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
Her eyes grew weaker as she tried to get away. A gruesome injury along her entire chest continued to hurt even after she had covered the area with ice to decrease the bleeding. Still, the energy of the attack prevented the injury from closing.
There was also a broken blade buried within her left shoulder, and several kunai remained buried along the length of her tail. All her body was covered in cuts, yet she couldn't stop.
The mission had been semi-successful, but it had come with a cost, as a single mistake led to all this. She was flying within the world tree while being chased down like a criminal on the run.
"I can't stop….. I must return." The young hybrid told herself as she did her best to evade the attacks of thousands of Youkai guards under the leadership of the Shinto gods.
"Stop her. She can't get away." An oversized Tengu holding a monk staff screams as he orders the troops under his leadership to obey his will.
The Youkai offered no mercy as they continued to attack Yukime without a drop of mercy.
"Come on. Just a bit longer, and I'll be there." Her mind played tricks on her as she imagined happier times, as if death was just around the corner. "No, I won't die just yet. There's so much I have yet to do. So many I have left to say…. I haven't given up on him. I want him to see me and to reciprocate these feelings for me….. Please let me reach our home. Let me reach him….."
She had never felt so scared about dying before. She was taught never to fear death, but maybe her affection for the Welsh Dragon had weakened her.
"Yukime…."
"Shit, have I started to imagine his voice?"
"Yukime…."
"Damn it. This is bad." Her vision became clouded as her bleeding continued.
"Yukime!"
Her eyes opened wide as she heard his voice once more. As she tried to look into the distance, her eyes saw a large ship approaching her, and right on top of the ship was him.
"My mind must be playing games on me. There's no way you'll be here." And then her vision went dark as she gave into her "delusion."
….
….
….
9 hours after the rescue mission.
Ddraig remained seated in front of the surgery room alongside Tiamat and many others. The tension was high as their best spy had been seriously injured on a mission.
Nobody dared to try to say something to Ddraig or Tannin as the two dragons awaited the news.
Tannin's uniform was covered in the blood of his daughter. He had let the rescue mission as soon as the news had reached his ears.
"Tannin-" Tiamat was interrupted.
"Don't say a word. I'm not mad at you or anyone in this room. She knew the risks and still chose to take the mission. As her father, I respect her choices. She's an adult, but I want to know that she'll make it right now. I won't move an inch until those doors open." Tannin replies.
Nobody dared to say another word as they respected the dragon for remaining under control in such a situation.
They couldn't say the same about the rest of Yukime's family, who were in arms and ready to go after the Shinto gods to avenge Yukime if she were to die.
"... Did you give the order?" Ddraig turns to Tiamat. The dragon's expression seemed broken and hurt; he never wanted something like this to happen.
Tiamat nods. These were the first words he had said in hours since he learned about the news. She saw how he rushed to enter the Unicorn to go after Yukime, but Thor and many others held him back. "Susanoo, send another challenge letter. We needed to confirm if they were preparing to attack us, but Yukime went after more information than I asked her to obtain."
"... I see." Ddraig smacks his tail against the floor in raw rage while holding his anger back. The ground breaks under the weight. "I should… It should have been me who went there and not her."
Thor shakes his head. "You know better than putting your life at risk in this state. You can't put your life on the line. You're necessary."
"I know, but what am I supposed to do? Just accept that someone I care about is getting hurt in my stead? She knew the risks, I know that, but this is all because I…" Ddraig stops himself from finishing the sentence.
"You didn't kill Tsukuyomi. We know that now because of her." Raven says as she leans against a wall. The other members of her team stood along the wall without saying a word. "She found out a crucial piece of information, and now we just need to wait for her to give us the whole package."
"Can he do something like this? Starting a conflict with us to use Ddraig as a scapegoat for his mistakes? This has to be a joke!" Bastet argues.
Yasaka shakes her head. "The fool has always been immature. When Izanagi surrendered to his fate and returned to the land of the dead to be with Izanami, he left the youngest gods in charge. My ancestors argued against leaving such immature gods in charge, but his decision was final. He left his throne to his youngest children, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo. The trio was too immature back then and made many stupid choices; even the wisest, Tsukuyomi, wasn't ready for the responsibility. Their leadership mainly forced my ancestors to leave our homeland behind as they couldn't follow them. Susanoo was the worst of the three, and his hotheadedness likely led them to join the previous war. He likely saw the war as a playground to test his might and honor as a warrior, but we all know the result."
Falbium massages his temples as he tries to make sense of all this. "So he wants a conflict to avenge his honor or the so-called death of his brother? Which one is it?"
"Maybe both or neither. We shouldn't assume what he wants. What we know is that he wants to fight Ddraig, and we can't allow that." Uriel turns to the Welsh Dragon. "Regardless of who you killed from their pantheon, you can't bite the bait and face him. You can't put everything at risk."
"But what if-" Ddraig is stopped by Baraqiel, who places a hand on his shoulder.
"She's not dead, and even if she were to… die…. I doubt that she'll want you to put your life at risk to avenge her. The living shouldn't live on to avenge the dead; they should live on to remember the dead and honor them by living on. We who remained need to create a world that the dead can approve of. Remember these words, Ddraig, for they might show you the path forward." Baraqiel says with a calm expression.
As soon as he finished, the light signaling the operation went off. Some moments passed until Azazel and Raphael, along with the rest of their staff, came outside.
Azazel took a look around the area before speaking. "... She's alive and stable. We'll move her to a room in a couple of minutes. She's heavily sedated, so she might take a while longer to wake up. We had difficulty removing the energy that prevented her healing, but we succeeded."
"She's a tough one. With that amount of damage and blood lost, anyone would have fallen unconscious in just a couple of minutes. We saved her due to your family's plentiful blood donations, Tannin. It proves that having that many family members can be the biggest blessing in disguise." Raphael said before he turned to Ddraig. "She's an amazing person; I think you should take her far more seriously from now on. She likely did all this for your sake."
"Are you trying to play Cupid now?" Azazel questions his brother.
Raphael shakes his head. "I'm just saying what needs to be said. If someone is this willing to put their life on the line for another's sake, it is because they truly care about that person."
Ddraig said nothing as his eyes seemed to look for her in the distance.
10 minutes later.
Tannin and Ddraig stood before the sleeping Yukime, who had been transferred to an intensive care room.
The young hybrid was peacefully breathing as she slept, and to the surprise of nobody, her veil remained in place per Tannin's directions.
Deep red bandages covered her chest. Bright symbols circulated the bandages as they improved Yukime's healing.
"I… always expected one of my fellow first-generation mates to marry one of my children." Tannin begins.
"You can't be serious," Ddraig argues.
Tannin shakes his head. "I am. We're dragons, and we attract each other. There were few of us back then, and even now, our numbers don't even reach the 20,000. We're careful with our selections regarding mates; if anything, I feel that my children suit any of you. I even imagined Tiamat choosing one of my boys at some point."
Ddraig glares at his fellow dragon.
"Hey, I never expected you to gain a body after you were sealed. Life has thrown many curves our way."
"... It really has," Ddraig admits as he understands Tannin's reasons.
"Listen, you already know about Chrom and her. After what he did the last time we met him as a group, he was my last choice for an in-law. I couldn't trust him with her, but I wanted to respect her wishes. She tested him, and he failed her trials. I was glad when Yukime said things weren't going anywhere with Chrom. I might have a long list of children, but I care for each one. I want them to be happy. I want them to have big families like ours, but above all else, I want in-laws who care about them. Yukime is my youngest daughter, and although she's far from normal and a bit of a scary individual when her mother's antics take over, she's a wonderful woman. She cares about you; right now, she's only waiting for you to reciprocate those feelings. Don't make her wait too long. If you care about her, let her know, and if that's not the case, let her go." Tannin pats his shoulder before he turns around and goes for the exit.
"You're leaving?"
"She's a fighter and is likely to wake up soon enough. Seeing you will make her happy. I also need to calm my family down and coordinate with the rest about our security. We might get visitors soon, and we know it won't be pretty. Stay with her and leave the fighting to me this once." Tannin then exits the room without saying another word.
Ddraig is left all alone with the sleeping beauty. He searches for a chair and finds one close to the window on the other side of the room. His body feels heavy, yet he is growing accustomed to his weakness.
As he approached the window, he saw the darkness outside Grigory. No moon was visible; only fake "stars" illuminated the sky, yet it had a charm that few could deny.
Turning around, he dragged the chair closer to the bed before sitting down.
The room felt cold, as it had been specially prepared for Yukime, yet for someone who didn't enjoy the cold, he was fine with enduring it for her sake. He carefully reached out for her left hand and held it with his.
"You know, I still don't understand what you and many others see in me or Issei. We're two souls sharing a body, a dragon who holds many sins, a destroyer who keeps putting others at risk just by staying around…. But I guess that solitude is too unbearable even for me." Ddraig carefully caresses her hand.
"... You're amazing. I could tell through our many exchanges. You're someone who doesn't give up if there's still hope at the end of the tunnel…. It was even a bit overwhelming as you were so forward with your advances, but neither Issei nor I could deny it. We enjoyed the affection you professed, and hearing someone so open about her interest felt good. I wish he were here to say these things…. He has an easier time speaking for the two of us. It is far easier to tell him what I think and let him take over, but I guess I am responsible for speaking on his behalf."
The dragon chuckles as he tries to imagine what his partner would have said if he had been present.
"... I find it challenging to take the first step forward. I prefer not to take a step if I don't know how the other feels, so when someone like you comes around and is open about what they truly feel, it is hard for me not to start to gain interest. I… like you. I do. I really do, but I don't know if I can match your devotion. Look who I am; you'll see someone who's likely not going to be the person you want. Tiamat, Le Fay, Serafall, Gabriel, Raynare…. The list will keep growing; I know that because there are those with whom I started to develop feelings. How can someone like me dare to stay with someone like you? I don't know if I deserved to have any of them." Ddraig drops his head. "I'm not worthy of any of you."
"Yet you choose to do so because you already know. We're the ones who make the rules regarding love, not gods or higher powers, but each of us. We set our rules and our boundaries," A weakened voice replies.
As the dragon raises his head, he sees Yukime's covered face turned to him.
"Yuki."
"Yuki? That's the nickname you want to give me? Maybe it is the name for a future child?" Yukime laughs lightly before the pain forces her to stop laughing. "Ah, that bastard got me good."
"You should rest. I'm-" Yukime stops him as she uses her tail to trap him and pull him to the bed.
As soon as she has him within reach, she traps him within her arms, although her entire body is in pain. Ddraig's head now rests within her bandaged chest. "Don't move. Just stay like that. I missed this cute form of yours."
"But-" Yukime stops him as she places a finger on his lips.
"Let me enjoy this. I love how our temperatures counter each other. If I were to try to hug a human like this, they would be bound to lose all their body heat and shatter into pieces. The temperature is always a nice middle point when I'm with you. No too high or low. That's one of the things I love about you. You dislike the cold, and yet you never push me away, even when I tease you or cross several lines. You saw right through me and never fell for my traps."
"... Anyone else would-"
"No, nobody else would have lasted this long. I know because I tested others. You'll be surprised to see how easily some fail when I show too much skin. How many fake promises have many told me? 'I offer the moon to you,' 'I'd make you happy,' 'I'll give you the family you seek,' 'Just give me one night, and I'll take you to heaven' Actions speak louder than words. Here we are after two years of this charade, and you showed me what kind of male you are. Far from perfect, but one worthy of my interest and love. There are many fishes in the ocean, but there's only one you, one Welsh Dragon with two souls. Only one who's worthy of me because I chose you, so stop running and take the step." Yukime releases him and allows him to raise his body.
Ddraig's face is just a few inches away from hers. "... If I do this."
"You'll take the responsibility. My ancestors chose the right person as their significant other—someone who would stand by their side until the very end. We seek males who won't betray us. Although Mom and I are the first to choose dragons, we know we're making the right choices. Dad is indeed an idiot sometimes, but he has made Mom happy since the very beginning, and I have no doubts about you. So please, can you remove this veil of mine?"
The dragon doubts himself for a moment before he reaches out and grabs the fine material of the veil. It feels like the most expensive silk, yet it weighs more than any other veil because its significance is far greater.
His doubts remained, yet he felt the need to push on, as they had come a long way to get here.
As he removed the veil, it started to dissolve within his grasp, like snow melting under extreme heat.
He was shocked but had no time to look away as the secret behind the veil was revealed to him. Her face was as white as the snow and beautiful, but her eyes were too stunning to ignore.
"Crystalline kaleidoscope…." That was the only way to describe her eyes, as it seemed her eyes continued to change colors and shapes.
"Mom and Dad couldn't believe it when I opened my eyes. My siblings were a bit mad as Mom put the veil on me shortly after my birth. 'Your eyes are a treasure that only the right person can witness,' she said one day when I asked about my eyes. Now, they belong to you…. And your daughter."
"Tosca? She saw them?"
Yukime smirks. "She asked me if I was serious about you, and I showed her my eyes to prove it. She never asked that question since then. Should I get a new veil to keep these hidden from the world?"
"Eh? Why would I want that?" Ddraig asks while still focusing his attention on the beautiful jewels before him.
Yukime blushes as she feels a bit embarrassed due to his attention. "I mean, you keep looking at me. Maybe you want to keep these hidden from the world."
Ddraig smacks himself for being too curious. "Sorry, I have never seen something similar before. I mean, Gaia has rainbow eyes, but this is a new level of unique traits."
"So what you meant is?"
"That you're beautiful."
Yukime blushes even more before she covers her face with her hands. "Oh, my Gaia. This is worse than I expected, but please say it again?"
Ddraig takes a deep breath. He reaches out and grabs Yukime's hands. "Yuki, your face is too beautiful to describe in a few words. I have seen many things over the years, but your eyes will remain unmatched for eternity."
His words hit the spot as Yukime starts to tear up. "I have waited so long to hear those words from someone who meant it." As her tears run down, they freeze and create small tears of ice.
"Yuki." Ddraig grabs her chin with one hand before he places a small kiss on her lips.
This makes Yukime even more emotional as her tears increase in number. "You're going to make me into a mess."
"Then I will take all the responsibility that it involves," Ddraig says before he places another kiss on her lips.
Yukime melts as she feels his lips, but one thing in the back of her mind prevents her from just enjoying the moment for much longer. "Wait, we're skipping something important."
"What could that be?"
"The one thing that seals our binding." Yukime moves her hair away to give a clear path to her neck. "I always found this curious as Vampires are known for sucking the blood of their victims from their necks, but here are dragons marking their mates by biting their necks."
Ddraig moves his shirt away. "Vampires, at least the ones that fall victim to those acts, do it to feast on the blood of their targets. We do it as a form to exchange blood and a form of vows. Our necks are also the weakest point in our bodies, so offering them to our mates is a sign of trust."
The pair look at each other momentarily before sinking their sharp teeth into each other's necks. As the blood drips down their necks, the pair feels how their lives are now bound to each other.
She was a part of him, and he would be a part of her for the rest of eternity. This was the most ancient of their rituals, akin to a wedding without an actual ceremony.
As the ritual ended, Yukime embraced him and didn't allow him to go, as he belonged to her for the remainder of that night.
Luckily for her, Ddraig wasn't trying to escape as he enjoyed their closeness while closing his eyes.
The pair fell asleep in the embrace of each other.
Several hours later.
Yukime opened her eyes to the early morning hours only to meet an unexpected pair of visitors.
Ereshkigal and Benia Orcus stood by the window. The goddess said nothing as her eyes remained focused on the outside while the reaper smiled at her.
"... When?" Yukime asks.
"Just a few minutes ago, he never returned to the house. Tiamat said that he was going to be here." Ereshkigal turns around to face her. "What did you find? Something must have been worth the risk."
Yukime took a deep breath as she recalled the events that took place. "I infiltrated their realm. It wasn't easy, but I made my way into their territory. Security was as tight as you can imagine. Tengus patrolled the skies and every corner of the land while other Youkai prepared their resources for an attack. They lack the numbers to match ours, but… a confrontation won't end well for either side. All the remaining deities are preparing themselves to charge head-on into our territory…. It feels like the desperate actions of those who want to die."
"A suicidal attack? You're saying that they are looking to die?" Bennia questions her.
Yukime takes a moment to reply, "It seems like it. Those Youkai preparing themselves look like old veterans or at least experienced fighters. Scars cover their bodies, and their expressions lack the will to live. None of the younger Youkai seemed to be preparing themselves for the attack. Their conversations also denoted their determination to put it all on the line. I don't understand how they lasted this long, as many of them should be dead by now. It almost seemed as if they were looking for a final fight, but what concerned me the most was that of the remaining seven deities in the pantheon, 6 had similar expressions as the veteran Youkai. Only Amaterasu seemed to be against the actions of her fellow gods. She was also the one that confirmed who killed Tsukuyomi to me."
Bennia opens her eyes in surprise. "You spoke to her?"
Yukime nods. "I infiltrated the main castle as I searched for information, and as I got deeper, I found her room. She didn't notice my presence at first. I was curious about why, of all the Shinto gods, she was the only one who didn't prepare her armor or weapons. So I deactivated my ability and confronted her."
"That… was a daring action," Ereshkigal says. "What did you learn?"
"Amaterasu told me what happened in the previous war. Out of their whole army, only 10% of their troops survived. Seven deities survived, and their survival was mostly thanks to Tsukuyomi. The god was against the idea of joining the war, but his entire pantheon ignored him, forcing him to follow them into the war." Yukime turns to look at the sleeping dragon beside her. "... Ddraig did attack them alongside Albion. His attack almost killed Tsukuyomi, but he survived. Amaterasu did her best to heal him, but he wasn't fully healed. He pleaded with the remaining pantheon members to retreat, but Susanoo wanted to continue, and so did most of the rest. Amaterasu admitted that after seeing how Tsukuyomi almost died, she regretted not listening to him when he argued against joining the war. In the end, Susanoo convinced many to continue, and Tsukuyomi followed them to protect them. Trihexa arrived at the battlefield shortly after, and one of the first groups to be ravaged by the beast was theirs."
"Trihexa…. Killed him?" Bennia asks.
"Amaterasu recalled that one single attack eliminated 75% of their remaining troops when the beast appeared, and after a few moments, only eight deities remained out of 45. Trihexa was brutal and offered no mercy, but as the beast sought to finish the job, Tsukuyomi stood in the lead and sacrificed his life to save his fellow gods and remaining troops. His remaining power was used to surround them in a barrier that prevented Trihexa's attack from reaching them. Nothing remained from the god as he took the attack head-on. No body to bury, no soul to reincarnate, not even ash." Yukime continues with a saddened expression. "Amaterasu blames herself like the rest for what happened."
"Wait, so the Welsh Dragon has nothing to do with this," Bennia argues.
"... Susanoo wants to blame somebody he can face—someone he can blame for the death of Tsukuyomi. He's escaping reality by placing the blame for everything that happened on Ddraig. His survival guilt must be eating him like everyone else in that pantheon. They can't move forward and look for a way out by fighting one last fight. Susanoo won't find peace even if he kills Ddraig. He's likely going to move the blame to somebody else." Ereshkigal reflects as she turns back to face the view of a new day. "... It must have been eating them all this time. They returned home with broken wills, no honor, and scars that can't heal alone. They can't see a path forward after the war….. Maybe I was like them."
"Ereshkigal-sama, but you rejected the war," Bennia argues.
The goddess shakes her head. "I did, but that didn't protect my family. I saw no way forward but my grief and my anger against Ddraig." She turns to look at the dragon. "But at least I took a step forward, and although I won't forgive him, I'll learn to accept what happened while searching for a better future. He can't die at the hands of Susanoo, for his fate is to fight for us when the time comes."
"So what do we do? How can we prevent this?" Bennia looks at the pair for answers. "Should I go to the lower levels and seek the aid of Izanagi and Izanami?"
Ereshkigal shakes her head. "Don't even dare to try to reach those two. It is best to leave the goddess alone as she enjoys her peace alongside her chained beloved. She took the responsibility of passing judgment on the souls, and disturbing her peace will spell trouble for us."
"Is it that bad?" Yukime questions the goddess.
"You don't want to disturb that Femme Fatale. We must take care of the Shinto gods with our own resources. The primordials will be of no help." Ershkigal explains with a concerned expression.
Yukime is as concerned as the goddess. She places a hand on her chest and recalls the pain of the attack that almost killed her. "... The one that struck me down was Susanoo. He sensed my presence in Amaterasu's room and attacked with a decisive strike. His speed surpassed my own. He was determined to kill me, and I only got away because Amaterasu used her power to transport me as far away as possible. His blade won't allow any injuries to heal easily, and if Ddraig were to face him in this state… he wouldn't survive. I also detected a scary scent around an inn within their realm. A scent that told my body to run away. The scent of something that seeks to slay dragons."
"Scent that seeks to slay dragons? What do you mean by that?" Ereshkigal turns to her with a confused look.
"It is hard to describe, but it is like how vampires tend to stay away from holy sources. Something that I choose to stay away from because I felt like I was in danger." Yukime continues. "Is there something like that in any realm?"
Bennia slowly raises her hand, thinking she knows the answer. "Deep in Cocytus, there's a prisoner known by the title of the Dragon Eater, but there's no way he will be there. Samael will never be released from his imprisonment."
As the name escapes her mouth, Ereshkigal covers her mouth as if she wants to puke. "No, no, no, no, Hades would never allow it. That thing is a sinner like no other. We all agreed to keep it chained and trapped alongside all the other sinners in Cocytus. I… need to do something about this." Ereshkigal expression shows complete panic as she recalls the sight of the beast cursed by the Bible God.
"How dangerous can Samael be?" Yukime asks.
"A beast who has no alliances and despises everything. Its blood kills everything as it is a deadly poison that can easily take anyone down or at least weaken them enough to put them at death's door. I saw what it could do to a lesser dragon who dared to descend to Cocytus—a fool who feared nothing only to die just touching a single drop of its blood. That poor fool screamed in anguish as its body contorted in ways nobody should. Its skin began to pale as the curse of Samael eliminated everything, including its very soul. If someone got their hands on the blood of Samael, not only Ddraig is in danger, but also any who come into contact with it." Ereshkigal bites her finger as she tries to think about what to do. "... I need to speak to the others about this. We might need to take severe measures to protect ourselves and him."
The stakes were once more risen as the threat of Samael's blood came into play.
Meanwhile, Cocytus.
Deep within a land without light, heat, or hope, a lone figure in a protective suit traverses the landscape covered in ice in search of its target.
As it took step after step, it came closer to the destination of the feared prisoner.
Its body's scent alerted anyone against stepping closer, yet the lone figure ignored it.
Once it was close enough, its eyes saw the prisoner: chained to a black cross, covered in bandages, and sealed by several magic circles, which prevented it from even moving an inch.
Its lower half resembled a snake with several sharp tentacles protruding along its length. In contrast, its upper half resembled a muscular human with a torso pierced by twelve nails and arms that resembled those of a monster with long claws that pierced the end of its fingers grotesquely.
A black cloth covered its head while its mouth had been sown shut. Yet, even with the cloth, one could feel multiple eyes following one's movements. Eyes filled with anger, pain, and jealousy of those free to move around.
Here lay the first sinner of heaven, with broken dark wings that spew black tainted blood that not even other fallen angels dared to touch.
The one that was once respected and viewed as the most beautiful in heaven was now forgotten and abandoned by its siblings.
Here was Samael, the true antagonist of the Bible. The one that will never forgive and never be forgiven for its sins.
"Nice to see you again, prisoner. I'll make this quick, so accept your fate." The lone figure pulled a vial, which it then used to store some of the blood that dripped from the end of its claws. "It must be painful to know that while you rot in this place, your siblings enjoy their lives on the outside. I have heard that they joined hands and put their past behind them. Maybe one day, they'll be useful to me, but until then, I will continue to test how effective my little creation is. Even Hades will fall victim one day, and I will be in charge of this land afterward. Until then, let our small relationship continue. I promise to offer you freedom when I figure out how to release these chains."
The figure turns to the horizon. "And so all of you. Titans, sinners from the past, I alone will remove your chains, and once you're free, we'll take what is rightfully ours. Just wait patiently until then, for I Camazotz will no longer serve but instead be the one that is obeyed by those pests."
Countdown:... 5