Chapter 321: Part 1
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Chapter 321: Part 1
"Not that I'm against it, but why exactly are we doing this?" Rin looked around. "And why does it have to be, her." She jabbed her finger towards Medea.
"Several reasons." I replied, holding my arm up as Medea took measurements. "Negotiations are rarely about strutting in and just stepping on everyone. We don't want to make 'enemies' even if we're not going to be playing along the way they're going to suspect us to."
"You look good, Rin." Artoria cut in, tightening a little binding, giving herself a pony tail.
"Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so I'm told." Medea smirked.
"Obviously, why else would you have a fiancé?" Rin shot back as those two did their usual song and dance. "But how does that whole spiel tie into why we're doing this?"
"I was getting to i-it." I jerked as Medea tugged on my arm. "The best method is to use little things to eek out some kind of verbal advantage or set a tone. Tell me what do you think when you see the Enforcers of the Clock Tower making a move?"
"....I guess they're kinda intimidating? Most Magi stay away from them when they're on the job."
"Exactly. They're no-nonsense. They're setting a tone that they're all business." I listed off. "One of the factors that facilitates that, is their dresscode." I gestured to myself as Medea continued to take measurements.
"He's not wrong." Medea started up. "Clothing can say a lot about a person based on the situation."
"It's all about that first impression." I nodded. "What do you think the faction leaders will look like when we arrive? Odin, Lugh, The Devil Leaders, the Fallen Leader, the Angel Leader?"
Rin blinked, looking thought. "I don't know, something good? If we're going off stereotypes, the angels will probably be wearing Robes. The Devils some kind of maleficent armor or something. The Gods....I really couldn't say."
"Do you think everyone they bring will look the same?"
"....no?"
"And then we come along, all matching in the same style, clearly 'dressing up' while they are probably wearing the same old things they always do. Immediately, it puts them on the back foot. Without even saying any words it makes us look more prepared. As if we are taking it more seriously, as if we're giving the whole event the due respect it deserves."
"Essentially, it makes them lose face." Medea summarized. "For beings of this caliber, outward perception is extremely important."
"So.....it's going to hurt their pride?"
"Eh, I wouldn't go that far." I shrugged.
"And what tone are we trying to set?"
"That we don't need to be there." Yasaka said frankly as she admired herself in a full length mirror. "We don't need them, and we know it."
"It also makes sure to let everyone know that we are all part of the same group." I fixed my collar slightly. "At this point, it's been made pretty clear about some of our names, so I don't want anyone to get any ideas that we can be separated."
I glanced over at both Scáthach and Raikou. Both of whom were looking amazing, they really rocked the look we were going for.
Couldn't wait to peel those layers off afterwards.
"So it's all about the impression, huh?" Rin muttered. "Doesn't sound much different than school...."
"It really isn't." I let out a chuckle. "Only that the 'popular kids' can decimate the world if they put their minds to it."
They're expecting us to be meek and come crawling out of the woodwork for whatever handouts they're willing to give.
Hell, even with what we showed off, I'm guessing that they're only inviting us because they want something, not because they 'recognized' us suddenly.
Even with all of us added together, we still are a small faction in comparison to almost everyone else.
Most other factions already had God-Level combatants, so the fact we 'suddenly' got some didn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things.
"And they aren't normal clothes either." I said offhandedly.
"Yeah, I noticed." Rin had been inspecting hers the entire time. The mindset of a Magus wouldn't let her not take a look at any magical effects, especially those that would be 'touching her'.
"Some of my finer work." Medea stated, smiling brightly. "Though, it was a rather abrupt request. So it won't last long beyond the meeting you're going to. And I wouldn't advise you to fight in it."
Which was fair, it was highly unlikely any actual fighting would happen.
"What exactly did you do?" Rin asked.
"I made each set its own Mystic Code that resists any peeping." Medea bluntly explained.
"Peeping?" Rin repeated with a look of confusion.
"Once we get there, they're all going to try and get a measure of us. That could mean anything from simply looking us over and trying to deduce anything that way, or using any other mystical means such as Mystic Eyes or magic to look deeper." I explained.
"Yes, Odin I believe will be able to see through most deceptions and any falsehoods. So it is wise to tread carefully." Scáthach spoke up as well.
"So these clothes will stop a God?"
"Of course not, you silly girl." Medea scoffed, almost comically in their little game. "But it will resist surface level attempts."
"Meaning, if they want to 'go around' whatever protections that Medea added, it will be noticeable." I elaborated. "It goes back to what Medea said, if a God is forced to go to such lengths for something so mundane, they will lose face infront of the others present. And we could call them out on their behavior, making it even more awkward and setting ourselves in a better position."
And maybe more importantly, it would annoy them. Gods don't like being denied, even for the most simplistic things. Tell them 'no' and they want to know more.
"Sounds really petty."
"Welcome to politics." I opened my arms with a laugh.
"It really is very trite when you get down to it." Yasaka let out a sigh. "But most faction leaders tend to have very inflated egos, so this is what usually happens in these sorts of things."
"You forgot the most important reason for doing this." Jinn happily exclaimed, taking a little pose to show herself off.
She looked exceedingly beautiful. I don't think I remember seeing her in anything but her own dress before. The lighter tones really complimented her beautiful shade of blue.
"Well, it's rather obvious, so I didn't think it needed mentioned." I shrugged.
"What's the most important reason?" Rin blinked, still not catching on. Not that I could blame her, her education was lacking. And that wasn't meant in an insulting way. She basically raised herself and had to do everything on her own.
The fact that she made it to this stage with her own effort just exemplified her talent in so many ways.
"It makes us look damn good." Yasaka flicked her tails, spinning around. She was the only one wearing a skirt and it was cut high, showing off those wonderful legs of her. Yet, it also retained the elegance that was expected of her as well. And draped over her shoulders was her iconic Haori she tended to wear.
It's kind of funny, we sorta look like Yakuza with Yasaka as our head.
Other than Yasaka, we were all wearing pretty much the same thing, with obvious variations for each person to match them explicitly. It showed off that Yasaka was the main character in this little rendezvous we were having, while everyone else was the supporting cast.
She would be the one doing the majority of the negotiations as even Nurarihyon wasn't attending. He wanted to continue with the whole attitude they already cultivated about not wanting to deal with devils and such.
They already had a talk about what they both wanted and what they were willing to do to do obtain those things. And the Old Man was willing to hand over the reins to Yasaka to let her handle the dirty business.
So, Yasaka was representing the Youkai as a whole.
However, he sent a representative.
Aotabō was outside, along with Soma from Yasaka's end. Specifically, Nurarihyon needed to send someone high enough up, but also low enough that it didn't disrupt his position that he was taking. Such, Aotabō who was the 'third' seat under Nurarihyon fit the bill.
Not to mention, the man was already acquainted with most of us and had a good head on his shoulders and knew about our circumstances.
"Really, that's the most important reason?" Rin snorted. "Not that I don't agree." She did a quick turn around to admire herself in the mirror.
"It's as you said, presentation. We look confident, and it shows. That goes a long ways in things like this. Our 'small faction' is completely at ease coming before these other 'big factions' without an iota of awkwardness or fear."
And that wasn't just because I enjoyed every opportunity to dress up. And I wasn't the only one who shared these sentiments. Artoria said something about how it was nostalgic based on something she wore during the Fourth Grail War.
And I think they were all enjoying it. A little amusement before we had to get serious and down to business later.
Seeing them all dressed up in suits with various degrees of customization. It was really fun to watch them all like this.
"Master, will you be okay?" Raikou sauntered over, fully ready to go. I had to say, these clothes hugged her curves in all the right ways. "You know who will be there."
I grimaced slightly at her words. She was the only who knew about my past the most. She was privy to many more details specifically through the application of the Dream Cycle we shared.
I turned around, taking her into my arms before stealing her lips. The deep kiss only lasted for a brief moment before I broke it. "I have you, and I have everyone else, what do I need to feel upset about? I won't lie and say that there aren't some unpleasant feelings that come to the surface when I think about it. But I'm also not that same kid from all those years ago."
I had my own family now, one of my own making.
So, fuck him.
Why did I have to feel like shit? He should be the one that has to feel like that due to his own fuck ups.
"That should do it." Medea stated, stepping away from the last person she was fiddling with. She did quick and meticulous work. Funnily enough, putting together everything was the quickest part for her. I told her what I wanted a couple days prior, and it merely took that long for her to get designs ready.
Magic really was a cheat.
"For a rush job, I think I did fairly well." Medea smiled brightly, hands on her hips as she looked around the room.
"Your work is as wonderful as always, Medea." I didn't hold back on the praise, she deserved every bit of it.
"Of course." The Witch preened. "And with that, I'll be heading back to my hubby. You can do have your dick measuring contest with those Gods or whatever."
"Fiancé." I managed to throw out before she left the room. Though she merely raised her hand up, middle finger extended without even looking back.
"Are we prepared?" Yasaka asked.
"About as well as we could be." I brought out the Staff of Magnus, tossing it to Jinn before taking out my own mirage. I admired it for a moment before also taking out its accompanying sheath and sliding it right in, keeping it in my hand. "You're in the hot seat, are you prepared?"
"As well as I could be." She chuckled.
Scáthach walked over, spear in hand as she swung it over her shoulder. "Be at ease, you shall not be alone."
"Indeed." Artoria nodded in solidarity, the sound of metal being pushed into a scabbard accompanied her words. She fastened Caliburn to her hip, presumably borrowing it from Mordred.
She was presenting herself as the representative of the Pendragon Family, so it made sense.
All of us made final preparations, even Rin had her own Staff out with her. Raikou carried her own sword in her hand. Jinn cutely stood there with my Staff of Magnus with her.
We used the few days since the original letter arrived to get ready as a whole. A few days to anticipate what we would be walking into, because it could be a windfall for the Youkai if played right. I told them everything Hades relayed to me, so that could be used in bargaining as well.
There were also other, minor things. But to be honest, we didn't know entirely what they wanted. We could make several guesses, most of which had to do with the Khaos Brigade, so we were feeling somewhat confident.
I'm sure they were able to get the information out of Kokabiel regarding his 'friends'. So they were probably really interested in any information about that organization. And I found it unlikely that Kokabiel knew more than I did.
And I wouldn't pretend to not know they most likely had questions for us. It was entirely possible this was just a smoke screen so they could attempt to 'interrogate' us without coming across as hostile to anyone else watching.
They very well couldn't just waltz right into Kyoto and demand answers. The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.
We had talked about all of that and were ready for just about everything.
"Shall we get going?" Yasaka's tails waved in the air as she pushed her haori to the side. "What's our time like?"
"If we head out now, it should be perfect." I replied.
A grin made its way to her face. "Excellent. Let's grab our two others then head over." Yasaka went and pushed the door open, two familiar faces were waiting on the other side.
"Lady Yasaka." Both Soma and Aotabō greeted at the same time.
"Looking good." I held my arm out as Aotabō smiled and bumped it with his own.
"Haha, you think so?" The big guy smiled happily.
"You look quite fetching, Aotabō." Yasaka grinned. "I'm sure Reika will enjoy it too~"
The big guy flushed a little at Yasaka's teasing.
"Are you prepared, Soma." Scáthach patted the shoulder of the young-ish Tengu.
"I will do what is required of me, Teacher." Soma bowed his head towards Scáthach.
"Fufu. Stand up straighter, you have been taught by this Scáthach, you should be more proud. When we finish with this nonsense, I shall resume my teachings. I will have you up to what they refer to as 'Ultimate Class' within the next few months." Scáthach declared.
"And this is Vasco Strada, second only to the Pope." The last man was introduced.
He was massive.
I knew who he was, I'd seen him before. And I always doubted he was human every time I saw him. Because I've never seen a human give off that kind of aura before.
He was strong, and I didn't even know if I could beat him in a fight.
The main cast were introduced, and he made an offhanded remark about the legion of Angels brought along. Not that we could fault him for that, things were shaky as they were.
Once he finished, eyes turned once more towards the God that had accompanied the Angels.
"I, Lugh, God of Light, represent the Tuath De Danann." The First of our Godly representatives introduced themselves. "We have had an agreement for many years, so I was more than willing to accompany them to such talks. And it seems that I also have a new vested interest here." His eyes briefly flickered to Yasaka, making me frown for a moment.
However, his gaze was almost completely locked onto a different woman.
She stood behind Yasaka, radiant Red Eyes, and a lithe body. A red, Demonic Spear, held over her shoulder as confidence shined in her eyes.
Yeah....this was really going to get complicated quickly.
"My turn." Azazel's voice cut through my thoughts as I shook off my own annoyance. "Hey everyone~ I'm Azazel, Governor General of the Grigori. I have my secretary Penemue, and my second in command, Baraqiel, here with me. Along with my own group that are sitting off to the side." Azazel's introduction was rather casual, but that was normal for him.
As much as he liked to act nonchalant, he was very calculating and intelligent. If he thought this was the best way to go about things, then I wouldn't get hung up on his flippant attitude.
"Passing over to you, ol' One eye."
Odin was someone to always be wary of. He was technically retired, yet here he was representing the Norse Faction. He had a old cap on his head, a monocle over his missing eye and a weather look about him. Not to mention that large stick he held in his arms, presumably a walking stick, but that was fooling no one.
Odin was known for a certain spear, and I doubted he would go anywhere without it.
But surprisingly, in this moment, Odin looked...lost.
Which was strange to see on a God, most of all someone like him.
It was if he was staring off into space, only to suddenly come back to attention once his name was called.
The Old God huffed in annoyance. "I'm Odin, this is my nagging Valkyrie, Rossweisse."
"....Well, I guess I should introduce myself even if I'm not participating." The Monkey King began only to be cut off by Odin, who slammed his stick on the ground.
"Everyone knows who you are." Odin grunted. "But more importantly." He raised his wrinkled hand up, finger extended towards Wilhelm. "Why do you have my blessing, boy."
[***]
Odin POV
I ignored that annoying prattling the young'uns were going on about.
It was entertaining, mostly, but there was something else the held my attention. I knew that the boy was going to be something interesting, the Old Monkey said so and he's rarely wrong.
But......why did he have my blessing?
It took me longer than I'd like to admit before I realized it. Maybe I was distracted by the other things he had.
"Not to mention your Divinity" I eyed him. "Don't know how that's possible. But how in the blazes did you get my blessing!"
And it was a strong one at that. When was the last time I blessed someone with that much strength? Centuries atleast.
I would also point out the Runes that were carved into his soul, but the lass next to him could answer that question easily enough. She was one of the few I passed those down to. Though, her being so blatantly alive and standing right there was a whole other question. Even if she looked a lot different than I remember, that presence of hers was unmistakable.
And there was something off about her. Off about several of the other girls standing over there. The Blonde one, the Purple Haired once with the nice rack. And her as well.
Why did they feel similar to the Einherjar back home?
That damn clothes he was wearing were annoying. But they couldn't stop me, and I needed to figure this out. His Divinity shielded him much from my sight, but I could still see enough.
Ddraig was using his soul like an apartment. He had Divinity that was strikingly similar to my own Son's. The Storm raged within it, but contained well enough to show how well he had it under control. It wasn't something that was haphazardly thrown on somehow. It was a part of him now, intertwined with his entire being.
"So, it's true. You really do have Divinity." That brat Lugh commented.
"Bah, who cares about that. I wanna know why he has my blessing!"
"What's the big deal, did you not remember giving it to him or something." The Azazel brat spoke up.
"I haven't given anyone my blessing in centuries, you damn crow."
"Maybe you were too drunk to remember?" The brat himself answered finally.
Cheeky brat. "Funny, I've never actually been that drunk before." I narrowed my eye at him.
The corners of his lips curled up. "All I know is that the God Odin gave me his blessing."
And I could find no falsehoods in his words.
He was telling the truth and it made no sense.
Now that I looked at him again, my blessing was...strange. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt off.
Well, there was one way to check. Any blessing I've given, I can easy take away. I simply had to reach out and –
I blinked.
It rejected me.
I knew damn well that it's my blessing!
But it rejected me!
A blessing of mine, that clearly wasn't mine.....
Suddenly, several more things began to make sense. I had an inkling of what was going on, and the idea even made me hesitate to voice it. Was I merely overthinking things?
What were the chances? It sounded crazy in my head, but...many things seemed to line up now.
A woman who should have been dead. A Sword that took the name of an already existing sword. That other one who wielded Indra's weapon.
.....I needed to think about this some more.
***
Wilhelm POV
It was pointless to try and lie to Odin.
And I doubted he would take a 'no' for an answer on this one, considering it was his blessing in the first place.
So, I simply told the truth.
However, he went.....silent for some reason, looking really lost in thought.
"Should I go then?" Yasaka decided to break the new silence. "I'm Yasaka, and I will be representing the collective Youkai of Japan."
"And what about your panions." Azazel leaned forward.
"Hmm? Oh my companions. Well, they're here supporting me, don't worry. I will be handling the talks as the Leader of the Youkai." Yasaka had a grin on her face as Azazel twitched in response. "Unless, there was some kind of ulterior motive in inviting us? Or are you simply going to interrogate all the people I've brought, much like what's happened already." She glared towards Odin.
The Norse God rolled his eye, but didn't respond.
"We're just curious about those involved in what happened, Lady Yasaka." The Archangel Michael smiled warmly towards us.
It was kinda difficult to be snippy when he gave off such a genuine aura.
"Very well." Yasaka looked as if she was acquiescing to his request. As if we weren't going to do so anyways. She held her hand up, gesturing towards Soma. "This is my Guard, Soma, the newest owner of Dimension Lost."
The reaction that this new information got out of most people present was amusing to see.
Certain Sacred Gears were called Longinus for a reason.
And I took a small bit of pleasure seeing Azazel pout.
"And from Nurarihyon's side." She gestured towards Aotabō.
"I'm Third seat under Lord Nurarihyon – Aotabō." The Large Youkai was very brief in his introduction, but it came off well enough.
Yasaka glanced at us, and we were up.
"I am Artoria Pendragon." Artoria was the first to step up. "I am representing the Pendragon Family." She held a hand upon the pommel of her sword, earning some glares from the Church members.
"Rin Tohsaka, Student of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin's introduction was brief as I think she felt a little intimidated. She was the one who was adamant about coming, and I couldn't deny her. She had always been helping and threw her lot in with us just as much. Not to mention, she was the Master of Artoria, she had every right to be here with her.
But the name drop of Gramps raised some eyebrows. None of them knew the origin of my name, to hear someone else bearing it, well, it probably opened up some questions.
"Hello, I'm Jinn, spirit of Knowledge." Jinn introduced herself. And honestly I'm wondering if she was capable of feeling intimidated. Being stared at by both Gods and Devils, yet her cheerful attitude didn't change.
And it was obvious her – my – staff was drawing some mild attention as well. I wondered how many here could recognize its divine origin?
"I am Minamoto-no-Raikou." My wonderful Servant said very bluntly. Her name wasn't exactly unknown, but it was unlikely that it made its way out of Youkai territory. And I could guess that most assumed her a descendant or spiritual inheritor like those that seemed to pop up every now and then.
She also didn't elaborate further, but she also got quite a bit of attention. Especially from the Godly guests, and specifically, the Monkey king was looking at her in astonishment.
Scáthach spun her spear before slamming it on the ground. "I hail from the Land of Shadows, conquering it as its queen. I am Scáthach."
Once more, there was utter surprise flashing across many faces. I think 'knowing' and actually hearing it from the mouth of the woman herself was something completely different.
The God – Lugh looked the most conflicted. And it was understandable considering what Pantheon and part of the world he hailed from.
And finally it was my turn.
Hundreds of eyes were now on me and it felt strange.
I looked around, and my eyes fell once more on someone that brought about many negative emotions from me.
As I told Raikou, I couldn't help but still feel some of those even if I knew I wasn't as powerless and insecure I was those years ago.
I had been through a lot.
I had grown, I had gained my own family.
I hade those I love now.
So, I looked right at him. My gaze met his own and I didn't back down.
The one who had condemned me to a ruined childhood filled with loneliness and depression. Who expected me to simply live within the confines of a box he set up so I was out of sight and out of mind.
I'd never been very self-conscious about my name, but strangely, right now, I felt inordinately confident in myself.
It was a declaration.
"I am Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg."
And seeing him frown, it just made me all kinds of happy.
"Well then." Yasaka took the reins back. "Shall we get down to business?"
[***]
Part one of four for the peace conference. Sorry for the late chapter, this is for the weekend.
If you want to read 7 chatpers ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
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Chapter 321: Part 1
"Not that I'm against it, but why exactly are we doing this?" Rin looked around. "And why does it have to be, her." She jabbed her finger towards Medea.
"Several reasons." I replied, holding my arm up as Medea took measurements. "Negotiations are rarely about strutting in and just stepping on everyone. We don't want to make 'enemies' even if we're not going to be playing along the way they're going to suspect us to."
"You look good, Rin." Artoria cut in, tightening a little binding, giving herself a pony tail.
"Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so I'm told." Medea smirked.
"Obviously, why else would you have a fiancé?" Rin shot back as those two did their usual song and dance. "But how does that whole spiel tie into why we're doing this?"
"I was getting to i-it." I jerked as Medea tugged on my arm. "The best method is to use little things to eek out some kind of verbal advantage or set a tone. Tell me what do you think when you see the Enforcers of the Clock Tower making a move?"
"....I guess they're kinda intimidating? Most Magi stay away from them when they're on the job."
"Exactly. They're no-nonsense. They're setting a tone that they're all business." I listed off. "One of the factors that facilitates that, is their dresscode." I gestured to myself as Medea continued to take measurements.
"He's not wrong." Medea started up. "Clothing can say a lot about a person based on the situation."
"It's all about that first impression." I nodded. "What do you think the faction leaders will look like when we arrive? Odin, Lugh, The Devil Leaders, the Fallen Leader, the Angel Leader?"
Rin blinked, looking thought. "I don't know, something good? If we're going off stereotypes, the angels will probably be wearing Robes. The Devils some kind of maleficent armor or something. The Gods....I really couldn't say."
"Do you think everyone they bring will look the same?"
"....no?"
"And then we come along, all matching in the same style, clearly 'dressing up' while they are probably wearing the same old things they always do. Immediately, it puts them on the back foot. Without even saying any words it makes us look more prepared. As if we are taking it more seriously, as if we're giving the whole event the due respect it deserves."
"Essentially, it makes them lose face." Medea summarized. "For beings of this caliber, outward perception is extremely important."
"So.....it's going to hurt their pride?"
"Eh, I wouldn't go that far." I shrugged.
"And what tone are we trying to set?"
"That we don't need to be there." Yasaka said frankly as she admired herself in a full length mirror. "We don't need them, and we know it."
"It also makes sure to let everyone know that we are all part of the same group." I fixed my collar slightly. "At this point, it's been made pretty clear about some of our names, so I don't want anyone to get any ideas that we can be separated."
I glanced over at both Scáthach and Raikou. Both of whom were looking amazing, they really rocked the look we were going for.
Couldn't wait to peel those layers off afterwards.
"So it's all about the impression, huh?" Rin muttered. "Doesn't sound much different than school...."
"It really isn't." I let out a chuckle. "Only that the 'popular kids' can decimate the world if they put their minds to it."
They're expecting us to be meek and come crawling out of the woodwork for whatever handouts they're willing to give.
Hell, even with what we showed off, I'm guessing that they're only inviting us because they want something, not because they 'recognized' us suddenly.
Even with all of us added together, we still are a small faction in comparison to almost everyone else.
Most other factions already had God-Level combatants, so the fact we 'suddenly' got some didn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things.
"And they aren't normal clothes either." I said offhandedly.
"Yeah, I noticed." Rin had been inspecting hers the entire time. The mindset of a Magus wouldn't let her not take a look at any magical effects, especially those that would be 'touching her'.
"Some of my finer work." Medea stated, smiling brightly. "Though, it was a rather abrupt request. So it won't last long beyond the meeting you're going to. And I wouldn't advise you to fight in it."
Which was fair, it was highly unlikely any actual fighting would happen.
"What exactly did you do?" Rin asked.
"I made each set its own Mystic Code that resists any peeping." Medea bluntly explained.
"Peeping?" Rin repeated with a look of confusion.
"Once we get there, they're all going to try and get a measure of us. That could mean anything from simply looking us over and trying to deduce anything that way, or using any other mystical means such as Mystic Eyes or magic to look deeper." I explained.
"Yes, Odin I believe will be able to see through most deceptions and any falsehoods. So it is wise to tread carefully." Scáthach spoke up as well.
"So these clothes will stop a God?"
"Of course not, you silly girl." Medea scoffed, almost comically in their little game. "But it will resist surface level attempts."
"Meaning, if they want to 'go around' whatever protections that Medea added, it will be noticeable." I elaborated. "It goes back to what Medea said, if a God is forced to go to such lengths for something so mundane, they will lose face infront of the others present. And we could call them out on their behavior, making it even more awkward and setting ourselves in a better position."
And maybe more importantly, it would annoy them. Gods don't like being denied, even for the most simplistic things. Tell them 'no' and they want to know more.
"Sounds really petty."
"Welcome to politics." I opened my arms with a laugh.
"It really is very trite when you get down to it." Yasaka let out a sigh. "But most faction leaders tend to have very inflated egos, so this is what usually happens in these sorts of things."
"You forgot the most important reason for doing this." Jinn happily exclaimed, taking a little pose to show herself off.
She looked exceedingly beautiful. I don't think I remember seeing her in anything but her own dress before. The lighter tones really complimented her beautiful shade of blue.
"Well, it's rather obvious, so I didn't think it needed mentioned." I shrugged.
"What's the most important reason?" Rin blinked, still not catching on. Not that I could blame her, her education was lacking. And that wasn't meant in an insulting way. She basically raised herself and had to do everything on her own.
The fact that she made it to this stage with her own effort just exemplified her talent in so many ways.
"It makes us look damn good." Yasaka flicked her tails, spinning around. She was the only one wearing a skirt and it was cut high, showing off those wonderful legs of her. Yet, it also retained the elegance that was expected of her as well. And draped over her shoulders was her iconic Haori she tended to wear.
It's kind of funny, we sorta look like Yakuza with Yasaka as our head.
Other than Yasaka, we were all wearing pretty much the same thing, with obvious variations for each person to match them explicitly. It showed off that Yasaka was the main character in this little rendezvous we were having, while everyone else was the supporting cast.
She would be the one doing the majority of the negotiations as even Nurarihyon wasn't attending. He wanted to continue with the whole attitude they already cultivated about not wanting to deal with devils and such.
They already had a talk about what they both wanted and what they were willing to do to do obtain those things. And the Old Man was willing to hand over the reins to Yasaka to let her handle the dirty business.
So, Yasaka was representing the Youkai as a whole.
However, he sent a representative.
Aotabō was outside, along with Soma from Yasaka's end. Specifically, Nurarihyon needed to send someone high enough up, but also low enough that it didn't disrupt his position that he was taking. Such, Aotabō who was the 'third' seat under Nurarihyon fit the bill.
Not to mention, the man was already acquainted with most of us and had a good head on his shoulders and knew about our circumstances.
"Really, that's the most important reason?" Rin snorted. "Not that I don't agree." She did a quick turn around to admire herself in the mirror.
"It's as you said, presentation. We look confident, and it shows. That goes a long ways in things like this. Our 'small faction' is completely at ease coming before these other 'big factions' without an iota of awkwardness or fear."
And that wasn't just because I enjoyed every opportunity to dress up. And I wasn't the only one who shared these sentiments. Artoria said something about how it was nostalgic based on something she wore during the Fourth Grail War.
And I think they were all enjoying it. A little amusement before we had to get serious and down to business later.
Seeing them all dressed up in suits with various degrees of customization. It was really fun to watch them all like this.
"Master, will you be okay?" Raikou sauntered over, fully ready to go. I had to say, these clothes hugged her curves in all the right ways. "You know who will be there."
I grimaced slightly at her words. She was the only who knew about my past the most. She was privy to many more details specifically through the application of the Dream Cycle we shared.
I turned around, taking her into my arms before stealing her lips. The deep kiss only lasted for a brief moment before I broke it. "I have you, and I have everyone else, what do I need to feel upset about? I won't lie and say that there aren't some unpleasant feelings that come to the surface when I think about it. But I'm also not that same kid from all those years ago."
I had my own family now, one of my own making.
So, fuck him.
Why did I have to feel like shit? He should be the one that has to feel like that due to his own fuck ups.
"That should do it." Medea stated, stepping away from the last person she was fiddling with. She did quick and meticulous work. Funnily enough, putting together everything was the quickest part for her. I told her what I wanted a couple days prior, and it merely took that long for her to get designs ready.
Magic really was a cheat.
"For a rush job, I think I did fairly well." Medea smiled brightly, hands on her hips as she looked around the room.
"Your work is as wonderful as always, Medea." I didn't hold back on the praise, she deserved every bit of it.
"Of course." The Witch preened. "And with that, I'll be heading back to my hubby. You can do have your dick measuring contest with those Gods or whatever."
"Fiancé." I managed to throw out before she left the room. Though she merely raised her hand up, middle finger extended without even looking back.
"Are we prepared?" Yasaka asked.
"About as well as we could be." I brought out the Staff of Magnus, tossing it to Jinn before taking out my own mirage. I admired it for a moment before also taking out its accompanying sheath and sliding it right in, keeping it in my hand. "You're in the hot seat, are you prepared?"
"As well as I could be." She chuckled.
Scáthach walked over, spear in hand as she swung it over her shoulder. "Be at ease, you shall not be alone."
"Indeed." Artoria nodded in solidarity, the sound of metal being pushed into a scabbard accompanied her words. She fastened Caliburn to her hip, presumably borrowing it from Mordred.
She was presenting herself as the representative of the Pendragon Family, so it made sense.
All of us made final preparations, even Rin had her own Staff out with her. Raikou carried her own sword in her hand. Jinn cutely stood there with my Staff of Magnus with her.
We used the few days since the original letter arrived to get ready as a whole. A few days to anticipate what we would be walking into, because it could be a windfall for the Youkai if played right. I told them everything Hades relayed to me, so that could be used in bargaining as well.
There were also other, minor things. But to be honest, we didn't know entirely what they wanted. We could make several guesses, most of which had to do with the Khaos Brigade, so we were feeling somewhat confident.
I'm sure they were able to get the information out of Kokabiel regarding his 'friends'. So they were probably really interested in any information about that organization. And I found it unlikely that Kokabiel knew more than I did.
And I wouldn't pretend to not know they most likely had questions for us. It was entirely possible this was just a smoke screen so they could attempt to 'interrogate' us without coming across as hostile to anyone else watching.
They very well couldn't just waltz right into Kyoto and demand answers. The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.
We had talked about all of that and were ready for just about everything.
"Shall we get going?" Yasaka's tails waved in the air as she pushed her haori to the side. "What's our time like?"
"If we head out now, it should be perfect." I replied.
A grin made its way to her face. "Excellent. Let's grab our two others then head over." Yasaka went and pushed the door open, two familiar faces were waiting on the other side.
"Lady Yasaka." Both Soma and Aotabō greeted at the same time.
"Looking good." I held my arm out as Aotabō smiled and bumped it with his own.
"Haha, you think so?" The big guy smiled happily.
"You look quite fetching, Aotabō." Yasaka grinned. "I'm sure Reika will enjoy it too~"
The big guy flushed a little at Yasaka's teasing.
"Are you prepared, Soma." Scáthach patted the shoulder of the young-ish Tengu.
"I will do what is required of me, Teacher." Soma bowed his head towards Scáthach.
"Fufu. Stand up straighter, you have been taught by this Scáthach, you should be more proud. When we finish with this nonsense, I shall resume my teachings. I will have you up to what they refer to as 'Ultimate Class' within the next few months." Scáthach declared.
"And this is Vasco Strada, second only to the Pope." The last man was introduced.
He was massive.
I knew who he was, I'd seen him before. And I always doubted he was human every time I saw him. Because I've never seen a human give off that kind of aura before.
He was strong, and I didn't even know if I could beat him in a fight.
The main cast were introduced, and he made an offhanded remark about the legion of Angels brought along. Not that we could fault him for that, things were shaky as they were.
Once he finished, eyes turned once more towards the God that had accompanied the Angels.
"I, Lugh, God of Light, represent the Tuath De Danann." The First of our Godly representatives introduced themselves. "We have had an agreement for many years, so I was more than willing to accompany them to such talks. And it seems that I also have a new vested interest here." His eyes briefly flickered to Yasaka, making me frown for a moment.
However, his gaze was almost completely locked onto a different woman.
She stood behind Yasaka, radiant Red Eyes, and a lithe body. A red, Demonic Spear, held over her shoulder as confidence shined in her eyes.
Yeah....this was really going to get complicated quickly.
"My turn." Azazel's voice cut through my thoughts as I shook off my own annoyance. "Hey everyone~ I'm Azazel, Governor General of the Grigori. I have my secretary Penemue, and my second in command, Baraqiel, here with me. Along with my own group that are sitting off to the side." Azazel's introduction was rather casual, but that was normal for him.
As much as he liked to act nonchalant, he was very calculating and intelligent. If he thought this was the best way to go about things, then I wouldn't get hung up on his flippant attitude.
"Passing over to you, ol' One eye."
Odin was someone to always be wary of. He was technically retired, yet here he was representing the Norse Faction. He had a old cap on his head, a monocle over his missing eye and a weather look about him. Not to mention that large stick he held in his arms, presumably a walking stick, but that was fooling no one.
Odin was known for a certain spear, and I doubted he would go anywhere without it.
But surprisingly, in this moment, Odin looked...lost.
Which was strange to see on a God, most of all someone like him.
It was if he was staring off into space, only to suddenly come back to attention once his name was called.
The Old God huffed in annoyance. "I'm Odin, this is my nagging Valkyrie, Rossweisse."
"....Well, I guess I should introduce myself even if I'm not participating." The Monkey King began only to be cut off by Odin, who slammed his stick on the ground.
"Everyone knows who you are." Odin grunted. "But more importantly." He raised his wrinkled hand up, finger extended towards Wilhelm. "Why do you have my blessing, boy."
[***]
Odin POV
I ignored that annoying prattling the young'uns were going on about.
It was entertaining, mostly, but there was something else the held my attention. I knew that the boy was going to be something interesting, the Old Monkey said so and he's rarely wrong.
But......why did he have my blessing?
It took me longer than I'd like to admit before I realized it. Maybe I was distracted by the other things he had.
"Not to mention your Divinity" I eyed him. "Don't know how that's possible. But how in the blazes did you get my blessing!"
And it was a strong one at that. When was the last time I blessed someone with that much strength? Centuries atleast.
I would also point out the Runes that were carved into his soul, but the lass next to him could answer that question easily enough. She was one of the few I passed those down to. Though, her being so blatantly alive and standing right there was a whole other question. Even if she looked a lot different than I remember, that presence of hers was unmistakable.
And there was something off about her. Off about several of the other girls standing over there. The Blonde one, the Purple Haired once with the nice rack. And her as well.
Why did they feel similar to the Einherjar back home?
That damn clothes he was wearing were annoying. But they couldn't stop me, and I needed to figure this out. His Divinity shielded him much from my sight, but I could still see enough.
Ddraig was using his soul like an apartment. He had Divinity that was strikingly similar to my own Son's. The Storm raged within it, but contained well enough to show how well he had it under control. It wasn't something that was haphazardly thrown on somehow. It was a part of him now, intertwined with his entire being.
"So, it's true. You really do have Divinity." That brat Lugh commented.
"Bah, who cares about that. I wanna know why he has my blessing!"
"What's the big deal, did you not remember giving it to him or something." The Azazel brat spoke up.
"I haven't given anyone my blessing in centuries, you damn crow."
"Maybe you were too drunk to remember?" The brat himself answered finally.
Cheeky brat. "Funny, I've never actually been that drunk before." I narrowed my eye at him.
The corners of his lips curled up. "All I know is that the God Odin gave me his blessing."
And I could find no falsehoods in his words.
He was telling the truth and it made no sense.
Now that I looked at him again, my blessing was...strange. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt off.
Well, there was one way to check. Any blessing I've given, I can easy take away. I simply had to reach out and –
I blinked.
It rejected me.
I knew damn well that it's my blessing!
But it rejected me!
A blessing of mine, that clearly wasn't mine.....
Suddenly, several more things began to make sense. I had an inkling of what was going on, and the idea even made me hesitate to voice it. Was I merely overthinking things?
What were the chances? It sounded crazy in my head, but...many things seemed to line up now.
A woman who should have been dead. A Sword that took the name of an already existing sword. That other one who wielded Indra's weapon.
.....I needed to think about this some more.
***
Wilhelm POV
It was pointless to try and lie to Odin.
And I doubted he would take a 'no' for an answer on this one, considering it was his blessing in the first place.
So, I simply told the truth.
However, he went.....silent for some reason, looking really lost in thought.
"Should I go then?" Yasaka decided to break the new silence. "I'm Yasaka, and I will be representing the collective Youkai of Japan."
"And what about your panions." Azazel leaned forward.
"Hmm? Oh my companions. Well, they're here supporting me, don't worry. I will be handling the talks as the Leader of the Youkai." Yasaka had a grin on her face as Azazel twitched in response. "Unless, there was some kind of ulterior motive in inviting us? Or are you simply going to interrogate all the people I've brought, much like what's happened already." She glared towards Odin.
The Norse God rolled his eye, but didn't respond.
"We're just curious about those involved in what happened, Lady Yasaka." The Archangel Michael smiled warmly towards us.
It was kinda difficult to be snippy when he gave off such a genuine aura.
"Very well." Yasaka looked as if she was acquiescing to his request. As if we weren't going to do so anyways. She held her hand up, gesturing towards Soma. "This is my Guard, Soma, the newest owner of Dimension Lost."
The reaction that this new information got out of most people present was amusing to see.
Certain Sacred Gears were called Longinus for a reason.
And I took a small bit of pleasure seeing Azazel pout.
"And from Nurarihyon's side." She gestured towards Aotabō.
"I'm Third seat under Lord Nurarihyon – Aotabō." The Large Youkai was very brief in his introduction, but it came off well enough.
Yasaka glanced at us, and we were up.
"I am Artoria Pendragon." Artoria was the first to step up. "I am representing the Pendragon Family." She held a hand upon the pommel of her sword, earning some glares from the Church members.
"Rin Tohsaka, Student of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin's introduction was brief as I think she felt a little intimidated. She was the one who was adamant about coming, and I couldn't deny her. She had always been helping and threw her lot in with us just as much. Not to mention, she was the Master of Artoria, she had every right to be here with her.
But the name drop of Gramps raised some eyebrows. None of them knew the origin of my name, to hear someone else bearing it, well, it probably opened up some questions.
"Hello, I'm Jinn, spirit of Knowledge." Jinn introduced herself. And honestly I'm wondering if she was capable of feeling intimidated. Being stared at by both Gods and Devils, yet her cheerful attitude didn't change.
And it was obvious her – my – staff was drawing some mild attention as well. I wondered how many here could recognize its divine origin?
"I am Minamoto-no-Raikou." My wonderful Servant said very bluntly. Her name wasn't exactly unknown, but it was unlikely that it made its way out of Youkai territory. And I could guess that most assumed her a descendant or spiritual inheritor like those that seemed to pop up every now and then.
She also didn't elaborate further, but she also got quite a bit of attention. Especially from the Godly guests, and specifically, the Monkey king was looking at her in astonishment.
Scáthach spun her spear before slamming it on the ground. "I hail from the Land of Shadows, conquering it as its queen. I am Scáthach."
Once more, there was utter surprise flashing across many faces. I think 'knowing' and actually hearing it from the mouth of the woman herself was something completely different.
The God – Lugh looked the most conflicted. And it was understandable considering what Pantheon and part of the world he hailed from.
And finally it was my turn.
Hundreds of eyes were now on me and it felt strange.
I looked around, and my eyes fell once more on someone that brought about many negative emotions from me.
As I told Raikou, I couldn't help but still feel some of those even if I knew I wasn't as powerless and insecure I was those years ago.
I had been through a lot.
I had grown, I had gained my own family.
I hade those I love now.
So, I looked right at him. My gaze met his own and I didn't back down.
The one who had condemned me to a ruined childhood filled with loneliness and depression. Who expected me to simply live within the confines of a box he set up so I was out of sight and out of mind.
I'd never been very self-conscious about my name, but strangely, right now, I felt inordinately confident in myself.
It was a declaration.
"I am Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg."
And seeing him frown, it just made me all kinds of happy.
"Well then." Yasaka took the reins back. "Shall we get down to business?"
[***]
Part one of four for the peace conference. Sorry for the late chapter, this is for the weekend.
If you want to read 7 chatpers ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Chapter 321: Part 1"Not that I'm against it, but why exactly are we doing this?" Rin looked around. "And why does it have to be, her." She jabbed her finger towards Medea. "Several reasons." I replied, holding my arm up as Medea took measurements. "Negotiations are rarely about strutting in and just stepping on everyone. We don't want to make 'enemies' even if we're not going to be playing along the way they're going to suspect us to." "You look good, Rin." Artoria cut in, tightening a little binding, giving herself a pony tail. "Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so I'm told." Medea smirked. "Obviously, why else would you have a fiance?" Rin shot back as those two did their usual song and dance. "But how does that whole spiel tie into why we're doing this?" "I was getting to i-it." I jerked as Medea tugged on my arm. "The best method is to use little things to eek out some kind of verbal advantage or set a tone. Tell me what do you think when you see the Enforcers of the Clock Tower making a move?" "....I guess they're kinda intimidating? Most Magi stay away from them when they're on the job." "Exactly. They're no-nonsense. They're setting a tone that they're all business." I listed off. "One of the factors that facilitates that, is their dresscode." I gestured to myself as Medea continued to take measurements. "He's not wrong." Medea started up. "Clothing can say a lot about a person based on the situation." "It's all about that first impression." I nodded. "What do you think the faction leaders will look like when we arrive? Odin, Lugh, The Devil Leaders, the Fallen Leader, the Angel Leader?" Rin blinked, looking thought. "I don't know, something good? If we're going off stereotypes, the angels will probably be wearing Robes. The Devils some kind of maleficent armor or something. The Gods....I really couldn't say." "Do you think everyone they bring will look the same?" "....no?" "And then we come along, all matching in the same style, clearly 'dressing up' while they are probably wearing the same old things they always do. Immediately, it puts them on the back foot. Without even saying any words it makes us look more prepared. As if we are taking it more seriously, as if we're giving the whole event the due respect it deserves." "Essentially, it makes them lose face." Medea summarized. "For beings of this caliber, outward perception is extremely important." "So.....it's going to hurt their pride?" "Eh, I wouldn't go that far." I shrugged. "And what tone are we trying to set?" "That we don't need to be there." Yasaka said frankly as she admired herself in a full length mirror. "We don't need them, and we know it." "It also makes sure to let everyone know that we are all part of the same group." I fixed my collar slightly. "At this point, it's been made pretty clear about some of our names, so I don't want anyone to get any ideas that we can be separated." I glanced over at both Scathach and Raikou. Both of whom were looking amazing, they really rocked the look we were going for. Couldn't wait to peel those layers off afterwards. "So it's all about the impression, huh?" Rin muttered. "Doesn't sound much different than school...." "It really isn't." I let out a chuckle. "Only that the 'popular kids' can decimate the world if they put their minds to it." They're expecting us to be meek and come crawling out of the woodwork for whatever handouts they're willing to give. Hell, even with what we showed off, I'm guessing that they're only inviting us because they want something, not because they 'recognized' us suddenly. Even with all of us added together, we still are a small faction in comparison to almost everyone else. Most other factions already had God-Level combatants, so the fact we 'suddenly' got some didn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things. "And they aren't normal clothes either." I said offhandedly. "Yeah, I noticed." Rin had been inspecting hers the entire time. The mindset of a Magus wouldn't let her not take a look at any magical effects, especially those that would be 'touching her'. "Some of my finer work." Medea stated, smiling brightly. "Though, it was a rather abrupt request. So it won't last long beyond the meeting you're going to. And I wouldn't advise you to fight in it." Which was fair, it was highly unlikely any actual fighting would happen. "What exactly did you do?" Rin asked. "I made each set its own Mystic Code that resists any peeping." Medea bluntly explained. "Peeping?" Rin repeated with a look of confusion. "Once we get there, they're all going to try and get a measure of us. That could mean anything from simply looking us over and trying to deduce anything that way, or using any other mystical means such as Mystic Eyes or magic to look deeper." I explained. "Yes, Odin I believe will be able to see through most deceptions and any falsehoods. So it is wise to tread carefully." Scathach spoke up as well. "So these clothes will stop a God?" "Of course not, you silly girl." Medea scoffed, almost comically in their little game. "But it will resist surface level attempts." "Meaning, if they want to 'go around' whatever protections that Medea added, it will be noticeable." I elaborated. "It goes back to what Medea said, if a God is forced to go to such lengths for something so mundane, they will lose face infront of the others present. And we could call them out on their behavior, making it even more awkward and setting ourselves in a better position." And maybe more importantly, it would annoy them. Gods don't like being denied, even for the most simplistic things. Tell them 'no' and they want to know more. "Sounds really petty." "Welcome to politics." I opened my arms with a laugh. "It really is very trite when you get down to it." Yasaka let out a sigh. "But most faction leaders tend to have very inflated egos, so this is what usually happens in these sorts of things." "You forgot the most important reason for doing this." Jinn happily exclaimed, taking a little pose to show herself off. She looked exceedingly beautiful. I don't think I remember seeing her in anything but her own dress before. The lighter tones really complimented her beautiful shade of blue. "Well, it's rather obvious, so I didn't think it needed mentioned." I shrugged. "What's the most important reason?" Rin blinked, still not catching on. Not that I could blame her, her education was lacking. And that wasn't meant in an insulting way. She basically raised herself and had to do everything on her own. The fact that she made it to this stage with her own effort just exemplified her talent in so many ways. "It makes us look damn good." Yasaka flicked her tails, spinning around. She was the only one wearing a skirt and it was cut high, showing off those wonderful legs of her. Yet, it also retained the elegance that was expected of her as well. And draped over her shoulders was her iconic Haori she tended to wear. It's kind of funny, we sorta look like Yakuza with Yasaka as our head. Other than Yasaka, we were all wearing pretty much the same thing, with obvious variations for each person to match them explicitly. It showed off that Yasaka was the main character in this little rendezvous we were having, while everyone else was the supporting cast. She would be the one doing the majority of the negotiations as even Nurarihyon wasn't attending. He wanted to continue with the whole attitude they already cultivated about not wanting to deal with devils and such. They already had a talk about what they both wanted and what they were willing to do to do obtain those things. And the Old Man was willing to hand over the reins to Yasaka to let her handle the dirty business. So, Yasaka was representing the Youkai as a whole. However, he sent a representative. Aotabo was outside, along with Soma from Yasaka's end. Specifically, Nurarihyon needed to send someone high enough up, but also low enough that it didn't disrupt his position that he was taking. Such, Aotabo who was the 'third' seat under Nurarihyon fit the bill. Not to mention, the man was already acquainted with most of us and had a good head on his shoulders and knew about our circumstances. "Really, that's the most important reason?" Rin snorted. "Not that I don't agree." She did a quick turn around to admire herself in the mirror. "It's as you said, presentation. We look confident, and it shows. That goes a long ways in things like this. Our 'small faction' is completely at ease coming before these other 'big factions' without an iota of awkwardness or fear." And that wasn't just because I enjoyed every opportunity to dress up. And I wasn't the only one who shared these sentiments. Artoria said something about how it was nostalgic based on something she wore during the Fourth Grail War. And I think they were all enjoying it. A little amusement before we had to get serious and down to business later. Seeing them all dressed up in suits with various degrees of customization. It was really fun to watch them all like this. "Master, will you be okay?" Raikou sauntered over, fully ready to go. I had to say, these clothes hugged her curves in all the right ways. "You know who will be there." I grimaced slightly at her words. She was the only who knew about my past the most. She was privy to many more details specifically through the application of the Dream Cycle we shared. I turned around, taking her into my arms before stealing her lips. The deep kiss only lasted for a brief moment before I broke it. "I have you, and I have everyone else, what do I need to feel upset about? I won't lie and say that there aren't some unpleasant feelings that come to the surface when I think about it. But I'm also not that same kid from all those years ago." I had my own family now, one of my own making. So, fuck him. Why did I have to feel like shit? He should be the one that has to feel like that due to his own fuck ups. "That should do it." Medea stated, stepping away from the last person she was fiddling with. She did quick and meticulous work. Funnily enough, putting together everything was the quickest part for her. I told her what I wanted a couple days prior, and it merely took that long for her to get designs ready. Magic really was a cheat. "For a rush job, I think I did fairly well." Medea smiled brightly, hands on her hips as she looked around the room. "Your work is as wonderful as always, Medea." I didn't hold back on the praise, she deserved every bit of it. "Of course." The Witch preened. "And with that, I'll be heading back to my hubby. You can do have your dick measuring contest with those Gods or whatever." "Fiance." I managed to throw out before she left the room. Though she merely raised her hand up, middle finger extended without even looking back. "Are we prepared?" Yasaka asked. "About as well as we could be." I brought out the Staff of Magnus, tossing it to Jinn before taking out my own mirage. I admired it for a moment before also taking out its accompanying sheath and sliding it right in, keeping it in my hand. "You're in the hot seat, are you prepared?" "As well as I could be." She chuckled. Scathach walked over, spear in hand as she swung it over her shoulder. "Be at ease, you shall not be alone." "Indeed." Artoria nodded in solidarity, the sound of metal being pushed into a scabbard accompanied her words. She fastened Caliburn to her hip, presumably borrowing it from Mordred. She was presenting herself as the representative of the Pendragon Family, so it made sense. All of us made final preparations, even Rin had her own Staff out with her. Raikou carried her own sword in her hand. Jinn cutely stood there with my Staff of Magnus with her. We used the few days since the original letter arrived to get ready as a whole. A few days to anticipate what we would be walking into, because it could be a windfall for the Youkai if played right. I told them everything Hades relayed to me, so that could be used in bargaining as well. There were also other, minor things. But to be honest, we didn't know entirely what they wanted. We could make several guesses, most of which had to do with the Khaos Brigade, so we were feeling somewhat confident. I'm sure they were able to get the information out of Kokabiel regarding his 'friends'. So they were probably really interested in any information about that organization. And I found it unlikely that Kokabiel knew more than I did. And I wouldn't pretend to not know they most likely had questions for us. It was entirely possible this was just a smoke screen so they could attempt to 'interrogate' us without coming across as hostile to anyone else watching. They very well couldn't just waltz right into Kyoto and demand answers. The debut release of this chapter happened at Novl-B1n.We had talked about all of that and were ready for just about everything. "Shall we get going?" Yasaka's tails waved in the air as she pushed her haori to the side. "What's our time like?" "If we head out now, it should be perfect." I replied. A grin made its way to her face. "Excellent. Let's grab our two others then head over." Yasaka went and pushed the door open, two familiar faces were waiting on the other side. "Lady Yasaka." Both Soma and Aotabo greeted at the same time. "Looking good." I held my arm out as Aotabo smiled and bumped it with his own. "Haha, you think so?" The big guy smiled happily. "You look quite fetching, Aotabo." Yasaka grinned. "I'm sure Reika will enjoy it too~" The big guy flushed a little at Yasaka's teasing. "Are you prepared, Soma." Scathach patted the shoulder of the young-ish Tengu. "I will do what is required of me, Teacher." Soma bowed his head towards Scathach. "Fufu. Stand up straighter, you have been taught by this Scathach, you should be more proud. When we finish with this nonsense, I shall resume my teachings. I will have you up to what they refer to as 'Ultimate Class' within the next few months." Scathach declared. "And this is Vasco Strada, second only to the Pope." The last man was introduced. He was massive. I knew who he was, I'd seen him before. And I always doubted he was human every time I saw him. Because I've never seen a human give off that kind of aura before. He was strong, and I didn't even know if I could beat him in a fight. The main cast were introduced, and he made an offhanded remark about the legion of Angels brought along. Not that we could fault him for that, things were shaky as they were. Once he finished, eyes turned once more towards the God that had accompanied the Angels. "I, Lugh, God of Light, represent the Tuath De Danann." The First of our Godly representatives introduced themselves. "We have had an agreement for many years, so I was more than willing to accompany them to such talks. And it seems that I also have a new vested interest here." His eyes briefly flickered to Yasaka, making me frown for a moment. However, his gaze was almost completely locked onto a different woman. She stood behind Yasaka, radiant Red Eyes, and a lithe body. A red, Demonic Spear, held over her shoulder as confidence shined in her eyes. Yeah....this was really going to get complicated quickly. "My turn." Azazel's voice cut through my thoughts as I shook off my own annoyance. "Hey everyone~ I'm Azazel, Governor General of the Grigori. I have my secretary Penemue, and my second in command, Baraqiel, here with me. Along with my own group that are sitting off to the side." Azazel's introduction was rather casual, but that was normal for him. As much as he liked to act nonchalant, he was very calculating and intelligent. If he thought this was the best way to go about things, then I wouldn't get hung up on his flippant attitude. "Passing over to you, ol' One eye." Odin was someone to always be wary of. He was technically retired, yet here he was representing the Norse Faction. He had a old cap on his head, a monocle over his missing eye and a weather look about him. Not to mention that large stick he held in his arms, presumably a walking stick, but that was fooling no one. Odin was known for a certain spear, and I doubted he would go anywhere without it. But surprisingly, in this moment, Odin looked...lost. Which was strange to see on a God, most of all someone like him. It was if he was staring off into space, only to suddenly come back to attention once his name was called. The Old God huffed in annoyance. "I'm Odin, this is my nagging Valkyrie, Rossweisse." "....Well, I guess I should introduce myself even if I'm not participating." The Monkey King began only to be cut off by Odin, who slammed his stick on the ground. "Everyone knows who you are." Odin grunted. "But more importantly." He raised his wrinkled hand up, finger extended towards Wilhelm. "Why do you have my blessing, boy." *** Odin POV I ignored that annoying prattling the young'uns were going on about. It was entertaining, mostly, but there was something else the held my attention. I knew that the boy was going to be something interesting, the Old Monkey said so and he's rarely wrong. But......why did he have my blessing? It took me longer than I'd like to admit before I realized it. Maybe I was distracted by the other things he had. "Not to mention your Divinity" I eyed him. "Don't know how that's possible. But how in the blazes did you get my blessing!" And it was a strong one at that. When was the last time I blessed someone with that much strength? Centuries atleast. I would also point out the Runes that were carved into his soul, but the lass next to him could answer that question easily enough. She was one of the few I passed those down to. Though, her being so blatantly alive and standing right there was a whole other question. Even if she looked a lot different than I remember, that presence of hers was unmistakable. And there was something off about her. Off about several of the other girls standing over there. The Blonde one, the Purple Haired once with the nice rack. And her as well. Why did they feel similar to the Einherjar back home? That damn clothes he was wearing were annoying. But they couldn't stop me, and I needed to figure this out. His Divinity shielded him much from my sight, but I could still see enough. Ddraig was using his soul like an apartment. He had Divinity that was strikingly similar to my own Son's. The Storm raged within it, but contained well enough to show how well he had it under control. It wasn't something that was haphazardly thrown on somehow. It was a part of him now, intertwined with his entire being. "So, it's true. You really do have Divinity." That brat Lugh commented. "Bah, who cares about that. I wanna know why he has my blessing!" "What's the big deal, did you not remember giving it to him or something." The Azazel brat spoke up. "I haven't given anyone my blessing in centuries, you damn crow." "Maybe you were too drunk to remember?" The brat himself answered finally. Cheeky brat. "Funny, I've never actually been that drunk before." I narrowed my eye at him. The corners of his lips curled up. "All I know is that the God Odin gave me his blessing." And I could find no falsehoods in his words. He was telling the truth and it made no sense. Now that I looked at him again, my blessing was...strange. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt off. Well, there was one way to check. Any blessing I've given, I can easy take away. I simply had to reach out and I blinked. It rejected me. I knew damn well that it's my blessing! But it rejected me! A blessing of mine, that clearly wasn't mine..... Suddenly, several more things began to make sense. I had an inkling of what was going on, and the idea even made me hesitate to voice it. Was I merely overthinking things? What were the chances? It sounded crazy in my head, but...many things seemed to line up now. A woman who should have been dead. A Sword that took the name of an already existing sword. That other one who wielded Indra's weapon. .....I needed to think about this some more. *** Wilhelm POV It was pointless to try and lie to Odin. And I doubted he would take a 'no' for an answer on this one, considering it was his blessing in the first place. So, I simply told the truth. However, he went.....silent for some reason, looking really lost in thought. "Should I go then?" Yasaka decided to break the new silence. "I'm Yasaka, and I will be representing the collective Youkai of Japan." "And what about your panions." Azazel leaned forward. "Hmm? Oh my companions. Well, they're here supporting me, don't worry. I will be handling the talks as the Leader of the Youkai." Yasaka had a grin on her face as Azazel twitched in response. "Unless, there was some kind of ulterior motive in inviting us? Or are you simply going to interrogate all the people I've brought, much like what's happened already." She glared towards Odin. The Norse God rolled his eye, but didn't respond. "We're just curious about those involved in what happened, Lady Yasaka." The Archangel Michael smiled warmly towards us. It was kinda difficult to be snippy when he gave off such a genuine aura. "Very well." Yasaka looked as if she was acquiescing to his request. As if we weren't going to do so anyways. She held her hand up, gesturing towards Soma. "This is my Guard, Soma, the newest owner of Dimension Lost." The reaction that this new information got out of most people present was amusing to see. Certain Sacred Gears were called Longinus for a reason. And I took a small bit of pleasure seeing Azazel pout. "And from Nurarihyon's side." She gestured towards Aotabo. "I'm Third seat under Lord Nurarihyon Aotabo." The Large Youkai was very brief in his introduction, but it came off well enough. Yasaka glanced at us, and we were up. "I am Artoria Pendragon." Artoria was the first to step up. "I am representing the Pendragon Family." She held a hand upon the pommel of her sword, earning some glares from the Church members. "Rin Tohsaka, Student of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin's introduction was brief as I think she felt a little intimidated. She was the one who was adamant about coming, and I couldn't deny her. She had always been helping and threw her lot in with us just as much. Not to mention, she was the Master of Artoria, she had every right to be here with her. But the name drop of Gramps raised some eyebrows. None of them knew the origin of my name, to hear someone else bearing it, well, it probably opened up some questions. "Hello, I'm Jinn, spirit of Knowledge." Jinn introduced herself. And honestly I'm wondering if she was capable of feeling intimidated. Being stared at by both Gods and Devils, yet her cheerful attitude didn't change. And it was obvious her my staff was drawing some mild attention as well. I wondered how many here could recognize its divine origin? "I am Minamoto-no-Raikou." My wonderful Servant said very bluntly. Her name wasn't exactly unknown, but it was unlikely that it made its way out of Youkai territory. And I could guess that most assumed her a descendant or spiritual inheritor like those that seemed to pop up every now and then. She also didn't elaborate further, but she also got quite a bit of attention. Especially from the Godly guests, and specifically, the Monkey king was looking at her in astonishment. Scathach spun her spear before slamming it on the ground. "I hail from the Land of Shadows, conquering it as its queen. I am Scathach." Once more, there was utter surprise flashing across many faces. I think 'knowing' and actually hearing it from the mouth of the woman herself was something completely different. The God Lugh looked the most conflicted. And it was understandable considering what Pantheon and part of the world he hailed from. And finally it was my turn. Hundreds of eyes were now on me and it felt strange. I looked around, and my eyes fell once more on someone that brought about many negative emotions from me. As I told Raikou, I couldn't help but still feel some of those even if I knew I wasn't as powerless and insecure I was those years ago. I had been through a lot. I had grown, I had gained my own family. I hade those I love now. So, I looked right at him. My gaze met his own and I didn't back down. The one who had condemned me to a ruined childhood filled with loneliness and depression. Who expected me to simply live within the confines of a box he set up so I was out of sight and out of mind. I'd never been very self-conscious about my name, but strangely, right now, I felt inordinately confident in myself. It was a declaration. "I am Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg." And seeing him frown, it just made me all kinds of happy. "Well then." Yasaka took the reins back. "Shall we get down to business?" *** Part one of four for the peace conference. Sorry for the late chapter, this is for the weekend. If you want to read 7 chatpers ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
