1,249AN: And we are back! Fresh off from playing "Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed"! And I thought the base game was amazing. I don't have any excuses for why this took so long. Not even gonna use my other fic as an excuse, though it did play a part. But anyway, I think you all waited long enough. Let's enjoy the chapter.
Everyone not frozen rose from their seats and rushed to the window to see what was going on. When he reached the window, Izuku looked out to see a swath of robed people hovering above the school and firing bolts of magic at the building, only for the bolts to be halted by the secondary barrier surrounding the conference room.
"Who are those guys?!" Itsuka exclaimed as she watched the robed men and women continue to attack the conference room.
"Those robes… they're with Nilrem!" Mizu realized.
"Nilrem?" Rias questioned.
"Magicians that were expelled by the Magus Council due to various misdeeds who banded together," Strange revealed.
"If they're with Nilrem, then they must be magicians that use the kind of magic originally developed by the sorcerer Merlin Ambrosius, who studied demonic powers. Based on their display of strength, I'm guessing these magicians are each on the same level as a Middle-Class Devil. They're basically humans with skills similar to Devils, but with a few tricks that you guys can't pull off, of course. A human with a Sacred Gear who learns magic is such a pain to deal with. Luckily, they'll never break through the barrier erected by me, Sirzechs, and Michael. We made sure it was the strongest barrier possible, but it's also our prison at this point."
A series of explosions coming from the conference barrier caught their attention. "What now?" Itsuka asked. Across the field in front of the building, various people wearing priest robes emerged from portals, carrying swords of light. "Who are they?"
"I recognize some of them," Osanne spoke up. "They're all exorcists, some of them strays. Guess they're not too keen on peace with devils and fallen angels."
"But some of those exorcists despise magicians. Why would they work together?" Xenovia asked.
"No matter when or where there will always be those who oppose peace and do anything to prevent progress. Whether it's because of vengeance, profit, power, or maybe they've become so comfortable with the status quo that they fear anything that could potentially change it. And sometimes that's enough to get rivals to work together," Azazel smiled wryly.
"But what is this power?" Michael asked as he watched the magicians and exorcists annihilate the soldiers of the Three Factions who had gone to the meeting as security for the summit but had fallen victim to Gasper's power and were unable to do anything except disintegrate into dust as they were blasted by magic projectiles and cut down by magical blades.
"It's the young dhampir," Azazel informed the Archangel as he watched his subordinates die in droves as the enemy pressed the advantage of their surprise attack. "He must have been coerced into achieving 'Balance Breaking' conditions. That's the only way to explain what's happened here."
"His Sacred Gear allows him to stop time," Sirzechs said in agreement with Azazel. "It appears as though Gasper has fallen into enemy hands."
"They must've taken Koneko, Ochako, and Ravel, too," Izuku realized.
"Terrorists dare to take members of my household hostage?! They'll pay for this with their lives," Rias declared with an unbridled fury that her dear servants had been taken against their will and forced to hurt others. A dark crimson aura gushed out and surrounded her body as she said which only highlighted how angry she was.
"If you haven't already noticed, but our forces outside the school all seem to be frozen, too. They're sitting ducks now," Azazel told Rias. "Man, you kids sure have some overpowered servants."
"If they knew about this Gasper having Forbidden Balor View, then this is more than just some terrorist attack. This was well planned, with knowledge of everything that was prepared for this meeting," Strange said, his brow hardening. "Someone leaked the information. We have a traitor."
"G-Geez! Don't say scary shit like that so easily!" Hyde swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Well, if he didn't say it, I would. It's a pretty nasty situation all around," Azazel said, raising a hand and creating a small Holy Light circle at the tip of his finger. Looking out, countless spears of light impaled the magicians and exorcists within the barrier. Some of the magicians tried to cast to protect themselves, but it proved ineffective against Azazel's attack, their corpses now littering the school's courtyard.
'He wiped out all those magicians like they were nothing!' Izuku thought in shock. 'I had a feeling Azazel was incredibly strong, but this is a case where the legends don't even do reality justice!'
"There's a barrier around this school, but they've somehow managed to teleport inside," Azazel continued. "That must mean someone opened a magic circle from within that connects to the outside. If they increase the power of Forbidden Balor View any further, they might even be able to stop one of us. They're using the Nilrem and the rouge exorcists' assault to keep us pinned to a single location to buy time until they can stop time again and destroy the building while we're utterly helpless. And they're more than willing to expend a large number of troops to succeed. Look," Azazel pointed outside, where dozens more magicians and exorcists appeared to replace the ones he killed.
"Reinforcements, huh?" Mizu muttered. "They don't care how many of their own they lose, so long as they achieve their goal."
"And we can't just cut and run," Strange said. "If we run, we'd have to lower the barrier and who knows how much damage their attacks will cause to the human world."
"And if we wait and hold out, they might wear themselves thin eventually and we'll force their hand. The ringleader themself will eventually show up to confront us," Azazel pointed out. "But we shouldn't just charge in without backup plans or we'll walk right into a trap."
"In other words, we leaders won't be able to move until the preparations are complete," Sirzechs said. "However, our first objective should be to retrieve Gasper from the club building, which seems to be the terrorists' base of operations right now."
"Brother, I'll rescue him," Rias declared without hesitation. "Gasper, Koneko, and Ochako are my servants and my responsibility. Ravel is there also and she's a precious friend."
"I knew you would say that," Sirzechs chuckled. "But how will you infiltrate the old school building? The school grounds are crawling with magicians and they're preventing us from using our transportation magic. And you can't use castling since they have taken both of your Rooks."
"Leave that to us," Mizu spoke up. "The Doc and I have ways of transporting without a teleportation circle. They may be expecting Rias-chan to go after Gasper, but they can't know about everything we can do."
"Very well, but it would be dangerous for her to go alone," Sirzechs nodded. "How many can come with her."
"Without arousing suspicion from them? Two, maybe three others," Strange answered.
"I'll go!" Izuku volunteered. "I'll protect Rias and the others!"
"I'll come, too," Itsuka offered.
"Count me in!" Hyde confidently said.
Sirzechs smiled at the kids' solidarity. "Doctor, how long would it take to prepare for your transporting spell."
"One minute max," Strange replied, he and Mizu already casting several magic circles in a precise manner.
"Wouldn't it simply be easier to just kill the dhampir kid and be done with it?" Vali asked.
"If we wanted your opinion then we would have asked for it," Rias coldly retorted.
Vali responded by shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "I'm just saying. I could even do it for you if you wanted."
"Now, now, Vali. We're here to make peace, okay? Try to at least act considerate," Azazel chided off-handedly.
"I'll try," he replied with a shrug. "I just don't like standing here, doing nothing."
"Well then why don't you go and greet our new guests," Azazel retorted. "Seeing the White Dragon Emperor should disrupt their ranks a bit."
"I thought you'd never ask," he called back as she leaped out of the open window, summoned a pair of wings composed of blue light, and shot up into the air, disrupting the magicians' battle formation and hovered behind them.
"It's time to have a little fun! Balance Break!"
(Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!)
In a flash, the White Dragon's Scale Mail appeared around his body. He soon blasted through the air, dashing through the crowd of mages in the courtyard.
"Holy whoa! He did that so flawlessly…" Izuku mumbled, peering out the window and watching him go.
"I think I'll go join him," Osanne smirked, drawing a gun and readying her sword. "Give some of those so-called exorcists a real thrashing." Before anyone could protest, Osanne moved to the window and hopped out with a vicious laugh. The others moved to the window, watching her approach the exorcists without a care in the world.
"I almost feel bad for them," Irina muttered.
"The teleportation spell is ready," Strange revealed, a circle appearing before him that lead to the ORC's clubroom. "No telling how long we have before they notice, so we better make this quick."
"Let's not waste this chance. Come on," Rias said.
"Right. Let's go save them!" Izuku nodded.
"One thing before you go," Azazel said as he approached the four of them with a silver bracelet in hand. "Take this with you."
Izuku accepted the bracelet, giving it a curious look. "What is it?"
"It's a special bracelet I designed that can control a Sacred Gear to a certain degree," Azazel revealed. "When you reach and rescue the half-vampire, put it on him and it'll help him control his power and hopefully cancel out what he did with his Balance Breaker."
"Gotcha," Izuku nodded, placing the bracelet in his pocket.
"I would've given you one, but I get the feeling you're just a stone's throw away from truly achieving Balance Breaker," Azaleas marked.
"I am?" Izuku blinked.
"Yep. You just haven't realized it yet."
"Anything else anyone wants to say?" Hyde asked. "No? Then we better get moving."
"Right," Izuku, Rias, and Itsuka nodded, the four of them making their way to the portal.
"Regarding those Sacred Gears you've been gathering, Azazel…" Sirzechs suddenly spoke, his eyes trailing to the Fallen Angel leader, "You've gathered quite the number of Longinus users, correct? Even with God gone from the picture, were you planning to do some god-killing?"
"Just being prepared, is all."
"That's an unsettling statement, especially after supposedly renouncing war," Michael narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Look, like I said, I'm not looking for a fight with you guys. It's more about personal protection." Azazel sighed, crossing his arms.
"A personal protection from what?" Serafall asked.
"I believe I know," Strange spoke up. "Kokabiel wasn't the first Fallen Angel to betray the Grigori. There was Satanael, who had an obsession with creating new Longinus Sacred Gears. To reach his goal, he allied with a group of magicians known as the Wizards of Oz, forming a group that, during the last four years, has grown considerably: the Khaos Brigade."
"…I'm guessing from the name they want to cause chaos?" Itsuka deadpanned.
"Well, I doubt it's the same for everyone in the Brigade, but yeah. That's pretty much it," Azazel shrugged. "I only learned about them recently, but I knew right away that they were gonna be trouble."
"What else do you know about this Khaos Brigade, Doctor?" Michael asked.
"Not much I'm afraid. They kept a low profile until now, so I only how they were formed and some of their members," Strange answered.
"What about you, Azazel? One of your own did found this group," Sirzechs pointed out.
"I don't know much about them either, just that they're composed of fighters from nearly every faction. But here's the kicker," as Azazel talked, he failed to notice as a magic circle appeared on the ground behind Sirzechs and Michael. The leaders widened their eyes, quickly whipping around. "Their leader is… none other than the Ouroboros Dragon: Ophis."
"We've got trouble!" Serafall announced, causing Azazel to blink and finally turn around.
"That crest… so that's who's pulling the strings," Sirzechs muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Rias, you and the others go. Now!"
"What? But-" Rias didn't have time to protest as Mizu quickly began shooting her, Izuku, Itsuka, and Hyde through the spell.
"Just go!" Mizu hissed.
"Hold on!" Izuku yelled out as they entered the teleportation spell, the spell itself disappearing as a materialized in the magic circle.
The five leaders watched as someone materialized at the center of the circle, their details became clear. A tall, tan-skinned woman took shape, with long brown hair tied into a bun with a headset, and purple eyes. She wore a low-cut dress with a high slit, exposing a portion of her large bust.
"Hello, Lord Sirzechs, current Great Satan Lucifer." The woman greeted him.
"Who is this?" Mizu asked.
"This is a descendant of the original Leviathan," Sirzechs answered.
Ingvild's eyes widened upon hearing that. 'She's… a descendent of Leviathan like me?'
"Katerea Leviathan, what is the meaning of this?" Sirzechs demanded.
"Put simply: Most of those who sided with the Old Satan government decided to join forces with the Khaos Brigade," Katerea announced with a condescending tone.
"So, the Devil's civil war has escalated to this extent?" Azazel scoffed. "Is everyone dealing with rebels these days?"
"Katerea, am I to interpret your words literally?" Sirzechs asked.
"Indeed, Sirzechs. We are leading the charge of this attack."
"So, it's a coup? Why, Katerea?"
"Sirzechs, we came to the opposite conclusion to you and the other leaders here today. If God and the old Great Satans are dead, then we believe the world should be reformed."
"Can Ophis really see that far into the future?" Azazel questioned her logic. "Even for them, that seems hard to believe."
Katerea sighed at Azazel. "Ophis is only a symbol of our strength and gathers powerful allies to our cause. With that power, we will destroy the world and rebuild it from the ground up under our rule."
"Katerea, why are you doing this?!" Serafall looked at Katerea with sad eyes.
Katerea leered at Serafall. "Don't speak to me, Serafall! You are the one who stole my birthright from me! I am a true descendant to the name of the Great Satan Leviathan! I hold Leviathan's blood in my veins! I deserve to be a Great Satan!"
"Katerea…" Serafall looked at her in sorrow.
"But worry not, Serafall. I will kill you here and now and reclaim the title of Leviathan. Ophis will become the god of our new world with a new system, laws, and ideals. Michael, Azazel, Sirzechs, this school will be your grave."
Azazel started laughing.
"What's so funny, Fallen Angel?" Katerea appeared to grow agitated at his laughter.
"Hahahaha! You and your followers…" Azazel tried his best to speak while containing his laughter. "Honestly believe you can create a new world?"
"Of course," Katerea replied. "This world is-"
"Corrupt? Run by foolish humans? Dying?" Azazel interjected. "If you look closer, you'll see that everyone is doing fine. Prospering, even."
"Even after all these years, you've done little to change, Azazel," Katerea shook her head. "You have so much power, but you accept such an…"
"Imperfect world full of ignorant masses. And we are the only ones who can truly guide them, blah blah blah," Ingvild interrupted, stepping forward. "Is that about right? I've read more original villain speeches from old comic books. Honestly, how can you be so cliché?"
"Cliché!?" Katerea gapped. But then her eyes narrowed as she recognized Ingvild. "You… I was going to kill you after dealing with them, but it seems you've saved me the trouble of finding you."
"Lord Sirzechs, may I handle her?" Ingvild asked, her demonic aura beginning to flare. "This is a family matter."
"You are no family of mine, you half-blooded vermin!" Katerea spat in disgust.
Sirzechs glanced at Ingvild before looking at Katerea. "You have no intention of surrendering, do you, Katerea?" He asked, giving the pure-blooded descendent of Leviathan one last chance.
"Absolutely not, Sirzechs! You were a good Great Satan, but you're too compassionate. We will replace you as the new Great Satans."
"…I see…" Sirzechs closed his eyes in regret. "I'm sorry to hear that."
With that confirmation to fight back from Sirzechs, Ingvild unfurled her eight wings and floated in the air. "Two descendants of the Satan Leviathan. One a pure-blooded monster nearing her end, the other a young maiden who's half-human. This should be interesting," Azazel commented with a smile.
"I'll enjoy clipping your wings, you little bitch!" Katerea growled.
"I'm not scared of you, you ugly hag," Ingvild calmly replied.
Both women flew outside and high above campus, duking it out far from those still on the ground. "Ha, the kid's got guts, I'll give her that," Azazel laughed, referring to Ingvild. "Still, it might be a good idea to be there, in case she needs backup."
"You do that," Strange said before he turned to Xenovia, Yuuto, and Irina. "While Michael, Sirzechs, and I are strengthening the barrier, the rest of you kids will be culling the magicians and exorcists as much as you can to keep them from focusing fire on Ingvild. Akari, you'll be focused on support. I want a map of this school and where everyone is right now."
"On it, Doc," Mizu nodded as she cast a spell that formed a holographic map of the school grounds in front of her with various dots, blue dots representing allies while red represents enemies. When she looked at where the club building was, her eyes widened in shock. "What!?" She gasped.
"What is it?" Sirzechs asked, concern in his voice.
"They must've done more to the barrier than we expected," she tapped on one of the blue dots, showing it to be Rias. And she was alone. "Somehow, they separated Rias, Midoriya, Kido, and Itsuka!"
"What?" Rias blinked in surprise. Instead of inside the club building, as intended, she was outside it. Around her were some of U.A.'s security bots, but they looked to have been shut down and broken. "Why am I…?" Rias then realized that she was alone. "Izuku? Izuku, where are you?!"
"Ah, so you're Rias Gremory."
Rias gaped and looked up. There, standing on top of the club building was a man, accompanied by two of the rouge magicians. He was tall and lanky, wearing a red full-bodysuit with black armor that resembled a knight. The only part of his face that was visible was his mouth and chin.
"Who are you?" Rias demanded.
"My name is Džan Vinković," the man answered. "But you can call me Magnus, mercenary and loyal follower of the Quithoth Faction of the Khaos Brigade."
"Quithoth Faction?" Rias questioned.
Magnus smiled before jumping off the building, a purplish aura surrounding him. He floated down and gently landed on the ground, to Rias's surprise.
The two magicians soon joined him, smiling wickedly at Rias. "You're all alone, little devil," one of them said as they walked ahead of Magnus.
Rias' eyes narrowed. "I may be alone, but I'm more than capable of taking care of myself!" Rias fired two blasts of her Power of Destruction at the magicians, who put up a defensive barrier to protect themselves. But it wasn't enough as the Power of Destruction overwhelmed them. The two magicians screamed as they turned to ash.
Magnus, however, was unfazed. He simply smiled as he glanced at the remains of his comrades before turning his attention back to Rias. "Without warning or mercy? It seems you truly are a devil after all."
"And you don't seem very concerned about your allies," Rias retorted.
"Kill or be killed," Magnus simply replied. "The oldest meme in the world. One I learned during the Fall of Sarajevo."
"Fall of…" Rias's eyes widened. The Fall of Sarajevo was the largest and bloodiest battle during the Second European War, as well as marked the end of the country formerly known as Bosnia and Herzegovina. But this man, he looked ten years older than her at most. If he was there during the Fall of Sarajevo, then…
"It seems you've realized," Magnus smirked. "Yes. I was but a mere child during that battle. Saw firsthand how my friends and family were killed. And I joined the fighting. War is a cruel parent, but an effective teacher. Its final lesson is carved deep in my psyche: That this world, and all its people, are diseased. Free will is a myth. Religion is a joke. Quirks are just a fad. We're all pawns controlled by the true power of this world: Memes!"
By that point, Rias could only stare at Magnus in bafflement as he continued to ramble. 'What's the deal with this guy?'
"Memes are the DNA of the soul," Magnus continued, oblivious to Rias's baffled expression. "They shape our will. They are our culture. They are everything we pass on. Expose someone to anger long enough, they will learn to hate. They become a carrier. Envy, greed, despair… All memes, all passed along. Not even the gods can fight nature. Wind blows, rain falls, and the strong prey upon the weak."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Rias asked. "And what am I even doing? Letting some terrorist ramble on about philosophy when my precious servants are in danger!"
"Ah, there it is!" Magnus smirked, to Rias's further confusion. "A comrade of mine told me that you Gremory devils view your servants not as pawns, but as friends. Extended members of your family, even. Now that's a pretty meme. Exquisite!" Magnus laughed.
"It is not a meme!" Rias growled. "My servants are my family, and I will not forgive anyone who dares mock them!"
"Are they, though? Part of your family, I mean," Magnus said. "Saying that they're your family absolves you of the guilt. The guilt of enslaving them to your will. Absolved you of guilt when you enjoyed taking away their humanity."
"N-No, that's not…" Rias hesitated, but she shook those thoughts out of her head. "You're just trying to get into my head! And you're gonna regret messing with my family!" Rias said firmly before firing a sphere of destruction toward Magnus.
Instead of hitting him, Magnus waved his arms as a purple aura enveloped them, causing two of the down security bots to float in front of him and tank the sphere.
"I'm afraid… you'll have to do better than that, Rias Gremory," Magnus smirked.
Džan Vinković, AKA Magnus, a mercenary. His Quirk, Magnetic. He can control magnetic fields to do all kinds of things, but only within 10 meters.
Magnus then pulled out two Sai. "It's time to go back to the earth with you, Rias Gremory!"
"Huh?" Itsuka blinked, finding herself in the P.E. Grounds, halfway between the main building and the club building. "How'd I end up here?"
Suddenly, a group of devils surrounded Itsuka. But they weren't the guards brought by Sirzechs and Serafall. They had more armor and wore goblin-like masks with horns. Itsuka tensed, getting into a fighting stance as a large group of the devils landed in front of her.
And in the center stood a devil with a pale-grey complexion and wore a black and red tunic of high quality, no doubt the attire of a high borne who sought to show off that fact wherever he went. His hair was immaculately styled into a black ponytail nearly hiding his pointed ears which contrasted with his deep violet eyes.
Itsuka's eyes widened, recognizing the devil from the night her father died. "You…" Her breathing began to hasten.
Creuserey Asmodeus folded his arms as he glared hatefully at Itsuka. "Me…" he snapped his fingers.
As one, the devils with him charged at Itsuka.
Itsuka spat curses as she summoned Turbo Cestus, punching and dodging the devils' attacks. Some tried to attack from a distance by firing bolts of demonic power, but Itsuka managed to dodge them and responded by enlarging one of her hands, her Sacred Gear growing in size with it, before waving them, causing a strong air current that not only forced back the devils in the air but also pushed away the devils on the ground near here.
"Tch, so useless," Creuserey spat. "I suppose now is a good time as any to use her," the Asmodeus descendent snapped his fingers again, creating a summoning circle before him. From it a figure emerged, taking several steps toward Itsuka.
Itsuka readied herself for a new opponent, only for her eyes to widen in shock as she took in the sight before her.
It was a youthful-looking woman with pitch-black hair done in a ponytail same as Itsuka's only on the other side of her head, pale skin, and wearing what could best be described as a knockoff Midnight costume; a provocative dominatrix outfit with a large, silver collar wrapped around her neck with a chain. Her teal eyes appeared empty, devoid of life and emotion. But what truly disturbed Itsuka was the woman's face. A face that had a resemblance to her own.
"…Mom?"
"Uh, how'd we end up here?" Hyde asked. He and Izuku had somehow found themselves in the woods that surrounded U.A.'s main building.
Izuku wasn't sure, either, but he already had a few guesses and none of them were good. But he was more concerned about the fact his girlfriend and Itsuka weren't with them. "Rias! Kendo! Where are they!?"
"Well, looks like Džan's intuition was on the money."
Hyde drew his Insulator and Izuku quickly summoned his Boosted Gear, the two readying themselves for a fight. A few feet before them a man stepped out from behind a tree. He wore a black suit, except for his torso and upper legs which were red-orange, resembling a ball. His hair was dark brown and short, and he had brown eyes.
"Who the hell are you?" Hyde demanded.
"Just a guy who got hired to do this," the man reached up and grabbed a tree branch.
"Hired?" Izuku questioned.
"Yep," the man tightened his grip on the branch, causing it to glow white. "No hard feelings, but I'm gonna have to kill you two," he grind, pulling away part of the branch as it turned into marbles of various colors.
'He turned the branch into marbles?' Izuku blinked.
Bobby Ball, a freelance hitman. Quirk, Marble Rumble. He can turn anything he touches with five fingers into marbles. The quality of the marble varies based on what they were originally.
"Now then… let the fun begin!" Bobby Ball flicked the marbles at Izuku. Izuku instinctively ducked as the marbles flew past, hitting the trees behind him, and creating heavy dents in the wood.
"The hell!?" Hyde exclaimed as he and Izuku dodged an onslaught of marbles, of all things. Taking this chance, Bobby Ball ran forward, aiming his right hand at Hyde's head. "Shit!" Hyde barely avoided Bobby's hand as it touched Hyde's tie, the end of which turned into marbles.
Hyde, in response, quickly knocked Bobby Ball aside with the back of the Insulator's blade, knocking the hitman off-balance. Then Hyde jumped in the air and delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of Bobby Ball's head, kicking the grown man to the ground.
"Those lessons from Mizu-sensei are starting to pay off," Hyde grinned.
"Damn little stupid brats…" Bobby Ball growled, his fingers digging into the ground. "Just shut up and die!" Clawing his hand through the ground, Bobby Ball threw dozens of newly created marbles at him.
Hyde screamed as he dodged, the marbles hitting a tree so much that it caused it to collapse. "How the hell are you strong enough to do that with MARBLES?!"
"Lots of practice," Bobby Ball replied.
"Dragon Shot!"
Bobby Ball ducked to avoid Izuku's ranged attack. "Right, nearly forgot about you," he growled.
"Too bad for you," Izuku glared, already in Dragon Force and preparing another Dragon Shot.
"Yeah. Good thing I came prepared," Bobby Ball grinned.
Izuku wondered what he meant before something in his head told him to move. Now! Jumping to the side, Izuku just avoided a barrage of magic blasts from several magicians floating above them. "Where'd they come from!?" Izuku exclaimed.
"Normally I prefer to work alone," Bobby Ball smirked, turning part of the ground into marbles. "But I'm willing to make an exception this time," he once again began flicking marbles at Izuku and Hyde, the two could only dodge them as best they could along with the magical attacks from the magicians up above. Briefly, the two found cover behind a couple of large boulders.
"Any ideas, Midoriya?" Hyde yelled out.
Izuku looked up at the magicians. They were close together. A single Dragon Shot wouldn't do much, but if he was using One for All, combined with a boost, then maybe…
The greenhead then looked toward Bobby Ball. Izuku wasn't sure if his Quirk could work on them, and he rather not find out. But Bobby Ball did have brief moments where he could not attack. When he needs to make more marbles. "I'll take out the magicians. You focus on that guy. As soon as he runs out of marbles, take him out."
"Get in close and avoid the hands. Got it!" Hyde nodded.
Izuku took a deep breath, letting One for All's power course through his body. 'One for All, Dragon Veil: 10%'
[Boost!]
"Go!" Izuku jumped up into the air while Hyde ran to the side. "San Francisco…"
"Defensive barrier, quick!" One of the magicians ordered.
"Dragon Shot!" Izuku fired the enhanced Dragon Shot at the magicians, who hastily created a barrier to protect themselves. But the San Francisco Dragon Shot easily destroyed the barrier and exploded near the magicians, badly injuring them and sending them falling back to the ground.
"Tch! Damn, useless magic idiots!" Bobby Ball growled as he continued to flick marbles at the running Hyde… until he ran out. "Out of ammo?"
'Now's my chance!' Speeding toward Bobby Ball, Hyde swung the Insulator at the hitman, who could only dodge to avoid the deadly blade.
But a blast of magic cut Hyde off from the attack. "Huh?!" Gawking, Hyde looked to where the attack came from and saw a magician, a woman, badly injured from Izuku's attack, leaning against a tree before shakily walking towards Bobby Ball.
"Oh, one of you survived that, huh?" Bobby Ball said.
"Hyde, you okay?" Izuku asked as he landed next to his friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Hyde replied.
"Sir, I can still fight," the magician panted.
But Bobby Ball gave a sinister smirk. "You came at the perfect time," he cupped the magician's chin with his hand.
Izuku's eyes widened. "Wait… he's not going to…"
"Sir, please no!" The magician begged, having quickly realized what he intended.
"Thanks for this," Bobby Ball simply said as he squeezed his hand. The magician screamed for a moment before her head exploded into a bloody mess of marbles.
Izuku and Hyde could only watch in horror as Bobby Ball grabbed some of the marbles made from the magician's head. "To his own comrade…" Izuku muttered.
"That sick bastard!" Hyde growled.
"Thanks for the compliment!" Bobby Ball grinned as he threw marbles at the two.
Hyde and Izuku quickly avoided the attacks, but something in Hyde had snapped when he saw Bobby Ball casually kill the magician. Without thinking, Hyde sped towards Bobby Ball.
"Hyde, wait!" Izuku cried out, but Hyde didn't listen.
Hyde, using the Insulator to cut the marbles Bobby Ball flicked at him out of the air, sped toward the hitman, moving faster than the hitman could see and stopping a few feet behind him. A large gash appeared on Bobby Ball's arm as blood spewed out, who could only groan in pain before he collapsed.
Hyde took several deep breaths as he fell to a knee.
Izuku quickly ran to Hyde's side. "Hyde! You okay?"
"Yeah," Hyde nodded. "I… don't know what got into me."
"Can you stand?"
"…Give me a sec," Hyde shakily stood back up. "Yeah, I can stand. And I can still fight."
Izuku smiled before he turned his attention to the unconscious hitman. "If the Khaos Brigade expected us to teleport to the club building and had a way to separate us, then that means Rias and Kendo are fighting right now."
"You sure?" Hyde asked.
"I am," Izuku sniffed the air. "Kendo's nearby, and she's outnumbered. We need to hurry."
"Lead the way," Hyde nodded.
Itsuka dodged an endless onslaught of attacks from the woman Creuserey brought. Her mother, whom she remembered was named Tenohira. Yet as Tenohira attacked, firing powerful blasts of demonic power, her face lacked any and all expression. And the way she moved was almost robotic.
"Mom!" Itsuka called out. "Why are you doing this?! Answer me!" The redhead had to enlarge her fists and Sacred Gear to protect herself from another blast.
"I'm afraid your words won't work, wrench," Creuserey sported a sadistic smile. "After she foolishly abandoned us during the civil war after refusing to help us in our goal, I took pains to track her down. When I did, I found that she dared to sully our blood by giving birth to you. I was so enraged by her atrocity that I placed a control glyph upon her."
'Control glyph?' Itsuka wondered.
"With it, I turned Lasha here into a docile puppet," Creuserey continued. "That, combined with the Snake I received from Ophis dramatically increasing my power, means she's now my eternal puppet! No matter what you may try, you cannot hope to break your mother out of my control!"
Itsuka's eyes wandered. "You turned my mother, a member of your family, into your slave?!"
"It's her punishment for her sins," Creuserey responded. "And what better way for her to suffer than to kill her own disgusting daughter?" Creuserey then commanded. "Finish her."
With that, Lasha instantly became a blur before she threw a fist at Itsuka. Itsuka began ducking and weaving Lasha's attacks, not truly wishing to hurt her mother as she blocked her attacks. "Sorry, Mom," Itsuka whispered before enlarging one of her fists, being sure to not use her Sacred Gear, before she slammed down onto Lasha.
The older woman grunted from beneath Itsuka's fist, trying to break free.
"Mom, please! You can fight it!" Itsuka begged. "You don't have to- Ahh!" Itsuka yelled when she felt a stabbing pain in her left foot, causing her to return her hand to regular size. She looked down to see that Lasha had plunged a dagger into it. Itsuka quickly kicked her mother away, wincing in pain as she tried to avoid putting weight on her impaled foot. But the pain caused the redhead to collapse to her knees. Unknown to her, Itsuka's kick managed to damage the collar around Lasha's neck.
"Perfect," Creuserey smirked. One of the devils with him handed the Asmodeus descendant their spear. "Goodbye, you filthy wrench!" Creuserey threw the spear with all his might at Itsuka. Itsuka closed her eyes, accepting that this may be it…
*Stab!*
She didn't feel any pain, yet she did hear the spear stab something. Opening her eyes, Itsuka looked up in shock. Standing before her, the spear sticking out of her abdomen, was her mother, Lasha.
"What?" Creuserey exclaimed in shock. "How did she break free of my control?!"
"…Mom?" Itsuka said hesitantly.
Slowly, the Asmodeus puppet looked at Itsuka, a little bit of life returning to her eyes. "Itsuka… my little girl…" she fell to her knees.
"Mom!" Itsuka forced herself up, forcefully removing the dagger from her foot and ignoring the searing agony, and ran to her mother's side.
"I'm so glad…" Lasha uttered. "So glad… to see you again…" Lasha collapsed, a large puddle of blood spreading as Itsuka reached her.
"Mom?" Itsuka looked at Lasha's face. She had a faint smile, but that was it. She wasn't breathing. Tears ran down Itsuka's cheeks as the last of her memories began to return. Memories of her kind mother. And now she was gone. "MOM!"
"Kendo!" Izuku called out, he and Hyde having finally arrived.
"What the hell happened here?!" Hyde exclaimed.
"Tch. To think Lasha would break free from the control glyph… just to protect her filth of a daughter," Creuserey spat in disgust.
"Lasha? Wait, that's Kendo's mother?!" Izuku looked at the body in shock. "Hold on… control glyph?"
"He… turned my mom into a puppet," Itsuka revealed.
"You turned Kendo's mom into a puppet?!" Hyde exclaimed.
"It was her own fault for falling in love with a human, sullying our blood by giving birth to that disgusting wrench, and abandoning our rightful place as the true rulers of Devils!" Creuserey responded. "No matter. With Ophis' power, my comrades and I will retake our rightful place and then realize our ancestors' ambition. We will-!"
*POW!*
Creuserey's monologue was cut short. By a livid Itsuka, who punched the Old Satan Devil in the face with a normal fist. Creuserey flew and skid along the ground for several feet before stopping.
"Holy whoa…" Izuku muttered, he and Hyde looking at the redhead.
"Shut… Up…" Itsuka growled.
As he stood back up, Creuserey wiped a little blood from his lips. 'She actually managed to injure me? How?!' He thought in shock. But that shock soon gave way to rage as he glared hatefully at his niece. "You little…"
"You keep going on and on about how you're worthy to rule. About how you deserve to lead the devils. But you're not worthy or deserving," Itsuka glared hatefully at her uncle. "You're nothing more than a spoiled, annoying, overgrown, whiny little brat! Having a temper tantrum because you lost your oh-so-precious royal privileges and birthright. You're not even using your own power! You're just borrowing from someone stronger because you've been coddled your whole life!"
"You dare…!" Creuserey growled, his body giving off demonic power in rage.
"I dare because you're so damn pathetic!" Itsuka summoned Turbo Cestus. "And I'm going to take. You. DOWN!" Itsuka's Sacred Gear began to glow. Then, with all the rage she could muster, Itsuka yelled out two words in instinct. "Balance Break!"
Itsuka felt a surge of power rushing throughout her body as she was engulfed in a bright light.
"What the hell?!" Creuserey and his remaining followers stepped back in shock from the surge of power.
Once the light died down, Itsuka's Sacred Gear had transformed in a way none of them could've imagined. She sat atop a teal and chrome-plated motorcycle that was armored in the front and back, with black bat wing-like decorative extensions near the handlebars. The exhaust ports took the form of vents in the front rather than the back. Orange-colored double-sided serrated blades extended from the axle of the front wheel. A few revs of the handle brought the engine roaring to life, the wheels spinning and ready to grind Itsuka's foes into paste.
Her attire had also changed. Instead of the U.A. school uniform, Itsuka now wore a skintight teal and black leather suit, and a long light pink scarf billowing in the air.
"Turbo Cavaliere," Itsuka growled, revving the bike.
*VRRRRRR VRRRRRR*
Izuku and Hyde could only stare at Itsuka and her Balance Breaker in disbelief.
"That's… Kendo's Balance Breaker…?" Izuku mumbled.
*VRRRRRRRRRRRR*
"Naw, dude. That's a bike," Hyde shook his head dumbly.
[I have never seen a Balance Breaker like it before,] Ddraig muttered.
"If you don't wanna get run over with this idiot then get out of my way!" Itsuka snarled, revving up her Turbo Cavaliere before she immediately drove right towards Creuserey and his devils, drifting just before she rammed right into them, sending them flying back.
"Whoa! Nice one," Hyde commented.
"Why you… You're gonna pay for that, bitch!" Creuserey yelled as he slowly got back up.
"No, you're going to pay!" Itsuka snapped at him, revving her engine once more as she drove toward him. This time, though, she pulled up and flew into the air, Turbo Cavaliere splitting in two and transforming, the wheels turning to the blades of a buzzsaw.
"Wha… NO!" Creuserey exclaimed realizing that the spinning blades were aimed at him. He swiftly created a protective barrier around himself, stopping the blade from reaching him, but it soon began to crack. "Impossible! How can a vermin like you have this kind of power?! It's simply not possible!"
Itsuka screamed as she pushed through the barrier, shattering it as Turbo Cavaliere's spinning blade tore into Creuserey's flesh. The self-proclaimed true descendant of Asmodeus screamed in pain before he was torn to pieces by Itsuka's Balance Breaker.
"Lord Creuserey!" The remaining devils all stood ready. "You're going to pay for this, bitch!"
Itsuka growled when she noticed them charging toward her. "You want some? Then come get it!"
"Uh, should we help her?" Hyde asked, very nervous from watching the slaughter.
"I…" Izuku hesitated.
"Gha! My leg~!"
"I think she made me cough up my spleen…"
A sinking crunch sounded from one of the devils. "What was that?" Hyde asked.
[I believe it might have been a pelvis,] Ddraig answered, making Izuku queasy at the thought.
"Not the face!" One devil cried out.
*Crunch!*
"Okay, the face!" The same devil cried out again, only in a much higher tone.
"Oh, the pain~!"
"I can't feel my anything…"
"Sooooo many colorzzz…"
"Remind me not to piss her off," Hyde muttered, him and Izuku hiding behind a tree. "I feel like she might tear off my arm."
[She does exude that aura, now.]
"I don't think Kendo would do that… probably," Izuku muttered.
It took about a minute before Itsuka ran out of Old Satan Faction devil troops to vent on. Once she ran out, she panted, her Balance Breaker returning to motorcycle form as she sat down, wiping sweat off her brow as Izuku and Hyde cautiously approach her.
"Uh, you okay, Kendo?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah… I'm fine…" Itsuka replied before wincing, having forgotten that her foot had been stabbed. "Mostly… I can still fight."
"You sure, Fist of the Phantom Star?" Hyde asked. "We don't want that getting infected or something."
"…Do you wanna get smacked?" Itsuka glared.
"No, ma'am!" Hyde winced in fear.
"That isn't what I meant," Izuku gestured to Lasha's body.
Itsuka glanced at her mother. "…There will be time for me to mourn later," she forced herself to say.
"If you're sure, then let's head to the club building," Izuku sniffed the air again. "Rias' scent is coming from there, but she's not alone. We need to hurry!"
Rias huffed, some of her clothes torn as she glared at Magnus, whom she had yet to harm in any meaningful way at all.
"Growing tired, Miss Gremory?" Magnus mockingly asked. "Perhaps we should take a break. Wait for your slaves to come and save you."
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Rias snapped, firing another blast of the Power of Destruction at Magnus, but the mercenary used his Quirk on his armor to float into the air to avoid the attack. "My servants… my friends are NOT like that!"
"Yet it is quite odd in how you recruited them," Magnus continued, landing several feet away from Rias. "I've done my research on who would be attending this meeting between the Three Factions, and the ways you recruited your peerage was quite… interesting. You just happened to have found both the boy you named Kiba Yuuto and the dhampir, Gasper Vladi, on the verge of death. The nekomata was just given to you like a pet. You also happened upon the Red Dragon Emperor, after he was killed by a fallen that had somehow snuck into your territory. And you offered a witch and a vulnerable holy sword wielder a chance to become something that wasn't human. The only one you didn't come to was the fallen angel, as she came to you. Yet there is a possibility you said something that made her want to join you."
"SHUT UP!" Rias yelled, her demonic power flaring throughout her body. "That is not true! I never manipulated any of them!"
"But is it not in your very nature as a devil to be a trickster?" Magnus asked. "You're no different from the devils who waged war upon heaven and the fallen angels! The simple fact your tools for enslavement are called 'Evil Pieces' is proof enough!"
Rias covered her ears, desperate to block out Magnus' voice. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
"There's no reason to be upset," Magnus said. "Now that the illusion you clouded yourself with has been broken…" he readied his sai as his body gave off a purple glow. "You can die with a clear conscience." All of the scrap metal around them gathered up around Magnus before condensing into a large, spinning wheel, which began rolling toward Rias.
Spreading her wings, Rias flew out of the spinning wheel of metal and took to the air.
*Stab!
"Aha!" Rias suddenly felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. One of Magnus' sai, glowing in a purple aura that trailed back to Magnus' hand, had pierced it.
Magnus smirked. "It appears I have won this!" Pulling his hand back caused the sai to drag Rias toward him.
Rias grunted in pain as she tried to fight back. 'Come on Rias, think! What would Sirzechs or Izuku do in a situation like this?' Rias' eyes widened. '…Izuku would do something reckless.'
Steeling herself, Rias stopped fighting Magnus… and flew toward him.
"What?" Magnus didn't have much time to question anything as Rias, biting her lip in pain, readying a smaller blast of her Power of Destruction, reached him and fired.
The mercenary was only able to fly upward a little as the blast disintegrated the lower part of his body. Rias huffed as she stayed in the air, watching as the upper half of Magnus's body fell to the ground below.
"Rias!"
The Gremory Princess looked and saw that Izuku, companioned by Hyde and Itsuka, who was now wearing a different outfit and riding a motorcycle for some reason, running toward her.
"Izuku!" Rias cried in relief as she landed on the ground.
Izuku's eyes widened upon seeing the sai in Rias' shoulder. "Rias, you're hurt! What happ-mmph!?" Izuku was unable to say anything else because Rias had tackled him into a hug and began kissing him.
Before he could return the kiss, Rias broke it off and began sobbing into his shoulder.
"Rias?" Izuku gently returned her hug, being sure to avoid the sai. "What happened?"
"Kill… or be killed…" a weak voice suddenly said.
Rias's eyes widened as she turned to glare at the mercenary. "He's still alive?"
"Who's that?" Itsuka asked.
"Calls himself Magnus," Rias answered. "He's a mercenary working with the Khaos Brigade," Rias looked to Izuku before lowering her head. "He… said some things that…"
"What?" Izuku asked worriedly.
"…Nothing," Rias shook her head. "Can you… come with me?"
"Sure," Izuku nodded.
Slowly, with Rias clinging onto Izuku's right arm for support, they approached the dying mercenary. "What's with…that look in your eye?" Magnus asked Rias. "No need…to be upset… It's only…nature running its course…"
"You're insane," Rias retorted. "And now, one way or another, your memes end here."
"Memes?" Hyde questioned, looking to Itsuka, who shrugged.
"No. I passed one…to you…" Magnus coughed up some blood. "Sure as the sun…will rise… The slaughter…will continue… Now I return…to the earth… Wind blows, rain falls…the strong…prey…on the weak… All…is as it should…be…" with a smile, Magnus took his last breath.
Rias continued to glare at the mercenary. After everything he said, the fact that he just died with such a peaceful look on his face pissed her off.
Izuku looked to Rias in concern. "Rias?"
"…I'll be fine, Izuku," Rias waved off. "Let's get into the building and free Gasper and the others." She reached for the sai still in her shoulder, but Izuku gently stopped her.
"Don't," he said.
"I can't fight properly with his in my shoulder," Rias pointed out.
"I know, but if we just pull it out without Ibara to heal it you might bleed out. Which reminds me…" he turned to look at Itsuka. "We need to do something about your foot, now!"
Itsuka was about to protest, but the pain from her foot stopped her. And now that the adrenaline was waning, she was starting to feel dizzy. "Okay," Itsuka relented.
Nodding, Izuku began taking off his shirt. "Uh, dude…?" Hyde questioned while Itsuka and Rias blushed at seeing Izuku's chiseled chest.
Izuku didn't say anything as he tore away a piece of the shirt before he gently grabbed the sai in Rias' shoulder. "You ready?"
Gritting her teeth, Rias nodded. Nodding, Izuku began pulling out the sai, Rias biting her lip to not scream at the pain before he finally pulled it out. Tossing the sai away, Izuku quickly began wrapping part of the torn shirt around Rias' shoulder. "This should stop the bleeding until we can have Ibara look at it," he muttered as he tightened the makeshift bandages.
"Thanks, Izuku," Rias smiled, breathing heavily from both the fight and the pain.
Izuku smiled in return before he went to Itsuka to tend to her foot in the same way. Itsuka stayed on her Balance Breaker so as to not put any weight on her foot. Once finished, the four turned to the club building.
"Everyone ready?" Rias asked. "We may have gotten sidetracked, but now there's no stopping us from saving Gasper, Ochako, Koneko, and Ravel."
"Yeah!" Izuku nodded. "I think there are some exorcists and magicians guarding them, but not many."
"I'll take care of them. Try and keep up." Without another word, Itsuka blasted forth, her Balance Breaker easily ramming its way through the door, turning any unfortunate enemy that was there into roadkill.
"Damn…" Hyde mumbled in amazement.
Izuku could only stare, his eyes transfixed on Itsuka and how beautiful she was before he shook his head. "Let's get going."
"How could they have gotten past Magnus?!" One of the exorcists screamed as Itsuka, Izuku, Hyde, and Rias easily made their way through the building.
"Damned devils!" A magician attempted to blast them with magic, but Izuku, using Dragon Veil, maneuvered behind them and delivered a punch to the back of their head.
"Fucking monsters!" One exorcist sneered as he raised his sword in a defensive stance, but it was easily sliced in half by Hyde's Insulator before he cut the exorcist down with the back of his blade.
"That's the last of them here," Hyde commented.
"Gasper and the girls are close," Izuku stopped in front of the room the exorcist and magician were guarding. "Here."
Itsuka didn't waste time as she enlarged a hand and tore the door off its hinges. Inside, guarded by a group of magicians, was Gasper, tied to a chair with rope.
"What the hell?!" One of the magicians exclaimed upon seeing them.
"Gasper! Koneko! Ochako! Ravel! I'm so glad you're all okay!" The crimson-haired heiress sighed with relief as she spotted her ser-… her friends tied up in a similar manner. The fact that Koneko, Ravel, and Ochako were tied down with the same rope as Gasper and couldn't free themselves told Izuku that it must be canceling out their powers.
"Are you guys okay?" Izuku asked.
"Better now that you guys have turned up," Koneko said with a small smile.
"What took you guys so long?!" Ravel demanded.
Gasper wailed in his response. "I-I'm so sorry, Rias! I-It's all my fault!" The young dhampir wept with shame. "Please just kill me and get it over with."
"Gasper, don't say things like that!" Ochako reprinted.
"Yeah! Don't be stupid," Hyde retorted, readying the Insulator. "We're getting you out of here!"
"It'd be better for everyone if I was just dead! I'm a useless coward who can't help but hurt my friends!" Gasper continued to plea as tears trickled down his cheeks. "I don't deserve to live!"
"Don't go spouting that crap, Gasper!" Izuku ordered loudly, causing Gasper to look up at him with his tear-streaked face. "Despite what people think, there isn't some 'Grand Plan'. Life is a precious thing and shouldn't be squandered so eagerly."
"Izuku's right, Gasper," Rias agreed with a kind smile for her terrified serv-… friend. "Do you remember what I said when I reincarnated you? That I wanted you to live for me and find your own happiness, too."
"…I couldn't find happiness…" Gasper shook his head. "All I ever am is a nuisance… I don't deserve to live…"
"Gasper, you're a… you're my friend! My family!" Rias continued trying to reach out to him. "I won't abandon you, especially after you can finally go outside."
"She's right, Gasper!" Izuku assisted Rias. "None of us will give up on you!"
One of the female magicians smacked Gasper on the back of the head and pulled on his hair while showing the other ORC members a cold grin.
"You're all fools! Treating a dangerous Dhampir like he's your friend! It's just like the Old Satan Faction told us. The Gremory family is as affectionate as they are stupid and powerful." The magician gave Rias a look of contempt. "Perhaps this half-breed would have proved himself more useful if you brainwashed him? If you made his Sacred Gear go wild and threw him into a den of Fallen Angels, he might even take out one of their leaders. Why haven't you done that already? Do you really think of this creature as a close friend?"
Rias flinched, briefly seeing Magnus in the magician's place before closing her eyes. "I do," she calmly replied, glaring at the magician. "I treasure each and every one of them. Something you all clearly can't understand!"
The magician fired a small magical bullet at Rias, blowing a part of her uniform away. "Impudent brat! And what gives a Devil the right to be so beautiful?" The magician pulled out a knife and held it up to Gasper's neck. "Move and the kid dies."
"Do you really think you can take us on?" Itsuka asked, revving her Balance Breaker's engine.
The sound alone intimidated the magicians, none of them having seen a Sacred Gear like it before, unaware that Izuku had risen his hand and bitten it, drawing blood.
"Gasper… it's okay to feel like a burden. To keep messing up." Rias said, her eyes softening as she met Gasper's eyes. "Because I will always be there to scold and comfort you when you do. You just have to keep working hard to change that."
"The same goes for all of us," Izuku declared, squeezing the hand he bit as blood gathered before whipping it around, letting blood spatter out from it. "Even if the first step made you fall, you have to take it again! So use my blood to do it!"
Gasper felt blood splatter across his lips. The smell intoxicated him, and the dhampir was unable to stop himself from licking it from his face. He felt the words of his master and friends begin to fuel his heart once again, the power of the dragon's blood beginning to fill him completely, along with something else. A jolt of power was the best he could describe it.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed and Gasper had disappeared with only the ropes that once tied him to the chair remaining. The magicians started frantically looking around the room for the Dhampir until they heard a chittering sound from above, a swarm of red-eyed bats flying near the ceiling.
"That damn vampire transformed!"
"Die!"
Before the magicians could fire their magic at Gasper's bats, black arms came out of their shadows, knocked them off balance, and pulled them to the floor. The magicians still standing were caught off guard and tried to shoot magic at the black arms, but they simply dispersed and regenerated. As that happened, the bat swarm descended upon the magicians and started clawing and biting at them.
"They're trying to suck our blood!"
"No! They're sucking our magic, too!"
"Are those… Gasper's vampire powers?" Itsuka looked on in amazement.
"Yes, drinking your blood must have awakened his latent strength," Rias replied.
"That's it!"
The magicians moved their arms toward their enemies and fired a barrage of magical bullets at them, but they were suddenly stopped in midair.
"It's useless. I can see your every move." Gasper's voice echoed throughout the room, his bats' eyes now glowing crimson as they used his Forbidden Balor View to stop the magicians' attacks. "Now all of you will stop!"
With a flash of the bats' eyes, all of the magicians in the room became frozen in time.
"…Whoa…" was all Hyde could say.
"I can't keep them frozen forever," Gasper's voice called out. "Take them out now!"
"Right," Izuku nodded. He and Hyde began taking out the frozen magicians as Hyde and Rias began freeing Ochako, Koneko, and Ravel. Once finished, they tied up the unconscious magicians with the rope they used to keep Gasper, Ochako, Koneko, and Ravel prisoner.
Rias, after changing into a spare uniform, used a magic circle to send the magicians straight to the authorities in the Underworld. Also, Gasper had returned to his original form and was wearing the bracelet to control his Sacred Gear.
"Rias, is your shoulder okay?" Ravel asked, having now noticed the wrappings made from Izuku's shirt and the bit of blood leaking from it.
"I'll be okay," Rias reassured. "Anyway, Gasper, how did it feel to drink Izuku's blood?"
"I could feel incredible power flowing through me, but I'm back to normal now," Gasper answered.
"What now?" Hyde asked.
"Now that the magicians have been dealt with, we should head back and reunite with the others," Rias said.
"Right."
AH: Ah, done… This chapter was originally going to be longer, but then I realized this would be a good point to stop. That, and it's close to the end of May and some of you may be getting impatient waiting for the next chapter. There's a bit I want to do for this chapter, but not all of it made and so will be added next chapter.
Magnus is basically just Monsoon from "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance", only with a Quirk, having a normal body and not a cyborg body, and being born in a different country. And it looks like his words may have left a mark on Rias.
Lasha Asmodeus's name comes from Lacus Clyne and Aisha from "Gundam SEED", similar to Creuserey's name. Her alias "Tenohira", is from Ignited Spark. Oh, and Itsuka's father's name was Itsurou.
Bobby Ball is from "High Card", and his Quirk is based on the X-Playing Card he uses, the 3 of Diamonds. And yes, he is strong enough to flick marbles with the force of bullets.
Itsuka's Balance Breaker is inspired by Devil May Cry 5's Cavaliere and Persona 5's Johanna, in case it wasn't obvious.
Still, even though they managed to save Gasper and the others, the fight is not over. We'll see what happens next time. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and don't be racist! Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!