Welcome back everyone! I'm excited to finally post the first Daydreamer Dragon chapter of 2020, albeit I do feel that the (in-story) timing is ironic, due to how the last chapter posted around New Years, and at a point in the story where the Young Devils were about to share their dreams. After all, said dreams are, in a sense, not unlike New Year Resolutions, aren't they?
Getting to the actual start notes, the first major thing I'll bring up is that I'll be skipping most of the talk of everyone's dreams, for 3 reasons in particular. The first being that it's pretty much the same beyond some added comments by Ishie, Ingvild, Eyleah, and Lunurai on the many topics. The second is how, since Ishie is still new to Devil politics, I didn't feel like I could directly type out the scene without it feeling awkward to read.
Despite being the granddaughter of Lucifer, our little Ishie only just learned of her heritage and status, and therefore has little knowledge or experience in how to actually use it. Not to mention her mother and grandmother's lack of influence means she has to decide her own way to do it, as she can't follow her grandfather's example without becoming the tyrant he was, and she will never become.
For the small bit I won't be skipping? It will be how Ishie reacts to Sona's dream, as otherwise... that honestly kills the setup for the Rating Game between Rias and Sona later on. This in itself will help show off how Devil society functions, due to how they value strength for its decisions, and how Ishie needs to find her own way of using her influence to change the Underworld in a way the Elders and Current Satans are hoping she will.
Now, without further ado? Let's get this chapter started!
[Chapter 17 - Tragedy of Black]
Back in the main hall with all the big names and previous generation of the Three Great Powers, everyone's attention was grabbed as two Devil soldiers struck the bottom of their weapons onto the ground.
"Introducing the ruler of the Norse Gods, the mighty Lord Odin!" One of the Soldiers announced.
Right on cue, an old man with a monocle over his left eye (or some kind of equivalent to it) walked into view. He was soon followed by a Valkyrie with long, silvery-white hair and green eyes, wearing a lavender-colored business suit.
Despite her tall height? Her facial features matched those of the girls in Kuoh Academy, revealing she was just around, if not exactly the same age as Ishie and her friends.
"It's been too long, Lord Odin, mighty God of the North. You honor us with your presence." Serafall greeted, giving him a curtsy.
"I expected more from you Leviathan." Odin chuckled, rubbing his beard.
She looked at him in confusion.
"This is a party, isn't it? You shouldn't be wearing a drab business suit." He explained, seeing her confusion.
No one was sure if this was intentional or unintentional on his end, but the Valkyrie behind him gained a vein on her face, since he hadn't said anything about her not wearing a business suit when they came.
"Oh, good point!" Serafall realized, playfully bopping her head.
At that moment, a few people stared at Serafall as she did a Magical Girl transformation, especially those less familiar without it, into a familiar outfit from Kuoh's Open House.
"What just happened?" Odin asked, still rubbing his beard.
"Have you been living in a cave or something? This is a Magical Girl outfit, they're totally the rage nowadays." Serafall answered, flashing a sideways peace sign by her face.
"Love it! How would you like to stroke Odin's beard?" He praised, still rubbing his beard.
"Sir, please keep in mind why we made the voyage? You're here to represent Asgard." The Valkyrie reminded him, trying to stay professional despite her annoyance.
Odin sighed.
"Must you always be the downer in the room? It's that kind of attitude that keeps you from getting a Hero for yourself." He remarked.
Suddenly, the Valkyrie let out a gasp, with all the nearby woman realizing what landmine he just set off. She let out a growl, and then...
*"SMACK!"*
Everyone closed their eyes as Odin was struck to the ground by a harisan, causing swelling on his noggin.
"That's exactly the kind of attitude that made your son become one of the highest-members of a terrorist group!" She screamed, clearly more infuriated than she was hurt.
"I usually don't say this after 600 years, but... that's a first." Serafall remarked, staring at the sight with a sweat drop on her cheek.
Odin soon got up, rubbing his swell bump.
"Apologies you had to see that. This is Rossweisse, my capable yet bold assistant. Freyja taught her to do that whenever I deserve it... which is often." He explained, knowing someone was about to ask about what happened.
Rossweisse huffed and turned around, with everyone close to that area choosing to wisely give her some distance.
"No offense to you, Lord Odin, but I fear that after what happened with your son? Your first wife was right to teach her that." Grayfia bluntly replied.
"Ouch..." He replied with a chuckle.
If there was one thing people could say about this event? The word interesting would clearly show up.
Meanwhile, around the same time as the event above, almost all of the Young Devils had shared what their dreams were. At the moment, Rias was shown talking, having just finished sharing her goal to the elders.
"Hmm... quite the bold goal for a Gremory, but still a believable one." A male elder claimed.
"Don't forget. While she is a child of a Gremory, she is also a child of Bael through her mother, so it makes sense that her goal would be something so bold." A female elder added, chuckling as she said it.
Rias blushed a bit at that, as if somehow expecting she was going to be somewhat embarrassed.
"Now, for our last Devil heir... Sona Sitri." Zekram called, looking her way.
Sona took a deep breath and stood before everyone. Her peerage gave nervous looks as she did, recalling what she told them about how people might react to her dream.
"I wish... to establish a new Rating Game School in the Underworld." Sona revealed, putting up an excellent Poker Face.
"You seemed to have emphasized saying new in your reply. I'm to assume by this, the school in question does not follow the norms of the many that already exist?" Zekram inquired.
"It does. The schools that currently exist only admit Devils of the highest class, whereas what I have in mind is a school with no barriers, were even the lowest class can have the opportunity to learn." Sona confirmed.
Moments after saying that, laughter suddenly filled the room as many of the other Devil Heirs revealed what they thought about her idea.
"That's impossible!"
"What nonsense!"
"Who knew that the Sitri Heir was such a daydreamer!?"
Ishie's body suddenly tensed at those words, as Rias noticed.
'Uh oh...' She thought, hoping Ishie wouldn't be rash.
Zekram noticed this as well, but chose to say nothing, deciding to trust his gut on where this would go.
"Y-Yes, perhaps a different dream would be better." An Elder forced themselves to say.
Ishie was further ticked off, clearly seeing the Elder had been lying through their teeth to keep their up image before the many Devil Heirs she saw. Devils that she, until this very moment, never considered could be so... nasty, due to the experiences she's had with Rias and Sona.
"No wonder they arranged this! To think she'd claim such a dream in public! Who knew she was so funny!"
"And just how exactly is her dream funny!?" Ishie questioned.
All the laughter in the room suddenly faltered until it completely disappeared, with all eyes looking at Ishie, all of which seemed a little nervous.
Although, no one could blame said reactions. The one who silenced them was the granddaughter of Lucifer, meaning her clearly angered reaction was one that no Devil would take lightly.
"While I may have known about my Devil heritage for as long as all of you, I did meet with Tannin, and despite how powerful he was? He was still a Low-Class Devil at first, all because he needed to earn the right for territory his Dragons needed. Not wanted, needed. For their very survival no less! Does that mean you mocked such a powerful being for being a Low-Class Devil at one point?" She questioned.
Zekram smirked as many suddenly flinched, with Rias letting out a sigh of relief at how Ishie had said something smart.
'Maybe I didn't have any reason to worry.' She thought.
"Honestly, for how much your society claims to value strength over all else? I'm shocked and appalled by how you seem to enjoy leaving yourselves so weak!" Ishie stated.
Gasps were heard, while Rias went white.
'Why did I think that!?" She panicked, believing she jinxed herself.
Ishie crossed her arms as she kept talking without any fear.
"There's a Human saying, that you're only as strong as your weakest link, and that would be the Low-Class Devils you all seem to look down on just because of their rank. I have no idea how most of you think or what makes you value power to the point it influences your decisions, but is it worth it now?" She inquired.
Many who were expecting to say something due to the anger Ishie just produced in them were suddenly silenced, and left confused by what she was just said.
"In the Great War, more than half of the 72 Pillars were wiped out. Either entirely, or to the point they chose to surrender their purity to keep part of Satan, the Devil who was brought to insanity from the multiple powers he possessed, alive, through the power that would die with their Clans." Ishie explained.
Zekram once again smirked at her words, seeing some Devils freeze up.
"And how did you reward that? You didn't! To you, all of them are just false Devils you won't give the time of day, all because they're no longer true Devils without the purity they were forced to give away, all to protect one part of your culture and history. With how much you praise acting properly, I can't even comprehend why you condemn them for such a sacrifice... and step all over it!" Ishie shouted angrily.
Many of those who were prepared to say something against her no longer could, somehow finding their words were now hollow.
"And where do you come off by saying-"
"And this is exactly why I consider Sona's school to be a genius idea! By giving the Devils who rank so low a chance to get stronger, they in turn can protect what remains of the Devils' culture if something like that happened again, especially since the Khaos Brigade makes that a realistic path for our future. However, most of all... I had no idea I was even a Lucifer, so what if other reincarnated Humans are the same, or have great potential, yet you never see it... all because you see them as the feeble Low-Class!?"
Those words shut down the one who spoke, along with everyone that remained.
Rias let out a sigh of relief. Ishie had no idea what she nearly did, and she was going to make that clear when there were no more Heirs around them to hear, but... even she had to praise Ishie for the result of her words.
"I have to agree with Ishie's words." Zekram finally said, taking his chance to milk the impact she created.
This surprised many heirs.
"We lost many of our strongest long ago, and many were forced to survive by means we may not be proud of, but perhaps even Lucifer would honor for the mere sake of how they kept an almost dead power alive by doing so. Not only that, but we had our own power become our enemy during the Civil War, and I doubt you need a reminder of the one reason we even won." Zekram continued, closing his eyes at the last part.
Many hung their heads, recalling they only won because the children of the original Satans, who were clearly stronger than the current Satans, ultimately fled the battle.
"However, since I believe some of you are still against the idea... perhaps we need Sona herself to show us how even the weakest of Devils could topple the mightiest of titans." He decided.
"Show us? Sir, are you suggesting that-" Sona inquired, her eyes widening as he put the pieces together.
"I do, and it fits what we were about to share next." Zekram confirmed.
He spread out his hands.
"Because of the Khaos Brigade's threat, any of you could be forced into battle one day, and as such... you must prove you are ready in the only way possible." He continued.
"Through the Rating Game." Eyleah stated.
"Correct. As such, we have decided to hold a tournament to decide who the true ace among this generation is, and as of now..." Zekram confirmed.
He pointed at Rias and Sona.
"I, Zekram Bael, hereby declare the first match will be between Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri!" He announced.
Everyone gasped as they heard that, while Rias and Sona looked at each other, realizing the time had come.
"Basically, you want Sona to prove she can push Ishie into a corner." Lunurai realized.
"Since Rias has our own Princess in her peerage, who in turn has a Longinus, what better way for her to prove her dream and Ishie's words than to hold her ground against them... if not outright win?" Zekram stated, smirking as he crossed his arms.
As many began to murmur over what had just been said? Rias and Sona simply smiled at one another, each sporting an expression of anticipation towards this challenge.
"We both knew this would happen, so I guess now's the time." Rias stated.
"I agree, and I'll make sure to come out you with everything I have, so be prepared to lose." Sona responded.
"Looks like we're all in agreement then." Zekram stated.
The gauntlet had been thrown down, and now... all that was left for the day of the Rating Game.
Back in the forest area, the sight of Kuroka could be seen as she laid across a random tree branch.
She stayed where she was, watching the sky with boredom, until the familiar sounds of a Black Cat reached her ears. Getting up, she saw her Familiar run into view, holding the two slips of paper it had just stolen.
"Kuro, what did you steal?" She asked, a mix of a scolding and worried tone in her voice.
She took the papers, and then paled when she saw the Norse Summoning circles on them.
"Fenrir's got the scent!" Vali shouted.
"Why!" She whisper screamed.
She grabbed her Familiar and began hiding in the thick leaves of the tree, right as Fenrir walked into view, sniffing the ground as Vali and Bikou watched. By this point, they were both nearby, yet faraway from Kuroka's position.
A bead of sweat fell from Kuroka's cheek as the legendary beast neared her, prompting her to motion her hands as she used the Space half of her Space-time magic to distort the area she was in from Fenrir's sense of smell. While it was possible for a Youkai, like Bikou, to catch it? He failed to notice due to her Chi being much stronger than his was.
"Meow..." Kuro shivered.
"Shh! Try not to make any noise, we can't let that mutt spot us." Kuroka warned.
Both of them went quiet as Fenrir passed by, sniffing a few more times before running towards an area she had been prior, getting Vali and Bikou's attention.
"He's got something!" Vali shouted.
Both of them chased after Fenrir, unaware they had passed their culprit, who was hiding in what was close to plain sight.
"Well, we managed to avoid them for now, but we won't be able to forever." She sighed.
She looked at the two slips of paper before looking at her Familiar.
"Kuro, keep watch while I try and destroy the summoning magic in these papers. That will hopefully keep away from us, and stop whatever insanity they're planning." Kuroka requested with urgency.
The black cat nodded before glaring at the area around her. Holding her hand out, she targeted the first paper, feeling the energies of the beast it was tied to.
*"SHATTER!"*
Her magic ultimately won out, destroying the first summoning paper's circle.
"OK, one down..." She panted.
Kuroka repeated the process, but when she tried it with this one? The moment she saw the beast it was linked to, she immediately stopped, not even bothering to try.
"Are those two really that crazy to bring that monster here!?" She questioned.
The panic she felt was justified. After all, there was one creature from Norse mythology that everyone feared, and they had chosen to use it.
Well, everyone except maybe Great Red and Ophis, but Kuroka didn't know about that particular detail to know why they could take that risk.
"Damn it... I have no choice." She growled, gritting her teeth.
"Meow?" Kuro blinked.
"Kuro, I need you... to get my sister's attention, and hopefully bring her and others into the forest." Kuroka requested.
In response to hearing that? The black cat screeched in surprise.
"We can't let them bring this monster to the Underworld, and I don't have the means to destroy this second summoning circle, so we need to get it away from those two and their hound. I'll buy us some time, so I beg of you... approach my sister this one time!" She explained, clearly pained over what she was being forced to do.
Kuro looked at her master with worry, but then nodded and rushed towards the building where Koneko and the rest of the ORC currently were, right as she pulled out a vial of perfume with a reluctant look.
"Hopefully I won't gag too much from this scent..." She hoped.
The scene zoomed out as the sound of the perfume bottle breaking could be heard, followed by Kuroka's muffled gagging sounds and a flash of light.
Walking through the hallway, the Gremory Team could be seen as they walked back to the main area, along with the Sitri Team and most of the Devils.
"Guess I made it through my first talk about politics." Ishie remarked.
"That you did, but since we're now done with it... Ishie, could you stand still for a moment?" Rias replied.
Ishie blinked before shrugging a little, doing just that, and once she did?
*"SNAP!"*
Ishie then let out a brief scream, rubbing her forehead from where Rias just flicked it as the redheaded Devil let out a worried sigh.
"You have no idea how lucky you were back there." She warned.
She tilted her head in confusion, still rubbing the still throbbing area of her forehead that Rias flicked.
"Allow me to explain. When you said what you did in response to everyone laughing at Sona's goal, a good portion of the things your words ended up offending those Devils. Had you not said a few words that overshadowed them... a lot of them would have turned on you. Even being Lucifer's granddaughter wouldn't have helped." Ravel revealed.
Hearing that, Ishie froze up.
"Which words... were the offending ones?" Ishie asked, feeling Ravel's revelation sink in.
"Pretty much all of them except the ones that basically proved you were kind of right about us making ourselves weaker than we should be, as Zekram kindly pointed out." Rias answered.
Ishie went white at that, then let out a forced laugh as her colors slowly returned.
"So, my first day of showing my eventual leadership... and I ended may have just pissed off all of our potential opponents in this Rating Game tournament. Good to know..." She said in a terrified tone.
"If I'm being honest? The problem is you were trying too hard to act as the Princess you now are, and not yourself." Ravel added.
This caught Ishie's attention.
"Remember, the sin of Lucifer was his pride, and one thing tied to pride is confidence. That includes confidence in yourself. Rather than try to be what others may see you now and what you seem to see yourself needing to be now that you're in this role, just focus on being who you think you should be." She explained.
Hearing that left Ishie silent, but only because she was now heavily focused on those words.
However, she didn't get long to think as Koneko suddenly froze, then looked to the side.
"Koneko, is something wrong?" Asia asked.
She didn't get an answer, and before anyone could see it coming? She lunged ahead and motioned to grab something. This surprised a few people, at least until Koneko was seen holding a black cat that resembled Shiro in her hands.
Unfortunately for her, Kuro managed to escape by making a puff of black smoke, before she started to run away with little effort.
"What just happened?" Ishie asked.
"I knew it... she's here." Koneko nearly whispered with a sad tone.
Rias gasped once she heard that, while Ishie blinked in confusion.
"Rias?" Ishie asked, still confused.
"Everyone, we have a problem... that was Kuroka's familiar, meaning she's somewhere nearby." Rias revealed.
The entire group gasped, except for Ravel, who had no idea who Kuroka was.
"I'm sorry, who?" She asked.
"Oh, right. Let me explain." Ishie realized.
She whispered into Ravel's ear, causing her eyes to quickly widen as she heard the full story.
"I... have no comment to make to that." Ravel replied, still in shock from said story.
Lunurai soon walked up to Rias.
"Go find out what's going on with her. We'll go let your brother know so he's aware, and to avoid causing a panic." She whispered.
"Alright, thank you." Rias nodded.
Her peerage prepared to head off with Koneko at the lead, only to hear Eyleah let out a loud cough.
"Shouldn't you change first?" He suggested, pointing at their clothes.
Everyone looked at their formal clothing, which stood out and wasn't a good fit for chasing someone, before a few of them blushed in embarrassment.
"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." Yumi realized.
Kuro watched as they took care of all of that, then began heading near the elevator area to set up how she'd draw them to Vali's group.
A while later, the ORC was finally outside, but the moment they made it... Koneko suddenly started gagging before she pinched her nose.
"Oh god!" Koneko coughed.
"Whoa! Are you OK?" Millarca asked.
She got no reply, seeing as the White Nekoshou was still making gagging sounds and waving a smell away from her nostrils. Millarca looked at Rias, scratching her head.
"Kuroka must have expected she could get caught and laid out a scent too strong for a Nekoshou's nose to handle, expecting Koneko to have no protection for it." She replied.
Koneko nodded her head, feeling her eyes watering.
"Here, stick this in your nostrils." Millarca offered, pulling out a handkerchief.
Koneko quickly grabbed it, plugging up her nose before she took a deep breath.
"Well, that takes cares of my nose... unfortunately, the smell's still making my eyes water, so I can't focus on sensing her Chi flow." She replied.
"Then I guess we'll have to rely on this nose." Ishie suggested.
She held out her hand, summoning Rassei into view, who began flapping his wings as she looked at him.
"We need to find someone who has a similar scent to Koneko, but there's a bunch of perfume in the way. Think you can find them?" Ishie asked.
Rassei nodded his head before flying near Koneko, identifying her scent before sniffing the air to find another source of it within the forest.
A few seconds later, Rassei turned around and spoke to Ishie.
"I see." Ishie replied with a nod.
"Did he find her?" Rias asked.
"Sorry, I'm afraid not. I guess we'll just have to split up and hope we find her." Ishie revealed.
Rias sighed at that.
"Alright everyone, let's find her before anything happens. Koneko, I want you to stay with me, just in case she tries a repeat of what happened the last time we saw her." She decided, looking at Koneko soon after.
"Alright." She replied, nodding her head.
With those words, everyone split up, and once everyone was far enough away from her...
"Rassei, lead the way." Ishie stated.
Rassei nodded and flew ahead, leaving Ishie to sigh at how she just lied to everyone.
'Sorry Rias, but right now, there's something I need to know.' She thought.
Thinking back to all the times Koneko talked about her sister, Ishie needed to find Kuroka and ask her something while Koneko was guaranteed to be away from her.
'Every time I've heard those stories, something hasn't added up, especially about her Stray status. Now, it's time I find out the truth.' Ishie thought with determination.
She began picking up speed as she felt her adrenaline pumping.
In a different part of the forest, Kuroka could be seen resting against a tree, panting as she tried to regain some of her strength. While it was a necessary action, having the smell of perfume directly on her skin had sapped away most of her strength.
Kuro soon reappeared, though briefly hissed at Kuroka for the perfume smell, hating it almost as much as she did. Kuroka gave an embarrassed laugh, scratching her cheek.
"I know, but I had to hide my scent from that mutt." She apologized in a less sultry and higher pitched voice.
"So, you aren't trying to hide from your sister then?" Ishie inquired.
Kuroka and Kuro quickly felt their eyes widen as they heard that, with a second flash going off before Kuroka dropped into view.
"Well, well. This is an interesting find." Kuroka remarked in her prior vocal tone.
Ishie simply glared at the Black Nekoshou, causing an uncomfortable silence as Rassei just looked between them. It eventually got to a point that Kuroka sweated a little.
"Are we having a staring contest or something?" She asked, finally breaking the ice.
"That's not what you actually look like, or sound like, is it?" Ishie answered, her stare having evolved into a deadpan look.
Kuroka flinched at that.
"W-Whatever makes you say-" She asked, looking away from Ishie's eyes.
"Two reasons. One, your younger sister does the same thing to look younger than she really is, and two, your voice sounded lighter until you used that flash to talk with me." Ishie answered as she continued her deadpan stare.
Kuroka paled at that, realizing how easily she gave herself away, and let out a sigh of defeat.
Her body glowed as she dispelled the transformation, one again giving off a flash of light as her real appearance revealed, and Ishie was... honestly quite surprised by what the Black Nekoshou's true appearance.
She still had long hair, which might have become even longer depending on how much of her hair was tied in her false form's ring loops, with long side tails that reached to her large bust, which was one of the few things that was the same between her real and fake appearances.
As for her attire? The revealing kimono had been replaced with a black jacket with some white over a red shirt, white shorts, and brown boots.
"Wow. After seeing your other form? This is not what I expected you to look like, besides your figure." Ishie admitted.
"That is what a disguise is meant for." Kuroka said, using her real voice.
Ishie had no comment to make, and simply shrugged her hands in response, though her expression soon hardened as she walked closer.
"You and I need to have a talk." She stated.
"And what makes you think I'll-" Kuroka replied.
She paused as Ishie unleashed a familiar white and black attack resembling the Power of Destruction, making the Nekoshou shut up as Ishie held more of it in her left hand.
"That was not a request." Ishie warned, revealing her Divine Diving wings.
Kuroka went silent as she saw her Longinus, realizing that Ishie was not someone she could just fight or escape from.
Meanwhile, with Rias and Koneko, the two began their search for Kuroka throughout the forest, and after a few minutes into their search...
"Wait, one second." Koneko suddenly said.
"What is it?" Rias asked, looking at her.
Koneko closed her eyes and tried to focus on any nearby Chi flows, quickly noticing she was able to focus just enough to sense what she was specifically thinking of as she saw hers and Rias' compared to their current surroundings.
"Good news, the smell of perfume has started to fade from the air. While I still can't smell, I should be able to sense where my sister is now." Koneko realized.
Rias watched as Koneko focused on trying to read her sister's Chi glow, and quickly found it... right before letting out a loud gasp.
"That sounded bad. Did you accidentally give away our position?" Rias asked, sweating a little.
"No, it's not that. I found her... and Ishie's with her!" Koneko answered, her eyes shaking slightly.
Rias gasped at that.
"What, but how is that possible!? Ishie said Rassei... couldn't..." She asked.
She didn't even need to finish her sentence before she and Koneko realized what had happened, causing Rias to let out some of her aura in anger.
"Did she lie to us!?" She realized, annoyed that Ishie did something like this.
"She did, and... I think she lied because of me." Koneko replied, lowering her head as she realized why.
Rias felt her aura fade as she gave her Rook a confused look, seeing the White Nekoshou rub her arm.
"What do you mean?" Rias asked.
"Think about it Rias. She knows my full story, and then there was what happened to me during our training. If you add that to how she lost her brother and sister, then it's not too hard to understand why Ishie lied to us." She explained.
It took her a moment, but Rias managed to connect the dots before letting out a gasp of realization.
"Oh, I am really going to-" Rias mumbled, feeling her aura flare out again.
"Let her do this." Koneko begged.
Rias looked at Koneko in surprise, seeing her fists tightening before looking at her with puppy dog eyes (or rather, kitty cat eyes in her case) that were shining with emotion.
"But..." Rias tried to say.
"Please, I beg of you. Just this once... let us be selfish and do something against your wishes!" She screamed.
Rias was left silent at that, knowing Koneko almost always listened to her without complaint or second guessing. It was something she couldn't stand, but once she thought to why Ishie had tried to get Kuroka and herself alone, the answer became clear.
'Koneko, you still want to believe in your sister... even after everything you've said and that she's done.' Rias thought, barely keeping herself from crying.
She let out a sigh.
"Alright, but my one condition is we at least have to watch them in case she tries anything, because I'm not in the mood to tell everyone that their Princess was just killed." Rias finally agreed.
"Deal." Koneko replied.
With those words, the Rook of Gremory lead Rias in the direction her sister and Ishie were.
Now that she had caught Kuroka with the threat of her strength, Ishie asked her question.
"Why did you really kill master?" She asked.
"What? Come on, you've already heard the story, haven't you? I don't need to-" Kuroka asked, a false laugh laced within her voice.
"I heard one story, not your story. Not to mention you were avoiding us." Ishie countered.
She flinched at Ishie's words.
"From what I've learned and heard? Strays have rampant energy, and try to draw people to them. You were clearly trying to hide, and I can tell your energy is stable. For you to count as a Stray in that sense is impossible. By that logic, you're only a Stray for one reason... committing a crime." She continued.
While she was talking, Ishie sensed Rias and Koneko as they arrived, and were starting to listen... right as Ishie said those words. Hearing this was enough to make Rias raise an eye as she considered those details.
'Now that I think about it... she's right! While Kuroka changed her appearance, that was more like what Koneko already does to look younger than she actually is, and wasn't trying to eat us like other Strays often do without a second thought. A Stray of her threat level shouldn't be capable of that." Rias realized, sweating a little.
She already knew what Kuroka's previous appearance looked like due to the earliest of her criminal sketches, so seeing she still had her former appearance only further made what Ishie was saying feel out of place.
'Ishie, how long have you noticed these inconsistencies? Do you actually believe... that she could be innocent of her crimes?' Rias thought, almost feeling hopeful.
"My rank as a Stray is SS-Class, so how do you know I'm not-" Kuroka countered, almost trying to sound guilty.
"Because my mom told me about the Naberius Clan during my training." Ishie revealed, closing her eyes.
Koneko covered her mouth to muffle the loud gasp she let out, which would have exposed her and Rias had it been heard, while Rias felt her eyes widen before looking at the Nekoshou sisters in surprise.
As Kuroka froze from those words, Ishie thought back to the talk she had with her mom.
While Ishie was doing some stretching before some magic practice, her mother walked up to her.
"Ishie, can I ask you something?" Rizevia requested.
"Sure. What is it?" She inquired, still doing her stretches while listening.
"Koneko's past. Do you mind telling me everything? I don't really know much about it, and the other day, something that Sylvie said left me thinking about it." Rizevia asked.
Ishie blinked before rubbing her head.
"Let's see... it's like this." Ishie replied.
She began sharing everything, and after telling the full story? Rizevia sighed, having confirmed her suspicions, which confused her daughter somewhat.
"What's wrong?" Ishie asked.
"Back when you were talking to Sylvie, and she mentioned the Six Houses of Lucifer, she brought up the Naberius Clan from the 72 Pillars in response. Specifically, when she had to correct herself about the Nebiros Clan's status." Rizevia explained.
"And..." Ishie continued, not understanding what that meant.
"During that moment she mentioned the Naberius Clan, I caught Koneko flinching, as if she was familiar with them. Now that I'm aware of her story, I finally understand why she flinched when she did." She explained.
Ishie's eyes widened, and before she could even ask her question?
"That's right. Her sister's former master was a Naberius, and... it also explains everything about what her sister did." Rizevia confirmed.
"How is that?" Ishie inquired.
"Because the Nebiros Clan is known for dangerous experiments on a genetic level, as is the Naberius Clan they once controlled before the Civil War, and because of that? Well, while I can't actually guarantee it... I'm more than certain this Kuroka didn't actually lose control of her powers. If anything, she was forced to kill her master." She revealed.
Ishie wondered why, but then she gasped as a Koneko's face quickly flashed through her mind.
Rias wasn't sure why Ishie asked Kuroka about the Naberius Clan, but since she had brought her mom into the conversation...
'Ishie... are you implying what I think you are?' She gasped.
"Now, tell me the truth Kuroka. The reason you killed your master was because he was going to do some of his Clan's horrible experiments on her, wasn't she!?" Ishie asked.
That one line caused Koneko and Rias' eyes to widen, while Kuroka flinched, giving Ishie her answer.
"That reaction tells me everything. You knew your master's real nature, and kept Koneko from the truth, even as you struggled through the tests you took or he implied you'd eventually take... until he said your sister would be part of those tests. As her older sister, that was the last straw for you, so you killed him to protect her." Ishie summarized.
Koneko struggled to process this, and then... tears flowed from her eyes.
She remembered seeing her sister before their dead master, and the horror in her eyes upon realizing she saw it all. Kuroka had looked so... afraid. That wasn't the look of a murderer, but someone who had been left with no choice but to spill blood.
"To think someone like you could be that nosy enough to learn the truth." Kuroka confirmed, lowering her head.
Rias let out a silent gasp.
No matter what she just heard, she couldn't understand it. If Kuroka had been innocent all along, then... why? Why didn't she say anything all those years ago?
'It just doesn't add up. If she was truly innocent, then shouldn't she have-' She thought.
"But what's the point after all of this!? After all, my sister would never believe that after everything I've said and done! To her, I'm nothing but a murderer, so why act like I'm not when that's what she and almost every other Devil believes?" Kuroka questioned, showing a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes.
Rias froze as her question received its answer.
Koneko soon felt her eyes shrink, remembering what she said to her sister when they last saw one another.
"I killed my master to protect her... and all it did was scar her into seeing me as a murderer, which prompted the Devils to try and kill her. If I have to live knowing that I lost my sister that day, physically or otherwise? Then I'm going to be the monster she sees me as!" Kuroka said, forcing a smile.
She was so distracted by her own words that she failed to notice anything else, and that's when it happened.
*"SMACK!"*
Her eyes widened at the pain of the strike, with no one, including herself, noticing the summoning paper flying away from her form as she nearly fell over. Rias and Koneko were speechless as Kuroka looked up to see Ishie looking at her.
And she was pissed!
"Don't you dare talk like you still know your sister... because you don't know her at all!" Ishie screamed, grabbing her by the shirt.
Rias and Koneko gasped at the sight.
They had heard Ishie yell at them once before, but... before now, they had never seen her this angry, especially since her current expression was fitting of her status as the Half-Devil granddaughter of Lucifer.
"Your sister hates you? Sees you as a murderer? You don't know anything! In all the time I've known her for, the only thing she wants more than anything is for all of that to be wrong and for you to come back to her!" Ishie screamed, shaking her closer every few seconds.
Kuroka's eyes widened at that, but couldn't say anything as Ishie refused to give her even a chance to speak. Not until she had said enough.
"I recall seeing her tears! How she always stays transformed into what she used to look like before you ran off! All that silent wishing that you didn't go mad with power... and do what she thinks you did all of those years ago! For all I know, that's how she's felt since the day she saw you kill that Naberius bastard!"
She screamed as she put her face directly in front of hers.
"And all of that's while I've had to hold back how I felt, knowing that unlike me, Koneko hasn't lost you! My brother and sister are gone and they're never coming back! If you keep walking this path, then you'll regret it for the rest of your life! So, why are still running away from her!?"
Ishie asked her the same question twice after that, and then... her voice shook before Rias and Koneko saw her break into tears, which was when Rias finally had enough of watching.
"Ishie!" She shouted, running into view.
Rias pulled her off Kuroka, who just laid where she was, all while Rias failed to notice Ishie's lack of surprise at her presence. Right now, all that mattered to her was Ishie had pushed herself to the point of tears in her desperate attempt to reach her.
"Just let it out, it'll be OK." Rias reassured her, knowing how deeply Ishie must have dug into her personal scars with her last words.
'Those words... what did she mean?' Kuroka thought, struggling to take them all in because of how suddenly they were said to her.
At that moment, Koneko walked into view.
"Ishie wasn't lying to you..." She said quietly.
Kuroka's eyes widened at that, getting up as she turned around, seeing her sister staring at her.
"Shirone..." She breathed.
However, before anything could be said?
*"RUMBLE!"*
Ishie's crying stopped as they felt the entire Underworld shake, with Kuroka quickly paling as she looked around, and saw that the summoning paper had fallen to the ground.
And by doing so? It had activated, with the rumbling being the signal of the coming monster's arrival.
"No... no, no, no, no! We're all screwed now!" Kuroka panicked.
"What do you mean?" Rias questioned.
"My familiar found a paper with a Norse summoning circle applied to it, and I saw a Human and a Monkey Youkai trying to find it, because that particular circle was meant to summon Midgardsormr!" Kuroka revealed.
Ishie gasped as she quickly realized the two Kuroka saw were Vali and Bikou, but the latter name was unfamiliar to her.
"Who the heck is Midgardsormr?" Ishie asked.
"The name of a creature, which is also an Evil Dragon that's one of the Five Dragon Kings, that you probably know better under its one alias... the Midgard Serpent." Rias revealed.
She gasped as she heard that, well aware of the creature that was heavily linked to Loki.
"No way... are you saying the Khaos Brigade wants to begin Ragnarok in the Underworld!?" Ishie exclaimed in horror.
"You're forgetting their leader is Great Red... he could easily summon Midgardsormr here, have the Devils mostly or completely wiped out, and then kill him before he's able to spread Ragnarok's destruction to the rest of the world." Koneko mentioned.
Kuroka froze as she heard the mention of Great Red, though she didn't have time to ask any questions, as a loud roar was heard.
"Move!" Rias ordered, nearly panicking.
All four of them ran away as the summoning circle finally grew large enough, allowing Midgardsormr to start slithering through it.
The rumbling soon reached those still inside, causing everyone to scream as the lights began to flicker from the growing tremors.
"What's going on here!?" Saji questioned.
"I'm not sure, but it's not good!" Lint answered.
As the tremors continued, the opening stages of Midgardsormr's entrance soon reached Rossweisse and Odin, who instantly realized the coming danger.
"Damn it, Vali... of all the things you could have done." Odin whispered to himself.
He soon got on his feet, looking at the other leaders.
"These are no ordinary tremors, my son has summoned something into the Underworld, and it's something even I fear." He revealed.
"If you fear it, then there's only a small list of what it could be, especially since the Red Dragon has Fenrir on his side." Sirzechs realized.
Odin nodded his head.
"He's summoned Midgardsormr, and these tremors are the result of him simply trying to slither through the gate that's summoning him into the Underworld." He confirmed.
Many gasps were heard, prompting Lint to look at Sona, who nodded her head in agreement.
As they began rushing out, a certain group of Devils noticed this, and then looked at each other.
Ishie's group soon reached a safe distance from Midgardsormr, who they were now watching, as he continued slithering into the Underworld's borders. Feeling sweat trickle down her cheek, Ishie raised her right hand.
"Albion, please tell me there's a way for us to stop this monster." Ishie begged, barely keeping calm.
("Against a Dragon like Midgardsormr, I... I don't know. To beat it conventionally would be impossible, and for other options...") Albion confessed, knowing the unique features of this Dragon were unlike any other.
Hearing that caused Ishie to sweat even more, looking at Rias and Koneko, who shook their heads in response.
"Don't ask me. There was another summoning paper I dealt with, but when I sensed Midgardsormr on the second... it was clear there was nothing I could do to stop it besides keeping it off the ground." Kuroka replied, despite no one asking her.
Once again, Ishie felt fear overtake her, having no answers for how to stop this beast from destroying her homeland.
"There has to be something! Can't we just... I don't know, seal him in something!?" Ishie asked, guessing at this point.
Rias was about to say otherwise, only for Kuroka to gasp.
"Actually, yes! We could do that! It might be possible if I used my powers to draw its soul into some kind of object, provided it has the right properties." Kuroka confirmed.
"You can really do that?" Rias asked in surprise.
"Shirone and I are both capable of it, since we'd just need to use our space-time magic to manipulate his soul into his new prison. However, that's where the hard part comes in..." Kuroka answered.
She looked at the Evil Dragon's still rising form.
"A creature of that power? We can't seal it away unless we deal it enough damage, otherwise its soul will be strong enough to resist the process." She revealed.
"Then leave that job to me!" Ishie offered, knowing she could do it.
Kuroka looked at her like she was crazy.
"I know you have the Divine Dividing, but how could you achieve that?" She questioned.
"Because... my name is Ishie, Ishie Lucifer." Ishie answered, spreading out her eight wings.
The Black Nekoshou's eyes widened at the sight.
Ishie then flew off towards the Evil Dragon, who was nearly far enough into the Underworld to pull the rest of his body out without issue.
"Albion, are you ready!?" She asked.
("As ready as I can be when fighting against any Evil Dragon.") He answered.
Ishie smiled at that.
("I should warn you, though. If you use a Divide against Midgardsormr, I'm positive you'll take in too much power, so you'll need to release everything you take after each use. It would also be a good idea to start with your Half Dimension before you start attacking.") Albion advised.
"I remember the fighting we did against Tiamat during my training, and she barely lifted a claw, so you don't have to worry about me not going all at from the start." Ishie reassured him.
Albion chuckled at that, speeding closer to Midgardsormr as he finally slithered his entire body into the Underworld.
Watching from a distance, Vali and Bikou were surprised to see that Midgardsormr had made his appearance, but Vali was quick to let out an impressed chuckle once he saw the Evil Dragon's arrival.
"We may not have both monsters out here, but at least the stronger was successfully summoned." He remarked.
"He really is quite the beast. Although, how are we gonna control him into only destroying most of the Devils and not kill that Ishie girl in the process?" Bikou replied before giving Vali a carious look.
The sound of someone's throat clearing was heard, making Bikou turn as he saw Sophia walk into view.
"I believe you're forgetting what I was known for back in Heaven? I already know how to keep Midgardsormr under our boundaries, and stop Ragnarok from initiating if things were to push him near the point of causing it." Sophia said with confidence, focused on the Evil Dragon.
Bikou let out a slight chuckle.
"Alright, if you're sure that you can handle this slippery snake, then we'll head back and get ready for whatever's next on Red's agenda." Bikou decided.
"Of course she can handle this. After all, this is my mother we're talking about." Vali replied with a smirk.
He opened a magic circle and walked through it, shortly before Bikou followed him through it. Once they were gone, Sophia rose her hands, preparing a magic circle.
"Now, time to get started." She stated.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to take a ran check there, Sophia."
Her eyes widened as a familiar black and white attack flew towards her, forcing her to dodge as she saw the familiar form of Rizevia as she walked into view.
"Rizevia... of course you're still alive." Sophia glared, looking at her Devil counterpart.
Rizevia glared at her in return.
"To think you of all people would willingly join terrorists. Do you really hate your father as much as I did, despite how different the two men were?" She questioned.
"Different? You honestly don't understand anything, and not just because our powers and worlds are opposite to one another." Sophia replied.
Her task in controlling Midgardsormr had been forgetting by then, with the two now walking near each other, both aware that just as their children were enemies due to their respective Longinus... they too were enemies.
Meaning just like them? They too had to fight, because they walked the same opposing roads that their children did.
The battle against Midgardsormr has begun, and it's a battle our heroes can't lose, as otherwise... they risk Ragnarok hitting all of the Underworld at best, and the entire world at worst. Can our heroes do enough damage to weaken the Evil Dragon for Kuroka to seal it inside whatever object she'll be able to get her hands on, or will they need to discover a better way with almost no time to find one?
Also, we finally learned the truth about Kuroka, which is in this story, the way she acts in canon has been a mere facade to uphold the image of the villain she believes her sister sees her as. I feel it was an interesting twist, since there aren't that many stories where she's not quite the naughty kitty she acts like in canon, and I felt that for what Daydreamer Dragon is focused on, that having her acting as the villain more fitting. That, and I have another reason.
I bet a few people were a little surprised by how OOC the Rossweisse of this story is, so to elaborate on that? This version of her was like her canon self at first, but due Vali being one of Odin's children and Sophia being one of his wives? That eventually changed. Vali always had a bit of a wild streak, especially due to his mother's influences, and that stress caused her tendency to break down to be replaced with having no tolerance for some of Odin's bolder words.
Next up is how Ishie handled her reaction to everyone mocking Sona's dream, and that breakdown she had when talking to Kuroka, which shows that even after all the recent growth she's undergone... she's still hurting from losing Aiko and Yuuki as a child. That, and she's nowhere near ready to be the kind of leader the Devils need, especially since she lacks a proper example in her family tree.
Basically... now that she realizes her heritage, and has fully awakened it? Ishie has a whole new set of challenges to overcome, and these challenges could easily be greater to overcome than the ones she's already faced. Fighting against Midgardsormr is, in a sense, a representation of these struggles and how she needs to find a new way to fight them, because the way she did before now is no longer enough. Especially once she has her eventual rematch with Vali.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^