Ch. 28: A Strong Enemy Appears
The group consisting of Saji, Chacha, Momo, and Yumi had arrived at an abandoned manor on the outskirts of the city.
"Where is this place?" Saji asked.
"This is where me and the others in Rias's group defeated a Stray Devil here not long after Izuku joined," Yumi explained.
Right as they got close, they got the chills as they felt a killing intent aimed at them.
"Wait. Something's wrong," Chacha said. Then, her ears perked up as she picked up a sound. "Look!" She pointed toward the roof.
When they all looked up, they saw a familiar white-haired priest falling toward them with a long, jagged sword.
"YAHOOOOO!" Freed shouted in murderous glee.
Yumi quickly formed a Holy Eraser to block Freed's slash.
The white-haired priest then jumped and flipped backwards, before landing on the building. "I forgot to thank you earlier!"
"For what?" Yumi asked in a growl.
"Is that the Stray Priest?" Saji asked.
"Say, that's a different group than I remember you with. Where's the little midget and those other friends?"
"They're not here," Yumi replied. "And I don't need them to beat you!"
"Oh really?" Freed asked. "Y'know, I was really looking forward to some good ol' priest hunting tonight, but all I found was a bunch of Devils in costumes." He then licked his sword in a display of sadism.
Saji, Chacha, and Momo felt chills run down their spines while Yumi's eyes hardened at the sight of the bright holy aura the blade was producing.
"That sword. Is that…?" Momo asked.
"A Holy Sword," Yumi confirmed. "It's an Excalibur!"
The Devils ditched their disguises as they prepared for a fight. Momo also took the time to send a text message to the others about their location. Hopefully, they will get here soon.
"Oh my, my. Four of you in one night? I'm overwhelmed by my own popularity!" Freed grinned.
"Don't get too excited. I'm your only opponent," Yumi declared, jumping up to the roof to face Freed. She then charged at him with her sword in hand.
"What's hysterical is that no matter how many brave Devils sling themselves at me, they are no match for this sword!" Freed said as he moved at almost Knight-like speed to dodge, to Yumi's surprise.
She then had to sidestep to face Freed as he came down from the sky with the Excalibur raised high.
"Thank you for playing!" Freed brought his Holy Sword down on Yumi, who blocked with her Demonic Sword. "Some have called the Holy Sword of Heavenly Flashes the 'Excalibur Rapidly,' but I don't. I call it the 'Super Fast Sword!'"
The two sword users then vanished from sight and became fast-moving blurs as they clashed with each other repeatedly.
"I can't believe it! He's keeping up with a Knight like Kiba!" Chacha exclaimed.
"Hey guys!" Izuku's voice called out as he, Koneko, and Tomoe arrived. "What's happening?!"
"Freed's using a Holy Sword that makes him fast enough to keep up with Kiba!" Momo explained.
"Ooh, looks like the gang's all here!" Freed said as he noticed the arrival of the newcomers. "Don't worry! There's plenty left over for you, too!"
"No thanks," Izuku, with his Boosted Gear out, began powering up.
[Boost!]
Izuku kept an eye out for an opening to help Yumi, but there wasn't one. "Damn it. If there was some way I could stop Freed, I'd be able to transfer some power to Yumi!"
"So wait. You just need to slow him down, right?" Saji asked as he summoned Absorption Line. "Okay, Line, go!" Its blue line shot out, wrapping around Freed's ankle and stopping his movement. "What'd you think of my Absorption Line? This Sacred Gear will drain you dry!"
"Damn it! Damn! Damn it!" Freed tried in vain to cut the line. "This must be another one of those dragon sorts! I could really use an ice or fairy right now!"
"Alright, now's my chance!" Izuku revealed his wings and prepared to fly.
[Boost!]
"Yumi!" Izuku took off into the air and called out. The Knight raised her hand to meet Izuku's left hand.
[Transfer!]
With a tag, all the power that Izuku had accumulated went over to Yumi.
"This power that I've been given is a gift. I will use it gratefully!" Yumi declared.
"What?" Freed said.
"Get up!" Yumi demanded.
"Why can't I get this off?!" Freed complained as he continued trying to hack away at the Absorption Line to no avail.
"Sword Birth!" Yumi pierced her sword into the ground, causing hundreds of Demonic Swords to shoot up from the ground, heading towards Freed.
Freed actually had a look of panic on his face as he saw the swords coming at him from all directions. He barely managed to use his Excalibur to destroy the swarm of swords before they turned him into shish kebab.
"Sword Birth, huh?" A new voice said.
"Who's there?" Yumi asked.
An old man wearing priest's clothes came out of the abandoned building. He had gray hair, a mustache, black eyes, and wore glasses. "Oh, Freed. Looks like your use of Holy Swords could still use some brushing up, couldn't it?"
"Look! It's Old Man Valper!" Freed said. Yumi's eyes widened at the mention of that name.
"That must be the guy Xenovia was talking about!" Izuku said.
"He's the mastermind behind the Holy Sword Project," Koneko said.
"VALPER GALILEI!" Yumi shouted in rage.
"Hmph. The one and only," Valper said.
"One and only what, Old Man?! Make yourself useful and get this lizard tongue off me!" Freed demanded.
"You need to pour all your energy into the blade of the sword," Valper instructed.
"Oh, is that all it takes? One energy cocktail coming up!" Freed did as Valper told, making the Excalibur Rapidly glow with a golden Holy aura. He then cut through the Absorption Line with ease, forcing Saji to reel it back.
"This doesn't look good," Tomoe said.
"It's making sense now. If I figure out the perfect way to use the Holy elements, I'll continue to gain power. I like this game," Freed said, turning to Yumi. "I have an idea! Why don't you all just stand there and become prey for my sword?!"
Freed lunged at Yumi, who removed her blade from the ground to defend herself. "You first!" However, his blade was stopped by a certain blue-haired Holy Sword user who seemed to appear out of nowhere. "What the?!"
"Xenovia?" Izuku said.
"Yoohoo!" Irina called out as she also appeared on the scene, discarding her hood.
"Icchan too?!"
"I contacted them as well when I texted you earlier," Momo informed.
Xenovia made her Excalibur Destruction glow with Holy aura as she locked blades with Freed. "You're both traitors! Hear me, Freed Sellzen, and Valper Galilei! I condemn your souls in the name of our God!"
"How dare you say that!" Freed hissed. "Don't you ever croak that disgusting name in my presence again!"
Yumi then leaped over Xenovia with her sword raised, bringing it down on Freed who leaped back to dodge, landing beside Valper.
"You're done," Valper said, to Freed's surprise. "All you had to do was get rid of those vermin from the Church who had snuck in. Easy. But there they are with Holy Swords and you're outnumbered. Time to pull back."
"Aw, so soon?" Freed reached into his coat pocket. "Well, see ya!" He then threw a flashbang, and in a flash, he and Valper disappeared before Yumi and Xenovia could get to them.
"Let's go, Irina!" Xenovia called out to her partner, who ran after her, along with Yumi.
"Hey guys! Wait!" Izuku tried to follow after them, but they disappeared out of sight before he could catch up.
"We lost Kiba," Saji said.
"The Exorcists are gone too," Koneko added.
"What now, Izuku?" Chacha asked.
Izuku was about to say something… only to feel the presence of new arrivals, and three voices.
"Goodness, what have you gotten yourselves into? I'm sure this will be a lively story," Rias said.
"Chacha, what are you doing here?" Latia questioned.
"Whenever you'd like to start explaining, I'm ready," Sona said.
Saji, Tomoe, Izuku, and Chacha all panicked, their arms shooting up as they screamed in fear, while Momo and Koneko managed to keep their fears in check.
The six younger Devils soon found themselves kneeling before their masters.
"So, you went and planned to destroy Excalibur behind my back…" Rias shook her head in disappointment.
"How troublesome…" Sona frowned.
"And I'm guessing Yumi isn't here because she went looking for that Valper, is that correct?" Rias asked.
"Yeah, along with Xenovia and Icchan," Izuku replied. "But I'm pretty sure if something happens, she'll let us know."
"I wonder. Her head is so filled with thoughts of revenge. Plus, I don't know that she could call if she wanted to."
"Right," Izuku agreed in a resigned tone.
"Koneko," Rias continued, looking over at the girl in question. "Why did you ever get involved with all this?"
"Because I didn't want Yumi to go away. Sorry," Koneko admitted meekly.
A downcast look appeared on Rias's face, fully understanding where she was coming from. "Well, there's no use dwelling on it now, is there? I need you to be mindful of your actions. The choices you make will always affect the rest of us. You understand that, right?"
"Yes. We're very sorry," both Izuku and Koneko apologized as they hung their heads.
"I'm sorry, President…" Saji's face became so blue that it was dangerous. He was truly scared.
"We're sorry, too," Tomoe and Momo said, more accepting of their punishment.
"I'm so sorry," Chacha said.
SPANK! SPANK!
"KYAAAAAH!"
"EEYAAAAH!"
The sound of slapping and the pained screams of Momo and Tomoe caused Izuku's head to turn in their direction.
Said two girls were on their hands and knees, getting their butts spanked by Sona and Tsubaki respectively, both their hands glowing blue with a magic circle. Meanwhile, Saji stood beside them with a look of dread in his eyes.
"I think you all need time to reflect upon your actions!" Sona said.
"We're sorry! Please have mercy!"
"It won't happen again! Please forgive us!"
Momo and Tomoe pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears as they each received another spanking.
"Not yet. Not until all of you have had a thousand spankings each," Sona firmly said as she continued spanking Momo.
"Sona's word is final. Accept your punishments," Tsubaki said before spanking Tomoe again.
Saji watched at the scene with fear in his eyes, dreading his turn.
Meanwhile, Latia looked down at her kneeling Queen, who was fearing for what her master had in mind for her.
"On your hands and knees. It'll be 1000 spankings for you as well," Latia sternly ordered.
"Me too?!" Chacha asked in fear.
"It's either this. Or That," Latia said with a dark expression.
"NO! I'll take the spankings! Not THAT, PLEASE!" Chacha begged as she presented her bunny-tailed butt to her master.
"Good. Now prepare yourself." Latia's expression eased as her hand lit up with a green magic circle.
SPANK! SPANK!
"AAAAAAAH!"
Izuku flinched with every spanking that echoed in the building. By the sounds of it, they seemed quite painful.
"Pay attention!" Rias called, pinching his cheek to get his attention while giving him an annoyed glare. "No rubbernecking."
"Yesh'm!" Izuku apologized.
"What is wrong with you kids?" Rias asked as she hugged Izuku and Koneko, pulling them into her bosom. "All you do is make me worry."
"How come they're just getting hugs over there?! It's not fair!" Saji complained.
"That's them, this is us," Sona replied while continuing to spank Momo. "Keep complaining and I'll add extra spankings to your turn."
Saji wisely chose to shut up.
Izuku felt entranced by the warmth and softness of Rias's hug as he felt relief that he was Rias's servant.
Then, Rias pulled away from the hug. "Alright. Izuku, Koneko. I need you two to bend over, please."
"What?" Izuku and Koneko slightly backed away. "But… I thought…"
"That's not how it works, you silly boy," Rias said with a smile, however, it was not the warm, loving kind. "A master is responsible for disciplining her servants."
Izuku's blood went cold as he feared what was coming next.
"Akeno, give me a hand. You'll take care of Koneko's punishment."
"You got it."
"Now then, both of you will also be punished with a thousand spankings."
"What?! A thousand?!"
"That's right! Give me your bottom, Izuku!" Rias ordered as she made a magic circle on her hand.
His eyes wandered over to Koneko, who was already getting spanked by Akeno. Seeing there was no way out of this, Izuku resigned himself to his fate.
SPANK! SPANK!
"GAAAHH! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
After all the spankings were done, the group went their separate ways, with Izuku and Rias heading home.
"I can't feel my backside…" Izuku groaned.
"I know you want to be a Hero, but having power doesn't mean you can go after every injustice you find, Izuku," Rias admonished.
"I know, but…" Izuku sulked. "Yumi's still running about looking for Freed and Valper. She's gonna need our help," he insisted.
"Yes, I can't argue with you there," Rias agreed with a sigh. Yumi was Rias's Knight, which also meant she was Rias's responsibility, and there was no way someone with a passion for heroism like Izuku could ignore this.
Right as they arrived at the door, it opened, and greeting them was a sight they never could've predicted.
"Welcome home, you guys!"
Both Pawn and King stared in total shock at what Asia was wearing. She was dressed in a white apron with nothing underneath, being completely naked. "You must be exhausted after working so late. I'll start dinner right away. Any requests?"
"Just a question. Do you realize what you're wearing?" Izuku asked.
"Oh, yeah. Aika suggested it," Asia replied. "She said the best way to help a guy feel better after a tough day is to wear things like this."
'Kiryuu, why…? She's as bad as Mineta!'
"Impressive! It's simple, yet quite effective!" Rias complimented, to Izuku's surprise. "Well done. You are going to become a wickedly sexy Devil one day. I'm proud of you."
"But, um, what if I don't want to be sexy or wicked?"
"Y-Yeah. Then you p-p-probably want t-to go change, r-right?" Izuku suggested, hoping to steer her away from the dark side. "I mean, what's gonna happen if Mom sees you?"
"Oh! I am just living for these outfits!" Inko's voice said as she peeked out from the kitchen, causing Izuku to turn pale. "Welcome home."
"She didn't know how to wear it!" Izuku quickly tried to make up an excuse.
"Of course not! That's why I helped her, Goofy!" Inko said, to her son's bewilderment. A nostalgic, flirty look appeared on Inko's face. "I remember doing this with your father once or twice when we first got together. He had the same look you do now."
"Are you kidding me, Mom?!" A completely mortified Izuku yelled.
"Mother? I'd like to wear one, too! Just like Asia!" Rias declared.
"Wonderful! I've got plenty. Let's find one for you!" Inko said as she waved Rias over.
"If you'll excuse me…" Rias said as she took off her shoes and leaned toward Asia. "Oh, by the way?"
"Yeah?"
"You were very close to outdoing me here. You should be proud of yourself," Rias said before walking off.
"Thank you," Asia said with a blush.
"What just happened? Nothing's making sense today," Izuku sighed.
"Izuku?" Asia said. "So you don't like what I'm wearing, or…"
"What? N-No! I-I mean…! Y-You look great," Izuku stuttered.
"Thank you, Izuku," Asia said. "So you know, I don't regret becoming a Devil. I won't ever forget my faith or love of God, but I realized that making this change has introduced me to something even more precious. Meeting Rias, our club members, other friends from school, your amazing mother and father who have been so kind, and you. That's something I know is real and moves me every day. I want us all to stay here together forever. I don't want to be alone anymore!" She then hugged Izuku, making the boy surprised.
Izuku started to experience a short circuit in his brain. Even though he had been making progress in getting used to all the female attention around him, this sort of thing was a whole new level of difficulty. The fact that the only thing keeping him from making contact with Asia's naked body was just a single piece of clothing, well…
"Izuku?" Rias called as she came out. She was wearing a pink apron with a big red heart on her chest, and like Asia, the apron was the only thing she was wearing. "What do you think?"
"I-I-I-I can't t-think!" Izuku blurted out before he collapsed from a nosebleed.
"It's already pretty late, so let's just make it quick and easy."
"Okay!" Asia nodded.
"It's almost like you've got two wives, isn't it?" Inko asked before heading off to her bedroom.
As the two naked apron girls moved around as they prepared dinner in the kitchen, Izuku instinctively averted his eyes in embarrassment, burying his face in one of his Hero notebooks… which he held upside down.
'Is this really my life now?' He thought to himself.
As he thought this, Rias and Asia accidentally bumped their breasts into each other's, causing them to jiggle. The two let out a small chuckle over this incident.
Later, Izuku, Rias, and Asia had finished their dinner, and mercifully for Izuku, the girls got dressed back into proper clothes.
They were about to head to bed when Hisashi came in, bringing Irina along. She had cuts and bruises on her body and her Exorcist uniform was slightly torn up.
"Icchan!" Izuku cried out when he saw the state of his childhood friend. "Asia!"
"Okay!" Asia came over and started using Twilight Healing to help Irina.
"What happened to you? Where are Yumi and Xenovia?" Izuku asked.
"I don't know. They got away," Irina answered.
"Got away from what?" Rias asked.
*Flashback*
In the wooded area where Yumi and the Exorcists had run into in search of Freed and Valper, there was Irina, who was all alone, and she was engaged in a battle against the mad priest.
However, it was a losing battle for the brunette Exorcist as she was knocked onto the ground.
"Hahahaha! Found you, little girl!" Freed mocked as he appeared before Irina in a blur. "You can run all you want, but it seems you're all alone now! So, who's gonna save you?!"
Irina extended her Excalibur Mimic at Freed, but he easily dodged before dashing in and slashing at Irina, causing her to drop her sword.
"Oh, yes. The Excalibur Mimic. Don't wanna leave without that, do I?" Freed said as he claimed Excalibur Mimic before using Excalibur Rapidly to increase his speed and attack Irina, slashing away parts of her clothes and making cuts on her body.
But before Freed could hurt her too badly, the Homurasaki suddenly came flying toward him, forcing him to stop and get back, lest he get pierced by the blade. "Damn! That thing almost neutered me!"
Then, Hisashi, in full Dragon Veil armor, came in and landed a dropkick on Freed's face, knocking him back.
"Wh-What?" Irina asked in confusion.
"Are you okay, kiddo?" Hisashi asked.
"Uncle Hisashi, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," Hisashi replied, revealing his face to her, but then he was forced to block a blow from Freed, who had already recovered.
"Who the fuck are you, getting in my way?!" Freed asked. "Wait, hold on. You remind me a lot of the green dragon brat. Ah, maybe I can use you to take out some of my frustrations toward him!"
"Sorry, but that's not happening!" Hisashi then stabbed the Homurasaki into the ground, creating a green wall of flames that separated him and Irina from Freed. And when the flames disappeared, so did Hisashi and Irina.
*End Flashback*
"I couldn't get away. He was too strong. I don't want to think about what would've happened if Uncle Hisashi hadn't saved me," Irina said. "And I even lost my Excalibur to the enemy."
"It's okay. You're safe and that's what's important," Izuku reassured.
"Irina, I think it might be best for you to stay here tonight and rest. You're in no condition to go after Freed, let alone Kokabiel," Hisashi advised.
"If Kokabiel is possibly planning another Great War, then I'm afraid we may have to break our agreement and get involved. Are you okay with that, Irina?" Rias asked.
"Yeah. It's probably for the best," Irina nodded.
The next day came and Izuku sat at his desk, lamenting how no one had heard from Yumi since last night.
Later at the ORC clubroom, he tried asking about it. "Has Yumi contacted you?"
"Nope. Not even one time," Akeno denied. "Even though we sent out familiars to search around town for us, we still got nothing."
"What should we do?" Asia asked.
"Let's meet up later tonight. We'll come up with a plan and head out to search," Rias suggested.
Later that evening, out on the street in front of the Midoriya apartment, Rias started to set up a plan to start their search for Yumi, the ORC all gathered, Irina, who had completely recovered, insisted on coming along, as she didn't want to just sit out and not help. With that, all of them prepared to head out.
"You guys didn't have to come," Izuku said, turning to Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka.
"Hey, we're part of the club, too! Of course, we'd help!" Itsuka said.
"We appreciate it," Rias smiled. "Now then, we should…"
Just then, there was a hostile presence in the air, causing everyone to tense up.
"Well, well. Would you lookie what we have here? If it isn't my favorite gang of shitty scum Devils?" Freed said as he revealed himself from out of a corner, his default sadistic smile present. "Greetings, all of you."
"Freed!" Izuku growled.
Freed noticed a certain blonde among the group and smirked. "Asia Argento, the traitor nun who gave her soul to the Devils." This caused Asia to back away in fear. "How much do you love your new life as Devil scum?"
Then, he noticed Irina was with them as well. "Ah, you even have the weakass little Church bitch with you. Shame, I was really looking forward to some fun last night!"
Irina glared at Freed for her defeat the previous night.
"Shut up! You lay one finger on either of them and I'll do it!" Izuku said, his Boosted Gear ready.
He wasn't the only one as Rias, Ravel, and Akeno all readied a magic circle each, aimed at Freed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't blaze the messenger, alright?" Freed said as he held out a hand, signaling them to hold fire. "Someone wants to talk to you, Red."
"Which someone?" Rias inquired.
Freed chuckled and looked up at the sky. "My boss!"
Up in the air was a dark figure of a man in a black suit, long black hair with side bangs, piercing red eyes, and ten black wings on his back.
"Fallen Angel," Koneko noted.
"And he has ten wings. He's of the leader class," Akeno added.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, daughter of the House of Gremory," the Fallen Angel sneered with faux politeness. "I am Kokabiel."
"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure, and please call me Rias. So you're Kokabiel of the Grigori? It's nice to put a face with the name," Rias said, putting up a brave front. The dark Holy aura that Kokabiel exuded made all the Devils get chills, and even Irina, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina, who were humans, felt his raw power from merely being in his presence.
"Your crimson hair is quite breathtaking. Just as lovely as the scarlet-haired Devil King. Even the facial expressions are similar. That is absolutely nauseating," Kokabiel said. "And it's formerly of the Grigori."
"Is there something you'd like to discuss with me, or are you just here to review my appearance? Not that I'm rushing you. It's nice to see the mastermind so close-up."
"I'm thinking I'd like to do a little damage while I'm here, starting with that institution for humanity's 'Heroes' before moving on to the rest of the city," Kokabiel revealed.
"Why would you want to harm our school?" Rias asked.
"I figure if I do, Sirzechs will have to emerge to help out his sister. What do you think?"
"If you choose to do that, then you will be starting the war between God, the Fallen Angels, and the Devils all over again," Rias warned.
"Hahaha! Better than what I got after stealing the Excaliburs, I thought for certain Michael would come after me, but all I got were some amateur Exorcists and two pathetic Holy Sword users," Kokabiel laughed. "Honestly. It was disappointing."
"So wait, that was your goal?" Akeno asked.
"You actually want to start a war?" Rias asked in disbelief and with hatred directed towards the warmongering Fallen Angel hovering above them.
"Yes. Yes!" Kokabiel confirmed. "After the first three-way war ended, I was so bored! There was nothing to do! Azazel and Shemhazai weren't so keen on another war. Not only that, Azazel is busy being distracted, spending time collecting Sacred Gears and unique Quirks. He always gets completely immersed in his collections. However, Fallen Angels, God, Devils– we are just barely in a state of equilibrium." Kokabiel snapped his fingers. "Which means I can start the war at any time with my own two hands!"
"You're a complete war maniac!" Rias said.
"Obviously!" Kokabiel confirmed. "Why do you think I'm using Devils this time? I've got you, Rias Gremory– Lucifer's little sister. Then I also have Sona Sitri– Leviathan's sister. I even have Latia Astaroth– Beelzebub's niece. I have no doubt there's an abundance of power hanging over the school the three of you attend. Not to mention, that's where the humans' Symbol of Peace teaches. I think it'll make the perfect war zone. I know I will enjoy it immensely."
"He's insane!" Ravel said.
"Hahahaha!" Freed let out a maniacal laugh with his tongue hanging out. "Don't you just love it when he lets his psychotic side shine? I'm starting to get excited about war, too! And look! I even have toys to bring to the party!" He opened his robe to reveal four swords, all radiating Holy power.
"All the swords he has, are they all Excaliburs?" Izuku asked.
"That's what it looks like," Akeno said.
Out of the four Excaliburs, one of them was especially familiar.
"Excalibur Mimic! Give that back!" Irina demanded.
"Sorry, finders keepers, losers weepers!" Freed taunted. "Besides, I don't see your name on it, so, boo hoo!"
"Why you…" Irina growled.
"Anywho, you've already seen Excalibur Mimic and Rapidly. This one is Excalibur Nightmare, then there's Excalibur Transparency," Freed pointed at each of the swords. "The fun part is that every one of them is in hyper state and ready to be used. With these Excaliburs and the Holy factor I got from Old Man Valper, I'm feelin' mighty invincible!"
"What do you say, dear little sister of the Devil King? Nice day for a war, isn't it?" Kokabiel said. "As a matter of fact, I think now's the perfect time for a new War, and do you wanna know why?!"
Rias gritted her teeth but chose to play along. "And why is that?"
"Because compared to the previous war long ago, there's a good chance that it won't be just a three-way between Fallen Angels, Angels, and Devils! I can think of at least one or two new factions who might join!"
"What?"
"I'll give you a hint, it has something to do with humans, especially in recent times," Kokabiel said.
Izuku quickly picked up on what Kokabiel was implying. "Don't tell me, you want to get Heroes and Villains involved in this war as well?!" The others all blanched in shock, and the cruel cackling from above pretty much confirmed it.
"Haha! Well done, Red Dragon, bravo! Yes, that's exactly what I want! Imagine, opportunistic Villains who would take advantage of the war for robbery, murder, destruction, all sorts of chaos! And the Heroes who will try to keep the innocent populace safe, even if it means annihilating us non-humans to do so! I'm already getting goosebumps just picturing the kind of bloodbath this new Great War will bring!"
"I'll never let that happen!" Izuku vowed.
"Hehehe. If you want to stop me so badly, then meet me at your school! I look forward to it!" Kokabiel smirked as he finished and disappeared in a snow of black feathers before Rias could have said anything.
"Don't keep us waiting, bitches!" Freed also disappeared after throwing off his flash-bang.
"Hey, didn't they say they were gonna start at U.A.? What's exactly up next anyway?" Mina asked.
"If he wanted to, it would be easy for a Fallen Angel of his class to wipe Musutafu off the face of the map," Rias answered.
Hearing this, Izuku imagined the whole city being annihilated, along with all the innocent civilians, his friends from U.A., and his family. No way he would stand by and let that happen!
"Not if we can help it!" Eijiro slammed his fist into his palm.
"It's time. We need to make our way to U.A. before Kokabiel can destroy it," Rias said, turning to leave.
"Right!" Everyone responded as they followed after Rias.
Over at U.A., Valper was in the center of the sports field, standing in the center of an ominous golden magic circle with the four stolen Excaliburs surrounding him. "This'll be fun. I can't wait."
Then, a golden light shot into the sky from the center of the magic circle. This was noticed by Xenovia and Yumi from their respective locations as they turned to stare at the beam of light coming from U.A.
"Today is the day all my dreams finally come true," Valper said with an evil grin. Freed stood by his side with his own sadistic smirk, looking just as eager for what was to come.
As the ORC headed for U.A., Izuku had contacted his father to let him know of the situation, who informed him that he would be there ASAP. Irina split off from the group to go retrieve a second Holy Sword she had brought, stating that she would meet up again at U.A. Rias also contacted Sona, Latia, and their peerages, informing them of the current events.
When they all arrived at U.A., it was decided that Rias's group would face Kokabiel while Sona and Latia's peerages stayed back and erected a barrier to ensure that the damages would not spread beyond school grounds. And with two Devil peerages to maintain the barrier, they had a better chance of preventing things from getting out of hand.
"I made a quick stop to the security room. All the camera drones are set to recharge, and the surveillance footage is set on a loop. I'll set it all back to normal after this is done. And it seems the campus is empty for the most part," Sona said.
"Have you heard from Kiba at all?" Tsubaki asked.
"No, we haven't seen her at all. But I know she'll be here," Rias said.
"I just contacted my uncle. Unfortunately, it may take him too long to get here," Latia said. "Rias, Sona, you two should call your siblings as well."
"You know that my family situation is… complicated," Sona muttered.
"Sirzechs loves you. You know he would want to assist us. There's no doubt that he'd come here as soon as you call him. So call him."
"There's no reason…" Akeno said. "I've already contacted Sirzechs."
"How could you do that without asking me first?!" Rias scolded her Queen with annoyance.
"Look, Rias. I understand you don't want to bother your brother unless we absolutely must. Our enemy is a leader-class Fallen Angel. He's not someone you can take on your own," Akeno argued.
"She's right, Rias," Hisashi added. "Besides, if Akeno hadn't done so, I would've. Not to mention, I even called for help from some of my Keeper colleagues."
"Fine. I guess I've lost this one," Rias relented with a smile.
"Thank you for your consideration, President," Akeno said. "Sirzechs is on his way. I believe that his forces should arrive in just about an hour."
"That's about the same time my reinforcements will arrive," Hisashi noted.
"Still, we can't ignore offense too much in favor of defense," Latia said. "While we need the barrier in case things go south, we also need to make sure the offense team lasts until reinforcement arrives."
"That's a good point," Sona admitted. "With two peerages keeping the barrier up, we have plenty of numbers, so I suppose we can spare one or two members from our peerages to go with Rias."
"President!/Lady Latia!" The two Pure-blooded Devils in question turned to their servants, Momo, Tomoe, and Chacha.
"In that case, please let us go," Chacha said.
"We couldn't catch Freed and Valper back then," Tomoe said.
"So please let us make up for that blunder now," Momo pleaded.
After a moment, Latia was the first to speak. "I say we should. They want to make up for their mistakes and who are we to deny their wishes? Besides, they're training to become Heroes, and Kokabiel IS, by every definition, a Villain. Wouldn't you agree?"
"I suppose it would be a good way for them to redeem themselves," Sona gave a small smile. "Alright, you three have your roles. Don't let us down."
The three Hero students smiled and bowed. "Thank you."
"Everyone, it's time. Let's go," Rias said.
"Right!"
As Rias and the others entered the school grounds, Sona and Latia's groups formed a large, blue and purple, crystalline dome around the school.
Ch. 29: Yumi Kiba, the Knight
Hilda and Ethel walked the streets after they had spent the last hour training at U.A.'s gym.
"Whew, another day of a good workout!" Hilda said as she chugged on a 1-liter soda bottle, downing it in one gulp. She then let out an unashamed belch before laughing in satisfaction. "Now it's time to stock up on some more fat!"
"Should we go to the cat café again?" Ethel suggested.
"Sounds good to me!" Hilda said as she patted her big belly, which was already growling with anticipation.
But as the girls walked, they noticed something bright shining behind them. "Huh?" When they turned around, they saw a bright beam of light coming from U.A.
"The heck? What's going on?!" Hilda exclaimed.
"It came from U.A.!" Ethel said. "We should get over there!"
"Izuku, I need you to be on support this time," Rias informed as the group made their way toward the sports field.
This made Izuku raise an eyebrow. "Support?"
"I want you to use your ability to transfer your power to the rest of us to increase our strength."
"But I want to help everyone with the fighting," Izuku protested.
"You will be helping. You're the only one who can do it. I'm counting on you," Rias reassured.
Ravel then asked Rias, "So does that mean the rest of us are going to be stalling until Izuku can transfer power to everyone?"
"That's right," she responded with a smile, looking at Akeno and Koneko. "I think we can keep them busy until then, don't you?"
"Yeah, I bet we can manage that," Akeno said.
"Absolutely," Koneko replied.
"Let's concentrate on the offensive for this battle. We have to prevent Kokabiel from releasing his power and destroying the school. This is a real battle, and our lives will be at risk. But believe me, I will not allow us to die today," Rias raised her fist into the air. "We will survive. We'll survive this fight so we can come back here and go to school once more!"
"Right!" Everyone nodded fiercely.
"Promotion to Queen!" Izuku closed his eyes and activated Promotion. Now the real fight will begin.
Once everyone arrived at the sports field, they saw Valper's work up close.
"What in the world is that?" Asia asked.
"It seems like the four Excaliburs are being made into one. That is just so Valper, you know?" The ORC and their allies looked up in the sky to see Kokabiel sitting on a grand throne.
"Kokabiel!" Rias shouted.
"So, is Big Brother on his way yet? Or is it Serafall or Ajuka instead? Or at the very least, All Might?" Kokabiel asked with an evil grin.
"Right now, we're the ones here ready to fight. That's all that matters," Rias answered.
Kokabiel snapped his fingers to form a big spear of light in his hand. He then sent it flying at the gymnasium behind the group, causing a big explosion that destroyed the entire building.
"The gym!" Izuku shouted.
"Ugh. This is so boring. I need a diversion," Kokabiel groaned.
"No way…" Izuku couldn't help but stare at the crater left in the wake of Kokabiel's attack, chills running up his spine.
[What's wrong, kid? You scared?] Ddraig asked.
"After seeing that, yeah," Izuku replied. "But I won't let that stop me!"
[I figured you wouldn't.] Ddraig chuckled. [But be careful, Izuku. We're talking about a man who survived fighting with God and the Devil Kings.]
"Since you came all the way to see me, I might as well let you play with my favorite pets!" Kokabiel declared as a bright light shot out from under his throne onto the ground, where a new magic circle appeared before a pillar of flames erupted from the spot.
A large, black-furred paw stepped out of the fire and was quickly followed by the rest of its body. It emerged from the flames to reveal itself as a 10-meter-tall, black-furred dog. It had four thick legs, each with a set of sharp claws, but the thing that concerned Izuku the most was the fact that the massive beast had three heads, each with a set of razor-sharp teeth.
The sudden appearance of the beast shocked everyone, especially Rias. "Cerberus!?" She exclaimed in shock as the three-headed dog roared loudly in their direction.
"Wait… Cerberus!?" Izuku asked, unable to take his eyes off the beast in question.
"Living at the gates of the Underworld, it's the Watchdog of Hades," Akeno said. But that wasn't the only one as another Cerberus emerged from the ground.
"There's more!" Ravel shouted.
"Bringing them to this world is forbidden. Let's send them back!" Rias declared.
"I got the one on the right!" Hisashi summoned his Dragon Veil armor and drew the Homurasaki before unfurling his wings and taking off into the air.
"We'll take on the other one!" Rias said as she also rose into the air on her wings.
"Yes, ma'am!" Akeno, Koneko, Ravel, Momo, Tomoe, and Chacha nodded as they followed after Rias.
Akeno changed into her Miko outfit, Tomoe drew her katana, and Chacha activated her Quirk and summoned her Beauty Serene Arrow.
"Izuku, Asia, you two stay with Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina. Use your Boosted Gear to enhance our power!" Rias ordered.
Izuku bit his lip as he watched his friends fight the demonic beasts. 'If only I were stronger, I could enhance everyone in a split second!'
[Boost!]
Rias, Akeno, Chacha, Momo, Ravel, Tomoe, and Koneko attacked Cerberus with gusto. Cerberus breathed fire from all three of its mouths, but Ravel dealt with that easily. Momo cast an ice spell to freeze one of its mouths shut, and then Koneko proceeded to dropkick that head. Akeno zapped the beast with her lightning, giving Tomoe an opening to fly in and slash it repeatedly with her blade. Chacha fired several arrows, all of which exploded upon striking the hellhound. Rias fired her Power of Destruction at the downed beast.
Nearby, Hisashi had the Homurasaki blazing green as he faced his opposing Cerberus, who was already down a head. The two heads then proceeded to spew their fire breaths, but it was all absorbed into the Homurasaki before Hisashi proceeded to decapitate another head.
Even though it seemed that the others could hold their own against the Cerberus, Izuku couldn't help but wonder if there was any more way he could help. His mind then flashed back to All Might's offer. Could things be different right now if he had received One For All?
[Boost!]
A sudden roar and scream from behind him brought Izuku out of his thoughts. Suddenly, two more Cerberus lunged at the teens with their jaws wide open.
Acting fast, Asia managed to shoot out her hair vines to completely ensnare one Cerberus, who struggled to break free while its companion continued its charge.
"Dress Form: Taurus!" Itsuka donned an outfit consisting of a cow-print bikini top and sleeves and black pants with the right leg completely exposed. She also had black gloves, brown boots, a white belt, and a brown bag around her waist, and her hair was styled into a pair of buns at the side, with some side locks. Then, a black whip appeared in her hand.
Itsuka struck the ground in front of the second Cerberus with her whip, causing the earth to shake and rupture, throwing the demonic dog off-balance.
Mina proceeded to spray acid at the downed beast, causing it to howl in pain. Eijiro then hardened his body and proceeded to pummel one of the Cerberus's faces with his fists.
Just then, the Cerberus being held by Asia's vines started to break loose, but before it could attack again, its middle head was suddenly separated from its body before it disappeared in a plume of flames.
"Huh?" Looking up, Izuku saw none other than Xenovia soaring above the hellhound, her Excalibur Destruction in her hand.
"You need a little help here?"
"Xenovia!" Izuku shouted.
Xenovia then proceeded to bring down her Excalibur, bisecting the beast right through its midsection, causing the two halves to be engulfed in flames before disappearing.
"And that is exactly the damage you can expect a Holy Sword to have on evil," Akeno noted.
"I'd rather we didn't need the help, but I am glad you're here," Rias added.
"And don't forget me!" Irina said as she entered the scene, wielding a regal-looking longsword and flipping in mid-air before bringing her blade down on the other Cerberus, cutting it in half down the middle, its two halves vanishing right after. "Aw yeah!"
Meanwhile, Valper noticed the arrival of the Exorcists. However, what actually caught his eye was Irina's replacement sword. He recognized it as Hauteclere, a Holy Sword owned by Olivier, a legendary paladin who served under Charlemagne. He had to give her credit for bringing a spare in case she lost her Excalibur. But how was she able to even use it? Only those with a pure heart could even touch Hauteclere, let alone wield it. Plus his research only extended to the Excaliburs. It shouldn't be possible for her to use another Holy Sword unless…
And then, yet another Cerberus suddenly appeared to jump Irina from behind.
"Icchan, watch out!"
But before Irina could be crushed, she was suddenly lifted off her feet and carried away to safety.
"E-Eh?"
"Are you okay?"
Irina looked to see who had saved her and saw that it was Hilda. Meanwhile, Izuku, Asia, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina were shocked to see her there.
"Shirakabe?!" Izuku shouted.
Then, suddenly, the new Cerberus was struck with a few javelins, howling in pain.
"And Ethel," Hilda motioned to her companion, who was decked in full-body armor, holding up a javelin.
"What kind of monstrosity is this?" Ethel questioned. "It's not like any Quirk I've ever seen."
Then, the Cerberus was instantly dispatched by Xenovia like the others before it. "Friends of yours?"
"They're classmates of ours at U.A." Izuku answered before turning to Hilda. "How did you know to come here?"
"We saw that big beam of light coming from the school. It was hard to miss," Hilda said, then she turned over to where the other Devils were fighting their Cerberus. "Wait, isn't that Momo and Tomoe from our class? And Akaninjin from 1-B? And your other friends?! They're all flying on black wings?!"
"Yeah, hehehehe…" Mina giggled sheepishly. "It's a bit of a long story."
Then, Izuku looked down to see his Boosted Gear glowing. It was time. "Rias, Akeno! Heads up!" Izuku called out as he revealed his wings and flew toward them.
"Good boy!" Rias said.
"Ooh, fun!" Akeno said.
"Boosted Gear: Gift!"
[Transfer!]
Rias and Akeno both gasped softly as they felt the power boost coursing through their bodies.
"We're ready now!" Rias said as she and Akeno's bodies were enveloped in green auras.
"Oh yeah," Akeno added.
"Akeno?"
"Of course!" Akeno responded. "Now ring out… THUNDER!" Akeno formed a yellow magic circle from which she rained down a massive thunderbolt on Cerberus. Rias followed suit with her Destruction energy and fired it at the demonic beast.
The beast howled in pain as the attacks struck it dead-on, getting completely obliterated.
Meanwhile, Hisashi managed to slay the Cerberus he was fighting. "That's the last of them!" He said.
"That's good. Now we…" Tomoe said, but her words trailed off when she noticed Hilda and Ethel. "Uh, hi."
Hisashi, Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Ravel, Momo, and Chacha were also surprised to see the newcomers.
"You guys seem like you have a clue of what's happening. So mind telling us WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!" Hilda asked, raising her voice.
Izuku sighed. "L-Listen, I know things seem crazy, and…"
"Well, I certainly love a good plot twist," Kokabiel spoke, getting everyone's attention.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that guy's a Villain. Did I get it right?" Hilda asked.
"Yeah, more or less," Izuku confirmed. "But he's on a completely different level than the League of Villains."
"TAKE THIS!" Rias fired a massive blast of Destruction energy at Kokabiel.
Kokabiel, his smug grin not faltering, simply swiped his hand to deflect the blast, redirecting it toward the ground, where it left a big crater.
"Impressive," Kokabiel said, standing up. "Look how much stronger you've become now that you've had a little Red Dragon Emperor inside you. Sexy. And fascinating, as well!"
"It is complete!" Valper suddenly announced, getting everyone's attention. In a brilliant golden flash, the four Holy Swords were combined into one, causing a pillar of light to rise into the sky. Valper gazed at his creation with maniacal pride. "Finally, it is done!"
"Now I get to have the massive power that results from the combination of the swords. That's our trade-off. Sweet deal, huh?" Kokabiel said.
"So that power is what you used to make the ground collapse?" Rias questioned.
The sword slowly descended to the ground, its power drawing into the magic circle underneath Valper.
"So then, does that mean they're gonna use it to make the city disappear?!" Izuku asked.
"Wait, what did you say?!" Hilda asked, looks of horror evident on her and Ethel's faces.
"I suggest you leave quickly," Valper said as he turned to the group. "This whole area is going to be destroyed in less than twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes?!" Irina exclaimed.
"That's not enough time for backup to arrive!" Hisashi said.
"If you want to save it, you'll have to defeat me. Oh no," Kokabiel said as he revealed his ten wings. "Freed?"
"You called? I'M HERE!" Freed loudly announced his presence.
"This is our last piece of entertainment. Use the Excalibur with the power of four swords to get rid of all this debris," Kokabiel ordered.
"I would love to!" Freed responded before turning to the Devils and their allies. "You know that fancy Excalibur with those ridiculous specs? Surprise! I just got one as a gift!" Freed took the combined Excalibur into his hands. "Now, who wants the pointy end of this bad boy first!? Well, I'll just go ahead and chop up that Devil and bitch believer a little, then. That sound okay?!"
Then, Xenovia leaped into the air with her Excalibur Destruction raised high. She let out a battle cry as she got ready to slash Freed.
"Too slow!" Using the power of Excalibur Rapidly, Freed sped away in a blur before he could get cut down. "Have you met? Say hello to the Chopper Rapidly!" Freed reappeared behind Xenovia. "So fresh! Such an amazing Excalibur! This bad boy can make anything happen!"
But as he made a move to slash Xenovia, she performed a backflip to dodge. She then twisted herself while in a handstand to deliver a sharp kick to Freed's face.
"My face! You scum bitch! Who kicks a beautiful creation like this?! I'm gonna tear you apart for that! I'll turn you into a slip-n-slide, you hear me?! Prepare for your final reckoning!" Freed then made use of Excalibur Mimic's power to extend the glowing blade toward Xenovia, who dodged by leaping high.
"It's not just mimicry, you know! Yahoo!" Freed raised the blade high into the air, where it split into five separate blades that elongated to strike at Xenovia.
However, that was when Irina stepped up and deflected all the blades with Hauteclere.
"...It's a nightmare!" Freed then seemed to have split into several clones, each of them wielding the Excalibur blade. "This is the power of the Excalibur Nightmare! Ba-dum, dum-dum dum! How do you like that?!"
"The power to create illusions!" Xenovia noted.
"Now, Transparency!" With the power of Excalibur Transparency, Freed made the blade of his sword invisible.
"Get ready! We won't be able to see the blades!" Xenovia warned.
The squad of Freeds cackled in unison as they all swarmed around Xenovia and Irina, slashing around with bladeless hilts. Both Exorcists were forced to back away from the swordless slashes, unable to tell which one was real. Each time they struck a Freed copy, another one took its place.
"There must be a way to tell them apart," Izuku said, observing the Freed army.
"If you think you can figure it out, better do it fast!" Momo said.
Izuku watched each Freed carefully, looking for any hints that might reveal the real one among the illusions. It wasn't easy; all of them looked identical, and they even all cast shadows. But then, by chance, Izuku noticed one of them kicking up dirt, while the others didn't. That one had to be it.
"That one!" Izuku pointed at the specific Freed.
Momo and Tomoe nodded. Momo launched a fireball at the real Freed, catching him by surprise and forcing him to dodge, making all his illusionary copies disappear. Then, Tomoe sprinted forward and kicked him in the jaw.
"You little…" Freed growled as he held his hand over his pained jaw. "Well, congratulations, for that, you just won the honor of getting to be the first Devils to get sliced up by my new Excalibur!" He then charged forward, intending to cut them down.
Tomoe tried to block with her katana, but since hers was just an ordinary sword, Freed had no problem smashing her sword to pieces with his fused Excalibur.
Momo quickly got between them with a protective magic circle, but Freed, once again, broke through her shield with one swing, knocking both girls down.
"Say nighty-ni– huh?!" Freed was about to attack again when a wave of swords shot out from the ground and rushed towards him. Freed quickly jumped back, avoiding getting skewered. Looking up, he sneered in the direction it came from. "Ah. I was almost worried you'd be a no-show."
"Pardon my tardiness," Yumi said, slowly lifting her hand from the dirt as she stood from the ground. "I took a small detour on my way here. It was an old manor, which had plenty of incriminating evidence inside, so I had to confirm it."
"Yumi made it," Rias said in relief, happy that her servant was safe.
Yumi smiled before turning toward Valper. "Valper Galilei. I'm a survivor of the Holy Sword Project. Or more accurately, of those you tried to murder. I was able to live because I was reborn as a Devil. I refused to die because I knew one day I would avenge the death of my comrades!"
"Ah, little Abigail. I'd heard about you. They said one of the subjects had escaped. How tragic to survive only to live as a lowly Devil," Valper mocked as he walked toward Yumi. "I am grateful to you and the others. You taught me what I needed to know to complete the project."
"Complete it?" Yumi asked with wide eyes.
"The subjects we used didn't individually have enough of a particular gene required to use the Holy Swords. After I realized that fact, I came to a conclusion. So…" Valper's eyes turned malicious. "All I did was take out the gene from the kids who carried any of it!"
Yumi gasped in horror, feeling her palms shake and her skin crawl upon hearing that fact.
Valper then took out a blue crystal with a glowing light-blue center. "Then, I found a way to combine and crystallize their genes! This crystal contains the correct quantity of the gene. It's the last one made from those pathetic little brats."
Freed cackled proudly before adding, "The other guys they tested the crystals on died halfway in because they were too weak to take all the gene goodness! If you think about it that way, you're lucky to be fighting one of a kind!"
"Bastard! How could you?!" Izuku yelled.
Xenovia and Irina peered at the object in Valper's hand with recognition in their eyes.
"The crystal…" Xenovia said. "Holy Sword users receive a blessing. Something like that is put into their bodies. A gene deficiency. That must be what they've been using them for."
Irina had a look of horror on her face as she thought back to when she received a crystal like that to become a Holy Sword wielder. "So the blessing I received… Was actually the crystallized genes of those unfortunates…?" Irina took a step back. "No… that can't be… It's not true…"
"Those hypocrites! After excommunicating me as a pagan, they shamelessly use my research?! Typical church behavior," Valper scoffed before a small smirk, and eventually, a manic smile returned to his mouth. "Of course, we're talking about Michael. So even if he took genes from his subjects, I bet he didn't take the time to kill them. He's more human than I'll ever be, after all."
"There was no need to kill us either. How could you?" Yumi questioned.
"You were nothing more than materials used in a top-secret project. We had what we needed. What were we supposed to do?" Valper dismissed.
"We believed what we were doing was for God. We bore everything because of that faith. And then, you– You just threw us away like trash!"
Yumi's friends all looked at her with sympathy, some like Asia shedding tears for her. Hilda and Ethel, even with the lack of context, were able to make out how the old man was a remorseless murderer and Kiba was a past victim of his. They were disgusted by Valper's pride in his horrible deeds and felt sorrow that Kiba had to suffer because of him.
"Here, why don't you take this? I no longer need it, we've gotten to the point where we can mass-produce higher-quality crystals, no martyrs required," Valper casually dropped the crystal at Yumi's feet, showing an utter lack of empathy.
As Yumi picked up the crystal and held it close to her chest, she remembered all her friends who held back Valper's minions to give her the chance to escape. "How many?" She questioned the Genocide Archibishop. "How many lives did your 'blessed' research cost? How many deaths did it take?" The flask began to shine, several figures taking shape around her.
"What is that?" Asia asked.
"Look," Koneko said.
"It kinda seems like people," Izuku said.
"It's probably the different powers from the battlefield. And Yumi," Akeno hypothesized.
"Our powers on top of the trembling of her heart must have freed the souls from the crystal," Hisashi added.
"So they're the spirits of Yumi's deceased friends?" Itsuka asked.
The spirits then formed into youths of varying ages from children to young adolescents.
"I prayed. And wondered. Why was I the only one? Why me? It wasn't fair for me to have survived. There were kids who had bigger dreams than I did. Kids who wanted to live more than I did. It was a mistake. Someone better than me should have made it out of that nightmare!" Yumi started to tear up as she remembered everyone she lost that day.
But then, she felt a tug at her sleeve, causing her to freeze for a moment as she noticed the presence of the souls of her fellow church orphans. Looking down, she saw a little girl with brown hair, giving her a warm smile.
Then, the spirits all changed into shooting star-like rays as they circled around Yumi.
"It's okay…" a female soul reassured.
"Let's all gather together…" another girl spirit said.
"Take us in. It's time…" a boy spirit encouraged.
"You don't have to be scared, even if there is no God…" the little girl's soul said.
"Though God may not be watching over us…"
"Our hearts will forever be one…"
Upon hearing their voices, Yumi's tears changed from those of sorrow to relief and joy. "Yes…" She smiled as the souls dissolved into her, her body glowing blue as she absorbed their spirits; her tears ceased as she was now at peace.
Rias, Akeno, and Itsuka smiled warmly at the sight.
"Aw, that's sweet," Koneko said as she smiled, close to tears.
Asia shed tears as she held her hands together. Irina and Xenovia did the same as they prayed for the souls.
Chacha, Momo, Tomoe, Hilda, Ethel, Izuku, Mina, and Eijiro watched in tears of happiness.
"They're free now. Those children can finally rest in peace," Hisashi smiled.
[The Knight has peaked.] Ddraig noted.
"Peaked?" Izuku asked.
[Remember what I said how Sacred Gears often respond to their wielder's emotions and their hearts? When the thoughts and wishes of the user oppose nature? When they go against the natural course of things in this world? That's when the Sacred Gear peaks, or in other words, the Balance Breaker.]
While Freed and Valper looked disgusted at the sight before them, Kokabiel watched the scene with interest as he sensed something within the Gremory Knight.
Yumi then turned toward Valper with a glare. "My comrades. They never wanted me to wish for revenge. They wanted me free. But I'm not. First, I need to destroy the evil in front of me. Then no one else will have to suffer." Yumi then forged a sword and pointed it at Valper. "No one but you!"
"Help me! Freed!" Valper pleaded.
"Gladly! All that sentimental shit was about to make me hurl anyway!" Freed came in front of Valper with his combined Excalibur glowing.
"You are such a little fool. You should have let yourself be killed with the rest of them," Valper taunted.
"YUMI!" Izuku called out. "Go on and take down that bastard along with those Excaliburs!"
"You can do it, Yumi," Rias encouraged. "Fight like a member of the House of Gremory, take them down. Besides, no true Knight of mine would ever lose to such a pathetic foe."
"Come on, Yumi! We all believe in you!" Akeno said.
"Make those assholes pay," Koneko said.
"Yumi," Asia said with a tearful smile.
"No point in wasting your friends' feelings now, or their souls!" Eijiro encouraged.
"You can do it!" Mina nodded.
"Fight on, Yumi!" Itsuka shouted.
"Teach them a lesson!" Ravel said.
"You got this!" Momo cheered.
"Take 'em down!" Tomoe encouraged.
"Go, Kiba!" Chacha shouted.
"I don't have the full story, but make those jerks regret hurting you!" Hilda encouraged.
"Let them know your pain," Ethel added.
"Thank you," Yumi responded with a smile.
"Gross. Another 'moving scene' from the House of Gag-Me-Gremory!" Freed interrupted the heartwarming moment. "Now my skin is starting to crawl and it's creeping me out!" He whined like an immature brat. "I can't take it! I need to hurry and kill you! Yes. That should make me feel much better!"
"Time for a new sword," Yumi said as she closed her eyes and focused. "Dear comrades whose souls have merged with mine. We shall overcome this together. All our dreams that were stifled can now come true. I'll create a sword for Rias and for all of my fallen friends! Sword Birth, go!"
In a flash of light and darkness, a new sword began forming in her hands. It gave off divine light from its blade and an ominous aura from the red inscriptions on the middle of the blade. This new weapon radiated both Holy and Demonic aura.
"It's the Sword of Betrayer, a sword vested with both Holy and Demonic powers. Try and stop it!" Yumi said as she began approaching Freed.
"Holy and Demonic powers fused together?" Rias questioned.
"Now it makes sense! I get what Ddraig was talking about!" Izuku said. "He said Yumi had peaked. So that sword must be her Balance Breaker!"
"A Holy Demonic Sword? It's impossible! Two opposing elements cannot mix together! Something like that is an aberration!" Valper said in disbelief.
"The only aberration here is you!" Xenovia said as she and Irina joined Yumi. "Talk to me, Knight of Rias Gremory. Are we still fighting on the same side?"
"I'd like to think we are," Yumi replied.
"I have a thought, then. Why don't we destroy that Excalibur together?" Xenovia suggested.
"Are you sure?"
"Technically we're looking at a Holy Sword, but there's nothing Holy about that," Irina said.
"Agreed," Yumi said.
Xenovia planted her Excalibur Destruction down next to her and extended her right hand into the air. "Oh, Peter. Oh, Basil and Denis. And the Blessed Virgin Mary. I ask you to hear my prayers!" A golden magic circle appeared by Xenovia's hand, and a uniquely shaped broadsword with a blue blade and a golden edge appeared from it. The sword had a semi-circular guard on the left side of the handle that extended to the bottom just above the pommel, with a small extension on the right side of the handle. Standing from the tip of the blade, the sword was slightly taller than her, just by a few inches.
"In the name of the saint living within this blade… I hereby set you free! This is called Durandal!" She shouted, brandishing the sword before her.
Everyone but Irina gasped in shock at the sight of her blade. Even Kokabiel appeared surprised.
"Durandal?" Yumi whispered.
"Another Holy Sword?!" Izuku asked.
"A sword on par with Excalibur. Said to cut everything in this world," Akeno added.
"That's impossible! My research didn't go into how to use Durandal! I can buy someone wielding Hauteclere, but not that! No one should be able to wield that thing!" Valper exclaimed in disbelief.
"You're wrong. Unlike Kiba or Irina, I am one of the rarely-found naturals," Xenovia hoisted the large blade with ease, pointing it at Freed and smiling.
"One who is perfectly suitable, also known as a true Holy Sword user!" Valper realized with fear.
"This kiddo cuts anything he touches to pieces. He doesn't always listen to me, either. Besides that, he's infinitely dangerous if not stored in another dimension."
"I don't believe you!" Freed disagreed. He then extended his fused Excalibur's blade at Xenovia, but she easily deflected it with Durandal. Freed tried again, making the tip of the blade extend into several sharp metal tendrils that shot forward at Xenovia and the others to impale them.
Xenovia didn't even bat an eye as she swung Durandal to destroy all the tendrils in one strike. "What you have is simply a broken Holy Sword. It's no match for my Durandal!" She jumped into the air with Durandal raised high.
"Kiss my ass!" Freed cursed as he used the power of Excalibur Rapidly to speed away before reappearing above Xenovia. "Take this!"
"I don't think so!" Irina stepped in to intercept Freed with her Hauteclere. Xenovia then followed up with Durandal, forcing Freed to speed away again to avoid getting bisected.
"I've decided that I don't like you!" Freed shouted as he moved in to attack again.
"The feeling's mutual!" Yumi said as she appeared behind him.
Both sword users appeared as flying blurs as they clashed together in midair multiple times before they descended to the ground.
Freed then used the powers of Excaliburs Nightmare and Transparency again, summoning illusionary copies of him with invisible blades.
"Even if you can hide among fakes and make your blade invisible, there's something you can never hide. Your bloodlust!" Yumi rushed forward, ignoring all the illusions as she headed for one particular Freed among them. As soon as Freed attempted to swing his Excalibur, Yumi countered with her Sword of Betrayer, and an audible clashing of metal was heard, rendering the blade visible again and all the fake Freeds vanished as well, leaving the real one in shock.
Yumi then charged at Freed, ready to finish the fight. Freed, his shock turning back to rage, met her charge head-on. They fought ferociously for a few strained seconds before Yumi's Holy Demonic sword shattered Freed's Excalibur into pieces.
"My sword broke!" Freed yelled as he was knocked to the ground. "Are you fucking kidding me?! How could I be taken out by lame Devil scum?!" Freed took out his gun to shoot at Yumi.
But before he could aim, he was slashed from shoulder to torso by Irina, who smugly smiled at him, payback for her previous defeat at his hands. Then, Xenovia appeared in front of him and struck him in the face with Durandal's hilt, knocking the madman unconscious.
Yumi breathed deeply, still feeling a bit of adrenaline rush before victory sank in. She had finally fulfilled her lifelong goal. "Yes! Did you see? Our powers overcame Excalibur!"
"How is this possible?! In theory, the fusion of Holy and Demonic powers is–" Valper whispered in disbelief before Yumi turned to him with a glare.
"Prepare yourself, Valper Galilei!" Yumi pointed her sword at the man responsible for her tragic past.
"Yes. I understand now! If the balance between Holy and Demonic powers is disrupted, it could be possible! Which means, not only the Devil Kings, but also God–"
Valper never got the chance to finish that thought as he was immediately bisected at the waist by Yumi in a single slash. In his final seconds alive, Valper saw the look of satisfaction on Yumi's face as she looked down at him.
"At last… I can be free," Yumi, taking a deep breath, flicked her blade to the side, ridding it of the man's blood.
"Yumi, how are you feeling?" Izuku asked.
"I'm fine. Don't worry," Yumi reassured, looking up at Izuku and the others with a smile. It was her normal warm smile as before. "Not because I finally killed Valper, but because I was able to see my friends again. Thank you, Izuku. You and everyone else."
Izuku smiled and nodded.
"Kids, I really don't wanna spoil this heartwarming moment, but it's not over yet," Hisashi reminded, glaring at the sky.
"Oh Valper, you really were very talented. You even managed to figure that out, but it seems your usefulness has now come to an end," Kokabiel said as he descended to the ground.
"Okay, Kokabiel, what are you trying to do here?" Rias asked as she stepped forward.
"I'm destroying everything I find tedious. Now, I'm even more bored than before," Kokabiel replied before turning to Izuku. "Hey there, little boy!"
"Yeah, what do you want?" Izuku said.
"Raise the Dragon's power as much as you can and transfer it to one of them."
"Why would you want me to do that?" Izuku asked.
"So what? Are you offering to give us a chance? Don't bother, we don't need it!" Rias retorted.
Kokabiel laughed at Rias's bold statement. "You're being ridiculous. Rias, my dear. You're gonna need more than a little power-up."
Rias glared at Kokabiel. As much as she hated his arrogance, she couldn't afford to waste any more time. She grabbed hold of Izuku's right hand and squeezed it tight. Izuku blushed in reflex.
"Rias?"
"We're out of time. Let's go. We can do it."
Izuku nodded and held her hand back tight, charging up with his Boosted Gear again.
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
Everyone watched in anticipation and anxiety as the two walked toward Kokabiel.
[Boost!]
"Izuku…" Asia muttered, concerned.
[Boost!]
Izuku continued to Boost his power for a few minutes before he realized a flaw in this tactic. He couldn't possibly raise his power to its absolute limit. It would leave them with no time to beat Kokabiel in the few remaining minutes before Kokabiel carried out his plan to obliterate Musutafu from existence.
'It's not enough…' he thought reluctantly as his Gear Boosted yet again. They had no choice though; there wasn't time. 'But it's going to have to do.'
"I'm ready now. Are you?" He announced to Rias, who nodded in understanding. She must have reached the same conclusion as he had. She knew he could have kept Boosting his power further, but they didn't have time for that.
"Absolutely," she said firmly and tightened her grip on his fingers for luck. They'd be needing it.
"Boosted Gear: Gift!"
[Transfer!]
Green light illuminated Rias's body as all the power from Izuku's Boosted Gear transferred into Rias. She gasped softly as the energy surge coursed through her, increasing her power beyond her imagination.
Once she had absorbed all of the power into her body, her entire body radiated pure, demonic energy, covered by the green aura from the Boosted Gear, the very space around her began to shake from the enormous power she now wielded.
"Holy crap!" Izuku exclaimed.
"She's amazing!" Asia said in awe.
"I can feel the waves of her power, even from over here!" Yumi added.
"Such pressure! It's like back when All Might sent that Nomu flying!" Ethel said while shielding herself with her arms.
Kokabiel didn't seem fazed by Rias's sudden increase in power. In fact, he seemed to find it amusing. "Now things are getting interesting. Yes, what you've got there is a Devil's power to the highest degree! You've been blessed with strength on par with that of your big, bad brother, little girl! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.