Yasaka sank to one knee as the last of her strength gave way, her sword driving point-first into the scorched ground to keep herself from collapsing entirely. Her armor hung in torn and battered pieces and her robes bore the marks of heat and violence, their edges charred and uneven. Strands of her hair clung to her face, dried coarse in the immense heat, and the once-pristine fur of her tails had become frayed and singed - their former luster dulled by the relentless demonic pressure that weighed upon her from every direction.
Each breath came heavy and uneven, her chest rising with visible strain as she struggled to keep the infernal miasma from infecting her lungs.
Through a haze of blurred vision, she forced her gaze upward toward the distant figure that dominated the ruined landscape; where Satan stood as a vast silhouette of fire and ash, his presence stretching across all of this reality as Time and Space bent to accommodate his unshakable will. The sheer force of his presence had warped the sky into some eldritch parody as the atmosphere now resembled bubbling and molten glass that shifted and shimmered darkly. Distractedly, she cast a weary glance to her side, where the remnants of her own holy power, which had once suffused this space, had been entirely extinguished beneath the overwhelming weight of her husband’s malignant presence.
The warmth she was so accustomed to from his brown eyes, the compassion and quiet affection she had come to know… all of it had receded so completely.
All that remained now was a churning and formless mass of hatred and hostility.
Even now, subtle and insidious whispers writhed within her soul, attempting to taint her mind with treacherous thoughts of despair and surrender.
But she was Yasaka, the Empress of Mythic Japan, High Priestess to the Rising Sun and Queen of the Celestial Heavens. The encroaching darkness held no sway over her, and with each labored breath she could feel the faint but unwavering embrace of her Lady, Amaterasu-sama. Steady and reassuring as the arms of the Sun wrapped around her spirit. Drawing on that lingering light, Yasaka tightened her grip on her sword, steadied her breath, and forced herself back to her feet.
Her body protested immediately, screaming as every bit of bone and ounce of flesh rebelled against her will. Two whole weeks of consistent battle against the eldritch horror that was her husband had run their course. Nonetheless, with great force of will, Yasaka stood to her full height, her chin held defiant and imperious as she drew Tenkō Hōgai from the ground. But as she leveled the blade in front of herself, the tremors in her knees grew too strong and she stumbled forward.
She let out a small cry of surprise as she fell forward, but then, a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind and pulled her back up.
“Easy there, princess. I got you.”
Yasaka’s fingers, bruised and covered in dry blood, reached up and twisted the fabric of his sleeve. And, as she looked up, just like that, the Demon was gone. Her husband was back with those easy eyes that now shone with a touch of concern.
She let out a huff. “I can still fight…”
Ichigo didn’t look convinced. “I’m sure you can,” he said dryly. “But we’ve run out of time. This dimension has just a few minutes left.”
Breathing haggardly, even as she leaned into his chest, Yasaka cast a glance at the ruined wasteland filled with mystic and cursed fire.
“Hah… you’re such a slave driver,” she said as she sighed and leaned into him, closing her eyes.
Ichigo let out a chuckle as he grabbed her and lifted her into his arms, and Yasaka dismissed her blade away.
“Two weeks ago, you were complaining I wasn’t taking things seriously enough. Now I’m a slave driver?”
She let out a derisive snort. “You’d think you would have learned to just accept my complaints by now. You’re such a slow husband.”
“Right, sorry. My bad,” he said with a laugh, even as she snuggled warmly against him.
=======
Ichigo sat quietly, absently watching a pair of butterflies flapping over a bush of chrysanthemums. After a much-needed shower, Yasaka and he retired to the pagoda at the center of the pond in her gardens. Tiamat had soon joined them; the unsaid agreement amongst the three of them was that this was now their unofficial meeting place.
Yasaka lay with her head in his lap, her eyes closed as her chest gently rose and fell in quiet breaths. Two weeks of nonstop fighting, and the sheer pressure and offense he had thrown at her had utterly exhausted her. And though he would never willingly put his wife in such a state of duress, Yasaka had demanded otherwise. She needed the constant onslaught – it was the quickest for her to reacclimate into the mindset of a warrior after the last few decades of relative peace in Japan. Nonwithstanding the incursion by the Old Satan Faction and Kokabiel’s legions, but she had not personally fought in those incidents.
Bringing his eyes down to his lap, Ichigo fondly rubbed the tips of his fingers to brush heavy locks of golden hair away from her brow. She had pushed herself to exhaustion, throwing everything she had at him while enduring his own offense. She had refined and practiced her techniques, while also learning and inventing a few as well.
It had been a novel experience serving as a guide to someone who wasn’t a complete novice, like Sona and Rias and their respective peerages. It was also quite educational for Ichigo himself; seeing Yasaka’s footwork, swordplay, chakra manipulations, and unique ways of utilizing Holy powers.
Being who he was, he rarely had direct confrontations with Holy powers, given the serious political ramifications of directly challenging a Crown Prince of Hell. As such, fighting Yasaka had been quite enlightening, he now had hands-on experience on how to counter and deal with powerful Holy energies if, and when, he encountered them in the future.
Ichigo then looked to his left where Tiamat sat next to him, holding his other hand. The Primordial, much like him, was quietly taking in the sights of nature, though her mind was quite far away. He idly rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, drawing her blue eyes over to him.
She stared quietly, her gaze penetrating.
“Is something wrong?” He asked quietly, trying not to wake Yasaka.
Tiamat lips thinned as a flicker of hesitation passed through her eyes. “The future is clouded; I can no longer see the threads of Destiny clearly. The Infinite Ouroboros casts its shadow on all possibilities.”
Ichigo frowned and then turned his own sight beyond the physical plane and peered deep into the eddies of Fate. But Tiamat was right – his prescience was limited as, beyond a few scant impressions, he could not divine past a few days of the future.
And yet…
Ichigo’s frown grew more pronounced as he briefly pierced the veil, a powerful vision entering his mind’s eye: and he beheld a sea of endless sand, all colored a deep, earthen red.
What?
As he blinked in confusion as he tried to make sense of the vision, and Tiamat must have sensed his inner turmoil as she turned to him with a curious gaze.
“What is it?” she asked.
Ichigo opened his mouth briefly, but instead of responding with words, he instead chose to open their mental connection and shared with her what he had seen. Tiamat’s eyes widened briefly, and he saw a flash of recognition pass through her eyes.
He gave her an inquisitive glance. “You know where that is?”
She looked away, her expression equally surprised and pensive. She fell into a deep, contemplative silence, and Ichigo could feel from her a turmoil of emotions. Old emotions. Thoughts and impressions she hadn’t felt in millennia, apparently. And, while he could have picked the information quite readily from her mind, he respected her privacy enough to stay silent and wait for her.
Several moments of heavy silence passed, where the only motion was of the wind and gurgle of the koi pond’s small waterfalls. But slowly, Tiamat turned to him with a strange look, and he realized she was feeling an odd bout of uncertainty. And it was odd because Tiamat never felt uncertainty. His Dragon King usually plowed ahead with little regard for others and with all the confidence and arrogance that her power and station afforded.
“It is not a where,” she said softly, her tone reminiscent and wistful, “it is a when.”
He looked at her perplexed for a second before understanding settled in. “The Fourth Dimension.”
And Tiamat nodded in confirmation.
“That was an immortal domain, of a divine being,” he said to himself before turning to her curious. “And you know whose.”
“Aye,” she said, with a fond and forlorn look. “And I sense they do not wish for me to name them just yet. But fret not, beloved. I do not need foresight to know this invitation shall prove no danger to you. Quite the opposite, I deem.”
Ichigo scratched his chin. “If you say so, beautiful. I sure as Hell won’t mind some more good news these days.”
“It will be,” and she said it with such certainty that Ichigo believed her completely.
“But onto other matters,” Tiamat then said. “Your war against your would-be usurpers still rages. And while I encourage you to enjoy your respite, I would counsel you to keep it brief.”
Ichigo nodded in agreement. He had been gone for a few hours from the Underworld now, but there were still some things he needed to clear up in Infernity before he fully committed to returning to frontlines.
Namely, it was finally time for him to go speak with the Sapling of Yggdrasil in his realm and find out what the Great Red intended by rousing the Norse Mythos. Oh… and he finally needed to deal with Katerea, who had unceremoniously been rotting in captivity within his personal fortress for several weeks now.
And, while he wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to pull it off, he did have an idea on how to use the captive Leviathan descendent in the war effort. Sirzechs sparing her from outright execution would prove to be quite the boon.
Tiamat let out a husky purr, and he turned to see her blue eyes gleaming viciously. Slowly she reached out, tracing the edge of his jaw with a single nail. “You are exceptionally attractive when your thoughts turn dark, beloved.”
“Thanks,” he answered dryly. “I’m glad to know at least one of us is enjoying all this Dark Lord crap.”
With a throaty purr, she leaned in and kissed him. And for the moment, Ichigo enjoyed the brief make out session with his girlfriend… while his wife slept in his lap.
=======
A few hours later, Ichigo casually stepped through the seam between worlds and was greeted with the usual violet skies of Infernity. Instantly the realm embraced him, and Ichigo felt his senses supercharged as he was made hyperaware of every single particle within his kingdom. He briefly pushed his awareness down and craned his neck back and forth as he took in a deep breath of air and magic.
Behind him, the dimensional fold he had crossed shuddered and rippled more violently.
Tiamat emerged in her true form with a thunderous roar that rolled across the horizon, her immense body unfurling in a sweep of sapphire scales that caught and reflected the ambient light in sharp, gleaming flashes. Lightning crawled along her frame in jagged arcs, discharging into the air as her presence expanded outward, and within seconds the sky responded, black clouds boiling into existence across hundreds of miles as thunderheads churned and collided in a violent, gathering storm.
Ichigo tilted his head slightly as he watched her glide into tempest, hands filling his pockets as he watched silently as she slipped into the churning black clouds. Her wings cut through the storm with effortless grace, and with a powerful twist she flew off into the distance.
He rolled his eyes as the echo of her thoughts brushed against his – Tiamat was already focused on narrowing the selection of prey and their scents coming from the forest below.
Figures.
Speaking of forests, his gaze drifted downward.
Below him stretched Agravendikh, the Biting Wood in the Old Demon language: a sprawling expanse of dense jungle that filled the heart of Infernity, its canopy rolling outward for millions of square miles in a vibrant sea. Trees as tall as skyscrapers rose far into the sky, and their crowns spread wide in hues that shifted between deep greens, violent reds, and unnatural blues.
And these jungles weren’t just unique in color; Ichigo watched with a raised brow as a towering tree suddenly shifted its weight and moved, roots tearing free of the earth as it lumbered through the undergrowth. All the while, other trees subtly adjusted around it, making way as their fellow tree decided to take a saunter.
Then, from amidst Tiamat’s conjured storm, a fork of lightning split the sky and hurtled towards that same strolling tree. And with little ceremony, that great walking tree swiftly swatted the bolt of lightning with a branch even thicker than Ichigo was tall.
Ichigo let out a sigh… yeah, his realm was downright terrifying for the unprepared.
But he then turned around, his gaze settling on the northern horizon, towards his destination. The sapling of Yggdrasil rose into view, and despite the name, there was nothing small about it. It was a titanic thing with its base alone stretching across the length of an entire mountain range, roots anchoring it deep within the land as its colossal trunk climbed nearly a dozen miles into the sky. Vast branches spread outward in every direction, their reach so immense that they cast sprawling shadows across hundreds of miles, dimming the light of the realm beneath them.
If Ichigo remembered correctly, the lands directly beneath the mini-World Tree were called the Shadowlands. Not the most original name - in fact, Ichigo was quite sure there were a dozen or more other places in the Underworld with the same exact name – but sometimes it was best to go with the obvious and recognizable in favor of the exotic and flavorful. After all, how many human cities shared the name Alexandria?
But with a single step, Ichigo found himself before Yggdrasil’s sapling and looked overhead as it loomed. Far below, entire cities gleamed, built by the numerous clans and peoples that took shelter under it. And as he returned his gaze upwards, this close to the gargantuan tree, he could no longer see the sky behind it nor the earth that it grew from, just its seemingly endless wood and leaves.
Slowly, Ichigo drifted through the air towards its boughs and the deep shadows within its branches. He could sense the tremendous abundance of life energies contained within – a world’s worth of life, ready to flower and fruit entire new realms. He could even sense the millions of other lifeforms that called the mythical tree home. Some of those creatures had even crossed into the thresholds of Ultimate-class, but as he approached, they all receded further in and hid themselves.
When Ichigo came close enough to reach out and touch the wood, it groaned and twisted, parting to reveal a verdant path made of foliage and branch. And as soon as he descended and his foot touched the green, the entirety of the great tree quaked, sending seismic shocks through Infernity.
Though he was insignificant and small compared to the behemoth of a tree, even Yggdrasil strained to bear the mythic weight of Satan.
With each step Ichigo took forward, the path grew, as if it were being made especially for him, leading him to what he suspected was the core of the tree.
He deposited his hands into the pockets of his jacket and walked coolly, casting his gaze out into the wild growth slowly creeping around him. The largest branches of the nascent World Tree were as long as a skyscrapers, their surfaces twisting and curving like ancient roads. And despite the fact that no natural light reached beneath the canopy, the dark was pushed away as massive flowers the size of houses bloomed along the wood, casting a soft silvery glow. There were also flowing streams of blue and green magic that drifted through the boughs, coiling gently around branches.
In all honesty, the interior of the tree could be considered its own sub-dimension.
Ichigo continued to walk for several long and quiet minutes, all the while, leaves and branches shifting and building themselves into his path. But after a while, he finally arrived before a gargantuan pillar of wood covered in light green vines interwoven in the shape of what Ichigo thought looked like a door.
And before that door was a company of six heavily armored knights, their entire frames covered in glimmering silver armor.
As soon as he stepped towards them, they all came to attention and drew their blades, two handed longswords glinting of the same polished metal that their armors were made from. Ichigo could sense that these were Ljósálfar, Light Elves that had migrated to Underworld from the Norse mythos, back when the first Devil Civil War was raging and the Lords of then had no attention to spare to the fringe realms of dead Demons.
“Halt! Intruder! You shall go no further! Leave this sacred place or perish!” One of the knights, with a decidedly male voice, shouted out.
But Ichigo didn’t care to respond and continued to walk forward; he was not going to be detained or denied, especially in his own damn realm. So instead, he brought forth an iota of his power, a sliver of his might, and all six knights let out startled cries as the weight of his presence forced them to their knees.
As he came up to the knights, one of them let out a deep, guttural groan and actually made the attempt to reach out towards him with a gauntlet covered hand.
But Ichigo did not break stride, and he simply let a sliver more of his power unwind from his body, a thin ripple of pressure that rolled outward from his body and pressed into the space around him. And all six knights were driven into the ground with crushing force, their armored frames slamming flat as the air itself seemed to bear down on them. And as their armor began to crumple beneath his weight, he sensed their consciousness slip away as they were knocked out cold.
Without a second glance, Ichigo continued to walk on until he reached the giant pillar of wood.
The outline of the door, woven from thick, living vines that pulsed faintly with contained life stood before him and Ichigo stopped a short distance away. His hands stayed relaxed in his pockets as he waited, gaze steady and expression unreadable. Silence stretched for several seconds, the space around him still save for the quiet hum of the tree’s immense vitality.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Are you really going to make me burn my way in?”
And immediately, the vines shifted and writhed, parting as a bright white light spread across their surface, the shape of the door glowing brightly until it became an inviting portal. Ichigo stepped through without hesitation.
On the other side, the space narrowed into a cavern of living wood and interwoven vibrant vines, the air thick with a concentration of life essence that pressed against his senses with surprising density. He paused for a moment, noting the world’s worth of vitality thrumming around him, like a continuous drum beat. Ichigo surmised that he must have arrived at the very core, the Heart of the World Tree in Infernity.
And before he could do anything else, the many branches and leaves began to twist inward, drawing toward the center as they gathered and wove themselves together, forming a towering figure much taller than him. The shape resolved into a woman of striking presence, her pale features framed by verdant green hair threaded with branches and dried leaves, her eyes bright green and vivid. Her limbs were formed from smooth dark wood, while her torso remained white flesh, an unnatural fusion of plant and Elf.
For a moment, Ichigo quietly regarded the woman, noting the way the green in her eyes seemed to slither and pulse, like creeping roots through the earth.
But after a hefty moment of silence, the incredibly tall woman gave a small bow of her head, the sound of creaking accompanying the movement.
“I greet the Lord of Fire and Shadow; this meeting is long overdue.” Her voice was low and echoed with the sound of a hundred women.
Ichigo rose a single eyebrow. “Overdue?”
She mirrored his inquisitive look. “Say, is it not customary to meet one’s proprietor?”
Ichigo let out an amused snort. “If that’s the case, should I charge you rent?”
The Spirit smiled easily. “A charge paid in advance and continued on, dear Lord. Or hath not the denizens of thy demesne not benefited from the rich bounty o’er my roots?”
Well, she wasn’t wrong. The World Tree’s presence had exploded the natural flora and fauna within Infernity – there were species that existed in the jungles surrounding that were still being discovered. In fact, a lot of scholars within his kingdom were quite certain that, not only was there a sizable backlog of discoveries to be made, but that the mini-Yggdrasil was continuously spawning new life never seen before year after year.
It was one the major advantages Ichigo had over the rest of the Lords of the Underworld; he had a giant world spawning tree that pumped life into his domain constantly.
“Alright then,” he said as he gazed up into those glowing green eyes, “how am I supposed to address you? I’m assuming that you’re not the Yggdrasil of the Nine Realms.”
“I am,” she said with her echoing voice. “And I am not. Surely, dear Lord, thou knowst what it means to exist in multitude? Is not the White Beast within thyself separate but same?”
Ichigo looked surprised at her. “You can see him?”
Her mouth twisted grimly as she nodded. “Would that I could not. Of the many dark blights that dwelleth above and below this Infernity, none inspire upon me more fright. Save for thy dread self.”
“That’s fair,” Ichigo said in complete agreement. “I genuinely don’t think anyone likes him, me included.”
From within his own soul, he felt Zanegtsu stir aggrieved, and Ichigo was quite sure his inner world was currently clamoring with an abundance of crass cursing at his expense.
But his attention was taken away from his soul as the Tree Spirit bowed once, “I am Yggdrasil, the World Tree. But not of the Nine Realms. Say then, Infernity.”
“Welcome to Infernity then,” he said half-jokingly. “Even though you’ve been here centuries longer than me.”
And even as he said the words, a tension he didn’t even notice somehow bled away from the air. “My heart is set at ease, dear Lord. When first my children grafted my boughs upon this infernal realm, I feared the avarice of the Old Lords and their ruinous gaze. Anon came the Crimson Lucifer and his unyielding hold, but he deemed me unnoteworthy. Centuries then I grew and spread my seed in this land. But how then could any foresee Vile Satan enthroned once more?”
“Me least of all,” Ichigo said dryly. “But I get it, you came as a refugee to what you thought was free real estate only to find a new Satan a lot stronger than the old one setting up shop.”
“Know then, dear Lord, of how it came to pass, I stand upon thy earth?”
“Tiamat filled me in,” Ichigo said with a shrug, but he immediately noted, much to his amusement, a flicker of distaste pass through her expression. “Don’t like my Dragon King?” he asked with an amused chuckle.
“Wyrmkin have even been my bane,” she said disdainfully. But then, Ichigo saw something stir in her eyes, and it was much to his humor that Yggdrasil sniffed childishly. “I do appreciate being struck by lightning, dear Lord.”
Holding back his laughter but failing to keep his lips from twitching, Ichigo said, “I’ll try and ask her to be more considerate.”
Not that it would do any good. His damn familiar was one of the most selfish beings he had ever met. Outside of a core few, Tiamat cared little for anyone or anything else.
“But then, pray tell dear Lord, what purpose hath brought thee to step into my shade?” Yggdrasil asked, her wooden neck tilting carefully.
Ichigo crossed his arms, letting out a low breath. “The Aesir Thor.”
And Yggdrasil looked surprised. “Jarðarburr?”
The magic in his mind immediately translated the Old Norse: Son of Jörð, and Ichigo was somewhat surprised that Yggdrasil invoke Thor’s mother.
Nevertheless, the pushed that tangent away and nodded his head, saying, “Yeah. He told me to seek you out. Apparently, something is happening in the Nine Realms that is being linked to me, something involving the wargs Sköll and Hati.”
And her green eyes went wide, and he could see some sort of understanding settle in. “I see…”
Ichigo tilted his head. “Care to fill me in?”
She regarded him for a solemn moment before slowly lifting her hand, and a section of the bark wall to the side split and folded away, the living wood parting in deference to her will. Ichigo turned to look as beyond the wood lay a dense curtain of mist, its surface shimmering with faint streaks of purple starlight. His gaze sharpened as the haze shifted, revealing fleeting visions within: countless elves, humans, dwarves, fae, and spirits burning, or seized and torn apart by scaled claws and snapping fangs.
Numerous scenes of screaming children as their parents were violently torn apart and they themselves were consumed in the blaze. Villages decimated, fortified walls blasted apart with a single swipe of giant, scaled tails.
Ichigo’s eyes dimmed grimly.
“The Emperors’ War,” Yggdrasil said somberly. “So many of my children died… ne’er shall I forget my branches littered with their corpses, my roots soaked with their blood. When the Heavenly Father sealed the Scaled Emperors in final moments of the Great War, unknowingly did he light the flame of another.
“Dragons are a vile race; their hearts littered with naught but cruelty and ambition. They rose in ranks, ripping and tearing at the world as they sought to take the siege of Heavenly Dragon in Albion and Ddraig’s absence. Níðhöggr, Fafnir, Grendel, Ófnir, Jörmungandr and too many more. Dragon Lords each; terrible and mighty. Decades they ravaged the Nine Realms.”
“The same decades where Sirzechs and the others fought the first Devil Civil War,” Ichigo said with a sigh.
Numerous races took advantage of the Civil War to cut out their own portion of the Underworld. Infernity was but one of those realms, until he became the new Sin of Wrath and reclaimed it for the Devil Empire.
“Many were the mortals who rose as Heroes true,” Yggdrasil continued. “But of the many wyrms that were felled, some were too great to be interred directly in the earth, lest they poison the very land and conjure plagues in their accursed death. Thus, the Aesir and Vanir descended from their Immortal Thrones and interred the foulest of the dragons, corpse and ghost alike, beneath the waters of the River Ván.”
Ichigo blinked momentarily in confusion. The River Ván? The River of Hope? But then his eyes widened as he remembered something from his lessons with Grayfia all those years ago. “Oh fuck.”
Sköll and Hati’s father – Vánagandr, the Monster of the River Hope.
“Fenrir,” Ichigo said through his teeth.
Yggdrasil nodded gravely.
The Fen Dwelling-Wolf, the Fame-Wolf… the greatest monster of the Norse Mythos. Fenrir who wielded the Principles of Mortality, standing equal to Albion’s Principles of Supremacy and Ddraig’s Principles of Domination. Fenrir who was so powerful that the Aesir had to trick him into binding himself as none dared to challenge him directly.
And years of conversations and words from his past suddenly flooded his mind.
‘For centuries I wallowed in despair. Hope but a feeble word without any meaning. But I never forgot, even in my desolation. I remembered my husband, the time and memories we forged. My sole consolation his smile and touch within my dreams. And it was those dreams that called to their master.’
“I was… made to experience a moment beyond Time by the Eternal Dream.”
In ages now long forgotten, Tiamat had once been a captive, sealed and imprisoned. But she clung to hope – hope that came to her in her dreams. And it was Illusion of Dreams which had set her free, and, ironically, in freeing Tiamat, the Great Red had invertedly set the Mesopotamian pantheon on the path to utter ruin.
And it was that same Divine Dragon now pulling Yasaka in and out of the Fourth Dimension, bringing messages to him from the Aesir, even as that impossible dragon brought Fenrir’s sons to Japan.
Fenrir.
Monstrous and mighty Fenrir, who’s snarling maw drooled the River Ván, the River Hope. Was the Great Red answering Fenrir’s dreams in captivity, just as it had done so for Tiamat in eons past? Fenrir’s freedom would ensure the start of Ragnarök, the end of the Nine Realms and Norse Mythos. Just as Tiamat’s freedom led to the downfall of the Mesopotamian Mythos.
That was when Ichigo remembered the Eternal Dream’s other name – the Apocalypse Dragon.
Ichigo covered half of his face with a hand and let out a deep, tired sigh. Was that what this was? Was the Great Red pushing events towards an apocalypse. But then, if that were the case, why did it aid Hades and the Soul King and allow them to speak with Ichigo, avoiding Ophis’ interference?
What are these dragons playing at?
Ichigo slowly dropped his hand and gave Yggdrasil a suspicious look. “You said that many of the more powerful dragons were buried beneath the River Ván?” At her nod, Ichigo’s eyes narrowed. “Are they still buried there?”
Yggdrasil shook her head. “I cannot see. Though the Fen Waters flow through my stems, my sight is shrouded, a veil of blackness obscures my vision when I turn it towards the River.”
Ichigo let out another sigh. Tiamat had said something similar; Ophis had occluded all of the future, heavily limiting foresight and the ability to predict what was to come within the mortal theatre. But it seemed that the River Ván in particular was being shielded, which meant there was a strong possibility that the interred dragons and the freedom of Fenrir were intertwined.
Which meant that Ophis’ goals were now overlain with the Great Red’s. Whatever they may be. That being said…
“I get the feeling that those dragons may not be as dead anymore,” Ichigo said as he pinched his own chin in thought.
“My Lord thinks that the Void has returned its lesser kin to the lands of the living?”
Ichigo looked up at her in surprise. “You know?”
She gave a slow nod. “Mink though it’s touch may be, the lingering taint of the Void is all too apparent for one as old as I.”
Ichigo let out a thoughtful hum. Again, he had no clue what either of the two were planning, but he had a strong premonition that the two were not working together. Actually, he was quite certain of it, otherwise they’d all have been doomed long ago.
Nevertheless, this was incredibly important information that he had just gleamed, he would need to pass it on to the other Satans. And his two ladies as well; Tiamat’s thoughts on the matter would prove vital. No one knew the Divine Pair better than her… well, not that anyone could know the two.
As Tiamat had it clear, they were well beyond the concept of understanding.
“One last thing,” Ichigo said as he met those glowing green eyes. “You’re connected to your original self, right? And the River Ván flows through that one’s branches?” At her nod, Ichigo continued on, “Does that mean it also runs through your branches? As in, into Infernity?”
Yggdrasil instantly affirmed. “It is so, Dear Lord. As I had said before, I am Yggdrasil even as I am not. We are one but separate.”
Ichigo frowned heavily, he did not like that one bit. “Sorry,” he said, not really meaning it, “But I can’t afford to have a connection to another mythos wide open in my realm.”
Yggdrasil looked at him sadly. “Apologies, dear Lord, but it is beyond my ability to sever myself from my native roots.”
“Yeah, but it’s not beyond mine,” Ichigo said calmly as he raised his hand made a sudden grasping motion. And the skeins of dimensions and the infinite paths that wound out through Yggdrasil’s roots into the Nine Realms were made apparent to him. And as he closed his fist tight, they instantly withered and died, severing those paths and connections and barring all entry into his realm save for what he would allow.
And as Ichigo’s fingers tightened, there was a slight tremble through all of Infernity as its reality conformed to his desires. He then briefly looked at Yggdrasil and noted how her color seemed to pale and the thrum of power from her lessened just a fraction. Not enormously, but to enough of a degree that told him she had been drawing upon her other self’s power.
The action of cutting her off from her main roots seemed to have had a slight negative effect on her. But it was as Ichigo had said, he couldn’t afford to leave any potential openings. Especially in tumultuous times like these.
“You may not like what I just did, but you have to admit that it’s better than the alternative where I burn you down,” Ichigo said mildly.
The spirit shuddered visibly and clasped both of her hands beneath her navel as she bowed. “Innumerable thanks for thy mercy, dear Lord.”
He gave her a deft nod and then turned away, slipping away through the folds of space.
=======
Ichigo sat at the edge of the bed with one leg drawn up, his elbow resting against his knee as his gaze remained fixed out the window. He absently watched the steady patter of heavy rain against the windows, taking a still but small solace in the sound of them hitting the glass. Beside him, Tiamat reclined against a pile of pillows, her posture languid but her eyes sharp, watching, thinking. Across from him, a phantom projection of Yasaka sat cross-legged, her image flickering faintly, her expression drawn and contemplative. None of them spoke. The machinations of the Divine Dragons hung over them, vast and inescapable, settling heavily in the quiet.
“Are you certain, Ichigo?” Yasaka asked him again, for what seemed like the dozenth time.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I can’t see it for certain, but I have a strong sense of just knowing it’s true. I’m positive that Ophis has resurrected the dragons that were slain in the Emperors’ War.”
Tiamat let out a soft growl from beside him, her lips peeling back to reveal sharpened teeth. “Many of the wyrms slain by mortal heroes in that war are counted amongst the foulest of my kind. Creatures who delighted in the pain and misery of others. Base beasts such as Grendel and Niðhöggr who are possessed of carnage and little else. Though Niðhöggr survived the war and hid his craven self once more in the roots of the World Tree.”
“But why?” Yasaka asked, crossing her arms and looking down. “The Void already has Khaos Brigade at its beck and call, and those dragons are legendary for their willfulness and chaotic nature. I doubt they will obey or follow even the Void’s commands.”
“Well, according to Sirzechs,” Ichigo said in answer, “historically speaking, Ophis’ interest in our world have primarily been in its fellow dragons. It rarely, if ever, interacted with non-dragon beings. It could be it simply wishes to see its kind restored out some sort of kinship.”
Yasaka gave him a doubtful glance. “You think the Infinite Ouroboros is trying to bring back its fellow dragons out of some sort of kinship? What does any of that have to do with its interference in the Shinto Pantheon and the Devil Civil War?”
Ichigo shrugged. “I have no clue. Honestly, the more I learn, the more confused I become.”
Tiamat let out a huff, and a hint of a sea-breeze brushed across Ichigo’s face, making him turn towards his familiar. “I have said it before, it is futile to assign or attempt to discern meaning with those two. They are whimsical creatures. For all we know, there is no intent other than their own entertainment.”
“Joy,” Ichigo said sardonically.
Yasaka let out a long-suffering sigh. “Sadly, I’m forced to agree. What little records we have about the two in Kyoto say the same. The Divine Pair simply do as they please, often leaving chaos and confusion in their wake.”
“That still doesn’t change the fact we have to do something about it,” Ichigo said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hopefully, we’ll have the Civil War down here done within the next few weeks. After that, I can turn my full attention to rooting out Khaos Brigade.”
“Provided that my corner of the multiverse doesn’t break out into a Civil War as well,” Yasaka said pointedly.
“Right,” Ichigo said, his thoughts drifting towards the Golden Moon. “Let just hope it doesn’t come to that, and I can send Tsukiyomi to Hell without having mythical Japan tear itself apart.”
“But then,” Tiamat said as she shifted herself comfortable, “what of the Norse and their wargs? You are being drawn there as well, beloved.”
Ichigo grimaced. “I’ll also figure that out when I’m done down here in the Underworld. One problem at a time. I really don’t give a crap who’s plotting what. I’m moving according to my own schedule and everyone else can politely screw off.”
“I think I speak for everyone in existence when I ask that you not start an apocalypse, husband,” Yasaka said dryly.
He snorted as he rolled his eyes. “I’ll try.”
=======
Vali leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his gaze half-lidded as he listened to the low murmur of voices echoing through the halls. They all fell within the expanse of his magical senses - every ounce of treachery being plotted and practiced in the Khaos Brigade. It genuinely felt like all the major players were currently too busy sharpening daggers for the backs of others to do anything remotely productive… well, productive in his perspective, anyways.
Nonetheless, he could feel it in the air; the tension of impending conflict, of armies being gathered and blades being readied for the sudden thrust.
And yet, it meant nothing to him.
His fingers tapped once against his arm, a small, restless motion that betrayed his irritation. It was ironic, coming from one who bore the blood of Lucifer, but conquest and warfare were two things he never fully understood. Not once did he ever understand his ancestor’s obsession with taking what others had instead of building what he had himself. Why not turn his sight inward, honing and sharpening his power until he would have one day surpassed the Heavenly Father?
But no, the original Lucifer was consumed with corrupting and breaking mankind on some minor perceived slight from the ancient past. Honestly, Vali was somewhat embarrassed to be descended from someone so pathetic.
It all felt hollow.
To him, the only way to prove one’s worth was not in the conquest of land or the breaking of armies, but through single combat. By pushing the boundaries of one’s power and rising through the oncoming storm and breaking the wind with his own two hands. To stand above everything, triumphant in knowing that one had overcome all strife and struggle to be the absolute apex. To be supreme.
And with that one thought, Albion stirred in his soul
The rousing of the ancient dragon caused his thoughts to drift to the current wielder of Boosted Gear, and his expression slightly became exasperated. From what he understood, his Red counterpart wasn’t someone even worth considering. Apparently, this generation’s Red Dragon Emperor hadn’t even managed to obtain his Balance Breaker. Instead, he reportedly spent his days working the counter in some mundane café while perversely drooling after his Devil master.
What a waste.
Vali exhaled slowly, his boredom settling heavier with each passing moment as he pushed himself off the wall, already searching for something – anything - that might break the monotony.
And in that moment, LaFay Pendragon and Kuroka walked into the room, easily maneuvering past members of the numerous factions that made up the Khaos Brigade, the two women on his team came before him with easy and welcoming smiles.
“Come to put me out of my misery?” he asked with a dry tone.
LaFay giggled while Kuroka gave a playful shove and said, “Nyaa! Don’t even dream of it mister! But we do have some exciting news!”
Praise Ophis, he thought to himself.
“Well?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Kuroka leaned in and whispered with enthusiasm. “Rumor has it the Devils are planning on stabbing the Fallen in the back and invade the other half of the Underworld soon!”
Vali frowned. Now that was strange. That didn’t sound like the current Satans at all. Then again, they were the ones who essentially restarted the Devil Civil War and came after the Old Satan Faction preemptively. Maybe Sirzechs and his cohorts weren’t so different than his ancestor after all.
Huh, how disappointing.
“Why? They’re already fighting one war.”
LaFay then whispered even as she wove privacy wards around them, “It’s what the heads of the Old Satan Faction are saying.”
Vali rolled his eyes – that meant the information was utterly useless. Those two fools couldn’t accurate forecast the sun rising, never mind the cruel cunning and foresight that was the Crimson Lucifer and the other Satans.
“No, no,” Kuroka said emphatically while shaking her head, having guessed his thoughts. “You the reports that confirmed that last week Satan-sama went and burned Malebolge to the ground? An insider from House Astaroth has revealed that Ajuka Beelzebub used the moment to plant an opening for himself. He’s building a massive teleport relay on the banks of Cocytus! We’ve confirmed it! Shal-butt and Creuser-rocks-for-brains are already forming a plan to seize the teleport array and use it to invade the core of the Devil Empire territories!”
Vali blinked slowly. Those two fools managed to garner a spy inside of House Astaroth? Ajuka’s own birth house? The same Ajuka who was building this supposed teleport array on the river Cocytus which Khaos Brigade just happened to use to move undetected through the Chthonic realms?
…wasn’t this a little too coincidental?
Either there was a massive trap being laid, or Ophis had blessed his two idiot cousins with an obscene amount of good fortune.
“It was Ajuka’s nephew,” LaFay said quickly, making Vali question how bad his poker face was. “He’s joined up with Shalba and has even received the Void’s Blessing.”
Ah, so it was Ophis.
“Nyaa! Interesting news part two!” Kuroka said giddily. “Going back to the super-hot Satan-sama! It seems he’s making quite a lot of inquiries about you, and he’s not exactly being subtle either!”
“You’re being hunted, Vali,” LaFay said plainly.
And for the first time all day, he smiled.
Kuroka beamed back at him. “You should do that more often! You’re so much better looking when you’re smiling than when you’re in Mister-Boody-Dark-King mode!”
LaFay nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. Smiling makes you more attractive.”
He frowned pensively; he didn’t necessarily want to be attractive. He had no interest in things like romance or sex. He just wanted the thrill of fighting a stronger opponent and overcoming adversity to secure narrow victory. That was the greatest rush to him… not thrusting his hips for an indeterminate amount of time only to be rewarded with a rush of oxytocin for his troubles.
He then looked at Kuroka curiously. “Satan is hot?”
“Nyaa! Totally! I’d bang his brains out if he’d let me!”
LaFay nodded in agreement. “I’ve seen Underworld news outlets. Man is rocking.”
But Kuroka seemed to misunderstand something because she suddenly started fretting over him. “Ah, but you’re totally hot too, Vali! I don’t just hit you up for sex to have your babies only because you’re strong! I’m absolutely attracted to you!”
… he wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, but he accepted the goodwill for what it was.
“Oh,” and Vali looked down at LaFay as she suddenly seemed to recall something. “There was a third thing. Big brother wanted me to ask you if you wanted spicy BBQ sauce or garlic sauce with your chicken wings.”
He looked down at the young witch and, with all severity that the White Dragon Emperor possessed, he said, “Both. Both is good.”
“Roger.” And she took out her phone and began to text.
=======
Ichigo blinked confused as he, from what he last remembered, had bid good night to Yasaka as her psychic projection faded from the Underworld and then he and Tiamat had drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms. And yet, somehow, he now stood under a dusky sky with hues of pinks, oranges and gold, and a never-ending shifting sea of sand dunes made from iron-red grains.
But what definitely held the bulk of his attention was the tall man in white robes with hair the same color as the red of the wind-swept dunes around them. He was also wearing, what appeared to be, a strange dog-shaped black and gold mask over most of his face, with only his chin and lips being revealed.
Lips that were turned upward in a welcoming smile.
“Well met, new friend. I am Sutekh of the Red Sands.”