DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
High School DxD, New, BorN, Hero and other products related to the DxD Series are all owned by Ichiei Ishibumi, Miyama-Zero, Fujimi Shobo and TNK.
Please support the official release.
Chapter 65: Of Dead and Sisters
The attack plan was fairly simple.
They needed to enter inside the isolated section of the Underworld where Death ruled, the very place where the souls of dead people went when they perished and… 'kidnap' an important woman held within the protective magical walls protecting the large territory.
The Gates of the Realm of the Dead were forcefully slammed open by Alucard, his vampiric strength was aided by dark magic and the first obstacle was torn apart in mere moments.
The instant the loud thud signaled the fall of the broken doors, several skeleton-like monsters rushed towards the three invaders, ready to make a lasting resistance.
The vampire rushed forward, slamming on the main force with his sword already cutting through many opponents at once while his shield pushed away those trying to attack him by the side.
Julius' Vampire Killer, struck fiercely and swiftly, proving once more the prowess of the current holder of the bane of Dracula himself. A first swipe from the powerful whip was more than enough as the first wave opposing him was decimated in a few seconds.
Mathias was holding well at the sight of the army going after them, his hands tightening the hold over the Holy Whip, a weapon of unknown origins that was bestowed to Trevor Belmont himself.
It wasn't as strong as the Morningstar, but the lack of explosive effects made it a flexible tool and helped him in properly make use of the basis of the Art of the Whip.
Quick hits, multiple ones were required to engage the stronger threats, but until he remained as a support for the two main-hitters, things weren't going to turn any bad. His eyes caught sight of flying skele-knights trying to attack from above and, retracting the Holy-type weapon, the young man proceeded to deploy the first of the many Holy Crosses his uncle had given to him.
The blessed long-range weapons pierced without hesitation into the ribs of the demon-like creatures, their pained roars deafened by the constant assault still ongoing.
Minutes of intense fighting passed, numerous waves proving that the entrance was well-defended and… also suggesting that the current owner of this Realm was hardly going to make their life any easier from now on.
Phoenix's Tears were plenty in Julius' and Mathias' bags, while Alucard was more than capable to heal himself through magic. This was but the first step with the plan and… the youngest human was having some little nervousness about it.
The lounge was a chilling sight void of any living being, a stark contrast compared to the unforgettable welcoming party they had just dealt with.
There was some smoke coming from the upper floor, the entire room looking quite antiquate with the presence of old portraits with various individuals, mostly humans, sporting either scowls or sad and defeated expressions.
There was something about the very pictures as… the eyes seemed to be looking right at them as they continued through their path straight to the stairs. This wasn't like what had happened back in the Tepes Castle, Mathias thought with a perplexed glance all around, the impressive presence of high-level monsters just moments ago surpassing the fiends he had to face in that dreadful night.
But the teen was rightfully aware that this was just the tip of the iceberg as they had just entered the compound that would end with Death himself and- his thoughts manifested in the form of ten Archdemons flying towards them while brandishing several sharp weapons.
The Vampire Killer snapped once more, decapitating the first monster and wounding the one close to the leading creature. A loud shriek from the injured beast sent shivers down the young Belmont's spine, but his adrenaline didn't let him miss the first attack, the Holy Whip slamming onto the chest of the closest Archdemon and ending its life as the Holy energy purged the impure being in mere instants, leaving only dust on its place.
Alucard's form was coated in darkness as he blitzed through the remaining monsters while bathing his sword through their flesh. The affair was quickly solved as nobody else came to join up the initial force of supernatural beings.
It just… felt strange. While Archdemons were fiends to not scoff at, the small number of those was… quite mind-boggling. Why wouldn't Death send more troops to intercept them? Why did this felt… like a trap?
Mathias tensed up at this last theory, glancing around as he continued to follow the two adults through the desolate halls of the mansion. The youth blinked in surprise as soon the halls were filled with… cloaked figures.
The pacing of the group slowed down a little, Alucard's hand poised to extract his sword out of the hilt while Julius' pressed tightly on the whip in the side-holster. Mathias looked unsure at what the servants of Death were doing here, seemingly cleaning the walls and some of the vases there.
None of the creatures, possibly skeletons themselves, turned to 'greet' the attackers' presence and the trio continued to walk on guard for four more minutes of hallways. None of the monsters was attacking anymore, now a handful of those glancing their way momentarily.
No attacks, no aggressiveness. It was starting to get… incredibly frustrating for his mind.
Their confusion finally culminated once the doors leading to the throne room opened. The room was obviously bigger than the lounge, the are being illuminated by brighter and normal candles rather than dark-blue flames hovering from special sections of the walls.
More skeleton-servants were silently cleaning around, others merely standing by the side of the direct path that led to the massive chair occupied by a large skeleton bickering with a red-haired woman. It was donning ceremonial robes with white and gold details… which was quite off from how he had imagined Death to look like.
Julius' stories about the Demon Castle War portrayed the Undead Servant of Dracula as a terrifying figure hiding its feature with a dark-blue cloak, barely showing any of its skeleton-like appearance.
Yet the being which was being addressed as Hades wasn't only looking different, but was behaving rather… weirdly too. The annoyed glance alternated with a hopeful glint directed at them, trying to get the lady to look at them.
The woman was wearing a long dark-red dress with some armored pieces attached to it, making her look like a… warrior noble, minus any visible weapons.
"-The fact that after so many years you would just ditch me with so little!" She harrumphed, her rage hindering her perception of things and people as she focused everything at Death. "You had me thinking that you actually cared when you brought a tenth of your force to hold the entrance, but then you spared just ten of your Arch-demons. You have tons of those-"
"'Those' are living beings and loyal men to the Realm of the Dead, Lilith." Hades interrupted with a sigh. "Plus, I already told you that I would have spared just the minimum to hold them off. I remember saying this to you… more than a hundred times-"
"Ninety-six, Lazy-bones!" She huffed, crossing her arms close to her chest. "Seriously, I thought you were really my friend-"
"Whatever chance there was of 'befriending' me was crushed, burned and terribly maimed when you decided to live the life of a leecher. The only reason why I don't call for a full payment for your outstanding debt is because I am still loyal to your husband's cause." He interrupted again, gaining a long sigh from the redhead.
The woman blinked and glanced towards them, blinking again before commenting about their presence.
"So… they have been for how long?" She turned back to Hades, eyes narrowing on him. "So?!"
He sighed. "They have been for not even a minute. But worry not, they have to have heard you screech like the mad-woman you are-"
"I will have you know that insanity is a condition of working myself to the bone for the bastards now whining for my return-" She stopped, glancing once more to the trio. "Actually, can I know who sent you there? I don't wish to scold the wrong bunch."
Alucard blinked in surprise, the only expression of shock worthy of his usual composure. "We were sent on behalf of one Hoitsu Sakakibara-"
"Yes!" She celebrated momentarily, freezing up again and bowing a little towards them. "Sorry, kind of happy that it wasn't any of the Satans and…" She hummed quietly and sighed. "Can't you just… leave me there?"
This time it was Julius that butted in. "I'm sorry, Lady, but your presence is important because of some mess your husband caused."
She blinked. "Part of me want to be hopeful and guess that it's Rizevim, but I fear that there is more than… that." Lilith sighed, this time sporting a serious expression. "But I think I know why you are here and… drat."
The big skeleton tilted its head, relaxing a little in his throne. "Nothing that would end the world, I hope." He mused loud enough to make the woman twitch in silent fury.
"A-As if you would care." She huffed again, pouting at him. "You frigging jerk." Her words got an intrigued glance from Hades, but the deity didn't press on.
Lilith then turned to look at the group one last time. "Still, I wish to understand why didn't little Hoitsu come himself to pick me up from this stupid and small place." She took a step towards them, her red eyes glinting a mirthful light. "Do you know who is responsible for this?"
There was a brief pause and then… Alucard sighed. "From what I can recall, it was your son's idea to have us get you from this Realm-"
"I knew it." She closed her eyes, double-facepalming softly. "I fucking knew it!" She groaned in her hands.
She returned back to her previous posture and nodded. "I think there isn't anything else to do here to try and delay the unavoidable reunion." The woman turned and gestured the two incredibly big baggage cases lying behind her. "Could the two oldest pick up the slack already? I think I will entertain myself with some classic info-raid." She giggled while saying this much to the three males' confusion.
Mathias had merely the time to blink that he found himself glomped in an unexpected embrace from the lady. Another bout of giggles and, staring up he found himself staring at a pair of familiar red orbs. "Would you look at how young you are? I bet you are just out of childhood with how cute you look here." She mirthfully commented.
Her smile, her pillows, her amused glance, her pillows. Seriously, what was wrong with this woman.
"And that curious whip? It does look rather… familiar." The woman commented, cautiously handling the chained bit of the Morningstar. "Very curious."
"W-What?" His brain was rebooting while the red-head started to headpat him.
"Nothing, cutie. Just keep me company and answer some of my question while we go back to the Human world." She ordered, lifting the shocked youth up with her arms as if he weighed nothing and started to walk the opposite way they came from.
Julius continued to stare at the comic scene with a curious frown while Alucard looked at Death with a silent but incredibly loud expression, demanding an explanation about the being they were supposed to escort out from the 'hostile and dangerous' place.
"She has been hiding in here for centuries now. I understand if the 'reasons' behind her presence here could have given the wrong impression, but yes, I don't want her here." Hades replied dully, glancing by the side and away from the son of Dracula. "By the way, can I ask you a favor, Adrian?"
The vampire's eyes widened but just a fraction at the fact the deity used his real name, but he nodded slowly. "If it isn't anything nefarious-"
"It's actually a benign advise." The skeleton interrupted. "In a decade or two… have the boy prepared for a big threat."
… "What?"
"While I've plans around that date, those plans might get delayed if not ruined from one of the rogue cults that worship your father. I don't know much about them, but I can tell they are going to be a pain to deal with once they are ready to strike." He properly explained, before sighing. "While I know the current holder of the Vampire Killer is strong, I don't know how much will be lost with the old age."
Julius glanced back and shrugged. "I will be ready anyway. But I guess this little warning isn't truly unreasonable as we Belmonts need to be ready when Dracula will come back." The man concluded with a nod.
Hades fidgeted for a moment in his throne but nodded back slowly. "That's true..." He admitted, knowing perfectly how 'ready' the family was when the Count was close to be reborn. Always.
The two adults finally decided to comply with Lilith's demands and went to pick her cases, starting to walk with a quick pace to catch up with the giggly woman and the blushing youth in her hold.
Death, or Hades, facepalmed as his headache increased even more at the slowly-retreating noises of the annoying woman. It was already difficult to prepare for the whole 'Godly War' that seemed about to happen in mere months from now, but dealing with that infuriating female was enough to make him want to enjoy neutrality and peace as much as he could.
He should have understood when Lucifer had presented her to him. There was no way someone as insane as he was would have tied with anyone even remotely stable.
But now, hopefully, he would be able to enjoy a decade-long nap. Just enough to get him ready for the big return of Dracula to the real world. And hopefully no one will end up messing with his plans… hopefully.
Kunou couldn't believe that this was happening.
She dodged another punch, trying to land a kick as a reply from the quick attack, only to find air instead of the planned target. Jumping away, the blonde's eyes were locking onto the silver-haired blur keeping up with her pace.
It had all come from a simple suggestion from Lith, about when was the last time she had sparred with Ko-senpai. Of course the answer was… a long time ago. Her mind lacked a detailed response over the matter as most of her spars had been either with her Niichan or alone while trying to silently adapt new techniques.
There was an instance where she did come close to spar with the Nekoshou while trying to properly integrate her Wild Frenzy with her fighting style and… failing incredibly as she tried to use it in the important spar against her Niichan.
With their respective focus being directed in different paths, it wasn't that difficult to understand why they had hardly interacted on the training situation and why now their spar felt so… aggressive.
It was no secret that they cared for each other like close sisters would, but with that loving relationship there was also the issue of facing some minor issues along the way.
In this peculiar occasion, the problem was actually very simple and easy to understand.
It was the first time they could enjoy sparring with each other after some time, it was the first time they could see how much they had improved and perfected their fighting prowess and…
It was their own special way to rough-house.
Part of the kitsune wanted to compare their fight with how Kuroka and Akua did back when they first battled and… she knew the differences were stark clear.
There was a fond connections shared by the two girls in this case, thus while they were hitting each other with powerful hits, none was going over-board with their strength nor giving too much in the battle-lust.
This last bit was also afforded thanks to the presence of Baraqiel keeping track of their fight, the man spending time here in the house while recovering from a happy accident he received by his daughter, something about giving false info. Something that the blonde ruled without hesitation as a happy accident herself, considering the fact she knew what 'false info' the man was accused for.
Her Niichan had gone out for that date with Akua, Akeno and Kuroka and were expected to return a little later than Lunch. Something that annoyed her a little… but she was fine if it was because of that.
Her Niichan deserved love after what he had done for them and… she was glad that he found more happiness.
Together with the Fallen Angel were a smiling Lith and a happy-looking Ophis as both Dragons watched the fight with mild interest.
The clash intensified just a little more before the stalemate turned into something manageable from both sides. Their respective patterns were carefully studied and countered, each step turning essentially planned as a slight mistake would have spelled the end of the two girls' chances of winning the brawl.
Magic would have tipped the balance, something that Ko-senpai was aware of and that decided to counter by… continuing to seek the close encounters. Their different experiences started to play on a slow-building defeat for the kitsune, being that the silver-haired girl was more experienced in fighting closely and personally.
Kunou huffed tiredly, her body feeling the strain caused by the Wild Frenzy, but unwilling to switch from it as, much to her surprise, even Ko-senpai knew how to use it. Her form was more raw than hers, but the power was still the same, the determination even matching hers right now.
The ache was forgettable, especially with the ever-present funny emotion keeping her going for the attack. An emotion that would have her giggling, smiling and hugging people.
An emotion that was fueled by the loud incitement from Lith, her words filling her with ambition, with strong intentions to win through this difficult case.
Her hard-work against Ko-senpai's hard-work.
This emotion- the blonde was sure that even her opponent could feel it and…
They were both smiling as they continued to fight each other.
Siblings seeking people that cared for them, finding them, loving them and growing a sense of protection over those that were their dearests.
It was so exciting and inspiring, so bubbly but also so calm and collected. She was flying but also relaxing on a comfy pillow.
The joy of finding each other after so much time had passed.
But the tingle wasn't just joy at finding once again someone that shared her burden, soon the tingle turning into warmth and… then into energy.
She blinked just once and then Koneko's form changed before her. Her already silver hair were now pure white with red tips, her eyes going from a golden to calm red as new energy flooded out of her.
And… her fluffy blonde tails were now sporting the same theme as her opponent's hair.
They both stopped, mesmerized by their similar transformation and incredible increase in power. It was beyond what they were accustomed to, this energy- their bodies shouldn't have been ready to contain it and yet… and yet she was so strong.
Stronger than her Niichan!
It was an absurd statement, and yet her energy and body felt exploding with new strength. A feat that was unreachable until now and… yet here she was, seeing the soft white aura covering her as her entire core exuded raw magical energy from… every bit of her body!
But what truly got her endeared was how it was a transformation that… they both shared. Their appearance was almost identical, part of her giddily pointing out how they now looked like they were really related by blood, their matching hair and eyes… and they both looked so cool!
Yet, as they continued to enjoy the 'amazing' transformation, they also noticed a little too late the sudden searing pain emerging from their bodies. It was like fire, harmful and consuming that quickly brought them out of their wonderful daydreaming.
The transformations dropped almost-instantly, their core almost close to dry up while they both started to fall on the floor. Kunou's body was hurting all over, as if she had been stomped by a massive boulder.
The blonde's eyelids started to slowly close, Ophis being the one that rushed to pick her before she could properly fall and bringing a familiar tiny bottle close to her lips.
"Drink it." She ordered blankly, yet after so much time spent with her, the kitsune could pick up any emotion from that seemingly emotionless voice.
There was legitimate worry and her hold was a little cautious and mindful as the first drops of the Phoenix's tears entered her mouth and the liquid revitalized her.
Baraqiel had rushed to pick up Koneko to do the same and… the girl got up with a tired expression. The silver-haired girl blinked, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her mind felt strained too, yet she was capable of standing on her own and… notice that Kunou was resting on the mat, eyes glancing tiredly around as her senpai rushed to check on her.
"Ku-chan?" A mix of worry and sleepiness influencing her voice, the girl turning to slowly glance at her with a small smile.
"It… it was a draw." She stated with a smug voice, getting a sigh in return from the Nekoshou. The stress of the mind possibly putting her against getting up and… the blonde wanted to rest on the floor.
Koneko hummed as she slowly went to lie beside her surrogate little sister. "How are you holding?"
A soft giggle. "I'm… fine." The kitsune yawned a little. "Just tired." She answered.
"Do you… want to be taken to bed?" The Nekoshou suggested with a quiet voice, getting a sigh in return.
"I like… there." Kunou whispered softly, silently turning on her side and… placing her head on the older girl's chest. "Mhhh..."
The silver-haired teen contemplated if she should have picked the girl up and put her in her bed but… then again the floor was warm thanks to magical seals and the blonde was already snoring by the time she was thinking this.
She sighed. It would seem like she was going to be stuck here for a while.
Baraqiel retreated away from the training area, mentioning how he 'shouldn't be disturbing the girls' and the situation escalated just a little when both Lith and Ophis picked to lie by her side, further 'capturing' her in that curious dog-pile.
How… annoying~.
Yet her eyelids slowly closed as tiredness finally took over.
Koneko fell asleep with a happy smile… and the partial knowledge that her Neesama was going to get some picture out of this situation if… she failed to get up early… on.
Her mind shut down as her main drive turned to sleep and recover from what had just happened.
And as the Nekoshou rested, Lith smiled happily as she could now proudly say that she helped her Neesans by giving them some more power. Now things were going to be funnier than before, she was certain of that!
AN
Lilith has the Mama version of Hoitsu's Oniichan attitude. She sees young man/woman (a child in her eyes) and she will go there to smoother him. Give her too much paperwork or work in general and she will start to bite (This isn't fake, she will bite yah!).
So, Kunou and Koneko have… their new SSJ form- no, I'm not copying from Dragon Ball this time around. Lasses and Gents, we got the Fox Dragon Form and the Cat Dragon Form! The former is actually canon while the latter is an inspiration from the canon form and… yeah, it's that strong. The Fox Dragon Form is on par with a Beast God's power… thus Kunou just got something to beat Hoitsu… if she ever learn how to properly use it. Differently from previous techniques/transformation, the taxing effects of this ability are way higher and non-negligible. Mere training will not help her get hang over it and… I can say that it will become Immensely important in the plot.
Future milestone 1: 950 Followers and Favorites.
P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin
REVIEW Q&A!
tom24800: Her nagging was also stronger than Hades himself! xD
MasterBlade47: And let us not forget about Euclid. The man will never admit this to anyone but... seeing his overly-sassy and jerk boss being spanked by his own mother, the former queen of hell? He is going to 'somehow' end up with a registration of the happening and he will keep it around... forever.
Bachi the cat: It depends on the kind of guy/girl. It's still a small thing and I don't want to mess up too much with everything.
Reishin Amara: All in two days? That's a record! (I think? I dunno xD)