Tales Of The Fearless Dragon 50 (Patreon)

Hey everyone, and get ready for this chapter. This chapter will wrap up the rest of the fighting in this arc. Get ready for a crazy amount of action, twists, and a conclusion I'm pretty sure no one will see coming, not to mention some foreshadowing that will add a new layer to the story.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. Highschool DxD, Highschool DxD New, Highschool DxD Born, Highschool DxD EX, and Highschool DxD Hero are all owned by Funimation, Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Passione, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release.

"Shirou" Regular speech.

"Shirou" Thoughts.

DRAGON SHOT Attack names.

(Shirou) Words said previously.

"SHIROU!" Shouting speech.

[Ddraig] Dragon talking.

Final Clash — Dragon Vs Evil God

—….

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

With the chant finished, the transformation was complete. The Red Dragon's Juggernaut Drive seemed different from the White's. Vali appeared to be an armored Dragon, but Shirou's appearance was very similar to the Scale Mail armor, with a much more Dragon-like appearance. The armor possessed claw-like growths on the hands and feet, as well as horns and a fanged mouth on the helmet.

The whole abandoned mining ground was lit up brightly. A colossal output of light was flowing from both the Heavenly Dragons. Their intense power was so overwhelming that the atmosphere around them was starting to distort. The presence of the two Dragon Emperors in Juggernaut Drive was exerting so much pressure that it was bending the space around them.

This was truly a first in history; in the past, either the Red or the White acquired Juggernaut in a generation, but never both in the same generation or at the same time; this has never happened before, and it shouldn't have.

The two Heavenly Dragons once almost destroyed the world with their combined power, and only the forces of all Three Great Powers could stop them. Now that the seal on the Longinus has been removed and they have access to that forbidden power, the two of them could potentially destroy the world once again.

The two of them, side by side, couldn't look more contrasting if they tried. Although they were both armored Dragons, Vali looked like a being of purity whose white armor appeared almost Divine, a Dragon with the properties of a God of salvation cloaked in Light. But Shirou's armor made all thoughts of purity disappear.

It couldn't look any more demonic or monstrous; in this state, he looked like a beast that was born from the darkest depths of purgatory and whose only objective was to destroy everything in its wake. The armor was as red as the fiery pits of Hell, a Dragon with the properties of a Demon King of Destruction bathed in an inferno.

The overwhelming power, which couldn't even be calculated, was so amazing that it paralyzed the senses. Even a God like Loki was so overwhelmed by the sight in front of him that he couldn't move, but his very soul was trembling.

"What's going on…" Rias breathed out, trying to stop herself from becoming hysterical. "Why is Shirou in that?"

"When did he even acquire it?" Sona asked beside her.

"Not that long ago." Ren was the one who answered them with a quiet disposition, getting everyone's attention. "He started training in secret after we returned from the Underworld, but he only reached this point recently."

"What? You knew about this?" Rias asked, surprised at him.

"He told me about it shortly after he unlocked it. " Ren answered, unable to meet her gaze. "He had me swear not to tell anyone else."

"But why?" Kiba questioned, unhappy at all this. "He knows that if he uses that form, it'll drain his life span until he dies."

All of them were informed of the Juggernaut Drive's powers and drawbacks. Azazel told them why Shirou should never try to replicate it as it would kill him; the reason Vali could use it was because he had enormous reserves of demonic power due to being Lucifer's descendant, but Shirou didn't have that, so it should have been out of the question, except—

"The Power of Darkness…"

They turned their heads to the sound of a melancholy voice. Mika looked even worse than Rias, as though she was going to hypoventilate. Beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks, and she stood there filled with a burning unease.

"His Darkness is a source of power with deep reserves, just like Vali's demonic power; if he found a way to use that as a fuel source, he should be able to sustain the Juggernaut Drive as well."

She explained, deducing the logic behind his decision as she locked her trembling gaze on her brother's monstrous form.

"But it can't be that simple; surely it's still dangerous."

Rias argued as Mika almost staggered, trying not to give in to her fears.

"It's likely he can only sustain it for a short amount of time, and due to the curse of the past users, his mind might be affected. If he stays like that for too long, he'll die."

"Why would he be so reckless? How could he use a transformation that carries such risks?"

Sona reputed his actions with dismay as Ren responded.

"He decided to have it be a last resort. If there's no other way to win, he'd use the Juggernaut, regardless of the consequences. The hammer didn't work; Fenrir escaped capture, and Loki had more cards to play than we had thought. Plus, Vali's getting rid of the wolf, so he'll have to fight Loki by himself; he must have decided that there's no other choice but the Juggernaut Drive."

"But what if he dies in the process?" Akeno argued, also afraid for him.

Ren lowered his head, hating the situation himself. "He'll do everything he can to avoid that, but if there's no other way, he'll accept it if it means everyone else survives this. He said that's the type of enemies we're facing this time."

"Oh, Shirou…" Rias looked up at him with a pain-filled expression.

"Kuroka! Transfer me and Fenrir to the allocated place!"

Vali, glowing with light, ordered that to Kuroka. Kuroka also smiled upon hearing that and directed her hand at Vali, then started to move her fingers in the air.

The Glepnir chain meant to capture Fenrir also got transferred to Vali's place. Kuroka must have done it. If the chain is also used, the current Vali should be able to finish it.

DUUUUUUUUN!

Vali, who had turned into a mass of giant light, and Fenrir were wrapped by many sashes that looked like they were made from demonic power. Vali and Fenrir start to synchronize with the scenery of this night and then disappear from this area.

"I leave the rest to you!"

Vali shouted those last words without waiting for any reply as he vanished with Fenrir.

The fact that Vali said "allocated place" meant that Vali and his team had been planning this course of action from the beginning and picked a specific place to deal with beforehand. Their motive for moving Fenrir and what he planned to do with him was still unknown, but for now, something more pressing was happening.

Now that Loki and Fenrir were gone, Shirou and Loki found themselves squaring off for the first time in a one-on-one encounter. Loki still appeared concerned at the power of the enemy he was facing. While he had never seen it, even he knew the terror of the Juggernaut Drive.

"I admit, I never imagined this. The fact that both Dragon Emperors possessed this level of power, to think you'd succeed in completely removing Fenrir from the battlefield."

"Are you still worried about Fenrir?" Shirou asked in a dark tone. "In that case, I'm not doing my job. In just a second, all you'll think about is how you hope to survive!"

[JET!]

Before he could even blink, Shirou closed the distance between the two of him, already prepared to throw a punch.

BREAK!

Loki attempted to put up magic barriers to block the hit, but Shirou's punch broke through like they were nothing. His fist, the same size as Loki's body, punched into the Evil God's stomach and caused him to bend forward as he coughed out a bit of blood before he was sent flying backward.

Loki still felt the pain pulsating throughout his body but couldn't understand why.

"Brute force shouldn't cause this much damage…" His eyes widened with realization as he got a closer look at the aura shrouding Shirou's body. "The Sword!"

"That's right." Shirou confirmed his fears. "Like Ascalon, I merged Miike Tenta Mitsuyo with my armor, giving it the same properties as the Sword. Now, my whole body is a God-killing weapon."

"Damn you…" Now Loki started to sweat.

"Listen up; I didn't come here to fight you or stop you; I came here… TO KILL YOU!"

[BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!]

"AND WHEN I'M DONE! THERE WON'T BE A TRACE OF YOU LEFT!"

Shirou vanished from sight. Loki tried to look around, but he was moving too fast for even the eyes of a God to keep up.

SMASH!

Shirou appeared on Loki's right flank, smashing another blow at the Evil God. The punch knocked toward the ground and sent Loki skidding across the dirt and gravel. Shirou instantly appeared in front of his path and threw an upward punch that sent Loki, hurling upward, back in the air. Shirou appeared in front of him again; this time, he caught Loki by the throat.

"I'll lift you up and slam you down!"

Shirou lifted Loki above his head before tossing him back toward the ground.

CRASH!

Loki crashed into the dirt like a cannonball and kicked up another cloud of dust.

Shirou then gathered a massive amount of aura throughout his entire body and lit up like a giant sphere of power. He then used his overwhelming speed to charge at Loki while covered in that violent aura; it was like a red quasar was hurtling toward the ground, and Loki was the target.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

He crashed into the ground with the force of an asteroid, and the explosive impact shook the ground for miles, destroying everything.

When the dust cleared, Shirou could be seen holding Loki by the head like a ragdoll while Loki remained motionless and could only gasp in pain. With the increase in size from the Juggernaut Drive, Shirou could fit Loki's head in his palm like a regular person holding an egg.

"What's wrong, almighty Evil God? Don't have any more tricks up your sleeve!?"

"Grr…"

"What's that? I can't hear you if you whisper. No, you're gonna have to speak LOUDER!"

CRACCCCKKKKKK!

"Aaaaaggghhhhhhhhh!"

Loki let out a howling, pain-filled screech as Shirou tightened his grip on Loki's head as though he was trying to crush it. Loki felt like his head was being crushed by a vice, and you could almost hear the sound of his skull cracking from the pressure.

Everyone watching was in disbelief at how easily he was manhandling Loki; it brought back some memories of the way Vali overwhelmed Shirou when he used this form. The Juggernaut Drive was truly the ultimate game-changer, but his power wasn't what troubled some of the others.

"He's acting scary…" Gasper whispered while trembling.

"This isn't normal. Shirou hates torturing his enemies and prolonging their pain. What's going on?" Rias asked, also worried.

This may have been the first time that some of them felt afraid around Shirou; it certainly was for Irina, Gasper, and yes, even Asia. But they weren't scared of him per se; they were afraid of what had happened to him, this monstrous, nightmarish state made almost unrecognizable in their eyes.

"It's the curse of the previous wielders."

Kuroka answered her question.

"When using the Juggernaut Drive, the lingering spirits of past Dragon Emperors come out and integrate themselves with the current user. They exist like a curse and are made entirely of negative emotions, especially malice and hatred. Their negative energy is following through him, and it's affecting his mind and behavior."

Senjutsu can not allow a person to absorb the energy of nature but also the emotions of being around you, both good and bad. Malice and ill intentions can not only be felt but also sensed by Senjutsu users, and all the Senjutsu users currently present could feel the negative energy coming from Shirou.

"She's right. It's like a cloud of negative energy is covering his body."

"…It feels terrible, like a monster."

Ren and Koneko felt bad and uneasy about what they were sensing from Shirou. This power was incredible, and it seemed like victory was now a certainty, but seeing Shirou consumed by a curse was something they could hardly bear to watch.

But it wasn't over yet. Loki mustered his strength while being crushed under Shirou's grip and held out both hands.

BANG!

With a yell, he fired another blast of Norse magic point-blank at Shirou and blew him back. Though Shirou was unhurt by Loki's attack, he did end up letting go, and Loki moved back to gain some distance.

"Curse you, Red Dragon Emperor! DIE!"

Loki summoned another large amount of magic circles around his body and unleashed a hailstorm of Norse magic lasers at Shirou.

DONDONDONDONDONDONDONDONDONDON!

A continuous series of explosions went off as Loki poured on his assault, hoping to vaporize Shirou completely. His barrage carried for quite a while, but it was in vain as Shirou struck back.

GOOOOOOOOOOON!

Once again, Shirou violently flared his aura to create a powerful shockwave-like burst. The raw power of the burst completely blew away Loki's magic.

"Impossible…"

Did you think I'd be affected by something like that? Did you actually think you could beat me? Did have a nice dream!?" Shirou mercilessly taunted him. "Now I'll show you a waking nightmare!"

WHOOSH!

Once again, Shirou vanished from his sight. Shirou appeared behind Loki and hit him in the back so hard that he was sent flying again. Shirou chased him down, flew past him, and turned around as he clotheslined Loki in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs.

Shirou followed up by hitting him with a right hook that rocked Loki and sent him blew him away. Loki landed and hit the ground hard enough to create a crater in the shape of his body. He looked up and saw Shirou was right on top of him with his leg raised and ready to stomp him into the ground.

SLAM!

Shirou's foot slammed through the ground but missed his target, and Loki desperately rolled out of the way. Shirou chased him down and kept stomping on the ground where Loki was, and Loki kept rolling to escape.

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

Having had enough, Loki leaped away to create some distance between them and created a ball of attack magic in his hand. Loki charged at him and tried to hit him with the magic ball, but Shirou reached out and caught it in his hand before closing his fist, causing the magic ball to explode with virtually no effect.

"That shit don't work!"

Shirou kept a firm grip on Loki's arm before lifting him up and slamming his whole body into the ground.

CRASH!

Shirou kept up and continued slamming him into the ground like a sledgehammer before he lifted him back up and started spinning him above his head to pick up speed and moment. He then slammed him face-first into the ground, this time so hard that Loki's eyes started blinking as though his brain was being rattled. But Shirou still wasn't done with his merciless onslaught and turned around to slam Loki back-first into the ground.

CRASH!

Shirou let go after that last one. The impact from hitting the ground was so hard that Loki's body bounced a few feet into the air. Before he could even think, Shirou grabbed Loki by the back of his head and started running at high speed while dragging Loki's face through the dirt, tearing up the ground beneath him. After running for a bit, Shirou lifted him up and threw Loki away.

This time, Loki was only knocked back a few feet as Shirou followed up by raining a series of blows on him. Punch after punch flew forth as Loki felt his whole body crumbling under the weight of these blows that had the power to kill Divinity. Face, chest, stomach, arms, shoulders, Shirou didn't even need to aim as every one of his punches hammered down Loki's flesh.

BAM!

One last punch from below knocked Loki upward. It was so heavy he almost felt his head separate from his neck. Before he could fall, Shirou reached out and held him by the throat once again.

"I get a little serious, and this is all you can do? Did you think the likes of you could ever reach me?"

Suddenly, the armor around his chest plate opened up and revealed what appeared to be a blast launcher.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

A silent vibration could be heard as a red aura was gathering at the launcher. The aura continued getting bigger as it was compressed at the launcher. His wings spread as a red light shined from them, dyeing the surroundings red.

[BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!]

"Do you see it, Asgardian?" Shirou's voice was dripping with madness. "I'm sure you get it now—That I'm THE STRONGEST!

[LONGINUS SMASHER!]

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!

The world shook. Shirou tossed Loki away before he fired the ultimate attack of the Red Dragon Emperor. From the launcher on his chest came a giant focused beam twice the size of his body and a deep shade of emerald green. The blast tore through everything with a thunderous roar that echoed over the whole land. His vision was green from how bright the attack was; the shockwaves of the attack tore apart the ground beneath him down to the molecular level.

The Longinus Smasher fully consumed Loki's body as the jade-colored beam blitzed past like a freight train and kept going for miles until it blasted off into the sky. The beam began to dissipate before it finally imploded into a massive aftershock that blew everyone away while kicking up a vast amount of dust and rubble, obstructing their vision.

.

.

.

Soon, sight returned to the world, and the ground stopped shaking. After all that deafening noise, things now felt deathly quiet as the dust started to clear from everyone's eyes. As they all tried to regain their bearings, some of them were still shaken up by the awesome power of that last attack. It was worse than anything they had ever seen, and that was saying something.

Rias was the first to get a look at the aftermath of the attack and her eyes widened at the sight.

The ground beneath the path that the Longinus Smasher traveled through created a long-distance trench that stretched forward for miles. The scorched earth of the trench was glowing red hot from the blast and still smoking.

The rest of them got a good look at the results as well, and each of them was equally speechless. They couldn't believe how powerful Shirou had become.

"Look!" Ren called out and pointed.

They all did so and stared at the spot the beam had fired from, where they saw a figure standing there through the dust cloud.

As the dust cleared away, the sight of Shirou standing there was revealed to them. His Juggernaut Drive had vanished, and even his regular Scale-Male, along with any of his weapons or aura, was gone. He was breathing heavily and barely on his feet like it took all his remaining strength to stand upright; he was beyond drained.

"…Ha….Ha.…Ha…." Shirou was gasping for air.

"Shirou." Rias spoke in relief.

"He's back to normal." Xenovia noticed, also relieved.

"And Loki's gone, that means he won." Irina called out with joy.

"That's great." Kiba was happy as well. "Now it'll all be over soon."

"The Juggernaut Drive truly is a sight to behold." Tannin noted with amazement.

Sona was also relieved. "I'm just glad that was enough."

"Hah… hah… hah… haaaaaaaah…!"

Still, though, the amount of reserves he burned through by unleashing all that overwhelming power isn't something you could just laugh off. Just breathing had become a challenge. It took everything he had to keep his eyes open and squint at the scorched earth in front of him, checking if anything remained of his target.

—He couldn't fight anymore.

That was the only thought in his mind as his whole body heaved with each breath.

"You never cease to surprise me."

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"—-—"

Time stopped not only for Shirou but for everyone who heard that voice.

"It can't be?" Rossweisse's eyes widened in horror.

"This isn't possible." Barakiel breathed out in disbelief. "No, even a God should have been able to survive such an attack."

Ren lowered his head in dismay while gritting his teeth and closing his eyes as his worst fears came to pass. "…Shirou."

Paying no heed to their silent shock, a single figure floated in the air before Shirou. Loki had clearly been significantly affected by that attack; for one thing, he was missing an arm. His whole left arm had been eviscerated, and not only that but his body was covered with open wounds that were scorched closed as smoking was rising around different parts of his body. Loki's robes were reduced to mostly rages, and he looked like he was on the verge of death.

But despite his physical appearance, his face was still the smug, arrogant expression he was known for.

The Evil God Loki had endured.

"Hah… Gugh…" Shirou coughed before he stumbled a bit while he tried to speak. "…How?"

"Your surprise is warranted, I admit. Surviving that last blast was no small feat." Loki confessed, not even sounding winded. "As you are already aware, Norse magic is much more advanced than any other in the world, not only in terms of offense but defense as well. Before your attack hit, I used all the reserves I could muster and focused everything on defensive magic. I didn't exactly walk away unscathed, but regardless, I'm alive."

"That doesn't explain it!" Rossweisse called out, still not understanding. "Even with the maximum defense of Norse magic, that was the full force of a Heavenly Dragon! You shouldn't have possibly been able to survive that!"

"You indeed are a foolish Valkyrie, our definition of what's possible." Loki ridiculed her mockingly. "Surviving would have been impossible even with Norse magic, yes, but that's only if it were one of you. Just like how a Devil's body is much more durable than a human's and can withstand much more damage, the durability of a God far exceeds even that." He informed them with arrogance. "Only a God such as myself could withstand an attack of that magnitude. Possible? A God knows no such limitation!"

"No way?" Rias was taken aback by this information.

"Is this the power of a God?" Xenovia didn't know what else to say.

"Even so, I'll admit it. I've lived for longer than you can imagine, and even among the Gods, that last attack was stronger than anything I had ever seen." Loki acknowledged proudly. "Red Dragon Emperor, I, Loki—God of Mischief—Acknowledge you as the strongest!"

"Grr…" Shirou could only glare hatefully at Loki while struggling to stand. "…Gods really piss me off."

"We miscalculated." Arthur admitted with a frown. "None of us have fought a God before, so factoring in the difference in endurance never even crossed our minds. We weren't aware it would make such a difference."

"Not exactly." Mika wasn't disheartened yet. "Remember, he may have survived that attack, but it still worked. Loki's on the brink of death. Just one more large attack is all it'll take to finish him off." She informed the others. "We just need one more powerful hit."

"Yes, I'm afraid you're right." Loki didn't deny her deduction. "The truth is I'm at my limit; I can't afford to take any more damage." He then smirked evilly at them. "However… You'll find that your situation is even more dire."

SNAP!

Loki held out his hand and snapped while pointing at Hati and Skōll, and in response, the magic that was surrounding their bodies and weakening them shattered away, disappearing entirely.

[OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!]

The two wolves let out a howl that echoed throughout the area as everyone around them was surprised by what they had just witnessed.

"My spell?" Mika was caught off guard.

"That pesky weakening spell used on them was troublesome." Loki told her, pleased that he had succeeded. "It took a while, but I finally figured out the spell's equation. After that, disrupting was easy, and thus, I was able to destroy, freeing my creations and returning them to full strength."

"Mika, can't you reactivate the spell?" Rias asked her.

"It wouldn't matter. Now that he's figured out the equation, Loki can just keep deactivating it." Mika explained bitterly. "We had to use Glepnir on Fenrir so without the spell, we have nothing left to nerf those wolves."

"I hate to add to your troubles, but I have more bad news." Loki told them, enjoying their plight. "The truth is, you haven't faced all of my reserves yet!"

Loki said that and lifted the remains of his robe, and he once again expanded his shadow! From there… Another group of Midgardsormr clones came out. There were still some left. This time again, there were seven of them in total.

"He still had some clones in reserve!?" Tannin was surprised.

"There's no end to this!" Kiba cursed as he prepared for another battle.

"I never thought it would be this hard to fight a single God and his subordinates." Bikou admitted with a huff.

"And for you, Red Dragon Emperor—"

BANG!

"Argh!" Shirou gasped in pain as a magic bullet blasted him in the shoulder.

Loki held out his hand and kept it pointed at Shirou. "It would be so easy to kill you in the state you're in, but where's the fun in that?" His expression was twisted with a dark smile that promised vengeance. "You took your time roughing me up before delivering the final blow, didn't you? So, it's only fair I do the same!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Aaaaagghhhhhhhhh!" Shirou screamed in pain.

Loki fired a volley of bullet-sized magic blasts at Shirou, each one breaking through his skin and wounding him. None of them were very powerful, but with all of them raining down on him like a machine gun, they were causing a great amount of damage as Shirou's flesh and blood were being torn apart. Loki could have simply aimed for his head and killed him in an instant, but he clearly wanted to take his time and exact as much pain as possible for his victim.

[Big Bro/Shirou-san!] Mika and Asia cried out in horror at seeing Shirou's crisis.

"Help him!" Rias commanded desperately.

"Right!"

"We're on it!"

Kiba and Xenovia tried to move in and aid him, but before they could, their path was blocked.

"OOOOOOOOOOONN!"

Skōll appeared in front of them with his superior speed and bore its fangs at the two Knights.

CLASH!

They both used their Swords to block the God-devouring fangs, but the wolf was too powerful and pushed them back.

Bikou and Kuroka moved in beside Kiba and Xenovia and prepared to fight as the wolf looked ready to maul anything that got too close.

"I don't think this one plans on letting us get away near Loki." Kuroka informed them. "It knows its master's life is in danger, so it's keeping anyone from getting too close."

"The same is probably true for all of his creations." Bikou guessed. "If you wanna get to the Red Dragon Emperor, you'll have to defeat all the other enemies first."

"But Shirou-kun may not that last long." Irina pointed out, sounding worried.

"I doubt that means anything." Arthur retorted while composed. "The momentum has shifted and not in our favor."

Then, a shout could be heard.

"Akeno!" Rias screamed.

Suddenly, Akeno was in danger as she was about to be bitten by Hati, who closed in on her in an instant.

"I won't let you!" Ren moved in.

Ren powered up his Touki to its maximum output and rushed in to intercept Hati before its fangs could reach Akeno.

While he tried to shorten the distance, it didn't seem like he would make it in time.

It was at that moment when the fangs of the wolf were about to tear into Akeno.

ZASHU!

A bitter noise of the fang tearing a flesh. However, the one who was pierced through with Hati's fang was not Akeno but actually—Barakiel.

Barakiel's back was pierced with the God-devouring fangs while protecting Akeno.

"Gough!"

A large quantity of blood came out of his mouth and even more from his wound as those fangs likely hit his vital organs.

A speechless Akeno stared at her wounded father in horror. "…Why?"

"…I can't afford to lose you as well." Barakiel breathed out, not showing an ounce of pain.

Akeno has an expression where she can't tell what's going on right now.

BIG BANG BLOW!

DON!

Ren punched Hati with his Touki-infused fist in the side of his jaw, forcing him to open his mouth and release Barakiel from his grasp. With that, they moved back.

"Asia! We need healing!"

Ren called for Asia, who was nearby. She activated her Sacred Gear and was covered in her light-green aura, fuelling her long-range Twilight Healing. She sent the healing aura toward Barakiel. Being enveloped with the healing aura, Barakiel's wounds started to heal slowly.

…His bleeding was starting to stop. But, it would be hard for him to return to the fight immediately. He should have lost about the same amount of stamina as how much blood he just lost. Quite a lot of blood spilled when the fangs were removed from his body.

"…I…I!" Akeno was panicking a lot.

"…Get a hold of yourself, Akeno. The battle hasn't ended yet." Barakiel advised her.

"Ren-san!" Asia called out in return. "Shouldn't I try to send my healing toward Shirou-san as well?" She asked, greatly concerned for his well-being.

Ren looked off in that direction and could see the explosions from Loki's attacks but gritted his teeth at the fact that Hati was still blocking their path.

"We can't." Ren reluctantly yielded. "As long as those wolves are in the way, anytime we even aim at that direction we'll be targets. We can't help Shirou until we take them down first." He angrily clenched his fists. "But so strong, how would we even do that?"

"Mika! Don't you have some type of strategy?!" Rias called out in desperation.

"If I did…DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE USED IT BY NOW?!" Mika yelled at her. Obviously, she was more frustrated than anyone at their current situation.

According to her strategy, the battle should have been over by now. Instead, thanks to an oversight, they were the ones who were cornered. The enemy had them in a near-perfect checkmate, and she couldn't think of a way out. Worst of all, the one who was paying for it the most was her brother.

Mika had never been outplayed like this; she had always been the one who turned the tables with a clever tactic, but she didn't know how to do that when the conditions were so uneven.

The fear, panic, and frustration that filled her mind were so great that any organized thoughts had no room to manifest, and thinking of a strategy was out of the question.

FIVE-LAYER MAGIC CIRCLE—MAXIMUM ERASER!

Her five-layer magic circle consisted of fire, ice, lightning, wind, and water magic combined into an overwhelmingly powerful laser-like magic blast. It was dark purple with sparks of lightning around it, aimed directly at Skōll. The second wolf was distracted from the opponents it was already facing, so it didn't notice the incoming attack.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The magic blast immediately exploded upon impact and discharged a powerful amount of magic in response. Both the wolf and the ones fighting it were caught off guard as Bikou, Kuroka, Kiba, and Xenovia had to guard against the aftershock.

"You are full of openings!" Mika created another magic circle.

BERSERKER RUSH!

Mika cast an earth spell that summoned a dozen super-sized arms made of stone with hands that were clenched into fists.

DOOOOOOOOOOON!

The stone fists rained down on Skōll without mercy. The fast-paced attacks, along with the weight and depth of stone fists, were so great that they kicked up a massive cloud of dust and debris that obstructed their view of Skōll.

"Mika! Over you!" Kiba called out with urgency.

One of the mass-produced Midgardsormr moved in while she was distracted and tried to shoot his fire breath from behind at her—

GOOOOOON!

But from high up in the sky over the Midgardsormr clone, a fireball and magical light come down at him.

"I won't let you!"

"He's right!"

Tannin and Rossweisse covered her and struck first at the Dragon clone, destroying it with their combined assault and saving Mika.

With that, there were now five mass-produced Midgardsormr left. Tannin and Rossweisse were on high alert. It was basically their job to handle the mass-produced Midgardsormr with only the two of them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOONN

Unfortunately, they didn't have time to look away. While Mika turned her attention to Tannin and Rossweisse above her, she neglected to continue her offense on Skōll. So the wolf shot out of the dust cloud and charged at her with its jaw open and its fangs ready to tear her apart.

CLANG!

Mika had no way of defending herself in time and was about to be devoured by Skōll, but at the last second, Arthur appeared and blocked his path. The blade of Arthur's Holy King Sword clashed with the wolf's fang, and they were both locked in a struggle before Arthur pushed hard and knocked the child of Fenrir backward.

"That was far too close." Arthur spoke without taking his eyes off the enemy. "You were almost killed by your own carelessness twice now. If the strategist is the first one to lose her head, the rest of this battle will be lost."

"I know that, but…" Mika tried to calm herself, but her frustration persisted as their situation hadn't changed, and they were still hopelessly cornered. "They've got us by the throat. We don't have the horsepower to beat these wolves, and they can kill us with one blow, not to mention they're fast enough to get us if we look away for a second."

"I must admit, I also didn't expect to be stuck like this. It's not as though we underestimated them, and yet our backs still end up against a wall. Arthur also considered the situation he was in with a derisive smile. "I never imagined our team would lack so much without Vali."

The fact is that both sides had lost their most powerful forces at this point. On one side was Fenrir, and on the other was Two Dragon Emperors with their Juggernaut Drive. While they sacrificed Vali to remove the most significant threat, which was Fenrir, Loki could substitute that loss with Hati and Skōll, but they had no way to make up for the loss of Shirou and Vali.

Now that Vali had left the battlefield entirely and Shirou was no longer in a condition to fight, there was no one left on the battlefield that could match the danger of those wolves, and this was becoming a war of attrition, which they were hardly prepared for.

But as bad as things were for all of them, it couldn't compare to the absolute massacre that Shirou was dealing with.

BAM!

Shirou was blown away by a hit from Loki and sent flying through the air. He tried to correct himself and fixed his stance in midair, but that didn't stop Loki from chasing him down and landing another hit.

Even though he was physically drained, Shirou refused to go down without trying to put up a fight as he raised his arm and blocked Loki's fist with his forearm. However, in his weakened state, he didn't have the strength or endurance to block that punch fully and could feel his bones breaking under the weight of Loki's fist.

Shirou clenched his jaw and resisted voicing any pain as Loki followed up with a spin and landed a headshot with a kick so strong it sent Shirou toward the ground. Shirou crash-landed into the dirt, completely unable to soften his fall. He hit the ground hard and felt a bit of blurriness in his vision.

But Loki wasn't finished as he held out his arm, created a large number of magic circles, and unleashed a rain shower of magic beams at Shirou that descended upon him like a cascade during a thunderstorm.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

"AAAAAAAaaaggggghhhhhhh!" Shirou howled in pain as his body was being blasted to oblivion by this ruthless onslaught.

Finally, the ground beneath him gave way and exploded from all the magic blasts. The force of the explosion knocked Shirou upward and back into the air, and Loki moved in to continue the slaughter.

Loki closed the distance and punched him repeatedly in his midsection, knocking the air out of his lungs; Shirou tried to retaliate but threw a slow, telegraphed punch that Loki slipped past before kicking him away.

"Hahaha! This is fun!" Loki laughed, enjoying this loop-sided conflict. "I never knew there was so much enjoyment in tearing the wings of a butterfly."

Shirou stopped himself and exhaled a deep breath. "…I'm not done yet!"

Shirou charged forward and pulled back his fist to strike back at Loki.

BAM!

Unfortunately, once he got into close range, Loki threw his own punch, which landed first and buried itself into Shirou's gut with so much force that Shirou's body was hunched over, and he coughed out saliva as well as drops of blood.

"Really?" Loki replied sarcastically. "Because I beg to differ!"

Loki kicked him away once again, and this time, Shirou couldn't stop himself because, after that last hit, he struggled to breathe.

Soon, Shirou crashed into a rocky plateau, his back slammed against the wall. He remained there, reeling from the damage and the pain of colliding with the stone wall, but he only had a second as Loki descended upon him shortly after.

Loki tried to hit him with his elbow, but Shirou held up his palm and blocked it. Loki followed up by opening his palm and firing a magic blast at Shirou from point-blank range.

BOOOOOOM!

The magic completely eviscerated the plateau in another violent explosion, and the damage Shirou was taking continued to pile up. Loki closed in on him and threw a right cross that hit Shirou in the face, then an uppercut that knocked his head upward, and finished it with a hook that knocked him away once more.

Loki flew after him and caught in barely a second. He hit him with a right punch, followed by a left kick, and ended it with a midair somersault kick that slammed back down into the dirt. Loki landed on the ground and prepared to let loose his most powerful barrage.

By now, Shirou was barely conscious and pushed himself to his feet. He saw Loki a few away and tried to move in, but after taking one step forward, he felt his strength give out and almost collapsed as he fell on one knee.

"Gah!" Shirou coughed out as he gasped for air, trying to hold onto whatever strength he had left.

Seeing the helpless state of his victim, Loki went in for the kill.

Loki summoned two magic circles and created two compressed orbs the size of his body that were filled with as much magic as he could muster and fired both of them at Shirou. Both of them reached him before he could even attempt to defend himself and exploded on impact.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"AAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

Shirou bellowed in agony as the fiery explosion consumed him and everything around him in a raging inferno that was tearing apart his already charred and broken body. Flames, shockwaves, and magic residue spewed out violently from the blast. Blood, chunks of flesh, and even bone were being ripped away and shredded apart.

He didn't have time to be shocked because right now, the worst incident was about to happen right in front of his eyes. Without waiting for the explosion to dissipate, Loki summoned another magic circle. This time, it was only one orb no larger than his fist, but this one was made with every bit of Norse magic he had left in reserve and promised to be the final blow.

Loki threw it into the explosion and the result was an even larger explosion.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

This time, instead of a fiery inferno-like explosion, the detonation took the form of a magic-fueled pillar of destruction that pierced the sky, shook the ground, and embodied the wrath of a God. Everyone on the battlefield felt the impact of this final attack as the aftershock and torrential wind blew in every direction while Loki stood there with his arm outstretched and an evil grin on his face.

.

.

.

.

Though he could hardly see anything anymore, he could still make out the gloomy sky above.

He could faintly sense the murmur of the breeze.

Dust was rustling near his ear.

He could feel that he was apparently slumped facedown on the field, but he couldn't even remember when he fell.

He was carved.

He was smashed.

He was charred.

He had been shredded by every kind of spell, annihilated by magic he couldn't begin to escape from, and broken by an offense he had no hope of defending against. The Evil God's wrath cut off all routes of escape, cut through his flesh and bones, and honestly, it was a wonder how his arms and legs were still attached to his body.

"….….….Ahh."

A pitiful, broken sound that couldn't even be called a groan crossed Shirou's lips. His bones were broken. Every patch of skin had been cut. There wasn't a single spot where his battle clothes weren't stained red. He couldn't so much as breathe or cough up blood properly.

At first, whenever he took a hit, it had been hot enough to flinch, but now he didn't feel anything. It was almost cool, cold even, like it was winter.

His heartbeat was growing faster. His life was ending. Death is close. He knew it. He knew this feeling. During his struggles in the past, he tasted true despair. This time, there was nothing to hold it back. He could feel his life slipping away as he was getting closer to the void; he didn't even have the strength to ponder his last thoughts.

Even the cold began to fade, and though his eyes were still open, his lungs began to fail.

—

[Are you giving up already?]

An unfamiliar voice entered his ears, and he was forcibly pulled away from the brink of death.

"—-—Gaaaaaah!"

His pulse was racing, and air filled his lungs again. Life was coursing through his broken body, and it shook him to his soul. His half-shut eyelids wrenched open, and his body jolted as if he'd been electrified. He quivered like a fish tossed onto dry land.

"Haaa, haaaaah…?! Ghah, goho… Gahaha…?!"

[That was a bit close. You were actually about to die there.]

He heard an easygoing voice as his entire body shuddered to a rhythmic beat as if the entire thing had transformed into a heart, pumping life through him. His arms and legs spasm as his fingers dig into the ground. The world around him was still flickering as he looked up to see the figure who had brought him back from the brink of death and was speaking to him.

[I'm glad you're still alive, conduit. It would have been a shame if you died when I had a chance to communicate with you.]

"Haaa…" Shirou steadied his breathing a bit more and finally responded. "…Conduit?"

He also noticed the disembodied voice that was speaking to him took the form of some kind of shadowy ball of darkness with black embers surrounding it.

[Correct. Would you prefer I use your given name?]

"What's going on? Who are you?" Shirou questioned, trying to make sense of this suddenness. "More importantly, where are we?"

[You don't know? I was under the impression you had experienced this before, considering you already have control over the Power of Darkness.]

Shirou's eyes widened at that statement before he looked around at the dark void surrounding him. "Wait, I know this place."

This was the same void he always appeared in when he used to communicate with the spirit of Shirōu Amakusa Tokisada. Shirou hadn't been here since their final encounter when their souls merged into one.

"But why am I here?" Shirou looked around. "I thought this was a space that he created, and it disappeared after we fused?"

[That's not entirely wrong. This is a space created by a soul fueled by Darkness, but it's possible to enter here when a user of Darkness is communicating with another user of Darkness.]

Another user—Those words captured Shirou's attention completely. Their absurdity was unlike anything else; by all accounts, his statement must have been impossible, yet he couldn't deny what was happening in front of him.

"Who are you?" This time, Shirou silently demanded an answer.

[I suppose we can't proceed without a full explanation—I am the seirei of Darkness.]

...

...

...

"The seirei of Darkness?" Shirou repeated trying to make sense of what he had just heard.

[Correct. Like you, I am an existence born of the Power of Darkness.]

"That's impossible. The Power of Darkness is a power that was granted to my ancestor by God." Shirou pointed out, not used to be this unsure.

[I know that. I am a servant of that same God. I am here speaking to you as their proxy.]

"But God is dead." Shirou addressed the elephant in the room. "He died in the ancient war, so how can you be here?"

[You misunderstand. The God I am referring to is different than the one you're thinking of.]

"…What?" Now Shirou was thrown off.

[I am the seirei who serves the Kuraokami-sama. –The God who rules all Darkness. Your mastery of Darkness made into a suitable conduit in order to summon me.]

"…The Kuraokami?" Shirou repeated in confusion. That name was unfamiliar to him; the context opened up a world of questions, so much so that he hardly knew where to begin. "I've never heard of that God?"

[Neither have I.]

Another voice joined the conversation, but Shirou recognized this one.

"Ddraig, you're here too?" Shirou looked at his arm.

[Yes. It seems my voice can finally reach you in this world. Back to the matter at hand, I've lived in this world since the dawn of creation, and I have since become aware of every deity that exists in this world, but I've never heard of this Kuraokami that you speak of.]

The fact that Ddraig was also unfamiliar with this God made this situation even more bizarre, but the seirei's response stunned both of them in ways they would never have imagined.

[That's because you only know of the deities of this world, but Kuraokami-sama is not of this world.]

Both Shirou and Ddraig were taken aback. Whatever answer they were expecting, it certainly wasn't that. If they were to believe the words of this spirit floating before them, then it's clear they were dealing with forces they knew nothing about.

"Wait…?" Shirou's brain started connecting some dots. "Is this some kind of multiverse thing?"

[If that helps you understand, you can think of it like that. The truth is, there are other planes of existence beyond this one, and among those are Gods and races unique to their own worlds in the same manner that you are unique to yours. The Kuraokami-sama is a God residing in one of those other worlds.]

[There are worlds beyond our own?]

Ddraig was completely blown away by this revelation, as the very concept of such a thing had never even crossed his mind. As a Heavenly Dragon, one of the oldest and most powerful beings in existence, he had always believed he knew all there was to know about this world, only to now realize there were literal worlds of information he knew nothing about.

"But I don't understand. Everyone said that Shirōu Amakusa was chosen by God, Christian God." Shirou reasoned. "Even Michael said that, and my Sword is a Divine Sword that was granted to him by God."

[Let me explain from the beginning. The information you were given was not wrong; it is true that the power you wield, including the talents from your bloodline and even your Divine Sword, were gifts from the Primordial God of this world; the only thing that you were mistaken about is the Power of Darkness, that alone was a power you gained from Kuraokami-sama.]

[And yet the aura felt from the Power of Darkness feels similar to that of the Primordial Gods', enough that even Pure-blood Angels can't differentiate.]

[I know it sounds surprising, but think of it this way. The Primordial God is a Holy being whose powers are based around Light. Did it never seem odd to you that he would grant his chosen one powers that were Darkness-based?]

Both Shirou and Ddraig pondered those words and could see he made a good point.

"Well, it always did seem strange to me, but I just decided not to question it."

[I agree. Although I never saw him use such powers, the power I sensed from the darkness was unlike anything I had felt in this world. Given the fact that he was God and could possess all abilities, I had assumed it was one of them. But now that I see you, I'm definitely sensing the same thing as the darkness from my partner.]

[I cannot fault you for thinking that way. It was a much simpler conclusion than thinking there was another almighty being from another world who blessed the same person.]

"So this means that Shirōu Amakusa was chosen by both the Christian God and a God from another world?" Just saying that sounded absurd to Shirou. "I don't get it. None of this makes any sense. That's as unimaginable as someone being both with both the Heavenly Dragon Sacred Gears."

[It's not as unbelievable as it sounds. This wasn't just a random chance. The fact is that the Primordial God of this world chose to grant power to your ancestor. That much has been established, but because he had been given that power, that made him a conduit capable of wielding and commanding Divine powers, which allowed him to also be chosen by the Kuraokami-sama to wield their Divine power.]

"So the Kuraokami could only give their power to a human who already had the powers of a God, and my ancestor was the only human who fits the bill?" Shirou summarized. "But how did they know? I mean, he died shortly afterward."

[When a Primordial acts, all others can sense it. The Kuraokami-sama needed a vessel for their power in this world, so they acted quickly. It's a shame the original user died, but that was always a possibility. That's why the Power of Darkness could transfer through lineage, and here you are, capable of freely using it to the extent that you could summon me precisely as was hoped.]

[There is a question you still haven't answered. Why did the Kuraokami share their power in the first place? It's one thing for a God to bless a mortal of their world with Divine power, but to bless a mortal from a completely different plane of existence? That goes beyond the whims of a God. What is the Kuraokami's goal?]

Ddraig's assertion was valid; it was just strange but hard to believe that a God from another world would do all this without some type of reason, and a very big one at that. The question remained: What was the purpose of all this?

[I'm afraid I can't answer that question.]

"What?"

Before they could get too upset, the seirei elaborated.

[Please don't misunderstand. I can't answer because I don't have the answer. I am only a proxy remember? I only possess some knowledge, but I do not know everything that Kuraokami-sama desires or their full intentions.]

"So that's it? You don't know anything about this?"

[All I know is that Kuraokami-sama has a purpose in mind. In the future, an irregular event will occur unlike anything seen in our world, and when that time comes, a warrior who commands the Power of Darkness must be at the center of it. Kuraokami-sama chose an individual of this world to be that warrior.]

"Are you saying that someone is me?"

[Perhaps, or someone who comes after you. Remember, the one originally chosen died centuries before. The point in time when this event will occur is unknown, only that it will happen; that is why the power can pass on to someone else, a way to assure that no matter the era, one who wields the darkness will always exist and be able to fulfill the role the Kuraokami-same desired.]

Shirou took in all this information. There was a lot to unpackage, and while he didn't know where to go from here or what this could mean for the future, he didn't want to get swept away by the pressure of the situation.

"How can I be sure of all this? How do I know that you guys are on the right side of all this, that you don't have bad intentions, or that this irregular event isn't something terrible you're planning?"

[Kuraokami-sama is very merciful and benevolent. They give Divine protection to those who possess a pure and uncorrupted soul, knowing they will follow the right path.]

"But how do I know you're telling me the truth?"

Shirou didn't want to be convinced so easily because he knew so little of this being, and this was their first conversation. He didn't feel safe just blindly trusting everything he said, not without some assurance.

"How much of what you said can I believe? I don't know you or the Kuraokami, and I've dealt with schemers and deceives before, so how do I know the Kuroakami doesn't just want to use me to meet their own ends?"

Though he didn't want to think it outright, he was talking about Rias. Even though she's not a bad person and is loved by those around her, their meeting did come because she schemed it. She knew he was in danger and left him to his fate so that she could save him in order to use him to deal with her own issues, literally making him her Pawn. Though they worked all that out, who's to say the Kuraokami isn't hoping for the same thing—Even if they are benevolent, they may want to just use him for their own desires.

[I concur. Unless you can offer a reason for us to believe, we cannot trust your words.]

Ddraig backed Shirou's statement, and they waited for a response. The seirei wasn't offended, though, and responded in kind.

[Yes, that's a fair assessment. Although I can't force you to trust my words or intentions, I think it's fair to point out, can't the same be said for that Dragon on your wrist?]

"What?" Shirou wasn't expecting that response.

[I may not know everything, but I am aware that the soul of that Dragon resides within you, and in exchange for granting you his powers and aid, you are destined to fight against his sworn enemy. Did you not have any reservations about trusting him? In a sense, was he also not using you to meet his own ends?]

[That is not the same thing. I shared my powers with my partner as I did with my previous wielders without hiding my intentions; even if I had my own agenda, I never attempted to deprive him of his own will.]

[And how is that any different than Kuraokami-sama?]

The seirei redirected Ddraig's counterargument and silenced both of them, unable to retort that one.

[Whenever your life was in danger, even before you were aware of it, you were always aided by the Divine power that Kuraokami-sama gifted you with. It has saved you and your loved ones countless times throughout countless generations, and nothing has ever asked for in return until now. After all that, do you really have no trust in Kuraokami-sama? Do they truly not deserve the benefit of the doubt at this point?]

Shirou could see that he made a fair point. In practically every major battle he had been in, the Power of Darkness had always come in to save him when he truly needed it, not to mention how much of a game-changer it was after he fully gained control over it, and it wasn't like they were making any unreasonable demands of him compared to others he had dealt with.

Finally, Shirou exhaled and spoke out.

"All right, at the very least, I know you aren't my enemies."

[On the contrary, the very reason I'm here is to help you.]

"Help me how?" Shirou raised a brow.

[I spent so much time explaining that I wasn't able to tell you why I'm here in the first place. Kuraokami-sama sensed the presence of Divine power that was being unleashed at a severe magnitude mixed with another presence, something oppressive and curse-like, a force of evil.]

[The curse of the Juggernaut Drive. The negative feelings and emotions of all the previous users must have merged with the Power of Darkness, most likely a side-effect of using it as a power source.]

[After sensing that, Kuraokami-sama sensed that the current conduit of their blessing must be in great distress and sent me to aid them.]

"So all that power I was unleashing from the Juggernaut Drive acted as a beacon that summoned you?" Shirou summarized. "Man, Juggernaut Drive is crazier than I thought? I didn't think its aura could stretch that far. I wonder if Vali and I activating ours at the same time and place factored into it?"

[When I arrived, after seeing the state that you were in, it was clear that you were in a horribly dire situation, so I am here to help you overturn the situation.]

"But how? I already used every trick I had left, and Loki's still floating around. What kind of help can you give me that'll turn things around?"

[I carry with me a portion of Kuraokami-sama's Divine protection. I will pass it on to you, and you will temporarily hold true Divine power, enough to overcome this crisis and win the battle.]

"Divine protection?" Shirou repeated. "What'll that be like?"

[You will know soon. As I said before, Divine protection is given to those who possess a pure and uncorrupted soul, knowing they will follow the right path. I am certain that when you hold this power, you will know exactly what to do with it.]

Then it happened.

GOOOOOOOON!

A stream of Darkness discharged from the seirei and made its way to Shirou. Once it reached him, it started pulsating into his body and spreading through his frame as Shirou felt the power flowing through him.

It was both strong and unfamiliar, different from the darkness he was used to. This was unlikely anything he had ever felt; it was definitely darkness, but it felt much deeper than usual, true divinity. His eyes glowed brighter than ever before as he let out a roar.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

—

GOOOOOOOOOON!

Back in the outside world, a massive pillar of darkness erupted from Shirou's fallen body like a volcano. A powerful, overwhelming force of power exploded from where Shirou had once laid, and everyone present stopped when they felt it.

"What?" Loki gasped at what he was seeing. "But how… his darkness was already exhausted?"

"What's going on?" Rias wondered as everyone around didn't know what was going on.

"I don't know." Mika was equally confused.

Everyone was staring at the geyser of pure darkness rising into the sky. No one knew what it meant, but it clearly had taken a turn—Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen.

Soon enough, the darkness started to ebb away, and from within, a figure appeared floating in the air. Shirou appeared from the pillar and looked empowered, a stark contrast to the state he was in moments before. All his injuries, flesh wounds, open cuts, torn flesh, and broken bones had all healed thanks to the healing aspect of the Power of Darkness.

The darkness around him faded away, and now a thick black aura coated his body like a fiery outline. His expression was quiet as he looked over his body and inspected his current state before a proud smirk appeared on his face.

"I feel…" Shirou gazed at his hands, feeling power emanating throughout his entire body. "This feels good."

"Explain yourself!" Loki glared at him. "Where did this power come from? You were inches away from death just a moment ago."

"As much as I'd love to explain it to you, I think I'd rather take your life." Shirou held out his hand toward the ground. "Come to me, Mjölnir!"

Upon his command, the hammer rose from where it was embedded in the ground and flew toward his hand. In a second, the hammer returned to his grasp, and Shirou held it confidently as if it belonged to him.

Loki wasn't impressed; in fact, he was amused. "Ha, don't make me laugh. You already tried to use Mjölnir's power and failed. Why so confident when your last ray of hope is worthless?"

"You might want to double-check that theory."

Shirou's confidence didn't waver as the darkness around his body flared, and then the replica Mjölnir started to emit an intense amount of light.

GOOOOOOON!

Lightning burst out from every part of the hammer.

The pulse that could be felt from the Mjölnir was beyond what anyone had expected. Shirou could feel power that greatly surpassed anything he was capable of on his own. Aside from Juggernaut Driver, his powers and Vali's couldn't compare to what he was sensing from the hammer.

Horror filled Loki at what he felt from Shirou. It wasn't just the power from the hammer, which was already an incredible threat, but he also felt something from Shirou. Unlike the Divine aura he had felt before from the Power of Darkness, this one felt more genuine. Before, it felt like a mortal with God-class power, but now, it felt like a true God.

"I can sense the pulse of a God-class power that I am not familiar with." Loki muttered in disbelief as he broke out in a cold sweat. "But how… You're not a God?"

"Right now, I feel like a God."

He grasped Mjölnir in my hand, and it expanded into a giant hammer. It was light, just as they said, it was originally meant to be light as a feather when in the right hands.

Shirou gripped the hammer tightly.

SPARKLE! SPARKLE!

This time, a stream of thunder was coursing through it. Thunder and lightning were bursting and roaring out from the hammer, and all around him, it was like holding a literal storm in his hands. Shirou then condensed all the lightning from the hammer into his right hand and held his hand above his head.

PIGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!

A raging bolt of lightning fired from Shirou's hand, but unlike a regular lightning bolt, instead of shooting down from the sky, it shot upward into the clouds above. As a result, all the clouds in the sky became storm clouds, with electricity streaming through them that was so potent it was visible to the naked eye. The whole sky was blanketed by storm clouds that the sky itself was no longer visible; all you could see above was the all-encompassing storm.

"This only has one shot." Shirou muttered while still holding up his hand. "But, that's all I'll need."

All the lightning that surged from the clouds started converging into a single point, accumulating so much electricity that it created a source of light so bright that it lit up the whole area around them. Before long, the clouds parted, and the source of the overwhelming light revealed itself. Everyone watching, including Loki, was so utterly blown away by what they were seeing that they almost forgot to breathe. What they were seeing was the true power of a Lightning God.

Descending from the clouds was a massive amount of lightning that took on the form of a giant Eastern Dragon. It was a massive creature made entirely out of lightning from the hammer and storm clouds; its size dwarfed anything they had ever seen, behind only Midgardsormr and Great Red. The Dragon of Lightning was like something out of a nightmare, a harbinger of death, an embodiment of destruction, a living natural disaster, and it was all in Shirou's hands. It contained every bit of power with Mjölnir, all the power of a God meant to kill another God.

The Lightning that took the form of a Dragon rumbled and shook as though it were the violent roar of a real Dragon. It had enough power to whip a whole city off the map or sink an island into the ocean, but right now, it only had one target.

—Evil God Loki!

"Begone with the Thunderclap."

With those words, Shirou lowered his hand toward the ground, and in response, the Lightning struck. It only took a fraction of a second for the lighting to reach Loki, but as he saw his death closing in, it was as though time had slowed down for him as he took it all in. A vast, all-encompassing mass of bluish-white was plummeting from the sky and eclipsed everything else in his line of sight. The power of this attack was second only to the Longinus Smasher, and there was no chance of surviving.

DOGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!

"The reason why the Primordial God recorded in the Bible left a phenomenon called Balance Breaker…and a weapon called Longinus which can kill God without getting rid of them…Did he know something like this could have happened…? Why did he leave humans a method to kill a God…? Damn you, God. Damn, you… ODIN!"

After saying those last words, the massive stream of lightning struck the ground and swallowed Loki.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The world shook, the ground trembled, and the heavens bellowed as the Lightning struck the ground with the force only the weapon of a Thunder God could unleash. Once again, everyone had to brace themselves to prevent being blown away. The entire battlefield lit up from the overwhelming area of effect the lighting had.

As quickly as it came, the lighting soon faded, and all that remained was a massive chasm in the ground with sparks of electricity around scorched earth.

It was over. There wasn't a body, not even a trace of him left; he had been obliterated down to the last atom. Even though it was impossible, those who knew Senjutsu attempted to sense him, but they felt nothing.

"It's over. Evil God Loki is dead."

Arthur spoke what they all came to realize: they had finally prevailed.

"He did it." Rias muttered.

"Shirou won." Sona added.

"Shirou-san." Asia felt a massive weight off her shoulders and started to tear up.

"I don't understand what happened." Mika confessed her confusion about the cause behind this sudden turnover but smiled regardless. "But that can wait. Right now, I'm just happy he pulled it off."

"I hate to rain on your parade." Bikou spoke out, getting their attention. "But this isn't over yet."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!

Both Hati and Sköll let out loud, echoing howls, and started acting more frenzied and uncontrolled. They started clawing and scratching at the others more aggressively as they struggled to avoid their claws and keep them at bay.

Hati tried to bite at Koneko, but Xenovia moved in and blocked its fangs with Durandal. That wasn't enough, and she was being pushed back, so Kiba created a wall of Swords to halt the wolf's movements.

The Vali Team was also struggling. Arthur was using Caliburn to block Sköll's fangs, while Bikou and Kuroka were using Touki and magic to restrain its forward momentum.

"What's gotten into them?" Ren questioned their shift in behavior.

"Now that Loki and Fenrir are gone, they no longer have a father or master to keep them under control." Rossweisse explained as she and Tannin finished off the last Midgardsormr clone. "Without anyone to control them, they've become untamed beasts that only know to attack."

Shirou glared in annoyance at the situation. "Grr…I only had enough power to take out Loki."

Despite no longer being injured, he was still very drained of any power and thus wasn't in a position to fight the wolves. Still, Shirou didn't want to stay on the sidelines. The children of Fenrir were the last remaining enemies and this wouldn't ended until they were beaten.

Then it happened. It came without warning, but a black color appeared in the middle of the battlefield.

BUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

A jet-black fiery aura appeared from the ground; it twisted and covered the two child-Fenrirs.

"What is this?"

"—! This abyss-black aura is!? Is it the 'Prison Dragon' Vritra!?"

Tannin shouted from the sky in response to Shirou's question.

"Vritra? Ddraig, is he right?"

[Yes, there's no mistaking it. That's Vritra's aura.]

"But Vritra can only mean Saito." Shirou pointed out, still confused. "But that's different from Saito's aura; it feels almost completely different."

A giant magic circle suddenly appeared on the ground. From the center of it, a black-flame shapes into a dragon.

{Shirou Amakusa. Can you hear me? I am the Vice-Governor of Grigori, Shamhaza.}

"—Hmm?"

Shirou heard an unfamiliar voice from the microphone he had on his ear in case of an emergency. It was Azazel's right hand, Shamhaza.

"Ah, hey, Shamhaza. Mind explaining what exactly I'm looking at?"

{I will. I was told by Azazel that I had to send Saito-kun to that location after Saito-kun's training was completed.}

"Training was completed?" Shirou repeated. "What kind of training did he do?"

{We put every Vritra-type Sacred Gear on him.}

"What?" Shirou wasn't expecting that. He didn't know what to ask first: where they got all the Vritra-type Sacred Gears or how they put them on Saito so quickly. "What was the result?"

{It seemed like Azazel made a bit of a miscalculation. We started his training, but surprisingly, he took to the powers much better than we would have imagined. It seemed as though his mastery of the Vritra Sacred Gear he already had translated into the others, and he gained an almost expert control of them right away. He should definitely be an asset in battle in his current state.}

"Well, the thing is, Loki is already dead." Shirou informed him.

{!? Really? I didn't realize you were that good.}

Shamhaza was clearly surprised by this news.

"Long story, I'll explain later." Shirou told him. "Just finish the explanation."

{Very well. When Vritra was exterminated and then sealed into the Sacred Gear, he had his soul split into many layers. Because of that, there are many Vritra-type Sacred Gear possessors. But if you were to group them, there are four types of [Absorption Line] [Blaze Black Flare], [Delete Field], and [Shadow Prison]. These Sacred Gears were hidden with each possessor with some differences. Our organization, Grigori, retrieved them and put the Vritra-type Sacred Gears that we kept into Saito-kun. Being in contact with you resulted in Vritra's consciousness starting to appear, so Azazel predicted that all of the Vritra-type Sacred Gears might be able to become one.}

"But this idea only came to him before this battle. That must mean Azazel only recently gained the other Sacred Gears, and the fact that he waited until this situation must mean he had no choice; in other words, there were risks involved."

While Shirou pondered those implications, the Vice-Governor continued.

{As a result, the Sacred Gears combined, and Vritra's consciousness was revived. I was worried that it would cause him to become berserk because it had only just been revived. But it seems like Saito-kun's consciousness was stronger than that, and he remained in control, so he should respond if you talk to him. So, I leave the rest to you all on the battlefield.}

With that, Shamhaza ended communication while Shirou turned his attention back to Saito.

The aura that came from the magic circle took the form of a pitch-black fire in the shape of a Dragon. So that's Vritra. Its shade of black was different from Shirou's darkness. It wasn't as deep, and it felt more Evil, like the flames of purgatory meant to reduce even the soul to nothing.

Soon enough, the flames were blown away, and in the center stood Saito. On the outside, he looked normal, but inside, he felt different. Not only was he incomparably stronger than the last time anyone saw him, but the look in his eyes was more focused and hardened than before.

"…Saito?" Even Sona, his master, barely recognized his presence as she didn't know what to say at the arrival of her Pawn.

Saito didn't ask for an explanation or even look around on the battlefield; all he did was turn his gaze at Shirou and ask. "What's the situation?"

Shirou was on the same page right away and answered. "Those miniature Fenrirs are the last enemies standing; we take them out, and we end this."

"Got it."

That was all he said in response before he raised his fist and announced those words.

"Balance Break!"

DOOOOOOOONN!

A black aura exploded from Saito's body like a geyser of shadows, and from it appeared Saito in his Balance Break. It was Dragon armor that resembled Shirou's, only it was black instead of red with yellow highlights, and the jewels purple instead of green. Unlike Shirou, Saito's armor had spikes coming out of the arms and legs, along with small tentacles coming out of his chest plate and tail. His helmet also resembled more of a paladin rather than a Dragon head.

"Malebolge Vritra Promotion!" Saito proclaimed.

"Balance Breaker?" Ren gasped at this turn of events. "Where the hell did he get that?"

"Malebolge!" Rias spoke through her surprise. "It's the floor which is one floor above the deepest floor in Hell. It's said to be the place where those who have evil minds and have committed sins get sent to!"

Shirou didn't seem all that surprised and had a small smile. "Took you long enough."

Saito brought out his armor's Dragon wings and elevated into the sky as he turned his attention to Hati and Sköll.

"Everyone, leave the rest to me!"

"Saito! These wolves aren't to be underestimated!" Sona called out to warn him. "Their offensive power is comparable to Fenrir!"

"Don't worry. The way I am now, offensive power means nothing!" Saito reassured her.

Without elaborating, Saito flared his aura to get the attention of the wolves, and they both stopped to face the new arrival. As the two children of Fenrir growled at him, Saito pointed his arms at them.

"So, I hear you two were designed to devour Gods. Well, let's see how well you can survive curses!"

From his palms came blasts of blackish-purple flames that immediately consumed both of the wolves. The flames quickly coated their entire bodies, and the wolves howled in pain and anguish, but before they could act, Saito followed up.

"I'm just getting started! Have a taste of my new Absorption Line!"

Multiple strands of transparent tentacles came from his wrist and stuck themselves into Hati and Sköll. The wolves cried out even further as they were unable to move and their strength was being siphoned away from the Absorption Line's effects.

"Are all those Vritra's abilities?" Shirou asked, not hiding the fact that he was impressed.

[They are. Vritra had more special abilities rather than direct attacks. His power might be weak among the Dragon Kings, but in terms of diversity and variety of techniques, he is the best among the Dragon Kings!]

"Impressive, so there was a Technique type among the Dragon Kings." Shirou summarized with approval. "Good to know they weren't all just power idiots."

[Indeed, Vritra was a troublesome opponent for anyone because he masterfully wielded different cursed abilities in a manner that made even the most powerful beings cautious. Unlike Tannin and other Dragons, his mind was his best attribute.]

"Well, I already know about Delete Field; what are the rest of his abilities?"

Ddraig chose to answer Shirou's inquiry while Hati and Sköll were going crazy inside the fire, but it seemed like they wouldn't be able to escape.

[One is Absorption Line, also known as the Black Dragon's Pulse. It has the ability to make lines of connections that allow the user to either absorb or transfer power from opponents, allies, and objects.]

"Kind of like a lesser version of Divine Dividing. He's weakening his enemy while strengthening himself. A way to slowly close the gap in strength."

[The other is Blaze Black Flare, also known as the Evil Dragon's Black Flame. It grants him the ability to unleash Vritra's deadly black flames to burn his opponents right down to the soul. Finally, there's Shadow Prison, also known as the Prison of the Dragon, that allows him to use Vritra's black flames to restrain his opponents.]

"I can see that. He restrained their movements while slowly killing them at the same time, diabolical, not to mention effective." Shirou seemed almost pleased at what he was seeing. "It's strong enough that not even the children of Fenrir can break free."

[No, and with the Absorption Line stealing their powers, the seal will continue to grow stronger, and the ability to withstand the fire will grow weaker. It's a vicious that won't end until the target is reduced to ashes.]

"Then I guess he was right when he said offensive power means nothing."

[Yes, even though they possess the power to devour Gods, Vritra is likely the worst possible matchup for them as they have nothing other than brute force, and they are useless against the combination of his curses. At this point, there is no longer a need for us to do anything.]

FLAMES!

The flames continued to burn as the wolves' power drained to the point that they had no strength left to howl.

"You're right; this battle is already as good as over."

Shirou realized while watching Hati and Sköll breathe their last breath.

With that, it was over. The children of Fenrir kneeled over to the ground and stopped moving. Their lives were extinguished, and their remains burned away to ashes. Even their souls were burned away, and just like Loki, no traces remained.

It was over; they had won. But Shirou's mind went back to the voice of the Seirei from another world. It finished its role, but what was its role to begin with?

Kuraokami, the God of Darkness from another World. This whole thing had opened the door to so many questions moving forward.

—…

Ō ō

And that's the chapter.

First of all, I'm glad I finally finished this chapter; I just wish it hadn't taken me this long. Now, what did you think of the Juggernaut Drive? I wanted to use it for all its worth, considering how powerful it was, while at the same time, I wanted to emphasize how powerful Gods were by showing Loki survive it. Juggernaut Drive will be used again but in the future.

Then, the turnover: Loki got his get back and thrashed Shirou once the Juggernaut Drive timed out. I wanted to show that it was a high-risk, high-return strategy by showing the hopeless situation he found himself in when his plan didn't work and making it clear that Loki was by far the deadliest enemy they've faced.

As for the Seirei, as you all know, Issei was visited by the Seirei of the Chichigami during this battle in the canon, and while that was extremely silly at the time, it turned out to be incredibly important, and for anyone who's caught up with the Light novel, it comes back into play to set up the endgame. I decided to use that, except I made it into a God of Darkness instead of breasts. However, it will definitely be important for the endgame I have in mind.

I had always planned on having this explanation for the origin of the Power of Darkness, as I'm pretty sure some of you found it questionable why a biblical God would grant someone Divine power in the form of Darkness. Now you know, I've had this in my back pocket since before I even started this story. Are you surprised?

Finally, Saito's Balance Breaker. This is something else I had been planning since the beginning. In the canon, I always thought it was ridiculous that it took Saji so long to awaken his Balance Breaker and I chalked it up to him just being naturally weak, so I decided that since Saito is much stronger and more adapted with his Sacred Gear at this point, he was at a level where he could awaken his Sacred Gear and with it, he came in clutch and ended the battle.

Now, the battle against Loki is over completely, and all that is left of this arc is the epilogue, which I will cover in the next chapter.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. If you want more, then be sure to leave a review. If you like the story, click the follow/favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.