Chapter 6: A pact between dragons. Don't mess with the children of the Sekiryutei!
Issei arrives home with Ryujin and the mortally wounded Tiamat on his back.
Racing through the door, Issei is welcomed home by Asia who is now very confident and clingy.
"Asia! Are you home?" Issei bellowed with a manner of urgency in his tone.
"Welcome, home, Darling!" An angelic voice chorused as she launched herself towards the Sekiryutei.
With a miniature sun's radiance, Asia appeared with an angelic golden glow.
Despite how many times Issei had seen her, he still couldn't come to terms with how much she had changed since the day they met.
Her hair draped gracefully down like a golden waterfall and her eyes were sparkling and dazzling like a pair of energizing emeralds. She wore a pristine pearl white dress which accommodated her slim waistline. With a radiant smile, she displayed the embodiment of an angel.
Despite the obvious fact that she wasn't one...
It wasn't just her appearance that had changed after all of those years though. In fact...
"Where have you been darling? I've been waiting for you!" Asia asked as she leapt through the air and enveloped him within her warm embrace.
Asia flinched, stepping back when she felt the texture of Tiamat's rough, sharp scales on Issei's back.
"Tiamat? What's wrong with her!?" Asia asked in a worried tone.
"Asia perfect timing! Tiamat needs your healing power; she was attacked by a dragon slayer and she's hanging on by a thread!" Issei said causing Asia to take immediate action.
"Bring her upstairs! I'll begin preparations right away!" Asia said racing off ahead knowing full well that Issei was counting on her.
Just as issei was about to race up the stairs with the wounded female dragon on his back, Kiba appeared living up to his devil piece.
"Issei-kun leave her to me." Kiba said taking advantage of his knight's speed attribute.
Just as they had been for Asia, the years had been good to Kiba.
The loyal knight of the Gremory household also known as the Golden bachelor by the single mothers in the neighbourhood, had shot upwards like a towering castle. His torso had become much more muscular but lean at the same time after all of his dedicated and gruelling training with the sword.
Kiba and Asia even though they were devils aged slower than humans, so they had to blend in to human society and look the age that they claimed to be.
The Gremory household led a double life one in the human world and the other in the demon world.
Kiba raced off to get Tiamat some medical care leaving Issei and one shaken up Ryujin alone.
"This is the kind of life dad had to deal with when he was a kid?" Ryujin thought to himself as he came to terms with almost dying.
Ryujin suddenly felt no fear or pain...
A crimson aura enveloped his fatigued body and rocked him back and forth like a soothing lullaby.
"Mummy?" Ryujin said recognising Rias' warm and loving presence.
"There's mummy's little man" Rias said cuddling Ryujin.
"Mum that tickles!" Ryujin said as Rias' crimson hair tickled his nose.
Issei breathed a sigh of content as he admired the beautiful scene before him.
Even though he was just in a life-or-death battle, her mere presence washed away his worries like a calming and serene stream.
"This is why I come home every day." Issei said to himself as his queen gave him a cheeky smile.
Rias has been Issei's saviour since the day he met her. Her warm and loving care for him saved him from a meaningless life and to top it off a meaningless death.
She is still as beautiful as ever.
That spectacular crimson shade of hair, eyes like pools of the ocean that you could get lost in entirely.
Seeing her as a mother only made Issei love her more.
Rias positioned her hand on Ryujin's cheek so she could see his lovable grin when suddenly her protective nature kicked in.
"Who did this!? Who did this to my cute little Ryujin!?" Rias bellowed her ruin princess side showing itself after all these years.
Rias saw the cut on Ryujin's cheek and felt a surging pain from her core.
Gently, Issei placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay Rias, Ryujin is alright." Issei said making Rias concerned.
"What are you talking about Issei!? Why aren't you mad as well?!" Rias enquired full on ready to lose it.
Rias came to a sudden halt after she saw Issei's face.
"Don't worry, I will take care of this." Issei said in a quiet but bloodthirsty tone.
Rias recognised the face he was making; she'd seen it time and time again. She knew what it meant for the Sekiryutei to look like that.
This was the face of an enraged, provoked dragon. Rias holds the title of ruin princess...
Nevertheless, Issei held his own title, a title that struck fear into the rebels of the underworld, and those who dared to unleash his wrath.
The Crimson Dragon God of Destruction!
However, there was much more fury behind that scowl compared to the past.
The reason why... The Sekiryutei became a father and now, he was out of for blood!
"Rias, go up with Ryujin and make sure Tiamat is okay." Issei requested as he made a teleportation magic circle.
"What are you going to do?" Rias enquired noticing the power radiating from his back like visible steam.
"I'm going to show them what happens when you go after the family of the Sekiryutei." Issei replied and then vanished from the Gremory household.
Tiamat lay still, puzzled by the soft sensation she felt comforting her back. After being impaled by a holy weapon, it's no wonder why Tiamat was so confused.
With a lazy flicker, Tiamat's eyes slowly opened revitalizing her vision.
Tiamat tried to move her body but to no avail, something was putting a light pressure on her chest, something warm with a scent so fragrant that it made Tiamat feel relaxed.
Tiamat's vision finally began to adjust, and she realised that she was no longer outside, she was in a comfortable bed.
But who's bed was it she wondered as she began to search her surroundings.
A familiar scent raced through the dragon's nose.
Suddenly, the light of an enchanted ruby flickered in the corner of the dragon's eye.
Tiamat followed the gems trajectory and redirected her line of sight to the end of her bed.
At the edge of the bed was a precious crimson ruby dragon or to be more exact a dragon, devil child.
His hair reminded Tiamat of the Gremory household but those eyes that innocently stared back at her belonged to the Sekiryutei.
"You're awake! I'm so glad you're alright!" Ryujin exclaimed with pure joy emanating from his cheeky smile.
"Where am I?" Tiamat asked hoping to connect the last few dots together.
"You're at my house, dad came to save us both and brought you back home with us!" Ryujin said showing his innocence whilst he conversed with the dragon of chaos.
"I see, so the Sekiryutei saved me after all..." Tiamat said now realising that wasn't a vision brought to her on the brink of death.
"Sekiryutei?" Ryujin questioned.
"You don't know your dad's devil title?' Tiamat enquired knowing full well how famous Issei was currently in the demon world.
"I just call him daddy." Ryujin replied with a cheesy grin making Tiamat's heart skip a beat.
She just wanted to reach across the bed and force him into a smothering cuddle.
Nevertheless, Tiamat restrained herself knowing her current injuries and how uncomfortable that might make the cute dragon child.
"Where is your daddy?" Tiamat asked not being to smell let alone sense him.
"He said he was going to take care of something and then he left."
Tiamat smirked knowing full well that she didn't envy the poor bastards who dared to practically attack his heart.
Meanwhile, in a non-disclosed location...
A lone warehouse covered the canvas of the land surrounded by an impenetrable magical barrier and inside gathered a group of devils who were nefariously plotting their next move.
Inside the devils gathered around a huge table and stared directly at the magical screen imprinted on the wall.
"Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice my fellow brethren. I will now inform you of our target." One of the cloaked individuals said as he began to run the meeting.
The magical screen came to life and displayed a familiar image on the screen.
"The Sekiryutei?! No way impossible!" one of the followers shrieked as they stared at the dragon of destruction.
"She's right! We can't take down the Sekiryutei!" another new follower countered feeling like he was making a deal with the reaper right now.
"I heard he took down Loki the god of mischief and then tamed Fenrir!"
"I heard he beat Tiamat the dragon of chaos and Sairaorg!"
"He also pushed back Trihexa and lived!"
"Silence all of you! That's just nonsense! Those are merely myths, legends! He's only one man and he's not even a full blooded devil!" The leader announced calming down the masses.
"Now listen up! It's true that the Sekiryutei is our main target. However, not just yet, first, we will make him suffer. The leader explained as he moved on to the next image.
Here are your real targets, the children of Issei Gremory."
"Brilliant! First we will take the dragons offspring away from him and then when he is weak, we will go for the kill!" said a confident devil despite his minor panic earlier.
"Here is their school route, on the way to school and back they are escorted back by their mothers. However, when they are coming back on Fridays, they meet the ruin princess on the corner of the road. This is the perfect time to strike! We will capture those brats and then we will wait for the Sekiryutei to fall at our knees. You see, the Sekiryutei has a huge weakness... He's a father! Which means he won't be able to refuse our demands!" The leader arrogantly stated revitalizing the dead moral in his colleagues.
"That's right! We won't have to kill him! He'll just lay his life down to protect his precious dragons." The female demon said in a mocking tone.
"Let's take away his precious children and have him beg us for mercy!"
"Long live the dragon annihilation federation!"
"DAF, DAF, DAF, DAF!"
All of a sudden, a loud crash disguised as a knock echoed against the steel doors.
All eyes were on the front door...
"That's an interesting conversation you are having in there... mind if I join in?" the voice asked from the outside of the warehouse.
Before any of the villains could react, a tremendous force launched both the giant doors off of their hinges bringing the rays of the moonlight into the pitch black and dreary inside.
"You seem to be having fun..." an intimidating voice said causing all of the confidence and arrogance in the room to immediately dissipate.
"It's the Sekiryutei!" one of the followers said as they let out a scream of utter terror.
"Don't back down! Seal him!" the leader ordered causing an orchestra of chains to rattle as they wrapped around Issei's armoured body.
"Now attack!"
"Either you guys don't know who I am... Or you have completely underestimated me!" Issei roared as the magic chains shattered instantly, the remains ringing as they hit the ground.
All was silent now in the atmosphere, only the thundering footsteps of the Sekiryutei could be heard.
"You know for an organisation that boasts themselves to know everything about dragons, you all broke a rule and made a grave mistake tonight. Question one, what enrages a dragon more than anything?" Issei said as he came to a halt in front of the henchman who may as well have been a shivering statue.
A hesitant and shaking hand rose in the crowd and Issei waited patiently.
"When their treasure is taken?" the trembling individual answered feeling an extraordinary amount of pressure.
"Well somebody has done their homework about dragons, good for you. Then answer me this bonus question..." Issei said as he closed in on the cloaked stranger with his helmet no longer concealing his face.
Issei hoisted the individual up by their collar until they were level with his mighty height.
"Why did you decide to fuck with mine?" Issei said with gritted teeth.
"Eh?" They replied as their entire body was launched into the air towards the ceiling.
However, because of the barrier around the warehouse, misfortune befell the wounded as their body wouldn't break through the ceiling.
In fact, the barrier ricocheted them directly into the ground!
The room resonated with the sound of crunching bones as the now bloody corpse lay at the Sekiryutei's feet.
"A monster..." one of the followers said as Issei moved on to his next target.
"Question two!" Issei said closing in on his next target.
"Don't hurt me!" he pleaded as the Sekiryutei marched towards him.
"Question two! What did you do to piss me off?!" Issei asked but came across as if he was ordering them.
"I don't know! And if we did do anything you deserve it!"
"You scum! How could you say something so ignorant, so vile after what you did to my own flesh and blood?! You cut my cute little boy, and you tried to take his life!" Issei said quickly slicing off the brutes' arm in the process.
"My arm!"
"That's for Ryujin." Issei said pointing to his cheek after walking away from the man bleeding out on the floor.
"Now listen up! All of those stories you have heard about me, about how frightening I can be... Well, that was all before I became a father. And then I hear that you plan to come after the rest of my children, my babies! Well, I've got news for you. The Sekiryutei you feared before... Is going to look like a cuddly kitten after I'm through with all of you!" Issei bellowed immersing himself in a diabolical and colossal destructive aura.
"Crimson Dragon kings cannon!"
"The demon king!" Were the leaders last words as he and his followers were consumed in a blinding crimson light.
Back at the Hyoudou-Gremory household, Ryujin has been talking Tiamat's ear off.
"And then my dad got angry because this boy tried to touch Risa's hair." Ryujin said with a huge grin on his face.
"I bet he did. How old are you by the way?"
"I'm 11!" Ryujin replied feeling grown up.
"11 years old and you already have a sacred gear?" Tiamat questioned given the time of peace that they had been living in.
"Yeah, dad decided we need to be prepared in case the bad men come back..." Ryujin said suddenly shaking remembering his near-death experience.
"I'm home!" Issei called as he approached the room.
"Dad!" Ryujin called out as he ran to hug him.
"Yo Ryujin, have you been a good boy? Daddy's so happy to see you!" Issei said playing the role of the doting father.
"Yes dad! I've just been keeping miss Tiamat company until aunty Asia comes back." Ryujin said making Issei smile.
"As expected of my son. How are you feeling Tiamat, it's been a while?" Issei said whilst he stroked through Ryujin's hair.
"Yeah this isn't exactly the way I pictured our reunion. I heard you saved me back there, thanks I owe you." Tiamat said now realising that she was truly safe.
"If you want to thank somebody, thank this little guy right here. He protected you long before I got there." Issei stated directing her attention to Ryujin.
"I'm aware, thank you Ryujin, a token of my appreciation." Tiamat said kissing Ryujin on the cheek.
Ryujin flustered backed away his cheek's scarlet.
"Careful Ryujin, Tiamat is very possessive." Issei said with a cheeky grin.
To break the tension in the room, the angelic healer reappeared in the room.
"Tiamat how are you feeling? Darling! Welcome home!" Asia screamed suddenly springing onto Issei.
"Hey, Asia, I'm home." Issei said holding her close to him.
"So Asia, what's the verdict? Is Tiamat going to be alright?" Issei enquired remembering the situation.
"Her condition isn't fatal, but she has lost a lot of her magic power because of that dragon slayer weapon. Normally she should have been able to recover it by now, but it's strange. Not only has she not recovered, but it also doesn't seem like she can simply rest to get her strength back." Asia said making Issei realise what to do.
"I see, meaning that she has to stick around somebody with dragon magic power to help restore her strength?" Issei replied.
"Yes and given her current condition, it will have to be more of a direct connection. I'm sorry to say this Tiamat, but you are going to have to temporarily merge with a sacred gear until you can get your strength back." Asia said hating to be the bearer of bad news.
"It's frustrating, but it can't be helped. I need to get my strength back so I can get my revenge and hunt those DAF fools down." Tiamat said.
"Well then that settles it. Ddraig it looks like you're getting a roommate." Issei said awakening the Welsh dragon.
"Don't joke around partner!" Ddraig yelled still feeling intimidated of Tiamat after their minor disagreement.
"Wait dad, can you let me do it?" Ryujin requested his eyes full of determination.
"Ryujin?"
"I want to get stronger so I can protect my brothers and sisters and I want to protect miss Tiamat too! If it weren't for me being so weak, she wouldn't be in this mess." Ryujin said in a frustrated tone.
"Don't be too hard on yourself son, you saved Tiamat and I am so proud of you." Issei said bringing his son into his warm embrace.
"Dad!" Ryujin cried out as he burst into tears.
"Sekiryutei, as you know, I am a dragon who always pays back her debts, I respect the strong and I follow my rules."
"Tiamat."
"The way I see it, this is far from over, this group is seriously coming after us dragons and I get the feeling, that we've just been dealing with the grunts. And if they could do this much to me with a toy that they made... Then we're in trouble." Tiamat declared shifting her attention to Ryujin.
"You want to get stronger?" Tiamat asked.
"Yes! I have to protect my family and find out the secrets of my sacred gear!"
"Hold out your hand Ryujin, son of the Sekiryutei." Tiamat asked as she into a pocket dimension.
Ryujin placed out his hand and felt the clips of a jewel embedded bracelet caress his wrist.
"What's this?" Ryujin questioned as he stared at the light blue bracelet with an embedded sapphire on top.
"This is a sacred treasure that I found, if I'm ever forced to rest in order to recover my magic power, I can reside within this bracelet and share the magic power of the devil who wields it."
"Wow." Was all Ryujin could say as he felt the responsibility dawn upon him.
"Whilst I'm inside, I won't be able to exit until I am back to full power. However, I can materialise myself as any weapon that the wielder of this bracelet desires. I won't be able to physically protect you, but I will still be able help you fight." Tiamat said giving Ryujin an expression that he would often display when he gets a new toy.
"In return for you sharing your magic power with me, I will do anything within my power to protect you." Tiamat said staying directly into Ryujin's eyes.
"Of course, leave it to me Miss Tiamat. I'll have you back on your feet in no time! After all, I have the blood of the Sekiryutei running through my veins!" Ryujin said with a confident grin.
Feeling reassured after seeing Ryujin's resolve, the chaos dragon took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Tiamat suddenly broke down into a glittering cascade of sapphire floating in the air.
As if being sucked in by a black hole, Tiamat's particles were absorbed into the sapphire and vanished from the room.
"I'll keep you safe Miss Tiamat. Just like dad would." Ryujin said feeling a sense of purpose overwhelm him.
"Issei?" Asia said after Issei pulled her into his arms.
"Our children aren't safe now Asia. But don't worry, I'll keep everybody safe, I swear it!" Issei whispered into her ear.
The rage and the heart of the Sekiryutei echoed throughout the room.
If those bastards want to pick a fight with the Sekiryutei... Then bring it on! Issei thought to himself as he mentally prepared for war.
Hi guys sorry for the wait! As you may know, I have been very busy with college work, work, adding home-schooling to the list now. But hopefully the length and depth of this chapter will be worth the wait :P Please look forward to chapter 7 What do you think Issei is going to do now that his family is in danger? Will Ryujin become a target now? And what about the other children? Find out in the next chapter .