Hahaha! Morning everyone, here's the new chapter of TDoI (this acronym is missing a t but it felt awkward adding it now). Apologies for the slight delay, had to deal with a few things regarding this chapter. I've also been spending some time doing research to improve my writing skillz. I've realized that I completely suck at describing things like objects and places so I'm trying my best to remedy that. I also had to reread some of the DxD novesl to make sure details are consistent with canon.
Chapter notes at the bottom, please take the time to read them.
Side note: This chapter is a bit more serious in comparison to the others... there's actually no comedy in this one. Explanations at the bottom
Review responses:
First of all, thank you for all those that had taken the time to review. Your thoughts and inputs are greatly appreciated. It's nice to know that you enjoy the omakes and like the characterization of my version of Ophis.
Guest: Literal answer- I wrote it XD. If you were asking its source of inspiration then it was inspired by a certain review.
The Fairy King: F/SN was what showed me exactly how awesome a fight scene can be without any real animation. Anyway, as for F/HA, yes it is a direct sequel of F/SN, however due to the nature of the story, the route it had followed is never made apparent. I played the Japanese version some time ago (though my Japanese very limited) so can;t tell you much about it.
Unseen Lurker: *Widens eyes in realization* *shakes head and formulates and excuse* W-Well, I would like to make use of Hyouri-san a bit more so I would set up a few more complicated situations in the future before the big reveal.
Karlos1234ify: Ophis dreams serve both as a premonition and reflection of her current state of mind. That's probably all i can say to that question.
WarriorMan199456: Thank you for taking the time to review this fic, I am a fan of your work. Though due to the lack of internet connection at home, I am unable to read fanfics regularly so I'll probably wait a few more chapters before putting in a review. On a side note, your update rate is insane! That is awesome :D
Disclaimer: Do I profit from this? Heavens no! I swear to the Oppai God that I only do this for fun
Ready... Aim... Fire!
===The Dream of the Infinite===
She was aware of it now but that didn't make it feel any better.
"AHAHAHAHAHAH! Come on now dragon god! Is this really all you can manage?!"
The man kept taunting her. His face was obscured and was difficult to see. The only things she could make out were his bloodshot eyes and manic grin.
"So where is all that power you are known for?! Don't you want to protect this boy from me?!"
The man kept taunting has he kept a firm grip on Ise's neck as he swung him around like a doll. She could only helplessly look at the horribly injured Ise as she stood frozen in place.
"What's wrong huh?! Can't move? AHAHAHAHAHAHA! ARE YOU FROZEN IN FEAR OF ME?!"
She wanted to speak but not even her lips could move. It was as if countless unbreakable threads were wrapped around her body, tying her down to the ground. She felt extremely weak.
"Well seeing as you don't seem to care for this boy… then I'll just do what I want with him!"
The man raised his empty hand and brought to one Ise's arm. He then tightened his grip on both the neck and the arm.
He then pulled them apart with barely any effort. The arm separated from the body with a sickening sound.
"HAHAHAHAHA! To think that humans are so damn fragile! Hey look, his arm barely even offered any resistance! It felt like ripping paper in two!"
The man threw away the arm and placed his hand on the skin of Ise's thigh.
"Now I wonder… will it be difficult to rip off this boy's skin?"
…
…
…
She opened her eyes and sat up suddenly from her position. She was a bit stiff and she was taking quick, short breaths. Images of a bloody Ise flashing through her mind as he was being literally torn apart by a man whose face she couldn't see.
[Another nightmare Ophis?]
A roar made her come back to her senses. Composing herself she responded with a small nod. Despite the fact that the red dragon should not have been able to see such a response, it still somehow knew she nodded.
[That makes four days straight… It had grown in frequency even more]
She let out a small sigh. The nightmares had only come once in a while but as time passed it had come to her more frequently. Now she had one every time she attempted to sleep. The nightmares made her weary.
Great Red did have the ability to regulate her dreams so that she would not experience any nightmares but she had prevented the red dragon from doing so, stating that she had wanted to see if she could make out any details from the nightmare.
She sat in seiza on top of Great Red's head and took a few deep breaths. She found that doing this had helped her calm down more quickly. Great Red waited patiently for her to respond.
After a few more minutes, she replied.
"… The dreams have indeed become more frequent to a troubling extent… I can only guess that…"
[It would mean that whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen soon]
"Yes... and it troubles me to no end"
Both of them had already agreed that the nightmares serve as a warning of some sort. An omen that foretold the events that may happen in the near future. Though it may have once been waived off as a result of incessant worrying, the frequency and consistency of the nightmares couldn't simply be ignored.
[At the very least you know that something will occur. We can at least prepare to a certain extent]
"Despite knowing that something will happen we have no knowledge what it is. Preparing for every possibility is… impossible"
It was left unsaid that neither of them had any experience with dealing with such things. They were already powerful at the time of their birth. They had simply ignored everything that would cause them any problems and everything else ignored them in kind in fear of being eliminated.
'It is indeed difficult… dealing with such a foreign situation… I can only wonder what difficulty the others had faced when presented with such things'
[What of your nightmares? Any clues we can get from them?]
"There's a possibility… However the only thing I can understand even after seeing it several times is that Ise's death will be involved and that a man will be the perpetrator"
[…Far too vague. Though I've seen some of your dreams as well… I can't get any concrete details either]
What she saw in her dreams were better left unsaid so knew Great Red had deliberately glossed over it quickly. Seeing Ise horribly injured or in great amount of pain made her suffer greatly and though the red dragon was not as close to the boy, it too was not willing to witness such horrifying imagery of a boy it was fond of.
"The problem remains. My vessel may possess some power… however its combat ability is low."
[Are you able to switch places at will?]
"… It is possible but would take too much time. During a crisis, it would not suffice"
[…and you can't just go there in your actual body because you'll draw more attention. So how do you want to deal with this?]
The vessel she created was utilized in order to avoid unnecessary attention from other forces since doing so would put Ise in danger. The vessel she created was actually a fragment of her actual body, designed to be a completely perfect copy of herself. The only difference with the vessel and her main body was the level of power and the presence of her consciousness.
"…"
She closed her eyes and contemplated. Leaving the dimensional gap and going to Ise's side was not an option. She would surely attract unnecessary attention and may even worsen the situation. Every faction would surely notice her arrival so she needed to find a way to be able to access her power quickly without fail in case of an emergency.
'There are many things to consider. Far too many things…'
She tried to think of the variables involved and possible actions that she could take and the consequences they may have. She tried to think what the others would do if they were faced with the same situation.
She reviewed all her options. Starting with the most obvious and often repeated one.
'Leaving the dimensional gap in my main body to guard Ise is still an option… however there are far too many negative aspects to such a plan'
Drawing attention to Ise may possibly increase the level of danger and number of enemies. Many would take interest in a human being that dragon god would willingly guard and protect. Some would take it Ise as her weakness and make use of him to gain control of her.
There was no way she would ever allow Ise to be put into such a situation or anyone else related to him. Her beliefs and principles were instilled by Ise and everyone else; she had no intention of betraying them.
'It may also make the enemy more cautious… they may withdraw and make more preparations. I only know of a few but there are methods that could be used to supress me…'
Giving an enemy time to make proper preparations would make matters worse. Despite her power, there are still ways to restrict her, a fact proven by the Khaos Brigade's hero faction. Samael would probably be at the top of the list of things that could be used against her but she had no doubt that a competent enemy may find other means.
'However, compared to that time, there should be no other capable of recognizing me from physical appearance... The only way for them to learn my identity is through sensing my power'
Both Great Red and herself were classified as true shape shifters. Their appearances could easily be altered at will without effort hence their appearance would not contribute to the recognition of their identity.
'The fallen angel governor Azazel had once given me aid in entering town without being detected by having me use some type of device… however such a thing is beyond my reach right now'
Even if she were to supress her power, power on such a scale even if suppressed or masked would still be easily detected and recognized by any astute and competent enemy. If the enemy they were facing was not even capable of recognizing her from that then they would truly pose no danger for them of for Ise.
'However in the case that our enemy is indeed at that level of competence, the best course of action would be… to defeat the enemy without making my identity known... Hence if the only clue to my identity is my power then I must simply make sure that I do not display such a high level of power'
She came to conclusion. She knew the fact that she was thinking far too simplistic and that she was not able to consider many other factors and variables; however this is what she could conclude from her observations.
'… It would mean I must simply reduce my level of power'
Doing such a thing was not difficult. She possessed various ways to do so; one of said ways had been utilized when Samael had held her in its grasp to suck her power.
"… I may have a solution although it would surely prove to be a dangerous one…"
She at the very least knew the consequences that such a plan may have. Even so she would prefer to use it.
[We don't have much of a choice. It would cause more trouble if I were the one to protect the boy. Like you my power is far too large and noticeable. Not to mention I cannot simply leave the dimensional gap. Let's hear it]
She took in Great Red's words. She had considered pointing out what the red dragon had just stated but decided against it. It was both inappropriate for the current discussion and detrimental to her intentions.
'It has begun… Ise's conquest of Great Red... it will progress further as long as I do not interfere… '
She let out small smile but immediately shifted her face blank facade. She knew Great Red could still see her despite not looking at her so it was better to be sure. She shook her head a bit and continued the discussion.
"I… can disperse my power and allow it to take the form of snakes. I can hide them in places I can easily access if I need to"
[Similar to that dream you had that involved that wretched Samael? Though it might be a good idea, it will leave you vulnerable]
It was indeed the same thing she had done with Samael. In order to avoid getting the majority of her power stolen away by the dragon eater Samael, she had quickly dispersed her power, making it take the form of snakes and hiding it nearby.
"It will… but at the very least I will be able to respond to danger more quickly and at the same time not allow anyone to discover my identity… The latter is crucial to protect and preserve the current life of Ise and his family. Besides, you will be here to protect my main body. That will be your duty"
'Yes… be it Ise's physical body, his mind or his current state of life. I will protect it all without fail. I will not allow him to be in pain or sadness'
The red dragon did not respond but Ophis took it as an agreement to her plan. Silence from Great red essentially equated to agreement.
[…Why does this have to be so complicated? Plans, strategies and tactics, we had never needed such things…]
"That is because we only ever needed to fend of threats against ourselves. The threat we must deal with now is targeting Ise. Careless actions will only make matters worse for him and those around him. I cannot allow that"
They were beings whose powers were unequalled. There wasn't really anything that could pose a threat to them. Those that were actually stupid enough to try were easily eliminated. This time however, they were protecting someone and that was a completely different thing entirely.
Protecting someone took far more than just carelessly using one's power to eliminate the opponent.
[Hmph… I'm surprised you were able to come up with this in the first place]
"… I am not well versed in such things. No… It would be better to say I am no better than a beginner. I myself recognize that my way of thinking is crude and unrefined. Strategy and tactics would be better left to the others."
She paused for a moment to recall her family in the other world. Gremory Rias, fallen angel Azazel or pretty much anyone else would have surely been able to propose a better plan to deal with the situation.
"… However they are not here, hence the responsibility falls onto me. I am sure that there are many things I had not been able to consider, and there may be other ways to approach this situation… but for now this is the best I can come up with."
She was sure that if her old family was here she they would be able to point out the many flaws her plan had. In the first place she was simply trying to imitate how the others had formulated one.
[Heh… well I have no qualms with it. Though I still feel it to be unnecessary I see nothing wrong with your plan.]
"Is that so… Then we shall proceed with this"
Despite everything, there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
'Will it be enough? Is my plan too naïve?'
Such thoughts ran through her mind. In truth she still felt that her plan was inadequate. Something was telling her that despite all her efforts that she would still fail.
'No… for now I can simply do what I can to protect Ise'
She proceeded to think over the situation and tried to see if there was any other way to approach it.
[What of the boy? Is his training progressing?]
After a few minutes, Great Red had decided to break the silence. Seeing as she had not come to any other conclusion she decided to respond.
"His training is progressing quite well… He is able to use the boosted gear, however…"
They had recently started training with the Sacred Gear. Though Ise seems to be capable of using its abilities without problem, another matter was of concern.
[So that… Draig was it? So the Welsh Dragon has yet to respond?]
"Yes… I find it strange however it seems he is still sleeping. I do not know what may be the cause"
She had tried various things to stimulate Draig's consciousness awake but to no avail. She felt that it was similar to the situation they had in the past after they had left the dimensional gap.
At that time, Draig had exhausted his power due having dealt with Samael's curse, maintaining Ise's soul inside the scale mail, Ise's revival, and using his power during the battle against Cao Cao. During Draig's slumber, Ise was still able to utilize the main functions of the Booster Gear and was even able to utilize Balance Breaker. The only abilities he was unable to access was his Triaina and True Queen forms.
Dues to this they were fortunately able to continue with Sacred Gear Training, much to Ise's relief.
[Tch… Must be the memory transfer. Unlike myself, that one probably has more to deal with since he had spent far more time with the boy]
It was a possible explanation. Draig had been with Ise from birth and had stayed with him till his death. There was no other existence in that had spent more time with Ise.
"That… is possible, though I feel somewhat skeptical. It feels as though Draig simply didn't want to respond…or maybe he was simply unable to…"
It was what she felt as she had used her power while in her vessel. It had felt as if Draig himself had refused to respond to her call. The lack of response had greatly worried her as well since she had been able to develop a close relationship with the welsh dragon in their former world.
'Draig and I had become friends… I had looked forward to talking with him again about the past…'
[Maybe I should pay a visit to the Welsh Dragon's consciousness and-]
The sudden pause Great Red made caught Ophis' attention.
[Ophis… You should return to your vessel]
"?"
The statement confused her. She was sure that no danger was present and her vessel, along with Ise should currently be sleeping so she had no idea why there was a need for her to return suddenly.
[The boy needs your presence. His dream has gotten chaotic. A dream like this may damage the boy's mind]
Her eyes widen in realization and she went back to laying down on top of Great Red's head and proceeded to transfer her consciousness.
===The Dream of the Infinite===
It was different. The dreams he had usually seen felt different from what he was seeing now. The battles would bring him excitement and a bit of fear while the depictions of everyday life would bring him happiness and many other wonderful experiences.
This dream in comparison, felt horrible.
He knew he was dreaming. He wanted to wake up but couldn't. He wanted to close his eyes and block his sight but couldn't. He wanted to cover his ears to stop hearing the voices but couldn't.
It was as if he was being forced to experience the dream no matter what.
"Asia? Where did you go? Hey let's go home. We're going home. Tou-san and Kaa-san are waiting. I-If you hide then we won't be able to go home."
It was the voice of the older version of him. The hero he admired, his ideal self, the one who had fought difficult battles and overcame powerful opponents, the one who had saved countless lives and was loved by many. The man he hoped to someday reach was now truly desperate and frightened.
Fear, desperation, self-denial, self-deprecation… He couldn't possibly put such things into words but he had felt them clearly.
'Why? What are these feelings? I-It hurts… It really hurts. S-Stop…. p-please stop…'
He pleaded. He begged. He wanted it to stop. He just wanted to wake up.
"Asia? Let's go home. Now, there is no one here anymore who would bully you Asia. Even if there was, I would beat them up! That's why let's go back. Asia, we still have to do the three-legged race for the sports festival…"
'Asia? T-that's right, Asia-san. S-she had blonde hair and was really kind…. W-what happened to Asia-san? Did something happen to her?'
A nun with blonde hair, one who was kind and gentle. One he saw in his dreams often. She was a girl capable of healing others with her power. She was a girl that was very precious and needed to be protected. He was the one who should be protecting her.
"Buchou, I can't find Asia. Even though we are finally able to go home. We still need to hide under the basement like Sensei told us, but if Asia isn't here…T-Tou-san and Kaa-san said Asia was their daughter. Asia also said Tou-san and Kaa-san were like her real parents as well… She is my…She is our important family…"
'Family? Yes… family. Asia-san is also family like Ophis-chan… She is precious and important…'
He could feel his chest aching and his heart becoming heavy. He could feel the sadness, the grief, the fear that he may never again see someone that was important to him.
"Vulgar reincarnated-devil and that dragon trash. The princess of Gremory seriously has horrible taste indeed. That girl disappeared beyond to the dimensional gap. Her body should have perished by now. –It means, she died."
'…She died? Asia-san… is dead?'
Those words felt like it crushed his chest into pieces. The torrent of emotions that his older self was experiencing was overwhelming him. Every single emotion weighed down on him.
Kill him! Destroy him! Rip him to apart! Tear him limb from limb!
He could hear them. Voices that told him, urged him to go wild.
[The devil over there, Shalba was your name, right? You…]
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! DESTROY HIM! DO NOT ALLOW THAT MAN TO LIVE!
The voices started to grow louder and became more distorted.
[Made the wrong choice]
He could see his older self stand in frozen in place. He could feel the air grow colder and hostile.
'S-Stop... W-what's happening!? I-I don't understand!'
[I, the on to awaken]
Don't stop! Go deeper! You must take your revenge!
He could hear them. The voices. This time more voices had joined in as the chant started. They were filled with fury, rage, despair and resignation.
'N-no… I-I don't… don't do this….'
He pleaded. He begged his older self to stop. He didn't understand but he somehow knew that his older self shouldn't do this or else something bad would happen.
[One of the two dragons who had stolen the principles of domination from God
Don't hesitate! Don't falter! This is the only way! This is the only path to power!
'Stop! Please stop! Don't do it!'
He felt like he was being dragged down. Countless hands were grabbing on to him and started pulling him down. He tried shaking them off, but the hands were far too persistent.
[I laugh at the infinite, I grieve at the dream]
Nothing matters! Nothing must stop you! REJECT EVERYTHING! DESTROY EVERYTHING!
'This… This isn't what a hero should do! So please stop!'
He could feel the strong urge to destroy, to hate, to reject. He was sinking further and further into the abyss. He struggled with every bit of strength he could muster but the hold on him only grew stronger. He felt his strength being sapped away slowly.
[I shall become the red dragon of domination]
Choose it. Fall into darkness and envelop yourself in it. Destruction is the only path! Destroy! Destroy! DESTROY! DESTROY!
'NO! NOOOO!STOOOOOP!'
He could feel the darkness enveloping him. It was thick and dense akin to mud. His body was starting to get progressively heavier every second. He knew he was shouting but he couldn't even hear his own voice.
[JUGGERNAUT DRIVE]
The last image he saw before he was fully engulfed was the older version of himself in a more intimidating, more frightening, more dragon-like armour.
"GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
=={TDoI}==
As she finished transferring her consciousness, she heard a desperate scream.
"GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
She opened her eyes to see Ise hugging his knees. His body was drenched in sweat and he was shaking badly. She thought of what to do for a moment then decided to take action.
'In such a situation… an embrace and words of comfort would be for the best'
She used some power and changed her form. Her small body that reflected that of young child was replaced with an older, more mature form. It was a body she had modelled after Grayfia Lucifugus, the maid of the Gremory household and the wife of Sirzechs Lucifer. It was a form she would use on occasion during training.
'This form should be more adequate…'
"Ise… Everything is fine… you had just been dreaming" She did her best to comfort Ise as she enveloped him in a tight embrace. She gently stroked his hair to calm him down further.
The action was something she could have performed even in her younger form but she often observed that it was the more mature members of the group felt that enacted the gesture and so felt that older body would be more appropriate.
"A-a dream…. right… just… just a dream…"Ise calmed down slightly as Ophis kept on stroking his hair. He adjusted himself into a more comfortable position.
They stayed like that for several minutes until Ise calmed down completely.
'Ise had calmed down… that is a relief. His current state must be addressed however. I am quite sure that staying as he is now may affect his health'
"Ise… you are drenched in sweat…there is a need to change your clothes" Though her knowledge of human health was lacking, she was at least aware that Ise shouldn't be left as he was now. There were many opportunities in the past to observe the others take care of each other. She recognized the need to wipe off the sweat on a sick person's body though she didn't exactly know why.
"Un…." Ise replied with a quiet voice and undressed while on the bed as Ophis went to fetch a towel and a change of clothes. She returned just as Ise had finished undressing and she proceeded to wipe the sweat of his body.
'He seems to still be shaken… Should I ask the contents of his dream or would it be more appropriate not to?'
She pondered on whether she should have Ise talk with her about his dream but decided against it. She wasn't sure if it would make him feel better just talking about it nor was she sure that she could give the appropriate words to comfort him.
'Himejima Akeno had once said to me that careless words may only serve to hurt more. I am not confident that I can comfort him with words properly so it is better to continue what I am doing instead'
She put aside the towel after finishing and helped Ise get dressed. She climbed back into bed with Ise and pulled him back into an embrace. Continuing the head patting session they were having earlier.
"… Ise should continue his sleep" Unlike her who could stay awake for an indefinite amount of time, Ise was human and hence he needed an adequate amount of sleep in order to function properly.
"I… I don't wanna to sleep…" Ise replied weakly. It was apparent to Ophis that he was tired. He had been taxing his body far more during their training so she knew Ise was exhausted and needed rest.
"I… don't wanna see that dream again…" He continued. Hearing those words had gave her a strange feeling.
'…My sleep had also been plagued with nightmares… Yes… though it is an inappropriate thought in this kind of situation, right now I am able to greatly relate to Ise…'
Despite the current situation she couldn't help but feel somewhat satisfied by how she was able to feel that she could properly relate to Ise. Right now they shared the same kind of pain and knowing that fact made her feel like they have connected.
"It is fine, I will protect Ise from the nightmares" She said such words with certainty and the confidence had somehow gotten through Ise. In a few moments, Ise surrendered himself to sleep.
She continued to stroke his head as he slept.
"Pleasant dreams Ise. I will protect you"
===The Dream of the Infinite===
The next day had been a bit more difficult for Ise. He was finished with basic training and was currently training in the use of his Sacred Gear activating it and seeing how far he could boost and how power he could wield at most.
[BOOST!]
A sound could be heard as the first ten seconds upon activation elapsed. He could feel his power double. The boosted gear was capable of doubling the wielders power every ten seconds, a completely absurd ability.
'Ophis-chan said that boosting my power too much might hurt me but I wanna see how far I can get'
One of the few limitations of his sacred gear was the capacity of the owner itself. Though the boosted gear was capable of doubling its wielder's power every ten seconds there was still the fact that far too much power could possibly crush the wielder's body.
He had once attempted to carelessly boost too much causing the boosted gear to [Burst]. The majority of the power he accumulated dispersed into the air and he fainted.
'Ophis-chan scolded me for doing that…'
A scolding from Ophis was essentially her telling him not to do something in a deep and stern tone as she looked emotionlessly at him. It was rather effective.
[BOOST!]
"I wonder where Ophis-chan is…" He wondered as another ten seconds came by. Ophis, who was usually within proximity wherever he was, was currently absent. It was probably the first time he had been separated from her for more than an hour since they met. The only other times she was gone was to make short preparations for her exotic training.
It made him feel pretty lonely. He got so accustomed to her presence that it felt off when she wasn't present.
'I think she said something about hiding snakes… Is it for training?'
Various imagery of being chased, attacked, and eaten by snakes flooded his mind making his face pale for a second. A lot of his exotic training was surviving and fighting against snakes that could only be described as monstrous.
On a side note, despite the abuse he had experienced due to snakes, he had never developed a fear or aversion towards them.
[BOOST!]
'I wonder when Ophis-chan will be back? It feels weird when she isn't here…'
He was reminded of the warmth he felt when Ophis pulled him into an embrace as she comforted him. He had difficulty imagining how horrible it wold have felt if she wasn't there to comfort him.
'… Do I also have to go through that someday?'
Despite his attempts to forget his dream, the images and the emotions he had felt as he viewed it kept coming to his mind. He could still hear the voices that urged him to destroy. He could still feel the heavy weight on his chest as his older self cried for the girl named Asia.
Most of all he could still feel the hands that dragged him down into the darkness as he heard the ominous chant that seemed to be coming out of his older self's mouth.
[BOOST!]
'It… really looked like a monster…'
He shivered involuntarily as he recalled the image of the armour his older self had donned after the chant had ended. It was the last image he had seen before he had woken up. The armour had looked wilder and more dragon-like; it was far more intimidating than anything he had ever seen.
'…and then there was that person…'
Shalba, he recalled. It was what the voice from his older self's sacred gear had called the enemy. He attempted to recall details of the man's face but found it difficult to do so. The faces of the people that appeared in his dream were still slightly obscured and difficult to properly describe.
'…but I can still remember what he feels like'
The mere thought of the man would make him feel angry. He felt a strong urge to punch something every time he even thought of the name.
'Stop… calm down… just focus on training'
[BOOST!]
His fifth boost came and the jewel on his gauntlet slowly turned from green to yellow. A sacred gear responds to its owner's will and emotions and develops accordingly. In Ise's case, the jewel turns bright yellow to indicate that the maximum safest number of boost had been reached while it turned blue when the adequate number of boost to defeat an opponent had been reached.
They were both extremely useful functions especially the latter one as he had a great amount of trouble in the past determining whether he had enough power to beat the occasional giant snake he had to face in training.
Sekiryuutei
A sudden feeling of danger came over him. He became alert and made use of the senses he had sharpened during training. He made no sudden movements and tried to detect any presence nearby and looked around.
'What was that?'
He felt as if he had heard a familiar voice. He couldn't identify where he had heard it before but the feeling it provoked in him was something he had felt recently.
'Eh?... Bees?'
He noticed that the area had bees flying about. It was an unusual sight as there shouldn't be any bees there. He could feel an aversion towards them for some unknown reason. He watched carefully as the number of bees seemed to have increased.
[BOOST!]
He prepared himself for any attack that may come. He was ready to activate his sacred gear to apply the power he had built up.
[EXPLOSION!]
He stopped the power build to stabilize himself. He felt like an attack was coming soon and he didn't want to risk wasting the power he had built up if he was attacked while boosting.
A moment later, his prediction came true. The bees in the area gathered together as it approached him and he prepared to strike.
Suddenly the bees burst into black flames and the flames took a form that felt very familiar to him.
I've found you
The flames disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Ise was left frozen in place trying to comprehend what had just happened. He looked around and tried to detect any presence but failed to find anything.
It was as if what had happened in the past few seconds was nothing more than an illusion.
===The Dream of the Infinite===
"Fu…FUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!"
He laughed like a madman as images of a certain boy flashed in his mind. The boy had short brown hair and light brown eyes. The boy couldn't be more than 8 years old from what he could determine based from the boy's physical appearance.
The most important detail was of course, the red gauntlet he had been using.
"So the boy had already awakened his sacred gear? Heh… It's not like it would matter. Trash will remain trash no matter what happens. In fact it had only made the search that much easier"
The grin he had on his face and the look in his eyes would make anyone who had seen it doubt his sanity.
"Hmmm?"
He stopped himself as a new set of images flooded his mind. He had dispersed most of the bees he had created but he had left some in the vicinity to further observe the boy.
Images of a mature black haired woman with dull grey eyes flashed in his mind. He found a sense of familiarity as he saw the woman and felt that he had seen her somewhere before.
The realization came in after he was reminded of a certain young black haired girl that had appeared in his dream.
Ophis. That name resounded within his mind.
"Hooooh? The form is indeed similar… Could it be?"
The Ouroboros dragon. The dragon god. The one who was the 'infinite' born from 'nothingness' inside the dimensional gap.
"… So the dragon god itself has made an appearance…"
'Far too similar to be a coincidence… both the dragon god and the true dragon are known to be true shape shifters so assuming an older form would be child's play to them'
"Tch… that rotten dragon god must be guarding the Sekiryuutei… Though I can't seem to detect any power from her…"
He considered the implications of his observations. Though the knowledge of the appearance of the dragon god would most likely hamper his attempts on torturing and killing the current Sekiryuutei, there should be a way for him to succeed.
'Now how to proceed? I am not foolish enough to think I would be able to match that dragon god in power… however I have no doubts that my intellect is far superior'
"Shalba-chan~ "
A voice had brought him out of his musings. The door to the room he had been staying had suddenly opened to reveal a man with dark silver hair.
"Uhyahyahyahya! You seem to be busy lately Shalba-chan!"
'Such a foolish way of laughing… Rizevim Lucifer… Why is he here?'
"Oi Shalba-chan, you shouldn't look at me so apprehensively you know~"
The whimsical man gave him a grin. He didn't bother to hide his apprehension but had decided to reply with some respect.
"Rizevim Lucifer, may I ask what you are doing here?"
If Rizevim had noticed the hint of annoyance and irritation in Shalba's voice, he paid it no heed.
"Uhyahyahyahya…. I had just noticed that my junior had been strange lately and had noticed you say some rather interesting words"
'Hmph… So he had been here long enough to hear it. For me to not have detected his presence… How long had he been observing me and since when had he started?'
Rizevim put on a knowing smile as if he was able to read into his thoughts. He scoffs to express his irritation.
"Now… what was this about a dragon god?"
===The Dream of the Infinite===
=={Journey}==
'How much time had passed since he had left?'
She pondered; she hadn't really paid attention to the number of days that had passed. Her perception of time had been skewed. To her it felt like the time was going strangely fast. She wouldn't be surprised if a year had already gone by without her noticing.
'How… empty'
She stared at the sky as if waiting for something to come. She simply stayed completely still in her current position. Her hands were clasped together and were placed on top of her stomach. Anyone who would have seen her would comment that she looked as if she was lying inside a coffin.
'What… is it that I am waiting for?'
Even she didn't know the answer. She had wandered around, travelling from various places across the world with no real destination in mind.
She would go to a certain place, look around and observe the sights and the people that lived there, once she felt that there was nothing else to see, she would leave. Rinse and repeat.
[It had already been two years you know]
A voice had spoken within her mind. It didn't come as a shock to her as she had already grown accustomed to it. It was the voice of her companion.
"It… had been that long Draig?"
She spoke those words with a hint of disbelief.
Her companion was the Welsh Dragon Draig, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, the Red Dragon Emperor. An existence that was confined inside the Longinus called Booster Gear, a sacred gear capable of doubling the power of its wielder every ten seconds.
[It has. It had been that long since you became a wanderer, Ophis]
Draig referred to her name. Truth be told she had not heard her own name for some time. Her companion had only ever spoken to her within the confines of her mind and had no need to refer to her by name.
"I see… it had been that long since Ise…"
She didn't finish her words. It wasn't due to the fact that she did not like talking about 'that' particular topic with her companion; it was simply because she did not like speaking of a certain 'word'.
[Yes… it had been that long since partner had passed on]
The Welsh dragon on the other hand had decided to use a different way saying it. The conversation ended with those words however.
She closed her eyes to contemplate. It had been two years since Ise had passed on. Two years since she had decided to leave her home on a journey with Draig as her companion.
She had no real objective to accomplish, no goal to achieve, not even any destination to reach. She wandered aimlessly, simply allowing the flow of events to guide her to the next place.
"Draig, why did you choose to accompany me?"
She threw a question towards her companion. Strangely enough she had never taken the chance to ask before despite her curiosity. Shortly after Ise had passed on, the Welsh Dragon had requested her to take the Boosted Gear that contained his soul with her.
[Hmmm? Ah, to be honest I decided that on the spur of the moment]
Draig replied honestly. He paused, most likely to consider what to say.
[To put it simply… I wanted partner to be my last wielder]
The word ''partner" was said with a hint of nostalgia and endearment. She listened intently to her companion's words, trying to see and understand their meanings and implications.
[The thought of having someone else wield my power didn't sit quite well with me. There was always a chance that my next host would some petty human who would probably just use me for their own benefit…]
[It is not as if I had not had that type of host before]
'Irritation' and 'exasperation', she noted were present as her companion spoke about another host.
[If it turned out like that then I felt like I my legacy with partner would be tarnished]
A hint 'pride' could be felt as her companion spoke of the word "legacy".
'A new host may use Draig as a tool for performing evil deeds. Draig feels that such a thing would tarnish the name and legacy of the Sekiryuutei that he had built with Ise. Hence he decided to accompany me instead'
She nodded to herself, satisfied that she was able to properly understand her companion's thoughts and feelings though his words. She felt that she had gotten quite skilled in doing so.
[You know… partner also wished for this]
That statement had caught her attention.
'Ise… wished for Draig to accompany me?'
[Partner wanted me to stay with you because he wanted to make sure you had someone to stay with you no matter what]
'I see… even during such a time, he had still been worried about me'
To worry for someone else even on his deathbed, it was certainly something that Ise would do.
'His worries were most likely caused by my actions at the time…'
She thought back on how she acted upon learning that Ise was going to die. She had been confused with the situation neither able nor willing to understand the situation.
'Yes… I was… unable to understand back then…'
Ise died. He was gone. She could not with him anymore. There was nothing that could be done to bring him back.
'No… even now I am unable to understand nor accept it'
There were times when she would call Ise's wanting to obtain his attention. There were times when she would wake up and try to find where Ise was so she could observe what he was doing. There were times when she would feel Ise was calling her name and she would look towards whichever direction she thought the call had come from. There were times when she could feel the warmth of his presence.
Every single time she would pause, remember where she was, and would come to the harsh realization that Ise wasn't there anymore.
Hyoudou Issei was gone and she would never see, hear, or feel him again. She would never feel his hand on her head, never feel the comfort of his lap, and never hear her name being called by his voice.
'It is… painful and heavy…'
She felt like that every time she came to the realization. She knew that Ise was gone but even the smallest things would make her keep hoping that maybe his death wasn't real. She held on to such an unrealistic and flimsy hope.
'Maybe that is what I am waiting for...'
She mused to herself. She must have gone on a journey in order to find any kind of proof that Ise's death was indeed just an illusion.
[Partner's gone Ophis]
Her companion spoke solemnly. Her companion could hear every single thought she had.
She sat up and gripped the hem of her dress.
"I know"
She replied. She had known such thing for a long time. She knew that the proof that she was searching for would never be found.
She knew but never wanted to admit to it.
[Ophis….]
"I know… however…"
Despite that she held on to that small bit of hope. She decided to believe in it despite knowing that nothing would ever come from it.
It was the only thing she could think of doing.
"I… just…want to see Ise again"
That was the only thing she had ever wanted, the only thought that had been going through her mind since Ise's death. No matter how impossible and unreasonable her hopes were, it was the only thing that gave her the chance of seeing Ise again.
Even there was a way she would try it. No matter how small the chances, no matter how much effort it took, no matter what she had to do she would do it. Even if it meant an eternity of suffering, for as long as it brought Ise back, she would do it.
"I want to see Ise again"
She repeated. Her grip on the hem of her dress tightened yet even then her face was noticeably blank.
"I want Ise to pat my head again"
She recalled the feeling of his hand stroking his hair and the smile he would give her.
"I want to sit on Ise's lap again"
She recalled the comfort and security she would feel as she leaned her back on him.
"I want to hear Ise calling my name again"
She recalled the sound of his voice as he would call her name casually.
"I… I want to see Ise"
Her face remained blank and her voice was even but there were tears in her eyes.
For the first time since her birth, for the first time since she had come to existence inside the dimensional gap, she hugged her knees and cried.
She had stayed in such a state, crying as she hugged knees close. Her companion had simply waited, silently offering his sympathies.
"… Ise… has died"
[Yes… he has]
It was painful to say for her. Those words that she had not allowed herself to speak were finally let out. She had never been willing to say it out of fear that it would eliminate any hope she had.
"I… will not see Ise again"
[No… you probably won't]
That one fact hurt more than anything else.
"It is unfair"
[I agree… It's unfair that he was the one to die]
She had only begun to learn, had only begun to understand and experience new things. There were many things she had still wanted to do. Things like going to school, playing with the others, learning many other things, and experiencing various emotions.
Yet now they were meaningless.
"I wanted to do more things with Ise"
[I'm sure partner wanted to do the same]
"… Draig"
[Yes?]
"It has become meaningless"
That's what she honestly felt. Things that had once caught her attention and her curiosity had become uninteresting. Things that she felt were enjoyable to do had become boring. There were still countless things in the world she had yet to do but the thought of wanting to try them had disappeared.
"I had wanted to experience many other things in the past… but now I've lost interest"
[Is that so?]
Only now did she understand the reason. The reason as to why she had enjoyed herself in the past. Why the things she had experience had been meaningful.
"… It was because of Ise. It was because of Ise that I had enjoyed this world. Hence without him it has become uninteresting"
[What… do you plan to do now then?]
The welsh dragon asked with caution. Ise's wish for him to accompany Ophis also carried the meaning of taking care of her and so he was afraid that Ophis might stray.
"I… will find a way to be with Ise"
She declared without hesitation. She stood up and began walking.
[Ophis… that is-]
"There is a way… There must be a way... and I will find it"
Despite Draig's attempt at dissuading her, Ophis remained resolute. Her voice was firm and unyielding so Draig had decided to allow her to continue on her newfound quest.
Afterall, Draig himself wanted to see his partner again.
'It does not matter what must be done… I will succeed regardless'
With that she had set a goal. A goal she would pursue no matter how long it took and no matter how much effort it would take.
There was no stopping a dragon god when she was determined. A fact that many will come to learn in the future.
===The Dream of the Infinite===
A/N: So chapter notes go here.
This chapter marks the start of the climax for this arc.
On of the primary reasons why this chapter got delayed was because I had trouble developing and arranging the sequence of events. I also had to make sure to put the adequate amount of detail in to serve both as foreshadowing and as context for later events. Seriously, this is harder than I thought it was. Props to all the authors out there, this shit is hard to do and all of you are awesome.
In this chapter is the introduction of Rizevim(Who will be playing a major role in this fic) along with the confirmation of Shalba(though I'm pretty sure that was beyond obvious to most of you). I've lost count on how many times I had to rewrite their scene because I had no idea how those two saw each other. I found that it was difficult to write Rizevim the most for some reason.
Another one is the absence of Devil Halcyon days segment. Though originally I had written one and was supposed to be part of this chapter, I decided that it felt inappropriate and that there was a need to maintain a level of tension. Hence I decided to replace it with the newly introduced {Journey} segment.
I originally wanted to show how Ophis had started her quest in reuniting with Ise in another world and the events that occurred during that time in a single chapter. However I felt that giving bits and pieces of those times while we approach the conclusion of this arc would give the current situation and the actions she is taking much more meaningful.
Well anyway, a metaphorical cookie for your thoughts?