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
"Who's the cutest girl in all of the realms?" A tall, black-haired middle-aged man asked as he lifted a young girl.
The girl laughed and smiled from ear to ear. "I am but you already knew that daddy." She had long black hair and violet eyes.
"Dear, you need to be careful. Akeno just ate a snack not too long ago." A young woman with black hair and light brown eyes said as she came out of the kitchen. "Put her down."
"Shuri, she is fine. She is my strong little girl. Isn't that true Akeno?" The man asked his daughter.
"Yes, I'm strong and big," Akeno replied.
Shuri kept smiling but a dark aura started to surround her. "Dear, if you don't put her down, I will make sure you can't get up tomorrow morning." The wooden spoon on her hand started to crack as she kept smiling.
Father and daughter gulped at the same time. The father lowers the small girl to the floor.
"Shuri, we hear you loud and clear. See? She is fine and safe." Her husband replied. "Please, Shuri don't go there. I won't last a whole night if you do that again." He was a fallen angel, a being that had fought in thousands of different places. A warrior amongst warriors and yet he couldn't defeat Shuri in the privacy of their bed.
He was Baraqiel, the left hand of Azazel, one of the strongest fallen angels, and yet he was defenseless in front of his wife.
"Please mom, don't do anything bad to daddy." Akeno tries to save her dad from the anger of her mom.
Shuri looks at the pair for a few seconds. "I was just joking, Akeno. I won't do anything to your dad." Shuri turns to Baraqiel. "At least nothing that he doesn't like."
Baraqiel gulps. "Oh no."
Before the family can continue with their normal day-to-day life, the doorbell rings.
Baraqiel's attitude quickly switches into a serious one. His instincts detect two presences that were different from that of humans. The fallen angel looks at his wife. "Shuri, I'm going to answer the door. Please get everything ready. We're having two visitors."
Shuri notices the seriousness in her husband's voice. "I understand. Akeno, come with me. I'm going to need some help."
Akeno nods and follows her mom without wasting a second.
Baraqiel starts to walk towards the front door until he reaches it. His mind is plagued with different thoughts and fears. He knew that this peaceful life wasn't going to last forever. Baraqiel opens the door.
"Good to see you Baraqiel." Azazel greets his old friend and ally.
"It's good to see you as well, Azazel." Baraqiel's eyes switch from Azazel towards the girl next to him. "And who might this young girl be?"
Vali bows her head before she presents herself. "My name is Vali. I'm his and Shemhazai's daughter. Is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Baraqiel."
Baraqiel smiles after listening to her presentation. "Just like you described her. A well-mannered girl that has captured your and Shemhazai's heart. We are all becoming parents in one way or another." Baraqiel moves to the side. "Come inside. We can talk more over some tea."
Azazel nods and enters the house with Vali but as soon as he passes next to Baraqiel he says one single thing. "They are watching your house."
"I know. Get inside." Baraqiel replies. He knew that there wasn't a moment when his house wasn't being watched by Shinto mystics and their associates.
There was a price tag for his head, Shuri's, and even Akeno's head. The Himejima Clan had expelled Shuri 9 years ago when her pregnancy and relationship with Baraqiel had been discovered. They didn't care if Baraqiel was going to marry her, they saw her actions as a betrayal of their principles and rules. Baraqiel was a fallen angel, a creature of darkness and an enemy of the humans in the eyes of the Himejima Clan.
Being expelled not only meant that she was thrown out of her family but she was also a target to be eliminated. Anyone who went against the principles, rules, and orders of the clan was as good as dead.
Baraqiel knew that and for that reason, he had to stay in the human world for all of this time. Shuri wanted a life in the human world and he was willing to give it to her even if it meant that he had to fight Shinto agents day and night.
A few moments afterward.
Everyone was sitting down in the tatami living room while they were drinking some tea and eating some snacks that were prepared by Shuri.
Azazel takes another sip of his tea before he puts it down. "It is delicious Ms. Himejima. Once more, I thank you for your hospitality."
"It's nothing, Lord Azazel. I can't thank you enough for what you have done for us." Shuri says.
"Allowing Baraqiel to be with his family? That's nothing. He asked for some time with his family and I couldn't say no." Azazel turns towards Akeno. "You have also grown a lot since the last photos Baraqiel sent to me. You were such a tiny baby not too long ago."
Akeno blushes. She didn't know what to say to this person. He was her father's boss and someone she was taught to always respect by her parents.
"You don't have to feel scared, Akeno. I'm not going to eat you so you can talk to me like with any other adult in your life." Azazel smiles. "This is Vali, my daughter. I hope that you two can get along."
Vali offers her hand to Akeno. "It's Is a pleasure."
Akeno looks at her parents.
"Go ahead. Don't be afraid." Shuri says.
"You can do it." Baraqiel joins in.
Akeno sighs before she grabs the hand and shakes it. "The pleasure is mine."
"Good. Now I think we should start to discuss a few Akeno knows about her heritage?" Azazel asks.
Both parents nod. "Akeno show your wings to him," Baraqiel says.
Akeno does as told and two small wings spread out from her back.
"Look at them. They are really beautiful. Are you using them?" Azazel asks.
"Not that much. Daddy tries to help me practice once in a while but there are not that many places that are safe in this city," Akeno admits.
Azazel looks at the parents before he talks once more. "What would you say if you could move into a different place in which you could practice more and feel safer?"
"A different city? Aren't you talking about the underworld?" Akeno asks.
Azazel shakes his head. "I tried that before but your parents like the human world. They choose to live in this city for your sake and I don't think they are in the wrong." Azazel takes a document and presents it to the parents. "I came here to talk about many things. You know about the betrayal that we suffered at the hands of Kokabiel. His actions two years ago put us in a tight situation with the Welsh Dragon but we were able to talk it off. I need you back in Grigori as one of his leaders and one of my most important agents but I can't force you to leave your family in danger."
Baraqiel takes the document. He begins to read it before he passes it on to his wife. "You want us to move into Kuoh town?"
Azazel nods. "Is either moving into Kuoh town or moving into the underworld but I need you back. I have waited nine years for your return and now that we have formed an alliance with the devils, angels, and the Welsh dragon I can't wait anymore. I need my left hand to return but I won't leave his family in a dangerous position. Kuoh town is the city in which the Welsh dragon has taken residence and is also controlled by the devils. There's no other city in Japan that I can see as a better spot for your family to live in."
Baraqiel looks at his family. "Shuri, what do you think?"
Shuri keeps reading the document before she puts it on the floor. She says nothing for a few seconds before she does a dogeza towards Azazel. "You have allowed him to be here with us for this long and not a single time have you ever called him back. You had no reason for allowing this and you did. You accepted my relationship with him when my family couldn't accept it."
"Ms. Himejima, you don't need to do this. We fallen angels put freedom to choose above many things. Your relationship with Baraqiel is something I couldn't object to. Baraqiel had the right to form a family with whomever he chooses. I'm his leader but not a tyrant that couldn't respect his desires. I only ask that you accept this proposition. I need him back." Azazel lowers his head towards Shuri.
"I couldn't say no, Lord Azazel. Leaving my home city wasn't in my plans but I'm willing to do it. Are you sure about the safety of Kuoh town?" Shuri asks while keeping her head down.
"The Devils are now our allies and the Welsh dragon and Dragon King Tiamat have made it their home so nobody from the Himejima Clan will dare to enter the town while knowing that devils control it. I will even set up a few guards to make sure that you two are safe so please accept this proposition." Azazel continues to copy Shuri's actions.
Baraqiel looks at the interaction with complete surprise. "I'm being left out of this conversation."
"Dad, stop. I think Ms. Shuri understands your proposition." Vali tries to make him lift his body.
"Mom, lift your head up. Lord Azazel can hear you without doing all of this." Akeno does the same with her mother.
This small interaction continues for a few more moments until both sides go back to sitting on their knees.
"You didn't need to do all that Azazel," Baraqiel says.
"A leader should know when to lower his head. I also know that Ms. Himejima is the one that controls the relationship. If someone needed to accept this, it is her." Azazel smiles for a bit but his smile quickly turns to a serious face. "Many things are happening, Baraqiel."
"I know about the alliance and Kokabiel. What else could be happening?" Baraqiel asks.
"War, the true apocalypse, Ragnarok, all names apply to this situation. Shiva had a few visions regarding the future and in those visions, Trihexa comes back. Before you ask, we can't stop it from happening." Azazel drops the bomb without any restraints.
The color leaves Baraqiel's face. His hands begin to tremble as his memories of the beast come back to him. The corpses, the blood, and above the rest seven heads that keep regenerating and eating everything on its path. "No, this can't be true. That thing." Baraqiel looks at his family. "Azazel please tell me this isn't true. That beast can't come back."
Shuri and Akeno watch as Baraqiel's attitude changes. His calm demeanor is replaced by complete fear.
"Baraqiel, my love, you need to stay calm." Shuri tries to make him react.
"Shuri, I can't stay calm. You can't understand what facing that thing does to you. I watched as gods, fallen angels, devils, and everyone else involved in the war was being killed by one single monster before it ate them like snacks. It didn't matter if we cut one of its heads, they just reattached themselves to the main body. Great Red is the strongest being but Trihexa is the one thing that everyone should fear. Destroying a planet is nothing for Trihexa. It took many sacrifices to seal it away and our creator had to put his own life on the line to make it work." He was a strong angel but his fears were still there.
Azazel sees this and decides that enough is enough. He puts a hand on the shoulder of Baraqiel. "This time won't be the same. Shiva is supporting us and he has given us instructions to get ready. This is why I need you back, we need to start preparing now. Shiva gave us 9 to 10 years before those responsible behind Trihexa's freedom can achieve their goal. We need to collect as many Longinus and sacred gears to strengthen our forces. The Welsh Dragon is also getting trained by Shiva. He claims that Ddraig can become the monster that will finally defeat Trihexa and all of us want to believe that. He pierced the floors of the underworld with one single attack and if he can become stronger, we can't lose this war. Don't lose your mind and keep your head on top of the game. I don't think you want to show this face to your daughter ever again."
Baraqiel looks to his left and Akeno's eyes are focused on him. The young girl was scared and Baraqiel couldn't feel worse after seeing the fear in her eyes. "Akeno…. What am I doing?" Showing his deep fears in front of his daughters was one thing he didn't want to do. Baraqiel lowers his head towards his family. "I apologize to you two. None of you should have ever seen that part of me."
Shuri grabs his face and lifts it up. "It's alright Baraqiel. Even fallen angels can feel fear. You have been alive for a long time and I can see that you saw many things with these eyes. You are my husband and I can't judge you based on your fears. I only ask that you don't back down and you never show such fear in front of Akeno ever again. A father should face anything head-on and never show weakness in front of his children." She smiles and hugs him for a few seconds before releasing him.
Baraqiel approaches his daughter and tries to talk to her. "I'm sorry. As your dad, I shouldn't be acting that way in front of you. I'm your dad and my task should be protecting the family. Scaring you is unacceptable and I ask for your forgiveness."
Akeno stays quiet before she punches his chest. "You are an idiot."
"I know."
She punches him once more. "Lord Azazel was right in front of you."
"I know."
She stops punching him and looks straight into his eyes. "You are my dad and you can't be a scary cat. So, stay as the strong dad I have always known."
"I will. As long as I'm alive I will continue to be the strongest dad you have ever seen." Baraqiel claims.
He couldn't back down, and he was ready to go back to the battlefield for the sake of his family.
Thanks to his actions, Azazel had regained his left hand and someone who was one of his best agents. Things were going his way once more.
Back in Kuoh, two days later.
While preparations for the mission in Romania continue in Grigori, Issei and the others were trying to enjoy some peace and quiet after so many events that had taken place in their lives. Just a few days to relax and enjoy themselves, but a dragon's luck wasn't the best one.
Issei and Tiamat were inside the basement of the building while they were being surrounded by bright green flames. These bright flames that were too strong for the others to be present so only the pair was inside the room.
A big floating burning egg was in front of them and they were patiently waiting for the moment in which the girl inside the egg was going to come out.
"Why is it doing this?" Tiamat asks.
"I have no idea. This is something that took me by surprise." Issei admitted. "Tosca! Can you hear me? Come out of the egg."
The flames grew stronger after hearing his voice. The egg began to shake from one side to the other but nothing was coming out.
"Does she need help?" Tiamat asks. "Is the first time that a human has gone through this process after using that artifact."
"Maybe, let me get closer to her." The boy began to walk through the flames. His clothes were mostly gone at this point but he remained uninjured like Tiamat. After a few more steps he found himself right in front of the egg. "Tosca, it has been a week since I put you inside the egg. You might be afraid of coming out but Isaiah is waiting for you. Follow my voice and come out. Is time so don't be afraid of your new form. Embrace the new you and let us be there for you. Please come out."
The flames started to decrease. A few cracks appeared around the egg and before long a flaming dragon jumped out from the egg.
Her eyes are green like Issei's eyes. Her scales are green and white. She has four draconic wings and her size is similar to that of a pickup truck. She was a Western Dragon just like her father and just like him a few of the parts of her body were covered by jewels and armor parts similar to those of the boosted gear scalemail.
Tosca looks around the room for a few moments before her eyes focus on the pair inside the room.
"Tosca?" Issei calls out to her.
The young dragoness takes a defensive stance and growls.
"Baby girl, you need to relax. We are not going to hurt you. We're here for you." Tiamat begins to walk towards Tosca.
Tosca roars in anger before she shoots a fireball against Tiamat.
"Baby, your first fireball." Tiamat slaps the fireball away with ease. "It's good but you're not there yet. Tosca, you need to get control over your body. Your instincts are the ones driving you to act this way right now. Remember who you are." Tiamat continues to advance without worrying about the fireballs that Tosca is shooting at her.
Issei watches as the artifact repairs itself before shrinking in size. He picks it up and then puts it away. "It was a success." He turns around and then smiles. "Now it's time to take care of this. Tosca, calm down."
The young dragoness keeps shooting fireballs for a few more moments until she switches to her second power. A green barrier appears around her as a way to protect herself.
"A barrier? Do you have a barrier?" Tiamat asks.
"No, I don't. There may be a chance that she had sacred gear before I put her inside the egg. She must have absorbed it as I did with the boosted gear." Issei continues to advance until he reaches the barrier. He touches it and feels an electric shock. "Well, that's a unique power."
"What do you think? Should we wait for her to come out?" Tiamat touches the barrier as well.
"No, if we leave her alone, she may try to reach the surface. A young dragon in this state is dangerous." Issei forms a fist and accumulates a tiny piece of his power. "I can Pierce any defense." His fist connects with the barrier and the whole thing breaks down into pieces.
Tosca's eyes are filled with dread and a pure sense of fear starts to invade her. She starts to back away more into the wall.
Issei disappears from her sight and reappears right in front of one of her front claws. Issei touches the claw and looks into her eyes. "See? I'm not hurting you. None of us want to hurt you. My blood runs through your veins Tosca. Look into my eyes and ignore anything else."
Tosca stops moving and focuses on his voice. The young dragoness looks deep into his eyes and feels how something connects them. She lowers her head after a few moments.
"Your name is Tosca. You were a human. An orphan in the institute who was involved with the holy sword project. You lived alongside an orphan called Isaiah. Remember him and the memories alongside him." Issei gets closer to her head. "Remember who you are." He pats her head.
Tosca closes her eyes and begins to regain control over her body. Memories start to rush in like a river. A single tear rolls down her eye after a particular memory returns to her. A memory of when they fell into the underground currents under the institute. How she screamed his name, the hopelessness she started to feel after sucking deeper into the cave systems with no sight of the most important person in her life. "Isaiah!" Her body shines for a moment before her shape changes into a girl that is covered by white and green armor. The helmet disappears and the face of Tosca is revealed to the pair.
White long hair with several strands of greenish hair. A pair of draconic horns were coming out of each side of her head. Draconic green eyes like those of Issei. Tears were running down her eyes. "I lost him. I let him die."
Issei shakes his head and puts his arms around her. "He is alive. Tosca, he lost his humanity like you but he is alive. Don't blame yourself over what happened that day and embrace the present."
Another pair of arms surround her. "We are here for you and as soon as you feel ready, we can go to meet him."
She feels the warm bodies of both dragons. Her hearts start to beat faster. "What is this feeling? Why do I feel happy about them hugging me?"
This was a new beginning for her. The beginning of a new life that included the bad luck that all dragons have.
2 hours later, Gremory House.
Isaiah kept walking through the halls of the house.
"She is waiting for you in that room."
"You two have things to discuss."
"She needs to see you. Don't keep her waiting."
Those were the words of Issei, Tiamat, and Rias for him. They had called him back from his training just a few minutes ago and he wasted no time to come back.
Okita and he were far away from Lilith when they received the call. Okita's training was rough and required an area in which nobody could interrupt his training methods.
"I hope that you won't pay attention to all of these bandages." His yukata was hiding many of the bandages covering his chest. Okita wasn't joking around when he said that he was going to make him into a swordmaster.
Isaiah continued to walk for a few more minutes until he found the door. "Here it is. She is right behind this door…. I…. What can I say to her?" He takes a few deep breaths before he grabs the doorknob.
Isaiah opens the door and his eyes fall on the shape of a young girl sitting by the window. A simple white summer dress and shoes covered her body. Her long hair was tied into a single ponytail and she had a tail. "A tail?"
"Is that what you're going to say first after getting separated." Tosca turns around and her eyes focus on him.
"Tosca I- "Before he can say another word his body gets tackled into the ground. A pair of strong arms embrace his body.
"Just stay quiet you dummy. I just need you to stay with me for a few moments." Tosca hugs him and a few tears ran down her eyes. "I thought you died that day."
Isaiah felt the tears and his own emotions go rampant. He puts his arms around her and just embraces her. "I thought I had lost you."
They really needed this after what they had to experience.
A few minutes afterward.
After crying for a few minutes, both kids sat down at a small table.
"So, you're a dragon now. Is the tail permanent?" Isaiah asks.
"Really Isaiah? The tail again?"
"I'm just curious."
"No, Isaiah. The tail is not permanent. It's because I'm still learning how this transformation thing works. If it wasn't for Tiamat's and Issei's help, I would be wearing armor and have horns."
"Armor? How?"
"Yes, armor like the ones knights use. I don't have all the details but I have this ability to cover my entire body in armor like him."
"You're referring to Issei?"
"Yes. I don't know what I should call him besides his name. He saved me by making me into a dragon. His blood is running through my body but I can't call him dad that easily. I have never known what a parent is or what having one should feel like. It's all weird and new to me."
"Don't worry, I don't know what a parent is personally. We're orphans and those researchers were no parents. We were just subjects for them to study the holy swords." Isaiah then grabs her hand. "But we have a chance to learn what a parent is. The people that are taking care of us are the closest thing we'll ever get to parental figures in our lives. We should try to use this opportunity to learn and try to have what we never had before."
Tosca looked unsure about it. "Maybe but I don't think we are there yet. Give me time and I might end up calling Tiamat 'mother' if we get to that point but I still don't know about Issei. Isaiah, can you tell me about the rest of the orphans?"
Isaiah's face turns somber. "They are under intensive care in Grigori. The poison gas has affected their lungs and except for us two none of them can move. Four orphans died during the attack on the institute. Pietro was amongst the dead."
Her face grows sad. "Four of our friends gave their lives to save the rest. I pray that their souls reach heaven. What about the bastards? Did they escape?"
"No. Issei and the others killed all of them including those in the Vatican. The Vatican was burnt to the ground under the orders of heaven but one single guy escaped his punishment."
"Let me guess, director Valper?"She had a suspicion that someone such as him wouldn't die that easily.
Isaiah nods. "He escaped alongside three holy swords. I'm training to pay my debt to Rias Gremory as her knight but I'm also hoping to get the chance of getting my hands on him one day. Issei said that he was going to make sure I get that chance."
Tosca looks into his eyes. "That makes two of us. He took everything away from us and he needs to pay for it. I'm going to train until I'm able to use all of these new abilities."
Isaiah shakes his head. "Train until you're capable of protecting everything you care about. Issei said one thing to me during that conversation regarding Valper. Vengeance is just a small ephemeral pleasure. One day Valper will die by our hands but what do we have after that? We can't become heroes as we dreamed before. I'm a devil and you're a dragon. We're not human anymore and our lives will mostly continue to live in a world that normal humans will never see."
"Then what do you want to do? What do you want to do with this new life as a devil?" A slight sign of anger was noticeable in her tone.
"I'm going to be the knight of Rias Gremory but I'm also striving to protect the remaining orphans and you."
"Me?" Her chest tightens after hearing his words.
"You and I have been together for almost all of our lives and I almost lost you once. If I'm not strong enough I may lose you for real the next time. I won't let that ever happen as long as I'm alive."
Tosca goes silent for a second. "You dummy. How could I ever let you do that on your own?" She lifts her hand and tries to focus some of her new powers on it. The hand starts to be enveloped in draconic energy. "I won't sit down and watch you fight on your own, Isaiah. If you're afraid of losing me, I'm far more afraid of losing you. If you're going to get stronger then I will do the same as well. We have always been together and that's not going to change anytime soon." She continues to hold Isaiah's hand. "We're partners until our last days alive."
Isaiah smiles. "You do realize that devils and dragons have long life spans."
"And do you realize that dragons are known for being creatures for getting extremely attached to certain things and individuals?" Tosca drags Isaiah's body into her arms. "I won't let you disappear from my life either."
"Tosca? Aren't you being a little too aggressive and physical?" Isaiah can feel her tail twisting itself around his body.
"Give me time. My emotions are not that easy to control. I missed you a lot and I don't really want to let go." She goes back to hugging him.
"That hurts a lot. My injuries aren't healed yet. Sweet Lilith, she is a little bit too strong for me." Isaiah looks into her eyes. "Let go just a little bit. I don't think I'm going to last long if you hug me with all that strength."
"Not doing it. Did you know that I have two hearts now?" Tosca keeps smiling while holding him captive.
"Two hearts?" Isaiah tries his best to escape but his strength couldn't match Tosca's.
"Yes, two hearts which means the double of feelings." She tightens her grip.
"Mother of all devils! Can someone save me?"
It was a long road ahead for Isaiah.
*Author's notes: And with this one, Tosca as the first daughter of Welsh gets introduced into the cast. She has a set of abilities that makes her similar to most dragons but her main abilities rely on barriers. She is a young dragon and her strength level falls on top of Akeno but below Rias at this point of the story. We're having at least 2 or 3 more chapters before the time skip happens (1 year and six months in the future). The base cast is almost done so keep reading and see you next time. *