It was kinda funny.
When I wanted to take a break, I decided to come to the Shinto version of hell.
Says a lot about me, I think.
I am a Half-Devil, a species that originated from Hell. I spent a little over two years in The Land of Shadows, another type of Hell. And now here I am in the Shinto Hell.
Technically, the Colored Rooms is also a type of afterlife as well…..if you look at it from a certain angle. And ignore every other aspect of it….
Okay, I was reaching there.
Hmm.
"I came upon an out-of-place house in the middle of this desolate realm. I took my time walking up the path that led to the door. A woman greeted me in the doorway."
"Wilhelm?"
"The Strange woman spoke my name, a look of confusion on her face."
"…..are you narrating yourself?"
"Maybe."
"I forgot how much of a dork you are."
"Who spends all their time on the internet?" I raised an eyebrow.
She playfully swatted at me with a huff. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" I countered. "Weren't you supposed to be in Kanto?" I paused for a moment. "….That came off as more of an accusation than I meant it to be. Can I try again?"
"By all means." She snorted, the tinies of smiles on her face.
Well, she looked amused by the whole thing.
"What I meant to say, was that I stopped over there to check in and they said you were gone. So I came down here to find you."
"And what do you require me for? Is there a problem that you need my assistance with?" She asked.
I shook my head. "I just wanted to spend time with you."
"…oh." She said quietly. "I see…"
Was she upset with me? She turned away.
Better do the thing that always works. I opened my arms up and pulled her into a hug.
She made a cute little noise, so I assumed she wasn't upset. Maybe I was just overthinking things.
"You okay?" I asked, letting her go.
"I'm fine." She crossed her arms with another huff. "And to answer your question, I don't like to spend too much time on the surface, I could tell that many people there were getting uneasy with my presence. I merely go up to make sure my presence is made known to dissuade certain individuals from attacking again. I am keeping a close eye on things, and if I sense that something goes awry again, I can appear at a moments notice."
"Izzy…"
"There is no need to comfort me. I am aware of my reputation and my presence is not a comforting one to the more common masses."
"Hug." I held my arms open again.
She rolled her eyes, but accepted it all the same. If anything, it felt like she relaxed quite a bit as I held her.
"It is not all bad. My son came and visited me while I was going about my business on the surface."
"Oh?"
"Mmm, he officially came on behalf of the others."
"Your other Children or the others as in Takamagahara as a whole?"
"Little of both, probably." She let out a small chuckle. "They are also watching and my presence was noted by them as well. They usually do not care for the mortal world, so to see me so active after the incident left them…..wary."
"Want me to go have words with them?" I offered, mostly as a jest. Though if she was upset and, I would happily go discuss her displeasure.
"Yes, go beat up my other Children and the whole of their Pantheon." She deadpanned. "I'm sure that would cause no problems."
"One time. I fought one of your children."
"Technically, twice."
"….touché." I admitted. "But it was Susanoo both times."
"Hmm, well I can't deny that he needs his behind kicked every now and then." She giggled again. "It was nice though. He came on 'official' matters, wanting to know my reasoning for being active and all that so the others wouldn't freak out. But otherwise, he spent the day with his mother, and it was very pleasant."
That's sweet.
"So I guess we both don't have anything to do right now."
"How strange."
"What?"
"You're not usually the type to stay still. Especially with what happened a couple days ago."
"That's not untrue…." I mulled that over. Yeah, the only reason I wasn't off doing something was because I literally didn't have anything to do right now.
Yasaka was in a meeting with some other Elders. Something I couldn't really intrude on with my status right now. She was discussing a bunch of important things that didn't concern me, or rather, didn't require my input. But they were also discussing my theoretical Defense System that could be implemented.
Artoria also wasn't one to sit still, she's over at the Pendragon family. She dragged Arthur away, and Le Fay by association. Funnily enough, the girl was a very good Magician, and Yasaka hired her to teach Magic to anyone who wanted among her people. I had an inkling that the Pendragon family would be joining the Youkai in any upcoming conflicts.
On a side note, I forgot to ask what she did with the Excalibur-thingy she took. Maybe Mordred would like to play with it?
Well, it didn't concern me. She would do with it what she wanted as it fell to her as the alternate to the original wielder. If Heaven couldn't hold onto their toys and lost them so easily, I wasn't going to go out of my way to say anything to her.
Raikou was being best Aunt right now. After we walked Kunou to class, she stayed behind to do her usual thing with them. And those kids adored her. Scáthach told me how they were cheering her on when she joined in on the little tournament during the festival.
And speaking of Scáthach, she's doing her own training with Yasaka's people. Prepping them for the inevitable war that was going to come.
Jinn was in Skyrim right now. She said she was gathering some stuff in preparation as well. What she's getting up to, who knew. But I didn't think it would be good for our relationship if I questioned her every move. I wanted her to feel like she could go and do what she wanted without needing to have my 'permission'.
And of course, Meridia was doing Meridia things.
I had some calculations running through Mirage right now in an attempt to backtrack the Fae portal, but I don't have much confidence in that particular method I devised. However, the data would be beneficial for future attempts.
"Honestly, I'm destressing right now. After almost seeing Venelana die, I don't feel like I can commit myself to any project at the moment and I was just doing busy work in the meantime. I'm still pissed off and have a feeling of anxiety that's making me check in with her every so often." I sat down on the steps leading to her porch.
As much as I just wanted to hold her and not let go, she did have another family and responsibilities. I'm sure the whole thing was a huge fire for the Devils and they're trying their best to put it out right now.
"I can imagine. Besides your own obvious interests in what happened, there have been noticeable ripples throughout the supernatural communities." Izzy joined me, scooting close. "But how is Venelana doing?"
"She shook it off easily enough, or she's very good at hiding it. I think she was much more shaken about her Daughter almost dying than herself." Does it make me a bad person that I cared more about her than her daughter, going against her own interests?
"She has lived through many conflicts at this point. I'm sure she's more than capable of accepting such things and continuing."
"I know, I know." I sighed, slumping my shoulders. "So, you know about everything then?"
"Mmm, more or less. I have been kept abreast by Yasaka as she also learned everything. And I have reached out to my own contacts and been keeping an eye on the flow of information. The Devils did have to make an announcement as it was too public an incident to brush aside. Surprisingly, they did credit you with stopping the attack."
"Woo." I waved my hand flippantly. "Did they mention any of the co conspirators?"
"Are you referring to the God that made an appearance?"
"The one that Scáthach suspects to be Loki, yes."
After we wound down and settled, we did go over what happened. Loki was the most obviou suspsect based on the cluees, but it wasn't a assured thing.
"None, which I don't blame them. It seems it was Kokabiel's intent to cause chaos as well as this 'nameless God'. So, keeping everyone calm is probably the best way to handle things."
"At the risk of stealing Scáthach's prey, I have my own pound of flesh to take." I already released a lot of anger on Kokabiel, but the fact that someone helped him put them straight on my shit list. If it was Loki, he would suffer a similar fate.
I just needed to get my hands on him.
"Well, you may have a chance soon. I told you before that there had been other things happening in other corners, yes?"
"I recall, Titans in Greece, Fomorians for the Celtics, Giants for the Norse, etc…"
"I reached out to my…. acquaintances." She breathed out. "Hel, Hades, and Arawn specifically. Hel did tell me that her father was apparently very visible during the attack and was in Asgard. Which...does not necessarily mean anything, him being a Trickster God."
Hmm, Arawn wasn't one I was overly familiar with. Celtic God of Death if I wasn't mistaken.
"Considering he was able to escape under Scáthach's nose, I put no faith in that."
I wonder if there's a God in the world that was more adept at escaping than Loki? When it came to deception and tricks, he was probably the best at that due to his nature.
"You would be a fool too. Besides, that wasn't the only thing that happened. Asgard was sieged by an army from Muspelheim during Kokabiel's own attack."
"And Loki was conveniently seen among the Asgardian Court for both attacks. Meaning he couldn't possibly have been involved." I added, very sarcastically. "Isn't he an Evil God or something? Why do the Asgardians even allowing him to roam free?"
"It's….complicated. For every Evil Deed he's committed, he's also done something heroic. There have been many times he's saved Thor from the Thunder God's own foolishness, just as many times he's played his cruel pranks. There have been times where he's defended Asgard to his almost dying breath, and others where he's led the charge on the assault against Asgard."
"Sounds like a fucking ridiculous situation that I want no hand in. But chances are that he's involved with my Venelana being harmed."
"Your Venelana, hmm?" She had a humorous smile on her face.
I nudged her shoulder with a huff. "And what happened with the Giant attack?"
"Not much, no one was killed, that was noteworthy anyway. The attack did come as a surprise, as their march was obscured from even Heimdall's eyes."
The God that was rumored to see all in the Nine Realms. Probably a bit of an exaggeration, but he was the first defense of Asgard. He should have able to see the attack coming, some sort of Mystic Eyes or Clairvoyance.
"Yes, and who could have possibly accomplished such a feat!"
"Believe me, you aren't the only one pointing out the obvious. However, Loki does have allies within Asgardian Court."
"Annoying, but not something I can care about right now." I sighed, leaning my head against Izzy's shoulder. "Though, all bets are off if he comes around again. I don't care about Godly Politics; I will end him." Just as I was tense thinking about him, I melted once I felt her fingers run through my hair.
"If he comes around, I will help you." She replied. "But there are other things I wish to speak about while you are here. I said I spoke to Hades when I reached out. He said he was aware of some things and asked to meet. From what I was able to gather, the Titans that escaped Tartarus previously were Cronus and Hyperion. I bring this up, because they also attacked during the incident, they tried to free their remaining brethren, but Hades and his people were able to thwart it with minimal loss."
"Interesting, so there's probably a link, the timing was too convenient."
"Without a doubt, and it's also unlikely that Loki's reach alone can extend so far. He is probably working with others to achieve whatever his goals are. But I brought this up for another reason."
"Hmm?"
"Hades asked for you, specifically. He is aware that we are acquainted, and after what happened in Kokabiel's attack, he requested I bring you along for a chat."
I blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment. "….why? I don't think I've done anything to earn his….attention."
"I haven't got a clue." Izzy sighed herself. "To be honest, he despises most of the Abrahamic factions. By default, he shouldn't want to meet you, no offense is meant."
"He can get in line, I have almost nothing good to say about them either." I shrugged.
"Yes, well, Hades is known for his dislike for them and he was open about wanting to speak with you. I….have a decent relationship with both Hades and Persephone, so I do not believe there to be ill intent. But I wished for you to know and understand."
"Noted. Did he give a specific time?" I wasn't against meeting him, if only just because Izzy was acquainted with him.
"No, but I wouldn't put it off longer than a month. It appears he wished it to be soon."
Soon, and no longer than a month. It's easy to forget that Gods see the passage of time much differently than mortal species.
Well, no reason to be antagonistic towards a God if I didn't need to be.
"Anything else of importance?"
"Yes, I spoke with Arawn about the Fae incident. They are the Pantheon that had the most….dealings with them in the past age."
"In hindsight, that's logical due to them appearing in so many myths and legends in that part of the world. But at this point, I honestly hadn't thought about it."
"You've been under a lot of pressure, I assume you have been putting out your own fires since then." She always was quick to try and comfort me when I wasn't in a good mood.
"And what's the word with the Celtic Gods?"
"It's….complicated. Some of them had relations with the Fae before. Dagda, being the most prevalent."
"Oh?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Wasn't he the Chief God of the Tuatha De Danann?"
"The very same." Izzy nodded. "Him and the Winter Queen were….close. Very close."
"Oh. OH." Realization dawned on me. "I have yet to hear a good thing about that woman….."
"Dagda was a good person, a good God. I'm not surprised he managed to melt that cold woman's heart. And It's not surprising that she and hers retreated from the world when he died in the Great War."
"I didn't know he died." I said quietly. "It seems I'm not in the know about a lot of things that happened here."
"A lot of Gods fell during that War. When the three factions warred, it caused the entire world to descend into warfare. Old rivalries were reignited with fervor, and new rivalries were formed. War Gods relished in the new order, and Evil Gods coaxed the flames happily."
"And I assume that Lugh has since taken over?"
"You are correct." She nodded. "He has shown good leadership, and his strength cannot be denied. While most think the 'rankings' of the world as laughable, they are at least notable as pointing to something and noting how strong they are."
"Right, the fact that a God from such a…..small Pantheon and Religions is thought of as one of the top ten strongest in the world should say something even if the list isn't all encompassing."
"It's as you say. And after reaching out, Lugh also spoke with me for awhile. He admitted that after Dagda died, the relationships between them and the Winter Court became very strained. They were blamed for Dagda's death...which concerns a variety of circumstances I won't get into. So a lot of goodwill was lost on both ends and they only had old agreements and pacts to keep the peace."
"Is there still bad blood? Enough that they'd be willing to pool resources if we start waging war?"
"I can't promise anything, but I did ask a similar question. Right now, they are in talks with the Angels for reasons they didn't elaborate on. I did not push it for the moment as they were being very polite in reaching out in the first place."
Well, definitely an avenue we could pursue. It would certainly alleviate some pressure off us if we got some more backing. Something to look into, who else had old grudges and would be willing to lend a hand.
"But to summarize, I was told about their overall structures and given an idea of what their forces are like. Granted, it's from many centuries ago, but given how slow the supernatural is to change I believe even an outdated overview would be valuable in creating strategies."
"Honestly, anything would help. The Fae here are completely different than the one's I'm used to. We didn't have this Winter or Summer court, so this is all new to me." I sighed again, thinking about everything that still needed to be done to prepare for a true war.
"I already sent the information to Yasaka and Nurarihyon. I just wished for you to know."
"And I appreciate it." I gave her a smile.
"Do you –" Izzy abrupt closed her mouth, shooting to her feet. She had a very pensive look on her face as something startled her. "What!?" She suddenly blurted out, and the entire realm shook.
I felt something start breaking through the barriers of this place, the space itself rupturing. I usually slipped through rather elegantly, without causing a fuss. Whatever this was, it was bulldozing through every sort of boundary that this place was connected to.
I was right besides her, my Magic Circuits immediately ignited. My Aura was flaring violently, and Reinforcement filled my body. I felt my hairs stand on end, a thorough foreboding feeling causing me to shiver.
My instinct in circumstances likes this had never failed me.
Without a second thought, I summoned the Boosted Gear onto my hand, and grabbed hold of my Authority. My main trump card that I was reluctant to show after the fight with Susanoo.
There was absolutely no reservation about pulling it out in this situation if I felt threatened.
Space itself rended and shattered, a figure slammed through all boundaries, visibly tearing through the very fabric of reality that held this metaphysical realm together.
There was a hole in the sky where the threads were pulled apart that very slowly began to close, mending itself.
And the newcomer landed on the ground without a care in the world.
My Campione instincts went into overdrive. I could practically taste her Divine nature, but also the fact that she was strong.
Stupidly strong.
Whatever she was, she even dwarfed Izanami who was standing right next to me.
Honestly, the only comparison I had to compare with was Meridia when she split a portion of herself off and left her realm.
I glanced at Izzy who was utterly shocked and silent and even trembling slightly.
I took a step forward infront of her. I didn't know what this thing was, but I would be damned if Izzy was harmed under my watch.
This thing that took the appearance of a girl not older than Kunou. Black hair so dark and it was only matched by her eyes. It seemed to absorb any light that tried to touch it. Pointy ears that denoted her inhuman nature. And...strange clothes I couldn't even bring myself to comment on due to the sheer power that radiated from her.
I had no idea who this was. So many sensations hit me all at once. Draconic, Divine, and a plethora of somethings that seemed unending.
However, my Partner seemed to recognize her immediately.
[Ophis..] Ddraig sounded terrified.
Her voice was monotone yet, somehow, carried with it reverberation that made me think of the Kaleidoscope when actualized.
"Found you."
***
Here's the weekends chapter, a little late, but here nontheless.
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Sona POV
"Sona, it's good to see you."
"Lady Lucifuge, thank you for activating the teleportation circle for me." I politely bowed my head in her direction.
"It is no trouble." She smiled faintly. "Rias and her Peerage are out back, would you like me to escort you?"
"It's fine, I know the way."
"Very well. I am preparing tea and snacks, they will be ready shortly, please tell Rias when you see her."
I gave her one last polite nod as she walked off to the kitchen. I guess formalities were slightly dropped in these circumstances. It's not like I haven't been to this house hundreds, if not thousands of times since I was born.
Even if I had thoughts preoccupying my, my body seemed to carry me through the mansion with ease to the point I didn't even realize I came upon two individuals I recognized.
"Oh, Sona!" Lord Gremory perked up seeing me, Lady Gremory right at his side.
"How are you doing, Sona?" Lady Gremory had a very gentle tone as always.
"I am doing well, Lady Gremory."
"Always so polite." Lord Gremory chuckled. "I'm glad you're safe. That all of you are." He smiled towards his wife – Ex-wife?
I wasn't entirely sure what was happening there. The way they were sitting seemed to exude familiarity, which wasn't surprisingly considering the length of their relationship over the past centuries. However, it also lacked that sort of intimacy that couples were known for.
I supposed it's safe to assume that Lady Gremory's apparent relationship with her….grandson was not one that surprised Lord Gremory.
"It's all thanks to our grandson." Venelana beamed. "I can't wait to thank him properly, again."
And suddenly, all my thoughts came to a screeching halt.
Even Lord Gremory looked utterly flabbergasted. That was, until he started laughing abruptly.
"That boy has no idea what he's in for, that's for sure!"
Lord Gremory seemed to have no mind that Lady Gremory insinuated she was going to be intimate with their grandson at a later point. If anything, he seemed entirely amused by the idea.
…..this family was so strange.
But I had no room to talk with my sister being….well, my sister.
How many times has she showed interest towards me?
"….yes, it's thanks to Wilhelm that we escaped alive." I begrudgingly admitted.
"What a fine man he's grown into. Just look at that, taking after his Grandfather!" Lord Gremory jabbed his finger at the phone in Venelana's hand. "And he even has his own Daughter! Such a cute little thing. Vene, did you pass a message, huh? I'd love to meet him at some point."
Lady Gremory let out a giggle in response. "I told him already, but with everything that's been happening, it's probably been pushed to the side for now."
Lord Gremory…..pouted. "I guess it can't be helped. He's involved in that whole Fae thing right now, and now this. Oh well, just make sure to tell him that the offer is open ended."
"Millicas also said he wanted to meet his brother, I'll make sure to say something again, but no promises."
"That's all I ask."
Lady Gremory turned to me. "I'm surprised that Serafall let you out of her sight."
"She only did because I said was coming over here." I couldn't help but sigh. "And she's still has meetings all day. I was called in earlier again, but she couldn't get away."
"Again?" Venelana raised an eyebrow. "I was also called to come in for a couple hours, but this is getting out of hand. How many times have they had you come in?"
"Half a Dozen."
Lady Gremory frowned. "I will tell them to let you rest. It's bad enough what happened, but to be pulling you every which way right after. Hmph, I will have words with my son and your sister."
And that was one of the many reasons I always adored Lady Gremory.
"Thank you, Lady Gremory." I said sincerely.
"It's no problem, Sona." She smiled brightly again. "And Rias is out back with her Peerage."
With another polite nod, I left and continued to make my way through the large mansion. Surprisingly, despite the size of this place, they had very few servants. It was inhabited by mostly Peerage members who took up the chores and such. I knew Okita Souji had his own set of pieces and his Rook took some duties here to watch over the family under Lord Lucifer's request. And there were others.
Lord Gremory's peerage wasn't established entirely for just his...pleasure.
But there were no traditional servants.
Everyone just chalked it up to the Gremory oddness.
Though I did hear some rumors, something about the Old Satan Faction using spies and had snuck into the mansion under the guise of Servants long before I was born.
I never asked about it as it seemed like a personal and private matter.
I dismissed those random thoughts and pushed the back door open, seeing my friend sitting around with several other people.
"Sona, you came!" Rias happily greeted.
Her excitement was always contagious, I felt myself smiling back, seeing my friend again. Even if it'd only been a day or so since we'd been called in together to give reports, it felt like an eternity.
"Rias." I politely greeted back. "Are you doing well?"
"Yeah, good. I'm doing great." Rias smiled happily , but it felt…..forced.
I've known her long enough to tell when she's in these kinds of moods.
"She's lying." Akeno, who sat at the table with Rias, said bluntly.
"Akeno!" Rias squawked in embarrassment.
I guessed she still felt awkward about it? Letting out another sigh, I took an empty seat at the table. "I'm still shaken." I closed my eyes, letting out a breath of air. "I thought I was ready for that kind of thing, to be able to fight a real battle. I've ran so many battle simulations, trained with my peerage on many 'what-if' scenarios, yet…..we almost died."
"I..." Rias looked down. "Yeah…" She whispered.
I shared a look with Akeno who shot me a thankful expression.
"How's Gasper?" In the immediate commotion we had forgotten about her other Peerage member who always hid himself away. The Half-Vampire who couldn't control his Sacred Gear which activated on sight. So he hid himself away.
"He was scared – obviously. But otherwise, he's not hurt, just shaken too." Rias smiled wryly.
"Where are your other peerage members?" I glanced around and couldn't see them.
"They're running around doing some training." Rias sighed. "Well, I don't think it could be called that, but that's why they claim. I think they don't want to sit still right now. Issei's reaction was to immediately start running around and doing his exercises again. And Kiba…..Kiba felt guilty that Issei almost died to protect him that he's taking it upon himself to hover over him."
"Is he still upset about the Excalibur Pieces?" I pushed my glasses up.
"Surprisingly...no." Rias looked confused. "I guess he is, but at the same time he isn't. I think Issei's little sacrifice brought back some really bad memories for Kiba, so he's coping in the only way he knows how. So his anger right now is overcome with guilt."
That needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later. But knowing Rias, she'll ignore it until it's a problem that can't be ignored. It was rude to interfere in another's running of their peerage, so I didn't voice my thoughts.
"What about Koneko?"
"Well –"
Boooom!
We all turned to see said girl throwing boulders at the two running boys as they screamed.
"I see…" I just blinked.
"Fufu…" Akeno giggled to herself with a....sadistic look on her face. "Ara Ara, they're in for a beating. Our Koneko decided to join them in their training."
For some reason, Akeno was practically drooling.
Which….was a little much even for her.
I glanced at Rias who flushed red in embarrassment.
I glanced back at Akeno who I think had snuck her hand down between her legs.
Opening my mouth, I closed it again. It was best to ignore that and not comment. I've been around Serafall long enough to know certain ways around situations like this.
"Fallen Angel…..Sadism." Rias glanced back at me with red cheeks and muttered.
And it suddenly made sense.
Akeno's sadistic interests were no secret. Nor was her….origin and hate of her Father. She was a Half Fallen Angel and despised her Fallen Angel Father. Seeing another – Powerful – Fallen Angel get so thoroughly debased and beaten…..
I didn't need to continue down that line of thought.
Suffice to say, she was probably still very happy.
"Have you heard any news?" I decided to chance the subject.
"Probably only what you heard. Brother did mention something about a Peace Meeting coming up with the other factions. He said not to tell anyone, and that the only reason he told me was that we would need to be there incase the other factions had questions."
"Yes, my Sister said the same. As witnesses, we are there to give our accounts if they call upon us. It's likely that Michael and the Angels will want to hear everything from our mouths as well as the reports we gave."
I wanted to say it's surprising that we were having a Peace Meeting, but it seemed like this had been a long time in the making. Technically, we're still at war, but there haven't been open or rather wide spread hostilities in a long time.
"…..did you hear anything else?" I asked.
"You mean about Wilhelm?" Rias questioned.
"Sona sure seems interested in him~" Akeno giggled. "Maybe there's something else there."
"There is no such thing!" I adamantly denied.
"Sona-chan~" Rias had that mischievous look of hers. "It's okay, you don't need to lie."
Hmph.
I pushed my glasses up. "I think your mom already took that spot, Rias. Unless, you're suggesting I'm attempting to get with both of them?"
Rias just started sputtering.
"Do you think they'd let me join in?"
"Akeno!" Rias squawked again, scandalized and turning bright red. "That's my mom!"
"And she's hot." Akeno grinned. "If I knew that she was open for it, I would have made a pass earlier."
"Y-you..!" Rias didn't seem to know how to respond.
I was not prepared for this.
"And it's not like Wilhelm isn't handsome. Did you see him? Definitely filled out his clothes a lot better than when we saw him back in school."
"….please stop." Rias whined.
"Now, picture your mom and him fu –"
Rias made a strange sound as she launched herself over the table, attempting to strangle her Queen. The latter of whom just broke out in a fit of giggles as they struggled.
Well, this was better than seeing them depressed. And I think Akeno was doing it on purpose to break Rias from her funk.
Rias had a good Queen.
"Buchou !"
We all seemed to stop and see the others of Rias's peerage come walking over, looking rather exhausted.
Rias set herself back up properly, fixing her clothes.
"Sona." Koneko looked towards me, greeting me with that quiet, monotone voice of hers.
Cute.
"Tired out already?" I couldn't help but smiled, eyeing the little Nekoshou as she stuffed her mouth with cookies.
"Mmm." Koneko barely replied, but it was still adorable.
"Issei, help us settle an argument." Akeno grinned.
"Oh Satans, please don't." Rias Facepalmed.
"Rias's Mom, yes or no?"
"10/10 Oppai." Issei nodded sagely.
Rias just groaned while Akeno laughed.
"Hey, is she really….with your nephew?" Issei asked awkwardly.
"…yes." Rias said quietly. "Mom told us a few weeks ago." Rias sighed. "Apparently, it happened after he rescued her and Millicas."
"...nice."
"Dammit Issei."
"Fufufu."
"Ecchi." Koneko blushed a little.
Kiba was the only one who apparently had no comment. But even he looked a little flustered at the thought.
Not surprising, Venelana acted like a mother to pretty much all of them. Well, except Issei, he hadn't been around long enough.
"That damn handsome! He has those magnificent Foxy Oppai, now he even has your mom's Oppai all to himself!" Issei exclaimed, rather loudly.
"D-don't say it like that!" Rias huffed.
"Why? It's true." All our heads turned to see said woman carrying over a tray of treats, while Grayfia carried the tea with her.
"Moooom." Rias whined.
Venelana just looked all to amused by the looks she was getting.
"Must you, Mother?" Grayfia sighed, oddly casual when she was working in her maid persona.
"No, but I enjoy it." She giggled, setting the stuff down on the table. "I'm not ashamed in the slightest. Wilhelm and I are in a relationship, with all that entails. There's no need to tip toe around it."
Despite the nature of the situation, her confidence was something I always admired about her. Even when she faced Kokabiel, she never wavered.
Rias just further buried her face when Lady Gremory noticeably bounced her chest for everyone to see.
The Gremory Lady giggled again, opting to leave it at that with a sighing Grayfia following behind her.
It's rare to see Rias embarrassed like this. The same girl that had no qualms about walking around naked when we did sleepovers. The same girl that was very vocal about her…..interests when we started going through puberty.
"My Sister also said that those other women who appeared were part of his harem." It was a rare occasion, I would enjoy it a little more. "Would they be your nieces or your aunts, Rias?"
It took all of my effort to keep a straight expression.
Rias looked up at me with emotionless eyes.
"T-that handsome has a harem!!? Those other Oppai were his too!" Issei slammed his palms on the table. "That's not fair!"
"Wait, really?" Even Akeno was surprised.
"It's what my sister said." I shrugged. Whether that was Serafall being Serafall or not, I didn't particularly care for the moment. Though they seemed really close.
However, it did just raise so many more questions. Like, how did he get a Harem of that size in only a couple months? Not to mention their sheer strength, it was absurd.
"I was wrong." Issei breathed in. "I thought he was a bastard like those other Handsomes, but he's a kindred spirit. I wish I got to know him during school." Issei actually sounded sad.
"….It's still weird to think that he went to school with us. Is it strange that I barely had an impression of him?" Kiba who was usually silent, spoke up.
"I can't really blame you." Rias sighed. "If it weren't for finding out that he was my Nephew, I would honestly never give him a second glance. Besides the obvious non-native features of course. But he was…..quiet and never really stuck out. He was mostly average in everything with theatre being the only thing that stood out. And even then….I didn't really care about that kind of thing."
Rias found out about him much later than I did.
I was asked by both her brother and Serafall to keep an eye on him, as annoying as it was. They thought she would seek him out and ruin his 'normal life' or whatever their plan was. I wasn't entirely informed, but from what I understood, he lived his entire life thinking he was human and they didn't want to ruin that.
Whether that was wise or not, it wasn't my position to comment. But I could understand some of the logic. If someone you didn't know suddenly ran up to you, confessed themselves to be your Aunt from a side of a family that basically ignored you for your entire life and claimed to be a mythological and evil aligned being, how well would he take it?
The answer was obvious.
I just followed orders, however.
Well, that almost happened anyways. Rias wasn't one to...think things through when she gets an idea. When she first found out, she almost immediately ran over to him and do what she usually does with family.
It took a lot of convincing to get her to not run over right away and watch first. After that…..well, she lost that initial enthusiasm and felt awkward and embarrassed about approaching him.
Rias adopted the same attitude she took with her peerage. Settle for ignoring the problem unless it became more of a problem.
"Speaking of those girls...do you know anything about them?" I wanted to understand better.
No, I needed to know.
How the hell did he go from a quiet, introverted and possibly depressed teenager to – that.
IT was only a couple months, and he was strong enough that we were irrelevant in his eyes. He didn't even deem us worth acknowledging.
If it weren't for Venelana, he wouldn't have even spared us a second thought.
"All of them were.... beautiful, I guess." Rias muttered. "But they were all so strong."
"That blue girl effortlessly shielded us that entire time." Akeno bit her lip, that mischievous look about her having disappeared. "I kept trying to recreate what she did, and I just can't get it right. And it felt like she wasn't even trying."
I was proud of my own Magical Skills but…..that kind of display shook my confidence. And she wasn't the only one, several of them showed an insane aptitude with magic.
"That sword…..what was it." Kiba asked quietly, visibly…..hesitant to even bring it up.
That Sword.
I didn't even want to think about it because of the way it made me feel. Not that it was something bad, but the fact that even recalling that the Light that showered us left me with a warm feeling in my chest.
Holy Light wasn't supposed to act that way.
It wasn't supposed to be warm and accepting of Devils.
Yet, it defied all common sense.
Excalibur.
That was the name given, and deep inside, I couldn't rebuke it.
Which didn't make sense at all!
If that was Excalibur, then what was used to almost kill us by that priest!?
Why were we told that Excalibur was broken when it was clearly used to finish off a Dragon that fought Gods! Why was everything so confusing around him?
Even Serafall didn't have an answer when I asked her. And I could tell she wasn't simply keeping it a secret. She seemed completely confused as well.
"You were right about those rumors you told me before too." Rias looked down at her tea. "About that person appearing in Kyoto. I looked her up, you know? Her legends and stuff after you got on my case. Even Brother basically confirmed it."
"Scáthach." I breathed out. "No wonder she was able to match the God who appeared."
Yes, and it was no secret at this point that the person hiding behind the façade of the Priest was a God.
Serafall confirmed that much.
"Uh….who's Scáthach?" Issei asked. "Sounds foreign. And did you say that a God appeared? Like….one from the stories?"
Ah, Issei's recount wasn't particularly...important. So he hadn't been as privy to certain secrets as of yet.
"Right….we hadn't gotten that far in your education yet. I said all mythologies were real, that does include every other God. You saw a Shinto God appear not long ago, so it's not strange for a different Pantheon God to appear." Rias explained.
"R-right, sorry. It's just…"
"I know, it's a little overwhelming." Rias smiled lightly, not getting upset. "As for Scáthach, well…."
"She's one of the few humans in history who held the title of Godslayer." I pushed up my glasses, explaining for her. "From Irish Myth, she was born a human, trained one of the greatest Heroes over there, and killed Gods. I heard that she died during the Great War but.....I am starting to question several stated facts at this point."
Issei let out a whistle. "What's someone like that doing all the way over here?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" I pursed my lips. "And from what I said before, Wilhelm is very…..close to her."
"Lucky bastard." Issei muttered.
And honestly, I sorta felt the same way.
I could only imagine the kind of training and knowledge a person like that could pass down. Was she the reason that Wilhelm got so strong?
I would admit to being….envious.
"That woman with the big oppai and the purple lightning, who was she?" Issei asked, looking around.
Rias let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We don't know."
"Dragon." Koneko said. Even if it was a single word, it was easy to catch her question.
"Right, and then there's the revelation that Wilhelm is somehow this generation's Red Dragon Emperor." Rias muttered again.
"Um…"
"One of the strongest Sacred Gears in existence, a Longinus Class. It's common for their wielders to cause a lot of destruction along with its rival, Divine Dividing, that they are usually infamous rather than famous. They both house two rival Dragons, Ddraig and Albion respectively." I gave a brief summarization for her pawn.
"Oh, so he can summon dragons with it?" Issei tilted his head.
"No." I said plainly. "It's supposed to be able to barrow the power of the Dragon inside, one known to be stronger than most Gods in the world. However, apparently he found a way to…..summon Ddraig outside of it. The implications of that, I don't know. And why it looked the way it did, I also don't' know. Serafall was scratching her head too."
She said it was some sort of magic though.
Magic that was able to bypass a literal Divine Weapon created by the God in Heaven.
Was that how far he progressed?
That his Magic was beyond even Gods now?
How was he progressing this fast!?
It was frustrating!
The more I learned, the more I felt like all my efforts were pointless.
"And he had the True Longinus as well. The strongest Holy Weapon in the world, and he could use it like he wasn't a Half-Devil." I snorted, getting annoyed as this went on. "Do we know how he was able to avoid being burnt to a crisp by the Holy Power? Not to mention able to use its Balance Breaker and somehow become a Archangel for the duration."
I'm sure the Angels will be enthused by that bit of information.
I did not envy my sister's current predicament.
"No, Brother was tight lipped about it. One of the things he said not to spread around as they talk it over." Rias shook her head. "And if he's worried about it, that means others are."
"Yeah, the Angels and Fallen might throw a fit if they find out we can become immune to their main weapons." I spoke my thoughts aloud. "But..." I turned my eyes to Issei. "It's entirely possible that the answer is right here."
Everyone else turned towards him too.
"Any progress on…..whatever this is?" I asked.
Rias raised her hand up to poke Issei. A strange Energy-like shield came up and protected him, blue in color.
"We've been experimenting with it, but we're still working on what exactly it is. I asked mom and she just said it wasn't anything bad and it's called 'Aura' or something, and but hasn't said anything else." Rias frowned, clearly annoyed about the whole thing.
"What about Ajuka, did he not show any interest?"
"He did, but…."
"Other priorities." I sighed, guessing what she wanted to say. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. They said that they were going to try and pull in the Youkai to the Peace meeting, so hopefully we'll get some answers there."
I just….wanted to understand how.
Was he just talented, or am I doing something wrong?
Hopefully, I would find out soon.
[****]
Wilhelm POV
I didn't know what I should say.
I was honestly frozen solid here.
This…..thing was staring right at me without blinking and it was very intimidating.
Izzy was also a statue, and I felt like Ddraig was having trouble speaking.
I couldn't tell if this thing was intentionally projecting its presence so blatantly, or if this was just its natural state of being. Or Gods….was this how it felt after it reeled in its overwhelming power?
"You." It – she, raised her dainty hand to point at me.
I expected a follow up, or anything, but....she didn't speak again.
"…..what do you want from me?" I barely managed to get out under her drilling eyes.
"Help me beat Baka-Red."
….I don't know what that meant.
"I –"
"Smell similar." The thing suddenly was right in my face, staring straight into my eyes.
"Pardon?"
"Lots of things."
I blinked, still unable to decipher its words.
"Cao Cao." It said again. "Promised to help. Gone now. You help."
"…why me?" I still didn't know what I was supposed to supposedly help with.
"Strong. Noisy. Hear it every time you enter the world." She said had that expressionless look on her face. "Noisy beats noisy."
However, her explanation made my eyes widen.
"What do you mean?"
"Enter World, noisy. Lots of noise, like Baka-Red. Too many voices, too many things happening all at once."
[She's talking about Great Red.] Ddraig spoke.
"Yes." The thing apparently heard Ddraig from inside my soul. "Ddriag, help too. Too noisy, want my silence back."
"…..Lady Ophis." Izzy spoke up with a still terrified look about her. "Perhaps you should explain it fully he doesn't…..understand." She chose her words very carefully.
Ophis frowned and the realm shuddered for a moment before stopping. "Baka-Red came into my home, won't leave. Too noisy, I want my silence. Cao Cao promised to help me beat Baka-red, now he's gone. You help in his place."
"Great Red lives in the dimension Gap. You mean to say, he's being too noisy in the Dimensional Gap, where you live?"
"Yes."
"It's a big place, why not just go to a different part?"
"Too noisy." She sounded….annoyed, like she didn't like repeating herself.
"But….." I didn't understand what she was trying to say. I knew frighteningly little about the thing infront of me. The bare basics of it's origin and that's it. And even that was...too little for dealing with a being like this. "You were born in the void between worlds, devoid of all life….." And I suddenly realized what she meant. "Great Red is the Dragon of Dreams, his existence is everything that comes from dreams, all of existence, every possibility that could be dreamed, all contained into a single entity. And that's...blasting right into the Dimensional Gap for someone like you. Someone who never coexisted with the concept of life before."
She was getting spammed with everything that every single entity dreamed, right in her face, every second that she's near Great Red.
"Yes." Her eyes sort of sparkled, like she was happy that I finally understood. "Want my silence back."
But that left me with one worry. "How do you expect me to do to something like that?"
From what I vaguely remember, Ophis and Great Red were supposed to be relatively equal in strength. Yet, she's asking me to fight something equal to her when her current self fucking terrified me.
Ophis looked actually thoughtful at my question. I don't think even she knew what I was supposed to do.
And with that small opening, I did the thing I was best at.
I flicked my hand, grabbed Izzy into my arms and pulled her through a portal with me, quickly shutting it off behind us.
"Wilhelm…" Izzy breathed out, as if sighing in relief.
"What the fuck." I felt my heartrate skyrocketing as I pulled myself up from the sand dune we landed on.
I didn't have even a second to think about where I took her, and apparently, it's the same place I threw the user of the Divine Dividing that one time.
"I have heard about those who ran afoul one of the Dragon Gods, but I never expected myself to be facing one down like that." Izzy forced herself to her feet. "I only hope that Yomi remains once she grows bored and leaves.
"Is that normal then? To just….leave?"
"I don't know about Great Red, but for Ophis…..the Infinite Dragon Gods usually leaves after getting what it wants or grows bored. Sometimes without issue, or sometimes realms go missing. The only option is to usually wait it out and hope."
"Are we –" The words died in my mouth.
I stared in utter shock as my previous portal was forced back open.
A petite arm reaching through and pulled it back open, and a familiar 'little girl' walking through.
Without even thinking again, I grabbed the Spear out of my Ring and stepped infront of Izzy.
And for the first time in a very long time, I felt scared.
I was very close to jumping to my final trump card.
Ophis, didn't even react to my attempt to run away.
Instead, she looked at my curious, specifically my spear that is. Like she recognized it. "Made promise, not your home." She replied, staring right at the spear before turning back towards me and a little tilt of her head. "Give."
I hesitantly held the spear out.
"No, the tasty thing." She frowned, tossing the True Longinus to the side like it was a piece of garbage.
"….tasty thing?"
Ophis didn't wait for me to response, she grabbed my arm. And I felt like no matter what I did, I couldn't get her to let go.
She reached forward, and space distorted. It took a moment for me to realize she just forced herself into my Storage Ring and pulled something out.
She held a disk-like thing her in her hand before releasing me.
Something I hadn't thought of in a bit since I got it. "The Gorgoneion?" I blurted out.
She completely ignored me, just staring at it. Then just like all her unrecognizable actions, she opened her mouth, and ate it.
Her eyes flashed.
A few strands of her hair turned silver for a brief moment before returning to black. Her body bulged for a second before returning to normal as she held her stomach. One of her eyes changed color but also returned to normal.
She looked up and burped.
A wisp of divinity seeped out.
….what just happened?
"Hey, is that Great Red?" I pointed off into the distance.
The Infinite Dragon God turned to look.
And while I would normally be dumbfounded, and marvel at the sheer ridiculousness of that working, I was understandably very stressed at the moment. I waved my hand, opening a new portal right next to her and in one swift movement, literally kicked her through before slamming it shut.
"….what just happened?" Izzy finally managed to ask mimicking my sentiments.
"No fucking idea."
"And what's stopping The Dragon God from coming back?"
"I pressed the Meridia Button."
My Kaleidophone then buzzed. And I didn't even need to look to know who was calling. Still blankly staring at the spot Ophis just occupied, I answered.
"Wilhelm." I recognized Meridia's not all-too-pleased tone. "At your earliest convenience can you please come over. I believe there is a matter that needs discussion."
[***]
Sorry for late chapter, the p.a.t.r.e.o.n. chapter took much longer than expected. That being said, the next chapter over there is probably going to take me several days to write up, so don't get worried if i disappear for a few days.
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
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