Once Vali incinerated Rizevim's remains, we went back to Euclid. He is laying on the floor with a blank expression, his eyes are open but there is no light in them. Since the spell wore off the mosaic is gone as well.
"I am not touching him." Vali suddenly says. Well, one of us has to take him to authorities, Lilith too. Since I have a meeting scheduled Vali is the only one left for the job.
"I'll teleport you and him to home and message Grayfia. She should know what to do." Vali nods and I use the lull of the moment to kiss her.
"You finally got rid of him huh?"
"Ye...Yeah... Thanks for the help... I couldn't have done it without you." She smiles, her face is bright as the sun.
*Euclid groans*
"Fuck, he's still awake!?" Startled by the noise, Vali kicks Euclid ruining the atmosphere.
"Why can't we have an emotional lovely dovely moment!?" I yell indignantly.
Since the moment is broken I kiss Vali again and teleport her back home along with Euclid and Lilith.
Now, Nyx said take a left from here right?
..
Yomi is a bit different than the rest of the realm of the dead, first of all, there's no ice here, there is soil but it is all blackened and corrupted.
Some yellow flowers are blooming, they radiate green-yellow light, it actually does reminds me of nuclear waste ... I don't want to joke about it but it seems WW2 hit this place hard as well.
"I know what you're thinking..." A calm and soft feminine voice reaches my ears. "But that's not it, we have an agreement with the Japanese government. This is their way of getting rid of nuclear waste." I turn towards the voice.
The owner of the voice is a black haired Japanese woman that is dressed like a Shinigami from Bleach, but she doesn't have a sword on her.
"Hello..." She waves.
"Hi, I had a meeting with Izanami-sama."
"Oh!? You're the guy I was waiting for?" She circles around me, inspecting me. "Very well, as you might have guessed I am a Shinigami. Izanami-sama asked me to bring you to her." She looks into my eyes before pulling out a fruit. "Want a bite?"
Japanese underworld is similar to the Greek underworld when it comes to food. Once you eat it you can't go back to the land of the living... Well, that fruit won't work on me but still, cute attempt.
"I'm not hungry." I smirk at her.
She starts moving as I follow. "Tch, such a handsome face. I had to try." Then she turns towards me again. "Hey, want to convert to Shintoism? It would be a waste if you end up in void when you die."
"I am alright on my choice of afterlife." Atheists and those without faith go to void, at least that is the common belief. Who would have thought? One would assume they would be randomly distributed based on where they died but nope.
The Shinigami who never gave me her name guided me to a Japanese Shrine in the middle of the land, she kept trying to tie me here as well. I think she just likes pestering me more than anything.
Eventually, we reached the Shrine. Before my guide could enter, the door of the place opened and a handsome middle-aged man left.
"Arima-sama, is Izanami-sama available? Her visitor has arrived." Shinigami respectfully bows to the now named Arima.
"Ah, yes. She said something about that. Go ahead I am going to take a dip in the lake " he casually waves and goes towards a toxic-looking lake.
Hikaru Genji route is terrifying, this guy was groomed from birth by Izanami to be her husbando if Tiamat was not lying.
"Merlin-sama, if you please?" Shinigami calls out to me, making me realize I got sidetracked.
Nodding I enter the Shrine, I don't have much knowledge of Japanese customs let's hope it doesn't bite me in the back.
Entering the Shrine I am greeted by a green-haired woman with yellow eyes, I doubt anyone else lives here. So this must be Izanami. Her skin is deathly pale, her hair looks as if the color is wearing out and the yellow of her eyes reminds me of some Alter Class Servants. The most unnerving detail of her is the black sclera of her eyes.
With all of this combined, she looks scary but not to the point of wanting to run away. Also, I have seen worse thanks to Tiamat's imagination during her monster creation time.
"Oh... You're not scared!? Good, then we can speak." Izanami snaps her finger. All the previously mentioned details go away leaving a beautiful black haired woman behind.
I have a feeling that I am going to be tested like this throughout the meeting...
Not minding her tricks I sat down and bring out my papers detailing the dungeon and start explaining things.
"You do know the story of Tartarus right?" Izanami asks mid-way.
"Actually, I have the support of Nyx. She has been checking my work for some time to make sure a second Tartarus doesn't happen." She nods gesturing me to continue.
Then I start talking about the benefits of the dungeon to the Shinto faction and how they can use this to their benefit.
"I doubt my faction can have the monopoly on this thing..." She mutters to herself before looking up at me. "You weren't going to limit the entrance were you?"
"Well, once your people start benefiting from this, others will flock but I have a plan to handle them as well." I tell. Since I am mingling with three factions I can push for the treaty and make that the entrance condition. You want the dungeon sign up for peace.
Or I can just scare them with EA...
"Hmm that plan could work, we'll just throw the warmongers in the dungeon and have them compete that way." Izanami nods liking the idea. "What about the overflow, or will it going to get deeper and deeper?" I sigh and talk about that as well. If she had let me talk I would have come to that.
Then again my presentations have always been lackluster in University. Eventually, we reached the part about the Respawn system, Izanami didn't react to it apprehensively as I was expecting.
"I can do that but, what do I get out of it? Some years' worth of life span? That won't cut Merlin." Well, I had expected she won't be satisfied with that.
I planned that those who died would lose some lifespan and that lifespan would be given to Izanami as payment. I guess she doesn't expect many deaths from her faction.
"Well, I was expecting that so this is my best offer, I will bring you back to life." I grandly open my arms. "I don't mean like just leaving this place and such. What I mean that you won't be undead, and will be able to have children again." I quickly say before any misunderstandings could happen.
Of course, I am not talking about sleeping with her but I can truly make her fertile. Tiamat wanted children, Izanami also wants children (according to Tiamat), and I am providing.
"Prove it and I'll sign this..." She frowns at my lack of elegance.
I quickly manifest a golden apple, it is not required but some flair is needed when you're dealing with old people.
Izanami inspects the apple, the thing radiates pure life like she has never seen before. Even the air of the underworld clears up a little.
Still frowning Izanami bites the apple, the near erotic moan she lets out wasn't intended but I never tasted that apple myself. Visually nothing changed about her but she knows that she is now 'alive'.
Opening her eyes Izanami looks at the second apple in her vision. "Well, it's for your husband." I say.
"Thank you, was there anything else?" She signs the documents about the system binding herself to the Respawn System.
"There is the matter of Nekoshou. I don't need help but Nekomata would be more willing to be surrogate mothers if your name is on the paper." I push forward Nekoshou case.
"True, people tend to believe more if a God is involved. I will help but you must unearth this case and find if anything amiss." Izanami signs the document and looks up at me. "Anything else...?"
"Well, I have this letter from your ex-husband." I give the letter only for her to burn it.
"Cute, anything else?" Sighing I take Shuri's documents and give them to her.
"Oh, I remember her. Sadistic Shrine maiden that married a fallen angel even sired his child. Too bad she didn't ask permission when fucking him. She was fun to break, what of her?" Wait it would have been fine if she had asked permission?
"Well, her niece wanted to learn if she was here. I guess I got my answer."
"Hmm tell you what, as a sign of goodwill I'll let you take her out of here." Izanami smirks.
"What would that cost?" She doesn't answer and summons a door out of nowhere, opening it reveals a torture chamber filled with humans and yokai.
"Bring me Shuri Himejima." Izanami orders one of the shinigami working there.
Five minutes later, they bring her. She is barely clothed, she has a ball gag in her mouth and she is supporting various injuries but those injuries heal on the spot once she leaves the torture room.
"Well, Shuri. It seems someone from your family actually cares about you." Izanami's tone is mocking. "Well, I have good news. You can go back to the land of the living and reunite with your daughter." She goes closer and starts caressing her head.
The whole spectacle would have been touching if Shuri wasn't crying and she wasn't flinching at Izanami's every touch. "Here's the deal Merlin. If you want to take her back you need to 'take her' before leaving."
"Sorry, I didn't hear that correctly..."
"If she wants to be free, all she has to do is sleep with you right here." She explains the light of hope in Shrui's eyes doesn't help. "What do you say, Merlin, would you save a mother? Will you save her from this torment and reunite her with her daughter?" Izanami states with a no-nonsense tone.
Looking over Shrui, I must say it is a tempting offer but I have a feeling Izanami is testing me with this, she is married. I doubt she would like to see a married woman sleep with a stranger to free herself.
Hoping that my guess is correct I roll my sleeve to reveal a red button that says 'Abort Lemon', pressing it opens a portal right above me. A literal ton of lemons rain on me taking away all the lewd thoughts author had when writing shit along with it.
Once I rise from the pile I see the flying figure of my familiar. "Thank you Fou, you saved me from..." I don't get to finish as Fou kicks me across the floor with a cute shout. "Merlin Die! Fou!"