This was originally supposed to be a Halloween Update but life got in the way.
Some of you have rightly pointed out my flaw with Shirou's stance on religion. Rather than an Atheist, who do not believe in the existence of a God, Shirou does acknowledge that Gods exist, he simply doesn't worship them due in part to Kiritsugu's teachings and EMIYA's past experiences bleeding through.
For now, let's get this show on the road!
Fake x Life Fourteen: The Twin Dragon Emperors.
"Unbelievable!" Rias exclaimed, the normally cheerful redhead looking decidedly agitated as she paced behind her desk, biting her thumbnail in irritation "This isn't a joke! Where the hell does he get off acting so cavalier about this?"
Such was the scene Shirou and Xenovia walked in on upon arriving at the Occult Research Club the evening following Azazel's big reveal. After assuring a terrified Issei that yes, he was fine and no, Azazel wasn't about to go Mad Scientist on him, the perverted pawn had quickly made his excuses to escape having dinner with them before setting a new speed record cycling back to his house, where he'd wasted no time informing his King of just who his number one contractor was.
"Maybe we should come back later…" Shirou mused aloud, unable to help shivering in apprehension at the waves of destructive energy Rias was subconsciously emitting in her anger.
"Oh nonsense Emiya-kun!" Akeno insisted, guiding the pair towards the sofa reserved for guests, even going so far as to offer them tea while the rest of the peerage sat around them "Rias is just a little upset at the moment."
"I'm more than just upset! I'm absolutely livid!" Rias proclaimed, rounding on the group with her arm outstretched "It's bad enough that the Governor General of the Grigori managed to infiltrate our territory without either Sona or myself catching on, but not only has he been interfering with my affairs, he's been secretly making advances towards my precious Issei-kun!"
"Now that I think about it, Kokabiel did imply that Azazel was interested in researching Issei-kun's Boosted Gear." Kiba mused from his spot on the wall, only to smile reassuringly at the Pawn, whose expression of disgust at the thought of Azazel's 'advances' turned to one of alarm at the reminder "Ah, don't you worry, Issei-kun," he reassured the teen with a smile so pure for a moment Shirou swore he saw roses sprout around him "As a Knight and your comrade, I'll protect you with my life! Between my Sword of Betrayal and your Boosted Gear, there's nothing we won't be able to overcome!"
"…Did I miss something?" Shirou asked Akeno, looking on in confusion as Issei proceeded to recoil in disgust, physically and verbally, from the Knight, who looked honestly heartbroken by the rejection. When Akeno's only answer was to titter suggestively, the Faker wisely decided not to press the issue for the sake of his sanity and Asia's purity, the former nun tilting her head in confusion from her spot next to Koneko.
"Uh…I don't think you need to worry about Issei all that much." he countered awkwardly, more out of a desire to get the subject back on track than any real concern for Issei's safety "Azazel might be…okay no, he's definitely a letch," he corrected, only to wave his hands placatingly as the Rias' aura intensified "but I'm 100% certain he prefers women!"
"I can also confirm that with utmost certainty." Xenovia assured the Gremory heiress with a nod "Indeed, judging from his selection of reading material, the only members of your peerage that could possibly fear his advances would be yourself or Himejima-san, and considering her relation to Barakiel," Shirou blinked as Akeno visibly flinched at the name "It is highly unlikely Azazel would lay a hand on her."
"What Xenovia is trying to say is that if Azazel had truly intended harm to Issei, he could've easily done so well before now without having to reveal himself." Shirou hurriedly added in an attempt to diffuse the situation, "He certainly wouldn't try anything that would jeopardize the upcoming summit."
"So, it's true then?" Koneko inquired, the normally taciturn Rook looking up from her ice-cream at the mention of the summit "The leaders of the Three Factions are seriously going to meet?"
"It's true." Rias confirmed with a huff, Shirou releasing a sigh of relief as the Gremory heiress finally seemed to calm down, the destructive aura vanishing, though her scowl remained full-force as she leaned back against her desk, arms crossed beneath her breasts "Sona and I were informed of the decision earlier today." She turned to regard Shirou and Xenovia "I don't suppose either of you could shed some light on what they intend to discuss?"
"I'm afraid not." Xenovia countered, her tone apologetic as she bowed her head "The only thing Governor-General Azazel hinted at the time was that it had to do with the relationship between the Three Factions."
"Did he now…" Rias mused, her eyes narrowing in contemplation "Huh…how typical of that old crow, giving us just enough information to whet our thirst for more despite never revealing anything." She scoffed bitterly "I'd almost applaud him if it didn't frustrate me so."
"Azazel always did have a nasty habit of teasing people he was interested in." a cultured voice chuckled from behind, Shirou's eyes widening as he turned to face it, only to freeze as a sudden wave of Magical Energy caused his mind to blank out.
Power.
Absolute Power.
Power Enough to Destroy the World.
Power Enough to Destroy Everything.
Before Shirou even realized what he was doing, he had already leapt to his feet, Kanshou and Bakuya appearing in his hands as he whipped around to confront the source of such a murderous aura.
A part of him, the part that wasn't driven by the instinctive urge to kill the threat before him before it had a chance to kill everyone in the room, was dimly aware of Rias crying out in alarm somewhere behind him. It also dimly noted a similarity between the scent of his target and Rias' own Power of Destruction, albeit on such a different scale as to make any comparison incomprehensible.
Oh, make no mistake, Rias' Power of Destruction terrified him, and her skill with it was well deserving of the epithet 'Crimson Haired Ruin Princess', but even if she were to amplify her power through the use of Issei's boosted Gear, she couldn't hope to match the sheer malevolence of this new presence.
It was like comparing a pool to an ocean, a flamethrower to a solar flare, the sky to the depths of space. The sheer amount of terror he felt simply standing in its presence surpassed anything he'd felt when he first laid eyes on the Blackened Berserker in the Einzbern forest.
"EMIYA-KUN!"
And then, just as suddenly as it came, the overwhelming force vanished, leaving Shirou blinking in confusion, only to blink as a pair of small arms wrapped around him from behind, looking down to see a wide-eyed Koneko holding onto him for dear life "Koneko-san? What are you-?"
"Ara, have you regained your senses, Emiya-kun?" Akeno enquired from the side-lines with a benign smile, though Shirou didn't miss the lightning arcing from her fingertips as she lowered her hand, an equally relieved Kiba dismissing his Sword of Betrayal "I must admit, I never took you for the jumpy type."
"Jumpy she says…" Issei stammered as he lowered his Boosted Gear, the pawn looking like he was two seconds away from having a heart attack "The guy almost attacks Maou-sama for sneaking up on him and she calls him 'jumpy'?"
"Wait, I did what?" Shirou stammered blinking at the pawn in alarm only to shiver as a soft chuckle drew his attention back to the pair of Devils, at least he assumed they were Devils, standing before him.
The first was a tall, breathtakingly beautiful woman with silver eyes and hair that flowed all the way down to her back, save for twin braids on each side of her face. Despite being clad in an expensive French Maid outfit, she possessed a regal countenance, that reminded Shirou all-too-painfully of Saber.
She was also currently glaring at him, clearly unimpressed with his attempted assault on her and the man she had just stepped in front of. A man who bore a strikingly unnerving resemblance to Rias, right down to his sapphire blue eyes and the mane of crimson hair that trailed down his back.
"Calm down, Grayfia." The man chuckled, placing a hand on the maid's shoulder as he stepped out from behind her with a smile "I suppose this is what I get for dropping in unannounced…if I'd known Ria-tan had guests over I'd have taken better care to reign in my power."
"S-Sirzechs Onii-sama…!" Rias stammered, the heiress looking torn between relief that Shirou hadn't assaulted her elder brother and shocked by said elder sibling's presence in her club-room "What are you doing here?"
"Nii-sama?" Shirou repeated, blinking at the normally cheerful heiress in confusion even as he dismissed his blades, much to the relief of Kiba and Koneko, who stepped back with twin sighs of relief "Wait…isn't Rias' brother-?"
"Sirzechs Lucifer." Xenovia supplied from the side, the former exorcist's gaze locked firmly on the redheaded man, her body trembling, as if repressing the urge to flee with all her willpower "Former heir to the house of Gremory, Leader of the Four Satans and the strongest Devil in recorded History."
"It would appear my reputation precedes me." Sirzechs chuckled, looking honestly flustered by the attention as he rubbed the back of his head "If memory serves you must be Xenovia Quarta, Durandal's chosen wielder, correct?" he turned to regard Shirou "Which means you must be Emiya Shirou."
"Ah, yes." Shirou stammered, the redhead hurriedly offering a polite bow towards the Ruler of Hell, shivering as the sheer magnitude of what he'd almost done finally struck home "S-sorry about earlier…"
"Don't mention it. I tend to have that effect on people when we first meet." Sirzechs assured him with an amused smile "Though I have to admit you surprised me. Regardless of species, most people tend to faint or run away when I forget to reign myself in." he chuckled, looking honestly amused and strangely approving "You're the first to try and attack me, it's actually rather refreshing!"
"Your...welcome?" Shirou offered, glancing between the chuckling Satan and the rest of the room, only for Rias and the maid, Grayfia, to sigh in exasperation, the two women clearly used to the man's behaviour, while Akeno merely tittered behind her hand, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Then again, Shirou could kind of understand why Sirzechs could be so cavalier about his attempted murder. Even though the wave of power from before had vanished, he could still smell traces of it emanating from the man, as if someone had erected a dam in a failed attempt to hold back an ocean.
Not even Kokabiel had possessed that much power, and Shirou had only managed to defeat the Fallen Star of God through the use of Archer's arm in combination with Issei's Boosted Gear. The fact Sirzechs could be so friendly despite possessing such overwhelming power just made him all the more terrifying.
'At least he isn't an arrogant ass about it.' Shirou noted, recalling how Gilgamesh had lorded his superiority over everyone and everything he laid eyes upon. True, the Golden King of Heroes had a reason for his arrogance, but it was still a refreshing change of pace, pants-wetting terror aside.
"You still haven't answered my question, Nii-sama." Rias cut in, the heiress coughing into her fist to draw her elder brother's attention back to her "Just what brings you to the Human World?"
"You honestly don't know?" Sirzechs mused, a teasing smile forming on his face that reminded Shirou far-too-much of Fuji-nee whenever she was in one of her more playful moods "Isn't it almost time for open-house?"
'Was it seriously that time of year?' Shirou wondered, ignoring Rias' squawk of alarm in favour of marveling at how quickly time had flown. While he'd never really paid much attention to Open-house back at Homurahara, the other students had really invested in the occasion, treating it like an unofficial sporting event of festival.
"I have to admit, both father and I have been rather looking forward to seeing how seriously Ria-tan has been taking her studies." Sirzechs gushed, clearly enjoying Rias' embarrassment in a way only an older sibling could, to the point Shirou actually felt sympathy for the girl, as Lord only knew he'd suffered similarly with Fuji-nee as a guardian.
"Grayfia!" Rias exclaimed suddenly, rounding on the silver-haired maid with an indignant glare, her features a mask of betrayal "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who told him, aren't you?!"
"But of course." The maid, Grayfia, confirmed, her calm, reserved tone a stark contrast to Rias' own indignation or Sirzechs' amusement "As the Chief Maid of House Gremory, I have been entrusted with overseeing all the reports from the school, and as Lord Sirzechs' Queen, it is my duty to keep him informed of any and all developments here." She turned to regard Shirou with an unreadable expression "Regardless of how minor."
Shirou shivered, unable to help drawing parallels between the demonic maid before him and Sella, the older of the two Homunculus maids that had been entrusted with caring for Illyasviel during her stay in Fuyuki. While he hadn't spent much time in her company, it was clear from her posture and clipped tone that she highly disapproved of his presence, and that it was only Ilya's orders that she endured it.
"Even if that's the case, putting Father aside, it's still highly irresponsible of you, Nii-sama!" Rias persisted, clearly unwilling to give up without a fight "What would the people think if they learnt the Devil King ignored his duties to attend something so mundane?"
"You really are a good girl, Ria-tan." Sirzechs chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her mane of crimson hair, earning only a halfhearted resistance from the girl "But don't worry, do you really think Grayfia would've consented to my coming here if it would adversely affect my work?"
"That's…true I suppose." Rias conceded, flushing slightly as her brother continued to ruffle her hair dotingly "But then why have you come today? Open House isn't until tomorrow?"
"We have two reasons for coming early." Grayfia cut in, drawing the attention of the entire room "First, to satiate my King's desire to check in on you and your peerage." Rias sighed at that while Sirzechs merely chuckled "Secondly is to perform a thorough examination of Kuoh Academy in order to prepare for the upcoming conference between the Faction Leaders."
"The conference is going to be held here?!" Rias exclaimed, turning to Sirzechs for confirmation, only to gape at his nod "Out of all the places you could have chosen, why on earth would you pick my school?!"
"Well, the truth of the matter is we really don't have many other places we could hold it." Sirzechs admitted with a chuckle "In case you forgot, the Three Factions are still an outside party here in the East." He glanced towards Shirou and Xenovia "And while I cannot speak for the Grigori, unlike the Church, who at least have a foothold here, we Devils have a decidedly limited amount influence outside of Kuoh due to the influence of the local pantheons."
'That makes sense…' Shirou mused. After all, despite how well they'd integrated into local society, the fact remained that Rias and Sona were heiresses to House Gremory and Sitri of the 72 Pillars, which, depending on your mythology, were either founded by or held close ties to the Biblical King Solomon.
While he could only begin to speculate their level of influence in the west, where Christendom had taken root, it was safe to say they were on rather thin ice in the East, where Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and countless other faiths reigned supreme.
Hell, there was even a point when Christendom was almost stamped out of Japan entirely, the Tohsaka Clan were apparently descended from Hidden Christians after all, so he could only imagine how hard the Biblical factions had struggled to get settled here.
"But why Kuoh Academy?" Rias persisted, clearly not liking the idea of such a delicate political event being held anywhere near her school, a sentiment that Shirou found himself supporting one-hundred percent. While he doubted Azazel would start anything, and despite his overwhelming power Shirou got the impression that Sirzechs wasn't a violent man, recent events and his own past experiences had left him more than a little paranoid when it came to the Church "Surely we have other venues within the city that could be utilized?"
"It's precisely because we own such venues that we cannot use them." Grayfia supplied "One of the conditions Heaven set down before they would consent to this conference was that it be held on neutral ground. And while it is true that Lord Gremory acts as the Academy's Administrator, the school itself remains under the control of the local government."
"That, and the fact that despite our best attempts at maintaining a façade of normalcy, the school seems to have a rather bizarre penchant for attracting interesting individuals." Sirzechs mused, the Lucifer letting his eyes roam over the assembled teens, lingering perhaps a little longer on Shirou before closing with a smile "I do believe you'd be hard pressed to find a place better suited to host all three factions." He clapped his hands together "But enough about that for now. The hour is late and Grayfia and I really should be getting a move on if we hope to find accommodation for the evening."
"Ah, Maou-sama?" Issei spoke up, halting the Lucifer in his tracks as he raised a hand in the air "If it's alright with you, would you like to crash at my place for the night?"
Casa d'Azazel
"He seriously said that?" Azazel cackled, the Governor General shaking his head in amusement at Shirou's nod of confirmation "Good grief, I knew the kid had more balls than common sense but I never heard of anyone willingly inviting the Devil Himself into his house!"
"It certainly took Rias by surprise." Shirou recalled, earning another round of laughter from the Fallen, the Faker having just finished recounting his meeting with the ORC "You think he'll be okay?" he wondered, shivering at the memory of Sirzechs' power and Grayfia's cold glare "I know he's Rias' brother and all but…it's Issei."
While his opinion of the Pawn had improved from their initial encounter, partially out of a bond of camaraderie and partially due to witnessing how he visibly restrained himself around Asia, the fact remained that, when it came to anything remotely erotic, and especially anything erotic involving Rias, Issei still tended to put both his feet in his mouth.
To make matter worse, he dimly recalled Akeno mentioning that, aside from both being Satans, the one thing both Rias and Sona's elder siblings had in common was that they doted on their younger siblings to the point of obsession. With that in mind, and factoring in the sheer, gut-wrenching terror he'd felt at the feeling of Sirzechs' unrestrained power, it should've been no-surprise to anyone that knew Issei that Shirou didn't value the boy's chances if the Lucifer perceived some slight to his sister's honor.
"Who cares?" Vali scoffed, the silver-haired Devil having decided to join them for breakfast instead of simply heading out to wherever he went during the day, something that was becoming increasingly common as of late ever since meeting Shirou "If he dies, then good riddance, maybe Ddraig's next host won't be so weak."
"Now Vali, that's hardly fair." Azazel chided with the patience of a parent "Keep in mind that, unlike you, Hyoudo Issei was just an ordinary human until Rias Gremory revived him." he nodded his head in approval "Not only that, but my investigation shows absolutely no traces of magical heritage in his background, so even comparing him to the likes of Arthur-kun would be out of the question."
Vali scoffed but didn't deign to refute the argument, instead choosing to quietly finish his meal, the conversation seemingly coming to a halt until Xenovia and Shirou began arguing over who was to clean up "Hey, what time are you two heading out?" he rolled his eyes at Shirou's look of confusion "To school I mean, what time do you have to be there?"
"Eight O'clock, though I usually head there early in order to see if there are any clubs that need my help." Shirou admitted, eyeing the silver-haired devil warily "Why do you ask? Don't tell me you're planning to enrol there too?"
"As if I'd waste my time with something so trivial." Vali scoffed "I just thought I'd tag along to see what the big deal is…" his smile turned predatory "that, and I think it's time I properly introduced myself to my rival."
"Vali." Azazel warned, his words carrying an undertone of power that sent shivers down Shirou's spine, reminding all those present that he wasn't the Governor General of the Grigori for nothing.
"Relax, I'm not going to fight him as he is now." Vali scoffed, waving a hand dismissively "He and I are destined to battle one day, I'm more than content to wait for his skills to catch up to mine." He smirked at Shirou knowingly "Especially considering there are other, riper fruit to experience first."
Shirou said nothing, having grown used to such comments from the silver-haired Longinus User ever since they'd been introduced.
At first, he'd compared the teen to Gilgamesh, and true enough Vali did tend to give off an air of cold arrogance, caring little for the trappings of a mundane life and supremely confident in his ability to crush any foe beneath his heel. However, unlike Gilgamesh, who viewed even fellow 'Kings' to be beneath his regard, Vali seemed to take an inordinate amount of joy in seeking out strong opponents to challenge, not out of a desire to prove his superiority, but to surpass his own limitations.
Setting aside his arrogance and general disdain for modern society, Shirou couldn't help but draw comparisons between Vali and Lancer, to the point he actually found it easy to get along with him. Both were battle junkies obsessed with fighting worthy foes, proud warriors that would gladly accept death provided it was to a superior opponent, and would just as happily share a drink with their rivals the night before their final battle.
That being said, while it was actually rather refreshing to find someone so brutally honest after dealing with the various political machinations of the other Factions, if Vali tried to start anything in the middle of town Shirou wouldn't hesitate to cut him down. A fact that Vali not only knew, but actually seemed eager to put to the test.
"Just what is your deal with Issei anyway?" the Faker asked the silver-haired devil "You keep calling him your 'rival', does it have something to do with your Sacred Gears?"
"It's a little more complicated than that." Azazel interposed, drawing the faker's attention to him "It actually dates back to the start of the Great War between the three factions, back when the lines were being drawn in the sand." He scoffed bitterly "You see, Humanity weren't the only ones caught up in that clusterfuck, the other races, Fairies, Spirits, Phantasmal Beasts and even the Eastern Youkai, all of them were forced to pick a side…save for one race."
"The Dragons." Shirou deduced, earning a nod of approval from Azazel and a proud smirk from Vali, the Faker completely unsurprised by this revelation given what little he knew of Dragon Kind.
As the pinnacle of Phantasmal Species, Dragons were more than just 'Magical Creatures', they were extensions of the world itself, created in a form independent from nature, yet possessed of intelligence that surpassed human understanding. So tightly intertwined were Dragons with human folklore from the Age of Gods that it was not surprising for them to appear as both allies and enemies depending on their temperament.
While typically incompatible with humankind, conflicts between the two races were typically the result of human action or hubris. With that in mind, he could understand why none of the Three Factions dared to try and force the Dragons to choose a side. Much like how man could not command the Tide, there was nothing that anybody, God, Devil or what have you, could say that could force a Dragon to do anything it didn't want to.
"Got it in one." Azazel applauded with a smirk "See, while a few of the Dragons did end up siding with God or Lucifer for some reason or other, the vast majority didn't believe the war had anything to do with them and were content to ignore it and live as they pleased." He chuckled darkly "I'd almost envy them if it weren't for what happened next. See, partway into the war, Two Dragons with powers comparable to God and the Four Original Satans decided to have a pissing contest of their own, and like any contest between Dragons, it quickly devolved into a clusterfuck for everyone around them."
"I can imagine." Shirou shivered, recalling all-too-well the sheer overwhelming presence one of his alternate selves had been exposed to during a ritual to ignite Saber's magical core "So just what were they fighting about anyway?"
"Who knows?" Azazel shrugged, glancing towards Vali for confirmation, only for the silver haired teen to return the gesture "Hell, it's been so long I doubt the dragons themselves even truly remember what set them off in the first place. Not that Dragons need a reason to fight mind you, for all we know they probably just didn't like each other and happened to make eye contact."
'What are they, delinquents?' Shirou deadpanned, a sentiment clearly shared by Xenovia, the two of them glancing at Vali for verification, only for the silver haired devil to scoff, clearly uninterested in the 'why'.
"In any case, the conflict between the two Dragons eventually spilled onto the battlefields of the Three Factions, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides." Azazel continued "Needless to say, neither Faction particularly appreciated the interference, so a cease-fire was called to get them out of the picture."
"I think I remember reading about that." Xenovia opined "If memory serves, King Lludd of Britain lured the Dragons into a pit filled with mead, then buried them alive as they slumbered."
"That's about right," Azazel confirmed "Of course, the only reason he was able to pull it off was because all three factions came together to help dig the damned pit. So much high quality mead, wasted…" He sighed remorsefully before coughing into his fist "In any case, with the Dragons gone, it didn't take long for the Three Factions to go back to killing one another, it was also around that time that Father began experimenting with Sacred Gears and Holy Swords."
"But wait, if the dragons were buried at the start of the war, then how did they get into the Sacred Gears?" Shirou wondered, even Vali frowning at the apparent discrepancy "Don't tell me someone actually dug them up?"
"Okay I won't tell you." Azazel chuckled, only to pout at the scowls leveled his way by the three teens "I'm kidding! Sheesh, so serious. Our story picks up again around the tail-end of the Great War, coincidentally around the time of Uther Pendragon's death."
Shirou stiffened at the mention of Saber's father. While Saber hadn't really talked about the man much, no doubt due to having been raised by Sir Ector, he was still a key figure in her legend, if only in passing.
"See, when Uther died without leaving a male heir behind, every single one of his allied feudal-lords suddenly decided they were best suited to wear the pointy hat. Wanting an edge over the competition, Uther's brother Vortigern" both Shirou and Vali shivered at the name "decided to build a brand spanking new castle to stake his claim, and guess where the dumb son of a bitch decided to build it?"
Shirou couldn't help but facepalm at the imagery. After all, how unlucky, or bloody stupid, did you have to be to build a castle on top of not one, but two sleeping dragons? Even if time had reduced them to mere legends and folklore, as was regrettably the case when it came to human memory, you'd think the leaders of the Three Factions would've at least set someone to watch over the site.
"Needless to say, Vortigern soon got tired of his castle walls being knocked over, not only did it hurt his image, it didn't do his coffers any favours either but instead of moving like a sensible person, he ended up seeking out the Greatest Wizard of the age…" Shirou's eyes widened in anticipation "who just so happened to be Lucifer's bastard."
"Wait, WHAT?!" Shirou gaped, staring at the Governor General as if he'd sprouted another head. And he wasn't the only one, Xenovia going so far as to cross herself and even Vali stiffening in surprise, the silver-haired teen suddenly paying rapt attention.
"Yeah, not many people were aware of Merlin's true parentage." Azazel chuckled "Not that Lucifer ever truly cared for the kid mind you, so far as the Morning Star was concerned his progeny was simply supposed to assume the role of the Anti-Christ." He scoffed "Fortunately for all involved, Merlin's mother went behind Lucy's back" Vali snorted at the nickname "and had the kid baptized at birth. Sensing the kid's potential, and no doubt hoping to make amends for casting out Lucifer, Father took Merlin under his protection so as to set the stage for the coming of Arthur."
"Unfortunately," Azazel continued with a grimace "whether it was due to Father's doting or Lucifer's blood, Merlin grew up to be something of a trickster, so when Vortigern showed up demanding consul, the cheeky brat instructed the would-be King to excavate the hill, freeing the dragons, who were none-too-happy let me tell you."
"I can imagine." Shirou grimaced, shuddering at phantom memory of staring down the embodiment of Saber's Magic Core. That time had only been the lingering essence, a hollow shade made to represent her possessing the blood of Dragons, he could only imagine the sheer fury that Vortigern had unleashed that day "It must have been a massacre."
"And then some." Azazel confirmed grimly, reaching for his glass with a trembling hand "Remember, even when the Dragons' Fury was solely directed towards one another, the Factions still suffered heavy casualties. Now that their fury was locked directly on them, it looked like the Great War would end in the unanimous destruction of all three factions."
He downed his drink before pouring himself another with an admittedly weak grin, a stark contrast to his normally lazy confidence.
"I still have nightmares about it, to be honest." he admitted solemnly, waving a hand at their looks of concern "But in the end, the Leaders of the three Factions had no choice but to put aside their differences and join forces to cut the Dragons down, and to ensure they didn't reincarnate, God sealed their souls into the Divine Dividing, which was bestowed upon Vortigern, allowing him to unite the Country as King, and the Boosted Gear, which was sealed within the infant Arthur Pendragon."
"Huh, so that's how things went down." Vali mused, the Silver-haired devil looking highly intrigued by this new revelation while Azazel poured himself another drink from the bottle "I can see why Albion doesn't like talking about it…"
It also explained why he got along so well with the Pendragon siblings. After all, how ironic was it that this generation's Arthur Pendragon would have a Half-Devil descendant of Lucifer as a companion? Were it not for the fact that Arthur lacked a Sacred Gear and Vali possessed Divine Dividing, you'd almost be forgiven for thinking History was repeating itself.
"To think that the great Merlin Ambrosius was the Anti-Christ all this time." Xenovia whispered, shivering in apprehension as she subconsciously crossed herself "That explains so much, and at the same time raises so many other questions."
"That was Merlin in a nutshell." Azazel admitted with a long-suffering sigh, though despite that he seemed almost amused by the Wizard's antics "Kid had a good heart, and honestly meant well, but just couldn't help causing mischief whenever things got too boring."
'Now there's an understatement if there ever was one.' Shirou deadpanned, recalling several of the tales Saber had recounted of her advisor to his myriad alternate selves. While there was no denying that Artoria owed a considerable debt to the Magus of Flowers, hell were it not for Merlin it was likely she would never have been born at all, that didn't stop the Wizard from making an absolute pest of himself just to see how his apprentice would react.
In a sense, it would not be inaccurate to compare Saber's relationship to Merlin to the relationship Shirou's myriad selves had witnessed between Rin and Wizard Marshall Zelretch. While Shirou had never personally met the Master of Kaleidoscope, a fact he was growing increasingly more grateful for the more he was exposed to his alternates' memories, there was no denying that there was an almost unnerving similarity between the Magus of Flowers and the Old Man of the Jewels when it came to trolling people for their own amusement.
'At least Zelretch isn't a philanderer.' He sighed, shuddering at the mental image of the resulting carnage if the old vampire had tried even half the shit Merlin had put Saber through, both before and after drawing Caliburn 'Forget the Clock Tower, the entire Magus Association probably wouldn't be left standing.'
"Well now, I do believe I've kept you kids long enough." Azazel mused, rising to his feet with a chuckle as they noticed the time "Do try to keep it in your pants around Hyoudo-kun, okay Vali?"
"Funny." The silver-haired devil scoffed, clearly used to such ribbing as he stalked off with his hands in his pockets "I'll be waiting by the main gate," he called out to Shirou "don't keep me waiting too long, Emiya."
'When the hell did life get so complicated?' Shirou sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he and Xenovia hurried to clean up the remains of breakfast 'I wonder if Issei has to deal with crap like this?'
Meanwhile-Outside Kuoh Academy...
"Are you sure you're alight, Issei-san?" Asia wondered, the former nun regarding her not-so-secret crush in concern as the teen recovered from an impressive surprise sneezing fit.
"Ah, I'm alright, Asia." Issei assured the girl, blinking tears out of his eyes even as he fought to suppress a jaw-cracking yawn "I'm just a little beat is all. Spent most of the night chatting with nii-sa-I mean, Sirzechs-sama." He corrected hurriedly, not sure how Asia would take his referring to the Lucifer so affectionately, given her recent rivalry with Rias for his affection.
"Is that so?" Asia mused, smiling at the memory of the charismatic Satan "I have to admit, I was a little intimidated when I first learned that Rias' older brother was THE Sirzechs Lucifer, but after meeting him I can't help but marvel at his kindness."
"Yeah, Maou-sama's pretty awesome, isn't he?" Issei mused, unable to help smiling at the memory of his late-night conversation with his King's older sibling, only to flush as a certain topic they'd discussed reared it's beautiful head, forcing him to slap his cheeks in order to avoid upsetting Asia.
'It's a good thing Buchou went on ahead to show Maou-sama and Grayfia-san around." He sighed 'I don't think I'd be able to keep myself from testing out Maou-sama's theory.'
Seriously, how could he, the self-proclaimed Harem King, not have thought of using the Boosted Gear to enhance Rias' already bountiful bust? Until Sirzechs-sama, no, Maou-Nii-Sama had suggested it, the idea had never crossed his mind!
'Truly, he is well deserving of the title of Devil King.' The perverted pawn wept, clenching his fist as liquid manliness streamed from his undeserving eyes. To think it wasn't even a year ago he'd once been considered a social pariah, now here he was, rubbing elbows with high-class devils, with the undisputed ruler of the underworld offering to call him family! "Looks like things are finally looking up for ol'Issei-GH!"
"Issei-san?!" Asia exclaimed, looking on in alarm as her crush dropped to his knees, the pawn letting his schoolbag drop to the floor in order to grab his left wrist.
"Shit, what's going on?" he swore, so caught up in his agony that he completely forgot to reign in his vulgarity around Asia "Dammit Ddraig, what's got you so riled up?"
"That would probably be me." A familiar voice called out, prompting the devils to look up to see a tall, silver-haired foreigner standing nearby "I honestly pity the Great Welsh," he scoffed "to be raring to go yet unable to cut loose because his vessel can't handle his full power."
"Who the hell are you?" Issei demanded, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself to his feet, something deep within him refusing to allow him to appear weak in front of the foreigner.
"You seriously don't remember?" the damned handsome scoffed, looking honestly amused "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, this is only our second meeting and I never properly introduced myself last time."
"Last time?" Issei repeated, his eyes widening in realization as he finally placed the teen's voice, his features paling as he realized precisely who was standing before him "That mean's…you're…!"
"It seems you do remember." The teen mused as he strode towards them "Just as you host of the Welsh Dragon Ddraig, I am the host of the Vanishing Dragon Albion, this generation's White Dragon Emperor." He smirked at Issei's look of alarm "But since that's kind of a mouthful, you can just call me Vali."
Another action-free chapter, though to make up for it I fleshed out Ddraig and Albion's backstories.
And yes, for those wondering, the stuff I listed above is, for the most part, accurate. King Llud really did bury two fighting dragons and Vortigern really was stupid enough to build a castle on top of the hill they were under and even stupider for following Merlin's advice to dig it up.
The bit with Merlin being the Anti-Christ is debatable. Merlin is sometimes depicted as having a Devil or Incubus as a father, though his being baptised seems to be a common trend.
The idea of DxD Vortigern being the original Wielder of Divine Dividing comes from Type-Moon Vortigern, who according to the wiki is said to have taken the power of the White Dragon in contrast to Saber, who was gifted with the aspect of the Red Dragon.
With this, there is now yet another parallel between Shirou's World and the DxD world...with more possibly on the horizon.
