Local Dragon Ruins History 13 (Waifu Catalog, Nasu!Mythology)
The beach volleyball tournament was cancelled after everyone kept blowing up the ball with their super strength and liberal use of magic. I was, of course, the undisputed champion of sandcastle building. Not that anyone really took the 'competition' seriously, even I spent most of the time helping the girls build their own castles and played around in the sand with them.
Ingvild had won the singing competition that sprung forth from our Karaoke session handily even though Demeter had been using Auto-Tune in her attempts to win.
The merriment of the beach party was concluded after an all-night long orgy. The only non-participants were Meredith and Ingvild. Ingvild had been exhausted by all the physical and social activities, her being more of a traditional good girl was also a contributing factor to her decision to take a bath and go to bed after the fireworks. Meredith stayed on as an observer and recorded some parts of the show for memory's sake.
Now that we all had our fun I figured it was time to progress to the 'training arc' routine. Thanks to Sothis taking the initiative and our efforts as a group, we had all gained new understanding of God's spellwork, even so, we needed to actually put it into practice and start applying those learnings. Before we could do so, we needed to decide on who was going to learn what, in other words, we had to make some self-study plans.
Demeter had helpfully consolidated all of the knowledge gained from God's work, Hades and Angra Mainyu, and finally some of Heaven's structural framework for us to review and make a decision on.
Most of it wasn't applicable to Valerie and Ingvild since they were still beginners, Meredith was a genius and could keep up with the theory for the most part (she couldn't make use of everything that required massive power or divinity) while Sothis, Demeter, Nyx and I were dividing up the content to create our personal power-up roadmaps.
Nyx picked out a couple of God's sealing magic for utility purposes but would focus on her training with Ki in order to kickstart her power growth. Demeter would continue to upgrade her arsenal and functions using her new knowledge and the biological/divine samples she had extracted from the defeated gods.
Sothis had the most compatibility with anything related to the Biblical God since they shared a specialization towards Creation, as a result, she had been learning all of his spells far quicker than we were (partly due to seeing him work in the past) and allocated more time towards working on what data Demeter gathered on Heaven and her own experiences bypassing their security systems.
For the sake of efficiency I had decided to simply learn the spells (especially the ones that achieved effects I could potentially replicate using my [Absolute] concept) later on, directly from my wives, in order to get the most out of my Soul Talent and learn them faster. Instead, I chose to dedicate most of my time to train up Meredith, Valerie and Ingvild on using their Sacred Gears and innate talents.
Meredith had much more experience in Magic and Sacred Gear usage in battle compared to the two half-human hybrids. She had learnt much from her time in the Golden Dawn and under Nyx's tutelage, even so, she was still a young girl that had barely scratched the surface of her power and had no idea on how to deal with overwhelmingly powerful individuals like myself.
I had, of course, applied the tried-and-tested Piccolo DODGE training scenario to teach her how not to be a stationary target and cast spells while moving at high speeds without losing focus.
"So you can overwrite the 'concepts'-" I questioned Meredith while using finger-quotes to express how dubious I felt about the functions of her Sacred Gear, "-of people using Alphecca Tyrant after you impale them with your nails and pretty much change who they are as a person by adding, modifying or removing certain aspects of themselves."
"I don't quite understand what is so complicated about this. I hit someone with my nail and then they either become my ally or I change them to the point where they wouldn't be able to operate in the same capacity anymore." Meredith answered while spinning the sacred crown made out of nails with her finger, as if playing with it, then stomped on the ground while releasing her magic power through it and caused dozens of large nails to sprout forth from the surface. "I can even launch them from the ground or from across any surface within the vicinity."
I took one of the nails and smashed it against my arm, shattering it as if I just crushed a cookie on the ground. "Yeah, well, the durability is kinda crap."
"T-that doesn't count! It goes right through tough material like the metal that makes up Sacred Gears!" Her flustered face when she went defensive really made me want to tease her more.
"Uh huh. People can still parry it if they're skill enough or just ignore it with sufficient defenses. It'll work against unguarded foes or anyone that's weak to the Holy element but you'll rarely be fighting any of those where we'll be going." Velber and many other gods would easily be capable of repelling these, she would have better luck with her sealing magic than actually using her Sacred Gear, "Hold on, I'm going to use Telepathy to show you a manga I've read."
"Why would a manga- wait, screws? Oh, oooooh! I guess it is pretty similar, so the density of the nails, speed of fire and the conceptual effects of the nail needs to be strengthened."
I had just shown her the Medaka Box manga and Misogi Kumagawa's use of his manifested giant screws to give her some inspiration. The guy may have been a perpetual loser (partly due to his nihilism and perfectionism in equal measure) but he knew how to use his Minus along with his screws to really, pardon the pun, screw his enemies over.
"Alphecca Tyrant has strong effects on people who rely on their mind and soul, do you think it would be possible for you to, at least temporarily, change their combat effectiveness by overwriting the concept of their past history? Like this guy?"
I then showed her how Tsukishima used Book of the End from Bleach in order to mind fuck people and fix Ichigo's Bankai by changing his past. Meredith could already achieve the mind-fuck parts, but most high-tier enemies outside this universe are often immune to mind-control so its best to shore up her conceptual offense by turning Alphecca Tyrant from a predominantly mind-altering Sacred Gear to a soul-altering one.
"Focusing on overwriting the soul is certainly an interesting direction to take my power, very well, I shall endeavor to meet your expectations. However, I'll need test subjects for this, as such I'll continue working on the basics for the moment."
With her agreement, most of her training continued under the watchful eye of one of my Multi-Form clones. Valerie and Ingvild required more personal training as neither of them had truly ever used their power for themselves and in combat.
Valerie had some indirect experience as certain ways of using the Sephiroth Graal were imprinted into the Holy Grail, and hence her soul, so she could already do thing like resurrecting other beings, granting regenerations so long as the soul is intact, creating/modifying life forms, and removing weaknesses and limits of other being by 'unbinding' them from the 'laws of the world' (which is the best way she can explain it at the moment). The same could not be said about her vampire based powers, while Valerie had relatively high levels of magical power (boosted to higher levels everyday after drinking my blood) she had little, if no control at all, over said powers due to her previous state of captivity.
Ingvild was basically the opposite of Valerie. The descendant of Leviathan could subconsciously use her Sacred Gear, Nyreid Kyrie, to identify dragons but had no experience in controlling the seas or strengthening/weakening dragons. On the other hand, Ingvild had prodigious reserves of demonic energies and near perfect control over her innate water magic right after I helped to awaken it. Conjuring 10 giant water dragons full of damaging demonic energies that failed to hurt me in the slightest was still an impressive show for her first feat of magic.
I decided to train both of them at the same time, physical conditioning and DODGE training would have to wait since they can get more mileage from being stationary magic nukes or Supports by just being capable of using their innate talents.
Most of our training took place on the beach for Ingvild's sake. Valerie certainly wasn't complaining since it was a good enough excuse to try on different kinds of swimsuits in front of me. Ingvild had followed suit and wore different swimwear everyday, though she tended towards the cuter and more conversative end, in contrast to Valerie's seductive outfits.
I taught the both of them to weaponize their magical power in the most basic but efficient way I knew. Firing it like a laser beam.
Using complicated magical spells to cover a large area, control the battlefield, hinder your enemies, home in on your enemy and many more technical effects is great and all… but time was a limited resource even with Sothis extending it as much as she could for us. I had to give these girls sufficient methods of defending themselves in the span of a week, I didn't have the time to teach them more than one or two magic spells.
The Hyperbolic Time Chamber present in the Sweet Home was a copy of the one we had in our homeworld which was still limited to two uses in a lifetime (or every 100 years) and only allowed two people at any one time. Sothis, Demeter and I had already used up all our entries, neither Nyx nor Meredith were prepared to spend a whole year in isolation with either Valerie or Ingvild (nor did I want them to do so since their first time should be with me).
All things considered, these girls would get more mileage from learning how to use their massive amounts of power efficiently to just blast their enemy with "Fuck You" levels of focused power.
Speed X Firepower = Super Dead Mooks
As there was a risk of them being ambushed by generic Evil Dragons cloned by Valerie's Grail (a piece might still be in their possession) it was imperative that they learn the tried and true DXD method of fodderizing one's enemies with overwhelming firepower pointed in one direction.
They were capable of firing over a hundred sufficiently powerful beams every hour by the third day in, which should be good enough for them to defend themselves until they get back up from the rest of us. The remaining days were spent making sure they properly knew how to use their other powers. In Valerie's case we focused on using her vampire powers to turn into bats or mist for escaping purposes, on Ingvild's side, she needed to know how not to accidentally flood our mansion with Nyreid Kyrie.
Upon the completion of Nikaias's week long training arc we decided to sort out the stories we were going with when we eventually dealt with the important cast of this world.
Valerie's case was a bit of a no-brainer considering she's practically an abused princess held hostage by evil villains. No one could really give me shit over that considering Rizevim of all people is involved with her situation.
Nyx just straight out penned several letters renouncing her roles and titles so that she could follow her true love to another world, get stronger and fight important enemies. The letters to her children and her brother Erebus were slightly longer than the short single paragraphs she wrote for everyone else, but not by much. I get the feeling that the Greek's (especially Erebus) will come after me and (rightfully) accuse me of brainwashing one of their own. They'll probably accuse me of rape as well despite how hypocritical it is. I wonder if I'll be called the Dragon Demon or Brainwashing Dragon? In any event, Nyx's situation was largely free of complications compared to Meredith and Ingvild.
Meredith was pretty much a terrorist even if she pleaded mind control and had stopped controlling all of the influential people (and a few MI6 agents) using illusion and manipulation-type Sacred Gear possessors she brainwashed without asking for anything. Her home country had initially intended to monopolize her power once they discovered her Sacred Gear, Nyx had gotten to her first and with Angra Mainyu's help, had Meredith take control over the country in return.
Unless we establish our position as an unassailable faction we would be inevitably harassed and inconvenienced by these persistent buggers.
And then there's Ingvild Leviathan who is a person of interest for the important people in the Underworld. The fallen angel researchers, current ruling devils and Old Satan devotees will be frothing with rage at me for 'stealing' her even after I had healed her up. Outside of the main cast they may give us the benefit of the doubt, those interested in Ingvild's bloodline and powers will keep sending mooks at us and generally be a huge annoyance. Not to mention that our credibility with the current factions will start from a low point if they know of our involvement with Ingvild. That would probably make my family get togethers with my brother-in-law Michael a lot more unpleasant.
"I should just go pick a fight with Shiva and make sure everyone knows about it. I'm sure they'll back off regardless of the result." Sothis suggested in the middle of our discussion on how we would handle this, "Well now, aside from announcing our strength and all… I could use some exercise for once."
This sounds like a bad idea. Please don't indulge in your dormant battle maniac tendencies!
"Uhh… not that I doubt you since you kinda stomped Hades but… Shiva is on an entirely different level you know?" Nyx agreed with my thoughts and tried to warn her off it.
"I am aware that my chances of winning aren't more than 25% given his nature as a God of Destruction and my current level of power. But forcing a draw or a stalemate is an entirely different matter."
That would firmly cement her as the equivalent of the second most powerful being present outside of the Great Red and pre-nerfed Ophis if everything goes according to plan. I guess it wouldn't be so bad...
"There is little harm in making the attempt. That death or imprisonment is a non-issue, battling Shiva will provide us excellent data, allow us to better understand the powers of this universe and where we stand in order to prepare appropriately for both Trihexa and the Velber." Demeter added on in support to Sothis's idea, "Oh my, perhaps we could use Shiva and Trihexa as a test subject for our more complicated measures that we intent to use on the Velber?"
I looked at Sothis and reached for her hand, "You sure about this?"
She grinned, "Come on, who do you think you're talking to? I can take him!"
"You do know that everyone that thinks that will lose horrifically… but okay, I trust you. Go on, do what you want."
"Will do! In fact, no time like the present! Speaking of the present…" Sothis stared off into space for a few seconds and then clicked her tongue, "Tsk! The present kinda sucks. Too late to turn back time already… oh, forget it, I'll go pick a fight with Shiva and you all can head right back to the Tepes castle."
"The ORC is there fighting the Evil Dragons like in the timeline before our interference?"
"Yeah. Rizevim ditched early thanks to the butterflies but Euclid is still fighting over there. I'll try to finish up and hopefully introduce my new rival to you guys and everyone else."
Sothis seems very enthusiastic about fighting someone of a comparable, if not, greater power level in order to push herself to greater heights.
"All right everyone, let's get going. Guess we're going to beat the shit out of a siscon devil then."