167 Making It Look Easy

Human World, South China Sea, Uninhabited Island.

Loki slowly stepped out of the sand cloud he created when Vali knocked him out of the air. Rage was clearly visible on his face. Looking up into the sky at the two young men who have been humiliating him since the fight started, Loki gritted his teeth. Suddenly, James disappeared from his spot.

'Not again!' Loki shouted internally.

A moment later, a barrier appeared behind Loki and James sneak attack was blocked. Then, James began a flurry of sword strikes which Loki blocked with precisely conjured barriers.

'He's better than I want to admit.' James said while clicking his tongue internally. 'If I were here alone and don't use the [Tyrant Dragon Domination Drive] I would be here all day with nothing to show for it.'

The next moment, Vali flew down from above and struck Loki in the side, which sent him flying.

"Damn, it's like hitting a rubber tire." Vali complained.

"Well, he is a god." James replied. "And a Norse one too. They're all built for battle in some way or another."

Before James and Vali could continue their conversation, Loki flew toward them with rage in his eyes.

"I'll make you insects pay!" Loki shouted as he blasted dozens of magic spells at James and Vali.

In response, Vali evaded the spells while James used [Senbonzakura Kageyoshi] to fend off the barrage of spells.

Meanwhile, Cu Chulainn, Dante, and Ayame were fighting with Skoll and Hati, who were being controlled by Loki like Fenrir was. While Cu Chulainn handled one of the wolves in a manner similar to Scathach, fending off fangs and claw swipes with his spear and striking back when the opportunity presented itself, Dante and Ayame were working together to hold down the other.

"These things are identical." Dante complained while he fired a barrage of bullets at one of the wolves. "How are we supposed to know which one we're fighting?"

Does it even matter?" Cu Chulainn asked as he parried a claw strike then stabbed the wolf in the knee.

"Not really, I guess." Dante replied after holstering his pistols and drawing Rebellion.

Before Dante could approach the wolf, he was fighting again, Ayame appeared on the right side of its neck. Then, she stabbed the sickle end of her kusarigama into its neck and used the chain to swing underneath its neck and landed on its back.

"For what it's worth, they are different." Ayame said quietly. "One has red eyes and the other has blue eyes."

After hearing that, Cu Chulainn and Dante both looked into the eyes of the wolf they were fighting. And sure enough, they both had different colored eyes.

"So, do you know which one is which?" Dante asked.

"I have no idea." Ayame said while pulling the chain wrapped around the wolf, she was standing on's neck tight.

"Then what's the point?" Dante asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that they are not identical." Ayame replied calmly.

Sighing exasperatedly, Dante rushed toward the wolf who was distracted by Ayame. Then, with a strong thrust, Dante seemingly slid toward the wolf's side. After landing his thrust, instead of pulling back, Dante began to unleash a barrage of thrusts aimed at and around the spot where his initial thrust landed. After a few moments, the wolf's side was full of large stab wounds, some of which were so deep that bone was clearly visible.

"You two, move away!" Baraqiel shouted from the distance.

Hearing that, Dante and Ayame wasted no time in distancing themselves from the wolf, Hati. Then, from above, a bolt of lightning fell and landed on the sickle impaling Hati's neck.

"*Roar!*" Hati roared loudly in pain.

"You know that should have been aimed at the one I'm fighting." Cu Chulainn said as he evaded Skoll's jaws. "I mean, they are already fighting two on one."

That's true." Baraqiel replied after drawing near. "But that sickle in the beast's neck was the perfect opportunity for my [Holy Lightning]."

Like Baraqiel said, because of Ayame's Kusarigama that was impaled into Hati's neck, Baraqiel's [Holy Lightning] was able to affect Hati internally. Hearing that explanation, Cu Chulainn nodded in understanding.

"On top of that, this old man is next to useless against these wolves." Dante said as he pointed at the spot where the lightning hit.

Where Dante pointed was Ayame's kusarigama, burned black. However, the ash grey fur around that point was not even singed.

"It would have been nice to know ahead of time that these things have magic resistant fur." Dante said as he charged at Hati once again.

"We'll just have to make some holes in that fur." Cu Chulainn said as he flourished his spear at Skoll, leaving several long cuts on his coat of fur.

At the same time, Ayame circled both wolves at high speed while throwing as many hidden weapons, kunai, senbon, and other throwing daggers as she could into the softer parts of the two. With all these pieces of metal sticking out of them, Baraqiel's [Holy Lightning] would be more effective. And just as Ayame expected him to do, Baraqiel fired off as many bolts of [Holy Lightning as he could at the wolves. Most of which hit the hidden weapons sticking into them.

Eventually, with all the damage accumulating, Skoll and Hati began to slow down. However, they were far from defeat.

"Damn, these things just keep going." Dante said after evading a claw swipe from Skoll.

After they realized that making Baraqiel's [Holy Lightning able to damage Skoll and Hati was the most effective strategy, Cu Chulainn and Dante began to switch opponents whenever the opportunity presented itself for a couple of reasons. The first was that because Skoll and Hati were under control, their natural instincts were somewhat suppressed. So, if they used timing and positioning to their advantage, they could cause friendly fire between their foes. The second reason was that switching opponents from time to time would create openings to deal wounds to the other target.

Of course, the first few times they tried it, if it was not for Ayame, who was not engaging in close combat, Both Cu Chulainn and Dante might be seriously injured right now. However, thanks to Ayame's quick reflexes, skill with the weighted end of her kusarigama, and talent at reading the battle, Cu Chulainn and Dante have received some minor cuts and bruises at worst.

"So, are we gonna kill these things or subdue them?" Dante asked curiously.

"Well, if you think you're a bad ass like Master, we can try to subdue them." Cu Chulainn said as he glanced at the battlefield with the Midgardsormr copies.

"Yeah, even I'm not that crazy." Dante said as he was also astonished by what he saw.

What Cu Chulainn and Dante saw was Scathach riding on Fenrir's back, who had shrunk itself to the size of a war horse and dispatching the small dragons effortlessly with her spear.

"Focus on the task at hand!" Baraqiel shouted as he called down another bold of [Holy Lightning].

"Yeah, yeah, take it easy old man." Dante said as he rushed forward again.

"You're right." Cu Chulainn said calmly.

And once again, the four ultimate-rank beings began to attack the sons of Fenrir with everything they had.

Meanwhile, Scathach was rampaging among the small serpentine dragons atop Fenrir. The rest of the young devils along with Rossweisse were using everything at their disposal to kill as many of the dragons as possible in as short a time as possible, as well.

"Damn, this is getting tiring." Issei said after binding four of the Midgardsormr copies with his shadows.

*Shing!* *Shing!* *Shing!* *Shing!*

Shortly after the dragons were immobilized, Yuuto and Xenovia appeared and beheaded them. Xenovia then rushed off toward her next target while Yuuto stayed near Issei.

"Yeah, there are a lot of these things." Yuuto replied. "How did Loki make so many of them?"

"Fuck if I know." Issei said after jumping out of a dragon's shadow and sticking the claws on his right gauntlet into its head.

"[Destruction Slash]!"

As issei landed after his attack, a reddish-black blade of energy passed over his head. With his hair standing on end because of the danger that attack made him feel, Issei turned around to see the aftermath of that attack.

"Holy shit!" Issei exclaimed as he saw the view behind him.

When Issei turned around, what he saw was at least a dozen Midgardsormr copies laying in pools of blood with their heads separated from their bodies.

"Damn, Buchou is so bad ass!" Issei exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome." Yuuto replied as he also beheaded three of the small dragons.

And like them, the rest of the young devils and Rosseweisse were also doing their best to thin the number of dragons.

At that moment, Cu Chulainn and Dante were forced to dodge out of the way of Rias' attack.

"Damn, that was dangerous!" Dante shouted. "Can't you be more careful, Red?"

"Quit your bitching and get back to work!" Cu Chulainn shouted. "We're almost done. Don't lose focus now."

"Yeah, yeah." Dante muttered as he continued to stack wounds upon Skoll and Hati with Rebellion. And just like that, for the next few minutes, Cu Chulainn, Dante, and Ayame, who was using a pair of kodachi to attack in close quarters, inflicted as many wounds as they could while Baraqiel showered both wolves with bolts of [Holy Lightning].

Eventually, after five more minutes, Skoll fell lifelessly to the ground. Two minutes later, Hati was also killed. Unfortunately, even after destroying the gems on their heads, Skoll and Hati attacked the party of four mindlessly. More than likely, they were enraged by not only being controlled as they had been but also because they were so injured when they regained consciousness.

"Damn, I really wanted to give making one of them my familiar a try." Dante said as he watched Scathach riding Fenrir around the battlefield. "I mean, Master Scathach looks so bad ass fighting like that."

"Yeah, but I doubt either of them would have accepted the contract." Cu Chulainn said while also watching the other battlefield. "On top of being completely out of their minds, we needed to fight four on two to beat them. Unlike Master who defeated their father one on one."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Dante said as he nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, after catching his breath, Baraqiel rushed onto the battlefield once again. He felt it was more important to make sure nothing happened to Akeno than to recover his stamina.

Cu Chulainn, Dante, and Ayame could all understand what Baraqiel was thinking from just the expression on his face.

"That's not gonna go well." Cu Chulainn said as he watched Baraqiel make his way to Akeno's side.

"No, it's not." Dante replied while watching the same thing.

"Would you get the hell away from me?" Akeno's voice could be heard from the distance. "I don't need you to protect me. I already know you're shit at it."

"Yikes." Cu Chulainn said.

"Yeah, that's gotta hurt." Dante added.

Ayame, on the other hand, was watching James and Vali fighting Loki. She could tell that that fight was nowhere near being done. So, instead of gawking at James, she turned around and rushed into the battlefield with the inferior Midgardsormr clones.

"*Sigh* I guess we should go, too." Cu Chulainn said as he began to run after Ayame.

"Yeah." Dante replied.

At the same time, Loki was launching one spell after another at James and Vali.

"Well, damn." James said as he glanced around the battlefield. "Skoll and Hati are down as well. You're running out of pieces on the board, Loki."

"Those useless pups." Loki said with Disdain in his tone. "I never needed them to kill you two brats anyway."

"Oh yeah, you've done a bang up job of that, so far." James said, continuing to taunt Loki.

"Shut up, damn it!" Loki bellowed. "I grow sick of your constant babbling!"

"Is there anyone you can't piss off?" Vali asked as he continued the switches between attack and defense.

"So far, no." James replied. "Anyway, I think it's time to end this."

"Yeah, but how?" Vali asked. "Nothing we've done has been able to hurt him substantially."

"Well, I'll start trying to win now." James said with a smile.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Vali asked with anger and confusion in his tone. "Are you telling me you could have ended this earlier if you wanted to?"

"Something like that." James said with a nod. "But I wanted to give the others a chance to fight. Even if those dragon clones are weak, fighting that many should be a valuable experience for them."

"You've gotta be shitting me." Vali said with anger in his tone. "Just hurry up and finish it."

"Sure thing." James replied with a smile. "I just need you to [Divide] his power a few times. Then, you can leave the rest to me."

"Got it." Vali replied.

James then held out his right hand. In his outstretched palm, all the petal-blades from [Senbonzakura Kageyoshi] came together to form a single sword that was identical to Ochiru Sakura in shape, size, and weight. Then, like they had done so many times in this fight, James and Vali charged forward and weaved through the incoming barrage of projectiles. Eventually, James arrived in front of Loki and swung A sword made from the one billion petal-blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi] which Loki blocked with a barrier. At nearly the same time James sword connected with Loki's barrier, Vali appeared behind him and placed his hand on the Trickster God's back.

[Divide!] x 10

At the same time, James drew Mangetsu no Shita de with his left hand holding the blade in a reverse grip. Anticipating where the second sword would strike from, Loki erected another barrier to block this attack as he had done with All of James previous attacks.

[Boost!] x 10 [Transfer!] [Penetrate!]

*Swish!*

Unfortunately for Loki, this was not like all of James' previous attacks. After [boosting] his power then [Transferring] that power into his [Penetrate] ability, James cut through the barrier and Loki's bodily defense with one slash. After that, James turned away and sheathed Mangetsu no Shita de, which was clear of any of Loki's blood even after cutting him.

A moment later, Loki's torso blossomed with a large fountain of blood. Then, the Trickster God fell from the sky with an expression of disbelief on his face as he lost consciousness. Vali also had an expression of disbelief on his face after seeing how James ripped through Loki's defense as if it were not there.

"Alright." James said as he released his [Balance Breaker] state. Then, before Vali could begin questioning him, James began moving toward the last battlefield as he spoke. "Let's go wrap this up, I'm getting hungry."