Gaming Badly in DxD

-Sona Sitri-

I stared, standing side by side with none other than the blonde Fallen, Mittelt. His own daughter was the ‘reinforcement’ that Azazel had sent.

However, there seemed to be some tension in the air, considering that Mittelt was raising a bored eyebrow at the group of three exorcists. Of which, a blue-haired one with a single green bang in her hair stared down at the blonde Fallen with an intense frown.

We were standing in silence just past the border of the barriers around one of the rogue bases. Further ahead was Squad A, keeping anyone from exiting. It was a fact that we couldn’t really let them past this point even if we allowed them inside the barrier in the first place.

The two girls, probably not older than I was, were the most tense. The one on the left with almond-colored hair and twin-tails tried to look disarming, but her smile was a little too tight, her fingers just a bit too twitchy, while the one on the right with the blue hair was the picture of stone-cold seriousness, and also feeling somewhat dangerous with the wrapped-up blade that rested on her back.

Lastly, there was the one I considered the actual threat. A platinum blonde woman, probably in her late twenties at most, wearing a nun's habit with intricate cross patterns on the sleeve cuffs of her attire. However, while the appearance may indicate she’s somewhat of a support-focused combatant, the amount of magic and holy power radiating from her was much greater than that of the two exorcists, making her possibly stronger than Rias or me.

‘But even so…’ I frowned, confused. ‘Nowhere near strong enough to fight Kokabiel. Is the Church simply sending them off to slaughter? Or are there hidden reinforcements somewhere?’

‘’You…’’ The blue-haired one spoke, stepping forward while gripping her blade. Her frown got all the more prominent as the stare-down with Mittelt didn’t cease. ‘’What are you doing here, with the devils?’’

Mittelt scoffed, shrugging. ‘’I’m not here to do the talking, she is.’’ The girl shrugged her left shoulder in my direction. And even though the rudeness, I was thankful for the… vote of confidence?

‘’You can’t just—‘’

‘’Miss Devil.’’ Suddenly, the older woman spoke as she stepped forward, interrupting the now tense blue-haired girl. Her sky-blue eyes held firmly against mine; not even nervous, merely polite. ‘’Do I assume well in thinking that you will not allow us past this point?’’

‘’That is correct, Exorcists,’’ I replied flatly, crossing my arms. That alone made the two other girls tense further. ‘’However, it is not because of a nefarious action of our own, but instead, it’s a proposal; a treaty, even.’’

‘’As if we would ever ally ourselves with Devils of all—‘’ The blue woman started, only to be interrupted as the silver-haired exorcists raised up a hand in her direction. ‘’…Sister Griselda?’’

‘’Let me speak, Xenovia. This is a very important matter. Remember our mission.’’ That made the stone-cold bluenette pause while biting her lower lip, but thankfully, she stepped back.

‘Griselda’s’ eyes lidded minutely, yet there was a gleam of curiosity in her gaze. ‘’Please, do elaborate.’’

I could almost feel the sigh of relief leaving my chest; however, it was interrupted as my body froze.

A holy presence so disgustingly pure that it made my skin crawl as if it were covered in maggots, suddenly appeared.

Long ago, I learned that the stronger a Devil was, the less effective light and holy aspects were to them, and I had experienced that a few months back, when those Fallen invaded our town, and once more, once Azazel stood near Rias and me during our chat.

The former was imperceptible, while the latter was tolerable, considering the man was a Fallen, but this feeling?

‘It must mean…’ I frowned.

Two people walked easily through the barrier. After all, it was just put to protect regular humans and not let the Fallen out.

One was a man with long golden hair and green eyes. He was wearing a red robe with a gold cross on the front of his white vest. He had golden shoulder plates with a white sash and a golden halo set above his head. Not to mention the twelve golden wings sprouting from his back.

The other was a woman who could only be described as… beautiful, strangely enough. She had curly blonde hair that cascaded all the way to her lower back. Her figure was curvy and voluptuous, which was quite prominent even from below her chaste robes akin to those of a nun, but infused with such an amount of holy power that it may as well be like staring at the Excalibur Fragments themselves.

And just like I feared…

They were Seraphs. The Angels who were closest to God. Practically, his personal force.

‘’May we also participate during this conversation?’’ The man spoke with a silky tone and a polite smile. ‘’If you do not mind, of course.’’

‘’Michael, you’re scaring the girls…’’ The woman said, much more meekly and less confidently.

‘’Ah, Gabriel, is that so?’’ The man said, bowing his head minutely in apology.

Suddenly, the pressure on my chest vanished as the man folded his wings back. That alone seemed to be enough to allow me to breathe, even if I didn’t notice when I started holding my breath.

Safe to say, I wasn’t the only one who was shocked at the development. For one, the twin-haired exorcist seemed like she would suddenly jump all over the place by the way she vibrated in excitement while her eyes filled with stars in amazement. Her grin was so wide it could probably split her face open.

Meanwhile, the other two were much more composed. When the initial shock faded, they bowed their heads, with the one called Xenovia even taking a knee while pressing her hand over her heart in the presence of the two very powerful Angels of God.

…And as if that wasn’t enough.

A magic circle appeared right behind me. One that, at least, made me pause and gain some confidence back.

For the circle belonged to none other than the leader of all Devils.

With the clunky yet regal pauldrons and cape that distinguished him, along with long, brilliant crimson hair, none other than Sirzechs Lucifer stepped forward. His face held a smile as polite as the right hand of God, yet his ocean-blue eyes held enough pointedness to remark both presence and the willingness of confrontation if it were to arise.

‘The fact that I knew things could escalate to this point did not mean I was ready to be right in the middle, it seems.’ I mused internally while tensing, ready to teleport away even if I knew it was futile.

The Fallen Angel that served as my support was also holding her hands close to the sides of her gothic dress, where I knew a pair of blades rested.

Because if the two Seraphs and one of the strongest Satans were to seriously clash against each other, it was sure to leave a destruction so vast that Italy—No, that Europe may disappear off the map altogether.

Blue eyes interlocked with green ones. The politeness never dropped, yet their presence felt like it was holding each and every one of us by the throat.

Then, both men sighed, and all of a sudden, the tension shattered like a house of cards under a light breeze.

‘’May I discuss this with you personally? Rest assured, I’m well-informed on the matter at hand. Usually, it is the Satan of Foreign Affairs that handles this, but Serafall is currently… preoccupied.’’ The Satan Lucifer offered, side-glancing Gabriel for a moment, making his smile go wider. ‘’For better, probably, and even if she wasn’t, we had a deal set in place to let the… youngsters deal with this situation unless it overcomes their current capabilities.’’

‘My sister is missing?’ I frowned at the mention from Sirzechs.

‘’Very well.’’ Michael’s face didn’t falter a second as he nodded along and stepped forward. ‘’Am I to assume that this chat also includes a certain brother of mine?’’

Sirzechs Lucifer shot a curious eyebrow in my direction, and then to Mittelt’s. Both of us nodded hastily.

The man huffed amusedly. ‘’You would be correct, apparently. How novel that the conflicts between us could be talked through due to the youngest not sharing the same problems as the older folk…’’ At that, both Michael and Sirzechs shared a knowing look.

And personally, I felt that I was missing… so many clues.

So many, in fact, that I was going to ignore this interaction in favor of focusing back on the raid taking place.

The hidden politics happening in between could wait until it ended, in my opinion.

Michael and Sirzechs teleported away in a show of light. Gabriel, meanwhile, sent a glance at the Exorcists, who were astonished to say the least. From their perspective—and mine, really—the two powerhouses and ‘’polar opposites’’ colliding against each other was a foregone conclusion, considering their respective roles as Lucifer and RightHand of God.

Then, the auburn-haired girl blinked and tilted her head as if she were a confused puppy. ‘’Um… If it isn’t disrespectful to ask… Lady Gabriel?’’

‘’Irina…!’’ The blue-haired girl shot a pointed stare at the girl, making her shy away slightly; however, a harmonic chuckle cut through the reproach.

The curvy blonde shot a big, warm smile, like that of a mother, at the exorcist. Putting her hands together in a prayer. ‘’Yes, little lamb? What is it that troubles your mind?’’

‘’Ah, yes, my question…’’ Seeing her chance, Irina shot an excited yet confused smile. ‘’You, um, weren’t you supposed to also go along with Lord Michael? I mean… the talk seemed very important, right?

I blinked.

The blue-haired girl blinked.

The Gothic Lolita Fallen blinked.

The Sister or Mother Superior of blond hair blinked.

The Seraphim Gabriel blinked.

While the girl with twin-tails simply looked between all of us, confused.

‘’Ah…’’ Gabriel exclaimed, looking down at her hands sheepishly, and then at the place where Michael and Sirzechs had teleported away. ‘’It should be fine… Probably?’’

And now the one who asked, Irina, looked more confused than ever, while the eyes of the one called Xenovia lost some of their gleam, as if they were disillusioned with something while staring blankly ahead.

Griselda simply smiled politely; meanwhile, I wondered…

‘Was the feared Archangel Gabriel actually an airhead?’

-X-x-X-

It was the best decision to move the conversation somewhere else; with the danger gone, Mittelt went back to report with Azazel. I did not envy the girl, considering the man may already be deep in conversation with both Michael and Sirzechs.

The place where I brought the Seraphim and the three exorcists was the room of command, and while it may not be the wisest choice to show such a vulnerable spot to a possible enemy, the non-hostility from the Seraphim’s side did wonders to alleviate some of the tension deep within the exorcists.

‘’Are you proposing that… The Fallen, the Heavens, the Devils, and even the Church band together in an alliance?’’ The woman, Griselda, meditated with a frown.

Of course, less tension didn’t exactly come with the agreement to such a thing. The war between all of our kins lasted long enough to leave a mark on regular humans’ history, not to mention all three factions.

Which was shown in the way that Xenovia and Irina were staring my way pointedly; no doubt searching for a scheme, a scam, a trick, because ‘Oh, how would the infamous and evil devils ever want peace? It must be a trap of some sort!’

‘I do not fault them for such things; it would be foolish to do so…’ I clenched my fists against my skirt so as not to show another type of nervous tic.

‘’Indeed. We have already been communicating with the Fallen, who were the ones who proposed the treaty in the first place. Both the Satan of Internal and Foreign Affairs are also well-informed about it, but the task falls on us for the most part.’’

My words left a pause that even the Seraph Gabriel had a hard time not being uncomfortable in. She hadn’t said a word after her little slip, probably waiting for something, or merely spectating.

‘’I apologize if this comes as rude, but… I do not believe you.’’ The first to step up was Xenovia, holding a tight frown. She wasn’t angry, however, merely unconvinced. ‘’Why would Devils and Fallen want a treaty all of a sudden? Yes, no side wants the war to re-ignite, but why now, of all times? Is it to take advantage of the Church’s and by proxy, Heaven’s current predicament?’’

‘’Not particularly.’’ Turning around from the footage showing the receding conflict, I held a tight, polite smile, which made the girl frown even further. ‘’Because this is the perfect chance for ‘peace’ to truly happen.’’

At the crossed arms and raised eyebrow of the girl, I took a look at each participant in the room before clearing my throat. ‘’Let me resume it to you…’’

‘’The Fallen were betrayed and had important scientific projects stolen, along with a hole in their command chain. The Church, and by extension, the Heavens, were robbed of their precious weapons and no doubt had some of their members killed—‘’ Those words, I noted, made the blue-haired girl tighten her fist against her sides. ‘’—And the Devils were the ones who would have been attacked. Specifically, my fellow King and I were the targets of the mad Cadre in search of our sibling’s rage. If we were to die, and the plan came to fruition, we would simply destroy each other once more.’’

With each word, the tenseness of the two girls’ shoulders relaxed. I could even see the corners of the Archangel’s lips twitch upwards, and even Griselda, the more experienced of the exorcists, frowned in deep thought.

‘’But what if we made that plan fail?’’ I asked, making a show of gesturing to the screen. ‘’What if we ruin that precisely arranged plan with the exact opposite of what that man wants? Think about it…’’

’’No more conflict for territory. Any true rogue would simply be erased from the map, and we wouldn’t have to tiptoe around each other…’’ Griselda said in the small pause, scratched her chin, and huffed out. ‘’Not to mention, having his forces, along with the Fallen’s technology, and the Devil’s influence…’’

‘’Exactly,’’ With a wide smile, I nodded. They were getting it, they truly were. ‘’However, this sort of agreement cannot be reached without the agreement of all parties involved, but this could be the first step.’’

And that was what some would call ‘planting the seed of doubt’.

The two girls frowned, looking for guidance from their mentor, and when she simply stood silent, they turned to the Archangel in the room, who, much to my surprise, simply nodded with a smile.

Sure, there was an entire series of people to convince—or dispose of—and the church was not the only ones who had them. The clearest example is Kokabiel’s rogues and anyone in cahoots with them, along with the Old Satan Faction from our side, which would be completely in disagreement to the point of even starting another Civil War, no doubt.

It will be hard, sure. It would even take centuries or even a millennium for the three sides to actually trust each other, not to mention solve every previous conflict and bury stereotypes that had lasted as long as the conflict between the three factions.

But it was possible.

I didn’t have to say anything more, only leave the three to muse over it. Reach their own conclusions, and then see if the pros beat the cons of such a deal.

After all, if they were the ones sent by the church, they would also be the ones to report back.

With a satisfied smile and a much calmer mindset, I looked right back at the magic circles monitoring the area, just in time for a blinding flash of blue draconic energy to fill one of the screens, and for a magic circle to appear on my left ear. Rias was on the other side of this one, and as she spoke, my smile could only get wider.

‘’Sona, just checking in to report. Two generals of Kokabiel are currently deceased. One is Helel, you probably saw her dying on screen. If I remember correctly, she was taken care of by Vali and his ‘Nekomata’ friend. The other one is the scientist Markus, executed by both Sachi and Asia.’’ Rias' tone couldn’t have sounded more satisfied. It was a mix of relief and happiness that I had only heard after her Rating Game with Riser. ‘’General Seveth was captured by me. Sadly, the one named Calyx has escaped our clutches, and it’s currently MIA. As for the exorcist with the Excaliburs… Kiba is currently holding him inside the third base.’’

‘Oh, that poor bastard.’ I shook my head.

Considering how hard Rias’s Knight had been training just for this chance? I didn’t think even all the Excaliburs combined could do enough to put down Yuuto Kiba and the amount of vitriol he had for the blades. ‘’Any notices on Kokabiel?’’

‘’Negative.’’ Rias clicked her tongue. ‘’But I’ll keep you updated. I heard from Tsubaki that Exorcists and even Angels approached us. How did that go?’’

Glancing back at the three exorcists for a moment, two of whom were raptly listening as Griselda spoke in a friendly manner with the Seraph, gave me just the answer I needed. ‘’Just peachy, I’d say.’’

If there was one thing that I loved more than anything, it was when all the pieces of the board fell into place just right.

-X-x-X-

-Yuuto Kiba-

Metal clashed against metal, followed by an explosion made when my Demonic Sword broke against one of the Excalibur Fragments. The fire and heat born out of its shattering remains sent the rogue exorcists backwards while the metal hallway trembled.

However, such close-distance impact would have also hurt me if it weren’t for the other sword in my other hand, the Root Sword that had a singular petal blooming out of the crossguard.

It was no wonder how difficult it was to perfect this one blade. After all, the task of absorbing energy and directing it right back at the opponent was something that could hardly be improved upon without an unfathomable amount of effort.

‘’You don’t feel as fast, even with that sword of yours.’’ Another Explosive Blade manifested on my hand. The shine of the madman’s holy blade gleaming under the hallway’s light. ‘’No… I’m just that much faster than our last encounter.’’

The air displaced with a rushing gust as I blitzed past the man and used both blades to slash at his shoulders. Considering both of our capabilities in sword-wielding, it would be too hard to land a hit on the head, neck, or chest. However, shoulder-cuts were incredibly debilitating and had a lower chance of being blocked effectively.

Yet, even through the increased speed, Freed simply pushed Excalibur Blessing to block the blow. His body flinched at the shotgun-like recoil of my sword impacting his. However, the Fragment glowed brightly, infusing Freed’s body with power.

‘Why is he so silent…?’ Unnervingly, I let the crimson-hot blade shatter against the Fragment. Another explosion that sent me further back, made Freed take a step backwards, and added another charge for the Root Sword.

Three blades of darkness sprouted from behind me. From which, wolf apparitions made of shadows launched forward with sharp teeth and claws, intending to rip the exorcist apart.

I didn’t believe for a second that was enough, however.

So, frowning, I conjured one more blade, spiky purple, as if it were the tooth of a beast. It was the same as I imagined back then, copying one of Zatren-kun’s strange abilities. ‘’Dragon Buster!’’

From it, purple mist burst into a cloud and turned into the head and neck of a fierce dragon. Unlike last time, the power put behind it was more than enough for the man to finally react.

I barely saw it before it happened. Excalibur Rapidlyshone with power I haven’t seen before. Power the man didn’t have before.

Immediately, I fell flat to the floor and stabbed the Root Sword along with a completely black blade with a white hilt, which, on contact with the ground, erected a barrier made of pure light-swallowing darkness.

Just in time to see both Shadow Wolves and the Miasma Dragon be completely obliterated by the exorcist's move.

A single downwards slash.

With that single attack, I could only get a last glimpse as a blinding light filled the hallway. A hot wave of pain pierced through my head. I didn’t even notice when I started screaming; I only felt cascading agony as the burst of Holy Magic carelessly crashed into the barrier of darkness made by the sword.

Crack…

One pulse, and there were cracks already forming.

Crrkk…

A second one…

CRACK!

When the third, and loudest sound of shattering glass made itself known, the wave of holy power receded. With a grunt, I managed to get up and glare with all the anger I could muster at the man, who, after swinging his blade, was still as immutable as before.

The hallway was partially melted thanks to the light that Freed’s Excalibur sent out.

If it weren’t for the barrier…

‘There’s something wrong, alright.’ And I had finally noticed. Just when Freed swung his blade, that futuristic armor of his glowed to the point it became bright red. Whatever it was made out of, it seemed to be infusing Freed with enough holy power to turn this entire building into dust. ‘But he didn’t… meaning that there must be some kind of limit to—’

‘’It is futile, failure of a child.’’ A smug, coarse, and nasally voice said while clapping. ‘’I’ll say, I didn’t expect you to actually survive that strike, but that’s as far as you go. There’s nothing you can do to match the prowess of my Excalibur Wielder! Hohoho!’’

I didn’t freeze because of the smugness or the mocking words, but just to who that voice belonged to.

Behind Freed, practically at the end of the destroyed and partially melted hallway, stood a short man in a lab coat. His grey remains of hair stood at the sides of his bald head. His face was almost completely covered by glasses and a surgical mask, except for the corners of that wrinkled, ugly smile that sent a shiver of disgust down my spine.

‘’Valpel…’’ I spat the name like it was poison. That controlled rage I managed to hold onto now tried to burst at the seams as my grip on the Root Sword, still stuck into the ground, tightened to the point of stabbing its barbs into my palm. ‘’I can finally stare properly at your ugly face, the face of a disgusting madman even worse than the so-called ‘Devils’… but I’m so glad about it too. Now I can take your head with my own two hands.’’

‘’Big words indeed!’’ The clergyman laughed, making my teeth grind against each other. ‘’However, there’s simply no chance you can beat Freed here. I’ve perfected him to be the most powerful Excalibur Wielder that could ever exist!’’

Glaring, I manifested another blade of darkness, much thicker and stronger than the last, but so much wilder, too. The blackness of the blade was so intense that it seemed to swallow every source of light around it, as if it were a void.

‘’Yeah? And how many had to die to reach that goal? Dozens? Hundreds?’’ I bit back, disgusted at the man’s joy. ‘’It’s of no matter, because I will throw your life’s work away, just like you did with my friends.’’

The doctor shook his head as he approached. His glasses shone with something I could only take as a mad yet proud glint. ‘’Curious, aren’t you? But it would be a waste to reveal it… After all, dead men cannot remember such an achievement, little Issaiah!’’

I didn’t even have time to reply as Freed suddenly disappeared. Panickedly, I raised my blade forward in a defensive pose, just in time for one of the Excaliburs to clash directly into my holy-absorbing blade. The sword pulsed as a golden light was sucked out of the curved blade, only to shatter a second later, leaving me to dodge the shoulder-to-hip slash and forcing me to leave the Root Sword behind.

‘’Every part of Freed’s little mods makes him the perfect wielder for Excalibur and other Holy blades!’’ Valper bragged, hands behind his back. ‘’I must thank you, child wielding Sword Birth! Your friends were the first grand step to this magnum opus of mine!’’

‘’Just keep talking…’’ I cursed as a new repertoire of blades appeared in my hand. One was made of chunky rocks and dirt, while the other had its blade made entirely out of wind. ‘’It will be hard to do so after I put my blade through your throat!’’

The immutable form of Freed tilted its head. The visor glowed golden for a moment as his form became blurry once more. Already anticipating the fatal strike, I stabbed the Earth Blade into the ground, which caused the entire hallway to shake, and for rocky constructs to suddenly explode outwards along with the sound of tearing metal apart.

From the floor, walls, and even the ceiling, the attacks swallowed the hallway in its entirety, only for the sound of a sword slashing once, twice, and then three times to suddenly shatter every spiral and rock made.

‘’Missed me, did you?’’ I smiled as the Wind Sword was overfilled with Demonic Power. Carelessly, I threw it at the dashing form of the exorcists, who effortlessly shattered it apart with a swing of Excalibur Blessing. ‘’Scatter!’’

The tight hallway suddenly became a giant cloud of dirt as both broken blades worked in tandem to put up the smokescreen. Quickly, I dashed past a dazed Freed and managed to retrieve the Root Sword by the hilt.

‘’It’s futile, child! One single mishap, one strike is all Freed would need to take your life away!’’ The doctor sounded slightly less confident than before, yet he maintained that smug air.

‘’Then I guess he’ll have to catch me first!’’ I spat, stomping the ground harshly, pushing every spark of anger, disgust, and hatred I had for the blades and the man in front of me into One. Focal. Point.

The entire building.

My initial attack of piercing the facility from the ground up with rocky spirals bore fruit, as the structure itself started to collapse as we fought, making for an uneven floor that Freed could not maneuver fast enough.

Sword Birth answered my call as I put every small bit of will I had to tear apart the blades in front of me. Freed dashed forward, ready to cut me down, only for a small smirk to make its way across my face.

‘’I must thank Zatren-kun later…’’ I mused to myself. ‘’Sword Birth… LIBERATION!’’

The boisterous laughter from the doctor ceased, as the floor—No, the entire building shook one final time.

From every corner, Demonic Swords of every kind sprouted out. From the ones that made constructs like living shadows and boulders, to those who reigned over fiery storms and tundra-cold temperatures. The ones who empowered themselves while in contact with their opposite element, and even those who drained every bit of light and holiness their form could handle.

As the edge of Rapidly fell down on me, a greatsword the size of a man’s body shot from the earth. The blade was as dark as it could be. Merely a bigger-sized form of the holy-absorbing ones I made through the fight.

‘’What are you doing?! Finish him off! He’s a madman! He’ll bury us alongside him!’’ Valpel panicked, making Freed’s armor glow intensely.

Interrupted, Freed had to swing twice to tear the blade apart, which gave me enough time to speak my next command.

‘’Shatter…’’

Crack.

One blade shattered under the command. Then another one.

In a single word and a single second, every blade in the room that had pierced the building shattered at once. The energy deep within them, having no place to go, lashed harshly against the environment.

And I had no doubt in my mind that this base would end up as an entire crater.

But that was too light. It wouldn’t be enough to break the Excaliburs.

Even as my ears rang and Freed’s body was hit by wave after wave of Demonic Power, I still had a failsafe to truly break those blades once and for all. And, if the situation allowed, to let me come back alive.

Because the only blade that didn’t shatter was the Root Blade, which had been absorbing every bit of energy during the fight. And now? It was overcharged with the power of every single Demonic Sword I shattered at once.

I could see nothing more than the exorcist in front of me as a screech of pain pierced through the cacophony of noises, probably coming from the man I despised so much. The room was a mix of colors, sensations, and blood I had never experienced before. My body felt like it was being burned, frozen, stabbed, smashed, all at once.

‘’…!’’ The exorcist, as if he regained some sense of self, faltered as his body was rocked by every sensation I was feeling right now.

My hand tightened against the Root Sword. Only for something to enter my vision at the last second.

I saw a bunch of boys and girls with sad smiles on their faces. They surrounded me, as if trying to put me in a warm embrace.

That name I changed because I hated it so much; it echoed against my ears. It was so painfully familiar that even after all those years, I could never forget their faces.

The faces and voices of my friends.

One girl’s mouth moved, but I couldn’t understand her words. I felt a pain in my chest.

However, I got the general feeling she was sad yet relieved; was it because of Valper suffering under my suicidal move? Was it because of the pain currently rocking my body? Or because my quest for vengeance may have changed me further than that little boy I was?

I couldn’t tell.

Just as it appeared, the image went away. My hands tightened around the blade as the full sunflower on the crossguard shone with so much power that it could potentially destroy much more than just this building if I wasn’t careful.

Thankfully, there was only one thing I had to do.

‘’Die… Excaliburs.’’ My voice came as a wet gasp of relieved laughter.

I only saw the exorcist and those blades one more time before my entire world was filled with blankness.

All because of one downwards slash, as every bit of Demonic Power inside the Root Sword was unleashed onto those I hated with all my heart for as long as I could remember.

And once it happened, I finally felt this sensation and thirst for revenge disappear, replacing it with a feeling I lost long ago, when all I did with my friends was to sing prayers to a God that never answered, with the intent to hold on for one more day.

For the first time in so long, I felt…

Peaceful.

-X-x-X-

-Zatren Fumigami-

From my position in the air, I found myself staring down at that creepy, edgy castle once more.

Behind me, besides the smell of smoke and the constant fires that seemed to burn even without any more fuel to work, the city rumbled as a bludgeoning force slammed into it like a meteor. If I were to turn around, there was no doubt that I would see pillars of ice being torn down one by one, and a singular massive magic circle in the air keeping all that destruction ‘contained.’

‘…That Heracles certainly is something else.’ I acknowledged while flying down.

Just a few minutes after we planned our little raid on the castle, all plans were thrown out the window when a man built like a brickhouse, with red tattoos over charcoal-black skin, literally tore our wall down.

The Immortal Heracles, who, if I remembered correctly, possessed the ability to revive himself multiple times, though I didn’t really know how many.

‘’Serafall and Ayuka should be more than enough for him, though.’’ I felt an eager smile cover my face because that left the ‘final boss’ to me, and considering just which city this was, I was pretty sure who I was going to face.

Which only made it all the more exciting, really, because if what those two told me was true, Saber was actually using command seals on each and every Servant… So imagine just how much she could power herself up with those and the Holy Grail!

‘’Alright, Jack, I need you to do me a favor,’’ I spoke the moment my feet hit the ground.

Suddenly, an invisible weight moved from my shoulders and stepped onto the ground. Turning around, the little wraith’s fog-like invisibility dropped, and her big, green eyes looked at me in wonder while she gave a happy nod. ‘’Yes, mommy?’’

‘’I need you to stay here, and don’t interfere, alright?’’ I patted Jack’s head, giving a confident smile.

Already sensing the pout I was about to get from the smaller white-haired girl, I used a secret weapon. ‘’If you do, I’ll take you to the park with your brother and sister. How about that?’’

Jack stopped, freezing, and her eyes widened minutely as her gloved hands held onto my wrist suddenly. ‘’…We have siblings?’’

Clicking my fingers, I bopped her nose once before nodding. ‘’Yes! Not only that, but you have a mom—er… another mommy? And three little siblings on the way, too… and maybe more?’’

I whispered that last part, not really sure.

Is it weird that the first use of Analyze I want to actually use for getting information on my loved ones is to see if Mittelt is actually pregnant or not?

Not to mention, the promise I made with Kuroka…

‘Damn, I’m about to give Poseidon a run for his money at this rate.’ I huffed, shaking my head.

In my musings, Jack’s little smile had gotten all the wider, to the point it was like staring at the sunshine. A murderous, wraith, Heroic Spirit sunshine, but a sunshine all the same!

‘’Yes, mommy!’’ Jack excitedly agreed, looking around hastily before her eyes landed on a big rock on the hill. In less than a second, the little wraith was sitting on the boulders with her legs crossed, practically vibrating with excitement while chanting in a cutesy voice. ‘’Little sister Jack… Big sister Jack… ehehe~’’

Cute.

Shaking my head, I patted myself over, making sure I had everything on me. My armor was pristine and clean, both my Red Dragon and White Dragon Spear Forms were evolved and had their skills upgraded to the furthest point I could manage…

Red Dragon Emperor Spear +10.

Hero Skill: [Dragon Shockwave V]

White Dragon Emperor Trident +10.

Hero Skill: [Brionac III]

And not only that, but even my Reinforcement was maxed out at this point, considering this was my most used Skill in all and every fight.

I was ready to simply get in there and kick Saber’s ass to next week…

But that was boring. Yes, I’m a proud battle-junkie, but this was a one-time chance I could probably never get again. At least I’m getting some words out of that ‘mad’ King!

With a mischievous smirk on my face, I walked to the castle’s walls, raising an eyebrow at the blocked entrance.

Lifting one reinforced leg, I kicked.

CRASH!

‘And just like that, there’s no more door!’ I cheered, watching the empty space where the gigantic, heavy door used to be. The structure had turned to splinters as it crashed into the nearest wall.

‘’Thankfully, I’m not paying reparations~’’ I chuckled while stepping into the castle. ‘’Now… WHERE ARE YOU, SABER!? FACE ME LIKE MAN—ER… WOMAN… WARRIOR!’’

Fucking nailed it.

-X-x-X-

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Author's Note:

I feel like the highlight of this chapter is.

''Have you seen Kiba act like an edgy prick in a DxD fic?''

Sure.

''...Have you seen it actually work out for him?''

You go, Kiba! Become the blonde Kirito you were always meant to be! (or smt, kek)

Slowly but surely, you can see this arc coming to a close.

I have 14 more chapters of this fic on my if you wish to support me.

Discord Link: .gg/92Yt5wxeWN