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
Days before the mission. Kuroka's POV.
The young nekomata sat on the bed of the Ddraig while he carefully brushed her hair.
"You're the only one who knows how to care for my hair. How much I missed having you around to brush it during your trip to that desertic realm." Kuroka admits. She enjoyed the time she shared with him, especially when it was only the two of them, as she didn't have to share his attention with anybody else.
Ddriag smirked as he continued to brush her hair. "Issei and I did have a lot of time to practice with all of you. You gave me a few troubles in the beginning."
"You weren't too bad, but you have gotten better. It's all about practice; isn't that what you say about my powers?"
Ddraig smiles. "That's right. Having Magari's lessons helped you gain more control over your powers, didn't it?"
Kuroka nods as she smirks. "They have. I wasn't expecting to meet a nekomata who knew Mom or was a master in Senjutsu and Youjutsu. Her teachings have shown me how far I am from being a true master regarding my abilities, but I'm confident that I will surpass her.."
Ddraig pats her head. "Training is never truly over as we can always be better. Regardless, I know you're the best former nekomata I have ever met. I trust you with my life, and so does everyone else. You have come a long way from the stray devil who was trying to run away."
"You're just saying that to make me feel good." Kuroka leans back and rests her head on his chest.
"Am I or am I saying the truth? Just look how much you have done since you and I met. You have been acknowledged not as a stray devil but as a respected member of the Alliance. You are no longer that girl I met who was trying to escape her past." Ddraig smirked as he put the hairbrush to the side.
"..." Kuroka knew that his words were the truth as her position as a former stray devil was no longer a stigma that held true to her present self. No devil spoke behind her back or even glared at her with disgust.
Some even approached her with the intention of recruiting her for their own peerages, but she rejected each invitation.
She was a member of the Alliance, a respected agent who had taken part in several missions without any faults.
Even Yukime had asked her to participate as an assistant trainer with her small team of spies.
Her powers also continued to grow, which made her even more confident about her future within the Alliance.
She wasn't the same Kuroka who was running away from her crimes without a plan, and it had all been thanks to the help this weakened dragon gave her. He saved her sister, took her in, believed her, and guided her towards a path she never dreamed of.
But now, after so many missions, after almost two years of beautiful memories together, she felt scared for his well-being.
Even now, she couldn't help but notice how weak he felt compared to before. Dragons are known for not aging like other beings, but how Ddraig was acting and how his body stopped listening to him was awakening fears that Kuroka never expected to have. It was as if he could disappear at any moment if she turned away, which scared her.
"... You can't…"
"Huh? You have something to say, Kuroka?"
"You… can't….. Please, don't die on me. Your condition is not the best, so please don't force yourself to be the hero."
"..." Ddraig remained silent as he heard her breaking voice saying such words. "I won't. I promise."
Kuroka turns around to face him. "But your body is not listening to you and your souls-" yet she is stopped as Ddraig places a finger on her lips.
"I'm not dying any time soon. I know it might look bad, but I'm not going to die. I tasted death once, and that's enough for my taste. There's too much left to do, too many memories to make, too many connections left to explore, and a whole era that has yet to arrive. I have forfeited the right to dying, so be at ease. I will always return home even if I have to fill an ocean with my blood."
His words weren't the ones someone should use to inspire confidence in someone else, but they were as good as they came in the case of a dragon that couldn't run from his fate attached to a battlefield.
The nekomata fell silent for a few moments before she buried her face on his chest. "You're an idiot."
"Not the first person that says that to me."
Kuroka punches his guts.
"Hey, you shouldn't punch someone that is under treatment."
"And you shouldn't joke about your blood filling an ocean. Idiot!"
Ddraig smiles as he scratches Kuroka's left ear. "I'm trying my best here. We both know that if I return to the battlefield, it is bound to be bad until Issei returns. I can't promise that I will be uninjured."
Kuroka punches him once more, although she is enjoying the ear scratching.
"But I promise that I'll return." His arms embrace the girl.
Kuroka stopped as soon as she felt his warmth.
"... Is warm… I used to be the one that could enclose your body, but now you're taller than me. Things have changed."
"Oh, you miss the other form? I could try to change back into it if you want me to."
Kuroka shakes her head. "Issei wanted this, and I enjoyed seeing you matching your personality. No matter your appearance, you're still the Welsh Dragon, my Welsh dragon. That won't change anytime soon. So please, stay with me, always."
Kuroka closes her eyes as she drifts to sleep within his embrace—the warm embrace of someone who held a special place in her heart.
"... None of you make it easy for me or him. Very well…. Even if you can't see, hear, or even feel me around you, I'll always be there somehow." Ddraig said as he closed his own eyes.
As both fell to slumber, the dragon didn't notice as a small demonic eye appeared on his right hand. Ascalon awoke to the presence of something it craved to devour.
Hephaestus had told him about the sinister nature of the sword, but Ddraig had overlooked the danger of such a sword due to his condition.
A series of red tendrils stretched from the eye and reached for their meal, which dwelled inside Kuroka's chest.
The effects of such an event were yet to be witnessed by anyone.
Back to the present. General POV. *Madoka Magica Rebellion Ost- Absolute Configuration*
Japanese temples are usually places where visitors admire Japan's most divine architectural wonders…. On this occasion, such wonders tried to swallow Kuroka and her team whole.
Endless halls no ordinary temple should possess continued to stretch out as the team, with Liv at the lead, riding Sieg alongside Kuroka, sped up while chased by many restless undead.
For every door that they passed by or destroyed in their path, another thousand appeared as the whole structure seemed to be a trap specially made with the intention to drive any victim insane with no hope of ever escaping.
Rias, Akeno, and Michael continued to face the undead chasing them with visible annoyance.
For every holy impact that blew at least 20 undead away, another 30 took their place.
For every ten undead that Rias's chained spike balls swallowed, another 20 popped up from the doors they passed by.
For every undead that Akeno's attacks took down by either piercing their bodies with holy lighting or crushing them with the might of her holy "Oni," another five recovered and returned to chasing.
"There's no end," Akeno said as she ordered her summons to block the advance of the undead.
The summons did their best to hold as many back as possible, but some escaped through the sides.
"Fire!" Michael screams as his golem opens its chest cavity before several large barrels open fire against the enemies.
Their bodies were filled with serious injuries, and even their limbs were cut from the rest of their bodies, but what could have been a lethal offensive was just a minor setback as the injured arose shortly after with healed bodies.
"I'm starting to hate their regeneration abilities. Can we even call it that?" Rias asks as she feels the tension increase with each second. "Kuroka, we're waiting on you." The heiress to the Gremory seemed annoyed as her powers didn't seem to have the desired effect. "I need to be stronger."
"I know, just give me a second," Kuroka replies as she concentrates her power on one goal, distorting space around them.
The endless walls stretched out without an end until the area started to distort. Kuroka started to grasp the ins and outs of the area where they found themselves.
"Get ready. It is about to get rough." Kuroka said as she forced the building to obey her power.
The straight hall they found themselves in changed as, instead of a straight path, it transformed into an endless fall.
Gravity shifted around the team and the undead. The team was initially surprised but allowed themselves to fall instead of fighting against it, even though they had wings and the ability to defy gravity easily.
"Keep doing that and get us to the core," Akeno said as she turned her body and attacked the free-falling undead.
"I'll try, but this thing is fighting me for control," Kuroka said as the walls shook due to the clash of powers.
Suddenly, the walls shot forward like deadly crushing traps.
"Evasive maneuvers, now!" Michael shouts as the team is forced to start evading the incoming walls.
Akeno, Rias, and Michael do their best as they flap their wings, but Sieg is different.
"Sieg, you know what to do. Meteoric descent!" Liv shouts before her legendary steed increases its weight and the speed of its descent.
Kuroka is taken by surprise as she starts descending at a much faster speed, which alarms her. The crushing walls cannot reach them due to increased falling speed.
"Our friends-" Kuroka is interrupted.
"Focus on opening the path for us, and they will follow. Right now, they need to focus on keeping those undead away from you, and my mission is to protect you. They won't fall behind as long as you get all of us to safety. Focus all your attention on gaining control of this accursed building. Time is against us." Liv says as she remains calm.
"... Right." Kuroka closes her eyes as she goes back to her task.
Within her mind, she only saw darkness at first, but as she used her abilities to sense the hidden lines of power controlling the space surrounding them, everything became much more colorful.
Endless colorful "power" vessels spread around in each direction. Each one is connected to everything within the cursed land, like the blood vessels of a human body.
It was complete chaos as one couldn't easily tell what affected what, but Kuroka wasn't an idiot.
"Everything goes back to the core. It'll force you to open a path for us." Her power spread out in the shape of small purple tendrils, which infected the vessels and forcefully took control of their functions.
The curse fought back, creating its own tendrils to regain control, but Kuroka wasn't a normal opponent.
"I'm not letting you escape. Show me what hides below the surface! Open the path!" Her natural abilities as a nekomata were boosted by her "evil piece" and the desire for victory. She craved more control, like a greedy cat with nobody to stop her.
In the real world, the walls shifted once more as Kuroka did her best to open a path for her team.
Yet, as she dug deeper, she learned a disturbing secret of the cursed realm.
Meanwhile, Isaiah's POV. *Shiro Sagisu- In my Spirit*
When did his mindset change so much? When did his human nature vanish and was replaced by the stronger desires of a devil? When did he genuinely become a devil?
Isaiah didn't know the answer to such questions as the changes felt so natural. He noticed Tosca became greedier, childish, and affectionate after becoming a dragon.
It didn't annoy him; he embraced her changes, but Isaiah didn't know if she would accept his changes.
"Watch out!" Tosca screamed at him as she summoned a barrier around him to protect him from the massive hand that tried to crush him like a fly.
The barrier cracked in several places as the monstrous weight of the hand was too much for Tosca's current abilities.
"Hold it for just another second," Isaiah said as he sheathed his sword before concentrating his demonic energy on the sword. "Remember, his lessons. One single attack that cuts everything on your path." Once enough energy was accumulated, he unsheathed his sword and released a wave of dark energy that cleanly cut the hand and most of the arm in half.
The unholy womb screamed as one of its major limbs was damaged by one single enemy.
Isaiah couldn't help but smile as he witnessed the "blood" of his opponent and the damage he had caused. "I can finally protect-"
His thoughts were interrupted as his senses detected several incoming enemies. His body jumped out of the way before spreading his wings and creating distance between himself and a group of at least five golems. "I need to remain alert."
"How dare you attack him!?" Tosca shouted before she charged an attack and opened fire against the golems.
A stream of intense greenish flames started to eat away the flesh of the golems. Each screamed in agony as the flames ate everything in their path, which seemed similar to what Toscas's father was capable of, although on a lesser scale.
Her flames enthralled Isaiah, but his instincts smacked him back into motion as he turned to the unholy womb. "One primary arm is down, although I don't know for how long." Isaiah rushed forward as he searched for the core alongside the length of the monstrous body of the unholy womb. "Follow me."
"Right behind you," Tosca said as Tressa was picked up by her tail.
As he got closer, several monsters sprouted out from the skin of the womb as if it were some kind of horrendous monster factory.
"This is disgusting to a new level," Vali said as she joined the duo and blaster several monsters with her demonic energy projectiles, which took the shape of small dragon heads as the influence of the Vanishing Dragon within her increased with each day. "What's the plan?"
"Finding the core. It must be inside its body, but we can't be sure." Isaiah touches his ear as he continues to get closer to the unholy womb. "Asia, can you see anything from your position?"
"None; its body's energy makes it hard to pinpoint its exact location. Distract it, and we'll try to take down the head with Lady Athena's spear, and if it fails, we'll try the womb. Keep its attention on you. Yukime will draw as many golems away from the Womb." Asia replied as she kept a considerable distance from the womb by playing a supportive role combined with that of a mobile sniper.
Not far from her location, Athena was also drawing many of the golems to herself while also awaiting an opening to attack the main target. Her spear was constantly accumulating energy as if awaiting the right moment to be used.
It seemed the goddess trusted the younger members to act without much intervention to test their capacity.
"Got it. Vali, keep shooting and decrease its defense; Tosca, you, and I will cause as much damage as possible. We'll clear the path for Athena. I'll leave the defense to you." Isaiah says as he takes the lead with his sword in hand.
Both girls nod as they follow him. The trio moved a single unit as they approached the massive body of the Unholy Womb.
Thousands of newborn monsters tried to block their path, but Vali wasn't having none of it as she pushed her body and powers to the very limit. "Are you ready, Albion?"
"Right beside you, partner," Albion replied as Vali's left eye was overtaken by Albion.
The number of magic circles Vali had created before tripled as their strength also grew due to the influence of Albion. The arm she had given to Albion for power also changed, as its shape was no longer that of a devil but that of a large armored dragon.
"Get out of our way!" Vali screamed as she slashed the closest monster to her location with her new dragon claw.
The damage was impressive for someone still training to gain control over the entire arsenal of her sacred gear.
Isaiah did the same, and his blade easily cut through the monsters, although the numbers were against them. "They haven't had the chance to develop fully. Their flesh is too soft when compared to the other monsters. The core must be inside the creature."
Tosca saw this and decided not to fall behind, as she changed the shape of her tail and cut right through the newborn monsters that tried to prevent them from approaching the womb.
Isaiah felt confident as their teamwork was proving fruitful, but their luck was about to take a swift shift.
Asia's POV.
"Asia!? Can you hear me?" Kuroka's voice was as loud as it came.
"Kuroka!? What happened?" Asia asked as she continued to shoot enemies down while constantly changing positions.
"Is it possible for more than one core to exist?" Kuroka asks with a very concerned tone.
Time seemed to stop as everyone, including Asia, heard the question. It was outrageous even to think something like it, but the concern was not to be avoided, as one mistake could lead to many deaths.
"Give me context right now." Asia orders as she starts to imagine such a possibility.
"We're currently being chased by undead former members of the five clans inside a sort of endless temple maze. I'm using my powers to gain control over the space around us to find a path that leads us to the core." Kuroka starts.
"We're currently trying to take down the core of the curse. There shouldn't be one on your side." Asia argues.
"That's the thing; as I dug deep into the power network within the curse, I detected two strong signals that are likely separate cores. Is this even possible?" Kuroka continues.
"It shouldn't be. One must be fake. I have never heard about dual cores, nor have any of my studies with Gabriel shown such an occurrence. This unprecedented event turns the whole plan around. One has to be fake." Asia claims.
"But what if both are real young Asia?" Athena asks as she joins the conversation. "A crossroads has appeared in thy way; what path shall thee choose forward? What shall our team do?"
"I…" Asia grows silent as she thinks about the possibilities. There was no easy way out, as one mistake could put the entire team in danger and, even worse, lead to the curse breaking out into the real world for real. She felt the pressure Athena placed on her as she asked her for a choice that could make it or ruin the entire mission.
Asia didn't know what to do as she couldn't easily choose the team. She even released her trigger as she didn't know what to do.
The other young team members felt the same pressure as they weren't sure how to proceed forward.
"You can do it. Remain calm. I believe in each of you, so don't back down." Ddraig said as he listened to their conversation. "Don't choose A or B; create your own option."
His words seemed like a needed push as Asia grabbed her rifle's trigger again, and she felt his presence beside her like a guiding light.
"... Kuroka, how close are you two to the second core?" Asia asks.
"Still far. The curse is not letting us get any closer, and I'm trying my hardest to make a path for ourselves." Kuroka replies.
"Force your way into that core; your team has to reach it as soon as possible. Michael-sama, are you hearing my voice?" Asia continues.
"Yes, loud and clear," Michael replies.
"Athena-sama is charging an attack to take down the core. We have to take the cores at the same time. I'll need you to coordinate your attacks to ensure that both cores go down simultaneously." Asia says.
"But we don't have the exact location of the core on our side," Isaiah argues.
"We'll test the waters while not trying to eliminate it. We'll go for the head and test if it tries to protect it over the womb. Attack the head and the womb with weak attacks. The more protected one should be our target." Asia looks at her right wrist to check her vitals. "... This one will hurt, but I have to do it." The young girl takes a deep breath before making a drastic choice. "Release restraint 7 to 24. Boost energy to stage 3."
Her suit glows as several blood vessels in her face become far more visible.
"Asia, that's-" Yukime is interrupted.
"I know the risks, Yukime-san. I'll endure it for as long as needed. I'm not failing this mission. We must give it all to achieve our goal and return in one piece. He sent us here because he believes in us, so let's show him we can achieve victory even if he's not present." Asia says as she aims at the head of the Unholy womb. "Taste this."
A fast-traveling holy projectile breaks the sound barrier as its trajectory evades all obstacles before landing on one of the beast's eye sockets, leading to a decent-sized explosion that injures the creature.
The "Womb" screams in anguish as its multitude of limbs cover its face.
Asia notices how, although covering its face, it is also protecting its womb as if both were crucial to its existence.
"Still covering your tracks? Let's play then." Asia grins as her left eye starts to turn red due to the intense strain that her body is enduring, yet her will is far stronger as she seeks victory, even at the expense of her own body's health.
With Michael and the rest. *Shiro Sagisu- This is the Dream*
The seraph continued to fall alongside the team as he took all the information in. "Asia has grown a lot. Gabriel has truly trained her well. I shall do my best as well." The seraph takes a deep breath. "Athena?"
"My ears are yours. Is thou taking the lead?" Athena asks.
"No. You are." Michael's golem releases a series of tentacles and cables, which start to connect themselves to his back. The entire body of the golem morphs around Michael as it starts to assume the shape of a large cannon that absorbs his right arm and half of his face. "This is a dance, and only you can lead me. Let's match our rhythms."
"Such a romantic." Athena can barely hide her joy as she hears him speak. "Alright, let's dance to this deadly tune."
Michael turns to Rias and Akeno. "I won't be able to fight as I'm charging the cannon. I need you two to keep those away from me and Kuroka."
"I see. We'll try, but can you even fly in that state?" Akeno asks.
Michael nods. "I can control my descent with my wings, but right now, I just need to focus on firing when Athena gives me the signal. I'll entrust you with the rest." Michael says as he closes his wings and increases his descent speed.
Rias and Akeno watch as the seraph leaves them alone with the undead close behind.
"Asia is right. This is the perfect time," Rias says. The girl seemed weird as she looked down.
"What do you mean?" Akeno turns to her.
"I can finally show him what I can do. Asia is right. There's no need to hold back. I must do my best for his sake." Rias' eyes started to shine with a mysterious aura. A new demonic circle started to take shape inside her left eye.
"Rias, what are you-"
"I need to do my best; this is the right time to show I have what it takes."
"Do you? Is this what you want? The power to achieve your desires?" A dark voice that resembled her whispers in her ear.
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because I want him to see me. To see me as worthy of being beside him. He, who carries so much on his back without turning back, has captured my eyes since that day. I can't help but to chase after him. If that human child can do it, why can't I?"
"Then show everyone that you have what it takes!"
Rias' energy ignites around her as she goes after the closest undead before she slams its head against the nearest wall with an abnormal strength that wasn't there before.
The other undead tried to approach her, but she summoned a series of chained spiked balls that started devouring anything that threatened her. The number of familiars increased each second as Rias's power was slowly making its way into a new stage.
Maybe Asia's words set up a switch that dwelled inside.
Maybe it was Rias being affected by the miasma.
Maybe it was her way of making it known that she was not weak.
On this mission, the alliance discovered something completely unexpected growing within some of its younger members.
"True Royal Majin Set- Stage zero: Ignition."
Akeno didn't know what to feel as she witnessed Rias's state. The girl seemed almost possessed as her power and mind seemed out of control.
"Don't fall behind, Akeno, or you don't have what it takes? I'll win if you can't keep up." Rias asked as she crushed the neck of the undead before destroying its body with her destructive power.
"Is that a challenge?" Akeno asked as she felt offended by such words.
"I don't know, you tell me. I bet I can eliminate all of those undead on my own, and not a single one will escape my grasp." Rias pridefully said.
Akeno formed a fist as she felt her anger rising. "I'll show you what a Nephilim can do, you damn prideful heiress."
"Catch up, little Nephilim." Rias continued as she set off after her next target.
Meanwhile, Ddraig POV.
The dragon was having difficulty breathing while also enduring an indescribable pain in his left arm, where Ascalon was currently located.
"What is this? What are you doing?" The dragon questioned his sword as a tiny amount of his power was drained away.
Not even he knew what his sword had done in secret as it devoured evil pieces without control.