While purple mist swirled along the area, painting the world to shades of gray and violet. Motohama kept his eyes locked on Cao Cao him with calculating gaze.
"Motohama, was it?" Cao Cao stepped forward, True Longinus resting casually against his shoulder "I've heard quite a bit about you. I admit, your display of strength of strength against Riser Phenex in the Underworld is very impressive for a supposed human".
Motohama said nothing, keeping his Eyes of Future active, as they didn't know about this ability yet, which was one of his advantages.
"So why you've trapped me in this purple hellscape to what? Get to the point"
Cao Cao laughed, genuine amusement dancing in his eyes "Straight to point. I like that. It's refreshing, honestly. Most people waste time with fear or false pretense when facing the group of Longinus possessors"
"Just answer my question"
"Fair enough" Cao Cao pointed his spear "I'm here because you possess an enormous potential, Motohama. A human who somehow developed real power without selling his soul or begging the other factions for power. That tremor ability of yours, it's not from your potions ability right? Neither devil magic, or any Sacred Gear manifestation that I heard of"
Cao Cao explained "The Hero Faction exists for sole purpose, to prove that humanity doesn't need Gods, Devils, or Angels to survive. That humans can stand above or at equal footing with the supernatural beings through our own strength, our own ingenuity, our own will"
"By using Sacred Gears gifted to you by God?" Motohama pointed out dryly.
Cao Cao's smile widened "Ah, but Sacred Gears are proof of human potential, not divine charity. God created the system, yes, but it's humans who wield them. Humans who push them to evolve, who unlock Balance Breaker, who turn these tools into weapons capable of killing Gods themselves" He gestured to True Longinus "This spear killed the Son of God. A human wielded it then, and a human wields it now"
"So you're collecting powerful humans to prove a point," Motohama said "What does that have to do with me?"
Cao Cao continued "I think you're wasting your potential with devils who will never truly see you as an equal. Rias Gremory might smile at you, might use your potions, might even pretend to value your opinion, but at the end of the day, you're human. Disposable and Replaceable, to them"
"And joining your faction would be different how?"
"Because we are all humans" Cao Cao said simply "Every member of the Hero Faction understands what it means to be looked down upon by the other supernatural beings. We've all faced that condescension, that dismissal. But together, we're proving them wrong. We're showing the world that humanity's age isn't over, it's just beginning"
He extended his hand, True Longinus still held in the other "Join us, Motohama. With your potions, serve alongside warriors who will respect your strength instead of patronizing you. Help us reshape the world into one where humans don't have to bow to beings who think themselves superior to our race"
Behind Cao Cao, Georg and Jeanne watched intently. Somewhere in the purple mist, Motohama could sense others eyes on him as well.
"What about Kokabiel?" Motohama asked "You're allying yourself with a Fallen Angel Cadre who wants to restart the Great War. How does that fit with your human superiority message?"
Cao Cao's smile didn't waver "Kokabiel is a means to an end. We're using him to gather the resources and intelligence we need. Once his usefulness expires, we will cut our ties with him" He shrugged.
"And those Excalibur fragments you stole from the exorcists?"
"They are necessary acquisitions. The Church hoards power while preaching about God's love. We're simply redistributing those assets to people who'll actually use them to advance humanity's interests"
Motohama stared at him, at True Longinus glowing with divine power, at the extended hand from afar, offering partnership.
"You know what I think?" Motohama said slowly. "I think you're full of shit"
Cao Cao's smile froze.
"You talk about human potential and standing above the supernatural, but you're no different from any other power-hungry faction leader. You use people. You justify casualties as 'necessary.' You ally with the same beings you claim to oppose" Motohama said "To me, it seems the Hero Faction isn't about elevating humanity. It's about elevating you"
The purple mist seemed to grow darker. Georg shifted his stance. Jeanne's hand drifted toward her sword.
Cao Cao slowly lowered his extended hand "That's disappointing. I genuinely hoped you'd see reason to join us"
"Reason?" Motohama let out a mocking laugh "You trapped me in a pocket dimension, and now you're offering me a spot in your terrorist organization. What part of that sounds 'reasonable' to you?"
Cao Cao said, his voice losing its warmth "Join willingly, or we will extract what we need from you by force. One way or another, the Hero Faction will have them from you"
"So it was never really an offer, huh?"
"Every offer comes with consequences for refusal" Cao Cao shifted True Longinus back into a combat grip.
Motohama's Eyes of Future blazed brighter, flooding his mind with visions of the immediate combat to come. Every angle showed pain, blood, near-death scenarios.
But none showed him backing down.
"Then I guess we're doing this the hard way," Motohama said, white light engulfing his arm as his tremor ability surged to full power.
Cao Cao's smile turned into a vicious one "I was hoping you'd say that"
Siegfried stepped forward, while keeping his eyes on Motohama with a hateful stare "Cao Cao. Let me handle this" His hand moved to the hilt of his demonic sword, knuckles tightening against the grip "He has a price to pay for what he took from me"
Cao Cao's head turned slightly, his curious gaze darting toward his subordinate. A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he stepped back, sweeping his arm in mock courtesy "Fair enough"
Siegfried advanced further, drawing out Gram in front of him, the demonic blade emanating destructive aura as it left its sheath.
His face twisted with hatred, as he readied himself to slice off his head
"I'll cut off your—"
SLASH!
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The words died on Siegfried's lips as his head separated from his shoulders.
The movement had been impossibly fast, that it was registered only after the damage was done. Siegfried's body stood there, blade still extended, before crumpling to the ground. His head rolled across the pavement, coming to rest at Cao Cao's feet with a dull thud.
The Hero Faction froze.
Jeanne's eyes went wide, her mouth failing to find any words to call out her former partner. Heracles's massive frame tensed, as his fist clenched from missing the sight of what just happened. Georg took an involuntary step backward, his usual composure replaced by a disbelief.
"N-no way" Jeanne's voice came out strangled, barely above a whisper. She stared at the headless corpse, then snapped her gaze to the above "But how? He didn't even drink the potion—"
Cao Cao followed her line of sight, his expression shifting from amusement to a serious one. Motohama stood on the rooftop above them, silhouetted against the distorted sky of the dimension. In his right hand, he held a pitch-black dagger that leaked faints smoke of darkness.
But it wasn't the dagger, but the aura that drew Cao Cao's attention, a white aura that wrapped around Motohama's entire body with overwhelming yet controlled energy.
'Touki?' Cao Cao's eyes narrowed 'Is this why he kept disappearing for two weeks straight?' He glanced at Georg, catching the mage's nervous display as his throat bobbed visibly, sweat beading on his forehead as he stared up at the figure above them.
Motohama's aura flared brighter. He raised his blade, and the white glow condensed around the steel, compressing until it formed a perfect sphere at the tip.
Then he swung, with every bit of strength in his arms.
WHOOOOOOM!
The compressed tremor exploded outward in a wave of destructive force. The Hero Faction got covered in purple mist, as the buildings in the blast radius simply ceased to exist, reduced to dust and rubble that expanded outwards in a rolling cloud of destruction.
Motohama let the Touki around his body dissipate, the white aura flickering out, as he saved the energy for Cao Cao, the real threat here. His eyes tracked the figures below, and finding no one there.
Then he activated, the Eyes of Future, immediately sensing two presences, approaching fast from opposite directions.
His left arm shot out to the side. Shadow erupted from his palm like a viper of darkness, as it immediately turned into a crow, until it twisted, elongating and solidifying into a masked teenage girl in mid-leap. She held a blade in both hands, edge gleaming as it intercepted Jeanne's sword thrust aimed at Motohama's blind spot.
Motohama didn't watch the clash. He was already spinning right, his fist coming up as white Tremor compressed around it to meet Heracles's punch with his counterstrike in midair.
KRAAAAACK!
The air between them shattered like over a thousands of glass dropped from the air at ground. Visible fractures spread outward from the point of contact, and then Heracles's Sacred Gear—Variant Detonation activated, turning the force of impact into a devastating explosive energy.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion consumed them both, a sphere of fire and pressure that expanded thirty meters in all directions. Smoke billowed upward, thick and black. Through the haze, Motohama burst forward, closing the distance to Heracles with explosive speed. The massive man brought his arm back for another punch, matching the strike.
Motohama launched his own strike, white sphere forming around his fist again. Their knuckles connected with a sound like a cannon shot. Then again. And again. Each impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, shattering windows blocks away and making the ground buckle beneath their feet. Heracles roared, veins standing out on his arms as he threw punch after punch, each one trailing fire and explosive force from his Sacred Gear.
Motohama ducked under his punch by getting a glimpse of few seconds, feeling the heat wash over his shoulder as the explosion trail grazed his skin. He gritted his teeth as the first degree burns spreaded across his upper arm. But his counter was already in motion, Touki-enhanced fist fueled by Tremors driving into Heracles's exposed chest.
BOOOOOOM!
Heracles's eyes went wide. His mouth opened in a soundless gasp as the touki tremor-infused strike sent him rocketing backward. He crashed through one building, then a second, then a third, each impact marked by the sound of shattering glasses and concretes. His form disappeared into the distance, a trail of destruction marking his path. For a single moment, the entire pocket dimension shuddered, walls of purple mist flickering like a damaged television screen.
Motohama landed hard on the street, his right hand hanging at his side. Blood dripped from his split knuckles, painting red dots on the pavement. He felt his fingers heal, despite feeling the mind numbing pain, then activated his Eyes of Future.
The world shifted. Possible futures branched out before him like a tree made of light—and in every visible branch, a massive torrent of holy energy was already streaking toward his position from the left.
He turned into it, bringing both arms up and flooding them with Touki just as the blast hit.
WHAAAAAM!
The light was blinding, a torrent of divine power that knockee and hurled him backward. He crashed through buildings just like Heracles had, his Touki-enhanced body smashing through walls that exploded into clouds of dust and debris. Through it all, he kept his arms up, teeth gritted behind his smile.
'Perfect! He fell for it'
After a moment, he found himself deep into a half-collapsed structure. Rubble rained down around him as he finally came to rest in a crater of shattered concrete and his own blood pool. He lay there for a moment, catching his breath, then began pushing weight off his chest.
Footsteps echoed through the ruins.
Motohama looked up through the dust to see Cao Cao standing at the edge of the crater, True Longinus resting casually against his shoulder. The spear's blade gleamed with holy light, and Cao Cao's expression was one of cool amusement.
A thin line of blood traced from the corner of his Motohama's mouth down to his chin, he wiped it away with the back of his hand, examining the red smear briefly before returning his attention to boy, in front of him.
"When are you going to use your potions?" Cao Cao's voice carried easily across the space between them, tinged with mock concern. He pointed the True Longinus directly at Motohama "At this rate, you'll end up dying, without using your sacred gear, Phoenix Slayer."
Motohama spat blood to the side, his hand moved to his dimensional storage, fingers finding the newest addition of his weapon to the arsenal. He pulled out the Chastiefol spear, letting it materialize fully in his grip.
Cao Cao's eyebrows rose "A spear?" He then laughed, as Motohama got up with it "You think it's a good idea to use a spear against a True Longinus wielder? How foolish of you!"
Cao Cao exploded forward, closing the distance in a fraction of a second. Their weapons met with a shower of sparks, blade grinding against blade. Motohama wrapped himself in Touki as he matched Cao Cao's inhuman speed.
They separated and slashed at each other again and again, each exchange leaving trails of light in the air where their weapons collided. Steel clashed against steel, throwing off more sparks that rained down around them like fire rain.
Motohama retreated, putting distance between them. Cao Cao didn't pursue immediately, instead, he thrust the True Longinus forward, and lances of holy light erupted from the blade's tip.
FWOOOSH!
FWOOOSH!
FWOOOSH!
Motohama's eyes glowed brighter, pupils dilating as he accessed more of the Eyes of Future. Each blast of light veered away from him at the last possible moment, his precognition letting him twist and shift his body just enough to avoid direct hits. Cao Cao's eyes narrowed as he watched with understanding.
"It was precognition, afterall" Cao Cao murmured. He stopped firing, letting the True Longinus rest in both hands "That explains how you using the spear so well"
They circled each other slowly, Cao Cao's voice cut through the silence "You're never going to defeat me if you just keep fighting from a distance, Phoenix Slayer. Eventually, your body will give out"
Motohama planted his feet and thrust both palms forward. White spheres of compressed in Touki and Tremors formed in front of his hands, then launched forward like cannonballs.
They blasted through the air, leaving distortion trails in their path.
Cao Cao spun the True Longinus, holy energy flaring around the blade. He cut through both spheres as easily as parting water, the compressed spheres dissipating into harmless wisps
"If you won't end this properly," he said, already moving forward "then I'll put an end to our battle myself!"
The aura erupted around Cao Cao's spear, refined through years of training and blessed by the True Longinus itself. He became a streak of light, closing the distance faster than before.
Motohama raised the Chastiefol spear high. Darkness bled from the wood, turning the weapon pitch-black from end to end with Armament haki. Then white aura of Touki layered over it, as he dashed forward to meet Cao Cao's charge, with tips of their weapons were aimed perfectly at each other's hearts.
The auras around the blades collided against each other!
BOOOOOOOOOM!
Reality itself seemed to distort around them. The explosion was pure energy meeting pure will, two opposing forces trying to occupy the same space. Everything within several kilometers atomized in an instant. The shockwave expanded outward in a perfect sphere, and where it passed, leaving behind the scorched earth.
Georg stood at the edge of the destruction, purple mist swirling around him in a protective barrier. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the centre of it.
"I-Impossible"
"Their blades.... aren't even touching..."
He was right.
At the very center of the devastation, Motohama and Cao Cao stood locked in position, their spear tips separated by a hair's breadth.
The auras around their weapons pressed against each other, neither giving ground. Motohama's muscles screamed as he poured every ounce of human strength into maintaining the push. His Touki blazed brighter, burning through his reserves at an alarming rate.
Across from him, Cao Cao's expression was calm, barely bothered as he channeled the True Longinus's divine power.
"As a human" Cao Cao said through the roar of clashing energies "You've surpassed your limits. You've gone further than me!"
He pushed harder, The True Longinus glowing brighter, and cracks began appearing along the blade of the Chastiefol spear. The wood groaned under the strain.
Motohama's eyes remained locked on Cao Cao's. Sweat poured down his face, muscles trembling with effort. But he didn't give up as he continued to pour every bit of his strength to his spear.
"Fate!" Cao Cao continued, his voice rising "has chosen me to lead humanity's future! The True Longinus chose me for a reason, not you!"
Motohama's lips pulled back in a grin, as he said "Let's see what Fate have to say, when you are knocked out in the dirt"
'It's like that old man said to Luffy, the moment of crisis will trigger it!'
A faint orange glow began emanating from his hands, as Motohama focused every bit of his energy into his arms to the spear after practicing this same technique for over two weeks of his training with Syr.
[[ Ryuo ]]
The orange trail of energy spread along the length of the Chastiefol spear, flowing over the cracks, traveled from his spear until it passed through the grip of Cao Cao's spear.
"W-What?"
Cao Cao's eyes went wide, as he felt a foreign energy invade his body. His body locked up, every muscle seizing simultaneously as overwhelming pain exploded through his brain. Blood erupted from his mouth in a violent cough, spraying across his chest and the ground before him.
"No way—" he managed to gasp, as he looked at his blood in disbelief.
Motohama pulled back, reversing his grip on the spear. His other hand shot with fist wrapped in a white sphere of compressed Touki and Tremor, while Cao Cao was distracted. He punched the end of his spear with everything he had left.
BOOOOOOOM!
The accumulated force released all at once, channeled directly through the spear's length and into Cao Cao's body. The leader of the Hero Faction was blasted alway so fast he left an afterimage. He crashed through the remnants of buildings, through rubble piles, through everything in his path, until he finally slammed into the purple mist barrier at the edge of the dimension hard enough to make the entire purple mist dimension ripple.
Cao Cao slid down to the ground, still gripping the True Longinus. Blood leaked from his mouth, nose, and ears. His breathing came in ragged gasps. He forced himself upright using the spear as a crutch, planting it against the ground and hauling himself to his feet.
'Did he use the enhancement potion when he was getting blasted through the buildings?' Cao Cao's mind worked through the realization despite the pain. 'It was the same setup as with Siegfried. We were all so focused on waiting for him to drink a potion before fighting..' He coughed, spitting more blood 'But he'd already used the potion. Everything after that, the apparent struggle of his was just a play, to make me believe Touki was his only advantage'
He looked across the devastated landscape to where Motohama stood. The Phoenix Slayer was leaning heavily on the Chastiefol spear, chest heaving as he gasped for air. His Touki had flickered out completely, leaving him pale and shaking.
"Haha....you are the strongest human I've ever faced," Cao Cao admitted, a smile over his bloody lips "Truly worthy of the title Phoenix Slayer"
Purple mist materialized directly in front of him. Georg stepped through, one hand extended with the mist swirling around his fingers.
"Cao Cao, we have to retreat. Now" His usual calm was gone, replaced by urgent concern "I've evacuated the rest of the team to a safe location. Someone is trying to break into the dimension from outside, I can feel the dimensional barriers weakening"
Cao Cao reached into his jacket with his free hand, fingers closing around a small crystal vial. Phoenix tears—genuine ones, procured at great expense. He uncorked the vial and tilted his head back, letting the glowing liquid splash across his injuries. The effect was immediate.
Within seconds, he was breathing normally again, though exhaustion still weighed on his limbs.
He looked at Motohama one last time. The Phoenix Slayer met his gaze, still standing despite obvious exhaustion. Cao Cao's smile widened into something approaching genuine respect.
"Let's continue this another time, Phoenix Slayer" His voice carried across the distance clearly
"This isn't over"
The purple mist began rising around them, pocket dimension shuddered, walls of energy flickering and destabilizing. Reality reasserted itself as distorted sky split apart, dissolving completely.
Motohama dismissed the Chastiefol spear back into his dimensional storage. His legs began to give out, as he was about to fall to the floor from exhaustion of hitting his limit.
A pair of soft arms caught him before he hit the ground. A familiar, intoxicating scent filled his nose. He managed to tilt his head up, looking up into Lady Sitri's face. She was grinning down at him with amused satisfaction, her eyes gleaming with approval and interest.
"You have a lot of explanations to give, kid" she said, holding him in his arms "For now, let Mommy take care of you~"
Motohama's consciousness slipped away in darkness, as the last thing he registered was the softness of her embrace and the notification of completion of the quest.
. . .
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