Chapter 52

The air breaks around Vali as he charges, adding a second roar that echoes him as he lashes out with his massive armored fist.

Noriaki steps into it, blade at his side, his fist cleanly turned aside with the edge of the sword.

In another step, Noriaki's blade ignites with swirling flames, as he brings the blade down in a counterattack.

In a flash of light, Vali immediately redirects himself, vanishing in a blur that Noriaki's blade arcs through, circling to his back.

"Got you!" Vali howls, his fist streaming out like a snake poised to strike his opponent's open back.

Only to pass through a faded blur of his opponent.

"Are you sure about that?" Noriaki's voice suddenly seems to project at his back instead now!

[Vali!]

Even before Albion called out to warm him, Vali was already moving.

He turned, fist raised, and brought it down like a hammer from god.

It struck the air before hitting the ground with a thunderous crash, uprooting the rock and soil around him as though it exploded.

[Wha…? He was just…]

Vali clicked his tongue at Albion's clear confusion. That bodes well.

"Rude." All around him, Noriaki's voice comes in, as though he's the newly formed and settling cloud of dust and debris himself, "Anyhow, like I was saying…sorry if I drag this out longer than need be…I can be petty like that, sometimes."

Vali huffed in indignation, before teasing his wings, and flapping them out.

The dust cloud bursts and breaks apart, revealing…well, exactly why Noriaki's voice came from all around him.

It's because there's Noriaki's all around him.

Hundreds of him, in fact!

Most of them are flickering after images, but a good chunk, at least over a dozen, are physical.

All of them are smirking though, as they add, "Very, very petty."

[Duplication Magic? No, the clones created by those spells aren't this alive looking, nor can they speak…what is this?] Albion wonders with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

God bullshit?

[...Most likely.] Albion concedes eventually with a sigh.

Vali though, finds himself grinning just the same, his Juggernaut Drive form showing a viscous smirk filled with teeth.

Something new. Finally.

His Demonic Power and Draconic Aura bubbles forth and explodes out around him.

[Careful now, Vali! Every energy attack you use means more used Power you're already rapidly losing! You'll need to pace yourself!] Albion warns him.

Vali, internally, rolls his eyes. He knows how his Juggernaut Drive works, he came up with the idea to use his massive ocean-like reserves of Demonic Power to maintain the form and retain his sanity.

[I'm aware.] The white dragon huffs out, [But you tend to forget that in the middle of combat, your 'ocean-like' reserves are much less an ocean, and more like a lake, in this state!]

…Fair enough.

Regardless, using a radial attack would be quicker than hunting down the real one, and time is of the essence here…as much as he doesn't like to admit that.

With that on his mind, Vali roars, head raised to the sky as bright light blue bullets explode off his form, flying in all directions.

In mere moments, every single afterimage is blown away.

Yet, the clones…they fight back.

As his bullets surge out, whirlpools of crimson flames form to meet them, each made with a single spiraling slash from the clones.

The spiraling whirling flames devour his bullets, burning and dispersing his energy attacks into nothing.

Vali was forced to stop the radial attack, wasteful and not strong enough as it was, but before he could even consider a stronger option, all the clones were suddenly upon him.

All of them had different stances. All of them came from different directions.

There were eight on the ground, two from each cardinal direction, and four in the air.

Their blades ignited.

Albion. The wings.

[On it.] His partner called.

Vali formed balls of power and aura in his massive clawed hands, as his wings lashed out like blades of his own.

He thrusted his hands out causing both his left and right sides to turn into a bright pale blue mass of power.

At the same time, the draconic maw that made up his face fell open, erupting with a beam of the same pale blue light.

That's three directions on the ground, and air settled.

Pain. White hot pain lances through his shoulder and burns throughout his right side.

[Damn! Vali!] Albion calls, as Vali tilts his head slightly down to his shoulder with a pained grunt.

There, a blade pokes through, having cleanly passed through to the other side as though puncturing Play-Doh.

[One of them slipped through in some kind of heat haze!] Albion explained, though Vali was only mildly paying attention, as he whirled around, grabbing the grinning Noriaki that stabbed him by the face.

Internally, Vali grinned, feeling the connection link for him to use Divide.

Then, he squeezed.

And Noriaki…puffed into smoke?

The connection vanished, along with the sword stuck in his shoulder, much to his imminent confusion.

Even the sword was a near-perfect, albeit, a weaker duplicate of the real deal.

Still a Dragon Slayer. Still Holy Aura.

Vali groaned as he grasped the hole in his shoulder.

Now…where is the real one hiding?

[I'll fix the armor up, don't let the Holy Aura get to you Vali!] Albion spoke, almost admonishingly so.

Vali grits his teeth as he lets go of the wound, which is already starting to glow.

He could handle this much Holy Aura. Even though it felt like his veins had turned to molten lava, he could take this.

He can take this, and more. He'll need to if he ever wants to hope to defeat that man.

[Vali! Above!] Albion suddenly calls!

Vali jerks out his lulling mind and raises his eyes to the sky.

There he is. The real Noriaki. He can tell because of the golden honey glow wrapped around him like a shell.

Though, he's sheathed his sword…and that hand sign.

Both elbows out. Fingers interlocked, with the index fingers forming a triangle?

What is that supposed to–

Noriaki lowers the hand sign and breathes an ocean of flame.

Straight down at him.

Unlike his previous flaming attacks, the core of this one is a bright raging violet.

[Vali–]

He knows!

Several demonic barrier circles explode forth from his front, moving to block the stream of flames.

Said barriers don't even get a chance to work, instead they are washed over and consumed immediately.

His wings, both Devil and Sacred Gear, wrap around him like a cocoon as the fire falls upon him like a waterfall.

His world immediately becomes one of bright yellows and orange, and, most importantly, excruciating pain.

[Vali! The armor! It's melting!] Albion cried, legitimately panicking.

How in the fuck!?

But that would explain why everything feels like it's burning!

Keep up the armor. He'll blast them out of this.

He can feel Albion's confirmation, not verbally, but as he immediately gets to work, his entire body starts to glow.

Vali grinds his teeth together, as he begins building power himself to make a break out.

Forcing him to use so much raw power like this, over and over…Noriaki is hard-targeting his form's weakness here.

If this continues, he'll run dry soon enough.

He needs to take control of the fight. He needs to land a hit, then he can weaken Noriaki enough to the point he can't fight back anymore!

He, will, win!

His draconic maw bares his sword-like teeth as it opens its mouth and roars a beam of bright pale blue lights, straight back into the stream of never-ending flames.

His blue power lifts the fall of flames, slowly pushing the stream up and off them.

The clash of powers stops halfway, before promptly erupting in a massive explosion of light and fire and force midair.

Vali took his chance, and moved, blurring to the side and straight into the sky in a stream of blue light.

Right toward Noriaki.

Before the god could say anything, he shut his mouth preemptively with his flying fist.

Noriaki drew his blade, and the air groaned as his fist met the blade's edge, but Vali wasn't done.

Another punch followed a left hook, singing as it flew through the air.

Noriaki barely gave it a second glance as he ducked under it, the attack barely shaking his hair as it soared over him.

At the same time, Noriaki pulls his blade down and moves to swing, but Vali refuses to be led anymore.

He kicks out wide, forcing Noriaki to block it or be struck, and he does so easily; redirecting his sword up and catching his heel with the sword's hilt.

Vali twists, spinning midair as he follows up with a roundhouse kick, which Noriaki further ducks under, the kick sailing over his entire body as the god goes sideways in the air to avoid it!

Noriaki gives him a very stupid grin as he looks up at him.

Vali, in response, brings both fists down like a sledgehammer on top of him.

Only for him to miss again as his fists break nothing but air, Noriaki having shot off like a bullet to the nearby wall of the cavern to avoid it.

Though Vali wouldn't admit it out loud…he's starting to get fairly frustrated.

With an annoyed growl, he follows, racing after the golden god without hesitation.

Noriaki backflips in the air, landing calmly against the wall, seemingly attaching to it as he stands on it.

He's joined by Vali, who comes in like a train, slamming full force into the wall, evoking a massive eruption of rock and soil.

Of course. The wall wasn't his target, it was Noriaki.

But he jumped back, barely avoiding the strike. Again.

Vali burst from his self-made hole, glaring at Noriaki, who merely raised his sword in response, and smirked.

Without further ado, Vali charged, but this time, he jammed his fist into the wall and dug it in as he flew forward.

As he went, rock and soil flung into the air, forming a rolling cloud of dust around him.

An impromptu smoke screen.

Yet still, his opponent just stood there, not the slightest bit concerned.

Even when he fell upon him.

Through the cloud of dust and debris, Vali struck, lashing out with his free roaring fist…and was averted.

Noriaki's blade bashed away his strike to the side, bringing his sword down once again to counterattack.

One of his wings struck down, blocking the strike, with which Vali followed up with another titanic blow aimed at his gut.

Noriaki leaped over it, his blade igniting as he jumped, the shockwave from his punch bellowing out to tear apart a long section of the wall in front of him.

Pain lances across his back, from wing to wing, as Noriaki's blade rakes across it.

Vali grunts as he turns halfway, his palm out, power building on instinct, and as soon as Noriaki lands back on the wall, he unleashes it.

A blast of Demonic Power, that Noriaki simply turns and holds out his hand to.

Vali watches as his attack lands true, but promptly disperses into particles as it touches Noriaki's aura.

His eyes widen as he immediately clocks into what's going on.

In a reverse of their last fight, rather than expel his Holy Spirit Power to weaken Vali, he's keeping it close, where it's denser, stronger.

Like this, his devil-based powers won't reach him because they'll be weakened and broken apart by the sheer density of his aura's holiness.

"Bastard…" Vali grounds out as he turns fully to Noriaki, the wound on his back slowly closing with a glow as he does.

Noriaki gives a look of faux hurt, "Hey now, just because my parents weren't married when they had me doesn't mean you gotta start calling me names like that, Chuuni Dragon!"

Vali slumps slightly forward as he growls, before slowly heaving deep breaths.

[Vali…you're running out of steam here.] Albion cuts in, prompting Vali to pause.

Shit…he is, isn't he?

He can feel it, as his Demonic Power reaches critical levels, the voices…they're coming, getting louder…

Vali snaps out of his thoughts as Noriaki's blade suddenly bellows with intense crimson flames.

"Alright, Chunni Dragon…how about we end it here, yeah?" Noriaki smiles, as he holds his sword up.

"End it…? Already?" Vali scoffs, "We're just getting started…!" He almost snarls out, before stopping himself.

[Vali…] Albion utters, concerned, yet Vali ignores him.

He's not done yet. He can't be done yet!

He will win! There is someone he must defeat, so he's got to win!

If he can't overcome this, then what does that say about his chances against him!?

Noriaki, unknowing and uncaring for his inner thoughts, breathes fire, flames licking the edges of his mouth as he breathes out, and steps forward.

"Sun Breathing." He states, his sword slowly lowering into a stance.

Wait…is he…calling out the name of his attack?

Well, less calling, more stating.

That dumbfounds Vali for a second.

Until he moves and is before him.

"Chrysanthemum Morning Palace."

ValI lied, he didn't move, he danced.

Somewhere, Vali realizes he's seen this move of Noriaki's before. Or at least, more accurately, a move like it.

Because comparing it then to now? It may as well be like comparing night and day.

Flaming slashes whirled around his body, striking in at least eight or more places so fast he didn't even know where exactly he got struck.

The final blow, that Noriaki stopped, ended with his blade right at the side of his neck, nearly biting into it.

Noriaki gave him a sardonic smile, now floating before him, as he slowly pulled his blade back.

"A-Ah…" Vali shuddered out, as his body began to shrink down, with a stuttered glow, "...damn it…you…Hnnghh…"

He tries to raise his fists, but only barely manages to lift his arms halfway before Noriaki's foot impacts his chest, and prompting drags them both down and into the ground.

That infuriating smile never leaves his face, as Noriaki looks down at him, and says, "You…are one persistent bastard, aren't ya?"

Damn…him!

~ A New Sun ~

Ah~! That felt good! Very good!

Sweet sweet karma, at its finest right here!

Vali struggles minutely under my foot, and to be fair, it's impressive he's moving at all.

This guy truly is the representation of sheer fucking will, and respect for that where its due.

After all, if it were anyone double weak to me and my sword, they would have just died taking the Thirteenth Form like that.

Finally got around to naming it after I perfected Sun Breathing. Feel that name fits pretty well, if I do say so myself.

So yeah, Vali took all twelve forms at the same time there, with me only holding back on cutting off his head, and he's still alive.

Hell, he's still moving!

I struck everywhere else besides his neck! He should be so pumped full of pain and divine power as to be effectively paralyzed, but look at him down there, trying to wiggle out from under my foot like a cute little worm!

So once again, I reiterate, this guy's existence is bullshit.

Not going to say that out loud though. I'm taking my win here wholeheartedly.

I let out a content sigh, basking in said satisfaction for the moment.

Until a small little feminine voice calls out from the side, "Um…Lord Noriaki…?"

I stop, blink, and turn toward the voice with a hum.

Floating there on her broomstick is the little blonde witch girl herself, Le Fay.

She isn't looking at me, but rather at Vali, with a very concerned expression etched across her face.

Which is fair, partly because of her whole…thing, and also because Vali is pretty fucked up at the moment.

Turns out, the younger girl was told many things about my and Kuroka's sex life by the black cat herself.

In explicit detail. During their 'girl talks', something I recall Vali himself mentioning to me during our first encounter.

Ah, Kuroka. Ruining a girl's innocence as easily as you eat all the food in the fridge, hmm?

On my way home tonight, I'm going to buy a collar and a leash and tie her up outside.

She's an outside cat from now on.

Anyhow, it sort of spiraled out of control from there, with Arthur catching wind of Le Fay's spoiled innocence and immediately blaming me…because older brother modes are characterized by being unable to think straight.

So yeah. It's a whole thing.

I take my foot off the half devil, and step away, asking, "You know any healing magics, or do you need me to fix him up?"

She floats over to Vali's side, the guy now trying to sit up, and puts a hand over him, shaking her head, "N-No, but I do know some white magic to facilitate the healing process…and we've got Phenex Tears if he really needs it."

As she finishes talking, a white magic circle appears under her palm, spinning steadily over him.

I chuckle, "It'd hurt his pride even more if I healed him after kicking his ass, wouldn't it?"

After a second, Le Fay nodded…before promptly pushing down the slowly sitting up Vali onto his back fully.

He groaned as his head hit the ground, prompting Le Fay to flush and utter apologies under her breath.

I muse about healing him anyway, but if they have Phenex Tears…why bother?

Sure, they probably stole those tears, but I couldn't care less where they got them. I, and the Shinto, aren't exactly allied with the Devil's after all.

Besides, I'm curious how he'll take this pain and loss and overcome it. Next time I see him, the guy will have gotten some kind of Zenkai boost, won't he?

Maybe I'll get to see his Emperio Juggernaut Overdrive next time?

Or maybe, it'll be something completely different?

This time, we were nearly even, with myself being a fair bit stronger overall, but Vali simply couldn't maintain his form's power consumption to stay in the fight.

Unlike our first bout, where we were even in the stamina game, but I lost due to my power not being up to par.

Almost a complete reverse.

So I wonder if he'll push down a different path, one not related to the insane drain Juggernaut Drive possesses.

I suppose only time will tell there.

With a shake of my head, casting aside those thoughts for now, I sheath my blade and reach into my robe, pulling out a new ofuda talisman.

"Ah, well, not like it matters," I shrug as I hold up the talisman, "you guys will be taken real good care of anyways."

Le Fay stiffens, "W-Wait! What!?" She sputters in sheer confusion.

She starts turning toward me, but before she can say or do anything, I throw the talisman to the ground.

Just like that, I'm back on the bridge. Alone.

While Vali Team? Well…let's just say they were taken elsewhere, where the Norse can hold and keep an eye on them.

Apparently, while I was relaxing with Suza, Odin decided he wanted to do something funny with them.

He had overheard Vali saying he wanted to 'fight the Norse' as it were, and the old god, not feeling the slightest bit threatened, instead decided to grant exactly that wish.

So, Odin and his fellow Norse are going to take Vali Team under custody and drag them back to Asgard for exactly that.

I'm not sure how that'd work, maybe they got some kind of gladiator pit or arena, but still, I let it happen because, well, why not?

Beyond just trying to find out more about the Khaos Brigade from them, which would be helpful for us because after tonight the Norse will be our ally, they do need to be punished for jumping in like that the other day.

Not only that, but I think this'll be good for them.

Or at least for Vali, anyway. He could use an ass beating. Or several.

As could Arthur.

Le Fay will be fine, the only reason I didn't explain anything is because she's too cute not to mess with.

I could see why Kuroka did what she did.

Still doesn't mean she's not being made an outside cat, though.

With a deep content sigh, I plop myself back down on the bridge, sitting there and staring up at the stars and moon.

Well…that's it, then. That fight didn't even take much time to win, either.

This means, that once all the gods back in the shrine are done doing the whole politicking and negotiating thing, this 'arc' I suppose is done.

So, now what?

Well, Hero Faction, if I recall correctly. They'll show up in around…a month. Or so.

Somewhere in October of next month, could be at the start, could be at the end of it, all I know is that they'll come, so I'll have to watch out for them.

Then…a bunch of stuff dealing with the Underworld. A lot of stuff dealing with down there.

No need to touch any of that, not like I can in the first place, not like I even remember much of it anymore.

So I guess, after the Hero Faction, I'll be flying blind in terms of meta knowledge, huh?

Not going to lie, that equally worries, yet also excites me.

Ah, well. That's quite literally all for future Nori to solve.

So, I lean my back against the bridge's railing and get comfortable.

It's going to be a long meeting after all.

…Wait a minute.

Why am I deciding to sit here?

I don't need to guard the shrine. There are so many deities around, and every single one of them could destroy entire mountains, at minimum.

Hell, Odin, Inari, my mother? They could all destroy islands and countries. They don't need me here.

So why am I doing so anyway?

I could get up, go home, and be done with all this already.

I could celebrate with my cat girls tonight, maybe. If Shirone isn't busy.

Or I could hop on down and see either of my grandparents, tell them what's been going on, tell them of the literal momentous occasion happening right before my eyes.

Yet I don't. I sit my ass right here and don't get up.

Get up.

I don't. Turns out, telling myself to get up won't automatically make me move my ass.

I have to want it.

Yet I don't.

I should, but I don't.

I don't even know why, this is a waste of my time, but I…

There's someone I need to see first before I come home.

It feels like I've met everyone before them. My maternal grandparents, my paternal grandpa, my uncles, Inari, Uzume…

But if there's anyone I should have met, it's pretty clear who.

So I sat there. Listlessly staring up at the stars.

As I do, I think of random bullshit to pass the time, to pretend that I'm not nervous.

Such as wondering if any alien civilizations out there have mythological systems that have a masquerade over them, just like here on Earth.

Really random stuff like that.

Throughout the night, I feel as deities both Norse and Shinto leave and enter the Shrine, vaguely taking note of them, though none ever acknowledge me in turn.

Eventually, night breaks apart, and the stars recede as dawn breaks over the horizon.

Now, more deities are leaving and staying gone as opposed to coming and going.

I vaguely feel when even Inari and my uncle leave.

Taking that as my signal, I finally stood back up.

Stretching out the kinks in my muscles after having laid awhile against hardwood, I pace fully across the bridge.

At the end of the bridge is a simple Torii Gate that, without breaking my stride, I pass right under, and straight into the Shinkai.

Dawn had barely broken in the mortal, human world, yet in here, right now?

The sun sat in the sky above the Inner Sanctuary, as though someone had taken every bit of the normal golden sky, bundled it up into a big orb, set it on fire, and dropped it here.

And it somehow only made every single exaggerated color within an already bright and colorful realm pop more rather than overpower it all.

As I walked, I saw far more people here than I think I ever had at one time before.

They're all Kami, I'm pretty sure. Heavenly Kami, in particular.

Regardless, I don't pay them any attention, even as they start whispering amongst themselves as I pass by.

"Arahitogami…"

"Here? How is…"

"They look a lot alike…"

They may as well be shadowed cutouts for how little they or their words matter to me.

No one stops me as I walk straight from the bridge to the Inner Sanctuary.

As I approach, I vaguely notice Heavenly Kami actively stepping away to not impede my path, some even bow lightly as I walk by.

All the way to the version of the main shrine in the Shinkai, Kotai Jingū, I walk.

For a brief moment, I'm shocked by how…small, the main shrine is.

Also just how modest it is.

I expected something awash in reds and gold but got a pretty standard-looking Japanese shrine in deep brown instead.

If there wasn't a literal sun above it, I'd probably say the place looked kind of…dull.

"No, no….no one would agree to that. Inari certainly didn't agree with that!" A voice, light, girlish, and very annoyed, suddenly reached my ears from within the shrine.

A pause, then scoff, and a sigh, "She has enough trouble running those stupid clubs here, it would be Hell for her to start anything like that up in Asgard!" Another pause, before she snaps back, "Well then why didn't you bring it up during the actual negotiations instead of now, after we signed everything!?"

Poor girl in there sounds like she's about to have a stroke.

Carefully now, I climb up the stone steps and ease open the wooden doors.

The inside is surprisingly roomy, but no less bare than the outside.

It looks big enough at least for a meeting between a few people, and yet…

There's only one person inside, standing before a golden mirror propped up in the middle of the room.

She's short, but not incredibly so…maybe a few inches or so taller than Kuroka? With long silky obsidian black hair.

She's wearing…Huh.

Gray sweatpants, pink bunny slippers, and a black t-shirt.

The only thing that would tell you she is a Goddess, beyond sensing it, is the ethereal aura of golden light wrapped around her form.

I almost wheeze out a chuckle, but damn if it wasn't hard to stop.

From here, l can see that the mirror isn't reflecting her, but is more like a screen, showing a view positioned overhead of a similar-looking meeting area, but with actual people in it.

Odin and Rose are two of the only people left. One pouting like a big baby, the other looking entirely done with life.

It's pretty easy to figure out what's going on here, I feel.

Suddenly, the girl twitches, right as she's about to say something more.

Slowly, she turns around. Her eyes widen as she does. Her golden eyes, that is.

She sees me, and she freezes.

I, meanwhile, look down at her shirt.

Oh.

It's not a plain black shirt at all.

It's an anime t-shirt with Kakashi from Naruto on the front.

I couldn't help it anymore.

I chuckled.

I continued chuckling, as her face slowly started growing redder, and redder.

Well, at least I know my mother doesn't have shit taste, that's a good start, right?