Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD and Fate and do not gain profit from this writing.
Chapter 4
"Greetings, oh King who I have never served, and oh Red Dragon Emperor. Mortals know me by the name of Merlin, and I am sure that both of you have already known who I am."
The hooded figure bowed to them when their raft stopped at the shore. The thick mist had dispersed a little, but it was still difficult to see anything inland but endless waves of green.
"However, if you wish to remain here then your feet must not touch the grass, for your presence rouses the slumbering King who has yet to be called by the World to fulfill his duty."
'What?'
[He means that our presence here will awake King Arthur sooner than it should be, which will have unforeseen consequences.]
Issei internally nodded while Lancer silently scanned the hooded man who seemed to be in his 30s. Even when his long white hair was covered Issei could see how fluffy it was, and in those purple eyes was the devil of mischief.
"I go by the name Lancer now, and this one is Issei Hyodo." Lancer introduced.
"Fufu, you look even more wonderful in person I must say. Never could I imagine that among the parallel worlds there would be a female Arthur Pendragon!" He giggled like a child just entered his favorite candy store. "I really should have learned that one skill when offered. How joyous it must be to traverse the infinite worlds!"
"... I know you are not the mage in my court, and this is not the Avalon where I lay my eternal rest. However that doesn't mean I cannot see through your tricks."
Merlin only returned Lancer's remark with a smile, and with a tap of his staff the coast expanded, creating an extra patch of land from him to their raft.
"I see…" Issei stepped on the sandy bank which previously was roughly a meter long from the grass to the water. "So we are not allowed to walk deep into Avalon."
"Yes, I'm afraid this shore shall be your home during your stay here." Merlin walked toward them. "But worry not, for I will attend to your needs."
"Thank you." Said Lancer who was carrying the bins off the raft. "I assume that we will have to give up this raft for a house?"
"That would be correct." Merlin waved his staff.
The raft then glowed and disappeared, from where it was a tree rapidly rose up from underwater. The trunk expanded into a gigantic cube with a door shaped hole and two similar windows. The branches covered the top like a roof with their green leaves.
"An overwater treehouse? It looks just like one of those tropical luxury bungalows!" Issei exclaimed.
"Why yes thank you! You humans are geniuses when it comes to wasting money on R&R that I have to learn from you! Never have a chance to make one of these though, since you are the only visitors in the last 2 centuries." Merlin proudly stroked his goatee.
"Eh… thank you."
However before Issei could check out their new home Lancer stopped him.
"This one is not big enough for us to live in." She pointed at his dragonic body.
"You don't take your ride into your house, right? He can sleep outside on the beach."
The air instantly became filled with heaviness. Lancer said nothing, but her glare was burning into the smug Merlin. She quickly stepped to the treehouse, and with one arm ripped it off the ground to throw at Merlin. However the hooded mage made no attempt to evade or stop it, only when the house passed through him and crashed into the land that Issei realized the Merlin standing there was but a hologram.
"Fufu, still reacting to obstacles with brute force? You are more similar to the King I serve than I thought."
Lancer's left eye twitched for half a second, she then began to run toward Merlin.
"Wait! Wait! I'm sorry! The amount of work I would need to do to make him sleep again will kill me!" Merlin raised both of his hands just before Lancer stepped on the green grass. Issei could detect that there was some sort of barrier, but it seems to be useless in the face of Lancer.
"It's good that you know your place. Now stop fooling around and make another house."
Merlin let out a short sigh before tapping his staff again. This time two gigantic slabs of rock rose from the sandy bank, sharing the same door and window features that the previous treehouse had. On the rooftop a layer of thinly green moss was laid out, which was perfect for a sunbathing spot. However Issei doubted they could do that given how the sunray could barely shine through the misty gray sky.
"Those are much better. Thank you."
Lancer and Issei carried their wooden bins into their respective houses.
"Hm… 1LDK? No… There's no kitchen."
The inside was much larger than he thought. Even though the furniture were made of stone and wood they looked homely. Issei put down the 2 bins in the middle of the living room to explore the whole house. He pressed the buttons on the wall next to the main door, and saw that the light turned on and off on the multiple holes of the ceiling. There was a vent for the air conditioner too, or whatever magical cooling machine it is.
There was a huge bathroom for him with a body of water floating on the ceiling. When he touched it the water began to pour on him like a shower disperser, and it stopped when he touched it again. The water seemed to replenish by itself so he didn't need to ask Merlin to refill it. Issei saw no shampoo or soap, but he didn't really need them. Having a private bathroom is already a wonderful thing. He noticed that there was no towel either, but the wind seemed to dry his body automatically when he stepped out of the bathroom.
His bedroom had no bed, but there was a large mat and a similarly large blanket.
"Wow…"
It was incredibly comfortable when Issei tried them. He couldn't tell how much better they were compared to the last few months sleeping in the wilderness. Regrettably Issei couldn't go ahead and enjoy his nap, because there was a smell of food that lured him to the outside.
A huge pot was put on a bonfire, which was being stirred by Merlin. Lancer had also changed into a new set of clothes. When Issei came to look he could see that it was beef stew, with carrots and potatoes. There were multiple loaves of bread on the tray too, along with bowls and dishes.
"Thank you, Merlin!" Issei expressed his gratitude when he received his share of food in a bowl. It smelt heavenly to his empty stomach.
"You are welcome! You two must be bored to death by grilled meat now so for dinner we will have stew."
Issei put his mouth into the bowl on the ground to lick and suck the rich soup. He used his teeth to pick up and chew the tender meat happily.
"Stop, Issei!" Lancer used her hand to lift his chin up. "You should use a fork and a spoon to eat."
"Oh." He didn't notice that there were utensils. "Sorry, I got used to eating with just my fingers and jaws."
Although he could use the fork and the spoon like back when he was a human Issei noticed that his eating speed had slowed down, which couldn't be helped since he had been eating with just his hands for months in the wild.
For drink Merlin gave them two large jugs of mead, which Issei was certain that he wouldn't be allowed to drink due to his age. However neither Merlin nor Lancer stopped him so he drank it all down. It was a little sweet, and perhaps similar to beer. Issei had to wonder if he could tolerate alcohol more now that he was a dragon.
The pot kept filling up until Issei and Lancer couldn't take another bowl, that was when Merlin began to talk.
"Now that dinner is done, you can start telling me why you come here."
Lancer said nothing, she simply glanced at Issei to let him speak.
"I would like to know how to change back into a human."
Merlin slightly nodded.
"There are two methods to accomplish that, but before I show you how I'd like you to answer my question: Do you dislike being a dragon?"
"That…" Issei fought the urge to scratch his cheek. "I have to say no, being a dragon is not as bad as I thought."
Rather, it made him feel powerful. Issei had slain more wyverns than he could remember, the very same wyverns that Lancer said to be a great achievement to kill one back in her days. Issei had done it with just his dragon body without the assistance of Boosted Gear. He imagined that when he mastered both the dragon power and Boosted Gear he would be as strong as a Servant. With such power in his hands, there was little to no reason to complain.
"I do think that being a dragon is normal for the human who inherits the power of the Red Dragon Emperor, and he should live like a dragon the rest of his life befitting of his title."
Merlin lightly tapped Issei's left arm.
"You made your choice back then, and I am sure Ddraig did not make light of your decision. Thus you will have to face the consequences of your choice, because there is no simple way to get out of it. In fact I must warn you that now you are a dragon it will be very difficult to return to your human life. Just the mana that you create by breathing will cause discomfort or even harm the humans around you. Your dragon power will be restricted when you take on the human form again, and more than likely you will be hunted down by human mages for your flesh and blood without having all the powers to fight back."
Merlin's words ran through Issei's head.
"There is no turning back, that's just how it is. In my opinion you should make the best of your dragon life. If you choose to reside in the Reverse Side of the World I can arrange a place, or even make a whole texture just for you to live. I can build you a lair on a mountain the size of Mount Fuji, with games to hunt and endless rare metal to mine, or if you fancy a castle made of marble and limestone, with golden wheat fields and ranches the size of a town then no problem all the same. It is your chance to live the life of the legendary Y Draig Goch! Your enemies will fear you, women of all kinds will flock to you and your hoard of gold and artifacts will be even greater than of Fafnir!"
A picturesque scene entered Issei's mind. He could see himself sitting on a throne, with servants bringing the best dishes and drinks that the world had to offer. His treasury was filled with gold, silver, ruby, diamond and all sparky. To his right was Lancer in a royal dress befitting of her beauty, showing her cleavage only to his eyes-
Issei violently shook his head, he could be wrong but somehow he could hear a small 'tch' from Merlin.
"That sounds great but my parents are still alive and waiting for my return. I do not want them to think that I'm gone forever." Issei sighed. Even if his parents saw him as a useless perverted son he still wanted to return and live with them. "It just seems wrong to stay here when my family is on the other side."
"... Do you regret your decision to turn into a dragon?"
Lancer opened her mouth but quickly shut it. She looked away, hiding her face in the shadow.
'Regret?' Issei snorted. It was not even a question to him.
"Absolutely not! If I did not grow a dragon core back then Lancer would never attain her dream and be here with me. I would have regretted it if I had chosen to let her die that night."
Even if his life would have taken a different path with less suffering, Issei would still choose to save Lancer that night. He could deal with the consequences for becoming a dragon, but he couldn't live with the fact that he was the one who let Lancer die.
Merlin smiled.
"Very well, then now I shall tell you the two methods to turn back into a human. The first one is to participate in a Holy Grail War. I assume that you know the process by now?"
This method was simpler than Issei thought. It was true that if he participated in another grail war he would have a chance to obtain the grail for a wish. The rest is easy enough.
"But how do you know where a grail war will happen?"
Originally Issei wouldn't have known about it either had he not been kidnapped by one of the participants.
"Any wizard who is worth his salt would be able to see into the future. This is an ability belongs to the group called 'Clairvoyance'. Merlin's Clairvoyance is specialized in the Present, which means he can see everything at the moment. Searching for the magical energy spike due to a grail won't be difficult for him." Lancer explained. "That is how he knows about the war in your town and when we were traveling to Avalon. Am I right, you perverted voyeur?"
"That's a harsh statement! I will let you know that I only watch interesting things!"
"But joining another grail war huh."
It was difficult no matter how Issei saw it. Even with Lancer by his side there was no telling if they could win or not, given that the previous war was an ordeal to them. Besides there was also the problem of staying in the human world while still being a dragon.
"If it is too hard then I suggest that you go to Tannin's land and ask for his help."
"Tannin?"
[He is one of the Dragon Kings. I haven't heard from him ever since I got turned into a Sacred Gear.]
"Dragon Kings?"
[They are a tier below mine, during my time there were 6 of them: Tiamat, Yu Long, Tannin, Fafnir, Vritra and Midardsormr. Generally they are weaker than me and my rival the White Dragon Emperor, but at your current level they only need one poke to kill you.]
"Sorry for being weak even though I train everyday!"
"Some of them have reached beyond the Dragon King tier though. Anyway Tannin has built a land specifically for dragons to live. If you go there you can ask them how to turn your body back into a human. Although race wise you would still be a dragon." Merlin stroked his goatee again. "Take your time. When you are clear on what you want to do, come and talk to me."
"One more thing: How do we get back to the human world?" Lancer asked.
"Your best option will be the Devils. Every supernatural has their methods to travel between the Reverse Side of the World and the Human World, but only the Devils are willing to sell their services to others. It will not be cheap, that I can assure you."
"I see." Issei recalled back then when he summoned the Gremory to make a deal. Indeed the Devils had a way to travel to the human world.
"That would be enough for today. Thank you for your advice, Merlin." Lancer slightly nodded her head, but she had a cold look, and Issei knew she was displeased inside.
"Glad to be of service! Now if you would excuse me I need to return to my tower for work. Oh and if you are in need of snacks or drinks, there will be plenty in the storage room."
Merlin quietly disappeared along with the kitchenwares, leaving only Issei and Lancer back on the beach. Night had fallen but the moon was but a blur and there were barely any stars, for the mist still blotted out the sky.
"Let's go to bed. A nice sleep will do us a wonderful thing."
"Yeah…"
With that said Issei and Lancer returned to their respective rock houses. Issei took a shower to clear his head, using the comically big sponge, and remind himself of his hygiene habit.
From the storage room which was connected to the living room he could see 3 barrels of ale, bags of chips, boxes of biscuits, sugared crackers and more. However Issei was not in a mood so he went straight to bed. It was the first night he had to sleep without Lancer by his side in this supernatural world.
'At least the pillow is nice.'
Tired by the journey and fatigue in his mind he coiled his body on the soft mat, with his tail almost touching his jaws. The air in the room was cool, and seemed to react to his body temperature. Issei fell into a deep sleep soon enough.
What awoke him was the smell of food in the morning. He moved his arms to push away the blanket, but when he looked down his arms were still in one place. Issei did it again and a flap of wind blew through the room.
"Huh?"
He blinked. This time he actually focused on his limbs to stand up, and when he looked on his back he could see a pair of wings, so large that he could cover his entire body with them.
Issei dashed out of his house and began to flap as hard as he could. He managed to launch himself into the sky and fly for a few seconds before diving straight into the lake.
His experiment was not unnoticed. Lancer had stood up and walked toward him while Merlin simply observed from afar.
"Lancer! Look, I can fly now!"
He tried to fly up from the lake but it was hard controlling his limbs and his wings at the same time so he chose to swim back to the shore.
"Issei… When did you have a pair of wings?" Lancer came up to him to check them.
[Since last night.] Ddraig answered while Issei tried to dry up his body. [His body must have been influenced by the magical energy of Avalon which has accelerated the maturation of the dragon aspect since he is a part of the Arthurian Legend now.]
"I know it's great and all but let me remind you that you are not allowed to touch the grass or fly into the inland of Avalon." Said Merlin.
"I know that, that's why I'm gonna practice flying on the lake."
Issei was excited with his new wings, and the ability to fly which gave him a new perspective. Not even breakfast with eggs, sausage, ham, cheese and bread could hold Issei on the ground for more than 15 minutes.
Mankind has always dreamed of soaring through the sky like birds, and even when people can travel by airplane it isn't the same thing as flying with your own wings.
Issei picked his house as the landmark, and never let it out of his sight when he flew over the lake. It was not easy separating the control of the muscles of his arms and his wings. More than often Issei found himself flapping his arms during flight instead of his wings, and just fell into the lake below. He skipped lunch to keep flying in the gray sky. Once he tried to reach above the cloud, but no matter how high he flew he couldn't do it, and once his house became smaller than a speck of dust Issei knew he had to return.
Issei didn't know whether because he was in the Reverse Side of the World, or because he was talented but flying had become very natural to him by the end of the day. He had no problem taking off while he was running, standing in one place, hanging himself on a wall or swimming (the trick is to dive down then launch himself forward). The wings felt like a pair of limbs on his back, and while they still required him to focus he didn't mistake his arms for his wings now.
[Don't get full of yourself. What you did today is just the basics. You need to train more before you can call yourself a dragon.] Ddraig reminded him.
But Issei was happy that he could fly now. He had not tested how long he could fly, but according to Ddraig dragons could glide by using mana so in theory he could stay in the air indefinitely. Issei was eager to try it out tomorrow.
"It was amazing!" Issei took a bite of his dinner. "I felt so free when I was flying through the sky! It's not like swimming or diving at all!"
"Did you forget that we also flew to Kyoto?"
"... Oh."
Issei was dumbfounded when Lancer reminded him.
"It is true that we rode Duh Stallion which was running on air to Kyoto, but it's not the same!"
"I know. Riding a horse and running on your legs are different, even if they are movements on the ground."
There was a shadow of a smile on Lancer's face, but it disappeared and turned back into the stoic one that she had been wearing since that day.
The conversation was killed so they quickly wrapped up the night.
There was nothing else to do, and flying did exhaust him mentally so after dinner Issei laid on the rooftop of his rock house, enjoying the night breeze with a bag of salted chips.
"Lancer…" He muttered while looking at the night sky, with the stars resembling his goddess' face.
"... Wait what?"
[That's Merlin messing with you. Since Avalon is his home now he can change the landscape however he wants. Casually.]
"Do you have to ruin the mood by spoiling everything, Ddraig?"
Before Issei noticed Merlin was sitting next to him, in his hand was a flask which he wasted no time to take a gulp.
"Our king doesn't make it easy for you, does she?"
"Well…"
"Ah ah." Merlin put a finger on his mouth. "Let's talk about it later. You don't want her to overhear you now."
Issei was confused but Merlin didn't let him reply.
"Just go to bed, I'll see you there."
Merlin disappeared just as quickly as he showed up. Issei finished his night snack and went to bed, wondering what it was about.
'Huh?'
Issei found himself on a plain under the summer sky. It was nothing but beautiful scenery. From the distance he could see a white tower piercing the sky on the endless plain, taller than any building or mountain he had seen. Next to him was Ddraig, but he was searching for something with haste.
[There you are.] Ddraig spitted a fireball at the speed that Issei couldn't follow. The fireball crashed into an invisible wall, showing a darkened man behind it.
"You barbaric drunken lizard! Was it so hard to just ask me to come out!?"
'Merlin?'
Indeed it was Merlin when the smoke was clear. He quickly replaced his burned clothes with a new set while shaking away the dust.
[Force is the fastest way to drag you out.] Snorted Ddraig. [Don't be fooled by this guy, he can enter and play with your dream if you let him be, but if you catch him he will lose his control over it.]
Merlin clicked his tongue, but he didn't reply to the big dragon.
'Hey Merlin.' His head stopped getting fuzzy, and Issei realized that he was in a dream.
'I'm a dragon now huh.' Even in the dream Issei didn't return to the human body that he knew. He looked like a smaller version of Ddraig, but he didn't really mind it due to the majestic aura that Ddraig was radiating. One day Issei too would grow to be the same as Ddraig.
"Of course, the dragon core has changed your soul into that of a dragon. It is inevitable when you choose to step into Avalon. The longer you stay here, the more dragon you will become until you have completely turned into the Red Dragon Emperor." Merlin explained.
'I see.' Issei nodded.
"Now Issei, let's get to the main subject: How do you feel about Lancer?"
'I… I love her.'
For Issei his feeling toward Lancer couldn't be anything but love.
'She is not just a great beauty, but also a strong knight. I know her kingship might not be the best, but she has definitely tried her best for her people and country. Moreover she has saved me multiple times… I just can't help it.' He confessed.
"Yet she hasn't answered your feelings?"
'Yeah… I don't know what's wrong.'
Even though he had said that he would wait for her answer it had been months since then. Issei did not know what to do in this situation. He knew he had to face the truth sooner or later, but the mere thought of Lancer rejecting him and they went their own ways hurt him so much the comfort of keeping the status quo was starting to take hold of his heart.
"I see, I see." Merlin stroked his goatee, Issei was certain that he really enjoyed it. "Have you considered asking her to ride you while flying?"
'Obviously! But I want to make sure that I can fly properly before asking her. I would have nowhere to go if I ever fell down with her on my back.'
"Good thinking!" Merlin praised him. "My next question is: Do you think that you are her match, Issei?"
'What do you mean by that?'
"Our King might have a different standard compared to other women, but it is still a standard nonetheless. If you don't meet these standards, then it is no wonder that she doesn't see you as a love interest." Merlin pointed out. "Surely you remember what they are."
Issei frowned, but it was as Merlin said. Lancer had told him about it back then.
'You can't be serious.'
"You can be sure that Lancer was as serious as she could be when she talked to you."
It was back when they were on a train returning to Kuoh Town after betting on a horse race.
'Handsome, powerful, and rich.' Issei deadpanned. 'But these are the standard of standards! They are nothing special by themselves.'
"Let me show you a different perspective. If there is a beautiful, powerful and rich woman who confesses to you, would you say yes? For convenience's sake let say that she has a good character."
It clicked so fast in his head that Issei failed to see the grin on Merlin's face.
"Exactly." Merlin clapped. "Now tell me, do you think you have these 3 qualities? No, let us skip that part and go straight to the result. Ddraig, what do you think?"
[The Handsome aspect is fine. Since he is a dragon now she will see him in a different light compared to back when he was just a human. Rather, he should be pretty attractive to her since they are both dragons.]
"Good. What about Lancer's strength? Tell us so that we can have a measure on how far Issei needs to catch up to her."
[Besides the opponents in the grail war I have not seen any threat that could push her to the limit yet, but if she has been growing since then without doubt she is half way there to be a new Dragon King. That is only for physical strength, if she has her sword or spear she would indeed be on par with the likes of Tannin or Fafnir.]
"Did you hear that, Issei? Lancer is only half as strong as a Dragon King. That means you who have the potential to reach the level of a Dragon Emperor will totally surpass her one day."
'...I can?'
The notion that he could become stronger than Lancer gave Issei a huge shock. Ever since they met Issei had never once thought that it was possible for him to be the stronger one. Yet right here Merlin told him that it was within his grasp.
"Of course! With the right training you can pull it off! And I will tell you right now I am the one who trains King Arthur in combat. You can be sure that I am absolutely capable of turning you into the strongest Boosted Gear possessor." Merlin grinned.
[Stronger than those two? I would doubt it if he was still a human, but as a dragon I can see it.] Ddraig nodded sagely. Issei wanted to ask who were 'those two', but it looked like he needed to do it another time.
"Finally for the Rich you don't have to worry about it. Right, Ddraig?"
But Ddraig said nothing and only gave Merlin a dirty look.
'I thought we already have those wyvern fangs and tail tips.'
"Those are nothing compared to the hoard of Y Draig Goch. Dragons always have the tendency to amass wealth, whether from pillaging, extorting, stealing, robbing or killing. The Welsh Dragon here is no different. However he got killed so he can't possess his treasure again. Later one of the Boosted Gear possessors discovered that treasure and entrusted it to the Pendragon family. After that any Red Dragon Emperor has the right to take some of the wealth from them. It's a shame that you are in the Reverse Side of the World now, but there are some ways to bring that rightful welfare here."
The news that Issei suddenly became rich was not easy to take in, but it certainly helped when he realized that he could qualify for Lancer's standard. There was the question of the Pendragon family, but he could ask Merlin later.
'But why wouldn't Ddraig tell me about this wealth? This could help back then during the war.'
"Oh? Ddraig never told any of you because dragons hate it when others take their stuff. However he is only a soul now so he takes a neutral stance. Ddraig wouldn't tell you about his hoard, but he wouldn't mind if you took it either."
Such was the fate of the Heavenly Dragon who lost. Issei could understand why Ddraig was indifferent about it.
'Then I won't take that portion of inheritance.' He declared.
"Are you sure? Because you can live the rest of your life in comfort if you do. The treasure of Y Draig Goch is no less than Fafnir's except for artifacts."
'No, I don't think I will do it. In the first place it's not my money anyway.' Issei explained. 'If I am to woo Lancer then it must be my own rich.'
[He does have the potential!] Ddraig laughed loudly. [It has been years since my host told me that he had no need for my hoard!]
"You surprised me, Issei. However if that is your wish then I won't stop you. In fact it is very easy for the Red Dragon Emperor to become rich even without the old hoard. You will find out one way or another. So to review you have passed two qualities, and you only need to focus on becoming more powerful. Let us move on with your training."
Merlin pointed at the empty field before Issei, and a target board came up.
"Try to breathe fire on it."
Issei did as Merlin said, and he was surprised to learn that he could replicate the same fire breath that Lancer showed him before.
"Not only you have become more completed externally, but also internally when you stay in Avalon. Now you will practice the fire breath in this dream, and practice it again when you wake up. Launching a fireball is the next step, and it should become natural for you sooner or later since you are a dragon. When you master the basics of fire breath we can begin your Sacred Gear's training."
More target boards appeared, and some of them were floating and moving at high speed.
"Remember: The stronger you become the more notable changes that Lancer will notice. By the time you have become her peer in strength confess your feelings to her again, and I guarantee that she will give you an answer."
'Thank you, Merlin! I know what to do now!'
Issei began to furiously breathe fire at those targets. Even though he missed a lot at the faraway ones the fire didn't burn the field, and he didn't really feel tired since he was only a soul, or an avatar of his consciousness or all of that.
"... You got anything to say?"
[... No, you making him stronger is fine. I don't see the downside of it.]
"Trust me, I know what I am doing." His voice betrayed his earlier cheerful face.
AN: Sorry for the late update, I was busy with works and ingame events.
-Sorry but no female Astolfo. I might not write him but I think him being female defeats the point of his character.