I do not own Ah! Megami sama/Oh! My Goddess series or its characters.

"There's no change. She's still staring at the wall."

With a heavy sigh, Peorth quietly closed the door of the hotel room she's been sharing with Bell for a while now, and shot a troubled look at her yet unofficial lover. Of course her own situation was of no concern, as Belldandy's near catatonic state left her with little choice but to ignore such trivialities for later.

"Somehow I can't say I'm surprised," dryly commented Kaun, before he cleared his throat. "No offense though."

"None taken." Peorth shook her head in resignation, as she felt too emotionally drained to even bother arguing about her lover's choice of words. It all started ten days ago, during that ill-fated date that took an unexpected turn when Keiichi all but vanished in thin air. How exactly that came to be remains a mystery, since no matter how hard they tried to look for him, nothing came up. They even spotted Skuld and Mara who must've been tailing them, and they also seemed rather surprised to find out that Keiichi simply disappeared like that. In fact, no one thought that anything would go wrong by leaving him on his own at that peer, yet that was perhaps where they messed up and allowed this to happen.

Needless to say, they spent the rest of that wretched day looking all over the place, but to no avail. And not only that, but Skuld's analysis of that place revealed that there was something wrong with it. The entire town was the direct result of demonic intervention, leaving no doubt that there was more to Keiichi's disappearance that meets the eye. Case to the point, when they arrived there the next day to resume the search, the whole town was… nowhere to be seen. Worse yet, Mara got word from her mother that her presence was needed in Niflheim, which only added to the mystery of what was truly going on here. Coupled by Urd's utter bafflement when they informed her about this incident, the possibility of this being a conspiracy became too real to ignore anymore.

"Anyway… what are we going to do now? Belldandy's been like this for days now, and at this state she's not able to work. Even having Ansuz and Skuld drop by did little to cheer her up, so… Any ideas?" Kaun was fully aware that they've already played their biggest card by bringing those two for a visit, and with the exception of inviting Urd and Lind, there was nothing else they thought during those last couple of days that could put a smile on Belldandy's face.

"By this point, I'm not sure anymore," sadly admitted Peorth with a shake of her head. "I really thought that having her mother and Skuld drop by would cheer her up a little. Yet a mere day later we're back at square one. Other than finding Keiichi, or… what became of him, I can't think of anything else to cheer her up."

"Again with this? I thought we went through this before, and there's no way he drowned back there. We searched every inch of that lake, and even Skuld scanned it. More than once, I might add. There's no way he fell into the water, so let's finally put that idea to rest."

Considering that this was coming from a demon, Peorth couldn't help but smile ever so slightly at her lover's attempt to cheer her up. Because other than that, she felt it was highly unlikely that Keiichi just happened to fall into a rabbithole, and he's currently sipping tea in a wonderland. 'Wait a moment!... We never considered!... Could it be that?...' She furrowed her brows in contemplation, wondering if this sudden moment of epiphany was the result of a random case of brilliance, or simply her fatigue playing tricks with her mind. Yet without any other venues to pursuit, Peorth decided to give this a try, just in case she was onto something. "He must've been sealed into a container before he was taken out of there!"

Peorth's sudden outburst caught Kaun off guard, as he honestly didn't know where it came from. Yet just as he was about to dismiss it, he paused and gave that whole idea a second thought. It was true that they even searched for any traces of portals leading out of that area, but for the most part they were looking for something capable of taking a human out of there. A small container would've required a smaller portal, which in turn would've left a smaller signature behind it. The only issue is that they still should've noticed any such disturbance, although… coupled with the fact that the whole town was the result of their System's intervention, it was just remotely possible that any leftover traces were removed by the time that area was restored. "You know… it would've been way more useful if you said this back then. Ever since that town disappeared, the entire area was reset to its natural state. I doubt that we'll find any traces of a miniature portal anymore."

"True, but have you considered who has the means to pull off something like that?" countered Peorth, causing Kaun to pause once again -his expression becoming ever more troubled by the moment.

"Either your military, or ours. And it's not yours, or Ansuz would've known about it. So…" The demon took a deep breath as realization finally drawn upon him, and in all honesty, he didn't like it one bit. "Shit!... It must be our guys."

"Unfortunately, I think that's the case too. Given how each of your realms has its own armed forces, it's very likely that at least one of them is acting independently from the rest," concluded Peorth. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that Belldandy wasn't anywhere close to the door to overhear them, she turned her attention back to Kaun. Still, for a good measure, she got a hold of his arm and tugged him further away down the hallway. "Listen. For now, this stays between you and me. If Bell happens to hear this, who knows what she's capable of doing… and I'm in no hurry to find out. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. She's most likely going to rush over to Niflheim in order to find out who's responsible for this. But if our military is indeed behind Keiichi's disappearance… she's got no chance." He was about to add something more, when he realized that in the process he would likely place himself in a precarious situation. Up to this point he felt that he had a way out of this, should the worse came to happen. However, if he kept supporting them, and for whatever reason they fail to restore Hild to power, then his future would be more than bleak - even nonexistent. Yet somehow, he felt that the consequences of his trysts with Peorth were far more serious that he would've ever anticipated. Basically, the only way to resolve this whole mess was by risking his own neck. A selfless act that went against all of his demonic instincts, yet one that he had to perform given the current circumstances. "Actually, I have an idea, but…"

"Yes?" asked the brunette, now that her curiosity was piqued. And it didn't help that her lover seemed to grow uncomfortable by the moment, to the point that he was actually fidgeting about. "What's wrong, Kaun?"

"Uh… I really don't like this one bit, but I believe I know someone who might have dealings with those responsible for this plot."

The demoness offered only a slight nod to encourage him to go on, despite how excited she actually felt. Given the dread in Kaun's tone, it was easy for her to understand that there was a big 'however' in all this, and neither of them was going to like it. "I'm listening."

"Well," he started somewhat unsure, scratching his chin as he struggled with his words. "I was thinking of paying him a visit. I can't promise that he actually knows anything about Keiichi, but I have a good feeling that he might have an idea of what's going on."

"From the way you speak about this person… he's not exactly a friend, is he?"

"No, I certainly wouldn't call him that." A long pause followed, as Kaun still found himself unsure whether he should tell her or not. In theory, it was better to deal with this now, rather than leave it for much later on. At which point this kind of knowledge could potentially ruin whatever relationship he managed to establish with Peorth. On the other hand, if this backfires, then he might actually lose her right here and now - no questions about it. "You see…" he resumed after taking a deep breath, bracing for the worst. "I'm not exactly on good terms with my father. Ever since my mother left us, I always insisted that he was solely to blame. And that's the least of our problems."

Initially Peorth didn't understand why Kaun was making such a big deal about it, although at the same time she did realize that all this time he never brought up anything about his family. Then again, it wasn't exactly unexpected for someone in his place to dodge the subject, since he couldn't possibly predict what her reaction would be to the slightest mention of her meeting his folks. "Do you want me to come along for the trip?"

"Huh?" Out of all the things he was expecting to hear, this definitely wasn't one of them. "Why… Why would you like to come along? It won't be exactly a pleasant visit."

"I kind of realized that already," said Peorth with a dismissive snort. "But I don't care how much of an ass your dad is. As long as I'm involved with you, I might as well show up and introduce myself. If nothing else, I can't have people thinking that I'm afraid or something."

"Actually… that worries me even more," openly admitted Kaun, since by this point his face was white as a sheet of paper. The mere idea of a temperamental demoness meeting his father was… a textbook definition of a disaster in the making. Even in the best case scenario this would end in an argument, and in the worst… Peorth might beat the living daylights out of his old man. That aside though, it did occur to him that Peorth was actually willing to undergo this process, especially since there was no reason for a girlfriend to meet her lover's parents. 'Unless she's not telling me something. I mean, she's not trying to make it official, is she? As nice as that might be, once she becomes a goddess… Nah, there's no way we'd be able to stay together.'

It was a sad thought, but Kaun was prepared to deal with the inevitable return of the goddesses back to Asgard -Peorth included. At first that wasn't all that bad of a prospect, since they were seeing each other out of mutual interest, and the added bonus of Peorth's willingness to sleep with him was hard to ignore. Alas, as much as he wished for things to stay like this, it was too much of a selfish desire, even for a demon. One day Peorth would simply go back to her home, and chances were slim to none that they would pass the Judgment Gate Test to remain together. As a result, he was kinda surprised to see her try to push things even further given the circumstances. "Anyway, I won't stop you," he added after a prolonged pause. "It might be a challenge to get the clearance to take you with me, though."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll call Urd and make the arrangements. Just wait here, and I'll get that clearance in no time!" Offering him a wink, she turned around and headed for his room, since she could make the call there in privacy. And since she was in higher spirits than before, Peorth did shake her hips a bit more than it was necessary, just to lift Kaun's spirits, too.

Judging by the wolf whistle she earned, it was all but certain that she was at a good start.

XXX

Niflheim

The last couple of days have been a constant source of frustration for Urd, who not only learned about Keiichi's disappearance, but was now tasked to 'investigate' what happened to him. Unfortunately, she seriously doubted that this was anything more than a ruse, since she had little control over the Intelligence Sector to properly conduct such an investigation. In fact, this was the first time she ran into a serious limitation to her authority since she got Sokkmimir's position, and she definitely wasn't in the mood for power games. Despite Hagall's claims that those restrictions were only temporary, until she has proven herself worthy of the title of the Daimakaicho's deputy, Urd felt that blondie was merely biding her time.

In fact, under any other circumstances, Urd would've suspected that Hagall had something to do with it. Not only did she have the means to pull this off without anyone else being able to prove that this was the case, but there was also the benefit of taking Keiichi out of the picture. His association with Skuld and Ansuz, as well as his overall personality made him an unlikely pawn for Hagall to use in order to keep Bell in line. And whenever there was such a conflict of interests… demons tended to do something about it.

Thing is, Urd doubted that Hagall is so simple-minded to directly target Keiichi, all while being the most obvious suspect. Even so, aside from the one to gain the most from a move like that, Hagall would also be the one to lose the most if Bell turned against her. In fact, chances for the latter to happen were so high, that it was exactly why Urd didn't believe her to be so stupid to make an enemy out of Bell when such a thing could've been avoided. There were better ways to limit Keiichi's influence over her sister, or even try to get him on her side -be it by trickery or blackmail. Still, outright killing him was the worst option, unless… someone had a serious problem with him. And based on her hunch, that someone was most likely the missing Aoshima, who most likely wished to get revenge for what happened to him.

The biggest question is how someone like Aoshima managed to pull off such a stunt. Whatever powers he gained from Sokkmimir just weren't enough to let him create a whole town and upload it into the Nidhogg System. This sort of implied that there must be at least one high ranking collaborator out there, but without the benefit of having the Intelligence Sector on board the investigation, chances are that they'll never know.

Of course, she did try to convince Hagall to do it herself, given the severity of the incident. And that didn't in fact even count Keiichi's involvement, but the actual fact that a rogue party uploaded an unregistered wish file into their System, and then have it granted over the period of a whole day before they managed to take it down.

When she asked Fehu for any clues as to what's going on, the auburn haired demoness suggested that she was admittedly baffled herself. Although, she did suggest that this was an attempt to cover up the fact that a rogue wish found itself in their System. After all, it made perfect sense for the current Daimakaicho to avoid such a humiliating incident so early on in her term, and made it her number one priority to suppress any information about it. If that was indeed the case, then Hagall was simply buying herself time to secretly investigate the incident on her own, or erase every last bit of evidence that concerned it. However, doing the latter is far too much of a short-sighted approach, and not akin of sweeping the dirt under the carpet. Sooner or later, whoever was responsible for this incident will make their next move, and that's bound to cause Hagall even more problems.

This unfortunately put Urd in a very difficult position, as she was currently facing a rather tough dilemma: join forces with Hagall in hopes that she's the lesser evil, or grab the opportunity to take her place. Up until now, Urd personally wished to do the latter, since there would be no more obstacles to prevent her from turning the others into goddesses as soon as she ascended to the rank of the Daimakaicho. But if they were dealing with a party callous enough to plot Keiichi's assassination just so that they would make Hagall look bad, then she had to place her bet on supporting that one demoness; whether she liked it or not.

"Alright, I've decided!" she suddenly announced, much to her bodyguard's surprise. Lind has been sitting just across her desk, with a magazine at hand.

The former Valkyrie wasn't one to lazy about at a time like this, but for her next assignment a bit of research was deemed necessary. As such, checking up a travel guide for the infamous Fire realm was called for, especially since she was tasked to negotiate with its Regional Commander. Apparently Urd wanted to find a way to sneak some of Surt's troops into Niflheim, and more specifically in the Lower Levels where they could easily remain concealed until the time to act has arrived. Thing is, diplomatic missions has never been Lind's forte, and she would've preferred if Fehu could handle this task herself. Unfortunately, the latter was busy with her own investigation over a matter that was peripherally connected to Keiichi's disappearance, and without anyone else trustworthy enough currently stationed in Niflheim, the task fell on her shoulders.

With a sigh, Lind lowered her magazine and shot Urd a quizzical -if not somewhat weary- gaze at her. "What's been decided? Please tell me that this time you came up with something… reasonable. Because I'm not listening to any more of your crazy ideas."

"What?! Just hold on a moment!" loudly protested the genuinely surprised demoness. "There's nothing unreasonable with securing some help for our big moment!"

"Wait, I wasn't referring to that. Getting reinforcements is indeed a sound strategic decision," clarified Lind when she realized that Urd misunderstood what she was referring to. "It's the whole nonsense of trying to turn this into a visit of historical significance."

"But!... As you probably know, Muspelheim was first colonized by former Valkyries that defected after the Asgard-Vanir civil war. Surely, you do realize how I managed to convince Hagall to let you visit that realm without raising too many questions!" Seeing the dirty stare she was getting from Lind, left the eldest Norn with the sinking feeling that she might be sleeping on the couch for the next few days. Not that she terribly minded it, given that they took the concept of sleeping together… far too literally. And in the immediate follow up of Keiichi's disappearance, neither of them was in the mood to further experiment with advancing their relationship.

"It's because I do realize what it means, that I have no wish to get involved. Even if I'm a demoness right now, I haven't given up on my pride as Valkyrie." If her cold stare wasn't enough for Urd to take the hint, then her chilling tone sure did the trick. That being said though, Lind couldn't exactly blame her girlfriend for trying to come up with a plausible excuse to get her into Muspelheim. As such, she felt the need to explain her own idea, even if she wasn't particularly happy about it. "Here, check this out," she said, while reaching into her uniform to retrieve a folded piece of paper that she handed to Urd.

Intrigued, Urd unfolded the note Lind gave her, and took a moment to skim through its contents. To say that she was surprised would've been the understatement of the century… especially given that this idea actually came from Lind of all people. "Um… are you sure about this? Isn't this a bit too much?"

"Hardly. With Surt's troops being assigned as Belldandy and Peorth's guards, I have a few questions I'd like to ask them about this incident. And that would actually require me to go over there, since we're still subjected to those stupid inter-realm transfer restrictions," explained Lind. Of course, she was expecting some resistance to her plan, but seeing Urd's deep frown made her realize that perhaps she's been mistaken. "Although… why do you look so worried?"

"Well… for beginners it feels like you're accusing Surt for incompetence, and that's a bad way to start any kind of negotiations. Which goes twice for someone as head strong as Surt, who certainly won't take it lightly if you give him the impression that you're yanking his chain."

"You may have a point, but remember of our situation. Anyone in Surt's position would realize that I've got another reason to pay him a visit -he's short tempered, not an idiot."

Silence filled the office, as Urd entertained the thought of letting Lind go along with her plan, despite her own reservations. In the worst case scenario, she might be bumping heads with the ruler of Muspelheim, although it was unlikely that it would go so badly to personally worry about it. And as much as she wished to continue complaining, it somehow made her feel like she suddenly started to act like her father… which was an interesting experience to say the least. "Well, if you're committed, then I see no reason to stop you. Just as long as you remember your goal, I'm fine with it."

"Do you seriously think I'll forget something like that?"

"No… but you might have a bit too much fun to leave room for negotiation. Unless you plan on doing that with your fists." That last bit was meant as a joke, but the complete lack of reaction on Lind's part left her with the dreadful feeling that this was a possibility in her girlfriend's mind. Then again, this could in fact help their cause if Surt preferred actions to boring words, although… she personally preferred to get Lind back unharmed, even if the demoness in question didn't mind a good challenge. "Anyway, I need to go and meet our… illustrious boss. Hopefully, I'll get some good news, so by the time you'll be in Muspelheim we'll know whether she's on our side or not. Well, maybe nor exactly our side, but you know: the enemy of my enemy sort of thing."

"Agreed. I don't trust her one bit, although I agree that it's for the best to go with your plan. Just remember to not let your guard down," said Lind, no matter how much she wished otherwise. That's exactly why she preferred straightforward missions with clear goals, and no negotiations with the enemy whatsoever. The real question here was just who counted as the enemy… given the recent developments. Once again, she'd rather classify all demons as such, but even she couldn't be this indiscriminate. "I'll call you as soon as I talk with Surt."

As she was about to head for the door, Lind paused when she realized that there was one particularly important thing she forgot. 'Almost forgot… but why is she already staring at me. I haven't left the office yet. I can salvage this!' Unfortunately for Lind, she could already tell that her girlfriend also noticed her mistake, and understandably looked disappointed as a result. Not necessarily because she took it personally, but more like she was reminded of just how out of Lind's comfort zone this whole relationship thing was. Even something as basic as offering a goodbye kiss didn't naturally occur to her, although she was more than willing to put the extra effort to do things properly. As such, Lind approached Urd and before the latter had a chance to ask anything, she planted a kiss on the half demoness' cheek.

Try as she might, Urd couldn't help but smile at this little peck. Sure, it wasn't exactly a passionate display of affection, but then again, this was Lind she was dealing with here. Having the former Valkyrie act all hot and bothered all of a sudden… would've been a most unsettling experience -terrifying even. Although in all seriousness, Urd's biggest fear was to find out that once turned back into a goddess, Lind wouldn't like her at all. It was something that bothered her for quite a while, and no matter how many times she reassured herself that it was all in her mind, she just couldn't help it. Still… there were much more pressing matters to take care of right now, and thus Urd returned the gesture, along with a small hug. "Thanks, Lind. That's quite sweet of you, really."

"I try. At least, I believe you deserve that much. Now, I need to be going, so let's catch up later."

XXX

Niflheim

Far from the most glamorous parts of the Infernal capital, yet still within the posh Upper Levels, lie the Combat Proving Grounds. A sprawling complex that once housed Niflheim's Military Academy for the purpose of training the officers that would become the backbone of the demonic armed forces, only to be reduced to an examination center for combat licenses. The vast majority of the installations from the old times were either torn down or simply blown to smithereens, after they were stripped of anything valuable, of course.

While no official explanation for this decision was given, rumor has it that during Hild's coup, the Academy became the ground zero of the most violent part of the takeover, with the majority of the staff counting as casualties after Muspelheim's forces raided the complex. It was one of the most unexplained incidents during Hild's rise in power, that became the source of a lot of speculation, yet in the end it all but faded from memory… along with the importance of this place.

These days, only a handful of demons are stationed here to supervise the facility, and even that's an over glorified way to describe a janitor's job. To add more to the insult, the majority of said janitors happen to be former members of the Niflheim's military that found the new administration too hostile for their liking. Some didn't terribly mind this career change, although those also used to possess low ranks, and therefore lost little by comparison. On the other hand, the higher ranking officers were understandably upset with their fall from grace, and dreamt of their return to their former posts.

For that very reason, those individuals felt an understandable excitement when Hagall took over the position of the Daimakaicho, hoping that this change of leadership would cause a drastic power shift in Niflheim. Unfortunately for the majority of them, Hagall didn't quite bring up the changes they desired, even after they attempted to appeal to her on several occasions. Eventually, most gave up and accepted that the new Daimakaicho was a bit too much of Hild's apprentice to outright defy her, even after she sealed her away. Sure, there were more than enough instances where she made decisions that would've upset Hild if she was still running the place, but in the end that was far from enough. Plainly put, Hagall lacked the resolve to carve her own path, and largely relied on maintaining the status quo, with only the occasional bold move, here and there.

This disappointment only intensified when she appointed Urd as her second-in-command, a move that put none other than Hild's daughter in a position that some felt was unfitting for a half-goddess. Worse yet, it was to be expected that Urd's going to use this newfound power to further her own agenda, so any negotiations with her would prove nothing but a big waste of time for anyone involved. Still, that hardly meant that there was absolutely no way around this problem.

In the Infernal Realms it is often said that the law is as flexible as a person's imagination, and as unforgiving as their stupidity. Even the most impossible of things could happen as long as they were handled with the proper care, and no rules were blatantly broken in the process. That being said, there was no guarantee that the whole process of bending the law to one's will is an easy process. Sometimes, it takes more resources and ingenuity that a single person can provide, and others… a convenient outsider who's not subjected to the limitations of such laws. For that very reason, even someone as useless as Aoshima could prove to be a worthy asset, providing that he understands his situation.

"I'll have to admit that our plan worked way better than I initially hoped for," said the apparently delighted Aoshima, as he leaned back in his chair. Opposite of him was his benefactor: a rather tired looking dark haired demon who offered him a place to 'disappear' after that whole car chase debacle back on Earth. At first, he felt greatly annoyed that this demon expected of him to work his debt out, but considering the nature of his task, Aoshima felt little reason to object.

"Are you sure about that?" asked the skeptical head of the Combat Proving Grounds. "You told me that you got the job done, yet I cannot seem to find that mortal anywhere in our System. I thought that I made myself clear that we needed him alive."

"What?! I followed your instructions to the letter! You can't blame me for your plan being a failure!"

If there was one thing that he hated the most, it's excuses -and this was no exception to this rule. And to do so with such a fake outrage, only made him wish to punch this idiot. Sadly, he still needed him around in the foreseeable future, which greatly limited his options at getting back at him. "Now it's my plan? Funny, because I'm sure that it was our plan just a moment ago. Or is it that you're the type of person who immediately changes sides when things don't go your way?"

The accusation lingered in the air, as Aoshima knew that by this point he was in no state to be picky about his allies. After all, there were so few left who even tolerated him anymore, that he was lucky to find one willing to help him in his hour of need. "That's not what I meant," he eventually said in a rare display of his diplomatic skills. "I may be participating in this plan, but I'm definitely not the one who came up with it; as you most certainly know. To say that I would go and ruin it by taking out that runt is simply insulting. After all, I've got more to gain that way than by simply extracting revenge."

"Right…" To say that he already regretted his decision to use this idiot, would've been the understatement of the century, especially given how little he trusted him. But in the end, every other alternative turned out to be a dead end, leaving him little choice on the matter. "Well, I hope you're happy, because we lost our bargaining chip thanks to you."

"What? But!... I already told you that-"

"Leave the excuses to someone who cares," said the demon with a dismissive gesture, as his patience was starting to run thin. "The fact remains: you failed to capture that mortal, and thanks to you we're back at square one. Do you even have any idea what I've gone through to make all that possible? Actually… don't answer. If I come up with a way to get us out of this mess, I'll summon you."

"O-Of course. I'm… looking forward to working with you again." Despite his momentary loss of composure, Aoshima managed to salvage it, and with a slight bow, he made his exit.

'The things one must resort to… just to regain what was taken from them. I'll be so happy to rip off Sokkmimir's container from that bastard, just to see his stupid face as he chokes to death. But now's not the time.' The demon shook his head, and headed off to his actual office to get some work done. Be it prudence or paranoia, he always accepted such shady characters in one of the 'offices' he prepared beforehand, using the numerous empty rooms in this facility to his advantage. Same went for pretty much everything else about his daily routine, as he put an extraordinary effort to cloud his every move in secrecy so that even his closest associates wouldn't know what he's really up to. After all, for a former intelligence officer, keeping secrets was second nature to him by now.

Everything came at a price though. First his wife got tired of living a second, or even third life, just for the sake of a pipe dream, and then his son too decided to abandon him. Not that he blamed them of course, as even he knew all too well that obsession is a poison even for demons. Perhaps… even his goal is a lie, just like everything else in his life, only meant to give him the motivation to move forward. To what end, no one knows, not even him.

Walking through the empty corridors of the once buzzling Military Academy left him with an odd sensation of longing, and guilt. The former was to be expected, yet the latter was an almost foreign feeling. For far too long, he and his former colleagues instructed the next generation of the Demonkind, instilling the virtues and pride they inherited from their ancestor -the first demon, Ymir. But for an equally long time, they've been betraying those teachings, doing the aristocracy's bidding by sowing chaos and discord among the ranks of their pupils. It was subtle, and in most cases innocuous, just the occasional misunderstanding, or the friendly rivalry. Then… it got worse, as their masters lost sight of what was important. Their petty politics, vendettas and secret agendas turned everyone here into the nobles' pawns, and in the process… sacrifices had to be made.

In all honesty, he didn't exactly hate Hild or even blame her for what happened that day, when she sent her troops to deal with his colleagues. Why he was among those she spared, that he didn't know, although he felt that his role was too minor to make him a target. Even to this day, he wasn't sure what to make of it, as being insignificant sure left him with a bitter taste in the mouth, yet at the same time it was exactly what saved his life. Perhaps that's why he felt the need to jump in and grab the opportunity to fill the power void his colleagues left behind, by taking over their network of spies and accomplices to do his bidding. And ironically enough, he had Hild to thank for that.

Even so, despite having being unimportant when it came to plotting and backstabbing others in the past, his official post used to be much more prestigious than his current one. And though his expansive network of spies offered some consolation, it wasn't the demonic way to settle for such lowly goals.

'First things first, I need to find out what happened to that mortal, and erase any traces of my involvement. I'm sure I've been really careful, but-' The sudden sound of footsteps coming from behind him, started the demon, who immediately spun around. He got so lost in thought that he totally missed the fact that he's been followed, which in reality was totally unlike him. Yet the moment he caught sight of who was his newest visitor, his face contorted into a deep frown. "I never thought of seeing you again, Kaun."

"For once, we agree… dad," spat the younger demon in a rather unfriendly manner. It was nothing how family members should interact with each other, making the demoness beside him rather uncomfortable from just how tense the atmosphere suddenly became. "I assume you heard of her, but I'll introduce you anyway," he continued, gesturing at Peorth who suddenly felt all eyes on her. "This is Peorth, my… girlfriend." An awkward pause followed, before Kaun gestured in the direction of his father, offering Peorth a side glance. "And this is my father, Ior."

More awkward silence filled the corridor, as both Peorth and Ior narrowed their eyes as if they were sizing each other up. It was a sight that almost made Kaun wince, and perhaps silently regret ever allowing Peorth to come along, since this wasn't going to be happy family reunion to begin with. "Anyway," Kaun said in an effort to break the silence. "I didn't come here for introductions, there's something else we're looking for."

"I had a feeling that was the case," said Ior with a deep sigh, since in all fairness he had no reason to think that his estranged son. In fact, he even had a good idea what Kaun and this faux demoness wanted, but it was the prudent move to feign ignorance under such circumstances. "Well, then… what can I do for you?"

"As you must've heard by now, there was a rather bizarre incident a couple of days ago," said Kaun ever so casually, all while carefully studying his father's expression for any reaction to what he's been told. "I was wondering if you happen to know more about it."

"You assume too much," came Ior's rather blunt reply, much to his son's disappointment. In fact, he didn't even bother to cast a second glance in his direction, and instead he tipped his head in Peorth's direction, giving her a better look. The demoness was adorning her original outfit from before the time of her capture, and with the exception of her markings she clearly resembled the goddess she once was. Granted, Peorth's bikini is far from the typical Celestial garment, attesting to a sense of pride and vanity easily comparable to that of demoness. Not only that, but the once famous rose goddess also sported the body of a proper seductress, given that she knew how to weaponize her sexual appeal.

Feeling the elder demon's dark eyes fixated on her, Peorth straightened her back in a display of superiority, even tipping her chin up in process. Though she wasn't all that proud to act like a demoness, there were certain times when she'd have to play the part for everyone's good. "Something's on my face? Ever since I came here, you keep staring at me. So… come out and say it! You've got a problem with me, or what?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with your face… just your overall… presence," replied Ior with disdain dripping from his tongue as he pointedly studied her outfit. "It takes guts to introduce yourself to a potential mate's father, while dressed like a common whore."

If he was uncomfortable before, Kaun turned white as a sheet the moment he heard that. It's been quite a while since the last time anyone went out of his way to insult Peorth in such a crude fashion, and knowing his father he knew that the old coot was baiting her. And while he didn't care whether she whipped his old man for having the gall to speak to her like that, Kaun also knew that if she actually attacked him, it could spell all sorts of problems for them. To begin with, she wasn't supposed to be here, and for that matter neither was her. However, before he managed to open his mouth and give his father a piece of his mind, Peorth beat him to the punch.

"Nice try, but I honestly don't give a damn what you think. Nothing personal, I just don't like pompous asses. Oh, and speaking of things I don't like…" A cruel smile crept on Peorth's lips, before a flash of green followed her right hard, as she flicked it in Ior's direction. The latter barely managed to jump to the side, when a vine crossed the distance between them and embedded itself on the wall with enough force that would've decapitated him if he hadn't moved a split second before. "I don't like blood on my clothes."

"Are you fucking insane?!" screamed Ior in sheer disbelief, especially when he realized that the vine had pierced through the entire wall as it was nothing.

"Ask that to yourself. Your son went through a lot of trouble just so that we could talk to you, and not only you outright ignored him, but also insulted me to add more to the insult. After all, what I wear is hardly out of line for a demoness, and I seriously doubt you share a Celestial's sensibilities." Although she tried to maintain an outward appearance of coolness, Peorth's body language betrayed her seething anger, and not just on her own behalf. In fact, she shot a pointed glance at Kaun who initially seemed confused by the sudden attention, until he figured out that this was his cue, and cleared his throat to grab his father's attention.

"Anyway… let's not get carried away," said Kaun when he saw Ior turn in his direction. "I know that we've got our differences, and it's not like we'll patch things up all of a sudden. Still, that doesn't mean we can't work together. We've got something you want, and you can give us a hand in this kind of situation; a fair deal, you might say."

"Oh? And what exactly are you offering? Providing that… I even care about it, to begin with," Ior doubtfully replied, fully expecting that his son was bluffing. It's been a while since the last time Kaun worked for him, and throughout that time he never told him anything about his life goals. As such, he deliberately kept him in the dark as to what the assignments he tasked him were all about, although that might've been an error on his part. At some point during the latest of them, Kaun must've lost interest and got involved with this… former goddess. Though to be fair, this Peorth didn't seem to be the typical goddess, even in her old self, and to a certain degree that pleased Ior. Not that he had any intentions to admit such a thing to that violent brunette -especially while within her vines' range- but at the very least she would make a nice partner for his son.

"How about helping you regain your former rank in Niflheim's military?" suggested Kaun, and for the first time he truly enjoyed seeing the surprise in his father's eyes. "What? Do you honestly think I'm so naive that after all these years I'd never figure out your true goal?"

"Hm… even so, how can you do it? The only way I see it happening, is to have Hild-sama's daughter do that, or alternatively have her convince Hagall-sama to do that. Thing is… can you really do that, or is it merely a false promise?" countered Ior, still unsure if he's been played for a fool here.

"Look, I'm offering you something nice here. Can't you see the profit from helping us? All we need is a little bit of information about that incident from a few days ago. I'm sure you can use your sources to find out some details that we need, and in turn we can make sure you get rewarded for your assistance."

Ior remained skeptical, despite how logical his son's proposition sounded. After all, there were some assumptions thrown in there, as there was no guarantee that Urd would be willing to help him. Not only that, but if it was so easy to convince Hagall, then he wouldn't have been in this situation to begin with. Even so, dismissing the offer without as much of a second thought wasn't exactly prudent either. Be it a backup plan or an excuse for covering his tracks, it could work in his favor if he played along, and as a result he reluctantly agreed. "Very well, I see that you've got a point there. I'll do you a favor, and look into the matter. I just hope that you can keep up with your end of the deal."

"We will," hastily replied Kaun, and before things would go haywire again, he decided to cut their visit short. Given that Peorth was still seething with rage -despite her best efforts to control herself- Kaun had no desire to push their luck any more than they already did. Turning to Peorth, he breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that she had calmed down a bit, and dematerialized those vines. "In that case, you'll have to excuse us," he said as he turned back to his father. "We need to get going, so, let's talk again when you have more info to share."

"Later then," said Ior with a nod, and waited until his son and Peorth curtly returned the gesture and walked away. With the duo gone, he was finally left alone with his thoughts, as well as his troubles. He had to admit that his son's proposition was quite intriguing, especially the way he went about it. Showing such resourcefulness and resolve was a relatively new thing, since at no point in the past did Kaun ever try to bargain with him -let alone pursue a goal like this. And while he still found that short-tempered, eccentric excuse of a demoness too grating for his nerves… she was kinda good in a way.

'Hm… it's not like that Aoshima trash is a better alternative. I guess I should prepare to rat him out if he fails me again, and then hope that the other option is available. Either way, I need to be ready to switch sides when necessary, so finding a cover story on got my info about that incident is important. Decisions… decisions…'

XXX

Unknown location

He had no idea how long it's been since he nearly drowned in that stupid lake, only to wake up at the shore or… another one. And as much as he hated to admit it, he had absolutely no idea where he currently was. The sky didn't change no matter how long he waited, and despite how bright it was in this forest, Keiichi saw no sign of where the sun sat in the horizon. Worse yet, when he managed to reach the end of the woods, the sight of a seemingly endless fields filled his heart with a sense of dread he would've never expected from such a beautiful scenery.

It was mostly because no matter how far he tried to look, all he really saw was more grass, with nothing -absolutely nothing- else in sight. In fact, the terrain outside of the forest was so flat that it felt downright unnatural. And the complete lack of a visible sun just added to his uneasiness.

'Well… I guess I'm no longer in Kansas. At least, that's how the saying goes, right?'

He wasn't sure why, but that thought proved more than enough to have him rolling on his back in laughter. Then again, the isolation coupled by the sheer uncertainty of what was going on, finally took its toll on his poor mind.

"Heyo~!... I'm starting to lose it~!"

As ridiculous as it was for him to shout something like that, Keiichi knew that there was no one around to hear him. Of course, that was a big part of the problem, but for the time being he was in no condition to think clearly. Because aside from all else, his hunger was driving him insane. Now, he had no idea just long he's been stuck in this… place, yet if he was to hazard a guess, it must've been a good couple of days. At least the answer to that would've been much simpler if he had his watch with him, but the moment he woke up there was no sign of his clothes anywhere -or any other of his possessions.

Regardless, it was quite strange how he was able to survive for several days without any sort of nourishment. Sure, he did feel famished, but the moment he distracted himself with silly thoughts, Keiichi swore that he could almost push his hunger out of his mind. Pretty unusual for a man who was supposedly starving to death. Furthermore, there was no visible sign on his body that he was losing weight, getting sick, or generally speaking running out of energy due to the lack of nourishment.

"Wait a second! Could I be.. dead?" wondered Keiichi out loud, when the thought occurred to him. "I mean… it does explain some of the weirdness of this place. Then… is this really… afterlife? Because if that's the case, then it totally sucks!"

Metaphysical questions aside, Keiichi felt so frustrated by his helplessness at a time like this, that he desperately tried to come up with a little distraction to entertain himself with. Perhaps once he saved himself from the dullness of his current predicament, he would be able to think more clearly and come up with something else that might just do the trick and get him out of this situation. Sadly, with the forest and the lake being the only worth mentioning features of this otherwise empty space, Keiichi's only real option was to go and take a dip in the waters of that lake. It was hardly something he would normally do, being not terribly familiar with swimming, even after Belldandy and her family tried to teach him how to. Desperate times called for desperate measures however, and as such, Keiichi headed for the shore.

The surface of the water was so still that it could've been easily mistaken for glass. Without wind or wildlife to disturb it, the lake's water remain perfectly still, providing a serene yet eerie sight. In fact, had it been any darker here, Keiichi wouldn't like to be anywhere near the water as the atmosphere would've been too chilling for his liking. And as if that wasn't enough already, there was no sound in this place. On Earth it's practically impossible to find an outdoor environment that's totally quiet. There's always some sort of noise, be it natural or artificial, yet here the only thing to hear was the sound of his own breath and heartbeat. 'Hey, at least, I do have a heartbeat. That's something, right?...'

All of a sudden, Keiichi didn't quite feel the mood to jump into the water anymore, and instead searched around the forest's floor for a pebble to skip across the lake. After all, this was probably the ideal place to try something like that, and soon enough he found what was looking for near the base of a large tree. Getting closer to shoreline once more, he aimed at the center of the lake, all while angling the pebble's flat side in such a fashion to maximize the number of skips. Then for the first time in days, he got a chance to actually use his muscles and threw the stone, watching it stir the water each time it made contact with it. And the sound of the pebble finally stopped skidding and sank into the lake, made him feel… oddly alive.

"Well, it's nice to hear something other than myself here, that's for sure. Perhaps another pebble is in order. Let's go find one first though." Content that at the very least he found something to do, Keiichi totally missed the faint glow coming out of the water's depths, or even the fact that the entire lake's surface became wrinkled with much bigger ripples that his tiny pebble was capable of making on its own.

"No, that's too flat… this one's too big… maybe that would… no, it's too heavy on one side…"

For a while, a pair of blue eyes started at this unexpected visitor with mixed disbelief and… hope. She's been alone for such a long period of time, that she had lost count of how many centuries it's been since the last time she met another soul. Sure, she was well aware that it is highly unusual for a mortal to have found his way in this confinement of hers, yet the fact remained: she was no longer alone. And if someone could get in, then getting out was a possibility as well.

Without further ado, the figure rose from the water, all while Keiichi turned around with a big smile on his face as he finally found an even better pebble that the one he tossed before. "This one should go much… furtheee~~eH?!" It was a scream so loud and high pitched that for a moment overwhelmed even the ears a goddess, who had no other option but to cover them with her hands.

"Ugh… not so loud, please. I've been asleep for so long, my poor ears weren't ready for this," the blonde goddess muttered, before adding barely loud enough for Keiichi to hear. "And neither my... eyes for that matter."

That statement left Keiichi confused for a moment, until he followed her gaze, and realized that his complete lack of attire didn't go unnoticed by her. "I'M SO SORRY!"

She was about to reply, when she saw him dive for the nearest bush that was large enough to provide some cover. However, she knew better than that, and tried to stop him, but to no avail. "No, wait! Not that one!"

"Ow!" came Keiichi's pained cry, when he found out that bushes aren't exactly a substitute for pillows when it came to diving onto them.

"That one's too prickly," finished the goddess, even much later than it would've been useful for the pained mortal to know. With a heavy sigh and a shake of her head, she fully emerged from the lake and gracefully glided across the water's surface. "Please stand still and wait for me to take a look at you."

"Uh… I'm fine, actually." chuckled Keiichi, as he still felt much more embarrassed than in pain from getting entangled by the bush's branches. Even so, the latter was still true, and not wanting to sound whiny, it was inevitable that he had to ask for a little help. "Although, I could use a hand if you don't mind. Oh, and maybe make some clothes for me?"

"One moment," she called, just as her feet made contact with the ground. But that's also when she realized how this human wasn't freaking out about her goddess abilities, or making a big deal about them as did people in the past. "Actually, I'm kind of curious. Do you come from an age where meeting a goddess isn't such an unusual event?"

"Far from it. I just happen to date one, so I can't exactly act all that surprised all the time," casually replied Keiichi, despite his predicament. Then again, by this point he's pretty used to weird situations, and this one was no less than the first time he was introduced to the immortal world. Except for the nudity bit, of course.

"Wait!... dating one? But, you're a-..." gasped the blonde, her jaw almost dropping at the sound of such an outrageous statement. "Tell me everything about it!"

"Sure, but… can you first get me out of here?"

"Oh, right! Just hold still for a moment!"

AN: I would like to thank everyone that has offered their feedback and support both here and on the Goddess Relief site.

There are a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.

First of all, I didn't wish to let Keiichi's fate remain uncertain until the next chapter is out, so here's a little bit of what actually happened to him. Don't worry, more will be revealed in the next chapter.

Also, I like to have characters act more in accord to their own agendas, rather than simply fill a certain role in the story. In this case you can see how Kaun's father is the type of person who can roll either way, depending on what course of action fits him better. Besides, you should actually expect that from a demon who knows what he's doing.

Finally, since this is the last chapter of the year, I'd like to wish you all a happy holiday, and I hope to see you again next year!