DxD: Celeste 9: Interlude: Cao Cao

DxD: Celeste 9: Interlude: Cao Cao

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Commissioned by Althero and Chaosbrain

Wordcount: 2000

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“Georg!”

“I’m trying to get away, but something is stopping us!”

“How is that possible!?”

“I don’t know!”

It began in an instant, while we were gathered to discuss our next move. We’d heard rumors all over the world. Something or someone appeared that was making waves. They were supposedly human, but they had some sort of connection to the Fallen. Nothing about that was wrong, but if they were completely in league with the Grigori, then we wouldn’t have a chance of being allies with them.

But, before that, we were piecing together all the information that we gathered on this new entity.

From our people all over the world, those who wanted us to use our Sacred Gears, skills, and talent for them, we compounded information. A young woman of South American descent that was spotted eating with Azazel. However, that young woman wasn’t one of his newest wives, but some sort of friend or equal that he worked with. There was also a Japanese high schooler involved that they suspected had a Sacred Gear and who referred to both as “teacher,” which implied they found a capable combatant to train.

The fact that she was older than most of us was an issue, because she could’ve been around to form other allies and commitments in the shadows. It always struck me as strange that older Sacred Gear users were rare, but now I understood why. They were unknown variables with great power and influence if left alone, and that was something that most supernatural groups wouldn’t like. They’d rather have them be known subordinates or enemies, rather than independent operators that could switch allegiances and have their own power base.

A part of me was proud that a Hero like her made her own path in the world on her own… and that was as far as my thoughts got, before our hideout was struck.

Struck with absolute, unrelenting force.

At first, we thought it was some attack by human mercenaries, but then weapons beyond humanity started to crash against us in combination with the rest.

Missiles rained from the sky, lasers flashed for an instant and struck against our defenses, and flying robots armed to the teeth with bizarre, but effective weapons struck against us as coordinated swarms. In an instant, every battle I’d every faced before was washed away as nothing more than a spar, or perhaps a dangerous hunt, because I was suddenly thrust into a war with all my allies… without the ability to escape.

“Tch, stay behind me and try any sort of attack you can, then!” I had skill, experience, talent, and the True Longinus. From birth, I was gifted as a warrior and a leader, and over the years I found that I learned rapidly when it came to anything concerning combat and tactics. Not only that, but I found myself able to gather people with talent, keep them close, and point them towards the same goal, both inside and outside of battle. Rumors abounded that great people were blessed with Sacred Gears at birth, and from what I learned about myself, I couldn’t contest the saying in the slightest… but now I realized that all of that meant nothing when I was attacked out by an unknown force with superior numbers and weaponry. “I’ll take on all the attacks that I can, while the rest of you fight!”

I gathered my strength, focused, and struck against the tide. My senses sharpened to its limit, my body strained and tightened, and I faced the oncoming tide as my allies gathered behind me… but I knew from the very first minute that it was an exercise in futility. Every missile that my spear struck was replaced with another a moment later. Every blast of energy that surged towards us that I intercepted was followed by a dozen more that I couldn’t. Every flying war machine that thundered towards us with perfect coordination with its other copies was easily replaced by another of its kind when I took it down.

Even when my allies began to attack, whittle down our enemies, and erected defenses of their own… I knew in the depths of my heart that we couldn’t win. My own instincts called for me to leave and retreat. As they gave their all, as my gut took in their efforts and as my mind quantified results, and both told me that we were going to be consumed by the tide that we faced. Our magic casters were incapable of matching the rate of firepower, those of us who used brute force and physical strength were being tied down and suppressed, and those of us with special skills were forced to stay on the defensive.

We needed to run away and fight another day, but that avenue was taken from us… and our only hope was Georg using his power in conjunction with mine.

But, even that didn’t work, and something blocked my Longinus… something which I didn’t even think was possible.

“Dammit! How could that have not worked!? I’ve never even used that kind of magic before and none of my predecessors have either!”

When that hope fell away, my survival instinct told me to start choosing a rearguard so that the rest of us could get away… but I bit my tongue and called upon all that I had instead.

No.

Not here.

Not now.

This wasn’t our final battle.

We were heroes, descendants, and inheritors of humanity’s greatest gifts, and it was our duty to use those powers against those who would threaten humanity. If we backed down now, then how could we call ourselves heroes? When a grave threat appeared to target us specifically… how long before it targeted the rest of humanity? How was humanity supposed to stand against this sort of power when we couldn’t? Everyone will be forced to submit to the Three Factions, just so that they could survive.

So, I did the only thing that I could in the face of the most dangerous threat I faced.

I called for everyone to follow my lead in an attack.

“To me! We’re counter-attacking now! Georg focus on defense… everyone else fight!” It was a gamble, but I didn’t regret it the moment I spoke the words. “Focus on the flying machines and endure hits!”

I heard grumbling, complaining, and even a curse or two my way… but we rallied and came together against the tide.

Georg defended us with his power, sending attacks elsewhere at a rapid rate and giving us the room, we needed to rally, consolidate, and fight together.

But just as we gained momentum and began to make ground, Georg let loose a strangled cry.

“Oh no… Cao Cao we need to run!” The panic I heard in his voice nearly had me lose my footing and get struck. It was a miracle that I managed to avoid it and stare at Georg’s way as he pointed at the sky, with a head slickened with sweat. His eyes were as wide to the point that his glasses looked far too small, but I didn’t care about that. All that mattered was what he was pointing at. “Those… all of those were just the start!”

The sky itself shimmered and turned from a bright, clear blue into something else that I could only laugh upon seeing.

“It’s a damn magical spaceship.” It was a ship straight out of science fiction built for the sole purpose of conflict. Layers and layers of sloped armor, with no weak points available to the cursory eye, and an egregious amount of what I could only understand as slits for weapons. It was dagger-like in overall shape, but it was so large that looking at it head-on from the prow felt like being faced with a building. “Holy crap.”

It’s size and existence wasn’t the only thing unveiled as it revealed itself, though.

The power that it had became apparent that moment it came into being.

“Crap.” I spoke as I heard my friends and allies cry out and stagger at the sheer power that the white-and-gold ship radiated. It felt like I was being pushed down and crushed in every direction, while a strange sensation made me feel like I was being burned and electrocuted at the same time. That was through my protections with the True Longinus. My allies were barely capable of standing in the presence of the massive construct… and that meant that they were already out of the fight. “Well… this isn’t good.”

I looked George’s way, and to his credit, he was still standing and trying to summon a way out for us… but he was failing. Even though his eyes were bloodshot and blood was surging out of his nose from his concentration and effort, he couldn’t secure an exit for us.

So, I did the only thing I could… and readied myself to fight after glancing their way after a simple command.

“Everyone. Go and run. I’ll hold this off.” Could I do it? A part of me said I couldn’t, but another part of me surged with excitement and anticipation at the thought of what I was going to try to do. All my life, I’ve felt unchallenged thanks to all my talents. But here and now, I felt like a beaten down dog faced by a monster… and it made my heart race like nothing else ever did before. The thought of fighting it alone, giving everything I had in the fight, made me grin. “When I take out whatever’s stopping our retreat, you guys leave with Dimension Lost.”

My allies and friends called out to me, they told me that I shouldn’t, that I was being a vainglorious bastard, and that we could win together… but I didn’t listen.

I called upon all the strength and power that I had instead and became the absolute strongest that I could be… and a voice like thunder echoed through the ship.

“Surrender.”

A single word, but I had a reply ready on my lips the moment it was uttered.

“Never!”

And, with that on my lips, I charged forward.

“K.”

My legs felt like they were going to tear apart, my bones rattled and shook within, and the power that I fed into the Longinus returned to me like a flame that coursed through my veins. It felt like my blood turned into lava and pain scorched through my entire form. I barely felt like I was in control of myself, as I surged forward into the sky, as I brought my spear forward against the pointed prow of the flying ship, and brought forth my god-slaying weapon against its hull.

For the first time, my Longinus felt resistance against its edge, but that was just more reason for me to put more power, more strength, and more of myself into the thrust.

The edges of my vision blackened, but with a wordless yell, I pierced the armor… and poured my power into that gap.

A great, immense flare of power surged from all of me, into my spear, and into the ship. It surged like a searing blade across the ship’s pristine hull and tore across it… revealing more layers of armor beneath.

I’d cut through four.

The thunderous voice spoke once again.

This time it was a single phrase.

“Cute.”

Then, suddenly, its entire surface came to light with magical arrays that all channeled into a single point: the prow that I was right in front of.

Everything else it had fired, I realized, were just its secondary weapons.

“My turn.”

Despite everything, despite the power I felt aimed at me, I found myself barking out a laugh.

This was the absolute best—