Day at the beach

Since I didn't have much else to do while waiting for my armor. I ended up picking Raynare up early, and brought her to Orario for the vacation.

I was impressed, she was able to become a 10 winged Cadre during her 5 months in Konosuba. Which meant that she was as strong as Kokabiel now, excluding battle experience. According to her, she felt like she was close to growing another pair but couldn't break through for some reason. Which I am theorizing would require her battle experience to catch up to her actual level of power.

When I got to Konosuba, she had apparently stuck with the main characters during her time there. I ended up thanking them for taking care of her by giving a few gifts before we left.

After we returned, I've just been trying to keep myself busy. Honestly waiting a week for my armor was taking longer than I thought. Which is weird, because I'm normally not this antsy and impatient.

Times like these, I can't help but do some introspection on my own abilities.

Like aura.

I found out the reason Cthugha was capable of sneaking into my soul without my notice.

Apparently, unlocking a person's aura isn't exactly the correct description of what it actually does. You see, if you think of your soul container as the shell and your soul itself as the egg. Unlocking it is basically slightly cracking the shell open.

From the crack, a run-off consisting of spiritual and magical energy seeps out. Normally untethered energy dissipates on it's own after a bit of time. However because it's still close to the source, the dregs of that energy are attempting to go back. Which results in the 'aura' wrapping around the physical body like a mini forcefield.

So yeah, it's literally wearing your own soul as armor. Well the dregs of your soul anyway.

But back to the point. This tiny crack was enough for Cthugha to just casually slip through without me realizing anything.

Which can be really dangerous. If I were to ever fight someone with a very specific set of soul related skills or able to see the crack. One small methodical pulse of spiritual energy in the right place could have caused unimaginable damage to me.

I was only able to see it because it's my own soul and my Primeval eyes were capable of revealing it to me.

So I've been hard at work, not sealing up the hole. Because sealing it up would cut me off from my aura and semblance.

So I did the next best thing and put a divider in place. Sort of like a mesh screen door that will allow aura to seep out like air and keeping anyone from potentially sneaking in or harming my soul in the future.

"You need to relax."

I stopped what I was doing and turned to Raynare who was lazily eating a slice of pizza.

"...I'm on vacation." Was my deadpan reply.

She blandly stared at me with her violet eyes from the couch.

"Really? I haven't noticed considering I've watched you be cooped up in here for the past 2 days like a neet. And the weird thing is, you've barely moved. I've literally watched you stare at your reflection in the mirror for hours on end. It's creepy."

"So is watching me for literally two days!" Was my immediate retort.

"You were the one that said the way I spent my vacation was my own business."

She shrugged, still lazily munching on her pizza from the couch. I only just noticed that she was half naked, wearing my shirt with no pants. Is she trying to seduce me? I'll admit that looks kind of hot.

"True, but I didn't expect this would be how you spent it. You fall for me or something? Apologies but the only things on my mind is violence and war... which usually go together." I just really fucking love war!

"I was afraid you were going insane, cooped up in your room by yourself."

"Heh, the day I go insane will be after I punch that ass Odin."

I chuckled before getting up to my feet and stretching my stiff muscles.

"But I suppose you have a point. Being cooped up in a room wouldn't make for a good vacation." I needed to unwind, my body was still on high alert from the war. But I've had some issues with relaxing. Which is odd, because Aversis are generally pros at that kind of thing.

"By the way, give me back my shirt." I deadpanned

"What, don't like what you see?" She smirked, leaning towards me, her bust filling out every part of the seams.

"I do, but I'm afraid your killer body is about to kill my shirt." I pointed to one of the buttons that was about to pop right off. My poor shirt...

"Where are you headed to anyway?"

"I dunno, but if I'm gonna relax then I guess I should get a change of scenery."

"Then it's settled, leave it to me. I know exactly where to go!" She immediately brought out a phone. "He said yes."

"Who were you talking to?"

*SLAM sfx* "Aha! Well done my feathery comrade! Let us depart boss! For we have a beach to conquer!" Slane appeared, shirtless with only swimming trunks and his usual glasses on his snout.

"I've loaded our luggage on the carriage, let's go." Emiya also decided to appear. He was dressed in casual summer wear with his white hair down, reminiscent of his younger self. For some reason he was also wearing glasses.

"A carriage service owned by us, so don't worry about the fee."

I turned to Kokabiel who showed up... in a speedo.

"I think my eyes are going to bleed." Of all the thing I would expect this man to wear, why does it have to be a speedo?

"No time, to the beach!"

∞

On a beach located somewhere in the world.

"It's over Red One! For I have the upper hand!"

"Are you blind!? The only one here with the upper hand is myself!"

The two muscular human sized dragon emperors shouted at each other from atop their half built sand castles. They were also wearing glasses on their snouts provided by Zieg so people would stop freaking out about lizardmen on the surface.

"I've been wondering this for awhile but never had the chance to ask... Why do you use magical glasses to hide their appearances from normies?"

"You would be surprised at how easy it is to enchant glasses compared to something like a bracelet or some other piece of clothing."

Zieg, Raynare and Kokabiel were seated at a long table to judge everyone's sand castles when they finished. It was decided that it would be unfair for Kokabiel to join, due to fact that all the fallen would unanimously defer to him in castle building.

"By the way, where's your swimsuit?" Zieg asked because Raynare still hadn't given him back his shirt.

"It's under this, want to take a peek?"

The girl tugged on the shirt a little, much to Zieg's horror as he saw a button pop off.

"Fight on little shirt, I believe in you!" The Elden Lord rallied his shirt to survive the deadly power known as the killer female body.

"Oh relax, it's just a shirt." She pouted at his concern for the shirt.

"Speaking of which, Kokabiel. Can you please put on a shirt or something?"

Zieg finally asked the man who was casually tanning on the side.

"No can do. It's rare for me to get the chance to tan."

The angel of the stars was laid back on a beach chair with a drink in his hand and still wearing only red speedos.

"By the way, what's with the interest in the businesses in Orario?"

"So you noticed that?"

"It's kind of hard not to notice."

"Well naturally when I came here, I was planning to relax. But after a walk around Orario, I stopped by a residential area called Daedalus street."

Kokabiel took off his sunglasses with a hum.

"To think that a slum would exist in a city with this many gods." He sneered, swirling the liquid in his cup. "The contrast to the rest of the city was apalling, it's no wonder that it was called the above-ground dungeon. Although I generally do not think much of other races besides humans. Even I was sick to see the living conditions in that poverty stricken place."

"So I decided to change things. To take over Orario's businesses and control the market. At first it was manned by my people, however slowly but surely they are being replaced by fresh blood from Daedalus street. We have made our main base in Daedalus street itself, 30% of the funds are being used to raise the living conditions there. New markets and businesses are also being opened there as more and more people fill in the positions due to the amount of citizens who need jobs but can't go into the dungeon to make a living."

It hadn't been easy, considering that they would only be here for a short time. Kokabiel had tried to help as many of those people as he could, although he favored humans more than others. He still helped the other races as they were also just unfortunate souls.

"We were only supposed to be here for about 10 days, think you can finish by then?"

"Whether or not I can finish is irrelevant. I will simply do what I can, it is not my world nor my place anyway. I just wanted to intervene and thus I did."

Kokabiel gave a chuckle at that. He was no saint, he was a man of war that belonged on the battlefield. Even if he had more time, he wouldn't sit there and devote his entire life to helping the less fortunate.

"Looks like everyone's finished." Raynare said out loud, bringing the two's attention to the sand castles on the beach.

There were 5 towering castles on the beach. Draig, Albion, Slane and Emiya owned one each. The last one was made by a combined effort of a few hundred fallen who decided to join in while the rest of the legion enjoyed the beach.

"I guess I'm up first." Emiya stated from outside his... sand manor?

"You built your old house with sand?" Zieg noticed that it was an exact replica of the Emiya household.

"Is that allowed? Raynare questioned

"Well there's no rule that says it has to be a castle I suppose."Kokabiel hummed in interest. "Is the interior made of swords?" he asked after moving a slight layer of sand off one of the walls.

"I gotta say, the details are completely spot on. I'll give it an 8 since it's pretty creative." Zieg raised a sign with an 8 in the air.

"I was honestly expecting a castle." Raynare raised a 3

"I'll give it a 7 for being well made." Kokabiel knocked on the sturdy walls that were reinforced.

"You bastard! You stole my design!"

"What are you talking about, it's obvious that you were the one who copied from me!"

The 3 judges turned to the red and white dragons of supremacy.

"Huh, it's exactly the same."

"They look nice, but it feels kind of unoriginal."

"If I remember correctly, this is Camelot. I remembered that castle clearly."

Kokabiel noted as he was around when Camelot was built in DXD. Supposedly both dragons had decided to build it from memory.

"Well I guess we can just judge them both due to being the exact same. I give it a 9, impressive."

"7. It just feels unoriginal."

"10. It brings back memories."

The judges gave their ratings, much to the two dragon's annoyances for being unable to best the other.

"Hahahaha! Behold! For you are witnessing the greatest castle of them all!"

Slane bellowed out from atop his castle in confidence.

"...It's an ice castle." Raynare was the first to point it out.

Slane's castle walls were made entirely of ice, from the entrance, to the bridge. From top to bottom, it was a complete ice castle.

"You do realize this is a competition for building sand castles right?" Kokabiel clarified to the winter dragon.

"But of course! If you look within, there are grains of sand frozen within!"

The winter dragon spoke the truth. If you looked closely, you could see grains of sand within the ice.

"As an Aversis I am bias towards ice related things. 10." Zieg raised his sign, much to Slane's appreciation.

"I knew you would understand it's value boss!"

"Zero."

"Zero."

Kokabiel and Raynare raised zeros due to the fact that it really was made of ice and not sand.

"Noooo!" Slane cried out to the heavens.

The judges left him to see the last one.

"Oh my, I didn't expect to see this again." Kokabiel said with a bit of nostalgia in his eyes.

"This is more of a tower fortress than a castle."

"I think I've seen this in a history book once."

In front of the judges, was a large tower with a spiked wall covering the sides.

"Boss! How do you like it?" The few hundred fallen who worked on it waved from atop the tower.

"It brings back memories. This was the place where we staved off the devils and angels for 19 consecutive days. Good times."

It brought a genuine smile to his face.

"10"

"8"

"10"

"Well I guess we have a winner."

"Not yet! Since everyone put in so much effort, to decide which one is truly the best. We must see which one can withstand disaster!" Zieg interrupted with a slight cackle to his voice.

The people on the beach watched as Zieg ascended to the air slowly. A mischievous grin on his countenance. He raised his hand to the sky above and closed his eyes.

"Stars, Cosmos, Gods, Animus, Antrum, Unverse, Anima, Animusphere!"

Everyone watched the formation of a giant circuit covering the sky.

"Hahahaha bring it on!"

"This will decide who had the best castle!"

Draig and Albion exclaimed in confidence as the meteors began to drop from the sky.

"DEFEND WITH ALL YOU HAVE!" The fallen army began to spam light spears towards the sky.

"This is my chance for retribution!" Slane shifted into his draconic form, covering the sky above him with a breath of frost.

"Sigh, well it was nice while it lasted." Emiya lamented the fact that the replica of his former home was about to be crushed by meteors.

Overall it was a fun day.