Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Serena Pov.
I looked at the unconscious Kokabiel and laughed lightly. It was really a good thing he'd underestimated me enough to be able to catch him off guard, leaving him unable to counterattack.
Kokabiel really was no joke when he got serious.
I looked at Rias and saw that she was running in my direction with her Peerage. Without hesitation, I created a time bubble that enveloped me and Kokabiel before crouching down. The injuries Kokabiel had were not at all lethal; he would definitely regain consciousness soon.
I took out a vial of Draught of Living Death, with a wave of my hand, the liquid in the vial began to float before I forced it down Kokabiel's throat and into his stomach.
The potion took effect immediately, and Kokabiel fell into a sleep too deep to wake from. I nodded as I pulled out the company seal, pressed it onto Kokabiel's skin, and then threw a Harmonium cube at him.
Kokabiel(T6) from High School DxD --SOLD +40 [87]
Extra Devilish - Objective 7 & 8 in High School DxD
Perk [ Zenryoku Zenkai ]; Perk [Fatality Defense]; Other [Tier 6 Companion Ticket];
My smile widened as I saw the two objectives completed. Objective 7 was 'Protect Rias, Sona, their Peerage, and the exorcists from the Kokabiel'. I thought I'd failed at it when Irina was injured before I arrived. But I guess as long as they weren't dead, it still counted.
And objective 8, 'Defeat or kill Kokabiel in single combat', was nice that it was just a defeat and not a direct kill, allowing me to sell Kokabiel to increase my credits. Now, it was time to move on to the next objective: defeating Vali.
The goal doesn't specify any time or deadline by which I have to accomplish it. In fact, I could wait years and try again then, and I'd still be able to accomplish it. But that wasn't necessary.
In fact, it was better to finish it right now. Right now, he was at his "weakest," or well, as weak as Vali could be within canon. The longer I waited, the stronger he'd get, and even worse, he'd figure out my techniques and how to counter him. Right now, I have the advantage of being able to surprise him with a few tricks up my sleeve.
And that was good. But while I was thinking about that, there was one purchase I had to make, just to be safe.
[-20] [67]
Now I was ready.
Finally, I broke the time bubble and looked at Rias. I discreetly reached into a portal and grabbed the cube holding the time bubble that covered the entire academy and turned it off as well. Time started running as it should again.
"Y-you... defeated Kokabiel." Rias said with wide eyes. I simply nodded.
"I told you not to worry." I said simply, Rias still seemed surprised by that fact.
"Did...did you kill him?" Rias asked tensely as she looked at the spot where Kokabiel had been. I smiled slightly.
"Well, I always thought fallen angels would make excellent potion ingredients. I have several ideas." I hummed amusedly. Rias seemed to pale. "Besides, he kept saying how God was dead and I wanted him to shut up," I lied nonchalantly.
"What?!" they all shouted at the same time.
"Impossible!" Xenovia exclaimed. I shrugged.
"Don't yell at me, I just said what Kokabiel said, you can believe him or not, it's your decision." I snorted amusedly.
"But-" Xenovia tried to say.
"It's not like anything will change for me, I'll just finish this and then continue taking care of my city and living with my fiancées and my family, I couldn't care less if Big G is alive or not." I said simply.
"You-" Rias tried to say, but I just laughed, interrupting her. I looked around and saw the Fused Excalibur. With a wave of my hand, Fused Excalibur flew towards Xenovia and stuck into the ground in front of her.
"I think that belongs to the church." I said plainly. Xenovia's eyes opened slightly, and she was looking at me with shining eyes.
"I-." Xenovia tried to say slowly, still looking terribly conflicted. I hummed. Maybe I should have waited a few more minutes before attacking Sellzen? I could have copied Durandal when she pulled it out of her dimension.
What can you do? I can always replicate it later; it's not like I have to, nor is there anything special about that Durandal. The weapons in this universe were almost disappointing, although, well... compared to the Noble Phantasms, virtually all the weapons in most universes were a step backward, so my opinion was biased.
Leaving that aside, I took out the container of holy light I had taken from Valper and threw it to Kiba. Kiba looked surprised, but grabbed it almost instinctively.
"That will belong to you… Isaiah " I said slowly, Kiba frowned.
"Yuuto Kiba… that's my name." Kiba said firmly. I hummed.
"I know, but that belongs to Isaiah," I said simply, which made Kiba's frown deepen. "When I was... alone with Valper, I was able to get him to spill some interesting things." I began slowly. Kiba straightened and gritted his teeth. "Turns out, what allows humans to wield holy-swords is something called a holy element. It's a quantifiable factor, and you need a suitable 'numerical value.'"
"Valper discovered it during the Holy Sword Project, and… extracted them. He gathered and crystallized the holy properties of his human victims to create this container… It's used to create artificial holy swordsmen." I said solemnly. Kiba's eyes widened.
"That's it... at the time we were blessed with the power to wield the sacred swords, one of those entered our bodies... was it to give us the power we were lacking?" Xenovia asked, finally waking up from her thoughts.
"From what I understand, they've refined the technique; they're able to extract it without killing anyone now." I confirmed.
"So... so my friends didn't have to die?" Kiba asked, shaking with fury. I sighed as I shook my head.
"I'm sorry. But I'm sure Valper only saw them as 'materials'." I said with a grimace.
"Materials?" Kiba spat out before looking sad as he looked at the crystal in his hands. "My friends…" he said sadly as he hugged the container. Just as he expected, the container began to glow in his hands.
Slowly, the souls contained within the container began to form around Kiba. Kiba seemed shocked as he looked at them, his eyes beginning to form tears before they dissolved into light and began to swirl around Kiba. The sacred element merged seamlessly with Yuuto.
Proving once again that God was truly dead. That blatant display of the lack of balance. A demon possessing holy power was more than enough proof. I could hear the red dragon speaking to Issei, but I ignored it, as I always do with Issei.
"Congratulations, Yuuto Kiba, for achieving Balance Breaker." I said with a small smile.
"Thank you… Lady Prince, for everything." Kiba said softly. I simply nodded. "Though I have a question… Did he suffer?" he asked harshly. I smiled widely.
"Do you really want to know?" I asked playfully. Kiba looked at me for a few seconds before smiling slightly as he shook his head.
"No… no need." Kiba said. I laughed lightly and looked at the other devils; they seemed to be crying slightly as they smiled in Kiba's direction. I could see Rias silently thanking me.
"Oh, before I forget. Valper said something else that would surely interest you." I said with a small smile. Kiba looked curious. "He said something about there being another survivor." Kiba's eyes widened. "A certain... Tosca, does that ring a bell?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Tosca is alive?!" Kiba exclaimed as he took a step forward, the complete hope in his eyes making me smile. I nodded.
"Apparently, she had a barrier-type Sacred Gear. When the massacre happened, Tosca sealed herself in a barrier that the researchers couldn't break, so they hid her in a hidden chamber within the facility. Valper didn't know anything else about her because he was exiled; it's possible that the church discovered her, although I don't know if they were able to break the seal." I explained as best I could.
"...Tosca is alive..." Kiba murmured almost incredulously. He staggered slightly, as if he were about to faint, and maybe he was.
"That-"
CLAAAAAANK!!!"
What a terrible sense of timing. Vali is here.
I looked at the barrier, shattered into pieces, and my gaze finally fell on Vali, who was approaching from above, descending like an incandescent light in the darkness of the night. He had activated his Scale Mail, the Balance Breaker of Divine Dividing, a full suit of white draconic armor.
"My body is shaking? W-who is he? " Issei asked as he looked at Vali.
"White Dragon Emperor, how curious to see you here," I said simply, taking the initiative.
"Where is Kokabiel?" Vali asked simply, barely giving us a second glance.
"There's no Kokabiel around here; you've come to the wrong place." I said mockingly. Vali's gaze finally settled on me.
"You... are that Succubus Prince." Vali said as if he were considering something. "Azazel ordered me to find Kokabiel; he let me handle him however I wanted as long as I didn't touch Gremory and Sitri... you weren't in on that agreement," Vali said slowly. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"And what does that mean?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes.
"Tell me where Kokabiel is, or you'll tell me by force." Vali said without hesitation.
"And why do you think I have something to do with it?" I asked playfully. Vali snorted.
"I'm not an idiot, that Gremory girl and her Peerage could never stop Kokabiel, even when that Cadre is so weak. You're the only one who could do it." Vali said without a hint of doubt.
"I mean, there's the red emperor of this generation." I said amusedly while pointing at Issei.
"W-who? Me?! " Issei paled.
"Please, he's so weak that I even feel sorry that he's the Red Emperor of the same generation as me." Vali snorted contemptuously.
" H -hey, how dare you!" Issei exclaimed as he pointed his finger at him, forgetting his earlier fear.
"I mean, you're not wrong." I said amusedly. I could hear Issei's indignant gasp as he looked at me. Asia started to comfort Issei.
"Of course not. Now tell me, where did you take Kokabiel?" Vali asked boredly.
"Dead, just like Sellzen and Valper." I said honestly. Vali paused momentarily.
"You killed him? You know he was part of Grigori, right? Now we have a problem," Vali said slowly. I laughed mockingly.
"YOU have a problem, I'm completely fine." I sneered at Vali. "Kokabiel and Sellzen stole two of my succubi and tortured them." I slowly narrowed my eyes as demonic power surged out. "And no one touches what's mine." I hissed, almost subconsciously using parseltongue.
"Oh?" Vali said almost amusedly. "My respects, but that doesn't solve the problem." Vali said, disregarding anything I said. "So, I'll take you with me to Azazel. Don't resist." Vali said, in a tone of voice that I could almost hear saying 'please resist'.
"Do you think you can force me?" I mocked Vali.
"My name is Albion." Vali said proudly, almost arrogantly, almost as if he was daring me to oppose him. I could feel the demonic power he was emanating.
"And I am Serena Prince." I said with the same pride as I raised my chin high and smiled haughtily at him. "Back off, Vanishing Dragon, or I'll fight back." I threatened as I glared at him. Vale laughed slowly as if he found it amusing.
"I hope so." Vali said expectantly. I almost wanted to sigh. Damn fighting maniacs.
"Wait!" Rias tried to interrupt as she approached. I just moved my hand and pushed her back. Akeno grabbed her when she stumbled slightly.
"Don't interfere, Rias. This is my problem." I laughed slowly. "Apparently, Grigori wants to take responsibility for Kokabiel's slight against my succubi and me. They were kind enough to bring Vanishing Dragon so I could get even." I smiled sarcastically. Vali snorted in amusement.
"You talk a lot, Succubus." Vali mocked. I shrugged.
"So why don't we get to the fun part?" I asked with a smile.
"I see we're finally on the same page." Vali laughed excitedly. "If you interfere, Gremory, I'll take it as violent action on your part and attack you and your servants. Stay out of it." Vali said without even looking at her. Rias gritted her teeth.
"Now, since you broke my barrier, how about we go to a better place to fight? " I asked as my demonic power grew more and more.
"What did you have in mind?" Vali asked calmly.
"Just... even things up a bit. It's not fair that you have your Balance Breaker activated from the start, is it? " I smirked at him.
"Oh? Color me interested. What do you have up your sleeve? " Vali said almost expectantly. I shook my head before taking a deep breath.
" I am the bone of my sword," I began slowly as I let out all my demonic power and let myself be carried away by the feeling of my Reality Marble. My voice it seemed to resonate with the entire academy.
"Steel is my body and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades
Unknown to Death,
Not known to Life."
"Partner… I have a bad feeling, you better stop her." Albion's voice came from Vali.
"Mm? Something's bothering you, too? This is getting interesting." Vali said, ignoring the celestial dragon's advice. In fact, he seemed even more anxious as he waited. I continued my chant.
"Have withstood pain to create many weapons
But yet, those hands will never hold anything
So as I pray-
-Unlimited Blade Works!
The world seemed to explode as My Reality Marble enveloped everyone present.
Editors notes: "SSSSSQQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"
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