As the leaders of the Three Factions discussed Shirou and Kiba returned with Rias' group without Liz. "Hey pipsqueak, good to see you out of your box." Xenovia wanted to mess Gasper's hair but saw blood and the concerned look on his face. "What happened?"
"Liz is hurt. My mom is taking care of her but she needs proper equipment." Shirou looked outside and noticed that the fight seemed to truly have stopped. "And here?"
"They are discussing sparing Katerea's life or not. Mostly to try and recover the Sea Serpent in the End." Akeno summarized.
"The Sea Serpent in the End? Then it was Leviathan's descendant who attacked." Rias already knew it was the Old Satan Faction but that still surprised her.
Kiba nodded. "That explains why Azazel is still battle ready. There is a chance that the other three will show up."
From a corner of the meeting room, Tsubaki approached her King's ear. "Kaichou, may I ask what is the 'Sea Serpent in the End' that they are speaking about?"
"It is the Power of the Leviathan, the Original one that is." Sona fixed her glasses, feeling relaxed that her sister was out of harm and the fight seemed over. "Between the Four Maous her Power was considered particularly strong. It had the power of controlling all water."
"Isn't that the Sitri's Power?" Tsubaki couldn't hold her surprise and spoke loudly, catching everyone's attention.
"What is the Sea Serpent in the End?" Medusa was now curious and asked the only person who would know and was eager to please her; Michael.
The Seraph cleared his throat and spoke to all. "Sea Serpent in the End was the Power of the Original Leviathan that could be passed to all her descendants. It could control water in all its forms and made Leviathan capable of creating torrential floods, storms from nowhere, tsunamis or get more creative by forming creatures of water that obeyed her commands. Serpents as it were." He looked back to his brother with a nod. "In many ways, Azazel is right in his evaluations of Katerea Leviathan, she has more mana capacity but that matters little. Unlike the original, this Leviathan has no control over water so any of us could have dispatched her easily, Azazel didn't need to step up."
"It had nothing to do with her, I would step up for any enemy."
"And try to show off." It was impressive how Michael could keep a straight face while calling Azazel off.
"Screw you, it was an awesome speech and you know it." The Cadre didn't even bother to deny the accusation.
"Thank you, Michael." The angel nodded at the goddess' gratitude. "Now if you want my opinion, capture her. Anything else can be decided after but as Sirzechs stated, she may have information."
"But she will be punished, correct?" Michael insisted and Serafall nodded. "Very well then. After that we shall deal with the army since they must be running out of options."
"Then can we ask Irisviel to drop the boundary field?" Rias asked before Shirou or Koneko could. "We have too many wounded and one of our friends was cursed."
Everyone of the ORC was concerned but unfortunately Sirzechs couldn't give them an affirmative answer. "Depends if the army will surrender or not. Grayfia-" He noticed his wife's concerned look and stopped. "What is wrong?"
"I felt a disturbance in the area…" Her Power was reacting to something and her eyes searched the room with caution. She would find nothing as her senses felt Space bending somewhere else.
During the leaders' talk, Katerea had managed to recover some of her motor functions. 'Curse you, Scapegoat! Why did you have to be here?' Her skin had been peeled off in almost all the front of her body and she had third degree burns all over. 'That cursed Light! That fucking Crow!'
"I see you are in trouble, lady Leviathan." One of her soldiers was suddenly by her side and she half expected Azazel to shoot him. Instead it was like the fallen angel wasn't seeing him even when looking in their direction. "My lady, I must remind you that extreme measures exist to be used."
She knew what he was referring to and growled, trying to get up. "I need to keep it hidden for Sitri."
"You won't be able to face the traitor unless you defeat the Scapegoat first, my lady. He is your opponent and a powerful one at that." Only then Katerea noticed his voice was familiar but she couldn't place it to who it belonged. "You need to use the Snake's power, even not the one of Doom."
"You are right." The armored figure nodded and stepped back, disappearing from her vision as Katerea collected a small vial from her dress. Inside it there was a small snake coiled into itself. "Awake." The command broke the top of the vial and the snake rose from its sleep.
It was a creature more dark than even Azazel's wings with the eyes to match its color and the moment that the cover of the vial had popped off a powerful energy began to surge.
Observing its move Katerea couldn't help but compare it to a dark fire in the perfect form of a snake as it began to leave the vial.
Everyone in the battlefield felt the sudden presence and Grayfia's concerns were dismissed as they all turned into Katerea's direction. "This isn't good!" Azazel began to fly back at full speed as Michael recreated and reinforced the barrier around Kuoh with Serafall and Grayfia's help.
The looks of worry on the adults' faces didn't need explanation as they all felt the crushing presence that was starting to dominate the area; Shirou felt dizzy at the sudden strong smell, Koneko almost passed out for a similar reason as she wasn't used to that much power and was forced to retract her tail and ears to muff it a little.
[Partner, something really dangerous is coming. Stick to Lucifer and Michael and don't do anything stupid.] For Ddraig to warn him like that, Issei knew things were bad.
All that happened in a few seconds before a pillar of dark mana formed a tower on the point Katerea was, Azazel reaching it a second too late. The oppressive presence mixed with Katerea's own even as the color of the mana remained in the darkest shade of black ever seen.
It was like the new form of her mana was sucking all the color of Kuoh while it coalesced around her.
Soon the pillar became more defined in shape as it began to grow smaller. "Hahahahahaha!" Katerea's maniacal laughter seemed to cover all of Kuoh and the soldiers of the Old Satan Faction called the Leviathan's name in a terrifying song.
Azazel knew the situation became extremely perilous and moved his right hand to fetch something from his suit.
Only for the dark mana to tie itself to his hand faster than the fallen could react, much to his surprise. "What was that you were saying about range?" Little by little the mana retreated into her body with the exception of dark ropes around her voluptuous form. "I suppose there is no problem if there isn't a magic circle, right?"
Katerea's skin was fully restored even as her clothes were damaged, her hair was completely loose and moving with the dark energy while her left breast was exposed. Then the dark ropes began to move around her, taking the shape of snakes as they moved to improvise a fix to her clothes.
On seeing that sight, Azazel noticed that what was holding his right arm was also a snake. "Damn, I was hoping it was just a mistake or a lie but you guys really have Ophis on your side." The snake tying his arm let its tongue out as the Cadre tried to break free.
"The Ouroboros Dragon may be a whimsical creature," she pulled her hand back, forcing Azazel's arm to move, "but she is generous to her allies."
"So much for the superior race, you are using the power of another." That was a mistake as Katerea showed him a smile with only fangs for teeth.
Despite the scary smile, it was obvious she was furious by the accusation as the devil threw herself towards the ground with Azazel in tow. "We are devils! We use every resource for victory!"
'Drat!' Even the strength of her mana was amplified and despite his many wings, Azazel couldn't do anything as Katerea landed and slammed him on the ground. The size of the hole in the point of impact was so big that cracks were forming in the school building. 'Need to get rid of-'
There was no time for him to conclude his thoughts as the snake in his arm was pulled and Azazel was dragged first on the ground then through the sky before creating a Light dagger and cutting the snake which disappeared in a dark cloud of smoke.
Katerea's smile looked more uncanny as veins pulsed on her forehead as she moved her hands to unleash two beams of darkness towards Azazel. The attacks were much faster than anything the devil used before but Azazel was moving the moment he saw her hands move.
While the descendent of Leviathan wasn't using magic circles anymore, Azazel managed to anticipate and dodge the attack, observing how strong Katerea became. He wanted a precise number as he reached for his suit once more.
"Behind you!" Michael couldn't bear the thought of his brother dying and his warning alerted Azazel at the right time.
He turned around and realized that the attacks weren't beams of energy but more snakes made of darkness. 'Wonder what Medusa is thinking about that?' The Cadre had no idea from where the thought came from but his surprised mind just had it as he made a barrier.
The Light did nothing to the snake so Azazel speculated that there was little demonic power in it. Still he wasn't in any position to stop himself as once again he connected to the ground, this time with a barrier to prevent any damage.
With his hands busy securing the barrier, Azazel began to concentrate, planning to break out and escape. Only to feel a huge amount of energy and see the second snake coming from the side.
"You gotta be kidding me!" The first snake kept trying to close its jaw as the second one glowed with more darkness. The dark energy was pulsing and the fallen angel knew enough to know the result would be explosive. 'This is gonna hurt.'
With far more intensity than any of her previous attacks, Katerea's explosion was devastating and a huge cloud of dust reaching the heavens was the first visible result.
The second one was a new crater that was bigger than the last as the woman laughed with mania. "What is wrong, Scapegoat? Ran out of tricks?!" Her demented eyes turned to the school, more specifically towards Serafall. "You are next!" Another snake was formed before it could leave her hands; a spear of Light pierced her heart. "What?"
"Did nobody teach you to not lower your guard before checking if the enemy is dead?" Azazel used his wings to get rid of the rest of the dust, his suit damaged and he was bleeding a little but not worse for wear. "Amateurs shouldn't be leading armies. They tend to send their men to their deaths."
"Why you-" The spear on her chest began to glow more intensely. "Scapegoat-"
Then the Light exploded in a blast that could kill many HIgh Class devils at once. But Azazel's expression remained neutral as he waited for the result.
Once Light disappeared everyone could see how Katerea had a huge hole in her torso and blood everywhere. That should kill any devil.
Except she wasn't dead. "You will pay for this!" Dark snakes began to move and as her flesh regenerated. Azazel noted one of them was disappearing, transforming into the necessary components to restore the devil. "Prepare to die!" But the power didn't seem to diminish, if anything it grew with Katerea's rage.
"So each snake is the equivalent of a life? Not weird since Eternity can starve out Death." Finally Azazel placed his hand on his suit and pulled out a dagger that looked like the head of a big spear. "If I fight fairly, maybe you have a chance of winning," it was a gold dagger, ornamented with the image of an European dragon going around it and a cyan green sphere as the pommel, "lucky for me, I came prepared."
A cyan green aura surrounded Azazel as Katerea threw more giant snakes at him. The fallen angel raised the dagger close to his eyes, ignoring the threat.
"Balance Breaker!" All were surprised by the sudden declaration as an aura of cyan green and gold exploded from Azazel's body. The snakes collided with it but failed to push and were instead disintegrated.
From the light Azazel emerged, covered in gold armor that was familiar to everyone for it looked almost exactly like Scale Mail. But there were some differences beyond the color; it was bulkier for a start, especially the shoulders and tail. The helmet also was different with four horns making it more distinct, two around his lower face and another two at the top.
One thing it was missing was the pair of wings, Azazel only had his own out but those gave him a menacing aura that the armor complimented.
Another difference were the gems and the eyes that, instead of sky blue, were all cyan green and all pulsed with power that was easily identifiable to many. "Dragon…" Said Sirzechs with a small smile. "To think his sacred research had gone so far."
"Father would be proud." Michael said after a sad sigh.
Opening his wings proudly once again, Azazel looked down at the furious Katerea. "Down Fall Dragon Armor. The accumulated result of years of research and the help of a dragon." Gritting her teeth the Leviathan descendant looked at Vali's armored form then back at Azazel. "Oh yeah, you are seeing this right. I made the Balance Breaker based on Divine Dividing. It was fundamental to make an Artificial Sacred Gear this powerful." His fist connected with his palm, letting out a loud noise heard throughout all of Kuoh. "Wasn't planning to use it but since you borrowed Ophis' power, it seems only fair."
…
From the same classroom he had been since his arrival, Georg used a magic circle to watch the battle undetected. Fixing his glasses the magician studied Azazel's new armor with interest.
"Cao Cao and Gilgamesh must know about this. Azazel's research is way beyond anything our spies found." Waving his hand he created a magic circle of a different color and used it to create a bubble that he touched with a finger before touching his glasses. "I must record this. Any data on Azazel's work can only be helpful in the future."
Unfortunately that meant he couldn't work on his crosswords anymore but that was a sacrifice Georg would gladly make for the sake of the Hero Faction.
…
Just Azazel's new presence was enough to make Katerea's nervous but most of it was buried beneath the ever fury. "It doesn't matter which lowly dragon you got your power from!" She shouted as darkness compared to the enormity of outer space poured from her. "I will crush you!"
The snakes holding her outfit reacted and even more mana was spilled from her hands as four giant dark snakes charged at the armored fallen angel. Azazel observed the fluctuation of power, noticing how one of the snakes around Katerea shook and grew less dark.
'So that is how it is.' All serpents began to glow as they got closer and the explosion that came after wasn't a surprise to anyone.
Katerea was ready to declare her victory since the blast was so intense that even the boundary field shook in its wake. Many of the devils and fallen angels still in the air fell down at the intensity of her power and the descendant of Leviathan was ready to release more.
"Yes, with the power of Infinity-"
"Skill, skill, skill. All comes down to skill." The devil's eyes grew wide in surprise as the gold figure landed behind her, his cyan green eyes judgemental. "Infinity or not, your skills suck."
Panicking at the surviving Cadre, Katerea began to turn with dark mana growing stronger in her hand.
But then an ax made of Light, with two sides that were separated giving the impression it could also be used as a spear, cut the pureblood devil cleanly in half. Arms and waist were separated from the body and Azazel's Light was so intense that it instantly cauterized the wounds.
Didn't stop Katerea from screaming. "Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhg!"
Partially due to her fear and partially because of their function, the dark serpents began to move as one of them broke into a dark cloud that worked hard into bringing the body back together.
"Oh no you won't!" Azazel brought the ax back into a returning swing from the same arc, planning to cut the dark cloud with his Light. Katerea saw it and, despite her hand being cut off, unleashed another serpent that pushed the fallen angel back. "So you can use your limbs even like that?" This time he didn't let himself be thrown around and cut the giant snake to pieces, darkness disappearing harmlessly. "Good to know!"
Light was channeled on his ax as Azazel threw a swing regardless of the distance, a slash of Light flying in Katerea's direction. The devil's waist had just reconnected with her torso when she opened her wings and dodged to the side, failing to evade the attack and losing her left arm.
Another snake grew agitated and its darkness grew dimmer as a cloud of darkness collected the arm and quickly reconnected it. "Haven't you learned, old man? I am immortal!"
"That confirms it, you are more arrogant than your grandma." Azazel joked half seriously, pointing his ax at her. "And in case you couldn't tell, these snakes have limits. Notice how two of them are already gone and another is close to disappearing." Katrea didn't want to hear him talking so she threw another eight snakes in his direction. "That means your healing has a limit. So much for a limitless being!"
When the snakes got close enough, Azazel flew up and watched as they hit each other without exploding. Since Katerea wasn't skilled enough to control that particular aspect he could only blame Ophis.
If he so desired, Azazel could rain hell on Katerea and overwhelm her since he knew the power had a limit. Even if Ophis represented Infinity she couldn't bestow infinity on someone else and he realized the snakes only represented the aspect but couldn't have it
Not the ones chasing him as he kept flying higher nor the ones directed connected to Katerea's body. 'Is that all Ophis was willing to give or all Katerea could take? Need more testing.'
Reaching the boundary field, Azazel did a flip and landed on his feet to wait for the snakes to reach him. Despite insulting Katerea's skill he had no intention of underestimating her so his attack was calculated. He let the devil think he was hesitant to fight when he actually knew that with his armor victory was mostly guaranteed.
Once more he observed Katerea and the snakes still holding her clothes. 'Welp, one is still agitated alright.' When the four snakes arrived in his location, the Cadre jumped and began to fly at full speed, arriving at the devil's location in the blink of an eye. "Get good, scrub."
This time Azazel made sure to cut the snakes around Katerea's body with a double slash in an 'X' pattern and then cut her head off for good measure before jumping away.
'Now let's see what happens, shall we?' Azazel wasn't surprised when Ophis' snakes moved despite being cut to pieces.
While two of those regenerate, one of them became smoke and began to restore Katerea who still wasn't dead and began to unleash blasts in his direction. Those were leaving magic circles even if still dark in color.
Azazel didn't even bother to dodge the attacks as he kept observing the devil. "Running out of gas? Can't blame you, or the snakes, keeping you alive probably is consuming whatever power Ophis gave them."
"Shut up!" Katerea made a magic circle bigger than her body and unloaded as much power as she could.
Once again Azazel didn't bother to move and took the attack directly which resulted in another explosion. "Just pointing out that you are running yourself into the ground. Look." He pointed to the snake that was holding her dress and Katerea noticed it was the last one, much to her horror. "Those snakes are how much your body can take, of that I am sure. That is why everytime one disappears you get weaker. Probably because you can't use all that power at once."
"I- you-" She tried to formulate words but knew he was right. Her body wasn't responding as she wanted and her reserves, that once felt unlimited, were almost dry. "Curse you, Scapegoat! I curse you from the deep of my soul!" Fury helped her power maniphest again but it wasn't even close to what she displayed before. "If I was born with as much power as you I would-"
"That is Envy speaking, finally something you have in common with your grandma." Azazel chuckled as Katerea grew madder. Then he released his power which, combined with the armor's own power, easily crushed her own, making the devil fall to her knees. "Let me remind you that you lost not because of power, but skill." He chuckled again. "Also, this armor had nothing to do with Father but is my own accomplishment. Well, mine and the dragon I made a pact with. Did you guess which one? That would help you guess the full extent of our power."
The reminder that Azazel had a dragon by his side only made Katerea more upset. "I said shut UP!" Darkness poured from her body once more as the last snake's eyes began to glow in an intense purple and it started to grow at a rapid rate.
Soon it was so big that its head easily touched the top of the boundary field even as most of it remained on the ground, its tail moving from one side to another. Almost everyone was panicking at the sight but not Azazel who made his ax once again.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Katerea pushed all the power Ophis gave her into the snake and in Azazel's direction, ordering the mass of darkness to attack. It burned her to do so and she could feel every cell of her body scream.
None of that mattered, she just wanted Azazel dead.
"Time to finish this once and for all." This attack reeked of desperation but it was still powerful. Azazel charged at the giant snake while concentrating all of his Light on his ax. "Geronimo!"
Nobody could believe the fallen angel just jumped in the direction of the giant snake like that, most couldn't even comprehend what they were seeing.
The snake saw the fallen angel coming and opened its maw. Not that Azazel cared since he accelerated and all the giant ended up doing was swallowing him whole.
For a second there was panic in the fallen angels' ranks as they feared for their leader, another second and the devils, all of them, were worried about a new explosion as the giant snake began to glow.
In the third second there was a glow but it wasn't purple, it was gold and the snake was shaking all over as its body began to bloat. The giant was so big that it changed the landscape everytime it moved and when its body began to change things got worse.
At the fourth second Azazel bursted out from the back of the snake's head, his Light shining so intensely that it was like he was a pure angel once again.
"Sorry, looks like I am too spicy for you to swallow." Azazel once again studied Ophis' power as the titanic snake began to break apart in mottes of mana. "Different but not surprising, not with your condition." He turned to Katerea who was having trouble breathing.
But it wasn't just that as her skin was pale and she was drenched in sweat. The noble lady was gone and in her place was a defeated woman who only had enough strength to look at her enemy with hatred. She lacked the strength even to stand and the only reason she could look at Azazel was because she landed on her back, her clothes torn and exposing more than what was proper.
"You shouldn't… be that strong." The descendant of Leviathan managed to say. "It is all… this dragon's fault."
"Got that right, if my dragon friend hadn't agreed to a deal, I would mincemeat." Azazel moved his ax to his shoulder for support even if it had no weight. "But I don't wanna hear that from you since you had Ophis on your corner. The reason why you lost was because of your lack of skill. And now you are all out of extra lives."
Katerea's look of hatred turned to fear and she tried to muster the strength to keep fighting only to fail as her body protested and she felt sick. She rolled on her stomach and threw up before turning her head to glare at Azazel some more, fear still present but frustration was the dominating emotion.
Even afraid of death she wasn't going to beg. "I will be avenged. The Old Satan Faction will take their pound of blood at the extinction of the Leviathan's line."
"Stop being dramatic. Gee, you sound like my brother, not a compliment by the way. Besides, I am not planning to kill you." That surprised Katerea. "Didn't you hear my allies? They want you alive and you aren't that much of a threat anymore." He also wanted to observe the consequences of using Ophis power in an individual.
Already Azazel could see that Katerea's teeth had returned to normal but couldn't tell if her mana returned to its original color or not, she was too spent for that. There were still other things to observe, however, like her back that was hurt by the fall even if it was a small wound which meant no more healing.
Yet the Cadre was also feeling there was something different on Katerea's body, something that his eyes hunted behind his helmet with no clue what he was looking for.
"NO! I won't accept this humiliation!" Katerea vomited more as her body was simply unable to come up with any power even as she managed to get up. "I will kill you! I will kill you even if it is the last thing I do!"
That would be bad for his allies who wanted the woman alive and he wanted to study her more. "Oi, oi, you barely managed to scratch my armor with Ophis' backing. Trying to fight now is just suicidal and there is no need for that." Obviously logic wasn't working for her as she kept trying to draw more power. 'No other way around it, gonna knock her out before-'
"I fear the King Crow is right, lady Leviathan." One of the devils from the Satan Faction army, indistinguishable from any other, appeared beside Katerea. "In this kind of situation, it would be better to retreat."
Surprise took over Katerea's fear. "You are-" It was the same devil who motivated her to use Ophis' power.
Azazel was stunned. 'Where did he come from? I felt no one approaching and he didn't show up on my peripherals. Is he that fast?' Cautious from the new arrival, Azazel raised his ax again, extending its pole to turn it on a halberd. "You think that escaping me will be that easy?"
The new arrival turned his head to Azazel for one second before looking down at the defeated Leviathan. "Please, forgive me for the rough ride." Obviously he planned to carry the woman and escape.
Something Azazel wasn't going to let happen. "Hold your horses." He went for the kill not underestimating the unknown devil and also to keep Katerea's safe. A magic circle appeared to the side and the masked devil grabbed Katerea like a bride and jumped on it a millisecond before the Cadre had them. 'What the- That circle!' Recognizing it, Azazel expanded his senses and noticed the two devils in the air. "Not so fast!"
Another magic circle showed up and the man flew directly to it, appearing amongst the Old Satan Faction army from apparently nowhere. "Hold your ground men! For Lord Lucifer!"
Most of the devils were terrified of Azazel's power and even more terrified when the armored fallen angel came at them like a demon out of hell chasing the two devils. However some did positioned themselves to fight, raising their weapons bravely and preparing magic circles to unleash whatever they could.
"For Lord Luci-" That man never finished his line as he and another eleven were cut down in an instant.
Azazel gritted his teeth as that cost him half a second that the fugitive got just a little more distance. The fallen angel's eyes could see how his body entered the familiar magic circle and appeared in another location at the measure it got in with Katerea always in his hands.
"The most troublesome Clan to catch in a chase." It wasn't helped by the fact more members of the Old Satan Faction threw themselves on his way. "You all are a bunch of pain in the ass!" Azazel unleashed his power all around him, killing hundreds.
The fugitive didn't care as he focused on his escape, Katerea was safe in his hands and holding his neck as she recognized the magic circle as well and felt confident they would get away.
Only for her protector to turn to the side as a fast sequence of magic circles with silver color appeared and disappeared, a figure entering on one only to appear a few centimeters from another.
The armored devil tried to accelerate but it was too late as Grayfia Lucifuge stopped in front of him, the boundary field still meters away. "I can't let you escape." She said with sad eyes. "Please surrender yourself and give us Katerea, brother."
Without hesitation the devil used a hand to remove the mask and throw the helmet away to reveal a good looking silver haired with his hair in a long braid that reached his back.
"Sister, step aside, I am under orders of Lord Lucifer himself. The real one." His tone was smooth until the last part as his hand returned to hold Katerea's legs.
"Euclid…" Grayfia sounded sad and her expression was full of angst but only for a moment as she steeled her resolve. "You know I cannot allow her to escape, in the name of Lord Lucifer."
Her brother gritted his teeth hard and had a look of utter disgust. "It isn't enough that you sired a child with that traitor but calling him 'Lucifer' makes your actions worse."
The two siblings stared at each other, one with passionate rage while the other presented placid sadness before magic circles appeared behind both of them and they flew in just when Azazel was about to grab Euclid.
"Goddamned! That is why fighting Lucifuges is a pain!" Azazel looked around and found Grayfia blocking Euclid's path as both made new magic circles to jump inside.
Since the pursuit began Euclid could count on his Power of Space to get away from Azazel but Grayfia had the same Power so she could read where he was going and block him. It was a common phenomena when devils of the same Clan faced each other, both knew their own Power's weakness and they ended up canceling the other.
Euclid tried to get some distance from her sister but everytime he tried to move to the space above her Grayfia would make a magic circle that stopped him just short and forced him to move to the side before she grabbed him.
Both kept alternating between magic circles and empty space with Euclid unable to shake his sister off. Perhaps if Katerea was stronger she could help him but in her condition it would be better for him to ditch the descendant of Leviathan if he wanted to escape. Unfortunately taking her away was his mission and Euclid refused to fail.
Making the matters worse was that Azazel was tracking them both with more precision than he should. 'As expected of the Governor General.' Euclid recognized his efforts as Grayfia's magic stopped him from moving where he wanted again. 'If this keeps going I will run out of mana before I can get to the boundary field. At least I can take solace that I may escape later if Azazel tires enough.'
Euclid knew that either he will create an opportunity or someone will do so for him.
…
"How can they move so fast?" Asked Irina whose eyes were jumping around the battle like many others who couldn't understand what was going on.
"As was explained before, Grayfia's Power is over Space. With it she can use magic circles to teleport around even in a boundary field like this if she either has a connection or line of sight. You can fight it off as they need contact and just by using mana you can disrupt it." Michael, who disliked the look of confusion in his subordinate, quickly explained. "However, to another Lucifuge to reveal themselves." He turned to a concerned Sirzechs. "Who exactly is he?"
"Euclid Lucifuge, my brother in law."
"Wait, you have a brother in law? Grayfia has a brother?" Rias' shock surprised all members of the ORC. "How did I never hear about… He is with the Old Satan Faction, the Civil War…" Pieces fell into place and she offered her brother a sad look. "He hates us?"
"Mostly just me both for my part in the Civil War and for taking the title of Lucifer." His eyes never left his wife as she kept blocking Euclid's way. Azazel was right behind trying to catch them but the younger Lucifuge was skilled and always escaped by a hair. "He is a direct subordinate of the most powerful descendant of Lucifer. The only living one we have knowledge of."
"That man… What must he be planning to send someone here?" Michael sounded worried about the prospect. "I thought you told us that he didn't care about the Underworld."
"He doesn't. Or at least he didn't." Sirzechs was also worried and his eyes never left his wife. "Either way, we will have answers soon. Even with the Power of Space, escaping this boundary field is impossible unless he takes the school building out." And with Michael standing guard, none of them believed it was possible.
"But then why is he trying to escape?" Shirou asked with folded arms, looking around the area. "Or why isn't the army as well."
"Emiya is right." Sona commented after fixing her glasses. "This situation is extremely odd."
"Not just that but the fact that Rizevim is connected to Khaos Brigade and sent his right hand man here makes things even more confusing." Sirzechs added to the conversation, making both students blink. "But that is why Michael isn't going out yet. We are missing something."
Most of the younger devils looked worried and nervous but Serafall tried to cheer them up. "Don't worry, everything is going to be okay. Grayfia is going to catch her scoundrel brother and he will answer all our questions. Then we will make everyone stand down and have a nice chat."
Kiba shook his head with a look of contemplation. "No offense Serafall-sama but I doubt that is going to happen."
Akeno caught his train of thought. "'A cornered animal is more dangerous' huh?"
"Hey, no need to look like that. That is why we are here." Serafall said confidently. "Without anyone to contest us, either they surrender or else... That is how things are."
"A lot of people are still going to die." Asia was conflicted at the notion and joined her hands in prayer. She still couldn't include God's name but for the souls of those who would perish she would risk it.
Issei nervously raised a hand. "Excuse me but who is Rizevim?" All leaders looked at him, Serafall with a wince, Sirzechs with annoyance and Michael with visible angst. "Sorry."
"No, it is fine. Since you are here, you have the right to know." Sirzechs paused, trying to figure out the best way to explain.
Michael showed unusual impatience by going ahead. "One of Lucifer's sons and a monster with no regard for life of any kind." His distaste was evident as his eyes were stuck on Euclid. "That is why his interference is so dangerous, if he is planning something it cannot be any good."
"Perhaps you should make a move." Medusa suggested with a collected look that immediately drew attention. "Just debating here helps nothing and we still have two high level fighters and everyone else around, one of you should help with the capture."
Before any further debate all looked up as Azazel unleashed a rain of Light spears in the area Euclid was to show up, the devil's many magic circles destroyed as he made more to help him evade.
"That is why inserting yourself in a high chase like that is a bad call, goddess." Serafall commented with a cheeky grin. "Because you can get on the line of fire."
Medusa shook her head and looked at Shirou. "I agree with my protector's previous assessment; if this Euclid is trying to escape, he will have some sort of trick."
…
Euclid knew that just charging in the same direction would tip off his pursuers of his escape plan so he kept moving to the sides while trying to go higher without moving to the exact right spot.
But he refused to go lower since his sister would just move her protections down for every centimeter he gave to lock him in place. Had Azazel not had the dragon armor or he didn't have to protect Katerea then Euclid could have already escaped by just throwing his power around and forcing the fallen angel to slow down.
Devoted as he was, the thought of abandoning his mission didn't even cross his mind as the high speed chase kept going. High speed only from Azazel part as the members of the Lucifuge Clan didn't need to accelerate to cross great distances. To them distance could be irrelevant but with the boundary field forcing more mana out the distance was small compared to their normal.
Azazel created a ball of Light in his hands before clapping it, trying to blind Euclid and so cut the use of his Power. It would have worked if the man didn't hold Katerea in front of him to use as a shield. The attack wasn't harmful anyway.
With the Light at her back Grayfia was unaffected and charged at her sibling, bending Space and appearing right above him only to notice that he already had a magic circle at his feet. It was an indicator of the direction he was going so the Strongest Queen began to move the magic circle blocking his movement down a little.
When Euclid disappeared, both her and Azazel kept their pursuit going with different means; Grayfia kept her altitude to cut his escape route while the fallen angel charged the moment he saw the devils appear out of nowhere a few meters below.
The Governor General wasn't surprised when another magic circle appeared and changed his trajectory the moment Euclid flew on it. That event repeated twice more in the same direction as Euclid was veering to the right constantly, Azazel expecting the man to return to his army for reinforcements.
Only when Euclid appeared in the middle of the fallen angel army was that Azazel knew he had been played. "SPLIT UP!"
A more disciplined army, made of experienced fighters, would execute the order immediately. These were a younger bread of fallen angels, however, and plenty of them wanted either glory or to impress him.
In that moment the deal to bring weaker troops bit Azazel in the butt as plenty of the young fallen angels ignored the order and summoned their weapons to kill Euclid.
Things got worse when some charged and others threw their spears only for the devils to vanish and the fallen angels to kill each other, much to their horror.
No matter how much Azazel wanted to keep his pursuit he had to slow down or risk killing even more with his overwhelming power.
He approached his men while ordering the whole time "Nobody move! Spread around to not give him a place to hide! If you see them, don't get in the way!" His priority was his people's lives and he was too busy trying to save one of the soldiers to notice Euclid slipping away from the side.
This time the silver haired devil wasn't teleporting but flying at full speed in the direction of his escape route. His sister's barrier could do nothing in this case.
It wasn't a proper boundary circle and barely could be called a barrier as it was unable to stop him from physically moving in any other way but that was why Grayfia kept up with his moves from above, appearing in front of him just in time for an interception.
Both of them knew that there was no way for Euclid to win in a fight, not against Grayfia whilst Katerea was in his arms.
However Euclid's Master had anticipated Grayfia's presence since it was common knowledge that where Sirzechs went, his Queen wasn't far. With such an important meeting, even if Serafall was the Head of Foreign Affairs, Sirzechs' presence wasn't a surprise, if anything it was expected.
And so Euclid retrieved something from his pocket, a white ball with a black pattern of wave-like going around it. Grayfia had no way to know what it was and she was single mindedly focused on stopping her brother. For either love or duty she didn't think about it since it would be a distraction.
Only when Euclid's thumb broke the top of the ball did she realize it was an egg. "With Lord Lucifer's regards."
From the egg a swarm of wasp-like creatures were born in an instant, all looking at Grayfia maliciously before charging in her direction faster than any devil.
There were at least thirteen of those, all gray and black, much like the egg, bigger than normal wasps by a considerable margin, two stings and three pairs of wings each that made an extremely irritating noise that had both purebloods clenching their teeths to try and ignore it.
Unlike most insects their eyes were red, each of their jaws moving uncontrollably as they flew faster than Euclid towards Grayfia. Katerea felt her ears bleed but her protector was prepared and focused only on his sister and his exit route, trusting the wasps his Master's ally had provided.
The Strongest Queen didn't know what those creatures were and didn't allow herself to be distracted, her brother was still charging at her so she concluded they were bait. Instead of stopping, Grayfia created a new magic circle and unleashed a laser to pierce through the insets and cut one of her brother's wings.
She didn't expect the gray wasps to converge on it and started to devour her mana while making way toward the devil. Grayfia undid the magic circle to stop the laser but the wasps kept going at her, even bigger than before. Still not understanding what was happening she wouldn't allow her brother to escape so she threw a punch at the creatures.
It connected easily, tearing one of the wasps into pieces before it kept moving and killing even more. However there were thirteen of them and just four dead didn't stop the others from biting and stinging her.
And the noise, the noise was too much and started to affect her, forcing the Queen to flail around, trying to kill them as their corrosive saliva damaged her skin and maid uniform.
No longer concentrating on anything else, Grayfia kept moving and killing the wasps only to notice there were more than they should. Paying attention to one she managed to slap away, the Ultimate Maid noticed that the pieces seemed to make more wasps, smaller but equally annoying.
Her confusion turned to fury when Euclid passed by her without looking back, ignoring her barrier and moving towards the top of the boundary field for whatever reason. 'He isn't getting away!'
Grayfia created a magic circle on top of herself to pursue but the wasps quickly converged on it and started to devour her mana. Her eyes grew wide at the phenomena as the creatures bloated, gorging from her circle as it broke after losing many parts.
Frail as they were, they were starting to annoy Grayfia and the noise, the constant buzzing around that was more annoying than anything else she ever heard in her life, was starting to hurt her head and steal her concentration.
These wasps, an existence she never heard about until that day, were getting the better of her and allowing her brother to escape, which made Grayfia angry.
Angry enough to unleash an explosion of raw demonic power that covered the sky, the might of the Strongest Queen. "Begone!"
It wasn't magic, it was raw power, the kind of power that could bring down fortresses and armies by itself. While the wasps were capable of devouring it, they had no way to react to the wave of silver demonic energy that assailed them and were all crushed.
Even if her Power was not of Destruction, Grayfia's raw demonic energy erased the wasps completely. Unfortunately for her, her brother was already close to the top, his target for reasons she couldn't comprehend and even as she moved to catch up, she knew it was for naught.
But someone else much faster than her was already on the way. "You aren't escaping, Euclid Lucifuge!" Azazel was covered in gold armor and energy, flying at speeds that Humanity still struggled to reach even with the most modern machinery.
Katerea saw the fallen angel coming and her fear returned. "Euclid, he is coming!" Her voice was lost in the wind.
Not that Euclid would reply if he had heard her, he was totally immersed in escaping and just at the top of the boundary field, an area easy to identify and equally distant in every point of Kuoh he saw his exit ticket.
Another insect, a small bug, so small in fact that nobody noticed it was there when Euclid broke its egg when the skirmish started. He had used his Power of Space to quickly reach the top and hide from view right there, already knowing he would have to make a fast exit.
It was a beetle but a beetle unlike any in nature; gray with black like the wasps but even smaller than them, however still bigger than a normal one. Also unlike most beetles in nature it had six mandibles for faster eating and like the wasps it was devouring mana but from the boundary field.
There was a huge difference between demonic energy, the mana devils used, and other types of mana but from what Euclid was informed that beetle could devour any type if left alone until it reached its limit.
Too many beetles and someone may have noticed the creatures, either a fallen angel with a passing glance or once there were too many holes in the boundary field. Euclid just needed one even if small and with the time that passed he knew its function would be done.
Now all he needed to do was get into range to look at the other side before a furious Azazel got his hands on him. Not an easy feat as the Cadre's speed had increased as much as his power.
Euclid didn't panic either way since with his sister out of the picture he could use Space again and accelerate his arrival to the top. There he saw the beetle he was given, almost ready to explode from having eaten too much.
Just as planned there was a small hole, the size of a nail, waiting for him, the skies outside of Kuoh illuminated by dusk visible.
That was their exit and Azazel watched as Euclid made another magic circle and disappeared. Using his senses he felt the area but found no sign of the devils but didn't stop his flight path, determined to search and destroy his prey.
When he saw the small hole, Azazel muttered a curse and approached it, easily dispatching the beetle before landing upside down. 'How is this possible? I didn't see anything like this during my fight.' He had been too busy and in a completely different zone of the boundary field. Peeking through he saw a silver magic circle and Euclid disappearing with Katerea in his hands just as the hole closed, the boundary field restored. "Fuck."
…
Sirzechs moved to his wife's side before anyone could say anything. "You are exhausted. Did those wasps harm you in any way?"
"I am fine, Lord Sirzechs." The redhead calmed down at her professional attitude which indicated she was really fine. "I apologize for my failure in securing my brother and Katerea."
Serafall stepped in with a gentle smile. "Hey, it happens." Nobody was willing to disagree but Shirou looked at Grayfia with pity.
'To fight her own sibling with such fervor. No, it wasn't a fight but that didn't stop her from trying to stop him.' The Mage of Swords felt a sense of vertigo hit him and shook his head as Michael began to offer any help he could to the devils. 'Could I do the same?' The pestering question wormed in his mind. 'If it was Illya, could I have done the same thing?'
Now that things were slowing down, Shirou began to consider the future and how her sister's organization began to move. They just had attacked a peace meeting of all things, became terrorists for all the intents and he feared how much his sister was involved with them.
'Damned Illya, why did you join a thing like that? Just to avoid destruction?' The two armies still stared at each other. 'Look how much you are already spreading? This was for peace.'
A hand held his and Shirou snapped back to reality as Rias smiled gently at him. "Thinking about your sister?"
"Thinking about the kind of mess she is with this lot."
"So your sister is with these guys?" Issei asked with pity. "That sucks, dude."
"Don't worry, Master. I am sure we can rescue your sister from those villains."
Shirou wished he could share Xenovia's enthusiasm. "Knowing her she is going to be the final boss of the whole thing."
The former Exorcist blinked in confusion. "Why do you say that, Master?"
"You met my mother and heard about my father." The magus began slowly. "And my sister is their daughter. Let that sink in."
The Magus Killer reputation was one thing but everybody that knew Iri could really recognize that she also was a force to be reckoned with.
"Shero, is your sister that scary?" Luvia sounded intimidated.
"When she wanted to be." A haunted look appeared on the magus' face before he shook his head. "But she can also be sweet and I can only hope she had nothing to do with this." Because even as the leader of the attacking army left, his gut told him things weren't over.
Azazel returned to Kuoh, his armor breaking apart and returning to the form of a spear head before it too broke into pieces with the exception of the gem on the pommel. He grabbed it with a frown before landing.
Anyone could tell Azazel was irritated. "Thanks for the help." He spoke to the orb before turning to his allies. "And sorry that I couldn't get them. Somehow they managed to open a small hole on the boundary field and Euclid used it to get outside."
"How is that possible?" Medusa asked what everyone was thinking. "A boundary field like this one would recover instantly if not completely broken. Did whatever they used kept it open?"
"Would you believe it was a beetle that kept eating a small section of it? Big enough for a nail and nothing else?"
"After seeing the wasps? Yes." Serafall replied with a concerned look. "They even managed to hurt Grayfia."
"Euclid came prepared to escape, even if Katerea had Ophis' power." Sirzechs summarized. "They, or better yet Rizevim, knew she was going to lose and prepared an exit strategy."
None of which made sense with how armies of the moonlit world fought, if the leader can't actually hold their own then the soldiers were just bodies being thrown into a meat grinder.
The more the leaders of the Factions thought about it, the less the Old Satan Faction strategy made sense. "Are they ready to give up?" Kiba asked out loud. "Because from my point of view, all those devils still look ready to fight." At the Knight's words everyone turned to the army of devils still standing at ready.
"No drop of weapons, no attempt to negotiate, no final charge." Azazel's frown grew deeper at every observation he made. "They are waiting for someone."
"Perhaps for someone to go negotiate a surrender?" Despite knowing she should stay silent, Irina tried to stay positive and offer an alternative to end the violence. "I mean, they aren't attacking either." She noticed how Michael was smiling, blushed and looked down. "Sorry, sir."
"No, you may be correct. They may be waiting for someone to go and talk about an honorable surrender." The Seraph sounded hopeful and his eyes turned to the devils. "Since Sirzechs is weakened then it would be your place to negotiate, Serafall."
"Actually we may have someone else to negotiate with them." Azazel tried to follow his brother's example but his smile looked forced.
"Would you be talking about me, Azazel?" Vali chose that moment to appear again, still clad in his Scale Mail and looking pristine, like it hadn't seen battle.
Azazel tried to not think about it. "Right on time, Vali. Could you please go there and convince them to surrender?"
"Sorry but that isn't going to happen. After all, they are waiting for their strongest fighter to reveal themselves."
"Look, I know you would like to have a good fight today but enough blood has already been spilled."
"Couldn't agree more but Katerea wanted to go first and they were all anxious to take a crack at the Underworld's leadership. Not that I care much about it but," Vali shrugged his shoulders as some began to look at him with apprehension, "you raised me with a policy of 'ladies first' kind of deal."
"Vali… this isn't the time for jokes." Azazel's fist began to shake and he hid it inside his suit's pocket.
"But this isn't a joke. You know that, right?" The White Dragon Emperor began to let his energy out, Serafall and Michael standing in front of their allies with nervous expressions. "Not like I wanted to fight you with them all around since your armor would counter Divine Diving too well. I suppose that was why you made Fafnir the power source."
Holding the orb carefully, Azazel tried to remain calm. "I didn't make a pact with him to fight you, Vali." But the White Dragon Emperor could see the microscopic changes on his face that showed frustration. "His power was the best one for me and he was one of the few dragons who would accept my conditions."
"Because Greed is such a thing you have in abundance." Vali sounded sarcastic and even with his helmet people knew he was smiling. When he looked up to the army of the Three Factions they all retreated in fear. "Then again, you aren't the type to suspect those close to you, that is why Kokabiel got away with so much." He looked back at the man who raised him. "That is why I am here today, against you."
"So you joined the Khaos Brigade? To pick a fight with the Three Factions?" If someone hadn't understood what was happening, they did now.
Vali shrugged dramatically, shaking his head for good measure. "It looks like that, doesn't it? To be specific, I joined Ophis." He waved to the Old Satan Faction army. "These guys? Don't need them but they want to see me put Sirzechs in his place or something like that."
"Azazel? Care to explain?" Sirzechs sounded calm but with how weak he was his worry was hard to hide. More so because his wife also was exhausted and the opponent would be the White Dragon Emperor. "Where did you find him?"
"Oh, my apologies, Lucifer, I hadn't introduced myself properly mostly because Azazel asked that be done after the peace was signed." Vali bowed with a hand over his chest. "But since that isn't happening anymore, let me say my name, a name that started wars."
From his back eight bat-like wings revealed themselves much to Sirzechs, Grayfia, Michael and Serafall's horror. Most of the younger devils didn't understand the implication and couldn't comprehend how a devil could have more than two wings.
All they knew was that Vali had to be a devil as demonic energy mixed with his flow of mana and made him feel even stronger.
"My real name is Vali Lucifer." Comprehension dawned in all at the implication and introduction. "That is right, I am a descendant of the Original Lucifer and also the White Dragon Emperor." Horror began to fill every devil and fallen angel in the area as the implication was catastrophic to their side. "Nice to meet you."
Michael took a step forward but his disposition was weak and he looked to be hesitating. "Azazel, is he a son of Lucifer or some kind of sick experiment?" This wouldn't be the first time something like that happened.
"He is Rizevim's grandson, a legitimate descendant." Azazel sounded fearful and defeated but tried to smile again. "Vali, why did you join Ophis? Wasn't your goal to be the strongest? It should be your enemy."
"She is only the second strongest and you should know that. That must tell you something about her goal." Vali was having fun, that much was obvious.
"Great Red? Ophis wants to get rid of Great Red?" It clicked on Azazel's mind instantly.
"Bravo, as always you can figure out things fast when you put your mind to it." All Vali's wings opened to their full extension, Divine Dividing the most impressive of them. "Ophis' goal is to destroy Great Red and take back her home. Great Red, Dragon of Dragons, is the strongest and so I shall face it one day!" Then his devil wings vanished and he shrugged. "Besides, the Khaos Brigade is the more fun side to be at the moment."
"Because you want to fight." Shirou advanced, a harsh glare in Vali's direction. "That is what this is about, isn't it? You joined the Khaos Brigade because you want war, not for a goal or a reason, just to have a fight!"
"Can you say that a fight of any other kind is a proper fight?" Vali didn't even bother denying it. "Can you claim that on any other occasion warriors fight with all of themselves and show their true strength? That without something on the line they can truly be called warriors? Of course not!" He sounded excited just by the prospect alone. "Only when lives are put in the line can warriors show their real worth. Khaos Brigade just gives me the chance to get things moving."
"So much to not pick on weaklings." Shirou sounded hateful but that amused Vali more.
He stretched his arms open to invite an attack. "But this is not about weaklings, is it? This is a war between you all and me!" The White Dragon Emperor announced proudly. "You want your precious peace? Then fight me! Show me that your peace is actually worth something or else I will just crush it! Only then will I be satisfied!" Azazel felt Vali's eyes on him. "You asked me what I wanted; this is it! Not peace but fights, fights where I can become the strongest!"
Michael shared Shirou's emotions and prepared himself. "Then I shall give it to you!" Before he could take flight he felt Azazel grabbing his arm again. "Let me go, brother. Last time you could fight but now you are-"
"Would you rather die?!" Azazel's sudden shout silenced his sibling. "Vali is not an opponent you can beat and if you can't see that then you are losing your edge."
"I can't allow him to get in the way of peace." Michael looked at his brother with pity. "And you are in no condition to fight him."
To his surprise Azazel nodded. "Without Fafnir I have no chance but neither does any of you. Or you forgot he is the White Dragon Emperor?"
"But how does he have Divine Dividing?" Xenovia looked frustrated and irritated at the white armored man who patiently waited for an opponent. "He is a devil and the System should only give it to a human."
Sona fixed her glasses to calm herself. "He is a hybrid, isn't he?"
Azazel chuckled in depression, still not letting go of his brother. "Not only a hybrid but a True Hybrid. No weakness, only power." The declaration almost made everyone panic.
"Hahahahahaha!" It only made Vali laugh. "That is right! Unfair, isn't it? Here I am, the grandson of Lucifer and I was born not only with Divine Diving but also had the perfect balance of Devilhood and Humanity! Talk about irony, hahahahahahahaha!" He shook his head and opened his arms again. "Perhaps my existence is a miracle itself?"
The question carried a sarcastic tone but many present began to wonder if that wasn't the case. Even the members of the Three Faction army began to look at each other in doubt if they were on the right side.
Because Vali wasn't like Katerea, a simple descendant of a Maou, he was also an existence so unique that boggle the mind and he was the descendant of the Original Lucifer. Morale couldn't go lower than that as the devils began to doubt themselves and looked unwilling to fight him out of principle.
"So? Who is going to be my opponent?" Vali asked with mirth as he pointed to Sirzechs. "I would like to fight you who is called the strongest but the whims of your sister made you weak, just like Katerea planned. A pity." He skipped Azazel and went to Michael. "Perhaps you, the Acting God? The Strongest Angel, Seraph Michael? Do you wish to cast down another Lucifer?" The Seraph glared but Vali had already moved on. "Or will I get Katerea's dream fight and face you, Serafall Leviathan? It would give me a chance to gauge which one of you is the strongest."
Both were willing to fight but they also knew they had no chance of winning, Divine Diving was a Longinus for a reason and with someone like Vail, a hybrid of immense power, using it they were well aware of how outmatched they were as with a single Divide even Michael will be brought low.
Considering everything, Azazel could only think of one person who could face Vali. "Issei, you are up!"
"Huh? Who, me?" All were looking at the Pawn who grew nervous. "Hold on! I don't understand half of what is going on right now! I get that Vali is an enemy but–"
Azazel, with the cumulative frustration and worry from all that has been happening over the last few hours, grabbed Issei by his uniform. "What didn't you get?"
"What?"
"What didn't you get? I will explain!" They had little time and Azazel ignored Rias' irritated look as she moved to get between them only to be stopped by Sirzechs who shook his head.
It was silently agreed by the leaders that Issei as the Red Dragon Emperor was their best chance out of this mess.
Intimidated by the unusual aggression on Azazel's disposition, Issei began to babble. "I don't know, okay? What the hell does this Khaos Brigade want? Who the fuck is Ophis and this Great Red? What-"
"Ophis is the Dragon of Infinity and was once considered the Strongest Existence. It resided on the Dimensional Gap." Azazel gave no time for question, he didn't know how patient Vali was going to be. He felt he didn't know the kid he raised anymore. "That was until Great Red, also known as the True Red Dragon Emperor, the Dragon of Dragons or Dragon of Dreams, DxD, showed up and kicked Ophis out of the Dimensional Gap for whatever reason. For centuries, millenia, the Dragon of Infinity had tried in vain to recover its home, which was unoccupied when Great Red showed up, until finally it decided to ask for help that no Faction would give."
The fallen angel gave Issei a few seconds to process all that. "So she, it, whatever, just wants to go back home?" That and the fact that Great Red was currently the Strongest Existence were the only things he really caught up so far.
"Yeah but the Dimensional Gap is so connected to all Reality, called 'Dimensional' for a reason, that everybody knows that fighting the Great Red would have terrible consequences." Azazel grabbed Issei by the arms and shook him a little. "Terrible consequences! Nobody sane would accept helping Ophis no matter what she offered, the Dragon of Dreams is too strong anyway. But apparently the Khaos Brigade is insane. Did you catch everything?"
"Yes but…" Issei didn't bother to hide his fear when he looked at Vali, nobody blamed him. "I don't think I can defeat him."
"Got that right." Vali commented with an amused chuckle. "Weren't you telling me before he is too young to face me, what was the word again, ah… 'Comparatively'?"
"That is right, Vali has a Balance Breaker. Issei is not even close to getting his. It would be suicide." Rias could understand that people were desperate but her Pawn had no chance of winning. "He is a fully realized White Dragon Emperor! I won't allow you to have Issei fight him."
"We may have no other choice! His power is the only one that can counter Vali's!" Azazel's eyes were somber and full of hurt. Still he pushed forward. "Besides, Issei doesn't need to fight alone since he is inexperienced. Michael just needs him for support and to counter Divide."
"I could just shoot him down the moment the fight starts, you know?" Vali's words made Rias more concerned, Issei more nervous and Azazel more frustrated. "Are you really that desperate, Azazel?"
Then the Cadre smiled. "Perhaps if you took more interest in my work you would know that I have my friends' backs. Issei!" From the other pocket of his suit, Azazel pulled out a silver bracelet. "With this you will be able to use your Balance Breaker!"
For a moment all playfulness left Vali's form. "What are you playing at, Azazel?"
"I am not playing at anything, just something I invented to help people unleash their Balance Breakers temporarily." He showed his former charge the bracelet with a mischievous smile. "A bit of silver here, a couple of runes there, fire from the White Dragon Emperor, thanks for that by the way." Vali felt silly. "Sure it will only work once and then it will break but for now it can even the playing field."
"Huh! You think just because he will have Scale Mail he will be a match for me?" Now Vali felt insulted. "I will kill you in a second! Him and whoever fights with him!"
Then someone grabbed the bracelet from Azazel, surprising the fallen angel. "With a threat, I can't let things slide, Vali." Shirou stepped forward, the angry look still on his face now paired with a sarcastic smile. "Or are you reneging on the 'not picking on the weak' deal? If so, that is another reason for me to interfere."
"Shirou-" Before Azazel could say anything, lines of mana covered the bracelet and it broke apart. "What have you done?!"
"If Issei fights, he dies, then Rias will get upset." The magus looked at the fallen angel with a smile. "Besides, I promised him a match and I like to keep my promises."
"Oh, think you can keep up already? Just a few weeks ago you admitted to having no chance." Vali was intrigued and more interested than before. "Did you master it?"
"No but I told you before that I could give you a fight you would never forget." Shirou discarded the remains of the bracelet. "I had enough time to prepare so that I can deal with you."
"Interesting." Vali was intrigued.
Almost everyone else was worried. "Are you mad? Do you remember his Divide ability?"
"I must agree with my brother, Emiya Shirou. The White Dragon Emperor is not an opponent anyone can face."
"Was defeating a weak goddess made you think you are invincible?"
"Serafall that was unnecessary." Sirzechs also looked stressed but he was focusing on his sister, noting how she wasn't worried anymore.
If anything Rias Gremory looked confident. "Shiro."
"Yeah?" He completely ignored the leaders of the Three Factions.
"This is not a duel, alright. If you are going to fight, give everything you got."
"Rias, that is a terrible idea. You said before, this is a fully realized White Dragon Emperor." Sona protested, fearing what would become of her friend if her lover perished. "With just a touch he can reduce Emiya's power by half and then crush him. As a human his reserves are already smaller than ours."
Instead of changing her mind, Rias began to grin. "Don't worry, Shiro got this." Some of her peerage chuckled as even Issei looked calmer. "If anything this will teach everyone to not underestimate the Magus Killer's son."
"My old man taught me well. For instance," Shirou pointed at Vali with confidence, "True Hybrid or not he still has Albion, he still is considered a dragon."
It was Vali's turn to chuckle. "True enough."
Xenovia didn't need to hear anything else to drop on a knee and open the briefcase. "Here, my Lord. I wish you luck in the fight."
Shirou nodded and grasped the sword inside it. "Michael, I know I promised to return it to you but I will be using Ascalon for now."
"It is supposed to be a present." The Seraph couldn't help but smile.
"I never accepted it." Shirou began to march forward but someone was still in disbelief from what happened in the last few minutes.
"Are none of you taking this situation seriously?" Azazel was irritated, frustrated and stressed. The jovial older man had lost something and didn't know what. "This is- you are going to- Vali won't be defeated just because you have a Dragon Slayer weapon." His eyes were fixed on Shirou's back, unwavering. "We needed the power of a dragon and the only one who can compete with the White Dragon Emperor is the Red One. And you took the only way we could bring the power out and broke it."
Looking at the fallen angel from the corner of his eye, Shirou could barely recognize the man. "Even if that bracelet could magically give Issei the power to fight he lacks experience. Sending him there would be something I could never forgive myself for allowing."
"He would just be backing Michael up."
"Are you saying that because the odds of your brother winning are that high or because you believe he would spare Vali?" Everything grew quiet and even Vali seemed interested in hearing the answer. Shirou didn't give Azazel the chance to reply. "Anyway, I won't let a friend gamble his life like that, not on my watch." The Cadre could see the resolve in Shirou's eyes until he turned to look at Vali again. "Besides, I know I can, no, I will win."
"Someone is sounding confident. Are you sure you didn't master it?" Vali was growing ever more giddy at the potential fight.
Shirou pointed Ascalon at the White Dragon Emperor. "Just feel that my chances of winning are higher than anyone else's, that is all." He smiled confidently. "Besides, you don't send a dragon to face another dragon, that usually ends with nations destroyed. Better send a knight with a strong steed and a shining sword instead."
Akeno giggled at an impish idea. "Lacking a knight, the Mage of Swords will have to do." At Shirou's flinch every member of the ORC laughed despite the situation.
"A 'Mage' huh? Who gave you the title?" He had Vali's curiosity, something Shirou definitely didn't want.
Indeed he even tried to dodge the question. "A bunch of wannabe knights."
"Hah! Then let's go, Mage of Swords!" It failed as Vali recognized the title, calling it out loud for all to hear.
Then the White Dragon Emperor flew back until he was a few meters away from Kuoh and landed with his arms folded. Nobody tried to stop him and his army cheered. """""""""""Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer!""""""""
Tuning down the cheering was easier for Shirou due to a concerned Michael's hand landing on his shoulder. "You shouldn't have to fight. That is our duty, not yours."
"He is right." Serafall stepped forwards, a hard look in her eyes. The bubbly persona was completely absent. "We are the leaders of the Three Factions, this is our peace meeting-"
"And I am the bodyguard of one of the guests." He smiled at Medusa. "Anything to say, my goddess?" Shirou made sure his tone was full of humor.
Didn't stop Medusa to straight her spine and point at his opponent. "As my representative, victory is the only acceptable outcome."
Letting out a sight, Shirou shook his head. "What a demanding goddess I have." And prepared to jump before Rias interrupted him.
"Shiro. I was being serious." Both redheads traded looks as her expression was grave. "Use every resource, don't hesitate." She then smiled. "Then come back to me in one piece or else I will be cooking until the summer break."
"Heh, sure. It is a deal." He jumped out, landing with a roll before beginning to walk towards Vali who stood there waiting patiently.
The redhead's steps were slow but the hybrid held an air of excitement even as he just waited. And wait he did nonetheless as Shirou still didn't look ready for their fight and Vali didn't want to start it too soon.
He wanted all to begin at an appropriate moment when both sides were ready so they could go all out to their hearts' content.
'Is he really stronger? Is he just trying to spare his friend's life?' Thanks to his helmet only Vali knew the size of the grin he had. "Only through combat can one see the truth."
"Never heard that saying before but I disagree" Shirou stopped ten meters away from the White Dragon Emperor.
"Just something I came up with." Vali admitted as he studied Shirou's posture, Ascalon relaxed on his shoulder as the magus didn't look ready. "Ready to start?"
"Can I ask something first? Why reveal yourself now?"
"Already told you that Katerea wanted to fight first." An uninterested shrug followed. "To neutralize Sirzechs, she went on and on about this plan to use Rias Gremory's Bishop to stop the time of the area and everything just to spare our soldiers." Vali looked around. "Obviously it failed but the goal was to force Sirzechs to teleport Rias in the first place so only partially."
"Unlike her you don't sound like you hate your ancestor's replacement." Shirou observed carefully, watching to see how the fight would start.
The redhead wasn't really concerned about any cheap tricks and the silver haired man didn't mind talking. "I don't give a damn. Like I said, I just want to fight. The guy wants the name Lucifer so he can have it."
Shirou blinked in a mix of confusion and bafflement. "I see."
"Ready now?"
"Another one." Part of him wanted to see how much he could push Vali but Shirou was still cautious. "Why didn't you challenge Azazel the moment your ally began to lose? Don't you want to fight him?"
"It isn't the right time yet. Besides, I am more interested in fighting Michael first." Vali knew something was wrong when Shirou smiled.
"That… is the first lie you told all day." Shirou's smile was irritating the hybrid more than he would like to admit. "Or how about we talk about how instead of attacking any of the armies you just focused on familiars."
"You saw that huh?" Already the annoyance was obvious in Vali's speech.
"I was watching your back. Then I saw the man who loved fighting avoid it which was odd. Even with the betrayal since you could have just announced yourself sooner and fought the army." The Mage made a face of fake realization. "Let me guess, it wasn't the right time yet?"
"Believe what you will." On that the White Dragon Emperor failed to hide his irritation, no matter how minor. Despite how the conversation was going and his wish to fight, he also was observing his opponent. "You look more relaxed."
"Yeah, because I find myself feeling better associating with you like this."
"Like what? Enemies?"
"Pretty much." Shirou admitted as he made a flourish move with Ascalon before holding it with two hands "After hearing your philosophy, I got angry, more than I thought I should." Another admission, one that surprised Vali. "But as allies I held my tongue, for the most part. Now as enemies I can say what I think bluntly. Vali Lucifer, you are an idiot."
"Oh, am I?"
"Yes. Becoming the strongest to then die? That is an absolute waste! And power without purpose is a bigger one." Shirou spoke sincerely from his heart, Vali could tell. "And you know what? You are a bigger idiot because your actions do pick on the weak and you just refuse to notice it."
"Huh, then they should stop being weak. If anything I am doing them a favor by forcing them out of their comforts to rise and become stronger."
Both young men stood there in silence as no one could hear what was being said. The armies held their breath, the leaders looked confused and only the two really knew what the conversation was about.
Finally Shirou revealed a sarcastic smile. "I think I hate you."
Behind his mask, Vali did the same. "What a coincidence. I think I hate you too."
Two men with opposite philosophies; one who believed power was a means to protect the things he cherished while the other believed it was a goal in itself and the most important thing in the universe.
With thoughts like those their first real confrontation could only end with blood. "You are an idiot." Shirou repeated as he changed his stance to put his sword at waist height pointing to the school, getting ready for a leap.
"It is like your squire said." Vali opened Divide Diving fully and let his mana cover his body, his arms looking ready for a grab. "This is the only thing I know for real."
Shirou paused, blinked and chuckled. "You have no idea where that comes from, do you?"
Vali chuckled as well, knowing there was some sort of joke he couldn't understand but finding humor regardless. "Does it matter? Makes enough sense to me." A white aura with hues of blue began to cover him. "Fighting is everything and I will show you how great it can be." The wind began to pick up and Shirou's red shroud danced with it. "So get ready and try to not be crushed too fast."
Kuoh started to become suffocating to all present as the massive power of the White Dragon Emperor filled its space. No fallen angel or devil dared to tread in the skies much longer as they weren't strong enough to stay a float.
Like a dominating dragon that he was, Albion's presence made all those deemed inferior submit to him. 'Only the White Dragon Emperor was fit to rule' the power seemed to say, 'and none belong above me'.
How much of that power came from Vali's own feeling or Albion's pride nobody knew but the power kept growing and it was indistinguishable from a true dragon.
However there were plenty who didn't knelt or fell and Shirou was amongst them. Standing in the eye of the storm his shroud danced behind him as his eyes refused to leave the white armor still demonstrating his power.
Only when the winds died down and the presence of the dragon seemed calmer the Mage spoke. "Are you done?"
"Feh, I am waiting for you." Vali replied confidently, arms open. "Start whenever you like."
In the blink of an eye Shirou had covered the distance for an attack, Ascalon shining brightly with power as its blade was shone in a light similar to a blaze.
"Fine, let's dance!" Behind his helmet the White Dragon Emperor smiled as the Mage attacked, unleashing all the power the sword of Saint George had.. "Ascalon!"