122 Sword of the Betrayer

Human World, Japan, Kuoh.

After defeating the three Cerberus, James led the others toward the smaller of the two magic circles. As they approached, he also noticed that Yuuto's emotions were becoming increasingly unstable.

'So, I guess the old guy is the one that experimented on Kiba and his friends, huh?" James thought to himself as his vision shifted between the two.

"So, Kokabiel, got anything more interesting for us?" James said with a smile as he walked.

"I must admit, they are much more powerful than I expected." Kokabiel said with interest clear in his tone. "It's too bad there is no one here to make this fun for me."

"Oh, don't worry, you won't be fighting any of them." James said while waving dismissively. "I'll be the one to put you down, alone."

Hearing that, Kokabiel frowned. He had no idea what gave this arrogant brat the confidence to speak the words he just uttered.

"Anyway, have you two had enough time to do whatever it is that you're doing?" James asked the two humans on the ground. Then, he pointed up into the air at Kokabiel and continued. "Or do you need him to summon some more monsters so that you have enough time to finish?"

As James spoke, the four spheres floating around the magic circle were suddenly drawn toward its center. Then, they fused into one. When they did, the intensity of the holy power grew. By the end, it eclipsed the combined holy power of all four speres combined.

"I guess not." James said with an impassive expression on his face.

"James, wouldn't it have been better to stop them before they finished?" Rias asked, a bit nervous due to the holy power the new sphere was emitting.

"If we were about equal in power, that would have been the smart thing to do." James said while glancing at Rias. "But they're so outclassed that it doesn't really matter at this point."

"I guess that's true." Rias said as she looked at what the humans were doing.

Unfortunately, there was one person among the group that could not remain patient.

"Valper Galilei!" Yuuto roared in outrage while staring at the older man in front of him.

Valper Galilei, a short bespectacled elderly man with grey hair, a mustache, and black eyes, wore the robes of a priest. While ignoring Yuuto's shouts, he observed the sphere that resulted from the fusion of the four previous spears.

"It should be ready." Valper said to Freed who was looking at the new sphere impatiently.

Hearing Valper's affirmation, Freed rushed to grab at the sphere in front of him. Then, when he touched it, the sphere condensed into a long sword with a golden blade and handguard, as well as a white hilt. At the same time Freed took the sword in his hand, Yuuto could wait no more, in rage he dashed at Valper with a demonic sword in hand, ready to cut the old man down.

However, before he could close the distance, the blade in Freed's hand extended and intercepted Yuuto's dash. Stopping quickly to block the incoming strike, Yuuto raised his sword. However, he was easily blown away. On top of that, the demonic sword in his hand was destroyed.

"Damn it!" Yuto shouted in rage as he created another sword. "[Holy Eraser]."

The same sword he used against Freed the last time they met manifested in Yuuto's hand. He once again rushed toward Valper. This time Freed was standing in front of him though.

"Oh look, it's that same shitty devil from the other night." Freed said with his usual manic smile on his face. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to cut you up last time."

"Get out of my way!" Yuuto roared.

Without stopping, he swung his [Holy Eraser]. However, just like the last time, his sword was easily destroyed. Surprised by the outcome, Yuuto quickly jumped backward. However, due to the properties of [Excalibur Mimic], Freed was able to lengthen the blade. As Yuuto backtracked, the holy sword followed him. And it was gaining, fast. Just as Yuuto was about to be run through, the fused Excalibur's blade was deflected.

*Clang!*

Although it was deflected, the one who deflected it was also forced back. Then, Xenovia slammed into Yuuto and they both rolled across the ground before forcing themselves to stop.

Watching these exchanges, Valper was pleased with his work. Then, he turned his attention to the young man, Yuuto, who seemed to hate him so deeply.

"Boy, you seem to hold quite the grudge against me." Valper said with genuine confusion in his tone. "Do we know each other?"

Hearing Valper's question, Yuuto's anger increased even further.

"You! It's your fault they're all dead!" Yuuto shouted with bloodshot eyes. "Because of your damned experiments all my friends are dead. I even died once. All because you deemed us failures."

Hearing the outraged screams of the young man in front of him, Valper was able to remember something.

"I see, so you're the child that managed to escape that day." Valper said while adjusting his glasses. "You seem to misunderstand something. I didn't kill them because they were failures. I killed them so that I could succeed."

As Valper finished, he reached into his robe and pulled out a lightly glowing blue orb.

"Do you see this?" Valper said as he held the orb out in front of him. "This is the condensed holy sword factor from all the children in that facility. You see, since I was unable to raise the holy sword affinity of a person, I decided that I would transfer it from one person to another. That is the reason I had everyone in all three of my facilities killed. So that I could extract their holy sword factors."

That explanation outraged not only Yuuto, but everyone present, with Kokabiel and Freed being the only exceptions.

"It took two of these condensations of holy sword factors to raise Freed here to a level that he could wield Excalibur." Valper said while staring into the glowing blue orb. Then, he lightly tossed it at Yuuto. "This one is now useless. Since those kids meant so much to you, you can have it."

Watching the orb fly toward him, Yuuto reached out and caught it carefully. As he did, tears began to flow from his eyes. As he cried, he held the orb close to his chest. Eventually, one of his tears dripped from his chin onto the orb in his hands.

Because of that tear, the lightly glowing orb suddenly glowed brightly. Then, the orb expanded. When it did, Yuuto was surrounded by a light blue dome. Inside of which, Yuuto could see the figures of all his deceased friends. This, of course, led to even more tears flowing from his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Yuuto said weakly as he looked over the figures of all his friends. "I was unable to avenge you all."

With those words, a painful expression appeared on the children's figures. Then, they conversed with Yuuto in voices that only he could hear. They explained that they never wanted him to seek revenge. They explained that they all worked so hard for him to escape because they wanted him to live a good life. That was all they ever wanted.

Hearing that, Yuuto fell to his knees. He finally understood that he had almost lost his way. Then one of the figures began to sing the hymn they all used to sing when they needed the strength to go on. Then, more and more of them joined the chorus. Eventually, even Yuuto joined in. And that triggered a change.

"Damn it!" Freed shouted angrily. "I really hate that song. It makes me want to cut up that shitty devil even more."

After that, Freed dashed toward Yuuto with his fused Excalibur raised and ready to strike. However, he was soon intercepted by Xenovia. And like last time, she was also pushed back.

"I don't know why you think that one fragment would be able to fight against my baby, here." Freed said as he looked at Xenovia angrily for getting in his way twice. "I'll just cut you up first since you keep getting in my way."

"I agree that this fragment won't be enough." Xenovia said with a nod of her head. "So, what if I use this instead?"

As Xenovia was confronting Freed, the hymn Yuuto sang with his friends came to an end. As it did, all the figures inside the dome were sucked into Yuuto, then a sword appeared in front of him. The sword had a red hilt, gold handguard, and a blade that was half black and half white.

"[Balance Breaker: Sword of the Betrayer.]" Yuuto said subconsciously as he took hold of the sword's hilt. Then, the dome shattered, drawing everyone's attention. As they looked to where the dome used to be, they saw Yuuto holding a peculiar sword.

"Oh, interesting." Kokabiel said from high above the battlefield.

James also raised an eyebrow at what he was sensing from the sword. As did Valper. Freed, however, was just as unhinged as always.

"Are you done with your little pow-wow?" Freed asked with a manic smile on his face. "Does that mean you're ready to be cut up now?"

"I finally understand the reason why I fight." Yuuto said as he walked toward Freed. "I have to live well for those who sacrificed themselves for my sake."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Freed asked in confusion.

"And destroying that sword in your hand is not what they wanted from me." Yuuto continued, ignoring the insane ramblings of the psychotic priest. "However, I can't let you keep that sword. If someone like you wielded it, then their sacrifices would be meaningless."

"If that's how you feel, then why don't we destroy that sword?" Xenovia said while walking next to Yuuto.

"Are you sure?" Yuuto asked. "But what about your mission?"

"As long as we can recover the cores of the swords, then we should be fine." Xenovia said as she extended her right hand to the side. "OH Peter, Oh, Basilius and Dionyses, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I ask you to please hear my prayers."

As Xenovia finished her short prayer, a rift in space opened in front of her outstretched hand. Then, a sword with a blue blade, wrapped in enchanted chains came out from it. Xenovia then spoke once more.

"In the name of the Saint living within this blade." Xenovia said as she wrapped her fingers around the hilt. "I hereby set you free."

As her chant came to an end, the chains wrapping the blade broke and Xenovia brandished the sword before taking her combat stance.

Seeing that sword, both Kokabiel and Valper were thoroughly shocked.

"That's Durandal!" Valper shouted hysterically. "My research only covered Excalibur; how did the Church create an artificial Durandal user?"

"Unlike Irina who had to undergo a procedure to use holy swords, I was a natural holy sword user." Xenovia explained. "And this is my normal weapon. Though its destructive power is impossible for me to control, completely."

Hearing that, even the devils were in shock now.

"Durandal? That's a sword that is supposed to rival the complete Excalibur." Rias said with awe in her tone.

"*Whistle*" James could only whistle while admiring the apex holy sword. "So, now we've got a legendary holy sword and a sword that should not even exist, one that mixes both holy and demonic, being pitted against an incomplete Excalibur. This should be interesting."

Hearing James' commentary, Valper fell into contemplation. Meanwhile, Freed readied himself to face Yuuto and Xenovia.

Without speaking, Xenovia raised her sword and gathered its holy power. Then, with a powerful swing, the holy power was discharged toward Freed. Running behind it, Yuuto readied himself for a follow up attack. And just as Yuuto expected. Even though Freed is crazy, he is not stupid. He instantly realized that he would not be able to block Xenovia's attack. So, instead of trying to block, he dodged to the side. However, before he could stabilize his footing, he caught sight of Yuuto's sword swinging toward his torso.

*Clang!*

Raising his fused Excalibur, Freed was able to intercept Yuuto's strike. However, the force behind it was too much for him to handle. As soon as the two blades collided, the recoil caused Freed to lose hold of the sword. As Freed was now disarmed, without stopping his forward momentum, Yuuto cut the tendons in Freed's arms and legs as he dashed past the white-haired stray exorcist. A moment later, blood gushed out of the four cuts Yuuto made as he dashed by. Then, Freed fell unconscious from the pain.

"Well damn, that was pretty bad ass." James commented with a smile.

Rias and the rest of her peerage could only nod blankly. But before they could congratulate Yuuto, Valper shouted with an enlightened look on his face.

"I get it!" Valper shouted excitedly. "That sword, that [Balance Breaker] should be an impossibility. And it would be if He..."

*Clang!*

Before Valper could finish his statement, a spear of light was aimed at his heart. However, before he could be killed, it was deflected. Now, standing in front of Valper was James with Ochiru Sakura drawn.

"Now, that was rather rude." James said as he pointed his sword into the sky. "Wouldn't you say so Kokabiel?"

"Hahaha!" Kokabiel laughed uproariously in response. After his fit of laughter ended, he replied to James. "I always knew that worm you are protecting was smart. However, it would seem that he was too smart for his own good."

"I'm rather interested in what he was about to say, though." James responded with a smile.

"He's not worthy to utter a secret like that one." Kokabiel said as he lowered himself toward the ground. "But I am feeling generous. So, I think I'll let you all in on it."

Just as Kokabiel landed, Asia who had finished healing Irina not too long ago ran toward the group after talking to Sona. Sona then allowed her into the barrier, thinking that she would be helpful in case anyone was injured. Unfortunately for her, she arrived just in time to hear something that would change her whole outlook on life.

"God is dead." Kokabiel announced grandly. "He has been since the end of the Great War."