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
Deep within a mountainous area outside a certain Japanese city, a big and complex residence lay hidden within trees and several barriers that prevented many from entering the premises.
The Clan Himejima called this place their home and major base of operation. A place where most of the family live, grow up, and are trained in the arts of Shinto exorcists. Many would never leave this place throughout their whole lives except for those working as exorcists or those that get expelled due to different reasons.
Nobody on the outside could ever hope to learn what was happening on the inside and even those that ever got to exit the complex alive knew better than opening their mouths.
It was truly a place filled with mysteries that anyone with curiosity would like to explore if given the chance but our story is bringing us to this place, not for its mysteries but instead for a family problem that had been sparking the flames of anger between two sides.
One of those sides was led by an old man. A man with defined values and expectations. A man that put the tasks of the clan and their holy connection to the Shinto gods above anything else.
Suou Himejima was a middle-aged man who is entering his later years. His long black hair was mostly white now and his well-defined muscular body was close to completely losing its former strength. During his youth, he was known as one of the best exorcists around the world due to the blessings he received from the Shinto Gods.
He was the leader of the clan for obvious reasons but that didn't mean that all of his actions throughout the years were justified.
"We are the servants of the Shinto gods."
"We are the agents that will protect humanity. The chosen ones."
"If you can't follow the rules, the path of the Shinto Exorcist, and traditions of the clan then you are not necessary."
His principles were simple and unrealistic but he made sure that everyone followed them or paid the price.
Not being able to use the techniques of the clan or not being blessed by the Shinto Gods, usually got someone expelled.
Not following the traditions, orders, or rules will get someone killed.
Being blessed by something that wasn't part of the Shinto faction usually meant being seen as an enemy of the clan. There was no place for anyone of mixed blood or those that held the power of a different pantheon.
Those same ideals bring us to this night without the light of the moon.
Lowest level within the Himejima Residence.
The older members of the clan wait in silence as their leader meditates in front of the altar they created for their gods.
Suou's orders were the law of the clan and they needed to be followed by all members but that didn't mean that they didn't have some problems from time to time.
"21 years ago, Tobio Ikuse was born as the grandson of Ageha, my older sister. I allowed him to live for a few years but after learning about his sacred gear I gave the order to kill him. None of you were able to eliminate him and now we find ourselves with an impure child with the blood of a fallen angel. Tell me, how long do I need to wait until both of those children are eliminated?" Suou asks the rest of his followers.
All of the followers lower their heads to the floor. "Forgive us, head exorcist." The other members of the clan plead for Suou's forgiveness.
"You want to apologize? I have been hearing the same thing for far too long. Do any of you ever think about what our gods are saying about this? Those children might become enemies to Lord Susanoo and our faction one day in the future. Tobio Ikuse possesses a sacred gear, a Longinus. Are you forgetting what a Longinus is capable of?" Suou turns around to look at his followers. "He is a menace to our gods. The child of Shuri is also a possible menace. The blood of a fallen angel runs through her veins. Each one of those children is a menace to our gods. We can't allow them to exist in this world."
"We know, head exorcist. We have put a price on the heads of both children and even the mother of the girl but they have been protected by Grigori. Tobio has become a formidable opponent after so many years and the girl and her mother are also being protected by the Enforcer of the Alliance. Kuoh town is his territory and he makes it impossible for any group to get their hands on the target. Our exorcists have been unable to kill them." Admits one of older exorcists.
"So what? Are you telling me that we should let them go? Can't you see the problem? One day those two will become enemies for our gods. We need to eliminate them now. We can't have any rebel elements that are associated with us. We have been blessed by the Shinto Gods with the power of the Vermilion Bird. We are the ones chosen by the Shinto Gods. We can't fail them." Suou raises his arms to the ceiling and the symbols that have been tattooed into his arms begin to glow.
Flames start to appear around him before they begin to take shape. The massive sacred beast, Vermilion Bird appears behind him.
The bird flaps its wings while the rest of the exorcists keep their heads down.
"Us who have been blessed with this power should be the perfect servants of the gods. No impurities, no mixed blood, no other factions interfering with our sacred duty. We are the Himejima clan and any opposition to the clan's values and rules should be eliminated." Suou claims.
"Yes, head exorcist!" The rest of the room claims.
They needed to take care of this problem but what they didn't expect was that the same problem was coming to knock on their door.
First, they felt the massive presence of an enemy, next they heard the howl of a hound and finally, they heard the alarms going off.
"The child has come. Tobio Ikuse has come!"Suou screams before getting ready for the inevitable fight.
Outside of the Himejima Residence.
The guards of the residence watched as fallen angels, devils, and angels started to surround the whole mountain.
"Set up the barrier and keep them inside!" Says Uriel as he orders his troops.
The angels start to use their powers to break the barriers that have been set up by the exorcists before setting their own barrier to trap them inside the mountain.
"We're going in. Knock them out and make sure to keep the casualties to zero. We're only here for the heads of the clan." Serafall says as she descends alongside her troops.
"You heard the lady. The old heads are ours. Focus on knocking everyone else out." Baraqiel says while descending into the battlefield with Issei, Tobio, Lavinia, and Akeno.
The troops start to move after hearing their orders while leaving the generals and strongest members behind.
It doesn't take long for the first fights to take place around the whole residence.
"I've been waiting for this chance for far too long," Tobio says while cracking his knuckles. Jin, a small black pup who's sitting on his shoulder starts to bark. "Yes, Jin. Is time for us to take care of the old man."
"Tobi, keep your anger under control. There's no need for bloodshed if we can come to a peaceful solution. Remember that." Lavinia says while descending next to him.
"I know, Lavi but in case he throws the first punch I won't hold back," Tobio says with a smile.
"Not if I get to him first," Issei says. The Welsh dragon was already wearing his armor while he descended alongside the rest of the group.
"That makes three of us." Baraqiel joins the conversation. "He had the guts of putting a price on my family's life and there's no way I could ever forgive him." The rage was visible in his eyes but he tried to keep it under control for the sake of Akeno.
Akeno's eyes began to look around. She could see many exorcists fighting against the troops of the alliance.
"Kill them all!" The exorcists screamed as they tried to push back.
The troops of the alliance used their strength and powers to take care of the exorcists with ease. Binding them with magic, freezing them, knocking them out by pure raw strength, invading their minds and putting them to sleep, etc. Many methods were at the disposal of the alliance and they were using them to their advantage.
It didn't matter how many spells or tools the exorcists had at the moment. It didn't matter if they had a few spells that were effective against devils. The alliance had the numbers and the methods to counter all of the arsenals of the Himejima clan. It was a one-sided fight and they should have realized as soon as they saw their barriers being taken down with ease.
"Akeno, let's go. We need to take care of this as fast as possible." Baraqiel said while offering his hand to Akeno.
The girl grabs the hand of her father. "Yes, it is time to end this."
Issei looked at this and smiled. "Serafall take care of the troops. Once you are done, come and meet us. Let's hope that Ajuka and Tiamat don't take too long." Issei says before starting to walk alongside the others.
"Be careful!" Serafall replies before going back to the troops.
Our group advances through the residence with minimal opposition.
"Stop them!" Some exorcists screamed while trying to stop Issei and the group.
"Leave it to me," Lavinia says before she uses her sacred gear.
A 3-meter tall, ice doll that resembles a bride begins to rise from the ground. The temperature begins to drop due to its presence and the clouds around the mountain begin to get affected by the presence of the doll.
"Freeze them," Lavinia orders her doll.
The doll obeys the orders and starts to use its power to trap every exorcist in their path. Blocks of ice are left around their path as the group continues to approach their target.
A tower stood out in the distance as the most distinctive and protected area of the whole residence. The stairs leading to it were packed with guards which told the group everything they needed to know.
"The path is clear for us. The old heads are in that direction. Can we be sure that he is going to show himself?" Lavinia asks the rest of the group.
"He will," Tobio says. "This is his home and there's no way for him to run. He has no other way out."
"Then let's get this done," Issei screams before advancing towards the stairs. His fists were enough to take care of all the obstacles in his path.
Back with Suou and the old heads of the clan.
They felt the massive power that was approaching their location. The whole area was shaking due to the fights taking place.
"We need to reach the surface. We can't allow our clan to be destroyed by Tobio and his allies." Suou said as he made his way up the stairs.
"Sir, this is suicide. We know that something else is alongside him. That power isn't the one that a human can possess. That power belongs to a monster." Says one of his followers.
"So what? Are you going to back down now?" Suou turns around and faces the rest of the old heads. "If any of you tries to back away from this confrontation I will kill you with my own hands. As the servants of the Shinto gods, we won't show weakness. We won't betray their expectations!"
His eyes were burning with the determination that no other clan member could ever hope to match. He lived to follow the path of a Shinto exorcist. That same determination is what made him the leader of the clan and what had kept him in that position for so long.
A truly unbreakable will that few humans could ever match.
The other members shake their heads as a way of preventing their own deaths.
"Good. Let's continue then." Suou continued to lead the group to the surface.
The higher they got, the more they could hear the fights taking place around the whole complex. They lack any information about the state of their clan members but they had hope in their skills.
They believed in the strength of humans but the reality is often disappointing.
By the time they had reached the first floor of the tower, their bodies began to shake due to the lower temperature around the area. They also felt the strong presence of their adversary more clearly than before after reaching the first floor.
Some wanted to go back but none dared to back down after listening to Suou's words.
"Where are the guards?" Suou began to look around the floor but he found not even a single guard around.
The howl of the same hound told him everything he needed to know at that point.
"They are outside. Let's go." Suou began to approach the doors. His hands felt the cold doorknobs. "This kind of power? He brought the witch with him but this presence can't be hers or Tobio's." His eyes found the answers he was looking for as soon as he exited the tower with the rest of the old heads.
The area was filled with unconscious bodies of guards. Some were trapped within cages of ice while others laid broken within the floor. His eyes notice the six enemies behind the destruction of his guards.
"You finally show your face, head of the clan Himejima." A single boy wearing crimson armor sat on top of one of the ice cages. There was no helmet covering his face and this allowed him to identify the person behind the strong presence.
"You are the Welsh Dragon. Those eyes, the eyes of a monster amongst the monster. You had the guts of stealing the face of the child that used to own that body. You're truly a monster." Suou says after seeing Issei's eyes.
Issei doesn't look amused but decides to ignore the comment. "Let's get to the point, old man. You and your whole clan have been pushing the boundaries for far too long. You put a price on the heads of Akeno Himejima, Shuri Himejima, and Tobio Ikuse. Agents of your faction have been attacking members of the alliance for several years and now we have reached the limit of our patience. You have two options, old man. You can accept our conditions which include the elimination of any price tags on our members and a complete cease of fire between the alliance and the Himejima clan. Your second option is dying by our hands alongside every single one of those old heads. We can continue our discussion with the next head after your deaths." The boy points his finger towards them.
The heads of the clan felt the killing instinct of each of their enemies.
Suou went silent for a few moments before his mouth twisted into a grin.
Baraqiel's point of view.
He heard him laughing. He heard every single word that came out of Issei's mouth and yet he began to laugh.
"He won't back down. Peace was never an option when it came to him." Baraqiel's eyes turn towards his daughter. "Keep your eyes open Akeno. This is going to be a lesson for the future." Baraqiel cracks his neck. "There are many kinds of beings around the realms. Some are reasonable, others are far too gone to be reasoned with. Sometimes peace is unattainable until you beat your adversaries."
Baraqiel begins to walk to the front of the group. His power begins to be released. Holy lighting starts to cover his whole body.
Issei jumps to the floor before his helmet reforms. "The idiocy of some humans never ceases to amaze me." The boy joins Baraqiel. "Let's end this fast."
Tobio sighs before joining his fellow allies. "Lavi, take care of Akeno-chan."
Jin growls before joining his partner. The small pup begins to change form until it becomes a large dog that is holding a blade in its mouth.
Tobio begins to chant before he gets covered by his shadow before he transforms into a humanoid black beast with six tails that combine into one. His mouth is wide and filled with rows of sharp teeth.
Akeno's point of view.
Akeno is surprised by the trio. "Is this what being strong means?" The girl feels how Lavinia picks her up in her arms.
"We need to back away just a bit, Akeno-chan. Is time for them to go all out." Lavinia uses her powers and all the unconscious guards are dragged out the way by multiple dolls that are under the control of Lavinia. "Up we go." Lavinia uses her magic to levitate alongside Akeno and the main doll.
"I have wings," Akeno claims.
"Trust me Akeno-chan. You're much safer if you stay in my arms. This is a fight to the death and everything can happen." Lavinia says before focusing her eyes on her allies. "Be careful Tobi. We don't know the full extent of the Vermilion Bird's power."
Back on the battlefield.
The tension was at its highest point. Each of the exorcists was able to tell that their adversaries were far from easy opponents.
Baraqiel, the former Lighting of the Bible God. A veteran of the war between pantheons and one of the hands of Azazel.
Tobio Ikuse, the Slash Dog. Owner of Canis Lykaon and one of the strongest humans. Known as one of the strongest agents of Grigori who was no longer a teenager but an adult.
And finally, The Welsh Dragon who was free from his restraints within the Booster Gear. The Enforcer of the Alliance who was gaining the fame of one of the most dangerous beings in all of the realms.
All of them together meant total annihilation but the will of humans was a double edge blade.
Every single one of the exorcists began to summon their weapons and to chant their spells. The blessings of the Shinto Gods were with all of them and they knew that fighting was the only path left for each of them. 22 old exorcists with decades of experience under their belts were about to face the biggest challenge of their lives alongside their leader.
Suou stops laughing and starts to chant several incantations in a matter of milliseconds. "On this night all of you will die by our hands."
Several Shinto seals begin to appear around the whole dome. Each seal targets the trio.
*Rock Kingdom by Man with a mission*
"Try your best old man!" Issei screams before both sides clash.
Uriel's point of view.
Uriel watched in amazement as the fight between the old heads and his allies began to take place.
"The blessing of the Shinto Gods is no laughing matter. The question is how far can just such a blessing take a small group of humans? Strengthen the dome. We're about to see how far humans can go for the sake of their misguided goals." Uriel orders the rest of his troops.
Each angel increases the amount of energy they are putting to create the dome. As soon as they do this they begin to feel the vibrations of the explosions taking place inside the dome.
"Allow me to see the limits of a Shinto Exorcist, Suou Himejima." Uriel thinks while watching the fight taking place.
Inside the battle.
Tobio was forced to evade another beam of light that was shot from the many Shinto seals that surrounded the dome. Each seal was like an eye that keeps shooting beams of light at them.
The speed of each attack was insane and their strength was dangerous even for him but he had the advantage when it came to speed.
His speed was far beyond that of any human being. He was a hound and he had the objective of killing all of those that had tried to eliminate him for years.
Tobio creates a scythe out of the shadows covering his body before he uses his incredible speed to take the head of one of the exorcists. The head of the exorcist flies into the air before being caught by one of the many smaller shadow hounds that began to come out of Tobio's shadow. "Devour all of them. Leave nothing for the worms."
"Bastard!" Screams another exorcist before trying to crush Tobio with his hammer.
Before he can connect with his target, Jin jumps out Tobio's back and uses the blade on its mouth to cut the exorcist into thousands of pieces.
"Keep moving Jin. There are some targets left." Tobio says before he disappears once more alongside his pack.
The next targets only saw the red eyes of the hounds before being devoured by them.
While this was happening, Baraqiel used his holy lighting to take care of many of the Shinto seals. Some seals tried to shoot him down but his lighting blocked all of the attacks. "The blessing of the Shinto gods might be useful against other beings but is useless against me."
"Baraqiel!" A group of 3 exorcists tries to cut him down with their naginatas.
Baraqiel uses his left arm to block all of the blades. "Your blessed weapons are never going to cut me down." Baraqiel uses his right arms to break the weapons with ease before taking the broken pieces and using them to stab the exorcists. "Let see how you like my lighting!" Baraqiel releases some of his power around himself and all of those exorcists that found themselves close to the area get electrocuted by thousands of bolts.
Their bodies are fried and fall to the floor one after the other. Each one was left dead on the spot.
The remaining exorcists shake in fear at the sight of so many of their fellow exorcists dead.
Baraqiel turns his sights towards Suou. "Come to me, you old bastard. You tried to kill my wife and child for many years. I held back the anger for a long time due to the possibility of war but now that has changed." Baraqiel's eyes burn with complete rage. "Face the consequences for your acts."
Suou kept a calm face although he had received some damage already. "A fallen angel such as yourself should have never laid his hand on a member of our clan. Your child is a monster and after eliminating you, I'll move to her." Suou points his finger towards Akeno who's watching the whole fight without looking away for a single second. The flames on his hands start to spread out and take the shape of a large Uchiwa fan. "My holy flames will incinerate all of those that oppose the will of the Shinto Gods."
A body is then thrown towards him. Suou lifts the fan before he uses it to incinerate the body until only ashes remain.
"Shinto gods this and holy flame that. Just shut your mouth and face your end." Issei says while breaking the neck of another exorcist. Issei releases the body and starts to approach Suou. "You might not be able to see it but your fellow exorcists are almost all gone by now. You're all alone and it's all your fault. Every single one of their deaths is due to your actions."
Three exorcists tried to stop him.
"Get out of my way." Issei extends his tail. The tail moves with impressive speed and precision which makes it impossible for the exorcists to protect themselves against such a sharp weapon. Their arms are cut off in a matter of seconds.
The three exorcists fall to the floor while screaming in pain before being devoured by Tobio's hounds.
The remaining exorcists left standing are being pushed back very quickly. Their numbers decreased so much in a matter of a few moments. Their fear was noticeable but they weren't going to give up yet. The remaining exorcists turn towards Suou and begin to chant several spells to buff the old man.
The trio watches their actions with no signs of surprise or fear. They only felt anger towards this group of single-minded bastards.
"More boosting? It didn't work with any of you and you think that Suou is going to make a difference?" Issei says.
"They won't back down no matter how bad it looks, Ddraig," Baraqiel says while he eliminates the remaining Shinto seals.
"Allow me to be the one to end your stupid lives. Attack and leave Suou to us!" Tobio orders his hounds to end the job.
The pack of hounds runs towards the remaining exorcists before they begin to devour each one of them.
Yet, even with a pack of hungry hounds that is eating them alive, they keep chanting their spells.
"Avenge us, Suou. Let the divine judgment of the Vermillion Bird be the one to take these three down." The exorcists said with their last breaths.
Suou stays silent for a moment. "I will. With this old body of mine, I will pass judgment on the enemies of our clan." Suou then begins to chant one final spell as his last card. The symbols in his arms begin to spread out around his whole body. His skin begins to glow red while his bones are forced to realign themselves into new positions. "My body is a servant to the gods. My body is a tool for their judgment upon the earth. My soul is theirs to do as they please. Hear my plea Vermillion Bird, use my body as the avatar for your power. Eliminate all of those that go against the will of our gods."
The Vermillion Bird takes shape behind him before it covers his body with its wings. A pillar of flames shoots towards the top of the dome.
In another part of the complex.
A young woman with black hair and red eyes kept her sight focused on the pillar with no signs of fear towards what was about to happen. "This will be your end, old man. Your fears and one-minded ideals have led us to this point. May your soul find peace on the other side."
Alongside her, a small group of younger exorcists awaited the end of the fight while being surrounded by troops of the alliance. They had no weapons on their hands which took the troops by surprise.
"I imagine that you're Suzaku Himejima?" A voice calls out to Suzaku. Serafall makes her way towards the group of Suzaku.
Suzaku turns around. "That is my name. Is a pleasure to meet you, Serafall Leviathan. Has my cousin told you about me and my plans?"
"He has indeed. We are only waiting for Ajuka and Tiamat to get here with her. After that, we can start to discuss the treaty with your clan." Serafall says before turning her sights toward the site of the fight. "The power of the Vermillion Bird, the biggest blessing of the Himejima clan. How long do you think is going to last against my allies?"
"Not that long. Tobio has already passed the power of the blessing. He can defeat him on his own and I doubt that Suou's body is going to be enough to use all of its power. Even with all that, Suou is going to fight back until the very end. The real fight begins now." Suzaku says.
The loud cry of a bird was heard by everyone in the area. The time for the second fight had begun.
Meanwhile, the city of Lilith. Ajuka's office.
Ajuka and Tiamat waited patiently for her arrival. They had been communicating with her for many months while trying to get her to join the alliance.
"Where is she?" Ajuka asks.
"Give it time. We are the ones that need her more than what she needs us after all." Tiamat replies.
Suddenly the lights around the room go out. The air begins to grow colder and harder for weak beings to breathe.
A portal appears inside the room. A scythe exits it before Orcus appears alongside it.
"You're going to own me one for this. Getting her out without being noticed wasn't that easy." Orcus says after exiting the portal. The reapers move away from the portal and allows the other being to exit the portal.
Her hair was brown and long. It started light at the top of her head and grew darker towards the tips. She had a young face but like many other supernatural beings that didn't mean that she was young. Her eyes were dark as night. Her right eye had a golden star while her left one had a golden skull. A dark crown sat on top of her head while a golden necklace hung from her neck with several silver skulls adorning it. She was tall and her body was very appealing but an aura of death surrounded her. Her black dress was long enough to touch the floor. It had many golden drops that made it seem like the night sky.
She was holding a small golden cage in her hand which had a small blue flame inside.
"You have gained my presence, members of the alliance. You asked for my cooperation beyond what I already do for the supernatural beings and their souls. Be ready for the price you're going to need to pay in exchange for my active cooperation. A soul for another soul, one life for another life. He needs to pay for his actions during the war if you truly want me to join your alliance." Her voice was charming but it also had the presence of a ruler.
Tiamat lowers her head as a sign of respect. "We are open to discuss the price for your cooperation, Queen of the Death, Ereshkigal but we need your power at this moment. Please hear our words."
The last surviving member of the Sumerian Pantheon has made her appearance.
*Notes of the author: And here we reach the appearance of one of the first gods joining the alliance. Ereshkigal is the first god that is going to make it into the cast. What is she looking for? Who is the person that needs to pay? We can figure that out in the next chapters.*