CHAPTER XLI
Underworld
"So," Lilly said as her gaze went all over the place. "This is Mantle."
"Yes," Ivory said. "This is the industrial heart of the Kingdom of Atlas. The capital itself is the landmass floating over Mantle."
"Atlas literally overshadows Mantle. If that isn't symbolic, I dunno what is." She coughed. "I dunno if I can handle this smoke and grime."
"Unfortunately, I don't have any connections down here. All of my professional dealings were up on the island. Oh, and make sure to keep your hood on. You don't want anyone to find out you're a Schnee."
"Why not?"
"Because our family is hated down here."
"Oh. Right."
We might be safer in the Labyrinth.
"Lilith says the Labyrinth might be safer."
"I'm inclined to agree," Ivory said. "Still, we have no way to know the state of the Labyrinth of this city. If what we know about that world is applicable to every setting, even the First Layer may be filled with hazards, let alone the Second and Third Layers."
Mantle was a dark and gloomy place. The air was thick with pollution, the streets overflowing with refuse and liquid that neither of the girls cared to try and identify. Nearly every person they passed had a gritty air about them.
"These people live such a hard life," Lilly mumbled.
What, did you think that all the riches Atlas enjoys came for free?
"Of course not. I just thought maybe all the labor came from robots."
"Some labor is automated," Ivory said. "But human labor is still much cheaper. Beyond that, it's a way of keeping a population under control. If the economy became fully automated and left human beings without anything to do, the populace would become restless in rapid order. This keeps that from happening. Still, even I have to admit that this goes too far."
Lilly watched a queue of people getting ready to enter a factory. There was another industrial building in the distance. From what she could piece together, it must have been a Dust refinery. Further down the street, people were being corralled by a group of uniformed men and women.
"Those uniforms," Ivory said. "Did the Atlas military get a redesign?"
Lilly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into an alleyway. Any other time and she might have protested, but they were in what amounted to hostile territory. They both pressed themselves into a small gap between buildings, which was barely enough for them to squeeze into. Ivory had never felt so claustrophobic in her life until now.
They managed to break out into a back alley and Lilly continued to lead her into an abandoned building that overlooked the street they had just fled. They climbed up to the fifth floor before creeping over to a nearby window.
"Good, they didn't see us."
Ivory looked over at her cousin. "Lilly? Is that you?"
"No. I took over when I saw all those goons headed our way."
"Goons? Are you talking about..."
They both peeked out the window as the uniformed group passed them, checking identification cards and controlling the flow of foot traffic. From this elevation, they could see more of those enforcers manning all sorts of entrances and services, from food lines to clothing manufacturers.
"What in the world is all this?" Ivory said.
"Don't recognize your own country?" Lilith said.
She shook her head. "I've never been to Mantle, but as far as I know, there wasn't any of this going on. And those uniforms. I could swear I've seen them somewhere before. They're not general Atlas military uniforms. They're..."
She spotted one with a red armband emblazoned with a black sun surrounded by twelve rays. From his behavior, she surmised he must have been a leader of one of these squads.
"Schwarze Sonne," Ivory mumbled.
"Huh?" Lilith said.
"It's the Schwarze Sonne corps. The one led by Colonel Franz Gottfried."
"Gottfried? The asshole who led the attack on Mistral and got you kidnapped and almost killed Dr. Hillphire?"
"The one and the same. But...these numbers. Both my mother's Schneesturm Specialist Corps and Colonel Gottfried's Schwarze Sonne shouldn't even number in the tens of thousands. If we extrapolate what we're seeing here, we're looking basically at an entire army group."
"Wait. Look. The uniforms are a little different. Your guy with the black sun is in another uniform. And it looks like he's got higher authority."
Ivory took a closer look. "You're right. The others are general infantry, but he seems to be the specialist. But then, why did the uniforms change?"
"Because Atlas has turned into a police state."
She looked over at Lilith.
"Think about it. What was the last major event just before Leon swept you up off your feet?"
"I would appreciate it if you did not refer to it in that manner."
She chuckled.
"Anyway, you're right. The capital city was being put on curfew. Military presence on the streets did increase after a bit of civil disobedience, but a show of force was all that was needed to silence them in short order. That, and a bit of propaganda."
"Look at those assholes marching through the streets. It's like they're important or some bullshit."
"Is Lilly in there?"
"Yeah. She's been quiet, though."
Ivory looked at the ground. There was no doubt in her mind that Lilly might be fuming right now, or at the very least trying to remain under control.
Keep it together. Keep it together.
"Huh?" Lilith said. "Oh."
"Hmm?" Ivory said.
"Nothing. It was nothing."
Ivory looked at her for a moment. "We should probably try and get up to the capital. It really isn't safe down here."
"Yeah, what, with all the damn military patrols and all the snitches that are for sure everywhere."
Someone's stomach rumbled.
"Was that you?" Lilith said.
"I think so," Ivory said.
"Uh, we should probably low key get something to eat. Cuz my stomach's rumbling, too."
The two girls went around nondescriptly, blending in as much as possible with the crowds. They weren't the only ones with snow-white hair and pale skin, but their physical appearance was much rarer down here than it was up in the capital. Lilith made it a priority to snag both of them a change of clothes to better fit into the population.
"This is disgusting," Ivory said, sniffing her new outfit, which perfectly matched the grimy and drab city. "Have these ever been washed?"
"Maybe a year ago," Lilith said, recoiling as she sniffed her own clothing.
"Where in the world did you even steal this from?"
"I didn't steal them. I traded for them."
"Using what?"
"Tools I stole from another encampment a while back."
"Why did I even bother asking?"
"I would've suggested also rolling in the mud, but I'm pretty sure we're both getting dirtier by the minute just being in this air. Anyway, there's a food line over that way. We should probably go—wait, there's an actual restaurant over this way."
"Uh, I don't know if I trust any of the food down here."
"Me neither, but if you get sick, Lilly or I will just use a rune on you. C'mon. I'm pretty sure that place is cash only."
"Are you gonna rob someone else?"
"No, stupid. Don't you have cash?"
"Well, yes."
"Then, let's go."
They managed to fit in with the rest of the denizens at the restaurant. Mostly everyone else was hooded as well, a vain effort to try and keep the air pollution off their skin. Ivory had enough experience not standing out in Vacuo and the atmosphere here wasn't all that different, just much less happy. Lilith, on the other hand, blended in effortlessly, nailing the downtrodden act to perfection.
They ate in silence, ignoring the commotion that would stir up from time to time. At some point, a fight broke out between two men, one accusing the other of stealing his food. In a matter of seconds, uniformed men and women were already in the establishment to reassert order.
"This is very disappointing," said the leader of the group, a man who stood tall and proud. His clothing was different from the others, a long, black leather coat topping a black military uniform underneath. The decorations and medals were all in polished silver. On his left upper arm was a red armband emblazoned with the black sun emblem in the middle of a white circle. The colors were bright and vivid up close like this. It was obvious that the overall uniform design was intended to catch one's attention.
The rest of the squad was dressed in more subdued colors, blue-gray with satin silver buckles and buttons. Their insignia included the black sun on the right collar and the Atlas Crest on the left collar and their ranks on both shoulders.
"Are we not supposed to be working together?" he continued. "If we continue to fight among ourselves, Atlas will fall. There is no room for internal strife when the entire world is positioning itself to come crashing down on us. Now is the time for us to unite as one people against those who would seize everything from us! Für immer Atlas!"
"Atlas für immer!" the rest of the squad replied in unison.
The group didn't leave until a substantial segment of the patrons responded in kind, though with much less vigor than the uniformed men and women.
"Atlas für immer," the unit commander said with a smile before putting his cap back on and leading the group out to the street.
"What the actual shit did we just witness?" Lilith said, eating her soup slowly.
"I've never seen Atlas military behave like this before," Ivory said. "That was borderline fanatical. Even for Schwarze Sonne standards."
"I suddenly miss the desert heat."
"Me, too."
—
"Okay, so you understand the contract, right?" Azazel said.
"Yes," the man replied.
"Perfect. Expect all of your financial investments to yield major returns in the next month or so just after your cheating wife dies of a mysterious illness."
The man nodded in approval, but when he remained in his seat, Azazel began to fidget.
"Did you have any questions?" said the leader of the Greater Daemons.
"So, the price I pay," the man began, "you're going to take me to hell, right?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"The deal we struck, it involves you dragging my soul into hell to be tortured for all eternity, doesn't it?"
"What?" he yelled, standing from his chair. "What are you talking about?"
"Isn't that the other end of the deal? You give me what I ask for, and then I get thrown into hell where you torture me forever."
"What in the gods—why would you even think—what in the universe compelled you to come up with such, such, grotesque ideas?"
"You mean...you're not going to torture me for eternity?"
"No! Why the bloody hell would I do that!"
"Because you're Daemons?"
"Yes, we are Daemons! Not insufferable bastards! Who comes up with a system that ends with people getting tortured for all eternity? That's utterly barbaric! Worse than barbaric! That's like if the concept of sadism grew legs and began walking around torturing people just because that was its godforsaken nature!"
"So, then..."
"Your end of the bargain is simply to wait for me to come and collect you!"
"To be tortured?"
"Why do you keep saying that? No, dammit! I'll collect you for whatever it is we might need you for, whether to fight in our army, to labor, or to serve as an energy source. By the gods, I'm not going to torture you for all eternity! By principle I don't even torture someone longer than a thousand years! Anything beyond that is excessive and purely gratuitous!"
"Oh. I thought..."
"Well, you thought wrong! And stop spreading these nasty rumors about me and my kin! Please!"
"I-I'm sorry. I'll be headed home now."
Azazel sighed as the client left the office.
"Having a hard time?" Tamiel said, materializing beside him.
"Have you heard what the mortals say about us?" he said to her.
"Hmm? What about exactly?"
"They think the price they pay for the deals we strike with them involve us taking them to some place called 'hell' or whatever it was and tormenting them for all eternity."
"Why, though?"
"Exactly! A business transaction is what it needs to be, no more and no less than that. Gods, I hope this does not ruin our chances at striking more deals."
"I don't think these rumors have slowed us down one bit."
"Oh? How many deals have you struck today?"
"Five hundred."
His jaw dropped. "Well. I should take the form of a beautiful woman myself, then."
Tamiel giggled. "How many deals have you struck?"
He hesitated. "I'm not telling."
"So, in the double digits."
"I'm not telling!"
She snickered as she headed to the front of his desk, taking a seat on it and playing with the globe that sat at the edge. "I have something interesting to share with you, by the way."
"Hmm?"
"Ba'al says that someone has entered his and Asmodeus's domain."
Azazel shifted in his armchair. "One of those kids?"
"Not the ones who killed Malphas. They're still in Mistral."
He leaned back. "The other one."
She nodded.
"I see."
"You aren't troubled by her presence in Atlas?"
"Why should I be?"
"She is likely the one thing in this whole world who can throw a monkey wrench into our entire work."
"No, not just her. Her mother as well."
"Right, but all of the evidence points to the Schildmaid being completely uninterested in getting involved in anything so long as her daughter is not at risk."
"Yes, I suppose that's true."
Tamiel turned her head to face her group's leader. "I can tell whenever you're deep in thought and full of doubts. What are your orders to the two in Atlas?"
Azazel stared into the distance with his hand under his chin before he waved his free hand, transporting both himself and Tamiel to the great hall of their castle. Reading his intentions clearly, Tamiel sent away the Lesser Daemons toiling in the great hall before sending a beacon for all of the Greater Daemons to convene at their round table.
One by one, the others began to appear in their respective seats, with Azazel at twelve o'clock, followed clockwise by Samael, Ashtaroth, Ba'al, Asmodeus, Mammon in incorporeal form, Belial in intersex form, Moloch, two empty seats, Eisheth, and Tamiel.
"Two empty seats now," Eisheth sighed.
"Are we not going to avenge Malphas's death?" Moloch grumbled.
"I think you're more interested in your own revenge," Ba'al chuckled. "We all know about the embarrassing incident you had with that little girl."
"If you don't shut your mouth, I'll chew your face off."
"Now, now, you two," Belial said.
"I do agree with Moloch," Asmodeus said. "Will we sit here and do nothing after one of our kin was just killed by those children?"
"Malphas's death was her own fault," Samael's voice boomed throughout the hall. "We have more important matters at hand." He turned to Tamiel, who took her seat to the right of Azazel.
"The rituals are nearly completed," she began. "In what I estimate to be less than a year, we will finally be able to walk among the Light."
Murmurs arose among some, which Samael silenced with a raised hand.
"You mean we'll be able to exist in the physical world without disintegrating?" Mammon said.
"Yes," Tamiel answered. "Even you, Mammon, the only one among us now without a physical form since Malphas's death. Although, I suspect that you will, like Belial here, choose an androgynous appearance."
"Both forms are truly beautiful, after all," Belial said with a grin.
"I'm afraid I have to blame this aspect of Greed I control," Mammon said. "I absolutely must have both at once."
"What of the girl?" Asmodeus said.
"Girl?" Eisheth said.
"Yes, that's right," Ba'al began. "Not too long ago, Asmodeus and I sensed her presence in our domain."
"You must be referring to that girl with the Wraith," Ashtaroth said. "What are our plans regarding her?"
"For now, nothing," Azazel said.
"She's in our territory," Ba'al said. "This is our chance to eliminate her once and for all."
"We don't know what that would cause," Tamiel said. "Killing her might end up unleashing energies we do not yet know about."
"You're still suspecting that, are you?" Ashtaroth said.
"You looked into the matter yourself," Azazel said. "Were you able to confidently disprove our hypothesis?"
"No."
"That settles it. We need to wait until after the ritual is complete. Being unshackled from our fate will also bring about our ability to wield the Light itself."
"Which means immunity from the detrimental effects of magic with affinity to the Light," Moloch said. "Very well. I think I can restrain myself until then."
"There is also the matter of the Silver Maiden," Eisheth said. "It is likely that she will detect any of our efforts to directly harm her daughter. Facing both of them at the same time with their full power while we are still chained to the Shadow will likely ensure our annihilation."
"Why can't Samael simply take care of them, then?" Ba'al said.
"It's simple, really," a new voice said from the darkness. Everyone turned to the teenage girl walking up to her empty seat at the table.
"What in the gods?" Asmodeus said, rising from his seat.
"Kokabiel," Azazel said, also standing up to greet their long lost comrade. "Where in the worlds have you been?"
"I don't know," she said. "I only awoke an hour ago. Not long after that, I hear this irritating buzzing in my ear."
"My call," Tamiel said. "So my voice reached you."
"Yes. It took some time, but I realized what it actually was."
"You said that it was simple why Samael can't just kill the girl and her mother," Moloch said.
"Mm-hmm," Kokabiel said, taking her seat beside him. "As was mentioned, we are all still chained to the Shadow. Thus, we cannot wield the Dominions that have latched onto us at their full power. The same goes for Samael. It is likely that both the Silver Maiden and her daughter are at a high enough level that they could completely override his Dominion. On the other hand, because he still does not retain full control over it, it may simply not obey his will to begin with."
"I...do have to ask," Azazel said, leaning to the left. "Why a teenage girl?"
"Hmm? Oh, you mean my vessel? That's a good question. As I just told you, I awoke like this. I have no recollection of anything between that point in time and the moment we left Ecumene."
"Wait a moment," Tamiel said, turning to him. "Why are you fixated on that?"
He shook his head repeatedly while gesticulating randomly with his hands.
Kokabiel smiled. "Lord Azazel, don't get me wrong," she began, "I've always admired your...optimism. And, of course, your charisma won me over to your side eons ago. But you're not my type."
"She's more interested in humans," Samael said.
Tamiel looked at him and then at her. "Really?" she said, incredulous.
"Mm-hmm," Kokabiel said. "They've always fascinated me. Also, Lord Samael, I shared that with you in confidence."
"I did not mean to gossip," he said. "Nevertheless, there's nothing we can do right now other than stay the course. Ba'al, Asmodeus, you are to keep an eye on her, but do nothing to directly intervene. The younger one is the more important target."
"Yes," Ashtaroth said. "Everything is going according to plan, but they still need to meet face to face."
"Face to face," Tamiel said. "Interesting choice of words, Ashtaroth."
"You know what I mean."
"Kokabiel," Azazel began, "are you here to stay?"
"No," she said. "In fact, I am about to disappear again."
"Wait, what?" Eisheth said.
"I don't know what it is, but I do not believe I can maintain consciousness for very long. Until next time, my brethren."
With that, she vanished from her seat.
"Well," Azazel said. "Many more unexpected and unexplainable things from this new world we've come to inhabit."
"If there is nothing else to add to the discussion," Samael began, "I suggest we return to our domains. Moloch, it's time."
The Magistrate of the Dominion of Devouring began chuckling, folding his hands atop his head and then vanishing.
