Dragon of the Eldritch
"Yog."
Instantly, the Time Goddess appeared, sitting on his bed at that. "You called, My King?" she asked playfully. "Did you need something?"
"Don't you already know?" Issei asked curiously.
"Yes, but if I'd get lonely if I didn't act like-" Yog suddenly stopped with an embarrassed loo-
"I know all the things you might answer with. Like asking to see my tits," Yog answered with a smirk.
"IIIIII wouldn't say no, but that's not what I called you for," Issei admitted. "I need help with something Eldritch-related."
"And you didn't ask your darling, adoring, pampering wife?" Yog asked in a mock scandalized tone. "How adulterous!"
Issei deadpanned before sighing. "I'm just going to ignore your supposed all-knowingness and just pretend you're as linear as the rest of us."
Yog tilted her head. "Aza told you that joke."
"Actually Gatch did, but Aza told her," Issei answered offhandedly. "Look, if I called her, Aza would drop everything and come running. Er, flying? Floating?"
"More like she'd rip away the very concept of the distance separating you, but yes," Yog acknowledged with a shrug.
"Even if what she was doing was important," Issei pointed out. "But you-"
"Always have free time some-when," Yog finished with a chuckle. "You're turning out to be a clever king."
"Yeah, well, I love Aza, but I know I have to be careful with her, or she might destroy the planet," Issei reminded and blinked. "I said that way too calmly."
"So, moving on. Yes, I know you had a talk with one of the devils about their friend that Aza mind-melted," Yog confessed. "And I know you want me to help. I'm just not sure how you want me to help as a lot is branching off from that."
"I don't suppose you'll just tell me the best option?" Issei asked with a frown.
"Only if your life depended on it, so no," Yog answered with a shrug.
"Fair enough," Issei said with a sigh. "So, okay, do you know an Eldritch that is good at healing minds from stuff like that and understands humans, or at least devils?"
"I know a few, yes," Yog admitted with a nod.
"Good. Now, which one is least likely to make things worse?" Issei stipulated pointedly.
"Ahh, now that does narrow it down a lot," Yog adjusted with amusement. "Still, it might just be best to get her a check-up with the one who patched her up in the first place."
"Patched her up?" Issei repeated in surprise.
"Oh yes. If left as she was, that little kitten probably would have clawed out her own tongue and eyes," Yog informed, utterly serious.
"...Okay, I'm still human enough that I felt just a bit sick from that thought," Issei muttered with a sigh. "Who are we talking about, exactly?"
"An Outer God that is, oddly enough, native to Earth," Yog informed. "Most mortals outside her cults know her as Madam Yi or other titles, but we called her Yidrah, the Dream Witch."
"Yidrah. Okay, so, do we need to go to some underground church or something?" Issei asked curiously.
Yog giggled. "Oh, you're silly. She's on her way now."
"Huh?" Issei asked, bewildered. "Is this one of those things where you're going time-travel to tell her to meet us after she already gets here?"
"No, Issei, I mean you just summoned her," Yog informed, getting more confusion. "You said her name."
"What, that's enough?" Issei asked in shock.
"Issei, I know you're treating this as dating or an engagement, but as far as we're concerned? You're already married to Aza," Yog reminded with a smirk. "Meaning, you're the King of the Eldritch. And when the King calls your name, well, it'd be rather rude to you and to Aza if they ignored you."
Issei started for a moment before shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea of literal gods eager to hear what I want."
"..." Yog gave him a long, long stare.
"It's different with Aza! I just see a cute girl that wants in my pants! Not the Mistress of the Universe!" Issei defended indignantly.
Yog playfully swooned at that. "And she loves you all the more for it," Yog assured with a smile before turning serious. "Though, just for the record? Even if you called on an Eldritch, a lot of them don't have a very...human definition of "soon" or "timely," so don't expect them to arrive at the drop of a hat."
"Right. A hundred years is a weekend for you guys," Issei said before looking up in thought. "Am I going to be like that?"
"In a few hundred thousand years, maybe," Yog mused with a shrug. "Anything else I can do for you, oh Kingly one?"
"Probably not, since you don't like spoiling whatever script you're reading," Issei said before frowning. "Why does it feel like I've known you for years already?"
"I'd make a joke about that, but I'm pretty sure it's just Aza rubbing off on you in a very mental sense, giving you some subconscious details about me," Yog mused. "Or it could be your own Eldritch nature in the future echoing back to you."
"I can...echo back to myself?" Issei asked in bewilderment, not sure what that even meant. "Is that...is that an Eldritch thing?"
"Not all of us, no, but you're Aza's husbando, so you get special Aza-class perks," Yog explained.
"Such as?" Issei pressed curiously.
Yog opened her mouth before looking very uncertain, almost worried even until she-
"Being able to get a god's respectful attention by saying their name isn't enough?" Yog teased.
"Point," Issei accepted, knowing that Yog wouldn't elaborate. Besides, he was starting to get ahead of himself now. "Any ETA on when this Yidrah will get here?"
"The good news is that she has a very solid grasp of time relative to humans, so I'd say in about...an hour or less?" Yog answered with a shrug. "It would be sooner, but she's trying to not spook the supernaturals any more than Aza has."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Issei asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing to worry about. Say goodbye to the devils for me." With that, Yog waved before she warped out of existence in a spiral distortion.
"Wait-and she's gone," Issei remarked.
"Does it ever occur to you that you have casual, even rude conversations with some of the most powerful beings in reality?" Ddraig asked curiously.
"I try not to think about it too much," Issei confessed as he looked at his hand. "So, you know anything about this Yidrah?"
"Yes, actually. Everyone on earth that interacts with the Eldritch in more than a passing manner is aware of the Dream Witch," Ddraig answered.
"Okay, and that would be why? Is Earth her territory or something?" Issei questioned.
"Hmm, not exactly. Earth is one of the worlds that the Eldritch have agreements upon, that it belongs to none of them. At least, not since Cthulhu and his cities were trapped beneath the waves," Ddraig explained.
"Right, Cthulhu. Even normal people have heard that name at least once. Is he a problem?" Issei asked curiously.
"Not from what I know. Much of what this "Lovecraft" wrote of them was distorted or untrue, but you should make judgments for yourself," Ddraig advised. "But we're getting off-topic. The Dream Witch is the one who manages many of the Eldritch affairs and matters on earth. Before the Queen herself showed up, obviously. I've met her once or twice. She's not the type to start a fight. I find it interesting though, that she helped this devil."
"How come?" Issei asked curiously.
"Because you don't often see a queen going out of her way to heal a random peasant," Ddraig remarked. "I would have expected her to send a servant for that."
"If it was less than the Empress of the Center, I would have."
Issei blinked as he turned to face a woman…a woman that hadn't been there five seconds ago. She was beautiful though, or at least her body was; Curvy and slender, a figure of feminine perfection that was clade in cloth that was both thin and skimpy but ornate and regal. Her face was obscured in pure darkness by the hood of the crimson cloak she wore. Long slender fingers flexed and curled as she brought her hand up to her chest and gave a polite, very respectful bow.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Azathoth," she greeted. "I am Yidrah."
"...You're early," Issei remarked absently, still shocked by her arrival. He was trying to not focus solely on her boobs, but in his defense, they were barely covered as is. He could practically see the areolas through the cloth!
"Unlike what she claims, Yog is not infallible," Yidrah answered, her voice pleasant yet flat, alluring but down to earth. "What do you wish of me? If it is cultists, you will have them soon enough."
"Yeah, no, not that," Issei answered. "You "patched up" a devil a while back, right? Goes to my school, got mind melted by Aza a bit."
"Shirone the Neko-Devil. I recall her," Yidrah answered with a nod.
"Neko? No, never mind that for now. Look, I don't know how to say this exactly, but...you mind doing a check-up on her?" Issei asked sheepishly.
"A check-up?" Yidrah repeated, her head tilting. Or at least her hood did.
"Look, I get we're supposed to be beyond the whole good and evil thing. But her friends are worried she might be getting worse and I feel like an asshole since this happened to her because Aza had to protect me," Issei explained with a sigh.
Yidrah stared for a long moment, silently observing him. "You are kind, Issei Hyoudou."
"Umm, thanks?" Issei gave curiously. "So, will you help?"
"I will. If you will accompany me to her," she answered simply, getting a curious look. "The Neko is a servant of Lucifer's sister."
Issei blinked. "That raises questions that I won't ask right now."
"At any rate, if I go myself, I may accidentally provoke and alarm them. You however might have a, shall we say, diplomatic effect on the meeting," Yidrah suggested.
"Me? Diplomatic?" Issei asked skeptically.
"I'd recommend listening to her," Ddraig spoke up. "Hello, Yidrah."
"Ddraig," Yidrah greeted with a nod to the green glow in Issei's hand. "I trust that there are no hard feelings about the last time we met?"
"No, that was warranted," Ddraig remarked.
Issei glanced curiously between his hand and the eldritch. "Mind filling me in?"
Ddraig sighed at unwanted memories. "Yidrah killed one of my old wielders after they butchered one of her cults."
"Oh. Umm, sorry to hear that?" Issei offered, looking up nervously.
"Don't be. That was nearly a thousand years ago," Yidrah assured solemnly.
"You literally have a holiday dedicated to mourning that massacre," Ddraig reminded.
They could both feel the Outer God's unseen glare.
Ddraig gulped at that. "I'll shut up now."
"Yeah, probably a good idea," Issei agreed as the glow faded. "So, what now?"
"Well, it might be best if I changed form a bit," Yidrah remarked, her form rippling and distorting.
In her place was a woman, or late-aged teen with dark purple hair and green eyes. Her outfit was replaced by a gothic black dress; complete with black stockings and long sleeve fingerless gloves with chains, of all things, adorning it, crossing over the top of her generous bosom and even one going down the cleavage.
Issei eyed her up and down with wide eyes. "Umm, you might want something more...casual?"
Yidrah cocked her head. "This is my casual."
Issei had no response to that.
The walk to the academy was rather unremarkable for Issei, despite how oddly dressed Yidrah was.
"So, what do they all see when they look at you?" Issei asked, finding he inquired that far too casually than he would have not too long ago.
Yidrah gave a hum at that. "Whatever they see as casual, Issei."
"That's good, I guess," Issei accepted. "Hey, um, can I ask a question while we walk?"
"Of course," Yidrah accepted.
"Something I've been wondering about, but Aza doesn't seem to know, and Yog probably won't tell," Issei rambled a bit. "I get why these Fallen Angels targeted me, Ddraig being in my hand and all, but why try to kill me, exactly?"
"Yes, that was an odd choice on their part," Yidrah admitted. "It is likely that they had no idea what Sacred Gear you had; just that it was a Longinus. They must have decided to not try and take yours while just focusing on the one they had. But with the Devil around here, they knew you might become an enemy, so leaving you alone wasn't much of an option. You dying just meant they'd have to wait for another wielder to be born with the Boosted Gear."
"Damn. One time I almost wish they had been greedy. You know, if it wasn't for Aza,' Issei mused.
"Extracting it from your soul would have killed you," Yidrah mused. "Granted, I doubt Aza would have allowed that to happen, even if she hadn't made her move on you."
Issei blinked at that. "What do you mean?"
Yidrah stopped to look Issei in the eye. "This isn't the first time she offered her heart to you, Issei Hyoudou. It's just the first time you accepted."
"Yeah, well, I was probably an idiot in my past lives then," Issei all but grumbled to himself.
Yidrah smiled. "It is kind that you think so, but no. Sometimes you had a personal reason to decline, others, the Sultana didn't present her love so delicately."
Issei stopped and looked at Yidrah again, recognition in his eyes. "Wait, you mean you knew me in past lives?"
"I've kept watch over the Queen's eternal courtship of you, as have others," Yidrah admitted. "Whenever you turn her down, she holds true to her promise: you have a life of happiness, even without her. And she tries to ensure you survive long enough for her to make the offer to begin with."
"So, if Aza hadn't been there to save me...?" Issei trailed off in thought.
"The Devils were aware of your potential as well. You would have been saved and reincarnated as one of them, no doubt," Yidrah informed. "And I'm sure you would have found everything you had ever wanted had you not become her beloved."
There was a long silence over the two, the crowds of people seemingly ignoring them. His shoulders sagging, Issei let out a sigh. "Yid. Can I call you Yid?" she raised an eyebrow but didn't deny his request. "What does a guy like me possibly give to Aza? Because I'm feeling more and more like I owe her a gift or something, a surprise."
Yidrah blinked, almost startled. "Forgive me, that wasn't my intent. I...may grasp humans well, but I forgot for an instance you are barely Eldritch in mind as it is. Your love is honestly all she desires; your love and your happiness."
"Yeah, but I'm not asshole enough to not want to give a bit back for that," Issei said with a frown. "What do...Eldritch couples do for gifts?"
Yidrah paused to consider that. "Most of them may be...beyond you for the moment."
"Well, yeah, I'd write her a love letter in the stars if I could, but that's a long way off my power scale," Issei reasoned.
"I was considering some of the rituals eldritch have their personal cults perform for another god they fancy," Yidrah answered.
"That seems...you know, I was going to say lazy, but I can see how it could be kind of touching," Issei accepted before shaking his head. "Thanks for talking with me, Yid, but we should probably get back to this Koneko business."
Yidrah nodded in acceptance, giving thoughtful looks to the back of the young king.
Meanwhile
"You did what?!"
Akeno crossed her arms. "We already talked about this before, Rias."
"Yes, but I thought you'd at least warn me before you tried this!" Rias said, massaging her eyes in frustration. "Do you not understand how dangerous this is, Akeno?"
Akeno frowned at her friend and king. "I-"
"No, stop, that was rhetorical," Rias said flatly, a hand on her hip. "Okay, ignoring the disaster that would could happen from even just annoying...Aza, you just asked for Eldritch help. Through Issei Hyoudou, but Eldritch help all the same. You know that's a gamble."
"And you saw the blood in the bathroom!" Akeno hissed to not yell. "Koneko is hurting, maybe even dying in her own mind. Someone obviously helped her here, but we have no idea if they healed her mind at all."
"That part you're wrong about," Rias said with a sigh, forcing herself to remain calm. "Partially at least."
Akeno raised an uncertain brow. "How so?"
"Akeno, the Eldritch are something my parents pounded into my head, specifically how dangerous the Outer Gods are. And I'm going to be honest, Koneko was probably brain dead after being that close to the Eldritch Queen's power," Rias informed, Akeno looking alarmed by that. "My brother agrees with me. Someone had to have healed Koneko to be doing as well as she is."
"Why didn't you tell me that when I offered to ask Issei about this before?" Akeno asked curiously.
Rias's frown deepened. "Because it's not a bad idea. We have no way of knowing right now if she's healed as best as she can be or if it's just a...patch job, for lack of a better word. I just don't know how Aza will react to us reaching out like this."
Akeno paused in consideration. "I'm not sorry I did it, but I'm sorry I didn't tell you in advance."
"I should really spank you for that, but your sadomasochism kind of ruins that as a punishment," Rias remarked with an annoyed look.
Akeno smiled playfully. "You know you're always welcome to try, Rias."
Rias shook her head at that. "I have a better idea. After all, we can't exactly spring this on Koneko."
Akeno winced. "Right. How should we go about that?" she asked in concern.
"We?" Rias asked with a smirk.
Akeno rolled her eyes at that. "Okay, how should "I" break it to Koneko while you're there for emotional support?"
"What's going on with Koneko?"
Both she-devils turned to see Rias's knight approaching them. "Kiba," Rias greeted with a smile. "Sorry, we were just talking about getting Koneko some...help for what happened."
Kiba paused at that, tensing just a bit. "I don't suppose you just told her that?" he asked warily.
"We're about to tell her now, actually," Akeno answered with a furrowed brow. "Why?"
Kiba looked troubled at that. "Because I just saw Koneko running away from this room."
Akeno inhaled as Rias cursed. "Dammit. This was what I was afraid of. Come on, we need to find her before she causes a scene."
Meanwhile
Koneko was running. She was probably running faster than she should be, pretending to be human and all, but she didn't care. She had to hide. She had to get away, get out. Something was coming, something like Her, and she couldn't be here for that! She couldn't bear to even think about going back to...to...to whatever dark, terrible place her mind had fallen into when the Eldritch Queen sprinkled her wrath upon reality!
She could see them now, everywhere. The eyes, the tentacles, the mouths!
She Was Starting To Hear Them!
Dark, terrible, ancient words dripping into her skull, evil truths creeping into her bones!
Had to get away, shut them out, make them stop.
Makethemstopmakethemstopmakethemstop-
"UFH!"
She slammed into something. But she didn't fall. The something was holding her.
"ieieieieieieieieeieieieie."
There was a noise in her ear. Something like the hissing of air from a balloon, but lower and deadly. She turned and saw a face. A deceptively human face, but those eyes were not right. Not right at all.
"Settle down, Gactha."
The voice drew her to what, or who was holding her. She shivered again as her eyes crept up and put the face to the voice that she wished to have misheard.
Issei Hyoudou. The one with the Eldritch Queen.
He was smiling at her. "Hey, Koneko, right? You okay?"
She wasn't. He knew she wasn't.
"Where is She?" Koneko asked with a trembling voice. Before he could answer, she continued. "Don't make me come near Her."
Issei blinked. "Who? Aza? Don't worry, she's not here," he assured before glancing around. "Well, not the real her. She might have left an illusion around."
Koneko felt her breathing calm, just a bit, enough to actually hear her heart drumming in her ears. She saw where they were now, at the gates to the school. Everyone was ignoring them.
Even the gothic purple-haired woman, who felt oddly familiar for someone Koneko knew she had never met.
"Hello again, little Shirone," she greeted idly. "I see you need another healing session."
Another? When had-? "Madam...Yi?" Koneko whispered slowly.
There was a nod and a smile, but Issei looked back in confusion. "Madam Yi?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yi" nodded in answer. "One of my lesser names."
"Ah, right. Yog mentioned that, I think," Issei recalled idly.
"Koneko!"
She froze and turned around to see Kiba-
But it wasn't Kiba, because Kiba didn't have tentacles or scales, or that many mouths and feet.
-followed by Rias and Akeno-
Each was being followed by one-eyed creatures of smoke that whispered such loud and terrible lies than sounded like truth: they wanted Koneko's mind to break, they were selling her to the Eldritch, they could get her sister anyway, and more.
-looking relieved to see her until they realized who was holding her-
They were going to abandon her, run, run, run away!
-before they raced forth once more-
They were going to diediediedie!
Gactha stepped in front of them. "Stay where you are, netherworms," she barked without raising her ice-cold voice.
The trio stopped and scowled at the sudden threat. And so did Issei. "Gactha, what are you doing?"
"I'm here to protect you, Master," Gactha reminded simply.
"Yeah, well, stand down," he ordered with a sigh. She did so, but Koneko could somehow smell her reluctance.
And hear the very emotion of amusement radiating from the silent Madam Yi.
"Sorry about that, she's a bit overprotective," Issei apologized weakly.
"Thanks. But...do you mind letting Koneko go now?" Rias asked tensely, looking pointedly at Issei's loose hold on the white-haired girl.
"I will, as soon as she releases this death grip on my shirt," Issei answered, glancing down.
Koneko did as well, absently noting she was indeed grabbing his shirt, at the sides near the pockets.
Steady, agonizingly, she unclasped them, and someone gasped because she was bleeding over herself and him.
"Shit," Issei said under his breath, knowing that wasn't his blood, as he looked to the trio. "Should we get a doctor or is that okay for devils?"
"She won't die, but it's definitely not okay," Rias answered in a concerned, almost maternal tone. She reached down and pulled Koneko into a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry we scared you like that."
Koneko nodded, almost entirely absent from what was said, but she knew Rias and the others would never try to harm her. It was her own head that was in all the wrong pieces.
"She's been around Azathoth again, hasn't she?"
Koneko refused to look, refused to move as Madam Yi's voice drifted into her ears.
"Don't worry, little Shirone, I won't let you shatter again."
End of Chapter
Okay, os, yeah. Koneko is getting some help, thanks to Yidrah. And yeah, as someone said, this did all kind of low-key backfire on Akeno, with Koneko having a mental breakdown at the thought of being face to face ith something even remotely on Aza's level.
Oh, yeah, and Yog is being Yog. Issei meanwhile is being the awkward yet good natured pervert he always is. He doesn't really grasp the whole "King of the Eldritch" thing, let alone that he basically got an Outer God to do a house call.
And yes, Yidrah is more or less stating that canon could have been the result of Issei not accepting Aza's offer.
Hope you all enjoyed this. Happy Halloween!
Early viewing of chapters 11-12 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64