Broken Angel: Rising Demon

by I LIKE FEAR 1-2

The Age of Man, is over. The Age of Magic, is about to begin. A Demon stands upon the Earth. A beast, named goddess by right of passing. Darkness settles upon the Earth, will this goddess usher in a golden age for humanity? Or will she cast them aside to drown in their own sins? Behold the rise of the demon, and the Kingdom of Albion. (Sequel to Broken Angel)

33. 33: The Shadow Organization

Alright time for the next chapter, a lot of setup here, as I'm getting ready for a bit of a time skip, though not a full one. I plan on having events spread out quite a bit, leading into the future as we get into major events from DC, Boruto, Fate/Stay Night, and Evangelion. Yeah a lot is going to change, and for those wondering about Raven and the Teen Titans, yes, I do still plan on utilizing them, that all will begin taking place something in the future, as I noted before, many of the DC characters are just starting out in their first few years of actively being a superhero, so it's possible Batman hasn't even taken his first Robin yet, so Teen Titans is still a bit of a ways off, and as for Raven, yes she is alive now, and wondering about, but she's in other worlds, and universes, where time is a bit wanky, so time wont be the same for her, as it is for those on Earth.

Anyway, still pondering the Discord idea, I kind of like it, and I might start one up, if I do I'll let you guys know, until then, I hope you enjoy.

Broken Angel: Rising Demon

Chapter 33: The Shadow Organization

-London, Albion, September 23rd 2000-

Riley sat atop the tower of London, staring out over the city, her gaze heavy, as she pondered recent revelations.

SEELE, an organization of her worshipers, working towards the salvation and ascension of mankind. The current members were descendants of a group that has been in operation for millennia. For well over two thousand years, members of this group have worked towards their ultimate plan, which was to bring about humanity's ascension to a higher plain of existence. They believed it was mankind's destiny to ultimately join with heir goddess and overcome their ties to the Earth, ascending to the stars, and spreading across the cosmos.

They believed that Riley was that goddess, and held the throne of the world. They believed that it was their duty, to guide humanity into joining with Riley, and following her. Though these were goals to be achieved over time, peaceful conversion was a slow thing, and could take multiple generations to take effect. They were a patient lot though, happy to wait centuries to see their goals accomplished, passing on their responsibilities to the next generation.

They believed that one day Riley would rule this world in it's entire, though whether that was directly or indirectly, they didn't know, which is why they made no moves to influence her during her childhood, so as to not alter the course of fate.

Their organization was large, and powerful, having amassed great wealth, and connections over it's history. Their members had played part in many world events, acting from the sidelines to ensure that everything carried on as planned.

They were fanatics, of that Riley had no doubt. While they had originally been founded on the ideals of the Path of Unification, SEELE's interpretation of Kane's teachings had grown and evolved over the many centuries since the group was first founded. They saw Kane's teachings as a true religion, and less so a way of life, as it more often allowed.

The tenants of the Path of Unification were less about prayer, and subservience to a god, and more so about living your life in a general manner, as laid down by a higher power. It was an introspective belief system about self-improvement, and self-care. It emphasized taking care of yourself, working to improve upon yourself, forming bonds with others, and protecting them. It called upon you to take care of yourself, and your loved ones, and to not worry so much about what others thought or did. It was all and all, an easy set of tenants to live by. Be kind to people, and encourage them to grow beyond their situation. Charity among the followers of the Path of Unification was less about donations to pay for other's needs, and more about teaching them how to improve themselves, how to get out of their current situations, how to make their lives better.

Many of the Path's core tenants, mimicked how Riley lived her life. For lack of a better description, it encouraged people to be a bit more like her, or at least, the 'Best' parts of her. Work to improve yourself, be a good person, protect yourself, your friends, your loved ones. Live the best life you could, and always pursue your dreams, goals, and desires.

Riley found little issue with the religion. She agreed that people should be more focused on themselves, their families, their friends. She thought to many people were focused on the world at large, people they knew nothing about, and who cared nothing for them. They should be more focused on themselves, their friends, their family, the people they know and love, and should be encouraged to go out and make more friends, and form new bonds.

If people were more focused on things like that, and less concerned with what the rest of the world was doing, than the world would probably be a happier place.

If was for that reason that Riley never bothered to speak out against this faith built around her. She didn't overly care, since it wasn't hurting anyone, and the moderate power boost she got from all that worship was nice to have, as it most definitely aided her in her childhood.

Though SEELE, and those like them, had grown their beliefs, they had yet to form into an official church or temple, and they'd yet to start forming a hierarchy within their faith, but their was already a ranking system starting to form within the followers of this modern interpretation of Kane's message.

Right now, the ranks were split between those who preached the religion and those who followed it. There was no greater structure beyond that, yet. One day though, that would change, especially with SEELE emerging from the shadows a bit more, and taking a more active role in the world.

As their beliefs spread, and greater and greater numbers joined them, there would be those who saw power in commanding this faith, and it would fully organize into it's own entity.

Riley had some concerns about that, though she also saw the opportunity in it, especially if she was able to place those loyal to her, at the head of such an organization. It would help her to directly effect the masses, and get people to do what she wanted them too, without her needing to get involved personally.

There were pros and cons to that, but it wasn't the major issue that Riley had to focus on at the moment.

No that came with the revelation that this had all been planned by SEELE.

Keel Lorenz had explained to her everything that he knew, including what had happened in Antarctica.

Explorers, researchers, and scientists, funded by SEELE had located what was known as the White Moon, which was the vessel that had carried Adam to the planet. Within they found Adam, sealed away by an instrument, a long red bident. This bident served to lock away the powers of Adam, and when the scientists removed it, Adam awoke, though Adam didn't immediately slip into a frenzy, instead it simply remained inert for a time.

This allowed for the scientists to spend some time setting up their fail-safe system which would pierce the bident back into Adam's body, in the event that something terrible began to occur. Once their safety procedures were in place, the scientist began a contact experiment. Introducing human DNA to Adam.

That was what had triggered Second Impact. The moment Adam came into contact with a Lilith based life-form, it began it's rampage.

In the few seconds between the start of the event, and the activation of safety procedures, Adam gathered a colossal amount of power, prepared to purge all life on the planet, and begin terraforming it anew. Before it could finish, the bident was launched back into it's body, causing Adam to release all of it's gathered power, and revert to a much smaller and weaker form. The result was an explosion of energy that not only vaporized Antarctica, but also altered the physical and magical state of the world in that area, rendering it toxic to Lilith based lifeforms.

While the scientists and researchers who participated in the endeavor had no idea what would happen, when they performed their experiments, SEELE knew. They knew that Adam would trigger an apocalyptic scenario that would see life on Earth fundamentally altered.

Having all of this explained to her, Riley demanded to have full clarification as why they had allowed it, and what they planned to gain from it. She knew they intended to weaken Adam in preparation for a future war against his offspring, but there had to be some other motivation.

-Flashback-

"The total dead is beyond measure. Over a billion people died during the initial tsunamis. Millions more with the flooding, and now, sixty percent of the planet is currently at war with itself. By the time things calm down we could be looking at a death toll as high as two or three billion. That comes close to cutting the human population in half. I understand that you needed to weaken Adam, to make it harder to initiate another disaster when his offspring come for him, but was the human cost truly necessary? I'm not one to weep over the dead, but that many lives seems like an extreme price to pay, just to hedge the odds more in our favor." Riley demanded, glaring down at Lorenz Keel, the man meeting her glare with a cool composure.

"You are right. Had our only goal been to weaken Adam in preparation for the war to come, than the price would not have been worth it. But that wasn't all we hoped to gain from this." Lorenz agreed with her.

"So what was it then? What else could you possibly gain from all of this devastation?" Riley asked.

"A breaking of the current balance of power." He answered simply.

Riley stared down at him for several long moments taking in his answer. She then lifted her gaze to circle the room. A dozen different, very volatile emotions boiled within her. The more heroic part of Riley felt fury and wanted to lash out at the man. The more demonic side felt acceptance, even pleasure at his answer. It was cruel, callous, inhumane, but so was she. The murder of so many people was an unspeakable act, but in truth, it didn't bother Riley at all. Not spiritually, not mentally. In fact, if it wasn't for the reactions of those she loved, Riley would barely care at all for the state of things right now. The suffering of humanity was of little concern to her. She had suffered all throughout her childhood and it had made her stronger. Overcoming hardships is what allowed people to grow. Yes many would fail in the face of such a challenge, but people would survive. This disaster hadn't destroyed the world, so humans would recover and they're be stronger for it.

But Riley's personal feelings on the matter were less important to her than how those she cared for felt. She wanted her loved ones to be happy, and she always tried to make it so. When things happened that hurt them, Riley always tried to correct it. This tragedy had shaken everyone to their core. Even stoic warhawks like Madara and Tobirama felt great sadness and pity for the state of the world. Those with more empathy like Hashirama, like Kushina, like many of Riley's mates, felt incredible pain for all of those who suffered. They wanted to help them, to fix this, and because of that, Riley felt the need to help as well. Even if she wasn't as moved by humanity's plight, she still recognized all that had been lost, and she still loved her friends and family enough to feel empathy towards their suffering.

So while she personally found the state of the world to be almost enjoyable due to her demonic nature, the small parts of her that were still human, prevented her from taking any pleasure in this disaster because it had hurt those she loved so much.

After several long moments her gaze returned to Keel Lorenz, he watched her quietly, his calm demeanor being one of the few things that kept her from lashing out. The man spoke with no joy or levity towards these things. He spoke of them like an academic would speak of facts. To him, this was something that had to be done, and he took no joy or pleasure in seeing it happen. He wasn't proud of himself, or his group. He wasn't elated that parts of their plans were finally in motion. He was calm, somber even. Stoic in the face of this disaster, and for that reason, Riley allowed him to continue speaking. She could have easily gotten her answers by killing the man and eating his soul, in fact it would probably get her a much clearer picture, but Riley had always had a great respect for men with pure conviction.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and guys like them. People who believed in something, despite recognizing it's flaws. Riley despised those that were blinded by their beliefs, people like Minato, but those who could stand for something, even when they knew it had flaws, knew it had failings, those were people of true conviction in Riley's eyes, and she could at least respect them for their willingness to stand by their beliefs even if Riley disagreed with them.

So she didn't kill this man, despite wanting to. Instead she chose to continue the conversation.

"The balance of power in the world has been broken. Most of the world has lost it's fleets. Many nations have been completely cut off from their offshore oil facilities. Food scarcities will run rampant. Civil war, social unrest, riots, and rapid climate change will rapidly reshape how this world functions. Hell we still don't know how far off it's original axis the Earth is gonna get. If things continue as they are, some nations may lose or gain seasons they've never had before. The balance of power has most definitely been broken, so what happens now?" Riley questioned him.

"Now, SEELE will begin reunifying the world. It will not be quick, but in their desperate state, people will turn to those in power, those with the strength to bring stability back to their lives. Slowly but surely, SEELE will gain control over the UN, and return order to the world. With this event, the great powers of the world have all lost their positions of strength. The US is no longer able to exert it's authority over the world as it once did. China is in the midst of a civil war which will prevent it from exerting any authority on an international level. India has been completely devastated by this event, and is now at war with Pakistan, a war that will drain both nations of their resources. Russia lost all of it's ports, similar to everyone else, though it now moves to secure vital resources such as oil fields in surrounding nations. Such conflicts will drain their resources. The wars will continue for many months, weakening these powers further and further until they have no choice but to join with us. Through the UN, SEELE will move to create a powerful regime of unified nations. The new UN will not be as it once was, but will evolve into a new world power, one that will eventually see most of humanity united under a singular banner. Only then will we be in a position to begin preparing for the wars to come." Lorenz laid it all out for her.

"You intend to establish a new world order." Riley noted.

"Yes. Come the day these conflicts come to an end, we will see the foundations set in place for our eventual ascension to the stars. Humanity will rise above this disaster, and will be made stronger for it. Blood will be spilled, but in the end, humanity will rise above itself. It needs only time, and guidance." Lorenz responded, earning a slow nod from Riley.

"What of Albion? What role did you intend for us to play in this world you're trying to build?" Riley asked.

"The ascension of the Albions is the key to securing strength in the world. Albion is the only nation to escape this disaster completely unscathed, and it will rapidly reposition itself as a new world superpower in the months and years to come. Upon a day, Albion will be ready to take it's place as a leading force in the world, and when that time comes, we'll be ready to put it in the position to exert it's newfound authority. One day Albion will stand as the head of the UN, and will act as a focal point of strength and unity." He answered honestly. Riley took in a breath at that and thought on his reply.

"Putting ourselves in that position could greatly increase Albion's power in dictating the running of the rest of the world. I know you have little interest in ruling, and Artoria is only concerned for her people in Albion, but doing what he says, and gaining a level of leadership over the rest of the world could help immensely when the time comes to face the Archdevil and his armies again." Kurama made note.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. If we could guide the world in preparation for such an invasion, we'd be that much more prepared when the time came." Riley agreed.

"So the whole song and dance of bringing us out here was to try and get us to take the position you want us in." Riley stated.

"Just placing it in everyone's minds. It's still too early to intervene, the world has issues it needs to hammer out first. The current worlds powers have to weaken further before we'll be ready to make our move. This was merely a formality. Albion survived better than most, and has the ability to project quite a bit of power through you, and it's army of magicals. Approaching you was merely par for the course, as the saying goes, but we already knew what the Queen was going to say. You no doubt see the opportunity that this event provides, and will spend the next few months expanding your powers and growing your strength while the world burns. Only once Albion has obtained all that it desires will it be ready to put an end to these conflicts. You alone are enough of a deterrent, and one day you will be deployed to put an end to these wars. Only then will Albion be ready to take up our offer and join with the UN. In what capacity that will ultimately be, will be decided then and there, for now though, we are content to allow the world to continue along. Chaos is needed to wipe away the strength of the old world, and give rise to new powers. I do look forward to seeing how Albion rises from the chaos, if nothing else, it will be exciting." Keel explained to her, offering a small smile at the end, his statement, a sentiment Riley could agree on.

"So what happens now?" Riley asked.

"Now? Now depends solely on you. If you wish to see our path altered than you have the strength to do so. Even with all of the powers SEELE has amassed we stand no hope of defying you. Not even our own minds are safe from you. All it would take was for one of us to fall, and all of our secrets, would be yours. We are but mortals, and when placed before the Goddess of this world, we are less than bacteria is to a man. You could annihilate this world with a single thought, and render all of our problems, all of our sufferings, all of our powers, and plans, you could render them unto nothing. Should you find issue with us, or our plans than there is little we could do to even hinder you, let alone stop you. So as I said, that answer lies in your hands. I've already told you in a broad sense of what we'll be working towards in the coming days, if you wish for finer details, I can offer them to you, otherwise our agenda is already known. SEELE intends to unite the world under a singular banner. Ensure that humanity is one force, undivided. And that force will be in service to you. To the one true Goddess of this world. You are our salvation, from the confines of this wretched existence. All will be united in you and through you." Keel answered her.

Riley stared back at him for several long moments before speaking again.

"What do you mean by that? Being united in me and through me? What does that mean? For you? For humanity?" Riley asked, taking note of how his words reminded her of the World Devouring alternate Riley that now constantly hunted the older Elizabeth across time and space.

Keel sat in silence for a moment, seemingly thoughtful as a small smile touched at his lips, finally he lifted his gaze to her and answered.

"It is the destiny of mankind to unite with you. One day we will all be joined together. All of us, all of mankind, made whole, through you. Just as your lovers now stand united together, through their connection to you. One day all of humanity will stand the same. Tied together, bound to one another, through our connection to you. You are our ultimate fate. One day, all of us… every single human being, will be joined with you, and on that day, all walls will come down, and all people, will finally understand each other. We will all know what it's like to be each other, and on that day, the human race will become a billion minds, who's hearts beat as one." He answered reverently, almost seemingly moved by his own words.

Riley stared at him for many long seconds as she took in what that could possibly mean. Even seeing his surface thoughts, Riley couldn't make heads or tails of what he truly meant about this belief.

"I don't know what he means either. Then again, maybe he's talking about Ninshū. I mean remember the old man's lessons, about how magic can be used to bond people together, and help to understand each other. Maybe he's talking about something like that, where all people will be unified together in such a way. As for your part in this, I'm not entirely sure. It may have something to do with you absorbing the Ten-Tails, and the Shinju, the source of magic on earth." Kurama speculated.

"Perhaps. Still seems a bit odd to me, but I've never been overly religious." Riley responded.

"True, but I have a question, is he speaking from a religious standpoint, or is he referring to something that came from these scrolls that foretell the future?" Kurama inquired, sparking Riley's own curiosity.

"Tell me, you believe this, believe people are supposed to unify with me. Is that your own belief, or did it arise from the scrolls you're organization acquired?" Riley asked him.

"A combination of both, if I'm being honest. The scrolls have foretold much, but they are often difficult to interpret when not looked at with the benefit of hindsight. We can look back over the last two thousand years and see that the scrolls accurately predicted much of our history, but there is some that is still a mystery, some things written that we still haven't deciphered and connected to specific events. And when it comes to future events, it becomes exceptionally difficult to determine what exactly is being predicted." Keel answered her.

"For example?" Riley pressed.

"Well for example, the scrolls warn that war will come to us many times in the coming years. It mentions that a demon of stone will rise from the earth and slay the last son. It prophesied that invaders wearing the faces of man would attempt to darken the Earth forever, and by the hand of seven heroes, would the world be saved. After the war against Adam's offspring it makes note of another war against angels who'd be defeated by 'The Watchtower of the Earth'. It predicted that the death of the 'jester' would bring about a unity and a separation that would see the world burn, and mother and son reunited. It even predicts the 'last war of the Earth' where evils beyond our world will ravage mankind, and that only through unity with the Goddess of the World, will humanity know salvation. The scrolls tell of much, yet not anything overly specific. In hindsight, things become clearer, but without it, we're left with only speculation. Two thousand, two hundred, and eighteen events are listed within the Dead Sea Scrolls, and so far we've tied well over a thousand prophecies to events that have happened in our history. These events are listed in order as far as we can tell, and if that is the case, than there are only about fifty events left on that list. The final two being the last war of the Earth, and mankind's ultimate ascension. There is no more written beyond that point, or if there was, those texts have been lost." Keel answered, offering her a glimpse of the scope of what SEELE had in it's possession.

Riley blinked several times as she took in his words.

"Wow… that would make three sources now speculating on the Day of Wrath. Luna, Kane, and now these scrolls all predict the Archdevil's attack. I become more certain of it, every time something like this comes up." Kurama stated.

"Yeah. I don't really know what to make of most of those prophecies, but that one seems clear. If the future is in motion, and is never set, than the only way these prophecies could be this accurate would be if Elizabeth wrote them, or someone who knew what she was doing wrote them. She groomed this timeline so that all of her siblings would appear here, that's what she told me. So she's the only one who could possibly know all of this." Riley made note.

"So than does that mean she knew you'd eventually have to fight that Archdevil, and if so, why would she want that?" Kurama wondered.

"I have no idea. Not one clue, and unfortunately, I can't even contact her to ask. She's out there, running for her life from a corrupt, evil, world devouring version of me. So even if I could try and contact her, she probably wouldn't come back here. To much risk of leading the other me here." Riley thought back.

Too many thoughts were now whirling around in Riley's mind. She had a lot to think of, and needed some time to process all of this.

"Alright… here's what's going to happen." Riley began, causing Keel to lean forward at his desk, folding his fingers together as he did.

"I'm going to leave here. You go and tell your buddies in your secret organization that I know about them now, and I'll be watching you all. If I catch wind of anything, anything that leads me to believe you lied to me, I'll be back." Riley delivered her waning.

"No lies. All I have told you is the truth. You will see, in the coming days. We are prepared to walk upon this path, for as long as it takes. Until next we meet, great one." Keel Lorenz responded, finishing his statement with a bow of the head.

The instant he lowered his head, and his sight line left Riley, she moved, faster than the eye could follow she drew her wand and channeled Kotoamatsukami, through Shisui's eye. The jutsu embedded into the mind of the man, burrowing deep, and in the next instant, Riley hid her wand and turned to depart.

The man never noticed her movement, his head raising as she marched out of the room. Deep within his mind, Riley implanted an idea with the help of Kotoamatsukami, an idea that Keel Lorenz would never betray her. That should his organization make any moves against Riley for whatever reason, he would try and stop it, and warn her of the coming danger.

As with any use of this technique, it would take time for the idea to fully manifest into a conscious thought, but once it fully took hold, there was almost no way to dismantle it.

While Riley could understand why the group had done what they did, and to a point, she even agreed with the reshaping of the power structure of the world, that didn't mean she trusted SEELE, or it's agenda. She'd keep an eye on them, and when the time was right, she'd approach them for more answers. For now though, she had a lot on her mind. Too much to keep adding more information at the moment, so for now, she'd take some time to go over everything she'd learned, and what it could mean.

-End Flashback-

So now Riley sat in thought. Running through all that she had learned and all that it meant. It had confirmed in her mind, that the Day of Wrath was coming. Any doubt that may have lingered, any hope that it may not happen had been chased away. The Archdevil that had sent it's armies against them during the Fourth Great Ninja War, would one day attack them.

Around fifty great historical events were left on the Dead Sea Scrolls, but those events could all be condensed into only a few years. Even if it was one event, per year, that meant they only had fifty years left to prepare the world for the Day of Wrath. Such a thing was already a monumental task, but add in the number of wars, and planetary invasions that were seemingly on the horizon, and it made the task infinitely harder.

"A demon that rises from the earth to kill the last son. A war with angels, after the war against Adam's Children, and these angels will be beaten by whatever the hell this 'Watchtower' is. Shit like this is why I hate written prophecies. They don't make a lick of damn sense, or are so damn vague they could literally mean anything. Like the first one, it basically amounts to a demon coming to kill some guy. I do that all the fucking time! And I'm pretty sure I've ended more than a few bloodlines because of it! Last son… this is bullshit." Riley mentally grumbled to herself as she continued to stare out over London.

"I know how you feel. I hate when these things are brought up, only to be as vague as one could imagine, it's nonsense. Still though… now we know more about what's going on, and can begin planning accordingly. So… what are you gonna tell your mates? You do realize they all saw that conversation." Kurama questioned her.

"Yeah I know. They saw the conversation, but none of them know what was said. Gaia and Yugito are the only two that can read lips, but neither of them speaks English very well. In Gaia's case, she can't speak any English, whereas Yugito only knows a handful of English words. So Yugito may have caught a few things, I doubt it was enough to get anything cohesive. Still… Artoria will want to know what we talked about, so I'll have to come up with something." Riley responded, turning her thoughts towards what she should tell her mates.

One of the issues that came with their new joined line-of-sight was that it was always active, even when they weren't in battle, hell even when they were asleep. That was something that made sleeping an odd experience, as while they could sleep naturally, their dreams were intermixed with the things they were seeing from those that were still awake.

More specifically, most of Riley's mates, now dreamed of the desert, or had dreams where they were in the desert. Which was due to Gaia usually being awake while they were asleep, though Gaia had it worse as she usually slept while they were all awake, meaning her dreams were quite vibrant and strange, because of all of these separate influences.

Thankfully most of them didn't need to sleep any longer. Gaia, Yugito, and Kaede were full blooded demons, or devils, in all actuality, meaning they only needed magic to survive, sleep was just something they were used to, so even with the vibrant dreams, they still woke up rested. Only Katie, Luna, and Daphne, seemed to need sleep any longer, but they didn't get tired as often. Fleur didn't seem to get sleepy anymore, and Artoria didn't either.

So dealing with the constant shared line-of-sight was a bit of an issue especially in situations like this where Riley had to deal with things she knew her mates wouldn't be happy about.

There was a minor solution to the whole connected vision problem, but it wasn't a complete fix. Riley, as the Outer Path, could selectively separate individual path's sight, from the group's. So say Katie was blinded by a flash bomb during battle, instead of all of them having to deal with that blinding light in one of their fields of view, Riley could block Katie's sight from their collective, until her sight returned.

The thing was, this blocking action, was an active thing, not a passive one. Riley couldn't just turn the shared line-of-sight off and on on a whim. She had to actively separate individual paths from the collective, and keep them separate for as long as she wanted them to be. So it was a conscious effort to do so. It wasn't hard, and already Riley had a plan to use Occlumency to partition a tiny portion of her mind for this purpose, allowing her to activate that part of her brain without having to actively focus on it.

She was still working on this process though, getting everything right, which would allow her to turn their shared sight-line on and off if she needed to, but it wasn't a complete fix, as Riley didn't actually want to go back to how it was before, because now she could see what her mates saw, and could easily tell if they were in danger. She wouldn't even need for them to call out to her, or for her wraiths to react in their defense, she could see the danger coming, and go to her beloved mates if they needed her.

So with all things, there were pros and cons to the shared line-of-sight, and so now Riley had to decide on what she was going to say to her mates.

What should she tell them? The truth? They'd be furious, and probably demand justice. A lie? Riley didn't like lying to her mates. She didn't like keeping things from them, and would try not too, if she could. A half-truth, tell them about SEELE but leave out their connections to the incident in Antarctica?

That could work. It was a lie by omission, but if they didn't ask, than Riley didn't have to openly lie, and it'd buy her time to decide her own feelings on the situation, and how she intended to deal with it.

Riley rose to her feet at that, and decided to go find Artoria and Daphne. They would be the ones who'd most likely want to ask about what they'd seen, so she'd deal with them first.

Less than an hour later, Riley sat with Artoria, Daphne, and their advisers, telling them about her meeting with Keel Lorenz. She told them about SEELE, an organization of her worshipers, that had been formed a long time ago, and was working from the shadows to aid humanity in preparation for it's eventual ascension and unification with Riley.

When asked, Riley expressed that she had no idea what that ultimately meant, only that SEELE seemed convinced that it was fated for mankind to unite with Riley, to join with her, and ultimately ascend to the stars.

It was Madara who asked her why she had even chosen to meet with the man, why she'd seen fit to approach him after the inquiry.

She answered honestly, in that she was curious as to the nature of the man's reactions during the meeting, and how he took everything in stride, almost anticipating Artoria's responses.

So she approached him, and he revealed that he was a worshiper of hers, and that's kinda where it all started.

Riley also revealed to them, SEELE's intentions, and how they planned to form a new world order, by using the chaos of the world to build a better, stronger UN. One that could uphold and enforce a new way of life for the various governments of the world. There ultimate plan being create a world government. She even told them how they wanted Albion to be a part of this plan, and act as a founding member to this new regime.

Revealing this tidbit of information actually helped Riley a great deal, as it pulled the topic of conversation over to that possibility, and what it could mean.

Eventually the topic of conversation became wholly about what Albion would, or should do in the face of such a power coming into creation. If the world developed it's own government, or looked to be heading in that direction, should Albion remain independent? It brought up many interesting ideas, but for the most part, people were skeptical. No one knew SEELE outside of Riley, and she didn't exactly vouch for them. Those in the room also had no great reason to trust that the UN could handle the task, even if it was being guided by a greater power. It had already proven to be a sloppy organization, and their recent dealing with it, left much to be desired.

Still, Artoria didn't dismiss the idea outright, and left the door open to continue these discussions at a later date.

That night, after going home, Riley waited for the opportunity to quietly speak with Madara and Kaguya alone, in regards to what she was dealing with.

"Hey grandfather, you got a moment to talk? You and grandmother?" Riley inquired.

"Sure, what is it?" Madara responded with a curious look.

"It's something important. Let's go for walk." Riley answered.

Madara blinked several times before nodding. Her then went to collect Kaguya and they both met Riley outside.

The trio headed away from Riley's house, and once they were a good distance away, Riley wandless cast a privacy barrier around them.

"Okay, if anyone asks, tell them I wanted to talk to you guys about me having another kid." Riley began.

"Going with a bit of subterfuge. Trying to hide something?" Madara inquired with a smirk.

"Yeah, actually. I actually learned some pretty fucked up stuff from Keel Lorenz, and I don't want anyone else to know that I know. You two have both been willing to go to extremes to accomplish your goals, even made plans for sacrifice on a massive scale to see your ambitions accomplished, it's for that reason that I know you'll at least be willing to hear this, and think on it, like I am." Riley answered back, her reply earning her a hard look from Madara and Kaguya.

"What did you learn?" Kaguya was the one to ask.

"Second Impact, that's what they're calling the event that wiped out Antarctica. They're saying it was a meteor strike, launched by Toneri. But that's a lie. The event was triggered by a being called Adam. I told everybody that I sensed something within the explosion. I knew there was something deeper involved. I learned from Keel Lorenz, that the event itself was triggered by an alien creature, that they call Adam." Riley began.

Madara and Kaguya shared a glance with each other at that, before urging Riley to continue.

"Okay, to get a good bearing on why I'm going with all the cloak and dagger, let me try to summarize this. SEELE found a set of ancient scrolls, on these scrolls are prophecies. One of which, is that sometime after the next thirteen years or so, Adam and it's offspring were going to awaken, and Adam was going to kill all life on the planet. SEELE, made a move against Adam, weakening it before the true awakening. They sent an expedition to Antarctica, knowing full well what they'd find there, buried under the ice. They purposefully woke Adam up, and triggered Second Impact, in order to weaken Adam. Ensuring that when the time for the awakening comes, Adam will be too weak to fight, which will force his children to find him. So long as they're looking for him, they wont be wiping out all life. Which means, we'll have the chance to kill them." Riley explained to the two. Both were silent as they took in her explanation.

"So what you're saying is, this whole incident, the explosion, the flooding, all of it was a result of SEELE's plan to weaken Adam in preparation for a war against it and it's offspring, over a decade from now? Why not just come to you, and have you kill it? They obviously know of your powers." Kaguya inquired.

"These things, Adam and it's offspring, live on a hierarchy. Adam is number one. If I kill number one, than the first child to awaken becomes the new number one. I think the reason they need to weaken Adam and not kill it, is because only the number one can initiate the destruction of all life on the planet. So long as Adam is alive, it stays number one. So long as it's weak, and in the number one position, we have a fighting chance. And no, SEELE has no idea where any of Adam's children are, otherwise, they could just ask me to go kill them while they're sleeping. These creatures are hidden, somewhere on the planet, and I've never sensed them before which could mean any number of things. With Adam weakened, his offspring will be needed to empower him, allowing him to nuke all life on this planet." Riley answered her, earning a slow nod from Kaguya as she turned thoughtful.

"What does this creature want? Why is it so hostile to us?" Madara asked.

"It's a creator life form. According to SEELE, and the Darkness, two came to our world. Adam was the first, than Lilith. Only one is supposed to exist here, or only one is allowed to create life, so Lilith was supposed to shut down, or be sealed away, but the means to do so were damaged when she crashed here, so Adam was forced into hibernation. My guess is that Adam woke up to find the world it was planning on seeding life into, in bed with another, and he lost his shit. Have you ever heard anything about organisms like this grandmother?" Riley inquired after answered Madara's question.

"I have, actually. Lilith is what it's called? I've… heard of such organisms before. Lifeforms who's sole purpose it to create other lifeforms, to seed worlds with a specific genetic type. The Ōtsutsuki knew of these beings because we too were created by them. They're primordial, and ancient beyond measure. Extra-dimensional in origin, created by an elder race that has long passed into legend and myth, even among my people. I've never encountered her directly, though when I was tied to the Shinju, I could sense this Lilith. The god tree's roots encircled something close to the Elemental Nations, but not on the continent, Japan, Korea, China perhaps, maybe even Russia. Somewhere in that area, deep underground is where Lilith is. I couldn't sense her power, but the roots of the God Tree could feel her energy and drink it in, like they did other energy sources. The Ōtsutsuki had a mandate in place to never interfere with these ancestral organisms. Their purpose was to see life onto worlds, worlds with life make for better hosts for more God Trees." Kaguya answered, offering a bit of insight into her past, their neither of the two knew.

"I'm guessing, based off of the way you phrased that, and from what I learned from Hagoromo, that the Ōtsutsuki intentionally sent the Shinju here to Earth, and than spent a long time cultivating it?" Riley guessed, earning a small nod from Kaguya.

"Yes. Most God Trees are not of natural origin, but made by us, and we deliver them to planets we suspect will be rich in life, and magic. The God Trees are a species of symbiotic and parasitic lifeforms. When first sent to a world they fill it with magic, encouraging the growth of more complex life, and speeding up the evolutionary process towards intelligent life. The trees keep up this process until a dominant species rises on the planet, one capable of making war. The Shinju fed on blood, and death, taking in the magic of those that were killed, and using it as sustenance. At that point, it would begin slowly growing Chakra Fruits. At first blossoming them very slowly, but over many tens of thousands of years, it would begin producing them more frequently, all the while subtly encouraging the dominant species on the planet to grow and propagate, increasing in numbers until it eventually wiped itself out. When the species went extinct, the Ōtsutsuki would quickly intervene, and cut down the God Tree, preventing it from leaving the planet to go find another. We cultivated them, consumed their fruits. We tended to them, and assisted in their creation. From the Chakra Fruits we gained unspeakable powers, even enhanced longevity." Kaguya explained to the two of them.

"Wow… well thanks for the heads up on where to look for Lilith, though I didn't know the rest of that." Riley responded.

"Yes, it's part of what I intended to tell you after your training with Hagoromo was finished." Kaguya admitted.

"I see. Well, I'm still looking forward to that conversation, but before we get to it, we might wanna finish this one." Riley stated, Kaguya nodding in agreement.

"Yes, I agree. Was there anything else you learned from SEELE?" Madara asked.

"Yeah, beyond them knowing that this was coming, they also intended to use this event to create a new world government in the future, using the UN as a basis. I mentioned some of this before when I spoke with you all earlier, but I didn't mention this part, nor did I bring up the Dead Sea Scrolls, which apparently have over two thousands predicted events written on them, that SEELE believes are written in order of their happening. If SEELE is right, than there is only around fifty events left on that list, two of which are an invasion which I believe is the Day of Wrath, and the other, the very last one, is simply humanity's ascension. I have no idea how long there is between these events, it could be a year between each, it could be many years, all I do know is that SEELE has positively identified over a thousand items on that list, as connected to events in history. Which leads me to believe that this has something to do with how the older Elizabeth groomed our timeline for all of her siblings to appear here." Riley explained to them both.

"I never understood how she managed that, especially when she wasn't here." Madara noted.

"Me neither. This leads me to believe she have had agents on this planet working for her, perhaps using this list. Maybe it's even SEELE, and they are knowingly, or unknowingly working for her, grooming the timeline to make certain things happen. All I do know is that if I'm right, the older Elizabeth has put us on track to fight that fucking Archdevil, and I have no idea why." Riley expressed to the two of them.

"I doubt any regular seer could foresee so many events. It mostly likely had to be Elizabeth. Especially if the future isn't set, and could be random. Prophecy is supposed to be guess work based off of similar timelines, so it's unlikely for anyone to see that much. I agree that it was most likely her, or someone she was working with." Madara agreed with her logic.

"So if it was her, why the hell does she want us to fight that thing? Why groom a timeline that leads to a fight against something that powerful? Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm reaching here, but something doesn't sit right with me. I don't wanna start accusing her of anything, but my warning bells are going off, and I'm not sure why." Riley offered up. Truly not knowing how she felt, or whether she fully believed this or not. Maybe she was right, maybe she was wrong, but Riley had a good eye for traps, and a healthy suspicion when it came to things that seemed too convenient. Nature was never this orderly.

"I'm not sure Riley. I don't know if you're right or wrong. I do agree that this is suspicious though." Kaguya stated after a moment of thought.

"Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing the truth unless the elder Elizabeth reappears so we can ask her. If she set us on a path to face a demon of unimaginable power, I would like to know why." Madara stated.

"So would I. But you're right. We wont know unless we ask her, and she'll never come back to this world. She's being chased by the me that eats planets. She wont risk coming back here. So unfortunately, we're probably gonna just be left with our suspicions, and that's it." Riley noted with a sigh.

"For now… it doesn't matter. Whether she put us on this path intentionally or not, the threat of this Archdevil remains. At least we have some warning this way." Kaguya stated after a moment of silence, earning nods from her granddaughter and husband.

"Alright, back to the original issue than. What do you think I should do about SEELE? A part of me wants to kill them for what they did, what they allowed to happen. But another part of me thinks that this sacrifice might have been necessary. Keel Lorenz took no pleasure in the act. He seemed resigned to it, accepting of it. If his fellows are anything like him, than they seek to do what they believe is necessary. They're willing to make such monumental sacrifices, to obtain their goals. I know what most of my mates would say. All save for two would demand justice, that I hunt down and kill every member of SEELE. Kaede wont care, and Luna may agree with me, that it had to be done, but even then, she's iffy. I know what grandfather Hashirama would say, I know what mother would say, I know what uncle Tobirama would say. Shisui, Itachi, Uncle Remus, Sirius, my friends, I know what all of them would say. But if SEELE is right, than they may have just bought us the time needed to win the war against Adam's offspring. And now they plan on using the chaos in the world to force everyone to come together. A part of me thinks we could really do with some world unity when the Archdevil comes." Riley explained her thoughts to them. Both of her grandparents took in her words and weighed her position.

This wasn't so much of a moral dilemma as it was a logical one.

On one hand, SEELE triggered an event that killed a billion people, and would see the death of millions more in the days/weeks/months to come, and that was unforgivable. But if they were right, than that bought the world the chance to defeat Adam, when the time was right. And if SEELE could use this tragedy, to unite the world under a single banner, than that might buy them a fighting chance in all the wars left to come.

Millions of lives lost, sacrificed, for a fighting chance. How do you weigh that? Morally, nothing could justify all the lives snuffed out. So many innocent lives lost, yet if the world could be unified under a single banner, if the veil that separated nations fell, than that could allow them to harness the full strength of mankind.

How did one weigh these possibilities? Riley had made the choice to not kill Keel Lorenz, because logically, she agreed with him and SEELE, however… she knew that morally, it was damning.

Riley didn't overly care for good or evil, she was a demon after all. But she did have her own set of morals, as twisted as they were, and part of those morals was strongly tied to those she loved. Riley knew what they would demand, even logical individuals like Tobirama, would be unable to see past the death and destruction. He may concede the need for it, but he would still demand SEELE's destruction.

If SEELE was destroyed, than all of it's plans, died with it. And that left a power vacuum that had to be filled. If someone didn't step in to fill it, than there went any chance of someone forcing mankind to unify.

"What is it you're looking for Riley? Guidance? Or validation?" Madara asked.

"I'm looking for a response tempered in logic. I'm no longer human. I don't feel the loss of all those people. I don't feel that sadness when I look upon the state of the world. Everything I feel, is intentional, and I don't often deny people the chance to rise above the suffering of the world. Yeah this is bad, really bad, but people can survive it, and perhaps the benefits outweigh the cost? But I'm not impartial. I'm a demon, I have to actively stop myself from enjoying the devastation. So I need some advice, and you two have both been willing to go to extreme lengths to get what you wanted. Grandmother was willing to turn hundreds of thousands of people into White Zetsus in order to have an army to fight her clan, and you grandfather, hatched a plan to place all of mankind into an eternal illusion. You both went to extremes to get what you wanted, and now have a new outlook. So what I'm asking you is this; from your point of view, should I sit back and allow them to continue, allow SEELE to work, or should I get involved, destroy their organization, control it, anything like that?" Riley explained, clarify her position.

The two were silent for several long moments as both pondered the situation. Madara was the one who spoke first.

"The way I see it, what's been done, cannot be undone. Was SEELE's gamble worth it? We wont know until the day comes where we face Adam's offspring. Only with the benefit of hindsight will be able to know for certain. So until such a time, there's no point in trying to determine if SEELE was in the right. What's done is done. My suggestion would be to enter this group, monitor them directly, learn what they're doing and take command of their resources. Allow them to carry on with their plans, but remain close, ingrain yourself with them, and slowly absorb the powers of this organization. If they worship you as a goddess, than they'll no doubt be willing to cooperate with you. That's what I would do." Madara suggested.

Kaguya and Riley both listened to his idea, with Kaguya offering her agreement after hearing it.

"I agree. Whatever their plans are, I believe it would be wise to begin adjusting them to suite your own needs. They may seek humanity's ascension, and eventual unification with you, but until you fully understand what that means, there still exists danger. Madara is right, what's done is done. There is not point in looking back and wondering whether it was right or not, all we can do is make the best of the situation now. I would do what you can to keep SEELE under control. Watch them, understand them, guide them, if you feel it necessary. The day may come when we need their resources, where we need what they have to offer, that's why you haven't destroyed them, because you believe they may be needed, that what they're doing, may be needed, so I would say that it's best you ingrain yourself into this group, and see what can be gained from them. If you're looking to make the cost of so many lives worth it, than make sure that it is. Make sure that SEELE's gambit pays off. Make sure that all those lives lost, and all the lives that will be lost in the days to come, ultimately mattered." Kaguya agreed.

Riley nodded at that, agreeing with them.

"Yeah, I already put measures in place to at least ensure Lorenz doesn't betray me, and that he'll warn me if SEELE intends to, I used Kotoamatsukami on him. But I think you're right. Why sit here wondering if this is the right course of action, when I can see to it myself." Riley offered.

"Good, ensuring his loyalty will be a decent starting point, but now you need to see to the rest of the organization. Get in good with them, gain influence among them, and find a way to add their power to your own. If they intend to unite the world under a single banner, than ensure that banner is one we can direct. When the time comes to fight in the Day of Wrath, we cannot afford infighting, or disconnection. We need every resource we can accumulate. You're a manipulator, you tricked and maneuvered the Death Eaters, and Voldemort, to get what you wanted, now you'll do the same with SEELE, and the UN. Make them into our allies, and eventually, bring them fully over to our side." Madara continued on.

Riley was thoughtful as she took in what he said. In the past, she had acted as the manipulator. She'd played tricks on others, she'd fooled them, and used deception to get what she wanted. It had primarily been through Voldemort and the Death Eaters, in order to get what she wanted. In more recent times though, she had actually done it again. In fact, as she was thinking about it, she suddenly came to a realization.

She had allowed Millennium to attack England, despite knowing about the attack far in advance.

Remembering her past actions, caused Riley to blink several times, and turn pensive. She thought back on what she had done, and made some surprising connections.

She had allowed Millennium's attack, to set the stage for the rise of Albion. Riley had made those moves because she believed that the world needed a change, that the magicals needed to seize this moment, reveal themselves, and at least in Albion, seize power in order to secure their freedom and safety in the future.

She had allowed countless thousands to fall, in order to get what she wanted. To do what she thought needed to be done. SEELE was no different in it's actions. It knew what was coming, it knew what kind of devastation would be unleashed. It had done the exact same thing that Riley herself had done, and she was just now realizing that this was what had been bothering her all day.

No one, save for Daphne, and Walter Dornez, knew that Riley had prior knowledge of Millennium's plans, and had allowed it to take place. No one knew, not even her grandfathers.

Riley had allowed a terrible thing to happen, because she believed that she could manipulate the fallout of such an event to secure a better future for herself and those she cared for. She allowed England to fall, so that Albion could rise from it's ashes.

SEELE had done the same thing. It was on a much larger scale, and it was taking a lot longer, but it was almost identical situations. Identical choices for those who knew what was coming.

SEELE believed that the benefits, what was gained, was worth the cost, just as Riley had believed when she allowed Millennium to carry out it's attack.

All day Riley had warred with how she felt about this, struggling to determine why this bothered her. It was this reason. Because it was what she had done.

If Riley had been in SEELE's position, she would have done the same thing, she realized that.

"Hmm… you know, that is a good point. It is pretty much the same." Kurama agreed with her realization.

"Yeah… I've been trying to wrap my head around how I feel about this, all damn day, and I just now came to a realization. SEELE did what I would have done. I know that now. I've done it before. The scale of this whole thing, of Second Impact, I couldn't see it before, but now that I've had time to really consider it, I know I would have done the same thing, had I been in their shoes." Riley thought to herself, turning away from her grandparents who'd both noticed her pensive look, and how she seemed to be deep in thought.

"It is on a far larger scale, but it's pretty much the same thing. Madara is right, we should get in on this. Take the initiative, and see what can be gained." Kurama offered in agreement with Madara's earlier suggestion.

"Yeah. I agree. I've spent a lot of time just reacting. I allowed for Albion to rise, but then I sat back and let the chips fall where they may. I think it's time I stop sitting back. I never wanted to be leader, but if people want to follow me, than that's their choice. SEELE is willing to fall in line, than I'll give them a goddess to worship, just so long as I get what I want, they can sing my praise till their lungs give out." Riley offered in response before turning back to her grandparents.

Her confusion, and lack of direction, seemingly evaporating as she decided on a course of action.

"Thanks guys, for your wisdom. I've got some things to check on, moves to make. When I get back though, grandmother, you and I should talk." Riley said to them, earning a nod from Kaguya, while Madara offered her a smirk.

"Good luck. Let us know if you need anything." He said to her.

"I will, grandfather. See you later." Riley responded, before canceling the privacy barrier around them, and disappearing into Kamui.

"What do you suppose got into her just now?" Kaguya questioned, noting Riley's sudden focus.

"That girl always has a thousand things on her mind, I should know, I lived there for a time. If I know Riley as well as I think I do, she's off to form a plan of some sort, if one isn't already building in her mind. We'll just have to wait and see what she comes up with." Madara offered in response.

-Riley's Home, London, Albion. September 24th 2000-

Riley reemerged early in the morning the following day, and immediately set her plan into action. She sent a number of Shadow Clones, to begin stalking Keel Lorenz, waiting for him to make contact with the rest of SEELE.

Her plan was to infiltrate and eventually take over the group, guiding it in a direction that would suit her needs, so to do that, she needed information. Time to go back to the source, and monitor the situation.

She had gifted the clones with her Cloak of Invisibility, so that they could get as close to Lorenz as they wished without triggering any sort of magical defenses that may be placed around him.

Once she started getting information on the other members of the group, she'd send more clones, and Loki to begin spying on them.

With a plan formed in her mind, and various plots taking shape, Riley was confident in moving on.

So she sought out her grandmother, intent on learning the secrets that Kaguya had kept for so very long.

She arrived to meet with her grandmother, and the two, along with Madara, settled into Kaguya's room to talk.

"Allow me to start at the beginning. Our purpose." Kaguya began.

"Long ago, my clan discovered our own God Tree, and fed upon the chakra fruits it produced. This allowed several members of the clan to gain godlike powers for a short duration of time, the power within the fruit was enough to raise one's power to the level of one of the higher Tailed Beasts, and allow them to fight and utilize such powers at that level for almost a millennia before the fruit would finally break down, and the power fade. We found that afterwards, those who had consumed the Chakra Fruit were much stronger than they were before consuming it. Having that much chakra flowing through your body for that long caused their magical systems to adapt, making them more powerful. From there we discovered that those who would continue to eat the Chakra Fruit would experience this growth in their magical network. They'd eat a fruit, gain godlike powers for a while, lose those powers, but would still be stronger than they were before, when that power faded." Kaguya began explaining to the two of them, helping them to understand the origin of her clan, and it's incredible power.

"Not only did the chakra fruit grant great power but it also healed almost any injuries while a person was under the effects of one, making that person nigh indestructible. It also stopped them from aging during that time, and when they resumed aging afterwards, it would be at a slower rate. A twenty year old man, who ate one of the fruits wouldn't age for a millennia, and once the effects of the fruit wore off, he would begin aging again at about half the normal rate. And just like with the power boost, we found that this aging effect was cumulative. Every time you ate a chakra fruit, the rate you aged would be cut in half." Kaguya continued on.

"That would mean after around fourteen fruits consumed, one of your clansmen now had a lifespan of over a million years." Riley stated, doing a bit of quick math in her head.

"Yes. It allowed for many within the clan to gain incredible power, and unspeakably long lifespans. It would take around fifty chakra fruits to get ones base power to match the Nine Tails in terms of raw power. Not impossible, but only a few have managed to achieve it, mostly because it's forbidden to consume more than one fruit at a time, and you cannot consume one while under the effects of another." Kaguya informed them.

"Wow. So one would have to be under the effects of the chakra fruits for nearly fifty thousand years, before they would gain the base power of an archdemon. You say you can't eat more than one at a time, why?" Riley inquired.

"Two reasons, one is that the fruits carry with them much of the genetic information of the dominant species on the planet, and the Ōtsutsuki are able to adapt to those gene traits over time. Meaning that while under the fruit's effects, our very DNA is evolving, so to introduce a new sequence of DNA to adapt to while already adapting can lead to disastrous results. The second reason is that fruits, when eaten in unison or in rapid succession begin to fuse within a person's body, and have the chance of forming into a new Ten-Tails." Kaguya answered, earning surprise from both of them.

"What do you mean, a new Ten-Tails?" Madara asked.

"The Ten-Tails is the seedling of the God Tree. If you take a chakra fruit, and allow it to age without consuming it, it'll slowly grow into a new Ten-Tails. If you take two or more fruits and combine them together, at once, it could create a new juubi at a much faster rate." Kaguya responded, furthering the two's surprise.

"I absorbed the Seedling of the God Tree?" Riley asked, confused, and full of questions.

"Not quite. What I did with the Shinju, with our Ten-Tails, to my knowledge, hadn't been done before. I ate the Chakra fruit, I gained godlike power. And I used that power to begin dominating the mind and will of the God Tree, binding myself to it, and it to me, making us one. When the time came and I fought Hagoromo and Hamura, I summoned forth the God Tree to fight for me. It wasn't feasible for it to fight in the form of a tree, so it took the shape of the Ten-Tails, but in reality, our Ten-Tails is fully mature, it's no longer a seedling, but when I reference the seedling of a god tree, what I'm talking about is a Ten-Tails, one that's smaller, weaker, and more like a living animal, than an amalgamation of nature." Kaguya offered to her.

"Okay, why hasn't anyone else tried to do what you did?" Madara inquired, "You gained immortality, and an unspeakable amount of chakra. That was power that wasn't going to fade, so why haven't other's in your clan tried this?"

"Because it made me into a demon. When I bonded myself to the Shinju I filled it with my thoughts, and feelings. I taught it to hate, I taught it to feel pain. It took in all of the worst things about me, and it turned this fount of power, into an Archdemon. What I did was not only taboo, but punishable by death. We've long known what can happen when we try to interact too closely with the God Trees. Which is why we tend to them very carefully." Kaguya answered him, earning a solemn nod from Madara, while Riley looked on curiously.

"While I was training with Hagoromo, he told me about how he learned from the Ten-Tails that you and another member of your clan kept coming to check up on the Shinju. How over the course of millions and millions of years, you kept reappearing every so often to check on it. Is that what you meant when you say you have 'tend' to them carefully?" Riley asked.

"Yes. Our clan, as a whole, live in our own pocket dimension, away from the passage of time in the real world. We have our own society there, and carry out with out own lives. The tending to the God Trees can take tens of millions of years, so we have to be patient. Even with the added longevity gained from the chakra fruits, many cannot live long enough to tend to a god tree from it's birth to the point where it starts producing fruits, so we utilize pocket dimensions where time moves a lot slower. Millions of years out here, is only a few centuries in there. So my companion and I were able to watch over the Shinju here, while only about six centuries passed for us." Kaguya offered to them.

"Who was this companion?" Madara inquired, having never heard of this person before.

"His name was Isshiki. He and I were partnered together for the tending of the Shinju. We were never overly close, he and I. He was a higher ranked member of the clan than I was. Someone from the Main household, while I was just a branch family member." Kaguya answered.

"What happened to him?" Riley asked.

"I killed him." Kaguya answered, simply.

"Why?" Riley questioned curiously.

"In the final days before the chakra fruit began spawning, he and I spent a great deal of time on Earth. We didn't want to miss the fruit manifesting, so we stayed on earth for about a year or so. During that time I came to love, and admire the humans, and eventually decided I didn't want them to be harmed, so I betrayed Isshiki. I cut him in half and devoured the chakra fruit myself. He died out there, alone. That reason, among many, is why my clansmen would see me punished. It is one of our highest laws that forbids the spilling of blood between clan members. I have broken many of my clan's laws, and if they ever find me, they will see that I suffer for it." Kaguya explained to them, her gaze distant and full of nostalgia.

"Why would humanity have been harmed? What was Isshiki going to do before you stopped him?" Madara inquired.

"Nothing. I wasn't his actions I sought to stop. It was the Shinju. You must understand, the nature of the God-Trees is that of a symbiotic/parasitic relationship. Allow me to explain the process. First you must acquire a seedling of a God Tree, or a juvenile Ten-Tails. You must then perform a ritual on the juvenile, which involves feeding it an Ōtsutsuki. The Ten-Tails, will then transform into a god tree and start generating magic, which is pumped into the world around it. This magic encourages the growth of magical beings across the planet. Eventually, over time, these magical beings will begin to war with one another, and the God-Tree, with it's roots now covering the entire planet, will feed on their blood, and devour their very life-force. These living energies are what lead to the creation of the Chakra fruits, which can eventually become Juvenile Ten-Tails, is treated properly. Over time, the God-Tree grows hungrier, and requires more blood be spilled, so it encourages greater conflict on the planet, feeding on more and more blood, until a cascading effect occurs, where the Shinju begins draining all living things, of their life, whether they have died or not. This is when it enters the parasitic stage of it's life, draining everything around it until all life on the planet, including the very life-force of the planet itself, is drained away. The god tree will then wither and die." Kaguya explained to the two of them, earning genuine surprise as neither had known prior of what the God-Tree truly was.

"So… what were you trying to stop, when you killed Isshiki?" Riley asked after a moment of silence.

"The creation of another God Tree. You should understand that the God-Tree's don't actually take all that long to grow. Maybe a decade or so, after feeding them an Ōtsutsuki. My clan harvests the fruit of these God-Trees. We're like farmers, in that way. We seed worlds with God-Trees, and use those planets as orchards, to grow many Chakra Fruits. It usually takes around a thousand years for one Chakra Fruit to appear, so we usually plant many God Tree's. Isshiki and I were on our way to the God Tree to acquire the fruit, allow it to grow into a Ten-Tails, and then I would have been fed to it, to turn it into a new God Tree. Using this process, we've been able to plant upwards to a hundred God-Trees on a single planet with still many thousands of years before they turn parasitic. More God-Trees, more Chakra fruits, more bloodshed and battle." Kaguya answered her.

"Wait, he was going to feed you, to that thing?" Riley questioned after sharing a glance with Madara.

"Yes. It is our bodies, and chakra the Ten-Tails requires for the ritual to work. So we developed a method of transferring our souls to new bodies after death. I was the lower ranking of the two of us, so I was the one to be offered as a sacrifice. Or at least I would have been, but instead I killed Isshiki and devoured the Chakra Fruit myself, then used that power to bond with the Shinju, becoming a demon. My plan being to take the Earth for myself." Kaguya offered to her as explanation.

"What is this method, could Isshiki have used it to survive what you did to him?" Madara asked.

"No, he couldn't have. We use a specialized seal called Kāma to create a vessel for ourselves. This seal, once placed begin overwriting the vessel's genetic information with our own, turning them into an Ōtsutsuki. When the one who placed the seal dies, their soul travels into the Kāma and once the vessel has been completely transformed into an Ōtsutsuki, our spirit takes full control over it, overwriting the original spirit. Of course there is more complexity to this than I've let on. Vessels must be compatible, and while we've found that we can perform this ritual on any sentient species we've come across, not every member of a species can withstand our power. Weak individuals will experience seizures and die from the mark being placed. And vessels without the natural fortitude to withstand our power may begin to break down after only a few days, so we must choose the proper vessel, it cannot be placed on just anyone. Isshiki hadn't placed his Kāma on anyone, and while I didn't kill him outright, there is no way he could have survived his injuries. Keep in mind, this was three thousand years ago. Had he managed to survive he would have revealed himself long before now." Kaguya assured them, knowing full well her old companion had been left alone to die of blood loss. Without having placed a Kāma of his own, his fate was to perish there.

Madara and Riley took in everything that they had learned. The mystery of the Ōtsutsuki having finally been lifted. It had gone unsaid, but both were smart enough to realize that the reason it took so long for the Shinju to start baring fruit was because it didn't have blood to feed on. What Kaguya and Isshiki were waiting for wasn't for the tree to mature, it was humanity they were waiting on. It was mankind that needed to develop and mature to the point where they could start feeding their blood to the God-Tree.

From everything they had gathered from this explanation, the two now had a clearer picture of what the Ōtsutsuki's goals were. They wanted Chakra Fruits. They wanted to enhance their powers, and gain longer lives. It wasn't a stretch of the imagination to believe that this Kāma copied the placer's DNA completely, meaning any changes that had been made to it, so any enhancements an Ōtsutsuki made to themselves, carried over to their new vessel, which no doubt included all the enhancements gained from the consumption of previous Chakra Fruits, which included a base power boast, a doubled lifespan, and whatever genetic adaptations were gathered from the blood of the species consumed to make the fruit. The Ōtsutsuki were parasites. Using the God-Trees as a medium to allow them to adapt and evolve into higher forms of life, they were attempting to becomes gods.

This discussion had also given the two greater insight into the nature of the Ōtsutsuki. First and foremost, they didn't like demons. Despite all that they were willing to do for power, it was taboo for them to become demons. It was also a great taboo to spill the blood of another Ōtsutsuki. These were interesting facets to learn about what could one day be a great foe.

"Alright… let's keep going. Tell us everything you can about your clan, everything you know, everything you speculated on. If they decide to show up one day, I want to be ready for them." Riley stated, earning a nod from her grandmother.

From there, their discussions continued, long into the day. Knowing that many threats still laid on the horizon, Riley intended to gather as much information on them as she could.

-Riley's Home, London, England. September 25th 2000-

Riley sat with the Delacours, intent on explaining to them what had happened with Fleur. For the last several weeks, Fleur had been keeping the changes she had experienced a secret from her family. Using a glamour to hide her wings, horns, and other changes, she was able to keep from being noticed, but the time had come to bring her family in on the changes she had experienced.

For the last few weeks, the Delacours had been living in Riley's house, having come over to Albion to spend some time watching over Lucille while Riley and Fleur were away, they had remained there after the disaster, their home having been destroyed in the flood. Jean Delacour, still the head of the DMLE in France, traveled back to the country every day, for work, though 'work' was an understatement.

France, had been one of the hardest hit by the disaster. Not only had Paris been struck by a meteor during Toneri's attack, but what was left of the city, was then flooded during Second Impact. The French government was in shambles, both magical and muggles, and Jean was doing everything in his power to try and keep order, despite the fact that the manpower at his disposal had been cut down significantly.

Needless to say the man was exhausted, but he was trying to push through it

Fleur intended to finally reveal to her family the changes she'd undergone. They needed to know, especially if the day came where she ever got pregnant again. Lucille was half-demon, half-veela, but any future children Fleur had would be half-demon, half-whatever the hell she was now.

"Ready for this?" Riley inquired, holding Lucille on her lap, while Fleur mentally prepared herself for this.

"Yes, do not like having to hide zings from my family. I want to tell them." Fleur responded.

"It's you choice, go right on ahead." Riley responded.

"Alright. Mama, Papa, Gabby… do you remember when I told you, before I left to go with Riley to train, that when I came back, there might be a few things different about me?" Fleur began, turning to her family and addressing them.

"Yes, you mentioned how your eyes would change, becoming like Riley's, and that some other things might happen." Jean responded.

"Well… in the process of gaining zese eyes, I did experience a few changes. I have been keeping them a secret for ze last few weeks, because zey are kind of 'noticeable'." Fleur continued, causing her parents to share a look with one another.

Fleur took in a breath, and then allowed her Glamour to fall. Her wings and horns quickly manifested, drawing shocked gasps from her family members.

"My goodness, Fleur!" Her mother uttered, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"You have wings?! How… I… that incredible…" Gabby got out through her shock.

"When I bonded fully wiz Riley, I not only gained ze Rinnegan, but I also evolved. Riley believes zat I evolved into whatever ze ancestor to ze Veela was. Much like how my fellow mates all evolved based on zeir biology." Fleur explained to the three.

"My goodness." Fleur's mother got out again as she rose to her feet and approached her daughter.

She was quiet as she reached out and ran her hands along one of Fleur's wings, quickly ascertaining that they were in fact, real.

"I am not sure what I have become. I still have access to my Allure, though it has grown in strength. My connection to Fire Magic has also increased." Fleur began explaining to them, allowing her family to ask her many questions about the changes she'd experienced.

Riley simply sat back and allowed them to talk, answering any questions that were asked of her.

Fleur, Yugito, and Gaia were the only three of Riley's mates that needed to have this conversation. Yugito already had, informed the Raikage of her growth in power, as she'd basically become a human copy of the Two-Tails.

After in-depth discussions, it was decided by the Raikage to keep Yugito's evolution a secret, that only he and his advisers would know. He didn't trust his council not to freak out, or begin plotting with this new information.

Gaia had an easier time of it, only really telling her advisers, and family members.

Everyone was able to write off their transformations as having to do with bonding to the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, and it allowed them to continue keeping Riley's secret of being an Archdemon.

-September 29th 2000-

The world continued to burn, fires raged across many battlefields as armies tore into one another.

Some countries collapsed in the chaos while others were finding help from the most unexpected of places.

Superman, the Man of Steel, as he was starting to be known. He was primarily based out of the United States, and because of that, many of their problems were being solved by helpful alien.

The man had a hero complex, and it showed. He was going about the country almost every single day, using his powers for the betterment of the people. He helped rescue people from flooded towns, he helped put out fires and cap ruined oil rigs. The man was becoming a household name in the realm of helping people.

He wasn't the only one, but he was the one gaining the most attention, at least in the US.

Riley kept an eye on the man, learning of his powers, and see for herself just how strong he could be. She'd yet to come across a limit to his physical abilities, and he had displayed some unique powers as well, such as the ability to project beams of concentrated energy from his eyes, and to freeze things with his breath. He also possessed tactile telekinesis, which allowed him to use his superhuman abilities on objects far larger than himself, with causing them damage.

For example he could easily lift buildings, without them crumbling apart, and he could lift ships, without them buckling under their own weight.

Riley sought to learn this skill as it would make her own manipulation of larger objects much easier. Normally she'd have to use magic to grab hold of an entire object, but if she had access to tactile telekinesis she could use it to manipulate object similarly to Superman.

So she kept an eye on him, waiting for him to suffer an injury. She intended to steal this power from the Man of Steel by taking a drop of his blood and absorbing his powers from it.

So far no injuries, the man seemed indestructible, but she kept an eye on him regardless.

Others were also starting to draw her attention. Despite not having as large as news presence as Superman. Her pals in the Green Lantern group were making the occasional appearance to try and put out fires around the world. There was also the Flash, who also mostly operated out of the US, but he did occasionally appear elsewhere.

His incredible speed was a point of curiosity for Riley as well, and she intended to get to the bottom of it. Just from what she noticed when spotting him with her Byakugan, she noticed that he was seemingly drawing his power from an external source. What that source was, she wasn't entirely sure, but she intended to get to the bottom of it.

-October 4th 2000-

The skies were burning.

Another nuke had been detonated this time in China. A massive mushroom cloud now stood tall over the blazing landscape, like a towering demon, baring witness to all that it had destroyed.

-Pentref Cysgodian Hud, Albion. October 6th 2000-

"It's a hunter type B.O.W. I'm certain of it." Wesker stated as he observed footage taken from a battlefield in the Middle-East.

"It's as you predicted, Umbrella is selling their creations to the highest bidder." Shikaku Nara noted, taking a drag from his cigarette.

Nearby, Artoria stood, watching the footage for herself. A scene of three hunter-type bio-weapons ripping through a small squad of soldiers.

"What is our response to this?" Artoria asked, turning her gaze to Itachi.

"We'll begin tracking Umbrella's shipments, and trying to locate where these creatures are being made. The destruction of the NEST, the Rockfort Island facility, and the Antarctica facility, greatly weakened their ability to produce and ship these weapons around the world. Second Impact will have further damaged their ability to sell their weapons on the Black Market, the company was also in the midst of legal battles in the US after the Raccoon City Incident. The trials have been postponed due to the disaster, but will most likely resume here in the next few months as things return to some semblance of normality in the United States. Beyond that, we do have a plan in place to begin countering Umbrella's actions." Itachi responded to her.

"And that would be?" Artoria inquired.

"We target the buyers. We create our own organization to sell bio-weapons on the black market, we find who's buying them, and through the Legion, we go after these groups, dismantling them one by one. Umbrella is only selling these weapons to these groups because they're in desperate need for money. If we can cut them off from this source of revenue, it'll cause them to further flounder, make mistakes, and eventually they'll starve and be forced to cannibalize themselves, further weakening the organization." Itachi answered, explaining to her the plan that had been developed a while back when the idea of this first came up.

"We can also begin forming shadow groups of our own to act as buyers. The more we take out their buyers, the more they'll be forced to accept our business, increasing our arsenal of B.O.W.s to study, while also gaining information on where these creatures are coming from." Wesker suggested as well.

Artoria was silent for a moment as she pondered what to do. She had always been more inclined to face such problems head on, but she understood that the world was a different place now, and groups like Umbrella were enemies that couldn't be so easily bested with a sword. You had to be clever, and outwit them. You have to find where their hearts were, only then could you cut them out and deal mortal wounds to them.

"Lord Itachi, I place this in your hands. Do what you think needs to be done. Umbrella is a destabilizing factor that the world does not need right now. These viral weapons could cause disasters like Raccoon City to become common place, and that is something I cannot allow. I understand that deception and manipulation are needed to defeat a foe such as this, so I will leave this battle in the hands of those who know how to wield such tools far better than I. Keep me appraised of the situation." Artoria instructed, earning a bow from Itachi.

She then turned to depart, while Itachi turned his gaze back to the recordings.

"Doctor Wesker, I will require your experience and expertise in this endeavor." Itachi stated, turning his eyes over to the scientist.

"I still have issues with my old employers that have yet to be resolved. You'll have my assistance, Lord Commander, whatever you need." Wesker responded.

"Good. Than let us see to it." Itachi accepted, his gaze heavy as he began forming plans in his mind.

-October 10th 2000-

Hinata was pregnant. The news carried much cheer to it, raising everyone's spirits around Riley's household.

The two were happy to continue expanding their family, even in these dark times, some form of levity was needed, and it was something to smile about at the end of the day.

The rest of the country was doing rather well, all things considered. People went about their daily lives, and things seemed peaceful, though the fact that they were now sitting on a plateau, about a thousand feet above where they'd previously been hadn't escaped people's attention.

The state of the world was also a constant source of anxiety for many people. The rate for immigration had skyrocketed, people were gathering in droves to try to legally move to Albion. They wanted to escape the hellstorm brewing on the ground below, and escape to what they believed was an idealistic paradise in the sky.

The process was slow going, but Artoria was doing what she could to speed it up. It was taking time, but slowly but surely, more people were being allowed in. There was the danger though, that people would begin to try and sneak in. With each day that passed, and more stories coming out about what was happening around the world, people just wanted to find some safety, and desperation was starting to shine through.

-October 13th 2000-

The UN had officially began studies into Second Impact. An organization called Gehirn was established under the UN's supervision to study what had happened, why, and what effects this could ultimately lead too.

Riley could tell that this group had been founded by SEELE. They no doubt wanted to cover all of their bases, and ensure that any sort of 'official' explanation, fit in line with their plans.

Riley had been keeping a close eye on Keel Lorenz, and she learned that he never met directly with the other members of SEELE's leadership. Instead they communicated digitally, though computers. That made tracking them difficult, but Riley wasn't giving up just yet. She intended to approach Keel, while he was sleeping, and draw the secrets out of his mind, without him knowing. She'd learn the identity of all of the main members of the group, before approaching them.

-October 15th 2000-

From Keel Lorenz, Riley had gained the information on the other leaders of SEELE. There were four more in total, all working together in the UN.

Riley was able to get their names, positions, and their purposes in the organization from Keel, and she immediately set her clones to task watching them.

She would continue to study the group for a time, learning of their plans and machinations, and getting a good read on each of the members. Once she understood them, she could start manipulating them, and eventually control them.

-Riley's Home, London, Albion. October 16th 2000-

Riley lay in her bed, early in the night. Fleur, Kaede, and Luna were all cozied up with her, taking in each other's warmth.

Daphne hadn't returned home yet. Gaia and Yugito were in the Elemental Nations, Katie was on a mission for the Legion, and Artoria was being Artoria, drowning herself in work.

The four had just finished mating with one another, a new ordeal that had come form their joining. Riley had to actively cut off the sight-lines of those mates who weren't participating, so as to not drive them bananas, and she also had to get used to the changes in her mates.

For example, Luna, while physically seemingly the same, despite the weird situation with the colors, and her magic, still had the ocular connection, and the heightened physical and mental connection.

Sex was far more pleasurable because of it. They could all feel each other's emotions as vividly as their own, and shared in each other's pleasures. Even just with Luna, without any added magic at play, sex was magnitudes better than it had been before.

Now take into account those like Kaede, Gaia, and Yugito, all were devils now. Higher magical beings. Just like Riley, they could now pass on their pleasures through touch. They could gain power from excess emotion, so when mating with them, every act caused a refractive effect where the pleasure would bounce back and forth between them, almost without end, growing stronger and stronger.

Where before, Riley could give her mates multiple orgasms before they could get her off, now it was about equal. And for the devils, they didn't get tired anymore, so it was easy to lose track of time when they were going at it.

Fleur was another one that they had to get used to.

When she was in the midst of breeding, she released an aura of arousal that was incredibly potent. It was difficult to control this arousal, especially when she was with Riley, and it could often drive the harem into a sexual frenzy of lewd acts.

This aura raised ones arousal and sensitivity, which coupled with Riley's own demonic youki, could lead them into sessions that were six, seven, eight hours long.

Not a problem for most of them anymore. Fleur was immune to exhaustion from the act. Gaia, Kaede, and Yugito were powered by magic now, Artoria had heightened endurance, and Katie had seemingly unending reserves of stamina. The only two that had difficulties in dealing with this was Daphne and Luna.

It was definitely an issue that had developed from their newfound connections, and one the group was finding a way to deal with.

Riley allowed her eyes to shut, and as they did, she felt a familiar pull of magic.

She opened her eyes to find herself standing before the haunting visage of Ralael.

"Time for another lesson?" Riley inquired.

"Yes. And this will be your toughest lesson yet. Walk forward with an open mind, and embrace eternity!" Ralael declared.

And like that, Riley found herself pulled into another what-if.

-?-

Riley opened her eyes to find herself staring out over what looked to be London. The sky was dark, and an ominous aura filled the air.

"Well this place is cheery." Riley thought to herself, as she gazed around at her surroundings.

She was currently atop a tall building overlooking the city. Below her on the streets she could see people walking about, their heads kept down.

Filtering through the air, over loudspeakers Riley could hear someone speaking.

"All citizens are asked to report any and all suspicious activity to their local enforcement officer. Remember, a vigilant populace, is a safe populace." The voice declared.

"Riley, I have a bad feeling about this." Kurama stated.

"Yeah, me too." Riley responded as she hopped down into an alleyway below and slipped out onto the street. She had appeared naked in her mindscape, though had manifested clothes upon arriving here. As she fell to the ground, she made sure to create a hooded sweatshirt to hide herself.

She made her way down the street, taking note of how gloomy and oppressive the atmosphere felt. People were afraid. Of what? Riley didn't know.

She rounded a corner and made her way down a street, passing by a building with two armed guards standing outside of it.

These guards were far from normal humans. Just at a glance, Riley could see twisted purple energies flowing within them. They wore full tactical gear, with visible modern day armor plating overlaying their bulletproof vests. Each one was equipped with rifles that Riley couldn't identify, and they wore helmets that covered their face and heads, preventing them from being recognized. Their armor was black and gray, and their helmets had glowing yellow eyes.

As Riley passed them, she caught sight of a peculiar symbol upon their helmets. One that sat at the center of the forehead, painted in red.

It was a symbol that looked almost exactly like the Sharingan. A dot in the center, with three black tomoe encircled around it.

"Yeah, I've got a really bad feeling about this." Riley thought to herself.

"Uh… yeah… you think that has something to do with it?" Kurama inquired as Riley rounded another corner into an open square, and in the center of the square was a statue.

Riley stared at the statue with eyes wide in confusion and disbelief.

Slowly she crossed the square and stood before the statue.

Her eyes ran over it, and she felt her blood run cold.

There, towering over her, was a statue of Riley herself. She had never seen herself depicted in such a form, but she knew instantly that it was her. It depicted Riley in a pose of victory. One hand formed into a fist and raised to the sky, the other by her side, clutching a bladed scythe. One foot was upon the ground while the other was placed upon a severed head, a head that she recognized as that of Cornelius Fudge.

"Oh… this is gonna suck…" Riley realized, as she started to come to a troubling realization.

This what-if felt darker than the last two, it felt oppressive, and now, Riley was starting to wonder if she had anything to do with it.

"Well… I guess we should go gather some information." Kurama suggested.

"Yeah." Riley repeated aloud, as she slowly tore her eyes off of the statue, and gazed around at some of the people walking through the square. She had felt eyes upon her, and found a few people staring at her, no doubt having seen her step up to the statue and stare up at it.

When her gaze passed over them and they saw her face, their eyes widened in panic, and to her surprise they fell to their knees and kowtowed.

"Oh shit…" Riley thought to herself as more people began noticing her. In a burst of speed she vanished, intent on not making a further scene. She needed more answers, and quickly. Her Zanpakutō spirit had said this would be the hardest one yet. So it was probably for the best that she gather information quickly.

The ominous feeling in the air was growing worse, she needed to figure this out, and soon. This was definitely not a place she wanted to stay in.

So with that in mind, she made her way to Diagon Alley, intent on sleuthing for info, and figure out just what the hell was going on.

-To Be Continued-

Alright there we go, off to another what-if, and the world continues to reel from the events of Second Impact.

There will be a lot more child rescues and sword missions in the coming chapters that'll take place over a sort of time skip. It wont be a whole time-skip, but the major events will be spaced out a bit more, carrying us into the future, towards many of the major events, so I hope you're as excited as I am.

Wonder what's up with this dark and twisted world, we'll find out in the next chapter, later.