I ignored their reactions and placed it on Asia, pouring in whatever Prana I could spare for the healing process. The effect was immediate, as Asia took in a deep breath and started to breathe normally, and the paleness seemed to recede almost completely. Her organs too were now getting healed back into optimal form and keeping her stable.
...
"She's alive!" Ise cried out loud with a note of happiness evident. It was a bit of a shame to have to put a damper on it.
"Ise, hate to rain on your parade, but this is somewhat temporary." I told Ise as I focused my attention to regulating the Prana. "This is only a copy, so I can only maintain her state for a while. She can be brought back to full health if we can get back whatever the Fallen Angel had taken from her." I looked at him in the eye to dispel any interruptions he might be thinking to say. "Right now, my hands are tied trying to keep her alive, so it will be up to you to take down Raynare and get back this Sacred Gear of hers." I paused before continuing. "And I believe you too have some unfinished business to handle with her, so let it all out."
Ise took a glance at me before looking at Asia who was now breathing a little lighter. With the clenching of his fists and a deep breath, he nodded at me and stood up to face Raynare. "Please keep her safe, Shirou."
"Leave her to me." I flashed a smile before dropping it. "Give the lady hell."
"Oh surely you jest." Raynare chuckled as she recovered from the shock of seeing Avalon. "A mere low-level Devil who has a sorry excuse of a Sacred Gear that only doubles the power of the user, beat me, a mid-tier Fallen Angel from Grigori? Hah! This would be a quick one. You on the other hand." She looked at me and the object in my hand. "You are an unusual variable that cannot be overlooked any more. Weak blades like that of Sword Birth are one matter, but your blades that contain such holy and demonic attributes are a totally different matter. Not to mention your unusual talent in the magical arts and that sheath. You are not a user of a Sacred Gear, but you skill-sets are too dangerous to be left alone." She paused as she gave a light frown at the hand that held the ring she took from Asia, its glow notably getting dimmer. "And I can't have you healing the girl, otherwise I cannot truly attain Twilight Healing."
Thank goodness the both of us were paying attention, because she decided to spray the area with a large number of light spears in an attempt to kill us both. Ise jumped to the nearest pillar to avoid getting skewered, while I summoned a few shields and blades to block off the attacks. It seemed that even half of the Sacred Gear's power was enough to boost her own reserves to an absurd amount, if she could create this many spears at once.
Oh Joy.
I seized the moment she held off on her attack to send a couple of mine at her, exploding them in her face to distract her long enough for me to move Asia away from her and to an area that had more protection. Raynare's second attempt to snipe us got interrupted when Ise rushed out from his cover and laid a punch right in the stomach.
"Not this time, Raynare! Now I will settle the score with you!" Ise grabbed Rayanre and pushed her further into the room for them to fight in. That definitely caught her attention, as she struggled to get away from his grasps while shouting something along the lines of 'a swine daring to call her name so easily.'
Whatever the case, I ignored them and turned back in time to find Asia trying to open her eyes and said something. "Issei-san?"
"Hush child." I told her gently while easing the flow of Prana into her body. "Ise is fighting to save your life, so save your strength and get better, okay?" Asia turned her head slowly to look at me with unsteady eyes.
"Who ~ you?" She let out a light wheeze as she tried to speak.
"A friend." I gave that reply. "Don't worry child, I and Ise will save you."
"M~ my lord?" Asia muttered softly before closing her eyes again. Man she must be really out of it if she was saying things like that. Better focus on the healing process. But it was just as well that I kept my senses focused, because I nearly did not notice the scent of sweetness amidst the commotion. But considering the lack of ill-intent towards me, I let it go with a warning. "Not now, I am trying to save her!"
"Goodness me, someone is a little tensed." Rias let out a good-natured pout as she came from behind, followed shortly by Akeno, Kiba and Koneko. She looked over my shoulder to look at the girl in question. "She seems to be doing fine, considering the ritual meant to remove her Sacred Gear got interrupted." She then let out a confused frown at the sight of Avalon in my hand. "I guess it is thanks to this object, but this is unusual. I am sensing holy energy, yet we are not affected or harmed by it. And it is not a Sacred Gear." Even at my position, I could feel Rias giving me a very thoughtful gaze. "Honestly, who are you, Shirou Emiya?"
"Someone who is trying to save the girl's life." I muttered as I noted with slight trepidation that the healing process had already repaired her body, but she was still in a state just short of being in a coma. It seemed that healing her physical state was not enough, she needed her gear to be together to be fine. "Why aren't you going to help Ise?"
"I believe the answer is the same reason you let him fight on his own." Rias replied as she stood up straighter. "It would be best for the child to confront her himself in order to move on from his past." I could only sigh inwardly in agreement. It would be a long time coming, but if Ise could deal with Raynare his own way, he might get a chance at having some normalcy in his life.
"CRASSHHH!"
"I think he is done now." Akeno remarked as they started to move from their spot, with me lightly carrying Asia and following them. The scene before me resembled a lot of my fights in the past, with the better part of the church completely wrecked and Ise panting like he had ran a marathon. A broken window and the trail of destruction leading to it gave me the clue that Ise gave Raynare a heck of a punch to knock her outside.
One thing that definitely changed was the weapon he had. I only caught a glimpse from earlier, but I recalled it only covering his forearm and the back of his left hand; now it was covering them with dragon-like scales and talons at his finger-tips, with glowing markings and gems lighting up the area. I looked away to avoid analysing it, I did not need something foreign to distract my concentration to heal Asia.
"Buchou? Why are you here?" Ise asked with a notable tone of surprise.
"I did say I have other matters to look into." Rias replied as she motioned Koneko to the broken window. "It just so happened I was looking into the actions of the Fallen Angels recently."
'That explains some things.' I thought while putting Asia on the nearest pew as Koneko was about to pass me, likely to retrieve Raynare from outside. A though came into my head and I knelt down in time to whisper something into her ears. For a moment she paused to look at me, before giving me a simple nod and continued to go outside. A few seconds later she came back dragging Raynare by her wings. "I brought it." She somehow managed to say it really flatly as she dumped her on the ground like a sack of rocks and Akeno summoned a ball of water to splash her face.
"Grigori's Angel Raynare." Rias drew a stern expression at her as she looked down from her standing point. "It seems that you have been quite busy in my area recently."
"Hmph. If you think that you got me, you're gravely mistaken" Raynare had spunk all right, that much I would give, but mouthing off to someone while looking like she had went a few rounds with Mohammad Ali was clearly not a clever move, something that Rias seemed to have a counter for with particular relish, as she deliberately drew out a few feathers of different colours and held them out for Raynare to see. "Fallen Angel Kalawana and two other low tier Fallen Angels have been dealt with. They were particularly overjoyed at the prospect of boasting their plans when I asked them as a last favour to them. After that, I dealt with them personally." She released the feathers to let them fall to the ground, and from where I was looking, Raynare was viewing them as iron bars clamouring to her doom. "It seemed that you have been moving around without Grigori's permission, and so I am well within my rights to eliminate you for trespassing. You are now the last one left."
Rayanre looked around in frustration before setting her eyes on Ise. "To think that a mere low-level Devil would take me down with such a useless gear…"
"Ah, for that matter you are gravely mistaken." Rias interrupted while taking a cursory glance at the gauntlet. "What you thought was Twice Critical is actually something more. Specifically, one of the Longinus that has the ability to take down Gods, the Boosted Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor."
'Longinus?! DRAGON?!' My head snapped to the gauntlet that Ise was gawking at. That explained the odd feeling I had when I examined his body, and now that I was examining it, I could definitely feel the power radiating from its jewels, and I was honestly a little terrified that it had the power to take down Gods.
And Rias said it was one of them, how many precisely?
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Hey guys I really need you to throw some power Stones ;)
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