 'The only positive of all this is that they didn't kill anyone yet.'
The blue knight was aware of the Red Dragon Emperor's fury but while Issei was the biggest present threat he wasn't the most immediate one. There was another devil that could be a problem both in the present and the immediate future.
It happened while the devils began to regroup, Issei and Saji moved quickly for Koneko to see if she was well while Kiba neutralized the last few of the Order members around. With his speed and two swords it was just a matter of time as the soldiers could only struggle to hold him back.
Asia took a couple steps forward, also going in Koneko's direction to heal her friend. She barely didn't realize that someone had begun to move in her direction with murderous intent.
With Kiba preoccupied with fighting two people at once and the Pawns focusing fully on Koneko it was only the Rook herself who noticed the movement from the corner of her eyes. "Asia!"
The warning brought forward new concern for the Pawns and got the Knight attention but it was too late. There was no one between the blue knight, the Bishop and the blue spear that found itself stabbed in Asia's gut.
Asia's muted scream couldn't stop her from crying as she felt the warmth of her blood leaving her belly. She was a person that had suffered much pain in her life but most of it was emotional with only a few scraps and bruises in between.
The only greater pain was when her soul was torn apart in the attempt to steal her sacred gear but that was a different kind of pain that even if hurt more in the past it couldn't prepare her for the one in the present.
A gentle soul with a big heart that disliked violence, Asia wasn't ready to defend herself or even know how to do it properly. She was only a healer, nothing else and Gareth couldn't blame her from crying as the former nun never was a warrior.
The blue knight made no comments as she removed her spear as fast as she could, already jumping to the side. "You coward!" Kiba's rage came back full force but now it wasn't about the Excalibur but for the sake of his teammates.
"Leaving a healer unguarded-" Gareth had no time to finish talking.
[Explosion!]
Issei came at the blue knight like a cannonball ready to rip her apart with his gauntlet hand. Gareth had enough time to clash against the sacred gear with her spear and push it back as she kept running away to get some distance but the Pawn didn't let up.
While the two boys of Gremory chased the blue knight, Koneko and Saji ran to Asia's assistance, previous wounds forgotten. "Asia-chan! Are you alright?! Of course you are not alright but-"
"Saji, shut up!" Koneko ordered with a panic as she tore off the shoulder sleeve of the Pawn's uniform and tried to stop the bleeding. "Asia, can you hear me? Stay conscious." It took everything Koneko had to not panic as well with her friend's tearful eyes looking back at her. "You need to heal yourself."
"It hurts- it hurts." The Bishop's tears flooded out and Saji got up in rage.
"That fucker-"
Koneko pulled the boy back down. "She needs help." She knew some first aid but even then the nekomata was trembling, something the Pawn noticed.
"Sure!" Saji would later credit himself for his lack of hesitation as he held the wound close while Koneko helped guide Asia's hands towards the wound as gently as she could.
Meanwhile the blonde Bishop was receiving help Knight and Pawn kept chasing Gareth furiously. 'I may have miscalculated horribly.' Military convention preached the contrary as taking out the healer from the opposite side meant that everytime she landed a hit it would stick.
Unfortunately for her, that attack threw both Kiba and Issei in a berserker-like state as they both kept attacking her constantly. All Gareth could do was block Kiba's swords with her spear, still getting wounded even when she saw the attack coming, and stay away from Issei's gauntlet.
Gareth knew that if Issei grabbed her he wouldn't let her go until she was a blood pulp. What really worried her was that even in their furious state neither devil was getting in each other's way.
Both weren't fully in sync as Issei was having difficulties getting Gareth not only because of her agility but also because he was trying to stay out of Kiba's way. He always took a few seconds into getting to her and that gave the blue knight time to try and dodge. Time that the knight could fully focus on defending against Kiba's two swords but not much else.
While his friend did his best to keep up with them, Kiba refused to give Gareth any time to rest. He kept just swinging his swords as fast as he could but the spear was always there to deflect or Gareth was always moving away from them, never trying to hold her ground.
The three of them were stuck in a stalemate where the devils couldn't land a definitive hit but the knight also could do nothing but defend.
[Boost]
But they all knew it was only a matter of time before their stalemate broke; either the woman would run out of stamina and get cut or Issei would get enough Boosts that he would catch her.
A third option presented itself when Gareth spun her spear in a frenzy and jumped away from Kiba. A literal second before the Knight could keep up the chase Koneko had landed where Gareth previously was and destroyed part of the floor.
"Koneko-chan? Is Asia alright?" Issei immediately asked, stopping to look back at where the former nun remained laying down with Saji guarding her, a green glow visible in the dusk light.
"She is healing but it will take time." Koneko informed and the Pawn felt bad for not asking about her when he saw the white haired Rook's own wounds. "She didn't kill Asia but came close."
"I didn't intend to kill her." Gareth protested while taking many steps back under the devils' glare. "Can you all calm down? Didn't you face other members of the Order of Pendragon before? We don't want problems with Isaiah."
Memories of the whole day crossed the devils' minds but Issei didn't care. "You hurt Asia." A menacing growl escaped the Pawn's throat, his eyes full of murder.
Gareth kept up walking back but was clearly staring back at the Pawn, her expressions hidden behind her helmet. "She is an enemy medic. Expecting her to not get hurt in a battlefield is a naive train of thought at best."
"I'm going to rip you apart!" Issei declared with the Boosted Gear glowing with more intensity in response to his emotions. He was about to charge when Koneko took a step in front of him.
The blue knight knew her words just made things worse but was glad that the white haired girl stopped Issei. She could tell that his emotions were all over the place and that she needed to do something before the fight resumed.
"I could have killed her but I didn't, alright. My attack was perfect and I just took her out from the fighting to stop you all from healing." Gareth explained despite knowing that her words wouldn't calm down the Red Dragon Emperor. She was hoping to convince Koneko to keep him under control as she looked to be the more collected of the bunch. "I could have killed her easily just by tilting my spear up a couple of inches. Her heart was exposed to me and she wasn't on guard. I avoided that because we, the Order, don't want to make things worse."
The dragon's host was still mad and it looked like Koneko wasn't going to intervene but one who came to her rescue surprised them all.
"Issei, she is right. Asia was on the battlefield and as a healer she is a priority in any fight." Kiba was the one most surprised by his own remark but was barely keeping himself together. His rage still burned hot with a heavy weight of guilt fawning the flames but the Knight kept himself composed only because Asia was alive "We are going to get her but remember what Ddraig said."
The Pawn hasn't forgotten the warnings of the original Red Dragon and how anger could be dangerous for him.
[You really better have not forgotten, partner.] The dragon's voice echoed in Issei's mind. [Your fury is justified but too much of it and then you will burn your allies. Hmm, I must say I am surprised by how fast the Knight learned to control his own anger but maybe its because the object of his hatred is not around. Then again this day must have been like a rollercoaster of emotions for him. Hahahaha!]
Ddraig's laugh actually helped Issei calm down but he still glared at Gareth who kept her spear ready and primed to pierce anyone who got too close. The blue knight knew she was still in thin ice with the devils but smiles confidently as they gradually calm down.
"So can we negotiate now?" Gareth asked.
"Negotiate?" Issei's voice revealed his still lingering feeling of anger but Koneko stood in front of him to stop any advance.
Gareth frowned at how upset Issei was about Asia's wound but nodded either way to show he heard right. "That is correct. You all also are after the Excalibur Fragments, right? There are none in this place." She didn't relax or lower her spear as the Red Dragon Emperor just waited for the chance to attack. "Considering you beat up my men we also can't face the Exorcists if they show up."
"So you are surrendering?" Kiba asked back but the blue knight shook her head.
"For King Arthur I can't surrender." Her determination made it clear that it was non negotiable. "But you already did quite a lot of damage to some of our elites and I doubt the boundary field around this place will last for long."
"What are you proposing?" Kiba wanted the woman to get to the point.
"You leave and let us go. No surrender and no more damage needs to be done." Gareth declared and Issei grew mad once again.
"Is this because of your honor? That flew out of the window when you hurt Asia." Koneko stood firmly in front of the Pawn. "Let me get her, Koneko-chan."
The Rook threw the Pawn a side glance before her eyes moving to the Knight. "I agree with Issei."
Kiba had no chance to reply. "Then why are you stopping me? We already beat everyone else."
"Ise is right. Many of your men are too hurt to keep fighting, at least for a while." The blond ignored his friend and spoke with a fake smile. "Maybe things would be different if you hadn't hurt Asia."
Gareth tightened her grip around her spear. "You just want to make me surrender so I can't pursue the Excaliburs anymore." Kiba quickly lost his smile and began to wonder what gave that away. "You are all upset that I hurt your friend and have no intention of letting me get my way."
"Pretty much." Kiba admitted, still wondering what gave his true intentions out. 'At least the conversation calmed Ise down.' Yet he was growing suspicious that there was more happening that he didn't know. "We are going to break all your weapons and leave. That is the mark of your surrender." He then pointed his sword at her. "It is the only way we can believe you will abide by your word."
She knew Kiba was telling the truth but couldn't accept those terms. "You already know my answer."
The statement didn't surprise Kiba. "Yes." The blond took a step to the side, two Jet Swords in his hands. "As a follower of King Arthur you refuse to sully his honor. You won't try to trick us because tricks are the tools of traitors." He positioned himself a few steps away from Issei and Koneko who got ready. "We already have this conversation with others. Not that you already didn't know that."
Gareth didn't reply but held her spear firmly, she would have to react quickly once things started. "As one of the Four Knights of Pendragon my word is worth more than my life." She licked her lips, feeling thirsty as she realized the situation she landed herself in. "I won't lie. I can't surrender."
"That spear is special, right?" Kiba suddenly asked and Gareth stayed silent. "Even with all you had going for you I doubt you really were strong enough to hurt Koneko." The white haired devil moved a few steps away from Issei who felt more power surging on his body. "Combine that with you men, maybe you would have a chance of defeating the Exorcists."
Again no reply as Gareth tried to remain calm while the three devils got ready to finish her. It was just a matter of time before the attack began but she knew the other two were waiting for Kiba's signal.
'Straight attack with a circular maneuver for momentum and extra strength.' Gareth prepared as Kiba had both Jet Swords pointing behind him.
"So to make sure that your word is really worth something we are breaking that spear and leaving you all here, beaten up and without healing." Kiba revealed what Gareth already knew.
Once the Knight of Gremory was done the Knight of Pendragon decided to talk. "That isn't necessary."
"Oh but it is." Kiba's fake smile returned in full force and Gareth couldn't help but chuckle.
"You are just making things harder for us out of spite."
"What can I say? I do have some anger issues."
"Ha!"
Issei couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped Kiba's admission but the Knight just smiled sincerely. "Quite a bit of anger issues. I thought it was just about Excalibur but you showed me something else today." The Knight didn't finish his statement on purpose.
"That you can be angry when your friends get hurt." Gareth's affirmation caused Kiba to chuckle.
"Yes." With his swords propelling him Kiba flew in Gareth's direction faster than anything she had ever seen before.
There would be no dodging and Gareth knew it, the Knight of Gremory was moving too fast and if she had moved before he would just have gone for another maneuver. The only reassurance she had of her survival was her weapon. She trusted in her spear resistance and the spells waved in it because the other option would be surrender.
And as one of the Four Great Knights, she refused to surrender so easily.
Changing his center of gravity and his swords' positions Kiba began to spin with Gareth barely managing to keep up with the blur. Her eyes could barely identify the swords moving in her direction.
But her arms were already in position when Kiba's attack hit and Gareth could feel her knees buckle under the strength of the attack. The blue knight was sure something broke in her hands but ignored it as she needed everything she had to hold the attack back.
She was even pushed back a few steps for the force of the impact but was still standing..
Kiba opened his wings, still in the air after his attack. He noticed how Gareth's spear wasn't damaged despite his attack but wasn't surprised. If Koneko's got even a small wound from the weapon that spoke of its power.
So he ignored the weapon's resistance and moved for his next attack. Kiba was pretty sure that Gareth would dodge it but he still moved his second sword to hit her face.
Just before Kiba began his motion of attack Gareth was already moving her spear. Her arms felt like they had weights on them but she still moved them to push Kiba back, forcing the sword to miss. "You are going to need more than that."
Kiba smiled. "Noted." With his wings he was already back on the ground and going for a slash on Gareth's legs but the blue knight was already running away much to his surprise. 'Was I wrong?' He gave chase a second after.
In her mind Gareth was panicking. 'He came to the wrong conclusion but he pretty much deduced my sacred gear.' With the back of her spear the knight threw one of the boxes to her side at Kiba without losing her step and he cut it off his path while getting closer to her. Even if he wasn't furious anymore Kiba was still relentless in his chase.
While the Kiba fought the other two devils rushed to help their friend. With his Boosts, Issei was much faster than Koneko but neither could get closer as Kiba had covered several meters in a split second with a single dash.
Gareth was still trying to escape Kiba when she detected Issei and Koneko approaching fast. The brown haired Pawn was almost on them when the blue knight changed her strategy and jumped to the left while forcing Kiba to block a jab from her spear.
Her position had put Kiba between her and Issei but that didn't solve the problem with Koneko who was almost on her side. Not having much choice, Gareth let go of her spear with one hand to grab something from her back, crushing it on her hand and allowing a flash of light blind the white haired devil and Issei while Kiba remained safe since he was the closest to her.
"I thought you knights didn't use tricks?" Kiba asked sarcastically. "Makes me think that we should just kill you all."
Gareth gritted her teeth and used her spear as a club that Kiba easily stopped with his two swords. "Tricks like this are fair in a fight." She advanced in his direction for a tackle but Kiba side stepped her and noticed two more cylinders on her belt with her hand ready to crush another one. "For King Arthur!"
This time there was nothing to stop Kiba from being blinded and he had to cover his eyes to try and starve off the pain while Gareth kept going forward to attack Issei.
'He grows more powerful with time! I have to take him out now!' The time to hold back had passed as the blue knight aimed her spear towards Issei's head. 'I am sorry.'
[Your head!] Gareth's eyes widened as the warning came from the Boosted Gear itself and Issei managed to grab the spear before it reached him.
"Thanks, Ddraig!" Still with his eyes closed from the pain, Issei held the spear firmly.
[No problem partner.] The glow from the sacred gear grew even stronger with the green of the jewel being complemented by the red of the gauntlet.
"The real Red Dragon Emperor?! He can talk?!" Gareth couldn't believe those words as Issei followed the body of the spear to attack her despite his blinded state. She saw no choice but to let her weapon go to dodge. 'Nonononono.'
A soft voice then speaks from Gareth's side. "Got you." The blue knight turned just in time to see Koneko deliver a haymaker to her face.
There was nothing that Gareth could do as the punch connected and her helmet began to crack under the Rook's strength. The beak broke first and revealed the woman beneath with a golden crown similar to a diadem with a wheat seed just above her forehead.
If offered absolutely no protection when the fist connected with Gareth's face as her body was already flying back from the point of impact.
Thanks to the noise Kiba stabbed the ground before asking. "Did you get her?"
"No." "Yes."
Issei and Koneko replied at the same time but both boys understood what the former nekoshou had said. "Good job, Koneko."
"Hmm." Nodded but once she remembered none of them could see she let out a hum.
"Can any of you see?" Issei asked nervously. "Did she blind us forever?"
A temptive left eye opens on Kiba's face before he closes it again to scratch it. "It is blurry but I think it isn't permanent."
"How is Asia-chan?" Issei asked next. "Ddraig can you-"
[No, I can't see her from here.] The dragon told his host. [How do you think this works? That I have actual eyes out there? I am just somewhat aware of what is happening outside the Boosted Gear.]
Issei didn't mind that Ddraig sounded a little grumpy. "Thanks a lot. You saved my ass back there."
[No problem.]
It took a few moments for the trio to recover their vision with Koneko taking a little more time than the other two but they were mostly fine. They still were scratching their eyes after a whole minute but they could see normally.
After they recovered their vision Kiba told both Issei and Koneko to tend to Asia and ask her to heal them once she was better. He was going to make sure Gareth was definitely out of the fight.
"Are you going to kill her?" Issei asked with a frown. With his anger spent and Asia recovering he didn't want to kill Gareth anymore.
Kiba just smiled and said nothing as he began to walk towards the defeated knight. He noticed how the blue of her armor was a little red as blood fell from the woman's nose and mouth. If the devil wasn't mistaken he was sure she was breathing by her mouth as her nose was definitivally broken.
"I know you are still awake. Mostly because of your helmet and armor without a doubt." He gave her a moment to see if she would react. "A friend of mine also has special armor but not as enchanted as yours. I can feel the magic from here. Probably that is what saved your life since Koneko wasn't holding back."
He didn't know the kind of protections the armor itself had but, with part of it broken, the magic inside it seemed to be dispersing and turning it into simple metal. Still a good armor and Kiba was sure that it could survive a blow or two from his swords but once the magic was fully gone that wouldn't be the case anymore.
Curiosity for the armor aside, the Knight focused on Gareth's condition before leaving a sigh. "I will ask again; 'I thought you guys didn't use tricks?'"
Another moment of no reaction later, Gareth finally lifted her face and looked Kiba in the eyes. One of her was shut and was evidently going to swell up soon because of the damage, her nose was completely broken and if her cheeks were any indication then she was only really alive because of her armor since Kiba was sure anyone would have died if the attack had been direct.
"That wasn't a trick. It was a strategy to win without killing. For all the good it did in the end" The way Gareth spoke was slow, practically dragging the words out as she found her tongue hard to move.
"From Ddraig's warning it is clear that you were ready to kill Issei." Kiba called her out.
"To my shame. I got desperate. You all were too strong." She told the Knight with an attempt of a sigh that hurt her face as her crown disappeared from her head. "Are you going to kill me now?"
Looking at his swords Kiba shrugs before throwing them to the side. "If Asia had died, sure. But she didn't, so consider this payback for hurting her."
"My sacred gear can't heal me like hers can." It sounded like a lament and a whimper in one.
"That is your own fault, isn't it? We didn't come here to kill you all, just to get the Excaliburs."
Gareth glared at Kiba but soon she sighed again. "I had a duty; to defeat you, gather the swords and return my king to the world."
"Shouldn't have started this in our city." It was clear that Gareth was defeated and Kiba just shook his head in disappointment. "Are you going to cause us any more trouble?" He knew she was in no condition but needed to make sure.
"No, I won't sully my king's honor." Gareth didn't know what hurt more, her face or her pride. "Are you going to break my spear?"
"Just to be safe." Kiba replied. "We also are going to destroy every weapon in this place so you guys don't even think of trying to fight again." He gave her a glare that he knew she wasn't paying attention to. "Once this is all over my King will be the one passing her judgment on you all. Pray that she will be merciful after you hurt Asia."
"If my king doesn't return. If he does then he is the only one whose judgment I will accept." Gareth said in defiance and for a moment Kiba saw her fighting spirit returning to her.
"Suit yourself." Without proper healing there was no way that Gareth could keep fighting as he saw how hurt her face was and doubted she could even see him properly. "By the way, why didn't you dodge Koneko's attack?"
With her good eye Gareth looked at Kiba before looking down again. "Is that a trick question? Obviously I didn't expect her to attack."
Even when Koneko was blind her other senses far surpassed everyone else's in the warehouse and all that the Rook had to do was push back the pain long enough to hit her enemy.
The blue knight didn't expect that kind of reaction, most people shrink down and try to protect themselves when something surprising happens to steal their vision. Double so with flashes that are sudden and the person was unprepared for like Koneko who was the first one she hit with it.
"Doesn't your sacred gear let you see the future?" Kiba's deduction had Gareth laughing before she had to stop as more blood covered her and she found it hard to breathe. "I guess I am wrong."
Despite the broken nose and bloody mouth Gareth still offered Kiba a smile. "You reached the wrong conclusion but it was close." She already knew that from earlier but found his confusion amusing.
"But you predicted all our moves and even knew my sword's powers before I used it." Kiba asked in shock but she just laughed again only to close her mouth from pain and hold her nose.
Gareth debated telling him about her sacred gear just for a moment. "You are lucky you are handsome." She said slowly, making the devil blink. "And it makes no difference if you know. My Dream Crown doesn't see the future but the dreams of people."
"Their dreams?" Kiba took a moment to think before asking "Their thoughts? You can read minds?"
"Handsome and smart. Just my type." Gareth said with amusement, her exhaustion catching up to her. "Legend says that it was made from Joseph's deeds. He was an interpreter of dreams and was said to also guess the future." She chuckled bitterly. "If I could just see the future then I wouldn't be in this state. I didn't focus on the girl's mind because I thought she was blind and paid for it."
Still Kiba found himself respecting the defeated woman. "You read our thoughts and fought the best you could. Even if you could see the future this wouldn't have ended any differently." He then smiled. "Unless you were going to surrender."
"Ha! Stop making me laugh. Bastard." Some blood poured on her throat but Gareth felt happy. "Maybe I would know if all that was worth it. But like Joseph I can't see beyond what people already knew." Her smile became bitter again. "Joseph was a lucky man, he figured out the Pharaoh's dream and managed to get a cushioned job when he should have remained a servant. A lucky man indeed."
"I don't know about that, maybe the dreams he interpreted really told him of the future." Kiba didn't remember everything he read when young but that was a story he had some vague memory of.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Gareth never researched much about the inspiration for her sacred gear.
"Well … he did know how long it would take for the dreams to come true." Kiba realized after a moment, the memory of his childhood coming back after much effort. "If I remember right Joseph interpreted a lot of dreams, not only the Pharaoh's. There was a thief's… and a cup bearer's. I think." His former life so full of happy memories had one of the older children tell him and others those stories. "He knew the day they would leave the prison, one to die and the other to live. He also knew the years of famine after the years of plenty. Maybe Joseph could only know dreams but God," there was no pain for Kiba held no reverence and only distaste at the name, "sent him what he needed to know."
"A devil defending God. Now I saw everything." Gareth closed her eyes and relaxed. "Shouldn't you hate Him?"
"I won't deny that. God wasn't there when I needed him so he has none of my love." Kiba admitted with ease. "I hate Excalibur, God's abstinence and Valper. More than anything." He sighed. "But that won't stop me from looking at things objectively. That is the only way that I can keep my friends safe." He began to walk away with confusion in his eyes.
"You sound like you respect Him." Kiba stopped to look back but Gareth didn't move or open her eyes. "There was even some fondness. Like from those that believed in our king but refused to participate in the operation."
Without turning Kiba just spared the blue knight a glance before walking away. "Not for Him but for others who loved him." Siblings that were gone.
There was nothing else from the knight as Gareth lost consciousness from pain and Kiba began to move closer to his friends. He could see them all fretting around Asia as the light of the Twilight Healing shone on them. The Knight noticed how Issei held the Bishop's back with Koneko and Saji standing guard to the sides.
"How is she?" Kiba asked after a second.
Asia noticed the worry in Kiba's face and offered a smile. "I am healing well, Kiba-san."
The Knight took a look at her gentle face before turning to his other fellow blond. Saji gave him a small smile before replying. "It took a minute for her to begin to real right, her sacred gear kept going in and out."
"She couldn't concentrate." Koneko disregarded Asia pouting as Saji continued.
"But thanks to Koneko-chan's help she managed to heal enough to get rid of the pain. Then it got easier." From a dangerous even if not fatal wound to a completely healed in a moment, Saji was relieved that Asia didn't die under his watch. "I almost cried back there."
"I apologize, Saji-san." Asia let the guilt wash over her and the Pawn of Sitri quickly complained.
"No! It wasn't your fault! I am just happy that you are safe."
Issei was quick to add "He is right, Asia. If anything it is my fault. I should have protected you better."
"No, it was my fault." Kiba protested. "Our formation had me at the back but I thought that the situation was under control and committed at the wrong time." He bowed his head past his waist. "I am sorry, Asia."
"No-no need for that, Kiba-san." Asia then smiled gently. "I am just glad we are all safe."
"Yes but this was a bit too much." Saji said with a frown, turning to Kiba who had a similar expression. "Dude, I know that you want to get those swords but… I think it's too much sand for our truck."
Koneko nodded in agreement and Issei's hand held Asia protectively with his arm. "I agree." The Red Dragon Emperor added as Asia looked down in shame. "These guys aren't playing around. I know that chick didn't want to hurt Asia but if she did…" He refused to finish that line.
"No. We don't need to stop now. It was my fault that I got hurt." The former nun protested and Issei looked at her with sadness.
"Asia…" Issei said her name sofly to try to dissuade her but she shook her head in denial.
"We are here to help Kiba-san. We knew it was dangerous and I should have been more careful. I just-" A hand landed on her shoulder and Kiba gave the Bishop a smile.
"Thank you but they are right… Gareth was right. I should have watched over you." A mistake that Kiba regretted tremendously but made sure that Asia didn't notice that. "We all should have been more careful."
After a few moments the glow of Twilight Healing diminished and everyone watched astounded as Asia got up with a hole on her uniform but unblemished skin. "Good Maou. I wish someone on my team had that sacred gear. It must make training easy."
""No."" Both Koneko and Issei replied at the same time, making Kiba chuckle. "Not easy, not even close to easy." Issei added, standing up and crossing his arms in an 'x' in front of his face. "We have to train twice as much, there is no excuse to rest and the moment we are healed and have energy we are supposed to keep going." Koneko nodded her agreement. "Our teachers are also insane. The number of times Liz-sensei made a hole using my body…"
"Trees… many trees." Koneko shivered. "I was thrown through so many trees."
Issei also shivered at memories of his training for the Rating Game. "Thanks to Asia's sacred gear we can train more but we feel every wound every time." He shook his head in panic. "There was no rest, just training, training and more training."
"You still got Medusa's training." Koneko pointed out but Issei looked at her with horror.
"You think that was easy? That was between sensei's lessons and eating. I didn't got a single break." Except when he passed out in bed but since they had won against Riser then Issei felt he shouldn't complain.
Kiba was holding back a laugh at that point but Saji gave them a nervous smile. "You guys had it rough."
"Not that much." Kiba controlled himself enough to reply. "It was thanks to Asia we managed to stop Buchou's marriage after all."
"And then Emiya got with her." Issei's complaint earned him a look of shock from his fellow Pawn.
"Are you for real? Emiya is with Rias-sama? Can they do that?" Saji asked since he was human and she was a devil but Koneko hit him from the side. "Auch."
"Forget about it." The white haired devil then galred at Issei and he felt he shouldn't have said anything.
"Ah, let me heal you all now." Asia moved to check Koneko first but she almost tripped if Issei hadn't caught her.
"Asia, be careful."
"I am fine. I just…" The former nun avoided looking at anyone's eyes, not wishing to say what was the problem.
But Koneko's senses picked up as she felt her energy low. "You are exhausted." The Rook informed everyone as the Bishop looked down.
Saji realized why. "Taking care of any wounded, checking us up, having to heal yourself. With how much stamina a sacred gear can eat, I'm not surprised."
"I just need to rest for a minute. I can keep going." Asia looked at Kiba and soon they all were looking at the Knight.
Looking at everyone's state and noticing that only him was unharmed, Kiba knew they waited for his decision at Asia's silent question.
"We can keep going. Let me just heal everyone." Asia was determined to keep helping Kiba and her determination actually made the Knight feel guilty.
That guilt only grew when he noticed the others were ready as well. "Sit down. It will help you take care of us." Koneko said, sitting down with her back to Asia and allowing the nun to knee behind her to take care of her bruisers. "We can go slow."
"My shoulder is killing me. " Saji commented with a smile that had Issei and Koneko glaring at him. "But I can wait my turn."
"Good." Koneko closed her eyes to focus on feeling Asia's energy.
Issei had a similar idea as he watched over Asia, his eyes not leaving the Twilight Healing glow to make sure the former nun wasn't pushing herself too much. He only left her for a moment to look at Kiba. "Where do we go now?"
Not worrying too much and considering everything, Kiba smiled. "We patch up and get a cab back to town." The events of the day were also catching up to him and he wanted to rest as well but refused to sit down. "I will break those guys' weapons and we can go after you are done."
"But go where?" Issei asked with a frown. He was all for helping his friend but he was concerned about Asia's condition.
With a smile Kiba told him where they would go next.
…
Sir Gawain, the Commander of the Order of Pendragon remained stoic as the hours passed. Nightfall had come and from his position inside the Art Gallery he could clearly see the stars. 'No Exorcists so far. I hope one of the traps managed to collect the Excaliburs but I can only check once the next step of the operation begins.'
And Gawain didn't want to give the signal for the next phase. He knew that once he did the risk of innocents getting hurt would grow considerable and was trying to avoid that at all cost.
But hours had passed and the signal, a couple of fireworks hidden in a known location to some of the Order of Pendragon, hadn't been used as of yet. It was the only solution that he managed to find for the boundary field given to them by Kokabiel, a special firework set that would be bright and loud enough to be seen even during the afternoon. It would scare some people but would indicate that the operation was done; that either the next one should begin or it was successful, depending on the color.
From his position in the middle of the galery Gawain could see every direction around the building. The place was built almost like a glass house with windows that allowed perfect vision of the premises to anyone and a slightly higher position from the ground level that made it easier for one to see the sky and the cities around its street.
It had two floors only, both completely full of knights patrolling the area and keeping an eye out on every window, both for the signal and for the Exorcists. They were clearly visible as well but with the boundary field only those who inhabit the moonlit world could notice them and the majority wouldn't mess in their business.
Except the Exorcists, they are the ones the knights are standing on the windows for with the lights up. Now that it was dark outside they were far more visible and even if Gawain hoped that the other traps would defeat them deep down he knew that his hideout was the one with the best chance.
They had the best soldiers with the best training, all present and ready to give their lives to complete Excalibur. Then there was Sir Gawain himself with his sacred gear, the strongest sacred gear the Order of Pendragon had, and the secret weapon passed down between Commanders since the Order's founding.
In his back pocket he felt the weight of the rune engraved stone that would undo the boundary fields and activate the fireworks with the color calling for success or failure. Then if the Excaliburs are not in their possession, chaos would begin in Fuyuki.
The plan was desperate but the time was short, sooner or later the devils would notice something was wrong and things would get worse anyway. Better it to in their terms in the Order's opinion.
As the night settled down, Gawain lost faith that things would revolve without him signaling the operation. He had faith in his men's abilities but their opponents were the Holders of the Excaliburs and the swords themselves shouldn't be underestimated. That is why they planned to search with their whole army during the night in the first place, to catch the Exorcists tired and unaware if they haven't been defeated by their troops spread around Fuyuki.
But innocents would inevitably get involved in the conflict and that was why Gawain hesitated. He cared not for the devils as he was confident the Order could stall them for him and the other Great Knights to pin down and take the Excaliburs from the Exorcists.
That would obviously expose too much of the moonlit world and there will be consequences but Gawain already admitted their plan was desperate.
"I'm bored." Freed commented, lying down on a bench with Gawain standing at his side. He was the other reason why Gawain was hesitating. "Isn't time for us to go hunting?"
"Not yet." Gawain replied immediately, his eyes running the walls and hallways once full of statues but removed just in case there was a fight. "We are waiting for the night to begin properly."
Freed frowned and sat up. "Lights are on and it's dark already. Let's get moving!" The Mad Exorcist also didn't like Gawain but he surely wasn't going to disobey Kokabiel's orders and can only leave the knight's side under certain conditions. "Come ooooooooon. Let 's goooooo!"
An irritated sigh later, Gawain took his eyes off the window to glare at the white haired man. "What are you, a child?" The knight wasn't one to lose his patience easily but just standing close to Freed was testing him. "It's not time yet."
"And when will it be? By dawn when everyone is waking up? I thought we would go out at night?" Freed pointed outside firmly. "Look there, night. Its go time."
"Do you understand what you are suggesting?" Gawain was sure Freed did. "I would call you reckless but I am sure you are just mad."
Freed threw his head back and began to laugh as many soldiers surrounding them watched the event. "That is how they call me." The white haired man sounded proud of the fact, much to Gawain's irritation. "'Mad Exorcist, Insane Priest, genius, crazy asshole, prodigy. All of those because I'm willing to do what is necessary." His red eyes turned to the knight full of mirth. "Like right now."
Both of them knew exactly why Gawain was hesitating and Freed didn't mind putting some innocents in the middle of the fire if that meant accomplishing his goals. If it was up to the Mad Exorcist they would already be out killing anyone unlucky enough to get in their way.
"It's not the time yet." Gawain repeated with some aggression.
"Bullshit!" Freed kept glaring at the blond and everyone present was now paying full attention to the discussion. "This is devil territory! We should be in the fight, not waiting!"
Gawain held his sword firmly but didn't draw it despite being ready to do it. "We must keep the Excaliburs we have safe. That is our priority, your priority."
If their leader drew his weapon then it was clear that every single member of the Order in the area would jump to support him. They weren't only the best trained members of the Order of Pendragon but also the most loyal whose desire to see their king returned only was outshone by the ones from the knights themselves.
To Freed's side, however, stood at reach and ready to be used Excalibur Rapidly and if anyone made any more against the Mad Exorcist he could use it to easily escape or wreck havoc on his supposed guards.
Beneath his cloak there were also all the other Excalibur Fragments they managed to recover and with Rapidly assistance it wouldn't take much longer for him to draw a second sword and use it to kill anyone on their side.
But the members of the Order had faith in their leader's sacred gear, they all can already feel its effects active and knew that while they had it even the Fragments wouldn't be out of their reach.
Unfortunately for all members of the Order of Pendragon, Freed knew exactly which buttons to press to unsettle them. "Aren't ya doing all this to bring the 'great' King Arthur back?" He smiled when some flinched even if Gawain just looked back to the windows. "Isn't all this to get the Excalibur back together? Then what are you waiting for?" His smile became feral as he grabbed Rapidly and began to play with the sword. "Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." Freed saw Gawain remain stoic and asked "Or don't you want your precious king back?"
Gritting his teeth so hard that Freed could hear it, Gawain tried to remain calm. 'He is right.' The knight looked down to his steel plate armor, similar to his subordinates' but slightly more refined. 'A sacrifice is necessary but must I sacrifice more than our honor?'
The blond knight knew his temporary ally was right, time was running out.
The knight tried to run the plan in his mind to see where things went wrong. 'Any other city would mean dealing with the powers from there. Some who have contact with the Church.' That eliminated most of Europe and Americas. 'Then there were the pantheons full of gods and their territories; how many of them would want Excalibur for their own purposes? How many would kill for it?' He began to sweat as his mind ran more and more possibilities. 'So few places have a ley line strong enough for the ritual and all of them belong to someone far more dangerous than the devils. Fuyuki was the safest bet with the power the Order has.'
Admitting that Freed was right was a defeat that Gawain didn't want, however inevitable it was. Unfortunately the facts were against him and the Commander knew it despite how much he wanted to deny it. He still hesitated to give the signal and so his mind grew distracted by evaluating the plan all over again.
'The only real luck we had was that the devils most likely won't want anything with Excalibur. The Fragments alone are too toxic for them to wish for the sword and getting it will cause friction with the Church.' Gawain then remembered those who already perished because of his plan. 'We had no choice but to kill the Heiresses' guards. The Underworld wouldn't stay silent if they knew that Lord Kokabiel was in the area and he is the only one that Valper will listen to and is capable of protecting the ritual site.'
He swallowed down his guilt as his hand began to tremble as he held his green cape to calm down. "Can we go now?" Freed asked with a smile that had Gawain wishing to punch the stray Exorcist. "The night won't last forever, you know~?"
Opening his green cape, Gawain's left hand moved towards his back pocket. 'If I do this, more innocent people are going to die. I can't stop Freed while he has the Excaliburs and my sacred gear will need to be prepared again once we leave this position.'
Maybe if Freed was a more reliable ally and they knew exactly where the Exorcists were Gawain wouldn't be hesitating but for those reasons he couldn't help himself. Once again he was torn between his duty and what was right, the knight knew that his men would follow him regardless but he couldn't help but feel he was failing.
While Gawain pondered, Freed was losing his patience. "Can you stop being a wimp?"
"You may not care about the innocent but I do." Gawain glared at the white haired man who liked to see the anger in his eyes.
"Good for you but that won't get your king back." Those words repeated themselves in Gawain's mind for what felt like hours but were just a couple of seconds.
Doubt, fear, panic, confusion, exasperation, courage, determination and acceptance. All those emotions went through Gawain's very soul until he made his mind.
"You are right." The steel knight picks up the stone as his men watch him in silence. "You are absolutely right."
"Aren't I? Let's get this show on the road." Freed stood up, Rapidly resting over his shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Break that shit."
A great feeling of dread grew in Gawain's veins but he already agreed with Freed and was about to break the stone. 'Who knows how many will die once we find the Exorcists?' Slowly the stone began to crack as he closed his fist, still with some hesitation. 'When this is all over I hope you all can forgive me.'
Then a bright light cut through the night from the window, bright enough that many turned to look and one soldier couldn't help but shout "INCOMING!" He was the only one who managed to jump to the side and avoid the car that slammed inside the gallery at high speed after having jumped the stairs leading to it.
"Huh. You don't see that everyday." Freed commented as they all studied the limousine for a brief moment when the door opened and a girl with a white cloak jumped out.
"We found them!" She celebrated after taking a look at Freed and noticing all the swords he was carrying even with his coat. "One, two, three… We found all of them!"
"Good job, Irina-san." A blonde haired girl exited the other side's door. The confidence on her stride made it look like her car hadn't just destroyed all the windows on one side of the gallery. "And excellent driving, Auguste. As expected of you."
The driver's window lowered and an old man gently replied. "Of course, lady Luvia. It is always a pleasure to make your life easier." The old man's face gained an edge that actually made some members of the Order take a step back. "I just wish you allowed me to take care of the trash for you."
"I appreciate the efforts but that won't be necessary. Rarely are there chances that I can have some proper punching bags." Luvia replied while cracking her knuckles. When a blue haired woman left the car from the same side as her she turned and asked. "Are you alright, Xenovia-san?"
"Never again." Xenovia replied with a glare at the noble and her butler's direction.
It was Irina who spoke in the magus' defense. "Don't be like that, Xenovia. Look how fast we got here. Auguste-san even dealt with some of the knights." She saw a hand below the car twitching and moved to offer it a prayer. "That your soul finds its way to Heaven and be received by the Lord. Amem."
"Well, well, well. Look who finally showed up." Freed's smile grew wilder as Gawain drew his sword and held it with his two hands, every member of the Order of Pendragon following his lead with shields and spears as well. "I would recognize those uniforms anywhere on the planet. Best part of the Church actually, always liked to see girls on those." He couldn't help but lick his lips. "You look hot."
Xenovia recognized the one who was speaking to her and quickly recovered from her upset stomach. "Mad Exorcist Freed Sellzen, return the Excaliburs and prepare yourself for your demise."
"Shouldn't be 'or face your demise'?" Freed asked with amusement and his eyes gained a mad glint when he saw Xenovia tore Excalibur Destruction's bandages and reveal its true form.
"After your crimes all agents of the Church have orders to kill you on sight." At her partner's words, Irina revealed a rope which transformed into a katana, Excalibur Mimic. "If you surrender I promise you a quick and painless death!"
"Not happening~" Freed announced happily, Excalibur Rapidly on a hand. "But I will take your swords if you won't mind."
"Oh but we do mind." Luvia replied with a sapphire already in hand. "And if you won't give us your swords we shall take them by force."
At that point Gawain took a step forward, immediately the three young women and the aging butler felt a strong presence dominate the area. "I cannot allow that. Excalibur must be reborn for the return of the king." He pointed his sword at them. "But I shall make you all an offer; drop the Excaliburs and you shall be allowed to leave unmolested."
Quickly all the members of the Order began to position themselves closer to the newly arrived group but none of them looked worried. While Gawain's presence was powerful the three girls easily attributed it to his sacred gear and knew that they were capable enough to deal with anything he tried to throw at them.
"You think the Order of Pendragon can protect you, Mad Exorcist?" Xenovia asked with a determined smile. "So far none of them presented themselves as a real challenge."
"Ouch, that was cruel, Xenovia."
"Just telling the truth, Irina."
"Indeed." Luvia agreed with a smile of her own. "Unfortunately for you all, your Order has seen better days." She glanced at Gawain, feeling a familiar power from his direction but it wasn't strong enough to worry her. "You all are ill prepared to face opponents like us."
Luvia's words were not an empty boast; with the information they had about the Excaliburs and the lack of individual power from the members of the Order of Pendragon, the three young women were sure that two of them could defeat everyone while one took care of the Fragments.
The only unknown factor was the power surrounding Gawain which the trio presumed was his sacred gear but they held no concern about it.
Yet Gawain looked confident and happy by their presence. "I truly cannot say enough how thankful I am that you managed to find us."
The relief on his voice surprised the girls and irritated Freed but the knight couldn't help himself. Now that the last Fragments were in front of him there was no need for the operation to proceed, innocents didn't need to be harmed.
The Exorcists and their magician made their choice so Gawain didn't need to hesitate any longer. "You should have taken our offer." The way he spoke had Freed laughing and the trio confused. "Now we shall show you the might of the strongest squadron of the Order of Pendragon."
Below the limousine a golden aura began to pout out and Xenovia immediately realized that wasn't a good sign. "Get out!"
Auguste had no time to react as the limousine was launched to the side, forcing Irina to jump or else be hit, and rolled around inside the gallery until it hit a wall much to the girls' shock and Freed amusement.
"Auguste!" Luvia shouted in concern before her eyes turned back with a glare towards the two soldiers the car had managed to hit with their entrance.
The two didn't look any worse for wear and even their armor remained pristine as a golden aura circulated around them. Besides some dirt they had no damage at all and soon moved to grab their swords.
"Now-" Gawain moved to speak and offer the three women to surrender once again but he was cut off by Xenovia and Luvia who moved faster than he expected, one with purpose and other with murder in her eyes.
Despite not knowing what the golden aura was, the two had attacked and the soldiers weren't prepared for it, Destruction swiftly taking one of the their heads as a blast of blue mana flew from the jewel and pierced the other man's chest, destroying their heart
The blast was the size of a bowling ball and many had to move out of the way as it kept going until it hit one of the walls.
As the corpses fell from the lack of a head and heart, Xenovia glared all around them, daring the members of the Order to attack.
Luvia's eyes were stuck in Gawain's as the knight also glared back. "You are dead." The magus spoke curtly.
"Feisty." Freed commented with a smile. "Mind if I take her?"
He was completely ignored by Gawain as the gallery shone with gold for a second as more members of the Order were covered by the aura that left the Commander and spread around between them.
Stepping close towards her allies, Irina frowned. "I don't know this sacred gear." Xenovia shook her head and looked around, noting how none of the soldiers was intimidated by the quick death of two of their friends.
"They can be killed, that is enough." Xenovia made clear to her partner that she wasn't going to hold back and the twin tailed Exorcist nodded, ready to go all out. "I will retrieve the Excaliburs. You two take care of the others."
Luvia didn't reply but her eyes remained on Gawain while Irina gave her partner more attention. "Roger."
"Ha! I want to see you try!" Hearing the blue haired Exorcist declaration had Freed laughing..
With everyone ready Gawain prepared himself, a hand firmly on his green cloak as he took comfort in it. Closing his eyes he felt an aura of gold surround him for a moment before it spread.
Xenovia in particular observed how the aura that left Gawain ignored Freed but seemed to cover and strengthen every member of the Order of Pendragon. Turning to her partner she saw Irina nodded and they both knew for sure that it was the phenomena born from a sacred gear.
They had no time to ponder or strategize, time was running out for Gawain most of all as he raised his sword to give his command. "Charge!"
The hunt for the Excalibur Fragments was coming to an end.