Flesh is Weak

The Clades of Mars are born in Iron and Blood.

The first rays of the dawn's early light began to filter through the gym windows onto the assembled group of people. Humans, devils, and robots all faced towards the massive holo table that contained the full picture of the battlefield for our trap. I along with my alpha primes, my peerage, Rias's peerage, Issari, Conner, Bariqiel, and everyone here focused on the table as I slowly explained the plan to them. Everyone was silent throughout the briefing only asking questions after each group had been told their role.

Rias and I approved pawns are free to promote whenever they want on the field. Ravel would be the one running the overwatch and would direct our fight. Alphas in the vanguard were encouraged to change things as the battle unfolded with the end goal being the complete extermination of Kokabiel's cadre and or allies if they show up. It was two hours later that we broke for breakfast before we began the plan.

Ajuka was sitting in his new office in Kuoh as Grace, Nikola, and Marie were discussing an upgrade to the evil piece system machine that Nikola had made while Ajuka was gone. Ajuka was about to approve the upgrade when his phone went off. It was the sound Ajuka had set for when Alex texted him. An echo of the past from when Alex was ten and had cheered when he had won a big soccer game in the states. Ajuka looked at his phone and then his eyes widened. Nikola looked at his friend and king wanting to ask. It was Grace that voiced that.

"What is it Juka?"

Ajuka looked to his pawn and gave an order.

"Grace go tell Sirzches that we might have trouble today on the DMZ."

Grace widened her eyes before she military saluted.

"What should I tell him exactly."

Ajuka trusted Grace completely.

"There might be rogue elements of Grigori preparing to attack the DMZ. Alex let slip that information from his fallen."

Grace nodded her head and immediately opened a portal to the train station.

Kokabiel looked at the others in the virtual reality room of the council of cadres slowly starting to log in. The room had been made by Azazel to prevent the worst of the infighting between the cadre heads. It had slowed down Kokabiel's plan to convince the other cadre heads of his political party but now he wasn't bothered by that. He continued to watch as the heads logged in and soon it was only two heads left. Bariqiel and Kokabiel's close ally Ouriel who would be leading the attack on the DMZ at the same time as his own on Kuoh. Ouriel logged in just then and the council waited for Bariqiel. Kokabiel was enjoying his triumph even more when Bariqiel finally logged in or rather his second in a purple haired woman. The rest of the cadres were weirded out by her appearance and not the Lightning of God as Shemhazai asked Suriel.

"Where's Bariqiel?"

Suriel returned the answer with a slight frown.

"We are not sure where he is. I however have his authority to vote in cases like this."

Shemhazai looked around the room with his purple beret and he could see that he couldn't protest this.

"I see. I will now just like to make sure that…."

Ouriel barked out to Azazel's speaker.

"We are all here so let's get to the most important point of this meeting Shemhazai. We have waited long enough."

Kokabiel loved that woman. She was an excellent blunt instrument and would make this faster. The rest of the cadre heads nodded in agreement with Ouriel. They all knew what this meeting was truly about. Shemhazai looked towards Azazel's avatar and the man simply shrugged. Shemhazai shook his head and started this.

"We are here today to begin the second round of voting for Governor-General as is dictated in the charter of the Watchers of the Children of God. We will start now."

The first cadre head voted.

"Azazel."

The second voted.

"Kokabiel."

The votes continued piling up as the two sides of the political divide showed. Kokabiel took note of the hardest supporters of Azazel and he will have them executed soon. Battlefields were dangerous places after all. The votes continued to flow from everyone taking an hour but soon it was down to the last three votes.

"Azazel."

"Kokabiel."

Suriel waited and was considering her decision carefully. She looked at both Azazel and Kokabiel. She seemed ready to make her vote. Just as she was about to open her mouth an alarm went off inside the virtual reality room. Shemhazai was ready to take this opening to declare the vote delayed for security when papers began appearing across the room and infront of the cadre heads. Kokabiel widened his eyes seeing the papers. Those were his own files how the hell were they here! His system was unhackable being made by perfect beings! The noise was kicking up as people read the files first page. Then the noise started to grow towards a new screaming match. While this happened Kokabiel muted himself for a second to give several orders before unmuting. Then a new user entered the virtual reality.

It was Bariqiel and his face was pure wrath. Something played out for everyone to hear.

"I will kill you and Bariqiel! For Kokabiel the Angel of the Stars the new Governor-General!"

The room looked at Bariqiel and then Kokabiel rapidly as Bariqiel stared down his would be killers master.

"I vote Azazel. Kokabiel is the reason we are attacked by the Shinto's servants whenever we enter Japan. He is responsible for the 1997 subway station gas attack. The proof of that is in these documents along with even more terrorist attacks that Kokabiel has been orchestrating. He tried to kill me last weekend to secure his victory today."

Kokabiel faced the entire council of cadres without saying anything before Ouriel tried to regain initiative.

"These are all lies! I declare that Kokabiel is the new leader of Grigori by treachery from Azazel! He clearly made up this to stop a legitimate vote!"

That didn't work with Kokabiel's allies on the council looking at the papers then at the man himself. All except his loyalists were disgusted by this new knowledge. One of his former allies actually said something.

"It's real. I remember that week. You were excited about something and invited me to a party. I might not think much of humans but for this to be the reason for that party. I change my vote to Azazel!"

More heads rapidly changed their votes till it was just Kokabiel and his three loyalists left. Shemhazai and Azazel were shocked by the vote counter changing so quickly. Shemhazai seized this and made the call before Ouriel could call for a recount.

"I declare Azazel as the Governor-General of Grigori as the Watchers of the Children of God have spoken and in his name it is decided!"

Kokabiel growled in pure hate as did his three allies. Kokabiel looked directly into Azazel's violet eyes before Azazel stared back and then smirked.

"Your plan failed Kokabiel. Your assassins are dead. My daughter just finished gutting them."

A new video of Azazel's location played for the cadres showing six bodies around Azazel's chair and his daughter Penemue's eight wings out with a green-light spear in her hands. The council of cadres looked aghast at the clear emblem on each of the newly dead bodies. Kokabiel's sword above a star. Azazel struck now before Ouriel could object.

"As Governor-General I declare Kokabiel along with anyone who supports him as having gone rogue. They are now kill on sight for this and for the subway attack. It was my mistake to have invited you to Grigori. Now I can fix that mistake."

Kokabiel was shaking in rage at this. He saw the rest of the cadres speak as one on that order.

"As you will."

Kokabiel disconnected from the virtual reality followed by his three loyalists.

Kokabiel broke his chair and several other furniture pieces in the rage of that loss. A century of work was destroyed in less than twenty minutes. Apheaelon was equally as pissed.

"We can still move forward with the plan. Ouriel and the others are ready, and we can force the issue with the DMZ. Our brothers and sisters there won't let us die against filthy devils if they return the attack."

Kokabiel was calmed by that. He was about to order that when a voice played out from inside his computer followed by an image coming onto the computer screen. A green-haired young man with red eyes who was smile smirking stared back at a surprised Kokabiel and Apheaelon.

"Greetings again Kokabiel. Oh my goodness you're with the man who fought me on Friday. Allow me to introduce myself fully. I am Gregor Astaroth the son of Ajuka Beelzebub also known as the Omnissiah."

Kokabiel froze hearing that as did Apheaelon who had moved around the desk to see his foe. The two were so dumbstruck by that revelation that their foe continued.

"I am very eager to meet you properly Kokabiel as I'm sure you are now to meet me. Since you want a battle, I will give you one. Here are my coordinates. I can provide you with what you want so desperately as my father will freak if I die. Come find me Bastard of the Stars."

Kokabiel was in such rage and humiliation from his failure on the council along with a new desperate hope. He nor Apheaelon didn't question how their foe was able to send this message. The new target that was the spark disappeared from the screen before he was replaced with a location that Kokabiel knew well. It was a former base of theirs near the wey station. Kokabiel looked to Apheaelon and gave an order.

"Gather everyone in the cadre. We will kill him getting our war and vengeance for them. Have Ouriel take Kasbiel to the DMZ while Zarell comes to reinforce us. Get the bishop to give Excalibur to the vessel."

Apheaelon salutes and then goes off to obey those orders. Kokabiel was so enraged that he pulled from his weapons safe something that he had long held onto. He will use it to gut the Omnissiah.

Zarell looked at her orders from Kokabiel. Why did he want her to reinforce Ouriel? She was topside in South Korea and could easily reinforce the push with him. Still she thought it over she realized the order made sense. The DMZ was heavily fortified and they needed extra troops there because of that. She moved her cadre of three hundred down the old tunnel that was near her base to the underworld.

Kokabeil looked at the gathering of his fallen and the human meat shields along with the few mercs he was able to sway here. There was only three hundred and ninety fallen here. One hundred meat shields were not enough for them and Kokabiel cursed the bastard kid again. Freed was being given a newly reforged three-piece Excalibur by the Bishop of Genocide. The vessel raised the sword high after putting his old blade on his back. When Excalibur gleamed in the sun the exorcists chants for Siegfried Reborn echoed in the Chinese army base they had taken over. That noise made Kokabeil annoyed and pissed making him order his forces to move out through the old Youkai wey station and out towards their objective. Apheaelon was at the host's head. Kokabiel the back to make sure his people committed totally.

Heniya was so desperate to move towards the train station as she wanted to help on the DMZ once she heard the news. Sirzches being his sis-con self had ordered her to stay up top. She was broken from her worry when her phone went off. She reached for it and was surprised when she saw there were files attached to the text from her future brother in law. As she read the files, she was shocked, pissed and impressed at what he was doing.

He had lied about who the fallen after Rias was and she wanted to throw a ball of destruction at his head for that. She knew he had been doing something in the shadows because Wu had told her they got a ping off Kuoh's wards on Friday night from something holy. Freya had followed that up and bumped into unfamiliar wards in a nearby town on the outskirts of Kuoh. Heniya had listened to the ward description and immediately knew they were Rias's.

Heniya knew what Rias's wards felt like. She had caught her Ria-tan reading books about warding multiple times during the parties in the underworld and had secretly encouraged her on with tools and other things from the trade. Rias had never questioned why she got those or from whom having been so sad because of Riser and the nobles taunting her continuously.

As she reads the text and files her rage with him leaves realizing he willingly had taken Kokabiel's wrath onto himself from Rias to protect them and Kuoh. Heniya was still pissed that Rias was there too but he was living up to his promise to support Rias in any way she wanted that her parents told her about. There was also confirmation that Rias had fought and killed fallen before up to six wings. That confirmation made her so proud of her Ria-tan. She would still hurt Gregor for this but not too badly. She immediately summoned her peerage together and made a phone call.

I take the yelling from the phone call that Heniya gave me without complaint. After she was done, she asked what my plan was. I relayed it to her while standing next to a thing that answered what Neri and Maéva had been doing yesterday. In the arms of one of my devil Skitarii was a banner of the Legio. A bright yellow sun overlooking the cog of Mars. The banner had been included in the plan once I learned of it. It was carried by a devil that wanted to help us but didn't want to kill. He was slightly ashamed he couldn't do that again for me. Paula had told me she had commissioned this from Neri and Maéva saying when I asked why she had done this.

"To show the foe the banner of the group who will bring light to the world like our leader."

That was humbling and something I wanted to reject. Yet Tsuda, the spirits, and the Skitarii believe this. This was further reinforced when I was close to the bathroom in base around eleven and heard a new name for me passing around the Skitatrii. The Lightbringer. This amused the queens about my new not-wanted title. Rias had unhelpfully called me that after sharing a kiss with me before heading to her position. Issari being the new ultimate rat had upon learning it had promised to spread it far and wide over the Noosphere. That led to me breaking her wrist and then threatening to talk up Asia if she did. That got mega growls from Issari and amused fufufus from Akeno before she dragged Issari away for her role.

Issari was in command of the right with Rias and her peerage helping there. The left was where the majority of my melee people were supporting our mostly human and devil forces on that flank. Mirana had also agreed to help on the left and won points from me when she met Issari properly. The Romanov took a single glance at her before while smiling christened the chestnut the new Crimson Dragon of Righteousness. That had gotten me vengeance on Issari as the human Skitarii nearby had heard that and whispered that name vehemently too.

The center was where Murayama and I stood with the smallest number of our forces. Mittelt was up on the roof in her sniper's nest with her new rifle while Kiryuu and Kuroka were preparing the magic spell for the plan near the back of the line. Murayama was next to me as was Hetvia who was going to coordinate the robots and the now revealed servitors through the Noosphere connection here. Spirits would drive the servitors but be coordinated by Hetvia. She was deep in the connection muttering a canticle of ones and zeros as the robots tweeted out last-minute changes to their part.

Ravel was in the command center with the two rangers and Azura running the skulls and the mice bombs. Our now silver winged angel had agreed to help them after Kokabeil was exposed. As did Kalawarna who had arrived back this morning with her recruit.

That recruit was a kitsune. A two tailed one that was a big surprise when I saw their face. Saiyo had once she learned I was her sister's killer shook my hand in thanks. Saying to me as the plan began to unfold this morning.

"The Shinto sent me a dream last week telling me to join this group. They said this was how I would get my redemption for my sister's actions. I want to prove to the court in Kyoto that despite my relation to her and my exile because of her I am never going to be her. She spat on everything that Lady Yasaka has ever done for Japan and Youkai by helping him. By helping you I will deny my sister's evil forever."

Saiyo had been debriefed by Conner. Saiyo told us how Kokabiel would enter Japan through the wey station that Himura had bragged to her supporters about. Not noticing her hated half sister who had come from their mother's dalliance with a human learning about it too. When Conner poked at Saiyo about her sister's supporters her response was also a surprise. The group had been discovered by Yasaka's champion on Saturday and had been destroyed completely. They had been ready to launch an open attack on the city's residential districts to make the Great War begin again for humans. I thank the Shinto for sending Saiyo our way especially when we learned she was a trained healer helping take some of the pressure off Asia. I looked to my forces as they laid the last minute prep work for the battle.

A trench line across the school's front side extended just barely into the wood on either side. The road between the building and the lightly spaced woods was silent as the Shinto had done their part by making people avoid the area and the nearby town. The townspeople had been given a sudden urge to all have a day off in Kuoh. The Skitarii were finishing the last things when a skull pinged and Ravel told me and our forces.

"They have started appearing. I'm getting pings from exorcists, magicians, and several Chinese Youkai. I'm also getting pings from a holy sword user and multiple gear users."

That announcement sent Skitarii who were out of the trenches into them quickly. Kuroka and Kiryuu unleashed their magic spell and multiple things inside the ward scheme take on new shapes. Kiya summon his blue bow and a quiver of arrows inside one of the trenches next to a human woman. The banner carrier gulped and began to shake over the holy sword callout only for a human nearby with a bolter to reassure him.

"Stand tall and proud. As one will we prevail as a blessed machine. You shall play your part."

The devil shook less before he lifted the banner higher. That move gave heart to our forces as they moved into position.

Apheaelon growled as the meat shields and the first group of fallen waited in the barren valley close to the Wey station at a ward scheme's edge. An oily voice spoke from his right.

"I will break them. There are plenty of holes in the scheme but what can you expect from filthy demons."

The Bishop of Genocide slowly approached with four suits of armor without heads at his sides. He slowly gathered magic in his wrinkled hands and then cracked three different places in the ward scheme in an instant making holes. Apheaelon was beyond happy they had him and then turned to the fallen and the meat shields. Freed nodded and tilted his new sword. The exorcists cheered seeing Excalibur raised and advanced forward. The mercs and youkai were mixed into the exorcists ranks to prevent them from running like they would normally do. The ground fallen on mass summoned light hoplons and spears for the one hundred and fifty here. They would move in five minutes while Apheaelon extended his wings summoning a light spear along with a hundred and fifty other final group would join the advance when they cornered the devil scum.

Freed kept his blank face as he moved with the first wave. He was surrounded by the best exorcists in the cadre and he would do his part. He imagined drawing his new blade from the chest of this devil who was a cunning beast and needed to be put down. As they advanced Freed noticed something strange. Mice were out in force today here in the woods. He was thinking that over and expected a trap. Freed was about to tell his men to shoot any mice they came across yet stopped. They needed the bullets for the devils that made up this force. He shrugged away the concern ordering his forces forward.

It was at the edge of the woods facing towards the school where the shit was hiding that they stopped. Freed took one look out towards the school from inside the tree line. On the opposite side of the road was an empty courtyard with just the green haired devil, a flag bearer and the enemy with the shield from last Friday. The exorcists were prepared for their battle, and one made a mistake. The man advanced from the safety of the tree line and raised his light sword high. It was then something happened from the foe. The man outside the tree line went still before his skin started melting off his body before it slumped. Before Freed could give orders to find that shooter and calm the others the Protestants in his force who had not seen the kill pushed forward with light swords and guns drawn.

"Excalibur is with us! For Siegfried Reborn!"

Twenty exorcists ran forward across the road screamin that war cry. Snap hisses and barks came from illusions falling away showing more foes in armor inside multiple newly appeared trenches in the courtyard. Five exorcists in the charge exploded into bloody chunks while more went down missing legs, or arms. The smarter ones left alive fled back to the tree line. All but three of them went down from fire from the foe. The wounded screamed out for help but were quickly silenced by more snap hisses. More illusions fell showing the devil was at the back of a line of trenches standing still. He had an equally blank face looking out over the field. Freed glared at his enemies and then began to bark orders to his troops.

They began the preparations for a push as magicians started spells for cover or throwing elements at the foes. The youkai mercs all monkey youkai summoned several clones of themselves and used them to probe the defense for weaknesses. The gear users were moved up to prepare to make a spear tip toward the devil. Gunfire picked up as both sides threw lead or that red beam at each other as the battle truly began.

Apheaelon led the air wing towards the sound of gunfire, spells and snap hisses. When Apheaelon saw the static nature of their push he was displeased by this. He shouted out orders for his fallen to break the line. The air wing began to sharpen feathers and prepare light spears to rain down on their foes. They were just about to begin a creeping barrage of feathers to cover the ground attack when Apheaelon and his forces came in sight of the school front when from the flanks something opened up.

Harsh barks came from figures that emerged from the woods on the other side of the road on both flanks. Apheaelon didn't freeze seeing the figures, but his forces did. That led to the deaths of multiple fallen as the barks made the still flyers explode into pieces of bloody gore. Apheaelon prepared to kill the things flying forward with others joining them. Only for a wall of red light to start flying from the school itself. The new threat sent more fallen toppling to the ground with red hot holes in their bodies as Aephelon barked an order to his forces.

"To the ground now!"

That saves the lives of the remaining fallen despite that out of a hundred fifty fallen fitfty fallen were now dead. Apheaelon landed next to Freed along with his fallen. The red beams fired from the school front died down as the gun emplacements lost tracked targets. Despite that development, the gunfire, snap hisses, and the whizzing sounds of blue arrows flying increased in intensity. One of said arrows slammed into an exorcist begore the body began disappearing from thr world.

Feathers from the dead fallen popped in the sky by the abominations continued falling to the ground across the battlefield. Apheaelon looked at their foe across the road and cursed him for being cunning and he spat an order to their forces.

"Target the abominations on the flanks and prepare shields."

Fallen Angels moved to form a phalanx summoning shields or firing spears or feathers. Multiple spears and feathers flew towards the enemy making them take cover in their trenches. The abomominations however disappeared into the treeline and one light spear hit the ground next to the bastard himself. The flag bearer backed up a step before he returned to his position. The fallen also tried to pick off the abominations on the flanks that were once their former comrades.

However something was controlling them well and they fled back into the woods on the other side of the road. Two fallen tried to take flight to throw a massive feather into the clumps of trees where the abominations had disappeared only for the red lights to blow holes through them from the emplacements on the school. There was finally some good news for the attackers as the enemy had been forced from several forward positions by the hail of spears and fearhers. Several had even crawled back to friendly lines leaving blood trails. Apheaelon took that triumph but hated the new creeping feeling that he felt. Like they were all prey for this devil. He looked to Freed and the man was standing there watching the field. Apheaelon was about to demand a charge from the meat shields when they both heard something come from behind them.

Fallen in loose ranks marched through the lightly wooded area towards the gunfire and the sound of snap hissing. The closest ones were hearing light spears sizzling and feathers flying towards something. The fallen commander near the center of the phalanx grew ready to fight ordering them to close ranks. She prepared her men to hard march forward masking the squeaking of mice as they moved into the phalanx.

Explosions went off across the phalanx and sent fallen tumbling to the ground screaming many missing legs and arms. The noise disrupted the orderly marching as chaos broke out. Several survivors tried to make a retreat backwards only for more explosions to go off behind them. The fallen survivors looked for their leader for orders to see her dead on the floor missing her legs. Her second took command and as more explosions were going off behind them he reluctantly pushed the survivors forward.

The survivors of the attack regrouped with Apheaelon and the second of that force told him what had happened under the noise of battle. Apheaelon growled as he counted up their forces and the enemy. They had two hundred thirty fallen and seventy meat shields against less than thirty foes. Several of the enemy Apheaelon saw had been carrying three of their own into the school entrance. The man ordered the survivors of the second group into the phalanx with his force and then gave an order to the ten magicians.

"Form thick earth walls in front of us."

The magician's leader who was from the Golden Dawn saluted and then began to cast. Multiple earth walls constantly being reinforced went up across the formation and the road slowing the fire from the enemy. Freed prepared his troops into a block ahead of the phalanx and ordered them to draw swords. Light swords and spears hissed in anticipation as Apheaelon gave the order to move. They started moving forward along with the earth walls. They were halfway across the road when the next thing happened. Whirling sounds came up from in front of them as more illusions fell away.

Four red things suddenly broke through the earth walls in a line sending rock fragments into the foes. They were followed by more of the abominations. The exorcists at the front saw the advancing foes firing their guns at the charging enemies. Bullets pinged off the red metal or necrotic flesh of the abominations.

White balls of light were shot from wing stumps of the abominations. The balls flew past the red things perfectly into multiple exorcists who became puddles of goo. The red things slamming into the disoriented exorcists to begin a melee with screams of terror coming from the humans. The gear users and the youkai backed up to the sides of the phalanx giving the red attackers an eye on the fallen. The surprise was absolute as the new foes charged through the dead bodies of exorcists chasing after the remaining survivors. The humans ran towards the phalanx just as the unknowns slammed into the block of fallen getting two ranks deep. The gear users got ready to attack the unknown things along with the magicians.

Only for five of their number to explode into pieces from the new fire that had suddenly come from the left and right flanks. Those deaths sending the remaining ones into cover behind trees. The gear users jumped and summoned their ghostly swords as all of them were blade blacksmith users. The new noise and confusion allowed a gear user to break from their position and flee.

Apheaelon was shouting orders to the fallen to stand firm. The clangs of light spears against metal was loud and ringing. One of the unknown things tweeted like a bird to the other unknowns seeing orange hair. The tweet was soon followed up by something that was loud enough for Apheaelon and more to hear as it came from the abominations too.

"Target acquired."

Apheaelon quicklu retreated to the back of the phalanx as he saw the phalanx standing strong despite the juggernauts who had been pushed out of the formation with spears and feathers. The juggernauts however were slowly pushing the phalanx back across the road towards the woods. The abominations instead of advancing began going after the trying to be rallied non-wounded exorcists. Suddenly the other earth walls the magicians had summoned fell to the ground showing that more foes were advancing across the road towards them. The banner and the devil bastard were moving and in front of them were the red robes and red armor of the foot soldiers of this devil.

The phalanx stopped at the tree line and Freed had manged to get the survivors of the exorcists back into a loose formation on the right side of the phalanx. Just as the phalanx halted the sound of more roaring swords and axes coming to life was heard coming from the sides of the phalanx in the trees as a warcry went up.

"For the Legio Solar!"

Foes in red armor and red robes moved from dropped illusions in the trees slamming into the sides of the phalanx with spining melee weapons while more attackers began were pouring fire into the fallen's flanks. More explosions went off behind the enemy forces adding to the ever-increasing noise.

Apheaelon blanched realizing how bad this was. He ordered the phalanx to slowly start a backpedal march. However that order came too late as the phalanx had its first cracks show. Fallen tried desperately to kill the suddenly recharging juggernauts or the new foes. One juggernaut went down and stopped moving only after the thing had dozens of light spears and hundreds of feathers sticking out of its body.

Freed found himself with the gear users on their left facing a foe that moved with another robot and multiple people all focused on him. One of the figures had a roaring sword that was coated with a red energy that Freed recognized from a Bael. This Bael was soon after Freed as he dodged four ultra fast swipes and three chops they made. Freed gasped for air and prepared for a nasty fight. He had hated the one prior fight he had fought against a Bael and this one was looking to be worse. He raised Excalibur and prepared to counterattack.

On the right a fallen commander blanched seeing a new foe that was equally as dangerous as the spear and great axe users who were ripping apart his forces. It was Mirana Romanov. She was leading multiple foes towards them all with roaring swords. The exorcist's face was in a serene smile despite the violence and noise around her. Roars picked up from her nearby allies' swords making the commander quake.

Apheaelon looked at the sliver stripe thing and its comrades now trying to get to him with the abominations. The original four abominations were behind the wall of advancing foes from the road not shooting unless a fallen tried to fly where they would pop into gore and feathers. Apheaelon hated them along with that damn banner and the green-haired devil. Whatever weapon the foes from the front had that was making people explode was prominent from this group. The shots were going past the juggernauts and into the ranks of fallen. The juggernauts were making a path towards Apheaelon led by the unknown striped juggernaut and the other abominations. All the while the red eyes of the devil gazed onto the killing field with that same blank expression. He had his axe and those swords on his back out but not humming. Around him the shield user stood defiant while two others were throwing barriers to allies or spells towards the fallen.

Several monkey Youkai had finally found a way out of this horrible fight, and they took it. Rushing past the magicians and Apheaelon backward through the trees. They stopped suddenly and then fell to the ground choking on their blood by a sudden poison cloud that sprang up from well hidden runes on trees.

Freed swung Excalibur and decapitated a red robed figure that had moved to help the foes that were pushing him so damn hard. The body dropped to the floor and a head comes out of the helm. His black hair and brown eyes staring up blankly to the sky. Other foes were pushing him too trying to herd him toward the Bael who was beyond angry. Freed saw a fallen get punched in half by a figure who had an armored tail behind them and fists cracking with electricity. Another fallen went down from a demonic blade thrown by another figure while three more were dancing from electricity shot from a staff by a foe who was fufufuing. A holy sword user like Freed swiped and took heads from several gear users. He recognized that blade in Durandal. He moved away from that back into the path of three figures. The Bael, a robot, and a figure who had two sets of wings. One pair of wings were mechanical. The other two were red dragon wings and the person was a master duelist having deflected killing blows Freed made towards the Bael.

The person with four wings was clearly the Red Dragon Emperor. The power and speed that they had along with their reaction time made him suspect that the Red Dragon Emperor was boosting constantly and was an eight-piece mutation pawn of the Bael who had promoted to a knight. The Red Dragon Emperor sped up again from a boost and was followed closely by the Bael and the robot. Each were attacking from a different angle, and each swipe or stab was making this fight hell for Freed. Even with the three-blade reforged Excalibur Freed found himself failing on swipes of his own and falling back. His armor was slowly starting to show cracks thanks to the power of destruction and the damage from the robot's claws.

The battle continued to grow more and more fierce. The fallen were all the while being pushed back by the enemy from the road into the woods. Yet unlike the fallen the enemy wasn't using the formations of the past. They maneuvered around the phalanx slashing at exposed foes as the formation began to break apart leaving more fallen to their new fate of death from these foes.

Apheaelon saw his brothers and sisters going down from roaring swords or exploding from those blocky guns. He saw to his horror the shifting figures of the abominable things moving into the fallen with melee weapons out taking spears for the foes. The only good thing for the cadre was that the abominations were going down under light spears. That however was costing them too many per kill. Every group of fallen that focused on the abominations was breaking ranks in rage at the sight of them only to go down under the enemy's weapons.

The last of those abominations finally fell to the ground and leaked more of a blue red fluid mixing with the red blood of a pile of ten fallen around it. No fallen tried to fly away now as there was so much noise and confusion in this battle along with the trees. Apheaelon saw the state of his men and gave an order

"Break and retreat to the wey portal!"

The fallen began a full retreat and Apheaelon felt that hated feeling returning. He realized that he was prey to this beyond cunning warrior and his equally ruthless forces. This battle was hell and yet despite losses the enemy fought like a well oiled machine.

Several dead or wounded bodies of the foe were being carried away by people, but the enemy force's living outnumbered their dead. Apheaelon and his disorganized people soon broke from the trees before hope returned to them. There was Kokabiel with his ten black wings out and around him were the ninety strongest fallen of the cadre at the entrance to the valley. The four suits of armor of the Bishop of Genocide were next to Kokabeil too. Apheaelon gave a shout to the remaining fallen from his force.

"Form up!"

That shout was made to only thirty remaining fallen who slowly made a shield wall. They were quickly reinforced by the ninety fallen who all had eight wings flying into position next to their comrades. Apheaelon was beyond relieved to see Freed still alive but winded at the end of the shield wall. He however was the only exorcist left alive. The enemy advanced out of the woods and halted from their hunt. To Apheaelon's dismay and starting horror, they reformed ranks faster than his men had. The regular soldiers in the front with what was obviously two devil peerages and the juggernauts in the middle. The last to appear was the banner carrier and the green haired monster who was now sneering at his foes. All along the enemy line swords were at the ready roaring and spinning with chunks of flesh falling off them. The peerage of this monster was gathered around him and that banner carrier. Apheaelon saw to his relief and now continuing growing horror that the juggernauts now only numbered three but the silver-striped juggernaut's head was dead set on Apheaelon's position.

Kokabiel looked at the battered remains of his cadre in horror. The thirty wounded and badly shaken fallen were now at the back of the shield wall with his veterans at the front. Kokabiel wanted to know how this foe had done this to perfection. A disgusting devil should not have been able to do this. He wondered where Zarell was but that was dropped when the flag of his foe began to make a beat. The pole and banner waving as it hit the well trotted ground. The regular soldiers of this enemy stamped their armored feet along with the flag. As one like a well oiled machine in the shape of a wall.

Then a chant went up from the soldiers mixing with the sound of the stamping.

"Iron Within Iron Without!"

The noise grew with each stamp. Soon the valley echoed with that saying sending shivers of dread and fear down Kokabiel'e peoples spines. The display did something as suddenly a wave of pain hit Kokabiel's remaining forces making the wounded go down thrashing in agony and shaking the standing forces badly. Kokabiel felt a bad migraine hit and felt the divine energy there. He felt where that energy had come from, and he froze. It had come from the green haired man facing him. He wasn't a full devil. He was halfbreed and a holy sword user that's how he was able to use Mimic. No god would support a full devil or have one as their champion. Kokabiel felt something else there too. He had a Longinus that was on full power as a heat wave like a blast furnace on overdrive hit him.

Freed experienced the worst migraine in his life and almost keeled over in pure pain. He got off lucky as the Bishop of Genocide was screaming so loudly and horribly from the energy that his eyes popped. He fell to the ground thrashing only to be shot in the head by a red light from a person next to the Red Dragon Emperor. The armor suits stood completely still then melted away into dust freeing spirits trapped within them as their tormenter died. Kokabiel narrowed in on his mortal enemy. The green haired man moved forward past the ranks of his soldiers and faced the Angel of the Stars.

My red eyes locked onto the knife-eared bastard as this part of the plan went off. Directing divine power into that wave through our banner. Our followers had believed harder and harder throughout the battle saving it for this moment and then released everything there as instructed. Even the nonbelievers had helped here with this. Irina had protested this part of the plan at the briefing. She had been joined by several others in the Skitarii who didn't believe in the Cult Mechcanicum. I told them they just had to stomp and nothing else. At that moment before the release of the shock wave the devils had all suddenly joined the faith at once giving this extra power as the ritual flew through the banner.

I smile smirk at my foe because the display had done more things. People had gotten into position as the noise hid them. Heniya's peerage and Bariqiel's cadre had entered the field at their assigned positions. Bariqiel behind them ready to pounce from the mountain that formed this valley. They would stop Kokabeil running through the wey portal. Heniya on the slopes of the valley to the left. I had barely gotten to the front of my forces when Kokabiel spat at the ground. He was holding his position near the back of his spear wall. Freed was wobbling on the left and the orange-haired man was on the right looking at me in fear. I gave Issari the nod that was her part. Then I focused on Kokabiel.

"Had enough of your 'war' yet Kokabiel? Your men are piss poor fighters who fell to my stronger warriors who are humans and devils."

Kokabeil was pissed beyond measure and grew even more so when my Skitarii barked out to him as one.

"Iron within Iron without!"

They stomped again making Kokabiel even more angry and humiliated. He looked to the remaining members of his cadre and that wrath grew. I continued the taunting.

"You want a war, yet your forces can't fight something that is equal and or beyond them. You have to attack and gas civilians to make yourself feel 'powerful'. Not something a real warrior would do."

"Iron within Iron without!"

Kokabeil grew even more pissed and began to reach for a sword on his right hip. When the blade was out and in the sun I recognized it.

It was Ascalon. Kokabiel finally retorted back at me, and he attempted to do what I though he would do. I quickly threw a special silence spell I asked Kuroka to teach me for this possibility that deafened a target and only let me hear them. I thank my reaction speed because not a second later Kokabiel ranted.

"I am beyond stronger than you pathetic creatures! I killed the Biblical God with this blade! Have you killed a god! I killed him with this and will use it again to kill you and the bastard deity that you represent! I finally will get my eternal war! Attack!"

Our forces and the shield wall only heard attack. Issari flew towards Freed with Rias and Aaron. The rest of Rias's peerage got ready to enter the melee. Trina and Paula let loose a cry that sent the Skitarii and my peerage forward.

"For the Lightbringer! Lift together against this dark star of the void!"

I make Mimic into a great power axe as it hummed to life as I charge to get that sword away from a shitstain and contain a weapon that should never be outside a vault.

Bariqiel did his part landing with his cadre behind Kokabiel's remaining forces in front of the wey portal as his people quickly formed a phalanx. The wall of spears and shields began to push forward into the backs of Kokabiel's people forcing the now standing wounded ones to face towards them. Heniya at that moment hit the left flank of the phalanx and continued the plan. Her magic people started doing things to slow down the remaining fallen. Mud and tree branches suddenly appeared in the formation and slowed down the enemy. Heniya's melee people were also charging into the left flank as Vladimir cleaved three fallen in half with one swing of his greatsword.

Kokabiel pushed through his people to engage me and swung Ascalon in a downward motion straight towards my head. I blocked it with the axe catching the blade on my metal pole then pushed him back while making a swipe at Kokabiel's midsection and activating my mechadendrites all at once.

The swipe missed but took a nearby fallen cutting her in half across her stomach as Kokabiel threw her towards me. Kokabiel threw feathers at me from his wings at the opening and swiped again with the sword. A feather takes my ear on the right off while the rest of the feathers stick across my body. I don't scream while blocking another attack from the sword. My ear stump was bleeding for only a second before it reformed. I make my swords come in multiple directions to get the knife eared fuck. The swords were blocked then two of them were cut from my pack by Kokabiel so great was his wrath at me. I blocked three more swipes from Ascalon. Then I make a move to take a limb of my own.

Freed fought the Red Dragon Emperor, the Bael, and the robot as they charged from their position towards him. Multiple sword swipes were coming his way from the Red Dragon Emperor and from the Bael. They were both using unfamiliar sword styles that made Freed stay on the defensive mostly. Freed returned the swipes against them when he could but the trio were extremely angry. The man made multiple swipes chops and stabs against his foes to no avail. The robot caught the final swipe from a killing combo Freed made to kill the Bael as metal scraped against each other. The robot tried to rip the blade from Freed's hands. Freed kept his grip on the sword and then made a cut with it against the robot using all of Excalibur's powers all at once. Taking one of its metal arms.

That for whatever reason pissed off the Bael who roared in pure fury. Their helm came off in that fury showing a beautiful redheaded woman with sea-green eyes. She began a series of swipes towards him while increasing the amount of the power of destruction on their sword. Multiple strikes hit Freed across his body as the power of destruction and the spinning teeth of the sword were leaving more holes on his armor. The woman seemed even more pissed by that. She increased her speed yet again and swung in multiple new directions for blows. Freed almost lost his head multiple times from this sword style so different than what he was used to. Killing blows were easy to miss and he dared not go on the offensive now. This Bael must be old and very powerful given how well-focused the power of destruction was. He continued to block or dodge blows from her before there was a whooshing sound. The Red Dragon Emperor flew from the side of Freed to behind him on their wings in but a second. They flew into him from the back pushing Freed forward into the face of the Bael.

A blow he would have blocked was taken instead. Freed felt his lower jaw fall to the ground as Freed gurgled blood. He dropped Excalibur and instinctively reached for his lower face. The power of destruction was coursing from the wound down through his body past the armor. The Bael glared at him and then a snarl came from her towards him.

"That was for my Mura you son of a bitch! Machine God take you and him!"

Freed toppled to the ground with blue eyes staring into the sky. The man who had been a hero to Germany and his fellow exorcists was melting away. Freed continued to stare up and his last thought was of that head injury that came from a white-haired magic using Valkyrie in Denmark. Freed finally faded into nothingness as Siegfried Reborn became Siegfried Unborn. The one-armed robot moved to the dropped blade on the ground and whatever had kept the three blades together now fell apart. The robot gave the blades to the Red Dragon Empress who threw them into a pocket spell. Aaron then left the scene with his battle sister happy and proud of her that had won this. He had taken videos of every fight today and will post that on the devil internet when this was over. No one would ever make fun of her or call her weak ever again. The Red Dragon Empress collected the armor and Galatine then got ready to help finish off the remaining foes and prepare for her next part.

Apheaelon was desperately trying to get away from the three juggernauts dodging them constantly as they chased him further and further from Kokabiel. That's what the forces of the enemy had been doing. Pushing them all away making the battle between Kokabiel and the Omnissiah a duel of the fates. The remaining fallen from the cadre were dying as they were smashed against the hard zealous soldiers of the Astaroth and the forces of a now revealed Bariqiel behind them.

Apheaelon was desperately trying to figure out a way to get reinforcements here or anything else that could change this fate. Zarell should have been here over an hour ago. It was at that moment he remembered that the Omnissiah had gotten through their computer network. He had probably found a way to modify the orders.

The orange haired man was beyond bitter now. He had led so many of his fellow fallen to their deaths here, at the motel and at the bunker base. Apheaelon cursed seeing that he had been herded to the corner of the valley. He dodged another set of twirling claws as he then tried to take off and run as fast and far away as possible. He would try to continue the struggle after his escape. His seven wings unfolded and just as he was about to take off he screamed. The leader juggernaut had hit him with an electric ball fired from its shoulder. It was a direct hit to the chest making Apheaelon scream in agony. He fell towards the ground and towards whirling claws. The claws take his remaining wings off to the stumps. Apheaelon started thrashing from that new pain, and he had closed his eyes after hitting the ground.

Apheaelon was picked up and when he opened his eyes he saw a silver face plate looking directly at him. Before a squeeze like a hug came from the thing and broke Apheaelon's spine in half. The man dies begging his creator for mercy.

I had taken multiple feathers into my armor as the battle between Kokabeil and I continued. Swipes from him and I were either blocked or dodged. Feathers continued to come towards me from the wings but were not doing what Kokabeil hoped they would do. None pierced this special suit of power armor I had made. I took another swing from Ascalon to my gut that left another line on my armor. I swiped back and finally got my first injury on Kokabeil. I managed to saw off a wing of his from his right side. It was only the top half but it was damage. Kokabeil didn't scream using that pain as a power up and then sliced at me in five different directions with Ascalon.

The final swipe was blocked by my left hand gauntlet. The blade screeched across my hand and Kokabiel gritted his teeth. As the blade prepared for another series of swipes I bring Mimic up for the next round of battle. Swipes, stabs, chops and swings come from Kokabeil and myself with each action going faster and faster for the both of us. I was at his speed most of the time. Slower than a half second rarely. Scratch's are all across my armor while Kokabiel is losing feathers by the dozens throwing them less and less as the fight continues. Those still left came and helped Kokabiel almost get me with a chop as three feathers flew for my forehead and eyes. I dodged the feathers, take two stabs to where my lungs are and then take three more swipes at my heart. My armor was screeching each time I got hit. Kokabiel embraces more wrath and started a new flurry of jabs with Ascalon.

I blocked each jab and told Tsuda to make Mimic angry. My forever battle spirit did making the humming of the power axe crack louder than ever before. I then threw a downward swipe determined to take another limb. Kokabeil moved to block this as his age and experience showed. He held Ascalon with both hands and took the blow with the axe. The head hummed against the blade as Kokabeil held the axe in mid air. Kokabeil threw feathers towards me and he again took my ear and half my nose. Both things began to heal making him pissed off further.

A roar came from the Angel of the Stars as he threw back my axe and prepared another series of strikes on me. I prepared to block them again but something happened.

I saw twenty of Kokabeil's fallen break away from the ever-dwindling shield wall and try fleeing up the right side of the valley slopes. They extended their wings and flew up to the top of the slope. At the top they tried to flee with pure relief that they had escaped. Only for one to freeze as claws came through his stomach through to his back and the attacker ripped the fallen apart. I gape because standing behind the retreating fallen was Raynare.

She had appeared out of nowhere like normal before disappearing again. The other fallen were searching for her when a howl came as a dog figure jumped onto another fallen mauling their face off followed by multiple other avatars. Then a person from the past returned with more people at her back. It was Suzaku in purple samurai armor. Her long black hair flowed, and her katana had flames dancing up the blade.

My kickass cousin quickly chopped three heads off fallen who were trying to back up. She kicked their bodies down the slope. Several fallen ran returning to the trap while the rest were frozen solid by an ice doll.

The frozen fallen were slashed and popped by Tobio who came next to Suzaku with the rest of Team Slash Dog then Principle clansmen and women. All were wearing samurai armor with a symbol of Mt Fuji with five mitsudomoe above their hearts. Suzaku looked down into the valley seeing the battle play out. She screamed out seeing me and it echoed into the valley.

"Alex!"

Suzaku's shout had stunned me long enough for Kokabeil to take that opening. He sliced in an arc that's purpose was to take my head. I recovered fast enough to block most of the slice. Ascalon hit me leaving a cut across my face. The cut wasn't healing with blood leaked down my cheek making my face sticky and wet. Kokabeil was extremely smug as he taunted me.

"Slippery little bastard. You won't escape this if it's the last thing I do. This sword was made to kill beings with high regenerative powers. It will be the key to your destruction and your disgusting god. The backlash will kill him too. After all my agent who got this blade saw it used on the bastard son, they called Jesus by the dragon at Fauld. He fell and the backlash hit my pathetic creator weakening him further after something else that allowed me to kill him permanently. My victory is coming, and I will not wait any longer. Die you piece of shit!"

More swipes from Ascalon came in an almost instant series of ten swipes and I blocked more and more of the blows.

Suzaku raised her blade and felt the Shinto and her sacred beast explain things to her. The fallen wearing the sun badge were friendly. The ones trapped in the pincer were not. Suzaku nodded to Tobio who ordered the forces she brought to save Alex forward. The True Clans did their timeless duty to Japan and charged down the slope and into the open side of the remaining fallen left from Kokabiel. Suzaku saw Alex fighting a ten winged fallen with a massive humming axe that had a cog and split skull motif below the head. Suzaku wanted to run to him and coddle him again like she had when they were kids taking the blows he was blocking. Yet the Vermillion Bird told her this was his fight alone. She felt Tobio put his hand on her shoulder and that settled fears for her baby cousin. Before she moved down the slope to join the battle.

Issari began her stage of my plan. She was at the ready to throw the illusion at the right moment. The fight with the knife eared fuck grew more and more brutal. I chopped off three more wings from him with saw blades and or humming swords. He broke my wrist with a swipe that made me twist wrong. He then punches me trying to pop my eye and instead left a black eye on my left side face. My broken wrist healed and the black eye slowly went away. Kokabiel and I were mood kindred. Wrath was everything for him as it was for me. We dueled each other slicing, blocking, dodging or cutting at each other in fury. My cheek kept bleeding, but I use that pain to keep me from unleashing the black rage at the wrong time. It almost went off when I saw the sword of humanity's greatest champion being defiled by this crow bitch. I make Mimic hum on full power then swiped embracing the beginning of the rage. My swipe got meat on the fuck on his left arm. I almost took his arm off, and I growled there. Kokabiel tried a second swipe to my face, and I blocked it. He wasn't tiring nor was I age and experience against my patron flooded me with power to keep me fighting.

My patron told me Ollanius had used it to great effect against many very evil deities and their champions from now dead pantheons during the Great War. The vast majority of those champions had been other perpetuals thus why Ascalon came to be as powerful as it was. The backlash of a champion's death would weaken the deity and then Big G would finish them off in the warp detaching ideas from a now dead god. Ollanius dying had set the stage for Big G's end. I picture my queens dying to Kokabiel after me one by one. Then the world's population slowly being butchered with all my hopes and dreams falling into the cold black void.

The grinning face of Alaric when I gave him his leg back flashed to me, as his pink eyes showed me that he believed in and wanted to be like me. He wanted to be a hero. The many faces of the veterans, Akeno and Rias flashed again to me each more vividly than the last. They all had called me a hero. I dodged anoth swipe from Kokabiel and swiped back at him. It failed and at that moment all the spirits from the subways and those watching me all called me hero. It's there I realized I was like Cain now. That idea I was a hero was finally embraced at that moment as I dodged another swipe at my head. The question now was could I be the hero this place needs for people like my biggest fan? The wide smile Alaric had whenever he saw me said and the looks of admiration from others said that yes I could be this hero. Something clicked inside me realizing this new unescapable truth.

Kokabiel sliced again towards my head trying to cleave it in two. The slice was dodged but it was to the right place. I see my opportunity to play dirty. I sent a kick into his knee which broke from my armored boot. The sudden pain made Kokabiel wince as he was moving his blade. I see my opening grow. I swung my axe and sliced off his left arm. Then moved again after the jerk and sliced off more wings. Kokabiel fell backwards from the sudden losses and I charge forward.

A head butt to distract then another kick broke the other knee. The duo attack began my full assault. I sliced off a leg with the axe on full power as the axe head's blade hummed on overdrive. Kokabiel had swung Ascalon in another decapitation attempt and the sudden loss of his leg made him wobble. He fell forward and I punched him in the face sending the knife ear bastard backwards to the ground. I heard his nose break from my servo enhanced punch. I felt wrath build again and I leapt at my foe fully embracing the rage fully.

Kokabeil blocked all my strikes as he fell backwards. He was trying to use his remaining wings to keep him up straight along with staying steady. I use my swords to take two more wings as he was trying to block my axe. The man was now screaming from the sudden burst of pain, and I continued the assault. Taking his last two wings and then his other leg. Kokabiel toppled over and hit the ground looking up at me and my red eyes. He tried swiping at my legs and Ascalon bounced off my armor. Blood was pouring down Kokabiel's face from his broken nose and bone was sticking out of the skin from my punch. I take his right arm with my swords and Ascalon drops to the ground clanging.

I look down on my prey with wrath fed well. Kokabiel has his own wrath-filled eyes of hate looking up at me. He spat a glob of blood at my face.

"Kill me rat. End this."

I spat back at him hitting him in the eye.

"Your pain is just beginning. You will never have this heal you fucking shit faced crow."

Issari threw the illusion that Kuroka had taught her at that moment. It hit us just as I left three deep cuts on his face after changing Mimic to a chainknife. Kokabiel was screaming from the three bleeding cuts under his right eye. I punch his right eye making a bad black eye.

"That's for my queens and the subways. This is for God and the world you broke that I have to fucking fix."

I punched him again at full strength with the servo motors whining and this time popped his right eye like a balloon as Kokabiel screamed from the injury. I then say to his broken almost corpse.

"You shall serve me till the end of time itself fixing this world and all the ones to come. Enjoy trying to scream and move for eternity after I'm done with you crow bitch."

A stasis spell hit Kokabiel. He froze and was stuffed into a pocket quickly. I pulled out a fallen body I had collected during the battle before throwing fire at it near Kokabiel's wings to make the claim to Vali if he came here that Kokabiel was dead and gone. Mimic and Ascalon were picked up and then thrown into another pocket. My right hand then felt my face and blood was on my gauntlet. Blood still continues to flow from my cut despite everything as the illusion falls.

Like I expected the battle was all but over. My Skitarii were killing the few wounded fallen left alive on the ground without mercy. The fallen from Bariqiel's cadre were ignoring the pleas for help sent their way from these fallen as my people ended their suffering. Heniya was next to a now helmetless Rias checking her over for wounds with a worried yet proud face. Suzaku was with Tobio, Lavinia Reni, and the rest of Slash Dog along with her clansmen gazing at my forces as chainswords roar and las guns hiss ending the wounded. Akeno was unhelmed now moving to talk to Suzaku with wary caution. When my cousins see me, they ran towards me forgetting said caution and slammed into me sending me two steps back. Akeno beyond worried as was Suzaku. They saw my cut and Suzaku desperately prepared to try to heal it with Japanese magic. Akeno asked in pure fear seeing the blood still coming out.

"Lex why are you not healing!"

Suzaku moved her hands to my face with her spell. Then seeing her spell failing.

"It's not closing! It should be closing this is the strongest healing spell in our magic system! Alex I can't lose you again!"

Suzaku tried desperately several more times to close the wound and it failed each time. I tell Issari who was nearby and still helmed a single word.

"Asia."

Issari nodded and made the call over the vox while I was charged by the very worried queens that included Raynare and Xenovia from multiple directions towards me. Bariqiel stayed near his cadre who were looking at us while Suzaku's forces watched them with katanas and naginatas drawn. Heniya was moving towards us following Rias. Trina and Paula were not as worried with their helms off watching us. The noise around me increased till I shouted everyone down.

"Alpha Primes clean up the bodies at base, the woods and here. Alpha Pau how many dead and wounded?"

The noise receded as Paula gave me the casualties.

"Twenty dead, fifteen wounded, penitent squad gone, and three robots deactivated."

That wasn't bad yet was still hard to hear. Trina had moved to get bodies cleaned up with the Skitarii. Before she could get them moving the Skitarii let out a cheer that echoed in the valley.

"Victory for the Legio Solar and for the Lightbringer!"

The Skitarii moved out still cheering as they started their orders. Bariqiel gave orders to his cadre I couldn't hear before they too moved to help clean up bodies.

Suzaku's people got ready to attack the fallen at that moment. I was surprised to see Ohashi and a woman who looked like an older Murayama with them. The fallen got ready for another battle. Suzaku saw this and stopped her people.

"The ban is done. In the name of Amaterasu is this said!"

That stopped the clansmen but many still looked ready to fight. However, Tobio showed his good natured self here.

"Bariqiel it's great to see you again same with you Suriel! Let's talk really quick over here."

Bariqiel took the offer as Tobio and his team moved to talk to them. The fiends avatars followed behind them along with the ice doll. Suzaku looked ready to make her people help us, but I shook my head no. Suzaku was ready to protest but stopped when Asia came with a worried Ravel and Manakel who now had silver wings through the crowd of people around me. Twilight Healing out and the energy from the gear finally closed the cut. I however felt a part of it form into a line on my face. Asia was trying desperately to heal it as people watched on. The people around us started to raise their voices in concern for my now permanent injury. Only to stop hearing armored gauntlets clapping together echoing through the valley.

There standing in front of the wey portal was a figure in the silver blue scale mail of Albion. The clapping continued and I knew it was Vali. He stepped forward looking at me with battle lust gleaming in his light blue eyes. His right eye has a scar running over it to his silver hair which was at medium length. His smirk told me he had indeed been watching this battle.

"An amazing fight from a glorious hero. You impressed me Gregor Astaroth."

Vali lost points here.

"War isn't a game or glorious and most certainly not impressive. War is people dying for causes that they believe in. To call it a game dishonors the people who fought and died here sacrificing those lives."

Vali didn't seemed openly offended by that.

"Yet they will sing songs and tell tales of the hero who stopped the madman who gassed ten thousand people. The world will never forget what happened here when they learn about it."

Vali lost more points with me. No one not even a still helmed Kuroka likes him here. Issari made her sword roar to life in warning when Vali looked ready to take another step forward. The proper rivals now look at each other. Vali had his fake smile for me turn into one of eagerness.

"So my rival is here. The white meets the red yet again. Not using their own powers but rather borrowing that of the hero."

Issari will never be Issei. That was beyond clear here when she didn't respond to Vali's taunt. She remained silent and that silence almost made Vali get ready to fight. He was only stopped when Bariqiel made a noise behind Vali with lightning cracking.

"Vali you're supposed to be cleaning up the last of Kokabiel's allies in the underworld."

Vali returned to his fake friendliness and replied to Bariqiel looking over his shoulder.

"There was very little to clean up. The three cadres were throwing themselves hopelessly against the DMZ expecting pop's people to help them. They didn't and all died to a man so I decided I'd rather fight Kokabiel. That a problem Bariqiel?"

Bariqiel frowned before he made a thunder clap in warning to Vali when he pushed his luck by taking another step forward.

"That might be so but the problem has been resolved. Go back to tell Azazel this and that the ban is revoked."

Vali took the barely hidden order and shrugged.

"I'll tell pops that. He was worried that Kokabiel might have done something rash in his rage. Yet he was stopped by the big hero here. I'll be off then since there's nothing to do."

Vali extended his wings and then boosted off into the air flying away from the battlefield. With the pressure of Vali's Longinus gone the clansmen and women took a deep breath of air. Ohashi who was standing next to his sister caught sight of Murayama next to me and charged towards her. Murayama gave me a look saying she will be back and then moved to meet them. I watched that reunion only stop for a second as Ohashi and Murayama's mother felt the demonic presence of their daughter/niece. Before Murayama's mom grabbed her daughter and squeezed her tightly in a hug joined by Ohashi.

Asia who had been silent the whole time healing my wound brought a mirror up to my face so I could see the damage. I had a small thin white line halfway up my right cheek. The line glared at me as Asia again looked at us.

"The rest won't heal. What caused the wound because I have never seen anything that I couldn't heal quickly."

The person quickly becoming our head doctor was eager to do science and I give her a half smile.

"It was a special sword. I destroyed it."

Asia eyes the line again before she takes back the mirror and then with Manakel moves back toward base. As they passed by several fallen from Bariqiel's cadre who had been talking looked up from a small pile of corpses and gasped. They looked at the silver wings of Manakel with shock and amazement. They watched them till the pair left the valley. Then horribly loud whispers broke out amongst them. Bariqiel went to quash that leaving me alone with the rest of the queens, Xenovia, Issari, Suzaku, and Akeno. Heniya was waiting till our reunion was done however her green eyes promised pain on me later. Issari went off to likely check on cleaning with Akeno quickly following after her dragon leaving Suzaku alone with us.

I turned to Raynare, and my sneaker was silent fearing something in her violet eyes. I take Raynare's hand and that got her purple eyes looking into my red ones as tears start.

"I tried to get here faster with the help but was delayed by a day. If I was here faster my Great King would still be perfect."

I could never hate her and pulled Raynare in for a kiss with how much I missed her showing in it. She stopped crying surprised by my action before returning it. When we broke it Raynare looked to see everyone else, not Suzaku or Heniya hugging Raynare. Kuroka removed her helm before she teased our pawn.

"He looks even sexier with the scar Ray. He has and will never be perfect nya. I however want him no other way."

That got echos of agreement from everyone else in the queens as Suzaku's face softened seeing this play out.

"Alex who are these people? Why did he call you that other name and how are you alive? Grandpa told me that you were finally dead earlier this year."

Suzaku was desperate to know. I slowly began to explain to my cousin as we all moved towards base together with Heniya following us after this small taste of real war.

Cao Cao watched with Hercules, Georg, and Stanley from their hidden position as the newest hero walked back towards the woods with the large group of four had been pulled here by Stanley's plant in Kokabiel's cadre screaming to them about the battle she had barely managed to escape from. The four had seen the battle happen from the point when the fallen broke from the trees running away like multiple Cerberus were chasing them. That had put smiles on their faces before Cao Cao and his inner circle had seen the newest hero fully. He was a divine champion and an extremely deadly warrior. He was indeed the same as Cao Cao and the rest of the faction as they saw what he was throughout his battle. Stanly saw the smile that was now on Cao Cao's face.

"He is truly like you said Cao. He avenged all those people in the subways getting them long overdue justice."

Georg said something while Cao Cao thought about how he and this new hero were so alike.

"I would love to talk in depth with him. Those weapons and armor are so very effective against his foes. I'll try and make counters to them, but I need things to work off of."

Hercules was the bluntest of the circle.

"Are we going to recruit him? You wouldn't have to make counters Georg if he was on our side. He is up there with you boss in terms of strength. He stared down the White Dragon Emperor without fear and we would also have a very good chance of the Red Dragon Emperor joining us too since they appear close."

Georg glared at Hercules before Cao Cao answered still watching that hero's former position.

"I will have Connla start setting up a proper cell here this week. He told me in his report that this hero is paranoid beyond belief. We will let him lose some of that paranoia before we approach him. Options Stanley?"

Stanley considered the options before he thought of something.

"I remember something Connla mentioned. He is entering a school in the city of Kuoh. Most of them look around his age thus they will also likely attend it."

Cao Cao considered who they could send to make contact with him. Hercules offered the next piece.

"We have a new recruit who believes utterly in the cause and isn't listening to Frederick's people. She could do this and present us in a good light."

Georg added his own voice.

"I know who you speak of ja her dossier shows she's very smart. We have had two recent recruits from here one of whom graduated from the likely school. Kuoh Academy ja? If it's that school, they say you need high intelligence to get into it."

This was why Cao Cao had the three in the inner circle as he started smiling.

"Prepare this person."

The order made the four leave together through a portal to one of their many bases in Japan.

As Vali flew off he was grinning manically. Today had shown him that the Red Dragon Emperor and his fellow halfbreed were strong and worthy rivals. While Vali had a bit of resentment that the other halfbreed would now likely be accepted fully by the rest of devildom that was nothing to finally having strong rivals. The future battle that he and they would have would be legendary in terms of its intensity and ferocity once it happened. Imagining that battle made Vali fall into the high of his battle lust. He kept imagining that battle and possibly more to come as he flew to Korea. His eagerness for this eventual battle grew with each passing second before he broke from the high. He would need to make plans for that battle to come.