I met the gaze of the woman infront of me. I hadn't really intended to say that sad excuse of a one liner I just blurted out, but I knew it's a habit for me to make a joke when I felt awkward.
She did…not look amazing. Her clothes had been torn up to the point I could see her undergarments. Possibly from cuts that healed since then? However, it didn't look like anything…..worse happened to her. There were no discernable bruises, or wounds I could see from a cursory glance. I forced myself to stop staring after a moment.
It was the first time I'd seen her in person and she was…..frankly beautiful.
"Of all people I expected to come, it wasn't you." She stood up, also giving me a once over.
"I was in the neighborhood." I said dismissively.
"The Dimensional Gap?" She quirked an eyebrow, walking towards me. She held her arms out as I loosened my grip on Millicas and allowed her to take him from me. She cradled him protectively, checking him for any injuries. "What's wrong with him?" She immediately found my runic array on his chest.
She looked like she wanted to say much more, but held it back and prioritized her grandson. "They must have forced some cocktail of drugs into him. I don't recognize much of it, but I could only do a preliminary check and saw that he wasn't exactly in danger."
"And what's this on his chest?" She looked at me expecting an answer. "I don't believe they did this."
"That's mine." I confirmed, and I couldn't really blame her for being thorough. "Since I didn't recognize everything they pumped into him, I went with the safest method of…..detoxing the foreign drugs. Unfortunately, the safest just happens to be the slowest."
"Mmm." She looked me over, trying to find any trace of deceit. "And he isn't in danger?"
"Not any immediate danger..." I looked thoughtful for a moment. "Give it a few weeks with this stuff inside him? It might start having visible side effects." I shrugged as it didn't really matter at this point and I was doing a lot of guesswork. It wasn't really my area of expertise or anything. "Feel free to check yourself." I waived my hand flippantly. "I can wake him up if you prefer." I offered as well.
She glanced at me and back down at Millicas. "You can wake him up?"
"Most likely. I just thought it would be preferable if he slept through this. And...." I pushed the door open wider. "I figured it was probably best he didn't see what happened."
Venelana tilted her head to better peak outside the door. There were bodies thrown about, limbs hacked off, and others impaled or even embedded into the walls.
"I believe that is a wise decision." She blinked a few times staring at the scene. Thankfully, she didn't look disturbed, moreso surprised. "Good riddance." She added, turning her nose up at the corpses.
Well, I wouldn't exactly have any good will towards my kidnappers as well. Replace Millicas with Kunou, and I'd be out for all the blood I could get.
"Believing me so easily, I could be stringing you along…"
"I trust you." She said with a rather casual tone. It honestly took me by surprise with how easily the words rolled off her tongue.
I didn't know how to respond to that.
"Do you need any healing before we head out?" I offered, not wanting to simply open a portal. For now, I'd rather they not know I could bypass barriers of the quality surrounding this place.
"I'm fine." She replied with a simple smile. "I only received a few cuts when they tried to intimidate me and they only made the threat of procuring their own Bael Bloodline." The sharp edge to her words made it clear how she really felt even if she wasn't outwardly reacting.
That made my thoughts come to a grinding halt. "And you're fine? Perhaps anyone you would like to have a personal talk with before we leave?" I….still didn't know how to feel about this woman, yet I was disgusted by the implication.
"Oh no, they were too afraid to do anything, besides…" She glanced down at herself with her clothing torn up here and there. "If it weren't for them having Millicas, they would have found out quickly why I survived both the Great War and the Civil War." She smiled innocently.
I did forget how old she actually was. She should be pretty strong herself, even if she wasn't in the public eye anymore. And the Power of Destruction to the dick was probably one of the biggest deterrents there ever was.
There was an awkward silence as we walked through the building, heading towards the exit. Credit where it's due, they once more did a good job labeling and giving directions everywhere so no one got lost.
Really, the only issue was that we hadn't run into any more people on the entire trek. And It wasn't like this was a small facility, not to mention the commotion I had already caused and the inevitable tripping of defenses caused by my actions.
"Sir Wiggles." I called out.
I could tell that Venelana was confused at my words, until my familiar came bolting down the hallway and jumped onto my head.
"Adorable." Venelana seemed to genuinely smile.
"Nothing about me having a rabbit as a familiar?" I questioned.
"I learned when I was younger that it's not the size, but how you use it."
Once more I just blinked, looking at her in surprise.
"What?" She asked.
"Just…..surprised by the joke." I replied.
"I'm stressed beyond my limit, carrying my drugged-up grandson after being threated to become a broodmare for a faction of Devils that want to kick off another Great War, I'll cope however I can." She deadpanned, still not giving anything away on the surface.
"Fair." I could only just nod.
Huh…..I did that in stressful situations too.
Well, I doubted it could become anymore awkward after that.
The remainder of the walk was silent, though the closer we got to the entrance, the more I felt a feeling of discomfort. I think Venelana picked up on my unease, because she adopted a pensive look as we neared the end.
I pushed the large metal doors open, and I wasn't even surprised by what I saw.
"Quite the little gathering." I whistled, sweeping my gaze all around. There were probably….hundreds of Magicians encircling the entrance of the building.
"Haha, well, good company requires the best presentation." A man stood infront. He had a shade of Silver Hair that I found annoying similar to a certain maid. He also carried a tone of perceived superiority right from the start.
"Euclid." Venelana practically growled from behind me. "Everyone thought you were dead, I'm overcome with enthusiasm at the exaggeration of your untimely death. I do believe certain parties will be just ecstatic at this revelation." The venom dripped off her words.
Ah, I had known his name was familiar. He's that maid's brother. The idiot that those other devils talked about before I sieged this place. And it sounded like there's a bit of a history there.
"Lady Gremory, were the accommodations not to your liking?" He chuckled at her expense. "I would be more than happy to discuss your next room. Perhaps in the stables where you can be among your peers."
"And I would be more than happy to discuss with you thoroughly as well." She snorted with disdain. "Why don't you come and test me without my Grandson being held hostage?"
"Tempting, but we both know you're not my match." He didn't react to her provocation. "Besides, it's not like I would actually put my dear Nephew in danger. Even if he has that same red hair as the usurper, he's still my sister's son."
I narrowed my eyes as I saw his hand twitch.
Immediately, my swords slammed down right behind Venelana, shattering several Ice Spears that manifested.
"So much for not harming your nephew." I crossed my arms, meeting his eyes.
"He would have been unarmed, just enough to remove the filth from around him." He smiled brightly, turning his focus fully on me. "And you must be Wilhelm."
"Nope."
I saw his eye twitch slightly. "I've heard a lot about you." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Some of it rumors, and some of it was from the footage and accounts of my men as you made your way through several of our bases…"
"In the neighborhood?" Venelana repeated with a dry tone.
"Doesn't ring a bell." I smiled innocently.
"Hmm." He didn't react this time. "Have you considered which side you want to be on?" He waved his arms around. "I've been interested in you since the first time I heard that the usurper had a child he never spoke about. Lo and behold, that child was discovered fighting a God, A God. I was surprised to see you here, going after Lady Gremory. But it does present a wonderful opportunity." He clapped his hands. "I don't believe you've joined up with the usurpers, and you've handled yourself well in the eyes of the common rabble. Why, I believe you represent exactly what it means to be a Devil."
Was he trying to recruit me?
I guess I'd play along. "And what exactly does being a Devil represent?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Some think it means to be Evil, manipulative, and dastardly in all measures. Well, I couldn't agree more in the past, but I've pondered it and think I've come to a slightly different conclusion. Devils, simply do whatever their whims carry them to do without any nonsense like morality. If you want a woman, you take her. If you want to kill someone, you kill them. If you want something, you steal it." He gestured towards Venelana and Millicas for added effect. "Devils are the most brutal species, simply because we do what we want, how we want, whenever we want."
Bold of him to spout that nonsense when the majority of his current followers were in fact humans. However, they didn't seem perturbed in the slightest…..
"And how do I fit into this world view?"
"How do you not? You fought a God, just because. You caused havoc, just because you felt like it. Perhaps you need a guiding hand on certain matters, but you've done simply wonderful thus far." He had an almost gentle look about him. "You showed those Shinto Gods what a Devil truly is capable of."
I turned to glance at Venelana who just silently gave me a look that screamed 'I don't know' as I turned back to this crazy guy.
"You recognize that I fought a God, yet, you're sitting here trying to put a gun to my head with your entourage." I swept my arm around, gesturing towards the rows of Magicians behind him.
"Haha, well, don't count me out. I'm pretty strong myself, a match for my sister if I do say so myself. And she's Satan class as it is." He didn't look at all perturbed by my insinuation. "Not to mention I have, as you observed, my magicians with me. While not individually strong, surely someone of your magical ability knows that enough of them gathered together can do some amazing things."
That's not untrue. Gather enough Magicians together, and you'd have basically the equivalent of a Holy Grail in magical output.
"I believe I've overstayed my welcome at this point." I raised my hand up but paused when he snapped his fingers.
Every single magician raised their staves, wands, or other magical foci towards us. "It's rude for a guest to leave after the host provides such a warm reception." His expression shifted to a little frown. "Especially after the mess you caused me. It's going to take a long time to rebuild what you destroyed."
I glanced back at Venelana and Millicas, then turned back, narrowing my eyes at him. "You think you can threaten me with them?"
"Maybe, or maybe not." He shrugged. "Maybe I can seek you out to compare notes in Kyoto?" A knowing smirk appeared on his face. "I've heard some interesting things, especially about the Youkai's leader, and even about her daughter."
Well then, caution to the wind.
"You want to compare notes?" I grit my teeth at the thought of him threatening my daughter.
"I do think myself quite capable in the realm of Magic." He fixed his collar, looking rather proud of himself. "Dare you compete with me? If you're not up to it, then you can leave. Even after all the damage you caused, I'll overlook it." He added with a nonchalant shrug. "However, they're going to be staying." He raised he hand, pointing towards the two behind me. "I know what it's like to be abandoned by family. But that brat is still my sister's pride and joy, so I think I'll be keeping him and raise him properly for now on, away from the usurper's grasp. As for the Gremory Bitch, my men could use a good moral boost after losing so many of our number."
Dude had some serious inferiority issues with my biological father. I could just tell by the tone he mentioned the 'usurper'.
Regardless, he threatened my daughter.
I raised my hand, summoning my Staff of Magnus. "Alright then, let me show you, my strongest spell."
Runes filled the air around me. Talismans shot out to their positions with little thought as I had become more familiar with casting this spell at this point. Though, it was slightly different than the last time I called upon it. Yes, just a slight difference, because now, I had divinity.
"If that's how you want to play it, then so be it." He raised he hand up and the Magicians all around him began to cast in tandem. "This is a spell of my own creation!" He declared, a maniacal grin on his face as several massive Spell Circles appeared overhead. "I call it Lucifer's Descent."
Out of the Magic Circles, a humanoid silhouette weaved out of Demonic Power burst out, shattering through space like glass as its form solidified. It looked like a cliché devil, horns and all, a baleful aura flowed out at its mere presence, and a killing intent that could make lesser men shudder.
"Specifically created to battle armies." He sounded proud as he looked overhead.
It was…..impressive. The solidification of shape and concepts into a coherent whole even with the inclusion of so many different magicians in the spell casting. And He obviously used his own Demonic Energy as the catalyst since the vast majority of the Magicians were human. It didn't do much....but it had a ridiculous amount of Magical Energy sustaining it. Pretty much any normal damage would probably be mended immediately.
However, it lacked a certain weight to it. I had no doubt it had some impressive destructive power, maybe enough to even trade a few dozen blows with Susanoo before being destroyed. But it was still far from my own strongest.
The Pentagram formed; my Runes lit up around their Primordial brethren. "Come." I declared, and the large piece of rock we were standing on shook.
The Air around us shifted, massive roots burst out of the cirle and into the ground, completely enveloping the large structure behind us before they shot upwards, climbing higher and higher until it dwarfed even the massive construct that this Euclid created.
"Behold, the beginning of creation." I held my arms out, my Staff glowing bright. "Blessings of the World Tree – Yggdrasil."
My Tree exploded with life, fully bloomed and ascending over everything high up into the colorful sky that was the Dimensional Gap.
Funnily enough, it wasn't as large as it usually was. This realm was fighting against me, the concepts intertwined in my tree were the opposite of those that existed in the Dimensional Gap.
"Oh my….." Venelana blurted out, gazing up towards the peak of my spell.
"You…..what is this?" Euclid looked shocked? Confused even, as I was using concepts that were mostly foreign to this realm. So many different things added to make this spell a reality. "The Tree from the Norse religion?"
"From one birthed nine." I responded, the corners of my lips tugging upwards. My Sword of Destruction shot up, taking its place as it had several times before. "Let the fires of Muspelheim rage once more across all creation." The God-burning flames enveloped my sword, transforming it into its Pseudo-Phantasm form.
The Sword Enlarged, large enough to be wielded by a Giant.
"N-no! Send it in!" Euclid yelled as the Magicians channeled their magics and commanded the construct to move forward. It took a single step then tried to swiped its massive hand.
I raised my arm up high in response, then swung it down, putting a significant amount of power into this blow. Enough that I probably wouldn't have enough of a follow up with the drain on the Magical Energy that went into the casting to support the entire Tree. "Twilight of the Gods – Laevatein." The massive fiery sword swung down, and the ground was sundered in an explosion of heat and flames.
The construct was seared down the center, burnt away as quickly as the Demonic Energy met the flames of my sword. Frankly, this iteration of my spell was an absolute counter to the magics that created that thing. The Magicians immediately fell into a panic, a good portion of them were eviscerated by the swing, and another good chunk scattered and tried to run away.
I didn't follow up, waiting for the dust to settle, so to speak. I gestured with my hand, removing the shield I placed around us so the other two wouldn't be affected to much.
The ground still rumbled, the floating chunks of rock falling off into the abyss, and molten slag drifted off into the distance.
My Sword returned to the sky, hovering over the area.
I took bated steps forward towards the target of my ire, having escaped death from the first attack.
He looked haggard, hand held out as he threw up several defensive spells. Half his body was completely scorched, and part of his arm was missing. Even if my attack was mostly aimed at the construct, he had been caught up in the main blow and suffered heavily.
Could he have defended better? I would say so if he was boasting about being a Satan Class Devil, but for some reason he just seemed to have his head so far up his own ass. That or he wasn't quite at the level he was boasting about.
"H-h-how….." He stuttered, out, his throat seemed to have been burned quite heavily. "S-summon that thing…"
Yeah, the people in this world seemed to emphasis pure strength in almost everything. Intertwining concepts closer to the surface wasn't something most people would bother with when you can just pump something up further.
Why create a spell that can apply some kind of conceptual destruction to a mountain when you can just train up to punch said mountain out of existence?
A crude explanation, but for some reason it's a logic that's normalized here.
The true monsters were those who combine both.
But I digress.
"Shouldn't have threatened my daughter." I was about to command my sword once more to finish him, but another idea popped up into my head. Instead, I threw a handful of sealing Talismans at him, binding him up nice and tight before dragging him back to where Venelana stood.
She seemed to be in a stupor of some sort, still staring at the tree above us. It was only when I tossed him at her feet did she break from it.
"So, quick question." I grabbed her attention. "This guy, you seem to know him?" I only knew vague details.
"He is the brother of my daughter in law." She confirmed.
"Hates your…..son with a passion I assume?"
"The intensity matches the sun."
"Bit of a sis-con?"
"In the same way that the ocean is a bit wet." She deadpanned.
Ah, good I wasn't misinterpreting his words when speaking of his sister.
"So that just makes it even worse then." I tapped my chin. "And I assume being handed over to the one he refers as the usurper would be – "
"A fate worse than death." She beamed happily.
"Well, my day just got a lot better." I perked up, opening a portal to my home. The Tree above us dissipated at a visible speed, returning to its base composition of Magical Energy and scattering to the void. "Shall we go?" I offered, retrieving all my effects as Sir Wiggles clamped down tightly on my head.
She took one last look around, still somewhat shocked at what she had just witnessed before turning back to me. "We shall." She stepped through without a second thought.
I followed behind within the same breath, pulling the idiot along with me. I detested the idea of taking him into my home, but I had no where to store a living person.
My only consolation was that he must be in excruciating pain.
"Are we in Japan?" Venelana questioned.
"Kyoto." I replied without much fuss. "The Sub Dimension that houses the Youkai under Yasaka. I opened a path, you can Teleport to the underworld now, should be much easier than trying to teleport out of the Dimensional Gap."
A spell circle appeared under her feet and I raised an eyebrow at the speed in which she actualized it.
She quirked a smile when she noticed my expression. "You don't survive the Great War without being able to run away on short notice." A small laugh escaped her lips before she calmed down. "On behalf the Gremory Family, I sincerely thank you for what you've done."
"I didn't do it for the Gremory Family." I waived my hand flippantly.
"I could guess as much." She nodded. "However, I thank you regardless. I don't know what I would do if something happened to my Grandson."
"…..he's my half-brother, y'know. It's not like I'd want to see him in that kind of situation." I let out a sigh, rubbing my eyes. I still don't know how to feel about everything, but I couldn't just leave him to that kind of fate. "Just…you should probably head back. Regardless of anything I feel I have towards them, I doubt his parents want to be without him for any extra length of time."
If there was anything I could sympathize with them for, it would be their love for their son. I know how frantic I would be if it was Kunou in the same situation. By no means do I have any desire to associate with them, but as a new parent, I couldn't help but feel bad. But that's pretty much as far as my feeling extended.
"Oh, and take this thing with you." I kicked the idiot into her Teleportation Circle.
"Hmm." She appeared to ponder something. "After I settle matters, will you allow me to return?" She asked.
"...you want to come back?"
"You said you got my letter, is it wrong that I want to speak to my other Grandson?" She had a warm smile on her face. "I have many things I want to say to you, things I think you deserve to hear."
"Whatever." I shrugged. I already came this far, and I intended for to meet with her before the whole kidnapping thing. "I'll leave a path for you to Teleport back. Anyone else and I'll consider them an intruder." I placed a hand on Millicas, removing the Runes. I'm sure they'd be able to handle something like this with their own resources.
The Teleportation circle under her lit up as I stepped back.
"I'll settle some things and be back in a few hours." She once more smiled towards me as the teleportation actualized. "At the very least, I think you deserve a special reward." And with that, she disappeared with the idiot and my Half Brother.
Wondered what she meant by that, I didn't really care to get anything.
***
Hurricane passed and i'm still whole and healthy.
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