Capítulo 149: Chapter 16 - Part 1 - A World without The Dual Dragon Emperor
Third Person Point of View
…
A few days later, in the Underworld, in the Fallen Angel's territory, a series of resorts were being constructed for the VIPs of various factions. This plan was first proposed by Azazel more than half a year ago. It was also funded by Aaron, so their project ran smoothly.
One of the buildings was already complete and in operations. A certain man swam around the pool of this newly opened VIP resort. This man had a magic circle opened as he watched various factions and pantheons fight off hordes of beasts, mass-produced evil dragons and what was now dubbed 'Mini-Trihexa's as well as red-colored scale mails, and various other enemies.
Such a scene could be considered an apocalypse. However, he himself was undeterred by this and got out of the pool.
"Chaturaji, it's said to be the origin of Chess and Shogi," said a voice.
The man's eyes darted to where he heard the voice and noticed a familiar person. It was another man with green hair and light blue eyes. The devil sat down on the chair and then moved a piece in the game called Chaturaji.
The devil then looked back at the man in front of him. "Shiva-sama, what a coincidence in meeting you in a place like this," said the devil.
The man who was called Shiva, the God of Destruction grinned at the devil.
"Is it truly a coincidence, or was this inevitable? It's a pleasure meeting you for the first time, Ajuka Beelzebub," said Shiva. He then joined Shiva at the table and began moving the pieces of Chaturaji.
As they continued to play, Ajuka said, "The rumors say you accepted the request of the Three Factions to stop Trihexa."
"In a way, however, it's not how it seems. I did not accept because it came from Azazel, you or any other god or being in the Three Factions or even DxD Alliance. I accepted it because of Jin."
Ajuka looked at Shiva with a raised brow, but Shiva ignored the gaze and continued with his explanation.
"But...this was beyond my expectations. I'm afraid that even if I faced it head on, I wouldn't be able to defeat it. It's also impossible to seal it without triggering a battle on the level of complete world destruction. That is why I told him to leave it to Jin's subordinates."
"Sealing, huh? As the God of Destruction who could destroy the world, you'll only seal it?" asked Ajuka.
In response to his words, Shiva shrugged. "Yes, it's impossible even for me to kill it. I thought you and Azazel understood that from the very beginning? The most that can be done is sealing it, and that would be the best possible outcome. I will certainly destroy it, but my mere destruction will not kill it. That legendary beast is now so weak, especially after what those Khaos Order folk did to it."
"So, you're saying, in order to 'destroy' it, only Ophis, Great Red, or Jin's subordinates are capable of that?" asked Ajuka.
"Or some of his lovers…but you saw how some of them are, they're quite…devastated with how the beloved Middleman is right now," said Shiva and looked to their side. "Anyway, what's the reason you've come here?"
Ajuka raised two fingers and said, "There are two reasons. One, it involves my friend Sirzechs, please do not hinder him. In order to prevent you from causing destruction and two, please allow me to observe you until the end."
Just then, a woman with blue hair and a cold atmosphere around her appeared behind Ajuka. Shiva immediately noticed that she had powerful draconic energy surrounding her. This woman was the strongest Dragon King, Tiamat.
In her hand, she held onto a small device, a smartphone. However, it exuded a strange energy that Shiva himself couldn't understand. To him, it was as abnormal as Aaron. In a way, it resembled a Longinus, however, whether or not it was one he didn't care.
After staring at it for a few seconds he came to his own conclusions and smiled. "Do you want to eliminate me and Trihexa along with the entire world, Devil-kun?"
Ajuka smiled and shook his head in response to Shiva's question. "No. I never said anything like that. However, if the destruction of the world becomes your objective again, that will be another matter."
However, to both their surprise Shiva chuckled. "I've long since given up on that goal, for two reasons. One, because of Jin Skyward, a fool who wished for peace but was on his way towards it and second… That 'human' if you can call it that, is something I cannot defeat…no never mind, they're called 'Outer Gods', correct? They're beyond this world's comprehension."
Shiva sighed and leaned back on his chair. "Like I said, I don't care about that, and I've also said to leave it to Team [DxD], and Jin's subordinates. While many of them are disheartened by their leader's absence, most of their fighting spirit were ignited."
"Didn't that woman tell everyone? That their master and creator would come back sooner or later? She also annihilated many other creatures that the Khaos Order unleashed upon our world in a single sword slash."
"So you believe that Trihexa's defeat is inevitable? Because of Team [DxD] and Jin awakening soon?" asked Ajuka.
"Pretty much, so we won't need to worry about anything else. No other worldly invaders, or anything like that, Jin Skyward is the deterrent against everything," Shiva said casually.
"So is it safe to assume you fear Jin and his subordinates more than the current gods and super devils in this world?" asked Ajuka.
Shiva simply smirked at him and said nothing in response. "Let's just watch over the fate of the world with you here. We'll wait for his awakening and see what he does."
Ajuka stared at Shiva. He had many things prepared for this conversation, yet most of it hadn't mattered because of a single individual that had changed the God of Destruction. A smile crept up on Ajuka's face.
"Fine, very well. I also trust Jin as much as Sirzechs and Michael do. We will witness it together from here. Trihexa, as well as the fate of this world."
Both of them looked up at the sky of the Underworld. It had changed since the start of this monumental war that involved the supernatural world, the human world and two other worlds. With the added effect of the unrest in the Underworld created by the Champion Diehauser Belial...turbulent times were right around the corner for everyone.
…
A young man woke up in a place he didn't recognize. He shot up and looked around himself. The last thing he remembered was that he had fallen and passed out. He looked at his own hand and then at the rest of his body.
"I seem fine," he said to himself. He picked a random direction and began walking that way. However, it seemed like he wasn't getting anywhere so he stopped.
As he waited, a blue game-like screen appeared in front of him.
[The Trials are commencing]
[0/7 Completed]
"Trials? What?" he asked confused, but a few seconds later the young man passed out again.
However, he quickly jolted up again, confused by the constant jump cuts he keeps getting. A bit disoriented he looked around himself—he was in a classroom.
"Aaron, the hell's wrong with you?" asked a voice beside him.
The boy named Aaron looked to his right, cold sweat appearing all over his body. The person he found beside him sitting at a similar desk and chair was…Ryan, his previous best friend.
"R-Ryan?" asked Aaron.
"Yeah? What's wrong with you? I know a free class is boring as shit, but did you get amnesia or something?" the young man asked with a chuckle.
"Uhhhh…"
"If you're looking for Aoife, she's over there talking with the girls," said Ryan and pointed to the corner of the rectangular shaped room. Numerous desks and chairs lined up in the room with two white boards to his right. Students sat all around and a single teacher sat at their desk to his right.
Aaron moved his gaze towards the spot Ryan pointed at and saw his current girlfriend Aoife chatting with other girls in his year. Aoife noticed and waved to him with a smile. Aaron instinctively put his hand up.
When Aaron looked down at his desk—his confusion immediately vanished.
[Trials of Memories Past – In Progress]
[Trials: 0/7]
[Body Restoration: 0%]
[Regain Consciousness at 5/7]
[Evolution Progress: 1/2 – 90%]
The realization hit Aaron like a truck. He…was reliving his past through these trials, and he would be able to wake up from this after completing five of them.
'When I wake up, is it only temporary?' he asked. Unsure if he would get a response.
[Yes.] the box answered his question.
Aaron sighed and said, 'Fine…bring it on!' while clenching his fist.
"Uh, the hell are you doing clenching your fist like that for? Is your Weeb Mode taking over already? It's the first classes of the day, dude," said Ryan in a worried tone.
"Fuck you! And it's only the first three?" asked Aaron.
"Yeah, PE was canceled, the two teachers had to go somewhere, so we have three free classes, then a 15-minute break. 3 more classes then lunch, a 45-minute break, and then the last 3 classes of the day, and then we go home," Ryan explained and gave him a thumbs up.
"…I already knew that you daft cunt," replied Aaron and tried to hit him.
"Do you see this?! Abuse! Abuse! I only helped my best friend and I get abuse instead~!" fake cried Ryan.
Aaron smiled and they laughed together. He had no idea what he had to do to complete these trials…
…
Azazel's Soliloquy
…
When Vali and I arrived at the tower where Rizevim and the Champion, Diehauser Belial, were confronted, we witnessed an unbelievable scene. Jin Skyward was on the ground with blood and…black liquid around him.
Everyone there was confused and upset by this, especially the girls with him. We walked over to them and I immediately checked for a pulse. I felt it…but then it vanished, confused, I kept my fingers on his neck and vein.
"I see…" I muttered, drawing their attention.
"What is it Azazel-san?" Asia asked worriedly.
"His pulse…it's normal for a full minute, then flat-lines for the next minute, and then goes back to normal. Whatever the hell happened to him…he keeps dying and resurrecting over and over again," I told them my theory.
"You are correct," said a voice. Suddenly a small orb left Jin and a woman appeared. I think her name was Cúntóir…?
"Cúntóir what happened to him?!" Lavinia asked desperately.
The woman named Cúntóir looked at everyone and nodded. "Vali Lucifer, and Governor Azazel, I trust that you will keep this information a secret? Shuri Himejima and Baraqiel, I also advise you too. The rest already know," she told us.
"Uh, yeah, go ahead," I replied. Vali, Shuri and Baraqiel also agreed.
Cúntóir then told us who and what Jin really was and at the end of it, we were beyond shocked. "So…his original soul came from a destroyed universe. He reincarnated here a year ago and did all of that, huh?" I repeated in a summary format.
This brat…he had such a burden placed upon him from the second he was reincarnated. Hell, I had suspected some kind of dramatic backstory for him, but fuck me, what the hell? I guess…that's why he was so desperately looking for something stable all those months ago.
But…those girls already knew, huh? When I looked at Vali he was also in disbelief—the same with Shuri and Baraqiel.
"And that leads to…this," said Cúntóir as she gestured to the half dead, half alive Jin. Or should I call him Aaron Toole? No, that sounds wrong, I'll stick with Jin.
"What do you mean?!" Lavinia shouted; she had already begun to cry. Vali looked at her with concern. A rare instance indeed…
"Evolution—I already told you that he was going to evolve, right? His body—his current body is not used to that kind of power. However, when he used his [True] Diabolos Dragon God form, he applied that power rather than his usual 'Outer God Essence', and this resulted in him collapsing—an overload if you may," she explained.
"Right now…he is in limbo, he is going through trials before he can temporarily awaken. Once he awakens, he can do a few things for 1 hour, after that…he must slip back into a coma. After completing the rest, his body will be fine, but he'll have a limited time before he has to evolve—if he doesn't reach it…"
She didn't finish that ominous sentence and looked at Jin's body again.
"So…he went over his limit and left him like this, huh? Does it matter where we place him then?" I asked.
"It's advisable to leave him at his home. As it stands, it's the safest place in the world right now—and I would suggest you get on with it. The Khaos Order won't let an opportunity like this slip away. Did they not declare war against the current world, the alliance, and Team [DxD]?" she asked.
"…No, can we put him in Serafall Memorial Hospital? I already plan on holding a meeting with the current alliance leaders, and other ones that haven't joined yet—we need a plan for this. I'll…try to ask some of his subordinates if they can—"
"Aaron has already ordered all his [Electa] and shadow soldiers to defend this world in his absence. It was one of the things I ordered before he blacked out," she told us. "However, if you wish him to be placed in that hospital then I will allow it. If it gives the people of the Underworld who are in turmoil and the ones in that meeting, then so be it."
That brat…he already did that, huh? No, it's definitely like him to do something for others rather than himself before he 'died' or whatever this weirdo limbo he's in.
Cúntóir then turned to look out at the still-battlefield and said, "They are on the move, multiple factions and pantheons are already being attacked. It seems they're attacking the ones not in the alliance yet—they do not have the benefit or defenses. Although…the shadow soldiers that Aaron had are already in them. Altogether, he has more shadow soldiers than both the human and supernatural population combined."
"Already?! Wait, what about Trihexa? And the multiple other things that are going to appear—what about earth and—"
"It appears they're not ready yet. They didn't anticipate Rizevim's death this soon, at the very least they expected it in the next few hours. Perhaps, their little devil couldn't tango with a dragon for too long," she said and smirked then looked back at Jin.
I also glanced back as Lavinia was glued to him. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be whispering something into his ear. The rest weren't exactly great. Suzaku Himejima looked like she had the life sucked out of her, Asia kept uselessly healing him, Danu silently held his hand and Penemue—she probably blamed herself in a way for this since she's just staring blankly at him. Akeno-chan…she wasn't even moving at all; she was holding onto Jin's arm but didn't make any other movements or sounds.
Vali was the first to leave
"Hey, where are you going?" I asked.
"I'm leaving…if they're planning on going to war with both the supernatural world and the human world—that means I can fight them as much as I want!" he shouted, a smirk adorning his face.
No one said anything to the young silver-haired youth. But I can tell that it wasn't his usual bravado, it just lacked 'something'. It's only been a year since we've known Jin. I didn't think he'd have so much impact on Vali—but I think, even if he doesn't say it in words—he'll go and defend this world in his stead…or I'm just overthinking this.
"…A little brother taking over his older brother's role, huh?" I muttered as Vali finally flew away. "Before we go—what's that black stuff?" I asked the woman.
"The red is Aaron's blood, the black is Azathoth's. I won't elaborate, but you can speculate as to what I mean by that," she said and turned away. "I will go back into Aaron now—if you need further assistance…ask his [Electa]."
Cúntóir then turned back into a small ball of light and entered his body.
I sighed and told everyone here, "Let's finish this fight here, then move him into the Underworld Serafall Memorial Hospital. Lavinia, Suzaku, you can accompany me there. Danu, Asia and Penemue stay here and help with ending this battle. Baraqiel and Shuri, I'll teleport you two back to Grigori."
"B-but—"
"Asia, you can use that Balance Breaker of yours to keep everyone else safe. Do it. Once this is done you can join them in the hospital, but I will need to inform Team [DxD] about Jin's status. After that…I'll need Dulio to step up and be team leader for the time being," I told her.
She looked at me, then back at Jin before she glowed and her Balance Breaker was activated, and she wore her armor. She summoned her devil wings and flew away followed by Danu. A few seconds later a giant green field covered the entire field, constantly healing everyone in the alliance.
Baraqiel created a magic circle beneath him and Shuri walked over to Akeno-chan.
"Akeno…Akeno…are you coming with us or are you going to help Asia and Danu-sama?" Shuri asked. However, she got no response from her. "…Akeno?"
"It's recommended that you bring her with you. I think the shock is too much for her right now. Hopefully she'll recover in the next few hours," I told them.
Shuri gave me a worried look, but agreed in the end. She slowly pried Akeno-chan off Jin and brought her over to Baraqiel and the magic circle. The family finally left and I was left with Suzaku, Lavinia and Jin.
"You two—" I didn't get to finish my own sentence as they both stood up and brought Jin up with them. "Alright, let's go."
We finally left for the Underworld and the Serafall Memorial Hospital.
…
On a certain night seven years ago…I had a fateful meeting with a certain youth.
The day I met a certain child, I remember it all too clearly. It was a very cold and snowy night. That night, Shemhazai had brought a boy before me. The boy wore tattered clothes, his hair was messy and he had wounds all over his body.
What made me concerned back then were his eyes. They expressed hostility and showed that he had been raised without being able to trust anyone. It was obvious that he had been heavily and harshly abused.
In fact, that boy had been subjected to the cruelty and abuse of his own father and grandfather. Shemhazai told me that this boy used a deserted house somewhere in the mountains of Europe as a stronghold. Both the police and the agents of the Vatican wanted to capture him, but they were repelled by that boy's unimaginable power and ability.
After the agents of the Vatican found out that the boy had the power of a devil in him as well as a power of a great dragon, they planned to send several higher-level agents to him. At that point, Shemhazai received several messages from the side of the devils, that said, 'I hope that you guys can protect this boy'.
When Shemhazai travelled with his subordinates to capture this boy, they discovered that he had the Sacred Gear of the [White Dragon], the light wings of the White Dragon Emperor...meaning he was the White Dragon Emperor of this generation.
Although we constantly monitored all of the Longinus wielders, it could be said that this was the first time that we were right next to one. Moreover, it was a young child. Upon seeing this child for the first time, I spoke to him.
"You sure did cause a lot of trouble, huh? Tell me, what's your name?" I asked him.
In response to my question, the boy remained silent for a while, however, he eventually replied, "…Vali…Lucifer…"
When I first found out that this boy name Vali wasn't just your ordinary Longinus wielder, he was also the descendant of the Satan Lucifer. He could have potentially inherited the blood of the father of all devils, Lucifer! His very existence could have been called a miracle of miracles!
The Vatican, and if Heaven knew of this truth, they would most certainly become afraid of this child and would immediately kill him. However, the devil's side also knew of his existence, so why…?
According to Shemhazai, his source of information about Vali came from a servant of the former Lucifer's son, a servant of Rizevim. That servant contacted Shemhazai—through the devils who had contacts with the Fallen Angels, and provided that information about Vali.
Because we know of this, Vali was able to safely take refuse inside of Grigori. If the devil's side learned of the existence of Vali, how would the current government, who had poor relations with the old Satan faction, especially the Great King Bael treat him?
Perhaps he would have been imprisoned until his death, or perhaps they would dispose of him as a person that had never even existed. He was an existence who was born from a human, yet at the same time he had the power of Lucifer and the White Dragon Emperor. So there wouldn't be a single person among the higher-ups that wouldn't fear him. His potential was far too high.
In order to allow Vali to survive, I felt that the servant's choice was not wrong. However, not too long after Vali's disappearance, we stopped receiving any contact from that servant. I knew it was coming. It was obvious that the servant who let Vali survive was killed off.
A question popped into my mind: why did that servant try to save Vali even at the cost of their own life? Someone suggested that they didn't want to see the good blood of Lucifer be lost. Or that they couldn't turn a blind eye to the cruel treatment that Vali had received from Rizevim. But…under such circumstances, how were we supposed to deal with Vali?
Sacred Gears…perhaps due to the system of the Sacred Gears, none of the wielders ever had a choice. Thus, I witnessed several tragedies. Being given a one-sided 'miracle' from Heaven, in my opinion, it should have been called just an 'ability'.
This ability controlled them, and ruined their lives…the sight of them being enveloped by their surroundings in misfortune simply made me feel empty.
Especially the wielders of the Sacred Gears of the Two Heavenly Dragons, their lives were burdened with the fate of a battle. Thus, they experienced many tough situations and the lives of those who surrounded them suffered similar misfortunes.
There were far too many cases like this, and at the same time, I thought Vali might also have been drawn into such a fate.
After we kept Vali in Grigori for a few months, although he himself hadn't opened himself up to us, he had at that point had become accustomed to life in Grigori.
I also spoke with him seriously many times over. After I informed him of the events that related to the servant who helped him escape, he expressed some shock and surprise. However, in the end, he turned around and said a single thing.
"How stupid…"
At the time, I wondered what his young mind actually thought about the demise of that servant? However, he used that opportunity to ask me about the topic of Sacred Gears. Reading, writing, I increased my parenting of him.
That boy slowly grew up and also began to show the potential his potential. We relied on that. When he was finally able to communicate with Albion, which he was unable to do before, I was unable to forget the smile that had emerged on his face.
Vali had a very strange concept of family and loves ones, but at that point, he had unconsciously started to pursue power, the contradiction of his existence flashed before my eyes.
Vali had inherited the blood of Lucifer, and he also held the power of the White Dragon Emperor. That child possessed such an ability when he was born that his own father feared him, and was incited to abuse him by Rizevim.
At the time, I told Vali that he should have fought back—opposed him. Even if he was his biological father, it was a life-threatening situation, so he should have been able to oppose him with his ability.
When he heard me say this, his eyes were filled with sorrow. He simply told me, "If I wasn't beaten by that man, he would have beaten my mom instead, also…"
The next words out of his mouth were something I would never forget for the rest of my life.
"...When that man beat me, he had a calm expression on his face. Although I was scared, felt pain, and hated it, I think it was something a man had to do in that situation."
The man who feared Vali, the man who was his father, upon seeing that his own son was being beaten without retaliation, it was the first time in his life that he could feel at ease.
As the man who was born as the grandson of Lucifer, he should have been a 'special' existence from the moment that he was born. However, his own child was a 'monster' greater than himself. He felt fear from the bottom of his heart.
Having the expectations that came with the position of Lucifer's grandson, he was fearful that his child who had even more potential than him would kill him while he was asleep in the future. There was also pressure from his own father, Rizevim. All of this was added together, and that man beat his non-resistant son in order to secure a place for his own existence.
Vali himself realized that. So he allowed himself to be abused without resisting or retaliating. He was a child who was discarded by his family, without ever knowing anything about the warmth of familial love.
A year after Vali came to Grigori, the silver-haired youth who had learned how to use his own power was already able to overwhelm the Sacred Gear wielders of his generation. He had confidence in his own power, which enabled him to move forward with his life's goals.
One day, he came over to me and said, "Azazel. I want to become stronger than anyone else in this world. I would like to know where my current abilities lie and I hope to be able to increase them to heights that no one in the future can reach. I want to be stronger than Rizevim, the previous generation's Lucifer and even the Red Dragon God Emperor, the Great Red."
The boy who had been born with the power that brought him misfortune had decided to pursue the path of power. Compared to the power to protect someone, he didn't pursue the power to protect himself. Instead, he sought the power that wouldn't lose to anyone else. He would definitely be at the mercy of the power of the Two Heavenly Dragons…
"Hey, Azazel. My opponent…what kind of person is the Red Dragon Emperor?" he asked.
When he asked me that, his eyes were sparkling with excitement and curiosity. The answer I gave him was…
"Hatred, sadness, grief, and despair were what made the [Boosted Gear]. Spreading resentment was what the Heavenly Dragons were meant to do."
Then, a few years later, Vali—no, the world was introduced to this generation's Red Dragon Emperor…and he undoubtedly changed everything. Even if Vali didn't say it at the time, I saw it in his eyes, the excitement.
Even still…Vali still lacked many things, while he was given something akin to a 'family' due in part of my agent team, the Slash/Dog Team, the one person who never gave up on him was Lavinia Reni.
She became his surrogate older sister. While the others tried to show him that same love and affection, Lavinia was the only he truly opened up to. Tobio, I thought he would be his older brother. However, Sae eventually entered a coma and he withdrew from the situation as he silently searched for a cure.
But…when Jin—the Red Dragon Emperor came to the scene, he showed him that tough older brotherly love. At the time, he hated it, but eventually he slowly grew to respect his fated rival and began calling him 'Aniki'.
Those two definitely love Vali unconditionally, though I could say that Jin loves everyone around him unconditionally, whether they want that love or not, I myself am not immune to it.
We may insult each other a lot, but we have that respect for each other. Hell, I'd even go as far as saying that I saw him like a son, just like Vali.
But now I wonder how Vali feels after he found out about Jin's origins and the responsibilities he was burdened with. While Cúntóir didn't say anything about it, his previous life—the tone, he definitely had it rough too.
Whether or not that was on par with Vali's…I don't know, only Cúntóir and Jin himself knows.
Regardless of that…I can almost say for certain that Vali only puts his full trust in four people in this world. Albion, myself, Lavinia Reni and Jin. You certainly had to be someone special to break through the walls that Vali had built around him.
Was it because he was his fated rival? Was it because of his overwhelming power? Was it because Jin let him fight him whenever he wanted? Was it because Jin got into a romantic relationship with the person he considered his older sister? Whatever the case may be…
Vali was undoubtedly affected by his sudden coma and the truth of his entire existence.
…
A day has passed since the attack on Tech Duinn and Team [DxD]'s victory. However, it was short lived as in the same day, hundreds of thousands of divine beasts, mass-produced evil dragons, cryptids and various other monsters that the Khaos Order had created were released upon the supernatural world.
I theorized that this was not everything they had—at best I believed this was just the beginning. The original Trihexa, the smaller Trihexa's the monster that Glenda fused herself with—the numerous Battle Gods and more powerful monsters…they hadn't appeared yet.
Even still, we left the defense up to Jin's shadow soldiers that were spread across the globe, and his [Electa]. Right now, we were in his home's meeting room. I had asked for this meeting to set some rules before he came back to us, temporarily.
I sat near the top with Latia Astaroth and Rossweisse by my side. The atmosphere here was depressing, and their moral took a hit after hearing what happened to their team leader.
"As most of you heard, the team leader of [DxD] is currently in a coma. However, we were provided with reliable information that he should wake up sooner rather than later. So for the time being I will assign a new leader," I told them and looked at Dulio, the [Joker] of Heaven.
"Dulio Gesualdo. As of today, and until he comes back, you will be the leader of Team [DxD]. I know you may have your reservations, but please take up the seat until this all blows over."
The man named Dulio had a look of concern and unease, but he immediately stood up.
"…Honestly, I don't see myself as a leader, but I'll do my best to lead the team until Jin-kun comes back. So what do we do now, Azazel? It seems the factions and pantheons not tied to us are doing alright without our team's help," he asked.
"Right. While they haven't used everything they have to try to destroy our world, they're slowly ramping it up. Just around an hour ago, the Philippines' Pantheon was attacked. The Chief God and creator god of the Pantheon, Bathala. He contacted the alliance and wished for some assistance, and—"
"I have sent one of the [Goddess of Battles] over there along with various shadow soldiers. I'm working together with Antares and Lianne," said a female's voice.
We all turned to it and she was brought in by Yuri Alpha, one of Jin's maids. She had long periwinkle hair that was tied in a ponytail. Turquoise colored eyes and a small mole on the left side of her lips. She wore an elegant and noble suit that mainly consisted of white gold, red, and purple. On her left shoulder guard was a sort of white wing ornament and around her waist was her sword. She radiated elegance and power.
"I've brought Elyscia-sama. If you are unaware of her identity, she is the leader of the [Goddess of Battle] that protects the earth," explained Yuri Alpha.
I had met her once before, but we have never spoken face-to-face before. But…she's intimidating in her own right. She looked around us and she frowned…well I don't blame her; some people were missing.
Akeno-chan…she…hasn't really moved much since yesterday. I thought she'd come out of it, but she's basically become catatonic. However, her mother, Shuri has at least forced her to eat so she wouldn't die of starvation.
Asia-chan was here, and was keeping it together, but according to some others, she did cry her eyes out during the short period of time she had for herself. Danu herself was also here, but she's as stiff as a board like the rest. Suzaku was also here; I think she's the best one out of the ones with us yesterday.
However, it's quite obvious she's forcing that smile on her like the rest. Lavinia…I don't even know. She's been staying at Serafall Memorial Hospital since yesterday and has refused to leave his side. Normally she sits on a chair with her head on Jin's chest, and only leaves for bathroom breaks, to eat, and when the nurses and doctors need to tend to him.
The rest aren't stellar either. Kuroka lost her appetite, Ingvild couldn't focus on her music, Grayfia even dropped some plates when she tried to make dinner, so they're all affected in their own way. But they're not as bad as Lavinia or Akeno. But…we do need them to get their act together, otherwise, whatever else is coming in the next few days could spell disaster for us all.
"Elyscia-san. Welcome, who did you send?" Kurousagi, one of the new goddesses asked.
"In order to give our best impression, I sent the Deputy Leader, Lena. With her, it should be fine, Greed was also sent with her and around a five hundred thousand shadow soldiers. After they help that pantheon, they will split in half and send the other half to China and keep the two hundred and fifty thousand in the Philippines," she explained.
500,000? That's a lot, but I do wonder how many shadow soldiers that guy has? It's definitely beyond a million, maybe a billion? Or maybe even a trillion? He can just create them, so I wouldn't be surprised.
She came over to where I was and summoned a holographic map with X's on it. She pointed to each one and said, "According to Claudira, another G.o.B, these are the countries or pantheons she predicts that will be attacked in the next few days, and around day four, five or six, they will finally launch a full-scale attack on the world."
"And they plan on destroying it if they don't get control, right?" I asked and she nodded.
"Correct. We can assume that they have the necessary fire power for this, so anyone below a certain power threshold…I'm sorry to say but you'll be useless. That's why leave the defense to us for now—the shadow soldiers, [Electa] and G.o.B and go get stronger in Jin-sama's [Training Facility] put 50 or even 100 years into it, and train like your lives depend on it," she ordered them.
"Lianne and I will help train you lot," said Aurelia as she came into the room with Lianne. "There's no time to be depressed. That man will come back and put an end to this soon, so come with us," she said and turned around to leave.
"The Stahlritter along with a few others will help you all train for the next 100 years, so please prepare yourselves."
[So will we, get your asses in gear,] added Ddraig. Albion nodded along as he stood beside him. Apparently, he and Albion flew away as soon as Jin ejected them out of his soul, so they were mostly likely helped with Tech Duinn's victory.
Everyone looked over at me and I waved my hand. "Yeah, this meeting's done, go ahead. It's better to go with what they said. Getting everyone stronger is a top priority. I'll also run that by during my meeting with the leaders of the alliance," I told them and everyone slowly left.
Everyone had those chambers installed in their realms. Mostly everyone should be High-class and up if I compare it to the devil's system. I would prefer if they were all at least Ultimate-class or even Satan-class, but that's fine…at least they won't die too quickly.
"What will you do now, Azazel?" asked Rossweisse.
"I'll check up on Akeno-chan and Lavinia. I'm worried about their mental states…anyway, you two seem to be doing fine," I said and glance at them.
"…We're doing what we can, with Cúntóir's promise we have hope to hold onto, so we're not going to take this lying down," Rossweisse said with conviction, although she did pause for a few seconds while she said that.
"…Yes, I concur. We will keep on operating while Aaron takes his little vacation," she said with a small smile. "Nevertheless, we will leave now. Good day to you," Latia said to me and left with the Valkyrie.
I sighed and looked at the table in front of me. "You better hurry up you damn idiot."
…
Áine's Soliloquy
…
The Land of Heaven Falls was still reeling from the incident that happened yesterday. However, from what we heard from Danu and a few of the Irish group…Aaron has fallen into a coma. Many were disheartened by this, but all hope wasn't lost since we were also informed that his subordinates and shadow soldiers would be spread out across the world.
I didn't get my powers back. Maybe I should have said that to him before he left for Grigori. However, I didn't have the heart to do it since he looked quite distraught, but…now I think it's going to be delayed even more.
I had finished my jobs for the day and was sitting at an isolated spot, a small forested area of this realm. Cana and the rest of the gods were in a small meeting with the Gaelic Alliance. I heard that Lugh joined Team [DxD] on the assault on Tech Duinn, a place I didn't think the Khaos Order would use.
But it made sense since Aed had gone AWOL for quite some time now. As I sighed again, I noticed a presence behind me. Even without my powers, the years of paranoia had led me to develop a skill like this, so when I turned around—
"W-what the…C-Cúntóir?" I asked in shock.
"That, I am. Hello Áine, it's been a while," she said and walked over to me. I wasn't expecting her of all people, but if she was here then I could ask her a few things!
"How's Aaron? What happened to him? What about the rest of the world now? Is he going to wake up soon?" I asked her.
She chuckled and shook her head. "He is currently taking certain trials. There are seven of them. Once he finishes five of them, he will awaken for one hour before he has to finish the rest. So he can do whatever he wishes for that one hour…"
"T-trials? Wait so he can give me my powers back?" I asked.
She shook her head again. "No, he asked me to do it in his steed, so…here I am."
"You two can still talk, huh?"
"Not as much as I would like to, but…he did ask me during it."
"I see. In that case, how are the trials going?" I asked. He surely must have completed some already, right?
However, Cúntóir looked up at the sky, with an expression I could only describe as sorrow?
"He has failed the first trial over ten times already, and he's on his eleventh attempt."
I was beyond shocked. What did she mean that he failed it ten times already?! In all my time knowing Aaron, failure was basically nonexistent! W-well, unless we look at the Kokabiel…and the various fuck-ups he had in the 100 years we spent…
I felt my own lips twitch. Never mind, that guy just failed at a lot of things…
"He's going through those trials with no powers—he is back to being a normal human…in his previous life's body," she told me. "Right now…Aaron Toole is weak, although he's always been weak."
Ah…so he's taking them without powers, then…while I'd like to say 'Hah! Now you know how I feel!', but he probably already knows that since he was born a normal person before coming here. But what did she mean by saying that he has always been weak?
"S-should I tell people about this?" I asked her.
"No, please keep it a secret. I don't want the rest of them to keep on worrying, but please rest assured that he'll definitely get through those trials…while I said he was weak…he's not the same weak person that he once was," Cúntóir said and poked my forehead with her finger.
I suddenly felt my powers coming back to me! I felt a surge from within my body and a small pulse of wind left me, making the trees around us shake.
"With that, your powers are back. I will say this before I leave…please be careful, someone from your past may be targeting you," she told me before blipping out of existence.
"Someone from my past…?" I repeated and thought back at all the people I've met in my long life and a few stood out. And one that was still alive and was a fellow deity. I shivered at the thought, but at the same time—
"I'm stronger now…I won't let that fear control me…" I muttered to myself before standing up. "Okay! Let's go help everyone out! I can probably join Team [DxD] too!"
As soon as I shouted those words, I ran back into town.
…
Azazel's Soliloquy
…
I had arrived in the Underworld, Lilith. The Serafall Memorial Hospital was located here and Jin was being kept there. I entered the hospital and made my way to his room. A few devils there greeted me and outside his room was a powerful barrier. I hadn't noticed this when we first brought him here, but I'm guessing that Cúntóir woman put it there.
Once I arrived in the room, Lavinia sat beside him on her chair. She held his hand as she had her eyes closed. Hearing my footsteps, she opened her eyes and looked at me.
"Ah…hello, Azazel…" she greeted me tiredly.
"Mmm." I grunted and held my hand up with the grocery bag I brought with me. "I got some food for you. I'm heading to Grigori after this and plan on checking up on Akeno-chan," I told her. "Wait, is that…uh, Shin?" I asked.
In Lavinia's lap was a small jet-black dog that resembled [Canis Lykaon]. It opened its eyes, but it was different from last time. Tobio's 'Gin' had glowing red eyes, Jin's 'Shin' also had glowing red eyes when he used it during the Church's rebellion, but now its eyes were pure silver.
"It is. Shin-chan came out last night. I woke up because I felt him licking my face." She started to stroke Shin's head and a bit of life flowed back to her. "I think it's Aaron's way of telling me he's fine and will wake up soon. And so…I'll come back and help Team [DxD]."
In all honesty, I was left speechless by this. I had thought of a speech to pull her out of her depressive period, but just by having Shin come out, it had an effect like this? I also planned on bringing someone else in to help her, but…seriously?
I guess her mental strength was a lot stronger than I had anticipated. I thought Lavinia would be like Akeno-chan—catatonic with how attached and attached she is to him. However, I guess the hope that he would awaken kept the fire burning inside of her.
"Is something the matter, Azazel?" she asked.
"No, it's nothing…anyway, here." I gave her the plastic back and she took out the sandwich and began eating it. I took another chair and put it on the other side of Jin and sat on it. "How is he? Anything new?"
"Nothing has changed except that Cúntóir left him earlier and that Shin came out. His heart rate still fluctuates from a flat line to the usual zig-zag patterns…" she replied while eating her food. Shin left her lap and jumped over to me.
I picked him up and brought him up to my face. "You really do look the same, except for the silver eyes though…" I mumbled, just then, Shin hit me on the face with his pawn and barked.
"…Yeah, you two are alike…" I said annoyed. Lavinia giggled at that and Shin returned to her.
"Anyway, Team [DxD] has been staying in Jin's [Training Facility] for 100 years being trained by various [Electa]. So if you want to join them then go ahead, they've already started, heck, they may be out already," I told her and she agreed.
"Okay, I'll leave in the next hour, thank you for telling me."
I grunted again and slowly left the room. Instead of leaving, I stood out in the hallway and leaned against the wall.
"…I'll be back soon, Aaron…we promised to stay together forever, right…? So please come back to us soon…I'll take Shin with me, if that's fine?"
I heard Shin bark after she asked that and she quietly started to cry. I sighed and left the place. I was wrong, she was still putting up a front and wanted to look okay in front of people. However, she's willing to separate from him to help defend this world…next stop was Akeno-chan.
…
"Ah, Azazel, we got numerous calls for help from various factions and pantheons. Most of them are on hold. What should I do?" Avezza asked me as soon as I teleported to my office. Shemhazai was also there talking to various magic circles.
"Tell them I'll get back to them, or have them speak with Michael and Altaria. Don't use Sirzechs, he and the rest of the Four Great Satans are busy with dealing with the fall out about the [King] piece," I told her. "Any others, just leave them to me, but I'm going to the Himejima's house for now.
"Oh…um, Suzaku Himejima also came by just a few minutes ago. I assume she's going there too, so you may meet her there," Avezza informed me and I thanked her. I picked up my face and made my way there. Thankfully, Suzaku wasn't rushing over there and I spotted her.
"Yo, Himejima clan head," I greeted her.
"…Ah, Governor. How can I help you?" she asked, her tone monotonous.
"I'm planning to check on Akeno-chan and maybe talk to her parents. What about you?" I asked her back.
"…I'm also going to talk to Akeno," she replied and that's where the conversation ended. We made our way to their home silently, and once there I knocked on the door.
The door opened after a few seconds and it was Shuri. She smiled sadly at us and invited us in.
"Auntie…where's Akeno?" Suzaku asked.
"She's in her room," replied Shuri. Suzaku thanked her and hugged her before she made her way upstairs.
I accompanied Shuri to the dining room where Baraqiel was and I sat with him. No one spoke for a few seconds until Baraqiel spoke up.
"She really loved him. Even after that Cúntóir woman told us about the 'Fated Ones' concept, Akeno was never bothered by it. Even if she wasn't part of it, she loved Aaron all the same. I think she embodied that 'building the relationship from nothing' rather than relying on something as magical as the 'Fated Ones' thing that Suzaku and Lavinia were labelled as," he told us with a deep sigh.
Akeno was the first woman Jin dated in this world. So they've been with each other the longest, then Kuroka and finally Lavinia. I knew of Akeno-chan's grievances towards men, but when she started a relationship with Jin, I was quite shocked. Years of loathing men, and then she suddenly starts dating someone she met after a week or two?
It does make some sense though—but I think at the time it was both romantic attraction and gratefulness. The fact that he brought her mother back to life, and helped repair a broken family was definitely a major factor in it all.
Also, I guess that's the modern dating scene, isn't it? Some 'couples' get together with the thought of 'they might like each other/fall in love down the line so we may as well', or it's just something casual. I wonder how Akeno-chan really felt since she quite literally fell in love with the guy quite quickly.
"Has Akeno stayed in her room the entire time?" I asked.
"She's not as bad as you think. She does go to the bathroom, shower and eat, thankfully. When Aaron wakes up, I'm going to give him a lecture…" answered Shuri while crossing her arms.
As expected of the surrogate mother and mother-in-law, the first thing she thought about was scolding the guy who's half dead and half alive. However, she started to tear up and then cry.
"…I'll definitely scold him…making us feel like this…he won't get his favorite dishes from me for an entire week…!"
Do you see this you brat? You better wake up soon, you're making everyone around you unnecessarily depressed.
…
Suzaku Himejima's Soliloquy
…
I arrived in front of Akeno's door, but I had stood in front of it for…I'm not sure how long. I had resolved myself to be a stricter with her today, so she can come back to Team [DxD] and she can help defend our world when he's not here.
I know I may upset her, and she may lash out at me because of it. However, I love my cousin and I don't want to see her like this—the same with everyone else. Rias Gremory has also asked me to help her [Queen].
I knocked on the door and called out to Akeno, but got no response. However, I still turned the knob and entered her room. When I did, it resembled her old room from many years ago. There were a few things that were more modern and items that she clearly brought over since this building was finished being constructed.
On the bed was Akeno, lying down and hugging a pillow—a hollow and lifeless look in her eyes. It was also clear that she had been crying as her eyes were a bit red. I walked over to her and sat on her bed.
"Akeno…the alliance has started to train, everyone needs you, so please come back." Yet, she didn't even so much as flinch when I told her that. I reached over and touched her thigh and she flinched. "Akeno—"
"…This world has no meaning without him. I don't want to live anymore…" she mumbled as a single tear fell from her eye.
I frowned after I heard that. "Akeno…you shouldn't say things like that. You heard Cúntóir…he'll wake up soon," I told her.
Akeno shook her head and cried more. "It's all meaningless…they won't let me go see him in the hospital either…why…?"
It's probably because you're like this. They probably think you would only get worse if you saw him there. I have only been there once, but he seems fine. I texted Lavinia about updates, but there hadn't been any significant changes.
"Akeno, like I said—"
"Why are you so calm?!" she finally snapped and straightened herself up. I was taken aback by her sudden outburst, a look of anger on her face while she was crying. "Y-you're one of his 'Fated Ones', aren't you…? You're supposed to be more connected aren't you…? Why do you sound and feel so indifferent to this?" she asked.
…Because I'm the Head of the clan, because I'm older than many in Team [DxD], and the fact that many have shown that they're already upset because of his absence—I had to be one of the ones that showed that they were fine.
I also want to cry and be with him right now. You, Lavinia, Asia, Danu-sama, Penemue, Auntie Shuri, Uncle Baraqiel and I saw it happen. There was so much blood, to us, Aaron was invincible—some who couldn't and wouldn't lose.
We never once saw him physically hurt—the time he was emotionally hurt also hurt me. But this time it was different.
I felt my body shaking and tears leaving my eyes. "Of course…I'm sad that he's in a coma…! But because I'm older than you, and so many people rely on me, I have to hold it all in. I can't just break down…!"
Akeno looked at me shocked, but I kept going. "When I saw him fall, when I saw all that blood and when he fell into that coma. I felt like someone had ripped something very valuable out of me. I saw it in Lavinia's eyes too. I felt like we had lost something when he 'died'. The man we loved just collapsed into a puddle of blood!"
"He's always been reckless, but this time it came with consequences…but we have to keep going, we can't just stay in a room and cry about it, Akeno. The world can't protect itself without our help. Aaron wouldn't want you to stay like this, would he?" I asked her.
Akeno stared at me for a few seconds before crying even harder and she started to apologize, I wasn't sure to who though. Perhaps she was apologizing to herself, to me, to her parents or even to Aaron, but I felt her and we cried together.
After two minutes of this our tears eventually dried up. I pulled away from her and the light in her eyes had come back.
"…Let's go—I can't stay here…but I want to see him before we go and train," she told me.
"That's fine…Lavinia texted me earlier that she's also gone back to Aaron's—our home, so no one is there in the hospital with him. Let's go tell Azazel and your parents," I told her. She agreed and after getting herself organized, we headed back downstairs.
Once there, we saw the three of them silently sitting around the dining table. "Governor, Auntie, Uncle, we're going to Serafall Memorial Hospital to see Aaron before we go back to his home and train," I informed them.
"Akeno, are you sure—"
"I'll be fine, mom…I'm sorry for being like that…" she said and apologized to them. Aunt Shuri teared up a bit and hugged Akeno and I.
"Just be safe…okay? And when he wakes up, pinch his cheeks for me," she told us which made us smile.
"…I'll make sure to do that, Auntie," I replied. We said our goodbyes one more time before we left for the hospital.
Once there, we made our way to his room and found him still asleep, but it seemed like someone else had been here. On the bedside of his bed was a single rose made of ice. Lavinia probably left it there.
Another item was there, a pure white feather. When I used my ring's [Appraisal] on it, it was from…Gabriel-sama's own wings. Like the rest of us, it also affected her greatly and she had been in Heaven since then. However, it seems like she's also found her own resolve to keep moving forward.
There was also an envelope. It was addressed to Aaron, but it also said that anyone could read it, so I opened it. The letter was from Dulio Gesualdo, Heaven's [Joker]. It basically said that he hoped Aaron would wake up soon because he didn't think he was fit to be a leader type. It also claimed that he owed him tasty food after he woke up.
I smiled after reading it and put the letter back. Akeno had sat down on a chair and stroked Aaron's hand the entire time I read it. However, we can't stay here forever.
"Akeno—"
"…Just a minute longer, Suzaku-onee-sama," she said and I nodded. I let her stay like that for another minute before she was ready to leave. As we left the room I glanced back at Aaron, before saying a few things to myself and we finally departed.
…
Third Person Point of View
…
Aaron Toole…was back in the white void. He lay on his back as he stared up at the 'sky', but in front of him was a floating blue box with text.
[Trials of Memories Past – Failed (21 Times)]
[Trials: 0/7]
[Body Restoration: 0%]
[Regain Consciousness at 5/7]
[Evolution Progress: 1/2 – 90%]
[Try Again?]
[Yes/No]
He had failed the first trial twenty-one times over. Aaron frowned and grumbled to himself. "What the fuck am I doing wrong? …Shit I can't keep fucking up or I'll never wake up."
Just then, a figure of a female appeared beside him.
"Oh, hey Cúntóir. This is taking longer than I anticipated," said Aaron as he stood back up.
"How does it feel?" she asked.
"Annoying, never-ending and stupid. I should be aceing this, but I'm failing. Can I get a hint?" he asked.
"…I cannot give you a hint, I'm sorry," replied Cúntóir.
"I guessed as much," Aaron said with a shrug. He started to do some stretches and then slapped his own cheeks. "Alright! Let's do this! I think…after seeing you, I got a small hint!" he said with a grin.
Cúntóir was surprised by this and Aaron turned to her and said, "Going through these trials—parts of my past have been restored and I also realized a few things. You and Azathoth put many hints and 'Easter eggs' for me to find."
Cúntóir showed Aaron a troubled smile, but she didn't say anything. Aaron walked over to her and embraced her.
"U-um…A-Aaron…?" Cúntóir was shocked by this and became a bit flustered.
He pulled away and looked at her. "You are you, even if you're a small fraction of Azathoth—my opinion of you won't change, please remember that. Anyway, I'm off!" he said with a grin before vanishing.
"…You really are an idiot," mumbled Cúntóir as she summoned a small cube in her hand. "When do you want me to show this to him?"
A figure materialized behind her and said, <<When the time is right—during his evolution. That is when he will remember everything. I believe…he needs it.>>
"…I see," replied Cúntóir. When she turned around, the figure had vanished. She sighed once more and stared at the box, that box…contained the last words and thoughts of a certain person dear to Aaron Toole.
Cúntóir looked at the surroundings around her—the previously white void started to change after she waved her hands around them. The scene changed into…a room—someone's room.
"You can't see this because you still haven't completed a single trial. Once you start completing them, you'll be able to see more of this, Aaron. Please hurry, the world is in danger—once Lapis awakens…no one in that universe can stand against her. Not your [Electa], your lovers, or anyone you made stronger."
After saying those words, Cúntóir also disappeared. However, what neither of them knew was that this restoration would further decrease the lifespan of a certain god…
…
Aaron shot up from his seat startling everyone around him.
"Yo, dude, the hell?!" Ryan complained. Aaron turned to him with a giant grin on his face. "I don't like that man…whenever you have that shitty grin something bad always happens!"
"You worry too much, my dear Ryan. Come now, we shall conquer the world together!" announced Aaron.
"…Yep, he's officially lost it—that anime and other shit you consume finally destroyed your brain, huh? Thank God I only watched and read a few things…"
Aaron ignored his friend and looked around the room. He had come to a certain conclusion—he had to correct all the mistakes he had done—not just repeat the days that he had already lived through.
He had his own suspicions, but he wasn't sure if it was what he needed to do. Aaron worked on the logic that he had to relive his days again without changing it, at first, he started with small and minor changes, but he still failed. But now, after meeting Cúntóir and speaking to her, as well as seeing many hints and other things in this memory, he understood what he needed to do.
"Ryan…today…that stupid school wide trivia quiz is happening, right?" Aaron asked.
"…Yeah? Why are you asking about that?" asked Ryan.
"Let's make a team, you me, Aoife and whoever the hell else wants to join—let's win it all!" he told him.
"Yep, he's gone insane. Aoife! Your idiot boyfriend's brain finally exploded!" shouted Ryan. After that, Aoife came over to them looking confused.
"Um, what do you mean, Ryan?" asked Aoife. Aaron chuckled and explained what he wanted to do. Aoife smiled and agreed. "I don't mind, it sounds fun. One of the prizes is also cash—twenty euros for each of us."
"Wait what?! There's money?! Well shit dude, you should have told me about it, let's fucking do this!" shouted Ryan.
"Language, Ryan!" the teacher shouted and glared at him. Ryan awkwardly and apologized.
All three of them sat at a table and began their strategy meeting.
"But…isn't this trivia about everything? How will we cover all the topics?" Aoife asked with concern.
"True…I know some football (soccer) trivia and other general crap, but the rest…I'm not too well informed about," added Ryan.
"I know some since I help out at a few centers around town, so I have knowledge about many things I learned from the elderly, but I don't know if that'll be good for anything."
"Any contribution helps, Aoife. Anyway, so what's the plan, all-mighty leader?" Ryan asked Aaron.
"I can cover most topics, just polish up on the things you know. The quiz starts after lunch (40 min) right? And it lasts for the last three classes of the day, so we won't need to worry about that so…we have now until then to check everything on our phones."
"Are you sure? That's a lot you know, Aaron…" Aoife put her hand on top of his and squeezed it.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Aaron also squeezed her hand back, but Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Please for the love of God don't start flirting. You two are the worst at it…it's so…fucking innocent and just vanilla and wholesome it makes me sick," he said and reeled back from the two. Both Aaron and Aoife laughed at him.
"Well, how about you and—" Ryan covered Aaron's mouth and then squeezed his head with the other.
"Another word and I'm going to pull your eyes out!" he said while blushing.
"Alright, alright, I won't. Anyway, let's get back to planning. So these are the topics I'll cover—"
…
Elyscia's Soliloquy
…
A day ago, we received one last order from our creator and master. It was unexpected and sudden. Quite a few of the G.o.B became distraught, but we did not fall into disarray. Lena and I gained control of them and met up with Antares and Lianne. After that we met with Bellion and Kamish in the Dimensional Gap.
Not too long after…Cúntóir approached us. She gave us one additional message from our creator, Aaron. And that was to trap the original Trihexa into the Dimensional Gap when it was unleashed into the world. He wanted to kill it and make it one of his shadow soldiers, Cúntóir said that he didn't want to waste a powerful monster like that.
Cúntóir explained that he had no idea about the mini Trihexa's that Rizevim told Vali Lucifer and Azazel upon his death. So we are working on the assumption of killing those monsters when they show up. I have assigned the G.o.B to some factions and pantheons so it would make defending them easier.
Antares and Lianne are his right-hand and left-hand respectively, so they were left with giving out orders to the rest of the [Electa]. The Pleiades will stay in Kuoh, and the Stahlritter will be with Lianne as they patrol the whole Asian/Eastern half of earth's continent. The Nocturnes led by Kokushibo will be assigned to keep the original Trihexa preoccupied until Aaron-sama wakes up.
Meanwhile, the [Guardians] will stay in the newly constructed base that Antares had been building in case it's targeted for an attack. Zeno and Silva have been called back since their original mission was complete. They like the other [Electa] were assigned by Antares to different factions and pantheons across the globe.
I was in one of our bases in the human world. After I spoke with Team [DxD], I left Aaron-sama's home.
"'Scuse me~ I'm back and done with my job~," said a voice. I looked up and saw Lena.
Lena was the Deputy Leader of the G.o.B. She had long green hair tied in a single braid that flowed down on her right side, it reached her thighs. She had lime-green eyes, wore an alchemist hat and wore a colorful attire of an alchemist which consisted of blue, white and purple colors.
"Hello, Lena. How was the defense on the Philippines Pantheon?" I asked her as she floated over to me and sat on one of the chairs.
"It went smoothly. I take it that Team [DxD] is a bit depressed?" she asked back looking a bit sad.
"Yes. Quite a lot of their members are saddened by our master's coma. However, it hasn't affected too many of them to be unable to function, so that's a silver lining. Did their Chief-God say anything about joining the alliance?" I asked.
"Yep. But he said that he wanted Aaron-sama to be there and not just me, I agreed, so we wrote it down that they'll join the alliance," she explained and showed me a small hand written letter.
"Hmm. Well, good work," I told her and turned around to look at the same holograph I showed Team [DxD]. Lena stood beside me and add some X's herself.
"I think they'll also cover these pantheons, as well as these smaller groups and factions. Notice how most of them are in South America and Central Europe? From one of the enemies I captured, I used a little spell to get them to talk and I found this out—well, not in detail, but by my own deduction," she explained.
"Let's assign Iztia to South America, and then Misheia and Addite to Central Europe. The rest can be spread around the supernatural realms. Those three can cover the whole world by themselves. I think the Khaos Order will attack the supernatural side first before moving on to the human world."
"I know that look, let me finish. Once they target the entire world, we will be forced to expose ourselves, and we already know that some of the major governments of the human world are aware that we exist—heck, the devils do contracts with them, don't they? Anyway, I don't think Aaron-chan would like that, so he'll probably erase all of humanities memories afterward."
I looked at the things she added to the holograph. "I think we should add one more. Once they attack the whole world, we can join them then, but for now…"
"Auna is in the Dimensional Gap. She's one of the most proficient with using magic along with Shaula. They'll keep Trihexa trapped there once it's teleported there. Areyr is just another angel, so I sent her to Heaven, although she's mostly in Seventh Heaven for now. However, she does disguise herself from time to time to go explore the other floors."
"And the Underworld?" I asked.
"Xeara has been assigned to it along with a bunch of Shadow Soldiers. We have everything covered…so that leaves the rest, not including you and I," she said with a grin. "Anyway, I'm off again."
"Mmm? Where too?" I asked.
"Reuna wants help with something. She wants to strengthen the barrier that Aaron-chan made around earth. It may not stop them entirely, but it should slow them down to an extent. It's just so the alliance can come together when their final stand comes," she said and left.
"So…she agrees with assigning one more then?" I asked myself. I summoned another holograph and it showed the remaining members of the G.o.B.
Islene, Viris, Resneas, Iotl, Irphine, and Niella are the ones left… The most suitable for the last placement should be Irphine. She was last asked by Aaron-sama for help during the Auros Academy attack…
I tapped my ear and a translucent transceiver appeared. [Irphine, I want to assign you to be the last one to defend earth. Iztia, Misheia and Addite will be assigned along with you.]
[Hmm~? Okay I don't mind, where will be responsible for?] she asked.
I told her about the other places and that she would be responsible for…the rest of the world.
[That's a big responsibility you know? But I don't mind—but does that mean I can use my Celestial Storm clones?]
[They're destructive…so please keep it one or two at a time, but when the invasion starts, feel free to use as much as you want.]
[Yaaay~ okay, I'll head over there now. I'm near Iztia, should I inform her?]
[Yes, please do, I'll inform the others.] After our short conversation, I dismissed all the holographs.
…
Azazel's Soliloquy
…
Another two days passed since then and everyone is mostly out there defending the constant assault by the Khaos Order. After the meeting with the current leaders of the DxD Alliance, we have decided to hold off on using our plan, the isolation barrier. Shiva was the one to convince the rest of us to hold off since he along with Sirzechs and Altaria told us that Jin would wake up soon.
He's been out of commission for four days now. I don't hold much hope, but I'll take their word for it. However, Trihexa and any of the major enemies that Rizevim told me about hadn't shown up yet, it really makes me wonder…
Were they delaying it, or…were they making more of them because of Jin's absence? We hadn't received any news from Ignia and Lapis. We know Ignia is a double-agent for Jin, and that he was chasing after Lapis in the multiverse.
I sighed again, as I was in the Norse Pantheon, Asgard. In the void space, there were many enemies battling the alliance. Most of them were being deal with by Jin's shadow soldiers, one of his [Electa], Edel was also here.
Even when there was no ground or any kind of vegetation, she just conjured them up out of nothing. It was quite surreal when I first saw it, just like the rest and even if they look cute and innocent…my god they're terrifying.
So far, there have been only minor injuries and a total of 4 deaths. Most of them happened because those four wanted to be heroes and charged in recklessly. One of them was an orphan. They became stronger and wanted to prove themselves. The others came from various other places that wanted to show their strength.
They were people that came from different Pantheons. One was from the Slavic Pantheon. He was an orphan. Two of them were from America. One was an inexperienced magician and another had a [Twice Critical] Sacred Gear and he evolved it into a subspecies Balance Breaker that resembled a submachine gun…
The last one was from Slovakia; they were a human monster hybrid. They had been bullied and belittled all their life. Once he was introduced to the supernatural, he found friends and comrades. And afterward, to thank them for their kindness, they wanted to give back by playing hero…and it cost them their life.
Elyscia had ordered them to be preserved in ice and wait for Jin to come back to revive them.
As for Team [DxD]…they apparently stayed in that place for 200 years and yesterday, they came out and have been going all over the world and have been helping defend it. I could tell that most of them were God-class and up, that place is seriously a god-send, if it weren't for it…these guys would be too weak to fight these things, and these monsters ranged from True Satan-class and up.
"Are you sure you don't want help?" I asked Rossweisse and the Valkyrie Squad and the Norse group.
"We're fine, Azazel-san. Please stand back, with Edel-san and the shadow soldiers, we're fine. I suggest you go to the main island to discuss other topics, or visit the other realms as they may want to speak to you since you're an adviser for Team [DxD]," replied Rossweisse.
I sighed and looked at her. Just like everyone else in Team [DxD], they came out of that place with hardened resolves. I have no idea what Aurelia, Lianne and Scathach (who joined not too long after they went in) did to them, but…they looked like hardened (pissed off) warriors.
Shaking my head, I left the area and went back to the main island. Once there, Avezza waited for me along with a few of my subordinates.
"So, how were the other realms?" I asked. I had already ordered these guys to check it out before Rossweisse proposed that to me.
"They're fine, around 50k shadow soldiers and planet soldiers and monsters that Edel made are defending those realms too," said Avezza. "Asgard isn't going down today, Azazel, and I doubt the other realms are going to either with Jin's subordinates defending them 24/7."
"I know, but at the same time, they've only increased the amount they can use to attack those factions and pantheons. I mean…they've must have used at least over 100 million soldiers in their armies, right? How the hell are they even managing this?" I asked her.
"Cloning…but at the rate they're using them…it's not sustainable—so it has to be something else…" replied Avezza. "Perhaps they made something in those few months that they were silent?"
"Or maybe they had been slowly building it up, since they had Lapis' help. This may be the tip of the iceberg," I added my own thoughts and she frowned. "Or it could be both, you know? Maybe Lapis is supplying them with the means of being able to do this and now they've made so many that they can just throw them out like this and barely make a dent in their overall amount."
Whatever the case may be, I wasn't sure if Jin's subordinates had stamina or not. However, if they did then it would be worrying since they'd eventually burn out. If not then…we can rely on them. They're clearly following their master's last orders and from what I've seen so far, they don't mind too much.
[Azazel-san, we're done over here in the North Pole,] said Ouryuu Nakiri.
Ouryuu Nakiri was at the North Pole as both Antares' base and Saint Nicolas' realm were attacked. Thankfully it was away from most of civilian life, so they could fight to their hearts' content, but there had been reports of flashing lights at the North Pole, and many humans wanted to go there and see what it was.
There was some intervention by Elyscia, as she made the desert snow taking their minds off it. Nakiri was accompanied by Tiamat and Suzaku along with a few other shadow soldiers. Antares' subordinates helped quite a bit since they were quite powerful themselves.
The South Pole was also attacked, but like Antares, the Insectoid woman Querehsha defended it along with her army of insects. I hadn't known about her and that was the first time I met her…she was…terrifying to say the least. I'm not good with bugs so…
[Good work, stay there to make sure no other attacks happen, and if they do, please repel them again,] I replied through the transceiver.
[Roger that.]
Another point, we spoke to Cúntóir again about those crystals, apparently…they were a one-time use—once it was activated, they would alert this Death King thing and it would make its way here. There was no way of stopping it, and she herself wasn't sure when it would show up since it was affected by Nyarlathotep too. It seems like everything that can kill us all are making their way to this damn universe.
"…Hmm. We should make our way back to Grigori. It seems like Penemue and the Slash/Dog Team came across something interesting," said Avezza.
"Right…"
…
Once back in Grigori we made our way to the meeting room. When I looked in a certain direction, I noticed that there were even more seals, barriers, and shadow soldiers here. 'Right, since Sae gave birth to her child, Elyscia came here with two other G.o.B and put even more protection on those two.'
Tobio is more than willing to join the fight, but he's also concerned about his fiancé. However, Elyscia told him to stay with her, so he's in a way guarding both her and Grigori now. We've also temporarily released Atsutarou Himejima as he's fighting for the alliance too. He's a temporary member of the Slash/Dog Team.
We arrived in the meeting room with Penemue there and the agents.
"Avezza told me you guys found something interesting?" I asked.
"Interesting is putting it lightly, Azazel…it's more like—horrifying," said Kanami. Her face was pale because of it.
"Well? Go on then," I told her.
Kanami looked at her team and then at Fusae. Fusae stepped forward and created a magic circle that showed footage of something.
"What the hell is that?" I asked.
"It's a tear in space-time. Like what the Khaos Order uses to invade pantheons, factions and other places that have powerful barriers placed over them. To put it simply, after analyzing it from a distance…I came to a conclusion…"
Fusae's face became grim and she said, "I believe there are many more of these at the Khaos Order's base. Those portals, I believe are linked to different parallel worlds and timelines—I think that's how they keep producing these absurd amounts of soldiers for them to throw at us…"
"Azazel…you told us what Rizevim said, right? I think he didn't know everything that the Khaos Order planned…do you understand what I'm trying to say?" she asked.
I felt my face pale. Hold the fuck up! W-wait, does this mean…?!
"…They're using those other timelines and other versions of the Khaos Order or even Khaos Brigade to send over their armies here. Depending on where they are in the timeline, they may even send over another Trihexa—or even multiple of them, the same with the other monsters they might have like those Battle Gods, maybe even mind controlled Gods of our universe from a different timeline," said Tobio. I turned around and saw him with Sae, their child, Gin and Nattsu.
"It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this version of the Khaos Order may be the strongest across the timelines, and they forced the others to join them. Azazel—we may have Jin's subordinates and shadow soldiers, but…if this is true, then they have infinite numbers against ours. One way or another, we'll eventually slip, and our lives will be lost. So unless Jin wakes up and does something about it…" said Penemue in a worried tone.
Our universe vs an infinite Khaos Order army. That…that does not sound good. "We need to inform the alliance then—or ask someone like Cúntóir to confirm this," I told them. "If you can, get there and try to stop them. I will go inform the alliance now—an emergency meeting is needed!"
I didn't wait for them to respond as I ran off. This is getting ridiculous and I didn't know how to feel about it. God dammit, Jin, wake up already! Because we seriously need you!
…
Third Person Point of View
…
Aaron Toole had gotten past a certain time period in his 1st trial. He hadn't gotten here before, so he was making progress. It was their 45-minute lunch break. Aaron, Aoife and Ryan were sitting at a table in the cafeteria of their school as they ate and talked about the upcoming quiz.
"Ryan…Ryan! Ryan!" Aaron shouted and then finally smacked his best friend on the head, getting his attention.
"Ow, dude, what the hell?" Ryan complained as he rubbed his head. "I was busy reading…"
"Reading what?" asked Aoife. Ryan turned his phone around and…it showed a certain site.
"I didn't take you as someone who read, much less fan fiction of all things," said Aaron with a bit of surprise. "Please tell me you at least looked up random trivia before you started reading that."
"I did. One of the works I'm following got an update, so I just started reading it," he replied. "But man…I think you need a certain understanding and level of maturity when reading certain works. And I don't just mean this in fan fiction, but literature in general."
Aoife and Aaron looked at each other and then at Ryan.
"What do you mean?" Aoife asked.
"Yeah, please elaborate, O wise one," said Aaron.
"You guys remember the book we read in class last year? We also had to do it for our exams for our 1st year."
"Ah, you mean 'To Kill a Mockingbird?' It had the N-word in it, right?" clarified Aoife. "Some were uncomfortable when the teacher had to say it."
"Right, that. To me, it's part of the book, it's part of the plot, and it's quite obvious that the tone of the work is serious, right?" he asked them and both Aoife and Aaron nodded.
"I believe that's for most, if not for all works. They will establish what kind of mood or setting it'll have right? I'll use anime for example. The 'Konosuba' one is mostly comedy, and then… 'Berserk', that's serious and has a lot of messed up stuff in it, right?" he asked again.
"Right. Konosuba is generally comedy, and Berserk is just…heavy stuff full of tragedy. Why are you asking this?" asked Aaron.
"Right, so how would you feel if someone called it edgy or cringe?" he asked, now looking angry.
"They're entitled to their opinion…and they're clearly wrong. Since the tone was literally established in the first chapter, that's something you won't forget easily," replied Aoife.
"I won't get into Berserk, but all three of us know what happened in Konosuba. You can't exactly forget how Kazuma died," said Aaron. "Can you get to the point, Ryan? I want to focus on this quiz…"
"I'm getting there!" snapped Ryan. "Anyway, I'm reading this new chapter and it's been out for at least 6 hours now, and it's at 6299 chapters. Yes, I know it's long, but shut up. It's been properly tagged, blah, blah, blah, and there's this one comment that literally reads: "Try hard cringe." Like what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
Ryan slammed his hands onto the desk, but it didn't attract any attention since the entire cafeteria was noisy and everyone was talking loudly to their own groups.
"Like, bitch, you've read this far and read the tags and there's been several tragedy-type moments and scenes through this fucking thing! And now you say 'Try hard cringe'? What the fuck?!"
"You seem passionate about this, dude…" mumbled Aaron.
Ryan scoffed. "Back to my earlier point. I think like with official works, in fan fiction, you need a level of…I guess maturity? These things have their tags for a reason, as well as warnings from the author itself and as well as your (hopefully) functioning brain. If you don't have the level of emotional maturity, fuck off from reading these types of works. There are other works for your shitty tastes, dick weed! They're the cringe-cuck-lords that can't fucking read serious material!" proclaimed Ryan.
"May I see the work?" Aoife asked and Ryan gave his phone to her.
"…Ryan, this is some angsty My Little Pony and Transformers crossover. I've seen it mentioned so many times over the internet…holy…you read this? I-I mean I do too, but still…it's really heavy stuff," said Aoife, shocking Aaron.
"Wait, what?" Aaron stretched his hand out and Aoife gave Ryan's phone to him. He checked it and facepalmed. "Ryan…this fan fiction is stupidly popular. You're going to get trolls and immature idiots commenting shit like this to get a reaction out of the author or other fans. You literally got baited."
Ryan sighed and snatched his phone back before putting it away. "Whatever! I'm annoyed now and I won't accept anything other than 1st place! I want that money!"
"Well, at least you're motivated now," said Aaron while chuckling. "Alright let's get back to it!"
…
Current Teams:
Pool Wall Shavers: 9 Points
Duck Duck Goose Tappers: 12 Points
Normal Kidz: 20 Points
Trivia Masters 420 XD: 35 Points
Toole Owes Me Money: 52 Points
…
There were several teams that participated in the quiz, but most had to sit through an elimination round to cut down the number of teams. Aaron's group got through it and currently they were in the lead with 52 points.
"Alright…this will be the last question, and whoever gets it right…we'll give out 50 points!" the teacher shouted and got an enthusiastic 'Yeah!' from the students, except Ryan, who howled like a wolf.
"For the last trivia question…it's this!" the teacher pointed to the board.
[What is banned in public places in Florida after 6 pm on a Thursday?] it asked. The room was stunned by this, but Aaron put his hand up immediately, surprising everyone.
"Yes, Aaron?"
"Farting. Farting is banned after 6 P.M. on Thursdays in Florida," Aaron answered in a deadpan voice. The room fell silent due to this, even the teacher was left speechless.
"U-uh…one moment please…" she said and checked her cards. Her eyes widened in even more shock. "C-c-correct!" she said and changed the slide on the board.
"That's a thing?!" a student shouted. "What a load of ass!"
Ryan and Aoife turned to Aaron, their faces full of confusion and concern for their friend.
"How did you know that?" they both asked with concern.
"Don't look at me like that! What the hell?! We literally looked over random trivia during lunch!" he snapped at them, making the room full of students laugh.
However, after that…Aaron was transported back to the white void. He sat there confused, until the screen popped up in front of him.
[Trials of Memories Past – Passed!]
[Trials: 1/7]
[Body Restoration: 10%]
[Regain Consciousness at 5/7]
[Evolution Progress: 1/2 – 90%]
[Second Trial commencing!]
"At least give me time to reel in the victo—"
He did not as he was sent to his second trial.
…
When Aaron opened his eyes, he found himself in an office-type room. In front of him was his father…Aden Toole. His eyes widened in shock.
"Are you listening to me, Aaron?" his father asked.
"Um…yeah," replied Aaron.
"It's not 'um yeah', it's 'yes sir'!" corrected his father while glaring at him. The look his father gave him wasn't of a father concerned about his son, but more like someone annoyed by their subordinate—someone beneath them.
"…Yes sir?" repeated Aaron. His father sighed and shook his head.
"It doesn't matter. Tell me about these grades. Why have they been slipping?" he asked. "Please don't tell me it's about that stupid girl? Just because she died doesn't mean that your grades have to slip, Aaron."
Aaron's eyes widened even more and he felt his right-hand closed into a fist. His father proceeded to berate him for the next few minutes until he was dismissed and he left his room. Silently, Aaron walked back to his room and once in there—he slammed his fist against the wall with everything he had. His hand hurt, but he didn't care.
The sound that was made was loud enough that his mother ran into his room out of concern. "Aaron?! What happ—your hand! Why…why did you…?!" she asked and looked at her own son's face.
It was full of rage and angry tears. Seeing this, Róisín hugged her son and asked, "What happened…?" she pulled away and examined his hand that was now bloodied and had torn skin on it. "We have to take you to the hospital."
Aaron didn't answer and only silently nodded. He hadn't expected to be thrown straight into this. He underestimated these trials—he expected more like the previous one. Ones that were more humorous, funny—not this. Aaron knew he would have a tough time starting from here.
…
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