The Beginning of the Journey pt8

"My Lord, one of the Three Elder Scrolls is kept in the former Deadlands" said Odahviing

"Kel?! (Elder Scroll?!) Then tomorrow we shall visit the Underworld and retrieve it. Such things are dangerous for mortals."

"Ah, and I almost forgot, the transformation into a dragon destroys clothing at first. So, i recommend you to have spare clothes nearby when transforming back. With experience, this problem goes away." Alduin warned, landing in front of the Hall of Valor in Sovngarde.

"My Lord, welcome back. Odahviing" greeted Walburga.

"Kreinzulfen, Odahviing needs clothes."

"I have a spare set in Tamriel."

"I'll open a portal, and you'll handle the legalization of these two." Alduin said, nodding toward an eighteen-year-old red-haired teenager named Odahviing and a nun named Krahnahkriin.

"Walburga, come up with names, documents, and teach them a few things. Some need to be taught how to walk" Alduin added with a mocking glance at stumbling Odahviing.

"As you wish, My Lord" Walburga replied, watching Odahviing's nude human form struggling to stand up again.

"My Lord, you are the oldest of the Dovah, so why does your mortal form look the youngest?" asked Odahviing.

"Because, like Kreinzulfen, I was reborn in a mortal body. And yes, when we are in mortal form, her name is Walburga, and mine is Hyodo Tatsumi. When you have a name for your mortal shell, use it only. Don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself"

"Understood."

Alduin transported three resurrected Dovah to the mortal world of Tamriel through a portal, after which they went their separate ways.

Walburga went home, accompanied by Krahnahkriin and Odahviing, while Alduin flew back to his own home, instructing his Dovah to return to the same spot in ten hours' time.

At home, Alduin initially forgot about the unexpected addition to their family, but quickly adjusted to it. From Issei and Asia's conversations, he learned that there would be a sports festival the next day, where all the school clubs, including the Occult Club and the Student Council, would compete. This strengthened his decision to skip the following day and go on a quest to obtain a scroll located in the Underworld, formerly known as the Deadlands.

Accompanied by Issei and Asia, he went to school and talked their ears off about how pointless his participation in the sports festival would be, before brazenly running away from them and teleporting to the location where he left his sisters and brother the day before. There, he was greeted by a blonde girl in her twenties, with short hair, blue jeans, and a bright red sweater; a tall, silver-haired girl in a mini-skirt and a black blouse; and a tall, red-haired boy in a sports costume.

"What's with the sudden change of appearance, Krahnahkriin?" Alduin asked.

"There is no Lord but you, Milord," Krahnahkriin confidently replied.

"By the way, what was your human incarnation's name?"

"Sister Margaret, Milord."

"I see. Kreinzulfen, is everything ready?"

"Yes, Milord. Odahviing's name in Tamriel will be Oga Vinx."

"Let's go. The scroll and our brother await us, he has been asleep for far too long."

First, Alduin transported his companions to Sovngarde, where they transformed into their Dovah forms, before opening a portal to the Underworld.

The four dragons flew towards the location where Alduin felt the presence of the Elder Scroll, without bothering to conceal themselves.

"Kiibok strun ol strun gon wah alok! (Follow the storm as it gains strength)" Alduin shouted when the target was within sight.

"Walburga, attack with spells. Oga, engage in close combat."

"Mu thaar! (We obey!)" the Dovah answered in unison.

"Strun Bah Qo! (Storm Call)" Alduin called forth the storm as his company approached the location where the aura of the Elder Scroll was felt. At that spot stood an ancient castle that was seemingly well-defended. The defenders were demons who charged toward the dragons.

The Underworld, Ajuka Beelzebub's secret laboratory.

Nothing foreshadowed trouble for the employees of the Underworld's secret laboratory, which studied ancient artifacts whose age exceeded several million years. These artifacts could shed light on the origin of life or become powerful weapons in the war against angels and fallen. But suddenly, the silence of the research center was shattered by a thunderous voice that sounded as if it came from the depths of the abyss.

"Kiibok strun ol strun gon wah alok!"

Following the voice, four strange dragons appeared, and the sky began to darken. They did not resemble any known dragons. Rather, they resembled the Great Red Dragon. Two of them were indeed red, but the one that flew ahead was black and noticeably larger than the others. Meanwhile, the one that flew slightly behind was a shining white color with massive black spikes protruding from its spine.

"Security, intercept the dragons! Contact Ajuka-sama immediately!" the center's commander ordered, trying to intercept them before they caused any damage. But it was too late.

As soon as the guards flew toward the dragons, the black dragon uttered the words that marked the beginning of the end of the world for the center's personnel.

"Strun Bah Qo!"

The sky heeded the dragon's call and became covered in clouds. It rained, and then a thunderstorm began. Lightning bolts began to strike buildings, people, and equipment, ignoring the dragons.

The black dragon turned sharply and flew towards one of the buildings. From its mouth came a stream of fire that instantly turned the building into a blazing inferno. One of the red dragons followed suit, diving in the opposite direction.

The third dragon circled overhead, spewing out fireballs that attacked the guardians.

The fourth dragon surprised the defenders by unleashing a blue stream of ice from its mouth, freezing any devils in its path.

The commander tried to regain control of the situation as the defenders of the research center quickly dwindled.

"Don't retreat! Ajuka-sama will be here soon!" he shouted, but it seemed futile.

Suddenly, a black dragon appeared and uttered strange words. Flames erupted from its mouth, incinerating everything it touched. The dragon cried out once more, and a wave of force swept through the area, obliterating the ancient stone fortress as if it were a mere sandcastle.

The dragon landed and transformed into a humanoid figure clad in black armor, with burning crimson eyes filled with a thirst for blood. This dark figure began striding towards the bunker located in the fortress's basement, ignoring the defenders who had rallied against it.

"They came for the scroll! Stop them!" Ajuka Beelzebub's voice rang out amidst the chaos of the battle.

Despite reinforcements, the defenders found themselves fending off a dark red dragon that relentlessly attacked them, preventing them from getting close to the black-armored figure.

The battlefield shook with an earth-shattering rumble, and the ground groaned as it was ripped apart. In an instant, a column of flame shot up into the sky, and from its midst emerged the black figure, holding the research center's main artifact: the scroll.

"Walburga!" the figure called out, and a second dragon landed before it. This dragon had bright red scales. Climbing onto the dragon's back, the figure spoke a few more words - "Mu los lif" - and the dragons took off into the sky.

"Don't let them get away with the scroll!" Ajuka shouted, but he was forced to defend himself again from the flames of the dark red dragon, who had now been joined by its white counterpart. The dragons' kin, meanwhile, soared off into the sky.

A strange portal opened before the bright red dragon carrying the figure with the scroll, and they vanished into it.

The dark red and white dragons followed, and the portal closed. At that moment, the storm that had raged throughout the battle began to calm, taking with it the lives of many defenders.

In just under three minutes, the dragons had left nothing but ruins in their wake. The research center, which had been the most advanced laboratory for studying ancient artifacts among all three factions, had fallen. Instead of buildings, there were now only charred or ice-covered ruins.

Everyone knew the dragons had come for the scroll, but what worried Ajuka Beelzebub the most was their appearance.

The dark red dragon resembled a smaller version of the Great Red Dragon, and the black dragon was able to take on a human form.

Quite rare ability to transform into a human form, a trait that only a handful of dragons were said to possess throughout history.

These shape-shifting dragons are renowned for their immense power and revered as some of the most formidable creatures in existence.

However, this black dragon did not resemble any of them. This raised many questions about the true nature and origins of this dragon.

What did this mean? Only time will tell.