Night had fallen over Kyoto, and most of the citizens had already retired for the night.
But Arthur was still awake.
He was outside the palace, checking his phone for a message he just received.
Beside him stood Romani Archaman.
The reincarnation of King Solomon had his hands tucked inside the pockets of his coat, his green eyes quietly observing the night as he waited for the redheaded Cambion to finish with his business.
A minute later, Arthur pocketed his phone and broke the silence.
"Archaman, tell me everything you know about Gilgamesh. I want to know what we're dealing with instead of going in blindly."
Romani glanced toward Arthur and nodded.
"Fair enough."
He looked toward the moon.
"Unfortunately, there is something I need to clarify first."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"I have never personally witnessed Gilgamesh fight."
Arthur's expression became slightly confused.
"You haven't?"
Romani shook his head.
"No. I have witnessed firsthand his intelligence and cunning, but I've never actually seen him engage anyone in combat, nor have I ever seen him use his Longinus since I met him."
Arthur sighed in disappointment.
He had been hoping to learn more about Gilgamesh's personal combat abilities.
Instead, the one person who could potentially provide those answers hadn't actually seen them.
Still, Romani continued.
"However, I do know about his two closest subordinates."
Arthur immediately became attentive.
Romani raised a finger.
"Let's start with Semiramis."
Arthur nodded.
"She's an Ultimate-Class magician that Gilgamesh claims to have saved a few years ago."
Arthur's eyebrows rose.
"And she's loyal to him because of that?"
Romani's expression became complicated.
"It's more than just loyalty. It's kinda like she has devoted her life to please him."
Arthur grimaced.
"How devoted?"
Romani thought for a moment.
"Unwavering."
Arthur sighed.
"That sounds about right."
Romani continued.
"As for her abilities, Semiramis possesses vast knowledge regarding poisons, medicine, and magic. She utilizes all three at once in combat, making her a versatile and unpredictable opponent."
Arthur stored that information away.
"Anything else?"
Romani's expression became serious.
"Her knowledge of poisons is particularly dangerous. She can prepare toxins capable of affecting Ultimate-Class beings."
Arthur frowned.
Romani continued.
"Then there's Enkidu."
Arthur's expression immediately became more serious.
(So the Chains of Heaven is here too... Well, ain't that wonderful.)
Romani sighed.
"But to be completely honest... I don't know much about Enkidu's origins."
Arthur blinked.
"You don't?"
Romani's expression was genuinely uncertain.
"All I know is they appeared beside Gilgamesh and eventually became his right-hand. And I've spent enough time around Gilgamesh to recognize something."
Arthur narrowed his eyes and waited.
Romani then said.
"Enkidu is probably close to Gilgamesh's level."
Arthur's expression became serious.
"Probably?"
Romani shook his head.
"It's only a possibility. As I said before, I haven't seen Gilgamesh fight, so I can't give you an exact comparison."
Arthur nodded.
"Then tell me what you do know."
Romani raised his hand.
"Enkidu possesses the ability to create golden ripple-like portals. They can use them for transportation and storage."
Arthur immediately recognized the description.
(That kinda sounds like the Gate of Babylon.)
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"That's troublesome."
"It gets worse."
Romani's expression became serious.
"Enkidu's greatest ability is the creation of golden chains called the Chains of Heaven."
"..."
Arthur's expression became flat.
(Of fucking course they also exist here. Why does it feel like the universe is making things more difficult for me than it already is?)
Arthur shook his head.
"Continue."
Romani nodded.
"The chains possess two major abilities."
He raised one finger.
"The first is nullification. Meaning that the chains can suppress or nullify any and all supernatural powers."
Romani began listing them.
"Whether it be Magic, Holy Power, Demonic Power, Senjutsu..."
He looked toward Arthur.
"Or even Sacred Gears."
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"So they can power down almost anything."
"Essentially."
"..."
Arthur could feel his eye twitch for a moment.
Romani raised a second finger.
"The second ability is far more important to Gilgamesh."
Arthur could already feel a headache approaching.
"Enkidu can use the Chains of Heaven to extract Sacred Gears from their hosts."
Arthur's expression darkened.
"That's how they got Twice Critical."
"Yes."
Romani's voice became quieter.
"And that's how Gilgamesh has been gathering Sacred Gears to create more Utsusemi for Project N.O.A.H."
Arthur's hand slowly tightened.
"Also, around a year ago, Gilgamesh made a deal with a Fallen Angel."
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
Romani answered.
"Satanael."
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Internally, he groaned.
(How am I not surprised? Apparently Gilgamesh and Satanael managed to meet up and made a deal, which I'm guessing is the Sacred Gear Extractor.)
The situation somehow became worse every time Arthur learned something new about the target.
Romani continued.
"After that deal, Enkidu's extraction ability was improved and became considerably more effective."
Arthur looked toward him and exhaled.
"Right."
Then he changed subjects.
"Where is the Utsusemi Agency's base of operations?"
Romani's expression became apologetic.
"I don't know."
Arthur frowned.
"What the... The hell do you mean you don't know? I thought you were his left-hand man."
Romani began explaining.
"The truth is, I never knew the location myself because Gilgamesh has Enkidu teleport me directly to their base whenever he needs something from me."
Hearing this made Arthur sigh.
"Can you at least tell me where they are possibly located?"
Romani shook his head.
"If you're thinking about going back to the place where your friends were captured... I wouldn't recommend trying."
Arthur looked at him.
"Why?"
Romani paused.
"Because the Agency doesn't remain in one place. They move their main base whenever someone manages to discover their location."
Arthur's expression became annoyed.
"Please tell me you're joking."
Romani shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I am not."
Arthur sighed.
"God fucking damnit."
He rubbed his forehead.
"This bastard Gilgamesh is getting more annoying the more I learn about him."
Romani gave a small, apologetic smile.
"I'm afraid that's an accurate assessment."
Arthur looked toward him.
"Anything else to make my evening even more upsetting?"
Romani looked at Arthur in silence for several seconds.
Then he shook his head.
"For now... that's all the information I can provide."
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"For now?"
Romani nodded.
"For reasons I cannot disclose, there are things I cannot discuss."
Arthur stared at him.
He didn't like that answer.
But for now, Arthur decided not to press him.
"Fine."
Romani nodded.
"Thank you for understanding."
He looked toward the palace.
"I believe that I have overstayed my welcome here. If Gilgamesh discovers that I'm conversing with you..."
Romani's expression became grim.
"I don't know what he'll do."
Arthur remained silent.
Romani placed one hand over his chest.
"I'll contact you once I can provide updates regarding the situation on my side."
Arthur finally nodded.
"Alright then. See you soon, Archaman.
Romani smiled faintly.
"Thank you for your time, Sir Pendragon."
A magic circle appeared beneath his feet.
Arthur watched as Romani looked toward the night sky one final time.
His expression became sad as he quietly whispered to himself.
"I pray to God that this is enough to save her."
Arthur raised his eyebrow slightly.
But before he could ask what Romani meant, a flash of light erupted and Romani disappeared.
Arthur stood alone.
Or so he thought.
"Do you trust him?"
Arthur turned around to see Cao Cao approaching from nearby.
Arthur looked at him.
"You mean Romani?"
Cao Cao nodded.
"Do you trust everything he says?"
Arthur remained silent.
He looked toward the place where Romani had disappeared.
"Honestly... it's a fifty-fifty."
He finally answered.
"He hasn't told a single lie since he arrived."
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes.
"But?"
Arthur sighed.
"But I have this sneaking suspicion that he hasn't told us the whole truth."
Cao Cao crossed his arms.
"I agree."
Arthur nodded.
"For now, though, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and see where this alliance goes."
Cao Cao looked at him and sighed.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
Arthur glanced toward him.
Cao Cao's expression was serious.
"I trust you, Arthur... But I don't trust somebody dangerous that we just met."
Arthur understood.
"Neither do I... but not completely."
He looked toward the night sky.
"I don't buy that Romani is freely handing us information without getting something in return."
Cao Cao nodded.
"He's hiding something."
Arthur crossed his arms.
"Exactly."
For several seconds, neither he nor Cao Cao said anything.
Arthur rubbed his forehead.
There was too much to think about, but he eventually decided to shelve the conversation for now.
They had more immediate problems to deal with.
Arthur turned toward Cao Cao.
"Anyway. Where are the others?"
Cao Cao opened his mouth.
"Arthur! Cao Cao! There you two are!"
Both men turned.
Heracles was approaching them from the direction of the palace.
Arthur smiled.
"Hey, Heracles."
Another presence suddenly descended from above.
A flash of silver light appeared from one of the palace's windows.
Vali emerged from the air, his white hair moving slightly from the wind, and his Divine Dividing was active.
He landed beside the others before dismissing his Light Wings.
"So what exactly is this about, Red?"
Then a magic circle appeared beside Arthur.
Lavinia stepped out of it; her long blonde hair swayed gently.
Arthur immediately looked toward her.
"Hey, Lav. How's Jeanne?"
Lavinia's expression became slightly somber.
"She's resting now. Valerie volunteered to keep watch over Jeanne and Siegfried."
Arthur nodded.
"Good."
He looked around.
All four were now standing around him.
Arthur took a breath.
"If you're all wondering why we're here..."
His expression hardened.
"...it's because two of our friends were attacked. And one of them is currently in a dangerous state."
Cao Cao's expression immediately became darker.
Heracles' expression hardened as he clenched his fist.
Lavinia's expression became ice cold.
Neither needed to ask who Arthur meant.
Vali remained silent as if feeling indifferent to the situation.
But Arthur could tell from the faint tension in his eyes that he was angry as well.
Lavinia looked toward Arthur.
"So what are we doing exactly?"
Arthur reached into his pocket for his flip phone.
"A couple of minutes ago, I received a message from Azazel."
Everyone became attentive.
"Apparently, there are five Ryoukuu High School students who avoided the Heavenly of Aloha Incident."
Cao Cao raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Arthur glanced at the message.
"Different circumstances kept them away from joining the luxury liner."
His expression became serious.
"But right now, it doesn't matter, because there's a possibility that the Utsusemi Agency is targeting them tonight."
Cao Cao's eyes narrowed.
"So they're going after them now."
"Exactly. That's the reason why we're all here."
Arthur began forwarding Azazel's message on their phones, but one location appeared on each of them.
Arthur looked toward Cao Cao first.
"Cao Cao. Your target is Hyousuke Koga. He possesses one of the Four Fiends' Sacred Gears known as Húndùn."
Cao Cao's eyes sharpened.
"Húndùn."
Arthur nodded.
"This Sacred Gear is capable of growing stronger whenever the Húndùn continuously takes damage."
Cao Cao's expression became thoughtful.
"So the longer the fight continues, the stronger he becomes."
Cao Cao nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Arthur turned toward Heracles.
"Heracles. Your target is Kouki Samejima. He possesses another one of the Four Fiends known as Táowù. It can shapeshift its two tails into various weapons."
Heracles' eyebrows rose.
"That's it?"
Arthur continued.
"Táowù can also manipulate electricity, such as lightning, among other things."
Heracles' grin widened, and he cracked his knuckles.
"Now that's more like it."
Arthur looked toward Lavinia.
"Lav. Your target is Natsume Minagawa."
Arthur displayed her information.
"She possesses one of the Four Fiends named Qióngqí."
Lavinia's sapphire eyes immediately became fascinated.
"Qióngqí..."
Arthur nodded.
"The Sacred Gear can generate incredibly powerful gusts of wind strong enough to cut through steel. It can also fire its feathers like high-speed projectiles."
Lavinia's eyes widened slightly.
"That is quite impressive."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"I figured you'd be interested."
"Very."
Lavinia continued studying the information on her phone.
Arthur then turned toward Vali.
"And last but not least, you're going after Shigune Nanadaru, brat."
Vali raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Arthur continued.
"Apparently, she possesses Tāotiè, which is considered the strongest of the Four Fiends."
Vali's expression changed.
"Really?"
Arthur nodded.
"It possesses a limitless appetite capable of devouring anything."
Vali's eyes lit up.
"Anything?"
"Anything. Whether it be Matter, Magic, or even Monsters, it doesn't give a damn."
Vali's eyes practically sparkled.
"So this person's Sacred Gear is a bottomless pit with arms and legs?"
Arthur shrugged his shoulders.
"Apparently."
Vali smiled.
"Now that's a worthy challenge!"
Cao Cao remained focused on his target, Heracles looked impressed and a bit excited, Lavinia was fascinated by the Qióngqí's abilities, and Vali looked like he'd just been handed an early Christmas gift.
Lavinia suddenly looked toward Arthur.
"Wait... You said there were five students."
Arthur looked at her.
"Yes."
She looked around.
"Cao Cao has one."
"Yes."
"Heracles has one."
"Correct."
"I have one."
"Yep."
"Vali has one."
"Mhm."
Lavinia's expression became curious.
"Then who's the fifth?"
Arthur put his phone away.
"I'll handle the fifth target... Which will be revealed later."
Lavinia was quiet for a second but soon nodded.
"Alright."
Cao Cao crossed his arms, and He looked at Arthur.
"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting our targets to be the hosts of the Four Fiends."
Heracles grinned.
"Neither was I. But it certainly makes things more interesting."
Arthur looked around at everyone.
"Once you find your respective target, convince them to follow you back to the five-star hotel in Tokyo. Cao Cao, I'll send you an address later to where it is."
Everyone nodded.
Arthur's expression became stern.
"But remember this... Make sure they understand we're here to help them. So don't appear to them like you're about to sell their organs."
He looked at Vali.
"Especially you."
Vali's eyebrow twitched.
"I know that."
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"Do you, brat?"
Vali crossed his arms.
"I said I know."
Arthur sighed.
"Good. Just wanted to be sure."
He looked at everyone again.
"Everybody understood their respective assignments?"
Cao Cao nodded.
"Understood."
Heracles gave a thumbs-up.
"Got it."
Lavinia nodded.
"Of course."
Vali smirked.
"Fine."
One by one, magical circles appeared beneath their feet, preparing everyone to teleport.
But suddenly, Arthur looked toward Lavinia.
"Lav."
Lavinia looked at him.
"Yes?"
He reached out and gently took her hand.
Arthur's expression became concerned.
"Be safe."
Lavinia's expression softened at Arthur's worry for her well-being.
She smiled back and squeezed his hand.
"Don't worry, Art. I will."
Vali immediately turned his head away.
"Ugh."
His face twisted as he made an exaggerated gagging expression.
Arthur's eyebrow twitched.
Cao Cao and Heracles exchanged a glance, and a mischievous grin appeared on both their faces.
Heracles suddenly pulled Cao Cao into his arms.
"Be safe~"
Cao Cao immediately played along.
"Please be safe~"
Heracles placed a hand dramatically against Cao Cao's face.
"I'll be so safe~"
Cao Cao grabbed Heracles's hand that was on his face.
"I'll also be safe~"
"..."
Arthur can feel his eye twitch at the two idiots dramatically embracing one another.
"Can you guys stop before I'm going to kill you?"
Heracles looked at Arthur innocently.
"But how does that keep us safe?"
"Pfft!"
Lavinia immediately covered her mouth.
She was struggling not to laugh.
Arthur just rolled his eyes.
"Just focus on your assignments."
Heracles grinned.
"Right."
Cao Cao nodded.
"Understood."
The teleportation circles began glowing brighter.
Arthur looked at everyone one final time.
"Good luck, C×C."
Lavinia smiled.
"You too."
One by one, they disappeared.
Arthur remained alone for a moment.
He looked back at his phone, which revealed the fifth student.
"Tobio Ikuse. Ryoukuu High School Second-Year Student. Descendant of the Himejima Clan. And possible possessor of the Longinus Sacred Gear, Canis Lykaon."
He took a breath before he teleported away.
(So it begins.)
DxD
Hello readers!
I got a challenge for you all.
The ones who can translate this Morse Code, or at least understand what it is written, will get a thumbs up from yours truly.
—· · ···— · ·—· / ——· ——— —· —· ·— / ——· ·· ···— · / —·—— ——— ··— / ··— ·——· / —· · ···— · ·—· / ——· ——— —· —· ·— / ·—·· · — / —·—— ——— ··— / —·· ——— ·—— —· / —· · ···— · ·—· / ——· ——— —· —· ·— / ·—· ··— —· / ·— ·—· ——— ··— —· —·· / ·— —· —·· / —·· · ··· · ·—· — / —·—— ——— ··— / —· · ···— · ·—· / ——· ——— —· —· ·— / —— ·— —·— · / —·—— ——— ··— / —·—· ·—· —·—— / —· · ···— · ·—· / ——· ——— —· —· ·— / ··· ·— —·—— / ——· ——— ——— —·· —··· —·—— · / —· · ···— · ·—· / ——· ——— —· —· ·— / — · ·—·· ·—·· / ·— / ·—·· ·· · / ·— —· —·· / ···· ··— ·—· — / —·—— ——— ··—
(Disclaimer: The Morse Code may not be accurate, so don't feel bad if you couldn't translate it.)
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!