Artoria in Kuoh Chapter IV: Answers from a Dragon
In the cobbled streets of Kuoh, Artoria's gaze shifted between the two fallen angels. It was a rare event for hesitance to claim her and yet when faced with such revelations, even she could not remain stoic. It spoke much of their character that when presented with the opportunity to protect mankind; she paused. Her left hand tightened as armoured plates quietly ground against one another. The red armour glinting from the evening sun's touch. The distant hum of the city droned on and what little birds remained in the area sung peacefully. All the while, the sound of cicadas chirping was replaced by that of crickets and katydids.
"Forgive my hesitance, but I find it difficult to trust those who would use such deceitful means to merely ask for assistance. But if it is true that you seek to defend those who cannot defend themselves, then my sword is at your side." Her answer cut through the evening's music and Raynare responded with a smile even as her stance shifted and a tenseness left her shoulders. Still, Artoria felt her heartbeat with a fierce but steady pace. Blood pushed against her ear and yet she forced her breathing to slow and her muscles unclamp.
"You've no doubt already come across some of the devils that parade as school children. I believe the devil masters there parade under the guise of Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. Both are powerful devils members of the devil aristocracy and related to the current satans who rule hell. Sona is the younger sister of Leviathan while Rias is the younger sister of Lucifer himself. But if my word is not good enough, then let me show you the true form of a devil. There is an abandoned warehouse near the edge of town where those with no one to rely on disappear. Let us take you there and show you the face of these devils and know that we speak the truth."
She knew not whether the pair could be trusted. Yet if what they spoke of was true then the students of Kuoh were endangered. She recalled the difference in style between those she had fought thus far. Dohnaseek had battled with both pride and anger. While Kiba had fought honourably akin to a knight in the service of their master.
Of course, simply because Kiba fought with honour did not necessarily mean that his master was the same. Still, there was little need for Artoria to fully decide just yet. Feeling the gauntlet to her side continue to feed her strength subtly, she nodded to herself.
"Very well, show me this warehouse."
Outside the aforementioned Warehouse
With the sun's descent, the moon rose and hung proudly in the air. Occasionally, the odd tendril of cloud shrouded its light, however, for the most part, both starlight and moonlight lit Artoria's view. Beside her, the two fallen angels walked with casual confidence, their human disguises once again back in place.
Artoria herself strode forwards purposefully even as the warehouse came into view. Noticeable in the way it was clearly long-abandoned and with little sign of life. Yet an aura of despair seemed to cling to the very building. No animals neared it, and all was silent save for the crunch of gravel underfoot.
Cracked concrete formed the base of the building while rotten wood made up its exterior. Yet even as Artoria walked up to the building's door the stench of decay, and more worryingly dried blood, consumed her senses. Sensing her emotions, her gauntleted left hand glowed bright feeding a red hot power through her body.
Reaching for the handle, she stopped as she felt Raynare move towards her. Turning her head, she saw Raynare reaching for a sheathed blade.
"You'll want to use this." The fallen's voice broached little argument. Curious, Artoria reached for the blade, drawing it. "It's a light sword, provided by the church for their exorcists. It lacks the intrinsic strength of a legendary holy sword; however, against most devils, they are more than adequate."
"Thank you, I shall be sure to use it well." Attaching the scabbard to her side, Artoria let the blade hang loosely in her right hand. Her gauntleted hand slid the door open, and she took a firm step forward.
Despite the grisly scene that met her eyes; strewn corpses, indiscriminate in age and gender, Artoria's attention remained firmly on the shadow rising at the edge of the building's interior. Raising her hand, Artoria's blade shone bright, illuminating the beast before her. A giant devil, half nude woman and half monstrous lion smirked her way.
"Who dares disturb the beast of Kuoh, devil Viser. Oh? Fallen Angels and a human exorcist? How quaint. If my master was unable to kill me, I sincerely doubt you will be little more than an enjoyable morsel." The beastly visage of a woman grinned down upon Artoria. Her mouth gaping, revealing countless fangs and yet Artoria stood unmoving. Her eyes merely took in the scene surrounding her. Corpses of children, grandparents, men and woman alike hung like some debauched abattoir. Never before had such a scene met her and yet a cold flame lit within her. Anger coursed her veins, and though vile the sight was, she could feel neither terror nor grief. In her mind, scenes far worse manifested then left. Yet despite her inability to feel pure emotion, Artoria knew what she had to do, knew that there would be no chivalry or honour in a battle with such a monster, there was simply death.
The blade hanging at her side suddenly tightened, and a flaming inferno burst from her centre. From the power, words began to form on her lips even as the devil prepared to strike forwards.
"Mana," the concrete underneath her foot shattered and her blade grew bright, "Burst". To those watching it was as if she suddenly appeared on the other side of the Viser. To Artoria, it was as if she had taken her first-ever real step in the world. To Viser, she merely found herself cut in twain, bisected and annihilated from existence as the light sword burned her body to nothing.
"Heh, guess someone has a pretty strong light affinity." Dohnaseek's words broke the spell that hung in the room. Raynare, now in her fallen angel form, drifted over towards Artoria. Her gaze drifting to where the devil corpse once lay.
"Your light sword suits you well. You outranked that devil far more than I'd have expected for a human. No doubt, you have some sort of heroic or creature heritage, it would explain your differing appearance. Now, do you see the truth of the devils? This is what they are when they reveal their ugliness to the world. They betrayed the Lord, rebelled against him. This was the result, they may be able to weave illusions of beauty around them, but if you strip that magic apart, their forms reflect the evil within."
Artoria gave the fallen angel a nod before her eyes drifted to the corpses around the room even as she listened to the angel continued to talk.
"We have a young nun, a healer arriving tomorrow. Escort her from the train station to the abandoned church, would you? With her abilities, we'll be able to start the battle against the devils."
"Very well, I shall ensure that your nun arrives without any difficulties." With those words, both Dohnaseek and Raynare flew away into the night, leaving Artoria alone. Her gaze remained unmoving from the bodies and the carnage that filled the warehouse. "For those who seem to defend humanity, the two seem to care little for the damage the supernatural causes to the mundane."
Walking back to the door and leaving the warehouse's confines, she faced the building. "I shall not forget that which happened here and to whom." Stabbing the building with her blade, she directed the power she felt in her into the sword. It glowed a bright white, before bursting into a red flame that quickly burned through the door and an inferno that consumed the building's walls. Unmoving, Artoria bowed her head forwards even as the tongues of fire licked her skin. "Rest now spirits knowing that I, Artoria Hyoudou, have avenged thee. Know that for as long as I draw breath. I shall defend all who find themselves in need. This, I swear." At her proclamation, the building collapsed into little more than an ashen ruin.
Suddenly, the flapping of wings caught her attention. Turning and raising her blade, Artoria watched as a bat flew away into the night sky. Standing there for several long moments, she finally left.
Later outside the Hyoudou residence
Standing in her back garden, her parents long asleep, Artoria looked up to the sky, watching its movements. Orion's Belt stood proud, Mars shone prominently while the thick line of the Milky Way retained its beauty. Yet despite the peaceful sky lighting her pale features, a frown marred her features. Her eyes were unfocused, and a weight pushed down on her shoulders. Despite her ability to remain stoic in the face of adversity, even she had a limit, and she recognised that. Collapsing to her knees on the ground, Artoria's hand dug into the dirt as her gaze remained fixed to the heaven.
Sensations and vague memories that were not her own had assaulted her psyche, powers had manifested from nowhere, and the world had shifted in a way that made no rational sense. But most of all, she felt alone. Yet even that loneliness brought with it a grave discomfort as vague memories of silhouettes struck her mind.
Perhaps it was those feelings that resulted in her gauntlet suddenly appearing and with it a boisterous voice.
"Hah! Just wait until Albion sees my current host. He'll be frothing with jealousy! And from a base human of all things! Such potent dragon blood. Do you happen to have a heroic ancestor of some kind?" Confusion manifested itself within Artoria even as she schooled her emotions and returned to her stoic self. Of course, her gauntlet would have with it a talking voice.
"I do not believe so, yet I find it unlikely my mother or father would even know such information. Who are you, and what are you doing within my Sacred Gear?"
"No matter, we can find the cause of your power at a later date partner. So long as you haven't inherited any specific weaknesses? Your heels aren't particularly weak, are they? I am Ddraig, the Red Dragon and I live within the Boosted Gear. You are my host, my partner, and together we'll finally defeat my rival!" Looking at her left arm with rolling eyes, Artoria rose from the ground.
"No, and I would be surprised if Achillies was my progenitor. I lack his recklessness and jealousy. A dragon, you say? Intriguing, but I hardly see the purpose in fighting your rival, I already have enough enemies as it is."
"Bah, a dragon can never have too many enemies! Nevertheless, you've landed yourself in a bit of pickle, haven't you? Fallen angels yapping at your heels and devils not far behind them. I wouldn't be surprised if an angel decided to pop its head in just for the complete set." Ddraig said with a chuckle much to her own annoyance. Still, reigning back her emotions, Artoria left her back garden and started jogging towards Kuoh's nearest woodland outside of the suburbs.
"Yes it seems Kuoh is a hot spot of supernatural activity, I'm surprised I didn't get any hassle in Kyoto."
"Ah well, the yokai are pretty good when it comes to keeping their noses out of mundane business, or they may have smelled me and your dragon blood and thought you were a dragon in human disguise. Few beings are willing to risk the wrath of a dragon. Territory and rules alike mean nothing to us."
"Perhaps, yet it seems that despite a lifetime of honing my body, I cannot match those of a supernatural persuasion. And you keep mentioning dragon blood, what do you mean?"
"But of course, that is the way of things, why do you think the big guy made sacred gears like me? To even the playing field. As for your dragon blood, well it's flowing through your body and giving you ridiculous magical power. How else do you think you were able to butcher Viser so easily?" Artoria frowned even as she ran.
"Yet I have not mastered your abilities. The ability to double my power does not seem particularly impressive. Unless my dragon blood changes things dramatically, I do not see how I can continue to defend humans when fighting such powerful supernatural enemies." Ddraig guffawed at her words.
"What makes you think you're limited to just one instance of doubled power? I am one of the thirteen Longinus, capable of killing a God. In truth partner, you are one of my most promising hosts, I'd like to see Albion trump this! With dragon blood, a hero's ancestry and a strong light affinity there's no way we can lose!" Thankfully after Ddraig's small monologue, Artoria entered Kuoh's bordering woodland.
"Despite what you may think Ddraig, I am not particularly interested in fighting your rival. I am far more concerned with the Fallen Angels on one side and the Devils on the other while humans become little more than pawns in the game of gods." Entering a woodland glade, Artoria was hardly surprised to find a familiar figure facing her.
"Even in this world, you would walk the same path father? Gah, you really are hopeless." The armoured figure stood before her once again. Yet this time there was no helm, long flowing blonde hair and piercing cyan eyes gazed towards her. Artoria held her light sword forward and felt the power of the Boosted Gear grow within her. This was her path, where her answers would be found. Despite the day that she had faced, Artoria wanted little more than to lose herself in her swordplay.
"I see and sense nothing partner."
"Do not worry Ddraig, I merely face my phantasmal mentor. I believe she is the remnant of something or has a connection to where my powers come from."
"Interesting, well then let's see what you can do partner!"
The power of Ddraig seeped into her body, and as the seconds went by, she felt her strength continue to rise. All the while, the phantasmal woman smirked at her, yet she waited, allowing Artoria's power to grow stronger, a mistake.
Like so many nights before, the two figures faced one another. Their battlefield no longer a simple back garden as their powers could not be withheld in such an arena. Instead, the pair now stood several miles away from the city. In the forest on dirt ground within a clearing, the two circled one another. One face a tempered battle grin, the other a stoic expression of determination.
Power surged through Artoria's body as the minute mark ticked by and with a speed and strength she had never felt before Artoria struck forwards towards the woman. The ground shattered underneath her foot and her blazing blade cut through the air, its currents almost visible. Yet the armoured female grinned as her greatsword deftly blocked the blow with ease.
Yet Artoria would not slow, her blade moved faster than any mortal eye could follow releasing a flurry of attacks towards her opponent. Each strike empowered further by the dragon and faster than the last. Such speeds should have confused her, should have ruined years of body memory and yet for the first time in her life, she felt as if she were nearing her true style of fighting. That every fight she had ever had in her life was too slow, too uninteresting. This was the style of fighting that she desired. To use her all and fight beings beyond mortal comprehension.
Yet the woman had no desire to fight a defensive battle, her own sword struck towards Artoria forcing Artoria to dart back lest she suffers a mortal blow. Though the power of the dragon continued to flow through her, Artoria's opponent would always seem to grow in equal strength, consistently remaining significantly more powerful. Blows that would once have quickly forced the figure back now struck nothing except the air as her opponent weaved around her strikes.
Artoria's body was afire with power, her sword blocked several blows of the woman's, yet each strike sent her careening back. Still, seconds ticked by, and Artoria's own sword answered the figure's own.
But, Artoria had her own potential answer. Striving forward, even as she deflected her opponent's attack, Artoria spoke.
"Mana Burst."
The ground shattered beneath her feet, and Artoria stepped forwards, ready to deliver a killing blow. However, even as she did so, time seemed to slow as the blond-haired woman grinned, it was only then that Artoria saw the shattered ground beneath her opponent's feet. Her step was matched by her opponent's own charge, and her blade that should have delivered a fatal strike was contemptuously deflected before her opponent's blade flickered and was suddenly piercing her abdomen.
Despite the blood oozing from the phantasmal wound and the blood rising in her throat. Artoria readied herself for another charge only to feel her very heart strain and her body collapse to the ground.
"Burst." The word sounded akin to Ddraig's voice but lacked any of his emotion or intonation.
All the power Artoria had gained suddenly left her, and she felt weaknesses plague her. Her body collapsed to the ground, and there was little she could do as the young woman walked towards her with blade razed. Her phantom sword touching her neck before she vanished into nothing with only her voice carried on the wind.
"If you have any hopes of reaching what you once were father, you'll need your scabbard."
"I do not know who you were fighting partner, but they were no slouch. Balance Breaker is off the table, your body simply cannot handle the amount of power currently flowing through it, it fails you. If you were to equip the Balance Breaker form, your dragon blood would attempt to absorb all of my power and simply destroy your body. Are you sure about staying human? If you were to turn into a devil, we might be able to get around your body's limit, after all, they are creatures of power."
"No, I shall not tarnish my soul in such a manner. To become a creature that preys on the weaknesses of others is no path for me." Though her voice was weak, there was no mistaking the steel in her purpose.
"Well, then there's a limit. Your base power is near that of a low ranking devil, you are a peak human, especially with your dragon blood. However, that same power is a double-edged sword. Your body simply cannot last longer than two minutes before the strain of boosting your body is too much, and I'm forced to reset the gear unless you break yourself." Artoria paused at Ddraig's words, forcing herself to lean against a tree as she recalled the end of her fight.
"According to the figure, I need a scabbard of some kind." At her words, Ddraig remained silent for several moments. "Ddraig?"
"There aren't many scabbards in mythology. In fact, only one comes to mind. To think something so close to my own legend would be what you require. How amusing."
"Your legend?"
"Yes that of the red and white dragon, we fought under a mountain, and no castle could be built upon it. The king at the time wanted to know this, and it was the wizard Merlin who informed him of the two dragons. He gave the king a prophecy that the red dragon would be victorious and represent a change of kingship from Vortigern to Arthur. One of the aspects of Arthur's legend, which is as well known as him, is his sword, Excalibur. Yet the true treasure was the scabbard. An object that prevented any wound and granted the wielder near immortality. It was stolen and went missing, but I could see that such an object would prevent your body from failing to hold both our power."
"Well, then it seems we have many adventures ahead of us. Grant me your aid Ddraig in defending the innocent from those who would seek to harm them, and I shall defeat your rival."
"It's a deal partner."
Author's Note:
Happy New Year everyone, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Artoria's getting some answers but with them lots of questions. Ddraig's decided to show up and give her a hand. Probably going to see the devils pop up next chapter and hopefully now that Artoria's got Ddraig she feels less overwhelmed and alone.
Once again, hope you enjoyed and talk to you next chapter.
Alaya13
