Chapter 38: Bokuwa Tobi!
"So, she really didn't force you? Not even a little?" Serafall narrowed her eyes, suspicion written all over her face.
"No, not even a little." I nodded firmly, appalled by how difficult she was finding it to believe what I had just told her. Long story short, I explained that what had happened between me and Roygun yesterday was nothing more than a simple agreement between two consenting adults. We both had needs, and since we were now engaged, there was no reason we couldn't tend to one another. It was bound to happen eventually.
And in all fairness, what good would I be as a Guardian if my lower half were distracting me the whole time?
Of course, Serafall wasn't immediately sold, seeing as I only just became an adult, whereas Roygun's been one for significantly longer, but therein lies the beauty of half-truths. I disclosed merely a fraction of the whole picture, but because that fraction was completely truthful, she has no reason to doubt me. Or question me any further without it appearing like a blatant intrusion of my privacy, there's no way a diplomat of her caliber doesn't understand that.
After all, this is just personal curiosity on her part, stemming from her relationship with Roygun, or rather, her opinion of her. There's nothing official about this, as it has nothing to do with Rias or Sona.
"I don't understand," she sighed in resignation, massaging her temples. "What could you possibly see in someone like her? What could you have learned about her in such a short span of time to make you want to sleep with her?"
I wore a faint, confident smile and leaned into the soft embrace of the pillow propped up against my back.
"Who's to say? Maybe it was love at first sight?" I shrugged, which was my way of saying it wasn't any of her business, and judging by her knitted brows, I think she got the message. "Frankly, I think we've discussed my love life enough for one morning. Isn't it about time we get to business?"
"If you insist," she reached behind her, pulling out a dossier and sliding it towards me. "Before you begin training Rias and her subordinates, Sirzechs wants to make sure you aren't working in the dark."
I lifted my eyebrows in intrigue, flipping to the first page of the file.
"Oh?" Immediately, I realized what Serafall had just handed me. "I wasn't expecting to be given access to information this sensitive so early on. I'm honored Lord Lucifer has chosen to place such trust in me."
"If you'd like to maintain that trust, I'd advise you to make sure that information remains accessible to you, and you alone." She cautioned me, to which I responded with an understanding nod.
I had been given a file on each member of Rias Gremory's peerage, containing evidently sensitive information on them that was being kept by the Domestic Affairs Department Lord Lucifer's in charge of.
Let's see here.
First, there's her Queen, Akeno Himejima, descendant of the Himejima Clan, and daughter of one of Grigori's Cadres, Baraqiel.
Mixed bloodlines, huh? Interesting.
Then there's Koneko Toujou, or, according to this document, "Shirone", her Rook. She's a Youkai, or more specifically, a Nekoshou, which is a rare species of Nekomata.
It's a shame I'm not bringing Halibel with me. Oh well, I do happen to know a thing or two about Senjutsu myself, so it's not as if I have nothing to work with.
There's also mention of some incident in the Underworld she was involved in, but I'll look into that later. Right now, I just want a bare-bones idea of what kind of people Rias has under her.
Next, there's her Knight, Yuuto Kiba, or "Isaiah", yet another member who's using an alias. Wielder of a Sacred Gear known as "Sword Birth," and formerly a part of something called the "Holy Sword Project," I guess I'll have to read into that as well.
Looks like they're a pretty misfortunate bunch. However, struggle does tend to breed greatness. Maybe that'll serve to their advantage if everything goes well.
Last but not least, her Mutated Bishop, Gasper Vladi. A Dhampir and former member of House Vladi, wielder of a Sacred Gear known as "Forbidden Balor View", a Sacred Gear with the power to—
What the fuck?
I paused, wondering if I was reading the file correctly.
I happen to have an unused Mutated Bishop on hand, I wonder if there's a chance she'd be interested in a trade? After Riser's dealt with of course.
"Quite the group aren't they?" Serafall asked knowingly.
"No kidding," I chuckled nervously. I thought it was strange that Lord Lucifer was worried about his sister losing to someone like Riser, of all people, but now I can't even fathom why he'd think there's even a remote chance that she could lose to him.
A peerage with such an outlandish amount of talent is the kind you'd expect to see in the Underworld's Top 10, I'm sure Roygun would agree.
And he's worried a team like this could lose to the rooster? Seriously?
I'm speechless.
There's definitely more to this, there has to be some reason why Lord Lucifer thinks the rooster is a threat. I'll probably figure that out once I've thoroughly read through the whole thing.
"Serafall, is it fine if Thora looks at this as well?"
She paused for a moment, deliberating.
I continued. "She's the one who taught me how to use my demonic power properly. I think she'd be a great help when it comes to training Rias' peerage."
"Is that so?" She hummed, glancing at Thora, receiving an affirmative look from her in return. "Alright then, but keep in mind, if she leaks anything, you're the one who'll be held responsible."
Hah, as if such a thing would ever happen.
"I know," I said, holding the dossier towards her and pointing at Gasper's section.
"A Dhampir…?"
What? I wasn't expecting her to be interested in that part over his insane ability.
How strange.
"Not that! Over here," I redirected her attention to the part on his Sacred Gear.
"Oh… I apologize, Young Lord," she cleared her throat, mild embarrassment written on her face. "Indeed, that is an alarmingly powerful weapon Lady Rias has on her side. Honestly, that alone should be enough to deal with Riser Phenex from my perspective."
"I was thinking the same thing," I continued to read through the contents of Gasper's file. "However, he appears to have some personality issues holding him back. If he can overcome them, I'm willing to bet he'll become the deciding factor of their Rating Game."
"Well, if there's anyone capable of inspiring confidence in people, it'd be you, Young Lord." As per usual, that warm smile of hers always manages to fill me with motivation.
"Oh my, you flatter me," I replied teasingly.
"Ahem," Serfall intervened. "You can flirt all you want when I'm not here, but I'd rather you keep things cordial while I'm still around." She huffed, crossing her arms.
Hmph, she's just jealous she doesn't have a Thora of her own. Not that I blame her, heh.
"More importantly," she continued. "You might want to start thinking about how you're going to introduce yourself as their Guardian once you're there, first impressions matter."
Fair point, I stroked my chin, trying to come up with a good introduction. One that'd set a good tone for how our relationship would proceed.
Oh, I think I've got an idea.
"Serafall, you wouldn't happen to have any cloaks back there I could borrow?"
===
Rias hummed while hunched over her desk in Kuoh Academy's old schoolhouse, where she had established the Occult Research Club, a place that offered a much-needed sense of privacy to serve as her and her peerage's base of operations. Keeping her away from the prying eyes of ordinary students, both men and women alike, who were willing to give up an arm and a leg just for an opportunity to get closer to her.
She wasn't oblivious to her own beauty, but she didn't think humans would fawn over her to such a degree. They had already gone ahead and dubbed her and her Queen the academy's "Two Great Ladies" for crying out loud, and they didn't just stop at them. Koneko, her Rook, had been handed the title of "Mascot," and Kiba that of the academy's "Prince."
She presumed that kind of over-the-top parasocial adoration only existed in the anime she watched back home, which her brother's Knight gifted her DVDs of every now and then. But lo and behold, the rampant horniness she had been exposed to in the Underworld existed up here all the same. She didn't even want to think about the landfill of love letters that had piled up in her locker.
The only upside was unlike her fellow devils down below, regular humans had no way of pressuring her into doing anything. It felt good to have her own autonomy as the overseer of Kuoh Town. Well, co-overseer to be precise.
How dull, she thought to herself. It had only been a few days since she settled into Kuoh, and all those days had consisted of nothing but paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork.
Whether it was about brainwashing— cough, or rather, "convincing" the academy's staff to ignore strange absences, mapping out routes within the town for their familiars to distribute flyers, or reviewing ongoing and possible contracts between her peerage members and the humans in the area, she found it immensely tedious all the same.
I wonder how Sona's faring? She dropped her pen and leaned back into her chair, breathing a deeply exasperated groan. Her long-time friend since childhood, Sona Sitri, had also followed her into the human world and assumed the mantle of the academy's Student President, operating under the alias "Souna Shitori."
For whatever reason.
Unlike her, Sona was far more adept at handling paperwork or anything bureaucratic. A talent she envied more than anything at the moment, if it weren't for her pride, she'd probably find some way to negotiate with Sona to get her friend to do her paperwork for her.
"Ara? You look stressed, Buchou. That's no good, you'll get wrinkles."
Rias turned her head, facing the approaching figure of her Queen, who had just walked out from the clubroom's kitchen. Holding a silver tray in her hand with freshly brewed cups of her signature, soothing herbal green tea.
"Of all the enemies I could face, I never thought a stack of paper would prove this formidable." She sighed, interlocking her hands behind her back and giving her arms a long, satisfying stretch.
"Then perhaps it's time you take a break, overworking yourself won't do you any good." Akeno set the tray down on her desk, putting one cup down alongside a small bowl of biscuits she had personally baked.
"I'd love nothing more, believe me," Rias said while massaging her forehead. "But if I stop now, the load will probably double by tomorrow." She grabbed one of the biscuits, popping it into her mouth and washing it down with a sip from her cup.
Mm, delicious as ever. Her Queen never disappointed.
Akeno frowned, naturally displeased to see her King so stressed.
"In that case, at least allow me to help. Isn't it my duty as your Queen to share the workload?"
Rias exhaled, shaking her head with a tinge of regret. "Sorry, Akeno, but I can't do that, at least not this early on. I've got to figure out how to manage this on my own, otherwise what good am I as an overseer?"
Akeno paused for a moment.
"I see," she nodded. While she was concerned for Rias' well-being, her King did have a point. She'd have to learn to get used to her new responsibilities one way or another.
After all, she wasn't here solely to escape her engagement with Riser, she was also here to gain experience in managing a territory, for when the day came when she would become her family's matriarch.
Akeno walked over to the center of the clubroom, where Koneko was sitting on the couch with a bowl of sweets in her lap, inhaling them like a vacuum, and Kiba was cleaning one of the many sheaths he used.
Any contracts they had formed with humans in the town weren't in effect until nightfall, which left them with a decent amount of leisure time after the school's final bell had rung.
"Koneko-chan, Yuuto-kun. Would you two care for some tea?" She offered, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of them.
"Of course, thank you, Akeno-senpai." Kiba was quick to indulge, you'd have to be a fool to reject an opportunity to enjoy Akeno's refreshments. Koneko was no different, only she couldn't speak while her cheeks were stuffed with cookies.
"It's my pleasure," Akeno smiled warmly. Since she had yet to find someone capable of contracting her in Kuoh Town, her schedule had ended up being far emptier than she expected it to be. Small delights, such as catering to her King and juniors, were always the highlights of her day.
"Koneko-chan?" And because of that, picking up on whenever something was off with those close to her had become second nature. "What's wrong?"
Like how the Rook's attention had shifted entirely from the bowl of sweets she was holding to the window positioned right behind her. All plants held traces of natural energy within them, though they were faint, anyone with a decent amount of Senjutsu prowess could detect those traces.
Koneko was no exception.
And just now, she could've sworn she felt the vines crawling all over the old schoolhouse's exterior move.
"I sensed something. Outside." She spoke in her usual, soft, whisper-like tone. Koneko put her bowl aside and leaned over the couch, opening the window and poking her head through it, shifting her gaze from side to side in search of whatever had aroused her suspicion. Her attention was fixated on whatever vegetation she could fit into her field of view.
Her words aroused the immediate suspicion of her peers. Koneko's senses were by far the most acute among them. They had never taken Nekoshou's intuition lightly, and they weren't about to start now.
Kiba, Akeno, and Rias all followed suit. Walking towards the window closest to them, peering out of it in search of anything amiss.
"Hey, Akeno." Rias motioned with her hand for Akeno to come towards her, her eyes fixated on the bushes outside. "Did the school hire a new gardener?" Strangely enough, they had all been freshly trimmed—to near perfection no less. Rias hadn't paid much attention to them, but she was pretty sure all of the greenery surrounding the old schoolhouse had been left unkempt for quite some time.
"No, not to my knowledge." Akeno shook her head.
Even if they did, why would the school bother to maintain an area they no longer used? Rias and her peerage were the only people inhabiting the building, if any maintenance were to be done, they'd be the ones to do so. Besides, there's no way a gardener would be able to trim every bush in the vicinity without being detected by their demonic senses.
"Koneko-chan," she turned to her Rook, both their guards raised. "Are you certain you sensed something?"
"Yes. It was a faint Ki fluctuation, but I definitely sensed it—and it was alarmingly close to the building." Close enough for it to erect the hairs on the back of her neck. "Should I send my familiar out to investigate?"
"Yes, that's probably for the-" Rias paused, her eyes widening in horror seemingly out of the blue. "KONEKO-CHAN! LOOK OUT!"
"Buchou?" Koneko tilted her head, unaware that an arm had just reached through the window, shooting straight towards the petite mascot's neck. "What's the matter—!" By the time she had noticed, it was already too late. A hand had clasped itself around her throat, crushing down on it with a vice-grip and yanking her through the frame.
And once her body was outside, the arm had disappeared. She looked in all directions while she was airborne, completely unable to locate her assailant.
"KONEKO!" Kiba acted on instinct, speeding towards the window and extending his arm outward, attempting to hold onto Koneko and drag her back inside before she fell.
Unfortunately, the vines clinging to the schoolhouse's brick exterior managed to outspeed him. They shot out and wrapped around Koneko's ankle, slamming her into the dirt ground behind the building at full force, almost shattering her spine in one go. Fortunately for her, her natural durability and the endurance of her Rook piece kept her bones together.
"Cough cough!" She winced, spitting out a chunk of saliva and planting her palms on the soil, slowly hauling herself to her feet as she hurriedly channeled her Ki, attempting to repair some of the damage she had just endured before facing the surprise aggressor.
Assuming they chose to show themselves.
Kiba didn't hesitate to vault out of the frame, using his wings to slow his fall at the last minute as he landed right beside Koneko's fallen figure. Hooking his hands under her shoulders and supporting her posture.
"Yuuto-senpai!" She pointed behind him, this time noticing the vines begin to shift before they made their move.
The Knight materialized a longsword out of thin air, using it to swiftly cleave through the vines before picking Koneko up and leaping backwards, distancing himself from the building.
I don't understand, how were they able to get that close without any of us noticing? The Knight wondered, every fiber of his being on high alert as his vision frantically darted from side to side, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of whoever had mustered up the audacity to attack them.
"Koneko-chan, do you know where they are yet?"
Koneko shook her head, at a complete loss for words. Two attacks had been launched, two, and her senses had detected absolutely nothing. It was the first time she had ever felt so—inept, in a long time. Sensing was supposed to be her specialty, her responsibility within the group, outside of being their shield.
Getting caught off-guard like this put a serious dent in her pride.
"Yuuto-kun! Koneko-chan!" Akeno flew out of the window, hovering above them and scouring the area. Unable to spot anything just like those beneath her, despite her bird's eye view, her mind was filled with suppressed indignation, directed at whoever was suicidal enough to attack her adorable juniors.
"Akeno-senpai! Be careful! They're using some kind of technique to keep their presence hidden, not even Koneko's capable of detecting them!" Kiba cautioned his Queen.
"Understood," she nodded. "You two stay where you are, as long as you remain out in the open, I'll be able to help you spot them." She figured having everyone be airborne or on the ground would be suboptimal in such a situation, when facing an enemy like this, keeping everyone bunched up was the worst thing they could do. They needed as much coverage as possible.
Even if they couldn't be sensed, they could still be seen. Rias' callout made that clear. There were four of them, and only one enemy—hopefully. If they allocated their eyes well enough, chances were they'd be able to spot them before they made their next move on one of them.
"Akeno," Rias hopped out of the window frame, hovering beside her Queen. "Isn't Sona's barrier supposed to be guarding the academy grounds from intruders?"
"Yes, Sona's barrier is definitely still active. There's no doubt about that." Akeno nodded, her thoughts aligning with Rias.
Somehow, the enemy had slipped past Sona's barrier, completely undetected. Granted, they had already more than proven their stealth prowess.
I don't understand, Rias pondered. Are they unaware that this is protected territory? No, that can't be the case. Their attack was definitely targeted, the only question is who would be reckless enough to attack an area backed by two Satans? And more importantly, why?
"Buchou, don't you think there's something off about the enemy?"
Rias raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"I mean, assuming they're trying to kill us, they had a pretty good opportunity to take Koneko-chan out when they caught her by surprise. Yet—"
"—they didn't," Rias finished, in agreement with Akeno's suggestion. "It's also possible they're solely trying to take me out. I imagine they came here knowing who I am. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a Gremory-targeted attack." Enemies in noble society were as common as oxygen. It was an unavoidable part of High-Class living.
"That could be the case," she hummed inquisitively. "Still, I didn't expect them to be capable of bypassing Koneko-chan's Senjutsu." It wasn't as if they had deployed a masking barrier beforehand, if that were the case, Sona's barrier would be experiencing interference, which the Sitri would undoubtedly have noticed by now. "Usually, the only thing that can overcome a Senjutsu practitioner's sensing ability is a superior Senjutsu practitioner."
"You think they're a Youkai?"
"Possibly," Akeno shrugged. Continuing to survey the area below with increased tension, fighting an enemy they couldn't see exposed them to a certain—pressure, an especially unnerving kind.
"Gah!" Kiba cried out, attracting everyone's attention.
A small hole had opened up beneath him, from which an arm, presumably the same one that had grabbed Koneko, shot up and clasped the Knight's ankle. Pulling him down into the ground with freakish speed and power, the likes of which Kiba was utterly incapable of reacting to in time. Leaving only his head above the soil, as if he were being set up for a game of whack-a-mole.
"What the hell?!" Kiba stammered. Whoever it was who attacked him hadn't bothered to hit him with any follow-up attack, despite having him in a prime position to do so.
"You're not getting away!" Koneko scowled, reeling her arm and wrapping her fist in Touki before hammering her knuckles into the dirt. Splitting the earth wide open with her immense physical prowess, hoping to latch onto the assailant moving beneath them. "Tch!" Only to come up empty-handed.
They gave up the opportunity again. Rias frowned, her suspicion heightening.
"Koneko-chan! Yuuto-kun! Stand back!" Akeno ordered, raising her hand towards the sky as the clouds began to darken, and sparks of lightning built up around her arm.
Koneko didn't waste a second, knowing precisely what the woman dubbed the "Lightning Priestess"was about to unleash. She grabbed Kiba by the shoulders, effortlessly lifting him off the ground before bolting as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.
"Take this!"
A bolt of fierce, bright-yellow lightning crashed into the ground. Blowing it apart with bomb-like intensity and leaving a considerable crater in its wake. The initial impact had kicked up a dust cloud that reduced their visibility significantly, but the superior hearing and sight of a devil more than made up for it.
"Did you get them?" Rias asked, her expression tense.
"No, I didn't feel my lightning connect with anyone." Akeno shook her head in disappointment, clenching her fist.
"Koneko-chan, Yuuto-kun. Do you see anything down there?" Rias asked her subordinates, wondering if she should take a crack at it like her Queen had, the raw power of her Power of Destruction far exceeded that of Akeno's lightning after all.
The Knight and Rook both shook their heads.
This is seriously starting to get on my nerves. Rias bit her lower lip. That was the third attack, one that had come when all four of them were mobilized correctly and on full alert—yet, they still failed to catch their questionably motivated aggressor.
It was humiliating.
Isn't it about time you showed yourself? Or are you simply too much of a coward to-
"Howdy!" A playful, exceedingly childish voice called out to them. Located on the schoolhouse's brick-tiled roof, right behind where Akeno and Rias were hovering. "Man, those clones of mine really got the jump on y'all, didn't they? Hehe, neat trick, am I right?"
Standing before them was a tall, presumably male, cloaked figure wearing a plain, white wooden mask with two eyeholes. Even now that he had made his appearance, his presence remained completely unreadable. Whether he was a human, devil, or a Youkai as Akeno had hypothetized was indiscernible.
That sleeve, Rias' eyes narrowed in recognition. There's no mistaking it, he's definitely the one who grabbed Koneko-chan.
"Who are you? What are your intentions here?" Rias was quick to begin questioning him. At present, he didn't appear to be exuding any hostile intent—but that didn't change the fact that he had just "attacked" them out of the blue. "Answer me! Unless you'd rather I force you to!"
"Kya! Scary! Scary! I had no idea a princess like you would be such a meanie!" He swung his arms from side to side, clearly not taking the situation seriously. "Hey, scary and meanie kinda rhyme, don't they? Sca-ry, mean-ie. Yup! They definitely rhyme! I didn't even do that on purpose, I must be a genius! OH! Purpo-se, geni-us. I did it again!"
Rias and Akeno exchanged an awkward look, equally confused by the figure's strange behaviour.
Did their aggressor happen to have some kind of mental disability? Rias wasn't sure what the protocol would be for such a case.
"Enough games," Rias groaned. "You attacked us for a reason, didn't you? Did someone order you to? More importantly, do you even know who it is you just attacked in the first place?"
"What kind of question is that? I just told you that I was a genius, didn't I? Of course, I know who you are," he huffed. Raising his index finger and pointing at Koneko. "That one's Shirone, the criminal's sister."
Stunned silence followed.
He then pointed at Kiba.
"That one's Isaiah, the failed experiment."
A fierce, hateful scowl appeared on the Knight's face.
He looked up at Akeno.
"You're Akeno, a fallen angel's daughter."
The Queen's expression darkened, a shadow casting over her face.
"And last but not least," Rias shuddered, noticing a frightening, verdant glow illuminate through the holes in his mask. "You're Rias Gremory, sister of a Satan you'll never match, and aunt of a child that's destined to outshine you. Heh, if he hasn't done so already, that is. What a truly pitiful woman you are."
The auras of the peerage immediately began to change, at first they weren't sure whether the goofball standing in front of them was malicious or not—but now, they no longer harbored such doubts. The information he had just disclosed was supposed to be protected by the Satan Lucifer himself, for him to have acquired it, meant he had some serious backing.
"And here I thought this situation was negotiable," Rias let out a dry, self-depreciating chuckle. "I guess that's not the case," a tremor ran through the atmosphere. Intense, raging currents of crimson and black circled around her figure like a blazing inferno. "Don't blame me for being a little rough!"
"No worries, I happen to like it that way." He replied, audibly unfazed. "Come on, give it your best shot, girl."
Rias spread her arms, unleashing the Bael Clan's Power of Destruction towards him, the formidable destructive matter said to be capable of erasing absolutely anything and everything from existence.
An explosion, far greater than the one Akeno had produced, occurred. Obliterating the schoolhouse's roof and creating a noise that was bound to alert Sona's attention.
Unless a certain someone with a considerably close relationship with Sona, were to take advantage of a hypothetical trip from their homeworld to dote on her like usual, making her unable to come to Rias' aid while she was preocuipied—of course, hypothetically speaking.
"Did you get him?" Akeno asked, waiting for the smokescreen the impact had just created to vanish.
"Yeah, I definitely felt it connect." Rias nodded.
"An attack simply connecting, and an attack succeeding aren't the same thing." His calm, collected voice pierced through the smog. Sending a sharp chill down their spines. "I see why he believes you're going to lose, your brother's said to be capable of controlling demonic power like it's his hands and feet. You, on the other hand, control it like you're a damn amputee."
The smoke cleared, and there he remained, casually dusting himself off without sustaining so much as a lick of damage.
"Oh well, I think I've seen enough from you." Faster than anyone's eyes could follow, he leaped off the rooftop, dashing towards Rias and planting his palm against her face, thrusting his arms downwards and pummeling her into the ground with five times the force Koneko had endured. "You can go ahead and sleep, we'll talk later."
"""BUCHOU!"""
"She's fine, worry about yourselves." He latched onto one of the vines, using it as a rope to swiftly descend onto the ground, confirming that Rias had been knocked out. "Besides, it's your fault I was able to defeat her so easily. You all chose to hold back despite the fact I was attacking your King," he looked up at Akeno. "Especially you, why aren't you using your Holy Lightning? Don't tell me I'll have to kill the princess for you to take this seriously?"
He raised his foot right above Rias' neck, daring them to keep holding out on him.
Akeno clenched her fist, conflict welling up within her in a matter of seconds. Just the mention of the ability alone was enough to drive her mad, it was that man's ability after all, and there was no one she detested more than him. It was for that very reason she refused to make use of it, no matter how many times he told her to embrace her heritage.
However, as strong as her disdain was. The cloaked figure made a good point. Could she really allow her King to suffer the consequences of her personal grudge? Is that the type of person she wanted to be? A woman who'd stand back and refuse to channel her strength when someone she wanted to protect needed it most?
She felt paralyzed in thought. Should she do as he said? Should she try something else? Whatever the case, time was running out, and she'd need to make a decision soon.
He let out a disappointed exhale, noticing Akeno's hesitation.
Didn't she know? Hesitation was defeat.
He raised his foot higher. "What a shame, I guess I'll have to-"
"I won't let you hurt Buchou!" To his surprise, Koneko decided to act while her Queen remained frozen. Charging directly at him with more than double the Ki she had previously gathered, with a few noticeable changes to her appearance.
A pair of white, fluffy cat ears had sprouted out of her head, alongside a tail that had slithered out of her skirt's waistband.
"Oh? I didn't think you'd be the first to show some guts, consider me surprised." He lowered his foot, assuming a hand-to-hand stance while grinning under his mask. "Show me what you're made of, little one, maybe I'll even teach you a thing or two if you impress me enough."
"I don't need help from a coward like you," she scowled. She began by throwing light-blue balls of compressed Ki at him, though meek in appearance, the compressed, destructive power was enough to shatter someone's bones.
"Is that so?" He found himself subjected to a strange sense of déjà vu. "Then I'll go ahead and give you a tip anyway. Senjutsu is all about emotional control and restraint, the more focused you are, the more focused your Ki will become. I can tell your emotions are running high because of what I did to the princess. Rage can be useful, but only when you're the one dominating it. Not the other way around."
Koneko almost stopped her advance right then and there.
A white light had enveloped the cloaked figure's body.
One she recognized better than anyone.
He was using Touki. All he had to do was gently guide his palms, and each and every projectile Koneko threw at him ended up being deflected—effortlessly so.
"See? Even a coward like me can pull it off." He took a step closer, happily placing himself within Koneko's close combat range.
She clenched her teeth, swallowing her fear and unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks towards him, each of which was chock-full of compressed Ki that dared the cloak-bearer to try match her strength. She had practiced her strikes countless times before, pouring in all of her sweat, blood, and tears into perfecting her form. There was no reason for her to let her confidence falter in a close-up confrontation.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Yet, somehow, he was able to completely outclass her in both agility and might.
His hands went out like lightning, taking full advantage of the reach difference between them and slipping through her guard seamlessly, catching her on the chin, nose, and forehead, all in quick succession. Tearing her defense apart as if it weren't even there in the first place.
"I admire the attempt, but there's still a lot for you to learn." He took a step back, finishing her off with a monstrously quick roundhouse to the ribcage. Leaving the kitten in the same unconscious condition as her King.
""Koneko-chan!""
"Phew, I've almost worked up a sweat." He put his hands on his lower hip, giving his back a good stretch. "Now then, it's just the blond and sparky left. Let's finish this up quickly, yeah? I've got a housewarming to attend."
"You bastard!" Kiba's eyes gleamed with vengeful ferocity. "SWORD BIRTH!"
The ground around the Knight began to tremble. In an instant, dozens of swords brimming with demonic power burst out of the ground with their handles facing upwards. Kiba opted for the largest of the bunch, a gigantic, two-handed sword, that was about two meters in length, emanating an ominous aura.
This was his "Destruction Sword," a weapon he created with no other purpose than to rip and tear everything before him with as much destructive power as it could muster.
Determined not to let the cloaked figure get away with what he had done to his underclassmen and King, Kiba bolted towards him, utilizing every last drop of speed his Knight piece could grant him.
All the while, Akeno had begun to charge up her lightning once more. Only this time, there was something different about it, something that caused the cloaked man's gut to stir.
An instinctual warning.
It's the same as the princess, all power and no form. They'd disown me on the spot if I ever used my powers so sloppily. No, they'd probably outright execute me. Good grief.
"Whelp, I might as well go ahead and give you my final lesson for the day—," he didn't move a muscle, even right as Kiba was a literal second away from cleaving down on him with everything he had. "—the importance of coordination."
A pocket of earth opened up beneath him, allowing him to slip down and grab Kiba by the leg, again, and yank him forwards. Causing him to trip at the very last minute.
And as a result, leave him in Akeno's line of fire.
"Yuuto-kun!" She panicked. The cloaked man's timing had been perfect, he had made his move at the exact moment Akeno reluctantly released her father's lightning, and taking into account its speed and power, redirecting it was no longer an option.
Kiba recoiled, reflexively raising his sword above his head in an attempt to block the oncoming sparks. Like the assailant, his instincts too warned him that he couldn't afford to let himself get hit by the lightning.
Unfortunately for him, it was too little, too late.
If he were guarding against Akeno's regular power, he might've stood a chance.
But against this?
There was nothing he could do.
The bolt tore right through the alloy of his blade, and even though the impact caused the bolt to narrowly miss his scalp, the splash damage alone from it erupting against the soil exposed him to a searing pain unlike anything he had ever experienced. Blood spurted out of his figure, and his mind was unable to remain conscious in the wake of such agony. Leaving him collapsed on the ground with faint trails of smoke rising up from his body, courtesy of being straight-up electrocuted.
That was what happened when a devil was exposed to the revered Holy Lightning, wielded only by the Cadre, Baraqiel, and his daughter, Akeno Himejima.
Even if they were only nicked by it.
"Damn, that kinda stung."
Granted, there were always exceptions. For instance, if the difference in raw power was simply too great, the effects of Holy Power became drastically weaker. Sometimes, it hardly even damages the target at all, depending on the circumstances.
A few feet away from Kiba's lying figure, the cloaked individual crawled up from the earth. He shook his body to rid himself of the accumulated dirt and soil.
He looked up, observing Akeno's silent, blearily-eyed figure.
"What? There's no need to look so traumatized, I'll heal him right up in a minute." He made a finger-gun with his right hand, pointing it at her. "Bang!"
A bullet of compressed wind struck Akeno square in the forehead, knocking her out of the sky.
The fight had ended.
A blatantly one-sided one.
———
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