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

Part A:

"Scale custom armor Mark VII, our latest model in terms of armor for most agents…. The results and reviews submitted by many agents have been positive. Almost everyone agrees that introducing the emergency pack and its protocols saved them throughout the mission." Azazel said as he held a report in his hand.

"Protocols that can quickly stop bleeding in case of dismembering and even securing lost limbs for reattachments proved helpful against the worse injuries we could have seen. I feel at ease knowing we can give almost anyone a safety net in the worst cases." Raphael joined in as he analyzed the number of injuries they had recorded since the last mission.

Ajuka nods as he observes a holographic depiction of said armor. "We kept improving the design with each iteration and the commentary of our fellow agents, yet there's a long path ahead until we can achieve the best version of these suits. I can't thank Ddraig enough for allowing us to base our designs on samples of his armor."

The brightest minds within the Alliance nod as they agree with Ajuka.

Our story continues within the Alliance's R labs, where an array of items was researched, developed, and tested for the use of any Alliance agent. These range from armor and weapons to ever-evolving advances in terms of first aid and protection against any environmental conditions.

Their most popular item was the Scale Custom Armor series. Since its inception years ago, the armor has seen many updates based on the commentary and needs of its users. Although many shared similar appearances, it was typical for no armors to be precisely the same as they were created based on each agent's needs.

Some agents needed extra safety nets due to the lack of strength or defenses, but thanks to the Mark VII, almost all of those have been covered thanks to the endless research they had made to reach this generation of the original armor.

"Yet there's one that keeps me amazed in terms of performance and its user even if its a prototype that has gotten few updates," Raphael says as a different hologram appears alongside the Mark VII. "The White Dove ver. IV shouldn't have survived this long. It lacks some of the features of the Mark VII, but Asia continues to outshine many agents with her prototype. We did a great job in its creation, but it doesn't compare to the Mark VII."

Azazel scratches the side of his head as he sees the specs of both armors against each other. "You're right about it being a bit outdated, but its performance is mainly due to her. Asia might just be a human, but since Gabriel started training her and we allowed her to take more missions, she bloomed into an outstanding agent, even amongst older exorcists. It almost seems unnatural if we see it from a human's point of view."

Ajukaa nods. "She has outshined many. Ddraig will feel proud that his 'protegee' has become a fantastic exorcist, from a mere nun blessed with sacred gear to an exorcist slowly rising into a legend. There will be tales about her for generations to come when she's no longer around."

Raphael taps the table and pulls out Asia's record before he looks at her many accomplishments. "I wished for her flame to continue to shine. She's the perfect candidate for the Brave Saint program. If we can make it work, she'll be the first of many humans blessed with an extended life and youth. Gabriel saw something in her that I can see now, and it would be a tragedy to lose her."

Azazel shakes his head. "Even if we did create the perfect prototype, we can't just reincarnate her that easily. She might not be open to the idea, and there are variables that we can't predict. Her body might reject the prototype."

Ajuka taps the table before a series of documents appeared. "Reincarnated Angels and Fallen Angels, the answer to increasing the number of both factions and extending the lives of outstanding members within the Alliance. Although we're basing them on my Evil pieces, we have hit many barriers while developing the sets. Heaven's systems aren't reacting well to our creation. Something is not connecting as intended, as if it rejected the idea of artificial angels. Do you think that the Bible God did this intentionally as if he knew what could happen in the future?"

Azazel and Raphael go silent as they reflect upon the question. Their concerns about the secrets their father had kept away from them increased with the Longinus spear incident.

"... He knew things that not even I learned. Not even Raynare, who was once entrusted with safekeeping forbidden knowledge, can claim that she knew everything that Father knew. He has become a complex rubiks cube that kept many secrets from his children. I want to believe Father had his reasons, but I can't shake the feeling that he hid too many things from us…. Azazel." Raphael turns around and faces his brother. "Have you ever thought he might have known he would die before us?"

Azazel remains silent for a moment as he reflects upon the question. "... Is not a question I expected from you, but to tell you the truth… he might have known it for a long time. His prophecies that many of us ignored, the fact that we could have been controlled by him like puppets, even the very creation of the sacred gears, all of it seemed like pieces of a complex puzzle. Shit, I have checked my body many times, and I discovered that, like you four, I possess the same robotic components that could allow me a golem of my own. Yet it doesn't stop there because Shemhazai and Baraqiel have them, but nobody else does. Did he plan for this? Did he know we three would survive the war and reach this point? I… might not want to know the answers. I… feared knowing that my freedom was part of his bigger vision."

"Brother…." Raphael seemed as distressed and depressed as Azazel.

"I guess that asking Shiva is out of the question then," Ajuka commented as he witnessed the expression of the siblings. "... Let's say that he knew. He walked all along, knowing most of what would happen like Shiva does now. Does it change what both of you have experienced? Can we claim that your fates have already been decided? The Welsh Dragon was sealed in the Booster Gear for centuries, and I can confidently say that his freedom wasn't in the plans. No matter how much he knew, your lives and the choices you made until now were your own. Nobody, even your Father, could have known that we would be allies and friends after all that had happened between our factions. Fate didn't drive us to this point; we made the choices that got us here. We chose the ones that got us here out of all the possibilities. No matter the number of prophecies, we made it here because we wanted change and a brighter age. Shiva could be the sage pushing us towards the brighter path, but we choose to believe in him, and it wasn't because fate was written in stone. All of this we did ourselves with these hands of ours."

The siblings couldn't look away from their fellow researcher. They could see why so many have entrusted their futures to such a bright fellow.

"... I can see why so many choose to follow you. You're right; regardless of what Father knew, we got here because of our choices. We're walking our own path now." Azazel said with a proud expression.

Raphael couldn't shake the image of a much younger Azazel smiling with the same joy back in heaven. Old memories came to him as he recalled much earlier and peaceful times, yet the feeling that was growing in his chest assured him that the present day was far more precious than any early memory. "... We came a long way." Raphael clasped his hands to gain their attention. Let's switch gears; we have something much more important to discuss."

When the seraph taps the table, every other hologram disappears before a large hologram that shows something similar to a compass appears. The orientation arrow in this particular item has a tiny blue flame that shines brightly as it points north.

"Agent Asia and many others found these items within the corpses of the enemies they fought. They might seem like normal compasses, but upon further inspection, we discovered that they're supernatural compasses that seemed to possess the ability to pinpoint the location of a designated target. Thanks to our research and the input from agent Bennia we have determined that they are powered by the registry of the dead (Books of the Dead). As long as the name of someone is inside of one of those books, our enemies can gain information on us, although it is likely limited, and know where they can find us." Raphael explains.

"Hades and many of the neutral gods will deny such claims. They won't budge; Osiris, Anubis, and even King Enma confirmed that their fellow gods call our claims ridiculous, although they know that Loki's daughter has left their faction. Hel might be helping to create these things, or we have another traitor amongst the so-called neutral gods." Ajuka adds as he recalls the many statements made by Hades, who wouldn't budge in terms of remaining neutral to everything outside his domain.

"We need to do something about this. We can't have our agents getting targeted so openly. If things continue, we might end up having many of our allies taken down due to the restless attacks of our enemies. Anyone could be taken down if they found themselves under the worst conditions possible." Azazel slams his hand as he speaks as his mind imagines his daughter getting targeted as well.

"We'll figure it out. There's no way we will allow such a thing to happen. We're too close to our goal. I want to reach that vision in which the tree is finally united, and no more wars happen. I'm willing to put my life on the line for that future." Raphael says as he taps the table once more. "I have some ideas, and I'll need your help to test them."

"We're ready when you are." His allies reply as they set out to counter the tools of their enemies.

Part B:

Her eyes ignored everything around her as they remained focused on the sleeping giant before her.

Her beloved dragon was so close to waking up, and her joy was going over the edge. The number of nights she woke up while searching for him was no longer in the single digits as his absence affected her as much as Tiamat and others.

"Four years has been far too long. When you finally find the right person, not seeing them for this long might drive someone insane, my beloved dragon." She said as she caressed the rough scales of his tail. "Seeing you in dreams is no longer enough. I craved your presence just as much as anyone else. Don't keep us waiting for much longer. We need you."

"Yukime?" A voice called out to her.

The frozen beauty turned to face the person with a smile. "Gabriel. I'm glad to see you. Did you come to visit him, or are you here to check if he will be awake today?" Yukime asks as she faces the seraph.

"... Both…. It has been a long time since he went to sleep." Gabriel admits as she approaches Yukime. "Nobody expected him to go to sleep for 4 years…. Nobody except for Shiva."

"He's the only one who knows what will happen before us. He likely saw this whole event years in advance and stayed calm, knowing that we could endure it, but even then, it hurt." Yukime said as she glanced at the sleeping dragon.

"I feel you….. I never expected to miss someone else besides Father so hard. This cruel and yet uncontrollable desire to speak to someone, to see them walking around, to know that they are within reach…." Gabriel touches her chest. "It hurts to wait around while time moves on. Tosca and the other kids have grown bigger. We celebrate birthdays and several holidays, but he wasn't present even when he prepared gifts in advance."

Yukime shakes her head. "Our dear dragon had balls. Ddraig was expecting the worst and decided to prepare several things in advance. Who writes several letters in advance to accompany so many gifts while expecting to meet their doom? His…. writing was so touching. I never got something so sentimental in writing. Something so precious that it brought me to tears."

"... We're still learning many faces of the Welsh Dragon. Besides Tiamat, I doubt that everyone else knows the ins and outs of his mind." Gabriel steps closer to the slumbering reptile before she caresses the scales of his tail. "A titanic dragon that continues to grow stronger. A father who strives to guide his child towards a brighter future. A figure with regrets that doesn't try to hide his past sins and instead faces them. The enforcer that an entire organization follows towards an unknown future. A human who sacrificed his future to embrace a different path. There are many faces to the Welsh Dragon, and all of them make up a wonderful person who has flaws like any other but also has virtues worthy of respect and love."

A sincere and pure smile worthy of a divine being takes over Gabriel's face as a single tear roles down her cheek.

"And in the moment I almost lost control over my body, mind, and soul, he came to me. I felt his warm hands embracing mine as he asked me to fight against the voice that infiltrated my thoughts and soul." Gabriel admits as she recalls the experience she had to face.

"... Was it really the voice of your Father?" Yukime asks with concern.

Gabriel nods. "Nobody else can match his voice. I doubt Loki could ever copy his words if he tried. His tone, his words, all of it felt real. I couldn't deny it, but it was Father or at least a part of him ordering me to turn my hands against our allies; against Serafall and the others. I almost saw it, my hands tainted with the blood of Serafall and anyone else that the voice considered an enemy. I felt the same sensation as back in the war, where I took the lives of so many of my siblings and enemies alike. It was horrible, Yukime. Your mouth grows dry, and you can't breathe as you sink into an ocean of complete numbness to not break down. I… don't ever want to experience that sensation ever again."

Yukime watches as Gabriel's halo continues to possess an unnatural green glow that seems to start to take over the golden of the halo. "But you're safe now. Safer than the rest of your siblings. I doubt that this so-called Judgement will get to influence you again. Your connection to the Welsh Dragon runs deep; no phantom from the past will ever break that. Just remember to continue to embrace the present and your connection with Ddraig. Our future lies with him, by his side, not at the side of a phantom who continues to choose war."

Gabriel nods as she continues to caress the scale. "I know." Her mind recalls the dream in which she met her daughter from a distant yet possible future. "I won't let go of him. I chose years ago when I was in that cold desert; I chose him, and I'm not turning back."

"Good. It would be sad if you were to try to back down now after so much has happened. After making such an important choice, people should be confident enough to stand by it. Marriage should not be played around with, especially if it involves a dragon." Yukime says with a teasing expression.

Gabriel blushes as she looks around, only to notice that nobody is paying attention to them as they continue their work. "Yuki, you can't say those things around so easily."

Yukime chuckles. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it. I grew to like to tease others with their love lives when I saw the chance. It is a bad habit of mine, and I should try harder to let it go. Anyways, have you talked to the others? The mission for Nidavellir seems to involve you, Serafall, Ross, Quetzalcoatl, Eury, the kids, and me. They want us adults to supervise the kids without taking leadership away from Asia or Tosca."

Gabriel nods. "I spoke to Shiva and the others. Although I feel proud of Asia, I am concerned about whether this mission is too much for her. She has grown a lot, and I know Asia has what it takes to lead, but Nidavellir is dangerous. Tosca also concerns me, as the dwarfs might say something that could ignite her anger and lead to a conflict."

"I see your worries, but we need to give him such challenges to let them grow. The training wheels are no longer in place, and it has been that way for months. We can entrust leadership to them and offer advice if necessary. I doubt Asia or Tosca will play around with such a crucial mission. If needed, Rias and Akeno will likely interfere if they see a problem. They have worked together before; we adults will stand as reinforcements if their powers aren't enough or things take a turn for the worse. We need to trust them more. If what Shiva said is correct, an attack on Shangri La will force us to divide ourselves, and the kids will have no support besides each other. We can't hold their hands forever." Yukime adds as she considers everything that awaits them.

"... I know." Gabriel turns her eyes to the sleeping dragon's head. "But if everything else fails, I hope you'll interfere on their behalf. Those children are here because of you. Their paths are connected to you in one way or another, so please don't abandon them. Protect them, Ddraig, if everything else fails."

The two brides stood before the sleeping behemoth as the preparations for the next mission continued.

Neither could know what awaited them in the depths of the realm of the Dwarves.

Author's notes:

Hi, it has been a while. Some of you might know why it took so long to update, but it needed to be done. This is just a quick update before the start of the next arc, Nidavellir Madness. I want this arc to show more of what Tosca and the others can do while focusing on the perspectives of both Asia and Isaiah, who are bound to face many challenges alongside the others.

Nidavellir will be a domain that threatens them at every point, as even the friendliest of faces can hide deep darkness behind their smiles.

It is an arc that will put the obsessions of one race into full perspective as they go the extra mile while putting the future of their race in danger.

Look forward to the following chapters as we descend into the darkest, deepest mines in search of answers.

If you have time, do read my new work, Konosuba (Not): Thanatos Blessing Upon This Broken World. It is a faster series without so many plots and characters (I know I have been adding way too many to this story. it is hard to keep track of everyone). I hope many can enjoy it.

See you next time.