Chapter 286:
–Layla–
{You have leveled up x 5!}
[Layla of the Fallen]
[Title: Sixteen Winged Angel, High Goddess of Angels, Death's Favored.]
[Level: 110]
[Sacred Gears: Purger of Darkness, Orb of Infinity]
[HP: 1,245,000]
[MP: 1,412,000]
[Faith Energy: 545,687,566]
[Vigor: 124,500]
[Strength: 59,340]
[Intelligence: 141,200]
[Luck: 27,780]
[Available Free Stat Points: 5000]
{You have gained the blueprints to create the Behemoth!}
The blueprints were packed into this thick, ancient-looking notebook, worn and frayed like it had been around for thousands of years. I couldn't help but wonder how the System had managed to get its metaphorical hands on my father's actual notes.
[I have my secret ways…]
I rolled my eyes at the System's lame attempt to sound mysterious.
[Oy! How rude! I am cool and mysterious!]
Ignoring the System's whining, I refocused on the bigger issue at hand. Earth DxD was in serious trouble. It was a full-blown disaster. I had thought the Devils would retreat to the underworld after losing Ajuka, and wait to be exterminated—I thought maybe they might even surrender, agreeing to be moved to some empty universe where they couldn't hurt anyone else.
But no. They've decided to go out in some dramatic, ego-driven blaze of glory, lashing out at everything and everyone else in the world!
They can't actually believe they can win this fight can they?
[You've got to stop underestimating stupid…]
My long hair whipped around as I floated high in the sky, taking in the wreckage that was once Kyoto. The fires had been put out, thanks to the combined efforts of humans and yokai, but the flames weren't the worst of it. Half the city's buildings had crumbled from the earthquakes and explosions.
The official death toll was going to be heavy once we finished digging through the rubble. Kyoto had a population of 1.5 million humans and about 500,000 yokai. Most of the yokai survived, but the humans? Not so much. Amaterasu had already reported that 400,000 humans were dead, and tens of thousands more were expected to die from their injuries. I had a shadow clone on the ground, trying to heal as many as possible, but it wasn't enough. There were too many.
"This is just the damage in one city," Amaterasu said, appearing beside me in the sky. Her voice was somber as she continued, "The earthquakes shook the entire island. No other city got hit as hard as Kyoto, but none of them got off easy either. And then there's Kuoh Town… It was just plain erased from existence."
"I'm sorry about that," I said while glancing at her for a second. "I guess hiding all of this is out of the question now, huh?"
Amaterasu glared at me. "Obviously that's impossible. The whole city saw our battle, and despite everything going on in the world, the Internet is somehow still up and working. The Devil's have jammed Magical communications, but it didn't take me long to figure out mundane ones still worked," Amaterasu wasn't the only Goddess in the room that had basically holed themselves in their domains and gamed all day and night long. She was apparently friends online with a bunch of others. She continued. "That's how I've figured out how bad things are in other countries. Compared to some, Japan got off easy. Half of India is a smoking crater. Shiva's absolutely furious—he's rallied the surviving Hindu gods to strike back at the Devils. But they lost over half their worshippers, so their powers are seriously diminished."
"How's everyone else faring?" I asked, knowing I couldn't afford to stick around much longer. The rest of the world needed me as well, but first I needed a quick rundown to know where to head—and where to send Hela's army when they arrived. They shouldn't be far behind me now.
"The Norse have gone completely silent for some reason, so I have no news from them. The Americans lost New York and DC, but most of their country's still standing," Amaterasu explained. "South America hasn't seen more than a few probing attacks. Their gods have always stayed in their shrinking territories, so they're not a big threat in the Devil's eyes. China is a full-on war zone, but my Tsukyomi and Susanoo are assisting Wukong and the Heavenly Palace in holding the line. The Devils fighting there are led by some of the top-ranking players from the Rating Games, so the fight is slow going. As for Europe, your siblings are doing their part well. Gabriel and Michael have both been spotted multiple times already, pushing the devil's back on all fronts."
I couldn't help but smile at that. There was no way my older siblings would lose to any devils! Ironically, I had complete faith in them!
"There's something odd about this attack, though," Amaterasu added with her brow furrowing. "...People have noticed a surprising lack of reincarnated devils in the armies. Every single one that's been spotted has been a stray."
"Hmm," I murmured, thinking it over. "That is strange. There must be something wrong with the Evil Pieces system. I thought it was weird that Behemoth was a stray devil…" Whatever the reason was, it could only be a blessing for us.
"Where are you headed first?" she asked me.
"I'm going to take back New York and DC. It's a miracle the humans haven't started launching nukes just yet, but that's only a matter of time if the US's two biggest cities are lost." I felt like that was where I needed to be first and foremost. "When Hela arrives here, tell her to take her army across the world and see what's happening with the Norse. Also tell her to not kill this world's Odin on sight. I hear he's a pervert but he's actually a pretty decent guy otherwise." Azazel and him used to get drinks all the time.
"Good luck, Layla. We'll all be here when you get back. Yasaka and I are soon going to give a speech to all the humans of Japan. She will be taking temporary command of the Land of the Rising Son." They weren't planning on usurping the human government permanently, but in the midst of a war like this there needed to be a central leader calling the shots. One who was familiar with Supernatural warfare.
–Riser Phenex–
Riser had expected more glory from this war up to this point. Things had not been going as he had hoped.
He scowled as he stormed down Wall Street. The heart of American wealth, controlled by people most citizens would never even meet. To him, it was a ridiculous idea, but he wasn't surprised. Humans were foolish, good for nothing—except their delicious souls.
Marrying Rias Gremory was supposed to make him the official Head of the Gremory Clan, a powerful position he thought was rightfully his! But he and his family had been deceived. It turned out the Gremory clan had always been matriarchal, with the real power lying not with Zeoticus Gremory, but with his wife, Venelana. For centuries, Venelana had been quietly running the show while keeping Zeoticus from blabbing by throwing a constant supply of women into the man's bed.
Everything had changed when her Queen Akeno had run away, and soon after, the rest of her peerage had perished similar to most of Riser's own. He managed to get over it, he always knew there would be more slaves, but Rias didn't. She was way too attached to them all. Losing "her family" did something to her mentally.
Rias stopped letting Riser push her around, and instead of pushing her parents away, she began seeking actual advice from her mother. Venelana started grooming Rias to officially take over the Clan, preparing her for the future that was supposed to be his! The tables had turned on him. Rias was rising in power, and Riser had been reduced to little more than a househusband!
He couldn't stand it! Damn women, they should know their fucking places!
Something needed to change. When this war broke out, he demanded a spot on the front lines, a chance to prove himself. If he could earn recognition and distinction in battle, even if Rias became a duchess, she wouldn't be able to control him.
Grand Duke Riser Phenex. It had a nice ring to it. But if he expected that promotion, he had to do his job perfectly!
Riser was put in charge of 1,000 mid and low-class devils, given one job: take over the American East Coast. So far, he'd kind of done his part—well, he was trying. Half of Washington, D.C. was burning, and he'd wiped out as many government officials as he could find—which, annoyingly, wasn't nearly enough.
To their credit, the Americans were better prepared than he'd expected. Riser thought they'd panic like headless chickens once they realized they weren't at the top of the food chain anymore. Unfortunately they didn't.
Now, they were hitting back faster—and harder—than he'd thought possible. Human weapons couldn't kill him, but in large enough doses, they definitely hurt. And his troops? They weren't so lucky. Unlike him, they weren't immortal. They were dropping like flies under the endless rain of bullets and missiles.
Seriously, how many freakin' bullets did Americans have?!
A few hours into this so-called "war," he was down to 786 devils. Losing to humans—humans who couldn't even use magic—it was humiliating. An insult to his name and everything the underworld stood for. Riser wasn't about to let that slide. Plan A hadn't worked, so he switched gears. He and his army flew up the coast to New York, deciding to take the entire city hostage instead.
So far the new plan was going ok. The human armies and war machines surrounding Manhattan hadn't budged an inch since he started his little routine of executing humans on live TV as a warning every hour.
His warning was simple: He was Riser Phenex and he was not to be fucked with! If anyone tried to stop him, he'd burn New York to the ground with no hesitation!
Of course, he couldn't actually do that—not for a few days at least. He'd burned through most of his demonic magic torching D.C. Obviously, the humans didn't know that or they would probably start swarming regardless of his hostages.
Riser reached his destination. A group of ten random people—scooped right off the streets—were tied to wooden stakes in front of him. It was once again time to send another message. "Bear witness pathetic mortals! This is what happens to those who oppose the Devil race!" Riser grinned at the cameraman who was shaking in his boots. "Burn, you filthy humans!" Riser snarled, flames flaring from his palms. The wooden stakes burst into flames as another execution took place. The screams brought a smile to Riser's face, though they didn't last long enough. Humans were way too fragile.
Once the screaming stopped, it was sadly back to business.
"Lord Riser!" one of his mid-class lieutenants came running up to him with the latest report. Riser hadn't bothered learning this soldier's name and had no plans to.
"What's the situation in the city?" Riser asked dismissively.
"We've locked down most of the streets, but our forces are spread thin. There are millions of humans here, and we only have—"
"I know how many troops we have left!" Riser snapped, his eyes narrowing. He didn't need a reminder of his failures. "Just kill any humans you see out there. The fear will keep the rest in line," he said.
"Of course, sir. But about the human army surrounding the City... They now number over 100,000," the lieutenant said grimly. "Some of the low-class devils are getting nervous…"
Riser scoffed. "They won't make a move as long as we have hostages. Humans are soft like that. I've already asked my brothers for reinforcements. With any luck, that army will burn by nightfall. Relay that message to the rest of our forces. From here on out, everything will go smoothly!"
–Layla–
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets slammed into my skin and dress as I stepped through my portal. Wait, was this even normal? I thought devils were too proud of their magic to bother with mundane firearms.
"Hold your fire, men!" a voice boomed. I looked up to see a man in a green uniform, a Major in the U.S. Army by the looks of it. It took a few tense seconds, but eventually, the soldiers around him ceased fire, their weapons still trained on me.
A small mountain of lead accumulated at my feet as I walked closer to the line of soldiers.
"Do not move!" the Major barked. "Identify yourself immediately or we will open fire again!"
I suddenly remembered I was on Earth DxD, where I wasn't the world's most famous woman. None of these men knew who I was. "What's with the hostility?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
The sound of gunfire and shouting had drawn even more attention, and soon dozens of soldiers surrounded me, all their rifles aimed straight at me. I noticed some tanks in the distance beginning to shift to my direction as well. I let out a whistle when I sensed the sheer number of troops nearby. I hadn't expected to run into tens of thousands of soldiers just outside Manhattan. Then again, it made sense. No human nation would roll over without a fight against monsters, whether they were aware of the supernatural world or not.
"Identify yourself!" the Major shouted again nervously.
I shrugged and let all sixteen of my pitch-black wings unfurl behind me. It had been a while since I'd made this kind of dramatic entrance. "Be not afraid, humans! I am Layla of the Fallen, the last Daughter of God. Sister to the archangels Michael and Gabriel. I have come to purge the Devil filth from this world!" A vibrant purple aura enveloped me, lifting my body a few feet off the ground for added dramatic flair. I'm pretty sure I just nailed it!
"No freaking way!"
"Holy crap…"
"Is she for real?"
I watched as a wave of astonishment swept over the soldiers within earshot. Many let out relieved sighs, lowering their rifles without being told. The Major gulped and then raised a finger to his ear. With my enhanced senses, I could hear that he was receiving orders from someone a lot higher up on the totem pole than he was.
"The General wants to see you in the command center…" he said nervously.
"Lead the way," I replied. Thirty seconds later, a military jeep pulled up beside us. The Major motioned for me to hop in with him, and I demanifested my wings, sliding into the passenger seat.
The ride was a whirlwind of sirens and shouts as the jeep drove to its destination as fast as possible with no stops. When we arrived at the command center–which was just a commandeered high school–the Major immediately ushered me inside.
The General stood waiting in the center of a classroom that had been repurposed and filled with military equipment. His expression was a mix of awe but also caution. He extended his hand nervously. "I am General Roberts, United States Army."
I shook it with a smile. "Hello, I am Layla of the Fallen. Although, I'm here representing quite a few factions as well…"
The General and his advisors exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. "Is that right? I don't suppose any of those factions can tell us what the hell happened today? Half of Washington burned to the ground, and over a dozen congressmen and women have been slain in cold blood. It was sheer luck that the President and Vice President managed to escape in time. All we know is that our enemies have strange powers, and their leader is a blond man named Riser Phenex. He claims they're actual devils from Hell."
"That's mostly correct," I replied. "Although these devils aren't from Hell. They come from the Underworld."
"What's the damn difference?" the General snapped.
"The Hollow Earth theory is real," I explained. "The Underworld is a tangible place. The devils have lived there since Lucifer created them as his personal army. As for Hell…that place is worse." I left it at that.
Mutterings broke out among the advisors, while a vein throbbed on the General's forehead. "Are you trying to tell me that a hostile force has been living beneath American soil this whole time?!"
I shrugged at him. It was what it was…
The General's irritation flared at my nonchalant attitude, but he quickly shifted focus to the matter at hand. "I'm sure the President will love to hear all about this later. For now, what do these devils want from all this? We've been getting reports of attacks across the globe. There's even something about a nuke going off in India and massive earthquakes hitting Japan."
"Japan has been managed, but yes, half of India was decimated by the new Lucifer," I replied. "As for what the devils want, I think they're aiming for world domination." It was about as cliché as it got, but sometimes the truth was just that straightforward.
"New Lucifer!? The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"The Bible hasn't been updated in a while," I explained, once again probably destroying their world views. "The original Lucifer is dead, and a new devil has risen in his place, assuming his name."
After that, I asked what Riser had been up to since entering New York City. My teeth clenched as I listened to their response. He had been burning people alive every hour, convinced he was broadcasting it all on national TV. Of course, the government wouldn't allow that kind of horror to reach the public. Only members of the special forces were tuned in to his gruesome show. That didn't piss them all off any less though.
The General was eager to storm the city, guns blazing, and slaughter all the Devils. But his hands were tied at the moment. The upper brass were hesitant. They feared Riser would start indiscriminately torching buildings, just as he had threatened—and already done—in Washington, D.C.
I clicked my tongue in irritation. Riser was only a High-Class Devil, but his Phenex bloodline allowed him to unleash more destruction than anyone else at his meager level. Hellfire was notoriously difficult to extinguish without magic…
"What is it you want here, Layla of the Fallen?" the General asked me seriously.
"I told your Major already, and you were probably listening in…" I replied with a knowing smirk. "...I'm here to wipe out the devils. And I would appreciate it if the human governments didn't start launching nukes everywhere in the meantime. This world is home to everyone, after all." That said, I didn't want any radiation damage carrying over to Earth Marvel when the two halves merged soon. The convergence was approaching fast.
The General took a moment to weigh my words. "I'll relay everything you said to the President. He'll probably want to meet with you himself once this is all over. The most important thing right now is taking back the city from those devils. Can you kill Riser Phenex for us?" he requested.
I grinned at him. "It would be my pleasure to kill the little shit. In fact, give me five minutes…"
XXX
Riser: "My brothers are coming to help me!"
Layla: "The more the merrier!"
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