I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series

Asgard

Belldandy couldn't help but feel rather worried as she watched her elder sister pace around the room, given that the news of Mara's disappearance definitely put Urd on edge. Not that she blamed her of course, since the whole incident was so suspicious that prompted Lind and even Excalibur to go and take a closer look at the alley it took place, while Skuld and Keiichi put a valiant effort to keep the Norn of the past busy; but to no avail.

Heading back to the kitchen to prepare some tea for everyone -mostly to calm her own nerves- Belldandy paused by the door frame when she spotted Laguz waiting for her with an equally troubled expression as her own. "Yes? Is everything alright, Laguz?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Belldandy, but… this is the second time something like this happens," said the goddess of the Lake, trying to keep her voice low enough to avoid Urd and the others from hearing her. "I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think that we're not really any safer here in Asgard than we were back on Earth."

"Sadly, that's quite correct." Belldandy's lips turned into a thin line, while her brows furrowed together in concern as the goddess recalled Keiichi's abduction. "Or rather… it's even worse than that. At least back then, the culprit was some rogue goddess, while this time around… it was our own security forces. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I'm starting to find it hard to tell the difference between friend and a foe anymore."

"Me neither, I'm afraid. It took me days to finally get the official clearance to stay in Asgard, considering that I more or less escaped from my prison," said Laguz before she paused and pondered on how to properly phrase the next part. "Yet in many ways, the feeling of being stuck in solitary confinement still lingers. I… really don't want to sound rude, but the management here seems to be quite the unfriendly bunch."

"No, it's not really a matter of friendliness, but… control," said the Norn with a shake of her head. "Celestials like to impose order, and that lead to a proliferation of rules, regulations and even stereotypes that everyone must follow to the letter. Anything and anyone who defies them is immediately flagged as an enemy or at the very least an undesirable, and this leads to all sorts of excuses in their self imposed quest to drive such elements away. Which in some cases it even becomes an obsession that pushes some of us to such extremes to maintain the letter of the law, that the meaning behind it is completely lost."

Stepping aside to let Belldandy put a kettle on the stove, Laguz silently watched the other goddess as she put a few spoonfuls of tea leaves in the teapot, and then poured hot water from the kettle. At a first glance nothing seemed out of place, yet for anyone familiar with the Norn of the present her actions felt much more deliberate and mechanic than normal. And the fact that she wasn't even humming a happy tune only reinforced that belief. So, when Belldandy decided to speak up, she almost caused Laguz to jump in surprise. "Can you please serve the tea for me?"

"S-Sure thing, Belldandy. Although… may I ask why?"

"I'm tired of sitting idle and twirl my thumbs every time something happens," said Belldandy as she took her apron off and changed back into her blue goddess robes. "I'm going to see if grandmother knows anything. Please try to keep the others busy until I return. Oh, and one more thing!"

"Yes?" asked the slightly overwhelmed Laguz as she hurried to serve the tea before it got too bitter.

"I've got a marinated chicken breast for in the fridge for Keiichi, so, if I'm not back by lunchtime, can you please put it in the grill?" asked Belldandy with a hopeful expression. "I'm sorry to bother you like that, but, I fear what would happen if Neesan gets her hands on it. Also, there's ice cream in the freezer for Skuld-"

"Relax, Belldandy." Putting a hand on the Norn's shoulder, Laguz gave her a friendly pat and guided her towards the exit. "I know my way in a kitchen, so don't worry too much. I won't let poor Keiichi to starve."

Nodding once, the brunette started for the door, but at the very last moment she turned around. "Oh, and I've got a jar with sweet chilli sauce in the fridge, but don't mistake it for the Urd only, extra spicy chilli sauce next to it! That one has little flames drawn on its label."

"Shh! I can handle myself! Now go and stop worrying about every little bit."

XXX

Niflheim

Gathered around in a room deep inside Hild's mansion, Odal and the rest of his group found the opportunity to discuss about the latest development, which unfortunately involved the latest addition amongst their ranks; Hel.

Considering that Hild and all four of her regional governors -Hagall included- were in the middle of an emergency meeting, to figure out how to handle the imminent crisis, optimism appeared to be an almost unknown concept to them. And for Odal in particular, the whole situation was the worst thing that could possibly happen at this point, and in many ways a far worse disaster than the one he sought to prevent; as ironic as it sounded.

At the very least though, there was one thing that they could celebrate for, and that was the release of Verthandi who arrived along with Surt a couple of hours earlier, and was now sitting next to the almost catatonic rogue god, who spent most of the past hour wallowing in his regrets. "Hey, don't feel so bad, Odal. I know that you did your best, but… no one really expected that to happen. Not even Hild or Loki saw that coming, so you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"Yes, but neither of them saw what happened last time when we fought over control of Hel. Which… is why we're here, now. I don't know where it went all wrong, but what I do know for sure is that this time we might end up all get eaten by Nidhogg."

"No, not necessarily," said Verthandi in an attempt to cheer her lifelong friend; and for all practical purposes, adopted son. "From what I can recall, that Hel was only a computer and not even a sentient one. Yet, look at this Hel! She's a person of her own!"

Glancing over to the side, Odal watched the almost adult looking hybrid play fetch with her older brother. Which… was kind of interesting, considering Fenrir's personality, but apparently, the so called dreaded wolf must've a soft spot for his young sister and pretty much behaved like a young pup, regardless of the odd stares he got. Not only that, but Hel even had Jormungandr coiled around her shoulders, with her occasionally reaching to stoke the sea serpent's head as he peacefully took a nap. Nothing in their interactions indicated that they were artificial beings, especially in Hel's case who happened to be constantly refining not only her outer appearance, but her personality too.

Yet there was one particular aspect of said personality that Odal wasn't all too thrilled about, and the moment she took notice, the dark haired demoness waived at him. "Morisato-kun!"

Which only made the poor god groan, as he detected the same playfulness in the demoness' voice that Hild occasionally displayed. And if that wasn't bad enough, both Angrboda and Fenrir gave him a stern glare, probably meant as a warning for the consequences of what would follow should he humor Hel's antics. Shaking his head, Odal eventually turned back at the admittedly troubled Verthandi, who observed the whole scene and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "She's different alright; that much I can definitely tell. Although whether it's a good or a bad thing… that's another topic altogether."

"Is she acting like that around you?" asked the worried Verthandi, earning a nod from Odal.

"Yes, although I don't know if she's actually serious, or she just messes around like Hild likes to do. Still, I've got no intentions to find out, and even if I did, those two would've killed me before I went far enough," said the rogue god, trying to glance over at Fenrir and Angrboda's direction in the most discreet manner possible.

Verthandi shook her head in wonder, as even she was overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all. No matter how serious the situation was, there were always those people who just kept acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, and so far, Hel seemed totally oblivious of the huge mess she causes. Of course, it was true that regardless of the hybrid's claims, she still remained rather inexperienced and to a great extend immature, at least as far as her social skills and awareness were concerned. "Just great… As if we didn't have enough problems already. What should we do about it?"

"Nothing actually. I'm already too close at losing my sleep from all the stress to even want to deal with Hel's antics. Actually… you know what? I'll go just over there and drink myself silly like Ilmr!" said Odal, pointing at the table around which the said goddess was having a few beers, along with Vidar and Loki. Despite what else was going on at the moment, the trickster god wanted to celebrate the 'birth' of his daughter and invited the others for a few rounds of drinks. All on his tab of course, as he somehow managed to get his hands on a beer keg, and while it wasn't exactly the mead most Asgardians preferred, given the circumstances it would have to do.

"Uh… okay… Just don't drink too much!" said Verthandi, but Odal was already on his way, leaving the demoness alone with her own thoughts. Perhaps he was right and in her attempt to cheer him up, Verthandi had turned a blind eye to what was taking place around her. 'I'm a dryad who chose to look like his mother for totally unrelated reasons. Then why am I still trying to be her? He never quite saw me like his mother, and I doubt that his opinion of me will change at any point in the future. Provided that we'll have a future to begin with. So… why do I keep trying?'

Verthandi never quite realized it, but a lone tear rolled down her cheek, before she decided that she had had enough. They couldn't afford to let the situation degenerate even more and risk another pointless war like the one from before. So, without further ado, Verthandi started to plot her next move; one that involved the catalyst of it all, Hel.

XXX

Asgard

When the door suddenly opened, the brunette Valkyrie sitting inside one of Valhalla's recuperating rooms nearly shot up from her chair. She refused to lie down on the bed, as if she was gravely injured instead of the slight concussion she suffered from her short, yet painful skirmish with… a ghost. Yet the healers adamantly refused to discharge her without the last trace of her injuries gone; especially that rather comical bump she still had on her head.

"C-Captain?..." Her eyes tracked her superior walk into her room, with a gray haired man following her, although she was definitely sure that he was no god or any other known type of immortal she knew. Yet, he wasn't the main problem for her. Just the look on Lind's face spoke volumes of her displeasure, which given her stoic personality was rather unusual. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so, Rota." Grabbing a chair from the far end of the room, Lind carried it over to where the other Valkyrie sat and placed it before her, only with its back facing the somewhat surprised brunette. Taking a seat in a fashion she had seen on TV shows during her stay on Earth, Lind rested her arms on the chair's back and then gazed her fellow warrior right in the eyes. "What happened out there?"

"I… I've already filed my report," said Rota, staring nervously at her superior, while trying to ignore the strange man standing by door. 'Who is that guy? He's not a mortal… so he can't be the one who married Belldandy, right? What is he anyway?'

"I've already read it, and I now have more questions than answers," said Lind in her almost monotonous voice, keeping her fellow warrior in the dark as to what her real emotions at the moment were. "What were you trying to accomplish in the first place? You only reported the facts, not the reasons behind your actions. And I want those reasons; now."

"To contain the demoness, of course." Instincts from her basic training kicked in and Rota's back straightened, almost to the point where she almost seemed ready to get up, but Lind motioned for her to remain put.

"Your job was to escort her to the HQ and that's about it. Capture was only necessary in the event she refused to follow your instructions in a prompt and orderly manner, but… with that being said… What were you thinking?" The accusation was so evident, that it caused the other Valkyrie to wince. "Why did you take her for a stroll? You job was to escort the target from the commercial center to Valhalla; just that, plain and simple. Not the grand tour of the city's back alleys. You're a Valkyrie, not a guide, Rota. So, I'm asking you again… What were you trying to accomplish?"

"I'm sorry," said the brunette Valkyrie as she lowered her head, only to cause Lind to dangerously narrow her eyes at her.

"I didn't ask you whether you're sorry or not, just to explain yourself." Lind took a deep breath to calm herself down, as it was becoming apparent that Rota was getting defensive. Which probably meant that she was already guilty about something and just couldn't admit it. So, to avoid her from going completely silent, Lind tried a different approach. "Was that your first demoness… or any infernal for the matter?"

"Yes." Once again, the answer came way more laconic than needed, as Rota refused to even look and remained glued on the floor tiles.

"Let me guess. You wanted her to try to escape and get your first capture?" The hesitant nod she received caused Lind to shake her head, knowing that this was a very bad sign for any Valkyrie. "Rota, if you ever pull something like that, you've got no place here. We don't train you to go all gung ho on the first demon you run into, lest you also find it funny to lop someone's head off. Only to end up killing one of our own in the process. This is no game, nor a laughing matter, and I hope you'll take your duty more seriously from now on."

Another nod, and this time the brunette just barely lifted her eyes to glance at Lind, almost as if she wanted to say something, but then changed her mind and reverted her gaze once more.

"Rota, look at me," said Lind, keeping her voice calm and this time a bit softer than normal. Waiting for a few seconds until the brunette did as being requested, Lind tried her best to offer her a tiny smile. "It's alright, I'm not here to berate you. We all make mistakes at one point or another, and everyone feels the need to prove themselves after the Basic. I wasn't all too different than you back then, so I can relate. Still… even you should know that this isn't exactly acceptable, unless someone told you to do it. Am I right?"

"Yes. We were told that the demons were just doing as they pleased and no one did anything about it. They even invaded Alfheim just a while ago and we never demanded for the ruler of Muspelheim and his gang of thugs to take responsibility for his actions. All we ever did was file a complaint." There was some bitterness in Rota's words, as the younger goddess' hands clenched into fists, yet she tried to keep her voice level. "We didn't join the Valkyries to file complaints, captain."

"No, but taking your frustration on a civilian and someone who had nothing with that attack is mob logic, Rota. Furthermore, it may be our duty to fight, but there are laws and procedures that we still have to abide to. And no matter how much someone tries to use this kind of talk to make you think that the end justifies the means, keep in mind that in reality they just needed someone else to risk their necks, should things go south. Which is exactly what happened and now you're going to face the consequences in their place." said Lind, starting Rota when she stood up and pat her shoulder. "Get well, and do me a favor. Next time, refuse to act like a coward's lackey and stay out of trouble. Regardless of what you may think of the demons, there's no justification of bending the rules to any way it fits us. We didn't join the Valkyries to act like members of a gang."

Watching her superior's back as she walked towards the door, Rota nervously bit her lip before she decided to speak up. "Uh… thank you captain! I'll be more careful from now on!"

Coming to a pause, Lind turned to look over her shoulder at the brunette and let out a sigh. "You're welcome, Rota. Although you really need to be more careful," said the blue haired goddess as she tapped the side of her head. "Next time forget about pointless bravado and pay a bit more attention to your opponent."

"Yes ma'am!"

Offering a nod, Lind walked out of the room, with Excalibur following close behind her. Yet considering his somewhat talkative personality as of late, the synthetic was eerily quiet, which prompted the Valkyrie to slow down until he caught up to her, and then glance in his direction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. I must admit that I'm rather impressed with you, that's all. The way you handled her was a lot better than I've expected, given the circumstances at least," admitted Excalibur, even though the majority of his runtimes strongly advised against expressing such an opinion. At least not in front of the Valkyrie in question, and potentially face her wrath.

"I'm not as ignorant as some might like to think. Being a member of the Fighting Wings requires more than just combat skills. Especially when it comes to dealing with over enthusiastic young recruits like her," said Lind in a very matter of fact fashion. "And speaking of Rota… What do you think?"

"She didn't seem to be lying, although using only audiovisual information for analysis isn't extremely accurate when it comes to immortals," said Excalibur with a shrug. "Still, I doubt that she's skilled enough to control the tone of her voice to such a degree, so, I'm almost certain that she was indeed following someone else's orders. Although, why did you leave so soon? You should've pressed on to get the name of whoever issued those orders."

"There's no need for that. I've already heard enough to know who's likely behind that. Aside from her official report, I've checked the logs to see who was on duty at the moment the alarms went off. And considering the way she talked… I have a very good idea who likely spoke to her over the comm and most certainly encouraged her to act like that."

Accessing the aforementioned log files, Excalibur made a list of all the personnel on duty at the time and decided to keep that in mind for future reference. With that being taken care of, the synthetic glanced over at the direction they were heading to, and then back to Lind. "I've noticed that we're on our way out of here. I suppose we're not going to talk to that person?"

"No, she's above my rank, so I'm not going to try and confront her by myself. The best course of action is simply go and report that to someone who outranks her, and see what's going to happen," said Lind with a hint of a smirk, yet that was still more than enough to make Excalibur raise an eyebrow.

"You know… you've changed," said Excalibur, much to the great annoyance of that pesky majority of his runtimes that strongly recommended the rest of him to simply keep quiet.

"So I've been told as of late. Although, the same can be said about you, too. You went from an almost impersonal computer to a much more… expressive and colorful individual," said Lind, doing her best to avoid an accidental insult, given that she wasn't exactly skilled at praising others. At least not when it came to anything other than their combat skills.

Despite that, Excalibur offered Lind a smile instead. "What can I say? Ever since I woke up, I've got a couple of great friends and… well, things changed for me. Whether that's for better or worse… that's a whole different subject."

"Nobody's perfect, and perhaps that's what makes you a bit more like us in a way," admitted Lind, before she realized that this could be encouraged some unwanted behavior and quickly added. "Of course, there's a need for moderation, as going too far could also have the exact opposite result."

"I understand. Although, can I ask you something? And I'd really appreciate an honest opinion," said Excalibur and then waited until Lind offered him a nod to go on. "Do you think I'm even on the right track at becoming like… everyone else? Or am I just wasting my time?"

"You've made tremendous progress over the last few months, so, I cannot dismiss all that as a complete waste of time. And to further prove that point, the others already consider you as a friend; even I do," said Lind with a ghost of a smile, which Excalibur actually returned.

"Thank you… Lind, that means a lot to me. But let's not get distracted, since we still have a job to do. So, where are we going now?"

"To Frigg-sama. I think she's the only one who can really help us right now."

XXX

For the last hour or so, they kept on going deeper and deeper underground, navigating through natural tunnel systems that some attribute to the World Tree itself, back when it first set its root system on Asgard and from there it expanded to the far reaches of the known cosmos. Yet for Mara, that was just as spooky as the underground tunnels beneath Niflheim; at least as far as the tales went, since she's never been down there anyway.

However, despite the fact that there was no Infernal Dragon to feast on their souls, Mara still couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't be here. "Hey… um… is this really the best place for us to hide?"

Coming to a stop, Odin looked over his shoulder and offered his granddaughter's girlfriend a smirk. "Oh? Don't tell me that a first class demoness like you is afraid of this little cave?"

"No, of course not! It's just that with you wearing that hat, I kind of expect a rock come rolling towards us any moment now," said Mara in a deadpan tone, much to Odin's amusement.

"Nice try, but I'm not called Jones, nor I'm from Indiana," said Odin with a chuckle. "However, if you're wondering what we're doing down here, well… we're taking a shortcut."

"A shortcut you say? Funny thing, but last time I've been told that, I ended up in a back alley with a bunch of Valkyries. And not to mention that whenever an old fogey tries to help, they only end up making matters worse."

In all honesty, Odin was kind of impressed by this girl's gall to say all that right in his face, even though he had the suspicion that she probably did that out of ignorance. Still, the more optimistic part of him wanted to believe that she was for real, which would definitely make Mara a great addition to the family. "True words!" laughed the ancient god, earning a grunt from the blonde. "But don't forget who saved your sorry hide earlier, miss Skeptic."

"Okay… you've got me there," said Mara as she let out a sigh. "But seriously… Where are we going?"

"Back to my granddaughters' home, although we're taking a detour to avoid most of the patrols that are most certainly out looking for us," said Odin, before he paused for a moment to let Mara think about it. "Well? Any objections?"

"No, I think that actually sounds like a good idea. Let's get moving then."

XXX

Niflheim

"Oh come on! You have to do it! Are you a god, or what?" Holding a wooden tankard full of beer, the least likely person in Odal's group tried to convince their leader that for a god to refuse a healthy dose of booze was almost unheard of.

"What does drinking alcohol has anything to do with being a god?" asked Odal, still trying to figure out what has gotten into the amnesiac goddess, turning her from the relatively quiet and reserved goddess they knew into a much more aggressive and quite vocal individual.

"Everything and then some!" replied the green haired goddess as she forced the tankard in Odal's hands. "And don't you even let me started with all that tea nonsense! No great grandson of Odin should ever turn down a mug full of booze! Now bottoms up, you milksop!"

"But!" Looking at Vidar for help, only to get a sympathetic shrug, and with the only other source of assistance being Loki… Odal decided that the most prudent course of action was to bolt.

"Wait! What are you-?..." Staring at him agape, Ilmr went immediately after the fleeting god, leaving Vidar and Loki behind to laugh at their so called leader's antics. Especially how much he reminded them of a certain mortal who wished for a goddess to stay with him forever.

All while from across the room a half demoness mused at herself; and quite possibly at her brothers too. "Like father, like son. Chased after by goddesses he's not even trying to flirt with. Hm… I need to step up my game, if I want to catch up with the competition." Yet as innocent as that statement was, Hel's slight grin slowly turned into a much wider smirk when she caught sight of Fenrir taking off to chase the offending god.

Until one of Odal's robots entered the room and her curiosity got the better of her. 'Let's go find out what he wants.'

XXX

Asgard

After several minutes of waiting for her grandmother to show up, it started to become obvious to Belldandy that the situation was far more serious than she had initially expected. Then again, after all those incidents, the Norn of the present had gotten rather used to such crises and the fact that nothing particularly bad came out of them.

Pacing about in the corridor, Belldandy was almost ready to give up and try to do something more productive with her time, when she spotted Peorth coming her way. And given the rather annoyed look on her face, it was obvious that she was having a hard time over at the Yggdrasil mainframe. "Peorth, is something the matter?"

"You have no idea!" cried the frustrated goddess, throwing her hands up in the air. "We're struggling to stop the mortal souls from being transferred to a remote server, but so far… no results. And it's not like we're not trying mind tell you! Look… as much as it pains me to admit it, I could definitely use some help right now."

"I understand, although I'm not sure how I can help you," admitted Belldandy with a frown. "I don't have anywhere near the same experience as an administrator as you do."

"No, that's not really what I had in mind, Belldandy. I was hoping that you could convince Urd to give me a hand with this mess. While her methods can be somewhat unconventional and even downright crazy at times, at this point I'm willing to give anything a try."

"But… Neesan is a demoness right now," said Belldandy, much to her own confusion, since she was certain that Peorth was perfectly aware of that fact. "Even if she wants, it's impossible to log into Yggdrasil at the moment."

"Which… is exactly why I came to you, instead of going straight to her." Pausing for a moment when she noticed that look on Belldandy's face, quickly Peorth tried to change her approach before her request was turned down. "Unless I'm mistaken, there's nothing to prevent her to switch back into a demoness, right?"

"That's quite correct, yet… we don't know if she's allowed to-"

"Belldandy, this is an emergency!" said Peorth a bit more forcefully, fearing that her fellow wish granter totally missed the point. "I respect Urd's life decisions, but in a situation like this we must look at the big picture!"

Furrowing her brows, Belldandy knew that Peorth did have a point, and it kind of reminded her the situation she had to face back when the bug outbreak demanded her immediate return to Asgard. The biggest question however was how Urd was likely to respond to such a request, which in Belldandy's opinion was a well concealed demand. On the other hand though, ignoring everything around them wasn't exactly an alternative either, meaning that she was likely going to have a rather unpleasant conversation with her elder sister. But at the very least, she felt a lot better if it was her who got to talk to Urd than anyone else, especially if all they got to tell her was to turn into a goddess and report to the Yggdrasil mainframe center. "I understand. It's not something I'm looking forward to, but at the very least, I appreciate that you consulted me first, Peorth."

The rose goddess gave Belldandy a small nod as she wasn't ignorant or insensitive enough to simply expect total obedience regardless of one's personal desires. Unlike the vast majority of the Asgardian administration that wouldn't care any less about such frivolous matters. "Would you like me to come along with you, then? It's my idea after all and-" said Peorth, until she came to a pause when the unmistakable sound of footsteps caught her attention and turning around she spotted Lind and Excalibur walking towards them.

"Belldandy? Peorth? What are you doing here?" asked the Valkyrie as she came to a stop next to her fellow goddesses. "Did something else happen while we were gone?"

"No… at least nothing new," said Belldandy with a shake of her head. "Although, I must admit that I too have the same question for you Lind. Why are you looking for my grandmother?"

"I have news about Mara's incident, although it would be better if I discussed that subject with Frigg-sama. I assume that she's not here?" asked Lind, trying not to react at their curious expressions when they heard that she didn't wish to discuss that subject with them.

"She's still in the middle of a meeting along with father and the Councils," said Belldandy. "I've been waiting here for a while now, but I'm afraid that it's going to take a lot more than I've originally anticipated. As a matter of fact, I was about to leave when Peorth came."

"I understand. So, what are we going to do now?" Not used at sitting idle in a situation like this, Lind wanted to go for plan B, at least once she established what that actually was.

"Locate Mara's whereabouts," said Belldandy with great determination behind her eyes. "Urd must be really worried about her, so we have to do something about it."

"But, Belldandy… we still have stop the illegal transfer of souls," said Peorth, fearing that the Norn had forgotten, or at least downplayed the importance of that issue.

"In that case, how about you and Belldandy deal with that, while me and Excalibur locate Mara? Is everyone alright with that?" proposed Lind as an alternative. Watching the two goddesses share an uncertain look until they offered her a nod, Lind returned the gesture, motioning Excalibur to follow her. "Excellent! Rest assured that we'll do our best to resolve this in the most efficient manner possible. I'll see you later."

XXX

"Skuld… are you sure you've calibrated this thingamajig? I don't want to search the whole realm, just to realize that Mara was too close for your device's search radius."

Looking up from her scanner's screen, Skuld gave her sister a pointed stare. "Yes, yes… I remember. This time I've only set the minimum radius to 10 meters. Seriously… is she's that close we should be able to see her, Urd! But, the effective radius of my miniaturized scanner is severely reduced here in Asgard. All the security countermeasures, as well as the other celestials and spirits are creating a huge amount of noise in my sensors. Even demonic energy is really hard to isolate in such an oversaturated environment."

"When you say that the radius is reduced… just by how much are we talking about?" asked Urd, as she came to a halt. Next to her was Keiichi who decided to tag along and do his best to assist the two Norns in their impromptu search mission, even if it was mostly by providing moral support. Although that's pretty much what they also thought about his presence during Hagall's coup, only for the mortal to prove everyone wrong.

Checking her scanner's settings, Skuld found what her sister wanted to know and despite her best efforts, Skuld couldn't help but wince a bit. "Uh… the radius is currently about 500 meters in open space, and with some obstacles in the way… let's say about an average of 350 meters."

"That's… not good at all!" said Urd with a groan, kicking the dirt in utter frustration. So far they've only managed to fly around the outskirts of the city with Urd and Keiichi sharing a flying broom and Skuld on her scramjet powered jetpack. But after coming up with nothing at all, they decided to land close to the nearby forest and see if Mara was hiding there, although this area was much larger to cover and visibility from above was fairly limited thanks to the lush vegetation. "At this rate it could take us hours… no… days even!"

Skuld reached for her blouse to pull a couple of additional scanners and grinned at Urd. "Well, if you split into multiple copies and take one scanner with each of your avatars, we can cover up a much wider area. Pretty much like we did last time with Keiichi and Blue Lance."

"Hey… it's worth a shot. After all, I don't have any better ideas for-" The sudden noise of a snapping twig caught Urd by surprise and considering that it came from some distance behind her, it ruled out the possibility that it was neither Keiichi, nor Skuld for that matter. Twirling around, she instinctively put herself between the intruder and her sister, and even reached to push Keiichi behind her as well, making sure that she had both of them out of harm's way. "Who goes there?"

There was a moment of silence before another step could be heard, crushing dried up leaves under what must've been a heavy boot, until the unmistakable silhouette of a Valkyrie emerged from the shrubs. "I was looking for one demoness… but found another," said the warrior, pushing her violet locks over her ear as she slowly approached her target.

That superfluous action might appear as part of this goddess' mannerisms, but the rest of her body language gave Urd the idea that this wasn't the case. Especially when the Norn noticed the earrings the warrior wore and realized that those weren't just the standard issue limiters that doubled as a Valkyrie's axes. What this individual wore was far more advanced, and to Urd it was a clear warning not to mess around with her. "It's funny how life works sometimes…" joked the half demoness, although it came out too forced as she didn't like the way this Valkyrie was staring at her; it greatly reminded Urd a hungry cat as she approached a tasty mouse.

"Indeed." Coming to a stop a few meters away from the group, the Valkyrie pointedly looked around the nearby shrubbery, where the silhouettes of several more Valkyries could be seen behind the vegetation. And although they've made no attempt to approach, it quickly became clear to the Norns and their mortal companion that should they make any sudden moves, they'd be facing a lot more than just her. "But where are my manners? I'm Sanngrid, and you must be the Ansuz-sama's daughter."

"Stepdaughter you mean," said Urd, much to her own confusion.

"Actually, I was talking to the one behind you," muttered Sanngrid in rather annoyed tone. "I know all too well who you are, uncouth byproduct of a pump and dump."

It took all of Urd's willpower to stay calm and avoid giving her opponent an excuse to defend herself. Unfortunately for Urd, that wasn't so easy when her sister was literally shaking from rage and even reached for a bomb.

"Hey, what did you just call my sister?" snapped Skuld, but immediately felt Urd's hand grab her wrist to prevent her from throwing the bomb at Sanngrid. And the quick stare Urd gave her, stopped Skuld right as she was about to protest or even break free from the half demoness' iron grasp.

Content that she got Skuld under control, Urd turned her attention back at the violet haired Valkyrie who still gave her that condescending look. "Is this how a proud member of the Fighting Wings is supposed to act? Baiting others with trash talk so that they'll attack you? Are you really this desperate for a fight, or just an over the top blowhard who wants to stroke her ego?"

If the Sanngrid took offense by Urd's words, then the Valkyrie did a great job hiding it behind her deceptively pleasant smile. On one hand she was acting almost in a respectful manner, although her words told a very different story. "Pompous… just like your mother. But it's not your fault; that much I'll have to recognize. You were never fit to be a goddess in the first place and just had to adjust to our lifestyle because someone wanted to get rid of her bastard."

"Hey, stop insulting someone who's done nothing to you!" said Keiichi, not feeling comfortable to stand idle as this obvious harassment took place. "Seriously, who made you a Valkyrie? You're nothing like Lind at all! I thought that the Valkyries took fighting as their duty so that the rest didn't have to fight. Not as a convenient excuse to bully those who don't like!"

"My, how fitting for you to say something like that! You must be Belldandy's husband… Morisato Keiichi, right?" said Sanngrid with a deceptively cheerful chuckle. "The happy go lucky mortal who wished a goddess all for himself. I suppose that's why she got to like you so much, but… I'm afraid that your charming personality isn't going to help you convince me. Unlike the young and misguided Lind, I'm a seasoned Valkyrie who lived more battles than any other who's still on active duty. And if there's one thing that I've learned throughout the millennia of my service, is that a good demon is a dead demon. There are no exceptions to that rule, no matter how convincing their act may be."

As Keiichi was somewhat taken aback by the cynicism of Sanngrid's reply, Urd decided that she couldn't stand that Valkyrie's smug face anymore. But an outright attack was exactly what the warrior wanted to justify offensive measures against her, and with Skuld and especially Keiichi standing no chance should the other Valkyries joined in, Urd had to put their well being before her desire to make this wench pay for her insults. Gritting her teeth, Urd's eyes were consumed by a malevolent light that burned through them as her whole body crackled with power. And for a moment the temptation of unleashing that torrent onto that wench was just too great; far too great.

'Let me see what you've got, daughter of Hild.' She couldn't help it, but her entire body was shaking, but not in fear. After what felt like an eternity to her, Sanngrid was about to repay the one responsible for that abomination by sealing her daughter for good. 'At least I'll be merciful and allow her to sleep peacefully for all eternity. My angel… never had that luxury!' Reaching for one of her diamond shaped earrings, she took it off and reformed it into its original shape; that of a battle axe, readying herself for the incoming attack.

Yet despite how much she wanted to wipe that smirk out of the Valkyrie's face, Urd slammed her arms against her sides, channeling all her power onto the ground where a magic circle started to form around her and those she wished to protect. She wasn't going to forgive that damned goddess, but for the time being, Urd knew that her utmost priority was to get Skuld and Keiichi in a safe location. Ideally as far away from this nutcase as she possibly could. "Well… thanks for the chit chat, but I've got better things to do with my time than waste it on a filthy muggle to the likes of you. I hope when we'll meet again, you'll learn how to act like a proper goddess… wench!"

"What?!" Sanngrid's eyes opened widely when she realized that in her eagerness to engage that demoness, she failed to notice that the Norn wasn't preparing an attack spell, but something quite different. As a matter of fact, it was a return gate to Muspelheim, and a pretty powerful one at that. So much so that even with the all the countermeasures in place thanks to the declared emergency, the Norn somehow managed to connect. "Wait! How did you?!-"

"Ta ta!" Offering a mocking wave with her hand, Urd brought it up to blow a kiss in the air, before disappearing into the portal that already swallowed up the others when it opened right under their feet.

Letting out a war cry, Sanngrid tried to catch up to Urd, and even follow her into the portal before it closed. But as she did, the Valkyrie noticed a heart shaped magical projectile that was apparently homing on her location, causing Sanngrid to momentarily stop and form a shield around her, just in case it was some sort of curse. Only to watch it bump into her protective barrier before popping up like a soap bubble. And the worst part was that this foolish distraction actually delayed her for long enough to allow Urd's portal to completely close before she or any of the other Valkyries had the chance to go through it as well. 'That was so… stupid! I should've known that it was nothing more that a stupid bluff! Well, at least she's finally gone. Good riddance, I'd say...'

XXX

Helheim

When reports arrived about a part of the World Tree's root system entering the formerly unnamed realm, Hild had no idea what to expect when she arrived there with a whole company of demons, as well as her three regional commanders who also wished to take a close look at what happened here. Only for the entire group to simply stare in awe at the city sized complex that was literally built in mere hours; a project that should've taken them decades to complete, even if they pooled all their resources to it.

"I suppose that this goes way beyond our original plans," said Skrymir, breaking the silence after several minutes of inspecting his surroundings. And it was a statement too, since the necropolis before him was several times the size of Loki's proposed datacenter.

"There's no argument there," was the Daimakaicho's reply. While she had personally made several revisions to enlarge the original proposed version of the datacenter... this was on whole different level.

Although undeniably featureless and even dreary, the massive, monolithic structures that resembled step pyramids dwarfed even most of the skyscrapers over at Midgard, but thanks to the scale of these buildings, their sheer volume was tremendous. And based on the reports from the reconnaissance teams sent ahead to investigate their interior, the servers inside were substantially more advanced than most of their version of commercially available technology, almost rivaling that used for the two largest mainframes in existence; Yggdrasil and Nidhogg. Yet more impressive was the fact that even the inner walls of those structures was much thicker than what they considered as necessary for a bunker, with the actual exterior armor of these buildings made to withstand a direct hit from even a demoness like Hild herself, especially thanks to the intricate multi layered defense matrix made of golden runes and magic diagrams.

"I really don't like this place…" said Hild after a while, narrowing her eyes at the faint traces of the Tree's roots underneath them, crisscrossing the otherwise empty streets of this necropolis. "For all our accomplishments, all our efforts to build our ideal worlds and make progress, this… this place trivializes all of them. To think that it was built so effortlessly within a couple of hours. It's almost unfair!"

"Yes, and there's another aspect we haven't consider," said Grid as she stepped closer to Hild. "So far this is the first time in recorded history that the Tree acts in such an assertive manner. As a matter of fact, even back when it created our ancestors, Yggdrasil never went as far as to give them cities, let alone a sentient supercomputer."

"Although in this case, it's the aforementioned supercomputer who's the only resident of this city. At least the only alive one," added Skrymir before he gazed at his communicator's screen for any status report from his recon team; only to frown in frustration by the silence. "Hild-sama… was it really necessary to send that guy with my men? This is a most delicate situation that requires the utmost care… and subtlety isn't one the things the ruler of Muspelheim is known for. Who knows what kind of defense mechanisms he can trigger if he tries things his way..."

Letting out a sigh, Hild reached for her own communicator, as she had the nagging suspicion that Surt wasn't going to call Skrymir to give him any reports. 'Men can be so… childish at times…' Yet a split second before she could open the menu, Hild realized that there was a message in her inbox and considering the icon assigned to it… she just couldn't help but take a quick look.

'Daimakaicho Nidhogg [redirected from System Muspelheim] :: Demoness first class, probational license, Urd (Muspelheim Register: Urðr) attempted unauthorized direct transfer to the local man Gate room. Transfer was intercepted by the System and redirected to the Great Desert. Local defense forces are informed and mobilized to ascertain the cause of the incident.'

XXX

Muspelheim

"Blech! Ugh!... Why can't you even open up a portal without failing so badly?"

Spitting sand out of her mouth, Skuld tried to pick herself up from the dune where she and Keiichi ended up head first, with Urd being the only one landing on her rear; albeit on a nearby cactus.

"Oh shuddup! You just bit some sand while I… aii~!" said Urd before she let out a loud howl as World of Elegance plucked a cactus needle from her rear, causing her to stifle a curse she so much wanted to scream on top of her lungs, but not while her sister was present. "That… That fuckin-... OW! Don't twist the needles, Elegance! You're not tuning a radio!"

'Language, mistress! We've got kids present…' warned the dichromatic angel, casting a glance in the aforementioned child's direction.

"Hey, I heard that!" protested Skuld, who was even more annoyed by the fact that her initial question was completely ignored. Or at least part of it. "And you still haven't told me why you transferred us in the middle of… uh… Where are we anyway?"

"Múspellsheimr..." came the reply, but from a voice so deep and glottal that caused all four of them -World of Elegance included- to jump and turn to what they had initially thought as a somewhat larger sand dune than the rest. Until a scaled head emerged from underneath the sand, with its double rows of serrated teeth -each larger than the tallest of them- filling a cavernous maw that made the two Norns feel their knees get a bit wobbly.

"SAND DRAGON!" shouted Urd, picking Skuld up, while World of Elegance grabbed Keiichi and then shot in the air, trying to put some distance between themselves and what the half demoness knew as a voracious predator. Only to pause for a moment when something… just didn't quite add up in her mind, and stared at the dragom who returned her gaze.

"Svá mik nýliga nornir vekja."

"You talk!" said the stunned Urd, causing the dragon to roll his eyes in response. Still, it was common knowledge that sand dragons weren't capable of articulate or even smart enough to do anything more than seek for food, and that made Urd rather suspicious. 'It can be a trap to make us approach it and then make an easy meals out of us, but… it called us the Norns, so… it knows us?' Sharing a glance with her other self, who gave her a cautious shrug, Urd turned back to the sand dragon. "Are you really sentient?"

If Urd was expecting for a reply, then the dirty look the enormous reptile gave her should've been more than enough, although the dragon wanted to make sure that his message got across. "Yes child, I am. Also forgive me for slipping back to the old tongue… It's been ages since I've talked to anyone and that brought back a feeling of nostalgia for an age long gone. Now… what brings you to my den?"

"Nothing really… we were attempting to transfer to the city, but… I guess bringing my sister along must've triggered some sort of security system," said Urd as she nodded in Skuld's direction who let out a small squeak when the dragon turned to look at her. "Which sent us here instead. Still, I'm rather shocked that you can actually understand me."

"That's because I'm like you… or rather… used to at some point in the past," admitted the sand dragon with a low grumble that startled the others, until they realized that it was merely a sigh. "Should you had been born a few millennia earlier… this is what you'd end up like."

"What?"

Given Urd's shocked expression, Keiichi assumed that she was either blissfully unaware of other hybrids' treatment in the long past, or that the information itself was a well kept secret. Which didn't quite surprise him anymore; not after the way Sanngrid treated Urd, and without having any past with her. If that Valkyrie held some sort of grudge against her, then Keiichi would've accepted that, but as things currently stood… that wasn't the case. "Uh… does that mean that they've… reincarnated you into a dragon?"

"Ah… so the mortal knows about such things? That's very interesting." said the reptile in somewhat surprised tone. "Although you're not entirely correct in your assumption. I'm cursed to live like this, yet on my own volition. I can revert myself back if I so much desire, but at the same time… I wish to do nothing with a society that would've condemned me to a far worse fate, should they got their hands on me."

"But!... things have changed now," said Skuld, even though both Urd and Keiichi seemed rather dubious after what took place moments earlier. "I'm sure that you could fit in either celestial or infernal society if you wish."

"As expected of the goddess that governs the future…" said the dragon with a hint of a smile. "It's good to see that you're not stuck in the past like some of us. Perhaps some day whether you're a demon or god won't matter at all. Until then, I'd rather stay in my den and watch the local's version of saying hello… with missiles."

"Wait! You're the dragon I've heard in town? What was it?... Seymour?" asked Urd, earning a grunt from the dragon.

"Where did they come up with that stupid name… I don't even know; and neither I want, for that matter. But… I suppose that is what they call me these days," said the disgruntled sand dragon. "And before you ask, no… my real name has no meaning anymore. Perhaps one day… I might have a reason to tell that to others."

"If that's what works with you, then do as you wish," said Urd with a shrug. "I on the other hand plan to go back and this time, punch that stupid wench right in the face. I've got a score to settle now, and this time in my terms!"

"Are you sure it's a great idea though?" asked Keiichi, trying to point the obvious, just to make sure that Urd wouldn't end up in a lot of trouble. "If you attack a Valkyrie, it could get you arrested… right?"

"No, it won't. It depends on the circumstances, and given that her attack was totally unprovoked, she's in for a lot of trouble. You see… by bailing out from that fight, I denied her the last excuse she could use to justify what she did back then," said Urd with a slight smirk. "Even if I don't do anything, she's got a hell lot to explain and once she gets her license suspension… I can sock her one!"

Sharing a look, Keiichi and Skuld shook their heads, but decided against arguing with Urd. At the very least they were somewhat safe for the moment and that's all that mattered to them. Hopefully, once they got back they could explain the situation to Tyr and he would settle the matter peacefully. Not that Skuld didn't wish to throw a few bombs at that ridiculously rude goddess, but she too had other priorities at the moment.

'Better call the others and tell them that we're fine.' Fishing her communicator from her robes, Skuld tried to reach Asgard, only to get the same automated emergency message. "Huh? I can't get my call though!"

"It's an emergency, Skuld… And we're currently in one of the demonic realms. Only those with the proper clearance can get into contact with the demons during such an event," explained Urd, and then pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Which… means we need to get back to the City and then try to call them. Or find a way to transfer to Asgard."

"The others will come to pick you up," said the dragon as he cast a glance towards the capital city of Muspelheim. "I'm pretty sure that they're on their way here already, and for that reason it's better I get out the way. Me and the locals… like to keep a certain distance from each other."

While the Norns offered him a solemn nod, Keiichi couldn't help but step forward, just as the dragon was about to slither away from them. "Are we going to see you again?"

Pausing for a moment, the dragon turned to stare at the mortal. Initially he thought that this was merely a case of someone trying to sound polite, regardless of his actual feelings, yet he found no evidence of dishonesty in his expression. "Who knows? Perhaps we might meet again in the future… But either way, you need to hurry. I can feel an ominous wind blow across the desert. The Tree must be getting restless in its slumber."

Sharing an uncertain look, the Norns and Keiichi could only wonder just what that was supposed to mean, until a ship became visible over the horizon. And with a shrug, the Norns slew towards it, as World of Elegance helped Keiichi along the way.

XXX

Niflheim

Pacing around the room, Odal had to admit that so far not only he had totally messed everything up, but as a leader, he failed to inspire his followers. After all, according to Gunnar, one of his group decided that he had had enough already and grabbed the opportunity to escape while everyone was distracted by Hel's shenanigans.

"Let me guess… you're worried about whether you're fit to be our leader…" Startling the god by abruptly showing next to him, Verthandi shook her head in frustration as she couldn't help but admit that he reminded her too much of her own counterpart. "Seriously, out of all the traits you've inherited from your mother, why is it that gloomy gloom of doom? Why not her freaking luck?"

"Uh… because my dad has a terrible luck?" suggested Odal, taking a step back when he noticed Verthandi's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Terrible luck, my ass! He's the luckiest bastard ever born!" shouted Verthandi as she threw her hands up in frustration. "Despite being a late bloomer and absolutely hopeless with women, he somehow got that goody-goody miss perfect as a wife, and not even to mention the multitude of girls in his ever expanding circle of acquaintances! Now why don't you have a single lady friend? Well? I'm listening!..."

"Is that really important right now? I mean… the world around us is falling to pieces and you're more worried whether I have a girlfriend or not? That's not our problem here!" said Odal who too was starting to grow frustrated and above all, tired with all the random things over the last few months.

"Not thinking about yourself, is my problem!" insisted Verthandi, until Hel decided to invite herself into their discussion.

"Hey, why not me?"

"Because you're literally a day old! Go play with your dolls, little girl," snapped Verthandi, only to make the hybrid's grin grow even wider.

"My, my! Someone's really salty today! What's up old lady? Afraid I'll seduce your boy? Don't worry, I'll only show him the basics and leave the rest for another time!"

"You're my cousin!" protested Odal, even though he knew that thanks to several technicalities, that was merely a title and nothing more beyond that. Still, as far as he was concerned, it did gave him a way out of this, especially before he fell victim of Hel's curiosity about the other gender. Regardless that her own gender was somewhat subjective; being partially a computer and all.

"Nice try, but no cigar," said Hel with a smirk. However, the hybrid quickly regained her composure and decided that she had enough fun toying with those two. "Now, before we get too distracted, I think you'd like to know where that Celestin guy went. Well… according to Yggdrasil, he somehow managed to end up in Midgard and from there he transferred to Asgard. Quite a feat, considering everything else that's going on."

Exchanging a thoughtful glance, Odal and Verthandi remained quiet for a couple of seconds, each processing the information Hel gave them, yet they both knew that this was unlikely something good. The disembodied god had been an enigma so far, acting as the role model of what a celestial should be; yet the mere fact that he ended up in that kind of state implied that there was more that met the eye with him. And no matter how much of his powers he lost, as a former member of the Lower Council, Celestin should still have some connections with influential celestials.

"I don't like this," said Verthandi in a low murmur. "From what I can recall, he was convicted for attempting to make a rebellion or something of that effect. With the situation this volatile, I suggest we cannot allow him to make it even worse. And I doubt that he went to Asgard just for nostalgia's sake. He's still a convict after all, and unless he has something in mind, it's highly unlikely that he'd risk getting captured for no reason whatsoever."

"Well… let's not jump to early conclusions," said Odal as he nervously studied Verthandi's expression, and despite knowing her for most of his life, this was first time she legitimately looked scary. "Maybe we're just assuming too much."

"Or… maybe not. But you know what?... I'm not risking it. If he wishes to backstab us after we saved him, then it's time we show that guy the consequences of his actions," said Verthandi as her eyes turned crimson. "Let's use his artificial body's self destruct mechanism."

"Uh… we can't do that."

"Oh, stop being such a softy!" Letting out a sigh, Verthandi's expression softened a bit. "Look, just give me the controls and I'll do it. I know that you don't want to carry that on your conscience, but sometimes we need to do what must be done."

"It's not just that," said Odal as he nervously scratched his head. "I… actually never installed a self destruct mechanism in his body. I mean… none of my robots have anything like that too, and I've based his exoskeleton on them and…"

"You're using Skuld's technology without putting self destruct mechanisms into anything you make?! That's sacrilegious!" Pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, Verthandi knew that this was bound to come back to bite them at some point of time, but for the moment all they could do was put an end to this crisis. "Alright, change of plans… We need a break and the first priority is to stop everyone from going crazy about Hel." Turning to the hybrid in question, Verthandi decided it was about time to put her plan in motion. By doing her best Belldandy impression, she would utilize her counterpart's natural charisma to her own advantage. A charisma that allowed the middle Norn to win almost every argument, regardless how much her adversaries wished to disagree with her. "Actually, considering that you seem to have Yggdrasil's support, why don't you step up and formally introduce to the world? Once you negotiate your role with both sides, there won't be any further reasons for anyone to worry about you."

"Do you honestly think that the celestials will actually sit down and negotiate with me? A species that come up with a measure like the Judgment Gate, just to prove how bigoted and narrow minded they are? Fat chance!"

"Even so, it's better if you give it a try and then put the blame on them; should they refuse to listen."

"Hm… if you put it like that, then I guess you do have a point. Fine then, I'll contact both of them and see whether they're willing to discuss matters with me." Turning around, Hel prepared to walk away, only to pause for a moment and give Verthandi a wink. "You know… you're kind of scarier when you put that cheerful smile on your face."

Raising an eyebrow, Verthandi seemed rather amused by how accurate Hel's observation was. So, the demoness put her most adorable smile on her face before she cheerfully replied to her.

"Yes!"

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

First and foremost, I'd like to wish everyone, happy new year! I really hope that 2017 will be a great year for you!

Now, there are a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.

Sanngrid was indeed the name of one of Valkyries from Norse legends, and her name literally translates as "very violent, very cruel" which is accurately depicted here. As for this story, she does have a bigger role later on, so, she's not just a random Valkyrie with a grudge.

The dragon appearing in this chapter is the same one mentioned many chapters earlier, and his line "Svá mik nýliga nornir vekja." is actually an extract from Guðrúnarkviða II, The Second Lay of Gudrún, or Guðrúnarkviða hin forna, The Old Lay of Gudrún. This is the complete segment:

"Svá mik nýliga

nornir vekja," -

vílsinnis spá

vildi, at ek réða, -

"hugða ek þik, Guðrún

Gjúka dóttir,

læblöndnum hjör

leggja mik í gögnum."

Which translates as:

"Now from sleep

the Norns have waked me

With visions of terror,-

To thee will I tell them;

Methought thou, Guthrun,

Gjuki's daughter,

With poisoned blade

didst pierce my body."

In this case, I only kept the part which makes sense given the context here in this chapter. However, keep in mind that this isn't my attempt to use a machine translation to sound fancy. If it reads a bit strange, that's because it's written like that (and originates from a past era). Google has nothing to do with it.

Additionally, Urðr is Urd's original name, and I dropped this little bit as a reference. However, don't expect me to use it for the duration of this story, as I'll keep the much more familiar version of it.

Finally, Hel's humanoid body is merely a semi autonomous peripheral of her main body (the computer that bears the same name with her). As such, she can technically have more than one instances of herself, which is kind of similar on how the goddesses and demons can create avatars of themselves in order to be in more that one places at the same time.