I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
"Issei…."
His name was being called by them. They had been attached to Ddraig once and now they were his won burden as well. He opened his eyes and he saw their eyeless faces around him.
They were like chains attached to him and their memories weren't something he could escape but he had learned to accept them. Their fights, struggles, pains, and each of their burdens were now his as well.
"Issei…. Home…."
"I know we're close to returning home. The place where everything began for me and all of you. The house in which I smiled, cried, feared the unknown and the place in which I almost died once. I don't know if we are going to find a house or just an empty lot. I don't even know if Irina still lives in there, but I need to know. I need to see it with my own eyes."
The husks went silent and one by one they began to disappear. Issei was left all alone within the darkness of the void or that's what we would initially think.
"Issei is time for us to wake up." The form of Ddraig arises from within the endless void as the only source of light.
"I know." Issei follows Ddraig out of this land of emptiness that his dreams had become.
Back into the real world.
Issei awoke in an unknown bed but he quickly remembered the events that had transpired yesterday. This was the home of the Gremory family, and they had offered him a room for the night before he departed for the human world.
Sirzechs claimed he was capable of helping him to find his parents' tomb and maybe even reclaim his old home so his expectations were as high as they could be.
He quickly got up and began to walk towards the bathroom. He was so tired the day before that he had passed out after eating dinner. Tiamat had left with Ajuka, but she said that she was coming back to meet him as soon as she took care of some business.
As he got close to the mirror on top of the sink, he finally saw his reflection and not Ddraig sleeping shape. It was the first time in gears that he ever got to see his face but he was unable to imagine his past self. His body had changed so much and he had endured an insane amount of pain during that fire. His skin turned black and most of his organ began to fail if Ddraig hadn't interfered when he did that day would have meant his death.
"But I did die. Issei Hyoudou, the human child died that day. I died in that fire alongside everything I ever loved. I might still call myself Issei but I have lost my humanity. I'm not human nor will I ever go back to that life. These green eyes, these tattoos, my hair, and these sharp fangs are the proves that affirm my current self. I'm..." Issei was deep in thought until Ddraig ended the sentence.
"The Welsh Dragon and now we hold the title of the Two-Headed Red Dragon of Chaos. What is done can't be changed but we can still find happiness. The void that exists in your heart is also mine now and we'll find a way to fill it out." Ddraig said.
They were going to become one entity at some point in the future but even now they still shared more than what any other two beings could ever share. They weren't just a host and resident soul; they were the Welsh Dragon and that was the only truth.
Sometime after, dining room.
Rias didn't know how to act or how to even approach him but she couldn't ignore his presence. "His name is Issei but dad calls him Ddraig and brother Sirzechs calls him the Welsh Dragon. Is he really the Red Dragon Emperor? But he is so young. I have never heard about a sacred gear wielder activating their gear so young." She lifts her head just in a bid to watch him and she just blushes after meeting his eyes. "Why is he even here? Could he be planning to live here? Is he an ally of our family?"
Rias just continued to create more questions on her head as the mysteries behind the child across from her seemed to increase. But even with all the blushing she still saw the sadness on his face. His light green eyes were so beautiful but she was able to tell that he was dealing with so much pain. She wanted to know why he was so sad but she couldn't cross that line.
There were boundaries and someone like her knew that she couldn't just ask someone their life story unless there was a connection first. He had only appeared at her house just yesterday and they only had one conversation that was quickly shot down by her dad.
"Rias he is Ddraig. You can't approach him like all other children. Please stay away unless he allows you to get close to him. He is someone dangerous." Her dad said to her the night before right before she went to sleep.
Her own mother and even Grayfia told her against the idea of getting too close to him. But like any child, the more they told her against the more she desired getting to know him.
He was the prohibited fruit hanging from the tree of the garden of Eden and she wanted to bite it even if the price was a heavy one.
While Rias continued with her blushing and her imagination, Issei continues to eat the breakfast set before him in silence. The memories of the husks told him everything he needed to know regarding table manners which made it easy for him to don't embarrass himself in front of the rest of the Gremory family.
Rias's parents were surprised by his collected nature but they still fear him a little bit.
"Ddraig, how are you finding the breakfast?" Asked Venelana trying to alleviate the tension.
"Good. Just like yesterday's dinner, I enjoyed the different flavors and spices. I might say that this is one of the best breakfasts I had ever eaten in all of my years. Please give my thanks to the chef and the staff." Ddraig said as he took control which took Rias by surprise.
"What? Why did your voice change?" Rias asked after hearing such a drastic change. His eyes also surprise her.
"Rias please mind your manners dear. Please excuse her." Zeoticus said.
"Don't worry about it. My dear child, I'm Ddraig and the one that you meet yesterday is Issei. We are two different souls sharing one body but one day we are going to fuse into one. I'm sorry if I scared you but I can assure you that he and I are practically the same. Our memories and feelings are shared between the two of us so don't feel afraid because of the change in tone." Ddraig says with a smile.
Rias felt a completed different vibe from him now. While Issei was an interesting child that she wanted to approach, Ddraig felt like an old man that she slightly feared but could approach more easily. His smile was sincere but she couldn't make the fear she felt toward him disappear that easily. "Sir."
"You don't need to use those honorifics with me. Call me Ddraig or just Issei if that is more comfortable for you." Ddraig replied.
"Issei, how old are you?" Rias asks.
Ddraig smiles before letting Issei take over. "Eight years, miss Gremory."
"You don't need to use those with me either," Rias says before she smiles. "Thank you Ddraig." She enjoyed this voice far more than the other one. "Issei are you the Red Dragon Emperor?"
"I could be called that but that title has lost meaning to me and Ddraig. The Welsh Dragon is something that we preferred to use or you can also use our other title, the Two-Headed Red Dragon of Chaos." Issei replies.
"Two-Headed? Seems pretty adequate after hearing your other voice. So, are you a human? Based on what I read those who are called the Red Dragon Emperor are the possessors of the Booster Gear and only humans can inherit it." Rias continues.
"I was at one time but I'm no longer human. There are certain circumstances behind this and my current state but I don't think we should discuss them while having breakfast." His sad smile shows itself once more.
Rias quickly understands that is a touchy subject. "Forgive me if I offended you. I can see that this is not a subject that you wish to discuss. Once again I apologized."
"You didn't offend me. It is a hard subject but you were just curious and I need to get used to it. So, don't apologize. A lady like you is not a fault in this case. Now if you excuse me, I need to get some air." Issei said before getting up and leaving the room.
Rias stays in her chair. "What have I done?"
Her parents quickly respond.
"Is okay dear. His life has been hard and he said you didn't do anything. He just needs time to heal. His wounds are deep and the best we can do is give him some space." Venelana says.
Zeoticus continues after her. "He is a survivor and one day he will overcome that traumatic experience. He is Ddraig, The Welsh Dragon and he knows that he can't cry about it forever. His life is not going to be easy and any weakness can be used against him. Nonetheless, I please ask of you to be careful on how you approach him. One day he may even become an ally to us so do the best that you can to create an amicable relationship with him. He might even become your savior one day so treasure and protect your connection to him."
Rias reflects on her father's words. "I will father. I'll make sure to become his friend and ally. Maybe he can become a part of my peerage?"
"I'll doubt that my dear child. He is far too strong for any evil piece to work on him so I advised you against it. Even if you used all of your pieces, you will never make him part of your peerage. After hearing what he did to the booster gear I can't imagine what effects he might have on the evil pieces if someone was dumb enough to use them on him." Zeoticus says after thinking about it.
Rias stays quiet and thinks about it for a moment. An idea was forming in her mind and it might be the innocent mind of a child not thinking about the consequences but she makes a choice that was going to affect her whole future. "The prohibit fruit is too tempting."
Meanwhile, Sirzechs and Grayfia.
The current leader of the four satans alliance and his wife walked through the halls of their home looking for their guest. The maids on the house had told them about the little event that had transpired during the breakfast and Sirzechs cursed himself for not being there to prevent it from happening.
"I should have prevented Rias from talking to him. That's a subject that nobody should mention in front of him." Sirzechs says as he looks for Issei.
"Master please don't blame yourself. You shouldn't judge the younger miss harshly because of her actions. She is a child after all and curiosity is common in children." Grayfia says.
"I know. I just hope that our child is not as curious as to her." Sirzechs says. This comment causes him to receive a pinch on his face from his queen.
"A master shouldn't discuss private affairs that openly. The walls have ears in this house." Grayfia says.
"Sorry, dear." Calling her dear makes him gain another pinch.
"A master shouldn't openly talk about his feelings for his maid." Grayfia continued.
Sirzechs sights. "Why did I allowed this to become the norm between us? I want to scream that I love you and you're my dearest love no matter the day of the week. Why should I care that you're working at the moment?" His deep personal thoughts gained him another pinch.
"Thinking weird things about your maid is also not allowed." A small smile formed on her face. She was loving it but she wouldn't admit it.
This continues for the whole time in which they were searching for Issei until they found him close to the gardens behind the house.
He was sitting down under a tree with his eyes close.
"Sirzechs, Grayfia, do you have good news for us?" Ddraig asks. His eyes opened and they focus on the married couple.
"We do but first I want to apologize for my sister's questions," Sirzechs says.
"Relax, Issei says is fine. He actually enjoyed the conversation with the girl and I find her interesting for a Gremory. She seems more normal and more approachable than many of the members of your family that I met in the past. She is also far more innocent than what one could expect for a devil. Are they going to name her the heir of your family since you're a satan now?" Ddraig asked. He knew a lot about the underworld and its traditions. Knowing that Sirzechs fought in a civil war and even became a satan was something that he never expected but it was something he approved. He despised the old satans and more than once he had fought some of them.
"That is the most possible result. Unless my parents choose to have another child and ignore my sister. Once it becomes official, she is going to explode in rage." Sirzechs admits.
"Marriage?" Ddraig asks.
"Marriage. Once one becomes the heir of a family, marriage proposals always appeared. I saved myself from my previous arranged marriage thanks to the war." Sirzechs says.
"What happened to your ex?" Ddraig continues.
"She had a catastrophic accident with an ice attack." Grayfia interferes.
A shiver runs through both males after hearing her saying that.
Sirzechs could still hear the cries of his previous soon-to-be-wife. He never thought that he could ever fear a woman until he met Grayfia.
Ddraig decides to change the subject. "So, tell me about what you found out regarding the Hyoudou family."
"I found the location of their tombs and regarding the house the lot is empty. Nobody has bought it since the accident." Sirzechs says.
"Thank- "But before Ddraig was able to say something else Sirzechs interrupted him.
"We also found something else. As you might know, that city is under our control and based on the information, I collected I found out that the fire wasn't normal. There was residual magic found during the investigation two years ago. Black feathers were also found close to the area. That accident wasn't a normal fire." Sirzechs says.
* Dark Souls III by Yuka Kitamura*
Sirzechs and Grayfia felt a shiver run down through their whole body.
"Please move away from us." A combined voice of Issei and Ddraig said. The anger was noticeable in their tone.
The air around the boy began to turn much hotter and the married couple wasted no time to back away from the proximate area to the boy.
The sky turned cloudy, his eye pupils disappeared and only pure green could be seen. A fire vortex formed around them and their full power began to show itself. Crimson flames began to make their way into the sky.
Sirzechs and Grayfia shivered in fear after feeling the might of his power. Both of them had fought many fights before but this was the first time they had ever felt such a presence and power.
Lighting began to fall from the clouds and the shape of the boy began to levitate into the sky. They were angry and distraught after hearing those words.
"It wasn't an accident. Someone did it. Someone tried to kill us. Someone killed them! A fallen angel had the guts to attack our home and destroy our lives!" Their minds were unified and they wanted blood.
The shape of the boy transformed into the shape of the dragon. Its massive size made it possible for everyone to see it from miles away and the denizens of Lilith screamed in fear after seeing it. His power was too much for many to endured and millions of devils began to fall to their knees after feeling its might.
Back on the floor.
Sirzechs couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had heard the legends; he had read the records but none could really compare to what he was seeing.
"This is not the Ddraig of those legends. This is a completely different behemoth. Great Red, Ophis what were you thinking when you gave him a part of your power?" Sirzechs asked as he saw the dragon flapping its wings.
"Sirzechs! What is- "His father was holding his sister as he approached them until he stopped on his tracks after seeing the behemoth.
His mother was as shocked as him.
Rias slowly turned her eyes toward the sky and her heart began to beat even faster. "Issei, is this really you?" She wasn't afraid of what she saw because she notices the sadness in his eyes. Those eyes full of anger also filled with sadness.
Before anyone was able to move a muscle, a certain pale blue girl flew right into the face of the behemoth.
Tiamat, point of view.
She felt how something had gone wrong. Maybe it was due to her connection with him or it was just her instincts but as soon as she saw the cloudy skies, she knew she had to come as fast as she could. Now that she was in front of them, she knew what she needed to do.
"Ddraig? Issei? Tell me what happened? Why are you so sad? Who was the one that hurt you?" She hugged the nose of the dragon.
"Fallen angels, fire, death." Their anger was far too strong to let them talk normally.
"Are you sure about this? Who told you that?" Tiamat asks as she continues to hug her mate.
"Sirzechs." They replied.
"Understood, please wait for a second and don't move. I'm going to be right back." Tiamat descends and approaches the Gremory family. "Sirzechs is it true?"
"Yes. I will never lie especially not to him." Sirzechs says.
"Good, you and Grayfia are coming with me. We have a visit to make." Tiamat says as she cracks her knuckles.
Meanwhile in the main base of Grigori.
For the fallen angels, whose home was a different part of the underworld, feeling the might of Ddraig wasn't a surprise. They had felt his initial entrance into the underworld but this was a whole different situation.
Fallen angels moved back and for within the base trying to figure out what all of this meant and Azazel like it was expected was under heavy stress. Kokabiel and his followers were still missing after a continuous search for them and now he had to deal with a presence that even he fears.
"This can't be normal. There is nothing with such type of presence in all of heaven, underworld, and even earth. Only Great Red or Ophis could have such presence and I'm sure that is not Great Red." Azazel thought until he felt the hands of a little girl.
* Aldritch, Devourer of Gods by Motoi Sakuraba*
"Azazel! What is this? Albion is screaming in anger within my mind." Vali said as she grabbed Azazel's shirt.
"Albion? What does- "And then it clicked for him.
He didn't recognize it at first because it was far too different than before. He knew who the owner of this presence was and he could never forget the insane task that it took to kill him.
"This can't be true. How can this be possible?" Azazel walked towards the closest balcony alongside Vali until he saw him approaching the base alongside Tiamat, Sirzechs, and Grayfia.
His eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing and Vali watched the behemoth in fear as well.
All the other fallen angels stopped what they were doing and just watch the titan that was getting closer to them.
Azazel gulps and spreads his wings before looking at the child next to him. "Vali, no matter what happens just know this, I love you like a daughter so please don't forget me." Azazel then jumps from the balcony and flies into the group head-on.
Vali screams after she sees him fly away. She cared about him too much and after escaping her home and losing her mom Azazel had become her only parental figure.
"Bastard, how did you do it? This shouldn't be possible!" The voice of Vali screamed at her. The diving gear was forced to appear on Vali's arm which surprised the girl. She was having problems summoning the gear and now it had appeared.
Point of view, Tiamat.
Tiamat saw the leader of the fallen angels approaching them by himself. "Stop!"
All the other members of the small group followed her orders even Ddraig himself.
Azazel stopped just a few meters away from them.
"Tiamat, Sirzechs, Grayfia and Ddraig. Can I know why all of you have come to visit our base?" Azazel asks. His tone was serious instead of his cheerful one.
"Two years ago, in Kuoh Town someone attacked a certain human home. A fire destroyed the house and killed two humans inside it." Sirzechs says.
"And what does that had to do with us?" Azazel asks.
"That fire almost killed a certain boy. A boy that was the wielder of specific sacred gear. That boy was the host of the booster gear and we have information that tells us that a fallen angel was the one responsible for the fire." Tiamat says.
Sirzechs produces a folder with the information and gives it to Azazel.
Azazel reads the information and begins to laugh to himself. "Kokabiel you imbecile!" He knew that the information was true. He had seemed the home and he was the one that created the artifact that led to all of this. "Before I say anything, I ask for one thing. Please do not attack the base or its occupants. I will tell you everything but please don't attack my people."
Tiamat and the devils look at each other before she turns her sight towards her mate. "Ddraig can you hold it in. Azazel seems to be open to talking."
The behemoth stays silent for a second before he looks at the floating fortress not too far away from him. A large number of fallen angels were watching the exchange in fear. Ddraig could easily deny the request and open fire but he chooses not to. "Accept."
"Good. Azazel talk now." Tiamat says.
Azazel sights before he starts. "Almost three years ago I rescued a certain girl. She is a mix between devil and human. She is the current host of the dividing gear. Her name is Lunafreya 'Vali' Lucifer and she has been living under my care since then. Like you might expect I know what fate awaits her so I decided to keep her away from her rival for as long as I could. I started to develop an artifact many years ago but with the arrival of Vali, I decided to finish the prototype much quicker than I initially planned. That artifact allowed me to track the ubication of most sacred gears. I used it to track down the booster gear and after finding your home I decided to put the artifact in my private vault. I just needed to know where the next Red Dragon Emperor was and nothing more but someone else seemed to have other plans for that artifact. My second in command was Kokabiel until two years ago. Somehow, he found his way into my vault and I'm sure he was the one who attacked your home. I have been looking for him and his followers since with no results but I can assure you that I didn't order the attack nor did any of the denizens that are inside of the base. I'm done with the war and I would never attack an innocent child because I fear what he could do in the future. I took Vali and she is the host of Albion. I would never hurt her. So please don't attack my people but if you're still angry I'm willing to pay the price." Azazel lowers his head and awaits his judgment.
"Infinity!" A voice is heard from within the jewel in the center of Ddraig's chest. A massive magical circle appears on Ddraig's back with the symbol of infinity in the center. Ddraig roars in anger and begins to charge an attack on both of his mouths. Two massive red spheres of raw power are formed within seconds.
The area begins to shake and multiple rifts in space begin to appear around.
Everyone shivers in fear and Tiamat, Sirzechs, and Grayfia are forced to back away. Azazel is left alone with Ddraig pointing his attack against him.
The screams of Vali are heard from within the base but those around her prevent her from leaving the base.
Azazel doesn't move or tries to escape. He is ready to face the consequences for the sake of his people.
The attack is then fully charged and then Ddraig shoots it.
The area is illuminated by a blinding light for many moments and the massive shock waves caused by the attack are felt throughout the whole underworld and even beyond it.
Everything goes quiet for several moments except for the cries of Vali.
"Azazel!" She screams with all her strength. But then her eyes then opened and see a miracle.
Azazel was still alive right in front of Ddraig.
The fallen angel leader lifts his head and looks at the sky on top of him. A massive rift in space was opened due to the attack and it was slowly closing down. He then looks at the dragon who changes shape and goes back into a child.
"I forgive you but I won't forgive Kokabiel or anyone who follows him. If you ever hide him from me, I will come back for your head and all of Grigori will face my wrath. Do you understand?" Ddraig asks.
"I do. I will offer all of my resources for your vengeance in exchange for a treaty of not aggression with each other. Are you willing to accept this for the sake of putting this behind us?" Azazel quickly asks after understanding what Ddraig wanted. He couldn't save Kokabiel and he wasn't going to try but he needed a way to prevent any possible events likes this from ever happening to him again.
Ddraig stays quiet for a moment while he thinks about what to do. "I accept on the condition that I always have contact with you for any kind of information."
"I can make it work. Give me a second." Azazel flies back into the base.
Tiamat and the others come back.
"That was… how do we call that attack?" Tiamat asks as she checks the damage that the attack caused. After seeing it for a few moments, she closes the distance between her and Ddraig and hugs him. "Are you two ok?"
"We are still angry but we saw that he meant what he said. He didn't move at all and that girl was screaming his name non-stop. He was willing to die for them and he didn't lift his hand against us at all. We can't kill someone like him. Kokabiel is our target and as long as Azazel is willing to support us, we're willing to work with him." Ddraig continues.
Sirzechs and Grayfia didn't say a word. They didn't know what to say after they saw the immense display of power that the Welsh Dragon had shown. Now they really didn't want him as an enemy.
After a few more moments, Azazel comes back with someone else following him closely behind. "Ddraig meet Raynare one of my lab assistants. She is going to follow you wherever you go and is going to serve as my contact with you. Consider her as a maid or attendant."
The group looks closely at the fallen angel. She has a pair of glasses, wears a lab coat, and keeps an angry smile on her face. "My name is Raynare. It would be my pleasure to serve you master Ddraig." One of her veins was about to explode after being forced into this task by her boss.
"You're joking right?" Tiamat asks.
"No, I'm not joking. Raynare is one of my lab's assistants and pretty much a bookworm. She passes most of her time in the lab or in the library so having her follow you would be the best for her, for you, and for me. She knows what she has to due and if you ever feel that she might betray you just kill her." Azazel says with a smile.
"Azazel-sama you son of a whore! What in hell are you saying alcoholic piece of shit? Are you saying that I'm a traitor? After all of the experiments, I had to endure for the sake of your research? I hope Vali uses the divine gear on your balls!" Raynare explodes.
Everyone goes silent after that rant. Her appearance at first made her seemed angelic and decent but that whole rant had destroyed any semblance of innocence that she might have.
"So, she has a bad mouth?" Tiamat asks.
"Yes," Azazel says.
"Explosive temper?" Sirzechs continues.
"Yes again." Azazel continues.
"Does she know how to take care of a house?" Grayfia interferes.
"She might need some training," Azazel admits.
"We take her," Ddraig says.
"What? Are you insane?" Raynare asks but she is quickly knocked out by Grayfia.
A smile appears on her mouth as she grabs the fallen angel on her shoulder.
"Azazel since you also have a treaty of no aggression with Ddraig do you want to form an alliance with the four satans alliance?" Sirzechs approaches the fallen angel.
"I like the idea. I never thought that Ddraig of all beings would be the one that was going to bring us into negotiations. Ddraig are we ok with this?" Azazel asks in a cheerful tone feeling relieved that the tension had disappeared.
"We are at least for now. We'll keep in touch." Issei says after taking control.
"Are you feeling better after we got a maid?" Tiamat asks while hugging him.
"Just a bit. Now I want to go to the human world. I need to visit their tombs." But before they depart, he looks at Azazel one last time. "Tell that kid and her partner to stay away from us. We don't care about our rivalry anymore. Albion can forget about fighting us and just sleep for the rest of eternity." His voice turned back into the mixed one.
Azazel nods. "Got it but we should discuss all of this at some point. Sirzechs I will send you some documents in the next few days. Take care of Raynare."
"We will," Tiamat says as she and the rest of the group begin to depart.
With that, an unexpected alliance began to take shape and a hunt for Kokabiel just got more intense.
Extra: Maid training.
Deep within the house of the Gremory's, Grayfia dragged the unconscious body of her new student into a cell. She loved being a maid for her husband and the rest of her family but what she loved the most was teaching new maids how to become the perfect maid.
"My dear Raynare. I'm going to make sure you served him well just like I do with my dear husband. I will make you into a perfect weapon of home care. Just you wait." Grayfia said before she began to laugh diabolically.
Raynare was going to curse Azazel even more after the training began.
*Author's notes: This is real and not just a joke. Also, this is the Raynare of the story. Please tell me you like her! I need approval. *