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 heads of both sides sat in the same room from the day before. Under Yasaka's orders, several maids carefully served tea and snacks for everyone present before they left the room.
Suko, Aku, and the other members of the Kanto Youkai Faction took small sips from their teas before they turned their eyes to those in front of them. From the Welsh Dragon to the seraphs and devils, all their eyes focused on them. There was even a representative of the Japanese government who was keeping quiet and waiting to see everything that would take place.
Suko scratched his head before he started to talk. "Yasaka, first, I want to thank you for the invitation. It has been a while since the two factions came together in such a way."
"Right. I appreciate the fact that you came here in such a short time. But I think that you should apologize to someone before we continue. Our ancestors promised long ago to protect Gaia and fight for her at the sight of any danger, yet your faction didn't hear the call." Yasaka crosses her fingers, and her eyes throw daggers at her fellow Youkai. "Gaia is hearing us as we speak, so go ahead."
Suko gulps and takes a deep breath before he lowers his face to the floor before he does an apology pose (dogeza). "Holy mother that blesses us with land to call home and food to survive. I sincerely apologize from the deepest part of my soul for my actions. At the time, I knew we should have acted, yet I ignored the call because I…. felt afraid of putting my fellow Youkai in danger. As the leader of the Kanto Faction, I have to protect my people, and putting them at risk is something I try to evade. We lacked the resources to face such an enemy at the time."
"So did we, yet we fought," Kunou argues. "Everyone fought, and we survived."
"Kunou, stay quiet; this is the time for Suko to speak. Nobody should interfere." Yasaka says in a cold and severe tone.
"..." Kunou bites her lips in annoyance at this. The girl hated having to keep her true feelings hidden. She was mad at the Kanto faction for their cowardice. "We were the ones that stuck their necks out when it was necessary. They don't deserve to get forgiven that easily."
The others stay silent as Suko continues apologizing to the goddess. The other members of his faction do the same as they plead to Gaia for mercy.
The floor in front of Suko begins to change shape as a figure arises. Gaia's control over alchemy and the composition of the world gets proven unmatched once more as a perfect copy of her real body appears in front of Suko. The goddess caresses the head of the Yokai.
"Suko, it saddens me that you didn't fight for me. Your ancestors promised to fight until their bodies turned to dust if I was ever threatened. It is a significant point of our agreement, and you broke it. Based on your actions, I could easily banish all of you, but I won't, at least not for now. I will ignore this mistake, but our agreement will change based on your choice today. Times are changing, and everyone must make hard choices regardless of race, age, or power. Hiding won't be a viable choice for long. We need all the help we can get." Gaia says.
Suko raises his head. "The beast of the apocalypse? Are you honestly serious about facing such a creature? Many deities fell victim to its power. The same beings that created all of us, and yet the alliance believes that they can face it?" Suko turns to Ddraig and the others.
Sirzechs is the first one to answer his question. "I never saw it with my eyes, yet I read all the information, and those present told me precisely what they saw—a beast the size of a planet with seven heads and ten crowns. Trihexa, the creature that devours all on its path, is capable of high regeneration and copying itself into at least seven copies with the same powers. The beast with attacks that are capable of ripping reality apart. A true menace that makes everyone fear for their souls. Trihexa, the sandman who will offer everyone a dream from which nobody will wake up." His body shakes a bit as he says this, yet he shows complete determination on his face.
The alliance's other members were just as scared of the beast as Sirzechs. Yet not a single one was willing to back away.
"You, all of you, fear it, don't you? So why are all of you so determined to fight it?" Suko questions the alliance.
"Because doing nothing won't change the result. The bible god sealed Trihexa, and it took several gods dying, no millions of souls getting sacrificed, to stop it long enough to seal it away. Father had millions of visions in which everything was destroyed in one way or another. Many in which Trihexa was a constant and devoured everything. Visions in which mom, my brother, our descendants, and I are all dead. Just imagine having to see the deaths of those closest to you repeatedly. One would have gone insane, yet father never gave up in his search for a path to a new future. Dad finally found it, a path in which we could all survive and the one being who could grow into the one facing Trihexa." Ganesha points his finger at Ddraig. "The same one that faced deities to his last breath before losing his body and being sealed inside a sacred gear. Y Ddraig Goch, the Welsh Dragon, is the one that will slay Trihexa and carve the path towards that future. He's now free, and he has proven those visions a reality time and time again. Each step he takes makes him grow far stronger than before and closer to becoming The Wings of Ragnarok. One day he will surpass father and even those that sit on top of him; that is father's belief."
"Does Shiva truly believe he can do that?" Suko questions his words.
"Want to fight him and prove his strength? I promise that it won't end well for you." Ganesha threatens the Youkai.
"I'm smart enough not to face a monster such as him. Yet you all trust him? Didn't he slay angels, fallen angels, devils, and even gods back then? How can you put your faith in him?" Suko says.
"We all did things we don't feel proud of. I killed many of my former brothers and sisters during that war." Shemhazai says.
"My siblings and I killed other gods as well. We're no saints either." Apollon admits.
"Devils were our enemies back then, and we could have chosen a different path, but we ended up killing each other. Everyone made mistakes, and Ddraig paid for him for quite a while. Being a prisoner inside the Booster Gear for several centuries while humans used his powers is enough punishment. The Welsh Dragon is far from a knight in shining armor, but his intentions lack malicious intent, and he can work with everyone for the sake of life. I have been supervising his actions for the past year and six months. Not once has he been selfish or cruel to his allies. He has been a caring brother, an outstanding father, and a charming lover to the females he cherishes. Not once has he been a beast that only brings destruction. Instead, we have asked him to go to battlefields to stop human conflicts, and although people lost their lives, he also offered mercy to many. Only those who wanted to fight until the end died by his claws, and it has continued to be that way. The Welsh Dragon is the Enforcer of the Alliance, our Wings of Ragnarok, who will carve our path. So yes, we trust him." Gabriel says. Her face shows such emotion that few can believe what she has just said.
Everyone, including Ddraig, is taken aback by the display of emotion from the seraph. The Welsh Dragon turns to her momentarily before hiding his face to not let her see his blush.
Gabriel shows no shame at her words and keeps her face high, although she's ignoring how her words could mean more than what she initially wanted.
Uriel smirks and laughs a bit. "My sister said precisely what we all believe. He's an idiot but one that has grown past his former self. A saintly hero won't save us, but maybe a flying flaming lizard can do it."
"A lovable flying flaming lizard," Serafall argues. "He has proven many times that he will fight alongside us." The devil smiles as she rests her head against Ddraig's shoulder.
"If there's someone who can face that beast is him, but he needs all the help he can get. Everyone must put their own sand grain in the pot to make this work." Shemhazai says.
"He pushed me back in my youth to fight for what I believe in, and now I will do my best to support him. I believe in this dragon." Sirzechs admits with a smile.
"Although we have been allies for barely a few days, we can trust someone with the trust of many factions. Am I right, sis?" Apollon turns to his sister.
"You're right, little brother," Artemis replies.
"He won't fail when the time comes. He doesn't have the right to fall and die, for his life is not one he can throw away. He will slay Trihexa and return to us, for I won't accept a different outcome." Ereshkigal says in a non-emotional tone.
"He's a child that finally has grown into a fine adult, so I couldn't be happier about him." The clone of Gaia approaches Ddraig before she pats her head with visible motherly affection.
Suko looks astonished by the trust Ddraig is receiving. The Youkai turns to Yasaka. "Do you trust them? What about afterward? Won't they go back to killing each other? In this case, Trihexa does fall; what comes next?"
"Ereshkigal, would you please show him the treaty?" Yasaka turns to the goddess.
Ereshkigal snaps her fingers, and the document quickly appears before her. "This is the Elysium Treaty; every head and prominent alliance member has signed it, from the leaders and heirs of the devil clans to the generals under the seraphs and even members of the reformed church. Peace is a goal of the alliance in the long run; for its sake, they are willing to put their souls on the line—no more wars amongst our factions, no more hiding from humans, no more childish fights. True lasting peace in which we can all accept our differences and live in peace side by side. It would be hard and take some convincing from others out there, but here it is, the thing many hoped to achieve. From past mistakes, those that remained should learn and grow. If humans are going to learn that it is possible to unite, we should be the ones giving an example."
The leader of the Kanto Faction looks at the treaty as it floats and stops before his eyes. His eyes and those of his fellow Youkai see the many names signed in blood as well as the many conditions each was subjected to follow alongside their families and followers.
"... This treaty is your power. Am I right, Ereshkigal-sama?" Suko turns to the goddess.
"Yes," Ereshkigal admits.
"This treaty would make you the strongest goddess of death—so many souls under your jurisdiction. With a flick of your finger, you could take everyone's soul."
"I can but have no interest in that. That treaty exists to prove the Alliance's determination to move on and only that, not to make me into the supreme deity. Suko, I'm a goddess that takes care of souls. I punish sinners, allow the tired souls to rest, and send the right souls for reincarnation. I do care not for how many souls are under my control; I take my job seriously, so please dismiss those ideas. I don't use the dead as my army like other gods." Ereshkigal says with evident annoyance.
"I apologize." Suko turns to the angels. "None of you hold any animosity to the devils or the fallen angels?"
"We all lost someone back to them. Grudges won't bring them back. Us that remained in heaven know that and have started to move forward." Uriel admits.
Gabriel nods alongside his words.
Suko sights before he turns to Aku and his fellow Youkai. The Youkai activate a spell to hide their conversation. "What should we do? It is far too appealing to be ignored. Gaia won't be happy with us if we reject their offer." His voice is low, yet the ears of Ddraig and others of those present can hear him.
"We don't know all their plans. We should ask about those. We need more information." Aku says.
The others support his opinion.
Suko deactivates the spell. "We would like to hear more about the other plans of the alliance if possible."
"We would be happy to do so," Serafall says.
The conversation continued for at least 40 extra minutes.
After the discussion was over, Ddraig's POV.
The dragon watched as Suko and his fellow Youkai signed the treaty to end the conversation. They had agreed to join the alliance and help them with their plans while also promising not to betray their expectations.
The representative of the Japanese government seemed happy as he silently wrote down several things in a small notebook. Ddraig understood the job of this middle-aged man. He only needed to supervise and inform the government about what occurred today.
"The news on the next day will likely have materials to discuss for the next two months. Hopefully, they remember what they shouldn't say openly on live television. I also hope they don't try to share my home's location, or I will personally visit the prime minister and the shogun." Ddraig told himself as he imagined paparazzi and newspapers camping outside his home or the children's school.
The dragon looks around the room and sees the joy on the faces of his allies. He saw how Gaia's clone disappeared back into the floor with a smile as she waved her hand. Everyone was glad that the meeting ended positively, yet his eyes could see the hurt expressions of Yasaka and her daughter as their eyes met those of Aku. A daughter meeting her father after 100 years in which he never tried to meet her and a mother who was left on the altar.
"... It has to hurt a lot. They had been keeping it together for the sake of the meeting. Should I do something?" The dragon asked himself.
Ddraig pondered about what to do for a few moments before he began to stand up.
"Ddraig?" Serafall, who was still resting on his shoulder, was taken by surprise.
"Alright, everyone. I think we should go to Grigory for a bit of a celebration. The alcohol is excellent, and the food will make you ask for more. Follow me." Ddraig said before he created a magic circle on the floor.
Those present looked at each other momentarily before they shrugged their shoulders. Shem was the first to approach the circle, and his eyes met those of Ddraig. The fallen angel and dragon didn't need to say a word to understand each other.
"You want me to take care of them? I got it."
"Thank you, Shem."
Everyone followed after the fallen angel except for Serafall, who decided to stand next to him.
When it was time for Aku to get to the circle, Ddraig stopped him. "Mr. Aku, you're not part of this. You have a different appointment."
"What? What do you mean?" Aku asked him.
"Welsh Dragon?" Suko questions the dragon.
"Trust me, Suko. You should leave this alone. A male should take responsibility for their actions." His cold eyes meet those of Suko as he places a hand on his shoulder.
Suko said nothing and only looked at those that remained. "Yasaka and her daughter? Wait…. Oh, is that? Well, Saku is time." Suko turns to Aku. "This is your business, so don't run away. I'll be waiting for you with the rest." Suko continues to the circle as Aku is left speechless by the betrayal.
Once Suko is gone, Ddraig dismisses the circle. "A male shouldn't run away and face his past. Serafall and I are going to be outside of this room. If you try to run away, I will personally beat you up to a pulp."
"Why are you doing this?" Aku questions the dragon.
"She's your daughter, and that's your former lover. Yasaka told me about the wedding and what you did. Look at them and tell me you can't see the pain in their faces. As a male, you should give them some closure or an actual reason for what you did back then." Ddraig says.
"Ddraig, you-" Yasaka tries to talk but is interrupted.
"You three will see each other more than before, and not talking will not help. You either sever the ties that bind you forever or try to fix them up. Move on or make amends; it is up to you three." Ddraig grabs the hand of Serafall and walks outside the room, thus leaving Yasaka, Kunou, and Aku alone.
Ddraig and Serafall sit at the engawa(veranda) close to the room. They could easily hear what was happening in the room due to the distance, so Serafall quickly activated a spell to hide her conversation with Ddraig.
"Why did you do all that?" Serafall questions him.
"It made me angry. Just imagining Yasaka having to live on with the fact that she was left at the altar while pregnant made my blood boil. Kunou likely grew up feeling that her father didn't care about her. Males like him make me angry because they run away like cowards."
Serafall sees the anger in his eyes. She rests her head on his shoulder once more. "See, this is why I like you. You have a good heart. You wouldn't do something like that to any girl that got involved with you, nor will you abandon your child."
"I could never do that. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I did, thus why I didn't have any of this in the past. I wasn't ready."
"But now you are, and I'm happy I'm here for it. The current Welsh Dragon is someone that I truly like. So be it the former human or the old dragon, both sides make up a wonderful guy. You take as much from Issei as he has taken from you. Two halves that make a whole." Serafall smiles as she caresses his cheek.
"..." Ddraig meets her eyes and slowly closes the distance between them.
Serafall closes her eyes as their lips meet, the kiss is sweet and brief, yet the feelings transmitted are strong.
As the kiss ends, Serafall opens her eyes and starts to giggle. "Your lips taste like honey. It was not what I expected, but I do enjoy it."
"Blame the breakfast." Their fingers interlock. Their eyes focus on each other and ignore the surroundings. "I'm sorry; I wanted to take you on a date before we did that."
"Oh, I still want that date." Serafall approaches him once more before kissing him again. This time the kiss is far longer and more passionate. "But I didn't want to wait much longer for this. I'm yours and want to be alongside my sweet Welsh Dragon."
Ddraig felt his heart beating much faster. His instincts were beginning to burn with desire."And I want all of you, my sweet devilish….. girlfriend?"
Serafall giggles. "Let's go with a girlfriend for now. Once you give me a ring, we'll move to the next stage. I want a ceremony as well but don't try to rush it. I'm not trying to run a marathon here."
"We'll go as fast as you want."
"Perfect. For now, let's pay attention to Yasaka and the others. I hope this doesn't end in a fight." Serafall says as she pays attention to the conversation taking place behind.
Yasaka POV.
The head of the Kyoto Faction sat on her seat, not fully believing what was happening. "Ddraig, I don't know if I'm ready for this."
The memories of that day were coming back to her. Her dress, the ceremony, the eyes of her followers apologizing for not stopping him, her pain and anguish.
Yasaka's eyes began to tear up. Her daughter quickly grabbed her hands.
"Mom is alright. I'm right here with you." Kunou said as she tried to calm her down. Her eyes turned in anger towards her so-called father. "I don't know where to even start with you."
"... I didn't want to be here, to begin with," Aku said as he sat across from them. "Why is the Welsh Dragon doing this? Is he the lover of either of you?"
Kunou throws a fireball at him with one of her tails. "How dare you ask something like that? I have no idea why he did it, but neither of us has that kind of relationship with him." So her eyes sharpen in anger.
Aku quickly summons his Kanabo to block the attack. The fireball pushes him against the wall. "Alright, I apologize for that, so don't attack me. Holy Gaia, what has Yasaka been feeding you for all these years?"
Yasaka's eyes sharpen in anger as she lifts her multiple tails and charges nine fireballs. "You dare to question how I raise her?"
Aku's eyes grow wide in fear before he lowers his head to the floor and apologizes for his words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just find that she's far stronger than I am. You have raised an outstanding daughter."
The atmosphere continues tense as mother and daughter throw daggers at Aku.
Nobody says anything for a moment, nor do they move an inch, and Yasaka keeps her fireballs up until she finally settles down.
"... What should I do? Ddraig has given me a chance. Do I wanna do this?" Her eyes turned to the man who had broken her heart all those years ago. Aku played her for a fool, and it broke her. Yasaka bites her lips in anger and frustration as she decides not to waste this chance. "Was it another woman?"
"What?" Aku questions her.
"Was it another woman? The reason why you left me at the altar? A much younger girl?"
"No, I never-"
"Then why? Was it truly my age? You chased after me knowing that I was older from the very beginning. I opened my heart to you, and we were together for quite a while, so why did you drag me along so long?"
"Mom." Kunou feels the shaking hands of her mother.
Aku keeps her head down in silence as he thinks about what to answer. "... I….. I did love you. There were no other women. I never cheated. I was delighted to be alongside you. You were everything to me."
"Then why? Why did you leave me in the worst moment possible?" Yasaka asks with tears in her eyes.
"What is the lifespan of Nine-tailed foxes? Ten centuries? 15? The range of an Oni such as myself is usually three centuries. I never paid attention to our differences until the day of the wedding. We were both adults, yet you would outlive me, which hurt me. People were talking behind us, and I listened to their words. "Yasaka looks so happy today, but how long will this last? That youngster is bound to bite the bullet long before her." I would leave you alone for quite a long time after my death." Aku said.
"That was your big excuse for leaving me? Our ages? I would have loved to be with you even if it was just two centuries or less." Yasaka replies to him in anger.
"But I couldn't. Me growing old and frail while you were still full of life. I didn't want you to care for me as if I was your grandpa. I feared that future. Our lifespans were just one of the motives." Aku lifts his head. "The other reason is the responsibility of standing next to you as the head of the faction. On the wedding day, I also realized I couldn't stand beside you as an equal. I felt so small next to you. Your followers looked up to you confidently, yet they continued asking me to support you despite doubts about my leadership capacity. I was just 50 but felt unprepared for the position."
"Those are stupid excuses," Yasaka claimed.
"Maybe they were to you, but to me, it felt real. I loved you, yet I realized too late that I didn't have what it takes to be the Great Yasaka's Husband. I was going to pass on before you did, and I didn't have the experience to lead so many Youkai alongside you. I couldn't take it, so I ran away. Yes, I'm a coward; I'll admit it."
Both sides went silent after that. Yasaka couldn't believe Aku's reasons for leaving her at the altar. "How could I have fallen for such a cowardly man? Such pathetic excuses. But none of it matters in the end. I need to know."
Yasaka turns to the Oni once more. "What about Kunou? What about your daughter? Our relationship didn't matter enough for you to stay but what about her? Why didn't you try to reach out to her? She is your daughter Aku. Do you know how many times she asked for you growing up? How often did she want a father to play with her? Why couldn't you send at least a letter? A gift? Or any sign that you care about her?"
"..." Aku grows silent before he lifts his head. "I tried, but every time I took one step forward, I took two back. Any letters I wrote were never sent; I collected them in boxes over the years. Any gifts I prepared for you got placed away to gain dust in a small closet. I felt unworthy of being called a father by a daughter I wasn't there to watch being born or raising myself. I asked many Youkai for images of you over the years, and each year I felt less worthy of daring to face you. You grew into a beautiful lady, and I felt happy to see you were healthy, yet I grew more afraid of even putting a foot in Kyoto. I went as far as to move farther and farther from this place to not be found by either of you. I'm a coward in front of you two, for you are the regrets I couldn't face. I couldn't stand by Yasaka as a husband, nor could I be the parent for Kunou. I felt so scared that I almost didn't accept joining Suko-sama as one of his advisors and attendants."
"Yet here you are. You are Suko's right-hand man, and now you help him lead the Kanto Faction." Kunou says. She felt a sharp pain in her chest that was indescribable.
"I changed over the years and grew much more mature. As I moved away from Kyoto, I learned from others how to be better at leading others. The previous right hand of Suko taught me most of what I know, and thanks to him, I became what I am today." Aku says.
"Yet you're still a coward." Yasaka's eyes had turned colder.
"... Some things don't change. I'm 150 right now, and my time will continue to run. Kunou is an adult now; I can't do anything about it. No amount of gifts is going to make up for the time lost. Not sweet words are going to heal the scars of the past. I mess up, and that will be my lifetime regret until the day of my death. I'm sorry, that's all I can do. I can only apologize." His face shows complete regret. He smashes his hands into the floor as a few tears fall from his eyes.
Yasaka covered her face as the tears continued to fall. "Why did I have to fall for someone so stupid?"
"Mom, don't cry. He doesn't deserve your tears." Kunou turns to her "father. " "Is that it? Will you accept your mistake and apologize for it? Didn't you learn anything from others? Are you that cowardly to not even try to repair what you destroyed?"
"Kunou, Yasaka doesn't have those feelings for me anymore. I left her at the altar while she was pregnant with you. It is something you can't repair. Kunou grew healthy and strong; you're also growing into a good heir to the faction, so I wasn't needed in the end. A coward like me couldn't stand next to either of you." Aku lowers his head as a sign of apology.
Kunou got angrier at this. She didn't want apologies or excuses. She wanted a sign that Aku was willing to try to make up, yet she couldn't see any will inside him. The guy lacked the drive, and that made her sick. "Get out. I will deny any connection between you and us. A man with no will to even try doesn't deserve the chance. Go back to Kanto and stay over there. I only needed my mom, and you have reaffirmed that once more."
"... I understand." The Oni stands up and walks to the nearest door without saying another word. His heart aches, yet he knows that this is the end.
Kunou hoped for a miracle, yet he wasn't stopping. Tears began falling from her eyes as she saw her dad abandoning her again.
Aku opens the door without looking at either of them, only to receive a punch straight in the face. His body flies right into a wall.
"Man, I never expected to witness such a cowardly man. Your daughter is in tears, and you're just walking away." Ddraig said as he entered the room with visible disgust. Serafall stays outside as he enters.
"She asked me to leave, and I'm doing exactly that," Aku replied as she stood up. His nose was bleeding profusely due to the punch.
"150 years have taught you nothing about people hiding their true intentions behind fake words. Come on; you're telling me you can't see what that child wants? Yasaka might have given up on you, but that child is clearly hoping for you to man up." Ddraig cracks his knuckles.
"You have no business here, Welsh Dragon." Aku cleans the blood from his face before lifting his weapon and pointing it toward Ddraig. "Let me go, or I'll force my way out."
Ddraig smirks. "See, that drive to run away is something that you should redirect to being a father for her. It is only too late when you die. You are still alive; one century is far enough for you to create something with Kunou. Stop running and talking about not being worthy of being her father."
Aku doesn't say anything and just rushes forward to attack the dragon. Ddraig easily evades his swings while he prevents Aku from running away.
"Let me go," Aku screams.
"No, you might be a coward, but deep inside, you care for Kunou. You gave up on Yasaka, but your daughter is different. Someone that has no interest wouldn't write letters or prepare gifts. Someone that doesn't deserve to be a father wouldn't keep tabs on their child although they weren't present. Stop running."
"I can't. I'm not worthy." Aku keeps swinging his weapon.
Ddraig is getting annoyed at the cowardice of Aku. His eyes see the crying Kunou and her mother. Both were focused on him and Aku, both expecting the conclusion. Both are losing hope in Aku as he tries his hardest to escape.
Ddraig sights as he evades one more of Aku's attacks and leaves a clear path for him to exit. "Alright, you can go right ahead and leave but know this." Ddraig starts walking toward Kunou and her mother. "If you leave now, I will take both of them."
Aku stops in his tracks as he hears those words. "What?"
"You gave up on Yasaka already, so you wouldn't care if I made her mine. I will make her happier than you ever did and ensure she forgets about you. I will also make Kunou mine. She will never think about you again as I'll be the only man in her heart. The guy named Aku will get completely erased from their minds by me. Day and night, they will only think about me." Ddraig gets closer to the pair. "I'm sorry, Yasaka, Kunou, but this might be the only way."
"..." Aku is frozen in place.
"Your daughter will call me daddy from now on. I can imagine her walking down the aisle with me. Imagine, Kunou's wedding kimono being tainted by me on the wedding night. How many children will we have together? 3, maybe 4 with each?"
Aku's face grows angrier.
"Your beautiful daughter will be taken by the same dragon that took your former lover."
Aku's eyes twitch in anger.
"I will make her mine." Ddraig's hand reaches out to Kunou, who's completely frozen. The girl nor her mom can believe what Ddraig is saying so openly.
"Stay away from her!" Aku rushes to attack the Welsh Dragon.
Ddraig easily blocks his attack with his tail. The dragon smirks before he slaps his face with his tail and pushes him back. "What? Do you care about her? Weren't you running away like before?"
"I will not allow you to touch my daughter," Aku screams as he tries his best to break through Ddraig's defense.
"But you said you weren't worthy. You claimed that you couldn't be a father to her. I can take care of both of them. So just walk away." Ddraig says with a devilish expression. "Come on, Aku, be determined. Show them that you care."
"I won't let you take my sweet daughter away. Nobody is worthy of Kunou. She's perfect. A lustful dragon like yourself will never touch one hair of hers as long as I'm alive!" Aku screams.
"Then make me, if you want to protect Kunou, force me away right now, or I'll take her alongside Yasaka. I'm the Welsh Dragon, and any woman that catches my attention will be mine." Ddraig continues to play the villain. The dragon even laughs like a classic villain.
Serafall, who's watching from the corner of the door, is smiling from ear to ear. She couldn't believe what Ddraig was doing right now. "Holy Lilith, he's using that talent for acting without a script. I knew you had it in you. That's my boyfriend!"
Aku continues to attack with all his power without backing away for even one second as his fatherly instincts push him to face the wall that was Ddraig. For the next 30 minutes, Aku continued to fight until his body grew tired, yet he kept swinging his Kanabo. Ddraig kept slapping around with his tail while making sure not to injure him.
"Not my daughter. Not my sweet child." Aku said as he tried to lift his weapon and swing it again.
"See, your body can't lift it up, yet you reject giving up." Ddraig catches the bat and throws it away. Ddraig grabs him by the neck and lifts the Oni up. "A true father will continue to fight for his child even against an enemy they can't beat, just like you did. You messed up in the past, yet it wasn't because you weren't worthy. This is all because your cowardice prevented you from facing the challenges that any couple could have faced; you might die before Yasaka, but being beside her would have been enough. You proved that you could have learned how to be an adequate leader. Your own fears prevented you from having a life with her, and those same fears kept you away from Kunou."
Ddraig makes him face them. "Look at them and stop running. Be there for Kunou even if she's an adult, and at least try once to fix what you had, Yasaka. You never know until you try."
Ddraig releases him into the floor, and Aku falls a few centimeters away from the pair. As he lifted his head, he saw their faces tainted by tears.
"If you run away and make them cry like this again, I will come for Kunou and Yasaka. I promise you that." Ddraig says with a smile that only Kunou and Yasaka can see. "Let me know if he tries to get away."
Kunou and Yasaka read Ddraig's thoughts which made them try to hide their smiles from him.
"You didn't have to do this," Yasaka told him through her telepathic powers.
"It is better to take care of this now than later. Kunou might be an adult, but every child wants their parents to be there in one way or another. He's an idiot, but I can see he cares. Let me know if you need more help. I'll be open to slapping some sense into him when necessary." Ddraig says as he turns around and begins to walk away.
"Idiot," Kunou said while she blushed.
Ddraig continues to smile. "I'll see you three later on. Serafall, my sweetheart, want to go on a date around Kyoto?"
"Sure," Serafall replied as she locked arms with him.
The pair watched the couple walk away as if nothing had happened.
"He's quite something, isn't he, Kunou?"
"He is still an idiot. Please don't fall for him."
"Kunou, you don't get to tell me what to do. Anyways, we should help your father. Ddraig didn't attack him with his true strength, yet he's such a mess."
"Mom, can I really trust him? Will he run away?"
"I don't know. Aku was willing to face Ddraig for your sake which means a lot, but he has much to make up for. I hope he can genuinely step up for you because I can't accept him by my side. The pain is too much to forget and try again."
"I understand." Kunou holds her mother's hand for a little longer before they help Aku.
A new chapter had started for the Youkai in Japan.
Omake.
Members of a particular cult felt a disturbance in the air as if their most cherished figure had reached a new stage.
As they reunite in front of their goddess's tall statue, they begin to pray for the future of Serafall.
"May she get married to the one that truly cherishes her. May she be the most beautiful bride in all the realms. Glory to our beautiful lady Serafall."
*Author's note: Another chapter is done, and the next ones will lead to our awaited trip to Asgard. Hopefully, I don't take too long. Anyways see you next time.*