Chidoriprime: Lots going on, they can't seem to ever catch a break. You just KNOW the boob-missles were Azazel's idea LOL. Imagine if Vali actually asked her ;) That would be quite the jump in development, hopefully Dorian and Elmenhilde can work together without killing one another XD
silverhawk88: Thank you so much! I hope you like what I have planned for the latter half of this arc. :D
Royalrain20xx: I know the frustration there, wish I had an option for "Last time on Roots of Hope Z" XD. Rias and her team just can't seem to catch a break, especially with Apophis who is one of the stronger Evil Dragons. Elmenhilde had that effect when she was first introduced, I am glad I could portray that in Roots as well. More hidden features? Nnnnaaahhhhh, surely Azazel wouldn't try to do such a thing... *glances left and right*
horakthy baraq: Thank you! And I totally agree, imo Ravel was one of the best girls who worked so well with Issei. Oho, I am glad you caught that change...there is a reason for that which will be made evident soon ;)
fanficcyberman: Yea, the Brigade was bad enough to begin with, but now mix in them getting info from a guy with future knowledge makes it all the worse. Thank you so much for the review and kind words man, it was a nice break though still worked through it but it is nice to have a chance to relax from posting. If only I could write faster so that the chapters would be more consistent. Hope all has been wonderful for you too, my friend! Wishing you and your loved ones nothing but the best!
avenger3576: Knowing the Khaos Brigade...he didn't come alone ;) Kassaegtha is atm, the intention I had (which is why she was hesitant to return to the underwater city) is that the closer her spirit/projection/mind is to the body, the harder it is to pull away from it. She can do it eventually, but it takes time. For the moment, she is remerged with it.
Oberver01: Well said XD
7: Thank you very much, and it's good to be back! It really is haha, in canon the only real limitation is overuse makes you mentally unstable but otherwise it can pretty much revive anyone who is actually dead from what we've been shown. Oh no worries, Gasper and Valerie are NOT related, it's Marius who she is related to as half-siblings. Same father, different mothers. I hope you like the next few chapters then, always fun to show off the architecture/little differences in areas despite not spending as much time there as Japan or the 9 Realms. You and me both, they wanted those Phenex Tears quite badly...I love how you caught the ways those can be tied together with the powers they already have :D Hope you are doing well!
TheLycan2026: That is great to hear, and thank you very much! Hopefully not too busy :) , it's always great when timing works out like that.
And with that…ONTO THE SHOW!
"Reminds me of our first hunt," Dorian remarked to Thrud as they stood in the billowing winds, faces wrapped to protect them from the biting cold trying to use as little magic as possible to avoid detection. "Any sign they know we're here?"
"None," Thrud reported acting as if the cold was nothing after years traveling the Nine Realms with her father. "Ah, those were simpler times. I had no idea why the Allfather would assign me to train an Einherjar who couldn't even hunt a deer. Any…particularly fond memories that day?"
"More than a few," the freezing stings felt a little further away as he recalled Thrud removing her vest in order to use her Sage Arts healings, giving him the first glimpse of her body. "I think that's the gondola we were supposed to be looking for."
In the distance, a scene of twisted metal, shattered glass and crushed rock greeted them. If the snow had been disturbed, it was hard to tell as the heavy fall had covered much of it over once more. The Crossroad Team consisting of Dorian, Thrud, Hecuba, Irina and Zepar inched closer to examine the scene. Dorian knew the angel wanted to be with her father who was still in bad shape, but she'd insisted on helping until all their friends were safe. Koneko had accompanied them while Issei led the rest of her team to check on the second gondola as she could reapply their illusory disguises on the fly if needed. Elmenhilde was present as well while Rossweisse and the others coordinated their next moves at the Carmilla base.
"Blood," Elmenhilde pointed out, dipping down to touch the faded red seen among the snow. In a moment that made the other's flinch, she licked the crimson liquid from her fingers. She gasped in delight that sent her eyelids fluttering, clearly enjoying the taste. "Pureblood vampire for certain, it's so delicious, might even be royalty…but no others."
"Then it's not any of our friends', good," Dorian sighed a little at that revelation. "Everyone, fan out, look for any sign of what happened here." Iggy was quick to join them, materializing as many branches and roots emerged to start analyzing the ground.
Your disguise is impressive," Elmenhilde admitted. "Even I may be fooled…at least for a moment."
"Koneko has been learning from her sister and while we'd never met a pureblood vampire, Gasper told us of them even before the meeting. Rias' explanations just helped even more." Dorian explained as they searched. His skin was paler with no breath visually escaping their lips. While the team was still breathing, the illusion magic was doing its work to make them all appear as pureblood vampires. Dorian had to admit that Thrud looked both terrifying and beautiful with blood-red eyes.
"He'd better be okay," Koneko muttered, adjusting her large fuzzy hat to better cover her ears. She'd wanted to have been part of Rias' initial team, that much was obvious, and the fact things had gone wrong only added to her frustration. "All of them."
"Kuroka will be fine," Irina insisted without hesitation, having been her roommate since she joined the Crossroads, the reborn angel felt she had gotten to know her unlikely friend. "They probably had to hide out, no way over these mountains without the gondola or magic."
"The Tepes forces would need an army to do anything to them," Dorian added to boost morale and try to do something about her frown. "There has to be a sign here of where they went, and when we find it, we'll track them and…GET DOWN!" The sleeve of Dorian's coat shredded as he summoned his collapsible shield, the metal impacted by a blast of shadowy energy; vampire magic. Sure enough, a force of a dozen emerged from the blizzard bearing down on them. No words were exchanged, but Elmenhilde recognized them immediately.
"Tepes patrol teams!" She hissed while splitting into a swarm of bats to avoid incoming attacks. She retaliated with her own vampiric powers on full display. "Kill them all!"
"ONLY if you have to!" Dorian added quickly. "Irina…"
"Way ahead of you!" She replied quickly, holding her hands aloft as she summoned her holy-light magics that rivaled the brilliance of the sun. Dorian did the same with the light of Heaven hoping to incapacitate them with a blast of sunlight. To their frustration, their display did nothing but briefly stagger them. "It's not working!"
"They must be augmented by the Grail like Elmen said," Zepar theorized, having discussed at length with Azazel possible uses for it based on past data. "We will have to use something with more force." He slashed down on one with a sword of light only for the wound to begin closing until he pushed forward, impaling him further.
"We can't fight here long," Dorian groaned, knowing that if they were a patrol that a larger force would not far behind. He saw Hecuba slashing with Monster's Bane, drawing blood though the vampires were much more durable than they would have been normally. "Maybe they haven't seen ice like this…"
The horned circlet of his Balance Breaker materialized on his head, a cloudy-white gem glowing atop it. With a single punch, the closest vampire was frozen solid within a cage of Helheim-Ice. He did it to the next two who leapt for him before seeing what his powers were capable of. Thrud had nearly twisted another's head off, a female vampire whose neck was trying to bend back in place even as they looked at her. Zepar's was healing as well with the burn marks barely slowing him down. Hecuba and Elmenhilde had dealt with their own, but it was clear none would stay down for long.
"You weren't kidding when you said it's hard to put them down," Dorian admitted as glanced around for the next attack. "We need to disappear into the storm and double back so we can check the wreckage for more clues."
"A clue like this?" Thrud held up a seemingly inconspicuous fragment of cloth only for them to realize it was part of a kilt. "It was wedged between a rock just on the northern side of the rubble. See, there is another one."
"I know that path," the Carmilla vampire retorted with a confident tone. "It would seem your friends wanted us to know their course. If they kept to that direction…follow me, I have infiltrated Tepes territory many times and know what lies on that road."
Tepes Castle Town…
"All clear," Catherine reported as Kiba agreed with a nod. Once they were sure they would not be spotted, the group dashed through another side ally.
"Two or three at a time," Kuroka stressed as she watched above back in her cat form. "Any more than that and even vagrants will get suspicious. That and I am getting quite tired keeping up our illusions."
"Just a little longer," Rias urged, her porcelain skin shimmering off the moonlight even from under the dark cloaks they had procured from the initial teams that tried to recapture them after the gondola crash. Her once vibrant red hair was dulled as her previous hue would be noticed easily. As the king had explained, such a dazzling shade of crimson was incredibly rare among vampires, usually only the highest of pure family traits.
"To think that I would have to sneak through my own territory," King Tepes growled while being helped by Bennia. His wound had been stabilized, but without something stronger like Twilight Healing, he still had to travel slowly.
"Yea well, you sided with terrorists and ended up getting your family turned against you when we wanted to talk. Not everyone can get what they want," Bennia retorted cheekily while pretending she couldn't see the side glances the Tepes ruler was giving her. "You couldn't have put at least one place in your whole countryside where we could teleport? Even somewhere the barrier is a little weaker and I could hop-scotch teleport us to safety."
"If you could do it, everyone could," he choked through the lingering pain. "You need to get beyond the mountains which are covered with soldiers."
"Or to reach an approved zone for teleportation, right?" Rias stared at the King who clearly hesitated answering before slowly nodding seeing no other alternative. "Castles or bases ruled by loyalists?"
"Like Castle Vladi?" Gasper asked while staring at the king. Despite the height difference, he did not look meek or scared, but determined. "Does my father's castle qualify?"
"It should if he did not join the insurrectionists. He was not at the ambush, so it is possible…"
"My original intent of this meeting was to speak with Lord Vladi," Rias admitted while considering the situation. "When Valerie's involvement was brought up, that became the priority but perhaps we can do both. If your old home is a zone that can be teleported within, we can make our escape and ascertain if he is part of these attacks. If so…"
"If he is, then we'll have to fight him," Gasper understood the situation. "And…I want to know what happened with Valerie after I left."
"Gasper's old home," Kiba muttered aloud as the Rias and Gasper discussed how to get there with King Tepes. "He'd mentioned how terrible things had been, but I never thought to see it."
"Man, what kind of world results in so many awful childhoods?" Bennia asked with the Knight and Kuroka glancing to each other awkwardly. "I think I'll need to hug mom and dad a little tighter next I see them. All credit to Grayfia and Sirzechs for being good parents to Millicas."
"Ooooh, how is the little devil doing-nya?" Kuroka purred teasingly. "Did you get a stern talking to for teaching him those little escape tricks?"
"How was I supposed to know he'd use them to escape INTO a warzone!" The young Grim Reaper winced a bit recalling the words Grayfia had for her after the battle at Lilith. "He's a slippery one…no offense."
"None taken," Rias replied, Bennia sometimes forgot that she was his aunt.
"I did give him some pointers on talking to the ladies though," she mused as they snuck further into the back alleys. "You should have seen Kunou lay into him at Lilith and it barely fazed him. He must be used to seeing how his mom handles others. I think he's been inspired to know other cultures, Kunou was visiting him anytime Yasaka was around for talks."
"Mmmmmm, playing a little matchmaker?" King Tepes rolled his eyes at Kuroka's continued teasing. "Setting up a little alliance of sorts?"
"If he ever actually made a move in a few years, I'd be impress…"
"Ssssshhh," Rias shushed the group as they froze, noticing a group of vampires walking together just on the other side of the wall they could hear. Everyone froze, waiting to see what was happening.
"I know foreigners were making our men stronger, but there are far too many of them," one remarked in a nasally voice. "What is our King thinking?"
"Queen!" The other snapped quickly to silence his friend. "Remember, it's Queen Valerie now, and if you want to keep your head, you'll remember that." To their relief, it seemed they were just civilians and not official patrols.
"My father's castle isn't too far," Gasper's voice steadied as he heard her name again, the memory of her blank controlled stare looking right through him stuck at the forefront of his mind. "Let's go there and get help. I don't want to be part of this conflict, but if it gets her out of here, I'll fight anyone who tries to stop us!"
"Shirone picked a late bloomer, but a good one-nya," Kuroka was so proud of his determination. "I think I remember slumming at a bar near here years ago. If we go that way, we can slip out of town towards that scary castle, is that the one?" Gasper nodded at the tall towers barely visible in the distance.
"Then let's hurry," Cat, Kiba, take point. "It seems one way or another, we'll be having an interesting talk with Lord Vladi."
Castle Carmilla…
"Your people have sallied forth?" The hauntingly gentle voice passed through Azazel's ears as he stood at the far end of the hall from its source. "I hope they are competent scouts."
"That they are, Lady Carmilla," he spoke cordially knowing how important such things were to them. It was a small miracle that she had allowed an exception from him kneeling low before her. "They're good kids, I am sure we'll hear more soon."
The room screamed of grandeur with torches and candles numbering in the hundreds illuminating the ornate tapestries and gold fineries that were indicative of old Vampire royalty. At the far end sat Queen Carmilla, though the fallen angel had to take their word for it. As was tradition, she was obscured upon her throne behind a great red curtain that barely allowed her veiled outline to be seen.
"Let us hope so. Should the young Vladi choose to side with them, you will be held responsible for vouching for their character."
"I vouched for them then and I'll do it a hundred more times," he retorted while trying in vain to hide the mocking tone towards her insinuating they could ever join the Brigade. "I know treachery is a sore spot in your history, but we aren't into that."
"See that it remains that way," she spoke as she waved a hand, the silhouette seen clearly amplified by the shadows. "I must converse with my nobles, you may go."
"Not even Governor-General anymore and still have to play diplomat," Azazel muttered once he was out in the hallway rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Too beautiful to see my ass, more likely they don't want her seen by such unworthy non-vampire eyes such as mine. I swear our accommodations can only go so…"
"I'm surprised you say that out loud, you never know who is listening."
"Vali? Man, you startled me," he chuckled as the White Dragon Emperor stepped out from around the corner. "Thought you would have been out in Tepes territory looking for you know who. You are certain he's here, right?"
"He must be, or someone who knows of him," he grimaced. "Bikou and Arthur are scouting the perimeter but their defenses are impressive past a certain point. "Once we find an opening, I'll join them. And if we cannot…we'll make one."
"You could be a little patient and we can go together," the fallen angel tried to coach caution. "Thought I taught you that young."
Memories flooded his mind, the young runaway Vali found on the outskirts of Grigori territory half dead from exhaustion and hunger. They knew who was chasing him, but Azazel's orders overrode any fear and they had eluded his pursuers in the nick of time. He'd only lived with him until he turned 13, but that brief period was the first time Azazel could recall almost feeling like a father.
"Not all of the lessons stuck," the silver-haired man retorted. "I have no mercy for those men and when I find them, I will show none."
"Can't say I blame you, right bastards the both were. Some parent's lessons should be ignored, both of theirs definitely, though your mother…" He stopped as Vali's eyes locked onto his demanding silence, he honored the wordless request. "You can learn from many places, Tobio and Lavinia were good influences…though you could have been a bit kinder at the Peace Summit."
"I held back, it had to look good."
"I know, if you'd wanted, it would have been a lot more painful. When we make our big move, you'll be kept in the loop. I promise." Vali only nodded an affirmative, turning to return down the hallway he'd come from. "I'll be sure to have Hecuba deliver it personally!"
The White Dragon Emperor paused for only a moment, a slight twitch of the shoulders the only sign that his teasing had had an effect. Without another word, he kept moving.
He's too easy. If I really wanted to get under his skin, I'd bring up how he and Issei are the closest I've had to kids…well at least until recently. Honorary brothers to both Dorian and Issei, if I brought it up, he may ACTUALLY kill me.
Castle Vladi…
"This is…quieter than I feared," Kiba remarked as he and Catherine led the way emerging from the side gate Gasper had showed them. "Where are the guards?"
"I do not know," the sword saint muttered in a soft whisper. "Can you generate a teleport circle?"
"No," Rias huffed. "Perhaps only certain areas of the castle are designated?"
"That would be the high tower or the basement," King Tepes stepped forward, finally able to walk on his own, albeit slowly. "Otherwise, the fortress would be vulnerable."
"Basement first then," the Gremory heiress decided. "I don't want to be cornered in a tower if they spot us." The group nodded in agreement.
"There should be men here," Tepes growled in annoyance as if he wanted to run into more. "Something is wrong. Has Lord Vladi neglected his castle to this extent or…?"
"Or they felt this place had become a low-priority location," Rias completed the thought. "Either to have more troops to search for us, fight the Carmilla faction, or just out of a lack of interest. Quietly now."
They made their way almost single file through the stonework halls. With only their own light spells to guide them, they found a stairwell leading down where the door was still open. On guard for any ambush, they reached the bottom quickly which exited out into a spacious room filled with many doors. They worried needing to search all of them before in the back, one slid open slowly.
"I-I'm unarmed!" A woman dressed as a maid blurted out upon being greeted by Kiba and Catherine's swords along with the others preparing spells. "I am unarmed!" She was a vampire based on her complexion and red eyes, however, the shadow cast on the wall denoted she was not a pureblood.
"Lucia?" Gasper asked while moving forward, her demeanor softening as she saw him.
"Little Gasper? Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you had died!"
"She saved me," he motioned to Rias who gestured for everyone to lower their weapons. "Lucia was one of Valerie's maids when I was here. Where is everybody?"
"It was horrible," she broke down at the question. "Lord Vladi did everything they asked, but it wasn't enough. These men from afar came with a woman and did…terrible things," her eyes glanced to a far-off door with a lock on it. "After they took all our men and servants for the coup, my Lord locked himself in there. They only left me because Valerie told them to."
"What did you have Lord Vladi do?" Rias turned to King Tepes with a look of growing rage. She could tell the king had been aware, even if he had tried to deny it, the Gremory heiress knew better.
"What I saw was a path to power for my people, I will not apologize for that." He would say no more.
It was simple for Kiba to shatter the lock, swinging the inner door open. Lucia gripped Gasper's arm who patted her head, face contorted in concern as he didn't know what else to do. She tried to deter them from going, the shake in her voice telling them they would not like what they saw. Within, they could see the dim lights from computers, beakers and other pieces of scientific equipment. It was a laboratory using technology foreign to the vampires, the Khaos Brigade's handiwork evident to all.
"You didn't…" Rias shivered as she spotted large tubes reaching from the floor to ceiling. Within each one, a shape that could barely be recognized as humanoid floated with no signs of life. At least a dozen could be seen that Catherine recognized before the rest.
"They're clones, just like what the Church did for Siegfried, Freed and Lint."
"But clones of who-nya?" Kuroka peered in, a twinge of remembrance of her own father's experimentation eating away at her mind. "NYA!" The nekoshou jumped as she spotted several jars filled with right hands. Few were recognizable as hands, the fingers so malformed as to come across as talons or claws on several. She sniffed a few, assuring herself that what they smelled like was a mistake.
They smell like…Dorian? Not like the ones in the tubes, those are almost like that Phenex heiress.
"The fake tears…" Rias muttered as she spotted strands of blond hair among the half-formed bodies further in. Misshapen black wings gave away any doubt that they were devils. "These ones are clones of the Phenex family, aren't they?"
"They are," a voice from deeper in called out. On edge again, the group spun towards an oddly extravagant portion of the dilapidated laboratory filled with expensive-looking sofas, tables and chairs. "But alas, clones of clones can only last so long. After the last useful tear was used up, they took everything from me to use elsewhere. What you see is all the influence I have left."
A man could be seen sitting with several empty bottles beside him, small crimson stains hinting at the previous contents. He looked young, potentially in his 30s with a resemblance that removed any doubt this was Gasper's father. His clothes, while once having been regal and elaborate, looked worn and tattered, his face fairing little better appearing as if he had not washed in quite some time.
"H-hello, father," Gasper started, the man barely nodding with a squint as if barely recognizing his son.
"I am Rias Gremory," she took the lead when it became clear he was not replying. "Lord Vladi, I presume?"
"I am, though not much of a lord any longer since Marius stripped me of my holdings. All these decades loyal to our king, and it ended with me losing everything."
"Is that why you did not come to the meeting before?"
"Indeed, I was locked in my own castle with only Lucia. Everything taken by the one they had placed over me, that silver-haired bastard that I…MY LORD!" Lord Vladi practically threw away his glass upon seeing King Tepes among them, falling to a knee. "You survived? I heard of the attack and feared the worst."
"They were well-prepared, I only survived thanks to my guests. Their Evil Dragon allies are powerful, my guards would not have stood a chance even had they remained loyal."
"They were the ones who sealed me in here, that Apophis. He seized every remaining tear I had produced and left me with these failures. I am afraid that no more of the Phenex magic will flow from here, my lord."
"You WILL answer for that when we are done," Rias promised, knowing there was a time and place for the anger that Ravel would feel tenfold. "But for now, we need to escape. Where is the zone to teleport from this castle?"
"Within this very room, but it's been sealed by Marius' cohorts. We'd need to shatter the binding spell…"
"…which would tell them we're here from a mile away," Rias understood. "But if we have the circle ready, we could escape before they get here."
"On it," Kuroka and Bennia exclaimed almost in unison. Between the two of them, their knowledge of teleportation circles was nearly unmatched among the Crossroads except for Rossweisse. They hurriedly got to work as Gasper slowly approached his father.
"So, you've taken on a devil's appearance now? It fits even less than a vampire's, I almost didn't believe it when I first received Lady Gremory's letter."
"What do you mean?" Gasper didn't like the uncaring gaze of his father.
"What about his mother?" Catherine asked as she looked around. "Was she imprisoned too?"
"His mother died after giving birth to that," he pointed at Gasper, eyes flaring. "The shock of seeing what she had brought into this world was too much for her psyche."
"This is not the time for…" Rias started, but Gasper raised a hand as tears threatened to fill his eyes. He wanted to hear what his father had to say, he HAD to hear it.
"What came from inside her was something covered in a sinister aura," his tone sounded fearful as he relived that day in his mind. "Wh-when you were born, you did not have the shape of a normal vampire, not even of a half-breed. It was dark, creeping, squirming that I couldn't even describe nor could my physicians. Neither human nor vampire, it was further than something I could even call a monster. Your mother saw that, she realized it before us all and it pushed her to her death."
Gasper was born like that? Kiba could not believe the words coming out of the vampire lord's mouth. He's one of the gentlest souls I've ever met; to think he came into the world that way, I can't even imagine it. The memory of Gasper's powers used at the Rating Game and later against the Hero Faction, it unnerved Kiba and made sense all at the same time.
"You were cursed, we all saw it. Not one of the nurses or physicians who aided in your delivery survived the year. They all died in strange ways."
"I…cursed them?" He was barely able to squeak out, recalling the fear in the eyes of those who saw him. He knew they were afraid of him, but such details had never made it back to him.
"Not consciously, that much was certain but yes. You were a mass of darkness and shadows for hours before molding yourself into the shape of a child. Your mother was already dead before that happened."
Was that a result of his Gear? Rias wondered to herself. Or is it more complicated than that?
"Why didn't you tell me?! If I'd known what I was capable of, what I'd done…"
"It could have pushed you further towards this darker side of yourself," King Tepes answered this time. "I commanded the secret kept myself. Think of the power you've wielded in recent days, had that come when you were here, few could have stopped you. Sacred Gears we know of and could contain, but this darkness that you started from was wholly separate. Your ability to stop time was the least of what we feared."
"Then why…why did you treat me the way you did if you thought like that?"
"Treating you like a half-breed was the only way I saw to control you. I don't know if it was the right decision anymore, but it kept you docile. That is what mattered most."
"How you treated him in the past is over," Catherine spoke up much to the surprise of others. "I have not been a member of Team Gremory for long, but he has been kinder than many I knew even back when I was in the Church. He has become a devil just as I and it does not matter how he started. He has become my comrade, my friend."
"You say that, but if you saw what he truly looks like…"
"I saw it," Catherine interrupted. "When he fought Georg, we all did."
"If you won't consider him a vampire or human, then I will call him a devil and naught else," Rias' voice burned with emotion with every word uttered. "After all, I reincarnated him myself with these hands, though it took me time to realize just how important he was. No matter what his true form is, he is without a doubt a Devil of the House of Gremory!"
"You…you saw it, and yet still consider him a friend?" His father looked shocked seeing not only Catherine nod, but Rias, Kiba, even Bennia and Kuroka. For a moment, just a moment, he seemed to smile slightly at that thought.
"Rias…" Gasper could not help but be moved by the conviction in her voice. In any other situation, he would have broken down in tears and hugged her, but with Bennia and Kuroka still setting up their escape, there was no time.
"So, he was saved by you, all of you? I suppose…that may be enough. He no longer has a home here, but it seems that is not an issue for him."
"If Valerie were truly Queen, I could live wherever she is. After we escape, we'll rescue her."
"Rescue her? I am afraid it is likely too late for that," the room fell silent at those words prompting Gasper to ask the fearful question.
"Too late…for what?"
"The new Mayor, Marius, is very vocal with his ideals and plans. I may be trapped here, but had contacts in court. He was discussing 'releasing' our new Queen from her duties so they will burden her no longer once the coup was secured. Poor thing."
"By releasing her, you mean…"
"Oh yes, he plans to rip the Grail out of her body. I know we had planned to use her as long as her sanity holds out but it seems they will beat us to…" Lord Vladi's complexion paled even for a vampire as he realized his mistake, King Tepes' face contorting in rage at the revelation of their initial plans for Gasper's childhood friend and her current fate.
"Gasper," Rias tried to intercede, seeing his long-maintained composure just utterly swept away. "We need to get out of here, once the circle is done, we can return and…"
She did not finish before a shockwave of dark energy sent her flying across the room along with Lord Vladi and King Tepes. Kiba and Catherine barely got their weapons up to split the dark energy around them to protect Bennia and Kuroka's efforts. It was getting hard to see Gasper's body anymore, his features melting into the black miasma of his aura with only his pink glowing eyes piercing through.
"Rias!" Catherine called out, but the Gremory heiress held up her hand to stop.
"Protect Kuroka and Bennia, we need that circle finished!"
"His power will shatter the foundations of this castle!" King Tepes called out while remaining behind an overturned chunk of wall. "We have to kill him! Rip off his…!"
Rias slapped him for that with a hand made of her power of destruction with such force that the King slumped down and did not get back up. Lord Vladi was cowering in the corner, clearly the memories of seeing his true form years prior completely paralyzing him.
"Gasper, we will save Valerie," Rias pushed through the torrents of power buffeting her, her own black wings protecting her. "I know what you heard was terrible for a parent to say. If mine said anything like that, I don't know what I'd do. Take my hand, we…"
Rias' voice died in her throat as a familiar pulse of energy struck her, the glowing eyes of Balor falling upon her. In response, she instantly unleashed her fledgling True Form, barely allowing her to shrug off the detrimental effects of the time stop. To her horror, she was the only one present strong enough to resist its pull as all of her friends froze in place performing their last actions prior to being hit. Rias had seen this enough to feel Gasper was putting far more energy into it than she'd ever seen, the effect spreading out further and further until the entire castle was enveloped. Whether the traitor vampires came had become a moot point as they would be trapped just as them. Just how far could he spread this influence?
"Gasper…" She tried to plead once more, but he was not hearing her. Only a single word escaped the vampire's lips as he stood there in contemplation torn between what he was born and what he had grown into.
"Val…er…ie…"
Not far…
"Castle Vladi, of course they would flee here," Elmenhilde pointed ahead to the ancient castle looming before them. They had traveled without rest since discovering the path using what magics they could to conceal their movement. "If their defenses are like this, it's a wonder they ever opposed us. I have not seen any guards."
"Nor I," Dorian did not like it as they moved closer. "So, this is Gasper's home?"
"Kuoh Town is his home," Koneko put a stern hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes with a harsh expression.
"Former home then," he corrected himself. "Don't worry, we'll find them all and get them back. Stick together, Zepar can you take point…Zepar?"
The Einherjar turned, seeing that his team including Elmenhilde had suddenly stopped in their tracks frozen in place. It was then that Dorian felt the pressure of energy wash over him, Koneko experiencing the same as she fell to a knee gripping her ears. He recognized the sensation.
"Gasper's power, like what happened at the Peace Summit," Koneko nodded in agreement. "Somethings gone wrong if Gasper is doing this!"
"Why can I still move?" The young nekoshou asked as she looked over all the others all immobilized.
"It must have been your touching me, just like before, but it feels stronger. Even those with Sacred Gears were frozen…we have to hurry!"
Gasper is inside, Iggy called out within his mind. I will lead the way. Oh, he feels like he's in so much pain. Dorian did not tell Koneko that part.
The pair raced through the castle, the very foundations shaking, causing stone to come loose and fall all around them only to stop mid-fall. Iggy's directions led them down further and further into the building. Save for a single frozen maid, they did not see anyone. Dorian grabbed the poor woman, carrying her with them to ensure she would not be crushed when time resumed. Finally, they could hear voices, breaking through the door that would not budge.
"Rias!" Koneko called out seeing her King and friend struggling against a mass of shadows. Her True Form was failing, clearly pushed to its limit with half of her body able to be seen with the power of destruction receding, losing to the dark. "Is that Gasper?!"
"It is," she gasped, barely able to speak. "He can't hear me. I…can't hold it…"
"Here!" Dorian's Breakdown armor exploded into being. Standing behind Rias to support her, he planted his hands into the ground. Similar to what had happened in Kyoto, his armor started to grow until a barrier had been formed in front of them. Rias slumped to her knees, grateful for some reprieve, though it was clear his root-barrier was withering by the second. "We have to leave!"
"Not without him!" Koneko leaned against the inside of the barrier while trying to get into view of him to see her. "GASPY! It's me, I have garlic!"
With a sound almost like a hiccup, the pressure died and the shadows around receded backwards. Risking a look, Koneko peeked seeing the swirling mass of darkness and tendrils with traits of many creatures sitting in the corner staring at them with uncountable numbers of eyes. Despite Dorian and Rias' concern, Koneko took a step out into the open view and started walking closer.
"It's me Gaspy, see?" She showed off her ears and tail, twirling a bit to let him see all of her. "I don't know what happened, but this isn't you…" Those words almost seemed to set him off, a renewed buffeting of power hitting the nekoshou Rook, but she kept walking.
"She's going to get killed!" Dorian tried to step out, but it was Rias who stopped him with a strong hand.
"If there is anyone who can talk him down, it's her. Give her a chance," the Einherjar could only nod in confirmation. He was ready to try and extend the barrier, but the closer she got, the less chance he'd reach her in time if something happened.
"You always said you didn't want to be scary, right?" Koneko continued, her hands up to show she had no weapons or tricks. "You used this form to save people back in Lilith, please…"
The shadows swirled around Koneko, cutting her off from the others leaving her standing in the eye of a black and purple tornado. She continued walking with confidence, the vortex moving in tandem to keep her safe. The onlookers could not help but be moved as she walked into the miasmic shape which dispersed almost instantly upon her arrival revealing a sobbing Gasper. Without a word, Koneko took his head and pulled in to embrace the young vampire she'd grown close to.
"They…they're going to kill Valerie, and I'm too weak to save her."
"You're not alone, I'm here," Koneko soothed him. "We can bring help, I really want to meet her, after all."
Gasper's pink eyes died down, time starting to resume around them. The relief was short lived as the grinding of stone and mortar warned them of the damage caused by his rampaging powers.
"Dorian!" Zepar's voice could be heard over their magical connection. "Where did you go? We just got here but the entire castle is collapsing!"
"And there are A LOT of vampires coming!" Irina's panicked voice was quick to follow. "They are approaching behind us fast! The aura from their leader is terrifying."
"Get to the basement where we are!" He ordered quickly while providing directions, seeing Kuroka and Bennia working on a teleportation circle and guessing their plan. "We're leaving, NOW!"
"Gasper obliterated the anti-teleportation seal on this castle," Rias quickly caught them up to speed. "We can get out of here!"
"Here!" Dorian added an extra pattern to the magic circle. "That should connect it to our base at Carmilla's Castle. Everyone who is leaving, get on!"
King Tepes was first to be dragged onto the platform by Kiba and Catherine. Bennia and Kuroka were already on, the dark-haired nekoshou hugging her sister tighter and tighter even as Koneko refused to let go of Gasper's hand. Using barriers as best they could, Rias and Dorian kept everyone safe from rubble until Elmenhilde had arrived with his team from the outside pulling the maid with them. At last, everyone was standing ready except Lord Vladi who still sat in his chair looking defeated.
"Come on!" Dorian held out a hand urging him to join them.
"I deserve this," the vampire answered dejectedly. "To be buried along with my castle, what will I have left?"
"You have me," the maid answered weakly, not sure if it was her place to speak.
"And your son," Rias answered next. That sent Lord Vladi thinking, his mind clearly racing as to what that meant to him. Not even the sound of pounding on the door could snap him back to reality, the Tepes troops having found them and braving the collapsing fortress to reach their quarry.
"You're not dying while I'm here, you can decide what that means to you later," Dorian grunted as a branch-like tendril lashed from his arm to seize Gasper's father. With a single tug, the older vampire came flying towards the group with the Einherjar seizing him in a bear hug to prevent escape. "DO IT!"
Rias, Bennia and Kuroka all raised their hands simultaneously to activate the power stored within the magic circle. Rubble fell all around them, the sound of splintering wood and vision of robed vampires led by a strange dark-skinned foreigner breaking through the door moments before all was consumed in a bright light leaving the shadows of Castle Vladi behind.
Castle Tepes…
"So, they escaped?"
"They did," Apophis growled in anger to the man on the other end of his communication channel. "Castle Vladi has been leveled by the half-breed's power. There is naught left."
"And Lord Vladi?"
"We have not seen him. Either he was crushed with his castle or fled with them. It will take time to determine which."
"It does not matter, pull your forces back to Castle Tepes, we will need everyone present for the ritual. Marius seems quite excited for it."
"I do not know how you put up with him," Apophis huffed. "I've wanted to crush his head in my claws ever since he first opened his mouth. With the Grails, he will be utterly insufferable."
"He won't keep them long; you will have your chance. Very soon, his troops will be ours and the Carmilla will be swept aside. Before then, however, our…esteemed ally can show us that ritual of hers to claim the complete Sephiroth Grail, is that not so?" The man with silver hair turned to the entrance where a pair of feminine silhouettes could be seen against the shining light behind them. "We were kind enough to bring you back from oblivion, it's only fair, no?"
A grinning pair of white teeth from the closest was the only reply while the second woman just turned and walked away.
"Speaking of oblivion, how is your wayward brother?"
"He is no brother of ours any longer," Apophis hissed. "I was amazed to find out he had survived the centuries faking his death, but to hear he held no true allegiance to his own kind…"
"Moloch seems to know many things, were it not for his warning, I would have chosen Crom to go in your place. He did put up quite a fight, I almost thought I would surely die. But one Evil Dragon cannot hope to face all the others at the same time. Did you decide to kill him?"
"Not yet," Apophis' eyes glowed menacingly even through the hologram. "First, we will learn all we can from him, his newfound strength and what he knows of this world since our deaths. Then and only then will we show him the consequences of even considering siding against the Evil Dragons."
Friends are reunited, pasts have been revisited and the Khaos Brigade's plans laid bare. Now armed with that knowledge, our heroes must mount an assault to stop them and save Valerie from a fate robbing her of her life and powers. Sorry for the delay posting, I had been traveling last week but it is good to be back. Until next time, I hope everyone stays safe, Reads and Reviews...but most of all Enjoys! :D