"Not that I'm against it, but why exactly are we doing this?" Rin looked around. "And why does it have to be, her." She jabbed her finger towards Medea.
"Several reasons." I replied, holding my arm up as Medea took measurements. "Negotiations are rarely about strutting in and just stepping on everyone. We don't want to make 'enemies' even if we're not going to be playing along the way they're going to suspect us to."
"You look good, Rin." Artoria cut in, tightening a little binding, giving herself a pony tail.
"Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so I'm told." Medea smirked.
"Obviously, why else would you have a fiancé?" Rin shot back as those two did their usual song and dance. "But how does that whole spiel tie into why we're doing this?"
"I was getting to i-it." I jerked as Medea tugged on my arm. "The best method is to use little things to eek out some kind of verbal advantage or set a tone. Tell me what do you think when you see the Enforcers of the Clock Tower making a move?"
"….I guess they're kinda intimidating? Most Magi stay away from them when they're on the job."
"Exactly. They're no-nonsense. They're setting a tone that they're all business." I listed off. "One of the factors that facilitates that, is their dresscode." I gestured to myself as Medea continued to take measurements.
"He's not wrong." Medea started up. "Clothing can say a lot about a person based on the situation."
"It's all about that first impression." I nodded. "What do you think the faction leaders will look like when we arrive? Odin, Lugh, The Devil Leaders, the Fallen Leader, the Angel Leader?"
Rin blinked, looking thought. "I don't know, something good? If we're going off stereotypes, the angels will probably be wearing Robes. The Devils some kind of maleficent armor or something. The Gods….I really couldn't say."
"Do you think everyone they bring will look the same?"
"….no?"
"And then we come along, all matching in the same style, clearly 'dressing up' while they are probably wearing the same old things they always do. Immediately, it puts them on the back foot. Without even saying any words it makes us look more prepared. As if we are taking it more seriously, as if we're giving the whole event the due respect it deserves."
"Essentially, it makes them lose face." Medea summarized. "For beings of this caliber, outward perception is extremely important."
"So…..it's going to hurt their pride?"
"Eh, I wouldn't go that far." I shrugged.
"And what tone are we trying to set?"
"That we don't need to be there." Yasaka said frankly as she admired herself in a full length mirror. "We don't need them, and we know it."
"It also makes sure to let everyone know that we are all part of the same group." I fixed my collar slightly. "At this point, it's been made pretty clear about some of our names, so I don't want anyone to get any ideas that we can be separated."
I glanced over at both Scáthach and Raikou. Both of whom were looking amazing, they really rocked the look we were going for.
Couldn't wait to peel those layers off afterwards.
"So it's all about the impression, huh?" Rin muttered. "Doesn't sound much different than school…."
"It really isn't." I let out a chuckle. "Only that the 'popular kids' can decimate the world if they put their minds to it."
They're expecting us to be meek and come crawling out of the woodwork for whatever handouts they're willing to give.
Hell, even with what we showed off, I'm guessing that they're only inviting us because they want something, not because they 'recognized' us suddenly.
Even with all of us added together, we still are a small faction in comparison to almost everyone else.
Most other factions already had God-Level combatants, so the fact we 'suddenly' got some didn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things.
"And they aren't normal clothes either." I said offhandedly.
"Yeah, I noticed." Rin had been inspecting hers the entire time. The mindset of a Magus wouldn't let her not take a look at any magical effects, especially those that would be 'touching her'.
"Some of my finer work." Medea stated, smiling brightly. "Though, it was a rather abrupt request. So it won't last long beyond the meeting you're going to. And I wouldn't advise you to fight in it."
Which was fair, it was highly unlikely any actual fighting would happen.
"What exactly did you do?" Rin asked.
"I made each set its own Mystic Code that resists any peeping." Medea bluntly explained.
"Peeping?" Rin repeated with a look of confusion.
"Once we get there, they're all going to try and get a measure of us. That could mean anything from simply looking us over and trying to deduce anything that way, or using any other mystical means such as Mystic Eyes or magic to look deeper." I explained.
"Yes, Odin I believe will be able to see through most deceptions and any falsehoods. So it is wise to tread carefully." Scáthach spoke up as well.
"So these clothes will stop a God?"
"Of course not, you silly girl." Medea scoffed, almost comically in their little game. "But it will resist surface level attempts."
"Meaning, if they want to 'go around' whatever protections that Medea added, it will be noticeable." I elaborated. "It goes back to what Medea said, if a God is forced to go to such lengths for something so mundane, they will lose face infront of the others present. And we could call them out on their behavior, making it even more awkward and setting ourselves in a better position."
And maybe more importantly, it would annoy them. Gods don't like being denied, even for the most simplistic things. Tell them 'no' and they want to know more.
"Sounds really petty."
"Welcome to politics." I opened my arms with a laugh.
"It really is very trite when you get down to it." Yasaka let out a sigh. "But most faction leaders tend to have very inflated egos, so this is what usually happens in these sorts of things."
"You forgot the most important reason for doing this." Jinn happily exclaimed, taking a little pose to show herself off.
She looked exceedingly beautiful. I don't think I remember seeing her in anything but her own dress before. The lighter tones really complimented her beautiful shade of blue.
"Well, it's rather obvious, so I didn't think it needed mentioned." I shrugged.
"What's the most important reason?" Rin blinked, still not catching on. Not that I could blame her, her education was lacking. And that wasn't meant in an insulting way. She basically raised herself and had to do everything on her own.
The fact that she made it to this stage with her own effort just exemplified her talent in so many ways.
"It makes us look damn good." Yasaka flicked her tails, spinning around. She was the only one wearing a skirt and it was cut high, showing off those wonderful legs of her. Yet, it also retained the elegance that was expected of her as well. And draped over her shoulders was her iconic Haori she tended to wear.
It's kind of funny, we sorta look like Yakuza with Yasaka as our head.
Other than Yasaka, we were all wearing pretty much the same thing, with obvious variations for each person to match them explicitly. It showed off that Yasaka was the main character in this little rendezvous we were having, while everyone else was the supporting cast.
She would be the one doing the majority of the negotiations as even Nurarihyon wasn't attending. He wanted to continue with the whole attitude they already cultivated about not wanting to deal with devils and such.
They already had a talk about what they both wanted and what they were willing to do to do obtain those things. And the Old Man was willing to hand over the reins to Yasaka to let her handle the dirty business.
So, Yasaka was representing the Youkai as a whole.
However, he sent a representative.
Aotabō was outside, along with Soma from Yasaka's end. Specifically, Nurarihyon needed to send someone high enough up, but also low enough that it didn't disrupt his position that he was taking. Such, Aotabō who was the 'third' seat under Nurarihyon fit the bill.
Not to mention, the man was already acquainted with most of us and had a good head on his shoulders and knew about our circumstances.
"Really, that's the most important reason?" Rin snorted. "Not that I don't agree." She did a quick turn around to admire herself in the mirror.
"It's as you said, presentation. We look confident, and it shows. That goes a long ways in things like this. Our 'small faction' is completely at ease coming before these other 'big factions' without an iota of awkwardness or fear."
And that wasn't just because I enjoyed every opportunity to dress up. And I wasn't the only one who shared these sentiments. Artoria said something about how it was nostalgic based on something she wore during the Fourth Grail War.
And I think they were all enjoying it. A little amusement before we had to get serious and down to business later.
Seeing them all dressed up in suits with various degrees of customization. It was really fun to watch them all like this.
"Master, will you be okay?" Raikou sauntered over, fully ready to go. I had to say, these clothes hugged her curves in all the right ways. "You know who will be there."
I grimaced slightly at her words. She was the only who knew about my past the most. She was privy to many more details specifically through the application of the Dream Cycle we shared.
I turned around, taking her into my arms before stealing her lips. The deep kiss only lasted for a brief moment before I broke it. "I have you, and I have everyone else, what do I need to feel upset about? I won't lie and say that there aren't some unpleasant feelings that come to the surface when I think about it. But I'm also not that same kid from all those years ago."
I had my own family now, one of my own making.
So, fuck him.
Why did I have to feel like shit? He should be the one that has to feel like that due to his own fuck ups.
"That should do it." Medea stated, stepping away from the last person she was fiddling with. She did quick and meticulous work. Funnily enough, putting together everything was the quickest part for her. I told her what I wanted a couple days prior, and it merely took that long for her to get designs ready.
Magic really was a cheat.
"For a rush job, I think I did fairly well." Medea smiled brightly, hands on her hips as she looked around the room.
"Your work is as wonderful as always, Medea." I didn't hold back on the praise, she deserved every bit of it.
"Of course." The Witch preened. "And with that, I'll be heading back to my hubby. You can do have your dick measuring contest with those Gods or whatever."
"Fiancé." I managed to throw out before she left the room. Though she merely raised her hand up, middle finger extended without even looking back.
"Are we prepared?" Yasaka asked.
"About as well as we could be." I brought out the Staff of Magnus, tossing it to Jinn before taking out my own mirage. I admired it for a moment before also taking out its accompanying sheath and sliding it right in, keeping it in my hand. "You're in the hot seat, are you prepared?"
"As well as I could be." She chuckled.
Scáthach walked over, spear in hand as she swung it over her shoulder. "Be at ease, you shall not be alone."
"Indeed." Artoria nodded in solidarity, the sound of metal being pushed into a scabbard accompanied her words. She fastened Caliburn to her hip, presumably borrowing it from Mordred.
She was presenting herself as the representative of the Pendragon Family, so it made sense.
All of us made final preparations, even Rin had her own Staff out with her. Raikou carried her own sword in her hand. Jinn cutely stood there with my Staff of Magnus with her.
We used the few days since the original letter arrived to get ready as a whole. A few days to anticipate what we would be walking into, because it could be a windfall for the Youkai if played right. I told them everything Hades relayed to me, so that could be used in bargaining as well.
There were also other, minor things. But to be honest, we didn't know entirely what they wanted. We could make several guesses, most of which had to do with the Khaos Brigade, so we were feeling somewhat confident.
I'm sure they were able to get the information out of Kokabiel regarding his 'friends'. So they were probably really interested in any information about that organization. And I found it unlikely that Kokabiel knew more than I did.
And I wouldn't pretend to not know they most likely had questions for us. It was entirely possible this was just a smoke screen so they could attempt to 'interrogate' us without coming across as hostile to anyone else watching.
They very well couldn't just waltz right into Kyoto and demand answers.
We had talked about all of that and were ready for just about everything.
"Shall we get going?" Yasaka's tails waved in the air as she pushed her haori to the side. "What's our time like?"
"If we head out now, it should be perfect." I replied.
A grin made its way to her face. "Excellent. Let's grab our two others then head over." Yasaka went and pushed the door open, two familiar faces were waiting on the other side.
"Lady Yasaka." Both Soma and Aotabō greeted at the same time.
"Looking good." I held my arm out as Aotabō smiled and bumped it with his own.
"Haha, you think so?" The big guy smiled happily.
"You look quite fetching, Aotabō." Yasaka grinned. "I'm sure Reika will enjoy it too~"
The big guy flushed a little at Yasaka's teasing.
"Are you prepared, Soma." Scáthach patted the shoulder of the young-ish Tengu.
"I will do what is required of me, Teacher." Soma bowed his head towards Scáthach.
"Fufu. Stand up straighter, you have been taught by this Scáthach, you should be more proud. When we finish with this nonsense, I shall resume my teachings. I will have you up to what they refer to as 'Ultimate Class' within the next few months." Scáthach declared.
Surprisingly, the Tengu looked excited.
And it may have been weird to see Soma here of all people. Frankly, he wasn't the strongest of Yasaka's Guards, even if he apparently had a good amount of potential to get a rise out of Scáthach. There were a few reasons though, the main being, the Youkai really did not like Devils.
It wasn't the hatred that they all had for the Fae now. While if someone shouted that there was a Faerie outside, I think everyone would grab a kitchen knife and run out after them. Devils were more or less tolerated in comparison, but they didn't want to associate with them at all.
Lots and lots of bad blood over the years.
The Elders that were present, none of them wished to go to a Peace Conference 'hosted' by the Devils. So, Yasaka opted to bring Soma, and the secondary reason for that being – he was the new owner of one 'Dimension Lost' Sacred Gear.
He had proven his loyalty several times at this point and Yasaka granted him it.
On the very off chance that something happened, he would be very valuable to act as her guard – ignoring all of us, that is.
As Scáthach said, give him a few more months of training to master that thing and to hone himself more, and he would sit comfortably in the Ultimate Class bracket.
Otherwise, everyone was sitting back, in a state of wariness. Since so many of us were going to be away, they were buffering their patrols and lookouts. It would be the 'best' time for us to be attacked, but we were also ready in case of an emergency.
Some of my defenses had been set up around the city, enough to alleviate some pressure. Nurarihyon was also on high alert and they had spoken of some hypothetical situations, so it's not like anything should take us by surprise.
And most importantly, Kunou was safe.
Perhaps the safest out of any of us.
Her dear aunt Meridia decided she wanted to babysit.
"Wilhelm, if you would." Yasaka asked.
Well, it was time.
Game face.
And may as well add a little flair to our entrance.
Taking Mirage out of my sheath, I swiped horizontally across the space infront of us, opening a rather large connection.
[***]
There was a tense air at our arrival.
There were hundreds of unrecognizable faces scattered about.
And the venue for this supposed talk was in the strangest place. Why they wanted to host it in the middle of the destroyed Kuoh Academy, I had no idea.
They hadn't even bothered to clean anything up beyond this immediate area where everyone was gathered at.
At the center, there was a table, with each side represented in their own corners and their own people behind them.
The people here, they seemed to ease up once they realized who we were. I supposed it wasn't unforgivable that they were all on edge. For most of them, they probably didn't know that their leaders had been discussion something like this for a long time. Because I had no doubt in my mind that this whole thing was a long time coming.
Yasaka though, she didn't flinch or react at all. All the intense looks that were sent our way, she held her head up high, and started walking towards the only empty seat remaining. Everyone silently watched her as we followed, the only accompanying sound were heels tapping against the concrete ground.
She slid into her chair, one leg swung over the other, hands rested in her lap. She smiled lightly; her gaze cast around the table. "It seems we're the last to arrive." She said plainly, knowing full well we were late.
I noticed several Divine figures right off the bat, and I could guess who was who. Even if one of them wasn't supposed to be here based on the list we got.
The Angels as well, it's my first time seeing a Non-Fallen Angel in person. The Holy Power they emitted was unmistakable.
And finally, the Devils.
Our eyes met.
I don't think either of us knew how to react.
He looked way too similar to me, down to my eye color as well.
My Father.
"We were starting to wonder if you were going to show up." Azazel was the first to speak, a little jab in his words.
"Oh, it took awhile to get ready. You know how it is, abruptly getting an Invitation dropped in our lap. It almost makes me feel like we were an afterthought." Yasaka shot back. "But I'm sure it was just an accident. Afterall, for something clearly this important to the several factions here, I'm sure they wouldn't do something so blatantly disingenuous."
That made everyone around the table utterly silent and created a very awkward atmosphere.
Well done, Yasaka.
"Speaking of –" She turned to look at a familiar face. "Sun Wukong, as pleasant as it is to see you again, I'm utterly surprised that you're here. Which I certainly shouldn't be, because at the very least, the letter I received beforehand specified who would be attending."
Even the Monkey King scratched his head awkwardly.
I doubted any of them expected Yasaka to go for the proverbial throat immediately upon sitting down.
"Oh well, I can imagine things have been busy for everyone." She once more glanced around the table. "Outsiders whispering in the Fomorian King's Ear." As soon as the words left her mouth, a Godly presence sitting next to what was obviously the Angels radiated out. Yasaka didn't even shudder as she met his gaze. "Or maybe they are the ones doing the same for the Giants of Muspelheim and Jotunheim." She glanced at who I presumed was Odin. For some reason, he was drilling his eye into me, but his body twitched as soon as he registered what she said. "Or perhaps the Old Satan Faction members have simply made some rather unsavory friends, just as Kokabiel had." The Three Abrahamic factions now were staring at her intently and I could tell that Yasaka was relishing the moment. "I can completely understand, as we've been dealing with problems of our own, which I don't think I need to elaborate on. So it's understandable, I suppose, that we were barely worth a second thought."
Again, she made them utterly silent to the point where their indignation couldn't even bring them to speak up.
Who were we? Some backwater faction that inhabits a small corner of the world, and here Yasaka basically revealed that she knew quite a bit more than she should.
And right now, she was basically looking down her nose at everyone else.
Declare victory from the start.
"So, what can we, the Youkai of Japan, help you with?"
[***]
Serafall Leviathan POV
This bitch.
She just struts right in after making a big scene, didn't even bother with formalities, and laid her proverbial junk on the table.
Not to mention the people she brought. I can't deny that she knew how to make an entrance, and they were totally rocking the look they went with, but it was still frustrating.
The hell are we supposed to say to that? Can't really call her out on it either, because she was definitely right, even if it was sarcasm.
They were an afterthought because it was convenient. We just didn't think they'd throw it in our faces. And the Sun Wukong thing wasn't our fault, but I couldn't say that either. That would mean acknowledging that we didn't care about them in the first place.
There went almost all of our original plans right out the window.
If she was speaking the truth, then somehow, the Youkai, of all factions, knew more than even we did. What was that about Fomorians? I didn't even know they were acting up, but the way Lugh reacted, there was definitely something going on there!
And even Odin reacted when she mentioned the Giants. I heard there was some noise over there, but nothing enough to make the All-Father get serious.
Dang it.
We heard last minute that Michael was bringing Lugh, so we were scrambling to figure that whole thing out. That was after Azazel threw Odin at us too, so we equally divided our attention between them, but it was very short notice.
And like the day before, Odin said he was bringing Sun Wukong along as an outside party that was only spectating.
And to top it all off, Zekram decided he was coming along with us.
I had to resist the urge to scowl when I saw Yasaka meet my eyes. That knowing smile on her face was just…..aggravating.
And my spell to scan them failed. I was sure I was stealthy about it, but it just sort of…..fizzled out when I tried to target them.
And Sirzech's bastard making doe eyes at Mama Gremory just seemed to make the whole thing that much more ridiculous.
"How about we start with introductions." I put on my best smile and addressed the table.
I would honestly be impressed at the audacity that Yasaka showed if it didn't also slap us right in the face.
But now wasn't the time to let us lose the advantage.
"Fine, lets get these useless pleasantries out of the way." Odin snorted, though he seemed to have a noticeable interest in Wilhelm.
No idea what that was about. Though Mama Gremory did mention that he summoned Yggdrasil when he rescued her…..the first time. Did it have something to do with that? Some kind of spell that left some lingering effect?
Maybe the Old God was interested in that. He's also a God of Magic in addition to everything else.
"Oh, let me start!" I clapped, trying to ease the tension with a bright smile. "I'm Serafall Leviathan, representing the Devils! I handle Foreign Affairs."
I nudged Sirzechs as he seemed to be staring at a certain other redhead.
Dammit, Sirzechs, get your head in the game. We literally had a talk about this yesterday. You said you weren't going to cause a scene. Staring blatantly is causing a scene.
"Sirzechs Lucifer." He finally regained some semblance of appearance. He finally pulled his eyes away from his bastard, whom was scowling in his direction. "I handle Domestic affairs."
Or in other words, he's our big stick to wave around whenever the Old Satan Faction got uppity. Which…..may need to happen again if what Yasaka implied was true.
...crap, we're going to have to get information from the Faction that despises us.
"Ajuka Beelzebub. I handle the Research and Development for various fields." Ajuka boringly stated.
Even Sirzechs glanced at the last 'member' of our gathering. Well, the 'member' who would be allowed to speak. We had plenty of other Devils sitting quietly behind us. And they were thoroughly taught that they were not going to open their mouths unless we told them to.
Grayfia was to the side, as she always was and no one would question her presence. Okita was also sitting near the others. In the worse case scenario, it would be good to have more help defending the kids.
Speaking of kids, Rias and Sona were both there, along with most of Rias's peerage, and Sona's queen. Basically, everyone that had been involved Kokabiel's suicidal bout of idiocy.
Of course, that meant Mama Gremory too.
As funny as it was to make fun of Sirzechs about her and Wilhelm being a thing, it really did make things awkward.
Like…..how were we supposed to handle her? Normally, it would have been great to use her relationship to bring the Half-Devil to our side, but we couldn't exactly pressure the Matriarch of the Gremory family. And that also meant we had to be careful what we said around her.....
"I am Zekram Bael." The old coot raised his voice, drawing every eye to himself. "I lead a faction amongst the Devils known as the Great King Faction."
Still had no idea what hidden agendas he had. This guy was always so hard to read.
Atleast he was being supportive of us. It wasn't a secret that he didn't side with the Old Satans, seeing that they were leading us to extinction. But he also didn't always have interests that aligned with ours.
He usually wouldn't step into the spotlight like this, which made it even stranger.
And I could guess the reason why.
A certain red-haired boy that's been causing us nothing but headaches.
"We also brought along the ones involved in the attack by Kokabiel" It was my turn again. "In case anyone has any questions, or you want to hear it from their mouths."
It would be a good experience for them too.
"Are we next?" An Angelic voice touched everyone's ears. Golden hair, shining and pristine aura. Just being near him honestly made me uncomfortable, just from the Holy Power that he possessed. "I am Archangel Michael, representing Heaven." And he was always unfailingly polite.
"Hello everyone, I'm Archangel Gabriel." The most innocent voice accompanied one of the most beautiful faces I'd ever seen. It was absurd that such an innocent woman had that lascivious body.
"And I am the Flame of God!" The last of the Archangels present let out a roar, his Holy Flames enveloping his fist as it hit the table. Thankfully, we had anticipated something like this and made the table very durable. "I am the Archangel Uriel!"
Something told me that he wasn't that keen on this whole thing.
Couldn't put my finger on why.
But the glares he sent our way didn't bode well.
Then again, Uriel was always one of the more vicious Angels.
Michael also began introducing a few more people, some members of the Church. It wasn't unexpected, while Heaven rules over the Church, the Church often acted with autonomy. Often to Heaven's own annoyance.
It was important and everyone, but one person amongst the Church took my full attention.
"And this is Vasco Strada, second only to the Pope." The last man was introduced.
He was massive.
I knew who he was, I'd seen him before. And I always doubted he was human every time I saw him. Because I've never seen a human give off that kind of aura before.
He was strong, and I didn't even know if I could beat him in a fight.
The main cast were introduced, and he made an offhanded remark about the legion of Angels brought along. Not that we could fault him for that, things were shaky as they were.
Once he finished, eyes turned once more towards the God that had accompanied the Angels.
"I, Lugh, God of Light, represent the Tuath De Danann." The First of our Godly representatives introduced themselves. "We have had an agreement for many years, so I was more than willing to accompany them to such talks. And it seems that I also have a new vested interest here." His eyes briefly flickered to Yasaka, making me frown for a moment.
However, his gaze was almost completely locked onto a different woman.
She stood behind Yasaka, radiant Red Eyes, and a lithe body. A red, Demonic Spear, held over her shoulder as confidence shined in her eyes.
Yeah….this was really going to get complicated quickly.
"My turn." Azazel's voice cut through my thoughts as I shook off my own annoyance. "Hey everyone~ I'm Azazel, Governor General of the Grigori. I have my secretary Penemue, and my second in command, Baraqiel, here with me. Along with my own group that are sitting off to the side." Azazel's introduction was rather casual, but that was normal for him.
As much as he liked to act nonchalant, he was very calculating and intelligent. If he thought this was the best way to go about things, then I wouldn't get hung up on his flippant attitude.
"Passing over to you, ol' One eye."
Odin was someone to always be wary of. He was technically retired, yet here he was representing the Norse Faction. He had a old cap on his head, a monocle over his missing eye and a weather look about him. Not to mention that large stick he held in his arms, presumably a walking stick, but that was fooling no one.
Odin was known for a certain spear, and I doubted he would go anywhere without it.
But surprisingly, in this moment, Odin looked...lost.
Which was strange to see on a God, most of all someone like him.
It was if he was staring off into space, only to suddenly come back to attention once his name was called.
The Old God huffed in annoyance. "I'm Odin, this is my nagging Valkyrie, Rossweisse."
"….Well, I guess I should introduce myself even if I'm not participating." The Monkey King began only to be cut off by Odin, who slammed his stick on the ground.
"Everyone knows who you are." Odin grunted. "But more importantly." He raised his wrinkled hand up, finger extended towards Wilhelm. "Why do you have my blessing, boy."
[***]
Odin POV
I ignored that annoying prattling the young'uns were going on about.
It was entertaining, mostly, but there was something else the held my attention. I knew that the boy was going to be something interesting, the Old Monkey said so and he's rarely wrong.
But...…why did he have my blessing?
It took me longer than I'd like to admit before I realized it. Maybe I was distracted by the other things he had.
"Not to mention your Divinity" I eyed him. "Don't know how that's possible. But how in the blazes did you get my blessing!"
And it was a strong one at that. When was the last time I blessed someone with that much strength? Centuries atleast.
I would also point out the Runes that were carved into his soul, but the lass next to him could answer that question easily enough. She was one of the few I passed those down to. Though, her being so blatantly alive and standing right there was a whole other question. Even if she looked a lot different than I remember, that presence of hers was unmistakable.
And there was something off about her. Off about several of the other girls standing over there. The Blonde one, the Purple Haired once with the nice rack. And her as well.
Why did they feel similar to the Einherjar back home?
That damn clothes he was wearing were annoying. But they couldn't stop me, and I needed to figure this out. His Divinity shielded him much from my sight, but I could still see enough.
Ddraig was using his soul like an apartment. He had Divinity that was strikingly similar to my own Son's. The Storm raged within it, but contained well enough to show how well he had it under control. It wasn't something that was haphazardly thrown on somehow. It was a part of him now, intertwined with his entire being.
"So, it's true. You really do have Divinity." That brat Lugh commented.
"Bah, who cares about that. I wanna know why he has my blessing!"
"What's the big deal, did you not remember giving it to him or something." The Azazel brat spoke up.
"I haven't given anyone my blessing in centuries, you damn crow."
"Maybe you were too drunk to remember?" The brat himself answered finally.
Cheeky brat. "Funny, I've never actually been that drunk before." I narrowed my eye at him.
The corners of his lips curled up. "All I know is that the God Odin gave me his blessing."
And I could find no falsehoods in his words.
He was telling the truth and it made no sense.
Now that I looked at him again, my blessing was...strange. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt off.
Well, there was one way to check. Any blessing I've given, I can easy take away. I simply had to reach out and –
I blinked.
It rejected me.
I knew damn well that it's my blessing!
But it rejected me!
A blessing of mine, that clearly wasn't mine…..
Suddenly, several more things began to make sense. I had an inkling of what was going on, and the idea even made me hesitate to voice it. Was I merely overthinking things?
What were the chances? It sounded crazy in my head, but...many things seemed to line up now.
A woman who should have been dead. A Sword that took the name of an already existing sword. That other one who wielded Indra's weapon.
…..I needed to think about this some more.
***
Wilhelm POV
It was pointless to try and lie to Odin.
And I doubted he would take a 'no' for an answer on this one, considering it was his blessing in the first place.
So, I simply told the truth.
However, he went…..silent for some reason, looking really lost in thought.
"Should I go then?" Yasaka decided to break the new silence. "I'm Yasaka, and I will be representing the collective Youkai of Japan."
"And what about your other...companions." Azazel leaned forward.
"Hmm? Oh my companions. Well, they're here supporting me, don't worry. I will be handling the talks as the Leader of the Youkai." Yasaka had a grin on her face as Azazel twitched in response. "Unless, there was some kind of ulterior motive in inviting us? Or are you simply going to interrogate all the people I've brought, much like what's happened already." She glared towards Odin.
The Norse God rolled his eye, but didn't respond.
"We're just curious about those involved in what happened, Lady Yasaka." The Archangel Michael smiled warmly towards us.
It was kinda difficult to be snippy when he gave off such a genuine aura.
"Very well." Yasaka looked as if she was acquiescing to his request. As if we weren't going to do so anyways. She held her hand up, gesturing towards Soma. "This is my Guard, Soma, the newest owner of Dimension Lost."
The reaction that this new information got out of most people present was amusing to see.
Certain Sacred Gears were called Longinus for a reason.
And I took a small bit of pleasure seeing Azazel pout.
"And from Nurarihyon's side." She gestured towards Aotabō.
"I'm Third seat under Lord Nurarihyon – Aotabō." The Large Youkai was very brief in his introduction, but it came off well enough.
Yasaka glanced at us, and we were up.
"I am Artoria Pendragon." Artoria was the first to step up. "I am representing the Pendragon Family." She held a hand upon the pommel of her sword, earning some glares from the Church members.
"Rin Tohsaka, Student of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin's introduction was brief as I think she felt a little intimidated. She was the one who was adamant about coming, and I couldn't deny her. She had always been helping and threw her lot in with us just as much. Not to mention, she was the Master of Artoria, she had every right to be here with her.
But the name drop of Gramps raised some eyebrows. None of them knew the origin of my name, to hear someone else bearing it, well, it probably opened up some questions.
"Hello, I'm Jinn, spirit of Knowledge." Jinn introduced herself. And honestly I'm wondering if she was capable of feeling intimidated. Being stared at by both Gods and Devils, yet her cheerful attitude didn't change.
And it was obvious her – my – staff was drawing some mild attention as well. I wondered how many here could recognize its divine origin?
"I am Minamoto-no-Raikou." My wonderful Servant said very bluntly. Her name wasn't exactly unknown, but it was unlikely that it made its way out of Youkai territory. And I could guess that most assumed her a descendant or spiritual inheritor like those that seemed to pop up every now and then.
She also didn't elaborate further, but she also got quite a bit of attention. Especially from the Godly guests, and specifically, the Monkey king was looking at her in astonishment.
Scáthach spun her spear before slamming it on the ground. "I hail from the Land of Shadows, conquering it as its queen. I am Scáthach."
Once more, there was utter surprise flashing across many faces. I think 'knowing' and actually hearing it from the mouth of the woman herself was something completely different.
The God – Lugh looked the most conflicted. And it was understandable considering what Pantheon and part of the world he hailed from.
And finally it was my turn.
Hundreds of eyes were now on me and it felt strange.
I looked around, and my eyes fell once more on someone that brought about many negative emotions from me.
As I told Raikou, I couldn't help but still feel some of those even if I knew I wasn't as powerless and insecure I was those years ago.
I had been through a lot.
I had grown, I had gained my own family.
I hade those I love now.
So, I looked right at him. My gaze met his own and I didn't back down.
The one who had condemned me to a ruined childhood filled with loneliness and depression. Who expected me to simply live within the confines of a box he set up so I was out of sight and out of mind.
I'd never been very self-conscious about my name, but strangely, right now, I felt inordinately confident in myself.
It was a declaration.
"I am Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg."
And seeing him frown, it just made me all kinds of happy.
"Well then." Yasaka took the reins back. "Shall we get down to business?"
[***]
Part one of four for the peace conference. Sorry for the late chapter, this is for the weekend.
If you want to read 7 chatpers ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Yasaka POV
I was really proud of Wilhelm in this moment. I knew all too well that he was experiencing quite a few emotions right now, yet he kept himself calm and collected, at least on the surface. The man who had been a thorn in his heart for years was now sitting only a few seats away, yet Wilhelm didn't make any overt gestures and barely reacted to his presence.
They were simply glaring at one another after he introduced himself.
Good, with that, the Devils were being rather quiet. Sirzechs Lucifer was always going to be someone difficult to deal with. Strength spoke much louder than most other things in our world, having him stay silent would only help us.
Being cowed by the 'son' he decided to push to the side and forgot about.
I even took a glance at Grayfia Lucifuge – the wife of Lucifer – who briefly looked like she sucked a lemon. The haughty maid really didn't know how to react. I could imagine she never liked Wilhelm, however he was also the one who saved her child. The conflicting emotions must be running rampant with that one.
The others too.
They all gathered their own attention from the interested parties.
I don't think I managed to stop the inevitable questions that would come up, but I managed to stymy the tide of interrogations, which was what we wanted.
We just had to keep the conversation going along a path we wanted. And with that we could –
"How are you alive?" The Head God of the Celtic Pantheon seemed to ignore everything else, instead opting to stare intently at Scáthach. "I watched you die, I saw your corpse and we even performed the burial rites. You were dead."
And I had almost forgotten I was dealing with Gods here. Since when did they play by our rules or common sense?
Scáthach's expression didn't change, but I felt I knew her well enough at this point to know she was annoyed. There were a few slight shifts in her demeanor that noted such things. Having watched her train many of my people at this point, I could guess when she was about to give someone punishment, and this was a close match to those times.
Then again, I couldn't imagine what she felt when facing Lugh. He was supposed to be the Chief God of where she was born and lived for so many years.
Someone she would probably acknowledge and revere in some regard.
The Father of someone she cherished many years ago.
The –
"Your face reminds me of that stupid look that Setanta always had."
Or I could be reading into it incorrectly.
Words as sharp as her spear, she made the God of Light unable to speak.
And an awkward silence ensued.
I suppose that's one way to shut down the question.
"...you really are her…." The Celtic god whispered, almost in resignation. He didn't seem off put by the comment at all. Though he visibly deflated, the wind completely taken out of his sails.
And that somehow worked. I supposed I should have more trust in Scáthach to not do anything foolish. She was much older than I am and more experienced with her own corner of the world. Her wisdom wasn't something I can always anticipate.
It was hard to gauge what The Celtic God was thinking after that. Based on the information we currently had – courtesy of Hades and the amazing man I call my lover, we do know that the Celtic Pantheon was sort of split on Scáthach's existence. So, whether he was happy or displeased with her 'emergence' was up in the air.
Truly, the abrupt 'alliance' that Wilhelm somehow created with the Greek God really gave us a lot of cards to work with. He had knowledge that stretched far around the world.
Without it, we would have been very far on the back foot.
"I would like to know the agenda for this gathering. The singular letter we received only a few days ago was….lacking." I addressed the table reminding them of their failure in proper etiquette. It was good to keep them in an awkward mentality.
And it would also force them to move forward while they were still lost in their own thoughts.
The Green-Haired Devil cleared his throat. "We were originally gathering here to broker a Peace Agreement between the Three Factions." He sat up a little straighter. "However, as an…..unforeseen circumstance arose, it has been extended to beyond what we originally intended with several others pulled in as well."
A quick glance around the room could easily deduce what he meant by that.
That was a little interesting, so they never intended for The Gods to become a part of it? Maybe they too were caught off guard then, it could explain the abruptness of how this was assembled.
Not that I would give them any slack.
"One of many messes we've had to clean up of yours from over the years. How is this one any different?" I offhandedly mentioned, making Ajuka react ever so slightly.
"I would hardly call this our mess." He said stoically.
"The first time, a significant sub faction amongst the Devils kidnapped two important individuals. Who was it that rescued them again? And while I agree that you aren't held accountable for what Kokabiel does –" I shot a glance at Azazel. "He specifically targeted several more important individuals amongst your faction to restart the war between yourselves in an attempt to engulf the entire world."
Were they really going to try and argue that they didn't hold any responsibility here?
"Hmph." Zekram Bael grunted. "And how many involved were your Youkai? You seem to have a high opinion of yourselves when you have not once been involved. The one who was involved has more connection to us than you."
I narrowed my eyes at Zekram Bael. One of the oldest Devils in existence, the progenitor of the Bael Blood from which my lover hailed.
I was expecting someone to push this idea, that they weren't a part of my faction, but I didn't expect it to be this man.
"Oh my, you're right." The corners of my lips curled up. "Clearly, my Lover, the father of my daughter, whom lives in Kyoto, has more connection with you. Remind me again, how many times has he visited your underworld? How many members of his family has he ever met, hmm?"
"Sinking your lecherous claws into a confused child –"
I had to hold myself back from reacting to his provocation, thankfully, someone else picked the absolute perfect moment to shut him up.
I felt a substantial amount of power flow out as it focused down on the old Devil.
It wasn't just him, everyone else tensed ever so slightly.
"Choose your words carefully." Wilhelm shifted his glare from his birth father to the Bael Progenitor.
Perfect timing.
Always so protective of us~
Can't say it didn't feel good. Especially since I'm annoyed at what Zekram Bael implied. While...technically true if one looked at it from a single side, it's far from the whole truth. I wouldn't deny that I did my best to seduce him, but it was entirely mutual in that regard, after he saw I wanted more than a fling.
"Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the concept of recruitment without the contingency of slavery added on?" I retorted, keeping my tone even while Wilhelm's power receded.
"oooh, shots fired." Azazel, the Fallen Angel Leader, chuckled from his end of the table, earning a glare from the Devil Faction members.
"The Evil Pieces are not slavery. Every person who joins a peerage does so willingly." Ajuka said very sternly. "It's illegal by our laws to force someone into it."
I raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with the Devil Leader. "I have a list of every Youkai forcibly taken since those things were created."
Who was he trying to fool? Well, it's probably something they had to be vocal about, otherwise they'd have to acknowledge how many fuck ups the backbone of their society created.
"Really Ajuka, that's a losing argument there. Everyone one of us can point out examples of that being blatantly false." Azazel shook his head.
The Green-Haired devil sucked in a deep breath. "There were admittedly some mishaps when they were first introduced, and we had yet to create proper oversight. Since then, they have been heavily regulated."
Hmm…..time to twist the knife?
I didn't want to rock the boat too much, it's beneficial for everyone that the Three Factions stop being so aggressive, but tt's the best opportunity.
"Heavily regulated you say?" I spoke up again, as once more, attention fell on me. Even the two Gods present were opting to stay silent as we bickered between ourselves. I doubted they overly cared for our 'mortal' arguments, merely amusement for them if nothing else.
However, Lugh sported a complicated expression as he kept stealing glances at Scáthach. Odin though, Odin concerned me. He had a very serious look on his face as he stared intently at all of us. But especially when he looked at Wilhelm, as if trying to uncover some sort of secret.
I was worried that maybe we had been discovered. Because everyone finding out about Wilhelm's...ability, would be unpleasant. How many other beings in the world would covet such a unique power?
We were forced to walk a fine line here, to both reveal ourselves, but also keep back anything of real value/importance.
"Such things are found quickly and punished heavily." Ajuka reiterated, unsure of where I was going with this.
"Excuse me if that sounds ridiculous considering what your relative, Diodora, has done."
There was a pause with Ajuka, he certainly didn't expect me to bring up his cousin, but he also looked blank. "....What does my cousin have to do with it?"
I blinked, 'appearing' surprised at his ignorance. "You really didn't know?"
Ajuka adopted a frown. "I fail to see what my cousin has to do with this meeting."
An awkward cough sounded across the table. "I agree, I believe we are here to discuss more important matters regarding ceased hostilities between our people." The Archangel Michael interjected.
"My apologies, I thought the cousin of one of the Satan kidnapping the Church's Holy Maidens and forcing his Evil Pieces on them before he forces himself on them was a matter worth bringing up."
"Aw shit." Azazel seemed to say it best as both the Angels and the Devils went stiff at the accusation.
Surprisingly, it was the very large man standing behind the Archangels that had the most immediate reaction. His own power started seep out, a contradiction to his very gentle and polite tone. "Lord Michael. Would you please ask for clarification." The words were very light, yet they rumbled through the air.
Vasco Strada spoke and everyone was forced to listen.
Even both Lugh and Odin looked surprised by the man's sheer weight in his words. While Sun Wukong looked rather impressed.
It really made me question if he was truly human. I guess he's called the strongest Human for a reason.
"Fear not." Michael narrowed his eyes towards the Devils before turning back towards me. "I too have questions regarding this accusation. I assume you have more evidence than just your words?"
"This is nonsense." Ajuka interjected, though he hesitated ever so slightly. I think even he may have realized something was more….remiss with his cousin than he previously thought.
If it was some random Devil they could easily sweep it under the rug, throw him to the Heaven Faction to appease them. However, it was the cousin of a Satan.
"I am inclined to agree." Michael surprisingly also was hesitant to accept me at face value, though I expected something like this. "I'm curious to know how you came across this information, when even we are unaware. Especially since you would have no reason to look into such a thing."
"Azazel." I didn't react under their intense gazes as I turned towards the Fallen Angel.
"Oh no" He waved his arms infront of himself. "Don't you dare drag me into this mess, I'm already in hot water after what Kokabiel did."
I rolled my eyes at his antics. "You have a recently excommunicated Nun possessing the Twilight Healing under your purview, do you not?"
The Fallen Angel cursed, and while I didn't know which language he used, it was clear in his meaning.
The combination of Hades' knowledge, and the insights that Wilhelm held, if scattered. Otherwise, the missing pieces were easy enough to fill in while we were making last minute preparations.
"Azazel." Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Look, I had no idea, alright? All I know was that one of your Holy Maidens was excommunicated for 'healing a devil' that literally dropped on her doorstep. And like the good little Catholic girl she was, she helped him without asking questions. Your people threw a fit and kicked her out because they wanted to hide the fact that she could heal a devil with one of the old man's Sacred Gears. I, of course, snatch her up, Sacred Gear and everything."
The Archangel looked to process the information, furrowing his brow. "I recall one of our Holy Maidens being excommunicated recently, but that was not the information I was provided." He turned towards one of the Cardinals standing next to Vasco Strada. "I was told she was consorting with Devils, not performing duties that even Father would smile towards."
The Cardinal Michael locked gazes with seemed to cower and nearly jumped out of his skin once Vasco Strada placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Was her name Asia Argento?" The Strongest human asked.
"Yeah….that's her name." Azazel sighed.
"I see." Vasco Strada sighed. "I met her once, she was a very kind young woman. Is she doing well?"
"She is..." Azazel looked towards the woman at his side who whispered in his ear, and he looked as if he remembered something. "She's in school right now, living normally in France. She helped me with researching that specific Sacred Gear, and I paid her well enough that she doesn't have problems. And she gets paid whenever we need her help. Though, weirdly, she almost got sent to Kuoh here. I think Kokabiel tried to intercept her recruitment? I guess because Twilight Healing is a very potent Healing Sacred Gear." Azazel shrugged. "I only noticed because of all the...stuff that was happening here at the time, so I quickly vetoed that decision."
The Large man nodded thankfully towards the Fallen Angel.
The atmosphere turned awkward again.
While I didn't specifically say it was Ajuka's cousin, the insinuation was enough to put doubt in everyone's heads. And it would be easily verified now that there are multiple sources to question.
"We will be investigating this matter." Michael stated, leaving absolutely no room for rebuttal from the Devils.
"And we'll look into it from our end too." Sirzechs Lucifer had to bow his head slightly in response.
I highly doubted this newfound information would shatter any prediscussed arrangements between them and it didn't have as much as an immediate impact as I had hoped.
Oh well, it was well enough as is.
I just needed to drive a small wedge between them and prop ourselves up as knowledgeable for everyone else. Or, rather, prove it based on what I said before.
"It seems we've veered off topic." I took the reins once more, even though I was the one who pulled attention away from the immediate talks of peace. The look I got from the Devils was amusing. "We were discussing the need for this gathering? I believe I've yet to hear the reason we were invited."
[***]
Archangel Michael POV
An unfortunate turn of events.
I was not blind to the fact that the Church often took matters into their own hands. And often to the detriment of our own interests. Father above, I wished I could just fly down and take hold of everything myself. Even with how overworked we are, with how hard it is to use Father's system and attempt to maneuver it, it would leave us with less headaches. But it was always Father's will that Humans lead themselves, they can look to us in times of crisis, and to handle matters beyond what they're expected, such as with other Pantheons, but they have to be able to make their own way, both good and bad.
I did not know who they spoke about until I heard the name. I recalled it because I remembered her prayers. Through the millions upon millions of prayers that I try to shift through, among them are those who shine brightly with true sincerity and light.
Asia Argento was called a Holy Maiden for good reason.
I should have looked into it further.
I could make all the excuses, but it was my fault that we lost such a faithful believer. Atleast she was taken care of from what Azazel spoke about. And I did not believe he would lie about such a thing.
I would further ask Azazel for details once we had concluded everything here. I had a responsibility to do that much at a minimum.
And we would certainly be looking into this accusation. For something to have been happening for an extended period of time, I was doubtful that a young devil would have managed everything by himself.
I did not wish to believe that Ajuka Beelzebub had a hand in the affair, but for the moment, I would remain skeptical. There had to be other parties helping in the shadows.
We would proceed with how we decided before. If something did come up, we will handle it appropriately.
As loathed as I was to admit, we are not faring well without Father. Every day, it seemed his system fell further and further into disrepair. How many more centuries until it failed altogether? Sacred Gears were appearing in Non-Humans. No more True Saints born. Kokabiel was able to force a connection – albeit temporary and we were told he harmed himself substantially in doing so. What piece will break next?
If nothing was done, our enemies will eventually tear down our walls and march on us without recourse.
We had to secure a future, even if it was one we were dissatisfied with. While the modern Devils were not their namesakes, we still did not see eye to eye in most matters.
An intrinsic contradiction to our beings.
I only hoped that Father would not blame me for the choices I am making.
I think he would be more satisfied with these ones compared to those we warred with so many years ago. Even not, I would gladly take whatever punishment he gave me if it meant he once more sat upon his throne.
When Azazel brought up the idea of adding other factions to these discussions, I was hesitant, but I think it was the correct choice.
Just as the Youkai leader said, there had been many...messes that had been cleaned up by outside factions. "Based on recent events, we believe there has been an escalation beyond what a single Faction can handle." I spoke up towards her. "We are seeking peace amongst ourselves; however, we wish to treatise something more formal amongst everyone here to combat such future occurrences."
Serafall Leviathan perked up, taking it as an opportunity as well. "Yeah, what he said. Everyone is usually pretty strict about Faction boundaries amongst us, but with what happened with Kokabiel, it's obvious that our 'enemies' aren't respecting those lines anymore, so we can't really do that either."
"Yeah….don't know how Kokabiel was able to make friends like that." Azazel also commented. "We should probably look into –"
"The Khaos Brigade." Yasaka interjected.
"Wait, what?" Serafall looked confused. "Why would the Old Satan Faction have contact with a God?"
I suppose it's obvious from the report that the helper Kokabiel had was Divine in nature. But I'm also curious about this.
"Who said the Khaos Brigade is headed by Devils?" The Youkai Leader raised an eyebrow.
"From the reports we received, and our own investigations, the Khaos Brigade is an organization created by the Old Satan Faction." Sirzechs Lucifer replied.
"That's merely one faction of their organization. Which is indeed headed by Devils, but they are not the 'leaders'." Yasaka replied.
"You are implying that this Khaos Brigade is led by Gods." The All Father seemed to take an interest. I did not know what forced a complicated look on his face previously, be he looked to have snapped out of it.
And I was keenly interested myself at this new information.
"More or less." Yasaka nodded. "Well, there is one Devil they consider their 'peer' amongst themselves. And I'm sure you know who I'm talking about." She glanced towards the Devils.
The current Lucifer frowned. "Rizevim Lucifer."
"So that's what he's been up to." Azazel sighed.
Lucifer's first child.
Our…..nephew.
I never knew what to think about him. He never moved and did anything overtly, but I could never call him a 'good' person. He seemed to be content to just disappear and not cause any problems in public.
However, there was a much more pressing concern, and I think everyone shared the same question. "How do you know this?" I asked.
The Fox Youkai smiled wide. "We have a good information network."
The All-Father snorted in annoyance. "As if it was something so simple."
"I have to agree." Lugh added. "You're saying that you know about this secretive organization comprised of Gods, when we don't know about it? You said something before, but this is far beyond the scope of what I first assumed."
"That's correct." Yasaka said plainly.
And the way she didn't hesitate, it gave me a bad feeling. I was…..opting to believe her for now. And that just made it worse, because apparently there were Gods allying with each other who were intent on some nefarious scheme.
"You understand, we have quite a few questions?" I asked.
"By all means." She didn't look perturbed one bit.
No, she had expected everything thus far.
She has been leading us at her own pace. She was much too confident to be simply lying.
There were other matters I wanted to bring up, but this took precedence for the moment.
"Do you have evidence to support what you said?"
"Kyoto was attacked not long ago." She replied. "A group of Humans, wielders of Sacred Gears, descendants and Spirit Inheritors. They called themselves the 'Hero Faction'. They were a faction of the Khaos Brigade."
"I heard about that, but I don't know the details." That explained some things if true.
"I looked into it more." Azazel perked up. "Specifically, the Sacred Gears you got ahold of. I didn't really think of anything past that. Dimension Lost, Variant Detonation, Night Reflect, some I didn't have a chance to identify, and – The True Longinus."
Yes….those were in the reports.
Ignoring Father's Spear for the moment, the others were dangerous themselves and they landed in the hands of a smaller faction. Now, one of Lady Yasaka's Guards wielded a weapon capable of slaying gods.
"You forgot the Demonic Swords used from the Sigurd Project from the Holy Church. The project that was created to essentially clone the namesake to wield the swords without a problem. And of course, the one who wielded all of them had a very powerful version of Twice Critical." Yasaka glanced towards us.
I winced, closing my eyes as soon as the words left her mouth. I felt a pressure descend upon us and I did not need to look up to know who it came from.
"Odin." Lugh spoke up on our behalf.
"Explain."
"Heaven had no hand in it." I quickly explained as the pressure eased up.
"It's true" Gabriel said quietly, my sister looking like she was about to break out in tears upon remembering it. "Once we found out, we stopped it and punished everyone involved."
The God stared as both of us intensely before the pressure completely let up.
"Hand them over." Odin grunted. "All the ones involved. They will be handed over to us to deal with."
"…..I will see it done." I nodded.
If it would appease Odin, then I would do it. They knew what they did was wrong, and they showed no remorse, only made excuses or justifications for their actions.
"And the swords, which are you talking about? There have been many that have been missing for centuries. I thought they were lost to time or destroyed, but apparently, they were kept hidden by another faction." He sent one more glare towards us.
"Balmung, Nothung, Gram, Tyrfing, Dainsleif." Yasaka listed off.
Odin took a deep breath. "On behalf of the Norse Pantheon, we would like them returned."
"The Youkai of Japan are more than willing to negotiate." Yasaka smiled. "However, Gram has found a new wielder and I am not able to retrieve it."
"Gram?" Odin furrowed his brow. "That was one of the more temperamental swords. And you say it found a new owner, willingly?"
"That is correct."
Odin pursed his lips, looking thoughtful. "Far be it for me to demand it back if someone tamed it. Just that alone earns my respect enough to not say anything. However, if you have the others and they're just sitting in your storage…."
"It's as you say, the others haven't found users and we've tried multiple times." Yasaka replied. "We would be more than willing to hand them over. The Youkai of Japan wish for a harmonious relationship with the Norse."
Odin snorted. "I'm sure, you vixen."
"L-Lord Odin." The Valkyrie next to him whined.
"Calm down you brat, it was a compliment." The Old God rolled his eye. "Damn Fox has been leading us around by the nose since she sat down."
Which was undeniably true at this point.
It really made us have to reevaluate our previous conceptions about the Youkai faction. She provided a logical explanation for her knowledge on the khaos Brigade, but my instincts told me that there was a lot she held back.
What else do they know?
There are many secrets around them as of late, and the more we learned, the more confusing it became.
[***]
Wilhelm POV
Yasaka had been handling everything amazingly.
Just as Odin said, she's been setting the pace and leading the talks in our favor.
I guessed I'd have to thank Hades for the stuff he told us. He really had a lot of dirt on other factions. Without it, we would have been in a much worse position. Already, we seemed to have the beginnings of a deal with the Norse. It also sounded almost as if they were writing us a blank check.
"We have some questions about your…..affiliations, as well." The Archangel looked towards us.
"Our affiliations?" Yasaka questioned.
"Several times, you have aided the Devils. Not to mention, you were allies during the Great War." Michael explained.
"Ah, I can see what you're saying. I suppose from your perspective, it looks like we have some alliance of some sort. While it's true we've have a tenuous agreement still on paper, I wouldn't call us allies anymore." Yasaka replied.
Hmm, that Serafall winced a little once she said that.
"Would you explain how you came to be involved then?" Michael asked once more.
"That's acceptable." Yasaka glanced up at me and I knew it was my turn.
"Some time ago, Venelana Gremory and Millicas Gremory were kidnapped by the Khaos Brigade. At that point in time, they were still unknown to everyone else and they resided within the Dimension Gap. Since we knew about them from the attack previously, I decided to lend a hand." I stated.
"Forgive me but, I was told you had no association with the Devils. Why did you 'lend a hand'?" Michael inquired.
If it were someone else, I would maybe think they were being intentionally obtrusive. But I think he genuinely was skeptical if I had a relationship with the Devils. I could see from his perspective, twice I intervened when the Devil faction was threatened in some regard. And my heritage didn't make matters any more simple.
"That's correct. It was more of a whim than anything. I suppose I wanted to meet the Half Brother I had only recently found out about. And knowing he was just a child, I felt obligated to help."
I didn't feel need to overly explain everything.
"And the attack by Kokabiel?"
"At that point, my relationship with Venelana had…..deepened. I gave her a method of reach out to me in an emergency, which she triggered, and I came as soon as I could."
"Something I've been curious about." Azazel picked this moment to also jump in. "Why you and not one of the Satans? They're all more than capable of handling Kokabiel."
Asking a question he already knew the answer to. He wasn't even being subtle about it. I'm sure he wasn't aware of the specific details, but I'm sure he wanted to know my answer.
"She couldn't." I said simply. "Loki set up a…..unique method of scrambling the localized spatial coordinates."
"There's no proof it was Loki." Odin grumbled very loudly.
I guess admitting it was one of his own would be detrimental to his own cause.
However…. "I have someone who disagrees."
"He wielded Divine Fire and Frost with the ability to escape me." Scáthach glowered towards the Old God. "Do you call me a liar?"
Odin huffed but didn't respond.
"Loki is also amongst the Gods involved with the Khaos Brigade that we know about." Yasaka added.
"You have a list?" Lugh asked.
"Indeed." Yasaka smiled brightly.
"As curious as I am about that, I want to know what Loki did that made it so no one could contact outside of the area." Azazel interjected. "You called it a unique method."
"There are two normal methods. The first is to scramble the localized space, making contact and teleportation difficult and prone to failure for the inexperienced. The second is to seal the space, not letting anything inside or outside." I explained.
"None of us are green here, kiddo. We all know our ABC's." Azazel snorted.
I rolled my eyes at his comment but continued. "Each have their own strengths and weaknesses with some variations of customization to fit the individual who casts it, but generally, they're relatively similar. What Loki did....he did the equivalent of setting up a sort of Maze."
"Sounds complicated." Azazel hummed.
"That's understating it. To do something like that…." Ajuka muttered. "A God of Magic indeed."
"Hmph." Odin grunted. "It sounds like a trick he would be good at. But that just begs the question, how were you able to overcome it if it was Loki? There are some things even I can't beat him at when it comes to Magic."
"I'm inclined to believe that Dimension Lost was used." Azazel tapped his chin. "Cause I can't think of another way, honestly. As much as I've researched, I don't have any confidence in overcoming one of Loki's traps when I wasn't prepared. So…..how'd you do it, kiddo?"
I crossed my arms in annoyance. "I used an advanced Thaumaturgical application of dimensional displacement to project myself outside of the established space, then pulled myself and the others into it."
"You side stepped it." Ajuka summarized quite easily. "But….the calculations alone would have taken hours if not days. And that was only if you knew what you were getting into. That's not something you can just come up with yourself." He turned towards Scáthach. "Was it your teachings?"
Scáthach raised an eyebrow. "I taught him much of what I have known, but that is not something I am familiar with."
"The young woman over there." Azazel raised his finger up, pointing towards Rin. "You introduced yourself as the student to of someone sharing his name. I didn't really give it a second thought before…but who was it again?"
"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin said evenly. "He goes by Zelretch."
"German?" Odin rubbed his beard.
"It's not a name I'm familiar with." Ajuka muttered. "Was he the one who taught you?" The Devil turned back to me.
....Technically?
"Yup, he's my grandfather." Why deny it?
"To be able to teach you something like that….he has to be an accomplished Magician." Ajuka tapped his finger on the table. "Why haven't I heard his name before?"
"Me either, I'm drawing a blank here. Some reclusive Stray Magician?" Azazel threw out.
"Who knows." I shrugged, not elaborating, much to their visible annoyance. I could easily tell they were the type that hated not knowing something.
"Once more, I believe we've gone off topic to something irrelevant." Yasaka took this moment to step in again.
"It's pretty damn relevant to know how the kid overcame something that even Odin here says he might have trouble with." Azazel replied.
"I disagree. We are speaking of an alliance, not the secrets of his Magic." Yasaka countered. "Michael was merely asking for elaboration on our standing. That has been provided."
"The Kid boinked his grandmother, which is why he showed up when he did." Azazel said flippantly. "Blah blah, alright, they aren't with the devils, Michael."
The Archangel let out a sigh. "I'll take that at face value for now. However, if we are going to negotiate based on your claims about this Khaos Brigade, we need more evidence."
"Yeah, everything we know points to the Old Satan Faction." Serafall nodded.
"Very well, then shall I reveal the head of the Khaos Brigade?" Yasaka asked.
"It would go a long ways for convincing us." Azazel replied.
"I want to know who is supposedly leading a group of God from different Pantheons." Odin grunted.
"I'm curious about this too. I want to know who's strong enough that they would all listen to them." Lugh added.
"Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God." Yasaka stated and a silence overcame the table.
"…..what did you just say?" Odin gritted out. "The Infinite Dragon God?"
"That is correct."
"But...why?" Azazel's eyes widened. "That old guy just sits there silently in the Dimensional Gap and doesn't bother with anything that doesn't annoy him. He literally has no interest in the world."
"Her." Yasaka corrected.
"What?'
"Ophis has recently taken the form of a little girl now. As such, it is her, I would presume." Yasaka stated.
"Weird, but okay."
"There haven't been any sightings of Ophis in years." Michael exhaled. "And now you're claiming that she is leading a group of Gods among others that are involved in plans like what Kokabiel attempted?"
They're taking it more seriously than I thought. Honestly I expected them to hem and haw, call it all lies or something. But there was a clear sense of unease when Ophis is discussed. I guessed she was strong enough that it made them worried even with a mere implication.
"Do you have any proof?" Lugh asked. "Before we start getting worried, is there any proof beyond you words?"
"I could say that Lady Izanami can verify our claims, but I don't think you would take her for her word either, considering our relationship." Yasaka hummed. "But I do believe I know exactly what you would want. Within the Khaos Brigade, Ophis had been bestowing some of the lower members with a piece of her power, a 'snake' if you will."
Funnily enough, Ophis's title of infinite didn't mean infinite power. Essentially, she can produce power infinitely. There's more or less a hard ceiling on what she could bring to bare at a given moment, which was still far above what almost anything on the planet can match. But it's not infinite in scope, otherwise Meridia wouldn't have been able to deal with her.
No, Ophis was basically a perpetual Motion Machine. A continuous production of various energies.
Well, that was my theory atleast. Based on what Hades told me, she gave out a lot of power over time. Enough that it should have been noticeable on herself, yet her overall strength hadn't wavered an iota.
"And I'm sure if we produced someone with this 'snake' it would still leave you skeptical. So, why don't I point you towards someone who already has it?" Yasaka looked around the table. "You can verify it for yourselves."
"And who is this supposed person? How do we know you haven't gotten to them before us?" Ajuka asked.
"Ajuka, I'm glad you asked. Simply put, do you think we have managed to get to your cousin in recent times?" Yasaka's grin was wide as she spoke.
The Green Haired Devil twitched uncontrollably. "Are you implying….."
"You can check for yourself." Yasaka nodded. "But yes, your younger cousin, Diodora, is a member of the Khaos Brigade, and he accepted a snake from Ophis. How else do you think we know what he's been up to?"
He was one of the first guinea pigs. There are a lot of notes on his movements and such in the past due to research conducted unbehest to his knowledge. They wanted to make sure there weren't any ill side effects so they followed him for several months, which is how we knwo of his activities. Hades was more than able to get his hands on such things in a short time frame.
Not only would this prove somewhat of what we're saying is true, it would also, again, show that we knew things we really shouldn't.
The table under Ajuka's hand cracked as his fingers pushed into the surface. "He wouldn't…."
"If what you're saying is true…..this is a big problem. We need to quicky warn everyone that Ophis is now active and might be hostile." Lugh stood up, looking rather worried.
I think after everything that had been revealed before now, he took what we said at face value. Considering how confident Yasaka spoke about it, even giving avenues of verifying the information, there seemed to be less skepticism.
"That won't be necessary." Yasaka stated.
Lugh blinked, looking at Yasaka. "Pardon?"
"We've already taken Ophis off the board." She gave a rather innocent smile to accompany her words.
I guess that's one way to say it. More like, I kicked her towards Meridia and ran away screaming.
But now, everyone was staring blankly at Yasaka.
"….what?" Serafall voiced, squeaked more like, though everyone seemed to share the sentiment.
"Don't worry about Ophis, she will no longer be a problem." Yasaka reiterated. "However, I have no proof to accompany what I said. If you don't wish to believe me, there's nothing I can do."
"W-why don't we take a small break?" Serafall managed to force out.
[***]
Second Part is up, sorry for the late release, don't feel too well so it took awhile to write today's chapter.
Just a heads up, next chapter will probably be out wednesday for the reason I just mentioned.
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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