A chapter every month or so seems to be my current rate, but hopefully it will increase after exams, maybe to two or three a month, but no promises.
Also, to recap, I am back to writing, just not at my previous rate or chapter length. I'm trying to regain my old writing standard, but it is taking time, as my joints still hurt somewhat.
Lastly, I've decided to add a chapter recap to all of my chapters moving forward, since I inevitably take long breaks between coming back to a story.
Previously:
Leviathan managed to get a set of Evil Pieces from Ajuka while also being coerced into spending time with Serafall, with the promise of her keeping the secret of their duality. Issei also confronted Raynare alone and managed to come out with the last laugh. Leviathan met another mysterious entity in Issei's mind, different to the one he had met previously. Now, Issei and his group are heading back to the Forest of Familiars.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the High School DxD anime/manga/light novel. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Ddraig talking and Sacred Gear sounds'
"Ddraig thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Chapter 8 – Blue Destruction
Issei, Erza and Moka appeared just outside the cave that housed Umimaru. The great serpent felt their arrival and poked three of its nine heads out to have a look, each one scrutinising a person in turn.
'Uh, Umimaru, do you think you could guide us around the forest? We're trying to find more strong people to join us.' Asked Issei apprehensively.
The three heads all fixated on Issei, who involuntarily swallowed in fear. The three heads turned towards each other and seemed to be having a mental discussion, before the other six heads emerged, along with Umimaru's body.
One of the heads seemed to bob in a nod, before walking off, prompting the other three to follow.
'How exactly did you manage to tame the Nine-Headed Hydra?' Asked Moka, causing the creature to give a low rumbling growl.
'I didn't tame anything! Leviathan and the Nine-Headed Hydra were friends in the past and it is only helping me because Leviathan is in me.' Explained Issei quickly, causing the growling to stop.
'Hmm, it seems quite touchy.' Said Erza, causing it to growl again.
'He just doesn't like people who haven't earned his respect.' Said Issei, stressing the masculine pronouns, which succeeded in calming Umimaru down.
'That seems like it would be difficult to manage in regard to teamwork. What if he attacked your allies because he didn't respect them?' Asked Erza.
'Umimaru wouldn't do that… I think.' Said Issei, before picturing the scenario.
'On second thought, that might be something to worry about…' Muttered Issei.
The group came to a halt at a large lake, which seemed to be completely devoid of life. The water was picture-perfect still and there wasn't even the usual sounds one would expect in a forest. Umimaru gave a loud bellow, which shook the trees and Issei, with Erza and Moka merely frowning in annoyance.
'Back for more?' Questioned a voice, that sounded like it was coming from underwater.
A single grey fin broke the surface of the lake, before a slitted eye appeared as well.
Umimaru seemed to snort from all of his heads, before stepping back.
'Hmm, you've brought guests this time.' Commented the shark-like creature, two more fins breaking the surface of the water, on either side of its head.
What occurred next thoroughly shocked Issei and caused Moka and Erza to raise their brows in surprise, as the shark-like creature seemed to stand up and transform, taking on a slightly bluer hue and growing dark blue hair. In addition to this, the animalistic facial features started to twist, becoming something decidedly human-like in nature.
'Who are you three?' Asked the shark-man hybrid, staying submerged in the water from his chest down.
'We are recruiting strong people to help us restore the Leviathan name to glory.' Said Issei.
'And why would I care about that? I'm no Leviathan.' Said the creature.
'You would get to engage in combat with many strong opponents.' Added Erza.
'Heh, not interested, I only want to get ahead in my tally against Umimaru, small fry aren't my thing.' Said the creature, before beginning its descent into the water again.
'Wait, stop!' Shouted Issei, only for the creature to stall.
'I'm waiting.' Growled the creature expectantly, unnerving Issei.
'What if one of us bests you in combat, would you be inclined to join us then?' Probed Moka, only for laughter to ring out in the area.
'A Vampire thinking they can fight with someone whose domain is water? Now I've seen everything.' Said the creature.
'Oh? That sounds like an insult to my pride.' Said Moka.
'Kehehe, fine then, I'll humour you for a moment, defeat me and I'll hear you out.' Said the shark, staring at Moka with its left eye.
'I'll make you know your place.' Said Moka, the metallic armour of her battle form appearing, before she shot off the ground, rushing the creature, only for it to sink under the water, causing her fly kick to go wide, which was quickly capitalised on, by a whip of its thin tail as she passed, striking her across her back.
Moka grit her teeth, feeling her blood leak onto the back of her dress, before twisting in mid-air and pushing off a tree, shooting back at the shark-man. Opening his jaws wide, the creature prepared to crush Moka between his sharpened teeth, only for Moka to somersault in mid-air and land an axe kick on the head of the creature. Moka then pushed off the head, leaping into the air, only for the shark to follow, blasting upwards after Moka.
'You are just a simple fish after all. The water may be your domain, but you are out of the water now, know your place!' Said Moka, looking to kick the creature charging at her back into the water, only for it to open its mouth and shoot out a bullet of water at Moka, causing her eyes to widen.
'Augh!' Cried Moka in pain, as the bullet of water struck her and propelled her to the shoreline, even as little sparks of electricity danced along her skin.
'Normally you'd be right, but I'm not exactly a simple fish. I don't just live in the water, I am one with it, able to use it as I wish, why else do you think I would be able to fight with Umimaru?' Boasted the creature, which turned in mid-air and dived back down into the lake, sending water up into the sky.
'Ugh, I didn't expect things to be easy, but that was quite a surprise.' Commented Moka from her kneeling position, as a few more electric jolts ran along her arms and legs.
Moka clenched her dainty fists so tightly that blood started to leak out from her palms.
'However, my pride won't allow seafood to laugh at it.' Said Moka, before the blood that had been pooling in her palms began to harden and lengthen, leaving Moka with two pitch black spears in her grip.
'Seafood hmm? Take this then, Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu.' Said the aforementioned seafood, before a high-speed water projectile, in the shape of a large shark, blasted towards Moka.
'Know your place!' Said Moka, throwing the spear in her left hand to meet the incoming attack, while the spear in her right was quickly launched after, aimed directly at the shark-man.
The two spears ripped through the air, before doing the same to their targets. The shark of water exploded, the spear ripping right through it, leaving its constituent water to fall harmlessly back into the lake, while the shark of flesh was run through the shoulder and impaled against a tree. The shark of flesh and blood pulled the spear out of his left shoulder and walked back into the water, the puncture wound healing as soon as the water reached it.
'You're good girlie, I'll give you that much. It's been a long time since someone actually wounded me, especially considering that I know you're in a lot of pain right now. You Vampires really can't handle the water, can you? Just be thankful it was ordinary water and not Holy Water, or I'm sure you'd be dead right now.' Said the creature, before shifting its gaze to Umimaru.
'So you're not even here to fight huh? I'm disappointed. Well, if that's all, I'll be going now.' Said the shark-man.
'Wait! Can you at least tell us your name or something, like where can we find other strong people like you?' Requested Issei.
'If you want my name, you need to earn it by beating me in a fight, if you are looking for strong people though, just get Umimaru to show you to her den, I'm sure she'd be what you are looking for. Now, buzz off kid, unless you want that fight now?' Said the shark-man, before diving underwater, when Issei didn't respond.
'Well, Umimaru, do you know who he was talking about?' Asked Issei.
Umimaru seemed to grin at this with all of his heads, before setting off again.
'Are you okay to walk, Moka?' Asked Issei, looking back to his still downed friend.
'I'll be fine.' Said Moka, with a small wince, before Erza scooped her up.
'Let me go this instant!' Yelled Moka in embarrassment.
'Unacceptable, my job is to protect the harem and you are hurt, I can't leave you alone.' Said Erza.
'I'm sorry, when did I join this harem?' Asked Moka indignantly.
'It is inevitable.' Shrugged Erza, before the group followed after Umimaru.
'Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are part of the harem, doesn't that mean you should have equal positioning, instead of humbling yourself as you are now?' Asked Moka.
'With your pride, some humility is necessary to balance our group out.' Quipped Erza, with a small amused smirk.
'Are you sure you don't want me to carry her, Erza?' Asked Issei.
'Nonsense, if I cannot do this much, I don't even deserve to be part of the harem, large breasts or no. Besides, if Moka exerts herself too much, her already borderline bust will certainly shrink.' Explained Erza, much to her companions' confusion.
'What do you mean borderline bust?' Questioned Moka.
'Your breasts are only just ample enough to be considered large, should you exert yourself too much, they will shrink below an unacceptable level.' Said Erza, causing Moka's eye to twitch in irritation.
Before Moka could retort though, the group heard Umimaru snort and come to a halt. Issei felt a tingle run down his spine and became wholly uneasy all of a sudden.
'Oh no, turn back now partner, you've been led to the one creature you should avoid at all costs!' Exclaimed Ddraig.
Issei looked around frantically, seeing only an open space around them, with trees dotted in the periphery.
'What is it Ddraig?' Asked Issei, only for a loud roar to bellow out.
'Ddraig! So you actually grew enough of a spine to come and find me directly.' Roared a voice from above, causing the group to look up.
'Who is that Ddraig?' Asked Issei nervously.
'One of the Five Great Dragon Kings, Chaos Dragon Tiamat.' Said Ddraig, as the large pale blue western dragon settled on the ground in front of the group.
"Leviathan, where are you, we are going to need your help... Leviathan? Where the hell did he go?" Thought Issei in worry, as he stared down a fully-grown dragon.
-line break-
Leviathan, unaware of Issei's plight, was making his way through Issei's memories again, making his way towards Raynare.
'This is an interesting sight, you look like you are thinking.' Commented Leviathan.
Raynare appeared extremely pensive, and the focused gaze aimed at nothing seemed wholly out of place, on the usual visage of the snarky Fallen Angel. Leviathan continued to approach Raynare, who seemed to be completely oblivious to him still.
'Now just what could have you in such deep thought?' Questioned Leviathan, of the leather clad Angel, only for her head to suddenly shoot up, as though finally noticing Leviathan's presence.
Leviathan raised an eyebrow, as she looked at him in terror, before her eyes seemed to gain some recognition of Leviathan and she calmed down slightly.
'Didn't anyone ever tell you it is rude to sneak up on someone?' Asked Raynare, taking numerous deep breaths.
'What exactly happened to you?' Asked Leviathan.
'Me? Absolutely nothing. Nothing happened to me. I just saw something that would make your very skin crawl. I saw a real monster, nothing like what I thought you may have been capable of. I saw destruction itself staring at me and it was hungry, begging for a chance to have its way with the world.' Said Raynare.
'What are you talking about?' Questioned Leviathan.
'It seems that Raynare has been shown a glimpse of the truth.' Said the first mysterious figure Leviathan had encountered, as he appeared next to the Devil.
'You people… what the hell are you?' Snapped Raynare, a manic gleam of fear in her eyes.
'So, it seems you've learned some humility at the very least, I suppose that is useful. As for what we are, I'm sure that is information that you don't need right now, especially with your whole world being shattered.' Said the figure.
'What exactly did the Fallen Angel see that could cause such a drastic change?' Asked Leviathan.
'You are aware of your life goal no doubt, well… what Raynare saw, was a larger part of that thing, a portion that would cause even you to bow in fear. Rather cruel to expose a Fallen Angel as weak as this Raynare is currently to, but I can't say the effects were not desirable. I'm more curious as to why he would show you this though.' Explained the figure, shifting towards Raynare at the end.
'Why should I tell you anything? You are just like him.' Said Raynare indignantly.
'Well, the fact that we are alike is even more of a reason to tell me not only anything, but everything. After all, whose side would you rather be on? You are a Fallen Angel, greedy, arrogant, vain, proud, stupid, but you are not a being that craves destruction. At the very least, if you manage to utilise some appropriate thought, you might even be able to achieve a small victory over the beast which has terrified you. Most iterations of yourself do in fact join our group, but there are also those permutations which work with his group, sometimes willingly. It is fortuitous for you that neither of us can access this world so easily, as it causes us to be much more passive towards you and this universe, knowing that while you can make an impact, it is ultimately quite small in the grand scheme of things.' Explained the figure, before turning towards Leviathan, even as his form started to waver.
'That is also why, regardless of if you should achieve your goal, both our groups show some interest in you, Leviathan, as you may in fact be of more use to both of our groups than anything that occurs in this world. Keep that in mind. Farewell.' Finished the figure, before seemingly fizzling out of existence.
'So, have you decided to come around?' Asked Leviathan.
'I'm not deciding anything right now. I need time to process things.' Said Raynare.
'I see, given your current brain power, I'll give you a few days to mull things over, but don't forget, whatever you saw is not here right now, but I am, and I might not be able to terrify you, but I can make things uncomfortable. Think it over.' Said Leviathan, leaving Raynare to mull her thoughts over.