Red.
A crimson red brighter than scarlet...
Red—far more beautiful than apple red.
I say this because, even in a situation like this, I still remember when I "accidentally" spilled apple juice on Rias' head.
Her face—so tender, so surprised.
I can still see it.
That was so long ago...
Let me tell you a story.
A long, long time ago, Earth was ravaged by constant war.
Though, to be more accurate, it was the Factions that ruled Earth that were at war.
The Three Great Factions.
Tremendous, egotistical bastards who believed there was no room in the world for anyone but themselves.
So, naturally, they started what would later be known as the Great Factional Wars.
White dove-winged angels, representing the Faction of [Heaven].
Black raven-winged angels, representing the [Fallen].
Bat-winged demons, darker than the Fallen, representing the [Demons].
Each one ruled by a different Sovereign.
[Heaven] was ruled by none other than the Biblical God Himself.
He commanded the 12 Seraphim, the Generals of the [Angelic Legions].
Together, they were a force to be feared.
But the other Factions were no slouches either.
The [Fallen] had powerful rulers—though I won't bother naming them.
I couldn't care less about who they were.
They were dangerous men, sure.
As for the [Demons], they were led by the Devil—Satan.
Alongside him were the [7 Infernal Princes]: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Asmodeus, Amon, Mammon, and Belphegor.
Generals of the [Infernal Legions].
These titans of mythology and scripture clashed time and again.
Each claimed to fight for their own reasons.
[Heaven] declared their war a "Valiant Crusade to purge the world of evil."
The [Fallen] declared, "There is no room for three factions on Earth. We, the Fallen, are the supreme race—the Aryans. We will not lower ourselves to coexist with the inferior."
Charming, right?
And the [Demons]?
They claimed, "We fight to end the tyranny and oppression the slave-driving empire of Heaven inflicts on the humans. The Fallen thought they could do better, but they're too soft. We will free humanity! Long live the Revolution!"
But, of course... that's what they said.
The truth?
All of them wanted to monopolize the Human World.
Hypocrites. Every one of them.
And they weren't the only factions around.
There was the [Asgardian] Faction, ruled by Odin and the Norse gods.
The [Olympian] Faction, led by Zeus and the other Greek gods.
The [Shinto] Faction, ruled by deities whose names are longer than your grocery list and harder to pronounce.
Among all these, there was one group that had no political influence...
But power? Hierarchy? They were unmatched.
I speak of a race—feared, legendary.
Dragons.
Since the dawn of time, they've been revered and feared.
Beings made of raw, living power.
Their presence made the other factions look like squabbling children.
Magnificent.
Imposing.
Terrifying—if angered.
Powerful beyond comprehension.
Woe to anyone who underestimates a dragon.
You'd better hide in a place so deep even darkness can't find you.
Because facing a dragon—especially an angry one—is a death sentence.
And not a quick one.
No, this is a slow, agonizing death.
Soldiers were ordered to retreat on sight.
Legends say there are three dragons who transcend the natural laws of the world.
Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon Goddess of Infinity.Great Red, the Dimensional Dragon God.And Trihexa—the Apocalypse Dragon.
Also known as the Dragon of 666.
Yes, it even appears in the Bible.
In the battle of the End Times, it's said Trihexa will fight Great Red and destroy everything.
Life, as we know it, will end.
If anything is even left afterward.
But hey—it's just a legend...
Or is it?
Life is strange. Unpredictable. Capricious.
One day, you're on top of the world...
The next, you're trading insults with two of the most powerful beings in the universe.
That's life.
It's beautiful. Precious. Fragile.
And that's why we fear losing it.
Because of that fear, there's a word that terrifies all sentient beings.
Death.
A wise man once said:
"Death is only the beginning of the greatest adventure in your life."
But…
Do you deserve that adventure if you've done nothing with your life?
Life is fleeting.
A transition.
A doorway to something more.
Am I crazy for thinking that?
An extremist?
No.
I don't claim certainty. I speak only in philosophy.
Unfortunately for me… I'm about to find out the answer.
And not in a pleasant way.
Dimensional Arrow – Unknown Location
BOOM
CRASH
BAM
The factory collapses, piece by piece.
Everything is in ruins.
The earth trembles beneath us.
My enemy approaches.
Colossal. Imposing.
The Apocalypse itself, moving toward me.
Its eyes—glowing red, burning with rage.
And rightfully so—because standing before it... is the descendant of the man who once sealed it.
It claws at the ground, resisting the pull of the Forbidden Seal.
But no matter how powerful it is, the seal will win.
After all, my father created it.
It opens its mouth, charging its final attack.
Its last act in this world.
"Shit!" shouted a figure in black armor.
"Don't be afraid—we just need to hold out long enough for the seal to finish!" said a red-haired man.
"He's right! Let's hit it with everything we've got!" yelled an albino.
"Albion, ready?"
{Let's show him the power of the White Dragon Emperor!}
"Together, Ddraig!" I shouted.
[Right, Aibou! Let's show this bastard what we can do!]
"Sirzechs, Ajuka—let's do it!" a man barked.
"But if we try that, we'll die!" Ajuka protested.
"It's possible! Issei, Vali, and I managed it!" the black-armored one insisted.
"But—!" Ajuka began to refute.
{Ddraig, Vritra—now!} Albion roared.
(Come on, my other half. You know what'll happen if that thing breaks through.) Vritra said.
He was right. We were the last line between that Beast and the Underworld.
Failure wasn't an option.
The Beast's attack was almost ready—massive, unimaginable in power.
We grouped up in threes, charging everything we had.
Demons on one side. Dragons on the other.
[Let's do this, Albion, Vritra!]
Boost. Boost. Boost. Boost. Boost…
{Divide. Divide. Divide. Divide…}
(Dark Flame Prison)
The dragons charged.
Ddraig powered up, Albion halved the Beast's energy, and Vritra absorbed the spillover to prevent overload.
The demons responded in kind.
Lucifer gathered his [Power of Destruction].
Beelzebub calculated with his [Kankara Formula], searching for weaknesses.
Asmodeus charged his deadliest spell.
The pressure in the air was unbearable.
All of it—for a few seconds' delay.
"It's not enough!" cried Asmodeus.
"Then I'll add this!" I shouted.
With my free hand, I drew a pentagram—the only spell I learned from a certain platinum-haired Valkyrie.
"That's…" Beelzebub began.
"Norse magic," Lucifer finished.
"Well done, Hyoudou," Saji added.
"HE'S COMING!" Vali screamed.
The Beast launched its final strike—lightning-laced death incarnate.
We had no choice.
We had to survive.
We had to fight.
"FIRE—NOW!" Lucifer shouted.
"Akuma Exclamation!" the demons roared.
"Dragon Roar!" we dragons shouted.
We unleashed it.
A torrent of unimaginable power, glowing purple, surging through the pentagram.
It amplified us.
We might actually win.
I watch in slow motion. Our attack races forward. Just a few more meters until impact.
I may not survive this.
So before the end, I must leave my story behind.
My children deserve to know who their father was.
Even if they never get to meet him.
Kids...
Please don't hate me.
This is the truth. Your mothers will confirm it.
Maybe someday, I'll be able to see you with my own eyes.
Sniff Sniff Sniff
First of all, you're probably wondering:
"If you're in battle, how are you writing all this?"
Simple.
I'm not.
This is a memory translation spell.
All my thoughts and memories are being transcribed onto sheets of paper I left behind at Gremory Manor.
I just hope I don't run out of ink.
Hehehe...
As you'll come to see, every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
It's a law of nature.
And the end... is always the beginning of something new.
The end was where my story began.