Disclaimer: See the prologue
Extraneous: Ditto
As his own army rises and the darkness begins to fade,
Then the mage will discover his true calling.
Those who doubted him will learn to believe,
And those who believed in him will never doubt again.
For this young Kaiser Dragon who was forced to fall,
Shall then become Oricaltos of all.
He will bring peace throughout his reign,
and no way of thinking will truly be the same.
Up to this point, it is all I can say.
The other part will be told another day.
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines XXII-XXXI
Chapter 8: Solutions to a Big Problem
When we last left our story:
Saito was finishing up with his tale. He finally got down to explaining the "battle before the reception," and everyone was amazed by what had happened. He then fielded a few questions, and even explained exactly WHERE each of the keys would take its holder. He then turned serious, and asked the question that no one wanted to deal with. "Does anyone have any suggestions about what we can do about Baal?"
Sacred Altar: Celestia
Saito looked around the room, hoping to hear any suggestions. Laharl shrugged, and then spoke up. "Well, I've heard a few decent ideas from the council that we held earlier..." "Well then, let's hear these ideas. Who knows? One of them might just be crazy enough to work!" The Overlord looked at his father, and then he shrugged. "Well, there was an idea to go after the EDF and try to get a few battle cruisers, but I'm not sure whether that is going to work or not." "Well, at least it's better than an all-out assault on Baal. We'll just have to keep that option open for future reference." The Kaiser looked around the room, and then his gaze settled on the former Overlord. "Do you have any ideas, Nicholai?" The former Overlord shrugged, and then he smiled. "Well, that idea of an all-out assault on Baal is definitely out of the question. How about we try combining armies again? That idea worked the last time we were attacked."
Saito paused, and thought for a moment. Then, he expressed his opinion. "If we are going to be combining armies, wouldn't it be best to first make the armies?" "Hmmm… Fairly good point, Saito." The Seraph pondered this situation for a moment, and then he looked straight at the young mage. "How many enemies did you take out when you came through the Cave of Ordeals?" "I took all of them out," the mage answered truthfully. "Well, you should be able to create an army on your own. After all, you have more than enough mana from all of those fights." The young weredragon tilted his head to one side, and then he nodded. "If I am going to be making an army, I need to go before the Dark Assembly. Also, I need all of the keys that have been collected so far."
There were no complaints as the keys were handed over to their original Keeper. He looked at the keys, and he noted the locations that each led to.
Grand Central Station-Kurtis
Sacred Altar-Flonne
Overlord's Castle-Krichevskoy
EDF Headquarters-Setsuna
Veyer Castle-Priere
Priere Castle-Rena
Fountain of Dreams-Seraph Lamington
Eight down, and only five keys left out there. "Let's get moving. I want to get started on creating and training my own army ASAP." Saito opened the gate and stepped through. "Are you coming or not?" he called back as he passed over the threshold.
Dark Assembly: Overlord's Castle: True Netherworld
Saito paused for a moment, considering his options. He then selected a knight from the choices available to him. The young woman hesitated for a moment before walking over to her new mentor. She stopped before she reached the mage, and allowed him to give her the once-over. Saito smiled at the green-eyed young woman, and then he spoke. "You're a fire-wielder, correct?" The knight nodded, and then she paused. "How did you know that?" "It was a lucky guess." The young woman giggled lightly before extending her right hand. "My name is Daria." The mage took her hand and shook it lightly. "Just call me Saito." The mage then turned and placed his hand on the darkened orb on the front desk. The orb pulsed once as it activated, waiting for the mage's next order. Saito smiled, and then he got to work.
In the end, he had created two classes of ninja, one knight, two rogues, one surveyor, and two scouts. His traditional ninja was called Jigen, and he specialized in axe combat. His Adept Ninja, who was called Senrael, enjoyed using his fists. Of the remainder, they fell into one of two categories: either they were dead serious about their work, or they were a bunch of goofballs. The two serious ones were Mike, a rogue who loved to work with his hands, and Dan, a scout who preferred to use his head rather than his gun. The other rogue, the surveyor, and the remaining scout all enjoyed goofing-off. These three were given the affectionate nicknames of Larry, Curly, and Moe. (If you don't get the reference, then you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years.)
After his creative urge had died down, he took his newly formed team out to the Practice Map in order to train. After instructing them on the basics of self-defense, he let them run loose, allowing them to choose their own paths. The group quickly realized that they worked best as a team, especially when Saito decided to take them out to the Lunar Snowfield after several training sessions. Saito also happened to take note that every other group contained at least one healer, and he was on the verge of creating one when he heard a light cough coming from behind him. The mage turned around and smiled at the young Dimensional Gatekeeper. "Is there anything I can help you with, Maria?" The cleric put her hands behind her back and turned away shyly. "I was just wondering if you had room for a cleric in your group," she replied timidly. Saito smiled at her easily. "As a matter-of-fact, I was about to change that. However, if you are volunteering…" He paused for a moment in consideration, and then he grinned. "What weapon do you specialize with?"
Maria breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness! I was getting a little tired of just sitting around all day. "I'm good with a staff, but most recently I've decided to take up archery. Do you mind helping me out?" The mage grinned at her as he drew his own bow. "Of course I'll help you out! All you need to do is ask." With that, the mage put his bow away, put an arm around Maria's shoulder, and then left the Dark Assembly with his team.
Main Plaza: Overlord's Castle
As Saito came into the main portion of the castle, he smiled at the sight of all of the different teams which had been assembled by the Overlord's vassals. Flonne looked up from her instruction and waved at the weredragon before turning back to her pupils. She had taken several mages and archers under her wing (pardon the expression) and she had rounded out her team with two snipers and a Majin. Laharl looked up from instructing his team of warriors, scouts, and brawlers, and then he nodded at the young man. Saito returned the nod and allowed his gaze to wander further.
Aramis was surrounded by a crowd of zombies, but what shocked everyone the most was the simple fact that the Zombie Master had enough mana to create two Great Wyrms and one Demonslayer. The higher-class knight smiled and waved at her little sister, and Daria was quick to return the gesture. Saito saw this and grinned. It appears that we are all related to one another—in more ways than one. He looked over at Maderas and raised a quizzical eyebrow. The Nosferatu noticed the gesture and returned it when he noticed the cleric who was with the mage. The vampire had created a mixed team of monsters and humans, and his group was the one with the widest array of skills.
The first thing that Saito noticed about Maderas' team was the fact that he had created a Galaxy Mage and a Geo Master. Next was his female Bishop, who was speaking quietly with a Thief. His Golem was sitting down talking with a Guardian, and his Chimera was merely sitting there, staring blankly into space. Finally, the vampire had decided to round out his team with a Fafnir (ice dragon) and a Blademaster. Saito turned away, shaking his head in astonishment. He then heard a woman call to him from the direction of the Dimensional Gate, and he turned towards the voice, smiling.
Marjoly had just returned from a training exercise in the Stellar Graveyard. Her team was a unique mix of humans and monsters. At the core of her group were a single Galaxy Skull, a Sniper, and a female Priest. Next were an Angel Trainee, a Nightmare, and another Nosferatu. Finally, she rounded out her team with a Cait Sith, a Puck, and a Tiamat. She made sure that her team was fairly well balanced, and nobody had been able to approach her since.
Krichevskoy had arrived earlier, and he was immediately greeted by a few very suspicious vassals. Zommie, Dratti, and Golleck refused to believe that this spry young vampire was the reincarnation of their beloved Overlord. However, their arguments were laid to rest as soon as Rena arrived on the scene. The dialogue went as follows:
Flashback begins
(Bold indicates Krichevskoy, italics indicates Rena, underline indicates Dratti, bold and underlined indicates Zommie, and all three formats indicates Golleck.)
"Why are you all staring at me? Wait… Don't tell me… You don't believe a word that I am saying, do you?" "I, for one, refuse to believe that YOU could actually be King Krichevskoy." "I have to agree with Dratti on this one. Besides, King Krichevskoy was much older than you." "I also have to agree with these two, and I refuse to believe anything that I hear until I receive concrete proof!" "Why do you think I brought THIS along with me?" the vampire snarled, brandishing Longius under Zommie's nose. The Zombie snorted in disdain. "Come on. There has to be some other method to prove that you are who you claim to be. What was the attack that you used to finish off Overlord Kaidus?" "Don't you mean Kormus? Don't think that I'm actually stupid enough to be caught in a slip-up like that. Besides, I used Overlord's Wrath to finish that fight. Happy now?" Dratti looked over at Zommie, a puzzled expression on his face. "WHAT? You expect me to put my neck on the line for you?" She then turned to Veyer/Krichevskoy. "On what human holiday were you married?"
"Dratti! I thought you would know better than to get on his nerves. We were married on Halloween, anyway." The three vassals stopped dead when they heard that voice. They all whirled towards the gate, and Golleck's eyes suddenly widened. "Lady Rena! We had no idea that he was…" He looked over at the former Overlord, and then lowered his head in shame. "Please forgive me, my liege. We honestly had no idea that it was actually you." Krichevskoy smiled, allowing his fangs to show once again. "That's fine with me, as long as you are all willing to join me once again." "YES SIR!"
Flashback ends
The former Overlord had finally returned, and he quickly reassembled most of his old vassals. Zommie, Gargo, Dratti, Golleck, Manty, and Ghoss were soon overjoyed to learn that Krichevskoy had learned a few new tricks in addition to gaining a new body. With his wife already joining him as the all-around spell-caster, he decided to round out the group with an axe-wielding male warrior and the demon Hoggmeiser.
Saito smiled and shook his head. He then called out to the older vampire. "I'm heading out to the Cave of Ordeals. If I don't return within three hours, send Priere after me." Nicholai smiled before making a shooing gesture. "Get out of here, kid. You still have much work to do." I know that much, Nicholai. Besides, I feel the sudden urge to go recruiting. Krichevskoy couldn't keep the grin off of his face. Good luck, my friend. Just be careful of the Cait Sith. They have been having a fairly bad year, and it appears that they are a little bit rougher around this time of the year. I'll have to keep that in mind. I'll see you around, old man! Saito chuckled as he led his team into the Dimensional Gate. He had more work to finish.
Throne Room: Overlord's Castle
Nicholai and Rena entered the throne room in order to find that there was a major debate in progress between Priere's team of demons and the Seraph's hand-selected team of angels. Marina, Tobias, and Raphael were all resting against the far wall. The female angel was happily chatting with Fatima, one of the younger Tailrings. They had both found an interest in learning different skills, and the demon was slowly making progress as an archer. Raphael was trying to make a move on Mina, but, much to the amusement of his fellow angels, he was failing miserably. Tobias, however, was trying to avoid Priere's all-female team. However, he was utterly failing, and he ended up constantly surrounded. This caused the rest of the angels several memorable moments, including many failed attempts at diversions.
Michael slowly shook his head. Heaven help that poor boy. I never knew that he would be such a catch for most of the ladies. "Well, if he didn't try to escape, then the rest of the girls would leave him alone." "Very good point, Priere." The Seraph had rounded out his team fairly well. Both Tobias and Raphael were both excellent with swords and their fists, while Marina and Danielle, another Divine Healer, both excelled with bows and spears. Alexander had been fairly quick to wield an axe, and Gabriel decided to put in an appearance, bringing along his sword and staff. Eve enjoyed working with her gun and her fists, while Sara focused exclusively on her spell-casting and staff-mastery. Katie loved to work with her staff. However, she was no slouch with a bow or sword. Finally, the Seraph rounded out his own team. The leader of all angels excelled at wielding his staff and sword, yet he also had a love for archery.
Priere had selected a team that was almost completely demonic. She had to add in a young Savior, however, and so she settled for an all-female team. Fatima and Mina were two of her three main players, and the third was her Savior, Natalie. The cleric was an archer and a staff-user who happened to know a variety of skills, and she proved her worth time and again. Gloria was another Succubus who had actually been around Priere for quite a while. Robin, on the other hand, was the newest Nekomata, and she was slowly learning how to use her natural speed. Christine was an Empusa, and her specialty was ice magic. Norah was a young brawler who had been found outside of the gates of Priere Castle, and the Alternate Overlord had decided that the young woman could stay. With her own formidable skills with both magic and her baton, she knew that the team was complete when she added on her final touch: a green-haired fighter named Terra. She looked over at Etna and grinned. Everything was normal.
Gordon and his team were in the Slayer's room, talking strategy. Team Defender, as they were commonly referred to by the other crews, was made up of nearly all humans. There were two fairly obvious exceptions in the forms of Kurtis and Thursday. Other than that, the rest of the team was human. Each of the original four members had one pupil, and they were all learning to work together. Gordon had elected to create a Geo Master, while Jennifer had selected to create the team healer. Kurtis had been quick to form a brawler, and Thursday had stunned everyone by electing to create a Majin. They all worked together, and they managed to survive several close calls.
Etna was looking out from the balcony in Laharl's room. She sighed, and then turned back to look at her own team. The archers and warriors were backed by her skulls, and she had a fairly powerful cleric and ninja to round out her group. She had been quick to select a team that was unafraid to get their hands dirty, and they mostly enjoyed the menial tasks. She looked in Setsuna's direction, and then she snorted to herself. The hybrid relied on his own strength, but he had caved-in and created a cleric when he found that it was getting harder and harder to move onward.
One hour later:
Main Plaza: Overlord's Castle
"Excellent work out there, Jigen. I have to say that you finished that battle fairly quickly." "Why, thank you, Saito. I can't believe that the Cait Sith just charged us as soon as we stepped through the gate." "Well, Krichevskoy said that they were having a bad time this year, so I'm not really surprised." Saito paused for a moment and turned to the rest of his team. "You all did great work out there. Go get yourselves patched-up and meet me back here in one hour. There is much work left to be done, and it's just about time that we pay the EDF a visit." Gordon walked into the room, just in time to here this statement. He looked at the Kaiser, and then blanched. "You mean to tell me that we are actually going to challenge the EDF? Are you out of your MIND!" The mage looked over at the Slayer of the Netherworld. Then he chuckled lightly. "My mind is still in the right place. However," he mused, his face suddenly growing serious, "Carter DID try to kill you off. Haven't you been wanting to pay him back for all that he did to you?" "I don't know about the Slayer here, but I know that I am ready to hand that man his sorry behind," called a voice from the doorway. Saito grinned as he looked over towards Kurtis. "Well, it looks like we agree on SOMETHING…"
Throne Room: Overlord's Castle
Krichevskoy raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Kaiser dragon. "Allow me to ask this one more time: Exactly WHY are we going to Earth in the first place?" Saito sighed aloud before he delivered his answer. "To put things bluntly, Nicholai: the EDF is planning on invading the Netherworld again. Besides, there are at least two keys still on Earth, and one of those is draconic." The former Overlord paused for a moment, and then he grinned. "Carter nearly ruined everything seven years ago. I always wanted to pay him back for what he did to his own adopted daughter, anyway. So," he asked, resting his chin in his hands, "when do we leave for Earth?" "We need a little bit of time for strategic planning, so I would say in about an hour," the mage replied. Nicholai Krichevskoy suddenly gave Saito a purely demonic grin. "Call in the teams, my boy. We have a strategy to plan!"
One hour, and several strategic discussions later…
"Is everyone okay with their assignments?" Saito looked around the room, and noted the nods from every team leader. "Then let's get moving. Etna, Laharl, Flonne, Priere: you will all be joining me for the trip into Grand Central Station. Nicholai, Michael, Gordon, Marjoly, Maderas: give the EDF forces hell until we arrive. All right, people. Let's move out!" "WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" "Oh, sorry Aramis. I kinda forgot about you there. You will be joining with Team Two for this assault. Give Carter hell for us, at least until we arrive." The young master of zombies smiled before turning towards the Gate. Saito paused for a moment, and then slapped himself on the forehead. "Aw, crap! I KNEW that I forgot someone!" He then rushed out of the room, looking for the only other hybrid in the Netherworld. Etna looked at Saito, and then turned her gaze to Priere. "Setsuna," the Alternate Overlord whispered. Etna nodded, and then she giggled lightly. "He can be so funny sometimes." "You have NO idea, Etna." Saito strode back into the room, followed closely by Setsuna. "Let's go people. We don't have any time to lose."
Minutes later…
EDF Headquarters: New York City: United States: Earth
"What in the name of HELL is going on here, Sergeant!" roared General Carter as he strode through the underground corridors of the EDF base. "It appears that someone tipped-off the demons to our invasion plans. They arrived in full force, and we are currently trying to contain them in Corridors 3A through 6G." "WHAT! I didn't think they would make it THAT far into the base." The bald man then turned to the younger officer. "You know what to do." "But sir! You can't possibly mean to use the…" "…Astro Cannon? Of course I mean for you to use it, Sergeant! Do your duty." The cowardly general then sprinted away, leaving behind a fairly flustered young officer. It appears that I won't be needing to ask him for permission to do ANYTHING around here! Ah well. At least he made it easier for me to destroy that damn thing altogether.
Elsewhere in the base:
"Fall back! Fall back! We're being overru…" The officer's transmission was cut-off when Aramis unleashed a Cross-Cutter, slicing the communications array in half. The demon then proceeded to point his katana at the terrified officer. The man dropped his silent radio and then scrambled away down the corridor, with several zombies in pursuit. Aramis sighed, and then turned to look at the Seraph. Michael had just finished cleaning his sword using the clothing of a dead EDF soldier. He slowly shook his head as he looked at the battlefield. "These poor men had no idea what was coming. They all heard the rumors of Laharl's power, but they decided to join this stupid group anyway. It's a real shame that they all had to die this way." The angel shrugged, and then he turned back towards Marina. The Divine Healer was busy mending a nasty gunshot wound to Marjoly's right hip. She turned to look at her leader, and then she slowly shook her head. I got fairly lucky that the bullet didn't go in too deep. However, I am unsure if she will wake up…"anytime soon?" Marjoly asked as she opened her eyes. "I should be fine. However, I sense that something else is amiss here. Something just doesn't feel right…"
Grand Central Station: New York City
"Last stop: Grand Central Station. Everybody out!" Saito called in his best conductor imitation. Priere looked over at him and then she giggled. "It's been quite a long time since I was last here. I sure hope that Time Square hasn't moved." "Trust me on this one, Priere: that place will remain forever…" He trailed off, and Flonne immediately sensed that something was wrong with the young mage. "What happened here that was so traumatic? What are you keeping from us?" The mage looked at the fallen angel, and Flonne was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "In the year 2001, on the date of September 11, two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. At the same time, another plane plunged into the Pentagon in Washington DC. The towers collapsed seconds apart. Thousands of loves were lost in an instant." Saito paused for a moment, and then he collapsed to the ground, weeping. "We all thought it was the end. But somehow…we all managed…to get by…" Priere knelt next to the young man, and hugged him tightly. She rocked quietly back and forth until the mage's crying had finally subsided. Saito looked up at Priere, and then he wiped the tears away from his eyes. "It was at that time that the EDF was formed. Back then, we knew it as the Department of Homeland Security. Eventually, after terrorism was finally wiped out in the late 2100s, the United States became the leader of a new UN. The EDF became an official organization, and the search for life elsewhere finally began. That is all that I can tell you about the organization. That, and the fact that they are based here in New York. Let's get moving. I'm sure that we should be able to easily find it." Priere nodded, and then helped him up. The mage brushed himself off before turning to his troops. "The only ones who hear about this are those who came to Earth with us. Agreed?" There was silence as everyone nodded, and then proceeded to follow the mage out of the station.
Once Team One had reached the surface, it was fairly easy to locate the EDF Headquarters…
"Momma? What is that?" "That is a zombie, sweetie." The woman stopped when she realized what she had just said. She then paled significantly. "I thought zombies were just a myth! How is this possible?" "Believe me, woman. This is NOTHING compared to what is going on inside right now," came a voice from the shadows near the doorway. The woman looked up, terrified as the zombies moved back, away from her. "That's right, you guys. I need you to find and disable that darn Astro Cannon. Go on, MOVE!" the figure roared, and the undead scurried away to obey their master. "What are you?" the terrified woman asked as the shadow approached her. She let her jaw drop in amazement as the figure stepped into the light. He's just a kid! But how is he able to command these undead? Unless… "Are you…a demon?" she asked hesitantly. The pink-haired young man paused for a moment, and then he shrugged casually. "You might say that. My name is Aramis." The woman hesitated, and then she tilted her head to one side as he looked around, a little puzzled. "Do you need any help?" Aramis looked at the woman, and then he nodded. "Do you know how to get to Grand Central Station?" The woman smiled before pointing to a sign just down the street. "It's right over ther…" She trailed off, and here eyes widened as she saw the assortment of creatures that was emerging from the entrance.
Laharl winced as he stepped into the sunlight. He looked around, and then he noticed the pink-haired young man standing just down the street. Wait a minute! Pink hair… "Aramis? Is that you over there?" "Glad that you could make it in time for the fireworks, Laharl. Your father just found out that Carter managed to haul the Astro Cannon off of the Gargantua and hid it somewhere in the base. My team is already working on locating it, so we won't have to wait that long." Aramis then looked beyond the Overlord in order to see that Priere was helping Saito along. "What's wrong with Saito?" he asked Laharl. The Overlord shook his head sadly. "It would take too long to explain. He just has some very bad memories of this place. Come on, let's go inside."
Inside of EDF Headquarters
"Master Nicholai! Aramis' zombies have managed to locate the Astro Cannon!" "EXCELLENT." The former Overlord turned to the rest of his team, and then he smiled as he saw a familiar young man descend the steps. "What took you so long, Saito? I thought you would miss the best part!" "Let's just say that this place brings back memories, and not all of them are good. Let's get moving, people." The weredragon then proceeded to lead everyone deeper into the base. "How in the hell do you know where everything is?" asked the Alternate Overlord. The Kaiser merely smiled. "It pays to have friends who are working on the inside. As a matter-of-fact," he said, stopping before the door, "it appears that we have arrived. Let me check on something first." Everyone stepped away as Saito approached the door. "Anyone in there?" the mage called through the door. There was a pause, and then… "Saito? Is that really you out there?" "Who do you think it was, Jacen? Open the door, man." The door opened, and a young man wearing a sergeant's uniform poked his head out. "I managed to short-circuit it for the time being, but you know that I'm not strong enough to destroy it. Besides, I managed to recruit a bit of a following here anyway."
Laharl looked at the blonde-haired young man. He then looked over at Saito. "Hold on a minute. Is it just me, or is your friend here also a draconic?" Saito gave a knowing look to Jacen before answering. "Yes, Laharl. I'm actually surprised that you remembered what I was telling you about earlier." "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it." The Overlord looked at the younger draconic, and then he asked a simple question. "How long have you known Saito?" The green eyed young man paused for a moment, and then he shrugged. "I've known him for quite a while. Several thousand years, in fact."
"Ummm…guys? We have a bit of a problem here," Priere called as she noticed that the warning lights had come back on. However, she was too late to prevent what would happen next. Jacen looked over at the cannon, in order to find that it was already swinging in Saito's direction. "LOOK OUT!" The younger draconic was quick to dive into the path of the blast, his wings blurring brilliantly as he attempted to reflect the blast back at its origin. He was partially successful, and managed to deflect the blast away from Saito. However, Jacen would not live to see the destruction of the cannon. His own normally leathered wings were shredded in the first shot, and the second punched a hole in his stomach. The last act that the younger draconic performed would be remembered by all who were present in the room.
Jacen staggered to his feet as the cannon prepared to fire its third and final blast. "I…won't allow you…to harm…any more…people!" he roared as he dove headfirst at the opening. The younger draconic jammed his wings into the cannon mouth as far as they would go. He felt the bony tips connect with the inner array, and he looked back at his older friend. "Tell Master Alexander…that I died…so that others…might have life." Jacen Alexander Soriens then closed his eyes and slumped over, dead.
Saito hung his head in grief. "You will not be forgotten, Jacen. Master Alexander will hear of this. First, however, I have something left to do." The mage slowly stood, and all saw his eyes begin to darken. "Nicholai: take those who were loyal to Jacen far away from this place. Everyone else: locate General Carter and bring him to me. He will pay for what has happened here. There will be a time to mourn for him, but now is not the time. MOVE!" "YES SIR!" He then turned back towards the ruined weapon. Jacen had smashed the inner power array, and all of the energy was released inside of the cannon, destroying every single piece of electronic equipment inside. Priere watched with teary eyes as Saito proceeded to extract his friend's body. He slumped to the floor, openly crying once again.
The Alternate Overlord turned around and dismissed her team. She then walked over to the young mage and knelt down next to him. "Hold me. Please." Priere could not help herself as she reached out to wrap her arms around Saito. She gently started to rock him back and forth, as she had done earlier. "It's alright, Saito. He no longer has to deal with all of this suffering." The Kaiser raised his head and sniffed. "Thank you, Priere.He will be remembered well." The mage then stood and turned towards the Astro Cannon. The Alternate Overlord noted that his eyes were darkening, and she got the hell out of his way. The mage's eyes narrowed to slits, and then he held his right hand out, his palm facing the smoking mess. And you shall cause no one harm again. "TSUNUM!"
Thirty minutes later:
"Sir! They have managed to destroy the Astro Cannon, and they are closing on our position as we speak," called one of the older soldiers. General Carter thought for a moment, and then he grinned wickedly. "Let them come to their destruction then. Is the blockade ready?" Yes, sir. It is ready and waiting for them to…" "arrive?" snarled a voice that shocked the General into silence. He whirled in order to face the brown-haired man. "Gordon? I thought that you died five years ago!" "You're right. I AM dead, and I now serve under the Overlord. Your assassins were successful, but I still managed to take most of them out before I went down. THAT is why you never received their final reports." The Slayer of the Netherworld lifted the man by his shirt collar and shook him hard. "I should kill you here and now. However, I think that I'll leave you to the weredragon. I've heard that his methods can be QUITE brutal." Gordon turned to Maderas, and then he smiled. "You heard the Kaiser's orders. Wipe out those idiots who tried to oppose us." The Nosferatu grinned wickedly before bowing. "With absolute pleasure, Slayer."
Back in the operations room…
"Hey, Saito. I think you should take a look at this." Priere had noticed something fairly interesting about the back of Jacen's belt, and as the mage walked over to his friend's body, he could see that the Alternate Overlord was reaching for something. She yelped as the object stung her hand when she tried to pick it up. Saito shook his head as he saw what it was. "Priere, I thought that you were paying attention to my lecture earlier. Only a draconic can pick up the keys to his world without being stung." He reached over and removed the key, and then he made a mental note of the last letter that appeared. Mentally, he was already rejoicing. Only three keys left to go, and one of them is the last draconic key. I sure hope that Master Alexander does not mind if I stop in for a short visit before we move on to crush Baal. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Gordon's voice.
"Saito, I thought that while I was out looking for the General here, I would do a little bit of research. Apparently, he managed to lay his hands on one of the keys, but it burned him pretty badly. As a matter-of-fact, I can clearly make out three of the four letters. A-N-B. My guess is that the last letter is a C." Saito suddenly grinned wickedly. "Then you would be right, Gordon. With the addition of that key, I will only need to locate three more." The young man turned towards the General, and Carter flinched back instinctively when he saw murder glittering in the mage's darkening eyes. He looked up at Gordon and then nodded. The Slayer of the Netherworld allowed the commander of the EDF to rise unsteadily to his feet. He then proceeded to watch as Saito "flickered" his right hand into its metal form. The mage flexed his hand and grinned wickedly. This grin quickly turned into a sneer as he looked at the man who had caused so much pain and suffering for the Overlord and his friends nearly seven years before.
"General Carter, you have been brought here today to face the punishment for your crimes. First and foremost among these is attempting to send Gordon and Jennifer to their deaths seven years ago. Next is attempting to aid a madman who had designs to kill off everyone who sided against him. Third, the assassination of Gordon and Jennifer. Fourth, the murder of one of my only friends, Jacen Soriens. Finally, you are charged with a crime that no military man should ever be accused of: cowardice on the field." He turned to those who knew him best, and his gaze wandered the circle. "I ask all of you for your judgment now. Is this man guilty or innocent?" One by one, each face hardened as his comrades all gave the same verdict: "Guilty."
Saito nodded at each of his comrades, and then he turned back to the General. His face seemed to blank for a moment, and then he delivered a sharp blow to the man's knees. The General collapsed, gasping from the pain. Saito's voice was solemn as he intoned, "General Derricote Daniel Carter: this tribunal finds you guilty on all counts. The penalty for your actions is death." "Any last words, General?" Gordon sneered at the man who had tried to kill him seven years before by sending him to the Netherworld. "I'll see you in Hell," Carter snarled. Laharl merely smiled. "The next time we meet, you will be in NO condition to be giving anyone orders." The Overlord then nodded to the Kaiser dragon. "Finish him off." "With absolute pleasure, Overlord," Saito said as he raised his right arm over his head. He then brought his hand down at a mind-numbing speed, and swiftly removed the treacherous man's head from his shoulders. No one turned away, and they all felt a final sense of satisfaction as the General's headless corpse crumpled to the ground.
The Kaiser flicked the General's blood from his hands before he took the key from the belt of the deceased. He then lifted his head to look at the group surrounding him. A smile slowly crept onto his face as he spoke. "Without all of you, I would not be alive right now. Thank you for all of the work that you have done to aid me. But now I must leave you all for the time being, because there is something that I must do." Rena tilted her head sideways at this remark, and everyone stared quizzically at the young mage. He sighed before explaining. "I must keep my promise to Jacen, and alert Master Alexander of his death. With the key that he held, I will be able to travel to the Hall of Prophecies and back again only once, because my task here is unfinished." He looked over at the Seraph, and then he smiled. "I will return as soon as I possibly can." "Just make sure that you make it back here in one piece, diralec," called Krichevskoy as Saito walked towards the Dimensional Gate inside of EDF Headquarters.
He paused for a moment to compose himself, and then he spoke the words of release. "Let the way be opened." The gate appeared before him as if it had never left. Saito allowed his hand to brush the draconic key at his waist just before he stepped into the portal, and he allowed his own magic to do the rest.
Hall of Prophecies: Draconia
Alexander Critios had just finished writing another section of the histories when he felt a disturbance in the air. Alarmed, he put down his pen and rushed out into the main portion of the Hall. He pulled up short, and gaped at the young man before him. "Saito! I was starting to wonder whether you had survived or not. Your mother has been worried sick, and even the Oricaltos was starting to doubt. Where have you been all this time!" "Let my mother know that I'm okay, and call the Oricaltos here. I will relate all that has happened so far, but I do not have all of the time in the world to spare." Alexander bowed as he escorted the Keeper of the Keys into his office. About five minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Saito got up to answer. "SAITO! I thought you had died!" "Mom, you know how resilient I am. Besides, you shouldn't have been THAT worried." "She may not have been worried, but you certainly gave ME a fright," came a voice from the doorway. Saito smiled and bowed easily. "Oricaltos Nathaniel, it is truly a pleasure to see you again." The young diralec then turned to Alexander before taking his seat. "Sit down, everyone. I do not have much time here, so I will tell you as much as I possibly can about what I have been through so far."
One hour later, after all explanations had been given:
The Oricaltos hung his head in grief. "I can't believe that Jacen was killed by that damn cannon. He will be honored without a doubt." Nathaniel slowly rose out of his seat and stretched. His appearance, along with Alexander's, had not changed since Saito's tale had been told. "I will go alert his mother and the rest of his family." Serena nodded and also rose. "I think I will accompany you, Nathaniel. After all, my son still has much left to do." She looked at her only child, pride shining in her brilliant blue eyes. "Good luck, my child. I have a feeling that you are going to need it." Saito bowed to the Oricaltos before giving his mother a hug and a kiss. "I WILL return with my skin intact, Mom. I promise." Saito then turned towards his mentor, and he extended his right hand. Alexander reached across the table and shook the hand of his top pupil. "Godspeed, Saito, and may the best of luck go with you always." Saito nodded, and then he turned and left the Recorder's office.
His steps carried him back towards the Dimensional Gate, and he pondered what would happen next. With only two keys left, this should be fairly easy. However, I have a feeling that my adventure here is only beginning. He shook his head to rid his mind of any stray thoughts, and then he stepped back through the Dimensional Gate. As he crossed the threshold, he roared out a mental promise that ALL draconics would hear and remember. I SWEAR UPON MY OWN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT I WILL RETURN WHEN MY TASK IS FINISHED! Then he was gone, swallowed by the collapsing Gate.
EDF Headquarters: New York City
A little over an hour had passed since Saito had left, and the Alternate Overlord had wandered off to look for him. She found the mage meditating before the portal, and she smiled gently before poking him in the ribs. "Now is NOT the time to be sleeping, Kaiser. Wake up, kid. We still have work left to do." The young mage opened his eyes, and Priere could tell that he was slightly ticked-off at the moment. "I already know that, Priere. However, there IS something that we can do to make our life a little bit easier." She gave the mage a quizzical look, and then she followed as him as he sought Krichevskoy.
The former Overlord had just figured out the communications system by the time Saito returned to the operations room. He looked over at the mage, and allowed his expression to ask the question. "I have an idea as to how I could make the battle against Baal a little bit easier. It involves using the fleet that Carter assembled to crush the Netherworld, and taking them to the Alternate Netherworld and utilize the firepower against the Lord of Terror." The Seraph had been listening in on the conversation, and he suddenly grinned. "Well, we might as well use all of our available resources, including those that are handed to us on a platter."
Saito smiled as he stepped up to the microphone. He checked the settings, set the frequency so that the fleet above could hear him, and then he began to speak. "Attention all crews of the EDF fleet: this is Saito Onago. You may not have heard of me, but you'd better listen carefully. General Carter paid for his crimes with his life, and I do not wish for you to do the same. I am willing to offer a compromise for the time being. If you help us with our major problem, then we will allow you all to leave in peace. Do you accept these terms?"
There was silence on the other end of the connection. Then, a young man's voice came back across the channel. It was hopeful, and Saito began to wonder exactly how young most of the EDF officers were. "This is Brian Cordolus, captain of the Absolution. What are we going after this time, Sai?" Everyone watched as the mage's jaw dropped in amazement. "Brian! What are you DOING here?" "Well, Master Alexander sent several of us here to train for space combat. That way, we will be able to eliminate Asmodeus when the time is right."
Nicholai Krichevskoy raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at Saito. "What do you draconics have against one of the most powerful archdemons of all time?" The mage turned and looked directly at the older vampire. "He is the one who killed the Oricaltos before Master Nathaniel took the position. We have been stewing over it ever since, and things finally boiled over about two years ago. The war began, and we have been fighting ever since." Saito turned around and spoke into the microphone once again. "We are going after someone who is even nastier than Asmo, Brian. Have you ever heard the legends about the Lord of Terror?" There was a pause, and for that one moment, there was total silence. Then the speakers erupted with one particular phrase, which was echoed by every person on board of the ships: "Of course we have heard the legends! Who hasn't!" Saito sighed aloud and then placed his hand firmly over the microphone. The noise promptly died down, and Saito raised an eyebrow at Laharl. The Overlord nodded, and then the mage finished his statement. "I really hate to upset all of you who thought that it was just a myth, but the Lord of Terror is very real. I should know, because I have seen him."
A stunned silence followed, and then Brian came back onto the radio. "So. Let me get this straight: we are going to be going after the Lord of Terror?" "That is correct, old friend." "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" "What do you think, Captain?" Saito snarled sarcastically. "I take that as a no," came the younger man's subdued voice. "Very good, Brian. There is much to be done, and we don't have time to waste here. Follow the Dimensional Gate, and wait for my orders when you arrive." He clicked off the microphone and then turned to the Seraph. "Do you mind opening the Gate, Michael? I've had quite a long day." The Seraph chuckled dryly, and then he smiled at the young Kaiser. "No, I don't mind opening the Gate. Where do you want me to send them?" Saito looked at his keys, selected one, and then passed it over to the Seraph. "You know how it works, so I don't need to give you an explanation. This key leads to Beauty Castle, but more precisely, it leads to the general area around the keep. Just make sure that they don't mess up anything too badly. I don't really want Marjoly to be pissed-off at me." The Seraph bowed, and then he went to relay the Kaiser's orders and open the Dimensional Gate.
Saito turned around and looked at the rest of the teams. "You all did excellent work here today. Let us return to the Overlord's Castle. That way, we will be able to recover before the true battle begins." Everyone nodded in agreement, and the massive group walked over to Grand Central Station. No one could keep the grin from their faces as they passed stunned commuters. However, the normal passengers received one final shock when Saito opened the Dimensional Gate right in front of one of the turnstiles. "Single file, everyone. Just keep moving when you get to the other side, and we should all be able to get through." Michael, we will be waiting at the Overlord's Castle when you are finished here. I will see you in a few minutes then, Saito. With that, the mage passed over the threshold, followed closely by the team leaders. They were the last to pass through the Gate, and it promptly collapsed as soon as Gordon had safely crossed into the courtyard of the Overlord's Castle. The final preparations were underway, and the battle would soon begin.
Baal's Tower: Alternate Netherworld
Even though Baal himself was unable to escape from his prison, he could still issue orders to the army he had slowly gathered over the years. One of his forward scouts stopped nervously behind the door, and issued his report from a safe distance. "Sir, there appear to be a series of spatial anomalies that have recently occurred. I went out to see what it was, and am very unhappy to report that most of that damn EDF fleet is here." He heard a rumble coming from behind the door, and he flinched back. "So. Those idiots think they can challenge ME! We shall see about that. Shadow!" The draconic-turned demon, who had been slain at the hands of Saito Onago, snapped to attention. "Yes sir?" "Make sure that our guests know that they are unwelcome here." The man grinned wickedly before bowing. "With absolute pleasure, Master Baal."
Author's notes: I'm finally starting to wind down this story. It has taken me quite a while to get to this point, but do not worry. I have another story idea that will use most of these characters. However, it's not exactly going to be your average cross-over fic. I'll explain more on that later. Any way, please remember to read and review both this story and my more detailed account of Saito's flashbacks, Origins of a Kaiser. Thank you.
Author's notes2: Thank you for all of my loyal reviewers so far. Special thanks goes to both Xeno and burnfist. Xeno, you were my first reviewer, and for that you have my sincerest thanks. As for burnfist: keep up with Aku no Tsubasa. I wish both of you success in all that you do. Remember this anonymous saying in closing: "Your mind is the key to every door—no locks shall withhold you, no bars shall restrain you."
Author's notes3: I know that my hint was a little blatant as to what my next story will be. So please bear with me.
Who knows what will happen when the forces of Baal and Saito clash for the first time? No one is certain, but I can tell you that this battle will be far from pretty. Tune in next time for Chapter 9: Saito versus Shadow. See you all next time!
