Scarlet 39

Scarlet 39

…

Commissioned by Sivantic

Wordcount: 2500

…

Extremely difficult odds?

Limited options?

Not only my life at risk, but everyone else’s too?

Yeah, this felt more familiar than I’d have liked.

The moment the battle began, it was clear that our opponents held the advantage. They were soldiers from the war between Heaven, Hell, and Fallen, while also led by Kokabiel, a general of that time too. In terms of battle experience, Rias and Sona had a few Rating Games under their belts, but as realistic as those were, no one was expected to die unless under extreme circumstances.

The Devils of both Peerages were strong, capable, and they were probably more than enough to be considered threats in Brockton Bay when I first got my powers. Increased toughness, flight, the ability to change their features, learn different forms of magic, and general increases to their physical abilities would’ve made each of them strong up-and-comers on the field. However, this wasn’t Brockton Bay.

This wasn’t Earth Bet.

While Earth Bet had plenty of terrible monsters that could ruin lives just fine, the Endbringers and Entities come to mind, here it was different.

Every legend and myth in my world were real here, and thousands more than I never encountered. Those myths and legends fought one another, killed each other, and the human race’s current “dominance” over the planet was just a sham. Most of humanity could be swayed and altered at the whims of the weakest Devil with their ability to alter memories, which was a spell that I could easily learn myself, and all the other magical races used it too.

Humanity was insignificant, not even necessary to plug powers into for data collection purposes, and we all lived under the mercy of the others.

That is to say, while everyone almost faltered and failed, I steeled my resolve and attacked with all my might.

Thunder, fire, water, and the power of destruction itself streamed after me as I launched myself. Kiba and the other Devils with experience at melee joined me in my charge at the enemy, while Irina and Xenovia burst through the windows from their hidden positions to join us in battle as two Exorcists of the Church.

A messy furball ensued immediately, and it took everything I had to not lose track of my allies and make sure they were at my sides covering my flanks, while I swung and swung my sword.

Ddraig’s strength was immense, and with every Boost I came closer and closer to his true power. I empowered myself and my makeshift sword. The speed of the sword increased and increased, its edge became deadlier, and with all the skill I could muster, I did everything I could to destroy Kokabiel’s guard.

Kokabiel himself was being held down, barely, by Sona, Rias, Akeno, and Tsubaki. Two heiresses of renowned houses, their respective Queen pieces, and they were barely managing to hold him back from decimating our ranks, while a massive grin spread across his face and he screamed at all who would listen.

“Yes! Yes! This is it! This is exactly what I want! War! Destruction! Death!” He flew through the air with his ebony wings, taking opportune shots against Sona and Rias, while Akeno and Tsubasa worked hard to defend against his spears of light. Akeno’s lightning could swat his spears out of the sky, but there were too many, and that’s where Tsubasa came in. She used her spear to bat the rods of light away from Rias and Sona. Those two focused entirely on using their immense magical power to keep Kokabiel from wading into our ranks and murdering us. “Fight me! Struggle! And, die knowing that you’ve entertained me!”

His mad words should’ve made his troops hesitate and buckle, but they were Fallen. Creatures who eschewed Heaven and chose to fall for their depravity. Those who followed Kokabiel didn’t do so out of respect or loyalty. They did so because they wanted to do the same as he did, finding fellowship in his quest, and so they saw the war they also wanted right in front of them… and they came forward in a frenzy to seize it.

I’ve fought against people who had no choice to fight before, who were backed against the wall, and even some whose minds were altered to want nothing but to fight.

But this time it was different.

It was like fighting against a tide of madness, muscle, and steel that wanted to engulf me.

Cutting through one or two meant nothing, they were replaced a moment later, and even at the sight of death of their comrades… none faltered in the slightest.

I would go as far as to say it was invigorating them.

These are the warhounds of the Fallen. They fell from grace to pursue a life of destruction and inflicting pain for others. Battle is their creed and war their lives entire. Ddraig rumbled in the back of my head and I felt myself calm at his advice. They are growing sloppy. They are elated. Seize the opportunity to be underhanded and kill them. These people have no place in honorable battle.

I saw what he meant, and acted immediately on it.

I crouched low, ducking beneath the practiced sword strike that could get through excitement and arousal, and swept my long blade across my whole vision. At the legs that were no longer being protected, as those atop them stopped caring about their lives, since their dreams were fulfilled.

Almost ten Fallen lost their legs, fell to the ground, and found themselves scrambling to try and get up only to be marched over by the rest of the tide. They were invigorated and frenzied, but they lost their minds in the process, and only the finest of them had the skill necessary to pierce their fulfillment.

So, I got a little creative to kill them all.

…

We fought, I killed, we fought, and I killed.

I didn’t recall how many people I killed in my last life, either directly or indirectly, but most of it was through the eyes of my insects. It was a gruesome and terrifying affair through their eyes in retrospect, but my own power protected me from it. In this life, meanwhile, I felt that I was simply born to be a warrior.

Those with Sacred Gears, especially Longinus, are destined to be great… and terrible.

Corpses surrounded me. At my back, all those I killed. To my left and right, those who were thrown aside and dying at my blows. And, finally, in front of me was a rushing tide of monsters I needed to cut down. Guts and blood clung to my boots, the weight of my blade was growing heavy because of the blood, and every wing was followed by a trail of spilled vigor.

I rendered death upon the enemy, but my stomach didn’t curl up, even though I wasn’t a Devil.

You are a Dragon. You are worse.

I swung my sword at Ddraig’s words, felling a few more fallen, while I took stock of myself. Scratches covered me, blood spilled onto my clothes, but I was not close to dying. My wounds closed quickly, my stamina wasn’t close to lowering from its peak, and my senses took in the blood and viscera spilled and invigorated me.

Ddraig was right.

I was more Dragon than human at this point, and so I let it consume me.

Battle.

No.

Violence.

I let it engulf me and waded into the bodies, blood, and viscera with only one thought: killing them before they killed me and harmed those I cared for.

A haze of red fell upon me, and there was nothing to pull me back.

Why would they pull me back?

We were fighting against desperate odds, doing our utmost to win before reinforcements came, with the promise that our people will suffer if we lose.

So, I called upon everything that I could, while Ddraig’s thoughts and my own fell in line.

Boost!

I unleashed my power just as my sword shattered against my last foe. The armor that enrobed my felt like a second skin. I felt the wind and blood upon it as easily as I could with my own. Through the ruby-red, snarling mask that covered my face, I could taste the blood in the air, and I found it sweet. A long armored tail moved as I willed and the claws at my hands felt like my true fingers. All the changes to my body, my closeness to Ddraig, and the training I underwent to resist going mad with my own power coalesced… as I became a Dragon in miniature.

I did not waste time, and leapt straight at Kokabiel the moment my wings flared and took me into the sky.

His eyes had a moment to widen, and he reacted quickly enough to strike me with a dozen spears of light.

My arms, legs, and torso were struck, but the initial half broke against my scales, while the last half pierced me through… and I wasn’t a Devil that would perish by being skewered by Holy Light.

I was a Dragon and such measly things could not hope to kill me.

Kokabiel’s eyes widened as latched onto him, tearing apart his arms, and opened my maw… blasting his entire face point-blank with my flames.

Then, an instant later, I crashed into the ground and knew no more.

…

Surprisingly, I woke up and didn’t have any inclination towards following either Rias or Sona’s will.

As if they can’t just show their tits to get you to do that anyway.

Quiet, Ddraig.

At least tell me that I’m lying!

I observed the situation.

Oi!

“Ise-kun!” Asia was quick to hug me, and I realized that I hadn’t died. Instead the counterattack I’d launched resulted in me getting knocked out of the fight. I was in a small crater where my form collided against concrete. Imprints of my armor were present, and I lay in a puddle of my blood, while most of my actual armor was completely ruined. “Thank the Lord!”

“Please don’t we’re all tired enough as is without prayer interfering with our minds.” Sona spoke up and I looked her way. Much of her blouse was shredded and her bra was showing with only one strap holding the article of clothing up. She glared at me, and covered herself up with her resting arm, but I just looked at her abdomen. A furious blush came across her face. “And, you! Can you stop being a pervert for a few seconds!?”

Unlikely.

“I’ll do my best.” I struggled to get up and looked around some more. Everyone was fine. Limping, beaten up, and with uniforms largely torn from taking hits and cuts, but they were healed up and safe. I thought we were going to lose a lot… so… “So, I guess we all somehow died together?”

“Idiot. No. We received reinforcements.” Sona pointed at someone’s way and I looked there. It was a young, tall man with white hair and red eyes. He wore an undershirt three sizes too small, a button up that was two sizes too small, and a blazer that was one size too big with a popped collar. Everything about him screamed edgy protagonist. I hated him immediately. “Don’t glare at him just because he’s attractive!”

“I wasn’t!”

You were.

Shut up, Ddraig!

Anyway, I stood tall with some effort and took notice of others present. Besides the white-haired young man, there were a few Fallen guarding piles of their own that were tied up against one another.

“So, some of the hundreds we saw coming our way were trying to intercept Kokabiel.”

“Exactly so, well intuited, Ise-kun.” Sona pushed up her glasses and staggered to my side. Rias was helped by Akeno. Thankfully, their blouses were still covered up, so Mr. Edgelord wasn’t ogling them. Wait… he wasn’t ogling them at all, even with their tight blouses and the perfect uniform design making them pop. Who does this guy think he is!? Wait, he might be gay. I shouldn’t judge. “He called himself Vali and he works for the Grigori.”

“The governing body of the Fallen?” I asked the question aloud, before coming to a realization. “All of this was unsanctioned?”

The white-haired boy raised an eyebrow, but ended up nodding.

“Correct. Kokabiel’s attempt to end the current peace was beyond his authority.” Vali kicked the unconscious and bound Kokabiel forward. Half the Fallen’s face was seared black into his skull. Some embers flew up from the burns, and upon inspection, I realized his face was contorted in pain and suffering. Immense toughness and survivability came with a few down-sides, it seems. “You did well for a human, but know that you will never reach me without sacrifice, Issei Hyoudou.”

I tried to parse those words and come up with a cogent reply, but I was tired, so the words just slipped through.

“Gross. Not interesting in reaching you any way, or any how. I like women.” I instantly realized that I was wrong about the gay assumption, as Vali glared at me. However, he still didn’t check out Rias and Akeno’s boobs, which went up and down with every breath in their just-right-tight confines. “Oh, that’s not what you meant. Sorry.”

Vali gritted his teeth, but accepted the apology.

“I am the wielder of Divine Dividing.”

Ddraig was conspicuously silent about his knowledge of Sacred Gears, so I had no choice but to rely on my own.

“Sounds pretty strong. I can see why you’d think I can’t beat you, but I’d rather not fight those who I don’t need to.” I played the situation as diplomatically as I could. The guy was strong and prided in his strength, so I just complimented him. For some reason, this made him angrier and grit his teeth. “Alright, I’m going to admit it. I have no clue what you’re alluding to. In my defense, I’ve only been at this for a few months.”

Vali showered great restraint, but only after staring at me for a long time after ascertaining something and finding it adequate.

“I will accept your apology this once, but my patience has its limits.” Vali glared at me, which I just accepted without any malice. He wasn’t checking anyone out, so I didn’t have to worry, and he just saved all our lives putting Kokabiel out of commission. “Prepare yourself for our next meeting. Ddraig and Albion were rivals in life, and we rival each other now. Train all you wish, but know that you will never defeat me.”

Ah, I got it.

This guy was being controlled by his Sacred Gear a little.

“I’m not interested in playing that out, but I’m all for getting stronger by fighting you, so I’ll do that.” I shook my head, and sighed as I let the calm of the situation fall over me. My consciousness was fading as the lack of stress lulled me to slumber. “See you later, I’m taking a nap.”

For some reason, as I fell back into Asia’s awaiting arms, Ddraig’s laughter echoed in my head.

I’ll worry about it later.