Chapter 21: I’m Right Here

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Some clarification:

Crossover World

This story is set in a crossover world featuring the following anime:

Nurarihyon no Mago

Jujutsu Kaisen

Highschool DxD

Highschool of the Dead

The Testament of Sister New Devil

And more!

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"What's happening?!"

"The barrier's been destroyed!"

The sudden shattering of the holy barrier sent waves of holy power rippling through the church, creating chaos akin to dropping a bomb into a serene lake.

A blonde twin-tailed girl sitting confidently on the high platform in the church stumbled, startled by the violent quake. She managed to stabilize herself midair by spreading her wings, narrowly avoiding smashing her face on the steps.

From behind the rows of Roman columns flanking the platform, two figures darted out, one from each side. They stood guard at the red carpet leading to the church's main doors, their stances tense and battle-ready.

At the forefront was a tall man in a thick coat and round hat, his appearance reminiscent of a certain Vatican gunslinger-priest from Hellsing. However, the black wings extending behind him betrayed his identity as a fallen angel.

"Ridiculous... Nonsense, how could this be possible? This is a church protected by the holy light of God. Is the daughter of the Gremory family trying to provoke another war?!"

"Who knows? Let's not jump to conclusions about whether it was Gremory's daughter. Even if it was, what reason would they have to start a war with us?"

A fellow fallen angel with blue hair and an ample figure voiced her disbelief.

Undoubtedly, the fallen angels had come to this place with the goal of expanding their territory. However, they hadn't even had the chance to do anything yet!

Their plan was meticulous and long-term.

The first step involved leveraging the combat-crazed priest Freed to eliminate all the ordinary humans in the area who had begun leaning towards the Gremory family and their association with devils. Following that, they would start spreading their faith in the humans, thereby drawing strength from the belief they collected.

But now, the long-term plan had barely started, and the Gremory family seemed to have launched a direct attack?

It felt like setting up a chessboard in a park only to have boiling water dumped on you and a slap delivered to your face before the game even began.

Kalawarna couldn't help but grumble internally.

At this moment, the fallen angel Dohnaseek seemed to realize something. He spun around abruptly to look at the blonde, twin-tailed fallen angel girl hovering in the air.

"Mittelt! Where's Raynare?"

"Ah… I think Sister Raynare went to check on Freed's progress," Mittelt replied absentmindedly, her finger tapping her lip as she pouted.

"After all, you know how Freed gets when he starts 'working.' He becomes completely absorbed, and this time he took the Saintess with him. If he wasn't careful and let her escape, that'd be... problematic..."

Before she could finish, a familiar voice rang out from the skies outside the church, full of panic and fear.

"Kalawarna, Dohnaseek! Get out here and stop him! Mittelt, come with me. We must perform the ritual immediately!"

"Huh?"

Mittelt looked up curiously towards the source of the voice.

The next moment, the church roof burst open with a loud crash. Raynare, her black hair flowing and her scanty, provocative outfit barely covering her, flew in through the newly created hole. Clutched under her arm was the captured Asia, and her landing resembled a barely controlled crash.

"S-Sister Raynare? Are you okay?!"

Mittelt was finally alarmed, seeing Raynare return in such a disheveled state.

She had always had absolute confidence in Raynare's abilities. Among their group, Raynare undoubtedly had the strongest combat prowess. Even as a fallen angel, stripped of the blessings of God, she could still wield the light spear. A single throw of her spear could severely injure an intermediate devil, and weaker ones stood no chance.

Unquestionably, Raynare was the top combatant below the rank of fallen angel leaders.

But now, seeing Raynare in such a battered state was something Mittelt had never anticipated.

"I'm fine," Raynare panted heavily, wiping her face with a frustrated hand. She pointed towards Kalawarna and Dohnaseek.

"But that guy is already on his way here. You two go outside and hold him off. Don't push yourselves too hard. Just buy me enough time to complete the ritual, and then we'll finish him together!"

The memory of the boy she encountered at the house's entrance still sent shivers down Raynare's spine.

He was terrifying...

She had thought her wings would give her the advantage, allowing her to escape swiftly with Asia. As long as she was airborne, someone without wings or specialized tools couldn't possibly catch her.

What she didn't expect was for him to attack her even from the ground, breaking through the holy light barrier surrounding the church with a single blow.

Luckily, she had been in flight, and the turbulence in the high-altitude air currents had thrown off his aim. Otherwise, if she had been hit, she might not have survived.

Could humans truly have such terrifying individuals?

It was hard for her to believe, but the reality was undeniable.

The only option now was to perform the ritual immediately and transfer Asia's Sacred Gear into herself.

Although the process would result in Asia's death, that was no longer a concern—on the contrary, it was ideal.

Losing a Saintess was a small price to pay if it meant obtaining the Sacred Gear that could heal anything. With it, she would ascend to become the Saintess of the Fallen Angel Church herself!

"Understood."

"Got it!"

The responses came almost simultaneously.

Deep violet magic surged from both fallen angels as their raven-black wings unfurled fully. With a few powerful flaps, they launched themselves into the air, ready to face the incoming threat.

However—

"No need to look for me. I'm right here."

A calm voice unexpectedly echoed throughout the church, freezing the two Fallen Angels, who had been poised to take flight, in place.

An immense, invisible pressure filled the space, rendering everyone unable to move.

Cold sweat dotted Raynare's forehead as she unmistakably sensed the aura of Keikain Fukuki.

He was here.

Among them.

Right... behind her.

Hearing the boy's voice, Asia, who was tucked under Raynare's arm like a small, helpless creature, managed to lift her head slightly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Fukuki-san…"

Surrounded by four Fallen Angels, Keikain Fukuki remained composed and unshaken.

The dazzling golden energy that had previously enveloped him had vanished, as if his sharp edges had been sheathed. Moonlight streamed through the shattered roof, draping over his shoulders like silver frost. Lowering his head slightly, the boy spoke softly.

"You asked me to save you, Asia. So here I am."