Izanami slowly blinked as she was awakened. It had taken a while to get used to the new vessel that had been prepared for her. Even now the world only was hazy to her at best.

"Wakey wakey, up and about sleepyhead!" a sharp voice echoed as she took in the sight of two shapes looking at her as she was already annoyed by only one of them.

That voice, she had heard it somewhere before, no, it was the vessel that had heard it before, those memories muddied her own sight but it recalled a name from the recess of the vessel's memories…

"Terumi"

"The one and only! Now get up and rain down your dramatic power oh great and powerful Imperator!" the one called Terumi shouted as he threw his arms around like he didn't care even in the slightest what was going on.

Slowly Izanami got up as she blinked a few more times as she looked to the right of her, the other shape now taking form as it resembled a witch cloaked in disguise.

It wasn't important of a matter right now as she now walked forward, the slowly clinking of limbs that had been resting for a while finally getting put to good use once more.

"Well, aren't you going to say thank you?" Terumi asked her as he smiled profoundly with his eyes narrow slits that allowed him to hide most of his true nature.

"Be quiet Terumi." she told him finally shortly as she gave him a stern disapproving look to talk down on her like she was a child or something.

"Gee, touchy. I have been waiting all day for someone to finally talk back to me and what I find is less than spectacular!" he told her as he gave a casual shrug as if he didn't care all that much about it himself.

Izanami remained silent for the moment as she didn't seem to be genuinely interested to reply on his snarky, childish comments.

Instead something else clouded her mind.

Whilst in her stasis she had done one of the most peculiar things in her life, dreaming. Izanami couldn't recall when the last time was she had been dreaming but now, it felt rather lifelike, as if she had been there herself.

Traveling over plains and wide oceans she beheld magnificent old castles, battlefields of old and town bustling with life. The very thoughts of the dream sickened her as she went on to recall what she had experienced.

"Hello! I asked a question!" came Terumi's voice suddenly blaring next of her ear as Izanami opened her eyes again and slowly turned to face him.

"I told you to be quiet... " she told him shortly once more as he backed up with a big smile this time holding his hands in defense.

"Hey, I'm not the one zoning out here! Did Relius do anything funny to you? Did he put a screw to many in the doll this time around?" he asked her with that sickening grin on his face. Izanami couldn't really see the fun of it all in it.

"If he did, then clearly you busted an eardrum you ignoramous." Izanami retorted to his remarks as Terumi just smirked and let out a slight chuckle as if he was actually happy with the reply.

Izanami once more tried to recall her dreams… towers, wizards… something with a key and swords… teams defending the world from robots… it was a bit all too hard to truly take in for her.

As she opened her eyes she looked suddenly to Terumi as he noted something different in her eyes and in his curiosity he wondered what it was.

"Terumi… how long have I been here?"

"A day? A week? A month? I'm not really good at keeping time tables here." he seemingly joked as he had truly no idea on it. Relius had been in charge of how to deal with the body of the new Imperator, but he… he couldn't give two shits less.

"I had a dream… I wonder…" she began before she shook her head as he suddenly opened his eyes revealing his yellow eyes staring back at her.

"What?"

"It can wait… we have more pressing matters to attend to. First of all we should stop this infernal eternal time loop." she told him as she gave a nod to the witch that had stood silently by as she floated up to her as she teleported both of them away.

There was work to be done.

Ragna had freed Rachel Alucard and stopped Noel Vermillion from destroying Amaterasu and prevent their first dreams perhaps… it mattered little in the grand scheme of things to come.

Takamagahara was hers and as it was time would never loop again. Events would now play out as they should. Along with that she made sure casualties would now happen more frequently.

Even then, something in the back of her mind gnawed, in fact, it had never left her mind from the moment she had awakened.

Standing alone for the moment in the Imperator office, she waited for her allies to come and discuss the next logical steps towards the end of all living things. Whilst Relius had proven most useful and Tsubaki and Phantom were obedient puppets, Terumi remained the wild card of the party.

The vessel's hatred for him had not abided, but thankfully not increased as well. She remained powerful enough over it as she had no interest in losing control to such stubborn wayward emotions.

As she looked along the many books standing in the office, something suddenly caught her eye… a book about a place called Radiant Garden… interesting.

Normally she would never have touched it. Perhaps she would have even let Terumi burn it, just to settle his need for some horrible pun about burning out the bookworms inside it. But no, this was different. It was as if she knew the name of that place.

As she grabbed the book and opened it she began to read… about a castle with a bustling town, a glorious place of many fountains and advanced technology for primitive worlds.

Worlds? As in plural… she thought it couldn't be true but at the same time…

She grabbed another book, the book having a sword stamped into the cover. She read about an even more primitive world, dominated by violence and the need to grow stronger. About how the world was in constant chaos by two swords alone and their yet blissful unawareness of other worlds…

Again, the word worlds was mentioned… it was as if the author had the knowledge of different worlds.

It finally dawned onto her that she was reading weren't just books, they were instead journals… kept by the former imperator Tenjõ no less. If she had the knowledge of other worlds there had been a good reason she wouldn't have shared those with anyone else.

But now… now that knowledge was hers. In this office… right under their noses… Izanami felt something else inside the vessel well up… or perhaps it was inside her own soul. Excitement.

Going through the pages of the book of Radiant Garden once more she read intently. Even if the others would enter now, she would force them to hold and wait. This was of great importance. The existence of other worlds had great meaning to her… it meant that even if she did succeed on this world, in the grand scheme of things it mattered little.

In fact… it had to be prioritized now above all other matters. It mattered little if Amaterasu was destroyed now, if all living beings ceased to be on this world… they would continue on another world… and that thought sickened Izanami more than any other thought in her head.

She grabbed more books from the shelves now, one about a world driven to war with robots, one with a world of super powered beings, one with dark creatures that stalked the night filled with fights, one about a world where other dark creatures were hunted…

All of them… all of them sickened her. But even so, she would need to investigate more into them… if she was to launch an attack on all of them.

"Hello? I'm not sure how long you're planning to keep us waiting!"

The happy chirping voice pierced right through any train of thought Izanami might have had as Terumi just stood happily waving at her. It seemed everyone had gathered.

Terumi and Phantom were the ones she had seen upon awakening… after that she had met Relius to confirm any problems her new body might have given her… and finally the girl Tsubaki… brainwashed after she gave into her despair and hatred.

"Well, are we just going to have a stare contest around here?"

"Be quiet Hazama. Lady Izanami will speak when she wants to."

Relius Clover, he had more manners than the idiot that hid inside his imposter body, Hazama. Not that such things truly mattered but it showed at least a small form of respect to her.

"I have done research around the Imperator office… Tenjõ kept many journals around here… each keeping a secret she might have wanted to guard closer. Unless he thought we were all just going to leave any possible aid untouched."

She explained her words calmly as right away the two men in the room seemed to have their interest piqued by this revelation.

"So… you spend all this time… reading?"

"No… not reading. Researching." Izanami corrected Terumi as she slowly turned to look at him, her face still not giving any indication of emotion but a clear signal for him to be quiet once more.

"What has your research yield?"

Of course Relius would like to know. The man was known for liking nothing more than to experiment on other things. Humans, seithr beasts, kaka children… anything he might get his hands on. Even his own family hadn't been safe from it.

"The existence of worlds outside this one."

The words seemed to hit a sudden interest as both men turned and seemed far more interested to hear what she had to say.

"I know that the god blade Noel Vermillion and the one black beast Ragna the Bloodedge have escaped… and soon enough they will join other forces to retake the NOL. To this end we better prepare ourselves with the use of outside forces."

"You mean forces from other worlds…"

Terumi looked up as his usual slid eyes had opened fully revealing the yellow golden eyes as he seemed highly interested all of a sudden.

"It seems bringing death to this world is now meaningless…"

Relius added onto that as it seemed he had made a point. If this world died… would it truly fulfill Izanami? Would she be truly satisfied if in the end more worlds outside of this one would continue to exist as if nothing happened?

"Yes… we must formulate our plans anew and perhaps begin from scratch… to this end you will accompany me to find more information…"

She told Relius as she had meant every word she had said. And as it was… she had an inkling on where to start looking for new information.

"You will accompany me to a world called Radiant Garden. If what my research has yielded is true we can travel to this with the use of portals… born from darkness."

"Well, you have done your homework… but you truly think magic is going to be working for it?"

Terumi asked as it was naturally he was skeptical. Izanami herself had been skeptical as well but the information that had been gathered by Tenjõ had been extensive. From other world rulers and everything… and if that was true…

Casting open her hand she focussed on her negativity, her hatred and anger and from that darkness it sprouted forth and right in front of Terumi.

"Terumi, I have another task for you. I have read about a world with swords… fit with strong battle hardened fighters… You will go there and recruit those who wish to bring death."

"ME?! Ho, wait a second, I still got a few other things that need to be done around here and I'm not going to some stinking backwater place to-"

He was about to continue before Izanami looked over to Phantom and with a wordless nod Phantom shoved Terumi into the portal before following herself as it shut behind them.

As silence once more filled the office, Izanami herself turned to look at Relius as he simply had been standing there, perhaps making already mental notes as he made a small bow in front of her.

"It will be my honor to accompany you personally my lady." he told her. Even though he lied through his teeth about an honor she didn't mind it. He needed new knowledge as did she… and for fighting powers, Tsubaki would do well…

Izanami was about to create a new portal before Relius stretched out his own arm and from there the portal materialized. As it was expected, he was a fast learner simply by watching.

As the three left, the office was left in silence once more… dead silence…