The Holy Man of The Church Creek

45

It was a contemplative sort of silence. The kind fraught with an air of tension that wasn't exactly overbearing as it was pressing instead, and Koneko did not like it one bit. Her brows furrowed together as she edged herself closer to the exit of the room, tugging on Rias's sleeve as an indication of her concern.

Rias stared at her, but could do little more than shake her head, prompting Koneko to bite down on her lower lip in her unease.
"Listen well little kitten, Lord Marbas will protect you, so no matter what, don't ignore anything he says. I won't forgive you if you don't."
Rias and Sona couldn't just take their peerages and leave. The Young Devil's gathering was an event that the remaining families of the Seventy-Two pillars were paying particular attention towards to determine the future prospects of the younger generation. At the end of the day, neither Rias or Sona could back out of the event on speculation alone.
Moreover, if an attack really was planned to occur, then Rias could not simply abandon her cousin Sairaorg and friend Seekvaira either.
Without saying that it was by Shirou's instruction to head to his statue at the Lands of Marbas, Koneko had nothing she could use to convince everyone else to leave right away.
She was glancing around cautiously, cat ears perked up.
"Is something the matter. Rias?" Sairaorg was the first to address the issue, Seekvaira following closely behind.
Rias and Sona turned to stare at each other, before glancing at Koneko who pursed her lips, turned her eyes away, and remained silent. There was no way that she could explain things clearly without exposing Shirou's involvement in her kidnapping. Knowing how protective Sirzechs could be in anything regarding Rias, it would only sow discord for Shirou in the future if she revealed the truth.
A flash of disappointment appeared in Rias's eyes as Koneko had not told her anything that had happened to her, but she could tell that Koneko really was worried on her and the others behalf.
She released a breath. Koneko would talk when she was ready. Besides, Rias trusted her.
"There's trouble," Rias leaned in and whispered to Sairaorg and Seekvaira. "There may be an attack during the Young Devil's Gathering."
Sairaorg raised a brow while Seekvaira crossed her arms.
"Surely you jest?" Seekvaira was the first to comment, using a finger to push up her glasses. "Many Devils are watching this event, and the security is nothing to scoff at either."
"Which is why a surprise attack could prove the most effective," Sona interjected collectedly. "You are smart Seekvaira. Surely you understand that the most opportune moment is when the opponent feels the safest?"
Seekvaira remained silent in tacit agreement. A part of her just refused to believe that an event that was so heavily guarded by the Underworld's executives could be breached so easily. A trace of apprehension appeared within her. It was prudent that she at least be prepared, no matter how ludicrous it sounded.
Different from Seekvaira, Sairaorg's expression hardly changed. "If they come, we beat them. If we can't we retreat. Besides, all that we really have to do in a time of peril is stick near Heiress Sitri."
Sona blinked her eyes at Sairaorg's unexpectedly reply. She was confused, the way her mouth pinched together expressing her thoughts. "I hardly believe that I have ability to protect everyone present," she was quick to dissuade, straightening up her back. "Though I do appreciate your confidence in me."
Sairaorg shrugged before grinning. "You alone, probably not, but your new brother-in-law? He should be plenty."
Sona's expression darkened. To be more accurate, it was so red that it might as well have had been black with how much steam seemed to be exuding off of it. Tsubaki grew concerned, but did not know what to do.
Just mentioning Shirou was enough to get Sona to recall the events of the previous evening which she had been forced to hear all night in her stunned stupor. "F-Filthy," she muttered out under her breath, her pupils nothing more than rotating swirls.
It was an odd sort of reaction, but Sairaorg was done with light banter. He turned to Rias and stared at her directly. "How sure are you of an attack?"
Rias glanced at Koneko, Koneko vigorously nodded her head back.
"Certain," Rias replied.
Sairaorg closed his eyes in thought, his arms folding in front of him. "In that case, you and Diodora should vacate this area. The match between the two of you isn't scheduled for today so there's nothing odd with you leaving and requesting for aid. In the meantime, Seekvaira, Sona, and I will pretend to remain ignorant to give our attackers a sense of security and buy you time to do what needs to be done."
"Are you telling me to leave you all in danger?" Rias narrowed her eyes, clearly unwilling.
Sona adjusted her glasses and composed herself. "Have you forgotten that Big Sis Adelina is here? It would take more than just some terrorist to defeat her. Therefore, don't bother with us. Be more concerned about yourself."
Seekvaira followed up after Sona. There was nothing like the understanding between two intelligent individuals. "If there really is an attack planned for today, do you really think that you'd be left alone should you try to leave the area? You best leave before the enemy fully cuts off all paths of retreat."
Rias was thoroughly rebuked, her mouth opening then closing when she noticed how serious her friends looked.
Koneko used this moment to pull on Rias's sleeve again, already forcing Issei out the door and calling for Kiba and the others to follow.
"Very well," Rias sighed in defeat. "Speaking of which, where is Diodora?"
It was only when Rias brought it up did Sairaorg and Seekvaira take notice of Diodora's absence. Admittedly the two had not been paying the young heir of Astaroth much attention.
"Were you looking for me?" A voice called out from the side.
Diodora strode forward pleasantly, a light smile on his face as his peerage of beautiful women trailed behind him. "Sorry, I was helping myself to a drink and a couple of snacks," he apologized.
"We weren't looking for you anyway," Issei interjected irritably by the door, pushing Asia behind him.
Issei and Diodora were destined not to o get along from the moment Diodora insisted on taking Asia away. It didn't help that Diodora was also the very same Devil that had gotten Asia ex-communicated from the Church.
The smile on Diodora's face twitched for a moment, his eyes thinning before ignoring Issei and turning back to Rias. "The deal still stands. My Bishop for yours?"
"No," Rias declined politely. "I won't be changing my mind either so don't bother trying again."
Diodora's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "A pity, but no matter. Might I ask what seems to have you so intent on leaving right now?"
"Apparently, there's going to be an attack," Seekvaira admitted.
"Oh?" an enigmatic expression flashed over Diodora's face. "How bold, and whom do we owe the honour of discovering such information?"
Seekvaira turned towards Rias, but Rias did not wish to involve Koneko and spoke nothing.
The Gremory Heiress? The thought appeared in Diodora's mind. He could not understand how Rias could have discovered the operation, but he inwardly made Rias the top priority. He didn't know how much she really knew and therefore, she had to be dealt with first.
"Perfect timing, Diodora," Siaraorg got straight to the point. "Accompany Rias outside and discreetly ask for reinforcements to be sent as a precaution."
Diodora shifted his bangs away from his eyes and inwardly sneered while staring at Asia.
"It would be my pleasure," he remained cordial on the surface, even nodding his head towards Rias.
Koneko felt that something was odd about Diodora, but her urgency prevented her from trusting her intuition. Instead, she chalked it up as a side-effect of using Senjustu or nature energy for the first time in years. It was a form of energy only available to her in her nekomata form which she'd just recently grown comfortable enough to practice with.
Once outside of the building Koneko again made her way to stand next to Rias. "We need to go to the statue of Marbas. It will be safe there," she insisted. Thereafter, she moved ahead as if to lead the group, leaving Rias feeling helpless.
She didn't quite know what to make of Koneko's words. There would be no help to be found at the statue of Marbas. What Rias was intending on doing was finding her older brother or Grayfia to help.
"Would you like me to send my familiar towards house Gremory?" Akeno inquired. She was walking by Rias's side while Issei dragged Kiba along with him to ensure that Diodora stayed far away from Asia.
Speaking of Diodora, the man was content to follow a short distance behind.
Rias turned to stare at Akeno before nodding silently. It was prudent that she at least set some countermeasures.
Whatever had happened to Koneko, at the very least she seemed more confident and happier than how she had once been. Perhaps the most drastic change was the tender expression that would make its way onto Koneko's face when she mentioned her older sister. It was a far cry from the loathing it had been before.
Rias was just happy that her Koneko was alright.
Leading from the front, Koneko did not encounter any signs of an enemy attack, but it only made her wearier. Neither Kuroka or Shirou would lie to her, therefore, the quitter the enemy was in their movements, the more formidable they actually were. Even while being in contact with her nature energy, she could still not detect the presence of enemies.
This meant to say that either the power difference between them and the enemy was too wide a gap to surmount, or the enemy wasn't actually around. Considering her older sister's warning and the apprehension that she had seen on Kuroka's face, Koneko believed the situation to be of the former scenario.
"Hurry," she beckoned on, increasing her pace.
Rias and the others had no choice but to augment their movement with magic power to keep up. In Issei's case, due to his inexperience with magic control, Kiba picked him up and ran along while carrying him.
Based on their current speed, they would arrive at the lands of Marbas in just couple of hours at the most much to Koneko's relief.
She began to slow down, allowing the others to get some rest in the slower pacing. Diodora simply continued smiling over the course of the journey, neither going out of his way to speak or doing anything to cause delays.
It was exactly how Rias preferred it as she was expecting Diodora to insist on the trade between Bishops.
At exactly the point where the borders of the Lands of Marbas had been reached, Diodora suddenly stopped, prompting Rias and the others to stare at him.
"Forgive me, but I already went out of my way to contact my family's reinforcements. They are waiting for me just ahead in one of my family warehouses," he quickly explained. "Can you follow me for a short detour?"
Rias considered the offer, a hand placing itself beneath her chin. None in her peerage aside from Issei were speaking against the matter, and it would be safer with more people. "Fine," she eventually agreed.
Koneko didn't mind as the small detour coincided with the direction of the Lands of Marbas.
With Diodora leading at the front, Koneko and the others were soon led to a warehouse belonging to the Astaroth family who primarily dealt in construction. The crest of house Astaroth was out in display over the building, proving its authenticity.
As Rias and the others approached, Akeno came up with a question. "Lord Diodora, if you really requested for reinforcements, why did you not just have them come to us?"
Diodora paused just moments away from opening the door of the warehouse. "About that, I had forgotten to inform my family of our location," he said apologetically, a hand scratching the back of his head. Yet there something not quite right with his expression.
Rias frowned, realizing that there was something off with the situation.
Her eyes glanced left and right, taking in her surroundings.
There's no one around. She quickly noted.
Even if the warehouse belonged to the Astaroth family, where were its workers? And why was it located only at the edge of the Lands of Marbas? Business would be better in a more populated areas like the capital.
She contemplated the issue in her mind as Koneko and the others followed Diodora into the building. By the time she considered bringing up her suspicions, Diodora closed the door behind him and began laughing.
"I told you he was crazy," Issei said guardedly. "He almost reminds me of Freed."
Ignoring Issei, Diodora turned to someone else in the room. "I've brought them as you wished Lord Shalba and Lord Creuserey."
Rias eyes widened at the mention of those names.
No matter how she thought about it, they were the names of the true bloodline descendants of House Beelzebub and Asmodeous, leaders of the Old Satan Faction. "Diodora you traitor!" Her mind quickly reached the only logical conclusion.
She moved by instinct.
Panicked, she blew open the door Diodora had just closed with her power of destruction and tossed Koneko, Issei, and Asia out. Kiba and Akeno refused to leave and stayed by Rias's side.
"Go Koneko! Take Issei and Asia and run!" Rias shouted. "We'll hold them off and catch up later!"
Both Issei and Asia were currently liabilities, neither of them truly strong enough to contend against the strength of the members of the Old Satan Faction.
Rias knew this and wished for them to escape first. She would not be able to bear seeing them killed in front of her eyes. "GOO!" She yelled when she saw Koneko standing frozen.
It was an error in judgment.
Koneko saw the attack coming, but her body was simply too slow to react.
A punch landed on her gut, causing her to gag and dry-heave as she was blown back into a tumble, bruises and cuts forming on her skin.
"Koneko!" Issei yelled before activating his Boosted Gear. A crimson gauntlet appeared on his right hand, reacting to his rage.
[BOOST]
[BOOST]
]BOOST]
Strength doubled both continuously and exponentially. Thus, was the power of the Boosted Gear, the power able to rival a God. A true Longinus.
He struck out, the punch sending shockwaves through the air.
"Is that all?" a leisurely tone. One that was beyond disinterested. "Id thought that the power of the Red Dragon Emperor would amount to something far more, but I suppose it was the fault of God to leave such a weapon in the hands of weakling."
A single hand caught Issei's strike, the rebound of his attack uprooting the dirt and rocks in the vicinity. Issei glared at Creuserey Asmodeous in front of him, unwilling to back down, but aware that he was out of his current league.
"Get away from him!" Koneko returned, catching Creuserey by surprise by how fast she had taken to recover. In truth, it was all due to her use of Senjutsu which helped dull the pain working its way throughout her body.
Punched in the face, Creuserey staggered back and released Issei from his grip.
"…" Creuserey was not amused as he slowly wiped his face.
Koneko reacted immediately.
She urged herself on, grasping Issei and Asia tightly with her hands and hulling them along as she took off and ran.
Creuserey watched with mild disinterest. It didn't matter how far they ran; he would catch them while Shalba dealt with Rias Gremory.
With a single step, he vanished, accompanied by the group of Old Satan Faction members he led.
Meanwhile, Koneko's body screamed in protest from her exertion. Although she was a Rook-Class in the Peerage system, granting her heightened strength and defence, it didn't mean that she could not grow exhausted or injured.
Diodora had led her and the others into a trap, and to escape Rias had ordered her to take Issei and Asia away. In reality, Koneko could see the helplessness on Rias's face.
There was no victory or escape to be seen in the situation. It was much like the feeling of powerlessness that they faced when up against Kokabiel for the first time.
She felt blood working its way up her throat. Creuserey's last attack must have ruptured something inside her. She wasn't feeling good, her vision foggy, her body wracked with shivers.
No matter how much Rias and the others fought, or how far Koneko was able to run, it was only delaying the inevitable. They were outnumbered and caught in the disadvantage. Moreover, there was no way that she as a member of Rias's peerage would abandon her comrades. She'd only chosen to obey Rias's instructions for one reason alone. Hope.
"Let go of me Koneko! We can't just leave them!" Issei was struggling desperately to get out of her grip, but his strength was too feeble. Without the Bracelet Azazel had given him to enter the Balance Breaker of the Boosted Gear, he didn't have much combat ability to speak of. If she let go of him now, he would die, and that was why she could only tighten her grip further.
Wind whipped across her face, scratches forming on her skin as she ran over sharp bramble.
"Koneko let go of me!" Issei continued to insist, his eyes blood shot. "Just take Asia and leave me behind we can't just leave them!"
Koneko had heard enough.
"Shut up, DO YOU THINK I WANTED TO LEAVE THEM!" She snapped, her mind fraying from the pressure and exhaustion. Her eyes were watering, her lips pursed as she tried to force the rest of her outburst down but failed as she swallowed audibly. She was never a vocal person, and the fact that she resorted to yelling revealed just how strongly she felt on the matter.
To Issei's credit, he stopped struggling despite how much he wanted to refuse.
It gave Koneko time to think while Asia watched the interaction quietly, her eyes moving back and forth from Issei to Koneko. It was in times like these that she wished that her Sacred Gear could be used for more than just healing. She felt like unneeded baggage at the moment and she vowed that she'd find some way to help in the future.
Meanwhile, Koneko turned her head back to stare sharply ahead, her cat ears standing erect.
No matter what, she wasn't just uselessly fleeing. She was clinging onto hope.
It was there, just within sight from her current position: the statue of Marbas crafted from finely chiseled Devil Core.
"Lord Marbas will protect you. He promised me."
The confidence in her sister's voice and the words that Shirou had spoken to her played endlessly through her mind.
There must have been a reason Shirou had told her to go there with everyone else. It was safe, it had to be.
She coughed up blood, leaving a trail in her wake, but she couldn't stop to mask her tracks either.
She didn't dare to fly. Doing so would only give her position away and Creuserey would appear in an instant given his level as an Ultimate-Class.
Her legs felt like they were lead, her arms, growing numb. Worse, her ears picked up on the sound of a group of Devils approaching her from the air.
He complexion paled.
Damn it. She cursed.
Kuroka had warned her that it would be dangerous. She'd even gone as far as to kidnap her. In that regard, she blamed herself for not being able to do anything even with prior information.
She felt the weight of Issei and Asia on her arms, and thought about how desperate a fight Rias and the others must be putting up.
Her expression hardened.
She had to keep going. She had to.
The statue was only a hundred or so meters in front of her by now, but the old Satan Faction members had long since sighted her. Creuserey was leading at the front, and he seemed to have no qualms with pursing them out in the open. It was the arrogance of pride as a True Born.
There was a group of Lower-Class Devils kneeling piously in front of the monument of Lord marbas. Most of them were of the older sort with their children and relatives brought along with them. They were the locals who had been alive since the time of the Underworld's Civil War.
They who revered Lord Marbas the most.
The Devils that the Demon had saved.
By the time Koneko drew close enough, the Lower-Class Devils around the statue noticed the large group of Old Satan Faction Members pursuing.
Memories of the past quickly filled their minds. It was the same feeling. The tragedy that had occurred when the Old Satan Faction members had decimated their land.
Koneko saw the pallid expressions of the older Devils in front of her, but no matter how reluctant she was feeling to involve them, she clung onto the words of her sister.
"He will protect you. He will protect everyone. That is his strength as the Last Demon of the Underworld."
She pulled Issei and Asia closer, using the last dredges of her stamina to burst ahead in a violent explosion of speed fueled by what modicum of nature energy she had access to in her inexperience.
For lack of better terms, her actions were the same as jumping forward with all the strength she could muster.
The ground cratered as her shoulder struck first before she fell into a bouncing tumble, Issei and Asia tossed further ahead of herself. She groaned, lying sprawled on her stomach, mud and dirt coating her entire form. She wiped away the grime from her eyes before finding purchase with her fingers, and shakily pushing herself off the ground with her hands.
Her body gave out at the next moment, causing her to collapse, her elbows serving as her only support as she stared at the statue before her.
In the end, she'd reached her destination.
She closed her mouth, staring blankly as shadows descended from above her.
The members of the Old Satan Faction had come, Creuserey Asmodeus smiling mockingly.
The man stared at her in contempt for her futile efforts, but for some inexplicable reason, she was not afraid. Far from it, there was a pervading sense of security that was steadily flowing through her and the many other Devil's around her.
Weak in the beginning, it grew stronger by the second.
The power of a Lord.
A Pillar.
Bottomless and unfathomable.
The expression on Creuserey's face gradually shifted into one of confusion as he stared down at his hands and then at the rest of his body. He was trembling.
Impossible.
No mater how he tried to quell his involuntarily movements, it served no purpose. By now he could see that he wasn't the only one experiencing such problems. The actions of others around him were even more pronounced. Some even had their complexions paling rapibly.
He could not understand what was going on, but the senior members in the Lands of Marbas suddenly began weeping. It was a familiar energy. One that filled them with such nostalgia that they could not control themselves.
The ground trembled, an overbearing aura spreading throughout.
Evil.
Monster.
Demon.
Darkness of the deepest black erupted into spiraling tendrils in the form of a Lion, a magic seal expanding rapidly over the ground.
The Great President presiding over the hells as the Fifth Pillar of the Underworld.
The Lion of the Thirty-Six Legions.
It was the symbol of House Marbas, the house of the Demon that brought an end to the Civil War.
Terror gripped Creuserey's heart like a vice. Nirgul had warned them numerous times of the Legend behind the strength of the Demon of the Underworld, and only now did he realise how lightly he had been taking them.
Pure nobility?
True heirs?
What did it matter before those eyes?
The statue of Devil Core, it was staring right at him as the inconceivable occurred.
It moved, shrinking in size to take on a blackened form marred by ancient writhing tribal marks that covered its entire body in a pale blue.
Devil Core was in essence, the purest ore of the Underworld, existing even in the time of the original Seventy-Two. It was able to store a near limitless amount of demonic or magical power within its storage capacity. More than that, it had the durability required to host a conscience, if only temporarily.
Staring in muted silence, the Lower-Class Devils could hold themselves back no longer.
"L-Lord Marbas," they stuttered out in reverence; the other Devils watching in the distance suddenly lowering themselves to their knees in piety. "T-The Lord Demon has returned at last."
Yet it wasn't Shirou who was present at the moment, but someone far more jaded and crueler.
A truer aspect of what it meant to be a Demon.
The figure stared at Koneko, Issei, Asia, and the rest before pulling them up and shielding them behind him. Creuserey and the others did not dare tread forward.
They could feel it clawing at their skin, curses that would kill them in an instant, fueled by an unrelenting and tainted demonic energy.
To be scorned, beaten, isolated, tortured, spat on, and then told that it was all for the greater good, there was no way that one could stay sane.
In a bottomless abyss in which appeared no light, he was the dark's lone companion.
And he had been released under Shirou's preparation.
A chill expanded through the air, an impassive face staring forth at the frightened lambs.
The King piece of Marbas, and the taint of the figure's power fused in tandem, the roar of a lion echoing for miles on end. Signalling the return of a monarch whose influence stretched across the entirety of the Underworld.
He who should have been the next King.
A Ruler greater than the new Great Satans.
An individual that Sirzechs, Ajuka, Serafall, and Falbium once acknowledged to serve.
Light itself began to dim, dark clouds forming in the air, crackling with tendrils of lightning.
The strength of an Arch-Demon unleashed.
"Now then," the figure's face was the picture of neutrality, opening and clenching his hands as if growing accustomed to its body. "How shall I show you the Evils of the World?"
Light found in dark.
Salvation found in redemption.
God's Light could not be contained by the deathly shadows that sought to suppress it.
The time of waiting was over.
In Angels he gave the Heavens.
In Demons he gave the Underworld.
And in Humans, he gave the World.
It was a Trinity of Three, joining together to form a whole.
"Y-You, it can't be," the surprise and horror in Hades's voice was beyond simple fear. His attack was entirely eradicated as if it had never existed. Just as the One God had the power to create, he had the power to destroy. 'And so, he said, let there be light, then there was light.'
Shirou stared back impassively as Hades slowly began backing up. He'd done his part by supplying the weapons for the Gods of War to fight with, but anymore on his part would be counter productive. He did not wish to kill anyone, that role fell in the hands of another who insisted he stay behind to protect the Underworld.
The Gods of the other Pantheons were needed alive for the Alliance. An Alliance built upon the blood of others was far from stable after all.
He did not know the personalities of the other Gods, nor their true powers, but God did, and it was his turn to take over the situation. He needed to reveal to them the purpose of an alliance rather than fighting it out with each other.
With a thought, he relinquished control to allow God to handle the rest.
The change was immediate before Hades's eyes. Shirou's entire disposition changed, making it impossible to simply describe him as 'Human.' The others fighting in the distance did not notice the change immediately as there was no outburst of power.
Instead, the doves simply began to sing. A chorus of the Angels up high.
Hades felt as if he had become insignificantly small. The power of the One God was not something that he could contend against by himself. Only through the cooperation of many pantheons could he hope to match the one God's power.
He had to rely on his brothers and the other Gods around him. As for Sirzechs and the others, he didn't put much weight to there strength.
His mentality seemed to show in his disposition as God spoke up with a stunning clarity.
"You believe that I alone am the only one to carry absolute power in my Faith?" God stepped forward, Hades a step back.
"If not for you being here, do you think that the Faction of the Bible could possibly survive this encounter?" Hades was bitter. No matter how the situation panned out, there was no way he or any of the others could have had accounted for the One God's presence. "Do you even need to state the obvious?"
God shook his head.
"Gods are not the only strength of a Religion." A finger was raised, pointed towards the heavens, at the figures flying across the skies in combat. "Look and Behold their Splendor, their Light shining amidst the stars. My Angels."
Michael shot forth on pinioned wings of gold; the spear in his hands appearing to be alive in the way it pressured the Gods before him.
In the times of old against the Legions of the Seventy-Two Pillars, Michael, Angel of War had led the armies of Heaven to combat them. Embodying the principles of righteousness, he was the Prince of Heavenly Host.
The power that he had displayed back then, was a far cry from the strength that he wielded at present while overseeing the Heavens. Part of it was due to his guilt, the other was that he had discarded his armours and weapons out of shame for his inability to protect his brothers and sisters.
The Death of Metatron and the other Arch Angels had hit him hard, yet at this moment, his weapons and armour had returned. The Angel of War was back, beckoned by the will of the Father, and his sister was not far behind. Gabriel, the Angel of Revelation.
The Gods of the other pantheons were struggling at their wake.
In terms of Religion, Michael and Gabriel weren't Gods, but they who had the ability to combat the Demons of the Seventy-Two were the equivalent.
"They are my arms, my legs, my messengers," God's voice was neutral, but his pride as a Father could not be hidden. "My eldest sons and daughters, the Seraphim of the upper Heavens."
He pointed out again, at the Fallen Angel fighting the hardest in a fierce volley against the Mayan God of storms, Kukulkan and the Mayan God of Rain, Chaac.
"Look and behold, Fallen yet pure. A Light never beyond redemption."
With a sweep of his hands, God then pointed towards Sirzechs and Ajuka who were facing the Egyptians. Sirzechs himself was pressuring the God of the Sun by swallowing whole the scorching flames that Ra emitted from his staff.
"Although the Seventy-Two that were my equal are gone, they're ancestry still flourishes to this day in the form of Devils carrying the title of the Four Great Satans." God glanced at Hades. "You would do well not to underestimate them. The strength of the Bible does not solely lie on myself alone. I was never alone."
Hades remined wordless. There was nothing for him to say. The power Michael and the others were displaying was enough to prove a point. There was no need to assess the strength of the Bible, it had always been there.
With the fact that the Gods of War could not be put down because of the weapons Shirou had traced, Hades, Zeus, and the other Head Gods were starting to see the futility in the situation. Worse, there was nothing that could compare to the frustration of fighting against one's own weapon in hands of another.
The Gods of war were grinning from ear to ear. This was the first fight that had gotten their blood boiling in eons.
Yet it was enough.
There was a question Hades had to ask. "Why do you not attack?"
Hades stared at the Holy being before him in resignation. His was a power that was akin to the Great Red, near limitless and unfillable. It was to the point that most of the other Gods had been stunned to hear the news of the One God's death.
If the One God made a move, then Hades knew that he would not be standing at the moment.
God hummed.
The time to act had come.
In a single motion, he unleashed his power, his presence expanding throughout.
It was the breath of the heavens; the energy of life and creation, one unique only to him. It spread out rapidly, lush flowers and grass springing to existence along with the tolling of an echoing bell no different from the bells of Notre dam.
Look up and behold the work of the Lord, the Father up high.
The doves began to fly, soaring throughout the battlefield and quelling all battle at the flapping of their wings.
Zeus, Ra, and the other head Gods of their pantheons visibly stiffened, the Gods of War placing down their weapons.
It was a pure sort of power, one that didn't differentiate between good and evil and simple comforted others all the same.
"You all know my strength." His voice resounded, the dimension shifting and bending, cracks forming in the air.
"You all know my means." A hand was raised, fingers outstretched. "And if you still can't understand the necessity of an Alliance, then let me show you a memory of the past."
Light enveloped all, and when next their vision cleared, they saw a world in ruins: A dimension separate from the realms that the other Gods were accustomed too. It was the final battlefield of the One God where even he could not defeat his opponent.
The scars left behind, left bottomless crevices and ravines devoid of life.
There was no fire, no water, no air. Only a wasteland in which a monster lay trapped deep within the earth.
Seal after seal of holy energy blotted out the entire dimension, but even then, it was not enough. The creature sealed within could not be defeated alone.
There standing in the recorded image of his past self, was God. He was tired and exhausted, the strength that normally filled his figure, utterly depleted. He looked at the seals in front of him, before sucking in a breath and resolving himself to leave and recuperate.
This would be the final time that Michael, Gabriel, and the Serphim of the past would see their God before his supposed death.
Watching the events unfold, the other God did not leave the dimension. Instead, they remained.
Long after the image of God's form disappeared, the dimension began to shake.
Right before everyone's eyes, long web-like cracks were forming on the seals left behind, seeping with an energy that sought to destroy all.
Ragnarök.
Doomsday.
The Apocalypse.
It was a force with no distinction that no single God or Pantheon could contend against.
It was the Beast of the End. The heralder of the World's demise.
And like the One God was revealing, it was slowly breaking free.
The image imprinted within the eyes of all.
A solemnness spreading through the air.
-Records of Marbas, the Underworld Civil War: Part 2: Difficulties Continued
Kuro was popular. Very popular.
Peaking at him walking through the streets of the Lands of Marbas, Serafall couldn't help but quickly grow irritated. No matter where Kuro went, the eyes of other women trailed his steps, and he appeared utterly oblivious to it.
Her lips slowly began to droop downward, her brows narrowing before a voice startled her and took her attention away.
"Y'know Milady, no one likes a woman that constantly frowns."
Leaving her spot watching Kuro from the half-open blinds of the house she was staying within, she glowered at the old family butler behind her who always seemed to appear just to annoy her. Her lip twitched as she forced down the urge to cast her magic, wisps of energy momentarily crackling above her fingertips before fading as if they had never been there.
She put on a smile that was more biting than it was pleasant. "Mother should not have sent you."
Allon took her sharp barbs in stride, soon countering with one of his own as he flourished his hands in feigned injury. "You wound me Milady. How did the little girl I know change so drastically after puberty? I can still remember the days I changed your diapers and you used to say you'd marry me in the-"
"I did no such thing." A vein popped over Serfall's forehead, her eyes daring Allon to continue. Her face was red as it was true that Allon had been her caretaker since young, but she refused to allow the old codger to put words in her mouth.
She moved away from her window and moved to lean over her office desk, one hand on her hip as she looked at Allon with a face that was practically screaming 'Leave.'
Allon ignored everything, pulling out a set of cups and saucers from a silver pushing cart and pouring tea for Serafall to drink. As much as he enjoyed messing with his Young Lady, it was only in times like these that he could subtly work the stress out of her. In this regard, Lady Sitri had always called him a flawless expert. Lady Sitri had said so with a cold expression, probably remembering her own youth with Allon as her caretaker.
Allon was old and experienced.
How could he not tell what Serafall was thinking? He remained unphased and simply continued on while pushing the cup of freshly poured too towards Serafall in the same motion. "To question the judgment of your mother, perhaps I should convey your sentiments?"
Steam wafted up from the tea cup and constantly brushed across her face, but Serafall hardly reacted, Allons words like daggers piercing into her.
"After all, it's been quite a long time since you and Lady Sitri have had some quality time with each other because of the Civil War," Allon explained.
Quality Time? Serafall shivered subconsciously trying to suppress the memories. Her mother was fine on most days, but when she was angry or unpleased, she was far more of a Devil than her dainty appearance gave credit for.
"…" Naturally, Serafall cleared her throat and veered away from the topic. Choosing to focus on something more pressing.
The damaged buildings and structures within the Lands of Marbas were finally repaired after the attack by the members of the Old Satan Faction. In commemoration for the event, the local Devils decided to host a festival in celebration.
Serafall saw an opportunity. She didn't know what to feel about Kuro yet, but she did want to get to know him. There was going to be a dance during the festivities and she'd be damned if she couldn't drag Kuro into it. Besides, she was feeling guilty that the house that Kuro was supposed to stay in was accommodated by her at Kuro's instruction. Although he had said that he preferred to rest alone in the forest, wasn't that just him being courteous?
Most of the time he spent outside of helping in the reconstruction was spent alone. She wanted to drag him back to society. With that in mind, her determination was unnaturally fierce at the moment.
Staring at her, Allon simply continued to pour tea as Serafall drank silently.
"Allon," Serafall suddenly spoke up.
"Yes," Allon responded.
"We're going. You know what to do."
"Ah, same as last time then I suppose. I'll begin preparations."
Hours later, Serafall 'coincidently' ran into Shirou who was making his way back to the forest to rest and insisted that he join her in going back to the town.
Expressionless, Shirou did not know what was going through Serafall's mind. She had warned him several days ago of another coming attack by the people of the Old Satan Faction, so why was she dragging him to participate in a celebration. It wasn't like he was opposed to it, but the pain from maintain his current appearance left him unable to twitch his face let alone smile.
To others, he appeared as a cold and aloof individual of little words. He worried that he'd take away from the atmosphere.
Yet in Serafall's perspective, just holding onto Kuro's arm and staring up at his silent demeanor had her heart beating faster. She felt no shame in her actions of getting Allon to time things accordingly and was considering how she could rope him into participating in the dance.
The closer Shirou drew to the festivities, the more he became aware of the attention he was receiving. It was palpable by the time he and Serafall reached the bonfire lit at the center of the town. Of course, he had felt the intensity of the stares before, but he had willingly ignored it to avoid a headache.
Now though, it was utterly impossible.
"Say Kuro," the tips of Serafall's cheeks were gradually shifting red. "You'll participate in the dance, won't you?"
He stiffened at Serafall's sudden inquiry. Suddenly there was a lot more attention placed on him, and based on how tightly Serfall was clinging onto him, there was no way that he could refuse without prying her off.
Despite his effort to avoid any kind of trouble in the past, in the end, trouble had still found him.
This was the reason why he preferred staying in the forest. What was Serafall trying to do by ignorantly insisting that he participate in the dance by the bonfire?
He could already feel it. The sudden intensity in the stares directed at him.
Like starved vultures fighting over a carcass.
It would not end well.
Thanks for reading and thanks to my newest patron: RPendragon!
Next update: Hero and Sword
Note: I have a challenge crossover story regarding Nanoha whose prologue will come out tomorrow. (I'm still not too overly familiar with this fandom, so please feel free to criticize on any mistakes)