Answers to reviewers statements or questions

Flamingp0tat0: Pierce is currently as strong as an Average Ultimate-Class being. If push came to shove, he could fight a Satan Class being but he'll more then likely lose if he doesn't try to end it fast. He's far from facing Chief God-Class beings like Zeth or an incredibly powerful Great Yokai like Shuten.

Gobert600: She will return soon. Pierce will get his Devil Maid don't you worry.

Chapter 36: Civil War Season

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD and the fact I have said that for 37 chapters is actually incredible. I figured I would have run out of ideas at this point. Thank Ichiei for being wrong. The OCs belong to me.

Speech – "Hey, I'm Pierce."

Inner Speech – 'Neat'

Thoughts – 'I'm dead.'

Spells – "Jumon"

2 Days Later, London

"So you guys just…talked?" Aindrea asked with a strange expression and I nodded.

"Pretty much."

"For the whole night?"

"Yep."

"…"

"…"

"…Really?"

"Aindrea, he's told you what happened multiple times, just accept it." Vargas said as he walked in front of us. Aindrea wasn't satisfied from the way he scowled (though it's hard to tell since he's always scowling) and asked me to clarify one more time.

"Look man, we went to a nice picnic spot, exchanged life stories and had an overall good time. Nothing steamy happened if that's what you're asking."

"So you had a date with the Sun Goddess of the Japanese Kami and didn't even try to make a move?" Aindrea asked and I snorted.

"I don't kiss and tell on the first date."

"…We kissed on our first date." Melissa furrowed her brows but I held up a finger.

"Ah, you kissed me. That's different."

"…And when you kissed me before we even dated?" Maven asked with crossed arms and I smirked.

"I didn't tell, did I?" I laughed at the collective groans I got. The team and I walked along the busy capital of England, having just finished our time in Japan. The final day of the festival was an all out party with every Yokai Clan coming to the Grand Shrine of the Shinto Gods. The Shinto Gods mingled among the Yokai population, doing different games and events with each clan. Being the winner of the Youma Tournament, many Yokai Clan leaders came forward to meet me and congratulated me on my victory. Some leaders actually started to pitch their daughters as a way to get me into their clan though I barely heard them as I was more focused on the variety of food they had at the tables. Fusao came along and shooed away the leaders soon after.

At some point in the party, Shinen came forward with her matriarch and it went like I expected. Magari was not going to allow the most promising Nekoshou from her clan to become my vassal but she did offer me to come visit the Nekomata clan and they would treat me as an honored guest. While a part of me wanted to explain how I wanted Shinen to join my mercenary group, I instead asked the Nekoshou for her magic signature and planned to have her join in the future.

'I really need to get to work on an actual system for my Association.' I kept in contact with Dean since I met the young Devil and he's been doing well for himself. Helping him set up a main base in Constantinople with Safiye's assistance, the Devil has traveled the world and has gained a decent level of experience. Apparently, Liam became bored with the Sultan's Palace after the whole thing with Froid and had chosen to go traveling with the Devil (they were now somewhere in Russia, being temporary body guards for some traveling merchant). While I did have plenty of time when it came to my life span, finding people for management should be done as soon as possible. Having a rough idea on where to start, we came to our destination. "Yo Thallo, how's it going?" I called out to the Olympian gate keeper when we entered and she lifted her head with a smile.

"Hello Pierce, everything has been alright. How was the festival?"

"It was really fun; you should take a vacation next time and come with us."

"I'll try." Thallo answered and stood up to open the gate for us. As Adrian and Vargas stepped through the portal, I rubbed my space ring.

"Here, I got this for you." I held out the souvenir I got for the gate keeper and she gingerly took it. It was an ornate Wind Chime that I got from a Yokai stand. Like every product sold there, it had a magical effect so that the chimes clinked in a musical tune depending on the mood of the nearest being. After a lot of pestering, I learned Thallo did indeed have a hobby and it was collecting Wind Chimes from across the globe. She observed the chime before walking over and hanging it along with two other chimes from Asia.

"Thank you, I love it." Thallo said and I nodded before turning to enter the portal. "Wait, I actually have something to give you too." I watched Thallo go behind the desk she always sat at and take out a black notebook. She walked up and held it out for me. Curious, I took the book and rolled it over but I couldn't find a title.

"What is this?" I asked in confusion and she gained a bashful look.

"That's my first draft of the story I'm writing. Forgive me but I used you as inspiration for my main character. I hope you don't mind." I tilted my head at that and observed the book.

"So you want me to give you my opinion on it?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble." I shrugged and accepted the request, not seeing a problem with it. Thallo became happy at my words before appearing hesitant. "I-I also have one more thing to ask."

"What?" I asked as Thallo shuffled under my gaze and steeled her features.

"Please let me read your story."

"…Eh?" What story? My unspoken question went unanswered as Thallo kept speaking.

"I know you said you were still at the beginning and you probably haven't had the time to work on it since you were training but I would really like to read it. Your unique idea gave me the drive write my own story so please…allow me the honor to read it." Thallo asked and I stood there gob smacked. Memories about speaking with her about the Butterfly Theory and my promise to allow her to read my nonexistent story started coming back. We stood there in silence for a minute and I gave my answer.

"Okay." I do not know what possessed me to say that. Maybe it was the fact that Thallo was asking with the purest aura I've ever seen on a person. Maybe it was because I didn't want to let down a close friend on a promise, no matter how random it was.

Or maybe it was because the moment I said yes, Thallo perked up in way that matched the adorableness of a small puppy. Regardless, I stiffly stepped through the gate as Thallo walked back to her post with a skip in her step.

My guilt kept growing as the Wind Chimes clinked musically to the gate keeper's improved mood.

Top of Olympus, Pierce's Room

My room had gotten a couple of upgrades since my first time arriving in Olympus. Like every room in the domain of the Gods, they can be manually shifted in size and design to fit the owner's needs. I never bothered with the functions early on because I was always going out to fight the Generals or to explore. It's only when I started my training in the Elysian Fields that I increased the size of my room and added certain aspects. A king sized bed, a high end kitchen, a section of the room that acted as a miniature library and a bathroom that looked like it belonged to a six star suite in modern times. Maven had a hand in making the library since she supplied the books and when she slept in my room, she didn't feel like walking back to hers. The mage in question was currently using a desk to mix potions together while Melissa was taking a nap on my bed; using Jade and Denki as pillows (the cloud fur on the Yokai was as soft as one).

"…Well aren't you all comfortable." Athena entered the room and said with a raised brow. The Goddess of Wisdom, in a rare event, had chosen not to don her armor and was wearing a tasteful white dress I got her from the festival. The dress hugged the Goddess' womanly physique and enhanced her already gorgeous body.

"Hey Athena, what rhymes with Dakin?" Getting a confused "Hakon?", I thanked the Goddess and worked on the second chapter of my story. I started writing when I arrived to my room and it was easier than I thought. Using my past life's name for the main character in my book, I wrote about a man that was trapped in a video game world where superpowers existed and had to grow stronger to eventually match the "true" main character that may or may not turn evil (I was having more fun than I thought I would). "So what's up?"

"I came to see how you were doing after the festival…that and Amaterasu wanted me to check up on Denki." Athena said with a smile and rubbed the head of the Yokai, sparks streaking across its fur. I snorted.

"It's only been a day since I left with it, what could happen to it in that-" I stopped when the women in the room (sans the napping Melissa) gave me a deadpan. "…Oh nevermind." Athena rolled her eyes when I grumpily returned to writing and walked over to sit next to me. The Goddess started to ask me questions on my fight against the Kushihashi Heir and how I felt using my Forbidden Spell in real combat. She pleasingly nodded when I told her that I had a firm control of the spell throughout the fight and was strong enough to cast it again in my final match.

"Good, I was worried since our sparring never went beyond love taps but I'm glad you could handle it." When I heard her say that, I wanted to comment how those "love taps" could probably leave a High Class Rook bruised but held it back. Instead, I blankly stared at the Goddess for a second before returning to my writing. For her part, she didn't say anything about my pause and relaxed in her chair. Getting the Goddess of Wisdom to help me on the book while she was here, Melissa woke up with a start and stretched in a very feline manner.

"Have a good nap?" I asked as her leopard tail swayed back and forth slowly.

"Yep! Nothing like sleeping in an Olympian bed to make me forget about being tortured by my parents for an entire week."

"And three days at a festival doesn't?"

"That helped but this really is the finishing touch." Melissa said and Athena snorted.

"Well then, you can thank my father for that. If there's one thing that man is good at its enjoying life and he had Olympus modified over the years to fit his forte." While the Goddess said that with a resigned sigh, I could still feel the underlying pride she had for the God King of Olympus. Years of debauchery in his early life aside, Zeus has made a real attempt to right the wrongs of his past and be a true leader to his people (something Athena has brought up more than once). Knowing that the leader of Olympus eventually enters the Isolation Field to fight Trihexa to protect the world and the fact that he's one of the few gods that wants to make peace with the rest of the supernatural factions, I fully believed Athena's claim.

"I mean it's no superior Magic like the Norse or great Spiritual energy like the Shinto but yeah, heavenly beds are pretty impressive." But that didn't stop me from making snarky remarks. I smiled as Athena glared at me.

"You're an ass."

"Just saying how it is." I shrugged. "Am I wrong?" Athena motioned to say something but stopped and fell into thought; brainstorming what else Olympus was known for. A minute passed of silence and by the end of it, Athena's face was bright red. "Well then…" I lifted my legs onto my desk and went back to writing, a smug look all over my face.

"You know Lady Athena; I think Pierce would improve from some…light sparring after using his new spell." I blinked as Melissa's words reached my ears and I turned to see the innocent look on her face.

"Huh?" Athena's eyes shined at the suggestion.

"Why that's a great idea! I didn't want to over strain you since it was a recently discovered Strengthening Spell but from what I heard of your fight, we obviously haven't reached your full capabilities!"

"W-Wait what? What's going on here?" I asked in confusion and Maven nodded in agreement.

"It's for the best. Knowing your limit will help you for future battles and improvements."

"…" I narrowed my eyes at the women in the room and crossed my arms. "Oh…I see what's happening here."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Ignoring the glint in Athena's eyes showing she was enjoying this, I sneered.

"To suddenly join forces to corner me is quite smart, I will admit that. But you will never get me to apologize! I regret nothing! You hear me!? Nothing!...On a completely unrelated note, did I mention that dress looks amazing on you." I added and the Goddess of Wisdom rolled her eyes, standing up under my nervous gaze.

"Before I forget, I came to tell you all to get ready for later. A messenger from Asgard will arrive and they have information about Zeth's plans."

"Who's the messenger?"

"The Chief Valkyrie, Brynhildr." We became surprised, not expecting it to be someone we knew. We were to arrive in the Meeting Hall in a couple of hours and wait for the Chief Valkyrie. "She plans to bring a couple others with her as well so be prepared." Having told us what to do, I stood up and nodded.

"Got it we'll be there." I said with conviction and walked passed Athena…right to the door of the room. A soft hand grabbed my arm.

"Are you forgetting something?" Athena grinned at the way I started to sweat again.

"O-Oh, right. The training. Here's the thing, it's getting late and I-"

"It's 12 in the afternoon." The Shadow Leopard interrupted. "Plenty of time until Brynhildr arrives. Don't you think?"

"Indeed."

"…" I stared at the teasing looks sent from my girlfriends before looking at the beautiful smile on Athena's face. Then I chuckled. "Sorry, it's just funny." I said when I saw their confused expressions. "This is the first time I've seen you guys like this…It's nice to see my girls working together, even if it's to get back at me for my big mouth." I got blank stares after staying that, which quickly turned to bashful looks and I gave an amused smile at the new mood in the room. Melissa curled up embarrassment while Maven went back to reading, acting like her face wasn't bright pink. The biggest reaction however, was from Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom didn't turn red or stutter, hell she didn't even flinch. But for the first time since I met her, I actually felt her aura and I figured out why.

My words shocked her so much; she unintentionally let down her aura concealment (I never asked her to show me her aura during training). Athena quickly collected herself and put it back up but it was too late. I already burned the wave of emotions I felt from the Goddess's aura into my brain and from the look she gave me, she knew it too.

No amount of mountain busting punches or lightning fast kicks sent my way in the spar could get the stupid grin off my face.

5 Hours Later, Meeting Hall

Everyone was gathered around a large round table that was made of marble, lounging about as we waited for the guests from Asgard. Besides the usual member of the party, some of the Olympians Gods chose to join us. Apollon played a gentle tune on his harp to pass the time as Demeter spoke to Maven and Samantha. I could hear them talking about magic theories and the like before Aphrodite approached me. The Goddess of Beauty sat on the chair next to me and stared at me accusingly (to my confusion).

"What did you do?" Quirking a brow to her question, Aphrodite elaborated. "Athena's has been out of it since you sparred with her this morning. What did you say to her?" Now understanding the problem, I told of her of the Goddess's reaction to my words earlier. "Well that explains why she can't seem to focus for more than five minutes. I swear with how lost she looked; I bet Artemis could finally successfully prank her. Zeus knows she's been trying for centuries." Giving a small smile at her banter, I looked at the Goddess of Beauty and hesitated before asking her something that was on my mind.

"Hey, she's not mad at me for what I said, is she?" From what I knew of Athena and the time we spent together, I doubted she got angry over that. We flirted plenty times before but this was the first time she reacted like that. 'Did I cross a line somewhere?'

"It's not you, believe me. She's just trying get a handle on her feelings; it's been a good long while since she's had to do so." Aphrodite explained and I accepted that, remembering what Athena told about her past lovers. Contrary to popular belief (and established myth), Athena was not a Virgin Goddess. Maybe in a bygone age where Zeus was a controlling tyrant and she was a young Goddess trying to keep her father happy, Athena has been with several men over the years but they never lasted. Her last lover passed a century or so ago and she's never taken another since then. "Give her time, she'll come around." I made a weird face at the way the Goddess tried to comfort me.

"You don't find it off putting that your sister has feelings for a man that's in a relationship with three other women?" I asked, curious about Aphrodite's thought process and her response surprised me.

"I want Athena to be happy Pierce. Being a daughter to the rulers of the Greek Pantheon is not as glorious as you think, emotionally anyway. Much of her younger years was spent following around our father, during his "golden years". She abandoned a lot of things like friends and fun for him until she realized it wasn't worth it. When she did get out of his shadow, her reputation was already set and that made getting out there hard. Along with the majority of her relationship experience coming from this family…it's honestly a miracle she turned out the way she is today." Aphrodite made a wry smile after her speech.

"And you think I can make her happy?"

"…You're a good man. Flawed, like everyone else but at least you own up to it. I know if it came down to it, you'd do anything to keep her happy. That's all I can ask for." The Goddess of Beauty stopped at that and we stared at each other, our eyes never leaving the other. After a long moment, I leaned back against my chair and gave a fond smile.

"You really are an awesome sister, you know that?" Aphrodite scuffed.

"Well someone has to be. Imagine if Demeter or Artemis did it, now that'd just be a disaster." Said Goddess of Agriculture turned her head when she heard her name.

"What?" We chuckled at Demeter's confusion. We didn't have to wait too long in the hall before Athena arrived with four people behind her. Brynhildr and Gunhild came up her left, smiling at the people gathered in the room. The team stood up and came forward to say our hellos, glad to see the two Valkyries again.

"Got to admit, I didn't expect to see you all so soon after Scandinavia." Brynhildr said while giving a hug to Adrian. "Not that I'm complaining."

"It's good to see you Brynhildr, staying out of trouble?" The Chief Valkyrie shrugged at Adrian's question.

"More or less, kind of hard to get into trouble when you're stuck in Valhalla doing paper work." Brynhildr turned to the table and bowed to the Gods in the room. "I want to thank you all for allowing us on your mountain; I promise you won't regret doing so."

"It's no problem, Odin has long proven his good intentions to Olympus and it would be unbecoming for us to not reply in kind." Apollon spoke, placing his instrument to the side. "Though I am curious about all the secrecy."

"It's for the best, we can't have information leaking that we arrived here or it'll make the parties related apprehensive." Brynhildr turned to us after saying that. "We actually need your team's help." That threw us for a loop and I peeked at the two others that came along with the Valkyries. They were a man and woman respectively. They were both good looking with black hair and noble attire. Their most defining features were their pointy ears and gray skin.

'Dark Elves…' I watched the woman stepped forward and bowed to us.

"Greetings, my name is Emma Flostenebris and this is my ward, Elijah. We are in desperate need of your help."

"You're from the Royal House of Flostenebris?" Athena asked Emma and she nodded. "I'm surprised you had the time to make the trip here, considering what's happening in your realm."

"That's why she's here. You've all heard of the Civil War happening in Svartalfheim correct?" Everyone in the room nodded. Athena had spoken about the Civil War happening in the realm of the Dark Elves during our training and there were two factions duking it out. It was over the enslavement of another race in Svartalfheim that have been around as long as the Elves have, the Dwarves. It's been going on for a little over a year and all of Svartalfheim was engulfed in the war.

'The Vampires in Romania, the Devils in the Underworld, and now the Elves in Svartalfheim? It really is civil war season.' Idly thinking on the status of many supernatural races in current times, I listened to Emma as she explained her reason for coming. The Dark Elf was part of the Royal Family that fought against the enslavement of the Dwarves and they were doing well in the war until a month ago. Her father, the Lord of his kingdom and leader of the Coalition, went missing one day. They tried everything they could to find him but he was nowhere to be found. Seeing that a leader was needed, her eldest brother tried to take the crown and lead the people.

Her eldest sister had a problem with that. So began the typical story of siblings fighting over the throne. Factions were formed within the Royal Family and battles happened regularly between them. The other Dark Elf leaders gathered by their father to fight were disgusted by their behavior and distanced themselves from the Royal Family, splitting the armies of the Dark Elves even further. Emma's side was slowly being overwhelmed.

"Um, may I?" Raising my hand to speak, Emma stopped and I spoke. "This is obviously a very serious problem happening for your people and you have my condolences but…why are you telling us this?" That got a couple glances from the others but they didn't say anything, probably thinking the same. "If you need help then why didn't you just ask the Norse Gods? I mean, the Chief Valkyrie is right next to you." Emma shook her head.

"We can't because of the Aesir-Dökká Pact."

"…Let's pretend for a second that I actually don't know what that is, why is that stopping the Gods of Asgard from going to Svartalfheim and raining down lightning, vengeance, and ravens on your enemies?"

"Because Odin made an oath not to mix himself with the Dark Elves after all he's done to them." Gunhild answered this time and I tilted my head.

"What did he do? Sleep with the Queen of the Dark Elves?" I asked jokingly but blinked when they stayed silent. "Did he really?"

"Among other things." Brynhildr cleared her throat and made a serious face. "But he did cause large amounts of damage to their population in the Ancient Times and killed many of their Ancestors…some which didn't deserve it." The Valkyries gained a shameful expression and I chose to redirect the conversation.

"Okay, so I get you can't ask for their help since they would probably attack the Gods before anything else but why us? We're busy with our own war right about now; I don't think you need that piled on."

"Actually, that's part of the reason why we asked. Guess who's leading the Dökkálfar Faction? I'll give you a hint; he should have stopped at Surtr's Champion." Brynhildr said and my eyes widened.

"Oh don't tell me…" I started and she nodded.

"Talien." Everyone on the team gave collective groans.

"Well that explains why we couldn't find him these past few months. He wasn't on Earth." Aphrodite said.

"I guess we're going to Svartalfheim." Adrian made his final decision causing Emma to sigh in relief.

"Thank you, I know I'm forcing your hand but I have no other option." Demeter shook her head

"It's not your fault a power hungry Elf King is wrecking your home." We all agreed with the Goddess's words and the Dark Elf relaxed a bit. I personally found Emma brave for what she did; asking for help from a faction that your race hates all to save said race couldn't have been easy, I could respect her for that. "So what's the plan?" Emma recollected herself at Demeter's question.

"We need to find my father. He's the only one that can stop the internal fighting and gather the other kings of Svartalfheim again; they won't trust our word after my sibling's actions."

"But I thought you couldn't find him." I said and Brynhildr spoke up.

"They couldn't but Asgard chose to look into this when she came to us and we have an idea where he could be. The location is actually another reason we wanted your help."

"Where is he?" The Chief Valkyrie grinned at my question.

"Tell me Pierce…have you ever been to Jotunheim?"

1 Hour Later, Pierce's Room

The meeting ended pretty quickly with a plan being formed with the others. One half of the group was going with Emma to the Land of the Giants to find her father while the other follows Elijah to Svartalfheim to help the war effort. The one's going to Jotunheim was Vargas, Melissa, Maven and I. The main reason we even considered splitting up was because the civil war hit a bit of a snag since Emma's father disappeared. While the Svartálfar faction was reorganizing itself, the other side seemed to halt their march at key points. But that didn't mean they stopped fighting, they just fighting as hard as before. Reports said that the Dwarfs enslaved by Talien's faction were being moved around and forced to create weapons for him. They were using their opponent's internal strife to gear up and could attack anytime.

'Because this is just what a Monster God needs, an Elf Army with loose morals and a race known for making magical weapons at his every whim.' Not to mention if Talien does take over Svartalfheim, it'll mean another realm as his base. Brynhildr said that if the Dark Elf really took over all of Svartalfheim, the Norse Gods would invade and retch it back from Zeth's hands (they wanted Emma's side to win so they can avoid this). I looked over to see Denki and Jade facing each other, chattering and barking away. I walked to them and crouched down to their level. "You guys ready?"

"…"

"…"

"…Good enough." I shrugged and placed Jade on my shoulder, the lightning dog following at my side. I learned that while many Yokais could learn any language like a Devil can, some Yokai are so in tuned with their animal side that they choose to live their lives as one. That's not to say they are mindless or savage, that's just their life style choice (Jade could talk but she's too young right now). On the way to the portal, I met with Athena who was leaning on the side wall. "…Okay, how long were you waiting there?" I deadpanned, not seeing her holding a book or anything for that matter. The Goddess blushed lightly at the question and coughed into her mouth.

"I came to wish you luck in Jotunheim." Side stepping my question, her face became stern. "The odds that you'll come into conflict with the Giants there are small but not impossible. Keep your guard up." Brynhildr made it clear that the Aesir, Vanir, or anyone under them (such as the Valkyries) would have a very difficult time getting anywhere in Jotunheim. Why? Because they hated the Norse Gods; more specifically the Ruler of Asgard, Odin. While there are many theories as to why the Jötunn hate the Norse Gods, such as the rivalry between Freyr and Surtr or that two of the leading figures in Ragnarok are part Giant; there was a clear cause. Odin's most famous (or infamous depending on where you stand), deed.

The Murder of the Primordial Jötunn, Ymir. Granted, the Chief God didn't do it alone but that did little to ease their anger. The Giants of Jotunheim were a rather peaceful race. They never went out to wage war against the Aesir for the Raven God's actions but they never forgot either. Brynhildr told us to hide our affiliation with them or things would get complicated very fast.

"Chief Gods are real pieces of work…" Mumbling that under my breath, I passed by Athena and felt her grab my hand. I looked back at her to see a sad smile.

"I know. I won't stay here and defend their actions when they were young; being hundreds of years old is enough time to mature but they are trying now. I hope you can accept that." I stared at the Goddess with a wry smile.

"I'm not judging them Athena; everyone has moments in their life they aren't proud of and I see Gods are no different…apparently." I squeezed her hand back. "It just makes me curious. After all the bad shit they've done and seen in their lives, why do they believe in peace between factions so much?" With how old Odin and Zeus were, I'd assume their experience would make them cynical and realistic (canon proved otherwise but it was still a food for thought).

"I asked my father the same thing before but he didn't give me a clear answer."

"What did he say?"

"Conquering everywhere your gaze touches for thousands of years…is hollow compared to living with the ones you love for a single lifetime." My eyebrows lifted slightly when Athena finished. I had only one thing to say to that.

"I think we can add being cryptic to your families' specialty." I smiled when Athena blankly stared at me and kicked my shin.

"You had to ruin the moment."

"And that's my specialty." Giving the Goddess of Wisdom a peck on the cheek (earning me a small blush), I let go of her hand and walked away. "See you later Athena, I'll bring you back some souvenirs from Jotunheim and Svartalfheim."

"I'm counting on it…" Waving at Athena's last words, though it was more of a whisper then anything, my mind started to wander. It was quite a question. Would you rather have the entire world at your fingers tip, to do with however you please and have countless beings underneath you but be hated and feared or…live a long and happy life with the ones that bring you joy.

The world sounded nice. I wasn't some boy scout that would be bothered by the fact that everyone hated me; I've already got a couple beings in DxD that want to put my head on a spike. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. But…

"What took you so long?" Melissa asked as I crossed the bridge to the portal, everyone already waiting for me there. I looked at the team I got to know for almost half a year, the one's whose had my back through many battles and grinned widely.

"Oh what would I do with an entire world anyway?"

"…What?"

Laughing at the groups questioning looks, I walked forward and entered the portal out of Olympus.

Unknown Forest

I stared up at the single largest tree I've seen, the top reaching far higher than the other trees around it and the width making it hard for ten men holding hands to surround it. The most prominent feature was its overwhelming life force. Having far more life force then a regular tree, I noticed that the source of its Chi wasn't connected to the surrounding soil but was coming from another space all together. It felt strikingly similar to the chopped off tree I saw before in that Elf city so I had a guess to what it was. Vargas was the last one to walk through the portal and joined us as we stood around the tree.

"Where are we? And why are we here?" The Spirit Inheritor asked and Brynhildr answered.

"This is a Fragment of Yggdrasil; it will help in getting into Jotunheim." Asgard didn't have markers in the Land of the Giants, curtsy of the inhabitants who scoured their world and made sure none remained. Thankfully, Yggdrasil's branches spread throughout each Norse world and Maven could follow the branch to Jotunheim. "As for your first question, I believe this is a land mass East of the North Pacific Ocean. It is mainly inhabited by natives that commune with Spirits."

'…Wait…' Are we in North America? I looked around at the trees, getting nothing that could signify this was America before it was colonized but if what Brynhildr said was true, then we were. Flying up in the air above the tree tops, all I could see was a sea of trees and a mountain in the distance. I activated Chi Vision to see if I could find anything but there was nothing but greenery and animals for miles on end. 'I guess it was too much to ask for some Natives to be walking around.' Sighing at the wasted chance, I lowered back down to the others.

Brynhildr placed a hand on the tree and started to pour her Spiritual Energy into the tree. It responded by issuing a low hum and gave out a light blue glow. She quickly stepped aside so Maven could place her hands on the bark and she formed a portal with the blue aura. The Chief Valkyrie turned to Emma.

"Alright, this Fragment will transport you to a section of Jotunheim that we believe your father is in. There will be a Branch Keeper that will meet you and take you to a nearby Jötunn Chief. State the reason why you're in their realm and don't lie…Believe me, they will know." Brynhildr finished and the Dark Elf Princess bowed to her.

"Thank you Lady Brynhildr, for all your help. I-I don't know how I can repay you."

"Just find your father and save your home." Brynhildr said with a soft expression on her face and looked to us. "Keep her safe."

"We promise." Melissa spoke for all of us and I patted the Chief Valkyrie on the shoulder, walking to the portal. Making sure Jade was holding on and grabbing Denki under my arm, Maven gave me to go ahead.

"Let's rock and roll."

"…Wha-" Brynhildr's voice was cut off as I entered the portal. Different from the usual feeling of being carried through the air, I felt my feet planted firmly on the ground but it was moving forward rapidly. Like ridding a treadmill. The lights faded and I saw a massive lake resting where the forest originally was. The lake was perfectly still with a small island in the middle of it. A podium with a basin rested on the island.

"A human? How rare…" I heard a woman's voice and turned to see a beautiful woman with blond hair, animal pelts and tribal tattoos resting on the base of the tree. She had dark brown eyes and scanned me with them, curiosity painting her face. I looked around at the trees and noticed how much larger they were then even the Fragment I came through. "What business do you have in Jotunheim?" The woman asked with a serious face and I rubbed the back of my head.

"Uh, I'm here to look for someone but I'm not alone. Can we wait a second?" Quirking a brow, the woman (who I'm assuming is the Branch Keeper Brynhildr spoke about) leaned back and Melissa was the second one to come through the portal. Telling the Shadow Leopard to wait for the others before speaking, they came one by one with Maven being the last arrival.

"Is that everyone?" Nodding at the Branch Keeper's question, she stared at us for a second before standing up. "Then follow me." We followed the woman through the supernatural forest and I marveled at the scenery. The sky was covered with clouds, pockets of sunlight peeking through to illuminate the trees. Mountains that pierced through the clouds littered the horizon and large gusts of wind blew through the people high grass fields. I felt an aura come closer behind us and I turned around to see…a deer twice my height calmly standing there. I blankly stared at the deer before slowly reaching out to touch it. The deer stepped back however and ran away.

"Wow…"

"Incredible…" Hearing Maven's and Vargas words, I caught up to see a herd of Bison running through the area. The Bison were easily 6 meters tall and when they ran, the ground shook. I was shocked when I saw a male Jötunn chasing after the Bison, using a steel spear to kill one of the Bison. It walked up to its kill and after making sure it was dead, hauled the body over its shoulder. The Jötunn glanced in our direction, nodded in greeting and walked away. We watched the Giant in amazement and I turned to see the Branch Keeper patiently waiting on the side, an amused smile on her face.

"I'm guessing we're not the first ones to react like this." She shook her head.

"Every newcomer to Jotunheim reacts like this. It never gets old." Leaving us another minute to enjoy the sight, she continued her trek. Walking for a couple more minutes, I saw where she was leading us. High stone walls with magic circles on them rested in the distance, two Giants acting as gate keepers standing by the door. The tall doors were open and people were walking in and out of the gate. "Welcome to Gastropnir." The Branch Keeper said before leading us inside.

Under the vigilant watch of the guards, we walked down the main street of the Jötunn city. Unlike everything we've seen so far, the city wasn't enlarged to comical size. Many human sized buildings littered the city with a stores and parks in abundance. Human sized and Giant sized Jötunn walked around, many either selling things or enjoying the day. Brynhildr already gave us a run down on the basics of the Jötunn race. Aside from being one of the most peaceful races in DxD, they were also a race with a very low population (Gods and Dragons barely beat them out as the races with the lowest population). But every Jötunn was a born warrior. Upon reaching adult hood, the average Jötunn had incredibly high magic resistance, immense strength and can change their size at will. The Chief Valkyrie said under no uncertain terms were we to pick a fight with the Giants in their cities. We won't win.

'Thank Ichiei they're so friendly.' Passing by a group of Jötunn who were armed to the teeth, they kindly nodded in greeting and I waved back. The Branch Keeper brought us to a large hall in the middle of the city, the guards opening the doors to let us in and we entered.

"Wait here." The Branch Keeper spoke and disappeared through a door, leaving us in some sort of waiting room. Noticing some seats on the side, I walked over to sit down and the others followed. Getting comfortable as Melissa and Maven sat on either side of me, I leaned back on the couch.

"This is going well."

"How so?" Vargas asked

"We haven't been imprisoned, hunted, or offered up as ritualistic sacrifices. I call this a win." I said with a shrug and everyone nodded in understanding. Emma watched us with a weird look on her face.

"Does…does that happen often?" Maven shook her head in mirth.

"No Emma, he's just being ridiculous." The Dark Elf looked relieved at her words. "I mean, ritual sacrifices are only good for those who worship Evil Spirits and we haven't met people like that yet." I chuckled at the way Emma scrunched at the follow up and hugged the mage.

"I see some one's learning!" Getting a series of eye rolls, I focused back on Emma. "So where do you want to start first?" Asgard's information network figured out that Emma's father came to this city the day he mysteriously disappeared. Where he went or if he's alive is completely unknown. Brynhildr figured we had two options. The first was to ask the leader of this city for help in finding her father but the odds they know anything was low, not to mention they have no reason to help us. The other was to ask around and pick up clues as to why he was here and go from there. Emma thought for a second before giving her answer.

"I want to ask for help from the city ruler first, this is their domain and poking around without permission may back fire on us." Accepting her choice, we talked for a couple minutes before we were summoned into the main hall. Following a Jötunn servant, we came to a long hall that an assortment of tables with food and drinks. At the end of the hall was a massive throne and on that throne, was an equally massive female Jötunn. She had long silver hair that reached past her waist, a voluptuous figure that was hidden by a yellow dress and a pair of beautiful green eyes. She saw us enter and sent us a gorgeous smile that seemed to brighten up the room.

'…I'm really glad we didn't bring Aindrea.' I shuddered thinking on what could have happened if we brought the horn dog Demigod. We walked closer to the Giantess and we bowed when Emma did.

"Welcome travelers to my domain, I am Menglöð. Forgive me for I don't always command Eimgeitir to bring me visitors but my curiosity got the better of me. Tell me, why is a Princess of the Flostenebris Family in my city?" While she didn't sound angry, the caution was still there and Emma began explaining why we were here. By the time she was finished and asked for the Giantess's help, Menglöð shook her head. "Forgive me child but I cannot help you. There are obviously forces outside of Svartalfheim that wish to do your kind harm and they may move their fangs to us if we meddle. I will tell my guards to avoid getting in your way but that is the best I can offer you, I am sorry."

"That is enough, thank you." The Dark Elf bowed low once more and we made to stand up but the Giantess spoke up.

"Are you not going to say hello to me?" Menglöð said with a quirked brow and stared right in my direction. I looked behind me to check if anyone was there but no one was.

"Have we met? Because if we did then I want to know how I forgot a ten meter tall Giant queen." Menglöð didn't respond and I quickly figured out that she wasn't staring at me. She was staring at my space ring. Tyrfing's voice rang out.

'Why hello Menglöð, it has been quite some time. I see you're still as stunning as ever.' The Demon Sword spoke with a nervous tone and the Giantess smiled.

"Charmer. I'm glad to see the years have not dulled that aspect." I raised my ring to my mouth as they talked.

"How do you know her?" Whispering my question, I could feel Tyrfing's aura fidget.

'Oh that's a long and very complicated story; we don't have the time-'

"He was once used to kill my husband."

"…"

'…'

"…Well it's been wonderful talking to you, we'll see ourselves out." Choosing to cut this reunion short, we slowly left under the amused looks of the two Jötunn. By the time we got outside I could feel the relief coming off the Demon Sword in waves.

'Damn she's still as terrifying as ever. Let's never do that again.' Tyrfing said and I furrowed my brows.

"Will she be a problem?"

'Nah, she takes her job very seriously and won't cause trouble for you to get back at me…I think.' That wasn't comforting. 'Can we get out here please?'

'Oh is the power stick scared of the big, bad Giantess?' Dáinsleif, not letting a moment to mock Tyrfing go by, spoke and Tyrfing seethed.

'I do not want to hear shit from a sword that's terrified of Gnomes!'

'They're a real threat! They come when you least expect it and take everything you hold dear! The world will end by their hands I tell you! Their small…grubby little hands…urghh.'

Leaving the traumatized Demon Swords alone, we chose to get serious and plan our first step. There were only so many places a Dark Elf can go through when coming to the Land of the Giants. While Eimgeitir said she didn't see Emma's father, there was bound to be someone who saw the Elf King. We split up and started asking the guards who watched the gates if they saw a Dark Elf at any point in the past month. With the majority of the citizens being Jötunns, a Dark Elf was bound to turn some heads. Our hunch was correct because after an hour of asking around, we came across a guard whose seen a Dark Elf walking around. There was just one problem.

"Are you positive that's how he looks?" Emma asked the Jötunn guard who was sitting down and he nodded.

"Yeah, he usually comes through the south gate in the evening after a day of hunting. Short, wrinkly grey skin and white hair. You can't miss him." Possibly due to Menglöð's influence or maybe he's just naturally talkative, the Jötunn told us everything he knew about the resident Dark Elf. Thanking the guard for his help, we regrouped.

"Is rapidly aging in another realm common for Dark Elves?" I asked but Emma ignored it, choosing to fall into deep thought.

"Is it possible that he's just a lone Elf that lives in Jotunheim?" Melissa hypothesized.

"It could be, there's no guarantee that he's related to Emma father."

"Why don't we go ask him?" Everyone turned to Vargas and he shrugged. "Just walk up to him and ask if he knows anything, we have two Chi users that can make sure if he's lying or not." Not seeing a problem with the plan, the Elf Princess agreed and we made our way to the southern section of the city. We came to a large market place, many Jötunns were walking around and mingling. "So where do we start?"

"Let's just look around and ask any vendors if they've seen a Dark Elf around today." We entered the crowd and moved between stands, keeping a lookout for any grey skinned, pointy eared beings. I browsed the stands as I asked for information and the Land of the Giants sure had some interesting things for sale. Magical armor that can changes sizes with the user, jugs of alcohol that never seemed to go empty as long as you poured Mana into it and belts from supernatural creatures. Passing another vendor that was selling some sort Troll hide, I stopped when I felt an aura that similar to Emmas nearby. Peeking around the corner, I saw the old Dark Elf the guard described.

"I got him, should I go up to him?" Speaking into my communication ring, I waited for confirmation.

"Not yet, wait for us to get nearby before speaking to him. Just tail him for now."

"Roger." I stealthily followed after the Dark Elf as he walked down the street. Using the crowd as cover, the Dark Elf calmly went from stand to stand. I noticed that for his nonchalance, he did look around quite a bit every so often and avoided bumping into anyone if he could help it. After buying a large chunk of meat from a female Jötunn, the Elf started to make his way to the gate.

"Are you still on him? We're almost there."

"Yeah I'm still on him. He's going through the south gate now, looks like he has plans outside the city."

"Follow him." Already planning on doing that, I passed the Jötunn who gave me a long look and tailed the Dark Elf into the forest. He picked up the pace the moment he was in the woods. A magic circle appeared under his feet and he flew through the trees, never going above the tree tops. I had to activate Touki to keep up with the new speed and it was only after following him for a couple miles that I realized something was wrong. My instincts were rewarded when I stepped on the ground and a magic circle appeared under me. I Chi Burst out the way in time for multiple large earth spikes to pop out where I was standing. It wasn't over however because black strings slashed in my direction and I dodged them. Everything the strings touched blackened and corroded into mush. I used Chi Vision to find the Dark Elf and found him standing behind a boulder, manually controlling the strings trough his magic circle.

Dodging a couple more strings, I sensed the location of his magic circles and sent out a dozen Chi Swords to destroy them. Feeling panic from his circles being wrecked, I reached the boulder he was hiding behind and split it in two with my bare hands. I wryly smiled when his face became white at the scene.

"We only came here to talk but you're not going to believe that are yo-" I caught the dagger that was aimed to pierced through my eye and watched the Dark Elf try to fly away. "Yeah, I figured not." Before he could get far, he was shot with a bolt of lightning. I flinched when he fell to the ground and spasmed uncontrollably for a second before lying still. I stared down at Denki who was wagging his tail, lightning still coming off of him from that last attack. "...Good boy."

Petting the lightning dog (and getting his tail to wag faster), I went to tie up the Dark Elf. The others arrived and did a double take at the tied up, scorched Dark Elf.

"He threw the first punch." Shrugging at the fact, they took my word for it and we roused the Dark Elf. He woke up with a groan and paled when he saw us.

"W-Wait! Please don't kill me! I did everything you asked, I'll never return to Svartalfheim I swear! No one will ever know, please!" There was an awkward silence as the Dark Elf bawled his eyes out, begging us to forgive him for whatever the hell he did.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked but the Dark Elf took it the wrong way and started to nod.

"Yes, yes nothing happened! There's nothing to talk about so please...please." He started to cry again, his tears staining the dirt under him.

"This is pathetic." Vargas frowned, giving the Dark Elf a look of disdain. Emma crouched down to the Elf's level.

"Please, calm down. No one is going to hurt you...anymore." I rubbed my nose at that remark and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "My name is Emma Flostenebris and I came to-"

"No!" Her words at the opposite she was expecting and the Elf stumbled back in fear. "H-How did you find me!? I-I had no choice! He made me!"

"Who made you?" Maven asked with furrowed brows and like a broken faucet, the Elf poured out every dirty secret he had to save himself. By the time he finished, we were all stunned in place. I peeked over to Emma who was currently trembling.

"You're lying..." The Elf Princess could barely say that through gritted teeth and he shook her head desperately.

"I'm not! It's all true a-and I can prove it! I know where your father is!" The offer made Emma go breathless. We stood silent in the woods, the Elf Princess's head was down and we looked at each other. I sighed.

"Alright, whose calling Adrian?"

Svartalfheim, Hersíða

Deep within the realm of the Dark Elves and Dwarves, there laid a wide city. Countless number of Dark Elves roamed city streets, merchants from different sections of the realm coming through and soldiers kept the peace. The laughter of children and the songs of bards rang out, making the city appeared bustling. Even in war time, officials tried to keep the people's morale high and avoid panic. That didn't mean they weren't taking precautions in the event the war reached here. A great number of magical weapons and artifacts were brought to the city walls, ready to give the people enough time to retreat if the situation called for an evacuation. Up atop the inner castle walls, a handsome male could be seen watching the city. Adrian had many ideas to what a Dark Elf city looked like after being to one but this what different from what he expected. In the Light Elf city, it seemed like nature and steel perfectly blended together for every building and structure. There was a certain beauty to it but here...

'It's just like a human city.' Adrian thought that there would be some sort of magical aspect to the city but it was exactly like a major city on Earth like London or Constantinople (besides the high outer walls). Him, Aindrea and Samantha arrived in Svartalfheim with Emma's servant around an hour ago. They were given a tour of the castle and even had a run in with both of Emma's siblings. Her sister, Edith, was cordial enough with the team. She didn't try to use her authority on them and welcomed them to the realm, putting it in a subtle way that this was "her" castle.

Her brother, Eric, wasn't as kind. He blatantly threatened them to stay of his way and not to intrude on the inner workings of royalty. Adrian figured if it wasn't for Elijah being in the room, he probably would have been far worse.

'He sure kept his cool, I'm impressed.' Knowing the Demigods usual temper (and from the murder in his eyes), Aindrea wasn't pleased with the Elf's attitude. Personally, Adrian himself wasn't bothered by the Elf's attitude. Fools like that barely got far and would eventually met someone that will put him in his place, whether that was before or after their father came back didn't matter to him. It was the sister that bothered him. Emma kept her actions a secret as best as she could but Edith's reaction worried the Emissary. While Eric was slightly shocked to met an unknown group, Edith didn't look surprised. Like she was expecting them to come.

'She knew about Emma's mission.' Adrian thought with a frown. A pair of footsteps approached the Emissary and a tall Dark Elf came into view of Adrian. The Dark Elf was exceptionally handsome, even among other Dark Elves. He had long black hair, red eyes and was wearing steel armor. This was the General of the Flostenebris Royal Family, Deublyg. He met the team when they entered the city and welcomed their help. He was a highly respected man who was holding the line against Dökkálfar Faction as best as he could.

"Quite a few isn't it?" Deublyg said, staring out at the city in wonder. "Over a thousand years ago, the Ancestor of the Flostenebris House made his stand against the Aesir Gods and built a magnificent city that lasted till today."

"It's beautiful."

"It's perfect." Deublyg had a feverish look in his eyes, as if nothing else could match the sight. "It shows the strength of the Dark Elves. That no amount of force, be it man or god, could move this city. Many of fallen to protect this place and if I were to be added to that pile so it can continue then...I could only hope for such an end."

"..." Adrian said nothing to the General's claims. Seeing how the Emissary chose to stay silent, the General gave a polite bow before leaving the wall. Adrian didn't turn around and sighed when he didn't hear his footsteps anymore. He respected the General's drive. It was passionate, almost fanatical but he knew where to draw the line. But the thing about passion is...it can spiral out of control and make you do things that you think is for the greater good. Adrian closed his eyes as he thought back to the conversation he had before coming to the wall. Pierce had contacted them and told them what the Dark Elf they found said. Apparently, Emma's father was trapped in Jotunheim and it was a traitor who placed him there. The reason it was so hard to believe was because the traitor...was a certain, zealous General that was keeping this kingdom from falling into Talien's hands. Staring out into the city one last time, Adrian snorted. "Just like humans..."

Then the Emissary left the wall that overlooked the "glorious" Elf Capital.

And done. Magic, supernatural powers and long life spans will never change one true fact...Politics are a bitch. I hope you enjoyed!