Sutekh of the Red Sands.
Also known as Set the Destroyer, one of the Nine Divines of the Great Ennead of the Egyptian Pantheon. One of the most powerful and most influential figures in the ancient world; whose shadow cast over the numerous supernatural wars the True Immortals waged during the beginnings of human civilization. Set was old, even by the impossible and paradoxical standards of those of the Fourth Dimension. And he was immensely powerful.
Oh… and he was Tiamat’s ex-boyfriend.
Ichigo slowly felt the fingers of his hand curl into fists, caution and vigilance rising strong in him as he suddenly found himself before the ancient divine. But, despite his wariness, Set himself seemed quite at ease and continued to smile serenely.
“Apologies for intruding upon your dreams, Dark One,” and the Egyptian’s voice was deep and rich in timbre, like the rumblings of the shaking earth and thundering sky, “But I deemed it less alarming than manifesting directly into the Underworld. Amusing though it would be, to watch the unfolding chaos.”
And he was immediately taken off-guard, blinking several times in surprise at what he had just heard. “Did-did you just apologize?” As far as Ichigo knew, deities never apologized, deeming themselves far above such things.
Set responded with a low laugh, and somewhere far off the horizon rumbled with thunder. “I understand your surprise. For the Undying True, reality and Will are one in the same. An apology is an invitation to weakness. But I have long since moved past such petty concerns. Ah, but we speak of apologies and I find myself having to give another one. I have been quite rude.”
With a wave of his tanned hand, Set conjured a large cotton blanket over the sands, and it was covered in lush pillows of royal blue and gold.
“Please, do join me,” Set said as he sat down on a cushion and motioned for Ichigo to do the same. And so he did, Ichigo took one of the larger blue pillows and sat cross-legged, even as he regarded Set with a curious look.
Set then reached out and, from out of nowhere, an elongated blue-green cup made of clay appeared, filled with a familiar steaming scent.
“Coffee?” Set offered.
Ichigo hesitated for a brief second before taking it. “Thanks.”
As soon as he said the word, several earthenware plates appeared between them, filled with numerous pastries and breads. As well as jars of what Ichigo assumed were fruit jams.
He looked down at the spread of snacks, to the coffee, to the divine and then back to the snacks. Ichigo’s lips turned in a small frown. “You’re not exactly what I expected.”
Set chuckled. “Most remember me as a Destroyer, a Bringer of Chaos and War and other such unpleasantries. Few now recall I am also the Lord of Foreigners, and no one really minds if I take a liberty or two and extend that domain into hospitality.”
“I didn’t know you could do that,” Ichigo admitted. He always assumed that mythic mantles were set in stone and very inflexible things; that it was impossible to intrude upon the domains of others.
Set chuckled. “Very much so, though none of my kin like to admit it. Or rather, dare to, for fear of drawing unwanted attention from the true holder of that domain; which is why I’ve always been so fond of our Greco-Roman neighbors. They’ve never been afraid to expand their spheres of influence. Nevertheless, it is one of the dire pitfalls of the mighty I would caution you away from - many powerful beings become enamored with one path and inadvertently limit the scope of their full potential.”
Ichigo went quiet as he digested the knowledge. He wondered to himself, how could he develop and further explore his powers as the Sin of Wrath? What other ways were there to apply it in battle, aside from instilling a loss of control and sense in his opponents? Metaphysical manifestations of one’s authority were, surprisingly, a cut and dry phenomenon. Which meant that Ichigo should be able to push it further without any significant complications.
And as the epiphany settled into the back of his mind, he gave Set a suspicious look. “Why am I here?”
Set smiled and raised his hand, and with the motion, the entire sky moved in a blitz. The warm golds and reds of the dusky horizon were swallowed by a chill night as the celestial sphere sprung in full splendor. But of the stars, fourteen of them had swelled with such luminosity that they utterly dominated the new night sky.
Ichigo traced the long pattern of stars with his eyes, his mind recalling the imagery from the tomes of magicks he had read under Grayfia’s tutelage, as well as those he had studied of his own volition.
“Draco,” he said quietly, naming the constellation.
“Indeed,” Set said with a hint of approval, “but in the early Pharaonic dynasties, the mortals did not refer to it as such. Where the Greeks saw a Dragon, the mortals of my homeland saw a hippopotamus.”
Ichigo frowned, even going so far as tilting his head as he peered up at the stars. “A hippo?” He didn’t see the resemblance at all.
Set chuckled quietly. “Mortals and their imaginations; a wonder beyond even we Undying.” But then Set waved his hand again, and seven others glowed brighter, dominating the sky as much as the constellation Draco.
“The Big Dipper,” Ichigo said in recognition.
“But not to those of ancient Kemet,” Set said. “No, to the mortals of the Nile, that was me.”
Ichigo looked at the divine with a frown, but Set’s gaze was locked firmly upon the bright stars above.
“Dynastic Priests taught the mortals that I, who embodied chaos and storms, was kept in check and held back by Taweret, the She-Hippo who embodied fertility, childbirth and motherhood.” And then Set looked down and, despite the mask covering the majority of his face, Ichigo could deftly sense the rueful twist in the divine’s sudden mood. “Chaos and Storms held at bay by Motherhood, Fertility and Childbirth. Remind you of anyone?”
“Tiamat,” Ichigo said quietly.
Instantly the tight smile on Set’s lips became soft and forlorn. “Amusing, is it not? How myths tend to repeat themselves in these patterns?”
“Is that why you brought me here?” Ichigo asked, a tightness forming in his chest. “To discuss Tiamat?”
“Partly,” Set admitted. “But even she is but a single part in this grand cosmic play. Tell me, Dark One, has Tamtum told you of my history?”
Ichigo wrung his hands together, brows furrowing at Tiamat’s ancient name in the Akkadian tongue rolling so easy and fond from Set’s tongue. And though he would never doubt her, though he would never question their love, the Demon within seethed with jealousy at the familiar and affectionate tone.
“She shares all of her memories with me.” He wanted to make it clear, Tiamat did not hide anything from him, that their minds were joined most intimately. Was it petty of him? Yes, absolutely. But Ichigo was damn possessive of what he considered his.
Not just the Dragon King, the Demon Lord wasn’t so fond of sharing either.
However, much to Ichigo’s surprise, Set responded to the blatant provocation with a warm smile, and he could sense genuine delight and satisfaction from the Red Lord.
“I am happy to hear it,” he said. “And if you must know one thing about the divine, it is that we love the sounds of our own voices. So I ask that you indulge me as I regale you with mine own myth.”
Set then pointed just off to the side, where the sand rose into four miniature figures. “Of the Ennead, we siblings are the youngest. Osiris, Isis, Nephthys and myself. Osiris and Isis wed, even as Nephthys and I did. And in those earliest days, our roles were quite different. Know you my place in the oldest tales?”
“You were Ra’s chief lieutenant,” Ichigo said plainly. “His defender against the chaos of the serpent Apep.”
“And I still am,” Set said with a nod. “But as the centuries passed, as all things, my siblings and I were bound to change. Nephthys, my wife, desired a child. But I am Lord of the Red Lands, of the Deshret. Kemet, the Black Lands of Fertility, exists in opposition to me. Even as Taweret opposes Set in the stars; so too does the Black Land oppose the Red Land upon Earth. As above, so below.”
“You’re infertile,” Ichigo said with a quiet understanding.
Set’s lips twisted self-deprecatingly. “I am the Destroyer: the creation of life is anathema to me. I could not give Nephthys the child she yearned for. Thus, she turned to another to fulfill her desire. She turned to Osiris.”
Ichigo rolled his jaw – the Osiris myth was the defining myth of ancient Egypt. The conflict between the two brothers, between Set and Osiris, and how they had forever changed the direction of the pantheon.
“The story has been spun in so many ways that the truth of why and how is no longer relevant,” Set said as he took a sip of his own coffee. “Nevertheless, the consequences were undeniable. I fully believed my wife and brother had betrayed me, and so I unleashed my rage upon Osiris. But still… he is my brother - I did not have the heart to destroy him completely. Instead, in my madness, I cut his existence in such a way that I ensured he would never again be able to tread the living world. I cut him into the shape of a Chthonic King.”
Ichigo’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”
“Cutting the Node of Existence is no simple thing,” Set said gravely. “It can lead to disastrous consequences. In many ways, what I did to Osiris was far crueler than annihilation. Such a complete change in identity meant he was no longer the Osiris of before. But then, your kind are familiar with such things. Whereas I used my Divine Destruction, your Lucifer did the same when he conjured the flames of Hell.”
“Right,” Ichigo said to himself. That was how the first Demons and the Crown Princes came into being. Lucifer used Hell to shatter their very core essence, and then he took all the broken pieces of glass and set them back the wrong way.
“But I speak of consequences, and what I did to my brother was reflected back onto me,” Set said with a sigh. He then looked back at the stars, staring quietly for several moments. “I usurped Osiris’ place amongst the mortals, even as he was consigned to the Realms of the Dead. My sisters turned against me completely, as did many of the other Immortals of the Pantheon. But the High Sun, Resplendent Ra, said nothing. So, I retained the throne.”
“And then along came Horus,” Ichigo said dryly.
“And then along came Horus,” Set repeated with a touch of humor. “Our wars and battles were numerous as we contested the throne. All the while, Ra watched us silently, not saying a word; content to let the chaos and conflict continue... so long as I remained his ever vigil protector against Apep, that is.”
“But you lost.”
“Completely and crushingly,” Set said without a hint of bitterness. “I was banished to the farthest reaches of our mythos, my only company Ra himself, as my position as his blade against the Chaos Serpent was of utmost import. Otherwise, I have no doubt Horus, and my sisters, would have seen me obliterated in totality.
“And thus, my newfound place in the Ennead was quickly reflected in the hearts of mortals. I was vilified, made a monster wholly of chaos and war and all things unpleasant,” and Set then gave a laugh, a jovial sound filled with mirth. “You’ll forgive me for saying so, but I became the precursor to your own role, Satan. I was the Devil before the Devil existed.”
Set coninuted to give a hearty laugh and reached up behind his ear to tug on a lock of red hair. “I know your Serafall has gone to great lengths in her efforts to ridicule the Crimson Lucifer and cement his red hair with misfortune. But even that prejudice began with me. You Demons and I have much more in common than you know.”
Ichigo snorted as he recalled the numerous meetings where Sera would just launch soulless ginger jokes at Sirzechs, much to the Sin of Pride’s immense vexation. But then Ichigo’s gaze turned somber.
“Couldn’t have been easy, being utterly hated by both the divine and mortal sides of your mythos,” he said.
“I will not deny much of the blame lies with me,” Set said with a shrug. “They called me a monster, and I gave them plenty of reason to believe so. And so the millennia passed, where I remained an embittered outcast filled with rage and spite towards my family and pantheon. Thousands of years of seething with resentment and volcanic fury.”
“…and then you met her,” Ichigo surmised.
“I met her.” Set’s lips curled soft once more. “Our domains of chaos and storm melded easy in light of our mutual pain and sense of betrayal stemming from our respective families. I cannot tell you how many nights I spent blending storms with her, singing in fury with her… utterly in awe of her. Dearest Tamtum – the Undying Storm, they called her. And she became my lone solace for well over four centuries.”
The tightness in Ichigo’s chest returned. He knew, of course he knew. Tiamat had never denied him access to any of her memories; she never kept any part of herself hidden from him. Even if he didn’t intimately know all twenty-thousand years’ worth of memories, they were still there. Ever lingering in the back of his mind.
But… it didn’t feel good, sitting here listening polite as another so wholeheartedly poured his love out for his Tiamat. And she was his. Always and forever, his.
“But it didn’t last,” Ichigo said, fighting to keep the cruelty out of his voice.
“No,” Set said simply. “Nephthys is my wife, and no matter what I had become, my identity as her husband did not change. Estranged and exiled, she could bear, but happy and in love with another? Especially when that other was Fertility and Motherhood? Those very things I could not give her? She could never allow it. She went to Ra, pleading her case. Begging to have Tamtum expelled from our realm. And in his wisdom, questionable that I have frequently found it, he allowed it.”
“Did you fight it?” Ichigo asked, already knowing the answer.
“More than anything,” Set said matter-of-factly. “When the High Sun’s edict was announced, I was made entirely wroth. The Lord of Two-Fold strength arose to heights never seen before, and Eternity itself shook as I fought our separation. And yet… no matter the fate I ordained, no matter what destiny I cleaved...," Set paused, a darkness falling over his being as he let out a weary sigh. "I could not see a future where I mended her heart.”
Set then fixed him with a firm gaze, and even through the mask upon his face, Ichigo could feel the Immortal’s eyes heavy on him.
“And so came my greatest defeat,” Set said, a hint of lament coloring his voice. “I loved her so completely... yet I was given the most heart-shattering revalation: I was not her true happiness. That title was for another to bear…”
Ichigo swallowed as a ball of emotion formed in his throat. And even here, dreaming beyond Time, he felt the touch of the ocean breeze across his face.
Set must have sensed it because he froze for a brief second, and his lips smiled sadly.
“You cannot imagine, Dark One, the sheer sense of maddening grief when confronted with the knowledge you are the very thing that stands between happiness and the one you love. I have walked Eternity’s breadth, and no torment was greater than letting go of her. Of knowing she was destined to heal in the arms of another.”
But Ichigo said nothing, allowing his gaze to fall to the half-empty cup of coffee in his hand. The drink had long since cooled, losing its steam and becoming still and cold. And as he stared at the muddled reflection of himself in the dark drink, he felt a deep and profound sense of gravity. Because he could not, did not, want to imagine a world where he would be forced to give up Tiamat. He’d rather such a world not exist at all.
“You foresaw me,” Ichigo finally said, his words whispering over the shifting sands.
Set smiled sadly. “Certainty is a cruel weight to bear. But it is because of that same certainty I would let her go a thousand times again.”
His lips parted just slightly, but no words came out and Ichigo quickly closed his mouth. He carefully regarded the masked Immortal, his mind flitting from one emotional thought to the next. But everything kept coming back to the same thing: what strength. What tremendous strength Set possessed. What an extraordinary thing to let go of someone you love so deeply… because you know their true happiness lies somewhere else.
Ichigo doubted he had the strength to do the same.
And then Set’s voice changed, coloring with emotion so deep and rich that Ichigo’s soul reverberated when exposed to the wellspring of compassion and wisdom that poured forth from the Ennead Divine. “You asked why I brought you here?” Slowly, a tanned hand reached towards him, open and inviting. “It is so I can shake the hand of the man who has made Tamtum so happy, and give him my heartfelt gratitude.”
Ichigo did not hesitate, and immediately his palm met Set’s, and for a brief moment, in their touching hands, eternity sang with a single note that carried the impossible weight of love they both held for that legendary Dragon.
“Well met, Kurosaki Ichigo.”
“Well met, Sutekh of the Red Sands.”
=======
Valk Grekor had spent the better part of four decades sailing the seas of Infernity, and in all those years he had learned one simple truth: the sea feared nothing - not Devils nor any other race within the realm, and certainly not the countless beasts that lurked within its depths.
Like the rest of the Underworld, the seas of Infernity existed in a constant state of hostility, where monstrous black storms could swallow entire fleets and waves large enough to dwarf castles rolled endlessly across the waters. And in recent years, things had only worsened. Ever since the Dragon King Tiamat made Infernity her home beside the Lord Wrath, the skies over the seas seemed perpetually enraged. It did not help that her frequent flights over the realm birthed typhoons powerful enough to shred lesser vessels into splinters.
Thank Lucifer for magical engineering and warding.
However, despite all the impossible sights he had witnessed on the high seas of Infernity, this was the one thing that left him utterly baffled.
Because now it was calm.
Not manageable nor survivable… but truly, genuinely calm. Gentle waves rolled beneath the hull in slow rhythms. While far above them stretched the vast sky, its deep purple majesty glimmering in moonslight and completely untouched by thunderheads. Starlight spilled down, and he stared flabbergasted at the now crystalline blue waters that looked so alien to his eyes.
Around the ship, enormous schools of silver fish swam in perfect unison beneath the surface, and even a magically inept sailor like he could sense the sheer thrum of life teeming within the water below.
Valk tightened his grip on the railing as unease settled into his chest.
Because he had never seen the ocean seeming so happy.
=======
Ichigo continued to sit quietly on his cushion for what seemed to be several long minutes. Actually, he wasn’t even sure Time was passing at all in this dream world within the Fourth Dimension. For all he knew, they were still inside the same second he had entered.
“But that is enough of the ancient past,” Set said with a tired sigh. He then rose up, floating smoothly from the cushions without disturbing so much as a single fold of the blanket beneath him, his white robes shifting softly in the warm desert wind as he came to standing position. Then, with a slow and almost absent-minded wave of his hand, the entire desert began to stir.
The dunes gently climbed into flowing currents of crimson grains that spiraled through the air in vast sweeping motions, each particle catching the starlight above and scattering it back in brilliant coruscations of blue and white. Ichigo’s eyes followed the spectacle in silence as the sands danced around them in glittering streams, the sheer beauty of it momentarily driving every other thought from his mind.
And the Red Lands simply ceased.
And it was so sudden, so absent of a flicker of power, that Ichigo was left marveling at the sheer mastery of world-shaping the Immortal displayed. Because in one moment red sands stretched endlessly beneath his feet, and the next he stood amidst the darkness of space itself, surrounded by an infinite sea of glittering stars. The drifting grains had become a celestial firmament; every mote transformed into immense wells of fire and gravity that burned with radiant brilliance.
Ichigo slowly turned his head, his breath catching slightly as entire galaxies shimmered around them. And, for a brief moment, he wondered whether the stars had been reduced to grains of sand or whether he and Set now stood as giants against the cosmos.
Set turned to him slowly. “Let us speak of the future instead. Namely, your future, newfound friend.”
“My future?” Ichigo said distractedly, keeping his eyes on the intricate cosmic web of matter and light.
“Indeed,” Set said as he folded his hands behind his back. “Apotheosis is no simple matter, after all.”
Ichigo’s neck snapped in the direction of Set and his eyes immediately narrowed. “You’re gonna help me immortalize?”
Set chuckled. “Help is too generous a word. Guide, would be a better one.”
Ichigo gave him a strange look. “Why? What’s in it for you?”
“Your suspicion is not without merit,” he responded. “But as I said, I wish to express my gratitude for what you have done.”
“You’d really offer up the secrets to divinity out of gratitude?” Ichigo asked with a baffled expression.
Red hair spilled to one side as Set tilted his head amused. “If you were in my shoes, if you were faced with the one who has done so much for her… would you not offer him aide?”
Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Yes, he absolutely would. If someone, anyone, gave Tiamat even a modicum of happiness, he’d return the favor a dozen fold.
Set smiled knowingly before quietly reaching out and pulling the conjured universe closer, and those same fourteen stars of the Dragon constellation dominated the firmament once more. However, Set stretched out a lone finger and tapped one of the stars of Draco.
“The mortals of today call this star Alpha Draconis,” Set said as he plucked the star from the universe and handed it towards Ichigo, who blinked slowly as he took it in hand. He turned the bluish-white orb over, and both his brows rose as he realized that it wasn’t actually one star, it was two.
“It’s a binary system,” he said, recalling lessons from a high school science class from years ago.
Set nodded. “Yes. It has had many names through history and various pantheons. But of the many mortals, it was the sages of the ancient Arabs who came closest to guessing its mythical nature: they called it Thuban.”
Even as he heard the name, Ichigo’s fingers curled tight around the stars as he mentally translated the Arabic name, and his mouth twisted grimly.
“The Serpent… Ophis.”
The entirety of Set’s cosmos dimmed as the Fourth Dimension shuddered at the Infinite Ouroboros’s name. And the twin stars in his hand flashed in his mind as a pair of serpentine emerald eyes.
Set continued heedless of the invocation of the Divine Dragon’s power. “Millennia ago, it was Thuban that was the Pole Star of Earth, the North Star by which all ancients charted the celestial sky. The Great Pyramids of Giza themselves were built to ever face its direction. But as the earth moved, so too did the heavens. And as Thuban’s place as the Pole Star was lost; no more was it the pivot of the celestial sea.”
Ichigo looked back down at the two burning orbs clutched tightly in his grip. “Ophis?” He stated quizzingly. “The Void was the guiding star of Earth?”
“Puzzling, is it not?” Set waved his hand again and all the light of the universe rapidly blinked out, leaving both of them in the endless dark. “The Void is Nothing. And yet…”
Set then tapped a finger against the encompassing dark, and a burst of dazzling light erupted from that single point and spewed out in all directions; stars and galaxies formed rapidly, as if Time were being run fast-forward on a cosmic scale. And as they spun out, the universe that had existed just moments before was recreated.
“It is within Nothing that exists the possibility for Everything.”
The Blank Canvas… the word echoed delightful and cold before slipping out of his mind like water.
“Everything and nothing,” he said quietly to himself. “That’s why Thuban exists as two stars, I’m guessing? It embodies the duality of the Void.”
Set gave him a small, encouraging nod. “Very good. And by now, you must have come to realize that Thuban would have been part of Taweret’s constellation, she who embodied birth and motherhood.”
Ichigo glanced at the two stars in his hand, and, suddenly, there was a certain nudge in his mind that made him push it back out into space, allowing it to settle back into the constellation Draco.
Serpents, Dragons, Birth, and Creation.
The words kept echoing in his mind, and he felt something deeply familiar resonating within his soul. Like a memory of a memory. And try as he might, he could not seem to recall what it was – like water through his fingers. His brows furrowed… what was it? What was this thing he just couldn’t quite grasp?
Again, serpentine green eyes flashed into his mind, and Ichigo nearly flinched at the sudden image. But it was far, far more vivid this time. Far more… real. And for a single second, Set and the Fourth Dimension flickered in and out of existence, and Ichigo’s mind was filled with an abrupt burst of static noise that quieted to a high-pitch whine.
But as soon as it came, it was gone.
Ichigo blinked - he was briefly dazed as everything in his sight righted itself, and Set himself gave no indication that anything had happened, making Ichigo wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.
What is going on?
But before he could ponder the alien sensations within his mind, he felt something pushing those thoughts away, like cold, phantom fingers strumming affectionally through his brain.
He blinked twice and looked up at Set. “Sorry… got lost in thought. That being said, I’m kinda struggling to see what all this has to do with apotheosizing.”
Set smiled kindly. “Aside from clarifying the reason for my invitation of friendship, the tale of my legend had another purpose. As too did the mythical history of Thuban.”
Ichigo shifted his weight from one foot to another. “And that would be?”
“That all things are subject to change,” Set declared simply. “Just as the myth of Set the Protector of Ra became the myth of Sutekh the Destroyer. Just as the Void’s Star no longer remained the mystic guide for those who walk the Earth. Eternity is never still, my friend. It is constantly being redefined. Such is the reality of that which we call existence.”
Ichigo scratched his chin, trying to understand the weight of the phrase. Intellectually he knew what Set was saying. Everything was constantly in motion; Time was always moving in some direction, causing occurrence and happenstance. If nothing happened, then nothing existed.
But what did that have to do with apotheosizing? The Divine, the True Immortals, sat outside of Time in the Fourth Dimension. They were not subject to the very churning currents of Eternity.
But as he was lost in thought, Set let out a chuckle.
“Ichigo.”
And he found himself moved by how much emotion Set managed to put into his name.
“If even the myths of Set and those of the Void are subject to change, does that not mean the myths of Satan can change too?”
Ichigo’s eyes went wide.
“I have taken enough of your time,” Set said with a mysterious smirk, turning around and setting the cosmic universe about them back into the sprawling desert of red sand with a moment’s force of Will. “But I would encourage you to think on this in the coming days: the mantle of Satan was defined by the actions of its previous holder. But does that mean you are confined to your predecessor’s steps? Who now shapes the role? You who bear the mantle, or the books writing the Demon of Yore’s story? What story then will future generations write of you?”
“I-” But Ichigo found himself going quiet. He was the Sin of Wrath, seated on the Throne of Satan… but he was a far cry from the previous Demon Lord who held the mantle. He didn’t act anything like his predecessor, even if they shared the same mythic role. And yes, the previous Crown Prince of Wrath had held the title far longer than Ichigo did. Millennia of unrepentant evil compared to Ichigo’s two plus years of relative quiet.
But…
He was stronger. He was far, far stronger than the previous Satan and he would only continue to grow more powerful. He wasn’t beholden to the role. The comprehension settled heavily in his chest, thought-provoking and strangely liberating all at once.
“Thanks,” he said, even as something clicked within his mind. “That actually helps a lot.”
Set gave a short, but polite bow. “A word of caution before you go: these matters, it is best not to discuss them with Tamtum.”
Ichigo grimaced briefly. “Can I ask why?”
“These matters involve her own history, independent of mine,” Set said grimly. “You will come to understand in due time, but her past is intricately woven into your future.”
Ichigo nodded and chose to accept his words at face value. Not to mention, that sixth sense of foresight he had begun to develop was telling him much of the same.
“Can I ask you something?” Ichigo suddenly asked.
“But of course.”
“Tiamat told me that Ophis has done a pretty good job of obscuring the future, my future in particular. But the way you talk; you seem to have a pretty good grasp of where things are going.”
Set let out a laugh and shook his head. “Not even remotely, the Void has blinded me as thoroughly as all others. But I have spoken much of myths in our discussion, and I shall speak of them once more: they have a tendency to repeat themselves.”
“What do you mean?”
Set placed a finger to his lips in a shushing motion. “The Oldest Myth.” And the Gold of Eternity seemed to trembled at the phrase. “As I said before, you Demons and I have more in common than you think. Your steps are not unfamiliar to me.”
Ichigo scowled – yeah, he figured as much. Apparently, this was going to be a trend, whenever he dreamed himself into the Fourth World and had these audiences with Immortals, they were going to give him cryptic bits instead of the whole picture.
“In due time?” He asked sourly.
Set chuckled. “In due time. Farewell, new friend.”
Ichigo let out a sigh. “Farewell, Set.”
=======
Ichigo’s essence dipped out of the Golden Realm of Time, and he woke once more in the physical universe. And the first thing he saw when his eyes opened were a pair of sapphire irises staring down at him, bright and glimmering with so much naked emotion that he couldn’t help the flutter of butterflies that took flight within his chest.
He had gone to bed with her, and now he woke with his head resting comfortably on her lap.
For several quiet seconds neither of them spoke, and Ichigo simply looked up at her with an easy, tired smile while she gazed down at him with an expression filled with intense yearning touched by a faint, lingering sadness. Slowly, Tiamat lowered her hand and brushed several locks of orange hair away from his brow, her nails moving with incredible gentleness as she cleared his vision.
And before she could pull away, Ichigo reached up and gently took hold of her hand, bringing it to his lips. He pressed a slow, reverent kiss against her open palm without once breaking eye contact.
“Hey there, beautiful.”
Tiamat let out a soft laugh, though the sound trembled thickly with emotion, and a few tears slipped free from her eyes to fall warmly against his face.
“You’ve had quite the dream,” she said, trying – and spectacularly failing – to sound nonchalant.
Ichigo’s chest rumbled with laughter. “That I have.” He then pressed a second kiss against her soft skin. “I hate to admit it, but your ex-boyfriend is a really nice guy. I’m kinda friends with him now.”
She let out another laugh. “He has changed much since I last saw him, but yes, he had an exceptionally strong heart.”
Ichigo smiled warmly at her, completely agreeing with her statement. Because one would absolutely need a strong heart to love as deeply as Set did.
Tiamat’s other hand came and gently stroked his cheek, the coolness of the pads of her fingers feeling remarkably welcome against the heat of his infernal body. “But do not feel any sorrow on his part. Even if we have not forgotten one another, we have both moved on. Much like you, he has two great loves of his own at his side.”
“Astarte and Anat, if I remember correctly.”
The former was a Canaanite deity, and the latter originated from the Amorites who ruled over modern day Syria prior to the formation of the Old Babylonian Empire. Of course, both pantheons were now extinct and, ironically, both were distant proto-Semitic descendants of Tiamat herself. Not that Ichigo judged Set for marrying his ex-girlfriend’s many times over grandchildren. Most of the supernatural in the Middle East could probably trace their lineage back to Tiamat. She was the Primordial of Motherhood and Fertility for a reason, after all.
“Yes,” she said with a gentle smile as she continued to trace the lines of his face lovingly. “He has found his happiness in this life… even as I have found mine.”
Ichigo slowly pushed himself up, taking care to never break eye contact with her, and then, he leaned forward and captured her lips. It was a chaste meeting; unlike the usual fire and passion they reveled in.
He cupped her face, gingerly rubbing her cheek with his thumb.
“I am never letting you go,” he proclaimed.
Her arms entwined around his neck as she pulled him close and their foreheads touched. “I would not have it any other way.”
Several quiet and content moments passed as Ichigo continued to stare lovingly into her eyes. Twenty-thousand years was a long time, and most of it she had passed with darker emotions in her heart. But he was here now, and he would ensure that the next twenty-thousand and beyond were filled with her laughter.
And she must have picked the thought from his mind because she let out a small laugh and pecked his lips.
“But that is enough of all this heavy sentiment, beloved,” she said, pulling away but keeping fingers entwined in hairs on the back of his neck. “Tell me, did Sutekh and the knowledge he offer aid you in any fashion?”
Ichigo hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Yeah, but he told me not to share it with you.”
“And he is correct in saying so,” Tiamat said, kissing him lightly again. “Apotheosis is no simple matter. Our minds are already melded; I do not wish to alter your path more than I already have.”
This time, Ichigo initiated a quick kiss. “Whatever path I’m walking on, you can be damn sure I’m keeping you on it.”
Her smile grew wider, but she shook her head. “I shall ever be in your heart, beloved. Even as you shall ever be in mine. But the endeavor of reaching Eternity is inherently one you must bear alone. Especially for the heights that you seek. There are hierarchies and orders of realms within the immortal sea, and you must strive for the greatest if your ambitions are to come to fruition.”
“I will,” he promised her sincerely, before giving her a roguish smile. “Half-assing things has never been my style.”
“No, that much is true.” She let out a throaty purr as she leaned in, pressing herself against him as she pressed her lips to his one more time. But now, there was fervor and fire there. And soon enough, his hands were wandering her body.
Their kiss grew deeper, hungrier, and Tiamat’s throaty growls vibrated against Ichigo’s lips as she pressed herself flush against him, her fingers tightening in his hair. When they finally parted for breath, her glowing blue eyes were half-lidded with desire.
“Enough words,” she whispered.
With graceful movements, Tiamat let her robe slip from her shoulders, the dark silk pooling around her on the bed and revealing the smooth, dark curves of her body. Ichigo’s breath caught, as it always did in these moments of bestial desire between them. In one swift motion, he yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. The next second he was on her, pushing her back onto the large bed with a hungry growl.
Tiamat laughed softly as she fell, pulling him down with her. Their mouths crashed together again, fierce and desperate. Both of their hands roamed; his over her waist and hips, hers tracing the hard lines of his back and shoulders. Ichigo broke the kiss, breathing ragged, and began trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down the elegant column of her neck. He lingered at the hollow of her throat, savoring the way she arched into him with a soft gasp as he bit against her skin.
But he went lower still. Between the valley of her full breasts, down the smooth plane of her stomach, his lips brushing over her navel. Tiamat’s fingers threaded through his orange hair as he settled between her thighs. When his mouth found her, hot and eager, a sharp, breathless moan escaped her lips.
“Beloved!” she groaned, voice husky with pleasure, her back curving off the bed as his tongue worked her with slow, deliberate strokes.
He didn’t rush his minstrations, he worshipped her: every tremble, every gasp, every roll of her hips guiding him. Tiamat’s hand tightened in his hair, her glowing eyes fluttering shut as the pleasure built.
Ichigo’s tongue moved with relentless focus, sucking and licking until Tiamat’s thighs began to tremble violently around his head. A deep, throaty cry tore from her lips as her climax crashed through her. Her back arched sharply, fingers gripping his hair as waves of pleasure wracked her body.
When her trembling finally eased, Ichigo sat up on his knees, wiping his glistening mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes burned a deep, ravenous crimson as he stared down at her.
Tiamat lay trembling beneath him, chest heaving with torn breaths, sapphire eyes glazed with bliss and satisfaction. The sight of her flushed, glistening, and utterly undone, awoke that demonic possessive mantra of want, take, have.
As his hands went to the button of his jeans, he looked down at her darkly.
“We’re in for a long night, beautiful.”
=======
Ichigo sat in his office, absently staring up at the ceiling and, for once, there wasn’t much going on in his mind. It was one of those rare moments where all the worries and concerns of his life simply did not enter his thoughts. He was still somewhat riding the ecstasy of the emotionally supercharged lovemaking he and Tiamat had spent the entire evening in.
His Dragon King really gave whole new meaning to drowning in pleasure.
He had been loathed to leave her behind this morning, spending a few extra minutes pressing the softness of her curves against his body. Breathing in the scent of the fresh ocean breeze that always lingered in her hair.
Alas, bureaucracy was the bane of work-life balance. And even Satan couldn’t escape the endless mires that came with running a gargantuan, interdimensional, supernatural empire.
However, even as he had that tiring thought, a glowing cyan magic circle bloomed across the obsidian floor. From its center, the very familiar form of Meril slowly rose with elegant poise; she donned a prim black blazer and pencil skirt that were perfectly immaculate. Red lipstick accentuated her cool expression as sharp, focused eyes surveyed him with aloof professionalism.
Ichigo gave her a warm smile, “Hey there, Meril. Glad to see you’re back.”
His secretary gave a crisp bow as she put one hand over heart. “Thank you, my Prince. I apologize for having been absent from your side for this entire week.”
Ichigo waved her off. “Don’t apologize, I’m the one who told you to take as long as you need to recuperate. Speaking of which, how are you?”
Meril stood a little straighter and carefully folded her hands beneath her navel. “I had two separate sessions with a medical psychic and a follow up check up with a soul shaman. The psychic has helped me repress and compartmentalize my trauma and the soul shaman has confirmed I am free of any infectious demonic miasma.”
Ichigo’s mouth parted awkwardly, and he felt a stab of guilt for having put the woman through all that. Then again… it was part of the job description and clearly written in her contract that she could be exposed to powerful and detrimental demonic phenomena.
Luckily, he was a generous boss who gave her the time off to deal with the inflicted trauma, and he paid for full coverage health insurance. Ergo, Meril didn’t have to pay a cent for her health care. He wasn’t that much of a dick, where he would mentally, emotionally and spiritually scar her and then have her pay for her own medical expenses.
“…I’m glad to hear that… I think.”
She gave him a small smile before returning to her usual brand of detached professionalism. “I have already spent last night and this morning catching up on all of your activities and the various happenstances of Infernity. If I may, Your Highness has been busy.”
“More than you know,” he muttered as much to himself. “Anyways, I’m assuming you’re back into the full swing of things?”
She gave a deft nod. “Of course, my Prince! I am fully ready and able to serve you in my entirety once again!”
“Great, glad to hear it, Meril.” And he really was happy to know his chief secretary was back at his side. Meril was indispensable to running the greater realm of Infernity, especially given how much of his attention these days was taken up by things outside of the Underworld.
“Well,” he then said, shuffling through a few papers on his desk before picking up a manila folder and holding it out for her, “I have a job for you.”
Meril neatly took it from his hand and opened the folder up, her eyes moving rapidly as she scanned the documents within. “I see, this is a simple matter. I shall have it arranged at once.”
“Thanks, Meril. You’re the best.”
“But pardon me for asking, my Lord,” Meril said as she pulled out her phone and coolly began scrolling through it. “I can see you have tomorrow and the day after entirely empty in your schedule. Will you be occupied in clandestine matters or has a single week’s worth of absence deteriorated my staff to the point that they can no longer keep track of their master?”
“Uhh, neither,” he said quickly, wishing to spare the rest of the secretarial office from Meril’s displeasure. Another thing she had learned and emulated from Grayfia, she was quite the harsh task master. “I’ll be away on some personal business before returning to the frontlines of the war.”
Meril quickly made several notes on her phone before asking, “Excellent, will that be all then, my Prince?”
“Yup,” he said blithely. But then, a sudden matter came to his mind. “Actually, could you let the dungeons know I’ll be stopping down in about ten or fifteen minutes? I just need to finish approving these damn subsidiary contracts first.”
“Of course, my Lord.”
And with that Meril sunk back into her cyan colored magic circle as Ichigo returned to his damnable paperwork.
=======
When Ichigo had first taken over Infernity and made Iravex his home, he had been made aware that the floating citadel came with its own dungeons. And Ichigo genuinely thought he’d never have to use them. He really wasn’t the ‘imprison and torture’ kind of tyrannical Demon Lord. No, he much preferred cutting his enemies’ heads off with Zangetsu and never having to deal with them again. And, frankly, if Ichigo were ever enraged to the point where he actually wanted to torture someone, he’d just open the Gates of Hell and unceremoniously chuck in whoever pissed him off.
All in all, Iravex’s dungeons were quite pointless and practically never saw use from their owner.
Which is why Ichigo could sympathize with the tall and gaunt-looking Devil with reddish-brown hair who was sweating quite profusely.
“My Prince! What an unexpected pleasure!”
Halvrick was the Chief-Jailor and Lord Warden of Iravex… which basically meant Ichigo paid him to do absolutely nothing. At best, the man allocated his department’s very meagre budget to ensure the cell doors were maintained and the magical barriers for imprisonment were kept updated.
Halvrick’s job was fundamentally to spend Ichigo’s money.
So, when Ichigo came down personally to the part of his fortress he had neglected for his entire tenure as Crown Prince, the mid-class Devil nearly had a heart attack.
“I can assure you, my Prince, the prisoner is well guarded and kept behind our state-of-the-art systems! If you wish, I can give you a full run down of our operations!”
“Yeah, that won’t be necessary,” Ichigo said with a roll of his eyes. There wasn’t a single thing about Iravex he wasn’t aware of. Magic could literally not work here without his express permission. “Just take me to her.”
The Devil gave him a sharp salute and turned on his heels. “R-right this way, sire!”
Ichigo followed behind the nervous Devil and did his best to ignore the not-so-furtive looks he kept sending over his shoulder. As they wound through the corridors and arrived before a wall, Halvrick placed his hand on a solid block of obsidian that faintly glowed red under his touch. The black stone walls parted and revealed a portal of reddish-pink energies.
“After you, sire,” Halvrick said with a bow.
As Ichigo stepped through and came to a gargantuan circular chamber, he walked over to the railing and looked down to see that it was a monstrous pit that descended deep down into the darkness. And all along the walls were dozens of levels, lined with hundreds of cages and prison cells. And they were all empty… except for one.
Halvrick came from behind and directed Ichigo towards an opening along the guard rail, and there was a small floating dais that could fit at most three normal-sized people.
Both he and the Devil stepped on it and Halvrick wove some minor magic, causing the dais to thrum to life and begin gliding away down into the bowels of the prison. Soon enough, they arrived at the only occupied cell, and the Lord Warden quickly unwove the enchantments and opened the cell door with deference.
With his hands in his pockets, Ichigo stepped in and his eyes immediately fell upon the naked woman chained to the wall, hanging from the manacles around her waist. Her long light brown hair was matted with filth and dried blood as it spilled all over her body. Her body was covered in numerous wounds, raw cuts festering with dark magic, gaping holes in her legs and arms, and knives and other metal instruments that had been stabbed and left in her torso.
“Man,” Ichigo said casually. “Sera really did a number on you.”
From beneath the frayed and shredded bangs, a pair of eyes burned red as Katerea Leviathan glared hatefully.
=======
A/N: Finally I get to write Set! One of my favorite mythological figures. A very complex character, even within the thousands of years of Egyptian mythology - Set's role through the various dynasties was constantly changing and shifting. As such, he came to encompass a wide range (sometime diametric) spheres of influence.
Also, Ichigo needs more male friends.