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
A black airship continues to move across the night sky at an impressive speed. Inside the ship, a group of people that were dressed in black suits waited for the moment to start the mission they were here for.
The memories of their meeting with Azazel before the mission was still fresh inside their minds.
"This mission is only about rescue and nothing else. We are sending you into enemy territory so you have to be careful with each step you take."
"This map shows the area in which vampires have their base."
"We want this mission to be as clean as possible and with no kills so we won't use magic to enter the base."
"We are going to divide you into two groups and drop you off in two separate areas by using the Black Crow-RX."
"The first group is going to fall into this area in the south of the castle and they will act as backup and support. Five members of the mission are going to be in this group. Your task is to prepare a quick temporal base for the mission, while also providing assistance and exchanging members with the second group in case we have injuries."
"The second group is the one that is going to fall in the area around the north of the castle. Your task is simple and straight to the point. You enter the base of the vampires and divide yourself into two smaller groups. You need to stay hidden for as long as possible while you search for the targets and don't let them figure out your identities. Finding the targets is crucial but I also need you to be careful."
"Vampires are not easy opponents and during the night they are some of the strongest opponents you could ever face. So, make sure you don't get killed by one of them."
"Welsh Dragon, you are the crucial member of this group. Your sense of smell will help you to track those children down. I ask that you make sure you get those kids out. If things take a turn for the worse make sure to do what's necessary to achieve the desired goal of this mission. Get everyone out even if it means a few deaths in the end."
He knew that and he was determined to make sure that the mission was a success.
"Issei, are you sure about this?" Rias, who was sitting next to him, turned her eyes towards him. She was covered from head to toe in an attire that made it almost impossible for someone to discover her identity. "I don't have any experience when it comes to this."
"Don't worry about it and just focus on following my lead. I trust you and I know that you can do it. Just take deep breaths and stay with me at all times." Issei says.
"Just stay close to him and everything is going to be fine. Just leave the hard part to me and the rest." Kuroka, who was sitting on the other side of Issei, joined in.
"Kuroka, you need to remember that this is not a mission like in Italy. There's no killing and you need to make sure that your spells are not lethal." Raynare says while sitting next to Asia. "Rias, try to follow Asia's actions. Relax and keep calm. A few deep breaths can help you if you start feeling stressed out."
Asia nods. "This is my first time on a mission like this as well so don't feel bad. Just try to stay calm."
"That's right, young child of the Gremory clan. You just need to calm down and follow the instructions of your leader." A deep voice captures the attention of everyone.
Rias and the others' eyes turn toward the owner of the voice. He was tall and one of the oldest fallen angels around. He had just exited the pilot cabinet of the ship.
"Baraqiel-sama. I can't thank you enough for coming back to Grigori after so long." Raynare lowers her head as a sign of respect towards her senior.
The other fallen angels present did the same.
"Rise your head Raynare. I always told you that you can talk to me normally. I'm sorry for not being here when the faction needed me the most." Baraqiel says.
Raynare and her fellow fallen angels shake their heads.
"You have a family now. It makes sense for you to be away for so long."
"You did a lot for us so you had the right to get some time off."
"We understand your reasons for being away."
The other fallen angels continue to talk one after another. Each one of them was excited about having him back.
"We know and understand the reason why you weren't here. We don't blame you and we're just happy with seeing you back. Things are changing and having you back in the field is a great thing." Raynare says.
Baraqiel didn't expect the warm welcome he was receiving from the rest of the faction. He expected at least some angry comments but the whole faction welcomed him with open arms. Maybe it was because they needed him back after Kokabiel betrayed the faction or the close call with the massive attack of the Welsh Dragon but Grigori needed him and that was more important than anything else.
The old man smiles and bows his head towards his peers. "It's good to be back. I promise to be here and lead you alongside the others into this new era of change."
The fallen angels clap for a few moments after hearing his words. He had the charisma to incite the hearts of his fellow fallen angels.
Baraqiel raises his head and then his eyes meet those of Issei. "In all my years I never expected to find myself alongside you in this situation. I said before but once again, I'm sorry for what happened to you two years ago. I can't change the past but I hope that the alliance between us continues until the end of time."
"As long as Grigori follows the rules that we agreed on, the alliance will continue." Issei starts to talk. "But if you try to save Kokabiel when the time comes for me to get my hands on him, I promise you that you won't survive."
Baraqiel nods. "I know and I promise to let you do whatever you want to do to him. Kokabiel and I were allies but that doesn't mean that I have any feelings of appreciation towards him. He made his own choices and he is going to pay for his actions. His life is yours and I won't interfere."
"Good. Now let us focus on this mission. We need to make sure to get those children out of that castle." Issei said.
Everyone in the airship nods. The stakes were high and failing wasn't an option.
Meanwhile, Dungeon of the Tepes Castle.
Darkness surrounded the area. The scent of human blood and the disgusting scent of decomposing bodies consume the whole dungeon.
Like any dungeon, there were several rooms in which the vampires of the Tepes faction could keep their prey and toys but it was also the place in which they would exile their unwanted children.
Valerie and Gasper were two of those children, the only ones that were still alive after the rough life they had.
Neither of them knew who their mothers were. Neither of them had ever seen the world on the surface. Since their birth, both of them had been thrown into the darkness of the dungeon and barely survived with what was given to them by the guards once in a while.
Gasper was chained onto the wall of his cell. His face was covered with an iron mask and his clothes were nothing more than a few pieces of patched textiles. His whole body was filled with scars of whippings and other kinds of torture such as stakes and nails that had been driven through his body. His lack of muscle mass was also proof of his mistreatment.
"Monster. You are a monster, an impure being that shouldn't have been born. These injuries and the fact that you're alive after so much pain is proof enough. You are a beast that shouldn't be alive."
The voices of his supposed older siblings were still fresh in his mind.
"If only you hadn't been born, our father would be alive today. Why did you have to be born? Why couldn't you die at birth?"
They torture him, physically and mentally. There was no show of mercy or compassion from them when it came to him.
He was unwanted, hated, broken, and yet there was a single source of hope in the darkness of this hell.
"Gasper, can you hear my voice?" A weak feminine voice calls out to him from within the darkness.
"Valerie…. I can hear you." Gasper replies.
Within the room across his own, a young girl was laying on the floor with chains attached to her ankles. Her attire wasn't better than Gasper's. Her pale blond hair was a mess and her weak body wasn't helping her either. Her body had a few scars but not as many as Gasper.
"I had another dream." Valerie's red eyes turn towards the ceiling. "The world outside, I dreamed about us reaching it and finally eating something sweet."
"… What did you see in that dream?" Gasper asks. Her voice was the only thing he knew about her besides her red eyes that matched his as well.
"Bright colors like the ones the humans described to us. No walls, no corpses, no chains, and just freedom." Valerie extends her arm towards the ceiling. "A place away from this darkness. A place for us."
Gasper grows quiet. "A place on the surface…"
Valerie gets up and starts to drag herself into the door of her cell. Even within the complete darkness, she can notice his eyes. "One day, we're going to get out of this place. I will find a way to get us out. You and I will finally be free from these chains."
Gasper couldn't avoid forming a smile. "Since day one, you haven't stopped shining and giving me strength to continue." Her presence and voice were the one thing that kept him sane even after all of these years. "You and me until the end, Valerie."
"Yes," Valerie replies with a weak smile.
Two children that supported each other emotionally while everyone else around them just made them suffer. They only had each other since they could remember but that night everything was going to change.
Back in the Black Crow.
"Everyone get in position. Team 1, remember your directions. Stay hidden and pay attention to your surroundings." Baraqiel says.
The small group composed of Raynare, Asia, and three other fallen angels nod before they get into position. Some of the members are holding some kind of container in their arms before the jump.
The doors of the airship open and the group see the incredible fall before them.
"Raynare, Asia, be careful. Don't put yourself in danger and get out of the area if things take a turn for the worst." Says issei.
Both girls turn around and nod towards him.
Raynare grabs Asia's hand. "Stay close to me at all times."
"Got it," Asia said before she strengthened her grip on Raynare. She tries to control her breathing and relaxes her body before she does this insane action for a child her age.
* No Differences- Hiroyuki Sawano*
The team approaches the edge and awaits their orders.
Seconds go by until they hear his scream.
"Now!" Baraqiel screams.
The team starts to jump one after the other with the last ones being Asia and Raynare.
The night is illuminated by the moon and even at this height vampires would surely notice the airship and the fallen angels falling from it but thanks to their suits they were mostly unnoticeable.
Asia holds her breath as her body descents into the dark forest that covers the territory under the control of the Tepes faction.
Her eyes wander around for a few moments until they find the castle in the distance. "Is that it Raynare?"
"Yes. That's the target of the mission but if everything goes well, we won't see the inside of the building." Raynare pulls Asia into her before she puts her arms around her. "Get ready. We're going to glide into safety. Everyone, prepare to open your wings! Wait until the right moment, we don't want to get seen."
The other members of the team do as told. They focus their eyes on one area that seems perfect for the base.
The group keeps descending while holding their formation until they open their wings and start to glide into safety.
"Let's hope that the suits work as they are supposed to." Raynare thinks as they approach the end of their gliding time.
Back with the rest.
"Team 1 has reached the goal. The rest is up to you." Raynare informs the rest through a small magic circle.
"Got it. Be careful." Issei said before he got up and approached the doors of the airship. "It's our turn. Let's get into position."
Everyone gets into their spots. Issei is in the front alongside Baraqiel.
"You and me saving children together, who would have thought something like this," Baraqiel says as they look into the area below them. They were right on top of the castle at that moment.
"Life is filled with unexpected situations and this is just one of many that continue to happen to me. Once enemies and now allies. My luck works in weird ways. Let's grab a drink one of these days and talk about our lives." Ddraig takes over.
"Well, we are living in the same city now. It wouldn't hurt to have a chat with you. I'll bring my daughter and wife along." Baraqiel says.
"I'll wait patiently." Ddraig turns around and looks at the rest of the team.
Rias and Kuroka are right behind him. Both looked ready for action.
"Let's do this." Ddraig smiles before he jumps out of the plane.
The rest of the group follows shortly after.
"Lilith, our mother, and progenitor, please protect us in this mission." Rias prays to their progenitor while she descends into the forest with the rest.
Some moments afterward, the walls of the castle.
The guards of the Tepes faction continue to do their rounds around the outer walls of the castle.
"This is so boring. Nothing ever happens around here." Said one of the guards.
"Hey don't say that. We don't know when the Camilla Faction might decide to attack us." Another guard replied.
"Those bitches from the Camilla faction won't move a finger. They are too afraid to even try something against us and our king."
The second guard sighs. "Idiot, saying things like that are going to jinx us. Shut your mouth and do your job. I want a calm night before we go to sleep."
"Someone is a scaredy-cat. Haha! Are you afraid of someone showing up and attacking the base? That won't happen." The first guard continues. "We are the Tepes faction, we won't fall to anyone."
"Give it a rest, you idiot. Yes, we are the strongest but you need to be less prideful. Why did it have to be you instead of someone else as my partner?" The second guard was visibly annoyed.
"Hey, just relax. It Is alright to be prideful. Hear me out, why don't we into the dungeon in secret and torture the impure bastards. I heard that the boy is very resistant when it comes to pain and the girl's screams seem to be impressive. Just imagine penetrating any of those two." His face was turning into one of a completely depraved male.
The second guard's face turns in disgust. "You're completely sick but also a massive idiot. Those two are the toys of some of our lords. Only those with power can touch those two and I doubt that our lords would approve of someone else touching their toys. They want them to last for a long time and I don't doubt that our king is going to forgive you if you try to release your sexual desires with them. They are impure beings and mixing with any of them is going to get you executed. Are you forgetting that the boy's father got executed by the king for asking for the boy's freedom?"
"How can I forget that? Our king was the one that executed him in front of everyone. His decapitated head was put on a spike and it was left outside for 3 years for everyone to see it. That was an amazing execution." The first guard reminiscences of the event.
"You are a lost cause. I'm going to ask for a different partner next time." The second guard says.
The second guard starts to walk away from the first guard and follows his round by walking towards the northeast side of the wall.
The first guard continues to think about his disgusting ideas which leads to an opening for the first team.
The infiltration group finishes climbing the wall.
Baraqiel quickly knocks the depraved guard out with a quick electric-charged attack. The body of the guard falls unconscious but Baraqiel doesn't leave it on the floor, he grabs the guard and throws it over the guard and into the depth of the forest.
"Did you have to do that?" Kuroka asks.
"Leave not a single body in the open. That bastard also deserves to die under the sunlight but I doubt that the fall is enough to kill him. Let's move, if what we heard is true, we need to find a way into the dungeons." Baraqiel says.
"Right. Let's split up. Kuroka, go with Baraqiel and follow any scent that is not that of a vampire. Your sense of smell should be strong enough to find the difference between a vampire and a Dhampir. We're trying to reach the dungeon so keep going into the lower levels of the castle." Ddraig says.
Kuroka nods. "Just follow a scent that is different from the rest, got it."
Baraqiel follows Kuroka alongside 3 of the remaining fallen angels while Issei takes Rias and the remaining fallen ones.
Each group takes a different path to cover more ground.
Back in the dungeons.
The steps of someone grabbed the attention of both Dhampirs. The light of two torches started to illuminate the area.
"How many days have gone by since my last visit?" A calm voice masculine voice was heard.
Valerie twitches in fear after hearing his voice.
Gasper tries to release himself from the chains. "Not him. Please, everything but him. Not again."
"What is that I'm hearing? Is someone excited about my visit?" The voice asks.
The lights continue to approach until they stop right in front of both cells.
Two guards were accompanying a black-haired man. His face was similar to that of a doll. His clothes were fancy and seemed expensive. His eyes were just as crimson as those of any of the children.
"Marius." Valerie backs away from the door until she is sitting in a corner of her cell.
"Oh, is someone not happy about seeing me? Valerie, you hurt me. I came here to visit you and the bastard of the former head of the Vladi family." Marius approaches Valerie's cell. "Maybe you're afraid of what I might do to you? How are the nails? Have they grown back? Maybe we should try something different next time."
"Leave her alone. If you want someone to torture, I'm right here." Gasper calls out even when he is as scared as Valerie. "I can endure it. For Valerie, I need to be strong. I will survive."
Marius turns around and approaches Gasper's cell. "Guards open his cell. I think he needs a lesson."
The guards do as told and open the cell.
"Gasper the bastard. The only Dhampir in all of the Vladi's lineage. You're one strong child. We threw you into the dungeon as soon as you were born with your mother. I still can't understand why your father had such a big interest in that woman. A sex slave is nothing else than a toy and as soon as he learned about the pregnancy, he should have killed you with that woman." Marius removes his globes and coat. He grabs a hammer and a few nails. "Dhampir are monsters that shouldn't exist. The fact that you survived and that woman died is proof of your monstrosity."
Gasper looks at the hammer. "Deep breaths, Gasper. It's just a few nails."
Marius puts the first nail on one of Gasper's shoulders before he smashes into his skin.
Gasper holds the pain inside. A single tear escapes his eye.
"No screams? Such a small body should feel it. Let me try another spot." Marius takes another nail and puts it around Gasper's right femur. "Let's try again."
The hammer hits the next nail and Gasper feels how the metal of the nail hits his bone. Gasper bites his own lips to keep the screams inside.
Valerie is hearing all of this and is unable to keep the tears inside. "Gasper… why us? Why do we need to endure all of this?"
"No screams? Am I growing weak?" Marius takes the hammer and smashes it into Gasper's chest.
The impact is massive and Gasper feels a massive amount of pain.
"What about now? Are you feeling any pain?" Marius asks the child in front of him.
Gasper's eyes turn towards him. His eyes are burning with anger.
Marius feels a chill after seeing those eyes behind the iron mask. "How dare you?" Marius grabs the hammer once more and hits Gasper with it several times. "You impure bastard. How dare you raise your eyes towards me? You're nothing other than a bastard with no parents. A beast that will never escape this place."
The guards watched in silence as Gasper was being pummeled into a pulp but his eyes kept shining with anger towards Marius.
Blood starts to stain the walls of the cell once more as the hits continue.
Minutes go by until Marius stops. He throws the hammer into the floor. "I'm going to love your execution. Father has finally given the order and I got the pleasure of choosing how your execution is going to go. I'm going to break you in front of everyone in so many ways that everyone is going to think twice before having another Dhampir." Marius turns around. His eyes are shining with complete insanity. "My dear Valerie, you should feel happy. You're going to get a seat in the first row on the day of the execution. You're going to see his whole execution alongside everyone else in the faction."
Valerie grows pale after hearing the revelation. "No. No… No… This can't be real." Tears start to fall from her eyes.
"Are you crying? Oh, such a cute sight. A bastard child crying for her fellow bastard. Such a cute sight. Guards get her out of her cell." Marius says.
The guards move and do as told. They open the cell and approach the crying girl.
"Let me go!" Valerie tries to fight back but the guards don't back away.
One of the guards punches her without any compassion while the other one releases her ankle chains.
A dizzy and bloody Valerie is dragged out of her cell. She was being treated like some kind of war prisoner.
"Look at yourself, Valerie. I can't believe that my father's blood is running through you." Marius grabs her by the neck and lifts her up. "It would be so easy for me to kill you right here and now but father has denied your execution. One dead dhampir is better than none so I will take what I can get." Marius throws Valerie into the cell of Gasper. "Since his execution is going to take place in three days, I will give you the time to finally touch and see each other before his execution takes place. Enjoy my little gift. I'm going to come back on the day of the execution. Guards close the cell and make sure that nobody gets to him before I do. I'm going to be the one to end his life."
The guards do as told and close the cell.
Valerie loses no time and approaches Gasper with visible difficulty. "Gasper! Can you hear me?" Valerie touches his body and feels all of the blood that he has lost.
"Va..le..rie." Gasper tries to speak.
"Look at them. Such a pathetic view. I'm going to count every second until the execution. Enjoy your last moments." Marius starts to walk away with the guards.
The darkness starts to consume the area once more.
"Gasper! I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything." Valerie tries to apologize.
"… Esca- "Gasper tries to talk but instead he coughs blood.
His injuries were bad and even if his body was resistant, it didn't mean that he was immortal. Each new hit, each new method of torture, the lack of nutrients, all of this was creating the perfect recipe for his death.
And now his execution has been confirmed. It was practically a miracle for him to be alive after so long.
"… You… need… to… escape." Gasper pushes himself to say what he wants to say.
Valerie looks up and sees his crimson eyes. They were filled with pain and sadness. Valerie cries even harder after seeing that. "I can't. I can't leave you alone. I can't continue without you."
In this place where not even their own families care about them, they only had each other and now they only had three days left or so they thought.
Sometime later. In a different part of the castle, Ddraig.
The group continues to move deeper inside the castle while making sure that nobody notices their presence. The suits hide their scents and help them to hide within the shadows of the castle.
When it came to making sounds, it was all up to them.
Ddraig was leading them. His scent was crucial for them since it told them how close or how far the vampires were.
Right now, they were walking through one of the long halls of the place which was decorated with paintings and sculptures of major figures within the Tepes faction.
"Why do they need so many sculptures of the same guy?" Rias asks after noticing the similarities between some of the sculptures.
"I have no idea but let's focus on the mission," One fallen replies.
"Everyone hide behind the statues. Now!" Ddraig says.
The fallen angels' nod and they drag the girl alongside them before hiding behind some of the statues.
Ddraig does the same and they wait.
A group of guards enters the hall.
"Are you sure about this?" Asks one of the guards.
"Yes, I'm sure. I heard it with my own ears from one of the guards following Marius. The king has approved the execution of the boy. Is going to happen in three days."
"I'm amazed it took that long. The kid is a monster and even with that iron mask his eyes make me shiver whenever I bring some food to him and the girl."
"What about the girl? She is a monster like him."
"The king hasn't approved it yet but I doubt she is going to last much longer. Marius is constantly asking for their execution and it won't be long before he gets what he wants."
The group of guards continues to walk until they leave the hall.
Before anyone can move, Ddraig stops them after smelling another scent.
On the second level of the hall, a fancy man with black hair is seen walking around for a few moments until he reaches the left side of the hall and exits it.
Ddraig's nose inhales his scent and it detects a foreign one. "This is the scent of blood, but not the blood of a vampire. This has to be them." Ddraig exits his hiding spot. "Come on, let's move. I have the scent and I think we can find our way towards them. Stay close."
The rest of the group nods before they follow him into another exit.
"Three days? They were planning to execute him in three days?" Rias asks.
"This is the faction of vampires. They have their own sets of value, Ms. Gremory." One of the fallen angels says.
"They have lost their way since their creators died. The vampires of today are nothing like their former selves. The human world wasn't their original home. They were created in their own realm like other supernatural beings. The war, the death of their creators, the loss of their original home, and the division into two factions led to the current vampires that we know today." The other fallen angel joins in.
"What happened to their original home?" Rias asks.
"Without a deity to keep it stable and sustainable, the whole realm went silent. The realm died like a dry branch. Their original food source disappeared alongside the realm and that forced them to look for another place to call home. That led to them coming to the world created by Gaea and humans, which became their new food source." The first fallen angel explains.
"That sucks but that doesn't give them the right to do all of this. They need to change or one day the other factions are going to take care of them." Rias says.
"Focus on the mission and talk about the future of vampires afterward. We're getting closer. The scent is much stronger this way." Ddraig says.
Meanwhile, Baraqiel and the other group.
"This place reeks of blood. How can they live like this?" Kuroka asks.
Before the group was the kitchen of the castle. There were normal ingredients around but there were also at least 5 corpses that were being drained out of their blood.
"This is a dead end. We need to look for another scent." Baraqiel said.
Before their group could move away, a set of eyes found them. A chef had just entered the room.
Time froze for each side.
"Damn it." Baraqiel curses himself before he reacts and cuts the distance between him and the vampire chef. "Sorry for this." Baraqiel charges his hand with electricity once more before he knocks the vampire out with one single hit.
The unconscious chef falls to the floor.
The rest of the team sighs.
"That was a close one," Kuroka says.
Before anyone can say something else, an alarm is heard across the whole castle.
"Don't tell me that." Kuroka focuses on Baraqiel.
"They either found the guard from before or that son of a whore woke up. Let's move!" Baraqiel screams.
Kuroka starts to move alongside the rest. She creates a small magic circle. "They know we are here!"
"I heard the alarm as well. We are close to the targets. Draw their attention for just a bit until we get the children." Ddraig orders.
"You got it." Kuroka ends the call.
Baraqiel creates his own small magic circle. "Raynare, change of plan. We're creating a diversion. Get ready to use that thing."
Point of view, Raynare.
"Understood." Raynare turns towards her team. "They were found. Get ready to shoot."
The other fallen angels nod and start to set up the artifacts they brought with them.
"Are they in trouble?" Asia asks.
"At least not for now but things might get even worse. Let's hope that Welsh-sama is close to the targets." Raynare says.
Back in the dungeon.
The pair couldn't hear what was happening on the surface. Gasper was still weak after the beating that he received.
Valerie was doing her best to try to stop the bleeding and remove the nails that were still stuck on Gasper's body. "Gasper this is the second one. I'm going to do it fast."
Gasper slowly nods.
"One, two, three." Valerie pulls the object with all of her strength.
Gasper bites his lips once more.
The nail comes out after a few moments. Valerie takes another piece of cloth from her clothes before she uses it to block the injury. "This won't help for long. I need to do something. Maybe I can use the nails to free you from the chains."
Gasper coughs once more. "No, open the door. You need to escape."
"I won't do it. I won't leave you alone while I survive." Valerie looks into his eyes. "You're the only thing I have. I can't continue without you. I won't give up on you."
Before Gasper can say something, the steps of someone grab their attention. The pair watched as the darkness was illuminated by a group of mysterious people.
"Finally, we found you two," Ddraig says as he stops in front of the cell.
A miracle had happened within the darkness of the dungeon. Freedom had finally come to them.
*Notes of the author: And here it is. The last cast members have been found, but another thing needs to happen before they leave the castle. We are getting closer to the end of the arc. Leave your review and let us know what you think. See you next time. *
Hey guys the editor here and I just want to ask what you guys think of the revised chapters and if the quality improved as I am not super confident as this my first story I have edited on this so if you could also leave a rating of 1-10 on how good it is I would greatly appreciate it! -Batmanuchiha