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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
Hyoudou Manor, August 11, 2020, 6:35 PM, Current Time: 2 Minutes and 45 Seconds Til Midnight
Irina gently opened the door to the house and walked into the living room. She was exhausted, physically, emotionally, and mentally. She had failed to get anything substantial from the devil that she interrogated.
Rikka and Bova followed her with worried expressions on their faces. Irina was the last person that either of them thought they would see torture. Her angel blood should've made it impossible. It was a miracle that she didn't fall.
"Irina, are you alright?" Rikka asked.
Irina didn't say anything. She slammed her fist into the table, snapping it in half with her angelic strength. Her teeth were clenched together as tears streamed down her face.
"What am I supposed to do now Rikka? We have no leads on who this Ha-Satan person is! How the hell are we supposed to save Issei from his deal?" Irina asked.
"I don't know but I do know that being angry about it won't help. You need to calm down. Dantalion told us that there was another way to break it and that was for Issei to survive. Currently, that's our best option. If Issei makes it past midnight on the day of his collection, the contract magic binding his soul will be broken due to the condition being unfulfilled," she explained.
"I don't want it to come to that… I want to make sure that we never have to fight for Issei's survival," Irina said.
"But what are we supposed to do? Summon another Devil?" Bova asked.
"Why do you guys want to summon a devil, nya?"
The three turned to see Kuroka walking into the room with an apple in her hand.
"Nothing… just… wanted to see if Devils would make contracts with Angels is all," Irina said.
"I know what you're doing," Kuroka said, sitting next to Irina. "Issei told me about his condition…"
Irina's eyes widened. Issei told her? She looked down at the table. Issei had willingly told Kuroka but she had to find out from Beelzebub. Did he not trust her as much as Kuroka?
"So all Issei has to do is survive that day? The day when the devils come to collect his soul?" Kuroka asked as she grabbed the remote. She switched on the TV.
"This just in! The company, SEED Corporation, has just announced that it has begun to perform charity work in the Middle East to help those that have been afflicted by the ongoing conflicts! The CEO has yet to make an appearance but…" the newscaster said.
"SEED Corp. Those guys have been popping up more than usual," Rikka said.
"Yeah," Irina said, answering both questions.
"Hey, guys! We're back!" the door opened to reveal Issei, Vali, and Mitsuki walking in with a book in hand. Issei spotted Irina and waved to her. Irina waved back, albeit hesitantly. Her eyes were distant, something that Issei noticed. Did he do something to upset her or something?
[I don't know… did you?] Ddraig said.
|Seriously, hatchling. You need to have more tact.| Tiamat said.
"What? Did I do something wrong?" Issei asked.
|Oh, Issei…| Tiamat said.
Hekhalot, Araboth, Heaven
He ignored them and sat in between Irina and Kuroka, the latter of which, hugged Issei's arm and leaned into him. He glanced at Irina, who sat with her head on her hand and a distant look on her face as she stared mindlessly into the TV screen.
"Brother," Raphael appeared in the Seventh Heaven to see Michael standing at the foot of God's Throne. The seat of Heaven's Power and the center of the System.
"Raphael? What is it?" Michael asked, turning around.
"They've discovered the Prophet," he said.
"I figured that this would happen sooner or later," Michael said.
"What should we do? The other pantheons will get wind of this soon and her existence may be revealed to the enemy as a result," his brother said.
"What does it matter if the other pantheons know of her existence at this point?" Michael said.
"Brother, we've always upheld the tradition of keeping the Prophet's identity a secret until after their death where their writings are made public to the people. It's the only reason that the other Gods know that our pantheon has a Prophet," Raphael said.
"Raphael. I admire your want to uphold the olden ways but we can't do that if we want to survive. We will need the help of the Devils and the other Pantheons if we want to survive," he said.
"Has the Sixth Trumpet been sounded yet?" Raphael asked.
"No, but I fear that it may be soon," Michael replied.
"Hyoudou?"
"Yes."
A moment of silence between the two passed before Raphael spoke up.
"I'll keep an eye on Nancy for now. Let me know if anything comes up," Raphael said.
Michael nodded as Raphael disappeared from Araboth.
"So what's on today's agenda?" Issei asked, getting his sleep out. Rikka and Irina sat at the table looking at Issei with a cup of coffee before them.
"What?" Issei asked, unnerved by their stares.
"Issei, you told Kuroka?" Irina asked.
"Well, yeah," Issei said.
"...," Irina went silent with his answer.
"What? Is that wrong? Should I not tell her?" Issei argued.
"Issei… it's not that. I just feel… I don't know… hurt! Issei, I had to find out from Beelzebub that you sold your soul yet you trust Kuroka enough to tell her that you're damned to go to Hell in one year? So what? You don't trust me is that it?" Irina asked.
"What? Don't turn this into something else! It was a heat of the moment thing and I felt that she would be able to understand my circumstan-!"
"Understand? So what? Rossweisse and I are incapable of understanding your problems, is that it?"
"What? No! Don't drag Rossweisse into this!"
"I will drag Rossweisse into this because she deserves to know just as much as I and Kuroka do!"
"Now, you listen here! The whole reason that I wanted to keep this whole thing down and not tell anyone was that-!"
A magic circle appeared in front of Issei. He sighed and glared at Irina.
"We will finish this later," Issei said.
Irina glared at him before huffing and leaving the room. Rikka looked between the two in worry before following after her friend.
Issei swiped the circle, answering the call.
"Issei?"
"Az-nee?" Issei answered.
"Yeah, it's me. Hey, listen. Sirzechs says that he wants you and Rias's peerage down here in the Underworld in an hour. Something about a big meeting that DxD needs to be a part of and I was put in charge of contacting you and Rias," Azrael said.
"Did Buchou already get the message?" Issei asked.
"Yes, I contacted her about five minutes ago," Azrael said.
"I'll go tell the others and arrange for someone to look after Lily," Issei said.
"No need to worry. Grayfia thought you might say this and volunteered to drop Lily and Millicas off at the Gremory Mansion so that Venelana can look after them," she said.
"Is it really okay for Venelana-sama to look after Lily? I don't want to be a burden. I can just hire a regular sitter," Issei said.
"Nonsense. Venelana said that she wanted to meet Lily anyway," she responded.
"Alright. We'll be there in about an hour, Az-nee, so save some seats for us," Issei said.
"Alright, you cheeky brat."
Issei smiled as he cut the call.
[What do you think the meeting's about?] Ddraig asked.
"I don't know but I don't think that anything good will come of this. We've been getting a lot of bad news as of late. Finding out that Nancy exists and that she's a Prophet might be the best news we've gotten all year," Issei said.
Irina stepped out onto the balcony of the third floor of the house. She needed this. She just needed to get away. The feelings of pain in her heart just kept getting worse the longer she was around Issei. She curled up into a ball as tears slowly streamed down her face.
"Irina?"
She looked up and saw Rossweisse standing at the door. Her attire made Irina smile a little. For a Valkyrie who prided herself in being strict and formal, her choice of clothing was rather lazy. Rossweisse walked onto the balcony with a can of beer in her hand and leaned on the railing.
"What's wrong? You look like… you just saw someone die," Rossweisse said.
"Do I really look that bad right now?" Irina asked.
She nodded, causing the Angel to look down.
"Hey Rossweisse, if I told you that Issei had less than a year to live, how would you react?" Irina asked.
"I would be depressed of course. Issei means everything to me. He's the only one who saw me for more than just Odin's personal maid," Rossweisse said.
"...," Irina remained silent. Should she tell Rossweisse? She shook her head. She needed to know. Rossweisse loved Issei just as much as she did and Kuroka did.
"Hey, Rossweisse. I have something to tell you. It's about… Issei," Irina said.
"He's going to die in less than a year because of the Faustian Bargain that he made," the valkyrie said, stealing the words from her mouth.
"H- How did you?" Irina stuttered.
She couldn't help but feel shocked and surprised. Hell, surprise was the only emotion she was feeling at the moment. Irina's eyes locked onto Rossweisse's misery filled turquoise orbs as the Valkyrie smiled sadly before her. Rossweisse downed the rest of her beer can and tossed it over the edge.
"I know about it. We all do. Rias-sama, Akeno, everyone in the peerage does," she confessed.
"B- But how? We never told anyone about that. Only me, Issei, and a few other people know about that," Irina said.
"We followed you after the big fight. It sounded serious so Rias-sama suggested that we tailed you guys and it looks like she was right," Rossweisse said. "So why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did Issei sell his soul?"
"You know why…"
"..."
"What an idiot…," Irina said.
"A self-sacrificing idiot," Rossweisse added.
"Don't worry," Irina said.
Rossweisse gave her a confused look, entering her version of Ophis's "?" mode.
"I will get Issei out of this before that day comes," Irina said.
"You won't have to do this alone. We'll help you. We all will," Rossweisse said.
Ars Nova, Gehenna, Hell
Issei glanced at Irina as she walked silently next to him. Everyone around them had given them a wide birth, noticing the tension between the two. Even Kuroka and Rossweisse, Issei's other girlfriends, distanced themselves and felt that they shouldn't get involved with the problem that was clearly between the two of them.
"Ah, it's good to see you guys again."
A familiar voice from the side caused Issei and the others to glance over to see the familiar auburn hair of a certain silver-eyed goddess. Artemis gave Issei a warm smile as she jogged over to them.
"Artemis-sama," Issei said, bowing politely. The others followed suit, paying reverence to the Goddess of the Moon.
"No need to bow," Artemis said. Issei lifted his head.
Artemis smiled as she extended her hand. Issei looked down at it, slightly confused.
"You haven't heard?" she asked.
"Heard what?"
"Issei, Artemis-sama is the Greco-Roman Pantheon's representative within DxD," Irina whispered. Issei's eyes widened as he firmly grabbed her hand and shook it.
"It'll be an honor to be working with you from here on out, Artemis-sama," Issei said.
"Likewise. I must admit, I never thought I'd be able to work with the Red Dragon Emperor again. I hope our partnership will be far better than it was the first time," she said.
"Ehehe," Issei laughed a little as a trickle of sweat trickled down his forehead. He remembered Artemis from the first time they had worked together. This woman was terrifying yet she was surprisingly kind. Not that it mattered. Issei was still somewhat terrified of her. She did have a reputation for her intense hatred of perverts that bordered on the near murderous. So long as he curbed his perversion around her, he should be fine.
"So what do you think the meeting is about, Artemis-sama?" Rias asked as they walked towards the massive doors of the Council Room.
"Probably the allocation of funds towards building an actual building. Having to meet within the Abrahamic Hell every time is kind of tiring and gives off the impression that the Abrahamic Pantheon is the one running the council. Though, we would have the building done if some pantheons would just allow some of their craftsman deities to help in the construction of stabilization runes..., or what did Heph say again?" Artemis mumbled that last part.
"Well, I'm sure that we can convince the other pantheons to join in on this project. So far we only have Ajuka-sama, Hephaestus-sama, Vishwakarman-sama, Athena-sama, and Ptah-sama have all contributed to the project," Rias said.
"I hope so," Artemis said as she pushed the doors open.
Upon entering, the group noticed that the council room was already in chaos. The sounds of various pantheon leaders yelling at each other grated against their brains as the group made their way to the public galleries of the council room. They found empty seats and sat down.
Artemis bit her finger as she looked down at her Pantheon's booth. Her father and older sister, Aphrodite, were arguing while Athena took notes and offered her own inputs. She sighed. Arguing was going to get them nowhere.
"As I was saying, we have reason to believe that these Demons might be targeting our pantheon!" Zeus said, slamming his fist onto the table.
"And I said, that we cannot deploy DxD to Greece without just cause. This is all purely based on speculation and you have presented no proof that there is demonic activity within Greece," Rudianos calmly retorted.
"Not necessarily true," Athena said, flicking her hair out of the way. "There have been demonic energy signatures that have gathered near Mount Etna and further analysis shows that they don't belong to any clan."
"I tell you. Whatever it is, they want Typhon," Zeus said.
"Excuse me but didn't Typhon participate in the Azazel Cup," Ajuka said.
"Yes, but he did on the condition that he won the Azazel Cup. After he lost to Indra, father decided to reimprison him under the mountain," Aphrodite said.
"I believe that Zeus's pantheon isn't the only one to have rogue Devils running around their territory," a voice in the back said.
The other gods went silent and turned around. A man stood up. The other gods, including Zeus, were cowed into silence. The man ran his hand through his black hair as he walked down the aisle. His figure was muscular, possessing Adonis-like qualities. He wore a white robe, similar to that of a monk's habit. His golden eyes looked out upon the entire crowd with mild disgust.
"Oh and what makes you say this, Baal Hadad," Odin asked, stroking his beard.
"We too have detected signs of demonic energy within our region of the world, particularly around Mount Sinai," he said.
"So we have two signs as of now, corroborated by Hadad," Zeus said. "Are you still going to stand by and say no while the demons that worked underneath the original Beelzebub are moving about?"
"That does pose an interesting question," Parvati said.
"Hmm? And why does it pose an interesting question, Lady Parvati?" Hadad asked.
"If anything, aren't they justified in what they are doing? After all, your Pantheon is famous for its grudge against Yahweh and his children," Parvati said.
"Whatever grudges we may have, we are willing to place aside to work with… filth against filth," Hadad said, glancing at the Prime Demons present at the meeting. Asmodeus bristled and was about to speak but went silent when Mammon placed her hand on her older sister's shoulder. She huffed and chose to glare at the Old God instead.
"Gods, Angels, Devils, why are we still arguing over this?" Hadad said. "We know that we can overpower these usurper Devils and reinstall the peace that we all fought hard for! The peace that we obtained after the defeat of the Beast of Armageddon, Trihexa! Why must we let these… these demons have their way with us? What's holding us back from mobilizing DxD to hunt them down and eliminate them?"
"I mean, he has a point," Issei said. The others nodded.
Down on the council floor, the other deities muttered amongst themselves, a majority of them agreeing with what the God had said. Rudianos glanced around the room and sighed. He needed to regain control of the flow of the meeting.
"Baal Hadad. The reason we have not deployed DxD to 'exterminated' these demons as you put it is because we lack intelligence. A few sightings in a location is enough to warrant sending out our strongest forces just to get rid of a few rats. Your pantheon is proclaimed to be the strongest pantheon of the near east due to big players such as your brother, Yam, the God of Chaos, and your parents El and Athirat. Are you going to allow a few rogues from Yahweh's pantheon to make a mockery of your pantheon?" Rudianos said.
Everyone's eyes widened when a javelin comprised of pure flames embedded itself next to Rudianos's head. Hadad's eyes were glowing a violent shade of orange as his aura engulfed the entire room.
"Do not mock my pantheon. These demons are not to be underestimated. The original Leviathan and Mammon stormed my Pantheon's doors during the Great War and slaughtered many deities in their warpath," Hadad said.
"Do not mistake that slaughter as something senseless," Mammon said, the hatred in her voice present. Her yellow eyes glowed as she locked eyes with the God of Heaven. "You took one of our own and we repaid the favor."
"Hmph, well, your own maybe what these demons are after. Are many of you aware of what is located on Mount Sinai?" Hadad asked.
Mammon, Asmodeus, and Belphegor remained silent. That location was off-limits as per agreement between their Grandfather and the Supreme God of the Canaanite Pantheon, El.
"What? The actual Ten Commandments?" Indra asked jokingly.
Hadad looked at the Hindu God with a hint of annoyance in his eyes. These fools. Mount Etna and Mount Sinai were the locations of some of the most powerful beings to ever exist in this world. Typhon was a monster capable of combating the Olympian Gods but the monster located on Mount Sinai, she was equally as terrifying if not more due to her unbridled cruelty towards those who earn her ire.
"Ddraig? Tiamat? What's so important about Mount Sinai?" Issei asked.
[Mount Sinai… Mount Sinai? Other than the Ten Commandments of the Abrahamic Faiths, I don't quite remember] Ddraig said.
|Neither do I.| Tiamat said.
Issei nodded and turned his attention back to the meeting.
"Laugh all you want you arrogant twat but there is a Black Dragon buried on that mountain," Hadad said.
The room went silent. Everyone's eyes went wide with terror upon hearing those two words.
Black Dragon.
Black Dragons weren't regular dragons. They were Evil Dragons of extreme power. These dragons were capable of killing Gods and Satans alike and were considered to be the ultimate power of Dragonkind alongside the Heavenly Dragons. They were regarded as walking cataclysms, always altering the land wherever they went and causing disaster wherever they chose to stay. They are stated to be so vile that the title of Evil Dragon would never be able to describe them in full and thus, the title of Black Dragon was born. In total, there existed three Black Dragons in the world and all three were incapacitated. To this day, many of the weaker and younger deities vehemently deny their existence as a way to comfort themselves. A blissful delusion that they believe would make true monsters go away.
"You're lying," Indra said. "I know it's hard to know that a bunch of Devils and Angels beat your pantheon in the race for followers but seriously, a Black Dragon?"
"Which Black Dragon is it?" Shiva asked.
"You're seriously not believing this are you?" Indra asked.
"Lotan."
Upon hearing the name, a collective shiver went down all of their spines, even the younger Devils. Ddraig and Tiamat stiffened inside the Sacred Gear, their fear being known by Issei. Next to him, Artemis held terror unlike Issei had ever seen before in her eyes.
"Artemis-sama? Who is Lotan?" Rias asked.
"Lotan is my ancestor," Ingvild said, speaking up for the first time since they arrived.
"Ancestor? I thought your ancestor was the Original Leviathan?" Akeno said.
"Having a family is a co-op game, not a single-player one. The Original Leviathan and the Coiling Black Dragon, Lotan. Together, they birthed a race of Devils capable of controlling the Deep while inheriting the prowess of a Dragon. Her presence within our pantheon is due to her being abandoned by the Chaos God, Yam, after his defeat at the hands of Ba'al Hadad after El decided to retire. She was adopted by the Archangel Lucifer afterward. She's known as the Second Leviathan that is stated in Jewish Midrash," Ingvild said.
[Not just that] Ddraig said, making himself known. [Lotan is as powerful as Ddraig and I in our primes. She is, as Ingvild said, the Coiling Black Dragon. The Dragon of Chaos from Ugaritic Myth. She is the daughter of the God of Chaos, Yam.]
"Lotan is dead," Indra said.
"Not for long," Asmodeus said. "They're going to resurrect her."
"So they're going after Lotan and Typhon then?" Athena said.
"They're building an army and gathering all the strongest players. Players that hate the Gods," Shiva said. "We can no longer standby and do nothing."
"I agree," Ra said. "If they are planning to go after a Black Dragon, then we have no choice but to move."
"How are we supposed to counteract that? Their movements are too subtle to be detected and not to mention that we still have to locate the one responsible for the devastation within Southeast Asia," Freya said.
"There are ways we can prevent the rise of the Coiling Black Dragon. First off, we need to deploy a portion of DxD down to the Middle East to guard the tomb of Lotan," Ajuka said. "If the demons are after her, then we have to prevent them from reaching her tomb at all costs."
"Next is Typhon but… I have some doubts," Hadad said.
"What kind of doubts?" Aphrodite asked.
"Typhon would never work with Devils," he said.
"Typhon would sooner work with Devils rather than work with the Greek Gods," Sirzechs said. "Or did everyone forget what Zeus and the other Olympians did to his pregnant wife…"
"So what now?" Zeus asked.
"Now," Shiva said, finally speaking up. His eyes looked grim, indicating how dire the situation was at the moment. "If whatever is left of Beelzebub's faction is mobilizing to gather in the most dangerous beings across the world, then we need to send forces to those locations. I propose that we split DxD in half and focus on what's before us at the moment. Some of our forces will head to Mount Etna to guard Typhon while the others… will head to Mount Sinai to guard the corpse of the Coiling Black Dragon, Lotan. This should cover what we already know."
The other gods nodded in agreement and Hadad and Zeus sent Shiva looks of appreciation. The God of Destruction waved them off, sending them a smile instead.
"Alright. I believe that that is all for now. Before we adjourn this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that our Forge Gods are working hard so if any pantheon can send any deity or being that is related or good at building things, it would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, we have to keep meeting in the Abrahamic Hell," Parvati said.
"Hmmm, I guess I can get Svadilfari to help build it. Though, I may need a different incentive this time," Odin said, sipping coffee.
"Is that all?" Rudianos asked, his frustration barely being contained.
"Yes, that will be all," Ajuka said.
Upon hearing those words, the Gaulish War God vanished in a burst of red light, followed by several other deities leaving as well. Hadad glanced at the Abrahamic Pantheon, particularly at the Prime Demons with some level of disgust before disappearing in a bolt of orange lightning.
"The nerve of that guy," Serafall said.
"Don't mind him," Gabriel said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "His pantheon was an old rival of our pantheon back in the day."
"Which back in the day, the back in the day where our pantheon was just a part of the Court of El or the day grandfather finally had the sense to split after Hadad went too far," Mammon said.
"Mammon, calm down. We can't afford any disunity at this point. Even if we don't like it, we have to work with Hadad's pantheon," Asmodeus said.
"Yeah, and I don't like it. I'm an advocate for peace but… Hadad always gave me the creeps. It was so much better when El and Athirat were running things," Azazel said.
The younger devils looked at their predecessors and fellow leaders with some level of confusion as if they were being left in the dark.
"Whatever, do you need us or can you meet with DxD by yourselves?" Michael said.
"We can do it. You guys can go," Sirzechs said.
"We'll be in touch and be careful. Our enemy is not to be underestimated," the Golden Archangel replied as he and his siblings vanished. Azazel stood from his chair and patted Sirzechs on the shoulder.
"I'll see you later, Sirzechs," Azazel said before vanishing.
"We'll head back home too," Mammon said. "I'll leave everything to you, my student."
"Of course Teacher," Sirzechs said.
Mammon smiled and vanished alongside Belphegor and Asmodeus.
"I think that's our cue," Artemis said, getting up from her seat. Eden Squad and Gremory Peerage all exchanged glances before following after the Moon Goddess. They entered the room where the Four Maou waited for them to arrive. Upon entering, Sirzechs gave them a serious look which meant that their current situation was not a good one.
"Lady Artemis, it is good that you're here," Sirzechs said. "And I'm glad you guys were the first ones here."
"Where's Vali Team?" Mitsuki asked.
"Vali Team has been assigned by Azazel to check on Ophis in the Dimensional Gap to make sure that our new enemy isn't going after her," he said.
"Ah," she replied.
"Let's get to the point since time is of the essence here. As you may know, since the Hong Kong Tragedy, we have been running around like a bunch of headless chickens trying to make heads or tails of where they are. No solid intel has come in from the field nor from any of the Peerage Kings that are on Earth nor from Dulio and Wukong," Ajuka said. "This meeting is our first time receiving any form of intel on actual activity from them so we will act on it. Unlike what was said at the meeting, we will send out a small task force to each location."
"Alright, so who goes where?" Rias asked.
"Rias, we've decided that you and Issei's team head down to Mount Sinai to guard the Tomb of Lotan. Lady Artemis, I believe that you are headed to Mount Etna to bolster the defense around Typhon's prison?" Sirzechs asked.
"Yes, though if I may, my brothers, Ares and Apollo, are being deployed by our father as per his and Athena's decision so Typhon's prison is already well defended. I believe that my talents would be most useful with Team Gremory and Eden Squad," Artemis said.
"Very well," Sirzechs said.
"When do we leave?" Issei asked.
"We'll give you a few hours to prepare then you are to leave for Mount Sinai," Ajuka said.
"A few hours. That'll get us enough time to get to base and back," Rikka whispered to Issei. Issei looked over to his teammates, who all had the same look as his captain did. He nodded to Rikka.
"Alright, you guys are dismissed," Sirzechs said.
Japanese Blacklight Base, Kegon Falls, Nikko, Japan
"Black Dragons huh?" Taki said, rubbing his chin in thought. Next to him were the holograms of three other leaders from Blacklight. Issei recognized Atalanta and Cornelius, however, the third figure's identity eluded him.
She caught him staring a little and waved.
"What do you think Sheba? Does the intel fit?" Cornelius asked.
"Unfortunately, it does," Sheba said. "Several of our operatives here have had encounters with them already, though we've kept it at a down low to prevent people from getting too suspicious. As far as the world knows, only what's left of Beelzebub's forces are there. There's also something else. In order to maintain their cover, we've discovered that they're using vehicular and aerial transportation to and from the mountain and you'll never guess who it is that's helping them."
"Who?" Atalanta asked.
"Seed Corporation," Sheba said. "Their logo is on every uniform that their personnel wears."
"So wait… why would a global conglomerate be working with devils?" Ingvild asked.
"It's quite common and there is a precedent for it. The Rockefellers, Ford, the Medicis," Sheba said. "Most successful businesses have had some supernatural input in it at one point whether they know this or not."
"Great. Just great," Mitsuki said.
"What? What's wrong?" Issei asked.
"Issei, Seed Corporation has an influence in practically every major company in the world. Microsoft, Apple, Google. There's practically nowhere that this company hasn't taken root in," Irina said.
"So whoever is in charge of Seed is whoever is behind this whole operation to resurrect a Black Dragon?" Issei asked.
"That's pretty much the gist of things," Taki said.
[Resurrecting a Black Dragon is a fool's errand. Even with Lotan's relationship with the Satan Leviathan, I doubt she would swear loyalty to some run of the mill Devil. She's too proud for that.] Ddraig said.
"We can't take any chances with this. You heard what they said back at the meeting. Just one Black Dragon is capable of reshaping the entire map just by passing through any location," Issei said.
"Sheba-sama, is there anything we need to know before going in?" Issei asked.
"There is. We've caught wind of a brief massive surge of energy coming in from Mount Sinai but our sensors were fried before we could get any conclusive data. I'd be careful if I were you. Whatever caused that energy could still be there," Sheba said.
"Any more questions?" Taki asked.
They shook their heads.
"I'm sending Selene with you guys in case you need backup," Atalanta said.
"Team Diamond is going as well but…," Cornelius said.
"We'll talk about this later. For now, focus," Atalanta said.
"Right, even with Team Diamond and Selene there, help from them will be limited as to conceal our organization's existence from the Supernatural World," he said.
They nodded.
"Very well. You guys are dismissed. I'm sure that the rest of Team DxD is waiting for you," Taki said.
They nodded and left the room. Taki pulled a flask out of his desk and took a sip.
"I could go for a drink," Cornelius said, his hologram flickering for a second before returning with an identical flask in his hand.
"I don't feel comfortable with this. Typhon and Lotan? Those were some of the biggest players back in the day," Sheba said.
"That won't stop them from trying. I assume that they're putting more effort into Lotan?" Cornelius asked.
"Huh? Alright…"
"What is it, Atalanta?" Taki asked.
"There's been no increase in activity around Mount Etna. If anything, all traces of demonic activity diminished," she said.
"We're running around blind," Taki said. "Let's just hope this mission will turn something up. Something that we can use. Seed Corporation and these excursions are our best leads so far."
Mount Sinai, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Mount Sinai. A sacred location, both to the local people that lived here and to the billions of those who followed the Three Principle Abrahamic Religions and their denominations. The place where the Prophet Moses received divine revelation from God and wrote it down on stone tablets. These tablets became known the world over as the Ten Commandments. However, this mountain was more than just a place of prayer if the mosque and church located at the summit were anything to go by.
This mountain was a burial mound.
"Lord Leviathan," a devil said, bowing his head.
Leviathan walked past him, his white long coat fluttering in the mountain breeze as he came upon the large megalith. It had been so long since he'd seen this. Six hundred years, give or take if he remembered correctly. He ran his hands across the smooth surface of the giant rock in front of him as writing appeared on it.
"Here lies Lotan. Mother, Sister, and Wife first. Black Dragon second. May her soul rest in peace."
"Hey, I'm back. I'm sorry I got back before you but… you'd probably kick my ass for doing that. But Sister is coming now… she'll revive you. Just wait a little longer," he whispered, kissing the rock.
Leviathan turned away and glanced at the devils, who had been patiently awaiting orders.
"I want you to take a detachment and head down to the southern face of the mountain That is the place with the easiest access point. I want you, you, and you to take your forces and guard the north, east, and western faces. You form a large perimeter around the obelisk. The rest of you take to the skies but be discreet," Leviathan said.
"Yes sir!" the devils saluted before leaving to perform their duties.
"It seems that you've started without me," a voice said from behind him.
Leviathan quickly turned around to see her. He smiled.
"Elder Sister Lilith. You took your time getting here," Leviathan said. "And teleporting too? Won't that give off any signatures?"
"Not if you cloak yourself," Lilith replied.
She walked over to the massive obelisk and ran her hands across its surface. A small violet pulse reverberated across the massive stone structure.
"You being here means that we have our bargaining chip for Typhon," Leviathan said.
"Yes, Apollyon's infiltration of Hades' palace was nothing more than a resounding success. Here it is," Lilith said, summoning a small lamp into her hand. Inside was a swirling mass of red energy. The energy pulsed when Lilith tapped the glass with her finger.
"Is that?" Leviathan asked.
"Echidna's soul? Yes, yes it is. This will be our bargaining chip against the God of Monsters," Lilith said, smiling at the soul of Typhon's mate.
"So when are we resurrecting her?" Leviathan asked.
"Hmm," Lilith opened a portal and dropped the jar inside. Her eyes began to glow as violet aura surged from her body. Dark violet lightning crackled across the skies as storm clouds began to manifest in the atmosphere.
"Now…," Lilith said as she placed her hand on the ground. The air went still before a massive pulse of violet energy erupted from Lilith's hand and traveled across the entire mountain, seeping into its very foundation. Violet lines crisscrossed across the summit, creeping into every crack and crag as it made its way across the mountain. The energy lines invaded whatever space it could as it pulsated, releasing small wisps of toxic miasma.
Leviathan watched with budding excitement as the lines crawled up the obelisk. This was the moment of truth. This right here.
Lilith removed her palm from the ground as the lines on the obelisk pulsated.
"Give her a few minutes to recover her strength," Lilith said with a grin on her face.
The obelisk, which was decorated with lines of energy, suddenly changed. The rock became translucent as if someone had swept away decades worth of dust that had collected upon it. Inside was a woman of great beauty. Her body was shrouded in a black burial clothing. The sun passed through the crystal, showing off her light brown skin. She had a pair of curved horns that decorated her head and long flowing silvery-violet hair.
"Welcome home, Lotan," Leviathan whispered as he placed his hand on the obelisk.
Inside, Lotan's blood-red eyes opened.
Black Dragons huh? But no Fatalis or Alatreon? But seriously, Black Dragons in this story are Evil Dragons that are deemed to be too vile and powerful to be called an Evil Dragon. Crom Cruach has Black Dragon power but he's not considered one because he isn't "vile" enough. If you hadn't guessed, Black Dragons are based on Black Dragons from the Monster Hunter Series. Alright! Please leave a review and remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!