This chapter will be the prologue to the beginning of the summit. But first, I'll be introducing you to the guild base of World Searcher and some of the NPCs there. Please review!
The guild base for World Searcher was officially Ellida, a flying warship that could travel between the Nine Worlds using its own [Gate]. And while it was well-armed, did not have much in terms of appearance and did not have much data to be customized. That's why a lot of players thought the World Searcher had a poor base. However, that's what the guild wanted people to think. Ellida was in fact a secret prize that could be won when one crossed the back of the World Serpent of Midgard in one day. The ship could act as a substitute guild base.
The actual guild base was one of the nine toughest dungeons. Located in Midgard, it was the Majestic Island of Lemuria. A massive island with four mighty rivers that spread out from the island's center towards the coasts, with the north end forming a waterfall, and smaller rivers splitting from them, along with vast tracts of unbroken swampland, soaring mountains and a vast and fertile plain such as deep grasslands and flat lands that was commonly covered by misty clouds that invoked a powerful concealing spell that only high-level players could see through. Jagged rocks surrounded the island as a natural-made fortress and cliffs overlooked the beaches. Meanwhile, the entrance to the dungeon was a palace in the center of the island with pensile gardens, surrounded by a large courtyard and four temples placed on the north, south, east, and western parts of the garden with gargoyles in place. According to the game lore, the island was formed from the remnants of the leaves (worlds) of the World Tree eaten by the World Eater. This island, as if rejected by the nine worlds, moving between the realms, teleporting to a new location on the seventh day of each week. When the World Searchers learned of this, they planned extensively to find and conquer this dungeon. They lucked out when it appeared in Midgard, and with the Ellida, they were able to bypass the outer defenses and reach the entrance. It took them five hours to conquer the Dungeon.
When Magnus arrived in this universe, he learned half a decade later that so had Lemuria. He brought Merlin to his guild base where he was reunited with the guild's NPCs. To his surprise, the NPCs immediately returned ownership to Magnus and swore absolute loyalty to him, as the last of the 'Almighty Ones'. Later, after Merlin's death, Magnus and Oberon had brought Lemuria brought to Avalon, with the two separated by about twenty miles. On a side note that during the move, some parts of Lemuria fell off because of attacks from individuals of the supernatural world. Though these sections grew back, the parts that fell were discovered by humans in 1864.
Magnus exited the [Gate], appearing at the top of Lemuria, surrounded by the outdoor courtyard where the entrance was. Waiting for him was Ritter Schwert, Warden of the 1st Floor and who also guarded the entrance to Lemuria. He was an immortal human who had fair skin with combed back dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. Ritter wore navy-blue full plate armor that covered his entire body with yellow trims. Attached to the pauldrons was a long metallic gold cape, while a black golden tunic and matching pants and shoes was underneath it. Around his waist was a yellow belt with a scabbard attached on the left side. Sheathed in it was a longsword with a silvery blue six-pointed star shaped guard, with a yellow pearl in the center of the guard, a brown and red stripped two-handed grip and a silver pommel at the end of the handle. Created by Berg Moloch, Ritter was the strongest Warden.
With Ritter were several of his personal subordinates, other human NPCs plus demi-humans. As one they all kneeled before Magnus. "Emperor Magnus, it fills me with great joy to see you returned." Ritter said in a respectful tone, his voice deep.
"It is good to be back, Ritter." Magnus said. "I shall be heading to the throne room. Please inform Mortem to gather the other Wardens except for Sanguijuelas and Jongler to meet me there." Magnus ordered.
"It shall be done, your majesty." Ritter responded swiftly. Magnus nodded and then teleported to the twenty-sixth floor.
Magnus reappeared at the large doors that led to the throne room. When the massive doors swung open, it revealed a large circular room inside. Hanging on the walls were the banners for each of the one hundred guild members of World Searcher, including his own. Across the door was the throne, standing on top of stairs. Above the throne, directly behind it, was a large banner with the guild symbol etched on it. It had what appeared to be a large planet in the center, with branches coming out from it. On the branches were smaller planets, looking almost like a constellation. The symbol was reference to how the World Searchers would explore every part of the Nine Realms of YGGDRASIL.
A red carpet stretched from the doorway all the way towards the bottom steps of the throne. On either side of the carpet were tall and muscular Dragonoids wearing golden armored with red trims. They all had pointy ears, horns sticking out their heads, with tails and wings on their backs, but remained mostly human. More of them were standing near the walls, three underneath each banner. They carried ornate poleaxes with an axe blade on one end and a hammer on the other. They were Draco Knights, level 60 Dragonborn NPCs summoned by Magnus or from the mercenary system, and served as his personal guard. They were taller than normal Dragonborns, good in melee combat and could enchant their weapons with magic for additional damage. Depending on what their dragon ancestry was, they had resistance towards a specific element.
Near the throne was a female dragonoid. Unlike the Draco Knights, she looked human barring a few features. Her skin was a light shade of orange, with darker shades where her scales were, being her hands, forearms, legs and feet, shoulders and the sides of her head where her ears were, covering the edges of her cheeks. She had long red hair that reached her waist and a voluptuous figure with average sized breasts, and green eyes with black slit pupils. Sticking out from her forehead were a pair of yellow horns that pointed up. She wore a purple sleeved dress that fell just below her knees, with a slit on the right side, revealing her orange tail sticking out from her rear. On her feet were red high-heeled sandals that showed some of the orange scales on her legs. Over the dress was a reddish orange armor, and greaves over the heels. In her right hand was a double-sided sword, with silver single-edge blades and red-brown handle. This was the Guardian Commander Sole Bagliore, Head of the Royal Guards who protected the 24th floor and the creation of Skyfall. She also commanded the Custodians on the floor too.
Custodians were another group of NPCs of Lemuria. In terms of hierarchy, Custodians were directly under Wardens who in turn were under the guild members of World Searcher. These NPCs had levels between 50 and 90, with a rare few at level 100. Custodians were charged with protecting certain positions or taking up specific roles based on their classes. Some of them were even placed in one of the first twenty levels and served as sub-commanders of said level's respective Warden. Should a Warden be defeated, then the Custodians would take command. As the Guardian Commander, Sole had authority equal to the Wardens.
As Magnus walked across the red carpet, every Draco Knight straightened themselves as he passed by them. They all held the faces of discipline veteran warriors, never showing a single bit of emotion or weakness. When Magnus finally reached the steps of the throne, Sole got to one knee and bowed her head before her master. "Your Majesty, Magnus Alduin, leader of the Almighty Ones. We welcome you back." Sole said respectively.
"I am home, Sole. I apologize for my sudden departure. Please forgive me if I worried any of you." Magnus said politely.
"I am unworthy of such words, your majesty. However, I must ask that the next time you leave the safety of the Island, please, bring either the Draco Knights, or one of the Wardens with you. Please forgive me for my rudeness." Sole said.
Magnus nodded. "Very well, if that will put you all at ease. And speaking of the Wardens, I've summoned them to the throne room. They should be here shortly."
True enough, half an hour later, the great door to the throne room opened once more. Walking through were twenty people in a straight line. At the front was Ritter. Behind him, standing at 3 meters, the tallest person to enter was the Yeti Fjell Ruvende, Warden of the 2nd Floor and the creation of Oshi-Biki. He had muscular body with blue skin and furry coat of a pure white hair like snow. He also had two pair of arms, the second pair underneath the first. Over his body, Fjell wore a grey bulky, Viking-looking armor fit for a marauder with spiked shoulder plates while his second pair of arms only had spiked bracers with chains wrapped around them. The armor covered his entire body, with the exception of the head as the helmet was not present. Underneath the armor he wore nothing but a brown loincloth, matching colored boots and gloves.
Lucarne, the Warden of the 3rd Floor, was next. Lucarne was a birdman, or rather birdwoman. Lucarne had a curvy and voluptuous figure, with fair skin and long pink hair and golden eyes. Her hands, while appearing human, could grow claws should she choose it. Lucarne wore a golden-bronze fur neck choker and a black corset leotard with white flowers imprinted on it and showed much of her large cleavage with a small skirt attached. She also wore bronze bracelets over her long black fingerless gloves that went just past her elbows, and matching bands on her ankles and chest piece. Lucarne had long black leggings, and thus was barefoot due to her talons. Strapped to her back was a bronze trimmed quiver filled with arrows, while a golden-bronze longbow with different gems embedded in it was in her right hand. Her creator was the guild member Payne Horner, who had suggested conquering the dungeon in the first place.
A purple skin woman came in next, her feet just a few inches off the floor as she floated behind Lucarne. Her black hair was tied up into a ponytail. She possessed a buxom and slender figure, which was furthered shown by the clothing she wore. Said attire consisted of tanned harem pants and dark golden slippers. The upper part consisted of only an orange bandeau, red lace and matching detached sleeves. She wore golden rings and bracelets on her fingers and wrists and a golden necklace around her neck that had a purple diamond in it, all of which were high-level items. Her name was Kujtim Ankohem, a Genie who served as the Warden of the 4th Floor and created by Giga Locust.
Following her was Gahara Neele Saagar, a merfolk and Warden of the 5th Floor and the creation of Cleo Rugby. Standing roughly six feet and possessing a lean muscular build, Gahara had sea green skin with gills on his neck, fin-like ears, and sharp teeth. A fish tail was sticking out from his rear. Instead of hair, his bald head possessed a single shark fin protruding from the center. He wore a sea green Chiton that reached his knees, with a moss green toga with golden trims and blue Chlamys around his shoulder that covered the left side of his body over it. Over his legs he wore dark blue Braccae pants, brown sandals, and the long golden sash wrapped around his waist.
Coming up behind was a large muscular Orc with green skin and a pair of sharp tusks sticking out from his bottom lip. He wore an open sleeveless fur-trimmed dark tanned coat with khaki colored fur, allowing people to see his open chest, and charcoal bracers over his arms with chains wrapped around them. For the lower portion he wore matching pants and long black boots. In his right hand was a large Knobkerrie made of wood and metal. It had beads wrapped around the top, just below the knob. He had yellow eyes and a pair of long sharp teeth sticking out from his lower lip and animal tattoos covered his body. Hanging from his pants were various animal totems. This was Wu Ming's creation, Croga Garbh, an Orc King and Warden of the 6th Floor.
The creation of Riskovat, Zion Axis Mundi was an Empyrean Seraph, the highest tier Angel and Warden the 7th Floor. He was a handsome young man with long curly blonde hair that reached his shoulders, had fair skin and blue eyes. Zion also possesses a muscular build, enough that they can be seen from under his clothes. Said clothing consisted of a white long coat with a high collar, multiple golden buttons, stripped pants, and grey boots with a silver belt wrapped around the coat at the waist. And though they were currently retracted, Zion had a total of fourteen wings.
The Warden of the 8th Floor was the powerful Doppelganger named Naboots, created by DJHEAVY. Though not his true form, his current form was that of a young man with fair skin and brown hair. Naboots wore an olive zipper tracksuit, consisting of both a trouser and sweatshirt. He had a black shoulder bag hanging from his right shoulder. A pair of shades covered his eyes, along with an orange beanie with a white stripe going around it and adding the light-blue and tan turtleneck warmer underneath the tracksuit, Naboot's face was completely covered. For footwear, he had a pair of red and white sneakers. In his left hand was a book.
The next person was a young woman who had the appearance of being in her early twenties. She was a beautiful woman with pure fair skin. Her straight, smooth lime-green hair reached the middle of her back and matched her eyes that had a cold emotionless stare. Her current attire was a double-breasted purple military uniform that showed off her figure well, along with a military beret. Her skirt matched her uniform and covered her thighs, followed by black stockings and purple leather heeled boots. Attached to her golden epaulettes was a waist-length black cape with a green interior. The Warden EZY Sigma, an automaton as well as one of Magnus's personal creations who guarded the 9th Floor.
An Elder Black Ooze, the slime called Jam Axel was the Warden in charge of the 10th Floor. His current appearance was a young boy around fifteen. He possessed pale skin, blue hair and blue eyes. For clothing he wore a long-sleeve teal collared shirt, an open charcoal vest and cargo pants and tanned riding boots with spurs. Around his waist was a black belt with golden star shaped buckle, a white gem embedded in the middle. Hanging from his neck was a grey bandana with white swirls decorations as well as cowboy hat that matched his vest. Currently in his mouth was a cigarette. Axel's creator, Oddman, designed him based off his son in real life who was a fan of cowboys.
Yugure Oshogatsu was the Warden of the 11th Floor and was a Kejourou. She was a beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure of a courtesan with dark golden eyes that were highlighted by the purple eyeshadow she had. She had smooth, straight long dark brown hair that nearly reached the floor, with two golden pins on the back of her head holding some of it into a bun. Her attire consisted of a green kimono with black stars on it, and a blue obi. Over the kimono was a reddish orange haori cardigan that had black flames going across the trims and yellow geta sandals on her feet. The kimono was slightly opened, giving view to her enormously large breasts. Her creator, Agent Ty Dye, put a lot of effort in her appearance.
The Warden of the 13th Floor was a demon named Demogorgon. Physically he appeared to be human, with short black and red hair while having crystal blue eyes with black sclera. The only things that appeared odd were his grey skin and sharp yellow teeth. On both ears were several earrings in the form of nuts and bolts and a piercing on his tongue. He wore a black pants and long black boots that had three straps on it, held by bronze buckles. Covering the upper portion of his body was a black blazer with zippers on the sleeves and zipper pockets, and underneath was a gothic style black waistcoat, a long-sleeve red oxblood collared buttoned shirt with an upturned collar and a black tie. Demogorgon also wore black gloves and a chain belt around his waist. He was the pride of his creator, Ego Sabbath.
Warden Fiona Rosebush of the 14th Floor, made by Jaxson Ka Boom, was next. Though she was a Death Vine, Fiona had a more humanoid form then most of her kind and could also control her appearance in shifting her age. Presently she had the appearance of a young teenager with a petite frame but was still considered attractive. She had a pale green colored skin and wood brown eyes. Her hair was rose red color with tinges of orange that reached the back of her waist. A sunflower was tucked into the left side of her hair. The 'clothing' she wore consisted of red and greens leaves and vines that covered most of her body in the form of a gown, and she walked barefoot and showed red nail polish on toes, which was also on her fingernails.
Coming up behind Fiona was a dwarf with reddish brown hair and a long beard that both had multiple braids on them. He was wearing golden armor and gauntlets over brown coveralls, orange shirt and brown boots, with a red cape attached to the shoulders of his armor. A golden viking helmet was worn on his head, with gems of various colors lined up around it and face mask attached, with only the eye sockets revealing brown eyes. He wore matching bracelets around his wrists, and rings on his pinkies, thumbs and pointer fingers. Even with the armor, you could see the muscular build he had. The dwarf's name was Barrick Spaz, and he was Warden of the 15th Floor, as decided by his creator, Mario Box Loy.
After Barrick was Slapping Pad's creation, Tai Xin, the Warden of the 16th Floor. An Insect Fighter, Xin was a tall muscular humanoid insect slightly above average height and had various insect traits. He possessed no clothes, instead had a green exoskeleton with visible green joints and on the tip of his antennas, with a beetle's horn in the center, and yellow markings running down his body. His mouth was covered by a grey metal organic plate that matched the ones on his chest, but were currently retracted to show his sharp teeth. In addition, he had two small incisors on his face. He had five eyes, dot-like and were golden and would glow every few seconds. His forearms had small spikes protruding from them, and a total of six fingers, including an additional thump on the opposite side. Sticking out of said forearms were a pair of stingers that seemed to be able to retract at will. There was a third scorpion-like stinger on his back, hidden underneath his wings so that you could only see it when he extended said appendages.
Ombre Soif de Sang was the Warden of the 17th Floor was up next. Despite his human appearance, he was a True Vampire. He was a tall man appearing in his mid-twenties. He had pure white skin like that of a corpse, long platinum blonde hair that reached his shoulders and tied into a ponytail, blood red eyes and black fingernails. A single fang could be seen sticking out from his mouth every now and then. Ombre wore a Victorian-era amethyst frock coat with golden buttons over a white frilled shirt, a black waistcoat, and an iris collared ascot. He also wore matching pants and brown derby shoes. And on his head was a black top hat with a purple band around it. His creator was Sharik, who combined his obsession with hardcore detective and police TV shows he would watch with Victorian fashion into his creation.
Grapmaker, a Brain Eater and creation of Twain McDougal, was Warden of the 18th Floor. Height was, he was perhaps the second tallest of the Wardens, though the way he slouched made him looked shorter. His skin was a pale grey and white and he looked like it had an over-sized encephalitic mass on his head, plus six long tentacles sprouted from his mouth and reached his thighs, covered in tattoo letters. Grapmaker possessed long digits of his four-fingered hands, with rings on each one. Though this could not be seen because of the lavender black hooded cloak that covered his entire body, but he wore a shiny, form-fitting black leather outfit studded with various colored jewelry and belts wrapped around him, along with silver bracelets around the ankles. Underneath his hood was a pair of pupil-less pale green eyes. His cloak was covered in jewels and other accessories that gave off the aura of nobility. If one looked closely, hanging from underneath the cloak were multiple items that jingled whenever he walked.
The next was High Elf female standing around average height, possessing a beautiful figure that would make even goddess look upon her with envy. She had long translucent waist-length white hair tucked behind her pointy curved ears, fair skin and heterochromatic eyes, the right being green and the left orange. For clothing the elf wore dress armor consisting of tight sage green Jerkin, a white Jerkin, and a blouse that accentuated her well-endowed chest and tight pants. Over those she wore bronze light leather armor and long brown boots under her greaves. Wrapped around her neck was a sage green and khaki colored scarf while strapped to her right thigh was a whip that had a dark golden handle. Her creator, Olive=Quarter, named her Chorus Agri Ferox, and she was the Warden of the 19th Floor.
After her was a humanoid male with a lean muscular build and slightly above average height. He had short, wild spiky brown hair and fair skin that had a long strand tied into a braid that rested on his right shoulder. Sticking out of his head were a pair of wolf ears and a single fanged tooth stuck out from his upper lip. The man's attire consisted of a knee-length brown hooded jacket that was held by a brownish-red belt, and matching pants with light greaves, chest plate, bracers, and spaulders with a charcoal color, all of which had markings of wolves or wolf-related images such as claws on the bracers and greaves. There was grey fur underneath the armor and around the collar too. Finally, he wore black gloves and matching boots with silver lining going up them. Sticking out from his rear was a bushy brown tail. His name was Pars Bestia, a werewolf and Warden of the 20th Floor. His creator was Luna Whiplash, who combined her love of dogs and the old game Assassin's Creed.
Finally, there was the Overlord Mortem, the General Warden, leader of the Wardens and in charge of the 22nd Floor. His creator was Direach Dearmad. As an undead his body was nothing but a pristine white skeleton, with glowing red eyes in his eye sockets. His attire consisted of a burgundy vestment robe that reached his ankles with golden trims. Over it was a red violet stole with gold embroidery in the shape of continuous swirls and black trims. There was a golden rope tied around the waist of the gown. Mortem wore brown boots over his feet and in his hand was a spiked scepter that just barely reached his shoulders.
Mortem stood at the front of the group, while the other Wardens lined up in a single row behind him. In unison they all to one knee and bowed their heads. "With the exception of the 12th and 21st, the Wardens, loyal protectors of the Majestic Island of Lemuria, bow before the Almighty One, the Emperor of Dragons, Magnus Alduin." Mortem announced.
Magnus watched this all happen from a top the throne. Even after a thousand years, it was hard for him to accept all this. The feeling of being a ruler, a god even. Still, it had become easier to shake off as he addressed the Wardens. "You may raise your heads." The NPCs did so as they gazed upon their lord and master. "I have come to let you all know that my venture into the outside world was a success. I recovered several of the Excalibur shards. Only two remain."
Though it was brief, Magnus's superior vision saw Ritter's expression turn to one of joy before returning neutral. It was no surprise to the player, given the relationship between Ritter and King Arthur.
(Flashback, 1600 years ago)
"Father!" A familiar voice yelled.
Standing on the outer garden of Lemuria, Magnus turned his attention from his discussion with Lucarne about adding aerial units to the outer defenses. Magnus saw that it was a young adult Merlin approaching him. His foster son was wearing white robes of a magician, and his white hair had become longer and wilder, tied into a ponytail. In one hand he held the Eco Staff, a Divine Item that Magnus had given Merlin that could increase the area of effect of a person's spell. Perfect for a druid.
"Merlin? What are you doing there? And who is the kid?" Magnus asked as he dismissed Lucarne.
Said kid was a young teenager with short blonde hair and blue eyes. His face appeared to have been freshly clean. He wore black trousers, a white shirt with a sleeveless brown vest over it and brown boots. Strapped to his waist was a long sword with a gold and blue handle. The boy had a small frown on his face as he cautiously scanned the garden he and his caretaker had teleported onto.
Merlin chuckled as he ruffled the kid's hair, earning a glare from the boy. "His name is Arthur Pendragon. He's to become the next King of Britain, though there have been some complications to that claim."
"It's not a claim! It's a fact! I will take back my throne and avenge my father!" Arthur declared as he slapped Merlin's hand away from him.
Magnus raised an eyebrow. "I'm sensing a story going on here." The dragon said.
Merlin sighed as he began starting from the beginning. Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, the king of Britain, had been murdered by his brother, Arthur's uncle. Merlin had managed to save Arthur from suffering the same fate, as well as the holy sword Excalibur and Caliburn. Presently the nation was in a civil war between those loyal to Uther and Arthur, against Arthur's uncle, who was placing heavy taxes on the people.
"Arthur has charisma for someone his age, a quick learner in the art of leadership and combat, but has never been in a fight before." Merlin said. "He doesn't exhibit any magical prowess like his sister, Morgana, who I am keeping hidden in my studies. I was hoping that you could train him." He said to Magnus.
"Hmm" Magnus hummed before shifting his attention towards Arthur. The teen stared right back at him, unflinching as Magnus exerted some power. His eyes were those of a person who were willing to take on anything or anyone. "Tell me, do you want to become King?" Magnus asked.
"With all my heart." Arthur said. "It's not just it being my birthright, but my desire to serve Britain and her people like my father did. My uncle is oppressing my countrymen and it's my duty to stop him and bring justice for my father. Even if I must face his armies alone I will do it."
Magnus took in the boy's words, hearing the absolute determination in them and without a hint hesitation. After a few seconds of staring, Magnus looked at his foster son. "You weren't lying about him having charisma." Merlin merely chuckled.
Shifting his attention back to Arthur, Magnus said, "Okay, kid. You convinced me. However, I won't be the one to train you."
Arthur seemed confused as he watched Magnus put his fingers to his ears. A few minutes later, Ritter Schwert appeared before the three, startling Arthur. Giving a polite bow to Merlin, Ritter faced his Emperor. "You summoned me, Lord Magnus?" Ritter asked Magnus.
Magnus nodded and looked at Arthur. "Arthur Pendragon meet Ritter Schwert. One of my Wardens and best swordsman I know of. Ritter Schwert, meet your first student."
(Flashback End, Present)
After that, Arthur spent the next five years in Lemuria, training under Ritter's teachings. At first, Ritter had done it due to being commanded by Magnus. But overtime, the immortal human began to develop a fondness for the young King, admiring Arthur's honorable side and sense of duty. The Warden had been deeply upset when Arthur died in battle against Mordred and was furious when the remains of his student's signature blade, Excalibur, had been taken by Church.
"Now then, let us get to the matter at hand." Magnus said, changing the topic. "With my appearance and the defeat of Kokabiel, how do you believe the Three Factions will respond?"
The Wardens shared looks with one another. Clearly surprised by this question. It was Jam who spoke, "Your Majesty. Forgive my rudeness, but surely you, who is leader of the Almighty Ones, should know what they will do before they even do it, right?" The slime asked.
Magnus was thankful for his mask, as the NPCs would not see his left eye twitch. The title "Almighty Ones" also meaning "The All-Knowing" was an epithet that World Searcher had given itself. It was based on how the guild knew more about YGGDRASIL than any other guild. The NPCs took this literally, believing that Magnus knew everything there was to know in this universe. And that wasn't to say it wasn't true, for despite deciding to remain in isolation since the Great War ended, Magnus did make sure to stay in the know as the world around Lemuria changed. Still, that didn't mean Magnus was omniscience.
"I am not offended, Jam. And it's true, I do have some theories of what the Three Factions might do. However, as my strongest servants, I want to hear what you might all think." Magnus answered. "So, speak. I will not judge you."
None of the Wardens spoke for a moment. Finally, Zion voiced himself. As one of the intelligent NPCs, Zion's input was very useful. "If I may, your Majesty. Seeing how a leader of the Grigori instigated this situation. And not only involved the Church but also attacked the heiresses of two prominent Devil Houses, along with being the younger siblings of two of the current Satans, it would make sense that they would convene at a summit." Zion said.
There were some 'oohs' from the other Wardens. Magnus rubbed his chin. "Hmm, yes. That does sound like the most obvious choice. The Three Factions would want to sort this mess out Kokabiel caused before it escalated. They hardly have the resources to begin a second Great War. Not to mention that the other pantheons wouldn't remain silent. As I suspected. Thank you, Zion."
"Your words honor me, your Majesty." Zion said as he lowered his head.
"Now, if we go by that thinking, it makes sense that the factions would send their highest authorities to represent them at this summit. The place will most likely be Kuoh Academy, where the incident took place. That means the Archangel Michael will also be there as well." Magnus summarized.
"And it would give you the chance to recover the last shard the church holds. Right, your Majesty?" Mortem asked.
"Exactly. It will be much easier for us to get him to comply with us if he's not in Heaven." Magnus replied. "However, I rather not make a big entrance. If possible, I want to observe the situation before doing anything. That said, Pars, I want you and a team of stealth monsters to scout out the town and report anything interesting. Keep a distance from the supernatural and do not engage no matter what. Understood?"
"As you command, your Majesty." Pars replied.
"Very good. With that, I dismissed you. You may return to what you were doing beforehand but remain on alert should I need you." Magnus said.
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
(Kuoh Town, Hyoudou Resisdence)
Issei had thought fighting a Fallen Angel Cadre would be hectic. But, no, dealing with your parents who were conversing with the leader of Devils, who was also the older brother of his King, was the most difficult moment in his life so far. Now, said old brother was currently in his bedroom. The two had been talking about how Issei's relationship with Rias had been going so far. After half an hour of talking about the Gremory Heiress, Sirzechs Lucifer switched topics.
"I've been meaning to ask, but about the person who appeared and stopped Kokabiel. Did you happen to hear his name?" Sirzechs asked, a serious tone in his voice.
Issei blinked, remembering about that moment. The man had said his name to the White Dragon Emperor, his destined rival, and it was loud enough that everyone else heard it. However, the others did not understand a word the man said, all except for Issei. Ddraig had later explained that the language the person spoke was known as Dracones Tongue. It was the original language of Dragons and was engraved so deep into them, that even a newborn Dragon would know it.
Back to the present, Issei said, "Ah, I think he said his name was Magnus Alduin."
Sirzechs' face fell when he heard that name. He rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. "So, he really has stepped out again…" He muttered.
"Er, Sirzechs-sama?" Issei asked, confused. "Do you know this guy?"
"In a manner of sense, yes. He fought on our side during the civil war 500 years ago. Though, it was mostly for his own reasons, Alduin proved pivotal in ending the war." Sirzechs said with a sigh. "Still, that doesn't make him an ally as there have been conflicts between him and us. More around the lines of several Devils wanting to reincarnate him into their peerage. He didn't take that very well. I will say this though, he is an extremely powerful figure. Even if all four Satans faced him, I doubt that we'd be able to win."
Issei couldn't believe what he heard. Stronger than all the Satans combined!? "But, isn't Sirzechs-sama a Super Devil? Stronger than the original Lucifer?!" The boy stammered.
Sirzechs gave a small smile. "You overestimate me, Issei-kun. Despite my power, there are others who are stronger than me. However, besides a few events, Magnus has mostly remained in isolation in Avalon. From what I hear, he's taken it upon himself to protect the magical island and its inhabitants. He won't do anything without a reason." Sirzechs said before getting up. "Well, I'd had better get to bed. Grayfia won't be happy if I don't get enough sleep. Goodnight Issei-kun."
As the Lucifer left his room, Issei couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Meetings between powers happening, destined rival, and now powerful dragons. All Issei wanted was a harem. Is that so hard to ask?
(Heaven)
Within the Sixth Heaven, also known as Zebel, a gathering of the Four Great Seraphs was happening. After the death of God, the four powerful Angels took over commanding the forces of Heaven, while the oldest of them, Michael the Archangel, took over his father's duty in maintaining the system left by God. Right now, the four were discussing two topics: The upcoming summit and the appearance of Magnus Alduin.
It was Raphael who started things off. "So, Magnus has taken the Excalibur shards with him. Which leaves us just Excalibur Blessing." The Great Seraph said. He looked at Michael. "How is the Church taking it?"
As the leader of Heaven, Michael was the one who dealt with the Church the most. Said Archangel sighed. "Not well. Many of them are angered that they were taken by an unknown factor." The leader of heaven said. It was mostly the older members, who had demanded that a task force be made to hunt down Magnus. Michael and the Pope immediately squashed that idea for various reasons. The first being was that they had no idea where Magnus was, and the second being was that anyone sent after him would be killed, given how powerful Magnus was.
To the upper-ranked Angels and veterans of the Great War, Magnus's actions were not much of a surprise. When the player had used Five Elements Overcoming to change the magic system, it caught the attention of many mythologies. God, with Gabriel accompany him, had descended to Earth to find the source. That was how they met Magnus, who was training Merlin. Surprisingly, the meeting ended pretty well. Magnus had only done what he did because he wanted to help humanity defend itself, and his shine towards the young cambion. In fact, Magnus had even saved Gabriel's life once and was the last person to see God alive.
After the war ended, Magnus had gone into isolation, taking Avalon with him. The Angels had tried to find the Dragon, hoping perhaps Magnus had some way of resurrecting their deceased lord. However, they had no luck and eventually gave up, instead focusing on rebuilding their forces and stabilizing the system. But, with the current situation as it is…
"I believe Sir Magnus will make an appearance at the summit." Michael said. It was not a question, but a fact.
That got the other three's attention. "What makes you say that?" Uriel asked.
"Quite simply, his obvious desire to recover the remaining Excalibur shards." Michael answered his sister. "If it was enough to make Magnus come out of hiding after all these years, then there is no doubt that he will come if I make an appearance. He won't risk attacking the Vatican directly. Magnus knows what kind of effect it would cause for humanity. Still, even if we give him Excalibur Blessing, we cannot be sure he won't attack us."
"In that case I should go with you, brother." Gabriel said, earning surprise looks from the others. "If Magnus truly does make an appearance, I might be able to ease the situation, so we can negotiate because we know one another." The most beautiful woman in Heaven explained.
Michael contemplated over this. While it was true that Gabriel might be able to help, there were risks in letting her come to Earth. The presence of two Great Seraphs might cause other forces to try and assassinate them. The other reason was that there might be a chance Gabriel could possibly fall. While Michael knew better that such a thing would never happen, it was still a possibility. Still, besides God, Gabriel was the only person Michael knew who ever spoke to Magnus. If there was truly a chance that she could negotiate with the dragon, then…
"Very well." Michael said. "Gabriel will accompany to Earth and attend the summit."
Gabriel appeared grateful, but Uriel and Raphael were still unsure. "Michael are you sure this is the right choice?" Uriel asked.
"I can think of no better idea. Magnus is an entity on par with the Infinite Dragon God. If we can stem his wrath, then it's the best choice we have." Michal answered.
(Kuoh Town)
Vali Lucifer, descendant of the original Lucifer and wielder of Divine Dividing, watched as students and parents headed towards Kuoh Academy. He was currently standing on the roof of a nearby building, leaving him out of the humans' line of sight. Vali's arms were folded as he paid special mind to a group of certain Devils, one of whom was his destined rival.
Speaking of said rival, the reincarnated Devil, Issei Hyoudou, was a disappointment. Despite being a Devil now, the brunette hadn't improved much. He couldn't even use Balance Breaker, let alone stay in an incomplete one. All Issei desired were breast and a harem, barely focusing on fighting or becoming stronger. For someone who desired battle, Vali was tempted to kill the boy and hope Boosted Gear would transfer to someone who would be a worthier opponent.
[I can't help but feel sorry for Ddraig.] Spoke Albion, the White Dragon Emperor and who inhabited Divine Dividing. [Being stuck with such a host must really hurt his pride.]
"True, but maybe we can get some surprises from Hyoudou during the summit." Vali commented as he had a thoughtful look.
"Hello, Vali." The familiar emotionless voice from behind said, causing his eyes to widen slightly in surprise before turning his head.
Looking down, Vali stared at a cute young girl with long black hair down to her hips and gray eyes. Though you could not see it with her long black hair, her ears had pointed tips. She wore what could be described black and purple Gothic Lolita dress. Her face showed no emotions and her eyes appeared to be lifeless.
Despite her appearance, Vali knew better. This was Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon and Infinite Dragon God, one of the strongest beings in existence. And unknown to some, she was also the leader of the Khaos Brigade, a faction that consisted of multiple races who were displeased with the current system. All of it was to help Ophis regain her home, the Dimensional Gap, from Great Red, another powerful dragon on par or even greater than Ophis.
"Ophis" Vali greeted, watching as the girl walked towards the edge of the roof. "Here to check out the Academy?" He asked. He knew that the Old Satan Faction was going to make an attack during the summit, but Vali didn't think that it was enough to garner Ophis' attention.
"I can still sense his aura here." Ophis responded as she kept her eyes focused on the school, not really answering the cambion's question.
Vali raised an eyebrow. "His? Oh, you mean that guy who defeated Kokabiel. Magnus Alduin."
The man, or rather dragon, was a mystery to Vali. Albion didn't know much about him because he and Ddraig were sealed by God way over a thousand years ago. However, when Vali returned to the Grigori with Kokabiel, he told Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels, what had happened, the man panicked. Apparently, the name really spooked the twelve-winged Fallen Angel and kept muttering about 'broken', 'just curious' and 'accidents happened.' Azazel was known for many things, most of which consisted of being an inventor, having an interest in Sacred Gears, and a pervert. But, never has Vali seen the man who took him in so scared before.
That also meant that this Magnus Alduin must be truly strong, especially if Ophis came all the way here just to see if the guy's aura was still hanging. "Tell me, Ophis. What's so special about this Magnus Alduin anyway? I get that he's strong but that's really it." Vali asked, wanting to know.
Ophis said nothing at first. And then, without looking, replied, "Magnus Alduin, a dragon whose powers are on par with mine and Great Red. If he had helped me half a millennium ago, I would've already regained my silence."
Now that made Vali's eyes widened. Ophis was the strongest being existence barring Great Red. If she wanted too, she could destroy the entire Earth on a whim. And she said that Magnus Alduin was on par with her, and together they could defeat Great Red…
Something stirred inside of Vali. A grin formed on the wielder of Divine Dividing's face, one that someone would have as if their wish came true. The prospect of someone powerful enough for Vali to test himself against filled the hybrid with joy and anxiousness.
Neither of them noticed a brown furred wolf hiding in the shadows, watching with yellow eyes, before slipping away.
I hoped you all liked the NPCs introduced and the Majestic Island of Lemuria. The reason why I changed it from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was because I realized that it would be an interesting idea and in case if I ever brought in deities from the Mesopotamian Pantheon. And before you asked, none of the female NPCs will be in Magnus's harem. He sees them as the children of his comrades. Regarding Dragonoids and Dragonewts, the former are the offsprings of a dragon and another race, usually a human, while the latter are descendants of dragons, having horns, tails and wings but can either look human or reptilian.
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Hierarchy of the Majestic Island of Lemuria:
Magnus Alduin: Leader of the Almighty Ones and Primordial Dragon Emperor of the Majestic Island of Lemuria.
Wardens: Level 100 NPCs and in charge of protecting each of the first twenty floors.
Custodians: NPCs charged with specific jobs or guarding certain areas in Lemuria.