I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Tosca kept her eyes closed as she meditated while holding the incomplete spear in her hands. She and many others waited patiently inside one of the unicorn's hangars, which was on its way to the Celtic realm. She could hear the voices of the other agents around her as they reviewed the mission information.
"The otherworld, I never expected that our first big mission would lead us to the Celtic pantheon and their domain," Sairaorg said.
"We should have expected something like this, brother. The enemies of the Alliance were likely planning and searching for a viable target for their plans. If the information we got is right, they are looking to harvest the souls and life force of the realm. They will sacrifice everyone in the realm for the sake of their plans. We can't allow such acts to go unpunished." Madgaran said with a serious tone. "We need to do our best to achieve our mission. Sirzechs-Nii-sama will be looking at your performance after the mission. Your peerage and I will support you, but do not try to be a hero. We're agents; the mission and orders come first above any glory you can gain."
"I know. If I want to reach him and be worthy of being one of the next Great Satans, I can't be a fool. The path ahead is long, but I won't run away." The young lion said with confidence in his ability to achieve his goal.
"..." Tosca remained calm as she listened to Sairaorg and the others.
"We're going for the realm's capital, Avalon, right?" Rias asked.
"That's one of the missions. Yukime's team has confirmed the largest number of enemies within the capital of the Otherworld and its immediate perimeter. Our teams will deploy all around the realm depending on what missions we get. Some teams will go directly for the main enemy force, while others will clean the scattered enemies out. Eliminating enemies will be the priority, but if any survivors need aid, they should come first." Rossweisse replies to her with a calm tone.
"Do we have any additional information about these enemies?" Akeno asks as she joins the conversation.
"Are the rumors true about devils amongst the enemy forces?" Ravel asks with a concerned tone.
"Yes, they are... Devils, evil gods, demonic creatures, and, surprisingly, humans have been seen by Yukime's team as they are gathering information for us. They even claimed to have seen at least a one Longinus user, but this hasn't been confirmed. If this is true, then we'll have to eliminate any before they get away. We have been trying to locate any rogue Longinus users not accounted for, and if one is truly working with the enemy, its elimination is a top priority. Such gears in the hands of enemies can spell real trouble for us and our allies." Liv explains with a concerned tone.
"... Longinus…." Tosca opened her eyes as she heard such a term.
Liv turns to her. "You and Vali might be the ones to track it down. You can try to recruit such an individual, but we don't expect any positive results based on the fact that they are here alongside our enemies. They are actively attacking a realm to harvest their souls, so negotiations are practically at zero at this point. If you can, capturing them is also acceptable, but eliminating them should come first."
Tosca nods with a cold expression as she understands the task that might be given to her.
"In case such mission is given to you. Our team will be around to offer support." Rossweisse adds. "A Longinus user won't be an easy enemy and your safety is our own personal mission. I wouldn't want to be the one to tell your father or mother that we allowed you to fall while we were around."
Two hands touch Tosca's shoulders. As she looks at her sides, she sees the members of her team.
"We appreciate the help, but don't underestimate us," Vali said as she stood on the left side of Tosca.
"I promised him to protect her. I wouldn't be able to face him if I didn't protect her." Isaiah said as he stood proud next to her.
Tosca smiled as she felt secure at her team's side, but her smile quickly dissolved as the door to the hangar opened.
Athena, Asia, Kuroka, Shirone, and many others appeared with serious expressions on their faces.
Asia and her team broke apart from Athena before taking their position alongside everyone else. They stood organized in an orderly faction as Athena took center stage.
The goddess wore her full armor as she looked at everyone present. "Time has come and gone since enemies showed their distasteful faces. Although the Welsh Dragon is not present at the moment, neither thee nor I have stopped advancing while chasing those who threatened our realms. Today, they attacked the Outerworld, and we answered the plea for aid from its deities. Agents have already reached the realm and confirmed the status of the realm."
A holographic map appears above the heads of those present. It is a perfect recreation of the Outerworld, with many areas shaded red. Multiple detailed recreations of jellyfish ships were also visible on the map.
"Enemies forces have been detected in at least 75% of the realm. Our forces will deploy to eliminate all of them. Individual missions will be given to certain teams while our strongest forces will go after the main enemies located within Avalon." Athena continues.
The map zooms to a large city that sits on top of an island surrounded by levitating bodies of water. Upon closer inspection, one could tell that the city was more like a large majestic palace that enclosed every corner of the island.
"This is the capital and the home to many of the deities of the land. Lugh is likely fighting in this place. If he or any of the other deities fall to these heartless bastards, the realm and its denizens will fall." Athena says with a determined expression before her expression softens. "Some might question why we should fight for those who aren't members of the Alliance, but each of thee must never forget that one day, those bastards will come for our realm as well. Standing aside and doing nothing is not an option. Fight for the sake of the future, for a future without any wars or bastards seeking to do as they please with the lives of others. We shall make amends for the past and build a better future for us and those yet to come."
Her words ignited a fire within each of those present, a fire that pushed them to take a stand and fight alongside her.
"For the future!" Each one of those present cried before they broke into groups and approached their perspective deployment capsules.
The capsules were shaped like a spearhead, and each was custom-made to fit each team member perfectly. The capsule would open up like a flower before showing its inside compartments, which were like coffins matching one team member's shape. It was tight but not unbearable, as the purpose was to safely deploy any members of the Alliance within enemy territory without the fear of being shot down as soon as they entered any enemy territory.
As Tosca and her team tried to enter their capsule, a voice rang in their ears.
"Tosca, Vali, Isaiah, can thou hear my voice?" Athena asked.
"Yes. We heard you loud and clear, master." Tosca replied.
"Was the mission?" Vali asked.
"Longinus users. Yukime's team detected two Longinus within the realm. We want to confirm who they are and, if necessary, thy mission is to eliminate them or at least gather as much information as possible. I'd have preferred taking care of this myself, but the situation has forced me and the others to focus our attention elsewhere. We'll destroy the ships and take on the evil gods; we won't be available, so don't be careless." Athena said with a concerned tone.
"... We understand. Take care, master." Tosca says as the call ends. The young Aegis dragon sighs as she feels the weight of the responsibility being placed on her shoulders.
"No more training wheels. We're basically on our own. Do you feel ready?" Vali asks as she takes her place in the capsule.
"I…. a bit afraid of failing. Afraid of making a mistake that could lead to our deaths." Tosca admits.
"It's alright to be afraid," Isaiah said as he took his position within the capsule. His body was covered in black armor, which slightly resembled Ddraig's armor due to its scale patterns. "We'll have each other's back, like always. We'll be right beside you."
"We're a team. You're supposed to be our cheerful leader, so push those fears away. What would Ddraig say if he saw you like this?"
Tosca couldn't help but slightly smile. The dragoness looks at the incomplete spear in her hands one last time before the spear changes shape and carefully coils itself around her right hand like a snake.
"You're with me even now, aren't you old man?" She told herself before she entered the capsule.
Once everyone was inside, the capsule closed itself, and the hangar staff moved quickly to transport each spearhead to the deployment catapults.
In a different location.
The loud sound of explosions kept her on high alert as she moved across the battlefield with careful steps. She was tracking a specific target through the corpses and destruction it left in its wake.
As she looked at the area, she could tell that before all of this, it had been a rather beautiful sight to behold since not even the wildest imagination of human paintings could match the beauty of the Otherworld. Its green aquamarine sky made it hard to tell when it was nighttime or daytime. Its silver sun didn't help this either, as its light was nowhere near as intense as the sun of Earth, yet it was perfect for this realm and its residents.
The buildings that make up the small settlements outside its capital resemble tiny villages, which differ from the ones found on Earth due to the mysterious azure bricks used in many buildings and the naturally zero-gravity bodies of water that surround most villages.
This was a realm full of magic, a land of fairies, Fomorians, merrows, ogres, and highlanders (Proto-humans). It had its issues, but it was still a beautiful land that was being destroyed and harvested by outsiders.
"Raven, can you hear me?" A voice called out to her in her ear.
"Loud and clear, 006-Wolf. I'm tracking my target while waiting for the team to arrive. How are things on your side?" Agent Raven replies as she continues to track her target carefully.
"Bad. The destruction these bastards are causing won't be easy to repair…. I don't know how this realm will recover from such an attack. The deaths are increasing with each second. We might see the fall of Avalon if our troops don't arrive." Wolf commented.
"Don't lose hope. I know they're coming," Agent Raven replies as she looks at her terminal. She had been praying for a message, and a small flashing light finally told her that her prayers had been answered. "Here they come," she says.
*Angela-Exist*
Suddenly, several spearheaded-shaped capsules pierced the skies at inhuman speeds all across the land alongside the large body of the Unicorn.
Enemies across the entirety of the realm turned their attention to the capsules and the Unicorn before opening fire against each one, knowing that their arrival would spell trouble for their plans.
Raven watched as each enemy projectile impacted with the capsules, but not a single one seemed damaged as they continued to descend towards their targets. The same projectiles tried in vain to take down the massive ship of the Alliance, but an impenetrable barrier swiftly blocked each one. Her eyes also witnessed the Unicorn's horn start to shinned before several energy blasts pierced the enemy ships that weren't outside of its immediate firing radius.
At least 4 of 20 enemy ships started to go down as the Unicorn attack drastically damaged the enemy ships.
"Wolf, take care. I need to guide my team to their target before any more lives are taken." Raven said.
"Be careful, Raven." Wolf cut the call as his tone became a bit more excited after seeing the arrival of the Unicorn.
Raven wasted no time operating her terminal and creating a safe line with her team's transmitter. "Can you hear me loud and clear, Aegis Team? I am 001-Raven."
"Raven? You're our support on the ground?" Vali asked with a tone full of surprise.
"Who else would it be? My master is currently busy, and I was given the task of tracking these bastards down. I'm tracking them as we speak. I will share the coordinates of their likely location; you won't get to them that easily. At least 150 enemy Devils around the area are bound to come after you. It won't be easy, but you must push through them to reach the target. I can ask other teams for aid if necessary." Raven told Tosca's team.
"Saved it for now. The other teams have their own missions, and unless necessary, I prefer that our team takes care of this ourselves." Isaiah replied.
"I agree." Tosca joins in.
"Very well. Follow the coordinates and be ready to engage the targets. The enemy team has at least four members. All seemed human, but I could be wrong. The leader wields a spear; I have yet to confirm its identity, but I believe it is the first Longinus. I implored that you be extremely careful with your actions. This is not an easy target and I prefer not having to inform the Alliance about your demise." Raven said as she transferred the coordinates to Tosca and the others.
Her eyes watched as a capsule descended faster toward an area close by the coordinates she had just shared with the team.
There was no turning back now.
General POV.
The enemy forces, mostly containing devils made by Rizevim after altering Lilith once more, turn unconsciously towards a descending capsule, knowing the orders given to them by their creator.
"Kill and harvest everything in your path. That's your mission. Until your bodies aren't able to move another inch, you must continue until your mission is over."
They lacked the will to oppose or the capacity to go against Rizevim's orders. They were nowhere near similar to previous devils as they lacked many of the characteristics the previous generations did.
Puppets to be used for war was the closest description one could use to describe them, and as puppets without a will of their own, they raised their hands before shooting a barrage of spells and attacks in order to destroy the capsule.
Each attack was comparable to a missile, but neither was able to even make a scratch on the capsule as the object descended until it finally reached its target.
The impact as it buried itself in the ground was impressive, as if created a large crater.
Devils who were close to the immediate area of the impact were killed as the object crushed their bodies, while those that remained alive surrounded it as they prepared to continue their assault.
Suddenly, the capsule busted open, and without any time to react, the closest devils lost their heads as a swordsman clothed in black armor with a mask covering its red eyes arose alongside a dragon warrior covered in green armor and another in white armor.
The black swordsman cracked his neck as he held his mysterious katana, which was dripping with the blood of its victims, before analyzing the many enemies surrounding them. "Ready?"
His partners nodded as they saw the path ahead.
"Eliminate all of them and push towards our target. Mercy is not an option." Tosca said as her tail came to life. Each segment of her tail separated until a long whipped sword took shape before setting itself ablaze.
Devils watched as she charged forward like a bull without a care in the world. Her tail extended and swiftly cut and severed the body parts of any who weren't fast enough while her claws cut through them like butter.
They tried to evade her assault, but her eyes widened in fear due to her impressive speed and the unexpected support that followed right behind her.
Issaiah showed his mastery over the blade as his katana cut through them like nothing. His movements were precise and worthy of praise as he slayed anyone who tried to escape while staying close to the rampaging green warriors, who kept pushing in one direction.
One could feel the growing bloodlust his body released as his blade cut through more enemies.
Vali didn't disappoint as she showed how much she had grown. Multiple magic circles bearing a mysterious sigil, which combined a devil magic circle and a draconic magic circle, spread around the area before large jaws of white flames descended upon the devils, crushing them while also incinerating them like bugs.
"None of you will survive this day." Vali and Albion said as they moved like one being instead of separate beings.
Although they lacked the will to disobey the others of Rizevim, no devil could deny their fear as this trio of teens quickly eliminated each of them as if they were mere pests.
They had the numbers, and Rizevim called them the ultimate evolution of devils, but his claims were far from reality as they weren't able to keep up with any of them.
Peaceful creatures of the realm who weren't expecting invaders were easy targets but trained soldiers and warriors were a whole different business.
Meanwhile, inside a different hangar of the Unicorn.
Raynare made the last adjustments to her heretic creation, which disobeyed any rule that her father imposed on her.
"Lucille… are you ready?" Raynare asks her sister as she deactivates the mechanisms that hold her metallic armored body in place.
Lucille's body couldn't be described as divine; it was more like a silver deadly creation that mixed dragon and angel into one. Lucille's face and normal body were hidden below layers of metallic armor that could easily inflict fear into any enemy.
"I feel ready," Lucille said as she examined her body and systems. "What is my mission, sister?"
"1. Offer support to the units on the ground. 2. Eliminate any enemy of the Alliance. 3. Prioritize the safety of the members of the Alliance. Above anyone else, prioritize the safety of Tosca Welsh and her team. I ask this as your sister. Can you achieve this?" Raynare asks Lucille.
Lucille's face, still hidden behind layers of metal, can't help but smile as she turns to face Raynare. "I promise to achieve my missions. I'll protect her. Nii-sama would ask me the same even if you didn't." Lucille turns around before her thrusters activate, and like a turbojet, she flies away, ready to engage the enemy.
"... Is he really talking to you, or is your mind playing tricks on you, Lucille?" The fallen angel asked herself as she watched her disappear in the distance.
The stage was set for the first major mission for the Alliance, as many were fated to meet and fight on this land now at war with enemies from far away.