Took me some time, but I'm back with another chapter. Shorter than expected, but hey, it's still something xd.
But anyway, I must give my thanks to all the new reviewers/readers who are liking and giving their opinions about the story, means a lot to me! So far, everyone of you guys are appreciating it, more or less, sooo again thanks a bunch!
Sooo, enjoy this one!
"Hope you're ready 'cause it'll soon be Demon-hunting time for you again." Azazel proceeded with a grin. "And plus, I'd say that'd be the perfect opportunity to explore this world as well."
Jellal paid attention, the words 'Valhallah' and 'Asgard' mentioned by Azazel just now didn't sound like anything new to him, he had read something about it in the Norse myths and its deities, but nothing too much in detail. Erik and Macbeth, however, were almost completely in the dark, only knowing the bare minimum. Sure, they knew some basics but that was it.
"So, will you do that?" Azazel asked although he already knew the answer.
"We will accept the job." Jellal responded. "Yet, there's something I'm concerned about. I've been thinking about this since we took down Lullaby…"
"Which is?" The Governor General inquired.
"We know that Mard Geer, Jiemma and Deliora were warped in this world with us, but what about the other Demons we found, Lullaby and these new ones specifically, how did they end up here in the first place? And how was it possible for Lullaby to be in Nagoya the evening I found it?" Jellal explained.
"Maybe Lullaby's flute was in Mard Geer's hands?" Macbeth suggested.
"It's possible, but that still doesn't change the fact it wasn't supposed to be there." Jellal said. "Azazel, you have any ideas?"
"If you want my opinion, at this point it's just your rotten luck." Azazel told them. "I'd say don't get too wrapped up in it, I bet sooner or later they'll show up and you'll settle score with them. For now let's just focus on the threat at hands."
"Yeah, more Demons are down the better." Erik agreed.
"First, I think it would be better to have a general background on the place we're about to visit." Macbeth spoke in an interested tone.
"Fair enough." Azazel nodded in acceptation and began to speak. "To sum it up, Valhallah is one of the main territories that belong to the Nurse Gods, it's like their version of Heaven, a place where warriors chosen by Odin can go after they die in battle. Essentially, it's this majestic hall located in Asgard, which is also where warriors prepare themselves to aid Odin when Ragnarok would set into motion."
"Ragnarok?" Erik enquired rising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. It's the Norse myth about the end of the world, basically turning it in a natural disaster mess. You know apocalyptic stuff: huge battles, lots of important gods and heroes die in the process, the world being overwhelmed by countless different catastrophic events and so on and so forth." Azazel listed off as he explained.
"You make it sound like you saw it up close." Erik wryly noted.
"Nah, even I wouldn't be that insane." Azazel denied with a chuckle. "I may be old, but not old enough to want to see the end of the world."
"Then, what happens afterwards?" Jellal questioned the Governor General.
"Not much." Azazel replied as he continued. "After the world sinks into the water, it comes back up fresh and fertile, with two surviving humans and the surviving gods ready to start again, yada yada. Honestly I don't remember the full details of it, but it's definitely not a pretty show."
"You don't say…" Erik muttered.
"Anyway, with the millennia to come, Odin strictly forbade any God to start Ragnarok, which brought the entire Norse Faction to set it aside and so on, but that's a story for another time…" Azazel trailed off as he put a thoughtful look. "Now, where were we?"
"About our mission." Jellal reminded him.
"Oh yeah, that. So essentially old man Odin told me that you guys can take action tomorrow morning on his request, is that OK with you?" Azazel asked.
"Sure, there's no problem." Jellal nodded in agreement.
"Great, then you're good to go." Azazel conceded in a satisfied tone.
"Hoping no moving will be involved this time around." Erik stated closing his eye.
"No worries, it won't." Azazel waved off with a smirk. "Now that you've got those Sacred Gears in your hands, you basically have a round-trip ticket to anywhere you fancy."
"Figures." The Dragon Slayer accepted.
"Just make sure to get back in one piece, but I don't think that's gonna be a problem for y'all." Azazel chuckled.
"Hm. Anything else we should know before heading there?" Jellal asked.
"Oh yeah, there's one more thing..." Azazel remembered as he snapped his fingers. "Since you obviously won't have a clue how to find your way around there, Odin and I thought you might need a guide just in case."
"A guide?" The former Wizard Saint wondered.
"Yep." The Governor General nodded then flashed a smirk. "She's one of Odin's most competent Valkyries, a pretty strong warrior with a high magic talent, and a hottie to boot. So that's a bonus."
"Your idea I take it?" Jellal inquired as he deadpanned.
"Oh... maybe." Azazel shrugged as he tried to suppress a grin.
"Right…" Jellal sighed as he shook his head. "What else is there to know?" He questioned.
"Hmm. I guess I told you everything I know." Azazel informed. "For now, that's all you need to know, folks."
Jellal accepted with a nod while turning his head to his guildmates. "I think it's time for us to leave. Thank you again for your assistance Azazel."
"No need to thank me, the fewer problems the better for everyone." Azazel said dismissingly. "Besides, I owed you one more favour for saving my face with the Devils, so we're even... kinda."
With that said, the wizards got up from their chairs, but before they could leave the room...
"Please wait." The stern-looking Cadre spoke getting the attention of everyone in the room.
The Governor General perked up. "Something on your mind Baraqiel?" Azazel inquired his friend.
"No, I just want to have some words with Crime Sorciere." Baraquiel shook his head before shifting his glance back at the trio. "Before you three leave, I would want to take this chance to thank you not just for defending Kuoh but also for safeguarding my daughter as well." He revealed confusing the wizards.
"Huh?" Erik and Macbeth wondered at the same time.
"What are you talking about, Baraqiel?" Jellal asked.
"My daughter has been living in that town for a while now, she is a servant under Rias Gremory's peerage." The Cadre told them. "I've heard from Azazel you managed to save her from Lullaby before she could get killed, for that I'm very thankful." Baraqiel explained as he stepped before them with a respectful bow.
Erik lifted both eyebrows slightly in surprise as did his companions at the news, now that he recalled it, one of Rias's servants smell was indeed weird, reminded him partly of the silver-haired guy from earlier, only the other component was that of a Fallen Angel. Jellal and Macbeth in particular had conflicted expressions in their faces, wondering how it could have happened that a daughter of a Fallen Angel could fall into the Devils' hands. Despite his steadfast gaze, there were hints of regret written Baraqiel's face, it was evident to them from the tone of this man's voice how much he loved his daughter.
"So that girl who uses lightning magic is your daughter, isn't she." Macbeth commented while looking up to the Cadre. "What is her name?" He inquired.
"Akeno." Baraqiel answered. "She is my only daughter." He stated.
Macbeth couldn't help but notice his tone of voice, it sounded sad, almost sorrowful. Could it have anything to do with this Akeno turning into a Devil? Yet, a few seconds earlier he hadn't seemed upset by that.
"I see." Macbeth noted. "Well, think nothing of it. We would've done the same with any other civilian in harm." He replied without mincing words.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Baraqiel acknowledged with a nod. "Either way, all of you have my deepest gratitude. Again, thank you very much."
Macbeth nodded in return at the Cadre. "I don't know your story, but I can feel nothing but sincerity in your words and how much you value your daughter. This means how much you're worth as a father." He sincerely complimented.
A surprised hum escaped Baraqiel's mouth, but eventually he nodded as a small smile appeared on his lips. Azazel was genuinely taken aback by his friend's behaviour, it was rare for him to openly show his affection to his daughter to strangers, he couldn't help but smile as well at the sight.
The three independent mages stepped out of Azazel's office, and now they were making their way back to the exit of the hall. As they walked, the Dragon Slayer rose an interested brow before speaking.
"So Macbeth, what was that all opening up about?" Erik asked in a curious tone.
"Indeed, it's unusual for you to open up to someone you've never met like that." Jellal agreed.
Macbeth turned his head back at both of his guildmates. "I don't know, there was no special reason for me to say those things, I think I just felt the urge to tell him how I felt about it." He replied.
"Are you sure it's just that?" Jellal inquired.
"Yeah. I actually think there's more to it." Erik remarked.
Macbeth remained silent, but Erik didn't need to use his magic to figure out.
"Let me guess, Brain?" The Dragon Slayer questioned causing the Nightmare Wizard to nod with a frown.
Macbeth kept walking, continuing to stare at the floor until he began to speak. "Yeah…" He slowly began. "He may not have been my real father, but that doesn't take away the fact that he behaved like one, or at least pretended to..." Macbeth told them as he closed his eyes, recalling ungrateful memories. "I think it's safe to say there's still a part of me that misses a father figure to look up to… even though I don't have any memories of my actual father, sometimes I even think about what he would've been."
"Sure, you do." Erik shook his head with a smile.
The trio continued to stroll until they stopped after noticing two familiar figures walking toward their direction.
"Hey you guys!" Asia waved at them with a happy smile.
Asia increased her pace as she approached the wizards with Raynare right behind her.
"Asia, you doing ok?" Erik asked patting her head.
"Yeah! I'm feeling much better!" Asia replied with a reassuring smile. "I just finished my training of the day! Mr. Shemhaza was actually teaching me something new about magic just a few moments ago."
"Really?" Jellal asked chuckling. "Sounds like you're taking this seriously."
"Uh-uh! My fire magic is still unripe since I'm only able to create short-range spell attacks, my Twilight Healing is far from being as useful as I would like it to be, not to mention my zero hand-to-hand skills. Still I don't plan on giving in, I will definitely become stronger." Asia firmly remarked.
"That's the spirit Asia." Macbeth encouraged with a small smile on his lips. "It's good seeing you so determined."
"Thanks Midnight!" Asia beamed at the Reflector user.
'So he does know how to encourage people, huh?' Raynare thought in surprise. 'I admit that's kind of… weird coming from him…'
"Asia, did you just say you're training in close combat too?"
"Yes, I am!" Asia confirmed with a bright smile. "I'm still learning the basics, but I'll manage." She said with shyness in her voice. "I won't be helpless anymore. I want to get stronger to help out my friends!" The nun said with determination.
"Hmph." Macbeth let out a chuckle closing his eyes. "I'm looking forward to see how you'll progress."
"Yup, you got this in the bag." Erik followed with his friendly smirk.
"You wouldn't mind showing what you've learnt so far?" Jellal questioned with a smile.
"Not at all!" Asia answered shaking her head.
"There's a training room we can use near the main hall. Follow me." Raynare offered.
On their way to their destination, the Dragon Slayer approached the ravenette.
"So, Ray." Erik started. "I got something to ask."
"Hm, what is it?" Raynare inquired as she faced him while walking.
"Who was that guy?" Erik questioned rising an eyebrow getting a not immediate answer from the ravenette.
"Uh…"
"The bastard who scared the shit out of you earlier; blue eyes, silver hair, cocky punk appearance..." Erik described.
"Like you're the one to talk." Raynare countered.
"That ain't the point…" Erik argued making the Fallen Angel smirk. "Honestly, have you always been so unnecessarily annoying?"
"What can I say. Your reactions are pretty entertaining." Raynare giggled ignoring his comment.
The Dragon Slayer rolled his eye. "Just… uugh, just answer me."
Raynare's face turned serious. "His name is Vali, he's Azazel's foster son…" She paused before continuing her explanation. "But that's not just it… he's also the wielder of the thirteen Longinus, the one called Divide Divining, which houses one of the two Heavenly Dragons' soul… Albion, the White Dragon Emperor."
The Dragon Slayer was caught by surprise, his mouth was slightly open. He certainly didn't expect to meet one of those two so soon. "So, that Vali's got the white one, huh?"
"Yeah." Raynare said nodding. "He is undoubtedly one of the strongest Sacred Gear wielders we have in Grigori, but I guess that was to be expected, after all it was Lord Azazel himself who trained him from his youth after getting him in."
"I see." Erik acknowledged. 'If my memory serves me right, the White one can halve his opponent's strength every time he touches them every 10 seconds. Not a bad move if I've got to say so myself, his Dragon's power could cause us problems, unless…' He interiorly smirked at the though.
"So anyway." Raynare stated changing the topic. "Where are you guys off to for your next job?" She asked.
Erik shook his head snapping out of those thoughts. "Norway, Asgard. Apparently some Demons sneaked in the Norse god's territory. Turns out they're actually the ones we're looking for." He told her.
"I see, so more Etherious on the list huh." Raynare noted.
"Yeah, but from the pictures we saw the freaks are not a part of the Nine Demon Gates." Erik explained.
"Now that you mention it…" She began. "What's the story behind the Nine Demon Gates? I mean, all you said was that they're a very strong team of Demons, but no more than that."
"What's up with this sudden interest in demons?" He inquired.
"What's so strange about wanting to know about a potential threat?"
"Good point." Erik conceded. "Ok so, you know that every member of Tartaros is a Demon from Zeref's book, don't you?" He asked earning a nod from her. "Each one of them has a high curse power that can easily match your leader's powers; their curses vary: from powers of calamity, to soul control and necromancy." He went on making the ravenette go wide eyes.
"Hold on just a sec! Did you just say… soul control… and n-necromancy?" Raynare questioned while gasping with a sweatdrop.
"That's right…" Erik nodded before continuing. "The soul eater, Franmalth I guess it was his name, is actually more like a clown compared to the others, he's not as dangerous as his buddies, but his curse power shouldn't be underestimated either. The necromancer guy's called Keyes." He said as he tried to strain his memory. "He's one of the few I remember pretty well. He's also known as the Black Archbishop, and his favourite pastime is collecting people's corpses, and resurrecting to make them his playthings for his experiments…" The Dragon Slayer said with distaste.
A look of disgust slowly appeared on Raynare's features as well, sure, her missions were based on espionage and assassination at times, but even she wouldn't stoop so low as to experiment and play with the lives of innocents just for her own amusement.
'They were right… these guys are definitely bad news. They have powers far beyond the ordinary, it's no surprise Jellal told me how they could best the Grigori's leaders.' Raynare thought. "I… I see."
"Honestly I don't know much more about them since they're the weakest of the bunch." Erik stated. 'Should I also mention the bombing guy? I remember him not being a very tough fellow like the rest either. And what about the the half-lion, half-faun fellow and the harpy lady… shit, I'll have to consult the others later if I want to dig something up.' He thought as he tried to remember their names.
"For real? Those ones are the weakest of them?!" Raynare questioned in disbelief.
"I mean yeah? I guess so…" Erik partially admitted.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" She asked in surprise.
"Well, you can't blame me. It's been nearly a decade since we last saw of them, so I might've missed something. Hell it's a miracle I even remember their names." The Dragon Slayer explained.
"I guess you have a point." Raynare said. 'Wait, but yesterday they said they had started fighting them a few months ago. Does that mean they already came in contact with Tartaros in the past?' She thought. "You know I was wondering…"
Erik however didn't let her finish as he changed the subject. "Oh, and no need to worry raven lady, nothing's gonna happen to ya for your little stunt in Kuoh, Azazel didn't say anything nasty so you're golden."
"You didn't let me… ugh, you know what, never mind." Raynare let the matter go. "And for the last time, my name's Raynare!" She exclaimed.
"Hmph." Erik chuckled with an amused smirk.
-The next day –
/Crime Sorciere's residence/
'You've gotta be kidding me…'
Erik found himself standing outside of the building listening to some certain pervert. Again, with all honesty, he would've gladly told him to piss off, but the teen seemed to be quite persistent about talking to him.
"Hey. You got a minute?" Issei nervously requested.
'…him again, what's this runt business here? We already dealt with him yesterday…' Erik thought as he closed his eye. "Ugh…" He groaned in frustration. Of all the people, why must be this pervert bothering him? "Tch I'll bite. Why the hell are you here?"
Issei tried to swallow the bad treatment meted out to him by the Dragon Slayer, it didn't take a genius to realise he didn't like him at all.
"I know you don't like me and all. It's just that… I've been thinking about what you told me last time about my Sacred Gear, the supernatural stuff and everything else." Issei explained. "And… I'd like you to train me to get stronger…"
The scarred wizard just lifted his eyebrow sceptically as he continued to look at him. He wasn't currently using his magic, he didn't need it, he very much could imagine what the pervert in front of him was thinking generally speaking.
The Dragon Slayer showed a bored face mixed with bothersome. "Are you kidding me now? Why should I flush my time down the toilet coaching some lowlife like you?" Erik inquired as he folded his arms.
Despite how much his harsh words were affecting him, Issei was determined not to give up on this.
"I… look this is difficult even for me, ok? I wasn't even sure to come here in the first place, I'm actually surprised you didn't tell me to bugger off yet." Issei said before continuing. "The point is, you guys are the only ones who can help me out with this, plus you know magic and you look hella strong…" He went on.
The Poison Dragon Slayer was studying his words carefully. For this time at least, he chose not to use his hearing to hear the teen's thoughts. 'I know I'm gonna regret this since his reason might be stupid, but he looks serious at least so might as well hear him out on this one, maybe he could come up with something more than what I think…' The scarred wizard mentally sighed while asking. "What's your real reason for getting stronger then?"
"Huh?" Issei hummed.
"You heard me. Your motive. Tell me what makes you wanna be stronger besides improving your Sacred Gear... and I might consider it." Erik emphasized with a wave of his hand.
"Well… it's simple!" Issei immediately said with a growing grin.
'Oh boy…' Erik said in his thoughts.
"…So I'd become strong enough to get noticed by the president and vice president, then become harem king in no time!" The pervert exclaimed with pride. Erik grimaced in disgust like he was the most repulsive thing he'd ever see.
Somewhat expecting a response like that, Erik shot him a final glare. "Get out of here." He said in a grave tone turning his back on him.
"Huh what! Hold up! Please!" Issei insisted as he advanced toward the door. "What's the big deal about it? You told me I should get stronger if I want to survive this supernatural mess! Why are you not even…" He hurriedly questioned.
The scarred slayer gave him a last irritated glance which made him freeze. "Just get lost, I've wasted enough time with you." The Dragon Slayer clarified while closing the door.
"Uh… hold it!" Again, Issei tried to insist. "What the hell?! At least tell me finish what I was…" He asked in confusion.
The wizard interrupted him. "If that's why you want me to train you, you might as well sit back and watch porn all days." He rebutted confusing the pervert. "Now beat it before I have to throw you out with my hands." Erik remarked as he opened the door behind him.
"Please, I just want to become stronger, I can't stand being so weak… and…" Issei exclaimed desperately, but the Dragon Slayer didn't seem to listen.
"When you finally decide to get your head out of your ass I might think about it. Now get lost. I have much more important things to do today." Erik finished finally closing the door.
A couple of minutes later, the Dragon Slayer entered the place, closing the door behind him.
"Alright, I'm back." Erik announced his guildmates.
"What did he want?" Macbeth questioned.
"He asked me to train him so he could get noticed by crimson-bimbo and Baraqiel's daughter, and then he went off again for that lewd stuff he was into." Erik shortly explained as he cringed at the last part.
At the thought of it, Macbeth closed his eyes. "Please don't remind me."
"You turned him down?" Jellal inquired.
"'Course I did, I refuse to waste my time with a sexual deviant like him, I know too well people like him thinking they can have their way on women just because of a little power boost." Erik explained trying to remain calm. "And trust me, I know that from personal experience." The Dragon Slayer slightly clenched his teeth as various memories from his past flashed through his mind, yet he forced those memories out his mind.
"Yeah, we know." Macbeth said knowing where he was going with it.
Jellal nodded as well.
"So yeah..." Erik remarked closing his eye. "Guess now it's time to go."
"Even so, isn't it dangerous for his safety to let him be like that?" Jellal asked.
"Not my problem. He can still ask Gremory to join her, with his actual consent this time." Erik waved it off non-chalantly. "Alright, now we'd better be going." He stated stepping up. "Those Demons are not gonna hunt down themselves."
"Right, let's get going." Jellal agreed with a nod.
Thanks to their artificial Sacred Gears gifted by Azazel, the three wizards summoned their own magic circle, in seconds they left their house teleporting away.
/Elsewhere, Norway, Europe/
The light produced by the artificial magic circle faded, the three wizards found themselves surrounded by trees, looking around it appeared as a boreal forest. The whole landscape was covered in snow, fortunately not very thick given the time of year, and the snow falling from the cloudy sky was slow and didn't obscure the wizards' view. The place looked tranquil and there was a light breeze but at the same time cool. Unlike Kuoh, in Norway it was dawn, the sun was slowly emerging from the horizon which wasn't really surprising to the mages, after all time zones are a thing in Earth-Land as well.
"This taiga is very much reminiscent of those in Fiore." Midnight observed as he looked the surroundings. "But it's also cold and snowy, just like in the northern region of Iceberg." He continued while looking up at the snowy sky.
"Yeah, it's pretty chilly out here huh?" Cobra said glancing around. "Still it doesn't look so bad. Kinda brings me back memories of home in more ways than one."
'Norway, home of Asgard and the Norse gods, also Ragnarok's starting point…' Jellal reflected in his thoughts 'I wonder if Azazel was wrong and someone else was planning to start it all over again...' "Yes. This is place looks peaceful." Jellal commented agreeing.
"Considering all the shit that's gone down there recently, I'd say Fiore is far from 'peaceful'." Cobra quipped with a shrug.
"Yeah. I suppose you're right" Jellal chuckled. "By the way, do you sense anything unusual?"
"No, we're the only ones in the area." Cobra answered. "So where to go now?"
"Let's see." Jellal picked up his phone, a map of the area appeared on the screen with a compass on it. "Based on Azazel's coordinates, we still have to move a few kilometres northwards."
"Well, let's go then, your lead Jellal." Midnight voiced.
Jellal nodded as they started to walk toward the indicated direction.
As they ventured out the snowy forest, the wizard trio came across a stunning landscape to say the least, a large waterfall cascaded down a river from an imposing height. The cascading water was partially frozen, as well as the river's.
'Now this is a view.' Cobra grinned as he sniffed the pure air of the place.
'So beautiful…' Jellal gasped as he eyed the waterfall.
Midnight was studying the clearing as well enjoying how peaceful it was.
"Are you sure this is the rendezvous point, Jellal?" Cobra inquired leaning his back against a tree.
"It is technically." Jellal responded checking his phone.
"Where is she then?" Midnight questioned folding his arms as he leant against another tree in the vicinity. "It's been 10 minutes since we arrived, and she hasn't showed up yet."
"You've got a point." Jellal said. "At this point I think we should try to contact Azazel, maybe he knows…"
Suddenly, a bright blueish magic circle materialised itself at the top of the hill, eventually the trio saw their guide appearing, she looked to be a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties, she had long silver-white hair and blue eyes, in a battle armour consisting of a white breastplate with gold and pale blue accents and fingerless gauntlets. A black leotard worn underneath the breastplate and black thigh-high stockings complete the ensemble. Additionally, she wore a pale blue cloth wrapped beneath the hip guards, all of which are laced with pink, along with the hair clips.
"Hello!" The white-haired woman began. "You must be the wizards we summon…"
"Hey! Watch out! You're…" Jellal yelled his warnings.
But before he or the other could say or do anything else, the Valkyrie stumbled rolling down the mound at high speed, her body began to collect snow, quickly transforming her into a large, round snowball.
'Is this weirdo the 'competent hottie' Azazel told us about?' Cobra thought sweatdropping at the clumsy Valkyrie.
'Huh…' Midnight only rose a brow.
As soon as she stopped rolling, she stumbled out of the snowball, dazed and disoriented, covered in snow from head to toe.
"Ow…" She whined stroking her head.
"Well… that happened." Cobra oddly murmured.
"So that's the Valkyrie..." Midnight briefly commented.
The silver-haired Valkyrie groaned with teary eyes, emerging from the snowdrift.
"Hey!" Jellal hurried as he extended his hand at her. "Are you alright?" He asked in a concerned voice.
"O-oh." She shook her head while glancing up at the blue-haired human mage. "Yes I'm fine, thank you…"
"You sure?" Cobra asked as he and Midnight walked up to them. "You fell off quite roughly." Cobra noted as he pointed at the bump she had in her forehead.
"Oh, don't worry about me… it's just a scratch." The Valkyrie reassured as she got up with a shaky smile. "I can handle it. A-anyway…" She refocussed. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you, my name is Rossweisse. And you must be the wizards from the Crime Sorcière guild." Rossweisse introduced themselves as she shook hands with the three.
"The pleasure is ours." Jellal returned her greetings with a friendly smile.
"I've heard so much about you, Mr. Jellal, Mr. Cobra and Mr. Midnight." Rossweisse said enthusiastically.
"You have?" Midnight asked rising a brow.
"Of course!" She replied with clear excitement. "We've been told how strong and powerful your guild is, not to mention what you accomplished so far."
"It's just a part of the job, we didn't do anything so great..." Midnight answered neutrally.
"Nonsense." Rossweisse instantly shook her head. "The fact you saved the city of Kuoh twice from two different kinds of threats is definitely something of which everyone should be proud of." She listed with a smile on her face.
"Once again Azazel running his mouth about us more than he had to, huh… shocking." Cobra was about to complain more, but retained after remembering what Raynare told him yesterday. '…well, I'd better get used to it at this point.' He mentally sighed. "Just wondering, does anyone else of the Norse Gods know that we're in your territory besides Odin?" The Dragon Slayer inquired.
"As far as I know, the only ones to be also aware of your presence are Lord Vidar and Lord Thor." Rossweisse replied. "As for me, I happen to be one of Lord Odin's most trusted guards, and considering your unfamiliarity with the territory, Lord Odin instructed me to assist you in your job request in uncovering the current threat to our domain." Rossweisse explained.
"What kind of problems did they cause you?" Jellal asked.
"Quite unfortunately. Ever since those demonic beasts made their appearance, there has been a spate of missing Valkyries in the area, considering how close the area is to Asgard it's very easy to spot them." She clarified.
"How long has this been going on?" Midnight asked.
"Approximately one week." Rossweisse responded.
'One week? We got here in two give or take, and it was just us, Deliora, Jiemma and Mard Geer, how could other Etherious have appeared out of nowhere? Did those ones in particular just wander in? But how? I thought they were all hiding somewhere in the Underworld with their guildmates… something doesn't add up.' Jellal thought. "Are you certain about that?"
"Yes, I am. Sadly, we know nothing more than that." Rossweisse confirmed.
The group made their way through the woods, the only sound that could be heard was that of their footsteps and of some animal nearby.
'I can't hear anything but animals around here… and there's no smell out of the ordinary either. It feels like we've been walking in circles.' The Dragon Slayer thought as he gazed at her with a lifted eyebrow. 'Does this chick even know where we're going?' He thought before speaking up. "Hey, Rossweisse was it?"
"Yes?" Rossweisse inquired turning towards him.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Cobra questioned.
"Of course I am, Mr. Cobra. Why are you asking?" Rossweisse remarked.
"Just to be sure." The scarred mage responded with a shrug. "And drop the formalities, will you?" Cobra questioned bluntly.
"O-oh, right my bad, I apologise." Rossweisse immediately stammered nervously.
'And I thought Asia was an over-apologiser...' Cobra mentally sweatdropped. "Sheesh, you can put your worries to rest, I'm not blaming you of anything."
"O-of course!" Rossweisse nodded.
Cobra couldn't help but sigh in response. He then turned his gaze around to his fellow wizards. "So, any idea which demons we're gonna deal with? 'Cause those faces are totally new to me." He started as he looked at his guildmates.
"You're right, those certainly don't seem to be a part of the Nine Demon Gates as far as I remember." Midnight agreed. "I suppose they managed to increase their numbers with the use of some kind of curse we still don't know anything about." He assumed.
"That's possible…" Jellal said while stroking his chin. "As far as we know, curses work very differently from magic; their full potential is as unknown as their categories and variances, so it wouldn't surprise me if a curse like that actually existed."
"Yeah, like maybe the one Mard Geer used to revive Deliora and Lullaby." Cobra stated.
"I guess you didn't get to hear anything new during our last fight." Jellal said.
"Not a damn thing unfortunately." Cobra answered shaking his head.
"Ehm, pardon my curiosity." Rossweisse chimed in getting the wizards' attention. "I'm right to assume that 'Etherious' is the name of the race belonging to the same demons we reported you on, am I correct?"
"That's right." Jellal affirmed.
"Then may I ask if I can learn more about them? Because I have never heard of any race being referred to by such name." Rossweisse questioned.
Jellal glanced at their guildmates for confirmation, Midnight seemed to not bother and Cobra just shrugged implying it was no point in keeping it a secret which Jellal agreed.
"That's because they're not from here." Jellal responded as he started explaining. "The Etherious are a species of Demons originating from another world entirely, unknown to any supernatural entity of this world of course. The reason we know about them is because we're from the same world as well, so we're trying to find them to prevent them from creating problems here…"
After a very brief explanation, the Valkyrie nodded in understanding.
"I understand, so that made you split with your guildmates as well…" Rossweisse acknowledged.
"Sort of, we still have no clue how to get back home." Jellal confirmed.
"I see. Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of dimensional jumps, so I can't really help you with that matter." She said.
"It's alright. It's a very complicated matter. Even Azazel had his doubts." Jellal clarified.
"I don't suppose you have found any clues as to how to do it yourself." Rossweisse stated sadly.
Jellal shook his head with a disappointed look. "Not yey, unfortunately."
"I see… I'm… very sorry to hear that." Rossweisse voiced.
-Hours later –
/Kuoh Town, Japan/
The day seemed to have gone down the drain for Issei, he was now walking back home with a look of anger in his face. After the brief conversation he had with the scarred wizard of Crime Sorcière, he couldn't help but feel a bit outraged of the outcome.
'God, what the hell is that douche problem?!' Issei thought while fuming inwardly. 'He spoke to me like I was the rottenest thing he's ever seen… like I was some kind of scumbag. He didn't even give me the chance to explain myself.' As he kept thinking back at their conversation, Issei couldn't help but clench his fists. 'Who does he think he is?! And like he's any better. Yeah I bet he's one of those ex-cons who recently broke out of the joint! And judging by the look on his face it all adds up…!' He continued.
A part of him just wanted to retort back there, but he obviously was unable to do so, both because of the lack of arguments and the immense fear the man caused him. Of course he was used to people avoiding him due to his perverted nature, but it was a long while since he got refused like that. Calming down a little, Issei's mind focused on something else.
'…but now, what should I do…' The brunette kept on in his thoughts. 'As I am now, anyone could beat my ass in no time. Should I start training myself to power up my Sacred Gear?' Issei's thoughts wandered to one person in specific. 'Or maybe I should ask the President…' He shook his head at that. 'No… it's not a good idea.'
True, Issei considered Rias to be a true bombshell, her perfect body was everything a pervert like him would fantasy on each day and night… yet, something inside him told him that now it wasn't the right time. He currently had other matters in mind.
'I guess… uh…' Issei sighed with a lost gaze. '…I guess I'll just have to see for myself what my Sacred Gear can really do…'
/Old school building, Kuoh Academy/
"Alright, that's it for today everyone." Rias announced the ORC with a forming smile as she momentarily put down the worksheets she was holding. As usual she was sitting behind her desk with Akeno standing next to her.
"We'll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight." Kiba politely bowed before his King and walked out of the clubroom.
"'Later." Koneko waved her goodbye.
In the last hour, Rias has spent her time trying to dig up as much as possible about the magicians seen only yesterday... Unfortunately, the search didn't go as she hoped, as she couldn't find anything about the mages called Jellal, Cobra and Midnight.
"Still no sign of those magicians, right?"
"Uh-uh." Rias shook her head in defeat as she put down some of her paperwork. "I looked everywhere, in all kinds of documents of all factions, even in the various mage organisations. But I found absolutely nothing, not a single record about them."
"So their names aren't written anywhere, are they…" Akeno commented.
"No..." Rias shook her head with a sigh.
"It's rather hard to believe that magicians of their magnitude have remained unnoticed for so long." Akeno observed placing a hand on her chin.
"Precisely. Which is why I refuse to believe someone like them just casually appeared out of nowhere just yesterday. There must be something more we've missed." Rias said.
Akeno noticed her best friend's behaviour; her face expression went from irritated to preoccupied in an instant. Akeno immediately knew what was that about.
"Are you alright Rias?" The ponytailed Queen asked.
"To be honest, I don't know…" Akeno answered.
"Does this have to do with the whole situation with Issei?"
"Y-yes…" Rias replied, uneasiness clear in her voice. "I… I just think I could've managed the situation in a better way than I did… I just stood by and did nothing while the Fallen Angels were planning to kill him…" She kept on. It's been some days since he visited them, for that she was also worried.
Akeno looked for a way to assure Rias, but nothing came out of her mouth. Rias herself knew she had been playing with fire from the start, she was just too proud to admit it.
"Oh, by the way." Rias remembered. "How is he doing?"
"According to Koneko, today he seemed to be fine. He went straight back home after school." Akeno informed her. "With the Fallen Angels gone, he's no longer in danger, yet his Sacred Gear appears to not be awakened."
Rias' regretful look was still there. After a brief pause, the crimson-haired princess began to speak with a more suspicious tone. "Don't you find it strange though?" Rias questioned making her Queen lift an eyebrow. "Is it really just a coincidence that the Fallen Angels magically disappeared abandoning their initial mission after these three magicians showed up?"
"You think there may be a connection between them and the Fallen Angel's disappearance?" Akeno inquired.
"There's a possibility. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what they did, but I can't still help but be suspicious of their sudden appearance." Rias told her Queen. "Besides, it's not the first time that Grigori hires humans to do their dirty work. That's why the more information we have, the better." She asserted.
Before their conversation could continue, a magic circle very familiar to them appeared on the floor of the ORC clubroom. Stepping out of it was Rias' sister-in-law and maid of the house of Gremory, Grayfia Lucifuge.
"Hello my lady. Miss Akeno." Grayfia greeted the two with a courteous bow.
Rias and Akeno were taken aback by the maid's visit, she rarely came there without notifying them and if she did that meant something must've happened. Rias pushed those thoughts aside.
"Hello Grayfia, it's been a while. I didn't expect your visit." Rias said with a smile.
"Yes, it wasn't planned for me to come here. However, I couldn't help but notice the latest events that have occurred here." Grayfia told them in a calm tone.
Rias made a perplexed look, but waited for Grayfia to continue.
"As a matter of fact, I couldn't help but notice some interesting developing." Grayfia continued.
Now Rias nervily gulped but somehow kept her composure in check. "What are you talking about Grayfia?" She inquired.
"Do tell, my lady, are one of those magicians you are looking for by any chance called Cobra and Midnight?" Grayfia stated.
Rias got up from her sit with an awestruck gaze, Akeno's composure broke as well as she nearly shared the same look as her King. It took some seconds for them to process it, Grayfia patiently waited for her sister-in-law and her servant to recover from their shock. After that, Rias started to speak.
"Grayfia… how do you know them?" Rias inquired in a stunned manner.
"I do not, not personally at least. However, Millicas told us how events unfolded after he was kidnapped… they're the people who saved your nephew from those rogue Devils last week." Grayfia revealed.
Both Rias and Akeno were wide-eyed, the crimson-haired King couldn't believe what they just heard. Did they hear right? Cobra and Midnight were really Millicas' saviours? Both of them seemed to not like her very much last time she met them, then why would they save one from the same house her? A lot of questions travelled throughout her mind right now, but they could wait, for now at least, she was too stunned to muster anything but…
"WHAT?!" Rias practically yelled in disbelief. "They're the ones who saved Millicas?!" She repeated.
Grayfia didn't flinch as she kept displaying her neutral and professional look. "That's correct. And not just him."
"W-what do you mean?" Rias was barely able to contain her shock.
"Additionally, they seem to have saved the entire town from a certain threat that recently appeared in your territory only yesterday, my lady." Grayfia continued. "But I think you already are aware of that."
Rias and Akeno's astonishment skyrocketed, especially Rias'. Shaking her head, she was able to speak.
"W-what else do you know Grayfia?" Rias questioned.
/Norway, Europe/
-Later in the afternoon –
The four had been travelling through the forest for quite some time.
"We're close." Rossweisse announced briefly gazing back to them. Recognising the surrounding area, the Valkyrie pointed in front of her. "This way."
Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, the trees began to thin out, and they saw a faint light in the distance. As they approached, the light grew brighter, and soon they found themselves standing in a clearing.
The moment the group came out of the forest, they were welcomed by a massive crescent-shaped rocky sea cliff that led straight into the ocean. The view was made up of large, jagged rocks that stretched out into the water. None appeared to be nearby, expect the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, there didn't seem to be a living soul.
"This was the area of the last sighting." Rossweisse told them.
"I can hear something…" Cobra informed them while concentrating his enhanced senses. After some seconds of silence, he quickly turned back to them. "That way!" He suddenly stated pointing down.
"Inside that cave." Rossweisse said the moment she eyed it.
"Yeah. The Demons are down there." He stated with a nod as he walked near the edge. "Let's go." He said as he started to descend from the cliff nimbly, the others followed him suit.
The four moved to the lower levels of the cliff, arriving next to the entrance of a majestic sea cave, probably serving as their hiding place. The cave was wide but not very deep, giving the four of them the chance to immediately see the creatures they were looking for. The Demons in question showed themselves in all their grotesque glory. They had a similar physical appearance to one another; they were all roughly three meters tall the with the appearance of bulky bipedal lizards. Their arms were long with marks on the shoulder area and biceps, Additionally, they possessed a large, retractable claw in each of his forearms and three little sharp claws on the tips of each paw. The one in the middle had dark grey skin, two pairs of ram-like horns on its head and four eyes. The second at its right had just one rhino-like horn, light maroon skin. The third one had an elongated alligator-like snout, lacking horns and a dark olive colour, and the last of them guarding their preys was the shortest, its body was almost identical to that of the others, but its skin was lagoonal and its face was like that of a piranha with all his sharp teeth on display. The small pack of demons were snarling like wild beasts, showing their sharp fangs and their jaws dripping with saliva.
Finding a spot to temporarily hide near the entrance, the wizards and Rossweisse paused to scout the whole place.
"What the… there are four of them?" Erik whispered in shock.
"It seems so." Macbeth nodded quietly while observing its moves. "Animal-like intellect. Much like Deliora."
"Yeah… and they're not the ones we already know, as expected." Jellal added whispering as well.
As they scanned the area, they noticed that near a rock there was a small pile of corpses, bodies of women still bleeding wearing the same armour Rossweisse was dressed in.
"No...!" Rossweisse felt the urge to scream in horror at the sight. "They… those monsters murdered all of them…" She murmured, her eyes to water up.
"No, not all of them." Cobra said narrowing his eye.
"Hm?" Rossweisse wondered sniffing up a bit turning to him.
"One of them's still alive, I can hear it." Cobra elaborated tilting his head. "I guess they're keeping her as the last one to finish off. Beasts usually preserve the best dish for last." The Dragon Slayer explained.
"We… we have to do something to save her…" Rossweisse whispered worriedly.
'Yeah, judging from her state, if she won't get first aid she'll die in less than an hour or less.' Cobra inwardly agreed.
The Dragon Slayer decided to get up making the others perking up.
"I'm gonna take a closer look." Cobra announced.
Approaching a boulder a few metres further on, Cobra peered cautiously around the edge of the rock, trying to catch a glimpse of the creature without being seen. The one of the Demon's glowing red eyes fixed on the Dragon Slayer, and with a guttural roar, it charged towards him catching him by genuine surprise. The Etherious destroyed the rock and tackled the scarred mage until they almost touched the wall on the opposite side of the cave.
"Shit." Cobra cursed as he grasped the hands of the Demon above him.
"Cobra!" Rossweisse cried with concern while turning back.
"I'm ok!" Cobra shouted from his spot immediately shaking off the Demon from him with a right hook causing it to crash in the nearby rocky wall. "I'll take care of this fucker. You guys deal with the three left!" He yelled.
After nodding at him, Jellal, Midnight and Rossweisse sprung into action as well.
"Rossweisse, go on rescue your companion! We'll take care of the rest of them!" Jellal exclaimed as he and Midnight ran to the Demons' direction.
"I will! Thank you!" Rossweisse nodded as she rushed to the rescue of her wounded fellow Valkyrie fortunately the last one left on guard in front of the only one left alive.
After emitting another menacing growl, the two-horned Demon lunged forward throwing itself into the Dragon Slayer like a hungry beast. Cobra quickly retaliated by charging the Etherious and punching it hard in the face causing it to fly and crash into the cave wall. The Demon emerged from his position and shook his head, recovering from the blow.
'This guy's tougher than I thought.' The Dragon Slayer thought.
The ram-horned Etherious let out a snarl and dashed back at the mage, Cobra engulfed his fists in his poison.
"Poison Dragon Twin Fangs!" He yelled as he generated two snake-shaped masses of poison.
In response, the Demon spread its jaws and much to Cobra's shock, it began to eat his magic attack. The Dragon Slayer halted. Before Cobra could witness, the ram-like monster realised a whiteish beam from its mouth.
'What the…' The Dragon Slayer thought dodging its offensive.
The Demon popped out its claws and charged at the scarred wizard, swinging its claws left and right. Cobra ducked out of the way, even though he couldn't hear its tough due to them being mindless beasts, his sharp senses were well enough to counter and evade its assault.
'Looks like I'll have to fight hand-to-hand.' Cobra said to himself.
Meanwhile, Jellal dodged a curse beam attack and responded with a swift kick to the one horned Demon's abdomen. The Etherious beast growled extending its claws, but the blue-haired wizard easily dodged its slashes one by one stepping back, he quickly moved forward and threw a roundhouse kick at the Etherious' jaws causing it to fall backward several metres. The Demon didn't give in and dashed one more time, however Jellal jumped in the air readying himself for his next move.
"Jiu Leixing!" Jellal shouted. He immediately fired his light-made swords right after appearing behind his back.
Instead of avoiding the Heavenly Magic's attack, the rhino-like Demon opened its mouth wide and began to absorb the blades of light.
'What? Did they just nullify our magic?' Jellal thought as he leapt backwards.
Suddenly, the same beast spread his jaws open channelling energy of curse power. The Etherious let out another menacing growl as it shot the same attack its companion launched.
'Swallowing magic and then converting it into curses...? I didn't know such curse existed.'
On the opposite side, right next to the injured Valkyrie, Rossweisse engaged herself with the piranha-faced Etherious, as she immediately summoned several magic circles behind her.
"Take this!" She screamed. Various elemental beam-shaped magic attacks came right from them, namely: lightning, fire, wind and water magic.
'She's got a pretty good magic power.' Cobra slightly looked back.
However, her attacks went in vain as they were all devoured by the demonic beast in front of her. Rossweisse barely had any time to witness it as the Etherious fired its own curse which the Valkyrie barely dodged.
"It's fast…"
The Demon rushed forward bringing out its claws, only for Rossweisse to summon her magic barrier. However the Demon waws able to break through, yet she managed to avoid rolling away, albeit with some difficulty.
'Her close combat isn't that great though. The movements are too slow and sloppy for my taste. Raynare's way better at that than her...' Cobra quickly analysed.
Evading another slash from the Demon's claws with a somersault, the Dragon Slayer grunted in irritation.
'These shitheads are startin' to get on my nerves.' Cobra parried another hook and pushed back his enemy with a left swift. The Etherious narrowed its glowing red eyes menacingly, it then clenched his fangs and proceeded to swing his large paws with the two large claws out. Cobra remained unaffected and avoided the first blow, subsequently blocking the second by grasping the long claw with his hands.
"Haaa!" Cobra yelled as he hardened his grip on the creature's claw. With his superhuman strength, the Dragon Slayer lifted the monster off the ground and began to spin it around, then released it, causing it to fly and abruptly hit the ground.
Near the precipice leading down to the sea, the third Etherious attempted to land a few solid blows on the Reflector mage, but Midnight easily dodged. The alligator Demon dashed ahead at high-speed opening its jaws to rip the wizard a part, yet Midnight jumped out of the way causing the Etherious to stop before falling down the cliff. Midnight quickly stepped-up countering with a series of lightning-fast jabs and fists. The enemy attempted to evade most of the attacks, but the Nightmare Wizard was fast enough and landed squarely on his chin sending it flying backward.
Swiping his arm outward the Nightmare mage manipulated the wind into a distortion blade. "Invisible Scythe!" It soon was launched towards the alligator Etherious, but just like the others' attacks based on magic, it was absorbed as well.
'It was worth a try.' Midnight pondered quietly. 'So they can also nullify my Reflector... unless...'
Immediately after, the Demon shot out the cursed beam fuelled by Midnight's spell. The Nightmare wizard remained unfazed as the curse bounced back the moment it was about to touch him.
'Looks like we'll have to change strategy.' Midnight thought as he rushed forward once again.
The Reflector wizard brought out both his arms, swiping them before him in an x formation. "Spiral Pain!" He shouted causing a vortex of distorted air to appear. Bleeding cuts started to form on the Etherious' skin, however much to Midnight's stupor the Demon's injuries began to heal quickly.
"High regeneration…" He calmly noted.
The alligator-like Etherious growled in fury, this time slashing his claws at Midnight, which was able to counter all of them.
Cobra was able to push back his enemy, with a leap backwards, he unleashed a sound wave straight ahead. But to no avail, even that spell didn't work.
'Damn, even my Sound Magic has no effect on these assholes.' Cobra grunted in annoyance. "Guys, these bastards can suck any kind of magic and heal themselves like nothing!"
"I noticed. It would seem these Demons have the ability to absorb magic and turn it into curse power." Jellal agreed loudly. "That may also explain why they were after the Valkyries!"
"If we can't attack them then how are we supposed to beat them?" Rossweisse asked.
"We can still rely on physical attacks; they can't neutralise them." Midnight told them.
"Yes, but their regeneration capability is quite impressive. We'll need to test things out and see if they work. But we also need to be careful. These Demons may not be as strong as Deliora, but they're not to be underestimated." Jellal noted.
"We also need to find out more about their curse power. If we can understand how it works, we might be able to counter it."
Cobra grinned. "Sounds like we've got a plan. Time to kick some Demon ass!"
With that they rushed once again at their targets.
Rossweisse had her eyes fixed on the Demon in front of her. The piranha monster charged once again at her like a mad beast, but the Valkyrie refused to back down, she took a deep breath and leaped into the air. As she soared towards the demon, the Valkyrie unleashed a series of elemental beams, many of them hitting the ground hard and creating a cloud that obscured the Demon's view. Using her acrobatic skills, Rossweisse twisted in the air and delivered two well-aimed kicks that that were enough to throw Etherious off for a few seconds.
Seizing the opportunity, Rossweisse dashed to the grounded Valkyrie and leaned at her, she then placed a hand in front of her mouth. 'Thank goodness she's still breathing… yet, she is the only one who survived apparently… just why would they ever summon such violent and ruthless creatures.'
"Oi!" The Dragon Slayer instantly appeared as he easily parried the blow with his Sound Wall. "Heads up, Rossweisse!" Cobra warned eyeing the Valkyrie.
"R-right!" Rossweisse snapped out of her concerned thoughts. "I'm sorry for getting distracted!" She said as she quickly got up while the piranha-faced Etherious lunged forward again, claws extended; acting fast she quickly dodged by bending down limbo-style, she placed her hands on the ground and kicked the Demon straight in the stomach making it fall back. The Demon stumbled back, but quickly regained its footing and swiped at Rossweisse only for her to be stopped by Jellal and his current foe's fight.
Jellal propelled the twin-horned monster with a two-pronged kick towards the piranha-faced Etherious, sending them flying and slamming into the cave wall hard, causing a series of boulders to fall on top of them. With the Demons momently out of the way, Jellal turned around to look at Rossweisse.
"Rossweisse, is she ok?" Jellal questioned hurriedly.
"Luckily yes!" Rossweisse answered. "She's just unconscious!"
"This is a relief…" Jellal sighed focusing back on the battle at hand.
At the same moment, the fish-faced Demon advanced again at their direction only to be stopped by Jellal thanks to his telekinesis. Proving that there was magic they couldn't devour. "Rossweisse, I'll distract these two for a while, you take care of first aid!" Jellal exclaimed which Rossweisse nodded immediately without adding anything else.
Midnight parried another cursed beam with ease while advancing ahead, the Demon didn't have time to dodge as the Nightmare wizard struck a hit in its stomach afterwards, followed by a kick potent enough to send the Demon crashing face-first to the ground.
'This is getting us nowhere.' Midnight thought as he groaned in annoyance. 'Is this all these Demons can do? Absorbing magic and sent it back?... well, if that's the case…'
Cobra had the same thought of his guildmate. 'This prick can eat magic, but I'm pretty sure there's a limit of what it can eat.' Cobra thought engulfing his hand with his poison. 'Alright then, let's test this out.'
With two hand swipes, the Dragon Slayer summoned two snake-shaped masses of poison, however his aim wasn't to strike the Etherious directly, but to feed him his own spell. He carried on in this manner for a while before the enemies began to stumble. Jumping back Cobra joined his companions. The four now stood almost shoulder to shoulder with each other, while the Etherious surrounded them on all sides.
"To be expected, they do have limits. Their devouring is slowing down, which means…" Jellal voiced while eyeing back the others.
"We can use it to our advantage." Rossweisse added.
"So you guys are thinking what I'm thinking?" Cobra asked with a smirk growing on his face.
"You bet." Jellal flashed him a smirk of his own.
Preparing their offensive, the trio of mages and Rossweisse already aimed for their own target.
"Poison Dragon Roar!" Cobra fired his own dark-crimson poisoned breath at the ram horned one.
"Dark Rondo!" Midnight shot his own skull-shaped dark-green beams at the alligator-like Etherious.
"Heavenly Solar Flare!" Jellal released an intense glowing golden beam at the one with rhino's horn.
"AH!" Rossweisse unleashed her own multi-elemental shots through magic circles at the piranha faced Demon.
The four of them launched their attacks allowing the four Etherious to consume their magical energy from them, initially the Demons didn't feel the effect, but with time their absorption grew slower and slower, continuing to feed their own beings with magic they started to swell… until the monsters exploded from overloading on too much power leaving no trace behind.
Jellal, Cobra, Midnight and Rossweisse all let out a content sigh relaxing a bit.
"Well, that was way easier than we thought." Cobra commented.
"Luckily it's over now…" Midnight added.
"Yeah…"
The white-silver haired Valkyrie walked up to them with her unconscious colleague in her arms. "I deeply thank you." Rossweisse stated in the most thankful tone she could muster. "If it wasn't for your help I wouldn't have been able to save her... fortunately her life is no longer in danger. So again, thank you very much." She continued.
"It's no problem at all." Jellal assured with a forming smile.
"Yet..." Rossweisse said, her voice grew grimmer. "We couldn't do anything to save them..." She sobbed, turning away from the corpses of the other Valkyries.
The wizards couldn't help but look with a more sorrowful gaze. The most obvious was of course Jellal, who approached her and made a bow, surprising Rossweisse.
"I'm very sorry for them, Rossweisse. Trust me, if we all knew our enemies were hiding over here, we would've come here sooner and prevent all of this from happening." Jellal said as regret started to fill his voice.
"O-oh, no! Please don't say that!" Rossweisse once again tried to deny. "I would never blame you for all of this..."
"It was our responsability since these creatures are from our world... and as a guild that fights Demons it was our fault for failing to oversee all of this." Jellal calmly explained letting go of her hands, his eyes fixed on the ground.
"E-even so, you did come here to help us without second thoughts!" Rossweisse insisted softly.
"But he's right..." Cobra interjected clenching his fists in frustration.
"Yes, If we had prevented the Etherious from coming into this world in the first place, they would not be causing all these problems here." Midnight followed up, Rossweisse could perceive the clear regret in his tone.
Rossweisse wanted to object, but nothing escaped her mouth for a few moments as she stared at the other unconscious Valkyrie, then back at them. Jellal had the same face as before, Cobra looked away and Midnight closed his eyes, trying to hide his frustration.
"Now..." Midnight finally spoke up trying to not lose his calmness. "We're done here. Let's head back. Your friend would need some rest."
Rossweisse slowly nodded. "Yes... you're right."
"Hold up." Cobra halted getting their collective attention.
"What is it?" Midnight asked his friend.
"I can hear something…" The Dragon Slayer murmured.
"Huh?"
"Something's coming." Cobra announced looking down the water.
A sudden disturbance in the water caught the wizards' the eyes. The sea down the cliff started to churn and boil, as if something immense was stirring beneath the surface. From the approaching smell, Cobra was the first one to notice… seconds later, emerging from the ocean's depths was a massive creature that appeared as a large serpent-like Dragon, its scales were dark grey in colour, its body alone was enormous enough to almost occupy the entire bank.
The wizards observed the Dragon with careful eyes. Cobra could smell a draconic sense coming from it, but its face was totally new to him, as it was for Midnight, Jellal had already a guess. Rossweisse on the other hand was already starting to panic.
"But h-how… what is he doing here?" Rossweisse widened her eyes stepping back.
"The hell is that?" Cobra asked, the others shifting their looks to Rossweisse for an answer.
"Th… that's… Midgardsormr." Rossweisse stammered while trembling in fear. "…one of the five Dragon Kings."
Alright, that's a wrap.
If I'm going to be honest, I feel pretty neutral with this chapter, I wanted to include more and at the same time I didn't want to. I originally came up with some ideas about who to include from the Norse Faction, only to discard them in the end for lack of ideas (and laziness a bit of lazyness lol). I may pick them back in the future, still not too sure.
Anyway, there's not much to say about this chapter, expect for the fact that Rias, Akeno and soon her peerage know who they are more specifically, at least regarding them saving Millicas and the entire Kuoh.
As for the indipendent trio, well, they met with Rossweisse. Sorry for the short fight, and yes, I'm still trying to improve with the scenes involving fights and all. Some people probably won't like it, which is fine since I myself admit that it could've been handled a bit better.
Aand, that's it for today folks. Leave a review if you like. And thanks for reading!
