98)Shocking Defeat!

“Get back here, heretic!” Xenovia exclaimed as she & Irina chased after Jeanne, who simply smirked as she continued to duck in between the alleyways.

“Why don’t you try & catch me?!” Jeanne shouted as she stomped on the ground, the exorcists frowning as a wall of holy swords sprouted from the ground & blocked their path.

Irina smirked as she increased her speed while leaping from wall to wall while Xenovia frowned as she gripped Durandal’s hilt with both hands, leaping into the air with a spin before swinging her blade & completely destroying the wall with one attack.

However, that was what Jeanne wanted as she spun around while creating a rapier in her left hand, the ground under her shattering as she rocketed up to the bluenette, who gritted her teeth as she just barely managed to parry the attack to the side.

Trying to counter with an upwards swing, Jeanne scoffed as she pushed off of the flat side of Durandal and flipped over Xenovia’s head, aiming her rapier for her foe’s head.

However, her eyes widened as she felt danger approaching her from behind, swiftly spinning around and diverting Irina’s strike from above while Xenovia gave her friend a thankful nod.

As soon as they landed on the ground, the world around them vanished as Xenovia spun around & delivered a devastating slash just as Irina leapt into the air, Jeanne leaping through the air with a barrel-roll just above her attack while shooting out a holy sword from her leg & kicking away Irina’s strike.

Landing with a flourish, Jeanne created another rapier in her free hand and rushed towards Xenovia, who roared as she swung her blade upwards & sent out a blast of holy energy.

Spinning out of the way of the attack, Jeanne was a blur as she rapidly stabbed at Xenovia, who dodged & maneuvered around her attacks while throwing Durandal into the air.

However, Irina was already waiting in the air as she caught Durandal before raising both it & her holy sword into the air, Jeanne’s eyes widened as Xenovia grinned & pointed up.

“Heavenly Judgement!” Irina exclaimed as she threw both blades towards the ground, Jeanne quickly leaping back to dodge the attack only for Xenovia to catch both blades & let loose a monstrous X-shaped holy blast.

Jeanne watched in horror as the blast slowly neared her, the heat from it already searing her skin before she closed her eyes and shouted just as it was about to hit her.

“Balance Break!” Just before it could hit her, the air around Jeanne glowed as hundreds upon hundreds of Holy blades condensed around her form, Irina frowning as she landed & caught her sword that Xenovia threw at her.

“Should have expected it to not be that easy.” Xenovia grumbled as she held Durandal in her grasp, watching as their combo attack was slowly being snuffed out by the clawed hand of the Holy Dragoon, Jeanne taking deep breaths from where she was sitting on its head.

However, Xenovia frowned as she watched their enemy reaching into her chestplate before pulling out a syringe, quickly launching a holy blast at her before clicking her tongue as a wall of holy blades shot out to protect Jeanne just as she injected herself with the viscous scarlet contents inside the syringe.

The next moment, both of them reared back as a shrill wail erupted from Jeanne’s throat, watching in horror as the girl convulsed on her Holy Dragon, which was also letting out shrieking roars as its body glowed & slowly condensed around Jeanne.

“S-Should we attack?” Irina asked as she gripped her holy blade, Xenovia gritting her teeth as she watched Jeanne sinking into the Holy Dragon’s body before launching herself forward without a word.

“Heaven’s Gate!” Xenovia shouted as she leapt into the air and swung Durandal downwards at their enemy, Irina frowning as she watched her friend attack before her eyes widened as Xenovia was swatted out of the air & smacked into the ground besides her like it was nothing.

Xenovia was just as shocked & slightly surprised to be able to feel pain from that attack since she was supposed to be far more durable as an angel, slowly sitting upright before her eyes widened as the dragon was gone & left Jeanne in a completely new form.

While she still had her face, hair & upper body, her chest plate was gone & had now been replaced by scale-like armour made out of swords that covered her hands & chest, her eyes now having slitted pupils with her lower body being a serpent’s tail made out of the same scale-like armour that covered the rest of her body.

“Nicccee~I like thisss~” Jeanne hissed as she slowly slithered towards her opponents, a sly smirk on her face as she clenched her fist and felt the newfound power in her limbs.

Without even looking up, her body contorted around Irina’s stab before smirking at the shocked look on the angel’s face, Irina quickly leaning back just as the tail missed cutting her head off before a wheezing gasp escaped her lips as Jeanne’s arm flashed forward and delivered a blow that sent her flying past Xenovia & through the building behind her.

“I see. It’s the same as an Ophis snake.” Xenovia spoke with a frown as she rolled her neck, Jeanne simply smirking as she shrugged.

“Who knowsss~? Now then, let usss not delay your demissse any longer~!” Jeanne hissed with a cackle as she blitzed forward, appearing behind Xenovia before the girl could even blink.

However, just as Jeanne punched forward, a confused shout escaped her lips as Xenovia moved out of the way, the girl smirking as she gripped Durandal right before three pairs of pure white wings appeared on her back.

“Heavenly Judgement!” Unlike before, the potency of her holy energy was easily quadrupled as Durandal was now vibrating with excitement, Jeanne quickly moving out of the way as Durandal barely missed her & sent a shockwave flying into the distance.

Watching as building after building was completely eviscerated by Xenovia’s attack, Jeanne spun around & lashed out with a heavy punch that Xenovia easily countered before wrapping her hand around the back of Jeanne’s neck & pulling her closer.

“I’m not your only opponent.” Xenovia whispered at her opponent before leaping away just as Jeanne tried to smack her with her tail, the girl frowning before her eyes widened as pain exploded from her right arm.

Looking down at it, she was surprised to see it bleeding profusely before glaring to the other side as she felt Irina’s energy nearing only to be confused as she found nothing there.

“Other side.” Irina whispered as she appeared like a mirage next to her shocked foe, who spun just as Irina winked & leapt away right before Xenovia appeared behind Jeanne & delivered a devastating cut across their foe’s back.

“Rings of Judgement!” Irina exclaimed as she traced her Holy sword through the air, creating a dozen ring-like structures out of light before pointing her sword at Jeanne who was too busy in pain to notice her.

“Go!” Irina chanted, the rings pulsing before rocketing forward just as Jeanne finally noticed her and swiftly created a dome of holy blades around her.

Irina frowned as her rings managed to severely dent the sides of the dome but not enough to shatter it, looking down at Xenovia as her friend looked up at her before smirking as her friend smirked & nodded.

‘Okay, then. I guess we’re going with that.’ Irina thought with a frown as she looked at the holy blade in her grasp, still a bit in awe that the sword had chosen her over everyone in the church before shaking her head to clear those empty thoughts away.

“O Holy Sword, Light that envelops the planet’s hope.”/ “O Holy Sword, Light that embodies the planet’s rage.” Irina & Xenovia chanted respectively as they poured holy energy into their respective blades, both Irina’s blade & Durandal pulsing with glee & excitement respectively as the girls were enveloped by a pure golden light.

Jeanne frowned as she heard the girls speaking before her eyes widened as she realized it’s a chant, quickly dismissing her dome and glaring at them as they continued while gripping their swords tightly.

“Sheathed in the breath of the planet, a torrent of shining light.”/ “Enveloped in the heart of the planet, a beacon of purifying destruction.”

“No!” Jeanne roared as she rushed towards Xenovia, who didn’t move and only shocked Jeanne as she stood still just for her claws to completely pierce through her chest.

However, the lamia’s eyes widened as Xenovia looked up at her with a bloody grin, continuing her chant as Durandal’s aura began to radiate & envelop both of them.

“Let us end this!” / “Behold it’s wrath!” Jeanne quickly pulled her arm out and leapt away just as Xenovia lifted her blade, watching as the gaping hole in her chest swiftly began to close up just as Irina lifted her sword above her head as well.

“Cry! Hauteclere!!”

“Roar! Durandal!!” Irina & Xenovia shouted respective as Irina disappeared and appeared behind Jeanne just as Xenovia lunged forward and stopped in front of their foe, who quickly tried to move out of the way.

Unfortunately, it was too late as the crushing force of Hauteclere and the explosive power of Durandal slammed into her from both sides, a gasp escaping her lips as she felt nothing but a scorching pain radiating throughout her entire body.

Roaring as they continued to push their attacks forward, Xenovia & Irina exclaimed as they slid past the other, taking deep raspy breaths with their backs towards Jeanne as their enemy was wide eyed while looking at the sky.

The next moment, the armour around Jeanne’s body shattered and her eyes rolled back as she fell over, covered in dark purple & blue bruises while cuts leaking pitch black blood were all over her body.

“Hah…hah…hah…that…was good…huh?” Irina gasped out as she spun around, pulling her wings back & sheathing Hauteclere as Xenovia nodded while using Xenovia as a rest.

However, she rolled her eyes as she felt the blade’s anger at being used as a crutch, Irina giggling as she saw her friend kicking the sword before putting it away in its pocket dimension.

“We really need to work…on using it without a chant.” Xenovia grumbled as she picked up Jeanne’s unconscious form in a bridal carry, Irina nodding as she patted Hauteclere’s hilt before following after her friend as they slowly made their way back to HQ.

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Elsewhere, on the outskirts of Neo-Kyoto, a dark large shadow raced through the forest outside the city and quickly made its way to just before the edge of the city’s barrier.

Immediately, the shadow split into four before each spat out its content, Georg & Cao Cao frowning as Saji & Issei appeared in front of them with smirks.

“Transferring a boost to your friend to make him strong enough to keep us in his shadow world? I guess you’re not such an idiot after all, Hyoudou.” Cao Cao spoke as he rested the True Longinus against his shoulders, Issei simply shrugging as the Boosted & Dividing Gears shone in the dim light above them.

“I may not be on the same level of genius as the boss or Meredith or Valerie, but I have my moments now and then.”

“When your brain isn’t occupied by boobs, you mean.” Saji spoke with a smirk, chuckling as Issei simply huffed while Georg rolled his eyes as Cao Cao gave an amused snort.

“Must you be amused by our enemies?”

“Hey, it’s funny. I happen to think that I do have a good sense of humour.”

“Wait, you actually believe that when you’re killing other races that aren’t human?” Saji asked with a raised eyebrow and Cao Cao simply snorted.

“Tell those other races to stop tormenting mankind and I’ll leave them alone.”

“…He’s got you there.” Issei whispered to Saji, who simply pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Issei.”

“Yes?”

“Quiet, please.”

“Just because he’s kicking your ass mentally doesn’t mean you need to lash out at me.” Issei spoke with a smirk, shrugging as Saji simply looked at him.

“Just saying.

“Noted. As for you, you do realize that’s what we’re trying to do, right? This alliance is there to keep humanity protected from other races while also giving them the chance to join us if they wish to.”

“Okay, then tell me this. Why are there pantheons out there that won’t join your side and why are those pantheons the ones that love tormenting & playing around with humanity, hmm?” Georg asked and Saji looked at him with a frown.

“These are gods you’re talking about, beings that have been alive for centuries and that have been left in power with no one who would challenge their ways. Of course, it’s going to take more than a few meetings to make them change their minds.”

“And until they do, we will be there to protect humanity from them, making sure that no human ever has to live in fear of gods until this ‘peace’ of yours is achieved.”

“Is that because no one was there when you needed protection against the gods?” Issei cut in with a stoic look, Cao Cao glancing at him with a frown while gripping his spear which Issei caught & nodded.

“That’s it, isn’t it? Let me guess. You were barely 12 when you finally unlocked your Sacred Gear and after that, no one was there to protect you from the hundreds of supernatural beings that wanted to use you for it or kill you to obtain it for themselves. You lived on the run until you finally met others like you and decided that you would be the one to protect those that are just like you. You want to make sure that no one will ever have to go through what you did, don’t you?”

“…You’re a very observant guy, Hyoudou.” Cao Cao spoke after a long moment of silence and Saji was surprised to see his friend having a calm smile as he chuckled & shook his head.

“No, I can just see it in your eyes. If I was in your shoes, I can’t help but admit that I would probably be standing where you are right now, but I guess meeting the boss changed me for the better. Maybe if you had met him all those years back, you might have changed for the better, too.”

“Maybe. However, I am who I am, a powerful warrior & guardian of humanity. I have friends who feel the same as I do and I would not exchange them for anything else. So, I will ask once and only once, surrender or be destroyed.” Cao Cao spoke as he readied himself, to which Issei simply snorted as he bounced on the heels of his feet while vines slowly slithered out of Saji’s clothing as magic crests appeared around Georg.

“You know my answer.”

“Then, I suppose I don’t have to feel bad about this. Prep-!” Before Cao Cao could even finish his sentence, he along with everyone else was surprised as the ground between them exploded, a long trail of destruction being carved across the ground before their heads snapped to the side as a familiar voice spoke.

“I thought you would done by now, Cao Cao.” Both Issei & Saji were surprised to see Creuserey landing besides Cao Cao & Georg, his body covered in several jagged cuts & missing an arm & leg right before they swiftly grew back.

Looking over to the trail of destruction, they watched in horror as the dust settled to reveal Isaiah laying on the ground, his prosthetic arm missing & his eyes rolled back as his abdomen had a gaping hole inside of it.

“Boss!!”

A/N: Dun-dun-DUNNN!!! What the hell happened?!

How did Creuserey beat him? Did he use tricks? Is he just that powerful?

Who knows?! Let’s find out next time on Dr- I mean, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next chapter…

Ba-Bye~!!