I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Several Months Ago.
Inside one of the training areas within Grigori, a parent and daughter continued to exchange blows. Baraqiel, the fallen general who believed in the pure and raw strength of his fists and holy lighting, demonstrated the harshness of his training methods as he smashed Akeno's face into the ground.
The ground cracked as soon as Akeno's head touched the floor.
"Are you ready to give up?" Baraqiel asked as he held his daughter down.
Akeno did not reply and only moved her hands to shoot several lighting projectiles towards her father.
Baraqiel lets go of her head as he evades the projectiles. Once Akeno is free to get up, her bloody face glares at him with a ferocity that could only be found comparable to a deadly beast. The fallen angel grins as he sees the expression on her face. "I don't know if to feel proud about you inheriting your mother's deadly glares or scared about the future."
"I won't back down. I will defeat you, Dad." Akeno said as she grabbed several paper talismans from a small bag on her belt. She throws the talismans to the sky and starts chanting a mysterious spell before two large lighting humanoid summons appear beside her. "Zent, Oku, attack my enemy."
The lighting constructs obey her orders before they lift large clubs and go on the offensive against Baraqiel.
"Ah, the summons your mother taught you. Look at you, applying my holy lighting to them to strengthen them. So much talent at such a young age; it makes me proud." Baraqiel smiles as he is forced to evade the summons and the multiple projectiles Akeno is shooting his way.
"Come on. I need to win just once against him." Akeno knew she couldn't defeat him in close combat, so she looked to create as much distance as possible before unleashing her entire catalog of spells and long-range attacks against her father.
The young Nephilim used her wings to fly continuously along the training area while looking for a way to deliver a critical attack against her father.
For every step forward in her training she had made, her constant defeats felt like two steps back as her father easily defeated her.
"Learning spells and flashy attacks is good, but putting them into practice is how one improves, Akeno. I can teach you a million secrets from the Himejima clan, but none of that will matter unless you know how to apply them in real combat. Your father is the best sparring partner to put that knowledge into practice. Do your best, my beautiful crow." Her mother was a positive reinforcement, but when faced with the legendary fallen general, all seemed worthless.
"Come on, sweety. Show me more. I know there's more behind those eyes. Your mother and I believe you can achieve more than this." Baraqiel said as he punched one of the summons so hard that it pierced one of the walls. The second summon fared no better as Baraqiel spun and delivered a nasty kick that destroyed the abdomen of the summon. "Look, I'm even using kicks. You made me use my legs for once."
For any other person, such a comment would have been a sign of pride, but for Akeno, it had the opposite effect as she saw it more as her father's way of making fun of her.
She knew that Baraqiel wasn't taking it seriously, and that made her anger arise. Deep within her, the holy power she inherited from her father arose as her negative emotions boosted it.
Small sparks of electricity irradiated from within her body, yet her electricity took a sharp red tone instead of the accustomed light tone that irradiated from her father. Red as the blood that still drips from her injured face.
"Here we go again," Baraqiel told himself as he raised his hand and gestured to her to come at him with two of his fingers.
With a scream, the Nephilim went off in pure rage, which her father faced with a sense of disappointment.
1 Hour after. General POV.
Baraqiel sat on a chair on one side of a bed on which a bandaged Akeno rested. The fallen angel looked tired, and his face showed disappointment. This sense of disappointment wasn't directed at Akeno but instead towards himself, as he had been unable to teach his daughter to control the darker emotions that could take hold of her mind.
Akeno was a good child. One devoid of malice, but when things pushed her into a corner, she fell victim to the one thing that the Bible god had always sought to teach them: controlling one's emotions.
As a Nephelim, Akeno had taken all the best parts of her parents but also the worst parts of being a descendant of fallen angels. Emotions were a deadly double-edged sword that could prove helpful but also dangerous if one couldn't control them, especially for beings that had supernatural powers.
"Sweety." Baraqiel caresses her face. "I hate this, but I must ensure you know how to use that power and not let your emotions drive it. I… might not always be around to protect you and your mother. I have to prepare you for the worst."
It wasn't the wish of any father to see their child covered in bandages, but for Baraqiel, it was a necessary sacrifice.
It came with their life as members of the Alliance, as supernatural beings, and primarily due to being part of those fated to face the beast destined to end all creation.
Even if he wanted to avoid the possibility of Akeno ever joining the battlefield, it was useless to try to do so as, one way or another, she would likely join him and the others in the future.
His hands slightly trembled as he imagined his daughter facing such a horrendous being as Trihexa all alone.
"Baraqiel?" A voice called out to him from the back.
Baraqiel slowly turned around only to meet the eyes of the Welsh Dragon. "But you will prevent that, won't you? Even if I fall, you'll protect her, Welsh Dragon?"
"Sorry for coming in. I have knocked on the door several times." Ddraig scratches his head as he enters the room, but he can't hide his surprise once he sees who is lying on the bed. "For Gaia's sake. You seem to have taken it too far with the training, right?" Ddraig said as he saw the bandaged Akeno on the bed.
"... She went on a rampage again. That makes it the seventh time it has happened." Baraqiel admits. "Take a seat."
Ddraig looks for a chair around the room before he extends his tail and brings it closer to himself. "Tell me, what do you want to talk about?"
"... Your daughter. How do you manage her emotions?"
"Tosca's emotions? I mean, just the usual: Tia and I talk to her. She's usually receptive to most of our conversations."
"I don't mean her usual antics. I mean during training. Doesn't she have problems with her anger or bloodlust?"
"Oh, you meant that. Well, Tosca usually remains calm, although she gets annoyed on some occasions while she trains with Tiamat. Tia and I talk about it, but it has become an issue since Tosca doesn't get angry to a dangerous level."
Baraqiel sights. "That doesn't help me. I expected you to have some advice since dragons are known for having strong emotions."
Ddraig waves his hand. "Trust me, we do, but Tosca hasn't had her moments yet. Tell me, what's the problem? Is Akeno quick to anger while training?"
"Quick is not even the problem. Akeno's case involves pure and uncontrollable rage. The kind that could lead to severe problems if not managed well. It is as if a switch goes off only when she's pushed to the corner with no way out, which is when we're training. I fear it might get ugly if she's unable to manage it now."
"That's concerning." Ddraig grows silent as he reflects on the situation. "Meditation is a good way to start. I'm not the best example of control when it comes to my anger, but I do think that meditating will be helpful. If anyone can show her the path, it is you, so don't give up. I know I wouldn't do such a good job if I were teaching Tosca, but you are doing great with Akeno's training. I see potential in her. One day, she'll be as strong as you and maybe even more with your guidance."
"Thanks… wait, you don't train with your daughter?" Baraqiel asks.
"No. Tia trains her, and I might give her some advice or two." The Welsh Dragon admits.
"Why? It will be perfect for bonding."
Ddraig shakes his hands. "It would be bad for my mental health if I saw Tosca trying to pull out any of my techniques or strategies. I want her to grow up looking up to be like her mother, not like me."
"What are you saying? You-" Baraqiel is interrupted.
"Baraqiel. I lead all the previous hosts of the booster gear to the grave. I fought thousands and killed the majority of them with little to no mercy shown to many. I fought gods, and I killed many of your siblings. I don't want my children to copy any aspects of my fighting style or actions. I can't have Tosca trying to become the second coming of the Welsh Dragon, nor can I allow myself to even put a finger on her. I couldn't forgive myself if I ever hurt her."
Baraqiel could see the regret on his face as he spoke about his past. "... We all keep changing in ways we never imagined we could. I respect your way of thinking. Children shouldn't copy their parents' mistakes. I'll do anything to prevent her from ever needing to fight the forces of heaven like I did. The blood of my siblings shouldn't taint the hands of my daughter like it did with mine." Baraqiel closes his hands as he remembers the faces of those he had to put down. He was no saint; nobody was in the end when it came to the conflict. "Welsh Dragon, I want you to promise me something."
"What is that?" Ddraig asks.
"If… I ever fall; I need you to protect Akeno and Shuri for me. I need them to be alive to see an era without conflicts or grudges from the past. I want them to wake up each day knowing that they won't have to fear the possibility of getting involved in a conflict like that war. If I fall, protect them for me; that's how you can atone in my eyes for your past mistakes."
"Wait, why me? Why not Azazel or Shemhazai?" Ddraig asks.
"Because I know that of all of us, you will stand last even if we fall. If Trihexa shows up tomorrow, I believe you alone will remain the last standing soldier against the beast. I need you to fight to protect them when I'm no longer here."
Ddraig could feel the pressure of such words. He knew that Baraqiel was serious about it. It had been centuries since Trihexa was sealed, but its scars still affected those like Baraqiel. The two heads of the dragon were trying to figure out a path forward as this was a responsibility that few could take on so quickly, but in the end, they knew that there was only one answer. "I understand. I promise to do everything to keep them safe if you fall on the battlefield, but you must do your best to return alive. Nobody can replace you in the lives of Shuri or Akeno. If you fall, I won't be able to heal the damage it will cause them. Akeno will need somebody to walk her down the aisle; do you think I can replace you? Azazel? Shemhazai? None of us can. Akeno needs her father, and Shuri needs her husband. I'll take Trihexa head-on, and you must focus on surviving to return to them."
Baraqiel could feel the burning determination behind those eyes. The determination of the daredevil of the alliance, the one destined to slay the beast. Baraqiel smirks. "Very well. I'll do my best, but do hold up your end of the promise." Baraqiel turns to watch his daughter. "I trust you with her safety if I'm not around. Support her in any way or form she might need when I'm not there for her."
"Isn't that a bit too much to ask from me? We've just known each other for less than a year."
"And yet I have come to trust you as a friend. The past is the past; we're allies now, so do hold your promise, Welsh Dragon." Baraqiel said with a confident expression.
"... Alright, my friend."
The pair shakes hands as they seal the deal without knowing that Akeno is silently listening in to the whole thing.
Back to the present. Akeno's POV.
Talismans invoke the power of several elements as an impressive number of attacks rained on the temple with abnormal precision.
"Two on your left, Rias. Three on your right, Kuroka." Akeno said as she tried to keep track of everyone's position. "Michael-san, Liv-san, how long until you can open that gate?"
"A few more seconds," Michael replies as he uses his golem alongside Liv's strength to open a massive gate that stands before them.
Around them, thousands of corpse-like priests and former exorcists from the five clans kept getting up and chasing after them as if no amount of damage could put them down.
Their bodies were all malformed, and one could even see them still being affected by decomposition as maggots spilled from every orifice within their corrupted and deceased bodies.
For undead beings, one would expect them to lack motor functions, but the case was far from it, as their speed and strength exceeded that of any human.
They growl and try to consume their prey while using the miasma surrounding the area to create paranormal weapons of all kinds.
"Damn this stupid curse! Why are there damn undead priests in this place?" Rias asks as she uses her chained spiked ball to keep the undead away from them.
"Must be how the curse protects its core. I heard that necromancers in some realms use the corpses of strong creatures as pawns to create armies of restless soldiers. A curse that devours souls wouldn't have any problems doing something similar and to a much higher level." Kuroka explains as she uses her senjutsu mastery to create small compressed bullets to shoot the undead.
The impact of each bullet is comparable to several charges of C-4, but even though they are incredibly destructive, the undead continue to pick themselves back up as the mangled limbs that they lose are reattached due to the curse's influence.
"Is open! Run inside." Liv shouts as their efforts pay off.
The group turns around and dashes away into the new path that has been opened before them. As they traversed the hall, it seemed to stretch out for miles to no end and even twist as if it was alive.
"Damn, this stupid space manipulation is affecting the temple. It knows that we're close to its core. I need time to analyze the flow of the miasma to create a breach that guides us to the right path." Kuroka says as she starts to use her senjutsu abilities to read the flow of the miasma and energy around them.
"Do you think that is possible?" Michael asks Kuroka.
"I have been practicing to master the creation of space prisons. I'm far from an expert, but we need a way out of this trap. The longer we run around in circles, the harder it will be for the rest of our allies. We need to end this now." Kuroka says as she focuses her attention on achieving her goal.
"Very well. Sieg, come to me." Liv grabs Kuroka as she summons her supernatural steed. A magic circle appears, and the legendary steed appears before its owner. She climbs on top of the steed alongside Kuroka. "Keep up with Sieg, and we'll find a way out. Young Kuroka, do your best. Our hopes lay with you."
Kuroka nods as she closes her eyes and continues to work on her task.
"Don't fall behind, you two. We'll focus on keeping Kuroka safe." Michael says as he takes the rearguard alongside Akeno and Rias.
"Right. Akeno, I heard a lot about you from the others. Let's see if you can keep up with the heat?" Rias says as she creates several magical circles that summon even more chained spike balls.
"Is that a challenge? Does the prestigious sister of Sirzechs Lucifer believe she's better than me?" Akeno asks as she summons her lighting familiars.
"No, but I feel you might be someone I'd like to face as an equal. The Welsh Dragon spoke highly of you; I don't take his words lightly. He praises you as someone with potential." Rias admits with a slight hint of jealousy.
"He praised me? That's it? Isn't it something else that has made you mad?" Akeno asks as she grins.
"Yes, but I won't tell," Rias admits as she grins back.
"Eyes on the undead. You'll have time to chat and discuss your newfound friendship or rivalry at another time." Michale says as he uses his golem to open fire against the undead chasing after them.
"Yes, sir." The girls replied.
"I will shine brighter than you before his eyes. I will stand as his equal, and then… he will see me and take me seriously. Issei….." Rias couldn't help but smile as she pushed on against the enemy forces.
Akeno did the same, but while Rias was pushed by a desire to become the equal of a dragon, Akeno did it for something different. "I will protect my father. The Welsh Dragon doesn't need to carry the burden on his own. I will fight alongside them without holding them back."
Their motivations differ, yet they are connected by the person recommending them for the mission. A mission that would start a rivalry that would likely continue for ages to no end.
Meanwhile, Athena and her team. General POV.
They could barely breathe, and the disgusting scent of the miasma tormented their noses, yet they had finally reached a promising checkpoint in their mission.
As they descended, something unusual appeared beneath them. It seemed like a series of floating white platforms; the deepest one contained an unforgettable sight.
"Is that what I think it is?" Vali asked as she laid her doubtful eyes upon the thing that lay at the bottom.
"A heart?" Isaiah adds.
"A massive bloody heart at that." Tosca joins.
The team focuses its sights on the massive organ that continuously beats on the platform. Its visage offered the group no sense of safety as their instincts remained on full alert.
"Lady Athena, could that be the core?" Yukime asks as the team remains on top of one of the platforms.
"... Not sure. Asia, what does thou think?" Athena asks as she turns to Asia.
"... Maybe, but I can't shake the feeling that we're not safe. It could be the core, but it might also be a trap. Give me a second." Asia lifts her rifle and aims it in the direction of the heart.
"Are you going to take a shot?" Isaiah questions the in-training exorcist.
"Lady Athena, your orders?" Asia asks as she keeps her finger on the trigger.
"... Defensive formation around Asia, now," Athena orders the rest of the team.
The kids look at each other before surrounding Asia alongside Yukime and Athena.
"Be ready for anything. Asia, take the shot." Athena says.
Asia doesn't reply as she takes a deep breath before she opens fire. A single bullet travels the distance without any problem until the projectile pierces the heart.
Silence takes over the area before a loud scream confirms everyone's fears.
The heart is forcefully open from within as two large bloody hands pierce the flesh.
"Master, I did it." The team hears a horrific feminine voice.
"I killed the others." Asia gulps as she sees the bloodshot eyes of the creature that lies inside the large "heart." Upon closer inspection, one could see that two separate faces were forcefully stitched together.
"I'm the greatest of the team. Can I go home?" It was a humanoid face, but its jaw resembled a monster's. Its rib cage was completely opened as if something had been taken from within.
"My fiance and I are going to have a child." A different feminine voice is heard.
"The most beautiful baby. We'll be a happy family together." The second voice says as the creature points its bloody, jagged fingers at them.
Then, as if one creature wasn't enough, other "hearts" appeared from thin air on top of the other platforms. Each one started to give birth to similar creatures in appearance to the first one, but each one differed as weapons replaced their hands.
"We're surrounded. It was always a trap." Yukime says as she extends her icy claws and tail.
"No, we're exactly where we needed to be. Lady Athena, the core must be around. It must be hidden, and we have to find it. The situation might seem dire, but the core might be under our noses, or we might find nothing." Asia says as she looks around the platforms.
"How sure are you?" Tosca asks.
"90% open your eyes and look for signs of something that seems out of place while fighting these things." Asia hangs her rifle and summons what seemed to be two futuristic guns from thin air.
"Just how many guns did they prepare for you?" Vali asks as she sees the guns.
"Enough to achieve my mission. Lady Athena, your orders?" Asia asks.
Athena smirks. "Thou are a pretty sharp girl for thy age. Our expert has spoken. We shall fight as a united unit to find the core. Don't fall behind. Michael, thou better be doing better than us up there."
The line is silent for a moment until a reply is heard.
"We're being chased, but we shall also look for the core on our side…. Athena, be safe." Michael says as he ends the conversation.
"Very well. Isaiah, I entrust my back to you and the rest." Tosca says as Tressa stands next to her, ready to attack.
Isaiah smiles as he unsheathes his katana. "I promise to protect you this time."
"Alright, off we go." Asia opens fire against seven of the enemies. Her bullets fly with impressive speed and precision as they impact the heads of the enemies.
The creatures scream in agony as the holy energy inside each bullet acts as some kind of poison, which makes the creatures twitch in agony.
The group starts to spread out around the platform as they draw enemies away from each other.
Vali lifts her hand, and several magic circles appear around the battlefield. "None of you shall fight at full power anymore." A few enemies tried to cut her down with their weapons, but the wielder of the dividing gear proved to be far too strong as she kicked and punched them away while also trying to disintegrate some with her draconic shouts.
"Don't break formation too much, and keep eyes on each other," Yukime says as she smacks one of the enemies with her tail, which is far more effective due to Vali's powers. Then, she fires an ice beam, which freezes the beast in seconds.
The ones that go after Isaiah don't even get a chance to exchange blows with the young devil as his sword attacks are too quick to track with a normal eye. One moment, he's there, and the next, his body reappears a few meters away from his previous location.
The enemies try to enclose him, but Isaiah dances alongside the platform as he slices and cuts everything in sight. His movements demonstrate an understanding of the teachings that his "father" has passed down to him, as there are no careless openings or waste moves. Just precise attacks that sought to kill each opponent that was unlucky enough not to evade his blade.
His eyes take a deep shade of red as his bloodthirsty nature as a devil takes over, yet his priorities are not forgotten as his eyes continue to keep an eye on Tosca and the rest.
"That's it, keep moving, Tosca. Keep cutting them down. You have grown so much."
He couldn't help but smile as he saw her and Tressa working well as a team. He could see how she combined her strong barriers to block attacks and create openings for Tressa and her to attack.
It was almost perfect, but there were visible openings on her form, and he couldn't help but worry as he felt that something far more dangerous was coming.
"What is it? Why can't I shake this feeling? Is it my paranoia? Where is it? Where is the core?"
Like him, Athena was also looking for the core, but even she couldn't shake off the feeling that something worse was just around the corner, and true to her instincts, there was a new adversary.
From beneath the platforms, four massive limps arose.
"One of us."
"Let us be one."
"Be one with us."
"Don't let us drown alone."
"Stay here with us."
The voices of thousands reached the ears of the team, but instead of falling victim to its charming words, the team felt immense fear.
"This has to be a joke," Tosca said as the face of the creature came into view.
A massive, twisted, grinning face with sharpened teeth and thousands of human faces replacing its eyes. Its body was a twisted, pregnant mess with appendages and tumorous limbs that grew from unnatural places.
"Let us be reborn together." A malevolent female voice said.
"Lady Athena, I think we might have found the womb of the curse. The one giving birth to all these creatures and likely the core of the curse." Asia said as she saw the massive creature before them.
Athena sights as she aims her spear at the creature. "Time to smite thee and end this abomination."
Notes of the author:
Accursed Blood Golems: Avatars of the Unholy Womb. The Unholy Womb creates these creatures as attendants that bring unlucky infants and other special victims that find their way inside the cursed area. What happens after is best left unknown.
Unholy Womb: How and why this creature was born is a complicated story. The best way to describe it is the accumulation of regrets of thousands of female victims and the twisted maternal instincts that came to be after the curse absorbed enough victims of a particular variety. It gives birth to almost all creatures found within the cursed area. Its visage resembles a twisted divine maternal figure, and any average human could go insane by just being in its presence.