The red sands stretched endlessly beneath a night sky glittering with a sea of countless stars that stretched the breadth of the Milky Way. Set’s immortal domain was quiet, with only the gently rustling of the tops of sand dunes shifting in the light winds coming to his ears.
Seated upon a brightly woven cotton blanket, Ichigo accepted the quiet stillness for what it was, finding it strangely comforting after the chaos of the last several days. It was odd to think, but his last visit to Set’s domain was just a week ago. Yet at that time, Ichigo had quite a bit of self-reflection and inner epiphanies about himself and his placement in the universe.
Helping Akeno through her grief about her mother had allowed Ichigo to voice his own in a way he had never done before. The time in Karakura helped him understand the various twists and turns of his cosmic identity even as he had to explain it to others, not to mention much of the closure needed with his conversations with his father. And he further expanded his reach and authority as Satan by bringing House Leviathan to his knees and binding Gremory in his bishop.
What a week…
"I trust you've been well?" Set asked warmly.
Ichigo’s eyes jumped to the red-headed divine and he gave a small smile as he inclined his head.
"As well as someone can be while putting down a civil war,” he said with some dry humor. But then his expression softened. "What about you?"
Set chuckled. “My days since our last meeting have been far less adventurous than yours. But I am not one to begrudge peace and quiet.”
Ichigo let out a sigh. “Mind passing me some of that peace and quiet? I seem to be jumping everywhere these days.”
Set laughed lowly and reached beside himself, offering Ichigo a ceramic cup painted blue with golden inlays. Vaguely, Ichigo noted Set’s own visage carved upon the handle. His lips quirked at the thought that someone as ancient Set also had his own merch. Nonetheless, Ichigo accepted it, turning the drink slightly in his hand before giving it an inquisitive look.
"What is it?"
"Goat's milk sweetened with honey," Set answered. "It has been a staple of the Egyptian diet since antiquity."
Ichigo took a cautious sip, pleasantly surprised by the rich sweetness. "You know," he mused, "it must've been a nightmare gathering wild honey back then."
A quiet chuckle escaped Set. "Not quite. The keeping of bees is a practice as old as the Great Pyramids of Giza. It is an ancient craft, one with a long and rather splendorous history."
That genuinely caught Ichigo off guard. “Really? I always figured beekeeping was... well, I knew it was old. I didn’t know it was that old.”
Set smiled softly as he said, “Innovation and invention go hand in hand with an empty stomach. Immortal and Mortal alike will go to absurd lengths for food.”
Ichigo snorted as he thought of his chefs in Infernity who were also trained commandos and experienced adventurers who delved into the wilds of the Underworld for prized ingredients. “Tell me about it.”
Set took another measured drink before adding, sincerely, "Perhaps you should consider taking it up yourself? Beekeeping is remarkably cathartic."
Ichigo laughed beneath his breath, trying to picture himself in a protective veil tending rows of wooden hives somewhere in his gardens. Out of all the outlandish things he’d done, surprisingly beekeeping would have to be the strangest. Simply because of how mundane and out of pocket it would be for him.
Set’s eyes danced amused. "I suspect you would enjoy it."
Ichigo chuckled and said, “Maybe I’ll consider it in the next decade.”
For a while, the only sounds between them were the quiet rustle of the desert breeze and the occasional clink of earthen cups as they shared the simple meal. Ichigo rolled a piece of sweet fruit between his fingers, his gaze drifting toward the endless tapestry of stars overhead.
Ever since their last meeting, Set's words had lingered stubbornly in the back of his mind, surfacing again and again. And they had been the decisive factor in his declaration to his father when they broached the subject of what it meant for Ichigo to be Satan.
"I've been thinking about what you told me," Ichigo said at last. "About Satan. About myths changing."
Set looked toward him without interrupting, patiently waiting for him to continue.
"I know what I want." Ichigo smiled faintly into his cup before taking another drink. "I was once told I need to play the part of Dark Lord, that I need to convince everyone that I am the biggest playground bully if I want to be left alone." He slowly shook his head. "And while I appreciated the words, a part of it never sat right with me. I don’t want Satan to define me, nor am I going to let it. I am Satan.”
And with that declaration, Ichigo’s eyes flashed crimson and something within reality seemed to shudder at his words.
“And I am who I decide to be. Satan is mine to define, I decide who he is, what he is. And I’m not going to let someone else tell me what my mantle is, even the one who wore it before me.”
A warm smile spread across Set's lips, carrying neither surprise nor triumph, only quiet satisfaction.
"Well done," the Ennead Divine said. "It is no mean feat to break off the shackles of the past. It will take time, millennia perhaps, but one day Satan will be synonymous with you, not your predecessor."
The praise settled comfortably within Ichigo, though it also stirred another memory he had not thought of in some time. His brow furrowed slightly before a quiet chuckle escaped him.
"You know... I only just remembered this, but you aren't actually the first person to tell me something like that." He looked down at the fruit in his hand before idly turning it over between his fingers. "Ddraig once told me that one day my name would become an allegory in mortal myths."
Set looked momentarily surprised, but then he grew uncharacteristically quiet and his eyes drifted toward the glittering heavens; as though he was searching for something hidden amongst the constellations.
"Yes," he murmured after a thoughtful pause. "He would know. Not for naught were the Scaled Emperors bestowed the title of Heavenly Dragons." His expression softened into one of quiet admiration. "Their wisdom is, and always has been, unfathomable."
Set's gaze never left the heavens, and he let out a wistful sigh. “We speak of myths and their change,” he said softly. “Let us revisit the one we last discussed.”
With a casual wave of his hand, the constellation Draco blazed brilliantly overhead, its fourteen stars swelling until they dominated the night. Of them all, Ichigo immediately recognized Thu'ban, burning brightest.
The binary system the sages of Arabia named the Serpent.
Set's eyes remained upon the brilliant constellation as he spoke. “As I told you before, when Thu'ban stood as the Pole Star of this world, it guided not merely the heavens, but the reality of the Earth beneath it. During the Age of the Primordials, before mankind had even crafted their first letters, the world belonged to dragons.”
His voice became quieter.
“Not the dragons you know today, but an older and crueler breed. They hunted humanity and all living things without remorse, herding them as livestock and devouring them at their leisure. With Thu'ban reigning above the world, serpents and wyrmkind were the Earth’s unquestioned masters.”
Ichigo frowned thoughtfully as he followed the line of reasoning. “But something changed,” he murmured. “Because that isn't the world we live in anymore… because everything changes.” His eyes remained fixed upon the radiant star. “And it has something to do with the fact that Thu'ban no longer stands as Earth's Pole Star.”
Set inclined his head in approval. “Indeed. Then tell me, my friend, what force do you believe could move the world itself away from Thu'ban's gaze?”
A grim understanding settled over Ichigo.
“The Great Red,” he answered quietly. “The only being capable of opposing Ophis.”
Set nodded.
“As a nascent mankind languished beneath the tyranny of the ancient dragons, they dreamed of a gentler tomorrow, one of freedom, prosperity, and hope. The Great Red answered those dreams, and from humanity's yearning was fashioned the gateway to divinity itself. And from that gateway did the children of the Primordials make myth into reality... and thus was born the Oldest Myth.”
The instant the words left Set's lips, reality itself seemed to shudder. The stars trembled ever so slightly, while the World of Time rippled with an ancient, immeasurable resonance, as though creation itself had instinctively acknowledged an axiomatic truth. And Thu’ban itself seemed to flicker almost hatefully.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the phrase immediately from their previous conversation, though its meaning still remained frustratingly elusive.
“Last I asked you, you told me I would learn in time. I assume it’s time? So, what is the Oldest Myth?”
Set's gaze returned to the flickering star above, pulsing, near writhing in its place in the sky. As if it resisted and resented the very idea of Ichigo being bestowed this knowledge.
“It is the founding principle that allowed the children of the Primordials to step into the Fourth World, that which allowed us to transcend our progenitors,” he replied. “At its core, it is the Stormcrown that casts down the serpent, or the dragon, that embodies chaos.”
Ichigo frowned as something familiar rang within him… and yet, it wasn’t his familiarity. It took only a second for him to realize that the echo came from the corner of his mind that was ever tied with Tiamat’s.
And Set seemed to notice the inkling of her presence because he looked down from the star and gazed at Ichigo, and even beyond the mask on his face, Ichigo could see the grim seriousness etched onto his expression.
“Marduk and Tiamat,” Set said grievously. “Set and Apep, Indra and Vitra, Zeus and Typhon, Thor and Jormungandr, Tezcatlipoca and Cipactli, Susanoo and Yamato no Orochi, Yu the Great and Xiangliu, Yahweh and Leviathan and so many, many more. Again and again, the myth is told, again and again, the Lord of Storms banishes the serpent or dragon of chaos. And in the wake of the myth, at every turn, a budding humanity brings forth a new civilization. Even humans recognize the prevalence of the Oldest Myth, though they refer to it as the Chaoskampf. But they do not understand its significance.”
Ichigo's thoughts reeled beneath the sheer weight of the revelation. He vaguely remembered reading about the idea of a recurring heroic pattern—a monomyth—buried somewhere amongst old books and obscure essays, but he had never imagined it was more than an academic curiosity. To learn that it was instead the very foundation upon which human civilization, divinity, and history itself had been built left him momentarily speechless.
Set slowly took a sip of his honeyed milk, and Ichigo appreciated the time the ancient Egyptian was giving him. From within himself, he could feel those golden strands of divinity begin to quiver and vibrate, as if reaching out towards the reality of Set’s words.
And now Ichigo understood how the children of the Primordials managed to become Fourth Dimensional beings. He recalled his conversation with Sirzechs, about how Demons were those who cut their Nodes of Existence with the Infernal Energies of Hell. But to apotheosize was to cut one’s Node of Existence with divinity. And the Oldest Myth was the method by which they originally did so.
Set seemed to sense the epiphany Ichigo landed on, as he then further elaborated, “The Oldest Myth is not an event confined to antiquity. As such, it is Paradox. Having happened in the past, in the future and is happening as we speak. It echoes endlessly through Time, repeating itself in countless forms. And it is humanity's golden shield against the chaos of the Void.”
Ophis.
It all came back to Ophis, Ichigo thought to himself. And so many other distant conversations from the past suddenly started to wind together in his mind. He then recalled his conversation with Yggdrasil, how the spirit of the World Tree has recounted the tale of the Emperors’ War, where so many dragons fought savagely for the title of Heavenly Dragon after Albion and Ddraig’s sealing. And how the Norse pantheon has interred many of those dead wyrms beneath the River Ván.
Even then Ichigo held a strong suspicion that those dragons had been returned to the living by Ophis’ will. Back then he didn’t understand why… but now…
“It’s trying to undo it,” Ichigo said in a breathy voice, colored with both understanding and horror. “Ophis is trying to undo the Oldest Myth?”
Set inclined his head ever so slightly. “Yes. At least, a part of the Void seeks such an outcome.” And then, rather outside of the severity of the moment, Set picked up a jar and asked, “More milk?”
Ichigo, caught off guard, stopped for a beat and stared with his mouth open for a few seconds. But he quickly shook his head and said, “No thanks.”
Set then poured himself another glass and said, “But do not make the mistake of believing Ophis possesses a singular will. By its very nature, the Void has no unified mind, only innumerable impulses and ephemeral notions. One fragment may seek stillness, another oblivion, and yet another may wish to birth endless possibilities. Such is the contradiction of infinity.”
Ichigo let out a slow breath as he absorbed the explanation before asking the only question that truly mattered.
“So... how do we stop it… the version of Ophis that does want to return the world to the reign of the ancient dragons?”
“We do what we have always done,” Set replied simply. “We continue the myth.”
The answer lingered between them for several moments before its implication gradually dawned upon Ichigo.
“…Is that your plan?” he asked quietly. “When you said you wanted to help guide me toward apotheosis, you meant the Oldest Myth?”
A warm smile touched Set's features.
“Yes. Ophis' interference has unwittingly prepared the very road you may now walk. Just as I once did, as Zeus did, as Indra did, and as every Stormcrown before and after us has done - you too may confront the serpent of chaos and in your victory, you may ascend. And by following that path, your divinity may be of a far greater consequence than the simple anointment Amaterasu or Adnyeus had planned.”
Ichigo gave Set a pointed look. “I can’t help but notice you keep using the word ‘may’.”
The Red Lord smiled and gave a simple shrug. “Because the choice is yours to make, my friend. You will find no prophecies or divine decrees from me. Choose your path, whatever it may be. I am simply here to guide you to one possibility. If you choose to take another, I shall fully support your decision.”
For a moment, Ichigo felt genuinely touched. It was rare, Hell, it was practically unheard of for someone of immense power and capability to respect his agency, to give him a choice. And in that second, Ichigo’s respect for Set skyrocketed even beyond what he already held for the Ennead Divine.
But then, Ichigo frowned and slowly shook his head. “Hold on, I can’t help but notice a hole in your plan. I’m not a Stormcrown.” And to prove his point, Ichigo raised his hand and lit it with dark fire. “My domains are of Fire and Shadow and Wrath. As well as a psychopomp overlap for the souls of the damned. I have nothing to do with storms.”
Set regarded him with quiet amusement. “Are you so certain?”
The question gave Ichigo pause. He was about to answer yes, he definitely was… but something in Set’s eyes made him seriously think on it.
“Think carefully,” the ancient Egyptian continued. “Recall your battle with Leviathan’s descendant. In the moment you sifted through Time, what power did you instinctively reach toward?”
Instantly his mind went back to the disastrous end of the Summit and his battle with Katerea. He remembered the impossible sensation of grasping at Time itself, of wrenching the world forward for a fleeting instant before his heart surged as he surrounded himself with the mythic echo of Tiamat, as a sky’s worth lightning had burst from his hands and gored straight through Katerea and her ancestral form.
And at the conclusion of their battle, Ichigo had hurled her from the skies, sending her crashing down to the world below…
Set let out a low chuckle. “Myths do love their irony. And what irony that you emulate the Heavenly Father, hurling Leviathan from the heavens and casting the beast down below in a crushing victory with thunder and lightning?”
Ichigo fell silent, his thoughts turning inward as he replayed that battle in meticulous detail. Ever since that moment, he had condemned his own actions as reckless; it had been his arrogant manipulation of Time that exhausted him and left him vulnerable to the White Dragon Emperor and Tsukiyomi's ambush. And countless times he had viewed it as a foolish lapse in judgment, yet beneath that self-reproach lingered an uncomfortable truth. In that fleeting moment it had felt... instinctive.
And Ichigo had a tendency to follow his instincts… it was practically hammered into him at this point.
But Set regarded him with quiet understanding. “Without even knowing it, you have already taken steps to walk the path of the Oldest Myth,” he said gently. “Whether you wish to continue to pursue it or not, is up to you. But understand this, Leviathan’s child is unworthy of you. Your true conflict, your own serpent – if you choose this path – will be of much greater power.”
Ichigo found himself quietly weighing the potential path Set had laid before him. If the Oldest Myth truly led toward a higher form of divinity, one beyond even what the Soul King and Amaterasu had initially planned for him, then it was a road he could scarcely afford to ignore. Because there was a lot he could do with that power. Not just preventing the melding of the Hadean Realms and the Shinto afterlife, he could help break the Devil race’s bind to Hell.
Demons pursued power… and Ichigo was no exception. Even back in his substitute Shinigami days, he was always pursuing more power. Trying to get stronger. Yet one question lingered stubbornly in his mind. Every Stormcrown stood opposite a serpent, a dragon of chaos. Who, then, was meant to be his? Surely not Ophis itself… Ichigo was under no illusion that he could somehow defeat the Infinite Ouroboros.
But at the same time, his thoughts drifted instinctively toward Tiamat, and a pang of guilt tightened within his chest. Because as powerful a weapon and shield the Oldest Myth was for humanity and the divine… it was also the source of his Tiamat’s downfall and greatest torment.
He let out a mournful sigh. “This is what you meant, isn’t it? When you said her past is wound into my future?”
Set's answer was a warm yet melancholic smile.
“You forget that Thu'ban is a binary star,” he said. “Myths are rarely singular, my friend. They sometimes possess a contradictory duality. Tamtum is the Chaos Karma no less than she is the Undying Storm. Just as I am both Sutekh the Destroyer and the Protector of Ra. And Satan may be the Adversary...” The Red Lord’s smile deepened. “But then tell me: years ago, did not a brash young man declare that Ichigo means He-Who-Protects?”
For a moment, Ichigo could do nothing but stare stunned. How long had it been since he thought of that simple fact? But then, slowly, a genuine smile found its way onto his face. That’s right… Demons pursued power, Ichigo had pursued power… but it wasn’t just power for the sake of power, as Sirzechs was fond of saying. Ichigo enjoyed being powerful, he loved the thrill and crunch of battle, undoubtedly. But above it all, his power was with purpose.
To protect.
No matter what path he walked, he would protect his family. His father and sisters, Tiamat, Yasaka and Kunou, and all the people in Infernity and in the Empire who had sworn their allegiance to him. Because that was his nature. He was the Adversary. The greatest Adversary to all those who dared to harm what was his.
Ichigo nodded to himself, his heart filling with resolve and unshakable. Yes, he would pursue power. It was his nature.
“If myths can change,” he then asked thoughtfully, “then doesn't that also mean the Oldest Myth can change?”
Set inclined his head in quiet approval.
“Indeed,” he answered without hesitation. “Not only is it possible, my friend, but one day it will be inevitable. Not even we who sit beyond time are immune to change.
“This is the reason why the Divine withdrew from the mortal world and took great pains to keep the supernatural separate from the bulk of humanity. When the Three Great Powers waged their Great War, it dawned on us with immense horror that if ever such violence spilled onto Earth, humanity may very well dream a new dream.”
Ichigo nodded in understanding. “They could dream of a reality without the Divine.”
“When the Great War of your forebearers ended, all other pantheons came together, and we wove an immensely powerful paling across the Earth. The Heavenly Suppression: to ensure no direct divine manifestation may occur on the Earth, lest Humanity draw the eye of the Great Red once more.”
Ichigo slowly nodded as the explanation settled into place. But another thought quietly surfaced.
“A bit morbid but uhh… you all never considered wiping out humanity?” Ichigo asked. From all the myths he read, many of the divine were capricious and even cruel to an extent. They were not above taking what they wanted even if it meant leaving human tragedy in their wake. “It wouldn’t have even been hard for all of you, literally a second’s worth of effort to erase humans from the timeline. So why didn’t you?”
Set looked at him with quiet surprise before a gentle smile softened his features.
“We love them.”
The simplicity of the answer caught Ichigo off guard.
“The Undying may appear aloof,” Set continued, “and many have committed acts that history rightly judges as cruel and thoughtless. Yet beneath all of that, humanity occupies a place within our hearts unlike any other. We delight in watching them flourish, in witnessing them discover new aspects of the cosmos or even the mundanity of their everyday lives. It brings us fulfillment in ways that are difficult to express.”
His expression then became a touch sad, and Set waved his hands: the immediate sand beyond their blanket rising and forming a large circle that quickly became a scrying window to some other place. And as Ichigo peered inside, all he saw was an endless, grey wasteland that gave off waves of desolate misery and hollowness. It vaguely reminded him of Hueco Mundo… but it was much worse. Whatever this place was, it was devoid of any energy.
Just a lifeless expanse of rock.
“There are realities where humanity has perished,” Set said quietly. “Timelines where disease, war, or calamity extinguished them before their story could truly unfold. Those futures are... unbearably lonely. Even for we True Immortals, when we see such bleakness, we despair.”
He looked back at Ichigo, his expression wistful and quiet.
“Humanity is a beautiful thing, my friend. Humans themselves do not understand their own magnificence. But they are beautiful, nonetheless.”
Silence settled comfortably between them once more. Ichigo sat beneath the endless canopy of stars, absently turning everything over in his mind until the sheer enormity of it all began to sink in. The road Set had revealed stretched far beyond anything he had ever imagined, and for perhaps the hundredth time since he accepted Sirzechs’ offer, he found himself wondering if he was hopelessly in over his head.
And yet…
Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate.
Ichigo smiled to himself as those old and comforting words rang strong in his soul. The words he had lived by for so many years now.
It didn’t matter – Ophis, divinity, being Satan or any of the countless wars and conflicts that surrounded him. He would keep moving, he would keep striving. He was Ichigo, and all else would yield to his Will.
Ichigo lifted his gaze from his lap and looked at Set once more, fixing his friend with a firm gaze. “You really think I should start beekeeping?”
And Set laughed.
=======
Ichigo's awareness gently receded from the Fourth Dimension, his essence settling once more within flesh and bone as he opened his eyes upon his bedroom. He unfolded his legs from their meditative posture before rising to his feet, a long, satisfying stretch rolling through his body as he felt himself fully slip back into the physical world.
The sensation vaguely reminded him of his soul reentering his body from his substitute Shinigami days.
As he flexed his fingers, Ichigo consciously pushed his time in Set’s domain away from his mind. For all the mind-numbing revelations that were made, Ichigo had come to a startling yet simple epiphany.
None of it mattered.
All that was important was his will. Everything else was peripheral. Ichigo would do as he had done all his life, move forward without hesitation, and woe be to anyone who got in his way. Because he would give them Hell, literally and figuratively.
With his usual long strides, he came to the window and Ichigo found Infirnity’s dark violet skies calm and without storm. Nodding to himself at the tranquil sight, he left his bedroom behind and made his way downstairs through the quiet of his personal penthouse.
Stepping into the kitchen, Ichigo found Tiamat sitting quietly at the table with a bowl of ice cream, and the sight drew an amused smile from him because she had shamelessly appropriated yet another of his jerseys – which were far too big for her lithe frame. And yet, there was a mundane yet very arousing sense of accomplishment when he saw his beloved dragon wearing nothing but his clothes.
Without a word, he walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his face in her mane of white hair before placing a gentle kiss atop her head.
Tiamat immediately relaxed into his embrace with a content purr, though she tilted her head just enough to look up at him from the corner of her eye. “You are being unusually affectionate today, beloved.”
Ichigo laughed quietly to himself. Usually, she was the one seeking him out, draping herself over him whenever the opportunity presented itself.
“I'm just feeling really grateful that you're in my life,” he said softly, reaching down to kiss her cheek.
A tender smile graced her lips. “Then I take it your latest discussion with Set proved fruitful?”
“It did,” Ichigo admitted, gently tightening his embrace. “But I decided not to dwell on it. The future will come when it comes.” He rested his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes. “Here and now; that’s what’s important to me.”
Tiamat slowly turned to him, sapphire eyes glimmering with immense affection and pride. "Once I said that I am looking forward to seeing who you shall grow into in the coming century. And yet, not a few scant years later, the man you have become is already so admirable. I am proud of you, beloved. So immensely proud."
A powerful surge of affection welled up within Ichigo, and his arms tightened around her almost instinctively. Through the bond they shared, he let his emotions flow freely, allowing every ounce of gratitude, tenderness, and love to pass into their intertwined mindscape. Their thoughts brushed together with practiced care, meeting in a place far deeper than spoken words or even physical intimacy could ever reach. It was simply the quiet certainty of two souls choosing one another.
He pressed another lingering kiss into her hair.
“I'm going to make you happy,” he murmured softly against her hair. “You, Yasaka, Kunou... everyone I love. I'm going to make all of you so ridiculously happy you'll choke on it.”
Tiamat's rich laughter filled the kitchen, cool and refreshing to his ears, like the babbling of a brook over stone.
“I shall eagerly await that future, beloved.”
Silence settled over them once more as Ichigo simply stood there behind her, gently rocking her from side to side, finding that, for the moment, there was nowhere else in all the worlds he would rather be. Tiamat gently placed one hand on his, affectionately rubbing her fingers across the back of his hand, but with her other, she returned to her ice cream. And quiet laughter welled up inside of him because yeah, that was his Tiamat. She always had her priorities set right.
After a few more moments of silence, and few more mouthfuls of ice cream, Tiamat's expression grew a touch more thoughtful. “What do you intend to do now?” she asked quietly. “We can both feel the oncoming storm that the morning shall bring.”
Ichigo gave a slow nod. He could feel it, the building crescendo within the roiling future of the Empire. And no doubt the others could as well. “Once the morning comes, we’re going to publicly announce House Leviathan's surrender before officially opening the Youth Rating Games Tournament. After that, it’ll be up to the Old Satan Faction to make their, hopefully, last move.”
“And if isn’t?” She asked pointedly.
Ichigo gave a careless shrug. “We’ll burn that bridge when we get there.”
“So many things to juggle, for my budding tyrant,” Tiamat said as she let out a contemplative hum and glanced back at him. “Then perhaps we should retire for the remainder of the night?”
A faintly apologetic smile crossed his face. “I can't just yet. There are still a few things I want to take care of.”
She regarded him with a knowing look, one elegant eyebrow arching ever so slightly. “You have grown rather attached to your new demon pet in a remarkably short span of time.”
Ichigo didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh at the sour edge in her tone. Instead, he just leaned down and placed another affectionate kiss upon her cheek.
“I’m sorry gorgeous, she’s simply too useful to keep at arm's length.”
Ocean blue eyes narrowed and she let out an impatient huff. “Do keep your pet on a tight leash then, beloved. Otherwise, I shall not hesitate to tear it apart.”
Ichigo snorted dismissively as he rolled his eyes. “Please. Gremory's games aren't even worth acknowledging. Within a day of meeting you, you'd already convinced me to bind our minds and spend the rest of our lives together. I’m in more danger around you than I ever will be with her.”
Tiamat glared at him for a moment, and those blue eyes of hers collapsed into serpentine slits and she struck out like a viper, sinking her fangs deep into his shoulder. Ichigo winced as they punched cleanly through his Hierro, and he felt her coarse and barbed tongue lick at the wound even as her eyes glinted with savage delight.
And as she pulled back, she proceeded to nip at his throat and let out a dark, sensual purr. “And do not dare think otherwise, beloved.”
He merely laughed as he leaned down once more and kissed the top of her head.
=======
Far out in the wastelands of the north of Infernity, Ichigo watched coldly as a hundred former Leviathan soldiers knelt in silent rows before him, their faces a mixture of simmering resentment and barely restrained apprehension. He brought Hell to his eyes, and his demonic sight peeled back their flesh to behold their souls, and instantly his face hardened in distaste. Every one of them was stained pitch black by Sin and other atrocities that were common by the standards of the Old Empire. Even without being Devils, this lot would end up in Hell simply by virtue of how they lived their lives.
Ichigo felt no pity for what was about to happen to them.
Gremory came to stand next to him, her hands daintily held behind her back in a girlish manner, and she smiled easily as she gazed at the assortment of prisoners.
“A pity,” she mused. “Innocent souls would have served better, my master. The greater the diametric opposition between purity and corruption, the greater the blasphemy birthed.”
“Just do it,” Ichigo said brusquely.
Gremory answered with an exaggerated, almost mocking bow before gliding several feet forward. Raising both hands above her head, she drew upon an ocean of ancient sorcery, and the environment recoiled in response. Darkness spread across the sky like spilled ink as the surrounding landscape withered before Ichigo's eyes. The soil of the region was sapped of all life and it blackened and crumbled into lifeless grey ash. The scattered trees through the region shriveled into brittle husks before scattering upon the wind, and even the clouds overhead dissolved into a swirling haze of malignant miasma.
The bound soldiers immediately sensed the shift. What little defiance they had initially possessed evaporated as panic seized them, and the air filled with their sudden desperate cries for mercy.
“Wait… what are you doing?” One of them cried out.
“We were just following orders!”
“Stop! Please! I can pay you!”
Neither Gremory nor Ichigo paid them mind and his Bishop then began to chant.
Her voice layered upon itself in countless echoes, deep and high, masculine and feminine, as though an unseen congregation welled up from within Gremory and began to incant as one. With each syllable Gremory spoke, Ichigo could see a new flicker of malicious energy being born as it twisted its way into existence. The very air he was surrounded by, and even the ground beneath his feet, was supercharged with Gremory’s demonic magic.
As the chant reached its crescendo black lightning ripped across the sky, and one of the kneeling soldiers suddenly convulsed as his body began to swell near cartoonishly. His skin stretched until it turned translucent, veins bulging grotesquely before his terrified screams dissolved into wet, choking gurgles. Panic and screams tore through the other soldiers, but it changed nothing, Gremory’s magic washed over all of them. One after another, their bodies bloated and warped until they no longer resembled any sort of living being.
And Satan watched it all without emotion, his arms crossed and his mien set like stone, even as the writhing masses collapsed into one another, flesh and bone flowing together like molten wax. And past the abominable flesh sculpting, his eyes lingered upon their souls as their suffering and torment became spiritual in nature. Gremory’s ritual wasn't simply killing them; it was grinding every last iota of their beings into raw magical fuel.
The towering abomination of flesh and spirit shuddered once before collapsing inward upon itself, and a heartbeat later the pulsing mass detonated into hundreds of jagged black streaks that shot into the skies of Infernity and then tore through the dimensional lining, disappearing far off through the reaches of time and space.
=======
Vali stood with both hands buried in his pockets, doing his absolute best not to fall asleep on his feet. He was rather upset that he had been woken up mid-nap just to hear the same tired pitch. This was the third time now that the Hero Faction had tried to rope him into their grand scheme of assassinating Ajuka while the Old Satan Faction invaded the Underworld, and somehow Georg still sounded convinced that one more argument would change his mind.
Idly, Vali cast his gaze over to his team members by his side. Kuroka looked as disinterested as he did, what with the way she was distractedly playing with a loose thread of her sleeve. Arthur was right next to him, also leaning against the wall, but with his eyes closed. And if Vali didn’t know the swordsman so well, he would have thought the man was asleep. But no, Arthur’s perceptive abilities went beyond what mortal eyes could see – he was a worthy heir to the Pendragon name. And then there was Le Fay, the only one among them who was attentively paying attention to their counterparts.
And then there was Bikou who was… Vali frowned heavily as he realized Bikou was nowhere in sight. He held back a snort – the Yōkai must have snuck off when no one was looking, much to Vali’s envy.
But then, he slowly turned his attention back to the still preaching Dimension Lost wielder who was flanked by Cao Cao and Jeanne.
"...and so, the addition of another Longinus would dramatically improve our chances," Georg asserted with a serious and insistent look.
Wait… was he finally done talking?
"… not interested" he replied laconically.
Georg immediately bristled and Vali sensed another lecture oncoming, so he quickly cut off the other man.
“Dogpiling fights are boring,” he said with a careless shrug, “even against monsters like Ajuka.”
Vali then glanced at his teammates. “Anyone interested?”
Le Fay answered first with a polite shake of her head, Arthur's refusal came as little more than a dismissive grunt, and Kuroka merely waved a lazy hand as though swatting away an annoying insect.
Georg let out a weary sigh as he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please reconsider. This may be our best opportunity to eliminate the Evil Piece system once and for all.”
Cao Cao then stepped forward and implored them all. “The Pendragon family has a long and storied history of fighting against the enemies of humanity, of building realms of justice and peace! And you, Miss Kuroka, are no stranger to abuse and evils of Ajuka’s creations! Please! Join us in ridding creation of this great evil!”
Vali watched his teammates' expressions remain utterly unmoved. Le Fay did briefly look back to her brother, but Arthur’s posture and closed eyes remained the same.
“Sorry,” she said, “but this isn’t our fight.”
And for her part, Kuroka didn’t even deign to respond nor acknowledge Cao Cao having spoken.
Cao Cao let out another weary sigh before meeting Vali's gaze with quiet resolve. “I was serious the last time we spoke,” he said. “Sooner or later, you'll have to choose a side. You cannot remain a fence sitter forever.”
Vali regarded him for a long moment before one eyebrow slowly arched.
“I already have a side,” he replied evenly. “My own.” His eyes briefly drifted toward Le Fay, Arthur, and Kuroka before returning to Cao Cao. “And theirs.”
“Vali…” Cao Cao began tiredly, but he cut him off quickly.
“Besides, you've got it wrong. I'm not sitting on a fence. I'm soaring above it. The world looks considerably larger when you stop pretending there are only your way and the wrong way.”
Cao Cao's expression tightened, though before either of them could continue, an unfamiliar sensation slipped silently through the air.
And instantly, what boredom and desire for sleep he had instantly disappeared.
It began as little more than a subtle wrongness, something alien brushing against his senses before quickly sinking beneath his skin. The feeling was nauseating, revolting in a way he struggled to describe, and yet there was something disturbingly familiar about it.
Le Fay visibly shuddered and rubbed at one arm. “Ugh...” she muttered, her face twisting in disgust. “It feels like there are maggots crawling beneath my skin.”
Vali’s lip curled instinctively as recognition dawned on him, demonic corruption. Just like his grandfather’s…
Arthur's hand immediately moved to the hilt of Caliburn hanging at his side, his brow furrowing as though listening to something only the sacred blade could hear. “My holy swords are reacting with hostility,” he said quietly.
Across from them, Cao Cao slowly lifted his eyes toward the ceiling, both of his fists clenching as his eyes hardened. “So is my Longinus.”
Jeanne also clutched at her chest, and Vali recalled she had a Holy Sword related Sacred Gear. “Are we under attack?!”
Cao Cao shook his head and said, “It is undoubtedly an attack of some kind, but by who…?”
Yet the dark and malicious weft in the air grew heavier with every passing heartbeat until Vali could almost feel it probing at his mind, invisible tendrils brushing against his thoughts like foul serpents coiling through reality. Beyond the room, he could sense several lesser members of the Hero Faction let out pained cries.
Le Fay immediately began weaving layers of protective magic around their group and Arthur drew Caliburn in a flash of gold, the sacred blade humming as its holy radiance pushed back against the encroaching darkness. Similarly, Cao Cao drew the True Longinus from within his soul and planted the butt of the spear against the floor, and a brilliant golden aura erupted outward, incinerating the vile pressure wherever it touched before setting into a protective dome.
The respite lasted only a moment before the chamber doors burst open and one of the lower-ranking Hero Faction members stumbled inside, panic written across every feature.
“The Old Satan troops... the Stray Sorcerers... even our Hero members...” he gasped. “They're attacking each other!”
Vali's eyes narrowed as his thoughts drifted toward magic, an insanity curse?
Before anyone could question him further, the malignant pressure abruptly intensified. The young messenger screamed, clutching both sides of his head as he collapsed onto his knees. Georg reacted instantly, teleporting the man inside Cao Cao's holy barrier, where he immediately fell unconscious, his body going limp against the stone floor.
Jeanne bent down and put a hand to the unconscious man’s head, and as soon as she touched him, her face immediately fell into a fierce scowl.
“Devil magic!” she seethed.
A deep thrum reverberated through Vali's soul as he felt Albion stir; and his overwhelming presence bled into the physical world. Every eye in the chamber turned toward him, drawn by the immense mythical weight as the Vanishing Emperor asserted himself.
Albion's ancient voice rumbled with unmistakable loathing.
“Nay, a thing older and far fouler. A curse steeped in the malice of a Demon of the Ancient World."
Vali’s expression twisted, mirroring Albion’s own disgust. So, he had been right… a Demon of the ancient past, just like his grandfather. But which one? From what he understood, most of the original Demons were cowed and suppressed by the new Satans, rightly so too, Vali deemed. Nonetheless, as far as he knew, Khaos Brigade hadn’t drawn the ire of any of those vile creatures…
His eyes then narrowed and his senses carried beyond the room. Unless one of the many fools had actually done something braindead as actually involve themselves with one of those monsters. Honestly, he wouldn’t put it past his idiotic cousins…
Georg's eyes widened in disbelief. “Impossible! This entire dimension is isolated by Dimension Lost! Nothing should be able to penetrate it!”
Vali could feel Albion’s disdain clearly as the legendary dragon receded back into his soul. ‘Foolish child. How many of his predecessors died believing the same?’
Silently acknowledging Albion’s admonishment of Georg, nevertheless, kept his senses extended beyond the chamber, his expression darkening as the curse continued to spread. In his mind’s eye, he could see the entire dimension had become saturated with dark magic as arcs of black lightning snapping aimlessly through the fortress, ensnaring minds in their corruptive madness.
At the rate things were going, all the weaker members unable to resist the magic would soon turn the fortress into a free-for-all bloodbath.
Le Fay cupped her chin as she looked beyond Cao Cao’s barrier.
“I’m pretty sure I can weave a counterspell,” she murmured before looking first to Arthur and then to Cao Cao. “But I’m gonna need a lot of Holy energy to effectively fight off dark magic of this level.”
Without even blinking, both men silently assented. Arthur wordless offered her the hilt of Caliburn, while Cao Cao extended the shaft of the True Longinus toward her. Le Fay rested one hand upon each sacred weapon, and brilliant golden light erupted around her as her eyes shone with a sacred glow. His Devilish blood stirred uncomfortably, but Vali quickly pressed it down. His own magic, not to mention the power of Divine Dividing, was enough to shield himself.
Taking a slow breath, Le Fay began to spin an intricate weave of holy magic that surged like a radiant sun.
=======
Ichigo stood with his arms folded, watching Gremory hover high above the blighted landscape as dark magic churned around her in violent torrents. Her crimson hair whipped wildly in the unnatural winds, emerald eyes blazing as she maintained the ritual without the slightest hint of strain.
According to Sera’s intelligence reports, one of the prominent members of Khaos’ Brigade’s Hero Faction wielded Dimension Lost, one of the thirteen Longinus-class Sacred Gears that gave its human possessor the power to potentially defeat even a Demon Lord or Divine. And Dimension Lost itself gave an unparalleled control over the concept of space – meaning its wielder could create and occlude entire pocket realms away from the prying eyes of others.
Fortunately for Ichigo, he now had one of the oldest and most accomplished sorcerers in history in his employ. More than that, Gremory was a battle-hardened veteran and survivor of the Great War – her magic had been tested to its limits when came to apocalyptic interdimensional warfare. And though most records of the Great War were lost just due to the sheer scale of the calamity, Gremory herself had claimed before Ichigo she had witnessed Dimension Lost capabilities in the past and was familiar enough with the top-tier Sacred Gear to counter some of its better-known effects.
How of much that was true he wasn’t sure… but he was more than willing to put it to the test.
However, at that moment, something suddenly shifted in the currents of magic Gremory was actively casting.
Ichigo’s eyes narrowed as he watched one of the tendrils of Gremory's spell seize and contort, as though something was pushing against the tension of her magic. Huh… he gazed with an academic interest as strands of dark magic spasmed and turned course, their color immediately bursting apart into brilliant streaks of gold.
Like the beams of the sun through the cloud-break, holy light tore through the curse and struck Gremory from her place high in the ritual. The ancient Demon was hurled from the sky, and she crashed hard enough to crack the lifeless rock below and send up a plume of dirt.
Raising a curious brow, Ichigo unfolded his arms and casually walked towards his downed Bishop.
With a single thought from him, the dust settled back to the ground to reveal Gremory's face had twisted inhumanely. Every trace of her usual playful composure had vanished beneath an expression of naked, animalistic hatred so intense that it made the Sin of Wrath stir delighted within his own soul.
She threw her head back and let out a feral scream.
“You little whore of a witch!” she shrieked with such venom that the shadows in the immediate area jumped alive. “I'll skin you alive!”
Gremory's magic surged once more, eldritch emerald light gathering around her trembling hands as she prepared to retaliate, but Ichigo simply rested a hand upon her bare shoulder. The ancient Demon immediately froze, more from the quiet authority behind his touch than any true physical restraint… but he could still feel the murderous rage boiling beneath her skin.
Closing his eyes for the briefest of moments, Ichigo reached through the lingering strands of Gremory's ritual with his own prescience, and the world instantly blurred as his awareness followed the path the curse had taken. But through the mists of time and space, gradually, an impression formed within his mind. A young blonde girl humming with arcane energy stood at its center, and beside her burned two brilliant stars, each radiating an immense wellspring of Holy authority. One felt strangely familiar… as he if had encountered it before… but in some other form.
But the other… the other was brighter and it seemed to gaze back at him. And the instant it did, his mantle of Satan howled with an instinctive and deep-abiding, hatred.
Ichigo slowly opened his eyes.
The True Longinus.
Reports from the Military of Intelligence network stated that the leader of the Hero Faction carried the First Longinus. Which meant that Gremory’s curse had worked, she had managed to inflict her dark magic on Khaos Brigade.
Huh… having her as a Bishop really was paying off.
As Ichigo continued to peer through the skeins of space-time, several other faces began to appear in his mind. Including the visage of the White Dragon Emperor.
“Thanks for showing me the way,” he said distractedly as he patted Gremory on the top of her head.
And immediately, Satan’s eyes burned crimson as he pressed his mind and will forward.
=======
Golden radiance swept through the hidden dimension like a rising tide, stripping away the suffocating malice that permeated through the fortress. And despite his own power being enough to rebuff the ambient sacred aura, he was still immensely impressed that Le Fay's control was precise enough that the spell flowed harmlessly around him instead of through him. And, he had no doubt, that she had done the same for all of the other Devils that were stationed in the pocket dimension. Even if some of them didn’t deserve the extra consideration…
"That was unpleasant," Jeanne muttered, earning a silent nod from several others.
Cao Cao exchanged a grim look with Georg before turning back to Vali.
"Time has run out," he said, turning to Vali with a severe expression. "The Demons have found us. We have to strike now."
Vali merely shrugged.
"Then strike," he replied flatly. "Who's stopping you?"
Cao Cao's expression hardened into a grimace. “Are you truly so indifferent towards humanity? Towards your own mother's blood?”
Vali's expression turned glacial cold. It was always the same with Cao Cao, throwing his mother’s existence in his face as if he owed it to her to fight for Cao Cao’s ideals. For someone parading himself as a Hero, the man really did love to engage in petty, playground bullying tactics.
But before Vali could even answer, Le Fay and Kuorka immediately stood protectively in front of him, their eyes blazing with quiet fury. Meanwhile, Arthur silently moved to their other flank, one hand settling upon the hilt of Caliburn in quiet warning.
“Vali has protected and cared for me more times than I can count,” Le Fay said, meeting Cao Cao's gaze without flinching. “Being human encompasses far more than simply going out and slaying monsters in the dark.”
Vali's eyes shifted toward the young witch and her words gave him pause. He had spent a good deal of his youth obsessing overpower, in his grand ambition of murdering his grandfather to avenge himself. But beyond that, Vali had come to enjoy the crunch of violence, the thrill of unleashing all his might and meeting a challenge in return.
But… he had also come to enjoy and even cherish the company of his comrades. Dare he say… his friends. A part of him was touched by their display of camaraderie.
“When humanity is threatened,” Cao Cao replied tightly, “it is incumbent upon the strong to fight.”
Kuroka's tail flicked lazily behind her.
“It's one thing to fight to protect,” she said evenly, “and another to openly invite conflict into your home.” Her golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I wonder if you know the difference?”
Jeanne answered by taking an aggressive step forward.
“The conflict is already in our homes!” She said angrily. “Year after year, Devils continue stealing humans with Sacred Gears through the Evil Piece system! Humanity's future has to be protected from their greed and their evil!”
Kuroka turned her head and regarded the younger girl in silence for a moment before a faint, condescending smile crossed her face.
“Little girl,” she said coldly, “what would you know of evil?”
Jeanne stiffened, indignation flashing across her face as she drew breath to answer, yet whatever retort she had prepared was swallowed before it could leave her lips. The entire pocket dimension convulsed beneath their feet, and an immense, tyrannical pressure descended upon the world with such overwhelming authority that Vali instinctively braced himself. It was a vile and wretched presence, one of fire and shadow and unlike the magic before, this one assailed his mind like a rampaging beast.
Vali could feel it break and batter away at the mental defenses he put up, clawing at his mind and gouging out the darkest and most painful memories of his childhood. But from deep within, he felt the majestic and immovable presence of the Vanishing Emperor shield him.
‘The Dark One,’ Albion growled within his mind, the ancient dragon's voice grave.
Yes, Vali had already recognized it – the same Demon Lord who he had stabbed in the back at Ophis’ behest when he broke away from Azazel and the Fallen.
Nevertheless… the curse from moments earlier had been repulsive, but this... this eclipsed it so completely that the comparison was almost laughable. It carried the unmistakable tyrannical weight of a Crown Prince of Hell. The sheer depths of Hatred and Fury were enough to unravel a lesser mind. And yet, against his better judgment, excitement surged through him - his blood quickening as the promise of an extraordinary battle stirred something deep within his soul.
Such power… if only he could throw himself against such power! How glorious would it feel to break so much power across his knee!?
But he was torn from his spiraling thoughts as, across the chamber, Georg abruptly planted his feet apart and thrust both hands forward as grey-silver spatial magic erupted around his arms and the aura of a Longinus-class Sacred Gear exploded against the dreadful presence. The air distorted violently before him, rippling beneath the strain as veins stood out along his neck.
“The... the entire space-time of the dimension...” he grunted through clenched teeth. “He’s crushing it beneath his power!”
For the first time since the disturbance had begun, genuine concern crossed Cao Cao's face.
“Can you locate the source?” he demanded.
Vali had no doubt that Cao Cao had the same thoughts as him – the desire to throw himself in battle against the youngest of the Sins. Even if their reasons were entirely different.
Georg's expression contorted as he pushed harder against the overwhelming pressure, but before he could force out an answer, the crushing presence disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived. Bereft of anything to resist, the spatial magician stumbled forward and collapsed heavily onto one knee, drawing ragged breaths while sweat poured freely down his face, his trembling hands slowly falling to his sides as the room settled into an uneasy silence.
Jeanne, who was trembling as badly as Georg as she hugged her own arms, stared fretfully down at the floor. “What... what in Hell was that?”
Vali's gaze lingered on her shaking shoulders disdainfully.
“An invitation,” he surmised, though privately he found himself wondering who it had truly been meant for. His eyes then drifted toward Georg, who was still kneeling and trying to steady his breathing.
“You know,” Vali said with biting condescension, “if you spent half as much time training as you do scheming and preaching ideological nonsense, you might actually have developed a Balance Breaker capable of pushing back the demonic incursion. You can barely stand in front of one Demon Lord; you expect to kill another who’s even stronger?”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and walked away. Arthur, Kuroka, and Le Fay fell in behind him without hesitation, the young witch pausing only long enough to stick her tongue out and blow an utterly undignified raspberry at the glowering members of the Hero Faction.
But at the same time, he reached out to the dragon in his soul. ‘You’re worried?’
‘I am, but not for the reasons you think,’ Albion admitted.
Vali frowned as he subtly cast a glance back at his team. ‘He’s strong, but not to the point where I think he can overcome Juggernaut Drive.’
‘That is the very crux of the issue,’ Albion said, causing Vali to frown deeply. ‘The Insanity and Rage of the previous possessors of Divine Dividing – he is the Sin of Wrath, Vali. Juggernaut Drive will prove your undoing; you will be helpless as he turns it against you.’
Vali nearly missed a beat as he continued to walk forward… he hadn’t considered that. Suddenly a soft, velvety sensation touched his side and he looked down to see Kuroka had pressed one of his arms between her cleavage, even as she peered up at him with big, amber eyes. “Nyaa, you alright there, Vali?”
“Talking to Albion,” he said honestly.
She blinked once before letting out a melodramatic sigh. “Satan-sama is as terrifying as ever! Vali, you should totally send him flowers as an apology for stabbing him in the back!”
He held back a snort of amusement. “I doubt he’d accept.”
“Nyaa! Then send me! All wrapped up with a red ribbon and everything!” She said mischievously. “I’m sure I can… persuade him.”
It was Albion’s turn to let out an amused growl. ‘If the Sin truly is consort to Tiamat, then I fret young Kuroka will only end up being devoured.’
As if he would ever do such a thing, regardless of who Satan was sleeping with. Vali Lucifer may be many questionable things, but a pimp was not one of them. He was not about to whore out one of his few friends for someone he planned to beat into the ground anyway. It seemed rather counterproductive and pointless.
“Albion disagrees,” he said neutrally.
“What!” Kuroka exclaimed in outrage. “You ancient pile of disembodied scales! Are you saying I’m not pretty enough to tempt Satan!”
“But isn’t that exactly what happened when you met up with him several months ago?” Le Fay chimed in.
“Pfft!” Kuroka waved her off dismissively. “Fay-chan, let’s not bring up the past.”
As the two girls fell into banter and Arthur remained stoic as ever, Vali resolved that he would need to spend the coming days training hard while his cousins were slaughtered by the new Satans.
Because the idea of grasping a power beyond Juggernaut Drive – his eyes burned crimson as Lucifer’s blood boiled from within – how thrilling.
=======
Several hours slipped quietly by before daybreak finally arrived, though in New Lilith, dawn answered only to the will of the Satans rather than the passage of any star. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the other Sins upon the governmental palace balcony, Ichigo looked out over the millions gathered below as Sirzechs stepped forward, spread his arms with characteristic theater and declared in a booming voice that rolled across the Empire.
“Let the Rating Games begin!”
======
Omake:
Saviġuk prowled listlessly as her master watched on with a somewhat bashful expression. Honestly, the nerve! The nerve! How was she supposed to work in these conditions!?
“Awowo!” She huffed.
Her master’s shoulders slumped. “I know, I know. I should have consulted you first.”
“Wooo!”
“But it’s not that big of a deal.”
She stopped in her tracks and whirled around, giving him a frigid glare.
“Okay, okay! Sorry!” He put up his hands defensively. “It is a big deal, and I’m sorry I didn’t take your feelings into consideration.”
She then let out a low growl, not a threatening one, but enough to let him know just how upset she was with him. Because, honestly, how could he add someone to the pack without even letting her or the dimwitted giant know?
Speaking of that ice for brains… she gave the seated ancient behemoth a pointed look. But he just sat there on his mountainous behind and stared absently at a small stream and the fish that swam away.
Urgh… why were all the males around her so slow and stupid?
She stomped both her front feet and let out another growl – all this because of her master’s horrible choice in females! “Grrug!”
“What? That’s not fair! I don’t have bad taste in women!”
She gave him a disbelieving and indignant look. The Primordial Storm-For-Breath was nothing but a lazy and gluttonous relic that hadn’t done anything noteworthy in several thousand years! Despite whatever familiar nonsense her master had deluded himself into believing – that overgrown lizard gave him bare minimum aid. Even when it came to taking down the Crow-Leader in his homeland; that was nothing more than self-preservation at that point!
“Awow!”
“Tiamat’s not that bad. And she does plenty! I’ve learned a lot of things from her! Ancient knowledge that no one else can possibly teach!”
She huffed. A likely story!
And don’t even get her started on the fox! What on earth was he thinking allowing himself to be hoodwinked by some vixen? Foxes were nothing more than devolved wolves and inferior in every way! No sense of strength, majesty or power! Just wily little thieves following and snipping bits from the hunts of true predators!
Couldn’t he have found a respectable female wolf? He could have asked her! She would have introduced him to some nice hominid wolf-girls she was distant cousins with if he was that desperate for some tail!
“Wooo!”
“Saviġuk!” Her master looked scandalized. “You can’t just call foxes sub-canid parasites! That’s racist!”
“Awoof!”
She said what she said!
And the latest one! The Walking-Stench-of-Decayed-Magic! Bah! An utter abomination and mockery of the natural order that stunk to the stars of death and misery! Anything would have been better than that one! Anything! Even a dead log would have been a wiser choice!
“Grruff!”
“Okay, I’m not going to argue that. I agree - Gremory is bat-shit insane. But you can’t possibly believe that I’m sleeping with her! She’s purely here for her magic! That’s it!”
She gave him a skeptical look.
“It’s true! I’m not that stupid!”
“Awoo!” Yes, yes he was.
“Oh, come on!”
=======
A/N: I am going on a family vacation this weekend so I did my best to get this chapter out as early as possible! Over 10k words! The wonders of sacrificing sleep - on a professional note as a healthcare provider: DON'T SACRIFICE SLEEP - IT'S VERY IMPORTANT!!!
At last, I have unveiled the Oldest Myth and Ophis' desire to return the world to the Primordium Age. The Chaoskampf is one of the oldest stories in the world and it's damn near universal. Found even in Native American myths, entirely separated from Old World mythologies. The Lord of Sky/Storms that defeats the Serpent/Dragon of Chaos. Why the story is so ubiquitous in human mythology is unknown, but it's been around for several thousand years and pops up everywhere. It has been my desire to use the myth narratively ever since I chose Tiamat as Ichigo's love intrest some eleven years ago now. Holy crap, I'm old. I enjoy writing from Vali and Cao Cao's perspectives. Cao Cao in particular who views everything from a human-centric ideology allows me to present Ichigo as an inhuman force that is terrifying and horrifying to behold. When in reality, the guy behind the power is really chill. But Ichigo's offensive against the Old Satan Faction and the Khaos Brigade continues, and as Vali correctly surmised, Satan has given them an open invitation to face the Lords of the Underworld and their armies. A very bold and arrogant thing to do, but very in line with Satan. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
P.S: I will not be responding to questions and comments once the weekend begins because I'll be away. I'm not ignoring you! Just prioritizing the wife and kids for a few extra days! Have a lovely rest of your week! P.P.S: I love Saviġuk.