I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
The first rays of sunlight began to reach her face through the windows of the living room. She tried to cover her face with her arm but the sunlight became more intense with each second. It didn't help her the fact that her head was pulsating due to the extreme levels of alcohol she had to consume the previous night.
Cleria began to open her eyes and found an unknown ceiling on top of her. Her mind was trying to figure out what had happened and where she was until the memories began to rush in. "… Crap…. What did I just do?"
"Not that much, just drinking," Issei said after hearing her voice from the kitchen.
Cleria lifts herself and began to look around the room.
"Don't worry, we already cleaned the mess," Rael says while she waits for her breakfast. "Want to join us?"
Cleria focuses her eyes on those that were talking to her.
Issei was cooking with the help of Akeno and Yukime while Rael and Ophis waited for the food to be ready.
Cleria grabs her face. Her head hurt like hell. "If you have coffee I will accept that offer." She begins to get up from the couch before she walks towards the kitchen.
"Grab a seat and give me a second. Akeno, take care of the eggs for me. Yukime, take care of the rest." Issei says.
"Got it." The pair replies before taking over.
"So how do you like it? Black, with milk or not too much sugar?" Issei asks while getting a mug.
"Milk, two spoons of sugar. One question, are Fridays always like that around here? I don't remember the last time I drank that much." Cleria admitted.
"Depends on the atmosphere and situation. The house is always going from one extreme to the other. One day is peaceful while the other one can be filled with bottles of alcohol and soda cans. We tried to keep those kinds of celebrations for the weekends since the kids have school during the week." Rael explains with a smile. "Just don't follow Tia's drinking pattern and you're going to be fine."
"Here is your coffee," Issei says while placing a mug in front of her. "Let me know what you think."
Cleria grabs the mug and the scent of the hot coffee invades her nostrils. "It has been quite a while since I got to drink some." Cleria takes a sip. A smile forms on her face after tasting the greatest creation of humans. "It's almost perfect."
"I'll try to do it better next time. Now, just give us a few moments before breakfast is ready." Issei turns around and goes back to the stove.
Cleria continues to drink her coffee in peace before she puts it down. "Welsh Dragon, I never expected for your group to be so… unique. You're a dragon that lives with the Ouroboros dragon, a pair of dhampirs, a fallen angel, a stray devil, a seraph, a human, two dragons other than yourself and you also have visitors from Grigori and other factions. How do you do it?"
"How do I do what? Getting visitors? Or the members of my group?" Issei asks.
"Both." Cleria replies.
"If I tell you the truth, I don't know. I have just been following my own path and things just came together as they moved along. Akeno is a friend of the kids and she comes to play or study with them regularly. Vali is also their friend and her parents allowed her to come to the human world if I make sure she is safe. The members of the Four Great Satans come and go from our home since the alliance was formed to discuss things such as missions or other problems. The angels and Grigori do the same. Yukime is just Yukime and she comes whenever she pleases even if we tell her to stop." Issei says before turning toward the frozen beauty.
Yukime was humming in a happy tone while taking care of her part of the breakfast.
"What about the members of your group? There are many different individuals in it." Cleria continues.
"My group is mostly due to the events I got myself involved with. Call it destiny or just a coincidence but each member joined due to different reasons. Each one has a story and might tell them to you one day in the future. Now, keep drinking your coffee and wait for breakfast. You need to get ready." Issei says.
"Get ready for what?" Cleria asks.
"You don't remember? You said you were going to visit his tomb today. You even asked me and Rael to follow you to make sure you don't back away." Issei replies before turning around. "Masaomi Yaegaki, you said that you needed to pay a visit to his tomb."
Cleria grows pale after hearing this. Her mind focuses and tries to recall all the events that happened yesterday, especially those during the night.
Flashback.
The whole mansion seemed so strange to her. After being away from this place for so long she couldn't remember most of the mansion's layout.
"Ms. Cleria. Please keep following me. Your cousin is waiting for you." A buttle said as he led the way for her.
"Right.. sorry. It's just trying to remember my time in this place and my memories seem to try to stay hidden from me." Cleria admitted .
"It's understandable Ms. Cleria. Lord Belial has made many changes to the house since he took the seat as head of the family. He made sure to eliminate many of the things that the former lord and lady had around the house. Maybe you're trying to find the old portraits that used to hang on the walls but sadly those are long gone. Lord Belial didn't want any of them." The butler explains.
"…. I understand." Cleria says in a low tone. She puts her hand over her new arm and the memories of that horrible night come back to her. Even if the previous lord and lady were dead, the memories were still fresh on her mind.
The scars of the past will never truly disappear.
"Here we are, Ms. Cleria. Just go through those doors and you will find your cousin in the garden. Let me know if you need something else from me."
"Thank you." Cleria smiles for the buttle before he departs.
After a few moments, Cleria is left all alone in front of the doors. Her hands reach for the handles while trembling.
"Come on, Cleria. Deep breaths. Diehauser has been waiting patiently for you. Don't fuck it up." Cleria opens the door before her eyes are blinded for a second.
In front of her, a bulky white-haired lord was sitting down on the floor while playing with two small babies. The babies were completely focused on their father while he tried to make them laugh.
"Dianne, Mathias, please smile for daddy?" Diehauser says while holding a few toys in his hands.
His wives continued to laugh while watching the whole scene from a small table that was holding many desserts.
"Diehauser?" Cleria is astonished by his actions.
Diehauser raises his head after hearing her voice. His eyes begin to get watery after seeing her. "Cleria!" Diehauser screams her name with joy. "Come here!"
The babies seemed surprised by the display of emotion that their father was showing. They turn around and focus their eyes on the person behind their father's emotional outburst.
A few moments after.
Cleria found herself holding Mathias while Diehauser was holding Dianne in his arms. They were walking through the gardens while discussing a few things. Mathias keeps patting her chest with an angry face after noticing the slightly bigger size that she had when compared to his mother's breasts.
"Diehauser, I think he doesn't like me? He seems to dislike my breasts. Maybe mine are too small for his taste." Cleria jokes.
"No is not that," Diehauser says before his eyes turn towards his wives. They both had normal breast size but Mathia's mom was a bit smaller. "Maybe my son is a small-size lover?" Diehauser ponders about the future of his boy. "He is a mama's boy who loves his mom very much."
"Momma's boy,'' you said. I will remember that once he grows up. Teasing him is going to be really enjoyable." Cleria tries to pinch one of Mathias's cheeks but the boy opens his mouth and tries to bite her fingers off. "He is going to be a rough one. Let's hope that he doesn't give you too many headaches."
"Mathias? I'm more worried about Dianne." Diehauser looks at the baby in his arms. Dianne was drinking a bottle of milk. "This one gives me the aura of a troublemaker. I hope that no man tries to get too close to her or they're going to have a hard time with her. She has broken many toys and I have to practically have a maid in her room during the whole night to make sure she doesn't get out of her crib. She is going to be my little rebel devil." Diehauser shows a calm smile after saying this.
Cleria sees this and feels happy for him. "Fatherhood seems perfect for you. At least we know that one of us can continue the bloodline."
"Cleria, you still have a chance. He might be dead but I know that you will find another man that can fill that spot. Life for us devils is long and you can't waste this second chance. Try again. I accept your decision to go back to the human world but I want you to find happiness as well. I want you to be able to form your own family one day. This is a joy that all devils should feel and you're not the exception. You're my sister and now that you're back I want to see you smile once more. You deserved to be happy, Cleria." Diehauser says.
Flashback ends.
She remembers his words and what she did after that. She had come back to the human world shortly after buying everything she needed and found herself drawn into Tiamat's drinking games.
Alcohol can make you say things you want to keep quiet and Cleria was the perfect example of that. Telling everyone about your deepest secrets is a common occurrence when drinking large amounts of alcohol.
"You don't-" Cleria was stopped by Issei.
"Ms. Cleria Belial, you asked us for help and we're going to give it to you." Issei points a knife towards her. "You won't back away because I won't let you. He was your lover and he deserves that you pay at least a visit to his tomb. Those alive should pay their respects to the dead regardless of whether you're a devil or human or any other thing. Do you understand?"
Cleria feels the determination behind his words. Her body shakes in fear before him. She gulps and slowly nods. "I understand. Can you lower the knife?"
Issei lowers the knife before smiling. "Good now, drink your coffee before it gets cold."
Cleria nods and grabs her mug. "He is scary!"
Rael smiles while watching the whole interaction. "He might look like a child but he is far from that."
"Issei I'm done with the eggs," Akeno says. "That's the man of the house for you. What he says goes."
"I'm also done with the bacon and the rest." Yukime joins in. "Cleria Belial, I might need to research her as well."
Just another morning for the chaos residency.
After breakfast.
Yukime, Akeno, Rael, and Cleria were following Issei as they walked through the streets of the town to reach the cemetery. They were bringing flowers for the deceased in their hands.
Cleria's eyes moved from one side to the other as she took in all the changes that had taken place since the time of her disappearance.
"The town feels different than what it used to. It feels calmer than before." Cleria says.
"That's what happens when all sides can come to an agreement. Devils no longer need to fight against angels or fallen angels which allows this peace to exist." Rael says.
"It's also because two dragons are living here. Darling's and Tiamat's presence scares humans even if they don't realize it. They just need to release a tiny amount of their powers for humans to realize that there's something much stronger than themselves." Yukime says.
"I haven't done anything to the humans in the town. I doubt that my presence or that of Tiamat is helping at all." Issei claims.
"It does. I did some research around the town. The legend of the monsters that lived in the luxurious tower is well-known. Nobody tries to approach the residence because they feel the presence of strong beings inside it. Do you really think that living in the chaos residence wasn't going to attract a few glances?" Yukime asks.
"I'm more amazed at the fact that you were able to gain all that information instead of the so-called legends and rumors," Issei replies.
"We are talking about Yukime-san. She's your stalker after all." Akeno says as a joke. She saw Yukime as a friend and they were used to joking around with Yukime's affection towards Issei being like that of a stalker.
But Issei and Rael knew that this was the truth. Yukime was able to hide most of her antics in front of the children of the house but the adults knew that it was just a mask that she used to hide and get close to everyone. A true stalker knew how to play the game and win at it.
The group continues to chat for a few more minutes until they reach the cemetery.
"His tomb is this way. When he was killed by his fellow exorcists, his former leader decided to bury his ashes in this place as a sign of respect." Rael explains while she floats in front of the rest.
"… Respect you said? I doubt it." Cleria says. Her legs stop moving as the moment gets closer.
Cleria feels the hand of Issei on her back. "Come on. Don't back away now. You need to do this and we're here to make sure you do what you're supposed to. He deserves this."
Cleria raises her head and takes the first step.
The rest of the group follows after her in silence. This was something personal for her after all.
It doesn't take long for the group to reach the tombstone.
"Here lies Masaomi Yaegaki. A protector of humanity and good friend."
Cleria reads the scripture before she turns her sight towards Rael. "Are you the one that cleans the tombstone?"
Rael shakes her head. "There's a service that is paid by the taxes of the town. They come and take care of the tombstones on a regular schedule."
Cleria turns back to the tombstone before she approaches it. Her hand touches the cold stone. A feeling of sadness starts to invade her. The flowers in her other hand fall to the floor. "Masaomi, my love. Our fate was so cruel. If only we had met at a different time." A few tears start to roll down her eyes. It takes several moments before she talks once more. "Where is he?"
"Cleria… his soul is not in heaven. Not in the purgatory or the other heavenly realms of the other pantheons. The Valkyries took his soul to Asgard. He is most likely another member of the legion of Valhalla. I doubt that his memories exist after being reborn into an Asgardian." Rael explains.
"He is gone forever?" Cleria asks.
"He is. The cycle of death and rebirth eliminates the memories of a previous life or at least that's what happens in Heaven. The process in Asgard keeps the fighting experience of a soul but it eliminates the rest. Odin wants warriors for his legion, no people that want to go back to their former lives." Rael replies with visible regret.
"Why? Why couldn't he go to heaven?" Cleria continues to ask.
"Masaomi wasn't devoid of sins. His hands had taken many lives before and several of those were innocents. Being recruited by Asgard was his only chance at a new life. I'm sorry but this was his fate. Masaomi Yaegaki is no more." Rael says.
Cleria lowers her head before more tears begin to pour down from her eyes.
"Rael take care of her. I need to take care of something." Issei starts to walk away. He knew that only Rael could help Cleria at that moment.
"Wait for us." Akeno goes after him with Yukime.
Rael continues to watch and console Cleria for several minutes until no more tears can come out.
"Why did all of this happen to us?" Cleria stands up while looking at the sky.
"Life is filled with different paths and experiences. Some suffer, others enjoy happiness. Cleria, he might be gone but you're still alive. Don't give up now." Rael offers her hand to her. "Follow me. I want you to see something."
Cleria doubts for a second before she grabs it. Her eyes look back for a second to the tombstone of her lover. "Masaomi…."
The pair walk for a few moments until they reach the place in which Issei is kneeling in front of a tomb. The pair watches as he prays for the deceased alongside Akeno and Yukime.
"He is the Welsh Dragon but he was also a human just like Masaomi. A human child that lost everything in the flames." Rael says. "Look at him and ignore the sharp teeth, the eyes, the tattoos, the power and you will find a child like the rest. But he changed and became what he is today. Instead of giving up, he continues to move forward."
Cleria's eyes are focused on Issei but she is unable to say a word.
"You, me, almost everyone in our world has lost something at least once and it hurts. The scars remain no matter how much time passes but we shouldn't give up. Cleria, Masaomi is gone but that doesn't mean you have to live in the past. Remember him and appreciate the memories you got to have with him but you need to continue to walk the path ahead of you. I believe that he wanted that for you." Rael turns her face to her and smiles.
Cleria saw the smile of Rael and she couldn't look away or ignore her friendliness. "Can I really move on from you Masaomi?"
Only the future will tell if that was possible.
Several moments afterward.
The group moved on after paying their respect to the dead. Their next stop was Akeno's home, which wasn't that close to the Chaos residence.
The group continues to chat with each other until the stronger members of the small group felt the presence of at least 7 mysterious beings.
"Issei?" Akeno calls out to him after noticing how his smile turns into a serious face.
"Akeno stay close to Rael and Cleria. Yukime, get ready. Cleria don't move away from Rael. Rael, do it now." Issei says as he starts to release his bloodlust. His extra pair of arms appear and get closer to Akeno.
"Understood," Yukime says in a cold tone. The frozen beauty starts to release her power.
"What's happening?" Cleria asks.
"Cleria, the town is usually peaceful but once in a while, someone will disturb that peace. Stray devils trying to escape punishment for their actions and rebels are some of those enemies. Then there are a few agents from other factions who make their way into the town. Exorcists are usually the most common ones." Rael says before she snaps her fingers.
A barrier is deployed around the area which separates the real world from the space in which Issei and the rest find themselves. It was an exact copy of the real world.
"Come out you idiots. We already noticed your presence." Issei says before he summons Ascalon. "You have only one chance of getting out of here alive."
The separate space was silent for several moments until seven figures appeared on top of the building around the group. They were humans who were wearing uniforms of different Shinto groups.
"Shinto exorcists. They never learn." Yukime says.
"Dragon, give us that child. We have no quarrels with you. We only want her." Says one of the exorcists. He points his staff towards Akeno.
Akeno's face turns angrier after hearing them. "Why can't you leave me alone? I haven't done anything to you. I even moved away from my hometown. Why must you continue to chase after me and my family?"
"The Himejima clan put a prize on your mother's head and yours as well. The price continues to rise and there's no way in which we can ignore such a prize. Sorry girl but money talks in this world." Says another one of the exorcists.
"Those bastards. They won't stop even after so many deaths." Akeno looks at her pursuers. "How many more need to die until you understand that you won't get what you want? Are you forgetting how many other exorcists have died before you?"
"Child, we won't fail like them. We are the best group from Kyoto and we won't fail like the rest." Says the leader of the group.
"That makes 21," Issei says.
"What?" Asks the leader.
"21 times. The times that I have heard the same speech from every single one of you stupid Shinto exorcists. Winter, spring, summer, autumn; no matter the season or the day you keep appearing like flies. I still find it amazing that after so many tries you haven't realized it." His eyes turn angrier and sharper. His hair starts to glow and get hot like lava. "I'm the Welsh Dragon and none of you are ever going to get your hands on Akeno Himejima or the rest of her family. You can walk away or face certain death in this place. Choose your fate."
Cleria watches this with amazement. "His appearance and tone are not those of a child. His aura is too strong. Is this the same child that went to war with Ajuka-sama and the rest of the alliance?" Her hands are shaking and her legs almost give up.
"Issei." Akeno watches as Issei prepares to fight off her pursuers once more. This wasn't the first time she had seen what he is capable of.
For the past year and six months, Issei had come to protect her and her mother alongside other fallen angels. Each time a new group of exorcists would come and try to take her life. Each time everyone would die at the hands of Issei.
Her legs gave up during the first of those events and she was unable to move but after so many attempts she had gotten used to what she was about to feel and see.
One of the exorcists approaches the ear of the boss of the group. "Boss, I don't think he is joking. Nobody has come out alive from a fight with him. That girl with the veil might also be a descendant of the 'White Death.' We might die if we go against them."
"I don't fear any supernatural being. I'm a human that is never going to back down when challenged by the supernatural." The boss raises his staff and starts to chant one of his spells.
The rest of the exorcists do the same.
"A barrier and several destructive spells. You really are a bunch of idiots." Yukime extends her arms before they are covered by ice claws. "Darling it's time for them to die."
"Send all of them to the afterlife," Issei says before he jumps into action alongside Yukime.
"You can't get through our barrier." Claims the boss of the exorcists.
"Idiots." Yukime thinks before she sees how Issei cuts the barrier with one single slash.
"All of you are going to pay the biggest price of all!" The dragon screams before starting the execution.
Rael, Cleria and Akeno watch as the Welsh Dragon and the frozen beauty get to work. The screams of the exorcists are heard by the group. The exorcists try to fight back but it is practically impossible for any of them to match their adversary's strength. The blood splashes the area and before long everything grows silent once more.
Yukime's clothes are left clean while Issei's are completely covered in blood. His face shows anger and disgust for those that keep trying to gain a fortune by killing a child that hasn't done anything against the Himejima clan.
Akeno's eyes can't look away from him. "How many more times are you going to protect me?"
Issei turns his eyes towards Akeno. "I'm tired of all of this. She doesn't deserve any of this." The boy puts his sword away before he cleans his face. "Akeno, get ready. We're going to end this today."
Akeno's eyes grow wide. "Do you mean that?"
"We're going straight into the Himejima's clan home. Rael, call the rest of the alliance. I'm going to take care of this with or without their approval."
Cleria grows pale after hearing his words. "He has gone insane!"
Yukime smiles. "That's the determination that I like to see in you."
Rael sighs. "Give me a few minutes."
Sometimes peace is only obtained after beating some sense into the minds of your enemies.
*Notes of the author: And we are back to action. The Himejima clan has pushed their luck to the limit and now they find themselves at the possible end of their whole clan. Can they survive an angry dragon? Is the alliance going to interfere? Can the Vermillion bird do something against the Welsh dragon? Wait for the next chapters. *