226Chapter 6: Rescue Mission
His focus was set purely on his destination, so much so that he didn't pay attention to Ochako when she made a call to someone, nor did he even hear her begin to yell through the phone.
They needed only to reach the club building on U.A. campus first and foremost.
Ochako felt a sense of awe when she looked upon the school she hoped to go to, but put it out of her mind in a heartbeat. She followed Izuku inside, every bit as determined to gather as much help as they could.
"I already told you, there's nothing more I can do."
Only to hit a roadblock.
He had already explained everything that had happened as quickly as he could, noting how incensed she became on hearing that he had been attacked once more. When he brought up the idea of going to rescue Asia however, she had remained adamant in her previous decision.
"We cannot get anymore involved than we already are Izu. We can't risk the possibility of war with the Fallen Angels starting up again!"
"Then I'll go myself!" He shouted back at her. "I can't let them do whatever they're planning! This 'ritual' they mentioned could kill her!"
"A ritual? Hmm…" Rias pondered as Izuku became more impatient. "It's likely they may try to extract her Sacred Gear from her. If that's so, then she wouldn't survive."
"That's why I'm going! Whether you like it or not!"
"Don't be a fool," she scolded. "They won't hesitate to kill you if you go. There will be no coming back from that. As you are now, you wouldn't stand a chance against that many of their forces!"
Rias had been struggling to keep herself calm ever since she saw him run in with this strange girl, both out of breath and with holes that reaked of the light powers of a Fallen Angel. The more she heard Izuku speak, the more she struggled before finally beginning to shout at him.
"Your actions will have consequences Izuku! Not just for you, but for all of us! Every member of the Gremory family!"
"Cut me off from the family then! I'm going no matter what!"
"You're being impossible! Why can't you just understand!?"
It was rare for anyone in her peerage to see Rias so angered. While it had happened, she had always been quick to calm back down, the incident that enraged her rarely, if ever, being brought up again.
For Izuku though, it was unexpected. While true that they hadn't known him for very long, it was a side of him they never thought he had. They had seen him skittish, they had seen him scared, they had seen him determined, and they had even seen him happy. All were taken aback by how much he was willing to argue with their master over this matter.
All but one.
"What's there to understand!?" Ochako shouted, making her voice known. They were all surprised to see a new face run into the room, but had nearly forgotten her once Izuku began his explanation. "Argento's our friend and we want to help her! We can't just leave her to die!"
"You shouldn't even be here!" Rias shouted back, her face slowly turning red with anger. "You are not a part of my peerage! You belong to another! This is no business of yours!"
"She's my friend too!" Ochako shouted back. "I'm just as involved in this as Deku is, and I'm not backing down!"
"We can't leave her to die!" Izuku shouted, his voice hoarse as his eyes began to mist. "Please Rias! Just let us help her!"
Rias had stopped, her eyes focused on Izuku as she heard his plea. "You're a noble person Izu, as is your friend. I'm impressed by how willing you are to assert yourself in this manner, but my previous point stands firm. The reactions between our factions are not as simple as you seem to think. Devils and Fallen Angels have been mortal enemies for as long as humanity has existed. If we were to attack them like you plan to do, they will retaliate. They're our enemies, Izuku."
"You told me before that the Gremory clan destroyed their enemies. Why is that the wrong choice here?"
The two's eyes were locked together, neither side willing to stand down.
"Asia was once aligned with the Church and their forces. I pity her and her situation, but she could never sit with us. Even if she was never taken by the Fallen Angels, the fact remains that she's an adversary of ours."
"She's not an enemy!" Ochako screamed in frustration. "She's gentle and kind! She didn't hesitate to heal us when we were hurt, and she knew that we were both Devils!"
"We cannot…!" Rias' words were cut off as Akeno stepped toward her, whispering something into her ear that went unheard by the rest of the room. Her expression was serious, though it seemed unrelated to the argument that was going on. Rias' own visage darkened as she listened to her Queen's words.
"Something urgent requires my attention. Akeno and I will be leaving for a while."
"You're leaving? We're not done!" Izuku yelled before Rias silenced him, a finger gently placed against his lips.
"You know what you're capable of Izu, as am I, but there's still greater heights to climb. Keep this in mind whenever you use your power," she said as she reached to cup his cheek with her hand, caressing it gently. As that happened, Akeno had begun charging the arcane circle in the room's center. "You need to feel it. Emotions are a powerful force, even to us Devils. One's own Sacred Gear is not immune from their stronger your emotions, the more powerful your Sacred Gear can become."
His feelings? What was she talking about? Was this involved at all with whatever Akeno had whispered to her?
"One final piece of advice Izu. A Pawn is perfectly capable of catching a King. As it does in chess, it applies to us. Never forget, you're stronger than you may believe."
She gave him a smile as she took her hand away, facing the still quiet Yumi. "I'm placing you in charge while I'm gone."
"Yes my lady," she nodded as she watched her King and Queen depart, their destination known only by them. She then heard both Izuku and Ochako sigh in frustration as they turned to leave. "You two are still going?" She didn't sound surprised.
"Of course we are," he said. There was no hesitation in his voice. No stammering, no stuttering, not even a hint of fear. "She needs our help."
"And she's our friend," Ochako said as she reached for the door's handle. "We can't leave her behind."
"They'll kill you both," Yumi told them, her expression unreadable. "Even with the power you two hold, you won't be able to win."
"We don't need to win," Izuku said as he turned to face her. "We just need to save her. We're going. Whether you like it or not."
"I know," she said as she began to smile again. "And I'm coming with you."
"You-what?" Both teens were taken aback by her words, their mouths beginning to gape open.
"I didn't spend as much time with her as you two have, but you're still one of us Midoriya. That, and I respect the resolve you showed, no matter what Rias may say." The two watched as her smile began to shift ever so slightly into a solemn frown.
"And, if I may speak personally? I care nothing for Fallen Angels or their damned priests. In all honesty, I loathe them entirely."
Izuku watched in surprise as her face nearly twisted into a snarl as she spoke of the priests. She looked cold, angry, and vengeful. Nothing at all like the kind girl he had seen before.
But then he remembered how fiercely she fought against Freed the night before. The entire time, her face looked almost identical to how it looked now. Just what could have happened to make her feel that way?
"Besides, didn't you hear what our dear President said?" She asked as her face reverted back to the smile he had been accustomed to. Though now, it seemed forced, like she wanted to maintain an appearance. Almost like a practiced routine.
"Your Sacred Gear gains power with your emotions, which are more likely to get higher when you do battle. She all but directly gave you permission to go."
Both Izuku's and Ochako's eyes widened as her words sunk in. They had been too incensed to realize the meaning of Rias' words. But why? What had changed her mind?
"Of course, she also said that the two of you wouldn't be able to do it by yourselves. That's why she left me in charge. She basically told me to help you both. If she truly wished to stop either of you, she would have likely locked you up somewhere Midoriya, while contacting your master to do the same Miss," she told them with a bit of a wry grin.
Izuku could feel a massive smile of his own forming, one mirrored by the girl beside him.
"Alright then," he said as he felt himself calm. "They're probably at the church over in the Corusantu ward. That's where Argento had me take her when we first met. We need to hurry!"
"I'm coming too."
Izuku jumped at the small voice. When he turned and saw her, he felt his face begin to burn. In all the excitement, he had forgotten that Koneko was even there. He hadn't even noticed her as she approached him. "Toujou, are you sure?"
"...Three isn't enough. You'll need backup."
"Thank you," he said, his blushing receding as she walked over to stand by Yumi. He also may have been imagining it, but he swore he saw a small smile on her face as she looked back at him.
"Are we ready then?" Yumi asked. Each teen nodded at her, their hearts swelling with determination.
"Then let's mosey."
The sun had already set as they approached the church, the light of the nearby street lamps encompassing everything near them in their glow. As the group had approached the church, they had decided to introduce themselves fully to Ochako, letting her know their names at the very least.
Each of them watched the church entrance for some time, with no sign of anything entering or leaving. As they approached, both Izuku and Ochako felt a sense of unease, breaking out into a nervous sweat. Yumi explained to them that it was their body's natural reaction. It let them know that a Fallen Angel was nearby.
He knew he needed to stop. His friend needed his help, but he could not stop himself from shaking. In that church lay the one who had killed him, and likely the other two he had seen mere hours ago. He gulped as he continued surveying the church grounds.
"Deku?"
He nearly jumped as Ochako's voice echoed next to him. When he looked at her, he saw the same nervous expression he knew he had. "Are you…are you okay?"
She seemed like she needed to hear some kind of reassurance. Despite her earlier bravado, she was walking directly into the lion's den, just like him.
She had seen her share of combat in her brief time as a Devil. One of her fellow peerage members had helped her learn how to fight. Yet she still felt scared. She had yet to be in a real life or death struggle, which she knew she was facing.
"Y-yeah," Izuku gulped as he answered. He was lying, and he knew that she could tell. What more could he do?
"You're scared."
Koneko's voice broke through to the two of them. As they looked at her, they noticed her usual stoic gaze, but there was understanding behind it.
"It's only natural," Yumi said, putting down the binoculars she had brought with her to help survey. "We're heading into enemy territory. I won't lie and say I'm not feeling a bit anxious myself."
"Sorry," the two teens said, feeling a bit mortified.
"Don't be," Yumi said as she sat by the two of them. "Koneko and I are here to help."
"We are," the smaller girl said as she kneeled beside the taller blonde. "So where do we begin?"
"Here, with this," she answered as she spread out a set of blueprints. They looked like they outlined the entirety of the church.
'Where did she get these?' Izuku thought to himself.
Ochako had asked the same question, though she spoke them aloud.
"I figured we should know the layout of any potential enemy bases in our territory, just to be safe," she said with a bit of a devious grin.
"That's brilliant! That'll make it easier for us to find out where she might be!" Izuku was quite impressed with the girl's forward thinking, and inwardly berating himself for being ready to go in without any real plan.
Well, he did have a plan, but it only consisted of 3 real steps.
Asia.
her out of wherever she was.
And whoever may get in his way.
Not exactly what one would call a grand plan.
"There looks to be a dormitory near the main hall," she pointed out as the other teens huddled around her. "Though we should probably focus our attention on the nave here," she said as she pointed to each corresponding area.
"So, ignore the other areas then?" Ochako asked.
"Probably. Whenever a group of stray priests and exorcists set up shelter in an abandoned church, they tend to make some form of alteration to the nave, especially if they have any 'rituals' they may carry out. It's likely deep in the basement, maybe even some other underground chamber."
"Why?" Izuku asked.
Yumi answered by flashing the most forced smile he had ever seen, doing nothing to contain the contempt she felt. "Petty vengeance. They perform such acts of blasphemy because they feel abandoned by Him, so they desecrate and defile the most holy sights of the buildings they find."
He felt himself blanche at the idea. He had never been a religious person. At least, not a devout one. One of his old friends had a great deal of faith in God's message, even bringing him to church with her when they were younger, but that was where his interest in religion began and ended. Part of him felt angry at God now that he knew he was real. He had abandoned Asia to a cruel fate, left to wander by her lonesome before falling in with those who cared nothing for her.
Still, the idea of people defiling a place many had once sought refuge in left a bad taste in his mouth. He had even noticed something he had thought of as odd when they were surveying the church before.
Statues had been set around the church, once depicting what may have been holy figures, now lay smashed and broken. Some had even been decapitated, their heads left to lay on the ground as the effects of weather slowly took their toll.
"We should get moving then," Ochako said as she stood up. She had taken a good long look at the map and memorized it as best she could. She had seen her parents with blueprints enough times to know how to navigate most structures once she'd seen their inner workings. "The hard part's gonna be finding which door they're hiding behind. They probably know we're here already, so we should move in now!"
"Right!"
Moving forward, the quartet rushed past the broken gates before coming across a pair of large metal doors. None of them doubted that the doors had been locked, and were determined to push through regardless. Izuku made ready to summon his Sacred Gear, only to watch as Koneko rushed ahead of them all. With the ease of a professional, she pushed both doors open as wide as they could go, the sound of the doors slamming into the walls along with the clearly broken locks scattering across the land.
"That was awesome," Ochako muttered, her eyes full of stars. Izuku didn't voice his own opinion, though he certainly agreed.
"Thanks," Koneko said as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, ready to head deep into enemy territory with a bit of caution. After all, if their enemies hadn't known they were there before, they most certainly would know now.
After going through the entryway, they made it to the main hall. To Izuku's surprise, the church didn't look as different as he had expected. Lines of pews were neatly arranged on both sides of the room, lit candles and even several lanterns were strewn about, giving the room a soft but still inviting glow. Even the altar where sermons would be delivered was undamaged.
Not all was right though.
The crucifix located behind the altar had clearly been damaged. The head of Christ missing from where it once rested.
It was enough to unnerve not only him, but Ochako as well, who lightly shuddered at the sight.
"Someone's here," Koneko said, her nose twitching ever so slightly as she gestured to a pillar near the altar. She had to have been able to smell whoever was around, like she had with that Stray Devil not that long ago.
The sound of clapping echoed throughout the room as an unwelcome sight made himself known.
"Well, well. I was hoping to surprise you little shits, but the brat there had to go and spoil my fun," Freed Sellzen said as he grinned maliciously at them, anger seeping through his voice.
Izuku couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction when he noticed that the psychopath's grin had some very clear gaps in it.
"Oh well. Welcome! One and all! What a joyous reunion this is!" He cackled as he watched the group glare at him. "And looky here! You brought a new face to the party! Not bad. Nor bad at all! She looks quite delectable, and the prime age to boot! I'm impressed! I'm impressed!"
"I already hate this guy," Ochako said as she shivered in pure disgust.
"He's the priest that tried to hurt Asia," Izuku nearly growled out. The anger he felt toward this man, who was now clearly involved with the Fallen Angels who took Asia away, was radiating off him in waves. Ochako was quick to join him after hearing his words.
"Oh come on, don't be like that!" Freed said as he began circling around one of the nearby pews. "We've got a connection, you and me. See, here's the thing. I make it a point to never run into the same Devil twice. I take pride in the fact that I've been able to slaughter every single one of you little pussies that I've run into. All so I can kiss their worthless carcasses goodbye as they make their way back to Hell where they belong. It brings me joy! It gives my life purpose! And then, you showed up." Freed's once joy filled visage had morphed into one of annoyance and hatred. "You survived. You messed up my kill streak. And to make things worse, you hit me! You marred my beautiful face! You took away part of what makes me, me! You'll die tonight! You little shits are gonna die tonight! I'm gonna fuck your faces with my sword! Beat tour asses with my bare hands! I'LL FILL YOU ALL WITH SO MANY HOLES YOUR BODY'S WILL WHISTLE AS YOU FALL TO THE GROUND!"
The man looked to cycle through his entire range of emotions before finally settling on pure, primal rage. Izuku watched as he looted through his pockets, pulling out two pistols. He fired them into the air, the light from the special bullets nearly blinding him as the crazed priest spun the weapons in his hand before aiming them at the group.
"You pathetic little shit stains are trying to rescue that cute little nun ain't ya? How kind! How sweet! How disgusting!" He screamed as he spit onto the ground. "That Devil-loving little whore would have been better off letting me have my way with her than falling in with you bitches!"
"Shut up!" Izuku shouted, his Sacred Gear now summoner. "Where is she!?"
"Oh please! Like I'd tell you!"
"You know," Yumi suddenly spoke up, much to Izuku's and Ochako's surprise. She had been rather silent this entire time. "I can't say I care much for your vulgarity, but I do appreciate your decor."
What was she doing?
"That so?" Freed asked, his guns still trained on the group, one staying exclusively on Izuku after his Sacred Gear had been summoned. "Nice to know someone actually has an appreciation for art."
"Naturally," she said as she began walking over to a nearby lantern, her hair lightened in its yellow glow. "With all this effort, there clearly must be more?"
"Obviously," Freed said as he rolled his eyes, one of his hands gesturing to the altar behind him. "Take this part here. Got ourselves a super secret staircase right here. Lets us do just about whatever…we…want…"
The group watched as the wheels turned in Freed's head, his expression going from annoyance to murderous rage.
"You. Little. Bitch. You tricked me. YOU! TRICKED! ME!"
"It wasn't hard," Yumi said as she summoned her blade. "I figured your mind would be a lot like your mouth. Vulgar and quick to boast. It's your own fault for falling for it."
"I'M GONNA FUCKING GUT YOU!" Freed screamed as he began shooting at her. Izuku watched in awe as she dodged every shot with grace.
Off to the side, Koneko had lifted one of the pews above her head. One several times larger than she was tall.
"Here," she said as she tossed the pew to the priest.
Freed saw the pew out of his peripheral vision, dropping one of his guns as he grabbed his sword, slicing the pew in half before it could hit him. Both halves crashed into the ground beside him.
"Wait your turn runt! The big kids are talking right now!"
As he found out, the pew had been a distraction, hiding Koneko from view as she launched toward him, burying her fist into his gut.
The priest was sent flying into the nearest wall, the sound of his body giving a very satisfying sound as he hit it.
"You're strong, aren't you runt?" Freed asked as he stood back up, holding his gut in pain as he did so. "If you really wanted to he next up, you only had to ask!" He shouted as he launched himself back at her, the smaller girl staying rooted in place as he did so.
Izuku saw Yumi rush at the man out of the corner of his eye, her Knight speed allowing her to catch up before he could even get close to Koneko. "We're not done yet."
Freed managed to block her blade before it could pierce into his neck. "Again? You two ganging up on me? I usually wouldn't mind the idea of a threesome, especially with a hot piece of ass like you, but this really ain't the way I like it."
"Shut up!" The blonde yelled as she swiped her sword back at the man, her hits blocked and parried whenever she attacked him.
"That's it! THAT'S IT!" Freed yelled, sounding like he was in ecstasy. "Show me what you've got! Show me something cool! It'll make it all the more fulfilling when I take your head for my own!"
"You talk too much!" The two were near evenly matched with one another, there was no doubt there.
"And you talk too little! Let me hear your screams!" He said as he brandished one of his pistols once again, aiming at Yumi from a much closer range before firing.
She tilted her head just as the gun fired, strands of hair taken by the bullet. She began moving away as he grabbed his other pistol, firing shot after shot in her direction.
Both Izuku and Ochako rushed forward, Ochako's right arm beginning to glow as she rushed forward.
"Wait."
Both turned to see Koneko moving towards them, her usual stoic look mixed with one of urgency. "We'll handle this. You two go save the nun."
"Wait, we can't just…/You expect us to leave you behind!" Both teens exclaimed at once.
"We can't waste anymore time. If you want to save the nun, you need to hurry."
Both teens stared at her in surprise. They knew that they needed to save Asia as quickly as possible, but they couldn't leave them behind.
"Koneko! Go with them!"
All three turned to Yumi in shock, watching as the girl continued to evade Freed's gunfire.
"Yumi?"
"I can handle this one. Help Midoriya and Uraraka however you can," she told the smaller girl as she continued evading every shot taken at her, her speed keeping her ahead of each deadly bullet.
"...okay. if you're sure," she said as she began walking over to the altar.
"Toujou?" Izuku began to ask.
"She can handle him just fine. We should go," she said as she moved the altar over, revealing a hidden staircase.
"I…are you sure?" Ochako asked, watching Yumi begin to get driven closer to one of the church's walls.
"No. But she told me that she can handle this. I have faith in her," she answered as she began descending down the staircase.
"No way! You three don't get to leave!"
Both teens turned to see Freed pointing his pistols at them. Before he could pull the trigger, Yumi had rushed back over, lunging her sword at him, and forcing him to block her strike with both pistols.
"Go!"
Much as they wanted to stay and help her, the two descended the staircase after Koneko, the sound of battle above them becoming more muffled the further down they went.
"Think she screwed everything up already?" Mittlet asked as she sat on a nearby table.
Her, Kalawarner and Dohnaseek had gathered in an abandoned building near the church they had chosen as their headquarters, with the three of them pitching ideas as to what they should do after the ritual was completed.
"This is a relatively simple task," Dohnaseek said as he tilted his hat to cover his eyes. "Even she should be able to see it through."
"Doubtful," Kalawarner stated as she sat on a nearby chair, a near empty glass of wine in her hand. "If what he heard from that female Devil is true, then it was her actions that led to the girl being away from us in the first place."
"Who would've thought?" Mittlet asked flippantly. "We gave her the simple task of killing the boy with the potentially dangerous Sacred Gear, and he winds up joining the Devils because she couldn't do it right."
"And not just any Devils, but the Gremory family," Dohnaseel said as he lifted his other hand. Or at least its remnants after Rias had blasted it with her power. "Her mistake gave that boy powerful allies. Doubtless he's on his way to try and save the girl."
"Then it's best we leave to deal with him as soon as possible," Kalawarner said as she raised herself from her seat. "Even if she fails to finish the ritual, any of us could do it. We can finally regain our master's favor."
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Mittlet said excitedly as she leaped off the table. "Can we take her out too? Just say she was killed by one of the Devils!"
Dohnaseek hummed to himself before standing tall. "If what you said about her letting those two Devils live is true, then that wretched girl has outlived her usefulness to us." The Fallen Angel seethed at the thought of Raynare's actions. He never should have let her live after what she had done before.
"So this is where you've been hiding."
The sudden voice startled the three Fallen Ones as they searched for the source of the voice. They then turned, the sound of the door opening moving their gazes to their surprise visitor.
Dohnaseek flinched as he watched the familiar form of Rias Gremory step through the door, an unfamiliar raven-haired girl following her. He wanted to spit when he saw her smiling face. He was reminded too much of that failure he had been made to look after when he looked at her face.
"It took some time, but I've finally tracked you down," Rias smirked as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Guess there's only four of you skulking around my territory. Not exactly enough to cause any real scene, but enough to catch my attention."
"And what do you want?" Mittlet asked, her expression haughty as she spoke to the Devil. "We're doing nothing wrong by being here."
"Actually, you are," Akeno stated, her usual smile now having a small hint of disgust when addressing her. "You're trespassing in my lady's territory. One of yours also attacked one of ours earlier. You're in quite a bit of trouble right now."
"That you are," Rias said as she began stepping forward, not one of the Fallen Angels stepping back as she moved closer. "I gave you a warning before Mr…Dohnaseek was it? This is your final chance. Leave now, or all of you will face destruction."
"All of us?" Kalawarner asked with a quirked brow. She looked like she was about to laugh. "There are only two of you against the three of us. It wouldn't exactly be much of a battle."
"She's right!" Mittlet said as she began strutting over to the two Devils, her hands on her hips as she smirked at them. "You two will probably go down faster than those other two we got earlier."
"I suppose I should repay you for what you did to my hand," Dohnaseek said with a vicious smirk, a blinding light building up in his good hand as it formed a new spear. "I've been itching for a chance to kill one of your kind since you decided to rescue that trash the last time we met."
He didn't miss as Rias' eyes began to narrow.
"Something wrong? Did I hurt your feelings? Are you really that attached to such a worthless Devil?" He mocked as both Kalawarner and Mittlet prepared their own light weapons beside him. "Tell you what. You can make it up to him once we send him to you!"
Izuku and Ochako made their way further into the basement, Koneko taking point as she led them down, passing by several doors on their way without a second glance.
"She's this way," she told them, her nose wrinkling as she took in the scents around her. "I can smell her and several other people, including a Fallen Angel."
They finally reached a single door at the end of the walkway. Simple and unassuming, it looked like every other door they had passed by, but they knew different thanks to Koneko.
"Are you two ready?" She turned to ask them, her hands set on the door.
The two nodded without saying a word.
Koneko pushed the door open, a heavy grating creak rumbling through the corridor as they each rushed into the room, everything used for the ritual in clear sight.
Including their friend, and her captor.
"You actually came then?" Raynare asked, her brow tilted as she watched the three pile into the room.
Both she and Asia were dressed differently than they were earlier. Both now wore thin, flowing white garments, each with an arcane circle hovering over their chest. Asia was laid on top of a stone dais, Raynare's hands hovering over the arcane circle above her.
On both sides of them, at least two dozen priests stood beside them, each one grasping the hills of their swords, looking exactly like the kind Freed used.
"I-Izuku? Ochako?" Asia called out weakly, lifting her head to see the two, a small hint of disbelief on her face, as well as a bit of hope. "You're-you're here?"
"Of course we are," Ochako said, unable to hold back her smile when she looked Asia in the eye.
"We're here to save you," Izuku said, his Sacred Gear beginning to hum with power as he too smiled as Asia.
"You guys…" Tears began to drip down Asia's cheeks.
"You shouldn't have come here," Raynare said, annoyance clear in her voice. "Keep them occupied," she said to the priest beside her, each one now brandishing their weapons with sadistic glee. "Once the ritual is over, I'll take care of them myself."
The magic surrounding her began to intensify, leading to Asia screaming in agonizing pain.
[BOOST]
"I WON'T LET YOU!" Izuku screamed as he rushed to the room's center, his fist reared back as he readied himself to save his friend.
"You shall not interfere!"
"Back, foul beast!"
"Your head will be mine Devil!"
Several priests rushed at him, their weapons raised high to strike.
'PROMOTION:KNIGHT!'
Only for Izuku to race past them before their weapons could fall, surprising them.
"What the…? Get back here you-!" The priest's words were cut off as they felt themselves getting yanked backwards, crashing into another priest as the two collapsed to the ground.
Ochako stood there facing them, her left hand resting on her right arm as she kept it pointed at the priests. Resting on her arm was what looked like a small black bracer shaped like a lizard. Its mouth was opened wide, and a long cord was retracting itself back into it.
"She has a Sacred Gear too?"
"Get her!"
"Kill these beasts!"
Several more priests moved in behind her to try and cut her down, only to be stopped by Koneko, who grabbed onto one's arm before flinging them into several others, sending them to the ground. The small group scrambled to pick themselves up, staring at the smaller girl in anger.
"We're here for the nun. Don't interfere."
As both girls kept the priests distracted, Izuku kept rushing forward, his goal now clear and without obstacles. Raynare could only stare at him with a gaping mouth, her last line of defense shattered, leaving her unable to defend herself thanks to the ritual.
'PROMOTION:ROOK!'
"NO!"
"Get away from her!" Izuku roared as he landed a punch directly into her gut, the Boosted power from both his Sacred Gear and his Rook strength sending her flying through a nearby wall.
Wasting no time, Izuku untied made to untie Asia from the dais. He cradled her in his arms as he noticed that her face had gone pale, her skin felt cold, and her eyes were now dull. He felt like he was holding a lifeless shell.
"Asia?" He felt empty as he held her, the sounds of battle that echoed around him not even registering to him as he wished for her to open her eyes. "Asia. Wake up. We came to save you."
There was no response.
"Asia? Asia!? Come on! Wake up!"
No matter how much he begged and pleaded, she never responded.
As he felt his heart begin to shatter, he noticed something new. A soft glow had bloomed above her chest. Before long, he watched as a small orb appeared, floating above her as it went higher and higher.
'Is that…her Sacred Gear?' He wondered to himself as he plucked the orb from midair. 'If…if I put this back in her…then she…'
He wasted no time. He pushed the orb back into where he saw it emerge, still unaware of anything else around him. Two priests had approached him to take his head, but were snatched away by Ochako's Sacred Gear, which had wrapped around their legs before pulling them back to her.
"Please…please work," he begged, hoping that she would hear him. He watched as the orb sank into her body fully, before she began to glow. A soft green color passed over her for the briefest of moments before it began to dim. Once it had vanished completely, Izuku felt a sigh of relief.
Asia's eyes gained new life as her lungs filled back up with oxygen.
"Iz…Izuku?" She coughed out, an almost disbelieving smile overtaking her face.
"It's okay Asia," he told her, helping her stand up. "Everything's going to be alright now. Because we are here."
She stared at him briefly, her lip quivering before embracing him into her arms, tears escaping her. "You're…you're really here."
She thought she had been seeing things. That her mind had played one final trick on her as her life began to fade. But she accepted it. She wanted to see the people she cared about one more time before her end. But now she knew it was real. She squeezed tighter, wanting to feel Izuku's warmth.
"You came back for me."
"Of course I did," he said, not hesitating to embrace her in return. "We all did."
She then blinked at him in confusion. "We?"
Before he could answer, another priest had been thrown past the two, crashing into the stone dais. The two startled teens looked to where he came from, seeing Ochako slamming another priest onto the ground after they had tried attacking her from behind.
"Argento!" She cried out happily once she saw the two, not hesitating to embrace them both. "You're okay!"
"O-Ochako?" She asked in astonishment. They were both really here? It wasn't just Izuku?
"Yup! We're getting you out of here! Let's move!" She then let go of the two, ready to make a mad dash for the exit.
"Foul creatures!" A priest screamed out in rage. "You've ruined everything!" They had pulled a pistol from their robes, one that looked exactly like the kind Freed had used, before firing at them.
Iuku placed himself before both girls in a heartbeat, hoping to shield them from the oncoming bullets.
They never made it to their targets.
Another body had stepped in front of Izuku. Koneko now stood there, each bullet crashing into her as though someone had thrown a wet towel at a wall. While they managed to pierce through her uniform, not one even marred her skin. She didn't even seem bothered by it all. The priest stared at her in horror.
"Guns don't work on me," she sounded almost bored by the attempt, rushing to plant her foot directly into their ribcage.
"Toujou!"
"You three get moving," she told them as the remaining priests began moving closer to them.
"But…!"
"I'll be fine," she assured the worried Ochako, flashing a small smile to the taller girl. "This trash mob won't hurt me."
Though he felt unsure, Izuku began moving, keeping Asia close to him as they neared the stairs. "Please be careful," he said as he passed by the smaller girl, who simply nodded at him before giving him an assuring pat on his shoulder. The three teens made it to the door as Koneko threw herself at the priests, sending one away with a spin kick before the door closed on her.
Neither Yumi nor Freed looked out of breath as their battle continued. Even with all the shots Freed had taken at her, she had managed to evade all but the one that had taken strands of her hair.
Though both had managed to do some damage with their blades. Yumi had taken some cuts to her face as well as several on her uniform. Why was she wearing that again?
Freed had taken some cuts of his own, mainly along his torso, though they did nothing to slow him down.
Not that Yumi had let hers slow her down in any way.
Freed brought up his blade as she swung at his chest once more, catching it with a ghastly grin. "You're better at this than I thought, little girl! But not good enough!" He exclaimed as he pulled out his pistol again, firing it as the blonde Knight backed away.
He kept up the rate of fire, pulling out his second pistol as he fired shot after shot. He loved this. This was everything to him. The opportunity to end someone's life never once failed to excite him, and if they were able to fight back? That just made it all the better when he finally got them.
His manic grin grew as she began backing away to one of the walls of the church. Like before, he had her cornered, and this time she didn't have any of her little Devil friends to distract him.
He watched as she edged ever closer to the wall, her back mere meters away before she did something that surprised him.
She turned around before breaking off into a sprint for the wall itself.
Shocked as he was, he wouldn't say no to hitting someone from behind. He kept firing, laughing as she neared the wall. These light bullets, fueled by his own energy like every other exorcist that wielded one, would only stop when he did. And he wouldn't. This was everything he relished.
He watched her reach the wall, cackling as he sent more bullets her way, ready to see her become a gory mess.
Only for her to run up the wall like it was nothing.
His laughter faded as he watched her move further up the wall's surface, each bullet crashing into the she climbed ever higher.
He watched as she reached as high as the wall could go, before she moved to the ceiling, walking on it as easily as he stood on the ground. Then and there, it clicked for him.
"What the shit? You've got a quirk!?"
"Indeed I do. I'm almost surprised you haven't tried using your own," she answered, almost sounding smug as she stood on the ceiling.
Yumi Kiba
Quirk:Reorientation
She can alter her own sense of gravity, allowing her to cling to nearly any surface she chooses, walking along it as normally as one would walk on the ground.
"Like I need one of those crutches! Quirk or no quirk, I'll tear your pretty little skin off your bones!" He shrieked as he began firing again, Yumi moving around each shot with ease. Even when he began aiming in different spots with both hands, she managed to avoid every bullet fired.
She was surprised to hear that this man had no quirk. Outside of Izuku, she had never met anyone without one before. Not that she would ever compare the two. She hadn't known Izuku long, but it was clear to her that he was a kind soul, and that was proven with how much he fought their shared King to save a single person tonight, especially since she was technically aligned against them.
She had been forced to watch the people she cared for most suffer and die in front of her. She would never wish that fate on anyone, and she certainly would not let him go through such a torment.
She launched herself off the ceiling, using her quirk to reorient her sense of gravity to its normal level, surprising the man. He dropped his pistols before pulling out his blade once more, hoping to block her next strike.
Only for his blade to vanish before his eyes.
Freed let out a shriek of pain as he backed away, his instincts screaming at him to move lest he find himself in Death's embrace. He felt blood rushing down his face, the pain from the slash Yumi had delivered throbbing as he felt it.
Standing there, Yumi brandished her Holy Eraser, the blade dripping blood near the tip. She had swapped to her blade as she fell to the ground, Freed not noticing as he made to defend himself.
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH! MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!" He screeched as he clutched in agony. The blade had sliced down diagonally from his forehead down to his right cheek, narrowly missing his eyes. He glared at her in pure disdain, the rage in his eyes being enough to melt steel. "You little shit! You and that upstart little green fuck think you can mess up face and get away with it!?"
Yumi said nothing, only raising her blade again, pointing it directly at him.
"I'll carve you to pieces you bitch! I'll…!" His raving stopped as his ears began to perk, his scowl growing deeper as he spat on the ground. "I can't believe I let a Devil get the best of me twice! You better believe that I'll get you for this. You and your little fuckboi. Falling back sure sucks the big one, but it beats dying."
Yumi just stared at him confusedly until she saw him reach into his coat for something. She made to rush him, but he threw whatever he had grabbed to the ground before she could reach him, a bright flash of blinding light engulfing the area.
When she could see again, he was nowhere to be found, only the sound of his obnoxious voice echoing around her. "We'll see each other again, but for now, TA-TA!"
She ground her teeth together in frustration. She had hoped to take care of him before the others made it back up. For now though, she would have to head down and assist them if they needed it.
Before she could enter the staircase once hidden under the altar, the main doors to the church had opened, the shadows of its visitors silhouetted against the wall. Yumi turned to see them, her eyes widening in surprise.
The three teens rushed up the staircase as quickly as they could before finally entering the main hall of the church. To their surprise, they saw no sign of either Yumi or Freed. The room was otherwise devastated, many of the pews having been destroyed, either by being slashed apart or shot to pieces. Bullet holes covered most of the floor and traveled all along the wall, even up to the ceiling. A tiny trail of blood led to a nearby window, but they never took notice of it. They didn't know what had happened here, but whatever it was had left the church off in worse shape than before.
They couldn't dwell on it though. They needed to get Asia out of here, and fast. Both Izuku and Ochako had to help Asia move, she had yet to really recover from the ritual that had nearly killed her.
"I'm…I'm okay," she wheezed out after nearly collapsing again. Her skin had regained some color, but was still noticeably pale. Sure as he was that they had managed to get her out in time, Izuku felt concerned for her well-being.
"Are you sure?" Ochako asked, asking before he could. She looked just as concerned as he felt, the blonde girl having leaned on her while Izuku led them out. "If you need one of us to carry you, we can. We're friends right? You can rely on us."
"She's right," Izuku said, his grip tight on her hand. Ordinarily, he would be a blushing stuttering mess right now, but the adrenaline that had been coursing through him since seeing her in mortal peril had yet to cease, leading him to barely notice. "And there's still other places we have to see. We can even go to the arcade again if you want."
"You two," she said with a small, but joyous smile. She had felt elated once she knew that she was not actually dreaming. These two, these Devils, had risked their lives for her, their friend. Her body felt weak right now, but her spirit felt as free as a bird. "Thank you. I've…never felt so blessed."
The two teens smiled as they kept her close, watching the girl shed tears of happiness. They were so close now. Once they reached the doors, they would be able to get away.
"How foolish."
They all froze. The familiar voice of Raynare echoing around every corner of the main hall. Ochako and Izuku instantly huddled around Asia, Sacred Gears at the ready to defend her however they could as they scanned the room to try and find the Fallen Angel. They took in every nook, cranny, and sound, but found nothing. She had kept herself quiet, not even the slightest whisper of movement making its way to their ears. Even their now natural to see as clear in the dark as one would in the light showed nothing.
One of the threads from Ochako's Sacred Gear wriggled around as she kept it brandished, her every sense kept open for anyone Raynare could make. She had already failed to help Asia before, and this woman had killed Deku before. She refused to let her hurt either of her friends.
His own Sacred Gear glowed as Izuku scanned his eyes over every section of the church he could see. He had hoped that a powerful punch would have kept her down for a little longer than that, but he had been proven wrong. He felt his fingers twitch as sweat dripped from his brow as he moved to check another part of the hall.
Still weakened and gasping for air, Asia too kept her eyes open for whatever she could see. Unlike the other two, she was trembling. Raynare was basically invisible to them right now, with whatever she aimed to do bidden from them. The element of surprise was hers. And even with how strong she knew her friends were, she feared for them, not wanting to see them hurt as they were before.
A sound echoed through the room.
And a light was making its way to Izuku.
Both girls moved, Ochako being the faster one. Firing the thread from her Sacred Gear, she was able to intercept the light weapon before it could hit. The others watched in surprise as the light spear decreased in size, a clear oath of energy traveling down the line into Ochako's Sacred Gear.
"Interesting. So you can absorb energy through those threads," Raynare's voice echoed, it's exact location unknown.
"Yer darn right!" Ochako replied, holding her arm up as another thread shot out of the lizard's mouth, wriggling in place as she glared at the Fallen Angel. "If you think I'm gonna let you hurt my friends again, yer dreaming!"
Ochako Uraraka
Sacred Gear:Absorption Line
This Sacred Gear can fire off different threads from its mouth. Whatever they attach to, they can absorb its power into itself. Its user can also manipulate its lines in limited ways.
"Is that so?" Her voice echoed again. Ochako began gritting her teeth in frustration. She still had no idea where she was! "Then maybe I should get creative."
The three teens stayed rooted to one spot, the threat of her action keeping them from moving too far and exposing themselves to her attack. They began searching more frantically than before, once again having no luck.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Asia saw something.
It was a small light, looking almost like the light of a firefly.
And it was heading directly for Izuku at a pace faster than any firefly.
Asia didn't think, her body just moved.
Izuku found himself being shoved, taking Ochako with him as the two fell to the ground. When they turned to face Asia, their mouths opened wide with horror.
Asia now had a dagger of light piercing her chest.
"ASIA!"
Both teens screamed her name as they rushed to her side. They watched as the dagger vanished, the hole in her chest looking small, but the bleeding they could see showed that the wound was devastating. When they saw where exactly she was hit, they knew why.
Asia had been stabbed directly in the heart.
"Hang on!" Ochako said as she attached one of her lines to the dying girl. Izuku watched as the same light that he saw her absorb from Raynare's last attack flowed into Asia. Ochako was trying to keep her alive for as long as she could.
Despite seeing everything she was doing to help, Izuku felt his heart shatter as he watched Asia's breaths become more haggard. He reached down to clasp her hand, and shuddered when he felt it spasming.
"It's going to be okay Asia. Just stay with us. Please stay with us," he pleaded, unsure if she could even hear him.
"Iz…Izuku…Ochako…" she gasped out as her other hand gripped onto Ochako's, the taller girl beginning to tear up as she felt the same spasms that Izuku felt.
"Shame. Though her suffering will be over soon."
Izuku watched as Raynare glided down from her perch, having somehow moved to just above the main entrance without them noticing. Her face was blank as she watched Asia suffer on the ground. "If you had simply allowed me to finish the ritual, she wouldn't be in such a sorry state. You have no one but yourself for this."
"SHUT UP!" He screamed with all his might, tears running down his face as he felt Asia's grip grow weaker. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't taken her away!"
"She's aligned with us. You're the one who took her away," she said, seeming to not at all be bothered by his anger. "Your pathetic attempts at heroism is what led to all of this. You really need to wake up to reality, Izuku." She spat out his name like it was a poison, her eyes narrowing in anger.
"There are no real heroes in this world. Only those with power, and the one's beneath them. That's how every realm has worked since time began. Those who pretend that they're only there to help just give the powerless a false sense of security. It's all a sham." Her hand started to glow as a new spear of light manifested, pointing it at him with the full intent of slaughtering him.
"Come on Asia," Ochako cried, her face brimming with tears. "You can make it! Come on! You can do it!" The panic in her voice was clear as she began pumping more energy into the girl, her own skin losing its luster as she did everything she could to save the dying girl.
Asia just laid there on the ground, too weak to even speak.
"You can't save her. That should have been obvious from the start," Raynare told them, her mouth now forming a snarl. "This is what happens when you're weak! You fail! And the strong will lord that over you for the rest of your life! But I promise, you won't have to worry about that!" She yelled as she threw her spear, aiming directly for Ochako's head.
'PROMOTION:ROOK"
Only for Izuku to stop it before it could reach her. He could feel the sting even through his Sacred Gear, but he paid it no mind. He threw the spear to the ground, the weapon dissipating shortly after as he glared at the Fallen Angel.
"Promotion? So you're a Pawn then," she hissed out, her anger growing. She readied another weapon in her hand, this time three throwing knives made of light. "Do you recognize this Izuku?" She spat out. "You're the one who gave me this idea. And now, I'll use them to kill you. You can promote yourself to whatever you want, it won't make you strong enough to fight back. You're not going to gain some miraculous new power to beat me. It's time to stop being delusional! Wake up! Nothing's changed for you! You're but a pathetic piece of low-tier trash with a weak Sacred Gear! You have nothing else! No hope! No quirk!"
[BOOST]
"Just accept your place in life already! Stand aside as the real powers of the world roll over you! That's how you survive! Because what you have will never be enough!" She screamed out, an insane look of hatred appearing in her eyes as she summoned more knives to her other hand, ready to take his life.
[BOOST]
Only for her to pause once she heard that sound.
"Maybe you're right," he said, his eyes downcast as his tears hit the ground. Every word she said pierced his very soul. "Maybe I'm just weak. Maybe I always will be. But you don't get to decide that." His eyes flashed back up to stare into hers. She took a step back in surprise when she saw them, and unknown to her, a bit of fear. His eyes had hardened with determination, a fire in his eyes that looked ready to burn the world. "I'm going to stop you. Here and now. I won't let you hurt anyone else."
His words were quiet, but firm. He didn't raise his voice once as he spoke. That only served to rile Raynare up even more.