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

Space, a place where nobody can hear you scream, or at least that's the reality for humans and mortals but when it comes to gods and powerful beings, the phrase loses all meaning because science can't explain everything.

In an area far away from earth and the milky way, two beings continued to clash against each other.

"Come on Welsh Dragon. Is that everything you have?" Shiva was smiling from ear to ear. Around them, many planets and stars that have been created long ago have been practically destroyed after receiving the attacks of the child in front of him. "He has the potential. He doesn't need oxygen like other creatures and gravity is not affecting him but we need to take it beyond this. Destroying a star, a planet, none of that matter when it comes to those calamities. We need to push you even further. Don't worry Welsh Dragon, I will push you more and more for as long as is needed. Until you become the monster of my visions."

Before Shiva can continue to think about the future, his opponent cuts the distance between them once again before delivering a roundhouse kick to the face of Shiva.

The attack connects and sends Shiva into the remains of one of the remaining stars around them. The god bleeds but his smile doesn't disappear. "Good, keep it going, child. I'm not satisfied yet." The god disappears within the flaming body of the star.

Many opponents would have died after entering in contact with a star but Issei knew that Shiva wasn't that type of opponent. This was a fight in which both were at a similar level and not holding any punches back except for one.

"Remember, you can't use those crimson flames. Show me how strong you have gotten since the war. Show me the new Welsh Dragon." The voice of Shiva was invading his mind once more.

There was no place where to hide or escape from him and Issei knew that. Shiva wasn't going to stop the fight any time soon until he felt satisfied with what he saw.

"Danmit." Issei was bleeding profusely from almost all parts of his body. His armor was broken in several parts and the pain he was feeling at the moment was beyond words. "I need to finish this. I can't keep going like this. These injuries are getting more serious with each attack."

"Then stop holding back. Show me more. Use all of that power. Make sure that every other god and supernatural being out there feels this fight." The star is cut in half before it collapses within itself in a massive explosion. From within the flames, a small body comes out looking fine except for the several punches and kicks that he had received before. "Come on don't keep me waiting."

Issei roars and releases even more power. His green eyes shine brighter than before and his red draconic energy starts to engulf his body. His wings spread out and he flies straight ahead with an astronomical speed. "Shiva!"

"Yes. That's more like it. Let's continue." Shiva smiles once more before releasing more of his own power. A massive blue halo appears on his back and then Shiva charges head-on towards Issei.

The two opponents clash once more and as a result, massive energy waves spread out into the void of the universe. It was a fantastic fight, to say the least, but to understand how we got here we need to go back 16 hours into the past. At the moment in which the god and the dragon met.

16 hours ago, earth.

Tiamat and Asia were frozen in place after seeing the shape of the god of destruction. Shiva's appearance was similar to that of a middle schooler but the aura surrounding him said otherwise.

Issei was on high alert. "Why is he here? I knew that at least one of the gods was going to show its face but I didn't expect him. I need to keep everyone safe."

Shiva smiles after reading Issei's mind. The god then disappears and reappears right in front of Issei. "Hello Welsh Dragon."

Tiamat clenches her fangs after seeing how Shiva just broke through the barrier around the house with ease. "I should have expected that." Tiamat looks at the egg in her arms and puts it away in less than a second before grabbing Asia. "Be ready. We are running away as soon as things go south." Her voice was low and calm. She knew that she needed to keep a calm mind during all of this.

Asia slowly nods. Her whole body was shaking in fear after noticing the aura of both gods. No words were needed to describe the fear that she felt right at that second.

Tiamat then creates a small communication circle and sends a single message to alert the rest of the inhabitants of the house. "Leave the house now. Regroup in the underworld."

While Tiamat was acting to protect the rest of the members of the group, Issei was frozen in place. "That speed. That aura. Can I defeat him?" He looks at the boy that is right in front of him. His instincts were screaming at him to throw the first punch and he would have done it if he was the same dragon as before but now it was different. "Shiva, I didn't remember sending you an invitation to our house." Ddraig takes over after deeming his voice as more adequate to talk to the god of destruction.

Shiva continues to smile before he takes two steps back. "I know and I apologize for that. I also apologize for breaking your barrier. I just needed to make sure that you didn't run away as soon as you saw me." Shiva bows and then looks at Tiamat. "You don't need to worry, Tiamat. I only came for him but give me just a second."

Shiva disappears once more.

Ganesha begins to descend after seeing the actions of his father. The god keeps a decent distance away from Ddraig and the rest instead of doing the same action as his father. "Y Ddraig Goch, we apologize for scaring you. We didn't come here to attack you or your group."

"I don't think I can believe any of those words. Your father just broke through the barrier around our house." Ddraig says.

Shiva reapers but this time he is holding three unconscious girls in his arms. Raynare, Kuroka, and Rael were captured by him before any of them could ever make it to the underworld.

"And now he just knocked the rest of my group out. I don't really think we can talk after this." Ddraig tries to move but Shiva throws the unconscious bodies of the girls towards him. "Damn you." The dragon catches the three girls with his arms. "Is this how you try to be friendly?"

Shiva shakes his head. "I knocked them out to prevent an escalation of the situation. If they had reached their destination, we don't know what could have happened. You can check all of them and see that they aren't injured." Shiva then sits down on the floor. "Go ahead. I won't move an inch from this spot."

Ddraig doubts for a second but the state of the girls is more important at the moment. He puts the girls on the bench and starts to check each of them out. Tiamat and Asia slowly approach him while keeping an eye on the pair of gods.

A small magic circle appears right next to his face while he is doing that.

"What just happened?" Michael asks.

"Shiva just showed up with Ganesha." Ddraig replies.

"I know but why? We are watching and we are preparing the troops of heaven as we speak but it doesn't make sense for him to be here. I also called the rest of the alliance. What's the state of Gabriel?" Michael sounds calm but in reality, he was very nervous.

"Give me a second and tell the others not to move a finger until I say so. This is Shiva, the god of destruction. I prefer to face him alone and leave his son to the rest of you." Ddraig continues to check the girls until he finds nothing bad with them. "The girls including Gabriel look fine but they are unconscious. Keep the troops ready and wait for my signal. Don't attack until I say so."

Gabriel sighs. "Understood. Let's pray that this doesn't become a full-on war."

"That is my hope." Ddraig turns toward Tiamat and Asia. "I'll leave them to you. Michael and the others are watching so be ready."

Asia nods while Tiamat tries to keep a calm expression.

"Be careful," Tiamat says. Her hands were shaking a little bit after remembering what happened the last time Ddraig fought a god. The memories of his first death were still fresh on her mind.

Ddraig smiles. "Everything is going to be fine." The dragon stands up and starts to walk towards Shiva. "What do you two want with me? I don't remember attacking the Hindu pantheon since I escape from the booster gear. I have no problems with you."

"My, my, you really have changed. I expected a punch or two by now but look at you trying to talk your way out of this one. Are you afraid of me? Or you don't have the balls to fight back?" Shiva says with a silly smile.

Shiva's words just keep increasing the anger of the Welsh Dragon. "What do you want? Answer or I promise that I will make you wish you have never come to this place." His power begins to be released. Several flaming soldiers start to appear around Issei.

Before everything goes to hell Ganesha moves and stands in the middle of the two beings. "Ddraig, please forgive my father. He is just testing you. We have come under the orders of Great Red. He has formed a small alliance with father." Ganesha decides to prevent a full-on fight by spilling the beans. He knew that this act was a way for his father to push the Welsh Dragon to a fight.

"Ganesha you weren't supposed to tell him yet." Shiva stands up. "He was about to go all out."

"Father you're supposed to help him train. Antagonizing him and starting a war is not the way to go." Ganesha turns towards Issei. "Once more, I apologize. This is just father's way of getting someone to fight him."

Issei doesn't move or say anything. His mind was trying to keep the anger he was feeling under wraps while also paying attention to the words of Ganesha.

"Ddraig, tell me that this is not true. Great Red and Shiva forming an alliance can't be real." Michael was starting to lose his calmness at this point.

"Old man, what in hell are you doing now?" The flaming soldiers start to disappear one by one. Issei keeps his eyes focus on Shiva and Ganesha. "You two came here just to motivated me to fight? Me training with the god of destruction? This has to be the stupiest joke I have ever heard."

"Oh, his voice keeps changing. To answer your question, basically yes. I came here to test your current limits." Shiva replies.

"Why? And why do you and Great Red have an alliance?" Issei asks.

Shiva approaches him. "Because you appeared in my visions. Visions of the future, a future in which Trihexa is released."

Everyone goes silent after hearing that.

"That's impossible. Father made sure that the beast never comes back." Michael reacts after hearing Shiva's words.

Shiva smiles. He gets closer to the magic circle after hearing the voice of Michael. "Yes, he sealed Trihexa away from the hands of anyone and it's practically impossible at the moment but at some point, the beast of the apocalypse will come back. Nobody can't stop that from happening."

Michael grows quiet. His mind couldn't forget the beast nor the power that it held.

"But don't worry, our savior is right here." Shiva puts his hand on Issei's shoulder. "My visions showed me a monster that was capable of facing Trihexa and that monster is you. We just need to make sure that you become that monster."

Issei moves Shiva's hand away. "First, we're not allies so stop getting close to me. Second, I don't believe you."

Shiva stops smiling and takes two steps back. "I understand. I won't invade your personal space anymore but you should pay attention to what I'm saying Welsh Dragon. I can tell that you have a lot of potential that is lying untouched deep inside you. Great Red saw that and I can also see that you're no longer that same dragon that I meet before but as you are right now, you won't be able to protect anything. Trihexa will come back and even if we sealed him again, other things would come after that beast. Things that can destroy everything you love and care about."

Issei turns around and looks at Tiamat. She was part of his life and become one of the people filling the void that he still had. Losing her wasn't something that he as the Welsh Dragon wanted. There was also the rest of his group and the idea of losing any of them was something he wouldn't allow. His sight returns to Shiva. "Let's say that I believe your visions. Do you know who or how Trihexa is released?"

"My dear Welsh Dragon, there are many ways in which Trihexa can come back into our world. Ophis, the Sephiroth Graal, ancient rituals such as the one that the bible god used to seal it away, sacrificing millions of souls or just sacrificing a few strong gods here and there for a specific ritual can be enough to bring the beast back. There are beings that are hiding from us as we speak who are capable of achieving that goal. You can try to hunt them down but they will find a way to achieve the goal of releasing the beast. You can't stop them but you can create obstacles for them if you do what's necessary. The 13 Longinus well now 12; your alliance should be capable of finding most of the users and adding them to your forces. Those sacred gear users can become allies or become enemies that will help those that are going to release Trihexa. Get as many of the Longinus users and don't forget about other sacred gears as well. All of you are going to need all the help you can find for the wars that are coming. Your other problem is Ophis; that dragon is crucial to Trihexa's freedom due to the possible uses her power has. Her power is endless and if someone gets their hands on it we're going to have serious problems. I don't think I need to say it but keeping her away from the hands of your enemies is important. Don't let her be dragged into the enemy's hands." Shiva says.

"Wait, you want me to track Ophis down? And you also want me to force her to come with me?" Issei asks.

"Not forcing her, convince her. Guide that child to a different path. She can't be killed nor control but she can be easily influenced by those that want to use her. Some of her power is already inside of you. She has an interest in you already so tracking her down shouldn't be impossible. Call it fate or destiny but she is your problem and nobody else can do it except for you who's has a connection to her." Shiva snaps his fingers and an image of Ophis appears in his hand. "She has endless power. That power can be used for good but it can also be used for evil. It's up to you if she becomes a tool for good or evil. The child is your responsibility and I know why I'm saying this. My visions are almost always right."

Issei grows pale after hearing this. "This has to be a joke. Why me? Why can't I get some rest?" He just wanted some peace and quiet but now he was being asked to take care of Ophis as well. Luck wasn't on his side at all.

Michael who was hearing all of this decides to interfere in the conversation. "Welsh Dragon, go and train with Shiva."

"What?" Issei asks.

"If what he says is true, we're going to need you. You are strong but I doubt that you can defeat Trihexa right now. I'm going to discuss all of this with the rest of the alliance. We have four Longinus users in the alliance. One in the church and three Longinus users in Grigori. That leaves 8 users. We need to investigate each one and start recruiting them now if it is possible. Shiva, how long do we have before Trihexa is released from its prison?"

"If my visions are correct, the earliest possible time is in 9 years. If you can recruit the wielder of the Sephiroth Graal before anyone can get their hands on it, I say that 10 years would be the latest date. My recommendations are the following: Don't focus on the seals around Trihexa, focus on becoming a strong force and prevent certain sacred gears from being grabbed by the enemy." Shiva explains.

"I understand but I have one more question. Can we know the names of those capable of releasing Trihexa?" Michael asks. This was crucial to him and the alliance.

"You're asking more than what you should but I will give you three names because you seem to believe my words. Rizevim Livan Lucifer, Loki, and Mitsuya Kanzaki; These three can achieve that goal if they get the things that they need. That is all I'm going to say about Trihexa. I'm going to send Ganesha as my representative to the underworld. He knows everything so ask him any question you have." Shiva then focuses on Issei. "Now, it's time for you and me to exchange a few blows."

"Welsh Dragon, we need you at your best. Shiva is the strongest god at the moment. He has a lot of experience and he has face Trihexa before. We have 9 years to get you ready. Please accept this and push yourself to become much stronger. We'll talk later." Michael ends the call before Issei gets the chance to talk.

"Why can't I get a break? Is it too much to ask for a little bit of peace and calm?" Issei looks at the sky. "Michael, you better watch your back. I will get my revenge one of these days." Issei turns around. "Tia, Asia, it seems I have no way out. I promise to come back as soon as I can."

"I know. I'm going to be here until you come back." Tiamat accepts the fact that she can't stop him. "The old man wouldn't form an alliance with Shiva if he didn't have a reason. I going to wait patiently for your return."

"Take care, Issei. I'm going to be ready to cure you once you come back." Asia knew that she couldn't interfere in affairs such as these ones. She could only pray for his safety.

Issei smiles and focuses on Shiva. "No way out them."

"Can I take that as a confirmation?" Shiva asks.

Issei sighs. "Yes, Shiva. I'm going to train with you. I owe that debt to Great Red and if fighting you is the only way of becoming stronger then I accept although I really hate this idea."

"Oh, don't worry you're going to hate it even more once it begins." Shiva smiles creepily. "And the vision became a reality. Let's see how many more visions become reality and how many changes as we move on."

Back to the present, the city of Lilith.

"16 hours! It has been 16 hours and they haven't come back. What type of training is Shiva giving to him? That's too much time." Serafall says.

"Serafall-san, just trust my father. He is making sure that Ddraig pushes himself beyond his current limits. A dragon such as himself needs a strong opponent to grow stronger. My father won't kill him, but he will be exhausted after this first day is done. After that my father will come at least two times each month to test him once more." Ganesha explains.

"And he has to continue with this for 9 years?" Serafall wasn't really happy about it, to say the least.

"Is for the sake of the world and the rest of the realms. None of us can defeat Trihexa and if what Shiva says is true others will come after him. We need to get ready." Sirzechs was calm but he couldn't deny that all of these revelations were affecting him a lot. "We just won a war and now we have to worry about Trihexa. Give us a break for the love of Lilith."

"We should focus on finding those remaining Longinus users before anything else. Vali, Tobio Ikuse, and Lavinia Reni are the three Longinus users within Grigori." Azazel says.

"The church has Dulio Gesualdo as is only Longinus user." Michael then creates a list of the remaining Longinus users for everyone to see. "The True Longinus and its user Cao Cao were missing but thanks to Ganesha's information we learned that he is under the protection of Indra."

"Lord Indra is not going to support this alliance especially since father is helping all of you. Don't expect to get your hands in that Longinus. He is going to be mad after he learns about this." Ganesha admits.

"Great we already lost one," Uriel says with an angry tone.

"Relax, there are 7 left. Michael, please continue." Falbium looks more awake than usual and everyone is taken a little back because of it but the reunion continues.

"The next Longinus is the Annihilation Maker and its user is a two-year-old child called Leonardo Aelius. This child is currently living in Argentina with its parents." Michael shows a photo of the young child.

"He is still young. Too young to be even recruited. I can send a few of my agents to his city just to keep an eye on him until the time is right or something happens." Azazel says.

"We're going to keep an eye on him as well. More eyes mean more security." Raphael looks at Azazel and the fallen angel nods in agreement.

"Good, next one is Dimension Lost. Its wielder is Georg Faust. He is around 10 years at the moment and his current ubication is unknown. He is a magician and the last place he was seen was in an area under the influence of Grauzauberer." Michael shows a photo of Georg.

"Grauzauberer, Mephisto Pheles may be our only way of trying to recruit that child. Leave it to me." Ajuka offers himself up as the one to take care of this one.

"The next one is troublesome, to say the least. We all know what happened with the booster gear right?" Michael looks around.

Everyone slowly nods.

"Well, Regulus Nemea is running around on his own without a user," Michael explains.

"What?" Most of the room reacts in the same way.

"Let's us explain. The previous user was killed by a group of his enemies. This event led to the Nemean lion inside of the sacred gear to go berserk. It materialized, took revenge for its previous user, and now it's running free. It's staying away from humans and we have been unable to seal the lion away for at least 5 years." Raphael explains.

"So, for 5 years a wild Longinus has been going around without any of us knowing?" Azazel asks his former brothers.

"We keep it hidden by blocking the area. It hunts animals when hungry, eats, and falls asleep. We keep surveillance over it all of the time." Uriel shows a map and then he specifies the area of containment. "This small area is its home and it has been that way for 5 years. Not unnecessary kills nor problems."

"Still is a lion on the loose. We need a way of getting a user for it. This is the Nemean lion and I doubt that it can be reason with." Azazel argues.

"A lion…. The house of Vapula is known for being lion tamers. My little cousin Sairaorg is a descendant of the house. I may have a solution for this one but for now, let's leave the lion on hold. Let's move to the next one." Sirzechs said to move on but his mind kept thinking about the possibility of Sairaorg ever taming the lion.

"Alright, Sephiroth Graal, this one is very important. Shiva specified this one above the rest. Its current location is Romania and its user is called Valerie Tepes. She is a Dhampir." Michael looks around the room.

"No, them. Why did it have to be them? Why vampires?" Serafall looks annoyed.

"Our luck is no going well today. Has she used the sacred gear?" Ajuka asks.

"No to our knowledge. We understand why Serafall seems displeased with the fact that the user is part of a vampire clan. I doubt they will ever allow us to reach the girl." Raphael looks at the devils. "We don't have the best relationship with them either."

"Most of them are too seclusive, many are prideful beings that don't connect with other races, and they also hunt humans without a care in the world. They don't need to hunt; they can get blood other ways but they choose to kill for the sake of the hunt. I can't understand them." Serafall admits.

"Well, we don't have many options when it comes to this one. If what we know is true, that child is living the worst life possible. Dhampirs are not treated the best within their societies. Pureblood is one of the main issues within their clans base on what I know." Azazel looks at his peers and proposes an idea. "We should steal her."

"Steal a child from a vampire clan? Are you joking?" Falbium asks.

"No. I'm being serious. We send a small group and we take the child with us. We need to protect that sacred gear at all costs and I won't show any sympathy to a society of bloodsuckers who mistreat their children for not being pureblood." For Azazel, this hit close to home more than anything else.

The others understood his position regarding this one. A mistreated child was never something appreciated by any of them.

"Before we decide anything else I would also like to add an extra fact. There's not only a Longinus inside that same place, but there's also Forbidden Balor View and its user Gasper Vladi. Is quite the unique Sacred gear and is a good choice to save both children if we decided to go with the route proposed by Azazel." Michael says before showing some information regarding the sacred gear.

"Time manipulation? Well, look at that. So, two sacred gears users in one operation. Who's with me?" Azazel looks at the others.

"I approved of the mission but I want you to wait. We should do something like this in a way they can't track us down. We don't want problems with the vampires at least for now. Begin preparations but let's think about who should take part in the mission." Sirzechs begins to think but sees that everyone has their eyes focus on him except for Ganesha. "What?"

"Welsh Dragon," Ajuka says.

"What?" Sirzechs says once more.

"We can ask him to take care of that mission." Uriel joins in.

"Wait, you want him to take another mission. He is fighting Shiva at the moment." Sirzechs argues.

"Not now, Sirzechs. When he is back, we can discuss it with him. The boy has been effective until now and if we give him the resources and the team, he can pull it off or I can send Tobio to do it instead." Azazel offers the two options at their reach.

Massive dragon group or black ops team.

"Dragon. They won't argue back if they realize is the Welsh Dragon. We need to protect the Graal so he will understand once we explain it to him and we don't want to put Tobio in danger. Vampires have a way of getting inside the mind of humans pretty easily." Serafall says.

"Good point. So, Welsh dragon it is. We can discuss the mission once he is back. Then let move on to the next one. Incinerate Anthem is completely different to the rest of sacred gears." Michael presents an image. "This is the cross in which Jesus was crucified and due to being bathed in its blood, it has gained a will of its own. Since the beginning, it has been acting on its own. It chooses its users by itself and we can't control it. It's always moving and we can't tell where it can go next."

"So, a flying cross has been moving around since immemorial times. If I remember well, the previous wielder fought against Tobio and after losing the fight he told us that he saw a weird object leaving her unconscious body. Her name was- "Azazel is interrupted by Raphael.

"Walburga, the cruel witch. We know about her. We're still figuring out why she was chosen as its wielder." Raphael explains.

"So, the cross is a possible one. We just need to keep our eyes open just in case a new user is chosen. Let's continue." Ganesha says.

"Right. Before I begin to talk about these last two, let's talk about a certain human. As you know, Shiva named three possible responsible behind Trihexa's release. One of those three is a human. His name is Mitsuya Kanzaki." Michael presents a photo of the guy. A Japanese man in his late twenties although he could appear much younger. Dark brown hair and a pair of dark glasses that cover his eyes.

"That guy again. I can't believe he is still alive after all the things he has done." Azazel seems furious regarding the man in the photo.

"Wait you know this guy Azazel?" Serafall asks.

"Yes. He is an anarchist. Someone that lives and dies for spreading chaos and despair. He cares for nothing than to see the world burn. He is also called 'the one that tries to impersonate a god.' He was also involved in a tragedy that took place in Tokyo at least 12 years ago." Azazel looks at Michael. "You know more about this don't you?"

"I do. 12 years ago, a sacrificial ritual was taking place in Tokyo. Many were involved in the ritual and many died due to it. Mitsuya was the wielder Innovate clear at that time and got involved in the ritual by mistake. The ritual was called the Parade of the Undead God. Based on the reports of church agents at the scene the purpose of the ritual was to make a single human into a god through the use of human sacrifices. People were driven mad as the ritual continue. Their minds were corrupted by the influence of the ritual leading to many innocents losing their lives including many of the participants. The church sent agents to stop the ritual and they did stop it although many agents died in the process. Mitsuya and another girl were the only participants that were alive by the end of the ritual but the girl died in a hospital only 7 hours later after having a heart attack." Michael shows a few images of the ritual.

Many unknown symbols were drawn around Tokyo and victims were found all around the city by the police.

"Our agents stopped the ritual but they couldn't repair the damage done to Mitsuya's mind. Since that event, he disappeared from the radar and his face only reappeared within other tragedies made by human hands. He not only has one Longinus, but he also has two of them. Telos Karma is the second sacred gear in his hands." Raphael admits.

"Two? How is even that possible?" Ajuka looks at the seraphs for answers.

"We try to figure that out. How can one human steal a sacred gear from another person? We have researched many places. We have looked into many people's life but found nothing. Is a mystery that only Mitsuya can end and we doubt that he will ever answer our questions." Uriel looks at the photo of Mitsuya with visible disgust.

"So, we have a human that wields two sacred gears, that is known for being an element of despair and chaos, and a possible responsible behind the release of Trihexa. I got to say that the choice is obvious when it comes to him. We need to eliminate him before he becomes a problem." Sirzechs looks at his allies. "We can't allow him to become the catalyst behind the apocalypse."

"That's easier say than done, Sirzechs. The guy has evaded death too many times. Tobio tried to kill him at least 7 times and he came out alive each time. He is a pain that doesn't go away. He knows how to evade opponents that are much stronger than him as well. He is unkillable under normal circumstances." Azazel admits it with visible regret.

"Nothing is unkillable except for Ophis and Great Red. If Tobio failed to kill him I doubt that he could survive an encounter with Issei." Serafall sounds confident.

"And what makes you so confident that he can achieve it?" Ganesha asks.

"I have seen what he can do. Those flames are enough to kill a god and even if they fought hand to hand the advantage will be with Issei. Strength, reflexes, speed, precision, he has all of that and he is just getting stronger." Serafall says with a smile.

But she wasn't far from the truth because as soon as she says that a massive roar was heard across the realms. Then everyone begins to feel a shiver running down their spines.

"Could that had been him?" Ganesha asks.

"That I not so sure about," Michael says. "His roar is nothing like that."

Back on the battlefield, a few moments before.

"Well, this is unexpected." Shiva watched as a small feminine figure appeared in front of the two of them. "Well, Ddraig, I don't think we can continue now."

Issei couldn't say a word. He was too tired and injure to even react to her presence. "Ophis."

The small lolita had appeared right in the middle of the match. Her eyes were sharped and although she had a smile on her face nobody could really know if she was truly happy or just faking a smile.

Ophis looks at the two males before she focuses on Shiva. "Leave now."

"I'm sorry Ophis but- "Shiva was interrupted by Ophis.

Ophis started to release all of her power. Her appearance by surrounded by pure darkness and the small figure started to change into a long draconic figure. "Leave now!" She roars with all of her might.

Shiva struggles to stand up. "Well kid, I think it's time for me to go. I'll see you at another time. You're doing good." Shiva disappears in an instant before things take a turn for the worse.

Issei then is left alone with the behemoth that stood in the second place of the scale of power. "This is going to get worse for me, isn't it?" He could easily escape by jumping into the dimensional rift but he needed to meet her. She was an important element for the future and if she was left alone nobody knew what could happen.

The massive dragon turns around and starts to shrink in size until she is back to her small form. She starts to get closer to him.

Issei doesn't know what she is going to do but decides to remain calm.

Ophis stops right in front of him. She stretches her hand and starts to touch his chest. "I have been watching you. Seeing what you're doing with the power I gave to you." She stops and looks straight into his eyes. "You have grown a lot Ddraig but is not enough. Not yet. These injuries shouldn't exist in your body. I want you to become much stronger. I need you to be strong enough to kill him. I don't need anything else except for you to make my dream a reality. I wish to return home so kill him for me. Kill Great Red."

Her words were firm and cold. Her face showed a mixture of sadness and anger. The face of a being that lacked a moral compass and a guiding hand. A being that felt disconnected from the rest. A being with no place to which she could call home.

Issei looks at her for a few moments before he transforms back into his human form. He lacked the energy but he pushed himself to start a conversation with her. He grabs her hand and begins to talk to her. "Why do you want to go back into the void? Do you want to be alone?" His voice is weak but still understandable.

She is taken by surprise. She wasn't expecting any questions nor was she expecting the physical contact. "… Because I don't like this me…. I don't want these sensations…. These feelings. I need to be blank and devoid of feelings once more. I need to be alone and in silence." Ophis answers.

"Why don't you want those feelings?"

"Because… I don't like it…. I don't want to be like them…. They make me feel sad…. They make me angry… They attacked me… I don't need them…. I hate them…. I hate all of them… I hate myself for doing what they do to others…. To me."

Issei wasn't an expert, nor did he have all the answers, but he connected the dots one by one. "Those people are the gods?"

Ophis continues to look at him. She feels anxious about answering so she just slowly nods.

"Are those people humans?"

She nods again.

"Am I one of those people?"

She doesn't answer. She just looks at him. She didn't know what she feels regarding him.

"Is ok if you can't answer. Can you answer a few other things for me Ophis? You don't need to answer if you don't want to."

The girl continues to focus on him.

"Are you always close to where I am at all times?"

"…. Yes…"

He was surprised, to say the least. If she was telling the truth then it meant that since he came out of the egg she has been close by and watching his every movement. "Do you ever sleep?"

"….. No, that much…."

"Do you eat?"

"… Sometimes…."

"Do you want to be in a place where you can rest and eat?"

Ophis doesn't answer and starts to pull away.

"Is okay. Remember you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Ophis stops.

"Two more questions and then I will tell you something. Do you talk to other beings?"

"No. A devil once asked me to help him with his organization but I said no. His goal was dubious and his words seemed fake to me."

Issei finds this fact curious and decides to keep it in mind for later. "If I ever call you name in the future, would you come to me?"

"…. Yes…."

*30 seconds to mars- Alibi*

"Thank you for answering my questions. I know I'm not that strong yet but one day I will get you home. To the place where you belong, to a place where you can be happy. So please give me time and work with me. Ok?"

Ophis grows silent for a second after hearing that. Then a few tears begin to roll down her eyes. "Eh? What are these? Why do I feel this way?"

Issei puts his arms around her. "Is ok. You can cry. I'm here for you. If you feel angry. If you feel sad. If you feel hungry or sleepy, you can always come to me. You can bite me, hit me, or anything else if you feel betrayed by me but remember this, I will make your wish a reality. I will get you home so just give me time."

Ophis tries to stop the tears but her emotions betrayed her. "Why? Why is this happening? Why do I want to cry?"

Issei keeps hugging her. "I know what you feel. I understand why you want to return to the void. I can't kill Great Red but I will get you home. It's going to take time but I'm going to make it happen. Even if means getting hurt by you."

*Notes of the author: And that's it. I chose to leave Ophis as a wanderer of the world instead of a major element of the Khaos Brigade. She is still Ophis but a different version of herself, capable of being cruel and all-powerful but also lacking an understanding of common knowledge. Regarding the fight between Issei and Shiva, it was pretty much a battle to test his current limits. I said before Shiva is boosted beyond limits and because of that, I set him up as a character that needs to be surpassed before he tries to fight other strong opponents. See you next time.*