Chapter 238: One Pantheon to Another
—
In the majestic corridors of the celestial palace of Asgard, a maid walked gracefully, her steps careful. She wouldn't want to drop the things she was carrying; after all, they were more expensive than her life. Divine fruits—gleaming apples, glistening grapes, and luminous berries—rested in the silver tray she carried.
The fruits emitted a soft aura, infusing the air with their sweet, divine scent. That made her almost drool. But no, she wouldn't dare touch them; they were the snacks of the Goddess. Clothed in customary Nordic garb, the maid servant's simple gown swayed gently as she neared the abode of the Goddess Freya.
The door was right ahead, adorned with intricate carvings of vines and runes that shimmered faintly under the hall's lighting. It was worthy of the Mother Goddess' abode, as light from Yaggdrassil rained down from the open roofs. Reaching it, she took a deep breath and knocked softly after putting a polite smile on her lips.
– Knock Knock.
There was no answer.
She stood there momentarily, waiting. Minutes passed and then she knocked again—slightly louder this time. But still, no response came from within. Her smile faltered, replaced by a puzzled tilt of her head.
Perhaps the Goddess was resting?
The maid paused briefly before gently pushing the door open. She peeked her head inside and quietly said, "My lady? I-...!"
Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened. The scene before her was insane. Freya, their Mother Goddess, lay sprawled across her silken bed, her body drenched in sweat. Her chest rose and fell heavily, her skin glistening in the dim light. Her red hair, usually flowing and perfect, stuck to her flushed face in damp strands, and her eyes… Her eyes were rolled back, her tongue hanging from her parted lips as she moaned softly to herself.
She looked like the All-Father had pleased her for days.
The maid's hands trembled as she nearly let the tray slip, her face turning a deep shade of red. When had All-Father paid a visit? But wait, Odin wasn't even in Asgard.
…So, what could it be?
"My lady?" the maid repeated herself, and that was the greatest mistake of her life.
"You…" Freya replied with a raspy voice, her head raising slightly.The goddess's eyes regained focus gradually, and she let out a deep sigh. "Why did you have to enter? Hah."
The maid attempted to apologize but found herself unable to speak. Before she could speak, a pulse of raw magic burst from Freya's raised hand. A wave of energy rippled through the air, slamming into her. The maid's body disintegrated into shimmering particles, her form scattering like dust, and the tray of divine fruit clattering to the floor.
Freya groaned, collapsing back onto her bed. Her half-lidded eyes shone in a mixture of exhaustion and… pleasure. The well-used Goddess could still feel the sensations, her sensitive body trembling from the aftershocks of what she had gone through the entire day.
"I'll take revenge on that brat for this humiliation," Freya muttered through gritted teeth, her voice a low growl even as her body betrayed her, still wracked with unwanted sensation. "I swear it… I'll make him pay."
****
Tsubaki let out a long sigh as she dropped Brigid's unconscious body onto the bed. As I looked at her, I found her wiping her hands on her thighs with a satisfied grin.
"Well, that was fun," she said, turning to me with a playful sparkle in her eyes.
I gently placed Rossweisse on the bed across the room. I warned her with a smile, "Careful, don't get addicted. Otherwise…"
Before I could say more, Tsubaki's soft body pressed against me, her arms looping around my neck. Her large, pillowy chest squished against my torso, and she leaned in close, her lips brushing my ear. "Oh baby, I'm already addicted to you," she whispered, planting a teasing kiss on my nape.
I felt her breath hot against my skin, her touch was electrifying. She was a hot girl, who I had turned into a woman across the last day. I laughed softly, my hand slowly trailing down her waist to grope her curves. She moaned in approval, pressing herself even closer.
"Come on, let's start moving," I said after a short pause, easing back a bit but not completely letting go. "We've had enough fun for now."
She expressed dissatisfaction with a pout, her lips forming an exaggerated frown that might have seemed weird before. Now it looked cute. "What's our next destination?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
I smirked. "Since the patrol's done, we're going back, silly girl. I've given you enough of a tour for today."
Her pout deepened, but there was a playful gleam in her eyes. Over the last day, she'd learned to express herself in… let's say, interesting ways. She wasn't the shy, reserved Tsubaki from before. That girl was long gone.
"Fine," she sighed dramatically, but there was no real disappointment in her voice. She was enjoying every second of this.
As we moved toward the door, my thoughts drifted, and a weight settled in my chest. The joyous times had come to an end, and the impending threat cast a shadow over everything. The world had descended into madness, and I was certain that this was just the beginning. The Norse Pantheon wouldn't sit idly by.
Odin, that ancient rascal, had probably grown even more powerful after the recent tsunami of Icons, and upon discovering what befell his beloved wife, Freya... he'd rage for revenge. I could sense his fury approaching already.
These two bitches on the bed survived death because of the peculiar situation, but in exchange, his wife got fucked. He'd not let that slide. I had to prepare myself for that.
But before any of that, there was something else I needed to do.
I had to free my feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl wouldn't stay patient forever, and I had no interest in dragging this out longer than necessary. There were other things on my plate too—like the issues going on with Gasper. But that could wait. It wasn't the priority. Not yet.
I scooped Tsubaki up in my arms with ease, her soft body fitting perfectly against mine. She laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck as I shot out of the apartment and into the sky. The wind whipped around us as I soared above the city, heading back toward Kuoh High.
One battle was done, but the war… the war was just beginning. The war against the world.
****
"Issei, just go back to the infirmary already," Sona's voice cut through the clubroom when I hovered outside the door, having teleported inside the building. I could hear her from the hall, her words laced with authority like usual.
"But I want to check on the Vice President!" Issei whined, his voice annoyingly insistent. "I need to make sure she's alright!"
Sona responded curtly, stating, "She's with Aqua, Issei. She'll be okay. I'm more concerned about upsetting him, especially considering the history between you two."
I smiled a little hearing that. It seemed that even in my absence, Issei's behavior was influenced by my presence. Clever move, Sona, trying to keep me in good books. But naturally, Issei wasn't having any of it.
"That's exactly the problem! You guys don't get it—she's with him!" Issei's voice was filled with frustration now, but I didn't let him finish his rant. I pushed open the door, stepping inside with Tsubaki close behind me.
The moment I entered, the room fell silent. All eyes turned toward us, especially to Tsubaki, who stood beside me in different clothes than when we had left earlier. She shifted slightly under the weight of their stares, looking uncharacteristically shy. Even so, she stayed composed, though I could sense the discomfort in the air.
"The situation's calm now," I announced casually, my voice breaking the silence. "There was a troublemaker, but I've taken care of it."
Everyone's eyes flicked between Tsubaki and me, no doubt noting the change in our appearance, but no one said anything. Well, no one except for Issei, whose trembling hands made it obvious he was trying to hold back some remarks.
Sona's gaze turned to him immediately, a sharp look that effectively silenced him before he could speak. Smart kid, but still annoying. Ignoring the tension, I looked toward Koneko, spotting her in the corner, training with the techniques I had transferred to her earlier.
"How's it going with the techniques?" I asked, walking over.
Koneko's ears twitched slightly, and she turned to face me, meeting my eyes with her usual calm demeanor. "I've been trying them out the last two days. It's easier to control the energy now. I like the one where I can cloak myself in energy—makes my strikes faster," she said quietly.
I nodded approvingly. "Good choice. Speed's important for you." My voice softened just a bit, enough for her to hear the slight praise. "But remember, you need to balance it with defense. You're fast, your size gives you a dodge advantage in close combat, but you can't avoid everything."
A small smile tugged at her lips. "I know. I've been practicing the Touki Barrier too. It's... tricky. Hard to keep it stable."
"You'll get there. It takes time to get it into muscle memory." I patted her head, ruffling her hair. She was doing well, but I wasn't one for over-the-top encouragement. She didn't need it.
Satisfied, I shifted my attention to Akeno next. "How's Rias?"
Akeno's usual smile was gone, her expression more serious than I'd seen in a while. "She came out earlier, made sure everyone was okay, and then went back to her room," she explained, glancing at the door that led to Rias's quarters.
I followed her gaze, staring at the door in silence for a moment, my thoughts swirling. Rias... She was the last person I expected to retreat like this, but these past few weeks had been hard for her. I sighed, shaking off the thought.
"In that case, I'll be leaving soon," I said. "I'll send some people over to keep you all safe. Normally, Rias would be more than enough protection, but seeing as she's... not in the right state, I don't mind providing some extra help."
Tsubaki tugged on my sleeve gently, her voice soft as she spoke, "You... you can't stay?"
Her words didn't go unnoticed. Akeno's eyes narrowed slightly, her brow furrowing at the sight of Tsubaki clinging to me. The tension in the room spiked, and I could feel Akeno's jealousy simmering just beneath the surface.
"You've had him to yourself long enough," Akeno remarked coolly, her voice laced with a faint bitterness. "He probably has other people waiting for him after being away for so long."
I scratched the back of my neck, offering her a sheepish smile. "It's not like that. It's about Quetzalcoatl."
The room went still. The mere mention of that name was enough to shift the entire mood, and I could feel the weight of their stares. Quetzalcoatl... her situation was no small issue.
"I'm going to Aztec to save her," I said, my tone steady. There was no point in sugarcoating things now.
"Good luck," Sona said after a pause. Her composed tone faltered slightly, and for once, there was a crack in her usual mask of calm. "But be careful. Aztec is basically enemy territory for you now. Especially with their new Chief God... you saving Quetzalcoatl is going to make things even worse. We can't offer much help. If we could, I'd volunteer."
I nodded in understanding. "I've got people ready. You all just focus on staying safe here."
With that, I turned toward the door, ready to leave. But just as I reached for the handle, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen—Akane.
[Hey… saw Mem-Cho posting earlier. Looks like you're back. Can we talk?]
I stared at the message for a moment, the weight of everything suddenly settling on me. A breakup message? I wouldn't be surprised. I hadn't seen her in months, and our conversations had been... brief, at best. I told her I'd be gone for a while but didn't give many details.
I sighed inwardly and typed back a response. [I'm busy right now. I'll be tied up for a few more days at least. We can meet when I'm free unless you'd rather just talk over the phone?]
The message was marked as "seen" almost immediately, but it took a moment before a response came in.
[Yeah, let's meet up.]
Well, I can't really blame her. I pocketed my phone, and my thoughts drifted to another girl. My other girlfriend. Mai Senpai... What was she up to these days?
The supernatural world had gone insane since I left, and she was more involved in it than Akane. I'd need to check on her soon and see how the Yokai faction was handling everything.
With one last look at the group in the clubroom, I walked toward the window and stepped outside, launching myself into the air. The night wind rushed past me as I flew, my thoughts still lingering on everything that lay ahead, while the clubroom remained bewildered, as if wondering what message had caught that much of my attention.
A possible magic world war aside, my personal life too was on a ride. I had to maneuver this carefully unless I wanted shit to hit the fan.
**
**
**
Author Note: Life's far too busy for comfort lately, and my birthday's coming. Next week! 25th October. I don't usually celebrate birthdays but my beggar friend's been begging me for too long to feed her, so I gotta clear my schedule and do that 😕and thennn also feed a different friend group. So I've decided to take a week off on updates and will return on 27th October. Take care!!