Flesh is Weak

Nature's thorns an idol, and the stage is set.

The sound of knocking made me blink open my eyes to see who it was. Yet I was not in my bed. I was inside a giant metallic silver dome; outside was a vast ocean of purple, red, and yellow-like water. In that water were multiple shapes I couldn't see looking at me through the dome. They tried to get closer and then suddenly bounced off the silver dome several times before quickly losing interest in me. However, one was highly determined and kept bouncing off the dome until a crack was made. This shape looked through the crack at me. It stared at me and attempted to look at me before a blaring of pipe organ pistons made the watcher back off slightly. The pipe organ blared off again, finally making the shape float away. The crack slowly closed, and just as it was about to be sealed completely, I heard deep, pained breathing. I turned to see a vast shadow outside the barrier overlooking me. It blocked out all light, and I squinted at it to see what it was. The light was barely moving across the face of this thing when the sound of whispers awoke me.

I blinked a few times as I slowly woke up, hearing voices. I turned to the source of the noise, and there were the queens huddled in a circle on the right side of the bed. I looked at the circle, which was giggling over something. Murayama got ready to say something when Xenovia, who was facing my way, had her brown eyes flash blue. She shushed her fellow before she smiled seductively.

"Good morning, Beloved~~"

The queens turned my way and smiled sexily at me. Whatever was showing on my face got a symphony of giggles before my queens came over, and each kissed me. They were all super happy this morning before people slowly dispersed for showers and dressing. I was still mostly out of it and got ready to embrace my laziness for once. That short sleep continued until I got a poke on my shoulder. My eyes opened slowly to see the amused faces of Murayama and Ravel, who were in T-shirts and jeans. The two kept looking at me before Murayama asked with a Cheshire grin.

"Are we still going to America today, Greg, or will you sleep the whole day?"

I was highly tempted to be snarky there before I sighed and started getting up.

"We are. I just had a rough night."

A look of concern passed between the two before it disappeared as Murayama grinned wider.

"Maybe you can show us some of the sights in Vancouver."

Alex promised that he could help there, bringing up my mood by reminding me of the various fast food items I missed. I could afford a cheat day as I dreamed of burgers and nuggies. Ravel saw my face and pulled me close for another kiss. I returned it before Murayama asked with a curious voice.

"Americans really do tipping?"

I shake my head, amused.

"They do Mura in restaurants. Let me get dressed, and we can prepare for that."

The two let me up, and I slowly made my way to the shower. When I was done, I found the room empty and moved to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, I found the queens settling in for breakfast, and I was about to join them when I heard the sound of a door opening behind me, making me glance over my shoulder. Entering the front door hall, wearing a goofy grin on her face, was Issari next to Irina. The two were dressed in blue T-shirts, well-worn jeans, and grey tennis shoes, and Issari waved at me.

"Gregor-kun!"

I turned to the two knuckleheads.

"Issari-chan, Irina-chan. I see your ready for the trip. Is Keno coming along?"

Issari shook her head.

"Senpai is busy with her father. He and she will be at that place most of the day."

At that moment, an extra thankful Shuri told me thank you for that. She told me that Akeno and Baraqiel were connecting again. I told her she was welcome, and Shuri returned to being with her family. Issari was smiling slightly before she took a sniff. Her eyes went wide before she quickly pushed past Irina and me toward the kitchen. I turned to see Maéva handing out croissant baskets to everyone, drawing Irina and me in for breakfast.

The croissants were some of the best I have had, and I give Maéva credit. Issari and Irina enjoyed their croissants while we watched in amusement as Kuroka teased Shirone. The black cat tried to steal croissants from Shirone's basket with her tails. It made Shirone hiss angrily at her sister and slap multiple tails away like a judo master. This continued until she slapped two tails away and quickly fled from her seat at the other end of the table to sit on my lap. That made everyone snicker now at Kuroka as Shirone smirked triumphantly at her sister, who pouted. That pout, however, soon went away as I asked her.

"Back to your streams?"

Kuroka rolled her eyes before a big toothy grin came as she sat beside me.

"That is the plan. How long do you think you will be over in Yankee land nya?"

I rolled my eyes at her, amused.

"Probably a few hours. The lab is on our old house's property, and after we finish packing it up, we will look at the house. Then it's off to see a few sights in the city."

Kuroka perked her ears along with all the queens as I shrugged.

"My folks were going to give me our old home after we got to the underworld earlier this year. I'm thinking of making it a place just for us."

That news made an eager look appear in everyone's eyes. They soon closed ranks and began whispering vehemently as breakfast continued.

Ultimately, it was decided that Rias, Ravel, and Murayama would be coming with me to Vancouver. Shirone was staying with Kuroka to enjoy a sister's day together while Raynare would be with her stuffed animals. Finally, Xenovia said she would write a letter to her mother and then practice sword use. I noticed something as Xenovia walked away towards the basement. She was in a stance from the Thousand Sons. Xenovia caught my look as she peered over her shoulder and grinned before putting an extra swing in her step for me. I looked up the address that Alex and Nomie gave me. Once I saw the property layout, I made a portal to the past.

The portal had been made in a clump of lodge pole pines close to the home, near the edge of the town of Squamish, and close to the forests. The others started gathering beside me and looked around in curiosity. We stepped out of the clump of trees to see the house across the road. The grey-white house was illuminated by the sun high in the sky but starting its descent. The modest two-story home had a three-car garage that was an island of civilization surrounded by a sea of beautiful green trees. Ravel, Murayama, and Rias were looking at the property in interest while Irina was watching the forests as if we were going to get jumped by a swarm of Bigfoot. As we crossed the road and hit the front yard, the chestnut jumped a bit when we heard a stick crack. We looked toward the noise into the tree line to see a little brown squirrel running deeper into the forest. Irina kept watching that place as we continued moving towards the house.

As we continued walking, Nomie began describing the building where her lab was. It was in the backyard, almost inside the tree line. Our group slowly started making its way around the house. Ravel was on my right arm, Rias on my left, and Murayama held onto Rias's free arm.

As we continued moving around the house the more it looked like my first home. That sent me back into a sea of memories about that place before that trip down memory lane was broken by Alex. He began telling me about the home. He grew very excited when he got to the part about there being a large hot tub here on an enclosed porch. He told me that his fondest memories of here were listening to the rain while in the tub. I sighed because that does sound relaxing. The idea of a relaxing rain-filled night with the others was ruined when another twig cracked. The noise made Irina jump into the air. She landed with a thud before Issari bumped Irina with her hip.

"Why are you jumpy Iri?"

Irina's eyes darted quickly across the tree line multiple times.

"We were about to be attacked!"

I again looked to where the noise had come from and saw a bird taking off over the tree line. Rias, Ravel, Murayama, and I looked unimpressed at the chestnut, as did Issari before Irina got a tic mark.

"I'm trying to protect us! Vancouver is infested with hordes of evil nymphs and dryads! They do horrible things to the locals, like dragging away young men and women to their groves! They hang them from their crooked trees and then water the forest floor with their blood!"

That rant made the five of us look at Irina even more unimpressed. Issari got her tic mark and slapped Irina again on the shoulder, getting another whine. Issari dragon growled as the tic mark grew larger.

"And where are you getting these sources of information about the nymphs and dryads here?"

Irina looked at her girlfriend/best friend and prepared to rant before she stopped and thought. Her mouth closed and opened like a fish repeatedly for three seconds before Irina huffed in defeat.

"They probably do that!"

We all shake our heads at the now-sulking chestnut before continuing to the backyard. We move toward the furthest part of the yard, where the tree line starts, and find another garage that looks like it could fit several cars.

I approached the building with Murayama, Ravel, Rias, Issari, and a still-jumpy Irina. As we approached the garage door, I heard Nomie tell me the password to her lab. The code made me melancholy as I pushed the button on the right side of the door.

"Alex Astaroth."

The door clicked, and I opened the doorknob. The garage was dark, so I moved to flip the light switch on. I do, and there was a futuristic laboratory in nearly the entirety of the garage. Everyone marveled at the medical machines, and I realized now more than ever that Nomie was a genius of equal caliber to Ajuka. Nomie beamed in pride in spirit form hearing me think this before she began eagerly describing the machines to me. I followed along for most of it, thanks to Koriel's teaching, but some parts were beyond our understanding. Nomie began directing me, who directed Murayama and Issari, to disconnect equipment and carefully put them in pocket spells. As this happened, I grew increasingly impressed by the machines here.

Nomie had been thinking long-term, trying to find cures to diseases that plagued her eventual future race. There was such much time and effort put into this, and it made me hate my bastard grandparents even more. Despite the wrath that built remembering their faces, I clamped on it before I moved to help Murayama and Issari with a big machine.

This continued for two hours as we put the laboratory equipment away. We were putting away the last machine and discussing where we might have lunch in Vancouver when I heard Rias, Ravel, and Irina yelp loudly. That made me and the others rush to them to see if they were okay, and then I was shocked to see a familiar face.

There, stepping out of the tree line, was Daphne. The nymph was exiting the tree line in a brown shirt and skirt that seemed to be made of bark. She lit up seeing me and then further when Issari appeared. She eyed Issari in hard lust, and the action made Irina death glare at her. Daphne was about to rush over to Issari with an arm came across her path out of the darkness of the tree line. The owner of that arm then moved into the light. Before us was a young caucasian woman who looked to be twenty-five, clothed in a snow-white toga; she, like Daphne, had leaves growing in her warm, earthy brown hair and, like the nymph, was barefoot. Her light sea blue eyes focused on my appearance, which wasn't friendly like the nymph. The woman and I focused on each other as Rias and Ravel looked at the two newcomers wide-eyed.

As I studied the unknown woman further, I noticed a long scar running from the midpoint of her neck below her toga on her right. The woman caught the look before she finally looked me in the eyes.

"A man of many places like Mother said."

There was silence for a second before Daphne rolled her eyes.

"He's not like other devils or even humans, Cilissa."

This Cilissa looked at me again with a deep frown forming on her face.

"He's not. He has the potential to be much, much worse. After all, he is, like you said, a doom-driven hero. Yet very few of those heroes lead to light and a good ending."

Daphne frowned deeply at that, as did Ravel and Rias. My redhead was especially angry at the unknown woman's words.

"You know nothing about him! He always thinks of others first before himself, and who is my hero!"

Issari and Murayama vocally supported that, and Daphne looked ready to agree, but the other woman shook her head.

"I question not if he is a hero. I question who and what he is the hero of. Mother has seen what he wants. He wants millions of worlds consisting only of factories spitting out pollution non-stop. Instead of rain giving life, it will become another way of killing it. Blue seas soon become nothing but pits of toxic green sludge on those worlds whose skies are pitch black with smog that reaches up to the stars themselves. He dreams of a galaxy of dead worlds. He is not the hero of nature or its denizens. He is the greatest enemy to Mother, and everything we stand for that has ever existed."

My eyes narrowed at the other, and I felt a hint of power I knew well now. The woman raised a brown eyebrow in challenge to me as I scoffed at this other divine champion.

"Your Mother saw what was because of tragedy, neglect, misfortune, and stupidity, not what will be. I unlike the others that were respect nature. I plan to help restore the planet to what it was, then push it past that to new glories that will astonish the world."

Cilissa narrowed her eyes in rage at me.

"I highly doubtful that industrialist. Mother and I have long been curious about you ever since you helped Daphne. However, Mother could never get a proper look at you till recently. She saw what you are in the sea of dreams and showed me yours. You threaten Mother like no other person has ever done before."

The brown-haired woman looked ready to attack me there and then. She was twitching her fingers in a specific way that seemed to be forming a spell. Yet she was stopped by Daphne, who threw herself in the other's path.

"You and Mother are wrong about him, Cilissa. Both of you have not seen what I have seen. I saw a good man save me from being a prisoner when I was at his total mercy. I saw that same man get me medical help while asking for nothing in return, along with helping my sister and her idiot escape abuse. I saw a great man take an injury that hurt him dearly, yet he forgave his attacker when he should have killed them for it. You call him the greatest threat to Mother and the world, yet I can't believe that given those things."

Cilissa looked at me, and I felt a second set of eyes join the first. The two sets of eyes narrowed in pure hatred that was millennium deep and old. They gazed at me, and I felt something reluctantly lift from me. Slowly, the eyes began to change to disbelief. The second set of eyes watched me in growing confusion while Cilissa broke her gaze as a sneer began to form.

"So another one of us is around again. I thought the traitor had killed the last of us centuries again."

The sneer didn't faze me here as one began forming for me.

"Yes, I am a new perpetual. As for that traitor, as you call him, he was busy protecting the mundanes like we should have been doing from the start. He protected them from those of us who started serving Dark Gods and just wanted playthings to use and abuse."

Cilissa's sneer grew larger and more aggressive as she looked at me in hate.

"I have lived my entire life serving Mother by protecting her interests and the beautiful nature of the earth. Yet that's apparently serving a Dark God now, according to you Industrialist. That traitor also went after us who protected the worthless good for nothing mundanes! He said that we would eventually hurt them, too. Better we all die so that they stay safe from freaks like us were his exact words to me as he left this!"

Her scar was now on full display, running down her right side as the togo moved to the side. That stunned everyone here into silence before I heard from my patron multiple examples of why Ollanius had eventually taken that stance against his fellow perpetuals. The list of names made me sick, and I snapped back at her with wrath in my eyes.

"You call Genghis Khan being one of us nothing? You call his rampage throughout most of the world, killing millions to appease his absolutely Dark God, nothing! You call the other multitude of massacres and suffering our kind caused them who are kin nothing! Ollanius had very damn good reasons to kill us perpetuals! We attract deities because of what we are. They invest power in us once we become their champions, which is often used to make our species suffer because flesh is weak! Of fucking course, he went after us! They are not nor have ever been nothing! Did you know what he was going to do when he was done killing all other perpetuals!"

My anger and wrath hit something in me, and Cilissa stepped back as my shadow grew long and dark. Daphne looked at me in surprise, and the others had stepped back from us. I glared down at this bitter grass child as the shadows grew.

"He was going to kill himself at the end in the most painful and agony-inducing way possible after he found a way to prevent future perpetuals from being born. Yet despite his mission, he hated killing you all, and it haunted him every single moment. All he ever wanted was someone who understood him. No one ever did."

Cilissa looked stunned, and I also felt the second pair of eyes widen. The yard was silent for a second before I released more wrath as I stared down the other champion and Gaia.

"I understand him. Just as I understand and care about the concerns of your Mother and you. Whether you or she believe that or not is your choice. I don't want a galaxy of dead worlds monuments to our sins and failures. What I want is for the skies to stay blue and beautiful, the great rainforests to recover from careless logging, our ozone layer to be repaired, and for animals long gone to return to the world! What I want most of all is there to be millions of worlds green with life like here. I want those types of worlds to be continuously spreading across the entire fucking galaxy and beyond. I want all of that and more as while I'm industry I love nature just as much because you need both equally! That's who I am because I think of the damn big picture too, and nature has a place in it!"

I was huffing in rage and wrath at Cilissa before I turned away from them as my shadow receded back into me. I turned to glare at Cilissa one last time before I moved towards the front of the house with my wrath now fed. I heard voices go up behind me as I left the backyard. In less than a minute, I was on the house's front porch, sitting next to a green door with my head in my hands as I sat and listened to the wind in the trees. This sound was refreshing, and as the wind kept rustling in the trees, it. My thinking was broken by someone taking my hands and lifting my head up. It was Rias, and my redhead pulled me in for a hug against her chest.

She whispered that she understood me and that the others did, too. I took comfort from this, and we were soon joined by Murayama and Ravel, who did the same. We stayed that way for a bit before a blushing red Irina and a toothy-grinning Issari came around the corner into eyesight. I shake my head at the two and snark at my best friend.

"Another one?"

Issari grinned wider as Irina got a small nosebleed.

"She is almost there. She is very interested in us now. I didn't tell her we were visiting today."

Irina sighed dreamily as she put her hands on her face. The mini stream of blood became a massive nosebleed. The four of us shook our heads, amused, and I teased my best friend.

"I know you didn't, as you would have been bragging about it if you had. Let's just forget this happened. I want to see the house and then head into Vancouver. I'll buy everyone lunch."

That got eager faces from the group before I pulled the keys out and opened the door behind me. The six of us entered into a big entrance hall with a beautiful glass chandelier looking down at us. To the left of the hall was a big front room with beige chairs, couches, and carpet in front of a window that gave a good view of the front yard. To the right of the hall was a large staircase covered in beige carpet with an ornate wooden handrail leading up to the second floor. Issari and Irina eyed each other before they moved to the front room to talk. A silence bubble went up as Rias, Ravel, Murayama, and I descended the stairs to the second floor. When we reached the stairs, we came upon a room with multiple doorways that led to a huge bathroom, an office space for Ajuka, a laundry room, a room that had been a crafts room for Nomie, and finally, Alex's old bedroom. Inside that room was a massive bed, and dozens of Tokyo Mew Mew posters were spread across the walls, with many catgirls on them. That got me some teasing from Ravel while Rias and Murayama grinned wide at the sight before we continued the tour. The teasing continued as we moved up a small three-step staircase to a raised hallway that led to the master bedroom. Ravel, Rias, and Murayama gasped, seeing the windows over the front door and looking out at the forest of green trees.

They gasped even louder when we entered the master bathroom. The room had plenty of space for our massive bed, but what really excited Rias, Murayama, and Ravel was the enormous closet, shower, and bathtub. The trio fell in love with the room and began discussing how they would redecorate it with the others as we climbed down the stairs.

Irina and Issari joined us again, having settled something before the six of us moved down the hallway and into the kitchen. This kitchen was big, with well-kept wood floors, a massive island, updated appliances, a huge table with many chairs, and three large windows looking out into the backyard. Close to the kitchen entrance was a small set of stairs that led down to a living room.

The big room also had wood floors and a large U-shaped white couch standing before a big screen TV with a fireplace close by. There was also a tiny bathroom close to the living room right next to the house garage door entrance. However, Rias Murayama and Ravel were soon drawn to the door leading to the enclosed porch and hot tub. The three-eyed it for a bit before they turned to me with massive grins spread across their faces. Those grins stayed on their faces as we descended a long staircase to the basement.

At the bottom of the stairs was the beginning of an upside-down T-shaped hallway with a door to the left that led into a furnace room. Close to the furnace room was a door leading to a storage room quickly set up as our teleporter room here. We left the room, going down the short hallway to find a large guest bedroom with a bathroom close to it. Rias, Murayama, Ravel, and the knuckleheads explored that bedroom while I went down the long hallway to find a large room that clearly had been a place for Ajuka to experiment in. The room was big, and as I looked at the bare place, I imagined making it a workshop for myself. It was at that moment that my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw that it was a message from Ajuka. After reading it, I returned to the others checking out the bathroom, telling them I had a special guest coming in an hour and a half.

I locked the front door before entering a new portal summoned on the porch. We never noticed that we were being watched from the tree line as we entered the portal.

In Vancouver, we got food from a jam-packed Five Guys inside a mall. The burgers and fries had been wonderful, and our group was gaped at by several groups of teen boys and girls before the six of us finished our food. Then we started walking through the massive mall, looking at the stores. Despite our time limit, the trip soon became a small shopping spree midway through the mall walk as we passed a game store. Rias saw it and immediately pulled me that way. She begged me with puppy eyes for an Xbox of her own, and I couldn't say no to that. As we left the store, Rias leaned on my shoulder, but that one stop soon became multiple as we continued our mall walk. Ravel pulled me into a bookstore for several new detective books before Murayama pulled me into a store nearby for an anime prop sword. When she and I returned to the group, the knuckleheads had found something in the bookstore that had both giggling pervertedly. Our walk continues through the rest of the mall and out into the cool night air as Ravel, Rias, and Murayama gossip about the house. We continued the walk until we found a deserted alley close to the mall to portal home.

Rias practically ran upstairs excitedly, going to bug Kuroka to help set up her Xbox while Issari and Irina kept giggling as they moved upstairs to find Asia. Ravel and Murayama were about to follow them when music started playing. It was the intro for Hell Maiden, and as we turned our heads to the source, someone came bursting from the teleporter door. This person was dressed in a purple and pink magic girl's outfit, showing us that it was Serafall Leviathan doing cartwheels before she landed a very difficult backflip perfectly.

Serafall took one look at us before she did a cool guy pose and pointed her long staff wand at me.

"Never fear innocent children. Magic Queen Serena-chan is here to save everyone!"

Everyone, not me, dropped their mouths to the floor, seeing the sea of magic sparkles floating around Serafall. I saw Ajuka exit the teleporter room before taking up the rear behind Serafall. Serafall continued her act, and with her wand raised high, she again pointed it at me, throwing sparkles my way.

"You shall be defeated, meanie, by me, Magic Queen Serena!"

The wand spat out more sparkles that soon formed into a sword, bewildering Ravel while star-struck Murayama watched on. Serafall continued her sparkle making and I noticed that the sparkles were actually snowflakes that she had perfect control over. The sparkles formed a circle around my head and began dancing before I said in some amusement.

"I surrender to the all-powerful Magic Queen Serena. However, I shall never forget this insult and will have my revenge one day. I would like to speak to the real Serena."

Serafall was in character for another three seconds before changing from her magic girl self to a completely different person.

She morphed from the forced smile and position to a more serious one, with her magic girl outfit falling away to reveal a businesswoman's white and black clothes. Horn-rimmed glasses appeared on her face, making Serafall look like an older Sona as she looked at me, slightly impressed.

"You didn't flinch like many normally do seeing my act, and you called me out."

Ravel and Murayama were still blinking at the sudden changes in Serafall while I shrugged.

"No one acts that insane unless it's a cover or they like screwing with people. My guess is that it's a bit of both, as genuine insanity takes more than that and is usually more bloodthirsty."

Serafall grinned wide, and a violet eye hit Ajuka.

"He's definitely your son, Juka-chan. That's the fastest anybody besides you, and Sirz-chan has figured that out. It's a pleasure to meet you properly, Gregor-chan."

Ravel was still rapidly blinking over this while I shrugged off the chan part.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Lady Leviathan. I have heard a lot about you, and I am a new fan of Hell Maiden."

At the end, Serafall beamed for a second before she settled into her professional mode.

"I can't thank you enough for that head Gregor-chan. It has made Lady Yasaka agree to a new meeting with me to discuss things over again properly. I would also like to thank you as your group has dragged us out of pariah status, which has been nothing short of a miracle for me. I have already received messages from Grigori through the DMZ and Heaven about this potential peace treaty and am starting the process on that front. The fact that you defeated him alone has also won us the curiosity of several other groups in the supernatural world. The only problem I have now is something that Lady Yasaka has demanded from me for this meeting between us to take place."

My eyes met Serafall's, and I saw the complete and utter control Serafall had over her facial expressions.

"What does she want?"

Serafall answered with a strange voice.

"She wants to personally meet the person who did the deed with her cousin and Kokabiel."

That's not strange, but the way Serafall said that made me wary.

"I'd be happy to set aside time for this if it helps our position. Given what we have done, is my organization able to operate officially?"

That pleased Serafall.

"As long as Legio continues making my job easier, then it has my support. Now that that is settled, I am very interested in getting from you a set of the machine that got me topside. It would make my job even easier, as that invention will change everything for us. What do you want for that?"

The smile that came over my face matched that secret smile of Serafall's.

"Only a few favors."

Serafall was amused at that as the sparkles glowed white for a second.

"Why should I, as a Satan, give favors to you for that? I can just requisition your machines and justify it to Sirz-chan easily. He would back me here, as would Juka-chan."

That got sputtering from Murayama, but I shot back just as amused.

"Because you and I both know I'm the only way your TV show will spread to the underworld. After all, TVs will be made in my forge city for the commoners there, and eventually, they will be available to other territories."

That made Serafall freeze for a few seconds, getting a chuckle from Ajuka. Serafall broke from her freeze, and her violet eyes turned evil momentarily.

"That is true, Gregor-chan. I will give you two favors for the machines. However, for pulling that, the third favor you would have gotten is now an IOU for me."

I watched Serafall before I agreed.

"Deal. I'll install the machines in your desired places today."

Serafall humphed there before she took off her glasses. She was about to clean them when Murayama sprung from her seat on the floor.

"Can I have an autograph from Magic Queen Serena?"

Serafall beamed, and her professional clothes returned to her magic girl uniform. She took her smile and pointed her now back wand at Murayama.

"Anything for my adoring fans!"

Murayama quickly pulled a piece of paper from a pocket spell and handed it to Serafall. Serafall signed the paper with an ultra-wide smile and a halo of sparkles forming over Murayama's head after a flick of her wand. She pulled back from signing and was a bit surprised when I showed her a blank paper.

"It's for another one of your biggest fans."

That got a broad smile from the twin-tailed woman before she signed it, and then she waved her wand, making more sparkles form. The sparkles took the form of a clock, and Ajuka, who had been silent during this, finally said something.

"Your manor house is fully wired now, Alex. Nikola is very much enjoying himself. I must say this city is quite impressive, and I would like to work with the builders who made it for several projects I'm considering."

That piqued Ravel and Murayama's interest in the house, and I nodded to my dad.

"Thanks, Dad. The builder's guild head is named Jarroth. Talk to any of my levies, and they will lead you to him."

Ajuka noted the name and was about to say something when Serafall coughed.

"I will take those machines in a half hour. This way, I can give Yasaka my answer. I will get my topside office ready and then return for you."

Serafall quickly moved toward the toward the stairs while Ajuka was amused.

"I will speak with him when I get the chance."

With that said, Ajuka walked off toward the teleporter himself. When he was gone, Murayama began to squeal openly.

"It's perfect! I'm going to go frame this!"

That sent Murayama up the stairs at full knight speed. Leaving a still confused Ravel and a happier me. That got a sigh of relief, and that finally broke Ravel from her confusion.

"That was…."

I pulled my grand planner close.

"An interesting experience. I actually expected worse from what I have heard. I kinda want to see her and Sona in the same room."

That image made Ravel snort before it became a series of giggles I joined in with.

Ten minutes later, I was in the main hall waiting for Serafall with teleporters and generators in a pocket spell. Ravel told me she had people to talk to today as she was heading up the stairs. It was then that Serafall opened the front door loudly and then dragged me outside.

That first twenty-minute installation turned into four hours, as Serafall has the gift of gab. Her topside office was in an office building in one of Kyoto's suburbs. When that installation was finally done, Serafall prepared round two.

She dragged me through my house to the teleporter and portaled us to her underworld office. That office was on an island off the coast of Sitri territory, and I was told the sea is where Behemoth lazes about guarding the island when he's not painting. The installation again took four hours as Serafall grilled me with several ideas she had regarding the Legio. I said I'd consider them while internally shaking my head. I'm not removing carapace and power armor for magic girl and boy uniforms.

When I finally finished the installation and turned on the machine, Serafall looked ready to dance. She pushed me through the machine. We landed up top in her office, and Serafall clapped happily.

"I will collect you when Lady Yasaka gets back to me. Thanks to you, I can see more of my So-tan! No more icky train rides!"

Serafall made a portal that exited on my street near some trees. She then shoved me through it again.

"Thanks Gregor-chan!"

I land on my ass with a grunt. I slowly got up off the ground and began moving towards the house. As I walked towards the house on the other side of the street was a young man my age with a white Japanese spitz. The young man seemed to have an eye for architecture as he looked at the nearby houses in appreciation. I was not paying much attention to him until he looked my way. He seemed to tense momentarily before his dog barked, and a smile came across his face. Then, he and the dog continued their walk. I was still a little suspicious of that but I couldn't get a good look at him to see if it was that weird guy from the convention a few weeks ago as twilight had started. I put him out of my mind, just telling myself to relax. Today had been fantastic as I entered through the gate to the house.

Inside the house, I caught sight of Ravel and Xenovia sitting in the front room, looking at something on a cogitator. The two were giggling about something, and I was curious about why. I approached them only to be grabbed by my hands by the two and pulled in between them. I was only seated briefly before they put their heads in the crook of my neck. I relaxed against the couch, and Ravel put her cogitator on my lap and pulled up reports.

The reports received from Ryza started with a note from Adria. We had gotten two more new groups of arrivals today who had been quickly shown to apartments. According to Adria, they and the group from yesterday were extremely eager to work and had been thrown to Jarroth's people. The builder had managed to finish the construction of the first smelter. He said in his report that he was sure he would have the first four manufactoriums built soon thanks to Seekvaria's builders working extra hard in that area. I would have to talk with Adria to select a few people to head these manufactorums by Saturday who knew how to count and had foreman skills.

The next report from Trina put an ultra-wide smile on my face. Trina had gotten a confession from Orthan of who the mystery pawn had been. They were a pawn that belonged to the peerage of the Heir to the Naberius. My plans of vengeance for Kuroka and Shirone stopped when I saw a question from Trina about when our next bionic fitting was. Ravel quickly sent a message after asking, telling Trina it would be on Saturday at one in the afternoon.

The Legio reports started with Paula's message of having Mirana help train recruits with Renaud when she returned next week. The following report was Renaud saying he had a huge potential training class of recruits so far and a request for more wargear. The class would take up most of our wargear surplus. It seems I will have to do a mass-building session soon. The final report was from Conner, which made Ravel and I do a double take. We apparently had four fallen recruits coming from Valoel's cadre. The four were especially eager to join after talking to their former comrade and were also computer people. Ravel and I approved them to be thrown to join our growing spy division. There was also a message in binary that confused Ravel and Xenovia, and I was not impressed. The contents of it, however, made me sigh before I continued to read reports. Xenovia seemed extra happy right now as she tightened her hands with one of mine before saying slightly dreamily.

"I missed you, Beloved. We all did."

I returned the squeeze.

"I missed everyone too. I want to get to know you properly, Xenovia, and I think I have a fun idea for the two of us this weekend."

That put a wide smile on Xenovia's face before an unexpected noise came from Ravel. It was an ultra-loud yawn. Ravel blushed beet red and was ready to mumble something, only for a second yawn to hit her. That set off Xenovia which then hit me. The noise got the two giggling before it returned for the two. When it ended, I squeezed their hands.

"I have to do something in regards to that numbers report. I'll hopefully be back soon."

That got grumbles from the two before the yawns returned and were even louder than before. This yawn made us leave the couch and head towards the stairs.

As Ravel and Xenovia climbed the stairs, I summoned Máeva, who quickly came from the kitchen. I pulled out letters and handed them over. She takes it, and I tell her to have it delivered to Lord Uvall tonight. She bowed and scurried off before I went to my last thing of the day.

I walked down a mostly quiet hallway toward the prison section of our base. As I passed the temple to the Machine God, I saw several people praying to the cog and skull. The noise of that was left behind, and the only sound was the echoing of my footsteps. They only stopped when I was in front of Meredith's cell.

The castellan had been in standby mode on the right side of the door and sensed me there. It woke up fully before it tweeted. A series of zeros and ones was made before I looked inside. Meredith was sitting in a chair near her cot and looking at the floor. I said two zeros and three ones, and then the bolted-down door opened.

Meredith looked up from the floor, hearing the door open. She shook a little, seeing me before she looked at the floor again. I stood facing her, the castellan behind me, its claws ready. Meredith shook further, and my eyes were unimpressed.

"You wanted to speak to me. I'm here to talk, and don't waste my time."

The magician had been prepared. Keyword had as she was now terrified. I prepared to turn away from her and close the door when she said her first words since the hospital ward.

"I have never used Tyrant."

That echoes in the cell, and I turned to look at Meredith over my shoulder. Her blue eyes were fixed on my back, and there was some fire in them now. I still don't believe her.

"You mean to tell me that you have never been tempted to use something that can make people love you so deeply and thoroughly that they would give you anything you asked from them?"

Meredith didn't flinch as she kept her brave face and seemed emboldened.

"I have never used it."

That was the same face, body language, and more before I threw something new at her.

"You were never encouraged by gods to use Tyrant to enslave your own birth family to get the acceptance you so desperately wanted?"

That destroyed the brave front in Meredith. She went still before she stared at the floor as tears began flowing. The magician was silent for a little while longer, and just as I was about to leave the cell, she finally replied.

"I was tempted and almost did listen to them. They left me in an orphanage before I was taken in by two wonderful but barely able to survive paycheck to paycheck, adopted parents. They tried and did everything to feed us properly. I lived life not knowing if there would be food that day for us. The night I heard them for the first time, I learned of Tyrant and the supernatural, along with who my birth family was from those things. They had everything in excess that I never had. I dreamed of using it to help us finally live instead of my parents, whom I loved with all my heart, slaving away to an early grave. They said I could become great like the last user and could become the new Queen of England. I was ready to say yes there and then. I was planning how to do this when I learned who had Tyrant last. Learning who it was made me sick as I remembered my father's stories of life under him. How timid supporters of his would suddenly become rampaging fanatics upon hearing the 'glorious leader's' voice. How he would encourage them to sell out anyone who was thought to be enemies of the state. They spoke to me again, urging me to use it and finally be happy. Yet, knowing it was him shocked me out of the delusions of grandeur and made me banish them from my head! I swore never to use it from that moment forth!"

Tears now fell like a waterfall from those blue eyes.

"I never used it even when my dad and mom lay dying from everything they ever did to feed us catching up with them. I never used it when living on the streets after they passed and needed food. I was thrown out of Rosenkrutz despite never using it when they finally learned of it. They claimed at my 'hearing' that I would use it to steal their precious hordes of knowledge from their top mages. That destroyed six years of hard honest work in an instant. I spent another three months on the streets and scraps until I was picked up by the fallen in Hamburg. As soon as they learned of it, they tried to force me to use it to get them more disposal foot soldiers from the German exorcists. They tried multiple times to break me, and I fought them each time harder than the last. People always assume I use it, and that's all I am as soon as they learn about it. I am an amazing magician when it comes to earth spells and more. I can make lock enchantments that are not easily understood or to break. Yet it's always the gear and never the actual achievements that define me. Then you cut off my arm and put this on me like them and have treated me like I'm a rabid dog! Stop assuming you know me! I have and will never use it! I despise God, who has made me suffer for this thing I didn't ask for or will ever want!"

Meredith wept harder than ever before. The castellan behind me tweeted that his sensors said it was all real and no gear was used there. The only sounds in the cell were Meredith's crying and the castellan's hum. I looked at Meredith with a blank face as she wept. Then my footsteps and a spell activating made Meredith flinch and shake as I made a decision.

Meredith jumped as I gently connected a bionic to her stump. She opened her eyes and saw the metal limb twitching its fingers. She glanced from it to me several times, and on the fourth time, she looked at my red eyes in disbelief. I look at this magician while sighing.

"We are not so different from each other. Like how I made your collar and that arm, I can also make things that could and would enslave the entire planet to my will much more quickly, efficiently, and effectively than Tyrant ever could. I could make the world believe I am a God with but a few things I know of. Yet I choose not to make those items or that. If a few events in my life had been different, I, too, would have fallen when I learned I could do this. I would have failed that biggest test of flesh. Flesh is weak, containing all the evils that could ever be imagined in our reality and beyond. Yet it also contains all the strength of good. We here both passed the test. I will still have you wear the collar and have the robot watch you. However, I will start allowing you out of this cell. You say you're a great magician, so prove it. You can perhaps help my bishops and two other magicians in their new future magician's guild. If your lock enchantments are as good as you say they are, I might have you help me with a special project I have in mind."

Meredith was still in shock as she looked at me. Her new arm gleaned from the ceiling light, and Meredith remained in shock. I told the robot their new orders and got a tweet of acknowledgment. I again looked at Meredith.

"Have you ever heard of a magicians guild called Nilrem?"

That broke Meredith from her shock.

"I have. I heard whispers of them when I was in Rosenkrutz. They are a new guild that wants to move magic forward as a field. They say they are tired of the stagnation that has affected all the old guilds. Many apprentice magicians were openly leaving the old guilds for them. I considered joining, yet they rubbed me the wrong way when I saw their recruiters a couple of times. Why would you care about Nilrem?"

My face took on a sneer.

"Because they are now members of something called the Chaos Brigade. I'm sure you can guess what they want from the name."

Meredith again looked at the cog and skull on her new arm, then at me. She was silent before she began telling me what she knew of Nilrem. That talk lasted until late that night when the castellan recorded the conversation for Conner.

The moon was shining into the main hall when I arrived home. I slowly climbed the stairs towards my room. Each step echoed, and I was so exhausted from today's events that I opened the door slowly. Inside, I heard the familiar snores of the queens, and I slowly entered the bed next to a snoring Rias. My redhead seemed to know I was there now and unconsciously dragged me towards her chest. That red hair and the comfort of more of the queens moving to start snuggling around me were the last things I felt before sleep took me.

A young man with his happily panting dog entered the small-town house that was their base through a green front door as the moon rose. The young man was grinning. He had found the place where their possible recruit likely lived. Pericles had watched him go onto the grounds of a large manor house.

Despite the smile, Pericles didn't know how to feel about this possible recruit. He wasn't human like the rest of them. He was a hybrid from one of the most disgusting species in the supernatural world. Yet when he voiced his doubts to Connla when he arrived yesterday, the man said this hybrid was like all of them in their faction despite his nature. He had then been shown a video of a ratings game then a list of the strays this hero killed along with hearing his epithet. After all of this Pericles understood. With those in mind Pericles had spent most of today trying to find scents and had been failing at that till he turned onto that street. Fate had helped him, it seems.

Pericles's thought train broke as his gear avatar dog barked. The Japanese Spitz whined something to him. He smiled gently before petting her, understanding she was nervous being here in devil territory. That petting stopped when the first of their three-man team entered the hall. Connla took a look at Pericles, then Penelope.

"Did you find a hint of him today?"

Pericles nodded.

"I did and found where he likely lives, too."

Connla wanted to sigh in relief as that made things a bit easier.

"Wonderful job, Pericles. I want you to find as many places as you can that the women around him visit consistently. We need to find an opening for him."

Pericles looked at Penelope as the dog whined again.

"We will try Connla. She is just nervous about being near devils, given her last user. When will our third be here?"

Connla sighed, looking at the dog.

"I understand, please be careful. As for our third, it might not be until next week. Her former organization is desperately looking for her, so she will have to be in one of our safe houses until the heat dies down. Until she arrives, we will lay the foundation for this to work."

Pericles gave his boss a nod before he and Penelope went off towards their room. Leaving Connla alone to plan how they would not attract the attention of the devils here or this hero who was climbing up a mountain of bodies that were his defeated foes. Connla didn't want to join that mountain. He began putting together a plan to get their third in with this hero.

Lord Uvall blinked twice as his butler presented him with a letter. He took it and then sneered seeing the crest on the envelope. He got ready to throw it into his fireplace. However, something made him stop that action. He eyes the letter again before he dismisses his butler. Once he was gone, the Lord reluctantly opened the letter and began reading. His eyes grew wide, then narrowed in rage as a picture was at the bottom of the letter.