I moved Mirage up to deflect a blow from Scáthach's spear as it narrowly missed me. She followed up by swiping its bottom at my side and I was forced to bring my sword down to block it, but the force sent me sliding across the ground a few feet before coming to a stop.
She took steady steps towards me, each one measured as her spear leveled towards my eyes and thrust it with enough speed that I had to jerk my body and twist in an awkward way to dodge.
A flurry of spears continued to assault me, each one slowly increasing in speed that I continued to block and deflect.
Finally, she managed to hook my blade with her spear and force it from my hand, sending it sailing off to the side and gently, the bottom of her spear poked my chest. "If this was a real fight, I would have taken your heart, student."
I let out a sigh, admitting defeat. "You can't take what already belongs to you." I shot a cheeky grin her way.
She rolled her eyes with an amused smile but reached over and lightly pulled on my cheek. "You mind is elsewhere."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Who do you think I am?" She raised an eyebrow, fetching my sword and tossing it back at me. "How do you feel?"
"Hmm, not bad" I stretched my arms. I always enjoyed our little workouts, even if they weren't always the most intense. Specifically, this time, I wasn't using anything beyond my basic physical strength. "I think I got the hang of my new strength though." I said flexing my hands.
"Mmm, it is noticeable but not something unusual. You have a firmer foundation to build upon now at the very least."
Yeah, an increase in my base self was an upward multiplicative increase across the board with the other things I had going on. I would never say no to a costless strength boost as it were.
"I appreciate you helping though. I wanted to see where I stood with just that little bit added on."
"I am always here to assist student." She spun her spear, stabbing it into the ground. "However, that is not all you have for a showing, is it not?" She quirked a smile.
I scratched my head and relented. "My new Authority, its true power requires certain conditions, but there is something I can do without them being met.
From my shadow, a gigantic hand emerged and grabbed hold of Her, lifting her up off the ground.
She looked down at me from a dozen or so feet in the air with a chuckle she pried herself free and touched the dirt below. "Interesting, student. That is a very practical and beneficial ability. I assume it is not limited to a mere hand."
"I can generate a shadow avatar of the God I defeated. It's not…..unprecedently strong, but it's a good tool to add to my arsenal." And that wasn't getting into the effect that I required certain conditions to meet to utilize.
Though it had an extreme counter towards fire and sun related abilities. Which is why Hanuman was able to stop the arrow released from the Bow as the origin is the authority of a sun god.
"I look forward to seeing it truly unveiled in battle." She spoke happily. "For now, a continued spar is pointless. If your mind is focused elsewhere, then you will not gain anything."
"I'm sorry." I apologized with a small smile.
"Your worries are understandable." She quickly closed the distance between us and grabbed my cheeks before placing her lips on mine for a quick kiss. "Our time has ended regardless. You have other duties to attend to."
Izzy had come by and was waiting at the side, and she wasn't the only one.
"Daddy!" Kunou came running over to me and I quickly opened my arms to accept her into a hug.
"And here's the Birthday girl." I swung her around. "How old are you now? 5? 6?"
She puffed up cutely. "I'm 11, I'm not a baby anymore."
"You'll always be my little fox." I kissed her forehead.
"Did you get me a present?" She asked so bluntly.
I chuckled and rubbed her head. "A present, what for?"
"My birthday!"
"You're supposed to give presents on birthdays?" I faked surprise.
"Don't make her cry." Scáthach quickly came in, pinching my cheek again. "Don't worry lass, I have a present you will enjoy."
"Auntie is better than daddy." Kunou pouted.
"Yes, I am much better, aren't I?" Scáthach laughed. "Now, off you go. We must prepare for your celebration."
Well, it wasn't much of a surprise, rather obvious as well.
"Are you ready to go?" Izzy asked. "It was abrupt, but I managed to convince him of the importance."
"Yeah, let's quickly do this. I feel anxious enough that I don't want to put it off if I can help it." Well, mixing business and pleasure did leave a sour taste in my mouth, but it's not like Kunou would just be sitting in a corner somewhere.
"We will be prepared for your return." Scáthach said again with a rare hint of gentleness as she gazed at us.
"Bye Auntie Scáthach." Kunou waived as I created a portal at Izzy's beckoning.
The air around us shifted quickly as the harsh, deathly air of the Underworld took over.
I staved off the oppressive feeling from Kunou rather easily and our hosts were there upon our arrival.
"Hades." I greeted.
"Mr. Schweinorg." He politely returned. "I believe I don't need to introduce my associate, but considering it's our first meeting, I will do so anyways. Thanatos wanted to meet you." He gestured to the second 'person' at his side.
Thanatos, the Primordial of Death, son of Nyx, the night itself.
He was a good two feet above Hades in height with a rather slim build. His body was black, almost like it was partly made of fabric, and his face was covered in a strange pale mask with only his eyes and mouth visible. And from his back sprouted two wings that at first glance seemed to be made of feathers, but that seemed to not be accurate as if they were solid extensions and not a culmination of many feathers together. Almost like they were crystalline in shape.
"Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, at your service." I was also polite.
Manners cost you nothing and they can gain you everything.
The Primordial tilted his head and seemed to smile lightly.
"Don't mind him, he rarely speaks." Hades was quick to answer for him.
"I like your wings." Kunou spoke up, looking at the large being.
Thanatos looked at Kunou strangely and his smile spread. Truthfully, I may have been concerned in any other situation but….well, I felt a rather gentle aura from him.
He slowly and gently reached out his hand and patted Kunou on the head.
Many people don't seem to understand that Death isn't a destructive or evil force.
At its core, it's a gentle embrace.
"Hello Thanatos, it's been a while." Izzy also spoke up and Thanatos nodded in her direction. "And Hades, it feels like I've seen you more in this past year than the last few centuries combined."
"Yesh, I wonder why that is." He drawled, looking at me.
I set Kunou down. "Thank you for agreeing with everything. I know this is an odd request and abrupt meeting…"
Hades let out a sigh. "I understand that mortals feel the need to rush." He flipped his hand through the air. "I merely hope that it's worth having to force an opening in my schedule." He then clapped his hands and the ground shook as a three headed dog came barking over the horizon.
Cerberus looked ecstatic to greet everyone as Hades rubbed his snoot. "Cerberus, would you be so kind as to watch over the young lady? I heard that she's particularly fond of giving good boys lots of attention."
The three headed dog looked across us and all its eyes landed on Kunou and lowered its heads to match her height.
"So big!" Kunou threw her arms open at the first head and they seemed to accept her rather quickly.
I had Izzy message Hades and ask him permission to bring Kunou so she can play with Cerberus for a little bit while we have a quick meeting.
Figure she would enjoy it and it would give us an hour or two to cover the important stuff.
I let Sir Wiggles and Lady Wiggles out to join them.
Hades had a rare smile as he looked at them. "Come, Thanatos will watch over them and make sure she does not go where she's not supposed to." He put a passing hand on my shoulder. "He is good with children, he often watched over mine when they were still young."
I quickly grabbed at Kunou's tail to get her attention. "Behave yourself while Daddy has a quick chat with his friend, alright? Thanatos is in charge."
"I'll be good." She promised.
I looked up and Thanatos silently met my gaze, I gave him a thankful nod and I followed along with Hades and Izzy to our secret location as Hades forced our arrival through his Divine Power.
In our secretive room where we plot, Odin was already there, waiting. "So, the gang's all gathered."
"Odin."
"Brat." Odin returned. "And the cougar."
Izzy's lips twitched. "I heard you went to Olympus."
Odin's grin immediately fell, and he let out a groan. Funny enough, Hades also raised a hand, covering his face.
"Please don't mention that it was a headache for me as well." The God of the Underworld sighed.
"How bad was it?"
"Could have been worse." Odin shrugged. "You know how the song and dance goes, Zeus puffs his chest, I call his bluff. We make threats at each other."
"Atleast for now, he is…. placated." Hades forced out. "Though, I fear it is only a temporary measure. Zeus is very paranoid; he simply won't accept other's words or threats. Especially with Father now walking 'free' upon the Norse Realms, he is even more on edge."
"Any issue with Atalanta and Achilles?"
Hades' lips thinned. "I told him that their souls were still safe and sound in Elysium, which is not a lie."
They both expressed wanting to visit their 'home'….and I wasn't in a position to deny their request. It was going to come out eventually, and they more than deserved the chance to meet certain people they missed.
I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
"How's Asgard doing?"
"About the same. It's only been a few days." Odin snorted, stretching his back. "Though the way I've been bouncing around various factions trying to calm people down, it sure feels longer."
"I share the sentiment." I've bounced around a few worlds now and it really does feel like Asgard was…months ago.
"Enough of the pleasantries, I'm very busy and I did not anticipate this meeting, so I was forced to push some of my work off. I want to know what was so important that both yourself and Izanami were adamant about this gathering." Hades finally cut straight to the point.
"Did you hear any news form the Vatican?" I asked.
Hades, while not upset or in a mood, visibly calmed down. "Merely some words that there was a disturbance."
"That was me, or rather, an extension of my presence there. And before you ask, I was invited. But to make matters short, I accidently tripped a….seal that was under Saint Peter's Basilica. The Presence in Pandora's Box resonated with it and broke the seal, releasing a wisp of power from the same source. It nearly caused the Archangel Gabriel to fall. But that's beside the point, I hurried over to visit Pandora to see if she could gleam anything from it." I paused for a moment catching my breath and letting my words settle in. "Have you heard of the Apocalypse Beast – Trihexa?"
Hades's expression stiffened and even Odin seemed to tense up.
"Are you positive about this?" Odin asked.
"I agree with the All-Father, that is not a name to throw around unless you're absolutely certain."
"I take it you're both familiar?"
"Familiar, I suppose you could say that. The name isn't new, it's been called many things based on the region of the world. But the thing is…..no one thought it was real until now. "
"What do you mean no one 'thought it was real'?" I was finding out about this for the first time now. I mean sure, the whole idea of the Beast was in the bible, and I knew the story, but…..that was an entirely different thing. They would be the ones to know these types of things.
"It is speculated…" Hades held up his hand. "That the prophecies of destruction. The inevitable ends, the stories of each faction's death can be traced back to a singular source. It was merely a rumor and there had been no indication of its truth. Think about it this way, in the myths and stories of mortals when talking about various factions, can you name a single one that has a 'happily ever after'?"
Now that he said that I couldn't.
Sure, there were plenty that didn't outright mention an end like the Norse's Ragnarök, like the Greeks that was more vague such as the prophecy of Zeus being overthrown or the Gigantomachia and things like that.
I pursed my lips and really thought about it. "Not directly responsible for destruction, not Surtr carrying out his prophesized role, you're talking about the concept of civilization destruction. Something seeped into the core of the world that no Faction can escape an 'apocalypse'."
"In a manner of speaking." Hades nodded. "As I said, it was merely a whimsical speculation."
"This is assuming that we are to believe the source." Odin also added. "I am likely to accept it out of goodwill, but this is something that needs…verification."
"Agreed." Hades' eyes glowed briefly. "This is no longer a matter about resurrecting the Biblical God, this has escalated far beyond. Tracing back the origins of the Box, it was in Loki's hands and my Father's hands and the connection there is the Khaos Brigade. Is that their true goal then? To….unleash this monstrosity on the world?"
"Did you not know anything while you were there?"
Hades shook his head. "They were…careful about the dissemination of information. I also did not care about their overt goals as it did not seem substantial at the time. Izanami, what are your thoughts?"
"I can understand your reservations, even hearing it myself I am…concerned. And I know you are not one to take things so easily even from myself. Wilhelm also has someone else that can verify the information if you are willing."
Hades tapped the table infront of us. "Adding a new person to our group, that's what you're suggesting in this."
"To be honest, he was able to guess the existence of this 'group' from a short meeting I had with him." I smiled wryly.
Hades frowned. "You're not one to reveal things, so I can only assume it was done through logical deduction. The clues are there, even if they're not easily alignable to the vast majority of people."
"Alright, just pull off the bandage. Who had the big brains to deduce our little secret get togethers, hmm?"
"Zekram Bael." I just blurted it out. "He invited me down to talk because Rizevim Lucifer paid him a visit, having been oddly interested in me. He wanted to warn me, of course, but he was able to gleam some things from my reactions and was able to guess about our association."
Hades let out a long groan. "Devils. Always the Devils, isn't it? Atleast it isn't one of the annoying ones."
"There are non-annoying Devils to you?" Izzy snorted.
"Yes, I much prefer the ones who are quiet and have no need to be uppity brats. I am aware of who Zekram Bael is, I have folders of documents and information on him like most entities in the world." Hades tapped the table with increased fervor as he clearly was thinking deeply. "A long time ago while the war still raged, I met the origin of your bloodline. Him and his cohorts found themselves on my wrong side as they wound up in my Underworld. I was not involved in their petty squabbles, so it was obviously an error that they appeared in my territory. The first thing that Devil did upon seeing me was admit the fault was only his own and offered his head as recompose and asked for his followers' survival."
"Did you kill him?" Odin asked.
Hades gave him a rather dry look. "I admit it took me by surprise at that point in time. Even with my hatred of Devils, the Devils back then were significantly worse. I asked him why he was willing to sacrifice himself for his fellow devils. He simply told me that it was his pride as a King."
I think I understood Zekram a little more at this point.
He was ruthless and pragmatic, but he wasn't without his own pride or honor. He would, without hesitation, send his family and friends, those who trusted and even those he cherished to their deaths if it was a worthy cause in his eyes. But at the same time, if he fucked up, he would also willingly pay the price just as he expected from everyone else around him.
"I of course found it utterly hilarious that this pathetic Devil was before me claiming with full seriousness that he had the Pride of a King. I spared him and his, as they were not there intentionally. Though, I had to punish them, I let Cerberus chase them out." Hades had a little smile on his face. "I don't trust the devils in their promises, but I will trust in their arrogance. I assume you are waiting for my permission, bring him."
Well, Hades was right, I was waiting for permission and was already in contact with Zekram.
A portal opened up next to me and the Devil walked out.
"Ah, so it was rather close to what I anticipated." Zekram Bael noted upon seeing the room. "I admit, I was on the fence if it was the Greeks or the Hindus."
"Do you really think Indra and I would willingly work together like this?" I raised an eyebrow.
The Bael progenitor shrugged. "It would have been a rather devilish red herring if it turned out true." He had a little smirk. "Lord Odin, Lord Hades, and Lady Izanami." He greeted around the room.
"Zekram Bael." Hade's voice had a subtle air of authority to it and a certain pressure weighed down. "Tell me, do you still have the Pride of a King."
"That question is the same as if asking if I am still alive, Lord Hades." Zekram merely smiled.
"Still arrogant." Hades snorted, releasing the pressure. "If It comes to light that you reveal things you should not, your Satans will not stop me from taking your soul."
"Your stance is noted."
Well balls on Zekram, not many people can stand so nonplussed under the intense gaze of Hades.
"Alright, if you're done waiving your dicks at each other, back to the important bits." Odin interrupted them. "The brat says that you're in his corner regarding the Trihexa. I would very much like to know what you know."
"What I can say is limited I am….under an oath that doesn't allow much information to pass my lips. I can verify that it does exist, and I believe that the bratty son of my former Liege is intent on releasing it from its seal."
"Its seal?" Hades questioned.
"Do you truly believe the Biblical God would die to the original Satans?" Zekram Bael raised an eyebrow. "Just food for thought."
Hades frowned and we all seemed to consider what he said.
"There are a lot of things we're still in the dark about." I crossed my arms. "We're playing catch up and the Khaos Brigade is several steps ahead of us."
"More than you possibly know. One thing I can say is that there are plenty of seals around the world. Their locations and numbers are unknown to me." Zekram stated.
"Yes….he mentioned the Vatican." Hades rubbed his chin. "That makes sense. The Biblical God must have known much more than us. He created Seals to prevent the beast from expanding its influence directly into the world, that is the only certainty that comes to my mind when mentioning something as small as you experienced in the Vatican."
"We have to be careful about how we investigate." Odin spoke up after a moment of silence. "Our advantage right now is that they don't know that we know."
"Well, one of our advantages." I whispered.
"We must prepare for the worse case scenario." Hades said solemnly. "It's making sense now; the flow of the world has changed drastically in recent times. It's as if war was going to erupt."
"You're not the first one I heard that from in recent days." Odin frowned. "I have a few people I can reach out to and tell them to subtly start preparing. Asgard can amass without concern under the guise of rebuilding."
"I have already begun. The Underworld is not as defenseless as many may assume." Zekram Bael stated.
"Our original goal now takes precedence." Hades stated.
He's right, if the Biblical God has a hand in containing the beast originally, then it's very important that we accelerate the timetable for his revival.
"Original goal?" Zekram asked.
"Do you remember when I asked you how you would feel if the Biblical God was still alive?" I responded.
It only took Zekram a moment to contemplate what I meant by that, and then he started laughing.
[***]
A stark contrast to the tense discussion I was having with the others just a bit prior with adding Zekram to our little 'group'.
I had Kunou on my shoulders while she was finishing off an ice cream cone at a place we stopped at to kill a bit more time.
I was stressed…not overburdened like I was previously, but this kind of pressure wasn't something that was going to disappear for a little while.
Just another thing to add onto the pile of stuff to worry about.
But I had reliable allies that were all working towards the same goal. We had to be careful and quiet about our movements, if our enemies found out what we were doing, they may decide that it's better for them to just tip their hands completely and not give us time to properly set up.
From the sharing of information, it's rather obvious that the Khaos Brigade has plants in every faction to a substantial degree. To the point where every faction would be enveloped in their own war just like how the Norse were with Ragnarök.
Our little 'ploy' with shifting the blame onto Indra way back when is just evidence of that with how quickly the dissidents in the Hindu faction were quick to throw a punch at Indra when given the opportunity.
There wasn't much I could personally do at this time, and besides, I was about to be enveloped in my own War along with Yasaka and the Youkai.
Once we send off Kunou to Hogwarts, a mere few days after her birthday, we were going to announce that the timetable had moved up and we were preparing our assault.
Oh, the rage had died down, which was Yasaka's intention, but instead of a raging flame, it was a simmer that could reignite with the right fuel.
But that was in the future.
I forced those thoughts away for the last time we would be together as a family for quite awhile as I approached our home.
"Happy birthday!" A Chorus of voices rang out as we opened the first door.
Kunou happily jumped off my shoulders and squealed happily. Everyone was here, from my girls to Rin to Medea and her Fiancé. Even Thorum was present along with the Servants from the Grail War. And not far from us, even Gramps was standing there with Lucretia.
Oh dear, Scáthach was holding Gae Bolg. It was not her Gae Bolg and it certainly wasn't mine.
It also had a bow wrapped around it.
…..this was going to be an interesting birthday party.
[***]
A/N
If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
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