Chapter 34: Unheroic Heroes

Ignoring Cao Cao's proud declaration of his heroic heritage, everyone was lost in fear or awe at the True Longinus, even the tip alone was too much, glowing blue and menacing. It's full appearance was a lengthy dark blue blue rod. It features golden metal decorations, in the shapes of arrow tips, that spiral around in a double helix pattern. The decorations finish at the top of the rod of the spear which features a white circle, which is completely empty, and has a cross that fills in the circle, but leaves the rest hollow. A small silver stump lies atop, which features four protrusions; two on the left and the other two on the right. The sword of the spear was also far extensive than a regular spear.

Shaking ensured from the former church trio as they gaped visually the most at the relic that pierced the side of Jesus.

'This pressure is so extreme. It feels hard to even look at,' Xenovia thought, her blades almost hitting from all her shaking.

Keiji's aura flared up, snapping the worried Irina and Asia as well. "Are all of you fine?" Keiji asked, bringing Ascalon out for the occasion.

"So I'm not the only one with a weapon for killing devils. A devil wielding it is a good joke," Cao Cao said, then turning to a hooded member. "Leonardo, why not show your magnificent Longinus power?!"

Eyes turned to the short person, the removed hood revealing it to be a short, dark-skinned young boy with gray-blue hair and purple eyes. Like the other Hero Faction members, he was garbed in their attire.

"The fuck did you do to that kid?" Keiji asked, immediately able to tell that the dead eyes meant that the kid wasn't being treated well. 

A blast of flames were let off but they were parted by the True Longinus. "Hardly anything. It's just that having such a powerful Longinus shouldn't be wasted."

Shadows appeared underneath Leonardo's feet as they opened out wide, the other dodging back in case it was something harmful. Breaking off, the shadows took form as hulking but slouching black beasts.

"So many Longinus users here is such a historic moment. And for all you devils, how about some anti-devil monsters for you to face!"

From above, light spears rained down on the creatures. "It's both amazing and horrible. For the creation of things such as these, I can only assume the kid is the possessor of Annihilation Maker. Honestly, such troublesome powers."

"Asia, protect Kunou! Make sure to—!"

Keiji flipped back as a beam of light shot out from the red glowing eye of the robot. 'Guess that's where the light part comes from,' Keiji thought.

"Yuuto, give Asia one of the Holy Eraser blades for defence! We can handle the rest of them ourselves!" Keiji said, easily back flipping and decapitating one of the anti-monsters.

Azazel donned his Downfall Dragon Armour as he began to clash with Cao Cao, light sparks off their respective weapons. "Just what is your goal, Cao Cao? You probably collected data off the assassin attacks for those anti-monsters."

The True Longinus shot out a blue arc, everyone dodging as it levelled a couple creatures by accident. "It's really simple. Using Yasaka will allow us to bring Great Red to this dimension. All that is left will be to beat the dragon."

Hearing all of that made Keiji stop. A light beam was sent his way but Keiji simply used Ascalon to bash the beam right back into the creature, cleaning killing it. "That's a really fucking stupid idea, idiot! Looks like you just want to drag everyone into your own suicidal glory hound act! Ignoring that, I'm really fucking angry that your stupid attempt at glory is kidnapping a mother and making her daughter cry."

"Then what will you do about it?" Cao Cao said with an arrogant smirk, brandishing his spear to pierce Keiji.

Azazel looked down at the rumbling he was hearing. The waters looked to be turning red as an upheaval of water made everyone look to the giant golem appearing. Turquoise glowing eyes and a bronze body. 

"I should just knock this kid out before he becomes a hassle!" Keiji grunted out.

Azazel raised a hand. "That isn't the kid's doing. It's the Gogmagog, a legendary giant created by gods eons ago! How did it get here?!"

While the giant golem went to work, it gave Keiji a chance to surprise Cao Cao with a kick to the face and allowed Azazel to continue on Cao Cao.

A familiar magic circle appeared, but a new face spawned out of it. Flying out to greet them was a girl on a broom stick with shoulder-length blonde hair. The blue-eyed slim girl was wearing a sorceress-like dress with a huge blue hat with a black bow and yellow stars and matching cape with pink flowers and a white interior.

"Friend or foe?" Keiji asked right off the bat.

The foreign girl bent her hat. "Nice to meet you friend! My name is Le Fay Pendragon, and I'm a mage on Vali's Team. Watch out!"

Following instinct and her advice, Keiji dodged a blast from the True Longinus. "I guess I can trust you, but why are you here? I'm still cautious because Vali is my supposed rival."

"That's because it's punishment to Cao Cao. Vali isn't all that happy with his reckless acts," Le Fay Pendragon explained, putting her best Vali accent.

Keiji just nodded. "Right... I see."

"Before that, can I shake your hand?! I'm a big fan!" Le Fay asked, a bit flushed at being so close to her idol.

Whilst Keiji just accepted the weird situation, another person was thinking about how to make the most of the opportunity given. "This good enough?"

"Yes, very much so! I hope to see you more, Red Dragon Emperor Keiji!"

Cao Cao flipped backwards a bit. "Well, I must say we've been taken aback a bit. But that doesn't matter because—"

Swirling like a comet in the air was a whole army of water. The remaining anti-monsters were literally washed away and crushed by the turbulent force. The smaller figures of the Hero Faction were also spotted as the river continued to rampage through the area, only stopping thanks to the purple haze around them.

With raised hands, Ingvild, still in her water swinging motion, blinked in surprise at her damage done. A sheepish look on her face at the damage. "I didn't even know I could do that," she said, feeling the others look at her in surprise.

"Okay, since when were you Tobirama?" Keiji asked.

'They have people this powerful,' Kunou thought, eyes gaping in surprise at the power she displayed. 'She could destroy the world like that!'

Xenovia patted her on the back. "That was amazing!"

Jutting out before coming in full view was the True Longinus. Dripped and disguised, Cao Cao sighed as he pointed his famed spear. "We'll be waiting for all of you at the Nijou Castle! The fate of Kyoto will depend on this night where you face us!" Cao Cao warned them, clearly ticked of at the situation. 'This is gonna cost me a lot! I'm half tempted to use that!'

Dimension Lost then curled around them and the Hero Faction was gone, the atmosphere back to normal as the group knew to regroup next.

The giant golem's body vanished in particles as Le Fay tilted her head. 'I hope I get to see him again,' the witch thought, a longing look being given as she eventually left off.

***

Back at the hotel, they ate to regain their strength and got together for a talk. "Xenovia, your sword should be back in time for tonight's battle," Azazel told her, making Xenovia smile at being reunited with her blade.

"I can't wait to hold my Durandal again!" Xenovia spoke.

Ingvild and Keiji was pulled together by the fallen angel leader. "You two are the aces up our sleeves, even if it is dangerous. Especially you Ingvild."

"Me?! Sure, I can manipulate water but are you really sure?"

Azazel chuckled. "Yeah, right. Most likely, your unknown Sacred Gear may be an unknown Longinus," Azazel told them, both Keiji and Ingvild looking at each other with surprised gazes at that fact. "From what I've seen, you have amplified powers over water; not counting your natural ability with it as a Leviathan, and that you can affect dragons in either a positive or negative way. Whether it be strengthening, weakening, or even manipulating them. If I recall, you stopped Keiji going berserk and firing at Ilulu, right?"

Ingvild nodded. "Yes, I did. My singing helped achieve that, I think."

'That also explains the time in the basement.'

After some planning and readying, it was decided that the Sitri group would help by splitting up and dealing with their anti-monsters that would be launched, and all the girls had basically demanding a kiss from Keiji for good luck, they split up and head forward. Almost becoming standard practice at the point.

***

Ready for take off, a panting Kunou made Keiji stop. "What is it? I'm about to leave," Keiji said, wondering what her potential important news could be.

"I want to go with you!" Kunou said. "If my mother will really be there, then I have to be there, too!"

While it was dangerous. Keiji reluctantly accepted. "Sure, but I'll be giving you a bodyguard," Keiji told her, summoning his short sidekick.

"Oh, is there gonna be intense action, Master?!" Ilulu asked.

Kunou just stared at the bouncing balloons in shock, a feeling akin of A-cup angst coming over her for a moment but it was more from surprise than shame. 'She's only my height but her chest is almost the same size as mother's!'

"Ilulu, I need you to stay by Kunou's side."

Ilulu straightened up and nodded with a smile, laughing. "Right! I'll keep the little for safe for you, Master!" Kunou stiffened a bit when Ilulu looked to her. "Are you Master's new mate?" she casually asked.

Shy spittings came from Kunou's mouth, blemishing her face burgundy. "T-that's not really something that's been said or decided!"

"We meet again, Red Dragon Emperor!" 

Appearing in front of them was a young man with black hair tied into a bun, he also wears a pair of shades. His attire consists of a black Japanese school uniform.

"Do I know you?" Keiji asked.

Veins popped with an audible cracking noise. "I'M THE REINCARNATION OF THE SON OF THE GREAT HERO CU CHULAINN! REMEMBER, THE GROUP OF SACRED GEAR USERS THAT ATTACKED!"

Finally, the cogs were in place as Keiji nodded. "That kinda rings a bell, but we dealt with those guys so easily I can't recall their faces."

Shadows crept up Connla's body as his fist was bursting red with fury. "Just for that, I'll beat you with my own Balance Breaker: Night Reflection Death Cross!"

"Oh, the shadow dude!" Keiji remarked.

Clad in the darkness nebula armour, he flashed a smirk. "With my new power, I'm invincible! Leaving me near death was the last mistake you'll make!" he shouted, charging forward.

Only to be left a smoking corpse as Ilulu met Keiji's deadpan smile while she burped the last of poisonous flames. "He's one of those side enemies, right, Master? In those manga you read?" she replied.

'To defeat him so easily. And she's only his familiar. Perhaps I don't need to worry,' Kunou thought, still in awe. "Amazing, you two! That breath attack was like a Senjutsu technique. Keiji, you are amazing to be able able to have someone likes this as your subordinate."

Keiji thanked her but then moved on to getting onto the battlefield, Kunou and Ilulu with him.

Meanwhile, the group continued to charge on. The wave of anti-monsters were easily being crushed as the Gremory and Sitri groups met up at the city, though it was fake as the Dimension Lost had been roaming around them.

"Serafall and Azazel are aiding with destroying the anti-monsters? That explains the large destruction via ice and water."

Marching forward, the Gremory group had a serious staredown with the Hero Faction members: Cao Cao at Keiji, Siegfried; a man with silver hair and red eyes, focusing on Yuuto and Xenovia, Georg at Rossweisse, Jeanne at Asia and Irina, and Heracles at Koneko and Ilulu. Ingvild just nodded as she took to Xenovia and Yuuto's side. 

"Looks like you've come. Good. It'll be nice to show you the true power of humanity with this True Longinus!"

Keiji pointed at Cao Cao. "Enough talking! Run your hands!"

A grin came over the young Chinese man as he turned to Georg, a young man with black hair, glasses, and a magical robe over the usual Hero Faction attire.

Georg nodded as Kunou's eyes widened as they revealed their hostage, someone very close to Kunou. Yasaka had a voluptuous figure and very long blonde hair with matching eyes. She is a woman with delicate facial features and her eyebrows are cut very short and round a symbol of nobility. Her hair was held back by a traditional hair ornament, with six golden bira kanzashi and several red kanzashi. Currently, her attire consisted of a yellow kimono, a golden obi, and wore a black pelt, with gold skulls and lines printed on it. The kimono features a white interior and it is open at her shoulders, giving view to her enormously large breasts.

"Mother!" Kunou called out but Yasaka did not respond. "Mother, why can't you hear me?!"

'I know it's not the time but I can't help but be impressed that there's another woman as stacked as Lucoa,' he thought, mentally shaking his head and resolving himself. Keiji gently nudged Kunou back. "You're probably not gonna answer me but what did you do to her?! She has the same dead look in her eye as the kid! Also, you fuckers need to give her back! Not that you'll listen, though I'll make sure you really fucking regret it!" Keiji promised.

Cao Cao just tapped the True Longinus against his shoulder as his smile continually annoyed Keiji, making it hard not to just rush and try and crush his skull. "I told you that we will be performing a little experiment," he explained. "Georg!"

"Roger!" Georg said, floating to safety and sprouting a multitude of different magical circles; Rossweisse noting the different magic from Norse, devil, fallen and more.

Condensing into a rainbow sphere, it flew into Yasaka. She began clutching her head in pain before hunching. A golden glow exploding out as she turned into her full Nine-Tailed Kitsune form. Most of her fur was light golden, save the bushy part near her neck that was richer. Her eyes a corrupted amber.

"Mother..." Kunou muttered.

"I'll take care of the Nine-Tailed Kitsune!" Genshirou said.

Keiji nodded. "We're counting on you."

"VRITRA PROMOTION!"

Genshirou was now transformed into a snake-like black dragon with purple tentacles, the Blaze Black Flare flames ready for battle. Instantly, Genshirou slithered forward and tackled the massive Nine-Tailed Fox, their battle far way from the main attraction.

"Everyone, he's mine!" Keiji told them, his piercing gaze focused on Cao Cao, all of them nodding and instinctively seeking out their own opponents.