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[Ddraig talking]
[Ddraig thinking]
{Albion talking}
{Albion thinking}
|Tiamat talking|
|Tiamat thinking|
(Mastema talking)
(Mastema thinking)
Mental Communication
"Regular Dialogue"
Attacks/Spells
"Evacuate! Evacu- ARGHK!"
Everyone stopped to look behind them. The devil that called out to them fell to his knees, gurgling. His throat had been slashed open and his veins were bulging. Blood began to pour from his eyes and mouth as he fell down twitching. Everyone took a step back as a lone shadow appeared in front of them.
The glow of the moon cast an ethereal light on her as she sheathed her sword. Her hair was as black and lustrous as obsidian itself. Her crimson eyes glowed eerily in the moonlight. She wore a black sleeveless tank top with a white collar, a pleated red skirt, and dark socks reaching up to her mid-thigh and black boots. On her arms were red gauntlets and black gloves. She looked at the group without a trace of remorse in her eyes as she took a step towards them.
They all gulped and dropped into fighting stances.
"Y- You won't be able to take on all of us!" a wolf youkai said as she shakily held her weapon in front of her.
"Really? Then why are you shaking like a leaf?" the woman asked as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"D- Do you know who we are!? We are part of the Khaos Brigade!" a fallen angel said as he formed several light spears.
"Khaos Brigade? Hehe… that organization's been long since gone. Killed off after Rizevim was slaughtered like a dog by his grandson," the woman said as she drew her sword. In a flash, she sheathed it and sighed.
The group in front of her exploded in a shower of blood and gore as body parts flew everywhere. The woman looked down at the butchered pile of corpses in front of her before turning around and walked away. She wiped some blood off her cheek as she walked. She narrowed her eyes when a wind swept over her. The woman turned around and saw a massive red and black dragon with violet eyes hovering over her. It roared fiercely before unleashing a torrent of fire upon her.
The entire area was bathed in red light as the dragon continued its deluge of scarlet flames on the woman. After a few seconds, the flames died, revealing a charred landscape and burned foliage. The dragon huffed before feeling a deep pain in the back of its neck. It turned and saw the woman above him. She swung her sword with speeds that were too fast for the dragon to see.
The woman landed on the charred ground below the dragon. She sheathed her sword and whispered two words.
"Prey slaughtered."
The dragon landed on the ground behind her, missing its head. It walked around for a few seconds before falling to the ground, dead.
She walked over to the dragon and hopped up on its corpse and sat down. She pulled out a small sphere from her pocket and channeled her power into it. The sphere whirred before expanding into a baseball-sized set of concentric rings. A small light glowed in the middle before projecting a screen before her. She tapped on the screen for a few seconds and a voice came from it.
"This is Black Snow calling for a gate at these coordinates. I have eliminated the last of the Khaos Brigade cells in Japan," she said.
"Copy Operative Black Snow. Please stand by for the gate," the operator said.
Black Snow glanced over to her right as a flash of green light appeared, creating a vortex. She hopped off the dragon's corpse and walked into the portal as it closed behind her, leaving nothing but a pile of overcooked corpses and the body of a dead dragon.
Hyoudou Manor, December 7, 2019, 8:45 AM, Current Time: 4 Minutes and 32 Seconds Til Midnight
Issei groaned as a loud gonging noise reverberated throughout his entire room. He blearily opened his eyes and turned to the source of the noise. Mastema was grinning at him as she slammed mallet into the gong.
(Good morning Issei-chan!) Mastema said, floating over to him.
"Mastema?" Issei said. "Why the hell are you ringing a gong? Where the hell did you get a gong?"
(I made it of course. See?) Mastema said as she waved her hand. The gong vanished from his room. (Now… get up! It's morning!)
"You're not my mom," Issei said, turning around and going back to sleep.
(Boy, I have watched you since you were a baby! Remember who drove away all your nightmares as a kid?) Mastema said.
"My parents?" Issei answered.
(No! Me! I'm the reason you never had nightmares in the first place so it's safe to say that you're as much my child as you are your parents!) Mastema said.
"Yeah… sure, whatever helps you sleep at night," Issei said.
|Issei… who are you talking to?| Tiamat asked from inside the gear. Issei blinked. Over the course of the week, since he had "met" Mastema (she insisted that she's been here the whole time), Issei discovered that neither Ddraig nor Tiamat could sense her much less hear or see her. The woman in front of him as capable of projecting her image out into the physical world from… his soul? He guessed it was his soul.
"No one… just shaking off my sleep," Issei said. Tiamat said nothing as Issei walked out of his room. Mastema smiled and followed after him.
(Sooo, what about your promise to little ol' Rossweisse?) Mastema said, laying back as she followed Issei.
Issei did her best to ignore her as he poured himself some cereal.
(You know it's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you) Mastema said as she conjured a cookie and began to eat it.
"No one can hear you or see you except for me! If I respond, people will think I'm crazy!" Issei hissed.
(Then just… convey your thoughts to me like you do Welsh Boy and Salt Girl) Mastema said, yawning.
"Fine… is this good?" Issei said as he ate his cereal.
(Better. They can't hear any thoughts you send to me) Mastema said. (So… how are you going to deal with drunk Valkyrie?)
"First off, she's not drunk. Second… I don't know. I'd have to ask Irina if I can start a harem and I don't know if she'll accept. I know what I promised Rossweisse but…," Issei said.
(Hmmm? But?) Mastema pressed.
"Can we talk about this later?" Issei asked.
(Sure. After all, she's coming down right now.) Mastema said.
Issei whirled around and saw Rossweisse heading down the stairs in her sleepwear which consisted of a semitransparent nightie. Issei nearly choked on his cereal when he saw her. He turned around to hide his nose as he tried to force the blood back down.
(Hue hue~ Rossweisse is a bit daring isn't she?) Mastema said.
"Shut up!" Issei said.
"Good morning… Issei? I thought you'd still be asleep since it's the weekend," Rossweisse said as she grabbed a cup from the cupboard. She walked over to the coffee maker and began to pour herself some coffee.
Issei looked at her with a slightly red face.
"Um… yeah, uh, I decided to wake up early since I have somewhere to go this afternoon," Issei said.
"Oh, where?" Rossweisse said, leaning on the counter.
"I'm meeting with someone… I can't tell where though since it's Azazel Cup stuff," Issei said dismissively.
"So… you don't trust me to keep a secret around Rias?" Rossweisse asked, slightly hurt that Issei would keep something from her because of competition.
Mastema facepalmed.
(Ugh… this is worse than… Oh dear, he's like me when I tried flirting with Rod…)Mastema thought as memories of her times in the past flew to the forefront of her mind.
"N- No! It's not that it's… well, I really wish I could tell you but," Issei said.
"No, I get it," Rossweisse said as she placed her coffee mug down and stormed out of the kitchen.
"Dammnit! Rossweisse, wait!" Issei said as he ran after her. He managed to catch up to her and grab a hold of her hand.
"What?" Rossweisse said, not even bothering to look at him.
"Rossweisse… I'm sorry but the truth is… if I tell you, there might be some consequences that might put you in danger," Issei said, wondering what Blacklight might do if he revealed the existence of the organization to someone else.
"...," Rossweisse remained silent and saw the serious look on Issei's face. She sighed and calmed herself down.
"But," Issei continued.
Rossweisse quirked an eyebrow at this.
"When I get back, I can ask Irina if… if I can take you on a date somewhere," Issei said.
Rossweisse gently removed Issei's hand from her arm and sent him a small smile.
"I'll be waiting for that," Rossweisse said. She leaned in and planted a kiss on Issei's cheek before turning to head up the stairs. She froze when she saw the emotionless eyes of Irina Shidou looking down at them.
"Um… Irina-san?" Rossweisse said as she felt an oppressive aura slam down on her.
Mastema looked on with amusement. She created a bucket of popcorn out of nothing and began to eat, watching in anticipation. Issei glanced at her discreetly in annoyance before walking over to Irina.
"Um… Rin? Are you alright?" Issei asked.
"Even when you have me…," Irina whispered. Issei went pale when her aura grew more intense.
"Irina?" Issei said. Irina's eyes brightened and her aura disappeared. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips.
"I guess… I can't take the harem king out of you no matter how hard I try. And besides, I don't think I'll be able to handle Issei's libido by myself," Irina said. She looked to Rossweisse and smiled.
"You can go with Issei on a date… after he gets back from recruiting a member. Issei, Risa-senpai and I are heading to the Vatican to see if Strada-sama will accept our offer. Mii-chan is heading down to Kuoh Underground to see if she can recruit Bova Tannin and you and Ingvild are well… you know where you're heading," Irina said.
"I know," Issei said.
"Just making sure," Irina said, smiling.
(She's right. You do have a record of forgetting) Mastema said, eating the last of her popcorn.
"You're still here? Don't you have some hybridization stuff to deal with?" Issei asked.
(Nope, you're almost done. Just a few more days and you'll be able to use your new power to the fullest extent!) Mastema said.
"Do the others like Lily have an annoying voice like I do?" Issei asked.
(I wouldn't know) Mastema said.
"So, Issei, are you ready to go?" Ingvild asked. She was wearing a violet jacket and a white skirt with lavender Vans.
"Yeah, lemme contact the base," Issei said as he activated his AS.
"Yes, this is Blacklight Japan Main Headquarters. Who is this?" the operator said.
"Um, this is," Issei began. Ingvild took the sphere from him.
"Hello, this is transferee operative Lavender Serpent requesting a gate to HQ over," Ingvild said.
"Wow, wait… we get codenames?" Issei said.
"Yeah," Ingvild said. "Usually they're assigned after you graduate from an affiliate academy but since you were referred by a member of the Divine Ten, I'm afraid you'll have to wait."
"Sucks," Issei said.
Ingvild giggled at his childishness as a portal opened behind them.
"After you milady," Issei said.
"My, what a gentleman," Ingvild said as she walked into the portal.
The two walked out into the hangar bay where they made their way into the main base. Issei pressed a button and a few minutes later, a driver in a cart arrived and the two got on.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"We'd like to see Adashino-sama if you would," Issei said.
"Adashino-sama?" the driver asked.
"Um, yeah, we have a meeting with him," Issei said.
"Hmm, well, all right kid but don't call for my cart again after he turns you away," the driver said.
"Yeah," Issei said as the cart began to move.
"So, I was thinking," Ingvild said. "You don't know much about what I can bring to the table right?"
"Um, yeah, I only caught a small bit when we went hunting for Wendigos," Issei said, remembering how Ingvild's eyes changed color. "You can use water magic right?"
"Among other things. As a Descendant of the Original Demon Leviathan, I have access to my family's unique ability called Sea Serpent Dragon of the End which allows me to control and manipulate water as well as turn into a massive sea serpent if need be," Ingvild said.
(Ho? How interesting. Still not as good as yours) Mastema said.
[Her ability seems rather powerful Issei. She'll make a good ally] Ddraig said.
|Perhaps even a mate? But you already have those two so what's one more?| Tiamat added.
(See? Ddraig and Tiamat agree with me) Mastema said.
"They can't hear you or see you," Issei responded.
"I also have a Sacred Gear," Ingvild said.
"Was it implanted?" Issei asked.
"No… as you know I'm a Cambion or a Half-Devil," Ingvild said. "Due to my human blood, I can inherit Sacred Gears naturally rather than artificially. My Sacred Gear is known as Nereid Kyrie. It… It allows me to control Dragons."
Ddraig and Tiamat's eyes went wide upon hearing this. The God of the Bible had a weapon as powerful as this hidden away in his arsenal. This girl had the potential to become extremely powerful one day.
[Issei… this girl] Ddraig said.
"Yeah," Issei said.
"What else can Nereid Kyrie do?" Issei asked.
"Well, it boosts my ability to control water. Well, to be more specific, the sea," Ingvild said.
"I'm glad you decided to be on our team. With your power, you might be able to defeat a team with Dragons," Issei said.
"Really? I guess the only drawback to my Sacred Gear is that it depends on how strong I am. I can't really control dragons that are stronger than I am," Ingvild said.
"We're here," the driver said.
"Thanks," Issei said.
"No problem. Stay vigilant kid. We got word that Black Snow-sama is here today with Adashino-sama," the driver said.
"Black Snow? Sorry, I'm new here," Issei said.
"A new recruit huh? Well, Black Snow is one of the top operatives here. Rumor has it that she's Adashino-sama's granddaughter and apprentice. She's supposed to inherit his position among the Divine Ten when he retires," the driver said.
"Really?" Ingvild asked. "I've only met one other candidate for Divine Ten in my time here."
"Yeah, well, Black Snow-sama is that strong if Adashino-sama chose her," he said. "Well, anyway, good luck."
He waved them goodbye once more before driving off.
Issei and Ingvild looked at each other before Issei took out his AS and pressed it against the scanner.
Please state your busine-!
The robotic voice was interrupted when the door opened to reveal Taki, who had a confused look on his face.
"Oh, hey Sekiryuutei. Come in," Taki said as he stepped aside. Issei and Ingvild stepped into Taki's office.
Taki's office was similar to Cornelius's back in America. The office was large, about the size of the dining room in the Gremory Mansion. A large table with ten chairs surrounding it sat at the center of the room. Behind the table was an old Japanese painting of a man that was clearly of European descent. The man was dressed in a white kimono with two swords strapped to his side. The types of swords they were were unidentifiable due to the age of the painting but Issei could make out some of the designs of the blades. The painting hung in between two Japanese Flags.
Almost immediately, Issei noticed the other person in the room. Their eyes met and Issei felt a chill running down his spine. The girl in front of him was nothing short of mesmerizing if not intimidating at the same time. Her crimson eyes made Issei feel naked as if she was reading his very soul. She possessed slight traces of divine energy inside her body that felt familiar to Issei but couldn't place his finger on where or who he felt it from.
"Oji-sama," the girl said in a near monotone voice.
"Ah, Rikka-chan," Taki said. "These two are the new recruits! One of them transferred here from the American Chapter while the other one is new. Picked him right off the streets!"
"Oi! You make me sound like I was begging," Issei said.
"Hmm," Rikka said as she walked forward.
"Issei-kun. Ingvild-kun. This is my apprentice, Rikka Kuroyuki," Taki said.
"Apprentice?" Issei asked.
"You're… Black Snow?" Ingvild asked.
"Ugh… what story about me did you hear this time?" Rikka asked in an exasperated manner. Her eyes were twitching in annoyance.
"Just that you were supposed to succeed Adashino-sama when he retires," Ingvild said.
"That one? Oh, good, I thought it was the other one…," Rikka trailed off.
"Actually," Taki said. "This is perfect timing!"
He turned to Issei and Ingvild and grinned. "I know that you two and your friends are new and you haven't been assigned to a team or squad. Rikka here doesn't have a team either."
"Oji-san, I don't need the greenhorns to know that," Rikka said.
"But Rikka-chan! You'll never make any friends if you keep talking like that!" Taki said.
Rikka huffed and looked away with an uncharacteristic pout on her face.
"It's not my fault people don't… want to hang out with me," she said quietly.
"Um, Rikka-san? Taki-san?" Issei said.
The two remembered that they had guests in the room and turned around to see Issei and Ingvild looking at them intently.
"Yes, Issei-kun?" Taki asked.
"Um, so you know how I'm participating in the Azazel Cup right?" Issei said.
Taki nodded.
"I was wondering if you knew anyone that I could ask to be on my team. I already have Ingvild, my sister, and my girlfriend on the team but we're not going to make it with just the four of us so… got anyone willing to fight against gods?" Issei asked.
Taki looked at Issei, his mind deep in thought. His eyebrows furrowed as he began to run through a list of people that he could recommend to Issei when his gaze drifted down to his adoptive granddaughter. She caught his gaze and her eyes widened.
"How about Rikka?" Taki offered.
"Wait, wait just a minute!" Rikka protested.
"Rikka-san?" Issei said. "I don't mean to offend her or her skill or anything but… I don't know what she's like in combat."
Rikka shot Issei a look that caused him to shut his mouth. "It's fine… I understand but I don't want to participate on a team if I don't know if my teammates can keep up with me or not."
"That's understandable," Ingvild said. "We don't know your abilities, we don't know yours. It's perfectly normal for both sides to have some doubts about this entire thing."
"Thank you for understanding that I can't join a team of people whose skills I don't know," Rikka said.
Issei visibly deflated at the notion of being rejected.
"Wait," Taki said, seeing Issei's depressed mood. "How about you find out for yourselves?"
"Huh?" the three of them turned to Taki in confusion.
"A spar between you and Issei, Rikka-chan," Taki proposed.
"A spar? Are you out of your mind!? This greenhorn's going to get the floor wiped with his face!" Rikka said.
"I wouldn't estimate him if I were you, Rikka-chan but… let's go see, shall we? Follow me," Taki said.
The three looked at each other before shrugging and following after the old man.
Vatican City, 11:55 AM
Irina walked down the streets, wearing her exorcist uniform and cloak. She glanced at the tourists that passed by them. Irina's eye twitched at the whispers she heard from some of them.
"What are they wearing in this heat?" a tourist whispered.
"That one without the cloak… she's kinda hot," the other one whispered.
"Risa-senpai? Why does Strada-sama want to meet us out in the open?" Irina asked.
"He said he's on break so he told us to meet up at the Starbucks outside of Vatican City," Risa said.
"Why there of all places? Why not inside Saint Peter's Basilica? Or even in the Apostolic Library?" Irina asked.
"Strada-san outside of his job has many quirks that… you wish you never knew he had," Risa said. "I'm not a Christian and you know that since I'm a Tanuki Youkai but… the man is… well, he's obsessed with coffee to the point where if he were an angel and coffee was a sin, he'd fall for it."
"Really?" Irina asked.
"Yes, trust me. Dulio learned that the hard way," Risa said.
Irina nodded and followed Risa as they entered the coffee shop. The man they were looking for stuck out like a sore thumb or a burning bush in the middle of the desert. He was tall, standing at six feet, maybe even taller. He was old, possibly in his eighties, judging from the good amount of wrinkles on his face. However, his physique spoke otherwise. He was extremely muscular with his vestments straining to hold his muscles inside. If Irina had to guess, the man's arms and legs were about as thick as Issei was and she often wondered if he had his vestments custom made.
"Ah! Lady Risa! Irina!" the man said in a grandfatherly tone.
"Hello Vasco," Risa said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Getting yourself a caramel macchiato like always?"
"No, this time, I wanted to go simple so I got a Mocha Frappuccino with no whip cream," Vasco said.
"Hello Vasco-oji," Irina said.
"Irina, how has it been?" Vasco asked.
"I'm fine. I've been working on catching up with my studies in between the missions Michael-sama sent me and my training with Raphael-sama," Irina said.
"Good, good. Young children must always understand the value of education," Vasco said.
"Oji, I'm almost eighteen years old," Irina said.
"Hahaha!" Vasco laughed as he ruffled Irina's hair. Irina puffed her cheeks, causing Risa to giggle.
"So, why have you called this old man over here," Vasco asked.
"Actually, we were wondering if you were participating on Heaven's side for the Azazel Cup," Risa asked.
"No, I'm not. Dulio's got himself a full team with Heaven's brightest exorcists," Vasco said.
"He didn't ask you?" Irina asked.
"Oh, he did. However, I refused because I knew that our Lord, may He rest in peace, had something else in store for me," Vasco said.
"And this thing that He had in store for you was us?" Risa asked.
"Yes. So I knew what you were going to ask and I accept," Vasco said.
"Really? You'll fight on our side?" Irina asked.
"Of course Little Rin. Don't count this old man out yet," Vasco said.
"T- Thank you so much!" Irina said, grabbing Vasco's hands and shaking them.
"Of course. Now… oh, I have to finish the day off and then I'll ask for a leave so I can go with you back to Japan to meet my new teammates. I assume that the Red Dragon Emperor is going to be there?" Vasco asked.
Irina nodded, beaming at their luck. The strongest human in their faction just accepted their offer. She leaned back and wondered how the others were doing.
Underworld, Same Time
"Oh no… send me to Tannin alone why don't you," Mitsuki said as she flew through the mountainous regions of Gehenna. Her target was the former Dragon King and High-Class Devil, Tannin. She spotted a massive forest filled with trees and grinned.
"Bingo," Mitsuki said. "Last I heard, Rias said that this Bova Tannin guy was asking around for Issei and returned here after she said she didn't know. Hmm, I wonder if he's here."
Mitsuki landed on the ground and folded her wings. Looking around, she walked into the forest.
"Tannin-oji!" Mitsuki called out, cupping her hands to enhance her voice.
A wind rushed over her and Mitsuki looked up to see a fifteen-meter tall western dragon. He had dark purple draconic scales with a beige belly and inner legs and tail. The dragon had a triangular head with curved horns, keen red eyes with violet sclera, and a mouth full of serrated teeth. His wings were massive, being the same size as a small plane in wingspan and he wore pauldrons and a loincloth decorated with a fauld.
Mitsuki smiled as the dragon landed in front of her and grinned. The dragon slammed its hand on the ground only to grin when he felt pressure pushing back. Mitsuki was grinning as she held back the dragon's punch. She grunted and threw the arm to the side, devastating a small portion of the forest.
The dragon groaned when he saw the destruction.
"That's going to take me months to grow back," he said.
"Should have thought of that before testing me, Tannin," Mitsuki said.
"Mitsuki, sister of the Red Dragon Emperor. What brings you to my home?" Tannin said.
"I'm here to look for your son," Mitsuki said.
Tannin sighed.
"What did he do this time?" Tannin asked.
"Eh? Nothing… I was just looking for him because we want to recruit him!" Mitsuki said.
"Oh? Did that brat finally get to High Class and get his own peerage?" Tannin asked.
Mitsuki went silent and looked down.
"Aniki… he isn't a Devil anymore. Some things happened and I'm afraid that's all I can say. This is Aniki's story to tell," Mitsuki said.
"I see… well, if you're not recruiting my youngest son for a peerage then this must be for that Azazel Cup thing that I keep hearing about from my king," Tannin said.
"Yes, I was seeing if your son, Bova Tannin, would like to participate on our team for the Azazel Cup," Mitsuki said.
"BOVA!" Tannin roared.
A dragon similar in appearance to Tannin but much shorter in size appeared in a flash of red light. Upon seeing Tannin, his eyes narrowed and looked away.
"So that's him?" Mitsuki asked. She walked up to him and smiled. "Hi, there! Are you Bova Tannin?"
"What's it to you?" he replied, glaring down at her.
"Is there a problem?" Mitsuki asked.
"What do you want?" he said.
"Okay… um, I'm Mitsuki Hyoudou-!"
"Hyoudou! Like Issei Hyoudou? The Red Dragon Emperor?" Bova said, startling her.
"Um, yeah," Mitsuki said.
"Is he here?" he asked. "Did he come? Oh, I had a question for him that I wanted him to answer!"
"Um, no, I'm more here on his behalf. I'm his twin by the way," Mitsuki said.
"Oh, so you're the Empress of Destiny! Why are you here? What does Issei want?" Bova asked excitedly.
"Um, he wants to know if you want to join our team for the Azazel Cup," Mitsuki said.
"YES!" Bova screamed.
Tannin and Mitsuki took a small step back as Bova shot into the air and began cheering loudly. He let out spews of fire and flew through them, laughing and cheering.
"Is he okay?" Mitsuki asked as he watched him do aerial stunts in midair.
Tannin sighed. "He's, uh, a big fan of your brother."
"I can tell," Mitsuki said.
"So Issei really wants him to participate in the Azazel Cup?" Tannin asked, looking down at her.
"He was on a list of prospects that we drafted up," Mitsuki said.
"The other people on the list. Have they accepted?" Tannin asked.
"He was on maybe with two other people. Kunou, the Princess of Kyoto, and Vasco Strada," Mitsuki said.
"You plan to have a full team then," Tannin said.
"More or less."
The two watched on with amusement as Bova flew off to a mountain, cheering.
"So, does he have a human form or something smaller?" Mitsuki asked.
"He can turn into a smaller dragon about the size of your sister's familiar," Tannin said.
"That's convenient… How long will he be?" Mitsuki asked.
"Give him a couple of minutes to calm down. Then you can take him. I appreciate this," Tannin said.
Mitsuki gave him a curious glance as the former Dragon King began to walk away.
"Why?" Mitsuki asked.
"You're giving him purpose. I was afraid that Bova might lose his way in life and become lazy and unfulfilled or worse… an Evil Dragon. As a parent, it makes me feel happy to know that he has something to give him purpose, someone that needs him. I just need you to promise me something," Tannin said.
"What would that be?" Mitsuki asked.
"When you see Issei, my son will most likely ask to become his subordinate. Can you convince your brother to take him on as a disciple?" Tannin asked.
"I… can't promise that but I'll try. He seems like a good kid. A little rough around the edges but good," Mitsuki said.
"I know. He's like his mother in more ways than one," Tannin said.
Issei looked on in awe as they entered one of the many sparring arenas located within the base. The room was massive. It was as big as the entirety of Kuoh Highschool. The ceiling, which Issei could only guess, was most likely five stories high to allow for aerial combat among members that were capable of flight. The arena floor was pure white and was as hard as concrete. Massive stadium lights lined the ceiling. Next to the door was a small terminal for their AS which Issei guessed was for the terrain and weather features that he had heard so much about ever since his initiation.
"Alright. Since you two want to see the true extent of the other's power, what better way than to do this? You two will be able to use everything in your arsenal. No restrictions. Oh, well, other than maiming and fatal blows. The winner will be decided via knockout or if the other fighter can no longer continue, finishing blow withheld. Rikka, you know that means. Hand over Obsidian Rite," Taki said.
Rikka nodded and unstrapped her sword from her waist. She handed it to Taki.
"Wait, why can't she fight using her sword?" Issei asked.
"My sword contains a highly toxic venom of my own concoction known as Gu," Rikka said. "It can kill you within seconds of being cut and all it takes is a scratch."
"Hmm, quite. Rikka and I are the only ones with any level of resistance to it since we've been administering small amounts of it since she created it," Taki said.
Issei nodded.
"Let me get her a regular sword and then we'll get started," Taki said.
After a few minutes, Taki returned with a regular katana and handed it to Rikka.
She inspected it and swung it a few times before nodding. "It's not Obsidian Rite but it'll get the job done," Rikka said, sheathing the blade.
"Is that sword MagiTech too?" Issei asked.
"It's Generalized MagiTech yes," Rikka said.
"Alright. Ingvild-kun and I will leave the room and will be up there on the deck, watching. When I give the signal, the match will begin," Taki said.
Issei and Rikka nodded and Taki and Ingvild left the room. While waiting for the two to arrive at the deck, Rikka decided to make some small talk. This was an opportunity for her after all. On the off chance that he impresses her, they would be on the same team and possibly, even the same squad if he accepts her offer. She smiled inwardly at the thought.
"Hey, um, Issei… how old are you?" Rikka asked.
(Wow, this girl's awkward) Mastema said as she floated right next to Rikka.
|Wow, that girl's awkward| Tiamat said.
"Yeah, she is," Issei responded to both of them.
"Um, I'm seventeen, turning eighteen next year. What about you?" Issei asked.
"I just turned eighteen last month," she said.
"Really. Happy belated birthday then!" Issei said.
Rikka smiled.
Okay, you're doing good so far… don't mess this up, she thought.
"So, how's this weather?" Rikka asked, cringing inwardly at her question.
"Um, it's fine I guess," Issei said.
"I'm sorry if I sound awkward… I don't have many friends," Rikka said, deflating.
"Why not? From what I hear around the base, you have a lot of people who like you and look up to you," Issei said.
"Those are my fans. I don't have any friends that just see me for me. Everyone at the base sees me as Taki's apprentice or Future Divine Ten. I just want someone to hang out with, spend time with, talk about girly things with, watch slice of life and romance anime with you know," Rikka said. "Instead, all I get are 'Rikka-sama! Would you like to try this?' or 'Rikka-sama, please scold me!'"
"Wow, that must be," Issei said, remembering how other devils and supernatural beings treated him because of his celebrity status.
"Yeah…," she said.
"I get how you feel," Issei said.
"You do?"
"I'm regarded as a hero because of my efforts during the Evil Dragon War as well as a celebrity due to my television series in the Underworld called Oppai Dragon," Issei said.
"Oppai Dragon?" Rikka asked, her face adopting a slight look of disgust.
"Woah! Woah! That… that was from back then," Issei said, flushing in embarrassment. "But I still get royalties and fans from it."
"I see… so you can't show your face without being swarmed by fans, people trying to get close to you for your status and all that dumb shit," Rikka said.
"Yeah," Issei said.
"I like you, Issei. Even if this doesn't end the way either of us wants, I hope we can be friends," Rikka said.
"Me too," Issei said, smiling.
(Awww! Is wittle Issei-chan making a new fwiend?) Mastema said, floating in front of Issei.
"Alright!" Taki's voice boomed from the deck.
The two turned to look at him.
"Alright! Now, stand apart!" Taki said.
Issei and Rikka nodded and walked about fifteen feet before stopping and turning around.
[|Dragon Booster!|] Ddraig and Tiamat announced. [|Boosted Gear|] appeared on Issei's arm. Its overall design was the same as before with the sole exception of the small blue gem that rested above the emerald gem on his gauntlet.
"I've never fought a Dragon Emperor before. This will be… a learning experience," Rikka said, dropping into a stance. Her hand flew to the handle of her blade.
"Ready?" Taki said.
Issei and Rikka narrowed their eyes, their gaze never leaving each other.
"Begin!"
No one moved. Issei and Rikka remained perfectly still, locked in a staring contest. Issei twitched as his eyes widened. He had only blinked and Rikka was now in front of him. He raised his gauntlet to defend as Rikka swung her sword, sending him skidding back.
"I barely saw her move," Issei thought.
[Be careful… this girl. Her speed isn't the only asset in her repertoire] Ddraig said.
Issei nodded and launched himself towards her.
[|Blade|]
Ascalon appeared in Issei's hands and he swung it. The blade was easily deflected by Rikka. Issei went in for a thrust towards her torso which she easily parried.
Rikka slashed at Issei, forcing him to defend. She twisted her blade with the grace of a master, shifting her weight and slammed her katana into Ascalon.
The two were now in a deadlock with Issei trying to push against her.
[|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|]
Issei managed to push her back a few centimeters before Rikka grinned. She shifted her feet and turned Issei's strength against him. She directed Ascalon out of the way with her blade, sending Issei to her side. She twirled around and kicked Issei, forcing him to drop Ascalon.
Issei flew and skidded along the arena floor before coming to a stop.
"You're good," Issei said.
"Thank you! Now, stop holding back," Rikka said, dropping back into a stance.
"Only if you will," Issei said.
She grinned and launched herself towards him.
Anticipating her attack, Issei dodged to the right and threw his fist at her. Rikka twisted her body out of the way in time and brought the katana down on Issei.
Issei raised [|Boosted Gear|] and blocked the blade. He pushed back, staggering her and buried his fist in her solar plexus, sending her flying and crashing into a wall.
"What was that sword style?" Ingvild asked as she and Taki watched the fight from the deck.
"My own personal style that I taught her. It was taught to me by my master, the previous head. It's called Oborozuki Ryuu. It's a sword style that uses one's ability to see and analyze the situation. With Issei's every move, she's adapting her sword techniques to counter and bypass any of Issei's attempts of attack and defense," Taki said.
"That's some style," Ingvild said.
"That's not even the entirety of it," Taki said, chuckling. Ingvild glanced at the old man before returning her attention to the fight.
"Hah!" Issei said as he threw another punch. Rikka dodged his attack and slashed Issei a few times, sending him stumbling back. A few cuts appeared on his arms. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.
"I guess I have no choice then," Issei said. A red aura surrounded him, creating a gust of wind that pushed Rikka back as she ran towards him.
[|Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!|]
Issei became clad in the red armor of the [|Boosted Gear's|] balance breaker. He dashed towards her, catching her off guard. He landed a devastating upper cut, sending her into the air.
Rikka gritted her teeth as she felt her jaw nearly break from the punch.
She looked down and saw Issei heading towards her.
"Kage Bunshin!" Rikka said. Her entire body flickered as five Rikkas appeared around Issei.
(Oh? She can use Onmyodo?) Mastema said as she watched the fight.
Issei frantically began to defend himself as five Rikkas attacked him on all sides.
"Um. Tiamat! If you have anything, now might be the time to tell me!" Issei said.
|Hmm, you'll need more training to master this but… my basic power is to cause Calamities. Just focus on what you want to happen like a burst of wind or something| Tiamat said.
Issei nodded and kicked a clone of Rikka, causing it to shatter like glass. He focused on the image of a storm and its repulsive winds and the blue gem on the [|Boosted Gear|] began to glow.
A burst of wind exploded from Issei's armor sending the clones back.
Issei and the remaining Rikkas landed on the floor.
"Tch! You can make more of yourself huh?" Issei asked.
"I can," one of the Rikkas said. All of them pulled out two pieces of paper.
"Though, I have more tricks. Iron Wall Charm. Lion's Adamantine Fist," Rikka said. The papers she was holding glowed blue before transforming into a set of kanji that encompassed her body before disappearing.
Issei gulped before raising his arms.
The Rikkas disappeared, causing Issei to throw up his guard. Issei slammed his fist down to his right, catching one of the Rikkas causing her to explode into glass fragments. Issei cried out in pain as he was sent flying when another one of the Rikka's kicked him in the back.
[|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|] [|Boost!|]
[|Dragon Shot!|] Issei fired a massive red beam of energy, catching the other two Rikkas and destroying them. He landed and readied himself.
Rikka and her remaining clone appeared next to Issei and attacked him, forcing him to block.
Issei used his boosted strength to push them both back and spin kicked, catching both Rikkas and sending them flying. One of them dispersed, causing Issei to grin. He dashed towards the real Rikka and was about to slam her fist into her gut when her eyes snapped open. She slashed Issei across his chest, leaving a deep cut in his armor. She kicked Issei into the air.
Issei's eyes widened when he saw Rikka appear above him and landed a devastating ax kick. Issei crashed into the ground.
He looked up and saw Rikka diving towards him.
[|Boost!|]
[|Boost!|]
[|Boost!|]
[|Boost!|]
[|Boost!|]
[|FLAME BLAZE|] A massive ball of flames exploded from the jewel on Issei's chest plate and hurtled towards Rikka. She narrowed her eyes and stabbed her blade into the fireball and used her momentum to slice through the fireball.
Issei's eyes widened as she cut apart the fireball and crashed into him, creating a massive cloud of dust.
Rikka's eyes narrowed when she saw Issei blocking her with a second Ascalon.
"So you have two of them?" Rikka said. She grinned and brought her knee into Issei's stomach, cracking his armor. Issei was sent sliding back as Rikka dashed forward and began to relentlessly attack him.
Issei was barely able to deflect the attacks, some of them making it through.
(You know? You have powers too.) Mastema said as she floated next to Issei.
"Can't this wait?" Issei hissed.
(Nope! I wanna see what you can do with your powers you see.) Mastema's eyes glowed in excitement.
"How?" Issei asked.
(Well… just imagine your opponent flying away from you) Mastema said.
Throughout the attacks, Issei tried to concentrate on the image of Rikka being knocked away from him.
Rikka's eyes widened when a force slammed into her and sent her skidding back. She dug the blade into the ground to slow herself down.
"What?" Rikka said.
"Like it? It's a new trick I picked up," Issei said.
"Hmph. I have to admit. This is the most fun I've ever had. No one's ever pushed me this far other than Oji-san," Rikka said.
"Let's finish this," Rikka said. Her eyes glowed red as a massive aura of power manifested around her.
Issei dropped into a stance.
"Hmm, this match is over. I've seen enough and I'm sure… that Rikka is satisfied as well," Taki said.
"Huh? I thought that?" Ingvild said.
"If Issei gets hit by her next attack, he'll be incapacitated for a few days and I'm sure you don't want that," Taki said as his entire body disappeared.
Rikka disappeared from Issei's field of vision, causing him to go on guard. Grasping Ascalon II tightly, Issei scanned the field for any trace of her. He turned when he heard something from his right side only to see nothing.
"This is the end."
Issei gritted his teeth when he heard her voice.
[|Crimson Moon: Full Drive!|]
Issei's armor shifted colors to black and all the gems on the armor turned red. Six pairs of feathered draconic energy wings appeared on his back.
"Moonlit Flash," Rikka said as she appeared in front of Issei. In speeds faster than Issei could barely perceive, Rikka swung her blade.
Their eyes both widened when Taki appeared in between them and slapped Rikka's sword out of the way.
"That's enough," Taki said.
The two jumped apart. Issei dispersed his armor and Rikka sheathed the blade.
"Rikka, are you satisfied?" Taki asked.
Rikka remained silent, her gaze never leaving Issei. She smiled.
"Yes, I am," Rikka said. Issei and Taki's eyes widened and a wide grin formed on Issei's face.
"Does that mean?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, I'll join your team," Rikka said. She walked over and jabbed her fist into his stomach, causing Issei to groan.
"Ow… if this is how you treat your new friends then…," Issei said and trailed off when he saw her holding her hand out.
She held out her hand, smiling. Issei smiled back and grasped her hand firmly and shook it.
"Welcome to the team, Senpai," Issei said.
"Glad to be here and nice to meet you, Kouhai-chan," Rikka said.
A green vortex appeared in the middle of a small alleyway, scaring away every stray animal that was there. Issei, Ingvild, and Rikka walked out of the vortex. Issei was carrying several large bags while Rikka and Ingvild carried a few duffle bags and a backpack.
"I can't believe I got kicked out," Rikka said.
"I can't believe it either. I thought you'd be using the Gate to get here whenever we would train or we would come to you," Issei said.
"Worry not, Kouhai-chan. What's done is done. Though it would be rather interesting to live with the Red Dragon Emperor and the Switch Princess," Rikka said as she walked out of the alleyway.
"So," Rikka asked. "Is that your house?"
"Yup. I had no say in its renovation," Issei said.
"Hmm, let's go. I want to… lay down and sleep," Rikka said.
The three walked down the street until arriving at the gate to Hyoudou Manor. Issei placed some of Rikka's bags down and just as he was about to ring the buzzer, a voice called out behind him.
"Issei."
He turned around and saw Rossweisse standing behind them.
"Need some help?" she asked as she walked forward. She rang the buzzer and the four waited there for a few minutes.
Rikka looked down at Ingvild, who stood there awkwardly.
"Is it just me or do I sense some sexual tension between them?" Rikka whispered.
"No, I can feel it too," Ingvild said.
"I can hear you," Issei said.
The gates opened and the four walked inside where they saw Irina waiting for them at the steps.
"You're back," she said. "Did you?"
"Yes, we did! Let's go inside," Issei said.
"Issei, I hope you remember," Rossweisse said.
Issei said nothing and placed the bag down. He leaned over and placed a kiss on Rossweiss's lips causing her eyes to go wide. Sparks ran through her body as her heart began to beat faster than ever before. Happiness was all she felt at the moment. Her face erupted into a massive blush as Issei pulled away.
"I hope that's okay for now. I promise that I'll take you out," Issei said.
"Y- yeah," Rossweisse said, smiling.
Issei stood before a group of people that they had gathered before them in the basement. Calling Tohka and Mica was an easy task and the two had arrived here via Gate the moment Ingvild had called. Currently, the group was chatting amongst themselves.
Issei coughed into his hand to get their attention.
"Okay! I know that most of you don't know each other well but so we might as well introduce ourselves!" Issei said.
"Of course Issei-sama!" Bova said.
Irina giggled as Issei sweatdropped at Bova's attitude.
"Okay, I'm, uh, Issei Hyoudou. You know me as the Red Dragon Emperor and I thank you for coming to be on my team for the Azazel Cup," Issei said.
"I'm Irina Shidou. I'm an Ace in Michael-sama's Brave Saints Deck. I have three pairs of wings and I look forward to working with you all," she said.
"I'm Mitsuki Hyoudou, the current wielder of Telos Karma. I'm looking forward to being on the same team and nice to meet all of you," Mitsuki said, bowing.
"Ooh! Me next!" Tohka said, standing up. "I'm Tohka Thyella. I'm from America. I'm the daughter of two Gods and it's nice to meet all of you."
"I'm Mica," Mica said. "I'm also from America. Like Tohka, I'm the son of two Gods and the younger brother of one. I look forward to winning this thing with the rest of you."
"I shall go next," Vasco said. "I am Vasco Strada. Priest of the Vatican. I may be old but I can still lend you all some help. May the Lord guide us to our victory in the Games."
"I guess it's my turn," Ingvild said. "I'm Ingvild Leviathan. I was in a coma for the better part of the twentieth and some of the twenty-first centuries. Out of all of us, I'm probably the least experienced but I still want to help! Please take care of me."
"I'm Risa," Risa said, going next. "I'm an Angel that's part of Raphael's Brave Saints. I have five pairs of wings and am the Guardian Angel of Issei Hyoudou. I look forward to bashing some heads with you guys at the Azazel Cup."
"I'm Bova Tannin! I am the strongest Dragon in the Underworld and I will be the next Dragon King and replace my father!" Bova said.
[Reminds me of you] Ddraig said.
|I wasn't that bad… was I?| Tiamat said.
"I'm Rikka Kuroyuki. I am a swordswoman. I don't know what else to say other than I look forward to working with everyone and winning the games," Rikka said.
Issei smiled after everyone introduced themselves.
"Thanks for coming guys. You don't know how much it means to me that you all accepted to be on my team. I know some of you have been given offers by your pantheon or whoever you know that's participating and you could have fought for them instead of fighting alongside me but you chose to accept and that makes me happy. Another thing is the Wish at the end that they give to the winner. Some of you might want that wish and frankly, I could care less about it. I'm happy with what I have now but I will do my best and lend you the strength you need to win if you're willing to work with me. But if you don't and want to leave, I'll understand," Issei said.
Everyone looked at each other and whispered before turning back to Issei. Vasco stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Young man, I believe that I speak for everyone when I say that no one wants to leave. Issei Hyoudou. If anyone deserves that wish, it's you. You laid down your life for the entire world against Rizevim and Trihexa and it's because of you that I'm still able to see my friends and family. I would be honored to fight alongside you," Vasco said.
Everyone chorused in agreement, causing Issei's eyes to go wide.
"Guys…," Issei said. He looked down and wiped away a few tears that threatened to escape.
"Now…," Issei said, looking up with a determined grin. "Let's do this!"
Reviews:
Rhongomyniad: Actually, I forgot that Leviathan was female. I just made Leviathan male to balance out the first seven Demons Lucifer created. Four males, three females. The Original Asmodeus is from what I can gather, male, but in Til Midnight, the Original Asmodeus is female. By the time, I realized it... Leviathan was a guy. However, it is an easy fix. If you want, I can just go back and alter the gender to male and pretend it he was never a guy since he's only made... two appearances? That or I can just explain how he begat the entire Leviathan clan.
On another note, Apollyon has no relation to the Abaddon Clan since their appearances don't match. I was a nice attempt at figuring out her identity though.
AnimeFan0216: Mastema isn't a demon per say... If I say more I'll spoil but... maybe?
Scrumblenut: That's a great idea. After this section, I'll have a small section of all the known abilities from the Devil Clans and their progenitors. I'll post one on the fanon wiki!
Skellzero: Haha, Mastema's too annoying even for Issei. And the fact that Tiamat is worried for his mental health because he's talking to "no one", makes Issei annoyed even more.
This isn't a Blacklight File. More like an info dump for abilities. I'm not going to list all 72 Clans but the Demons and the Clans associated with them from canon and Til Midnight.
Lucifer and Lilith: Shevirat Ha-Kelim
Beelzebub: King of the Flies and ?
Leviathan: Sea Serpent Dragon of the End and ?
Asmodeus: ?
Lucifuge: Cryogenesis
Belphegor: Crack
Phenex: Pyrokinesis and Regeneration (Only Demon to pass down this trait)
Astaroth: Tetralogy
Gremory: Power of Sight
Bael: Power of Destruction
Naamah: Luxuria
Abaddon: Power of Hole
Dantalion: ?
Belial: Worthlessness
Sitri: Hydrokinesis
Agares: Chronokinesis
Vapula: Lion Taming
Furcas: Horse Taming
Balam: Enhanced Super Strength and Magical Resistance
Bune: Dragonification and Dragon Taming
So, like I said to Rhongomyniad. Since Leviathan has made... only two appearances, so if you want me to alter his gender to his canon gender or let him remain as male and then create a backstory, let me know. So Issei has formed his team for the Azazel Cup.
Issei's Team (Name Pending; Will most likely be canon name):
Issei Hyoudou
Irina Shidou
Mitsuki Hyoudou
Tohka Thyella
Mica Johnson
Rikka Kuroyuki
Risa
Vasco Strada
Bova Tannin
Yes, I decided to change switch out Roygun for an OC that I created.
Let me know if you liked the chapter and remember, leave a review, follow, favorite and remember to have a great day/night or not! The choice is yours~! And stay inside or this quarantine will go on longer than we'd like it to.
