Leonardo stood with his eyes narrowed and both arms raised forward, channeling his will into the shadow beneath his feet. From it, dark silhouettes emerged and solidified into monstrous forms.
With a grunt, Leo commanded.
"Go!"
A pack of black werewolves leapt from the shadows, each of them snarling with bared bone masks over their faces.
They rushed toward Arthur, their claws gleaming and teeth gnashing.
Arthur rolled to the side, drawing a Destructive Blade from thin air using his PoD.
"Too slow!"
Arthur darted in, his demonic blade slashing in a crescent arc that sent the first three werewolves collapsing into puffs of black mist.
Next came a spinning boar with bone plates on its back.
It charged straight at Arthur, kicking up dirt as it spun like a saw.
Arthur planted his feet and raised his sword in a parrying stance, letting the boar strike, but instead of being thrown back, Arthur twisted his body and redirected the impact.
With a single powerful strike, he cleaved the boar in two, its body dissipating mid-spin.
Above, birds with dark wings and bone-beaked faces dove down, their feathers launching like barbed arrows.
Arthur leapt and twisted mid-air, cutting through the projectiles as he flipped backward, landing without a scratch.
"Not bad, Leo!"
On the sidelines, Heracles clapped his hands and shouted.
"Yeah! Beat him up, Leo! Show him who's boss!"
Cao Cao stood nearby, arms crossed and eyes sharp, observing silently.
Lavinia sat on the bench with a parasol shading her.
"Leo is doing better than last time."
Georg nodded beside her, book in hand, spectacles catching the sunlight.
"Indeed. He's improving quickly. His summoned creatures are stable. I recall that Arthur had a hand in creating Leo's new monsters."
Leo gritted his teeth as sweat dripped down his face.
He thrust his palm forward again, this time a massive black bear emerged, ten feet tall with a muscular frame and a snarling bone mask.
It roared, shaking the trees and startling a few birds from their nests.
With a ground-quaking stomp, it charged Arthur, its maw opening wide.
Arthur's expression turned serious.
He ducked under the first swipe and vaulted over the next, then narrowly dodged a biting lunge.
As the bear twisted and snapped at him, Arthur grabbed the beast's upper and lower jaws with both hands, his arms flexing with immense power.
With a roar of effort, Arthur forced the jaws open wider, cracks forming along its body, until the bear's torso tore in half and it disintegrated..
Arthur lowered his arms, exhaling calmly.
"Well done."
Leo, breathing hard and wide-eyed, gave a tired smile.
Arthur walked over and gave him a headpat.
"Great job, Leo. You're getting stronger every day."
The others approached with light clapping and words of praise.
Heracles threw a thumbs up.
"That was awesome, kid!"
"Your conjurations are growing more defined."
Georg added with approval.
Cao Cao simply gave a thumbs up.
Leo looked bashful from the attention, scratching his cheek and glancing away.
"T-Thanks…"
Arthur chuckled, rubbing the boy's head again.
"Better get used to it, buddy. You're part of the gang now."
Just as Leo was about to face another opponent, Arthur's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He frowned and excused himself.
"Hold that thought."
He stepped away, pulling the flip phone from his pocket and flipping it open.
"Hello? If this is about my car's extended warranty, please leave a me-."
A voice spoke, cutting him off, but Arthur's expression changed instantly.
His smile faded, and his brow furrowed.
As he kept listening, his eyes widened slowly with every word spoken through the receiver.
A long silence followed.
"…"
*Beep*
Arthur shut the phone with a snap, his face blank as he stared into the distance.
His fingers clenched the phone tightly.
A loud crack echoed in his palm as the casing bent under the pressure.
He turned and immediately strode toward the exit without a word, his boots striking the dirt with a hard, deliberate pace.
From a distance, Heracles tilted his head.
"Uh… did something just happen?"
Cao Cao watched Arthur's figure disappear.
"Looks like it."
Lavinia narrowed her eyes, feeling a sense of dread in her chest.
"I'm going after him to check."
She stood straight, folding her parasol and clutching it tightly.
"Wait."
Caocao began, but she was already sprinting after Arthur.
He sighed, then exchanged a look with Heracles.
"I'm going too."
"Same here, it looks like something important."
Heracles said without hesitation, and they both dashed after Lavinia.
Back at the training ground, Leo stood there confused, his shadow creatures slowly vanishing.
He turned to Georg.
"What's going on?"
Georg adjusted his glasses, closing his book.
"I don't know yet… but I don't like the look on Arthur's face. Whatever it was… it wasn't good."
Leo looked in the direction Arthur had gone, concern evident in his eyes.
DxD
At the Chairman's Office, lounging in a high-backed velvet chair, Mephisto Pheles tapped away on a purple Game Boy Color, a lollipop lazily shifting between his lips.
The sudden sound of the elevator door opening made him raise an eyebrow.
Before he could say anything, Arthur stormed in and slammed his palm flat against the wooden desk, the force rattling it and the stack of papers.
Mephisto didn't flinch, just paused his game and looked up over the screen.
"Well well, can I help you with something, Arthur, my boy?"
He said casually, not removing the lollipop from his mouth.
"I'm going away for a while, and I'm taking the others with me."
Arthur said, his voice serious.
Mephisto blinked, then shrugged.
"Okay. But why are you telling me like you need my permission?"
Arthur straightened up, jaw clenched.
"Because I need a favor."
That made the Extra Demon raise an eyebrow, the Game Boy now resting on the desk.
"Now you've got my curiosity."
"I need you to eep an eye on Leonardo while I'm gone."
Arthur said.
Mephisto sucked the lollipop with a wet pop.
"Ahh. That kind of favor."
"I don't want him dragged into this just yet. Just watch him and keep him safe."
Arthur added.
A long silence passed before Mephisto slowly nodded.
"Okay. But… what happened exactly?"
Arthur looked away briefly, his eyes narrowing.
"Long story short, one of my exorcist friends called. Something urgent happened that needs my attention."
"The Vatican?"
Mephisto blinked.
"Ohh, right, you're still technically an exorcist. I keep forgetting."
Arthur turned on his heel to leave.
"Look, just take care of the kid while we're gone, okay?"
Mephisto leaned back in his chair, waving a hand dismissively.
"Of course, of course, go ahead. Go out there and save the day again or something."
Arthur reached for the door handle.
"Oh, and Arthur?"
Mephisto called out with a sly grin.
"Do me a favor and use a noise-canceling spell when you and Lavinia are fucking next time. I've got ears around these parts. Thanks."
Arthur paused, his back stiffening slightly, but he didn't turn around.
He simply pressed the elevator button and disappeared behind the sliding doors.
...
Arthur stood in front of his dresser, methodically putting on each piece of his exorcist gear.
His red hoodie first, then the silver cross, the black vest, his fingerless gloves, black tactical pants, and combat boots.
When he finally finished strapping his belt, he exhaled sharply.
He heard her before she spoke.
"Arthur?"
Lavinia's voice echoed gently from the doorway.
Arthur didn't turn. He tightened the strap on his vest.
"Call the others. Get them ready. We're going out."
There was a pause, then soft footsteps approached.
"What happened?"
She asked, more softly now.
Arthur stopped moving, hand is eyes fell to the floor for a moment.
"A friend of mine from the Vatican called. Said something's happened in my childhood hometown. Didn't tell me what, he just said I needed to get ready."
Arthur finally looked at her. His eyes were calm, but focused.
"Tell the boys to get their shit ready. And call Georg to join us."
He paused, then added with quiet finality.
"This will be our first mission together as the C×C."
Lavinia stared at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
She turned and left to deliver the message.quipped
In a matter of minutes, the team assembled at the entrance, all equiped in their combat attire.
In front of them, Mephisto stood with Leonardo at his side.
Leo gave a small wave.
"Good luck, everyone."
Arthur stepped forward, resting a hand briefly on Leo's head and giving him a small smile.
"You'll be alright. Be good, okay? And don't let Half-n-Half talk you into something stupid."
Mephisto gave a two-finger salute, his smirk wide.
"Don't go dying out there, kids. Oh, and have fun. But not too much fun, I'm looking at you two."
He winked toward Arthur and Lavinia.
Lavinia flushed crimson, cheeks puffing slightly as she looked away.
Arthur, however, said nothing.
He snapped his fingers and a surge of light appeared at the teleportation circle.
"Alright, C×C... Let's roll out."
His voice rang with authority. With certainty.
The teleportation circle flared, in an instant, the team vanished.
DxD
The teleportation circle flashed, and team C×C stood in a wide clearing nestled between dense pine trees and rising slopes.
The air was heavy with a strange tension, too still, too quiet for morning. The smell of rusty metal and distant smoke lingered faintly in the air.
Arthur stepped forward immediately, his eyes scanning the area.
Not far ahead, several exorcists dressed in varying uniforms of the Church noticed their arrival and began to approach.
Their expressions were tight, but when they saw Arthur, a visible sense of relief passed over them.
"Archbishop Arthur!"
One of them called, lowering their weapon and offering a respectful nod.
"Archbishop?"
Heracles muttered, while Arthur returned it with a curt nod.
"Where are they?"
He asked, voice even and sharp.
"This way, sir."
The lead exorcist said, motioning with his hand before turning and leading the group through a narrow forest path.
The others followed close behind.
Lavinia matched Arthur's pace, silent but watchful.
Heracles had his arms behind his head, keeping an easy stride.
Georg's grimoire floated quietly beside him as he scanned their surroundings.
Cao Cao kept to the rear, eyes narrowed in thought.
They stepped onto a cracked, brick-laid road that once looked like it had belonged to a quaint, peaceful town.
Now, large patches were charred, torn up, or stained with dried blood.
Craters and scorched holes in the earth were visible all along the street.
Fires had long been extinguished, but the aftermath lingered.
More exorcists stood guard here, some searching for survivors, others watching the treeline with wary eyes.
Arthur's gaze stopped when he saw her.
"Arthur!"
Jeanne called out, standing near the remains of a water fountain.
Arthur's posture eased slightly as he approached.
"Jeanne."
Beside her was a lean, dark-haired young man dressed in excorcist robes and and shades.
"Connla."
Connla gave a small bow.
"Arthur. It's good to see you again."
Jeanne's eyes drifted to the group standing behind Arthur.
"And… these are?"
Arthur gestured back to them.
"Jeanne, Connla, meet the C×C. A team I formed while I was away."
He pointed to each as he spoke.
"Lavinia Reni. Cao Cao. Heracles. Georg."
The four nodded in turn, each offering their own greeting.
"Hello."
Lavinia gave a polite wave, Heracles grinned, Georg nods, and Cao Cao simply folded his arms.
"And you guys, this is Jeanne Arc, and Connla. They're part of the exorcist team that I'm with."
Arthur continued, looking back at his allies.
"Pleasure, didn't expect Arthur to come back with a crew."
Jeanne said with a friendly smile.
"Further introductions could wait. Take us to the others."
Arthur interrupted, the sharpness in his voice returning.
Jeanne's expression darkened.
"Right. This way."
As they began walking down the road, Arthur moved to Jeanne's side.
"Where's Dulio?"
"Over there at the town. He and Siegfried are still out there investigating the cause of the destruction."
Jeanne pointed down another ruined street where faint movement could be seen.
Arthur's brow furrowed.
His tone dipped into something colder.
"What happened?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Jeanne opened her mouth, but then hesitated. Connla looked away uncomfortably.
The exorcists escorting them exchanged glances. No one answered.
"…It's best you see for yourself."
Connla finally said.
A heavy weight dropped in Arthur's stomach.
He didn't like that answer.
He glanced down when he felt a warm hand slip into his own.
Lavinia's fingers intertwined with his, firm and reassuring.
He looked at her and saw the calm, soft conviction in her eyes.
Her silent way of saying, "I'm here."
He nodded once, quietly, and tightened his grip around her hand.
Behind them, Jeanne raised an eyebrow at the two, muttering under her breath.
"What in the world…?"
Cao Cao, who walked beside her, spoke without turning his head.
"They're dating."
"Oh."
Jeanne blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Huh."
Connla simply smiled faintly.
"I'm happy for him."
The road bent slightly, and the trees cleared fully.
They arrived at the town's entrance.
What was once a lively countryside village now looked like the remnants of a battlefield.
Houses had collapsed into broken frames, and burn marks scorched the streets.
Several exorcists were setting up perimeter wards while others moved debris.
But what stunned them all into silence, aside from Arthur, was what lay just outside the village.
Dozens of corpses.
Some mangled, others still burning slightly, black smoke rising from their flesh.
They were all civilians, families, elderly, children, people who'd lived their lives quietly… now nothing more than lifeless remains.
Some had been torn to pieces. Others had their blood completely drained, eyes wide in silent horror. The ground was stained in black-red pools that refused to be absorbed into the soil.
Lavinia gasped quietly, covering her mouth.
Heracles narrowed his eyes, the usual lightheartedness in his expression gone.
Georg held his mouth as he tried to stop himself from puking.
Even Cao Cao's eyes widened slightly at the sheer brutality of what he was seeing.
But Arthur…
He just stood there frozen in horror.
His breath caught in his throat, and his hands slowly curled into fists.
This was his hometown.
The street he used to walk down.
The farmer's market he used to go shopping with his mother.
The church where they prayed every Sunday.
The soup kitchen that he visits from time to time.
And now, it was all ruined.
"Arthur…"
Lavinia whispered, gently squeezing his hand.
But he said nothing.
DxD
Hello readers!
I hereby declare that research subjects are so pointless that its horseshit.
Thank you everyone and see you later!