Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Pizza, Enkidu decided, looked really really appetising.

Sat in a local restaurant with one of his first friends, Enkidu took in the mouth watering aroma of the dish before him with wide eyes and a grumbling belly.

An errant tongue licked soft lips.

"Is this all for me?"

Gilgamesh gave him her patented exasperated look, a mixture between a scowl and an amused smile.

"Yes, Enkidu. It is."

"Awesome!"

The boy lifted a single piece up from the plate, delicious-looking cheese stretching around its edges. He leaned back, tilted his head, and swallowed the entire slice of pizza in a manner eerily reminiscent of a baby bird eating a worm.

Gilgamesh looked on, horrified.

"What are you doing, you imbecile! At least have the decency to chew your food!"

Where that pizza had gone to only the gods knew, for Enkidu was able to speak without issue just a second later.

"Ah, sorry, I just wanted to see if it would taste better like this! Sadly, it seems like I was mistaken once more… Maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board."

Gilgamesh twirled some pasta around a golden fork, scrutinising it, before placing it in her mouth.

Enkdu took out a second slice of pizza, and tore into it with gusto.

"Well, what do you think now?"

Enkidu looked up from his food, cheeks smudged with pizza sauce.

"Issh good!"

"Don't speak with your mouth full either!"

The King of Heroes produced a napkin from somewhere, before proceeding to clean the boy's face. The act felt weirdly intimate, for some reason, and seemed to have attracted the attention of some of the other customers.

An elderly lady looked over at them in disdain, tutting and turning her nose up at the display of public affection.

Gilgamesh, in all her maturity, flipped the woman the bird.

'Stupid old hag, you should be grateful to even stand in my presence!'

Enkidu didn't seem to notice of course, much too focused on his meal.

"Mmm, thanks Gil-chan! Hey, you wanna trade some food? I promise this pizza is really nice."

Looking at his imploring eyes, a devious plan came to mind.

"Heh, sure, just let me get some for you."

She speared some fish on the end of her fork, before pushing the meat towards Enkidu's bemused mouth.

"Open up, my dear Enkidu~"

A hungry maw closed around the morsel, and Gilgamesh felt an illicit thrill run through her spine. She watched as his throat constricted, Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and found herself strangely hot under the collar.

'I could get used to this.'

"Wow, that is good! Here, it's your turn now!"

Enkidu placed his hands on another slice, before something shifted in the air.

He looked around, searching, but no-one apart from Gilgamesh seemed to have noticed the odd sensation.

"It seems the play has finally begun."

Enkidu wasn't too sure what she meant by that, but the way she said it was suitably mysterious enough for him to become intrigued.

The gold-clad woman leapt up from her seat, before striding towards the door with a spring in her step.

She turned her head back to face him, and Enkidu saw that her face was adorned with a giant grin.

"Well? Hurry up, we've got a show to get to."

And with that, she walked out the door.

"Hey, wait up! I still haven't finished my pizza!"

///

An hour before

I am in love with breasts.

'That's a good start, I think,'

Whether they be big or small, soft and marshmallowy or firm and perky, I adore them all, equally and without bias. For breasts are divine in construct, heavenly globes that could be created by none other than god himself!

Issei's head throbbed in familiar pain.

'Damn, no matter how many times that's happened, it's still hard to get used to."

He spied a glance at the nearby church girl, her pendulous chest bouncing in time with her steps, and found himself hypnotised once more.

'I feel another poem coming along.'

Before his thoughts could slip any further into depravity, Issei's trance was broken by a knuckle being ground into his head.

"Stop staring, you letch. You're embarrassing me."

Koneko's flat voice stabbed him deep within his heart.

"How do you always know?! I thought for sure that time you weren't looking!"

"My pervert senses were tingling."

Issei could only gape in disbelief.

"Oh come on, you can't expect me to believe that! There's no way that's real, right? RIGHT? PLEASE TELL ME IT'S NOT REAL!"

The amount of hysteria he was expressing over such a thing was quite concerning, and his loud volume was definitely getting on the nerves of some.

"Can you quiet down! This is a serious mission from the church, and as you've for some reason asked to come along, the least you could do is act professionally!"

Xenovia, wielder of Durandal, was currently less than pleased.

"Ah, sorry… It's just that your brea-"

Issei's flapping lips were thankfully sealed shut by Rias' hand before he could spew any more obscenities.

"Let us hurry. We don't have time to waste."

Kiba's voice was strangely void of emotion, and Issei noticed Akeno giving Kuoh's prince a concerned look.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it though, as a large surge of power emanated from close to their school.

They hastened their steps, rushing towards their destination.

As they Reached the Kuoh academy gates, the group slowed down, able to catch their breath for a scant moment before a bespectacled girl greeted them with panicked disposition.

"Thank Satan you're here! Me and my peerage have managed to put up a barrier around the school to ward off any civilians, but it's not nearly powerful enough to hold off the fallen until our siblings arrive!"

"Don't worry Sona, we'll be fine! I'm sure that with all our combined power, we can drive that bastard away!"

Sona's look remained sceptical, but she didn't argue, ushering the group inside.

Another flash of power, the growing gloom lit by divine light, and Issei started to feel a tremble deep within his bones. He tried to steel himself, but the sensation of creeping dread hung like a veil over his form.

He gulped.

Not for the first time, Issei wished he was back living his simple life.

They hurried along to the sports field, Sona and Rias leading the charge, and it was there that they witnessed a scene of destruction.

The ground was littered with scorch marks, the grass blackened and wilted, and the stench of ozone mixed with the metal tang of blood, filling the air with the scent of a battlefield.

Above them flew a horde of ravens, cackling in glee, and below them, in the dirt and muck, lay the beaten bodies of Sona's peerage.

Saji lay face down, his stomach pierced by a spear of light. One hand extended out, fingers grasping, as if attempting to touch the fallen body of Tsubaki, whose left arm was charred black and badly burnt. Her comatose form had been curled around Meguri, whose eyes were red and full of tears.

Sona screamed.

To Kokabiel, angel of the stars, it was an enchanting symphony.

///

"Disappointing."

The voice of Kokabiel echoed from the sky, damning in its judgement.

Issei threw another haymaker, gauntlet clad fist flying straight and true, and yet again found it parried completely by the newly forged excalibur.

Freed's maniacal grin seemed to stretch out his face into a mockery of real features.

"Give up, you fuckface! You can't do shit to me now, you bastard devils, I've ascended past your measly power! SQUEAL FOR ME LIKE THE PIGS YOU ARE, AHHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Whatever that fake priest had given him, it had somehow made Freed even crazier than usual.

Issei jumped backwards, as Yuuto flew into battle with a vengeance. The blonde had completely lost his composure upon witnessing the weapon Valper Galilei had created, and was currently past the point of words, swinging his swords with an animalistic fury Issei found hard to associate with the usually calm-headed boy.

His lack of finesse proved to be his undoing, as he left his body wide open to a punishing kick from Freed that sent him sprawling into the dirt.

That Valper guy was saying something again, probably monologuing if he was going to guess.

Issei had tuned him out ten minutes ago.

Rias let loose a barrage of demonic power, although it proved to be a futile endeavour. Not only was the attack cut through by the holy sword, but her efforts also seemed to take up the last of her strength, her body collapsing bonelessly into the floor straight afterwards.

He could see Asia running around the battlefield with a horrified look upon her face, healing a single person and instantly finding two more in their place.

He wished he could comfort her, wipe the tears from her face and tell her everything would be ok, but he knew them to be naught but hollow words.

His heart sank further into a pit of despair.

'Focus up partner, this battle hasn't yet reached its conclusion!'

Issei wanted to believe in Ddraigs words, but the situation looked grim.

Xenovia swung her mighty greatsword, the blade landing with crushing force upon Freed's sabre.

"DIE, YOU HERETIC!"

He didn't budge however, grinning wickedly before spinning away and letting loose a blast of holy energy. Xenovia managed to jump to the side, although not as quickly as she may have wanted, the beam carving a bloody furrow in her side.

That she didn't let out a sound was impressive, but it didn't diminish the fact that she was heavily wounded.

Issei readied himself, intending to once more rush at the crazed exorcist, before something fluttered in the corner of his eye.

He turned his head slightly, confusion painting his features at the sight.

'Is that… Kiba?'

It certainly seemed like him, although what those glowing lights were circling his head Issei couldn't claim to know.

He stepped forwards, but was blown back almost immediately by gale-force winds.

A pillar of light erupted from Kiba's form, so bright that he had to shield his eyes, and when it was over, the prince-like teen was holding a sword with a wholly different feeling to the ones he was used to.

It was something unnatural

One second he was standing there, and in the next he had locked blades with Freed, whose hands were now trembling and his face more of a scowl.

Xenovia seemed to gain a second wind at the sight, and started to chant something that grated on the ears.

"Our father, who art in heaven…"

The stray exorcist seemed to recognise what Xenovia was doing, as his expression grew ashen and he redoubled his efforts in pushing away Kiba's new blade.

"STOP THAT, YOU BITCH! THE DEVILS, THE CHURCH, ALL OF YOU ARE THE FUCKING SAME! TOO STUCK UP IN YOUR OWN FUCKING HYPOCRISY TO REALISE THAT THE WORLD IS - FUCK!"

Freed's ranting was cut off by a slash to his arm, making him attempt to disengage, shouting expletives all the while.

It was not to be.

By the time he had regathered his bearings it was already too late, for Xenovia had finished her prayer.

"... DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, DURANDAL!"

A heavy presence descended upon their shoulders

In Xenovia's shaky grip it manifested, a golden hilt attached to an azure blade, glowing faintly in the darkness. Even looking at it was difficult, the sword seeming to radiate a holy light that made Issei's insides squirm in discomfort.

Whatever effect it had on him was paltry in comparison to Freed, whose eyes had stretched as wide as saucers, and whose mouth hung open in horrified awe.

"WAI-"

The air distorted as Xenovia swung, and that expression was etched onto his face forevermore.

His head rolled across the ground, coming to a stop next to the fake priest, and Issei heard muffled retching from behind him.

He was too shocked to even react

"How… How is this possible?"

Valper's tone was that of supreme bafflement, but instead of staring at Durandal or his fallen comrade, his eyes were instead locked on Kiba, or more specifically his new sword.

"That sword… How can it contain both holy and demonic elements at the same time! Such a thing is an aberration of nature, God would never allow…"

He trailed off, seeming to come to some sort of realisation, although whatever it was remained short lived.

A pale hand burst through priestly robes, spraying blood and gore in all directions.

"You have been an amusing toy, Galilei, a far more interesting specimen than most of your pathetic species. However, I regret to inform you that your contract has been terminated."

The air was filled with the cackling of crows, and an almost pleasant voice that belonged to the Star of God.

"Not to worry though, let me put a good word in with Michael, and I'm sure you will be welcomed at the gates of heaven with open arms!"

Kokabiel's smile was haunting.

A stab of fear entered Issei's heart, hands shaking, as he failed to comprehend how the fallen angel had managed to move so fast.

'Is he really that far beyond us?'

Crimson red bubbled from cooling lips, a choked sound leaving sinful tongue, and all watched on in silence as Valper Galilei drew one last breath.

He died with naught but a whimper.

A sick grin stretched over bloodstained visage, as Kokabiel savoured each of the devils mortified faces like fine wine. He removed his hand from Valper's corpse with a wet squelch.

"Humans are just so precious, don't you think? No matter which of them you meet, they always have those very same delusions of grandeur, believing themselves to be much more important than they actually are."

The man stalked forwards, blackened wings stretched out around his form in blasphemous imitation of the holy spirit.

"It is a truly pitiable state of affairs, although I cannot lay the blame solely on humanity. In the same way you cannot fault a dog for chasing cars, humans cannot truly be blamed for their inferiority, rather, such things stem instead from their creator. God, if you will."

Lighting branched downwards from the heavens, revealing burning yellow eyes full of malice.

"I know not what he could have been thinking, but in the end it doesn't really matter, does it? Humanity was, is, and shall forever remain…"

Holy energy coalesced into the form of a spear, and with a flourishing motion Kokabiel presented it up towards the stars, a signal that lit up the night sky with baleful light.

Hundreds of fallen flew on high, weapons at the ready.

He turned and looked Xenovia dead in the eye.

"... A failure."

///

'I think this might be the end, partner. For what its worth, just know that your memory will live on inside me.'

'Thanks, Ddraig.'

Issei looked up at the looming fallen, spear of light poised over his prone form, and contented himself with the thought that he had never stood a chance.

As soon as Kokabiel entered the battle, it was already over. They put up as much resistance as they could, of course, throwing attack after attack at his form, yet each attempt was laughed off, barely doing any real damage to him.

Irina deflected the incoming weapon, but it was only delaying the inevitable.

"Y-you, how can you say such things! Weren't you an angel of God? You more than anyone should know that He doesn't make mistakes!"

Her tone was haggard, and her body battered and bruised, but her eyes still blazed with the spark of defiance.

Kokabiel laughed in her face.

"Ah, how amusing, the dog can talk! I wonder what gave you the confidence to lecture me, of all people, upon the nature of God! Do you think a lowly worm like you knew Him better than I? WELL?"

His previously polite voice had become strangely manic, as his lips curved into a crazed grin.

"Let me tell you something, human. God is not who you think he is."

Irina backed away, eyes wide, as a dreadful feeling began to suffuse her bones.

"He is not all knowing. He is not all powerful. He is neither omniscient nor omnipresent, and he CERTAINLY is not infallible! The church feeds you nothing but drivel, slop meant to turn the faithful into obedient tools, but they know the truth just as well as I."

The world seemed to grind to a halt, and for both Irina and Xenovia, it had.

"God can be none of those things, FOR GOD IS DEAD!"

The battlefield was engulfed in silence, his final declaration still echoing within the clearing like the toll of a bell. Issei spotted Asia from the corner of his eye, poor, sweet Asia, and found his heart shattering into a million pieces at the expression writ upon her face.

He turned to Rias, but rather than a reassuring smile, her features were instead guilty and knowing.

'It couldn't be, could it? Ddraig?'

The answer did not come from the Welsh dragon, but rather from an unknown mouth.

"Lying is unbecoming of you, Kokabiel."

Illuminated by the moon, a visage of gold walked into view, followed by a mop of green hair enshrouded with white cloth.

The cadre whipped his head around to face the new arrivals, amber eyes scanning their forms with disappointment.

"So says the mortal. What would you know of God, little human?"

The woman chuckled, a throaty thing, that even despite the situation made Issei's hair stand on end.

"It seems it is you who are lacking in understanding. After all, how can you claim God is dead when she walks amongst you in the flesh!"

"YOU DARE?!"

The fallen angel snarled in rage, charging towards the mysterious woman and her companion with reckless abandon.

"You can sit this one out, Enkidu. It's been a while since I've been able to stretch my legs."

"Ah, sure! Go get him, Gilgamesh!"

How they could remain so unfazed in the face of such power, Issei didn't know, but it did inspire within him something that he had long thought lost.

Hope.

A screaming spear of light pierced through the night air, although it was intercepted long before it could reach its target.

From behind the woman's back, hundreds of glowing portals made themselves known, and from each of them shot a different weapon.

A sword. A spear. A lance. A mace. A myriad of lethal armaments flew through the atmosphere, colliding and cutting a swathe through the spears of light hurtled her way.

Where before the sky was filled with laughter, now it contained only the dying screams of the forsaken, dropping like flies towards the earth.

Kokabiel seemed almost distraught at that moment, his anguished face strangely human, before it turned once more to primal fury.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR ACTIONS HUNDREDFOLD!"

His thunderous voice was met with an amused smirk.

"How terrifying. You are a truly intimidating specimen, oh Star of God."

"GRAAAAH!"

From shimmering gold she retrieved a sword, unremarkable in appearance despite its curved edge, and blocked Kokabiel's reckless stab with deft movement.

They clashed blades again and again, sparks flying into the atmosphere, and with each mighty blow Kokabiel found himself being pushed further and further back.

Seeming to notice this, he disengaged and flapped his wings until he was high up into the air. His previous confidence was now nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by shock and slight fear, although it was buried in an instant.

"Hah… Hah… I can admit, you are slightly more powerful than I anticipated, but in the end it matters not. Humans, no matter how hard they try, no matter how much they long for it, can NEVER reach even close to the throne of God! That you even claim such a thing is laudable in its audacity, but I am afraid your delusions end here."

In his grip a spear of light formed once more, although this time he didn't stop pumping it with magical energy at its realisation, instead overcharging the construct and causing it to multiply in size.

It grew bigger and bigger until, eventually, with gasping breath and wild eyes, above his head hovered a spear almost the size of a bus. It hummed with arcane energy, bright light oozing of its form in waves.

"DO YOU SEE NOW, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND I?! PRAY FOR SALVATION, LITTLE HUMAN, FOR I SHALL NOT AFFORD IT TO YOU!"

And with that final declaration, the largest attack Issei had ever seen was sent hurtling towards the earth.

He closed his eyes, holy light tickling at his eyelids, as he lay there and waited for the inevitable, too exhausted to even move.

Yet, the burning pain he had expected never came.

"Is that all?"

His eyes opened to the sight of the golden woman, her sword outstretched as if she had somehow cut through the spear.

"It seems that once more, the supernatural have been blinded by their own ignorance. You will never again reclaim heaven, Kokabiel, for your pathetic nature only serves to drive you further away from your impossible dream."

Whether it was the words themselves, or the bored tone she delivered them in, something within Kokabiel seemed to snap. He howled at the sky like a feral animal.

"I'll KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU ALL!"

His head turned to the green haired boy, who had been sitting on the sidelines and watching the proceeding events with a small smile, and towards him lanced an arc of white lightning.

It travelled at supersonic speed, far too fast for any normal human to react to.

Yet he did.

An earthen hand sprung up from the dirt and intercepted the attack, and with a blinding flash both the lightning and the hand were no more, reduced to dust on the wind.

The boy seemed completely unbothered by this, instead looking disappointedly at his empty pizza box.

'Damn, I really thought I had more left.'

Gilgamesh, meanwhile, was furious.

"This has gone on long enough."

On wings of gold she ascended into the air, flying up high until she was at the same level as the fallen angel. The hilt of another weapon presented itself to her, and she grasped it, pulling it free from the gate of Babylon.

The world pulsed red

"Hear me, oh unworthy, and heed well my words!"

The handle came first, black as tar and lacking adornment.

"You who think yourself untouchable, you who believe yourself to be superior, you who encroach upon the beating heart of humanity; look upon this day, ye craven, and know despair!"

Next came the blade, jagged and dyed in crimson.

"For I swear, upon my name and title, as Gilgamesh, Greatest of all rulers, KING OF ALL HEROES, that you will all rue the day you set foot upon this soil."

The heavy sensation of bloodlust pervaded the air, so thick and cloying that it became even hard to breath.

"I will purge this world from the cancerous roots you have embedded deep within its core..."

She swung the blade forwards, and in the moonlight, its edge seemed almost hungry.

"And cleanse this rotten land in THE RIVERS OF YOUR BLOOD."

Kokabiel hadn't the time to speak, no time to react, no time to grieve or even to understand his fate.

His body was reduced to red vapour in an instant.

///

Amber eyes stared at the unfolding scene in wonder. Fists trembled in a white-knuckled grip, bending the metal railings he was leaning on.

'I need to fight her."

Within the boy's head, a deep voice answered back.

'No. I forbid you from even going near her until you've grown much stronger.'

'W-Huh? Why? You've never stopped me before, what's so different about this woman?'

A pause, the voice seemingly contemplating something, before it spoke up once more.

This time, it was coated in wry amusement.

'Let's just say that I've, hmm… Had dealings with her in the past.'

Deep within his sacred gear, Albion's eyes shone with interest.

///