1282 Kazo ls Life! Kazo ls Love!
"Will, let's go to the Second Layer now!" Erinys barged inside William's room with an excited look on her face.
The Half-Elf was currently drying his hair with a towel, while the rest of his body was laid bare for the Halfling to see, even so Erinys' didn't bat an eye and held onto his hand while swinging it left and right.
"Hurry up! We need to get to the second layer now, Lord Kazo is having a concert!" Erinys said with a determined look on her face.
"But I still need twenty thousand Hell Credits to go up the Second Layer," William replied as he continued to dry his hair with his free hand.
He didn't even bother to cover his body because Erinys didn't seem to care even though he was naked in front of her. The HalfLing just kept swinging his hand like a spoiled child who wanted to be taken to the amusement park.
"It's fine!" Erinys commented. "I will lend you twenty-thousand Hell Credits. But, this is only a one time deal. I am just making an exception once because Lord Kazo will be performing today."
"Lord Kazo?"
"Un! I'm his biggest fan! I plan to ask him for an autograph today after his show. Their group will be playing first in today's performance."
William didn't know who this Lord Kazo was, but he didn't plan on complaining because Erinys was going to give him the credits he needed to buy the ticket to the second layer. Since that was the case, he simply nodded his head.
"Great!" Erinys patted William's waist. "I'll wait for you outside. Hurry up, okay?"
"Okay," William replied as he continued to dry his body with his bath towel.
Erinys left the room and firmly closed the door behind her.
However, a few seconds after leaving William's room, the doll-like beauty's face immediately became as red as a tomato as she covered her face with both of her hands.
In fear that William would discover her current state of embarrassment, she hurriedly went to her room in order to calm herself down. That was the first time she had seen the body of a naked guy at close range.
Fortunately, she was very good when it came to having a poker face, so she was able to keep her calm until she left William's room.
'I should have knocked first,' Erynis thought after taking shelter inside her room. 'I see. So that was what a naked guy looked like. It's bigger than I thought.'
While the little Halfling was recalling everything she saw when she entered William's room, the Half-Elf had finished drying himself off and had put on his clothes.
He had estimated that he would still need two days in order to reach his goal, but since Erinys' favorite performer was about to have a concert, he managed to get a free pass two days ahead of schedule.
Half an hour later, Erinys took William to the Underworld Exchange Commission, so he could buy the ticket that would allow him to go to the Second Layer to watch Lord Kazo's performance.
—–
Second Circle of the Underworld, Living a Hella Loca…
"Hurry up!" Erinys dragged William impatiently as she marched towards a giant stadium in the distance.
Giant spotlights were shining down on it, making it stand out from the Hellish Flames that surrounded it.
"Now, this is something I don't get to see everyday," William muttered as he walked with firm steps towards the stadium that he didn't expect to see in the Underworld.
Four long lines of souls could be seen at the entrance of the Stadium that extended for miles. Clearly, the person named Lord Kazo was very popular in the Underworld, making almost everyone in the Second Layer come to see his concert.
Just thinking of joining that long queue made the Half-Elf frown. However, Erinys ignored the line and walked to the side of the Stadium with the "Nothing can stop me" expression on her face.
At the side of the stadium, there was a gate that two Giant Ogres guarded. Although the gate was open, no soul dared to enter it, in fear that they would get clobbered by the two giant monsters, who served as the security guards for the Concert Hall.
"Halt!" one of the Giant Ogres shouted. He looked down at the two people with an intimidating gaze, making them understand that this was a restricted area. "The ticket booth is over there. Line up properly if you don't want to get hurt."
Erinys ignored the Ogres warning and took out the badge of the Ferryman of the Underworld. The doll-like beauty gave the Ogre a "Step aside Plebeian" glare, making the latter flinch.
After making sure that the badge Erinys showed them was authentic, the two were able to pass the gate without any trouble. The Ogres even became polite and addressed Erinys as Young Miss, and William, Young Sir.
"Did you see that?" Erinys glanced at William with a smug-look on her adorable face. "I'm amazing, right? As long as I have this badge, nothing can stop me from going where I want!"
"Yes. You were amazing," William replied. "Can I also get a badge like that?"
After seeing how the badge made the Ogres change their attitude towards them, William thought that acquiring it would save him a lot of trouble.
He didn't know if his wives were located in restricted areas of the Underworld, so having the badge would definitely help him bypass certain places that were guarded by the officers of the Underworld.
"You wish!" Erinys chuckled when she heard William's words. "Not just anyone can acquire the Ferryman badge. Only those that have done meritorious services in the Underworld can get it."
"Oh? So you were able to do something great? Pray tell what you did in order to get that badge."
"That's a secret. Sorry, but I am under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). I am not allowed to tell anyone how I got this badge."
The Halfling stuck out her tongue at William before letting go of his hand. She then ran towards the very front seats of the concert hall, near the stage, and sat on a pink chair that seemed to have been reserved just for her.
William sat on the chair beside her, and crossed his arms as he looked at the stage.
panda (nov)el Right now, the stage was dark, and nothing could be seen on it. Even his Dark Vision couldn't penetrate the darkness.
Half an hour later, most of the seats of the Concert Hall had been occupied.
William was surprised because he had only taken his eyes off the Halfling for less than a minute and the latter was already wearing a pink jacket, and holding two glow sticks in her hands.
She also had a white bandana with the words "I love Kazo!", with a heart in its center, on it.
"President, you are already here!"
A cheerful voice called out from behind Erinys, and the latter turned her head and looked at her comrades with excitement.
"Haha! Of course I am here!" Erinys said as she raised her head arrogantly. "Girls, the time has come to give our Lord our support. We must not fail him!"
"Of course! How can we possibly not give our support to Lord Kazo? Kazo is life! Kazo is love!"
William blinked once then twice as he looked at over a dozen pangolins of different sizes. Some were as tall as a meter, while the others were only a foot tall.
All of them were wearing pink jackets, and already holding glow sticks in both of their claws. Just like Erinys, they also had the white bandana on their heads with the "I love Kazo" logo imprinted on it.
Before the Half-Elf could even ask Erinys the question that popped inside his head, the lights of the stadium suddenly turned off, leaving everyone in complete and utter darkness.
The chattering and murmuring inside the Concert Hall immediately stopped, as everyone, with the exception of William, waited with bated breath for the start of the Concert.
Suddenly, a single ray of light shot towards the center of the stage, illuminating a rainbow-colored Anteater wearing sunglasses, and clothes that were similar to what Elvis Presley wore during his performances.
"Good evening, everyone!"
Thunderous cheers and applause immediately reverberated inside the Concert Hall, making the entire venue tremble.
"""Lord Kazo!"""
"""Lord Kazo!"""
"""Lord Kazo!"""
"""Lord Kazo!"""
"""Lord Kazo!"""
William, who was looking up at the stage, had the "I knew it" expression on his face because he had somehow connected the dots.
"Thank you all for applauding," Kazogonaga said as it smiled at the people that had come to watch its concert. "My friend is still in the toilet, you prolonging this concert will help him finish his business. But, for now, let's not talk about him because it might make this place stink!"
The audience laughed at the rainbow-colored Anteater's joke, while Erinys' and the Pangolins behind her started to cheer and wave their glow sticks happily.
The black-haired teenager smiled as he looked at his dear companion, who seemed to be enjoying his life in the underworld. At the start, he wasn't interested in watching the concert.
But now, he was looking forward to seeing what kind of performance the rainbow-colored Anteater was planning on giving in front of the millions of souls who had come to see the concert, and watch the Deity of the Sky give them a show that they would never forget.
1283 Lord Kazos l Am Rolling!
Five minutes later, several more lights shone on the rainbow colored Anteater, and his band members.
They were the popular upstarts of the Underworld, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they had taken the Second Layer of the Underworld by storm.
The drummer of their band was a Minotaur, their guitarist was a Demonic Dog with one eye, and the Pianist was a Goblin Paladin.
"The song I am going to sing tonight is a very special one," Kasogonaga said. "It is our latest single, I Am Rolling!, so make sure to purchase the original copy after this concert is over. It is very cheap. Only a hundred Hell Credits per copy. The first one hundred copies of this are signed, but they cost ten thousand Hell Credits each. Grab one while supplies last."
Erinys and the Pangolins all clenched their fists. They planned to take all 100 of Kasogonaga's latest single and make sure that everyone in the "We Love Kazo" fanclub got one no matter what.
After hyping the crowd to buy his latest album, Kasogonaga glanced at his comrades and gave them a brief nod.
Erchitu tapped his drumsticks over his head three times, signaling that the performance was about to start.
Everyone quieted down as they waited for the rainbow-colored Anteater to begin his performance.
Using a mellow voice, Kasogonaga began to sing the first lines of his latest single, I Am Rolling!
(A/N: You can sing this song using the tune of American Pie, or The Saga Begins by Weird Al.)
—–
"A long, long time ago, I can still remember, when the Humans were under an attack," Kasogonaga sang while having a pained look on his face. "And I knew if I had my chance, I can make those people dance, and maybe, they'd be happy for a while."
The strumming of the guitars increased the solemnity of the song, making the readers feel as if their heartstrings were being plucked.
——
"But the Elven Goddess' response didn't thrill us.
She nocked her bow and tried to kill us.
We escaped from that hag, but I fell down in Fort Nazz…
I can't remember if I cried,
When I was sealed in a block of ice.
But something touched me deep inside…
The day I met… this boy."
———
, Suddenly, the piano and the drums came to life as Kasogonaga sang the Chorus of the song.
——–
I am Rolling~
My~ My~ this red-headed guy~
Maybe Dark Prince someday later, now he's just a small fry~
He died in his world, and said to his beloved goodbye~
Wishing he and her would be under the same sky.
Wishing he and her would be under the same sky~
——
The corners of William's lips twitched after hearing the chorus of the song. He didn't expect that the rainbow-colored Anteater was singing a song based on what was not only exclusive to him, but himself as well.
——
Right after the chorus ended, the song became very lively, as the upbeat music of the piano, guitar, and drums, accompanied by Kasogonaga's cheerful voice, made the crowd wave their joysticks happily as they listened to its song.
——
"Did you know the truth of love?
And do you have faith in the Gods above?
If your bestfriend Est tells you so~
Now do you believe in rick and roll?
Can Wendy heal your mortal soul,
And can Ashe teach you how to dance real slow~"
—
The Anteater shook its hips as the music intensified, making Erinys' and the I love Kazo Fansclub wave their joysticks more vigorously.
—–
"Well I know that Acedia is in love with him,
Cause the two were snu-snuing in Alfheim~
The two went off the roof~
And he made her a promise or two.
He then met Chiffon in a garbage dump.
And the girl was hungry and could eat a truck.
William my boy was out of luck
The day he met his loli wife."
*Chorus*
"I am Rolling~
My~ My~ this red-headed guy~
Maybe Dark Prince someday later, now he's just a small fry~
He died in his world, and said to his beloved goodbye~
Wishing he and her would be under the same sky."
——-
William covered his face with both of his hands because the rainbow-colored Anteater was basically singing his life story for everyone to hear. He didn't know if the feeling that was bubbling inside his chest was embarrassment, or the strong urge to go to the stage and strangle Kasogonaga, who was singing his heart's out.
—–
"Now for several years we've been on our own
And my scales are harder due to my rolling zone.
But that's not how it used to be.
So William went to the Demon Realm,
In a name he borrowed from the Hospital's Dean
And a voice that came from you and me~"
—–
"Oh, the Demons was impressed, of course
They thought he could bring balance to the Horde.
They went and followed the kid,
And that's one big gamble they did."
"Because the Demon Clans had so much fear
But William said "Now listen here."
Just stick it in your demon ears,
I will~ become the Demon Lord~"
—–
*Chorus*
"I am Rolling~
My~ My~ this red-headed guy~
Maybe Dark Prince someday later, now he's just a small fry~
He died in his world, and said to his beloved goodbye~
Wishing he and her would be under the same sky."
—–
The lively music then became mellow, as Kasogonaga once again had a pained expression on its face, completely reversing the happy mood that everyone had earlier.
——
"We then went to the Ancient Ruins,
Cause William and Celine wanted to…
I frankly would've liked to stay."
——
Kasogonaga paused for a brief moment before continuing the rest of the song.
—–
"Then we all fought in that epic war,
And it wasn't long at all before.
Our William fought to save the day~"
—–
"In the end, some Shadow Demons died.
Some demons blew up, and they were fried.
A lot of our friends were croaking,
The King's Legion was broken…"
"And the Demonic Dog I admire the most…
Met up with Princess Iron Fan and he got toast
Well, we're still here and she's… a Thot.
But still… we lost… that war…
—–
With a tearful voice Kasogonaga continued the last verse of the song, as the rest of his band members joined him to sing the chorus.
—–
"I am Rolling~
My~ My~ this red-headed guy~
Maybe Dark Prince someday later, now he's just a small fry~
He died in his world, and said to his beloved goodbye~
Wishing he and her would be under the same sky~"
—-
The rainbow-colored Anteater slowly waved its paw left and right, and the rest of the audience also slowly waved the glowsticks in their hands in response to their Lord Kazo's tearful voice.
The audience then sang along with him because they already knew that they just needed to repeat the chorus for the finale.
—–
"""We Were rolling…"""
"""My~ My~ this red-headed guy~"""
"""Maybe Dark Prince someday later, now he's just a small fry~"""
"""He died in his world, and said to his beloved goodbye~"""
"""Wishing he and her would be under the same sky~"""
""Wishing we and him would be under the same sky~"""
——
The song finally ended and another thunderous round of applause and cheering shook the entire venue.
William who was watching his friends on the stage didn't notice the tears that had slid down the sides of his face. He had seen through his Sea of Consciousness how desperate his friends had fought in order to buy some time to allow him and the others to escape.
Ella, Elliot, Conan, Kasoganaga, Erchitu, Jareth, and many more, sacrificed their lives in order to allow him to escape. Back then, he cried tears of blood as he watched the deaths of everyone he cared for, and who cared for him in return.
They had indeed lost that war, and through it, William had also lost many things, including half of his soul.
As the loud shouts of praise from the crowd continued to reverberate inside the arena, the black-haired teenager who had come to reunite with his wives, and unexpectedly found his friends, cried silently amidst the cheers surrounding him.
Only those that had been present for the battle in the Demon Realm knew how dire the situation was. If not for the courage, and selflessness of several individuals, the Prince of Darkness might have been crushed in Ahriman's grasp before he was even born.
1284 Reunion In Living A Hella Loca
After Kasogonaga's performance, the other performers of the Underworld went onto the stage one by one.
However, none of them were able to make the crowd cheer as wildly as the rainbow-colored Anteater had.
An hour later, Erinys, as well as the members of the 'I Love Kazo' Fan Club, stormed the backstage area, using the power of her Ferryman Badge, which allowed them to completely bypass the helpless security guards along the way.
"Lord Kazo! We've come to buy all one hundred signed copies of your latest single!" Erinys shouted as she looked at the rainbow-colored Anteater that was currently drinking coconut juice, and wearing a small fedora on its head, while seated on a chair.
"Oh. Erinys, it's been a while since I've seen you," Kasogonaga smiled as soon as it saw the doll-like beauty who had proclaimed herself as its Number One Fan, and President of the 'I Love Kazo' Fan Club. "I'm glad that you were able to come to the concert."
"No matter where I am, as long as I hear that you are going to have a concert," Erinys patted her modest chest with confidence. "I will come flying! Right, girls?!"
"That's right, President!" One of the Pangolins said with a flushed look on her face. "Even if a River of Flames, or the God of Death himself stands in our way, we will endure all hardships in order to watch you perform! You have our 101% support!"
Kasogonaga chuckled after hearing the Pangolin's flattering words.
"I know that you girls feel that way, this is why I reserved all 100 of my signed copies for you girls," Kasogonaga replied as it pointed at a table that was covered with cloth.
As if waiting for that moment, Psoglav took the cloth away, and showed everyone the one-hundred CD's with Kasogonaga's signature on it.
"Lord Kazo, you're so awesome!" Erinys shouted. "I'll transfer the Hell Credits to you right now."
"Always pleasure doing business with you Erinys," Kasogonaga tipped its Fedora in her direction, making the Pangolins behind Erinys faint with love-struck eyes.
The little Halfling didn't even bother to look at her fallen comrades as she immediately secured the goods on the table in fear that some random rival fans club would suddenly barge in and steal them from her.
After securing the goods, she went back to help revive the Pangolins who had fainted from the gesture of their idol.
While this was happening, Kasogonaga's gaze was somewhat pulled towards the door of the room, where a black-haired teenager was leaning on the wall, and looking at him with a smile.
The rainbow-colored Anteater dropped the coconut in its paws as it looked at the Half-Elf in disbelief.
"W-Will?" Kasogonaga asked with a doubtful expression on its face. "Is that you?"
"It seems that you are enjoying your life here in the Underworld, Lord Kazo," William replied in a teasing voice. "I guess you like your life here more than your life on the surface."
Before William could even continue teasing the Deity of the Sky, Kasogonaga had already rolled up in a ball and flew in his direction.
When it was only a meter away from William, it unrolled itself and clung to the Half-Elf's chest while crying.
"Dammit, did Ahriman kill you as well?!" Kasogonaga asked while its tears fell down like rain. "Why did you die?! You're not supposed to die! What are you doing here?!"
Erchitu picked up the Half Elf and gave him a crushing hug, making Kasogonaga howl in pain because it was being crushed between the two of them.
Fortunately, the rainbow-colored Anteater was already dead, so it couldn't die a second time.
"Will, what happened," Psoglav asked as it patted Wiliam's leg because the Half-Elf was still being hugged by Erchitu. "Is the situation in the surface world that bad?"
Jareth had also moved towards William and waited for his reply. The four pillars that supported William's King's Legion all knew how dire the situation was before they died.
In truth, with each passing day, they feared that the Half-Elf would also appear in the Underworld. Although they missed him dearly, they didn't want to see him in the afterlife because that would mean that William had also died at Ahriman's hands.
"Don't worry, everything is already over," William replied as soon as Erchitu placed him back on the ground. "Felix is dead, and Ahriman's soul escaped to the void. We won't be seeing him anytime soon."
After hearing William's reply, Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, and Jareth, all breathed sighs of relief.
"What happened to Princess Iron Fan?" Psoglav asked. "Did you torture that b*tch?"
The Demonic Dog's words were filled with hatred as it spoke the name of the Demon that killed him and his friends.
"Yes," William replied. "I also burned half of her face with the flames of Darkness, and unless I personally heal it, her face will stay that way forever."
"That's not enough," Psoglav growled. "If only I was there I would have…"
"It's fine," William patted the Demonic Dog's shoulder. "When you get back, I'll leave her in your hands."
The Demonic Dog's eyes widened in shock after hearing WIlliam's words. "Did you bring my body?"
William nodded. Since his friends' bodies had no life left in them, he was able to store them inside his storage ring after letting them soak in the Spring of Life for a day. Their bodies were no longer stiff, but it still didn't have any heartbeats, so they were able to be stored without any problems.
"Good." Kasogonag nodded as he patted William's chest. "You did well. Actually, this is even better. Did you know that we have been collecting Hell Credits so that we can reconstruct our bodies?
"Erchitu doesn't have a body anymore, so we planned to get him a new body before we returned to the Surface World. Since you brought our bodies here, we can have them modified in order to make them stronger."
William looked at the Anteater clinging on his chest in disbelief. "You can do that?"
"Yes!" Kasogonaga replied. "Right now, we have millions of Hell Credits, and we were just about to buy bodies for ourselves, but since you brought them for us, we can just use the remaining Hell Credits for upgrades. Next time, my scales will be so hard that not even a God can destroy them with a punch!"
The rainbow-colored Anteater shook its little paw as it told William about the latest products that had been released in the God Shop.
Psoglav wanted to have eyes like a normal creature, and its single Demonic Eye would become its third eye.
Erchitu had planned to buy a hybrid body that could shift between his Normal Form and an Adamantite Form that is very resistant to magical and physical attacks.
Jareth on the other hand, planned to buy a Half-Cyborg body, with modern armaments like Plasma Cannons and lightsabers.
William chuckled after hearing the outrageous modifications that his four friends planned to make to their bodies using their Hell Credits.
While they were all chatting happily, Erinys, who had finished reviving her club members, looked at the black-haired teenager in surprise.
She didn't expect William and Lord Kazo to know each other. Just by looking at how close they were, she could tell that they had known each other for a very long time and got along well.
The Halfling had so many questions inside her head, but she also knew that now wasn't the time to ask them.
However, after thinking for a while, she decided to take the initiative to invite Lord Kazo, and his band members to have dinner with her, William, and her fans club at one of the restaurants on the Second Layer of the Underworld, to which the rainbow-colored Anteater was more than happy to accept.
William also had no problem with it, so he went along with Erinys' proposal. Half an hour later, a grand party was held at one of the VIP rooms of the restaurant called "Hell's Kitchen".
Erinys sat beside Kasogonaga and listened as William told the anteater everything that had happened in the Surface World.
As someone who had lived in the Underworld all her life, any news about the Surface World made her excited. When William said that he had fought against a Primordial God, the Halfling looked at him with contempt.
Clearly, she didn't believe that someone like William would be able to contend against a God, and she simply thought that the black-haired teenager was just bragging.
Just as she thought that Kasogonaga, and the rest of its band would laugh and ridicule William for spouting nonsense, the rainbow-colored Anteater patted William's shoulder while saying.
"You made us proud."
Erinys blinked once then twice at this unexpected reaction that, for a brief moment, she thought that it was her who didn't have any common sense.
She couldn't believe that her Idol readily believed William's words, as if the Half-Elf was incapable of lying.
Even Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth all had smiles on their faces as they listened to William's tale.
"So, you came here to find Chiffon, Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Celine," Kasogonaga rubbed its chin. "If I'm not mistaken, the Third Layer of the Underworld is called the Glutton's Paradise. If Chiffon is really here then she would certainly be there without a doubt."
William nodded his head in agreement. Erinys had told him all of the names of each layer of the Underworld. He shared the same opinion as Kasogonaga.
If Chiffon was indeed located on the next Layer of the Underworld then William had to meet her no matter what. For now, he was thinking about how to gain the Hell Credits that he would need to go to the Second Layer.
Unlike the first Layer, the lending of Hell Credits wasn't allowed on the Second Layer.
However, since Kasogonaga, Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth, had registered as a band, the Hell Credits they gained were shared between all of them, and they had the option to share them with each other.
William didn't have this option, so he was wondering how he could gain a million hell credits in order to buy the ticket that would get him to the Third Layer of the Underworld.
While the black-haired teenager and his friends were thinking, the Halfling, who had remained quiet for the duration of their talk, suddenly raised her voice in order to get William's attention.
"I know how you can earn Hell Credits here in the Second Layer," Erinys said with a mischievous smile on her face. "I just don't know if you have the guts to do it."
For some reason, William could tell that the little girl had something very mischievous planned for him. Even so, he was willing to give it a try.
As long as he could meet his wives sooner, he was willing to go to actual Hell and back, just to embrace them in his arms once again.
1285 Just A Little More,And We Can Meet
William was doing his best to keep the smile on his face as he was surrounded by several ladies in the Underworld.
He was pouring wine, and other alcoholic drinks to the glasses of the ladies that had picked him as their host for the night.
The Second Layer of the Underworld was the "Entertainment District" of the underworld. Even those from the upper Layers would often come down to the second district to watch concerts, as well as enjoy the services that were offered there.
Erinys figured out that since William had wives, he had a lot of experience with women. In the Second Layer of the Underworld, cabarets and host clubs were quite popular, so the doll-like beauty told William that if he wanted to earn Hell Credits at a very fast rate, he should just become a host.
However, what the little girl had in mind was not just an ordinary host, but the Top Host of the most famous Host Club of the Second Layer, which was called Ouran Hostclub.
"Will, do you have anyone you like among us?" one of the ladies that had her arms wrapped around William's waist asked as she looked up at him.
"I like all of you," William replied with a smile. "Would you like to order another bottle of Champagne?"
"Will you let me drink it using your lips?"
"No. But if you like, I can make you chug the entire bottle in one go."
The four ladies surrounding the black-haired teenager chuckled as they pressed their bodies against him. One beauty was hugging his head from behind, and letting it rest on her chest. Another was sitting on his lap, while tracing his lips with her fingers
Two other girls sat on his left and right, and held onto his arms, letting him feel the softness of their breasts.
If other guys had been in his position, they would certainly say that they were in Heaven, despite being in the Underworld.
Even so, despite the fact that Wiliam's arms, and head were occupied, he was still able to serve the ladies by giving them alcoholic drinks just like his job entailed. The more they spent on food and drinks, the higher his share was, and the higher his share was, the faster he would earn the Hell Credits required to buy the ticket for the Third Layer of the Underworld.
William had been trained by Lady Eros herself, so he was quite proficient in the art of seduction. However, he didn't do anything to his customers, and certainly didn't treat them like girls to be taken out for a one-night stand.
This was why, although he had a standoffish attitude when it came to the ladies who chose him as their host for the night, they could still feel that he wasn't just doing his job, but was also taking care of their needs.
"Will, do you have a girlfriend or a lover?" the beauty that was tracing William's lips asked as she lightly poked his nose. "Would you like me to become your sugar mommy?"
"Actually, I am already married," William answered. "I also have several concubines and secret mistresses."
"Hahaha. You are very funny, Will."
"Thank you for your praise. I can only stay with you girls for ten more minutes. Do you want an extension?"
"Why not? You won't be getting any sleep tonight."
"Please, let me sleep. I've been here since noon."
"Hahahaha!"
Using the power of Wind, William poured drinks into glasses and served them to the four ladies who had become his regular customers.
He had only been a host for five days, and yet he had already gained over a Hundred Thousand Hell Credits.
Although William didn't hit and touch any of his customers below the belt, his popularity at the Host Club made the other hosts treat him as their rival.
Also, because his body was normally cold if he didn't drink any blood, people thought that he was also a dead person, and not a living person who had somehow snuck into the Underworld to look for his wives.
"You're so uptight, Will," the lady seated on his lap said as she picked up the cherry from her cocktail and pressed it over William's lips. "The other hosts would have pounced on us by now, and yet, you're not doing anything to us. Are we that unattractive?"
"That's right. We want to be pampered and spoiled by you," the beauty who was hugging William's head from behind said before nibbling on his ear. "Let loose a bit, will you?"
"What are you talking about?" William arched an eyebrow. "Both of you are very attractive. Um, our chef has this new dish that was just released on our menu. Are you girls interested in tasting it? It also comes with four Cosmopolitan magazines. I'll make sure to pamper all of you if you order this set."
"Really?"
"Yes. None of you are going to get any sleep tonight."
The four ladies giggled and allowed William to order things for them. True to his word, the ladies enjoyed their night with him, and the Half-Elf had to personally take them back to their lodgings before going back to Erinys' house to sleep.
"Welcome home, Will," Erinys said as soon as she noticed William's arrival.
"Thank you," William replied.
The Halfling was wearing pajamas and holding a bag of potato chips in her hand while watching the Second Season of Squirt Games in Methflix.
It was around three in the morning, and the doll-like beauty should have been sleeping, but she had become hooked on watching the show. She would watch every episode as soon as it was aired, which coincided with the time that William's shift at the Host Club ended.
"I'll take a bath first then we can sleep afterwards. My customers spilled a few of their drinks on me."
"Un. I'll wait until you're done."
The two had been living together since William had entered the Underworld and, for some reason, he had gotten used to this usual daily routine of theirs.
pan,da n<0,>v,el Half an hour later, the door of William's room opened, and Erinys came in with a yawn. The Half-Elf who had just finished drying his hair with a towel glanced at the sleepy girl who had already climbed onto his bed.
"Will it take longer?" Erinys asked as she curled up on William's bed, covering herself with a blanket.
"Just about finished," William replied.
Two minutes later, William entered the bed in his Pajamas, and also covered himself with a blanket.
Erinys then moved closer to him and buried her face in his chest, while the Half-Elf wrapped his arms around her, holding her in an embrace.
Soon, the Halfling's sleeper breath reached William's ears. A minute later, he too, closed his eyes to sleep. It may not look like it, but he was also exhausted after dealing with his customers in the Host Club, making him fall asleep in less than a minute, while holding the soft and delicate body of the Halfling in his arms.
Erinys had told William that she was lonely living alone, so when he started living with her, the doll-like beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes, would sleep with him every night.
William didn't mind doing this because Medusa would do the same from time to time. She would come to the black-haired teenager's room and simply snuggle up to him, as if seeking someone to fend off the loneliness that she had been feeling ever since Chiffon had died in the war.
As one of the ladies in the black-haired teenager's dreams, he didn't treat Erinys coldly and, to a certain extent, would often spoil her as well. Although his relationship with her was like a caretaker, taking care of a spoiled child, the Half-Elf didn't mind making the lonely girl in his arms feel less lonely, especially during a cold night in the Underworld.
Kasogonaga and the rest, with the exception of Erchitu, had already received their bodies, and were busy modifying them using the Hell Credits that they had gained from their concerts.
But, all four understood that leaving the Underworld was not going to be an easy task for them. Unlike William who had entered the Underworld while he was still alive, Erchitu and the rest had already died.
Because of this, a special method had to be used in order for them to return to Hestia, and that would cost an exuberant amount of Hell Credits that numbered in the billions.
Unless they were able to reach this number, they would not be able to leave the Underworld because the Laws of the Dead prevented them from doing so.
They had already mentioned this matter to William, and the black-haired teenager understood that it would still take his friends some time to return to his side. However, knowing how popular Kasogonaga was in the Underworld, he believed that it wouldn't take the four of them that long to return to the Surface World.
As William feel deeper into sleep, he found himself in a familiar place that he had been in the past.
'The Deadlands?' William thought as he glanced at his surroundings.
He was currently standing on top of the Glory Shelter, and staring at the same scenery that he had seen when he first came to that strange world that floated within the void.
"Congratulations, Will."
A pair of soft and delicate hands wrapped around the Half-Elf, as the familiar voice spoke behind him.
"Just a little more, and we can meet. Make sure to take care of Erinys because she is one of the ladies that will lead you to me."
"When is the right time?" William asked without turning his head. The only thing he did was hold onto the young lady's arms that were wrapped on his waist, holding her in place.
"When the time is right."
"Stop talking in circles."
The young lady giggled, but didn't say anything else. She just rested her head against his back, feeling the coldness of his body that had been deprived of blood for many days.
"Now is not the time to meet. You still have things to do, and an angry wife to pacify. Once that is over, come and find me. I will be waiting for you."
As soon as those words were spoken, the Half-Elf turned around to look at the person whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
However, before he could even look at her, the lady behind him had already turned into countless white feathers, and flew towards the sky.
"Not yet, Will."
The mischievous voice said in a teasing manner.
It was also at that moment when the world around William disappeared.
All that was left to him was a promise of reunion, as well as a wish that needed to be fulfilled.
The image of the lady in his head also disappeared, as if it was just a fleeting dream, but her voice, as well as her touch lingered within his consciousness, making him wake up.
As soon as William opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a sleeping Erinys' who was drooling on his pajama shirt. He could no longer remember the dream he just had, but for some reason, a part of him was looking forward to meeting HER again.
The Half-Elf sighed as he set aside his dream for the time being. Using the blanket, he wiped the drool-stained face of the Halfling in his arms.
'I don't need to wait for the future,' William thought as he planted a kiss on Erinys' forehead before closing his eyes so he could return to sleep. 'It comes soon enough.'
As if responding to William's kiss, the sleeping Halfling held onto him tighter, while dreaming sweet dreams that she had never been able to dream before within the deathly prison that was called the Underworld.
1286 Follow Me And I'll Take You Flying~[Part 1]
"Welcome to the Ouran Host Club," William said as soon as he opened the door. "I will be your host for tod–"
The Half-Elf wasn't able to finish his words because as soon as he opened the door. The faces of Erinys, Kasogonaga, and two Pangolins appeared in his vision.
"Hey Will! We came to visit–"
The Half-Elf immediately closed the door before pinching the bridge of his nose. He could already tell that Erinys and Kasogonaga had come to visit him out of curiosity, and he would have no choice but to serve them as their host for the night.
As a host that was as popular as he was, his schedule was booked for an entire month. The Half-Elf had decided to accumulate as many Hell Credits as he could, even surpassing the ticket price for the Third Layer of Hell.
The reasoning for this was simple. Regardless of where he went in the Underworld, the currency that reigned supreme was Hell Credits. Since that was the case, he would just farm as many credits as he could, so he could buy the tickets for the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and perhaps even the Sixth Layer of the Underworld before he left the Second Layer.
This was the method that he had devised. Although it would take him a longer time to reunite with his wives, this was still the best method that he could use in order to meet them all without having the need to accumulate Hell Credits as he advanced to the Upper Layers of the Underworld.
To a certain extent, he already knew who his regular customers were, and had expected them to be his guests for tonight, but seeing Erinys with Kasogonaga, he understood that the doll-like beauty had used her authority as the Ferryman of the Underworld again to cut in line, and reserve him for the night.
Taking a deep breath and resigning himself to his fate, William once again opened the door and entered it with a smile.
"You bastards, just what do you think you're doing here?" William asked as he lightly pinched Erinys' cheeks making the latter flail on her chair.
"I should be the one asking you that!" Erinys replied after prying WIlliam's hand off her cheek. "Don't you know that we are customers?! Customers are always right!"
"That's right! What do you think you're doing to our President? Do you want to get fired from your job?" one of the Pangolins asked.
"Can you act in a civilized manner and not like a barbarian who just came from the countryside?" The other Pangolin supported her comrade at arms. "Can't we talk things out like proper civilized creatures?"
Kasogonaga chuckled before lightly tapping its paw on the table.
"We came here to have a good night, Will," Kasogonaga stated. "No more violence, okay?"
"Fine," William replied. "So, dear guests, what drinks would you like to have?"
"One Margarita for me!" Erinys' ordered.
"Two Cosmopolitan!" one of the Pangolins ordered for herself and her friend.
"I'll take one Mojito, please," Kasogonaga gave his order as well.
William nodded. "Understood. One orange juice, two Lime Juice, and one Mojito."
"Hey! I said Margarita, not orange juice!" Erinys complained.
"That's two Cosmopolitan, and not two Lime Juices!" The Pangolin also voiced her opinion.
"I heard you the first time," William replied as he activated the artifact in his hand. "One Orange Juice, two Lime Juice and one Mojito. Jarvis, please prepare the drinks."
"Got it," Jarvis, the Bartender of the Ouran Host Club acknowledged William's order and closed the connection.
William ignored Erinys' and the two Pangolins' glares before sitting between the Halfling and the rainbow-colored Anteater.
"How is the preparation for your next concert going?" William asked Kasogonaga who was just chilling beside him.
"It's going well," Kasogonaga replied. "Our new single is also selling like hotcakes. The recording studio called me earlier and said that they are going to release a hundred thousand more copies because of increasing demand."
"That's great to hear. More power to your next concert."
"Thank you."
William then shifted his attention to the sulking little girl beside him.
"What's wrong?" William inquired. "Not watching Squirt Games today?"
"I can watch it anytime," Erinys replied grumpily. "I want to be pampered tonight. If you don't give it your best, we will leave you a one-star review. Isn't that right, girls?"
"Yes, President!" one of the Pangolins replied. "I'll also make sure that the rest of our sisters post one-star reviews as well. Let's see if he can bully us after that."
"You are underestimating the power of your customers," the second Pangolin commented. "So what if you are the most popular host right now?? One small mishap and your fame will come crumbling down if you mess with our fans club."
William ignored the threats of Erinys' and her fellow pangolins. Since Kasogonaga was his friend, just a slight push was all it would take to pacify the, I Love Kazo Fansclub, and change their one-star reviews, into five-star ones.
When the drinks finally arrived, the group became rowdy as they sang and danced in the Host Club's room that also served as a KTV.
In order to entertain guests, hosts would usually sing, dance, and serve them, to make the customers continue to buy food and drinks, thereby raising the commission that they would get for the duration of their guests' stay inside the Host Club.
Naturally, they were also given tips in the end, which sometimes exceeded half of the total number of Hell Credits that they could earn in a day of serving customers.
Since William was well-versed in the act of seduction and temptation, his ability to squeeze the Hell Credits from his client's purses were quite phenomenal, making him the Top Host of the establishment in just the span of a few days.
—–
"Peaches and cream,
Sweeter than sweet~
Chocolate cheeks and chocolate wings,
But your wings are devil wings,
There is a bitter next to your sweet~"
——
Eriyns sang while holding the mic in her hand, while the two Pangolins clapped their hands together to support their President.
Willian and Kasogonaga clapped alongside the beat of the music, making the Halfling sing and dance to her heart's content.
After the song ended, a satisfied Erinys returned to her seat, as William gave her a glass of "Cinderella", which was a mocktail that the Half-Elf had ordered for the lively Halfling who was truly enjoying her night at the Host Club.
Although she was sweating a bit, and breathing a bit roughly, her youthful energy would revitalize anyone that looked at her.
Even Kasogonaga was contemplating if he should invite Erinys' to become a guest performer in its next concert, which made the Halfling look at her idol with sparkling eyes.
"C-Can I really be a star just like you, Lord Kazo?" Erinys asked after drinking half of the fruit juice that William had given her.
"Definitely. Isn't that right, Will?" Kasogonaga replied before shifting its attention on the Half-Elf who was busy wiping the sweat off Erinys' face with his handkerchief.
"I can already see it happening," William answered. "The Halfling that took the Underworld by storm. The one and only, Lady Erinys, who sings Bee Tea S songs as if she was born to do it."
"That's right, President!" one of the Pangolins clapped her hands. "This is simply perfect. To think that our President can also become a celebrity. I'm so proud!"
"Just thinking of our President's poster being plastered all over the Second Layer for her upcoming concert," the other Pangolin hugged itself while its body shuddered. "The mere thought of it is giving me goosebumps."
Erinys looked up at William, as the latter continued to wipe the sweat on her forehead, cheeks, and neck.
"Do you really think I can be a popular idol?" Erinys inquired with a serious look on her face.
"Definitely," William replied. "The only question is, whether you are prepared for the consequences of stepping on that grand stage, and looking at the countless people who have come to watch you perform."
The Halfling closed her eyes as she imagined the scene that William had told her.
A grand stage with the lights shining down on her, and countless people waving their glow sticks in the darkness. The mere thought of it made Erinys shudder from both fear and excitement.
1287 Follow Me And l'll Take You Flying~[Part 2]
The more Erinys thought about becoming an idol, the more she felt that she might be biting off more than she could chew.
A part of her felt anxious about stepping on the spotlight and performing like one of those popular artists that she had watched on Methflix.
What would she do if she wasn't able to sing and dance properly?
Worse, what would happen if she accidentally tripped on the stage and fell while dancing?
"I-I'll think about it for now," Erinys stuttered as soon as she realized how grand the scale of the performance that Kasogonaga was talking about. She didn't know if she was confident enough to face tens of thousands of people that would come to watch her perform on the stage.
Kasogonaga chuckled before poking William's arm.
"I wonder what would happen if Medusa and Erinys met. I'm sure the two of them would hit it off. Maybe our little Medusa can even help Erinys become the idol she aspires to be."
The black-haired teenager smiled because Medusa had become the Thousand Beast Domain's Pop Star. The little Gorgon would hold concerts once a week alongside Sharur and Gullinbursti at the Concert Hall of K-City.
It all started when William had asked Optimus to attach a special Antenna Tower within the Thousand Beast Domain to allow the Televisions to pick up channels back on Earth.
Among these channels was the Music Channel, where all the latest songs were being played.
As someone who had become the champion of Dance Dance Evolution in the Thousand Beast Domain, Medusa enjoyed dancing, and singing as well. It was as if everything fell in place like a giant puzzle, and before William was even aware, the Little Gorgon was already doing small-scale concerts without his knowledge.
If not for Optimus' regular weekly reports on the things that were happening inside his Domain, he would still be unaware of the latest fad that was happening right under his nose.
'Maybe I should let them meet in the future,' William mused as he finished wiping the sweat off the doll-like beauty's face. 'I'm sure that the two of them will become the best of friends.'
A few hours later, William carried a "drunk" Erinys back home in a princess carry.
He didn't know how it happened, but the Halfling got tipsy after drinking so many fruit juices. After asking Jarvis about the possibility of adding alcohol in her drinks, the bartender confessed that there were three occasions where the Halfling had gone to the bar counter of the Host Club to order a few alcoholic drinks on her way to the bathroom.
Since Erinys had the badge of the Ferryman of the Underworld, Jarvis didn't dare defy her orders and gave her the alcoholic drinks she wanted, which the latter gulped one after the other before returning to the room where William, Kasogonaga, and her two friends were currently at.
Fortunately, even when drunk, Erinys was still sober enough to not do anything embarrassing. The only thing she did was to sit on William's lap and rest her head on his chest before dozing off to sleep.
Half an hour later, Kasogonaga deemed that it was time to end the drinking session and paid William the fee for his services, as well as the payment for the food and drinks.
Naturally, the rainbow-colored Anteater gave the Half-Elf a generous tip of a hundred thousand Hell Credits, which was his own way of helping William gather the resources he needed to meet with his wives in the Underworld.
In truth, this was the main reason why he agreed to come with Erinys to the Host Club. Since lending Hell Credits was forbidden in the second layer of the Underworld, the only way he could help William was to use the loophole that was available in the rules of the Underworld, which was giving tips.
Sadly, there was a limit to the amount the tips given to an individual could be, and a hundred thousand was its limit. This was to prevent people from abusing this method, and they could only pay such a huge amount once every week.
Naturally, there were exceptions to this rule, and that exception belonged to those who served the Underworld in high places, like a Ferryman.
As William helped the drunken Halfling put on her Pajamas, the latter transferred half a million Hell Credits to him, while caressing the side of his face.
"This young lady is loaded," Erinys said in her drunken state. "Follow me and I'll take you flying~"
"Alright," William replied as he closed the button on Eriny's pajama shirt. "Now go to sleep."
"Where is my goodnight kiss?"
"One goodnight kiss coming right up."
William planted a kiss on the Halfling's forehead, making the latter giggle.
Five minutes later, Erinys' was lightly snoring on the bed while holding onto William. She had enjoyed the time she had spent with him, and it was the most fun that she had experienced since she had taken the position of Ferryman of the Underworld.
The Half-Elf, on the other hand, looked at the bracelet on his wrist to check the amount of Hell Credits he currently had.
"Over two million," William muttered as he lightly patted the head of the doll-like beauty, who was now drooling on his chest. "Erinys said I need at least sixteen million Hell Credits to reach the Fifth Circle of the Underworld."
The black-haired teenager sighed because he still had a long way to go. In truth, he was a bit worried about what was happening in the Surface World. Also, he was starting to feel some withdrawal symptoms from not being able to drink blood for a long time.
Erinys had already helped him order some blood in Ama-Soon using Hell Credits, but the delivery date was still two days away.
For the time being, William decided to just sleep longer hours during the day, and only wake up an hour before his shift in the Host Club started.
This was the only way that he could think of to prevent himself from indulging in the temptation of the soft, and warm, body that was currently nestled in his embrace, which was filled with sweet, and delicious blood, that was only a bite away.
1288 Dreaming Of The Surface World
,
"What does blood taste like?" Erinys asked as she looked at William who was chugging a blood pack that had just arrived in their home from Ama-Soon.
"This blood tastes so bland that if not for the fact that I need to drink blood on a regular basis, I would have already thrown it in the trash," William replied as soon as he emptied the blood pack he was holding.
There was a small bloodstain at the corner of his lips, but he wiped it away using the back of his hand.
"I know that vampires drink blood on a regular basis, and I've long been curious on what blood tastes like," Erinys commented. "It's just that, when I plan to actually drink blood, I feel nauseous and stop my attempt halfway."
The corner of William's lips curled up because the little Half-ling was making a disgusted expression on her face.
"Trust me, you don't want to drink anyone's blood," William stated.
Erinys smirked as she looked up at William in a mischievous manner. "Mmm, but I'm curious about what your blood tastes like."
"My blood?" William blinked in confusion. "I don't think my blood tastes good."
"But didn't your wives or lovers ever think of biting you back? I mean, you've been biting them a lot. If that was me, I would have bitten you back as payback."
"… well, three of them did try to bite me and drink my blood out of curiosity."
"Oh? What happened next?"
Erinys' was like an Auntie who was looking for juicy gossip as she focused her attention on the Half-Elf who had sat beside her.
"Well, my wife, Princess Sidonie is a succubus," William replied. "So she can extend her fangs and draw blood from my body. When she drank my blood, she only commented that it was delicious."
"Really?" Erinys arched an eyebrow. "Maybe she's just paying lip service since you are her husband."
William nodded. "I think so too as well. Then the next one that tried to bite me was my wife Chiffon. It was a subconscious act on her part. We were sleeping together, and she was resting her head on my chest. Suddenly, my sixth sense woke me up because it sensed a great danger was about to befall me. Fortunately, I woke up just in time and managed to stop her from literally biting a chunk out of my chest.
"She was dreaming of eating a cake, so her body moved subconsciously to take a bite. In truth, sleeping with her so close to me is always a gamble because when she dreams of eating something, it is a life and death situation for me."
Erinys giggled after hearing William's story. She thought that the Half-Elf was just exaggerating his claim that his wife's sleep-biting was a matter of life and death. How could someone possibly die if they were bitten by a Dwarf who was only a head taller than she was?
"And, who was the last one?" Erinys asked.
"The last one was a young Nymph," William replied as he thought of Loxos, who was currently guarding his Empire for him. "She had been so drunk by pleasure that she bit me without intending to.
"Naturally, she managed to draw blood and my blood entered her lips. When she regained her senses, she said that my blood tasted bitter, and she didn't want to taste it ever again."
Erinys giggled again after hearing the Young Nymphs complaint about William's blood.
"So, one said it tastes delicious, and the other says it's bitter," the Half-ling muttered as she nonchalantly sat on William's lap as she used the remote control to open the T.V to watch Squirt Games in Methflix.
She then grabbed the bag of potato chips she had prepared beforehand and started munching on chips.
Wiliam had already gotten used to Erinys' antics, so he just leaned back against the couch, and held her in place to prevent her from slipping off his lap.
The black-haired teenager had taken the day off because of his unstable urge to drink blood. He didn't want to start biting his customers due to bloodthirst and simply waited for the delivery of Ama-Soon to arrive.
Now that he had drunk some blood, he felt a lot better, but still unsatisfied with its taste. Drinking blood from a blood pack and drinking it directly from the source were two different things.
It was like eating from a fastfood restaurant and comparing it to a Michelin Star restaurant. The difference was that great, and William, who had been spoiled by the blood of his wives and lovers, had higher standards compared to an ordinary vampire.
"Erinys, what is your father like?" William asked. He had been living with the Half-ling for quite some time now and he wanted to know more about her.
"My father is quite busy, so he has no time to look after me," Erinys replied as she continued to eat potato chips on William's lap. "I often visit my grandma during my free time, but I don't want to bother her too much, so I haven't seen her in more than a year."
William listened to Erinys speak about the moments when she went to visit her father, and her grandma, and he could genuinely tell that she loved and respected both of them.
There was also a trace of loneliness mixed between her words, which meant that she really missed seeing them. Perhaps, becoming a Ferryman of the Underworld was just her way of trying to find some form of enjoyment in her mundane, everyday life.
Being able to talk to and meet other souls was like meeting tourists who hailed from distant lands and worlds.
Perhaps it was due to fate that allowed Erinys to meet William the moment he arrived in the Underworld, which allowed her to take him under her wing, while he came to understand the rules that governed the place where the dead go after their lives have ended.
Through his interaction with Erinys, he noticed that the Half-ling would ask a lot of questions about the World of Hestia where William had come from.
The Half-Elf had already felt it, but Erinys really longed to see the surface world. She was like the little mermaid in the fairy tale who wanted to go onto the land in order to experience what it was like to be a Human, but the price she had to pay for it was very steep.
"Will, you're planning to take your wives back to the Surface World, right?"
"Yes."
"Can you… nevermind."
Erinys stopped whatever she was planning to say, and William didn't urge her to say what she wanted in her heart.
He already knew what she wanted, but he didn't know if he could make it happen. After what had happened with Acedia, he didn't want to make any promise that he couldn't keep, so he kept his silence.
Even so, he wished that the little girl in his embrace would be able to find the happiness that she was looking for. For now, he did what he could and accompanied her while she watched her favorite show, and sat on his lap while she ate potato chips one after the other.
1289 This Will Not Be An Easy Battle
Back in the Surface World, battles between William's forces and the Holy Order of Light were occurring on a regular basis.
In order to prevent any loss of manpower, only the Four Pseudo-Gods, and Belle, would attack the borders of the Ainsworth Empire, in order to draw out the Guardians that protected it.
"This b*tch!" Loxos grumbled as she sent countless silver arrows, that had been fired by Opis, towards the black-haired beauty who had been getting on her nerves.
Belle smirked as she urged Aethon to dodge the attacks that were coming her way. The little Wren, that had transformed into a Roc, flapped its wings and distanced itself away from Loxos' attack that was meant to take Belle's life.
The black-haired beauty only smiled at the approaching barrage of arrows, before a barrier appeared in front of her, blocking the attack completely.
"Does that Nymph have a vendetta against you or something?" one of the Pseudo-Gods that specialized in defense asked.
"Mayhaps," Belle replied with a smile. "She sure is something. Is it time for us to retreat?"
"Yes. We have collected enough data for now," the Pseudo-God replied. "It won't be long before we've analyzed all of their attack patterns, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. It is only a matter of time before we take them out one by one."
Belle nodded as she lightly patted Aethons' back, telling it to fly to their temporary base.
Seeing the Pseudo-Gods of the Order of Light retreating, Loxos snorted in disdain. She didn't know why, but as soon as she saw Belle's face, she disliked her with every fiber of her being. This was why she would always aim their attacks at her at any opportunity she got with the intention of ending her life.
Unfortunately, Belle was a Peak Pseudo-God, and was more than capable of protecting herself from her attacks. This left Loxos very dissatisfied. It was as if there was an itch in her back that she couldn't scratch because she was unable to reach it.
"It seems that Nisha is right," Astrape said as she hovered beside Loxos. "They aren't fighting us seriously. They are just focused on dodging and blocking our attacks."
"Do they really think that they will be able to beat us using this method?" Opis commented. "Thanks to Nisha's advice, we are limiting ourselves and not using our full powers everytime we clashed with them. However, I still feel anxious for some reason."
Triton, who was now the temporary commander, nodded his head. "I'm sure that they know that we aren't going all out. Still, their attacks are becoming fiercer and bolder with every day that passes. I'm afraid that soon we will not have the chance to fake our attacks, and be forced to take them seriously."
"Don't worry, we outnumber them," Loxos replied with confidence. "My Sisters and I are confident that we can keep them at bay. As for the other Pseudo-Gods, you guys will be able to handle them just fine."
Triton sighed. "I hope you're right, Loxos."
The former King of Atlantis looked at the retreating backs of their opponents. Although they had not lost a single skirmish against them, he felt that it was only a matter of time before they reversed the outcome of the battle.
Nisha had also told them that the longer the battle continued, the more adept their opponents would be in fighting against them.
As the Supreme Leader of Deus, the veiled-beauty perfectly knew what the Pope was doing, and was also in the midst of devising a plan that would deal the old hag a crushing blow.
They had been fighting in the shadows for many years, so Nisha already had an understanding on how ruthless the Pope could be to both her allies and her enemies.
The other Kingdoms, and Empires in the Central Continent just sat on the side and spectated.
After the war ended, they had suffered a decrease in military power because they had lost many men in the conflict between Felix's and Ahriman's forces. This was why they were happy to see the Holy Order of Light suffering losses each time they fought against the Half-Elf's minions, because this weakened the Pope's army in turn.
Due to Emperor Leonidas', and Empress Andraste's efforts, the various kingdoms and empires were assured that Williams didn't have any plans on expansion. Because of this, they decided to just leave him alone, and rejected the Church of Light's call for help.
Little did they know that the Pope didn't really care whether they helped her or not. She was only doing this to fool their enemies into thinking that they needed additional manpower in order to stamp the Half-Elf's empire from off the face of the world.
"Lady Nisha, we have finally found the location of the Palace of Light," one of Nisha's subordinates reported, making the veiled-beauty smile in her heart.
"Is this news confirmed?" Nisha inquired.
"Yes," the subordinate replied. "I went personally to check its location four days ago to ensure that the information was the real deal."
Nisha lightly tapped the armrest of her make-shift throne. "Good. You did well. I will make sure that you and your men are rewarded generously for your efforts."
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"You may go. I need to draft a plan for our counterattack."
"As you wish."
After Nisha's subordinate left the room, the veiled-beauty continued to read the scroll in her hands. Drawn on it was the location of the Palace of Light, as well as the number of forces that were protecting it.
"As expected of the Palace of Light," Nisha muttered as she placed the scroll on her lap. "This will not be an easy battle. Will, I wish you were here."
The veiled-beauty thought of the Half-Elf who had gone to the Underworld to reunite with his wives.
'That Peak Pseudo-God is a pain,' Nisha mused as she read the information about Belle. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the painting of the black-haired beauty whom she felt was a hindrance to William's rise to power.
'If we can capture her then the offensive of the Holy Order will surely decrease, or even cease completely,' Nisha thought. 'Too bad Will isn't here. If he was then I would just ask him to corrupt her, and make her become his servant. That way, we can launch a full-scale attack at the Palace of Light and finally bring an end to the Pope's ambition for World Unification."
Unfortunately, William wasn't there to help Nisha capture the black-haired beauty who had been giving them a hard time as of late.
The Half-Elf was still in the Underworld and was busy in collecting the necessary Hell Credits that he would need in order to go to all the Layers of Hell. According to his estimate, it would take him at least one more month before he reached his target.
He was unaware that while he was busy collecting the credits he needed, the girl whom he had given his heart to in his past life, was busy making things difficult for his subordinates, who were hell-bent to protect the territories that belonged to him.
1290 Blitzkrieg Under The Cover Of Darkness [Part 1]
Inside the Palace of Light…
The Pope stood in front of the Four Pseudo-Gods, as well as Belle, inside the conference hall.
None of the members of the Heavenly Virtues were present because she was starting to suspect that there were spies within her inner circle. In order to ensure that this mission would remain top secret, she only intended to mobilize the five strongest warriors under her banner and do a Blitzkrieg attack on the Ainsworth Empire.
They had already gathered specific data on the different abilities of their opponents. Because of this, the Pope was confident that, although Belle and the others were outnumbered, they would easily be able to deal with their enemies one by one.
The plan that the Pope had painstakingly made was fool proof. She had already found out how the Five Pseudo-Gods would be able to deal with the Three Nymphs, who were the greatest obstacle in their plan.
They believed that as long as the long-ranged combat power of the Ainsworth Empire had been dealt with, everything else would fall in place.
"It is of the utmost importance that we kept this operation a secret," the Pope said. "The scrolls in front of you designate the time and place where we would strike the Ainsworth Empire. Please, burn the scroll as soon as you have memorized the information written on it.
The Four Pseudo-Gods as well as Belle picked up the scrolls in front of them and checked their contents. They were curious about what kind of plan the Pope had made for the Blitzkrieg operation that she believed would put an end to William's reign once and for all.
After reading the information inside the scroll, the Pseudo-Gods burned it one by one. Belle was the last one to toss the scroll into the brazier that stood at the center of the conference room, completely turning any trace of their operation to ashes.
"Everyone, please put everything you have into this operation," the Pope stated. "As long as we reach our objective, it doesn't matter if the Dark Princes' forces are stronger. We will be the ones to emerge victorious!"
The Pseudo-Gods who had read the plan nodded their heads in agreement. They didn't expect the Pope to be truly formidable when it came to creating strategies for war. If they could really put her plan into action, they had no doubt that they would indeed have the last laugh in this struggle for hegemony.
Several hours later…
The Four Pseudo-Gods, including Belle, set off on their mission. They were going to attack the Ainsworth Empire just past midnight. There was no moon in the sky, so visibility wasn't that good. Also, storm clouds extended for miles round the Ainsworth Empire, completely blocking out any sources of light.
"Start the Operation!" the Pope ordered as she looked at the Round Mirror that was floating in front of her.
As soon as she gave the order, the Four Pseudo-Gods activated the magic scrolls in their possession which opened a dark portal in front of them.
Belle, charged through it without batting an eye, and the rest of the Pseudo-Gods followed suit. The portal only lasted for ten seconds, preventing anyone from detecting its presence.
After entering the portal, the Elite Squad emerged at the garden of the Royal Palace. Everything around them was dyed in darkness, and they couldn't feel anyone loitering around in their surroundings.
This was only normal because they had timed their mission perfectly. While they fought against William's forces, the Pseudo-God that specialized in long-distance scouting had sneakily placed a waypoint in the gardens of the palace.
The plan was to use this waypoint in order to create a portal that would allow them to get as close to their target as soon as possible. The Pseudo-God had repeatedly checked the security of the palace, making them sure that this was the perfect moment and location to infiltrate the castle, under the cover of darkness.
Using their heightened senses, they immediately reached their destination which was the King's Bedroom.
They had seen Wiliam appear several times over the past few days, but he didn't join the battle against the Pseudo-Gods. The Pope's plan was to capture or kill William in this operation.
Capturing him was the ideal option because it would allow them to negotiate and make his forces submit. Killing him was also a good option because once the head of the spider was gone, its remaining legs would be rendered useless.
When the Pseudo-Gods entered the King's bedroom, they saw William sleeping on the bed and immediately executed their plan.
One of the Pseudo-Gods threw a bell-like artifact towards William. The bell didn't even make a sound until it landed on William's body.
Immediately after that, three ringing sounds reverberated inside the room.
After the three rings were over, William was sucked inside the bell, with no hope of escaping.
"We have captured the target," One of the Pseudo-Gods reported as he held a golden coin in his hand. "Please open the portal to the palace of Light."
The coin remained silent, which made the Pseudo-God frown. However, he didn't worry too much and simply repeated the words he said earlier.
"We have captured the target. I repeat, we have captured the target, Please open the portal to the palace of Light."
A minute passed then two…
The time extended to five minutes then ten minutes.
As more minutes passed by, the Pseudo-Gods were starting to feel that something was off. Even Belle didn't understand what was happening as she held her bow in a guarded stance.
"Pope, can you hear me?" one of the Pseudo-Gods asked. "Open the gate now!"
The frustration in the Pseudo-God's voice was noticeable, but still no reply came to him. This made him wonder if something had happened to the Pope's artifact, or something was preventing him from directly contacting the old lady who was the mastermind of this operation.
—–
Palace of Light…
Loud explosions echoed in the surroundings around the Palace, which stood for thousands of years, as it started to burn in flames.
Shouts of surprise, panic, anger, and frustration spread within its walls as several powerful beings appeared and started to unleash all of their powerful attacks at everything and anything they saw.
"The gate is broken, advance!" Astrape shouted as soon as the barrier protecting the gate, that Triton had smashed his trident against, shattered into hundreds of pieces due to the power behind the Pseudo-God's blow.
The radiance of the Palace of Light dimmed slightly the moment its main line of defense was broken.
Soon, several members of Deus, the Demons, as well as the elite members of Lont, stormed the hallways of the Holy Order of Light's most sacred ground.
"Remember our mission," Jekyll shouted. "Ignore the small fries. Follow me!"
Shawn, the Baker of Lont.
Mr. Bond, the Barber of Lont.
Marcus, Theo's Father, and one of the Senior Shepherds of Lont alongside its Boar, Thunder.
And John, another senior shepherd, who usually flew around with his flying mount, the Giant Black Raven, Thunder, ran after Jekyll as they followed the mission that Nisha had devised.
With the help of the Six-Eared Macaque, who had the power to hear the thoughts of a person's heart, Nisha had made a counter-plan for the Pope's Blitzkrieg attack.
Before William left for the Underworld, he had assigned the Six-Eared Macaque to monitor the Pope 24/7 using the power of his Divinity.
Because of this, every move that the Pope made didn't escape his notice. Allowing it to effectively time its attack for when the hard-hitters of the Holy Order of Light would be busy with their infiltration of the Royal Palace of the Ainsworth Empire.
'That veiled-lady is quite ruthless,' Jekyll thought as he led the elite members of Lont towards their destination. 'She planned to sacrifice the entirety of the Ainsworth Empire just to ensure that we will be the victors of this war. Just where did William find such a formidable person?'
Jekyll had undergone special training under his father's guidance in order to break through the ranks of a Demigod.
Although Pseudo-Gods now dominated the battlefield, the role that Demigods played was more apparent since the Pseudo-Gods were busy dealing with each other, giving them free reign to massacre the lower ranks of the opposing army.
Smashing the doorway of a room, Jekyll immediately headed to the bedroom where one of the Heavenly Virtues stayed.
Nisha had devised a blitzkrieg operation, and each team had been assigned to capture one of the Heavenly Virtues.
The veiled-beauty didn't expect them to be able to get all of the Virtuous Ladies. At most, Nisha wanted to acquire one or two of them.
As long as they were able to get their hands on any of the Virtues, even if the entire Ainsworth Empire were to fall, it would still be the Holy Order of Light's loss.
William's loyal subordinates, who were staying in the Ainsworth Empire, had been moved to the Floor of Asgard.
This included Eve, who was a very important member of the Ainsworth Family. In short, even if the Empire were to fall, it wouldn't matter to them because, with the power they possessed, they would be able to reclaim it again.
However, if one of the Virtues died, the power of the Holy Order of Light would decrease drastically, making them unable to use the full power of the artifacts that required all of the Seven Virtues to activate.
"There's no one here," Mr. Bond reported. "Could she have escaped?"
"I've checked everywhere, and I didn't see anyone," Marcus stated. "Should we look for the nearby rooms just in case?"
Jekyll, who was the leader of this operation, frowned. Just as he was about to give an order, Owen, the old Life Archon of Lont, swaggered inside the room and used the wooden cane in his hand to smack something next to the right side of the wall.
Immediately, a loud thud followed as a little girl, who seemed to be only around eleven-years-old, fell on the ground unconscious.
"Let's go," Owen said as he picked up Cherry, who was the Virtuous Lady of Charity, and placed her over his shoulder like a sack of rice. "Leave the other teams to fulfill their roles. We need to get out of here before the barrier we erected to prevent outside interference disperses."
Jekyll nodded and tapped the emblem on the back of his right hand. Immediately, the Bifrost Bridge shot out a beam of light in their direction, instantly teleporting their group to the Floor of Asgard.
While this was happening, the Pope was busy running through the secret passages of the Palace of Light in order to flee.
She didn't expect that on the same day her Blitzkrieg attack was executed, a similar counterattack would be staged on their own headquarters.
The Pope knew that she couldn't be captured no matter what, so she took everything of import inside her room before she entered the hidden passageway that led to several teleporting gates inside the castle. Each of them would take her to a safe place far away from the Palace of Light, that had stood for thousands of years.
1291 Blitzkrieg Under The Cover Of Darkness [Part 2]
"Just what is going on?!" Audrey shouted as she ran behind Celeste, who had come to her room as soon as the attack on the Palace of Light started.
"The Palace of Light is under attack," Celeste replied. "Presumably, this is a counter-offensive by William's subordinates after the Holy Order's repeated attack on the Ainsworth Empire."
"But how? Isn't the Palace of Light's whereabouts supposed to be a secret? How did they manage to find our location?!"
"Isn't the answer to that question very obvious? We have a spy, or spies, among our ranks. That is the only reason I can think of as to why the location of the Palace of Light has been compromised."
Audrey gritted her teeth as she ran alongside Celeste. What her sister said was right. There was no way someone could just take a stroll and find the Palace of Light, which had remained undiscovered for thousands of years.
"What about the others?" Audrey asked. "Cherry, Lira, Ephemera, Shana, and Melody?"
Celeste shook her head. "My plan was to get to you first, so that we can work together to ensure our sister's safety. However, judging by the explosions as well as the presence of several strong individuals in the surroundings, I'm afraid that William's forces got to them first.
"However, you don't need to be too worked up. Our sisters aren't that easy to defeat. They will be able to protect themselves just fine."
Audrey reluctantly nodded her head as she followed Celeste's back. Claire, who had already taken her battleform, was flying at the rear, making sure that neither of them were being followed.
The sounds of fighting could be heard everywhere as the defenders of the palace clashed with the invaders who had taken them completely by surprise.
Time and time again, Audrey had told Celeste that they should help their allies, but the Virtuous Lady of Chastity told her that if any of them fell, or were captured then the strength of the Holy Order would decrease drastically.
Because of this, Celeste had insisted that they escape, instead of fighting, which made Audrey frustrated.
Deep inside, she agreed with Celeste's reasoning, but knowing that their allies were dying around them made her unable to accept the current situation. If not for the fact that Claire had been pushing her from the back to keep herself from turning back, Audrey might have already joined the fight and helped their allies push the enemy back.
After taking a right turn, the three ladies came to a complete stop when they saw a beautiful Succubus, who looked exactly like Celeste, blocking their way.
"Y-You!" Audrey pointed at Chloee, who had decided to remain in the World of Hestia at the last minute, and didn't accompany William to the Underworld. "What are you doing here, traitor?!"
"Traitor?" Chloee replied. "Well, I guess you can indeed call me that."
Audrey glared at the familiar who used to always be by Celeste's side. "Why did you attack us? What's your aim?"
"Why?" Chloee snorted. "We were just minding our own business and living peacefully, but your faction kept on attacking us almost everyday and you ask why? William didn't want to fight your stupid Holy Order, and yet you guys kept on harassing us day after day. Even now, your Pope has launched a blitzkrieg attack to capture, and even kill, our beloved Master. Tell me, who are the real bad guys here?"
Audrey gritted her teeth because she couldn't refute Chloee's words. Although the Pope hadn't included the Seven Virtues in her plans to attack the Ainsworth Empire, the fact still remained that their organization had been going on punitive expeditions against those garding the borders of William's territory.
Seeing that she had remained silent, Chloee smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Also, to answer your other question, we came here for you girls," Chloee said mischievously. "So, why don't you obediently come with us. If you do that, I promise that we will hold back when it comes to killing your allies, and just knock them unconscious."
Audrey took a fighting stance. She knew that there was no other way out of this mess, so she prepared herself to fight Celeste's familiar, who possessed extraordinary strength, making her—who was also good at fighting—feel pressured.
"Do you think we will believe your wor–"
Before Audrey could even finish her words, she felt a pang of pain at the back of her head, making her fall towards the ground, dropping the sword in her hand.
"W-Why?" With great difficulty, Audrey turned her head to look behind her. She couldn't believe that Claire, who was Celeste's familiar, would sneak attack her.
"To prevent unnecessary casualties," Claire answered before shifting her gaze at her twin, who was standing in front of her with a smile. "You will keep your promise, right?"
Chloee nodded. "From the start, we haven't killed a single person in the palace. We've simply knocked them out."
Celeste sighed in relief, while Claire nodded her head.
"Let's go," Chloee answered as she turned around. "The Pseudo-Gods that belong to your order will be coming soon."
As if waiting for that moment, a beam of light passed through the four of them.
A moment later, Chloee, Celeste, Claire, and Audrey disappeared from the hallway. They were teleported to the Floor of Asgard, where William's subordinates were already waiting for their arrival.
Celeste glanced at a small bed where a little girl was currently sleeping. She wasn't tied up or anything, but she was wearing black bracelets on her wrists.
"Good job," Nisha said to Chloee before shifting her attention to Celeste, and the unconscious Audrey who was being carried by Claire. "Put the bracelets on her."
Owen took two bracelets from his storage ring and casually attached them to Audrey's wrists. These bracelets were forged by the power of Darkness, preventing anyone from using their Divinity.
Only those who possessed the power of Darkness could use their powers while wearing these bracelets. They even enhanced the strength and scope of their powers.
"Must I wear them too?" Celeste asked.
Nisha chuckled. Although her face couldn't be seen because she was wearing a veil, everyone around her could tell that she must be having a very amused expression right now.