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
Story 15: A "Date" in Akibahara.
A group of cosplayers continued to walk through the streets of one most famous spots for otakus around the world. Within the sea of diverse cosplayers, this group was barely noticeable to the eyes of the humans. At least, that's what they wanted to believe.
"Kamen Driver W! Can I take a photo with you?" A lady with a camera asks the cosplayer as she approaches him. "You look so cute."
"... sure." The cosplayer said with some regret in his voice.
"Now, strike a pose for me. Give me a driver kick!" The lady said.
"..." The cosplayer complies as he flips and practices some kicks with the costume of the legendary character.
The other members of his group were cheering him on as their fellow cosplayer did his best to match the character's moves.
"Amazing. Thank you." The camera lady says before she bows and departs.
A magical girl approaches him. Her red costume with angel wings made her look even younger. "Great job, Mr. Kamen Driver W."
"... I feel so ashamed of myself." The cosplayer replies as he thanks the mask that was covering his face.
"Oh, but you look so good in that costume. The scarf, colors, and theme match you. Even the theme of the character fits you. Two heroes combine to make the ultimate warrior.
A girl cosplaying Alice in Wonderland approaches him. "You look cool, my sword."
"...Ophis, you're not helping." The Welsh Dragon then turns his sight to the remaining two members of the small group. Two girls were dressed in a pink magical girl costume with a bow, while the second was dressed in a purple one while holding a pistol replica. Both looked sad after hearing his words. The Welsh Dragon takes a deep breath. "Let's continue, Serafall. Your sister and her queen still have places they want to see."
His words quickly make the girls cheer up.
Serafall smiles as well. "Thanks for joining me. Now let's go! There are many things we need to buy and experience."
She grabs his hand and drags him alongside her while Ophis, Sona, and Tsubaki; who became her queen not long ago.
The dragon tries to remember how did it come to this.
Ten days before.
"Come on. Is going to be fun if you join us." Serafall says while she is kneeling in front of the Welsh Dragon.
They were currently inside their office within the city of Lilith.
"Serafall, you ask us for a so-called date, not for a day out in Akibahara with your sister and her queen."
"But I can't do it alone, and they want to meet the strong and brave Welsh Dragon. You're their idol. They have a lot of your merchandise. Your paper as the Mysterious Crimson Ranger Z was the thing that made them become your fans."
"I don't even know why I agree to that. I'm not a superhero."
"But you totally can play that paper. Do you forget how popular the special episodes we made before for The Great Satan Rangers were? Everybody loved the Mysterious Crimson Ranger Z, the warrior from a parallel dimension that had been looking for a way back home. We even made the story connect with the Dimensional Azure Ranger X specials. It was a total hit with fans."
"That was a one-time thing that Tia made me agree to join. I'm not doing it again."
"You enjoy it, so don't lie. You got the moves, and your performance was on point. We didn't even write that many lines for you, yet you made an amazing performance. The children love you. Your merchandise has sold out like hot bread. Everyone asks to see you and Tia in a special episode together." Serafall stands up and approaches the dragon. Her eyes are shining with excitement. "We can ignore that special episode for now, but I hope you can do this for me. Sona and her queen don't ask for many things, but this is the one thing they ask me. Meeting their idol, "The dragon that fights for the alliance and brings justice to evil," is their dream. Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"..." The dragon stayed silent as he tried to ignore her pleas.
Serafall continued to plea and asked for this favor for what seemed forever.
The Welsh Dragon wanted nothing to do with it; he couldn't understand why his image was so important within the alliance, the adults knew who he was and what he did, but it seemed that the Four Great Satans and Azazel wanted to clean his image even if it just a bit. Tiamat had also approved of it for some unknown reason. Thus, he became a slightly famous actor known amongst the younger populations of Lilith and Grigori.
He heard that members of the reformed church and Tannin's descendants had also gotten their hands on the DVDs. His popularity as a children's hero in almost every part of the alliance had expanded. He disliked it; he was horrified by it. Children looking up to him as some hero was the most horrible development he could ever hope for, yet everyone seemed happy with it.
"Come on dear, you can still be the big bad enforcer, but at least children won't run away from you in fear." -Tiamat.
"Welsh-sama, this is a good development. If the children of Grigori see you in brighter light, the parents will accept you more." -Raynare.
"Ddraig, think about it. In the future, children will see you as a sign of justice, not as the dragon that killed many beings." -Gabriel.
"Shinning through the sky, beating evil guys, is him, the mysterious crimson ranger z! The hero that defeats evil!" -Azazel (One of the masterminds behind the whole thing.)
"... give up, Ddraig. She will make you join in willingly or against your own will. Serafall has a way of making everyone go alongside her plans. Even Grayfia was forced to join the Great Satan Rangers. Just let her have this one." -Sirzechs.
His allies' voices were repeating in his mind as he listened to Serafall's pleads. Her eyes were like those of a puppy. She knew what she was doing, and he was giving in.
"Issei, what should we do?"
"... I don't know. We did promise to go with Serafall on a "date." She likely wants to make her sister and her queen happy."
"Sure, but us cosplaying? One thing is acting; another is going around the human world in a full costume."
"A small price to pay. Hey, we can likely drag Ophis alongside us in this one. She'll likely enjoy Akibahara."
"True, but-"
"We can get to choose the cosplay."
"... We're going to regret this."
"We might. So what should we choose for it?"
"We need to think about it and let her know. She's the one that is going to make the costumes, after all."
The dragon sights. "Serafall, as long as we get to choose the costume and can bring Ophis alongside us…. We'll accept."
Serafall stops for a second. Her eyes quickly burst into tears of joy. "Thank you!" She hugs him. "You don't know how much I appreciate this. Sona and Tsubaki will love to meet you."
Present day.
"Lord Welsh, we're so happy to meet you. Thanks for accepting this. Tsubaki and I are fans of your work as the mysterious crimson ranger z and as the enforcer of the alliance. Thank you for your hard work." Sona said as she bowed to him. Her pink outfit was pretty detailed and seemed to be carefully sewn from scratch by the hands of someone with a lot of experience.
"We were patiently waiting for this occasion. We could hardly sleep while thinking about today." Tsubaki joins her king as she bows. Her outfit was just as detailed as Sona's.
The Welsh Dragon scratches his head, which is kept secret by the dual-color helmet of the costume. "It was nothing, and you don't need to praise me that much. I'm not a hero, so don't see me as one."
"But you are one. You fought in the one-night war with my sister and protected us from the royal faction. Thanks to you, our family is mostly saved from their influence. Their plans to have other devils and me married off to one of their members have been crushed to dust. I can't thank you enough." Sona said in a severe tone.
The Welsh Dragon saw the relived on her face. "She's like Rias." The dragon couldn't help but feel happy about his actions. "Children shouldn't be forced into things like these."
"See, you have been an unexpected force of change." Serafall places her hand on his right shoulder. "What do you think about the costumes? I worked hard on them."
The dragon looks around and pays closer attention to each one of them. From the magical girl costumes that Sona and Tsubaki had to the Alice in Wonderland that Ophis was wearing, even his costume was done with care and close attention. Each one was carefully sewn to match their bodies. "The costumes are perfect. Sona and Tsubaki looked really cute. And Ophis." The Welsh Dragon turns to the Ouroboros dragon.
Ophis focused her eyes on the diverse restaurants and food places around them. Her hunger increased as she imagined how many things she could taste today.
"She also looks adorable. You look amazing in yours, but we should move on and get something for Ophis. We have a long day ahead of us. Should we go?" The Welsh Dragon turned to Sona and Tsubaki.
"Yes." The girls replied before discussing what they were hoping to buy amongst themselves.
"Alright, let us go." Serafall takes the lead and thus begins the day for them. She tried to hide her smile after hearing his words of praise.
The group went to many shops and bought as much as they could bring with them. Ophis wasted no time eating everything from Ice Cream, Crepes, and more. Her so-called sword also carried many bags filled with her purchases. Her treasure grew each day as her sword and protector helped her to explore her tastes, emotions, and more.
Now they found themselves in a clothes store. Serafall and the Welsh dragon sat in one of the store's empty seats while they watched the girls looking for clothes that matched their taste.
"Ophis-sama, this dress skirt will match your eyes," Sona said as she grabbed a skirt for Ophis.
"These shoes will be perfect for you as well," Tsubaki said as she grabbed a new pair of shoes.
Ophis looks back at her "sword." She was looking for some sign about what she should do as she didn't know how to interact with these girls.
"Go ahead and try some of them. You'll be in good hands, so trust them."
Ophis takes a few seconds before she nods and follows the girls walking deeper into the store.
Sona and Tsubaki didn't seem scared about Ophis's identity as the Ouroboros dragon, which was great as they approached the girl with no hidden intentions. The Welsh dragon couldn't thank them enough for being willing to interact with her.
The Welsh Dragon sighs in relief before he removes the helmet and seems happy about Ophis's actions.
"You act like a parent with her."
"Me? Ophis? Impossible. I want her to enjoy herself and explore her emotions. She's a child who has yet to experience everything out there. I want her to get out of her shell and make connections slowly. I want to make her dreams into a reality."
"That's so cute." Serafall smiles at him. "You truly care about her."
"I care for those close to me, and I want everyone to smile and enjoy anything they want to do."
The pair feel at ease with each other. After many months of working together, the dragon and the young devil trusted each other as allies. The fact that neither had hidden intentions made it even easier for them to form a connection.
"Are you enjoying your time with us? I'm sorry that this is not the conventional expectation when thinking about a date."
The dragon smirks. "This is indeed far from what a date should be, Serafall. I didn't expect this when I promised to go out on a date. I'm still unsure if you like me or if this is a joke, but I am enjoying my time."
Serafall giggles. "Oh, you silly dragon, I do like you. Don't even doubt my feelings for a second. Not many men can be considered this cute and mature. You haven't looked at me with perverted eyes, not even once, and that's a lot. I also felt you would accept my shenanigans without calling me childish."
"Your cosplaying past time or the fact that you have manipulated everyone into creating the most famous TV show in all of Underworld?"
"All of it and the Great Satan Rangers is just one of my many creations. I wanted to bring some joy to the devils, and the creation of TV shows, movies, and more have been some of my best work. I never got the chance to enjoy some free time back in the day or even a time to enjoy myself. I had dreams about being able to study in the human world and enjoying a normal youth once, yet I had to work hard to become a strong devil that was capable of inheriting my father's place as the head of the family. Before Sona, I had many pretenders, and all of them wanted me for their interest; everyone wanted my family's power, and I had to kill many of them to protect myself."
"The times before the civil war. I hear that all of you had to endure many things due to the Old Satans. It must have been hell for all of you. The old pillars and the second generation weren't anything like the current devils. Those were real monsters, and I feel that it was for the best when many of them died. They would never approve the current status of their faction."
"Yes, they would have cut our heads off if they saw the three factions working together. Back then, when Sirzechs proposed the idea of freeing ourselves from the old satans and their ideologies, I joined him alongside Ajuka and the rest without any doubts in my soul. I was tired of their games and manipulation. I was determined to free myself from them. I wasn't going to be a pawn anymore, and I made sure to kill as many of them as possible. I fought with these hands and helped create a society where Sona won't have to deal with the same things I did."
"You fought hard for the current status quo amongst devils, and I respect that. One must fight for what one believes in; I remember telling Sirzechs the same thing when we met back then for the first time. Sadly, my current self wasn't present back then. I would have loved to punch a few of them myself. Now, after all that, what do you want to do? Besides being a satan ranger and a leader of the devils. Is there something else that you haven't done yet?"
"Maybe," Serafall replies in a teasing tone.
"Can you tell me?" The curiosity of a dragon was similar to that of a cat. His eyes couldn't look away from her as he wanted to see every one of her reactions and movements.
"Do you want to know?"
"I do."
Serafall turns to him and giggles at his serious face.
"... I want someone that is not just strong to protect my back but also able to go along with my antics. I'm looking for someone who will support and truly love me—a man with no desire for my title as Lady Leviathan. Someone my sister can be proud of and even call an older brother later. Someone that I can trust with my life and the task of raising a family with me. I want something that is going to last for eternity."
Her tone was serious, and yet the dragon didn't back away. She wanted the complete package, and he couldn't deny that she had won that right.
"Am I that guy? You know what I am and what to expect. There's no prince dress in white when it comes to me."
Serafall laughs. "I do, and I also know that you're serious about any woman that catches your eye." She stretches her hand before playing with his hair. "It is still early on to decide if you're the one. My sister idolizes you and respects you. She has a good sense of judging people, even at a young age. I find you cute and trust you as an ally, but it's still early for us to take this to a new stage. I know you're not one to rush, which is to my liking. I want to know more about the current Welsh Dragon; what are your dreams? What are your hopes for the future? What do you want to do besides fighting? There's still a lot that I don't know."
The dragon closes his eyes and rests his head against the wall. "If that is what you want, stay around long enough, and all of my secrets will be yours to know. There's not much to learn about me, so keep your expectations low. I like to know more about you; trust me, I won't call you childish. Also, please don't force me to join more of your shows. I'm not an actor."
"Can't promise that."
"Serafall." The dragon opens his eyes.
"Come on, you're perfect for it, and I enjoy seeing you acting."
"I don't. I'm not the hero kids think I am."
"Nor am I, but a bit of fantasy can bring some joy to those that need it."
"..." The dragon stayed silent about the theme as he didn't know what to do about it.
"By the way, do you want to go to a concert with me? It is three weeks after today."
"A concert? Who's the singer?"
Serafall points her finger toward a poster on the store's walls. "Miya Sakamoto."
"Her? She's a singer and songwriter known around the world. Isn't this one her last concert? How did you get the tickets?"
"She's part of my peerage. I have reincarnated many artists over the years, and Miya has been one of my best, but she has finally reached the end of her carrier. She's ready to start a new path."
"New path?"
"Yes. After so long, Miya's ready to end her career and settle down. I'm going to exchange her with another peerage. The king of that peerage has been a big fan of hers since her beginnings. The guy has asked her to marry him for years, and she finally said yes. Miya asked me to let her go, and I couldn't stop her. Her career as a singer ends, but her life as a bride is only about to start."
"And you want me to accompany you?"
"Yes. You like Miya's music, don't you?"
"I do own a few of her albums."
"I need someone to accompany me. A girl shouldn't go to a concert by herself."
"... Is this a date invitation?"
"Only if you want to see it that way." The young devil smiles as she grabs his hand. "Will you join me on another date, Welsh Dragon? This one would be only us two, I promise."
"Maybe."
"Say yes."
"Why?"
"Because I want you to go with me."
Their eyes ignored anything else besides the person before them. The atmosphere was in the right place. They got closer as intertwined fingers. They ignored the few humans passing by and focused only on each other.
"Nee-san, are you going to kiss him?" A voice called out to her.
Serafall quickly turned and saw the girls looking at them.
"Is she another member of your harem, my sword?" Ophis asks.
The Welsh Dragon and Serafall blush as the girls await some answers. Both look at each other for a second before the Welsh dragon quickly puts his helmet back on to hide his face.
"Is time to go. I'll pay for the clothes, so let's go."
The girls watched in amusement as the dragon grabbed the bags and walked toward the register.
"Nee-san?" Sona turns to her sister.
"Nothing happened. Let's go." She was still blushing. As she got up and walked after the dragon, the girls looked at each other and stayed silent.
"I'm close to becoming an aunt!" Sona tried to hide her excitement.
"My king, you might get a nephew soon." Tsubaki tried her hardest to keep her joy under wraps.
"Another bride? Ddraig, are you trying to catch up to Tannin?" Ophis couldn't understand why children were so important. The concept of family was still evading her.
30 minutes afterward.
The group had settled for a steak house as the place where to end their day. The food was tasty, and everyone had a great time, but one member was patiently waiting for a particular moment.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Serafall said.
"I have to go as well," Ophis said as she put her drink down.
"I'll join you two." Tsubaki lied as she had found the perfect moment for her king to make her move.
Sona silently thanked her for her actions.
As the three girls departed, Sona kept her eyes on them until they were gone before turning her sight back to the Welsh Dragon. "Lord Welsh."
Her tone was serious.
"You don't have to use those honorifics, you know."
Sona shakes her head. "Is the best for now. I have certain questions, and I hope you can answer them now while we have the time."
"Oh…. go ahead." The dragon felt that he had no way out.
Sona fixes her glasses and takes a deep breath. "Are your intentions with my sister serious?"
"... Are you really asking me that?"
"I want to hear it from your mouth. Mom and dad said that nee-san never had a boyfriend. She had many pretenders asking for her hand in marriage, but she rejected all of them. Some even tried to capture her like some wild animal after she rejected them; that's what our parents told me. I want you to promise that you will not play with her heart."
The dragon is surprised by the younger sister's attitude.
"You're very mature for your age, young Sitri heiress."
"I have to be. Nee-san told me that I could relax once in a while, but I'm still the only heiress to the Sitri family, at least until another child is born. I care for her; she's my older sister, yet I want to see her happy. If you're the male she's interested in, at least I want to be sure you won't break her heart."
"Understandable." The dragon takes a deep breath. "I am an adult dragon. I won't lie to you. I can't promise you that she's the only one. I'm practically married to Tiamat, and I have a young fiancee I also hold in my heart. There's also a nekomata that has a crush on me, and a young dragon hybrid is also somewhat interested. Tiamat wasn't joking when she said other women would appear in my life. Harems are the most likely occurrence for us male dragons. It is in our nature, and few of us settle for a single relationship. I'm interested in Serafall; she's cute, a bit manipulative, cheerful, and an amazing leader. I like that that determination of hers when trying to achieve something. The chance of us getting together might be high, but we won't rush into it. I won't play with her heart because once I have my eyes on a girl, I won't let go of her if she accepts me as I am. So when Serafall and I seal the deal, she will be my bride until the end of time. I'll make her happy and have as many children as possible. So rest assured, I'm serious about my relationships. I won't let her go, and that's a fact, not just an empty promise."
The young heiress was left wordless. The determination behind those words, the seriousness on his face, the lack of any signs of lies. Lies could be easily found out for a devil like her, yet she did not see any of that with him. "Are these your real feelings?"
"Yes."
"Could you give me a second?"
"Sure."
"Thanks." Sona turns around and places her hand on her right ear. "Mom, dad, I have confirmed the situation."
The Welsh Dragon is a bit surprised by this. "Her parents are involved in this?"
"Well, devils live for a long time, and the prospect of grandchildren must be a big dream for any parents," Issei says as he thinks about the birth rates amongst the children of Lilith.
"Serafall is 516 right?"
"That's what Sirzechs said. She is two years younger than him and Ayuka."
"They must be dancing right now after hearing that their dreams are a bit closer to reality."
"Hey, we would be happy if Tosca said she had a child with Isaiah in the future."
"Not anytime soon. Tosca has yet to turn 100 years old, and that boy will have to wait at least that long."
"You think they'll wait that long for that? Our daughter is bound to tie the knot around the age of 20. We know she won't allow any other female to get close to him."
"Not our cute child. Issei is our firstborn you think we can just let her become a bride that easily. I'm not ready for that."
"Neither am I, but we have to think about it."
"Lord Welsh?"
"Sorry, young Sitri, I was talking to myself."
"Right, you do have two souls. Well, thanks for waiting; my parents approve of the relationship. They also asked that you come around to meet them in person to talk about the ceremony as soon as possible."
"Ceremony? That fast?"
"They have been waiting at least five centuries for this. Lord Welsh, you need to understand how excited they were after Nee-san came in one day talking about a male that had captured her interest. They dreamed about this day for quite a long time and dragged me alongside them into the fantasy of seeing Nee-san finally getting married. I have been hoping to meet you, not just because you're the famous enforcer of the alliance or because of your work as the mysterious ranger z but because Nee-san has been speaking about you for the past five months almost every day. You are practically the chosen one in this story."
"Five months?"
"Yes."
"Me?"
"She even made a plushie with your appearance and has it on her bed." Sona pulls out several photos from a small purse she has hidden. "She calls it Welsh-kun, and she is very protective over it. This photo shows her sleeping while holding it in her arms. In this one, she was kissing it. I have videos of her practicing her lines for a so-called date with you. Lord Welsh, my sister, likes you, and I couldn't be happier about it if I tried. The dreams of the cult of SWGMOD (Serafall will get married one day) are much closer than before."
"A cult?"
"Everyone in my family loves Nee-san. From our servants to even our pets. They have formed a cult around her and the idea of my sister getting married since she turned 30. They pray daily to Lilith for a miracle to finally make the dream a reality."
"But why a cult?"
"Why no? Nee-san is the cutest and most beautiful girl in all of our faction. That such an attractive and fantastic devil never found love has been a mistake. My sister would be the most wonderful bride in the Underworld, and I have been dreaming about that ceremony for years. We waited and prayed until you finally appeared. You are our hero, so please take care of my sister, Nii-san." Sona bows her head to him.
"Nii-san?" The Welsh Dragon feels the weight that has been dropped on his shoulders. "What did I get myself into?"
"Sorry that it took so long." The voice of Serafall alerts them to the approaching girl.
Sona composes herself and gives him a small pamphlet before Serafall reaches them.
The dragon reads it. "Join SWGMOD today, our cute Serafall will be the cutest bride of all?"
"Hide it."
The Welsh Dragon quickly puts it in his storage.
"Did we miss something?" Serafall asks.
"We were just talking about your next date with him," Sona says.
Serafall blushes and tries to hide her face. "You can't do that, Sona-chan. That's your sister's private life." Her twin tails moved from side to side as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"I'll admit she is cute, but a cult? Her parents want those grandchildren that badly?"
Meanwhile, in the Sitri Residence.
A large group of devils dressed in tunics continued to bow and pray to a giant statue of their deity.
"Thank you for hearing our prayers, Mother Lilith. Our daughter has finally fallen in love with an amazing male."
"Bless their relationship and bless the children to come from it."
"Bless, Serafall Leviathan, Bless our cutest idol."
The chants continued as the clan felt an indescribable joy.
*Author's notes: I shouldn't write these things under the effects of a sugar rush or so late at night. Well, that's the first chapter and maybe the last that I'll do for Serafall. I wanted to introduce Sona as a side character since the heroine is her sister, but I tried to spin it around, so my mind went wild. With Tiamat, Le Fay, Serafall, Yukime, and Kuroka, the number of confirmed heroines reached five. So we're far from the end with the list of heroines. Many know the names of possible candidates, but many surprises await. Now join SWGMOD and pay tribute to Lilith. Our cutest devil is one step closer to marriage. Next time: A story of two dragons. Ophis gets her chapter as well.*
*Extra: Go back to chapter 1 and read chapter 1 again. I made a few changes here and there. I'll like to know how it feels.*