A/N: Okay well sorry for the delay, but right when I was about to finish a chapter my dog ended up getting really sick and wouldn't eat, so after taking him to the vet. I was told that his cancer came back worse and it was best to put him down, so I didn't exactly feel like writing for a bit, but I'm back and hopefully nothing else happens since like two weeks before my German Shepherd died my brother's dad (Mom's first husband) died and like a week before that one of my uncles died. So yeah. Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works. All other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. If you recognize something it isn't mine.
DxD: Spawn of the Dragon
Chapter 11: Ddraig owes child support.
-Emrys-
The golden portal closed as Asia, Tiamat, and Gabriel and himself stepped back into the Familiar Forest. Emrys took a deep breath, letting the tranquil atmosphere of the forest remove any lingering frustrations as his eyes drifted to Gabriel, who stood out especially among their small group.
Her ethereal beauty was the first thing to catch and hold his attention in a way few things could. He'd go so far as to say that she had an almost paradoxical allure. A body that seemed effortlessly more seductive than even Grayfia's even though the loose dress, but she had a face that radiated innocence.
Emrys now understood why she was called the most beautiful woman in Heaven and the longer he was near her the more certain he was that it wasn't just her physical appearance, it was the way her presence seemed to glow with purity and grace.
"Gabriel… Why did you come with us?" He asked, his voice cutting through the stillness as he questioned why one of the leaders of Heaven was even with them in the first place.
Before Gabriel could answer, Asia's brain finally caught up with the situation, most likely overwhelmed from everything that happened previously, so her eyes widened as she realized she was in the presence of the Archangel Gabriel herself. Dropping to her knees, she clasped her hands together and began to pray fervently, asking for forgiveness.
Knowing his words caused this even unintentionally made Emrys angry as he felt a wave of irritation rise within him. He didn't like seeing anyone he considered his own to show such reverence to anyone else. She shouldn't kneel for anyone, not even me. He wanted to make her stand up, but he stopped himself knowing the sheer reverence the girl who grew up in the church had for anything related to Heaven. It hadn't even been a month since he first met her and Emrys knew that Asia needed to make her own choices. And like he said before if she decided her place was with Gabriel and Heaven, he'd let Asia go. He would still visit her whenever he pleased.
And Gabriel seemed to share his sentiment as she moved gracefully toward Asia, crouching down to gently lift her to her feet. She cupped Asia's face in her hands, her soft touch making the excommunicated nun look like she was nearly ready for the rapture.
"There is nothing for you to ask forgiveness for," Gabriel said, her voice a soothing melody, "The Church was corrupt. It should never have excommunicated you and for that I apologize on behalf of Heaven."
Asia's lips parted slightly in shock. The words sank in slowly, and for the first time, a spark of hope ignited in her tearful eyes. "Does that mean... God didn't abandon me?"
Gabriel's expression faltered briefly, and Emrys immediately understood why. The Biblical God was no longer alive, a truth that Heaven along with the Devils and Fallen Angels had kept hidden, so Gabriel evading the question pulled Asia into a comforting embrace, holding her tightly.
"Heaven never abandoned you, Asia. You are loved, and a grave mistake was made. I will speak to Michael on your behalf. If he doesn't allow it, I'll make you a part of my Suit myself." Gabriel's words hung in the air for a moment before she froze, her lips pressing together as though she had a slip of the tongue.
Emrys caught the slip immediately, "Suit?" he asked, his tone curious but firm. He already knew the answer from canon but wanted confirmation.
"I suppose there's no harm in explaining it now. The leaders of the three factions have been secretly exchanging messages of cooperation and the New Satan faction shared their Peerage System with us to use as a template and Heaven has been working on adapting it to create something we call the Suit System." Gabriel said as she straightened up and gave a sheepish smile.
She paused as if weighing her words carefully, "At the beginning each Archangel will be granted a suit of cards to reincarnate humans into angels. It's part of a broader plan to solidify peace among the three biblical factions, so once the system is finalized, it will be announced at an upcoming meeting to declare an official alliance."
Gabriel glanced at Tiamat and Emrys, her serene smile returning. "And given your unique ties to the Devil faction, it would be wonderful if you could attend that meeting. It's an important step for our world, and your presence would mean a great deal."
Emrys crossed his arms, considering her words. He glanced at Asia, who was still processing everything Gabriel had said, and then at Tiamat, who gave him a slight nod, her expression unreadable.
So as Gabriel's words lingered in the air, Emrys continued giving Tiamat a sidelong glance, his mind piecing together her earlier statements. She had initially mentioned that she was going to be leaving him to fend for himself, but her presence earlier and her insistence on following him from the shadows had betrayed her true intent.
'She doesn't want me dead too early, huh? Sounds like someone's more attached than she lets on.' he mused, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips at the slight tsundere-like behavior of Tiamat.
Taking that as her unspoken declaration that she would follow his lead, Emrys decided to treat her as though Tiamat had already admitted it, so turning back to Gabriel, he decided to address her proposal about attending the three-faction peace summit.
"While I'll attend the meeting to witness the historical moment," Emrys began with Gabriel's wings flapping slightly in excitement, most likely a tick, he continued his tone calm and firm, "I want to clarify my stance because my only connection to the Devil faction is through Rias and Rias alone that won't change, So I don't want to be associated with any other devil whether they're from the Old Satan, New Satan, or Great King factions because my allegiances lie elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow, to what he was leading to.
"Myself and others I consider a part of my own faction," Emrys said as if it was obvious before motioning towards Tiamat and Asia, not including Rias as regardless of Rias' feelings he needed to confirm with his own eyes that she was more his loyal to him than the devils.
'There are already a few individuals I have in mind for the future.' He thought a specific name crossed his mind, Rossweisse, the Valkyrie of Asgard. She was beautiful, strong, intelligent, and a genius when it came to runes capable of keeping Trihexa sealed, so she was at the top of his list for people he could potentially bring into his fold and hopefully in the future he would gain two nine-tailed foxes.
"When Asia joins my Suit in the future, would she still be considered a member of your faction and would I by extension?" Gabriel, visibly intrigued, asked a thoughtful look on her face as she considered what he just said.
"Gabriel, you didn't only offer Asia a position in your Suit to gain a connection to Tiamat and myself, right?" he asked with measured words having slight trust issues despite the fact that he knew her slightly.
"No! I swear on my father's throne that I would accept Asia regardless of her connections. She's proven that she deserves a place where she can thrive and be loved unconditionally. So I'll say once again that my offer is entirely genuine." Gabriel shouted her eyes widening as her hands clasped over her heart.
Emrys studied her intently. Gabriel's sincerity was palpable, and though he had no insight into this off-canon situation, his instincts told him she was truthful. That eased his mind. If it worked out like with Yasaka where attraction could turn into affection then he would gain another powerful woman he could trust, but as that thought came to mind he realized how objectively he was looking at everything. Neither Gabriel nor himself asked if Asia was actually willing to join Heaven.
"What about you? Do you even want to reincarnate as an Angel?" He turned to Asia and asked softly.
Asia, who had been silently absorbing the entire conversation, hesitated. She looked up at Gabriel and then back at Emrys. A deep breath steadied her resolve before she spoke.
"If I became an Angel," Asia asked cautiously, "would I fall if I... had relations with a man?" Her eyes flicked nervously toward Emrys, her cheeks flushed with both shyness and determination.
Emrys felt a pang in his chest at her question knowing why she was asking and while he knew that in the future, Heaven would develop a room for angels to love without falling he had no idea if that device was even in concept yet.
"No, Asia. If you wish to remain an Angel, you would not be able to lay with a man as it would lead to you falling from grace and becoming a fallen angel." Gabriel answered his unasked question and he looked at Asia to see her reaction.
They fell into a heavy silence so Asia could process the answer and as the second passed her emerald-green eyes began to fill with tears and she clutched her cross giving it a kiss.
"Then... I don't wish to become an Angel. If it means I can't be with Emrys, I'd rather stay as I am." She said turning to Gabriel, her tears streaming freely and seeing that she would rather give up her chance to become an angel, he couldn't help the surge of warmth that flowed through him. Her words were like a balm to Emrys' soul.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked wanting to make sure she didn't regret it later because this would officially make her his in all facets and Asia nodded without hesitation, her eyes full of trust.
Unable to contain his excitement, Emrys closed the distance between them and cupped her face. His lips met hers in a deep, passionate kiss, pouring all his gratitude and affection into it. Asia melted into the embrace, her arms wrapping around his neck as the world seemed to fade away.
When they finally parted, Emrys rested his forehead against hers, "I'll find a way to extend your lifespan, Asia. You'll be mine for eternity. And after I deal with the Phenex family, we're going on a date." He said his voice resolute knowing that he would recommend the room for the angels to have sex at the three faction meeting. She would be his angel.
Asia blushed furiously but smiled, nodding eagerly.
Gabriel smiled warmly at the scene, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes, "I understand and whatever you decide, I will support you. You are loved, and you always will be. And if after having children with Emrys you decide to become an angel to spend eternity with him my offer will remain open." She said and that offer while hinting that she doubted that Emrys could extend Asia's lifespan proved that Gabriel truly cared for Asia's well being and improved how he saw her. Heaven instantly made its way to the top of his ally list.
The Archangel turned to Emrys, her serene smile returning. "Good luck with your match, Emrys. I'll be watching." She said warmly and with that, she vanished in a golden light, leaving the trio alone.
Emrys chuckled at her sudden departure and now had one question answered he asked another as he looked at Tiamat with a curious expression. "So," he began, folding his arms, "why did you decide to intervene the way you did? You could've just erased Riser with a wave of your hand, but instead you're sticking your neck out and putting yourself on the line for something you normally wouldn't."
Tiamat smirked, her blue hair swaying slightly in the breeze as she crossed her arms. "You exposed yourself as the potential son of Ddraig, didn't you? That changes the game and if you're going to be a dragon worth following, you need a proper base to start a faction and absorbing the Phenex family would be a good start. Their wealth is one of the largest in the Underworld and starting a faction isn't something you can do while broke and their healing tears would make a solid asset if you want to continue building."
"You thought that far ahead? Planning my moves for me already?" Emrys said in shock never having expected Tiamat to have thought that far ahead, but having someone planning and making moves for him was nice, it saved him from getting a headache.
"Someone has to," Tiamat teased, "Besides, it's not just about resources. This is also a test for you because you've been training under Yasaka for a month learning to use Touki and to refine your half-assed technique. Now it's time to see how much you've grown because Riser is nothing but a new-born chick compared to his older brother, Ruval, who is already ranked top ten in the Rating Games and firmly in the ranks of the Ultimate Class. You'll face beings similar to him eventually, so consider this a warm up."
Emrys couldn't help but chuckle at her reasoning, that was the Tiamat he knew always looking to fight strong people and justifying it with another reason, "I guess I should thank Great Red for this, huh? With the Phenex tears, I'll have a steady supply of healing items, which means I can train even harder and they'll make excellent bargaining chips if I ever need leverage in the future." He said as a contemplative look works its way onto his face to all the other advantages he would have when they absorbed the Phenex Family.
Tiamat gained a glint in her eye and smirked, "What's with that look? Is your brain working overtime from my explanation being too much? Or are you just scared of fighting a true Ultimate Class being?" She teased.
Emrys scoffed, his pride flaring at the notion of him being scared he hadn't for a moment thought he was even going to lose, "Scared? Not a chance. I don't plan on losing, especially against a fake Phoenix who mainly uses fire. I'm the legacy of the two Heavenly Dragons."
"Good," Tiamat replied, her smirk widening, "That's the attitude of a dragon, but you should know that the battle will be public and like Gabriel said most of the supernatural community will be watching because I didn't give the Phenex family on if they accept or not, so they'll drum up all the attention they can to pressure me to back out of the blood feud if they lose and if they win they'll flaunt their victory."
"That's perfect, I can already picture it, me in a gladiatorial arena in my dragon form using Ruval as a chew toy as he screams in rage trying to use his puny flames against me." Emrys grinned at the notion, not really caring about any of the Phenex family plots because in the end they would be under his control.
Tiamat's smile became more predatory, "That's the spirit, but don't get cocky because you're still outclassed and this fight will test you in ways you haven't experienced yet."
Her words made Emrys pause, "What do you mean?" He asked curiously.
"For one," Tiamat said, "don't even think about going into your dragon form for this fight."
The statement wiped the grin from Emrys' face, "What? Why not? My fire resistance would skyrocket in that form!"
Tiamat rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the head. "Listen, here you little shit. You're nearing the peak of High Class, which means your durability scales to the same and if you shift into dragon form while you'll be stronger and have increased fire resistance because of your scales, you'll also be slow, clunky, and an easy target. You're not fighting someone who is similar in strength Emrys, you're fighting someone vastly stronger than you in your base form so this fight is about precision and strategy. Ruval has experience, speed, and strength on his side. If you go big, you'll lose big so you need to stay in your human form and prolong the fight until you can boost enough to smack that bat around." She explained.
Though irritated, Emrys couldn't argue with her logic, "Fine," he grumbled, though once he boosted enough he would make a show of flaunting his superiority over the devil.
"Good," Tiamat said with a sharp grin. "I'll hold you to that, but don't think I'm letting you slack off. You've got a lot of work to do before this fight." She turned to Asia, "Get ready because Emrys is going to need all the healing he can get."
And Asia, sensing the intensity of Tiamat's tone, nodded silently and as she stepped aside, she gave Emrys a quick kiss and a sympathetic look, as if apologizing for the torment they both knew was coming.
The moment Asia was out of harm's way, Tiamat struck. Her speed and strength were on an entirely different level than anything Emrys had faced before, even during his time with Yasaka. He barely had time to react, forced to rely on his instincts and endurance to weather the storm, the Touki doing little to help him gain an edge.
"Boost!" he called out, his body swelling with power, but Tiamat didn't relent, her attacks precise and unrelenting as she landed a vicious blow to his chest launching him into a tree cracking it, but she wasn't finished as she followed with a burst of concentrated flames that filled his vision and he knew the flames would scorch him alive, so Emrys used his Divide ability, halving Tiamat's attack and boosting himself further.
The flames no longer as powerful only slightly singed the empowered Emrys and as the flames cleared he saw Tiamt paused mid-attack having used her flames as a cover to continue attacking.
"I won't stop you from using Divide when you spar with me," she said, her eyes narrowing, "but try not to use it against anyone else unless it's absolutely necessary because right now, the only power you've shown you can use is the Boost ability of Ddraig. So keep Divide as your hidden trump card, it's always better to have a secret weapon than to show all your cards early."
Emrys nodded, feeling that today Tiamat truly felt like a teacher instead of a drill instructor, "Got it," he said, his voice steady. Then, with renewed determination, he Boosted again and launched himself at Tiamat, not letting her set the pace.
The Dragon King smirked as she prepared to meet his attack. "Good. Show me what you've got, hatchling." She said increasing her strength and speed once more.
-Issei Hyoudou-
Issei groaned, his head pounding as he blinked back into consciousness. "What… what happened?" he muttered, rubbing his temples noticing he was still dressed in the same clothes as yesterday.
"I wasn't paying attention, so someone got the drop on you." Ddraig's voice rumbled in his mind making him cringe as the first thing he heard in the morning was the deep voice of a dragon, but the words did snap Issei fully awake.
"Wait, what?! They got the drop on me? Did they take anything? Am I missing any organs?" He panicked, patting himself down before clutching between his legs, "Oh no, is Little Issei okay!?" He half shouted and was relieved to see his member still there.
Ddraig let out a long-suffering sigh, "Your obsession with that part of your anatomy is unbecoming of a host of my caliber. Yes, it's intact. However," his tone grew serious, "there's something wrong. I can feel something clouding my mind, which shouldn't be possible since I don't have a body."
"What does that even mean? You think you've been enchanted or something?" Issei's face scrunched in confusion at the notion.
"I don't know, but it's unsettling. Whoever knocked you out left you unharmed, which means that hurting you wasn't part of their plan and though I doubt they anticipated me noticing my mind can't focus itself like before. That alone is cause for concern, so we'll need to get checked out." The dragon demanded
"Huh? Why do I need to get checked out?" He was confused, he felt fine, no missing organs and even little Issei was just as active as before.
"Because you dolt you're this generation Red Dragon Emperor so if someone had the ability to infiltrate Kuoh, sneak into your house and get the drop on us and didn't kill you it was for another reason and if you can't connect one with the other it means that whatever they did was to ensure that you didn't think of those options." Ddraig explained growling in anger.
Though reluctant, Issei eventually agreed and later that day, he brought it up to Rias during their club meeting. "So, uh, last night, I got knocked out by someone… but they didn't hurt me or anything and I don't feel any different, but Ddraig told me I was dumber than usual and he keeps saying something's off."
Rias frowned, her crimson hair shimmering as she stood up. "Someone infiltrated Kuoh, knocked you out and left you unharmed and Ddrig had to tell you to seek help?" She asked incredulously before looking over to the other member of the peerage who had similar expressions, "Akeno, Koneko please check him out, while I check the wards and inform Sona." Rias asked.
"Of course, President." Akeno's playful smile faded as she stepped closer to Issei putting her hand against chest and just that gesture got his blood pumping, but it didn't last as she pulled away with a frown.
"I don't sense anything wrong, it's as if he's completely fine." Akeno said before motioning for Koneko to give it a try and while frowning the white haired girl's small frame tensed as she grew snow-white cat ears and a tail that was visible from below her skirt. Issei's eyes widened in surprise at the transformation, but his common sense kicked in and looking at the frown on Koneko's face she didn't like using that form so he didn't say a word.
She didn't touch him like Akeno which disappointed him slightly, but after several minutes of examination, all she also came up empty-handed and Rias sighed in frustration, "If neither of you sense anything unusual then I won't be any better, then I don't know what's wrong."
Koneko shook her head, "Neither do I."
"Same here," Akeno said as she paused, her violet eyes narrowing thoughtfully, "But if Ddraig insists something's wrong and we can't even sense what's wrong then we might need another dragon's opinion."
The room fell silent, and Issei paled as he realized who Akeno was referring to, "N-no way. Not him."
Rias nodded in agreement. "Akeno's right, if even Koneko in her Yokai form can't sense what's wrong, then it would be best to visit Emrys and Tiamat because a dragon knows a dragon best." She said ecstatically, but hesitated biting her lip.
"But if Emrys is preparing for his match I'm not sure if we should bother him." She added and simply hearing Rias say the name Emrys with so much affection made Issei nauseous and the thought of seeing the dragon was something he dreaded.
So Issei immediately chimed in, shaking his head vigorously. "We definitely shouldn't! Emrys is… he's, ugh, no! And Tiamat? We just saw her yesterday and she's terrifying! You've heard the stories, right? She's killed every Red Dragon Emperor before me! So why don't we ask like Rias Brother, he's like some big shot who should be able to help out." He offered and it would give him another chance to see Grayfia's smoking hot body.
But Ddraig's voice cut through Issei's protests, "Stop being a coward, partner. This is urgent as I've already told you and my mind is being messed with by something I can't pinpoint. It's best to ask another powerful dragon and Tiamat already knows you're my host, so there's no hiding from her."
Seeing that almost everyone agreed except him, Issei reluctantly agreed while sighing in defeat. "Fine," he muttered. "But I'm not happy about it." He said wanting to make his dissatisfaction known, not bothering to hide how uncomfortable he is now that he knows he has no chance with Rias.
Rias nodded and called Emrys, explaining the situation and Emrys agreed to help but insisted they come to him, as he was in the middle of training. In the background of the call they could all hear Tiamat's voice call out, "Get your ass ready for round fifteen!" and a quick "Shit!", before the call abruptly ended.
After Rias informed Sona of their departure preparing, the group teleported to the Familiar Forest and the scene they arrived to see left them all speechless.
Emrys and Tiamat were engaged in a fierce sparring match, their movements almost too fast to follow as the ground trembled with each blow, and the air crackled with power that was more intense then what Emrys had shown when he barged into the ORC and Issei's face turned pale witnessing the raw strength and speed of the two dragons.
"Holy crap," he muttered seeing the person he wanted to compete with and reaffirmed his promise to never become enemies with Emrys.
"Don't interrupt them. Tiamat would kill us all if we did." Ddraig's voice sounded out to the group reminding them of who they were dealing with and the fight continued for several minutes, the peerage watching in stunned silence with Kiba commenting how much stronger Emrys had gotten within a month, but that seemed to jinx the man as Tiamat landed a devastating blow sending Emrys crashing into the ground with enough force to push even them back and create a massive dust cloud.
Not even a second later the dust was cleared by a strong gust of wind to reveal Tiamat standing on the edge of the crater in her human form, her expression calm as Emrys stumbled to his feet, bruised but grinning and Tiamat motioned for the blonde girl with green eyes rushed over as she began to heal Emrys, her hands glowing with warm light and while he didn't want to be beaten by Tiamat, Issei truly was jealous of Emrys' luck with women.
"Why is a gaggle of bats and the Red Dragon Emperor visiting my home?" Tiamat's piercing gaze turned to the group and Issei had to calm himself down feeling his flight or fight response kicking in from the predatory stare.
-Emrys-
He began to regain clarity as Asia healed him, the soothing warmth of her magic making the pain fade away and he noticed that Tiamat was conversing with Rias and her peerage most likely about the problem happening with the 'Breast Dragon Emperor.
"So, what's the verdict?" he asked, his tone casual but his curiosity piqued.
Tiamat, glancing at him briefly, returned her focus to Issei, "This fool has a two-layered spell cast on him by someone powerful. The first layer is a conditional activation spell and remains dormant until specific criteria are met. The second is a soul spell, meant to muddle Ddraig's connection to the pervert and ensure the first can work uninterrupted."
Emrys raised an eyebrow, his mind racing with the implications, "Two-layered spellwork? On him?" He gestured to the stupid looking Issei and feeling a bit of irritation he quipped, "Anyway where'd you learn to read spells like that, Tiamat? We both know you aren't the scholarly type."
Tiamat's cold glare could have frozen lava, "I worked with Ajuka Beelzebub on advanced magical theory, you insolent whelp," she snapped, her tone as cold at the arctic tundra and Emrys knew that little jab at her intelligence would get him another ass whooping, but the stronger he got the more confident he became.
Issei, meanwhile, was visibly unraveling, "Does this mean someone can just take control of me? Anytime? Oh no, what if-", Was all he got out as his rising hysteria was cut short as Tiamat rolled her eyes, blinked forward unceremoniously knocking the pervert out with a swift chop to the neck.
Seeing Issei crumble like a sack of potatoes made Emrys burst into laughter, doubling over as Rias and her peerage looked on in shock, "Relax," he said between chuckles. "She's just a little hot-tempered and he'll wake up… Eventually."
Tiamat ignored the disapproving stares, folding her arms as she turned to Emrys. "The spell was designed to be subtle which is why none of them," she gestured to Rias, Akeno, and Koneko, "could sense it. And why Ddraig, from inside the Boosted Gear, could only feel something muddling his mind. Even I had to focus on his very soul to uncover it."
Seeing that she was in teacher mode again Emrys wanted to make another joke, but after weighing his options he decided it wasn't worth provoking her further and opted for silence, nodding thoughtfully at her words.
Satisfied, Tiamat continued, "As for the conditions of the spell, I couldn't identify them. Whoever cast it was meticulous and hid them deep within the spell itself and the only person I know who could decipher them would be Ajuka."
Rias, visibly relieved to have a lead, stepped aside to most likely to call Sirzechs to get in contact with Ajuka and the tension in the air.
Suddenly though the Boosted Gear manifested on Issei's arm and Ddraig's voice rumbled with authority. "Now that that's settled, I need to speak with both Emrys and Tiamat," Ddraig said and everyone nodded wanting to know what he had to say, "in private." The Red Dragon Emperor added.
The rest of the peerage exchanged glances before nodding and retreating to a respectful distance to give the dragons their space, with Koneko, Akeno and Kiba going to talk with Asia in the distance.
Emrys crossed his arms, intrigued at what Ddraig had to say considering the dragon probably figured out that they were related, so he stayed quiet and listened in hoping to see some spicy drama.
"What the fuck do you want you roasted lizard?" Tiamat said with an air of aggression and the sudden insult almost made him laugh, but he remained silent and attentive
"Is Emrys my son?" Ddraig asked straight to the meat and potatoes and it didn't surprise Emrys as most dragons seemed to loathe talking around the subject.
Tiamat raised an eyebrow, her expression incredulous, "Your son? No, he's not because Emrys doesn't have a father." She said and it seemed like she was going to reveal how he was created.
"If that's true, then how am I connected to him?" Ddraig said and you could hear the frown on his non-existent face.
Her expression was vindictive, "I don't owe you an explanation, Ddraig, so mind your own business." She said and it seemed like he was wrong, she just wanted to be rude to Ddraig once more.
As he had observed the exchange silently, he felt the tension thickening between the two before Ddraig turned his attention to Emrys, his voice softer, "What about you, boy? Do you know how you're connected to me?"
Emrys hesitated, debating how much to reveal as Tiamat hadn't done anything beyond irritate Ddraig and he decided to hold his cards close to his chest, "What would your attitude be if we were related, Ddraig?" He asked probing to see the dragon's reaction as many supernatural beings would take offense to someone desecrating their corpse.
The question caught Ddraig off guard, but his voice soon boomed with excitement, "Ha! So, we are related! While I wanted to know how that can be for later because if that's the case then I'd treat you like my own. Haaaa, I can already picture myself rubbing it in Albion's smug face, he won't hear the end of it!" Ddraig said and it seemed he took Emrys' question as an indirect answer. He couldn't help but chuckle at Ddraig's excitement, seeing a dragon that was an object of legend so giddy was amusing.
But then Ddraig turned his attention back to Tiamat, "Did you… drug me unconscious and-", before Ddraig could finish the sentence Emrys burst into laughter, doubling over at the absurdity of the question. The mere concept of Tiamat date raping someone was hilarious, but it seemed that Tiamat didn't share Emrys sense of humor as her the look on her face showed irate expression.
"I hate to break it to you, Ddraig," Emrys finally said, managing between laughs, "but no, I'm not biologically related to Tiamat and she'd never laid a hand on you so let's kill that idea right now." He said not wanting his genetic blueprint to get the idea that he slept with Tiamat.
He could feel both dragons stare at him, Ddraig being more spiritual, momentarily stunned by his frankness. Tiamat was the first to recover, a mischievous smirk crossing her face, "Oh, so protective?" She said with a teasing tone, "But if you want to claim me, you'd better get a hell of a lot stronger before I'd tolerate the idea."
Ddraig snorted, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "Good luck, Emrys. You'll need it with a woman like her." Then to Tiamat, he added slyly, "Or is it that the men after my death have been so disappointing you decided to raise your own mate?"
Tiamat's teasing smile vanished, replaced by a furious snarl and as she moved as if to strike the unconscious Issei, Emrys quickly stepped between, "Alright, enough!" He waved toward Rias and her peerage, "We're done here Rias! It's time for me to get back to training." He said wanting to get them away from the angry Tiamat as soon as possible.
Rias nodded, signaling to her peerage that it was time to leave and Kiba hefted the unconscious Issei over his shoulder while the others prepared to leave. Before departing, Rias approached Emrys, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'll text you later, okay?"
"Sounds good." Emrys smiled, his expression softening.
As Rias and her peerage disappeared, Tiamat's voice cut through the silence, "You really must be missing brain cells if you think it's a good idea to talk about claiming me and then kissing another woman right in front of me?" She asked glaring at him.
The realization hit Emrys like a brick as he turned sheepishly toward her. "Uh… can we extend the break?"
Tiamat's answer was a feral grin as she launched herself at him with renewed vigor, "Not a chance."
The clash of dragonic energy shook the clearing as their sparring continued.
-Ajuka Beelzebub-
He was engrossed in a complex magical project that could solve climate change, his concentration was absolute until his phone began to chime persistently. At first, he ignored it, assuming they would get the message that he was busy and it would stop, but the calls continued for nearly ten minutes and with a frustrated sigh, he finally glanced over at the screen and saw the name Rias Gremory.
The first thought that came to mind was far from pleasant. Did Rias figure out Sirzechs' plan to seduce her by sending Grayfia to Emrys? The chain of events he imagined spiraled rapidly. First Rias would tell Emrys and the young dragon would confront Sirzechs which would lead to Tiamat stepping in and chaos ensuing as Emrys and Tiamat fought Sirzechs. Groaning at the possibility, he answered, bracing for pandemonium.
To his surprise, Rias' voice was calm and polite. "Ajuka-sama, I'm sorry for calling so much, but I need your help identifying the conditions of a spell cast on one of my peerage members."
Relieved that it wasn't the apocalypse he had envisioned, Ajuka checked the time and realized that he hadn't slept in nearly a week… At least now he knew why his mental wasn't at its peak, but this task shouldn't take too long.
"Very well," he replied curtly. "Send me the location and I'll be there shortly."
Moments later, Ajuka teleported into the Occult Research Club's room and he greeted Rias with a nod, noticing her tense expression and the unconscious Issei Hyoudou laid out on the couch. Without wasting time, he began examining the magic around the unconscious Red Dragon Emperor.
As his analysis unfolded, Ajuka froze. The intricacy of the layered spell wasn't too impressive, but what truly unsettled him were the conditions embedded within it. They were designed to make Issei activate Juggernaut Drive and attack Emrys following his match with Ruval with Ddraig unable to pull Issei out of it.
'Sirzechs,' Ajuka thought of the only person who would do such a thing with a weary sigh. It seemed his initial assumption about Sirzechs' involvement wasn't far off.
Ajuka's mind immediately calculated the potential fallout. If Tiamat had deciphered the spell's true purpose she would have flown over Lilith, the capital of the underworld, and bombed the Lucifer Estate, the resulting conflict would likely escalate into an all-out war among the devils as the Old Satan faction would join in on the attack and the Underworld that was already fragile enough without another civil war would be left in shambles by one of Sirzechs' convoluted schemes.
Knowing he couldn't expose his best friend without setting everything ablaze, Ajuka forced himself to maintain composure, "The conditions set for Issei," he began calmly, "were for him to act as a spy for a group known as the Khaos Brigade and feed them information. It was good that you caught this so fast." He congratulated Rias as it was less likely that she would question him if he complimented her on the find.
Rias however looked preoccupied as she asked, "The Khaos Brigade? Who are they?"
"A terrorist organization," Ajuka explained, his tone serious but measured. "They've been causing trouble across various factions. If they've targeted Issei, we need to be cautious."
Fear flickered in Rias' eyes hearing that a terrorist organization was targeting her peerage and Ajuka softened his tone slightly. "I'll inform the other Satans to increase security around Kuoh. This is likely an isolated attempt, but we can't take any chances." He said and apologized to the Khaos Brigade for slandering their name, but then again they were terrorists so he didn't care much.
So with precision and ease, Ajuka undid the spell leaving no trace of it and turned to Rias, he offered a polite farewell. "That should suffice for now. I'll be in touch if we learn more and I'll talk to Sirzechs about increasing the security around Kuoh. Good day, Rias."
As soon as he returned to his lab, the composed facade cracked. Ajuka swore under his breath. "Damn it, Sirzechs! What were you thinking? This could've turned into exactly the disaster I feared."
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became and he glanced at his phone, debating whether to confront Sirzechs immediately, but decided against it, he was tired and angry and he knew better then to argue with anyone in his current condition, but Ajuka did send a brief text.
[We need to talk. Tomorrow.]
Satisfied, he set his phone down and laid in bed muttering, "If this mess explodes, I'm blaming Sirzechs for all of it."
AN: Alright well this chapter was something and this was the route I decided on because I didn't want Emrys or Tiamat just blurting out he was a test tube baby made out of Ddraig and Albion, especially with Emrys having exposed himself as being related to Ddraig.
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