I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD
The endless void in the distance along with the swift and precise quietness that floated all around Madara felt rewarding that this type of quietness and peace could be obtained if they continued their pursuit of removing creatures of evil and corruption.
Madara took a minute to view his battle with Lucifer to see the aftermath of their chaotic dance. The Horsemen of Death, Samael, and Lucifer were nowhere to be seen. It was odd to him that the three of them had unique powers that no person alive would easily be able to destroy because of their history and the devastating power that backed them up.
Trying to stand toe to toe with monsters like them was something he was used to. The difficult part wasn't being able to fight them or have different fighting prowesses, but it was always the cunningness that anyone would pull off to sneak in a cheap strike to shift the balance of the fight.
Not knowing much of Lucifer's powers and abilities did bring a heavy downside to using the right approach against him. If there was one thing he could see in him was that he was almost similar to Lucifer in a way. They were both eager enough to use cheap attacks to quickly end things instantly. Seeing how Lucifer would have sacrificed his whole race if he so wanted to achieve victory wouldn't be out of the question.
In ways, Madara would have done the same thing that would have killed his followers. But with how things have changed drastically for him throughout his new life, he couldn't do just that to everyone who has supported and followed him across this great journey to where he is now.
In some twisted way, Madara saw Lucifer in the same light as himself because of the troubled past they both shared because of their ideologies and philosophies. They were both ghosts in a sense because of their different minds.
"What's troubling you?" Ophis asked.
"To think that the life on this planet supported a person like Lucifer still confuses me at times. Seeing this much death brings back memories of my wretched battle with my friend and the whole world. But seeing how Lucifer operates makes me think if we were any different, to begin with." Madara simply wondered.
"Why would you be the same as Lucifer? You are doing something grander than any other person would be able to achieve in their lifetime. Uniting a world, removing tensions from multiple factions, and even proceeding with the process of actually trying to make a world of what you dream of. If anything, you are complete opposites from another."
"Maybe... But I have so much hate within me that hearing that bastard ramble on about how this world deserves to be extinguished makes me want to just obliterate the entirety of Hell and all of its inhabitants."
"I know that feeling all too well when Great Red took my home from me. Don't hold back that anger of yours because I am the darkness that will absorb all your pain and sorrows. Don't let that hate drive you in the same direction as Lucifer. You are my light, don't extinguish that burning passion for simple rage outbursts like Lucifer usually does when things don't go his way."
Madara let out a chuckle that led to full-blown laughter.
"What is so funny?"
"Do you honestly think of me having a short fuse?"
"With the way, you were thinking and talking, it did sound like that."
"It would seem that we both don't know a lot about the other. Even being intertwined seems like all the answers aren't there."
"If that is so, what did I get wrong then?"
"My humble dragon, I don't throw tantrums like a child because only children do that, which in turn, are not taken seriously. What I hold inside of me isn't anything complex or childish. My clan can hold a grudge for the longest time because we Uchiha never forget what scars us or leaves us close to dead. The Uchiha are destined for revenge, so this feeling that is boiling up inside me is nothing more than burning abhorrence."
"Are trying to say that you want to avenge all the poor souls that have been enslaved to Lucifer's chains?"
"What I seek is a life where bastards like him don't even exist in anyone's mind. I want his whole existence to be erased from time itself."
"That would be impossible to do."
"Why is that?"
"Erasing Lucifer from existence would mean traveling in the past to completely erase his existence from the world and in everyone's mind."
"Let me guess, I would need to confront God from ever making Lucifer."
"That would be the answer. But what you are suggesting can't be done by even my standards."
"Now that surprises me. You are infinite and a God, but you have no power over time whatsoever?" Madara curiously asked.
"Reversing back time is something that can't be simply achieved by any means necessary. If I had to say who could do so, it would have been God that could have achieved what you are thinking about. You see, God had unique powers that not even I and Great Red understood. He was able to create human life and the universe with his powers. He was never much of a fighter because our powers toppled over his in every sense, but even without a fighting prowess, God was able to fill that gap significantly with his unique abilities and mindset. Look at Samael, he cursed him with powers that could bring serious problems to me and Great Red."
"Interesting... To think that a being that wasn't much of a fighter could do such things." Madara said with an interesting expression.
"Great Red, God, and I all had an agreement to stay away from each other as that was the deal. We wouldn't interfere with the other for as long we were alive."
"What broke that agreement?"
"Trihexa was the one that broke everything apart. Causing God to seal himself to lock away Trihexa and Great Red deciding to go against the agreement we had by invading my home and taking it. I was planning to take my home back, but when you appeared before me, my life's purpose vanished as I had a new purpose."
"This history lesson is reminding me of what Hashirama proclaimed to me countless times in my previous life. No matter the age, there is always conflict. Hearing that, just proves that no matter who it is, there will always be an age where confrontation and fruitless conflicts exist. And if things continue to progress this way, then a backward age of ignorance will find it difficult to escape the shackles of gravity with no right to even look up into the Heavens, much less the future and vast stars above."
Ophis smiled at that. "With that said, what do you intend to do now?"
"If that objective can't be achieved, then I will do something that will change the course of this battle. Have you sensed where Lucifer is?"
"I'm afraid not. That blast you produced earlier is producing tons of magical sparks and energy that is making me fail to perceive where he is."
"I thought as much... I'm having the same problem as well. We will just reconvene with Azazel, Michael, Yasaka, and the rest in the meantime to figure things out from where we want to go."
"Whatever you wish, Madara."
Madara turned before heading in the direction of his compatriots.
Not traveling too far, he came across Raynare and Kalawarner. Madara flew down until his feet touched the ground. Raynare quickly rushed over to him before kneeling before him in a disgraceful posture that plagued her mind of failing him and his expectations. "Master... I deserve death for failing to protect Kalawarner and having the Horsemen of Famine escape our grasp. I deserve to be punished for my failures." Raynare stared at the ground while waiting for her execution.
Madara let out a sigh. "How many times do I have to tell you and everyone else that I do not own you or anyone else. You all are free to do what you wish with your lives, but this problem that you think you have failed isn't a failure."
Raynare's eyes widened before looking up at Madara. "What do you mean?"
"Lucifer and his goons decided to bail after my attack hit him. The bastard is going into hiding for the time being."
"That's why Famine vanished that quickly," Raynare announced.
"Not just Famine, but all the four Horsemen escaped with Lucifer and Samael," Madara said.
Raynare failed to move a muscle because of the horrifying power that surrounded her. It was like death was wrapping its cloak around her whole body, which would snap her body in half if she dared moved an inch from that spot she was in.
Gazing upon a master of significance and absolute power held more prestige and blessing than any holy relic within the universe. Just being so close to him was healing the fatigue away along with restoring her power. She couldn't exactly say how this was possible, but it was somehow happening. The battle damage, bruises, blood, and even any damage that was on her body were disappearing.
"Lord Madara... How are you doing this?" She asked with her eyes piercing his as her life depended on this answer.
"I have transformed into a being that not even I still understand. I'm still learning what I can dish out, but to think I had healing properties that could heal others is something new to me." He said while thinking of the Hashirama cells that were still inside of him.
Raynare stood up and quickly guided Madara to Kalawarner." She needs help.
Madara walked up to her where he gently placed his hand on her before her entire body lit up in a glow. A few seconds passed by to reveal that Kalawarner was fully healed.
She woke up before noticing that Raynare was next to her along with Madara who was standing in front of her. When her eyes landed on him, she instantly got on her knees as she did the same thing that Raynare did. "My Lord... I wasn't expecting to see you."
"There is no need for all this. You can rise, Kalawarner, we have other pressing matters to attend to."
"As you wish, my Lord." Kalawarner stood up before instantly spotting that her body was cleansed of scars, blood, and bruising. Her exhaustion vanished with her magic power being fully restored. She looked over at Raynare for an explanation.
"Lord Madara healed you. I don't know how he did it, but he has become something, even more, grander than the last time we were with him. I can't even scale his power anymore seeing how much magical pressure he is exerting." Raynare explained.
"Astonishing... It's like you ascended into Godhood."
Madara smiled at those words. "In a sense, you can consider it like that."
"You said something about pressing matters to attend to?" Raynare asked.
"Of course, about that. We need to reconvene with everyone else at the moment to return to the human world. I can't locate Lucifer's power anywhere, so we are going to return to Earth where we will write up new strategies for the future. Lucifer isn't going to stay in hiding forever, so we need to be ready for the next time we encounter him and his men."
"We will follow and obey any command you ask of us, my Lord," Kalawarner declared.
"We will not fail to disappoint," Raynare added on.
"Hold onto me."
The two Fallen Angels looked at each other before doing what they were told.
"My Lord, there is one thing I need to tell you before we leave," Raynare said.
"What is it?"
"Before you arrived here, Lord Indra was here helping us with Famine. Before leaving, he told me to give you a message."
"Indra... I wasn't expecting to hear from him. Do go on."
"He said to meet him at the school where the treaty between the factions took place."
"That place again... I'll see what he want's when we are done with my business."
"As you wish, my Lord."
"Kamui." Madara's Rinnegan eye quickly shifted to a Sharingan before teleporting the three of them to Michael's, Azazel's, and Yasaka's location.
In a blink of an eye, Madara and the two Fallen Angels appeared in front of the others.
Michael, Azazel, Yasaka, and Penemue all shifted their attention to the massive spike in magic power that appeared behind them. When they noticed it was Madara, everyone felt nervous to even say anything. Azazel couldn't even comprehend what he was seeing. He was bewildered to see how much Madara has changed that he almost couldn't recognize him.
Michael knew he was strong with being an Archangel and all, but the sheer magic presence that was spiraling around Madara was beyond anything he has experienced throughout his life.
"What brings you here, Lord Madara?" Yasaka asked with a smile along with a noticeably visible blush.
"Lucifer has escaped my grasp somehow, so I have returned here to regroup with everyone before we return to the human world."
Michael's eyes shot wide open. "Did you just say, Lucifer?"
"The bastard who has caused chaotic omens across everyone's life? Yes, I just mentioned him."
"How is that possible? Lucifer was sealed in the deepest parts of Hell where no magic would have been possible to unseal his cage." Michael questioned.
"We will figure that out later, so in the meantime, Lord Madara has some other pressing matters to attend to than Lucifer's release," Azazel said.
Madara looked out at the horizon where he used his Rinnegan to look for any magic signatures. He picked up a couple here and there, but nothing too big or significant for him to be worried about. What he mostly saw were magical residue or stragglers from the Devil and the human side. "What is the casualty rate?" Madara asked.
"Somewhere in the high billions," Penemue stated.
Madara's eyes narrowed at hearing that.
Yasaka came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What's on your mind?" She asked.
Madara let that question float around in his head as there were a lot of things on his mind. Ever since he came to this world, he felt out of place for the longest time. Powers that he has never seen before, beings that scaled beyond anything he faced, and even a world where it was rotten to the core because of the sickening things he has heard and seen with his ears and eyes.
Throughout his travels and lifespan, he would have never thought that millions of people would follow him to the gates of Hell to abolish the control that the Devil race has had on the human race for thousands of years.
He was always alone from the start. he used and threw people away after being done with them to achieve his goal. Nothing mattered more than achieving the goal he has desired the most in his world, but to see that fruitless dream he wished to have was nothing more than a lie that destroyed him in the end enraged his whole soul.
He was somewhat glad he had a chance to restart anew and had people who believed in his dream, which ultimately changed the course of his life for the better if he had to say.
"You know, Yasaka... Ever since my rise throughout all the realms, the world we all well and know ran on a system of power, greed, slavery, and corruption. With those being emplaced within this system, war has scourged this world and every other realm with a plague of endless suffering and despair." Madara proclaimed while keeping his focus on the scorching fields of Hell.
Yasaka walked up beside him where her gaze was planted on his face. It always amused her how he always kept a straight face throughout horrifying scenarios that no other person would be able to remain calm in.
"Out of all the things in the world you could have done, you chose the option of going against beings that strung the world to their liking," Yasaka asked.
"Do you find that a problem?"
"No... I believe what you are doing is something that people of all races need. You are creating a unified world where no one is above the other. Happiness and peace will only exist in your world because you will it... I don't know how you do it. Absorbing all the world's dark deeds while giving everyone a positive light that fills their hearts and minds with the thought of never-ending tranquility. At times... It breaks my heart seeing you do most of these dangerous tasks by yourself."
Madara let a smile creep in after hearing that. "No supernatural being knows the true meaning of life. It is one of the most precious gifts anyone could receive. Being born innocent into the world while not knowing that your whole life ahead of you will be manipulated by evildoers like Lucifer and anyone like him is a reality that is worse than Hell itself."
"I understand where you are getting at, but you don't have to push yourself to these extreme limits all the time." Yasaka was beginning to show her concerns.
"You know I can't show a sign of weakness for a second. My life is already a Hell that can't be fixed, but knowing I can give you a life where you don't have to face bastards like Lucifer or anyone like him is the greatest gift of satisfaction that would give my dream meaning and purpose. I will destroy and sink my existence into the deepest of voids just to seek a world where you and everyone else can live in peace."
Yasaka's eyes began to tear up to hear that he was disregarding his life as nothing meaningful or important.
"You bastard..." She said quietly.
"Don't waste your tears on someone like me. I walked a path that has stained my entire existence from start to finish. I may have been the one that has cleared a path toward a world we all desire, but it is people like you who desire the longevity of peace. This dream may come from a madman, but it is all of you who will it and enforce your desire in obtaining a world where no hardships overcome you."
Yasaka stepped closer to him. "This world is yours as well. Why are you brushing yourself away from this world you wish to create?"
"I don't deserve such a luxury."
"It doesn't matter if you did something terrible or unforgivable. What you are doing now is enough to clean the slate clean. I can't live in a world without you, nor can't any other person who believes in your cause. You alone created this unified society. No person alive other than you deserves to lead the millions who have come together because of your dream."
Madara remained silent to let himself think. After everything that has transpired in his wake, there was always that looming reality that he had to live with after this whole mess. The fact that he can't return to his world was already enough torment for him. Residing in this reality has shown and unlocked a myriad of unforeseen tragedies, suffering, powers, deities, and new profound abilities. In a way, this was his world to command.
But with experiencing the unveiled secrets of life and the true meaning behind it all, that way of life no longer satisfied him. Hashirama's teachings and philosophy made him see what life had to offer.
Forsaking the people who wanted to strive to make the world a better place was one of his greatest mistakes.
He was a fool for believing in such a tale from Black Zetsu. Madara looked over Yasaka's shoulder to see his predecessor Indra cross-armed with a smile. "You finally get it..." Indra passed Madara before they were back to back with each other. "The answer has always been in front of you the whole time. You... Sasuke... And I all chose to ignore it."
Madara just remained silent.
"Our wretched lives will never wash away the sins we have all done. We can traverse the entire known world for all we like to repent and punish ourselves, but at the core of ourselves, we know that such things won't wash away our pasts or fix what we have done."
Madara had to admit it, Indra's words were spot on.
"But you already knew that... What's done is done... You are living a new life now. The special bonds and connections you have made have proven that you have been redeemed. Stop living like a ghost and start living, Madara. The cycle of hate that started with me and Ashura is over. What you are seeing now is nothing more than remnants of your broken past."
"A ghost of my past..." Madara whispered.
"Stop dwelling in the past, it will only lead you down the same path as before. Don't seal yourself away from the world around you. You are no longer the Madara Uchiha from the Elemental Nations... You have been reborn as Madara Uchiha, the Messiah of this world and the savior of all life."
This was it, the truth that was holding him back for so long. The guilt that has remained with him from the beginning has driven him to do things that would sink some of the sins away before his life returned to nothing. But to think all this time what he was doing alone would redeem him wasn't the answer at all. It was the people who were in front of him the entire time that were the key to redeeming his wretched life.
"To experience what life really is..." Madara stated unconsciously, which caused Indra to smirk victoriously before his entire existence vanished from Madara's mind entirely.
In a matter of seconds, Madara's eyes became serious. He gazed at Yasaka, which caught her off guard to see an expression she hasn't seen before on him. "What is it?" She asked.
"You will find out later." Madara took to the skies where he raised his hand, which caused the True Longinus to come flying into his hand.
"What is Lord Madara doing?" Raynare asked.
"I don't know... He just looked at me funny before flying up into the sky." Yasaka responded.
With the True Longinus in his hand, he let it float out in front of him before he clapped his hands together. "Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!" A weird creature formed around the spear before it consume the True Longinus completely.
Supercharging the King of Hell with the True Longinus, it opened its mouth until thousands of souls began flying out of it.
Everyone looked on with awe at such a bizarre moment.
When the souls reached their destination, thousands of dead people who were killed in the war were rising from the cold clutches of death.
Yasaka, Azazel, and Michael didn't know what to think or say. This was bending the natural laws of life and death, but they understood that they couldn't go against Madara and his wishes.
Even though this was something only Hades and the Horsemen of Death would do, they were glad to see that their people's lives meant something to Madara if he were to break a law such as the fundamental aspects of life and death.
Madara knew the consequences of using this power as it would destroy his life in the process. But with his soul being in the hands of Ophis along with a body made out of Great Red and Ophis's magic, the drawback of this ability held no consequence as he was now a dragon with the powers of the Sage of the Six Paths.
Crossing the line of defying death was something he wasn't going to mess around with anymore knowing that death could never be achieved and would be a reality of endless suffering for him or anyone else. After hearing how Lucifer has destroyed that principle, he wasn't going to hold back any longer as he too was starting to mess with the aspects of life and death.
Some of the souls flew down to the deepest parts of Hell where Akeno, Koneko, Kuroka, and Vali were at. The four souls entered their bodies as they were all healed, rejuvenated, and healthy.
Kuroka quickly shot up to notice that she was alive. Heavy panting filled the room recalling the pain that was dealt out to her. Touching her cheeks to make sure it wasn't some dream, she came to find out that she was indeed alive.
Glancing over, she also saw her sister was completely fine as well. She recalled what happened to her after what Lucifer did to her. She was clueless as to what was going on.
Akeno and Vali soon woke up from their slumber to find out they too were confused about this whole situation.
"What's going on here?" Vali asked.
Before an answer could be given, Kuroka rushed over to Koneko and pulled her into a soul gripping hug. The sound of crying filled the whole room up. "I'm never going to fail you again, Shirone. Until the day I die again, I will not see you get hurt ever again!" Kuroka declared as she tightened her hold on her.
"How are we alive? Lucifer killed us in cold blood. This doesn't make any sense." Akeno questioned.
"I would like to know as well," Vali said.
Before anyone left, Kuroka's eyes widened to the fullest where it looked like her eyes would have shot out of her eye sockets. "Madara..." She said.
"What about him?" Vali asked.
"If we all died, wouldn't Lucifer and his four Horsemen of the Apocalypse be fighting right now?!" She asked while keeping her hold on her sister.
Vali clenched his teeth and gripped his fists tightly after remembering what Lucifer said to him. "I'm not going to sit around here to find out." Vali let his wings out before flying out of the castle.
Kuroka, Akeno, and Koneko soon followed.
Eventually, the four of them got out of that hell hole to see the surface layer of the Underworld to be engulfed in flames and smoke. Annihilation covered every square inch of the top layer of the Underworld. Mountains that used to exist no longer existed as craters replaced them.
The lakes and rivers were nothing more than streams of lava. Bodies laid across every nook, cranny, and corner, but what made this scenario worse was the horrifying stench of rotting corpses.
"What happened here?" Akeno asked.
The four of them looked over to their left to see a bright light where thousands of souls were being shot out in multiple directions. "We will probably find our answer there," Kuroka said while pointing in that general direction.
They flew in that direction until they were able to get a better view of what was going on. When the four of them witnessed who was in front of them, they were hit with a daze as all of them were awestruck. The pieces were beginning to click when witnessing what was going on. Gazing upon Madara and his new form along with new profound powers was enough to shut them up.
But going further than that, they were seeing a power that only a minuscule of people was able to do. It was the kind of magic that no one should tamper with as it defies the principles and concepts of life and death.
All of them never felt such an omnipotent power wash over them like this. It felt like their joints were locking up from the magical pressure, which was pushing down onto them.
Kuroka didn't know what to feel. She was going through a tsunami of emotions as she was delighted, sad, terrified, and even amazed all at the same time. But with everything that has transpired with her sister and Lucifer's encounter, she felt even more thankful for everything and everyone around her.
Even now, her heart has never felt so painful when seeing what Lucifer did to her sister.
With all this happening, she couldn't believe that even in the heart of the Devil's territory with bodies upon bodies stacked to fill up all the oceans in the world, Madara would sacrifice his life to ensure that others could live on. That thought alone clenched her heart up. Doing what he was doing, she couldn't fathom the amount of strain and energy it would take to free the souls from the dead.
Once again, he saved her sister, which she has failed to do again.
Everything around her was becoming nothing more than a faint void as the only light that was keeping her from being embraced from the clutches of darkness was Madara's light.
Her gaze on him felt like time itself has stopped as she couldn't shift her attention from him whatsoever.
The light he had around him felt warm and welcoming.
Not even knowing, her eyes were beginning to tear up.
A realization hit her that life and everything else was meaningless if Madara didn't exist in it. The travels, adventures, and gifts that no one else brought to the table were able to do has solidified her grounds of how much of an impact Madara was on her.
Her long travels with him did shed some light on his life, but his power as a human showed her what humanity is truly capable of. That power he wielded alone was enough to break the gap that was between them after so long of being apart along with bringing her back from death.
That was all she wanted for herself, to see her sister alive and well. And if Madara could provide those requirements to protect her sister from anything or anyone, then nothing else mattered.
But now, after seeing what he did by bringing her and her sister back, she no longer wanted to be separated from him. Her life was now his from now until the end of time itself.
"You have been staring at me for quite some time now..." Madara announced while focusing on resurrecting the dead.
Kuroka was brought out of her trance before no thoughts were given to what she was about to do. She lunged herself at him where she brought him in a hug with her head planted on his chest.
"Just how much more fuel can you add to make me live without you?" Kuroka gripped his back as it felt like it was her lifeline.
"Now is not the time for this, I need to finish my task." He said.
"I don't care... I'm not letting you go."
Akeno and Koneko just smiled awkwardly at how Kuroka was acting.
"Lord Michael, Lord Azazel, Lady Yasaka, do we have everyone gathered up?" Kalawarner asked.
"We should have everyone. If not, a magic communication circle has been sent out to all of our allies to return to the human world." Michael said.
"Good... I'm growing tired of this wretched place."
Scene Break
Madara's army all returned to the human world where everyone felt exhausted, beaten, bruised, and torn from all the fighting they all endured. It was welcoming to see their world after experiencing that bloody war. In a sense, it enlightened them after that whole fiasco.
Michael and his Angels were overseeing the normal accommodations to help the humans return to their homes to rest and eat.
Azazel and Penemue along with the rest of the Fallen Angels were securing the portal so that no Devil would surprise them with a sneak attack.
Yasaka left her soldiers to guard the Imperial Palace where Madara was while she went to go check on her daughter.
Kuroka, Koneko, Akeno, and Vali walked through the portal before the sun graced them with its presence. "It is good to see you too," Kuroka said to the sun as she basked in the sun.
"Why are you saying that? You do know that the sun isn't our greatest ally because of the downsides we receive from our Devil blood." Vali pointed out.
"You don't have to be such a jerk about it. That is simple knowledge, so the reason why I said that was because I didn't want to sit in the Underworld anymore. I'm done with that place for a while."
"That could be the reason, but there is also the possibility of you being lonely, so you decided to come with all of us." Koneko blurted out.
"Why are you being so rude to me?" Kuroka asked with a confused expression.
Akeno let out a giggle. "It could be the fact that Lord Madara left you behind, so you quickly wanted to follow him."
Kuroka couldn't come up with anything as a vein showed itself on her forehead. "You know what... I don't care anymore. I have my reasons for following him, so no matter what you try to do or say, I won't stray from his path because of what you think."
Akeno shook her head. "That reminds me... Where did he go?" She asked.
"Probably to the place that has guards all over the place." Koneko pointed out.
The four of them were walking toward the palace before they spotted a familiar face. "Hold on for a second... Is that, Cao Cao?" Kuroka asked.
"Cao Cao!" Kuroka yelled out.
Cao Cao turned in the direction of the voice before a surprised look came upon him. "What in the..."
"We weren't expecting to see you here," Vali said.
"I could say the same to you. Why did you guys come here anyway?"
Vali scratched the back of his head before replying. "I came to thank Madara for saving me. But I'm also here to ask about Issei."
"The Red Dragon Emperor?"
"Yes."
"If you are looking for him, he is already inside the palace with Tiamat." Cao Cao casually said.
Kuroka was listening in to their conversation before she spotted something on Cao Cao. "Isn't that Madara's weapon on your back?"
Cao Cao took the fan off his back where he placed the fan next to his side in a vertical position. "it is, but Madara refused to take it back as he told me to just keep it. I was hesitant at first, but I think I'm starting to like this weapon. This is truly remarkable. I haven't seen anything like this."
"I thought something was off with that weapon the first time I have seen it." Vali pointed out.
"It may look light, but this thing is quite heavy that it takes quite a great deal of power to wield it. When infused with some magical power, this thing can blow away just about anything."
"Are we allowed to enter?" Koneko asked.
"Yeah, you guys can enter, but just be careful. Lord Madara seems a bit mad at the moment. Just don't do anything stupid while you are in there."
The four of them acknowledged Cao Cao's words before they entered the palace. They roamed through a couple of rooms before reaching the main hall where they spotted Issei and Tiamat on their knees in front of Madara who was sitting on his throne.
Kuroka, Koneko, Akeno, and Vali shut the door behind them and waited until it was their turn to speak.
"This is quite interesting. To think you would show up now out of all the times we were in battle." Madara said.
Issei was sweating bullets from how nervous he was. The last time he saw Madara was when he looked human, but being in his presence now was beyond anything he has seen. He knew that Madara was a maniac when it came to combat, but with the upgrade and new appearance, he knew that he was no longer a maniac for combat. He was in the presence of a battle-hardened God.
Nothing prepared him for this moment, so it was nearly impossible to say anything. "Mr. Uchiha... Please hear me out."
"I rather not. To think that I was an instructor that was trying to teach you surprises me every time I think about it. At this point, you shouldn't say anything because with you being gone for a while, I assume you accumulated some unique techniques and fighting styles."
"I mean... Yes... I did train for a bit while I was absent."
"Then prove to me that your absence wasn't all for naught. And if I see that you are still the same as before, then..." Madara released his power, which felt like a shotgun blast at point-blank that caused everyone to fly back towards the wall. "I will shatter your entire soul into fragments that not even the greatest beings in this world will be able to fix you." Madara's eyes glowed a bright purple that was just too much for anyone to keep eye contact with.
Issei felt his blood clog up at times as this was beyond his realm. "Ddraig... Are you still there?"
[Partner... I can't measure his power.]
"What?! How is that possible?"
[You think I know the answer to that?! Use that retarded ass head of yours for once and think how someone of that caliber could overwhelm me.]
"So not cool."
Issei began to think about how he could go up against someone like him. With every thought, he began drawing blanks. There was no denying it, he knew was screwed.
"What's the matter? Are you just going bow before a diety for the rest of your life? I told you to prove to me that your absence wasn't all for naught." Madara said while exerting more power.
Issei was panting from how intoxicating the whole room was. The magical power that was all around him was suffocating him to the point that it felt like his lungs were being ripped apart. "Ddraig... I-I-I can't... Fucking... Breathe..."
Vali felt his legs give out before he fell to the ground.
Kuroka, Koneko, and Akeno fell to the floor as well from the extreme pressure, but Kuroka was the only one that felt wetness in between her legs. "Nya... If he keeps this up, I might go into heat early." Kuroka said with a fat blush plastered on her cheeks while also deliciously licking her lips as her eyes were locked on her target.
"How can you be turned on in a situation like this?" Akeno asked while trying to fight against the pressure.
"It's because my heart longs for him no matter how much I try to block it out. Every turn I take, he is in my mind and heart." Kuroka said before giving in to the power.
"I sometimes think that you are a lost soul at times," Koneko said before she too gave in to the magical pressure.
Issei used all of his willpower to resist this insane magical pressure. It was like he was tearing his muscles apart just to resist this power. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Issei screamed out where a green glow engulfed him before the entire room exploded in a green magical glow.
[Balance Breaker!]
Issei was covered from head to toe in red armor. His magic power was spewing out like a whirlwind from the training he received.
"Hehehe... Looks like someone is ready to dance. Tiamat, hold this for me." Madara handed the True Longinus to her.
"As you wish, my Lord."
"Let's just see how much you have grown."
Issei launched right at Madara where he shot his fist forward, but Madara caught it with ease.
The shock levels flew through the roof when everyone in the room witnessed Madara catching the Red Dragon Emperor's attack with ease.
"Come on... You can do better than that." Madara encouraged him.
Issei jumped into the air where he tried to do a flying roundhouse kick. Madara called forth one of his truth-seeking orbs that transformed into a shield to block his attack. When Issei's foot hit the orb, a shockwave hit Madara in the face from how much power was transferred through the orb.
"Cheeky bastard," Madara said while letting out a smile.
[What do you think you are doing?]
"I'm having my second sparring match with Mr. Uchiha."
[I can see that, but you aren't using any of the new attacks you learned. Why is that?]
"Mr. Uchiha is a master tactician. He knows where to strike and when to strike. His eyes see everything, so if I did something big and theatrical, then he would see it from miles away. Let's not forget that I have the slightest damn clue on what new abilities he possesses from the new look he is rocking. What I'm doing at the moment is only feeling him out and testing out the waters of my new combat abilities to see how far I can go."
[About time you started thinking with this head of yours.]
"Can you shut the Hell up for a second?"
Madara decided to return the favor by flying right at him before delivering a ferocious swing with his foot that made Issei quickly raise his arms to block it, but the insane power that came into contact with him was too much for even him to block. The armor on his arms shattered, which caused him to retreat to the far corner of the room.
[Fucking damn... I felt that one...]
"That felt like a semi-truck smashing up against my whole body," Issei said as he reconstructed the broken armor as he was back to full. When he recovered, Issei flew back in to do some more damage at least.
[I know... I even felt it.]
"Screw this shit... Ddraig! Let's do it now!"
[About time.]
Issei increased his speed by at least fifty-fold as he was going around in circles around Madara. Madara stood still as his eyes only moved from left to right to acquire Issei's exact position.
"Ddraig, increase the power output."
[Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost.]
Thrusters on the armor began to work in overdrive as he was moving at speeds that not even Vali could see.
Madara crossed his arms until the Susano'o rib cage spawned around him.
"Ddraig! Transfer all power to my hand!"
[You got it, partner!]
Issei stopped going in circles before appearing in front of Madara with massive magic fluctuations spiraling all around him with vigor.
[TRANSFER!]
Issei's whole hand was engulfed in magic power as it was starting to be unstable.
"DDRAIG! DON'T HOLD ANYTHING BACK!"
[BOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!]
Issei lined up his target before sending it off.
[CRIMSON BLASTER!]
A large-scale blast was sent at Madara. Issei fell to the ground as his Balance Breaker disappeared before he began panting from the amount of magic he used.
The attack hit Madara straight on, which eviscerated the Susano'o around him before he was sent out of the palace and into the air as a large crimson explosion engulfed the sky making everyone look up to see what was going on. Magic particle dust sprinkled everywhere that it looked like snow.
Vali, Kuroka, Koneko, Tiamat, and Akeno were stunned by how much Issei improved himself from the time he was gone.
Everyone was waiting in anticipation. They knew something was going to happen, but they didn't know what it was or when it was going to happen.
Before anyone could say anything, a spiraling portal materialized in front of them where Madara appeared.
Dusting himself off, he stared at Issei intensely. "That was something, to say the least. I'm impressed that you managed to shatter the first form of my Susano'o with an attack like that. I even felt the amount of concentration in that blast. But with all that, you are still lacking the fundamental necessities to overcome your opponent in battle. What you lack isn't power or skill, it is the mind of a warrior. You need to think like a killer than a pacifist when fighting against opponents like me." Madara explained.
"Mr. Uchiha... I can't be like you. I lack your vision, talent, and mindset."
"I never once said for you to be like me. I'm just telling you what you are lacking. When you fight, you fight to survive. Stop holding yourself back, then, maybe, you will have a chance at victory."
Issei stood up before Madara casually did a leg sweep that made Issei fall to the ground. "Ahhhhh! What was that for?"
Madara shook his head. "You dropped your guard. You still require more practice and discipline. Men aren't forged as warriors at birth, they are forged when they experience Hell in situations where it feels like their only option is giving up. Keep striving to be better and conquer the enemy that has always been ahead of you since birth. The only enemy you should fear is yourself. Until then, go repair the damage you caused." Madara said before walking to his throne.
Issei just stared at the ceiling as he felt his exhaustion kick in.
"Now, what were the four of you here to do?" Madara asked.
Kuroka, Koneko, Akeno, and Vali approached him before Akeno and Koneko kneeled before him.
Kuroka and Vali decided not to kneel as the both of them had different plans in their mind. Kuroka skipped over to his location before leaping on his lap and snuggling up to him. She began to purr while rubbing her head against his chest. "Nya, you need to take responsibility." Her action caused Tiamat to be jealous as her grip on the True Longinus tightened, but what shot the rocket into space was when she started to sexually lick his throat, which ended up traversing up to his cheek.
Madara tried pulling her off of him, but she quickly shot back onto him like a magnet. "Don't be rude..." Kuroka said with a lusty voice and smile before leaning closer to his ear. "I told you to take responsibility. My baby pouch is ready to be fertilized." Before she began licking his cheek again.
Madara decided to do nothing. Seeing how much she was sticking onto him, he couldn't just throw her away. So he just decided to ignore her presence, which was a bit difficult before focusing on Vali. "What brings you here?"
Vali just ignored Kuroka's weird behavior before focusing on what he wanted to say. "You changed a lot from the last time we met. You have risen above any human standards that have been placed in this world, so what do you plan to do now? I know this battle isn't over yet, so when will you return to the Underworld?"
Madara didn't say a word.
"What is it?" Vali asked.
"I want to jump out of this seat and snap your neck."
Vali and everyone else were stunned by his words. Kuroka didn't care about what was going on as she was in her world.
"Why?" Vali asked as he was getting ready to fight.
"You have the same eyes as that bastard. You are a descendant of him. The smell on your body familiarly matches him."
"Wait... How were you able t-"
"I have become a dragon. My senses have been quadrupled, so being able to tell what you are isn't a problem anymore. Besides, I'm not going to kill you."
"Then why did you say that you want to snap my neck?"
"You were staring at me just like your predecessor was, which was irritating me."
Vali stuffed his hands into his pockets before asking something else. "Look, I don't plan to stay around here, so I'm just going to get straight to the point. Let me take Issei with me to become stronger. This Lucifer business you have going on isn't the end. I want to come prepared when the next battle begins. Besides, don't you want him to become stronger?"
"So the bastard child wants to take one of my students."
"Better a bastard child than being a crazy war-mongering genocidal freak."
Madara smiled at that. "Don't be so quick to judge me. After all, you only see what I choose to show you."
"Judging isn't my kind of thing. That stuff is reserved for Gods, so judge all you want from that chair of yours because you have the world at your fingertips. Take care, Madara Uchiha. I will be taking Issei with me."
He remained silent as he saw Vali take Issei before leaving the palace.
"My Lord... Will it be alright to let Issei go like this? What if both the Red and White Dragon Emperor decide to go against you?" Tiamat asked.
"It is fine, Tiamat. Besides, the boy needs training before he can stand next to me."
"He still didn't tell us how he managed to get stronger." Tiamat expressed her concerns.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure we will find out in due time."
"Lord Madara..." Akeno decided to speak up this time.
Madara shifted his attention to Akeno. "Now this is surprising... I wasn't expecting Rias Gremory's friend to be standing before me. Are you here to spout your nonsense all over again like long ago?"
"I dare not, Lord Madara. I have come to pay my respects for returning my life. To add to that, I have left Rias Gremory's side as I have seen that her reasoning of how the world should work while following this chain of command that was constructed by the Devils was a failed system. It was a system to retain their power while controlling those who were insignificant. So, I have come here to plead for your forgiveness for my blindness and negligence at seeing the bigger picture." Akeno calmly and respectfully explained.
He raised his hand. "Don't grovel like a slave to me. I am not your Master. I forgive you, so raise yourself."
"But... It wouldn't be appropriate for me to not kneel before you."
"I understand, so don't worry about it. I do not wish to enslave anyone as that is not what I seek. Everyone that is born into this or any world is born innocent, but not free. Life shouldn't be a reality of shackles and enslavement, its general purpose is for people to live and enjoy what they were given. The simplistic thought that you are born a slave into the confines of bastards like Lucifer's people and anyone like him is a sick joke. You shouldn't be raised to fear the world and the life you live." Madara explained.
Akeno couldn't think of anything to retort that. Her eyes locked onto his when he finished speaking before it felt like the world around her shattered.
She was beginning to see a whole new light in life. After all this time, she couldn't understand how she failed to see this from the beginning when he was enrolled at Kuoh Academy. There was no denying that she was the same as any other person in Rias's inner circle. She and everyone else felt like anything he said was nothing more than empty words that felt like a load of crap.
"Listen, Akeno. I know what suffering looks like because I have experienced it a thousand times over. No person alive should feel the same as me, but you have led a life of lies this whole time. Experiencing your mother dying, having a father who felt like abandoned you, and enslaving yourself to the Devils because that felt like your only option at the time. These elements defined you in the past, so don't let the past keep defining you for all eternity. Seek the desires that linger in the back of your head and construct a new path for yourself."
Akeno gripped her fists as a surge of pain washed over her heart. "But... I-I-I c-can't..."
"I too know that pain you are feeling all too well. The feeling of emptiness because everything you believed in meant nothing when the world around you shattered."
"Then how do you cope with it? How do you go on living when you have experienced this pain like a thousand times? How do you wake up with a confident mindset knowing the torment you have gone through? What keeps making your heart tick to keep moving forward?" Akeno asked with desperation.
"I don't..."
Everyone perked up at his answer. Kuroka even stopped what she was doing as she was intrigued now.
"W-What do you mean?" Akeno asked.
"I don't cope with anything anymore. My life is not of my own anymore as it belongs to the Infinite Dragon God now. My entire life was a Hell that not even a drop of light would fix me. The path I walked stained my existence to the point that I became a ghost. I knew the darkness that followed me with every step I took as I became a monster to even myself. Reality can often be disappointing that we choose to do things that go against what others approve of. No one wants to be a menace, but when society and the circumstances go against you, you tend to become something that not even you can recognize."
Everyone remained silent as he continued to explain.
"I know I can't be forgiven for my past, but the people around me are the reason why I continue to live on. You can live a life of isolation with no sense of forgiveness within yourself for the things you have done, but living that type of life is worse than death at times that it will destroy you until you become nothing. Don't dwell on those thoughts because the people you have around you will fill that void of emptiness. I failed to recognize this when I fought with Hashirama long ago, so don't traverse the same path as I did. You have a long life ahead of you." Madara said.
"Lord Madara... I may not know you well enough, but standing here before you have awakened my foolish mind to a great degree. Your words of wisdom and bottomless well of knowledge never cease to stop growing. At times like this... I ask myself how someone like you can strive to these great lengths without suffering the drawbacks of seeing the broken and twisted world that is null and void to the majority of the people." Akeno asked.
"I wonder the same thing sometimes. You have all this power, all these people who respect you, and countless women who would love to share a bed with you, and yet, you feel like you deserve none of it... Why do you have to hate yourself to the point that you feel as if you don't deserve happiness at all?" Kuroka asked this time.
Madara let out a sigh. "Bearing the world's problems so that everyone who has suffered before could live a life of tranquility can't be done with simple means. Some monsters want to live a life of slavery, war, and carnage. People like that can't be reasoned with or beaten with a positive and carefree mindset. You can't destroy monsters while being human, so you must become an entirely different being to be someone even the demons would fear."
Kuroka tightened her hold on him even more. "You are a cold-hearted ruthless bastard. There are some things I might not agree with you on, but you don't deserve to live this type of life where you must define yourself as a monster."
"Sometimes, destroying yourself for the good of humanity is a necessary sacrifice."
Akeno couldn't understand how his mind and heart worked. In a matter of fact, she has never met anyone so stubborn to the point that they would want to destroy themselves. She lived a life of seeing how ignorant people can be. Concentrating on themselves, indulging in lustful desires, and becoming more greedy. They all wanted something from someone with interest, but no one has done anything for someone because of kindness or sympathy. It became even worse when she worked for Rias.
The lust, greed, debauchery, sickness, and endless torment of snatching souls for the Underworld made her feel hopeless. In truth, she didn't care about the world anymore after her mother died and her father abandoned her. Joining up with Rias was only an escape from the world's problems, but it was mostly to avoid her problems.
"What you have done, it has severed the fate of this world for eons to come. A simple concept of peace that came from a human has shifted the whole supernatural world to rock bottom." Akeno said.
"That's what I wanted from the start. They stained this world long enough. What I want... What truly resides in my heart is the need to sever the fate of this world, a world of only victors, a world of only peace, a world of only love... I will create such a world." He said.
"Just how far do you think you can go with this? One day, this chivalrous behavior you have going will disappear when you are hit with a problem, not even you can solve. There is always a limit to which a person can go before something or someone can stop them. You speak of your horrendous past, but what if that is a lie? As you said before, you only choose to show what others want to see or hear. Better yet, which Madara should we believe in? The Ghost of the Uchiha, the Messiah, or the war-mongering bastard?" Akeno explained as her emotions were beginning to spill out from all the pain that was built up.
Madara smiled at her statement of concern.
"Why are you smiling? Did I say something funny?"
"You may enter," Madara called out, causing everyone to look towards the door.
When they all turned to look, they saw the doors to the throne room swing open up before Baraqiel entered the room.
Akeno felt her heart clench up when she saw him, but when another person entered the room that she recognized, the blood in her cheeks felt like it was drained out from the massive surprise that hit her.
Akeno instantly without a second thought turned around to face Madara to seek answers immediately as she remained in silence while waiting for him to say something.
Madara leaned back in his chair. "You asked which Madara you should believe in? Don't believe in any of them. Live your life in freedom without my existence in it. Why do you think I'm doing this? To gain favor from you or anyone else? I don't seek fame, reputation, or anything of the sort. My existence alone means nothing if the people of this world aren't freed from their suffering, emptiness, and loneliness. There are nexuses and causal relationships that cannot be separated that shift the behaviors of those around them."
Akeno was about to say something, but she was cut off.
"You can hate me, resent me, and even avoid me throughout your entire life, but I will never let people like you who have suffered enough drown in a neverending ocean of pain. No one should be gifted the suffrage and never-ending pain of eternal emptiness from this world. Take my words to heart, Akeno Himejima. Don't live in the past, push to strive for something much more. Don't walk the path of a ghost as you put it as I have done for so long."
Akeno felt absolutely speechless. Everything she was about to say left her mind in seconds. It hit her once again how he disregarded himself from the public view while giving everything back with no strings attached.
The space around him felt like it was becoming dark as the figure of Madara was becoming larger and brighter. Consciously not knowing, she began to tremble in confusion and awe.
Baraqiel and the person next to him walked closer to Madara where they bowed before him.
"Greetings, Lord Madara."
"I pay my respects to you, my Messiah, Lord Madara."
Akeno slowly returned her gaze to the figure next to Baraqiel.
"It's so good to see you, Akneo. How have you been?"
Akeno tried to say something, but nothing could come out. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but something felt holding her back from doing so until a single word escaped her lips. "Mother..."
"It's her, Akeno. She is alive." Baraqiel reassured her.
"Come here, Akeno." Her mother said as tears were escaping her eyes.
Without thought, she charged ahead before crashing into her mother's arms. She began balling her eyes out as the three of them were brought into a hug.
Kuroka caught the expression Madara had when he saw the three of them reunite as a family. She didn't say anything as she just carefully eyed him.
Madara gently pushed Kuroka off of him before standing up. He decided to leave the room to give them space before Tiamat, Kuroka, and Koneko followed him out of the room.
Before he could leave, Baraqiel stepped forward before getting on his hands and knees. "Lord Madara... My life belongs to you for all of eternity!"
"Baraqiel..." Shuri whispered.
Madara stopped at the foot of the entrance without turning around. "I do not own you. I don't own anyone. Your life is of your own, so live it how you wish. I have returned your family to you. If you so wish, you may leave this place to go live somewhere far away from the problems that occur around me. You are a free man, so live and thrive like a free man because that is how all innocent beings should live." That was all he said after he began to leave.
Not even taking one step, another voice called out to him. This time, he decided to turn around.
"Where are you going? I need to repay you for giving me something I would have never imagined I would see again." Akeno said.
He raised his hand to stop her. "I told you already, Akeno Himejima. The things I do is something that requires no sense of payment. I don't seek any favors, gifts, or even power. Live your life to the fullest with the ones around you and never let emptiness, pain, and suffering consume your life. It only leads to a life of loneliness with no sense of direction."
"But-"
"Just accept this reality you have been blessed with. Live with happiness than regret. Find your desires that you wish to pursue and hold onto them. Build the future you wanted that you wished for when you were with your family."
"Lord Madara! Let me at least join up with you! I want to repay you!" Akeno desired to return her gratitude to him.
Madara shook his head. "You have your life back. The torment that held you back no longer resides in that heart of yours anymore. Take my advice and move on with your life. You are no longer that girl who was abandoned and left to survive on her own."
"But what about you?" She asked.
"I already told you."
"You can't keep living on like that."
"Do not worry about me. Better yet, take these next few words to heart. Wherever you are in this world, don't let the world or anyone else's problems dictate your very way of life. You are in control of your future and the path you so desire to walk on. Reality can be Hell at times, but never let it consume your heart and mind. Surround yourself with people like your mother and father and I guarantee you that any hardships that come your way in the future will only become minor problems."
"At least tell me something to do to pay you back! I will feel devoided if I don't do something to return this gift you have given me!"
Madara gave her one last smile before a swirly portal began swirling around the four of them.
"Live..."
Madara and his three compatriots disappeared.