Hi, everyone…Yeah, I know, I know. It's been YEARS, 3 years in fact, since I touched this story.
I owe you all an apology for leaving you hanging for so long. Despite this story being my most popular one, it wasn't my favorite. As I have mentioned in the past in my other Author's Notes, this story was just an embarrassing thing to look back at. There were so many times where I got carried away and didn't think twice about what I was doing. That was because I was extremely inexperienced when I first started this story. I cringe when I go back and read "The Dragonic Will".
As I grew more experienced over time, I realized that I made a lot of decisions in the writing that weren't thought out well. An example was all that I talked about concerning my plans for the story in the Author's Notes in full detail.
At this point, rebooting the entire story from scratch is out of the question. After I rebooted "The Heroic Calamity", I swore I'd never do a reboot of an entire story ever again. It just takes too much time and work.
Thus, what I will do is retcon and rewrite certain parts and chapters of this story and replace them. Thus, there'll be a new continuity. Be assured, the chain of events will have the same general conclusions happening, but dialogue and how the characters get to those plot points are liable to change.
To summarize what I'll basically be doing:
I will not be using Japanese suffixes anymore and I will go back and change the dialogue when I get the time. I originally used Japanese suffixes because reading translations of the novels influenced me to do that. This is a habit that I've completely dropped over the years but it's not something I've fixed with this story.
I'm changing the maximum number of boosts and divides that Vali and Issei can do. I honestly wasn't thinking ahead when I used high double-digit and triple digit numbers. I'll blame it on my inexperience and lack of foresight.
I've changed lots of the dialogue between characters. Now that I've written 3 Highschool DxD fanfics (The Heroic Calamity, The Grim Herald, and The Dragonic Will), I may put a different spin on characters to help differentiate them.
I may or may not do away with some concepts, such as Issei having a seal placed over his powers. At this point, I'm not so sure it needs to be there anymore. I really don't know what my younger self was thinking when I was leveling character strength. On the other hand, I may keep it around for plot reasons.
Issei will be subject to personality changes, depending on how things go. Now that I've written two different personalities for Issei in my "Grim Herald" and "Heroic Calamity" stories, I may try to experiment with a different sort of personality with the Issei of this story.
I know that these changes vary from minor to being integral, but I just gotta fix these things to help reflect my current writing style. I don't want to deal with the trouble of rewriting from scratch either. My life is much busier than it was in 2016, so I don't think I can realistically pull off what I did with "The Heroic Calamity's" Reboot again.
Chapter 22: Another Voice
Issei hadn't gotten much sleep since news came of Raynare's kidnapping. He kept staring into space, thinking of how and why. Why would Raynare be kidnapped? He didn't see any logic behind it aside from himself being a target…Someone had to be trying to get to him through her. Anyone who'd spent time around them knew Raynare stayed by him almost as much as Akeno.
Issei grit his teeth in frustration. Once again, it was his fault that misfortune befell on others. He scratched his head, trying to figure out what to do. He stared out the window of the train they were in. Issei was with Azazel, Shemhazai, and Kokabiel, who were meeting with Olympian authorities to discuss what had happened recently.
Shemhazai noticed Issei brooding and spoke.
"Don't forget to keep your emotions in check, Issei."
"Huh?" Issei looked at his honorary uncle, confused.
"You've always been prone to rash decisions. I can see that Raynare is very close to you. I'll warn you now not to be impulsive. You may have not realized it, but your actions have caused a chain of events that can't be undone. Azazel hasn't said anything because he doesn't want to pressure you too much. Understand that we're dealing with the Greek deities now. They're probably the most powerful pantheon in Europe. So, even if you get angry, don't let your actions move faster than your reasoning."
Issei only groaned and nodded in compliance. Shemhazai was always the voice of reason among the people who'd raised him. If it weren't for him, Issei would've been much more prone to vice and arrogance.
"We'll get her back, I promise." Shemhazai lightened his tone, not wanting to speak to him too harshly.
"I just hope we can get to her before it's too late." Issei clenched his fist.
The train came to a halt. As the Grigori group got off the train, they were met by a woman. She had dark brown hair that reached her shoulders, her eyes were grey like clouds, and her attire was a white shirt with a brown jacket and pants. Issei noticed she wore an owl necklace.
"Welcome to Athens, Grigori. I am Athena. Please, follow me." Athena politely greeted them, her voice like a soft cloud, yet Issei felt like she could summon the power to make him regret any impoliteness.
"Lady Athena, may I ask of the current situation?" Azazel's tone became extremely formal. Issei still wasn't used to it when his uncle did that.
"As we reported, while Hermes was heading to his meeting, his guard detail was attacked by Echidna, who captured several people. Her motives are unknown but I surmise that she, like many others, are against the formation of the Alliance." Athena replied.
"Any new details?" Shemhazai asked.
"None yet. We have our best looking for the hostages and Echidna. We've also been monitoring anyone who could connect with Echidna. Thankfully, Typhon isn't free of his prison. As for the Khaos Brigade, that's the most likely possibility." Athena then glanced at Issei, scanning him quickly before looking away again.
Issei couldn't help but feel that she was determining if he was a problem. It felt so different with Athena. She was the Greek goddess of wisdom. It wasn't out of some judgmental reason that she analyzed him. She seemed to be doing it out of caution more than anything else.
"We'll enter my temple and have our meeting there." Athena said.
The Parthenon was bustling with tourists, but Issei knew that masking their magical activities was a cinch for Athena. Athena opened a door in the back of the Parthenon, which seemed to lead to a magical room.
It was like a business room that was common in the Human Realm, but Issei could feel the powerful magic radiating from it just by standing behind the door. There were already others sitting in the room.
Issei tensed up as he realized who was in there. A man with a blue jacket and blonde hair sat on one side of the room, his eyes covered by shades. When Issei looked at him, the man smiled with an acknowledging nod.
Across from him, was a young woman with red hair tied into a ponytail with golden accessories. She wore a burgundy business suit with black shoes, a magatama tied to a necklace around her neck. The woman looked at Issei and smiled gently, revealing her golden-amber eyes.
Every leader seated themselves while Issei stood up, officially acting as Azazel's bodyguard.
"Thank you all for attending today's meeting. Let's not stand on ceremony and get started. Not long ago, our previous meeting was interrupted when Echidna attacked and kidnapped several members of our pantheons. Today's meeting is to discuss the measures we will take to recover the hostages." Athena sat at the head of the table.
Azazel read through the official list of people taken by Echidna, with Issei sneaking a glance.
"That's quite a few people. If Echidna had the gall to take all of them, she's got some real people backing her up. Some of them are even pretty important." Azazel scoffed.
"We have our best hunters tracking them down. If necessary, they will engage Echidna. However, our purpose with that mission is to simply find out where the hostages are. Once they're found, we'll send a team to recover the hostages. Thus, let us get on the matter of who will be a part of it." Athena said.
"The Aesir will dispatch aid to deal with her. I have a promising apprentice that can help." The man in shades spoke up. A few others also pledged help. It wasn't surprising since members from several pantheons were taken.
Azazel looked at Issei. The two exchanged glances. Issei wanted this, desperately, and his uncle knew that.
"The Red Dragon Emperor will go from our side." Azazel said.
Issei gave his uncle an appreciative look. Soon enough, the task force meant to rescue the hostages and capture Echidna was made.
"Echidna is the wife of Typhon, mother of many Greek monsters. Her motives are unclear, though it can be believed that one of her goals was to stop progress of the Alliance's formation. Once she's found, she is to be captured so that we can obtain more information."
"What're her abilities?" The young woman in the red suit asked.
"She has the power to spontaneously create creatures from her flesh. The more time and power she puts into it, the stronger they are. However, those creatures are normally low in intelligence. It was only through mating with Typhon that she birthed true and horrendous monsters. Her skin and scales are as tough as dragon scales. She's also incredibly strong, her tail half being equally fast. You'll have to employ great amounts of force and restraining magic to bring her down." Athena waved her hand, showing a picture of the mother of Greek monsters.
Echidna had long flowing hair with snakes hissing from them. She had the top half of a beautiful woman, with glowing green eyes. Her teeth were sharp and her chest was covered in scaled armor, her nails like bladed claws. The scariest thing about her was the number of tails splitting from her lower half. She had eight tails, with the heads of various predators emerging from her waist, each tail was also different, some having fur, others feathers or scales.
"All parts of her body are a weapon for her to use. Don't get close to her and tire her out from afar. If you can, catch her off-guard. Now, I understand that we're not exactly organized with our responses. Thus, the main objective of this mission is to rescue the kidnappees and if possible, capture Echidna, or kill her." Athena said.
After the meeting ended, Issei was on standby by Azazel's orders. Given how the Alliance was now practically official, it was no longer necessary to hide their ties about Issei being a former agent of Grigori. Issei sat in a room prepared for him only for Akeno to call him.
When her projection appeared from a magic circle, he immediately smiled.
"Anything on Raynare, Issei?" Akeno asked.
"Nothing yet. They've got people looking for her and the other hostages." Issei shook his head.
"On the list of hostages…is a woman called Griselda Quarta on it?"
Issei nodded.
"That woman is very important to Xenovia, Issei. For her sake, please keep an eye out for her." Akeno felt the need to ask on behalf of Xenovia.
Issei nodded again, with no words being necessary to make the promise.
"When will you be back?" Akeno looked a bit worried.
"I don't know. I'm joining the team meant to go after Echidna." Issei regretted telling her that when he saw her look even more worried.
"Be careful, Issei. Make sure you and Raynare come back home safe and sound." Akeno pleaded. She knew about the stories surrounding Echidna and knew that a mistake could be costly.
"I will, Akeno." Issei smiled at her. Just hearing her voice and seeing her made him feel better.
Kokabiel called out to him then.
"Issei, come here. They've found her."
"I've gotta go, Akeno…" Issei hesitated with what he was about to say next. Akeno seemed to notice, only nodding like the supportive woman she was.
"Be safe, Issei. I love you." Akeno smiled before her hologram faded. She never failed to make Issei's heart skip a beat. He loved her so much that he wished he could spend every day with her.
Issei joined the others back in the meeting room. Athena had created a map displaying where Echidna had been found.
"Our hunters have determined that she's in Jotunnheim. We don't know how or why, but she was spotted entering a cavern." Athena pulled up the images sent back.
Everyone looked at the man with shades on.
"Loki, anything you can add to how she did this?" Athena asked. It didn't sound accusational coming from her, though some in the room certainly had the look.
"Echidna's no pushover. I know Thor wouldn't settle a fight with her in one hit, either. As you said, she might be getting a boost from someone, allowing her to bypass the magic protecting our borders…" Loki then looked around, people still looking at him.
"Hey, I may be the god of mischief, but even I have standards. I like screwing with people, not killing them. Humans and other gods like to embellish their stories, remember?" Loki threw his hands up in exasperation.
"No one here suspects you, Loki. Still, any ideas of who would ally with her?" The woman with red hair asked.
"Well, Amaterasu, I'd bet good money it's the obvious Khaos Brigade. Despite the heavy defeat the Old Satan Faction suffered, my informants have told me that there's other factions within it. Of course, their identities haven't been revealed yet. If they're from my pantheon, there's too many people to count." Loki reclined in his seat, thinking.
Athena looked bothered for the first time. There was too little information to go off of.
"If that's the case, we will have to be on our best guard. The Rescue Team will depart in half an hour once everyone is gathered. In that time, prepare yourselves." Athena folded her arms.
Issei gathered in the middle of the Parthenon temple that night. Quickly, the Rescue Team gathered one by one.
"Are you Issei Hyoudou by chance?" Someone asked.
Issei turned around to find an extremely beautiful young woman that look alarmingly similar to Vali. She had a figure that could compete with hers too, though her eyes were green and she wore a Valkyrie's armor. Issei had to catch his breath as he processed her beauty.
"My name is Rossweisse. Vali and I were students together under Brynhildr. It's a pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand.
Issei shook it, unsure of what to make of her.
"Vali always talked about you growing up. I've been looking forward to meeting you." Rossweisse smiled, still formal.
"Vali has mentioned that she made friends with several Valkyries. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rossweisse."
"I know we've just met, but I want you to know that a friend of Vali's is a friend of mine. Let me know if I can help with anything." Rossweisse then walked away.
"Everyone gather round. We'll be transporting you shortly." Athena said.
Issei looked at the entire Rescue Team.
There was a young woman a few inches shorter than him with blonde hair that curled at the ends. She looked like a witch with a light-blue hat and cloak. Issei figured that she had to be high-school age, maybe a year younger than him. Still, her figure was enough to give pause, possibly rivaling Irina's.
'You've just met her and you're already checking her out. You've spent too much time around Azazel, you perv.' Ddraig sighed, though Issei ignored the taunt.
"Hello. My name is Lefay Pendragon. I'm a member of the Golden Dawn Mage Association. I'm honored to meet everyone." Lefay waved and bowed.
Next to her was a young man that Issei recognized. He was quite a bit taller than Issei, with purple eyes and black hair. He was Sairaorg Bael of the Underworld.
"Greetings, I am Sairaorg Bael, heir to the Bael Clan of the Underworld. This mission may be brief but I'll do all I can." He grinned confidently.
Issei then turned to the side and recognized that Irina had arrived.
"This team may not be large, but we want to avoid gaining too much attention. Who knows how many people are eyeing Echidna's location. Take these rings. They're the key to restraining Echidna." Athena levitated grey metal bands to everyone.
"Once you activate them, those bracelets will activate and bind her. Be careful, as they have a powerful magic imbued into them." She warned.
When Issei looked at the bracelet, he saw that Medusa's face was on it.
Without further ado, the Rescue Team was sent to Jotunnheim in a bright light.
Issei's sight was dazzled by a blossoming wilderness, with high mountains that no human could ever dare to climb. The plants were mystical, looking different from any other planet that could be found in the Human Realm.
"Hey, Issei!" Irina excitedly walked over, patting him on the back.
It had been some time since they'd had the chance to talk.
"Hey, Irina. How'd you get involved?" He asked.
"Well, Lord Michael decided he wanted to help out, so he sent me."
"Everyone, let's keep going, please." Rossweisse called out to the two.
The Rescue Team moved quickly and quietly through the snow. Soon enough, they were cut off by a gigantic cloud of snow and mist.
"The Asgardians and Jotuns were on terrible terms in early history. This mist helped conceal them from their enemies. With special permission, we're allowed access thanks to Lord Odin's…diplomacy." Rossweisse sighed.
She held her hand up, parting the mist in front of her with a rune spell.
"Wow, Rossweisse! Your skills are so diverse!" Lefay looked ecstatic to see a new rune. Issei figured it was normal, since magic researchers were often excited to see new magic in his experience.
"I-It's nothing special." Rossweisse blushed lightly at the compliment.
The group kept progressing before Sairaorg noticed tracks up ahead. As they got closer, they sighed. Instead of large tracks, they were just tiny animal footprints.
"Oi! If you're trying to hunt me, then think again, jailbaits!" Everyone nearly jumped out of their skins. There wasn't a trace of anyone around, just an empty voice.
"Yeah, that's right! Look around like a bunch of sacks of dung! It's all you fuckwads are good at aside from attacking things." The voice said again.
Rossweisse's brow twitched. She fired a small blast of magic at a tree, causing to collapse into a bush.
"Ratatoskr! Do you still not know how to properly talk to people?!" Rossweisse growled.
"Properly talk?! That's all I do!" The bush twitched and from it, came a talking squirrel. Rather, it resembled one, though it had longer ears, glowing golden eyes and a glowing streak of gold fur running along its body and tail.
"Everyone, please excuse him. This is Ratatoskr. He's a messenger for the Aesir." Rossweisse sighed as she glared at him.
"Yeah, and I don't do nothing else. What're you all doing here?" Ratatoskr asked.
"What are you doing here?" Rossweisse tried to resume her polite demeanor.
"I'm delivering a message. Someone's fucking things up back home. What're you doing here? Finally gonna have a go at a Giant since none of the fuckboys at home want in your pants? If you keep being picky, you're gonna be a Kjerring without even a sex toy having interest." Ratatoskr cackled.
The air around Rossweisse immediately darkened, scaring the entire Rescue Team.
"You little foul-mouthed squirrel…" Rossweisse snapped her fingers, blasting around Ratatoskr for his insults. Still, she made sure never to risk hitting him.
"Alright, alright. I'm done. Now, what're you really here for, Rossweisse? If you're not by Odin, you're doing some real shit, then?" Ratatoskr sighed.
Issei was so taken aback by how foul-mouthed this squirrel was. If his mother were alive, she'd have bleached his tongue out with holy water, hellfire, and dragon fire if he ever spoke like that.
"We're on a rescue mission. Echidna of Greece captured several people from a meeting for the Alliance. She was tracked here to Jotunnheim." Rossweisse was still fuming, but she still maintained her dangerous glare.
"Oh, that hag? I smelled something foreign a few miles up ahead of you. I saw her entering a cave that was a bit farther than the one I spotted before. Must be trying to find a new place since all those Greek bastards really get around. I was actually on my way to report to Odin about it. If you see her, tell her I said she dresses like a whore and punch her in the face for me, heheh!" Ratatoskr scurried away after having said that.
Rossweisse turned around, watching him as he left. When she looked at her compatriots, she only saw dropped jaws.
"By the almighty…I have never met such a vulgar squirrel." Lefay had to process everything she'd just heard.
"Ratatoskr's extremely difficult to get along with. He enjoys causing mischief but when things get serious, he always makes sure to get the job done." Rossweisse rubbed her temple. Every interaction with that squirrel always gave her a headache.
The Rescue Team continued North, following Ratatoskr's footprints. They finally arrived at a cave entrance.
"This looks like the one that Echidna was spotted going into." Rossweisse said.
"Didn't Ratatoskr say that she was spotted at a second cave farther ahead of this one?" Lefay asked.
"Ratatoskr's infamous for distorting information…" Rossweisse sighed. He was indeed a messenger for the gods, but he had a bad habit of spreading misinformation.
"I fucked up, two times! When will you bastards let that go?" Ratatoskr's voice was heard again.
"What're you doing back here?" Rossweisse asked.
"I came to make sure you runts didn't get eaten. Odin wants me to guide you and make sure you're going in the right direction." Ratatoskr scoffed as he scurried over to the group. "Come on. The sooner we fuck up the snake, the sooner I can go home and down a barrel of ale."
The group followed the messenger of the gods, only for Irina to pause as they were about to pass by the first cave entrance.
"Should we really be skipping this cave? What if the other cave is a trap?" Irina couldn't describe it, but she felt as if there were a familiar feeling coming from it. It was just like how she felt around other angels.
"What're you getting at?" Issei asked.
"I feel an angelic presence in that cave. Maybe one of the hostages is in there."
Ratatoskr scoffed.
"We can't split up. You kids will definitely get eaten if you do that."
"There's a chance that the kidnappees are in there. I can't ignore them." Irina shook her head. Issei recognized that habit of hers. Whenever she shook her head and stomped her foot, she was never going to be dissuaded. Some things never changed from childhood.
Ratatoskr clicked his teeth and groaned.
"Fine, but if we get fucked over, I'm frying your wings KFC-style!" He was immediately the first to head toward the cave.
The group cautiously entered the cave entrance. Ratatoskr sniffed the air, darting his head left and right.
"Ugh, it stinks in here. Smells worse than my last shit." He continued sniffing as he led everyone further down.
They continued for what felt like forever before they finally saw the end of the tunnel. Lefay held her hand up.
"Wait. There's something wrong here."
Ratatoskr sniffed around.
"Yep, smells weird here. Echidna's probably got something waiting for you all. Now, don't expect me to go in there first and get smashed like a drunk dickhead." He scoffed.
Lefay drew symbols in the air and with a wave, sent them flying toward the end of the tunnel. A magic circle spun to life, glowing maliciously.
"Let's get rid of this trap. Ms. Lefay, do you know dispelling magic?" Rossweisse asked the young witch.
"Yep. It'll be a lot easier if we both work on it." Lefay smiled.
They pointed at the barrier and used their magic to disintegrate the trap. When Lefay and Rossweisse were certain that there wasn't anything in the way anymore, the Team walked in.
In the room were three cages. A woman in nun clothing, a young fox-girl in shrine maiden clothing, and a young man in Viking armor were locked within.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Ratatoskr ran over to the cages in the air, intending to climb up and release them.
"Ratatoskr, wait!" Lefay called out.
It was too late, as a boulder came barreling down at him.
"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Ratatoskr roared as he weaved in between the falling debris.
Sairaorg leaped into the air, punching and shattering stone as they fell. Issei slapped his hand onto the ground, using his gravity magic to stop the rocks from falling.
"Well, not bad, kids. Now get ready to catch these twats. The cages open from the bottom." Ratatoskr snickered as he climbed the wall and down the chains hanging the cages.
The moment he touched them, the ground trembled, a magic circle glowing orange. Heat radiated from it, growing hotter as the stone ground continued to crack. Magma seeped through the cracks as the cave began to shake again.
"Alright…that one was my fault." Ratatoskr sighed.
Suddenly, the cages snapped open, the captives plummeted toward the magma below.
Issei slammed his hand on the ground, using gravity magic again to keep everyone afloat. He flew up, grabbing Griselda Quarta while Sairaorg grabbed the viking and Lefay caught the shrine maiden on her broom.
"Alright, let's get out of here before something tries to fuck us up again. These traps are shit." Ratatoskr hopped onto Issei's shoulder.
The moment they sped out of the cave; the entire ceiling crumbled apart. Magic circles sprouted to life. Serpents, dragons, manticores, griffins, and other mythical creatures dived out of them. They snapped and clawed at the Rescue Team. Issei summoned his Boosted Gear, blasting away at the enemy with [Dragon Shots].
"What the fuck?!" Ratatoskr looked around in alarm.
"We've gotta go now!" Sairaorg kicked a manticore aside.
Everyone jetted straight at the exit. It didn't seem that they would've made it were it nor for Lefay using her wand to stop the rocks from blocking the exit. The moment they got out; Issei was knocked away by a massive snake tail.
"Agh!" He groaned as he hit a wall.
Rossweisse whirled around, immediately assaulting the attacker. Echidna hissed as she spun, smashing her various tails into the Rescue Team. Everyone hit the ground, though they managed to keep the kidnappees safe, the impact awaking them.
"Where am I?" Griselda clutched her head, which was beating rapidly with migraines.
Echidna's roar immediately restored her focus. Griselda shook her head to try to get the nausea to clear up.
"Griselda! Thank God, you're okay." Irina landed next to her.
"Look out!" Rossweisse blasted a Sphinx aside.
"Echidna captured you all and a few others. You know where they are?!" Issei frantically rushed over to Griselda.
"I don't know. My head's still foggy." Griselda was slightly taken aback by how hectic Issei looked.
Issei turned and glared at Echidna. He'd done his best to restrain himself, but he was starting to lose his grip.
"Balance Break!"
"Welsh Dragon, Over Booster!" Ddraig bellowed.
(Shadow of the Colossus OST – Liberated Guardian. Play Song.)
Issei's red scale mail armor clad him, a red aura around him. He charged at Echidna. All of the animal heads on her waist, breathed different breaths. Fire, ice, wind, acid, it all swirled at him like a hissing vortex. Issei flew out of the way. As he was over Echidna, he used gravity magic to increase the force of his attacks. He dropped like a boulder, causing Echidna to wince as she used her tails to block.
Issei wasn't surprised at how easily she stopped him. She and Typhon were the parents of several Greek monsters. That alone spoke volumes of how dangerous she was.
Issei ducked under a serpentine tail, flew over a spiked tail, only for Echidna to spit acid at him. He managed to dodge, though a bit of acid touched his right gauntlet. He stared in disbelief as it ate through his armor.
"Where are the others?!" He fired a [Dragon Shot] from his left hand.
Echidna didn't answer. She merely waved her hands. Hundreds of magic circles sprouted on the ground. Chimeras, sphinxes, sirens, Kerberos, and Dracaenae sprung to life almost instantly.
"The reports say these instant types of monsters aren't as strong as the real deal. Don't underestimate them, though." Irina felt the need to remind everyone.
Lefay wrote symbols in the air, summoning a vortex. Out from it, was a massive, armored golem.
"Mow them down, Gogmagog."
Gogmagog's arms turned into machine guns, missile pods sprouting from its back and legs. Magical bullets and missiles whistled as explosions abounded the area.
Sairaorg grinned as he cracked his knuckles. A golden aura surrounded him as he punched and kicked away at the monsters rushing him.
Irina created rings of light around her, using them to lacerate and behead monsters. With her holy aura, she managed to keep dozens of monsters from getting close.
Rossweisse kept a barrier around herself, while she spiraled beams and elemental magic in several directions. When a monster got close to her, she fashioned a spear from a magic circle. She swung it around like an expert, gracefully dodging attacks while imbuing her spear with magic.
Issei kept his focus on Echidna. He was already starting to lose his patience.
"Issei, control yourself!" Ddraig could sense just how chaotic his emotions were growing. Ever since Raynare was taken, he'd begun to grow disoriented with his emotions. If left unchecked, Ddraig feared unintended consequences for everyone.
Issei heard roars approaching form behind. He violently turned around, backhanding away some sirens. When he turned around, Echidna took the chance to blast him with ice and water from the shark mouth on her waist.
Issei groaned. The freezing water was starting to counteract his natural resistance to the cold. He flew back, charging his hand with more energy. With one swing, he fired an enhanced [Dragon Shot] at her. Echidna spin her tails around her, deflecting it into a mountain, shattering it.
(Shadow of the Colossus OST – Liberated Guardian. End Song.)
Issei turned around and noticed that the number of monsters just didn't seem to be decreasing fast enough. He spread his wings, boosting his aura to the max before using gravity magic to slam down as many monsters as he could.
(Shadow of the Colossus OST – Revived Power. Play Song.)
This advantage was something his comrades capitalized on. Sairaorg slammed his fist into the ground, a golden shockwave erupting. Gogmagog blitzed every target around itself with weapons. Rossweisse rained down a salvo of magic lasers. Irina did the same, though with weapons of light.
Issei rushed at Echidna, though when she clawed at him, he jumped on one of her arms. Again, he came crashing down, this time, boosting his power and increasing his weight with more gravity magic.
Echidna's grin changed into a sneer as she swiped him away. Issei groaned in frustration. Echidna's skin was tougher than most of the things he'd fought against in the past. Echidna looked around and saw that her spawn were being destroyed en masse. She'd underestimated the strength of these youths.
She roared, creating even more of them, so many that they nearly blocked out everyone's sight of their surroundings.
"Ddraig, I'm gonna need to use Nova Time." Issei scoffed.
"[Nova Time]" Ddraig declared. A fiery aura surrounded him. It became so intense that any monster that approached him began to burn and smoke.
Issei had to deal with all these monsters quickly and decisively. He flew into the air and drew as many monsters away as he could. He held his hands over his chest, clustering all the energy he could there.
"You may not have access to my Penetrate and Burning Flame abilities yet, but Nova Time can still help you do the job. I've boosted your energy as much as I could." Ddraig said.
Two red spheres fused together while Issei waited for the monsters to cluster together.
"[Drake Flare]" A blast of magic that took the shape of a flaming red dragon howled at the monsters. It opened its maw, swallowing them before exploding.
Issei felt his boosts reset, some sweat coming down his face. He looked around and found that Echidna had slithered away.
(Shadow of the Colossus OST – Revived Power. End Song.)
"Issei, let's go after her!" Rossweisse and Irina flew after the trail that Echidna left with Ratatoskr perched on her shoulder.
"The wench's probably going to her second cave. My guess is that the second group of hostages are there. She's going to use them as meat shields." Ratatoskr clicked his teeth in disgust.
The two arrived at the entrance, taking a moment to gather themselves before challenging Echidna.
"You think we can take her with just the three of us?"
Issei was silent. He was more than enough to defeat Riser Phenex and everything that came at him in the past. However, Echidna was in the lower end of the big leagues. Even at full power, he doubted he'd walk away without a scratch.
Suddenly, the two heard magic from behind. They whipped around and found familiar faces.
"What?" Issei was taken aback.
In front of him was Rias, Xenovia, and a young man with blonde hair and glasses. Issei couldn't help but consider him regal given his suit and dignified demeanor.
"Sorry we're late. We just got down dealing with an incursion in Kyoto. We got the gist of the situation on the way here." Rias brushed some dust off her jacket.
"The others need help." Issei said.
"Don't worry. Akeno and the others are over there helping out too." Rias smirked.
On cue, a blast of thunder magic erupted in the distance.
"Alright. She's probably got the other hostages in the cave with her. Let's expect the worst. There's probably even more traps waiting for us in there. Hordes of monsters and falling debris among other things, probably." Rossweisse scoffed.
"Can we afford to wait?" Issei groaned.
"Echidna must've tucked away safety measures into that cave, such as ways to teleport out. She could also plan to use the kidnappees as hostages. It'd be best if some of us snuck in to catch her off guard." Rias turned to the young blonde man.
"I could do it." He noticed Issei looking at him and politely nodded. "I am Arthur Pendragon. It's a pleasure."
"Thanks to Arthur's skills, we could get the drop on her. Of course, we'll need to distract her. Rescuing the hostages comes first, after all." Rias pointed out.
"Right. I'll take care of that." Issei nodded.
"How're you going to do that?" Rossweisse looked at Arthur.
"With this." Arthur brandished a sword from thin air.
Rias seemed to control the urge to step away from him, staring at the sword.
"Collbrande, er, Caliburn." Irina stared at it in awe.
"You don't mind if I jump in too, do you?" Sairaorg said as he flew over.
"Is everything over where you were?" Rias asked.
"Kinda. A few stragglers, but they've got it handled."
"Are we going to keep twiddling our thumbs up our asses or are we gonna get shit done?" Ratatoskr clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"This is Ratatoskr, the bitter, angry, old, and whiney squirrel." Rossweisse growled.
"I'm going to piss in your drink and shit on your blanket later." The Squirrel muttered.
The Rescue Team ventured into the cave, which was just like the one from earlier. The moment Ratatoskr stepped foot inside, a magic circle sprouted in front of them. Mist hissed, covering their vision.
"Everyone get back!" Rossweisse yelled, hearing a monstrous growl.
Issei nearly jumped out of his skin when a massive maw snarled at him from the mist. He managed to grapple the jaws of a dragon that came roaring out of the magic circle.
"It looks like a younger Ladon. It only has a dozen heads compared to Ladon's 100." Ddraig scoffed.
The dragon had several heads, its body serpentine. Its scales were golden, its fangs long. It stomped around with its four legs, roaring and breathing a gas.
"Issei, we'll distract it. You, Rossweisse, Irina, Arthur, and Ratatoskr go in further. We'll catch up soon." Rias said as she, Xenovia, and Sairaorg marched up to the dragon.
As soon as the Dragon snapped at Rias' group, Issei and the others flew past the Ladon offshoot. When it tried to attack them, Rias shot a blast of Destruction at its head, disintegrating part of it.
"Don't ignore us, now. It's rude to refuse a lady's request for a dance." Rias formed a sphere of Destruction in her hand.
The orb split into a dozen smaller ones. With a subtle flick of her fingers, the orbs went whistling at the dragon's heads. Clouds of red and black smoked as the Dragon snarled with all twelve heads. It seemed more annoyed than wounded.
While Rias and the others were fighting the Ladon offshoot, Issei and the others were moving as quickly as safely possible to get to Echidna. Along the way, they'd met countless traps: falling ceilings, erupting pillars of fire, monsters springing to life from magic circles.
When they reached the end of the path, everyone could sense Echidna on the other side.
"Alright, let's not blow shit up. We don't wanna kill the captives for Echidna." Ratatoskr turned to the door.
"Think you can get the cages open with Arthur if we distract Echidna?" Issei asked.
"I may be a messenger but picking locks ain't a problem. You greenhorns are gonna see how a master picks locks." Ratatoskr climbed onto Arthur's shoulder.
With a deep breath, Issei and the others charged into Echidna's cave. Issei had to pause when he felt her presence. She was oozing green aura from her entire body. She'd even grown larger than before. Behind her were the hostages in hanging cages. When Issei saw Raynare unconscious, he fought the urge to fly over to her. He had to remind himself to stay calm. That was how idiots screwed everything up.
"Why did you take these people hostage?" Rossweisse asked.
Echidna only smirked. She snapped her fingers, creatures spawned yet again.
(Bleach OST – Encirclement Battle. Play Song.)
Issei slapped his palms to the ground, using his gravity magic to keep them in the air momentarily. Rossweisse, Irina, and Issei blasted them away with magic, though while they were distracted, Echidna slithered over. She wrapped Issei with her tails, trying to crush him.
Issei turned to see all the monsters on her waist opening their mouths to breathe on him. He tried to struggle as best as he could but her hold was too strong. He used his gravity magic to pull them both down. Echidna merely smirked.
"Breathe magic doesn't have weight, boy."
Thankfully, those few seconds were enough time for Rossweisse and Irina to slash at her tails. Echidna whirled around, flinging everyone into the cave walls with her tails. She wriggled as her back contorted. Dozens upon dozens of dragon heads hummed with aggression as they all leered at the Rescue Team.
They opened their mouths, spewing fire at the three. Issei rushed to them. Thanks to his half-dragon heritage, Issei was able to resist the fire while shielding the others.
"Any ideas on how to deal with her?" Issei asked.
Blowing things up tended to be where his powers went. It was needless to say that his methods were limited.
"I can use one of my seals on her. It also looks like all her attention is on us. I hope Arthur's done." Rossweisse brushed herself off.
"How long is it gonna take to use your seal?"
"Can you hold out for 5 minutes?" Rossweisse asked.
"I don't know. Just do what you can." Issei could already feel his shield being pushed back.
"I'll help too." Irina held her hand up, fortifying Issei's magic circle shield with a barrier of light.
Suddenly, the fire started to tinge green. Issei felt himself being physically pushed back. He could feel the ground rumbling, the roaring of several different creatures filled his ears. Echidna had spawned several more creatures; some of them must've been breathing some kind of acid.
Suddenly, the fire and acid stopped, turning the other way. Issei groaned in frustration and fear when Echidna noticed Arthur's presence. All but one of them was free, clearly.
"Fuck!" Ratatoskr cursed as the fire almost burned him.
Issei gathered fire into his palms, firing a burst of flames in the shape of a dragon at Echidna. When it struck her, she noticeably flinched as she growled in pain.
"[Reset]" Ddraig announced.
Issei, Irina, and Rossweisse broke apart as her tails extended at them. Issei punched one away as Irina and Rossweisse cut them back with weapons. Echidna didn't even seem fazed. As expected of Typhon's mate, these three weren't even inconveniencing her. Echidna eyed Irina for several moments. She made her move by digging one of her serpentine tails into the ground, bringing it back up underneath Irina.
Thankfully, she managed to dodge it. Echidna lunged at Issei, breathing a thick fog from her mouth.
"Poison!" Ddraig warned.
Issei held his breath, only for Echidna to clutch in her claws. Issei stared in shock as his armor hissed. It was melting! Issei fired a [Dragon Shot] at her face. Echidna merely opened her mouth, inhaling it before spitting it back at him.
Issei was so stunned that he was unable to resist as he was sent crashing into the wall.
"Agh!" He coughed, tasting some blood from his mouth.
"Issei!" Irina tried to fly over, only to be battered into the ground by two tails.
Rossweisse tried to shield her, only to be grabbed and beaten into the ground like a rag.
'Ddraig, do we even have a shot?' Issei asked as he got up.
'Maybe, but it's tiny. You're gonna have to give it your best shot. You'll risk bringing this cave down on everyone.' Ddraig replied.
"Rossweisse, anything yet?" Issei turned to the Valkyrie.
"Just one more minute."
"I've got something that'll hurt her, but it'll bring the cave down on us. We've gotta give Arthur the time he needs to get the last hostage out." Issei looked to Irina.
"I can try and contain the damage." Irina spread her arms out.
Dozens of spears and swords of light manifested above Echidna. They elongated to be as sharp as needles. Irina began to sweat as rank upon rank of weapons were made by her. The constant volley of light weapons assaulted Echidna, who didn't even seem to register the attacks. Monster heads would simply protrude from her flesh and blast them away.
Irina formed a sphere of light in her hands, crushing it to create a blinding light. Echidna winced as she shielded her eyes.
Issei seized his chance, boosting over and over with his Boosted Gear. Mixing a [Dragon Shot] with fire magic, Issei fired it at Echidna's head.
"[Dragonic Star]" The blast turned into the form of a flaming red dragon with glowing red light. When the blast hit her, Echidna howled in pain, smoke covering her smoldering face as she thrashed around.
Issei looked to Raynare and saw Arthur already carrying her away, entering a dimensional portal with Caliburn.
(Bleach OST – Encirclement Battle. End Song.)
Rossweisse finally finished her sealing spell. It looked like a jewel inside a vortex. When she sent it at Echidna, it burst like a windy explosion before pulling her back in. Magic circles appeared all around her, forming a jeweled casing to trap her.
"It won't hold her long, let's go!" Rossweisse grabbed Issei and Irina, flying away.
Issei turned around, firing a [Dragon Shot] at the cave ceiling, bringing it down on Echidna.
When they'd all arrived outside, Arthur was already tending to the wounded. Somewhere farther on the ground, the Ladon offshoot was dead and smoldering. Still, to give due credit, Rias, Xenovia, and Sairaorg weren't in good shape. Rias had several burns and gashes on her arms and left leg. Xenovia had a massive gash on her back and some burns on her right leg. Sairaorg had burns on his face, his left arm slashed to expose some bone while he had a puncture on his right side.
"Looks like you had a rough time too." Rias pointed at the bruises and spilled blood on Issei's group.
"She was just toying with us. It makes me wonder what the point of all this was. If it was an act of rebellion, then why not target more important people? Why grab people who don't have any weight to their names? Also, why treat us so lightly instead of finishing us off?" Rossweisse couldn't help but ponder.
Abruptly, the ground began to quake.
"Get in the air!" Arthur tried to warn everyone, only for earth to shatter.
Echidna roared ferociously as she thrashed around, attacking everyone she could get her hands on. Fire, acid, and stone went flying asunder everywhere. This time, Issei was left staggered when she struck him in the side full-force. As soon as he was bludgeoned into a mountainside, rubble crumbled on top of him.
"Issei!" Irina called out to him.
Echidna swatted her aside easily while she was distracted. Rossweisse kept her distance as she and Rias pelted her with magical blasts. Sairaorg took out a bottle of Phoenix Tears. Just when he popped it open, Echidna spat venom and fire at him, burning his hand before he could apply it on his arm.
At the least, the Tears spilled onto his burns, which he quickly splashed onto his gaping wounds. Sairaorg grimaced as there wasn't enough left to completely heal him.
"Kuisha, are you all done yet?" He called his Queen.
"I'm afraid not. More enemies have appeared where we are. It's going to take time to get over there!"
Sairaorg got caught in one of Echidna's tails. She visibly struggled to crush him thanks to his great strength. Sairaorg noticed the freshly burned wound on her face. With one whip of his fist, he sent a blast of ki into her face. Echidna winced and growled at the painful blow.
Rias flew into the sky behind her, bombarding her with a rain of Destruction. Her powers had grown stronger but they still weren't enough to kill Echidna. Every time she managed to disintegrate Echidna's monster heads, she'd grow a new one.
Arthur jumped over to her, severing one of her tails with Caliburn. The golden glow seemed to cauterize the wound with holy energy, keeping it from regenerating. He sidestepped one of Echidna's tails, severing that one too. When a dragon's head sprouted from her back, he pointed his sword forward, using its dimensional powers to protect him from the fire.
Issei punched off the rubble that had fallen on him. He looked around, and saw that total chaos was unfolding. He saw that the other hostages had been rescued and were hurrying to safety. Others had also come to help, Akeno being one of them.
"Raynare, everyone, hurry!" She helped up someone who looked like a kitsune.
Echidna noticed them, slithering after them like a ravenous predator chasing prey. Issei fired a [Dragon Shot] at her, knocking her back slightly.
"I've had enough of your constant interference." Echidna opened her mouth, a green light flickering.
Issei formed a shield in front of himself with a magic circle. When she fired the beam from her mouth, it was like a devastating volcano. Everything around here was sent flying. Mountainsides cracked and the snowfall ceased as the beam went barreling straight at Issei…only to completely go to his left.
Issei gasped as he realized that Echidna had duped him. Her beam was heading straight for the hostages.
"Everyone, dodge!" He screamed.
It was too late. The beam engulfed everyone as it obliterated a mountainside in the distance. Issei could only stare at the destruction, waiting for the snow and dust to settle. He prayed with every ounce of his being that they had avoided the attack. When he saw Raynare and Akeno on the ground, unmoving, and bloodied, he felt something go very wrong inside him.
Rage, anger, grief, fear, so many emotions were enveloping his mind as it scrambled to rationalize what had happened. He rushed over to the two, panting and hyperventilating. Once again, his worst fear was on the cusp of coming true. Akeno and Raynare were bloodied, bruised, and it was almost impossible to tell if they had pulses.
His eyesight grew darker as he lost himself. Ddraig gasped as he realized what was going on with his end.
'He's awake…Issei!' Ddraig called out to Issei but it was too late.
'I told you, Ddraig. The day I wake up is the day you can't cut it anymore. I told you, being too soft will kill us all.' Another voice spoke in Issei's mind as his sight and consciousness went to black.
"Issei?" Rossweisse called out to him when he stopped moving.
He froze in place, almost eerily so. He didn't move, as if he were a machine that suddenly turned off. Even Echidna's attention was taken by Issei. Cracks opened on his mouth plate, and the colors of his helmet's eyes became blue. The thrusters on his back elongated like spikes. The tip of his armor's tail became like a clawed clamp.
"Free…" Issei said.
Rias noted that his voice seemed different. It was deeper and there was a slight metallic effect to his voice.
(The Mandalorian OST – Troopers. Play Song.)
Issei looked at Echidna for only a few seconds before springing to the attack. The gems on his armor glowed with a turquoise light, enveloping him in a fiery sea-green aura. With one punch, Echidna was reeling back. Suddenly, the tail on Issei's armor stretched forward, coiling around Echidna's neck like a noose, the clawed tip biting into her.
"Issei, you have so many skills and abilities at your disposal but you've got no idea how to use them properly. This is why you failed so many times in your life."
Despite the fact that it was Issei talking, Rias realized that it wasn't actually him. Was he possessed? Whatever was happening, she knew that this wasn't an okay situation.
"I'll show you how to deal with enemies the fast way, you neophyte." Issei said.
"Who are you talking to?" Echidna asked.
"It's a waste of time explaining to someone who's gonna die." Issei snickered.
"Bold words, boy!" Echidna fired beams from her mouth again.
Issei zipped and spin around them, dodging moments before they could hit him. He wreathed his hand in a turquoise aura, sharpening it. With one quick motion, he slashed off one of the monster heads that bulged out of Echidna's back. When a dragon head popped out and opened its maw, Issei fired a turquoise sphere into it, causing its flames to backfire and explode in its mouth. Echidna sneered as her back smoked.
She hissed around him, coiling his body like a constrictor. Issei merely chuckled. He wriggled his arms, only for Echidna to tighten her grip, lowering her jaw to attack again. Suddenly, she stopped, setting Issei free. The reason was because he'd formed a wave of energy from the aura around his hands. Had she kept in a lock, he'd have cut off her tails.
When she volleyed blasts from her mouth, Issei zipped into the air, his turquoise gems glowing again.
"This is how you use gravity, Issei." Issei reached forward.
Echidna was suddenly stomped to the ground, her face practically eating dirt because of gravity.
"The strongest gravity magic is a force of dominance. You'll never reach your full potential being a goody-boy, Issei."
While she was pinned down, Issei wreathed his right arm in a turquoise aura again. This time, the aura around his fist took the form of a dragon. Red electricity sparked around him as his aura grew fiercer. The ground rumbled as turquoise light dyed everything around him.
Issei made a clawing motion with his arms, tightening his fist. The earth split apart, stone became like claws, surrounding Echidna. It melded together like liquid before hardening instantly. Echidna tried to struggle free but was unable to. She began to wince and groan in pain as the rock quickly tightened.
The earth spread over Echidna, crushing her with an echoing crunch and her blood-curdling scream.
Issei, rather the person controlling him, merely chuckled.
"She got away. Time to force her out." He muttered to himself.
(The Mandalorian OST – Troopers. End Song.)
"That is enough." Ddraig snapped. His voice was calm but the emotion seething from it was full of disgust.
"What the hell are you doing, Ddraig?!" Issei's body began to contort, as if at war with himself.
"You will release Issei and go back into the pit!" Ddraig roared from the Boosted Gear.
If the sky could quake, then it would've. Ddraig spoke with all the authority and power that his name was owed. It wasn't a bluff, but an order.
"You really think your power's enough?! Get real! The boy needs my strength. If I'm in control, then we'll win every time!" Issei's body thrashed around.
"The boy needs strength, but not you, Verum!" Ddraig roared as a dragon, returning control to Issei.
Issei's Scale Mail disappeared as he collapsed to the ground, barely conscious.
"Ddraig…what was that?" He weakly asked.
He was so exhausted that he couldn't stay awake any longer. His heavy eyelids shut, his consciousness drifting away.
The ground shattered once again as Echidna tore her way out. She was bloodied, her left arm and half of her tails crushed and torn apart. Her eyes glowed green as she instantly zeroed in on Issei.
"To the Underworld with the plan. I'm killing that worm now!" Echidna sprouted dragons from all over her body, which grotesquely bulged and distorted.
At that moment, everyone took out the rings that Athena gave them. When Echidna saw them, she sneered.
"Athena, that bitch. I won't forget this, vermin!" Echidna's body disappeared into light as she fled through a magic circle before she could be captured.
Rias flew over to the captives and Akeno. She splashed Phoenix Tears onto them alongside Xenovia.
It took some time, but additional aid came to them.
"What happened?" Azazel ran over.
The moment he heard that Issei had collapsed, he tossed all priorities aside to see to his nephew's safety.
"I don't know. When he saw Akeno and Raynare injured, he just changed behavior?" Rossweisse said.
Azazel paled.
"Did he start chanting or were there other voices?" He hoped it wasn't another resurgence of Juggernaut Drive.
"No, it was something else. Issei…it sounded like Issei wasn't in control. It was like he was talking to himself in third person. It was as if someone else was in control?" Rossweisse shook her head.
"I'll explain, Azazel, in private." Ddraig spoke up.
He had quite a story to tell him.
And that's that for this chapter.
Like I mentioned above, I'll be going back to make changes to the chapters instead of deleting the story and doing a total reboot. It just takes too much time.
I'll make sure to put information regarding whether or not a past chapter is the original or the updated one.
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll update whenever I can, and thanks for you time and continued patience.
