DxD: Path of the Gremory Prince

Raynare licked her lips, twirling her spear of light.

Issei looked at me uncertainly after getting Asia onto his back. I could almost hear his thoughts, urging me to let him fight Raynare.

However, no matter how much hatred he harbored towards Raynare, holding an unconscious girl and fighting a mortal enemy at the same time wasn't exactly a great idea.

"Issei, I told you to go."

Raynare let out a low laugh. "Awn, how cute~. Do you want to be the hero of the night, little Gremory?"

Instead of answering, I just raised my hand and let the crimson energy of the Power of Destruction envelop my palm.

Raynare clicked her tongue, and her expression changed. "Tsk... That could be a problem."

With a swift thrust, Raynare swooped down on me and, with a single flap of her wings, closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. 

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I didn't panic at her speed. With my devil-may-care instincts, I could spot moves like this easily. With just one step to the right, I dodged Raynare's attack and sent her crashing into the stone wall at the back of the altar.

With her feet embedded in the wall, Raynare raised her head and looked at Issei and me.

At that moment, I crouched down to touch the ground. Meanwhile, Issei was already running down the stairs as fast as he could. 

"I won't let you escape alive, dear Issei!" Raynare exclaimed, grinning like a psychopath.

As she flapped her wings once more and flew off, aiming for Issei, the stones on the ground glowed sky blue for a second before rising sharply, creating a makeshift wall between me and Raynare.

'Basic transmutation... Redistribution of existing matter without violating the law of mass conservation. The mineral composition of this stone is basically silicate and metallic oxides, so the restructuring was simple... Boy, having Edward Elric's knowledge of alchemy is incredible!'

Raynare flew backwards to avoid colliding with the wall.

"Tsk!" she clicked her tongue once more, but easily cut through the wall with her spear of light. "What was that? I've never seen magic like that!"

"It's not magic. It's alchemy," I said with a smile and thought: 'As I imagined, alchemy would be very useful in battles against these initial opponents. I hope you're enjoying it, Patrons.'

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"Alchemy?! Damn it, I know an alchemist, and he definitely doesn't do that."

"Pity. Then I guess I'll show you some of my magic."

I raised my left hand and channeled Water Magic, manipulating the humidity in the room to create needles of water above my head. With a snap of my fingers, these needles shot toward Raynare.

The black-haired girl in the stripper outfit stretched her arms forward, summoning a barrier of light to block my attack.

But while this distracted her, I took advantage of the gap. With a quick step, I dashed toward her, covering the distance between us in an instant. My left fist found a diagonal path to her stomach.

"GUH!" Raynare spat blood and was thrown against the wall behind her with a thud.

"Go, Issei!"

Holding Asia, Issei ran towards the iron door of the place. "I'm trying! She's heavier than she looks!"

Raynare, even stunned by my blow, heard this, and her pride gave her strength. 

Opening her eyes suddenly, she shouted at Issei. "You're not getting away that easy! I want that Sacred Gear of yours too!"

She raised a hand as far as she could, creating several spears of light in the air that bypassed me and aimed straight at Issei.

"You've already missed your chance." I stomped hard on the ground, and several layers of stones rose behind me.

Raynare's eyes widened at the sight of the walls rising between her and her target, and her spears hit only the protection I had created.

"Damn you! Fucking brat!!!" Raynare snarled, flying just a few centimeters off the ground.

By now, Issei had probably made it outside and was climbing over the obstacles to get Asia out safely, but Raynare no longer cared about him. Her gaze was fixed on me with insane hatred.

"You... YOU! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Raynare flapped her wings and shot toward me like a black arrow.

'Now she's lost control.'

I raised my right hand, and instantly, blue magic circles glowed in my palm. The moisture in the air condensed quickly, forming spheres of water that floated like stars in the partial darkness of the underground.

"AHHHH!" Raynare shouted as she advanced.

However, to someone of the caliber of a Gremory, Raynare seemed nothing more than a hysterical child trying to punch through a steel wall.

My training practically took over in this situation. I tilted my head to the side, avoiding her spear thrust by the tiniest of margins.

"Do you really think you can hit me in the state you're in?" I asked with a teasing smile as Raynare crashed into the walls with her own body. 

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The walls came apart as I turned and took a step towards her.

Raynare got up quickly and tried to strike me with another charge. This time, I raised one of my arms, and all the surrounding water transformed into a liquid whip. This whip stretched out like a snake and wrapped around Raynare's wrist before her spear could reach me.

"Wh-What-?!?!"

With a jerk, I threw her body to the ground, sending her crashing to the stone floor. Until she could miraculously recover, as she always did, I slammed my foot into the ground to activate another alchemical transmutation. Stone pillars emerged from the ground, trapping her arms and legs.

Raynare, in desperation, immediately tried to struggle free. However, she was practically powerless.

"FREE ME, DAMN YOU!"

The magical power in my hands increased as I walked toward her. Raynare gasped, her breath showing her fear of death.

"You've lost, Raynare," I said in a calm tone, even though I was announcing something.

"GO TO HELL!" she exclaimed.

"You know, that wasn't my plan. I was hoping I'd be further ahead in the order of events because one of my plans was to get you to join my group. You're strong, experienced, and intelligent — well, intelligent to a certain degree. However, things haven't turned out the way I wanted. You've already done too much harm to Issei and also to my Bishop, Asia. I can't invite you to be my Pawn after that."

"Hock-too!" Raynare spat on the floor near my feet.

A trickle of blood mixed with saliva ran down the corner of her mouth, and the look in her violet pupils was one of disgust.

"I would never work for a devil! I abhor them! You are all aberrations who should never have existed! We, the Fallen Angels, are the true superior race! Heaven is rightfully ours! It's our mission to take back what belongs to us and rule over everyone like the divine beings we are!"

I confess the intensity of her belief slightly surprised me. "Um. You talk about this supremacy and taking over Heaven... Is that why Kokabiel, you and some other Fallen Angels are planning to restart the war between the Three Great Factions?"

Raynare's jaw dropped when she heard me mention her boss's name. "H-how do you... How do you know about all this!?"

I ignored her completely. "I won't tell you how I know, but I can tell you that you and the others have forgotten one minor detail, Raynare. Tell me, who was the first Fallen Angel and the most powerful of you all?"

Raynare's eyes widened for a second, then she gritted her teeth. I smiled.

"Lucifer. The most beautiful and powerful of the angels. The one who tried to rise above everything... and ended up being cast down. You know he is the predecessor of all the Fallen Angels and also the father of devils."

Raynare's expression contorted into fury, and she turned her face away. I took a step forward, knelt in front of her, and lifted her chin with the tip of my index finger.

"You've lost. It's over for you. Now, tell me: do you really believe in the superiority of your race, or are you just repeating Kokabiel's idiotic indoctrination?"

Raynare struggled against the stone columns that held her. "Say what you want! It doesn't matter!"

"Well, I really tried to turn you into an ally, but it won't be possible... Besides, you're not as much fun as I thought you'd be." I extended my right hand toward her, and the magic circle with the Power of Destruction finally appeared.

At that moment, trapped and the target of such powerful magic, Raynare knew that I no longer planned to spare her. But, like the good liar she was, she would try anything to survive.

Suddenly, that angry expression on her face disappeared, and her eyes showed confusion and innocence.

"Please..." she said in a sweet tone. "Please don't kill me! That's not me! The truth is Raynare is possessing me! I am Yuuma Amano! I never wanted to hurt anyone! She forced me to do those horrible things! Issei-kun... Asia-chan... I never wanted to hurt them! Sniff, sniff... I'm just possessed!"

Anyone who didn't know what Raynare was would feel sorry for her. Unfortunately for her, I knew her very well.

"Sorry, but those tricks don't work on me."

The magic circle of the Power of Destruction in my hand widened, and the crimson glow of it lit up the entire chamber.

Realizing that I hadn't taken the bait, Raynare's eyes widened. "Wait! You can use me! I can be useful!" Raynare shouted.

And then... the Power of Destruction swallowed her whole. Crimson flames devoured her body so quickly that the fire went out before it fully appeared. Her wings burned last, and what little remained of her after the glow of the Power of Destruction faded dissolved into the air like ashes in the wind. In the end, nothing of Raynare was left. 

"What a waste," I said softly.

I didn't feel any remorse for her death. It was more for the lost possibility of using her. Even if I had tried to interrogate her, from the moment I saw her eyes filled with such repulsion, I would never have trusted a word that came out of her mouth. 

I let out a sigh and relaxed my shoulders.

[A large group of Patrons liked the brutal way you killed the character Raynare.]

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I expected another message after the second one, one of those signaling that the scene was over. However, it didn't come.

Confused, I scratched the top of my head: "What's going on here?" 

It was then that I felt a familiar magical power emanating from above me, on the surface. 

"Looks like I'll have to face Rias-neesan's scolding."

Feeling Rias' magical power, I knew she had finished her part with the other fallen angels. As I took my first step to leave the altar, I felt like I'd stepped on something. I frowned and looked down. A pair of silver rings with green jewels were sparkling, emanating a faint magical aura.

"Ow... How did I almost forget that?" I bent down and picked up the pair of rings.

It was Asia Argento's Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing.

'I could take this for myself and have my own Sacred Gear, but what's the point of having Asia as my Bishop if she can't use her healing abilities?'

I put it away in my magical inventory and calmly walked up the stairs to face Rias. It wouldn't be easy to explain what I was doing there when I was supposed to be in my apartment.