Dragon Bone Z: Oh, he didn't use nonverbal magic either, the idea is that his power was so great he could break it at anytime and just played possum. There were multiple layers, but he just broke them. As for Sirzechs not sending help against Kokabiel, canon explained that a true battle could have destroyed Kuoh, hence they sent Vali who weakened him first to a point that their conflict wouldn't damage the city. I am glad you liked the chapter!
Guest1: Who are you referring to?
reality deviant: I totally get that, I hope my usage here adds to the story rather than ruining anything plus it ties into how Iggy and Dorian's story truly began ;)
TheLycan2026: Hehehe, glad you liked that little reveal at the end ;) Someone had to be the 2nd half to get the process started lol, I hope you like where that goes in the next few chapters.
Okaze: :D Well, his future self at least, but you got it. I'll clarify it more a bit later but you hit the nail on the head.
Talking Pumpkin: You are so welcome! I hope the wait wasn't too long. :)
KaryPL: No worries there, sure events can get a man down or make them sad/concerned, but I've never been a fan of characters that let that consume them. As for mention of it being a parallel time...that is not ENTIRELY accurate, I hope I get it across well in the coming chapters what I mean. And thank you! I hope you enjoy this one just as much!
Guest2&3: I see! You should definitely write these down if you make your own.
avenger3576: Maaaayyyybbbbeee XD And yes, right now it only works on Vali, however technically it was tailored to deflect the White Dragon's divide ability, so it could work on anyone using its power (Which canon has shown can be duplicated in some cases).
xXWolfsterXx644: I hope you like the coming chapters ;) They'll be working on getting back asap, definitely not the timeline for them lol.
Raiden Nexus: Thank you ;) Something I've been wanting to reveal since the start. Our Rat doesn't know yet, but his future self...
fanficcyberman: Hahaha, thank you :D Iggy does just fall into the big sister role so easily, that caring nature just runs in the family. Hmmm, who indeed? XD Your words mean so much, I knew with the very nature of my story that time travel was an inevitability, but had to tread carefully as others have said it can so easily be done wrong or cheaply. I am glad it's working out so far. I have been doing well and as always pray the same for you and your loved ones my friend :D
Divine Blizzard: I don't know what to say, your words truly mean so much, and I totally understand your hesitation with OC stories (I am sure my older ones did not age well XD). Saying you are so focused is one of the best compliments you can give and I truly thank you for that. I will most certainly keep it up and hope to never disappoint :D
Dragonx411: I love seeing your synopsis:D Though a few answers will be coming up soon ;) Hahaha, hopefully they don't create a time paradox...or maybe one was meant to happen... (insert ominous music).
Solacefall: I am so glad you noticed this is future Loki BEFORE the events earlier in the story (a nice wibbly wobbly timey wimey moment). But as for your second observation...I will say that the blonde Valkyrie they spotted was NOT Thrud ;)
Guest4: Wow, I am SUPER impressed you've pieced so much so quickly with them just arriving :D I don't want to give away/confirm too much, but you are scarily accurate on the right path XD
Guest5: Better than canon...you honor me man with such kind words, thank you! Hearing how much you've been enjoying the story so far is part of what motivates me so much to continue, 4 years almost and going strong. I hope you enjoy my plans for the future arc and when they return. Enjoy this new chapter today, and I hope I never disappoint :D
Guest6: Not quite ;) The blonde Valkyrie they saw was not Thrud. Hahaha, Rat would take that as a great compliment, and I am so glad you like my switch-up of Le Fay as his mage over Issei. There was nothing directly wrong with it in canon per se, but she had such little screen/page time with him that they just had so little to work with.
And with that…ONTO THE SHOW!
The quiet solitude of Olympus' Grand Library was insurmountable as its halls sat empty and unused. As was true even in the past, much of its contents had been viewed and read by those who lived there from time immemorial. In the Olympus Dorian knew, the room now was bustling with activity from the new infusion of life from those who were given chances thanks to his request of the gods after the siege. From harpies like Aela's children to demigods like Percelos, many found it a relaxing place to study and rest. But this wasn't the time they knew, his request had never been made here, such reforms still a far-off dream of the ancient realm. When the blue portal shimmered to life in a small unused corner, there was no one around to hear or see it.
"This is it," Dorian whispered to Le Fay and Ratatoskr. "The Archaic Wing, the oldest information available is here."
Such fond memories, Despoina sighed with nostalgia. This was where I had my last good day, you were so wide-eyed and naïve back then. How many books did you read in one morning?
"Time for some narrative kidnapping," Ratatoskr pulled open the closest book he saw that caught his eye. "Origins of the Overworld, in ya go!" With a heave he threw the tome into the portal which had remained open. With Iggy on the other side, she could quickly read through what was sent and warn them if she finds a lead they could use.
"It's not truly stealing," Le Fay pointed out as she seized another book on a high shelf. "She'll drop them back in the portal once she's done reading, no harm no foul."
"Other than a disheveled library, gods help that cleanup job. Dibs on the high posts!" Ratatoskr leapt up atop the shelves, looking from one binding to another. With an almost gleeful childlike expression, he started chucking books from high reminding Dorian of a cat having decided that everything must be knocked over just because.
"I'll take the far wall," Le Fay volunteered as well, rushing off to look over her own section. Despite the plan being to funnel any potential books to Iggy without perusing, Dorian had the feeling the young magician would sneak glances at a few herself. "You have an amazing memory, remembering all the books you saw during your brief time here."
I'll let you take the credit with the others for knowing which books we need just this once. Despoina teased as Dorian got to work. She had a perfect memory of the library up to the point of her death, providing the names of each book that even briefly discussed the Old Gods even in passing. It was from this list that Dorian had advised everyone what to look for, searching the entire wing would have taken days otherwise. Oh, "Fanning of the Flames," that was one of the first I showed you.
"Was there anything I could have said that would have changed your mind on the plan back then?" He asked, the memories of their day wandering the aisles flooding his mind. "To not go through with the attack?"
At that time, no. My resentment, my hatred was so ingrained that I would have done anything to wipe the slate clean. He heard an audible sigh follow, the frustration at what she had wanted verses the monstrous actions she had taken coming to the forefront. I fully intended to die, well I did, you know what I mean, and spend the rest of eternity in Tartarus or worse. You changed that…
"So many died from that battle," Dorian remarked as he continued stacking books and putting them through the portal. "I don't know how Hecuba would react knowing you are in my head, but I just…I didn't want to see you suffer even after death." Despoina smiled at that, though he couldn't see it.
In a way, you're my jailor too just as you are Fenrir's. You sent the best part of me to Elysium, but took who I was at my worst into yourself. Is me being here repentance for what I did? Or at least an attempt at it? Perhaps this is justice for my crimes denying that part of me Elysium. I don't know how long I'll last Dorian, the ichor you absorbed from my body won't last forever. But as long as it can…I will be by your side.
"Despoina…"
Don't feel so moved, after all I was planning to keep you for myself after wiping out Olympus had I survived. If it weren't for the others in that bath, I might have succeeded in enticing you over to my side that very night…
Despite the awkwardness of her words, Dorian let out a laugh, confusing the goddess who expected his usual reserved nature. Since becoming an Einherjar, Dorian had seen others fall to despair from past actions or failures. It made him feel better that even with Despoina's past knowing another her was in the Greek's version of Heaven, that she could still remain so upbeat to tease him as she did.
I'll find a way to help her. If not to bring her back, at least to keep her from fading. Having her stay with Iggy in my mind for the long-term doesn't sound so bad.
Dorian, I am in your head. Thinking something won't keep me from hearing it unless you warn me not to listen. The Einherjar's eyes went wide, this time a legitimate redness creeping up his cheeks.
The hour passed quickly, Dorian passing from book-to-book perusing not just the ones they needed with the Old God information, but any that piqued his interest. "The Titan's Home," "To Dream of Sumeria," and "Beneath the Waves of Light," among those that he could not help but throw into the portal despite not part of the list. Even he was surprised as the time dragged on, books returning before they had even found them all.
Iggy is incredible, give her time she could read this entire library.
She has a greater desire for new things than most gods I knew. Her mental world is growing quite large, you could get lost in there forever. Your soulmate seemingly has an infinite memory, I wouldn't be surprised if…
"That's it, we got them all," Le Fay called out in his mind, a feat much easier now that they were magically linked. "I can't believe we ransacked the library of Olympus, I've never done something like this. It's so…exciting!"
"Best not to push it, let's get back to the portal, then…" Dorian paused as he passed beneath a massive skylight looking up into the clouds. From there, he could see a solitary platform high above, an observatory he recognized despite his brief time seeing it. Just vaguely, almost beyond his sight, he saw a woman standing upon it wearing a teal dress.
Dorian, what are you thinking?
"Le Fay, Rat, get back to the Roads and help Iggy look over these books, I have something I want to do first."
"O-okay," Le Fay stuttered. "Don't be too long."
"Before you head back," he asked quickly as they were about to cross paths. "Do you think you could whip me up a little disguise?"
Elsewhere…
"I should have been there with them," Rossweisse muttered under her breath as she soared through the air. Her destination, the Isolation Barrier entrance, was so unstable from the forces of many gods in one place that teleporting directly there was unfeasible. "My love, wait just a bit longer."
They all went ahead. Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Irina, Xenovia, and all the rest that came after over the years. A small army of those who grew to love him. When Issei insisted on going inside to finish the beast at long last, they all went with him, how could they not? Only Asia remained to raise and watch over our younger children, though was not happy about it. And neither am I.
Events of the last few days ran through her head as the older Valkyrie tried to make sense of it all. Things seemed to be well in hand. The invaders had been weakened or driven off, most of the current mythologies were in a state of peace and their family had grown so large. Those who were instigating the invasion were still far-off but had been eerily silent since the many victories over them. And yet, their hard-fought peace had started to crumble. First was Lord Sirzechs' sudden silence within the Isolation Barrier, the first in over twenty years. Then, Loki's attack that coincided with the stranger who told such a tale of time travel and alternate worlds to boggle the mind yet with such a hint of reality as to almost make her want to believe him. Their children were making up the difference around the world where help was most needed, filling her with more pride than she'd ever felt, but there was still a chilling within her chest that she could not shake.
"What is taking them so long? Issei has always defeated anything to threaten us, but he's never taken so long," it had been almost a day since he and the other wives disappeared into the Isolation Barrier. They had presumed it would be over within the hour and each that passed beyond that estimate only made her grow more worried. The world relied on him, none came close to his power which is what kept him busy moving from faction to faction working so hard it kept her husband from seeing her or the kids.
If only it didn't need to be that way, the pangs of uncertainty and regret clawed at her chest. We wanted to be with him and have children so much so quickly when we were younger. We had our family, but work always gets in the way. It's necessary, but…
"Mom, mom can you hear me?" The blessed sound of her daughter's voice shook her from such thoughts. "We finished our investigation, not a trace of the strangers and fake Le Fay anywhere."
"That's impossible, we should have been able to track any form of transportation known. Not even the portals of the ULs could evade our efforts."
"That's the problem, we analyzed trace remains of the portals and they don't match ANY known teleportation magic of any kind. There was no target receptacle, no lock on, no residual formula, nothing. It was as if they just dropped into the Dimensional Gap, but even that we confirmed wasn't the case."
"Then we have no way at all to find them?"
"I didn't think so, which is why I didn't call you…until now. The magic signature was new but VERY unique, as in it isn't used by any of the current factions; allies, enemies or anyone in between. Our Norse magic is the closest match but even that is way off. However, about an hour ago I detected the EXACT same magic signature coming from an ally's home realm."
Rossweisse skidded to a stop, the allure of investigating an entire new form of magic too tempting to resist in addition to apprehending the strangers. The rush of discovering something new, a rarity in recent years, causing her blood to pump faster making her feel as if she were a teenager again. Breathing in deep with a reassuring sigh, she made her decision.
I'm sorry Issei, my love, everyone…you'll have to fight without me just a bit longer.
"Where is the signature coming from Helmwige? If it's close enough, perhaps I can reach there before they escape."
"It's coming from one of the older powers, though one we don't have as close a connection to. Tell me, how good is your Greek history?"
Olympus…
First a priest, now a Spartan. Maybe I should join the fashion show next time. Dorian joked to himself as he secured the bronze chest piece securely courtesy of Le Fay's illusion magic.
The Einherjar found himself arrayed in a standard armor set and weapons of those belonging to the force of the Last Spartans. Even after several decades, their wardrobe remained mostly unchanged based upon the patrols they had avoided near the library. Making sure his helmet hid as much of his face as possible, he climbed the stairs to the observatory where the woman he had seen from below awaited.
That's her, no doubt about it. He thought as he peeked his head around the corner at the top of the lookout. She was older, red hair a bit duller than he knew and while there were no true wrinkles, her skin looked coarse and rough. He didn't know what he was truly doing, yet felt he had to be there. For a moment, the young warrior considered heading back down until his hand was forced.
"You breathe so loudly I could hear you halfway up," the redheaded woman called out. "You may approach, I come here every day but do not claim ownership. Who are you?"
"Just a new recruit," he hoped the vague answer would suffice as he approached the edge. "I did not mean to interrupt you, Chiliarch Hecuba."
"It is no interruption," she spoke without turning around, her face still obscured to him. There was no doubt, the dress she wore was identical to the one he had seen her in the first time they had spoken out of armor. It felt so long ago, the realization became obvious to him why she was there. Without her desire to join the Crossroads, she had remained in Olympus and maintained her tradition of staring out over the endless clouds every day. "Sometimes it is comforting to have another nearby. What brings you here?"
"To think," Dorian leaned on the balcony beside her acting as if he was as equally enthralled by the view. "Things…haven't gone as planned recently. They…!"
Dorian had to bite his lip to not react as Hecuba turned to face him. It was not the sterner features or her frown that looked far too drained of enthusiasm that shocked him so, but the ugly scar protruding from the upper left portion of her face down to the lower right. The wound was old, having healed over long ago but now marred her features along the way including a gnarled nose and making her left eye clearly useless. He did not look away in the slightest, holding eye contact as she stared into his with a piercing gaze.
"I did not mean to stare."
"Do not be troubled, I am more impressed you continue to look, few can stomach what dedication to one's path in life can lead to. "Do I know you? I feel as if we have met somewhere before."
"We have not, but you looked like you could use some company. If that is not the case…"
"You may stay, I am surprised I do not know you; I make it my business to remember all those who serve under me. That has been becoming harder every day with the number of fresh recruits coming through. Surely one has told you of this?" She motioned to her scar, Dorian slowly shaking his head. "I see, then I will give you some advice. Not all of the gods are worthy of your faith, and never trust a harpy."
So, I betrayed them in this timeline too? Despoina sounded so defeated realizing the meaning behind her words. She wanted to jump out of Dorian, talk to Hecuba, even this version of her and apologize, even beg forgiveness but such a thing was impossible. If you weren't here, I don't want to know what became of this version of me.
"Harpies…" Hecuba traced the scar line down her face as Dorian whispered her last sentiment, clearly recalling the day it happened.
"That attack so many years ago left a great number dead, if any of their race survived they have not been found. We had to fight so hard to repel them, almost to the last man. I am sure the honor and glory of that day is part of what inspired you to join. It is not so wondrous as it sounds."
Oh no, that means Aela…her flight, they aren't here either. But why?
Don't you see Dorian? Aela only asked to speak to a mortal she could trust who did not serve Olympus. If you weren't there, there is a chance Lady Freyja hadn't set up the meeting between the factions yet. Or maybe she did, but none went out of their way to save Aela from the ambush…
And if that happened, then the harpies wouldn't have switched sides when Echidna died. The disturbing picture was coming into frame, Hecuba had praised Aela and her flight for saving her after she had killed the mother of monsters. Without that, she would have had to fight tooth and nail to get back to the defense lines herself. And they…did that to her?
"I'm sorry," he couldn't help but whisper.
"That is not necessary. It is a tale long past that I learned to live with, though it is nice to take this off every now and again." Hecuba reached down to retrieve a bronze-rimmed eyepatch Dorian had not seen laying on the banner, securing it over her eye. "Olympus has been my home all these years and while I have led the Last Spartans on excursions when the alliance and gods call for it, I must admit I have been curious what it is like so far beyond our borders. My apologies, I believe you were the one where things were not going your way."
"It is…complicated," he tried to think how to word things. Even though this Hecuba had never met him and clearly lived out a wholly different life, the need to talk to her as he oft did in the present could not be ignored. "Do you believe in fate?"
"As in, that what is meant to happen will regardless of our actions?" Dorian nodded. "No, I believe in the will of the gods guiding us where we are needed but only if we choose to follow and have the strength to do so. That our actions mean nothing and what will happen regardless, that feels so…pointless of a life."
"So, even if something is so certain, like if it's been seen that it is going to happen…?"
"Have you been visiting the Fates?" Hecuba narrowed her eyes, having heard so many men uncertain of their futures after speaking with the Olympian powers who made it their business to peer into what will be. "I keep telling them to stop giving advice on such a short-term level. Did they try telling you who to propose to, the number kids you'd have?!" Dorian quickly shook his head at the frustrated tone in her voice. "Do you realize that no fewer than FIVE of my men tried courting me because the Fates inferred I was to be their intended."
"And…none of them were possibilities?" Dorian regretted the question as she narrowed her lone good eye against him. With a sigh, she lowered her head looking truly exhausted.
"I won't have a future chosen for me, if they wished to be appealing prospects, they would have approached me BEFORE checking with the Fates. Had they had tried forging their own way ahead, then maybe I would have considered it. The visions always so vague as to promote action for the most general of statements, promising the 'pale dragon' was my intended. I had no idea how often men consider themselves a dragon and took it that the words meant them and…" she paused to reign in the rant she had gone off on. "But to answer your question…I apologize, I never asked you your name."
"Tyr," Dorian blurted out as the first idea popped into his head. "My name is Tyr."
"Tyr, to answer your question, no, I do not believe in blind Fate. If you were given a vision or a prophecy of things to come and it is not to your liking then I say to ignore it. Protect the future you wish to see. If this other one is meant to be, then it will need to look out for itself."
Protect the future I wish to see, is it that simple? Hecuba just has that knack for good advice in any timeline, doesn't she?
"My patrol begins soon, does yours as well?" She leaned from the railing, smoothing out her dress that she pulled off far better than any who knew her wearing armor would have believed.
"Um, no…mine is later, the late shift."
"Ah, then I will see you again. Do not mistake this moment of peace for complacency. I hope you are as sturdy as you appear lest you fall behind. Have a fair day, Tyr." With a polite bow, Hecuba took her leave, making her way down the winding stairs back into the city of Greek gods.
Thank goodness I won't be staying for that Hell. We should wait a bit before opening the portal in case she hears it.
With the winds up here it is almost impossible to hear anything once you get far enough down. We should be safe in a moment.
In that case, Dorian materialized Laerad Ragnarok on his right hand, summoning the portal with ease. Once we get back, we'll help Iggy to…
"THERE YOU ARE!" The Rossweisse who was not their own appeared overhead, raining fire down upon the observatory. Dorian barely dodged albeit with his left arm being burned by the attack. "It only took one more use of that strange magic to track you. Stand down and surrender!"
Dorian locked eyes with her steeling himself with the mantra running through his head over and over again, this was not his Rossweisse. He wanted to explain everything, but deep down he knew it was futile. She would have been told everything they said to Gasper yet had never decided to even enter the cell once. That alone spoke volumes. In the end, he said the same thing he was thinking.
"I don't have time for this," he spun before she could see the glistening in his eyes. Diving for the open portal, he decided to flee where she could not follow. Unfortunately, in his desire to not see her as the woman he loved, he underestimated what she was capable of with more years of experience under her belt.
"You won't escape again!" The Rossweisse suddenly shifted, her body becoming see-through as she performed a short distance instant teleport. Such a move was dangerous without a proper circle or preparation, even Bennia needed a point to aim for. Instead, Rossweisse had activated the spell without any work, determined to reach him before he made it to the portal. Her calculations were half right as she made it to her destination, only realizing too late she could not hope to stop in time.
"No no no no no no!" They chanted in unison in the fraction of a second they both realized the ultimate outcome of her actions. The silver Valkyrie from the unknown timeline slammed into Dorian's chest hard driving the air from his lungs. As a consequence of the impact, the pair went tumbling head over heel together into the blue rip in space just as it closed behind them. In a phenomenal moment of timing, Hecuba peeked her head up from the stairs, having turned around thinking she had heard something.
"Hello?" The older Spartan asked as she looked back and forth across the balcony. "Hmmm, now where did that Tyr get off to?"
Isolation Barrier Limits…
"Everyone, stand ready!" Baraqiel commanded as the force situated a safe distance from the rippling dome before them gathered lining up in columns. "If the Red Dragon Emperor requires our aid, we shall be ready at a moment's notice! I am glad you could make it."
"It has been many years since we fought at the Azazel Cup," the fire giant ruler seated nearby rumbled as he drank from a large flagon. "You were eliminated early and missed seeing what I could do then, I have a feeling today may make up for it."
"I expect not, Issei Hyoudou has always emerged victorious. There is no reason to think otherwise today, in the small likelihood of that being otherwise, however…"
The force of Grigori and Fire Giants was immense stretching almost as far as they could see from their vantage point on the ridge. Normally, the Isolation Barrier would be invisible and sealed, but to allow the Red Dragon access, they had manifested an entrance. Musphelheim arrived first shortly after he'd gone inside with the majority of his wives, the Grigori coming up second and Heaven on the way with a force from Olympus and Valhalla next if their intel was right. It was the largest unified force brought together since the Dragon Wars. Even the Hindu faction had arrived, Shiva and Indra leading the charge still eyeing one another suspiciously.
"Those two will always threaten a war that will never come, won't they?"
"It will come, I am sure," Surtr grumbled, not used to being in a smaller form taken on to accommodate the other races. "Whether it's a hundred years or a thousand, without a common threat to hold them apart they would war until the world broke."
"You believe they will do so again once the Beast is slain?" Baraqiel stared into his drink in thought pondering the implications. "Or once the invaders have been repelled?"
"It depends on what forces remain after the battle today. If they are too weakened, then it may delay a time more, but that is all. I cannot answer your question truly, however, as my kind have long been kept out of the worldwide politics."
"I…had heard such things," Baraqiel grew uneasy at the tone the Jotun leader had taken. "But never had a chance to…"
"To take the time out of your busy schedule?" The spite in the Musphelheim ruler's voice was unmistakable now. "We never even had a member as part of your DxD force, your son-in law focusing more on the interactions of each faction and not what makes up each. One wife of almost every group, yet none from ours, were their breasts not to his liking?" Surtr turned back to his drink, Baraqiel noticing only then that indentations of his fingers had been burned into his glass. With a final scoff, he downed what was left and cast away the ruined goblet. "But it is too late to bring up such things. Far too late, we can only keep going forward in the present."
He has such anger at the issues his people have faced, yet was among the first to arrive. After this business is taken care of, we may need to look closer at the land of flames.
"That sentiment we can agree on," Baraqiel tried to shift the discussion with a last sip of his own drink. "With the gods free, we can create a united front against the invaders. They will not be able to stand against…ah, Lord Ajuka!"
"Governor-General," the Satan bowed respectfully as he materialized before them in a burst of demonic energy. "I have gathered our forces," he motioned to the host of devils below joining the larger force. "Has there been any word on our Crimson Satan?"
"None," he admitted with a sigh. "Nothing since he and his harem went inside atop Ryuuteimaru, I do not like this silence. Has your device been able to reestablish contact?"
"I would not be here if it had, my assistants are monitoring it but so far nothing. It doesn't appear to be a technical issue, rather no one is picking up. So, I decided to come here with one of my best."
As he spoke, a young devil with brown hair and blue eyes approached beside him. His attire was well kempt and professional save for a tattered hat no doubt of sentimental value. Bowing politely, he handed a report to Ajuka.
"All troops are accounted for Lord Beelzebub. They will support the giants should the need arise. It is a pleasure and honor to meet you Lord Baraqiel," he extended a hand which the fallen angel accepted with a firm shake.
"Excellent, if we do not hear from him shortly, we can begin plans to march within while keeping the barrier maintained. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce an honored graduate of Auros Academy."
"My name is Moloch," he tipped his hat with a bit of confidence at such humbling words from the Super Devil genius. "And I have a few ideas in case action is required on our parts."
Asgard…
"No no no no no!" Dorian and Rossweisse chanted together as they fell through the portal. While Dorian had intended to emerge in the Roads, clashing so closely with an older rendition of the woman he loved had left his emotions ablaze. As a result, they had fallen into the Roads only for a new portal to emerge beneath the to fall into a new location. Upon hitting the ground, both leapt to their feet defensively facing the other.
"Asgard?" Rossweisse glanced around recognizing the grounds of the Valkyrie training school she had once attended. "Why have you brought us here?"
"Hey, I wasn't planning to," he fired back, the frustration clear in his voice. "I am trying to get home!"
"By pillaging Olympus' library?" Rossweisse blasted forward, drawing a strange wand he didn't recognize. Magic seals opened all around her, he could even feel time slowing around him at her assault though did nothing to hamper his own movements. This immunity to her time-based magic caught her off guard, giving him a chance to put some distance between them.
She's stronger than ever and using time dilation seals so casually. Even so, she doesn't seem that much stronger than she should be. After twenty years I'd imagine she could rival gods, yet she's not there yet. Why? If this isn't the same Rose, maybe…
Dorian fell into a stance he had been taught long ago by Thrud and reinforced training with her and Thor. Covering his hands with seals of his own design, he rushed in close to the surprised Valkyrie. Clearly, she had intended to keep her distance expecting to battle from afar as she was most comfortable doing. Counting on this Rossweisse to not have been as focused on shoring up her melee insecurities, Dorian did not give her a chance and stayed up close and personal, their eyes never wavering from the other.
"Every book was returned! We need the information to get home!" He jabbed at her more to keep her off balance. She was too fast, erecting a gravity rune similar to the one that had incapacitated him upon first arriving. He was ready for it this time.
"What!?" Rossweisse was barely able to utter as he slapped her in the chest and himself simultaneously. The magic seal transferred in an instant sending the older Valkyrie careening to the ground, slamming into it hard as her own power prevented her from moving. Her magic wand was thrown clear far out of reach.
"I. Am. Not. Your. Enemy," he insisted upon landing. "How many times must I say it?"
"Then you should have no qualms of waiting for my husband and loves," she groaned in exertion. He knew she was analyzing how to cancel her rune, there was no doubt of that. "Only the guilty run."
"That is so short…" Dorian was about to counter before the wind was knocked out of him. A Valkyrie in golden armor with matching helm had collided into him with incredible force. Her arms were wrapped around his waist clearly trying to drive him into the ground like a javelin. "L-let go!" He got a foot up, kicking off her with a surge of strength from Asgard. He followed up with a spin kick she blocked with her arms to slide several feet away. The force of the kick sent her helmet flying, strawberry-blonde locks now free to sway in the cool air.
"Thou art strong, I truly felt that," the Valkyrie-Goddess remarked with a crack of her neck. "Your conflict was reported ere you arrived, will you stand and fight or flee as a coward?"
"Thrud?!" Dorian's heart plummeted as he found himself faced by another he love. She looked barely any different, as a goddess she wouldn't age greatly in only twenty years. Even still, he barely recognized her, her demeanor stern and cold. It reminded him of the early days when he first met her.
She was more reserved then, wanting to play the proper role a daughter of Thor should be. She didn't warm up until later.
She warmed up speaking with YOU. Despoina spelled it out, living up to her title solving the mysteries as they cropped up. Maybe this one never learned that joy of being herself with others and stuck to the role. After twenty years alone, that performance became her.
"Rossweisse, Rossweisse is that you?" Thrud's older word choice fell away as she spotted the Valkyrie on the ground, shattering the gravity seal binding her. "How many years has it been?"
"Lady Thorsdottir," she accepted a helping hand to her feet. "I am sorry for my state of…" She paused as the daughter of Thor punched her in the arm a bit harder than intended.
"You disappear for years; I don't hear from you until it's time for your wedding and NOW you treat me like a total stranger? I have…missed our old talks."
"I was merely trying to keep things acceptable," Rossweisse tried to justify herself, but the awkwardness between the women was obvious. Unlike Dorian's world, they had not been brought together for his tutelage and drifted apart over the years. With a sigh, the silver Valkyrie turned back to Dorian. "We must apprehend him, together."
Dorian's eyes widened as a black pair of bat wings erupted from Rossweisse's back followed by a surge of power she didn't have before. The Einherjar was more than familiar with the sensation after witnessing it so many times, the energy boost given by reincarnated devils using their newfound powers in tandem with the old. He didn't know how to react to the realization.
"You're…a devil?"
"Someone is a little slow on the uptake," Thrud mocked without the playful tone she normally had when sparring to tease him. "She's been that way for years, ever since the old man abandoned her on Midgard."
"It turned out well," Rossweisse brushed her hair in a flushed state. "If he hadn't done that, I never would have met Issei."
"He left you behind," Thrud's demeanor snapped, a sign to Despoina and Dorian that her current outlook was still a mask as it had been when they first met. "I never forgave him for that, wanted to pound his head in with my own hands!"
For Rose to become a devil here, I…I can't picture her giving up her home. And Odin leaving her behind?! He may be forgetful and irresponsible at times, but would he really be so…callous? And Issei… His fist clenched, eye twitching in a similar manner to when he'd first met Issei and seen his perverted tendencies first hand. He knew it wasn't the same, or at least prayed it wasn't, but hearing again and again how the Red Dragon had married her among so many made him angry despite the selfish nature of it.
Dorian had already started backing away preparing to enter the Roads once more, unfortunately his slight movement was spotted. Thrud blasted towards him, drawing a pair of swords he barely deflected off his collapsible shield. Rossweisse moved to cut him off, surrounding them with seals prepared to attack the moment her old friend gave an opening.
"That's good craftsmanship, definitely Asgard-make," Thrud whistled at the shield and looking over his armor. "But the design is older, are you really from the past? ROSSWEISSE! Give me five minutes, he's mine!"
Dorian bent backwards to avoid the blades he now recognized as the ones she'd used prior to Olympus when Heracles had shattered them. They were nowhere near the craftsmanship of Gullbjorn but were still formidable weapons. Swinging with a powerful blow, Thrud expertly avoided his attack only to be surprised as tendrils emerged from his gear and seized her wrists, disarming her handily. She countered with a high kick that sent Dorian's ears ringing. The daughter of thunder fell into a familiar style completely ignoring her disarmed weapons and rushing Dorian with her bare hands. He caught her advance, sliding back several feet as they grappled back and forth.
"You're a strong one," she growled while pushing with all her strength. "It's too bad you're an enemy, this would be more fun."
"More fun if I was an ally? A pupil?" Dorian tightened his grip as he locked eyes with her. "That's what you love most of all, right? To find someone strong enough to face, but never lords it over others or gets stronger without an ulterior motive or tricks?"
"How?" She looked legitimately confused at the accurate description of the woman who had found no true close friends in many years beyond family or those who saw her for her position and naught else. "Who the Hel are you?"
Dorian didn't get a chance to answer, a powerful blast striking him in the back and interrupting them. He moved quickly as many more elemental bolts struck around him, dodging what he could and blocking the rest. To his dismay, he found himself surrounded by dozens of Valkyries. Based on their uniforms, some with armor and others without, they were the latest generation of students studying who lived at the nearby dormitory. His heart sank deeper as he saw the oldest teacher leading the others…
"Surround the invader, support Lady Thrud!"
"Yes, Mistress Herja!" A young girl not yet in her armor announced, firing a ball of flames at Dorian. It was so weak he didn't even need to avoid it, batting it away with the utmost of ease.
"Herja…" His lips tightened, his breath growing heavy as the frustration became unbearable. He was certain Brynda or Misty would not be far but he had had enough. "Lady Freyja will understand, even if she doesn't remember me. Summon her and I will explain all to her!" He did not like the uneasy silence as the small Valkyrie army glanced to one another confused. "Surely she still rules with Lord Odin, does she not?"
"They have not ruled in many years," Rossweisse started hesitantly still on edge. "Lord Vidar is the ruler of Asgard and principal deity of the Norse Pantheon. His father and brothers were sealed away with the Beast many years ago before. And Lady Freyja…"
"What? What happened to her?" Dorian's blood ran cold at her continued silence before he could bear it no longer, screaming in such a way as to make all around flinch. "Just say it!"
"Lady Freyja was slain decades ago defending Vanaheim during the Dragon Wars right before the Allfather was sealed. Many survived only thanks to her sacrifice."
Dorian was silent, he had no words, never imagining anything could have happened to them recalling all they'd been through. Knowing what a fighter she was, how powerful the gods were, the idea that she had been killed just sent his mind racing with no destination in sight. Beyond that, the idea that the woman who had taken him in and acted more like a mother than any in many years had died left him feeling numb. He slumped his shoulders weakly, eyes staring blankly forward.
No one…there is NO ONE here I know. They have the same faces but she is...this just isn't right!
Dorian, please, calm down. You're starting to feel like Kyoto again! Midgardsormr's power may keep you from aging, but you still can't control it!
The aura from the Einherjar sent out a shockwave knocking back the Valkyries closest to him and sending the others retreating to a safe distance. His Sacred Gear started to manifest itself, forcibly growing over his body. He could feel his skin starting to warp into bark, his vision going blank.
Calm…down, calm…down! Dorian screamed at himself, gripping his arm to try and slow the growth so strongly he drew blood. Iggy was not there to help, his control waning.
This is for your own good! Dorian's head snapped to the right as if struck, Despoina sending a jolt through his mind. Get back to the Roads Dorian, there is nothing you can do here. If you stay, nothing good will come of it.
Y-you're right, thank you Despoina. He grunted, the gem flipping to azure. There is nothing for me here.
He generated a small portal in front of him, without a word he dove within. He was not quick enough as a silver shape dove forward the moment she spotted the blue glow, making it inside just before the rupture closed. Thrud was nearly there but came up short, slamming into the ground instead.
"Where did…Rossweisse!" She shouted before rounding on the others. "Summon my uncle, something is happening and we will be ready when it comes!"
Road Between Realms…
"Wh-what is this place? Where have you taken me!?" Rossweisse demanded once she and Dorian had tumbled into the Roads. She backed away from him, acting cautious of every branch and creature the peeked around corners to see the newcomer and scene unfolding.
Breathe Dorian, breathe. You're back, let this place calm you down. I'm here too…
"The Road Between Realms," Dorian motioned to the area round them, he spun around having barely contained the growth of his gear. "Home of the true Yggdrasil and source of Runic magic. Lord Odin came here himself years ago…"
"…hanging himself from the boughs of Yggdrasil," Rossweisse muttered the story all denizens of the Nine Realms knew by heart. "That is impossible that you could enter here so freely, the Allfather sacrificed much to even learn of its existence."
"It's thanks to this," he summoned the original gauntlet of Laerad Ragnarok to showcase his gear. "A Sacred Gear tied to this place through Iggy, her daughter."
"So you claimed in your cell," Rossweisse took up a stance, magic seals glowing in her palms. "Ready yourself for battle, you shall open a path for us to return home IMMEDIATELY!"
She's so beautiful regardless of age, Dorian could not help but think as he looked over the woman he loved, her older features doing nothing to mar her goddess-like radiance and only adding to her appeal. She's not my Rose, but she's still her.
"No," Dorian held his hands open wide to show his lack of weapons or seals. "I will not fight you Ros…Rossweisse." He couldn't bring himself to call her by the name he'd grown fond of. His voice cracked as he spoke, she couldn't miss it. Even with the emotion plain as day on his face, for a moment, he thought she would still advance regardless.
"He speaks the truth mighty Valkyrie," Yggdrasil appeared from the very ground beneath them taking on her avatar appearance. "Long have you defended the lands I call home, wed the Red Dragon Emperor and continued with your progeny…" She didn't sense the cold that ran through Dorian's veins at those words. "Know peace in this land, this boy and his friends are not your enemy."
Only then did Iggy and Le Fay poke their heads around the nearby trunk, waving awkwardly to the Valkyrie who took a step back. She had never seen Yggdrasil as she was, but remembered decades past when she had been a bodyguard to the Allfather. In his drunkest moments, when his speech was nigh unbearable, he would proclaim the beauty of Yggdrasil as he learned the ways of runes and eyed her incessantly. Rossweisse had assumed he was sexualizing the tree itself, an act she would never put past him. Seeing the avatar before her, sensing the magic emanating from her tied to the area itself, she both knew as an absolute certainty it was Yggdrasil and the Allfather's words had been more literal.
"I used to visit the tree growing in Valhalla," she muttered as the shock of where she stood sunk in. "Dreamed of speaking to you as a little girl…"
"And you were proposed to atop an artificial copy of myself. I wish it had been the real thing, but we cannot always get our way. I am glad to finally greet you in person. There is much to discuss…"
Not Long After…
Rossweisse sat there silent as they finished accounting Dorian, Le Fay and Iggy's origins, Ratatoskr chiming in every few minutes to fact check or add a witty remark. He made sure to omit any mention of their relationship, opting to spare that particular detail sure to cause more harm than good.
"Alternate timelines, Old Gods, nightmare memories, it's all too insane to believe."
"How do you think I feel?" Dorian remarked at the ludicrous nature of it all. "To see people I know and care about have no idea who I am. And to hear what happened to m...to Lady Freyja..."
This future, so much went wrong. Lady Freyja, I need to get home, if our time is linked in ANY way to this…I don't care what else they succeeded at, her dying is something I won't allow in the slightest!
"You mentioned a Beast killed her, what beast?" Dorian snapped to attention suddenly, standing suddenly and knocking the chair made from the roots to the ground. "How was it beaten? What spells, what tactics? I need a name!"
"It was the Beat of the Apocalypse, the cursed number 666…the Trihexa."
The Trihexa, the monster from Rose's essay, the one I carved! The creature that stalks Iggy's nightmares and mine. Dorian gripped his head, the aches that followed the dark dreams returning while awake this time.
"Calm down, Dorian," Iggy laid her hands on his shoulders in a massaging fashion, pulling him close. "You said it was beaten though, correct?"
"It was, years ago thanks to the sacrifices of the gods. It has been locked away for decades no threat to anyone. We have had bigger problems in recent years, though these Old Gods you seek are not among them."
"Did you learn anything from the books?" Le Fay stepped in truly concerned for Dorian, the weight of the new information clearly having shaken him. "How we can find one?"
"That is the trouble," Iggy started hesitantly. "Old Gods use a magic alien to any known basis having come before our laws of physics as far as we know. It is unknowable by its very nature, all who came across even a drop of it often being driven to insanity or worse if they try to understand it. There is no way we can find one, however…they can be made to WANT to find us. It's quite confusing, something about being able to be anywhere and nowhere."
"Attract one, how do we do that?" Ratatoskr cupped his chin in thought. "Get some Old God catnip?"
"She was obsessed with Dorian in the present," Le Fay brought her expertise to bear. "Though if no one else in this timeline knows Dorian, there's no sense thinking she would either. We don't exactly have anything on hand that could even tell if she were right in front of us."
A chill passed through the air at those words, the context sounding sinister especially with the knowledge from Ophis that the Old Gods could monitor them with almost no way of being detected. He recalled the dark shadow moving in the corners of the room when the ouroboros dragon had arrived, the complete lack of any sign up until one of the strongest beings in the world called it out. Without even blinking, Dorian stood to his feet, breathing deep with resolution as the possibility entered his mind.
"Anywhere, yet nowhere, you said Old God energy was almost impossible to detect even if it's there, right?" Le Fay nodded. "Kassaegtha!" He suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, confusing the group. "You can't hide from me; I've seen you too many times for that!"
Total silence.
"Dorian, what are you getting at?"
"Did you find something interesting!?" He screamed louder. "Last of your kind, nothing to do for millennia, the boredom must have driven you insane! Of if you are already were, maybe it drove you sane? I can't imagine you found very much since the others left to keep you entertained!"
"You…know much for a mortal."
Le Fay spun, staff in hand, Rossweisse as well with seals prepared for combat. Iggy raised her hands, even Yggdrasil looked ready for a fight. Only Dorian turned without so much as activating a magic seal. He knew what was coming, it held no more fear for him. A great black miasma filled the area before them appearing literally from nowhere, golden orbs shimmering above them. Raising up off the ground, the dark void coalesced and solidified, finally revealing the shape Dorian had known best…a small girl with dark hair and golden eyes. The same he had seen and strived to save from the fire back in Kuoh.
"Kassaegtha," he uttered her name again with a slight head nod of greeting, one she did not reciprocate. "Do I have your attention?" He raised a hand asking the others to stand down, Yggdrasil in particular clearly shaken that she had been within her very realm undetected.
"You speak my name, call me out with such confidence despite no means of knowing I was even near and seem so unfazed, a look that only forethought and experience can give. How came by you such knowledge? Beyond all that…you reek of my essence yet I have never laid eyes upon you."
Her too, guess it was too much to hope.
"I know you, somewhat, in my time." He started explaining. "You called me a grain of sand on the beach that shouldn't be. An anomaly."
"It is true," she spun around much as she had upon seeing her in the Dimensional Gap, like a child who couldn't sit still. "You are not right, not just my magic on you, but your very existence. Time bends around you, never interacting beyond the bare minimum. Your minions are out of their era, but other than that are so standard."
"Minions?!" Le Fay, Iggy and Rat all called out at the same time incredulously with the squirrel continuing. "We're right here, you don't see me pointing out my superiority to the entire world." He fumed as the Old God continued to ignore him.
"I avoided you?" Kassaegtha asked, skimming Dorian's thoughts as she did before with no regard for privacy. "Odd, I would want to learn all of you to the extent of…oh, is that what I did? If I don't know you now, but I did then? Oh, how curious, your understanding of time's intricacies is so limited as to be nonexistent."
"Your presence sent us to this time," Dorian called out, pointing towards her. "I don't know what, but your magic did something to Rose's spell. Supercharged it somehow."
"Rose?" The future version of Rossweisse asked hearing not just her nickname so few used, but also the sense of familiarity and tenderness in his voice. There was no hiding it.
"She managed to use my magic for her own spells? An impressive feat, this version has never come close always relying on that husband of hers when things get tough," she motioned towards the confused silver-haired Valkyrie. "Can this one do it? There is enough ambient from the other me around you for that I should hope."
"We have to get back home," Le Fay stepped forward, her fear of the unknown abating at the growing frustration. "We don't have time for…"
"You have all the time in the world," Kassaegtha's head snapped unnaturally fast in her direction causing the magician to stop with a paling face. "Your world is dead and dust from the passage of time, decades gone down another road…possibly the first branching path there has ever been. You could spend your entire lives here before you get back, oh what a reunion that would be with you aged beyond their years."
"Ya knows what, I've had it up to HERE with your cryptic bullshit," Ratatoskr grew in size to match the Old God, storming up towards her. "There's some bad mojo in the air, whether it's from this fucked up timeline or a shitstorm coming I don't know but I sure as shit don't want to be here when it arrives. So, for ONCE in your eons of life you're going to play nice, ubercharge our little spell and then we…"
A burst of smoke from her body hit the squirrel in the face, sending him flying backwards at incredible speed and knocking him back to normal size all without her moving a muscle. The others leapt to his defense as Future Rossweisse and Le Fay generated binding seals surrounding the Old God, so many it formed an octagonal prison of overlapping powers. Dorian dove, catching Ratatoskr securely in his Asgardian cloak to cushion the impact. Rolling into an upright position, he generated seals of his own, creating a secure box around the prison within which he was certain even Loki would have had difficulty escaping from. There was no more hiding it, Rossweisse spotting the familiar formulae and designs that she had developed as a teenager used by this stranger. Her jaw dropped; the question finally coming to her lips.
"What am I to you in your world?" Was her simple inquiry, a slight sense of nostalgia coming over her as if she knew Dorian. Like the sensation of finding an old friend years later, a slight pull but nothing more. He had to pretend not to have heard her knowing he wouldn't have been able to keep down the emotions building up, instead choosing to focus solely on Kassaegtha within their trap.
"W-we did it," Le Fay smiled shakily at the spells she was so proud of woven with absolute perfection. "From in there, we can…"
Her confidence crumbled faster than their seals as the dark child simply reached out, touched the glowing runes and walked forward. The dazzling lights indicative of the power behind the formulas dimmed instantly, the very symbols themselves dissolving into nothingness allowing Kassaegtha to just stroll forward past her shocked would-be captors right up to Dorian. She stopped several feet in front of him, the Einherjar holding his ground before the being that could make even Ophis consider her power.
"You HAVE met me, here…" she held out her hand, the same that had reduced their seals to nothing. "Give me your hand, I want to feel her." With only a touch of hesitation, Dorian acquiesced to her demand. "Hmmm, hold still."
Dorian lurched forward, barely grabbing a nearby trunk to steady himself as the images poured into his mind. He saw himself but as if he was out of his body hovering overhead. He saw when he was trapped in the Dimensional Gap with Asia, the snows of Norway, playing the lyre in class at Kuoh, even the fire where he died. This time, however, he saw himself rushing toward the spectator through whose eyes he realized he was viewing events.
"Come on, let's get out of here," the image of himself held out his hand, a small girl taking it, the same girl through whose eyes he was looking from. He knew that moment well, the one he'd never forget.
"She was watching me all those times," he realized many more instances passed showcasing how closely she had tailed him even among Ms. Lily's school and the halls of Kuoh. "Wait," he paused as he saw himself sitting across from the source of the images. "That's in Kuoh Academy, that was when I was studying with…"
"I see my past self has been busy," Kassaegtha released his hand and cut off the images. "Even before you became an Einherjar she had her eye on you. It was no coincidence she was in that building that night. If you survive today, that can all still happen."
"Still happen? But that's in the past, I…" He froze as he realized her words. "What do you mean survive?"
"Oh, today is a day of days, at least for this world." She pointed to Rossweisse referring to her, "that one's husband went to fight the Beast in the Isolation Barrier. It will not end well for him or anyone else."
"Y-you're wrong," the older Rossweisse asserted as her voice trembled. "Issei has always been victorious without fail. As long as he has our breasts to draw upon, to squeeze and think of, there is nothing that he cannot defeat!" She did not see Ratatoskr mock throwing up behind her, Le Fay's face turning red at the ridiculous nature of her praise. "He has been blessed with such power!"
"Some things breasts alone cannot overcome, and this is one of them," Kassaegtha shrugged her arms. "Because at this moment, your husband's allies are already dead."
Isolation Barrier Entrance…
"Hold your ranks!" Baraqiel called out as the eldritch summoning circle appeared, producing Loki wearing the sickest grin they could imagine. "You are bold indeed to challenge the largest force gathered all alone."
"Your vaunted alliance isn't the only ones who can attest to never being alone," he reveled in throwing their supposed unity back in their faces. "If there is one thing that improved substantially since replacing my treacherous children with machines…it's that there are always more."
Barriers opened above him, dropping no fewer than a dozen mechanical Fenrirs accompanied by smaller machines of those of the invaders, monstrosities appearing half insect yet half cybernetic all at once. They were not alone as another beast of metal, a dragon towering fifteen meters tall followed through strafing the lines of troops. It was chaos in an instant, entire lines wiped away from the claws or fire of the monsters. It was only when the stronger beings and gods, rallied by Indra, Ajuka and Gabriel, that the onslaught was slowed. Baraqiel and Surtr stood against the trickster directly, their troops directed to assist the others under Moloch's command.
"You will not stop us from assisting Issei Hyoudou!" Baraqiel generated holy lightning within his hands prepared to fight. "We will stand and be here when my daughter returns."
"I almost want to leave you alive," Loki sneered still without raising a weapon in his own defense. "Left alive to see what has become of those who went within. But I think this charade has gone on long enough, don't you agree?"
Baraqiel realized too late as the great blade wielded by Surtr was plunged into his back and out the front. The magic and flame cauterized the wound instantly, but that was little comfort as the Governor-General of the Grigori fell to a knee unable to move. The immense lightning in his hands capable of slaying even a god sputtered before dying entirely, his gasps of breath barely audible as the fire giant walked around the front to look him in the face.
"Y-you betray…betrayed…" he could barely find the words as blood filled his lungs. "Why?"
"A self-fulfilling prophecy on your part I suppose," Surtr looked out over the battlefield with a dull expression. Where before the allied forces had seemed to be holding out, now their ranks were falling into disarray. The armies of Musphelheim had turned on the others, shattering their carefully divided battle lines. "Our own realms saw us as monsters for something we did not do and your DxD force has done nothing to show that that sentiment isn't felt by our 'allies.' I believed your DxD force may be different at first, I truly did but the years proved otherwise. Perhaps it is fitting we join another world when our own has shunned us so."
"Well spoken, wise king," Loki's demeanor fell into a respectable one compared to all others he conversed with, a side he had rarely shown since the Aesir-Vanir war days when he'd been hailed as a hero. "I have assurances the next world will be far kinder to your people, especially after your clear show of support today. You will not be persecuted for a blurry vision of seers long dead." He looked out over the battlefield, the casualties mounting on all sides clear to see. "Once the beast is free and this world ends, we shall follow it to the next."
"Those words sound familiar; you are not the first to have that plan. He…will stop you."
"Oh, how adorable, you still have hope for that dragon god of perverts. I've humiliated one of his children today and killed so many of your people. I don't see them bringing help anytime soon, might as well do the same to the real thing. Just stay there, you'll live longer and may like this next part."
With a nod, Surtr spread his arms wide, growing to his maximum size towering over the battlefield taking his flaming sword with him. Several gods took note of the new target and opened fire, the mighty weapon in his hands forged from years of toil blocking their first salvo as he raised it high.
"Just look fallen one," Loki knelt down to hold Baraqiel's face upward. "Your little barrier has kept you safe these many decades, but that ends today. Look at what your lack of foresight has wrought."
The blade crashed down upon the Isolation Barrier, a shockwave of power thundering in all directions with a deafening blow even causing Surtr to stagger. The allied armies looked on in horror, their fear subsiding only a little upon realizing the barrier held, though spiderweb cracks had formed across its surface bleeding energy every second.
"Huh, so it seems the craftsmanship is a little better than I thought. No matter, it won't last against a second blow, then the end of this world can truly begin! It took a great deal of his own energy to craft that sword with a touch of my allies' unique powers." He raised his voice in tandem with Surtr's second swing, the blade falling again.
"NO!" The voice of Rossweisse cried as a blue portal ushered in her arrival before the attack could complete.
Channeling together with Dorian and Le Fay, a giant magical seal almost as tall as the king of Musphelheim was generated in front of his attack. With a pained groan from both parties, the flaming sword was stopped from connecting with the barrier again. The embittered ruler pushed against them, but failed to break the barrier created by one of the Red Dragon Emperor's wives and two strangers from another time. His own strength caused him to stagger when no progress was made, knocking the blade from his grasp to fall among his own men, crushing many.
"Mr. Baraqiel!" Dorian dove upon seeing Loki's position over the aged fallen angel. Unprepared for the interruption, his fist connected with the trickster god, sending him flying. "Hold still," he quickly started placing runes on the entry and exit wounds with seals as Rossweisse had done back when he lost his arm.
"Who are you?" He asked weakly, Dorian opting to keep the answer short as it was clear he wouldn't be conscious much longer.
"A friend, my fuzzy companion will get you to safety, right?"
"Righto boss friend sir," Ratatoskr carefully hefted the future Baraqiel onto his back before bounding clear of the now massive battle. "For your inflight entertainment we will be naming all the ways your future sucks. Reason number 1, I haven't seen a single statue to me since I arrived, number 2, way too many people have tried to kill me in under a 24-hour period. Number 3…"
"So, you have a Balance Breaker as well," Loki looked Dorian up and down, the Einherjar having come through the portal fully armored and ready. "I overheard wh…"
Dorian flew forward, a sword of light engulfed in Musphelheim fire at the forefront. He was through standing around and letting him speak. Runic mines and other seals he could generate hovered over his head covering him from all angles of attack Loki could devise, his own seals clashing. Despite being a god, Loki's attacks were being deflected, Dorian's wrath pressing forward. Even then, despite his hopes, the Norse traitor continued to speak.
"Such fire in your eyes, I overheard all you told of this alternate time through my devices. Not even my allies were aware of such a possibility to change events or skew outcomes. The world of mortals and supernatural end today, if you stand down now, I'll spare your life and your colleagues from the past as long as you explain how this occurred and can be replicated.
"Nothing ends here!" Dorian clashed again and again; the fear born of Iggy's memories fueling his drive. "The Isolation Barrier stands, and the battle is far from over."
"I think not," the booming sound from behind followed by a blast of overwhelming heat and humidity. Dorian did not need to turn around to know that the god-giant of Musphelheim had turned his attention to him. "YOU, Asgard has not arrived yet you are Einherjar…so you shall be the first to pay for the callousness of the Nine Realms on this, the first day of Ragnarök.
Conflict in this unknown future peaks as Dorian becomes embroiled in a battle to prevent the Apocalypse itself from escaping. The young Einherjar must weather the animosity of the King of Musphelheim having festered over twenty years since he himself spoke with the ancient ruler. Until then, I hope everyone stays safe, Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D
