Answers to reviewers statements or questions
grimmouse197: I know right? Females should just tell a man straight up what they want instead of dropping vague hints, I fully agree with you. Now...GO TELL THAT TO THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN IN THE WORLD! (I'm not mad at you, these are my feelings on the matter). Every girlfriend I've ever had, every girlfriend my friend's have had, and I've even asked my own sisters on the topic of woman "subtly", that's just how a lot of them are. It's a stupid cliche but it's a cliche that exists in real life. Now, Melissa won't be that painfully slow on getting her feelings on the topic across but I can't have her just say "Hey Pierce, I'm perfectly fine with you dating other women and making a great big harem!" that would be very unrealistic (even in DxD).
NazgulBelserion: He's not dense to harems, it's just how he is. Pierce is a hot blooded male who loves women (like lots of straight guys) but he's nowhere near Issei's level. When Melissa said "I'll be ready" Pierce thought she meant that she'll hold them off or something like that. The first thing that pops into a guy's mind when his girlfriend says something like that is NOT "Oh, so she's cool if I date multiple women? Neat." I don't care what you try to say, no guy's mind works like that. If you do, then I have no idea how you have a girlfriend (hell, even Rias hasn't said that straight up to Issei and she accepts his lustful dream).
HollowSeven: Thanks man, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I get what you mean though and don't worry, by the end of this Pierce will be a walking force of nature (It is a SI so that's kind of the point). But I have to admit, it really isn't fun writing about a guy that gets everything handed to him. If I give Pierce a Holy Sword, then next I would give him an overpowered Familiar, then a godly armor, then a Longinus class sacred Gear, then a...You get the point. I might as well write about Vali then since that guy has everything handed to him and he's really liked. Point is, I'm not going down the path where everyone else is stronger then Pierce but he's decently strong. Nope, Pierce will make it to the top but he'll earn his place with blood, sweat, and a lot of tears.
Chapter 19: An Emperor Vs an Irregular
Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD but I'll do it justice and thoroughly explore Ichiei's creation. I own the OC's. Pierce will do it all and then some.
Speech - "Hey, I'm Pierce."
Thoughts - 'I'm dead.'
Spells - "Jumon"
Inner Voice -'Sup'
The Titanomachy.
The great battle between the Titans of Mount Othrys and the Olympians. The Titans were the Primordial Gods before the Greek Gods. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were the first of Chronos' children and they lived in the ancient times. Growing under their loving mother and stern father, the Trinity made a place for themselves in the Ancient Era and life was simple, as simple as a God's life could be anyway.
Then Chronos overthrew his father and ruler of the Titans, Uranus.
No one knew the exact reason. Some said Chronos grew tired of his father's cruel rule and wanted to change it. Others said Gaia tempted the Titan to seek out his birthright. Most just didn't care. The Trinity at the time had no love for their Grandfather and did nothing when their Father came into power. So Chronos ruled Mount Othrys for a time, implementing new regulations, building statues in his honor, and partaking wars with other Ancient mythologies. The Primordial God of Time seemed to be a lesser evil compared to Uranus and an even bigger tool, so no one bothered the Titan king's reign.
Then something changed.
Chronos became nervous and paranoid about his children, constantly on edge whenever they made a move. He thought they were going to take his throne from him and Chronos couldn't let that happen. So he invited his 3 children to his castle one day and hatched a ploy to solidify his rule. Creating a pocket dimension, Chronos trapped Poseidon and Hades inside it while Zeus barely escaped that day. He sent his fellow Titans to hunt down the young God not knowing that his sister-wife, Rhea, gave Zeus asylum. The pocket dimension was a prison and it would slowly leech Poseidon and Hade's Divine Power, feeding it to Chronos. The dimension was inside a necklace and he never let it leave his sight. Years would pass and Chronos never found Zeus. Afraid his son would come back for revenge, Chronos sought even more power. Sleeping with his wife, she became impregnated and the children inside her belly would suffer the same fate as Poseidon and Hades.
Rheas saw her chance. She hated Chronos for what he had become and hatched a plan. Giving birth to her triplets (Hera, Demeter, and Hestia) Chronos came for them and Rhea gave them up. Along with a fourth "child". Telling Chronos that she gave birth to 4 children, the Titan king didn't think much about it and placed them inside his necklace. Rhea was a Primordial Goddess known for her ancient illusion magic and puppetry. Casting her strongest illusion spell, Chronos never saw that the fourth "child" was actually a rock. The rock was Rhea's invention and she called it the Omphalos. The moment it entered the necklace Chronos knew something was wrong but it was too late. The Omphalos activated and ripped apart the dimensional prison, effectively shattering the sealing space and taking the five prisoners into the Dimensional Gap. Chronos didn't have the chance to do anything. Enraged by his wife's betrayal, Chronos faced the exhausted Rhea (she used all her Divine Power on the Omphalos) and demanded why she did it.
"I did what any mother would have done." Rheas said with a weary but satisfied smile.
Then Chronos killed his wife. Years passed with no one knowing what had occurred, Chronos ruled Mount Othrys and for a time his reign was unchallenged. Then the Olympians came. Declaring war against the Titans, the fighting began and after much bloodshed, Mount Olympus was victorious. Many Titans were imprisoned inside Mount Olympus and for centuries Zeus periodically placed new sealing spells on the old ones, strengthening the prison. As far as the Gods were concerned, the prison was impenetrable.
'Here I thought our time of arrogance was over.' Zeus shook his head at his folly. The God King always looked back on his younger years and was for the most part ashamed. All the years of debauchery, sin, and overall chaos was not a time of pride for Zeus. 'Not anymore anyway.'
"O Antiqui Obsignandi." Hera finished her chant and a massive magic circle appeared over their heads. They were currently inside Mount Olympus, standing on a platform over a massive pit and the magic circle slowly lowered. The air rippled as a dome like barrier appeared and seals started stretching across the surface. The Queen of Olympus sweated as her spell branded itself on the barrier and when she finished, she stumbled. Zeus quickly caught his wife. "I'm fine." Hera gave a weary smile and Zeus frowned at this.
"…I'm sorry." The King of Olympus sighed and apologized. Hera chuckled.
"You say sorry a lot you know that?" Hera couldn't count the number of times Zeus has apologized for something he did.
"Yeah well, this time I mean it."
"…So you didn't mean it in the past?" Hera narrowed her eyes and Zeus started visibly sweating.
"No! I mean not No! I mean- That wasn't what I meant…" Zeus' voice got really low by the end of his sentence and Hera chuckled. She stood up and dusted herself off.
"I should go and rest, don't stay here too long okay?" Hera gave Zeus a small kiss and made her way back to their room. The God King watched his wife leave before sighing.
"…Over a thousand years of marriage and she can still whip you into place." Hestia spoke up from the corner of the platform, fully forgotten by the pair. Hestia was very similar to her sister Hera but she was smaller in height, had blue eyes, and her hair was blond. Zeus snorted at his sibling's jab.
"Oh yeah? Then maybe I should tell her how it was you who helped me get past Argus?" Zeus smirked when his sister paled.
"N-Now let's be reasonable. That'll just get both of us in trouble." Hestia pleaded with Zeus not to tell Hera. At the time, the Goddess of the Hearth owed Zeus so she helped him get past the monster. While Hera eventually found out, Hestia was able to avoid her wrath by framing Hermes. The Queen of Olympus is quite terrifying when angered.
"I was already punished, she won't do it again." Zeus shrugged and sneered. "You, who hasn't been punished for it though…" A giddy feeling welled up in his stomach when he saw his sister's appalled look.
"Y-You!" Hestia looked at Zeus in anger. "Then I'll tell her it was you who slept with that Princess from Crete!"
"Oh really!? Then I'll tell her how you helped Hermes cheat in that boxing match against Ares!"
"Fine! Then I'll just tell her how you…"
This went on for a while. Both Gods went back and forth, threatening to tell the Queen of Olympus what the other had done. By the time they were finished, they were both out of breath and looked at each other. Then they chuckled.
"We were a bunch of idiots." Hestia shook her at all the stupidity they had done over the years. 'If I really think about it, Hades was probably the most normal one among us…wow, that's a scary thought.' Zeus' smile wavered at his sister's comment and he looked down at the pit.
"We still are…" He sighed and Hestia frowned.
"Brother, no one blames you for what happened. We agreed on keeping the central array the same, it was all our faults." Hestia sighed when his expression didn't change. "Just…don't think about it too much, okay?" Hestia didn't get an answer and walked away. Zeus stayed there, looking down into the endless hole. It's not like the Olympians were doing nothing while the Emissary's went after Zeth. Hera, Zeus, and Hestia were putting new sealing spells over the old ones to build another wall of containment. Sadly, even if they worked around the clock it wouldn't matter. There were thousands of spells placed on the prison which was done since the end of the Titanomachy; the amount of time needed to build a new wall that could match the old one would take just as long. That's the reason they kept the array the same, with all the constant improvements to the outer wall, the foundation needed to stay firm and singular. Something Zeth fully exploited.
Zeus took a step forward and fell down, freefalling into the pit. Minutes passed as he kept falling and the wind picked up, showing his increasing velocity. He passed many cages that floated in the empty space, each one containing a still body within. Some looked human and were normal size, while others were dozens of meters tall with supernatural aspects. After passing an extra large molten figure, Zeus' falling speed abruptly stopped and he lightly floated to the floor of the prison. He looked around and his eyes fell on a platform, a figure could be seen kneeling there. Glowing chains locked him down and multiple seals were personally placed on his body. The figure looked up and locked eyes with the King of Olympus before chuckling grimly.
"That's a good look on you, shame and regret." The figure looked back down and became silent. The form of a man could be barley made out. He had long gray hair, a full beard, was very skinny and had a pair of eagle wings that had seen better days. Zeus walked up to the man and said in a monotone voice.
"Father."
"Is that what I am now? Father?" Chronos seemed amused by that. "Then what kind of son are you for treating your father like this?"
"…You were never a true father Chronos." Zeus kept his tone flat before continuing. "But that does not change the fact you are mine."
"Oh you and your philosophical word play. Just like your whore of a mother." Chronos grinned as he got a reaction from his son. "Oh did I strike a nerve? Funny, when I trapped your brothers and your mother, you didn't even bat an eye, I guess you didn't inherit her patience. That was her one good trait. Well…besides the other one." Chronos said as he licked his lips and it took all of Zeus' willpower not to rip the Primordial God's head off. He rubbed his fingers as lightning sparked between them and he took a deep breath.
"I did not come down here for th-"
"I know why you're here." Chronos interrupted him and looked down. "What? You thought some small talk and a visit will magically let the past go?"
"…You started all that Father, we just finished it." Zeus said sternly and Chronos' eyes went red.
"You were all mine!" Chronos moved to stand but the chains didn't budge. "You all came from me! Hades, Poseidon, even you, all your powers came from me! I had every right to take it back! Your fucking mother didn't understand so I-" He abruptly stopped and looked Zeus in the eyes. Then he chuckled before laughing out loud. Zeus didn't react to any of this; he knew this was a lost cause. But you can't say he didn't try.
Here's the thing, every faction be it the Gods, Yokai, Angels, even the Devils in the underworld. They all followed an unwritten code when it came to prisoners of war, 'In war there is no good or evil, there are just sides'. While this did not stop experimentation or abuse, execution is considered a horrid offence. So they lock away the prisoners and put them all in stasis, the caged never know the passage of time as their sentence is done. Be it in Olympus' Prison or Cocytus, this rule was kept for every prisoner and very few exceptions were made.
Chronos was one of those exceptions.
As much as Zeus wanted to leave the Titan King down here in the darkness alone for the rest of his days, he did not do this. He thought of something much better. You see, Chronos was a very flawed being vanity, greed, paranoia, etc. he had them all. But if there was one thing he hated above all, it was his presence being ignored. So Zeus gave him a different punishment. Along with Hera and Demeter, they put a brand on Chronos' sight that allowed him to see everything. Not literally everything but all the things they wanted him to see. He saw images of the current Mount Othrys, of the Olympian's escapades over the years, and he saw random corners of his previous territories. How was this punishment? Because it showed the arrogant Titan King something. That the world moves on without him. That for all his power and previous glory, time did not care and will gladly continue turning. So Chronos watched as he was slowly forgotten by the world, forgotten and abandoned.
All because he was a power hungry coward.
"Go back Zeus." Chronos stopped laughing at some point and lowered his head. "Wait for Zeth to release us because no one will back down. But you already made sure of that didn't you?"
"…" Zeus gave one last look to his father before turning around and walking away. Chronos was right; Zeus very much earned the Titan's hatred. How? By butchering the families of all the warrior Titans. The Primordial Gods knew they were going to lose the war so they sent out their families to keep them safe. Zeus found them and was met with a choice, keep the moral high ground or end a potential future threat. He'll admit that wasn't his finest moment.
"You sure have a knack for that don't you?" Zeus stopped and looked back at the smiling Chronos. "Every mistake you make comes back to haunt you and everyone else suffers for it."
"…Yeah, you're right." Zeus slowly floated up. "I must have gotten that from you." He didn't turn back as he flew out of the prison, Chronos' face full of rage.
Magician's Association
After the portal closed, I looked around and saw we were in a large lobby. Many tables and sofas were put everywhere with a large reception desk in the middle. Many people walked around in robes like Maven's, some were reading while others talked to the receptionist for something. I could see many doors everywhere that had portals and magicians kept coming in and out. It was quite busy.
"…Yeah I got nothing."
"What do you mean?" Melissa asked (she wanted to come along).
"I have no material to work with here. Everything's too normal." I shook my head in disappointment.
"…What?"
"Let's go make an appointment." Maven walked towards the reception. Behind the desk sat a blond woman who was wearing a clean cut robe and she looked at us with cool blue eyes. Her name tag read Lea.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Lea spoke in a professional tone.
"We're here to register my friend as a 1st Order magician." Maven explained and Lea nodded. She grabbed a book from under the desk and opened it, a long list of names were on the page.
"I can fit you in for a meeting at 5:30."
"That works, thank you." Maven nodded at the woman and she led us to the side to wait.
"What are we going to do for an hour and a half?" I asked as I sat down on a large sofa, Melissa sitting next to me.
"Here." Maven passed me a book and on the cover it said "The Magician Association". "That should give you an idea on the Association's structure."
"…You like reading way too much." I sighed before opening the book.
In the early days of humanity, even before King Solomon's reign, many magician groups existed. They studied the laws of nature and found they could bend it to do many miraculous things. They could control the elements, cure the greatest ailments and even warp life itself. Many groups sought knowledge and they eventually found supernatural races. But sadly these races were hostile and cruelly oppressed many magic users. This caused magicians to do what humanity did best; unite.
"…Really?" I deadpanned
"I know, just ignore the first part." Maven wryly smiled and went back to her own book. Melissa was resting her head on my lap and petting Jade. Sighing, I continued reading.
Many Organizations like the Golden Dawn, Rosenkreuzer, Grauzauberer, etc. came together and formed the Magician Association. While they didn't completely meld together, the organizations still pooled their resources and created many safe points in the world for magicians. Those with the aptitude for magic could join any group and learn under the masters of magic. Many benefits are given to those that join the Association; wealth, protection, power, and even nobility. It wasn't always like this however. Many different leaders tried to make rules in favor against the other and fights quickly broke out. Eventually a decision was met, the Organizations would appoint a director to oversee the Association and set guidelines. A director was appointed, Merlin was once offered the title but rejected it, and when that one died another would be elected.
'And the current director is Mephisto.' I shut the book and looked up at a clock on the wall. It's been 15 minutes. '…It took me that long to read that?' Feeling mildly embarrassed, I looked around. Maven was still reading her book and Melissa was talking to the receptionist, Lea. Whatever they were talking about must have been interesting as Melissa was gesturing with her hands and Lea had an amused smile. I patted Jade and laid back on the sofa, watching the clock slowly tick away. '…I'm waiting for an appointment with the Devil to join an exclusive magic club with my genius teacher and Yokai girlfriend…yep, I'm already bored.' Sighing, I sat up and crossed my legs. My mind slowly became calm and I prepared to enter Zen Mode. 'It's not like anything's going to happen her-'
"Well, well, look who's here." A nasally and hostile voice rang out.
"Oh come on, I didn't even say that out loud!" I yelled in outrage and pointed at where the voice came from. A young man with brown hair, a large nose, and hazel eyes looked shocked at my outburst. Behind him were a man and woman. The man was tall and very muscular; he was black and looked Latino. The woman was on the shorter side with short blue hair, grey eyes, and a pretty face. I blinked as everyone in the room looked at me strangely. Maven just shook her head in exhaustion and stared at the young man.
"What do you want Simon?" Maven said in an ice cold tone. The young man named Simon sneered down at the mage.
"I'm just surprised you have the nerve to show up here." Simon said and Maven just glared.
"Where I go is none of your concern. Now if you're here to admit you'll never amount to anything as a mage then please don't let me stop you." Maven smirked and Simon huffed.
"Big talk from a Golden Dawn reject."
"Reject? Really? That's funny because I remember rejecting and then cutting your uncle down to half the man he was that day. Then again, there wasn't much man there to cut."
"Fuck you!" Simon tried to move forward but he didn't get far as I appeared in front of him a second later. He stumbled backwards and pointed his staff at me; a magic circle appeared in front of me. Activating Touki, I reached out through the magic circle and shattered it to pieces. The spell must have been a fire one since a mild heat hit me but with Touki it did nothing. I grabbed Simon by the throat and hoisted him up. The magician struggled and flailed about, the two people behind him moved to help but a voice rang out.
"Enough." Lea spoke softly from the desk (she wasn't loud yet we could hear her clearly). Dozens of magic spells appeared around us and they all faced us. Gravity became heavier and chains encircled us like a dome. "Put him down." Lea commanded and I stared at the purple faced Simon (the increased gravity was affecting him more than me) before dropping him. Gravity went back to normal and Simon coughed on the floor, looking completely ragged. Lea walked up to us and looked down at the coughing mage. "You should know better than to do that here Simon."
"…It was reflex." Simon sweated as Lea looked down on him.
"Right…" Lea coldly said. "Don't let it happen again." She turned towards me. "As for you…
"He started it." I shrugged as I deactivated Touki.
"…And for that I apologize." Lea bowed and I blinked owlishly.
"R-really? You're not going to say I was wrong for attacking him because he's the son of some powerful mage here and have to chase me out to save face? Ultimately for me to become some grandmaster magician somewhere else and make you regret doing so?"
"No."
'…She didn't even pause.' I nodded my head in respect and pointed at her. "You…you have potential."
"Thank you." Lea's face didn't change then either. "Simon is an experienced member and he shouldn't have reacted like he did, he will be held accountable." Simon's face grimaced at that.
"See to it that you do. Children these days don't understand humility." I shook my head solemnly.
"You are right. It's better to know restraint earlier on to avoid future problems." Lea fully agreed with me.
"…"
"…"
"…I'm sorry, what are we doing?" I was honestly stumped, I've never gotten this far before without confusing someone.
"What do you mean?" Lea tilted her head in wonder.
"You were playing along right?"
"Playing along to what?" Lea looked at me with completely honest eyes.
'…Oh no.' I started sweating and looked at Lea in fear. 'Oh good God no…my one true weakness…a literal person.' Yukan was gullible but at least he was still confused.
"Are you okay?" Lea asked in worry.
"Y-Yes!" I jumped at her question. "I mean- I'm fine. I-I'm just being dramatic."
"Oh, you do theater? Have you been in any plays? If so which ones, I've seen a couple myself." Lea seemed genuinely interested and asked.
"…" I need to get out of here.
"…What is happening?" Melissa asked Maven as they watched the scene in front of them.
"…Melissa, I never know." Maven sighed and moved to save me from Lea. The receptionist went back to the front desk and we walked to one of the doors, apparently one of them led to a restaurant Maven knew. We didn't get far as Simon once again got in our way. I sighed.
"Look dude, I like a good cliché but the one where the bratty young lord gets his ass handed to him and later dies because he couldn't let it go is overused." They all looked at me with strange looks.
"…Maven." Simon chose to ignore me. "I have an offer for you."
"I want nothing from you Simon." Maven said and moved to pass but Simon outstretched his hand.
"Not even this?" Simon smirked and held up a palm sized ornamental mirror. Maven stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the small mirror.
"The Mirror of Isis…" Maven's voice wavered at the end and Simon smirked harder.
"Of course you would recognize it, it's what you've been looking for all this time."
"What do you want?" Maven seemed nervous now as she eyed the artifact.
"The Arena." Simon smiled arrogantly. "You versus me. If you win, then I'll hand this over."
"And if I lose?" Maven narrowed her eyes.
"You know what I want." Simon pointed at Maven's very sizable chest and a greedy look appeared in his eyes.
"…Maven just say the word, I'll snap his scrawny neck this time." I took a step forward and cracked my knuckles. Simon stepped back in fear and the tall Latino man from before moved in front of me. A feral smile was on his face. Melissa placed her hands on her daggers and the blue haired women appeared by her side, her hand on her rapier. Maven ignored the tension in the air as she moved to touch her necklace. It was a red orb being held by a silver hand.
"We'll be waiting by the Arena; I hope you make up your mind soon." Simon smiled victoriously once more before walking away, his 2 members following along.
'…Something about that guy is really setting me off.' I frowned once they left. I wasn't talking about Simon though, it was the Latino man. My instincts were telling me he was dangerous but I didn't know how. 'I mean his aura is quite pitiful compared to mine yet I can't help but feel he's dangerous. Is he a magician?' I shook my head and looked at Maven. She was really quiet. "Maven?" The mage looked up and stared at me. "You want to explain what all that was about?"
"…Okay." Maven sighed and looked around. "Come with me." We followed the mage to a door and she led us inside. She explained how this was a meeting room that others use to make deals and she activated the noise canceling spells on the wall.
"So what's up Maven? Who was that guy and what was that mirror?" I also wanted to ask about that Latino man but the others took priority. Maven sat down and stayed quiet before speaking.
"Simon is the nephew of Golden Dawn's former vice leader."
'Called it.' I thought that with an internal snort and Maven continued.
"When I graduated from my magic school I entered the Magician's Association and tried to join Golden Dawn." Maven made a disgusted face. "Though the vice leader made me an offer I couldn't agree with and he…didn't take it well."
"…Did you kill him?" I tried asking and Maven just looked at me. I got my answer. "Okay…but why did you react that way towards that mirror?"
"Do you remember what I told you about my parents?" Maven asked that question and I was puzzled on where that came from. I nodded. "It has to do with them." Maven took off her necklace and offered it to me; I held it and looked it over.
"It's cool and all but…what does that have to do with what's going on now?"
"My parents were researching on a way to draw on the chaotic Mana from the Dimensional Gap." Maven got to the point and I was shocked.
"R-really?" Now that got my attention. One of the things Maven burned into my head was that human Magicians had 2 clear disadvantages compared to supernatural beings. Number 1 is that humans don't have innate abilities like other races with few exceptions (Vargas as a spirit inheritor was such an exception). Number 2 is that all supernatural races beat humans when comparing energy output. Just like I called upon that silver light to make a strengthening spell, there was a limit to how many there can be in a certain area. For example, if you were to go to a volcano then there would be fire Mana everywhere with minute amounts of water Mana. If you went to a tropical jungle there would be lots of water, earth, and wood Mana but barely any metal. If I wanted to do a 3rd Order or above strengthening spell (which needs metal Mana) in the jungle it would be nigh impossible. Beings like Devil's and Angel's don't have this limitation because they have their own source of Mana right in their body. Thankfully there was a way around this and that would be for Magician's to make a link with a realm. Yes, I said realm. Bear with me. If you were an elementalist with a real talent for ice magic then you would make a link with the Norse Hell, Niflheim, a place filled with nothing but ice and water. Or if you like Black magic then the Greek's Realm of the Dead is your cup of tea. The thing is that many realms are ruled by a supernatural being, Hel and Hades for the ones mentioned. You would need their permission to draw upon the Mana of their realm. Really, everything goes back to supernatural races when it comes to magic. But there is one realm that's completely free and has no supernatural being ruling it.
The Dimensional Gap. It's a literal endless void filled with every type of chaotic Mana and if you try to enter without some form of magical protection then you're pretty much dead. Many magicians have tried over the years to harness its power and only one human group has succeeded. The Wizards of Oz. Using their newfound power source, the wizards created a domain the size of a country inside the gap and separated from the human world almost entirely. Countless researchers tried to replicate what they did but they've all failed.
"My parents were close; they could draw a small amount of Mana from the Dimensional Gap but they were improving every day." Maven spoke with an incredibly proud voice. "All their research is inside that necklace." I looked at the necklace in wonder.
"Well I'll be damned…" Maven's parents were really something. "You sure as hell are doing them proud." I smiled and tossed the necklace back to Maven. She caught it and blushed slightly.
"Thanks…" She lowered her head and coughed. "Anyway, my parents were working on the link one day and…something happened." I quirked a brow.
"What?"
"I have no idea." Maven shrugged. "I'm serious! No one knows what happened, there was a huge surge and they just vanished!" She quickly explained when I deadpanned.
"How long ago was this?" Melissa asked and Maven became downcast.
"…It's been 12 years."
"Oh Maven…" Melissa put a comforting hand on the mages shoulder and brought her into a hug. The odds of her parents being dead are pretty high at this point but I wasn't about to say that.
"And the mirror?" I asked
"It's an artifact created by the Egyptian Goddess Isis. When you put a drop of blood on it shows you the current status of your mother." Maven said.
'Ah, so that's why she reacted that way.' I nodded my head in agreement. Simon did say she was looking for it and I would want it if my parents were missing. "And the Arena?"
"It's a location in the Association where magicians fight and gamble. It's monitored by very strong space spells that retire the participant before they take fatal damage. Of course it isn't always a guarantee but the chance of dying is pretty low."
'So it's basically like the Rating games.' I guess Ajuka didn't create the concept for the barrier, just the game. I looked down at the Maven who was deep in thought. "Shall we?"
"Huh?" Maven looked up in confusion.
"I mean it's your choice, but if you're going to fight then count me in."
"Me too." Melissa smiled and said. Maven smiled at us in gratitude but she shook her head.
"I can't."
"And why not?" I asked, folding my arms.
"I can't gamble my parent's life work like this."
"Don't you have copies?"
"It's not that Pierce." Maven shook her head and stood up. "My parents were the closest magicians to harnessing the Mana of the Dimensional Gap like the Wizards of Oz. What if I lose? Then Simon will have the work my family painstakingly gained."
"And if you win, then you'll know if your mother's alive or not. Possibly along with your father." I said back and she went quiet.
"…He doesn't deserve it."
"Then we won't lose." I shrugged and smiled. "Whatever decision you make we'll have your back." Maven stared at me and Melissa gave a supportive squeeze. The mage stood deep in thought before looking up, conviction hard in her eyes.
"Let's do it." I couldn't smile harder.
We walked out of the room and made our way to the Arena. When we got there, Simon and his two followers were sitting on the side. He smirked in our direction.
"About time you-"
"Yeah yeah, you're an entitled little shit with an inferiority complex, even your aura says that and I didn't even know that was a thing. Let's do this!" I interrupted him and Maven didn't bother holding back a laugh. Simon glared at me but quickly backed up when I flared my Chi.
"Let's begin." Maven spoke and walked to a large platform. We all got on and the receptionist Lea also walked up. Simon called her over earlier to set up a match.
"Can the participants place the bets in here please?" Lea held up a circular tray and the 2 mages walked up. Simon put down the Mirror of Isis and one side of the tray shone green. Maven sighed in relief at this and took off her necklace. She hesitated for a bit before looking back at me. I gave her an encouraging smile and she smiled back. She put the necklace down and both objects sank into the silver. "I wish both parties best of luck." Lea bowed and took a step back. Light appeared from under us all and then we were gone.
Arena
Maven, Melissa, and I ended up inside a large room. The walls were concrete and a set of stairs led upstairs. I walked up the flight of stairs and opened a door that led to a roof. I looked over the edge and was met with the city of London except without the usual bustle the great city had. I was standing on the Tower of London as Maven and Melissa stood on either side of me. I activated Chi Vision and immediately sensed the other party.
"They're walking up to the tower togeth- Oh? Never mind they're splitting up." I told them the current situation.
"What are they doing? Can you tell who is who?" Maven asked and I nodded.
"The woman is trying to come in from the left gate and Simon is walking up the side garden."
"And the last one?" Maven asked and I didn't answer, choosing to look down instead. They followed my gaze and saw the large man standing in front of the main gate. He looked up right at us and gave a bloodthirsty smile. "…Someone's confident."
"I'll deal with him." I said and Maven nodded.
"I'll take the woman." Melissa said and walked up to me. She kissed me good luck and sunk into the shadows. Maven slowly floated up and flew over to the side garden.
"Go home Jade. I'll call you if I need you." I petted my Familiar who was on my shoulder and she teleported back. The man slowly walked up the path and I turned to walk down the stairs. Stopping, I stared at the ledge and slowly smiled. Activating Touki I leaped over the edge and fell all the way down.
"Superhero landing!" I landed on one knee, creating a large crater on impact. I looked up and smiled at the tall man.
"…You're very odd." That was all he said as he stopped a small distance away from me. I stood up and dusted myself off (superhero landings sure get you dusty).
"I get that a lot." I looked at the man. "I have to ask, why are you following that douche bag? You don't seem the bratty type."
"He pays well." He shrugged. "And he promised me something." I quirked a brow at that.
"What did he promise you?"
"Strong opponents." The man lifted his hand shortly after and a bright red glow covered it. When it dimmed, he was wearing a red gauntlet with a large green jewel on the back with 2 golden spikes-
'…Oh shit.' My eyes widened to the size of saucers and my mouth gaped open.
"Balance Breaker." The man spoke softly as the rest of his body glowed red. Armor started appearing from the gauntlet and covered his entire body.
'…Oh shit.'
Dragon wings popped out his back and they flapped, slowly bringing him up.
'…OH MOTHERLOVING SHI-'
"My name is Gael Baleen and I'm the Red Dragon Emperor, let's have a good fight!" Gael's aura flared and he got into a fighting pose.
"…"
"…"
"…Yeah. I should have seen that coming." Gael dived bombed towards me and I jumped to the side, narrowly missing his foot. I kicked him in the chest and he was sent flying back, his feet skidding across the floor. I Chi Burst in front of him and punched him right in the face. His helmet cracked slightly, he tried kneeing me in the stomach but I blocked it. I punched him three times and head butted him. Dodging a punch to my face, I grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him straight through the tower, the building came crashing down on him. When the dust settled, I saw him dig himself out of the rubble and I created dozens of Chi Swords. I sent them his way and he quickly flew up, barely missing the projectiles. I crouched down and leaped in the air, leaving a crater where I jumped. I flew towards Gael and poured a large amount of Chi into my arm.
"Wha-" Gael didn't react as I decked him right in the face and sent him flying back into the rubble. He was slammed deep in the rocks and I tried to land on him but he back flipped out of the way. Gael coughed some blood through his helmet and laughed. "Now this is what I call a fight! Let's spice things up! Boos-"
"How about no!?" I punched him extra hard in the face and he was sent reeling back. I could feel the difference though. 'His armor got harder.' I frowned as Gael nonchalantly titled his neck back and forth.
"Not bad. Boost." He moved faster now as he instantly appeared in front of me and I caught his punch. I ignored his gasp and I flung him over my shoulder, slamming him down on the ground. He quickly got up and sent a roundhouse kick at my head but I just tilted my head back. I punched him on the side then 2 more times on the chest before ducking his swipe. I uppercuted him into the air and jumped up, kicking him hard in the head. A shockwave rang out as he was sent flying across the river; he hit the other side with a large bang. I moved to follow up but a large magic circle appeared over me. Jumping back, I narrowly dodged a lightning bolt and another magic circle appeared in front of me. I crossed my arms to block Gael's punch as he came out of the magic circle. I kicked him in the stomach and he…shattered to pieces.
"Huh?" I was confused as Gael floated in the air above me, one half of his helmet cracked and blood trickled down the armor. Even without seeing his face I could tell he was looking at me in excitement (I'm really hoping it's the type of excitement I'm thinking about or this is going to get weird real fast).
"Boost." Two more magic circles appeared next to Gael and clones came out. They rushed at me and I took out my sword, cleaving them in half. "Boost." Then 4 magic circles appeared. "Boost."Then 8. "Boost!" Then 16. "Boost!" You get the idea. Dozens of Gael clones came out and a large magic circle hovered in the air, slowly getting bigger and bigger. Lightning periodically shot out and crashed against the ground. I think I gave the right response.
"…Son of a mother." The Gael's swarmed me and I made dozens of Chi Spears, piercing many of the clones. I cut off the heads of two clones and kicked another one into a wall. Jumping up, I dodged a tackle and stepped down on one's head, crushing it. I ducked a punch and grabbed a clone by the leg, hitting another with that clone. Another Gael rushed me and I punched him in the face…only for him to take it and kick me in the stomach. He was the real Gael. His kick pierced my Touki and I spit out some blood. I gritted my teeth and cut down on his armored leg, leaving a deep cut. He moved back and I tried to cut him again, only for one of his clones to get in the way.
"Fulmen." Gael chanted and a lightning bolt shot out from the magic circle in the sky, striking me dead in the chest. I was sent flying back into the arms of another clone and it tried to grapple me. I ripped its arms off and Gael shot more lightning bolts at me, I Chi Burst around to dodge them. Activating Sword Fury, I jumped high up and slashed the large magic circle in half. Gael used this moment to fly up and tackle me, ramming me into a building.
"Arghhh!" Gael punched the fried spot on my chest and I kicked him back. He created more clones and I ran forward. I cut the clones to pieces and pierced towards the real Gael…only for my sword to be stopped by a force field. "Of course." I hit the shield with a Seismic Fist and it shattered to pieces. Gael sent multiple punches towards me and I dodged them all, slicing his arms.
"Boost!" Gael's punches became even faster and more started landing on me. After a hard punch that nearly broke my nose, I grabbed his arm and plunged my sword into it. Ignoring his yell of pain, I cut one of his wings in half and kicked him outside the building we were fighting. He left a long dirt trail and quickly got up. He was met with a Seismic Fist right to his jaw. My attack shattered his teeth and he was sent reeling back, smashing through the outer wall. I took a breath as my Chi was having trouble healing the lightning wound on my chest. I scanned it with my spiritual Energy but besides regular lightning Mana seared on my wound there was nothing else.
'I swear to God if that was some cursed lightning or something, I'm going to-' I didn't get to finish as Gael stood up from the rubble and glared at me. His lower jaw was unhinged and I winced when he nonchalantly put it back in place. 'Now that's hardcore.' He was pissed. How do I know this? Because before he was fighting just to fight, there wasn't much killing intent sent my way. But now?
"Explosion!" Gael yelled through bloody lips and glared bloody murder at me. His aura flared to life and all the stored power came out. "Mors Concubitu!" A black magic circle appeared behind Gael and a large cloaked specter came out. It was easily 10 meters tall and I could feel a deathly aura from it. It slowly lifted its hand in my direction and its large arm stretched out to grab me. I quickly dodged as its palm slammed down where I was and something happened that made my skin crawl. The grass where it touches quickly wilted and turned to ash, the Chi itself seemingly sucked out.
'Shit!' I cut a Gael clone in half but another came behind me and it held onto me. By the time I shook it off the specter's fist reached me. "Arghhhh!" I was sent flying back and smashed right into a tower. Gritting my teeth I stood up and looked at my right arm. The Touki around it was blackened and it was slowly eroding away. I quickly separated that part of my Touki and barely stopped my arm from being sapped of life. Gael's clones surrounded me and tried to attack but they didn't get far as a green light shone. They were frozen in green ice and shattered shortly after; Jade was now standing at my feet. "Thanks girl." I smiled and petted the small rabbit, getting a happy purr. I rolled my shoulders and looked down at the army of Gaels and the giant death specter. All things considered, I was out of my depth and probably should have backed out when the future protagonist's broken power was taken out. But…
'Mama Pierce ain't raise no bitch.' "Gryttr Ham! Auka Atrið!" I chanted and two magic spells appeared under me. My Touki changed to bright silver and Jade jumped on my shoulder, she stuck a ready pose. I learned another Norse strengthening spell this morning that increased my speed. "Ready?" Jade nodded at my question and I smiled widely, looking down at Gael. "Then let's go kick some emperor ass." Then I jumped off the tower and slammed into the clone army.
Side Garden
"Hastam Ignis!" Maven sent 3 large fire spears at Simon who met them with 3 ice spears. She stepped to the side as his ice ram charged at her. Melting it to water with a fireball, Maven summoned dozens of rock golems to surround Simon but he just flew up.
"Venenum Caligo." Simon waved his hands and purple smoke shot at Maven's golems, melting them down. Maven pointed her staff at the male mage and a bright beam pierced through his shoulder but he didn't react. Maven watched as Simon crumbled to dirt and she floated up when the ground under her became lava. Maven quickly waved her hand and sent wind blades everywhere, destroying the surrounding buildings. "Arghhh!" She heard a grunt of pain and saw Simon floating to the side, his arm was bleeding heavily.
"Askr Baugr!" Not wasting time, Maven casted another spell and ash poured out the magic circle. It coiled around Simon but he put up a barrier before it could immobilize him. "Tch!" Maven clicked her tongue and blocked Simon's lightning attack with her own barrier. Then she tried hitting him with a fire snake but he met that with an ice hound. This quickly became a theme. Both mages kept throwing spells at each other and tried to land a solid shot. When it comes to fights between magicians it's usually the one that lands a direct hit that wins. It's mainly because magicians don't have the supernatural durability many other beings have (granted they are much more durable than regular humans but when it comes to humans like Pierce or Vargas they fall short). Normally Maven wouldn't have a problem with drawn out battles like this, she had the stamina and patience to outmatch Simon. But now?
"Getting impatient?" Simon smirked as he put multiple protection spells up, blocking a huge fire sword Maven sent at him. "Or are you worried about that barbarian?" One spell shattered after an extra strong fire spell. Simon likes to gloat whenever he has the advantage over his opponent or when he has an ace in the hole. Three minutes into the fight and he had already told Maven about Gael.
"Flammis Acribus Maelstrom!" Maven angrily chanted and a massive explosion sent Simon flying far away. Sadly that couldn't break through his defenses and he quickly flew back, sending dozens of large ice glaciers at Maven. She was quickly put on the defense. 'Shit! Shit! Shit!' Maven sweated as she blocked Simon's assault and tried to think. It wasn't her opponent that was making her so panicky but Pierce's opponent. 'The Boosted Gear!? Are you fucking kidding me!? Where did this idiot find someone like that!?' At this point Maven no longer cared about the bet and wanted to go help Pierce, it was a freaking Longinus for Christ's sake!? Pun not intended! Maven tried to build a rock wall between her and Simon to stop him but he burned through it. The explosions in the Tower square were not helping her worries either. Along with someone else's.
Left Gate
Melissa and the blue haired woman clashed blades, separating after a small exchange. Melissa sent her Shadow Hounds after the woman but she cut them to pieces. The cut pieces quickly became smaller hounds that pounced but they were also cut to pieces. Melissa rushed at the woman with her daggers but they were blocked. Melissa clashed blades with the woman before jumping back.
"Tylwyth Teg Bwled." The woman chanted and condensed bullets of light shot towards Melissa. The Shadow Yokai quickly dodged the bullets and tried to send her own shadow bullets but the woman cut up the projectiles. Melissa ducked a slash and cut the woman on her legs but she didn't react as she slashed down. Melissa rolled to the side and looked up to see the woman use healing magic on her legs, they immediately healed.
'God damn it...' Melissa blocked multiple slashes and had shadow tendrils wrap around the womans' ankles. She was flung to the side and Melissa ran back to the center to help Pierce but a rock wall got in her way.
"You have your own problems to worry about." The woman's voice rang out and Melissa was cut on her shoulder. She hissed in pain and kicked the woman away, jumping into the nearest shadow. "Teyrnas Wych." A holy wave of light destroyed the shadow Melissa jumped in but she already hopped to another. The woman looked around for the Shadow Yokai but she couldn't find her. Melissa's hand shot out of the woman's shadow and grabbed her ankle, pulling the woman down. The woman was dragged into the Shadow Realm and Melissa saluted her before leaving her there. Melissa hopped between shadows, quickly making her way back to Pierce but something grabbed her.
'What now!?' Melissa was desperate to go help Pierce. Unlike Maven who had Simon tell her about Gael, she felt the large Dragon aura that seemed to increase every second and that was all she needed. She looked back to see the woman behind her, a holy barrier keeping the shadows in the realm at bay. Melissa was dragged back into the Arena and gritted her teeth as she held back the woman's sword.
"I pity your friend, he must have pissed Gael off for him to use that spell." The woman said as she pushed harder.
"He's my boyfriend!" Melissa said it like it was important to the matter.
"Really?" Though that seemed to surprise the woman. She looked Melissa up and down before shaking her head. "Now that's just a waste."
"…I don't know what you mean but whatever!" Melissa head butted the woman (instantly regretting it since her forehead felt like steel) and backed off. Melissa called upon her recovered Shadow Hounds and used Kamaitachi. 'I got to focus; I'll take care of her then go help Pierce!' Melissa readied herself then lunged at her opponent.
Back to Pierce
I ripped apart another clone and tossed the pieces towards two more. I jumped to the side avoiding the specter's hand and Chi Burst to the real Gael. He shot dozens of lightning bolts at me and I maneuvered through them. I kicked him in the stomach, making him hunch over and punched him multiple times in the face. "Boost." Gael caught my fist and tried to squeeze, I took out my sword and slashed his wrist. He hissed in pain and backed away, summoning more clones. "Boost!" The specter grew in size and 2 more arms came out of its cloak. It reached out to grab me but Jade froze the limbs, allowing me to cut them off. "Boost!" But it just grew them back and I had to move before I was turned to dust. "Boost!" It grew 2 more arms, a total of 6 arms and the clones rushed me again. "Boos-"
"Alright already, I get it! You have a broken ability! So shut the fuck up!" Picking up a large rock that was lying around and coating it with Chi, I chucked it right at Gael. It crushed through multiple clones before reaching him and hit his shield. While it didn't hit him, the barrier still dimmed and the magic circle hovering around him shimmered. Gael was breathing heavier now. 'Oh? Getting tired are we?' I smiled and cut another clone in half. I jumped back as the specter slammed down but it was also getting slower too. I knew what I had to do. "Jade!"
"!" The small Familiar cooed in response and sent a wave of green ice towards Gael, freezing his shield solid and trapping him in an ice cocoon. I created over a hundred Chi Swords and sent them everywhere, destroying every clone in the area. Some even pierced through Gael's shield and the giant specter. Heaving, I pulled myself together and rushed at the specter, activating Sword Fury. It tried to stop me but Jade froze its arms and I slashed down. I cut the specter right in half and it exploded into a mist of death, killing all the vegetation in the area.
"Finally…" I breathed heavily as a massive crater was left in front of me and I looked over toward Gael. He broke through his ice cage and looked around at the destroyed battlefield. He wasn't happy. He tried to stand but he stumbled, he probably reached his limit.
"Shut up!" Gael out of nowhere screamed. "I'm not going to lose! Not to him and definitely not with your help!" He looked up to me after that and the green jewel glowed. "Explode!" Gael's Dragon aura rose again but his life force took a hit as a huge magic circle appeared in the sky, covering the entire area. I narrowed my eyes and Chi Burst back but I was trapped inside a barrier. "Purpureus Magni Noctes Insomnes!" Gael chanted as massive lightning bolt struck down.
"Jade! Go bac-'' Then the world was covered in light.
'…Well that was interesting.' A voice spoke as Gael knelt on the ground, his armor gone and he was completely spent. 'I don't know if I should be embarrassed by your performance…or praise that human.' Gael scoffed.
"That was no human." Gael tried to stand but flopped back on his ass. "A human without a Sacred Gear couldn't have been able kept up with me like that. He must have been a Yokai or something."
'You'd be surprised…' The voice vaguely spoke and Gael sneered.
"Well it doesn't matter, he's ashes now. I won." Gael frowned when the voice laughed. "And what the hell is so funny!?"
'Nothing nothing, it's just…you should tell him that.' The voice retreated back and Gael looked up in confusion. His tired face was quite the sight.
"H-How!?" A burned fist was his answer
I watched as Gael flew back, he bled heavily from his now unarmored mouth and struggled to get up. I was a mess, burned all over with electricity still sparking across my body causing me to wince. Thankfully before I commanded Jade to leave she encased me in an ice dome and my Touki took care of the rest. I was very tired and wanted to get some shut eye. But first…
"I'm going to enjoy this next part." I walked up to Gael and he looked up at me in fear and confusion. Mainly confusion.
"How-" I punched him in the face. "Wai-" I kicked in the stomach. "Hold o-" I grabbed his shoulder and lifted him up, smashing him against the wall. "Would you give me a chan-"
"No." I coldly said as I slammed my fist into his chest, hearing multiple cracks. He fell to his knees and cough violently, I lifted my foot and slammed it down. He made a small crater as he dug into the ground and I lifted him up once more. He looked bloody and broken. Now there was mainly fear.
"Wait! Wait! I'm sorry-" Gael tried to plea but I just squeezed harder on his neck.
"Now you're sorry?" I didn't care. I was too pissed off to care. It wasn't the fact that Gael tried to kill me in our battle that got me so mad, every fight I've ever been in has my opponent trying to kill me. It was the fact that he tried to kill me here. In a fucking bet between two mages and in the end he probably wouldn't get anything out of it. Even when he summoned that death specter, I still didn't go for the kill but that last spell pushed me over the edge.
I knew nothing about him and he knew nothing about me but because I hurt his pride, he tried to kill me. Now this would be the part where I would let bygones be bygones, reform Gael and become great friends with him right?
"Please…I'm…" Gael could barely speak as he tried to pry my hand open. "I'm sorr-'' He never finished as I plunged my sword through his heart.
"No, no you're not." His aura told me that plain as day. He puked blood as he stared at me with widened eyes. Gael's grip became looser before finally giving out, body going limp. I pulled my sword out and a magic circle appeared under his body, it slowly sunk in. 'It's too late anyway…' I saw a green light float out Gael's hand before he was taken and I had an idea what that meant. I flopped to my ground and laid there, my body completely wrecked. Jade teleported back and hopped next to me, she looked worried. "It's alright girl, I'll heal." I smiled and comforted the rabbit. I laid there with Jade for about 4 minutes before a large explosion rang out and Simon came flying through, half of his body looked charred (join the club). He was quickly taken out of the Arena as well.
"Pierce!" Maven floated down and looked at me in worry. She had her own injuries but she didn't seem to care as she looked me over. "Are you okay!? Jesus! Your arm is practically ash!" She wasn't wrong; most of the skin on my left arm was fried.
"Oh this? Please, you should have seen the other guy." I grimly joked and tried to stay still as my Chi went to work. Maven looked at me in shock.
"W-Wait, you mean?" She couldn't believe it.
"Yep, I won." I chuckled at the mage's face and found it all worth it. "What? You thought I would back down just from that? Please, like I was going to let that asshole get your parent's work." Maven blinked at my words.
"Y-You did that for me?" Maven spoke softly and I deadpanned.
"No, I just fought a guy with a God slayer weapon because I felt like it." I said as a matter of fact and Maven blushed.
"…Thank you Pierce." The mage lowered her head and spoke low. I blinked.
'…I just raised a flag, didn't I?' I looked at Maven and I was about to clear up any misunderstanding but a magic circle appeared under us. Light covered us and we slowly sank into the circle. 'Oh well, she's probably just thankful, I know I would be. Everything will probably be okay…right?'
Years later Pierce will look back on this moment and admit…he has a terrible choice in wording.
And done. Pierce faced a Dragon Emperor and showed him some good old human pride!...now time for the fallout. I hope you enjoyed it!
Beta: Fanfiction0000