Chapter 5: Welcome to DxD
Issei
"Identification?"
For a guard of one of the Grigori's supposedly super-effective, super-secret special ops teams...she sure sounds bored.
But those boobs, man...and that leather bodysuit just completes that femme fatale look!
"Ara Ara, Issei...back from the dead so soon and already eyeing up another woman? Obviously I need to try harder to keep your attention, fufufu~..."
"A-Akeno-san, it's not like that! I was just-"
"Totally eyeing up my tits. You're definitely the Breast Dragon Emperor all right..."
Ddraig releases a plaintive sob from somewhere in the back of my mind and I can only sheepishly scratch the back of my head at the guard's words.
Well, nothing new about being caught in the act.
"Ok, you're all clear to go. Slash Dog will show you to where you're needed."
Buchou-no, it's Rias now-professionally nods and leads us inside the safehouse, located somewhere in Grigori territory.
They hadn't exactly been open with where one of their secret bases was located exactly...which makes sense, I guess.
"Ok, is everyone ready?"
"Hai, Buchou!"
"Good! Now let's finally meet our idol-I mean, patients."
...It's ok, Rias.
I really want to see these Fate characters as well, what hot-blooded male wouldn't?!
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity here!
Sucks to be you, Saji…
"Ah, so you're the ORC, correct?"
I snap out of my thoughts and focus on the soft spoken words, coming from another damn pretty boy, of all people! No matter how much I've come to consider him one of my best friends, one Kiba is enough, thank you!
"Yes, that's us. I am Rias Gremory and this is my Peerage. My Queen, Akeno Himejima. Rooks Rossweisse Magnhild and Koneko Toujou. Knights Kiba Yuuto and Xenovia Quarta. Bishops Gasper Vladi and Asia Argento. And finally my pawn, Issei Hyoudou."
There was an awkward silence.
"...And this is Ophis, the um...Ouroboros Dragon."
The pretty boy with black hair and fair features seems to take this in stride as Ophis stoically stands beside us and nods with a small smile before replying, "It's very nice to meet you, members of the ORC. My name is Tobio Ikuse, although I suppose Slash Dog is appropriate as well. Thank you for arriving so quickly, With Azazel-sama gone I wasn't sure if-"
"E-excuse me!"
My eyes widen as I realize that interruption came from Gasper-kun of all people. Shy, stick-his-head-in-a-bag-and-don't-make-eye-contact Gasper.
"I-is it true that this person rescued someone named Valerie Tepes? Is she here, is she ok?"
Obviously caught off guard by the sudden outburst-Hell, I think we all are-Ikuse-san just shrugs and points to a door down the hallway.
"Knock and ask for a Sae Toujou, she's my girlfriend and will let you in. Bear in mind that Valerie-san is...a bit out of it."
Gasper-kun doesn't seem to hear that and runs off down the hallway, Rias obviously wanting to go after him but unwilling to abandon her current responsibilities.
"While I hate to interrupt such an obviously emotional moment, can I borrow Argento-san for the time being? While Horatio-san doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger Twilight Healing's renowned healing power can only benefit him. We might get some answers that way."
We all exchange a questioning glance.
"Horatio-san?"
"Oh, my apologies. That's the name of the man who is in charge of these 'Spirits' as people are taking to calling them. It's been rather busy the past few days, I haven't really had a chance to sit down and read the material Azazel-sama provided to us."
We nod and fall in step behind Ikuse-san, the pretty boy leading us further into the depths of the Grigori safehouse. After almost a minute of walking we arrive at some plain appearing door, guarded only by a single black-furred dog that looks at Ikuse-san before happily thumping it's tail once.
"Here we are. Once inside...well, don't make any sudden movements. Jin made that mistake and almost got stabbed by a spear when he tried to bite the man on the nose..."
"Why was he trying to bite him on the nose?"
Ikuse-san shrugs as if embarrassed.
"I think he was just trying to wake him up and it got misinterpreted as hostile. I'll be outside if you need anything."
I nervously gulp as Ikuse-san unlock the door, Rias doing the same. We're...we're actually doing this. We get to see the real life versions of people we always thought were fantasy. It's a dream come true!
Rias eagerly power walks inside, me right on her heels...and get our first look at this, 'Horatio-san'.
...While he's no pretty boy, my masculinity still feels threatened. He has Sairaorg-san's build but is noticeably shorter and a tad slimmer, only landing at around 1.75 meters and has a leaner frame. His face has that chiseled handsomeness with tan skin and dark curly hair, a peaceful expression on his features as he rests on a large bed located in the corner of the unadorned room.
I take back what I said about pretty boys. These Fight Club Sons of Bitches are worse and can all just go die.
"Asia, please begin. The sooner he's awake the sooner we can start grillin-er, I mean, politely asking him for information."
"Of course, Rias-sempai."
Asia-chan steps forward to place her hands on the sleeping Douchechad-
-and we all tense as a crimson, barbed spear suddenly appears right next to Rias' neck.
"Now now, easy does it children...while I don't doubt you are only here to help purely out of the goodness of your heart...I think I'll play it safe and keep your precious 'Rias-sempai' here under my careful watch. No hard feelings, right~?"
...Huh?
Standing behind Rias is Scáthach herself, that killer body of hers on full display in that sexy bodysuit, dark-crimson hair hanging loose with a friendly smile on her slim lips and crimson eyes half-closed.
...If only she wasn't this close to killing Rias.
"U-um, Scáthach-san? I think there may be a misunderstanding here..."
Rias does a valiant job of trying to explain away any awkwardness that may have arisen from this encounter...and the bombshell of a lady only narrows her eyes further, friendly smile dropped in an instant.
"Indeed there is, hopefully on my part. I would like to believe you have no malicious intentions and am merely making a fool of myself by threatening you...but I prefer not to take chances around beings of Magic, such as yourself. And besides..."
The spear drifts ever so closer to Rias' jugular, the rest of us summoning weapons in preparation to defend our King as I call the Boosted Gear to my arm.
"I have yet to tell anyone we've met my name. I'm curious to know why you know it."
...Oh.
Crap. We didn't realize how weird it probably sounds for a complete stranger to list off stuff they know about you that should be personal.
Rias keeps her cool though-damn she's so awesome-and merely turns to Asia-chan before calmly telling her, "Asia, begin the healing if you would. I'll be fine."
With a clearly wary expression Asia-chan turns towards Douchepitt regardless, palms splayed outwards as Twilight Healing activates and creates a gentle emerald glow.
A few minutes of nervous tension pass, Scáthach's weapon never shifting a millimeter as her eyes bore into both Asia-chan and Rias.
Thankfully Asia-chan releases a relieved sigh after a few moments and cheerfully says, "Ok, that about does it. He should be waking up in a-"
A hand snakes out from beneath the bedsheets and grabs Asia-chan by the throat in a blurring motion that I barelyeven register, her words dying off in a brief 'gack' noise, the other hand manifesting some kind of knife weapon that streaks towards her eye-
-shit, I'm not gonna make it-
-and the blade is stopped dead by a thin, dark-skinned arm that seemingly came out of nowhere.
"Master, murdering the one who healed your body is not a very polite way of saying thank you."
The room breathes a collective sigh of relief that our resident healer is unharmed...but isn't this first meeting off to kinda a lousy start?
…
But holy crap, Altera is so cuuuute~!
That almost expressionless face, slight downturn to her lips, sexy tribal clothing...ahh, it's enough to make a young man wistfully sigh…
"Ah, sorry about that, blonde Miss. I tend to be jumpy after waking up from unconsciousness. Thanks for the healing, by the way. Or at least, I'm assuming it was you."
Asia-chan massages her throat and still offers a friendly smile, replying, "It was my pleasure, Horatio-san. And don't worry, no lasting harm done."
Ahh, Asia-chan is so nice and innocent…
"Hardly, 'no lasting harm done'! You almost killed my precious servant! What kind of person attacks another immediately after they come back from being unconscious?!"
I glance back towards an understandably angry Rias-wait, where did Scáthach go?!
I whirl around and find the crimson-haired warrior already kneeling at Douchepitt's side alongside Altera, both of them apparently having forgotten us. As expected of a Heroic Spirit…
"To answer that, Miss Redhead, the kind of person where waking up after a particularly strong knock on the head was almost always a hostile situation. Whether it was handlers, slaves or spiders, you learn to punch first and ask questions never."
...That was an odd explanation.
Everyone else seems to agree with my thoughts but doesn't ask further questions.
Douchepitt also proceeds to ignore us and a fuming Rias-hey, that's kinda rude, considering we were the ones who healed you-in favor of turning to the hot ladies at his side.
"How long was I out? Everyone's ok, right?"
"We are. And you were unconscious for 12 hours, Master. Were it not for Mr. Ikuse kindly rushing you back to this location for emergency treatment you might not have made it, there was little we could do given your condition. And the Vampire was...otherwise engaged?"
"She was absentmindedly staring at nothing?"
"Yes, Master."
...I get the distinct impression they've gone from ignoring us to outright forgetting us.
"Well, I actually feel pretty good right now, considering I basically melted myself."
Scáthach suddenly kneels and lays a hand on Douchepitt's own, her tone worried as she whispers, "That's the closest you've come to dying in centuries, Horatius. We honestly didn't know if you were going to make it...don't make light of this."
Oi, this is getting kinda heavy...and what's this lucky bastard, having Scáthach and Altera all worried about him?!
And why did she call him Horatius? Is that his real name or a nickname? I thought it was Horatio...
He seems to soften a bit, gently picking up the badass woman's hand in his own and replying so softly that I almost don't hear it even with enhanced hearing.
"We will not be alone, not again. Besides, how could I leave you hanging like that? You're nothing if not a sound skin."
To my utter shock Scáthach laughs, a husky sound that gives all of us shivers and even kuudere Altera smiles brightly.
...What the Hell does, 'a sound skin' mean?
Then they fall silent for a bit and I would think they're just being pretty chill and enjoying the moment if it wasn't for the way their eyes keep flicking back and forth between us and each other.
...They're probably communicating telepathically or something like that. Damn this Douchepitt! He's in so deep with such sexy beauties and they even seem to reciprocate his lovey-dovey crap! SO NOT COOL!
"Ahem!"
Oh, right...important stuff going on right now. Good thing Rias is focused.
"So should I assume your name is actually Horatius-san, not Horatio?"
Douchepitt seems to finally remember we're in the same room and briefly gazes over all of us...and I have to hide my instinctive shiver of surprise.
His eyes are dark, the iris the same pitch-black as the pupil, making it look like two voids are sweeping over us.
That's creepy.
"That's correct, Miss Redhead. And on that subject where is Mr. Ikuse? Seems I owe him my thanks for dragging my half-dead carcass all the way back here. And apologize for using a sort of false name."
"Why were you using a false name to begin with? Aren't you from another universe?"
All eyes turn towards me and I sheepishly scratch the back of my head.
"Er...sorry for the spoiler?"
Douchepitt looks at me with an uncomfortable level of intensity, his voice soft as he muses, "And I wonder how you know that..."
Thankfully Rias cuts in and asks, "If you don't mind me asking, Horatius-san, before we answer that question may we know what it is you're trying to accomplish here in the first place? You have my gratitude for rescuing Valerie-san, since she is a dear friend of one of my precious Servants, but it sounds like you caused a great deal of damage to the Tepes faction of Vampires and they want to know just what is going on and who is responsible."
Douchepitt's gaze again hardens when Rias mentions the word 'servants' but he doesn't comment on it, instead shrugging and explaining, "Well since you seem to know we're not from around these parts...we're here to keep something from your universe causing trouble in ours. At the moment our best guess is that it's either the Ouroboros Dragon or Great Red that is the cause of this trouble. And while I thought we'd successfully taken down the Ouroboros..."
His eyes narrow even as us of the ORC mentally freeze at his words.
Wait...he killed Ophis?! But why would there be two Ouroboros Dragons? Ikuse-san didn't say anything about that!
"It seems like we missed a spot..."
The tension in the room ratchets up a notch again as we realize Douchepitt-along with the Heroic Spirits-are glaring at Ophis.
...Uh oh.
We ready for a fight as Ophis steps forward-if she's still lacking most of her power, this could turn nasty-and she merely cocks her head at the trio.
"You are, like me and Stupid, Red..."
...What?
Douchepitt and the two Hero's seem to get what she's asking...but the Spirits are merely wary while Douchepitt seems more curious.
"I'm like you? Strange, I don't think I'm a pedophiles wet dream. Seriously, what's up with the nipple tape and colonial-style bloomers?"
Ophis doesn't react to that aside from blinking once before adding, "You are, an idea...the idea of, destruction."
…
I think I'm missing some context here. An Idea? Of destruction? What the Hell?
Douchepitt seems to take it in stride though, merely quirking one side of his mouth upwards before replying, "Believe it or not, I'm retired from the whole 'destruction' business unless I specifically get called in to help. Mostly I just travel around these days, enjoying my pension. And I'm not exactly an idea, I'm still mostly Human."
...So much of that conversation just went over my head.
Ophis looks like she gets it though...but it's kinda hard to tell. She isn't really the most expressive of people.
"Lilith...she wants to apologize for, attacking you. She doesn't want, to be hurt again."
Lilith? Like the city?
Douchepitt seems just as confused as me until he suddenly snaps his fingers in seeming understanding.
"Ah, so Lilith was the other you?"
"...Yes."
"Mind if I ask what happened to her? If she's able to tell you she wants to apologize it sounds like she's not as dead as I initially thought. Or hoped."
...That seems a little harsh.
"She is back, in the Dimensional Gap. With, the rest of my power."
"The rest of your power?"
Ophis doesn't reply to that, instead entering into a sort of staring contest with the three while the rest of us just kinda stand around awkwardly.
Should...should we say something?
Douchepitt suddenly sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose before turning to Scáthach.
"So we went to the trouble of having a pitched, last-ditch battle against the Ouroboros Dragon...only to give the Ouroboros more power than it had before? Did we accidentally inherit your favorite student's luck?"
"I think it more likely we have been spending too much time around Emiya. He seems to draw misfortune the way raw meat draws flies."
...Holy shit, they're talking about the Eroge King like they know him, personally!
"...I thank, you."
The sudden proclamation catches us all off guard, a single eyebrow on Douchepitt and Scáthach's face rise in surprise, Altera not visibly reacting.
I'm just trying to wrap my head around Ophis so openly thanking someone.
"Thanks? For what? Killing-except not really-your evil twin?"
"My power is now, no one else's but my own. Through, Lilith I can begin to regain, it."
"...Does regaining your power also mean you'll learn proper sentence diction?"
"Is there something, wrong with the way I, speak?"
"...Never mind. Regardless, I'd like to ask you a question, Ouroboros."
"Ok."
Douchepitt narrows his eyes.
"You said your power was in the Dimensional Gap and mentioned a 'Stupid Red'. I'm assuming you're talking about Great Red, correct me if I'm wrong, but here's my question. Do either you or Great Red have any intention whatsoever of attacking other worlds? Of leaving this one in favor of another?"
...Well there's a loaded question.
"No. I want, my silence and home, back. Stupid Red just, does stunts all day. Threat only, to self."
Douchepitt and the bombshell ladies glance at each other briefly before the dark-eyed dude sighs, wryly muttering, "Well that's good news and all...but now we're back at the drawing board. And go figure Kischur isn't the only manchild out there..."
Rias apparently can't contain herself at being ignored for so long as she archly asks, "Oh? Just like that, you believe her?"
Douchepitt just gives a smirk that screams, 'I know something you don't'. It kinda makes me want to punch him.
"In my experience, Miss Red, beings such as the Ouroboros here are rather terrible at lying since they've never had to do so before. So yes, I believe her."
As if that was some invisible signal Ophis calmly walks forward-
-and sits herself in Altera's lap.
...What?
"And just what do you think you're doing, Ouroboros?"
Scáthach's hostile response and glare leaves us speechless, Ophis merely settling back further into the tan woman's lap, her reply bland.
"She is quiet, and soothing. I, like her."
...Altera blinks once before resting her arms across the smaller girl's form, crimson eyes not displaying any outward emotion.
I want to sit in Altera's lap, no fair!
Douchepitt just looks at the scene with a blank expression before rubbing his eyes as if exasperated.
"Like picking up a stray fucking cat..."
Akeno just let's loose a familiar giggle as the dude from another universe turns towards Rias, his expression far icier than it was before.
"My turn to ask. And mine is real simple. How did you know we're not from around here?"
Rias opens her mouth-
-and falters, clearly not sure how to proceed.
Not that I have a clue either. I mean, how do you explain to somebody that they're just a fictional universe in this one?
...I guess you just show them wikipedia articles, which Rias does with a noticeable amount of trepidation as she nervously hands Douchepitt her phone with no further comment.
Not replying the dude starts reading it without a single change in expression, the two spirits leaning over his shoulder with similarly blank expressions.
Seconds turn into almost an entire minute of stony silence.
C'mon, say something!
Finally, after almost two minutes of agonizing tension...Douchepitt sighs.
"Seriously? This shit again?"
Michael
Several centuries ago, had one of my brothers or sisters told me that I would be guarding and guiding Heaven in the manner Father used to...I would have laughed, maybe lightly joked that Heaven would fall apart at the seams in less than a week.
Instead it's merely taken hundreds of years, and even with the newly formed peace and introduction of the Brave Saints system...our home is on the decline.
Not our numbers, at least not any more...and thank Father for that. But I was never God and never will be. The most I have ever been able to do is slow the degradation of our ancestral halls, draw out the inevitable collapse of a faith so complex that it still boggles my mind, no mater how long I've tied myself to it and bolstered it's operations. Ensuring that the faithful's souls reach their paradise, as well as maintaining the foundations of such a system, are a task only achievable by God, seeing as it was by his hand such a construct was even possible in the first place.
And the system has sorely missed his presence.
…
And yet...finally, after so long...this sorry state of affairs might change.
"Brother...are you sure about this? Sirzechs and Azazel will no doubt be hurt that you have gone behind their backs, maybe even consider it a betrayal...can this not wait a few more days?"
Gabriel's worried tone cause me to sadly smile.
"I fear that to wait will let this chance slip through our fingers, Sister. I will gladly sacrifice my trust, even my friendships, if it means Heaven will survive. I am a child that has just learned to walk attempting to run a marathon, I have been so for hundreds of years. I do not even know enough about Father's system to accurately guess when it mightcollapse. But now? With a chance this potentially perfect right before us? I will take it, regardless of how unlikely it may be."
I had been surprised indeed when Bandersnatch had been so abruptly dealt with after those strange warrior's appearance and subsequent disappearance...even more so when it had been revealed by Sirzechs and Azazel that these warriors hailed from a supposedly fictional universe.
A universe where Gods with the same names-and origins-existed.
...A universe where Father might still exist.
As foolish as it felt, searches through this unknown universes lore had revealed no details about Yahweh, only vague allusions to a Church somewhat similar to the one I am more familiar with.
And then Azazel has sent word to me that Slash Dog had encountered and housed this strange group of interdimensional travelers before he and Sirzechs confronted Hades.
...How could I let such an opportunity pass by me?
If there's a way to somehow take a God from their world and transfer it to ours...it's unlikely. Unlikely in the extreme.
But to once more have Father on the throne...even if it's not the God we knew and loved, we owe it to those who believe in Heaven and our Father of old to at least try.
"Very well, Brother...but I wish to come with you. After all, it's not often that one gets to meet those from a different place of existence!"
A small smile graces my lips.
Our home may be on the road of eventual collapse, there may be those who wish naught but for our deaths and destruction...yet nothing has ever seemed to douse Gabriel's enthusiasm for 'field trips'.
"Very well, let us depart immediately. The sooner we can confirm or deny this plan's feasibility, the sooner we can move on."
Issei
Seeing Douchepitt silently swipe through Rias' phone for the past fifteen minutes has been trying on our nerves, his poker face ironclad and not slipping one bit to reveal whatever it is he's thinking. Thankfully Scáthach has been a bit more talkative, fielding a few of our questions.
"You see, this isn't the first time we've encountered a situation like this before."
We all exchange confused glances.
"What do you mean?"
The spearwoman thoughtfully taps her chin before explaining, "About fifteen or so years ago we were traveling through a world quite similar to our own...except that it was mostly mundane."
Her crimson eyes narrow at us and I nervously gulp. Hey c'mon, what's with the hostility over here?!
"I'll assume you know the finer points of our world, seeing as you have a rather well-informed encyclopedia at your disposal. Regardless, this world had no Supernatural tinge to it. At all. It was governed by the laws of physics and nothing else. It also just so happened to have an anime advertisement for a show called Fate/Stay Night. From there things just spiraled out of control and we realized amongst all the parallel worlds out there, some have other universes as works of fiction. In this case, ours."
...Holy crap.
"So...does that mean somewhere, sometime, a person could be reading about me?"
Scáthach snorts at my question, causing her boobs to lightly jiggle.
"About your universe, about it's peculiarities? Most likely. About you specifically? Debatable."
...I feel like I just got kicked in the nuts…
She turns her attention back to Douchepitt before we can keep asking questions.
"Well, Horatius? Any conclusions you can draw? Or are you still a figment of someone's imagination?"
The dude growls, Scáthach grinning impishly at his response.
"Apparently I'm not important enough to rate an entry in here...but fucking Laurentis does?! The only entry that rattlesnake deserves is on a 'most wanted' list!"
He huffs out an aggravated breath even as Scáthach kneels down next to him, her voice a husky purr as she whispers, "Oh boo hoo, Horatius. You know what Kischur said, you're existence is probably just a little too unique and unlikely to be a constant across universes. You're special."
And then she kisses him on the cheek.
…
This motherfucker needs to die. Like right now.
And he doesn't even seem to enjoy it! Instead he just scowls at her, the ungrateful prick! Trade places with me, dammit!
"If that's your attempt at consoling me, the cooing and patronizing doesn't really sell it."
The warrior woman just chuckles before he turns his attention back to the phone.
"Well if preliminary 'research' is anything to go by, we're in the 'Unlimited Blade Works' timeline. With about a bazillion minor differences but that's kinda to be expected...can I just say it's weird how an entire universe is named after something Emiya tries real hard to keep under wraps, lest the Association try to Clockwork Orange his ass?"
"Stranger things have happened. Or should I perhaps point out the fact that this 'article' is under the impression that random Human priests and Enforcers are of more import than you?"
Douchepitt smiles before running his hand through her hair in a gesture that's more than a little familiar.
"Ok, now you're really trying to make me feel better."
...I hate this man.
"You jest and bemoan about your apparent lack of existence, Gladiator...but at least you are not subjected to the shame of a mistaken identity."
My eyes widen as golden light coalesces behind Douchepitt-
-and reveals a loli genderbent Gilgamesh.
…
It's...it's everything I ever wanted!
If only it was my back she was resting her arms against, golden hair cascading down Douchepitt's side as she reads over his shoulder.
Douchepitt doesn't react-AGAIN-aside from glancing behind him as he asks, "And what do you mean by that?"
Those cute little features turn into a scowl, her voice an adorable growl and I can tell Rias is trying very hard not to squeal in delight at the sight of child Gil.
"What I mean, Gladiator, is that I am not in these articles! Me! The truest version of myself, not that egotistical sham that was apparently beaten by a second-rate Magus!"
"In your alternate self's defense, Emiya is a bit of a statistical outlier."
"That is hardly an excuse."
I can't keep quiet any longer and blurt out, "Why are you a girl? I mean, I'm not complaining or anything, but isn't Gilgamesh a guy?"
Slitted crimson eyes slowly focus on me and oh shit this was probably not a good idea. Matters aren't helped by that cute pout being replaced with a cold sneer.
"Of course the Dragonling would only tear it's gaze away from ogling the King of Combat and Witch of Dun Scaith to ascertain whether I have tits or not. Honestly, I have seen beasts in mating season with less consistently lustful gazes..."
…
...It's like being back in Kuoh before becoming a Devil. That hateful gaze, condescending tone...all that's missing is a Shinai smacking me in the balls.
"Perhaps a neutering is in order, I can scarcely afford such filth polluting my garden after all~."
A Gate of Babylon appears in the middle of the room-
-and points a spear directly at my crotch.
I prefer the Shinai, I PREFER THE SHINAI!
"Queen of Heroes, let the poor man's junk live. Actually, forget that, what about you? Are you alright?"
I try not to sob in relief as the portal disappears, loli-Gil's attention drawn by Douchepitt.
I try to ignore Scáthach's smirk at my expense.
"Of course I am fine, Gladiator. What possessed you to think otherwise?"
"Because the last time I remember seeing you you were almost cut in half, had to chug an aging potion and then were exhausted after firing off your most powerful Phantasm."
...Geez, that fight between them and this Lilith-chan must have been intense.
"You're concern is appreciated, Gladiator...but as you can see, I'm perfectly alright."
He nods in acceptance in that-
-before slumping forward and tossing Rias' phone back to her, his eyes drooping as he does so.
"While I hate to cut this lovely little first-contact meeting between us short...I'm more than a little under the weather here. Mind if we hold off on the questions until I get some rest?"
We all shift awkwardly, none more so than Rias.
We...didn't really get any worthwhile or interesting information from them, never mind actually befriend them or anything. All we really did was tell the group that we know they're from another universe and that's it.
They're the ones who got all sorts of info.
...But it'd be kinda rude to ask the obviously exhausted guy to keep talking, right? Not to mention Scáthach would probably get mad again...and Gil-chan almost destroyed my nuts if it wasn't for Douchepitt asking her to stop.
Rias must have come to the same conclusion as she sighs, briefly nodding her head and replying, "Very well, Horatius-san. Hopefully we can continue this conversation later, there is a great deal we wish to know about you and your circumstances."
Scáthach just glares for some reason, her tone uncomfortably neutral as she asks, "Oh? Don't you have every bit of information you could ever want, right at your disposal in that little phone of yours?"
...There's no good way to reply to that so we just make our exit, quietly shuffling out the door.
As we make our way to see Gasper, nodding to Ikuse-san as we pass, the mood is...pretty bad, actually.
"I don't think they liked us very much. Or am I reading too much into this?"
We all consider Kiba-kun's words, Rias visibly crestfallen.
"No, they definitely seemed...cold? Or at least not inclined to be open and truthful with us."
I'm sorry, Rias! If I hadn't opened my mouth about the whole parallel world thing things might have gone better!
"Ara ara, you and Issei seem quite miserable...were your idols not what you expected them to be?"
That's a bit of an understatement…
Rias just sighs and miserably mutters, "They didn't even ask for my name..."
Ouch. Yeah, that kinda sucks.
"What about you, Ophis-chan? What did you...think..."
…
Where did Ophis-chan go?
Horatius
"And just why are you still here, Ouroboros?"
Scáthach's tone suggests she's biting back on a scowl, eyes boring into the rather odd sight that is 'Ophis' as she settles herself deeper into Altera's grasp.
"...She is, quiet. I do not, want to leave..."
…
Yeah I'm not gonna touch this one with a ten-foot pole and just accept that it is what it is.
"Hey, Ouroboros-or Ophis, whichever you prefer-you said earlier you and this Great Red aren't planning on leaving anytime soon. Do you have any idea what might be making such a journey?"
She tilts her head, obviously giving my question a fair bit of thought before monotonely replying, "Lilith says that Rizevim, and Evil Dragons want to go, to a new world. And call, me Ophis."
Not particularly helpful.
"We already knew that, they weren't exactly subtle and practically shouted their plan at us. And while they were certainly powerful-"
Gilgamesh snorts and mutters, "Not that powerful..."
"-they were more along the lines of a red or orange threat, rather than a black one. Something else must have triggered the warning."
Ophis adorably cocks her head in the opposite direction-ok, thinking of the universe devouring concept as cute is dangerous, stop it, idiot-and then explains, "Lilith says that Rizevim, and Evil Dragons want to, free something."
"Free something?"
"Something like, us."
I pinch the bridge of my nose.
Of course that's what we're dealing with here. Another bloody monster comprised more of ideas than it is flesh…
"And I don't suppose you know what or where this thing is?"
She-it, I dunno-shakes her head in the negative.
"Well, it's a good thing we saved that Valerie girl...because it looks like we're going to be asking her to give us a helping hand."
"As I suspected, unfortunately."
I nod at Scáthach's dry tone before letting my head fall back onto the pillow with a dull thump.
Christ I'm tired...while that nun girl did an excellent job healing all the damage that was done to me, evidently she couldn't do anything about the considerable levels of fatigue I built up.
"Gladiator? Are you well?"
I cast an amused-albeit droopy-glance at the Golden Queen, her youthful features scrunched up in mild concern, prompting me to sigh.
"Yeah, I'll be fine once I've gotten some more rest. But before we do that, what's everybody's thoughts on these people 'knowing' who and what we are?"
There's a brief moment of silence before Scáthach coldly smirks.
"Those children seemed to take articles of a few thousand words as gospel, basing our entire existence and personality around things that clearly don't match up with the reality. You saw the way they acted, aside from you they didn't even ask us to introduce ourselves. They assumed they already knew us."
A cold smirk seamlessly turns into an irritated one.
"I suppose we may as well let them wallow in their misinformation, it will only benefit us in the long run if they have a mistaken view."
I merely nod along with her words, Gilgamesh and Altera not having anything else to add.
Scáthach has every reason to be upset with that group for believing they understood her...but that's a mistake I'm not willing to fix for them.
Instead I add, "And that website was horribly misinformed about what it is you two are capable of now. There wasn't even a hint of Amalgam Phantasms, Integrated Magics or any of the other random things we've created over the decades. Not to mention they seem to be under the impression that you're Servants, not Heroic Spirits..."
I trail off, Scáthach asking, "Horatius? Something on your mind?"
"Not really, it's just...the redhead said something about her 'precious servants' and I remembered that Devils have this collection of subordinates they call Peerages..."
The Queen of Heroes seems to clue in to what I'm trying to say and asks, "You disapprove, Gladiator?"
"I just disapprove of the idea in general. A quick summary of a Peerage makes it sound great on paper...but the whole system is ripe for exploitation, what with reviving dead people and making them mildly subservient to the Master's will. It reminds me a little too closely of my own history."
...And hers-
Enough. What's done is done, stop reminiscing over what never will be.
"They did not seem to be enslaved against their will."
Grateful for Altera's distracting words I nod in agreement.
"More likely than not there's both a good side and a bad side to these 'Peerages'...whatever, it's not our business."
Scáthach snorts and advises, "Sleep, Horatius. You're beginning to jump from subject to subject with little distinction between the two."
"You're right. I think I'll do that."
I settle into a relaxed position, let out a slow breath…
"Goddammit."
Four pair of eyes meet mine and I resist the urge to blush in embarrassment.
"The lotto numbers on Red's phone, they began with 71, not 07. I fucked up by one wrong number placement."
Predictably Scáthach remains silent, only rolling her eyes at my explanation while Gilgamesh just smirks.
Blatantly.
"...Wake me up in a few hours or if something exciting happens."
I begin to drift off into slumber, doing my best to ignore the palpable air of smugness around Humanities oldest Queen.
Scáthach
This 'Ophis' girl blankly returns my glare, not perturbed in the slightest at my obvious desire to boot her out of her spot.
Altera is mine to cuddle, not yours!
Shaking my head in resignation since said cuddle-girl is obviously in no hurry to have the creature leave, I instead turn my attention to the still gleefully smiling Gilgamesh, the now youthful Queen bending over a sleeping Horatius in an evidently good mood.
My nails bite into my palms as a very cold anger settles in my veins.
I purposefully waited for Horatius to fall asleep for a reason.
"Gilgamesh? I need to speak to you about something."
Her crimson eyes, a mirror to my own, turn in my direction as she asks, "Oh? No nickname this time?"
"No. As of now, you don't deserve one."
That catches her off guard, if the single blink is an indicator.
"Just what are you-"
"When we first encountered those three, the Devil was perfectly content to keep running his mouth, to delay the battle for no other reason than he evidently loves the sound of his own voice. And then you interrupted him, forcing us into a battle that culminated in Horatius almost dying because he couldn't keep up with the strain our abilities put him under."
The Queen's expression suggests she hasn't ever had anyone talk to her this way.
"You have no right-"
"I have every right! Not long ago you said that you looked forward to having the three of us aid you in protecting the world. I can't help but wonder if you actually understand the significance of what you offered."
I step forward and get right in the face of the enraged Queen, not backing down one bit.
"You are not the most important member of this group. Nor am I, nor is Altera, nor is Horatius. We are in this together, equal in whatever adventure or trial faces us. I love this life. And I will not have it disrupted or even ended because of the ignorant actions of one girl who thinks herself to be the smartest one in the room."
I let open murder color my tone.
"I did not spend centuries stalking the Land of Shadows as an immortal wraith, consigned to a life of pointless bloodshed, pain and loneliness just so you could ruin it within a week! Make no mistake, Gilgamesh...should you so blatantly endanger Horatius again, for no other reason than to stoke your own ego or act on a passing whim...I will kill you."
…
The silence builds and I ready myself for a fight...only for something entirely unexpected to happen.
I had expected indignant rage, frustrated stubbornness or a cold dismissal from the Queen.
What I wasn't expecting was for something in her eyes to snuff itself out like a candle, her gaze dropping to the side and for her voice to lower itself to a sullen, bitter whisper.
"For all of your vaunted skill with a spear...it's your words that cut and burn all the sharper, Witch of Dun Scaith..."
Without further comment she dematerializes into motes of golden dust, even the slight telepathic connection fading away to almost nothing.
A tired sigh escapes me as I glance over to my sister, a clear expression of disappointment-at least to those familiar with her-adorning her features.
"You don't approve."
"No. That was needlessly cruel of you, sister..."
My fingers, just recently relaxed enough to hang by my sides, again curl into a fist.
"She needed to understand. If it poisons my relationship with all of you...it's a price I will gladly pay. I will not return to a glorified prison, not again..."
The tan-skinned woman's gaze softens slightly.
"You need not villainize yourself to do so. She is more human than both you and Master seem to think."
"...We'll see."
"Mmm..."
…
…
"Altera?"
"Yes, sister?"
I scowl at the little brat occupying my favored spot.
"Can you tell that midget to move?"
"But she is cuddly..."
Horatius
Yet another shadowy wraith disappears at the 'blades' of Altera's Photon Ray, scattered by their lethal light.
I think this makes nightmare monster number...well...I'm not sure, number 149? Maybe 150?
"Master, perhaps we should leave this place? It is neither hospitable nor homely..."
"What have I said about the whole, 'Master' deal?"
A contrite lowering of her head.
"...Horatius, perhaps we should leave this place? It is neither hospitable or homely..."
I resist the urge to chuckle at her literal interpretation of my advice...although I'll freely admit to being exasperated by her constant referring to me as 'Master' instead of Horatius. You would think three decades plus change would have solved that…
"Behind you, Master."
Not bothering to look I windmill a Gradiationed Black Key over my shoulder, hearing it collide with a dull thunk and brief gurgle of whatever it was that was no doubt plotting on ways to chew my ass off.
"Sorry, but there's...something about this place. It's hard to say, when I looking over it with Irappu I felt like there was something-someone-wandering the lands...that's probably not very convincing, is it?"
Predictably, she just shakes her head and easily replies, "If you say so, I will gladly follow, Mas-Horatius."
I slyly grin and wrap an arm around her waste, bending her backwards as I dip her low and playfully whisper, "You know, I don't think you use my name nearly often enough..."
That almost imperceptible blush creeps onto her cheeks, even as those alluring lips dip slightly downwards, the closest she's ever come to a pout.
"Horatius, now is not really the time for...that sort of thing."
"Oh~? Why not?"
Her hand blurs into motion, grabbing the edge of some serrated blade that was headed for my neck with unnerving accuracy and stopping it dead.
"Because this is a dangerous place and I will need to focus on protecting you."
I shrug, yanking free the Black Keys from the skeletal knight-looking monstrosity that just tried to murder me as Altera lets both the sword and body collapse into nothingness, my tone even.
"A fair enough point, I guess...and on the subject of dangerous places..."
A symphony of rattling bones and papery wings surrounds us, the noises emanating from several creatures that look like zombified dragons as they drop out of the sky and crawl up from hidden crevasses.
"Looks like we're going to be busy during the tenure of our stay here."
Altera nods, Photon Ray held loosely in her palm as she surveys the surrounding creatures with a cold gaze.
"Master, allow me to-"
CRUNCH!
One of the bone creatures collapses amidst a pile of dust and shattered rock, something having impacted it's center of mass with all the gentleness of a runaway locomotive.
Backup? Or another enemy?
As the dust settles and a Humanoid figure strolls forward with predatory ease, the remaining skeletal beings chattering nervously, I lean more towards backup.
Long, Magenta hair sways lightly in accordance with woman's movements, a veil not too dissimilar to Altera's adorning her head while rune-etched pauldrons of silver smoothly mesh with her movements.
Leather vambraces and shin guards adorn her figure, dark-plated sabatons creating a pleasant jingle as she approaches, the unhurried walk of a panther out for a stroll.
A dark purple bodysuit that accentuates her Goddess-like form, all topped off by beautiful features with crimson eyes the same shade as Altera's, said eyes briefly locking on us before she returns to glaring at the assembled monsters.
A few seconds pass as they eye each other up-
-and then the creatures run, only the echoing rattles of their departure hinting that they were ever there in the first place.
…
Well then.
I think it's safe to say Altera and I somehow stumbled onto the Land of Shadows. After all, I know this woman...at least by reputation and the briefest of meetings.
The Lord of Spirits, Scáthach.
…
I SO need to ask her for an autograph.
Huh, I wonder if she remembers me...probably not, I only met her in passing when I was traveling through Scotland a few centuries back and I was back on the road within the span of a few days.
"Perhaps this is not the most polite or welcoming of greetings...but you two seem to be far away from home."
Her voice is a musical alto, the tones imperial in their construction but thankfully not overbearing.
"No offense taken, but seeing as how we don't technically have a home in the first place...well regardless, it's a pleasure to meet you, Scáthach"
Her eyes widen imperceptibly, tone containing the slightest hints of surprise as she asks, "You know of me?"
"In a manner of speaking. We actually briefly met a few hundred years back-"
"Ah, I remember you! The journeyman that carried a facet of Gaia within him, what an odd coincidence meeting you here of all places."
I blink dumbly a few times.
"Wait, you remember me? We had, like, two conversations and that was ages ago!"
A languid shrug.
"You had quite the fascinating air about you, it left an impression."
Wow. What are the odds?
I quickly shake my head and continue with, "Well moving on regardless, my name is Horatius and my lovely traveling companion goes by Attila."
I stick out an arm for a handshake.
"It's an honor to properly make your acquaintance after all this time, Lord of Spirits."
She stares at my outstretched hand, bemusement on her fair features before she returns the gesture with a firm shake of her own.
"Well met then, Horatius. And as for you, Miss Attila..."
The Warrior Queen appraises the tan woman with a keen eye, a small smile appearing on her lips as she excitedly states, "Crimson eyes, the mark of a Demigod...and I can tell with just a glance. You're powerful, aren't you?"
Altera, ever the modest one, humbly nods and leaves it at that.
"Provided we find the opportunity to do so, we should spar sometime. It has been a long time indeed since I was able to properly cross blades with a worthy adversary that wasn't a battle to the death."
I fully expect Altera to just amicably nod, her usual response...when she instead speaks up with a slightly anticipatory tone.
"That sounds...interesting. I want to do so as well."
…
Well I'll be damned, that's the quickest she's ever switched to being proactive.
I'm about to teasingly point that out-
-and a distant roar sounds throughout the dreary landscape, prompting Scáthach to sigh before wryly stating, "It seems we will have to cut our conversation short for the time being, lest we draw the attention of annoyedly tenacious creatures. Come, you two. Allow me to show you to my home."
'Home', as the warrior woman put it, is basically just an unremarkable, slightly larger than average cave that tunnels fairly deeply into the stone around it.
…
Well, that and the veritable fortress of Runes spaced around the entrance.
Runecraft was never my specialty but I know enough to understand that I don't have a damn clue what some of these combinations are meant to achieve.
There's some simple ones, Runes meant to alert the user if there are intruders or those with hostile intent...but some are just insane.
I'm pretty sure one specific combination alters perception itself, something about right becoming left and left becoming right, up becoming down and down becoming up. Sheesh that would be a nasty trap to spring in the heat of battle…
"Is there something bothering you, Horatius?"
I shake my head and turn my attention back to Scáthach, the spear wielder having long kicked off her armor and boots, merely lounging about in just the bodysuit.
I'm trying not to stare.
So instead I just shrug and reply, "Just marveling at the sheer level of craft on display here. Seriously, I know just enough to understand that most of this should be impossible."
She looks oddly bitter at my words, quietly replying-almost to herself-with, "It was necessary if I wished to be able to have more than an hours worth of peaceful rest...sometimes I do not even receive that."
...Slightly awkward and now I feel bad. And while I hadn't noticed it at first...there's definite bags under her eyes, an odd sign considering her otherwise flawless features…
Not sure what to say next I instead glance around the cave, taking note of the various bits of architecture hewn out of solid rock itself. A few tables and chairs, all covered with animal skins while a smattering of plates and jugs adorn rough cut shelves.
Spartan living at it's finest.
"Your cooking is rather impressive, Scáthach...my own soldiers rarely crafted such excellent tasting foods despite having roughly the same resources."
I almost laugh out loud as Altera successfully breaks the silence, Scáthach evidently sharing my amusement as she watches Altera contentedly chew on bits of dried meat and hardy herbs with a smile.
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of my meager stores...on a different subject, what exactly are you two doing here in the first place? The Land of Shadows hardly strikes me as the sort of place that attracts pilgrims..."
"Well put bluntly, we're travelers of a sort. We like to go to interesting places and meet interesting people."
I don't miss the oddly wistful look on her face, even though her words are amused as she says, "Well apologies in advance about this locale, then. Unless you find all manner of ghosts and spirits wishing to murder you interesting...odds are that you'll be disappointed."
I let a flirtatious smile appear on my face and coyly reply, "Perhaps so, but you make up for it."
She blinks once before softly snorting, her next question being, "How long do you two plan to stay in this desolate land? I certainly don't mind the company..."
Me and Altera trade a brief glance before I shrug and answer her with, "A few days, maybe. We rarely stay in one place for more than that. Why?"
…
The sudden anxiousness-perhaps even outright terror-on the Lord of Spirits face strikes me mute.
"That...that soon?"
Her voice is hardly more than a whisper, eyes wide and hands suddenly ringing themselves together.
Altera's concern clearly matches my own, if the sudden emotion lightly leaking through our empathetic link is any indicator.
I open my mouth to quickly assure her that we don't mind staying longer-because fuck my Origin and it's incessant nagging-when she abruptly stands, a slightly unhinged gleam in her panicked eyes.
"Ah, but where are my manners as a host? Come, let me show you two the bath!"
Before either of us can reply she grabs our arms and hauls us upwards, dragging us towards the back of the cave.
"It was something I said, wasn't it?"
Altera doesn't immediately reply but when she does her mental voice is somewhat concerned.
"What should we do, Master?"
"For now, play along."
No sooner do I finish that thought than Scáthach leads us through a side tunnel, a few steps in utter darkness giving way to a pale blue-green glow as we travel forward.
The bath is mostly just a hollowed out bowel in the ground that looks like it can comfortably hold fourteen or more people, a central rock covered in some kind of moss being the only aesthetic addition aside from a few Runes that lightly pulse, giving off the colored glow.
Combined with the steam from the heated water-either through some kind of geothermal vent or Rune-it creates a feverish, almost dreamlike atmosphere.
I'm so caught up in examining the room that I entirely miss Scáthach letting go of our limbs and divesting herself of her clothes in one smooth motion.
An oversight that's rectified once she grabs Altera in a sudden hug and kisses her full on the lips.
…
What?
The King of Combat is just as confused as I am as she doesn't resist, letting Scáthach push her up against my chest and all of the sudden I feel my butt being fondled through my pants with a hand that could likely crush iron without much difficulty.
...Double what?
The lord of Spirits breaks off her kiss with a sharp gasp of air, eyes clouded over in some kind emotional upheaval as she suddenly darts forward, nibbling on Altera's neck and causing the Hunnic King to lightly moan.
"Altera, are you all right? Should we stop her?"
My companion doesn't reply for a second...and when she does it's with a sense of calm acceptance and concern for the other woman.
"It is fine, Master. She seems...lonely?"
…
Yeah, centuries of isolation-provided the legends of her internment here are true-could cause her to act irrationally.
Like dragging two largely unknown guests into a Ménage à trois less than an hour after meeting them.
…
Well, no sense in complaining. I'll enjoy this with Altera, and then we'll try to figure out a way to help Scáthach. It's the least we can do.
With that thought in mind I let my right hand lightly trace Altera's contours, down her taut stomach and lightly brushing aside the soft band of her tribal loincloth-
-and she gives off a soft 'mmm!' as my fingers gently massage her lips, beginning the exciting process of getting her all warmed up.
My left hand snakes around her side to explore the Lord of Spirit's body, the woman so wrapped up in playing with my ass and nibbling Altera's neck that she doesn't notice until I roughly grab her breast, fingers digging into the large globe of flesh and playfully kneading her tit and nipple, prompting her to gasp and pull away at the suddenness of the action.
We all take a moment to catch our breath-
…
Waking up from my dreams is always a confusing process.
Especially when they're less dreams than they are memories.
"You're awake, Horatius?"
I'm greeted to the sight of two pairs of red eyes gazing down on me and boy does it take a moment to separate my thoughts from the scene I'd just been reminiscing about.
Those following hours had been...intense.
"I am now, what's the emergency?"
I notice the Ouroboros still peaceably sitting on the edge of the bed, apparently unbothered by any of our actions as Scáthach quickly explains, "Two large, well...presences, I suppose we could call them, are headed in our direction. They feel quite different from the ones we've encountered thus far."
"...Should we expect a fight?"
An idle shrug that belies the way her fingers idly caress thin air, obviously ready to materialize her favored weapon at the drop of a hat.
"Hard to say. Thus far there seems to be very little in the way of consistency between which are foes and which are friends in this universe..."
A pointed glance at the Ouroboros just drives home that point.
"Alright, we'll play it nice and easy then, see how things go."
With that I settle into the mattress and lean my back against the wall, gazing at the door with a relaxed air.
"Well, Queen of Heroes? What're your thoughts on our approaching guests?"
Silence greets me.
"...Golden Queen? Gilgamesh?"
I take a risk.
"Archer?"
…
Nothing but perfect silence.
What the Hell, is it something I said?
I'm about to start asking questions in a less than polite manner when there's a soft knock on the front door, prompting me to sigh and decide to put this off until later.
"Doors open, come on in."
With a soft click the handle turns...allowing two ethereally beautiful creatures to walk inside.
They're pristine in the way a China plate is and at least half as durable looking. Seriously, a strong breeze could probably knock these two out.
The male has features that wouldn't look out of place on a woman's face, billowing white robes hiding his figure from view and a look of undisguised amicability present.
The woman...well personally I'd say her chest crosses the line from 'bountiful' to 'that is actually kinda a turn off' but that's just me. Whereas her male counterpart displays nothing but peacefulness and goodwill, she's practically leaking childish enthusiasm and friendliness.
These two must be Angels.
I motion to a pair of nearby chairs and politely offer, "Don't stand up on my account, have a seat."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
The male's voice matches his looks perfectly, a mixture of soft baritones that seem custom designed to set people at ease.
The smile is, to use a rather horrible bit of wordplay, Angelic.
"Perhaps I should introduce us. My name is Michael and, for the time being, I represent Heaven among all of the various factions in the world. This is my Sister, Gabriel, who assists me in my duties."
The woman gives a cheerful wave that causes undulations to her tits that I would normally associate with slapped piles of jello.
How does that even-oh forget it.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you two. Now can I ask why you're here? I'm getting the impression that we've made waves around these parts and that's making me nervous."
It actually isn't, but whatever. Causing chaos goes with the job.
The man nods in acceptance of those words and replies, "You needn't worry about such things, Mr. Horatius. If nothing else, I can assure you Heaven-"
"Wants something from me, obviously."
The two Angels blink in tandem.
"I beg your pardon?"
I resist the urge to smirk.
"You want something from me. I can see it in raw hope you're carrying around like an awkward suitcase. You can get right to the point now, I prefer directness over talking someone's ears blue, if I can get away with it."
Both beings stare blankly at me for a moment before Micahel forms a lightly amused smile.
"I think you and Azazel would get along splendidly, he also has little love for long winded talks..."
"Having never met this 'Azazel' I have no way of knowing if that's a compliment or not. Your request?"
Michael casts a brief glance at the seated Ouroboros before locking his suddenly apprehensive gaze on my own.
"The universe you hail from...I would like to know if we may appropriate a God from it."
…
…
My palm meets my face.
"Ita me di juvent..."
I'm one L away from making all the meta in this chapter into metal.
Haha, wordplay!
But yah, ground was covered today. Horatius and co were introduced to the members of the ORC (and lousy first impressions were made. Don't believe everything you read on the internet!), Issei's crotch was threatened, Scathach and Gilgamesh aren't all buddy-buddy with each other, Ophis has taken a liking to Altera, some flashbacks to when Altera and Horatius first met Scathach and Michael is trying to recruit another God into taking over his job.
WHEW.
Ordinarily I would have more to say at the end of a chapter...but I'm pretty sleepy right now so I'll just leave a few clarifications and call it a chapter.
The reference to Amalgam Phantasms and Integrated Magics are things I came up with and they'll be showcased in later chapters. Let's just say decades is a pretty long time to mess around with and experiment with Noble Phantasms...and these puppies are the result of that.
Well, on that note review time!
KadoyaOkami: As insane as this sounds (even to me, and I'm the psychopath that came up with it in the first place) Irappu/Horatius are going to have a far more destructive showdown with a foe near the end of the story that makes the Lilith fight look like a playground scuffle. That'll be a right mess.
In Brightest Day: Yeah, did the ten rolls. Seeing as how it 'ups' the chances of getting something good I went with that and was summarily disappointed XD
Regale Rhythm: On the plus side (if you want to call it that) at least her NP would be super powerful.
...
Except as a berserker with no inclination towards art cards I rarely ever had her alive long enough to take advantage of that...
Anyway as strange as this may sound I actually struggle with writing in the 3rd person (although I started a different story awhile back to help practice that) and didn't want to screw around with different styles of writing that I wasn't comfortable with at the time.
AceBlazer007 - Harudere: The salt was so strong in me that I took to the internet to complain and have a minor tantrum. Pure iodine coursed through my veins that day XD
FateBurn: Tiamat flashbacks are coming soon (well maybe not THAT soon, if my current pace of one chapter a month holds steady XD) and her and Horatius' interactions play a big part in the way the finale I have planned meshes out.
prototype gear: I feel like most Nasuverse powers can be considered bullshit (I read some of the wiki articles on F/GO Beasts and other things and was laughing at how absurd some of the stuff was) but, like you, that's what makes me love it.
And I feel like Fate is pretty up front about being crazy and knowing that full well. I mean, one of the first fights in the VN and anime consists of Saber avoiding a causality altering attack because she's LUCKY.
That's D&D cheese factor to the max and it's amazing.
BeguilingLight: Yeah, it's a pain trying to draw any definite conclusions when practically every iteration of the franchise has it's own rules and interpretations...but for me the scary thing about Heroic Spirits wasn't ever that they can go around breaking the sound barrier or any of that other crazy-loco stuff...it was the fact that they could comprehend moving and fighting at those speeds. The average speed for an MLB fastball is something like 91 mph, a little bit more than HALF of my assumed speed of a Heroic Spirit.
I dunno if you've ever felt a fastball whizzing past you at those speeds but DAMN it is quick. Something moving roughly twice as fast, with incredible strength, martial skill, speed of reflexes and all sort of other Supernatural powers...well, 170 mph suddenly sounds a whole lot more terrifying.
My assumed take on it, granted...but I'm trying to balance both what the anime shows and what the VN's say is happening XD
Warlord of Chaos: Yeah, that makes two of us excited for Tiamat :D
I dunno why there aren't more fics (at least that I could find) with her as a focus, or at least as a strong supporting character. While from what I understand from F/GO doesn't exactly give her more personality other than, 'force of nature', the backstory to her character always intrigued me. More on that on the horizon :D
Kinunatsz the Eternal: :_(
PikaMew1288: I dunno, the specifics of Enkidu always confused the Hell out of me, mostly because Heracles COULD break out of them. As a Demigod they wouldn't be able to bring their FULL restraining power...but wouldn't a full God be more powerful than Heracles anyway, and be capable of breaking free?
Bleh, at a certain point I just throw my hands in the air and roll my lucky 8-ball, see what it has to say. Also hopefully this chapter covered your second question :D
Temsen: Azazel is many things, and has a great deal more things...
Self-preservation instincts ain't one of them, lol.
ObsidianUnknown66: Well Issei already almost had his sack destroyed by a pissed Gilgamesh...so the only way from here on out is up, right?
...
Nah, of course he's gonna hit on anything with boobs!
Again, thanks to all the reviews and follows and faves and other f-words, see y'all next chapter!
Also Douchepitt is my original creation, no stealies.