Azure Dragon Emperor: High School DxD X Male Reader

Ch. 23: Sword of the Emperor

Fog Covered Terrain

3rd Person POV

The two stared into each other's eyes. One's filled with determination, dedication, loyalty and need to protect. The other's appeared to be weary and weak, struggling to stay open as it seemed their life was leaving them.

"Wh-Wha...h-how in the...?" (Y/N) asked weakly and in understandable confusion. How was this woman, who he had met in a dream, be standing before his very eyes. Perhaps it was all in his head. Perhaps it was real. These things were unknown to him. The only thing he did know, was that his heart had stopped once again, and is was killing him to even stay conscious.

The knight knelt down to her new master and smiled reassuringly. "Master, please rest and save your strength. As your servant and knight, I shall protect you and see that you and your friends are safe from harm." She declared.

(Y/N)'s eyes finally gave in and slowly closed, his unconscious body began to fall forward, but was thankfully caught by the woman in blue.

A loud roar suddenly echoed from far off in the distance through the thick blue fog. Something seemed to rocket out of the fog and proceeded to fall towards the two. It was the berserk warrior, hurdling downwards toward them, preparing to swing it's massive stone-made bastard sword.

Artoria looked back at the beast, then quickly grabbed her master and vanished, resulting in the beast slashing down at nothing, causing  smoke to erupt where the two would have been if they remained.

Farther away from the beast, the rest of the ORC slowly rose up off the ground and looked onward at the cloud of smoke that had just erupted.

"W-What happened?" Kiba asked.

"I don't..." Rias said before looking at the cloud of smoke where she believed her servant still was. "Oh no, (Y/N)!" She cried out in horror.

"It's alright, Master is safe Lady Gremory." Artoria said from the middle of the struggling ORC.

"(Y/N)!!" They all cried as they huddled around him. Both Asia and Rias hugged him tightly, practically crying their eyes out.

"Oh (Y/N), please be okay!" Asia pleaded as she hugged the unconscious devil tightly.

"(Y/N) please, please open your eyes!" Rias begged.

Artoria knelt down to the devils holding her Master. "Please, if any of you are healers, I ask that you heal my Master." She requested as she placed her hand on (Y/N)'s chest. "I shall lend him some of my own magical energy to help with the healing process." Her hand began to glow a bright golden aura which soon covered her entire body, which soon covered (Y/N), who began breathing one again.

The blonde knight in the blue battle dress rose up from the ground and turned to face the beast.

"Who are you?" Rias asked. "Where did you even come from?"

"For now, just focus on healing my Master, Lady Gremory. After this matter is settled and the beast is defeated, I shall answer any questions you may have. But for now..." Artoria gripped her invisible sword and readied herself. "My duty is to serve and protect my Master, and protect him I shall." She said before running towards the beast.

Rias was skeptical about the mysterious individual who just appeared out of nowhere, but she decided she had to listen to her to keep (Y/N) alive. "Asia, go and heal (Y/N)." Rias commands Asia.

"O-Okay!" Asia said, immediately running to (Y/N)'s side and began to heal him.

Artoria ran a considerable distance before finally coming face to face with the beast. "So, from what I've seen, you wish to harm my Master. Unfortunately for you, my Master is not here with me. But that is fortunate for me, because now I can focus entirely on fighting you. But first, allow me tell you my name as a sign of respect." Artoria said, piercing her invisible wind covered sword into the ground. "My name is Artoria Pendragon and I swear by my blade and honor as a knight, I will kill you!!" She declared, charging into battle.