Arthur stood face to face with Gaia, the Greek Primordial Goddess of Earth.
The sheer weight of her presence was almost suffocating, but was countered due to her otherworldly beauty and 'Heavenly Bodies'.
He had no idea what to say.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but he eventually settled on introducing himself.
"H-Hello Miss Gaia... I'm Arthur, no last name."
He introduced himself, his voice steady despite his nervousness.
Gaia remained silent for a moment, her glowing blue eyes studying him with an unreadable expression.
Then, she spoke, her voice regal yet oddly warm.
"How fascinating. To think that you have managed to wake me from my slumber. Even my previous wielder could not accomplish such a feat."
He tilted his head slightly, adjusting his grip on Starfall, who remained nestled in his arms, softly breathing in sleep.
"What do you mean, Gaia?"
He asked politely.
Gaia regarded him for a moment before answering.
"I rarely involve myself in the affairs of my countless hosts. They come and go, wielding the Innovate Clear, never once aware of my presence. Yet… there have been a handful of times where I found myself interested. And you, Arthur, are one of those few... You can refer to me as Gaia, by the way."
Arthur frowned slightly, trying to process her words.
"So… what's so interesting about a 15 year old?"
He asked, genuinely curious.
Gaia's lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
"I believe it would be far more amusing to let you figure that out on your own."
Arthur sighed, feeling slight irritated.
He wanted answers, but at the same time, he wasn't exactly in a position to press her for information.
"…Fine, If you say so."
He muttered.
Gaia chuckled softly, clearly entertained by his reaction.
"Now then, tell me, Arthur… how did you awaken your Longinus?"
She continued.
Arthur hummed in thought before answering.
"Well… I passed out, and when I woke up, there was this blue barrier surrounding me, and then, all of a sudden, I was able to create summoned mosnters and weapons. My first creation was this little guy right here. His name is Starfall."
He gestured towards Starfall, who let out a soft, sleepy grumble in response.
Gaia's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of confusion passing through her otherwise composed features.
"That is… unusual."
She admitted.
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Unusual how?"
Gaia crossed her arms, looking thoughtful.
"The Innovate Clear has the power to create a pocket dimension where the user could create perfect imitations of living beings. Yet you claim to have created items, such as weapons… That should not be possible."
Arthur stiffened slightly.
"…But I have been creating weapons."
He said, recalling the Glock that had appeared in his hand not too long ago.
Gaia considered his words carefully before coming to a conclusion.
"…A Subspecies, then."
Arthur blinked.
"Huh?"
Gaia nodded to herself.
"It is rare, but there have been cases of Sacred Gears evolving into subspecies. Unique variations that diverge from their original function. But a Subspecies Longinus, its very much unheard of."
She met his gaze, her expression intrigued.
"If what you say is true, then your Innovate Clear may have undergone such an evolution."
Arthur stared at her, genuinely impressed by her deduction.
"…Wow, I didn't expect you to be this observant."
Gaia smirked slightly.
"Did you expect me to be dumb?"
"N-No! Of course not! I mean, you are a goddess and all, and I would never-"
Gaia giggled, cutting him off.
"Worry not, little boy. I was only teasing."
Arthur slumped slightly, exhaling in relief.
Starfall, still in his arms, let out a tiny, amused roar at his creator's embarrassment.
After a moment, Gaia shifted the topic.
"Now then, Arthur. What will you do now?"
Arthur blinked.
"On what?"
Gaia nodded.
"You are a Longinus wielder. Do you understand what that means?"
Arthur hesitated, pretending to be uncertain.
She took his silence as a no.
"Very well. Allow me to enlighten you."
Gaia then began to explain.
The Longinus, 13 evolved Sacred Gears so powerful they could slay gods.
The Three Factions, the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels.
The Great War that nearly destroyed the world.
Arthur already knew all of this.
But he listened intently, nodding along, pretending to be in awe.
When Gaia finally finished, she studied him carefully.
"Now, you now have a choice, Arthur. Possessing a Longinus means you are already a target to the supernatural world. Even more so because of which Longinus you possess."
Arthur frowned.
"Why? What's so special about my Longinus?"
Gaia's expression turned serious.
"Innovate Clear has another title."
She looked him in the eyes.
"The Sacred Gear That Lets One Impersonate God."
Arthur felt his breath hitch.
"…What?"
Gaia nodded.
"Innovate Clear has a long history. Its past wielders have used it to create vast pocket dimensions, entire ecosystems, even civilizations. The sheer scale of what it can achieve is godlike in nature."
Arthur let her words sink in.
He had known Innovate Clear was powerful from its original possessor, Kanzaki Mitsuya, but this was something else entirely.
"So tell me, Arthur. What will you do now?"
Gaia repeated her question, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Arthur.
Arthur fell silent.
What would he do?
On one hand, he could follow the plot, letting things play out naturally while only stepping in when absolutely necessary.
It would be the safest route, allowing him to control the outcomes to some extent.
But on the other hand… he could ignore the plot entirely.
Do his own thing, make his own path.
That option, however, came with risks.
He wouldn't know what would happen next.
He could unintentionally cause an even greater disaster.
A single wrong move could change everything.
His thoughts swirled, his mind weighing the choices carefully.
Then, he felt movement in his arms.
Starfall shifted slightly, his small body pressing against Arthur's chest.
The hatchling looked up at him with innocent, unknowing eyes, tilting his head as if sensing his creator's distress.
Arthur stared at the tiny dragon.
Then, he smiled.
He gently ran a hand along Starfall's back, feeling the soft scales under his fingertips.
Why was he overcomplicating things?
He didn't need to plan everything right now or to have all the answers.
Whatever happened, he would face it head-on.
Arthur looked back at Gaia, determination settling in his gaze.
"For now… I don't have a concrete goal."
He admitted.
"But I do know one thing. I'm going to get stronger. Strong enough that no one can mess with me."
His expression sharpened slightly.
"And hopefully, you'll help me."
Gaia crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly.
"Oh? And what makes you think that I, a Primordial Goddess, would help you?"
She asked, her voice holding a hint of amusement.
"You may have woken me, but that alone does not amount to anything."
Arthur didn't flinch.
He looked straight into her eyes, his expression unwavering.
"It's because I have the one thing that may or may not interests you."
Gaia raised an eyebrow.
"And that is?"
Arthur looks at her in the eye.
"Freedom."
"..."
Gaia went silent.
Arthur held her gaze, unwavering.
"You said it yourself. God sealed your soul and the others forcefully inside the 13 Sacred Gears which became the Longinus. There's no way you don't want to leave this confinement."
Gaia frowned slightly, her arms still crossed.
"Let's say you're correct. No God nor Demon has ever succeeded in freeing us from our prison. What can you, a mere human being, do about it?"
She said, her regal tone steady.
Arthur watched as Starfall flapped his small wings and took off from his arms, hovering around the vast, empty space of water and sky.
He let out a breath and looked back at Gaia.
"I will grant you your freedom."
He declared with his eyes burned with determination.
Gaia raised an eyebrow.
"In this lifetime, I will be the last possessor of Innovate Clear as I'll free you from this place. And in exchange, you will train me to become stronger. You'll teach me how to master my Longinus and pass down everything you know."
He took a step forward, staring up at the Primordial Goddess without hesitation.
"So, what do you say?"
For a moment, there was only silence.
Gaia simply looked at him, her expression unreadable.
Then… she chuckled.
The soft laughter grew louder until it became a full-blown, boisterous laugh.
Arthur blinked, feeling a bit embarrassed as Gaia held her stomach, her amusement echoing through the endless space.
"Oh, I have met so many strange possessors. But this is the first time I've met someone this determined to free me."
She finally said, wiping a tear from her eye.
Arthur stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.
Gaia's laughter died down, and her expression softened slightly.
Then, in an instant, she was right in front of him, startling him.
She smirked.
"Very well. I will train you with the art of combat and I will teach you everything I know. But don't think for a second that it'll be easy. You will cry tears of blood and regret making this deal when I'm done with you."
Arthur met her gaze, his resolve unshaken.
"Good, I wasn't expecting easy."
Gaia gave a small nod.
"Then, I guess we have a deal?"
Arthur extended his hand.
Gaia looked at it for a brief moment before taking it.
"Deal."
Their hands shook firmly, sealing their agreement, as the sounds of thunder could be heard from afar.
DxD
Hello readers!
Sorry for taking too long.
Throw your Stones in my general direction, please.
Thank you everyone and see you later!