Cat Scratch Fever

Chapter 10

Red Dragons- recognized historically for their ferocity and greed, none was ever quite so ferocious nor greedy as Y Ddraig Goch, the Welsch Dragon. Known as the Heavenly Dragon of Domination and the Red Dragon Emperor, tales of this particular tyrant are essentially the bones of Western dragon mythos. He slept on a hoard of stolen gold, killed whenever and whomever he wished and guarded his land and treasure with unmatched might. With flames that burned forever and power that could destroy even the strongest of humanity's warriors with ease- Ddraig of Wales was truly a force unparalleled.

Then came Albion.

A venomous White Dragon from the far east, wise beyond measure, and eager to test himself against the fabled Red One. Albion was revered as a God in his home country of China, and, like Ddraig, had never known a true challenge.

When the two met, it was catastrophic. The world itself shuddered at their clash. The ground split, the sky screamed, and those unlucky enough to be near their battle were slaughtered without thought.

For forty days and forty nights the duel raged on, the two evenly matched and relishing in their rite of blood. They would've fought to the death, if not for one fatal mistake. In their blind fighting, they stumbled into the midst of another war- between the three Factions of the Bible. Enraged at having been interrupted, the twin Heavenly Dragons began a merciless genocide, murdering any who stood in their way.

In the end, it was only through the combined efforts of all three factions, culminating in the death of the Biblical God himself, that the two Dragons were able to be sealed away, locked within objects of power- Sacred Gears.

The Red Gauntlet of the Welsh Dragon, and the White Wings of Albion. The Boosted Gear and the Divine Dividing. Captured forever within their prisons of power, the Dragons vowed to fight forever, sealing the fate of all who bore their might...

Issei didn't really know what to expect when Sirzechs had said he'd be going to the Underworld. He certainly hadn't expected lush gardens and an ornate palace.

Issei and company stood amidst a type of teleportation 'landing zone'- think helipad, but for teleportation. In front of them was an expertly trimmed and maintained the bush garden, with pristine water fountains casting up neat visages of plants in an excellent display of hydro-engineering. Far overhead was a purple sky filled with white clouds, but with no discernible light source to be seen.

But the real marvel was just ahead, past the garden- a palace, with steep silver walls and magic sigils of all shapes and sizes written up and down them. Banners with what Issei could only assume was the Devil's royal crest or something similar hung from the top, cascading almost down to the ground.

"This is insane," Issei said breathlessly, taking in the sights. Dragon or not, he was still just a kid from a small Japanese town. He was more than a bit culture-shocked.

Kuroka, still firmly wrapped around his arm, hummed in faint disagreement. She had no good memories of this place. She looked around uneasily, half-expecting to be ambushed by Royal Guards.

"This is Lillith, the capital city of the Devil territory and the seat of power in the Underworld. This is where we'll be conducting your ceremony." Sirzechs explained, walking forward. The group closely followed him.

"What exactly is going to happen during this...ceremony?" Issei asked, feeling just a little nervous.

"Nothing to worry about. We'll go over all of that once we're inside, not to worry." Sirzechs led them up to the gilded wooden doors of the palace, which opened on their own once he drew close.

Inside was a dimly-lit hallway, with a red carpet on the ground not unlike what one would see at a Hollywood premiere, flanked by red ropes meant to keep back some crowd.