Chapter 285

It is 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 here I am in the Shinto Hell.

Technically, the Colored Rooms is 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 the out-of-place house in the middle of the desolate realm. I took my steps forward up the small steps. A woman greeting me in the doorway.”

“Wilhelm?”

“The Strange women 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 swat 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 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 was turning 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 think 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 visit 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 obliged, 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 he 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 not 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, my input. But they were also discussing my theoretical Defense System that could be implemented.

Artoria also isn’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 is 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 coming 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 doesn'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 lose them so easily, I wasn't going to go out of my way to say anything to her.

Raikou is being best Aunt right now. After we walked Kunou to class, she stayed behind to do her usual thing with them. And those kids adore 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 is in Skyrim right now. She said she was gathering some stuff in preparation as well. What she’s getting up to, who knows. But I didn’t think it would important that 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 have some calculations running through my Mirage right now in an attempt to backtrack the Fae portal, but I don’t have much confidence in this particular method I devised. However, the data will be beneficial for the next attempt.

“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. I still pissed off and have a feeling of anxiety that’s making me check in with her every so often.” I sit down on the steps over her porch.

As much as I just wanted to hold her and not let go, she did have other family and responsibilities. I'm sure the whole thing is 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 s he was much more shaken about her Daughter almost dying that 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. Surprisingly, they did credit you with stopping the attack.”

“Woo.” I waved my hand flippantly. “Did they mention any of the coconspirators?”

“Are you referring to the God that made an appearance?”

“The one that Scáthach suspects to be Loki, yes.”

“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 veryvisible during the attack and in Asgard. Which……does not necessarily mean anything, him being a Trickster God.”

Hmm, Arawn isn’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’s as adept at escaping than Loki? To deceive and trick, 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 is Asgardian even allowing him to roam free?”

“It’s….complicated. For ever 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 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.”

“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. 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 possible 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 unlikely that Loki’s reach extends 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 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 it 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 just because Izzy was acquainted.

“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….dealing 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, 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 end 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 can pursue. It would certainly alleviate some pressure off us if we got some more backing. Something to look into, who 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 I believe it 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 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 slip 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 my Reinforcement filled my body. I felt my hairs stand on end, a thorough foreboding feeling.

My instinct in circumstances likes this 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.

The space itself rended and shattered, a figure slammed through all boundaries, visible 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.

And a 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 was to 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 something 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.”

***

I'm back, woo!

I intended to add some POVs with the aftereffect of Kokabiel's attack, but this part of hte chapter went on longer than I anticipated. So, i'll do Sona and Rias's thoughts next chapter and add more of other peoples as the Peace Talks approach.