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
Darkness, pure and unforgiving.
He remembers this feeling, the sensation of being unable to see what was around him. He had lost his eyes during his last fight against several pantheons. Ddraig never expected to be in such a state again, but now he had to do his best to survive.
He now relied solely on his hearing and other senses to detect his opponent, a testament to the direness of the situation. "Left!" The dragon raised his sword just in time to block Susanoo's bladed fingers. As the length of Ascalon met Susanoo's attack, sparks erupted in a chaotic dance, mirroring Ddraig's struggle to maintain his ground against the formidable, transformed Susanoo. "Stop this madness, Susanoo. No amount of violence will appease your guilt!"
"Shut up!" Susanoo's voice cracked with a mix of anger and pain as he summoned lightning from the sky. The attack descended like snakes, a manifestation of his inner turmoil, seeking to devour everything in their path before they hit Ddraig.
Ddraig gritted his teeth as his body received an intensive amount of electricity, but the assault was far from over.
"Only one of us is coming out alive from this, and it won't be you!" Susanoo screams, his voice filled with a mix of anger and desperation, as he takes control of the tainted water below their feet. Hundreds of water snakes arise before they tackle, slash, and smack Ddraig around.
The dragon, though defenseless, valiantly attempts to fend off the onslaught of attacks. His efforts, while ultimately futile, are a testament to his unwavering spirit and determination.
His blood starts to mix with the water as more injuries and cuts appear around his entire body.
"You will die by my hand!" The maddened reiterates as he lunges forward like a wolf who has found prey he seeks to consume.
Amaterasu's POV.
The goddess was kneeling while her hands trembled at the sight of her brother's transformation. "What have you done, Susanoo?"
Ophis, who was trying her hardest not to interfere, turns to her before she grabs the neck of the goddess. "What is that thing? Why did that fool transform? Tell me all you know."
Amaterasu attendants try to interfere, but as they see the anger in Ophis's expression, they decide to only plead for the safety of their patron deity.
Shiva approaches Ophis and touches her shoulder. "Violence won't get you anywhere, and we both know that is far from what Ddraig wants from you. Let her go for his sake."
"You don't get to order me around, Shiva." Ophis remarks as she strengthens the hold around Amaterasu's neck.
Amaterasu feels cornered as she cannot even fight against Ophis's incredible and abnormal strength. "I promise to answer. Just release me. I seek no violence."
"Ophis." Someone else calls her name.
Ophis turns and sees that Tiamat is the one who calls her. "What?"
"Let her go. We need answers, not another body in our hands. She's not our enemy, and Ddraig doesn't want you to fight. Let her go." Tiamat says as she tries to appease her fellow dragon.
Ophis remains silent as she thinks about what to do. Luckily, her trust in the Welsh Dragon makes her choose peace as she releases the goddess. "Talk now."
Amaterasu coughs a few times before she starts to speak. "Kusanagi, or Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, was a sword Susanoo found within the remains of Yamata no Orochi. To call it a proper sword when it was found is a misconception, as it was nothing more than a crude metallic chunk that barely resembled a sword at that time. Susanoo offered to me as a way to make amends for past sins, and once it was in my hands, I asked my blacksmiths to forge it into a proper weapon, but it has never been a standard sword. Since the day it reached my hands, I feared it. It felt ominous, as if something dwelled within the sword, so I sealed it within our home to prevent a catastrophe if it fell into the wrong hands."
"Orochi's soul must be what lies inside that sword. You had the soul of one of Typhoon's spawns within your own home, and I imagine it wasn't happy being trapped within a sword." Shiva said as he analyzed the information.
"But that doesn't answer the mysterious transformation. Why did Susanoo transform, and how can we stop it?" Albion joins in as he worries about Ddraig's survival.
"Susanoo… he told me that Orochi was the most challenging opponent he ever faced and the only one that pushed him into a state beyond madness. He described that as he inhaled Orochi's deadly poison, his body was pressed against the ropes, and as more poison infested his organs, the closer he got to dying, but it also had another effect. It drove him wild with newfound strength; as he got closer to dying, he got stronger and lost sight of himself. It was a deadly dance between him and Orochi, one that he claimed he wished never to experience again but now." Amaterasu turns to the fight. "I'm not so sure about it."
"Kusanagi must be the source of the transformation. Right now, Susanoo must be receiving a pure dose of Orochi's poison straight into his heart. Susanoo and Orochi's souls must be resonating due to this, which likely leads to the transformation. Ddraig must be fighting Susanoo and Orochi; past enemies are now fighting as one." Shiva infers as he looks at the group. "If it continues, Susanoo will die regardless of whether he wins. The gas plus Orochi's poison will likely destroy Susanoo's very soul if it continues."
"He's putting his own life on the line for this? For a fight that won't bring anyone back? My father's life? The safety of our Shangri La? All of this because of him? Why can't he listen to reason? Why must gods like him choose violence instead of listening?" Tosca questions the gods.
Shiva faces her with a saddened expression. "I know, but sometimes words are not enough." Shiva then points his finger at the window. "Gods and those who live for eons are many times stuck in the ways of the past. On grudges from past fights, traumas from defining experiences, fears of the past, and faulty ideals that make us feel safe, although they are not the best. Sometimes words are not enough, and it takes more to make someone realize they need to change."
The fight was not improving as Susanoo continued to mop the floor with Ddraig. Blood dripped from his now useless eyes, from the many injuries the dragon hunters had caused him and from those caused by Susanoo, but even as a bloody mess, Ddraig stood up.
Even without eyes to guide him, he stood up and rushed forward, determined to defeat his opponent as he wielded Ascalon.
"He won't lose. The Welsh Dragon will not fall tonight; I can assure you that. These eyes have seen endless possibilities and scenarios for centuries, but he alone, the one that wields not only the soul of Ddraig but also the one of the Burning Buddha, can achieve the impossible." Shiva's eyes shine with unwavering hope and trust in what he sees. "These eyes of mine will lose sight, and these hands will lose the power needed to fight, but he will accomplish what I can't. If I'm the prophet, he is the one carving the path we seek to follow, so don't lose hope in him. Don't ever doubt what he can achieve."
Ddraig POV.
"Get up!" Ddraig screamed at his body as he forced it to obey with the help of Ascalon.
His body reacted to his will, forcing itself to stand up again while carrying the large sword in his right hand. Ascalon's eyes, along the length of the blade, notice the state of their opponent, who was currently winning while also paying a hefty price for the power it had obtained.
The sword growled as it tried to communicate with its owner.
"I-" Ddraig coughs some blood. "I know. He's not doing better. We'll finish this as soon as we can."
Ereshkigal wastes no time as it delivers another syringe to his neck with impressive reflexes so as not to give up her spot. "You need to end this soon. You're not doing well. I-"
Ddraig shakes his head as he listens to her worried voice. "Don't interfere. I'm the only one who should face this challenge. Put a syringe in my tail. I will administer the dose to him. I won't put you in more danger."
The goddess felt saddened by her inability to support Ddraig in another as she actively witnessed his dire state. As she placed the syringe on the tail, she couldn't help but wish to take him away, but that would go against his wishes.
It didn't take a genius for her to know that Susanoo needed help and that if left alone, he would hurt someone else.
Her eyes could see the god speaking to himself while he intensively scratched the sides of his face. "He must die. He must die." His voice was akin to a maniac.
"You don't deserve this. I… haven't fully forgiven you, but this is too much. I'm also feeling the effects of the gas and can't even imagine how much worse it must feel for you. Fighting in this state has to be a living agony." Ereshkigal said as she caressed the scales alongside Ddraig's tail.
The dragon tries to smile, but the pain is too much to hide. "It is, but I can't stop. Not now or ever." Ddraig carefully coils his tail around the syringe so as not to break it. "Once this is over, let's go on a small trip. We have things to talk about. Nabu is not a bad name. I can almost imagine his face and how he will be. Sorry if I can't imagine a full picture; I feel like I forgot many things from that mysterious dream."
Ereshkigal holds back her tears as she recalls that distant dream. The joy she felt as she embraced that distant son was still livid as she held onto it with all her heart. "He will be; I'll grow to love your hair color. His eyes will be beautiful, and we'll be great parents despite our many challenges. You better win, idiot. I'm not letting you die on me. He and the others are going to need you."
"I know. Stay safe, Ereshkigal." Ddraig said before his attention was drawn to Susanoo. "Let's go, Ascalon."
Ddraig sprints forward as he sets out to end the duel. Ascalon tracks Susanoo's movements as it tries to aid its owner.
"Die!" Susanoo summons lighting and water snakes.
Ascalon reacts and tries to direct Ddraig away from the attacks while tracking Susanoo as best it can. First, they jump to the left before rolling over to the right as the lighting clashes against the lake, which disperses electricity along its surface. Ddraig does receive some damage as he cannot block the electricity on the surface, but the damage is nowhere near its full impact, even with water as a conductor.
The dragon continues as Ascalon alerts him to the multiple water snakes that seek to cut him down. He zigzags as he cans while the snakes grace the edges of his body.
"Move faster!" Ddraig pushes his body to keep up with his unwavering will as he seeks victory over his opponent. His two hearts are starting to increase the rate at which they pump blood across his entire body. His muscles are tensing and forcing his injuries shut as they rearrange themselves to keep as much purified blood running while Ascalon is still acting as a weapon, a blood purifier and master puppeteer.
"You don't deserve to be alive! He was the one that deserved a second chance!" Susanoo screams as he rushes forward and tries to pierce Ddraig's chest with a supersonic thrust attack.
Ascalon reacts as it guides Ddraig to evade the attack. The dragon jumps out of the way at the last moment, but as he is evading, his instincts activate as if telling him to use the syringe, which he does. He barely hits the target in the chest.
Susanoo stops and pulls out the syringe with anger in his eyes. "You keep using these damn things on me. You keep taking me for a fool."
"I am fighting a foolish god; there's no denying that. You're dying, but instead of looking for aid, you are out here fighting for a stupid reason."
"Bastard." Susanoo rushes after Ddraig, but instead of using his claws, he summons a blade made of tainted water.
Both blades clash against each other as neither seems willing to give up. Susanoo's attacks are fierce, and the intentions can't be denied as they seek to cut Ddraig down, but the Welsh Dragon doesn't stop either as he does his best to counter each slash and thrust attack.
Susanoo was getting angrier with each exchange as his opponent was beating any expectations. Although he was blind, he still kept up with him. "You dare to defy me with that damn sword style of yours!"
Ddraig pushes back with a semi-grinning expression. "I knew a human girl who could've outmatched you with ease. I'll try to show you this formless style she created with her efforts."
Susanoo's POV.
"He's playing games with you. Is to be expected as you're far from your best." An ominous serpentine voice whispered in his ear, like that of a female with a serpentine charm.
He could hear the giggling of 6 other similar voices in the back.
"Shut up!" Susanoo screamed back.
"Such a foolish god. It has been quite a while since we talked. You slay me and use my core as material, thus trapping me within this stupid sword. Yet I'm amazed at how far you have fallen. I respected you, the young, brave god who came to fight the horrible multi-headed snake who devours maidens for sustenance. You pleased me as I never expected one brat to do the impossible. I almost fell in love with the sight of your mastery over the sword as you danced with me. It was beautiful to see you wielding that blade while enduring my poison and attacks."
"Don't you dare use the voice of those girls with me—devious snake. You were a monster who deserved nothing more than death."
"And you achieved it. You slay me, but look at how far you have fallen. It doesn't take a genius to see that you are far from your prime. Tell me, for how long will you continue to run away? Your mind is plagued with memories of your sins like a storm that has no end. You can't hide yourself from me; we're connected now, and only I can see your pathetic attempts to evade the blame. How sad it is to see the mighty Susanoo as a broken shelf of his previous self? A brat who has fallen from grace, walking amongst the corpses of his mistakes. Your brides, sons, daughters, and especially your siblings all fell because you were too proud, too simple-minded to see the truth. Tell me, how does one keep screwing up after so long?"
"Shut up!"
"Amaterasu is right. The Welsh Dragon is also right. You're a fool who keeps making mistakes instead of growing up. How sad is that?"
"Shut up!" Susanoo pushes back and grows even wilder with his sword attacks. One, two, three, ten, twenty, fifty, his slashes per second keep increasing as he seeks to cut his opponent down. "Die! Die!"
Ddraig does his best to keep up as his body falls behind.
Then tragedy strikes as one single attack cuts Ddraig's left arm. One single mistake is followed by another as Susanoo then strikes Ddraig's right arm and cuts it down with ease before he delivers 16 cuts across Ddraig's chest. One could see the dragon's inner organs due to the cuts' severity.
"Die!" Susanoo then goes after his neck, but something stops him.
The sword that remained attached to the severed right arm changed shape as a monstrous canine creature with scales-like blades got in between and protected its owner from being killed. Ascalon bared its fangs as it faced the god without a hint of fear.
The durable scales of the beast deflected his waterblade as it growled at him.
"The sword has a will?" Susanoo didn't have time to ask questions as the beast's tail stretched like a whip, forcing him to create some distance between himself and Ddraig.
Ddraig's POV.
The dragon fell to his knees as he endured the pain of losing two arms in seconds. Blood spilled from the injuries as his body lost the puppeteer who held it together. He had finally reached the end of his luck.
"Move."
His body didn't react or even listen to his pleas. Not even his mouth was moving as he had lost control over his dying body. He was now trapped within a body that couldn't move a mere inch to protect itself.
"Move."
Ddraig pleaded once more as he sought to keep fighting and obtain victory. The will to live was still driving, but his body wasn't obeying.
"Move."
His soul tried to regain the grip it had, but his body wasn't answering. He was too weak to continue.
"Move!"
His body tumbled forward before giving in as his two hearts slowed their beating. The cold embrace of death was around the corner as darkness was all-consuming surrounded him—trapped in this dying body of his, unable to return home.
"Please, move!"
General POV.
Everything had stopped in the eyes of the Alliance members and their associates as they saw the Welsh Dragon in such a state. One couldn't hear a single voice as time seemed to stop for all those watching.
"No!" Gabriel broke into tears as she witnessed her beloved in such a state.
"You can't do this to me! You promise me always to be together." Serafall said as she punched the floor beneath her feet.
Yukime couldn't speak as she just cried in her room. Unable to even reach his side.
"This has to be a nightmare," Elmenhilde told herself as her eyes saw the fight from Grigory's safety.
Many others were in the same state as these four; none could believe what they saw, but one was the most hurt.
Tiamat's POV.
The true dragon king shattered into pieces at the sight of her mate falling. "Why did this happen again? Where did I go wrong?"
"Dad!" Tosca cries while Tiamat holds her back as the girl tries to break the barrier to get to her father.
"Get up, Ddraig!" Albion screamed. The Vanishing Dragon felt useless as now he couldn't even stand by the side of his former rival.
"You can't die. You were supposed to guide us. What are we going to do without you?" Vali joined him.
"Ddraig…." Ophis fell to her knees as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn't understand why it hurt so much, but now she was experiencing the pain of losing someone important.
Everyone was in shambles as they thought the worst except for one god, Shiva.
Tiamat turned to the god, who remained glued to the fight. His eyes seemed hopeful as he awaited for something she couldn't see at first. A miracle that she didn't expect.
"It's time. Come back to us, Issei." Shiva said with a low voice. "Is time to wake up, Burning Buddha."
Tiamat's eyes turned back to the fight with hopeful eyes. "Are you really back?"
Her ears started to detect the small chanting of several voices. As she started to look for the sources, her search guided her to the sky above, where several figures held Buddhist rosaries while chanting sutras.
Leading the new arrivals was a tall 'man' clothed in white silky Buddhist attire. The bright light that emerged from within made it impossible to see its face.
"Gautama? Sun-Wukong? Nezha? When did they get here?" Amaterasu asked as she didn't feel their presence.
"Come, rise up, my chosen Buddha. Walk the path beyond your past as a human, embrace those cleansing flames, and guide us to a new era." Shiva said as his hair grayed out within seconds. His expression also seemed much older, although it retained some youth. He looked tired but happy to reach this point of no return after so long.
Within the Welsh Dragon Subconsciousness.
Ddraig's large body continued to punch the ashen wasteland beneath him. His soul had several cracks all around, but he still had the will to continue to fight regardless of how tired he was or how much pain he was still enduring.
The cracks continued to spread slowly due to the effects of Samael's Breath.
Before long, he would have shattered if this continued, but he wasn't ready to give up even under such circumstances.
"I can't stop now. I need to go back." Ddraig screamed.
He roars in anger as he seeks to stand up and return alive to those he cares about.
"It's good to know that you have yet to give up. You wouldn't be my partner if you didn't have the will to push on," a voice said.
The giant dragon turned around only to see a sight that brought him hope and distress.
"Issei?" Ddraig asked as he saw a mass of crimson flames that tried to resemble a human body with horns.
The figure approached him with a smile, holding a rosary in its right hand. A serene and mature expression adorned its face, one that lacked any hints of malice or desire, one that was akin to a being devoid of humanity. Its feet barely grace the ash that covers the floor beneath them.
"Who else would it be, partner? You seem tired. Have you been eating enough? Maybe I left you on your own for far too long? Maybe Tia is asking too much of you during the night?" Issei joked as he approached the dragon. His body transported itself to the palm of one of Ddraig's hands.
"Your appearance… my flames… they consume you."
Issei shakes his head. "I became one with them. I… let go of my humanity, and now I'm only the flames that will carve the future; your flames." His expression is complicated to read, as he is nothing more than flames now, but he seems tired beyond human comprehension. It almost feels like he walked for centuries in an endless loop of death and rebirth. A loop that likely took a lot of him.
Ddraig tried to touch him, but once he did, he saw flashes of endless cycles in which Issei fought repeatedly—turning less human and losing many pieces of himself while only retaining the most important ones. "You… lost even the joy of eating or the need for sleep. You've lost so much. You're empty."
"But you retain all of that in my stead. I clearly see everything now. I'm still me, yet I'm not. I remember many things, but many are gone. I became a tool to carve the future, a Buddha to bring the end to the beast." The young Buddha transports itself to the top of Ddraig's head. "I can feel so many memories within you. You cared for everything, making it easier for me to take that step. There's no anger, regret, or pain; I have changed into something others can't easily understand. I am one with the flames, one who's ready to merge. I am here to give you everything I obtained through many cycles under Gautama's guidance. I now clearly see what Shiva hoped of me. But before we do that, we have something to do outside, don't we?" Issei said as he patted the head of his partner.
Ddraig felt an undeniable sense of fear as he heard his partner speak. "Merging into one... Will you disappear?"
Issei chuckles. "I will always be within you. You are me, and I am you. Always together. Don't fear losing me because I'm already part of you. Now, let's go. We have to win a fight, after all."
Ddraig couldn't help but smile a bit as he listened to his cheerful tone. "Right. Let us fight that fool."
Back in the real world. General POV.
Susanoo tried to get close to Ddraig's dying body, but Ascalon remained all too protective of its owner as it shielded Ddraig from everything.
"Get out my way, accursed beast!" Susanoo screamed.
Ascalon didn't move an inch as he stayed by its owner's side until it detected something. As the beast's eyes turned to the motionless body, it saw a small flaming halo appear on top of it.
The halo grew in size until it was larger than even that of Susanoo.
The unconscious body twitched before a burst of flames erupted from within. Said flames shoot out like chains and grab a hold of the severed arms before pulling them towards itself. The arms dissolved within the fire, making them stronger as they increased in size.
Susanoo was confused by what he saw until he felt immense fear—fear of the presence that had awoken within the body. "What is that thing?"
The god watched as the body got up with some difficulty that was slowly disappearing as the two-headed dragon recovered its second head. The crimson flames covered every inch of the body.
"Nasty weapon they used on us, partner. Let's erase it." The body said as its crystalized horns burst into flaming horns. The flames that covered its body spread out in every direction of the mountain as they consumed and erased Samael's Breath, even the one that lingered inside Susanoo. They were restless in their search, yet they didn't destroy anything but their intended target, and once done, they returned to the source right within the body of the Welsh Dragon.
It only took him seconds to consume all gas until none remained.
Susanoo couldn't understand what he saw but knew this was bad for him.
Shiva's POV.
The god smiled from ear to ear as he witnessed the gas disappearing. "Cleansing Crimson Flames, who no longer destroy but also purge the land. He has awakened. I have been waiting so long for you. Thank you, Issei, for becoming what I sought in my visions."
Nobody could understand what he was saying, but as he mentioned the name of Issei, a sense of relief washed over their doubts.
Back with the Welsh Dragon.
"I can see that they have made a mess of our body. This state is bad but not unusable. Let's fix some of it." The Dragon said as the flames accumulated around the injuries before crystallizing and sealing them. Two new crystalline arms took over for the missing ones while the levitating arms reappeared after so long. A large crimson rosary made from the same crystals as its arms appeared around its neck. "Much better. Four arms fit us well, but something is missing. Ascalon, come back."
The sword barked before it returned to its original form before it was pulled toward its owner's hands by an unseen force.
"Good sword. I missed having the real you in my hands. The weight felt off within Gautama's dream." The dragon said as it caresses the handle of the sword. The sword growls joyfully as it feels like its owner is back to normal.
"Who are you?" Susanoo questions the dragon as it feels like a totally different dragon.
"Me? I'm the Welsh Dragon." The dragon replies.
"No, you feel different. That is the same voice, but it feels unknown to me. You're way too cheerful to be Ddraig. You're not him." Susanoo argues.
"Oh, let us fix that, shall we." The dragon says before a second body starts to emerge and stand by the side of the first one. Each one seemed the same with no difference except for one- the missing sword.
"Omnipresence?" The body without Ascalon asks.
"More like limited Omnipresence. I tried to achieve full omnipresence, but it still evaded me. This is as much as I could master. It is hard to be everywhere at the same time. It is as if your mind, body, and soul dissolve across the universe and all realms while trying to remain one single being. I'm all right with just this. Gautama taught me well," the first body explained.
"Well, that just means that we can do this." The second body summons Ouros into his hands. "Regardless of its limits, it feels right with me. It feels real; I can get used to this. The idea of using two bodies at once is not bad at all."
"I know, right? So many possibilities. We could do so many things far more easily like this." The sword-wielding dragon says with a silly expression while its other self shakes its head, feeling a bit disappointed over whatever his other self is thinking.
"You got clones now?" Susanoo asks.
Both Dragons shake their heads. They grin as they sense the path forward, even while unable to see. "Let us show you how much of a copy we are."
*Unravel- TK from Ling Toshite Sigure*
The two Welsh Dragons disappear from Susanoo's sight before they appear on opposite sides of him. Each one grinned as they smacked the god with the tails before following up with a series of punches and kicks with outrageous coordination, sending his body across the lake from one spot to the other. Even though neither could see, they could still feel him and even predict his movements. Regardless of which body attacked him, each punch and kick held the same strength as its other self.
It was overwhelming as Susanoo became a punching bag that couldn't counter its opponent.
Susanoo was then sent flying by coordinated kicks with such strength that he broke through the barrier. As he recovered in the sky, he saw Gautama and the other Buddhas floating around the mountain in a circle.
"What are all of you doing here?" Susanoo questions the unexpected visitors.
Each of the Buddhas pointed their fingers at the dragon, who was now in two places as one.
"A new Buddha has awakened, and we acknowledge its presence. We welcome thee, the Burning Buddha, into our ranks." The Buddhas say in unison.
"Him? A dragon? Becoming a Buddha? That's impossible!" Susanoo argues.
The Buddhas shake their heads in annoyance at his comment.
"You need to start believing in more things, Susanoo," Issei says as he points Ascalon at him.
"We're the Welsh Dragon, the one who goes beyond expectations," Ddraig says as he points Ouros at his opponent.
"Let us dance one last time." The two-headed dragon says in unison as it goes after its opponent.
Author's notes:
And Issei is back, although he's no longer the human that departed on his pilgrimage. He has brought many gifts. Wait patiently to see all of them.
Double the dragon, double the trouble.