They made their way through the main building before heading towards a room that Elros had never noticed; either because he never walked this way or because his memory simply didn"t process it. As Rias opened the door and walked through, Elros saw who else was in attendance.
Everyone was gathered around a small circular table; Serafall and Sirzechs were off to the left side, of it, nearest to the door - where the younger Devils also lined up. Grayfia was standing just behind him. Azazel was sitting across the table from him, nodding his head at Elros who returned the nod. Interestingly enough, Vali was there was as well. That caught Issei by surprise - why was Vali on that side? At another end, a fireplace behind him, sat Michael - regal and pleasant as always, his halo orbiting his head. There was one person there that Elros did no recognize. She was a beautiful young woman with chestnut hair that was tied into twin tails and fell down to her thighs. She wore a white overcoat that covered her entire body, although Elros thought that he saw the hilt of a sword hidden there. She frowned as she saw them before turning her head away.
"Irina," Xenovia whispered in surprise.
"An Angel?" Elros wondered. Xenovia nodded in response.
"Good to see you again, Elros," Azazel said.
"Likewise. How"s it going?" Elros asked pleasantly.
"Pretty serious, as far as things go. You see what"s outside?" Azazel asked. Elros raised an eyebrow as he went to the window to check. He soon saw what Azazel was talking about.
Soldiers. Countless Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels were standing battle ready under a crimson sky right outside the academy walls. It made for a striking sight; Angels levitating with their halos glowing overhead; Devils standing ready with their polearms against any threat; and Fallen Angels with tridents in their hands, ready to face down those that might try to interfere.
"We expecting a fight?" Elros asked as he took his place between Rias and Akeno again.
"We can never be too safe. Alas, now that all the partic.i.p.ants are here - perhaps we can begin this meeting?" Michael suggested.
Rias and Sona both stepped forward and began to tell the a.s.sembled leaders of what had transpired against Kokabiel not too long ago. Most of it went over Elros"s head - he had only the faintest idea of who Kokabiel was and had zero ideas about who the others that the two talked about were. Something about a Holy Sword Project - which he knew only the faintest details about where it pertained to Kiba; and something about an Exorcist.
"The rest of the details regarding the incident between Kokabiel and my household can be found in my official report," Rias ended.
"As a witness, I, Sona Sitri, confirm the veracity of the report given by Lady Gremory," Sona said.
"That will be all. Thank you very much," Sirzechs said.
"Great job, ladies. You make me so proud Sona!" Serafall told her sister. Sona blushed as she said that before stepping back.
"Perhaps the Governor General of the Fallen Angels would care to share his opinion of their report?" Michael suggested.
"Kokabiel went rogue. My thoughts on the matter are irrelevant," Azazel said, exasperated.
"So he acted entirely on his own?" Michael asked.
"Well, he never had my permission if that"s what you"re asking. But something tells me the d.a.m.n fool wouldn"t have tried to destroy the whole town if he knew I was staying here. I"ve grown quite fond of this quaint little place. Where else do green men fall out of the sky?" Azazel asked as he gained at Elros who returned it.
"If only they knew," Elros thought to himself.
"Try to stay on topic, if you please," Michael said, although his smile betrayed the fact that Kuoh certainly was special.
"I sent Vali in to resolve the issue, and now Kokabiel is frozen stiff in the lowest level of h.e.l.l. He won"t bother you again," Azazel said.
"What I find most troubling about the attack itself is his motivation. It seems like he was rather dissatisfied with the status quo," Michael said with a frown.
"Yeah, the war ending halfway through p.i.s.sed him off. What he wanted was perpetual combat. But at this late stage in the game, I"ve no interest in a war," Azazel said.
"The seeds of discontent," Serafall said worriedly.
"Hmph. That behavior isn"t exclusive to my faction," Azazel said, earning a glare from Serafall.
"Again, I ask that we stay focused on the matter at hand. That is the reason we convened here," Sirzechs said.
"Then I say we cut to the chase and make peace instead of fussing over it. That"s the purpose of this grand summit, isn"t it? No one wants war. We"ve been at a stalemate for such a long time, we might"ve deceived ourselves into thinking that it was a peace - I know I made the slip up several times. But I don"t think the world wants any more fighting. I think we can all agree on that," Azazel said. There was a pause before Michael spoke but on a different topic.
"G.o.d and the Devil King are gone. Both our war generals have been annihilated," Michael said.
"We have a… complication. Once again, it"s not even our three powers. But their forces are equal, if not more destructive - the Red and White Emperor Dragons. Issei and Vali. So I"d like to hear their thoughts," Azazel said.
"What I want is to fight someone who"s as strong as me. I thought that would"ve been Issei, but after watching that duel, I"m not as sure anymore," Vali said as he looked at Elros.
"And what about you, Issei?" Azazel asked.
"I… ugh… wow… well… ugh… yeah, you"re putting me on the spot here," Issei grumbled. Azazel chuckled before turning to Elros.
"Well, Elros? Vali seems intent on bringing you into this as well," Azazel said with a smile.
"Whatever it takes to make peace is my position on the matter. No point in starting a war, especially when we all know how it"ll end," Elros said.
"And how do you think it"ll end?" Azazel wondered.
"Extinction," Elros responded. Azazel nodded in agreement.
"Coming from him, I suppose it"s prescient. After all, I daresay Elros is the only one here besides us four who knows what war is like," Michael said.
"Something just occurred to me, Michael," Elros suddenly said.
"What might that be?" Michael asked.
"Every time I swear to G.o.d - gah! Well, you see? That. Same happens often to Xenovia and Asia. Their faiths are still strong. Is there anything you can do?" Elros asked as he rubbed his head after the pain shot through him. Asia and Xenovia looked surprised that he would ask something like that. Their eyes flitted between him and Michael, wondering what the reaction would be.
"After G.o.d was destroyed, the only thing left in place was the system. The only thing we had to keep the faith was our power to administer divine mercy, protection, and miracles. Even with me as the center, the Church - as a whole - is barely functioning right now. Consequently, there was a need to avoid anything that could needlessly affect our system. A threat to our system was, by its very nature, a threat to our survival - which is why such things had to be removed," Michael said gravely.
"Of course. That" why I suffered Asia"s fate too. That"s why she was excommunicated after healing a Devil; why I had the same done to me after I learned of G.o.ds fate," Xenovia said as a look of understanding dawned on her face.
"Exactly. It was unfair. You were hardly heretics. We should"ve discovered another way. I ask you for your forgiveness," Michael said as he bowed his head to her.
"Apology accepted, Chief Michael. It"s interesting… I grew up in a church, so I must admit I do have a few regrets. But to be perfectly honest, I am more than satisfied with my life as a Devil," Xenovia said with a smile. Rias and Akeno smiled brightly as they heard that, as did the others.
"As am I. And I"m so much happier as a Devil, too. I"ve met people I cherish who also care about me," Asia said as she stepped forward.
"Both of you have forgiving spirits, and I am grateful for that," Michael said.
"Speaking of being grateful - did you hear about the Queen that will be attending the summit in the Underworld this summer?" Azazel asked.
"I have. The Queen of the Fairies," Sirzechs said with a smile.
"Queen of the Fairies?" Issei asked, an eyebrow raised.
"It"s a magical race. However, they"re also one of the most secretive - preferring to stay out of everyone"s business for the most part. But just recently - a day or two ago - an envoy was sent to meet each of us. They said that their Queen would like to sit in on the presentation and negotiations. The exact wording the envoy used was "… perhaps we"ve been on the sidelines for too long. Our Queen would appreciate an invitation."," Michael explained.
"It"s something that is completely unprecedented. Perhaps it might even point to a peace at large between even more races," Sirzechs said.
"Is it a good idea to allow someone to sit in out of the blue?" Vali questioned Azazel.
"The Fairies are a peaceful race. If fact, I can"t think of a single instance where they"ve waged war on others. Sure, plenty have tried to attack them - several from our factions included, I might add - but they"ve successfully repelled each of them without losses. It"s quite amazing, really," Azazel said.
Michael opened his mouth to say something but suddenly Elros stepped forward. To everyone"s surprise, he had suddenly shifted into his Green Lantern uniform. That"s when they heard an explosion outside the window. As they approached it, they saw a terrifying sight. Out of golden magic circles, hundreds of enemies were appearing. They shot out golden beams of energy at the surrounding Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels from the robes that shadowed their eyes.
"Magicians," Serafall said.
"What are those?" Elros asked.
"They"re so rude is what they are! I"m a real life magic girl and they"re flat out ignoring me!" she said hotly. The Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels attempted to do their best in holding off the attack but the overwhelming numbers of the attacking forces were simply too much. Every second, more appeared - clad in black and purple vestments with hoods that covered their eyes, they were a sight to behold. Each hood had three eyes; a large one on the bottom, right over where the eyes would be without the hood; a smaller one above it; and another even smaller one above that. The golden beams that they shot seemed to dematerialize the enemies as opposed to killing them.
"Teleportation magic, it seems. They"re not killing the soldiers; they"re sending them outside of the barrier. Which means… hmmm. Interesting; it appears that someone has opened a bridge between the here and outside," Azazel observed.
"A bridge?" Elros asked.
"A sort of path for the teleported particles to flow on - that"s why they"re getting in and why our soldiers are getting out. These barriers are often impenetrable unless you have an extremely powerful person on either end. Someone that can open a bridge can bypa.s.s the barrier for the most part, however," Azazel said.
"So many…," Irina said, shocked at the unfolding events.
"I suppose we should"ve expected this. It"s not as though it"s a secret. There will always be factions trying to undermine peace," Michael said, his voice almost tired and bored.
"We can lament that later. Right now we need to find a way to defend ourselves and our people," Azazel said.
"Their power… these aren"t middling or weak terrorists - especially not the case if they"re annihilating our forces so handily. I think it"s best if most of the peerage stay behind," Sirzechs said, looking at Sona and Rias. They were about to protest when Sirzechs interrupted.
"No - I"m sorry Sona, Rias, but I don"t want to hear it. Both of you are powerful, but the numbers out there are overwhelming," Sirzechs said. As he finished, the building they were in began to shake - the Magicians had turned their sights on where the leaders were. Suddenly, however, they noticed an eerie green glow right outside the building. The shaking stopped almost as soon as it began and the golden beams began to be deflected. Eyes turned to Elros who watched the situation outside unfold with a frown.
"That"s some barrier, kid," Azazel said in interest.
"Although you might want to conserve your power, Elros. Azazel, Sirzechs, Serafall, and I have already covered the school in an efficient barrier," Michael said.
"Better safe than sorry. Besides, it doesn"t take much energy to use it so I might as well. Plus, I think it might be useful for something else," Elros said.
"What might that be?" Michael inquired as he saw more and more Magicians gather, concentrating their attack on Elros"s barrier.
"You"ll see in a bit. Curious, what"s the deal about damage caused inside the barrier?" Elros asked.
"As in - will it carry over to Earth after it"s dropped?" Azazel asked. Elros nodded.
"None, for the most part. All damage will be concealed within the barrier. In preventing undesirable parties from interfering, it essentially takes us to a new dimension. Damage cause there is limited to there," Sirzechs said.
"That"s a relief," Elros said. Suddenly he whispered to his ring.
The barrier that he erected suddenly glowed even brighter - so much so that almost everyone had to avert their eyes. Those that did so still felt a ma.s.sive rumble moments later. As the light died down and they looked outside, the saw what had happened. The green barrier had collapsed outwards with the force of hundreds of demolition bombs. They saw the mult.i.tude of magicians - hundreds - lying unconscious several hundred feet away from the barrier, as well as the ma.s.sive impression it left in the ground it surrounded. They saw plenty of their own forces looking on in shock and awe as well; as quick as it began, the attack stopped.
"Wow…," Serafall said in surprise.
"Nice job, kid," Azazel said as he looked on in shock as well; the attack came to a standstill.
"How did you do that?" Sirzechs wondered.
"Imagination is a powerful tool. Although, I used a nonlethal approach. Those guys are just knocked out; maybe some broken bones here and there, but nothing that"ll kill them," Elros said.
"Regardless, that was impressive," Azazel said.
"Shouldn"t we use this time to get out of here?" Irina asked, stunned by the powerful attack. She looked at Elros with an intrigued eye - something that was caught by Rias who narrowed her eyes.
"We can"t - not yet. Look. More," Azazel said as he looked at the magic circle - more Magicians were beginning to appear, yet most of them were apprehensive as they looked at their fallen comrades.
"Looks like you"ve scared them a bit," Sona said.
"We can"t drop the barrier just yet, otherwise, the damage will a.s.suredly spill into Earth. We need to wait until the big bad shows themselves. No way these guys are the masterminds," Azazel said.
"Perhaps killing them might"ve made a more powerful statement," Vali suggested to Elros.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Regardless, fewer casualties is almost always better," Elros said without sparing him a glance.
"Then what do you intend to do about the reinforcements?" Vali asked.
"We can wait them out here," Serafall suggested, looking to her sister in slight worry - she wouldn"t want Sona caught in the crossfire.
"Not when our forces are being destroyed out there,"Sirzechs shook his head.
"If we get hit, we"ll be teleported away as well - and won"t be able to come back until the barrier is dropped," Grayfia reminded them.
"I can use my power to protect you all from that," Elros said. Suddenly, they all found themselves coated by a green light.
Rias and Akeno felt a warm sensation through their bodies. This was the first time that Elros had used his power on them, and it was - for lack of a better word - wonderful. It felt as though all the weight in the world had dropped away from their shoulders, from their bodies, from their minds. A light and warm sensation went through their bodies; starting from the core of the being and spreading outwards to the head and brain; through the arms and to the tips of their fingers; down their legs, to the soles of their feet. Suddenly, without meaning to, Rias jumped lightly into the air - and stayed there. The others looked on in shock as they jumped as well, simply floating in the air without the use of their powers or wings. Elros smiled as he saw the looks of wonders on their faces - the elder attendants just as awed as the younger ones.
"ELROS! LOOK! I"M FLOATING!" Gasper shouted at him as he levitated through the air towards Elros.
"Very nice, Gasper. How"s it feel?" Elros asked as he gave the kid a high five.
"THIS IS AMAZING! HOW"D YOU DO IT?!" Gasper asked excitedly.
"Just sharing some of my powers, little buddy. The barrier will protect you, but it has a few fringe benefits as well - weightlessness and flight being one," Elros said.
"This is amazing," Irina said, the most shocked out of all of them.
"Wow," Sona and Tsubaki agreed as they flew through the air as well. While their wings were amazing and useful, they lacked a certain je ne sais quoi that this power had. The wings often felt heavy, and sometimes even c.u.mbersome - whereas the light… well, what could be said of it? Amazing.
"Is this how you feel whenever you fly?" Rias asked in wonder as she levitated close to him.
"Better, actually," Elros said with a wink.
"That"s one problem down," Azazel said with a chuckle.
"I have a question, however. These… Magicians - why? Who are they? Do you know?" Elros asked.
As he asked, Azazel let out a deep sigh. All eyes turned to him in interest.
"I"ve been doing a lot of research on the Sacred Gears, as you all know. Or if not, you know now. Through that research, it led me to the existence of one of the fringe groups we discussed earlier - one that"s fairly powerful, though. They"ve been gathering Sacred Gear users from all the factions - Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, even humans - and a.s.sembling a team with them. Plenty of the Gear users possess Longinus"s as well, so you can understand my concern. They"re called the Khaos Brigade. With a K," Azazel said.
"I see. Mortal Kombat fanatics. That makes this tougher," Elros observed shrewdly. Azazel couldn"t help but laugh loudly at that; Michael and Sirzechs chuckled lightly as well while Serafall giggled.
"Is this the time to being joking?" Vali asked irritably. The others just sweatdropped, torn between laughing and agreeing with Vali.
"Ahem. Right. What"s their goal?" Elros asked - although he hoped his theory would indeed pan out. While he wasn"t keen on fighting out every solution, he"d make a special exception for Scorpion and Sub-Zero should they show themselves.
"Destruction, mayhem, and continued war. They"re just terrorists - maybe not run of the mill, but terrorists nonetheless. They aren"t fans of the proposed peace," Azazel said.
"Has your research given you any insight on who the big bad is?" Elros wondered.
"Ophis. The Ouroboros - or Infinity - Dragon," Azazel said. The others seemed stunned by the revelation - even Issei. Everyone but Elros wore a grim expression on their face.
"I"m missing something here, but fill me in on that later. Ok, so we"re under attack by terrorists led by this Ophis and cut out from the world, so we can"t call for aid. That about the gist of it?" Elros asked.
"Yup," Azazel nodded. Elros nodded and concealed his disappointment at the revelation.
"It appears we have a visitor," Grayfia suddenly said. She as surprisingly unflinching at the whole situation - not showing any excitement whatsoever, except a tiny bit when she experienced the weightlessness from Elros"s power.
"I know this power. But how?" Sirzechs wondered, his eyes narrowed.
A tall and beautiful bespectacled woman with a voluptuous figure appeared. She had tannish skin with long brown hair that was tied into a but with a headpiece at the top. She wore a purple low cut dress with a slit across the b.r.e.a.s.t.s, exposing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s considerably. It had a high collar, flowering like a lily around her neck. She wore gold rings on her arms and upper arms as well as high heels which clacked as she set down on the floor of the room. She smirked as she saw the people gathered there.
"Oh well, if it isn"t Sirzechs and Little Serafall," the woman said.
"Explain yourself! What"re you doing here?" Serafall inquired of the arrival.
"Cattleya Leviathan. The descendent of the first Leviathan," Sirzechs said, introducing her to everyone.
"Leviathan? That"s kinda bada.s.s," Elros whispered to Rias who groaned - was this really the time to admire something about the enemy? She suddenly felt a nudge in her side - Akeno was pointing to Issei. Rias groaned even louder as Issei began undressing the new arrival with his eyes.
"I"m here to bring destruction and chaos!" Cattleya said as she suddenly raised a staff she was holding high above her head. A yellow light immediately exploded from it, taking most everyone by surprise. Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs quickly put up a barrier that protected them from the attack - all of them knew who Cattleya Leviathan was. Elros narrowed his eyes at the new arrival as he made sure everyone was alright. Gasper was frightfully hanging on to his leg while Elros held Koneko close by as well. From the smoke and ruin of the building, he heard Cattleya speak again.
"Adorable! The Three Great Powers but up a barrier together! Adorable and pathetic," Cattleya said, laughing condescendingly.
"What"re you thinking, Cattleya?" Sirzechs asked.
"What I"m thinking is the complete opposite of everyone at this disgusting meeting! If G.o.d and the Devil King aren"t around anymore, then there should be a revolution in this world," Cattleya said.
"Cattleya, stop this right now! What"re you trying to do?" Serafall asked.
"Serafall! You stole my Leviathan t.i.tle and now question me. How dare you!" Cattleya snarled at her.
"Cattleya…," Serafall said quietly.
"Oh don"t worry darling! Once I kill you today, I"ll simply take back the t.i.tle of Leviathan for myself," Cattleya said. The barrier was soon lowered.
"I suppose it"s too much to hope that we"re simply caught up in a Devils coup d"état," Azazel suggested.
"I think it"s more than that. Her plan seems to go for the whole world," Michael said.
"Oh, Michael nailed it. No one wants a world where G.o.d and the Devil Kings death are covered up. So since you"ve clearly failed, we will take this decaying realm and reform it for ourselves instead," Cattleya said with an air confidence. At that, Elros groaned.
"What is it?" Rias asked.
"Can"t stand people like her. Jeez, why can"t I ever get more than a few weeks of peace? I a.s.sume that the Earth at large falls under her scope of destruction. I"m obligated to stop her now," Elros said.
"What do you plan on doing?" Rias asked worriedly.
"Working my magic. I hope you don"t mind," Elros said with a smile. Rias sighed and shook her head.
"Not at all. I thought you don"t like fighting, though?" she asked.
"I don"t. But I love the Earth more than I dislike fighting. Any threats against it I take extremely seriously," Elros said.
"Are you going to kill her?" Rias asked.
"Whether I want to or not, I have a feeling that"s what it"ll come down to," Elros said. Suddenly he was coated in a green light.
"Ah, I know you. You"re the kid that beat Riser Phoenix a few days ago. So, you"re part of Gremory"s Peerage, huh?" Cattleya asked. Elros replied by shooting out a ma.s.sive green hand that connected with Cattleya. He launched himself after her with a ferocious speed, although didn"t attack her again at that moment.
"Interesting. I didn"t see this power during that match. Who are you exactly?" Cattleya said. As she asked, Elros let out an audible groan that everyone heard.
"Why are you people always so intent on talking? What is this, a Bond film? Don"t care about your plan; all I know is innocent people might get hurt. Ergo, we fight and I stop you. There. Nice and tidy. No more talking. Please, I"m asking you kindly. Otherwise, I"m as liable to kill myself as I am you," Elros said, visibly distressed by interview Cattleya obviously intended for him.
"f.u.c.king villains. Why don"t they ever just shut up and fight? What"s with the need for the monologue or explaining their plans or this and that and the other thing? Just attack and be done with it. Ugh. f.u.c.king clichés. That might as well be enough to warrant an a.s.s kicking," Elros thought to himself. This always happened, he thought.
"Why y-," Cattleya began before suddenly her staff rocketed from her hand.
"I said no talking!" Elros said comically as he b.i.t.c.h slapped her through the sky, not allowing her to get a footing.
Below, Issei had trouble keeping his laughter in; many of the girls were also giggling. Azazel was laughing uproariously while Michael and Sirzechs shook their heads fondly; even Grayfia could be seen smiling.
"Who is that guy?" Irina asked.
"Elros Eärendil. A friend," Michael said.
"But he"s a Devil," Irina said, surprised that Michael considered him as such.
"I knew him before he was one. He has a good heart, despite his... proclivity for debauchery," Michael said.
"Proclivity for debauchery?" Rias asked Michael hotly, her power emanating slightly.
"Suffice it to say that he"s quite the ladies man. Were Cattleya not so detestable, he might even attempting to bed her," Michael said with a chuckle. Sirzechs noted that Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki were are grumbling as they heard that - it took all his strength to hold in his laughter.
"How do you know him, though, Chief Michael?" Irina asked.
"Elros is an acquaintance of Jim," Michael said with a strained smile. The color drained from Irina"s face, which drew the attention of the others.
"Corrigan?" she asked, flabbergasted. Michael nodded.
"Who is that?" Rias asked.
"Someone who doesn"t trouble with the affairs of Angels, Fallen Angels, or Devils," Vali said; they noted that the color drained from his face as well.
"Is he strong?" Issei asked.
"Strong enough that Vali won"t even pick a fight with him. Well, maybe not that exactly. You tried to pick a fight with him, didn"t you? He just ignored you, though. As in literally?" Azazel said as he hiked his thumb at the White Dragon Emperor who groaned in response.
"My quarrel isn"t with you!" Cattleya yelled to Elros, who kept playing around with her as he sent her this way and that, easily evading all the attacks she sent at him. His refusal to comment on anything seemed to anger her further, and she kept on talking.
"She loves to talk," Elros thought.
"Fine! After I kill you, I"m going for the precious s.l.u.t you call your master. Her, her family, Serafall - none of them deserve the power they have! I"m the rightful descendent to the Leviathans - IT"S MY BIRTHRIGHT!" Cattleya roared at Elros as she sent a ma.s.sive yellow blast at him. He put up a barrier and dispersed the attack, but quickly set up another as Magicians now trained their eyes on him.
Suddenly, a large green burst of energy burst out of his ring. It began zipping through the air, around the heads of the attacking forces but with every flyby, it"s shape changed. Within several seconds, a perfect replication of an F-22 Raptor was flying through the crimson skies, launching green rounds out of its M61A2 Vulcan. As quickly as they came, the Magicians began to drop like flies.
Michael, Azazel, and Sirzechs - who had also joined the fray by now and were claiming many lives for their own - paused to admire it. It"s not something they were used to seeing. Each of them, as well as Serafall, were either at the top or part of the top few in each of their faction - there were few they knew of that could hold a candle to them. Their wings were gorgeous and luxurious; their powers, off the charts and able to rend things asunder. None of them, however, had the imaginative power that Elros wielded - a power that could construe itself into anything that he wished. Michael, Azazel, and Sirzechs had the raw power of the F-22; none of them had the ability to construct it and have it course through the air, the Gatling gun giving off the sweet symphony of h.e.l.l that was rained upon the Khaos Brigade.
"That"s amazing," Sona whispered to Rias who smiled and nodded.
"Wow. I knew his powers were amazing, but… that"s something else. A hand seems simple enough, but a fighter jet?" Tsubaki said, just as awed as the others.
"Sona! You"ve got such a cool boyfriend!" Serafall teased.
"OH NO!" Sona said as she adorably covered up Serafall"s mouth, much like how Rias did for her mother whenever she teased her about Elros.
"Yeah, he"s Rias"s fi," Gasper began but had his mouth covered by Rias who gave him a pleasant, but dangerous smile.
"Perhaps we should join the fray as well," Akeno said as she shifted into her battle robes. Thunder began crackling around the area as many Magicians found themselves shocked. They were stunned to see that their attacks had no effect on the Devils - all of whom were still covered by Elros"s power. Agreeing with her, everyone launched into multiple directions, intent on destroying their foes. Regardless of how outnumbered or outmatched Sirzechs might"ve thought them to be, they"d be d.a.m.ned if they didn"t notch a few Magicians for themselves.
-o-
Xenovia and Irina were back to back, staring down multiple Magicians who were peeping out of their magic circles.
"Why didn"t you tell me that was what happened, Xenovia?! That you weren"t a traitor but had been exiled!" Irina asked her friend.
"In order to tell you that, I would"ve also had to tell you that G.o.d wasn"t here anymore. I couldn"t do that to you; and I didn"t have the strength to tell you," Xenovia confessed. Irina was shocked by that. Xenovia did it to protect the faith that her friend had; she did it for her. Irina"s head drooped for a second before she picked it up with a smile on her face.
"Irina?" Xenovia began.
"Well come on! We can"t let these talks be thwarted, right? If peace gets officially established, then Devils won"t be my enemies anymore," Irina said with a grin.
"And neither will believers in G.o.d. Then let"s do this. For friendship," Xenovia said, grinning as well. Irina gave a resounding yes and both beauties suddenly leaped with a ferocity that the Magicians had not expected.
-o-
As Cattleya fought Elros, Azazel looked at her with a peculiar eye. While Elros was neatly zipping around her, attacking when it behooved him, she was attacking indiscriminately. Azazel noted that her powers were a lot stronger than he remembered them being. He smiled lightly as he suddenly flew to the fray.
"Elros, mind if I dance with her for a bit? Cattleya and I both big talkers," Azazel suggested.
"Fine with me. She just keeps droning on and on and on. I"m considering letting her kill me off so I can save myself the trouble of listening to that voice. She"s hot but… you know what they say; don"t stick your d.i.c.k in crazy, and she definitely piles that on top of everything. h.e.l.l, look at her eyes," Elros grumbled to Azazel who laughed loudly. The remark angered Cattleya who launched another attack at the two that Elros deflected away. Soon, she and Azazel were locked in combat while Elros flew over to Issei, Gasper, and Koneko. Koneko and Issei were protecting Gasper, who seemed frightened by the attacks. A Magician went for Gasper but he found himself smashed by Elros who landed on top of him.
"Hey, little buddy. How"re you holding up?" Elros asked as he smacked away some more Magicians while putting an arm around Gasper.
"I-I can"t do anything! I"m sorry!" Gasper yelled, close to crying.
"Nonsense, Gasper. You only think that because these guys are far below your level. You have the most bada.s.s power here - I mean, you can stop time!" Elros said as he ruffled his hair.
"But I"m useless right now!" Gasper cried.
"You"re young, Gasper. You just need to learn to control it. Don"t worry - I promise that I"m going to help you do that once we start training again, alright?" Elros said.
"Really?" Gasper asked.
"Of course, buddy. Until then, just keep safe - alright? That"s all I want you to do; and that"s all you have to do," Elros said as he shot some light through the heads of a few more Magicians.
"Woah," Gasper said in awe as he watched Elros work his magic. Suddenly, Elros had an idea.
"Hey Gasper, you ever play any flight sims?" Elros asked.
"Uhh… yeah," Gasper responded.
"I"ve got an idea," Elros said with a mad grin. The flying F-22 suddenly came to a halt before him and Gasper. The hatch opened and Elros lifted Gasper up and put him inside it. A green helmet suddenly appeared on Gasper"s head and his face had wonder etched all across it. Issei and Koneko looked on in surprise, quickly dispatching a few more Magicians so they could observe the event in its glory.
"What do you think, buddy? Comfortable? Cool?" Elros asked.
"THIS IS AWESOME!" Gasper said excitedly.
"Glad you think so. Now, you know the basics right? This baby is gonna keep flying itself so you don"t have to worry about that. But, with all these Magicians, I"m having a bit of trouble keeping up. So I added an extra gun, but I want you to man it alright? Can you do that?" Elros asked encouragingly.
"I won"t let you down, Elros!" Gasper saluted excitedly as Elros closed the hatch. The F-22 was in the air again, and it suddenly began raining h.e.l.lfire like never before as another Gatling cannon opened fire on the Magicians.
"That"s so cool," Issei said weakly. Koneko knocked out a Magician that attempted to attack Issei in his moment of awe and wonder.
"Eyes on the prize, perv," Koneko deadpanned.
"You two keeping up alright?" Elros asked.
"I"m good!" Issei asked as he blew the dress off a female Magician who shrieked in horror.
"Me too," Koneko nodded vigorously as she observed Issei with distaste.
-o-
Elros saw Kiba, Asia, Tsubaki, and Sona all fighting a gaggle of Magicians. He was about to interfere when Gasper suddenly flew over and eliminated countless numbers of them. Elros heard Gasper through the loudspeaker on the fighter jet.
"ELROS DID YOU SEE THAT?! THAT WAS AWESOME!" Gasper shouted excitedly.
"Good job, buddy!" Elros yelled to him, a grin on his face. As he took down a few wayward Magicians, he checked in on the four.
"You guys good?" he asked.
"Doing well. Not as well Gasper, perhaps," Sona said with a light smile.
"Was it necessary giving him control of that thing, though?" Tsubaki asked.
"But of course! Kids kicking a.s.s and taking names. Asia, if you"d like - I can set you up in one as well," Elros suggested.
"Oh, no! I don"t really like fighting all that much. But I can heal the others if they get hurt - so I"m better on the ground," Asia squeaked. Elros smiled at her and nodded.
"In that case, here. Just an extra level of precaution. You just might be the most important player here," Elros said as he covered her with a green bubble that would protect her from any attack - as evidenced by the light bolts that the Magicians sent her way being deflected.
"Thank you!" she said with a smile.
"No problem," Elros said as he flashed her a smile and went to join Rias and Akeno.
-o-
Akeno was having the time of her life as she electrocuted countless Magicians, their screams of pain almost a source of s.e.xual pleasure for her. As he approached, Elros couldn"t help but chuckle at how much fun she seemed to be having. He certainly wasn"t a s.a.d.i.s.t, but hey - if it ain"t broke, why fix it? The Magicians brought her wrath upon themselves, he thought.
As she blasted a few more Magicians away, she sucked on the end of a finger sensually. It was a moment later she saw Elros floating a few meters away. As their eyes connected, he waved cheerfully at her. While she didn"t mind being so lewd in general, there was something about him observing her like that made her blush. As he saw it, he chuckled.
"Please, don"t stop on my account. I was enjoying the show," he said with a grin.
"Ugh. Don"t tease me about that - please," she groaned as she knocked out a Magician that went for him.
"But it"s so fun. I didn"t know you were a s.a.d.i.s.t," Elros teased her.
"Only to people that try to hurt my friends," Akeno said as she flew a bit closer to him.
"In that case, I should drop my guard and let them get a few licks in," Elros joked.
"Don"t you dare," Akeno chided him, although she was smiling.
"If you two are done flirting, perhaps you could help," Rias grumbled at them.
"My apologies, Master. If you want, you can let Akeno punish me. Kill two birds with one stone," Elros said.
"I"m not a s.a.d.i.s.t!" Rias said, turning red.
"Oh? Perhaps you"re a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t, then?" Elros suggested, turning Rias even redder.
"Now is so not the time," she told him. Elros sighed and nodded.
"Forgive me. It can wait until this weekend," he said as he shot down a few more Magicians. Rias blushed madly at that while Akeno let out a particularly powerful attack.
"They just keep coming," Akeno said as she saw a few more Magicians appear. As they appeared, Elros noted something about the magic circles. While countless ones were sp.a.w.ned, it seemed as though the Magicians were using an extremely large one that hung over the school as a bridge and conduit. He suddenly had an idea. Using his ring, he began erecting hundreds of lighting rods at the base of the large magic circle - around its edges, flowering in towards the center.
"Akeno, use those lighting rods to concentrate your attacks on that magic circle. Might be able to knock out a fair few," Elros suggested. Akeno nodded and did as she suggested; the effect was marvelous. A ma.s.sive thunderbolt erupted from each lighting rod and began to spiral up and down and left and right - connecting each of them as a ma.s.sive thunderstorm began directly under it. They heard the roars and screams of pain from the Magicians who were now being electrocuted. Their inability to attack left them fodder for Gasper, who knocked several more out as the F-22 circled the thunder.
"Nice," Akeno said as she flew over to Elros and kissed him on the cheek for his idea.
"Glad you think so," Elros said as he flew away, looking for his next target.
-o-
Cattleya and Azazel, meanwhile, were chatting it up.
"Are you excited by your final moments as I am?" Cattleya asked Azazel, her c.o.c.ky att.i.tude returning. She had to admit that she had been surprised by Elros. None of her attacks touched him; while he hardly even seemed to be trying. She knew that from the match he had with Phoenix, that he was capable - after all, not just anyone cloud trounce an entire peerage as though it were nothing. Which made her wonder: why wasn"t he applying the ferocity to her? Did he consider this a joke? That she wasn"t worthy? She didn"t have much time to consider as she found herself evenly matched by Azazel. She suddenly opened the palm of her right hand. Black snakes with an orange glow began to shoot out and they wrapped themselves around her, squeezing her body. She let out a maniacal laugh as she felt a power surge through her.
"A snake?" Azazel asked, surprised. In the blink of an eye, Cattleya opened up two parallel magic circles. A black blast of power rocketed from it towards Azazel. She grinned madly as her attack ripped through where he was standing.
"We should clear something up before moving forward," came Azazel"s voice from behind her. She scoffed and launched another attack back at him which he easily blocked with his hand, smiling at her.
"You"ve got a lot of aura. Seems to be more than a Devil Kings descendant should possess. Where"d you get this power?" Azazel asked.
"I would love to answer that question. But why waste so much breath when you are just going to die!" she roared at him.
-o-
Elros groaned as he heard that.
"Why couldn"t she have had that att.i.tude with me?! Instead, she tried playing 21 questions or some bulls.h.i.t," he thought.
-o-
"I am interested in that boy from earlier, however," Cattleya said as she continued trading blows with Azazel.
"Oh? Think he"s made his disinterest clear. Maybe if you weren"t so… well, you. But, he"s a Reincarnated Devil as you can plainly see. Don"t think he figures into your equation for world power," Azazel said.
"He"d be rewarded handsomely; all he"d have to know is his place in the New World Order," Cattleya said.
"Elros! What do you think about joining the nWo?" Azazel called out to him.
"nWo?! Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash?" Elros asked excitedly - he was a fan of wrestling.
"No, Cattleya"s," Azazel said as he dodged another attack. Elros let out an audible groan as he flew away from Cattleya.
"Ha. There"s your answer," Azazel said. Suddenly, he reached into his red robe and began to pull something out that caught Cattleya"s attention.
"What is that?" she inquired.
"Well, this is getting boring - you attacking, me blocking. Call it… my hobby," Azazel said as he raised the thing above his head. It was a dagger-like weapon, with a gold conical point and a purple pommel. He raised it high above his head and it began emanating a purple light.
"This is the Downfall Dragon Spear. It"s an Artificial Sacred Gear, developed by yours truly. Balance…Break," Azazel said as he brought the dagger down. Suddenly, he was ensconced in a golden light. A moment, where there stood Azazel stood something else. He was covered in a beautiful golden armor, from his head to his toes. Glowing, purple jewels were set within in and in his right hand, he held a two-p.r.o.nged spear. His eyes glowed a menacing purple as he observed Cattleya.
"Dragon armor… he can use a Balance Breaker, too?" Issei asked in awe.
"Now - come here," Azazel egged on Cattleya.
"I"ll kill you!" she yelled at him as she obeyed. However, it was no match for Azazel. Cattleya let out a shrill shriek as he cut through her attack - and her clothes - with his spear. However, she shifted into offense very quickly.
"I am not necessarily needed for the creation of our new world!" she yelled at Azazel as her arms suddenly stretched out and flew at Azazel. They wrapped around one of his arms, shocking him. Suddenly, her face contorted into something sinister.
"If I can take out even of the Three Great Powers, then I welcome death! I"ll destroy myself for glory!" she roared as her face suddenly took on a demonic visage. Elros turned to see it and was surprised - although her reasoning left him wanting.
"Destroy yourself? Heh. I don"t wanna mock your hopes and dreams but it doesn"t seem worth it!" Azazel said to her as he suddenly cut off his own arm. The move surprised Cattleya, who flew back a bit as she pulled on his now dismembered arm.
"You"ll still die, though!" Azazel yelled as he suddenly launched the spear at her. Cattleya had no time to react to the attack; it went squarely through her forehead, blood erupting as it pierced it. She let out a shriek as her body was immediately destroyed through the impact of the attack. Azazel stood there, floating as blood poured from him.
"Hardcore," Elros said as he flew to Azazel who had shifted back into his normal form, observing his now lost arm. Azazel grinned as he conjured up a magic circle to stem the flow of blood.
"Perhaps, but there"s still some work left to do. But I guess you can stay with me a little longer, Fafnir," he whispered to the small purple orb that was now in his hand. Suddenly, both Elros and Azazel were hit by an unsuspecting white light. Both were sent to the ground in a punishing slam.
"Elros!" Rias cried out in horror, looking for the culprit. She snarled as she saw who it was.
"Vali," she hissed.
"Ugh. You got me," Azazel said as he came out of the crater.
"Ah. Jeez, man, what"s up with that? I thought you were cool," Elros groaned.
"Sorry Azazel - but things just look so much more interesting on this side," Vali said.
"So you"re the one who opened up the bridge from this side? Well… should"ve seen that coming, I guess. Although I"d like to hear your reasoning. If you"re taking their side, that means you teamed up with Ophis, no?" Azazel wondered.
"Hmm. That"s accurate, but it"s not what you"re thinking. We"ve just decided to join our powers together to achieve a goal. That"s it," Vali said.
"I suppose it makes sense why you"d team up with Cattleya, then. After all, you both had Devil t.i.tles stolen from you," Azazel said, still smiling.
"What"re you saying?" Rias asked, surprised.
"My name is Vali Lucifer," Vali informed them. The revelation shocked some of them - the peerage members, mostly.
"What? Lucifer!" Issei asked, aghast.
"I am a direct descendent of one of the dead Devil Kings. My mother was a human, so I"m a half blood. My father was the grandson of the former great Devil King, Lucifer," Vali said, a sardonic smirk on his face under his Balance Breaker dragon mask.
"No… it can"t be true," Rias said, shocked by the revelation.
"Since you"re half human, you just happened to be possessed by the Vanishing Dragon. I see. So what you"re saying is that your very existence… is a joke?" Azazel suggested.
"I would go with a miracle," Vali said. Suddenly, his wings erupted. They looked on in wonder as a pair of blue wings erupted from his back, glowing fiercely. Behind them, however, more wings came - four pairs of abyss black, supporting the blue ones.
"His wings!" Asia said in a terrified voice.
"Dear G.o.d," Michael whispered.
"I have a feeling this one will be the best White Emperor Dragon yet… then again," Azazel said as he looked at Elros who observed the going ons with an air of interest. Rias noticed that as well.
"Elros what"re you thinking?" she asked.
"Those wings are pretty f.u.c.king bada.s.s. And that White Dragon Armor? f.u.c.king tight," Elros said, slight stars in his eyes.
"This isn"t the time to be admiring him! He betrayed us!" Rias groaned.
"Well, he"s kind of a standoffish p.r.i.c.k to begin with - not really that surprising. Although, I"m curious now as to why he was so formal in challenging me," Elros said.
"Issei Hyoudou. Fate can be cruel, wouldn"t you agree?" Vali asked, his eyes flitting to his first rival.
"Yeah," Issei nodded.
"I am the strongest dragon, and I carry with me the blood of the Devil King. But you are just a lowly human. Before becoming a Devil, you were an unimpressive student in high school. That is to say, without the Boosted Gear you are nothing. It"s disappointing… it"s so disappointing, it"s funny. Even though we are rival Sacred Gears, you and I are as far apart as the sky to the Earth," Vali scorned him. Issei hissed in anger at that, something Elros observed keenly; he had never seen Issei riled up in such a way.
"Elros, what do you think of that?" Azazel suddenly asked. All eyes turned to Elros who simply smiled.
"The sky to the earth? Pretty weak comparison, considering how close the sky actually is to the Earth. I mean, the shortest distance between Earth and s.p.a.ce is about 62 miles straight up - which I can cross in about a second if I want. So I a.s.sume Vali"s saying that Issei is pretty close to him in terms of power," Elros said.
"Elros Eärendil. You"re certainly a much more fearsome match than Issei; but that can be settled later. As much as I do wish to fight you, you"re not my target as of now," Vali said.
"If you target a friend of mine, you target me transitively," Elros said as he floated up to Vali. They observed each other before Vali suddenly attacked Elros.
"Elros!" Rias shouted. She began to prepare an attack, but Sirzechs stopped her.
"What"re you doing?! This is insane!" Rias shouted at him in anger; Elros had only just gotten better - he shouldn"t be fighting Vali now.
"Perhaps - but I think we need to let them do this themselves. Plus, with both of their powers - I don"t know if it"s the best match to interfere in," Sirzechs said. Rias sensed the hint of worry in his voice; he didn"t know how it"d turn out.
Above, Vali was launching countless attacks at Elros who simply kept evading them. Elros then launched a green blast from his ring at Vali.
"DIVIDE!" shouted a voice that emanated from Vali - although this one was deeper; the voice his dragon, Albion. Elros was surprised to see his attack suddenly reduced to nothing. Even more surprising was that his wings suddenly began to emanate white particles, which flowed outwards. Vali launched another attack at Elros, which connected in his moment of absentmindedness. He noted that it was considerably more powerful than the other attacks. He cratered the ground below but quickly got up.
"Elros! Are you alright?" Rias shouted at him, worry in her voice.
"Yeah, I"m fine. Just surprised is all. That was interesting," Elros said. As the words left his lips, Vali explained.
"My Sacred Gear - the Divine Vanishing Dragon, Albion - gives me the power to divide your attacks in half. Half of the attack remains; but the power of the other half is transferred to me," Vali explained.
"And the wings?" Azazel asked.
"If it begins to overload, excess power is ejected safely through them," Vali said. He heard Elros groan audibly.
"What?" Vali asked.
"What is it with you people always needing to explain? Leave me in the dark, for goodness sake. f.u.c.king villains," Elros complained as he launched himself at Vali. Vali brought his hand up and launched another powerful blast at Elros - but this time, Elros easily cut through it. He raised his ring at Vali, who prepared to cut whatever Elros tried to send at him. Suddenly, Elros shifted in mid-air. Instead of using his ring, he overshot Vali by a little bit and ensconced his foot in a green glow. With a punishing hit, he sent Vali to the ground below. He didn"t let up; he quickly uprooted a tree from the tree line that he smashed into Vali, again and again, punishing him all the way down until it cracked and cratered. Vali looked surprised for a moment but got to his feet quickly. There, he saw Elros looming overhead - his hands at his sides, as a menacing green glow encircled him. He had to admit it was an awe-inspiring sight - to be looking up to someone.
"What was that?" he asked. Elros didn"t answer as he quickly rocketed down. Vali put his hands up and soon he and Elros were locked in a test of strength. Elros covered his hands in a green glow as he did his foot - and Vali found himself on surprisingly even footing with him.
"DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE!" the dragon yelled - but to Vali"s surprise, nothing happened. Elros"s power didn"t decrease; it didn"t add to his own. Suddenly, Elros brought up a foot and kicked Vali back.
"Why won"t it work?" he asked softly. Azazel laughed as he understood.
"Elros is using physical attacks - what are you going to divide? You could try dividing his body so you"re fighting a child - but you just tried that, didn"t you? Looks like that ring is going to give you trouble than you thought," Azazel said.
"Dividing your powers - as well as your body - shouldn"t be a problem for me. Why isn"t it working?" Vali asked Elros.
"Why would I tell you?" Elros wondered as he went back to Vali, kicking and punching wildly with his physical body as well as his constructs. Vali managed to divide some of the constructs, but to his frustration, it wouldn"t work on Elros"s physical body.
-o-
"I"m afraid Elros isn"t one to talk extensively during fights," Michael said with a smile.
"But smack talk is part of the game!" Issei complained.
"Perhaps, but he prefers to simply lay the problem to rest. Of course, when his opponents continue to pepper him with questions, he does lose his temper from time to time to scold them," Michael chuckled.
"Is he strong, Chief Michael?" Irina wondered as she watched Elros locked in combat with Vali.
"Extremely, from what I"ve seen of his prowess. Elros has been a Lantern from a very young age and he"s trained constantly since then - certainly harder than most. It helps that he has excellent training partners as well," Michael said.
"Training partners? We haven"t done much training yet, to be honest," Rias answered.
"He has others to help him with that, Rias Gremory. But I wouldn"t be too worried. Elros is more than capable of handling himself against threats such as Mr. Lucifer," Michael said as he watched intently.
"You"re saying Elros has a chance, then?" Gasper asked fretfully.
"I"d go so far as to say that his victory is mostly a.s.sured," Michael said.
"Vali"s no push over, Michael. He is the Divine Vanishing Dragon, after all. Issei"s not a pushover himself, and he mopped the floor with Riser," Azazel said.
"Indeed. But if what I was told was correct, Elros took on Mr. Phoenix"s entire peerage and prevailed," Michael said.
"Good point. But given enough time, Vali could"ve done that as well," Azazel said.
"Sirzechs, you mentioned that Elros didn"t use his ring during the match?" Michael wondered.
"That"s correct. A flintlock and a sword," Sirzechs nodded.
"Perhaps Mr. Lucifer would indeed have beaten Mr. Phoenix"s peerage; but could he have done so without the weapons he"s so comfortable with?" Michael asked
"Heh. Good point. Still, Vali"s not gonna be easy, I think," Azazel said.
"Certainly not, Azazel. However, Elros different from many of us gathered here. He didn"t become a Green Lantern simply because of something such as destiny or divine intervention or inheritance or luck of the draw. He earned his ring through sheer will, and it"s something that has been amplified since I first met him. Mr. Lucifer is strong; but I would go so far as to say that Elros is a completely different level - likely on par with Thor, with whom he has sparred considerably," Michael said.
"Thor? Seriously?" Azazel asked.
"Indeed. As the young Odinson refuses to spend much time within Asgard, he"s fond of flying through the universe. He and Elros have even teamed up from time to time, I believe. I suppose it makes sense; after all, both have a...," Michael ended, wondering how to finish the sentence without sounding to lewd.
"Proclivity for debauchery?" Azazel asked with a laugh. Michael smiled and nodded; yes, that was correct. Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki grumbled loudly, making Sirzechs and Serafall laugh.
-o-
"We"ll have to try something different," Vali said as a sword suddenly ejected from the armor plating on his hand. He charged at Elros and began trying to stab or cut him, but Elros was able to deflect the attacks easily with a barrier.
"DIVIDE!" Vali suddenly yelled as the sword came into contact with one of them. Elros grimaced as he saw what was going to happen; the sword pierced the spot in the barrier and suddenly jabbed into his right side. He flew back, feeling the pain of the attack.
"d.a.m.n. That"s gonna smart. Guess I should"ve expected that. All that power concentrated on one point is a.s.suredly going to break through," Elros said as he held a hand over the bleeding wound, blood seeping through. He quickly capped the injured area - he"d deal with it later.
"Elros! Are you alright?" Rias shrieked, horrified. Vali was the first person she saw that went through Elros"s barrier. The others were just as shocked, especially Issei - his friend was going to suffer for his rivalry.
"Yeah, I"m good. Just surprised," Elros said with a smile.
"You can do it, Elros!" Gasper yelled out to Elros, while Koneko nodded vigorously.
"I see. I can divide your barrier if I can attack a certain point. That"ll make things easier," Vali said.
"Yeah, that"s about the size of it. Huh. Guess there"s only one course of action I have left to take. Just to make sure - we don"t have to wait until the Underworld for our fight, right?" Elros asked.
"It appears not. We shall settle it here," Vali said.
"Well, alrighty then," Elros said. Suddenly, he shot into the air. He began launching attack after attack at Vali.
"DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE!" Albion kept roaring. Vali was surprised - had Elros already forgotten what his power was?
"Elros, you have to stop! You"re giving him too much power!" Rias yelled. But Elros wasn"t listening - he kept launching power into Vali, who easily absorbed it - the rest of it flowing out of his wings. Suddenly, a voice spoke to him.
"The boy is strong, Vali! We"re absorbing more power than we had before! If we absorb too much, I won"t be able to expel it!" Albion said. That moment of broken concentration was enough for Elros, who suddenly appeared behind Vali and hugged him around the waist. He angled back and drove both of them into the ground with a ferocity that he amplified by using his ring as a booster. With a sickening thud, he german suplexed Vali into the ground. A large crater and dust cloud erupted, covering what was happening.
"Elros!" Akeno shouted in terror, hoping he was ok. When the dust cloud stopped, however, they saw a shocking sight. Elros was standing on top of Vali, driving his back into the ground with a multi-ton weight he placed on his back. Vali roared in pain.
"AGH! WHAT"RE YOU DOING?!" he roared as he suddenly felt the most excoriating pain he had ever suffered in recent time. It felt like someone was breaking and tearing away the bones that were in his back. To his distress, however, Albion was roaring in pain right beside him.
"ALBION!? WHAT IS IT?!" Vali roared out for everyone to hear, not just his dragon. His dragon responded - the first they heard his voice.
"OUR. WINGS!" Albion roared. The others looked in shock as they saw two ma.s.sive green hands extend from Elros"s ring. They crunched Vali"s blue wings together - causing a sickening sound as the metal and cartilage shattered and tore, causing Vali to roar in pain. But even more frightening was the vacant look on Elros"s face as he did so. He was torturing Vali, it seems - and he didn"t think twice about it. He crushed the wings before his hands suddenly began to glow a vibrant green. Driving his foot into the back of Vali"s neck, Elros grabbed the base of the wings and began to pull viciously.
-o-
"My word...," Sirzechs whispered.
"He"s going to tear his wings off," Issei gulped; this was going to hurt.
"That seems... excessive," Serafall said, unsure. She had taken off several wings during the war and had hers almost come off as well; it was a painful experience.
Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki simply observed - unsure of what to think.
"Chief Michael?" Irina asked, a bit frightened by the display of power.
"I"ve no comment on the matter, Irina. While it"s not something I would typically do, this is Elros"s fight," Michael answered.
-o-
"WHAT"RE YOU DOING?!" Vali roared at him.
"It"s time for me to clip your wings, pretty bird," Elros whispered. Vali shrieked in pain as Albion roared into his ears. One of the blue wings had been wrenched loose from his armor. His eyes widened his horror as he saw the sight. Elros discarded it to the side - one of the wings that were used to release the excess power that he built up. Vali tried to move, but the weight that Elros placed on his back was too much.
"DIVIDE! DIVIDE!" he tried yelling - it was to use. His sword had to connect with the energy to divide it, and he couldn"t reach the weight as his arms were pinned as well.
"That"s… brutal," Azazel said as he gulped at the display of power. It was a sort of ruthlessness he expected from others, but not from Elros.
"I"ve had to deal with people like you before. It always ends the same way," Elros said as he tore out the other wing and threw it to the side, loud enough for everyone to hear. He looked at the black wings but sighed and shook his head. He pulled the weight of Vali and wrapped a green hand around him. With a mighty throw, Vali was in the sky again. He quickly took control of himself, using his black wings to keep him afloat. He looked at the wings that Elros had torn out which now lay at the side, dead. No longer did they emanate their electric blue; they now had no master. Vali was gasping for breath and in enormous pain as he observed Elros, who seemed stoic through it all.
"You fool! What were you thinking? We cannot divide any more of his attacks! If he flurries us again and we try to do so, the power will kill you - make no mistake about it. You wish to die early? Consider this your deathbed. He isn"t like the Red Dragon Emperor. This man is a monster," Albion shouted to Vali; loud enough for the others to hear. He was right. Elros was nothing like Issei. Certainly, both had their similarities - they loved the fairer s.e.x, although Elros was successful in that regard; both were usually cheerful, if not somewhat lax - although Elros might"ve been too relaxed; both were protective of their friends. However, Issei was an innocent - he saw the world in black and white, much like many of the others in the peerage. Elros, for the naiveté he claimed to possess, was much more insightful - and as Albion stated, more like a monster than the others; while Akeno was a s.a.d.i.s.t and took pleasure in bringing pain to her enemies, Elros derived no sense of enjoyment from it - yet he would inflict it viciously if he had to. Vali had never prepared for an attack like this - for never in his lifetime did he see a Devil or Angel or Fallen Angel have their wings removed in such a fashion. As soon as Elros figured out the method of his power, however, he went for the wings first - using the energy he sent at Vali as a disruption.
"He knew. He knew we"d divide all of his attacks, that"s why he attacked us in such a manner. He was going for our wings from the onset! How could we be so foolish!?" Albion roared. The others heard it as well.
"I don"t know about that. You still have 8 more that I missed," Elros said in an uncharacteristically sardonic voice.
As Rias and Akeno heard it, they felt a shudder go down their spines - but not in a good way. They admonished themselves for being hypocritical; after all, how many lives had they both taken? Akeno was fond of seeing her opponents squirm in a fight; enjoyed hearing their pained cries and screams. It gave her considerable pleasure. Rias was also a sight to behold on the battlefield, destroying thing left, right, and center as it behooved her - much like her brother. When she had an enemy in her sights, they rued the day they chose to fight her. Koneko, Xenovia, Kiba - all three were more than happy to get blood on their hands and swords, and Issei shaped up to the challenge as well when he wanted to. Sona and Tsubaki were also eager to get their hands dirty, and sometimes they all made it a sport to decimate enemies. Gasper and Asia were the two most innocent - perhaps the two only innocent. Azazel, Serafall, Michael, and Sirzechs were all shaped by war, so all had seen and done similar things - although they too were surprised at the ferocity of Elros"s attack.
-o-
"I see. He doesn"t just want to beat Vali," Sirzechs said as a look of understanding came over him.
"What do you mean?" Rias asked.
"Elros intends to break Vali"s fighting spirit. It"s exactly what he did to Riser," Sona observed. They looked to Michael - he was the one who knew Elros the best here.
"I believe that Sona Sitri"s observation is correct. I believe his mode of thinking is that if he does it now, he"ll eliminate Vali as a threat in the future," Michael said.
-o-
Elros used the momentary lapse in Vali"s movement to attack him again. Vali attempted to brute force the attack but found himself unable to. Elros was relentless as he continued to explode on Vali with punches and kicks, each of them amplified by his powers. He caught Vali by the throat and drove him into the ground again. He reached his hand down and pulled Vali"s helmet off. They saw the horrific sight; Vali was bleeding profusely from his mouth and ears, a result of the attacks and Albion"s roar. He coughed up some more blood as he looked up at Elros. Elros brought his foot to Vali"s neck and leaned low, his voice low as he spoke - but enough for the others to hear.
"Well? You wanted to die, didn"t you? Are your affairs in order? Are you satisfied?" he asked. Vali tried to reply, but all that came out was a cough of blood.
"I"ll take that as a yes. Be at peace," Elros said as he trained his ring on Vali"s forehead. Suddenly, however, the barrier shattered. Two figures fell from the sky and landed a few feet away from Elros. They looked on in shock at the sight - Vali with his neck underfoot.
One was a handsome man with short, black hair with a headpiece around his forehead. He wore red armor that showed his midriff as well as a belt over a black skirt. In his hand, he carried a staff. At his side was a woman - Kuroka - who looked on at surprise at Elros.
"Kuroka," Elros said, surprised to see her here.
"Hey, Elros," Kuroka said uncertainly as her eyes went to the others there as well. Upon seeing her, Rias and Akeno felt their anger flare - they knew she had her eyes on him.
"What"re you doing here?" Rias yelled at her, but Kuroka ignored her.
"Vali… what happened?" the man asked, before looking at Elros. He pointed his staff at him, but Kuroka stopped him.
"Bi…kou. Kur…oka," Vali gasped.
"You… you"re the guy that beat Phoenix, no? Elros Eärendil?" Bikou asked.
"I am. You are?" Elros asked.
"This is Bikou. He"s on Team Vali with me," Kuroka answered.
"Ah. I suppose you want Vali, then? I"m afraid I can"t do that. He wanted a fight to the death and I"m about to deliver him. Perhaps in the next life," Elros said, the ice in his voice floating over the battlefield like a sudden frost as it sent shivers down the spines of the others.
"Elros… please, don"t do this," Kuroka said, gulping. Bikou was surprised to hear the pleading tone in her voice; she had never used it before. Elros looked at Kuroka and narrowed his eyes - did she care this much for Vali?
"Please," Kuroka said again. Elros growled at that.
"Rias?" Elros asked, deferring to his master.
"Me?" Rias asked in surprise.
"I"ll let it be your call. I can let him go, as Kuroka wishes; but he could"ve been the reason for so much death. Or I can kill him and be done with it. Your call," Elros said.
All eyes turned to Rias who gulped. She looked at Koneko, who looked between her, Kuroka, and Elros - not sure what to make of the situation. She looked at Issei, who shrugged - as did Akeno and Sona. Grayfia and Sirzechs nodded at her - while Azazel shrugged. Michael had no comment on the matter.
"Give him over to them. I think he"s learned his lesson," Rias instructed Elros. He paused for a second before he nodded. He took his neck off of Vali and carried him over to Bikou, who took him in his hands. He looked at Kuroka, who gulped as he towered over her. There was hardly any blood on him, but his face wore the mark of the battles he had gone through. It was obvious to her - Vali chose to fight someone out of his league. Her eyes trailed to his side, where she saw the blood that came out of the wound that Vali inflicted. She touched it gently, a motion that drew the ire of Rias and Akeno - how dare she be that close to him, especially after what Vali tried?
"Are you ok?" she asked softly.
"All things considered. You really care about him, don"t you?" Elros asked quietly.
"I… do. He saved me… when no one else cared. I"m sorry, but I couldn"t just let you kill him," Kuroka said, her voice almost pleading again.
"I understand. Make sure he doesn"t try that again. He"s forgiven this one time. But if he puts Rias, Akeno, and the others in harms way again - I," Elros said. Two green hands shot out from his ring and flew towards Vali"s wings, which he brought to Kuroka and Bikou. She looked at them in surprise - the exact amount of viciousness Elros employed just came to her.
"You tore his wings off?" Bikou asked, but Elros ignored him.
"Are you angry with me?" Kuroka asked as she looked at him. Elros had constantly been on her mind for the past few days. How Koneko so obviously cared for him; how strong and charming he was; and above that, how he made her feel - like a girl, not like Kuroka of the Vali Team. She felt that she had found another kindred spirit - or dare she say, friend? - in him. Elros saw the meaning of the question in her eyes; and to her shock, he gave her a smile. The smile wasn"t cold or mocking - it was the sweet and charming smile he gave her on the balcony when they shared several moments together.
"Of course not. You"ve still my number? You can call anytime," he said kindly and quietly so that only she heard. Kuroka smiled brightly at that as she suddenly lurched forward and hugged him. She quickly let go as she felt Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki"s anger surge to ahead and she left through a magic portal with Bikou and Vali, flashing him a smile as she went.
Elros observed the spot she pa.s.sed through with a frown.
"Could"ve ended it right there. I deferred to Rias, but if he ends up hurting one of them it"s on me," he thought. As he finished his train of thought, he found a pair of arms around him - Rias embraced him tightly and buried her head in his chest. Another pair came from Akeno; both held onto him as they a.s.sessed him carefully for damage.
"That was certainly something," Azazel said as he whistled low and came up to the three. The others began looking around - the Fallen Angels, Angels, and Devils that fell under the attack of the Magicians were coming back. They began to clean up the damage that was left in the wake of the attacks - which, unlike Elros initially was told, had ended up being severe enough that the barrier carried some of it over.
"Are you alright?" Rias asked as she took Elros"s face in her hands.
"I am. Are you two?" Elros asked as he looked between them. He was pleased to see that neither had a scratch.
"We are," Rias confirmed.
"Apologies, Azazel. Cattleya was one of our internal issues," Sirzechs said as the cleaning process was under way.
"Vali from our side caused problems as well. And it was my mistake for not nipping that in the b.u.t.t a long time ago," Azazel a.s.sured him.
"Everything truly is starting anew. Now, Elros… as for the previously discussed matter," Michael began, smiling at Elros. He then turned to Asia and Xenovia, a kind look in his eye and continued, "Would you still pray even though you know that G.o.d isn"t here anymore?" he asked.
"Yes. Even if there is no G.o.d, I would love being able to pray. It brings me comfort," Asia said as she folded her hands over her chest.
"The same goes for me. I would relish being able to pray to G.o.d again, Chief Michael - as well as you," Xenovia said.
"I"d like to ask on their behalf as well. I didn"t know the whole story before and I was so devastated when I thought you had betrayed us. I"m so sorry," Irina apologized to her long time friend.
"Don"t be. There"s nothing to be sorry for," Xenovia comforted her.
"Michael, can you do it? Perhaps granting them their wish will be a symbol of our peace?" Sirzechs asked, smiling.
"Yes. And I don"t think two Devils who can pray will be the end of the world," Michael said pleasantly.
"You"re leaving me out, aren"t you?" Elros grumbled at Michael.
"They intend to pray, my friend. You, however - I"m sorry, but we both know you don"t intend to do as such," Michael chuckled.
"Ugh… I"ll remember this," Elros complained but acceded - it was more important for Xenovia and Asia anyways.
"Thank you, Chief Michael," Xenovia said happily.
"Yes, thank you. Let"s pray our thanks," Irina suggested. The three ladies began to do so when a sharp pain went through Xenovia and Asia, who cried out. Michael chuckled at that.
"Give it time, ladies. I need to go to Heaven and change the system first," Michael said. Suddenly, Elros"s ring began to glow again and everyone turned their attention to it. For the first time, Elros"s face truly fell into a frown as he developed a much more serious persona. He walked a few paces away before he began talking to it.
"It"s Elros. Go for it, Salaak," he said to the ring.
That"s when they heard it, and it inspired a certain fear and dread they had never felt. They knew it was a voice because it sounded like a language - but what language was it? Rias and Akeno exchanged glances, as did Sona and Tsubaki. Sirzechs, Azazel, and Michael looked at each other as well before they gulped. It sounded like a mix of snarling and groaning on the other end, twisting tongues in a way they never imagined. Of all the languages they knew - and they knew all of them on Earth and could translate them - this is one that so very few had heard before - no one except Elros and 7,203 others that were privy to it from time to time.
It was alien.
"Elros? I"ve looked into that matter that you had requested from two months ago. Do you want the results?" Salaak asked.
"Give it to me," Elros said seriously.
"They"re on War World," Salaak told him.
"What?" Elros asked, surprised.
"War World," Salaak repeated.
"I see. And you"re sure of this?" Elros asked.
"I"ve checked multiple times and sent out a scouting party. It"s confirmed. Are you sure you want to go ahead with this, however? Saint Walker is understandable - but Sinestro and Atrocitus? They might not be as forgiving," Salaak warned.
"I"m positive. If the Guardians have a problem with it, I"ll take full responsibility - but I think they"ll agree with me on this. After all, we can"t judge them for the actions of their family members. Thanks, Salaak. I"m heading out immediately," Elros replied. The ring stopped glowing for a moment before it started again; Elros spoke to it.
"Chart a path; Odym to Qward to Ysmault and finally, War World," Elros whispered to it - but the others caught what he was saying. The ring glowed in affirmation. As he turned to Rias, he saw all eyes trained on him. He gave them a strained smile.
"I"ve got to go on a mission," Elros informed them; speaking specifically to Rias and Akeno. They both looked surprised.
"What? So soon? But you need to heal! And what the h.e.l.l is War World?" Rias said as she ran up to him, fearful. She didn"t know how to process what she just heard what he just said.
"I"m sorry, but I can"t wait much longer; I"ll have a friend patch me up. But I"ve got to go," Elros said.
"How… how long will you be?" Rias asked.
"I promise to be back in time for our date," he whispered to her. Rias looked torn between forcing him to stay and letting him leave. But she remembered that she made him a promise; that his duties as a Lantern would always be first.
"Please be careful," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. Akeno followed and did the same thing, just as worried.
"I will," Elros whispered to them.
"Elros? Are you leaving us?" Gasper asked fretfully. Elros smiled and went over to him, kneeling down as he ruffled his hair.
"Just for a few days, buddy. I gotta go take care of something," Elros a.s.sured him.
"But you"ll be back, right?" Gasper asked.
"Of course. I"ll even bring you back a present. How"s that sound? You"ll be the first person here to have something from Outer s.p.a.ce, yeah?" Elros asked with a wink. Gasper looked awestruck at that and nodded his head vigorously. Elros patted Koneko a few times as well.
"Be careful," Sona said as she stepped forward with Tsubaki. He gave them both a hug and a nod before stepping back.
"See you guys in a few days," he said before he erupted into the air with a ferocity. A few moments later, as they saw him break the clouds, they heard and felt it - a ma.s.sive sonic boom that shattered the windows of the school.
"Wow," Serafall said, seeing the faint grin glow as it went to the Heavens.
"I know," Sona said with a smile.
Rias and Akeno watched until the glow was finally gone. As they looked at each other, they saw the fear and apprehension that was etched into the others face. Elros would now be fighting threats on his own terms, without them to support or cheer for him. As everyone went back home, they thought of the events that had just played out - the appearance of the Khaos Brigade, Vali"s betrayal and his defeat at Elros"s hands, and Elros heading to a place they had only ever dreamed of; a place beyond the reach of Heaven or h.e.l.l; to the abyss that lay beyond the watchful night that had descended on Kuoh town.
That final frontier and what lay beyond it.