Guest 1: You were reading it within 5 minutes of me posting? Dang, that is impressive!
solacefall: It's the Old Norse word for Hope ;)
Guest 2: Oh wow, Happy Birthday!
Okaze: Thank you so much for the kind words! I knew this was one of those moments that had to be portrayed as perfect as possible. It means a lot you liked the reveal so much! Timing seems to be unnaturally kind when writing this story XD I originally thought this arc would end in 99, but then the pacing just seemed to naturally segue right into 100.
Divine Blizzard: The perfect way to put it. Dorian unlocks a form that makes him one of the strongest young fighters of his era...only to then immediately be faced with a literal god killer. And I totally get that, after a while I stopped reading the LNs as well for similar reasons. I just had no desire to read firsthand what happens next which was always from Issei's POV. I hope you like the conclusion here ;)
YMCM: Thank you very much! :D I listened to the song you suggested, dang that would fit super well there. Absolute Doom and dread all in one package, just like the Trihexa.
Lorenzo Macchiavelli: All good terms for the current situation lol. Well, they do say people are more honest when under a stressful situation. Perhaps one day Dorian can accept a confession without being hip deep in trouble XD Hope you enjoy the big 100! :)
RageSage: Thank you! Hope the wait wasn't too long :D
TheLycan2026: That is so great to hear the scene made you feel that way, was definitely hoping for something similar with how that scene plays out. If only there was a way to see it like an anime XD Sorry again for the cliffhangers lol, I am terrible that way but the pacing always seems to work out that way.
xhope14x: I know what you mean, the creature is so late in DxD canon that only the most die-hard LN readers or those who look ahead have even heard of it. This one will be much more terrifying than canon considering what it's already done...
avenger3576: It certainly looks that way. He barely managed to best Surtr and the Trihexa is WAY out of his league considering not even EX-Era Issei could stop it. To answer your second review question, the intent is that this is the future of canon, however it's all one timeline as when Iggy was sent back it caused the previous events to change via the Butterfly effect.
Guest 3: Well, he couldn't currently as he doesn't have it. I set up when he came to the future that he can't access his gear as he left that in a section of the present-day Roads. That's why he was confused when he tried reaching for Twilight Star and found nothing. As for Kassaegtha, I am not sure I would call it love, but considering she's been looking for something new/interesting for thousands of years and now here is a leftover survivor of a dead timeline which has never happened before in DxD history...it has certainly piqued her interest hence the stalking lol. If she ever did look at him that way, he'd need to run VERY fast XD
Talking Pumpkin: Yea, the timeline worked out well before the end for some, but not the ones we know who were left out of canon. Considering the Trihexa is now up and about, they need to get out of dodge.
xXwolfsterXx644: Hahaha, been holding onto that one for a while. He may not have done it in the present time, but yep future Ratatoskr is indeed the one who donated the magic needed for Yggdrasil to initiate her pregnancy. Iggy knows, but he doesn't...how confused will he be the first time she calls him papa XD
Guest 4: RUN DORIAN...RUUUN! XD Precisely, Loki will be in his own trouble soon, don't worry about that. As for Surtr...Dorian will have to consider what to do considering present day hasn't turned out that way yet. Isn't time travel fun? Lol.
fanficcyberman: I couldn't agree more, it's part of why I loved its concept in the series. An almost literal embodiment of the apocalypse that even everyone working together can't take head on. Even so, as you said, there has to be some balance for a reason to smile during it to keep the tone from going too sour, I hope you enjoy the arc's conclusion! As always I have been doing well and pray the same for you my friend :D
reality deviant: There is in real world Norse myth, but in DxD the name Tyr has never been brought up even when Odin's sons and the Norse pantheon were named. As far as we know, Tyr just doesn't exist in the DxD universe which was the inspiration for this concept. Dorian is meant to be working towards becoming DxD's Tyr, hence the similarities in his adventures to what little we know of Tyr in the Poetic Edda.
Reader: You hit the nail on the head, definitely not Issei's fault, heck in the EX/Canon future verse he's one of the few holding things together considering how busy he is. If anything, as you said, it was everyone putting so much on his shoulders (He got a lot of power ups and weapon gifts given just to him XD) so that if something stronger than him came along...the world was basically doomed. Part of the theme I am going for with Roots is that, yes Dorian will be powerful and bring together many, but the others will grow past their limits so that all will need to work together to have a hope (pun intended) of victory. Sort of the individual parts strengthening the whole.
klexxsnyg: I am sorry you feel that way but respect your opinion. In his defense, Dorian is not the fragment of Yggdrasil, Iggy is. Dorian was human then reborn as an Einherjar when he died. Not sure what you mean by no decent magic considering the repertoire he's gotten since the start that's gotten better than Rossweisse's who is considered an unparalleled genius in DxD.
Dragonx411: Yea, things are looking pretty bad. EX Issei was WAY past Dorian's current strength, so if he lost along with a small army of powerful women...they are in trouble. I am so glad you liked it and will try to keep my time paradoxes to a minimum XD
7: Exactly, it's one thing to dream of or see visions...something else entirely to actually feel and see it. And thank you, I don't know what to say...liking a fanfic over the original is one of the greatest compliments you can give to a fanfiction :) . As for what to do against it in the present, I won't give spoilers, but a theme I am going for is that not all battles are won via pure brute force. As you said, they'll have to fight smart and clever to stand a chance. I most certainly will! :D
Guest 5: Abelard? I am not sure when I'll get a chance to directly write about him. I would love to, but with DxD, it's difficult to write other stories without sacrificing update times. That is why I started having stories of my ideas told via art for the meanwhile :)
And with that…ONTO THE SHOW AND Chapter 100 Milestone!
It was Hell, worse than Hell in every conceivable meaning of the word. Whatever the landscape had previously been was wiped away clean leaving only fires and ash behind, the Trihexa did its job well. Dorian had barely a moment to grab Rossweisse and propel them away at maximum speed before the dreaded Beast of the Apocalypse unleashed a roar that pierced through to the very soul.
The gods leapt into battle against it first, Indra and Shiva leading the charge with a savage barrage that shook the world. Great portions of the Trihexa were disintegrated or burned to almost nothing from the sheer power of their attacks that continued until a pause was needed if only to catch a breath. It was the first time Indra ever showed true fear as the combined assault was made useless, every wound incurred by the monster instantly closing with no loss of ferocity or energy. Once the seven heads had regenerated, they focused solely on the pair, great flames engulfing them utterly. None saw what happened within, however once the inferno ceased there was naught left save a few scraps of clothing. The two mortal enemies perished together side by side.
The sheer ease of their deaths shocked the last courage from the troops around, sending their lines into a panic. The creature was not alone, as great bulbs fell from its back like rain to the ground killing all they touched. Upon settling, the mucus-like substance coalesced and grew into twisted renditions of dragons with skin resembling balance breakers. They were strong, taking many normal soldiers to bring down even one. The allied army did not have enough strength left to face them head on, the battle lines quickly being pushed back.
"I…I don't understand," Ex Gremory gasped once he had withdrawn from the worst of the fighting. His face was burned, bloody and his legendary sword reduced to slag metal. "This beast was supposedly on par with Ophis and Great Red, our father surpassed them years ago. How is this happening?!"
Dorian stood with them; a grouping of the last powerful fighters left on the field as the beast scorched all that would not flee before it. Gabriel stood with a sorrowful expression at everyone lost that day already, two of her wings scorched and unusable. Vidar remained as well, Loki unconscious from their bout not far. All of the Hindu mythology's leaders were still in battle or slain, Ajuka refusing to cease fighting as well since seeing the remains of his friend and fellow Satans. The Einherjar gripped his side, shaken as even his newly controlled Breakdown armor had been worth less than paper, its roar from so close being enough to nearly shatter half the bones in his body.
"I-it slew all those within the barrier," the older Rossweisse tried to make sense of the horror around them as her hands shook. "It is possible that their power was somehow added to its own or even multiplied through some other means. With the sheer number of gods who have been battling inside for years…" She couldn't finish her sentence before breaking down in tears again, her daughter Helmwige consoling her.
"We saw Ophis at the site of the bodies," Dorian took over for her. "But she refused to leave, it was as if she had nothing left."
"Infinity reduced to the bare minimum," Gabriel's ominous words sent a renewed wave of terror through the collected group. "Unable to die, but not enough left to be considered truly alive."
They've been like this ever since they heard about Issei. Dorian realized, the hopelessness so thick hanging in the air. He was their beacon against this thing, and now he's dead. Just how did he become such an idol to so many? Without him, they don't see any way out of it. And to be honest, neither do I.
"None have the power to stand against it, our current measures will be insufficient." Baraqiel limped back to his feet groaning in pain. All emotion had drained from his face at the assured fate of his daughter and son-in law, yet he persevered, the grief held back just barely by a thread though his expression made it seem he was dead already. "This entire area will be overrun soon and it will move on, just as it did during the Dragon Wars."
"Then we buy some time," Dorian heard himself speak, drawing the attention of the surviving leaders. "Some of us remain to keep it here while the bulk of the army retreats, gets any non-combatants out of harm's way…and try to think of something to slow it down later."
"That is a suicide mission," Vidar pointed out. "Not just the creature itself, but it is spawning armies of fake dragon warriors as it did years ago. They were only Scale Mails before; these new ones are nearly on par with the Red Dragon Emperor's Crimson Cardinal Form when he was younger. None who fight that will make it out."
"Maybe not, but I have to go back," Dorian looked around, noticing several missing faces. "Le Fay…my Le Fay and Ratatoskr are still out there; I can sense she's still alive. I HAVE to find them."
Dorian..., he felt Iggy tug on his arm within the mental landscape of his mind. She didn't want to go back out there even with the new power they'd obtained but knew they had to. He held her close, trying to impart as much calm as he could to help her deal with what they would face.
"I will stay to delay them," Vidar turned to his commander. "Hersir Erland, take our people back and…"
"With all due respect, Lord Vidar," Dorian interrupted, the thought of seeing anymore he knew from his time die before him too much to bear. "But you are the Chief Deity now, are you not? You should go with your people; they will need you. Like you said, this is a one-way mission."
"I will not run from a battle," for a moment it looked like he wanted to strike Dorian, such was the fire in his eyes and a guilt behind them at the loss of his father and brothers.
"It's not running away, it's being there for the inevitable second battle," Dorian quickly rationalized. "You will be needed then more than now." He had no idea just how prophetic those words were.
"…Damn Surtr, Damn them all!" He spun to Loki with an outstretched finger. "He shall remain here; I want him to be the first to burn in the fires of his own betrayal. Whoever you are, Einherjar from the past…may the grace of our people help you fight well."
"I will remain as well," Rossweisse whispered so low she was barely heard, dropping the green gem from Issei's armor onto the table. "I will fight to avenge my love, all those who shared him…ALL OF THEM!"
"Rossw…" Dorian could not stop her as the older Valkyrie took off towards the battlelines, her seals firing wildly in all direction. She hadn't stopped crying.
"Mother!" Helmwige went after her, picking up the gem of her father almost on instinct. The Einherjar flew alongside her though her mother was faster than both in that moment. They pursued all the same, desperate to stop her from running headlong to her own death.
"Begin withdrawal now," Vidar took command as the three disappeared into the fiery distance. "We will reinforce the Nine Realms from attack, and to those who remain to cover the retreat…their names shall never be forgotten so long as Yggdrasil stands!"
Not Far…
"She'll be killed!" Dorian called out as he and Helmwige raced after Rossweisse now lost amid the chaos below. "Can't you speak to her from afar?"
"She's not answering! Damnit, I can't believe dad is…and all the others…" She wiped her tears letting them fall to the ground below while cradling the green gem in her hands. "He shouldn't have gone in; we should have waited longer. I barely even got to… How did that thing get so strong, HOW!?"
"Barely got to know him?" Dorian filled in the blanks as he blasted a nearby monstrosity from the Trihexa. Helmwige returned the favor, flattening another with an immensely powerful rune.
"He always made sure we were provided for," she smiled through memories of better times. "We didn't even meet him for years he was so busy; Uncle Yuuto and Vali were there though. But still, dad loved us. Those times he was there…they were the happiest moments. When the entire family was together even with how rare that was. I wouldn't be where I was if he didn't support me as often as he could. He did that for all of us."
"It sounds like he really did," Dorian grunted as the number of enemies nearing them got thicker. The roar of the Trihexa had done a number on his armor and he was exhausted from fighting, but all the same he kept pushing through, adrenaline fueling his resolve.
Issei had such a big family here, kids and many wives and most important they cherished him so much…and now he's gone. Damnit, I didn't even get a chance to talk to him, this thing, it destroys everything. It's the nightmares without a doubt. This, this is where Iggy came from.
"For that thing to take that away…!" Helmwige's eyes started to glow, her composure crumbling as her mother's did. Dorian reached out hoping to calm her.
"Please, we have to think of something, if not we're going to…" He didn't get a chance to finish as she got just out of reach, his hand lightly tapping the green gem, all that remained of her father recovered from his body.
A flash overtook him, the Einherjar suddenly finding himself in a large white room. It was barren of any features, reminding him of Iggy's internal world before she started filling it, even resembling the realm of the Dragon Emperor's past lives Issei had described seeing. He thought he was all alone, until he heard the voice.
"And who are you?" Dorian spun, suddenly face to face with an older man. Sterner features, longer brown hair, a hint of a beard and more intensity behind his eyes, but there was no doubt who he was talking to. "I don't believe we've met, funny seeing someone new in this place. Even my wife and daughter couldn't enter here, feels almost like there is a bit of me in you? That's something I never thought I'd say to another guy."
A bit of him in me, could that be from when I held his potential in Kyoto?
"I-I'm Dorian. Issei?" The blonde man swallowed, noting the many silhouettes surrounding them. They were faded, ghost-like with barely a cohesive shape but there were so many. They were those of his many wives, some Dorian recognized, some not, but all gravitated to the Red Dragon Emperor. "You're alive!?"
"Well, no," he answered with an awkward weak chuckle followed by a somber frown. "Afraid things didn't quite work out as I planned. Damn it was a tough fight, but I wasn't strong enough. From the look of it, neither are you by a long shot."
It was true, even in this mental landscape, Dorian could sense the immeasurable power emanating from Issei greater than any he'd ever felt except the Trihexa itself. The realization that he had fought it with all those who now lingered beside him and still lost left Dorian feeling shaken. If such a power couldn't contend with the Trihexa directly, what could?
"Come on, don't give me that terrified expression," the future Issei asked, Dorian's feelings being worn plainly for all to see. "If you look like that, it'll make me think there really is no hope."
"But the beast killed you," Despoina and Iggy appeared beside them, clearly able to follow Dorian's subconscious. "Gods are falling left and right out there. If you were the best this future had, what hope is there?"
"Hey, I died once and that didn't stop us," he remarked with only a hint of embarrassment. "Though I doubt Ophis can pull through a second time, she had it just as bad as the rest of us. I feel like a heel leaving her behind, being an immortal unkillable dragon has its downsides more than I imagined."
"I'm not from your time, but the past," Dorian tried to explain only for the Red Dragon Emperor to hold up a hand asking him to stop.
"You've been in here long enough; I got the gist of it from your memories. Sorry, but considering I seem to be fading fast I figured you wouldn't mind, I'll take any secrets I saw to the grave…sooner rather than later in this case. The idea we can have a second chance is all the info I need, like loading up a save file from a video game before you went against the final boss unprepared. Have to clear out some side quests first."
"Not all enemies are beaten with just force," Dorian announced, looking to Despoina trying to calm the furrowed brow clearly thinking what can be done. "You stopped it years ago, right? I'll think of something! I won't let that thing kill Rose…"
"Mine, or yours?" Issei asked, causing Dorian to pause. Based on the look on his face, he had seen what Rossweisse meant to him. "We kicked this problem down the way, and I think that was our first mistake leaving it so long. That thing was never so strong, but all the gods who fought it were dead by the time I entered. It shot down Ryuuteimaru in one hit, and things only got worse from there. Either it absorbed the power of the other gods…or it had help. And for the help to have done this to it, I can only think of a few that are capable of that."
"You could come back with us when we find a way!" Despoina jumped in. "Like me, there is some of your soul left in this gem, perhaps we can stabilize it and you can tell us how to beat it!"
"Even if that were possible, I wouldn't do it," Issei looked back to the silhouettes fading one after another reaching out towards him seeking a loving embrace. "Wherever they are going, I won't let them be alone. I am the Harem King Dragon Satan, where they go, I'll follow. Speaking of which, my time is about done," he held a closed fist out to Dorian. "Don't you dare give up."
"I won't," Dorian reached his own out, the two bumping together with intensity and holding it still connected knuckle to knuckle. "But I don't know where to start."
"Listen to Rose," he grinned back, his younger self shining through the years of burden on his face. "She knows more about it than anyone else in the world even when she was younger. Do that, and you have a chance. I have to admit, I would have been ecstatic if the Sacred Gear in my head looked like yours. Sorry Ddraig, but it's true. Then there's your friend over there…"
Despoina covered up with her hands despite being fully clothed, able to sense the perverted dragon's eyes gliding up and down her body. With a gasp of shock, she raised her hand, slapping him across his face. An entire portion of his head disappeared into mist, yet Issei showed no pain or discomfort, only looking back with a smile of resolved contentment.
"Sorry, force of habit. Won't happen again, I promise. By the way, about the gem…" Before the last syllables could be uttered, Dorian noticed the white void they found themselves in had collapsed to barely a few feet beyond where they were standing. With a final pop, the realm within the Sacred Gear and Issei's consciousness finally ceased to exist.
Dorian gasped loudly, realizing he was back on the battlefield in the same position he had been in. Scrambling left and right he felt around for the green gem, coming up empty as it seemed to have disappeared. His hesitation at his new surroundings had given Helmwige the time she needed to get out of reach. There was no catching her now.
Damnit, she got away. We're going to be picked apart one by one. Wait a minute, he felt a new tingling sensation on his cheek, clearly the same sensation as when making his pact with Le Fay. Frantically, he glanced left and right. She's in trouble! I didn't see her retreating, that means she is somewhere within this absolute shit going on down there.
Amid the Battle…
Le Fay released a concussive blast of magic at the nearest false Crimson Cardinal. Her attack barely even scuffed the surface of its armor. She'd seen the fight between Sairaorg and Issei, knowing full well of his new Form. Back then, the monumentally powerful Bael had barely been able to defeat it, her magic was woefully inadequate. Soldiers from every myth were falling left and right, their individual powers far beneath the twisted copies of the Red Dragon Emperor. Even for those that were able to match their strength, the servants of the Trihexa appeared endless, more spawning every second until they were hopelessly outnumbered.
"Get back!" Mordred called out, slashing with his sword and decapitating the creature. Were it not for the son of her future self and Issei, Le Fay was certain she would have been killed long ago. To help, she was imprinting healing and warding spells upon him but they were fading fast and she was growing more and more exhausted by the second.
"We have to find a way out!" She called to the young man. "There's no winning here!" Mordred was not listening, clearly consumed with rage at seeing the fallen body of his father, that of his mother a foregone conclusion clear to all. He was immensely strong for his age, cleaving through the fake dragons one after another so long as he could reach melee range. All the same, the numbers were against him and growing worse.
The young mage was caught in an attack by one of the dragons, clearly a lesser version of Issei's Longinus Smasher. She got a barrier up in time but it started crumbling almost immediately. Her scream pierced the air, snapping the Dragon-Warrior from his blind rage. With a downward swing, he bisected the opponent producing the attack…despite the consequences of such an act.
"Mordred!" Le Fay cried as two other dragons were upon him while his focus was on her. A red claw ripped through his torso, the resulting tide blending in with its crimson color. The knight spit up blood, gripping the hand still within him, he severed it from its source in a single slash. Despite his injuries, the attacking false Crimson Cardinals were cut down before he collapsed from into Le Fay's arms. "Why, why did you do that!? I'm not your mother…"
"No, you're not," he coughed again with an out of place smile. "It was like instinct I suppose. It…felt like you were her…even for a seco…"
Me…the future me, is likely dead in that pile. This is awful, I don't want to be here, I don't want to see this!
Le Fay was so distraught, she barely noticed Ratatoskr leap onto her shoulder tapping the side of her head harshly to get her attention. He was smaller than usual, having used more of his energy in the last few minutes than in many weeks. With a well-placed shot he clocked the first incoming dragon warrior, but had no reserves for another. They simply had nothing left.
"Snap out of it!" He shook Le Fay who was still cradling Mordred. "He's gone! You're about to be too if you don't…"
A series of explosions surrounded the two, cutting off the fake Juggernaut Drives and creating seals of defense in a dome-like shape about them. Slamming into the ground, Dorian dropped beside them, able to locate her thanks to the pact between them.
"Bifrost Barrage!" An entire line of enemies disappeared. Using the power required to incapacitate the dragons left him exhausted but Dorian did his best to hide it. "Rat, Le Fay!" He knelt to check on them. "Are you okay?" He froze as he saw Mordred's body, biting his lip in restrained frustration once more. "Le Fay…?"
"I-I'm not hurt bad," she sniffled but he could tell from the look on her face that she was far from okay despite her relatively minor injuries. "How did things go so wrong so fast? Is this that future you talked about?" He nodded solemnly.
"I-It's starting to look that way," his hands were shaking, there was no stopping them seeing the familiar charred landscape of his nightmares. "Have either of you seen Rossweisse? I lost her in the battle."
That's right, this version of her doesn't have a piece. He can't sense her like he could for me.
"Milf hottie and daughter at ten o'clock," Ratatoskr sniffed them out even through the burning air, drawing their gaze to a pair of silver specks flying above. Sure enough, it was Rossweisse and Helmwige fighting tooth and nail against the endless horde. It was clear her daughter was trying to talk her down, but the grieving Valkyrie was having none of it. Dorian unfurled his mixed wings and prepared to take flight.
"I'll get to her, you two…"
A renewed roar from the Trihexa drowned out all noise, forcing everyone to cover their ears. To their horror, the behemoth of a creature turned from scouring the land of all life and looked directly at them. He couldn't have been sure, but the Einherjar was almost certain every eye it had was focused solely on him.
"It knows you don't belong here," Kassaegtha explained, having formed out of nowhere beside him completely unaffected by the carnage around her. It could not touch her as if she was not truly even part of the world itself. "One aberration to another. We are coming up to the end."
All seven of the beast's maws opened, spewing forth a black miasmic cloud that spread, hitting the Earth and scattering in every direction like a pyroclastic flow. Its effects were seen instantly as every living thing caught in its wake be they devil, angel, fallen, Valkyrie, even its own troops immediately started coughing and collapsing to their knees. Terror spread through the troops as they witnessed some of the strongest they knew suddenly begin to decay before their very eyes until only tattered remains of their armor was left behind. Many got barriers and shields up, but they lasted only a few scant seconds before being consumed. Several of Issei's children were among them, not even their power sufficient to outlast the breath that consumed all. He caught the last stand of Ex Gremory, using a devil circle to forcibly teleport as many of his siblings away before his barrier collapsed. The Einherjar looked away biting his lip so hard it bled. At last, Dorian witnessed Rossweisse and her daughter land quickly not too far from them, erecting defenses together desperately reinforcing its power.
"LE FAY!" He shouted, the young mage catching his meaning and using all the skill and spells in her repertoire to strengthen his own seals of protection. They were none too soon as the black wave of death impacted them shattering the first layer instantly and pressing against the next. Le Fay was nearly knocked unconscious from the force of maintaining it, even Dorian's nose began to bleed. "BIFROST BARRAGE!" He fired the greater part of his remaining energy, the rainbow beam cutting through the miasma and impacting the Trihexa in the distance. To his utter dismay, the miasma immediately reformed and what injury the beast took healed so quickly he was uncertain he'd hurt it at all.
There really is no beating it with just strength...
"You've had your fun!" Ratatoskr rounded on Kassaegtha. "YOU can get them back to the past, right? Send them back this instant!"
"Why?" The Old God tilted her head at the extraplanar squirrel. "This is not my concern in the slightest, whatever happens here won't affect me. That being can't even interact with me unless I wish it."
"Rose!" Dorian called out, amplifying his voice with magic while Rat continued to go back and forth with Kassaegtha. "Can you get out?!"
"W-we can't," she admitted, the groans of mother and daughter audible over the fog of death permeating all around them. "Teleportation is not working; it has cut us off…how did this all go so wrong?"
"I-I'll try to make it to you! Just hold…"
"No, you must escape if you can. I will ask you for the last time…are you truly from the past?" Dorian hesitated, his mind racing at any possibility they had to reach her, all options coming up empty against a being that had slain so many gods that day. He dared not even open the roads lest even a wisp of the dark clouds made it inside. All he could do at last was nod.
"I am, you are 19 years old and just started working at Kuoh. We…we are together, ever since you saved my life and made me an Einherjar. This…none of this has happened!"
"I am glad for that," the softness at how reserved she was for the end was beyond driving Dorian to madness with frustration. "Then please, go back and stop this from ever happening. It all started in Romania with Qlipphoth, my essay can…"
A blaring screech cut her off, even their magically-aided communications now disrupted by the power of the Trihexa that seemed tailored to destroy everything it came into contact with. The miasma redoubled its efforts, breaking the second layer of defense. Even with Ratatoskr giving the last residual energy he had, it would not hold much longer. Le Fay was exhausted, collapsing to her knees unable to even stand. Dorian's Breakdown armor was chipping and falling away, everything he had being used to maintain the shield, and it was not enough. He turned to Kassaegtha who only watched without a care. There was no help to be found there.
"Why would I lift a finger for the inevitable?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
"I'm sorry Rat, Le Fay, Vaetta," he whispered as the last shield collapsed blasting him to the floor, the smoke rushing in to meet them. It smelled foul, nearly causing him to wretch on the spot, he thought it may have been a kindness he saw that Le Fay had already passed out, Ratatoskr watching over her but faring little better.
Dorian, Iggy whispered in his mind, even she feeling the effects of the miasma. I'll always…
It all happened so fast, as Dorian inhaled a single breath of the fog-like death, a shining golden-white bubble expanded from nowhere pushing it back once more. A shape stepped forward holding aloft a blade, clearly the source of the magic. With a single grunt, the sword was plunged into the ground, seemingly enhancing the effects. They found themselves safe within the barrier, almost as if within the eye of the storm itself. Darkness swirled around them yet could not enter, the air clear and purified once more.
"Ah, there's the inevitable now." Kassaegtha faded away with a whisper. "They were looking for a chance to come in, just took a little weakening of the timestream barrier to give them a window. Give my regards to the past me."
"Dorian Held, Tyr Odinson," the newcomer started. "This is not your time; you are not meant to share this world's fate. You and your friends must survive."
The shape was a young man who couldn't have been more than a few years older than Dorian. Despite his youth, he had long silvery-white hair with a single braid that looked like a victory one per Norse tradition. His armor was clearly of the Nine Realms, but with adornments and details that were almost reminiscent of devil or angel design mixed with the Norse and even an etching of an ankh. The weapon he had used to erect the barrier was ornate, yet somehow familiar.
It almost looks like Twilight Star, but the details are a little off…
"Who are you!?" Dorian demanded, his head swimming from the exertion of holding back the miasma suddenly alleviating. The stranger would not answer, but beckoned behind them. On cue, a shimmering azure portal opened that was recognized all too well.
"You can open the Roads too?" He couldn't stop the gasp of relief seeing that Ratatoskr and Le Fay were equally protected within the shield.
"Get inside," the stranger commanded, sweat starting to pool on his brow. Despite his strength, holding back such an attack was clearly taxing even for him. Ratatoskr looked to Dorian for guidance who only nodded. They had no choice but to trust him. With the last of his strength, the squirrel dragged Le Fay inside and away from danger but the young second-year student remained.
"Rossweisse and Helmwige can come too," Dorian took a step forward. "She and her daughter aren't far over there. We can…"
"No," the stranger seized his wrist in a vice-like grip. "They cannot join you; this is their time…not yours!" Dorian just looked back with a look of disgust. He couldn't place it, but the man almost looked like someone he'd met before, though knew that couldn't be the case, such was the overwhelming sense of familiarity he felt.
"I am NOT leaving her!" He took another step, the grip on his wrist tightening to painful levels.
"Please hurry, a feminine voice called out from the Road's portal behind. She sounded strained and out of breath as if even speaking took great effort. "I cannot hold the gate open much longer…it is very strong."
"My my," the sickening words of Loki revealed his presence as he entered the field having his own protection from the death outside. "A means to the Roads Between Realms? Don't mind if I do." Without a chance to stop him, the evil god dove within, disappearing from sight."
"Damnit!" The silver-haired man cursed the sudden hijacking of the portal but had no chance to react. He tightened his grip on Dorian, the Einherjar not possessing the strength left to pull free.
"Let me go!"
"You move, and we ALL die here! Even if we could get her out, this is THEIR world. Time itself could collapse behind us if they are removed from it by us. To save them, you doom everyone else! She is NOT your Rose!"
She is not my Rose, those words burned in his mind though he knew them to be true. She trusted him upon seeing the Roads, but it was nothing more beyond that. She's been married to Issei for years, never even met me. But…but I can't just leave them to THAT. The Trihexa loomed in the distance, the shield he carved months ago far more accurate to its appearance than he ever realized from the memories. If they stayed, they would surely die.
My Rose, or yours? The words of the older Issei repeated in his head, his decision made in that moment.
The stranger saw the resolve in Dorian's eyes. He knew full well it wasn't his Rossweisse, but he didn't care, that was the kind of man he was. He would go to Hel and back to try and save her regardless of the threat to himself and his lack of knowledge of time travel prevented him from grasping the greater dangers of such a decision. The young Einherjar balled up his fist prepared to do what he had to, but didn't get the chance to swing.
"Fyrirgef mik vadir," Dorian had been so focused on the battle he didn't notice a woman exit from the portal, her voice was not the one he had heard before nor did he recognize the language.
She had dazzling long red hair with a curly streak of gold along the side. Like the first man, she was arrayed in Asgardian armor though hers left the arms bare for ease of movement. A silver circlet with jagged branch-like horns adorned her head. His observations of her appearance were cut off abruptly as she seized him around the waist and, with a single oddly familiar move of monumental strength, suplexed him into the ground at an awkward angle slamming his head down hard. His body went limp, leaving the Einherjar motionless on the ground.
"You didn't have to do that Freydis," the stranger sighed in defeat having tried to avoid that outcome. "Damn, they'd said he was stubborn back then, but still!"
"I was as gentle as a fly," she assured, lifting his body up over a shoulder with the greatest of ease. "The end starts here; we should leave before being caught up in it. Helmwige cannot hold on much longer."
"At least he didn't have to see this," the man known as Tyrian sighed, looking out over the battlefield. All resistance to the Trihexa had been swept away, the land in the process of being reduced to nothing, the only sign of life being Rossweisse and her daughter holding their barriers in vain unable to do anything else. "Let's go, Helmwige will be glad she can close the portal."
But unbeknownst to the two, Dorian's remaining Breakdown power had protected him from the worst of Freydis' blow. While unable to move, he was still fading in and out of consciousness. From the point of view over her shoulder as they turned to depart, he had a clear sight he never wanted and had no way of blocking out. The last image he saw before disappearing into the Road Between realms was the horrific image of Rossweisse and Helmwige's shield failing, the black fog engulfing mother and daughter as they clung to each other in one final embrace of life. Seeing that burned into his mind, Dorian finally at last lost consciousness himself.
Across the Blasted Battlefield…
It did not take long for those few stragglers to flee or fall, the Trihexa utterly victorious over the united armies with little effort and no lasting injuries. Bodies were strewn across what remained of the land, a testament to the futility of their conflict against the Beast of the Apocalypse released more powerful than ever before. The monstrosity continued its rampage unhindered, yet another walked the field ignored by the destruction that seemed to part for him. A young boy made of light with many crowns upon his head and six wings on his back approached a particular fallen warrior, Moloch who despite his youth had led the devil counterattack so valiantly to the bitter end.
"Mmmmm," A noise almost like an impressed groan escaped the boy's lips seeing something in the dead warrior that may have piqued his interest. His two eyes glowed bright with three unnatural new ones shining above. Kneeling before Moloch's broken body, a pale hand was laid upon his chest, the light of his body transferring to it disappearing within. As its task was completed, the shape shimmered out of existence.
Moloch gasped loudly as life filled him again, hacking incessantly while sitting up to gaze upon the field with different eyes than he had used in life. Blue orbs now swirled within where red had been before, a sneering smile stretching across his lips as he reached for his fallen hat that had somehow survived the conflagration, laying it haphazardly on his head.
"So those few escaped, but how?" He mused while standing to his feet, the man he had once been now dead and gone to be replaced by something new wearing him like an old suit. "Some form of travel across the winds of time, not so impossible it seems. I wonder, will we be able to find how this was performed if we rip the world apart? Only one way to find out, I may not even need set foot here. A pity, this world had such promise."
Moloch secured his tattered trench coat, whistling an eerie melody as he walked forward. On all sides of him, the false Crimson Cardinals marched towards a singular purpose…the incineration of all things across the surface of the planet and beyond.
Road Between Realms…
So, these are the legendary Roads, the Loki of the future observed as he moved among the boughs using every stealth technique he had accumulated over the years. Rupturing this place would surely cause untold destruction in the real world, not that it matters anymore now that the Red Dragon Emperor is dead and the Trihexa will level everything in due time. If those strangers from the past came from here, perhaps the secret to this time travel can be found in this place as well. If there are more of these what-ifs, then just imagine how many Ragnaröks can be set off with access to them.
"Now, who should I be first?" He asked himself as his body shifted a dozen times. From a beautiful elven woman, to a rendition of his daughter, even briefly a horse but that brought back unpleasant memories. He finally settled on a portly dwarf, combing fingers through his beard. "Oh yes, Otr, that is who this image belonged to. With this, I can look into this mistletoe the fool said that could break Baldur's invincibility. All texts of Ragnarök speak of the death of light, no doubt it refers to…"
"He's heavy," a voice suddenly caught his attention, causing the disguised deity to duck behind a large branch. "You didn't have to hit him so hard."
"Helmwige couldn't hold the opening longer," a well-endowed redhead carrying Le Fay retorted. "You clearly weren't getting through to him, so a woman's touch was needed.
"I could have held on longer," a bright blonde woman wearing Valkyrie armor trailing behind gently cradling a sleeping Ratatoskr huffed at the insinuation of weakness. The ancient extraplanar being had succumbed to his own exhaustion after getting Le fay through the portal which thankfully fit with their need. "What should we do, we can't be seen when depositing them back in their own time."
"You've gotten incredible at opening the portals," the one with red hair patted her on the shoulder. "Never doubt your power, that talent is unmatched even by ma and da. You can surely pop it open without them being able to spot us."
"They're speaking the old tongue," Loki realized their language as he understood every word. "I best keep my distance and…where did the boy go?"
"You mean me?" Loki jumped a foot in his dwarf disguise as the silver-haired warrior who had been walking alongside the women just a moment ago suddenly appeared behind him. He hadn't even noticed him lay down Dorian's body with the redhead claiming it carrying both with the greatest of ease. "Now what would someone else be doing in the Road Between Realms?"
"I…uh, I beg your pardon lord," Loki fell into the personality of the bumbling oaf he had tricked into giving up his appearance years earlier, what cruel fate he had bestowed upon him totally forgotten. "They were just so beautiful I had…" He stopped talking as the man's eyes narrowed towards him, his sight somehow piercing through his disguise. It was clear as day he could see him for exactly who he was.
"FREYDIS, keep them safe! Rip his arms off if he gets close." Tyrian yelled as he brought his blade down deflected by Loki's staff as he returned to his godly form. "You, you may have snuck in here while we were busy, but there is nowhere in time and space you can go I can't find you!"
"One world already burns," Loki attempted his bravado. "What makes you think you can do anything to stop…!?"
He did not get a chance to finish as the sword held in Tyrian's hand, clearly an impossible item, cleaved through his Sacred Gear staff with utmost ease. Loki's face paled at the inconceivable feat, the weapon having been created through all of the combined alliance's stolen knowledge and the foreign technology of his allies. The strength of this man seemed otherworldly, easily surpassing many the trickster had fought over the years.
"Who…what are you!?"
"Tyrian of the United Realms," He announced, magical seals surrounding him showing he had yet to unveil his full power. "And you have done enough damage the first time around, you shall not harm the second! We weren't able to interfere until it was too late there, but now that you're outside your timestream there is nothing to protect you!"
Loki barely managed to transform into a winged serpent and took off soaring as far as he could avoiding the next slash, the knowledge he could not directly face such a foe evident before him despite his delusions of grandeur.
"Curse you and your family Tyrian!" He shrieked half in his normal tongue and half in that of the birds. "You shall not find me easy prey!"
"Where would the fun be in that if it were easy?" The man could feel his blood boiling at the impending pursuit but managed to keep his enthusiasm in check. "Make sure those three get back home, I'll track him down even if I have to go to the end of the world and back."
"You get him big bro!" The blonde Helmwige pumped her arms, stopping upon worrying she may wake Ratatoskr.
"Be careful, make sure you have some food packed, but if you don't catch him by the time we get back, you'll have to compete with me," the powerful redhead smirked with a coy smile. "Go get him."
Tyrian nodded with determination, turning towards where the traitorous god had vanished. In a flash, he disappeared to be replaced with a great eagle and took off after him. The two women turned, intent on finishing their mission as their older brother began the great hunt to bring Loki to justice once and for all.
Rossweisse's Family Estate, Present Day…
"It was HER," Rossweisse stood up with wrath in her eyes focused above. With a power she didn't know she enveloped every binding technique she could muster upon the corner of the room. The black shape was pulled down, dragged before them without resisting until the golden orbs were eye level. "What did you do!?"
"I did nothing," a feminine voice replied, the shape condensing down until a woman with a Kuoh Academy uniform was standing before them held down by a dozen seals and more added on by Göndul. "You are really something, to go from being unable to sense me to actually drawing in a fragment of my power to add to your spell. How naughty of you. With Ophis protecting Dorian I couldn't get near, so came here to observe the next closest to him, was this intended to happen or a pleasant coincidence? Isn't not knowing grand?"
"Stop stalling," Göndul held a shimmering hand up to the woman's throat. "You are elder than everyone in this realm, what did you do with my granddaughter's intended? Where is he?"
"Wrong question wand-bearer, your snow-covered Rose was not trying to view a place, now, was she?" Göndul paused at the usage of the title she'd not used in many decades, the being's familiarity with it unsettling.
"No, I was trying to…" Rossweisse's complexion paled as she recalled the exact details of the spell she had attempted before drawing in a fragment of the Old God's essence.
I was trying to divine the future, a future where Dorian and I were together. But that's impossible, time travel has been disproven a hundred times over. If that was my final thought, by all the gods…where did he go!?
"Rossweisse?!" The portal to the Roads that had closed only a moment ago reopened at the behest of Yggdrasil herself, allowing those on the other side to arrive. Hecuba led the group alerted the moment Dorian had voiced concern at Rossweisse's safety. "What happened? Where is Dorian?"
"They were absorbed into a fissure, we…" She started before a sonic boom called for silence. Almost immediately as the portal closed, suddenly a new vortex had formed where it had once been, buffeting them with its torrents of magic once more. "There! That took him!"
"What is that!?" Bennia asked as the group peered into the horizon within. They could almost make out what appeared to be two feminine shapes carrying something over their backs but couldn't quite make them out. Before they could look closer, the objects they had were flung forward through the opening.
Dorian's body fell to the ground with a thud followed closely by Le Fay and Ratatoskr. All were unmoving, drawing the others to them.
"Le Vay!" Volody reached her first, the concern for her safety warping his features as he saw her injuries, picking up the small squirrel as well who was laying atop her. "Who did zis to you?"
"They're alive," Hecuba could see Dorian breathing as she rushed towards him faster than the others and could see his chest rise and fall. "What on Earth!?"
The force of the vortex sudden picked up strength once more just as it had when it first sought to claim the young Einherjar. The Spartan warrior was forced to draw her sword, burying it in the ground to prevent the winds from claiming her. Göndul and the other Valkyries raised their hands, generating a bubble around the shrine to contain its resurgence. Only Hecuba had been too close and was trapped within its field of influence along with Dorian's unconscious body.
"Hecuba!" Rossweisse called out, but Thrud seized her arm. She almost struck her friend to release her before seeing the torn expression in her eyes.
"If you go in there, you'll make what he did pointless," she squeezed Rossweisse's arm a bit tighter, conveying her feelings more than through her words. "I won't lose both of you today…"
"Just a few more moments!" Göndul announced, focusing all her magics on condensing the bubble that once closed would disperse the portal once and for all. She called out to Hecuba, "Grab him now before it takes him again!"
"Dorian, wake up!" Hecuba begged as she reached for him, his sleeve just out of reach by such a small degree as to force out a curse in frustration. There was no reaction from the unconscious man as the pull continued growing stronger faster than the bubble was closing. Even in his heavy Asgardian armor, he was starting to get drawn in with quickening speed. "I can't reach you! Wake up, Iggy, we need you to…!"
Hecuba's pleas were answered as a shape started forming between them. A feminine hand seized her own, their other locking onto Dorian's arm grabbing him moments before he would he would have been lifted off the ground from the torrential powers. The shape was still materializing, almost like a bad reception coming into focus. Hecuba had to hold back tears of joy.
"Iggy, thank the gods. Hold on, we can…wait! Who are you?"
"Don't let go!" The shape that was not Iggy cried out as her features came into focus. "Iggy has been silent since they were knocked out. I had to piggyback off her ability to manifest. Please hold on!"
Hecuba's expression darkened as she realized the person she held onto was none other than Despoina, the traitorous deity she had thought slain back at Olympus as a result of her own machinations. The goddess' eyes watered in pain, her body being pulled by the vortex but holding onto both Dorian and Hecuba as an anchor at all costs.
How is she alive!? She said she is using Iggy's power to project, does that mean she's been inside Dorian all this time like Loki was? No, this seems different, but all the horror that was wrought by her actions…
Despoina's expression of worry persisted through the pain as she felt Hecuba's grip on her almost loosen to a small degree. The goddess of mystery had no doubt that were she not tethering Dorian to her, her former charge would have let her go in a heartbeat and allowed the unknown vortex to claim her. The concern for Dorian stayed her desire for vengeance at the men and women she lost at Olympus, her grip tightening once more as the bubble finally passed over them.
"AND SEAL!" Göndul cried, Rossweisse and the others collapsing the portal with great effort, a resounding boom blasting across the room signaling the end of the calamity. Dorian fell limply into Hecuba's arms.
"Welcome back Dorian Held, or is it Tyr now?" Kassaegtha remarked dryly with a smug expression having been totally unaffected by the pull while still in her prison. "It's so wonderful to see you again."
"Dorian!" Rossweisse and Thrud called out, Bennia, Kuroka and the rest of the Crossroads rushing over to check on him, the Spartan cradling him as she caught her breath glancing over at Despoina.
"You have MUCH to answer for," the redheaded warrior threatened, the daggers stared practically boring through the physical projection of the goddess' echo. "How came you to survive that day?"
"You are not wrong," she sighed in defeat now that her presence was known to all. She had hijacked Iggy's ability to project physically, deciding to reveal herself at last knowing Dorian would have been pulled within the rupture again if she hadn't. "And that is a long story."
"Hec…"
"Dorian!" Everyone shouted at the weak murmur as his eyes briefly opened though remained lidded as if it took every ounce of strength to even manage that. "Can you hear me?"
"It's…coming, couldn't do anything…have to…stop…" With that last word his strength was utterly sapped, his body collapsing wholly into Hecuba's arms once more completely still. This was more than just unconsciousness; he was not responding in the slightest regardless of the Spartan's attempts. To her shock, even Iggy materialized beside him unmoving, having been ejected from Dorian's mind to protect her from the nightmares of his own now adding to hers.
"He's still breathing, but just barely," Hecuba announced quickly as the looks of concern spread across the group. Snapping her head around, she shouted to Rossweisse's grandmother with a tone ignoring her clear authority over the Crossroad team. "GET A HEALER, NOW!"
"He'll survive," Kassaegtha remarked as everyone was sent scrambling to ensure the three returning allies would be alright. "He survived far worse…how much more he may in the future is exactly what I am hoping to see. The circle is closed, our meeting is fixed in time, now I can stick around and see what has sprouted from it."
Dorian and his companions return from the dark future from whence their journey began. Having seen the ill fate of those he considered friends and allies, will a means be considered to prevent the catastrophe from befalling the second chance the world has been given?
100 chapters, a million words and a 4-year benchmark I never imagined reaching. As usual, I'll be taking a hiatus to relax and prepare the next arc but rest assured it will continue! I wanted to ask an opinion of fans as a thank you for all your support over the years. The next arc will start very suddenly as a result of the story with no time for further downtime/relaxing chapters until after it is done. Would you prefer I continue right off the bat into the next arc involving the Hero Faction when I post again…or have a few out of order calm chapters not previously shown posted first similar to canon light novel short stories? The decision is yours, until then I hope everyone stays safe, Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D