Chapter 88: Three Faction Meeting Part 2

Beta read by Shigiya.

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-Kuoh Academy-

"It seems to be a terrorist attack," mentioned Azazel casually, having a serene expression as he stared at the army of mages trying to kill us. "We got some heavy hitters knocking on our door, and they certainly aren't holding back either. Huh, is that an army I see?" Azazel gestured at the sky with his chin, as if he was just pointing out a strange bird. I approached Rias, Akeno, and the others, making sure no hidden attacks would be launched against them. 

Flashes spread out in front of my eyes, the whole building, and the energy dome around us shook with countless rays of light that started to bombard us from all sides. 

"We're under fire. In any era where a power tries to form peace with other powers, there will also be a gathering of those who dislike it and try to disturb it." The Governor General commented, keeping his eyes fixed on the man holding a spear in the sky. "Even those who call themselves saviors." When I turned my eyes in the direction he pointed, there were human-like silhouettes that had arrived in the schoolyard and in the air. Looking closely, these mage-like people dressed in black robes seemed to be firing attacks at us that were similar to magic bullets.

Luckily, these attacks didn't seem to be doing any damage to the new school building or the dome after Grayfia took control. But, I also couldn't see any sign of the attack relenting. 

Azazel continued to smile, "Those guys are the so-called magicians. They use a kind of magic that was originally interpreted from the magic system of devils by the legendary magician "Merlin Ambrosius" and reconstructed as sorcery…From the power of the magic they're emitting, I'd guess that they each possess the magic power of a mid-class devil."

That… was a terrifying fact, while a single mid-class devil posed little to no danger on their own, having hundreds if not thousands of them was a different story. This coupled with the fact that we had to also protect the other members of our group. 

"In short, it means that humans can use powers like those of devils. Though, of course, it also seems to be possible that they can't become devils themselves. It's especially troublesome when a Sacred Gear possessor learns magic." He said that last part while giving me a side glance. "Well, their attacks aren't capable of damaging this school building. Because the strongest protective barrier by me, Sirzechs, and Michael is enveloping this place. Though, thanks to that, we can't leave here."  

"Yet even that shouldn't give them the confidence to attack us directly like this," Michael commented. "Two of us alone are more than enough to handle the mage population." 

"But we also have to deal with these other guests." Finished Sirzechs, hinting at the presence of Nemain and some members of the Hero Faction. "I am not familiar with the feats of this Goddess, but I heard she is quite a fearsome opponent. I believe you had some past encounters with her, Hachiman-kun."

"For a bit," I said, "I never actually faced the real her seriously. The first time she was just playing with me and the second time it was nothing but a clone." 

"Then, would this third encounter be the final one?" 

I gave the leader of the Devil race a side glance. 

"While our race may not be the strongest around, we still are capable enough to keep you shielded from any scrutiny from other Pantheons if the need arises." What a crazy guy, trying to — in his own way — grant me permission to kill Nemain without any consequences. "What do you think? I can offer you assistance if you'd like?" 

Hoh, aid from Lucifer himself? How quaint. 

"I think you'll have your own set of troubles to deal with." I posted to the other side of Nemain, where a green magic circle formed with the insignia resembling a fly. From it emerged another redheaded individual who gave off the presence of a Satan-class entity. "Someone you know?" I asked, seeing the corner of Sirzechs's lips stretch downwards. 

"A remnant of a bygone past that refuses to die." 

So the old Satan Faction huh? Maybe they were here for another reason other than disrupting this meeting. 

"By the way, the armies of the Fallen Angels, Angels, and Devils outside of this school building all seem to have been taken out if all the blood I'm smelling has to say anything. Geez, these people are a pain to deal with, it's not like us Fallens can reproduce or resurrect others like the Devils here yet." Azazel put a hand on my shoulders with a tap. "You prefer to deal with the blonde over there and her new boyfriend or the goth stalker goddess?" 

A tough choice to be completely honest, both will most likely get me killed, "What do you think, Vritra?" I asked my partner, whose Sacred Gear gem glowed as he started to speak. 

"Logically, I would advise to handle Nemain first, given she is a ruthless individual whose domain represents the madness of war. The longer this goes on the stronger she will become. But I also have a bad feeling with the boy over there, his spear specifically." 

"A Longinus." Gabriel next to me uttered with a worried expression, before gasping in shock "No, it's…"

"Not just a Longinus but THE Longinus from the looks of it." Azazel finished her sentence, for the first time since the attack, showing signs of worry as well. "If a Longinus Class Sacred Gear has the potential to kill Gods, then the True Longinus can easily kill both Gods and the Buddha. The holiest weapon in existence, drenched in the blood of Christ… yeah, it's a bigger danger than a random goddess of death." 

Holiest of weapons, it didn't take a genius to find out who would be the most affected here. "Gabriel, I have a favor." I pulled the Seraph to the side and quietly whispered into her ear. "Can you look after Rias's and Sona's groups? As of right now, they are the most vulnerable here, and it is too dangerous for them. If it's possible, take them and my group out of here as soon as possible." 

"You want to remain here?" She grabbed my face, her fingers gently caressing my cheeks. I blushed a little since she was doing it publicly with the other girls and everyone else watching me. "Asia-chan and Akeno-chan told me you have a tendency to risk your life regularly, please don't do anything that can lead to… I'd be very sad if that happened." 

"I'll be fine," I answered. "I can't remain weak forever without knowing how to take care of myself first." 

I awkwardly tapped her shoulders, not knowing whether I should go for a hug in this tense atmosphere. But it seemed to work as she gave me a nod, going back to Rias and Sona's peerage — they already suspected something was up. "You should go with her," I said to Xenovia and Kalawarna, the only ones I honestly worried about in my group. Kuroka could handle herself and Raynare… well it was Raynare. 

"H-Hey, what are you doing?" Akeno tried to leave the ground, only to have herself frozen into place as a black tendril grabbed onto her ankles along with everyone else. "Hachi-kun?"

It did pain me to see her acting like that. I promised myself that I would never make her cry or to history repeat itself and I planned to hold on to that. "The True Longinus is the ultimate weapon against the devil, you staying here will just give the enemy more opportunities to hurt you and hinder us. Gabriel will bring you somewhere safe, you can help us by weakening the enemy from the outside as well. I doubt they haven't sent some mages in other areas of the school and Kuoh to keep us distracted." 

It would be idiotic to have all of their forces here and leave their back open unless they were truly that arrogant. "When you're done with securing the area, you can return and support us." By then, I fully suspected for us to be done.

"I-I can help out as well!" Gasper protested with Koneko giving a determined nod. "I-I-It's true that I can't f-fully control my Sacred Gear, b-but I can still try!" He huffed, trying to look more confident than he truly was, but with his knee-shaking like a newborn child just gave him away. 

"So can I." Koneko backed him up. "We are not weak." 

"But Hachiman here isn't trying to say that nya~" To my surprise, Kuroka spoke, using my full name. "You are just as important outside than here, if the enemy is planning something then you can put an end to it while we deal with some of the rodents here~" 

That seemed to give them some encouragement and wavered their previous determination to stay with them. Gabriel already was in the middle of creating a teleportation circle—huh? 

"Ah, the barrier has blocked us from the outside world and teleportation in general." She noted to which I asked if she couldn't just bust through it. 

Gabriel shook her head in the negative at my question.

"We can't escape. As long as the barrier enclosing the entire school isn't dissolved, we can't go outside. But, if the barrier is dissolved, damage may be taken in the human world. We'll need to secure the other areas of the school by foot I'm afraid. Come along everyone, let's not waste time, the others are about to make their moves as well."  chirped Gabriel, sounding like a preschool teacher ready to everyone on a field trip at the end.

Akeno was torn as well, but I gave her a thumbs up, wanting to let her know that everything would be fine. The others reluctantly followed the Seraph as she set up another shield against the barrage of spells. Before Sona's group joined, Azazel went over to Issei and Saji, handing each of them some sort of bracelet. 

"What was that for?" I asked out of curiosity. 

"The Red Dragon Emperor and the holder of Lædingr haven't yet truly manifest, let alone mastered their Balance Breaker form. Those bracelets will help them bridge the gap and allow a seamless transformation in case they reach that threshold." Unbelievable, just what couldn't this man not build?

"Would have been very nice if I had those," I remember just how much I went through to even activate an incomplete form of Vritra's Balance Breaker, let alone the full set. "I would accuse you of favoritism if I didn't know better."

"Hahahaha! I originally made them for you, but last time I checked, you already mastered your Balance Breaker form. But just in case, here." He tossed me another bracelet, dark tendrils of energy emerging from my gauntlet and surrounding the artifact as Vritra grew interested in it. 

"Azazel, just how far did you research Sacred Gears?"Michael asked his brother while sighing at his little brother's eccentricities, but the Fallen Angel Governor just smiled fearlessly.

"It's fine, isn't it? Father, the one who made the Sacred Gears, isn't here anymore, right? Wouldn't it be better if there's someone who can explain Sacred Gears at least a little? I heard there are all kinds of things that even you don't know about them, right?"

"I think the problem is that you're the one who's researching it…"

While these two continued their back and forth, Vritra had another reaction. "This is… fascinating. Keep it partner, I think I may have a use for it." If he said so then I followed his advice and put it around my wrist. "Ah, I'm finding some side effects that may affect me if we use it. A minor one, but preferably this will be a last resort measure."

As long as it wasn't something detrimental like sealing him away or putting the dragon to sleep for another few years then it was okay.

"You're still here?" It wasn't until they left my sight did I noticed a certain blue-haired former exorcist standing next to Grayfia, mostly hidden away from view. "What are you doing here? Quickly, join them!" 

"I refuse." The blue-haired girl mentioned, bringing forth Durandal and slamming it on the ground with a loud thud. "Do I need to remind you of my duty as your knight? I may be gullible to some extent, but your intentions are easy to decipher. Also, I am no Devil, so holy energy will not affect me." Her face was resolute, as she glared back fearlessly at the Goddess above, ready to put her life on the line to help her new master. 

I, on the other hand, frowned. "This is an order then, retreat back to Gabriel's side and make sure to keep them safe until I return. Whilst you may not be a Devil, you're still very much a human who doesn't know any spells. You'll be more of a liability against the heavy hitters." I said sternly, hoping she would listen to my words. 

"Then I shall focus on the ground enemies and thin out their numbers. If you are in need of a meat shield then I'll happily volunteer." At this point, I was mostly used to the random sort of mind-numbing words that spewed out of her mouth that made question if she thought about what she said before saying it.

"Same for me, I'll need to stay behind and assist both you and Azazel-sama," Kalawarna said, her face as resolute as Xenovia. "I'll remain by Azazel-sama's side and provide you with any support. While my healing spell may be nothing compared to Asia's Sacred Gear, I can still manage." Raynare next to her already gave me an answer by throwing a single light spear towards the enemy above. 

"Heh, looks like it's time to grease up my combat skills once again." Azazel made his move as well. Then, countless spears of light appeared next to him, hovering around. The spears shot up all at once at the same time as Azazel lowered his hand, meeting the enemy attack head-on. 

The terrorists also made protective barriers, but they went through without any trouble and the magicians were eradicated. The magicians' stiff corpses scattered about the school grounds. But as soon as dozens of them were charred black, another group emerged to replace their numbers and more. 

"This school is enveloped in a barrier. But, despite this, they appeared within the barrier. There must be a transfer-use magic circle or a person connecting with a gate to the inside of the premises. Either way, they seem to be using considerable military power."

Serafall chuckled as her hands glowed a misty blue color radiating a chilling aura. "It's a never-ending wave most likely. They'll keep appearing even as we knock and knock them down. However, even if the timing and terrorist technique are good, it may be that they have a knowledgeable person who has inside information. Is there unexpectedly a traitor here?" Just like Azazel, Serafall shot a volley of ice spears that skewered many mages with blood dripping down from the sky. Far more gruesome than Azazel's method somehow, but just like before — those fallen numbers were instantly replaced.

"A traitor… I am not one to point fingers but we may already have a suspect." Michael's gaze traveled to Kuroka next to me. "Please forgive me for my tone, but logically, you have the highest likelihood to be—" 

"Let's not start pointing fingers." I stopped him from continuing his speech and shielded the girl from any more accusations. "This is not the time to play the blame game. We can do that after taking care of these people." 

The blonde stared back at me with an unreadable face before sighing. "You are correct, let's focus on the more important aspect first." 

I saw Vali scoff as he stared at Kuroka behind me, the latter showing her tongue to both men while hiding behind me. "Bleh~, they are being mean to me, Hachi-kun!" 

"Don't blame them, we're not exactly in the best position right now." The more I gazed at goth Nemain and the Hero Faction, the clearer of my next course of action. "Have you ever fought a Goddess?" 

Her eyes widened, caught by surprise by my question before patting her chest and almost exposing her front side completely. "Don't worry nya! I am a master Senjutsu user and I can kick the butts of any enemies who are mean to you!"

"Oh, I'll help as well!" Serafall came forth, "I still want to bash her face for trying to hurt So-tan back then!"

So she still held a grudge. Expected from a uber siscon.

"Vali."

"What is it, Azazel?"

"You go catch the enemy's attention outside. If the White Dragon Emperor comes out at the front, it'll disrupt their strategy a little. As for you Hachi boy, are you sure you want to do this? That's a nasty spear." Azazel spoke, wanting to make me rethink my decision through and through. From the looks of it, this person was waiting for me with Jeanne, not showing the least bit of hostility unlike everyone else. 

"Yes, if I'm lucky then we can end this peacefully." 

"Hah, we can all dream." 

I couldn't deny him, even though I didn't believe my words in the slightest. "Oi, how do we go about this?" Both Vritra and I needed to come up with a plan first, in case that person became hostile and both he and Jeanne attacked me at the same time. 

"Hard to say, I have never actually seen the True Longinus in action aside from hearing its feat from word of mouth. Similar to Sun Wukong's staff, it can expand as far as the wielder wants to. Going off just from the feeling of holy power alone combined with past stories, I'd advise not attempting to block a spear attack as it'll bypass any defense we may put up. Delete Field is a good starter and Absorption Line of the human male, as we can force him to exhaustion." On cue, I extended Vritra's wings as we started to ascend the sky. 

Nemain's eyes followed me the entire time until she put up a shield to block Kuroka's kick coupled with an ice spike from Serafall. Good, those two got her attention. 

"Kenaz. Magic arrows" a swift motion later, several blazes of fire coated several projectiles which I used to clear a path. A few mages got injured but none died and some where still ready to go, these people were the real deal after all. "Vritra." 

"Got it!" 

Using Delete Field, the whole space around me became shrouded by a dark veil as the Sacred Gear's effect took place. Several who were in the middle of setting up an attack found their spells broken apart by the sudden dip in their powers while others managed to power through. Unfortunately for them, this gave both me and Vritra enough time to send multiple tendrils and grab onto their limbs. 

"Blaze Black Flare!" 

Unlike regular fire, these flames had a nasty curse that can hurt a creature's soul for an eternity. The flame traveling through each tendrils engulfed them as they screeched in agony — some not even leaving ashes behind. "It's kinda scary how I've gotten used to this. I still remember the time I vomited just from having fought a Stray. Anyways, what's next?" 

"If this man is a more troublesome opponent and we can't exhaust him, then I suggest going all out. Gae Bolga is still a frightening weapon and using it alongside Balance Breaker can give you enough speed and force to cut him once. That should be enough to temporarily put him down… but all of this is only possible if the user of Blades Blacksmith is incapacitated. We should refrain from assuming she's the same as before, but the same applies to us. Regardless, allowing our back to be defenseless is just asking to allow history to repeat itself."

I agreed with him, this was going to be troublesome. Fortunately, Vritra seemed to have a solution to this issue as always. "There is a way we can handle both of them at the same time. But it will require some additional help from the Ouroboros dragon." 

"Bringing her out is dangerous," I mentioned, dodging a spell attack from a nearby mage and defeating him with another rune ranged attack. 

"How so?" 

"Because I suspect they know she's with me and yet they still came. Tell me, don't you find that odd?" My words made Vritra go silent, "Just imagine if we were the enemy, what strategy or weapon would we need to confidently face a Dragon God?" 

"Nothing comes to mind I'm afraid. The True Longinus, whilst powerful, should not be able to defeat someone of her caliber so easily. It would require Ophis to actively allow them to hit her and even then it would only weaken her. Though I agree with your thinking, they know she's here but they still came… so it would mean that they are either very foolish or very confident in coming here. Still, I just need one thing from her, it will not require her to remain on the battlefield long enough to let the others act." 

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And with that, we finished our planning just in time to reach Jeanne and her friend, the two patiently waiting for me with the chaos around us. 

"Heya, Hachiman! Long time no see," Jeanne greeted me with a jovial air around her. "You've been doing well I see, and you're still a human! I'm proud of you!" 

"Jeanne." I really was not in the mood for any small talk with her. My opinion of this woman having reached rock bottom the moment she attacked Rias, Kiba, and Akeno. Unfortunately, I knew showing any impatience or extreme emotions was dangerous, so I had to act now. "You're doing great yourself, I see you brought a friend along to kill us all. Didn't expect the Hero Faction of all people would object to a peace treaty." 

Jeanne's smile wavered slightly at my pointed words, but she quickly regained her composure. Her companion, however, remained silent, smiling even but watchful, a sense of tension in the air. 

"We aren't here to kill you, I just wanted to meet you. Rather, we wanted to have a chat." After she finished saying that, the man behind me approached as I started to tense up — eyeing his spear the entire. We stood eye to eye, one side tense and fully expecting an attack while the other just seemed amused more than anything. 

"So you are Hikigaya Hachiman, this era's Black Dragon King. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He bowed, speaking politely and with patience. "I've heard a lot about you from Jeanne over here, I believe you're also familiar with another one of my colleagues." 

Another one? I was certain I would remember another one of these hypocrites if I met another one. Oh, wait, "You're talking about the user of the Dimension Lost Sacred Gear? I honestly can't even remember his name with how little he mattered last time." 

"Harsh words, I'm sure Georg would be hurt if he heard it." 

"Good," just what was his goal? Did he seek to strike a deal with me, demand that I return Ophis or secretly kill me and the leaders? I couldn't tell nor did I care honestly. "I'm not one to rush a conversation, then again, my communication skills aren't the best so I'll ask you this now — why are you here? We can talk about Georg all day. Come on, give me your villain origin story so we can get this over with already." 

He laughed, keeping his laid-back and easy-going smile, and honestly… I started to hate this man's face. It was so fake and condescending that it made me want to puke. Kiba and Hayama were nothing in front of him. 

"You're just like what Jeanne told, witty and sarcastic. I always wanted to talk to you but never actually got the chance with the Devils surrounding you. I believe we can be great friends, Hikigaya Hachiman." 

"... And you came to talk to me by launching an attack?" 

"You're wrong," he admitted, his eyes more jovial than anything. "This situation is complicated, and it's not just about the Hero Faction anymore. We have our reasons."

"You sure talk a lot for someone who hasn't even introduced himself." Now that I stood closer to him, that spear just looked that much more dangerous. 'Vritra, how bad would it be if that spear struck you?'

'Very dangerous, in my full armor set, healing any parts touched by the spear would be a nightmare. The Holy nature of the weapon alone is a major hurdle we can't afford to look down on just because you aren't a Devil. It will still hurt both of us to a dangerous degree. I already have the girl locked on, give me a signal and we'll take her out first and retreat before he can attack.' 

'Got it.'

"Ah, where are my manners? Yes, you are correct." He showed me a short courteous bow. "I am Cao Cao, the descendant of the famous Cao Cao, Cao Mengde, who was recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms and an ally to all human beings — including you." 

"Your actions now sure don't seem like that of an ally." My tone couldn't be any more dryer. 

He nodded his head, "I understand your warryness towards me, but you should not fret as I did not come with any intentions to harm you. You see, I've had my eyes on you for a quite a wh—"

"Ew, that's creepy." 

"—ile… I've seen how much you've sacrificed, how strong your resolve is to fight for the humans and assist them without falling to the temptations of the Devils. You remained untethered, unchanged by their sweet words, and kept your humanity — that I respect." 

"Would that respect have you listen to my request for you to leave the battlefield?" I asked, not falling the least bit for his sweet words. 

"Hahaha, it all depends on you. I wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed just as much as you. My goal here isn't to take any lives, but rather offer a path that will save humanity." 

My eyes narrowed, but my expression mostly remained unwavering. "I'm sure you do. But you'll need to give me more context than that, what do you want?"

Jeanne exchanged a glance with her companion before speaking, "We want your cooperation, Hachiman. We're facing a common enemy, one that poses a significant threat to all of us."

"A common enemy?" I turned around and waved at the battle happening all around us. "You may need some glasses because the only enemy I see here are you guys." Just as infuriating to talk to as last time, so detached… almost delusional people with that holier-than-thou attitude that always rubbed me the wrong way. "I don't know about you, but allies don't tend to backstab you and escape with their tails hidden away." 

"That was an unfortunate moment and error on Jeanne's part, that none of us here will deny." Cao Cao said, "You have every right to be angry at us, despise us even with the events of the past. But know that Jeanne here does not represent all of the Hero Faction. Her action back then was made out of desperation more than anything, and she has been remorseful ever since. Humans make mistakes, that you should know as well, former Black Death." 

"..." 

I had to admit, it was hypocritical on my end to see Jeanne as the only villain from that time. I was just as guilty as her and killed more people in the end, whether it be by accident, loss of control, or anything else that did not matter. "Even to this day I think about the outcome of what happened in Paris, you don't need to remind me." 

"An accident, one who the main antagonist in all of it was Malum Naberius — a Devil. If he hadn't started it all, then the Fallen Angels wouldn't have grown interested in that area, they wouldn't have let their incompetence controll them by calling someone else their dirty work, you wouldn't have been involved and finally… many lives could have been spared." 

"Don't try to change the su—"

"I'm not altering the facts, Hikigaya Hachiman," Cao Cao interjected, his voice unwavering as he recounted past events. "Remember the Holy Sword incident? It was set in motion by the Fallen Angels, yet who ultimately bore the consequences? Humans, like yourself. Even the current attack, it's a consequence of the Old Satan Faction's inability to control their thirst for blood, putting Kuoh at risk. Without fail, every one of these conflicts is ignited by someone from the Supernatural world, leaving us humans to pick up the pieces. And to make matters worse, they now entangle our own brothers and sisters in their disputes, forcing them to fight each other or turning them into mere pawns for their amusement, like in the Rating Game. Tell me, am I mistaken? We can repel them, we can win with people like you on our side and the aid from those with more power than they know what to do with it."

He had a point, the events he mentioned were consistently initiated by individuals from one of the three Factions.

"The Great War, where millions perished in the conflict between the three Factions. The Devil's Civil War, using us as expendable soldiers under the pretense of achieving true devilhood through the Peerage system, which is nothing but a concealed form of slavery. Are you not weary of dealing with all this... nonsense?" His voice rose in fervor. "This is precisely why Heroes like us exist. We were born with a singular purpose: to be the sword and shield for those in dire need, for those unable to defend themselves, for the vulnerable. Without us, humanity's existence is at risk of extinction or complete subjugation by a single Faction. We cannot allow that to happen. Join us, you need truth-worthy allies who you can trust with any power." His tone remained the same but the intensity behind his gaze kept increasing to the point I didn't even want to look at them.

'Partner, at this point, I'm certain he knows Ophis is with you. Or at least, heavily suspects it.' Vritra spoke as I remained silent after his speech. So I went on and asked what opinions he had over what Cao Cao said. 'Me? Honestly, I don't care about humanity any more than I do any other race. In my eyes, and to nearly every other dragon out there, they all are the same chaotic beings who can't live a peaceful life for more than a decade without any conflicts. Being a Devil, Fallen or even an Olympian just means the possibility for more destruction.'

"We have the means to stop all of this," Jeanne continued. 

My skepticism lingered, but a flicker of curiosity shone in his eyes. "Which involves bloodshed?" 

"The only way to destroy the three Factions, or rather the easiest way, is to let them mutually destroy themselves from the inside out. But of course, in practice that would take another few years and the existence of the Evil Pieces and their creation being shared between Angels and Fallens will make it impossible for them to truly die out. That is why this attack is necessary, to stop a bigger evil from occurring in the future and let these fools kill each other one by one. But of course, greater power is still needed for us to safeguard humanity from the greedy eyes of the other Pantheons. The Greeks have been getting active lately." Cao Cao spoke again, making me sigh from the headache they were giving me. 

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Why go this far for me? I'm not a hero for your information nor a descendant of one. The only notable figure with whom I share a name is the Shinto Deity." 

"That does not matter, as the status of a hero comes with his actions to save and help humans. You will become one by joining us." 

"And yet here you are going against that virtue," I shot back. "Look, I'm not one to shoot back about morals and values a heroes should have. But go through so much trouble and bloodshed if all you desire is humans to be free? Let's say you do succeed and our species become the one at the zenith point. Then we will effectively be hated by everyone, forget about the internal feud between the Old Satan Faction and the biblical faction as whole, as those will become trivial with the troubles we will face."

I genuinely started to get increasingly angered at how little reaction or care this person showed to his actions. Not even bothering to look at the consequences for the regular people. 

"I don't know if you noticed, but not all humans have powers to protect themselves or even know about the Supernatural. Your little hero party won't ever be able to maintain this position of power for all humanity as it'll just break apart in no time — you guys aren't enough. Conflicts will arise within our own circles and then what? Will you also butcher thousands of humans who don't agree with you? Because to me, at that point you're no different to the Old Satan Faction leaders." 

Cao Cao fists tightened around his spear. "What a disappointment, how deceitful the Devils must be to have brainwashed your mind to such an extent. You have been corrupted, Hikigaya Hachiman, tainted beyond measure by their sweet little stories to keep humanity in check. But I'm still a small spec of light within you shining with the splendor of what a true hero is. Heroes are meant to fight against the odds and face impossible feats for the betterment of the people. I know our limitations but I also trust my fellow heroes to break past those very limits to save humankind. Just give us a chance to show a glimpse of a peaceful world… I know you want to see it happen as well."

Ah, I really was about to vomit with the amount of bullshit coming out of his mouth.

"...Is there really no way we can salvage this and not go into a conflict with the Supernatural world?" I asked with but a whisper, hoping by some miracle I was misguided and this bastard would prove me wrong. "Just like you said, heroes are supposed to fight against the impossible and make it possible. I am not a hero, but you all claim to be, what's stopping you from working together and making most species live in harmony instead?" 

I was practically begging him to not escalate this beyond a point of no return. All of this was beyond stupid, idiotic and made little sense. 

He frowned, "I stand by what I said. This is your last chance."

So it came to this in the end regardless… damn it, I felt stupid to have had hope that a miracle woud occur. But then again, I mentioned it myself, I was no hero, so creating miracles remained impossible for me.

"You know what? You're right," I spoke to Vritra out loud, coming to a firm understanding of whom and what kind of people these Hero Factions were. "It doesn't matter in the end, they are all the same." 

Cao Cao and Jeanne smiled, the latter approached 

"I'm glad you've seen reason," Jeanne said, her voice softening, "we've put ourselves in a vulnerable position by approaching you. If we wanted to attack, we would have done so already. Our goals are really for the betterment of humanity, and we can put all of the conflict between us to the side and work together—!?"

[Balance Breaker!]

[Malebolge Vritra Ascension!]

My surroundings turned dark and large waves of energy burst out, strong enough to push Jeanne away as Cao Cao lost his smile and gazed at me with an unreable face. The dark metals that adorned my body shone with an eerie, otherworldly glow, and the violet orb of Vritra's Sacred Gear pulsed with unrelenting energy. 

Jeanne couldn't even react in time as I approached her with lightning speed and grabbed her hand which was going for her rapier. "You people make me sick," was all I said, delivering my strongest punch to her guts, the suddenness of it all not giving her enough time to react, taking the full brunt of the hit.

"Not gonna lie, been wanting to do that for a while. Absorption Line." By my command, hundreds of tendrils grabbed onto each of her limbs and held her in place. 

"Is this your answer, then?" Cao Cao's voice was filled with a mix of curiosity and immense disappointment.

"You are leaving me no choice here," I met his gaze with a firm resolve. "We seek a better future for humanity? That's the biggest piece of lie I've heard so far. While I agree with you to some degree, a certain Irishman had a similar opinion as well. But you hold not even a fraction of his resolve in my opinion. But in the end, killing everyone is not nor will it ever be the answer and what's stopping you from doing the same thing as the Devils and Fallens? As far as I know, your Faction is working with an actual terrorist origination, alongside other Devils and races whilst calling yourselves saviors!? That's hypocrisy at its finest. You don't seek the betterment of humanity. No… no, you just want to control it instead in my opinion, using your flawed logic as an excuse to explain your actions and paint yourself as the messiah."

His eyes twitched, that comment didn't go well with him.

"Hit a nerve, didn't I? Then again, the truth hurts." I summoned Gae Bolga and pointed the tip of the spear at him. "Just stop with the acting already, I might really get sick."

"You'll regret your decision, Hachiman," Jeanne said between her breaths, recovering from the attack. 

"Trust me, I already regret forcing myself in another conflict when all of this could have been resolved if you just stopped for a second and listened to your own words."

Cao Cao on the other hand sighed, "Then so be it." With a snap of his fingers, a fissure appeared above us. I watched with confusion before a shadow moving swiftly managed to reach us in less than a second. My eyes widened as I saw the glint of a weapon coming straight for my chest. "Take him out, Connla, he's been already brainwashed by the Devils. This was a waste of time I'm afraid." 

"Yes," I moved just in time to deflect the attack, pushing him away just enough to see who I was fighting. And futhermore… the spear in my hand started to pulsate. 

"What?" 

The man in question was not actually wielding a weapon, but rather a shadow having taken the form of a spear with his entire body in dark armor releasing similar dark fumes as mine. With dark glasses covering his face, he sneered at me. "I would prefer you return my ancestors' spear back to me." 

"Eh?"

Never have I been this confused before, but regardless, I had to focus… !? 

[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]

After that sound, a snow-white aura covered the battlefield! When the light stopped, Vali emerged with his body wrapped in a whole-body armor that emitted a white radiance. His attacks on the mages around him got that much more brutal with them falling like flies, barely perceivable to the human eyes with his speed and ridiculous ability that halved all attacks hurled towards him multiple times which then crumbled the moment it touched his armor. 

Did that bastard wait for me to enter my Balance Breaker form first before doing so himself? I just couldn't understand that battle maniac no matter how hard I tried. 

"Are you running away, Cao Cao?" I taunted the man despite preferring him to stay away from combat as much as possible, but this guy and his little group of pretenders really piss me off. "Where is this grandiose display of heroism? Sending your subordinates to do your dirty work does not paint a good picture." 

"You're wrong, Connla requested me to face you from the beginning. After all, that spear is rightfully his and you also killed the closest thing to a real family he had. And, you've also killed a future member of our Faction who could have been an invaluable help." He muttered halfway through the fissure. 

"Oh shut it, Scáthach already told me that man didn't have any family apart from his adopted mother and father. You're all just a bunch of pretenders, so don't act like the genuine thing." Setanta was many things, but I still respected him in the end — unlike these people. "Don't sully his name by associating him with the likes of you. He was the real deal at the very least." 

"Shut your mouth!" Connla roared, rushing at me to which I answered with a spear thrust, to my surprise, a wall of shadow engulfed the spearhead and made it miss the opponent by a wide margin. 

Shit

"Are you also going through this ridiculous plan!? I don't know you, but at least try to think about this for a second using your brain. It doesn't even take a second to realize how none of this is for humanity!" 

"Fucking Devil!" His tone was already full of rage, nothing I said reached him… just like the rest. 

Why was I wasting my time with these people again? 'In the end, this always ends up with a battle. Everyone in their group don't care about peace, they just want control and conflict. That Cao Cao… he should be the one responsible for all this people being idiots.'

[Delete Field!]

A dome came to life just in time to have the shadows just enough for me to bash the surprised Connla with a knee attack before retrieving my spear and launching a magic arrow attack point blank to his chest. "Gah!" He coughed up spit, before getting sent hurling to the ground as I formed a fist with both my hands and smashed it downwards.

A loud bang occurred as his body landed with great force. However to my surprise, as the smoke cleared, the man slowly got up with the area around him surrounded by shadows. 

"Sorry about that, but I'll have to keep you out of the battle to avoid another pointless bloodshed." Weird, the attack should have put him out by now, I made sure to put a substantial amount of force behind that attack. "Vritra?"

"Hm, if I had to guess, I believe we are dealing with a Shadow-based Sacred Gear user. It seems to be able to mitigate a portion of all attacks and forces to a certain degree."

"Shadow huh… sounds familiar doesn't it?" I could practically hear the dragon chuckle with amusement. 

"Indeed, whether it be magic or Sacred Gear. Using shadow-related attacks against me is foolish, let's get this done quickly, partner. I'm not sure what this Cao Cao has planned And Jeanne could escape our restraints at any moment." Time was certainly not on my side.  

However, in the end, I took a deep breath, all of this was just a big mess. The meeting, the sudden attack, and finally these Hero Faction hypocrites. I really wanted to go home and sleep after all of this was over. 

"Alright, here goes nothing then." 

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.