We walked into the meeting room from before and Difar had already pulled up a chair to sit in near the wall.
"Oh, good. You're here. And Dante hasn't executed you which means he trusts you. Cool. Now, I have some questions. Who are you, how do you know me, who is that asshole sitting in the chair, why does he terrify me so much, and what was that abomination hanging out next to him earlier?" Iris said.
I cleared my throat.
"My name is Mizik and this is my wife Cassandra. I know you from a previous timeline, that asshole is Difar and he's an abyssal god. The abomination is Valtheim, the Avatar of the Void. She won't hurt anyone unless ordered to do so," I said.
"Umm...wow... I didn't actually expect you to be so compliant..." Iris said.
"I know better than to complicate things with you. If you want more info, I am...or was..." I straightened myself and saluted Iris using the traditional Enforcer stance. "Enforcer Seat 8, Mizik Iratus. Special Forces for the protection of Ignitus and her people from existential threats. User of the Ultra Aspect: The Warlord, and Ultra Aspect: The Archmage. Designation: The Warmage."
"That is like...three different kinds of impossible. Are you okay in the head?" Iris said.
"Perfectly sane. Check my compatibility, it should be off the charts. Same with Cassandra. She ended up with The Illusionist, and The Assassin. She was an unofficial 9th Enforcer. My ex-wife was the seventh. Also, if she shows up here, she might end the world, so we don't have a lot of time," I said.
"By the Creator...who the hell are you!? You're...not lying about the compatibility... But I still don't know if I completely trust you. Can I ask for more proof? Or something to help us out?" She asked.
"Ugh...JUST BELIEVE HIM, DAMNIT!!! HE ISN'T LYING TO YOU, YOU STUPID WASHBOARD!!!" Difar yelled angrily.
"YOU'RE A DAMN WASHBOARD!!! SHUT UP, ASSHOLE!!!" Iris yelled back.
"I'M A MAN! I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE BOOBS!!!"
"SHUT UP, DIFAR! YOU RAPIST VAMPIRE!!!" I yelled.
"I...hey, what? I'm not a rapist! Also, are you making fun of my skin tone!? OF ALL THE THINGS TO POINT OUT, YOU CHOOSE THAT!? THERE'S NO LIGHT IN THE ABYSS!!! HOW THE HELL WOULD I WORK ON MY TAN DOWN THERE YOU SHITTY BRAT!?" Difar yelled.
"Umm...can we calm things down a bit...?" Dante asked.
"Sorry, Dante. And Iris, do you have a piece of paper and a pen?" I asked.
"Not on me. What do I look like, a utility cabinet?" She said.
"You have the curves of one! GAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Difar laughed.
Iris glared daggers at Difar.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, DIFAR!!!" I yelled.
He was still laughing his ass off and didn't notice my yelling.
"I have a pen, but I don't usually carry paper..." Dante said.
"We have paper...in the printer. Within the next room... Ugh..." Iris said.
"I'll go get it," I said.
"You know where you're going?" Iris asked.
"I have this entire building memorized. I lived on Ignitus for thirteen years, until...ah...nevermind," I said.
I decided right there that it would probably be a terrible idea to tell Iris that the man who destroyed her precious world was sitting in the corner laughing his ass off at her flat chest.
Not going to invite that kind of disaster.
"Hahaha...ha... What's wrong, Mizzy? Don't want to talk about why you had to move out!?" Difar said.
"This will go a hell of a lot smoother if you just keep your shit-eating mouth shut, Difar!" I said.
"I agree..." Iris said.
I saw a slight twitch in her eye.
Then I immediately went to get the paper.
After I came back, I placed it on one of the tables on the sides of the room.
Then I began writing in perfect, fluent Ignitian language. I wrote a short summary of my time on Ignitus including my time in the wilderness, encounters with technology, time in school, awakening my Aspects, and finally the war against Nexus.
After I finished, I handed it to Iris.
She began reading it and looked amazed.
"If I didn't know any better...I'd say you were a native of our world. But obviously, you're not... This is truly strange. You said you were here in a previous timeline? Tell me...did I...ever manage to...you know...Dante...?" She said.
"Dante turned you down. He isn't interested in having a relationship with anyone. More accurately, he's already married to his job," I said.
Iris looked down and sighed.
"I...I see... Well then..at least that clears that up..." Iris said sadly.
"Sorry to be so blunt about it. But-"
"No. Don't worry about that. I'm just glad I got an answer..." Iris said.
I chose to remain silent for a moment and Dante looked at me quizzically.
"I'm just being honest. It's true, isn't it?" I said.
"Yeah... I guess so...but-"
"You've had hundreds, if not, well over a thousand years to work up the courage to tell her no. So I'm doing it for you since I already know the answer," I said.
Dante remained silent.
"Alright. I'll choose to believe you. And I'll even help you on two conditions..." Iris said.
"And those are...?"
"First, I can't just leave Ignitus. We're at war, one of my Enforcers is missing, and I love this world. I need your help to end the war. If what you said is true, then you can help with that, right?" Iris said.
"I can't do that right now, personally. I almost died fighting Overlord Kazuma last time. Instead...Difar and Valtheim can easily take them down. Including Novak. And Difar will MOST DEFINITELY NOT cause any collateral damage to Ignitus. RIGHT, DIFAR!?" I said.
"Tch...fine. I'll 'be careful'. No Corruption, just murder. Sound good, mother?" Difar said.
"Sounds good. Hop to it, Difar. Chop chop. We don't know if Rose can travel to other worlds and if she can, this place is going to become a hellish warzone. Also, grab Jallah while you're at it. If memory serves, he's being held in Central. I don't know if they've built the Abyss Engine tower yet, but if they have, he'll be at the top of it. If not, good luck. Get moving," I said.
"You little brat... Don't you give me orders... Piece of shit..." Difar mumbled angrily.
After that, he made a motion with his hand and Valtheim pulled him into her shadows.
"I really want to ask what all that was about, but I feel like I don't want to know," Iris said.
"You don't. Now what's the second order?" I asked.
"Regarding this...Rose person... Is she your ex-wife that you mentioned?" Iris asked.
"She is. And she more than likely has enough power to destroy this world. She's incredibly dangerous," I said.
"Can you promise to fight her off if she appears?" Iris asked.
"Personally? Absolutely not. I don't have nearly enough strength to actually attempt something like that. Difar, however, is actually capable of killing her. If he is compliant, which he should be due to being under a contract, he should take care of her. Is that acceptable?" I said.
"That is acceptable enough. Very well, you'll have our full cooperation. But...what is it that you want from us?"
"I'll explain that later."
"Okay then... I don't know what I'm getting into here, but like I said, I'm choosing to trust you."
"Good. Now, if the other Enforcers are going to play nice, you can call them in. And don't let Gavin go crazy. Also, please keep Leiso in check as well. Leiso was a really good friend, but I know she dislikes otherworlders as well," I said.
"Right... First I want to sleep more. I was having a nice dream before Laura called me. That, and...I need to go cry for a while. We'll pick up where we left off later. For now, just relax. My verdict is that you seem trustworthy and...the evidence you've shown is pretty hard to write off as false," Iris said.
"We'll also need your blessing to communicate with the common people. I'm fluent in writing Ignitian, but I never learned to speak it. Cassandra learned to write it by force, but can't speak it, either," I said.
"Very well. Once again, that will be tomorrow. Good night," Iris said.
Then she disappeared.
Dante shook his head.
"I still think it might have been better to handle that myself," he said with a tone of mild frustration.
"You've had a ridiculously long time to do that. She deserved an answer and you know it," I said.
Dante sighed.
"I'm going home," he said.
"See you tomorrow then," I replied.
After that, Dante just left.
Minutes later, Difar returned with a bored look on his face.
"How was school?" I asked.
"Fuck off," he said.
"Did the bullies beat you up?" I asked.
"SHUT UP!!! They did no such thing. However, I decided that they would be of better use to me alive than dead. I put all seven of them in the pit for later. We'll need more than just Corrupted soldiers if we expect to take down Excelsis."
"I see... Well, if I'm going to fight side by side with one enemy, I might as well do the same with the others, right? Did you kill the guy controlling their minds?" I asked.
"Yes. I sent Valtheim to throw him into the Void. Actually, Valtheim did most of the work in general," Difar said.
"As usual, you're kind of lazy, aren't you?" I said.
"I'll remember that when I'm torturing you to death in the Abyss after this is over," Difar said.
"If I don't jump of a building first or kick you in the shin, right?" I said.
"I'm going to walk away now before I do something I'll regret. Since you seem to be in an especially pissy mood right now," Difar said.
"Okay, rapist..."
"Damn shitty brat..."
After the hostile exchange, he left and Cassandra looked worriedly at me.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't actually do that. I'm too stubborn to let the Oracle get her way and reset everything again," I said.
"Please don't joke about it, darling... I can't bear the thought of losing you. It's like tearing my own heart out... You're my reason to live! I'll have nothing if I lose you and...I...I might become that despicable witch again..." Cassandra said with tears in her eyes.
I pulled her close and kissed her, then smiled.
"I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"
"Yes! My darling will always live!" Cassandra said happily.
Then she hugged me.
"I can't help myself! You're everything I ever wanted! I'm the luckiest woman to ever live!!! Isabella didn't know how good she had it! Now...I'm the first wife!"
"Yes you are. Now, we need to pass the time until morning. You should also try to get some sleep," I said.
"Of course, darling!" Cassandra said.
* * *
The next morning, we got out of bed and got dressed in some casual clothing.
We reported directly to the meeting room.
Everyone except Jallah was present.
"Greetings, everyone. These are the four I mentioned-... Hey, where's Jallah?" Iris said.
"Oh. Right. Sorry, I forgot. Valtheim, go fetch sparky," Difar said.
"Sparky...?" Iris mumbled
"I...obey..."
"Does she have to say that every time?" I asked.
I was ignored.
Valtheim disappeared and moments later, returned with an unconscious Jallah.
"I...come..."
"Yeah... We've been over this. I'm sure you do," Difar said.
"Is that weirdo hitting on her or something? I can't tell." Michael said.
"Jallah! You're alive! Quickly, he needs medical attention!" Iris said.
Dante called a few Attendants into the room and they immediately rushed Jallah to the emergency room.
When they left, Iris let out a sigh of relief.
"Rune will be happy to hear the news," I said.
"Yes...thank you, Mizik," Iris said.
"Umm, hello? Who did all the work? It sure as hell wasn't you, Mizik!" Difar said.
"Right. Iris, your thanks should be to Valtheim," I said.
Difar glared at me.
"Wait, who's Valtheim and who's Mick...uh...Marcus?" Michael said.
Oh my Iris, I forgot about this shit.
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! MARCUS!? THAT'S HILARIOUS!!!" Difar said.
"MICHAEL!! MY NAME IS MIZIK!!! MIZ-ICK. GET IT RIGHT!!!" I yelled angrily.
"Sheesh, calm down, Mack."
Difar was still laughing.
I made a mental note to kick his ass later.
"Excuse me, Enforcer Michael? My name is Cassandra. And if you continue to purposefully butcher my darling Mizik's glorious name, I might be forced to hurt you."
"Eh...ha! That's great! You're kinda cute, though..." Michael said.
"She's fifteen. Almost sixteen," I said.
Michael looked away from her.
"Ugh...jailbait..." He mumbled.
"Michael, can you do me a favor?" Iris asked.
"Of course, Lady Iris," Michael said.
"Shut up. His name is Mizik. This man has apparently been our comrade in a previous timeline. You should show him and his...terrifying allies respect. They just single-handedly ended the war in Nexus last night," Iris said.
Every single Enforcer looked at Iris in shock.
"Wh-what!?" Carlos said.
"It's true..." Dante said.
"Difar and Valtheim went into Nexus last night and dealt with Novak and his Overlords under my orders. He didn't kill them, but threw them into the Abyss. He plans to use them for our assault on Excelsis," I said.
"WAY TO GO, DUMBASS!!! SPOIL THE SURPRISE, WHY DON'T YOU?" Difar said.
"Unlike you, I don't find it funny to leave our allies in the dark. Also unlike you, I'm capable of respecting other people," I said.
"Your straightforward realism is nauseating. You don't know how to have any fun, do you? What do you do for fun, anyway? Watch paint dry with fervid intensity?" Difar said.
I smiled and looked at Difar.
"Cassandra."
Difar covered his mouth.
"I'm going to be sick..."
Cassandra just smiled and hummed to herself.
I could have just said fishing or sword practice...but that wouldn't have been nearly as funny.
"Wait...they're not dead? How do you expect us to get along with those bastards?" Gavin said angrily.
"The same way that Difar and I get along. In other words, I don't expect full cooperation. I just need everyone to create enough chaos in Excelsis to complete the contract I have with Difar," I said.
"So that's what you're after. You want to attack Excelsis? Are you out of your mind? Suddenly, I'm not sure trusting you was a good idea... Give me a good reason why I should allow you to do this," Iris said.
"Let me tell you a story, Iris. My name is Mizik Iratus. I was picked as something called The Chosen Hero by the Creator. The Oracle has been watching over me for a long time as my caretaker, apparently... But as far as I know, she has failed at her job," I said.
"Go on," Iris said.
"My goal is to slay Difar and destroy the Corruption that he spreads to other worlds. But the Oracle has allowed me to die a thousand times without making any progress or even trying to understand the situation. She isn't aware of Difar's true power. She also has no idea that Valtheim even exists. And yet...she slew me with her own hands last time, even though I managed to make actual progress on my mission. She turned my ex-wife into a bloodthirsty hunter that wants nothing more than to kill me. A hunter that murdered my family, including my father and my aunt. Difar has kept his memories for every single life I've lived and died in. Meanwhile everyone else's gets erased. Including mine."
"Wait...so our memories were erased?" Carlos asked.
"They were. I'm not sure how Cassandra kept her memories and I still don't know how I got mine back. But all of us agree that the Oracle is a menace to all of creation," I said.
"That's...a lot to unpack on us, Mizik," Leiso said.
"Basically, I want revenge. I want to end this death loop and tear down this entire cursed system she's put in place. I won't be satisfied until I've decapitated her AND STOMPED HER FILTHY SKULL INTO DUST!!!! I'LL MAKE HER PAY!!! SHE'LL SUFFER THE SAME TORTURE THAT I HAVE!!! SHE'LL DIE SCREAMING A THOUSAND TIMES JUST LIKE I DID!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ERASED!?!? MY WIFE OF TWENTY YEARS HATES ME NOW!!! I'M GOING YO DESTROY THAT DAMN ORACLE!!! I'LL KILL EVERYONE SHE LOVES AND BURN EVERYTHING TO THE FUCKING GROUND!!!" I screamed.
Iris blinked slowly.
"And why should we help you with this?" She asked.
"Because every time I die, Ignitus goes back into this pointless war! A war that I have ended numerous times for you. You are just as much affected by this as I am. Each time I come here, I either die trying to end your war or get killed...some other way. If we work together, we can end the loop. There's also the other reason..."
"And that is?" Iris asked.
"Rose has become an existential threat to every world I've ever been to. She can destroy worlds if she wants and will stop at nothing to see me fail. She'll kill anyone who gets in her way and the Oracle is commanding her from the shadows. By the way, even if you decline, she's likely to destroy Ignitus, anyway. We don't know if she can even travel to other worlds, either. But the possibility is very likely," I said.
I still don't know if she can travel to other worlds...but let's assume that she can. Especially if she's working for the Oracle...
"Ah...that again..." Iris mumbled
"Why would she do that!? We have no part in your weird...time loop thing!" Gavin said angrily.
"Guilt by association. Whether or not I came here is of no importance. It's why she killed my family in my hometown, and she murdered my extended family in the capital of my home country. I never even spoke to them this time around."
"DAMN THAT ORACLE!!!!" Iris screamed in rage.
I smiled.
"Can I count on your help, then?" I asked.
"Alright. I'll help you. I'll do whatever I can to protect Ignitus. Otherworlder or not, you make a solid argument," Iris said.
"Tch...no way in hell am I working with an otherworlder!" Gavin said angrily.
Then Iris bound him in teal energy and threw him to the ground.
"YOU WILL FIGHT BY HIS SIDE AND PROTECT IGNITUS! I WILL NOT TAKE NO AS AN ANSWER!!! IS THAT CLEAR!?" Iris yelled.
"Y-yes...sorry...Lady Iris..." Gavin said.
"Good. Now then, Mizik, what's our first move?" Iris asked.
"I'm going to become stronger, of course. I have to train up and accept your power to awaken my Aspects," I said.
"But, won't that hurt Iris?" Carlos asked.
"I have an ability called Blessing of the Creator that allows me to support two Aspects by myself. Cassandra also has this ability. Awakening Enforcer Aspects within us will grant both Cassandra and me two Ultra Aspects without harming Iris," I said.
The Enforcers once again looked shocked.
"No way... You're full of it. That's not possible!" Gavin said.
"Actually...he might be right. Both of their compatibilities are off the charts. Far higher than anything I've ever seen before. Even Dante," Iris said.
"How long, then...? How long will it take to awaken something like that?" Leiso asked.
"Three years. And I need to wait one year before we begin. I'm only fourteen and I have to gain more strength in my body before I can do something like that," I said.
"Four years!?!? Are you serious!? If what you say is true, we don't have that kind of time!" Carlos suddenly shouted.
"I know...but what else can I do!? I need those Aspects if I want to stand any chance at fighting the Oracle," I said.
"Wait... Then...is our world doomed?" Iris asked.
"Unless Difar can fight Rose off, probably. Right now, he's the only one capable of beating her. Despite being an evil bastard, even I have to admit... He's absurdly powerful and we need him," I said.
"You're making me blush, you little twerp. Go to hell and die in a fire!" Difar said.
"Very well... I will trust Difar to protect our world while you train as hard as you can. Leiso, put Mizik through hell," Iris said.
"I hope you're ready, young man. I'll make you wish you were never born," Leiso said.
"Do your worst, Iron Tsunami. If you go easy on me, I'll know. You better make me suffer," I said.
Leiso smiled.
"I like you, already. Will the others be taking part?"
"Difar doesn't need it and Valtheim wouldn't benefit from it either," I said.
"Darling, may I join you?" Cassandra asked.
"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way," I said.
"Very well, we can start tomorrow," Leiso said.
"No. Right now. Let's get going," I said.
Leiso smiled even wider.
I know exactly what I'm asking for. And I intend to get the full treatment.