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
Our story takes us back to the battlefield, where Issaiah, Vali, and Lucille held their ground against Judgment. The first knight of Rias Gremory gritted his teeth as he got close enough to exchange direct blows with the possessed body of Cao Cao.
"Your soul… A human who has abandoned my grace. Such a heretic act." Judgment said as it swung its spear with simple yet deadly precision. Its moves lacked openings or harshness as their intent was clear: eliminating any opponent in its path.
Each one held the strength to split almost any defense in half. The sort of strength that made the enemies of Paraiso shake in fear as it offered no mercy to its opponents.
Yet every attack the possessed Cao Cao made was met with an unwavering blade that couldn't be put down.
"I don't care for your words. You dared to hurt her, and that's all the reason I need to eliminate you." Isaiah said as he used his blade to parry and block as many attacks as possible.
His movements were sharp and determined as his eyes glared at his opponent. Each swing of his sword sought to cut his opponent's neck like a hungry wolf that sought to catch the neck of its prey, yet there was a sense of grace behind each one.
There weren't moves that left openings to be used against him.
There weren't careless attacks that could put him in danger.
Issaiah's movements were calculated and sharp, just as his master had taught him, and the fact that he didn't back down from such a challenge showed his determination and trust in his abilities and training.
Judgment didn't seem amused as his attacks didn't land as intended. Its eyes could see Isaiah's shining blue eyes turning utterly red as his body released an ever-growing killing intent. The demonic energy surrounding Isaiah didn't help ease the disgust it felt as the boy ignored the difference in strength.
"Those eyes… you dared to oppose your creator?" Judgment asked as he pushed on with his relentless attacks.
"I don't care who or what you are; I won't back down if you dare to threaten the life of the most critical person in my life!" Isaiah replies with anger as he fights back with tooth and nail.
"Sinner." Judgment said with a voice that exuded disgust. Judgment felt anger rising within it as the boy didn't fall before its might. "What horrendous age is this? Are humans becoming devils? Have my actions failed to prevent the demise of my dreams? I must-"
Judgment didn't get to finish his thoughts as his senses alerted him to the incoming danger. Using his dominion over salt, the possessed Cao Cao created a set of shields blocking an array of magical beams that sought to pierce his limbs.
From the corner of his eyes, Judgement bore witness to the other two enemies, who kept a safe distance while carefully analyzing his movements.
"You, a child of mine, dares not to hear my call? Obey me now!" Judgment tried again to force his authority upon Lucille as he detected her soul. Regardless of the body she now had or the name given to her, her soul was still attached to its divine nature.
But like all others, Lucille rejected his will as she took aim and opened fire against him.
"Blasphemous!" Judgment's anger rose once more as he was forced to use his shields to block the incoming attacks while also keeping an eye on Isaiah.
Vali POV.
"He's not going down. Those damn shields are stronger than I expected." Vali said as she joined Lucille in the assault.
"That being is a fragment of a death god, a very angry and restless fragment. We can't reason with it. We need to take it down or make it retreat as soon as possible. I fear what the others are enduring right now." Lucille said with a cold tone as she dreaded what her sister was experiencing at this moment.
"I never heard something like this. The Bible God had many powers, but mind/soul control is not one I expected nor saw coming. How are you fine?" Albion questions Lucille.
"Nii-sama is keeping me safe. The fragment is reaching out to me, but Nii-sama's power has a better hold of me. The connection that binds me like Nee-sama to heaven is brittle and barely non-existent, but the one with Nii-sama is stronger and far more firm. While the fragment tries to pull me in, Nii-sama pulls back with far more strength." Lucille admitted.
"That's good to hear, but how are we going to take that thing down? Isaiah is doing his best, but I don't see him winning the close-quarter encounter. I would love to join in, but I lack a weapon to match that spear. My twinblade is with Hephaestus." Vali said.
"If I take over, I can do something even without a weapon, but I won't be able to defeat it in this state. You might have more dragon parts than before, but your output is far from perfect. There's also the issue of putting you in danger; that thing exudes divine energy, and we both know what it does to devils. The safest option is to continue like this; Isaiah can keep the pressure on the surface while we keep it from above. I don't think it is using the full extent of its power, so we should play it safe until Tosca wakes up." Albion added as he analyzed the situation. "Do you think she can do it? Can she really pull it off?"
Lucille's visor turns to the unconscious Tosca, which remains in her right claw. "She can. My core is made from his flesh, but Tosca is his daughter. Every inch of her body holds a far stronger connection to him than anyone else. You have seen it, and the tests don't lie. She is the daughter of the Welsh Dragon, almost a full flesh copy who has inherited many of his abilities. There's nobody else that can do it."
Tosca POV.
"To…s….ca…."
A distant voice called out to her.
"Old man, where are you?" Tosca asked into the distance as she drowned in an endless ocean of green stardust.
Her body felt so distant as she continued to sink deeper into a realm beyond her knowledge.
She couldn't hear or see what was happening outside, but finding her father was the most crucial task right now.
"Tos… ca!" The voice became stronger as she continued to sink deeper.
Although she felt a bit afraid due to her past, the young dragoness didn't fight it as she allowed the currents to take her further into the unknown.
"Old man, where are you!? I need you. Please, allow me to find you." Tosca pleaded as she reached out with her hand into the unknown.
Suddenly, a warm, flaming hand reached out before grasping her. Tosca's eyes widened as a red mass of flames appeared before her.
It lacked shape at the beginning, but within a few moments, the shape of a tall man with horns, tail, and unusual eyes appeared before her. While his right eye was draconic in nature, his left one was somewhat unexpected as a 12-point crimson star sat in the middle while a dragon spun around it constantly.
A crimson halo sat on his back while wings sprung from within instead of his body.
"Old man?" Tosca analyzed the shape of this mysterious individual from head to toe. Some things resembled the father she remembered, but this new appearance was nothing she was expecting.
The man pulls Tosca closer as he embraces her with his four arms. "I've missed you so much, my little dango. Four years have been far too long even for me. I'm sorry for missing so many moments alongside you and the rest."
"Is it really you?" Tosca asks as she raises her head.
The mysterious being smiles with tenderness. "No matter my shape or name, I will always be your father. You have grown so much. I've watched as much as possible from within this place away from the real world."
Tosca was wordless, as so many emotions were running wild within her. She couldn't contain it as she reciprocated the hug with all her strength. Tears rolled down as she started speaking. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to seal you. I… wanted you to wake up but didn't react to our voices. I pray for your return. I went to see you every day, hoping you would wake up. Everyone has waited for far too long for your return. Everyone has been waiting for you; why did it take you so-"
Tosca stopped as she saw the pain in his face and the scars sitting around his eyes.
"... I can't hear Issei's voice anymore. I feel him deep inside, but he's no longer a being with a will. His pieces are part of me, but I can't hear his voice. He's with me, but at the same time, I feel like I have lost someone who I can't replace. I wished that I was the one who had to sacrifice so much instead of him, but I can't change that anymore. I grieved his absence while recalling his memories and his journey toward Buddhahood. I recovered every desire, emotion, and dream he ever discarded and drilled into my memories. He left them behind, knowing that I could pick them up and continue. I'm doing my best to embrace the powers he left for me." Ddraig admits as he pats Tosca's head.
"... Old man."
"You are one of the most precious beings to him and me. Although he discarded many things, you were one of the few that he kept close to his heart as he became a Buddha. As your father, we desired to protect you, and now I have to do something against that thing. I might not be able to interact with the real world freely, but I can feel its presence and animosity, an enemy that won't listen to reason. Do you trust me? This will hurt and likely take you down for several hours, if not for several days." Ddraig questions his daughter.
Tosca smiles. "Always."
Back in the real world.
Isaiah continued to exchange blows with his opponent. The battle had heated up to a new stage as the first knight of Rias was forced to use his entire arsenal to match Judgment's power.
At first, he fought while following the techniques and teachings of his master, a proper swordmaster's way, but now he was far from proper as he had turned into a proper Majin. His wings no longer acted as shields but instead as extra blades, which increased the number of attacks he could make with each second.
His blade grew in size until it was comparable to an odachi, which he still swung as fast and as precisely as any other blade he used.
"You have abandoned any resemblance of humanity. Only a devil stands before me." Judgment said with disgust as his eyes met Isaiah's red eyes, which were devoid of mercy.
His attacks also grew stronger as the rejection of Cao Cao grew weaker.
"You're right about something. I discarded any humanity I had left when I saw how she had become a dragon. I was once human, a child without parents who human researchers offered fake dreams. They used me and many others for their projects, and I always felt a sense of distrust when speaking with them. I had nothing except for Tosca and the other orphans." Isaiah counters the broad attack of Judgement, which sought to cut him in half.
The ground shakes and cracks beneath them as both attacks clash against each other.
His body aches as it receives damage, and his sword cracks alongside its entire length, but his power quickly repairs any damage he or his sword has received as it reconstructs it within seconds.
"They tried to kill us all, and they almost succeeded. Tosca and I took the worst of it as we felt the cold waters while bleeding out and being poisoned. You don't know how much fear I faced as I lost my grasp of her, as I saw her disappear from my sight. Nothing else mattered as I sought her, and when I knew the truth of what had happened, I knew that I couldn't remain the same. I knew that I needed to grow stronger to never lose sight of her. I don't care who judges me for becoming this, but I will bear the consequences as long as I get to stand by her side at all times, and you won't stop me!" Isaiah screams as he sees an opening, which he uses to kick the torso of his opponent, which sends him flying away. "Now!"
An array of beams rain on Judgement, each piercing his body with deadly precision and power as they seek to eliminate him right where he stands.
Several seconds pass before Lucille and Vali stop firing. A cloud of dust remains in the area for a couple of seconds until a particular sound reaches their ears.
A heartbeat once more arises as the dust settles.
"This has to be a joke," Vali said as she saw a corpse arising with injuries that no human could endure.
Blood spills into the ground from Cao Cao's body as Judgement forces it to stand up once more.
"If you think this can put me down, you're hoping for something impossible because I won't stop until every heretic before me is buried under the ground beneath my foot." Judgment said.
Isaiah and the others watch as the injuries heal themselves without leaving scars behind.
"Get up as much as you want and use any trick you have, but you won't win this fight!" Isaiah shouts as he points his odachi at Judgement.
But before he could rush forward, his body felt a presence he knew all too well. Isaiah's eyes turned to Tosca, and what he saw gave him all the hope he needed.
*Blaze- Man with a Mission*
"Lucille, let her go. We're taking over." A masculine voice said.
Lucille smiles as she recognizes the voice. "As you order Nii-sama."
Vali turned to face Tosca, and what she saw surprised her even more. "Ddraig?"
Before them stood Tosca with her blazing spear in full motion, but now flames had spread out to cover her body, thus changing her armor to a new design. A flaming cape now rested on her shoulders, but that wasn't the most surprising thing.
From within the flames of the cape, a torso took shape. Draconic arms rested at each side of Tosca while its head loomed at her side.
"There's no time to wait. Let us dance one last time, Bible God wannabe." Ddraig remarks as he meets the gaze of the possessed Cao Cao.
Tosca flies down and stands at the side of Isaiah. "Can you follow us?" The girl questions him as her eyes remain focused on Judgement. "I can't maintain this for too long. I'm not meant to wield this power." Her voice denotes her pain as she wields a mere low percentage of her father's power.
Isaiah smirks. "Even if you asked me to stand down, I would follow you to the world's end."
Tosca smiles after listening to his answer.
"Can you two stop flirting with each other? This is serious." Vali drops down alongside Lucille, which floats above them. "What's the plan?"
"One single attack to finish him off. No god can fight these flames off." Tosca replies.
"We'll get you that opening; finish the job," Lucille says as she changes pieces instantly until she's ready for close-quarter combat. Six arms with bladed weapons have replaced her long-range weapons.
"Vali, Albion, take care of his defenses. Weaken him as much as possible." Ddraig says.
"Got it. It's good to hear your voice again." Albion replies.
"We'll see each other soon. I promise you that." Ddraig says. "Engage!"
Everyone rushes forward with a clear plan. Isaiah takes the lead as he opens up with a series of slashes, seeking to dwindle his target's defenses.
"I won't be taken down!" Judgment shouts as salt shields arose to block most of the attacks.
The fragment of the Bible god then charges the spear with divine energy, extending the length of the blade to a massive size as it cleaves to the sky before he swings it around with the intent to erase anything that it touches.
"No, you won't!" Vali creates a draconic magical circle that meets the blade and stops it in its place. Blue lighting starts to travel through the blade until it reaches Judgement.
"What is this!?" Judgment screams as Vali and Albion disrupt his energy.
"You'll be surprised in how many ways this girl and I have developed divine dividing." Albion remarks as Judgement continues to be affected by the ability of the Vanishing dragon.
Lucille follows in as she cuts any shields in their path. "Don't stop, Tosca!"
"How dare you!" Judgment shouts as several holy rays are shot against the group.
Tosca summons her barrier and blocks all rays to protect her teammates, yet she also charges forward as her body screams due to her immense strain, as the power of the Welsh Dragon is too much to bear for long periods.
"I know it hurts."
Ddraig holds the spear alongside his daughter as he points it towards their target. Instead of going after the body of Cao Cao, the duo goes after the spear.
"This is the mantle that I carry on my back, Tosca. The weight of my position and the mission I must accomplish for your sake and the others."
"I… can see it. This kind of power is not meant for me, but for this time, I will bear with it."
Tosca charges on as her target is within range. She thrusts the spear alongside Ddraig and then, at the last moment. A mere few centimeters away from their target.
A bird.
A pure white bird appears on top of Cao Cao's head.
Too holy and pure to be ignored.
"I'm sorry, but you aren't meant to face each other in this place, Welsh Dragon." A calm voice is heard from within the bird.
It is a gentle voice that exudes peace and comprehension akin to a child.
Everyone is frozen due to the unexpected interference.
"The time will come, I promise that, but until then, I will keep this fragment away. We will see each other when the time comes. I hope that we can talk once it comes."
A blinding light shines as Cao Cao's body is absorbed and taken away.
"No! Don't you dare run away!" Tosca shouts as she tries to stop the bird from taking her prey away.
Yet Ddraig holds her back with his flaming claws. "Let it go. We'll get them next time. You have won this fight no matter what anyone says."
Tosca felt angry, but her body couldn't keep going. Her eyes felt heavy, and before she could say anything else, she felt unconscious.
Isaiah rushed to catch her before she could touch the floor. As he held Tosca in his arms, the boy's attention was drawn to the flaming torso that started to vanish. "Sir."
"... You have grown a lot brat. I see that you didn't waste time around. Based on what I see, I can respect you a bit more now. Maybe you're ready for me to allow you to ask for her hand. Don't stop protecting her." Ddraig says before he turns his attention to Vali and Albion. "Thanks for supporting my daughter."
Vali shakes her head. "She has supported me as much. We're allies."
The jewel in her hand shines. "She has grown a lot, Ddraig. Are you ready to come back?"
"Soon…. Very soon. Shiva might already know when. Just keep going as you had until now." Ddraig turns to Lucille. "Thank you for hearing my voice. Let Raynare know that we did the right thing with you. We'll talk again soon."
Lucille nods with a happy smile, barely visible due to the visor protecting her face.
And with nothing else, Ddraig vanishes as the flames return to the spear, which stops spinning.
Isaiah caresses Tosca's face as her armor vanishes. "We did a good job today. I know you might be a bit angry, but I can assure you that we didn't fail."
And so the mission came to an end.
Although the sound of battles continued in the distance, Tosca's team could pat themselves on the back as they almost achieved the unthinkable.
….
….
….
….
…
Many hours later.
When Tosca opened her eyes, she felt tired and drained, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she was forgetting something very important.
"Tosca?" A voice called out to her.
Tosca turned her face around until she realized where she was. They were within the Unicorn's medical wing. They were within one of the many rooms for injured agents to use after missions.
"Isaiah? Wait, what happened with the mission?" Tosca tried to get up.
Isaiah pushed her back into the bed as he shook his head. "We're okay, at least in terms of eliminating and pushing the enemy forces back. Avalon and the rest of the realm are different cases. Based on the reports, at least 40% of the population died during the attack, and 20% of our forces were seriously injured. Nobody died, but many are resting as we speak. We started to offer aid to the realm, and survivors are accepting it, but…. They won't recover so quickly."
Tosca covers her eyes as she feels the weight of the situation. "The dead won't return to life, and I failed to at least offer some peace to those who died due to Cao Cao."
Isaiah shakes his head as he grabs Tosca's right hand. "You didn't fail. Athena-sama is waiting to hear from you, but based on the reports Vali and I submitted, she's happy with our performance. We'll attend the meeting when everyone can attend. It seems that Asia and the rest had their own unexpected circumstances. I heard from Asia that she had to face an ex-member of the old church and that Xenovia faced a golden demigod cyborg. Also, for some reason, Akeno has a red halo."
Tosca's eyes widened at the last sentence, but she chose not to move an inch as she reflected on what happened. "... He's coming back. My father is finally returning to us."
Isaiah nods. "The news has spread wide across the Alliance. Your mother might be the happiest among everyone. For now, just rest. I'll be here with you until we get an update for the meeting."
Tosca turned to him and faced his blue eyes. Her tail obeyed her command as it reached out and captured him.
"Tosca?" Isaiah tried to fight back but gave up when Tosca forced him to lie in bed with her.
Once she had him within her grasp, Tosca rested her head on his chest while her tail remained coiled around his legs. "I feel tired, so wake me up when it is time."
"... Alright. Sweet dreams." Isaiah said with a comforting smile as he allowed himself to be used as a pillow. "I'll never let go. I promise."
6 hours later.
Tensions were high as everyone who participated in the mission and representatives of the realm they had defended came together to discuss its results.
Many retained their bandages as they forced themselves to join the meeting regardless of their injuries.
Amongst the injured, Xenovia seemed to have a new scar that extended from her left eye to her right cheek, while the right face of Rias was covered with bandages.
Like these two, many others showed signs of the mission's difficulty, as many unexpected events took place.
The first to take the stand was Artemis, who wore a serene expression as she held the main report.
"I know it is late, and many of us are tired, but time is of the essence, and we have many things to discuss. First, our efforts effectively eliminated at least 87% of the enemy forces. The remaining 13% are strong agents within the enemy forces that used unusual methods to escape. The mysterious wristbands found within some enemies will be analyzed for further insight into the spell that allows them to escape. Amongst the enemies eliminated were many targets that we sought to take down. Taotie, the Gluttonous Evil, was successfully put down by Thor and Tiamat. It is believed that this malevolent creature was one of the principal generals of the enemy forces. Its soul has been delivered to Ereshkigal as we speak. The entire list of targets will be available to anyone interested. Moving on, Sirzechs will take the floor." Artemis says as she walks away from the stand.
"I want to thank everyone for their efforts. The results of this mission were all due to the efforts of everyone present. Our efforts effectively secured Avalon, Lugh, and Morrigan's safety. Although Lugh remains in intensive care, Morrigan is with us, and with her support, we have been successful in aiding the realm after this horrendous attack." Sirzechs says.
Morrigan, a black/red-haired lady, stands up in her crimson dress tainted with the blood of her enemies. A small crow sat on her right shoulder, observing the entire room. "Lugh didn't feel the need to join the Alliance. Neither he nor I expected our home to be attacked by such savages, but I thank each of you for aiding us. Our people now know that we aren't safe from the claws of those who seek to harvest our souls. Although Lugh is not present, I can assure you that the Alliance will obtain our full support."
Many clap their hands as Morrigan takes her seat once more.
"Thanks. Although we could eliminate Taotie and other enemy generals, others escaped our grasp as they were trapped. We might have failed today, but our efforts will effectively eliminate them next time. I offered the special agent Asia the stand." Sirzechs says as he walks away.
Asia gets up with a cold expression on her face as she takes the stand. "Several hours ago, our teams successfully deployed across the realm to eliminate enemy forces. Amongst such enemies, we found mass-produced second-generation devils, which we have seen before in other missions against our enemies. These devils lack a will or personality; calling them devils is practically an insult, as they are nothing like our allies. Their numbers are impressive, but in terms of strength, we believed them to be weaker than most of our forces, yet something has changed. Not only were members of specific teams directly targeted by special enemy teams, but the most unexpected discovery was also made. We had many reports of demon pillars amongst the enemy forces."
Her words created many discussions, as demon pillars showing up was practically unheard of. Most, if not every single one, had died during the Great War.
"Settle down. I know my words are causing distress, but we believe that this has an explanation." Asia points her finger to a holographic display. "These are the remains of some of these so-called demon pillars, and as you can see, their appearances resembled some of our members, and based on the comments of our allies, many even resembled the long-dead ancestors of devil clans. We don't think they brought the previous pillars back from the dead; our research teams are working on the corpses, and the initial findings show us a distressing picture. The person behind these 'Neo-Demon Pillars' creations has achieved the impossible as they have recreated the original bodies of the 72 previous demon pillars with updates to their bodies. We don't consider these as a revival but as tools that seek to raise fear amongst the masses. I repeat this once more: these aren't the original demon pillars and shall not be acknowledged as the original 72. We believe these things can be recreated again until we can find the factory, so we ask all agents to act cautiously if you ever find yourselves facing any of these." Asia says before she looks around the room. "We can take down, so don't show fear. We are also investigating the methods by which they targeted specific members of our teams. Updates will be provided as new information is discovered. I offer the floor to the special agents Tosca and Azazel."
Azazel and Tosca stand up together before they walk to the stand.
Both held their own reports.
The first to talk was none other than Tosca.
"Amongst the many deployed teams, my team was tasked with eliminating specific targets, which included two Longinus users. After our team met our targets, we divided them amongst ourselves before we engaged them. During this mission, one of my team members made contact with one of our infiltrated agents, of whom my team lacked knowledge. Although we lacked knowledge of this agent, we successfully obtained large amounts of information and plans from the enemy forces. This infiltrated agent successfully got away, and we expect positive results from his mission. Another team member successfully eliminated one of the two Longinus targets, and his corpse is now within our jurisdiction. Finally, I personally engaged the remaining target and one of his allies, who sadly got away. Still, as I engaged the main objective, I successfully delivered a killing blow that should have eliminated any human." Tosca looks at the many eyes focused on her.
She can feel the tension as they await the following sentence.
"Yet, our information had not prepared us for what occurred after. The target possessed the first Longinus, The Holy Spear of the Setting Sun, a tool that little knowledge has been recorded in history or the records in Paraiso. Although my attack had successfully taken the target down, the unknown power of the spear created what can only be described as a miracle. The spear's power revived Cao Cao, and to my surprise, he was also possessed by the entity that dwells within the spear." Tosca explains.
Her words incite even more discussions and distress as members of Paraiso and Grigory seem deeply affected by what occurred afterward.
Azazel nods before he takes over. "YHWH was the creator of many of us: our father and the leader of Paraiso. He was one of two deities behind the creation of humanity and the sole creator of the sacred gears. I can say many things about my father, but someone capable of what occurred today is not something I can say. Around the same time as Special Agent Tosca engaged the possessed target, many Paraiso and Grigory members were affected by a mental/soul attack; this also included me. A voice called out to us and ordered us to act on his behalf while ravaging our minds and memories. In all my years, I have never faced such a disgusting violation of my person and freedom. The entity behind this attack might have our father's voice, but I can assure everyone that he is not him. Our father died, we grieved his passing in our own ways, and regardless of all that happened between him and many of us, we know that he never did something so outrageous. I ask our allies for aid in discovering how that entity forced its way into our minds and finding ways to prevent it from ever happening again. We're not puppets who will be used as war pigs ever again. We joined the Alliance because we sought a future in which we would never face such an event, so I ask all of you to aid us in preventing such an event from ever occurring again."
Everyone claps as those affected are supported by their allies. Not a single person wanted to see their fellow angels and fallen angels be forced to obey an entity that sought war instead of peace.
Tosca was still amazed by the extent of the entity's influence she faced alongside her team, but she knew that her following sentence was likely to raise the energy of the entire Alliance. "It has been four years since a crucial member of the Alliance was sealed by my hands due to particular circumstances. We have waited for a sign of his return, and in this mission, I'm glad to announce that the Welsh Dragon has aided us in our time of need. My father is finally returning to us."
Silence took over for a few seconds before cheers erupted across the room.
The long-awaited time was closer than ever.