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
One year ago.
The sound of punches and kicks was heard throughout the basement of the residence as a blonde seraph obliterated a young girl without a drop of emotion.
"You lack the body and the strength necessary for being a proper exorcist. You already lacked the basis that most have around your age, but look at you. You are finally able to block some of my attacks." Gabriel said as she rushed to kick Asia once more.
The young girl could barely block such an overwhelming attack before she was sent flying toward a wall. Her body alerted her against receiving the impact of such a blow, so Asia forced herself to stop as she dug her feet into the floor, which led her to stop a mere few centimeters from the wall.
A few drops of blood fell from her nose as she stood in a defensive position, and her eyes remained focused on Gabriel.
"Nice, but it is still not enough. We shall introduce a few more supplements to help develop your body. The experimental suit will put lots of strain on your body, and right now, it will be too much if we allow you to use it as it is. Tell me, are you up for another 30 minutes?" Gabriel asks as she cracks her knuckles.
Asia nods as she remains silent. Her body screamed at her to run, but her mind and will were far too stubborn to give up now. "I need to be better, or I won't be able to help him at all. I owe him too much."
"Alright. Don't let me down." Gabriel said as she went on the offensive once more. "That's it. Have the will to push on. I know that you can be an amazing exorcist if you continue like this."
So it continued for Asia as she faced an adversary that few to no human could ever hope to match, yet she had the bravery to continue, although defeat was assured.
Six months later.
"Alright, Asia. Right now, you're wearing the suit "White Dove," an experimental suit made to increase the user's physical abilities while offering as much protection as possible. It will connect to your nervous system, putting lots of strain on your body. It will be painful, and there's little to no anesthesia that we can use to decrease the pain of the initial links. Are you ready?" Gabriel asks.
Standing inside a tank full of green liquid, Asia looks around the room and sees the eyes of not only Gabriel but also Raynare and the Welsh dragon among those present.
They looked worried for her safety as it was the first time she would link with the suit.
Asia's hand touches the tank's glass as she locks eyes with the Welsh Dragon.
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." The dragon seemed to say as he touched the glass that separated the testing chamber and his room.
"I want this. I choose this path. Let me become an exorcist. I… want to be as brave as you. I want to protect the future with these hands of mine." Asia seemed to reply.
"Are you sure?"
"Totally. Please, trust me."
"... Very well."
Asia smiles as he nods to her. "I'm ready to start."
"Great. White Dove trial 1, link started." Azazel orders his team as they activate the suit.
The white skin-tight suit that covered Asia started to shine bright pink in several parts as millions of small needles dug into Asia's skin and connected themselves to each nerve across her body.
Asia bites her lips as an unimaginable pain spreads itself across the length of her body. She wanted to scream, but she forced herself to remain silent as she hugged her chest while enduring the pain.
"Initial link. Completed." One of the researchers says.
"Asia, can you hear us? Are you alright?" Gabriel asks her student.
"... yes. Is painful." Asia admits.
"Do you want to continue?" Gabriel asks with a worried expression.
"... Yes. Please push on." Asia tells her.
Gabriel looks at the rest of those present.
"It is best to see if she can endure the initial boost. We will likely have to make adjustments, but we need to see if even level 1 is a problem for her." Raynare says as she observes the data they are getting from the multiple sensors across the suit.
"... Alright. Asia, be ready for level 1." Gabriel alerts Asia.
"I'm ready," Asia replies as she hugs her chest.
Her suit shines once more as the pink lines increase in intensity. Asia's eyes widened as the pain doubled in intensity.
"It burns. I feel my body burning from within. My lord, this is so painful! Oh, my g-" But her mind stopped thinking as she looked at the Welsh Dragon again.
His eyes implored her to stop if it was too much for her to take. Her safety is all that mattered to him.
"You don't have to fight alongside me if you don't want to. If you wish to live a life alongside normal human society, I will help you do it. I promise to support you in achieving any goal you might have because I…."
He didn't have to finish that sentence when he spoke those words to her.
She knew that he still felt guilty about her ancestor. He felt guilty about many things and carried that guilt on his shoulders. He was no saint; she read the legends, and he had never denied his sins. His hands were stained with the blood of many.
There were no blood ties between them, yet she felt an undeniable connection.
Something that brought them together, and regardless of what had connected their paths, she was happy to have the Welsh Dragon in her life.
Even if the pain was unbearable, she greeted her teeth and endured it with all the will she could muster. She couldn't help but grin under her oxygen mask as she touched the tank glass.
"Foolish dragon. I can do it. This is the path that I chose for myself. I won't back down now or ever."
A few drops of blood escaped her nose as her consciousness started to wave.
"Stop the test. It's too much for her!" Raynare said as she saw an increase in her internal temperature and blood pressure.
The last thing that Asia saw as she began to lose consciousness was the panic expressions on those she considered her family and the dragon she wished to follow.
Six hours after the failed trial.
Asia woke to find herself in her room as she began to recover consciousness. The light blue paint that covered her room walls and ceiling, the welcome scent of a delicate flower aroma that reminded her of the orphanage she once called home, and the welcoming sensation of her bed assured her that it was her room.
"Asia?" A voice called out to her. His hands were carefully holding her right hand. The worried expression on his face told Asia everything she needed to know.
"I.. failed. How long have I been out for?"
"Six hours. Azazel and the team are currently making adjustments to the suit. The strain was too much for your body. I'm not allowing any more trials until they can assure me that something similar won't happen again."
Asia felt a bit sad about it, but she understood why he was so worried. "It was so painful."
"I can imagine. No sane human can claim that they enjoy having millions of microscopic needles being driven into their nerves. I'm concerned about you and your safety, Asia. There's no need to push yourself so hard to achieve results. If you want, I can-"
"Stop. I won't stop training. I want to be a fully flesh exorcist, so stop trying to convince me to follow a different path. I want this. I don't just want to heal others; I want to be able to protect and support everyone with these hands of mine. I might be human, but I still want to stand equal to you and everyone else. You promise to support me; don't try to make me change my path when I feel so close to a breakthrough. I can do more than just being a nun that heals her allies."
The Welsh Dragon could see her determination in her eyes. Maybe it was the effect of the fruit of knowledge being released within her, or maybe it had always been there, but there was an impressive drive behind Asia's eyes that he couldn't extinguish with his words. Gabriel had been rather open about her training regime, and he could barely believe how one small young human girl could stand up each time after being overwhelmed by the seraph.
"She can become one of the fiercest, if not the greatest, human exorcists the church has ever seen. Allow me to keep training her. I promise she will be ready when it is time for her to stand on her own without us holding her hand." Gabriel's words kept telling him to let go of his fears regarding the young girl, but it wasn't so easy.
One wrong move, and Asia could end up dead in an instant. Humans were fragile, and compared to other humans, Asia lacked magic, defensive abilities, or any kind of power that could protect her from danger. Her healing gear was basically useless when it came to healing her injuries, and even if she mastered the gear, missing limbs wouldn't come back with her power.
It was hard to agree to let her continue on the path she sought to follow, but after meeting those eyes, he was forced to relent.
"Just promise me you won't die or get yourself killed. I'm…. to be blamed for your ancestor's demise. I don't want you to meet your end just because I could not protect you. I care for you and your well-being. I want to see you smile, so please don't make me attend your funeral before your time is up. You are still a young lady with a life ahead of you; you must return to this place we call home, no matter what. Promise me that, Asia. Promise that you'll only die of old age."
Asia could see that he meant every word he said. She couldn't help but feel happy to have someone like him in her life. "I promise that I won't die. I don't seek to pass away anytime soon, either. There's still a lot I'd like to experience… I'd also like to find that man, my so-called father, even if I just wish to meet him and learn why he wasn't there for me."
"..." The Welsh Dragon remained silent as he knew this would happen at some point. "If it is truly something you want to do, I will make it happen. But you must be ready; what we can find might not bring you happiness. I won't object to searching for him, but I need you to be strong."
"I know, but even then, I wish to see his face and have a few of my questions answered." Asia uses both of her hands to enclose his right hand. "I promise to be strong regardless of what happens."
The dragon could see the determination behind such eyes and the slight hope that dwelled inside her. "... Maybe even Tosca would like to meet her human parents. All children will seek such connections even if it is not in their best interest to do so…. So be it." The dragon softly smiles as he uses his tail to pat Asias's head. "Very well, I'll get someone to track him down. It is close to the winter holidays, so consider it an early gift."
"Thank you!" Asia screamed cheerfully.
This promise would further push her into training much harder, although the "meeting" would disappoint her in the not-so-distant future.
Back to the present. General POV.
Their group continued forward, yet the instincts of the young in-training exorcist screamed at her about the incoming danger. Each step took them closer to the core of the curse while at the same time putting them in a situation with low chances of return if a wrong step was made.
"My lord, how can humanity lead to the creation of such an aberration?" Asia asked herself as she pushed her fears to the side.
The ingrained survival instincts of any being were like chains that told her that continuing was the wrong choice, but Asia couldn't turn back.
For someone as young as her, she had already developed a mentality that denied her the possibility of running away like a coward, especially when she had so many allies who entrusted their lives to her just as much as she did hers to them.
"He wouldn't run away if he was here. I should be able to do the same." Asia told herself as they finally arrived at the peak of the Inverted Mount Fuji.
Black snow covered the area, yet it wasn't the most surprising thing about this place.
"That's a temple? What is that doing here?" Akeno asked as she took in the unexpected structure that lay amidst the endless void that seemed to extend towards the inside of the dormant volcano.
"Is the effect of the curse. There shouldn't be any structure in the actual Mount Fuji nor an endless void. This must be a trick or a strategy to hide the core." Asia explained as she examined the area.
"Good theory. Where do you think the core shall be found?" Michael asks Asia as he wants to test Gabriel's young student's knowledge.
"Is not so simple. It could be inside the "temple," but it could also be found beneath the void or elsewhere. The curse won't give up that easily, but I feel it is here." Asia suggests.
"So we need to find its hiding spot. There seems to be a bridge that leads across the void and straight to the temple's gates. Should we go inside and check it out?" Rias asks the group, as she doesn't want to take a step forward without the acknowledgment of the adults.
Athena and the other adults look at each other for a moment before nodding as they seem to devise a plan.
"Asia, Vali, Isaiah, and Tosca, each of thee shall follow my lead and Yukime as we jump into the void for any signs of the core," Athena tells the kids. "The rest will search the mysterious temple with Michael and Liv. Communication will be maintained at all times while remaining alert. Understood?"
The kids look at each other before nodding and breaking into the teams without offering any objections.
"Oh, mighty Frigg, these children seemed to understand orders better than some adults. The Welsh Dragon seems to have been right about them." Liv tells herself.
As the groups are formed, Michael and Athena take one last moment to look at each other as they take separate paths.
Their expressions hid the worries each one felt for the other, yet they knew what must be done as the mission was far more important than fearing the worst.
Before the groups stepped forward, Asia took one last chance to communicate with Ddraig. "Are you still keeping track of us?"
"I'm right here, Asia. I haven't moved an inch, nor has anyone in the room. I'm listening to your voices loud and clear." Ddraig replies with a worried tone.
"... I promise that we'll come back. I…. We want to show you that we can meet your expectations. To show you how far we have come." Asia says.
The dragon is heard sighting for a moment. "I know each of you has grown, but let this old man be worried for your sake. Until I can see all of you back in the Underworld, I won't sleep. Do your best, but put survival first. Athena and the others will take care of any emergencies that might arise."
"Understood, Sir Welsh." The children replied as they felt encouraged by the voice dragon that recommended them for the mission.
With their energy at the highest, the groups advance to meet their fates. Michael leads his team across the wooden bridge while Athena jumps into the mysterious void that lies below.
Their bodies disappear in seconds as not even the tiniest light sources are visible.
"Athena…. Be careful, my beautiful goddess." Michael silently prays for her safety above his own as he advances forward.
Meanwhile, Ddraig and the others.
"Master, you need to relax. Stressing won't protect them." Aurora said as she carefully offered a glass of water to the dragon.
His hands tremble as he holds the glass between his hands. "Thanks, but it is difficult for me to remain calm in this situation. It should have been me who formed part of such a mission. If I was only there-" Ddraig was interrupted.
"Protect them? My lord, we both know you hate this, but you can't cry over the spilled milk anymore. You need to trust them and the adults with them. They will keep them safe." Raynare assures him as she sees the growing stress on his face.
"Drink the glass of water, Nii-san. Tosca and the rest will be fine." Gasper adds.
"Tosca is strong, and so are the others. Nee-sama is also with them, and surely she will do her best to prevent any problems from happening." Shirone said. One would have imagined that she was sad about being excluded from the team, but far from it. The young white-haired girl felt an increasing drive to push herself further to gain the right to stand alongside her sister and peers. "I'll train harder to join them next time."
"You know them better than I do, so you must know if they have what it takes to succeed, but I understand your fears…. Lord Welsh. Regardless of fears, you need to trust them to accomplish the mission. Have hope for those children." Roygun added. She felt disappointed with her previous actions as she witnessed such young agents joining a high-stakes mission.
"Roygun is right. Uncle, they will come back alive. You wouldn't have recommended any of them if you felt they lacked the skills necessary to succeed." Eury joins in as she touches one of the monitors around the room. "You know it better than most of us. You have been there somehow, so raise your head and believe in these children. They will succeed."
Ddraig could feel the support he was receiving from those around him, but his doubts weren't easy to push into the back of his mind.
"What would Issei say if he saw you like this?" Ophis asks as she approaches him. "Is the Welsh Dragon I met all those years ago unable to bear his choices head-on? Are you unable to trust those you claim to protect?"
"I-"
"Is your child unable to face a challenge on her own? Aren't you sure about her abilities? Or is it the fact that you can't move a hand to try to protect them?" Ophis continues.
"I-"
Ophis places her hand on his cheek. "Look into my eyes. I don't need your doubts or fears. I know who I choose as my sword, and this is not it. Stop doubting and trust those children. I told you this already: you will be surprised with what you'll see tonight. I assure you that she won't fall, nor will those around her."
The hand of the Ouroboros dragon emitted a warmth that was not common to her. Ophis trying to cheer him up was unexpected but not unwelcome as he saw some of the progress she was making as she interacted with them.
For once, he saw the sparks of a new life within the void of Ophis eyes, even if it was just for a moment.
"... Alright. I will try to extinguish these doubts and fears." Ddraig said.
"Trying is just the first step. You need to trust us to carry the torch while you are still healing. We don't know for how long you'll be unable to fight, so you have to trust all of us to carry on with the goals of the Alliance. This will likely be one of many future missions in which you won't participate. You need to trust us." Elmenhilde says as she looks at all of those present. "You don't have to carry all the weight alone."
"Elmenhilde." Ddraig couldn't help but smile as he met her welcoming expression. Everyone's expression gave him the push to put his fears aside.
It was exactly what he needed, but soon, his anxiousness would rise as the vitals of those looking for the core of the curse spiked to dangerous levels.
"That is not a good sign," Valerie said.
"Asia, Tosca, can anyone give us an update?" Ddraig asks as he touches his ear.
"... Old man, is this real?" Tosca replies. Her voice couldn't hide her fear and confusion as she spoke.
The growls of Tressa in the background weren't helping either.
"What are you seeing?" Ddraig asks.
His question is answered as the giggles of children are heard by all of those present.
"Tosca, turn your eyes away and ignore it. This is just a trap." Asia screams.
A few moments ago. Asia's POV.
It felt like sinking into the deepness of the ocean. Complete darkness surrounded them, and they could barely see each other as they descended deeper into the vastness of this supernatural void. The team tried to stay as together as possible as they continued to go deeper.
Asia's suit sensors were working on the double to scan her surroundings.
"Can you feel anything, Asia?" Yukime asks.
"Yes, but also no. This place is playing tricks to hide its weakness from us." Asia admits while remaining calm but also a bit anxious as the descent continues.
"Blessed Gaia, can we even find anything in this void?" Isaiah asks as he looks around.
"... Sometimes closing one's physical eyes can show one's right path. Use thy instincts and not just thy vision." Athena says as she remains with her eyes closed. "Michael, has thou found anything in the temple?"
"Nothing yet except for a dense concentration of miasma. I cannot shake the sense of being watched as we- Athena, I'm detecting enemy forces." Michael replies as his voice takes a drastic change.
"What are you seeing?" Yukime joins in.
"They look human and seem dressed like Omnyou Priests, but that shouldn't be." Akeno's voice sounds incredibly shocked at the sight of the new enemies.
"The curse past victims. This was a training ground for the Five Clans, after all. There's a chance that many didn't make it back while training in this place. Don't be mistaken by their voices or appearances; they are part of the curse now. Eliminate them, and don't fall for their tricks." Asia advises Michael and his team.
Her sharp thinking gains the silent praise of Athena and Yukime.
Thanks to the communicators, the group can hear the ongoing fights as Michael and his team engage the "Phantom" exorcists.
But they had barely any time to pay attention as their own adversaries started to show up.
From the depths, Athena's team started to hear small childish giggles.
"Mommy?" A ghostly child's voice asked.
Asia gulps as she doesn't want to imagine what they will face.
A glowing extended hand appears from the depths, reaching to capture Tosca's right leg. Tressa, who was resting on top of her head, growled at the hand as it saw it getting closer to her owner.
Isaiah glares at the hand as he slices it with his katana. "Don't you dare try to touch her with those filthy hands of yours!" His eyes shine with a deadly killing instinct as he senses the incoming danger.
Many others followed the first hand as they appeared to try to capture them, but the worst was to come as a horrendous creature appeared from within the depths.
Faces of thousands of pale infants were attached to a growing fleshy worm with millions of appendages.
The faces giggled and stretched out toward them as they called out to them as if they were their parents.
"Mommy?" A face came close to Tosca as it terrorized her.
"... Old man, is this real?" Young Tosca couldn't shake the growing fear within her as she imagined the worst possible reason for infants to be in this place. Tressa hits Tosca's head with her claws as it tries to bring her back to reason.
"Tosca, turn your eyes away and ignore it. This is just a trap!" Asia screams as she aims her rifle and shoots several bullets against the multiple baby faces. The bullets are quite effective as the creature screams and backs away briefly. "Those bastards from the Five Clans. Were they able to do this? Sacrifice, damn infants! Or maybe… God, please tell me that nobody has done something like that. No child deserves to be abandoned in this place."
"Tosca, close your heart and act. We'll have time to take this in afterward." Vali says as she charges a dragon shout, which blows a large hole in the fleshy creature. Her left eye appears to be draconic for just a few moments before it returns to its normal state.
The creature screams as if a choir of babies started to cry simultaneously, yet it doesn't stop its attacks as it tries to capture everyone present.
"... Right." Tosca regains her composure as she activates her shields to block as many hands as possible.
"Regroup around Tosca," Athena orders the team.
The team obeys as Tosca uses her barrier to create a sphere without openings. The hands try their best to pierce through, but Tosca's barrier can defend against the assault.
"Tosca, keep the sphere active. Everyone, close thy eyes. I shall… put this apparition to sleep." Athena says with a sad expression on her face.
The team does as told, and Athena raises her shield. "Head of my former priestess, hear my plea and use thy accursed power to end this menace."
The medusa head, which rested on her shield, wakes up as its snakes come alive moments before its eyes open. A blinding light emanates from the shield, and before long, the cries of the infants grow completely silent.
"Open thy eyes. It is done." Athena orders the team.
As they open their eyes, they face the result of being unlucky enough to face the power of Athena's shield.
A large stone statue with millions of hands and thousands of crying baby faces stood a few meters from them.
The children could barely stomach the visage of such a horrendous fate.
"Asia is it-" Tosca is interrupted.
Asia raises her hand. "I prefer not answering that question. Humans can be even worse than any monster in the depths of the Underworld. The brightest lights can also cast the darkest shadows. Let's find that core and end this nightmare."
The group sees the pain in her face as she already knows the cruel reality behind such a creature.
Isaiah pats Tosca's shoulder as he shakes his head. "It is best not to dig it up."
"Let's go. I fear this won't be the end." Yukime adds as she tries not to look at the statue.
Athena nods as she silently leads them deeper into the beast's jaws.
"Gabriel is doing a great job teaching you how to be an exorcist… but I guess it also means that you'll lose much hope in humanity. I pray that this path doesn't lead you to give up on them completely." Yukime thought as she saw the young exorcist from the corner of her eye.
"I…. might not be able to return to human society after all this is over…. Maybe being human is not worth it in the end." Asia told herself as she felt that this particular event had shattered a piece of her humanity.
Notes of the Author: Sorry that it took so long. I have been busy with work, personal life, and I feel a bit drained when it comes to writing, but I'm back. This small ark will continue for maybe two or three more chapters as it mainly shows where the cast stands regarding powers and experience. I will likely write a few side stories that depict Asia's exorcism cases in the human world (Holy water can be quite effective when used as a grenade). She will likely share the spotlight with Gasper, Valerie, and Gabriel in some of these chapters. Such chapters will feel darker in themes as we'll explore horrendous events that could lead to curse locations being born from grief, pain, anger, and human regrets. Anyway, see you next week with a new chapter or maybe two.