Chapter 104
"I heard that you proposed to Damian. I suppose congratulations are in order." Floating in the midst of Hades' realm it was Rias that broke the silence, her piercing blue eyes aimed at Ingvild alone. Unlike her usual kind gaze, her eyes were dark.
"You know how he is. Somebody had to move first." Sending the Gremory heiress a gentle smile that didn't quite reach her eyes Ingvild giggled somewhat ominously. The two had a somewhat antagonistic relationship with one another.
"Fufu." Giggling at the side, Akeno took sadistic pleasure in the verbal battleground occurring before her. She wasn't in the competition for first place anyway so she didn't have nearly as many regrets as the two of them.
Rias regretted going from first to second and Ingvild didn't like that Rias was staunchly first for so long. Neither hated the other but their emotions clouded their minds. Of course, they still understood that they were allies but at times their anger was their strength.
"It seems that the Mad Dog is more beloved than I've heard. To snatch the inheritors of Levithan and Gremory is quite the feat." Their opponent who had been patiently waiting Thanatos spoke in bemusement, his aged and mature voice effortlessly radiating horror.
"It seems that you aren't caught up with the times. He's called the Malevolent Star now." It wasn't like Rias to reply so snarkily but, truthfully, she didn't care. Thanatos may be one of the more friendly opponents they'd face but the fact they were enemies didn't change.
"An old timer like myself hardly has the energy to keep up with you youngsters." Jovially responding Thanatos hardly seemed to be 'old'. The aura of sheer power emanating from him hardly belonged to somebody too old to pay attention to the news.
"I don't know if I'd call you an old timer." Casually responding to the strongest reaper none of them were surprised when the serpent ring around Ingvild's finger grew monstrously huge and coiled around Ingvild like an impenetrable shield.
"I may be old but I'm not senile just yet." Those words would seem comforting in a different situation but the sharp scythe raised in their direction destroyed all the chance of that. Worse still, the weapon wasn't one he often used.
All scythes of the grim reapers were powerful with their ability to damage the soul directly however they were all children's toys in front of the weapon in the old reaper's hands. The scythe wielded by Chronos himself Harpe was held in Thanatos' grasp.
The battle began before any of them said another word, a beam of superheated water shooting from the mouth of Ingvild's sacred gear like a laser. Swinging his scythe Thanatos cut the beam in two with not even a grunt of effort.
It was an impressive display of might but it left the reaper open to further attacks, something that Rias did not hesitate to take advantage of. Crimson spheres no different from snow surrounded Thanatos, each possessing the power to destroy the reaper's flesh.
Giggling in anticipation Akeno excitedly watched as her lightning bolt fell from the sky all while the crimson snow approached the reaper. He was trapped between a powerful lightning strike and absolute annihilation, there was no way he'd get out unharmed.
"You seem to underestimate the older generation." Thanatos spoke calmly from behind them, his scythe already soaring through the air toward the trio. It happened in the blink of an eye. He simply vanished.
'He can enter the domain that easily?!' With widened eyes Rias hurriedly swung around, her hand leaving a crimson trail in its wake. The attack was hurriedly made and much less effective than her normal blows so Thanatos broke through it in a flash.
But a flash was more than enough time for them to escape. Taking advantage of the newfound opening Ingvild began to sing, her voice melodious as her sacred gear was elevated to a new level of power.
Swinging her hand horizontally the famed power of destruction left Rias' grasp and rapidly approached the reaper. The crimson wave was larger than the tallest building and just as wide and growing rapidly. Ingvild's singing no longer just enhanced dragons, it enhanced everyone.
With a much more solemn attitude compared to mere moments prior Akeno released her wings as a symbol of her determination. Holy lightning danced around her fingers as thunderclouds formed above them.
Hundreds of thousands of lightning bolts descended from the sky as she swung her hand down, all of them containing the power to destroy mountains. If Thanatos could go anywhere he pleased without them seeing she would attack everywhere.
"How fearsome." Blatantly amused by the attacks coming his way Thanatos laughed in the face of the oncoming attacks. Raising his spear to the sky he slowly moved it counterclockwise for only a second.
In an instant all the attacks simply ceased to exist, even the static in the air vanishing as though it never existed at all. The trio were unsure of how he had done it but they were relieved to see that Thanatos at least looked winded as a result.
Glancing at one another the three didn't have to say a word to know what they all wanted. All at once they moved, the trio aiming to kill him before he could use that strange move that was almost as unfair as Damian's move set once again.
Ingvild was the first to move as yet another beam formed in her sacred gear's mouth as it aimed its head at Thanatos who merely stood still. Almost lazily swinging his weapon a tornado formed directly in front of the serpent from the simple movement.
Releasing the beam prematurely it struck the tornado, dismissing it almost instantly, and continued onward. Yet Thanatos had long since moved, the serpent discarding its attack as it slithered through the air in order to protect its 'mother'.
"…" Holding a hand to her neck Ingvild desperately pressed her wound, the blood leaking from both her neck and mouth staining her palms. Lightly swinging his weapon only to clean it Thanatos looked down at the Leviathan.
"That's one."
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