Chapter 322: Part 2
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Chapter 322: Part 2
Yasaka POV
I was really proud of Wilhelm in this moment. I knew all too well that he was experiencing quite a few emotions right now, yet he kept himself calm and collected, at least on the surface. The man who had been a thorn in his heart for years was now sitting only a few seats away, yet Wilhelm didn't make any overt gestures and barely reacted to his presence.
They were simply glaring at one another after he introduced himself.
Good, with that, the Devils were being rather quiet. Sirzechs Lucifer was always going to be someone difficult to deal with. Strength spoke much louder than most other things in our world, having him stay silent would only help us.
Being cowed by the 'son' he decided to push to the side and forgot about.
I even took a glance at Grayfia Lucifuge – the wife of Lucifer – who briefly looked like she sucked a lemon. The haughty maid really didn't know how to react. I could imagine she never liked Wilhelm, however he was also the one who saved her child. The conflicting emotions must be running rampant with that one.
The others too.
They all gathered their own attention from the interested parties.
I don't think I managed to stop the inevitable questions that would come up, but I managed to stymy the tide of interrogations, which was what we wanted.
We just had to keep the conversation going along a path we wanted. And with that we could –
"How are you alive?" The Head God of the Celtic Pantheon seemed to ignore everything else, instead opting to stare intently at Scáthach. "I watched you die, I saw your corpse and we even performed the burial rites. You were dead."
And I had almost forgotten I was dealing with Gods here. Since when did they play by our rules or common sense?
Scáthach's expression didn't change, but I felt I knew her well enough at this point to know she was annoyed. There were a few slight shifts in her demeanor that noted such things. Having watched her train many of my people at this point, I could guess when she was about to give someone punishment, and this was a close match to those times.
Then again, I couldn't imagine what she felt when facing Lugh. He was supposed to be the Chief God of where she was born and lived for so many years.
Someone she would probably acknowledge and revere in some regard.
The Father of someone she cherished many years ago.
The –
"Your face reminds me of that stupid look that Setanta always had."
Or I could be reading into it incorrectly.
Words as sharp as her spear, she made the God of Light unable to speak.
And an awkward silence ensued.
I suppose that's one way to shut down the question.
"...you really are her...." The Celtic god whispered, almost in resignation. He didn't seem off put by the comment at all. Though he visibly deflated, the wind completely taken out of his sails.
And that somehow worked. I supposed I should have more trust in Scáthach to not do anything foolish. She was much older than I am and more experienced with her own corner of the world. Her wisdom wasn't something I can always anticipate.
It was hard to gauge what The Celtic God was thinking after that. Based on the information we currently had – courtesy of Hades and the amazing man I call my lover, we do know that the Celtic Pantheon was sort of split on Scáthach's existence. So, whether he was happy or displeased with her 'emergence' was up in the air.
Truly, the abrupt 'alliance' that Wilhelm somehow created with the Greek God really gave us a lot of cards to work with. He had knowledge that stretched far around the world.
Without it, we would have been very far on the back foot.
"I would like to know the agenda for this gathering. The singular letter we received only a few days ago was....lacking." I addressed the table reminding them of their failure in proper etiquette. It was good to keep them in an awkward mentality.
And it would also force them to move forward while they were still lost in their own thoughts. nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.
The Green-Haired Devil cleared his throat. "We were originally gathering here to broker a Peace Agreement between the Three Factions." He sat up a little straighter. "However, as an.....unforeseen circumstance arose, it has been extended to beyond what we originally intended with several others pulled in as well."
A quick glance around the room could easily deduce what he meant by that.
That was a little interesting, so they never intended for The Gods to become a part of it? Maybe they too were caught off guard then, it could explain the abruptness of how this was assembled.
Not that I would give them any slack.
"One of many messes we've had to clean up of yours from over the years. How is this one any different?" I offhandedly mentioned, making Ajuka react ever so slightly.
"I would hardly call this our mess." He said stoically.
"The first time, a significant sub faction amongst the Devils kidnapped two important individuals. Who was it that rescued them again? And while I agree that you aren't held accountable for what Kokabiel does –" I shot a glance at Azazel. "He specifically targeted several more important individuals amongst your faction to restart the war between yourselves in an attempt to engulf the entire world."
Were they really going to try and argue that they didn't hold any responsibility here?
"Hmph." Zekram Bael grunted. "And how many involved were your Youkai? You seem to have a high opinion of yourselves when you have not once been involved. The one who was involved has more connection to us than you."
I narrowed my eyes at Zekram Bael. One of the oldest Devils in existence, the progenitor of the Bael Blood from which my lover hailed.
I was expecting someone to push this idea, that they weren't a part of my faction, but I didn't expect it to be this man.
"Oh my, you're right." The corners of my lips curled up. "Clearly, my Lover, the father of my daughter, whom lives in Kyoto, has more connection with you. Remind me again, how many times has he visited your underworld? How many members of his family has he ever met, hmm?"
"Sinking your lecherous claws into a confused child –"
I had to hold myself back from reacting to his provocation, thankfully, someone else picked the absolute perfect moment to shut him up.
I felt a substantial amount of power flow out as it focused down on the old Devil.
It wasn't just him, everyone else tensed ever so slightly.
"Choose your words carefully." Wilhelm shifted his glare from his birth father to the Bael Progenitor.
Perfect timing.
Always so protective of us~
Can't say it didn't feel good. Especially since I'm annoyed at what Zekram Bael implied. While...technically true if one looked at it from a single side, it's far from the whole truth. I wouldn't deny that I did my best to seduce him, but it was entirely mutual in that regard, after he saw I wanted more than a fling.
"Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the concept of recruitment without the contingency of slavery added on?" I retorted, keeping my tone even while Wilhelm's power receded.
"oooh, shots fired." Azazel, the Fallen Angel Leader, chuckled from his end of the table, earning a glare from the Devil Faction members.
"The Evil Pieces are not slavery. Every person who joins a peerage does so willingly." Ajuka said very sternly. "It's illegal by our laws to force someone into it."
I raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with the Devil Leader. "I have a list of every Youkai forcibly taken since those things were created."
Who was he trying to fool? Well, it's probably something they had to be vocal about, otherwise they'd have to acknowledge how many fuck ups the backbone of their society created.
"Really Ajuka, that's a losing argument there. Everyone one of us can point out examples of that being blatantly false." Azazel shook his head.
The Green-Haired devil sucked in a deep breath. "There were admittedly some mishaps when they were first introduced, and we had yet to create proper oversight. Since then, they have been heavily regulated."
Hmm.....time to twist the knife?
I didn't want to rock the boat too much, it's beneficial for everyone that the Three Factions stop being so aggressive, but tt's the best opportunity.
"Heavily regulated you say?" I spoke up again, as once more, attention fell on me. Even the two Gods present were opting to stay silent as we bickered between ourselves. I doubted they overly cared for our 'mortal' arguments, merely amusement for them if nothing else.
However, Lugh sported a complicated expression as he kept stealing glances at Scáthach. Odin though, Odin concerned me. He had a very serious look on his face as he stared intently at all of us. But especially when he looked at Wilhelm, as if trying to uncover some sort of secret.
I was worried that maybe we had been discovered. Because everyone finding out about Wilhelm's...ability, would be unpleasant. How many other beings in the world would covet such a unique power?
We were forced to walk a fine line here, to both reveal ourselves, but also keep back anything of real value/importance.
"Such things are found quickly and punished heavily." Ajuka reiterated, unsure of where I was going with this.
"Excuse me if that sounds ridiculous considering what your relative, Diodora, has done."
There was a pause with Ajuka, he certainly didn't expect me to bring up his cousin, but he also looked blank. "....What does my cousin have to do with it?"
I blinked, 'appearing' surprised at his ignorance. "You really didn't know?"
Ajuka adopted a frown. "I fail to see what my cousin has to do with this meeting."
An awkward cough sounded across the table. "I agree, I believe we are here to discuss more important matters regarding ceased hostilities between our people." The Archangel Michael interjected.
"My apologies, I thought the cousin of one of the Satan kidnapping the Church's Holy Maidens and forcing his Evil Pieces on them before he forces himself on them was a matter worth bringing up."
"Aw shit." Azazel seemed to say it best as both the Angels and the Devils went stiff at the accusation.
Surprisingly, it was the very large man standing behind the Archangels that had the most immediate reaction. His own power started seep out, a contradiction to his very gentle and polite tone. "Lord Michael. Would you please ask for clarification." The words were very light, yet they rumbled through the air.
Vasco Strada spoke and everyone was forced to listen.
Even both Lugh and Odin looked surprised by the man's sheer weight in his words. While Sun Wukong looked rather impressed.
It really made me question if he was truly human. I guess he's called the strongest Human for a reason.
"Fear not." Michael narrowed his eyes towards the Devils before turning back towards me. "I too have questions regarding this accusation. I assume you have more evidence than just your words?"
"This is nonsense." Ajuka interjected, though he hesitated ever so slightly. I think even he may have realized something was more....remiss with his cousin than he previously thought.
If it was some random Devil they could easily sweep it under the rug, throw him to the Heaven Faction to appease them. However, it was the cousin of a Satan.
"I am inclined to agree." Michael surprisingly also was hesitant to accept me at face value, though I expected something like this. "I'm curious to know how you came across this information, when even we are unaware. Especially since you would have no reason to look into such a thing."
"Azazel." I didn't react under their intense gazes as I turned towards the Fallen Angel.
"Oh no" He waved his arms infront of himself. "Don't you dare drag me into this mess, I'm already in hot water after what Kokabiel did."
I rolled my eyes at his antics. "You have a recently excommunicated Nun possessing the Twilight Healing under your purview, do you not?"
The Fallen Angel cursed, and while I didn't know which language he used, it was clear in his meaning.
The combination of Hades' knowledge, and the insights that Wilhelm held, if scattered. Otherwise, the missing pieces were easy enough to fill in while we were making last minute preparations.
"Azazel." Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Look, I had no idea, alright? All I know was that one of your Holy Maidens was excommunicated for 'healing a devil' that literally dropped on her doorstep. And like the good little Catholic girl she was, she helped him without asking questions. Your people threw a fit and kicked her out because they wanted to hide the fact that she could heal a devil with one of the old man's Sacred Gears. I, of course, snatch her up, Sacred Gear and everything."
The Archangel looked to process the information, furrowing his brow. "I recall one of our Holy Maidens being excommunicated recently, but that was not the information I was provided." He turned towards one of the Cardinals standing next to Vasco Strada. "I was told she was consorting with Devils, not performing duties that even Father would smile towards."
The Cardinal Michael locked gazes with seemed to cower and nearly jumped out of his skin once Vasco Strada placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Was her name Asia Argento?" The Strongest human asked.
"Yeah....that's her name." Azazel sighed.
"I see." Vasco Strada sighed. "I met her once, she was a very kind young woman. Is she doing well?"
"She is..." Azazel looked towards the woman at his side who whispered in his ear, and he looked as if he remembered something. "She's in school right now, living normally in France. She helped me with researching that specific Sacred Gear, and I paid her well enough that she doesn't have problems. And she gets paid whenever we need her help. Though, weirdly, she almost got sent to Kuoh here. I think Kokabiel tried to intercept her recruitment? I guess because Twilight Healing is a very potent Healing Sacred Gear." Azazel shrugged. "I only noticed because of all the...stuff that was happening here at the time, so I quickly vetoed that decision."
"We have some questions about your.....affiliations, as well." The Archangel looked towards us.
"Our affiliations?" Yasaka questioned.
"Several times, you have aided the Devils. Not to mention, you were allies during the Great War." Michael explained.
"Ah, I can see what you're saying. I suppose from your perspective, it looks like we have some alliance of some sort. While it's true we've have a tenuous agreement still on paper, I wouldn't call us allies anymore." Yasaka replied.
Hmm, that Serafall winced a little once she said that.
"Would you explain how you came to be involved then?" Michael asked once more.
"That's acceptable." Yasaka glanced up at me and I knew it was my turn.
"Some time ago, Venelana Gremory and Millicas Gremory were kidnapped by the Khaos Brigade. At that point in time, they were still unknown to everyone else and they resided within the Dimension Gap. Since we knew about them from the attack previously, I decided to lend a hand." I stated.
"Forgive me but, I was told you had no association with the Devils. Why did you 'lend a hand'?" Michael inquired.
If it were someone else, I would maybe think they were being intentionally obtrusive. But I think he genuinely was skeptical if I had a relationship with the Devils. I could see from his perspective, twice I intervened when the Devil faction was threatened in some regard. And my heritage didn't make matters any more simple.
"That's correct. It was more of a whim than anything. I suppose I wanted to meet the Half Brother I had only recently found out about. And knowing he was just a child, I felt obligated to help."
I didn't feel need to overly explain everything.
"And the attack by Kokabiel?"
"At that point, my relationship with Venelana had.....deepened. I gave her a method of reach out to me in an emergency, which she triggered, and I came as soon as I could."
"Something I've been curious about." Azazel picked this moment to also jump in. "Why you and not one of the Satans? They're all more than capable of handling Kokabiel."
Asking a question he already knew the answer to. He wasn't even being subtle about it. I'm sure he wasn't aware of the specific details, but I'm sure he wanted to know my answer.
"She couldn't." I said simply. "Loki set up a.....unique method of scrambling the localized spatial coordinates."
"There's no proof it was Loki." Odin grumbled very loudly.
I guess admitting it was one of his own would be detrimental to his own cause.
However.... "I have someone who disagrees."
"He wielded Divine Fire and Frost with the ability to escape me." Scáthach glowered towards the Old God. "Do you call me a liar?"
Odin huffed but didn't respond.
"Loki is also amongst the Gods involved with the Khaos Brigade that we know about." Yasaka added.
"You have a list?" Lugh asked.
"Indeed." Yasaka smiled brightly.
"As curious as I am about that, I want to know what Loki did that made it so no one could contact outside of the area." Azazel interjected. "You called it a unique method."
"There are two normal methods. The first is to scramble the localized space, making contact and teleportation difficult and prone to failure for the inexperienced. The second is to seal the space, not letting anything inside or outside." I explained.
"None of us are green here, kiddo. We all know our ABC's." Azazel snorted.
I rolled my eyes at his comment but continued. "Each have their own strengths and weaknesses with some variations of customization to fit the individual who casts it, but generally, they're relatively similar. What Loki did....he did the equivalent of setting up a sort of Maze."
"Sounds complicated." Azazel hummed.
"That's understating it. To do something like that...." Ajuka muttered. "A God of Magic indeed."
"Hmph." Odin grunted. "It sounds like a trick he would be good at. But that just begs the question, how were you able to overcome it if it was Loki? There are some things even I can't beat him at when it comes to Magic."
"I'm inclined to believe that Dimension Lost was used." Azazel tapped his chin. "Cause I can't think of another way, honestly. As much as I've researched, I don't have any confidence in overcoming one of Loki's traps when I wasn't prepared. So.....how'd you do it, kiddo?"
I crossed my arms in annoyance. "I used an advanced Thaumaturgical application of dimensional displacement to project myself outside of the established space, then pulled myself and the others into it."
"You side stepped it." Ajuka summarized quite easily. "But....the calculations alone would have taken hours if not days. And that was only if you knew what you were getting into. That's not something you can just come up with yourself." He turned towards Scáthach. "Was it your teachings?"
Scáthach raised an eyebrow. "I taught him much of what I have known, but that is not something I am familiar with."
"The young woman over there." Azazel raised his finger up, pointing towards Rin. "You introduced yourself as the student to of someone sharing his name. I didn't really give it a second thought before...but who was it again?"
"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin said evenly. "He goes by Zelretch."
"German?" Odin rubbed his beard.
"It's not a name I'm familiar with." Ajuka muttered. "Was he the one who taught you?" The Devil turned back to me.
....Technically?
"Yup, he's my grandfather." Why deny it?
"To be able to teach you something like that....he has to be an accomplished Magician." Ajuka tapped his finger on the table. "Why haven't I heard his name before?"
"Me either, I'm drawing a blank here. Some reclusive Stray Magician?" Azazel threw out.
"Who knows." I shrugged, not elaborating, much to their visible annoyance. I could easily tell they were the type that hated not knowing something.
"Once more, I believe we've gone off topic to something irrelevant." Yasaka took this moment to step in again.
"It's pretty damn relevant to know how the kid overcame something that even Odin here says he might have trouble with." Azazel replied.
"I disagree. We are speaking of an alliance, not the secrets of his Magic." Yasaka countered. "Michael was merely asking for elaboration on our standing. That has been provided."
"The Kid boinked his grandmother, which is why he showed up when he did." Azazel said flippantly. "Blah blah, alright, they aren't with the devils, Michael."
The Archangel let out a sigh. "I'll take that at face value for now. However, if we are going to negotiate based on your claims about this Khaos Brigade, we need more evidence."
"Yeah, everything we know points to the Old Satan Faction." Serafall nodded.
"Very well, then shall I reveal the head of the Khaos Brigade?" Yasaka asked.
"It would go a long ways for convincing us." Azazel replied.
"I want to know who is supposedly leading a group of God from different Pantheons." Odin grunted.
"I'm curious about this too. I want to know who's strong enough that they would all listen to them." Lugh added.
"Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God." Yasaka stated and a silence overcame the table.
".....what did you just say?" Odin gritted out. "The Infinite Dragon God?"
"That is correct."
"But...why?" Azazel's eyes widened. "That old guy just sits there silently in the Dimensional Gap and doesn't bother with anything that doesn't annoy him. He literally has no interest in the world."
"Her." Yasaka corrected.
"What?'
"Ophis has recently taken the form of a little girl now. As such, it is her, I would presume." Yasaka stated.
"Weird, but okay."
"There haven't been any sightings of Ophis in years." Michael exhaled. "And now you're claiming that she is leading a group of Gods among others that are involved in plans like what Kokabiel attempted?"
They're taking it more seriously than I thought. Honestly I expected them to hem and haw, call it all lies or something. But there was a clear sense of unease when Ophis is discussed. I guessed she was strong enough that it made them worried even with a mere implication.
"Do you have any proof?" Lugh asked. "Before we start getting worried, is there any proof beyond you words?"
"I could say that Lady Izanami can verify our claims, but I don't think you would take her for her word either, considering our relationship." Yasaka hummed. "But I do believe I know exactly what you would want. Within the Khaos Brigade, Ophis had been bestowing some of the lower members with a piece of her power, a 'snake' if you will."
Funnily enough, Ophis's title of infinite didn't mean infinite power. Essentially, she can produce power infinitely. There's more or less a hard ceiling on what she could bring to bare at a given moment, which was still far above what almost anything on the planet can match. But it's not infinite in scope, otherwise Meridia wouldn't have been able to deal with her.
No, Ophis was basically a perpetual Motion Machine. A continuous production of various energies.
Well, that was my theory atleast. Based on what Hades told me, she gave out a lot of power over time. Enough that it should have been noticeable on herself, yet her overall strength hadn't wavered an iota.
"And I'm sure if we produced someone with this 'snake' it would still leave you skeptical. So, why don't I point you towards someone who already has it?" Yasaka looked around the table. "You can verify it for yourselves."
"And who is this supposed person? How do we know you haven't gotten to them before us?" Ajuka asked.
"Ajuka, I'm glad you asked. Simply put, do you think we have managed to get to your cousin in recent times?" Yasaka's grin was wide as she spoke.
The Green Haired Devil twitched uncontrollably. "Are you implying....."
"You can check for yourself." Yasaka nodded. "But yes, your younger cousin, Diodora, is a member of the Khaos Brigade, and he accepted a snake from Ophis. How else do you think we know what he's been up to?"
He was one of the first guinea pigs. There are a lot of notes on his movements and such in the past due to research conducted unbehest to his knowledge. They wanted to make sure there weren't any ill side effects so they followed him for several months, which is how we knwo of his activities. Hades was more than able to get his hands on such things in a short time frame.
Not only would this prove somewhat of what we're saying is true, it would also, again, show that we knew things we really shouldn't.
The table under Ajuka's hand cracked as his fingers pushed into the surface. "He wouldn't...."
"If what you're saying is true.....this is a big problem. We need to quicky warn everyone that Ophis is now active and might be hostile." Lugh stood up, looking rather worried.
I think after everything that had been revealed before now, he took what we said at face value. Considering how confident Yasaka spoke about it, even giving avenues of verifying the information, there seemed to be less skepticism.
"That won't be necessary." Yasaka stated.
Lugh blinked, looking at Yasaka. "Pardon?"
"We've already taken Ophis off the board." She gave a rather innocent smile to accompany her words.
I guess that's one way to say it. More like, I kicked her towards Meridia and ran away screaming.
But now, everyone was staring blankly at Yasaka.
"....what?" Serafall voiced, squeaked more like, though everyone seemed to share the sentiment.
"Don't worry about Ophis, she will no longer be a problem." Yasaka reiterated. "However, I have no proof to accompany what I said. If you don't wish to believe me, there's nothing I can do."
"W-why don't we take a small break?" Serafall managed to force out.
[***]
Second Part is up, sorry for the late release, don't feel too well so it took awhile to write today's chapter.
Just a heads up, next chapter will probably be out wednesday for the reason I just mentioned.
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 322: Part 2
Yasaka POV
I was really proud of Wilhelm in this moment. I knew all too well that he was experiencing quite a few emotions right now, yet he kept himself calm and collected, at least on the surface. The man who had been a thorn in his heart for years was now sitting only a few seats away, yet Wilhelm didn't make any overt gestures and barely reacted to his presence.
They were simply glaring at one another after he introduced himself.
Good, with that, the Devils were being rather quiet. Sirzechs Lucifer was always going to be someone difficult to deal with. Strength spoke much louder than most other things in our world, having him stay silent would only help us.
Being cowed by the 'son' he decided to push to the side and forgot about.
I even took a glance at Grayfia Lucifuge – the wife of Lucifer – who briefly looked like she sucked a lemon. The haughty maid really didn't know how to react. I could imagine she never liked Wilhelm, however he was also the one who saved her child. The conflicting emotions must be running rampant with that one.
The others too.
They all gathered their own attention from the interested parties.
I don't think I managed to stop the inevitable questions that would come up, but I managed to stymy the tide of interrogations, which was what we wanted.
We just had to keep the conversation going along a path we wanted. And with that we could –
"How are you alive?" The Head God of the Celtic Pantheon seemed to ignore everything else, instead opting to stare intently at Scáthach. "I watched you die, I saw your corpse and we even performed the burial rites. You were dead."
And I had almost forgotten I was dealing with Gods here. Since when did they play by our rules or common sense?
Scáthach's expression didn't change, but I felt I knew her well enough at this point to know she was annoyed. There were a few slight shifts in her demeanor that noted such things. Having watched her train many of my people at this point, I could guess when she was about to give someone punishment, and this was a close match to those times.
Then again, I couldn't imagine what she felt when facing Lugh. He was supposed to be the Chief God of where she was born and lived for so many years.
Someone she would probably acknowledge and revere in some regard.
The Father of someone she cherished many years ago.
The –
"Your face reminds me of that stupid look that Setanta always had."
Or I could be reading into it incorrectly.
Words as sharp as her spear, she made the God of Light unable to speak.
And an awkward silence ensued.
I suppose that's one way to shut down the question.
"...you really are her...." The Celtic god whispered, almost in resignation. He didn't seem off put by the comment at all. Though he visibly deflated, the wind completely taken out of his sails.
And that somehow worked. I supposed I should have more trust in Scáthach to not do anything foolish. She was much older than I am and more experienced with her own corner of the world. Her wisdom wasn't something I can always anticipate.
It was hard to gauge what The Celtic God was thinking after that. Based on the information we currently had – courtesy of Hades and the amazing man I call my lover, we do know that the Celtic Pantheon was sort of split on Scáthach's existence. So, whether he was happy or displeased with her 'emergence' was up in the air.
Truly, the abrupt 'alliance' that Wilhelm somehow created with the Greek God really gave us a lot of cards to work with. He had knowledge that stretched far around the world.
Without it, we would have been very far on the back foot.
"I would like to know the agenda for this gathering. The singular letter we received only a few days ago was....lacking." I addressed the table reminding them of their failure in proper etiquette. It was good to keep them in an awkward mentality.
And it would also force them to move forward while they were still lost in their own thoughts. nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.
The Green-Haired Devil cleared his throat. "We were originally gathering here to broker a Peace Agreement between the Three Factions." He sat up a little straighter. "However, as an.....unforeseen circumstance arose, it has been extended to beyond what we originally intended with several others pulled in as well."
A quick glance around the room could easily deduce what he meant by that.
That was a little interesting, so they never intended for The Gods to become a part of it? Maybe they too were caught off guard then, it could explain the abruptness of how this was assembled.
Not that I would give them any slack.
"One of many messes we've had to clean up of yours from over the years. How is this one any different?" I offhandedly mentioned, making Ajuka react ever so slightly.
"I would hardly call this our mess." He said stoically.
"The first time, a significant sub faction amongst the Devils kidnapped two important individuals. Who was it that rescued them again? And while I agree that you aren't held accountable for what Kokabiel does –" I shot a glance at Azazel. "He specifically targeted several more important individuals amongst your faction to restart the war between yourselves in an attempt to engulf the entire world."
Were they really going to try and argue that they didn't hold any responsibility here?
"Hmph." Zekram Bael grunted. "And how many involved were your Youkai? You seem to have a high opinion of yourselves when you have not once been involved. The one who was involved has more connection to us than you."
I narrowed my eyes at Zekram Bael. One of the oldest Devils in existence, the progenitor of the Bael Blood from which my lover hailed.
I was expecting someone to push this idea, that they weren't a part of my faction, but I didn't expect it to be this man.
"Oh my, you're right." The corners of my lips curled up. "Clearly, my Lover, the father of my daughter, whom lives in Kyoto, has more connection with you. Remind me again, how many times has he visited your underworld? How many members of his family has he ever met, hmm?"
"Sinking your lecherous claws into a confused child –"
I had to hold myself back from reacting to his provocation, thankfully, someone else picked the absolute perfect moment to shut him up.
I felt a substantial amount of power flow out as it focused down on the old Devil.
It wasn't just him, everyone else tensed ever so slightly.
"Choose your words carefully." Wilhelm shifted his glare from his birth father to the Bael Progenitor.
Perfect timing.
Always so protective of us~
Can't say it didn't feel good. Especially since I'm annoyed at what Zekram Bael implied. While...technically true if one looked at it from a single side, it's far from the whole truth. I wouldn't deny that I did my best to seduce him, but it was entirely mutual in that regard, after he saw I wanted more than a fling.
"Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the concept of recruitment without the contingency of slavery added on?" I retorted, keeping my tone even while Wilhelm's power receded.
"oooh, shots fired." Azazel, the Fallen Angel Leader, chuckled from his end of the table, earning a glare from the Devil Faction members.
"The Evil Pieces are not slavery. Every person who joins a peerage does so willingly." Ajuka said very sternly. "It's illegal by our laws to force someone into it."
I raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with the Devil Leader. "I have a list of every Youkai forcibly taken since those things were created."
Who was he trying to fool? Well, it's probably something they had to be vocal about, otherwise they'd have to acknowledge how many fuck ups the backbone of their society created.
"Really Ajuka, that's a losing argument there. Everyone one of us can point out examples of that being blatantly false." Azazel shook his head.
The Green-Haired devil sucked in a deep breath. "There were admittedly some mishaps when they were first introduced, and we had yet to create proper oversight. Since then, they have been heavily regulated."
Hmm.....time to twist the knife?
I didn't want to rock the boat too much, it's beneficial for everyone that the Three Factions stop being so aggressive, but tt's the best opportunity.
"Heavily regulated you say?" I spoke up again, as once more, attention fell on me. Even the two Gods present were opting to stay silent as we bickered between ourselves. I doubted they overly cared for our 'mortal' arguments, merely amusement for them if nothing else.
However, Lugh sported a complicated expression as he kept stealing glances at Scáthach. Odin though, Odin concerned me. He had a very serious look on his face as he stared intently at all of us. But especially when he looked at Wilhelm, as if trying to uncover some sort of secret.
I was worried that maybe we had been discovered. Because everyone finding out about Wilhelm's...ability, would be unpleasant. How many other beings in the world would covet such a unique power?
We were forced to walk a fine line here, to both reveal ourselves, but also keep back anything of real value/importance.
"Such things are found quickly and punished heavily." Ajuka reiterated, unsure of where I was going with this.
"Excuse me if that sounds ridiculous considering what your relative, Diodora, has done."
There was a pause with Ajuka, he certainly didn't expect me to bring up his cousin, but he also looked blank. "....What does my cousin have to do with it?"
I blinked, 'appearing' surprised at his ignorance. "You really didn't know?"
Ajuka adopted a frown. "I fail to see what my cousin has to do with this meeting."
An awkward cough sounded across the table. "I agree, I believe we are here to discuss more important matters regarding ceased hostilities between our people." The Archangel Michael interjected.
"My apologies, I thought the cousin of one of the Satan kidnapping the Church's Holy Maidens and forcing his Evil Pieces on them before he forces himself on them was a matter worth bringing up."
"Aw shit." Azazel seemed to say it best as both the Angels and the Devils went stiff at the accusation.
Surprisingly, it was the very large man standing behind the Archangels that had the most immediate reaction. His own power started seep out, a contradiction to his very gentle and polite tone. "Lord Michael. Would you please ask for clarification." The words were very light, yet they rumbled through the air.
Vasco Strada spoke and everyone was forced to listen.
Even both Lugh and Odin looked surprised by the man's sheer weight in his words. While Sun Wukong looked rather impressed.
It really made me question if he was truly human. I guess he's called the strongest Human for a reason.
"Fear not." Michael narrowed his eyes towards the Devils before turning back towards me. "I too have questions regarding this accusation. I assume you have more evidence than just your words?"
"This is nonsense." Ajuka interjected, though he hesitated ever so slightly. I think even he may have realized something was more....remiss with his cousin than he previously thought.
If it was some random Devil they could easily sweep it under the rug, throw him to the Heaven Faction to appease them. However, it was the cousin of a Satan.
"I am inclined to agree." Michael surprisingly also was hesitant to accept me at face value, though I expected something like this. "I'm curious to know how you came across this information, when even we are unaware. Especially since you would have no reason to look into such a thing."
"Azazel." I didn't react under their intense gazes as I turned towards the Fallen Angel.
"Oh no" He waved his arms infront of himself. "Don't you dare drag me into this mess, I'm already in hot water after what Kokabiel did."
I rolled my eyes at his antics. "You have a recently excommunicated Nun possessing the Twilight Healing under your purview, do you not?"
The Fallen Angel cursed, and while I didn't know which language he used, it was clear in his meaning.
The combination of Hades' knowledge, and the insights that Wilhelm held, if scattered. Otherwise, the missing pieces were easy enough to fill in while we were making last minute preparations.
"Azazel." Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Look, I had no idea, alright? All I know was that one of your Holy Maidens was excommunicated for 'healing a devil' that literally dropped on her doorstep. And like the good little Catholic girl she was, she helped him without asking questions. Your people threw a fit and kicked her out because they wanted to hide the fact that she could heal a devil with one of the old man's Sacred Gears. I, of course, snatch her up, Sacred Gear and everything."
The Archangel looked to process the information, furrowing his brow. "I recall one of our Holy Maidens being excommunicated recently, but that was not the information I was provided." He turned towards one of the Cardinals standing next to Vasco Strada. "I was told she was consorting with Devils, not performing duties that even Father would smile towards."
The Cardinal Michael locked gazes with seemed to cower and nearly jumped out of his skin once Vasco Strada placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Was her name Asia Argento?" The Strongest human asked.
"Yeah....that's her name." Azazel sighed.
"I see." Vasco Strada sighed. "I met her once, she was a very kind young woman. Is she doing well?"
"She is..." Azazel looked towards the woman at his side who whispered in his ear, and he looked as if he remembered something. "She's in school right now, living normally in France. She helped me with researching that specific Sacred Gear, and I paid her well enough that she doesn't have problems. And she gets paid whenever we need her help. Though, weirdly, she almost got sent to Kuoh here. I think Kokabiel tried to intercept her recruitment? I guess because Twilight Healing is a very potent Healing Sacred Gear." Azazel shrugged. "I only noticed because of all the...stuff that was happening here at the time, so I quickly vetoed that decision."
"We have some questions about your.....affiliations, as well." The Archangel looked towards us.
"Our affiliations?" Yasaka questioned.
"Several times, you have aided the Devils. Not to mention, you were allies during the Great War." Michael explained.
"Ah, I can see what you're saying. I suppose from your perspective, it looks like we have some alliance of some sort. While it's true we've have a tenuous agreement still on paper, I wouldn't call us allies anymore." Yasaka replied.
Hmm, that Serafall winced a little once she said that.
"Would you explain how you came to be involved then?" Michael asked once more.
"That's acceptable." Yasaka glanced up at me and I knew it was my turn.
"Some time ago, Venelana Gremory and Millicas Gremory were kidnapped by the Khaos Brigade. At that point in time, they were still unknown to everyone else and they resided within the Dimension Gap. Since we knew about them from the attack previously, I decided to lend a hand." I stated.
"Forgive me but, I was told you had no association with the Devils. Why did you 'lend a hand'?" Michael inquired.
If it were someone else, I would maybe think they were being intentionally obtrusive. But I think he genuinely was skeptical if I had a relationship with the Devils. I could see from his perspective, twice I intervened when the Devil faction was threatened in some regard. And my heritage didn't make matters any more simple.
"That's correct. It was more of a whim than anything. I suppose I wanted to meet the Half Brother I had only recently found out about. And knowing he was just a child, I felt obligated to help."
I didn't feel need to overly explain everything.
"And the attack by Kokabiel?"
"At that point, my relationship with Venelana had.....deepened. I gave her a method of reach out to me in an emergency, which she triggered, and I came as soon as I could."
"Something I've been curious about." Azazel picked this moment to also jump in. "Why you and not one of the Satans? They're all more than capable of handling Kokabiel."
Asking a question he already knew the answer to. He wasn't even being subtle about it. I'm sure he wasn't aware of the specific details, but I'm sure he wanted to know my answer.
"She couldn't." I said simply. "Loki set up a.....unique method of scrambling the localized spatial coordinates."
"There's no proof it was Loki." Odin grumbled very loudly.
I guess admitting it was one of his own would be detrimental to his own cause.
However.... "I have someone who disagrees."
"He wielded Divine Fire and Frost with the ability to escape me." Scáthach glowered towards the Old God. "Do you call me a liar?"
Odin huffed but didn't respond.
"Loki is also amongst the Gods involved with the Khaos Brigade that we know about." Yasaka added.
"You have a list?" Lugh asked.
"Indeed." Yasaka smiled brightly.
"As curious as I am about that, I want to know what Loki did that made it so no one could contact outside of the area." Azazel interjected. "You called it a unique method."
"There are two normal methods. The first is to scramble the localized space, making contact and teleportation difficult and prone to failure for the inexperienced. The second is to seal the space, not letting anything inside or outside." I explained.
"None of us are green here, kiddo. We all know our ABC's." Azazel snorted.
I rolled my eyes at his comment but continued. "Each have their own strengths and weaknesses with some variations of customization to fit the individual who casts it, but generally, they're relatively similar. What Loki did....he did the equivalent of setting up a sort of Maze."
"Sounds complicated." Azazel hummed.
"That's understating it. To do something like that...." Ajuka muttered. "A God of Magic indeed."
"Hmph." Odin grunted. "It sounds like a trick he would be good at. But that just begs the question, how were you able to overcome it if it was Loki? There are some things even I can't beat him at when it comes to Magic."
"I'm inclined to believe that Dimension Lost was used." Azazel tapped his chin. "Cause I can't think of another way, honestly. As much as I've researched, I don't have any confidence in overcoming one of Loki's traps when I wasn't prepared. So.....how'd you do it, kiddo?"
I crossed my arms in annoyance. "I used an advanced Thaumaturgical application of dimensional displacement to project myself outside of the established space, then pulled myself and the others into it."
"You side stepped it." Ajuka summarized quite easily. "But....the calculations alone would have taken hours if not days. And that was only if you knew what you were getting into. That's not something you can just come up with yourself." He turned towards Scáthach. "Was it your teachings?"
Scáthach raised an eyebrow. "I taught him much of what I have known, but that is not something I am familiar with."
"The young woman over there." Azazel raised his finger up, pointing towards Rin. "You introduced yourself as the student to of someone sharing his name. I didn't really give it a second thought before...but who was it again?"
"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin said evenly. "He goes by Zelretch."
"German?" Odin rubbed his beard.
"It's not a name I'm familiar with." Ajuka muttered. "Was he the one who taught you?" The Devil turned back to me.
....Technically?
"Yup, he's my grandfather." Why deny it?
"To be able to teach you something like that....he has to be an accomplished Magician." Ajuka tapped his finger on the table. "Why haven't I heard his name before?"
"Me either, I'm drawing a blank here. Some reclusive Stray Magician?" Azazel threw out.
"Who knows." I shrugged, not elaborating, much to their visible annoyance. I could easily tell they were the type that hated not knowing something.
"Once more, I believe we've gone off topic to something irrelevant." Yasaka took this moment to step in again.
"It's pretty damn relevant to know how the kid overcame something that even Odin here says he might have trouble with." Azazel replied.
"I disagree. We are speaking of an alliance, not the secrets of his Magic." Yasaka countered. "Michael was merely asking for elaboration on our standing. That has been provided."
"The Kid boinked his grandmother, which is why he showed up when he did." Azazel said flippantly. "Blah blah, alright, they aren't with the devils, Michael."
The Archangel let out a sigh. "I'll take that at face value for now. However, if we are going to negotiate based on your claims about this Khaos Brigade, we need more evidence."
"Yeah, everything we know points to the Old Satan Faction." Serafall nodded.
"Very well, then shall I reveal the head of the Khaos Brigade?" Yasaka asked.
"It would go a long ways for convincing us." Azazel replied.
"I want to know who is supposedly leading a group of God from different Pantheons." Odin grunted.
"I'm curious about this too. I want to know who's strong enough that they would all listen to them." Lugh added.
"Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God." Yasaka stated and a silence overcame the table.
".....what did you just say?" Odin gritted out. "The Infinite Dragon God?"
"That is correct."
"But...why?" Azazel's eyes widened. "That old guy just sits there silently in the Dimensional Gap and doesn't bother with anything that doesn't annoy him. He literally has no interest in the world."
"Her." Yasaka corrected.
"What?'
"Ophis has recently taken the form of a little girl now. As such, it is her, I would presume." Yasaka stated.
"Weird, but okay."
"There haven't been any sightings of Ophis in years." Michael exhaled. "And now you're claiming that she is leading a group of Gods among others that are involved in plans like what Kokabiel attempted?"
They're taking it more seriously than I thought. Honestly I expected them to hem and haw, call it all lies or something. But there was a clear sense of unease when Ophis is discussed. I guessed she was strong enough that it made them worried even with a mere implication.
"Do you have any proof?" Lugh asked. "Before we start getting worried, is there any proof beyond you words?"
"I could say that Lady Izanami can verify our claims, but I don't think you would take her for her word either, considering our relationship." Yasaka hummed. "But I do believe I know exactly what you would want. Within the Khaos Brigade, Ophis had been bestowing some of the lower members with a piece of her power, a 'snake' if you will."
Funnily enough, Ophis's title of infinite didn't mean infinite power. Essentially, she can produce power infinitely. There's more or less a hard ceiling on what she could bring to bare at a given moment, which was still far above what almost anything on the planet can match. But it's not infinite in scope, otherwise Meridia wouldn't have been able to deal with her.
No, Ophis was basically a perpetual Motion Machine. A continuous production of various energies.
Well, that was my theory atleast. Based on what Hades told me, she gave out a lot of power over time. Enough that it should have been noticeable on herself, yet her overall strength hadn't wavered an iota.
"And I'm sure if we produced someone with this 'snake' it would still leave you skeptical. So, why don't I point you towards someone who already has it?" Yasaka looked around the table. "You can verify it for yourselves."
"And who is this supposed person? How do we know you haven't gotten to them before us?" Ajuka asked.
"Ajuka, I'm glad you asked. Simply put, do you think we have managed to get to your cousin in recent times?" Yasaka's grin was wide as she spoke.
The Green Haired Devil twitched uncontrollably. "Are you implying....."
"You can check for yourself." Yasaka nodded. "But yes, your younger cousin, Diodora, is a member of the Khaos Brigade, and he accepted a snake from Ophis. How else do you think we know what he's been up to?"
He was one of the first guinea pigs. There are a lot of notes on his movements and such in the past due to research conducted unbehest to his knowledge. They wanted to make sure there weren't any ill side effects so they followed him for several months, which is how we knwo of his activities. Hades was more than able to get his hands on such things in a short time frame.
Not only would this prove somewhat of what we're saying is true, it would also, again, show that we knew things we really shouldn't.
The table under Ajuka's hand cracked as his fingers pushed into the surface. "He wouldn't...."
"If what you're saying is true.....this is a big problem. We need to quicky warn everyone that Ophis is now active and might be hostile." Lugh stood up, looking rather worried.
I think after everything that had been revealed before now, he took what we said at face value. Considering how confident Yasaka spoke about it, even giving avenues of verifying the information, there seemed to be less skepticism.
"That won't be necessary." Yasaka stated.
Lugh blinked, looking at Yasaka. "Pardon?"
"We've already taken Ophis off the board." She gave a rather innocent smile to accompany her words.
I guess that's one way to say it. More like, I kicked her towards Meridia and ran away screaming.
But now, everyone was staring blankly at Yasaka.
"....what?" Serafall voiced, squeaked more like, though everyone seemed to share the sentiment.
"Don't worry about Ophis, she will no longer be a problem." Yasaka reiterated. "However, I have no proof to accompany what I said. If you don't wish to believe me, there's nothing I can do."
"W-why don't we take a small break?" Serafall managed to force out.
[***]
Second Part is up, sorry for the late release, don't feel too well so it took awhile to write today's chapter.
Just a heads up, next chapter will probably be out wednesday for the reason I just mentioned.
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Chapter 322: Part 2Yasaka POV I was really proud of Wilhelm in this moment. I knew all too well that he was experiencing quite a few emotions right now, yet he kept himself calm and collected, at least on the surface. The man who had been a thorn in his heart for years was now sitting only a few seats away, yet Wilhelm didn't make any overt gestures and barely reacted to his presence. They were simply glaring at one another after he introduced himself. Good, with that, the Devils were being rather quiet. Sirzechs Lucifer was always going to be someone difficult to deal with. Strength spoke much louder than most other things in our world, having him stay silent would only help us. Being cowed by the 'son' he decided to push to the side and forgot about. I even took a glance at Grayfia Lucifuge the wife of Lucifer who briefly looked like she sucked a lemon. The haughty maid really didn't know how to react. I could imagine she never liked Wilhelm, however he was also the one who saved her child. The conflicting emotions must be running rampant with that one. The others too. They all gathered their own attention from the interested parties. I don't think I managed to stop the inevitable questions that would come up, but I managed to stymy the tide of interrogations, which was what we wanted. We just had to keep the conversation going along a path we wanted. And with that we could "How are you alive?" The Head God of the Celtic Pantheon seemed to ignore everything else, instead opting to stare intently at Scathach. "I watched you die, I saw your corpse and we even performed the burial rites. You were dead." And I had almost forgotten I was dealing with Gods here. Since when did they play by our rules or common sense? Scathach's expression didn't change, but I felt I knew her well enough at this point to know she was annoyed. There were a few slight shifts in her demeanor that noted such things. Having watched her train many of my people at this point, I could guess when she was about to give someone punishment, and this was a close match to those times. Then again, I couldn't imagine what she felt when facing Lugh. He was supposed to be the Chief God of where she was born and lived for so many years. Someone she would probably acknowledge and revere in some regard. The Father of someone she cherished many years ago. The "Your face reminds me of that stupid look that Setanta always had." Or I could be reading into it incorrectly. Words as sharp as her spear, she made the God of Light unable to speak. And an awkward silence ensued. I suppose that's one way to shut down the question. "...you really are her...." The Celtic god whispered, almost in resignation. He didn't seem off put by the comment at all. Though he visibly deflated, the wind completely taken out of his sails. And that somehow worked. I supposed I should have more trust in Scathach to not do anything foolish. She was much older than I am and more experienced with her own corner of the world. Her wisdom wasn't something I can always anticipate. It was hard to gauge what The Celtic God was thinking after that. Based on the information we currently had courtesy of Hades and the amazing man I call my lover, we do know that the Celtic Pantheon was sort of split on Scathach's existence. So, whether he was happy or displeased with her 'emergence' was up in the air. Truly, the abrupt 'alliance' that Wilhelm somehow created with the Greek God really gave us a lot of cards to work with. He had knowledge that stretched far around the world. Without it, we would have been very far on the back foot. "I would like to know the agenda for this gathering. The singular letter we received only a few days ago was....lacking." I addressed the table reminding them of their failure in proper etiquette. It was good to keep them in an awkward mentality. And it would also force them to move forward while they were still lost in their own thoughts. novel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.The Green-Haired Devil cleared his throat. "We were originally gathering here to broker a Peace Agreement between the Three Factions." He sat up a little straighter. "However, as an.....unforeseen circumstance arose, it has been extended to beyond what we originally intended with several others pulled in as well." A quick glance around the room could easily deduce what he meant by that. That was a little interesting, so they never intended for The Gods to become a part of it? Maybe they too were caught off guard then, it could explain the abruptness of how this was assembled. Not that I would give them any slack. "One of many messes we've had to clean up of yours from over the years. How is this one any different?" I offhandedly mentioned, making Ajuka react ever so slightly. "I would hardly call this our mess." He said stoically. "The first time, a significant sub faction amongst the Devils kidnapped two important individuals. Who was it that rescued them again? And while I agree that you aren't held accountable for what Kokabiel does " I shot a glance at Azazel. "He specifically targeted several more important individuals amongst your faction to restart the war between yourselves in an attempt to engulf the entire world." Were they really going to try and argue that they didn't hold any responsibility here? "Hmph." Zekram Bael grunted. "And how many involved were your Youkai? You seem to have a high opinion of yourselves when you have not once been involved. The one who was involved has more connection to us than you." I narrowed my eyes at Zekram Bael. One of the oldest Devils in existence, the progenitor of the Bael Blood from which my lover hailed. I was expecting someone to push this idea, that they weren't a part of my faction, but I didn't expect it to be this man. "Oh my, you're right." The corners of my lips curled up. "Clearly, my Lover, the father of my daughter, whom lives in Kyoto, has more connection with you. Remind me again, how many times has he visited your underworld? How many members of his family has he ever met, hmm?" "Sinking your lecherous claws into a confused child " I had to hold myself back from reacting to his provocation, thankfully, someone else picked the absolute perfect moment to shut him up. I felt a substantial amount of power flow out as it focused down on the old Devil. It wasn't just him, everyone else tensed ever so slightly. "Choose your words carefully." Wilhelm shifted his glare from his birth father to the Bael Progenitor. Perfect timing. Always so protective of us~ Can't say it didn't feel good. Especially since I'm annoyed at what Zekram Bael implied. While...technically true if one looked at it from a single side, it's far from the whole truth. I wouldn't deny that I did my best to seduce him, but it was entirely mutual in that regard, after he saw I wanted more than a fling. "Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the concept of recruitment without the contingency of slavery added on?" I retorted, keeping my tone even while Wilhelm's power receded. "oooh, shots fired." Azazel, the Fallen Angel Leader, chuckled from his end of the table, earning a glare from the Devil Faction members. "The Evil Pieces are not slavery. Every person who joins a peerage does so willingly." Ajuka said very sternly. "It's illegal by our laws to force someone into it." I raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with the Devil Leader. "I have a list of every Youkai forcibly taken since those things were created." Who was he trying to fool? Well, it's probably something they had to be vocal about, otherwise they'd have to acknowledge how many fuck ups the backbone of their society created. "Really Ajuka, that's a losing argument there. Everyone one of us can point out examples of that being blatantly false." Azazel shook his head. The Green-Haired devil sucked in a deep breath. "There were admittedly some mishaps when they were first introduced, and we had yet to create proper oversight. Since then, they have been heavily regulated." Hmm.....time to twist the knife? I didn't want to rock the boat too much, it's beneficial for everyone that the Three Factions stop being so aggressive, but tt's the best opportunity. "Heavily regulated you say?" I spoke up again, as once more, attention fell on me. Even the two Gods present were opting to stay silent as we bickered between ourselves. I doubted they overly cared for our 'mortal' arguments, merely amusement for them if nothing else. However, Lugh sported a complicated expression as he kept stealing glances at Scathach. Odin though, Odin concerned me. He had a very serious look on his face as he stared intently at all of us. But especially when he looked at Wilhelm, as if trying to uncover some sort of secret. I was worried that maybe we had been discovered. Because everyone finding out about Wilhelm's...ability, would be unpleasant. How many other beings in the world would covet such a unique power? We were forced to walk a fine line here, to both reveal ourselves, but also keep back anything of real value/importance. "Such things are found quickly and punished heavily." Ajuka reiterated, unsure of where I was going with this. "Excuse me if that sounds ridiculous considering what your relative, Diodora, has done." There was a pause with Ajuka, he certainly didn't expect me to bring up his cousin, but he also looked blank. "....What does my cousin have to do with it?" I blinked, 'appearing' surprised at his ignorance. "You really didn't know?" Ajuka adopted a frown. "I fail to see what my cousin has to do with this meeting." An awkward cough sounded across the table. "I agree, I believe we are here to discuss more important matters regarding ceased hostilities between our people." The Archangel Michael interjected. "My apologies, I thought the cousin of one of the Satan kidnapping the Church's Holy Maidens and forcing his Evil Pieces on them before he forces himself on them was a matter worth bringing up." "Aw shit." Azazel seemed to say it best as both the Angels and the Devils went stiff at the accusation. Surprisingly, it was the very large man standing behind the Archangels that had the most immediate reaction. His own power started seep out, a contradiction to his very gentle and polite tone. "Lord Michael. Would you please ask for clarification." The words were very light, yet they rumbled through the air. Vasco Strada spoke and everyone was forced to listen. Even both Lugh and Odin looked surprised by the man's sheer weight in his words. While Sun Wukong looked rather impressed. It really made me question if he was truly human. I guess he's called the strongest Human for a reason. "Fear not." Michael narrowed his eyes towards the Devils before turning back towards me. "I too have questions regarding this accusation. I assume you have more evidence than just your words?" "This is nonsense." Ajuka interjected, though he hesitated ever so slightly. I think even he may have realized something was more....remiss with his cousin than he previously thought. If it was some random Devil they could easily sweep it under the rug, throw him to the Heaven Faction to appease them. However, it was the cousin of a Satan. "I am inclined to agree." Michael surprisingly also was hesitant to accept me at face value, though I expected something like this. "I'm curious to know how you came across this information, when even we are unaware. Especially since you would have no reason to look into such a thing." "Azazel." I didn't react under their intense gazes as I turned towards the Fallen Angel. "Oh no" He waved his arms infront of himself. "Don't you dare drag me into this mess, I'm already in hot water after what Kokabiel did." I rolled my eyes at his antics. "You have a recently excommunicated Nun possessing the Twilight Healing under your purview, do you not?" The Fallen Angel cursed, and while I didn't know which language he used, it was clear in his meaning. The combination of Hades' knowledge, and the insights that Wilhelm held, if scattered. Otherwise, the missing pieces were easy enough to fill in while we were making last minute preparations. "Azazel." Michael raised an eyebrow. "Look, I had no idea, alright? All I know was that one of your Holy Maidens was excommunicated for 'healing a devil' that literally dropped on her doorstep. And like the good little Catholic girl she was, she helped him without asking questions. Your people threw a fit and kicked her out because they wanted to hide the fact that she could heal a devil with one of the old man's Sacred Gears. I, of course, snatch her up, Sacred Gear and everything." The Archangel looked to process the information, furrowing his brow. "I recall one of our Holy Maidens being excommunicated recently, but that was not the information I was provided." He turned towards one of the Cardinals standing next to Vasco Strada. "I was told she was consorting with Devils, not performing duties that even Father would smile towards." The Cardinal Michael locked gazes with seemed to cower and nearly jumped out of his skin once Vasco Strada placed a hand on his shoulder. "Was her name Asia Argento?" The Strongest human asked. "Yeah....that's her name." Azazel sighed. "I see." Vasco Strada sighed. "I met her once, she was a very kind young woman. Is she doing well?" "She is..." Azazel looked towards the woman at his side who whispered in his ear, and he looked as if he remembered something. "She's in school right now, living normally in France. She helped me with researching that specific Sacred Gear, and I paid her well enough that she doesn't have problems. And she gets paid whenever we need her help. Though, weirdly, she almost got sent to Kuoh here. I think Kokabiel tried to intercept her recruitment? I guess because Twilight Healing is a very potent Healing Sacred Gear." Azazel shrugged. "I only noticed because of all the...stuff that was happening here at the time, so I quickly vetoed that decision." "We have some questions about your.....affiliations, as well." The Archangel looked towards us. "Our affiliations?" Yasaka questioned. "Several times, you have aided the Devils. Not to mention, you were allies during the Great War." Michael explained. "Ah, I can see what you're saying. I suppose from your perspective, it looks like we have some alliance of some sort. While it's true we've have a tenuous agreement still on paper, I wouldn't call us allies anymore." Yasaka replied. Hmm, that Serafall winced a little once she said that. "Would you explain how you came to be involved then?" Michael asked once more. "That's acceptable." Yasaka glanced up at me and I knew it was my turn. "Some time ago, Venelana Gremory and Millicas Gremory were kidnapped by the Khaos Brigade. At that point in time, they were still unknown to everyone else and they resided within the Dimension Gap. Since we knew about them from the attack previously, I decided to lend a hand." I stated. "Forgive me but, I was told you had no association with the Devils. Why did you 'lend a hand'?" Michael inquired. If it were someone else, I would maybe think they were being intentionally obtrusive. But I think he genuinely was skeptical if I had a relationship with the Devils. I could see from his perspective, twice I intervened when the Devil faction was threatened in some regard. And my heritage didn't make matters any more simple. "That's correct. It was more of a whim than anything. I suppose I wanted to meet the Half Brother I had only recently found out about. And knowing he was just a child, I felt obligated to help." I didn't feel need to overly explain everything. "And the attack by Kokabiel?" "At that point, my relationship with Venelana had.....deepened. I gave her a method of reach out to me in an emergency, which she triggered, and I came as soon as I could." "Something I've been curious about." Azazel picked this moment to also jump in. "Why you and not one of the Satans? They're all more than capable of handling Kokabiel." Asking a question he already knew the answer to. He wasn't even being subtle about it. I'm sure he wasn't aware of the specific details, but I'm sure he wanted to know my answer. "She couldn't." I said simply. "Loki set up a.....unique method of scrambling the localized spatial coordinates." "There's no proof it was Loki." Odin grumbled very loudly. I guess admitting it was one of his own would be detrimental to his own cause. However.... "I have someone who disagrees." "He wielded Divine Fire and Frost with the ability to escape me." Scathach glowered towards the Old God. "Do you call me a liar?" Odin huffed but didn't respond. "Loki is also amongst the Gods involved with the Khaos Brigade that we know about." Yasaka added. "You have a list?" Lugh asked. "Indeed." Yasaka smiled brightly. "As curious as I am about that, I want to know what Loki did that made it so no one could contact outside of the area." Azazel interjected. "You called it a unique method." "There are two normal methods. The first is to scramble the localized space, making contact and teleportation difficult and prone to failure for the inexperienced. The second is to seal the space, not letting anything inside or outside." I explained. "None of us are green here, kiddo. We all know our ABC's." Azazel snorted. I rolled my eyes at his comment but continued. "Each have their own strengths and weaknesses with some variations of customization to fit the individual who casts it, but generally, they're relatively similar. What Loki did....he did the equivalent of setting up a sort of Maze." "Sounds complicated." Azazel hummed. "That's understating it. To do something like that...." Ajuka muttered. "A God of Magic indeed." "Hmph." Odin grunted. "It sounds like a trick he would be good at. But that just begs the question, how were you able to overcome it if it was Loki? There are some things even I can't beat him at when it comes to Magic." "I'm inclined to believe that Dimension Lost was used." Azazel tapped his chin. "Cause I can't think of another way, honestly. As much as I've researched, I don't have any confidence in overcoming one of Loki's traps when I wasn't prepared. So.....how'd you do it, kiddo?" I crossed my arms in annoyance. "I used an advanced Thaumaturgical application of dimensional displacement to project myself outside of the established space, then pulled myself and the others into it." "You side stepped it." Ajuka summarized quite easily. "But....the calculations alone would have taken hours if not days. And that was only if you knew what you were getting into. That's not something you can just come up with yourself." He turned towards Scathach. "Was it your teachings?" Scathach raised an eyebrow. "I taught him much of what I have known, but that is not something I am familiar with." "The young woman over there." Azazel raised his finger up, pointing towards Rin. "You introduced yourself as the student to of someone sharing his name. I didn't really give it a second thought before...but who was it again?" "Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Rin said evenly. "He goes by Zelretch." "German?" Odin rubbed his beard. "It's not a name I'm familiar with." Ajuka muttered. "Was he the one who taught you?" The Devil turned back to me. ....Technically? "Yup, he's my grandfather." Why deny it? "To be able to teach you something like that....he has to be an accomplished Magician." Ajuka tapped his finger on the table. "Why haven't I heard his name before?" "Me either, I'm drawing a blank here. Some reclusive Stray Magician?" Azazel threw out. "Who knows." I shrugged, not elaborating, much to their visible annoyance. I could easily tell they were the type that hated not knowing something. "Once more, I believe we've gone off topic to something irrelevant." Yasaka took this moment to step in again. "It's pretty damn relevant to know how the kid overcame something that even Odin here says he might have trouble with." Azazel replied. "I disagree. We are speaking of an alliance, not the secrets of his Magic." Yasaka countered. "Michael was merely asking for elaboration on our standing. That has been provided." "The Kid boinked his grandmother, which is why he showed up when he did." Azazel said flippantly. "Blah blah, alright, they aren't with the devils, Michael." The Archangel let out a sigh. "I'll take that at face value for now. However, if we are going to negotiate based on your claims about this Khaos Brigade, we need more evidence." "Yeah, everything we know points to the Old Satan Faction." Serafall nodded. "Very well, then shall I reveal the head of the Khaos Brigade?" Yasaka asked. "It would go a long ways for convincing us." Azazel replied. "I want to know who is supposedly leading a group of God from different Pantheons." Odin grunted. "I'm curious about this too. I want to know who's strong enough that they would all listen to them." Lugh added. "Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God." Yasaka stated and a silence overcame the table. ".....what did you just say?" Odin gritted out. "The Infinite Dragon God?" "That is correct." "But...why?" Azazel's eyes widened. "That old guy just sits there silently in the Dimensional Gap and doesn't bother with anything that doesn't annoy him. He literally has no interest in the world." "Her." Yasaka corrected. "What?' "Ophis has recently taken the form of a little girl now. As such, it is her, I would presume." Yasaka stated. "Weird, but okay." "There haven't been any sightings of Ophis in years." Michael exhaled. "And now you're claiming that she is leading a group of Gods among others that are involved in plans like what Kokabiel attempted?" They're taking it more seriously than I thought. Honestly I expected them to hem and haw, call it all lies or something. But there was a clear sense of unease when Ophis is discussed. I guessed she was strong enough that it made them worried even with a mere implication. "Do you have any proof?" Lugh asked. "Before we start getting worried, is there any proof beyond you words?" "I could say that Lady Izanami can verify our claims, but I don't think you would take her for her word either, considering our relationship." Yasaka hummed. "But I do believe I know exactly what you would want. Within the Khaos Brigade, Ophis had been bestowing some of the lower members with a piece of her power, a 'snake' if you will." Funnily enough, Ophis's title of infinite didn't mean infinite power. Essentially, she can produce power infinitely. There's more or less a hard ceiling on what she could bring to bare at a given moment, which was still far above what almost anything on the planet can match. But it's not infinite in scope, otherwise Meridia wouldn't have been able to deal with her. No, Ophis was basically a perpetual Motion Machine. A continuous production of various energies. Well, that was my theory atleast. Based on what Hades told me, she gave out a lot of power over time. Enough that it should have been noticeable on herself, yet her overall strength hadn't wavered an iota. "And I'm sure if we produced someone with this 'snake' it would still leave you skeptical. So, why don't I point you towards someone who already has it?" Yasaka looked around the table. "You can verify it for yourselves." "And who is this supposed person? How do we know you haven't gotten to them before us?" Ajuka asked. "Ajuka, I'm glad you asked. Simply put, do you think we have managed to get to your cousin in recent times?" Yasaka's grin was wide as she spoke. The Green Haired Devil twitched uncontrollably. "Are you implying....." "You can check for yourself." Yasaka nodded. "But yes, your younger cousin, Diodora, is a member of the Khaos Brigade, and he accepted a snake from Ophis. How else do you think we know what he's been up to?" He was one of the first guinea pigs. There are a lot of notes on his movements and such in the past due to research conducted unbehest to his knowledge. They wanted to make sure there weren't any ill side effects so they followed him for several months, which is how we knwo of his activities. Hades was more than able to get his hands on such things in a short time frame. Not only would this prove somewhat of what we're saying is true, it would also, again, show that we knew things we really shouldn't. The table under Ajuka's hand cracked as his fingers pushed into the surface. "He wouldn't...." "If what you're saying is true.....this is a big problem. We need to quicky warn everyone that Ophis is now active and might be hostile." Lugh stood up, looking rather worried. I think after everything that had been revealed before now, he took what we said at face value. Considering how confident Yasaka spoke about it, even giving avenues of verifying the information, there seemed to be less skepticism. "That won't be necessary." Yasaka stated. Lugh blinked, looking at Yasaka. "Pardon?" "We've already taken Ophis off the board." She gave a rather innocent smile to accompany her words. I guess that's one way to say it. More like, I kicked her towards Meridia and ran away screaming. But now, everyone was staring blankly at Yasaka. "....what?" Serafall voiced, squeaked more like, though everyone seemed to share the sentiment. "Don't worry about Ophis, she will no longer be a problem." Yasaka reiterated. "However, I have no proof to accompany what I said. If you don't wish to believe me, there's nothing I can do." "W-why don't we take a small break?" Serafall managed to force out. *** Second Part is up, sorry for the late release, don't feel too well so it took awhile to write today's chapter. Just a heads up, next chapter will probably be out wednesday for the reason I just mentioned. If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
