Silver W. King
patreon
Returning Welsh Dragon Hero - Chapter 27
🕑 Added 2024-08-13 12:53:50 +0000 UTC"I'm sorry, what?" Vali blinked in confusion.
"Yeah, I wasn't paying attention to the fight back on the ship, but things were tough back there with both Mary and Anne, along with Eric Bloodaxe, and the Spearman, who turned out to be Hector." Issei explained. "So Ritsuka used a few Shadow Servants she had, specifically Nobunaga and Okita.
"Okita to counter the duo pirate girls, and Nobunaga to put Hector on the back foot, since Nobunaga's power is anything Anti-Magic or Divine. And yes, even a copy of her has that power. Then she had Asterios throw her to Blackbeard's ship, letting the fluffy boy focus on Eric and take him out. From there, Mary, Anne and Hector were in a stalemate with everyone else, and Ritsuka wanted to use that opportunity to negotiate with Teach."
"Negotiate? That worked?" Vali focused a bit more on the story, fascinated by this daredevil-ish human.
"Well, she blackmailed him since she figured out his 'secret'. She already told Mash and would have given her a signal to tell everyone if Teach didn't agree to an alliance." Issei said.
"What secret?"
"That Teach was into big boobs. Or rather into hag boobs, meaning he actually liked Drake, but didn't want to admit it."
"You're fucking with me." Vali deadpanned, yet his face showed surprise. "You're telling me, in that other world, the most notorious bloodthirsty pirate in history, isn't just an incredibly cringey filthy weeb, but an actual tsundere!"
Issei laughed out loud for a while. His voice carrying out along the winds of the cool night. Asia next to him was smiling, while being a bit sleepy, glad to see Issei looking so happy. Even Vali found himself letting out a chuck.
Yet when Issei's laughter died down, he looked slightly despondent. His eyes gazing down at the waves hitting the cliff side.
"Vali, can I have a glass of that?" He pointed at the magic alcohol bottle by Vali's side.
"...Sure." Vali raised an eyebrow, then made a glass, some ice cubes and poured Issei a drink of the divine drink.
Issei took the glass of white and black liquid, swirling and dancing around the ice cubes. He took a sip and...
Issei stilled. Blinking a few times as he took in the feeling of this experience.
Not the taste, that was just cream over sweet coffee in a way with a slight burning as it goes down. Overall not bad.
No. Rather it was the... jolt, was all he could call it. The Holy Factor within him seemed to get supercharged.
Not a sudden jump, but like a car's engine being turned on, and the motor was slowly building up power.
It slowed after the first jolt.
The strengthening of the holy element was slow. Issei took another sip and felt the element feel like it was shining the smallest smudge brighter.
[Hmm, I think I figured out what the alcohol is mixed with.] Ddraig said getting both Issei and Vali's attention. [It's Amrita. Vali, you should start cycling your Demonic Power through your body.]
Vali's eyes widened as he did so.
"Amrita? What's that?" Issei asked.
[The Hindu version of Nector, the drink of immortality.] Ddraig said.
Issei blinked at that, before he turned to Vali in concern.
"Drinking divine stuff, isn't that bad for you?"
[It's filtered a lot, so it doesn't seem to pose a problem. Might give you a stomachache though later, Vali.] Albion said.
"Then it's fine." Vali shook his head. "Beyond making me feel spicy, it's like resistance training for Holy Power." He smirked.
"...What do you mean by, 'it's making you feel spicy'? I feel you're not saying that as an innuendo." Issei asked.
"Like, I could taste with my whole body, and what I'm tasting is spicy." He explained.
"Okay, I feel like that's something to worry about." Issei said.
"It's telling you, it's fine. Albion will tell me if it gets dangerous." Vali waved him off, and took another sip of his drink while looking at Iseei, almost stubbornly.
Issei clicked his tongue. "Fine, Asia can heal you and I can Boost your regeneration if need be."
Vali blinked at that. "You can focus your Boost on a specific aspect of someone?"
"Eeeh, a bit more difficult to do it on someone else with Transfer, because it's like coding something before compiling it, but manageable. Either to Boost specific parts of myself, if I want to conserve energy." Issei waved his hand in a so-so gesture.
"Hmm, isolating the Divide's effect? No, maybe even target specifics, or even the negative remnants..." Vali muttered to himself.
The two were silent in their thoughts with their drink for a while.
Asia breathing evened for second, almost falling a sleep, before jolting herself back up again.
"Here," Issei moved back far away from the cliff's edge, to sit with his legs straight forward.
"Eh?" Asia blinked as Issei moved her head to his lap. She blushed heavily as upon realizing she was being given a lap pillow.
"You can sleep if you want, I'll wake you up when we leave back to the hotel." Issei said.
"Ah! O...Okay." Asia let her head rest on Issei's lap, her face burning from the gesture. Issei's hand, patting her head wasn't helping her calm down.
The sound of the waves crashing against the cliff echoed below the trio.
"What happened next?" Vali said, making Issei looked back toward him. Vali gestured with his head toward Issei's hand, holding the glass cup. "Something bad?" He asked, assuming that's why Issei asked for a drink.
"That fight with Teach." Issei began. "That would be the last time I had a good victory. At least that's how it felt like to me. Sure, there were the fun or joke missions, where the stakes were pretty low. But the serious missions? I never lost anything until that point. It would be later on that I realize, Ritsuka and Mash went through what I experienced multiple times. Won't even be the last time we gain bitter victories."
===x===
One Year Ago, Issei (POV)
"Teach, we're otaku. Since the world already shames us, why should we lie about the things we love in our hearts?" I said passionately with a hand extended to an enemy-turned-friend.
"Ise-chan." Blackbeard said teary eyed.
His eyes suddenly widened, shining with the grimmer of the ferocious pirate he was. The Pirate Servant moved.
Everything happened so fast.
I didn't understand things could go from one second where Blackbeard was about to accept my hand in otaku friendship, and begrudgingly accepting Ritsuka's partnership, as she smugly told him to ally with us, or she'd have Mash disclose his secret love of oppai, or rather a "specific pirate's", to...
There was a shout from Mash and Drake. Blackbeard moved insanely faster than he had against me.
Ritsuka and I were thrown overboard. We hit the water as an explosion erupted from Queen Anne's deck.
"Issei! Issei, fly us up!"
Ritsuka had moved mid-push closer to me, or maybe Blackbeard threw us close together. Either way she was grabbing onto me.
"I, eh, what?"
We fell in the water. Splash.
"Hector, you bastard! I don't care that you betrayed me, but you also got your normie hands on Euryale-chan—GAAAH!"
I looked up from the water to see blood spraying from Blackbeard who falls from over his ship's guardrails.
"Issei, fly us up now!" Ritsuka shouted.
Yet I was too thrown off by everything happening rapidly. I tried to called on my magical energy, when Blackbeard fell with a loud splash in the water.
"REMEMBER ME—BRRAAAGH!"
The sea began to be colored red.
"Welp, that's one down." The other Servant, the handsome Greek bastard, he was staring at where Blackbeard fell. "Servant signal gone. I guess that's confirmed . Huh, so the ship stays even after his death." He hummed. "Now I guess that just leaves—"
"Issei, get us to Drake's ship now!"
I felt the effect of the Command Seal take hold, and before I knew it I was in Scale Mail flying with Ritsuka in my arms, zooming toward Captain Drake's ship.
I felt a wiz of sharp air. The place where we were in the water had a hole made from force and displaced air.
"Tsk. The Master of Chaldea ain't half bad." Hector said, looking at us as we touched down on Drake's ship deck. "You have a good head on your shoulders, girl. Shame that your dragon Servant is a genuine idiot. Even Blackbeard never let his guard down until the last moment."
"Hector!" Anne shouted and fired her gun multiple times, but Hector was easily dodging or deflect them.
Dr. Roman was panicking and expositing on who Hector was. The Trojan Hero, who held off the Achaean Greeks as long as possible, and managed to rival the legendary Achilles for a time.
"When did you betray Blackbeard?" Drake asked with a grimace.
"Betrayed him? I was never on his side." Hector chuckled. "I already got what I came here for. The grail, and the goddess." He held Euryale under his arms, almost like he was showing her off.
Euryale kept kicking and fighting against his hold to no avail.
"Let's Euryale go!" Asterios jumped across the ship, making the distance to the captured goddess.
"Asterios!" Euryale shouted in terror, and instantly Asterios was stabbed by Hector's spear. His arm that was extended to rescue Euryale was punctured with multiple holes.
"You really should know your place monster." Hector said dismissively.
"Hey!" I shouted and jump activating my Sacred Gear, using the rest of the magical energy from the Command Seal to fire up my Noble Phantasm one more time.
[WELSH DRAGON OVER BOOSTER]
"Welp," a boat appeared near Blackbeard's ship. No, maybe it was slowly getting here and was lost in the commotion. "Time to go back to my king. It's been fun, pirates, Chaldea." Hector said with the same lazy bored tone.
I didn't even touch him.
Even with the boost in power and speed from the Scale Mail I couldn't reach him in time.
No, Hector didn't even register me as a threat worth fighting or bothering with. He just jumped into his escape boat and had the pirates under his command sail him fast away.
Asterios and I quickly went back to the Golden Hind, as my Scale Mail shit off and we sailed after him.
The boat Hector escaped on was fast. Enchanted by magic according to Da Vinci, but the Golden Hind wouldn't fall behind something like that under Drake's leadership and sailing.
Not only that but Anne and Mary, Blackbeard's former Servants agreed to work under Captain Drake in order to avenge their former captain. Say what you will about them, even if they were disgusted by Teach, those pirate duo words and bonds were iron-clad. They even refused to form a contract with Ritsuka till their revenge, their last duty, was carried out.
Yet things were so simple.
Another complicated arrived. Another ship from the opposite direction heading toward us. An archaic style ship that Hector was heading towards. The one were his boss was.
The other ship, the archaic classical ship, got close enough to see the people on it.
Thump thump.
I froze.
I don't know why. There was this feeling, this wave that rush over me.
"Fujimaru! Captain Drake! That oncoming ship has a high magical reaction. Wait, no, these numbers..."
The doctor was talking. Captain and Master were discussing stuff. I can't focus on them.
Thump thump.
A coldness. The air felt colder. No, it didn't change, it just felt colder to me.
Thump thump.
Three people on the classical ship Hector headed for.
I could only focus on one.
No, they were the only person I could look at as fear gripped my being.
Thump thump.
"Wh... What is this?" My voice was cracking, like I was little scared kid again.
"Mr. Hyoudou, are you okay? You're shivering." Mash asked.
[Hmm, it seems gaining a Servant body had more effects on you than I thought.]
Thump thump.
"D-Ddraig?" I said. "Do you k-know, w-why?"
Why was I so terrified looking at that monster?
A giant. A hulking mass of muscles and rage.
It looked humanoid, but there was no way that thing was human or could be human.
[It seems a lot of things were heightened upon you becoming a Servant. One of them are your instincts. One of my abilities, an instinct really, is to tell how many Boosts I need to overcome my opponent. An ability my wielders inherit. Basically, I can tell how strong an enemy is.] Ddraig explained.
"Issei." Ritsuka called out. "How many Boost would it take for you to beat that Servant?"
"I-I can't."
Thump thump.
"No amount of Boosts, can let me win against that thing."
===x===
"Really? The enemy was that scary?" Vali blinked, unable to help but sound skeptical.
Issei drank from his glass.
"I don't know if you had this experience, but some kids, when they go to school, they find themselves dealing with a subject. Math, science, language, whatever. They start and it's so easy. Even when it's challenging, you just need to try a little and you can easily handle it. You feel like this is no problem. Even when it gets more difficult, you feel your understanding is matching or is faster than the level of progress, so there's no worries.
"And then you face a really tough problem that throws you on your ass, and you slowly realize, you aren't as talented or as smart as you thought. That's all Berserker was really."
Issei turned his head, looked Vali in his eyes to emphasis the gravity of what he was saying.
"Heracles was my wake up call. The reality check of what the dangers of Chaldea's missions actually were."
===x===
One Year Ago, Issei (POV)
The enemy ship was clearly before us now. Hector disembarked his boat and jump onto the enemy ship, his boss's ship.
He presented the grail and Euryale to a blond fop, the captain of the enemy ship.
The blond with the punchable face was talking. Master and others were talking back, but I could only keep my eyes on the giant.
"Hector, did you really not tell them who they are facing?" The blond asshole whined.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, Captain." Hector said with a cheeky chuckle. "This is a ship you most definitely have heard of. The one that set sail to gain the Golden Fleece, gathering many heroes for that journey." Hector began to explain. I didn't understand, but Mash and the others' face started turning pale. "Humanity's oldest and strongest 'pirates', if you will. Their name is, the Argonauts."
Shock hit us like it was a physical force.
The Argonauts. Hell, even I knew them. I don't know the details to their story, but I still heard about them.
Instantly my mind made the connection to who the giant was.
No.
And instantly I wanted to deny it.
"Captain, you should retreat." Dr. Roman's voice was deathly calm. "If it's the Argonauts, then this isn't a fight that can be won. We don't need to search for a True Name. That giant Servant, it can only be him, in Greek mythology. No." Roman paused. "In all of human history, there is no one that wouldn't know his name. Heracles."
And just like that, the dread was made real. I couldn't make any illusions to hide behind.
His presence alone was too much.
Ritsuka fell from the pressure. Mash helped her up, she was shaking like I am now.
I grabbed my own wrist to try and stop shaking.
Calm down.
Calm down, me!
I'm the one who has to fight. I can't cower here. Didn't I say I will be a hero?
Then step up! I shouted to myself in my mind.
The blond fop Servant was still talking.
"We're finally close enough to see each other eye to eye, but you're a shabby looking group aren't you?" Jason sighed. "Really, Hector? These are the people who slowed you do so much?"
"Yeah, don't know what to say, but it couldn't be helped." The lazy Servant chuckled.
"Well, we need to give those scoundrels and introduction anyways." Jason now turned to us in full, rather than half-heartedly address us. His smile filled with annoyance and distain, yet acting as if he wanted us to pay attention to him still. "Welcome to all you evildoers trying to 'correct' history. Before you stand the Heroes trying to make the world right." He said with his arms spread wide.
...What?
"The Witch of Colchis, Medea. The Protector of Troy, Hector. The World's Greatest Hero, Heracles." Jason continued, introducing his crew. "And leading them all is me, the Hero King of Okeanos, Jason."
"The talking blond stereotype is saying what now?" I uttered, while had Jason choke on his words, looking at me with shock and outrage.
"Mr. Hyoudou, you alright?" Asked Mash.
"Yeah, I'm good now. What he said was so stupid that my earlier fear was washed away." I nodded to her.
"Y-Y-You..." Jason seemed to have a hard time looking for the right insult. "You damn lizard, you dare speak to your king in that manner."
"King? I have no idea where you got your delusions that anyone here wants you as king. We wouldn't be opposing you otherwise." I said back. "Heck, your side doesn't even have any Servants would nice Oppai to look at." The petite mage Servant blinked and looked at me strangely. Her smile was disturbing, like she was trying to decide how to flay me. ...That's a weird thought. "Well, we are trying to get back our petite goddess, so sorry, but you're not gonna start your loli collection." I turned to Ritsuka and gave her a thumbs up as I moved away from the group.
She gave me a thumbs up back, while smiling widely and confidently again. Yeah, Master is better when she's smiling and not frightened.
Yeah, this is better. Now I can pull the danger away from them. I gathered my magical energy ready to use my Noble Phantasm at a moment's notice.
"You are... by far the most disrespectful peasant I've ever met. I won't allow people like you in my world." Jason said.
"Wow," Drake spoke up. "You know, compared to the stories about the Argonauts, you are much more arrogant then you appear in them."
"So that's the scum, that goatee shithead was working for?" Mary said.
"Wow, he looks more annoying than Captain was in way."
Jason turned his attention to Captain Drake and the Duo Pirate Servants.
"You're the arrogant ones, lacking respect for the king." He said with a smug smirk.
"What king, you shithead! You're just another asshole idiot after my grail!" Drake called him out.
"What need do I have of you grail." Jason smirked as Hector handed him the grail, while Medea made magical ropes and bind Euryale. "I have my own grail back, and now the goddess. All that's left is the 'Ark' to sacrifice her and then—"
"Captain!" Hector smiled and interrupted Jason. "I think that's too much details for those ruffians."
"Hahaha, you're right, Hector. The king's generosity is too much sometimes." Jason laughed to himself wholehearted, like he already won. He let out a sigh and looked back at us. "Well, we already got our objectives. As a gesture of my magnanimity, I'll let you all go if you swear to not get in my way again."
"And let keep Euryale and the grail keeping up this Singularity?" Ritsuka asked with quiet determination.
"Naturally. You've done well for yourself, Master of Chaldea, fixing those two eras. Unfortunately for you, this is where your luck ends." Jason said, making my eyes widen.
"So he knows about that too, huh." Roman said. I could hear a frown in his voice.
"Master..." Asterios looked at Ritsuka anxiously.
"Sorry, Asterios." Ritsuka took a deep breath. "I'm fine now. Let's go and get back Euryale."
Asterios smiled widely, savagely.
"Master." Mash smiled approvingly as well.
"Alright! Get ready you sea scum. To battle!" Drake shouted and her crew cheered.
"Bring it on!" I shouted and activated my Noble Phantasm.
[WELSH DRAGON OVER BOOSTER]
"Jason!" Ritsuka shouted, standing defiant against the Captain of the Legendary Argonauts. "We're taking back Euryale!"
Jason sighed.
"Trash really don't appreciate mercy when it's offered to them." The Argonaut Captain raised his hand in my direction. "Heracles, kill..."
I tensed, feeling my heart drop in my stomach, but still ready to act.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"Her." Jason pointed at Ritsuka.
What?
Mash shouted something. Asterios roared.
In an instant Heracles crossed the distance, he was on our ship, his boulder-thing shaped like a sword heading for Ritsuka's head.
Mash deflected it. Asterios engaged him. Anne and Mary offer support but Mary couldn't get close. Or rather her getting close would mean her death.
I moved. Lunging at the hulking mass, fist pulled back, with all the power of my stored Boosts, ready to release it in one blow—
The axe-sword swung toward me.
Darkness.
===x===
"No way." Vali was wide-eyed. "While in Balance Breaker, he took you out in one hit? I mean, sure, it wasn't the complete Balance Breaker but still—"
"No, Vali." Issei shook his head. "He didn't take me out in one hit. Mash managed to deflect the attack away from me."
"Then what happened?"
"The pressure from his sword just gazing me is what knocked me out."
===x===
One Year Ago, Issei (POV)
[...ake...]
Pain was at the edges of my awareness and closing in.
[...ake up...]
It hurt. Why does my body suddenly hurt?
[Wake up, brat!]
"Mystic Code: First Aid!"
A wave of healing energy swept through me. My eyes snapped open, as I drew in air through my lungs.
"I'm... I'm alive?" I blinked at suddenly being back to consciousness and mostly healthy
"Issei!" Ritsuka shouted. I looked toward her—
I felt my heart drop.
Blood was falling from my Master's head. She looked alert and awake, yet she had blood covering her face.
"I'm fine! I was just hit my wind pressure! Help them!" She saw my expression and quickly dissuade me from panicking, while directing me at where to go.
I stared at Heracles facing off against Asterios, Anne, Mary, Mash and Drake and overwhelming them.
I had to help. So with a cry I ran.
My leg stepped forward and froze. As if shock was up my leg and spine into my head.
The giant monster, roaring and slashing his boulder sword, yet moving with a finesse and agility that belayed his animalistic mind. Fear gripped my being. Just being near this fight, and the pressure from his sword swings were getting to me. I could barely stop myself from losing my balance and falling.
I wanted to get in the middle of that? Am I crazy?
My eye landed on Mash. She looked scared. No, terrified, more than even I was, yet she was still there. Crying and gritting her teeth, facing the infamous hero head on.
If this scared girl could keep fighting while facing her fears, then how could I call myself a man, if I do any less.
My heart and my mind battled.
Move! I can't.
Mash doesn't want to be a hero, I do.
Move! I can't.
She just wants to protect Ritsuka. She is doing that right now and I'm not.
Move! I can't.
Move! Move! I'm scared.
"Shut up!" I punched myself in the face.
"Hahahaha, look at that idiot. He's so scared of Heracles he's punching himself rather than facing him." Jason laughed.
"Well that's only natural, right?" Hector added.
[BOOST]
I lunged forward.
The Boost this time felt different. I realized that because when I dashed forward I found myself jumping, clearing the distance.
"HEEYAAAAA!" I shouted and mule kicked the giant in the face.
For a moment, everything slowed down and stopped from my perspective. It felt I hit a brick wall.
No. Heracles was a wall. A wall that didn't react to even instinctively attack me right away because I was that low of a threat to him. He swung his arms and I fly up, away from his reach. He didn't follow up his assaults, as Asterios was in his face.
My kick to the fucking face didn't even budge him. Literally, not even a centimeter. It might as well have been a mosquito bite.
I moved again, this time flying around to gain momentum, and trying to slam him in the back.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
I pulled back my fist, let out a shout and—
Darkness.
...
...
...
"Issei, by the power of my Command Seal, heal yourself!"
I... died?
My eyes snapped open.
My mind quickly replayed what happened.
I punched toward Heracles undefended back. Mash shouted at me to stop.
Heracles turned a downward slash at Asterios, who blocked it with his iron axes, into a crescent slash upward towards me.
I brought my hands up to protect myself out of instinct.
The axe-sword smashed through my defense and ripped open the Scale Mail and my chest.
I could tell it my Spirit Origin was slightly cracked. The axe-sword didn't hit it, but the vibration and shock of the hit sent the damage through me.
Master's Command Seal patched me up physically, but my Spirit Origin is still fragile.
I can't take another hit like that.
[This is a sorry state.]
"D-Ddriag?" I said through the pain.
[She has only three of those Command Spells, and she already used two on your, correct?] The Red Dragon said.
"What do you mean?" I asked observing as my allies held back Heracles, but it was barely a stalemate. Not only that but Asterios was too focused on wanting to rescue Euryale to fight fully.
[I'm saying, for wanting to be here to help the girl, you're being a burden right now.] Ddraig huffed.
The Red Dragon's words hit me in my core.
"So what am I suppose to do? What can I do?" I cried out.
Ddraig sighed. [Usually, I don't like getting involved in my wielders fights. Dragons are meant to finish their own battles, and you being the user of the Boosted Gear, are thus a Dragon by inheritance of hosting me.] He said. [Not that the seal allows for much influence from my side. At least not without my wielders mastering their abilities a bit more. However, it seems like you being a soul in an, what did they call it, an Ether body? Well, that allows some malleability for me to act.] He said with a smirk.
"Will you get to the point!?" I shouted.
[Your Boosts are shit. I won't get into the details because you don't have time. Strength, Speed or Durability, focus on one of those when you Boost, and I'll handle the rest.]
"So you are helping me out?" I got ready to dash forward again. "What about every Dragon finishes their own fight?"
[Well,] I could feel the battle excited grin on Ddraig's face. [Usually, my wielders don't get to fight legends, literally stepping out of myth.]
"Alright, then!" I said, hyping myself up.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"Strength!" I shouted and lunged forward.
I found myself instantly crossing the distance.
This time Heracles reacted right away, and more importantly, I noticed and reacted.
BAM!
My fist met the swung axe-sword, and the resounding sound of our clash rang across the battlefield. His sword and my fist stopped each other's movement cold.
"N-no way." Hector uttered.
"Hyoudou... matched Heracles's strength?" Mash said in awe.
Matched? Thank you for the high praise, Mash.
"Holy crap! The pervert really had it in him!" Anne cried out.
"Hmm, not bad Oppai Pervert." Mary added.
"T-Thanks." I said through gritted teeth.
From that clash, I felt the bones in my hand shake. My gauntlet was visibly cracked.
"Matching Heracles!? That's impossible! It was a fluke! Show him, Heracles!" Shouted the whiny Jason.
Heracles swung aside dislodging us from our position, and brought his sword again for another side swing.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"Defense!"
BAM!
A shockwave burst out as I took the full brunt hit. I stopped the Strongest Hero attack once more.
This time my arm gauntlets were both cracked and pieces started to break off. The bones in both my arms were definitely fractured from what I could tell.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Jason shouted in disbelief.
HA! Suck it, bitch!
I laughed through the pain and jumped back.
Heracles' attention was now on me. I can barely survive him. Think! Think! Think!
Heracles dashed at me, I flew up—
The giant Servant was in my face. He had jumped up after me.
Only to halt and grunt in rage and confusion.
Asterios caught his leg and threw him down toward the sea.
YES! That should be an instant win, except...
"The fuck! Is he a ballerina!?" I shouted.
Heracles spun mid-air and righted himself to land back on the ship's deck.
The Son of Zeus roared as he engaged the Bull of Minos once again. I tried to find an opening to attack Heracles, but the battle was too quick and chaotic.
"Issei!" Ritsuka shouted for me. I looked at her, and saw her gesturing with her head toward the Argo. "Fly around and gain momentum! Get them with your speed! She cried out.
I understood right away.
I flew around the Golden Hind, gaining momentum.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"Speed!"
I dived down toward Heracles at insane speeds. I could feel the wind pushing against me.
Heracles roared at my approached, but Mash jumped in and stopped his assault cold.
"Issei!" Ritsuka called out. "By the power of my Command Seal." She held her hand forward, her last Command Seal shining crimson bright. "Dodge everything and grab Euryale!"
I broke the sound barrier.
Heracles was still moving at normal speed from my perspective, but I felt how to dodge and my body did so without my input.
In an instant I was on the enemy ship.
"Heracles!" Jason shouted for him to act.
Hector tried to intercept me.
But Ritsuka wasn't one to be idle.
"Mystic Code: Momentary Reinforcement." Ritsuka was grinning.
Magical energy lashed out from her toward Asterios.
The Fluffy Giant dashed faster than he every had in that fight, and slashed right through Heracles. Completely from head to shoulders.
The "monster" overcame the "hero".
Hector couldn't touch me, as he was slow enough in my eyes to go around.
I reach Jason holding onto Euryale and punched him in the face with all my momentum.
"GAAAH!" His head snapped back. I could hear a crack as his neck broke.
"Jason, no!" Medea raised her staff as a magical field covered the Argonaut Captain and began healing him.
I could hear his neck snap back in place, as he cried, shouted and spat blood.
"Y-You stupid bitch! How dare you let this filthy lizard reach me. Where were the defensive barriers!?" Jason cried out. No really, there were tears in his eyes.
I grabbed Euryale during the commotion. Hector was busy as suddenly, Drake focused all her bombardment on him with no other enemy to worry about. Anne used her sniper skill to really throw off his rhythm.
"Sorry! He was faster than the barriers! I was more worried about your health, so I focused on healing spells." Medea quickly said.
"Let's get out of here!" I said to Euryale.
"No, Issei, let me go!" She said in a bit of a panic. Really? You're disgusted by me, even now?
"Now isn't the time for—" I froze.
Rather it felt like I was moving in slow motion through water. And gravity was heavily increase around me from all direction.
"Plus," Medea said while smiling. "I needed a suitable trap for the Chaldeans who think they're so clever." Her smile was menacing!
Shit! She saw through Ritsuka's plan.
This couldn't get any worse.
Then I heard a roar. A familiar roar of a maddened warrior and fear gripped my heart again.
"He's alive?" Mash uttered in horror as smoke covered the giant. Smoking coming from his wounds as he rapidly healed.
"No way, is he restoring himself? No. This is... resurrection." Roman said in awe and fear.
Jason bragged about Heracles' power and how he's immortal with 12 lives, and we only took out one.
What the fuck? How is this fair.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
I grunted and tried to move. I was doing slowly.
"Issei, stop. Just let me go." Euryale surprisingly sounded concerned. I guess she doesn't want people to die for her.
"Wow, he can actually move through that?" Medea blinked. "I guess once I finally hollow him out, he'll make a good weapon to use."
"You damn bastard. For daring to hit me, you're end won't be peaceful." Jason said. "However, hehahahaha, you try tried so hard for that goddess. Did you also fall in love with that thing?"
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"Love? Hell no!" I shouted.
"What?" Jason blinked.
"Excuse you?!" Euryale shouted offended.
"She's annoying, bossy, and even used her Charm powers to make me temporarily like her below average sized boobs, rather than true Oppai. I can never forgive her for that." I said.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"You're in my grasp. I can literally kill you right now." She said in anger, before looking at me in concern. "Your body, your vessel is breaking."
[She's right, your limit is suppose to be ten Boosts. You're storing too much, your body can't handle it. The physical form will break apart.] Ddraig advised.
"However!" I cried out. "Rescuing Euryale screws up your plans, right? So I'll recuse her, because fuck you specifically." I yelled at Jason, who's mouth fell open in shock. "She's also our friend, so of course I'll save her."
"Eh, Issei?" Euryale blinked at my words.
"And above all, she's someone important to Asterios."
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]
"And good bros save their bros' girl!" I shouted.
Crimson energy crackled around me, breaking Medea's spell.
"Heracles! Hector! End him already!" Jason shouted.
"Euryale, take my power!" I said to the shock of everyone. "Do it now and use your bow on them!" I felt like I was about to faint from overheating, or faint as I explode. In a fiery way.
"Tsk." Are you seriously clicking your tongue now?! "Those words, fine. I will grant you this favor just this once."
Euryale chopped down on my neck.
Heracles fought off Anne, Mary, Mash and Asterios.
Drake was focused on Hector, as Roman warned of his Noble Phantasm, which Hector was preparing to use.
Without Drake's extra aid, Heracles managed to shake off Mash and Asterios and the pirate duo much easier. Anne and Mary literally couldn't scratch Heracles.
"Euryale! Be faster already!" I cried out.
I felt Euryale steal my energy a bit more without reservation.
As she finished I felt myself feel depleted and tired. Without moving out of my arms, Euryale drew her bow to fire at the panicking Jason.
Heracles reached the Argo.
I wanted to run. Medea's binding spell was gone, but I was too tired. I could only walk.
Euryale changed targets to the more immediate threat.
"Eye of the Euryale!"
It wasn't her normal Charm arrows. It shined too bright, it ringing too loud, it was hot to be near.
The arrow was more like a bomb.
It struck Heracles with enough force to send rippling winds everywhere.
Mash and the others were shouting for us.
I pushed myself to keep walking. I had to get back to my friend. I had to bring Euryale to Asterios.
Jason looked dazed from being in the presence of the love bomb, while Medea was happily trying to cure him by pulling out a weird zigzag knife.
I'll have to fly over the water, but I can make it.
"You really caused a lot more trouble than I thought."
Stab!
"Gaaah!" I coughed blood as a yellow blade went through my side.
"Issei!" Euryale shouted.
Hector stood opposite to me, somehow making it through the chaos to block our way off the Argo.
"I have to admit, you really turned out to be a bit more of a wild element than I thought. But ultimately, like your Master who wasted all her Command Spells, you weren't that big of a deal after all." Hector spun his spear, ready to stab me again. This time to end me for good. "Welp, guess this is—"
The sea near the side of the ship we were at exploded upward, as a figured burst forth from the water.
"Gaah!" Hector cried out, and coughed blood like I did a minute ago.
Ha! Turn around is fair play.
"Y-You!" Hector couldn't believe his eyes, as he looked behind him. A sharp hook in his back.
"Did you think that was the end of me? If you prepared to betray me, then you should have expected me to betray you back!"
"N-No way!" I shouted with tears in my eyes. "You're alive!?"
"EW NO!" Euryale shouted in refusal.
""Trash Captain!"" Anne and Mary shouted in pleased surprise.
"That's right!" Shouted Edward Teach. "BLACKBEARD LIVES!"
===
AN: This Singularity doesn't want to end. And fuuuuuck I forgot about Anne and Mary! Edited them in.
Comments
Silver W. King
Okeanos is an interesting Singularity because it's technically easier to go through for Chaldea than the first two. You don't have to handle armies, you don't have to deal with hundreds of dragons. The enemy numbers is relatively smaller, and in a way it's a giant fetch quest. However, Jason and the Argonauts up the difficulty by hell a lot more on a personal level. That's what I felt made this Singularity perfect as the starting journey for Issei (discounting first GudaGuda event). Yeah, Teach was tough, but there was a light-hearted undertone in his fight. However once Heracles around, it's a life and death match, where a single mistake has costs to it. So while Issei will have his OP moments later on, it's not gonna come easy.
KAFFING
I do really love that Issei is struggling to keep up with the combat for his “first time”. While his BOOST ability is a massive boon it’s far from a deciding factor in a fight. I was a bit worried Issei would be too OP and no-sell the fight ruining the tension of battle in Singulairites but it’s great to see that it isn’t the case. It’s a struggle for Issei and will definitely continue to be especially concerning the conceptual bull that the Nasuverse slings around
Ruby Uzumaki
God damn truly a bro moment
Mysterious Stranger
The power of a Bromance surpasses even Death itself! LONG LIVE THE SECOND SHITTIEST RIDER!
Luis
Can't wait for Issei to develop his skills
