Okaze: You are not wrong, though her fear was part of the Breakdown, she is one of the aspects that helps calm Dorian. Hopefully Despoina is up to the task...
xhope14x: I'm so sorry for the cliffhangers XD As to your question, my intention is that this is all one timeline, however the one they find themselves in happened first before Iggy was sent back and caused changes.
Hollowreaper93: Oof, someone isn't fond of canon Issei lol.
Talking Pumpkin: Thank you very much!
Divine Blizzard: It truly means a lot to hear you've liked the quality of my work these 99 chapters. I will certainly do my best and hope to never disappoint ;) And I get that, after Season 4 the Light Novel is all there is and it's very hard to find in English. I'll admit I feel the same that I liked the direction it was going at first, but as it went on the fanservice and Issei-centered nature just got more and more pronounced. I hope my story gives a good glimpse to the story arcs after the anime so you don't have to seek out canon.
Guest 1&2: I see, you have a lot planned!
Optimus470: Hahaha, I think it'd be a bit early for Dorian to be meeting that guy. Considering how OP broken he seems to be in canon, he could just squash everybody as they currently are XD
avenger3576: Maaayyyybbbbeee ;)
Supremum Rex Stulti: No worry on your words from the last chapter :) I accept constructive criticisms as long as they are cordial which you were. Honesty is big here. It's true this future does have that overarching sense of unease since we know what eventually occurs all the way back from chapter 1. You are right indeed this has been planned for quite a very long while. I am glad you liked the Surtr aspects, I sent a full PM to you with the reply to the other questions you had :)
xXwolfsterXx644: Thank you! Indeed, having both at once will be tricky, thankfully there are a lot of allies to back them up. I can only imagine how it'd feel to find out the woman you loved, in different circumstances, ended up with a wholly different man. I hope the update wasn't too late in coming and that you enjoy it ;)
sammyhadams: Totally understood, thank you for giving my story a read all this time. I sent a PM if you are interested in my reasons for not liking Issei. Long story short, he had good development at first, but imo the story became to focused on making sure he got everything to the detriment of the plot and other characters. It's part of the reason I started this fanfic as the premise, characters and such were amazing to me which is what got me into it...but especially after Volume 22 Issei just became very unlikable to me in his actions. This story isn't about bashing Issei or belittling him, rather making it in a way that the whole of DxD isn't bending down and breaking its own rules just to satiate him.
Guest 3&6: I got a chance to see the Fire & Ice video, it was really good and super catchy, added it to my songs to listen to while writing lol. Thank you for that! No major spoilers but you hit it on the head that they are paradox entities which ties into why they are unaffected by time-based magic. Correct, that was not Thrud as she is a strawberry blonde and the unknown Valkyrie was a bright blonde...whoever could she be?... ;)
fanficcyberman: Hahaha, well said XD Kassaegtha seems to be a constant in his life even if she herself doesn't know it. Writing the darker outcome of Hecuba was hard to write, but am touched you like her so much as to be in nuke-mode from hearing XD (I played Call of Duty ages ago lol). Thank you for such kind words and I am so happy you caught that pale dragon remark, I liked the idea that some future predictions are based on potential futures so they saw another outcome for her ;). As always, your kind words truly mean a lot, things have been going well for me and I pray they are even better for you and your loved ones! :D
Guest 4: That sure sounds like a good way to me to be reassured to defend your timeline :D They've each had their time...imagine when it comes down to both at once lol.
TheLycan2026: It's about time he shows the fruits of his labors (Pun slightly intended XD). Especially with what occurs in this chapter...
Guest 5: God of war and justice, a fitting combination for him, at least I hope so ;)
Gan315: It's great to hear from you again and thank you very much for the birthday wishes :D Never feel an obligation to write a review, the fact you're reading and enjoying is most important. I sent a full PM to you responding to the review as I've missed our talks too, hope all has been going well with the new job. I will put your worry at ease that I have zero intention of shipping her with Dorian :) I want to get across that women can be friends with him without it turning to romance.
Also, yes you hit the nail on the head with Issei. I've never intended to bash him, early in the series I was totally on his side but with how the story went later on it was as you said being given all that power and encouraged to be a pervert just really made him unlikable. Part of this story is to flesh him out in a way that doesn't make it seem like the universe has to revolve around him for his antics to be treated as good. And I totally understand not liking so many with Dorian. If it helps at all, I've never liked harems that are too big. Rose/Thrud/Iggy and Kuroka are pretty much confirmed, but I promise it won't get ridiculous like canon. I hope the year gets a bit easier for you, stay safe man :D
CaedmonCousland: Great to hear from you again :) I sent a full PM in response. I know time travel stories can often be done poorly, though I hope I did this well considering it's been planned since chapter 1. Thank you for being honest in your criticisms, I take them into account and it helps to hear from other points of view. Thank you very much for reviewing and I hope you have a great day! :D
Guest 7: That might be difficult considering the apple is back in the present, he doesn't have it on him.
jamiemaglio1: Thank you very much!
Reader: You got that right, I liked the idea that the OCs I made (other than Dorian and Iggy) were present in the canon timeline just not as a focus due to not being near Issei. EX showed just how OP and central Issei is to basically everything being too busy to even see his harem which felt more like he failed as a Harem King to me and brought up the idea of if something could beat him...who else in the entire world would stand a chance?
Guest 8: I will admit, that is part of what made me dislike Issei more as the series went on past Vol. 21. Before then sure Issei was there but he wasn't the be all end all...but after the canon Trihexa arc it just feels like he's the only one who can accomplish or gain anything of significance to the detriment of every other character. As for who that woman is...I can't say for spoilers but will say you are on the right track, unfortunately Dorian can't use that apple as it's back in the present. he didn't bring it with him.
Guest 9: I am so grateful that you've enjoyed what I've done with Issei so far, my intent was never to bash him but to try and make him more likable from what he becomes as canon continues. Be sure to thank your friend for me for recommending my story, it means a lot so many have been enjoying it these 4 years, I never imagined so many would like the ideas I had. And thank you for your honesty, I know I have much to improve on and try to with every chapter. Oh wow...I think I'd fall over if anyone ever wanted to make even a page of this as a manga, let alone a full work XD
Dragonx411: He'll certainly try, ichor doesn't last forever unfortunately. Thank you very much...and hopefully they can keep the paradoxes to a minimum LOL.
Guest 10: Who can say who those mysterious people watching Dorian may be...in the coming chapters there will be a few hints ;) You and I think alike XD, as anyone who has seen my Jraynor3 Deviantart account can attest, I love planning the futures of my OCs.
Guest 11: She would like to think so, this is Despoina's mind at the moment of her death so she hasn't experienced the Elysium dream. For now, she'll work to make up for the evil she did. You are not wrong about Hades though XD He is not an evil god...but is a very arrogant one.
Guest 12: That's quite a lineup :D Could Dorian survive? XD
Guest 13: I totally get your critique of canon, so many of the decisions confuse me as you said like showing Issei being unable to see his kids due to work and everyone else leaving their kids with Asia, Kiba and Vali most of the time. It made ExE feel very depressing to me despite the OP children lol. Well, canon said that "Ophis and Great Red could defeat the Trihexa, but that conflict would surely destroy the world," but were vague if each could or them working together. As for Shiva, if memory serves they said they could fight the Trihexa but not actually beat it. I remember a line in Vol. 11 stating that Ophis was "in an entirely different league" than even the next 2nd strongest. But you are right that power levels do seem to vary wildly depending on the plot lol. I don't know what to say, thank you so much for your kind words! Saying you like my story better than canon is one of the highest praises you can give a fan fiction and is truly appreciated. :)
Whew, so many reviews, thank you everyone and to the rest I apologize for the lengthy reply section above. I wasn't sure if I should start doing it at the end of if it's okay to continue as I have been. In any case, with that…ONTO THE SHOW!
"Wherever you came from, a future, past, in between, it does not matter, you have arrived on a day of days," Loki mocked as Dorian leapt from another titanic swing of Surtr's blade. "Providence perhaps? Or maybe something more?"
"So, you were planning to destroy the world, just like the Seidr saw?" Dorian could not hold back the disgust in his voice. "They were right!?"
"You speak of ignorance boy," the god of Fire Giants fired back genuinely impressed that Dorian had not succumbed to his powers yet. "Their reliance on that vague prediction is what led to this," his expression almost looked remorseful, but if he'd once considered feeling that way, that flame had long-since burnt out. "Even a decade past, this would have been unfathomable to me. But now…it's the only recourse left. This world has no place for us, so we shall follow these invaders to a new one."
Dorian wished in that moment he had Twilight Star, but there was no use dwelling on it. He had donned his Balance Breaker but was still coming up short against the power of a god. Analyzing every avenue he could think of, something felt off as he leapt over the great flaming sword carrying a spear manifested from Musphelheim's fire.
He feels weaker than when I met him, but shouldn't he be stronger after the years? That sword though, I don't want to get hit by it. How much of himself did he put into it?
Dorian raced up the length of the blade taller than a building, recalling the strategies he'd used in the mental landscape facing the giant amalgamation of Loki and his sons back in Helheim. His spear was ideal for deflecting attacks, but it was clear that the Lord of the lands of fire could not be harmed by his own element. The Einherjar made up for that, wrapping layers of enchanted ice around his construct creating a weapon that would be the bane of two realms. Surtr was unprepared as the frozen element struck home at his inner thigh. The giant staggered, a patch of ice appearing upon the wound spreading like an infection.
The impact slowed Dorian, only by a fraction, but enough for Surtr to take advantage. He was so focused on avoiding the great sword that he had neglected other weapons, a third arm emerging from his back made of the land of Musphelheim. Shrinking back down to throw off Dorian's estimates, it caught him in the chest, the Einherjar gasping in pain as he was sent crashing into the buildings behind him. Even his Balance Breaker was cracked and burned from the attack, but he realized it was worse than he thought.
"My flame does not go out easily," Surtr pointed to where he had struck him, a small black ember clung to Dorian's armor slowly growing larger. "One strike is all I need to…"
Dorian thought fast, making the many defensive seals visible across his body realizing that it stuck to the one he had placed upon his chest. Without a moment to spare, he reversed the seal, causing it to jump from his body to the ground below taking the cursed fire with it. As promised, the magic rune continued to burn, the flame growing larger though no longer connected to the Einherjar's body.
"Cut away like an unwanted tick, he has experience," Loki pointed out, aggravating even his ally. "Tis a pity not all of them are so talented."
He was referring to Moloch, the one helping organize the defender's ranks. The prodigal devil, pride and joy of the Sitri Academy, was now lying dead upon the field of battle. The treacherous God had trained his mechanical children well to target the leaders and those keeping the lower soldiers together. Many were gods and holding their own, but the young devil fresh out of his studies stood no chance and now littered the ground with his dead eyes staring up.
"Give him a few more years, he may have been something. Perhaps even…"
A crack of thunder and burst of rainbow light interrupted his monologue, a powerful foot striking him against the jaw pinning him to the wall. A tall man in shining Asgardian armor and white-gold hair laid into him, not letting the trickster go anywhere.
"Lord Vidar?" Dorian gasped, recognizing the face but no other part of the son of Odin. The God preceded a host from Asgard numbering in the hundreds or more. His heart fluttered for a moment as he spotted Thrud and her mother Sif among their ranks. She looked at him ready to fight before her eyes passed over him spotting Surtr, a hint of her grin when pleased with an opponent forming on her lips.
"I do not know your face Einherjar, but thank you for holding this one until our arrival. How ironic we gathered our troops to hunt you down after your departure from Asgard yet here we find you standing beside our allies," he leapt up delivering a spinning kick to Loki and sending him smashing into the pavement with a painful crash. "It seems treachery most foul has shattered the harmony of this alliance. Let us put an end to it."
"You…!" Surtr narrowed towards Sif and Thrud, the flames of his beard and heard spiking to new heights. "The kin of Thor, YOU SHALL BE MY OPPONENTS!" His rage at family to Thor made Dorian all but forgotten.
"Father should have put you down back then," Thrud's voice sounded different, cold very similar to how she'd acted when Dorian had first awoken before opening up to him. She had her twinblades already drawn crackling with lightning. Sif's broadsword was easily recognized, the same that had been crashing upon him under the Sun Stone's oversight.
"You shall not stop us from reuniting with my husband," Sif lunged, her shield cracking Surtr in the face, an unknown enchantment forcing the giant back to a more humanoid-size for a moment. "Daughter, with me! The rest of you, aid our companions!"
The Norse army responded with a resounding roar, charging into the rear flanks of the traitorous giants and their mechanical wolven support. The tide had begun to turn at the reinforcements. Meanwhile, Loki emerged from the rubble nursing the ugly wound across his face.
"You have just come to die," his etiquette had fallen away with genuine risk to his own body. "It doesn't matter what happens here, we've already won."
"You truly believe that, do you not?" The future Vidar generated more power through his armor that felt different to Dorian. "No matter how many Ragnaröks you initiate, we shall best them all!"
That energy around Vidar, it feels like Midgardsormr, I can practically taste his power from here! This close, maybe I can…
"BIFROST BARRAGE!" Dorian yelled, his signature move erupting forth from the collection of gems across his armor in the light its namesake. It was stronger than he'd been able to manage before, borrowing energy from Vidar who was flooded with it beside him. It was true, somehow the son of Loki resided within the Norse God and Dorian's pact held true even across times. He was taking in the energy of two Dragon Kings. "I will stand with you!"
"We shall forego our pursuit of you until the foes are vanquished," Vidar nodded with determination, impressed the attack had not only cracked Loki's barriers but pushed him back, leaving him worn and beleaguered. "For now…CHARGE!"
The team up left both as well as their troops in high spirits, a conclusory battle of their time at hand. Morale was soaring, so high that none noticed the cracks formed from Surtr's attack on the Isolation Barrier had begun to widen.
Elsewhere among the Battle…
"Take that, and that!" Le Fay floated above the chaotic melee below. The Fire Giants were not known for their spellcasters, only a handful among the skies to contest and they were no match for her, falling one after the other as she zigged and zagged every way she could. "Oh, what I would give to have Gogmagog here."
"You! Are you with them after all?"
Le Fay soared quickly to avoid the slash of her brother's sword Caliburn, a familiar blonde-haired mage knight aiming for her among the chaos of battle. A portal opened ushering in a multitude of young men and women, the same who had helped against the Metal Fenrir and then some. Le Fay could guess who they all were based on the scattering of traits and appearances. The rest joined the fray, their power above reproach as they tore through many of the enemy troops.
More of Issei's kids in this future? Just how many women married him here!?
"I am not!" She raised her staff defensively, showing she had been firing upon the troops of Musphelheim while avoiding the allied myths. "And I am NOT a clone!"
"There is nothing else you can be!" He pursued her, cutting through her defensive spells one after another with ease. He was stronger than her, that much was evident being a child of a Heavenly Dragon. All the same, she could tell he was angry, not thinking as carefully as one should, making the young mage wonder whose side of the family that came from. "My mother was a wholly unique person, you cannot fool me!"
Mordred vanished for a moment, Le Fay's eyes widening in horror, moving just before the blade would have sliced through her neck. The son of Issei had used Caliburn's power to teleport short distances faster than any portal or seal, missing so close she could feel the wind on her skin from the swing. Consequently, from being so close, Le Fay tilted up with a kick, clocking him upside the chin and giving her a moment's respite. She gasped in pain, realizing she hadn't been quite as fast as she'd thought.
"There are more of them down there," she called out, gripping her arm where a deep gash bled profusely. She thanked Dorian silently, knowing that without the power boost from her new pact, the defensive barrier would not have softened the blow from the strongest Holy Sword to such a degree. "Y-you're just wasting time fighting an ally."
"Not much time wasted," Mordred threatened, disappearing once more into Caliburn's ability meaning to finish the encounter with the next attack. Le Fay smiled, having hoped he'd rely on it again.
Would a clone have the memories growing up with big brother? He taught me years ago there is a slight window from when the user emerges where…
The young Pendragon muttered under her breath, setting spell after spell at the tip of her new staff gifted by Yggdrasil. She breathed deep, waiting to sense the slight vibration when the barrier between dimensions was breached by Caliburn's power. After several moments, the sensation was felt to her side.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
With a cry of effort, she unleashed a cascade of spells from white, black, Norse and standard magic schools upon the spot Mordred was appearing. Arthur had trusted his little sister more than anyone else and had imparted how to protect herself should his power be turned against her. During the brief moment that a user emerges, they are utterly vulnerable to attack. This window is not immediately open, requiring a specific timeframe to be used. It would be impossible for anyone to guess it except being told or countless battles seeing its use. Mordred was totally unprepared for her to be aware of its existence.
"Ghh-wh…!?" He gasped as compounding spells struck him head on, sending him crashing to the Earth leaving a considerable crater, Le Fay sighing in relief that her shot hit. She glanced over him from above all the same, not having aimed to kill, but merely knock the wind out of him. Based on his powers, she doubted she could have truly harmed him if she were trying.
"How did you know about that window?" He knelt, unable to do much else as he caught his breath. "Clones don't possess such knowledge and I have not fought so often for it to become obvious."
"Geez, what could that MAYBE tell you?" She pouted at the obvious answer acting as if she were the older sister for once. "Big brother taught me that when I was younger in case something like this happened. Well, not EXACTLY like this, but…"
Mordred tensed up as his presence amid the battlefield did not go unnoticed. A contingent from Musphelheim had spotted his crash, clearly looking for the opportunity to take out a child of the Heavenly Dragon Satan. A half dozen rushed him, flaming weapons in hand. The young man did not yet have the strength to even raise his sword in his defense still recovering from the blast.
"We were TALKING!" Le Fay boomed, drawing their attention as a storm of icy javelins rained from above upon them. Each found their mark, driving off the attackers while simultaneously surrounded Mordred with pillars of ice preventing any from getting close. "Now," she crossed her arms while landing outside the bars. "Would you like to finally listen to reason?"
"You…you could have left me to die."
"No, I couldn't have," she waved her hands again causing the icy prison to melt allowing her son of another future his freedom. "I don't know about being your mother or marrying the Red Dragon Emperor or anything like that, but I AM Le Fay Pendragon! My presence doesn't lessen your own mother in any way. You don't have to act like it does. There's enough room for more than one of little old me."
Mordred looked to the hand she extended to help him up, his eyes narrowed towards her as if he was about to strike again. Instead, he accepted it, gripping her hard and standing to his feet. He stared into her eyes more intensely, analyzing for signs of the woman whom had given birth to him. Asia may have been the mother he knew the longest, but Le Fay would always be his own.
"Fine," he materialized his staff in the opposite hand, blasting a pair of incoming foes behind her as she did the same for a line behind him. The pair stood back-to-back, covering the other surrounded by opponents. "But only until we get in there and help mother, then we will come back to this."
"Fair enough, I think things are going well," Le Fay saw the flow of the battle seemed to be in their favor.
With the arrival of Asgard and more from Heaven, the Musphelheim giants found themselves surrounded and Loki's mechanical allies were becoming steadily outmatched. The massive mechanical dragon was eventually dragged down by the combined efforts of Indra and Gabriel before being reduced to slag between their efforts. The giants found no help from their god as Sif and Thrud had pushed him farther from the lines with the trickster deity currently in battle against Dorian and Vidar. With the two generations of Pendragon working together, few could even get close to them. Their hopes were looking up.
Hopes that fell as the reverberating cracking noise reached their ears.
"THE BARRIER IS COMING DOWN! MOVE AWAY!"
The booming voice of Indra echoed across the battlefield. Surtr's first attack had done its purpose albeit slowly. The shield around the Isolation Barrier could no longer remain standing, crumbling as a cascade of trapped energy billowed across the battlefield. The shockwave was so strong none could stay on their feet, the very ground beneath them breaking down to the foundations of the Earth. Rocks shattered, the air grew turbulent and even the sweat off their bodies evaporated at the tremendous surge of power escaping from the Isolation Barrier like air trapped within a pocket for eons. After several terrifying moments, the tremors ceased and all grew still.
"What the Hel was that?" An ominous calm settled over the area as friend and foe alike ceased combat, turning towards the dome that had persisted for decades now standing completely exposed. Rossweisse was the first to break the silence.
"N…no, that can't be…"
Within the very edge of the border loomed an enormous mountain that hadn't been there a moment ago, but they had little time to dwell on its presence. At the base of its towering peaks, there was a smaller mound that took a moment for the others to identify. To their shock and horror, it was a pile of bodies…bodies they recognized.
"Sirzechs?" Even Ajuka was left speechless, spotting the broken and sundered armor clearly belonging to his old friend though the body itself within was unrecognizable charred into a grim husk as were the rest. "Serafall…Michael!?"
Similar mutterings and cries rose among the troops spotting the gods and leaders they had revered for their sacrifice remaining to face the great beast of the apocalypse. None stirred, signs of life nonexistent within the Isolation Barrier. All hopes of coming to their aid utterly crushed before their eyes. The arguments, cries and overlapping words of despair were so jumbled as to be unintelligible until one of the youngest generation called out.
"Where is father?!" EX Gremory shouted, glancing every way he could surrounded by his siblings. "Our mothers!? What has become of them!?"
"Just look with your own eyes," Loki mocked, clearly reveling in the scene before them. "That crumpled lump of red armor over there surrounded by his beloved hare…" His enjoyment was short-lived as Dorian planted a solid punch into his face, shattering all the god's seals of protection and drawing blood breaking a tooth.
"Issei?" He glanced back at the spot Loki had pointed out. His stomach twisted into knots as a flash of Iggy's nightmares overtook him and he was glad she was not there. An empty shell of armor scorched of all life clearly resembling Issei's Crimson Cardinal Form only far grander. It had not helped, the blasted remains of no fewer than a dozen or two bodies surrounded him. The corpses beside him were much smaller ranging from ornate armor to cloth robes and everything in between. The Einherjar punched the nearby wall again and again in a vain attempt to purge the realization from his mind as to the identity of those who died with him. "This is it…this is where it began…" He cursed his attention to detail as he saw a small glint not far from the corpse of the Red Dragon Emperor. A small glass eye lined with gold…the same Odin had replaced as a sacrifice for knowledge so long ago.
"You…" The low growl came from Thrud's throat followed by the booming crackle of lightning. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Not even her mother could stop her as she summoned all the powers her family possessed to her fingertips wreathing her body in a living storm matching her rage. Dorian did not see the reason as to what set her off at first, but Sif did. A shattered useless hunk of metal resembling Mjolnir among the bodies.
The goddess lunged at Surtr, her lightning burning even him in her wrath surpassing his own for that moment. She cared not for the pain it brought even as her skin turned black and flaked off each second the magic touched the daughter of Thor. She wailed on him again and again ignoring her compiling injuries, her mother barely able to assist lest she be caught up in the blood-rage. The titanic clash had returned the others to their senses, the gods and troops resuming the battle despite the crushing outcome to their souls.
"And that's just the start," Loki spat out blood as he rose once more. "The beast no doubt expended itself considerably for such a victory, but the barrier is down as is all that was keeping its power in check. All those years behind the walls fighting, waiting, it no doubt had quite a bit pent up. You experienced the shockwave as the field fell, that will be felt shaking the very foundations of this world and the next…"
Road Between Realms…
"Wh-what is happening!?" Yggdrasil called out as the ground trembled all around them. "The Roads are crumbling!"
Iggy doubled over clutching her chest. Despite not being directly rooted in the Roads, she could feel her mother's pain across the realm. Pathways were shriveling, others collapsing altogether at the introduction of the strange power that reverberated through them just a moment ago. Her mother was wracked in agony, her avatar dispersed as she had to use all her attention just to keep the framework of the dimension from falling apart utterly. She could focus on nothing else.
"Baby girl!" A familiar man's voice called out in her mind. "The nursery in danger, mommy and daddy are busy!"
Iggy didn't even try to find the source of the voice, the concern in its tone warning her more than its words. The planter nursery was being assailed by the cascade of unknown energy just as much as everywhere else. She took off sprinting ignoring any danger to herself sacrificing safety for speed.
"No…" She muttered in horror as the tree, soil, ground and all the preparations made to ensure their safety started to collapse in the distance. "No no no no no no!"
The animals tried to intervene, but were swept aside or cut off before they could reach the growing saplings. Not even the eagles could get close, unable to contend with the torrents buffeting them from all sides. Iggy's heart broke as the first nursery filled with a dozen seeds fell into the void and was utterly vaporized by the foreign energies. Thinking fast, the daughter of Yggdrasil rushed towards the remainder as fast as her legs could carry cursing the fact she still inexplicably could not revert to her spirit form to move quicker.
Just a little further, just a bit… Iggy stumbled as the path she was running on fell out from underneath her, lashing roots from her hands being the only thing that saved her. Hanging on, she could not help but let another tear fall, seeing the next row of planters shatter from the energy beyond what the barrier protecting it could withstand.
"I need…more," she gasped as her façade fell away. Sacrificing even the minute energy needed to maintain her humanoid illusion, she used it to put more strength into her limbs leaving her in her true form bark-skin and all uncaring how she looked. Grunting in exertion, she climbed back up to the next stable platform and took off running once more. They are her children, my brothers and sisters…I can't just let it end like this!
Iggy could hear her mother's sobs echoing across the Roads, she was aware of what was occurring clear as day. Despite her influence, all her vast experience and control over the Roads, she was utterly powerless to save her children. The cascade of energy from the Isolation Barrier was breaking down the Roads everywhere, her continuous efforts barely preventing a total collapse, but as a result she could focus on naught else. The World Tree had to choose between holding the home of so many together, or to save her children, making the decision for the greater good, and it was killing her inside.
But I'm here, I have to hurry!" Iggy made a final dive finally reaching the same platform as the remaining planters, barely able to hold her footing. With a war cry of determination that would have made Thrud proud, Iggy planted her feet, wrapping roots around them all, pulling with all her strength to hold them in place. There are so few left, if I can…
A second wave of foreign power from beyond the Roads struck the platform Iggy was kneeling on causing her branches to whither in an instant just as it did to the ground beneath. To a growing look of horror, her grip on the remaining planters was lost. The young daughter of the World Tree, along with all that remained of her potential siblings, started plummeting into the void of life below. Her chest hurt, limbs were aching, cuts bleeding all over and she was bruised from the deadly power that had come from nowhere impacting her again and again, yet none of it was anything compared to the pain of realization that she had failed.
I tried so hard, they were growing so well, each would have been strong and healthy. But this future, what has happened to make everything go so wrong so fast? Despair and frustration clawed at her mind preventing Iggy from focusing. A big sister, I could have been a…NO! No, no no no no, I can't just give up, I have to save someone…ANYONE!
She was too far to reach them and her branches could not reform fast enough. Instead, Iggy reached out with a hand trying to remember a single ability she used once by instinct and it had saved Dorian and Asia's life. The power of Midgard she did not fully understand that staved off the decay of the Dimensional Gap itself. Iggy reached out to the nearest planter and closed her eyes.
Please…Please…PLEASE!
Her prayers did not go unanswered as a swirling green-blue aura of light enveloped the remaining planter, ceasing its fall into the abyss. Iggy gasped with joy, the fact she was falling as well not even on her mind. She had stopped one from collapsing, even if she didn't make it, that would be enough. She started working to find a platform to leave it on before she fell into the endless light.
"Gotcha! I may have been absentee, but late is better than not at all!"
Iggy gasped as her fall suddenly stopped, large claws seizing her by her tough natural skin. "Rat? I am so happy to see…" Looking up she saw a huge squirrel easily twice her height holding onto her with his front claws as the back pair gripped the remaining land above him with all their might. What confused the young woman into silence, however, were the impressive antlers protruding from his head and glowing tattoos of power across his body that were certainly never there before. "You're not Ratatoskr, are you?"
"Well, I am, but with a few more years to ferment than the one you know. You look lovely without the illusions, I couldn't be prouder. Do you have a good grip on the little ones?" She nodded, her barrier of life surrounding the planter holding strong. "Okay, then…HEAVE!"
Iggy was thrown up to the half-crumbled landscape and held on to the last seeds for dear life desperately. The tremors continued for a time longer, thankfully the area the future Ratatoskr had found remained intact through the final aftershocks. When the wait seemed unbearable, the rumbling finally subsided and all grew silent, Yggdrasil having managed to somewhat stabilize the area, though at great cost. They were unaware, but massive swaths of the Roads were gone, their paths nonexistent, sacrificed as little as she could in order to protect her dearest children and the greater whole…but it had come too late. Iggy carefully maneuvered the last planter into a place of safety, setting it down with a final gasp of exertion.
"H-how are they?" She begged as the aged Ratatoskr analyzed it thoroughly, a somber expression shattering his normal excitable self after but a few moments. "Did they…"
"I'm sorry missy," he bowed his head, voice almost breaking. "Most of em…didn't make it. But you saved this one," he pointed out a single section of the plot where a lone seed now resided. "This one had some real grit, they'll make it."
"But," the tears started to flow once more unable to stop. "But there were so many, they can't all be…" In desperation, she pushed past Ratatoskr to check on the others within the planter she had saved. There was no denying it as much as she tried, the life was gone from them, but she pushed through the soil all the same, tears soaking the dirt. "They can't all be gone."
"They are," Yggdrasil's avatar materialized slowly before her daughter. Her appearance was ragged, hair disheveled and skin a sickly pale tone. None could doubt she had done all she could, her restrained desperation plain to see. "I…I couldn't do anything without sacrificing far more. My children," she knelt before the planter looking over where the others had been having known the fate of them all. With tender strokes, she reached into the soil to remove the handful of seeds remaining to cradle them gently. "They would have grown to be so strong. I am sorry, so sorry."
Iggy didn't know what to say, there was nothing she could in that moment of sadness. Kneeling beside Yggdrasil, she cupped her hands together, gazing upon the now-lifeless seeds that would have been her family. Mother and daughter in their true states wept openly, the future Ratatoskr joining them shedding his own tears for the first time. A family across time, brought together wholly in sorrow. A unique event that would never be replicated…leading to an equally miraculous one.
"Now there is a new smell if I ever saw one," Ratatoskr remarked as a soft white glow began to rise from the fallen seeds, mother and daughter looking in awe upon them with neither having seen such a thing. They were not alone in their wonder as a black fog billowed in, reforming into a familiar unwanted shape.
"I see," Kassaegtha titled her head. "So, this is why my past self becomes so enamored with you two. You are not only impossibilities yourselves, but you cause new things to happen. How delightful, perhaps this world isn't so hopeless after all."
Light emanated from the seeds soaked in tears, causing even the surviving animals to peek from their hiding places to witness the event. A hymn seemed to be heard and felt in the air that almost reminded her of Dorian's lyre but she had no time to ponder its source before the seeds of her fallen siblings suddenly disappeared, melting into the very palm of her hand. Rising from the void below, small sparkles like starlight rose up and she knew they were the seeds that had fallen to their deaths. One by one they all sought out Iggy, merging into her body with a series of words cascading into her thoughts at each one until she shined like a star herself.
"Sister. Big sis. Sis. Sister. Sis." There was no consciousness with the thoughts, but their essence, their souls, had joined together to acknowledge her identity and love. As the last one disappeared within her, a flash of energy restored her illusory humanoid appearance she knew Dorian fancied even if he never said so, Iggy feeling stronger than ever.
"Beyond any question, you are my daughter," Yggdrasil muttered with trembling lips, her pride as a mother greater in that moment than all the millennia before. "I knew you were my child before but never imagined this, you…you are all of my children," she embraced Iggy once again, tears still falling between the two.
"What happened?" Ratatoskr glanced back and forth, even checking the floor trying to locate the seeds. "Where did they go?"
"They are now within her," she explained with a sniffle, wiping away the worst of her tears. "Through some magic beyond what I can comprehend, they have become part of their big sister…the last of our children remaining."
"Our…?" Iggy glanced to Ratatoskr who puffed out his chest and antlers with pride as the realization came to her.
"Well, someone had to donate the magic to get the process started if'n you know what I mean. If I may say so, I received more than a few compliments of my prowess in that field at the time." His joke was not as powerful as usual, clearly an attempt to bring a smile to their lips. It did not succeed, but was welcomed all the same. "Might not want to mention it to my younger self yet, don't know if he can handle the responsibility of fatherhood for a few decades yet."
"Should I call you papa now?" The shocked expression and blush even the ancient squirrel could not resist finally brought a somber smile to their lips. "But I'm not the last one," she pointed to the remaining plot and the final seed. "There is one other."
"No," Yggdrasil repeated, cupping the young spirit's cheeks in her hands and kissing her forehead. "You…are the last of my children." Iggy finally understood her meaning, looking upon the lone remaining seed with wonder and questions that had no time for answers.
It's…me? Was this always fated to happen? I didn't know that one was…or perhaps that's why it was the only seed I could rescue. Is that why I feel so much stronger when near it? The others within me now, they have changed me, I feel…hope.
"The roots of the avalanche," Kassaegtha muttered cryptically before she started fading back into mist. "I'll have to pay Dorian a visit now, he's fighting quite hard out there. Perhaps if I watch him long enough, I'll get to see something else new like this. Don't disappoint me."
"At least I know my little girl makes it," Yggdrasil ignored the ominous warning to focus on what she had before her. "But this is not your place," she held out a finger to Iggy's lips to stop her inevitable argument. "This is our future; you are visitors here having seen too much. Go back to Dorian, find a way home and make a better future for yourselves. That will mend my heart as much as it can be, knowing you are somewhere safe from what is coming for us. That you are safe…and the others that are part of you now."
"But, but I haven't been able to return to Dorian's mind since arriving in this time."
"You can now, I am sure of it. You were needed here split between your two selves, perhaps that is why you couldn't return to him. But now, you are not just yourself, but the hopes and spirits of what all my children could have been. We shall tend to the last that remains and ensure she makes it where she will be needed to lead her to Dorian."
Time travel is possible beyond any question, Yggdrasil planned for the future. My little girl said she came from an unknown future sent to where she met Dorian. I shall ensure, however long it takes, that this comes to pass as it already has for them.
"Mother…" Iggy embraced her again knowing it would be the last time, she could feel it in her soul. "I will make you proud, and I will see you again when Dorian and I make it home."
"And I envy that me more than I can say, but there is one thing I know that even she does not. I had names intended for all my children from the moment they were planted."
"We picked them together," future Ratatoskr bragged. "And this little lady left, she was a strong one, came up with the best."
"Indeed, and you shall know it before you go," Yggdrasil leaned close so none of the other denizens could hope to overhear and whispered the planned name of the young sapling into Iggy's ear. The daughter from another time remained silent, her jaw dropping in awe understanding how important the name being imparted to her truly was.
Isolation Barrier Battlefield…
"Grrrr," Loki growled as he deflected another powerful kick from Vidar but having no time to relax as Dorian was upon him. Lightning of Olympus, Fire of Musphelheim and now a blinding light that he had to shield against to prevent losing his sight all augmented by his Balance Breaker. "You annoy me!"
Slamming his hands into the ground, Loki caused spikes of a thousand colors to emerge seeking the flesh of his opponents. As Vidar shattered his before they got near, Dorian did the same with a single slice of his light-blade which broke from the effort. He breathed heavy, the battle raging on without being able to get any advantage over him even when two against one. Far off, Surtr's flames could be seen clashing with Thrud's lightning, Dorian fearing for her despite having her mother as backup.
"You were a pitiful replacement for Thor," Loki mocked Vidar openly, tapping his staff on the ground. "Losing to the Hyoudou whelp so soon after Odin and his sons were sealed just insulted our realm all the more. You all but screamed to the world that we were second fiddle to his whims."
"Thor would have made a far better ruler; I have never lied about that. That being said, I have devoted my years to filling that void and am second to NO ONE among the Nine Realms!"
Vidar knelt, rubbing his fingers along runs across his enchanted boots, his signature weapon. Dorian could not help but notice a jewel placed within that was not there in his time period, it did not come to him its resemblance to Azazel's Down Fall Dragon Spear gem until he had already made its purpose obvious.
Ragnarök Aesir Berserk!
The overwhelming power of Midgardsormr was unmistakable as a massive burst of light erupted from Vidar's body. When it dispersed, he stood there in a grey full-body suit of armor with especially thick enhancements to his legs and boots. His power was absolutely awe-inspiring as it settled, his artificial Balance Breaker now on display for all to see.
He made his own pact with Midgardsormr in this future? No wonder I could still sense him. Dorian wouldn't say it, but felt like even his gains were being dwarfed by those in this new era. It was frustrating, but simultaneously inspiring as he saw the heights that could be gained with years of work. His time among the Norse faction was reflected in his thoughts, desiring to exceed them someday.
That will help, Despoina remarked, currently alone in his mind. Power levels in this world do seem to have been ramping up since our time.
"Ragnarök?" Loki started chuckling at the sight of his new armor. "That is what you named your gear? I had almost forgotten. Let me show you the real Gear of the Apocalypse."
He held aloft his staff, Dorian blasting in to stop him from powering up as he had allowed Vidar to. Shockingly, no incantation or name was required, a shining suit of silver armor covering the Norse God instantly. Broad plates slid out from under one another, locking in place with intimidating horns not dissimilar from his own growing across the surface.
"He has a Balance Breaker too!" Dorian groaned at the new confrontation. "How many times do we have to beat him!?"
"Einherjar," Vidar called out behind him commanding his attention. "You helped save Baraqiel and for that you have my thanks, but it is my duty of vengeance as the principal deity of our Realms to end this traitor. Aid Thrud and her mother against Surtr, Loki is MINE!"
Without awaiting a response, Vidar blew past him at speeds unparalleled by any on the field, his mystic boots at their peak levels. He and Loki collided with a colossal explosion of power, the resulting bubble effect knocking Dorian back. He wanted to help, but knew Vidar would be fighting considering any nearby as a threat. Thrud would be doing the same...but he knew her better.
"I'm coming back," he promised before rocketing toward the fire giant currently embattled with the goddesses, no sign of progress made to be seen.
"Did Angrboda's death break you so?" He heard Vidar shout to Loki as the pair of Balance Breaker's clashed. "That you seek naught but the destruction of the world, to what end? To join her again? The Aesir-Vanir War claimed many lives."
"And now you work together like such good children. You may as well say the sacrifices meant nothing!" The trickster god let his inner thoughts be heard seeing no point in subtlety any longer. "It sickened me, showed me the true side of our people all those years ago. Ragnarök is all that remains for this world, either it ends with this or is supplanted by the one from across the stars. I care not which!"
The blast of the renewed attack lit up the sky obscuring the two from sight. None dared to interfere in their struggle, far too many other matters pressing across the disastrous battlefield below.
Not Far…
Thrud's war cry unnerved even her mother who had heard such screams across countless battlefields since she was a girl. She was lost in a blood frenzy that had rarely been seen even in the god of Thunder, raining down blow after blow upon the fiery god without a care for the injuries taken.
"Thrud!" Sif called out, blocking and dodging a meteoric barrage of fire erupting from the god without him even paying attention to her presence. "You must channel your rage, mind your surroundings!" It was no use, she once more pressed the attack. "Oh, my love, we were too late…BETRAYER, YOU WILL NOT IGNORE MY WRATH!"
Leaping him into the air, shattering the ground beneath her, Sif drew her blade she had wielded since the days of the Aesir-Vanir War. Despite being held in one hand, it could have been mistaken for a greatsword, the runic engravings upon its surface glowing bright. She may not have the mastery of lightning native to her husband and their children, but she was a goddess with the strength and power to back it up. With a powerful downward slash, she cleaved through Surtr's upper thigh causing a torrent of lava to pour from the open wound.
"I have dealt with the wrath of your family for too long," Surtr groaned in pain, swatting Thrud from the skies to focus upon her mother. "I only regret I could not have been the one to fell your husband."
He brought down his gargantuan sword, burying it before Sif missing her by only a few feet. From the point of impact, runes matching his size and power materialized across the ground each exploding into exhausts spewing the fires of his homeland. The warrior goddess expertly dodged them all, working her way closer while avoiding the torrents of death. She was nearly upon him aiming for a renewed slash. Her counterattack was thwarted as an immense bolt of lightning collided with Surtr's body, the attack forking into all directions.
"Thrud, no!" She cried as a stray blast struck her in the chest as well, allowing a mother to feel the depths of her daughter's anger. She could no longer recognize friend from foe. Even as strong as she was, she could not take the blow easily, careening through the air to land far from the battle. She'd known that Thrud had grown more solitary since Rossweisse's departure, as a mother she did not like it but there was little she could do. Now she had let the battle blind her to all else, nothing to temper her. Sif did not get up quickly, the blast stronger than expected. "If she keeps this up…"
"…she'll kill herself," a new voice finished her thoughts as a soft flickering flame surrounded her. This fire was nothing like those destructive forces of Musphelheim, these ones soothing her body making her feel as if she had new energy, though her injuries remained. "She doesn't know when to stop."
"You are the intruder Einherjar that appeared, are you not?" He nodded as the young man did what he could with his limited healing seal knowledge combined with Hestia's fire. "Do not get closer, she'll slay any caught in her wake."
"I've seen it," he admitted, recalling back how far she'd gone against Sairaorg which was only an exhibition match. He saw the rage in her eyes when he lost his arm against Loki, the gleam when she was facing a powerful opponent. "Vidar has chosen to face Loki alone, let me help her."
Sif stared him down, this absolute stranger she'd never even heard of who until the battle was deemed a potential opponent. And yet, in his eyes she saw no deceit or attempt at it. She knew he couldn't know her daughter, Thrud had seldom found friends, even less so after Rossweisse was left in the human world to become a devil and grew infatuated with the Red Dragon Emperor. She would have known, not even secret rendezvous got past her sight which were always short-lived. All the same, his intentions to help her and confidence he could do so was wholly genuine. Almost able to smell the burning of her daughter's flesh from there and knowing there was naught she could do whilst Surtr fought, she made a rash decision.
"If you die, I will step in."
"Thank you," Dorian slapped her on the shoulder in a far-too familiar fashion. "I'll help her and keep her from going too far. I swear!" With that final oath, he took off flying towards the giant in the distance, expert runes of flight propelling his will. "Let's see, Helheim plus light javelin equals…"
A great pillar of ice sharpened at the tip breathed itself into existence as Dorian sought a new combination to deal with the giant of flame as merely coating it as before was clearly insufficient. While Surtr was unaware of his presence as an opponent, he angled it towards his chest, waiting for what he knew was coming. In a renewed burst of rage, Thrud called down lightning upon her foe, it was in that moment Dorian released the javelin of enchanted ice. Passing through the storm generated by this future alternate of his love, it picked up properties of the attack before colliding with its target. The giant staggered, but the blow did not pierce his molten skin. Dorian groaned at how ineffective the attack was, seemingly just drawing his attention.
"He is mine! Stay out of this!" The older Thrud called down, slashing him once more with her blades. "I'm not backing down!"
"As if I would try to get you to lay down your arms! I want to live to see tomorrow," Dorian called out, weaving around Surtr's attacks, the flames straining his best defensive seals. Thrud was a warrior, he knew and loved that about her. It was impossible to get her to pull back, but she thought more clearly when planning attacks, however simple. "You are killing yourself; how will that help you win?" For a moment, he thought she may actually wish to turn on him next.
"And what do you suggest?"
"Here!" He generated several seals of resistance to lightning, embedding them as deeply as he could onto every inch of her body. "If you're going to slay a god, you need to last long enough to do it!"
Thrud rose up into the air as soon as the last circle was complete, calling down another bolt. This time, the pain on her face was far less-pronounced, his seals taking the brunt of the energy, but the damage to her own body was obvious, she was almost wholly burned from head to toe. It took great effort for Dorian to not want to look away from the sight. He prepared a new seal, placing it within the path of her attack. It was an augmentation rune, magnifying her lightning strike to proportions that may have impressed Thor. Not even the ruler of Musphelheim could remain unaffected.
"How was that?" Thrud asked as she floated closer, the giant crashing to the ground and kicking up an explosive plume. All was calm for a moment, until a blast of hot air dispersed the soot, revealing the king still standing albeit one of his flaming horns had been utterly destroyed. He had scattered the debris with a single mighty clap of his hands.
"My flames are as eternal as the resolve of my people. Our land travels with us!" Flexing his muscles, a light appeared within his mouth, shrinking down smaller and smaller until it was almost nonexistent. Dorian was not fast enough on what was coming.
"Thrud, get…!"
Surtr's bellow released a cascading explosion of fire and superheated air, the force blasting Thrud and Dorian from the skies. Thrud's armor utterly shattered, even Dorian's Balance Breaker being unable to withstand the force of the god of the Fire Giants. He lost track of the golden Valkyrie as he fell from the skies, his ears ringing unable to hear anything. The impact with the ground hurt, but it didn't last long as his body went utterly numb.
Dorian! Despoina tried to snap him out of it, her thoughts bypassing his mangled eardrums speaking directly to his mind. Get up, he's going after Thrud first, I think it incapacitated her too. Can you move? She almost immediately knew the answer, few could last even as long as they had against a god.
Can't…feel anything, Dorian admitted, barely retaining consciousness. Despite his numb state, he somehow was able to move, propping himself up on his elbows unaware that blood trickled from his ears and nostrils. His strategies just weren't enough against something with such overwhelming power. He could see Sif in the distance trying to delay his advance towards her daughter's body. Maybe I can draw more from Midgardsormr. I'll do…whatever it takes.
Dorian, you can't!The echo of the Greek goddess could feel what was building inside of him. You can enter your Breakdown, but if you do it'll be Kyoto all over again. You may be able to prevent the aging using Midgardsormr's power as a base, but your mind will be blinded with rage again…
It's the only option left, Dorian stood up, almost passing out from the effort. Holding aloft his hands, he prepared the chant alone.
I, who watch over all that…
You don't need to do that Dorian; a new voice filled his mind with hope and joy. Rage will not win this day; it only leads to more pain.
Iggy? You were able to return to my mind? How!?
My siblings gave me the strength. Despoina, some of your ichor within us still has divine properties, correct?
Iggy! Y-yes, it is just a flicker, but it's there, why?
We will need it to face a god. My…our Breakdown had so much rage within it, Dorian, it was both what summoned it and what prevented us from realizing its potential. Here, she manifested an avatar in his mind, taking Dorian's hand and placing it over her heart. Feel the serenity within, that peace only able to be imparted by those who have known no turmoil or sorrow. The silenced voices of my siblings.
The power surged within him; it was just like Kyoto. Already he was building his pillar of strength with Midgardsormr's might, great roots planted into the ground drinking greedily of the land. In particular, the residual magic that had once been the Isolation Barrier permeated the area, despite being shattered, it was nearly as potent as the Ley Lines of Kyoto themselves. His armor was growing around his frame again, threatening to consume him as before, a plant growing too wild with no true direction.
It's not working, Despoina called out, sensing the blind fury overwhelming Dorian once more, his eyes turning a pupilless white, the cocoon to protect his body had already started forming around him closing like a flower. He needs to turn it off!
IT WILL WORK! Iggy pressed her forehead to his own, keeping his hand upon her breast. I was afraid of this future, so afraid that I shut myself off from everything except you…but now we are here, there is no more running or hiding for me. I wanted to just stay in the Roads, tend to those who would be my brothers and sisters. But… she let a tear fall, the only thing that caused life to return to Dorian's eyes, his pupils returning. But that is an impossibility now.
"Iggy, what do you mean?" He asked, but the answer was there, her memories opened to him in absolute trust. He witnessed what had occurred within the Roads and the sorrow that had struck her. "I'm…I'm so sorry."
This is where it all began, where I began. Maybe we can stop it, I don't know. But I do know that together, now, we have the power to try! I hid my true nature from you before and became stronger after telling you how I could manifest. It is the same here, I hid these feelings from you too, Dorian…I don't want something else to happen before I tell you. I…
Iggy stepped forward and hopping up onto her tippy toes to plant a gentle kiss upon his lips. Her eyes were closed, but his were wide open shocked by her sudden forward action. She had been inside his soul ever since he was born the last eighteen years, watching him grow up and every action taken. It seemed natural upon reflection that such feelings could grow and he felt embarrassed that while he had inklings of them, he never imagined they could be so strong. The images of her time sleeping in his bed when manifesting in the night came to mind. Rossweisse and Thrud had always accepted her presence, and her face was so serene resting on his chest or lap.
I love you Dorian.
You were always there, even when I didn't know. He thought as he leaned forward into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Iggy and closing his own eyes. He could not see, but felt the warm tears of joy run down her cheek at the moment she thought would never come. I love you too Iggy, I think I always have.
I am so glad, she wiped her tears of joy as they parted, able to hear every thought he expressed in his mind without him needing to say a word. I'm sorry I never said, but I was scared if you didn't feel the same or may upset the others. I'm not afraid anymore, let's be happy with Rossweisse, Thrud, even Kuroka, she giggled a bit at the last inclusion, and anyone else that come to love you with us. You wouldn't let anyone in whom you didn't feel that way about.
"Never," he promised. "I've said it before and I meant it. Those three words will only be for those it truly applies to. I swear."
Oh Dorian. We must hurry, I learned something from mother… The young Einherjar's mouth fell open only for the memories of Yggdrasil's whisper to reach his thoughts, even in the turmoil of the battle they found themselves in, he managed to smile.
"Iggy…she told you your real name!?" It had been so long since her name was chosen based on Rat's nickname for her mother due to not knowing her birth one, he almost forgot it wasn't hers. "That's wonderful!"
She did, but Iggy is the one I found so many friends with and that you first called me. If possible, I would like to still be called that. But, when it's just us alone, please call me my real name from now on. I grew so much stronger when I revealed my Independent Avatar being…imagine how much more I can get once my true name is called with my feelings revealed. Start the chant Dorian, shout my name! I know we can do it, to you…the man I love and always have, it will have that much more power from us.
"I…"
We, Iggy corrected him. We are the ones who watch over those we love,
"We are the children of Ash who fight against the Twilight,
We will craft the world we wish to know, and make it safe beneath our boughs,
"Reaching out these arms to save all that live…" He and Iggy took hands and stepped close together, spinning around in dance before he returned to real world with the final words.
BREAKDOWN THE BEAST: VAETTA'S WALTZ!
Surtr ceased his advance on Thrud, Sif standing battered but willing to continue, as he sensed the power behind him. The cocoon that had formed around Dorian was glowing, sending out pulses he could feel even so far away. It was enough to make him pause his wrath against Thor's family, analyzing the new threat.
"No Einherjar holds such power," he muttered as the chrysalis opened. "Who are you?"
Before him, Dorian stood tall, the armor making his form all the more imposing as the plates, spikes and surface itself twisted and pulsed as if alive. His horned helm had reformed yet left an opening for his eyes to gaze into the traitorous Jotun god's that seemed to hold a soft golden-hue swirling within his grey. While his Balance Breaker resembled more to armor, what he bore now made the Crossroad leader more akin to a great oak come to life with the power of the gods. What skin of his that could be seen could not be differentiated from the armor, making Surtr question if there was a difference at all anymore.
"Impressive," Vidar turned after having just driven Loki into the ground once more, holding the upper hand in their conflict. "I can sense so many different magics coming from such a young individual."
"It feels so light," Dorian remarked, recalling the immense burden the Breakdown had felt last he used its powers back in Kyoto. Now, it was no different than carrying his own body as he always had. Lids opened across the surface, each one containing an eye colored a different gem of powers he possessed. More than he could ever find abilities for opened one after another, there was no limit to the number he could access. Just as had occurred when facing the Hero Faction in his rage, wings grew from his back; angel, fallen, devil, even those belonging to harpies and various flying youkai he'd seen at their capital. No longer mismatched, they were aligned symmetrically, guiding Dorian as he rose into the air towards Surtr ready for battle.
"He…controlled it," Le Fay said flatly while still providing support from the air protected by Mordred. She'd heard of his Breakdown in Kyoto and was afraid of what may come, but instead of an all-consuming monster, an armored hero stood facing down the flames. "He's actually synchronized the magics he has learned, that should be impossible. With how different they are, how could they work together without contradicting one another?"
"YOU GO BOSS!" Ratatoskr shouted from the sidelines beside a recovering Baraqiel who looked very confused by the squirrel's cheers. "PISS OUT THOSE FIRES!"
"Who are you?" Surtr demanded again as he swung his flaming sword towards the Einherjar. Even his blood ran cold as the young man did not move, stopping the colossoal blade with a barrier from his outstretched hand with almost no discernable effort. Looking up, Dorian moved so fast he seemed to shimmer past the weapon, appearing up close to the giant's face.
"My name…" he hesitated as he thought, bringing up a fist to swing despite the distance from his foe. "…Is TYR!"
As his fist traveled through the air, the roots and other tendrils making up his newly reinforced armor coalesced, adding to it until it became many times larger than his own body. It all happened so fast, Surtr had no time to move as the now-gargantuan fist collided with his face. Magma flew forth from the point of impact like blood from a split lip, though Dorian suffered greatly as the limb burned away coming into contact with the fires of Musphelheim. He almost seemed to have expected it, discarding the appendage and taking flight higher.
"There is nothing left for us in this world, it shall BURN!" Surtr bellowed, releasing another onslaught of superheated air that had incapacitated Dorian and Thrud before. This time, the Einherjar was ready, creating a shield on either arm grown from his now bark-like flesh. He held firm as the fire and magma rained down around him evaporating even his own sweat.
"There is always something out there, I've been shown that many times!"
Dorian took off jetting around the giant who attempted to swat him to no avail. Each of the gems dotting the enhanced armor started to glow, firing beams of energy the color of each one. Tens of blasts of light struck Surtr, individually doing little but collectively enough to wound a god. Infused within each was the power of the realms it came from; the purifying energy of Heaven, the raw power of Hell, lightning of Olympus, ice of Helheim, even Sage Arts he had briefly used as a youkai though in an untempered form. Such a barrage of diverse powers was beyond the seals the fire god had set up, each crumbling one by one by the assault.
"It almost looks like…" Le Fay started, seeing a familiar site in the attack patterns and ferocity.
"…like when his Silver Rose went drunken ham on the Hero Faction in Kyoto," Ratatoskr could not help but agree. "What's the saying that an old married couple picks up a few bad habits from one another? He is whittling him down to size!"
True to his word, Surtr was clearly growing smaller slowly but surely as he diverted energy to keep his defenses and flames strong. Dorian's advantage seemed to be in the great size difference which caused difficulties for the giant when his wide-ranging attacks proved ineffective. Once he was more on par with the Einherjar's size, that advantage dwindled.
"WE DID NOTHING WRONG BEFORE THIS!" He delivered a flaming punch into Dorian's gut, an unexpected move as he purposefully dropped his sword as the unknown Einherjar had prepared to block only to reclaim it when the attack had succeeded, bringing it up to strike once more. "SHUNNED in our own realms, treated like we were criminals! How you never considered this outcome from that is sheer insanity!"
"What was done to your kind wasn't right, it wasn't...just," Dorian admitted while wiping blood from his jaw. "But all you succeeded in doing was proving them right. This isn't my home, but I won't let you sacrifice everything else for that hatred."
Dorian, don't let him delay, I don't know how long we can hold this. There is…so much power exploding within us, it's overwhelming. If it weren't for us using Midgardsormr's power as the base, you'd already have been aged into dust by now. We need to end this now.
Nodding internally, Dorian raised a hand causing more of his armor to shed from his body and coil up into the air, forming a great 2-handed sword that clashed with the burning brand intended to end the world of men and gods. It threatened to burst into flames, only to be protected as Dorian's own fires swirled around it along with a barrier mixed with his Bifrost Blade. Surprised, Surtr leapt back to adjust his stance accordingly. Doing the same, the Einherjar tightened his grip on the sword of the world tree prepared for the final clash. Surtr understood the action, what little honor he had left compelling him to do the same, facing this Einherjar as a worthy opponent. The two locked eyes in that moment.
"If I fall here, it truly ends for my people," he muttered under his breath. "We have gone too far to regret our actions, they all agreed with me from peasant to Lord. For once in history, the Musphelheim giants stand as one!"
The giant god's flames grew high, Dorian's dark fire blazing many colors of the Nine Realms, Heaven, Hell, Youkai, Olympus and every power he had ebbed from the gems into the blade that was part of them. The two charged one another, weapons colliding in the center with a titanic burst of energy. Powers that could rend the land under them asunder contested for supremacy, for a moment it was uncertain who would pull ahead.
"Well, he is a god after all," Loki sneered despite the injuries he was taking against Vidar. "No Einherjar can compete with that."
The instrument forged to end the world persisted, breaking the barriers protecting Dorian's sword one by one. It was no longer a contest of power, but only a matter of time before the strike reached its destination. The barrier of Heaven's light broke, the dark power of Hell, the lightning of Olympus until the rainbow light started to crack next.
"Even with your new power, you cannot defeat a God," Surtr grinned, realizing his brute strength would win in the end. "This world shall burn today."
"I am not a God, yet," Dorian looked up into his eyes, a confidence there despite his injuries and fatigue. "But I'm working my way there, and I am very…VERY close. I just need a bit of backup today." That is when the beleaguered Einherjar made his move.
The rainbow light, as it shattered with this sword, twisted and bent into tendrils made of the very energy of the Norse Realms. Snaking around the fire giant, they seized Surtr's limbs and neck, the traitorous deity struggling but despite great effort was halted from cutting off his opponent's head. He grunted and pulled; his fires useless against the combined might of the powers holding him. Slowly, he was dragged down into a kneeling position even as the forces subduing him starting to flicker.
"This won't hold me," he promised, already starting to gain small leeway. "As soon as this fails, you are dead. You have no skills that can defeat me that quickly."
"Give me time, I won't lag behind for long," Dorian had already started generating a new weapon but it was complex, reforming too slow and would not complete before he was freed. All the same, he pointed behind the kneeling god with a slight grin of confidence. "I don't, but they do."
The battle cry could have shattered the eardrums of normal humans as Thrud rose up high into the air, bloody and battered but still going with both her blades wreathed in all the lightning she could muster. In a flash, she brought them down upon the Fire Jotun's spine, piercing clean through him. Simultaneously, Sif ducked below, impaling him through the front out the back. The mother and daughter combination attack was devastating as lava and ancient flames of Musphelheim poured from the open wounds. Surtr could not move, staring the wife of Thor directly in the face. Dorian could not tell which of them showed the greater anger.
"It's done! The cold that can challenge Musphelheim's flame!" Dorian called upon ice from Helheim, forming it into a grand lance reinforced by the strength of Asgard, magic of Vanaheim and all the other realms worked into the weapon's core itself and not just coating it including other mythologies denoted with a crackle of foreign electricity. With a charge forward, he drove the point into Surtr's heart not stopping until he hit true resistance. The enchanted ice spread outward from the point, turning the ancient flames to rock crumbling by the second. As it evaporated, wisps of mist drifted upwards into the Lord of Musphelheim's nose. Unexpectedly, rather than inducing fear as it had back against Modi, the miasma of Helheim seemed to almost give him a new clarity, his resistance finally slowing.
"It's over Surtr," Sif growled, her daughter twisting the swords in his back each time he tried to resist. "You lose."
"It didn't matter in the end," he finally gave up, glancing over seeing his forces were all defeated or surrendering on the battlefield even with their allies. "Either my people would slowly disappear in a world that shuns them, or quickly die to the assured betrayal awaiting us at this other world. You merely chose the latter before they got a chance…I hope…the outcome suits you…"
"My first god kill," Thrud smiled as her opponent fell forward for the last time shattering the stone beneath them. "I think it…" Her assuredly exuberant boast was interrupted as she coughed up blood. Dorian rushed forward, catching her before she could hit the ground. Her armor was all but gone, arms charred black down to the fingernails, even her strawberry-blonde hair was scorched. "I would have LOVED to spar with you," she grinned before losing consciousness.
Dorian noted, now close up, how much harsher her features were on the older Thrud. He didn't want to think what could have been in this different future, only brushing her hair a bit to at least keep it clear of her face. He knew how much she hated that.
"Can you get her to safety?" He asked Sif, handing her daughter over into her waiting arms. The Norse Goddess readily took her, releasing a sigh that she was still breathing, albeit barely.
"Thank you, Einherjar, you may have saved her life. Who are you truly?"
"Tyr," he answered once more, deciding it best not to get into his full name with the battle still winding down around them. "Just a stranger passing through."
With how everyone looked at him, it was not far from the truth. He considered assisting Vidar, but it was more than apparent that the future rendition of Loki was no match for him, instead he turned to the battlefield seeking the others. He saw Le Fay fighting alongside one of Issei's children, and Ratatoskr was still moving wounded all the while clocking a few Fire Giants when he got the chance or sitting on them. Moving through the crowd, he spotted a silver gleam flying towards the pile of corpses within the now-destroyed Isolation Barrier. She had been delayed by the battle, but now had a clear path, Dorian rushing towards Rossweisse as fast as he could with his newfound power. None remaining to the armies of Loki could hope to stop him now, even a metal Fenrir that barred his path was swiftly dismantled with a single strike.
"Rossweisse!" He called out, shooting across the field towards her, the look of anguish on her face sending daggers through his heart. "Surtr has been defeated, Loki can't…"
"Issei, please get up…Issei…please," she was sobbing upon reaching the mountain surrounded by bodies. She looked over the armor, any sign of life long-since gone. Had Dorian not been aware, he would have thought it was just an empty suit. It took all his focus to not dwell on what had likely happened nor the identity of the tattered cloths and skeletal remains of those nearest him. "You always won before." She didn't even pay attention to the small dark-haired girl rocking back and forth next to it. "You always won, didn't Rias say we couldn't lose so long as you were there?"
"Ophis?" Dorian landed before the ouroboros dragon who now was so weak he was amazed she was still alive. "What happened here?!"
"He's gone…he's gone," was all she would repeat with an absolutely shell-shocked expression as she clung to the red armor. "All of them, Lilith...I can't hear his Oppai Dragon song anymore, The Heavenly Breasts were…NO!" She shirked away from Dorian, refusing him to get near her. Despite being a sliver of who had once been the number on strongest being in the world, her energy sparked willing to defend herself. There was nothing he could do for her.
"Rossweisse, Rossweisse…ROSE!" Dorian shouted, turning to face her, even the last remark barely succeeding in drawing her focus to him. She looked so defeated; he'd never seen her that way even when half-dead from Heracles' attack. He instinctively tried to console her despite the clear evidence around them. "Come back with me, after the battle is over, we can look for…"
The ground shook as Dorian tried to stop her tears, the tremors vibrating with such force the pair had to lift into the air to avoid them. Rossweisse seized the green gem off the armor's left hand, the rest crumbling at her touch, but she had no time to dwell on it. The land started fracturing beneath them, breaking open into large chasms almost swallowing portions of the army. Those still left standing after Loki's foreign forces were defeated looked on as the mountain that the bodies surrounded started to move…and rise.
"It's too late," Loki spat blood from beneath Vidar's boot, his balance breaker all but shattered and the fight clearly beaten out of him. "It may have needed a moment to rest after battling the fallen gods and Red Dragon brat, but now…there is no hope left for any of you. My allies and I have succeeded in what we sought this day. The beast stirs, and awakens!"
The shape mistaken for a rockface went higher and higher dwarfing any Dorian had ever seen including Great Red and Midgardsormr. Its previously darkened surface thought to be stone started shifting colors reflecting fur, scales, skin and more from a dozen different species just from a glance. The Einherjar's mouth dropped open, Iggy joining him in his mind as a primordial terror seized them both, traits that were quite familiar to the two taking shape.
"S-seven heads, seven tails…"
…and ten horns. Dorian, it's just like my memories! And your shield!
There was no doubt any longer, they had failed. The Trihexa was rising.
Dorian and those who traveled to the future face the beginning that led to the start of their adventure. The battles in an alien future conclude next time. Until then, I hope everyone stays safe, Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D