Here I am again with another translated chapter to the list!
As I always do, I'm going to answer some reviews before I start.
Cobin Michael: Maybe that wasn't entirely clear, but Rossweisse was always single in her own way. The difference is that before she was courted by different men. Why all that has changed in the last millennium will slowly creep in.
MAX0910: Thanks for making those observations, I'll keep them in mind for the next chapters. And the offer to be my beta reader, to be honest with you I'm not very interested in that anymore. But I could certainly use some help correcting the first few chapters that have hundreds of errors. If you help me with that, I'd really be very grateful. If you want to do that, send me a private message so we can catch up.
With nothing more to add, it's time to begin.
Enjoy!
Was it strange to be in a coffee shop at 11 o'clock at night?
Well, yes, it was.
But if that seemed strange, then the fact that they were playing chess in that place was even more striking.
"Bang!"
The violent sound of the first move on the board echoed within the entire cafeteria, with a small pawn being placed two squares in front.
"Come on, Valkyries!" Rossweisse exclaimed with a look completely intent on the game. "We will win this war for the glory of Asgard, and for Odin!" The woman concluded her speech, something Issei watched with slight amusement.
The young man merely deigned to move his knight, then take a small drink of coffee. The Valkyrie became visibly uneasy after the movement. The woman narrowed her eyes immediately and began to think carefully about her next move.
"Don't let the enemies infiltrate the rear!" She exclaimed, moving her horse, in an attempt to predict her friend's next move. "Be assured, my companions! For my honor as Queen of the Valkyries, and for the honor of Asgard, I will not let the sacrifice of any of us be in vain!" Issei just watched her silently, then made a move with his pawn.
Before he put the pawn in place, he could see Rossweisse tense up again. Issei returned the pawn to its original position, then moved another. In a curious, or even funny way, Rossweisse responded in kind.
Issei smiled at this, making false moves a couple more times, unable to help but feel embraced at the warmth and tenderness exuded by all the Valkyrie's gestures.
"Do you like this game a lot?" Issei asked, finally completing his move.
"I...!" Ross' smile quickly disappeared, covering her mouth the very instant she realized how she was acting. "Hum, sorry..." She apologized, lowering her head in great sorrow and embarrassment. "It's just that I get so carried away with this game..." The Valkyrie couldn't help but rub her shoulder with great self-consciousness. "That's why only Lord Odin plays with me, and sometimes he even makes fun of the way I act."
"You look pretty cute to me." Issei's comment made Rossweisse look at him with wide eyes. "Actually, Penemue also makes similar comments. Though she only makes them in the beginning of the game."
"Doesn't it bother you?!" The Valkyrie nearly overturned all the pieces after her childish reaction.
Issei couldn't help but laugh at the glint in Ross' eyes.
"The beauty of a movement is not only reflected in its appearance, but in the thought behind it." The boy's words left Rossweisse even more in awe. "It's something Penemue always tells me. Besides teaching me to be smarter, she showed me what exists beyond the board." Explained the brown-haired man, looking at his pieces. "That's why I understand perfectly what you feel."
"That's great!" Valkyrie exclaimed with a big smile. "And what do you see on the board?" she asked, genuinely curious about the answer.
"Hmmm..." Issei hummed, fixing his gaze on his pieces. "Unlike you, who are the queen, I'm all pawns. The bishops would be Gasper and Asia. The knights would be Xenovia and Kiba, while the rooks would be Koneko and Akeno." Ross couldn't help but be very curious at his last words, as she knew about Akeno's true position. "We all take it upon ourselves to protect our King, and we also protect each other." He commented, then fixing his gaze on the queen. "But if we fall short, there always comes the queen, which translates as salvation. They are Tiamat and Penemue." He concluded, then gave a quick glance at the board. "Sometimes the pieces may change their appearance, but they will always have the same meaning. Maybe the knight will become Azazel. Maybe the rook will become Tannin. Maybe the queen will become you." He concluded, fixing his gaze on the woman. "But that doesn't change anything. After all, we all still support and look out for each other, no matter what our lives are at stake."
"That's a good philosophy, but it's a rather curious thing you tell me." Valkyrie commented, causing Issei to raise an eyebrow. "You mentioned a King, being that the King cannot defend his countrymen, he can only give orders and organize them. In short, he's the one in charge of strategy."
"The King is Rias. She's someone I must protect at all costs, especially now that the Rating Games are just around the corner." Issei replied, looking at the King. "I'll agree to anything she says, as long as she doesn't force me to abandon one of my friends."
"Oh..." Commented the Valkyrie somewhat smugly. "That's the first time I've ever seen a rebel pawn."
"I'm not a rebel!" Issei exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "We'd better keep playing, because it's getting late." He concluded, watching as Rossweisse moved another piece.
"Come on, let's not let their rebelliousness rub off on our ranks!"
CHAPTER 40: THE TRAGEDIES OF THE GREAT WAR.
"I can't believe I couldn't win once!" Ross exclaimed, rubbing her hair in frustration as they walked into the corridors of Asgard's castle.
"It's not your fault. Penemue has taught me very well." Issei replied, then looked up at the ceiling. "In fact, I think there is no one who is better than her..." These last words ignited Rossweisse's curiosity.
"How many times have you played with her?" she asked, causing Issei to rub his chin.
"Since it was part of my training, it was many times..." The brown-haired man replied, clearly hesitant. "I guess it must be around five hundred times."
"And how many times did you win?" Rossweisse added another question, showing even more curiosity.
"Counting the time she was distracted?" He asked, receiving a quick nod from the Valkyrie.
"One."
Issei's answer made them both pause.
"Only one time?" Rossweisse questioned, genuinely impressed.
"I told you, she's the best at that game." Finished Issei, grabbing the door handle.
"Wait!" Rossweisse stepped in front of him, interrupting him in a very surprising way.
"What's wrong?" the boy asked, watching as the Valkyrie timidly moved her hands behind her waist.
"I wanted to give this to you." Issei couldn't help but be impressed as the woman made her two hands towards the front, showing him a beautiful silver flower that fit perfectly in her two hands. "It's a Silver Ranvar. A flower that only grows in Asgard. It turns into a bright rose when it falls in Midgard."
"Thank you..." Issei replied without disguising his astonishment. "But why are you giving this to me?"
"Well, these days that I've been together with you and the girls have been a lot of fun..." She replied, unable to help but lower her gaze with a small embarrassed blush. "Even if it all started because of practice, I ended up really enjoying all the times we went to the fairs and other places, like that peculiar manga cafe." Issei couldn't help but laugh after remembering that visit.
"Damn, I never thought I'd come across the Magical Girl fan in that place. I almost died of a heart attack..." Issei commented, unable to help but remember that scene where Rossweisse was laughing while the guy was tormenting him with endless questions.
They both laughed for a few more seconds, until they resumed the conversation.
"I just wanted to say that I had a lot of fun." The Valkyrie continued, causing Issei to greet her with a toothy grin. "There are only two days left before our paths part, so I just wanted to let you see how grateful I am." She finished, giving a small bow as a sign of thanks.
"Stop that!" Issei waved his hands violently, causing Ross to look at him in slight surprise. "I don't think the future Queen of the Valkyrie should do that sort of thing." He explained. "See you tomorrow!" Concluded, opening the door and waving a quick goodbye.
As soon as the door closed, Rossweisse stared off into nothingness for a few seconds as her gaze seemed to grow a bit depressed.
"The future Queen..." She whispered to herself, unable to help but let out a big sigh at the end.
As soon as he entered the room, Issei turned on the light out of pure reflex, taking in a completely enchanting sight.
"Hug! Penemue, turn off the light..." Tiamat was lying on her back. The sheets covering her body were covering less than half of her body, so her beautiful ass was completely visible, and she looked even more sensual with those little light blue panties. The dragoness's face was sunk into the pillow, so her babbling could barely be heard.
"Shut up..." Penemue sounded just as bad, as the Cadre also had the pillow sunk into her face, though it was because she was hugging it tightly. Her body was completely uncovered, but her white pajamas covered her completely. Or at least she was trying to, as the massive cleavage that was present, because of being pressed up against the pillow, was impossible to hide.
Despite having a fucking hot view, no obscene thoughts crossed Issei's mind. In fact, he had only been able to look at them with fond amusement after hearing the babbling of both women.
"Sorry, I'll turn it off now." The boy commented, turning off the light.
"Issei, come to bed..." Tiamat turned her face, where it could be seen that she was more asleep than awake.
Issei simply walked over without making much noise and lay down as gently as possible. He couldn't help but blush as the two women jumped on him, hugging him from both sides.
That blush quickly turned to annoyance, as he could hear how his tenant seemed to be having too much fun with the situation presented.
The next day...
Issei was walking through the busy streets of Asgard, and was visibly surprised. After all, all those Valkyries he managed to recognize were shopping and having fun in different stalls, where some of them were accompanied by their fiancées, or at least, so they appeared to be.
"Why isn't anyone training?" he couldn't help but think, seeing how all the warriors of Asgard were simply having fun. "Maybe Ross is around..." Just after thinking that, the brown-haired man crashed hard into a woman, who didn't even flinch, unlike Issei who fell to the ground in a crashing manner.
"Are you okay?" the woman asked, shaking his hand.
"Yes. It was my fault, I was distracted..." The brown man apologized, accepting the woman's hand.
"Oh, it's you!" Göndul exclaimed, causing Issei to be slightly surprised.
"If I remember correctly, you're Rossweisse's grandmother." Issei commented, shaking off the dirt.
"What are you doing around here?" the woman questioned, unable to help but raise an eyebrow. "I thought you'd be training with my granddaughter."
"Actually, I'm looking for her." Issei replied, looking at the Valkyrie. "I woke up a little later and found no one at the rally. In fact, I'm seeing that all the Valkyries are around."
"That's because it's their day off." The answer surprised the young man.
"I thought the Valkyries never had that sort of thing..." He commented with genuine curiosity, as he rubbed his hair.
"There are only two days where all of Asgard celebrates." The woman stated. "Today marked 1,002 years since the end of the Great War. It is a commemoration to our victory, and, above all, to our survival." This last caught the brown man's attention even more.
"Come to think of it, everyone talks about the Great War as a catastrophic event..."
"And you wonder how everything can be so peaceful?" The woman concluded Issei's thought, receiving a nod from him. "That happens only because you heard the point of view of the Factions less hit by the war. Obviously, you can't have the point of view of the Factions that died out, but I'll tell you what..." She explained, positioning a hand on Issei's shoulder, at the same time bringing her face closer. "Trihexa not only extinguished numerous races, but it completely destroyed a large number of Realms." This statement made Issei startle.
"Wait, when you say Realms, you mean..." Göndul nodded, confirming Issei's suspicions.
"Entire worlds were destroyed." Göndul would raise one of her hands, creating different cities with her magic. "Helheim, Nifleheim, Svartalfheim, Jotunheim, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Babylon, Nun..." A great endless number of cities kept appearing, until finally she came to a very peculiar one. "Even Valhalla." She concluded to then stare at him. "Of the Viking beliefs, only two Kingdoms survived."
"Wait a minute, didn't Valhalla involve a very important kind of myth?" He asked, trying to remember more about the mythology.
"We Valkyries originally resided there to train the saints and best Viking warriors in history." Explained the current Queen of the Valkyries. "Unfortunately, with the coming of the 10th Century, our believers were declining greatly, and we ended up devoured by Christianity, just as happened with the Greek Gods. At the beginning of the 11th century no more warriors were arriving, so Valhalla had lost much of its usefulness, only serbia to continue training with the current warriors. When the Great War finally came, Trihexa completely destroyed the army of Valhalla, taking with him all the holy warriors and a large number of our Valkyries. In that battle Ragnar died after saving his daughter, while the Valkyrie Queen of that time saved me." Göndul brought her hand to her face, touching the large scar that ran all the way across her eye. "She was called Sigrdrifa, she was my daughter and Rossweisse's mother." After hearing the final statement, Issei couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Ragnar was Sigrdrifa's husband, and he sacrificed his life to save his daughter, who knew that, if the last glimmer of the divine blood Disir was lost, there would be no more Valkyrie Queens in the future, as I can no longer bear any more children. Although if you ask me, that was just an excuse to save Rossweisse, as she was always known for loving his children very much."
"Wait, does that mean Rossweisse has a brother?" he asked, receiving a nod from the woman.
"At that time, he was only three years old. He couldn't handle everything he had been through, and he was missing for a great many years because of all the turmoil and destruction that was going on back then." Göndul recalls how Ross had felt devastated after her little brother's disappearance. "When we all thought him dead, he showed up in Asgard 300 years ago. His attitude is somewhat cold, and he doesn't remember anyone's name or face even if he sees them a hundred times, that's due to the traumas he experienced, plus a strong contution he suffered in his head." She explained, then sketched a small smile. "He can only remember very important faces and names, as well as his sister's, Lord Odin's, or mine."
"And where is he now?" the brown asked with great intrigue, as he had never heard of the man.
"Rosswell is the last Viking warrior in history. His duty is to protect Asgard from any trouble, and solve them before they start. It's a very troublesome job, as he always has to work far away from Asgard, so he's never present." She concluded, then folded her arms. "If Rossweisse is Lord Odin's right-hand man, Rosswell is his shadow."
"Hum, you make him sound like someone very strong..." Issei commented, even more intrigued.
"It is said that Rosswell ended up in the hands of a very powerful dragon, as all his Viking moves are combined with dragon technique." Explained the woman. "I don't know if it's true, but whoever he is, he's raised him very well, and he's grown into quite a strong boy, though he's still quite inferior to his sister. After all, the Disir branch only runs for women."
"A very powerful dragon..." Issei thought, rubbing his chin. Soon after, his eyes widened as a possible answer crossed his mind. "Wait, it won't have been..."
"Talking about what happened so long ago makes me feel kind of old..." Göndul thought aloud, unable to help but draw a nostalgic look. "Who knew I'd be so worried about Ross now?" This last statement made the brown-haired man look at her with some alertness.
"What's going on with her? " He asked, earning a small glare from Göndul.
"Being the future Queen Valkyrie attracts certain troublesome people." The woman narrowed her eyes, denoting great annoyance. "All those troubles can be simplified into three words: pride, greed, and contempt."
"What are you talking about?" Issei asked, even more concerned after hearing those words.
"Forget it, it's not like you can do anything now..." She commented, completely deflecting the topic, though Issei still seemed to want to inquire about it. "That doesn't matter, as long as she's happy. And from the looks of it, she adores you now and you've become her best friend." She explained with a smile, and this time it served to soothe the brown's worries. "Lately she was always very bitter and lonely, so thank you very much for making her smile again."
"Well, to tell you the truth, she's not the only one who's been having a good time..." Issei commented with slight discomfort at the flattery, then startled slightly as Tiamat's voice echoed in his ear through a small magic circle.
"Issei, what are you doing in that place?" the dragoness asked. "We've been waiting for you in the mountains for half an hour."
"In the mountains?!" He exclaimed, finally understanding the reason for not finding them anywhere. "Wait, how do I know where...?" Issei's eyes rolled as he listened as Tiamat whined slightly, sounding like she was having a bit of a fight with Penemue.
"Listen to me, Ddraig bearer." Penemue's cold, forceful voice made Issei freeze. "If you don't get here in ten seconds, I'll see to roasting your bat wings in a huge bonfire without cutting them off."
"But, but...!" Issei shouted with a completely pale face, making Göndul look very amused by what was happening.
"Calm down!" the dragoness exclaimed. "Remember we have our Family Pact. Just concentrate and teleport to where I am." She finished, causing Issei to tightly close his eyes.
"I had already forgotten that skill." He thought, then left in a magical circle. His movement was so fast and desperate, that he couldn't even say goodbye to Göndul.
The woman only deigned to observe with a smile where Issei's figure once stood.
"I suppose his arrival may bring nice surprises in the future. And not only him, there are also those two women..." She thought aloud, remembering that Issei was being accompanied by a Dragon Queen and the Legitimate God Heiress.
"Without a doubt, it's a very curious trio..."
Several hours later...
Penemue and Tiamat were walking behind Issei and Rossweisse. Both seemed to be talking happily.
"Tomorrow is already the last day." Cadre stated, receiving a nod from the dragoness. "Do you remember the plan?"
"Do you think it will work?" Tiamat asked, not too sure about the plan.
"I have no doubts. Especially, after the bet you mentioned to me." Penemue replied, causing the dragoness to bow her shoulders.
"If you say so..."
"I want to go to a restaurant this time!" Valkyrie exclaimed, causing the young man to rub his hair.
"Okay. I know a few in Kuoh." Issei's face turned slightly pale. "The problem is that they're very expensive." He thought. "If it hadn't been for Azazel's gift, I don't know how I would have gotten through all this."
"In that case, I..." Rossweisse didn't finish speaking, as the castle door opened, denoting a tall blond man with extremely long hair and a slightly unkempt beard. His attire consisted of one much like Odin's, though it boasted even more luxury.
Issei could not help but be impressed by the presence and the change in the atmosphere the man generated by his presence alone. The fact that he was even taller than Penemue and that his muscles were the most impressive he had ever seen, further magnified his image.
Although that aura was not something imposing. Rather, it was just something unpleasant, and fear-inducing.
"Look who we have here, I was looking for you." The man stated, fixing his gaze on Rossweisse with a somewhat strange smile. "Though, by the looks of it, I came at a bad time." He concluded, seeing as he was being escorted by Issei.
"Uh, Th-Thor..." Ross looked incredibly nervous, something that caught the attention of the other two women present. Seeing how Penemue and Tiamat were looking at him, the God looked at them with a somewhat curious smile, though his gaze stopped mainly on the dragoness.
"So, it is true that the Dragon Queen is taking care of the little Reincarnated Demon..." He commented, where his eyes had an evil glint for a short second. "This is interesting."
Tiamat and Penemue just raised their eyebrows, while Rossweisse looked very uncomfortable at the comment, as she had figured out the God's true intentions perfectly.
After all, she knew him very well...
"Wait, are you the old man's son?" Thor couldn't help but deliver her a dirty look after the prefix. "Why did you say you were too busy to help him, if you find yourself here right now?" Issei questioned, something that made the God a little more enraged.
"Yes, I am very busy." Replied the God in a seber voice, making Issei very nervous. "I'm going to Midgard today to rent a hotel and a couple of whores to get drunk and fuck for three days straight." God declared, crossing his arms. "You got a problem with that?"
"Of course not man, relax!" Issei exclaimed, raising both his hands in defense.
"One more thing..." God declared, glaring at him. "In my presence, don't you dare call with such a derogatory term to the Gods. It is not right for someone inferior to think himself an equal." Issei was about to answer him, but Rossweisse stepped between them.
"You said you were looking for me." The Valkyrie interjected, a clear fake smile on her face. "What is it you wish?" she asked, causing Thor to become distracted.
"I just wanted to remind you that you have some very important lessons tomorrow. Since my Father is away, I will be overseeing your learning in the future role you will play." The God stated, causing the Valkyrie to lower her gaze.
"But, we had arranged with Lord Odin that I would be forced to do so only when it was one day short of my birthday..." She commented quietly, causing Thor to step forward.
"As I said before, I am the one in charge now. You cannot disobey." The God declared, causing the Valkyrie to lower her gaze even further.
Issei was about to intervene, but Penemue grabbed his shoulder. The brown turned his gaze, watching as the Cadre shook her head, indicating to stay out of matters he didn't understand.
"Besides, it is in vain to delay." Thor bowed his shoulders. "No matter how long you wait, you know very well that no one will ask you to marry them." He concluded, only to see small tears begin to appear in the Valkyrie's eyes. This caused the God to pat his face and let out a great sigh. "If you do, I'll send my hammer to the Sekiryuuutei as a little help." This made Ross look at him for a few short seconds, then nod.
"Agreed." She stated, receiving a nod from the god.
"I trust the brat won't be so useless, and will be able to lift the Mjolnir." He concluded, glancing at Issei, then fixing his gaze on the other two ladies. "I'll start with her first. It's the biggest feast..." He thought, fixing his gaze on Tiamat for a short second. "It was nice to meet you ladies. It was also nice to meet the current bearer of Ddraig." He finished, bowing politely.
The God would disappear through a magical circle, without first delivering a glance to Rossweisse, forcing her to look away.
"Are you alright?" Issei asked, positioning a hand on the Valkyrie's shoulder.
Rossweisse quickly changed her expression and gave him a large smile.
"So, where shall we go?" She asked with great excitement, deflecting the topic again.
This made Issei smile after remembering the words Rossweisse had said to him yesterday:
"Even if it all started because of practice, I ended up really enjoying all the times we went to fairs and other places, like that peculiar manga cafe."
"I have a very nice place in mind." Issei replied, getting Ross' eyes to light up with great momentum.
Meanwhile, Penemue and Tiamat looked at each other. Their gazes completely serious, suspecting many things.
Once they both left for dinner and said goodbye to the two women, they both entered the castle, making their way towards the room.
"This is all very strange, don't you think?" Penemue questioned, receiving a nod from Tiamat.
"Issei noticed it too, but he preferred to distract her from her worries instead of getting into them." The dragoness replied. "Surely he is looking for Rossweisse to tell him her troubles herself."
"Knowing Issei, if she doesn't tell him in a certain amount of time, he'll start pushing and digging into it a lot." Cadre stated, unable to help but smile as she remembered how she herself had begun to fall in love with him. "I say that from my own experience."
"Let's leave it in his hands." The dragoness declared. "If he needs a little push, we'll be glad to help." She finished, receiving a nod from the Cadre.
"Besides, it's not a good idea for him to mess with the affairs of a God with his current state of power." Clarified the Cadre, opening the door to her bedroom. "Especially with one like Thor."
"I could see to it that he doesn't bother him until the time is right." The dragoness stated with full confidence, as a somewhat wicked grin crept across her face.
"I'd rather not get in trouble with Asgard." Cadre stated with a nervous bead of sweat. "Grigori could get badly affected by it." She concluded.
"You're so boring..." Commented the dragoness with a small pout as she looked away.
"Are you coming in or not?" Penemue asked, taking off her clothes and going topless.
"Give me five minutes." She replied, glancing at the nearest window.
Penemue only deigned to look at her quizzically, then bowed her shoulders.
"As you wish." She replied, putting on her white pajamas. "Don't make any noise when you come in." She finished, closing the door.
Tiamat walked to the window and looked out at the starry sky, unable to help but draw a slightly dejected smile.
"How annoying to feel emotions 10 times stronger than any other species..." She thought, settling even more into the sale. "I never thought it would bother me so much to watch Issei go out with another woman on every night without him inviting me too." She continued her thoughts, opting for a bit of a smirk. "Is this known as jealousy?" She scoffed to herself at the question.
After all, that feeling had always been mixed with hatred, madness, and rage in her past.
It was the first time that feeling was reflected in such a pure way in her body...
Her internal debates were interrupted when she felt a presence behind her. The dragoness turned her gaze, seeing that it was someone somewhat peculiar.
"I thought you had gone to Midgard." She commented, not giving it much thought. "What do you want, God?"
"That's what I was going to do. But I couldn't overlook the presence of a woman of your caliber in this place." Thor stated, causing Tiamat to look sideways at him. "I'll be concise and to the point." Commented the God, narrowing his eyes with some mischief. "I want you to be my wife from now on." Tiamat couldn't help but expel a small mocking laugh, then turned and stared at him.
"Have you gone mad?" She questioned, unable to help but stare at him as if he was a complete idiot.
Thor simply moved closer as he laughed, then positioned himself next to her ear.
"I think so." He replied in a whisper, a completely malicious whisper, just like his intentions. "After all, I plan to kill that brat you're so protective of if you don't let me be with you..." He commented, causing Tiamat to widen her eyes.
"Are you threatening me?" Thor couldn't help but be slightly surprised, as the woman seemed to be minimally affected at his words.
"It's not a threat, just a warning." Clarified the god quickly, separating himself from the dragoness' ear. "I promise to treat you as my most important woman, and make you feel like a true Queen." He declared, taking the dragoness' hand, who only observed the gesture without the slightest expression on her face. "Come on, I know you're a virgin. You must be very curious about how it feels to sail among the stars. I can make you feel that way, and even take you even further." He concluded with a big confident smile. "Let's go to my room." The God turned away, making his worst mistake.
"The worst mistake of every arrogant God, will always be their overconfidence..." Tiamat's comment left her lips with a thoroughly grim smile.
The God was surprised when the dragoness used her hand that was being grabbed by Thor, flexing it backwards and placing it in the middle of his back, then performing a quick tackle that knocked him to the ground in a matter of a second to the other.
Tiamat quickly moved his hand over his waist and stepped on it with her foot, then grabbed his other hand and held it outstretched, as the dragoness lay standing over the God.
Thor simply laughed at the situation.
"Come on, stop playing..." Thor's eyes widened in enormous surprise as he realized something. "I can't feel my legs!" He thought, watching out of the corner of his eye as Tiamat was stepping on his waist. "She's stepping on a nervous spot..."
"The last time I had fun was in my fight against the White Dragon Emperor and that Cadre I don't even remember his name..." The dragoness commented, straining Thor's arm even more, being about to dislocate it. "But, you came as a volunteer, that's fantastic!" The God simply laughed, though the sweat on his face indicated that he was getting nervous at the dragoness' increasing sadistic attitude.
"So, you say you'll do something to Issei if I don't go with you..." She commented, taking one of his fingers delicately, while still holding it still. "You threatened me, so, I'll threaten you too..." She commented with a sadistic and completely dark expression on her face.
From one second to the next, Tiamat twisted the God's index finger back, causing an unpleasant sound to be heard, and Thor widened his eyes and gritted his teeth at the sudden intense surge of pain.
"If you touch Issei, or dare to threaten Penemue..." Tiamat snapped another of the God's fingers, causing the God's expression to tighten even more. "I will break all the fingers on your hand, one by one..." She commented, then stomped on it even harder, coming closer to the God's ear. "Then, I will break your toes. When you beg for me to stop, I will dislocate your elbows and shoulders. Then I will follow with your knees, turning them into pure." She declared, snapping another finger, causing a small gasp to be heard from the God. "Then, I'll knock out one of your teeth for every scream you've made. When I finally get bored with your stupid misery, I will cut off your limbs, one by one..." She commented, causing a large fingernail made of ice to appear on one of her fingers, which appeared to be very sharp. "I will force you to be conscious when I finally get to your head, and sink my sharp nails into your eyes, then rip your head off." She threatened him, pulling away from his ear, then sitting on top of his back. "Though I think your threat is still better..." She commented innocently, causing the god to give her a sidelong glance. "I know!" The dragoness clicked both of her icy nails, only to sketch a smile that made the God swallow deep. "Better would be to start with the part of your body you're most proud of, right?" She commented, making her icy eyes glow in a creepy way as she shook her two ice nails violently.
"I'll cut your balls off."
These last words made the God sweat immensely.
"All right, damn it!" the God shouted. "I won't lay a finger on any of you!" He exclaimed, being immensely surprised when the dragoness was no longer on his back, and was standing in front of him as she looked down on him from above.
"The floor is where you all belong." The dragoness concluded, then turned around. "Don't forget who you're talking to, you miserable god." She concluded, walking away.
The God just watched as the Dragon Queen entered a room, then stood up from the floor.
"By the Gods!" He exclaimed, completely shocked. "How is it that the two of them can coexist with a completely insane woman?!" He questioned, fixing his three broken fingers with his other hand, barely showing a small expression of pain. "The two of them are some of the most peculiar and beautiful women I've ever met, but I'm not about to risk my balls for them." He concluded, leaving the place by means of a magic circle.
Meanwhile, back in Kuoh...
"Hmmm..." Issei thought carefully as he looked at the letter. "I've never been to this place, the choices are kind of strange." He concluded, not realizing that Rossweisse was staring at him.
After a few seconds, Issei's eyes widened slightly.
"Maybe this...?" He wondered aloud.
"Do you want me to buy it for you?" the Valkyrie asked, rising from her seat and sitting down next to her future love interest.
"Hm, maybe this one would be better..." Issei looked at another selection, not giving Ross' words much thought.
"Do you want me to buy it for you?" the Valkyrie asked again with a tender smile, moving a little closer to Issei.
"Or maybe this one..." He thought aloud again, pointing to a burger that seemed to be one of the more expensive ones on the menu.
"Do you want me to buy it for you?" At this point, the young man couldn't help but roll his eyes. He watched the woman, who seemed overly hopeful about the idea of buying him something.
"Well, if you want..." Issei commented with a nervous smile as he saw the huge glow surrounding Rossweisse.
How could buying some food for him make her so happy?
No doubt about it, she was a very simple woman...
After the waitress arrived and they both took their order, they were chatting happily. Rossweisse didn't seem to notice that she had sat too close to Issei, while he didn't seem to mind it at all.
Finally, the bill arrived, and when Rossweisse paid, Issei could tell that her wallet had been left completely empty, something he found quite strange.
"That was delicious!" Valkyrie exclaimed, leaving the premises along with Issei, though Issei was a bit behind. "Don't you think so too?" she asked, turning around to look at the brown.
"Hey, how much money do you have left?" Issei deflected the subject, causing the Valkyrie's face to tighten slightly.
"Well, I actually spent my last of my savings today." She replied with a forced laugh as she rubbed her hair. "Since I'm the future Queen Valkyrie and I'm in constant training, let's just say I belong to no one's land and I don't have a really steady job. It's complicated..." She concluded, unable to help but lower her gaze with some regret.
"And you paid for my food knowing you'd be penniless?" Issei questioned, raising an eyebrow as he folded his arms.
"Don't worry about it!" Valkyrie exclaimed quickly, waving her hands to emphasize her words. Her arms slowly lowered, unable to help but lower her gaze and smile shyly. "It was a way of thanking you..." She commented, then clasped her hands tightly together. "After all, today will be the last day..."
"Ah, so that's it. " The brown-haired man commented with a chuckle, causing Rossweisse to hand him a scowl.
"Hey!" She exclaimed, pointing incriminatingly. "Don't make fun of my good deed!"
"Did you really spend all your money on me?" he questioned again as he stopped laughing, holding out one of his hands. "Let me check it out."
"See for yourself." Valkyrie stated with a small snort, handing him her wallet.
Opening it, Issei noticed that it was completely empty, there were only a couple of cards and other things that appeared to be various fake documents, since Rossweisse obviously didn't live in Midgard.
"Now do you see it?" Rossweisse asked with great seriousness, only to be confused when Issei didn't take his eyes off the wallet.
"I never thought this journey with you would ever entertain me so much." The brown's words only made the Valkyrie even more confused. "You're not the only one who's grateful." He commented, walking past her as he placed a hand in his pocket and placed several bills inside the wallet. "Thank you so much for everything." He concluded, handing her the wallet.
Issei continued walking, while Rossweisse began to look at the amount of money he had given her, surprised at what she was seeing.
"Wait a minute, you gave me five times the value of what we bought today..." Commented the Valkyrie with wide eyes.
Since he knew she wouldn't accept something like that, Issei turned around and raised one of his hands.
Rossweisse couldn't help but widen her eyes even more when Issei gave her a radiant smile. Perhaps it had just been her imagination, but she was sure in that moment, an aura surrounded him completely.
An aura that only she could see...
An aura covered with warmth and affection...
"You already gave me your gift, this is mine." He concluded, then flashed her a raised thumbs up.
Issei simply turned around and continued walking, while placing his hands in his pockets.
Rossweisse could only look at her wallet once more, then lowered her head.
"Thank you..." She whispered to herself, as a small blush crept onto her face.
"So, are we back already?" the brown-haired man asked with a big smile.
Rossweisse simply smiled and quickly ran to his side, showing that she was delighted next to his presence.
"Yes!"
The next day...
Penemue slowly opened her eyes, then sat up in bed and did a big stretch.
Her gaze quickly went to the place where someone was always there these past few days, but she realized that said person was not there.
"Hey, hey..." Cadre whispered, shaking Tiamat awake.
"Then you complain..." Whispered the dragoness low, hugging the pillow even tighter. "What do you want?"
"Do you know where Issei is?" the Cadre asked, causing Tiamat to sit up in bed as she gave a big yawn.
"Give me a second..." She commented, closing her eyes, at the same time as the family bonding seal between her and the brown shone brightly above her breasts. "He's up in the mountains. I think he started training a little early." The dragoness commented after a few seconds.
"He's most likely feeling a little guilty about being so late yesterday..." Cadre thought aloud, getting up from the bed by means of a small jump. "Is he at the place we usually go?" she asked, receiving a quick nod from the dragoness. "You go find Rossweisse. Said she could be with us for half an hour before she leaves." She stated, removing her pajamas and materializing into her typical combat attire, though this time she wasn't wearing her ultra-heavy tunic. "Remember, don't be afraid to harm him." Tiamat simply nodded, though her face changed to a slightly serious one after the words heard.
"During the first training sessions it wasn't so troublesome, but now that I love him so much, it's hard for me to hurt him..." The dragoness would think, rubbing her hair in great annoyance.
Meanwhile, in the mountains of Asgard...
An icy breath traveled between the chestnut's lips as he exhaled and inhaled with great calm. His eyes were closed, as he had his armor in place. One of his arms was bent backwards, indicating that he was preparing an attack.
After a few seconds, his fist was surrounded by a rather thin crimson energy, indicating that he was concentrating his magic in his hand.
"Ice burial..."
He whispered under his breath, expelling a strong fist to the front. The pent up magic spewed out of his fist, creating a strong blizzard in the form of a reddish swirl. But it was just that, a whirlpool.
Issei couldn't help but sigh as he closed and opened his hand.
"I used half of my magic, but I could only create some wind..." He thought out loud. "That's progress though." He concluded with a small smile.
"I see you're practicing magical manipulation." Penemue stated, causing Issei to startle slightly at the Cadre's unexpected arrival.
"Yes, though there's nothing I can do if my magical reserves are this ridiculous..." Issei commented, rubbing his hair with a nervous laugh.
"Did Tiamat teach you that?" the Cadre asked, approaching her beloved as she received a nod from him. "Then it's only natural that it seems so simple to her. After all, a Dragon King is born with an absurd amount of magic, plus she already learns to control it a few years after obtaining it." Cadre's comment confused Issei a bit. "Actually, the most complicated thing about magical manipulation, is being able to control it at will. And I don't mean materializing it, but creating the link between your body and the magical energy you release to the outside. You need the magic to be linked perfectly with your muscles to be able to make a destructive attack. And from what I can see, having such small magical reserves made your job a lot easier." She explained, then materializing her katana. "Also, there are others who link magic to certain objects. For example..." Penemue would shake her katana violently. "I link my magic to my katana." She commented, then fixing her gaze on Issei again. "Though this linkage is much more complicated than the first. But, that's not the case when we're talking about you."
"What do you mean?" Issei asked with great curiosity.
"By having the Boosted Gear, you have the Transfer skill. Remember when I explained to you all the variants you can use with the transfer?" replied Penemue. "It took me over 8,500 years to be able to control my magic that way, but you can do it from day 1. It's a great advantage, and you should take advantage of it." She concluded, taking several steps forward.
"When you have enough magic, you'll be able to do these kinds of attacks without any training." She stated, placing her hand on her katana. "This is my strongest attack."
Penemue slowly slid his hand over the metal of the katana, causing the sword to gain a very bright violet color that seemed to be about to explode. Violet rays began to be expelled from the metal, generating unbearable screeching noises, as they kept emerging at an enormous speed.
Issei could only cover his face from the intense glow, while Penemue grabbed the katana with both hands.
"BLOODY TWILIGHT: THOUSANDS LIGHTNING BOLTS."
Penemue waved the katana so fast that Issei could barely make out the movements.
The glow quickly faded, causing the brown-haired man to be able to see clearly.
Issei's eyes were fixed on a dozen wind currents made of magic and lightning that went in the form of straight towards a mountain, and with a speed that was very difficult to follow.
Even if it was miles away, the attack took no time at all. Issei only narrowed his eyes when he saw the magical attacks disappear into the mountain, appearing as if the mountain had suffered no damage.
From one second to the next, half of the mountain shattered into small cubes, which were quickly disintegrated by the lightning that still surrounded it, causing Issei's eyes to widen in shock.
The brown-haired man had no choice but to cover his face when the blasts of such an immense attack reached him. Different avalanches were caused on the nearest mountains, increasing the visual impact that the attack had given.
The avalanches were quickly stopped when huge walls of ice were positioned in front of them, slightly surprising Issei.
"I see they were having fun without us." Tiamat commented, coming into the action along with Rossweisse, who gave Penemue a small smack on the head.
"Be careful with your actions!" Valkyrie exclaimed with a frown. "Remember that Asgard is very close!"
"This attack does not require as much magical power as the one you were trying to use. Still, you're quite a ways short of succeeding in using it." Penemue ignored Rossweisse outright as she rubbed the struck sector. "Maybe now you can only create about three magical currents, and you'd pass out." Ross just deigned to pout a little when she saw that she wasn't paying attention to her. "Being the Boosted Gear, the Evolutions will give you a great increase in power, and that influences your magic reserves." Cadre explained, then waved her hand dismissively. "But that's still a ways off, so you'd better take it one step at a time." She concluded, making it clear to Issei to stop concentrating on magical manipulation, if only for the time being.
"I understand perfectly." Issei nodded, then smiled slightly. "Besides, she told me that I already control the two factors necessary to accomplish this. Hence, there's no reason to keep training that." He thought, coming to a good conclusion.
"Now, the important thing is for you to learn how to awaken the Ultimate Ability of your Balance Breaker." Cadre commented, making Issei pay special attention.
After all, he had been waiting for this moment all week.
Back to using the Explosion...
Penemue widened her gaze more than usual, fixing her gaze on Tiamat.
"She's the only one who can help you with that." She commented, causing Issei to fix his gaze on Tiamat with great surprise.
"And how is it that she can help me?" The brown asked, watching as a rather subjective smile appeared on the dragoness' face after the question.
Penemue fixed her gaze on Issei, crossing her arms.
"You two will have a fight."
END OF CHAPTER!
I hope you liked the chapter!
Again I have to focus on the original update, so I don't know if I will post a new translated chapter tomorrow. It's not completely impossible, but don't expect it either.
Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow, or in a few days.
Thank you very much for reading!