Hi there. So, it's been quite a while huh? Did you miss me? No? Sweet. Alright jokes aside, I'll be frank with you all, I technically started writing this chapter in April, but for various reasons, such as laziness, I could never complete it, and I still have the feeling that it's not good enough (as usual I might add xd). Yeah, losing inspiration is a bitch, but hey, I'm trying my best not to let this story die… So yeah, here I am. But before starting again, I'd like to reply to a few reviews.
I'd like to thank the 'guests' who have enjoyed my story so far. But, at the same time, I'd like to give a response to another guest who criticised it (rightfully so).
Guest: If I were a DxD fanboy I would agree with you completely, but no, I disagree with most of things you said. Several times I've mentioned that this would be different from canon, and that things would take a different turn. But I'll try to answer you point by point.
First of all no, this is not a story to bash Rias as I find those kinds of stories too repetitive and not original at all. What you call "bashing" I call "facing the consequences of one's actions", because let's be real, how many times in canon did she do shit without anyone saying anything? Without anyone pointing out her mistakes? Like the whole 'facing Kokabiel with my weak-ass low-class Devil group without big-bro's help' stuff? And NEVER getting punished for it? I'd say several. Her character development is non-existent, and hardly anybody complains about it. Secondly, Raynare, as I said a few chapters earlier, she's a different person from her canon version, sure she has her flaws, yes but she's not evil. I think you could see from how I described her no? If you didn't, well you can read it again. (and yes, her canon counterpart is a rotten, evil person, with that I do agree).
"Typical Issei distrusting Rias", the real question should be "why would Issei trust her in the first place currently?", even in canon she let him die out of her own selfishness, and I think anyone can see that, even the most fixated fanboys. As for the "Akeno bashing"? Where's the bashing? Just because I pointed out how I dislike her personality in one of my notes? Because at this point, I'm questioning myself if you actually read my story at all, as I never mentioned it would be the story you claim it to be.
"Most people just add her to the OC and/or crossover character's harem whenever they write dxd fanfiction like this", I mean… I don't know? Truth be told, I wasn't exactly planning for pairings, at least when I wrote the recent chapter and regarding the original main DxD cast. So again, this is something you assume it'll happen, because that won't be the case in this story, so wrong again. "This isn't really for fans of dxd, just fans of dxd fanfic cliches" … once again I disagree, I'd say it's exactly the contrary, because as far as I've seen, most of the stories ARE cliches (besides, DxD IS cliché, it's a freaking ecchi show) in how many fan stories the main character joins Rias and the Devil faction without EVER questioning its society, its shady characters, or their 'reincarnating' methods? How many fan-fics are an exact replica of the canon without changing almost anything, with the exact scenes and exact battle outcomes? Hundreds to put it gently. The whole point is, if you want a story that rips-off the canon, with events going the exact same way with no changes, this isn't the story for you, sorry.
With all of that being said… have fun reading!
"Th… that's… Midgardsormr." Rossweisse stammered while trembling in fear. "…one of the five Dragon Kings."
The trio of wizards this time were well-informed about what she was referring to: the Five Dragon Kings were a distinguished group of Dragons acknowledged for their great strength, their destructive powers and pride. Their power was high enough that were told to be on par with leader class beings.
"A Dragon King huh?" Cobra spoke in a curious tone.
Rossweisse began to chatter her teeth in fear, yet did her best to keep his composure despite the Dragon's presence. "He's… he's also one of Loki's three children..."
Cobra and his guildmates learned about their existence from Azazel and the Youkais, but to think that one of them was actually a god's son? Jellal tried to reflect on the names of the remaining Dragon Kings, Azazel told them that originally there were six of them, but that one of them joined the Devils for personal reasons, while the soul of another one of the remaining five was split into five pieces after getting killed in battle against Indra, the king of hindu's gods. Aforementioned Dragon was also known to be the weaker among his fellow Dragon Kings in terms of powers.
The wizards weren't sure if the Dragons of this world could be compared by the ones of theirs' in terms of weaknesses due to the fact that Dragons in their world were pretty much extinct at this point. Cobra himself wasn't completely certain about the supposed weakness… there was one way to figure out.
"That much of a big shot huh?" Cobra wondered rising an eyebrow, clearly interested in the Dragon.
"…just… just what is he doing here…?" Rossweisse queried.
Although his majestic appearance, the Dragon King, now known as Midgardsormr was momentarily motionless, with an unblinking gaze while staring at them. His facial expression was almost illegible, his intentions unclear. As far as they knew, the Dragons of this world very similar to those of their world in other matters such as being territorial, proud and with a typically violent temperament. But again, there were exceptions and this Dragon seemed to be one of them, in fact he almost seemed uninterested in engaging a fight. Yet Cobra couldn't put his money on that, why would a Dragon like him show up in the first place?
As he kept observing the Dragon King, Cobra made up his mind and cracked his knuckles preparing himself if the Dragon ever attacked them.
"You know what, screw this. I'll deal with it myself. It shouldn't take long." Cobra decided as he stepped forward. For a few seconds, Cobra raised his forearms, now cloaked by a dark red aura, his upper arms were now exposed as they were adorned with purple-crimson scales, while the undersides had become smooth and white-milky coloured. Rossweisse noticed his changes as well, she wasn't sure what it was, but from what she could sense it might be some kind of power-up given by his magic. Even so…
'W-wait… what?! Is… is he actually serious about this?!' Rossweisse shouted in her mind.
Jellal and Midnight didn't look particularly worried, after all the two of them did remember their guildmates going toe-to-toe with a rock Dragon nearly 2 years ago in Crocus, sure Cobra wasn't having the upper hand in the long run, but he was the only one who actually managed to damage his opponent among his fellow slayers. Now the Poison Dragon Slayer was undoubtedly way stronger than he was, so the chances for him to succeed against a Dragon were positive. On the other hand, Rossweisse didn't want to believe what she just heard. Did this man have some sort of death-wish? She knew they were strong mages, they wielded immense magic power, but to think that Cobra could take on someone of the calibre of Midgardsormr? They must be joking!
"W-wait a second, Cobra!" Rossweisse exclaimed stepping forward with her hand out.
Cobra slightly turned around with a confused stare. "What is it?" He asked.
Rossweisse registered his tone, the man didn't sound worried at all! "Are you really going to face a Dragon King by yourself?!" She demanded; her tone sounded harsher than she intended.
Cobra wasn't fazed by her questioning; his eyes detached from his opponent and he moved his gaze slightly towards the Valkyrie.
"Yeah. Worth giving a shot." Cobra replied drily shrugging without a hint of fear, before directing his attention to the sea-serpent Dragon. "Now let's see…" He narrowed his only working eye with the purpose of reading his mind. What shocked him was what the Dragon was currently thinking…
'Zzzzzzz…' All he heard was nothing but snoring.
No matter how much the Dragon Slayer tried to delve into his thoughts, he heard nothing. "That's weird. I don't hear anything, it's like his brain is completely off… somehow." Cobra muttered after trying to read his mind.
"Well… it's possible that his title is the reason why you can't. He is also known as the Sleeping Dragon, it's rather rare he speaks, let alone move on his own accord." Rossweisse explained.
'Figures.' Cobra mentally stated before speaking. "Welp, you might wanna step back now."
The Dragon King didn't utter a word, nor seemed to have any interest in fighting them. But again, things didn't go as the poison user expected. Afterwards with what appeared to be a groan, his dragon breath erupted from his gaping maw, a searing wave of flame hurtling towards the wizard.
'Just as I figured, he attacked first!' Cobra inwardly pointed out, reading himself. Without hesitation, the Poison Dragon Slayer raised his arm now covered in his draconic scales, with a determined smirk etched on his face, his palm facing the oncoming blaze.
"Cobra!" Rossweisse shouted from behind as she was about to rush to his aid, only to stop after witnessing the scene in front of her.
In a few instants, the force of the Dragon's breath collided with the Cobra's outstretched hand, sending shockwaves through the air. Despite the overwhelming power of the Dragon King's breath, Cobra stood his ground, his arm was shaking but the effort of holding back the flames wasn't as tough as he thought. According to Azazel and Yasaka, the Dragon Kings of this world had a magic power very close to Deliora's, so they were generally above/on par ultimate-ranking class.
"H…uhm… HUH?!" Rossweisse could only stare with her mouth gaping. Her concerned look was entirely replaced by one of shock, she then looked back at the other two mages who were acting as it was all nothing to be worried about.
'What? That all?' Cobra wondered with an unimpressed look on his face. 'I was expecting something more. Natsu's flames packed way more heat than this stuff.' He though with a sigh recalling the Fire Dragon Slayer's flames during their fight against Acnologia. Midgardsormr's flames were intense, but it was nothing he couldn't withstand.
Cobra rapidly crossed both his arms only for swinging both of them forward unleashing a powerful soundwave, powerful enough to completely extinguish Midgardsormr's fire.
"W-what…" Rossweisse babbled, her eyes wide-open.
"See? It's gonna take more than that to burn me." Cobra merely assured the Valkyrie looking back at her. "Now relax alright? I got this." He said while turning to Midgardsormr and unleashed a bit of his own magic aura.
The Valkyrie wasn't convinced yet, concern was still written all over her face. Sure, Cobra demonstrated to be able to counter his fire breath, but could he really overpower him when it came to physical strength?
"Jellal, Midnight." Rossweisse called both of them with a clear worried look on her face. "Do you trust he'll be alright without any help?"
"Positive." Midnight bluntly nodded. "You saw what he just did, he'll be fine." He assured her.
"Agreed, there's no need to worry." Jellal followed up in agreement with a small smile.
"But…" Rossweisse attempted to speak only to stop and look back at Cobra. 'Let's just hope they're right.' She hoped.
The serpent-like Dragon King unleashed another fiery breath onslaught, however the Dragon Slayer quickly leapt into the air with a bound, landing on a rock further up the cliff. As soon as Midgardsormr attempted to release his fire breath, Cobra easily saw that coming; leaping from rock to rock with lightning speed and agility, evading each flame with ease.
"Woah…" Rossweisse stared in awe. "How is he doing it? I thought he couldn't hear Midgardsormr's thoughts!" She voiced her confusion, her astonishment increased.
"It's Cobra's sharpened senses. Despite not being able to hear Midgardsormr's thoughts he's perfectly capable to avoid his flames." Midnight told her calmly.
Rossweisse didn't give a response, she could just shift her gaze back at the battle.
Reaching the top of the cliffs upwards while easily dodging the last of the Dragon's fire, Cobra immediately took off to the sky as he engulfed himself in his poison. Midgardsormr looked up raising his snout upwards to where the Dragon Slayer was. Seizing the opportunity while the Dragon Slayer seemed defenceless, he once again fired his fiery breath, confident that he couldn't miss the human at this point. Cobra was expecting such a move, now knowing his next course of action.
"HA! Think you can win this that easily?! Think again!" Cobra shouted while he was in mid-air with a grin on his features preparing himself for his next spell. "Poison Dragon Fang Thrust!" A dark crimson poisonous wave in the form of a snake's head with large fangs was shot from Cobra's being.
The two draconic attacks clashed, sending shockwaves rippling across the sea, creating towering waves that surged towards the rocky cliffs in the process. What followed up was a huge blinding explosion that erupted in the middle of the basin that shook the entire sea in the area. Afterwards, Cobra was able to land on his feet on top of the cliff, taking some time to catch his breath, even though it wasn't really needed.
'No way…' Rossweisse thought wide-eyed, pausing in her thoughts.
However, Midgardsormr wasn't done, he swung his tail with great force, aiming at Cobra right above him; not feeling tired in the slightest, the Dragon Slayer's smirk widened with excitement as he jumped out of the way, he soon reached out and landed on the sea-serpent's body safety thanks to his Sound Magic. Running up to the Dragon's body, Cobra leapt into the air as he reached over the Dragon King's head, but before he could make any move, Midgardsormr threw his head forward and charged his skull towards the nearest cliff in the hope of crushing the Dragon Slayer. However upon destroying a good amount of rocks in the vicinity, the sea-serpent like Dragon noticed that the human was already out of his sight.
"Looking for me?" Standing on the peak of a nearby cliff was Cobra, his arms were folded while a mocking grin creeped on his face. "You're strong, but way too slow if you ask me."
Narrowing his eyes at the man, Midgardsormr reared his head back and quickly refocussed, his jaws opening wide as he prepared to unleash a stream of fire at the man. The fire breath was shot, with lightning-fast reflexes, Cobra leaped backward into a somersault, once again avoiding the blast of flames that shot below him. The slayer landed on his fit near the rugged coastline, quickly crouched into a defensive stance, ready to face the dragon's next attack. Midgardsormr growled and lowered his head, preparing to charge at Cobra with his razor-sharp claws. Cobra wasn't intimidated. Midgardsormr charged at him, Cobra swiftly dodged to the side, his body glowing with a dark-crimson aura as he infused his magic into his hands. As the Dragon's claws missed him, Cobra countered with a swift strike of his own, slamming his palm into Midgardsormr's head. The dragon let out a grunt as Cobra's poison magic seeped into his bloodstream, weakening him from within. Cobra used Midgardsormr's head to reach the higher levels of the cliff.
'Unbelievable…' Rossweisse thought as she couldn't help but marvel his movements.
The Dragon Slayer raised his arm while starting to gather a great quantity of magic in both his palms. "Poison Dragon Toxic Wave!" Cobra shouted unleashing his attack, channelled his poison into a powerful wave while rushing towards the serpent-like Dragon King from above.
'Just… just how powerful are these three?!' She mentally exclaimed.
With no time to dodge or counterattack, Midgardsormr was submerged by the corrosive wave that Cobra threw at him. No matter how much he struggled, the Dragon King's being was totally overwhelmed by the slayer's offensive, his poison made him unable to move.
"You're good, not gonna lie. But you've got to do better!" Cobra exclaimed.
Afterwards, the Dragon Slayer's fists covered themselves in a dark crimson glow, leaning forward to increase his speed, he swooped down. To counter the wizard's offensive, Midgardsormr opened his mouth wide and shot a new torrent of flames towards Cobra, probably in the hope of driving him off and getting him back on the defensive. That would've worked if the Slayer didn't already see that coming.
'Let's cut the crap!' Cobra's grin broadened as his speed increased while hurtling down towards Midgardsormr. "Poison Dragon Gouge Horn!" He yelled cutting through the Dragon King's flames with ease, while hitting the Dragon head-on with two heavy hand thrusts. As he pierced his enemy, the strike also released a huge stream of poison that caused Midgardsormr to growl, pain could be heard this time.
"Um… uh…" Rossweisse was at loss of words as she could only stammer a few sounds from her mouth. Slowly she turned toward the other guild members, their faces were calm but they shared smirks at the same time, as they already foreseen the outcome of the entire fight.
The Dragon King let out a final cry that resembled a growl before slowly falling downwards. With a thunderous splash, the serpent-like Dragon fell back into the ocean, with its massive body disappearing beneath the waves. As the seawaters calmed, Cobra just landed close to his guildmates while turning his arms to normal. He released a few sighs before speaking up.
"And job done." Cobra announced as he stretched his arms and legs a bit.
"An enjoyable show I'd say." Midnight praised while joining him.
"You can say that again." Jellal added in agreement. "And besides, we know now that the Dragons of this world are weak to Dragon Slaying attributes just like in ours." He said looking at the Dragon Slayer.
"What can I say? Was a good warm-up, the lizard almost got me there with his fire the first time, but I managed." Cobra admitted with a boast shrugging.
'I would've never imagined that humans could become this powerful, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would've considered it unreal. No… these three are far from regular, otherwise Azazel would've never sent them to aid us in the first place, right?' Rossweisse carried on, her mind focussed on the battle it just took place in front of her eyes. 'From what I could understand, Cobra didn't even use his full power, he was still holding back, still he blocked Midgardsormr's fire breath, could counter his offensive and took him down with a few hits, thanks to his skills and magic… I would have never thought a Dragon Slayer could be that strong. This leaves me wondering how strong the three of them really are.' Rossweisse thought. "Uhm, excuse me. I have a question if you don't mind…" Rossweisse voiced making the trio of wizards turning to her. "How… exactly strong are you…?" She stammered.
The trio of wizards exchanged a quick glance.
Cobra looked back at her as he pocketed his right hand. "Strong huh?" He repeated, his face turning neutral. "Well, it depends on how you measure our strength, if you wanna compare us to the top tiers of this world, I'd say we can hold our own just fine as far as I could see… honestly, so far no one's given us any real problem, but that's probably because we haven't yet clashed with the top dogs around here." He explained.
Rossweisse nodded her head, feeling her respect for wizards increase. "I see, your world must be full of powerful individuals." She told them.
"Hm. Let's just say we've seen our fair share of battles..." Cobra said with a light shrug. "That's just me of course, but I'm pretty sure the others see it that way too." He gestured at his guildmates.
Rossweisse merely nodded at his explanation, just how could this man remain so calm after fighting a Dragon and 'casually' turn victorious like that? The same could be said for his companions, they were awfully calm about the whole thing the entire time. Sure they did say Cobra could deal with it by himself, but that still didn't leave the fact that he, despite being a Dragon Slayer, was still human along with them. Their answers about their level of power were even vaguer, she would lie to herself if she said her interest about them peaked at the moment.
"Alright, now you'd better be going." Cobra said snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Rossweisse dumbly hummed.
"Your companion here needs to rest properly. We can teleport back ourselves." Jellal elaborated.
"O-oh… yes of course, you're right!" Rossweisse agreed immediately as she stepped before them, her passed out fellow Valkyrie still in her arms. "Once again, I thank you for your help!"
The Crime Sorcière wizards nodded in response.
"My my, isn't that an uncommon sight? Seeing humans entering the domain of the Norse Gods? And defeating one of my adorable sons nonetheless." A voice echoed from the sky above.
"Hm. Looks like we got ourselves a visitor." Cobra looked up at the clouds while a magic crest that really resembled Rossweisse was materialising. "Yup. Seems like it is."
"It's him… he is here." Rossweisse said gulping as her eyes fixed on the man.
"So he showed up." Midnight observed.
Hovering in the air upward in the now sunset sky was a tall, slender handsome man with long bright, turquoise hair that floated his back with two large chest length bangs, with also three blue jewels on his forehead, his sage green eyes completed had a sinister look on his face. His ears were adorned with light gold earrings. As clothing, he wore white clothing and a long cape of the same colour with a high collar, adding to his regal and godly presence. The new comer had his eyes on the humans with interest, he then shook his head lightly before continuing his entrance speech.
"Oh but of course, where are my manners." The man carried on in a haughty tone. "Greetings to you, human wizards! I am the Norse God Loki of Asgard. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He said with a smile that looked almost sinister.
"Of course, Loki the God of trickery and mischief." Jellal spoke up while narrowing his eyes upward. The god's magic power was immense, stronger than any being they encountered since their arrival on Earth,
"Lord… Lord Loki…!" Rossweisse exclaimed in shock.
Loki paused a few moments before looking down to the person who named him. "Oh, if it isn't the most brilliant of Odin's attendants, it's so nice to see you growing stronger and relevant each passing day." Loki spoke while recognising the Valkyrie in question. His eyes soon met with the wizards' as he spoke. "I must say I didn't expect you to accompany humans in our domain, and to actually team up with them of all things."
'So he's the Dragon's father, Loki, one of the Norse Gods.' Cobra pondered while looking upward, then analysed his magic capabilities. 'This magic power... we've got to be careful if he plans to fight us, this guy is no joke.' Erik thought narrowing his eye at the god in question. He wasn't sure how effectively strong he was, but Cobra and the others knew he was way stronger than Azazel and the other cadres, probably even stronger than most of the enemies they've faced so far… which was not good news.
Rossweisse still struggled to put some courage in her words, yet her attends were useless, she was just too frightened to speak with the same tone as before. Gulping aloud she managed to muster a question. "W-why are you here…?"
Loki made a pensive pose before answering. "Why you ask. To be completely honest, I was just merely observing the surroundings of our territory until I sensed these powerful wizards around." The god explained motioning at them with his hand. "So of course, I couldn't help but test them and witness their capabilities with my own eyes. And who better than my son to carry out the task?" Loki explained with a lofty tone. "Although I am indeed the god of trickery and mischief, I'm no stranger to giving compliments when due, and the humans you brought here are more than formidable. I will not forget you; you're definitely the strongest human I've seen in centuries. Your skills in magic and raw strength have proven to be superior than any human and most of the supernatural beings I have encountered."
Rossweisse made no attempt to question the god further, probably not wanting to upset him in some ways. She has known Loki for decades, Loki was renowned for his mischievous nature and his knack for causing troubles, as well as for being tricky, cunning, manipulative and scheming. Despite knowing him for years, no decades, she was far from knowing what was going through his mind at that moment.
'I can say he's somewhat honest in what he's saying.' Cobra pondered in his thoughts. 9But there's some extra sauce to his words, I just can't quite suss it out yet, damn it.' He thought while still keeping a calm façade. A second glance with his guildmates, gaining nods from both of them.
'We can't risk to fight a God like Loki here, not when all the Norse Gods could notice us, and especially with an injured Valkyrie nearby.' Jellal said telepathically.
'Erik, can you figure out why he's really here?' Midnight asked.
'I tried to, but he doesn't seem to be talking bullshit...' Cobra gave his response. 'It's just, I can't put my finger on it. Something feels off, but I can't exactly pinpoint it.'
'For now we should just focus on returning, and bringing them back to Odin.' Jellal told them. 'Loki's not someone we need to face right now.'
While the wizards remained calm and composed, Rossweisse was still nervous, concerned about what a battle between Loki and the human mages might lead to. Not knowing what to think of the situation at hand, she was about to question their intentions before Loki spoke up, breaking those short moments of silence.
"With that being said, I can safely say you intrigued me, humans. Yes, you've sparked my curiosity, and I look forward to seeing you three in action once again, and I have a feeling it will be quite an entertaining spectacle." Loki concluded, offering one final commendation to the humans. "For now, farewell."
Having finished his speech, the God of mischief made a courteous bow, his sinister smirk not leaving his face, before vanishing into his signature magic circle.
-The next day –
/Crime Sorcière residence, Kuoh Tow/
After enduring several days of job requests, taking on supernatural adversaries such as Fallen Angels, Demons, Dragons and even encountering deities, the trio decided to take a breather at their own residence. Their last task was completed in an optimal manner, at least technically speaking. Despite the fact that the three Demons were indeed taken out, the number of lives that were taken by those monstrosities was high, especially after such a short time after their and the Etherious' arrival in this world. Nonetheless, Rossweisse and her kindred managed to return safely to Asgard, having informed the chief god Odin of the death of the Demons and the unexpected appearance of Loki and his son.
About Loki, what was the reason behind his sudden appearance? Why would he show up just for the sake of challenging some unknown human mages? Using his Dragon King son in addition. Plus, how was Loki aware of their mission to begin with? Had Odin mentioned their presence to the other gods? Or did maybe pry into it? The trio didn't know if Loki had an ulterior motive to show up to them despite the explanation that he gave to them. Whatever the case was, at this point they knew Loki might not be the one to know about their existence. Needless to say they were preparing for the inevitable to happen, other factions might already be looking for them. The god's words were on the wizard's minds, they knew that wouldn't be the last time they heard about him.
After informing Azazel of their current status, the Governor General made sure to tell Odin to keep his eyes on Loki, in case he was planning something to affect the wizards in any way.
Speaking of Azazel…
"So you'll be busy the next days?" Jellal asked as he was holding his phone near his ear. As he was walking down the stairs, he noticed that Erik was sprawled out on the sofa with a beer can in hand and a bag of chips next to him, watching television. While Macbeth was sitting at the main table in the living room sipping his coffee, he too was watching TV from his spot.
("Yep, you see in light of recent events, and the current truce put at risk and almost broken by a few of my own, I decided to speed things up a little bit, so I started contacting the rest of the leaders of the Three Factions as quick as I could.") Azazel answered the call.
"So, you're making a big step forward to it." Jellal noted.
("Yeah, I'm currently trying to keep in touch with Michael and the Seraphs. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to convince all the leaders though, including all the four Devil Kings. That'll be a tough nut to crack.")
"I thought you were on good terms with the current Lucifer."
("'Good terms' is a big word, let's just say he's the only one who tolerates me enough to handle a conversation, alongside Ajuka maybe. But the other two would surely try to kick my ass six ways to Sunday. Especially the Leviathan girl")
Jellal took a brief pause as he was thinking. "Are you planning to have some sort of peace conference to sign the peace treaty?" He managed to ask.
("Uh. You know… that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea! Thanks Jellal!") Azazel laughed; his loud voice was audible through Jellal's phone. ("By the way, Odin sends his thanks for what you did in Asgard.")
"Yeah, except for the fact that we left three monsters freely wandering freely in the domain of the Norse Gods without intervening immediately." Jellal stated half-heartedly, remembering the other Valkyries' fate by the Etherious' hands. "Tell Odin we deeply apologise for it."
("The most important thing is that you guys got rid of them and saved who could be saved, right?") Azazel said to that last statement of his, to which Jellal had no reply with words, he just closed his eyes while breathing out a sigh. The weight of guilt still pressed on his mind, but he knew he had to let them go in one way or another. ("Odin told me he was really grateful for what you did, so don't feel too guilty about it, ok?") Azazel clarified, which Jellal ended up silently understanding. ("Oh, I almost forgot to tell.") Azazel spoke up after a few moments of silence. ("Jellal, the girl you saved back in Nagoya has completely recovered from her injuries.") The Governor of Grigori informed the wizard.
"Oh… that's good, I'm glad to hear it." Jellal answered with a forming relieved smile. "How is she holding up in Kyoto so far?" He inquired.
("As we expected her injuries weren't really grave, so she's fine… hmm, actually why don't you go there and ask her herself. She may be wondering who saved her skin.") Azazel responded as he paused for some seconds, but Jellal could perceive the smirk on the Fallen Angel's features. ("Plus, that'd be a golden chance to see your beloved Yasaka again, wouldn't you agree? Maybe you could continue what you left behind? A more intimate date if you will…")
Jellal felt a slight twitch in his eye as his embarrassment began to intensify, accompanied by the muffled snickers of his guildmates from their respective spots. Well, Erik was one step away from laughing directly into his face, while Macbeth was trying to suppress his snickering by finishing his drink.
"Azazel…" Jellal whispered dangerously narrowing his gaze. "Don't think this is over…"
("Oopsie, look at the time! Gotta go now! Later Jellal!") Azazel hurried hanging up the phone.
Jellal set down his phone on the table and shook his head and sat down on a spare chair near the living room table.
'I'm glad the girl is ok.' Jellal pondered in his mind. 'Just to think that a degenerate, sick monster like Freed could get his hands on a little girl and kill her family for a mere object... no, I have to stay calm. She is safe with Yasaka and the Youkais in Kyoto, right… right, Yasaka would look after her.' He smiled at his own thoughts. He knew that was the case with her, she showed genuine kindness to them from the moment they arrived. She wouldn't bat an eyelid if a little girl in need of a home asked for help.
"So are you going Jellal?" Erik voice interrupted, pulling Jellal back to the present.
"Uhm. I guess I am." Jellal answered as he poured water into his glass. "Azazel just told me the girl I saved in Nagoya from Freed is feeling better, so I'm going to visit her."
"We heard about that." Macbeth remarked. "It's a relief that she wasn't mortally wounded."
"Yeah, glad the kid's fine." Erik added.
"Yet she could very well be traumatised by this." Jellal asserted recalling what happened with Freed's assault. "She's now an orphan, her parents were both killed right in front of her by a maniac that planned to kill her too, it wouldn't surprise me if that experience had changed her significantly and refuses to trust people."
"The only way to find out is to go check on her." Macbeth told him.
"Yeah." Jellal slowly nodded before breathing a light sigh.
In reality, Jellal's worries were still present. Despite knowing that the girl was safe, he couldn't shake off his concerns. He knew what that meant, he did experience it too, the harrowing ordeal she had endured, witnessing her parents being ruthlessly killed before her very eyes. The only way for to overcome the situation was to remain strong and move on, that was a lesson he, no they, learned to their cost.
"But that's not the sole reason you're going, now ain't it?" Erik questioned breaking the silence. "Missing your foxie lady that much?" He asked showing his toothy grin.
Jellal paused for a second while doing his best not to think about that. Yet, he still couldn't help it… "I don't know what you're talking about." He said smiling as he closed his eyes.
"Ha! Not hiding the fact that you like her huh?" Erik shook his head with a smirk on his face. "Guess that confirms it, lover boy."
"I didn't say anything that involves love though." Jellal shrugged.
"Right, you wish we'd fell for it." Erik pointed out with toothy smirk. "It's obvious by now."
"Hm." Jellal chuckled in response, not offended by his guildmate's words. "You know Erik, those are big words coming from you of all the people."
"Huh? The hell you're on about?" Erik lazily asked as he tilted his head in their direction.
"From what I've seen so far, you've been getting along quite well with a certain raven-haired Angel girl. You seem to speak in much calmer tones now, you get along quite well." Jellal started as he closed his eyes with a smug smile. "I wonder if that means anything…" He then opened his eyes to look at his guildmate.
Erik's only working eye twitched, his expression stiffened while grinding his teeth in irritation. "Jellal, you really wanna watch your tongue before I rip it out of your mouth."
"Come on Erik, I was just kidding." Jellal quipped with an amused smile.
"Yeah right, or maybe you're just imaging things too much. Where'd you even get that notion?" Erik questioned.
"Judging by how the two of you were interacting yesterday, I too was beginning to get the idea to be frank." Macbeth chimed in as he finished his coffee.
"What the hell? You too Macbeth?" Erik exclaimed as he turned towards his friend with a look of betrayal.
"Well, seems like it wasn't just me imagining things, Erik." Jellal interjected.
Erik only grunted in response crossing his arms.
"I mean, you certainly give that sensation to outside eyes." Macbeth pointed out. "When I came downstairs, you and Raynare seemed to be having fun at getting to know each other. And the day before that, you were arguing like an old married couple." He continued to rub it in.
"No, you guys got it all wrong, I feel nothing for that nuisance of a lady." Erik denied shaking his head waving his hand to make his point clearer. "The only term that comes to mind when I think of her is 'acquaintance'. And annoying one if I've got to add." He concluded reclining on the sofa again.
"I guess looks can deceive then." Macbeth said as he shrugged.
"If you say so." Jellal let that go.
"Tch." Erik grumbled averting his gaze with his eye closed. "You know what? Forget about it." He asked afterwards. "When are you going to Kyoto anyway?"
"This evening I think." Jellal answered. "After all, I can always use my Sacred Gear, right?"
Erik just shrugged. Macbeth continued to sip his coffee in silence.
Jellal's phone ringed. "Erik." He called out.
"What?" Erik asked.
Jella showed his phone screen to Erik.
"Oh and Ray says hi ;)." The message said.
'What the…' Erik glared at the text.
"Well, seems like we're not the only ones who share that sentiment." Jellal said with a light laugh.
On the other hand, Erik's glare intensified at the phone screen. "That… bird of ill omen son of a bitch." He grinded his teeth in annoyance.
-Later in the afternoon –
The day went on normally, the wizards just finished to eat their lunch meals, enjoying their day-off. This time Erik was the one to do the chores, much to his chagrin. Fortunately, with only three of them, he suppressed his frustration and dutifully washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen. Meanwhile, Macbeth opted to entertain himself by watching television, tuning into an English channel. While Jellal was finishing the preparations for his backpack near the exit.
"Alright. I'm heading out." Jellal announced to his guildmates as he grabbed his backpack.
"Be careful out there, dear." Erik mocked while wiping a sponge on a dirty plate. "Make sure you come back for dinner."
"I will, I will." Jellal smirked back.
"If you're in trouble, please call us, honey." Macbeth mirrored Erik's joke.
"Yeah, yeah." Jellal replied nonchalantly. "I'll see you guys later." With those last words, Jellal teleported away through use of his Sacred Gear.
A few minutes of silence passed, with the only audible sounds being the running of water from the sink and the TV on. Until the Dragon Slayer spoke up.
"Alright." Erik released a sigh of relief despite his boredom. "And this was the last one." He said as he placed the last washed dish on the dish rack.
"Erik, do we have enough food for tonight's dinner?" Macbeth asked turning his head to his guildmate.
"Lemme see." Erik responded as he opened the fridge to check out the food. "Nope, we're running out of food."
"We should go to the corner shop and buy something then." Macbeth stated.
"Yeah." Erik nodded with a grunt. "I'll get the card, Azazel said he already paid up, so we might as well go and…"
His words were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell, but the odd thing was that it was not that of the intercom, but that of their front door.
'Ugh, who is it now?' Erik questioned with a snort. 'Can't we get some peace for once?' He glanced over his friend. "Oi. Macbeth…"
"Sorry, it's your turn." Macbeth nonchalantly told him.
"Ugh…"
Erik reluctantly approached the door after the doorbell rang. With a frustrated sigh, he reached out and turned the doorknob allowing the door to swing open, revealing the unexpected intruder. At their doorstep, Erik could now see of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life, stoic yet gorgeous face, silver eyes tinged almost with ice, long silver hair gathered in two long braids, wearing an expensive maid outfit that did a poor job of hiding her well-developed figure that could make any woman envious. However, Erik wasn't fazed by her presence and seized the opportunity to smell the air around her.
'Shit, a Devil.' Erik cursed in his mind while trying so hard not to glare at the woman. 'And my gut feeling tells me that she's one of the big shots. How did even she find her way into the building? I thought the entrance was closed. And only Jellal's full name is written on the doorbell, so how did she know about us being here, dammit. I should've seen this coming.' Now he had two options, he could very well ignore her and promptly close the door on her face, but that would be a suspicious move, that would indicate he knew about her identity… or he could just play dumb and feign ignorance for the moment.
"Uh, can I help you?" Erik asked trying his best not to sound annoyed.
The woman's reply came after a few seconds, while she was examining him from head to toe, which annoyed the wizard quite a bit. "Pardon my intrusion, but do you happen to be Mr. Cobra?" She asked bluntly, but politely.
'The hell? She knows about me?' Erik thought with more than a few hints of distrust. "That'd be me, yeah. Who's asking?" He questioned. 'Wait… I already saw those eyes. And her scent smells… familiar somehow.'
"My name is Grayfia Lucifuge." Grayfia introduced herself in a well-mannered, yet neutral voice. "And I'm the head maid of the Gremory household. It's a pleasure to meet you." She carried on as she bowed politely.
What? Just what? Did the Gremory girl report their presence in Kuoh? Did she label them as dangerous to the higher-ups? That could be troublesome. Right now, their intentions don't involve any direct confrontation with the Devils, at least not in the near future.
'Tch. Not good, if that's how it is, we're gonna be exposed in no time, fuck.' Erik thought in annoyance while trying to keep a cool façade. "Uh… likewise I guess." He said awkwardly in response. "Not to sound like a dick, but what exactly brings you here… Grayfia?" He asked, raising a brow with suspicion.
Luckily the woman didn't seem the type to beat around the bush, her reply came immediately after. "I'll get straight to the point, Mr. Cobra. One of the reasons why I am here is to extend my sincerest gratitude for the remarkable actions you and your companion undertook a few weeks ago in the Underworld. Which involved a member of my family." Grayfia clarified in a calm manner. "And to pose a few questions, if that is acceptable of course." She requested.
At her words, even Macbeth's gaze also turned to the woman from his seat in the living room. Erik's scepticism eased a bit as he rose a brow. 'So, she's related to that Gremory brat huh? Called it. Still I sense no bad vibes from her. If she had any funny business in mind, she would've pulled it off already. Yeah, she's being genuine… I can hear it.' He acknowledged in his thoughts. "Alright, come in." Erik accepted with a nod, deciding to play nice despite Grayfia's connection with the Gremory family. That was the most logical way to deal with the matter.
"Thank you." Grayfia said with a tone of appreciation.
As Grayfia entered their place, Erik closed the entrance door and led her to the living room. The Dragon Slayer looked around and noticed the hard stare of his friend and guildmate, nodding to him to play along for now. Macbeth understood as he turned off the TV to join the two.
"Is there anything you'd like to drink?" Macbeth asked out of curtesy.
"I'm alright, thank you, Mr. Midnight." Grayfia politely declined.
Macbeth learned that she also knew his name, Erik was taken aback as well. Their doubts were reasonable given that this was their initial encounter with her. On the other hand, they knew this was technically the Gremory territory, so the only logical conclusion was that Rias Gremory spoke to the maid about them and their doings in her territory, so of course she would question them. At least from the very little she knew.
Gathered around and sat at the living room table, Erik was the first one to speak.
"So what's this all about?" The Dragon Slayer immediately got to the point.
Grayfia took a brief moment to collect her thoughts before beginning. "I understand your confusion. Allow me to elucidate. Not long ago a group of rogue Devils, potentially terrorists, abducted my son Millicas, with the intention of using him as bait to get the rest of my household out into the open. It was you and your allies who fearlessly intervened, liberating him from their clutches, providing me with the opportunity to take him to safety away from the demilitarised zone."
Erik and Macbeth's expressions hinted surprise, although they already had half an idea that she might be there to rescue him.
After a brief pause, Macbeth decided to speak up. "Ah, that incident. We took care of it. The Devils weren't much of a problem either. Your son was fortunate enough you were around to bring him back."
Grayfia briefly shook her head. "Fortune played a minor role, Mr. Midnight. It was thanks to you and your prompt action that made the difference." Despite her professional tone, clear gratitude emanated through her words. "My son's safety and well-being are due to your valiant efforts. And for that we, of the Gremory household, are very grateful."
"I see." Macbeth said while processing her words. "If that's the case then, we… appreciate that." He accepted.
"So it was you, you were there." Cobra said after thinking about it.
Grayfia turned her look to the Dragon Slayer and nodded. "Yes, I presume you must have detected my presence the moment I intervened to retrieve him, am I correct?" She asked.
"Yeah, sort of." Erik responded. "So if those idiots weren't on Lucifer's side, then who were they?" He asked he asked with a half-hearted lie, in the hope they would know much about the Devil territories.
"All we know is that they're a part of the Old Satan Faction, however we are still in the dark about the individuals orchestrating the entire scheme. The Gremory household and Sirzechs are currently working to get to the bottom of this situation." Grayfia elaborated.
'So much for being useful.' Erik muttered in his thoughts.
"There's one more thing I'm not quite getting." Macbeth said. "I was positive that the boy had fainted while being kidnapped, so how could he tell you about us?"
"That wouldn't be correct. Millicas was injured, yes, but he told me he was able to hear and see what was occurring." Grayfia explained. "So of course, I initially became aware of your presence through him and subsequently my sister-in-law, Rias Gremory, who was the one who referred me you were here."
'What the hell? So there's a chance she also knows about our latest showdown with Lullaby?' Erik thought. That raised a few other questions the two wizards wondered. Did she know about Rias' intentions with Issei as well? It would make sense since she was directly related to her. If so, their opinion about Devils couldn't sink any lower than it already was. If not, well, Rias may be in trouble for putting the life of one of Kuoh's citizens in danger. She could face the rightful consequences for her actions.
That would at least make her stop taking those kind of decisions, and endangering innocent lives.
"So, we're right to assume you witnessed our fight against Lullaby a few days ago as well, right?" Macbeth stated his question.
"Indeed. And not only you could handle the situation perfectly with it, but you also happened to save my lady Rias along her peerage in a moment of danger." She informed while forming a small, yet noticeable smile on her face. "For that, my family and I are immensely grateful. Of course, if you'll allow us to do so, we would be honoured to show our gratitude by rewarding you generously."
Grayfia's gratitude was accentuated by a short bow. The wizards nodded their heads, their expressions didn't change much though. Reward them? Did she intend to compensate them with money? Or invite them to join their faction? They didn't need any of those things.
"No need."
Grayfia perked up her gaze at Macbeth as he spoke.
"There's no need for you to reward us with anything." Macbeth elaborated. "Money isn't exactly what we're aspiring. And your faction is… not exactly at the top of our list of favourites."
The maid adjusted her posture to look at them directly. They refused whatever compensation she offered; and Macbeth's voice tone was enough for her to understand nothing would change their mind. At this point, she was almost certain that they weren't mercenaries like she thought they could be.
One question came to Macbeth's mind. "Just tell us one thing. Did you spread the news about us among the other families as well?" He asked in earnest tone.
Grayfia adjusted her posture before answering. "We did not. Except for the Gremory's house, no other family in the Underworld came to know about the three of you. We ensured that the matter remained confidential."
Erik and Macbeth didn't expect this turnout in the slightest. Devil clans were supposed to be close allies, right? If a possible threat were to appear in one of their 'territories' then wouldn't it make sense to track it down and dispose of it? The revelation that their presence had been kept a secret brought a sense of relief to both wizards, and surprise as well.
"Figures." Erik said, his tone softened up a bit. "Anyway, think nothing of it, we were just doing what was right." He dismissed. "'sides, we were already after that freak, so naturally we had to clean our own messes."
"I understand. Regardless of the overall circumstances, you did what my sister-in-law couldn't accomplish, which was to maintain order in Kuoh and safeguard it from outside threats." Grayfia continued.
Macbeth and Erik were a bit taken aback by those multiple praises, but they didn't seem to be too much fazed by them, especially the Dragon Slayer, they just nodded both their heads in acknowledgement.
"Tch. Well tell your sister-in-law and maybe to all your people to stop screwing around with other people's freedom like she did recently." Erik said in annoyance.
Grayfia's transitioned from a smile to one of confusion. Although his words were quite harsh and blunt, she understood the wizards' scepticism and doubts about her kind, she was not certainly born yesterday to be aware of how many flaws the Devils' society had; from the Old Satan Faction to the extremely conservatives' nobles of the most powerful houses. Despite that she also knew that the last thing that the Gremory family would do is toying around with other people's lives, let alone mistreat their servants. They were one of the few exceptions amidst the majority. In conclusion, she decided to silently accept his words. But there was something she couldn't get…
"Forgive me, does my lady Rias have anything to do with the situation at hand? If so, I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about." Grayfia voiced with perplexity.
Erik and Macbeth exchanged a brief glance before eying her back.
'She's not lying with this one, I can hear it.' Erik sensed.
'That means Rias Gremory hasn't explained the entire situation with the Fallen Angels.' Macbeth added in his thoughts. 'And I have the feeling she has no intention of doing so.' Generally, when an issue of balance arises between two different factions, the first thing one should do is to calm the situation immediately with the opposite party. Or at least that was what he learned back then as a member of one of the top three Dark Guilds of Fiore. Macbeth and Erik knew it was imperative for Rias to inform her family about it. If she was supposed to be a leader then she still had a lot to learn.
"You're pretty much in the dark about this, huh?" Erik asked rising a brow.
Grayfia shook her head. "Yes." She answered in honesty. "Is this matter related to the incident with the Demon you three faced?"
"I wouldn't say it's connected to it directly, but it certainly concerns Rias and her 'recruiting' methods." Macbeth explained, folding his arms.
"I see." Grayfia noted in a serious manner. "By all means, please elaborate." She requested.
/Kyoto, Japan /
Arriving at his destination just outside Kyoto, Jellal stepped outside the 'artificial' magic circle created by his portable Sacred Gear, finding himself in the familiar woods on the outskirts of the metropolis. The wizard glanced at the almost-perfectly clear azure sky, briefly smiling at the serene atmosphere. His smile disappeared as he now focused on the matter.
'Azazel told me the girl is resting at Yasaka's place, so I suppose I should contact her.' Jellal thought. Afterward, he retrieved his phone and proceeded to unlock it in order to get in touch with the governor of Kyoto. Jellal dialled Yasaka's number and waited for the call to connect. The moment Yasaka answered the call, she began to speak as her soft tone was audible through the phone.
("Hello Jellal, it's good to hear from you again. Did you arrive safely?")
Jellal hummed with a light nod, even though she couldn't see him. "Yes, I just got here through teleportation thanks to Azazel's Sacred Gear. I'm just outside Kyoto."
("And I assume he told you about her condition, did he not?")
"That's right. He also mentioned that the girl is resting at your place, he told me she was fine, but I wanted to visit her to see with my own eyes. is it OK if I drop by to see her?" Jellal requested.
Yasaka's tone grew gentler. ("Of course, you're more than welcome to visit.)
"Thank you Yasaka." Jellal thanked her with gratitude.
("I'll let her know you're coming, and I'm sure she'll be looking forward to it. I'll be seeing you soon, Jellal.")
As the call ended, the wizard shifted his attention towards the city, walking towards it with a clear destination in his mind.
Phew... another chapter in the bag.
A quick shotout... it has nothing to do with the chapter, but as you guys may have seen, I've posted a new story... a story I never expected to write but if you're looking for something 'fresh,' feel free to check it out if you're interested.
Again, I apologise for, you know, staying dead for so many months.
Nothing much more to add about the chapter.
I'm out here, see you next time. (Assuming I'll still be active that is lmao)