High School DxD: Fox of Ill Omen

Kusari

Yuuto dashed at Freed. 

She didn’t simply rush.

She disappeared through a chain of feints so fast Freed’s eyes failed to keep her for a breath, and then her Holy-Demonic Sword hit his fused Excalibur with a shriek that made every hair on my body stand up.

Even when he blocked, the holy aura wrapped around his blade began to peel away under contact with hers. 

“Impossible!” he barked.

Yuuto drove him back.

“If that were the true Excalibur, it would be my loss,” she said. “But with that abomination I will be able to fight on par with it!”

Freed clicked his tongue and kicked away.

“Gooooo!”

The fused blade twisted alive in his hands.

Mimic bent it.

Rapidly made its strike impossibly fast.

Transparency erased the line of attack.

It came at Yuuto from every direction at once.

And she blocked every strike.

Because his killing intent still told her where he would strike from.

Because she was reading him.

When he went to get more space or moved to flee I stopped him. 

He moved too far back and I placed a Stillmark.

He moved too far towards our group and a Baleful Bolt pushed him back. 

Freed would stumble from stepping on the marks and be pushed into Yuuto’s attacks by the bolts. 

One of my hands curled inward from the strain building.

“Keep him on the back foot,” Xenovia-san said.

I glanced to the side to see what she was doing

She stepped in then, holy sword in one hand, and raised the other toward empty space.

She chanted out the names of multiple saints before declaring:

“In the name of the saints whose spirits reside in this blade, I will release it. Come, Durandal”

A distortion opened in front of her like reality had been folded back.

She reached into it and pulled out another blade.

The holy pressure coming off it was worse than Excalibur Destruction.

Worse than Yuuto’s sword in sheer raw force, even if the wrongness of Yuuto’s holy-demonic balance still made it harder to look at.

Kokabiel and Valper both reacted visibly to the sight of it. 

“Durandel?”

“But aren’t you a wielder of Excalibur!?” Valper shouted.

“Wrong,” Xenovia-san said coolly. “I was originally chosen to wield Durandal. Later I was also chosen to use Excalibur.”

Valper’s face tightened in disbelief.

“That’s not possible! No one should be able to wield Durandal artificially yet! My research hasn’t gotten that far!”

Xenovia-san’s answer came without pity.

“It’s simple. I’m a natural holy sword wielder. You’re correct that the Vatican cannot have an artificial weirder use this sword.”.

The old man looked struck somewhere deeper than surprise.

Xenovia-san held a sword in both hands and set both swords on her shoulders. She smiled with a joy for battle that looked almost frightening in its purity.

“Thanks to you Freed Sellzen, I can have a true battle between Durandal and Excalibur. Durandel is unwieldy due to its destructive power. It only wants to ravage and destroy. This is a good chance to let it do so!”

Freed reacted exactly like a man who had just realized the game had changed without his consent.

“Is that even allowed!?”

He turned his killing intent onto Xenovia-san.

Big mistake.

Durandal moved once.

Just once.

And the fused Excalibur shattered where it met the side slash.

The pressure alone blew a huge gouge out of the field behind Freed.

Fragments of holy light and metal scattered in the air. 

“So that’s it,” Xenovia-san said. “I expected it to at least compete with my Durandal. Disappointing.”

Freed stared at the remains in disbelief.

Then his face twisted.

“What? You can’t be serious?! My Excalibur-chan! It was supposed to be a legendary blade and it’s already shattered!”

His killing intent weakened.

That was all Yuuto needed.

She was on him before he could rebuild any tempo, Holy-Demonic Sword flashing once in a line so clean it almost looked merciful.

Freed tried to block with what was left of Excalibur.

The rest of the blade shattered.

“Did you see everyone?” she said. “Our powers have surpassed our enemy, Excalibur.”

Then she cut him down.

The wound ran from shoulder to the side of his stomach. Freed crashed to the ground in blood and disbelief.

“Y-You…bitch…”

“I won…” Yuuto whispered.

For one breath, the battlefield almost stilled.

Then Valper spoke.

“Wait….  A Holy-demonic sword… it should be impossible.”

_________________________________________

Yuuto

Freed fell.

I watched him hit the broken ground in a wash of blood and shattered holy light, and for one useless second I felt nothing at all.

Not relief.

Not triumph.

Not peace.

Just the weight of my sword in my hand and the old, familiar truth that the wrong enemy had fallen first.

Freed had always been filth.

A barking animal with a holy sword.

But he was never the center of the wound.

My eyes rose from him at once.

I had destroyed Excalibur, but it wasn’t the end. 

Valper Galilei stood inside the ruined magic circle with his old face lit by the dying glow of the broken Excalibur fragments, and the sight of him hollowed the world down to a single line.

“Holy and demonic…” he whispered. “If such a thing can exist… if the powers that define the old order can overlap…” 

“Valper Galilei, prepare yourself”

His eyes widened. “Then that explains it.”

The field went very still.

Even Kokabiel turned his head slightly.

Something awful was about to happen

Valper’s voice shook now.

Not with fear.

With revelation.

“The Great King of the Devils died, and so did the other Maou…” He looked upward, toward nothing I could see. “So, not only did the Maou die, but also—”

Kokabiel acted.

Too fast.

One moment Valper was speaking. The next, one of Kokabiel’s light spears punched cleanly through his chest from behind.

The old man’s mouth opened.

No sound came out.

His eyes went wide with the sort of shock that only visits people who have spent too long assuming themselves necessary.

Blood ran down the spear.

For one absurd second, that was all I could see.

Then Kokabiel tore his hand free and let Valper’s body collapse like trash.

“Enough,” he said lightly. “You don’t get to say it before I do.”

The corpse hit the ground.

“I don’t mind whether you are with me or not. I could have done this by myself from the beginning. I only said you were useful to keep you happy and quiet.”

Nobody moved.

Not Issei-kun.

Not Buchou.

Not Xenovia

“I’m going to start another war,” he said. “That is why I chose this place. Sirzechs Gremory’s little sister. Serafall Leviathan’s little sister. A town saturated with useful pressure points. If I break Kuoh Academy badly enough, the great names will have to answer me. Then the fighting will start again.”

Issei glared up at him. “You’re insane.”

Kokabiel laughed.

“Of course. Only sane men cling to peace.”

Saji, somewhere off to the side with Sona’s line, some how heard and shouted, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Kokabiel ignored him completely.

“I want you to see that your efforts are insignificant. Have the Sekiryuuti boost to his full power and transfer it to someone else.”

He made an order full of confidence

Buchou was enraged.

“What?! Do you really think so little of us?”

Kusari-san moved closer to Buchou and quietly spoke to her.

Her eyes never moved away from Kokabiel.

“Rias-Buchou, I think we should take the chance given to us. If he’s willing to take the strongest attack we can throw at him then we should accept it.”

Kokabiel laughed.

“See the Kitsune understands the difference between us.”

Kusari-san’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. 

Kokabiel then released his power more. The pressure of it caused us to shake and falter.

This was the pressure of a fallen angle from biblical times.

You couldn't stand in this place unless you were prepared to die.

You had to accept the fact that it wouldn't be strange to lose your life.

I have to change my motivation.

Even if my grudge disappeared, the battle hasn't. 

My comrades wished for my survival soI need to live on. 

“Fine then. Ise, activate your Sacred Gear.”

Ise answered Buchou’s order.

“Right!”

[Boost!]

Kusari-san watched silently.

She watched Issei and Rias for a moment before looking at the rest of us.

Her face hardened slightly.

She turned back to Kokabiel.

We had to wait before Kokabiel as Isse’s sacred gear charged up.

We couldn't move a single step. 

We were waiting for Ise-kun’s boost while not moving an inch. 

Kokabeil didn't show a single shred of uncertainty. He simply floated above us, watching.

I could only wait for the power of the Sekiryuutei to increase standing on edge and trembling.

After a few minutes Issei-kun exclaimed.

“It's ready!”

Issei-kun’s gauntlet emitted a flashing light. 

The boost had reached its limit.

“Now. Who will you transfer it?”

Kokabiel asked with an interested voice. 

Buchou looked at Kusari-san.

“What would happen to your backlash if your spells were boosted?”

She paused for a moment.

“The backlash would grow along with the strength of the spell.”

I remember how badly Kusari-san had hurt herself during the match against Riser with her own spells.

I don’t want to imagine how badly a fully boosted Baleful Bolt would harm her.

Buchou nodded and then stepped forward.

“Ise! Transfer the power to me!”

“Yes!”

He took her hand

The light on the jewel passed onto Buchou, and the red-aura that covered her body increased drastically.

An amount of power gathered that seemed like it wouldn't even leave a single speck of dust.

“Fuhahaha! Yes! This amount of power is on par with an ultimate-class Devil. You’re nearly at the level of a Maou right now! Rias Gremory, show me your power of destruction!”

The fallen-angel leader laughed as if he was truly enjoying it.

“Be blown awaaaay!”

From Buchou's hand, a mass of the power destruction flew out.

It made a shock wave that felt like it shook the ground, and the powerful shot was heading towards Kokabiel.

With both his hands put in front of him, he tried to deflect it.

Kokabiel took Buchou’s shot head on. His expression turned strained as he tried to deflect the attack.

He made a pained noise.

Buchou’s shot started to get pushed back.

Kokabiel also wasn’t uninjured. 

His black robe was tattered in places, and his hands were bloody. 

Buchou's breathing was ragged. 

Akeno-san stepped forward and launched a bolt of lighting as well.

Kusari-san move from the other side of Buchou and sent a bolt at him from another angle. 

Even while dealing with Rias-Buchou’s attack he managed to cancel out both attacks with a flap of his wings.

“You have no chance of opposing me, daughter of Barakiel!”

Akeno-san looked enraged.

“Don’t call me that! I have nothing to do with him!”

She started raining down multiple attacks of lightning at him, but they were all nullified.

Kusari-san stopped after the first attack and was watching Kokabiel closely.

“For the child of such a famous Fallen Angel to become a Devil. It’s almost comical! Rias Gremory, you truly do have an odd assortment of servants. Just like your brother!”

“I will not allow you to insult my family! And for insulting my precious servants, you must atone with your life!”

“Hahahaha! Good! Then come! Face me!”

He finally nullified Buchou’s attack.

After all that.

I steeled my resolve and stepped forward.

It seemed like Xenovia, who was behind me, moved. 

When she went past me, she muttered.

“We will attack at the same time.”

Kusari-san noticed us and began preparing another spell and Koneko preparing to fight.

After hearing that, I also moved ahead. 

Xenovia slashed at him. 

Kokabiel created a sword of light with his hand, and blocked her using one hand with it.

“Hmmm, the power of Durandle is the real deal, compared to the damaged Excalibur. But…”

Xenovia jerked back.

The air shook, and my ears rang.

Kokabiel swiped at the air with his other hand and made Xenovia’s body float. 

Then Kokabiel kicked her stomach.

“Gaa!”

Xenovia flew back with an anguished cry.

“Your strength is lacking compared to previous wielders.”

Xenovia adjusted her stance in the air and landed on the ground. 

She then went on slashing towards him once again. 

I also continued slashing towards him alongside her.

“Kokabiel! I will cut you down with my blade! I will not lose anyone else who is precious to me!

“I’m being attacked by a Holy-sword and a Holy-demonic sword! Interesting!”

Kokabiel created another sword of light with his other hand, and clashed with our swords.

My holy-demonic sword. Xenovia’s Durandal. 

He was taking on our attacks as if it was nothing.

Koneko launched herself forward.

“…There!”

Koneko-chan thrust her punch from behind him…

“Hahahaha, naïve!”

His black wings turned into sharp blades and moved to cut up Koneko-chan’s body. 

Kusari’s cursed bolt slammed into the center of his back before he could cut her.

His wings stilled for a moment.

It was long enough for Koneko to quickly back away.

“You couldn’t wound me but I am impressed, fox.”

I let my guard down because of the damage Koneko-chan almost took.

Kokabiel’s sword of light came at me.

A crack appeared on my Holy-demonic sword.

My slip in concentration weakened my sword's blade.

Kokabiel slashed his sword once.

Xenovia and I were launched back.

The thought that this was hopeless entered my mind.

I quickly steeled myself.

I have to protect my peerage.

“I’m not done yet!”

I stood.

My blade reformed, whole this time.

I threw myself at him.

“Good! Keep fighting! If you gave up too quickly it would be boring!”

“Holy-demonic sword.”

I surrounded the fallen-angel by making swords covered with holy and demonic aura.

I had trapped him.

For the moment.

“Did you think this would stop me?”

He flexed his wings.

He used them to crush the blades surrounding him

I rushed to slash at him before he finished, but he caught the end of my blade with his had.

“Is this it?”

Kokabiel sighed. 

I created a sword in my off hand and slashed.

He simply caught it again.

I reared my head back and formed a blade held by my teeth.

I made contact with his face.

A small cut crossed his cheek.

That was it.

A scratch.

He grinned.

“Its good to see that after losing your masters that both the Devils and followers of God are still able to fight. It’s impressive!”

“……What are you talking about?”

Buchou asked doubtfully.

Kokabiel started laughing.

“Fuhaha, hahahahahahahahahaha! That’s right! The truth wasn’t revealed to you all! Then I will tell you. In the war between the three factions, not only did the Four Great Satans die, but so did God.”

He smiled cruelly

“God is dead.”

The words landed harder than any strike on the field.

Everything stopped.

Xenovia’s face went white.

Asia made a tiny, broken sound somewhere behind me.

Even Buchou, who had held herself through all of this with a King’s discipline, went still enough that I felt it without looking.

I stood in the middle of the ruined school grounds with my sword in my hand and felt, for one impossible second, like the world had been cut in half somewhere above us and only now were we being told when it had happened.

And Kokabiel smiled like a monster watching a cathedral burn.

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