Y/N POV
"You two sit tight, I'll go tell him you're here." Akeno looks around the room as we wait.
"Where are we?"
"In a word, Asgard. The Allfather and I go back a few years, and he's the only faction leader that doesn't seem to be intent on killing me." The door opens and I stand to greet the man.
"Y/N? I didn't know you were coming. Things must be falling apart if you had to run." His eyes dart past me. "This must be your sister. Quite a beautiful girl."
"Keep your hands to yourself. I would hope that after your birthday party you would be satisfied." He walks past me. "Come on, the stripper was supposed to be congratulatory."
"It was also a man." He sits across from us. "So, what brings you here?"
"It seems that the Underworld is prepared to kill me. I was under the impression I was repairing that relationship, but they invited me into their home hoping I would let my guard down."
"Do you have evidence of this?"
"I wouldn't have come here if I wasn't certain, Lord Odin." He strokes his beard. "Tell me, is there anything you can do to help us?"
"Look, I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm to be meeting with the Three Factions in a couple of weeks to join the alliance they've formed." I lean back in my chair.
"So we're screwed?"
"Not necessarily. I have something I need help with, and you may be just the person for the job." I lean forward and put my hands on the desk.
"I'm listening."
"News of the potential alliance has gone around, and while most seem to be on board, it appears that there are still some that feel strongly against it. If you can find something concrete for me then I'll help you out, but if not I'll have to turn you away." Odin looks over at Akeno. "If I know you as well as I think I do, I shouldn't have to ask if you'll accept."
"It seems I don't have a choice in the matter." I stand and grab my things. "Thank you, Lord Odin. I'll have to accept whatever I can get at this point." The Allfather starts laughing.
"I've never seen you this worried before."
"I wasn't fighting for someone else before. Akeno, come with me." She grabs her things and follows me out of Odin's office. We walk in silence to a small bedroom. "I know it isn't much, but this is what we have."
"Don't worry about it." Akeno sets her things down and sits on the bed. "Are you going to look around?"
"Not until tomorrow. It's been a long day, and I'm in no mood to deal with that right now. Besides, I don't need to be the one to look around on my own." I open the window and extend my hand, allowing a crow to land on my finger. "You know what to look for." The crow flies away and I sit next to Akeno.
"What's our next step?"
"Once the summit starts we're leaving. You and I are going somewhere nobody will find us. Between you being a stray devil and my reputation with the factions as is, we're in no shape to take anyone on." I look through my things and find the book Azazel gave me. "Tell me, Akeno, if you could speak to your mom and dad again, what would you say?"
"I've never thought about it. Why do you ask?" Before I can respond the crow returns.
"I'll have to explain later. It looks like someone has started seeking me out." I stand and open the window. "Akeno, stay here. The threat isn't here, and you'll be much safer if I don't have to look after you."
"I'm not a little kid Y/N, I can hand-" I strike the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious instantly.
"I didn't want to do that, but you left me no option." I return to the Human Realm and see the person waiting for me. "You went out by yourself to come to find me? You're persistent, I'll give you that Xenovia."
"Information spreads quickly, you should know better than anyone. I've learned of how your sister is a stray now, and it's up to me to kill you once and for all." She pulls her sword and dashes toward me. Her speed has increased since our last encounter, but not enough to our me on edge. "This isn't ending until one of us is dead."
"Get comfortable, I'm not going to kill you." Her blade drives through me, but thanks to Kamui no damage is inflicted. "You've improved, but you're still no match for me." I strike her in the back and she hits the ground. "Why do you seek me out? Is it because you were ordered to, or are you still holding that grudge against me?"
"Shut up!" She jumps up and swings her sword at me, though she misses once more. As she looks around she notices two copies of myself standing next to me.
"If you want to kill me then figure out what you're fighting for." She clutches the handle of her sword tightly, her face puzzled by my previous statement. I cross my arms as she looks around attempting to deduce which is the real me. She turns toward one of the clones, but in a flash, she steps my way, her sword driving through my chest and out the other side.
"Finally got you."
"So you have." She pulls the sword back out of my chest, blood covering not only the blade but my clothing and the ground around me.
"It looks like you've lost the will to fight." I activate my Sharingan and lock eyes with her.
"No, but you have." She falls to her knees and looks at her surroundings. "Tell me, Xenovia Quarta, do you truly believe this world is better off without me? Do you feel as if you're doing the world a service by trying to kill me?" I rip the sleeves from my shirt and wrap them together around my wounds in an attempt to slow the bleeding.
"What are you doing to me?"
"Showing you the future you desire." I step aside and allow the scene to unfold in front of me.
"Xenovia!" She turns and sees the face of her partner, Irina. "I heard you did it, you killed him!"
"How did you hear of this? I left on my own accord." I smirk at Xenovia's words, my suspicions having been confirmed. "Besides, he's not even dead."
"What are you talking about? His body has been shown to every faction. They all came together knowing that he was a threat, but you were the only one needed to kill him." Xenovia looks down at her sword.
"This isn't right." She looks back at me. "This isn't real."
"No, it isn't. What you're seeing is your fantasy, the world that you believe will occur after ending my life." The scene fades and she snaps back to reality, her eyes darting around the battlefield. I reach to my back and pull my sword. "I'll give you the fight you want now, but considering my current state you can't blame me for taking this seriously."
"You purposely allowed yourself to get injured?" Our blades clash with each other, the clang of metal echoing around us.
"I had to give you a chance to think you could win." Xenovia jumps away from me and puts her sword away. "What, are you giving up?"
"No. If you're going to take this fight seriously then I suppose I should as well." A portal opens next to her and she reaches into it, her hand wrapping around something. She pulls it toward her and reveals a new weapon, a deep blue sword with golden accents.
"Durandal? This just got interesting." She points it at me and I brace myself.
"This puppy has a mind of its own, even I can't control it. That being said, it will still cut down anything in its path." She dashes toward me and I put my sword up to defend myself, though Durandal goes right through it and reopens my wound.
"So, it's as strong as I've heard." I take the handle of my broken sword and discard it. "Whatever, I'm not much of a swordsman anyway. I'll have a better time if I use my abilities."
"Your only chance is to use the Susanoo." I raise an eyebrow, not aware that Xenovia knew of the Susanoo.
"I suppose I can amuse you, but you need to understand that you've signed your contract with death." The avatar of the Susanoo appears around my body. "Break through this and you'll win, but I've never been hit in this state." I launch a barrage of fireballs through the armor, but Xenovia easily swats them away.
"I've learned how you fight, I'm not losing this battle." She attempts to slash through the Susanoo, but Durandal bounces off of the armor.
"You still aren't strong enough, especially for the Uchiha's ultimate defense." As her feet plant on the ground, she tries to catch her breath, but in the current situation that isn't a luxury I can allow her to have. Another barrage of fireballs is sent her way, and this time she is unable to deflect all of them. The final one strikes her leg, burning it instantly and causing her to wince in pain. My Susanoo fades and she grits her teeth.
"Giving up so soon?"
"No, I just don't feel like playing with my food anymore." I reach my hands toward the ground as lightning cracks in my palms. "I'm putting everything I have into this final attack. If you wanted everything I had, this is it." Xenovia attempts to defend herself as I dash at her, but the wrong movement causes her to hit the ground. As she lies there helpless I stand over her, taking my palm and driving it into her heart. The shock from the lightning spreads across her entire body, and once the damage is sufficient I step away.
"Y/N," she mutters.
"Save your breath and value your last moments on this planet."
"No." She begins coughing heavily. "I'm seeing things clearly now. I wouldn't have felt any better after winning this fight."
"That's what I was trying to show you." I crouch down next to her. "I'm not happy I did this, but there are many times we have to do things we are unhappy about."
"I'll see to it that God forgives you if I make it to heaven that is."
"Don't worry about that, I'm not deserving forgiveness. Instead, if you meet Shuri and Baraqiel Himejima, tell them Akeno and I love them dearly, and that I'm sorry things ended the way they did." I look around the area of our battle. "Do you want me to take you back to the church?"
"No, leave me here." A red circle appears on the ground and I raise my defenses but lower them as soon as I see Akeno.
"I told you to stay."
"So you knocked me out because I wouldn't listen?" I stand and face her.
"I did it because I have your best interests at heart. You and I both know that any moment we spend out here we're risking ourselves." I look back down at Xenovia and notice her heart has finally stopped, though in her final moments a smile appeared on her lips. "Anyway, we need to go back."
"What's the rush?" I look around and see about ten people surrounding Akeno and me. "Sirzechs wants a word with you two, mainly the Uchiha."
"Tell him to get bent, I have no reason to talk to him." My wound starts to open again and I begin clutching onto it. "Damn, I'm out of energy with no way out."
"That's more like it." The devil walks toward us. "Give yourselves up and make this easier."
"Akeno, I can't get us out of this. Worst case we both die, best it's just me."
"If you're going I'm coming with you." I sigh and fall to the ground, the blood loss finally catching up with me.
"Package secured, Lord Lucifer."
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If you have any suggestions feel free to let me know, and until next time, have a good one.
-Coop