The Sleeping Dragon King, Midgardsormr

Underworld, Grigori Territory, Grigori Headquarters.

In an underground chamber of the Grigori Headquarters main building, James, Vali, Issei and Genshirou were waiting for Azazel to show up with Tannin.

"Vali, looks like you've gotten quite a bit stronger since the last time we fought." James said with a smile. "Care to have a spar later?"

"Maybe after this operation is over." Vali said. "We both know that both of us will need to be in our best condition when fighting Loki."

James rolled his eyes in response.

"Although I like a good fight, I know what my priorities are." James said. "I mean after this fight with the Trickster God."

"Sure, I'd love to." Vali said with a battle hungry smile. "Also, I've got a new member on my team that would love to fight someone from your team?"

Hearing that, James' eyebrow rose with interest.

"Oh, which of my peerage members would this person like to fight?" James asked.

"Your [Knight], Dante." Vali said.

"Oh, so Vergil is with you now?" James asked with a smile. "I never thought that guy would work with anyone harmoniously."

This time, Vali was the one who raised his eyebrow with interest.

"So, you've met him, I take it?" Vali asked curiously.

"Yeah, I was the one who solved the Temen-ni-gru incident, after all." James replied with a smile.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Vali replied.

Meanwhile, standing off to the side Issei and Genshirou were looking at James and Vali in confusion.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Issei asked with confusion in his tone.

"No clue." Genshirou said with a shake of his head. "I also want to know why those two seem so friendly. I mean, isn't that Vali guy part of the Khaos Brigade?"

"On top of that, James-Senpai kicked his ass last time, right?" Issei added.

After hearing Issei's last question, Vali's eyebrow began to twitch involuntarily. Although he admits to his loss against James at the peace meeting two months ago, he does not like to hear others mention it. Noticing the change in Vali's expression, James smiled.

"What's wrong?" James asked with a smug smile. "Did they say something you can't agree with?"

Instead of answering, Vali only looked at James in annoyance. Before James could egg Vali on any further, however, the door to the underground chamber opened. Through the opened door, Azazel and a human sized dragon entered the room.

"Hey kids." Azazel said with a smile. "Are you getting along?"

"Yeah. No problems here." James said with a smile. "Just looking back at the old days, especially comparing notes about the last time we fought."

Once again, Vali's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. However, he chose to remain silent. No matter how much he does not like it, it is a fact that he was soundly defeated by James the last time they fought.

"Ddraig, Albion, Skiadrum, Vritra, it's been a long time since so many of us have been in the same place." Tannin said to the four [Sacred Gears] in the room. "Even though the circumstances are much different than before."

"Not really." Albian said from the blue jewel that appeared on the back of Vali's right hand. "You'd still lose if we fought."

"And how are you supposed to fight without a body?" Ddraig asked in an antagonistic tone.

"Shut up, Ddraig!" Albion shouted angrily. "You know exactly what I damn well meant."

As the Heavenly Dragons began an argument, Azazel, Tannin, Issei, and Genshirou stared at James and Vali with a bit of pity in their eyes. At the same time, James and Vali stared at their left and right hands, respectively, with dumbfounded looks on their faces. In a matter of seconds, Ddraig and Albion's argument devolved into something you could hear on the playground of any elementary school around the Human World.

"Ahem!" Azazel coughed loudly to gather everyone's attention on himself. "As... Enlightening the debate between Heavenly Dragons has been, I think it's time to get down to business."

Hearing that, Tannin, Issei, and Genshirou could not help but chuckle a bit. At the same time, James and Vali looked at Azazel gratefully. Even though they are used to hearing their Heavenly Dragons trash talking the other, they never expected such a childish argument from such powerful beings.

"Hmph!" Ddraig and Albion snorted simultaneously as their argument came to an end.

"Alrighty!" Azazel exclaimed once the room fell silent. "I'm sure you've all noticed the magic circle on the floor, right?"

The four young men nodded their heads in response to Azazel's question.

"This magic circle is called the [Dragon Gate]." Azazel explained. "Its function is to summon dragons with the aid of other dragons. I know that's simplifying it quite a bit, but there are a couple of guys hear that aren't going to understand the lengthy introduction, so I just skipped it."

James, Vali, and Tannin nodded in agreement. Then, they stared at Issei and Genshirou. Meanwhile, Issei and Genshirou stared at each other while thinking the same thing.

'Of course, this guy wouldn't get it.' Both boys thought simultaneously.

"Anyway, do you all see the points of different colors around the outside of the circle?" Azazel asked while pointing at the different points around the circle. "Stand on your corresponding color. Then, we can begin."

Immediately, James moved to the red point, Vali moved to the white point opposite James, Tannin moved to the purple point, and Azazel moved to the gold point. Meanwhile, Issei and Genshirou moved to the black point. Then, when they noticed that they were standing at the same point, they stared at each other intensely.

"What are you doing here?" Genshirou asked.

"I'm going to my color." Issei said as if it were obvious. "Why are you here?"

"This is obviously my color." Genshirou replied.

"Black is obviously the color for the Shadow Dragon King." Issei said.

"Do you even know what Vritra looks like?" Genshirou asked as he raised his voice. "He's a big ass black dragon."

And just like Ddraig and Albion before them, Issei and Genshirou began arguing. And over time, their argument became more and more juvenile. Eventually, Azazel stepped in.

"Actually, Issei, you're supposed to go to the dark grey point." Azazel said with a smile.

"I'm just wondering why Skiadrum didn't say anything first?" Tannin asked.

"Because the kid didn't ask." Skiadrum said so that everyone could hear.

Naturally, Issei was embarrassed. However, instead of lashing out at Skiadrum, which he knew was pointless, Issei walked over to the dark grey point in silence.

After everyone was where they were supposed to be, Azazel spoke once again.

"Now, everyone, channel your draconic aura into the point you are standing on. It will automatically be transferred into the magic circle by the point." Azazel explained. "Then, it will be up to Ddraig and Albion to chant Midgardsormr's summoning incantation."

Just as Azazel instructed, all six of them channeled draconic aura into the colored points they were standing on.

"Say, Azazel-Sensei." James said while channeling his aura with a smile. "What dragon [Sacred Gear] do you have that you are participating in this? I mean I'm sure Big G wasn't the biggest fan of dragons, right? So, I know you're not half-dragon or something."

"Oh, I have Fafnir's core." Azazel said as he pulled out a black jewel from one of his inner pockets. "This is the core of my artificial [Sacred Gear], [Downfall Dragon Spear]."

"Oh yeah, the thing you used in the fight with Katerea Leviathan." James said with a nod.

"Enough talk." Ddraig said, interrupting the conversation. "It's time."

Then, the room fell silent for a moment. Once that moment passed, Ddraig and Albion began chanting in an ancient tongue. Even though everyone could understand what they were saying due to their linguistic abilities, Tannin was the only one with a physical body that could speak the words, due to the unique vocal cords that dragons possess.

After what seemed like hours, but was, in actuality, only two minutes, the magic circle lit up brightly. Then, once the light from the magic circle dimmed, a translucent, grey, eastern dragon measuring between 1640 and 1969 feet (approx. 500 – 600 m) long curled up around the room. This dragon was so large that parts of his body fazed through the walls.

"Hey, Skiadrum!" Issei exclaimed after seeing Midgardsormr. "he's grey, too. So, how was I supposed to know that I should stand on a grey point?"

"You're both stupid and unobservant." Skiadrum said in a tired tone. "Can't you see that there are two grey pints? A dark one, that you are standing on right now, and a light one."

"Looking around, Issei noticed that what Skiadrum said was true. So, he lowered his head in embarrassment.

*Snore~~~~~~!*

A few moments after the successful summoning, the sound of snoring could be heard. And this was no ordinary snore, this snore was loud enough to shake the entire underground chamber. And consequently, the entire facility above it.

"Wow, this guy can saw logs with the best of 'em." James exclaimed after hearing Midgardsormr's snore.

"Really, Partner? That's the first thing that comes to mind after that?" Ddraig replied in an incredulous tone.

Deciding to cut off James and Ddraig's stupid conversation, Albion Shouted from Vali's [Sacred Gear].

"Midgardsormr! Wake up!" Albion shouted.

*Snore~~~~~~!*

After another loud snore, the room fell silent momentarily. Then, Ddraig laughed uproariously.

"Ahahahaha!" Ddraig's laughter echoed through the room. "I guess you're not as intimidating as you like to believe, eh, Albion."

After Ddraig's mockery, even though Albion did not have any teeth due to the lack of a physical body, everyone swore that they could hear Albion gritting his teeth in anger. However, what surprised everyone even more was the fact that after hearing Ddraig's laughter, Midgardsormr began to stir.

"Mmm. Mmm. What's with all the noise?" Midgardsormr asked groggily. "Is it time for Ragnarok, already?"

"Ahahahaha!" This time it was Albion's turn to laugh. "Look at that Ddraig, your laughter is revolting enough that you could even wake the dead!"

Like Albion before, everyone swore they could hear the sound of Ddraig's teeth grinding. Then, James and Vali made eye contact and had the same stupid thought.

'Do they make dragon soul dentures?'

After Ddraig and Albion took a moment to argue, Midgardsormr used that time to scan his surroundings.

"Is that you? Ddraig? Albion?" Midgardsormr asked curiously. "Tannin, Skiadrum, and Vritra are here, too? OH, and I feel Faffy nearby, too."

After noticing that Midgardsormr was fully awake, Tannin took the opportunity to explain why they summoned Midgardsormr's consciousness and what they wanted from him. As it turns out, Loki was Midgardsormr's creator, or father. Therefore, Midgardsormr knew quite a bit about Loki, so he was the best choice when it comes to digging up information. Nodding his head from time to time at Tannin's explanation, eventually, Midgardsormr fell silent in contemplation. Then after about a minute...

*Snore~~~~~~!*

"Damn it, You lazy bastard!" Skiadrum shouted angrily. "Wake the hell up!"

"Huh? Oh? What? Where am I?" Midgardsormr asked in confusion.

Then, Midgardsormr looked around and remembered what he was doing before he fell asleep, again.

"Oh yeah." Midgardsormr said. "I don't know much about what happened with Daddy over the last four hundred years. But I do know that he freed Big Brother and replaced him with a clone."

"That means we should expect to have to deal with Fenrir as well, huh?" Azazel said with a solemn expression.

"On top of that, Gleipnir probably won't work on it, either." Tannin added.

"How strong is Fenrir?" James asked curiously.

"He should be at the beginning of the minor god-rank." Azazel said. "But what makes him dangerous is that his fangs are able to bypass the defense of any god, no matter how powerful they are."

"Well, we can probably leave him to master." James said nonchalantly.

And that is when they remembered the existence of Scathach.

"That's true." Azazel and Tannin replied simultaneously.

"We should probably see about getting Gleipnir upgraded as well." Tannin said.

"I'll talk to the old man about it." Azazel replied. "Alright, Midgardsormr, that's all we needed. You can go back to sleep, now."

"Okay, bye everyone." Midgardsormr said as his illusory image began to fade.

A moment before his image faded completely, though, Midgardsormr spoke once more.

"Don't be surprised if Skoll and Hati are with Big Brother, too." Midgardsormr said as he faded completely.

"Damn, I forgot about those two, completely." Azazel said while shaking his head. "Well, I guess we should get back, we've got a lot of plans to make, after all."