The only way to dispel it is by beating Kokabiel.”
Balba said something astonishing. I became speechless. Of course. Because the town I live in would collapse in less than 20 minutes! The magic circle spread around the whole school field and it started glowing and gathering power. Did it activate!? Are you serious!? Is the town I live in…… Is the town we live in seriously going to disappear!? Lies! That’s a lie! We didn’t have the time to be saying something so easygoing like "we have to withstand it until Sirzechs-sama and the others arrive"! By the time Maou-sama’s reinforcement would have arrived, this town would already have been blown away! “Freed!”
Kokabiel called out the name of that shitty priest. “What’s up, Boss?”
A white haired boy priest emerged from the darkness. “Use the Excalibur in the circle. It shall be the last entertainment. Fight while using the Excalibur that has turned into one from the four Excaliburs.”
“Yeah yeah. Geez. My Boss sure uses people recklessly. But but! It’s like I’m so honoured to use the Excalibur-chan that has become super wonderful! Something like that? Uhehehe! I will just chop some Devils now!”
Freed put on a crazy smile while holding the Excalibur located at the centre of the school field. So he could use it. He did say that he received a factor from Balba. Xenovia then spoke to Kiba. “Rias Gremory’s “Knight”. If the cooperation is still valid, let us destroy that Excalibur together.”
“Is it okay?”
Xenovia laughed fearlessly at Kiba’s words. “At worst, it won’t be a problem if I collect the “fragment” of the Excalibur that is acting as the core of it. Since Freed is wielding it, that is a holy-sword but it isn’t a holy-sword. Even if it’s a holy-sword, it’s the same as any other weapon. It changes depending on the person using it. That is a sword of heresy.”
“Kukuku………”
Someone was laughing at the duo’s conversation. It was Balba. “Balba Galilei. I am a survivor of the “Holy-sword Project”. No. I am the one who was killed by you to be more precise. I have continued living by being reincarnated into a Devil.”
Kiba said calmly to Balba. But his eyes were filled with flames of hatred. Depending on Balba’s answer it might become an explosive situation. “Hou. The survivor of that project. This is such a misfortune. To meet you in a far east country like this. I feel fate. Fufufu.”
What a disgusting way of laughing. It was like he was making a fool out of us. “You see. I like holy-swords. I like them so much that they come out in my dreams. Possibly because my heart was fascinated by the legend of Excalibur since I was a child. That’s why when I found out that I can’t use Excalibur I went into despair.”
Balba suddenly started talking about his life. A story about the geezer's past, huh. “I held admiration for those who can wield it because I couldn’t. That feeling became so powerful that I started an experiment to create those who can use them. Then it was complete. It’s thanks to you and the others.”
“What? Complete? You disposed of us after finding us to be a failure.”
Kiba lifted his eyebrows seemingly in doubt. From Kiba, Buchou and Xenovia’s story I heard that the experiment failed. Didn’t they dispose of them because they found them to be a failure? But Balba shook his head. “I realised that there was an essential factor needed to wield holy-swords. So I used the numerical value of the “factors” to investigate its capability. Most of the test subjects had the “elements” but they didn’t have the numerical value needed to wield the Excalibur. Then I reached a conclusion. Is there a way to take out the elements and gather them?.”
“I see. I understand now. The thing that is put inside the holy-sword wielders when they received a blessing is……”
Xenovia seemed like she learned the truth and grit her teeth hatefully. Wh…what did she mean? I was in doubt and Balba continued to talk,
“That’s right holy-sword wielder girl. We take out the holy-elements from those who have them and crystallise them. Just like this.”
Balba took out an orb that was giving out light. It was a shiny orb. It has the so-called holy aura in it. “With this, the research on holy-sword wielders improved. Even so, those fools from the Church banished me for heresy and took away my reports on the research. By looking at you, I see that the project was succeeded by someone. That Michael. He made me look like a criminal and this is the result? Well it’s that Angel we are talking about. Even if he takes the elements out from the test subjects, he wouldn’t go as far as to kill them. That part only would make him more human than me. Kukukuku.”
Balba laughed pleasantly. I see. Even an idiot like me understood now. At present, to create holy-sword users artificially, it required a sacrifice. So Kiba and Xenovia were victims of the project started by Balba. “……You killed my comrades and took out the elements needed to wield the holy-swords?”
Kiba asked Balba with his voice filled with killing intent. “That’s right. This orb is from back then. I have used three of them on Freed though. This is the last one.”
“Hyahahahaha! Other guys besides me died because their bodies couldn’t synchronise with the elements! Hmmmmm. If I think like that, that makes me special.”
If it was just like Freed said, then the other ones who stole the Excalibur died. Chi! It would have been better if Freed was the one to die! Guys like him end up being tough. “You thought that guys like me would end up being tough, didn’t you Ise-kun? No, no. I won’t die easily like that.”
Don’t read my thoughts, shitty priest! “……Balba Galilei. How many lives have you sacrificed for your greed and experiments……”
Kiba’s hands were shaking and there was an aura of anger coming out of his body. What an incredible intensity. “Hm. If you say that, then I will give this orb to you. My research has reached the stage where it is possible to mass produce them in the right environment. First of all, I will destroy this town with Kokabiel. Next I will gather the legendary holy-swords stored around the world. Then I will mass produce holy-sword wielders and start a war against Michael and the Vatican with the combined Excaliburs. I’m going to show the result of my research to those foolish Angels and their followers who have convicted me.”
So that was the reason why Kokabiel and Balba teamed up. Both of them had hatred towards the Angels. Both of them sought war. They were the worst pair! Balba threw away the orb as if he had lost interest in it. It rolled on the ground and went to Kiba’s foot. Kiba leaned down silently and picked it up. He patted the orb sadly, lovingly, and dearly. “……Everyone……”
There was a tear on Kiba’s cheek. His expression was filled with sadness and anger. Then it happened. The orb that Kiba held started giving out shallow lights. The lights started to spread and it eventually covered the whole school field. From the ground there were lights coming out and it started to form a shape.