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Chapter 320: Chapter 291

"I expect you to be nice." Izzy scowled.

The God of the Underworld twisted his expression, impressive for a skull, into something resembling a scowl in return. His glowing eyes focused on me, shining bright against the flickering flames. "Human, Devil, Dragon! Just those three are enough to be called an anomaly, but they\'ve happened in the past. No, you went and did something that\'s never happened before. Somehow, you obtained Divinity." His words accompanied a pressure that descended upon me.

I raised an eyebrow as I met his gaze, my shoulders shuddered slightly under the pressure. This was the first time I had a God here react this way to my Divinity. Hell, Susanoo was more confused, and Amaterasu didn\'t even seem to care. Izzy took it in stride as well.

This is an entirely new reaction.

In response, I let my own Divinity pour out. It surrounded me to push away his pressure, allowing me relax as his realm trembled. "Is there a question in there?" I finally asked/broke the stale mate/silence. While I agreed to Izzy to not act up, that didn\'t mean I would allow myself to be bullied.

Though, it\'s not like I didn\'t anticipate this. The strong will always have the pride as the strong. It manifested in certain ways, and sometimes, you had to show that you\'re on equal if not equivalent footing.

"Honey." The woman next to Hades spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Remember why you asked them to come."

The pressure around us dissipated, and the God of the Underworld grumbled.

"Is this how you intend to treat guests, Hades?" Izzy crossed her arms with a clear frown on her face. "I did this as a favor due to our relationship. If this is how I expect people I care about to be treated, I may rethink several things from now on."

"Your infatuation blinds you." The God muttered. "It is a mockery of us. That a Devil can obtain Divinity, it shouldn\'t be allowed!" He slammed his fist on his throne.

"How is it any different than any of the myriad races of the world getting Divinity, Hades? Your Nephew was a Demi-God that ascended to full Godhood. You Brother is a Centaur and possesses Divinity and he is revered across many cultures. And there have been plenty of humans over the years who have moved above their birth." Izzy countered.

The God didn\'t have a rebuttal, but his Wife spoke up. "She\'s right, Honey. You\'re letting your anger get the better of you."

"You too, Persephone? You\'re both ganging up on me." The God grumbled once more. "Bah! Fine!" He huffed, and a strange aura gathered around his body. His skeletal nature peeled back, an actual human-like appearance was revealed underneath. "I....apologize."

His voice changed, but it sounded much more.....authoritative.

"Hmph." Izzy grunted. "Shall we get to the point then?"

Well, Izzy was leading the show right now so I would let her keep the lead.

I looked the man over again. The God of the Underworld.

Was this his true self?

I had questions, but I doubted I would get answers. He didn\'t seem to like me all that much.

"I would also like to know what I\'m here." May as well get it out of the way. "While I did enjoy the trip, you clearly don\'t like me."

"Devils are parasites." Hades spat out. "Tell me, what do Devils do?"

"Pardon?" I blinked at his question.

"What do Devils bring to the world? What is their purpose?"

....I\'d never thought about that before. "I\'m....not sure?"

"Nothing!" Hades snorted. "They bring nothing. They do nothing but leech off the hard work of others. They leave nothing but chaos and destruction in their wake!"

"Oh, here we go." Izzy rolled her eyes.

"Tell me that I\'m wrong!" Hades huffed. "They were created by a child throwing a tantrum. Their purpose, their entire creation was meant to devour and consume everything and cause misery wherever they go."

"They\'ve calmed down over the years. The originals are almost all gone, it\'s not like the ones in power are clamoring for war or anything like that." I replied, feeling just a little bit insulted since I was also cut from the same cloth, if indirectly. And I was playing Devil\'s Advocate just for the sake of it. Which is ironic given the circumstances.

"Bah! So they\'ve gotten smarter over the years. Why do they need to openly wage war? They continue creating chaos through other means. They disrupt the flow of souls with their Evil Pieces. Converting others into their misbegotten race. Stealing souls from where they should truly go! They\'ve used those abominable things to force themselves into a position of power. Look at their leader, he holds a clone of Surtr as his slave."

"You won\'t hear me say anything good about those things." I crossed my arms. "I am Half-Human, I\'ve always aligned myself with humanity over Devils. I am of the mind that they\'re stealing the potential of humanity."

Hades went quiet, giving me a second look, clearly pondering something. "Hmm....maybe I was too quick in my judgement. I suppose Izanami would not consort with that lot." He shook his head. "Those Crows are not much better. Abandoning their Jobs so they could imitate Devils. Only causing problems, and doing nothing useful."

"Is this why you called me? Your problems with the three factions?" I was still confused as to why he had summoned me.

"Hmph." He tapped the arm of his throne. "What do you know of the Khaos Brigade?"

I blinked in confusion. "I\'ve had some run ins with them. It seems like they\'re headed by the Old Satan Faction? But I also have crossed paths with the Hero Faction that operated under their banner, so maybe not all that much?"

"I was a part of it." Hades said bluntly.

"Hades!" Izzy hissed. "Explain, now."

"It was a means to an end." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I never shared their goals, only seeked to use them for my own."

"After your rant about Devils, you willingly bowed your head to them?" I questioned.

"Who said that the Khaos Brigade is ran by Devils?" Hades huffed. "Do you think I would need their help for anything of note?"

That had.....unpleasant insinuations.

"Honey, Izanami is upset, explain properly." Persephone lightly chastised.

"Fine." Hades grunted with a sigh. "The World is in a precarious state. The Three Factions of the Abrahamic Religion are throwing it into further disarray with every passing year. The Devils merely by existing along with their blatant disregard for the status quo. The Crows see fit to mimic the Devils and do whatever they want. And the System left behind by the God of the bible is unstable and making things worse, not better."

"You\'re talking about Sacred Gears." I stated.

"Yes, those unregulated devices that randomly appear around the world. Those items of power that cause untold devastation if left in the wrong hands." Hades scowled in annoyance. "Ask that Dragon inside of you. Have him tell you how many of his previous owners went on a rampage and caused wanton destruction?"

[....He isn\'t wrong. I\'ve had several users where I just woken up because Juggernaut Drive was activated after a traumatic event.]

That sounded horrifying.

"The look on your face, I can assume he confirmed it." The God spoke. "I have no love for that Dragon, but at least he didn\'t rampage without reason."

"What exactly was your plan? Ally with the Khaos Brigade to kill off the three factions?"

"It doesn\'t matter anymore." Hades grunted. "I have chosen to sever ties with them. They have crossed me and my original goal seems to have been for naught with your appearance."

"Weren\'t you just calling me an abomination not a few minutes prior?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I didn\'t expect you to have your own Divinity." Hades growled in annoyance. "Half-Human, Half-Devil. Your Dragon aspect comes from Ddraig within that prison of his." He raised his finger up, pointing at me. "I wonder, does your Divinity come from him. The Spear you are somehow able to wield." He muttered. "No, it\'s different. Your Divinity is more like my brothers, there is the crackling of lightning and the smell of the sky. But also the roar of the ocean\'s tides. Storms are your domain....." His head suddenly jerked towards Izanami. "Izanami.....did –"

"Hades." Izzy\'s voice overtook Hades entirely at this moment. "We both know my son would never willingly give up his Divinity. So if you are about to ask me what I think you are going to ask me, I\'m going to walk up there and smack you."

"And I will say nothing about it, Husband." Persephone crossed her arms, staring at Hades as well.

"...I apologize, I overstepped." Hades admittedly looked rather sheepish.

Was he about to imply that Izzy stole Susanoo\'s divinity and gave it to me?

Oh yeah, I could imagine that Izzy would be very upset at the insinuation.

"You said that the Khaos Brigade isn\'t led by Devils. Can you elaborate on that?" I might as well move past the awkwardness that came up.

"There are many beings around the world that don\'t like the peace that came about after the Great War." Hades took to the renewed talk quite readily. "You should have met one thus far based on what I\'ve been told."

"Loki." I breathed out, his name still left me angry.

"Yes, the Trickster God." Hades scowled. "Whom I have no doubt had a hand in breaking into Tartarus with his cohorts and freeing my Father and Hyperion. Both of which I have no doubt now bolster their ranks."

I see, that would explain why Hades had a falling out with them.

"There are many more, nearly every major Pantheon is represented. If they were to move together, it\'s unlikely that any singular force could meet them." Hades stated.

"And you are now outed from said group." I pointed out.

"Who said I left?" He huffed. "I would be a fool to not keep tabs on them."

That\'s true, I suppose I thought he just up and left after getting pissed. Maybe I\'m too used to dealing with the more prideful kind of people? So, no longer allied, but they didn\'t quite know that yet.

"And how does that lead back into me being important for you?" I was apparently the reason he was willing to stop \'working\' with this Khaos Brigade.

"I have watched those Sacred Gears more than any other God beyond their creator. I have seen every instance that they have disturbed the world." Hades intoned. "That Spear specifically. I have seen it appear many times throughout the years, watching the users, and ever more since Yahweh had perished. You are an outlier. And the only explanation I can come to.....something changed within the spear itself."

I quirked a smile. "Maybe something else in the system broke again?"

"Bah, who are you trying to fool? There\'s only one entity that would allow you to use that thing with your nature as a Half-Devil. Even I could not overcome such contradictions, only the progenitor of both your species and the object itself." He snorted, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "Tell me, is he coming back?"

"You really don\'t mince words, do you?" I couldn\'t believe Hades of all people was the first to realize outside of those I told. "Say that he was in the midst of reviving. What benefit would that be for you?" Because he clearly wanted this to happen based on what he said.

"If that One comes back, then he can clean up all the messes he made." Hades huffed in annoyance. "The Devils, the Fallen Angels, and the Sacred Gears that have gone out of control. Then I can finally stop being disturbed by all these annoyances and the world can go back to normal."

Was it really that simple? This Godadmitted to working with people I absolutely despise, and his entire reasoning was to fix some perceived wrongs in the world. Wrongs that.....I couldn\'t help but admit were true.

Sacred Gears were causing problems because they weren\'t being properly regulated by Heaven\'s System.

Devils and Fallen Angels, how many issues had they caused just by doing their thing? Hell, just look at Evil Pieces like he said.

"So it all comes down to – you\'re asking for my help?"

Hades scowled and his wife started giggling.

"In more words than needed, yes. I share my Husband\'s sentiment as do many others under our rule. We are asking for your help and offer ours in return. It may seem strange to you, but we would like the Biblical God to come back. We have no ill will towards him, and hope that we can help facilitate his return at a faster pace." Persephone stated. "Frankly, the whole idea caught us off guard, but my Husband as adamant that the only plausible explanation was such."

I turned to Izzy and she gave me a reassuring smile. So I would trust her judgment since she hadn\'t made an effort to stop the talks.

"It\'s true, the possibility for his resurrection has opened and I\'ve conversed with him at one point." I admitted.

I wasn\'t against helping him revive, I had already done some of that so far.

"To actually hear it...." Persephone whispered. "How? It shouldn\'t be possible, he truly died. His Divine Power scattered, his essence was utterly dispersed. There should have been nothing by remnants remaining, nothing large enough to have a consciousness."

"Even the tiny spark that existed in the spear, it would never turn into something greater. It was called a dying will for a reason, and it couldn\'t evolve into something more unless some absurd circumstances presented themselves." Hades appeared to be thinking aloud before taking a long sigh, looking rather tired himself. "I won\'t ask the circumstances; I find it unlikely you would reveal them at this point."

Well, he didn\'t have his head up his ass to realize that. His former arrogance before was understandable. Not easily ignorable, but understandable considering what exactly he was. Maybe if he had been nicer, I would have opened up more.

But as it stood, this was pretty much what he\'s getting from me, and that\'s mostly as a favor to Izzy.

Slowly, the God of the Underworld rose from his seat, taking bated steps down the towering stairs.

"Come, let us take a walk. I believe that my wife wishes to speak with Izanami." Hades casually strode forward, hands behind his back. Honestly, he did appear very regal and magnificent, even if I didn\'t have a particularly good opinion of him at the moment. "Izanami was correct, you were invited as a guest, and I have shamed myself with not respecting that."

I suppose it wouldn\'t hurt.

I really didn\'t believe he would do anything in these circumstances. He seemed like the kind of person who would look you in the eyes when he stabbed you, not do it in the back.

"Lead the way." I let out a breath.

"Kya! He\'s just like you said, and he\'s so cute~"

Hades and I started walking out, and I abruptly turned around to see Persephone throw herself at Izzy, excitedly talking about something and Izzy had an adorable blush on her cheeks.

"That way leads to madness." Hades snorted as I turned back towards him. "Centuries I have been married, yet I still do not understand her mind sometimes. I have given up on trying. Come." There was a fondness in his tone.

Well, if there was one nice thing I could say about Hades thus far, he really seemed to care about his wife. It was the small things that were the most noticeable, the little looks he threw her way. Some people seemed to think you needed big gestures to be romantic, when it\'s often the opposite. Many little things are what relationships are built off of.

The excited words of the Goddess died out as we walked further away. Rather, our quiet steps were the only noise. "Rather empty, isn\'t it?"

"Hmm, in a normal day it is not. I have thousands upon thousands of Reapers that answer my call. On an average day, there are many voices that fill this place. I merely wished solitude for the evening, thus I had dismissed them for the remainder of the day." Hades said, rather casually. "What do you think of my Underworld?"

"As you asking me to compare it to Yomi?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Though, I have been to one other Deathly realm so far. And I think Charon\'s words were right. These types of places have their own charm."

"Another?"

"The Land of Shadows." I replied.

Scáthach\'s existence wasn\'t much of a secret anymore.

"Ah, yes. We had a long discussion regarding panions during the recent incident in Devil territory." Hades nodded in understanding. "I was under the assumption that she was dead."

"She got better."

Hades snorted, there appeared to be a slight tug at the corners of his lips.

"That reminds me, will you be attending that Conference amongst the other factions? It was the target of the last meeting I joined amongst the Khaos Brigade."

"What Conference?" I tilt my head.

"You don\'t know?" Hades blinked. "Hmm.....perhaps they have yet to contact you. It was the talk amongst those Devils. They were set on attacking the Peace talks between the Three Factions that were going to happen. Due to recent events, other factions had since joined in. The spies amongst them relayed the news that they would be extending an invitation towards the Youkai as well. I had assumed you knew."

I furrowed my brow, many new thoughts filling my mind at this revelation. "I haven\'t heard a word."

"Curious." Hades replied.

"Should I be worried incase we go?" Which was a big assumption. I don\'t know any of the details at this point, but I would like more information.

"Loki was adamant that they not cause problems. His logic was sound, thus the Devils seemed cowed. However, they are not known for making intelligent decisions."

Loki again.

"Do you have any interest in these supposed talks?" I asked.

"If I were still aligned with the Khaos Brigade, I would be vehemently against them." Hades admitted without a second thought. "As many problems that those Bats and Crows cause, they are forced to mind themselves due to the implications of war between themselves. Knowing how they act, this \'peace\' will only further embolden them to do as they wish."

"Have you not thought about intervening yourself?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. However, I have a duty to my own people. How many of mine would I lose if I chose to fight? And even if I do not get along with my brothers most of the time, they would inevitably be pulled into any conflict. Regardless of my course of action, any direct attack would continue to escalate until the world was engulfed."

That\'s true. Especially with this new information that there were apparently a bunch of other Deities or beings of equivalent power/status out in the world actively pushing for chaos and war if not other schemes that would bring about suffering.

We walked out from his sort of temple-castle back towards the gates.

Immediately, we were set upon by a familiar dog.

"Cerberus, sit." Hades commanded as the massive dog scampered over. As soon as the words left his mouth, the Divine Beast promptly sat right now. "Good boy." Hades had what seemed to be a rare smile on his face as he walked over to pet it.

"He really is." I walked up, taking one of his heads for myself.

"You wouldn\'t happen to want a pup, would you? I have many, and Persephone has been on my hide to get them homes." Hades chuckled, which caught me off guard.

Honestly, he seemed like a completely different person than before.

"I couldn\'t take care of one, and I already got myself a familiar." I flipped my hand over, producing my Hat, and gave it a little pat on the back, Sir Wiggles jumped out. He excitedly twitched his nose, inspecting the new area.

Cerberus looked excited as well. His middle head tilted down, sniffing Sir Wiggles as my Familiar did the same to him.

The Large Dog stiffened, jerking its body. It jumped in splace, quaking the ground but it came off as.....playful.

Sir Wiggles turned into a streak of lightning, jutting all over the place as the massive dog began chasing him.

"....does that Rabbit possess Divinity as well."

"He\'s a long descendant of a God. Our bond just.....jumpstarted it, so to speak." I replied.

\'I admit, this is not how I envisioned this meeting to go." Hades raised his hand up, and two chairs seemed to rise out of the ground. He plopped himself down without a second thought, watching the two animals play.

I sat down in the empty one. "And how did you envision it?"

"I expected a young devil that was too absorbed in his own power. I made a mistake, I should have been amicable from the start, thus things would have gone smoother." Hades replied, propping his head up with his arm.

"You really don\'t like Devils, do you?"

Hades snorted. "Do you?" He gave me a sideways glance. "Those Devils amongst the Khaos Brigade would not cease their prattling when it came to you. Even If I did no investigations, it\'s clear you have no dealings with the Devil Faction."

"I have one Devil I truly care about and by extension a few that I would lend a hand if I thought they were in real trouble. I wouldn\'t bat an eye if the faction as a whole ceased to exist though." I said with complete honesty.

"Hmm. What a strange boy you are." Hades leaned back, rather casually. "What do you want?"

"Pardon?"

"What do you want? You are aware of what I desire, and I wish you to continue down this path. You showed slight hesitance, and I don\'t want this chance to slip away."

A bribe, was it?

"Why not just take the Spear from me and do it yourself?"

"That was a consideration." He admitted with a hint of shame. "I decided against that. Besides the fallout that myself and my wife would have with Izanami, which neither of us would be pleased about, I am not entirely sure I could do it without coming away unscathed. And you are the one who somehow began the process, something I would have deemed impossible some months ago. I feel you are the best one to continue as you are."

I tapped my finger on the armrest, mulling over his words. "Personally, I want the information on the Khaos Brigade. Everything you know about them."

"It will be done." He stated.

"Sacred Gears. You spoke that you have been watching them for some time. How many have you accumulated?"

The corners of Hades\' lips curled up. "So you noticed. Yes, I have acquired many over the years. Unfortunately, they are.....slippery at the best of times. I have a little less than a hundred and I rarely care for those below a certain threshold."

"We will be going to war with the Fae soon. Pick out some easy to use or straightforward ones, I want to hand them over to the Youkai."

"You are leaving it to my discretion?"

I shrugged. "This.....relationship is rocky from the start. It\'s built almost entirely on Izzy\'s goodwill, if you want to help me, then show it." Right now, he needed me much more than I needed him. In fact, I didn\'t need him for anything, yet, he had an apparent vested interest in Big G\'s revival.

"A fair statement. Very well, I shall look at my inventory." Hades nodded. "What else?"

"You also manage the fields of Elysium, right?"

"I do, however...I can not make decisions for those who dwell within. If you are looking for soldiers, you will be left wanting. And I refuse to allow the dead to wantonly walk amongst the living once more. Even with my power...no especially with my power, allowing the dead to live again is no simple feat."

"The Dead Cannot lead the living." I repeated the words I had heard Artoria say in the past.

Hades\' eyes flashed, a look of actual surprise. I think it was the most I\'d seen him emote this far. "You understand.....how surprising."

"How about....a temporary vacation?"

"...I am willing to listen."

"Veterans, Heroes, tacticians, that sort of thing. I think you have Odysseus amongst your people still? I would want to barrow them, merely for training purposes, no actual fighting any battles. Once the War beings, they\'ll return. So, no more than four months."

Hades tapped his chin, looking deep in thought. "An interesting request, and not one that\'s inherently too difficult to fullfill. There would have to be rules. They will not be allowed to leave that Dimension of Kyoto, if any are willing to oblige, that is. I have said the Fields of Elysium is not a place I will casually extend my hand, nor can I. I may oversee it, but my siblings also have a vested interest."

"Completely fair. I don\'t know what it\'s like in the fields, but I offer the worldly pleasures available – within reason of course."

Hades snorted. "That will sway many, and others will enjoy the novel experience, I\'m sure."

"Those are my personal requests. Otherwise, there is something I think I need to help him."

"Speak." Hades turned more serious again.

"The Holy relics." I leaned forward, producing the True Longinus. It stabbed into the ground right infront of us. "I have a feeling that the key is within them. Well, a part of it atleast."

"The Holy Relics. You speak of the Spear, The Mantle, The Nails, The Grail, and the Cross? Yes, I can see how they would be useful, they all seem to contain an aspect of him."

"Kokabiel." I let out a breath, still annoyed at the mere mention of his name. "You\'ve heard, so I won\'t repeat it. Suffice to say, I used the spear to take away his Holy Power. It helped a little bit, but it\'s also not something he would be willing to do on most occasions."

"I have been tempted to say to just contact the Angels and tell them the truth, but I fear they would be blinded and try to use the entirety of their accumulated Faith and Power to try and revive him." Hades let out a sigh.

"There\'s too much missing still."

"Yes, you seem to understand much for your age." Hades eyed me again. "It is not a simple matter as powering up the wisp inside the spear. He broke apart, shattered and scattered to the winds. Things need to be replaced for him to truly revive."

Right, trying to revive him without any pieces together wouldn\'t work. They would just keep pumping Heaven\'s power into it and nothing would come about.

Like trying to glue back together a shattered window, except, most of the pieces were lost and you\'re just trying to fill in the gaps with more glue.

It might....eventually work, but it would be an abomination that returned.

"I will look into them, I have no immediate answer." Hades stated.

"That\'s fine, this isn\'t something that can be rushed. As ironic as it is to say, it\'s a miracle what\'s happened thus far."

How strange it was. I, a Half-Devil, son of Lucifer, and a \'Pagan God\' were conspiring to resurrect The God of Heaven.

I wonder if I could get him to name me a Saint when this was all done.

.....would have been fun to tease Jeanne about that.

I missed her.

I perked up from my thoughts, Sir Wiggles landed right in my lap a second later, and the big dog came running over.

"I haven\'t seen Cerberus in such a good mood in a while. It appears he has made a friend." Hades happily pet the big boy.

I had a thought.

I looked into my ring and found something that I think Cerberus would like. Within a breath, three large Bones dropped down infront of us.

The Dog went ecstatic each head happily grabbing one up to chew on.

"Dragon Bones?" Hades raised an eyebrow.

"I had some extra laying around." I shrugged.

I was a little surprised he recognized them as dragon bones so easily though.

Always had a soft spot for animals.

Hades flicked his hand towards me, a Drachma Coin appeared between them as he handed it towards me. "You may reach out to me with this in emergency."

I took it, eyeing the thing suspiciously. "You\'re really being generous here."

"You underestimate how important this is to me." Hades replied.

Maybe I really didn\'t understand the real implications and how much Hades was dealing with. And it wasn\'t my place to question what he was or was not allowed to value.

"Do you play fetch with him?" I put the coin away in my ring.

Hades smiled again, a rare sight thus far. A massive ball appeared with a wave of his hand and Cerberus immediately got excited again.

[***]

"That was an interesting experience."

"Most Gods are rather.....eccentric." Izzy sighed. "However it seems as though Hades had a fairly good impression of you by the end."

"You mean when he stopped looking at me like I was a Devil?" I snorted.

"Unfortunately, Hades has his hatred for a reason. He was there when they were first created, and his realm is the closest, relatively speaking, to Hell. He has had to deal with their problems for many years."

"I\'m willing to keep an open mind. If you weren\'t the one vouching for him, I wouldn\'t have been this.....trusting. But he made the effort and swallowed his own pride there to \'lower\' himself to \'work\' with me."

I would give it a chance.

I pushed open the door to my home and was greeted with something I did not think I would see. Izzy peered over my shoulder to see why I abruptly stopped in the doorway.

"Welcome home." Yasaka smiled.

I returned the smile happily.

Artoria also perked up with her own cute smile, one that would always make my heart melt. I made sure to greet her just as warmly.

Though, there was one other person in the room.

I admit that I felt myself get rather protective again with her in sight.

I walked over and she stood up to greet me, my arms wrapping around her immediately. I happily buried my face right between those large mounds.

"It\'s good to see you too." Venelana giggled.

"Missed you." I muttered between her cleavage before turning my head up. "Are you okay?"

"I\'m fine." She smiled brightly. "And I never properly thanked you before."

"As long as you\'re okay, it\'s fine."

"Such a sweet man." I felt her hand run through my hair.

I couldn\'t help myself, I leaned up and claimed her lips, which she happily reciprocated.

She was the one to break the kiss. "You\'re going to make the others upset if you keep focusing only on me." She playfully swat at me.

"Oh don\'t worry, he does this to all of us." Yasaka interjected with a little bit of humor. "He gets very protective when any of us are in a mood or have something emotional happen."

"Mmm, I believe when Mordred first appeared, and I was still having conflicting feelings, he was never out of reach for long." Artoria smiled brightly.

"For me it was rather recent with the attack." Yasaka chuckled.

"He even did the same for me when Susanoo, the brat, blew me off." Izzy took an empty seat. "Before he went to beat him up, apparently."

"....Is that the reason...?" Venelana looked surprised.

"Did he not tell you?\' Izzy snorted. "Susanoo was supposed to come and meet me after many years. He decided to visit a brothel and play around. Wilhelm here, got upset on my behalf and went to have words with my son. You know how that turned out."

"That doesn\'t sound like me." I said with a complete straight face.

Venelana playfully pulled on my cheek.

"Yes, I suppose I imagined having to scold two children after they caused storms off the coast of Japan." Izzy rolled her eyes.

"I said it before, but it really is pleasant to see how well you all get along." Venelana spoke up and I realized she had been here for awhile at this point. "And thank you, Lady Izanami, for my earlier request."

"Think nothing of it." Izzy waived her off.

Yasaka and Artoria looked very relaxed, I assumed that whatever talks they had with Venelana went well.

Especially Artoria, I knew she was the one with the most reservations, but she looked utterly peaceful right now.

And looking at her face.....I can\'t help but remember what happened yesterday.

I wanted to do more things with her.

"I will have to properly thank the others as well. I have yet to have the opportunity." Venelana added. "Unfortunately, that won\'t be possible this time around."

"Mmm, it is poor timing, but what can do you." Yasaka simply shrugged. "And it\'s not like this will be the last time we get together. Having you over has been absolutely lovely. But when everyone gathers, I\'ll be sure to pass on your thanks."

"Yes, it has been very pleasant, and I hope to schedule more time." Artoria chimed in.

"Wait, what\'s going on?" I looked around.

Yasaka reached down her kimono and pulled out a letter. It had a beautiful writing on the front.

Remembering what Hades said.... "Let me guess, an invitation to a Peace Meeting?"

Yasaka blinked. "Yes, that\'s exactly it. How did you know?"

Izzy let out a laugh, shaking her head.

"When I was talking to Hades, he mentioned –"

Venelana was suddenly ontop of me, her lips pressed against mine. I certainly wasn\'t\' against this, but it was the suddenness of it that had taken me by surprise.

"Don\'t forget who I am." She said quietly, breaking the kiss. "I don\'t want to cause any problems in case you say something sensitive in my presence."

Oh.....right.

"I was asked to bring that letter along because I mentioned being invited over for tea." She glanced at Artoria. "But I don\'t want to make my presence awkward, so I will separate myself and let you all talk it over."

"Thank you, Venelana. It really has been lovely to have you here and I look forward to it again." Yasaka stood up.

"Oh it was wonderful to meet you. I can\'t wait to meet my other Harem Sisters once everything gets settled."

"You\'re going already." I whispered.

"Mmm, some things come with time. You can\'t force trust to develop so easily." She smiled, placing a light kiss on my lips again.

I really hated seeing her go.

The Teleportation circle lit up after everyone said their goodbyes and she disappeared from the house.

"I can see why you are fond of her." Artoria was the first to speak up.

"Well, he does enjoy large chests." Yasaka grinned.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "He is a boy, of course he does. That and an ample rear, and he would be thinking with the wrong head."

Artoria\'s lips twitched in amusement. I think she felt a lot less self conscious after....what happened. I made sure she knew just how arousing she was herself. "I meant with regard to how charming she was. She is a very charismatic woman, and it is difficult to find any negative words about her. However, I believe you are correct on the other matter as well."

"Yeah yeah, I\'m a perverted person, water is wet, the fire is hot." I huffed. " And yes, she was very endearing and easily approachable during my first time meeting her. But what\'s this about an invitation? Hades only told me a few things and not many details."

"I\'m surprised he told you anything of the sort." Yasaka replied. "He doesn\'t seem the kind of person to do something like that."

"It was.....an odd experience." I left it at that.

"I have already put out a message, everyone is gathering and they should be almost all ready. We can head over now if you prefer." Yasaka offered.

"May as well, this is going to be on my mind regardless now."

[***]

Yasaka tossed a parchment onto the table infront of everyone.

When she said everyone was gathering, she meant more than just us. Of course, my girls were here, minus Meridia, but she was listening in.

Also joining us was Nurarihyon, which wasn\'t a surprise. He was accompanied by a few of his closest as well. And not just him, Yasaka also had a few Elders along with her. They stood to the side, rather stoically.

They gave respectful nods to all of us.

I had expected some kind of...antagonizing, but maybe I was thinking too much about it. I guessed we\'d done a lot to help out without asking for anything in return.

Lots of goodwill.

And Arthur was also in the room, if staying towards the back.

"I gave a brief overview, but you all know why we\'re here?" Yasaka looked around the room.

"The Devils are \'inviting\' us to some kind of Peace Conference?" Nurarihyon scoffed. "Since when do they care about us?"

"Since we have people who can fight Gods." An elder next to Yasaka snorted, and eyes landed on me.

Well, I\'m happy they also considered me one of their \'own\' and not simply Yasaka\'s lover.

"Tell them to shove it." One of the rougher members next to Nurarihyon grunted. "They\'ve never helped us before, and only fucked us over. Now they want some kind of \'Peace meeting\' when it\'s convenient for them?"

"Can we afford to ostracize other factions further if we have a War on the horizon?" Artoria was seemingly the voice of reason. Her words carried a bit of weight considering she was more or less representing the Pendragon family and was aiding the Youkai with their forces as well. "Swallowing pride may be required, as unfortunate as it is."

"As much as I don\'t want to agree.....we do have bigger problems than Devils trying to play games like this." Nurarihyon reluctantly agreed.

"To further emphasis, it also may not be wise to forgo connections to the other factions that are appearing." Scáthach stepped up to the table, picking up the parchment. "They speak of both the Norse Gods having a representative, and one from the Celtic Pantheon, however it lacks names to go with them."

"Odin and Lugh." I spoke up, earning attention again.

"Are you sure?" Scáthach asked.

"Yes, I had it confirmed by Hades." I nodded.

"the Greek God of Death." Nurarihyon stroked his chin.

"I can confirm his words." Izzy appeared next to me. "I was present for most of the conversations. However, Hades is....privy to certain information and relayed some."

"I don\'t think anyone doubt him, just surprised at the source." Yasaka stated.

"Speaking of Hades, while everyone\'s here like this. I was able to get a few things out of him for helping with some other matter. He\'s going to supply us with a few more Sacred Gears, and I managed to negotiate him lending some people from Elysium to help us train for about four months." May as well get that out of the way.

"Oh?" Nurarihyon\'s eyes brightened. "That would definitely help with training the new recruits if we got some veterans from the old days. And Sacred Gears are always welcomed."

Yasaka looked ecstatic. And if we weren\'t in a public meeting, I may have had my clothes torn off already. Though, she quickly reined herself in. "Important, but we\'ll discuss it later. Thank you, Wilhelm."

"Aren\'t Lugh and Odin both heads of their Pantheons? Why would they be coming?" Jinn had been a little quiet, not adding much until now.

"That\'s the question, isn\'t it?" Nurarihyon looked thoughtful.

"I believe the answer to Odin may be the opponent I faced." Scáthach stated with a scowl.

"I can confirm his identity through Hades too, but don\'t spread my meeting with him around." I decided to speak up about that tidbit as well.

"Nothing in this room will be spread, don\'t worry." Nurarihyon was the first to reassure me.

Nods all around the room and they had looks of conviction on their face, I didn\'t doubt his words.

"It appears we may have to attend, regardless of desire." Raikou didn\'t look too pleased.

"It wouldn\'t do well to ignore other factions." Yasaka groaned. "The Devils, the Fallen, and the Angels, we could disregard them like we have in the past. But now, their voices are directly backed by two other powerful factions. This is getting much more complicated."

"What do we even have to gain from this?" I asked, looking around. "I honestly can\'t think of anything substantial. I mean....could we gain things? Most assuredly, but do we really need anything that would link us with people we generally don\'t like?"

"Admittedly, Resources wouldn\'t be remiss." Yasaka let out a sigh.

"As annoying as it is to agree again, yes we aren\'t exactly in a good position regarding things in that regard. But we\'re also not in a horrible spot either. We\'re surviving and moving forward with what we have and we didn\'t take this into account, so it isn\'t a necessity." Nurarihyon had an annoyed look as well.

Credit where it was due. Both Yasaka and Nurarihyon were willing to swallow their pride if it meant a better situation for their people.

"Then let\'s do it like the Americans." I offered.

"Like the Americans?" Yasaka blinked.

"We can survive without them." I held up a finger. "That much can\'t be denied. So, realistically, we don\'t need anything from them."

"Yes, that\'s true, like we said."

"And if they\'re inviting us, they clearly want something from us at this point."

"That is most likely correct as well."

"Well, any negotiations are simply another form of fighting." The corners of my lips curled up. "So, lets do like the Americans do. We simply declare victory from the start, and go from there."

[***]

Here\'s Friday\'s late chapter, dont\' worry, still got a chapter coming for this weekend at some point.

Anyways, if you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone