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"But what of this one?" the knight that had wanted her killed continued to stare at her, "Lord Uriel would not have spoken with the unworthy, but she is still a witch."
Silence passed, brief but tense. It was broken by one of the Templars in the back, who had lifted his halberd away from her.
"What if… What if she is a holy witch?"
Helmeted heads turned to him, then to one another. Menacing faceplates nodded together, as one, and the hall echoed with the sound of halberd butts beating against the floor in newfound purpose.
Protect the holy witch!
The stink of holy fire was an anathema to devils, but here, now it could not have been a more welcome scent. Plumes of it erupted in ruined corridors and filled debris-strewn passageways with killing fire. All around them, plated forms stalked the halls and hunted corrupted angels in the name of purification.
Rias turned from the scene, expression weary but determined.
"When I said I hoped for reinforcements, this is not what I meant."
Her two pieces reacted with varying degrees of guilt. Issei rubbed the back of his head ruefully. Asia looked like she didn't know what to make of the situation and Rias found that she could not blame her. The armored figures surrounding her glared menacingly at any perceived threat and tilted their halberds ominously at those who came near. The devil had no idea why they were acting this way and doubted she would like the answer if she asked.
But all of this was a moot point. They had come when the situation was most dire, and pushed back the foe all along the line. And at a time like this, she was grateful for any help that was offered.
Rias sighed.
"But they are welcome anyways."
By her side, Sona frowned.
"These men are some of the worst exorcists there are," she said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "They don't distinguish the difference between stray devils and normal ones. Is it wise to ally with them?"
There was no judgment or recrimination in her tone, only concern. Nevertheless, Rias still grimaced.
"We are under siege from an enemy that has no qualms about killing us. If others disagree, they can put themselves in our position and then decide what we should have done."
Her peerage nodded at that. Some among Sona's did the same.
Rias regarded them gravely.
"Do not attack the Knights Templar unless you are attacked first. Treat them as temporary allies. Fight by their side."
Her next words made them smile.
"We can hurt them now."
For a few moments, they did exactly that.
The Knights Templar surged out of Kuoh Academy in the same formation they had entered. But this time, by their sides were two high-class devils and their full peerages. Bolts flung by crossbows were accompanied by tendrils of lighting and sizzling orbs of energy. Halberds hacked alongside demon swords and holy swords. Flamethrowers breathed streams of chemical fire and were matched in destruction by waves of crashing water.
Their enemies sought to stop them. Twisted figures descended from the sky to waylay them. Those that remained in the air flung gleaming javelins of light into their ranks. They were all smashed aside. Indomitable, unyielding, this alliance forged in the crucible of war crushed all opposition and reaped a fearsome tally among the foe.
For a second time that night, victory seemed hauntingly close.
A single figure greeted their charge out the gates. He still had half his force remaining, one hundred Fallen Angels blackening the sky, but alone he stood facing them, hands clasped behind his back.
"It is such a bother when the help you so meticulously manipulated chooses to betray you."
Normally they would have reacted with caution, but here was a chance to cut off the head of the snake and their zealous nature would not let this opportunity slip away.
"There, brothers! The root of this malevolence! Slay him and it will be over! Charge!"
A score of plated forms followed, polearms lowered, blades drawn.
"No!" Rias cried out, "Stop!"
They did not listen, and continued to charge. Only the Templars that surrounded Asia did not move, but that was still only one-third of the total force. The rest flung themselves towards the distant figure with reckless abandon, confident that the runes engraved onto their warplate would protect them from the heresy they were sure they would end.
Kokabiel smiled.
The first knight reached the Fallen Angel and swept his polearm down in a vicious stroke. A casual flick from the Grigori's hand and the blow was knocked aside, along with the halberd, jarred from the Templar's grasp in a display of inhuman strength. The knight made a surprised sound then gurgled as claw-like fingers stabbed into his stomach, rammed through with such awful force that he was lifted from his feet and suspended in the air. Geysers of blood sprouted from the terrible wounds, and the knight thrashed in agony as he was raised higher and higher like some macabre trophy.
His comrades roared in fury. They brought weapons to bare. Master-crafted blades. Rune-etched polearms. Kokabiel hurled all of them back with a wave of his fingers.
They flew through the air like rag dolls, blasted off their feet by enormous force. The ground broke their fall, but it was far from graceful. They landed among the debris in twisted, painful heaps and broke piles of rubble with their sundered bodies. Some of them crashed against the walls of Kuoh Academy and tumbled down like broken toys.
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