Chapter 320
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Chapter 320:
"Oh hello Hades, nice to see you too. I'm going good, how are you doing?" Izzy's dry voice carried through the chamber. "What's that? You want to thank us as the gracious host you are, that we willingly came all this way at your request when there was no other obligation?"
"Stop being mordacious, Izanami. You are not nearly as blind as those other fools, you should know damn well what I'm talking about. If you just expect me to ignore that blatant anomaly –"
"I expect you to be nice." Izzy scowled.
The God of the Underworld twisted his expression, impressive for a skull, into something resembling a scowl in return. His glowing eyes focused on me, shining bright against the flickering flames. "Human, Devil, Dragon! Just those three are enough to be called an anomaly, but they've happened in the past. No, you went and did something that's never happened before. Somehow, you obtained Divinity." His words accompanied a pressure that descended upon me.
I raised an eyebrow as I met his gaze, my shoulders shuddered slightly under the pressure. This was the first time I had a God here react this way to my Divinity. Hell, Susanoo was more confused, and Amaterasu didn't even seem to care. Izzy took it in stride as well.
This is an entirely new reaction.
In response, I let my own Divinity pour out. It surrounded me to push away his pressure, allowing me relax as his realm trembled. "Is there a question in there?" I finally asked/broke the stale mate/silence. While I agreed to Izzy to not act up, that didn't mean I would allow myself to be bullied.
Though, it's not like I didn't anticipate this. The strong will always have the pride as the strong. It manifested in certain ways, and sometimes, you had to show that you're on equal if not equivalent footing.
"Honey." The woman next to Hades spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Remember why you asked them to come."
The pressure around us dissipated, and the God of the Underworld grumbled.
"Is this how you intend to treat guests, Hades?" Izzy crossed her arms with a clear frown on her face. "I did this as a favor due to our relationship. If this is how I expect people I care about to be treated, I may rethink several things from now on."
"Your infatuation blinds you." The God muttered. "It is a mockery of us. That a Devil can obtain Divinity, it shouldn't be allowed!" He slammed his fist on his throne.
"How is it any different than any of the myriad races of the world getting Divinity, Hades? Your Nephew was a Demi-God that ascended to full Godhood. You Brother is a Centaur and possesses Divinity and he is revered across many cultures. And there have been plenty of humans over the years who have moved above their birth." Izzy countered.
The God didn't have a rebuttal, but his Wife spoke up. "She's right, Honey. You're letting your anger get the better of you."
"You too, Persephone? You're both ganging up on me." The God grumbled once more. "Bah! Fine!" He huffed, and a strange aura gathered around his body. His skeletal nature peeled back, an actual human-like appearance was revealed underneath. "I....apologize."
His voice changed, but it sounded much more.....authoritative.
"Hmph." Izzy grunted. "Shall we get to the point then?"
Well, Izzy was leading the show right now so I would let her keep the lead.
I looked the man over again. The God of the Underworld.
Was this his true self?
I had questions, but I doubted I would get answers. He didn't seem to like me all that much.
"I would also like to know what I'm here." May as well get it out of the way. "While I did enjoy the trip, you clearly don't like me."
"Devils are parasites." Hades spat out. "Tell me, what do Devils do?"
"Pardon?" I blinked at his question.
"What do Devils bring to the world? What is their purpose?"
....I'd never thought about that before. "I'm....not sure?"
"Nothing!" Hades snorted. "They bring nothing. They do nothing but leech off the hard work of others. They leave nothing but chaos and destruction in their wake!"
"Oh, here we go." Izzy rolled her eyes.
"Tell me that I'm wrong!" Hades huffed. "They were created by a child throwing a tantrum. Their purpose, their entire creation was meant to devour and consume everything and cause misery wherever they go."
"They've calmed down over the years. The originals are almost all gone, it's not like the ones in power are clamoring for war or anything like that." I replied, feeling just a little bit insulted since I was also cut from the same cloth, if indirectly. And I was playing Devil's Advocate just for the sake of it. Which is ironic given the circumstances.
"Bah! So they've gotten smarter over the years. Why do they need to openly wage war? They continue creating chaos through other means. They disrupt the flow of souls with their Evil Pieces. Converting others into their misbegotten race. Stealing souls from where they should truly go! They've used those abominable things to force themselves into a position of power. Look at their leader, he holds a clone of Surtr as his slave."
"You won't hear me say anything good about those things." I crossed my arms. "I am Half-Human, I've always aligned myself with humanity over Devils. I am of the mind that they're stealing the potential of humanity."
Hades went quiet, giving me a second look, clearly pondering something. "Hmm....maybe I was too quick in my judgement. I suppose Izanami would not consort with that lot." He shook his head. "Those Crows are not much better. Abandoning their Jobs so they could imitate Devils. Only causing problems, and doing nothing useful."
"Is this why you called me? Your problems with the three factions?" I was still confused as to why he had summoned me.
"Hmph." He tapped the arm of his throne. "What do you know of the Khaos Brigade?"
I blinked in confusion. "I've had some run ins with them. It seems like they're headed by the Old Satan Faction? But I also have crossed paths with the Hero Faction that operated under their banner, so maybe not all that much?"
"I was a part of it." Hades said bluntly.
"Hades!" Izzy hissed. "Explain, now."
"It was a means to an end." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I never shared their goals, only seeked to use them for my own."
"After your rant about Devils, you willingly bowed your head to them?" I questioned.
"Who said that the Khaos Brigade is ran by Devils?" Hades huffed. "Do you think I would need their help for anything of note?"
That had.....unpleasant insinuations.
"Honey, Izanami is upset, explain properly." Persephone lightly chastised.
"Fine." Hades grunted with a sigh. "The World is in a precarious state. The Three Factions of the Abrahamic Religion are throwing it into further disarray with every passing year. The Devils merely by existing along with their blatant disregard for the status quo. The Crows see fit to mimic the Devils and do whatever they want. And the System left behind by the God of the bible is unstable and making things worse, not better."
"You're talking about Sacred Gears." I stated.
"Yes, those unregulated devices that randomly appear around the world. Those items of power that cause untold devastation if left in the wrong hands." Hades scowled in annoyance. "Ask that Dragon inside of you. Have him tell you how many of his previous owners went on a rampage and caused wanton destruction?"
[....He isn't wrong. I've had several users where I just woken up because Juggernaut Drive was activated after a traumatic event.]
That sounded horrifying.
"The look on your face, I can assume he confirmed it." The God spoke. "I have no love for that Dragon, but at least he didn't rampage without reason."
"What exactly was your plan? Ally with the Khaos Brigade to kill off the three factions?"
"It doesn't matter anymore." Hades grunted. "I have chosen to sever ties with them. They have crossed me and my original goal seems to have been for naught with your appearance."
"Weren't you just calling me an abomination not a few minutes prior?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect you to have your own Divinity." Hades growled in annoyance. "Half-Human, Half-Devil. Your Dragon aspect comes from Ddraig within that prison of his." He raised his finger up, pointing at me. "I wonder, does your Divinity come from him. The Spear you are somehow able to wield." He muttered. "No, it's different. Your Divinity is more like my brothers, there is the crackling of lightning and the smell of the sky. But also the roar of the ocean's tides. Storms are your domain....." His head suddenly jerked towards Izanami. "Izanami.....did –"
"Hades." Izzy's voice overtook Hades entirely at this moment. "We both know my son would never willingly give up his Divinity. So if you are about to ask me what I think you are going to ask me, I'm going to walk up there and smack you."
"And I will say nothing about it, Husband." Persephone crossed her arms, staring at Hades as well.
"...I apologize, I overstepped." Hades admittedly looked rather sheepish.
Was he about to imply that Izzy stole Susanoo's divinity and gave it to me?
Oh yeah, I could imagine that Izzy would be very upset at the insinuation.
"You said that the Khaos Brigade isn't led by Devils. Can you elaborate on that?" I might as well move past the awkwardness that came up.
"There are many beings around the world that don't like the peace that came about after the Great War." Hades took to the renewed talk quite readily. "You should have met one thus far based on what I've been told."
"Loki." I breathed out, his name still left me angry.
"Yes, the Trickster God." Hades scowled. "Whom I have no doubt had a hand in breaking into Tartarus with his cohorts and freeing my Father and Hyperion. Both of which I have no doubt now bolster their ranks."
I see, that would explain why Hades had a falling out with them.
"There are many more, nearly every major Pantheon is represented. If they were to move together, it's unlikely that any singular force could meet them." Hades stated.
"And you are now outed from said group." I pointed out.
"Who said I left?" He huffed. "I would be a fool to not keep tabs on them."
That's true, I suppose I thought he just up and left after getting pissed. Maybe I'm too used to dealing with the more prideful kind of people? So, no longer allied, but they didn't quite know that yet.
"And how does that lead back into me being important for you?" I was apparently the reason he was willing to stop 'working' with this Khaos Brigade.
"I have watched those Sacred Gears more than any other God beyond their creator. I have seen every instance that they have disturbed the world." Hades intoned. "That Spear specifically. I have seen it appear many times throughout the years, watching the users, and ever more since Yahweh had perished. You are an outlier. And the only explanation I can come to.....something changed within the spear itself."
I quirked a smile. "Maybe something else in the system broke again?"
"Bah, who are you trying to fool? There's only one entity that would allow you to use that thing with your nature as a Half-Devil. Even I could not overcome such contradictions, only the progenitor of both your species and the object itself." He snorted, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "Tell me, is he coming back?"
"You really don't mince words, do you?" I couldn't believe Hades of all people was the first to realize outside of those I told. "Say that he was in the midst of reviving. What benefit would that be for you?" Because he clearly wanted this to happen based on what he said.
"If that One comes back, then he can clean up all the messes he made." Hades huffed in annoyance. "The Devils, the Fallen Angels, and the Sacred Gears that have gone out of control. Then I can finally stop being disturbed by all these annoyances and the world can go back to normal."
Was it really that simple? This Godadmitted to working with people I absolutely despise, and his entire reasoning was to fix some perceived wrongs in the world. Wrongs that.....I couldn't help but admit were true.
Sacred Gears were causing problems because they weren't being properly regulated by Heaven's System.
Devils and Fallen Angels, how many issues had they caused just by doing their thing? Hell, just look at Evil Pieces like he said.
"So it all comes down to – you're asking for my help?"
Hades scowled and his wife started giggling.
"In more words than needed, yes. I share my Husband's sentiment as do many others under our rule. We are asking for your help and offer ours in return. It may seem strange to you, but we would like the Biblical God to come back. We have no ill will towards him, and hope that we can help facilitate his return at a faster pace." Persephone stated. "Frankly, the whole idea caught us off guard, but my Husband as adamant that the only plausible explanation was such."
I turned to Izzy and she gave me a reassuring smile. So I would trust her judgment since she hadn't made an effort to stop the talks.
"It's true, the possibility for his resurrection has opened and I've conversed with him at one point." I admitted.
I wasn't against helping him revive, I had already done some of that so far.
"To actually hear it...." Persephone whispered. "How? It shouldn't be possible, he truly died. His Divine Power scattered, his essence was utterly dispersed. There should have been nothing by remnants remaining, nothing large enough to have a consciousness." Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
"Even the tiny spark that existed in the spear, it would never turn into something greater. It was called a dying will for a reason, and it couldn't evolve into something more unless some absurd circumstances presented themselves." Hades appeared to be thinking aloud before taking a long sigh, looking rather tired himself. "I won't ask the circumstances; I find it unlikely you would reveal them at this point."
Well, he didn't have his head up his ass to realize that. His former arrogance before was understandable. Not easily ignorable, but understandable considering what exactly he was. Maybe if he had been nicer, I would have opened up more.
But as it stood, this was pretty much what he's getting from me, and that's mostly as a favor to Izzy.
Slowly, the God of the Underworld rose from his seat, taking bated steps down the towering stairs.
"Come, let us take a walk. I believe that my wife wishes to speak with Izanami." Hades casually strode forward, hands behind his back. Honestly, he did appear very regal and magnificent, even if I didn't have a particularly good opinion of him at the moment. "Izanami was correct, you were invited as a guest, and I have shamed myself with not respecting that."
I suppose it wouldn't hurt.
I really didn't believe he would do anything in these circumstances. He seemed like the kind of person who would look you in the eyes when he stabbed you, not do it in the back.
"Lead the way." I let out a breath.
"Kya! He's just like you said, and he's so cute~"
Hades and I started walking out, and I abruptly turned around to see Persephone throw herself at Izzy, excitedly talking about something and Izzy had an adorable blush on her cheeks.
"That way leads to madness." Hades snorted as I turned back towards him. "Centuries I have been married, yet I still do not understand her mind sometimes. I have given up on trying. Come." There was a fondness in his tone.
Well, if there was one nice thing I could say about Hades thus far, he really seemed to care about his wife. It was the small things that were the most noticeable, the little looks he threw her way. Some people seemed to think you needed big gestures to be romantic, when it's often the opposite. Many little things are what relationships are built off of.
The excited words of the Goddess died out as we walked further away. Rather, our quiet steps were the only noise. "Rather empty, isn't it?"
"Hmm, in a normal day it is not. I have thousands upon thousands of Reapers that answer my call. On an average day, there are many voices that fill this place. I merely wished solitude for the evening, thus I had dismissed them for the remainder of the day." Hades said, rather casually. "What do you think of my Underworld?"
"As you asking me to compare it to Yomi?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Though, I have been to one other Deathly realm so far. And I think Charon's words were right. These types of places have their own charm."
"Another?"
"The Land of Shadows." I replied.
Artoria also perked up with her own cute smile, one that would always make my heart melt. I made sure to greet her just as warmly.
Though, there was one other person in the room.
I admit that I felt myself get rather protective again with her in sight.
I walked over and she stood up to greet me, my arms wrapping around her immediately. I happily buried my face right between those large mounds.
"It's good to see you too." Venelana giggled.
"Missed you." I muttered between her cleavage before turning my head up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She smiled brightly. "And I never properly thanked you before."
"As long as you're okay, it's fine."
"Such a sweet man." I felt her hand run through my hair.
I couldn't help myself, I leaned up and claimed her lips, which she happily reciprocated.
She was the one to break the kiss. "You're going to make the others upset if you keep focusing only on me." She playfully swat at me.
"Oh don't worry, he does this to all of us." Yasaka interjected with a little bit of humor. "He gets very protective when any of us are in a mood or have something emotional happen."
"Mmm, I believe when Mordred first appeared, and I was still having conflicting feelings, he was never out of reach for long." Artoria smiled brightly.
"For me it was rather recent with the attack." Yasaka chuckled.
"He even did the same for me when Susanoo, the brat, blew me off." Izzy took an empty seat. "Before he went to beat him up, apparently."
"....Is that the reason...?" Venelana looked surprised.
"Did he not tell you?' Izzy snorted. "Susanoo was supposed to come and meet me after many years. He decided to visit a brothel and play around. Wilhelm here, got upset on my behalf and went to have words with my son. You know how that turned out."
"That doesn't sound like me." I said with a complete straight face.
Venelana playfully pulled on my cheek.
"Yes, I suppose I imagined having to scold two children after they caused storms off the coast of Japan." Izzy rolled her eyes.
"I said it before, but it really is pleasant to see how well you all get along." Venelana spoke up and I realized she had been here for awhile at this point. "And thank you, Lady Izanami, for my earlier request."
"Think nothing of it." Izzy waived her off.
Yasaka and Artoria looked very relaxed, I assumed that whatever talks they had with Venelana went well.
Especially Artoria, I knew she was the one with the most reservations, but she looked utterly peaceful right now.
And looking at her face.....I can't help but remember what happened yesterday.
I wanted to do more things with her.
"I will have to properly thank the others as well. I have yet to have the opportunity." Venelana added. "Unfortunately, that won't be possible this time around."
"Mmm, it is poor timing, but what can do you." Yasaka simply shrugged. "And it's not like this will be the last time we get together. Having you over has been absolutely lovely. But when everyone gathers, I'll be sure to pass on your thanks."
"Yes, it has been very pleasant, and I hope to schedule more time." Artoria chimed in.
"Wait, what's going on?" I looked around.
Yasaka reached down her kimono and pulled out a letter. It had a beautiful writing on the front.
Remembering what Hades said.... "Let me guess, an invitation to a Peace Meeting?"
Yasaka blinked. "Yes, that's exactly it. How did you know?"
Izzy let out a laugh, shaking her head.
"When I was talking to Hades, he mentioned –"
Venelana was suddenly ontop of me, her lips pressed against mine. I certainly wasn't' against this, but it was the suddenness of it that had taken me by surprise.
"Don't forget who I am." She said quietly, breaking the kiss. "I don't want to cause any problems in case you say something sensitive in my presence."
Oh.....right.
"I was asked to bring that letter along because I mentioned being invited over for tea." She glanced at Artoria. "But I don't want to make my presence awkward, so I will separate myself and let you all talk it over."
"Thank you, Venelana. It really has been lovely to have you here and I look forward to it again." Yasaka stood up.
"Oh it was wonderful to meet you. I can't wait to meet my other Harem Sisters once everything gets settled."
"You're going already." I whispered.
"Mmm, some things come with time. You can't force trust to develop so easily." She smiled, placing a light kiss on my lips again.
I really hated seeing her go.
The Teleportation circle lit up after everyone said their goodbyes and she disappeared from the house.
"I can see why you are fond of her." Artoria was the first to speak up.
"Well, he does enjoy large chests." Yasaka grinned.
Izzy rolled her eyes. "He is a boy, of course he does. That and an ample rear, and he would be thinking with the wrong head."
Artoria's lips twitched in amusement. I think she felt a lot less self conscious after....what happened. I made sure she knew just how arousing she was herself. "I meant with regard to how charming she was. She is a very charismatic woman, and it is difficult to find any negative words about her. However, I believe you are correct on the other matter as well."
"Yeah yeah, I'm a perverted person, water is wet, the fire is hot." I huffed. " And yes, she was very endearing and easily approachable during my first time meeting her. But what's this about an invitation? Hades only told me a few things and not many details."
"I'm surprised he told you anything of the sort." Yasaka replied. "He doesn't seem the kind of person to do something like that."
"It was.....an odd experience." I left it at that.
"I have already put out a message, everyone is gathering and they should be almost all ready. We can head over now if you prefer." Yasaka offered.
"May as well, this is going to be on my mind regardless now."
[***]
Yasaka tossed a parchment onto the table infront of everyone.
When she said everyone was gathering, she meant more than just us. Of course, my girls were here, minus Meridia, but she was listening in.
Also joining us was Nurarihyon, which wasn't a surprise. He was accompanied by a few of his closest as well. And not just him, Yasaka also had a few Elders along with her. They stood to the side, rather stoically.
They gave respectful nods to all of us.
I had expected some kind of...antagonizing, but maybe I was thinking too much about it. I guessed we'd done a lot to help out without asking for anything in return.
Lots of goodwill.
And Arthur was also in the room, if staying towards the back.
"I gave a brief overview, but you all know why we're here?" Yasaka looked around the room.
"The Devils are 'inviting' us to some kind of Peace Conference?" Nurarihyon scoffed. "Since when do they care about us?"
"Since we have people who can fight Gods." An elder next to Yasaka snorted, and eyes landed on me.
Well, I'm happy they also considered me one of their 'own' and not simply Yasaka's lover.
"Tell them to shove it." One of the rougher members next to Nurarihyon grunted. "They've never helped us before, and only fucked us over. Now they want some kind of 'Peace meeting' when it's convenient for them?"
"Can we afford to ostracize other factions further if we have a War on the horizon?" Artoria was seemingly the voice of reason. Her words carried a bit of weight considering she was more or less representing the Pendragon family and was aiding the Youkai with their forces as well. "Swallowing pride may be required, as unfortunate as it is."
"As much as I don't want to agree.....we do have bigger problems than Devils trying to play games like this." Nurarihyon reluctantly agreed.
"To further emphasis, it also may not be wise to forgo connections to the other factions that are appearing." Scáthach stepped up to the table, picking up the parchment. "They speak of both the Norse Gods having a representative, and one from the Celtic Pantheon, however it lacks names to go with them."
"Odin and Lugh." I spoke up, earning attention again.
"Are you sure?" Scáthach asked.
"Yes, I had it confirmed by Hades." I nodded.
"the Greek God of Death." Nurarihyon stroked his chin.
"I can confirm his words." Izzy appeared next to me. "I was present for most of the conversations. However, Hades is....privy to certain information and relayed some."
"I don't think anyone doubt him, just surprised at the source." Yasaka stated.
"Speaking of Hades, while everyone's here like this. I was able to get a few things out of him for helping with some other matter. He's going to supply us with a few more Sacred Gears, and I managed to negotiate him lending some people from Elysium to help us train for about four months." May as well get that out of the way.
"Oh?" Nurarihyon's eyes brightened. "That would definitely help with training the new recruits if we got some veterans from the old days. And Sacred Gears are always welcomed."
Yasaka looked ecstatic. And if we weren't in a public meeting, I may have had my clothes torn off already. Though, she quickly reined herself in. "Important, but we'll discuss it later. Thank you, Wilhelm."
"Aren't Lugh and Odin both heads of their Pantheons? Why would they be coming?" Jinn had been a little quiet, not adding much until now.
"That's the question, isn't it?" Nurarihyon looked thoughtful.
"I believe the answer to Odin may be the opponent I faced." Scáthach stated with a scowl.
"I can confirm his identity through Hades too, but don't spread my meeting with him around." I decided to speak up about that tidbit as well.
"Nothing in this room will be spread, don't worry." Nurarihyon was the first to reassure me.
Nods all around the room and they had looks of conviction on their face, I didn't doubt his words.
"It appears we may have to attend, regardless of desire." Raikou didn't look too pleased.
"It wouldn't do well to ignore other factions." Yasaka groaned. "The Devils, the Fallen, and the Angels, we could disregard them like we have in the past. But now, their voices are directly backed by two other powerful factions. This is getting much more complicated."
"What do we even have to gain from this?" I asked, looking around. "I honestly can't think of anything substantial. I mean....could we gain things? Most assuredly, but do we really need anything that would link us with people we generally don't like?"
"Admittedly, Resources wouldn't be remiss." Yasaka let out a sigh.
"As annoying as it is to agree again, yes we aren't exactly in a good position regarding things in that regard. But we're also not in a horrible spot either. We're surviving and moving forward with what we have and we didn't take this into account, so it isn't a necessity." Nurarihyon had an annoyed look as well.
Credit where it was due. Both Yasaka and Nurarihyon were willing to swallow their pride if it meant a better situation for their people.
"Then let's do it like the Americans." I offered.
"Like the Americans?" Yasaka blinked.
"We can survive without them." I held up a finger. "That much can't be denied. So, realistically, we don't need anything from them."
"Yes, that's true, like we said."
"And if they're inviting us, they clearly want something from us at this point."
"That is most likely correct as well."
"Well, any negotiations are simply another form of fighting." The corners of my lips curled up. "So, lets do like the Americans do. We simply declare victory from the start, and go from there."
[***]
Here's Friday's late chapter, dont' worry, still got a chapter coming for this weekend at some point.
Anyways, if you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 320:
"Oh hello Hades, nice to see you too. I'm going good, how are you doing?" Izzy's dry voice carried through the chamber. "What's that? You want to thank us as the gracious host you are, that we willingly came all this way at your request when there was no other obligation?"
"Stop being mordacious, Izanami. You are not nearly as blind as those other fools, you should know damn well what I'm talking about. If you just expect me to ignore that blatant anomaly –"
"I expect you to be nice." Izzy scowled.
The God of the Underworld twisted his expression, impressive for a skull, into something resembling a scowl in return. His glowing eyes focused on me, shining bright against the flickering flames. "Human, Devil, Dragon! Just those three are enough to be called an anomaly, but they've happened in the past. No, you went and did something that's never happened before. Somehow, you obtained Divinity." His words accompanied a pressure that descended upon me.
I raised an eyebrow as I met his gaze, my shoulders shuddered slightly under the pressure. This was the first time I had a God here react this way to my Divinity. Hell, Susanoo was more confused, and Amaterasu didn't even seem to care. Izzy took it in stride as well.
This is an entirely new reaction.
In response, I let my own Divinity pour out. It surrounded me to push away his pressure, allowing me relax as his realm trembled. "Is there a question in there?" I finally asked/broke the stale mate/silence. While I agreed to Izzy to not act up, that didn't mean I would allow myself to be bullied.
Though, it's not like I didn't anticipate this. The strong will always have the pride as the strong. It manifested in certain ways, and sometimes, you had to show that you're on equal if not equivalent footing.
"Honey." The woman next to Hades spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Remember why you asked them to come."
The pressure around us dissipated, and the God of the Underworld grumbled.
"Is this how you intend to treat guests, Hades?" Izzy crossed her arms with a clear frown on her face. "I did this as a favor due to our relationship. If this is how I expect people I care about to be treated, I may rethink several things from now on."
"Your infatuation blinds you." The God muttered. "It is a mockery of us. That a Devil can obtain Divinity, it shouldn't be allowed!" He slammed his fist on his throne.
"How is it any different than any of the myriad races of the world getting Divinity, Hades? Your Nephew was a Demi-God that ascended to full Godhood. You Brother is a Centaur and possesses Divinity and he is revered across many cultures. And there have been plenty of humans over the years who have moved above their birth." Izzy countered.
The God didn't have a rebuttal, but his Wife spoke up. "She's right, Honey. You're letting your anger get the better of you."
"You too, Persephone? You're both ganging up on me." The God grumbled once more. "Bah! Fine!" He huffed, and a strange aura gathered around his body. His skeletal nature peeled back, an actual human-like appearance was revealed underneath. "I....apologize."
His voice changed, but it sounded much more.....authoritative.
"Hmph." Izzy grunted. "Shall we get to the point then?"
Well, Izzy was leading the show right now so I would let her keep the lead.
I looked the man over again. The God of the Underworld.
Was this his true self?
I had questions, but I doubted I would get answers. He didn't seem to like me all that much.
"I would also like to know what I'm here." May as well get it out of the way. "While I did enjoy the trip, you clearly don't like me."
"Devils are parasites." Hades spat out. "Tell me, what do Devils do?"
"Pardon?" I blinked at his question.
"What do Devils bring to the world? What is their purpose?"
....I'd never thought about that before. "I'm....not sure?"
"Nothing!" Hades snorted. "They bring nothing. They do nothing but leech off the hard work of others. They leave nothing but chaos and destruction in their wake!"
"Oh, here we go." Izzy rolled her eyes.
"Tell me that I'm wrong!" Hades huffed. "They were created by a child throwing a tantrum. Their purpose, their entire creation was meant to devour and consume everything and cause misery wherever they go."
"They've calmed down over the years. The originals are almost all gone, it's not like the ones in power are clamoring for war or anything like that." I replied, feeling just a little bit insulted since I was also cut from the same cloth, if indirectly. And I was playing Devil's Advocate just for the sake of it. Which is ironic given the circumstances.
"Bah! So they've gotten smarter over the years. Why do they need to openly wage war? They continue creating chaos through other means. They disrupt the flow of souls with their Evil Pieces. Converting others into their misbegotten race. Stealing souls from where they should truly go! They've used those abominable things to force themselves into a position of power. Look at their leader, he holds a clone of Surtr as his slave."
"You won't hear me say anything good about those things." I crossed my arms. "I am Half-Human, I've always aligned myself with humanity over Devils. I am of the mind that they're stealing the potential of humanity."
Hades went quiet, giving me a second look, clearly pondering something. "Hmm....maybe I was too quick in my judgement. I suppose Izanami would not consort with that lot." He shook his head. "Those Crows are not much better. Abandoning their Jobs so they could imitate Devils. Only causing problems, and doing nothing useful."
"Is this why you called me? Your problems with the three factions?" I was still confused as to why he had summoned me.
"Hmph." He tapped the arm of his throne. "What do you know of the Khaos Brigade?"
I blinked in confusion. "I've had some run ins with them. It seems like they're headed by the Old Satan Faction? But I also have crossed paths with the Hero Faction that operated under their banner, so maybe not all that much?"
"I was a part of it." Hades said bluntly.
"Hades!" Izzy hissed. "Explain, now."
"It was a means to an end." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I never shared their goals, only seeked to use them for my own."
"After your rant about Devils, you willingly bowed your head to them?" I questioned.
"Who said that the Khaos Brigade is ran by Devils?" Hades huffed. "Do you think I would need their help for anything of note?"
That had.....unpleasant insinuations.
"Honey, Izanami is upset, explain properly." Persephone lightly chastised.
"Fine." Hades grunted with a sigh. "The World is in a precarious state. The Three Factions of the Abrahamic Religion are throwing it into further disarray with every passing year. The Devils merely by existing along with their blatant disregard for the status quo. The Crows see fit to mimic the Devils and do whatever they want. And the System left behind by the God of the bible is unstable and making things worse, not better."
"You're talking about Sacred Gears." I stated.
"Yes, those unregulated devices that randomly appear around the world. Those items of power that cause untold devastation if left in the wrong hands." Hades scowled in annoyance. "Ask that Dragon inside of you. Have him tell you how many of his previous owners went on a rampage and caused wanton destruction?"
[....He isn't wrong. I've had several users where I just woken up because Juggernaut Drive was activated after a traumatic event.]
That sounded horrifying.
"The look on your face, I can assume he confirmed it." The God spoke. "I have no love for that Dragon, but at least he didn't rampage without reason."
"What exactly was your plan? Ally with the Khaos Brigade to kill off the three factions?"
"It doesn't matter anymore." Hades grunted. "I have chosen to sever ties with them. They have crossed me and my original goal seems to have been for naught with your appearance."
"Weren't you just calling me an abomination not a few minutes prior?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect you to have your own Divinity." Hades growled in annoyance. "Half-Human, Half-Devil. Your Dragon aspect comes from Ddraig within that prison of his." He raised his finger up, pointing at me. "I wonder, does your Divinity come from him. The Spear you are somehow able to wield." He muttered. "No, it's different. Your Divinity is more like my brothers, there is the crackling of lightning and the smell of the sky. But also the roar of the ocean's tides. Storms are your domain....." His head suddenly jerked towards Izanami. "Izanami.....did –"
"Hades." Izzy's voice overtook Hades entirely at this moment. "We both know my son would never willingly give up his Divinity. So if you are about to ask me what I think you are going to ask me, I'm going to walk up there and smack you."
"And I will say nothing about it, Husband." Persephone crossed her arms, staring at Hades as well.
"...I apologize, I overstepped." Hades admittedly looked rather sheepish.
Was he about to imply that Izzy stole Susanoo's divinity and gave it to me?
Oh yeah, I could imagine that Izzy would be very upset at the insinuation.
"You said that the Khaos Brigade isn't led by Devils. Can you elaborate on that?" I might as well move past the awkwardness that came up.
"There are many beings around the world that don't like the peace that came about after the Great War." Hades took to the renewed talk quite readily. "You should have met one thus far based on what I've been told."
"Loki." I breathed out, his name still left me angry.
"Yes, the Trickster God." Hades scowled. "Whom I have no doubt had a hand in breaking into Tartarus with his cohorts and freeing my Father and Hyperion. Both of which I have no doubt now bolster their ranks."
I see, that would explain why Hades had a falling out with them.
"There are many more, nearly every major Pantheon is represented. If they were to move together, it's unlikely that any singular force could meet them." Hades stated.
"And you are now outed from said group." I pointed out.
"Who said I left?" He huffed. "I would be a fool to not keep tabs on them."
That's true, I suppose I thought he just up and left after getting pissed. Maybe I'm too used to dealing with the more prideful kind of people? So, no longer allied, but they didn't quite know that yet.
"And how does that lead back into me being important for you?" I was apparently the reason he was willing to stop 'working' with this Khaos Brigade.
"I have watched those Sacred Gears more than any other God beyond their creator. I have seen every instance that they have disturbed the world." Hades intoned. "That Spear specifically. I have seen it appear many times throughout the years, watching the users, and ever more since Yahweh had perished. You are an outlier. And the only explanation I can come to.....something changed within the spear itself."
I quirked a smile. "Maybe something else in the system broke again?"
"Bah, who are you trying to fool? There's only one entity that would allow you to use that thing with your nature as a Half-Devil. Even I could not overcome such contradictions, only the progenitor of both your species and the object itself." He snorted, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "Tell me, is he coming back?"
"You really don't mince words, do you?" I couldn't believe Hades of all people was the first to realize outside of those I told. "Say that he was in the midst of reviving. What benefit would that be for you?" Because he clearly wanted this to happen based on what he said.
"If that One comes back, then he can clean up all the messes he made." Hades huffed in annoyance. "The Devils, the Fallen Angels, and the Sacred Gears that have gone out of control. Then I can finally stop being disturbed by all these annoyances and the world can go back to normal."
Was it really that simple? This Godadmitted to working with people I absolutely despise, and his entire reasoning was to fix some perceived wrongs in the world. Wrongs that.....I couldn't help but admit were true.
Sacred Gears were causing problems because they weren't being properly regulated by Heaven's System.
Devils and Fallen Angels, how many issues had they caused just by doing their thing? Hell, just look at Evil Pieces like he said.
"So it all comes down to – you're asking for my help?"
Hades scowled and his wife started giggling.
"In more words than needed, yes. I share my Husband's sentiment as do many others under our rule. We are asking for your help and offer ours in return. It may seem strange to you, but we would like the Biblical God to come back. We have no ill will towards him, and hope that we can help facilitate his return at a faster pace." Persephone stated. "Frankly, the whole idea caught us off guard, but my Husband as adamant that the only plausible explanation was such."
I turned to Izzy and she gave me a reassuring smile. So I would trust her judgment since she hadn't made an effort to stop the talks.
"It's true, the possibility for his resurrection has opened and I've conversed with him at one point." I admitted.
I wasn't against helping him revive, I had already done some of that so far.
"To actually hear it...." Persephone whispered. "How? It shouldn't be possible, he truly died. His Divine Power scattered, his essence was utterly dispersed. There should have been nothing by remnants remaining, nothing large enough to have a consciousness." Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
"Even the tiny spark that existed in the spear, it would never turn into something greater. It was called a dying will for a reason, and it couldn't evolve into something more unless some absurd circumstances presented themselves." Hades appeared to be thinking aloud before taking a long sigh, looking rather tired himself. "I won't ask the circumstances; I find it unlikely you would reveal them at this point."
Well, he didn't have his head up his ass to realize that. His former arrogance before was understandable. Not easily ignorable, but understandable considering what exactly he was. Maybe if he had been nicer, I would have opened up more.
But as it stood, this was pretty much what he's getting from me, and that's mostly as a favor to Izzy.
Slowly, the God of the Underworld rose from his seat, taking bated steps down the towering stairs.
"Come, let us take a walk. I believe that my wife wishes to speak with Izanami." Hades casually strode forward, hands behind his back. Honestly, he did appear very regal and magnificent, even if I didn't have a particularly good opinion of him at the moment. "Izanami was correct, you were invited as a guest, and I have shamed myself with not respecting that."
I suppose it wouldn't hurt.
I really didn't believe he would do anything in these circumstances. He seemed like the kind of person who would look you in the eyes when he stabbed you, not do it in the back.
"Lead the way." I let out a breath.
"Kya! He's just like you said, and he's so cute~"
Hades and I started walking out, and I abruptly turned around to see Persephone throw herself at Izzy, excitedly talking about something and Izzy had an adorable blush on her cheeks.
"That way leads to madness." Hades snorted as I turned back towards him. "Centuries I have been married, yet I still do not understand her mind sometimes. I have given up on trying. Come." There was a fondness in his tone.
Well, if there was one nice thing I could say about Hades thus far, he really seemed to care about his wife. It was the small things that were the most noticeable, the little looks he threw her way. Some people seemed to think you needed big gestures to be romantic, when it's often the opposite. Many little things are what relationships are built off of.
The excited words of the Goddess died out as we walked further away. Rather, our quiet steps were the only noise. "Rather empty, isn't it?"
"Hmm, in a normal day it is not. I have thousands upon thousands of Reapers that answer my call. On an average day, there are many voices that fill this place. I merely wished solitude for the evening, thus I had dismissed them for the remainder of the day." Hades said, rather casually. "What do you think of my Underworld?"
"As you asking me to compare it to Yomi?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Though, I have been to one other Deathly realm so far. And I think Charon's words were right. These types of places have their own charm."
"Another?"
"The Land of Shadows." I replied.
Artoria also perked up with her own cute smile, one that would always make my heart melt. I made sure to greet her just as warmly.
Though, there was one other person in the room.
I admit that I felt myself get rather protective again with her in sight.
I walked over and she stood up to greet me, my arms wrapping around her immediately. I happily buried my face right between those large mounds.
"It's good to see you too." Venelana giggled.
"Missed you." I muttered between her cleavage before turning my head up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She smiled brightly. "And I never properly thanked you before."
"As long as you're okay, it's fine."
"Such a sweet man." I felt her hand run through my hair.
I couldn't help myself, I leaned up and claimed her lips, which she happily reciprocated.
She was the one to break the kiss. "You're going to make the others upset if you keep focusing only on me." She playfully swat at me.
"Oh don't worry, he does this to all of us." Yasaka interjected with a little bit of humor. "He gets very protective when any of us are in a mood or have something emotional happen."
"Mmm, I believe when Mordred first appeared, and I was still having conflicting feelings, he was never out of reach for long." Artoria smiled brightly.
"For me it was rather recent with the attack." Yasaka chuckled.
"He even did the same for me when Susanoo, the brat, blew me off." Izzy took an empty seat. "Before he went to beat him up, apparently."
"....Is that the reason...?" Venelana looked surprised.
"Did he not tell you?' Izzy snorted. "Susanoo was supposed to come and meet me after many years. He decided to visit a brothel and play around. Wilhelm here, got upset on my behalf and went to have words with my son. You know how that turned out."
"That doesn't sound like me." I said with a complete straight face.
Venelana playfully pulled on my cheek.
"Yes, I suppose I imagined having to scold two children after they caused storms off the coast of Japan." Izzy rolled her eyes.
"I said it before, but it really is pleasant to see how well you all get along." Venelana spoke up and I realized she had been here for awhile at this point. "And thank you, Lady Izanami, for my earlier request."
"Think nothing of it." Izzy waived her off.
Yasaka and Artoria looked very relaxed, I assumed that whatever talks they had with Venelana went well.
Especially Artoria, I knew she was the one with the most reservations, but she looked utterly peaceful right now.
And looking at her face.....I can't help but remember what happened yesterday.
I wanted to do more things with her.
"I will have to properly thank the others as well. I have yet to have the opportunity." Venelana added. "Unfortunately, that won't be possible this time around."
"Mmm, it is poor timing, but what can do you." Yasaka simply shrugged. "And it's not like this will be the last time we get together. Having you over has been absolutely lovely. But when everyone gathers, I'll be sure to pass on your thanks."
"Yes, it has been very pleasant, and I hope to schedule more time." Artoria chimed in.
"Wait, what's going on?" I looked around.
Yasaka reached down her kimono and pulled out a letter. It had a beautiful writing on the front.
Remembering what Hades said.... "Let me guess, an invitation to a Peace Meeting?"
Yasaka blinked. "Yes, that's exactly it. How did you know?"
Izzy let out a laugh, shaking her head.
"When I was talking to Hades, he mentioned –"
Venelana was suddenly ontop of me, her lips pressed against mine. I certainly wasn't' against this, but it was the suddenness of it that had taken me by surprise.
"Don't forget who I am." She said quietly, breaking the kiss. "I don't want to cause any problems in case you say something sensitive in my presence."
Oh.....right.
"I was asked to bring that letter along because I mentioned being invited over for tea." She glanced at Artoria. "But I don't want to make my presence awkward, so I will separate myself and let you all talk it over."
"Thank you, Venelana. It really has been lovely to have you here and I look forward to it again." Yasaka stood up.
"Oh it was wonderful to meet you. I can't wait to meet my other Harem Sisters once everything gets settled."
"You're going already." I whispered.
"Mmm, some things come with time. You can't force trust to develop so easily." She smiled, placing a light kiss on my lips again.
I really hated seeing her go.
The Teleportation circle lit up after everyone said their goodbyes and she disappeared from the house.
"I can see why you are fond of her." Artoria was the first to speak up.
"Well, he does enjoy large chests." Yasaka grinned.
Izzy rolled her eyes. "He is a boy, of course he does. That and an ample rear, and he would be thinking with the wrong head."
Artoria's lips twitched in amusement. I think she felt a lot less self conscious after....what happened. I made sure she knew just how arousing she was herself. "I meant with regard to how charming she was. She is a very charismatic woman, and it is difficult to find any negative words about her. However, I believe you are correct on the other matter as well."
"Yeah yeah, I'm a perverted person, water is wet, the fire is hot." I huffed. " And yes, she was very endearing and easily approachable during my first time meeting her. But what's this about an invitation? Hades only told me a few things and not many details."
"I'm surprised he told you anything of the sort." Yasaka replied. "He doesn't seem the kind of person to do something like that."
"It was.....an odd experience." I left it at that.
"I have already put out a message, everyone is gathering and they should be almost all ready. We can head over now if you prefer." Yasaka offered.
"May as well, this is going to be on my mind regardless now."
[***]
Yasaka tossed a parchment onto the table infront of everyone.
When she said everyone was gathering, she meant more than just us. Of course, my girls were here, minus Meridia, but she was listening in.
Also joining us was Nurarihyon, which wasn't a surprise. He was accompanied by a few of his closest as well. And not just him, Yasaka also had a few Elders along with her. They stood to the side, rather stoically.
They gave respectful nods to all of us.
I had expected some kind of...antagonizing, but maybe I was thinking too much about it. I guessed we'd done a lot to help out without asking for anything in return.
Lots of goodwill.
And Arthur was also in the room, if staying towards the back.
"I gave a brief overview, but you all know why we're here?" Yasaka looked around the room.
"The Devils are 'inviting' us to some kind of Peace Conference?" Nurarihyon scoffed. "Since when do they care about us?"
"Since we have people who can fight Gods." An elder next to Yasaka snorted, and eyes landed on me.
Well, I'm happy they also considered me one of their 'own' and not simply Yasaka's lover.
"Tell them to shove it." One of the rougher members next to Nurarihyon grunted. "They've never helped us before, and only fucked us over. Now they want some kind of 'Peace meeting' when it's convenient for them?"
"Can we afford to ostracize other factions further if we have a War on the horizon?" Artoria was seemingly the voice of reason. Her words carried a bit of weight considering she was more or less representing the Pendragon family and was aiding the Youkai with their forces as well. "Swallowing pride may be required, as unfortunate as it is."
"As much as I don't want to agree.....we do have bigger problems than Devils trying to play games like this." Nurarihyon reluctantly agreed.
"To further emphasis, it also may not be wise to forgo connections to the other factions that are appearing." Scáthach stepped up to the table, picking up the parchment. "They speak of both the Norse Gods having a representative, and one from the Celtic Pantheon, however it lacks names to go with them."
"Odin and Lugh." I spoke up, earning attention again.
"Are you sure?" Scáthach asked.
"Yes, I had it confirmed by Hades." I nodded.
"the Greek God of Death." Nurarihyon stroked his chin.
"I can confirm his words." Izzy appeared next to me. "I was present for most of the conversations. However, Hades is....privy to certain information and relayed some."
"I don't think anyone doubt him, just surprised at the source." Yasaka stated.
"Speaking of Hades, while everyone's here like this. I was able to get a few things out of him for helping with some other matter. He's going to supply us with a few more Sacred Gears, and I managed to negotiate him lending some people from Elysium to help us train for about four months." May as well get that out of the way.
"Oh?" Nurarihyon's eyes brightened. "That would definitely help with training the new recruits if we got some veterans from the old days. And Sacred Gears are always welcomed."
Yasaka looked ecstatic. And if we weren't in a public meeting, I may have had my clothes torn off already. Though, she quickly reined herself in. "Important, but we'll discuss it later. Thank you, Wilhelm."
"Aren't Lugh and Odin both heads of their Pantheons? Why would they be coming?" Jinn had been a little quiet, not adding much until now.
"That's the question, isn't it?" Nurarihyon looked thoughtful.
"I believe the answer to Odin may be the opponent I faced." Scáthach stated with a scowl.
"I can confirm his identity through Hades too, but don't spread my meeting with him around." I decided to speak up about that tidbit as well.
"Nothing in this room will be spread, don't worry." Nurarihyon was the first to reassure me.
Nods all around the room and they had looks of conviction on their face, I didn't doubt his words.
"It appears we may have to attend, regardless of desire." Raikou didn't look too pleased.
"It wouldn't do well to ignore other factions." Yasaka groaned. "The Devils, the Fallen, and the Angels, we could disregard them like we have in the past. But now, their voices are directly backed by two other powerful factions. This is getting much more complicated."
"What do we even have to gain from this?" I asked, looking around. "I honestly can't think of anything substantial. I mean....could we gain things? Most assuredly, but do we really need anything that would link us with people we generally don't like?"
"Admittedly, Resources wouldn't be remiss." Yasaka let out a sigh.
"As annoying as it is to agree again, yes we aren't exactly in a good position regarding things in that regard. But we're also not in a horrible spot either. We're surviving and moving forward with what we have and we didn't take this into account, so it isn't a necessity." Nurarihyon had an annoyed look as well.
Credit where it was due. Both Yasaka and Nurarihyon were willing to swallow their pride if it meant a better situation for their people.
"Then let's do it like the Americans." I offered.
"Like the Americans?" Yasaka blinked.
"We can survive without them." I held up a finger. "That much can't be denied. So, realistically, we don't need anything from them."
"Yes, that's true, like we said."
"And if they're inviting us, they clearly want something from us at this point."
"That is most likely correct as well."
"Well, any negotiations are simply another form of fighting." The corners of my lips curled up. "So, lets do like the Americans do. We simply declare victory from the start, and go from there."
[***]
Here's Friday's late chapter, dont' worry, still got a chapter coming for this weekend at some point.
Anyways, if you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Chapter 320:"Oh hello Hades, nice to see you too. I'm going good, how are you doing?" Izzy's dry voice carried through the chamber. "What's that? You want to thank us as the gracious host you are, that we willingly came all this way at your request when there was no other obligation?" "Stop being mordacious, Izanami. You are not nearly as blind as those other fools, you should know damn well what I'm talking about. If you just expect me to ignore that blatant anomaly " "I expect you to be nice." Izzy scowled. The God of the Underworld twisted his expression, impressive for a skull, into something resembling a scowl in return. His glowing eyes focused on me, shining bright against the flickering flames. "Human, Devil, Dragon! Just those three are enough to be called an anomaly, but they've happened in the past. No, you went and did something that's never happened before. Somehow, you obtained Divinity." His words accompanied a pressure that descended upon me. I raised an eyebrow as I met his gaze, my shoulders shuddered slightly under the pressure. This was the first time I had a God here react this way to my Divinity. Hell, Susanoo was more confused, and Amaterasu didn't even seem to care. Izzy took it in stride as well. This is an entirely new reaction. In response, I let my own Divinity pour out. It surrounded me to push away his pressure, allowing me relax as his realm trembled. "Is there a question in there?" I finally asked/broke the stale mate/silence. While I agreed to Izzy to not act up, that didn't mean I would allow myself to be bullied. Though, it's not like I didn't anticipate this. The strong will always have the pride as the strong. It manifested in certain ways, and sometimes, you had to show that you're on equal if not equivalent footing. "Honey." The woman next to Hades spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Remember why you asked them to come." The pressure around us dissipated, and the God of the Underworld grumbled. "Is this how you intend to treat guests, Hades?" Izzy crossed her arms with a clear frown on her face. "I did this as a favor due to our relationship. If this is how I expect people I care about to be treated, I may rethink several things from now on." "Your infatuation blinds you." The God muttered. "It is a mockery of us. That a Devil can obtain Divinity, it shouldn't be allowed!" He slammed his fist on his throne. "How is it any different than any of the myriad races of the world getting Divinity, Hades? Your Nephew was a Demi-God that ascended to full Godhood. You Brother is a Centaur and possesses Divinity and he is revered across many cultures. And there have been plenty of humans over the years who have moved above their birth." Izzy countered. The God didn't have a rebuttal, but his Wife spoke up. "She's right, Honey. You're letting your anger get the better of you." "You too, Persephone? You're both ganging up on me." The God grumbled once more. "Bah! Fine!" He huffed, and a strange aura gathered around his body. His skeletal nature peeled back, an actual human-like appearance was revealed underneath. "I....apologize." His voice changed, but it sounded much more.....authoritative. "Hmph." Izzy grunted. "Shall we get to the point then?" Well, Izzy was leading the show right now so I would let her keep the lead. I looked the man over again. The God of the Underworld. Was this his true self? I had questions, but I doubted I would get answers. He didn't seem to like me all that much. "I would also like to know what I'm here." May as well get it out of the way. "While I did enjoy the trip, you clearly don't like me." "Devils are parasites." Hades spat out. "Tell me, what do Devils do?" "Pardon?" I blinked at his question. "What do Devils bring to the world? What is their purpose?" ....I'd never thought about that before. "I'm....not sure?" "Nothing!" Hades snorted. "They bring nothing. They do nothing but leech off the hard work of others. They leave nothing but chaos and destruction in their wake!" "Oh, here we go." Izzy rolled her eyes. "Tell me that I'm wrong!" Hades huffed. "They were created by a child throwing a tantrum. Their purpose, their entire creation was meant to devour and consume everything and cause misery wherever they go." "They've calmed down over the years. The originals are almost all gone, it's not like the ones in power are clamoring for war or anything like that." I replied, feeling just a little bit insulted since I was also cut from the same cloth, if indirectly. And I was playing Devil's Advocate just for the sake of it. Which is ironic given the circumstances. "Bah! So they've gotten smarter over the years. Why do they need to openly wage war? They continue creating chaos through other means. They disrupt the flow of souls with their Evil Pieces. Converting others into their misbegotten race. Stealing souls from where they should truly go! They've used those abominable things to force themselves into a position of power. Look at their leader, he holds a clone of Surtr as his slave." "You won't hear me say anything good about those things." I crossed my arms. "I am Half-Human, I've always aligned myself with humanity over Devils. I am of the mind that they're stealing the potential of humanity." Hades went quiet, giving me a second look, clearly pondering something. "Hmm....maybe I was too quick in my judgement. I suppose Izanami would not consort with that lot." He shook his head. "Those Crows are not much better. Abandoning their Jobs so they could imitate Devils. Only causing problems, and doing nothing useful." "Is this why you called me? Your problems with the three factions?" I was still confused as to why he had summoned me. "Hmph." He tapped the arm of his throne. "What do you know of the Khaos Brigade?" I blinked in confusion. "I've had some run ins with them. It seems like they're headed by the Old Satan Faction? But I also have crossed paths with the Hero Faction that operated under their banner, so maybe not all that much?" "I was a part of it." Hades said bluntly. "Hades!" Izzy hissed. "Explain, now." "It was a means to an end." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I never shared their goals, only seeked to use them for my own." "After your rant about Devils, you willingly bowed your head to them?" I questioned. "Who said that the Khaos Brigade is ran by Devils?" Hades huffed. "Do you think I would need their help for anything of note?" That had.....unpleasant insinuations. "Honey, Izanami is upset, explain properly." Persephone lightly chastised. "Fine." Hades grunted with a sigh. "The World is in a precarious state. The Three Factions of the Abrahamic Religion are throwing it into further disarray with every passing year. The Devils merely by existing along with their blatant disregard for the status quo. The Crows see fit to mimic the Devils and do whatever they want. And the System left behind by the God of the bible is unstable and making things worse, not better." "You're talking about Sacred Gears." I stated. "Yes, those unregulated devices that randomly appear around the world. Those items of power that cause untold devastation if left in the wrong hands." Hades scowled in annoyance. "Ask that Dragon inside of you. Have him tell you how many of his previous owners went on a rampage and caused wanton destruction?" ....He isn't wrong. I've had several users where I just woken up because Juggernaut Drive was activated after a traumatic event. That sounded horrifying. "The look on your face, I can assume he confirmed it." The God spoke. "I have no love for that Dragon, but at least he didn't rampage without reason." "What exactly was your plan? Ally with the Khaos Brigade to kill off the three factions?" "It doesn't matter anymore." Hades grunted. "I have chosen to sever ties with them. They have crossed me and my original goal seems to have been for naught with your appearance." "Weren't you just calling me an abomination not a few minutes prior?" I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to have your own Divinity." Hades growled in annoyance. "Half-Human, Half-Devil. Your Dragon aspect comes from Ddraig within that prison of his." He raised his finger up, pointing at me. "I wonder, does your Divinity come from him. The Spear you are somehow able to wield." He muttered. "No, it's different. Your Divinity is more like my brothers, there is the crackling of lightning and the smell of the sky. But also the roar of the ocean's tides. Storms are your domain....." His head suddenly jerked towards Izanami. "Izanami.....did " "Hades." Izzy's voice overtook Hades entirely at this moment. "We both know my son would never willingly give up his Divinity. So if you are about to ask me what I think you are going to ask me, I'm going to walk up there and smack you." "And I will say nothing about it, Husband." Persephone crossed her arms, staring at Hades as well. "...I apologize, I overstepped." Hades admittedly looked rather sheepish. Was he about to imply that Izzy stole Susanoo's divinity and gave it to me? Oh yeah, I could imagine that Izzy would be very upset at the insinuation. "You said that the Khaos Brigade isn't led by Devils. Can you elaborate on that?" I might as well move past the awkwardness that came up. "There are many beings around the world that don't like the peace that came about after the Great War." Hades took to the renewed talk quite readily. "You should have met one thus far based on what I've been told." "Loki." I breathed out, his name still left me angry. "Yes, the Trickster God." Hades scowled. "Whom I have no doubt had a hand in breaking into Tartarus with his cohorts and freeing my Father and Hyperion. Both of which I have no doubt now bolster their ranks." I see, that would explain why Hades had a falling out with them. "There are many more, nearly every major Pantheon is represented. If they were to move together, it's unlikely that any singular force could meet them." Hades stated. "And you are now outed from said group." I pointed out. "Who said I left?" He huffed. "I would be a fool to not keep tabs on them." That's true, I suppose I thought he just up and left after getting pissed. Maybe I'm too used to dealing with the more prideful kind of people? So, no longer allied, but they didn't quite know that yet. "And how does that lead back into me being important for you?" I was apparently the reason he was willing to stop 'working' with this Khaos Brigade. "I have watched those Sacred Gears more than any other God beyond their creator. I have seen every instance that they have disturbed the world." Hades intoned. "That Spear specifically. I have seen it appear many times throughout the years, watching the users, and ever more since Yahweh had perished. You are an outlier. And the only explanation I can come to.....something changed within the spear itself." I quirked a smile. "Maybe something else in the system broke again?" "Bah, who are you trying to fool? There's only one entity that would allow you to use that thing with your nature as a Half-Devil. Even I could not overcome such contradictions, only the progenitor of both your species and the object itself." He snorted, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "Tell me, is he coming back?" "You really don't mince words, do you?" I couldn't believe Hades of all people was the first to realize outside of those I told. "Say that he was in the midst of reviving. What benefit would that be for you?" Because he clearly wanted this to happen based on what he said. "If that One comes back, then he can clean up all the messes he made." Hades huffed in annoyance. "The Devils, the Fallen Angels, and the Sacred Gears that have gone out of control. Then I can finally stop being disturbed by all these annoyances and the world can go back to normal." Was it really that simple? This Godadmitted to working with people I absolutely despise, and his entire reasoning was to fix some perceived wrongs in the world. Wrongs that.....I couldn't help but admit were true. Sacred Gears were causing problems because they weren't being properly regulated by Heaven's System. Devils and Fallen Angels, how many issues had they caused just by doing their thing? Hell, just look at Evil Pieces like he said. "So it all comes down to you're asking for my help?" Hades scowled and his wife started giggling. "In more words than needed, yes. I share my Husband's sentiment as do many others under our rule. We are asking for your help and offer ours in return. It may seem strange to you, but we would like the Biblical God to come back. We have no ill will towards him, and hope that we can help facilitate his return at a faster pace." Persephone stated. "Frankly, the whole idea caught us off guard, but my Husband as adamant that the only plausible explanation was such." I turned to Izzy and she gave me a reassuring smile. So I would trust her judgment since she hadn't made an effort to stop the talks. "It's true, the possibility for his resurrection has opened and I've conversed with him at one point." I admitted. I wasn't against helping him revive, I had already done some of that so far. "To actually hear it...." Persephone whispered. "How? It shouldn't be possible, he truly died. His Divine Power scattered, his essence was utterly dispersed. There should have been nothing by remnants remaining, nothing large enough to have a consciousness." N00vl--1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter."Even the tiny spark that existed in the spear, it would never turn into something greater. It was called a dying will for a reason, and it couldn't evolve into something more unless some absurd circumstances presented themselves." Hades appeared to be thinking aloud before taking a long sigh, looking rather tired himself. "I won't ask the circumstances; I find it unlikely you would reveal them at this point." Well, he didn't have his head up his ass to realize that. His former arrogance before was understandable. Not easily ignorable, but understandable considering what exactly he was. Maybe if he had been nicer, I would have opened up more. But as it stood, this was pretty much what he's getting from me, and that's mostly as a favor to Izzy. Slowly, the God of the Underworld rose from his seat, taking bated steps down the towering stairs. "Come, let us take a walk. I believe that my wife wishes to speak with Izanami." Hades casually strode forward, hands behind his back. Honestly, he did appear very regal and magnificent, even if I didn't have a particularly good opinion of him at the moment. "Izanami was correct, you were invited as a guest, and I have shamed myself with not respecting that." I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I really didn't believe he would do anything in these circumstances. He seemed like the kind of person who would look you in the eyes when he stabbed you, not do it in the back. "Lead the way." I let out a breath. "Kya! He's just like you said, and he's so cute~" Hades and I started walking out, and I abruptly turned around to see Persephone throw herself at Izzy, excitedly talking about something and Izzy had an adorable blush on her cheeks. "That way leads to madness." Hades snorted as I turned back towards him. "Centuries I have been married, yet I still do not understand her mind sometimes. I have given up on trying. Come." There was a fondness in his tone. Well, if there was one nice thing I could say about Hades thus far, he really seemed to care about his wife. It was the small things that were the most noticeable, the little looks he threw her way. Some people seemed to think you needed big gestures to be romantic, when it's often the opposite. Many little things are what relationships are built off of. The excited words of the Goddess died out as we walked further away. Rather, our quiet steps were the only noise. "Rather empty, isn't it?" "Hmm, in a normal day it is not. I have thousands upon thousands of Reapers that answer my call. On an average day, there are many voices that fill this place. I merely wished solitude for the evening, thus I had dismissed them for the remainder of the day." Hades said, rather casually. "What do you think of my Underworld?" "As you asking me to compare it to Yomi?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Though, I have been to one other Deathly realm so far. And I think Charon's words were right. These types of places have their own charm." "Another?" "The Land of Shadows." I replied. Artoria also perked up with her own cute smile, one that would always make my heart melt. I made sure to greet her just as warmly. Though, there was one other person in the room. I admit that I felt myself get rather protective again with her in sight. I walked over and she stood up to greet me, my arms wrapping around her immediately. I happily buried my face right between those large mounds. "It's good to see you too." Venelana giggled. "Missed you." I muttered between her cleavage before turning my head up. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." She smiled brightly. "And I never properly thanked you before." "As long as you're okay, it's fine." "Such a sweet man." I felt her hand run through my hair. I couldn't help myself, I leaned up and claimed her lips, which she happily reciprocated. She was the one to break the kiss. "You're going to make the others upset if you keep focusing only on me." She playfully swat at me. "Oh don't worry, he does this to all of us." Yasaka interjected with a little bit of humor. "He gets very protective when any of us are in a mood or have something emotional happen." "Mmm, I believe when Mordred first appeared, and I was still having conflicting feelings, he was never out of reach for long." Artoria smiled brightly. "For me it was rather recent with the attack." Yasaka chuckled. "He even did the same for me when Susanoo, the brat, blew me off." Izzy took an empty seat. "Before he went to beat him up, apparently." "....Is that the reason...?" Venelana looked surprised. "Did he not tell you?' Izzy snorted. "Susanoo was supposed to come and meet me after many years. He decided to visit a brothel and play around. Wilhelm here, got upset on my behalf and went to have words with my son. You know how that turned out." "That doesn't sound like me." I said with a complete straight face. Venelana playfully pulled on my cheek. "Yes, I suppose I imagined having to scold two children after they caused storms off the coast of Japan." Izzy rolled her eyes. "I said it before, but it really is pleasant to see how well you all get along." Venelana spoke up and I realized she had been here for awhile at this point. "And thank you, Lady Izanami, for my earlier request." "Think nothing of it." Izzy waived her off. Yasaka and Artoria looked very relaxed, I assumed that whatever talks they had with Venelana went well. Especially Artoria, I knew she was the one with the most reservations, but she looked utterly peaceful right now. And looking at her face.....I can't help but remember what happened yesterday. I wanted to do more things with her. "I will have to properly thank the others as well. I have yet to have the opportunity." Venelana added. "Unfortunately, that won't be possible this time around." "Mmm, it is poor timing, but what can do you." Yasaka simply shrugged. "And it's not like this will be the last time we get together. Having you over has been absolutely lovely. But when everyone gathers, I'll be sure to pass on your thanks." "Yes, it has been very pleasant, and I hope to schedule more time." Artoria chimed in. "Wait, what's going on?" I looked around. Yasaka reached down her kimono and pulled out a letter. It had a beautiful writing on the front. Remembering what Hades said.... "Let me guess, an invitation to a Peace Meeting?" Yasaka blinked. "Yes, that's exactly it. How did you know?" Izzy let out a laugh, shaking her head. "When I was talking to Hades, he mentioned " Venelana was suddenly ontop of me, her lips pressed against mine. I certainly wasn't' against this, but it was the suddenness of it that had taken me by surprise. "Don't forget who I am." She said quietly, breaking the kiss. "I don't want to cause any problems in case you say something sensitive in my presence." Oh.....right. "I was asked to bring that letter along because I mentioned being invited over for tea." She glanced at Artoria. "But I don't want to make my presence awkward, so I will separate myself and let you all talk it over." "Thank you, Venelana. It really has been lovely to have you here and I look forward to it again." Yasaka stood up. "Oh it was wonderful to meet you. I can't wait to meet my other Harem Sisters once everything gets settled." "You're going already." I whispered. "Mmm, some things come with time. You can't force trust to develop so easily." She smiled, placing a light kiss on my lips again. I really hated seeing her go. The Teleportation circle lit up after everyone said their goodbyes and she disappeared from the house. "I can see why you are fond of her." Artoria was the first to speak up. "Well, he does enjoy large chests." Yasaka grinned. Izzy rolled her eyes. "He is a boy, of course he does. That and an ample rear, and he would be thinking with the wrong head." Artoria's lips twitched in amusement. I think she felt a lot less self conscious after....what happened. I made sure she knew just how arousing she was herself. "I meant with regard to how charming she was. She is a very charismatic woman, and it is difficult to find any negative words about her. However, I believe you are correct on the other matter as well." "Yeah yeah, I'm a perverted person, water is wet, the fire is hot." I huffed. " And yes, she was very endearing and easily approachable during my first time meeting her. But what's this about an invitation? Hades only told me a few things and not many details." "I'm surprised he told you anything of the sort." Yasaka replied. "He doesn't seem the kind of person to do something like that." "It was.....an odd experience." I left it at that. "I have already put out a message, everyone is gathering and they should be almost all ready. We can head over now if you prefer." Yasaka offered. "May as well, this is going to be on my mind regardless now." *** Yasaka tossed a parchment onto the table infront of everyone. When she said everyone was gathering, she meant more than just us. Of course, my girls were here, minus Meridia, but she was listening in. Also joining us was Nurarihyon, which wasn't a surprise. He was accompanied by a few of his closest as well. And not just him, Yasaka also had a few Elders along with her. They stood to the side, rather stoically. They gave respectful nods to all of us. I had expected some kind of...antagonizing, but maybe I was thinking too much about it. I guessed we'd done a lot to help out without asking for anything in return. Lots of goodwill. And Arthur was also in the room, if staying towards the back. "I gave a brief overview, but you all know why we're here?" Yasaka looked around the room. "The Devils are 'inviting' us to some kind of Peace Conference?" Nurarihyon scoffed. "Since when do they care about us?" "Since we have people who can fight Gods." An elder next to Yasaka snorted, and eyes landed on me. Well, I'm happy they also considered me one of their 'own' and not simply Yasaka's lover. "Tell them to shove it." One of the rougher members next to Nurarihyon grunted. "They've never helped us before, and only fucked us over. Now they want some kind of 'Peace meeting' when it's convenient for them?" "Can we afford to ostracize other factions further if we have a War on the horizon?" Artoria was seemingly the voice of reason. Her words carried a bit of weight considering she was more or less representing the Pendragon family and was aiding the Youkai with their forces as well. "Swallowing pride may be required, as unfortunate as it is." "As much as I don't want to agree.....we do have bigger problems than Devils trying to play games like this." Nurarihyon reluctantly agreed. "To further emphasis, it also may not be wise to forgo connections to the other factions that are appearing." Scathach stepped up to the table, picking up the parchment. "They speak of both the Norse Gods having a representative, and one from the Celtic Pantheon, however it lacks names to go with them." "Odin and Lugh." I spoke up, earning attention again. "Are you sure?" Scathach asked. "Yes, I had it confirmed by Hades." I nodded. "the Greek God of Death." Nurarihyon stroked his chin. "I can confirm his words." Izzy appeared next to me. "I was present for most of the conversations. However, Hades is....privy to certain information and relayed some." "I don't think anyone doubt him, just surprised at the source." Yasaka stated. "Speaking of Hades, while everyone's here like this. I was able to get a few things out of him for helping with some other matter. He's going to supply us with a few more Sacred Gears, and I managed to negotiate him lending some people from Elysium to help us train for about four months." May as well get that out of the way. "Oh?" Nurarihyon's eyes brightened. "That would definitely help with training the new recruits if we got some veterans from the old days. And Sacred Gears are always welcomed." Yasaka looked ecstatic. And if we weren't in a public meeting, I may have had my clothes torn off already. Though, she quickly reined herself in. "Important, but we'll discuss it later. Thank you, Wilhelm." "Aren't Lugh and Odin both heads of their Pantheons? Why would they be coming?" Jinn had been a little quiet, not adding much until now. "That's the question, isn't it?" Nurarihyon looked thoughtful. "I believe the answer to Odin may be the opponent I faced." Scathach stated with a scowl. "I can confirm his identity through Hades too, but don't spread my meeting with him around." I decided to speak up about that tidbit as well. "Nothing in this room will be spread, don't worry." Nurarihyon was the first to reassure me. Nods all around the room and they had looks of conviction on their face, I didn't doubt his words. "It appears we may have to attend, regardless of desire." Raikou didn't look too pleased. "It wouldn't do well to ignore other factions." Yasaka groaned. "The Devils, the Fallen, and the Angels, we could disregard them like we have in the past. But now, their voices are directly backed by two other powerful factions. This is getting much more complicated." "What do we even have to gain from this?" I asked, looking around. "I honestly can't think of anything substantial. I mean....could we gain things? Most assuredly, but do we really need anything that would link us with people we generally don't like?" "Admittedly, Resources wouldn't be remiss." Yasaka let out a sigh. "As annoying as it is to agree again, yes we aren't exactly in a good position regarding things in that regard. But we're also not in a horrible spot either. We're surviving and moving forward with what we have and we didn't take this into account, so it isn't a necessity." Nurarihyon had an annoyed look as well. Credit where it was due. Both Yasaka and Nurarihyon were willing to swallow their pride if it meant a better situation for their people. "Then let's do it like the Americans." I offered. "Like the Americans?" Yasaka blinked. "We can survive without them." I held up a finger. "That much can't be denied. So, realistically, we don't need anything from them." "Yes, that's true, like we said." "And if they're inviting us, they clearly want something from us at this point." "That is most likely correct as well." "Well, any negotiations are simply another form of fighting." The corners of my lips curled up. "So, lets do like the Americans do. We simply declare victory from the start, and go from there." *** Here's Friday's late chapter, dont' worry, still got a chapter coming for this weekend at some point. Anyways, if you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
