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 realm had known fear for a long time. It had tasted total madness at the hands of a horrible and ruthless being. Despair was also part of the course, as many fell victim to the number 1 enemy of the realm.
And all it had been thanks to Apophis, The Primal Eclipse Dragon—one of the sons/clones of Crom Cruach and nemesis of Ra's home.
Yet there was another who had made its mark on the realm. A daughter of Ra who was once ordered to punish those sons and daughters of the Nile who turned away from their creator, yet her bloodlust wasn't satiated by a few condemned souls.
No, Sekhmet rampaged across the land, taking as many lives as she could get her claws on. Be it a child, woman, man, or devoted servant of the gods; all fell victim to her claws as she craved more blood.
Such was the damage after she regained sanity that her fellow gods ensured that something like this never happened again.
This same goddess stood inside a fire ring as she awaited her challengers. The ring was big enough to give them space to move around as much as possible. An array of guards stood around the ring while holding a barrier that would contain the fight that was about to take place.
Sekhmet had removed the robe that once hid her body—beneath the robe laid a tight, short black silk dress, which was a curious choice for someone about to fight. Her muscular body showed no scars, yet one could see red symbols all around her fur, which were likely placed on her by someone else.
As she stretched her body, her eyes remained focused on Ddraig and his group, which remained outside the circle. Her excitement was spilling in all directions as her aura became more prominent. Even the guards who were supposed to aid and support her were having a hard time as the bloodthirstiness of the goddess made them question their lives.
"Come inside, and let's get this started already. If victory favors me, I'll take Ddraig for myself." The goddess said as she licked her claws. Her eyes told him precisely what she would do to him if he were to lose to her.
Ddraig's POV.
The dragon gulps. "Gaia, if you can hear me, please protect me from these kinds of females." Ddraig had experienced these kinds of females before. The type determined to hunt him down just to take him back as some kind of captured prey or lover. While some might enjoy it, he didn't at all.
He never chased any female in that kind of way, and yet here he was, being lusted and threatened with violence by a very dangerous goddess.
Everyone stood around him as they witnessed the challenge that awaited them with Sekhmet. Many merchants were also present as the opportunity to see a fight such as this didn't come by often.
"Let's change the plan. I'm joining the fight." Serafall said as she held the jacket that Ddraig was previously wearing.
"No, we're not doing that," Ereshkigal said. "I understand your anger against Sekhmet, but we must follow our plan. Baraqiel, Liv, and Ddraig have spar together and have been preparing for this. If we change the arrangement, we might affect their performance. We don't want to lose this one, or she will have her way with the losers."
"Ereshkigal is right. It is best to follow our initial plans. By staying close to the plan, we can support them from the sidelines if something goes wrong without facing her directly. We must remain calm, Serafall." Yasaka said. "Besides that, we know only Gabriel has what it takes to replace any of them. This a barehanded fight, not a battle that includes spells."
"I know, but look at her. How can I allow her to lust after my boyfriend so openly? I have pride, and it is disgusting. Not even Yukime has been so abrasive and disrespectful. Is making my blood boil." Serafall continues as she tries to hold her anger back.
"Serafall, we must remain calm. Her intentions towards Ddraig are the least of our problems. This is a fight against one of this realm's strongest and deadliest goddesses; she's far an easy opponent. One mistake and any of them could be seriously injured. We must stay alert, and if the need arises, we must interfere to protect our allies." Gabriel said with a cold tone. Her eyes showed no emotions as she spoke.
Nobody expected such a sudden switch in tone, but they could tell that Gabriel wasn't her usual self. Maybe it was a way to keep her emotions under control, but the cold tone and lack of emotions were a bit unsettling.
"Well, there's nothing else we can do about this. The rest is up to you three. Liv, do your best and work with Sir Welsh and Baraqiel to achieve victory. Don't fall behind." Rossweisse told her cousin.
"I know. I'll show my best out there, Ross." Liv says as she places Sieg on the ground. "I'll be back, so don't stress out."
The tiny equine playful kicks her once before he settles down and awaits the fight.
"Uncle, remember to be careful and don't use Infinity unless the situation requires it. You need to trust Baraqiel and Liv to achieve victory." Eury told the dragon as she patted his back.
"I know," Ddraig said.
"We'll be cheating you on, so do your best, Welsh Dragon," Ingvild said, although she felt a little insecure about the whole affair. This was going to be the first time she saw him fighting someone who wasn't a pushover, and even if it was three against one, victory was far from secure.
It was an obstacle they had to face, but at least they were prepared for it.
"Go and win, but don't be too confident. Overconfidence is a deadly mistress." Rogier told the team.
"Trust us, we won't fall to her." Baraqiel took the lead as he approached the arena. He was only dressed in his shirt, pants, and boots, as the jacket would get in the way.
The guards moved away to offer him a path forward.
Ddraig and Liv followed him. Once all three were inside, the guards closed the circle and increased the barrier's strength. The stage was now set for the fight to start.
General POV.
"Nice to see two brave souls joining you. Should we discuss the rules before we begin?" Sekhmet asks.
"No deaths on either side. Once one side gives up, incapable of moving, or is left unconscious, the winner will be decided." Ddraig said.
"I'm okay with that, but I'd also like to add that if I push someone outside the arena, they're out. It is three vs. one, so I also get to add my own rules. It also applies to me: if you force me out of the arena, you'll win." Sekhmet said.
The trio was surprised as it increased their chances of winning, but it also meant they needed to be more careful. Nonetheless, it was a condition they needed to accept.
"We accept. It is fair enough." Kokabiel said.
"Great, now, Ddraig, about your tail, I expect it not to be used as a piercing weapon. This fight is all about your hands, legs, and fighting skills, so no weapons are allowed. I promise my claws won't cut too deep, so I hope for the same." Sekhmet signals Ddraig's trident tail.
"You have claws, and we have nothing against you using them," Liv said.
Ddraig shook his head towards Liv as if telling her there was no need to argue. "I'll hide it if you fear that I'll use it as such. Would these be also against the rules?" Ddraig asks as he summons his extra set of arms.
"You have four arms? Excellent, keep them and the tail. I want to see how much you can do with them. I also expect no interference from your allies. If I detect any cheating, my guards will execute them on the spot." Sekhmet tells the group.
"We know. We also expect the same from your guards." Liv said.
"Trust me, I don't need anybody to protect me." Sekhmet smirks at them, showing that she fears nobody. "One last thing: if I win, you already know what to expect, so don't try to get in my way." The goddess says as she turns to the group standing on the sidelines.
Her words just increased the anger that Serafall was feeling. She couldn't forgive it but kept it together, knowing it was an obvious trap. One wrong move, and they'll have a significant problem on their hands.
She could only wait and hope for the victory of her teammates.
"We know, so let's move on with this fight," Liv says as she takes a fighting stance.
Ddraig and Baraqiel did the same. They seemed confident as neither showed a drop of fear in the face of Sekhmet.
The goddess smiles from ear to ear as she sees their determination. "Yes, I like those faces. Let's begin, my new victims."
Sekhmet lowers her posture while she extends her right arm forward. Her claws shone like lethal daggers that were ready to cut through the flesh of its victims. "Here I come!"
The goddess shoots forward like a high-caliber bullet, determined to pierce its target. Her speed is so fast that she seems to disappear, but those with sharper instincts keep track of her movement.
Her first target was, to nobody's surprise, Ddraig, who, instead of evading the blatant attack, decided to face head-on as he stood his ground, crossed his arms, and blocked the impact of her claws with his arms. The sand behind him was blown away as if an explosion had occurred.
Ddraig gritted his teeth as his body endured the attack's godly strength. "Shit, even if I block it, I still receive some damage. This confirms our theory; we must focus on evading rather than blocking." A few drops of blood escaped his mouth as his internal organs had received some damage.
While Ddraig blocks the initial attack, Baraqiel and Liv go on the offensive as planned. Baraqiel delivers some of his most potent punches to specific spots, which Liv starts hitting. As she attacked, the eye implanted into her by Odin shone with an ominous blue aura, which offered her a view that could be considered a cheat.
The weakest parts of Sekhmet's body were highlighted for her as places to be targeted.
"This is not a normal fight. We must be smart and hit the weakest spots of her body to bring Sekhmet down as quickly as possible. Rendering her limbs useless will give us an advantage over her." The conversation they had before returned to her as she continued to hit the goddess with her attacks.
"How do you expect us to do that?"
"This eye strengthens my powers and body but also offers me a few abilities. One allows me to see the weakest spots on someone's body. If we use it to our advantage, we can bring her down much more efficiently without trying to fight her for hours without an end in sight."
"You think it can work?"
"Only if we work as a team. Sir Welsh, you have the best chance at blocking her attacks and possibly dragging her attention. You must bait her at all points while Sir Baraqiel and I focus on attacking."
"But Ddraig can't do that for that long."
"We can switch as needed, but we must keep the pressure. If Seekhmet gets any chance to breathe, she will try to pick us up individually. We can't allow that to happen."
"I see. I'll follow your lead if you think it can work. Show us what you can do." Ddraig's words incite her to show why she had become the strongest amongst the Valkyries of this generation.
So now she had to show it on the field.
Sekhmet retreated as she felt something was wrong with the trio. Instead of targeting her head, they targeted specific spots on her body. "My usual opponents would try to take me down that way; why are they doing that?"
Sekhmet had questions, but the group wouldn't give her time to figure it out. Her eyes watched as the trio moved forward with impressive speed and closed in from different directions.
Ddraig faced her head-on while Liv came from the left and Baraqiel rushed from the right.
The goddess smirked as she rushed to meet her main target. She spins and tries to deliver a kick from the top, but the dragon evades it and uses his extra arms to hold her leg in place.
Liv and Baraqiel jump before they continue with their assault.
Sekhmet smirks as she starts to block and counter most of their attacks, but her grin quickly disappears as Ddraig, still holding her leg, slams her into the ground with all his strength.
The goddess gasps for air, and even some blood spills out from her mouth, but she has no time to waste around as Liv tries to connect a kick directly with her chest area.
Sekhmet uses her incredible strength and agility to free herself from Ddraig's grasp before jumping to safety. "It seems I can't take any of you for amateurs; it's time to up the stakes."
Sekhmet drops her posture once more and disappears as her speed increases.
The team puts their backs against each other and looks around the area, trying to figure out her trajectory. They caught mere glances of her steps within the sand but chose not to trust it as it could likely be a trap.
"Cool down your senses, Ddraig. Feel her bloodlust." The dragon closes his eyes and focuses his attention on detecting Sekhmet.
Tense milliseconds go by until he opens his eyes and reacts to the goddess's actions. "Baraqiel!" The dragon used his tail to grab Liv by the waist and moved her out of the trajectory of Sekhmet's attack.
The goddess lunged forward, intending to hit Liv with a powerful attack, but Ddraig saved her at the last moment, leaving Sekhmet open for another attack.
The fallen angel reacted as he heard the voice of his ally. His body spun around, and his eyes looked for where to attack. His eyes see a clear path to a spot they had targeted on her chest before, so he aims and goes for the kill.
His left stretches as far as he can, and his fist meets its intended target.
The sound of several bones being broken due to the impact is heard by the group, but Sekhmet doesn't stay around to allow them to boast about what they have achieved. She vanishes once more.
"I definitely connected that attack, but I doubt it will be enough," Baraqiel tells himself as he retakes the previous stance with his teammates. "I won't work twice. We have to stop her movements, or she-"
"Or I what?" Sekhmet asks him as she reappears and punches him right in the gut before disappearing.
The attack was so fast that trying to block it was useless. Baraqiel felt the force of the full impact, but he didn't allow himself to fall to his knees. Although some blood spills from the impact site, he ignores the pain. "She increased her speed again?"
The goddess reappears and tries the same with Ddriag, but the dragon expects her. He allows himself to receive the full impact but uses this chance to lock her in place by using his four arms to trap her. "Liv, do it now!"
The former Valkyrie moves and connects a tremendous kick, which destroys the upper bones of Sekhmet's right arm. The Valkyrie backed away as soon as she heard the cracking sound.
The sound of more broken bones tells the team that their actions were fruitful, although Ddraig had received the full impact of one of her attacks, just like Baraqiel.
Sekhmet grins her teeth as she forcefully releases her arm from the dragon's grasp, further damaging it, but ignores the pain as she backs away. "In all my years, nobody has broken one of my limbs. I applaud your actions, but I promise to pay it back." Her broken arm hangs to the side as if it couldn't be used anymore.
Liv gulps as she feels the attention of the goddess on her. "This is going to hurt."
But before she's attacked, Ddraig intervenes.
"No, you won't. I'm the one you want." Ddraig dashes forward and engages the goddess. "If Liv receives one of her attacks directly, our chances of winning will decrease. I need to keep her attention on me at all costs." The dragon exchanges blows with the goddess while blocking any more damage to his chest area.
This forwardness incites her bloodlust even more as she gets enthralled by the scent of his blood. "You're bleeding, yet you choose to engage me on a one-to-one without any sign of fear. You're my type of man."
"Want to know something, Sekhmet?" Ddraig asks the goddess.
"What? Are you ready to accept me?"
"Never in a million years. You spell problems from head to toe, and I can tell that falling for you will be my demise. You also don't fit my tastes."
"How dare you claim such a thing? I'm by far the best woman you could ever have. No man has denied my advances to this day."
His words got a reaction from her as she increased the strength behind her attacks and the randomness of each.
"Maybe because you hunt them down like prey to be captured. It is hard to say no when you're forced into someone's bed by force. Those that are too forceful don't fit my taste, either. We're incompatible." Ddraig continues as he sees that she's totally falling for his words. "Besides that, all my brides are much more beautiful than you are."
His words made Serafall grin, and Gabriel smiled momentarily before she returned to having a cold expression.
"You won't say such things when I have you chained to my bed. I will ensure you can't return to any of them after me." Sekhmet goes on a rampage as she goes all out against Ddraig.
Any restraints she previously had were thrown out the window as she made it her mission to take Ddraig down. Her remaining arm and legs became deadly appendages determined to bring their target down as she jumped, dashed, and delivered as many deadly attacks against the dragon. She disregarded his safety as her attacks were driven with the intent to kill.
Her eyes weren't looking elsewhere besides the dragon before her.
This spells her doom as Baraqiel and Liv rush from different directions before rejoining the fray.
The duo renews their effort to target the weakest areas of her body. Sekhmet growled in anger as she received several of their attacks, yet she couldn't relinquish her main target.
She needed to attack him; that's all her mind could think of, and Ddraig was more than willing to play the part as he drew her attention away from his teammates.
Limb by limb, Sekhmet was brought to her knees as her opponents used her obsessive bloodlust against her. Neither the former Valkyrie nor the fallen angel held back as they continued their assault against Sekhmet.
"You can't move anymore. This fight is over, Sekhmet." Liv said as she stood before the goddess.
"This doesn't end until I say it is done." Sekhmet eyes glow red with anger as a black halo appears on her back. Her broken limbs began to rearrange themselves back into shape in a rather gruesome manner.
The sounds of broken bone pieces grinding against each other were disturbing, yet the group had no time to waste.
As soon as her legs were usable, Sekhmet disappeared, and once her arms were back in shape, she went on the offensive. Her claws cut cleanly through their skin, and her speed made it almost impossible to track her down. The barrier surrounding them vibrates violently due to the extreme speed of the goddess, plus the godly strength of each attack.
Not even Liv was saved from her assault, as her back area was filled with several gruesome cuts in seconds.
Ddraig tried as hard as he could to match her speed, but he could only push himself to less than 50% of his maximum output. He felt closer to losing control if he tried to go farther, yet the situation required him to push on.
Sekhmet wasn't an opponent Baraqiel or Liv could defeat on their own.
"So I just need to give them the opening they need. Sekhmet won't last for much longer, but if we're to acquire victory, a ring out might be our only path." The dragon increases his output and focuses his senses on detecting Sekhmet's movement. He began to grit his teeth as he felt the strain that using more power was having on him.
His eyes looked around, his skin felt the air, and his senses awaited the most minimal sign of Sekhmet until he finally detected her.
The goddess finished attacking Baraqiel and came towards him, intending to deliver another deep cut on his chest. Ddraig concentrates on forcing his body to obey his orders as he uses his increased output to evade the attack by moving to the side.
Sekhmet reacted to him as she moved to the opposite side, leaving no openings for her opponent.
"I see I got your attention. Let's see if I can match you in my weakened state." Ddraig rushes forward and uses all of his arms to overwhelm the goddess.
The pair engages in a fast exchange of blows while the other two combatants take this slight breather to regroup and plan for their next step.
"I'll have to admit she's one tough cat. What should we do next?" Liv asks Baraqiel as she approaches him with visible pain on her face.
The fallen angel picks himself up while holding his bleeding chest. "Ring out. Sekhmet won't give up that easily, and we're losing too much blood. We can't keep it up for much longer."
"I see. So, how do we do that? She won't make it easy for us."
"Ddraig, we'll have him deal the finishing blow. He has a nasty fighting technique, which could be enough to push her out of the arena. We just have to give him the opening he needs." Baraqiel says.
"So becoming the bait. I'm up for it. Sir Welsh has done his part for long enough." Liv says as she cracks her neck. "I'll prove myself tonight." The vessels around her blue eye began to glow blue. Said glow began to expand around her body as she engaged the power of the primordial god Ymir. Her muscles tensed up and forcefully prevented any more blood from being lost.
"Follow my lead then." An electric aura of holy energy engulfed Baraqiel. Like some kind of holy cape, it embraced his body and stopped most bleeding.
With determined expressions, the pair rushes forward to engage the goddess. Before, they couldn't keep up with her speed, but now they could match it, even if it was for just a few moments.
"Ddraig, time to push her out. Use that technique back when we fought Suou." Baraqiel shouted as he intercepted Sekhmet.
"Get out of my way!" Sekhmet tries to escape the fallen angel to get to her target, but Liv shows up and prevents it from happening.
"You're not going anywhere," Liv says before she delivers a destructive kick straight into the face of the goddess.
Baraqiel and Liv then continue to push Sekhmet away from Ddraig and closer to the closest edge of the arena. Although it sounded easy on paper, it was a much more gruesome task as Sekhmet was not happy at all with them, and as to be expected, she was fighting back with all she had.
Ddraig could only watch as he continued to breathe with visible difficulty. His body felt more irresponsive with each moment, and like a time bomb, his power was slowly reaching its limit, but he couldn't back away.
"I have to do this. I must win this fight, or it will be all for nothing. Baraqiel and Liv have entrusted me with this. I can't fail now." His eyes focus on his right hand. "Come on, remember that time and what Issei is doing inside the dream. Accumulate everything into one spot. One single attack to end this fight."
His hand tenses as his draconic aura engulfs it. It takes all of his concentration to control so much raw power. "Everything into one attack."
His eyes turn towards Sekhmet. The goddess was entirely distracted as his allies kept her attention away from him. "Just one attack."
His breathing eases as he prepares himself for one last attack. His fighting stance is solid, although his body is filled with gruesome cuts that have yet to stop bleeding. There was no armor tonight to protect him, no Ascalon to cut through his adversaries, and no wings to fly: only his fist and one target.
"Never doubt. Isn't that what you said, Issei?"
He felt his presence next to him, although he couldn't hear his voice. Although an endless dream separated them for now, they were still beside each other. His eyes wait for an opening, and after a few seconds, it presents itself.
"Go!" The voices of the husks screamed at him, so he rushed forward to meet his target.
Like a crimson bullet with nothing to lose, his body easily broke the sound barrier as his fist was directed right into the goddess's chest.
"Formless Style: True secret technique number 1: Deep Impact, True Draconic Legion."
The roar of a dragon is heard as a blinding crimson explosion blinds everyone for a couple of seconds.
As the dust settles, the public sees a broken barrier alongside a path of scorched sand stretching out for several miles. The Welsh Dragon lays on his knees, too tired to move an inch.
Baraqiel and Liv approach him. Neither is in better shape.
"... Ring out detected. The victory goes to the Alliance team." A member of Sekhmet's guards says.
The public erupts in cheers as the fight comes to a fantastic conclusion.
But before anyone can take a step forward, the bloodthirst of a predator is felt by everyone present. Its source lies at the end of the trail of scorched sand.
A loud roar told everyone that the situation was about to take a turn for the worse.
Several Tori gates surround Ddraig and the others before a green light engulf their bodies. Yasaka and the others move to secure their allies.
"She made a mess out of you three. I feared that you were going to lose a limb or two." Yasaka said as she and the others started offering the trio first aid.
"Just give me a day or two to rest. I'll be fine afterward." Baraqiel says.
"You did good, Liv, but this is the last time you're joining a thing like this," Rossweisse said as she started to treat her cousin's injuries.
"Hey, we knew what to expect... or so we thought. She was just a tough kitty to bring down." Liv jokes.
Ereshkigal approached Ddraig and said nothing as she began to cure his injuries. Although she didn't say it, she was glad to see that he had won without using Infinity.
Most of the team remained focused on threatening the injured, but Serafall and Gabriel had other plans.
The Seraph and devil stood in front of the Tori gates, awaiting the arrival of the Sekhmet. Gabriel had summoned her golem and engaged Sacred Booster Mode. Serafall didn't fall behind as she let go of her restraints and took a much more demonic appearance.
Neither was going to allow Sekhmet to reach their beloved nor their allies. Ddraig's eyes couldn't look away as a smile formed on his face. "... I'm marrying those two even if I have to lose a limb or two."
A couple of moments went by until the shape of Sekhmet appeared in the distance. The moon's light shines on her, allowing everyone to see the damage she has received.
Her lower jaw hung from its joints, her left hand was a mangled mess, her chest was filled with severed burns, and the rest of her body was in no better shape.
Yet her eyes were filled with an insatiable bloodlust.
"Stop and accept the result. You lost fair and square." Gabriel told the goddess.
"No, I can't accept it," Sekhmet said.
"Take another step, and I promise I'll blow your body into a million pieces. You got your fight, and they fought you with all they got, so accept the result." Serafall says as she summons several magic circles.
Sekhmet growls as her anger increases. Defeat wasn't something she could acknowledge; she was too prideful to admit such a thing, but what was hurting her the most was that her "prey" would escape her grasp. She had it bad when it came to strong males, and Ddraig was by far one of the best she had ever met.
There wouldn't be another chance; she knew this as nobody was stupid enough to try their luck twice in a similar bet.
"Why can't you just be mine?" Sekhmet asks the dragon.
"... We just not meant for each other. Your eyes scream let's go straight into bed, and I prefer lasting relationships. You don't have feelings for me; your lust drives you right now, and I'm not one to fall for such things. I'm not the person for you; I don't rush into these things." Ddraig admits.
"She just got rejected." Everyone thought the same thing.
Sekhmet grows silent as she takes it all in. Nobody had defeated her in a "fair" fight in all her years, nor had she been rejected so openly. It was too much for her to bear so suddenly. "... Guards, we depart for our home."
The goddess turned around and began to walk into the desert. Her guards followed after her.
The sand of the desert arose and surrounded each of them before disappearing.
The group sighs in relief as the night comes to an end. The Welsh Dragon closes his eyes as the last of his energy runs dry.
"I'll need a long nap after tonight."
Everyone was going to need it after such a stressful event.