Here I present myself with a new translated chapter!
We are slowly getting closer to the end, so I hope these last updates will continue to be as entertaining for everyone.
This time there won't be lemon, but a foursome is coming.
Remember that this is a translation, so there may be a lot of mistakes due to my ignorance about this language. I really apologize if there is something that bothers you too much about the mistranslation.
Before we begin, let's answer an important review:
Dakota: To be honest, the fact that it took so long to bring closure to the main characters' relationship seems like a mistake on my part. I love slow pairings and exploiting them as much as possible as I develop the characters, but in this particular story I had a miscalculation of how long it would be, and thus, the absurd amount of chapters that would have to pass until that moment is reached. The bad thing is that I already had everything built up for it to form that way, so the idea of changing those things could have ended up screwing up the story in terms of romance. The good thing is that I've taken this as an experience, and now I know I have to be more in tune with my own ideas and my own time so I don't make the same mistake. This story in general has taught me a lot, since it is not the only problem, although it is the most conflictive. I promise that the next DxD story I make next time will be much better constructed in order to manage the time correctly. Imagine that there were people who started reading this story as soon as the prologue was published and had to wait more than 2 years to get to this point. Just a shame, and I'm telling you so myself. But I'm really glad that you're liking it now, and I hope that the poorly taimed romance didn't ruin the other moments of the story, as they are also very important. I send you a hug!
Without anything else to add, let's begin.
Enjoy!
Tiamat stopped in front of Rossweisse's room. Her eyes strayed to the nearest window, seeing that it was just dawn. The dragoness didn't make her action wait any longer and knocked on the door a couple of times, and didn't take many seconds to answer her.
"Did I wake you up?" Tiamat asked with a slight blush as she saw how Issei was finishing putting on his shirt, being the one who had opened the door.
"Don't worry, we've been awake for almost an hour now." Issei was the one who answered him, but Rossweisse didn't take long to join them.
"It was a bit tricky to sleep knowing how important this day is." Clarified the Valkyrie with a somewhat strained smile, something Issei and Tiamat picked up on, but decided not to say anything about it.
"I went to see Penemue first. She couldn't sleep too, though it's mostly due to the meeting point." The dragoness commented, something Rossweisse and Issei understood instantly.
"I suppose that's normal. It must be quite strange for her to return to the place that was once her home." Rossweisse paused in the doorway, thinking over her own words. "I'm going to accompany her to find out how she's doing. I'll see you in a few minutes." The Valkyrie said goodbye with a quick hug, which she handed to Issei and Tiamat, then disappeared through a magic circle.
That left Tiamat and Issei completely alone, looking at the empty place where Rossweisse stood before.
"I knew she liked stuffed animals, but not to such an extent..." Tiamat stated to pick up the conversation, looking at the large amount of stuffed animals on different shelves.
"Yes, even I was a bit surprised. I was the last 3 days here, and even I still find it a bit weird." Issei rubbed his hair after the comment, then looked at the dragoness with some discomfort. "By the way, I want apologize to you. I know I've been focusing a lot of time on the others these past few days, but I want to be fair to everyone."
"Relax, I understand perfectly." The dragoness placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Issei to glare at her. "Besides, I think she was the one who needed the most attention especially these days, and I think you noticed that too." She added at last, to which Issei nodded almost immediately.
"I know, she is very tense about everything what is about to happen." Issei closed the door carefully, then lowered his gaze regretfully. "She already lived through a deadly war that took her parents and almost left her without a brother. Now we are about to go through another conflict equal to or even worse than the last one..." Issei could not continue speaking, as a finger rested on his lips.
"Everything will be fine." Tiamat comforted him with her classic gaze covered with sweetness and affection that was always directed exclusively towards him.
Issei stared at her for a couple of seconds as he took her hand carefully, admiring the beautiful and warm woman in front of him. That moment didn't last long, as Issei reached over to hug her tightly, a gesture that Tiamat accepted with much affection, something that was demonstrated when she began to rub her cheek against his, as was usual for her whenever they embraced.
"You're right." They were the only words from Issei, who broke away a bit to look into her eyes, and the dragoness did the same.
They both continued to embrace as they looked at each other endlessly. Issei looked deeply into her beautiful light blue eyes that reflected everything they had gone through together, always accompanied by that friendship, love and affection that had kept them together at all times.
It was curious that he could remember and see all that just by looking into her eyes, and she seemed to be feeling the same.
Issei's eyes sparkled at the figure of the wonderful woman who made him feel so happy just by looking at her.
"What?" Tiamat was the first to snap out of that little trance, sketching a faint smirk as she saw how Issei stared at her in complete silence.
She definitely never expected such a sincere and concise answer from Issei.
"I love you."
Before she could even answer, could feel how her lips met with Issei's. She didn't even resist, just accepted all that love with great happiness. It didn't take long for their lips to start devouring each other, desperately searching for a way to be able to convey all the mutual love and feeling between them, but they both knew that was impossible.
They were too much love and passion. They contained so much that it was simply impossible to transmit it with a simple kiss.
Even so, that long and deep kiss made them feel more connected and content than any other couple.
Tiamat's hands clung weakly on Issei's shirt, while both continued to show each other their endless love without stopping.
Finally, their lips parted calmly, but both continued to embrace. Tiamat let her emotions overpower her and cupped her face on the shoulder of her lover, closing her eyes to feel his warmth and scent as she loved so much.
And now, she could caress and feel him without being afraid to say the next words:
"I love you too."
CHAPTER 82: THE PLAN OF GOD!
Issei stopped in front of the large white structure that he had once entered to learn about the prophecy. He found it curious to return to Elysium after that time, but without a doubt the one who was most affected by the sights was Penemue, and the reason was quite obvious.
Issei watched her silently for a short second, watching as the Cadre looked from side to side calmly. That calmness disguised all the mixed feelings she was dealing with right now very well.
"Who knew someone like me would come back to this place?" Azazel chuckled to himself as he advanced into the hall, drawing everyone's attention. "We'll start soon, so don't get so distracted by the scenery." The Cadre added at last, watching out of the corner of his eye as Penemue was more intent on the meeting site than the meeting itself.
"Go ahead, I'll catch up soon." Penemue commented, watching as Issei, Tiamat and Rossweisse were waiting for her response.
Her two best friends nodded without complaint, but Issei's case was different, who only managed to stay by her side watching her quite attentively. It didn't take long for the Cadre to notice how she was looked at, so her interest was diverted to her beloved.
"What's wrong?" She consulted him with a raised eyebrow.
"How does it feel to be back after so many centuries?" Issei's direct question took her a little by surprise, and she didn't bother to hide it.
"I don't know, it's weird." Penemue delivered the most honest answer possible. "I have a lot of memories of this place. Good memories..." The Cadre fixed her gaze on one of the nearest dwellings, and an image of her talking together with Gabriel and her Father popped into her mind for a few short seconds.
"You told me about your past as a Fallen Angel, but you never told me about when you were still an Angel." Issei took her hand, causing Penemue to turn her attention back to him. "I'd like to hear some of those stories when this is all over." Issei's comment made the ever stoic and impassive Penemue smile.
"Maybe someday, but I must warn you, those stories are really boring." Penemue crouched down a bit so she could be at the same height. "To be honest with you, I always thought I was happy before. Guess I was, but..." Penemue moved her face a little closer, causing her pale complexion to draw a faint blush. "Not in my wildest dreams was any happier than I am now. Because there's Tiamat, Rossweisse and Ophis, and, most of all, because there's you..."
"What a coincidence." Issei commented with a faint smile, a smile that reflected affection, something that quickened Cadre's heart. "After all, I also met the pinnacle of happiness since I've been together with you."
"What is that pinnacle of happiness?" Penemue took his shoulders gently, something Issei accepted with complete delight.
"Do you want me to prove it to you?" Issei answered with another question, receiving a slight nod from his lover.
Both of their smiles increased a bit as Issei's hand caressed the woman's cheek, causing her to lean in at the very gentle and affectionate gesture. Both Issei and Penemue slowly closed their eyes, until their lips melted into a soft but deep kiss.
The Cadre's hands wrapped around her beloved's neck and embraced him with care and delicacy, a gesture that Issei reciprocated in his own way as he embraced her waist, drawing her even closer to him.
Their lips continued to be joined for what seemed like an eternity, because eternity was what they needed to continue demonstrating the affection and love they had for each other. Unfortunately, even eternity itself is not infinite, so they had to pull apart when the air began to run out.
"Now do you understand?" Issei declared, bringing a hand to her cheek once more.
"There is no greater happiness than being able to love and be loved. Especially, when it comes to us." Penemue stroked the hand over her cheek affectionately, then delivered one last kiss that only lasted a second, but was sensitive enough for both of them to melt a little at the warmth and taste of the other.
Finally, Penemue pulled away from Issei a little and her gaze focused one last time on the place that had once been her home. That small trace of remorse that remained in her heart disappeared completely when Issei took her hand, causing their fingers to intertwine.
"I think we should go inside now."
"I think so too."
A moment later...
"I'm glad to see you're still alive, Hyoudou." Yasaka's comment drew a faint smile on Issei's face.
"It's good to see you again too, Miss Yasaka." The young man stated with a slight bow of his head, showing respect.
"You don't need to do that. As far as I know, you defeated Thor at his full power, so you're already even stronger than me." The Yokai woman declared, shaking her hand dismissively to stop him from bowing.
"I don't think so, lady. I would be exactly as brutish as Thor if I thought that people's standing was solely based on power." Issei clarified with a condescending smile. "No offense, old man." Issei's formality fell flat as he spoke to Odin, causing the old man stop rubbing his beard.
"Don't worry, brat." The God declared with a sideways grin.
"Sorry for the delay. I had to make up a lot of excuses to separate myself from my group without them getting suspicious." Vali entered the room giving the reason for his tardiness, seeing that everyone was already at the meeting.
Well, actually, only a certain Goddess was missing.
The albino walked in silence, his gaze strayed for a few seconds to that sculpture representing the prophecy. Finally he sat down, crossing his arms and remaining serious as was usual for him.
A somewhat uncomfortable silence arose among all those present, who looked at each other without mediating words.
"When is she going to arrive? She was the one who called this meeting." Michael stated somewhat nervously, and the reason was obvious.
Having so many powerful people within your territory would make anyone nervous.
"She did some meetings at the Khaos Brigade, though she never came..." Before Vali could continue speaking, a very strange gap opened up right behind him, causing everyone to look that way from the sheer pressure it emitted.
"I don't like being slandered, Vali." Ophis fixed her gaze on the albino with some suspicion, then returned to her usual empty expression. "What are you doing in this place?" Everyone looked at each other somewhat confused after those words.
"Well, you said we should meet. I think Elysium is a good place to keep secret..."
"Yes, it is a good place. And I see you've dispersed your henchmen so they're not hanging around this area. Anyway, this is a very easy place to invade, as you can see." Ophis interrupted him, showing zero interest in Michael's words.
"So, what do you suggest?" The one who spoke was Yasaka, earning Ophis' interest, or rather, her disinterest.
"Here." Was all she said, making some somewhat graceful signs with her hands.
Everyone looked at each other once again, showing even more hesitation than before. The only ones who didn't seem to hesitate were her 4 friends and Vali, who were the first to get up to go next to the Goddess.
Ophis looked at the first to approach, though her gaze focused more on Issei than anyone else, and that was easy to notice, as she wouldn't take her eyes off him. She looked kind of cute in Issei's eyes, as she kept looking at him with her typical expression, or rather, lack of expression so tender that she has.
"Where does this place take us?" Rossweisse observed carefully, seeing that it was barely visible from the other side of the gap.
"We're going to my house." That word puzzled everyone, as it had always been believed that the Goddess of Infinity had no predetermined home.
"Very well..." The one who answered was Azazel. His tone showed some hesitation, but it still didn't take him long to get up to join them.
First to jump in was Vali, who didn't show any sort of problem. He was followed by Penemue, Tiamat, Rossweisse and Azazel. The following entered a little later, until only Issei and Ophis were left.
Just as the young man wanted to enter the strange gap, he could feel the Goddess tugging him by the sleeve carefully. Issei turned with some confusion to look at her, a confusion that deepened even more when he saw how Ophis looked at him.
She still wore her typical emotionless expression, though a delicate gleam could be seen in her eyes that indicated otherwise.
"I couldn't tell you, I'm sorry." Ophis lowered her head slightly as realized that she couldn't make eye contact with Issei for some reason she didn't understand.
Issei realized this, and the reason she was apologizing.
"Don't worry, I understand." Ophis blinked very tenderly as she felt Issei place a hand on her head. "It was something that needed to be done, wasn't it?" Issei ruffled her hair a little, giving her a toothy smile.
Ophis looked up at him with slightly widened eyes, then took the hand that was on her head gently.
"Thank you." Was all she said, sketching a slight but visible smile, something that surprised Issei a bit.
"Are you guys coming or what?" Azazel's head emerged from the gap, watching the two with a raised eyebrow.
"Now come on." Ophis rode on Issei's back practically instantly after saying those words, something that struck the two men present as somewhat funny.
"By the way, you might be in for a bit of a surprise, brat." Azazel concluded, stepping back into the breach.
Issei's curiosity was easily touched, so it didn't take him long to make his way towards the breach.
The surroundings changed almost instantly and it was so drastic that it took him a second to realize it. The green environment and the magic-covered green nebulae made his eyes widen a bit.
It was the Dimensional Breach, that was obvious.
Although without a doubt, what impressed him most was when he looked down, for there was a huge piece of floating land that had a myriad of very interesting things, although the one that stood out most of all was the small mansion in the center and that huge bubble that probably served to maintain a permanent circulation of oxygen.
"Welcome to my home." Ophis didn't give any explanation, all she did was start to lower the bubble that transported everyone to land at her home.
"Weren't you supposed to be in dispute with Great Red over this territory? And more importantly, how is it that you were able to create or move such a large land mass without anyone noticing?" Tiamat asked very curiously.
"I never had a dispute with Great Red. It was a scenario we set up so that I could create the Khaos Brigade without arousing suspicion. And to answer your second question, I only know that God did this, I don't remember how, but he did." Answered the Goddess, making everyone very surprised by her answers, especially the first statement.
"I was traveling through the Dimensional Breach for so long, and I never saw this..." Vali thought aloud, unable to help but hide how impressed he was at what witnessed.
"We've arrived." Ophis removed the bubble that surrounded them once they hit the ground, and everyone was surprised that there was indeed gravity there. "Come with me." The Goddess got off Issei's back to start walking, and as always, the Goddess's instructions were unclear and terse, but no one balked and they followed her smoothly.
Issei and the others observed certain decorations, seeing that the site was a place brimming with impressive plant life thanks to the various unlimited water sources that surrounded the entire grounds. It was certainly quite a unique sight, but they weren't too distracted by trivia as they quickly reached the main door, which slowly opened as Ophis alighted in front of it.
Once inside, everyone again had to be impressed by the pure white decor that represented every corner of the establishment. Although if you stopped to think about it, it wasn't very unusual for it to be that way, due to the fact that God was the one who took care of building it.
After traversing the long and wide hallway that had a plethora of paintings and decorations, Ophis stopped in front of one of the many doors of the place, though the curiosity of said door was that it was the one in the center of them all.
"Have a seat." Ophis opened the door, revealing a large room with a sizable round table that spanned over 30 seats.
After everyone took their seats, they were ready to listen to the Goddess, who sat on Issei's lap to the confused looks of some of those present. Some of them began to feel a little uncomfortable, since the Goddess didn't say another word. Seeing how the whole situation was, Azazel decided to break the silence.
"Can we start asking the questions?" The Cadre asked with a relaxed smile as he placed the legs on the table.
"Not yet. Someone still needs to come." Ophis' answer made everyone look at her carefully, as they didn't know who it was.
Before anyone could ask, footsteps could be heard coming from the staircase leading to the second floor, causing everyone to fall completely silent in impatience.
Everyone's expressions began to transform in an impressive way, except for Ophis, who watched with her typical emotionless gaze as the figure of the man became more and more present each time he descended a step.
Great Red continued at a slow pace, until he finally descended the stairs. The red-haired man with the piercing gaze watched everyone present carefully, seeing that they were all very astonished and even fearful at his presence. He simply closed his eyes at those dumbfounded looks, walking without saying a word until he sat down at one end of the huge round table, where no one else was present.
"It's time to get started with this meeting." Great Red broke the silence, causing several to look at each other.
Seeing that almost everyone looked very unsure and terrified at his presence, the Dragon God gave a small sigh of exhaustion.
"Listen, we are all gathered here under the same objective." Great Red clarified, making everyone present look at him sharply. "You must not be afraid, we are on the same side." The man added at last, crossing his arms and leaving a couple of seconds for everyone to absorb his words. "In an alliance like this, trust and truth comes first. That's why I will first answer each of your questions and explain everything necessary and then tell you why we need you." Great Red's final words led to them again looking at each other, but this time they were showing more self-assurance.
"Lord God Almighty of the Constellations of Dream and Illusions, the Dragon of Dragons..."
"Just tell me Red." The dragon interrupted Yasaka, making it clear that formalities only got in the way.
"Okay, Red." Yasaka nodded carefully, then continued. "Why are you living next to the Dragon Goddess Ouroboros?"
"I suppose that question is directed at our supposed conflict that started over a millennium ago." The dragon commented, receiving a nod from Yasaka and much of those present. "As Ophis must have already told you, that conflict is just an illusion we created so that she could create the Khaos Brigade without arousing suspicion."
"She explained it to us, but what was the motive for doing something like that?" This time he was asked by Michael, who was very interested in finding the answer.
"To answer your questions I need to start from the beginning of the story. That way I'll make sure there are no doubts or inconsistent answers." Great Red looked at everyone for a short second, then closed his eyes.
"Besides, I'm sure what they want to know most is about the secrets of the Prophecy."
After hearing that, everyone fell completely silent, implying that Great Red was right.
"First we must go back to a very ancient time, even many millennia before the Great Holy War began." The God clarified, making sure everyone was coupled with the remote dates where the first event occurred. "As you may know, before the Second Prophecy, there was the first. Elohim had that rare ability to be able to see the future from a very young age. At that time he called all the most important supernatural beings together so that an important message could be transmitted among all races. The reason was simple, for the Apocalypse would begin in 38,347 years. The cause of the end of the world would be Trihexa, who would lose her sanity the moment the Basilisk, whom she had raised as her son, was killed by a group of humans who were his friends, until they discovered who or rather, what he really was." Great Red paused, seeing that no one was asking any questions. It was only natural, as this part of the story was known to all.
"The purpose of the Prophecy was to prevent that death, and thus prevent the Apocalypse. Unfortunately, the Prophecy spread to people who viewed that possibility with malicious eyes. One of them was the Demon King of that time, who waited patiently from the shadows until he created a very powerful artifact capable of mind control. For that very reason he invented a great war between the factions so that all attentions would not be focused on him when he went to kill the Basilisk. This series of events were evidently not foretold by Elohim, and shortly thereafter the Trihexa lost her sanity several years earlier than was foreseen."
"There is something I don't quite understand about this story. The actual communiqués were completely different, saying that my Father's Prophecy may have had certain flaws and that's why the events happened earlier, plus the Demon King was said to have put disputes aside in order to join forces and banish the Trihexa." Michael stated, clearing up the doubts everyone had.
"Having falsified the story was a plan of your father's so that the attention would not be fastened on the serious treason that the Demons had committed. That way, they could act in a much more relaxed and free manner, that was what we needed." Great Red clarified, then leaned back in his seat. "But why did we need this?" After asking that question, Great Red focused his gaze on Issei.
"Because we needed Hyoudou." Everyone looked at him after hearing that statement, making Issei a little nervous.
"Regarding the other part of the question..." Everyone turned their attention back to Great Red after his words. "Surely the idea that the Prophecy wasn't 100% accurate managed to take the attention away from a question that is much more key to all of this." No one seemed to understand what the dragon was referring to, except for a certain Cadre.
"If the power of the Prophecy wasn't that accurate, why didn't they just abuse it to know all the possible fates?" Penemue's question made everyone's eyes widen at such a revelation.
"Apparently, you're the smartest of the bunch." Great Red clarified, then rested his hand on his chin. "By now everyone should be aware that inaccuracy could be the fatal weakness of this technique. In fact, Ophis and I believed it too before we met him in person. After all, he himself was the one who made it clear to us that this weakness was a lie." Even Penemue herself blinked rather incredulously at what she heard.
"Then how do you explain all this? And why didn't he use the technique more times before creating the Second Prophecy?" Odin asked him doubtfully as he rubbed his beard quickly, revealing the impatience contained within.
"Because the true weakness was far more fatal." Was Great Red's answer, an answer that caught everyone's interest.
Great Red folded his arms, then narrowed his eyes in seriousness at what he was about to say.
"Every time Elohim used that ability, his vitality was reduced by half."
Everyone was perplexed at such a statement.
Great Red paused for a few moments, letting everyone get a good grasp of what they had just heard.
"But still, why did it all go so wrong?" Odin asked again, still visibly affected by the new information.
"Red told you." Ophis spoke for the first time since the meeting began, drawing everyone's attention. "Elohim communicated the Prophecy to everyone. There were a lot of evil people who should never have known about it."
"The future changed because of the actions of that Demon King..." Tiamat culminated Ophis' idea, receiving a nod from Ophis.
"My Father's kindness almost doomed us all..." Azazel couldn't help but click his tongue after saying those words.
"That's true, but he learned his lesson." Great Red clarified, earning a somewhat overwhelmed smile from the Cadre.
"Do you really think so? It's true that this time he wanted to keep the Prophecy only among the faction leaders, but what good is that if you plan to communicate it again to the Demon King? I mean, if he could see the future, he must have known that Sirzechs and the current Demons were not to be trusted." Azazel stated with some annoyance in his words.
"And how are you so sure the Prophecy is true?" That question threw everyone completely off balance, who looked at Ophis with unparalleled surprise.
"...What do you mean by that?" Rossweisse broke the silence, watching her friend with wide eyes.
"She didn't explain herself correctly." Great Red spoke again. "The Prophecy is not a lie, but it's not true either. It's a half-truth." Issei focused his full attention on those words, as he had drawn a very similar deduction several days ago.
"The war against Trihexa lasted two years. Elohim focused first on finding a way to win, that's why he called us. He knew this was about a victory that would only delay the inevitable until three thousand years had passed, but it was the best that could be done because of the desperate situation. He also looked for a way to prevent any kind of accident knowing that the future was still in play, so he decided to travel into the future to find out what the future held." Great Red continued to narrate the story, although that part was something everyone knew. "I suppose none of you know that the world would irretrievably end when the Trihexa could escape from his Dimensional Prison. It is natural, since many exponents are very different from that time he traveled to the future. The most essential points is that the release of the Trihexa was accelerated as it is now, only it was Rizevim who did it. Since there was no prophecy, the Demons didn't know about the value Issei might have, so the Gremory brat annihilated him once they lost in the Exhibition Game against Raiser. After that, the story branches out a lot, but I don't think there aren't many interesting points to highlight. All that's left to say is that the plan of the Old Caste Demons worked, and they were able to dominate over all the races as they had always hoped, annihilating all the others."
"I would have died just as soon as I reincarnated...?" Issei couldn't believe it, though the most shocked to hear that were Tiamat, Penemue and Rossweisse. After all, the Cadre and the Valkyrie would never have the chance to meet him, while the dragoness would have barely been able to be together with him for a few days.
"That's why Issei is so important. It's because of him that things changed so much..." Yasaka commented carefully, receiving a slow nod from almost everyone present.
"That's why it took a Prophecy that everyone believed, especially the Demons. After all, it was obvious they were going to try to manipulate it, but the reality is that Elohim gave just the right details so that they would end up being the ones manipulated." Great Red's comment astonished everyone, as they began to understand that there was a very elaborate plan behind it all. "In those two 2 years he continued to travel to the future as many times as he could, creating different plans and studying all the possibilities, even going back to the future to make sure that his newly put forward plans would not harm the previous ones. All that effort he made, and all that he had to build and weave with great care, the only ones who were aware of it were the two of us. That's why you're all gathered here now."
"So what are we supposed to do?" The questioner was Michael, more than willing to help the cause as much as possible.
"As I said, the Prophecy is a half-truth. Me and Ophis are the only ones who knew what would happen in the future. At least, it was that way up to this point, since he told us we had to tell you something very important." Everyone was completely silent, waiting for what Great Red should say. "The last time he traveled to the future, he made sure to witness what would happen a month from now. What is important is the final battle, how we should plan ourselves and what everyone's task is. Unfortunately, he was unable to return to the future one last time to find out if his plan has gone as he expected." Those last words tensed everyone present.
"Elohim ran out of time to confirm it?" Odin took it upon himself to ask the question that was tormenting everyone.
"It wasn't a time problem. But personally I think it's our only and most reasonable option." Great Red replied, an answer that didn't leave the guests very happy.
"So what was the reason behind not doing it one last time?" Yasaka insisted, and Great Red looked at her silently.
"Alright, I said I would answer all your questions." The Dragon God stated, then materialized a rather thick book that caught everyone's attention. "This is the book in which Elohim recorded all his movements and all the plans that were to be made in the future, including the number of times he had to return to confirm the facts. Taking this into account, adding the first time he traveled into the future..." Great Red turned the pages at full speed, until he reached the last one.
"He had to cut his life expectancy in half about 9249 times in total."
Gasps were not long in coming, and it was natural, as everyone had been completely shocked at the abysmal number.
"He halved his vitality by 9249 times?! That's fucking insane!" Azazel was the first to speak, and his words matched perfectly with what everyone was thinking.
"If only he hadn't used his ability so many times, then during the sealing..." Michael thought out loud, feeling really bad that he didn't know everything his father had suffered in his last years of life.
"He probably never cared, since knew he would die during the sealing, and there was no escaping that..." Penemue stated with some sadness and helplessness, being comforted by Tiamat and Ross as they placed a hand on her shoulder.
"In conclusion, it was impossible for him to use his ability once again." Ophis' comment caused everyone to bring their attention to her. "His vitality had been reduced so much that he was no longer able to use it."
"Back to the main topic, everyone has done what needed to be done to keep the world from becoming a chaotic and meaningless place. I know many feel very upset and even blame yourselves for what the Demons did, but now you know exactly that this was always part of Elohim's plan, and you all carried it out without realizing it. Thank you all, we are now only one step away from completing the Prophecy." Great Red paused to deliver a glance to Issei, who noticed immediately. "Though there may be some who aren't too happy about this."
"I understand." Issei replied instantly, gaining everyone's attention. "It's true that I was annoyed to learn that God was manipulating much of my destiny, and that at no time did he tell his two right hands to tell me the whole truth so I could face the future differently, or I don't know..." Issei bowed his shoulders, then smiled. "That's what I thought at the time. But I can understand it, I can understand that it was best not to tell me anything so that everything would happen properly." A toothy smile appeared on the brown man's face as he rested both hands behind his neck. "In fact, I now feel grateful to him, for, if everything went along the original line, I would have died several months ago."
"Surely he would love to hear those words." Great Red stated, demonstrating a slight smile for the first time in the entire conversation.
"Sorry to interrupt, but there's still something that's not quite clear." Rossweisse raised her hand as she spoke, drawing the attention of the Dragon God, who looked at her closely, something that made her even more nervous. "I mean, if the Prophecy was a half-truth, where is the other half-truth to be found?"
"That reminds me, I still have one more thing to tell you." Clarified Great Red, who settled back in his seat as he turned his gaze toward the ceiling. "To answer this last doubt, we have to go back to the births of the Dragon Gods, and the supposed myth that a Fourth Dragon God could still be generated."
"To begin with, I think it is first necessary to explain the little misunderstanding that arose several millennia ago regarding our titles." Everyone looked at Ophis after her words, and Great Red proved her right when he nodded.
"As you know, each Dragon God has their respective titles. I am the Dragon God of Illusions and Dreams, Ophis is the Dragon Goddess of Infinity and Emptiness. These titles come due to the origin that creates us, as it is not only based on raw magic, but also on the desires that flood our world in the respective eras in which we are born." At the moment everyone understood this point, and saw no reason why to clarify these things.
"For example, Trihexa is the Dragon Goddess of Rage and Disorder."
Everyone was completely perplexed at what they heard. Not only by the fact that Trihexa's titles were completely wrong, but that "he" was actually "she".
"How...?" Vali asked the question for everyone, getting Great Red to cross his arms.
"It is somewhat natural that they are so puzzled, after all they are extremely young regarding the origin of this misinformation. It's been almost 40,000 years since everyone heard the first Prophecy, and slowly Trihexa's meaning and titles changed from mouth to mouth until today, where everyone thinks he's the Dragon God of Hate and Apocalypse." Great Red's explanation did not seem to satiate the doubts completely, as one rather important point was missing.
"Since Trihexa had a strange voice and always used her dragon form, everyone forgot that she is actually a woman." Ophis cleared up the last doubt that had been left hanging in the air.
"The other half-truth lies in calling the Trihexa as the Apocalypse, being that she really isn't." Great Red spoke again, causing everyone to become confused.
"And what does that have to do with anything? Anyway, she'll finish us off if we don't do something." Yasaka gave her point, causing everyone to nod in agreement.
"That's not entirely true. The mind control they have over Trihexa will keep her from destroying the Realms, but it will make us all slaves to the Demons, which is no better." The Dragon God replied, then became quite serious. "The reality is that this myth of the Fourth Dragon God is real, and he is the true Dragon of the Apocalypse. He was born through the fear and despair that was generated after all the stress we went through during the last millennia because of the End Times Prophecy, and he is the one who will help us stop the Trihexa, as well as exterminate all those who pose a potential danger. He is the key piece for us to come out winners."
Everyone was silent after such a statement. They didn't know what to say about it, simply looking at each other with great astonishment, confusion, and even some fear.
"I'm sorry, but weren't we supposed to have noticed the presence of a Fourth Dragon God by now?" The leading question was posed by Azazel, causing Great Red to rest his hand on his cheek.
"I understand your doubts, but the truth is that this Fourth Dragon God had an anomaly at the time of his birth, as there was a malformation in his genetics and he ended up being formed with the body of another species. His body could not support all the power contained within him, so his soul ended up sealing itself and for that reason no one knew about him for all these years." That last statement left everyone with a great unknown.
An unknown that needed to be resolved right now for everyone's sake.
"So where is this Dragon God right now?" Michael asked the question on everyone's mind.
Great Red did not answer, the only thing he did was to look at Issei.
A somewhat awkward silence came over the brown as he noticed how they all slowly turned their gaze towards him.
"You know something, brat?" Azazel asked him with a raised eyebrow, making it clear that none of them suspected they were in front of that Dragon God they were looking for.
In fact, if there was anyone who began to find that answer.
Tiamat's eyes began to widen with great slowness, to the point where her eyes seemed about to pop out of their sockets at the revelation that was hitting her right now.
Before Issei could reply that he knew nothing about it, Albion's laughter echoed over the entire room, drawing everyone's attention.
"What's so funny?" His bearer inquired with a raised eyebrow, watching as Albion's wings glowed brightly, showing that he was very excited about something.
"Nothing, it's just that I find this all very funny." Clarified the dragon, and at that moment, Vali began to understand certain things.
"His aura..." Was all Vali said as he looked at Issei, remembering that his presence had changed since he returned from the Twelve Gates of Hell.
"Don't you think it's funny, Vali?" Albion spoke again, then dropped the bomb:
"Who would have guessed that the bearer of Ddraig is a Dragon God?"
END OF CHAPTER!
I hope you enjoyed it!
I will bring the next chapter as soon as possible. There are still some questions that will be answered in the next update.
Hope to see you soon.
Thank you very much for reading!