Day 1

Large, ugly hands grabbed ahold of the exhausted Skuld, wrestling her up and under the demon's arm. Horrified at what she'd just experienced, terrified of what was yet to come, she stared wide-eyed at the devastation behind her as the demon lurched forward, walking towards a shimmering portal. As they disappeared from this world, her last earthly memory leaving behind Belldandy, Urd, and Keichi, all battered and broken beyond healing. Then, blackness.

Skuld opened her eyes. She was still held under the demon's arm, as she passed through a labyrinth of smoldering black stone. The air was heavy, nauseous. Figures in the dark shifted to and fro, attending vile tasks of their own, but always moving away from her captor. The demon's breath was heavy, angry sounding. She could feel his black heart banging against his ribs. Everything seemed exaggerated. Finally he turned a corner, stomped into a small opening, and flung her without warning into a wall.

"Oomph!" Her breath left her. Anger taking over, Skuld looked up defiantly and gasped, cut short by the grotesque figure of the demon, stepping out of his leggings, and looking at her with the sort of wicked lust only demons know.

"Ayyyyeeee!" Skuld sat upright, eyes open wide, but blind to this world, and gasped again, sobbing and wailing into her hands. Her door flung open! Belldandy and Urd rushed in, Keichi immediately following.

"There, there", Belldandy whispered soothingly, holding her little sister and gently rocking, "It was just a dream, Skuld. You're safe now. Look! We're all here!" Skuld looked up timidly to see Keichi's gentle, kind face. Urd looked on, her smile unable to mask her worry. She finally dropped back into her middle sister's arms and passed out, just as the phone began to ring.

"Outside!", Urd called with some urgency. Belldandy felt it too. Keichi stepped out of Skuld's room, quickly passing through the hall into the living room to the street facing windows, and glanced outside.

"Someone is here!" he shouted.

Urd joined Keichi and saw the man. Unusually large and bulky, he leaned heavily on a street light, looking directly at the temple. The man then scanned the street, and back again to the temple, finally locking steely eyes with Urd his lips tightening in anger and with purpose.

"Pick up the phone, Keichi", Urd commanded.

Keichi complied. Immediately upon bringing the handset to his ear he heard Lind's urgent voice. "What's happened to Skuld?"

"She had some sort of nightmare. Belldandy has her. There is a man outside of the temple, watching us. Urd is-"

"Belldandy!", Urd shouted, "Help me!"

Urd had begun chanting a prayer, hands forward, a soft glow spreading rapidly into the form of a protective barrier. Belldandy quickly arrived, placing her hands on the ward and adding her prayer, as Holly Bell and World of Elegance sprung forward, silently adding their considerable strength.

"KEICHI!" shouted Lind.

"We're under attack!", Keichi answered.

Bang! The shield held.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Each blow sending showers of sparks high into the night air. Keichi looked outside. The man's human form had changed to some sort of a demonic centaur, but with four arms. He wielded 4 hammers, striking and striking again the barrier. Then his growing fury exploded, and rearing up, he kicked the barrier as he shouted in rage and frustration.

The shield held.

A powerful melody filled the air, accompanying a wide beam from heaven lighting a path to the front yard of the temple. The light cleared revealing Lind and 5 valkyries in battle armor wielding giant pikes. Lind locked eyes with the Demon, her face a grim stone mask. Not unlike a dance, the winged goddesses took position, tensing, and then launching towards their prey… disappearing suddenly without fanfare.

"What just happened?" Keichi quietly asked, dumbfounded.

"I don't know, Keichi", Belldandy whispered.

Keichi looked at the phone. He had dropped it when he heard the valkyries arrive. The phone lay unceremoniously on the table, on its side, with the handset dangling down to the floor. Suddenly the phone rang. Keichi blinked as he looked at the phone, off the hook, and ringing.

"Pick it up!" Urd repeated.

Keichi picked up the handset and a feeling of nausea washed over him. The volume of the ambient sounds in the room plunged to near silence, a strangely menacing soft static filling the void, which then was broken by a monotone, metallic voice.

" Lower your barrier." The robotic voice intoned. "No one will be harmed."

"What have you done with the valkyries?", asked Belldandy.

The metallic voice again filled the room, "They are unharmed. They are sealed for 3 days. This will satisfy my need. Lower your barrier."

"What do you want?"

"Lower the barrier. I will seal all of you for 3 days. On the 4th day, you will be released unharmed."

Sensing movement, Keichi looked behind him as Skuld stepped out of the hallway, into the living room, rubbing her eyes. He wanted to stop her, to shout for her to wait. He was reaching out to her as her eyes opened and made contact with the beast outside the window.

Skuld felt like she had been punched in the gut. Her breath escaped her and she fell to the ground. Gasping and sobbing hysterically. Outside the barrier, the demon watched the display, fire filling his heart, until he exploded into a roar heard for miles, and summoned the hammers back into his hands.

Pounding, kicking, screaming, he ripped at the barrier until a small crack formed. Dropping his hammers, turning and leaning on his front hooves, his powerful rear hooves kicked the barrier, once, twice, and on the third time it shattered. As the demon stepped into the temple through the ruined wall… Keichi stood protectively between him and the dazed goddesses.

Again Keichi felt a wave of nausea as the demon spoke, "You will be unharmed."

The Centaur chanted softly, tracing ruins in the air, and a sickly dull green glow wrapped around the temple, sparking and fizzing as it contacted the blessed building. As his chanting ceased the 6 valkyries appeared suddenly, looking ill and confused, until they found the demon.

"Peace, warriors", the metallic voice rose. "Let us make a contract."

Lind raised her hand and the valkyries stopped, but kept their pikes pointed towards their opponent.

"You agree to remain confined in this temple for the rest of today and 2 more days. I agree that none of you will be harmed. Deal?"

"No."

In unison, the valkyries struck! The hammers materialized in the demon's hands, but not quickly enough, as pikes ripped deep into his flesh. Retaliating, he flung a hammer at the nearest valkyrie, crushing her face and driving her to the wall in a heap. In the same motion, his newly freed hand grasped onto another valkyrie pulling her closer with unholy strength, and placing her between the remaining pikes and himself.

Belldandy and Holly Bell began singing. The melody was powerful and triumphant! A divine power flowed from the song, healing and invigorating the goddesses in battle. Lind circled the demon, waiting for an opening, watching his every move, and stopped short as the demon's wounds gradually closed, responding to the divine spell.

Again, Lind raised her hand, stopping the assault. "What are you?" she demanded.

He smiled bitterly. "You already know. I am share the same heritage as Urd, but am nothing like her. She is demon or goddess. I am demon and god at the same time. "

"That will not save you from me." Lind stated evenly.

"It doesn't matter anymore. "

"Why is that?" Belldandy asked.

"We are all sealed now."

On cue, the goddesses scanned around, confirming the demon's true statement. Urd haughtily charged the demon, grasping his throat and shouting, "What does Hild want with us?"

"I am unaffiliated with the Daimakaicho", the demon stated ominously. Suddenly the demon's battle form shrank back into his human frame, his voice changing with it to a deep and pleasant tone, "What's for dinner?"