Disclaimer: I own nothing; just the OC
'Thought'
"Talking"
*Action*
"Powerful entity (gods, demons, dragons, etc.)"
[System]
{Spirit}
Beta'd by Omni-Creator Kami of Anime.
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
Rumbling sounds can be heard all throughout the city as the people turn to the direction of the Gold Owl guild building, wondering what's going on.
Inside the Guild
"GAAAAAH!" Dozens of alchemists are sent flying and crashing into the surrounding walls leaving human-sized craters.
"What the hell is this!? How can a wizard be this strong!?" One of the alchemists scream out before they are blown away.
"I-Is he even human!?" Another alchemist yells, before getting shot by an energy ball.
The area is filled with rows of bodies, from its rooms to its halls. The once impressive guildhall was now nothing but a warzone, everything was destroyed.
Yet oddly, not a single alchemist was dead.
Loud steps echo as a single figure is seen walking towards a door.
He raises his hand and space bends, blowing the stone doors to nothing.
[You're really not wasting time, are you? I'm surprised you didn't kill them]
"I'm not in the mood for this. Besides, they didn't know about the fake Duke. I'm not gonna declare them guilty by association." I reasoned.
Ever since I arrived, I've been ganged up on by alchemists, most of whom I believe are from other guilds who worked under Gold Owl, like how the Oracion Seis had minor Dark Guilds under their command.
The alchemists were pathetically weak, overhyping their [Alchemy] as the superior superpower. But all it took was a single attack from me to wire their mouths shot.
I wasn't in the mood to deal with bullshit.
So far, I've been following the traces of [Chaos Energy] that are ligering in the air, taking me downward to the labs where they were doing experiments.
And most likely where Duke Barbaroa is.
Or rather, where the Gold Dragon God Viernes is waiting.
Yeah, I know that "Duke" is nothing more than a puppet, a [Thought Projection] created by Viernes in order to interact with the world, as his soul is bound to the building itself.
Though that got me curious, what happened to the real Duke Babaroa? Did Viernes kill him and took his identity or is he still alive out there somewhere? Sadly, I never got to read the next chapter since I, well, died and all.
[Whether that guy is alive or not, this glorified golden lizard is getting his ass thoroughly kicked. Something tells me that based on the attitude of Gold Owl and his element being Gold itself, he'll be as narcissistic and unrepentant as Aldoron]
'That likely does seem to be the case, I'll give that bastard one chance before I end him.' I growl as I reach the door.
I open the door and find a very spacious room with clear signs of damage, some appearing much newer than others.
"What's this room for? Training?" I ask as my eyes examine the space.
"Oro oro… you could say that."
I look up and find two people standing in the center of the room. The first is a tall muscular man, whose attire consists of a kimono with his arms and legs exposed, a nio-dasuki on his back, a striped loincloth, tabi socks, and a pair of wooden geta sandals. He is also equipped with a pair of gauntlets and carries a smoke pipe on his obi sash. He keeps his black hair tied back and into six tendrils on the sides shaped like antennae. His face also appears to have Kabuki-style face paint.
The second is the exact opposite, wearing ninja-like attire that conceals his whole body mixed with a biker aesthetic; having his face hidden within a mask, wearing a leather jacket with a big collar and decorated with studs and zippers. He also sports a large belt, black pants and boots. He also carries what appears to be a massive sword on his back.
Name: Gennai
Affiliation: Gold Owl
Level: 300
HP: 788,998
MP: 0
SP: Inf.
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Intruder
Name: Kotetsu
Affiliation: Gold Owl
Level: 300
HP: 788,998
MP: 0
SP: Inf.
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Intruder
Skill Level Up!
[Observe LVL. 80/100]
"Oro oro… this is where Duke-sama tests his Alchemical Dolls. He would pit them against each other with the loser being recycled to create stronger dolls."
"Materials." Kotetsu grunted.
[These two have infinite stamina. They're Alchemical Dolls just like Athena]
"I am surprised that an Ighsar wizard would attack an alchemy guild so brazenly. Truly, wizards are so barbaric. Oro oro…" Gennai said.
I just stare at the two. "... I'll only say this once: get out of my way."
"Hmpf, you may be strong, boy, but if you believe that you can defeat Duke-sama's greatest works yet, then you are in for a surprise. Oro oro." Gennai pulls out a large smoke pipe from his back. "I, Gennai, can transmute smoke."
A large plume of smoke comes out of the pipe and quickly covers the entire room in a gray fog.
[It seems they're using the smoke as cover to get sure hits. Why don't you show them the folly of their overconfidence]
"Useless." In an instant, the smoke vanishes, revealing a shocked Kotetsu and Gennai.
"Impossible…!" A horrified Gennai mutters.
"Nothing is outside the realm of possibility for me. You should've realized that when I made my way here so easily." I glanced at Kotetsu and spoke to him in a mocking tone. "By the way, unlike your colleague, you never introduced yourself or what kind of Alchemy you used. For people claiming wizards are barbaric, you seem to be the ones lacking decorum and courtesy."
"I, Kotetsu, can transmute iron. Everything I touch turns to iron." The ninja-like Alchemist states.
[Why do I get the feeling Gajeel would literally jump over the moon if he learned of this?]
'Because he'll definitely try to learn this Alchemy so that he can have an infinite supply of iron whenever he wants?' I replied.
[Good lord, giving an Iron Dragon Slayer the ability to create their own, near-limitless supply of Iron? What could possibly go wrong? Maybe give it to Levy instead, considering she's more likely to have an affinity for Alchemy than Gajeel. Last thing Fairy Tail needs is for Gajeel to become a glutton]
"So, have you guys made up your mind? Are you gonna surrender or are we gonna fight?" I ask again.
"You arrogant ruffian, wizards like you are no match for the superior might of Alchemists!" Genmai bellowed as he and Kotetsu prepared their combo attack.
"[Blind Iron Sickles]!" The two dolls bellow as Genmai once again creates a fog-like smokescreen around me, only for me to cancel it once again.
Only to see Kotetsu right in front of me!
"Take this." He swings two large sickles at me, but I quickly summon the [Sparda] and parry them away.
"Hehe… c'mon." I taunted the alchemists. "I can do this all day."
Before they could attack, however, we were all surprised when we heard the yell of a voice that sounded familiar to me.
"[Fire Dragon King's Brilliant Flame]!" A massive fire attack came from behind me and struck the two unprepared alchemists, engulfing them in the powerful magical flames.
I turn to the source of the voice and attack, and sure enough, Natsu's here!
"Am I late for the party?" Natsu smirked.
"Natsu!? What the hell are you doing here!?" I asked in bafflement.
"I was bored and couldn't sleep. Then I felt you leaving the tower and knew something exciting was happening, and I was right!" Natsu grins. "So, I had your invisible butler track you down and send me to you!" He chirps as he looks around. "Boy, you sure were busy. And I thought I was destructive."
'Seriously!? He tracked me down because he couldn't sleep!?' I mentally groaned.
[Look on the bright side, his sensory abilities are improving since he can now track energy signatures from miles away. Then again, it's not like Gold Owl is that far away from Drameel and the Aincrad]
"That's rich coming from you of all people! Especially since I'm here because these morons tried to steal from me and trashed my house!" I snapped.
"Damn, you sound pissed." Natsu remarks.
"I'm not pissed, I'm annoyed. Trust me, Natsu, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry." I threatened.
[What are you, the Hulk or something?]
"Eh-hem!" The two of us turn to the direction of Kotetsu and Genmai.
"If you two are done chit chatting, shall we get this over with? Oro oro." Genmai said.
"Annoying." Kotetsu grunted.
Natsu looks at me. "Who are these clowns?"
"WE ARE NOT CLOWNS!" The two yelled.
"They're members of Gold Owl, Alchemical Dolls like the ones that attacked us." I state. "Their guildmaster is actually one of the Five Dragon Gods: The Gold Dragon God Viernes."
"Wait, really!? He's a guildmaster, too!?" Natsu exclaims. "Then that means that taking on these guys is involved in the [100-year Quest]!" He then sends me an accusatory gaze. "What the hell, man?! You're my friend, but taking out the Dragon Gods is MY team's quest to complete!"
"Well I'm not here to defeat him, if that's what you're worried about. I just wanna talk to him… with my fists." I admit.
"Hey, hey, hey! He's MY prey! What gives you the right to get involved in my quest!?" Natsu demands.
"Attempted theft and destruction of private property would be a start. Also the murder of my first robot friend!" I snapped.
"Oh…" Natsu mutters, now feeling like an asshole.
"Also he has a Chaos Emerald, so I'm here to take it before he does something stupid with it. We don't need another fiasco like Aldoron." I add.
"But that was fun!" Natsu said.
[It was a bit fun, you can't deny it]
"Anyways, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to snatch the emerald while you were all asleep. So, I made a judgment call and here we are, though now I see that was useless in the end." I sigh.
"Well, at least you didn't leave us aside intentionally." Natsu said in a more understanding tone before switching to a more exciting one. "But the Dragon God is still mine!"
"Go for it. I'm just here for the emerald." I agree as the dolls leap forward for an attack.
"Oro oro! You're both wide open!" Gennai exclaims.
"Die!" Kotetsu swings his sword down.
Only to freeze mere a few feet from us.
"What…? Why can't I-!?" Kotetsu turns to Gennai, who is also in the same predicament.
I glare at them, eyes glowing bright blue. "Don't interrupt us."
The two dolls are blown back with exceptional force, their bodies buried into the floor.
Gennai was the first to rise soon followed by Kotetsu. "Damn you…!"
"What's the matter? Can't handle a few 'barbaric' wizards? If anything, you Alchemists appear to be overrated." I mocked, causing them both to grit their teeth in anger. I then look at Natsu. "Wanna do the honors?"
"With pleasure." Using his Ki to turn his hands into dragon-like claws, he infuses Ki and [Aura] into his charged up magic. "[Fire Dragon King's Claw]!"
"Foolish." Kotetsu charges at Natsu who quickly follows suit. He punches forward but the doll deflects his claw. "Turn into metal."
Only for nothing to happen.
"What?" A confused Kotetsu says, but is soon cut short as another crimson claw grabs his face.
[His Aura prevented Kotetsu from transmuting his arm into iron. Interesting]
Natsu then proceeds to slam Kotetsu to the floor with incredible force, leaving a crater where they stand.
He does this over and over, expanding the crater with each collision, all the while the Salamander is smiling happily.
"Damn." I mutter as I check his stats.
Name: Natsu Dragneel
Title: Salamander, The Great Demon-Lord Dragneel, E.N.D., Hellfire Dragon Dragneel, Destroyer
Affiliation: Fairy Tail
Level: 340
HP: 1,334,099
MP: 1,588,989
CP: 1,886,011
SP: 2,034,441
AP: 1,320,119
Thoughts about you: Best Friend
"I may have created a monster." I said.
Gennai moves in and tries to bash Natsu with his pipe, only for it to break into pieces on impact.
Natsu slowly turns his head and stares at Gennai. "... that hurt." He manifests red energy wings from his back before they transform into giant hands with sharp nails.
"... mercy?" Gennai whined.
The hands grab Gennai and throw him around like a ragdoll, bashing him into every corner of the room like nothing.
When he lets go, in place of a man there is just a faceless mannequin as it falls to the ground.
'I think Cell might've had a bigger influence on him than I realized.' I thought as I watched Natsu straighten himself.
"Woohoo! Nothing says like a fight to get the sleepiness off!" Natsu exclaims as he stretches his limbs. "I feel like I can take on anyone now!" He then turns to my direction. "So, where's the dragon?"
"... I've been tracking the residual [Chaos Energy] in the air thanks to their experiments. The scent is stronger here." We turn to the gate just ahead. "He is just beyond that door."
"Then let's go and kick its ASS!" Natsu ignites his palms with fire and propels himself towards the gate.
I use [Sonido] to appear in front of the gate just as Natsu lands next to me.
The two of us place our hands on the metal door and push, opening it with ease.
The chamber was large, with metal walls, electric coils channeling lightning magic, dissection tables, tables with tools resembling a chemistry set, and large glass tubes meant to hold people.
In the middle of the room is a pod with the silhouette of a humanoid inside of it, and in front of the pod is a man.
"Ah, I see that you made it." He turns around, revealing himself to be a tall older man who has a dark eyepatch over his left eye, a thick goatee and has light-colored hair that is well groomed with a braided ponytail. He wears a nobleman's uniform with a cravat.
"Welcome to Gold Owl. I am the guildmaster, Duke Barbaroa."
Name: Duke Barbaroa (Viernes)
Title: Archduke of Life, Guildmaster of Gold Owl, The Voice in the Gold, Impersonator
Affiliation: Gold Owl
Level: 256
HP: 875,433
MP: 845,333
SP: 707,122
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Frustrated, but also intrigued
Special Skill: Concept Manipulation
Allows user to manipulate one's own existence, freeing themselves from rules of causality
Skill Level Up!
[Observe LVL. 81/100]
Natsu leans forward menacingly. "Cut the crap, old man! Where is the Dragon God!?"
Duke doesn't seem affected by Natsu's words. In fact, it was like he didn't give a damn.
"I do not know where you got your information. But there is no dragon god here." Duke explains, his smile never wavering. "However, I believe you are here for another purpose."
Duke raises his hand and a pedestal rises from the ground, revealing an all-too familiar gem.
[Cyan Chaos Emerald] - Rank: EX
"The last Chaos Emerald." I said.
"Correct. It was found by the Gagarock guild over a year ago." Duke stares at the emerald. "I knew that the gems held incredible potential the moment I laid eyes on them, their power helped ascend my research, take it to an entirely new realm of possibilities I never thought possible." He places his hand on the gem. "Even death is a nonfactor as long as the holder thinks it so."
"And through it, you brought August and Bloodman back." I surmised.
"Yes. I'd say that was a successful experiment. Rustyrose in particular seemed ecstatic about it, though he didn't take it well when I forbid him from using them." Duke states.
"Which prompted him to steal one of the emeralds for himself." I finished.
"And look at what he has done. He plans to use the emeralds to make his fantasy into reality. Quite interesting, no?" Duke asks.
"You're acting pretty chill for someone who's been cornered." I scowled. "You send your puppets to my house, hurt my friends, and try to steal MY emeralds. Did you think I would just let you walk away after the shit you tried to pull on me?"
"..." Duke simply stares at me.
"So here's what's gonna happen Viernes: you're gonna hand over that emerald and then maybe Natsu will go a little easy on the ass-kicking he'll dish out. And don't bother denying it, I can smell your peculiar scent all over your clubhouse. You became a concept that merged with the Gold Owl building, and then used [Thought Projection] to impersonate Duke and take over the guild." I explained.
"Wait, THAT'S what I've been smelling all of this time!? I thought Happy hid a rotten fish in my clothes again." Natsu exclaims in shock.
Duke narrows his eyes at us before a smirk appears. "... hmph. You got me. That was some impressive deduction." His demeanor suddenly changed, his tone carrying more malice now. "But it does not matter. You are already too late."
"Oh really? And what makes you say that? You likely watched our battle with Aldoron and can already sense that we're WAY stronger than we were back then." I warned him. "I suggest you think very carefully before you make another move. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to let my friend here snuff you out with a snap of his fingers."
"Of that, I have no doubt." Du-Viernes admits. "You were right, I have been watching you and Fairy Tail. Your evolution exceeds that of any living creature on the planet. It is why I sent my dolls to your flying fortress: to either capture or terminate you. Though it seems they failed at both." He guides his hand away from the emerald and onto a metal panel. "Luckily, I always have a backup."
He presses a button and turns on the lights, revealing a large slab that was hidden in the shadows as well as a number of people inside it.
Two of them are Mercphobia and Elefseria, the Water Dragon God and The Law Dragon respectively.
The other two are voluptuous young women with light-colored hair in varying styles and wear headdresses shaped like horns.
"Hey! That's dragon gramps and the water dragon guy! What are they doing here!?" Natsu yelled. "And who are those girls!?"
"I'm afraid I've been stalling you two. And now it's to show you the fruits of my labor." Energy crackles from the pod behind Viernes.
Cracks spread all over the glass before the pod bursts outwards and something fast shoots out of it.
*PING* I quickly moved out of the way, but Natsu wasn't fast enough and got pinned to the nearby wall.
"YOU!?" Natsu glares at the creature before him.
It was Athena, or at a being similar to her. Her body is colored mostly black instead of white, the upper half of her face is covered with a visor along with a pair of horns protruding from the sides of her helm.
Name: Athena II
Title: Transcendent
Affiliation: Gold Owl
Level: 357
HP: 2,877,990
MP: 2,009,566
SP: Inf.
Thoughts about you: n/a
"This is Athena 2. The next generation of anti-dragon weaponry with only one upgrade: no emotions." Viernes states.
"No… emotions?" Natsu choked out.
"That's right. Unlike that dud, this Athena has no remorse or any concept of feelings, a huge improvement over the original and will obey my orders without hesitation." Viernes states. "It is my magnum opus, my ultimate trump card against the other dragons and the false god who watches this wretched world."
I arch an eyebrow at the last part. False god? Does he mean Rustyrose?
"But how about a demonstration?" Viernes asks. "Athena, put the boy out of his misery."
"Yes sir." Athena 2 opens her mouth and water gathers inside.
"!" Natsu's eyes widen in apprehension as he sees a jet stream of water heading straight for him.
However, before the attack can connect, I move in front of him and raise my hand, letting the attack be negated by my [Infinite Dragon Slayer].
"[Sky Dragon Roar]!" I breathe out a Hurricane straight at the knock off, sending crashing straight to a series of large glass tubes.
"Hey! I could have tanked that!" Natsu yells at me. "You didn't need to step in!"
"I think the word you're looking for here is 'thank you'." I said.
Soon, Athena 2 bursts out of the debris, the damage to her seemingly undone in an instant.
'Of course that bastard gave it a healing factor. Of course.' I breathe out in annoyance.
[Guess this is another case of us needing to put an arrogant Dragon God and his followers in their place, huh?]
"Natsu, you take on Viernes." I told the Salamander. "I'll handle this knock off."
"What!? No way! You already fought a robot girl, now it's my turn!" Natsu argued.
I give the dragon slayer a dirty look. "Need I remind you that it can use [Water Dragon Slayer Magic]? The perfect counter to your [Fire Dragon Slayer Magic]?" I rhetorically asked.
"So!? You think a little water's gonna stop me!?"
"Why are you the one getting mad!? I thought you wanted to take on the dragon yourself!" I point out.
"Because I wanna be the main character for a change!" Natsu argued.
[Did Natsu just break the fourth wall?]
"It doesn't matter who takes on who, it won't change anything." Viernes' mocking voice grabs our attention. "My Athena 2 is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, and once she takes your magic power, she will be unstoppable." Viernes mockingly states.
"You make it sound like you already won." I comment.
"Because I have." Viernes raises his arms upward. "Athena, show them the full extent of your power."
"Yes, Duke-sama." Athena 2 responds in a monotone tone.
In an instant, reality shifts and we are all transported into a nightmarish hellscape resembling a dark, crumbling rocky terrain with a flowing burning river, the sky is covered in black clouds, twisted dead trees and bones are scattered throughout the area.
"What the!? Where are we!?" Natsu yells as he frantically looks around.
"Calm down, we're still inside the guild. But the room has been transmuted by [Alchemy]." I told him.
"Very good." Viernes applauds. "This is Ennie Signario's World Alchemy [Purgatory]. With it, she has complete control over this world, and anyone who is trapped here will be burned by the flames of Hell."
"Hmph! Jokes on you, I can just eat the fire!" Natsu tries to eat a nearby flame only to pull back as his tongue is burned. "THAT HURTS!"
"The flames here aren't magical, meaning you cannot eat them." Viernes smiles. "This hellscape shall serve as your graves."
[This is getting out of hand]
'I know.' A smile appears on my face. 'But this is the best time to use that.'
"There is nothing you can do. Surrender your magic and I may show some mercy."" Viernes taunts before feeling something off. "Hm?"
"I am the Bone of my Sword." I utter, my words echoing across this world with absolute authority. "Steel is my body and fire is my blood."
All of a sudden, a powerful pulse of mana surges from him and washes over everyone.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
Viernes looks on and sees something rippling on the horizon of the hellscape. "What is that?"
"Azzy…?" Natsu looks at his friend with curiosity and worry.
"Unknown to-Ack!" I felt my throat suddenly close as a screen appeared in front of me.
Warning!
User is not yet fully compatible with [Unlimited Blade Works]! Forced activation has made the user at risk of permanent soul damage!
[Unlimited Blade Works] has been disabled for 24 hours to avoid further damage.
Well, that's new.
[It's because you tried activating it with an incompatible aria. The Reality Marble is tied to your soul, and as such, has its own unique activation. You'll have to figure it out before you try using it again]
"I do not know what spell you were trying to cast, but it seems you have failed." Viernes' smug look returns. "Now then Athena, take their magic."
"Understood."
"Start with the silver-eyed one. His incantation has piqued my interest." Viernes adds.
Athena 2 rushes forward with her hands raised, her palm splitting open revealing maws with sharp teeth.
I raise my hand and charge a ki blast while Natsu ignites his hands with fire.
*CRACK-BOOM!*
The world breaks as something bursts in and crashes between us and the black doll.
"WHAT!?" Viernes yells in surprise at the sudden development.
Standing between them is a short voluptuous young lady with a toned, muscular body with G-cup breasts. She has fair skin, large magenta eyes, and pastel blue hair that falls past her waist. She wears a short one-piece white dress with torso armor that keeps her breasts in place along with a baby blue shirt that leaves a hole underneath. She wears long black stockings with white sleeves connecting to a garter belt that goes just above her exposed hips, which are covered by two golden flaps on both sides. She wears two long evening gloves with two sets of bracelets on both her upper arms and wrists with white and black detailing, giving them the appearance of wings. She also wears a large white, black, and green helmet which covers her forehead with a set of two protrusions sticking out where her ears would be.
Overall, she is beautiful. A true warrior goddess.
"Athena…" I called out.
Viernes' eyes widened. "Athena!?"
Athena turns her head to us and smiles. "I'm glad to see you're okay, my friend."
I smiled back.
Viernes grits his teeth. "Your new body makes no difference. Athena 2, destroy this failed experiment!"
Athena 2 collapses as her body spasms out of control.
"Athena, what are you doing!? Get up this instant!" Viernes cries out in desperation.
"She cannot." Athena began. "I have shut down her power core. She may be operational, but she will not be able to use her stolen power." She then turns to the disguised dragon. "You should not have made an exact duplicate, it was thanks to our shared system that I was able to disable it."
Viernes chuckles. "No… not everything." This made the android arch an eyebrow. "Athena. Activate Dues Protocol. Priority Wilhelm."
A whirring sound can be heard as Athena 2 starts to get up, its body glows with power as steam begins to come out of the gaps in its armor.
"What's it doing!?" Natsu asks as the doll's limbs creak loudly and start hissing.
[The doll's core is going into meltdown. Viernes has literally turned it into a bomb]
Athena 2's chest cavity rips open, revealing a large barrel that quickly starts charging black energy.
"Fire!" Viernes yells.
She fires a black energy beam straight for us, but Athena simply raises her hand and catches it.
"W-What!? She caught the energy stream!? She shouldn't be able to do that!" Viernes yells in disbelief.
The energy stream shrinks until it is fully absorbed. "Energy contained."
"Tch!" Viernes' anger was boiling over. "DESTROY THEM!"
Athena 2 sluggishly moves forward, her body worn down and on the verge of breaking at any moment.
The original Athena can't help but look at this mirror version of herself with sympathy. "You did not deserve this sort of existence…" Her doppelganger slowly gets closer. "If you had been born with feelings, I wonder what sort of person you would have become."
"..." Natsu and Asmodeus look on as they listen intensely to her words.
"KILL HER NOW!"
Athena 2 slowly raises its right arm, its body trembling the more it forces itself to obey.
However, it doesn't have a chance to finish as Athena wraps the doppelganger in a tight embrace.
"That's enough. You can rest now." Athena softly whispers.
Athena 2's body slumps over, its power finally spent. Although from a certain angle, it looks like it is returning the hug.
"No… NO!" Viernes cried out as his masterpiece was defeated.
Four white orbs rise out of the doll and fly towards the four in the slab.
The world suddenly dissolves and we are all back in the lab.
"How can this be?" Viernes falls to his knees. "How could a failure like you defeat a perfect being like Athena 2 so easily?"
"A perfect being, you say?" Viernes' gaze shifts to me. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but such a thing doesn't exist."
"What?" Viernes asks.
"It may sound cliché, but there's no such thing as perfection. But for ordinary people, it's something to strive for. It's infatuation!" I told him. "But at some point, you have to ask yourself what does it mean to be perfect?" I flash him a smile. "Wanna know the answer?"
Viernes just looks as a big smile is plastered on my face.
"Nothing! Zilch, nada, zero." I revealed. "There is no such thing as perfection in this world, or any world for that matter! It's a worthless endeavor! And if something was truly perfect, then that's it. There's no room for imagination or improvement. No space for intelligence, or ability, or mistakes; it's just a dead end. Did leading an alchemy guild taught you nothing?"
"Then… What was the point of all this? What was the point of creating a weapon that could do the impossible if all of my efforts were going to be fruitless in the end!?" Viernes demands.
I shake my head. "You just don't get it. You should have been striving to be something better than what came before you." I said. "The original Duke understood that better than you. He created Athena to be more than just a simple weapon, he wanted her to grow and experience things just like any other living being. That's what makes her so powerful." I glare down at the fake alchemist. "But you never cared about that. You simply wanted a blindly obedient weapon who always succeeded with little to no tolerance of disobedience, failure, or even just striving for something BEYOND your vision or interests, a "perfect being" as you put it. That's why you lost. The moment you embrace an impossible goal, you have already shot yourself in the foot."
Viernes grits his teeth in anger.
"You thought that Athena was a failure, but she is in fact Duke Barbaroa's greatest success, beyond even his expectations. And you spat on them and threw her away simply because you were petty and acting like a little brat. Doesn't really work with your godly image, now does it?" I spat.
"Oh, snap! You just got roasted, son!" Natsu yelled.
[Seriously? Where is he getting all of these references from?]
Athena grows flustered at Asmodeus' kind words. She never thought there was someone who would defend her so passionately.
+40 Affection from Athena (40/100)
"You…" A gold aura surrounds Viernes as his veins bulge from his forehead. "YOOOOUUUUU!"
The Chaos Emerald begins to glow as energy begins to flow into his body and spreads all over the room, causing it to rumble violently.
"What's happening!?" Natsu yells as dodges some debris.
"The emerald's reacting to his strong emotions! It's tearing this place apart!" I said as more debris comes down on us. "We gotta get out of here or else we'll be crushed!"
The slab cracks and shatters, freeing its captives.
I use [Duplicate] to create a clone and help me carry the Signario sisters while I carry Elefseria and Mercphobia.
Athena carries her doppelganger and we all proceed to run out as far as we can as the building contorts in on itself.
"Hey, is it just me or is this place getting smaller!?" Natsu points out.
"Less talking, more running Salamander! We're almost at the exit!" I exclaimed
We reach the exit just as the building glows a beautiful cyan.
We turn to see the emerald fly into the sky as the building falls apart, a golden aura of draconic nature emerges from the building and into the gem before it blinds the town with blinding light.
When the light fades, we see a large metallic Dragon with gold scales, having the body shape of a sphinx with feathered wings. He has two backwards protruding horns, his head resembles that of a pharaoh's nemes along with a beard, with two halo-like rings over his head.
Name: Viernes
Title: The Gold Dragon God Emperor, The Voice in the Gold, Guildmaster of Gold Owl
Affiliation: Gold Owl
Level: 293
HP: 14,799,452
MP: 29,091,732
SP: 12,811,411
Thoughts about you: Destroy
Skill Level Up!
[Observe LVL. 82/100]
"Fuck, not this bullshit again." I said under my breath.
"Insolent humans! I am Viernes, the God Emperor of all Dragons! For your arrogance, you will be the first humans since my ascension to face my WRATH!" Viernes roared, clearly losing all sense of reason.
[Great, ANOTHER Dragon God having gotten drunk from Chaos Energy. This won't end well]
I summon a large Gaster Blaster and put everyone on it before turning to the clone.
"Get them as far away from here as you can." I said.
The clone nods as he jumps on the blaster's head and flies away as fast as possible.
"Asmodeus-san, allow me to assist you. My upgraded weapon systems should prove useful to you." Athena said.
I nod.
The three of us stare at the colossal golden dragon standing in between us, both with determined looks on our faces.
"... I want to beat this guy even if it kills me." Natsu declares before glancing at me. "What about you?"
"I wanna fight him too, obviously. Can't let you have all the fun." I told him with a smile.
The two power-up, surprising the dragon with their intense and crushing auras.
I take off all of my shackles. "I'll be the one to end this."
"You wish, Azzy!" Natsu yelled.
With a battle cry, the two transform into their [Etherious Dragon King Mode] and [Super Saiyan Rosé] respectively.
"To think they were hiding such power…" An amazed Athena mutters.
"You think your new forms will be a match for me!? DIE!" Viernes fires a yellow beam, but we dodge it easily.
The two charge towards him and their fists hit Viernes' gold scales, sending him back and crashing to a bed of buildings.
"I'm ending this right now! I'm not taking any chances with you!" I exclaim as I go full power.
I throw both arms open as black energy gathers in my palms before putting them to the side. As more power gathers, I add [Infinite Dragon Slayer] magic into it, causing the orb to gain a rainbow-like color.
Natsu activates his [Mana Burst] and opens his mouth as energy begins to converge in between his jaws, growing bigger and bigger by the millisecond.
Athena flies up and transforms her hands into large cannons and charges up.
"There's no escape, you golden bastard!" I screamed. "[Infinite Dragon Art - Shining Judgment]!"
"[Etherious Dragon King Cannon]!"
"[Omega Blast]!"
The three fire massive beams of energy which fuse together as they fly closer to their target.
Viernes only has time to look up as he, and the rest of the city, are swallowed up by a massive explosion of energy.
"Is he dead?" Natsu asks.
I narrow my eyes at the epicenter of the explosion. "No… it's not."
*PING!*
"Move!" A massive beam of gold shoots out at lightspeeds from the crater and straight for us. We quickly dodge it as it continues ascending, splitting the sky and turning all of the clouds into gold in the process before falling like meteorites.
"No way!" Natsu was dumbstruck by what he just saw. "He turned all of the clouds into gold!"
Athena and I turn our attention back to the ground where we see something. Standing in the center of the massive crater is a muscular man with pale skin and white eyes. He wears a pharaoh's nemes over his head but tufts of his spiky, golden hair can still be seen along with a gold/black beard. He has a black shadow trim around his eyes that resembles the Eye of Horus and a two-ringed halo floating above his head. He dons a gold suit of armor which covers most of his chest and shoulders but leaves his stomach and forearms exposed. He wears black loose pants with a gold skirt on top on them as well as a pair of golden boots on his feet. The Cyan Chaos Emerald can be seen glowing brightly in the center of his armor.
Name: Viernes
Title: The Gold Dragon God Emperor, The Voice in the Gold, Guildmaster of Gold Owl, Living Engine of Destruction
Affiliation: Gold Owl
Level: ?
HP: 60,788,365
MP: 98,000,554
SP: 86,567,901
Thought about you: Eviscerate
[Not gonna lie, he looks pretty badass]
Viernes raises his hand and clenches it, checking the dexterity of his new fingers and smiles. "I can feel it… the power of the emerald flowing across my body like a river. It's marvelous!"
He extends his hand forward and suddenly a golden greatsword appears before him.
[El Dorado] - Rank: A
A golden double edged sword covered in glowing magic runes and has a dragon head carved into the pommel.
458,988 + STRx5.5 Damage
"He can use [Requip]!?" Natsu yelled.
"No… that was [Alchemy]. But it's unlike any I have seen before." Athena clarifies.
I glare down at Viernes who looks up from below, a smile begins to appear on his face.
*PING!*
"!?" I turn my head only to see Viernes already in front of Natsu with his sword high above his head, all the while Natsu doesn't seem to be aware of him.
I quickly raised my hand and hit Viernes with a gravity blast, sending him away from Natsu.
Viernes stops the momentum and briefly glances at me. "... not bad."
'How did he get here so close so quickly like that? It wasn't [Time Stop] because I would be the only one unaffected, and it wasn't [Sonido] or [Flash Step] either.' I thought.
"Huh?" Natsu blinks and looks to the side to see Viernes. "When did he get there?"
"I couldn't sense him, nor did I see him move." Athena comments with worry laced in her tone.
"It is because I am in a whole different realm than you mortals." Viernes tells them. "This is the power granted to me by the emerald. I can compress the space between myself and my enemies, allowing me to appear in the same space as them."
[So that's it. He's using a type of spatial displacement that allows him to appear in an occupied space. That's why Natsu didn't notice him since he was in his space]
"So…" Viernes spins his sword like a master. "Which one of you should I dispose of first? The dragon slayer?" He glances at Natsu. "The dud?" He glances at Athena.
"Or YOU!" Viernes takes a step and instantly appears in front of me with his sword ready to run me through the chest.
I activate my [Silver Rinne-Sharingan] and summon the [Darksaber] and quickly parry the blade before going on the offensive and unleash a million slashes on the ascended dragon.
Viernes was only able to deflect a few swings before he was ultimately overwhelmed by his impossible swordsmanship.
My [Blade God] title isn't just for show.
"Sorry, but that trick isn't gonna work on me." I summon the skeletal arm of the [Susanoo] to grab his right leg and throw Viernes straight to the ground, resulting in a loud and large explosion leveling the area.
I use Instant Transmission and appear right on top of him and swing my sword down, but the gold bastard managed to evade at the last second.
"Dammit! How the hell am I losing to this… this thing!?" Viernes cried in frustration.
"It's simple, really." I get into a stance. "Because I'm not holding back."
I slide one foot forward and catapult myself towards him.
"Kaio-ken Times 10!" A crimson red aura bursts from my body, merging with the pinkish god aura of Rosé giving it a double aura effect.
The moment Viernes saw that aura, he could no longer see his enemy.
There was no time to raise a defense, no time to make distance or even think.
There was only pain.
He felt every part of his body stabbed, sliced, and ripped apart. Unable to do anything, he let this monster destroy him with ungodly speed that it may as well have happened within less than a second.
But Viernes felt it like an eternity.
Asmodeus kicks Viernes in the face, sending him tumbling a couple of feet back.
"Im… impossible." Viernes struggles to get up. His body is covered in lethal cuts, missing limbs, and large quantities of blood.
Normally, this would kill anyone, but dragons are too stubborn to die.
"I… am a god… my power… I cannot-!" He doesn't finish as he vomits more liters of blood.
"I told you. The moment you embraced an impossible concept, you already had one foot in the grave." I remark as Natsu and Athena descend and land next to me. "I gave you a warning, and you didn't listen. You became blinded by power, and just like Aldoron before you, you lost to me. Just when are you morons ever going to learn!?"
"Curse… you…!" Viernes spat, literally spitting blood on my face.
I wipe the blood off my face and take a step back. "Natsu. Finish this insect."
"With pleasure!" Natsu said in excitement, charging up and converging all of his power into a single point.
"W-Wait!" Viernes tries to plead but is too late.
"[Etherious Dragon King's Hellfire Inferno]!" Natsu unleashes a powerful blast of flames that completely swallows Viernes.
When the attack ended, there was nothing, nothing but a scorched earth. A scar on the planet that will never disappear and where life will never thrive again.
The only thing that remained was the Chaos Emerald on the ground, seemingly untouched.
You have defeated Viernes! You have gained 3,095,778 EXP! You have earned 2,344,800 Credits!
Level Up(x28)!
You get [El Dorado]!
Quest Complete!
Fool's Gold
Objective (Complete): Defeat Gold Owl
Bonus Objective (Complete): Defeat Viernes
Rewards: 998,433 EXP, 965,443 Credits, Skills, Items
Level Up(x9)!
[Claws of Hades] - Rank: A
The Claws of Hades were chained weapons formerly utilized by the God of Underworld, Hades. He has "draped" in them, and they were embodied with his magic Powers. Using the magic stored within the chains, Hades could pull out the souls of his enemies and absorb them, making himself more powerful.
With them the user can summon the souls of the enemies he killed. By absorbing countless souls, the chain's attack power increases as well as speed.
27,886 STR/SPDx3.5 Physical/Dark/Soul damage (x10 with absorbed souls)
[Roar of Time LVL. 1/10]
The signature move of Dialga. The user channels the principle of Time before shooting a beam of energy from its mouth capable of distorting time. Takes 5 minutes to recharge.
Deals 59,788 Damage (x50 in Dragon Form).
[Spatial Rend LVL. 1/10]
The signature move of Palkia. The user channels the principle of Space before slashes the fabric of space, resulting in a wave of energy. Takes 5 minutes to recharge.
Deals 62,166 Damage (x50 in Dragon Form)
[Summon: Manticore LVL. 1/10]
You can summon a [Manticores], a powerful fire-breathing monster with a lion-like face, the jaw of a shark, which can become unhinged, dragon wings, human arms and torso, a long scorpion tail and scorpion-like plates lining its back. The female Manticores can spit the eggs and from them hatch a baby Manticores called Manticore Hatchlings.
The total number that can be summoned is 12 per hour
Cost 5,689 MP to summon
[Max-Level Skill Token](x5)
[Ace of Spades] - Rank: A
Cayde-6's signature weapon. It is a Hunter-specific Hand Cannon that has 12 bullets in the magazine and is capable of clearing entire rooms of enemies without reloading. It was part of Cayde-6's last will and testament which you selfishly took from their rightful owner (you sick bastard. Good job!).
All perks and modifiers are unlocked.
Deals 52,996 Damage. Deals knockback damage with [High-Caliber Rounds] and x12 Damage with [Memento Mori] and [Firefly]
Bonus Reward: Black-Star Dragon Balls
[Black-Star Dragon Balls] - Rank: ?
The original set of Dragon Balls that were created by the Nameless Namekian centuries ago before he split into Kami and King Piccolo. Unlike the normal Dragon Balls, these Dragon Balls are much more powerful, capable of granting wishes that the other set cannot. When used, they can summon Ultimate Shenron, who can grant any wish, including killing people, as well as grant two wishes. Also, unlike the regular Dragon Balls, these ones do not turn to stone, so they can be used immediately.
Unfortunately, to counter such unrestricted powers, these artifacts have a lethal side effect. After the wish has been granted, the Dragon Balls spread across the universe. If all seven balls have not been collected and returned to the designated planet on which the wish was granted, the negative energy caused by using the Black Star Dragon Balls will cause the host planet to explode in a year's time and must be returned to the original spot they were used to summon the dragon.
"Sweet." I said as I dismissed my transformation. These will undoubtedly be useful in the long-run. "Now, to claim the last Chaos Emerald."
I reach down for the gem, only to vanish in a blurr. "The hell!?"
"Sorry, but this emerald-chan here is already spoken for." A new arrogant voice states. "It will be brought to its rightful owner."
I turn to the source of the voice and see four new people. The first is a tall muscular man with black hair and tanned skin. He sports a bizarre-looking beard; a chin curtain, with several lines of facial hair around his mouth shooting upwards in an odd pattern. He wears an ornate cloak along with a dress shirt and an ascot tied in a full Windsor knot.
The second is a large, burly man with multiple scars across his body and face, strikingly pointed hair, sharp teeth, and dark indentations around his eyes. His clothing consists of a coat with a large, shell-like armor completing it with bracelets around his arms.
The third is a slightly short, but incredibly curvaceous young woman with blank pink eyes and long pink hair that reaches down to the middle of her back which she keeps in a wavy ponytail, and is accompanied by a dark brown set of earmuffs. Her outfit consists of a red dress with a golden trim around a deep neckline which is pressed tightly against her GG-cup breasts with a short skirt and a belt with a yellow ribbon tied around her waist and black-colored stockings and brown boots.
The fourth and final member is another woman with jet-black hair that she keeps tied into a long and seemingly sharp ponytail and purple eyes. Her outfit consists of a black mask over the bottom half of her face, a short jacket, a dark blue shoulder less dress that barely contains her K-cup breasts, dark blue stockings and a katana with a dragon motif on the pommel.
Name: Ivan Dreyar
Title: Guildmaster of Raven Tail, Father of the Year, Blood Traitor
Affiliation: Fairy Tail (Former), Raven Tail (Former), Grimoire Heart
Level: 215
HP: 505,611
MP: 769,112
SP: 500,045
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Thinks your hair color is stupid, wants you to send a message to his father and son
Skill Level Up!
[Observe LVL. 83/100]
Name: Georg Reizen
Title: Guildmaster of Diavolos, Dragon Eater, Child Eater
Affiliation: Diavolos, Grimoire Heart
Level: 277
HP: 778,421
MP: 998,000
SP: 901,455
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Senses you're a dragon, wants to fight you and then eat you
Name: Meredy
Title: Witch of Perception and Bonds
Affiliation: Crime Sorcière (Former), Grimoire Heart
Level: 301
HP: 1,122,221
MP: 1,502,121
SP: 1,008,300
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: None
Current Status: Brainwashed
Name: Goryu
Title: Masochistic Shinobi, Pseudo-Uchiha
Affiliation: Tobishiro Clan (Former), Grimoire Heart
Level: 365
HP: 1,609,443
MP: 1,745,901
SP: 1,444,544
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: None
Current Status: Brainwashed
Skill Level Up!
[Observe LVL. 84/100]
"Meredy… so he did get her after all." I said before noticing a glowing pink tattoo on her wrist. "?"
"Ivan!" Natsu roars at the man, instantly recognizing him. "What the hell are you doing here!? I thought you were rotting in prison!"
"I would be, but my new friend broke me out. It turns out we have A LOT in common." Ivan smugly said.
"Give us the emerald right now!" Athena said.
Ivan arrogantly smirks while Goryu holds the emerald in her hand. "I'm afraid I can't do that, dolly-chan, oh no. Our benefactor made it clear that we need to retrieve this precious gem-chan posthaste."
"And then we'll be kings in the new world!" Georg exclaims with a fanged grin.
I stare at the two before uttering one phrase. "... [The World]."
"!?" Ivan looks to see that the emerald has vanished from Goryu's person before looking up to see that it is now in Asmodeus' hand. "How did you…!?"
"You're clearly just cannon fodder if Rusty didn't even bother to inform you about my abilities." I throw the gem up and it gets swallowed by a small portal. "Now, I suggest you all run along before I let my friend here tear you two a new one."
Natsu cracks his knuckles, all the while sporting a bloodthirsty grin on his face.
"Big talk from a dragon! I'll show you both how I earned my title of [Dragon Eater]!" Georg roars as he exudes his magic power.
"That's enough." The two freeze as they both turn to Meredy, staring at them with disdain. "This mission is a failure. Return to base."
"What the!? Why does Meredy sound like that prick!?" Natsu yelled.
Athena scans the girl and identifies the spell. "He is using [Sensory Link] to merge the girl's senses with his own, allowing him to observe and speak from another location."
Huh, I didn't know he could do that.
Rustyrose smirked. "Correct. I suppose it is expected that the Negative Legacy would have some knowledge on Lost Magic."
I step forward and flash a smile. "What's wrong, Rusty? Still too much of a coward to face me in person?"
"Oh, don't you worry. Our inevitable meeting will occur sooner than you believe. That I promise you." Rustyrose ominously said.
My brows furrowed. What does that mean?
[I don't like the sound of that tone]
"Now then, return to base. You two have wasted enough time as is with your banter." Rustyrose ordered.
"Yeah, yeah." Georg grunted.
"Very well. Goryu-chan, be a dear and get us out of here, will you?" Ivan asks the kunoichi, who simply nods in confirmation before, to my surprise, her eyes turn into the [Mangekyō Sharingan], and Obito's design no less!
"Kamui." Goryu declares as swirling spatial distortion manifests from her right eye and begins to suck everyone around her into it.
Ivan, who was the last to be sucked in, made a sick smirk at us. "Let my old man and Laxus-chan know we'll be reuniting REAL soon. And when we do, we at Grimoire Heart will make sure to teach the ladies of Fairy Tail how to serve REAL men!"
Those were his last words before they all disappeared.
'I didn't like the sound of that.' I turn to Natsu and Athena. "Let's go, you two. We need to get the others."
"Well, you don't have look too far." I look up to see Mercphobia and Elefseria descending on the blaster with the two women a little far behind.
Name: Mercphobia
Title: The Water Dragon God, The Scourge in the Water
Affiliation: Five Dragon Gods (Former), Guiltina Council
Level: 288
HP: 1,670,985
MP: 611,221
SP: 1,289,074
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Knows you're a dragon, curious about you
Name: Elefseria
Title: World's First Guildmaster, Law Dragon
Affiliation: Magia Dragon
Level: 276
HP: 1,731,288
MP: 1,901,132
SP: 1,666,441
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Knows you're a dragon, weary about you
Name: Ennie Signario
Title: Hell Queen, Red Exorcist
Affiliation: Gold Owl (Former), Fire and Flame
Level: 242
HP: 966,801
MP: 1,001,366
SP: 958,431
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Interested
Name: Luso Signario
Title: Dream Weaver, Luso of the Divine Flames
Affiliation: Gold Owl (Former), Fire and Flame
Level: 246
HP: 973,422
MP: 1,011,299
SP: 962,433
AP: 0
Thoughts about you: Cute
The four jump off the summon and it disappears along with my clone.
"Old man! And um…" He turns to Mercphobia as he tries to remember his name. "... water guy!"
Mecphobia sweat drops. "It's Mercphobia, Natsu-san.
"Okay, got it!" Natsu nods.
"When did you guys wake up?" I asked.
Mecphobia looks at me with an analytical gaze. "What is your name?"
"I'm Asmodeus. Nice to meet you." I said with a smile before noticing the way he looks at me. "Is something wrong?"
"How did you become a Dragon God?" Mercphobia asked, surprising the newcomers.
"A DRAGON GOD!?" Elefseria yelled.
"!?" The Signario sisters were just as shocked.
"He's not the only one. Natsu-san as well." Mercphobia added.
"You're kidding! The pink brat too!?" Elefseria exclaims.
"Hehe." Natsu looks smug. "I'm just that awesome, old man!"
"Still, to think I would see more Dragon Gods is unprecedented considering there are only so few dragons left." Mercphobia gaze quickly shifts to me. "I suppose you're the cause of his evolution."
"Well, I can't really take all of the credit. Most of it goes to Aldoron." I told him.
The two dragons arch a brow at the name. "What does the Wood Dragon God have to do with this? Does it have something to do with those massive power fluxes from almost a month ago?"
"I'll give you the short version. It all went down like this." I then explained to them the events that took place in Drasil, the appearance of the Rebellious cult, Aldoron, the Chaos Emerald, and the dragon's subsequent evolution and later defeat.
After finishing the story, everyone's reactions were varied. Elefseria and Mercphobia grew pale at the prospect of the other dragons, or anyone from that matter, getting ahold of just one of the gems.
The Signario sisters smirked. If they got ahold of one of these Chaos Emeralds, then they would be greatly rewarded by Ignia-sama.
"And all of this from a small rock? Unbelievable." Elefseria breaths out in clear horror.
"Just one of those gems could change them so much." Mercphobia said.
"Yeah. Having an artifact that can turn your thoughts into unlimited power can have that effect on you." I said.
"And to think, not only Aldoron but even Viernes managed to get their hands on these 'Chaos Emeralds'." Elefseria said with a shudder, before looking at us again. "You certainly did Earthland a massive favor in stopping both of them even while they possessed these Emeralds."
"Speaking of which, how did you guys get captured by Gold Owl?" I asked out of curiosity.
"It was shortly after Aldoron was defeated." Mercphobia began.
Flashback
Mercphobia feels a presence enter and turns and sees Athena standing in the front doors of the Water Dragon God Palace.
"An Alchemical Doll came in and asked that I come with her to see her master. I refused of course, but it seems it cannot take no for an answer." Merchphobia said.
The two fought viciously but short as Athena got the upper hand and incapacitated him.
"I didn't stand a chance. The doll's power was beyond mine, even my strength and speed weren't enough in the end and was knocked out." Merchphobia said.
He opens his eyes and finds himself strapped to a medical table. He tries to break free but is soon caught off guard by a familiar presence as Duke looks at him with a smile.
"When I woke up, I found myself bound and face-to-face with an elderly man. However, it didn't take me long to realize his true identity. But by then, it was too late."
The smile turns cruel as Viernes uses [Whiteout] on him, draining him of all his magic and transferring it to a sealed pod next to him.
"Even though my body was inert, I still retained some awareness. I could sense my magic in the vessel, trapped, but it wasn't enough; the vessel needed more power."
Flashback ends
"In the end, I could do nothing but be a spectator to Viernes' machinations. Until you appeared, that is." He bows to me. "I am in your debt, Asmodeus."
+77 Reputation from Mercphobia (77/100)
A smile appears before turning to Elefseria. "And how were you captured?"
"I was lured with a porn mag." Elefseria revealed with the straightest face I've ever seen.
The world seemingly freezes at that moment, silence reigns supreme here.
*CAW! CAW!*
A single crow passes by to break the ice.
"Ehehehe…" Luso nervously chuckles as her left eyebrow twitches.
"Pervert." Emmie glares at the old man.
"…Natsu, in case I forget, remind me to warn all the girls to keep a firm distance from this old pervert," I told Natsu in a serious tone, before looking back at Elefseria in a stoic look laced with disappointment. "Word of warning, you try anything perverted around any of my girls, and there is a good chance they will skin you alive before I do. And they are strong enough to do so, mark my words."
"Got it." Elefseria said, still maintaining his straight face.
It just annoyed me more.
"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, there's still one question left to answer." I turn my gaze to the flinching sisters.
To the sisters, all they see is killing intent in the shape of a man, domination and terror personified
"What to do with the two of you?" He says in a voice that is low and monstrous.
"Eep!" Luso hugs her sister for dear life.
"Hey now, there's no need for such hostility to these poor and vulnerable maidens." Elefseria said in a poor attempt at being 'charismatic' towards the sisters, but it was useless since the truth was obvious and his own blatant admission of how he was captured.
"For the record, I will not help you when the girls kill you gruesomely. You'll have yourself to blame for when that happens." I warned him. "Besides, these two matter little compared to Rusty's mad and twisted plans."
A tick mark appears on Ennie's head. "Asshole!"
"Plans? What plans?" Mercphobia couldn't help but ask.
"Rustyrose wants to use the emeralds to trigger a reset on a universal scale in order to reach Grimoire Heart's dream of the [Ultimate Magic World]. He kidnapped the Moon Dragon God Selene because he believes her power is necessary to avert the effects on himself." I explained to him.
The four were shocked by the revelation, but one that seemed to take harder was Elefseria.
"That's madness! The [Ultimate Magic World] is nothing but the ramblings of madmen!" Elefseria exclaims.
"You seem to be familiar with the subject, Elefseria-sama." Athena points out.
The Law Dragon turns to the android. "And who are you, girl? You are clearly not human."
Athena smiles. "I suppose it is understandable you would not recognize me." She raises her right hand above her chest. "It is Athena, master."
Elefseria's eyes widened. "Athena!? But… but you look…!?"
"I have my friend Asmodeus to thank for my new upgrade." Athena raises her hands as power surges through her new gloved fingers. "I feel more alive than ever."
"Athena…" A fatherly smile appears on his wrinkled face. "It's good to see you again."
"And I you, Elefseria-sama." Athena said.
"So," Their gaze shifts back to me. "You were going to tell us about the [Ultimate Magic World] thing."
"Yes." Elefseria takes a deep breath. "The idea of the [Ultimate Magic World] was born from the survivors of the inquisitions. It was to be a promised land where mages can live in peace, where normal humans could never set foot in or locate. Overtime, its believers grew in number until they became an organization; a cult hellbent on destroying humanity."
I notice the tone he's using. "You seem pretty familiar with this."
Elefseria smirks. "Of course. Magia Dragon was the one who took them down, after all. Well mine and other fledgling magic guilds."
Natsu turns to Mercphobia. "Did you know about this?"
The disguised water dragon shrugs. "Not really, and back then I didn't care about human affairs either."
"It seems that some of their teachings managed to survive to the modern day, and now their misguided legacy is going to destroy us all." Elefseria tightens his grip on his staff. "My friends died for nothing…"
"Not if we have anything to say about it." The dragon looks at me. "We have Fairy Tail, my team, and six emeralds plus the Master Emerald under our belt." An aura of power surrounds me. "We can stop this before it begins."
"But Asmodeus, we do not know where his base is located." Athena points out.
"Then we'll find it, and when we do, we'll throw everything we have at him." I declared.
Everyone nods.
"Are you kidding me!?" Everyone turns to Ennie. "Do you realize how stupid you sound right now!?"
[Oh right, we forgot about them]
"You ladies seem to be taking what you just heard rather well." I commented.
"We have nothing to fear from a human mage. We are the disciples of Ignia-sama." Luso revealed.
"Huh." Mercphobia crosses his arms. "I didn't think Ignia would take on human disciples. He usually burns them to ashes with a goofy grin on his face."
"Ignia is apparently full of surprises," I remarked before looking at them. "But I wouldn't be so sure of being safe just because you're Ignia's disciples. He's not invincible, considering I beat him a month ago."
"YOU DID WHAT!? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" The two sisters yell at once.
"Well, it was a little more complicated but that's what happened." I added. "I not only beat him, but fought toe-to-toe with two other dragon gods and succeeded. I got magic training from the dragon goddess of the moon and stars herself after defeating her guardians." I walk towards them. "I've fought demons and angels alike, I've gained power the likes of which your tiny brains couldn't even begin to process. And you say beating a single fire dragon is impossible?" I lean forward and they flinch as cold silver eyes stare at them. "You have no idea how much 'impossible' defines my everyday life."
The Signario sisters realized just how fucked they are in this situation. They tried teleporting with their magic but were shocked to find that nothing happened.
I straighten up. "Your magic is useless against someone who can nullify it. But just to make sure you don't escape." I snap my fingers.
Black bands appear out of thin air and immediately bind the sisters.
"Don't worry. My prisons are the most comfortable, it'll be like you never left home." I pull out my Scroll and make the call. "Handles, open a bridge at my location."
A Groundbridge opens between Natsu and Mercphobia, spooking the dragon god with its sudden appearance.
"I don't sense any magic from the portal." Elefseria comments as Asmodeus walks past him with the bound sisters floating beside him.
"Woohoo!" Natsu jumps in and disappears.
Mercphobia stares at the vortex before he is suddenly kicked in by Asmodeus, who follows soon after.
Elefseria sweat drops before feeling something caress his hand.
"Let's go, Elefseria-sama." Athena beckons as she guides him towards the portal and the two disappear.
The Groundbridge closes, the wind blows silently as the world goes on.
"You failed." Rustyrose growled from his ivory throne. "You know how much I loathe failure, yes?"
The perspective switches to the kneeling Ivan and Georg, both men sweating profusely as they dared not to raise their heads.
"I-It wasn't our fault!" Ivan pleaded. "Y-You didn't tell us what kind of power he possessed! We were unprepared!"
"Hoh?" Rustyrose's tone was like ice but as sharp as a knife. "Are you saying this is my fault?"
Ivan realizes what he said and vows on all fours. "NO! I didn't mean it like that! Please forgive me!"
"... I believe you both are long overdue for a medical exam." Rustyrose said.
Both the mages' heads snapped up at hearing those words and looked at their master with pleading eyes.
"Mercy…" Georg begged. The strongest dragon slayer in all of Guiltina, the proud man who slayed dragons left and right with a psychotic grim, was beggin for mercy.
"Take them away." Rustyrose ordered.
A pair of armored black claws peal out of the darkness and they grab the two men by their collars.
"NO, NO PLEASE!" Ivan's begging falls on deaf ears as he and Georg are dragged into the darkness.
As soon as they are no longer visible, the sounds of their screams can be heard from seemingly everywhere along with the sounds tearing flesh.
"It's so hard to find good pawns these days. Why you decided to go with their self-entitled fools is beyond me?" A suave and seductive female voice mockingly remarks. "I do not understand why you didn't simply let me extract their magic containers and implant them into mindless drones."
The sound of heels clicking echo as a figure walks out of the shadows. She is a beautiful woman of curvaceous and slender frame with long white hair which is styled into a pair of horns kept together by a hair accessory at the base, light blue skin, and purple eyes. The right side of her hair is longer than the other and hangs in front of her chest. She wears a gold armband with a green gem hanging in the center as well as a pair of gold earrings with purple gems. She wears a red and black skin tight bodysuit that has a v shaped hole around her stomach, and has slits on the bottom half, exposing the bottom of her large I-cup breasts. She wears a closed black cape that is jagged at the bottom, making it look like she's wearing a noble but gothic dress and red and black high heels . She carries a brown staff that curbs at the top with a green orb trapped in the spiral.
"Towa. Is everything ready?" Rusty asked.
Towa's smile is beyond sinister. "Of course. Who do you take me for? In fact, we are ahead of schedule. The fruits are ready for harvest and our newest dolls are the strongest yet."
"Good. And your other project?" Rusty asked.
"Everything is set. We can begin at any time." Towa said.
Rustyrose rises from his throne. "Then let us begin. I want to surprise our guests with my new suit when they arrive."
As Rustyrose walks out the throne room, Towa follows suit as her expression turns predatory.
'And soon, that boy's power will be all mine~' She said devilishly.
Machinery whirrs to life as the Groundbridge activates and seven people appear from its vortex before shutting down.
"Where are we?" Elefseria asks as he and the newcomers look around.
"This is the [Aincrad], my base of operations that my team and I live and operate in, and is currently housing Fairy Tail as we prepare for the fight against Rustyrose." I explained to the newcomers.
"It's also a flying ship!" Natsu excitingly adds.
"Ugh!" Elefseria and Mercphobia suddenly turn green and nauseous.
[Oh shit! We forgot about their motion sickness!]
"Hold on, you two." I place my hands on their shoulders and start channeling [Chaos Energy] into them, causing their nausea to disappear. "There. Now you'll never suffer from motion sickness again!"
"!?" Needless to say the two dragons are surprised.
"At last, my prayers have been answered!" Elefseria exclaims as he unleashes waterfalls of tears.
"Yeah, Azzy has been a big help to us ever since we worked together to take out Aldoron!" Natsu proudly states while wrapping an arm around me.
Elefseria dries his tears. "It's good to hear that you found a good friend, Natsu. It's clear that your team has come farther than any other in succeeding in the [100-year Quest]." He said, but soon switches to a more serious tone. "But I'm afraid it's not without consequences."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Natsu asked in confusion.
"You and your team signed a contract when you accepted the quest, remember? And one of the clauses states that you cannot involve outsiders." Elefseria reminded Natsu, whose expression now morphed into horror.
"W-Wait, you don't mean-" Natsu stammered in shock.
"I'm afraid I do. Team Natsu has failed the [100-Year Quest]. Sorry." Elefseria announces before summoning their contracts and promptly burns them to ashes.
"NOOOO!" Natsu screamed. He desperately tries to collect the ashes but it just crumbles the moment he touches them.
[Oof! Guess we should have seen that coming. Though this is Natsu's fault for not keeping his mouth shut]
"Now hold on. While it's true that I helped them in defeating the dragons, I did it out of my own volition. And let me tell you, things got really complicated." I argued. "They were forced to fight their guild, their own family, after being brainwashed by a [White Wizard] impersonator who wanted to steal Aldoron's magic and make him her slave, but all that did was wake the dragon up. So we fought him, but things took a turn when he revealed that he had a Chaos Emerald and used it on himself to evolve into something else. He became more powerful, but also more insane. The only reason everyone is alive right now is because of their teamwork and general stubbornness." I explained. "Not only that, but Viernes had an emerald and was using it to experiment with other universes. I had to intervene or else things would have escalated. Natsu was an unexpected tag along for the raid."
"Of that, I do not doubt. The dragon gods have always tried to one-up each other, and just having one of these emeralds allowed them to make huge leaps in power unlike anything I've ever seen." Elefseria agrees but narrows his eyes. "However, my decision still stands. I will not reinstate their contracts."
[Stubborn old man!]
I glance down at a crying Natsu. "What am I gonna do? Erza's gonna kill me for sure…"
[Yeah, that's sounds about right]
"I will congratulate you for defeating three of the Dragon Gods, something that no one has been able to do since I submitted the quest. Your names will certainly go down in history." Elefseria assures him.
However, instead of being happy, Elefseria's words simply made Natsu cry harder.
'This is so sad.' I watch in pity as Natsu wallows in misery before an idea crosses my mind.
"I'm… sorry that I cost you and the team your quest." I said, trying to be as sincere as possible. "I'm sure I can make it up to you guys."
Natsu sobs. "Thanks. But, you can't. It's not possible."
I turn to Elefseria. "How much was the reward for completing the quest?"
"The reward was that the mage would get one wish upon completing the quest." Elefseria said.
I give the old dragon a skeptic look. "That sounds like a fucking scam if you ask me."
"I have to agree with Asmodeus on this one, Elefseria. Even I think that's shady as hell." Mercphobia said.
"Hey! Having your deepest wishes granted is the greatest reward of all! (Stupid brats!)" Elefseria exclaims, whispering the last part to himself.
"Elefseria-sama. Do you truly have the power to grant wishes?" A curious Athena asks.
The Law Dragon stumbles at the question. "U-Uh… w-well, you see… ehehehe…"
[Yeah. Real convincing there pal]
"Well, we can all agree that Elefseria is a sketchy guy who should definitely be on some sex offender watchlist (E: Hey!), but I have the perfect alternative." I said.
"R-Really?" Natsu says with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Yeah! Although you're gonna have to wait until this mess is over, I promise that I'll be with you till the end." I said with a smile on my face.
"Alright!" Natsu jumps with joy.
"But you'll have to tell the others first." Natsu deflates immediately.
"Okay, now that's done." I turn my attention to the Signario sisters. "It's time to put you in your cells."
"You know we've just been floating here the whole time and you just now acknowledge our presence." Ennie drily remarks although it's obvious she's very anxious.
"Well, we were clearly in the middle of something important. And why didn't you say anything?" I asked.
"We didn't wanna be rude. Plus, watching Pinky here is fun." Luso says with a smile.
"... Right." I clap my hands together. "Off we go!" I will the two towards me and grab Luso's shoulder. "Oh, and I suggest you tell the others as soon as possible Natsu."
"Do I have to?" Natsu whined.
"Would you rather they find out after they finish the quest so they can kill you slowly and painfully?" I rhetorically ask only for the Salamander to stay silent. "Yeah. Didn't think so. Just tell them the truth and that I'll give them something for their efforts, and also that Elefseria will pay for scamming you guys." I glare at said mage. "Right?"
"O-Of course!" Elefseria nervously exclaims.
[Damn, he's really scared]
"Alright, later." I teleport out of the room.
I reappear in front of a door.
"Here we are, you're home away from home." I remark.
"You think these dingy-looking boxes can contain the two of us?" Luso rhetorically asks.
"Yeah-huh." And with a loud "Eep" I throw the two inside.
The sisters look to find a surprisingly furnished room with bunk beds, a TV, a fridge, and a bathroom.
"What the…?" Ennie was surprised.
"I may be cruel to my enemies, but I'm not heartless." I told them. "Despite working for Ignia, you two don't rub me off as completely bad people. You both were used and brainwashed by a being much stronger than you, and I have experience with that affliction. However, you still work for that lizard bastard willingly, and that isn't something I'm gonna slide." I said. "You two will remain here until the Rustyrose situation is settled. The last thing we need right now are a pair of rogue elements causing trouble while the fate of reality is at stake. Also don't bother using magic to try and escape because if you do, Handles will flood the room with [Magical Barrier Particles]. Not enough to kill but enough to knock you out."
"So, that's it? You're gonna keep us prisoners in your own home?" Ennie spat with venom.
"I think I made that very clear back in Fian, yes? But don't worry, I won't deprive you of basic accommodations so long as you behave. The TV there has about 6,000 pre-recorded shows and movies that you can watch at your leisure." I explained.
"This won't hold us forever. Ignia-sama will come and rescue us!" Ennie argued.
"Sis…" Luso frowns at her sister's denial.
"You're joking, right?" I look at her like she grew a second head. "That bastard's definitely written you both off as dead by now since you've been in Gold Owl for who knows how long. I mean, even your sister sees that." I shrug. "But hey, if that helps you sleep at night then keep clinging onto that delusion of yours. See how far that gets you."
-23 Affection from Ennie Signario (-23/100)
'Huh. I think that's the first I've ever gotten a negative number from a girl.' I thought.
"Anyways, you two just sit tight in there and get comfortable. If either of you start misbehaving, I will send someone to reprimand you. And trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of that." I warned before the door closes and makes a noise as the locks are engaged.
"Well, it seems like I have missed a lot during my wanderings of this place."
I turn to see Kyôka walking towards me. "Where have you been all of this time?"
"I have been exploring every corner of the base, and while I couldn't find any remains of my old guild, I can say with pride that I am an expert at navigating this place." Kyôka boasted. "Also, I ran into the Dragon Queen and she gave me a late housewarming gift, which I enjoyed thoroughly."
[So that's where August ended up. That's what he gets for manipulating Brandi like that]
"Well, you missed a lot but just know that we're on the cusp of war and we'll need to be ready." I told her.
"Sounds fun." Kyôka says with a bit of excitement in her tone.
"Also, we have two new guests." I gesture at the door. "If they misbehave, you have my permission to discipline them in any way you choose. Just don't kill them."
+44 Affection from Kyôka (44/100)
"Wonderful~" Kyôka purrs lewdly at the prospect. "And don't worry. I will make sure they leave my care in good health."
[Did her switch just flip? Man, demon girls are real degenerates]
I turn around. "Walk with me."
Kyôka obeys and the two walk through the empty hallway.
"Are you adjusting fine to the [Aincrad]?" I asked.
"Yes. And seeing familiar faces also helped the transition." Kyôka smiles lewdly. "It's good to see Seilah again. We had a lot of time to 'catch up'. Heh."
[Guess that explains why Seilah never joined the threesome with Mirajane and Brandish or even the recent foursome]
"... can I ask you a personal question?" I suddenly asked.
"Depends on the question itself." Kyôka said.
I think of the best possible way to word my question. "... how does it feel… to come back?"
"You mean returning from death?" Kyôka questioned which earned her a nod from me.
She stops walking and her eyes wander to the white stainless floor, looking puzzled.
Finally, she looks up and there's uncertainty in her eyes. "... it felt numb."
"Numb?"
"That's the best word I can describe it." Kyôka reluctantly admits. "I remember laying on the floor bleeding out, defeated by Scarlet and that other female swordsman and then… nothing." She explains. "Next thing I know I'm fighting her again along with two other humans, but when I saw her face I… I panicked. Her stare sends shivers throughout my body and then all I see is darkness again."
[She remembers being summoned by Historia of the Dead? I wonder if that's the same case for Ur]
"And then when I saw the light again, I saw you sitting on your iron throne with a smile on your face and thought 'is this the God of Death? He is more handsome than I thought'." Kyôka revealed.
[More handsome than a god, huh? Devil's Charm and Ultimate Adonis really do make you irresistible to any female with no real effort]
'Are you the devil on my shoulder now? My ego is nowhere near that big.' I thought in exasperation.
[You're THE Gamer, dumbass. Anything is possible and the system can accomplish or allow anything to happen so long as you desire it]
"I am truly grateful for the new opportunity in life that you have given me. I understand why Seilah and the others are so devoted to you, as you truly are a man unlike no other, and I can proudly say that accepting your second chance at life and swearing loyalty to you was the best choice I ever made." Kyôka proudly states before a lewd expression appears on her face and walks towards me with a noticeable sway in her curvy hips before pressing herself against me. "And I promise I will fulfill any desire you wish for me. And I do mean anything~"
I stare at the hypnotic sway of her wide child bearing, naked hips and can't help but blush a bit.
"Right. Thank you." I said.
"I am curious though," My attention focuses back to Kyôka. "Why the sudden interest in my experience?"
"No reason, just curious that's all." I assured her.
Kyôka doesn't buy it one bit. "Master… Did something happen to you?"
I stand still for a moment before giving her a smile. "Yeah… but I'm okay now!"
"..."
"C'mon. Let's go find the others." I replied before leaving.
'What are you hiding?' The Goddess of the Slave Planet thought before quickly following after him.
Upon arriving at the main lobby, I was immediately greeted at the sight of a bludgeoned and beaten Natsu hanging upside down in front of his upset team.
"Of all the stupid stunts you've pulled Natsu, this has got to be the worst one yet!" Erza yelled, visibly seething in rage.
"Natsu, you dummy! You cost me delicious fish!" Happy yells in cute outrage.
"I could have turned Fairy Tail into a civilized group!" Carla yelled.
"You got us booted out of the quest because you couldn't keep your big fat lizard mouth shut!" Gray snarled.
"I could have wished to be the richest woman in the world, or pay off my debt, or even get Aquarius' key! But now that's gone forever!" Lucy sobbed.
"I could have wished for more sex appeal! Now I'm stuck as a runt forever!" Wendy sobs and punches his face.
[Huh. I'm surprised they didn't just outright kill him]
'It's my fault, though. I cost them the [100-year Quest], so I'll make it right.' I said.
[You really are dead set on doing this, aren't you?]
'Well, you know me. Plus, unlike that scam artist of a dragon, I can grant wishes.' I smirked.
[Correction, your Black-Star Dragon Balls can grant wishes. Speaking of which, we really need to make time to alter them so that they don't blow up the planet within a year]
"Asmodeus-sama!" I heard a familiar voice before being glomped on by Brandish, who was eagerly hugging me in a virtual vice-grip and pressing her body (especially her large boobs) against me, as she typically did.
"There you are, Azzy! You're not hurt, are you!?" Cana asks with clear worry, as she and the other girls quickly approach me, followed closely by the Isekajin girls. "Natsu gave us the basic rundown. You fought the Gold Dragon God and encountered that freak's forces while claiming the last Chaos Emerald?"
Before I could answer, Elefseria's voice cut me off.
"Asmodeus, you never mentioned that the female company you had was this GORGEOUS! Look at all of these goddesses and their divine bodies!" Elefseria says in a lecherous tone and expression being apparent for all to see, drawing looks of disgust from all the females.
"Asmodeus-sama, who is this dirty old man and can I castrate him?" Irene asked while glaring at the perverted dragon.
"I will join you." Yoko chimed in.
"As will I." Diana cracks her knuckles.
"There's no need for that… yet." I told the girls. "As for your question, his name is Elefseria, the founder and guildmaster of Magia Dragon, Earthland's first Magic Guild and the guild that created the [100-year Quest] that Gildarts and Team Natsu undertook. He's also a self-taught [Law Dragon Slayer] who underwent [Dragonification], and is now the Law Dragon."
Irene's eyes widened by the reveal. She didn't know there was someone else who underwent [Dragonification] besides herself and Acnologia.
I give the old dragon a deadpanned look. "I'm warning you, you old pervert. These girls are a LOT stronger than you think and won't hesitate to beat you within an inch of your life if you continue your perverted antics."
Elefseria glances at the girls and feels the overwhelming power coming from them before looking back to Asmodeus and nodding.
"Guys, please stop tormenting Natsu." I told them, catching the attention of Team Natsu. "While Natsu's big mouth may have technically cost you all your reward, the blame ultimately falls on me for helping you even despite the extreme dangers like the Rebellious cult or the presence of the Chaos Emeralds! But Natsu and I DID learn that Elefseria was likely lying about his ability to grant wishes, and that's something I actually CAN do for you guys!"
"Y-You really can grant wishes?" Wendy asks.
"Well, not me personally, but I do have something that can grant wishes." I clarified.
"Well!? Take it out so we can have our wishes granted!" Gray walks forward before a raised hand stops him.
"As much as we appreciate the gesture, it would sully our honor as Fairy Tail mages if we were to accept such a reward." Erza stated, causing her teammates to look at her in horror. "Our quest has been voided, so we cannot accept it."
"Erza, you can't be serious! This isn't like with Galuna Island! Plus, if what Asmodeus is saying is true, then Elefseria was probably scamming us from the beginning! Don't we deserve this after everything we have been through in fighting the 5 Dragon Gods?!" Lucy pleaded while glaring at Elefseria for his lie.
Before Erza could reply, I cut her off.
"Lucy raises a valid point, Erza. You guys risked your lives taking on the most dangerous beings in all of Earthland for a reward that was ultimately skeptical at best, and I was the one who cost you guys your quest. Don't see this as me pitying you, but rather to repay my friends and for the support Fairy Tail has given me since the defeat of Aldoron." I explained. "Besides, helping save the universe is definitely a FAR bigger accomplishment than beating just five dragons." I turn to Mercphobia. "No offense, of course."
"Some taken." Mercphobia tried his best to hide his scowl, but failed.
"Point is, you guys deserve compensation for putting your lives constantly on the line." I add.
"That's nice of you to say, but-" Erza was about to say before a hand covers her mouth.
"Just take it, Erza. You're making my hubby look bad." Mira told her.
"HUBBY!?" Team Natsu exclaims.
"Yup!" Mira chirps as she hugs my right arm. "We got married two days ago!"
"Same here!" Brandish hugs my left arm.
"We're all pretty much married to the guy." Ur smirks.
*THUD!*
Gray fainted.
"Gray-san!" Wendy checks on the downed Ice Mage.
*SMASH!*
Everyone turns to the smashed wall and sees Juvia walking in.
"My Juvia-sense is tingling! Gray-sama is in trouble!" She then spots her target on the ground. "GRAY-SAMA!"
She rushes towards Gray at lightning-fast speeds, knocking everyone in her way.
She pulls him up to meet her gaze. "Don't die on Juvia, Gray-sama!" She then plants his head into her bosom, causing Gray to snap out of his daze and frantically wail around due to the lack of oxygen.
"You're killing him, Juvia!" Lucy yells at the water girl.
Juvia blinks and pulls Gray out of her bosom to find his face blue from asphyxiation.
"Hehehe… sorry." Juvia sheepishly said.
Lisanna's cute head pops out of the hole. "Geez, Juvia, we know you love him, but this is a bit much even by your standards." She scolded her. "You do know this is Asmodeus-san's place, correct?"
"It's fine. I'm starting to get used to you guys smashing my stuff." I remarked.
Juvia quickly gets on all fours and bows. "Please forgive Juvia, Asmodeus-san!"
Not long after, the other members of Fairy Tail begin to walk through the hole.
Except Laxus, who uses the door like a NORMAL person.
I told everyone what happened and they didn't seem that surprised that Juvia did that. But then I told everyone that I married Mira, Cana, and the rest of the girls and THAT got everyone's immediate attention.
Everyone reacted to the news differently, the majority of which were shocked.
Lisanna and Elfman cried at the fact that their big sister finally got hitched. Lisanna honestly thought she would get together with Laxus, but she bluntly shut that idea down.
Gildarts tried to murder me, but he was quickly apprehended and tossed out of the room by Cana.
The girls were excited and already started making wedding plans. Kinana then started to think about Erik and wondered if they should have their wedding soon.
The majority of the men gave me heated glares of jealousy and hatred. I think I heard some of them whisper of murdering me in my sleep.
Ha! Good luck with that!
The next surprise was the introduction of Mechphobia and Elefseria, the Water Dragon God and Law Dragon as well as the one behind the [100-Year Quest].
"Are you really real-life dragons!?" Laki asks.
"Yes, we are." Mechphobia nods. 'She reminds me of Karameel.'
Elefseria was crying crocodile tears as he heard about the marriage.
"That upstart bastard! How did he manage to get engaged to such goddesses!?" He bites on a handkerchief he pulled from nowhere. "Curse him! I will curse him for eternity!"
However, he was quickly beaten up and subdued by the girls for badmouthing him.
[Ha! That's what you get for badmouthing a shounen protagonist!]
'I don't think he minds, though.' I deadpan as I stare at Elefseria's smiling face.
[Gross]
Irene wasn't done with him though, constantly stepping on him and berating him for tricking Erza and the others to go on a clear death trap. But when she realized this was the dragon's kink, she quickly moved away from him with disgust.
'It is one thing if a hot girl is a masochist, but it's another thing if it's a shameless old man with no self-restraint, especially in public.' I noted.
[Again, Gross]
"So, long story short." I began, catching everyone's attention. "We rescued Mercphobia and Elefseria when we went to confront the Alchemist Guild, Gold Owl, the very same Guild that launched that attack yesterday with those drones. We discovered that Gold Owl was under the control of the Gold Dragon God, Viernes, who also had the 7th Chaos Emerald. Thankfully, even with the massive boost in power Viernes got from it, the three of us were ultimately able to beat him with far less trouble than Aldoron." I explained. "However, shortly after, we were intercepted by a group sent by our resident psycho dark mage who were trying to steal the emerald, but thankfully they were unsuccessful."
"Who were the ones sent by that bastard?" Ur asked with venom clear in her voice.
"It was a team of four. One was a kunoichi named Goryu, a dragon slayer named Georg Reizen, the former master of Raven Tail Ivan Dreyar, and finally Crime Sorcière's Meredy." I list down, causing a variety of reactions from the guild.
Team Natsu thought that this Georg may be affiliated with the dragon eater guild Diavolos since he was a dragon slayer. Did this mean the guild allied themselves with Rustyrose? Sure, they didn't like them considering their past encounters, but they thought they had more dignity than that.
Jellal was nearly throbbing at the mouth at the image of Meredy in the hands of that disgusting bastard, mentally wishing he had killed the bastard when they last met.
Makarov and Laxus were surprised by the uttering of Ivan's name, but their surprise instantly turns into anger as Asmodeus tells them Ivan's parting words which almost sends them over the limit.
The rest of Fairy Tail were outraged at the declaration, their anger so palpable that it raised the temperature of the entire room by a few degrees.
Yuko, Yoko, and Konomi were shocked that Goryu was there for different reasons.
Yoko felt remorseful for Goryu. Despite not being all that close, they had a mutual respect for one another. They also had an intense hatred for the Tobishiro Clan both for the fact that they took whatever happiness they had and because of their machinations. And although she knew that the kunoichi was an all around sadist and masochist, she knew that if Goryu wanted to, she would have killed every single member of that disgusting family and Yoko would happily join her.
Yuko had run into the ninja a few times before, and how close to death she was during said encounters. And despite everything she's done, she didn't think Goryu deserved to be some pervert's twisted experiment/sex toy.
Konomi was at a loss. She felt fear and started to hyperventilate when she heard that name, but didn't understand why.
"Hey." A voice called out and she turns to see Chun-Li. "Are you alright? You suddenly turned pale."
"I-I'm fine, senpai." Konomi assured her.
"You don't seem fine, Konomi-san." Shizuka pointed out in a concerned tone as she placed a hand on Konomi's shoulder, her training and education as a nurse causing her to notice the shift in Konomi's behavior, with Yuko and Chisato also noticing and approaching her. "You seemed on the verge of a panic attack when you heard the name. You know this person, don't know, and possibly not in a good way? We are here for you, no matter what."
"Thanks girls…" Konomi said.
"What did you say?!" A voice called out, getting everyone's attention. At the hole in the wall was an awakened and recovered Ultear Milkovich, followed closely by Dimaria, Layla, Anna, Android 18, and a human Android 21.
They had all fully recovered and awakened from their brainwashing and were confirmed by Lamy to not suffer any permanent negative consequences from the modifications they were forced to endure at Rustyrose's hands.
They came when they heard of the return of their savior, Asmodeus, and Ultear was feeling shocked, horrified, and PISSED at what she heard. "RUSTYROSE HAS WHO?!"
"Meredy, yes." I confirmed in a sympathetic tone. "Also, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, but that's beside the point!" Ultear snapped. "It's already bad enough that he did all sorts of horrible things to us, but he had the nerve to kidnap Meredy and used her to do who knows what! This will not stand!"
An aura of power begins to envelop Ultear as her emotions run wild as the image of her foster daughter screaming in pain as she is operated on plays in her mind.
Ur immediately runs to her daughter's side and wraps herself in an embrace to console her daughter.
Ultear's aura regresses as she returns the embrace followed by loud sobs.
"It's okay, Ultear. We'll get her back and make that asshole pay." Ur tells her crying daughter in a soothing tone.
Dimaria spots Natsu hanging upside down on the ceiling and quickly hides behind Brandish.
18 looks around the lobby. "So these are the strongest mages around, huh? I'm not impressed."
"18, don't be so rude!" 21 scolds her.
"What? I'm just sayin' that if these guys fought Goku, they would all end up as large stains on the floor." 18 states.
"You shouldn't be so quick to underestimate them. Fairy Tail has a reputation of defying the odds and overcoming whatever challenges come their way, 18." I told her.
"You know who I am?" Android 18 asks in surprise.
"I'm a traveler of the multiverse, and I have heard countless stories and acquired a comprehensive knowledge of certain universes and individuals. The stories of the adventures of Son Goku and the various adversaries he faced along the way, including the Androids created by Dr. Gero like yourself, are among my personal favorites." I said with a charming smile, causing her to blush before looking at me with a heavily lustful expression, practically eye-fucking me for anyone to see.
[Geez, that didn't take long. I guess this means Rusty took her before she developed feelings for Krillin. Can't say I feel bad for the monk since he's, well, dead and all]
"Well, my name is Android 21, or just 21 for short." The New-Type Android then bows to me. "I am thankful to you for not only saving all of us from Rustyrose's clutches, but for fixing my prior instability. I am eternally thankful to you, Asmodeus-san."
+72 affection from Android 21 (72/100)
"My name's Android 18, or Super 18 now I guess." 18 says while looking away from me, though a blush was apparent on her face.
+56 Affection from Super Android 18 (56/100)
[Wow, another tsundere in the harem. Hope this doesn't become a trend]
"Nice to meet you, ladies." I nod.
"By the way, is it true you made Cell your slave? That must be driving him crazy." 18 says with a laugh.
"Oh it is, but I think he's starting to get used to his new role." I said.
18 huffs. "Well, I hope that parasite chokes on it. Being a slave is the least of what he deserves."
[I'm surprised she didn't go after him and instead came here to meet you]
Dimaria's head slowly pokes out of Brandish's shoulder. "I-I'm Dimaria Yasta. T-Thank you for saving me."
+60 Affection from Dimaria Yasta (60/100)
[It seems you'll have to try harder to break Dimaria's shell. She doesn't seem to trust men]
Layla bows in curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Asmodeus-kun. My name is Layla Heartfilia, and my daughter Lucy informed me how you were the one to save us. Though she left out how incredibly handsome you are, fufufu~" Layla giggled before winking at me and was blatantly ogling me with absolutely no shame. "I look forward to properly thanking you at the next available opportunity~"
"M-MOTHER!" Lucy stammered in embarrassment, her face tomato-red.
"It's nice to finally meet you. I can see where Lucy gets her beautiful looks from." I said with a smirk.
"Ara, such a charmer. Ladies must be coming at you in waves~" Layla teased.
[Well, she's not wrong about that]
"Still, I hope that you are a better man than my former husband. I would have beat him repeatedly for what he put my Lucy through." Layla remarks.
"Don't worry. Unlike him, I treat my girls like the affectionate goddesses they are." I said.
"Well, I hope you have room for one more then." Layla smirked.
"There's always room for more, my dear. I want to have a big family someday, after all." I bluntly admit with a smile.
"Oh my." Layla was a bit taken aback by his blunt comment and blushes.
+77 Affection from Layla Heartfilia (77/100)
"STOP FLIRTING WITH MY MOM!" An angry Lucy screams out.
"Now, now Lucy, there's no need to be such a prune. Let your mother flirt some more~" Anna said
"But Grandma!" Lucy pouts.
Anna giggles as she looks at me with a mix of genuine gratefulness and a bit of arousal. "I am Anna Heartfilia, and I thank you for saving us from that horrible monster." She then looks me in the eyes. "I know it may sound ridiculous, but could you let me fight Rustyrose?"
I arch an eyebrow at the odd request. "Any particular reason?" I ask just as an aura of malice begins to erupt from her body.
"He destroyed everything I had! He took the source of happiness I had in this era!" He clenches her fists with vigor. "I will not rest until I see that monster PAY for what he has done!"
[Wait a minute. Didn't Rusty say that he took Anna while she was vulnerable in teaching her class of young children? Damn! And here I thought he couldn't get any lower]
I narrow my eyes as I draw the image in my head. He's willing to kill children just to get to her!? That's just sick.
"I may just honor your request, Anna." I said. "And I promise, once I train you, you'll be unstoppable."
Anna's eyes widened before giving me a heartfelt smile. "Thank you so much."
+77 Affection from Anna Heartfilia (77/100)
"Um…" I turn to a slightly recovered Ultear. "My name's Ultear Milkovich. Thank you for reuniting me with my mother."
"It was no problem." I told her, only for her to suddenly get down on all fours and bows.
[What the?]
"PLEASE save Meredy, Asmodeus-sama! You can do whatever you want with me, but please save my daughter!" Ultear exclaims just as she is pulled up by her mother, her eyes red from crying.
"Hey, hey. There's no need for that." I kneel in front of Ultear. "I have every intention of rescuing all of Rusty's victims, including Meredy." I wipe the tear tracks off her face. "So no more tears please, they don't suit your beautiful face."
Ultear begins to cry harder and proceeds to wrap in a powerful embrace.
+59 Affection from Ultear Milkovich (59/100)
"Master, who is this Meredy they are talking about?" Lady Avalon asks out of curiosity.
I stand up and Ur takes her daughter away. "Meredy is a former member of Grimoire Heart. She, Ultear, and Rustyrose were members of the guild." I began. "After the guild disbanded, she and Ultear had a change of heart and established the Independent Guilds Crime Sorcière alongside Jellal as a means of atoning for their past mistakes. She and Ultear had a particularly close relationship since Ultear practically raised Meredy as her foster daughter." I explained, drawing looks of understanding and sympathy from all the girls.
Yoko was more interested in their guild. An organization made up of criminals who wanted to atone for their past. She would gladly join their group if it meant fixing her relationship with Yuko, but she knew that would take a long time. Plus, could she even call herself family with all the blood on her hands? Would they even accept a cold-blooded killer with a body count in the thousands?
"From the looks of things, it seems Ivan and Georg joined forces with Grimoire Heart since their minds were mostly intact." I said, making an emphasis on the word "mostly". "I don't know what sort of modifications he did on Meredy, but it seems he gave Goryu the ability to manipulate space and transfer herself and others to other locations with her right eye." I turn on my [Silver Rinne-Sharingan]. "My eyes have the same ability, which means her left eye can use a long ranged version that allows her to essentially create a border in space that traps the target and pulls them into their pocket dimension."
[Hm. Maybe we should check our own Kamui dimension some time]
"How do you avoid something like that?" Evergreen asks.
"There are two ways to avoid or counter it." I began. "One way is that you'd have to move really, really fast so that the eyes can't track you. Another way to effectively counter it is using spatial magic or space-time manipulation. " I raise my hand over one of my eyes. "Since my eyes possess the same power as hers, I can easily disrupt or negate her ability."
"So, we may need Minerva to fight this Goryu. Her [Territory] allows her to manipulate an area of space." Erza said.
"Brandish should be able to use [Territory] as well. She has August's [Copy] magic along with all of his knowledge." I also point out.
"That's right! Asmodeus-sama gave me all of the Wizard King's memories!" Brandish reveals.
Cana gives the greene a funny look. "When did that happen?"
"Oh, it was after Asmodeus-sama saved me from a life of self-loathing and hatred." Pink hearts float above Brandish's head and starts squealing like a schoolgirl. "It was so romantic!"
Cana sweat drops at the girl's antics.
"Not gonna lie. This is starting to look like the Alvarez War all over again." Max comments.
"Yeah. We're not even sure how many fighters he has in his guild." Vijeeter adds.
Gajeel scoffs. "You morons. Why do you think we've been training all of this time?"
"Yeah. YOU guys have been training in that hypersonic place or whatever you call it. Frankly, I don't see the difference." Reedus said.
Gajeel smirks as he cracks his knuckles. "Want to see a demonstration?"
"Enough." Everyone glances at Makarov. "Now isn't the time to fight amongst each other. We have three more days before the big fight. I suggest we use our time wisely."
"He's right. Besides, you guys need more training." I add.
"Wait, seriously? We spent a year in there training and now you want us to go back?" A skeptic Mest said.
"What? Did you think you were going to master Ki in a year? That's not how this works. Just like with magic, it takes years to master. You guys have barely scratched the surface with your new powers." I said with a light chuckle.
"I… guess you're right." Jellal reluctantly admits.
"Besides, do you all REALLY wanna take any chances with the stakes being so high? Rustyrose and his stupid guild is putting not just your world but your entire UNIVERSE at stake, and that's without even considering the fact that he plans to do the same to OTHER Universes across the Multiverse! You think the likes of Acnologia and Zeref or even the dragon gods can top that!?" I yelled. "And if we fail, it means either slavery or death for all of us in Rustyrose's twisted new reality, with all the women becoming his obedient sex dolls. Do you REALLY want to risk it all?"
"N-N-NO!" Reedus yelled.
"Then stop whining! It hasn't saved anyone before and it won't save anyone now!" I breathe out.
"AYE SIR!" The men straighten themselves and salute.
The women, meanwhile, all have determined looks on their faces, ready to endure whatever grueling training Asmodeus has cooked up just to give them a fighting chance.
"That's what I like to hear! NOW MARCH MAGGOTS!" I yell and everyone leaves the lobby.
"That includes you THREE as well!" I yelled, causing Makarov, Macao, and Wakaba to jolt as they were seen sliding in the opposite direction. "And don't you dare use your old people's excuse. Unless you wanna die."
"You're gonna kill us faster with that training regime of yours!" Wakaba argues.
"Eh, true. But hey, if you do die, I'll just bring you back to life." I said with an innocent smile.
"Y-You're a devil!" Makarov said as he sweats profusely.
"I mean, duh! But I'm one hell of a devil! How do you think I hooked up with so many girls?" I rhetorically ask. "Now march."
The three old men slouch forward in defeat, a dark raining cloud hanging above them as they slide towards the hole.
"Handles. Tell the others to meet at the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. This is a group activity after all." I said.
"UNDERSTOOD." The AI acknowledges.
I take a deep breath before turning to Irene. "Say, I haven't seen August since I left him with you." I furrow my eyebrows. "He's not dead, is he?"
"Oh goodness no!" Irene lets out a dark chuckle. "He knows that if I wanted him dead, he would be."
"Dare I ask where he is?" I inquired. "I know you gave him to Kyôka. So did you throw him out or is he around somewhere?"
"He's around, but I don't know where he is." Irene clicks her tongue in annoyance. "That runt has always managed to evade my vision, and has gotten cockier the older and knowledgeable he got."
"I see." I hummed. "Handles, tell August that I expect him in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train with the others," I call out to the AI. "Tell him his MASTER is ORDERING him to participate, and that if he doesn't show up, he WILL be severely punished."
"YES SIR." The AI replied.
[How do you think Brandi will react when she sees him?]
'Likely hurt and angry. She'll likely want a pound of flesh. As long as it helps her move forward.' A dark smirk appears on my face. 'And hey, if he does die, I'll just bring him back so Brandi can kill him again.'
[You are being oddly cruel today]
'He hurt my Brandi. Anyone who hurts my girls WILL be shown no mercy.' I declared.
"Well, time to go." I extend my hand to Irene. "Coming, my queen?"
Irene smiles and takes my hand and the two of us leave the lobby.
At an unknown lab
Towa stands before two large glass tubes, with the right one glowing green and the other glowing blue.
"They are almost complete. I just need to inject them with more power. But just a single emerald is not enough." Towa ponders for a minute. "But how do I get the rest without letting Rustyrose know?"
She then turns to the image of Earthland on her screen and a cruel smile appears on her face.
"Yes. That can work. Hehehehe." Towa lets out a dark chuckle. "That snot-nosed brat may be an even better pawn than I anticipated."
She laughs as she quickly puts her plan into action.
The view switches to the two energy tubes, where two silhouettes can be seen floating in a fetal position.
Author Notes
And that ends this chapter. One (probably two or three) more chapters remain.
Hope you all look forward to them.
If you hate it, I don't care. That's not gonna stop me from writing these.
The website doesn't accept the infinity symbol anymore.
Peace~