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
To the rhythm of the tunes of the drums, a ceremony continued under the moon's bright light. Alcohol and food were shared amongst deities of the Shinto pantheon as they shared memories with each other.
Some were past enemies, and others didn't get along too much, but for the sake of this ceremony, the past was put to the side as they cheered for the newly wedded.
Yet one deity stood a bit away from the rest as he watched them enjoying their time.
He was as pale as a ghost yet beautiful as any other goddess of his pantheon, with white strands of hair that any woman would envy. A serene and calculative deity who was hard to anger, he was also still feared by the rest of the pantheon for his mysterious abilities.
His name was Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, and like many times, he reflected upon many things.
"Tsuku? Why are you staying away from the rest?" A voice called out to him.
As he turned around, the moon god saw his sibling, the fool amongst all fools with his blue hair, which resembled an insane storm, Susanoo no Mikoto. The god of storms and seas, one known for his mastery of the blade and even accredited as the strongest blade in all the realm, but to Tsukuyomi, he was his drunk sibling and nothing else.
"You stink. How much have you been drinking?" Tsukuyomi asks after putting his drink to the side.
Susanoo scratches his head as he tries to remember the exact number. "A lot?"
His answer annoys Tsukuyomi, who snaps his finger and turns Susanoo's drink into plain water. "Drink some. You might do something foolish if I don't take alcohol away from you."
Susanoo looks annoyed as he examines his glass only to find water, yet he doesn't argue as he steps closer to his brother. "Are you staying aside because this is Ukemochi's wedding?"
Tsukuyomi raises an eyebrow before he shakes his head. "Not in the slightest. I might find her powers distasteful, but I don't hate that girl. We're all unique and must learn to accept each other."
"Even my drinking?" Susanoo jokes.
Tsukuyomi glares at his brother before playfully slapping his head. "Foolish brother, your alcoholism is a problem which I seek to cure. Too much of anything is hurtful. This is not just Ukemochi's wedding but also that of one of your sons. You shouldn't embarrass him by acting like a drunken fool. Think about what others might say."
Susanoo waves his hand. "You're being too serious. This is a celebration to enjoy. I'm more concerned about you. While everyone, including Amaterasu, is having a blast here, you are isolating yourself from the rest instead of joining the party."
Tsukuyomi could see his sister dancing and enjoying herself alongside the rest of their pantheon. "... She can enjoy herself now, but at least one of us needs to think about what our future will look like."
"Here we go again." Susanoo takes a large sip of water. "Are you still thinking we must seek peace with the outsiders?"
Tsukuyomi nods. "There are times for fighting, but there should also be times for searching for peace. How long can we continue by isolating ourselves and treating others as nothing more than our enemies? We must be better than our elders. We need to be the ones that make a change. To seek unification, and if we don't change soon, more of our followers will abandon the realm like before."
Susanoo shakes his head with a smile on his face. "War is the only way we can achieve unification, brother. No pantheon outside our realm will bow and accept us as equals. Only the strong can make such demands, and if unification is your goal, it can only be achieved through conquest."
His brother's comments don't inspire hope for the moon god. As his eyes turned to the sky, he could only fear the future that awaited them. "Such a mindset will lead to our demise. Pride, proving that we're the strongest pantheon, none of that will keep us safe from things such as Great Red or the Beast."
Susanoo grins as he hears Tsukuyomi's fears. "Come on. There's no need to be afraid. As long as I'm around, our people will never fall. We're the strongest pantheon."
Yet such comments only made Tsukuyomi more afraid of what awaited them if they continued to follow the current path. "I hope you realize your mistakes before it is too late to turn back." Tsukuyomi leaves his glass behind before he vanishes into tiny spheres of light that float toward the moon.
Susanoo is left in silence as his brother remains distant from them all. "Us? Joining hands with the outsiders? Impossible. Only the strong can make others summit, but don't worry. As long as I'm here, everything will be alright."
His pride and lack of concern for the future were two of the main factors that later created the perfect recipe for disaster.
If only he had stopped to listen with more attention and less prideful ignorance.
Back to the present. General POV.
With great difficulty, Ddraig had arrived at his destination. His body was losing strength, his grasp around Ascalon's handle was far from adequate, and even his eyesight was starting to be affected as the gas pushed him closer to death's door regardless of how many doses he received.
But turning back was not an option. Ddraig was far from optimal conditions, as he still had many of the injuries he had received from the hunters, yet he couldn't turn away.
No, when so much was a risk, doubt would only worsen the situation.
As Ddraig lay eyes on the god who sat before the statue made after the image of the deceased Tsukuyomi, he couldn't shake the bloodlust he was detecting. "He won't back down…. This situation is going to be bad."
"Took you long enough, Welsh Dragon. You seemed to lack the respect to answer a challenge on time. You continue to destroy any expectation I have of you. The old "Ddraig" would have been here on time and ready to face me." Susanoo said before he took one last sip from his alcohol bottle.
Ddraig didn't need to get close to detect the strong scent of alcohol that emanated from the god. Even with the rain, the smell remains as bad as one would imagine after drinking at least 1 ton of alcohol over many days. "I'm sorry to say that it wasn't in my plans to accept such a challenge. I'm not in the best condition, nor are you, from what I can see. Let's choose peace, Susanoo. This gas is going to kill us both, and your allies will die at the hands of mine. You can stop this madness with just a simple order."
Susanoo throws the bottle away before standing up and holding the mysterious sword, which continues to drip the green liquid that seems to contaminate the lake. The god turns around and faces the Welsh Dragon, with eyes devoid of life and a face inching closer to death. His armor seemed to lack any cleaning as one couldn't tell its color under all the dry blood that covered it. It was far from fancy, and it was also broken in many places, which could only mean that it was the one that he had likely used during the war.
Ddraig doesn't notice how the bottle hits a magic circle on the lake's edge.
As Ddraig examined his appearance, he noticed that he was already enduring the effects of the gas. Susanoo's vessels were inflamed, and some of his face was starting to rot away while dry blood was seen alongside the edges of his mouth. "You… fool. You need aid right now. Stop this madness before it is too late. Your sister and the rest of this realm are waiting for you. Don't do anything insane, and let me-"
Ddraig stops as Susanoo begins to chuckle. "You aren't anything like the dragon I remember. Where is that Ddraig? The one who eliminated so many without an ounce of mercy, the one who challenged the gods, the one who took my brother away from me." Susanoo points his sword towards Ddraig.
The Welsh Dragon shakes his head. "I didn't kill him. I know the truth, and so do you; stop running away from the truth. Nothing you say or do will bring back those who died back then. Those who are gone should be allowed to rest in peace, and those who remain must pick up the pieces while making sure not to repeat the same mistakes. Your anger won't bring anyone back to life; your current path won't offer peace to those who dwell in the land of the dead. None of this will ever make amends for the sins of the past; this is the path of cowards who can't face the future. Choose peace for once in your life and protect what remains. Live on for those that remain."
Ddraig tries to reason with Susanoo, but his words fall on deaf ears as Susanoo can't control his laughter.
"This has to be a joke. You? The ever-famous killer speaking about peace? Don't make me laugh. You only know how to kill; your hands are just as stained as mine; we're the same; peace can never be a path for us. You, me, Amaterasu, and everyone else who participated in that war belong on the battlefield because we're killers. We only know how to kill each other, which hasn't changed since the war, nor will it change in the future. Stop being a hypocrite before everyone's eyes. Right now, they are watching us and listening in, so smile for them." Susanoo says.
Ddraig doesn't question Susanoo's statement as the possibility of a hidden mechanism to transmit the current events was not impossible. "Stop the troops, Susanoo. I don't want to fight for a stupid reason. I know that we can be better. You fought for humanity and Gaia not too long ago. Nobody told you to show up, and yet you did. You knew what was at stake and put your life on the line to protect Gaia."
Susanoo shakes his head. "That was nothing more than protecting those who genuinely believe in us. As a god, I couldn't ignore them, but that doesn't change anything, Welsh Dragon. Tsukuyomi and many others would've survived the war if it weren't for you. Many would be alive today if you had stayed away from the war."
His words weren't complete lies, nor were they completely accurate, as none can honestly know how different certain events might have been if Ddraig and Albion hadn't shown up.
"I won't ever deny my sins, but I know that with this second life, I will make amends for as many as I can. I will put all in the line to seek an era in which there's never another war like that. I believe in Shiva's vision of a future where we can be at peace. A future in which everyone I cherish can smile and live on, a future in which the realms are united and in harmony. I will fight for such a future because that's what all of us should do to make amends. To honor those who perish too soon, we should seek a better future and not let the past define what we could achieve." Ddraig screams with determination as he offers his hand to Susanoo. "Choose peace and stop running away from it."
Susanoo grits his teeth as Ddraig's words ignite the anger inside him. "How dare you speak like him? You have no right to speak like Tsukuyomi. Peace is impossible for us, but if you want to protect something, you better be ready to bleed for it, Welsh Dragon. I won't back down; tonight, I shall take your head. Only one of us is coming out alive. Kill me, or I'll kill you; that is your ultimatum!" Susanoo takes his stance as a blue halo appears on his back. His power arises alongside the intensity of the storm.
*Rain-SID (Instrumental or regular version)*
Ddraig feels the coldness of each drop of rain as they fall on him. It almost felt as if the sky was crying. The Welsh Dragon raises his sword with the remainder of his strength. "I will defeat you. If you can't move on with your own feet, I'll force you to open your eyes and see a path forward beyond the storm. Neither of us shall die tonight."
"Shut up!" Susanoo screams before he rushes forward.
Ddraig does the same, and thus, the fight begins under the cold embrace of the storm.
At the base of the mountain. Tiamat's POV.
The true dragon king cried her eyes out as she held her daughter in her arms. "Idiot, please come back to us. Don't die." No words could describe the anguish she and everyone else was feeling as they observed the fight that was taking place.
Everyone could see the dire state of the dragon, and almost everyone wished to interfere, but none could.
"Please. Don't die, old man." Tosca united her hands for the first time since she became a dragon to pray for a miracle.
Ophis remained motionless as her eyes remained tied to the fight. Unconsciously, one of her hands reached out for her chest area as a sharp pain started to arise within. "Ddraig, why does it hurt? Is this cold rain the cause?"
"Ddraig, don't die. You have to win this." Albion thought as he observed the fight through the eyes of Vali, who couldn't move an inch as she witnessed the Welsh Dragon's determination in such a deteriorated state.
Across the skies of the realm, several windows appeared, each showing different angles of Ddraig's fight against Susanoo.
As if it was some kind of spectacle, the fight was shown to the eyes of the Shinto denizens.
But they were not the only ones.
In the Underworld.
The fighting stopped as mysterious crystals located inside the enemy ships displayed images across the sky.
To the eyes of the Alliance, the forces of the Shinto gods, and those in the Underworld, the fight before their eyes drew all their attention.
The Shinto forces started cheering their god on, as many shouted "Susanoo" at full volume, but the Alliance was in full distress as they witnessed the enforcer's dire state.
Some dropped to their knees and started praying for a miracle.
Others fell unconscious due to the shock.
But all those who saw his bravery and heard his words knew that they couldn't waste time as their ally needed them.
"That sexy idiot really knows how to raise our fighting spirits. Just wait for us; we'll be right there as soon as we take care of these idiots." Sekhmet said as she turned away from Ddraig's fight and towards her opponent. "Fujin, I really need you to surrender. That idiot who rejected me before needs our aid, and you're getting in my way."
"A goddess like you saving someone? Don't make me laugh. You only know how to kill." Fujin says before he sends a series of wind blades after Sekhmet.
"Oh, I know I'm really good at that." Sekhmet comments as she evades the blades by simply phasing through them with her incredible speed. The lioness rushes forward instantly before she grasps Fujin's right hand. "Killing is part of me, but I also know how to face its consequences. I never denied who I am or what I did, but there are those like you who try to push blame into others."
Fujin tries to release his arm as he turns his body into air, but Sekhmet holds him in place. "How?"
The lioness smirks. "Once I have my prey, I don't let go so easily. Choose now, the hard way or the easy way."
The god of wind grinds his teeth as he turns into a tornado with winds capable of cutting almost anything.
Sekhmet starts to laugh as she is trapped within the bladed winds. "The hard way it is. Be ready, Fujin. I'll make sure you never forget my name."
The god of winds began to feel scared of ever daring to cross paths with Sekhmet as his instincts screamed at him to run away before it was too late.
Sadly, he would never get the chance to.
Gabriel's POV.
The seraph couldn't move an inch as her eyes focused on the fight before her. "No, no, please tell me this isn't true." The light of her halo began to switch tones from pure white to pale purple as her emotions edge between remaining under control or falling from grace.
Her feathers started to turn darker as her transformation pushed on.
Her mind started to get filled with things that no seraph should think of. Rage, sadness, malice, and many other things arose within her as she imagined the worst possible result.
The desire to punish and kill Susanoo if he ever accomplishes such a goal started to take shape. The golem beside her began to glitch as it detected a disturbance in Gabriel's power. Its holy appearance slowly changed into a more gothic one that lacked any sacred attributes.
But before Gabriel could cross the line, someone rushed over and covered her eyes.
"Calm down. Don't lose yourself." Shemhazai said as he brought his sister back from crossing the edge. "He's not dead. Don't let it get to you. He won't die."
"But-"
"Shhhh, deep breaths Gabriel. You need to remain calm. He won't leave you. Listen to me; we're in the middle of a crisis. You know better than anyone else that your emotions must remain controlled. Don't fall from grace, Gabriel; he won't forgive himself if you do under such conditions." Shemhazai said in a soft and calm tone.
The fallen angel continued covering Gabriel's eyes until he saw that her halo and wings were normal. He turned to the golem and saw that it was also back to normal, which relieved him.
"... I'm alright," Gabriel says.
"Sure?"
"Yes," Gabriel answers with a calm voice.
"Alright." Shemhazai releases her. "Don't scare me like that. What if I wasn't around? What if Uriel or Raphael saw you in that state?"
"... I'm sorry." Gabriel's eyes look up to the fight. "I'm scared of what can happen to him."
Shemhazai shakes his head. "You need to remain in control, now more than any other angel or seraph. You're crossing uncharted waters already, and one wrong step will spell trouble for everyone involved. Uriel, Raphael, and the rest of our siblings aren't ready to accept this. Gabriel, you can't let these emotions get the best of you. For his sake and yours, stay calm." Shemhazai points his finger at the gruesome fight.
It wasn't good, but Gabriel understood the delicate line she was walking on. "... I'll try."
Shemhazai sighs. "You better try harder because this might get worse."
Back with Ddraig.
Their blades clashed against each other with different intentions. Ddraig could notice it as Susanoo's bloodlust seemed to have no end.
"I have to defeat him, but it is akin to a miracle at this point. My hands can barely hold Ascalon's handle." Ddraig was pushing his body as much as he could with the aid of Ascalon's tendrils.
His movements felt rough and slow, lacking the sharpness he usually had. He knew he could do it better, but getting his body to listen was a battle that was even worse as the gas continued to mess with his inner organs and muscles.
His opponent wasn't any better. He noticed Susanoo coughing up blood occasionally while his eyes weren't keeping track of his movements like they were supposed to.
"You're dying, damn it. Stop this now, you fool." Ddraig pleaded as he saw an opening and used it to strike Susanoo's left side. As his tail hit the mark, Susanoo momentarily lost his balance and stumbled to the side. "Ereshkigal, deliver a dose to him now!"
Susanoo's eyes grew wide as he heard the goddess's name. He tried to find the goddess's location, but she was too fast as her arm arose and delivered the much-needed drug to his neck before returning to Ddraig's shadow. "Where is she? You dare to cheat-"
The god didn't get to finish, as Ddraig wasted no time before he delivered a series of cuts and blows, which sent Susanoo several meters back before he hit the barrier, followed by his fall to the floor.
"Ereshkigal, deliver any doses you can to Susanoo if you see a safe opening. If we don't do something, he might die before this duel is finished." Ddraig says while keeping his eyes on the god.
"You dare to speak to an invisible goddess while you should be focused on me? Am I a joke to you?" Susanoo asks. He forces his body to stand up while taking his stance once more.
"This is no duel; this is a suicidal trap. Can't you see that both of us are dying, and yet you're far more focused on killing than your survival? What kind of god are you?" The dragon asks as he analyzes Susanoo's next movement.
"I'm the god that will take your head and then…. I… will….. Finally, be forgiven."
Ddraig shakes his head. "You will never find it because you can't even forgive yourself. You keep running away from facing your sins as if you didn't do anything back then. If I killed many, so did you, but here you are, not moving an inch to change, to grow, to make amends."
"Silence, you know nothing!"
"I know more than you think. Alcohol to try to ease the pain, screaming and pushing others away, crying before the tomb of someone you miss, pushing blame into others, not being able to stop the voices; humans might not live on for long, but I got to see many things alongside my hosts, and you're the living example of someone who's fighting with their traumas and demons. Just stop this madness before it is too late. There's no need for more bloodshed." Ddraig pleads with Susanoo.
Susanoo shakes his head as some bloody tears roll down his cheeks. "No, you're wrong. You're to be blamed; I would never fail in protecting him. Tsukuyomi died because of you. You're the one who did all this; once I kill you, then everything will be fine."
Susanoo starts speaking like a lunatic who's losing their grasp of reality.
"Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine once I kill you." Susanoo's eyes seemed even more lost in his madness as he started pointing the sword toward his chest.
"Susanoo, stop whatever you're doing. We can help you; don't give up on life." Ddraig remains at a safe distance as he feels that something terrible is about to happen.
"Can you hear the drums, Welsh Dragon? Can you hear them playing for me? They are telling me to kill you. To use that once more. Let me show you why Yamata no Orochi was my greatest opponent ever!" Susanoo uses the sword to pierce his own chest with it.
*Must Die-Daisuke Ishiwatari*
Blood spills everywhere to the shook of Ddraig, but his surprise doesn't end there.
A dark aura vortex envelopes Susanoo as his laugh is heard from within.
"Ereshkigal, don't come out. No matter how bad it gets." Ddraig senses danger as whatever is taking place is far from natural or divine.
"Be careful." The goddess replies as she hides.
As the vortex settles, a malignant figure appears before the Welsh Dragon. Its body is covered in blackened scales, and its eyes have multiple snake pupils. Its mouth is open wide with fangs like a snake and a greenish gas escapes. His hair is divided into several tails, almost resembling the legendary Orochi's multiple heads. His fingers resembled blades instead of usual fingers.
There was no armor to protect his chest now, and there was no sight of the sword either, only one tiny jewel sitting on the spot where the sword originally pierced his chest.
The newly transformed Susanoo giggles like a madman as it points its finger at Ddraig. "Tell me, Welsh Dragon, when you die tonight, will Ereshkigal take pity on your soul? Will she fight for it as I seek to destroy it? Shall we figure it out?"
"Su-" Ddraig didn't get to finish as his vision turned red in an instant before going fully dark. He held back his scream as he knew what had just happened. Blood spills down his face as the giggling behind Ddraig increases.
"I dislike your eyes, so I just took them away. I'll make you suffer until the very end!" Susanoo said as he cleaned his blades off.
Ddraig cursed his luck as he was now blind and at the mercy of an insane god.
Those watching weren't going to have an easier time as they were about to witness a massacre.