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 land was ravaged as the mysterious liquid spread itself out and began to swallow every building. Before long, the whole town had been consumed as the dark waters propagated like a living mass.
Said living mass was now targeting Ddraig as black bullets were shot his way from beneath the waters.
The Welsh Dragon continued to evade those projectiles as his instincts screamed at him that being hit by a single one would be a fatal mistake.
"Why are you running, Uncle Ddraig? It is rather disappointing to see that you can hug your nephew. Don't you have morals?" Apophis asked as he rushed forward, shooting several spheres of complete darkness against Ddraig.
"You're not fooling anyone with your words. You and your siblings are living disgraceful scoundrels to our race. What reason does someone like you have to attack this realm? You had no place here, yet you constantly attacked for eons." The Welsh Dragon intensifies the crimson fire around Ascalon before quickly cutting through the darkness.
Apophis bites its lips as his darkness cannot consume the crimson flames. "Why? Because it called out to me! Ra and his brethren needed a common foe. When I came to this land, they were at war for petty reasons such as who gets the throne. They lacked purpose and a reason to become stronger, yet I saw their potential. I saw what Horus and Set could become if they had a common goal. I became a pillar of their pantheon, a foe that would continuously test their will to survive. Many innocents died because of me, but their gods became stronger. I am proud to know they are who they are today because of me. Although it also makes me sad to know that it will be the last time I fight them."
Apophis uses his darkness to create several copies of himself, which rush forward and try to slash the Welsh Dragon with their claws. Ddraig was surrounded from each corner, but he remained calm as he began to use the Formless Style to read through their attacks.
The crimson warrior moves with impressive speed as he flies and evades every attack while beheading the copies as he sees openings. "Last time? What does he mean by that?" Concerns arose in his mind as he pushed his body to move faster.
Apophis grins as he believes that Ddraig can escape the overwhelming number of copies, but his happiness gets cut short as one of his eyes gets pierced by supersonic impact. The evil dragon screams in pain as blood spills from the wound like a fountain. His remaining eyes look for the source of his pain only to find a pair of girls riding a horse on top of his head.
Each one possesses a blue eye that makes him feel an indescribable sense of fear and coldness. Colder than Cocytus itself.
Before he can ask any questions, the pair disappears from sight, leaving a mysterious black lance buried deep into his bleeding eye. The dragon tried to remove it with the help of dark black tendrils but could not as the spear sank deeper, causing tremendous pain.
A mysterious series of symbols written into the spear were affecting his efforts as if the spear was being controlled by someone else from far away.
Ddraig's POV.
"First spear in place. We're moving and awaiting another opportunity to deliver the next one." Liv informs Ddraig.
"Good. Horus, Set, you two will join me now. We must keep his attention on us and away from Liv and Ross while they deliver the spear blows." Ddraig informs the team. "Ra, remain hidden until I give the signal. I fear that there is something else going on with Apophis. He said this would be the last time he fought all of you."
"He has allies? A secret plan?" Bastet asks as she joins the call.
"Could we be about to be invaded by outsiders?" Ra asks.
"No idea. Remain hidden and protect the denizens of the realm. Don't join the battlefield at all costs. We made this plan to protect their lives and Ra. If Ra falls, the realm will fall. Understood?" Ddraig asks.
"Yes!" Everyone replies.
"Very well. Horus, Set, your turn. Yasaka, try to cleanse the dark waters within the city. I fear what they could do if left alone. Eury, start scanning the immediate area for enemy forces." Ddraig says as he continues to draw the attention of the copies.
His tone and orders were those of a general. None dared oppose him as he was putting his own life on the line to achieve the desired outcome.
General POV.
*ROKKA- Nisha Senitsu*
Apophis tried but resigned himself as the spear was not going anywhere. His anger increases as he focuses on trying to find the mysterious horse riders, but his luck is about to take another turn.
His body shrieked in joy as he felt the presence of his so-called magnum opus.
From the north, a golden falcon with a blinding yellow halo sitting on his back held a golden spear as he made his presence known by their nemesis.
A garnet, "Sha," arose from the south with a matching halo and a double-headed ax.
Each one had faced Apophis for a long time. Losing many of their people, followers, and allies over the ages. For every win, thousands lost their lives as they fought with all they got to bring the "snake" down.
Past rivalries, sins, and mistakes were thrown away as Apophis came into their lives. It ravaged the land on its first appearance, leaving ruins for them to rebuild. Families were destroyed, and thousands of corpses were left as a result of his attack.
It did unite them, but the cost was not worth it. No, when you must bear the destruction of your homeland and face the pain of those you are supposed to protect.
Horus and Set took deep breaths as they focused their sights on the target before them. They knew this must be the last time they ever faced the "snake." No more sequels of this horrible saga, which survived for far too long.
"My masterpieces. How glad I am to see you two after our last dance. Those faces have always brought joy to my life. Come on, show me exactly what I want to see." Apophis said as he tried to incite them to come closer.
Neither moved as they had seen the trap before. The dark waters were dangerous as they were deadly to anyone who came into contact with them. Any injuries from contact with the water took a long time to heal. It poisoned the victims, dissolved the skin, and, in the worst cases, corroded the inside of those unlucky enough to come into contact.
Both had endured the effects of the liquid as they had to replace entire organs in their bodies just to survive to tell the tale.
Today wasn't going to be like any other occasion. Suddenly, several Tori Gates appeared around the perimeter of the city. Pure light emanated from within the structures as they resonated with each other and began suppressing the city's dark waters. Weird sounds were heard from within the waters as if it were some kind of living organism.
Before long, the waters had been contained into a small area not larger than a house.
"Where? How?" Apophis asks as he looks around for the source of such power.
"Don't look away from us, bastard." Horus rushes in with his spear, which changes into a mace and strikes the head of the evil dragon with tremendous strength into the ground below.
"You think this is a fun theater for you to laugh about." Set joins the fight as he delivers a gruesome slash into the face of the dragon.
Apophis grins as he twists his large body to smack both gods away. His tremendous force was able to split any building in half, but Set and Horus didn't evade the attack as they dropped their weapons and used their godly strength to grab the dragon's body and lock it into place.
"Now!" Both gods screamed as they opened a clear path for Liv and Ross.
Like a supersonic meteor, Sieg descends from the skies and into the body of Apophis. Liv, who was holding a new lance in her right hand, delivers a devastating blow to the dragon as she buries the lance into his body.
"Second lance ready." The girl tells herself as she guides the horse away before they get too involved in the fight.
"Good job. I'm still charging the third lance; give me just a moment." Rossweisse says as she holds a black cube in her hand. As her energy flew into the cube, it began to change shape until a new lance was formed. Each one took a lot of her power to be activated.
"Take your time. I will keep us on the move and with the speed necessary to pierce his scales." Liv says as she guides Sieg to continue to run around the city's perimeter.
The dragon's scales were far too tough to pierce easily with their current resources. They couldn't just kill Apophis and be done with it; they needed to immobilize the target and ensure his soul couldn't get away before Ereshkigal could claim his soul.
So they developed seven lances with the help of Eury and Ereshkigal that must be buried in the dragon's body. Seven areas needed to be struck with the lances with the head, heart, and tail as the most crucial to achieving their goal. They had delivered the strike to the head and the second lance, which left them with five more strikes, which included its heart and tail.
Ereshkigal was safely awaiting the moment to strike while Baraqiel kept her safe.
It left the rest of the team to draw attention and deliver the lances swiftly. Coordination was crucial as there were no more lances, and one mistake could spell failure for the whole operation.
Everyone had a task in the operation, and theirs was likely the hardest, as there was no place for failure. One slip and it could end with them being killed by the dragon.
Apophis's POV.
"Another one. Where are those sluts? These damn lances are painful." Apophis released his body from the grasp of Horus and Set as he slithered away before flying into the sky.
His mind couldn't understand where these unexpected visitors came from—first, Ddraig and two mysterious horse riders. He needed answers as this was not his usual visit.
Looking behind him, he saw how Ddraig was leading Horus and Set after him. He could see how they listened and stayed close to him as if he were their leader.
"Why are they obeying him? He's not even part of this pantheon." He couldn't understand it, as there was no way they would have accepted help from outsiders. "They will never accept him here. Ddraig is hated across several places, so why is he here?"
The dragon charged his beam and began to shoot a barrage of attacks towards the trio. Pure beams of darkness intended to take the trio down, but they began to evade each one until a much more powerful one was fired against them.
Ddraig placed himself before the beam and fired his own attack. The clash was tremendous as the power of the Eclipse Dragon matched the weakened Welsh Dragon. It was a stalemate as neither beam was able to overcome the other.
Horus and Set saw the clear opening that Ddraig was offering them, so they moved past Ddraig to meet Apophis.
The dragon saw them approaching and began making copies of himself to face them, yet they showed no fear as they continued to meet their objective.
"To hell with your damn clones." Horus lifts his spear and sends waves of blinding, sharp light attacks toward all copies.
Apophis' eyes widened in surprise as he saw the golden falcon going beyond his limits.
"You're going down tonight, no matter what." Set infuses all his power into his ax and delivers a series of cuts throughout the dragon's body.
Apophis feels that the duo seriously injured his body, but he couldn't help but grin as he felt a sense of pride at the sight of his "toys" growing so much. He smiles as he gets forced to end his beam and try to escape. "Oh, you two are perfect. Those faces, that power, I couldn't help but want to fight you time after time. Look at it, Dad, I made them into this. They are my pride and joy. I'm more than happy to offer their souls to you."
Even in the face of complete annihilation, he couldn't help but feel a weird and twisted enjoyment as he saw them fight with all they had to try to take them down.
But his joy quickly ended as his body began to freeze at an unnatural speed. As his eyes looked behind him, he saw a horned, winged devil with several magical circles surrounding her.
"Freeze until you can't move a single muscle, bastard," Serafall says as she snaps her fingers.
Apophis' body is wholly frozen as it begins to fall back onto the surface. Apophis's mind goes blank as he's unable to move even a muscle. He couldn't understand it; it annoyed him as another outsider joined the fight, but he had to admit that they got him with that sneaky attack.
As his body descends, two new adversaries rush in and use their sharp claws to cut through his frozen scales while they search for a specific organ. It was the feline duo Bastet and Sekhmet. The sisters worked hard and fast to find the target. It took them a few moments until they saw the cold heart of the dragon.
"We found the heart. Come in for the third." Bastet informed Liv and Ross as Sekhmet, and she forced the muscles to the side to give them a clear path to the heart.
Liv and Ross rushed in with the third lance ready.
Apophis' eyes could barely register as his heart was pierced by the third lance moments before his body hit the ground.
General POV.
The city was utterly destroyed as the dragon's body lay immobile for a couple of moments. They knew they couldn't protect the city and its residents while fighting Apophis, so they decided to abandon it and worry about rebuilding afterward.
Sacrifices had to be made as the primary goal was far more critical than thousands of buildings. Not even Ra's temple was saved as Apophis's head fell right on top of it.
The operation members remained alert as they awaited the dragon's next move. Serafall had frozen his entire body, but that meant nothing for a creature that could ignite itself from within.
As they counted the seconds, they felt the area's temperature increased with impressive speed.
The jewels around Apophis' body turned red as flames erupted from within the beast's body, bringing the dragon back to life.
Liv and Ross were long gone as they prepared the fourth lance, but Ddraig and the others remained close as the fight was far from over.
Yasaka's POV.
The nine-tailed fox controlled her breathing, surveilling the battlefield with her spells while remaining hidden beneath the sand. Alongside her was Anubis, who helped her to move while keeping both of them safe from the sight of the dragon.
Millions of scarabs continued to dig through the sand and acted as a makeshift underground train that continuously moved beneath the sand to keep both of them away from danger. It was a rather disgusting experience as they lay on top of so many insects, but Yasaka didn't have much time to worry about it.
"Three lances down, and Apophis has gotten up for the next round. This hunt is not going to be easy." Yasaka said.
"It was to be expected. The bastard has fought our realm for eons, and even with outside help, it wouldn't be a walk through the park. Thankfully, there won't be civilians lost tonight." The jackal-headed god said as he controlled his army of scarabs. "Thank you, Khepri. Although you're gone, your powers remain helpful to this day."
"Move us farther away from the city. He's incinerating everything on its immediate path." Yasaka said as she used her spells to see what was happening on the surface.
"Understood," Anubis orders his minions, and the train changes course as they get farther away from the fight. "Can you keep it going until the end? You are using several spells at the moment."
"I'll do what's necessary to help them. He's doing his best as well, even in a weakened state. I can't fall behind." Yasaka says with a confident tone as she continues her task.
Anubis couldn't help but be surprised by the camaraderie between Ddraig and his allies, from pointing their weapons against Horus to protect him to fighting an evil dragon with nail and tooth without any fear. He never imagined that he would ever see the day in which an angel, a fallen angel, a devil, a youkai, and even a goddess of the dead joined forces with the Welsh Dragon, but here he was.
"Hades is going to have a hard time accepting that another two neutral gods have joined forces with the Alliance, but it is the only path forward. Our homeland and family come first." Anubis told himself as he continued to guide the scarabs.
General POV. Above the sand.
Fire everywhere they looked as those that weren't immune to it kept a safe distance while Ddraig engaged Apophis on close counters. Apophis continued to breathe intense currents of fire. At the same time, the jewels around his body acted as a system of firing turrets that tried to neutralize anyone within a certain distance of the dragon.
It was a tense situation as the dragon kept them constantly moving without a second to breathe.
But Ddraig pushed on as his body twisted and moved in ways that shouldn't be possible. Like a predator determined to catch its prey, he pushed forward with sword in hand.
The projectiles weren't accurate enough to hit him, and the flames were useless as he pushed on. Once he reaches the tail, he pins it to the ground by burying the blade into it, thus preventing Apophis from escaping that location. With that out of the way, Ddraig goes after the head of the dragon.
Apophis pulls his tail, but he can't release it from Ascalon. Tears escape his eyes as the teeth of the blade cut through his flesh, and the anti-dragon energy starts to spread into his body. "That thing is trying to devour me. Damn you, Ddraig!"
The evil dragon stops breathing fire and tries to swallow Ddraig, but the Welsh Dragon uses this chance to lock his jaws into place as he captures each mandible with his four limbs. "Gabriel, take the gems down!"
His voice calls out to the remaining missing member of the operation.
From the sky, several chakrams descend and begin to strike each of the jewels along the length of the dragon with sharp precision. The gems are cut and neutralized, thus offering the remaining members time to attack.
Everyone rushes forward before using their entire arsenal against Apophis; meanwhile, Ddraig grits his teeth as he keeps the head of Apophis in place.
It was an incredible task as Apophis increased the strength behind his jaws with each second, but Ddraig didn't release him or allow him to move away.
Apophis was pushed against the ropes, as his eyes widened in fear. From the corner of his eyes, he watched the riders reappear and came holding two lances instead of one this time.
The riders delivered one spear right into his tail, but the second was thrown into the arms of the devil. He couldn't hear what one of the riders said, but the devil nodded as she moved with a goal in mind.
Serafall moved as she held the lance in her arms until she found the location in which to bury the lance. She didn't have the speed or the strength to do it alone, but someone else did. Serafall used her spells to create several chains that locked the lance into place. "Gabriel, take care of it," Serafall said as she touched her ear.
Like a holy meteor, Gabriel descended to the surface before she delivered a titanic punch that buried the lance deep into the body of the dragon.
Apophis was enduring an enormous amount of pain as he had to face the overwhelming coordination of the team. He felt the pressure, but he wasn't ready to give up.
An absurd amount of energy accumulated within his body, alerting everyone to his possible following action. Everyone knew that such actions spell trouble, so they began to rush away.
"Get away-" Ddraig was interrupted as he was pulled away from the immediate area around Apophis by Gabriel.
"You're not getting yourself killed by a kamikaze attack," Gabriel said as she got them away from the area.
Ascalon felt the imminent danger and transformed into his canine form before running away from the attack.
A massive explosion occurred, and its impact wave hit everyone within a certain distance. The entire realm got shaken to its core as Apophis tried to take down the whole team with a kamikaze attack.
Ddraig's POV.
Ddraig picks himself up from the sand alongside Gabriel as the dust settles. "I was going to be fine."
"Sure. You can endure an explosion like that." Gabriel snapped at him as she signaled the mushroom cloud in the center of what once was the realm's capital. "He became a nuke, Ddraig. A draconic nuke, you're in no place to take such an attack on."
"... Sorry." The dragon says as he accepts his mistake.
"Don't try something like that ever again. I will punch some reason into you if I need to." Gabriel said as she held his hand with visible worry.
"Once more, I'm sorry," Ddraig says as he looks around for the rest of the team.
Ascalon barks as he comes rushing in.
"Good job." Ddraig releases Gabriel's hand and grabs his sword.
The remaining team members begin to climb out of the sand and approach their leader.
"He blew himself up. The bastard blew himself into pieces." Sekhmet said as she signaled the cloud.
"... You think that was his plan?" Ddraig asks the goddess.
"What? Do you think otherwise?" Sekhmet asks.
"Sekhmet, we have fought him for eons. He won't take such a way out. It has to be something else. I doubt this is the end." Horus said as his eyes looked into the cloud.
"He is still alive. Get ready for the last round of the hunt." Set cracks his neck as he awaits Apophis's next move.
Liv and Rossweisse take off as they need to prepare the remaining lances. Rossweisse looked tired, but she was determined to see it through.
As the team prepared for the next stage, they began to feel a malignant presence from within the explosion area.
*Dark Souls 3 OST- Darkeater Midir Theme.*
Vibrant purple scales became visible as the sand settled. The lances remained alongside most of the damage he had received, but their new appearance told everyone that the real fight had just begun.
Its head had split into two, thus creating a new challenge for them; as the long dragon rose to the sky, its malignant aura spread to every corner of the land, inflicting fear into the heart of the realm's inhabitants.
Horus and his fellow gods couldn't believe what they saw as a purple flame halo appeared on top of Apophis's heads.
"A fake god. You dare to mimic us!" Set shouts at the fake god, who was now looking down at them.
Apophis smiled from ear to ear as it smelled the fear in their hearts.
"Remain calm. Apophis is no god, and he will never be. He's trying to inflict fear into you, and if you let him do as he pleases, he will achieve what he desires. Are you not the defenders of this realm?" Ddraig asks the members of Ra's pantheon. The dragon reaches out into his pocket storage and pulls out his second weapon, the spear that Ophis had created for him. "Do you submit to your fear, or will you face it head-on?"
Horus looks at his spear and takes a deep breath. "Set, I'm ready when you are."
Set looks at his fellow god. He could see the determination on his face. "I know. It is time to end this nightmare. Sekhmet, we'll release some of the seals."
"But she could go on a rampage," Bastet argues.
"We'll help to stop her if that happens," Serafall says as she pats her on the shoulder.
"Are you sure of this, Horus? I haven't used that in a long time." Sekhmet as she awaits their choice. "All of you put these things on me to prevent another event like that."
"And we need our strongest sister to show her might once more. That dragon is our nemesis; if we let him get away, we won't get a second chance." Horus says as he points his spear at Apophis.
Sekhmet sighs. "Very well. Ddraig?"
"Yes?" The dragon turns to her.
"Try to keep up; if I lose it, cut my head off. I'll regret it my whole life if I hurt Bastet." Sekhmet says.
"... I won't let it get to it. I promise." Ddraig tells her.
"... We'll see about that," Sekhmet says as her fellow gods place their hands on her shoulders.
Horus and Set begin to chant as they release the dormant beast from her from several of her chains. Sekhmet's fur turns black, and her eyes grow red as blood. The halo on her back spins faster and faster as she's returned to her prime.
"Get out of my way," Sekhmet says as she marks her target.
Everyone moves away, and the goddess disappears in a flash before they can say a word. Looking at Apophis, they see he has received three sharp claw marks across his two heads.
The dragon cries in pain as he blasts Sekhmet with his beam of darkness. The goddess crashes down into the ground but gets up right after before going after another bite.
"She can't do it on her own. Move out." Ddraig spreads his wings and takes off to join the fight against Apophis.
The rest of the team chases after him and begins attacking Apophis with everything they have.
Far away from the main battlefield, Rogier's ship. Eury's POV.
The goddess continued to analyze the realm for signs of other enemy forces but couldn't find any signs of an invasion. A series of terminals and machines surrounded her as she checked everything that could spell trouble for them.
"Is it possible for more enemies to come to this place?" Ingvild asked as she stood beside the goddess.
"I wish it weren't, but we must expect the unexpected. Apophis has siblings, and Crom is his father, so either of the other evil dragons could appear in the middle of the fight. The possibility is not zero." Eury said.
"... Should we call the rest of the Alliance?" Ingvild asked.
"I already told them to mobilize the Unicorn with our strongest forces. Although it is not a battleship, it is fast enough to bring our troops on time. They should be reaching the gate in 20 minutes or less. I told Ra, and he didn't object. Hopefully, they won't be necessary." Eury said.
"You don't want Ddraig to use that power. You seem worried."
"I have to be. The Welsh Dragon is my Uncle and someone important to all of us. We don't know if he'll survive for long if he uses that thing again. He won't think twice about using it if things worsen. He's that kind of dragon."
"... If only I could use my powers to help," Ingvild says as she sits on the chair nearby.
Eury turns to her. "You don't have to feel like that. You're not a fully trained soldier; we can't force you to activate the gear. The fact that you came along and followed our orders throughout this month is already an achievement that you should be proud of. You came with us to a land you never visited alongside a group of misfits without a single excuse."
"I wouldn't call any of you misfits; we never had a problem between us. It has been a rather enjoyable trip alongside all of you."
Eury smiles. "We're in this together, so causing problems for each other wouldn't be the best choice. "Don't call yourself useless, Ingvild. Your powers will awaken when the time is right; until then, take things one step at a time. Serafall, me, and everyone else will be there to support you, so don't rush into things."
The girl could see that the goddess was being honest with her. Her powers as a half-devil could see through the lies, and since she first woke up from her sleep inside the sarcophagus, she had not listened to a single lie. Ingvild felt that she could trust them with her future. "Thanks."
"Don't sweat it. Let's hope Uncle doesn't need to use that power tonight." Eury said as she returned to her terminal.
"Yes…." Ingvild touched the wall behind her. "Could my song reach you even at this distance?"
Maybe her awakening was closer than she could imagine.
Back on the battlefield. General POV.
The two-headed fake snake god pushed on in a fight against Ddraig and his allies. He had the power to best Horus and his pantheon under normal circumstances, but this night had been different.
Ddraig's sword had cleanly cut his second head, and he lacked any regeneration abilities to repair all the damage he had received in the middle of the fight.
He was against the ropes, and although he had injured Horus, Set, and Sekhmet, Ddraig and the rest mainly remained intact as they pushed on.
Every cut, punch, kick, spell, and godly attack pushed him closer to defeat as he could not match their team effort. His dark clones were limited, and he was running out of energy.
He had received six lances alongside the length of his body, and one more was coming, unknown to him.
He grinned as he expected the sweet relief of death.
"It hurts, but I'm proud of my toys. Look at how far you have come. You even brought little Sekhmet back into her prime. I couldn't be happier. Come, let us exchange more blood and blows. Until our last dance comes to an end." The twisted mind of the evil dragon could only think about the pride he felt when it came to Ra's pantheon.
So many fights. So many deaths. So much carnage. It was also beautiful before Apophis's eyes as he felt a twisted sense of love for the pantheon of Ra. He cherished them as toys he could break, forcing them to become stronger.
He killed a few thousand and a few gods sometimes.
They kill him next time.
And so the cycle repeated for eons. A dance between two sides that were constantly fighting and becoming stronger. It was a twisted rivalry, or so Apophis believed.
It was his own twisted dream, and only he could see it with cheerful eyes.
Horus and Set bury their weapons deep into the remaining eyes of the dragon while Ddraig and the rest pin his body to the ground.
"Kill me. Offer me one last breath." Apophis thought as he fought back, trying to release himself.
"Damn you!" Sekhmet screamed as she summoned several bloody chains from her body and used them to bind the dragon. "Finish him! I can't keep going." She felt her reason escaping her grasp.
Liv and Rossweisse reappear as they wield the last lance. Their steed jumps into the sky and descends with impressive speed, ready to deliver the final blow.
Apophis smiles as he expects his last breath, but his smile disappears as he feels a sharp pain across his body. "What are you doing?"
The lances activate as the symbols begin to glow. Apophis loses control over his body as the power of the lances suppresses his soul.
Baraqiel appears alongside Ereshkigal before the remaining head of the now blind evil dragon.
"The madness of your soul is deep, but it will no longer affect this realm," Ereshkigal said as she touched the head of Apophis.
The soul of Apophis shrieks in fear as he feels her touch.
Ereshkigal reaches deep into the dragon and grabs a hold of his soul. "You expected to escape like any other time. To freely return to your cave and reform your body just to return once more to bring chaos to this realm, but no more. Tonight is the end of your madness, Apophis."
The group watches as the soul of Apophis is dragged out of his body and absorbed into the lamp that Ereshkigal holds in her other hand.
"Free me! Let me go!" Apophis screamed as he tried to escape, but his fate was sealed.
He screamed for mercy until the very end as Ereshkigal imprisoned his soul. His body became motionless as his heart stopped beating.
It was finally over.
Sekhmet released her chains and fell to her knees. "Help me."
Horus, Set, and Bastet rushed to her aid as they sought to restore the seals. She screamed in anger as her power was forcefully suppressed before she fell unconscious in her sister's arms.
Bastet caresses her face with tears in her eyes. "You did good, Sekh. It's time for you to rest."
Horus and Set teared up as they saw the motionless body of their nemesis below them.
"Is finally over," Set said.
"It is. They can finally rest in peace." Horus says as he holds his face.
The victims' memories come back to them as they feel the beginning of a new era. The trio turns to Ddraig and the others.
"Thank you for all of your help."
Ddraig and his team shake their heads.
"It was part of our agreement. We helped you with your nemesis, and you'll help us with ours. We'll face the future together from now on." Ddraig says. "Now, get up. You need to get some bandages and ointment after all that."
Everyone smiled as the peace seemed to have returned to the realm.
Ereshkigal watched the group with a satisfied expression before she turned to look at the lamp in her left hand. "You have been a troublesome fellow for quite a long time. I think it is about time you get some kind of punishment."
The lamp shook in anger as it heard her voice.
The team began to move away from the corpse of the dragon and towards the remains of the plaza. Horus was carrying the sleeping Sekhmet.
Surprisingly, the monolith was the only thing that remained intact after the gruesome fight.
"That's one hard monolith." Serafall joked as she approached it to touch it. "Ddraig, Gabriel, come and see. We should use this material."
Seraph and dragon smiled at each other as they approached the structure.
While this happened, the lamp continued to swing within Ereshkigal's grasp. The goddess seemed angry as she didn't expect such an unruly prisoner. "You will learn some manners."
Ereshkigal touched the imprisoned soul to see what the Apophis was trying to say, but when she did, her eyes grew wide in shock. Many things rushed into her mind; one was the worst of all.
Time seemed to slow down as she tried to alert everyone of what was coming, but she was too late.
A breach in space opens in the sky, and a deadly black blast descends right into their location. A massive explosion twice the size of Apophis occurs, sending the whole realm into high alert.
Ddraig's POV.
The Welsh Dragon opened his eyes after the dust settled. His body was in pain but felt protected. He felt an unknown weight on top of him.
When he had more clarity about what was happening, his heart sank.
The bloodied wings of a seraph and devil were on top of him. To each side of him, he could see the gravely injured bodies of his beloved Serafall and Gabriel.
Gabriel seemed to have received the worst of the attack as the left side of her face had been charred beyond recognition. She had lost her left eye and likely other things.
Serafall was no better, as she was barely alive, although in one piece. Gabriel had done everything she could to protect both of them.
"No, no, no!" Ddraig's mind slowly lost control as the tears flew. "Sera, Gabriel, wake up. You can't be dead. No, you can't leave me."
The hands of the dragon moved as he searched for all the phoenix drops he had in his storage. His hand trembles as he uses the drops on both girls, but even after using three tears on both, neither opens their eyes.
He could hear their heartbeats, but they were barely there.
Ddraig felt his world crumbling around him as he screamed to the sky. For all the things he had ever done, this couldn't be his punishment. He had already paid with his body; he was imprisoned in the Booster Gear for at least 21 centuries and carried the husks in his back as penance, but this was too much.
Around Ddraig, Set was the only one around him who got up, although he could barely move his body. "What happened?" His eyes turned to the sky and saw three mysterious black ships with the shapes of jellyfish from which endless troops of mysterious enemies emerged. "Who are they?"
Ddraig slowly turned his head towards the sky, and his remaining reason disappeared as soon as he saw how he was standing on one of the ships. "Crom Cruach, it was you." Ddraig turns to his beloved once more, and his anger increases even more. "Set, take everyone to safety."
"But-" Set stops as he sees what Ddraig is doing.
The Welsh Dragon reaches out and pulls one of his eyes before he writes a rune on it and offers it to Set. "Bring them to Eury and make sure she gets the eye. I'm going to take care of the enemies... I need to fix this."
Set remains silent and just nods as he's unable to disobey Ddraig in such a state. He could see the anger on his face. It didn't take a genius to know that Gabriel and Serafall meant the world to him.
The god forces himself to stand up and approaches the dragon. He grabs the eye and summons his weapon. "I promise that I won't let them die."
Set hits the sand with his weapon twice, which activates his power. The sand rises and envelops everyone before they disappear.
Ddraig touches his ear. "This is an order from the Welsh Dragon. Don't come to my location. Stay as far away as possible. I will take the enemy alone. I'm not holding back or taking prisoners. Don't get involved."
He then crushes the device before he stands up. "Ascalon, Ouros."
The sword and spear return to his hands.
"Infinity." The ability activates.
"Ddraig, what is all of this?" Issei asks his partner as he returns. His mind absorbs many memories, bringing him joy and pain as he comes to know what happened to Serafall and Gabriel.
"... I need you. I can't do this alone. He hurt them; he tried to take them away from us!"
"... Let's go. Your pain is mine as well. Until none remain."
"Until none of them remain."
The crimson flames of the Welsh Dragon form a halo on his back while his horns are set ablaze once more.
"A dragon, a Buddha, or an Asura?"
"The question is that, but the result will always be the same."
"Destruction you shall bring to your enemies."
"Mercy has been forgotten as the lines have been crossed."
"Oblivion is the only thing your hands shall bring to them."
"Destroy them, our Welsh Dragon. Our god. Our destined one."
The husks stop chanting as the path is set. Ddraig turns around as he faces the enemies he must face.
"None of you will survive tonight. Every single one will pay for what you did, especially you, Crom Cruach!"
The dragon summons his army and spreads his wings before taking off with a single goal.
The annihilation of his enemies and Crom Cruach.
Meanwhile, Eury and Ingvild.
"No, Uncle! Don't do this!" Eury ran to the ship's deck as she screamed at him to stop, but her voice couldn't reach him.
Ingvild stood beside her as she couldn't believe what had occurred. All happened too suddenly, but she knew that it was a point of no return for Ddraig.
Set brought everyone to the ship, and Rogier, alongside his team, was healing them, but the shape in which Gabriel and Serafall were was dire.
"Eury, you're needed below."
"But he's going to get himself killed."
"... I'll try to stop him."
"Ingvild-"
"My voice might be able to reach him. If there's a time to activate my gear, it is now."
Eury could see the desire to help in her face. "Alright, I'll help the others and come back to aid you. Don't go after him. It is best to remain at a safe distance with him in that state."
Ingvild nods, and Eury climbs back into the lower level. As the young maiden looked into the distance, she could hear his screams full of pain and sorrow as large explosions took everything in its path.
Thousands of burning corpses fell to the sand as the Welsh Dragon set out to eliminate all of them.
One of the ships fell in a matter of seconds as it was cut in half. The screams of those inside as the crimson flames burned them were loud enough that the entire realm could hear them clearly.
Ingvild touched her chest as she imagined the Welsh Dragon's pain—the pain of losing someone dear to their heart and a family member. She didn't know what relationship Gabriel and he had, but she knew it was enough for him to lose control.
*Kegani feat DracoVirgo- Seiren Naru Heretics*
"Please… let my voice reach you and bring you back to us… Kagi wo kakete, tojikomotte iru no? (Are you secluding yourself away with the door locked?)"
The future dragon diva began to sing her heart out, hoping to reach the enraged dragon before it was too late.
Will a miracle happen? Only time will tell.
A new fight had just begun.