"You've already explored a portion of No Man's Land?!" Raphael questions, pure shock and surprise within her green eyes.
I chuckle and nod, moving the fork away from my mouth, "I used the beast tide we caused to our advantage. A great deal of monsters were killed off during it, so I sent a large group of my flying monsters forward to explore the outer edges of the territory." I explain, which honestly is something that I did just recently.
And, in fact, is still happening right now. Rhapthorne has all of my flying monsters alongside it and is exploring and mapping out the closest outer edge of No Man's Land to the territory the Forging Sect is building for us.
It was mostly to get a feel for the area, and see what the monsters from Gates do when they have some territory to themselves for a great deal of time.
And also to find high-value targets, which I have. Both in terms of Superimposition Gates that have clearly brought valuable stuff over, and corpses I can put to better use.
Plus, I've seen through Rhapthorne's eyes several giant turtle like monsters from the deeper areas in No Man's Land that have something like ores and mineral veins growing out of their huge shells. I'll have to mark that down once I go back.
"Were you able to find any interesting information?" The Great Seraph questions, green eyes sparkling with a desire for knowledge, which I kind of share. I do enjoy learning about new stuff.
I hum softly, then shrug, "Well, I don't mind sharing since I have high hopes about this alliance." After what I've given them, I highly doubt they'd talk about it and refuse to ally with us. "I've noticed that monsters from a Gate do not fight monsters from other Gates unless provoked, despite them both being feral and mostly insane."
I furrow my brows and set down my fork, "In fact, they seem to each have their own territory, all stationed around their Gate, and don't seem to move past the land they claimed. They just seem to… Wander aimlessly within this set territory."
And each territory varies in scope, and I believe that is related to the Class of the Gate. In fact, I've found some Ultimate Class Gates through Rhapthorne, and monsters from lower Class Gates seem to have been cowed to submission, their territories subsumed by the stronger one.
Despite being insane, they still have some form of instinct to them, and listen to a stronger life-form.
Why doesn't it work for us, then? Even binding their Souls makes it hard to put them to use, as I've heard, so why can stronger monsters easily make them bow and listen?
Uriel blinks, then his eyes widen, "Wait, doesn't that mean that the monsters from No Man's Land are no real threat for the rest of the Underworld?"
The one to answer is Gabriel, who gently shakes her head towards her brother, "We can't be sure of that, brother. What if some of the stronger monsters decide to impose their will and desire for destruction on others, and go towards the closest settlement to them?"
Uriel chews his lower lip at that, "Like the Eternal Forest and its desire to constantly expand its territory." That is one case that can be used indeed, though it is from a Superimposition Gate.
They are the rarest, but the monsters that come from them are also more varied and seem to be… More intelligent too, like the Plant Dragon who was trying to grow its child.
"Yes, and we must be ready for such cases." Gabriel sighs out gently, then turns to look at Fleurdelys, "Could we perhaps build a base of operations us Angels can use within your territory? It would do well for Raphael to have closer access to No Man's Land."
Fleur blinks, then smiles warmly, "Of course I do not mind. I can even make sure your Angels have buildings to live in." Her smile grows more gentle, "I am sure that being able to living close to Angels will help properly unite our Races and ignore past conflicts."
Gabriel's own smile grows warm at that, "With someone like you leading the charge, I am sure this peace we are working towards will actually work."
Raphael blinks at Gabriel's choice of words, "Sister…?"
The beautiful golden haired Great Seraph nibbles on her lower lip momentarily, gaze complicated, "I've always had my qualms about this alliance with the New Satans and the Grigori. They are both just… Too internally divided."
"How much of their government do the New Satans truly control?" I chew on my inner cheek at how spot on Gabriel's words are.
I share a look with Fleurdelys, whose eyes are filled with a grave understanding. This is so madly clear even from someone outside of the Devil Race, huh?
Fleur sighs deeply, "The Nobility must be torn down. It cannot keep existing within the Devil Race." Her gaze softens, turning wistful, "I wish for a Devil Race where everyone is equal, where they can chose which job to work, be paid enough to have a comfortable life, and not be subservient to some Nobles who cares too much about bloodline purity."
In the end, there's no purer blood than hers. There's no higher form of Nobility than hers. If the Nobles and Great King Faction were to abide to the words they themselves preach, they should all be groveling at her feet by now.
"I find myself supporting that desire of yours, young lady." Uriel states, his usually fiery eyes calm and composed, gentle even, as he gazed at Fleurdelys, "Now, more than ever, we all must stand together against Gates. Against this disaster that threatens to consume us all."
I nod in agreement at Uriel's words, offering the giant man a smile, "That's why I'd like to have your Father around. I'd be much more at ease knowing that He stands with us against the Gates." He'd also likely fix up the Church within moments, and maybe even recruit powerful Humans to assist us with the Gates.
Hell, the only reason He even went down is because he was weakened by the sealing of Trihexa, else the Morningstar would have most definitely lost that battle.
Uriel blinks, then turns a disturbed look towards Raphael, "I never thought I'd hear a Devil be glad of having Father around…" He shudders, making me laugh.
If knowledge of His demise spreads, then I am sure a great many Noble Devils will do the idiotic things like cheering or insulting Him, which would just draw the ire of the Heavenly Host.
Who, during the Great War, never lost a Seraphim or Great Seraph. The Big G might've brought one back if they fell in battle, but such a thing would have likely been recorded within history books.
Yet there are no mentions of such things having happened, and even Fleurdelys confirmed that.
During the Great War, the Angels never lost one of their strongest members.
And yet, by the end of the war, the Devils had lost dozens of Houses and even the four main ones. That goes to show just how powerful the Heavenly Host strongest members are.
A sudden flash of golden light announces Michael's return, his face boasting a radiant smile on it as he takes a seat back on the table, where he places down a golden cup and slides it towards me, "It worked."
He states simply, but it allows all of the other Great Seraph's to take a breath of relief and slump their shoulders.
A bit ago, he asked me permission to take a single Graal back to Heaven, where he'd see if he could let His fractured Soul rest on the Throne of Heaven. Luckily, it seems to have worked. "Any improvement?" I question, and Michael nods happily, years of stress simply washing away from his body.
"The System seems to be working better now." He reveals happily, "The fragment of Father's Soul also seems to be recovering, but the process is far too slow with how fractured it is."
I hum and lean back at that, while Fleurdelys speaks up, "Then slaying this powerful beast from the Heavenly Dragon Class Gate is truly our only resort." She muses softly, "Perhaps if fixed enough, the rest of the process will be more swift."
I nod at Fleur's words, "We'll have to prepare a great deal to take that beast on." I flick my gaze to Raphael, "I'd like to go over any finding you may have about this Gate, Lady Raphael." She nods with a light smile, and I finally turn towards Michael with a warm smile of my own, "I'll see if I can gather enough Soul Energy from other monsters to fix up His Soul enough to allow him to talk with you all. Any advice he may have is very welcome."
Their gazes overflow with gratitude at my words. It is easy enough to acquire with all the Gates popping up left and right and all the monsters that will gratefully offer their bodies to me.
"I do have a proposal for that." Fleurdelys speaks up while offering me a grin, "We do need to clear the way to this Heavenly Dragon Class Gate, so we could spread the Graal around in three different groups, allowing it to gather as much Soul Energy as possible."
My eyes widen at that. It would be much faster indeed, and I honestly can trust the Angels, especially the Great Seraph's, with handling it properly and not bring me any harm. After all, I can just make it gather Soul Energy by itself and they just have to carry it around.
Uriel squares his shoulders at that, "I could gather a squad of elite Angels and start sweeping the outer edges of No Man's Land." He offers, throwing a look towards Michael to seek his opinion.
The Archangel hums softly, then nods in support, "Gabriel will join too, but let us keep the reason – and the Graal – hidden. Even from our brothers and sisters, for now." He throws me a smile at the last part, "I'd rather not cause you trouble by revealing it too early."
I nod at him in thanks, "That honestly sounds like a good plan. I'll have one of my own Undead hold the last one and send my army and strongest monsters to secure some key locations."
That's when Fleur speaks up, mostly facing Michael, "Can we manage to recruit the Norse Gods into assisting us with this Gate? We can leave the Boss Monster to the Red Dragon Emperor if we manage to convince him, but we still need to handle monsters around the Maou Class and Heavenly Dragon Class."
Raphael adjusts her glasses with a low hum, "I'll see if I can analyze what manner of Gate it is as soon as possible. The better the information, the better our chances."
Michael nods at his beautiful sister, then turns to face Fleurdelys with a light smile, "It won't be hard to convince the Norse. We have a good relationship with them, as Father was good friends with Odin, plus they always crave a good battle."
That's a fair point, honestly. Just point Thor at a strong enemy and watch him whack it with his hammer until it dies.
I relax at that, before turning to Raphael, "I can have you ride one of my flying Undead to get you as close to this Heavenly Dragon Class Gate as you need." I offer to the beautiful glasses wearing woman, "Honestly, I hope it isn't a Horde Type Gate, else we'll need a lot more time to prepare."
Gabriel cutely tilts her head at me, "Do you already know what to do to prepare for it?"
I nod with a smile and wave towards the only Graal on the table, "I plan on creating life with it. Me and Fleurdelys talked about creating possible specialized monsters to support our army. Even create a Monster Unit where some of our soldiers have their respective monsters." Surprisingly enough, the Angels before us don't seem against the wanton creation of life I just spoke about.
Perhaps they have put their personal feelings aside so to deal with the Gates. Which… Fair.
"We'll have to ask Dulio to lend us his strength." Uriel tells Michael, who nods at the offer. "After that, we can only prepare as much as we can, and seek advice from Father if we manage."
My thoughts stray towards the True Longinus, and the Truth Idea contained within. That is basically a piece of God, but I do not know if it is part of his Soul, or just a part of his Divine Will.
I won't bring it up, for now, as Cao Cao is a hassle to deal with. In case he is still working beneath Indra and planning on undergoing his foolish 'genocide of all mythologies' plan.
There's also the Khaos Bridage… With Ophis gone, and with the Sephiroth Graal not within their hands anymore, I truly have no idea what they are planning. Them and the Original Satan Faction.
Everything has been going way too damn smooth for my licking. Our enemies are just plotting, so I'd rather have Ddraig on our side for when they start moving and striking at us.
With absolute power on our side, I'll be more relaxed.
"I'll see if we can seek the assistance from the Chinese Faction too." Fleur sighs out, "But it is unlikely, as they are facing some intense internal strife over the Eternal Forest land recently." Maybe I should try and contact Yi Xuan.
A powerful Formation to retreat to would be very welcome indeed.
A low quiet falls over the table after that, which only lasts a minute and is broken by Gabriel. A look of hesitation flashes past her face, before she powers through it as she looks at Fleurdelys, "If I may…" The breath-taking blonde starts, "You… You have his eyes."
Gabriel's voice is but a whisper, her gaze complicated, and the same look appears on the faces of the other Great Seraph's, "You're his daughter… Aren't you?"
Fleurdelys sags her shoulders and smiles softly, "I believe so." She reveals without much fanfare, surprising both me and the Angels.
Uriel furrows his brows and leans forward, "You don't know for sure?" My beautiful King shakes her head with a low sigh.
"I just… Have an inkling." She states softly, "I know mother loved the Morningstar deeply. Enough to hide him from His fury. Enough to let herself be turned into a Devil. Enough to follow him to war… And die with him."
Her gaze falls to the table before us, "He always favored me. Gave me gifts. And Lady Lilith always wanted me to call her Aunty Lilly… All the signs were there, but I never received concrete proof."
All the Great Seraph's slump at that. I feel like they are disappointed to not have a confirmed nephew before them, funnily enough… I guess they still deeply love Helel even after he Fell, huh?
"Wait, was your mother an Angel before?" I ask Fleur, who perks up in surprise at me. I've never asked her about her talk with her mother, I just know it left her with much to think about, but also made her more determined to work hard for this goal we are are striving to achieve.
But I thought she was a Devil made by the Morningstar and Lilith, yet she actually existed before Devils were made, according to Fleurdelys' previous words.
"Oh, I never told you about the Original Satans…" Fleur muses, then smiles softly, "Each Original Satan wasn't an Angel before. They were more of a… Being. A powerful being made by Him for a certain task."
Michael nods at Fleur's words, "They were the… Prototypes before the perfected version of Sacred Gears. They had Souls and wills, but no concrete bodies, just spiritual ones."
"Huh…" I sniff and lean back, then turn to Gabriel as she picks up after her brother.
"The Beelzebub was the Biblical Plague that Father unleashed on Ancient Egypt long ago when He was angered." The Plague of Flies, the Fourth Plague unleashed upon Egypt… Hence his Clan Trait name, King of Flies.
"My mother was the Biblical Flood." Fleur reveals with a smile, making my eyes blow wide open at that. I guess that explains the control over the seas and its creatures, huh?
"What about Asmodeus?"
"Sodom and Gomorrah." Everyone answers me at the same time, and I twitch.
Fire and sulfur, huh? Must've been a powerful Clan Trait.
Still, now that we are talking about such a topic… "Uh… I do have something that I feel is important enough to be brought up." I start, rubbing the back of my neck nervously and earning everyone's attentive gaze.
"Lilith isn't dead." I reveal without much fanfare, causing sharp intakes of air to go through the table.
"T-Truly?!" Gabriel leans forward, enormous chest wobbling wildly with that fast movement of hers, and I swiftly avert my gaze because I feel my Devil blood burn with intense desire.
Instead, I end up looking at Fleurdelys, which… Isn't that much better, but I can eat her up with my gaze all I want. She too is staring at me with very intense eyes, "Scaith… Why didn't you tell me?"
I sigh and slump back at that, not liking the faint look of hurt in her eyes, "I didn't know how to bring it up. The Sephiroth Graal can easily find the Souls of the dead, but Lilith… She just doesn't turn up." I of course know that she is comatose, with her body held by Rizevim, who will gladly give her up with the Book of Lucifer to Hades… If the future goes the same way as canon, but it is unlikely.
"Could you find her if you could use the Graal properly?" Michael questions, suddenly very intense and serious.
I mull over his words, then nod, "I'd need a great deal of time, but I definitely can, so it is best we deal with the Heavenly Dragon Class Gate first."
He holds my gaze for a moment before nodding seriously, "If she is alive… Why is she hiding?" He questions, mostly to himself as he leans back and lowers his gaze, "She could've rallied the Devils under her all this time, and yet…"
"What if she isn't conscious?" Fleurdelys suddenly offers, her gaze grave and worried, "Before I fell asleep… I saw her a few times. Mother was deeply worried for her, as Aunt Lilly was growing weaker and weaker, and couldn't create as many Devils as before…"
Raphael breathes out and leans back, "She's comatose… And someone is hiding her."
Gabriel frowns, her halo flickering to life above her head for but a split moment, but it was enough to nearly blind me, "Rizevim…" The Might of God huffs, then puffs up her cheeks and swings her arms through the air, "I wanna punch him so badly!"
"S-Sister!" Raphael yelps, nearly getting slapped in the face by Gabriel's adorable yet erotic tantrum. I don't know where to look! "S-Stop moving so much! You are making yourself look obscene!"
This time it's Gabriel that yelps, arms falling down to cover her chest, her sparkling eyes moving to glare cutely towards me.
My eyes were totally locked on my glass of water, and I offer Uriel – who is giving me a judgmental look – a wide smile, "This water tastes mighty fine, doesn't it?"
Uriel, Gabriel and Fleurdelys fall off their chair from how hard they laugh at my pathetic excuse.
I just sip on my delicious water, while my mind keeps going back to the sight of those enormous melons bouncing wildly within that far too small sundress.
Biggest pair I've ever seen…
~~XXX~~
"How many do we have now?" Zani asks, leaning against the light pole close to the park in Lilith. It was the gathering spot she had picked for the new recruits, and she watched as another massive group was teleported back to the mansion she lived in.
"We've just passed five-thousand, and the numbers are still growing." Edward, one of her oldest friends, answers her, his tone gruff but not unfriendly, "Some are definitely spies, as word spread around."
Zani sniffs at that, "They'll be easy to find, don't worry." She could easily tell who was a mercenary and who wasn't. And she could tell which mercenary was bribed and who wasn't.
She lived this life for a long time, got many bribes herself, saw many receive theirs, and saw how they acted afterwards too. Her experience was invaluable for this, and the numbers of spies and bribed mercenaries had long surpassed the three-hundred by now.
The number was bound to grow before she reached the ten-thousand limit of recruits. Luckily enough, they already had a process to kick out these infiltrators.
She watched as more mercenaries answered the call she had the soldiers spread around the channels they use, and she watched as they were gathered in groups of one-hundred before being teleported back by a soldier.
Nearly one group a minute, which wasn't bad, but also saddened Zani a great deal. So many Devils desperate to not be given a shitty deal where their lives are meaningless…
Her thoughts stray to Scaith and Fleurdelys, whose actions allowed her to change these things. To give these people, who taught her everything, a life worth living and where they can go back home to their families with pockets overflowing with money.
Zani was greatly disappointed in those mercenaries that allowed themselves to be blinded by a momentary gain instead of a long-term one, but alas… Mercenaries weren't perfect.
Her gaze flicks around the park. Old and abandoned, with dying trees and overgrown grass, and surrounding buildings with crumbling external paint and cracked glass.
Even the light poles didn't work, with some having blown light-bulbs.
And this was the capital of the Devil Race territory. All the grand and beautiful palaces and buildings were owned by the Noble Devils, the smaller part of the inner city built around the main office of the current Lucifer, while the rest was for the Low Class Devils.
And because it was theirs, it was barely tended to, because Low Class Devils do not receive the funds needed to rebuild the roads and buildings they lived in.
They paid their taxes, but those taxes weren't used by the governing body to make their lives easier. To make their surroundings prettier.
To make their homes not leak from the roof when it rains, or to not let wind blow through the cracks in the windows. To not have mothers use candles to let their children study.
To not have parents walk towards certain death just so they can buy their child the toy he had seen, but dared not ask, knowing about their parents financial situation.
Zani's nostrils flare, and her hands clench into trembling fists as she turns away from the ruined poor district around her. She had lived here for many ears.
Shivering from the cold, cursing the Agares for ignoring the rules, for killing her parents, for taking away all of her privileged life, the good food, the warm bed, the safe walls… And for forcing her to care about others, then watch as they never came back, another casualty in the endless war against Gates. Another name none of the Nobles and Satans will give a flying fuck about.
"We're done, boss." Edward calls out, seeing through her inner turmoil and bringing her out of it with ease.
He was the brother of one of the mercenaries that had taken her in when she was kicked out, showing her kindness and teaching her everything there was to learn on how to survive poverty.
She had known them for little, yet she had grown to love them… And then they never came back. Not one of them.
"Let's go." Zani orders, moving away from the light pole as the small group of soldiers she brought along nods, then starts teleporting back to their mansion.
With a flash of light, Zani appears within the open field in front of the mansion she lives in. The three thousand armed soldiers stood behind her, wearing the crimson scaled armor forged from the Flood Dragon body parts.
Before her instead stood a group of mercenaries more than seven-thousand strong.
Her gaze flicks across many familiar faces, but it remains cold and serious, "I won't waste time with useless words." She starts, voice loud and reaching the ears of each new recruit. "You know why you are here. You know what you've signed up for. You know what you stand to gain by being here… And you know what we are fighting for."
"For those who don't know me; My name is Zani, a former Agares, before I was exiled by the current Lord and Lady because I made their daughter throw up her lunch in a fair challenge." Laughter flows past the soldiers behind her, and many of the mercenaries before her, "Since then, I grew up as a mercenary, shivered in the cold as one, bled as one, and suffered the pettiness of Nobles like one."
"But here? Here you are free from all of that. You can testify that, and so can the three-thousand former mercenaries standing behind me." Her eyes flick across many unfamiliar faces, some holding worry, some holding hope, and many holding pure determination within their eyes, "You'll receive training like theirs. Your crippling injuries? They will be healed. Lost limbs? Regrown. Gear? The best there is. Money? Enough to spoil your families."
Then, finally, her smiles grows wide. Cruel. "But first… You must pass a test." She raises her arm, signaling the monsters standing behind the army of soldiers to move around them and finally come into views.
Grafted Monstrosities made of bone and muscular tissue, hunched backs, four arms ending in razor sharp finger-blades, and no heads.
She had seen these creatures in action against the soldiers recently. Vicious, unstoppable, fearless of death and striking with immense strength and speed.
All of that, together with numbers. These things were created by those elephant-like constructs of bone that she had seen Scaith make. Corpse Walkers, if she remembers their name right.
And now, a total of one-thousand of these creatures advanced forward, putting a certain distance between each of them, almost like an arena.
"Each soldier will now step forward and pick a random person among you, for a total of one-thousand. Those picked will fight against these creatures-" She waves her hands towards the four-armed Grafted Monstrosities clad in bone armor, "-to earn the right to join the army."
"Sever one limb, and you are in. Get pinned down, and you are out."
And this was the controlled method to kick out the infiltrators. Each Grafted Monstrosity was as strong as all the other ones… But some among them have been buffed by the giant meatball in the sky.
Not buffed in the term of offense… But defense. Like so, the infiltrators won't be able to cut them down in a way so to achieve victory, and will be forced to leave.
Some may still make it in, hence why Zani is ready to quietly signal the giant sorcerer in the sky to debuff one of the infiltrators in case they are close to winning.
After all, so far, the only ones who know that the sorcerer can weaken beings are the New Satans, and the Lucifer's Queen, who was put on the receiving hand of such debuffs once already.
Soon, the soldiers advanced and picked 'random' targets, a few among them being spies or bribed mercenaries.
And Zani leans back with a hidden smirk as they get the shit beaten out of them by some very feral, very violent Undead creatures.
Still… Zani flicks her gaze to the other battles. Some were won within seconds – one woman squeezed the Undead creature to paste between her muscular thighs, damn – while some took minutes to end.
Only the infiltrators lose, though. And since the majority are hired by different people, they won't think about foul play until much later as they see other 'non-bribed' mercenaries lose.
As she expected, this second group of recruits held far stronger members than the current soldiers, who were the most hopeless and weaker mercenaries around.
Convinced by the treatment received by Fleurdelys, these seasoned and much stronger mercenaries finally stepped forward to join the army, pleasing Zani greatly.
Like so, the army could be divided into squads led by their ten strongest members, and each squad would have different benefits to them.
Like the monster squad she heard Fleurdelys and Scaith mention once.
"Excuse me." Zani perks up and turns to face the approaching beauty who had spoken up. Pointed ears, long raven black hair, honey-gold eyes and a curvaceous figure wrapped in a black kimono, making up for a gorgeous beauty that Zani was actually familiar with.
"Tio." The former Agares greets with a light smile and nod, "It has been a while."
The elf-like beauty giggles softly, hiding her lips with the sleeve of her kimono, "It has indeed. A whole year, in fact." Her gaze softens as Tio looks at Zani, "To think you'd let yourself be tied down by a Peerage… I am surprised."
Zani shrugs, "It's actually quite fun. And… Pleasant, even." She found a friend in Fleurdelys, and a very good partner in Scaith. Perhaps even more, but she wasn't ready to even think about settling down. "It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
Tio's gaze grows warmer as she glances towards the rest of the soldiers keeping an eye from the back, "Indeed… It is why I decided to come here myself."
Zani muses, giving her old partner a look, "...Another failure?" She asks softly, and doesn't fail to notice the subtle shake of the hands hidden by the loose sleeves of the black kimono.
Tio Buné sighs deeply and slumps her shoulders, "Indeed. I should have listened to you sooner." Zani shakes her head, her own gaze growing soft.
"If all goes well, Houses won't matter anymore in the future of the Devil Race." Tio laughs softly at that, her gaze sparkling with mischief.
Zani knows Tio's history quite well. Tio Buné, granddaughter of the last Lord and Lady Buné before the horrid main family demise at the hands of one bad event after another.
A mother claimed by the Devil Sleeping Disease, then died while in her sleep not even a month after.
Her father being one of the first victims of a Superimposition Gate.
Then the grandparents, faced with bankruptcy and forced to bow before the Great King Faction for assistance… Only for the grandfather to die to a High Class Gate himself, soon followed by his grief-stricken wife.
Since then, the Buné was declared Extinct. The small branch family scattered, and Tio had tried looking for them.
She only found one, another Buné with a Clan Trait, now part of Sairaorg Bael's Peerage. With him, Tio had tried to have the Devil government reinstate the House Buné as a Noble House countless times so she could reclaim her lands and home…
But her requests never went through, even when she delivered them to the building of the Lucifer himself.
The reason was obvious. The Great King Faction had no intention of letting them rise again, having approached Tio countless times so to have her be subservient to them, only to be refused each time.
And said refusal had this Faction controlling so much of the Government refute her requests and pleas for appeal before they could ever reach the Lucifer himself.
Or perhaps they have, but the Satan never bothered with them. Like he never bothered with the poor districts of the capital his office is stationed in.
"That is why I wish to join." Tio declares, a toothy grin on her glossy lips, showing off her sharp canines, "I want to tear the Great King Faction apart. For me and Ladora both."
Zani hums softly at that. Fleurdelys was still looking for hopeful members to join her Peerage… And Tio was quite powerful and would fit well, especially with her mastery over her Clan Trait.
"Would you be interested in joining the Peerage?" Zani offers, mostly to test the waters and check Tio's reaction, then she'll pass over word to Fleurdelys.
The woman can take it from there, as Zani was already doing way too much for her lazy self.
Tio blinks at the offers, then tilts her head in thought, "I wouldn't mind joining the Peerage you chose." The shorter and curvaceous woman drawls out after a bit, "Though I'd rather get to know my possible future King and comrades a bit more, first."
Zani nods, then turns around, "Come with me, then."
Scaith and Fleurdelys were best suited for recruitment pitches, after all.
~~XXX~~
"A possible recruit?" I parrot, turning my gaze from Zani to the beauty hanging behind her.
A head shorter than Zani, and with a curvaceous body clad in a black kimono. She looks like an elf too, which… Nice.
She also feels incredibly strong. Very close to Zani, in fact. "This is Tio Buné, an old friend of mine." Zani introduces us, motioning her friend to step forward, "She is part of the not really extinct House of Buné, and I thought I'd be a waste if she was just a member of the army."
I hum at Zani's words, then cross my arms and raise a brow, "If she is alive and all, why is the House of Buné even considered extinct?"
The former Agares shrugs, "They didn't bow down to the Great King Faction so they were… Removed and their resources seized and divided."
I sigh through my nostrils at that. Fucking Noble Devils and their eagerness to tear each other apart just for material gain. Will your gold even matter after they are dead? "So I guess you have a grudge with them?"
Tio laughs softly, elegantly hiding her lower face behind one sleeve, "Calling it a grudge would be an understatement… But yes, I do wish to see them torn down from their high thrones."
I cup my chin in thought, then turn around to glance at Fleurdelys, who has been quiet all this time, just watching from her seat behind her desk.
She catches my gaze, and I raise a brow to seek her opinion, "Changli has recently joined, and I'd rather she fully settles in before recruit more members. She is a bit shy, after all."
A fair point. Gathering a Peerage too fast may have complications, and Fleur did mention having an interest in the Sitri woman who had once helped her, mainly because she has expressed a strong desire to rebuild her aquarium of demonic beasts.
Still… "Say, Miss Tio… Do you perhaps have your Clan Trait?" I question, turning back to the beautiful elf-like woman, who perks up.
Her honey-gold eyes sparkle as she nods, "Indeed! I can tame Dragons and even turn into one. My greatest pride and joy." Fleur's gaze softens at that.
"Mother favored the Buné Ancestor a great deal." She speaks softly, earning Tio's full attention, "I heard that he had such mastery over his Clan Trait that he could even use the Dragon's innate ability, Outrage."
Tio nods rapidly, gaze sparkling with undisguised pride, "So I have heard too! Grandfather used to speak highly of that achievement." Then her shoulders slump, "Alas, I am unable to do that myself currently."
I hum and rub my chin in thought, "We could have her command the Monster Unit." I offer to Fleurdelys, who leans back and widens her eyes in surprise, "I could Fleshcraft powerful Dragons, bind young Souls capable of growing and learning to them, and allow Tio here to command an army of Dragons together with a detachment of soldiers."
And the Dragons will still be Undead, so I can empower them with Corpse Qi and grant them a Core, and they will also be massively empowered by my Spell.
I just need to study Ddraig's Soul so I can copy his Plate Mail, making it so that each Fleshcrafted Dragon will be as powerful as possible. I want the best of the best, after all.
Tio blinks several times, "Excuse me?" She squeaks out, eyes as wide as saucers, much to my amusement.
"We maximize the capabilities of our comrades here. Even yours." I nod at her with a grin, "So if you can control an army of Dragons, why not give you said army of Dragons?"
We need all the power we can get, after all. The moment enemies start to act towards us, or the moment we are handling monsters within No Man's Land and things take a bad turn, or something unexpected happens.
If I can arm each of our Soldiers, once fully loyal, with a personal monster as a partner… Then our fighting strength will double, if not rise even further.
So if we can have an army of Dragons, I'm sure as fuck gonna create one. And likely Graft some Undead Dragon Monstrosity, as a gift for Tio once she fully joins the Peerage.
"Then I shall simply wait for this most wonderful gift." Tio bows in thanks, honey-gold eyes sparkling with delight, "In the meantime, I shall assist in training your army. If there is one thing I am very good at, it is my control over Devil Energy. I can teach others what I've learned."
I perk up at that, "Might take you up on that offer myself." Tio bows again, light smile on her face.
One Fleurdelys mirrors, showing gratitude, warmth and encouragement, "Just in case; What Piece would you believe fits you best?"
Tio pauses at that, her gaze rising to the ceiling as one finger cutely taps at her chin, "My reserves are already enormous as is, so perhaps… The Rook? I would never turn down further enhancement to my Dragon Scales, after all."
I could also make her immune to Dragon Slaying weapons, but that's for when I can trust her with the knowledge of the Graal in my possession.
"A wise choice." Fleur's smile widens as she nods, "Thank you for considering my Peerage."
Tio laughs softly, "The only other guy who wanted to recruit me was the exiled brat from the Bael House, but he was too weak to Reincarnating me." She bats her eyes at us, "Plus, he certainly did not offer me an army of Dragons as a sign-in bonus."
Do I go overboard? I do, don't I? Meh.
Tio and Zani excuse themselves soon after, leaving me alone with Fleurdelys once more. My left hand rises up, fishing out a necklace from my shirt. A small chain holding a mottled shard of what seems a golden alloy.
It doesn't radiate any Holy Aura. It looks normal, even. Yet were any Devil touch it, they'd turn to ash instantly.
The only reason I haven't is because I've taken care of that weakness, and because I have the Sephiroth Graal, which has created some form of resonance with the shard.
I turn to Fluerdelys with a smile, "I'll take care of one last thing, then I'll get to work. I'll be very busy for a long while." She nods, her gaze growing warm as she stands and walks around the table.
She hesitates for a moment, but then reaches forward to hug me, her head lowering to rest on my shoulder, "We've been moving from one task to another, and you've been working the hardest for a while now. You'll be working even harder now, in fact."
I slowly wrap my own arms around her lower waists, pulling her close and feeling her melt within my arms. I can feel all of her tension, worries, fears and stress just melt away from this hug alone.
Guess I must hug her more often from now on, to give her the comfort and physical touch she craves. "I'm doing it because I love it, and because it is also for you."
"Is it tiring? Of course, but one doesn't achieve Godhood by napping… Unless that person is Zani." We share a good laugh at that, and I hug her tighter.
"I'm having fun, Fleur. Truly." I pull back, enough so to look her in the eyes as she rests her forehead against mine, "I was just planning on using you to achieve my goals- A stepping ladder to a higher level… But all of this has changed my plans."
"I'm here for the long run." I squeeze her hips, and she bites her lower lip, gaze intense and warm, "So joining you is clearly the best decision I've taken in this life of mine."
Her lips meet mine as my words end. It isn't a wild kiss, just a chaste one, her lips softly pressed against mine, her hug tight yet trembling. When the kiss breaks, her lips bloom into a radiant, dazzling smile that makes my mouth dry up, "I am overjoyed to have you by my side."
I smile warmly, "There's something worrying, isn't there?" I can see it in her eyes. Feel it in her actions. She's trying to hide it, but she can't do that from me.
Her smile dims, and her arms tremble around me, "Something is coming. I feel it in my very bones." She whispers softly, "I don't know when, or from where… But something will come."
My smile grows, and I grip her hips reassuringly, "Let it come. We'll be ready."
Or, to be exact, I'll be ready.
With the Graal in hand and not breaking my mind, I'll soon Fleshcraft and Graft some of the most horrifying monstrosities I can think off… And keep the majority hidden.
I claim Fleurdelys' lips once more, and she melts again me like before. So I just hold her like that, giving her the comfort she needs and yearns for.
I break the kiss after what must've been minutes, leaving my beautiful King flushed deeply but happy, "I'll be going now. Gather the corpses sent to us by the Angels by the pit I've had my monsters make, I'll come retrieve and retrieve them every two days."
She nods, then reluctantly pulls back, "I cannot wait to see the fruits of your hard work, my beautiful Scaith."
I grin, then gently release her. I know what the first thing I am doing once my task is done.
I wink at the beauty before me, "Don't miss me too much, yeah?"
She laughs softly, gaze warm and affectionate.
"No promises."
~~XXX~~
"Thank you, Akeno…" Rias sighs out, taking the offered cup of warm tea with a grateful yet tired smile on her face.
One that Akeno mirrored, albeit with some difficulty. She had been quieter than usual, her usual smiles not present like always, albeit the majority were fake.
Same for Yuuto and Koneko, both of them were more withdrawn, always locked in with their thoughts. Rias wished she could offer some words of support to them, but now wasn't the time.
Zani broke them down. Tore apart each of their walls, forced them to deal with their past traumas and issues, and she did not do it in a good or comforting way.
She did it without care. Mercilessly. Shoved the trauma down their throat over and over again, made them face reality, face the part of themselves they did not wish to deal with.
Akeno was forced to use her Holy Lightning, and Koneko was forced to call upon her Senjutsu… And then they were beaten back down, broken and battered once more.
All of their previous strengths were peeled open like books, showing the cracks and the flaws and the errors within. Everything they took pride in? Torn down until naught but ashes was left behind.
And now, her Peerage was busy trying to rebuild what they lost. Trying to find a path to grow, for their previous ones were built upon fears and lies and half-baked training.
It was the same for Rias. Fleurdelys tore down her previous training, what she took pride in, and told her that her greatest teacher was herself.
Rias' confidence was destroyed, yet… She did not falter. She actually felt even better, having discovered more about herself, things she never thought she could do.
Now she just had to wait for her Peerage to realize that too. And for Gasper to recover from the abuse Scaith put him through.
It may have been downright torture, but Valerie confirmed that it actually worked quite well. Gasper was now able to hold eye contact for an insane five seconds straight!
A new record, compared to the zero point two microseconds from the past. And he doesn't faint or use his Sacred Gear accidentally either, so that was incredible progress.
Likely forced by the fact that Gasper did not wish to be put through that torture again.
With a hum, Rias sips her warm tea and watches Akeno retreat back towards the kitchen of their club room in Kuoh, "Akeno." She calls out softly, making her Queen turn towards her, and pause at the warm and radiant smile on her King's face. "I am proud of you."
Akeno's eyes widen, then redden just a bit before she smiles and lowers her head, quietly excusing herself.
Rias breathes in and leans back against her chair. Her parents had been quiet. Too quiet.
She refused to talk with them after their last dinner together, and they made no efforts to try and approach her either. All of her trust in them had been shattered after the way they treated her.
Her brother had also made no efforts to approach her, much less through Grayfia, who she hadn't seen around the Gremory Mansion in a good while.
But Rias didn't care- Or, to be more exact, she was starting to not care anymore. It all was so stupid, so childish, and she wasn't going to be the one to apologize, for she had nothing to apologize for.
Nor was she going to accept whatever apology they were going to throw her way. If they ever will.
She sniffs and nearly sneers, only seeing an apology come her way when she fully starts supporting Fleurdelys when her territory is fully built and she makes her declaration, inviting all Low Class Devils to live under her rule and protection instead of being slaves to Nobles.
Rias sets her thoughts aside when a knock comes from the entrance door of the club room, followed by said door opening by Sona Sitri's Queen, Tsubaki Shinra, who holds it open for her King to walk in first.
Serious as ever, Sona adjusts her glasses, flicking her gaze around the empty club room as Rias sips her warm tea with a raised brow, "Why did you have Issei Hyoudou suspended?"
Rias' other brow joins the first one as she lowers her cup and smiles politely at her childhood friend, "Hello to you too, Sona! Long time no see! Yes, I am fine, how about you?" Rias playfully 'greets' her friend, wide smile on her face, while Sona just crosses her arms and raises a brow behind her glasses, awaiting a response to her question.
So the Gremory Heiress just shrugs, "I have plans to recruit him into my Peerage, but first he needs some discipline." She waves off without care, "I'd rather not have him perv on Koneko and Valerie and bring dissatisfaction within my Peerage."
Sona narrows her eyes and raises her glasses, "And couldn't you have disciplined him once he was inside your Peerage?"
The redhead raises a brow, "I would have done it the same way." She drawls out, gaze flat, "He needs to learn that there are consequences to his actions, which he has escaped for far too long."
Sona sighs, "Because this school requires to maintain its reputation, else families won't send their competent children here for us to scout."
Rias scrunches up her nose, "You're talking about this school like its a farm for cattle, Sona." The Sitri Heiress doesn't bother correcting Rias, "And just a suspension won't hit the news. Hyoudou has been behind far worse scandals that should have."
Sona sighs and sags her shoulders, "There are still better ways to handle such-"
"Sona." The click of the teacup being set down on its small plate sends a shudder down Sona's back, her eyes widening at the 'polite' smile on Rias's face, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me how to handle my own matters. I've had more than enough with people butting in where they don't belong, thank you very much."
The bespectacled woman gulps softly, feeling choked by the sheer presence radiating out of Rias. Spoiled, lazy Rias.
They hadn't seen each other in just a few weeks, and now the gap between them… Sona couldn't understand how it had grown so massive in such a short amount of time.
Her lips open, but a series of knocks pauses the words that were about to be spoken. She turns, a glare in her eyes, only to falter and freeze at who stands in the doorway-
Rias perks up and stands, radiant smile on her lips, "Scaith!" She calls out in surprise towards the man dressed in a fine suit, his long white and black hair freely cascading down his back and shoulders.
One side of his lips quirks upward in a friendly smile, "I bring an offering of cake." He jokes, holding up a small plastic bag in his left hand as he walks forward and past the stunned Sona to place it on the desk, "It's a chocolate cake, so hope you enjoy it."
Rias snatched the plastic bag like a ravenous wolf, a playful hiss leaving her lips as she swiftly fished out the carefully packaged contents within, "Also, why is the damn kid in the infirmary?"
Scaith questions, an amused glint within his eyes. Rias just shrugs, "He was found hiding in the changing room lockers of the Kendo Club and got a vicious beating for it."
The effeminate Reincarnated Devil shudders, "Yikes… Well, at least I could swiftly do what I came here to accomplish 'cause he was knocked out cold."
A loud cough interrupts the two, with Scaith turning to look at Sona, blink at her, then turn back to Rias, "Did I interrupt something?"
The red-haired beauty sits down and opens the package with the small slice of chocolate cake within, making her drool at the sight. Chocolate shards on a chocolate glaze on a fluffy chocolate interior with chocolate layers within… Chocolate upon chocolate.
Good thing all of her weight gain went to the right places.
"Not really, no." Rias finally answers, trying hard not to just shove her face into the slice of cake before her and eat it like a cavemen. "Was there something else, Sona?"
The glasses-wearing Devil swallowed the retort in her mouth, her full attention focused on the man that has been on her mind since she saw the Rating Game against Seekvaira Agares.
His peculiar pupils flick between her and her Queen with a polite gaze, clear disinterest within them as a gloved hand rises up to cup his chin… Until recognition flashes, "Ah, the vermin."
Sona freezes, "Excuse me?"
Scaith blinks, then smiles gently, "Apologies, that's what I've known you by, as that's what my King refers to you as." A vein nearly pops over Sona's temple, utter shame and rage filling her chest at being so blatantly disregarded and insulted by that woman.
But she moves past all that with a flare of her nostrils, her back straightening as she meets the eyes of the man before her, "I am Sona Sitri, the current Sitri Heiress." She introduces herself, confident smile on her lips as she offers her hand out for a shake.
Scaith glances at it, then takes it and gives it a light shake, his smile turning polite and friendly, "Scaith, just a Necromancer of no particular renown." Rias snorts from her spot behind the desk for some reason, but Sona ignores that as her smile turns sharp.
"No need to be humble." The Sitri Heiress huffs out, crossing her arms before her, "The strategy used in the Rating Game against Seekvaira Agares was simple, but masterfully done." She praises, and the beautiful man before her raises a curious brow.
"It was nothing much, really." He shrugs, making his long hair bounce above his shoulders, "Our opponents just tend to be far too arrogant and prideful for their own good." His lips quirk, a hint of faint mockery within them, and Sona nods. For some reason, that action makes some amusement join the mockery, but she disregards that.
"I couldn't agree more with those words." Sona's smile grows, before she turns slightly, "Might I perhaps interest you in a game of chess?"
Scaith hums softly, then gently shakes his head, "Alas, I am tight on time. I have important things to take care off." Sona nods, disappointed but understanding. This man likely had to attend to all of that brutish woman's decisions, lest she makes a foolish mistake like making the Sitri House her enemy.
"Then perhaps another time? I could set aside some free time to-"
The Necromancer raises his gloved hand, bringing a halt to her words, "Are you… Trying to recruit me, perhaps?" He sharply gleams her intentions, and Sona nods with a confident smile without fear or shame.
"Indeed." The bespectacled Heiress crosses her arms once more, "I believe someone of your caliber, capabilities and intellect would shine better beneath me." Her words radiate confidence and assurance, bordering pure arrogance, even.
The black and white haired man just blinks at her, then chuckles softly, "There seems to be a flaw within your words, Miss Sitri." He politely points out, making Sona perk up.
Interested, she raises a brow, "What might that be?"
"The fact that someone of your caliber, capabilities, and intellect is unworthy of me." The words spoken mirrored her arrogance, making the Sitri Heiress still, eyes blowing wide open.
Scaith's polite smile vanishes, replaced by gentle mockery, "First of all, you are too weak to Reincarnate me. The majority of my Undead feel much stronger than you by an enormous margin." He politely points out, then keeps going, "To not mention your… Well, pitiful lack of ambition and accomplishments."
The man leans in, gloved hand cupping his chin, his smile wide and overflowing with mocking amusement, "I've researched your achievements… And found none to speak off. You've achieved nothing since you could actively represent your House…"
"While my King, since she has awoken from her sleep, has claimed accomplishment after accomplishment." One finger goes up, "Like taking on a whole army and a Peerage with just three people."
Anther finger goes up, "Clearing a High Class Gate with laughable ease and no casualties."
Then another, "And finally… Clearing a Maou Class Superimposition Gate while also staving off an enormous beast horde."
Amused eyes flick to her as the gloved hand falls on Scaith's hip, "And while you are here wasting my time with this sad excuse of a recruitment pitch, my King is working towards our next and biggest achievement yet. Hence…" He pauses and breathes out, turning to give Rias a warm smile and nod while fixing his suit.
Then he turns, sparing the frozen Heiress not even a glance. "...Do kindly know your place, lest you embarrass yourself further."
His cold words make Sona tremble as he walks towards the door, only to pause just beyond the threshold. "Actually, there is something you've achieved in your life." He points out, almost as an afterthought.
"You've caused the extinction of the Sitri House with just a few arrogant words, after all."
And with that, the door clicks shut, followed by the faint flare of magic, signaling a teleportation Spell being activated.
Rias looks up when she feels the Spell being activated, the corners of her lips smeared with chocolate together with the tip of her nose.
"...What did I miss?"
~~XXX~~
I perk up as the ground shakes, another massive corpse being tossed into the pile by Lu Bu, his halberd dripping with blood.
My eyes flick to the corpse, a giant mole-like beast with metallic claws and teeth. The Middle Class Gate it came from spawned deep underground, in a large cave system, which Lu Bu caved in by kicking the Boss Monster to the Underworld's stratosphere.
I swear, this son of a bitch obliterates valuable corpses on purpose sometimes.
Another thunderclap sounds from the distance as Rhapthorne finishes off another Ultimate Class Beast, freeing another large amount of territory.
But this is the Outer Edge of No Man's Land, which is enormous, but the deeper we go, the more clustered the Gates get. I've already found around seven Superimposition Type Gates too, further confirming how right we are in exploring these wild wastes.
I shake away those thoughts and focus back on my current work; A colossal corpse clad in crimson scales and golden spikes. The scales had a beautiful metallic sheen to it, which are a mix of Plate Mail armor and the skin of a beast I encountered not too long ago and studied with the Graal.
"What do you think so far?" I ask, turning to the only Graal in my current possession, a glowing crimson Soul held suspended above it.
"It's close to resembling my old body!" Ddraig exclaims, pure giddiness within his voice. He is mostly quiet, just watching me work on his body, while only adding some inputs or thoughts when truly needed.
Honestly… Recruiting him was so damn easy.
How did the conversation go?
"I want to bring you back to life and free you from your Sacred Gear."
"What are you waiting for then?!"
"You'll also get to fight insanely strong monsters- Wait, you agree already!?"
"Duh. I get to show off and make Albion jealous, that fuck-wit! Hah!"
And so I successfully recruited one of the two Heavenly Dragons, just because he wants to bully his rival. Deep down I know that Ddraig wants to ask me to bring back Albion too, mostly because he dearly misses throwing down with his nemesis.
The only problem I ran into was my lack of power to properly resurrect him and rebuild his body with the Graal, so I just studied his Soul.
The body remembers what the Soul learns, and the Soul remembers its previous container and body, so I gleamed everything I needed to build a perfect framework of Ddraig's new body.
The good thing is that I can also make him stronger and modify him further this way. No weakness to Dragon Slaying weapons, his Boosts will now not tear him apart if he goes overboard and just become excess energy he can gather and unleash, and a generally tougher body.
The monsters from Gates offer peculiar bodies with unique make-outs, like flexible skin as hard as diamond, bones that regrow within seconds, optimized organs that maximize the body's capability. So on and so forth, all of which I've been memorizing and using to perfect Ddraig's new body.
I'll also use these things to create the Dragon Army, of course.
So far, he is already around over one-hundred meters tall, with his original body apparently being much bigger, something Ddraig had achieved so to better handle his Boost ability when he first created it.
But he won't need that thanks to my modification, so he doesn't mind a smaller body. "Any other modification in mind?"
Ddraig hums from his spot, "None that I can't take care off once I am put inside the body." I nod at that, then move to grab the Graal and stand up.
"I'll move you inside now. Let you incubate, get used to the body, and take care of those changes while I keep an eye on you." I move closer to the giant Fleshcrafted corpse, scales gleaming under the light of the sun above us.
"Alright!" Ddraig exclaims with a loud laugh, "How long do you think it'll take?" He questions, not impatient, just curious.
I hum softly, "Maybe a week?" I test, then scrunch up my nose, "Your Soul will regain its strength, then empower the body to match your prime." I twirl the golden cup in my hand with another hum, "We'll run some tests once you wake up, see if there are any problems."
"Fine by me." Ddraig agrees, then his voice grows softer, "And, kid… Thanks for this. I owe you one."
I blink, then smile, "Nah, we're partners." I chuckle out, earning one from the Heavenly Dragon as I let his Soul fly forth and enter the corpse.
With a flash from the Sephiroth Graal, the Soul and Corpse are joined, and brought to life. The massive Dragon corpse twitches, stirs, then flashes with brilliant light, an enormous wave of power washing forth from it and nearly tossing me on my ass.
I feel the very Mana in the air rush into the body, and I move to place a hand on the skull of Ddraig's body to check on his state. I can feel it grow stronger each passing second through my Fleshcrafting, immense amounts of Mana being devoured by the resurrected body and Soul and used to nourish it over and over.
Right, Dragons are beings born from immense amount of energy gathered together…
That exclaims this phenomenon. It basically is a Dragon's birth all over again, but the body already exists, so it is just being brought up to speed.
I guess it may take less than a week for Ddraig to recover, then. Maybe a few days, with this speed.
I smile and nod at my job well done, then turn towards the pile of corpses gathered by the Undead army I took with me. Mostly Grafted Monstrosities being pumped out by my Corpse Striders.
With a hum, I raise the Sephiroth Graal towards one of the corpses. It flashes and glows brightly, a milky white radiance soon swallowing the corpse of the mole-like creature.
First I study its metallic bones and have the Sephiroth Graal record that, then I start changing the body.
The dark-brown fur falls away, the bone density grows, the flesh changes, becoming flexible and hard. The paws with sharp nails turn into fearsome claws and long limbs, a pair of wings soon sprouting from the back.
The head changes too, a draconic head appearing in place of it, with sharp fangs and horns. A long tail follows soon after, and it all ends with a thick metallic Plate Mail covering the bare flesh of the newly created Undead Dragon.
Fleshcrafting and Grafting together, all done simultaneously through the Graal. Gathering the best qualities of each corpse and using it to create the perfect specimen.
Oh yeah, this Sacred Gear was worth getting.
It does take a great deal of power to create, but it is a worthy exchange. Plus, my reserves will grow explosively through this constant use.
I'll have to create Souls for each of these Undead Dragons too. I've already made one for Rhapthorne and Lu Bu, so that they can grow even better and stronger.
They take some time to fully bloom into their potential, but it is a good investment, especially since Tio is a possible recruit for the Peerage.
Plus, Dragons have powerful ranged attacks too, and that's good to have against enormous hordes of enemies.
Lowering the Graal, I command the new massive Undead Dragon closer. My hand comes to rest on its crimson Plate Mail, and I let my Corpse Qi flow forth.
The crimson of the Plate Mail turns a greenish-black, the aura the corpse radiates growing colder and more… Vile, with each passing second.
A Corpse Core takes shape after a whole minute, minuscule in size, but it'll grow with time. Plus, this is good practice.
I want to get better at forming these cores and see if I can create much bigger ones before I give one to Lu Bu and Rhapthorne. I'd rather grant them the best one I can give them from the start instead of just my first ones.
The good thing is that I can create a form of Cultivation Ground for my Jiangshi, and it is relatively easy to do. I just need to create enough of them, and let them stay in a certain location for enough time to contaminate the surroundings and land with their Corpse Qi.
Like that, any Jiangshi I have rest there should grow stronger at a faster rate. Though I best create this defiled area somewhere far away from any form of civilization, in case it spreads a bit too much.
Weird that I haven't gotten any Skill on creating Jiangshi… Oh well, I guess I can't have a Skill for every minor thing.
I raise the Graal once more, and the milky white radiance swallows the mountain of corpses I've gathered so far. Their flesh turns to pulp, their bones to powder, their organs liquefy, followed by all of that fusing together.
This process would cost a lot less and be much faster if I had the other two Graal's with me, but they are being used to do a very important task.
But still, I can't complain. Being able to do Fleshcrafting and Grafting at the same time, on a massive scale, while also automatically remembering every good trait I've gleamed so far from each corpse.
And slowly, a colossal body took shape. Nine enormous heads on nine long necks, two giant claws on each side, colossal wings to support its body and a giant stomach housing the most potent Necrotic Bile I can create.
Once Ddraig fully wakes up, I should see if I can mimic his insanely busted flames and have my Undead Dragons replicate them. Or replicate even a fraction of their power.
The Undead Hydra slams down, even more massive than Ddraig, and meant to carry a great deal of our soldiers too. Though just making this giant beast was tiring, and took all the corpses I've saved up in these past few hours.
The modified Plate Mail is last to be generated around the Undead Dragon, before it turns greenish-black once I pour Corpse Qi inside of it.
Said Qi also ends up enormously enhancing the Necrotic Bile, which… Nice. Guess I'll create more beasts like this.
Maybe I should create a Corpse Strider with Corpse Qi in it, which creates Grafted Monstrosities that are small, fast to make, and explode.
It's truly terrifying what a decent Necromancer can do when they have enough corpses at their disposal, huh? Plus, the Sephiroth Graal is basically a cheat for me.
I hum, moving the newly created Soul into the Undead Hydra corpse, before I pause and narrow my eyes as Rhapthorne shares his sight with me.
...Are those Devils?
No, there's Fallen Angels among them too. A humans. A group of roughly thirty cloaked figures, using magic to hide themselves as they weave along a seemingly set path between each territory claimed by the beasts in the surroundings as they move deeper and deeper in No Man's Land.
I have Rhapthorne watch from a distance as the figures disappear from sight deeper into the wastes, my gaze narrowed and serious.
That's the Khaos Brigade. Has to be. Of course they are hiding in No Man's Land when they cannot hide in the Dimensional Gap anymore now that it's basically shattered.
...They plan on using the monsters from the Gates to achieve their dumb goals, don't they?
Do they have a way to control them? Or incite them into action? I don't know, but I also do not want to find out.
I sigh and lean back. I'll have to bring up their existence to the Heavenly Host once we are done here.
My actions here have probably been noticed as well, but it doesn't matter. I have Lu Bu guarding me, together with a growing army of Undead, with Undead Dragons joining the ranks.
And anyone that knows history would be able to recognize the slumbering Heavenly Dragon behind me, so… If they wanna fuck around, they are going to find out. Badly.
…
You know what?
I'm gonna bomb their headquarters.
A.N. And Scaith has been momentarily possessed by Leo's 'Fuck it, we ball.' personality. It does not bode well for anyone.
I've decided to add Tio Klarus from Arifureta as a Bune Dragon waifu just becuz, hope y'all like her!
This is the last of the five chapters ahead! Next I'll focus on Draugr's ten chapters ahead before resuming a normal schedule.
This shit tiring, but also fun, been writing a fuckton this month. Hopefully I can be done by the end of the August.
Hope y'all enjoyed this chappy!
Toodles!