It's going to be interesting... I mean, without the 'big bad wolf' some really big things change. I won't mention them, since some of you might not have read the books.

Another weird(?) thing... Time and pages written. Hear me out here. Some of you have said I'm moving slowly. That's fine, I kinda am. Once I realized how slow, I started to set up events so I could do things like 'the week went by'. Accomplishing things in the background, without counting out every swing of the hammer.

In the books. Book 7 (the one we're in now) seems to take place over the course of like... a week? Where the first one I think takes up a month or so.

And the trip to Kyoto is book 9... so yeah. Big events crushed into short time spans.

Thankfully, Kodori (stupid Hermes...) is used to back to back crisis.

Anyhow... :)

Chapter 83

September 22

"I think I may be spoiled now." Akeno's first words of the morning as she stretched out slowly over the Cerberus fur.

I paused in mid stretch to look at her as she wiggled just enough to draw my eyes over her naked curves, "I'll make another one, just for you." I raised an eyebrow at her, then, "No sleeping in though. Still a school day." I bent down, put my palms to the floor and stood on my hands, "Could you turn those eggs over slowly?" I grumbled as my chin slid over the tops of my own exposed breasts, "Any bigger and I might hurt myself..."

"I hope these hatch." She giggled at me, putting her hands over them and turning them over, "They feel so... alive."

"I hope they hatch too. Mostly so I don't wake up with one of them exploding..."

"Can't a girl sleep in?" Delly mumbled from the back of Jiru, "You should be sleeping in too." She pointed an accusing finger at me, then rolled over, "Best patch of moss..."

"Blup." Jiru sprouted a single chamomile flower.

"So..." Akeno wiggled one last time against the fur, then sat up and stretched properly, "How are you feeling?"

"One of the many perks of being an adventurer, is that a good sleep will cure almost everything." I said, balancing on one hand, "Cuts, bruises, bite marks, bone fractures, scorch marks from someone starting your heart again..." I sighed and bent one leg down, gripped the floor with my toes, and stood up straight again to face her, "Thank you."

She smiled, "You won't do it again, will you?"

"And have my wife be disappointed with me?" I shivered, "I'll be more careful. I'll put some emergency supplies around, and never be alone when I do silly things like try and push a shard of demi-god out of my body."

"Good." She nodded.

"How about you?" I asked, making her blink in surprise, "Not hard to notice you've been a bit distant." I stopped her from turning away by cupping her chin with my thumb and index finger, a gentle yet inescapable hold.

"I don't know how to deal with this." She replied after a moment, "To forgive the man who wasn't there when we needed him most seems like an insult to my mother..."

I shook my head, seeing both their points of view. Baraqiel wanted to make amends for the tremendous guilt he felt in being absent. Akeno wanted to blame someone for the death of her mother.

"You don't need to pretend it never happened. But at least find out why." I let her go, "I mean... Look at me. I'm here, away from home, during a time of crisis. Seven children and a loving wife. I certainly didn't want this to happen, and I'm trying to get home, sure." I shook my head, "And I will be very very upset with the person who put me here, when I find out who."

She looked away, then then looked back a moment later, "Azazel."

"Hm?" That caught me off guard.

"Azazel is his leader. He might know why."

"He might..." I considered. I gave her shoulder a squeeze and nodded, "Just make sure to listen first."

She nodded, patting my hand then smiling, "Breakfast?"

"As the one who was terribly stupid, I submit to your wishes for the first meal of the day." I adopted that formal pose high class waiters had, with one arm bent at a right angle in front, the other held out as if to direct someone to a table.

"If you insist." She took the offered hand and leaned forward.

"Only if you tell people why there's no cookies later..."

"Get a room you two!" Delly grumbled, "Ohh chamomile."

"Good morning, Friend Kodori." Cime greeted as he slid off the back of the horse, "I hear you've had a busy couple of days."

"Between playing tourist with a Norse God, almost getting eaten by a giant wolf, and nearly killing myself for the sake of science... Yeah." I nodded, "Sorry no cookies today." I said to the Horse.

"snort."

"Now now, she's spoiled you so much already, another day without cookies won't kill you." Cime replied, "No biting the hat." He said a moment later as the big Nightmare tried for his hat.

"Speaking of. I actually met Sleipnir."

"Nice horse, wrong colour." Cime replied, patting his companion's neck, "Rumour has it you killed that wolf though."

"Old business first."

"Oh! Yes pardon me." He flipped open the saddle bags and pulled out a few wide, yet thin boxes. "Sign here please."

I signed, handed over the pen, then put the boxes down on the first clear workbench. Waving him inside, I popped the tape with a projected claw tip, "Thanks for cleaning up Shinkage." I greeted the big metal cat, who was just starting to roll over.

"Asia helped. And she put the glass away too."

"Well thank you both then." I replied, opening the boxes.

Wire brushes. Like the ones used for wool, with the stiff steel wires instead of the soft ones meant for dogs and cats (and foxes). Enough for a dozen people. "I'm going to have to ask for help, brushing all the loose fur off that giant wolf pelt." I said.

Cime's eyes widened, "Seriously... You did, didn't you..."

"I had help." I offered a hand for one of my tails to perch on, but they didn't offer themselves, since I had one of the new brushes in the other hand, "And people think I'm crazy for talking to them like they're different people."

"Where is Delly?" Shinkage asked.

"Training the spider."

"Ah, I did see that, when I visited the mists." Cime nodded, "Some call them lesser, others know better." He grinned, "Certainly the best place to have a wild party."

"Or a hunt?" I smiled.

"Wouldn't that be an interesting idea..." He looked to the horse, "Maybe the next time one happens, I can join in." He left the workshop and got back on the horse, "Good luck.

"Thank you." I waved, waited for them to turn and clop out of sight, then looked to Shinkage, "Why do you ask?"

"I've been told, to tell you, that you are to have an assistant here who has proper thumbs, at all times."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I am to report it. This may have many side effects, such as raised eyebrows, weaponized puppy eyes, disappointed adjusting of glasses, and a sudden lack of volunteers to brush your tails."

"Really?"

"Someone suggested I sit on you, but then you'd just carry me around on your back or something and work anyhow."

"Maybe I'll build a body for you, with proper hands?"

"It's bad enough I have to think about how you can walk around with so much water in you, and not get distracted by the sloshing noises."

Until lunch, I kept my activities to non-magical pursuits. Tending the phoenix(?) eggs, working on my armour (without the forge), and all the other little things I could be doing without the use of magic. This was a compromise with Shinkage, who admitted that I'd been doing this kind of thing since before we met, and thus could do it without danger.

At lunch, my first assistant arrived.

"Saji." I greeted, lifting my head and powering down a belt sander, "Hida? How's this?" I put the sanded plate of hybrid adamant/ko-steel into the light of the holo-projector.

"Hm." She replied, the signal for me to shift its position slightly so she could 'look' at it from another angle, "Perfect!" A pause, "Who's this guy?"

Saji paused, a pair of safety glasses not quite in place, "Oh, I'm Saji." He looked at me, "Wow... Is she really a program?"

"I wonder about that myself." I replied.

"Hi Saji!" Hida replied without seeming to hear the byplay, "I'm HIDA! The Holographic Interactive Designer who's Adorable!"

"Pleased to meet you." Saji bowed, getting an 'aww shucks' from Hida, "This is for you." He turned to me, unslung a backpack from one shoulder and setting it down on a clear workstation. I waited until he opened it, and leaned over to peer inside. "This is all we could find around the battlefield from two nights ago."

Magic stones. LOTS of them. I hadn't realized how many flying swords Loki had brought in, but if it was this many... "This is amazing, and terrible." I got a container, and we started scooping them out of the bag carefully. "Most of these are too small to be from a normal flying sword." My gold tail made ready, but I managed to not swear, "He's probably got a nest of them, second generation monsters..."

"You said that was a 'worst case' didn't you?" Saji asked.

"Yeah. I have no idea how he's controlling them. But with this many, and the variety in crystal size... Gonna have to tell Odin." I put the crystals away, "Good news is now I can make all kinds of potions, and jam, since I won't be using berries."

"I like that idea." Saji grinned.

"I suppose you're also my assistant for the afternoon?"

"Do you pay in jam?"

"Suppose I could."

"Then yes I am. I also have something to report."

"Get settled in, and tell me about it while we work."

While I worked on etching enchantments, carefully chiselling giant wolf bone, and working on a new back plate for my armour, Saji told me about his meeting.

A meeting with him, Issei, Vali, Tannin and Azazel, to combine their power and summon the consciousness of the Midgard Serpent, the sleeping dragon Midgardsormr. It was understandable that it would be a huge monster, but apparently it was roughly six times the size of the Great Red.

As the name suggested, getting even the 'awareness' of the sleeping dragon to say anything was a bit of a chore, but in the end, they'd managed to get some information from it. It spoke of elves and dwarves, and how they had made many magic items for such things. Like Gleipnir, the chain made of the softest things that could bind the strongest monsters, like Fenrir. But they had also crafted 'god slaying' items too. And suggested trying to borrow Thor's hammer.

"Then he went back to sleep." Saji finished, "It was crazy just how... yeah... I mean sure, I'm a devil, and even been to the underworld, but even that was just..."

"Like your logical mind wanted to say 'I quit'?" I asked.

"Pretty much." He laughed, "Azazel-san says he has something planned for me... I'm kind of terrified honestly."

"He's a weird guy, but I'm getting the impression he really is just doing this for fun, and not from ill intentions."

"You say that, but Issei told me about his training over the summer."

"Just wait until I get you all into the new training room." I grinned, cracking my knuckles, "Speak of the... well suppose it wouldn't be devil, would it..."

Azazel's shadow fell over the entrance of the workshop, "So much for sneaking up on you." He shrugged, "Saji." He grinned, "It is now after school. Hope you have your affairs in order."

Saji gave me a pleading look, so I handed him one of my new emergency bottles of potion pills (required to be in the shop at all times now as part of the 'stop Kodori from accidentally killing herself' safety plan.) "Best I can do."

"So mean, Sensei..." He sighed.

"Don't worry." Azazel grinned, "Make sure to go to the meeting tomorrow morning, sensei." He said to me.

I nodded, "Hm, you're taking my assistant away."

"It's for a good cause." He grinned, the two of them vanishing.

"Suppose I'll just go back to hammering this into shape..."

"Hey Boss." Delly greeted me as soon as I walked into my room. "What do you think?"

Atop the counter, was Delly and the spider. They were both doing a 'and here's your prize' pose next to the bamboo lattice I'd set up for the spider to hopefully spin web on.

And boy had it ever...

The entire thing, almost a square metre in all, was covered with an dense spiral patterned web, much like you'd see just about anywhere. The strands glistened slightly in the light of the room, and hardly moved with the air as the door closed.

"This is an amazing start." I said, "Thank you Delly." I gave her tiny shoulder a pat, then, "You too." I said to the spider, "Extra cricket for you."

Delly grinned, then gave the spider a high-five/leg, and fetched a cricket from the spider food box, "Who's an awesome spider?"

'tap tap!' went the little spider legs.

"That's right!" She tossed a cricket at him, and it was caught handily, "Anything else new Boss?"

"Big meeting tomorrow morning. My armour is done enough to wear. Without the control crystals or the like." I motioned to the web with chopstick and looked for the 'end' of it, "But aside from turning it into, 'an imitation sacred gear', it's done... mostly."

"Mostly?" Her head moved in small circles as I very carefully unwound the huge web onto a spool.

"Well, since I'm not going to experiment on something without an assistant..."

"I do know how to work a phone." She nodded, shaking her head and wobbling as if dizzy.

"Good. Just don't tell anyone I'm going to be staying up all night to do this."

"I've actually promised not to let you stop me from telling people you skip sleep." She put her hands on her hips.

"Good. But I'm going to anyhow." I looked at the spider, "You can go to sleep though. No sneaking out of your home while I'm not here."

Again, Delly looked to the spider, and I swear, the fist sized critter looked like it was pouting as it skittered over to its terrarium, hopped over the top, and crawled into the plastic log I'd put in there for it to hide in.

"Now I feel bad." I mumbled, putting the glass top on the enclosure.

"Show a little trust." Delly said, "I told you, he's a good spider."

I looked back and forth between the two of them, and took the glass top off again. A moment later, the spider popped out of his hiding spot, and did a little back and forth victory crab dance.

"We're going to be busy. Getting another one of those 'everything goes sideways' feelings, and I just got all the magic stones from the last fight." I went to the closet, "Let's see if Azazel was just pulling my leg, or being serious."

Between the two of us, a hundred pages of notes, a dozen chemistry sets, heaps of magic stones, Jiru the most excellent patch of moss ever, and an instant coffee pill (for me, NOT Delly... I had no idea what that much magical caffeine would do to someone her size)...

The first stage was done. The armour, version 1.0.1, (Completed, prototype, first modification, if you're wondering what the numbers were), was assembled, ready to wear, and waiting for the final stage, that being the conversion into something I could 'summon'. That would need more time, and a few more crystals, since I'd already changed the base form. That being the addition of some of Fenrir's bones to the striking points of the armour, as well as powdered bone to some of the more 'organic' of the enchantments.

And while I wouldn't be using all the features without testing them all first. As armour, it was done. While Delly slept happily on Jiru, I was finishing up the second or maybe third most important of the many many enchantments laced into every plate and rivet of the armour. The 'repair' function. From my understanding of what Azazel told me about 'transformative' sacred gear, even fake ones, each time you 'summoned' it, it would be like new. But, if it was damaged enough, it would take time to re-summon the next time, or even damage the 'control object'. Much like his 'fake dragon scale armour' did, with that dagger that he used to summon it. It could be repaired, and if you were bored, or clever enough, even that could have a 'repair' enchantment on it. But it would take heaps of magic power to repair, on or off the battlefield.

But, after Delly had gone to sleep, and before I started my quiet tap-tapping of the chisel to my armour, I made a call home.

September 23

"Lady Hestia... Sorry for the late call."

"I'm -yawn- still mad at you." She grumbled, "Bad enough that it's my turn in the children's room tonight..."

"Are they okay? Is everyone doing well?"

"Marius called in an extra... what did he call it? Century? Of soldiers. The city doesn't like it, but the guild is thankful for the extra help. Bell has been talking about an increase in irregular monsters... um..."

"Um?"

"Do you have any idea why Ganesha might be stupidly enthusiastic about growing mushrooms?"

I smiled, "Yes. I'll contact Him soon then." I shook my head a little, "I want you to mark the calendar for me... well, suppose it would be for yesterday, since it's so late now."

"I can... Why?"

"This used to be my home. But I had no real reference for this when I ended up over there. It was my birthday."

"Oh! Well hap... no?"

I lowered my hand, "No, it gave me a reference for twenty six days from now, when I arrived there in Orario." I smiled, "That's my birthday now."

"I will tell Haruhime. She's been wondering for a while now. Everyone has actually."

"Put it under 'solved' then." I nodded, "Um... Can I see them? You don't have to wake them, just... move so the crib is behind you?"

"I think I can forgive you enough to do that, sure." She smiled.

"Best Goddess Ever." I smiled, "Thank you."

Before I went to the Hyoudou home, I made sure to check on all the eggs, give the ones I was personally tending a hug, and did all my other usual early morning things. I didn't know how early they were meeting, but I figured six in the morning was a little too early.

I also made cookies. I won't lie, Akeno's breakfast request had me feeling the lightest I had in months. But I think I enjoyed people enjoying my cookies more than the personal attention.

I knelt next to Delly and Jiru, the now silver haired fairy snoring very quietly. Figuring it was too early to just wake her up, I picked her up, blanket and all, and let her continue sleeping in the crook of my arm. "Thanks again Jiru." I made sure to give Jiru's back a slow brush with my hand.

"blup." He replied quietly, growing a single lavender flower.

I went to fetch Shinkage, and after a little banter Delly woke up and got the two of us hidden from normal eyes. We then made our way to the Hyoudou house.

"Sensei." Kiba was waiting outside the Hyoudou mansion, leaning against the wall next to the gate. "You're a little early still."

"Ran out of things to do that didn't require a second person."

"I should have taken that bet." Shinkage rumbled, "Kiba."

"A lost opportunity, Shinkage." Kiba smiled, "If you wanted to come in, and perhaps spar with me in the training room?"

I hadn't bothered putting on the new armour, since I figured this was only a meeting, and not a gathering before attacking. But as usual, I had my armoured coat on, "Sure, its been a while since we sparred."

To anyone who wasn't supernatural, or exceptionally gifted, I would have imagined anyone looking at Kiba and I spar, would have thought someone had hit the X8 fast forward button. It felt good to move at just below the speed of sound, and still feel like you could go faster, if you really wanted to. Before I left Orario, this is where Bell and I were. A pair of tornadoes bouncing off each other. I wondered, and hoped, that Bell was still growing as fast as he was before all this. Not just because I knew he would need that power, but because I wanted him to continue being my rival.

As it was, I was almost sure I could keep up with Ais now. I knew she could use her sword, that simple yet deadly fencing blade, at the speed of sound. But I'd never seen her get truly serious.

As Kiba and I sparred, others started showing up inside the barrier space. First it was Xenovia, who switched with Kiba for a while. Issei and the girls showed up shortly afterwards, fighting by seeing how much of Issei they could get between their cleavage while they walked. Poor Koneko looked like she'd accepted defeat though not gracefully. Asia was still 'holding on' clinging to Issei's lower arm, around the wrist, while Akeno claimed his upper arm, and Rias his other side.

Irina showed up a moment or two later, yawning, pausing in mid yawn, then yelling at Xenovia to switch with her. My reply to this was a very short 'why switch?' and I started to spar with them both at the same time.

Five minutes later, Sona and her entire peerage showed up, took one look at me now sparring with both knights and Irina, and for some reason suddenly looked more enthusiastic to be there. With an "If we may join in?" from Sona, I suddenly found myself facing two knights, one queen, one angel in training, a pair of bishops, two rooks and a pawn.

"What's all the noise about?!" Azazel's voice cut through the noise, and the entire room froze. He and Rossweisse were standing well off on the sidelines, one with a look of mild annoyance, the other looking like she wanted to join in.

My body was woven between three swords, a spear, a fist and a leg. Shinkage paused in mid-nibble of a magical chain. Delly's aura of lightning fizzled out. Asia's green glow winked out, and someone got a face full of water as Sona stopped her motion.

"What does it look like?" I asked, pushing weapons and limbs away lightly, "I thought this was supposed to be an early morning meeting?"

"It's still before noon. Technically still morning." Azazel sighed, "You make me feel old."

"Now that you are here, Azazel-san." Sona started, reaching out a hand to pull the moisture poor Kiba had gotten soaked with and putting it into one of her water pouches, "Please explain what is important enough to need to send our familiars to school in our place?"

"I really hope mine doesn't go chasing squirrels again..." Maki sighed.

"Before we get to planning, I have something from the All Farter for the Red Dragon Emperor." Azazel nodded to the Valkyrie, who approached Issei, "I can't believe he had something like this, even less that some dragon who does nothing but sleep knew about it."

I only caught a glimpse of it, but it looked like one of those mini Mjolnir (Thor's hammer for those who can't pronounce that) pendants. Issei accepted it, and looked at it as it rested in the palm of his hand.

"It's only a replica, but it should be almost as powerful as the original. For those of you who aren't Sensei," He smirked at me, "Mjolnir is the hammer that Thor wields. Thor being the Norse god of Thunder."

"Is it really that great?" Issei asked, "It looks really good though."

"Lord Odin is trusting you with this." Rossweisse said, stepping back, "Put your aura into it."

Issei closed his hand around the pendant and took a deep breath. With sudden 'foomp', he was now holding a three metre long sledge hammer. The head looked to be made of densely inscribed metal, with all kinds of Celtic knot work, while the shaft was tightly wrapped in leather. Just as legends described though, the head of the hammer was far too big for the length of the shaft.

It also seemed to be just as heavy as it looked, because an instant later, Issei nearly fell over with the hammer as the huge mallet head slammed into the floor, cracking it, "Whoa! Just how heavy is this thing?" He got both hands around the shaft and tried to lift it.

"Hey now!" Azazel sighed, "Too much power, dial it down a little."

"Oh..." He took another breath, then let it out slowly, the hammer shrinking down to something more manageable, like something you'd buy from the hardware store, though the head of it was still too big. "Still really heavy..." He held it in both hands, close to his body, "How do you even swing something like this?"

He was struggling to hold it at all, but managing, "Oh? Not bad." Azazel nodded, "You shouldn't have too much trouble if you use that in Balance Breaker. But as you are now, it's probably more dangerous to you than anyone else." He looked at the floor, "It might be a replica, but it holds God level lightning."

"Nyaa!" with that weird bleeding eye effect, Arthur Bikou Kuroka and Vali step into the room, "You guys started without us!"

Bikou looked around, "I missed my lesson, didn't I... Damnit Vali, drink your coffee faster next time!"

"Ah, the scent of honest training and hard work." Arthur nodded, "I see the Red Dragon Emperor has received his gift."

"Bite me." Vali grumbled, "It's Kuroka's fault my alarm didn't go off."

Azazel sighed, "Going to have to work on barrier security again, aren't I..."

Issei tried to move the hammer around, getting a feel for it, "Urg... the balance is terrible."

"Wait wait!" Rossweisse held up a hand, "Don't swing that around carelessly!"

"Baraqiel managed to make it so even you could use it, but if you drop that you'll leave a crater." Azazel agreed.

"I wonder if Sensei could use this?" Issei looked at me, "I mean, it's a hammer right?"

I blinked at him, then felt myself smiling, "I'm... now I'm wondering too... Can I borrow that later?"

"Sensei." Sona said seriously, "You are already at the limit of the soundproofing we've installed on your shop. Any more and there will be complaints."

People laughed as I pouted.

"But if you were to find a more remote place, perhaps if you asked nicely." Sona finished.

"Don't encourage her." Azazel laughed, "Hey Vali, why not ask the All Farter to lend you something too? I'm sure he could come up with something."

"Why? I'm only interested in mastering my own power. I'm after something else entirely."

He didn't elaborate, but I could tell Issei took Vali's words seriously.

"Oh right, Bikou." Azazel turned to look at Bikou, who pointed at himself as if to say, 'who? Me?' "I've got a message for you actually."

"I suppose I don't have a fixed address, who's it from?" He asked.

Azazel's voice changed to that of a 'grumpy old man' "As soon as I find you, I'm going to beat the crap out of you!" His voice returned to normal, "It was from the Shodai, him and Yu-long have been looking for you."

Bikou's usual easygoing manner dissolved instantly, his face going pale, his forehead beading with sweat.

"Isn't the Shodai supposed to be the first generation Sun Wukong?" Issei mumbled, getting a bunch of surprised looked from almost everyone, "What? ... Sensei keeps talking about all these people she's never met, so I started looking things up too."

"Ara... Strong and smart?" Akeno smiled.

"His marks in history have been improving." Sona nodded.

"You know, I've been wondering what your homeland is like." Vali smiled at his friend's discomfort, "Maybe I could meet with Yu-long and the first Sun Wukong."

That snapped Bikou from what might have been a waking nightmare, "No way Vali, don't even try it. He's mastered senjutsu and youjutsu, and even if he's old, he's still active." Bikou pointed to me, "She might be able to entertain him for more than a few seconds. The rest of us? Nope."

For a moment, I wondered just how well I'd do. Then I thought about how Takemikazuchi still tossed me around like a rag doll back home.

"Anyhow. Message delivered." Azazel nodded, "Let's go over the plan."

We all gathered around, "First, we will lure Loki out. It won't be hard, considering he wants to kill Sensei, and disrupt the talks Odin is having." Azazel started. "When he shows up, Sona and her group will move everyone to a different location. This will contain the damage that's sure to happen with a fight like this."

"We have already laid the ground work for the spell. All it will need is a little push." Sona nodded.

Azazel nodded approval, "The place will be an old quarry. It's fallen to ruin, so at worst, you might uncover new stone worth mining." He laughed, "The two dragons," He pointed to Issei and Vali, "Will confront Loki directly."

"Try to keep up." Vali grinned.

"Of course." Issei nodded.

"If what Sensei says is true, we can expect monsters from that little book of hers. You've all read it by now, so be sure to double check your equipment." Azazel looked to me.

"Me and my alchemy kits have been working at full capacity. I'll hand out healing, mana and antidote potions to each of you. Treated dust masks too, just in case." I added.

"We don't know what else he's bringing, but at the end of the day, he's still a god. One who has a long history of being a trickster." Azazel continued, "If he's been planning on taking down Odin, we can be sure he's got something other than Fenrir to help him do the job."

"What of Saji-kun?" Sona asked.

"He's still under my care." Azazel nodded, "He'll be ready for the battle."

"Very well.

"His ability as a supporter is what I'm focusing on. With his fragment of Vritra, he has the potential to be quite useful." Azazel explained to us, "He's currently in the Fallen Angel's territory furthering his education at the Grigori institute. I'd been thinking that he'd only need a day to train, but with how pissed off Loki seemed, I figured I'd give him as much time as I could."

"I will be sure to give him his missed lessons." Sona nodded.

"Right. So the end goal, is to subdue Loki, and keep Odin from harm. Sensei? Anything to add?" Azazel looked around for raised hands, then looked to me.

"The monsters of my home are able to bypass the protections of the gods there. I don't know if that applies here in this world, but if Odin's safety is priority one, then keep that in mind." I said after a moment of thought, "Is anyone else coming?"

"Oh, Old man Tannin will be there too." Azazel added, "He's the one who found the spot we'll be using."

"Oh? Tannin-san will be there?" Issei said excitedly, "I wonder what it looks like to watch him fight." A pause, "You know... when I'm not the one being chased around."

"The plan is for tomorrow night. Try and be ready for anything." Azazel said, "I suggest you try and figure out that hammer, Issei."

"Good thing you have a big training room." I gave Issei a pat on the shoulder, "If anyone has any requests for equipment, potions, or general advice, now is the time." I looked around the room, "I'll be in the shop."

I got a bunch of nods.

"Right, time to clear the field." I said, using the command words to exit the barrier space training hall.

I had just gotten settled into the shop when Rossweisse arrived. Shinkage was stalking next to her, and Delly sat on her shoulder. "It's not like the forges back home. But I've seen your work among the others, it's quite impressive." She started, "May I enter, Kodori of Kuoh?

"Only if you treat me as an equal." I replied, giving Shinkage a pat on the head as he went by me, "Just Kodori, please." I offered my hand to shake, "Enter and be welcome."

"Told you so." Delly said to her, abandoning her perch and buzzing over to me, standing on my shoulder and flopping over the top of my head, "Not quite as comfortable as Jiru, but still a great place to nap." She gave one of my ears a scratch with her tiny hands.

"Proper behaviour is important, at all times." She nodded, shaking my hand.

"If only Lord Odin would comply, huh?" I watched as she looked around the shop, "Know how to use any of this stuff?"

"Hm? No. It was never part of the training." She shook her head, picking up a fine grit file from its hanging place, "I know how to maintain my sword and armour, but little else."

I nodded, being much the same until Welf convinced me to try a hammer, "What brings you by? Aside from escorting my two friends?"

"I am... concerned. Not just for what we are about to do, but what you may have set in motion." She put the file back, then looked at me, "Lord Odin's safety is my only concern, but seeing you not only kill one of Loki's most powerful offspring makes me question his safety in your presence."

"Since I am an unknown, who has dozens of rumours about her and how she deals with things that annoy her?" I replied, "If I wasn't used to this kind of thing, I'd be offended."

"Yes, though offending you was not my intention. Only to make my own motives clear."

"That's fair. Then I will reply in kind. You've heard my situation?"

"Yes. The broad strokes have been given to me." She nodded, "A mother from another world, who is trying to get back. I've also read your book."

"While I am away from my family, I am treating Rias, her peerage, Sona, and her peerage, as my family. It started as a simple way to operate. Rias gave me a place to live, work, study, and build on possible ways to get home. Now, I'm far too... invested in them all, to just turn away." I looked to Shinkage, then back to Rossweisse, "Loki threatened my family, so I protected them. I don't particularly care if it was 'heavy handed'."

"I understand." She nodded, "I'm actually quite relieved to hear that."

"Good we have an understanding. I've actually been meaning to talk to you as well." I moved over to my 'special' safe.

"Oh?" She blinked at me.

"You said my work was impressive. Well, how would you like a proper suit of armour? That metal bikini garbage you wear is just begging for something sharp someplace soft."

"Hey!" She pouted, "It looks really good on me though... I was hoping to get the attention of my knight in shining armour..."

I shook my head, "Some men like a woman who's smart enough not to invite being stabbed. Not everyone knows a good alchemist to get rid of scars." I put my hand on the safe, "Aside from that, there's something I want you to try. See if you can get any use out of it."

I fed the safe the right amount of mana, my fingers on the correct runes so it wouldn't set off the 'you'll be sorry' enchantments Sona and her crew had put on it. "Oh? What's that?"

"I've got..." I had about a half second of warning, as the mana I was feeding into the safe started to push back against me, the surface of the safe glowing a sudden bright red.

NOTES!

At least it wasn't dropped on her? See you in 5 days.

Oh, and Star Wars was pretty good. Don't listen to the haters. I went into the movie expecting a Star Wars movie, and I got one. :)

Also, I'm going to have a little homework for you all next update!