Chapter 19 - Total Annihilation of Utsusemi Agency

The next day, Akeno, Lavinia, Natsume, Tosca, Isabela, and Shirone floated above the headquarters of the Utsusemi Agency.

Their headquarters, not far from Kyoto, wasn't particularly hidden. This was because the Utsusemi Agency wasn't just a supernatural force, but also a genuine organization. It was created by those who had been banished from the Five Principal Clans and sought revenge on them.

"Fufufu. Let's give them a warm welcome." Akeno said with a giggle. She raised her hand towards the sky, and the blue sky with white clouds immediately vanished, replaced by dark, cloudy skies.

Lightning crackled from the ominous clouds continuously, confusing nearby residents.

"Haa!" Akeno summoned a giant bolt of lightning and bombarded the headquarters of the Utsusemi Agency.

BOOOMMM!

The lightning didn't strike the building directly but hit the magic barrier that had been set up. The barrier was easily destroyed, and the lightning continued to pour down, wrecking the top of the headquarters.

Inside the headquarters, some of the researchers were injured, and others died. Ryuuga had instructed them not to kill the students and only target the members of the agency, so that was a relief.

"Who is it?" The leader of the organization, Himejima Hanezu, frowned. He was a middle-aged man in his forties dressed in a business suit.

He had been overseeing the experiments when suddenly he felt the magic barrier being destroyed, and even the building's roof was damaged.

A former member of the Himejima Clan, he had been banished from the clan because he couldn't use the spiritual flames blessed by Kagutsuchi. However, he excelled in magic, which concealed those weaknesses.

"Shuri?" Himejima Hanezu glanced above and saw a familiar figure that he hadn't seen for so long. He thought it was his cousin who had come. But, his cousin didn't seem to be this young...

But, he had heard that she had been killed by fallen angels before. How could she still be alive?

"Ara~ You seem to know my mother." Akeno said, overhearing his words as she and the others landed inside the headquarters.

"I see. So, you're Shuri's daughter. You do resemble her so much. I heard that you and your mother died before. It seems that the information was wrong. So, is she still alive?" Himejima Hanezu realized that the young girl was the daughter of his cousin. He then asked her with a slight smile.

Towards fellow banished clan members, of course, he would show sympathy.

"Well, my mother is still alive and well." Akeno decided to answer Hanezu. She knew that he could be considered as her distant uncle.

"Are you guys here to save the students?" Hanezu suddenly said after he glanced at Natsume. He knew her because she was one of his targets. Unfortunately, she hadn't attended the trip.

"Yes, Ojii-san, can you give up? If you will, I will let you live." Akeno nodded and said.

"Sorry, I can't do that." Hanezu rejected as he shook his head. He was only one step closer towards his goal. How could he give up?

"Please die then." Akeno's eyes turned cold and murderous as she unleashed her four pairs of black wings. The Holy Lightning appeared on her palms.

"Ultimate-class?!" Hanezu shouted as he saw the black wings on Akeno's back. He couldn't believe that she was already that powerful at her young age.

Even though he's currently only on par with a High-Class Devil, it seems like he has already reached his limit.

"It seems like I can't underestimate you. Attack!" Hanezu decided to use all of his force. After all, he didn't know if he could defeat her or not.

Then, from behind him, several monstrous figures appeared. They're the students who have been turned into Utsusemi.

Utsusemi is an artificial creation of the Utsusemi Agency to create replicas of Independent Avatar-type Sacred Gears. But, they don't have any thoughts and only follow their master's orders.

Other than the group of Utsusemi, another man appeared as he charged towards the girls. He has black hair and is around his twenties. His name is Doumon Kazuhisa, and he's one of the members of the Utsusemi Agency.

He was banished from the Doumon Clan for the same reason as Hanezu.

"Come out, my babies!" Kazuhisa shouted as he took out several talismans. Then, the talismans floated in the air and transformed into clay golems.

"Akeno, you take Hanezu. Isabela, you take Kazuhisa. Natsume, Tosca, and Shirone will deal with the Utsusemi." Lavinia ordered. She is the main leader of the team. The girls nodded in agreement with the task division.

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"Hahaha, girl, you think you can win against me and my babies?" Kazuhisa sneered at Isabela, underestimating her because of her youth.

"You talk too much, sissy. Come at me." Isabela retorted with a frown. She didn't appreciate unnecessary chatter in battle.

With determination, she activated her stolen Sacred Gear, perfectly suited for her since it could be activated with each punch she threw.

The Sacred Gear, named Variant Detonation or Prank of the Giant, was a rare type that she stumbled upon by chance. Although rare, it wasn't as unique as a Longinus, so there might be other wielders of it in the world.

Isabela's eyes narrowed as she focused her energy, channeling it into her fists. With a swift motion, she activated her Variant Detonation Sacred Gear, feeling its power surge through her veins. Each punch she threw would now trigger a devastating explosion upon impact.

Kazuhisa's sneer faltered as he watched Isabela's transformation, his confidence wavering. He had underestimated her, and now he would pay the price.

Without wasting another moment on words, Isabela charged forward, her fists ablaze with energy. Kazuhisa summoned his clay golems to intercept her, but she tore through them effortlessly, her explosions reducing them to rubble with each strike.

The ground shook as the explosions echoed through the battlefield, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Kazuhisa stumbled backward, his clay army dwindling before his eyes.

"You think you can defeat me with mere explosions?" he snarled, his voice tinged with desperation.

Isabela's expression remained steady as she pressed forward, her attacks relentless. She dodged Kazuhisa's feeble attempts to counter her, her movements fluid and precise.

With each punch, another clay golem crumbled into dust, until only Kazuhisa remained standing, his arrogance now replaced with fear.

"You... you're just a girl!" he stammered, his voice trembling.

Isabela said nothing, her eyes burning with determination as she unleashed one final, devastating punch. The explosion engulfed Kazuhisa, consuming him in a blaze of fiery destruction.

As the smoke cleared, Isabela stood victorious, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She had defeated Kazuhisa and his clay army, proving that she was not to be underestimated.

With a satisfied smirk, she turned and walked away, leaving behind the remnants of her enemy's defeat.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

"Thorn Barrier!" Tosca called out, generating thorny barriers and pushing them toward the advancing Utsusemi.

"Hey! Remember, don't hurt that girl too much, just make her faint." Natsume reminded Tosca. Tosca nodded briefly, understanding her senior's concern despite being younger.

The girl Natsume referred to was Toujou Sae, Tobio's childhood sweetheart. Ryuuga had instructed them to bring her back because she could be useful.

"Griffon, show them your true form!" Natsume shouted, eager to contribute.

"Kyuu~" The hawk on her shoulder nodded and flew into the sky. It coated itself in a wind barrier, which grew larger and larger. As the wind barrier dissipated, the creature inside was revealed.

Now, Griffon appeared as a bird with four legs and bird claws, along with two pairs of wings. Dark clouds swirled into a whirlpool as he emerged.

This was the true form of Qiong Qi, which Natsume could now unleash after receiving the Archer Card. As she grew stronger, so did her Sacred Gear.

"Shirone doesn't want to lose. She must make nii-sama proud! Kasha!" Shirone declared with determination. She then activated Kasha, or Burning Chariot, an exclusive power of Nekomata. As she summoned the power, multiple fire wheels appeared around her.

She knew that this fire could burn the Utsusemi because they were considered malevolent beings residing in the students.

The three girls attacked the Utsusemi with great power, leaving them no chance to retaliate. One by one, the Utsusemi were defeated, their hosts left unconscious but unharmed.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

"Fufufu. Ojii-san, look at your forces. They've been defeated one by one." Akeno taunted Hanezu. She hadn't even fought him yet, and his forces were already down in less than two minutes.

"Haa… How foolish. But I'm beyond redemption… Akeno, right? How about joining me? Don't you hate the Himejima too?" Hanezu sighed, seeing his forces annihilated. His only hope was to convince Akeno to switch sides.

"I do hate them, but sorry, I have the power to destroy them even now. So, I don't need your help." Akeno replied with a slight smile. She wasn't lying. Her power now was on par with the clan head.

"Let's fight then." Hanezu said, his eyes cold and determined. He was ready to die here, taking them down with him. He couldn't let them leave unchallenged.

Even though the girl in front of him was his niece, she was now his enemy too. Since she didn't leave him any way out, he wouldn't be lenient.

Akeno's eyes flashed with resolve as she faced her uncle, Hanezu. The air between them crackled with tension, each ready for the inevitable clash.

"Very well. Let's see if you can withstand my power." Akeno said, her voice steady.

With a swift motion, Akeno summoned her Holy Lightning, bolts of electrified energy radiating from her fingertips. She launched the first barrage, the lightning bolts tearing through the air towards Hanezu.

Hanezu quickly raised a magical barrier, the shimmering shield absorbing the initial assault. He countered with his own magic, sending a wave of dark energy hurtling toward Akeno. She sidestepped with ease, her wings granting her unparalleled agility.

"You'll have to do better than that." Akeno taunted, her smile unfaltering.

With a second wave of Holy Lightning, she intensified her attack. The bolts struck Hanezu's barrier with relentless force, each impact cracking the protective field bit by bit. Hanezu struggled to maintain his defense, sweat beading on his forehead as he channeled more power into his shield.

Realizing he needed to go on the offensive, Hanezu launched a barrage of dark magic projectiles, each one homing in on Akeno. She danced through the air, her movements graceful and precise, avoiding the attacks with ease. She retaliated with a concentrated beam of Holy Lightning, aiming directly at Hanezu.

The beam pierced through his weakened barrier, striking him square in the chest. Hanezu cried out in pain, the holy energy searing his flesh and draining his strength. He staggered back, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"It's over, ojii-san." Akeno said, her voice cold and final. She gathered her energy for the finishing blow, a massive bolt of Holy Lightning forming in her hands.

Just as she was about to unleash the fatal strike, a sudden gust of wind swept through the battlefield. A dark, cloaked figure appeared between Akeno and Hanezu, raising a gnarled staff to intercept the attack. The Holy Lightning dissipated harmlessly against an invisible barrier.

"Who?" Akeno began, her eyes narrowing at the newcomer.

"Chief Engineer-dono, looks like you're in a bit of trouble." the new figure said with a smirk. She was dressed like a European witch, complete with a hat and a staff.

"Witch-dono, glad you made it." Hanezu replied with a smile. He was nearly done for, but her timely arrival had saved him. After all, they were business partners, and supporting each other was part of their deal.

Behind Augusta, a young girl was looking around with interest. She was the witch's apprentice.

"Augusta!!"