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
Location: Redacted.
Rain fell on his battered, draconic body. His black and golden scales had been unable to protect him from his opponent's attacks. He tried to raise his head to meet his opponent's, but he was too injured to do that much.
"You're not the one I seek." His opponent said. "You lack the drive that I seek in a rival."
Crom Cruach's eyes glared at his opponent with anger. "You're calling me weak?"
His opponent shakes his head. "You're strong, but you lack what I seek. I can't feel a connection between us. You lack drive, and I can't enjoy a fight with someone like that." The one behind this voice was no other than Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon. His voice remained calm as he spoke to his fellow dragon. His voice was filled with many injuries, although he had clearly defeated his adversary. "Your attacks lack purpose, and your power lacks refinement."
"How dare you? I'm the strongest of all of us."
"If that's the case, why is that the case? What is the reason behind your strength? Why do you fight?" Ddraig questions Crom.
"..." Such questions took Crom by surprise.
"You claim to be the strongest, but your attacks lack the will of said title. You're hollow, and you lack purpose. I couldn't detect joy or true anger as we fought. You moved like some kind of puppet that lacks real purpose. There's nothing to be gained from such a fight." Ddraig turned away and spread his wings with the intent to leave Crom Cruach behind.
"I'm not a puppet." Crom Cruach charges an attack and tries to fire, but Ddraig rushes forward and pierces his neck with his claws. Blood spills into the ground as Crom looks deep into the eyes of Ddraig.
"... There was no need for this, but you forced my hand. Luckily, you can return to life; that is your power, which is amazing compared to the rest of us. Great Red said that yours is the most useful of our powers, but you lack purpose and the will to use it effectively. Find your place in life; find a reason for your existence, Crom Cruach. I hope you do, and maybe we can fight again." Ddraig pulls his claw away and leaves the dying dragon alone.
Crom Cruach watches with tears as Ddraig departs after hitting the core of his soul. His body lost blood in extreme amounts as the wound was severe. It was true; he lacked purpose and didn't understand why he was alive.
For as long as he had a consciousness, he questioned everything, including his very existence.
He questioned the very existence of dragons and their place in the world. Why were they alive? What was the reason for their powers? Why do they even exist when compared to any other creatures?
Questions plagued his mind as he felt empty and without a clear path compared to his fellow dragons. He met all of them, and none seemed to question their own existences, not even Albion, who remained isolated due to his deadly poison.
They all seemed to have found things that brought them joy, even if they were just food or searching for treasures to add to their collections.
"A reason why you exist? You're the one that needs to find the answer to that question, my boy." Gaia told him when he asked her for some guidance.
Such an answer annoyed him because it made him more confused. He hoped their so-called "mother" would give him a straight answer, but she wasn't much help.
"Only you can answer that question, Crom. The world before you is a canvas; you need to paint it as you see fit." Great Red replied when asked a similar question.
This answer only annoyed him as he felt like the outcast of the group. An outcast that his fellow dragons couldn't understand. A lonely dragon that lacked guidance and a place in the world.
Many years later. Location: Otherworld.
"Crom?" A voice called out to him.
Crom began to open his eyes only to find himself surrounded by the members of his generation. Ddraig, Albion, Tiamat, Tannin, Yu Long, Midg, Fafnir, and Vritra were present. All looked concerned as their eyes remained focused on him.
"How are you feeling?" Vritra asks him as he finishes removing some mysterious equipment from his body.
"My head hurts. I feel horrible. Why is that?" Crom asks the group.
"... You were under the control of Balor and other gods. We're in the Otherworld. He brainwashed you into becoming his puppet. You attacked us on Earth, and we chased you until we reached this place to figure out what was happening to you." Tannin said.
"We were somewhat surprised when we learned about one of us being controlled by an evil god. Thankfully, Lugh aided us in releasing you." Yu Long said as he signaled the ruins in which they found themselves.
"It was an entire fortress filled with enemies. They attacked us from all sides, but we defeated all of them. It was an enjoyable adventure." Albion said as he remembered the fights he faced alongside Ddraig. He couldn't help but smile as he saw how much they grew as rivals.
"It was a one-time adventure. I hope this is the only time we have to deal with something like this. We're dragons, no puppets to be used by others." Ddraig said as he seemed disgusted at the idea of being someone's puppet.
"I couldn't agree more, but we must discuss what to do about them," Midg said as he turned to signal five young dragons staring at them.
Each one exuded potential and auras similar to Crom, although each one was completely different in appearance from said dragon.
"Crom, we need your opinion regarding this," Fafnir said. "You're the one that decides what happens with these five."
"Why? And who are they?" Crom asked as he saw the five young dragons.
"They are your children," Tiamat said. "Technically, they are altered clones. Your captors made them after using your genetic material as a basis based on the documents we found. They planned for more, but we prevented that from happening."
"Congratulations. You have joined the "daddy" club alongside Tannin." Vritra joked as he patted the shoulder of Crom, who was in shock.
The children remained silent but slowly approached Crom. Each one seemed to know who he was, and by nature, they felt drawn to him as their leader.
Crom took a step back as he felt scared of the children. "Me a father? This can't be. I have no idea how to be one."
"Slow down, Crom. I know it must be scary. I'm still learning how to be a parent, but there's no need to run. They are trying to get close to their father, so don't push them away." Tannin said.
But Crom was too scared. "What are all of you expecting from me? I can't be a parent."
"But you have to take responsibility for them. They exist because of you. We don't know how you got involved in this mess, but you must face this challenge." Tiamat argues.
"We're willing to offer our aid if needed, but you can't ignore this. These five are yours, no matter how you look at it." Midg said.
Crom begins to shake his head as his panic levels increase. The tiny faces of his so-called offspring came closer, and he backed away.
"Crom, don't you dare-" Ddraig was interrupted as Crom spread his wings and flew away with impressive speed. "... Bastard. How can he do something like this?"
"He's still immature. Most likely, he can't face the task of being in charge of someone else's life." Yu Long says.
"Well, this is a massive problem. We can't leave these five alone. Just look at this tiny-" Albion tried to pat the little head of the young Apophis, but he received a nasty bite. "Aren't you an aggressive fellow?"
The group felt the rising auras of the five children. They were far from normal dragons as they had been created to be used as weapons.
"Kids, calm down. We're just trying to help." Tiamat tried to reason with the kids.
But it was in vain as the five kids glared at them and took off after their father.
It had been the first time they met, but they already knew that the five meant trouble.
"Should we chase after them?" Vritra asked.
"... They won't obey us. We're not who they seek to follow." Ddraig said.
Tannin shakes his head as he worries about the fate of the children. "Gaia might be able to convince Crom to raise them, but we can't force him."
Neither of those present felt happy with the actions of Crom that day. Tannin was the only one with a kid, but even then, they knew something that Crom didn't.
"One must take responsibility for their descendants at all cost."
Day 31 of the trip. Location: Redacted.
Crom Cruach awoke sweaty as he dreamed about that day again. He tried to remain calm as he remembered the fear he felt as his fellow dragons asked him to take responsibility for his "children." He didn't feel ready back then, nor did he do so many years later.
He felt repulsion towards the five as he didn't create them. They were products of a mad group of gods who needed weapons for their plans. "I'm the victim. I shouldn't be responsible for them."
Crom Cruach could barely remember how Balor and his allies even brainwashed him.
Was he in a tavern when it happened? Was that red-headed lady involved as well? It was supposed to be another day of drinks and maybe a one-night stand, not a whole plot in which he became a puppet for a group with devious intentions.
He regretted all of it. He couldn't return from it, as not even Gaia offered him any consolation after returning to Earth.
"Crom, we need to speak."
"Gaia, I don't wanna talk about it."
"Crom, they are your children."
"They are not. I never asked for any of this."
"And so what? Are you going to leave them alone?"
"They are not my responsibility."
"They are. Those children need you even if you didn't plan for this. You can't run away from this and expect others to raise them."
"Gaia, I don't even know my own place in the world. How could I hope to raise them and guide them through life?"
"Your fellow dragons and I are willing to help. You just-"
"I won't. None of this is my fault. Balor and his allies are to be blamed for it. They-"
"Balor is dead, and so are his allies. Do you really expect them to raise those children?"
"I won't be a father."
"Crom, don't you-"
That was the last time he ever spoke to Gaia and the last time he visited Earth. He couldn't face Gaia or his fellow dragons. He didn't even try to meet Great Red as he expected a similar result. He ran away as far as he could from all of it, but none was enough to escape them.
Someone knocks on his door. "Father, are you awake?"
He hated it when they called him that. "... I am."
"Good, we are waiting for you alongside Angra Mainyu. Come to the main reunion hall as soon as possible. We need to discuss the plan proposed by Apophis." The voice said.
"... Give me 30 minutes," Crom says as he covers his face with his hand.
"Alright. I'll leave your breakfast outside the door. I brought you fresh fruit today. I hope you like it." The voice said before it walked away.
Crom slowly gets up and makes the short walk towards the door of his room. As he opens the door, he finds a tray with various fruits, an empty glass, and a milk jug. A small note was also found in the tray.
As he picked up, he saw the contents with anger.
"I hope this brightens your day, Father. With love, Nidhogg-chan."
Tears began to roll down his cheek as he leaned against the wall. "Why do you keep following me? I don't care about any of you, yet you continue to chase after me. Why can't you leave me alone?"
He tried to run, but they kept finding him and trying to approach him.
Five years after the birth of the evil dragons.
Crom began to open his eyes inside a cold cave. His body was dressed in a pair of black pants and a matching robe. He had been running from one realm to the other as he tried to evade his so-called sons and the usual dragon hunters. Although he might no longer be living on Earth, dragon hunters were always up for the challenge of claiming the life of a famous dragon.
He didn't enjoy facing them, but a dragon must do what is necessary to survive.
As he made his way outside the cave, he was met with a gruesome sight as several dragon hunters' remains lay all around the entrance.
A head over here, a leg over there, and an arm somewhat hanging from a tree.
"Daddy, you're up." A child's voice said as it saw him.
As Crom looked to his left, he saw a pile of the equipment that once belonged to the group of dragon hunters. Around the mountain of treasure, his five "sons" were sitting dressed in black robes covered in blood. All of them were munching on the food the hunters had brought with them.
The one farthest to the right was a tanned kid with spiky bluish/black hair and matching eyes. Its face was rough as he seemed to glare even if he wasn't angry. He named himself Grendel.
The one after was a bit taller than the rest, and his hair was long and slick. Its red/purple eyes matched his illustrious hair. His face appeared to show a gentler nature. He named himself Apophis.
The one in the middle was unusually cute and tiny for a boy, as his hair was styled into twin tails, and his face was far too feminine. It had pink/bluish eyes and a matching hair color. This child named himself Nidhogg. A bright smile was plastered on his face as he laid eyes on his father.
After Nidhogg came the second tallest of the boys, who had short, wavy lavender/black hair; this boy showed a grinning toothy face as he chewed on a piece of dried meat. He had named himself Azi Dahaka, or just Azi, as his siblings called him out for the extravagant name.
The final of the boys was the one that looked the most similar to him in appearance besides his hair being golden/red instead of golden/black like his. His sleepy expression gave the idea that he just wanted to sleep, but he seemed rather happy as he called Crom "Daddy" and waved his hand. The final boy named himself Ladon.
"Come and eat with us, Daddy," Ladon said as he offered some of the food they had obtained.
"What are you doing here?" Crom asks the kids.
"Chasing after you like always," Azi said with a cheeky tone.
"It is a rather enjoyable game when you make it hard for us, Father. You seemed to hide your scent very well this time, but you allowed yourself to be tracked by hunters. You should be more careful." Apophis suggests as he grabs the head of one of the hunters resting near him.
The dragon picks it up before he tosses it into the air and incinerates it.
"Don't do that while we're eating, Apophis. Food needs to be enjoyed in peace." Niddhog argues as he glares at his brother.
"My bad, Ms. Bossy Niddhog-chan." Apophis jokes.
"Don't make me come there and smack some sense into you. You wish you were as beautiful as I am." Niddhog said.
"Relax, Niddhog. There's no need to fight. Apophis is just jealous of your cuteness." Grendel says as he tries to defuse the situation.
"Thank you, Grendel. At least someone admires my cuteness." Niddhog says before he turns to Crom. "Come closer, Father. You need to eat some breakfast."
Crom remained motionless as he saw their eyes remained locked on him. "They see it as a game. They don't understand that I want them away from me. I need-"
Crom's senses felt an approaching danger. His body went into automatic mode as he rushed forward and jumped after he grabbed the five kids before an incoming barrage of projectiles reached them.
"Our food!" Niddhog screamed as he saw their treasure being destroyed.
"Forget about that, and don't move," Crom screams as he analyzes the environment. "Thirteen new enemies. They seem to have a spell caster with them. Are they after me or the kids?" He carefully planned what to do next as he checked the area.
"Daddy, can we fight them?" Ladon says as his eyes sharpen with a rising bloodlust.
"No, you need to get away from here. I will take care of them. Understood?" Crom asks the quintuplets.
"Yes!" They reply.
"Alright, run to the north, and I'll take care of these enemies." Crom began to release from his grasp.
The kids rushed away one by one, but Niddhog held onto him for one last second.
"Be safe, Father." The boy said with a worried expression.
"... I'll be fine. Now go." Crom told his son as he set out to eliminate the enemies.
An hour later.
Crom Cruach lay covered in the blood and guts of the last of his enemies. His claws cut through armor and any barriers they possess, leaving all of them open to be slain by him.
"Asgardian runes, dwarven armors; seems like I need to run away from this realm unless I attract more attention from Odin and his forces," Crom told himself before he heard the low voice of one of the hunters.
"M…onster….. You… and…. Those… children…. Are…. monsters." The hunter said as he gasped for air.
Crom Cruach approaches the dying Asgardian and puts him out of his misery as he cuts his head off. "They only see us as prey. As monsters to be hunted down for glory and profit. We have no other place in life…. I….. can't raise them. I can't be a parent to them. They shouldn't have been born in a life like this."
Crom Cruach felt them approaching closer. He couldn't face them; he was a bloody mess, and the conflicts inside his head weren't helping. So he ran.
A coward was a befitting title as he continued running from them without knowing how his actions would shape the boys' lives.
Back to the day 31. General POV.
Crom enters the reunion hall, where Niddhog, Apophis, and another being are seated. His sons had grown a lot since those days, and even now, they never stop chasing him around from realm to realm. They even tried to match his attire as they dressed in black coats like his.
"Took you long enough." This voice belongs to a purple phantom with fiery eyes and a chaotic aura surrounding its muscular body.
"Angra Mainyu, you're not my boss," Crom says.
"And I don't enjoy working with you either. I would have preferred if Azi came along instead of you." Angra says.
"Alright, settle down. We have a meeting to get through." Apophis says as he claps his hands.
"Father, sit down. The meeting won't take long." Niddhog says as he signals the seat next to himself.
Crom sits as far away from him as possible, saddens the dragon. Apophis shakes his head as he sees this.
"Let's begin already. I want to return to our main base as soon as possible." Angra says.
"Very well. Based on the plans of Qlippoth, we must start harvesting souls for future projects. Loki has said that it is about time that we begin to use some of his inventions, and he left us with the option of where to start. I suggest that our first objective is my favorite realm, Ra's homeland." Apophis says.
"You really like to mess with them," Niddhog says.
"They are my favorite toys, but all toys need to be put away at some point. Their defenses are not the best, and they have plentiful souls that we could harvest. I will invade first to weaken their gods, and our troops can sweep in to reap the realm. Capturing Ra's soul should be the primary objective." Apophis explains.
"You think you can do it on your own? We're talking about 20+ deities." Angra argues.
"I fought them before, and I won't hold back this time. I will weaken them as much as possible, and if I die, you'll only need to blast the capital into oblivion before harvesting the souls." Apophis turns to his father. "Father, if I don't reply when the ships reach the realm, blast it all into ashes. There's no need to show mercy."
Crom Cruach could see the madness in his eyes—the madness that had developed over the years and the one that he never tried to stop. He never did anything to stop his sons, and due to his active ignorance, they gained some of the worst titles because of their multiple sins. Even now, he indirectly guided them to the Qlippoth door's steps. There was nobody else to blame but himself, and even after so long, he wasn't brave enough to admit it. "... I'll do what I need to."
Crom got up from his seat and exited the room.
Niddhog watched his departure with visible sadness. "Father…"
"Your family makes for a depressing play. A father who can't even acknowledge his sons and a group of sons who continue to try to gain his attention, how depressing is that? How many have you two killed trying to gain his acknowledgment? How many have you destroyed trying to make him turn to you? He doesn't care about any of you." Angra said.
"Get out!" Niddhog screams as he bares his sharp teeth at the evil god.
"Nice fangs. You know that I'm right about this." Angra smiles as he exits the room.
Niddhog slams his fist into the desk. "Damn it all!"
"Niddhog-chan." Apophis clenches his fist as he tries to hold in his pain.
"Why can he look at us? Why can he just accept us? I just wanted us…." Niddhog tears up as he tries to bear the pain that is his life.
The lack of paternal affection hurt deep within each of them. To them, Crom was their father and leader. They only look for the slightest form of love and care, but Crom kept them at a distance.
"I'm going to work this time. Once we achieve the goals of Qlippoth, we'll finally have a place where we six can be a true family—a place where we can be happy." Apophis said.
"... I hope it is true because I don't know how much I can endure within this shitty organization. Those mass-produced devils hit too close to home for my taste." Niddhog says.
"I know," Apophis admits.
None of them knew how deep the rabbit hole went inside said organization.
Back to the present. Crom Cruach's POV.
*Previous OST continues here*
His eyes widened as he felt the presence of Ddraig within the realm. His body senses screamed at him that something was seriously wrong.
"Seems like we have a friend coming to visit. All troops attack." Angra Mainyu said as he appeared next to him. He smiled from ear to ear as he saw the approaching dragon, believing it would be an easy fight.
Crom watched as the thousands of mass-produced devils went on the offensive as they tried to block his approach, but it only took a few seconds to realize that this was going to be useless as an endless number of flaming soldiers rushed forward and cut them all down.
Crom hears their screams as their bodies get cut, pierced, and incinerated by the merciless flaming soldiers of Ddraig's army. There were at least five flaming soldiers for every mass-produced devil, and the results were brutal. "This is not the Welsh Dragon I remember."
"This might become-'' Angra was cut short as his body was cut in half alongside the ship they were standing on. Crimson flames erupted from within the vessel, taking the evil god alongside it as his phantom body got set ablaze.
Crom didn't have time to process what he saw as his face was kicked right into the ship into the left. "This speed and strength." Crom's eyes caught the pure anger in Ddraig's face as he crashed into the jellyfish ship. "Why are you even here?"
The dragon had no time to think as he saw how Ddraig charged a massive blast and fired against the ship. He barely evaded the crimson flames as they ate every corner of the ship alongside its crew.
The screams of thousands as their bodies melted under the brutal flames of the Welsh Dragon were the thing of nightmares. Crom could almost see them reaching out for him as if asking for help as the ship went down.
Knowing that he has to face this dragon, Crom summons his claws and rushes forward to meet the dragon. Ddraig does the same, and once they meet, the difference in power, speed, and technique becomes noticeable.
Crom tries to slash Ddraig with his claws, only for his opponent to evade the attack and pierce his chest with its trident tail. Crom coughs blood as Ddraig's offensive injures his inner organs. The flames start to consume him from within. "You never fought like this."
His nightmare doesn't end as he lunges his body towards the remaining ship with tremendous strength, which ends up with him piercing the vessel.
"Father, what happened?" Niddhog asks as a magical circle appears next to Crom Cruach's head.
"Abandon the vessel now!" Crom screams as he feels the incoming danger. He doesn't even try to look at his chest as he knows that is useless.
His eyes widen as a massive fire serpent pierces the remaining jellyfish before it changes direction and comes after him.
"Nidhogg!" Crom screams as he sees the vessel being completely destroyed.
"I escaped on time. Father, what is this? This was not part of the plan." Niddhog asks Crom as he sees the carnage that is occurring.
"Don't come closer-" Crom doesn't get to finish as he is assaulted by the fire snake, which is incredibly fast for its size. He ends the call and starts flying away.
The dragon flies away as fast as his body can as the flaming beast chases him. His eyes don't need to look back to know that he has the beast behind, and there's no way he can escape it.
"None of this makes sense. Ddraig shouldn't be here, and he shouldn't have such power."
Crom Cruach grinds his fangs against each other as he pushes his speed to its limits and tries everything he can to evade the massive jaws of the beast while his chest is profusely bleeding and the flames are consuming his organs from within. Like a jet pilot trying to avoid enemy missiles, his body maneuvers across the nocturnal sky as he tries to analyze the situation and devise a plan.
"The troops are useless, and we have no ships unless I make a call." Crom creates a new magical circle. "Crom Cruach to home base. I need reinforcements. I repeat, I need-" He doesn't get to finish the call as his ears listen to the screams of Niddhog.
"Father!"
As his eyes look into the distance, he sees the draconic form of Niddhog getting massacred by Ddraig. He was being cut limb by limb without a hint of mercy.
"Nidhogg!" Crom changes directions as he tries to save his son.
Niddhog's POV. Moments before.
"It shouldn't have been like this. It was supposed to be an easy mission." Niddhog looked around the carnage, and his eyes couldn't believe all the damage that one dragon had caused. "Three ships eliminated in second, a million troops incinerated, and Angra is nowhere to be found. How could one being do all of this?"
He needed answers, and he was about to get them when he saw the motionless body of the one behind the massacre.
Not far from him, he saw the blazing appearance of the armored dragon. Ddraig's back initially faced Nidhogg, but then his head began to turn to face him. Its single eye lacked mercy, and the bloodlust that emanated from it made Niddhog want to run away.
"A halo? A dragon shouldn't have such things. Why is this thing in this realm? My instincts are telling me to run, but I can't do that. I can't run away. Father needs me." Niddhog bares his fangs as he chooses to fight. His draconic aura engulfs his body as it starts to change shape.
A long eastern body that resembled his brother appears. Pink and blue jewels surround its length, while two large, meaty draconic wings appear on its back, which seem more like hands than wings. A weapon shaped like a demonic hand saw is at the end of its tail.
"I won't run away!" Niddhog rushed forward as it tried to cut Ddraig with an attack from its tail. His tail glows with a deep pink aura as the dragon puts all his energy into the attack.
The Welsh Dragon doesn't move an inch as he senses the attack and easily blocks it as it lifts his blade. "None shall survive tonight." Ddraig moves and quickly severs his opponent's tail before he starts to cut his whole body into pieces.
First were the wings; next were the arms and legs; and finally, below his torso. Niddhog screams in pain as he realizes his weakness before his opponent.
Ddraig grabs his neck and charges the crimson flames within his mouth. He was about to incinerate Nidhogg with his deadly flames, which was the most painful experience the boy could ever feel in his life.
Like a child that is unable to bear the pain, it begins to call out for the only other ally that could save it now.
"Father!"
In seconds, he gets a reply as his eyes see Crom Cruach rushing into its aid.
"Nidhogg!" The Crescent Circle Dragon flies at full speed while the fire snake is still after him. His mind goes into overdrive as he sees his son in danger. His insecurities momentarily disappear as he sees his son in such a gruesome state.
It didn't matter that he could revive afterward; right now, a deeper instinct inside of him was driving his actions.
But tonight, luck wouldn't smile at the father and son duo.
Ddraig lets go of Niddhog and turns around before he raises his hand. "Return to me, Ouros."
The snake returns to its base form before it increases its speed and pierces Crom's chest, leaving a massive hole as it takes both of his hearts.
The dragon is stopped in its tracks as the most crucial of his organs are eliminated.
Ddraig catches his spear and focuses his attention on his primary target. It was time to finish the target.
"Father!" As Niddhog's torso descends to the surface, he watches in horror as several fire soldiers pierce Crom's body from all directions as Ddraig orders his soldiers to execute him.
It was brutal and heartless as his body was brutalized and incinerated without a hint of mercy.
Niddhog could only cry as he tasted true horror that night. They had crossed a line, and they were paying the price.
Moments before, inside the Rogier's ship. General POV.
Ereshkigal opened her eyes in distress as she remembered what happened before.
"Don't-" The devil aiding her was pushed away as Ereshkigal forced her body to stand up.
"Where is him? Where is Ddraig?" The goddess asks as she looks around.
The eyes of the devils, Eury and Set, turned to her in surprise.
"You shouldn't move, Lady Ereshkigal." Eury tries to calm her down.
"Don't. Where is the Welsh Dragon?" Ereshkigal asks once more as she ignores everything else.
"He's fighting the enemy forces as we speak," Set says.
"Take me to him. He's not dying on me." Ereshkigal says as she tries to move her body. "That idiot must have gone insane after we got attacked, and I need to stop him before he gets himself killed."
The goddess loses balance due to the severe injuries she has received, but Eury catches her before she falls.
"You can't go out like this," Eury argues with her.
"I won't let him die on me. Not now or ever. I won't let it end like this. Set, get me to him, now, or I promise you'll wish to have never been born." Ereshkigal demands as her fears get the best of her.
Set feels genuinely threatened as he knows what women can do in such situations.
Before anything else happens, Eury slaps Ereshkigal back into reason. "Stop it."
Everyone is shocked by the actions of the young goddess.
"You think I don't want to go and stop him? But I can't rush in while I have so many injuries. Look at Gabriel or Serafall. I could barely stabilize them and can't let you go after him without an action plan." Eury screams at Ereshkigal with tears in her eyes.
"..." Ereshkigal sees the fear and pain in her eyes as Eury tries to remain the voice of reason. "I'm sorry. I'm to be blamed for this situation. I should have read Apophis's memories much earlier."
"No, I should be blamed for it." A voice says.
Ereshkigal turns to the speaker in the room. "Yasaka?"
"Yes. I'm still alive. Me and Anubis are keeping track of the massacre." Yasaka says. "If I had placed a barrier around the team, none of this would have happened."
"Nobody is to blame. We let our guard down and allow ourselves to fall into this mess. What is the current situation?" Eury asks as she places Ereshkigal back into the makeshift bed.
"Ddraig has eliminated all enemy forces besides…. sorry, all of them. He just executed what seemed to be the leader of the enemy unit. I have been carefully surveilling the area, and I can only see one partial survivor, a dragon who was cut into pieces by Ddraig. He's not taking prisoners like he said. I don't even feel scared. I feel sad as I see him in that state; he's crying as he's approaching the last survivor." Yasaka informs the team.
"We need him to power down. Yasaka, try to approach him and reason with him. I'll see if I can do something from here with Ingvild." Eury says.
"Understood. I'll do my best." Yasaka ends the call.
"I need to grab that dragon's soul. It could give us more information." Ereshkigal says.
"You're not going out in this state," Eury says.
"I know, but I might have someone else that can do it for me. Bennia Orcus, I need your help." Ereshkigal calls out for the half-reaper.
Bennia shows up in seconds. "Your orders?"
"I need you to capture the soul of the remaining dragon in this lamp. I know it is against the rules, but I need it within my grasp." Ereshkigal says as she summons a new lamp.
"You might want to give me a second lamp if that is the case," Bennia says.
"Why is that?" Ereshkigal asks.
"Angra Mainyu is barely alive on the battlefield. If we're breaking the rules, we should do it right. Dad told me to trust you above my job as a reaper so you'll have my full support. We can deal with the aftermath later." Bennia says.
Ereshkigal smiles. "You're a good ally to me." She summons a second lamp. "Be careful, and don't interfere with Ddraig."
"Don't worry. I won't let other reapers get to him. He's my best client, after all." Bennia grabs both lamps and disappears.
"That takes out of that. We still need a way to take care of any enemies that decide to show up." Set says.
"Don't worry. The unicorn must be almost here, and they are bringing all the reinforcement we could need." Eury approaches the stairs. "I need to help Ingvild. Don't do anything stupid while I'm not around."
"We won't," Ereshkigal says.
Eury nods before she climbs the stairs.
"At least we survive this mission. I don't know what the Welsh Dragon would have done if any of those two died." Set says as he points at Serafall and Gabriel.
Both were covered in bandages and had several machines attached to them. They were stable, but they needed severe treatment soon.
"Is best if we don't know the answer," Rogier says.
Ereshkigal turned her eyes to the pair as she remembered the seconds before the attack. Both had activated barriers to lessen the incoming damage, and they all survived, thanks to them, but they had risked their own safety to protect Ddraig at all costs. "Thank you, foolish maidens in love."
Ingvild's POV.
The future dragon diva continued to sing as she hoped to reach Ddraig, but her voice wasn't loud enough.
"That song and its volume might not be enough," Eury said as she approached Ingvild. She was holding the cube she had carried throughout the trip in case of emergencies.
"I don't know what else to do," Ingvild said.
"You only need to sing, and I can give you the volume you need." Eury activates the cube, and millions of components begin to surround her. "I can create many things, but this is the first time I ever made something to transmit music." Her hands work incredibly fast as she creates a winged microphone for Ingvild. "I heard something from his daughter. There's a specific song that he sang to her before. A piece that holds a special place in his heart: have you ever sung about Dangos before?"
Ingvild is confused by the comment. The hybrid touches her earrings and starts looking through the thousand songs Serafall prepared for her until she finds it. "You can't be serious."
"It is worth the try," Eury says. "Bring him back to us, dragon diva."
Ingvild slowly grabs the microphone as she thinks about the song. "This is the song that can reach you?"
It sounded ridiculous, but it was worth the try. Maybe something that reminded Ddraig of better times was enough to bring him back to them.
