ahsoei: Oh no, Albion does not have a crush on Iggy, more like he was sweet on Yggdrasil before his sealing so he is acting extra respectful to her daughter...Ddraig just likes messing with him XD
FateBurn: Thank you.
Hollowreaper 93: I hope the battle lives up to the hype :D
ranchboy1: I am glad you liked it! And yes he could compound the abilities before, however he was always restricted to five gems at once which was the limit of his powers. The idea is with Midgardsormr's power acting as a boost he can now have all nine active at once. He is stupidly strong XD It makes you wonder how a dragon who is too lazy to move most days got that strong.
God of war: That name does have a nice ring to it :) To put it in comparison, with Midgardsormr fueling him at full power, he might be able to take Sairaorg in a fight of pure strength. Midgardsormr is his first steps into the greater realm of Super and God class though just a small step for now. You aren't wrong, in canon it was Vidar who made a pact with him, how awkward if canon Vidar knew about RoH XD
fanficcyberman: That means so much to hear :) It seemed fitting for this particular dragon to like Dorian, what better deal with the laziest being than a place he can't be interrupted from sleep? lol. Exactly, there is something off that only the strongest beings can sense...and thank you for the kind words! Skye is really settling in well in her new home :D
Slayer Cross: That is true, Loki's machinations extend far beyond the present...and Modi's role is not entirely done ;) Aaww, I don't know what to say, you are a good guy too and I hope to never disappoint.
naruto: Thank you, it was a pretty crazy chapter lol. I have been building a lot of the Loki plots together since the beginning (Kara, the knife, etc.) and I hoped they all meshed well together.
Guest1: Ornstein XD I love the Dark Souls series so I bow to your reference. Not quite a dragon knight...but I have plans for Dorian's overall fate in the DxD universe ;) And don't cry, our favorite daughter of Thunder won't be alone...that I can promise you.
GunBlade2019: I most certainly will! The final battle begins now! :D
Alex019: I am so glad you are, it's people enjoying it that truly inspire me to continue.
Tohka123: I will do my best! I hope you enjoy the next 50 chapters as well
And with that...ONTO THE SHOW!
Dorian held onto Rossweisse tightly as the vortex cast them about to their destination. The normally quick transition was drawn out due to the distance of travel, he couldn't even guess at where they were headed. In that moment it did not matter, his grip on the Valkyrie's warm hand all the reassurance he needed. Finally their journey was over as the two were spit out of an exit rune into a howling blizzard, dropping ankle-deep into soft snow. The wind made it difficult to see, however it swiftly cleared to reveal a mountainside stretching before them. It took a moment of focus for the Einherjar's memory to catch up with his senses.
"Norway?" He remarked at the familiar mountainous landscape of his first hunt after awakening in Asgard months earlier. "Why here?"
"We needed a place to fight without collateral damage," Rossweisse explained. "Thrud had a suggestion."
That's right; she was here with me, if she hadn't saved me…
Dorian shook his head as his introduction to the Sage Art powers came back to him, instead turning towards their target floating high in the sky. Loki had already erected seals and barriers of every manner around his body, Fenrir requiring none stood poised to defend his father and strike when commanded. Their allies had spread out in their respective teams; Vali's group, Rias' peerage, Saji and those of the Crossroads who were able to leap within the seal before it closed. The situation had become a powder keg threatening to explode at the slightest provocation.
"You got us here, any plans now that we've arrived?"
"Did you bring Gleipnir?" Thrud asked as she found the pair, a sigh escaping her lips at Dorian's head shake.
"It should have been around six hours," he looked into his gear expectantly as if there was a timer. "But I haven't heard anything yet. We will need to keep Fenrir occupied until then; if Loki chooses to help him then we are in trouble."
"Bennia and Sona's team will alert the rulers of Hell, once we get some backup…"
"Well, this is one way to start the true festivities?" Loki mused at the assembled teams. "I suppose slaughtering the lot of you may sate my son's hunger if only for a moment."
"LORD LOKI!" Rossweisse called out retaining the honorific for his place among the gods despite all he had done. "This is utter madness, surrender now and you will be treated fairly!"
"Speak for yourself," Thrud muttered under her breath, the rage at Baldur's attack still fresh in her mind.
"If not, then in the name of the Gremory family you WILL be stopped here!" Rias' commanding tone worthy of the sister of a Satan rang through. Issei could not help but clench his fists in determination reinvigorated by his king and master.
"And I'll gladly kick your ass!"
"Children flailing with words against what they cannot comprehend," Loki smirked. "However talented some of you may be, none can challenge a god. I nearly killed you before Mr. Held and I will finish that task here and now!"
"So you did send Kara to kill me!?" Dorian stepped forward. "Where is she? What did you do with her?"
"So naïve," the God of mischief started as his build suddenly began to shrink. "You only saw what I wanted you to see, a paltry trick within my means and yet it fooled you so totally."
As he continued speaking, his voice grew soft and familiar. His body shrank yet chest ballooned out, hips contorting in a way unnatural to a man while his hair shortened and shifted hues. Dorian's eyes widened as the truth became apparent before him; Loki had disappeared to be replaced with Kara herself. Her gaze that bore through him as totally as her ice javelins had pierced his chest looked down at him once more.
"Y…you…?"
"Correct!" Loki replied wholly in Kara's soft voice. "I was your 'beloved' friend and classmate all along! My own daughter's likeness more than sufficed for a base, at that point it was simple to fashion an illusory shell around myself when physical contact was required. You never even suspect…"
"You KISSED me!" Dorian yelled out suddenly while he doubled over, chest heaving as if to throw up yet nothing would come. He dry heaved over and over, the assembled teams glancing at each other awkwardly as Rossweisse attempted to console him with pats on the back. "You propositioned me! Pressed your breasts against my…"
He could not finish as the dry heaves came again.
"Aww, suppose I won't be first," Kuroka remarked with just a hint of genuine disappointment unaware that she wasn't the only one who thought the same.
"He kissed you?" Issei's face contorted at the words. "I can't think of anything more horrible to witness!"
"How about blowing off another guy's clothes?"
"TOO FAR KONEKO!" Issei screamed at Rias' rook who barely restrained a smirk of victory at her upperclassman's expense.
"Are you done yet?" Loki glared flatly, unamused at Dorian's disgust of the reveal as he reverted back to his true form. The Einherjar only held up a single finger asking for another moment, a final heave signaling the end of his attempted wretches.
"You did that, stole Hrotti, framed Rossweisse, even…"
"Lobotomized my brother!" Thrud's rage broke through what calm she had collected, the image of her brother flaring anew within her at each visit she could make. "Do you know how the last months have been like!? That empty look even after he was on his feet again? He only just remembered my name!"
"Thrud…" Rossweisse laid a hand on her shoulder but was ignored; nothing would dissuade her except Loki's defeat.
"He shouldn't have been so weak, losing to THAT one? He was as much a shame as he felt he was deep down."
"You are surrounded!" Rias announced, hoping to end the conflict with minimal casualties. "The leaders with power to deal with your son are en route, there is no escape."
"Of that you are mistaken little girl," Loki's tone was far too calm for one in his situation. Holding his hand up, he revealed an encircled pentagram etched onto the back. Only Dorian and Rossweisse understood it was a fusion of Norse runic seals and devil magic. Powered by the strength of a god, there was no telling what it could do but they did not have to wait long for the answer.
"I have more family than you realize!"
Lightning struck the ground similar to that which had brought Hecuba and Despoina to the battlefield back at Olympus. As before, it opened a path straight to them from parts unknown. Soon more shapes were standing beside the wayward god, numbers stretching into the distance. Beside Fenrir howled a pair of smaller wolves who could only be his progeny. While smaller than their father, still growing since their birth, their power was undeniable having inherited the monstrous strength. Worse yet, in the back slithered a mass of scales that took the group a moment to realize they were in fact numerous immense serpents that looked unmistakably familiar.
"Skoll…Hati," Dorian guessed their identity as the sons of Fenrir. "What are those dragons?"
"Clones of Midgardsormr," Vali answered for them. "During his time with the brigade they assisted with attempting to replicate his son's incredible powers. "They failed of course but had quite a few failed specimens leftover of the younger. It seems they were indoctrinated to remain loyal to him."
That must have been layered runes of summoning; the other abilities may have augmented the range and acted like a beacon to call them in. If he was really Kara…I can't believe I learned that trick from him!
"You no longer hold the numbers," Loki sneered. "Once your friends are butchered we may speak in private about your gear Mr. Held."
"Not going to happen!" Dorian stepped forward. While weaponless, he still commanded his balance breaker. Holding out both hands, he formed high impact runes in each hand prepared to battle as Rossweisse often did. With the power boost from his gear, his seals could surpass even hers in potency. "You betrayed Asgard, tried to get Rossweisse killed, maimed Thrud's brother AND uncle, killed many at the gala…you will go NO further!"
"Me? But it was that one who slew the god of light," he grinned while pointing a long finger squarely at Hecuba. "I am surprised they allow such a monster to walk free."
The young Spartan grimaced, face contorting in rage as Monster's Bane was drawn forth, the black blade angled to line up with his throat.
"The only monster here is the one who will be felled by this sword!" She roared, taking a step forward.
"Hecuba, he's trying to goad you," Dorian warned knowing full well her strength was no match for a god. "You are a hero; nothing he says will change that."
"Our families are counting on us to delay Loki until help arrives," Rias spoke up next. "So until then that is EXACTLY what we are going to do!"
"Leave Fenrir to us, do NOT interfere," Vali commanded as his white Balance Breaker exploded forth. "Arthur, Kuroka…GO!"
"Rossweisse, help with those Midgardsormr clones!" Dorian commanded, his leadership side shining through. "Hecuba, take Xenovia and Irina to fight Skoll and Hati."
Their build is similar to Cerberus, perhaps her experience will help.
"Don't even think of sending me elsewhere," Thrud's eyes threatened Dorian. "Loki is mine."
"Not alone," Dorian returned her stern gaze as the master and student's understanding of one another peaked. "We'll fight him together."
"Issei, you will join them," Rias commanded her pawn before her gaze grew gentle. "Don't you dare die, Asia will back you up." A simple nod was all the command required for Kiba to understand his place against Fenrir's pups with Honda. "Koneko, your Sage Arts may be best…"
"Against the god-eater," the nekoshou sighed as her ears and tail emerged. She had qualms against fighting alongside her sister but at the moment they had no hope of slaying him directly. Only with Sage Arts could they hope to perhaps slow him down long enough for help to arrive. Ever loyal to her king and friend, she raced towards Vali's team already engaged across the snow-covered terrain.
"Akeno and I will join Rossweisse against the clones. We will ALL survive this and make it back to Kuoh together!"
"Aww, the insects have banded together. The outcome with be the same. Boys," Loki clapped his hands together in a commanding fashion. "Dinner is served!"
Watching from afar…
In a different place, a young woman watched the conflict while leaning upon a familiar gnarled staff. Her golden eyes viewed the collection of powers from across the realms with a calm unreadable expression. She was completely stoic, only the footsteps of soft feet approaching from behind to produce a reaction.
"Ouroboros, how you've grown."
"Yet you've remained the same," the small girl replied with a flat tone and content smile as she strolled over to the edge of the cliff. "I never expected to see you in this plane again."
"I could say the same of you; I hadn't planned to try again after that boredom at Salem. I see you shed that old decrepit shell."
"I felt a change of pace was needed, a single form gets so boring after a few centuries."
"Still obsessed with the red one?"
"Of course, until I can get home I will do whatever I can."
"You children…always obsessed with returning home, silence is not always golden.
"You are acting a few years younger yourself; I saw why you are so interested in him. That vampiric daughter saw the same."
"Then you would be just as curious. A single speck of difference and the rest of the painting changes."
"And you want to paint something new?"
"Oh no, that would make things boring again. For once I want to see where the brush takes itself…"
In the Snow…
"Take this!" Akeno cried out as her true lightning of Heaven rained down upon the cloned copies of the Midgard Serpent.
Fortunately for Akeno, Rias and Rossweisse, the clones paled in comparison to the original. Unlike their namesake whose body stretched over six-hundred meters, the imitations barely reached twenty. All the same, they were colossal compared to the three women with power to spare, the first wave being blasted back by the half-devil's barrage yet taking little damage. Rias followed suit with her power of destruction yet had similar results. With wings extended, the pair soared across the battlefield beneath and over the serpent bodies. Yet no matter how agile they were, without the ability to defeat their foes it was only a matter of time before they started to grow weary.
"Begone!" Rossweisse declared as her seals materialized, unleashing a rainbow colored plethora of attacks. Under the tremendous barrage, the clones receded briefly, their scales tarnished but unbroken. "They're so strong."
"We can't let up!" Rias called out, a constant stream of energy erupting from her hands. "If they get past us the others will be overwhelmed!"
The mindless clones roared in frustration at the hindrance to their meal. Opening their maws, a stream of fire emerged from the bellies of each one. Rias' eyes grew wide as dozens of burning snakes arched overhead cascading down upon them.
"Look out!" Akeno cried, forming barriers of defense which Rias supplemented with her own. Even so, the two talented women found themselves buckling under the pressure without a chance to retaliate. "We can't fail here, not after I've finally gotten to know him, to move on from the past." Rias did not need to ask to whom her queen and friend was referring.
We're losing ground; Rossweisse wiped some sweat from her brow. If we don't think of something soon we'll be pushed back into the others. I don't even want to conceive how deadly it would be to face them AND Fenrir's prodigy at once. Their scales are so strong; thank Freyja they don't seem to have their namesake's immunity to magi…
"Try to delay them!" Rossweisse begged the two devils as the thought entered her mind in a flash. "I might have an idea!"
Across the field…
Kiba crossed his swords, barely stopping the dripping fangs of Hati from rending their flesh. Even with the certain death stopped, the force behind the smaller wolf caused the young knight to be pushed back, feet grinding a path through the rock. Behind Hati, Saji had wrapped a line extending to his black dragon Sacred Gear in order to drain stamina and energy. Despite this plan, his opponent had enough of both to render his attempts to hinder him almost useless.
Kiba parried the tooth to the side, summersaulting over to slash across the snout. As before, his blade skidded across the surface but refused to penetrate. He was too slow landing, catching a paw in the back that knocked the wind out of him before casting him into a snow drift to disappear within the white.
Honda picked himself up, the makeshift helmet cast aside to reveal the fact that no one resided within. With a mighty leap, the dullahan rook delivered a double-fisted strike to the back of Hati's skull, causing its legs to collapse and shatter the ground beneath. Despite the valiant effort, a new paw swipe caught the armor who grabbed it at the last moment. With groaning steel, Honda held his ground against the superior foe.
"He's as tough as his daddy!" Saji called out while being dragged in by his own tether. "If he'd been given more time to grow we'd be fighting three Fenrirs!"
As the men tussled with Hati, the sword sisters danced with Skoll. Watching each other's back, Irina, Xenovia and Hecuba spun with the grace and skill honed from years of constant practice. Excalibur sang, glancing off a talon just as the smallest of the wolves lashed out it was already too late and hit empty air. Durandal caught the paw, parrying it to the side at great effort as Monster's Bane darted in close. To their distress, even the blade made of the bones of one of the eldest beings barely scratched a single talon.
"Hold onto me, NIGHTMARE!" Irina called out. As the others gripped her shoulder the power of the Excalibur included them in its magic, causing dozens of copies of each girl to appear across the battlefield. Skoll shook his head in frustration, massive feet batting at each one in frustration as they popped into a puff of smoke with each successful strike.
Unbeknownst to the thrashing beast, the three moved under the cover of the holy sword's next ability, transparency, leaving them invisible to the naked eye. It was taxing on the young angel's stamina but she bore it for them. The three waited until directly beneath it to enact their plan. Working fast they split apart with Irina and Xenovia hoisting Hecuba into the air upon her shield. Leaving it behind, the Spartan pushed off with all her might, flying towards Skoll's face with a roar of pent up anger. Finding her mark, Monster's Bane served its purpose, sinking into an exposed eye unprepared for foes so close. The youngest son of Loki roared in pain he had never felt before, all but ignoring the other two delivering powerful attacks into his feet in an attempt to bring him down.
"Your family…will harm no one else!"
Hecuba grunted as she held on among the powerful shakes and whips back and forth as Skoll sought to dislodge her. Her sword had pierced nearly half its length into the eye with bubbling blood and puss spilling forth, the smell nearly making even her cast-iron stomach turn. With each thunderous attempt to remove her she held on, the movement only exacerbating the pain. Despite Hecuba's monumental strength, her arm grew sore and strained with each motion until it could take no more.
Losing the grip, she slipped from her blade remaining within the bleeding sphere to fly through the air. Her journey was short lived as Skoll batted aside the two at his feet, leaping up to catch Hecuba in his fangs, maw clamping down.
"GAAAHHHHH!" Hecuba roared in excruciating pain as her armor dented inward biting into her hip. It was only through a combination of the beast being distracted by the pain and the strength of her armor that prevented the young woman from being bitten clean in two.
"Release her!" Xenovia fired a line of fire from Angurvadal crossed with one of holy energy from Durandal like an X. Irina did the same from Excalibur as the attacks exploded upon contact, rocking the monster yet it remained standing.
The desperation of the pair only grew with Hecuba's cries of pain. For every moment they failed to extricate her, the greater the chance of her armor finally caving in under the pressure. Yet no matter what the two thought, a means of piercing the seemingly impenetrable flesh inherited from the god-eater eluded them like the setting sun and rising moon…
In the Skies above…
"Step out from your seals and fight like a man!" Thrud roared, her axe clashing against one of the many barriers erected by Loki against them. Not even Gulbjorn would easily pierce a shield generated by one of the Norse Pantheon.
"Take this you bastard!" Issei charged in, an expanding mass of red energy in his hand.
BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!
The energy built toward its peak and fired, the Dragon Shot following up Thrud's strike on the same seal. Before it reached, a series of three hexagonal seals materialized between them courtesy of Dorian.
Calculate the energy output of the opposing seals, invert polarity, add power to it and…
Dorian's internal monologue kept him focused as his assault interfered with the existing seals much like a jamming signal. To the amazement of all, Issei's attack punched through the weakened barrier at the last moment. The group let out a collective curse of frustration as the god backhanded the attack, redirecting it away from him with only an insignificant smudge marring his skin.
"A pitiful yet admirable effort," Loki lorded over them. "If you or Magni had been my eyes, pulling the wool over the Allfather would have been all the simpler. Instead I was forced to utilize that oaf of a brother of yours."
"You'll pay for what you did," Thrud kept her rage in check, lightning channeling across her weapon so mightily that stray sparks melted the snow and marred the ground around her. "Together!"
The three fighters leapt as one, surrounding Loki before raining down a combined flurry of strikes. Issei drew forth Ascalon, throwing blow after blow as Thrud did the same with her axe, each strike powerful enough to shatter bones. Dorian tapped into more power now available to him from Midgardsormr, augmenting the seals of offense he held in each hand while still weaponless. Nine gems shined brightly for the first time all at once in their separate forms though Nidavellir's eye remained shut and Midgard's power unknown.
More power, magic, light, everything! Iggy cried out, half-screaming her words in excitement as the power flowed through her into him. I have never felt so energized Dorian! Keep going!
Kick his ass!
The three did not let up, throwing everything they had, amazingly, they pushed him back little by little as one seal broke after another. Ducking one of Thrud's blows, Loki unexpectedly drew close, cracking Issei in the chest with a powerful blow sending him flying with his Jotun strength. All the while, his static defenses and wards around him delayed the two other fighters.
"Molding Modi's mind all those years under the nose of his very family was almost too easy," Loki mocked as a wall of fire encompassed Thrud who ignored the flams to punch through. "Eradicating his mind even easier, not much to burn anyway…"
"YOU BASTARD!" The daughter of thunder raised Gulbjorn high, adding a strike of lightning from the heavens to the already impressive weapon. Ignoring the opening left in her defenses from the gesture, she hurled the fully charged weapon towards Loki at full strength.
"Thrud, be care…!" Dorian wanted to shout only to gasp that somehow her weapon blew through every ward in its path, embedding itself in the crazed god's shoulder.
Loki screamed in pain before plummeting to the ground, smashing through the snow to lie crumpled below. Thrud and Dorian lowered down gently prepared for when he would get back up with the next remark of their inconsequential nature. Somehow, that did not happen, Loki was unconscious, utterly beaten.
"I…I don't believe it," Dorian sighed with a smile, glancing over to an equally perplexed Thrud who was only now letting their victory sink in. The axe was lodged deep in the god's flesh, blood seeping out around the wound. "I can see why your father chose that weapon first!"
Check again.
"What did you say Thrud?"
"What? I didn't say anything, I'll go check on Issei…if I stay here I don't know if he'll live to face justice in Asgard. Once we pick ourselves up we can help delay Fenrir until Gleipnir is done." With that last word she rushed towards the Red Dragon Emperor picking himself up while shaking the snow off.
"Check again?" Dorian felt a great unease in his chest. With a nagging dread that would not depart, he raised the light of Alfheim over the bested foe, a flash going off just as all hope drained from his face.
Below him no longer laid Loki, but Issei with Gulbjorn protruding from his shoulder. The perverted dragon's Scale Mail armor had been pierced by Thrud's attack, his helmet shattered to reveal his bloodied but still breathing face. Loki's illusions had fooled them all.
"THRUD!" Dorian screamed across the way. "THAT'S NOT…!"
A shockwave of pure power struck him in the chest, his augmented strength barely weathering it as the Einherjar was blown backwards several feet. When the blinding cold had subsided from his eyes, Dorian spotted Thrud hanging limp by the throat, Loki standing tall with no visible injuries on his body.
"So easily fooled," he sneered smugly at his defeated opponent, blood dripping from a hole in her chest. "I suppose it DOES run in your family."
With Fenrir's sons…
"This is complete shit!" Saji grunted through his teeth. He was stealing more power from Hati, refueling his reserves all the while unleashing blast after blast of fire, yet the wolf never slowed his attack. Kiba was bleeding and bruised, even Honda's armor was dented inward with a useless right arm. "What good is this gear if I can't do anything?"
Can't do anything? You sure are a rude one aren't you?
"Who said that?"
I did, quite frankly I was fine sleeping since Azazel restored my consciousness but you seem intent on making this your problem.
"Vritra?" Saji realized the voice was coming from inside himself. With a confused gasp he locked eyes on his black Sacred Gear.
The same, why are you letting these mongrels walk all over you?
"It's not like we're just LETTING them," Saji grumbled upon realizing this had to be a result of the remaining fragments Azazel had placed in his gear. After being called to the side, the fallen angel had implanted additional pieces of Vritra's power into his gear resulting in her mind having reconstituted within him.
You have no idea what we are capable of, give me the reins and we'll make quick work of this one.
"I seem to recall Azazel calling you an EVIL dragon and I don't feel much like turning over the wheel."
The young pawn found himself lifted into the air as Hati rounded on him, raising a leg to send him crashing into the cliffside nearby. Despite the pain wracking his body, he refused to release his grip on the pup.
You'll die at this rate, I'd very much NOT like to have that happen after I can finally think for myself after so long.
"Fine damnit," Saji spat blood into the white snow as he struggled to his feet. "If Issei can command a dragon then I suppose I'd have to do it myself one of these days. Show me what you've got but don't you DARE take everything, Sona would never forgive me if I gave in so easily!"
Well said, taste my might in truth!
A dark purple cloud blasted from the Sacred Gear, billowing around Saji like a funnel until he was completely enclosed by it. Despite the horrific image, the young man didn't stop smiling as Hati stopped battering the outmatched swordsman and rook toward the new threat. Like a confused puppy, he tilted his head to the side, uncertain what to make of the scene.
"I'm catching up to you Issei!" Saji screamed at the top of his lungs. "You just wait…VRITRA PROMOTION!"
With that last word the devil disappeared into the smoke which plumed into the air dwarfing even Hati in size. As the seconds ticked by, the cloud warped and took shape unrecognizable until the very end. In that moment, a great black and purple Eastern-serpent dragon loomed over the battlefield. Violet eyes bored through the son of Fenrir while tendrils writhed across its body lashing forward to seize the wolf as the absorption line had from Saji only moments ago. With all confusion gone, Hati bit into the dragon's body, eliciting a howl of pain from the revived dragon.
"I don't believe it," Kiba muttered as he looked up at his ally clearly lost to the power.
The two tussled, fought and roared, their throes shattering the ground and mountain they came into contact with all as Vritra's tentacles continued to absorb what it could from Hati. As powerful as the dragon was however, blood seeped from the black scales while wounds seemed to avoid Hati.
"K-Kiba!" The voice of an exhausted and injured Saji echoed across the field, the pain having snapped him from the berserker state consuming his mind. "W-we can hold him here, Vritra's power can negate whatever is keeping us from hurting him but YOU have to take the shot. We can't do anything like this!"
"Understood! Honda!" Kiba called out to his fellow teammate who had picked themselves up from the last hit.
With a nod, Honda understood his request and unlatched the locks on the side of his breastplate. With a creaky swing, the armor fell open to reveal the empty space within. Wasting no time, Kiba dove for it, landing inside fitting like a puzzle piece as the suit sealed shut around him. Strength surged through his body, the armor wrapping around to fit him perfectly, such was Honda's power for any who donned him. Kiba was not finished, however as they had perhaps only one shot to end the enemy before them.
"SWORD BIRTH!" He roared with weapon outstretched. Holy-demonic blades exploded across the surface of the metal, taking up one in his offhand.
Honda's armor had been reinforced, the damages and dents restored using the blades scattered about his body. The devil knight was truly intimidating, his new garb not only threatening any who dare come close but also becoming a sword-generator of the dullahan's armor mixed with his Sacred Gear. He would never want for weapons. Only Kiba's bloodied head was visible, a look of pure focus as he eyed Hati in the distance. With a power unattainable to him before, he launched with a thunderous boom easily clearing the distance. The son of Fenrir could not move, being held with what strength Vritra maintained to hold him as the twin Holy-demonic blades struck the center of his skull. As promised, the vaunted invincibility of his father had been negated by Saji's power, allowing the weapon to split down the center. Ignoring the pain, Kiba continued the path through the wolf, the augmented armor allowing him to plow through like a knife through paper. At last, he emerged out the other side, the dark blood sliding off to stain the snow below. With a final howl of defeat, Hati's halves toppled over utterly motionless.
Not….bad, I may be able to cut loose again after all…
Vritra's restored body evaporated with the threat ended, the clouds parting to reveal Saji within, eyes glossed over as he had lost consciousness. Once reaching the safety of the ground he fell forward, the snow cushioning his impact into a gentle embrace.
"Thank you Honda," Kiba gasped as the blades encrusting the surface disappeared as well. "But it is quite a strain wearing you; please, keep us safe until we can…"
He did not get a chance to finish, the young knight passing out from blood loss and exhaustion within the suit. Honda obeyed his final order, huddling closer to Saji to keep him safe, the headless armor staring off into the distance at the battles still raging across that lonely mountainside.
Elsewhere…
"Kyaah!" Akeno cried as a Midgardsormr clone slipped through her defenses, body slamming her out of the air.
Rias was fairing little better, wiping a bit of blood from her lips as more fell from a gash on her forehead. The pair had managed to drop a handful of clones but it was taking too long. With the amount of energy required to defeat even one made handling the dozen or more remaining was too much.
We'll run out before we get to the rest, the Gremory heiress grumbled as she helped Akeno back up. Issei, will I ever hear you say my name?
Rossweisse was still across the field, protected by the pair at all cost. Since withdrawing she had been etching symbols into the rock that neither of them could make out. Sweat covered her brow as the Valkyrie worked fast without making a single mistake which would require her to start over.
"Holy Lightning and Destruction seem to be inadequate," Akeno remarked with a playful grin, trying to keep the seriousness of her injuries from showing through. "And just as I started using it too."
"Neither one can face even the imitations of a dragon king alone," Rias admitted. "But let's try this," she cupped her hand gently over Akeno's. The two locked eyes with a mutually trusting smile between them, Rias' family had taken the young queen in as a child and if there was any she trusted most in the world it was her.
"Together," she whispered as both raised their interlocked arms.
The skies darkened with more than simple clouds as a bolt of lightning from Heaven descended, striking the embracing women who grunted in pain as they held their ground. Rias' body was unaccustomed to the force of her kind's natural enemy; however Akeno's presence allowed her to withstand it as a gale of black energy welled up from the Gremory heiress to swirl around them.
"Holy Destruction!" The two cried as one as the lightning passed through the aura, exiting the other side as black as the wings upon their backs. Shooting across the field, the head of the lightning took on the shape of a roaring dragon eyes with focused on the foe ahead.
Every drop of snow between them and the nearest clone evaporated instantly as the fused assault cracked it in the snout. A cataclysmic explosion detonated at the point of impact, casting what remained of the dragon's smoking husk backwards to spread fear among his remaining brethren. Even with their simple minds they understood the concept of annihilation. Only the clone's lack of knowledge that the exhausted devils could only muster another one or two such shots held them at bay from advancing.
"I'm done! Get behind the glyphs!" Rossweisse called out at last, satisfied with her understanding of the tome gifted from the King of Olympus himself. "NOW!"
Rias and Akeno complied, letting the radiating energy dissipate to withdraw back to where their friend had been working. The clones did not hesitate; once the terrifying aura had dispersed they advanced with renewed fervor towards the three. The women took up position once in a place they considered safe, prepared to unleash what remaining joint attack they could.
"By the Gorgon's Gaze!" Rossweisse cried as she poured her energy into the makeshift rune, igniting its power as the clones drew closer, mouths opening to reveal rows of teeth.
The flash of light forced the women to shield their eyes seconds before the monsters would have reached them. An ominous silence followed as no assault of fangs and scales reached them. Once their eyes refocused, Akeno jumped slightly at the sight of the stampeding dragons mere centimeters before their faces. The fear passed upon realizing they had lost their pale green complexion in exchange for a grey rocky texture. The entirety of the Midgardsormr clones had been petrified, turned entirely to stone using magic emulated from the natural abilities of Medusa. It was the same magic Rossweisse had worked into the nine-pointed star brooch she had gifted Dorian long ago now resting proudly on his breast.
Akeno smiled with a new release of lightning, shattering every clone in its path, reducing them to nothing more than scattered pebbles.
"Good…work," Rias gasped, the aches and sores of her body she had been ignoring starting to come to the forefront. She had little time to rest, however as Akeno slumped forward, the crimson-haired devil barely catching her before she struck the snow.
"Sorry Rias," she smiled despite the toll protecting her against the Holy Lightning had taken. "I just…need a breather."
"We both do Akeno," Rias sighed at her dedication before looking up at Rossweisse, the only one among them still in any shape to fight. "Help the others; we'll catch up when we can."
"Of course!" She nodded before taking off towards the other battles raging around them glancing towards the mischievous god himself floating in the distance.
She really is something; Rias could not help but think as she exhaled deeply in relief. It's too bad she'd never leave the Crossroads or that young man, what an amazing peerage member she would have made.
With the last son of Fenrir…
"Release her at once! Lord grant me strength, AMEN!" Irina took to the skies upon her angel wings, soaring out of the reach of Skoll who snapped upwards in vain.
As Irina rained down attacks of Excalibur Destruction from above, Xenovia kept up the offensive on his paws hoping to destabilize him. Through it all, Hecuba struggled in his grip, the pain beyond reason as she focused on her training to block it out best as she could. Growls of anger and to vent the agony grew louder as Monster's Bane remained protruding from his eye just out of reach.
I won't…give up here, if this was all it took to stop me I would never have left Olympus!
Hecuba seized the sheath at her hip fashioned from the skin of Echidna as the blade had been from her bones. Biting her lip to remain conscious, she rammed it between two of Skoll's teeth, twisting it harshly. The Spartan gasped as the mouth opened just enough, allowing her to slip through at the cost of her breastplate torn free to leave her in the undertunic matching her hair. With nowhere else to go she fell, the ground fast approaching.
"GRAB ON!" Irina dove, gripping her friend by the arm and banking up before impact. "I'll take you someplace safe to…"
"NO!" Hecuba shouted down the well-meaning effort. "Take me down, I need to finish this." With her chin she motioned towards the hilt of her sword, Skoll still attempting to free it with a paw while the other batted at the mobile Xenovia.
"But…"
"That eye is the only injury he's taken! It may be a weakness in his invulnerability from being so young. We can't afford to let him dislodge it!"
Nodding with an apprehensive look of worry, Irina dove lower while darting across the sky in an attempt to evade any attempts should Skoll spot their approach. For the moment his attention was split between the agony in his eye and Xenovia still weaving around his haphazard attempts to locate her. They succeeded in avoiding his gaze until they were just above him.
"NOW!" Hecuba cried as Irina released her, floating close for a speedy rescue if required.
Solely focused on her target, Hecuba pulled her hands to her side to fall as straight as an arrow from Thrud's bow. To her horror, Skoll smelled her approach and shifted to the left, causing him to move out of the way of her path. With her current velocity and path she would miss him entirely to crash into the ground.
"OVER HERE! May the light of God judge you!" Irina cried upon seeing her predicament. Drawing as much attention as she could, she fired another blast of Excalibur Destruction while generating copies of herself via Nightmare off to Skoll's left.
The plan worked, Skoll heard and felt her strike, snapping right to barely clip one of her wings. With a cry of pain the reborn angel fell earthbound to be caught by Xenovia with a quick leap. By the time he realized no further enemies had approached him from that side it was already too late. Hecuba landed on his head, her cracked bones straining as she gripped Monster's Bane. Planting a foot, she twisted the blade and pulled hard, tearing it out utterly blinding the beast in that eye. In surprise and shock, the wolf reared up, crashing into the mountain shaking the snow loose around them.
"It ends now," Hecuba muttered, aiming her recovered sword towards the now-empty socket, moving forward to plunge the sword into the exposed brain within.
She did not get the chance; before she could extend further a large body hip-checked Skoll, sending him flying with Hecuba being cast from his head. It was only by being so close to the ground before impact that allowed her to remain mostly unscathed. Feeling the pain of her previous injuries, the defeated Spartan groaned as she realized what happened.
Fenrir had entered the fray, tackling his son in order to extricate her from his head and save his life. Having seen the death of his first pup, he had broken off from his battle against Vali and his team to aid the last. Taking up position between them, Fenrir started licking Skoll's wounds, eyes locked on those that remained as if daring them to interrupt.
"Can you stand?" Xenovia rushed to her side as they spotted a familiar face approaching.
"Koneko?" What happened?
"Nothing good," the nekoshou rook replied flatly as she tore open Hecuba's tunic to reveal her bare chest. Placing a hand upon her sternum the first year student started healing what she could as fast as possible. Behind them they spotted Vali kneeling in the snow, bite indentations cracked through his white armor revealing not even his powers could contend with Fenrir's. Kuroka was doing much the same as Koneko, however was clearly enjoying it more. "I don't know what their plan was but it didn't work."
"We merely need to weaken the beast or await Gleipnir," the stoic voice of Arthur Pendragon added to her explanation. "If we can do one or the other then Fenrir will fall."
"Excalibur Ruler!" Irina gasped, having now seen his Holy Sword close up, the sole Excalibur no longer fused into her own. She was well aware of its power to subjugate those stabbed by it, a terrifying ability.
Was that their goal for Fenrir? Surely it would not work under normal circumstances against one so strong?
Arthur had clearly been fighting as hard as the rest, bruises and burn marks marring his suit and body. He retained the unnatural composure associated with one of his standing; however the barest note of heavier breathing could be noticed.
"We must recollect ourselves and strike again, facing father and son together shall be problematic."
"You're all insane…I love it," Kuroka answered bubbly as she floated down beside them. "Vali will be over shortly, just needs to wait a moment to let the wound close. If it weren't for my tender ministrations I doubt his shoulder would still be connected after a bite like that."
Skoll whimpered slightly as his ruined eye remained shut, the blood seeping around only now having started to slow. His cries of pain quickly turned to snarls of rage as he and Fenrir rounded on the Vali team and sword sisters. Kuroka raised her hands, causing illusions of herself to shimmer into being as Irina did the same with Excalibur, the others taking stances as best they could.
We can't win like this, Hecuba realized. Even with Vali's team, against both of these at once we need Gleipnir. Dorian, I've trusted you since Olympus, I know you won't fail us.
In the skies nearby…
"Hold on Issei!" Asia cried with worry in her voice, hands pressed firmly upon his ugly wound. Slowly but surely the regenerating flesh pushed Gulbjorn out while the overexerted former nun did the same for Thrud nearby, the hole in her gut nearly closed.
I'm almost done; if they can get back in the fight in time maybe we can help him.
Dorian was alone as the others received aid, doing all in his power to ensure Loki's gaze was directed at him and not their healer. His plan was working, though at great cost.
"Puppets of Odin Allfather," Loki hissed through scaled lips. Instead of the tall god of Asgard, a great serpent faced the Einherjar.
Dorian seized his foe in the binds of Jotunheim, but he slipped out in an instant. Fires of Musphelheim raged around them, yet the slippery opponent did not touch them. Dorian caught him with an expanded seal, blasting him backwards to gain distance. To those watching it was a fierce battle as the god played with his food while the Einherjar pulled out every move in his repertoire to fight back. The energy flowing from Midgardsormr pushed the young man to heights he never imagined, the only reason he was not instantly defeated.
With the light of Alfheim burning bright on two gems, Loki's illusions were dispelled before they could take effect. Unfortunately, the shape-shifting powers of Odin's blood-brother were no mere trick of the eyes. To have fun, he shifted between each monster he could think of; troll, bear and serpent. Each one Dorian seemed to best, but knew it was little more than tests like a child poking at a new toy. In a moment of exhaustion, the serpent wrapped around one arm then the other before coiling around his legs, dragging Dorian to his knees.
"Can't focusss on your seals can you? You thhhhink too much," he hissed with the forked tongue lashing tauntingly at his face. "Open the Roadsss and this will be over."
"Not…gonna…happen!" Dorian grunted as he shifted, a surge of Olympian electricity coiling across Loki's body. Even without Twilight Star he had previously tapped into the source of such power though to a lesser extent.
Pulling back to lick his wounds, Loki released him, leaving the still-smoking Balance Breaker armor to withdraw. Dorian was just as susceptible to the lightning, having taken as great a blow as his opponent. All the same he refused to buckle, getting back to his feel and taking up a new stance. The opening was all he needed, releasing a soft ball of flame from his hand, his stamina surging back to life. With a stare to make even a god tremble, he summoned offensive seals in each hand, holding them aloft ready to continue another round.
"You are tenacious," Loki admitted as he wiped away a burn from his cheek, brushing down his scuffed robe. "You struggle against the inevitable, Ragnarok WILL happen and you will be the instrument of its completion with I as its architect."
"Anything built by you is doomed to failure," Dorian growled as the gems lit up across his body. "BIFROST BARRAGE!"
Loki put out both hands as the rainbow blast slammed into them, his palms remaining outstretched resisting the cascade of power. Despite his pompous attitude, it became obvious even the god found himself straining against it, the sleeves of both arms fraying into nothing as the combined might of the nine realms was brought to bear against him. Dorian pushed back with everything he could muster, the spark of hope reigniting until the unthinkable happened.
Loki took a step forward pushing through the power despite his hands darkening and skin flaking under the attack. With a grin assured in his dominance, he took another step and another striding through Dorian's ultimate ability as if it were a mild nuisance.
Iggy, can we get anymore from Midgardsormr?
I…am trying, but it is so much. I cannot…it is taking too much focus to…
A chill shot up Dorian's hand as Loki grabbed it, close enough to reach him despite the beam of energy still flowing into and around him before sputtering and dying.
"Now then Mr. Held, which of these fingers shall we rip off first?"
"BEGONE USURPER!"
A mace crashed into Loki's wrist, forcing the god to leap backwards with a grunt of pain at the unexpected attack. It couldn't have been Thrud or Issei, they were still being tended to by Asia and the others either incapacitated or facing his son and grandsons. The weapon that struck him stopped mid fall before being pulled by an invisible force towards the newcomer to the battlefield.
"Well here is someone I wasn't expecting," Loki sighed while massaging his wrist. "I would have surmised you'd still be unable to swallow properly…Modi."
"Grandmother's healing powers and those of our people are not to be underestimated," Modi declared, his hammer crackling with renewed energy. "I'm here to crush your skull for what you did to me."
"M-Modi?" Dorian had fallen forward as his opponent had withdrawn. To his surprise, the large hand of his first true opponent reached out towards him. Hesitantly accepting it, Dorian was pulled to his feet.
"I…hear we have a history," Modi stumbled with his words. It was an odd experience for Dorian seeing the youngest son of Thor acting so polite and uncertain rather than crass and cruel. "My memories aren't what they used to be, if I did anything…I apologize."
Is this the same guy?
"So fearful of my boy that the Allfather sends the most disposable asset in his place," Loki let out a raucous laughter. "You couldn't even beat this one when he was a sapling, what good do you think that toy hammer will do against me?"
"Modi!" Thrud landed between Dorian and her brother, looking him up and down as if checking for a single scratch out of place. "What are you doing here; you shouldn't…why aren't you…?"
"Thud," he shook his head in confusion. "You…let me hold your hand when we were lost in the dream caves, though you were stronger than I even back then."
Giving up her questions, Thor's daughter threw a tight bear hug around him, pulling tight at the realization that he remembered her. After a moment of confusion he returned the embrace, the two wishing Magni was there as well were he not seeking their father's whereabouts.
"Touching, but even the three of you cannot hope to win. During the war I killed hundreds of Vanir, you are novices compared to them."
"Oh, I did not come as relief, but as a courier."
"Courier?"
Modi pointed up towards a beam of light lowering from the heavens not far from his own entrance point. Within the pillar rested an immense object. It was not evident what exactly it was until it grew closer, Loki's eyes growing wide in anger as the other's did the same in relief. It was an immense hammer bearing the same likeness as the one adorning Thrud's armor, her family crest.
"Mjolnir? No, it's different…an imitation?"
"A replica forged years ago to try and emulate the dwarves' success with father's hammer," Modi explained. "It is beyond us, however grandfather believes that one of the Dragon Emperors," he paused as he glanced at Dorian, "or a gifted Einherjar may have a chance to lift it, those with the strength and good thoughts may wield it against Loki and Fenrir."
The weapon of a god to battle a god.
"You won't get a chance to tr…!" Loki moved forward to find a mace and axe crossed in his path. The oldest and youngest child of Thor stood together barring his path.
"Go Dorian! Get the hammer; we've some unfinished business with uncle dearest." Thrud swung her axe to be caught on Loki's hand only for Modi to do the same with his mace to give even a god momentary pause.
"Thrud," Dorian placed his had upon her breast, pressing in hard.
"Dorian, this is hardly the…" She was about to start at his seemingly forward gesture, however as he pulled back she realized he had placed a sphere of light emanating of Alfheim to rest between her bosom. Dorian missed her huff of disappointment.
"That should keep that bastard from messing with your head," he assured her with a battered smile. "If it goes out, be careful."
"Race you to it!" He heard the ever-enthusiastic cry of Issei spurn him forward. The young devil had recovered thanks to Asia's ministrations and was already taking off towards the descending weapon of godly might.
Nearly forgetting the situation they were in, Dorian grinned at the almost brotherly competition before unfurling his new wings and taking off after him. The two flew at breakneck speeds to reach the weapon that could end the fight with Loki and Fenrir.
"You betrayed us!" Thrud's axe clashed with a defense seal that held.
"You used me!" Modi's mace pounded as well, ignoring a blast of energy leaving his furred tunic scorched and reeking.
"Our Grandfather took you in! You were like his brother!"
"I was a weapon!" Loki caught Modi's next swing by the wrist. "We all were. Did he honestly expect me to just lie back and stop doing the very purpose for which I was allowed entrance into the pantheon?"
With a twist, he shattered the Aesir's wrist before twisting hard, barreling him toward his incoming sister. Thrud caught him but that did not dissuade her, slamming Gulbjorn into the ground to send a shockwave of lighting toward her traitorous uncle. The energy that could have scarred even a son of Fenrir with its wrath was stopped cold by the combined barriers of a god. Such was Loki's belief, however as the power surged his defenses shattered from the attack. The god was left defenseless, however knew full well he was still mightier than all on the battlefield combined.
That's it, Thrud smirked. Keep those eyes on us; give Dorian and Issei enough time.
Not Far…
"Almost got it!" Issei shouted with outstretched hands. He was so close to the replica hammer of Thor he could feel the energy emanating from it.
Midgardsormr said a weapon of a god could best Loki. Even a replica should be able to do real damage to Loki, maybe give Fenrir pause until…oh no…
Dorian's eyes perked up as he glanced to the side of Issei who was nearly at the weapon. To his horror, a mass of fur and fangs was bounding towards him at incredible speed. Fenrir had broken off from his confrontation with Vali and those of their forces still standing. He had no doubt spotted the hammer falling and sensed the danger, coming to tear any who sought to wield it to shreds. Issei had not seen him and had maybe a few seconds before was upon him.
He can't take out both of us. If he goes for Issei I'll have all the time to grab the hammer and use it. His balance breaker is strong, that should keep him on top long enough to…
"DAMNIT!" Dorian couldn't do it no matter how sound the tactic was. Veering to the side, he put himself between the charging wolf and Issei who had nearly reached their goal.
His gear charged his Bifrost Barrage once more, unleashing a blast straight at the tenth strongest being to walk creation. Where his attack augmented by the Nine Realms and one of the five Dragon Kings had given a Norse God pause, it did utterly nothing to dissuade Fenrir save for drawing his attention. Dorian leapt back, the monster's maw devouring the rainbow light moving faster than anything he'd ever witnessed until…
The colossal wolf's jaw bit down upon Dorian's arm up to the elbow, a tooth imbedding in his Sacred Gear and stopping only just before rending his bone in two stopped solely by the reinforced armor of his Balance Breaker. Dorian's bloodcurdling cry was heard by everyone across the field, none more so than the silver-haired Valkyrie nearly having reached him.
"LET HIM GO THIS INSTANT! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Rossweisse cried through welled up tears as barrages that would have shattered the mightiest defenses rained down on Fenrir's back and haunches barely distracting him from the tough meal he had selected.
"You're going to pay for that!" Issei reached out with his gauntleted arm, seizing the oversized haft of the weapon. "Hope you had your fun because now it's hammer ti-"
The Red Dragon Emperor pulled as hard as he could only for the hammer to sit on the ground unmoving.
"I SAID, it's hammer…hammer…
He tugged again and again to no avail. He pulled with every ounce of strength and energy he could yet the weapon refused to budge. The frustrated teen even started kicking it, blasting it with dragon shot before pushing it like an immense boulder all without the slightest shift.
BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!
Issei's power exploded outward dwarfing all those nearby before being wholly expended on the effort to move the hammer. With the power fueled by his perverted obsession with breasts multiplied by his Sacred Gear focused solely on the task the hammer moved the slightest centimeter before all energy was expended, leaving it sunk into the ground as a useless slab of metal.
"Useless piece of shit!" Issei head-butted the immobile hammer, immediately regretting his decision. "What good is this thing if we can't even use it?"
"I-it must have the same enchantment as the original," Rossweisse theorized, her mind racing a thousand beats a moment as she kept up the barrage. "Only one deemed worthy may lift it!"
"But Modi said anyone with good thoughts can use it!" Issei was getting anxious by the moment they could not help Dorian within the jaws of the beast. "I always considered myself a good guy!"
"H-he is!" Asia backed him up, her Twilight Healing working overtime on Dorian; however her reserves were running low. She would be unable to help further once gone. "Issei is one of the kindest souls I have ever encountered."
"Good thoughts can be subjective," Rossweisse commented. "It would depend on the original casters of the charm. The dwarves made the one on Mjolnir itself, if that was replicated along with the weapon…"
"If you could please HURRY!" Issei shouted, Dorian had placed multiple layers of defense over his armor yet each snapped like twigs as Fenrir pinned him to the ground with a snout to prevent any escape. He had planted his feet, wings rooted into the ground for leverage to hold him back while Ratatoskr raced across the furred back cracking Fenrir with Twilight Star when he could, unable to reach Dorian.
"The dwarves placed the runes," Rossweisse translated, her magic awakening lights across the surface of the replica Mjolnir. "That they who are good of heart and mind may lift it if they possess the strength to do so. But…oh this is inscribed in old dwarven! Good can be interpreted in multiple ways. Divine, cheerful, carefree, pure…"
"Pure?" Issei's heart sank.
"Yes, pure of heart and mind, one like that could…lift…the…."
Rossweisse stopped talking as she remembered to whom she was speaking. Issei may have been a good person, selfless to protect his friends and loved ones, but he was also the most unrepentant pervert she had met since Odin himself. In her currently short tenure at Kuoh Academy she had caught him numerous times eyeing the girls sitting around him and heard on more than one occasion of him being chased off by or beaten by the various female clubs while attempting to peep on them along with his two friends.
"If you must be pure of heart and mind…"
"The only purity in him is pure perversion." The gentle voice of Koneko spoke what they were all thinking. "That pervert couldn't lift it in a million years." With Skoll being held at bay by Vali's team, she had been able to arrive and assist however she could. The young nekoshou tried her hand at it as did Rossweisse; however neither had the strength to lift the replica Mojolnir, leaving the group utterly perplexed as to their next option open to them.
An imitation of Asgard's strongest experimental weapon…and it is utterly useless to us!
With Fenrir…
"You…aren't'…going further," Dorian groaned as he struggled, arm still trapped within Fenrir's fangs. He had lost all feeling past the elbow with his armor cracking by the second, the fact it was holding so well a monument to the power he had gathered over the past half year.
DORIAN! Open the path to the roads!
But if I do that then he'll go through with us, I don't want to imagine the damage he'll do in there running free.
Not that! Mother sends word, Gleipnir is complete as is Twilight Star. She says there is sufficient length to spare for Fenrir and some extra should you be in need later, open the way and we can bind the beast!
Thank you Iggy, thank you, he barely held his composure at the joyous news having come in the latest moment of need.
They are too heavy to carry, open the path and call their name, simply say…
"GLEIPNIR BINDINGS!" Dorian cried out, the blue light emanating from within the darkness of Fenrir's mouth spilling out around the teeth.
Without warning the light radiated to a white spectrum while bending into a helix-like pattern. Fenrir howled yet refused to release his prey, the bands of light wrapped about his legs, haunches, throat and body before constricting tight about him, locking him in place. Finally, the light exploded outward, revealing massive rows of chains protruding from his mouth where Dorian's gear now resided. Gleipnir had been bonded to Fenrir and could no longer be broken by him; the god-devouring wolf was trapped. Perched atop the edge of the chains was a familiar face whom had ridden the shackles out of the Roads.
"Someone call the cavalry?" Ratatoskr grinned devilishly, his tail batting Fenrir's nose mockingly while he could not move. Over his head he bore Twilight Star almost comedically larger than himself.
"How dare you?" Loki roared while still battling with an exhausted Thrud and Modi. "Skoll! Aid your father!"
The final wolf pup, currently crushing Arthur and Xenovia underfoot, looked up at his grandfather's unbreakable command. With a howl of acceptance he took off leaving Vali and the others behind in the pursuit of his mission.
NO, they said his sons broke him out before. If he gets here, could the chains be broken again? He spotted the exhausted Rias and Akeno, Xenovia and Arthur battered with Hecuba nearly paralyzed. Saji and Kiba were down and Honda watching them. Even Vali and Kuroka, for all their bravado, were panting heavily with exertion seeking to catch up to Skoll. If he breaks free…we're dead.
Iggy! Gleipnir is coming through a portal from inside the Roads, right?
That is correct.
Put it in reverse.
But Dorian, your arm, my gauntlet…
I'll go inside with him if I have to, but we can't let Skoll free him. Please, reverse the chains and pull him in. He can't do any harm in there while bound. We can figure out what to do with him later and without Fenrir the others can take Loki or at least hold him off until the backup arrives, I am sure of it.
A-as you wish.
With an unbearable grinding sound, the chains grew taut before starting to move back the way they came. Focusing all his emotions of desperation Dorian expanded the portal into the Roads to encompass Fenrir entirely, opening it directly beneath him. Slowly but surely, he slipped backwards unable to resist the pull of Gleipnir.
Almost there, just a few more feet!
Skoll leapt high followed closely by Vali and the others landing directly upon Fenrir, or at least where he had been. A moment before his son's fangs would have ensured his freedom, the wolf foretold to devour the pantheon fell with an echoing roar of unrestrained anger into the Road Between Realms as it closed shut behind him. The god-devouring wolf had been removed from the battlefield at long last. His final roar was made possible through the surge of strength in a last attempt to free himself. He could not break the chains binding him; however one final clamp of his vice-like jaws had finally broken the threshold of Dorian's Balance Breaker.
"DORIAN!" Rossweisse caught the Einherjar as he collapsed backwards. "Dorian, can you hear me? DORIAN!?"
His face was pale, eyes wide and body cold shivering uncontrollably. He had intended to fall into the Roads with his captive but the plan had gone horribly awry. Instead, Fenrir's mouth had closed taking his entire right arm up to the elbow and Sacred Gear gauntlet with it into his gullet. The remaining armor shattered without the tether binding it to his body, leaving a stream of red to pour from the now-ruined and twitching stump.
Fenrir has been shackled, dragged into the Roads to an uncertain fate. The cost...the arm and Sacred Gear of the young Einherjar bleeding out in the embrace of the woman he loves upon the battlefield.
Wow, 50 chapters...I planned it to be an epic from the outset but I don't know if I ever imagined getting this far with so many reading and enjoying it. Here is to making it to 100 next! ;) From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank everything reading and reviewing or even just passing through on each chapter. YOU are the ones who make this possible. As a little treat, for those of you enjoying my commissioned art on DeviantArt, a recent commission was completed of a minor spoiler for Volume 17 of Roots of Hope. If you wish to see it just look up my name Jraynor3 on DA and I have a subfolder on my gallery for Roots of Hope art ;) (Mature filter warning).
The Loki arc concludes next time, until then I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D
