Oh My Goddess! - Valkyrie's Knight

Act IX-a

The aura of the slowly wheeling terminator of morning, it's growing light of blues as visible light waves interact with the morning angle of the atmosphere, now moments from apex before the break of true dawn of sun, keeps the last moments of the night before in silence.

One where no birds and no eyes see the one set that finishes her silent trap.

A 'tiny' CEO finishes employing small runes of Nidhegic code, all around a 'slightly' larger numeration code, for the hour of her trap to come. All of this was very small indeed, not even large enough for even Gan to read, if he could. If he could even see it.

"Heh..." ...her demonic chibi voice crooned out, as she finishes, and floats up a tic. She then flicks out her pocket watch, and opens it. She then closes it with satisfaction.

"About two mortal hours." She then hears soft ped steps, and blanches... "Wrong kitty to see me now." ...and zips out of sight.

From the residence, Velsper emerges, and looks around... "Swore that I felt..." ...and then shrugs it off. He/she then forgets it completely as a tired moth flutters by. "Mmm... morning snack before first breakfast." ...and makes a quick leap towards said meal.

Cats have such eating habits.

-45 minutes later-

Urd sighed, only the second (or twentieth) time this morning. She leaned on her chin, on top of the usual breakfast table, now set outside rather than within for breakfast. The advantage sometimes overlooked, was how lightweight and portable a table can be sometimes. Not that Urd considered such, given Belldandy and Keiichi were the authors, (more proper anyway.) Her concern was 'why' the table was outside, along with what was left of the food.

Counting herself, four Morisatos, fourteen various goddesses, one neko demon, and three mechanicals, and a likely Gan-rat somewhere likely. Thus all splayed out in various modes of watching TV (an extension cord from the usual spot,) chatting with each other, or just finishing eating, more chatting after eating, or chatting while cleaning up. Talk about chatty. Urd just sighed out... "There's too many people here now."

Skuld just looked back from watching a morning magic girl anime with Peorth and Eihwa. "You can always go home." Urd just blinked dryly at Skuld in turn. "Tell that to the boss."

Peorth just pipes in on cue, flinging her luxurious hair about. "Don't fret idole sexuelle, Almighty is more concerned about your license, than your location." Eihwa in turn... "We can even help kick you back to Heaven, dea del sesso."

Urd just rolled her eyes. "Alright: One, I'm a 'love' goddess, not an X-rated one. (Well, not XXX anyway.) And two: Have you looked at this place lately?" ...Urd adds with a fling of her hand at the splayed bunch of beings around the breakfast table, one mostly wrapped up as it is. Skuld just smirks. "What? Someone persnickety they didn't get more rice again?"

Urd just about grumbled further about there being too many characters in this series, just before she saw a bowl in front of her face. "Eh?"

A look to the arm attached sees a smiling Bell-offering. "My apologies, I didn't know you wanted more."

Skuld... (heck, all four of them,) blink, as Urd just stutters with a waved hand. "Oh, no no. I didn't mean that!" Skuld just quips. "I thought all the rice was gone." Peorth and Eihwa however trade a look, not thinking 'anything' gets past Belldandy's senses. (Talk about a goddess-mod.) Belldandy just however blinks simply. "Oh? You sure? This was Cousin's bowl, since he didn't come."

The four just suddenly 'urk' and teardrop. Urd just remarks. "Oh? I wonder why that is." ...in a weirded out, off key tone. At the same time, Skuld, Peorth and Eihwa retract their own thoughts, vocal or otherwise. Eihwa just ekes out... "Gee, uh... where is our mutual Paladin?"

Lind just speaks up, Takano and Megumi of most note, looking over on cue. "I told you all, a special prayer session. Do you all not listen?" Takano just speaks up in turn. "Only when told." ...Megumi nods in kind with. Lind blinks and then realizes her unexpected mistake. Belldandy even adds. "Indeed, no words have exchanged on the matter."

Megumi actually leans in on Lind, the same kind as done to Keiichi too oft. "Ohhh? That might explain the far off look you've had all morning." Lind just gasps and looks away defensively. More than a few giggles pass through the air, finally garnering attention from Keiichi and Keima, whom had been talking shop again. Gate, Eddas, Sigel/Banpei/Scetu, each look over from their off the side discussion.

Gate: "I hate being a bit character."

Eddas: (x6:) "Yup."

Sigel/Banpei/Scetu: "/ Uh huh. / -mecha nod-"

Lind just sighs and then admits. "I must have been deeper in meld than I thought." ...this Urd comments in... "Third time already." ...whit Lind shakes her head. "Nay. Only twice still. But enough to know how deeply my beloved was praying. Rather intense at that, I fully admit."

Belldandy looks, knowing most all, the deeper meaning of this. Belldandy in turn actually responds. "I'm surprised you weren't even imitating his very prayer stance. A meld 'does' allow both parties to experience each other's subconscious states." Urd adds looking at Bell. "Almost like letting one's soul become another's." ...ala Bell 'and' Kei both blush amongst. (And Keima eyes him pointedly.)

Lind just smirks. "And only I know of it." ...this Eihwa betrays a sudden anime-strain mark on her head. "One more reason I must not lose!" ...though another look at Lind, in the same kind. Peorth just rolls her eyes. "One more reason I need another sister."

Skuld scampers away from the sisterly hair pulling, as Belldandy and Lind share a nice 'smile' on the matter. Urd just sighs once more. Everyone else looks plain lost.

Keiichi just then hears something off towards the temple proper. He looks in time as... "Speaking of whom, I guess." ...as many look at a yawning mortal knight. This as Imlade rubs at his eyes. Lind sees and then realizes, as Imlade imparts... "Dang, some of those gods require prayers so deep, I fell asleep doing them again. Dang Tyr for one." ...whit Lind ZIPS right up at him. "What did I tell you about sleeping while reverent?"

Imladris just smiles, and walks over a spot, before Lind hawks over him! As said knight begets anew dressing down, Belldandy just beams in a calm happiness. "They look so happy together." ...this Urd cock-eye quips. "In an army boot camp sort of way."

Unspoken upon this Frigurina senses something. She rubs her chin and wonders... "Something here isn't right." This Belldandy looks over upon. "Mother?"

Frig then suddenly snaps her fingers... "Ah-hah! I know what it is!"

And then they all look at 'her' next. (Lot of that, as of this morning.)

"You sure about this?"

Chihiro just looks back. "You want me to 'not' be sure?"

As she turned and put her helmet on, the mysterious male from the last chapter just sighs, his own helmet already on, hiding any features. They both then prep their respective bikes, Krauser and FZ. Chihiro just adds. "Don't worry, you'll like the guys. They're as weird as you. When they show up for work." ...added with a hard rev of her throttle. Her companion looks and wonders, then stops with that same hard rev.

He just thinks... 'Wonder if coming up from Nagasaki was okay.' ...and just mounts his bike, just before they both head off for Whirlwind.

The shaded grove of trees, around the hollowed, aged tree stump remnants, had never seen such a holy moment before. Not one like this.

"All together now." Frigurina begins.

Takano and Megumi watched in amazement, Keima double so, as Frigurina begins an impromptu Angel session. Keiichi was amazed, seeing 'all' the angels out like this at the same time. From Holy Bell to the Twin Mints, with each and every nigh unique version of the goddess soul present, the sight was absolutely ravishing. And unexpected an event. The Morisato's already mentioned, speechless and all, the utility goddesses watch in innocent jealousy, as Imladris asks. "What's with the singing session? Or is it some encoding procedure?" ...this Frigurina looks and offers... "I need to test something."

Imladris upon this, becomes speechless, when Frigurina extends 'her' angel forth, and much to the combined surprise of every being looking, mortal, goddess, synthetic, 'and' angel alike. This as Frigurina, in cloth matching Belldandy's own simple earthly dress, shows her true soul of magnificence. With Holy Bell previously the most special of the souls shown up to now, this changes hands easily, as Frigurina shows forth a thrice as extravagant arch-angel, flowing cloth swoon about the 'four' winged angel.

"My 'Light of Creation', come help me test now, all of their song."

With the light of all that is holy shining forth unto them all, the song sonnets forth with such prolonged grace, no tear dares not be shed. Even mechanical and Synthetic make 'feels' such emotion, and shudder. Knees are hit as the lot of them, sing to the cue of Belldandy's own serene as ever sonnets. Frigurina meanwhile uses this as Intracel code protocol, and with the other goddesses singing off Bell's own 'anchor', begins to see certain details of the encoded states.

Ones that deal with exposure to the lower Planes. Ones that deal with too much more than can be described. Ones that the other goddesses see in their commanding soul version that lead this all off. Ones that end all too soon. (Even despite 'feeling' like eternity.)

So much to put in so few words. This Keiichi does in thought, and knows he is not equal to such. He steals a look over at Imladris, and sees a soul that looks 'just' as awed out of one's skull, as Keiichi himself is.

'I can't believe he used to live with them every day like this.'

Imladris however has another thought.

'I'm so glad I made that Wish.'

Frigurina then at a moment after cessation of the song... "As I suspected." ...the other goddesses of angel look unto. "Your exposure to this Plane has changed your code structure."

Belldandy nods. "I suspected, but wasn't sure without formal diagnostics." ...Peorth in turn adds. "So the time we've lived here has turned us into base encoded humans." Frigurina nods in accent. "More than. If you were to go to another world in this state, you would appear alien to other species, rather than change your code make up to look as one of them. At least to the core outlook, unto other mortal civilizations. You'd all have to be reconstituted in code structure, to return to full tenth dimensional capability."

Urd just remarks. "Is that a bad thing?" ...which catches Frig off guard. The motherly goddess then noted Belldandy imparting... "There is no rush on such a thing." ...and then even hears Skuld of all goddesses add... "It's kinda fun down here. Even if it 'is' Keiichi fault."

Keiichi of course just balks. "Not 'that' again!" ...as the other three Morisatos just smile sheepishly. The goddesses primarily simply giggle at this. Belldandy in an amorous vein.

Imladris however then puts in. "Would this also be my fault?" ...this everyone looks, as Imlade imparts. "I mean, the format discussed 'does' have my template to hath all originate from."

That dies an ignominious demise, as Peorth quips. "Hardly pup, you just have been along for the ride." ...Skuld adding rather peevishly. "No kidding. Surprised you could ever keep up with us." ...Urd... "A million years to go for 'that' kind of respect pal."

Lind just... actually all 'three' of her, lean down and pat Imlade's charcoal husk of a hunched over ego. Lind just remarks. "You still have room to grow beloved." Takano just looks down pip eyed... "Owwie. Dis city dude." ...as Imlade just sniffles away.

Frigurina just giggles, then looks at her Present daughter. "In any case, the problem is primarily subjected to reshaping physical-biological format on the dimensional level. I can't say as yet any long term effect, but you all 'might' want to do a resequencing protocol to avoid any complications. What since goddesses have never been on the lower planes for this length of duration. Plus goddess knows what else you've been through."

Urd just sighs. "Hild hasn't been kind at that." ...which makes Frig give a 'reserved' glance in kind. The version that creeps Urd out to the encoded bone.

Keima takes a turn to impart. "Still, an amazing sight to behold." ...this eyes turn unto him. Belldandy just nods. "Thank you." Takano however elbows in, with Megumi to the other side, smirking. "Oh, now I'm jealous. My dear Keima won't see me as so special." ...this of course FREAKS Keima outright. "NO NO! Never dear, never!"

Eihwa just leans in towards Belldandy, as does Test of Purity. Bell and Holy Bell alike look in mutual surprise. "Take notes for your innamorato, you should."

Belldandy of course innocently remarks. "I should? Why so?"

Peorth just sighs, her and Gorgeous Rose shaking their heads. "She doesn't work that way Sœur" ...this Eihwa frazzles at.

Keiichi then comments... "Have to agree with my Da... ah... Keima." ...and looks at Imladris, whom is just chuckling at his own expense now. "Would be something if you got an angel someday dude."

Imladris looks over on hearing, and then, with the goddesses looking in reservation at this comment, hears in turn from the knight. "Never." Keiichi blinks, as Imladris turns. "As the goddesses put, I'm not 'that' special. Nor would I ask for such anywho."

A moment later, Imladris is gone, Keiichi wondering as Keima asks. "Rather humble an answer."

"Too humble." Lind comments upon. Everyone looks, but hears not further. The goddesses in fact of First Class mode, turn thoughts on unsaid reasons why for all this.

It was one of those times in Heaven, that few dared to approach the Chamber of the Almighty. The sheer mood vibes here, were as dour, as the gloom of the air inside. The Secretarial goddess of orange long hair, just wished she was anywhere else at that moment.

Within, the Effidice was as gloomy a shade upon it's mighty surface, as was the feel and color in the chamber.

Such of Infinite mind. 'Of this, a Test I should not allow. This format of a chisel and hammer, is better served, by an act 'not' of what is coming.'

And of that, a Mind Infinite, 'angled' thought, of an iota that was missing from the Special Protected Artifices Chamber. An area of Heaven, that held only the most Holy and Incarnite artifacts in all of Heaven's archive of true forbidden access.

Such would have been amended to, if not for the Knowledge of Voluspa. And the cost such was now about to inflict. Such that Evolution itself was at stake now. And a long lost wanted Friend back.

Only of this Inform, did Almighty remain silent of.

The Contract in fact, was made keen unto Him as well. Hild ensured this much, as was secretly agreed.

And now...

Imladris stops just short of a certain spot, and sighs. For a moment it's all he does, trying to think about that last query, and keeps sighing as a result, more and more uncomfortably.

"Is such a bad thing for you?" Imladris realizes and looks back, seeing... "Urd?"

Urd flip-hover saunters over and as a result, he sees Lind behind further. Imladris then notes from Urd, as she 'land-hovers' to his own right. "You must have sensed it, especially after this long."

Imladris immediately senses where this is going and cuts it all short. "Nay. I'd rather prefer thought on lust of ravishing, and my boring duties here, all ever and rather than 'that'."

Lind blushes a bit, as Urd just shrugs. "It's only power. A tool, as you've put from time to time."

Imladris however, again, cuts it short and imprints on the matter. "This from one that loves of it the opposite. Beyond more, I'm 'not' a goddess of borne. I am human. And my encoded species, all across the Multiverse, have a problem with controlling such things." ...he puts more and more indignant. Lind then offers with Urd listening, though keeping a focused ear on both. "To be factual, you've become less of one as of late. As much as Frigurina imparts we are becoming imprinted as human in format, you've done the same as one of us in turn." Urd adds in continuous... "You've sure demonstrated a sweet amount of power, as effective as Belldandy's and even her Mother's. Both I hazard to say."

The 'both' part causes Imladris to wince dearly, a discussion he was beginning to detest. "That is my dire worry here."

Lind blinks, as Urd just sighs. However Lind then puts yet even moreso. "If Lord Thor can call you an equal, then there's more to it than you give confidence for." ...this Urd blinks. "He said that?" Lind nods to in kind. "Aye. Higher Seat gods 'don't' say such things. Not even merely lightly. I don't think there's been a time I know of otherwise of this. I fully admit my woeful knowledge of such a thing."

Imladris in turn has enough and strikes his chord to end this. "Please in of enough! This is uncomfortable." ...the two goddesses stop and hear, Imladris sighing, putting a last parry of tone. "I swore my Oath as a servant and guardian of Heaven, not to be AS of Heaven! Blimey of the Wish inclusive. I put myself lower, no matter what else, to prevent me abusing the power bestowed upon me. I know it. I feel it. And I will not have it evolve me further." ...this Lind gulps, as Imladris just puts in his honest tone of best. "After all, it helps me appreciate all that 'is' special of you goddesses. Not of the power, but the grace beyond that, that I wish to serve most. Please, I want to keep it all as such. This shouldn't be about me."

A moment after hearing, Lind just sighs, and smirks. "Well... not sure calling Urd 'serene', is objective here." ...this Urd just yelp back. "HEY!"

Imladris just snickers, which starts a quick chain reaction amongst the three.

Meanwhile further away, a number of the others watch on, as Keima comments. "Is it me, or is he afraid of power?"

"Afraid of hurting people with it." ...Keiichi puts more aptly, almost echoing the thoughts Belldandy has. (And probably more.) ...this Belldandy adds... "He realizes the mistakes of this world with such things. It's been impressive so far to know that he's kept himself at bay, and followed examples even we have on this world. It's been a traded compliment unsaid, in his time amongst us."

Takano just smirks. "Eh, he still needs to grow up more anyway. A bit immature in places." ...Megumi then quips. "Calling the kettle black... EEK!" ...and avoids a Takano-tempest for her trouble. Keima just smiles despite. "Guess he's trustworthy then." ...this Keiichi looks in surprise. "Where'd that come from?" Keima in turn looks, and puts simply. "You know how many people answer questions about such, too selfishly anymore? Others too removed to understand?"

Keiichi sighs and nods, as Keima then notes. "Good to know my son understands better."

Keiichi just blares in turn. "Hey, it's 'Keiichi', 'Keima'." ...this said father just rolls his eyes. "Nevermind."

Bell and Frig nearby just giggle, as Imladris is seen turning away. Imladris afar imparts. "I better get us ready for work." ...this Lind nods. "Understood."

Unto this, both warriors part from a curtsying Urd and walk past the spot, heading unhindered to the Temple. Keiichi afar looks over at Belldandy. "Think that's our cue too." ... "Of course Dear."

Everything then separates, a lot of activity by a lot of bodies that occludes note of a spot fading it's tiny aura. One that had to hold itself back. Frigurina stops and thinks she senses something again. That is however cut short as Skuld pops up. "Wana help me look over Banpei?" Frig smiles in turn. "And after that comes Urd's potions."

Skuld just blanches. "How bout you help neither of us. Might be safer that way." ...whit Frig giggles at, knowing what that obviously means. She just puts an arm around Skuld and offers... "Ah, but being offhandish never is eventful." Skuld just blandly sighs. "That's Urd's trait alright."

They head inside, while Keima goes to follow and ask Imladris a query. And all are remiss as a result.

"What a convenient conversation that was."

Hild just held distance from the temple, about a kilometer towards the forested hills. She didn't need to directly hear, what the tiny Mandala could do for her. A replete multitasker as a CEO and all, she never did anything with a singular effect.

She spun the watch around on a golden chain, simply and patiently in her left hand. It still counted down no matter how fast she spun it. She just focused on words instead.

"A mortal that fears to abuse power. One of the better ones to choose." ...she put, words directed to One that 'probably' heard everything in Existence at all times. She'd been surprised by lesser things Almighty noticed.

She 'hoped' He saw what She was about to pull now.

Hild then decided to note one other nearby with her, seemingly bored as always, though it was obvious to Hild, Mara was withholding much more than 'that' this time.

"You're no fun today."

Mara just broke an eye open, and then shut it back. Hild shrugged and turned away. Her voice however didn't."

"Worry not. When this works, you'll have 'all' your childhood friends back at your side. And more for us as well." ...Mara heard, and fought severely hard to not react in any way. For once, she just didn't know 'what' she should feel.

She 'should' be as demonic in output as ever. But 'this'... this was approaching pillars that Intracel and Nidhog, Yggdrasil and Nibelhiem each stood for.

Hild meanwhile just relished the chaos she was about to reap. She clenched her left hand, the same unto the chain beheld. "Almighty is about to regret all of He's planned. We'd even risk a War for 'this' one. It makes our blood boil like fresh lava feeling it! Ahhh, just love it. Love it!"

She then heard her watch make a beeping sound. Mara shivered dearly as soon as 'she' heard it.

"Interessante."

Eihwa, trying to slip in a moment with her self-supposed Paladin, got a side seat to when Keima shook Imladris's hand and offered. "I think I feel confident having you as my investor."

Imladris smiled his own calm version 1.0, and replied. "Hope I don't disappoint. That artwork is fit for Heaven itself." Lind just smirks, ever to his side. "Such political flattery." ...this as she is well aware of Eihwa nearby.

Imladris then cutely retorts unto Lind. "Financial actually. Which leads to politics, one to add." ...before he winces away from a Lindful 'gaze'. "What was all that about 'power'? There's more than one kind."

Imladris just chuckles, then sigh-chuckles, then just sobs. Keima just shakes his head. "I have a wimp for a boss."

After Lind laughs further at Imlade's expense, she puts. "Well, the 'boss' and I have to head to work. 'Our' boss knows how to act like one." Imladris just chuckles and rubs his head pensively... "Guess I need to take lessons from her." Keima then imparts. "I won't keep you then. I know how Chihiro is as well."

Eihwa watching just see all three nod their heads as one. The goddess whispers on fact of hear... "Marito, I'll keep my distance once more."

Just then Keiichi called aloud outside unto... "We're leaving guys!"

Lind and Imlade react by 'hupt-twoing' like SWAT team members again, as they comply in heading outside. Keima follows and sees Eihwa, before copying the two warriors, in his escape from Eihwa's annoyed sight. This Eihwa blanches at, arms splayed. "What am I? Peorth?"

"Watch it!" ...said Forever snaps from afar.

Lind takes a moment after, to twirl around to gaze a quick look at her beloved. He sees simply, as she turns back around, hopping over a spot, a moment before he does. A moment before it begins, and passes into the present the next with a step that never could have known.

The hands flick the last notch into zero.

And a demonic eye opens with a snap-flick. "Bill past due."

Phosus shot her head up, bored as she was on duty in her seat, as soon as Ex shouted out in a manic tone... "Ma'am! A major gravitational pulse just registered!"

"From what?"

Imladris was smiling as a peach as Lind twirled back, when he finished that step. On doing, the tiny Mandala was unleashed.

Those seeing saw in horrified disbelief as all of a sudden, a towering pillar of dark energy suddenly snaps open and wide, and encapsulates in a cylindrical black wall of towering demonic energy! Imladris saw it a split second as it activates, feeling the raw negative power roaring forth from a dark trap, one that seemed to feed off him! The wall vibrated with very audible energon, crackling dark red static electricity all about it, as he felt his body lose all feeling completely!

Lind however does not, seeing instead on Keiichi and Belldandy's facades, the sight of severe shock upon shock! She then feels the trap activate, and slowly turns around to a sight she feels in horror well before hand, in those passing microseconds, the next of so into horrid sight!

The others, mortal and goddess alike that were in sight, see with indecipherable logic at something beyond fathoming to accept! Sight becomes brunt feel, as the Mandala then activates a barrier wall, and shoves everyone else well away a good few meters by the dozen each!

Belldandy looks up and puts words atop her dismay! "A demonic Seal!"

"Hild!" Keiichi accents with terror, this the ears of all others hear as any others not around at the time, snap emerge! Skuld, Urd and Frigurina the last to do so, and still even 'they' are pushed back by the back aura dominating the temple grounds!

"She wouldn't!" Frigurina shouts, though Urd the most of them knows better. "She..."

And by sound is monolithically answered by... "We would!" ...as a black energon whirl suddenly appears, and from within the towering dark wall, it's demonic author appears! "We so 'devilishly' would."

Lind sees and tries to lunge... "LEAVE HIM..." ...and finds her body suddenly pinned in place. "...ah?"

Hild just smirks. "Sorry, but his power is already ours to Command, even if it's only a pressure aura. That Title of his..." ...as she slinks her arms around Imladris's frozen form, only eyes moving for some reason, his body straightened into a basic standing posture by her movements. "...such a lavish and sexy thing to acquire."

"You never will change." Urd seethes from afar, finding herself unmoving as well! Frigurina next to her waits a moment, as Hild begins to profess. "After 'this' long? You 'are' a billion ages too young daughter. And certainly not when a Contract like 'this' comes along."

"You witch!" Keiichi actually says, but gets nothing dire in turn from the CEO, as she's all but swimming her hands all about her prize catch. "Call us what you will, it will cost you all 'later'. Fools, thinking We don't make good on our marks. You should take dear note, daughter." ...this Urd shivers at the dire meaning of, while Hild focuses on the current market share, in touch of vile hand. Hild then cites to the disbelief of many, and ignorance of others. (This as Takano and Keima of note don't understand 'this' aspect of it all.)

": Of twenty four, the number that surrounds all things of Contract here. Of twenty-four that were of Our scalding prior of spell, the twenty-four after that lent to an agreed Contract for a dream of youth. Now twenty-four of the sun passing to cycle the binding, and now twenty-four the hour We waited the last for this One moment. :" ...She then seethes the next words without fearsome fail. ": And now our foolish dears, of bloods of many worlds, all of singular fear and dismay, know that We claim twenty-four in hours anew, to have this soul become binded to 'all' of Our whims and machinations. Without fail. Without breach of Contract. And a War henceforth if not abided."

Belldandy cups her hands to her mouth. "No." Peorth near the residence, shouts from her end of the courtyard. "You'd risk a WAR with Heaven for this?"

Hild just 'tisk' waggles a finger, within the flowing dark energon field. "No. You'd risk one if you attempt to stop Us here. You would risk such formal, if you dare break the Contract, before twenty-four hours have passed as come. And for that span of time, We have his body, soul, and Titled power to Our whim, which cannot be balked by. For 'that too', would be a breach of Contract, and breach the Treaty of non-aggression, Doublet inclusive, that the full Systems enjoy."

Imladris realizes to a nightmare forming in his mind... "Please... You can't mean..." Hild just caresses his cold and clammy cheek. "We... do."

Hild then swivels herself around so all he sees is Her, the Her that is still child like, for the present next moment, unto prior... "In twenty-four hours, you are free." ...put too innocent, in coy tone. The following is not... "Prior, you will abide by Our every. Last. Commandment." ...this as she suddenly opens a hand, and above her, the towering pillar of black, suddenly rips open a demonic portal into the sky, a torrent equal as the one, last time such opened unto. This one however, using the extended aura power from Imladris himself!

"Ohhh, Big Guy 'did' give you Demonic access codes. As we suspected all along." ...this shocks Imladris beyond senses as a result! Frigurina suddenly shouts out to all ears to disbelieve. "This is beyond Heresy! This equals the original Sin you committed!"

Hild just looked back, as her form started growing into 'full' height of Empowered format, as the moment prior was leading unto. "We plan much worse. It's 'been' an Eon since Our last true Sin. We have one coming."

Frigurina shuddered, and knew this could be it for everything, as Hild formally 'appears' in full and original size and power, fully enwrapped around her new trophy. Lind for her part of attachment, reaches out a hand, something that takes ENOURMOUS strength to accomplish. "No... please..." ...she puts as her only attempt at rare suppliant. And such put down as... "Sheesh... so slow we say. In twenty-four hours, you will have him back. Depending on the manner the end becomes, at that time."

Imladris in turn growls. "If you make me hurt a cell on any of them, consequences will be DIRE!" ...and has his lips suddenly pressed by the Daimakaicho singular finger. "Make? No. We don't need to force. So impractical. You will 'willingly' do all we say of command, by the binding of the Contract we made in agreement. We command of it, and you have 'no' acquiesce to refuse Us as a result." ...unto this she leans in too close, far too close... "Of silly such, the consequences will destroy everything you hold dear. A War would be all your fault. Of this, make no mistake child."

As Imladris found his soul utterly trapped to even think anymore, Belldandy shouts out... "Why would you go 'this' far Hild? If you left it all alone, nothing of this would even be a threat to you!"

Hild just snaps her head back, and grinds without remorse at Belldandy. "Oh please, you fool! Look around. Leaving this of impart, all alone, is an excuse for Voluspa to make a formal in person attack upon this place! So many goddesses here now, all attracted by Keiichi and 'Our' Imladris, all of the happiness and extravagance of Heaven all but pasted unto this lower Dimension of putrid note." ...forced further to a Hildish facade, one that almost looks vampiric, as she stakes her ills forth.

"Do not dare tell 'me' of responsibility. Almighty KNEW what he was doing by bestowing a Title of such power upon my trophy here. Who here then is risking much here! And whom is ignoring such an obvious breach that brings of threat, the worst of our mutual enemy, unto here?" ...she stabs last with... "And 'you', foolish Belldandy, giving this mortal of blood a family title in addition, one of the gods even! Indeed, it's time you all were humbled by the shadows, you all here, are too ready to ignore!"

Frigurina sees Belldandy manage to hold her feelings in check. A compliment to her time on this world, to endure such a harsh barb from the CEO. One Hild extends to the rest... "And oh, please don't forget how many mortals know now of this truth here. You all can suffer for your playful indulgence. This tool of Ours will help Us demonstrate a lesson for all, including Almighty, to learn and aggregate scars from!" ...this last barbed in, despite both parties knowing better. A vein from a broken relationship Hild still seethed a wound from.

Hild at the next then, swings her body around, to be behind Imladris, pressing her body 'way' too tenderly unto his. An action She feels a terrified shiver from. 'Good, he understands as We hoped.' Hild then commands. "Minion." ...and Mara suddenly appears in a swirl near a FREAKED out Keima! "Yes Mistress Lord?"

"You are on reprieve from duties here. Come with Us."

Mara just puts out gleefully. "Cool, been too long since I've seen home." ...this before Hild adds. "Like we need you to give away any details of what we plan to do here. You 'do 'have a friendship with them, one that's meddled with our plans in the past."

Mara blinked... "Hah? But I haven't..."

"Oh please, we know you better. Some demon." ...Hild imparts with a snap of her finger, at which the portal starts to 'pull' at them, into a hellish sky. "Now, all of you do please be patient. Your doom will return from Nibelhiem soon enough."

Lind felt cold. "You... you're taking him into Nidhog?"

Hild just sighs and spats venom back... "Where 'else' can his final training be conducted? Hardly here. No real benefit." ...an obvious insult to the Valkyrie. A last as demon wind completely encapsulates and swirls the demons, and their 'Contract', up into the portal and out of sight. Leaving the shock to fester as a new wound, a kind worse than even the worst chest wound.

However the face on Lind, wasn't equal to that. The insult made her begin making plans instead, on the spot even.

It had been forever, since rain fell in Heaven. The last, truly difficult to remember. Of the few such singular moments in Heaven's vast history, more of the mere twenty in between Invasion, and now incumbent, less than what could counted on one hand. And of those few times, another beheld Imladris's history upon it. The first of the of the days of repair after the original Fall to Caceroth.

And now, anew as Council was called, on Emergency measure.

Only the Second Seat was absent, and such Frigurina already swore to attend this Trial, until all was finished. Such was a part of her own surprise, of an event Almighty had kept from Her.

Such that the Confliction Trial began.

"Hohohohohohoohohohohohohohoho..."

Mara looked rather dourly at Hild, as the CEO had her jolly josh and all. The Daimakaicho, held her hand across her mouth, as she laughed to the thunder of hearing all across 'her' Hell. It was a moment she relished without fail. "My my my, that was all such a jolly to conduct. And all of it in so short a time."

Mara just quips pointedly... "All the better to keep on schedule?"

"We must not waste time with this chance." ...Hild imparts, as she looks back at an emotionally chained knight. One that is only so by the devastation his soul was dealt in the enacting of Contract. Hild imparts further... "We shalt not have a chance of this kind, ever again. No, we can't waste this one." ...she snaps a finger, reforming his clothes into Knight mode, for reasons only she cares about. Even armed, the Morphemic in its waist held place. Imladris looks up, his eyes trying to find anger to fight this all with, ignoring all else.

None to be found. Not here, senses were attuned to the fact of 'where' he was, itself in sense, without fail. Hild looked at his eyes, and saw them. She smirked... 'He's fixated on something never expected. A first for us as well to be sure.'

Hild looks around, and smells the rarified air that is the Core of Nidhog. All around them, the terminal twilight of day never waned, changed, faded, rose. A stagnant format of time held in check.

It was the first thing here that took away all hope. It was a typical 'sunny' day here. A plain sky with puffy clouds that hovered gently. It was equal to Heaven in this version, though in this case, it was a mirror that reflected the dark side of even the soul of a heavenly sunny day.

A silver-gray sky, the clouds were 'just' tinged enough of amber haze, to make them smog clouds, rather than regular ones. The 'smog' as such, 'fogged' into the lower plane, extended unto the sight of dark obsidian superstructures, monolithic and imposing, all the while looking all the like as of hyper-advanced looking office buildings of a Wall Street like nature. The entire area looked rather... conventional... on the surface of it all.

Imladris was obviously expecting instead, the infernal mode that dominates too much of mortal consideration of such a place. He however saw it with fringe enhancing that plied the underlay of what the Plane was really about. The surface looked business like, with 'street ways', or surfaces that looked like them in some fashion, with demons in appropriate garb, matching the air of the veneer environment. There were even paint markings, as if there were vehicles to be driven upon them. And yet, he saw the manicured 'lawns' of gray grass, bushes and vines of bleeding red plant matter. The 'trees' were too warped, more like something mangled after a forest fire, still writing in agony. The 'street' had eroded cracks in it, and betrayed 'steam', or probably countless forms, and even bare betrays of red in patterned places most random.

And some of the buildings, some gold, silver or just iron lined in structural format that was between gothic, and guided, a few stretched into the infernal 'sky' here, had some gold-yellowish energy pulsing through them at random effects. Other beams of several colors of the 'rainbow', one also warped in pigments, produced, ejected, and traveled, in and out from dishes, port antennas, and sometimes from the arcs of 'waves', or 'lightning' that sometimes laced the sky, with no whim but on chaos's own accord.

About all of what looked conventional of mortal mode, was further 'broken' up, as if afar, some of the formats, structures, and more, floated upon plates of rock, pillars of their own accord, the same of Heaven's hovering architecture, all orderly looking, and yet gothic and monolithic to witness. Like everything around was meant for a graveyard. Equal to the sight of the apparent towering 'abode' that readily marked where Hild's palace was, like some stabbing effidice towards the sky, wanting to run Heaven itself through thought such. All of it as hellish in impart, to dare witness.

And it all 'felt' easily as such to him, as it all was stretching unto infinity, as a proper Plane of this magnitude should. He 'had' to admit, he was captivated.

"Try that direction." ...he heard Hild's voice, and turned his head a bit too readily, and gasped to the point of nearly collapsing a lung.

Of such nightmares, seeing an morose, colossal... trunk...? root...? ...one insanely towering into the impossible sky, with what looked like one insanely huge set of dragon like... or serpent like... who that HECK knows... sprouted from an untold depth below the... uh... horizon? Anywho, the jaws were actively 'chewing' at the... sheesh its enormous. At the trunk, root, something, that was well and truly black as saccloth, the chewing bleeding of cracks of blood and magma, unto the 'chew toy', one most igneous yet organic like, as the jaws squeezed, squished, and sucked endlessly. Hardly a sight for the frail of constitution.

"You have 'got' to be kidding." ...Imladris felt his stomach clench into a pit. Hild snickered. "What? Seeing mythology in person, too much for you? What tourists you mortals are."

Mara just blinked. "Actually, Nidhog 'is' still a freaking sight." ...and gets a zap-flick to her left ear. "Don't sass the Ash Tree's pet." Hild snipped back.

Imladris shuffled up beside. "So 'that' is the Root of Yggdrasil"

Hild... "Gaudy, but truth." ...and then clapped her hands like in a Clapper commercial. (And on cue a BUNCH of 'structural' lights, all around, snap on. Infernal lords...) "And so let us get on with the tour."

Imladris blinks, looking putridly at... "Tour?" ...this Hild just turns unto and pats his head rather kooky like. "Come now, it's not all work here. You won't get this chance again. Might as well show you the sights. It'll mean more when we get to training."

Imladris however grumbles out... "What 'are' you going to make me do."

Hild rolled her eyes, and huffed back. "Again with the 'make'. Try 'obey', it's a more tact word here. And it should be obvious to you."

Imladris sighed. "You can't make me, or enforce me to obey, unto the harm unto the goddesses or Keiichi. I won't have it!"

Mara was surprised in a fashion. In Hell, with a Contract, with a War hanging over his head, the knight 'still' refused to completely obey. Hild in turn moved in close and whispered. "You are thinking in three dimensional terms. How unevolved of you. We have 'many' ways to have you acquire, what we seek. So many ways we do."

She then shifted back, and flicked a finger unto his forehead, feeling a light burn to be suddenly catalyst. "Ah?" ...he in turn reaches unto his forehead. Hild just 'cutely' put. "And the Contract 'will' be accorded. The lives of all you hold dear 'are' at stake. Blame us all you like, but 'you' hold the manner of how all of this will becometh. The Sin is now yours, not ours. Contracts are such a tease like that."

Imladris looked away, rubbing his forehead. He knew he had to buy time, to kill off all such time at that. He also had to be careful of 'what' he thought here. The same rules as of in Heaven, applied here, to all his weaknesses upon the higher planes. A painfully open mind added. He just turned and... "Fine. Let's do your lil show." ...put with a flitsy twirl of a hand.

Hild smiled. "See, you 'can' play the game if you want to." ...and turned, added... "You're going to make a 'glorious' dark lord."

Imladris and Mara gasped, but felt the 'Plane' around them suddenly shift, as Hild began her glorious tour of Hell most Infernal.

"Give me one damned good reason, not to tie you up, and drive you away to Okinawa, and never let you back up here ever again, boy!"

Keiichi looked up rather flaccidly at Keima. A terse as terse a terse moment could be, was answered in a simplistic... "Belldandy."

Keima gave a proper fit, which capped off a tantrum that was both his, and Takano's vein, all the same at once. Takano wasn't a part, because she was in such shock, she couldn't speak properly. Keiichi sighed and knew it was good the other goddesses, all of them, were not here in Keiichi's room. Megumi just shuddered. "Why... do I feel so cold?"

Keiichi only kept saying, over and over... "Sorry."

Keima wanted to throw something. He 'wanted' to. Badly. He didn't. He felt too helpless in so doing, and knew destroying anything out of anger was pointless. Driving Keiichi, hog-tied and all, wasn't so pointless to him however. He 'almost' gave in to it. Keima in the end, just slumped to the flooring, and lost all train of thought.

Keiichi however imparted. "This isn't the first time I've been through this. Didn't want to worry you guys and all, since this likely won't be the last time either. But I'm not leaving Belldandy's side. Period. She's in as much danger of all this, as I am. Being too used to it all for too long, to run away when she needs me. No, won't do it."

Megumi just cracked somehow... "Sounds more like otherwise bro." ...this Kei just chuckled lightly. "Yeah."

Takano just looks up, and sees her son's eyes. Something... something in them made her wonder for a moment. That look of 'experience', a glint in the eye that just isn't garnered by anything done in the false. Melded with the words, she knew Keiichi was as much afraid, as he was determined.

Takano nodded back in kind, a bit helpless in tone for her liking. "Sounds like you won't give in."

Keiichi felt a gladdening of his heart, Takano speaking was a hopeful sign. More than even she expected of herself. Keiichi needed one to know his parents weren't going to crack from under him. He wasn't sure he could hold up for even Belldandy, if that happened. He didn't press words of hope, he just replied. "No. I won't."

For a moment, stifling silence. The moment lent to another, and fifty more it seemed.

Keima then glanced over at Takano. "He's got your hard head."

"And your pain in the ass calm."

"And both your lunacy."

Meg gulped as Keima and Takano just gave anime devil eyes at their daughter. Keiichi just smiled. He hoped that was a good sign. He then heard the slide door shift open, and knew whom. Looking on up at... "Well?"

"Lind already found us a place to retreat to dear."

Keiichi looked back, and found Belldandy this time with eyes that were as empty feeling as Takano's had been. Takano for her part sees this, a lot of eyes being read for emotional signs, as Keiichi imparts. "Guess that's a good thing."

Belldandy then slumped unto Keiichi's back, much to the surprise of Megumi next to him. Takano and Keima watch as Belldandy fights to keep her own self control. "Can I just lay here for awhile?"

Keiichi sighed, and... "Sure, no problem."

Belldandy listened as Megumi then imparts. "I thought that witch was harsh before." ...this Keiichi imparts dryly... "A ruler of demons indeed."

Takano just decried. "Man, you kids know too much anymore. I thought worrying about summer camp and high school exams were problem enough." Belldandy in kind smiles, as Keiichi just imparts. "Bet my NIT exams up you one there."

Keima just complains. "You just be thankful. Both of ya, my work makes enough to handle such finances." ...this Takano equals. "No kiddin. Puttin ya both through college here is such a pain."

Keiichi just decries back. "Hey, it was the cheapest college I could find at the time." ...this Keima snips back... "Yeah, sure. A technology campus. Cheap."

Takano just half-heartedly jabs. "It's where I found you, oh expensive husband." ...this Keima freaks a bit more in nominal mode. "You only paid off your loans last year you know!"

Megumi just remarks. "Ouch." ...this Takano jabs back at her daughter with... "An you ain't getting any help either gal." ...this Keiichi just sighs, making Belldandy feel even more soothed. "Well, guess we both will need a second life to pay off our loans."

Megumi almost laughs, but the words make them suddenly chord back to the problem at hand. The mood of it all isn't as near entropic however. Keiichi after a moment, just growls. "How... why is Hild 'like' that? I thought the dude saved 'that' place too, and all."

Belldandy raises her head, and sighs. "The mind of the CEO is beyond most of even us to fathom. Only my Mother and Father of us all, would consider her beyond what we better are not knowing."

Takano just sighs in mock relief. (Quite mock...) "At least I'm not the only one then."

"Agreed." ...the other three Morisatos chime.

Suddenly, the phone rings, and Keiichi realizes. "Oh shoot! Chihiro!"

"Let me." ...this everyone notes, as Takano suddenly rises. Belldandy sees, and then offers. "...and I." Takano sees and smiles. Kindred at the very least in the misery of the morning. "Alright."

They get up, but when they head to the phone, they see Frigurina on the handle, as she explains. "Yes... very understanding of you dear. Aye... of course he will be, I promise you that. Thank you, I'm very sorry on behalf of them for all of this. ...yes... I will pray the same too. Thank you." ...and she placed the receiver down.

...as did Chihiro, who was shaking rather dearly.

At that moment, her cousin walks in and sees. "Uh... you okay cousin?"

Chihiro on cue spins around and just jabbers out... "Ah, eh... nothin! Nothing at all. Keiichi said he had a problem today and wouldn't be in."

For his part, Keiba Fujimi just shrugged. "Eh, you said 'when' they show up." ...this Chihiro made her best fake laugh, which Keiba didn't buy, but dropped it since he didn't know better. He walked back outside after getting some lubing oil, and didn't press further. Chihiro, for once, was glad for a trait that wasn't matched to her own.

She just grasped the sides of her arms shuddered. "How horrible."

She found a reason to pray once more, in her life.

"I... I... I can't help it."

Urd just sighed, after Skuld managed to bust an outside rock, after punching it with a dear amount of frustration. "I might join ya in a bit here."

Peorth just dourly put nearby. "Mon dieu, have we become 'this' impotent as of late?" Urd looked back and replied. "Or Hild 'that' competent." Skuld managed a crack back of... "At least that's one thing you didn't inherit from her. Urd almost decked her comically, but... well...

"Credit is warranted at the very least." ...the three looked, as Eihwa sighed nearby, the lot held away from the residence, in the same forest glade that they had been enthusiastic so serenely within, not too long ago. The goddess of Tests angled her head away warily, adding... "We 'are' outmatched by the like of her."

"Not our Mother." ...everyone looks, as Skuld rebels from this train of thought. "No, if anyone can combat such better, it's Mother." After a silent moment, Urd just remarked. "I hope 'that' is true."

The others hoped the same. In any case, it was good that the utility goddesses were sent home, and the Synthetics sent to Illistrum, for their own safety. Scetu didn't argue. Sigel did, and was shut off by Skuld for the time being. None of them were safe at all here. No one was, period.

As Frigurina afar near the residence considers this, the sound of a portal activates, as at the residence, a window glows forth, and Lind shoots out from it. In moments, she meets up with the goddesses in the glade, and reports. "I found two more respective places to hide Keiichi and his family. Both extremely far south and west of here."

Urd just remarks. "At least we can split them up, if we really need to. Keiichi would be the target, presuming the obvious to come."

Lind shudders, as Skuld retorts. "But Cousin wouldn't 'really' go along with Hild, would she?"

"You didn't feel it." Urd replies all too softly, Skuld in reservation... "Exactly?"

Eihwa explains, all too painfully. "The Mandala was using Imladris's own power signature to activate and operate it. Hild wasn't using any of her power, save for opening the portal at the end." Urd just shakes her head. "Impossible. Demonic powers? Where the HECK did he get 'those' from?"

"They weren't powers." ...Lind speaks up, the others looking on. Lind squeezes her eyes shut, trying to blot out the burned in image of her beloved, within that horrid scene. She speaks through this pain... "It was power derived from his base powers. A... apparently..."

"Not here." ...this everyone looks, as Frigurina suddenly imparts, quite near now. She then puts... "And further, there's a Protection Program instilled upon this information."

Urd dryly quips. "Hild needs one of those." ...this Frigurina just cracks. "Yeah, well she never did play by the rules. Had to make them all up on her own, after her Fall. I swear she's Celestine's mother as well, the way he acted back then, as of recent note despite."

Everyone looked and felt something rather deep in that statement. One interrupted as the phone started to ring again. Frig imparted on cue. "That'll be for you Lind."

Lind looks at her, as Belldandy shouts out from the residence. "Lind! It's Almighty!"

Lind never raced out of sight so hard in her life, much to the slight amusement of others. Frig then in accent to this, remarks. "I wonder if she'll do it."

"Do what?" Eihwa remarks, as Frigurina just looks over. "You should know. Wouldn't you do the same thing when the time 'will' come?" This of Eihwa blinked and exchanged looks with the others, not quite understanding. Frig just shrugs, and remarks. "Don't worry, you'll know when the times comes."

Almost on tail end of those words, a new portal shimmer sound sonnets out, Frigurina imparting with folded arms. "Hmm, getting the troops ready is so like her."

Skuld just blanches. "Do you have to talk so mysteriously Mom?" ...and gets glommed a bit too tightly... "Gph!" ...as a result. "But all knowing mothers are like that! Especially I, that have Him as a husband."

Urd just sees Skuld losing breath, and remarks. "Can you keep her like that?"

Peorth and Eihwa scurry away as Frig 'replies' by fishing a Skuld bomb from Skuld's blouse. "I told ya not to sass her!"

"Try that high-yield one there mom!"

"Can't you two take a joke?"

Belldandy saw the window frame fade back to normal, just before a detonation blew smoke out from the glade. One she didn't heed at all. She wasn't heeding much, given her thoughts. She clutched at herself, and thought... 'I won't regret the decision to make him family. He's stronger because of it.'

"He'll come back."

Belldandy looked over, as Keiichi looked out at the occasional bomb burst, lightning spark, light flare, rose vine leaf, and angel pen feathers that flutter out from the comic chaos being conducted out of sight. He however focused words on one that needed to hear such. He looked over at Belldandy confidently, and spoke... "This is still home for him."

Belldandy nodded with an honest smile. "Yes... yes he will."

A rather 'blaring' explosion from outside, makes Takano suddenly pipe up. "Talk about letting off steam!" Keiichi just plainly quips. "Good thing I don't pay insurance on this place." ...this Takano gets a good giggle from.

Belldandy remarks in kind. "We're all under stress right now. This will help us focus later on."

"We'll need it." Keiichi remarks in breathing kind. Takano just eyes weirdly between the two. Megumi then speaks up behind them all, Keima next to... "Can't believe one guy would cause all of this." Of this Keiichi looks back and sighs... "And after he said he 'didn't' want to be singled out."

Keima remarked to that... "Talk about the Fates having irony. -blinks- Ah, no offense Belldandy."

"Hardly." Bell smiles back, whit Keima blushes. Whit Takano throws a fit at him for. A kooky chance to let Meg chide into Kei with no reason. Another moment of relieving tension.

They all look crispy and blasted to cinders. And relaxed as Heaven, for the moment.

"Heh... we needed that."

Everyone murmurs agreement to Urd's smoke induced assessment, the lot of them splayed and exhausted. Frigurina then promised. "We don't leave family behind."

Urd and Skuld nodded... "Yeah." ...knowing also whom they spoke. Eihwa and Peorth didn't think any different.

The meeting didn't take long. Lind was glad for that much. The things she heard in that short span of time however, made her question a great deal of integrity of her core mission as a warrior of the Section.

The fact Almighty told her such a truth, without hesitation of apparent, frightened her far more than she could have prepared for. And all of it of things she 'never' could have expected of her own beloved to be made into. The overall scheme far greater than she could have imagined of her great beloved. And all of it, under protocol of another Protection Program, to be certain.

As Almighty once put it... 'Essentially a tool at the whim of another, even to die as such, if required.' ...both from thought of a love, and word now of his boss of bosses.

Lind stood there for a moment, outside of Almighty's chamber, even despite He was in current Session of the Council, all the same of exact moment. She breathed to calm her nerves. A part of every Valkyrie's regimen. The Secretarial goddess nearby looking, dares not utter a syllable, since all of Heaven knew what had occurred by now.

Lind meanwhile fixated only for a moment, on thought of... 'If that is to be his fate, what of me then with him?'

The next moment threw that thought off, and fixated on the here and now. She turned to the same cream mane colored goddess-secretary, and commanded. "Inform Section, I will be there in moments."

"Understood." ...the secretary only replied. Lind phases out of sight a moment later. The secretary hazarded out before making the Network connection mentally... "Going to be one heck of a fight."

Phosus looked at Ere. "You're in charge now."

The Operators three looked. Ere nodded simply. "Understood."

Phosus, already feeling the call over the Network, and not merely about to stand by on this one anyway, nods. She then however feels a stiff hand on her right shoulder. Phosus looks back at sight of... "Lord Frode?"

The Judicator nods. He puts simply, that no goddess in the Hub listening, do not shudder in witness. "Go, and help my daughter bring him back unto our Grace. Do what I cannot, in your stead."

Phosus nods, this time, far more steel in motion. "Aye." ...in direct inflection of whom was at core stake. Frode for one, nodded in equal merit.

Phosus then hears... "Good luck," ...from a look at a strong looking Ex. Phosus appreciated that too, as she then quickly left unto.

"We see you're not losing interest."

Imladris just sighed in bland kind. "We see too much to be bored."

Mara actually giggled at that, Hild a tick put off, but had her patience still in well reign. It 'was' her idea of a tour after all. Such that the itinerary consisted of...

Just to get the preliminaries out of the way, they ended up within Nidheg's Primary Core, the demonic System Hub. Here, it all was made it clear that all the 'buildings' around, were adjunct systems to this place, the actual demonic mainframe. Imladris saw several triad rows of towering tri-Y-fashioned super-mainframes, set as not unlike the IBM models even.

That in of itself came as a main theme here, as Hild showed off... "Yes, the old System was a lot like all those flaming pools and scenes of infernal torment you would expect of us. But about twenty years ago, after that original Invasion, We decided to take more of a renewed look at the basis of evolutionary process, our target souls were comprising themselves by. The nature of much of the greed, took a more economic approach, and all of its themes became applied unto here. We found the changes more stoic, but efficiency was surpassingly good. The reformat gained us ten times as many souls in the first few years, before Intracel caught on."

Hild then remarked. "It 'twas fun to watch them squirm, poor mortals, with sight of the very things that did them in."

Of course Imladris replied to that... "And yet just as many went to the Heavenly side. I've learned that much."

Hild sighed... "Perceptive." ...and moved them on with a demonic teleport.

-The next stop was one Plane 'down'.-

And Imladris got the sight he expected all along. Lava plains, broken amidst endless canyons, blood red and glowing lava flowing it's glowing venom, as the red in black in red, blood sky struck endless bolts of chaotic red lighting all over. Some even attempting to strike even Hild, where she stood.

"The energy for Nidhog, the burn and flame of Crimson Despair. The only thing alive here, is the hate of Eons that have made their way down here. It's what fuels Nidheg's primary functions, down to the algorithm."

Imladris couldn't help it, he shook with fear he never wanted to have. "T... th... that much... hate...?"

Hild cocked a devious eye over. "The Multiverse 'is' that ancient. There is a balance of all things in the end. Is there not?" This as Imladris shivered a look back, as Mara smelled the thick air. "The sulfur. Been awhile."

Just then, the air struck with the clang and rush of battle voice. Imladris renewed his shock, in looking. "Wha..."

Hild just smirked. "Ah, just in time for the show."

Off to the left, somewhere within the vicious mists of unlife, a 'large' army was gathered. And then on noting better, a second army glinted a wavering bronze and gold from the heat rippling all over, one that stretched out to a great distance. Imladris calmed down on sight of recognition. "Petitioners?"

Hild shrugged. "Probably, this part of things we actually don't pay much attention to. What with the Treaty. Still, it's here because 'of' the Treaty, if ever called for. But not just plain petitioners. The Infernal Guard as well, of those that are the 'best' of such a lot, to captain my forces. But that's not all. Not when we have to have a counter to the Valkyries, don'tchaknow." ...this Imladris adds more shock! He recovers quickly however, knowing the truth was obvious. "Oh really?" ..he betrayed a bit too curious in tone, one he immediately recognized and admonished himself for severely in mind.

Hild raises her left eyelid however, and smirked. "You want a closer look? You do don't you. Go ahead, we won't keep you." ...this Imladris looks back at Hild with, of a disdainful, but wanting enough kind despite, as the CEO just smirks... "In fact, 'go' wade through, and see for yourself." ...this Imladris blinked, Mara THRICE so! Hild then prodded... "Must We order it?" ...whit Imladris just slit his eyes.

When Imladris 'did' wade in, he found the kind of battle that was equal to Einherjar Fields, but ten times in scale. The same of lethality. And here, literally as soon as he landed, Imladris was just another soldier in battle, seeing with each swing of his allowed blade of norm, the flow and swath of more than one 'kind' of army. In fact, he saw at times, 'fresh' forces appear from impossible portals, and join the carnage!

And despite, one set of forces started to strike out from all the rest of the vicious chaos. Ones that were clothed in dark armors, with black and silver-unto-gold lined jumpsuits. Wielding scythes fit for a grim reaper... each... in the thousands it seemed... Tens of such... multiplied by numbers he found mind numbing. And eyes of a burning rubicon red that made their dark toned skins look as much ravishing, as terrifying.

And the fighting style... "The Valkyrian mode." ...he whispered, as he was forced to cut down a charging petitioner of decent size, and nightmarish format. Through the spray of very real blood, he noted he couldn't keep eyes off what were 'obviously' the counterparts to the Valkyries. He then was suddenly beset by a dozen Petitioners at once, without warning! He then found himself cutting his way out of a brutal affair! A fit theme here. When he 'did' manage to punch out, in more ways than one, he found a ragged circle of these warriors, cutting a literal swath towards him!

Standing on top of the... pile... he saw a number of petitioners charging one of the wicked number, and decided to test a reaction, or a sort. He lunged and disposed of the lot in short order, but found the one he 'helped', ended up charging at him instead!

One of the vicious number with blood raven hair, both of normalcy, and from battle's wake, clashed his weapon rather lustfully, and he shoved it off in quick succession! "Answers that."

And then he found several of the other warriors, cutting their way at him 'quite' intently! He suspected Hild, or just a number of myriad excuses for this, and found only one recourse. At the nigh least, all that pounding through the years made him recognize the 'copy' of Valkyrian mode of battle, and he could counter the rougher version with his own mortal brutality.

He fenced one of the number charging, into another, and blocked them both unto a crash into a third! He then caught a leap attack, and parried this into fifth assailant! By then, he noted the differences in these beings, and almost saw Valkyries all in their own, in a warped demonic version. Though they could be just Urd clones, by skin tone alone, he kept noting.

At this, he assaulted the bronze warriors with fury, as he crushed off any petitioners interfering! The Valkyrian clones (for all he knew,) did no less, and clashes were swift and severe! Battle kept cutting down all around the surrounded knight, as he DID fight for his life, there and then!

Hild meanwhile watched with a keen simplicity, wondering from where the Warlord of the Horde was watching. She had to be as impressed as the CEO was, and as much as Mara was frightened by it all. Hild could tell by the mind waves Mara was jittering out.

"He's so brutal." Mara betrayed her tone of. Hild just replied. "Still a cold warrior of original make beneath. Despite all the 'teaching' Heaven instilled. Remember my dear minion, he's seen many more wars since your battles with him, mostly in the times he was not of true mind. Hone from ore of original mortal mode. Heaven did him service. We'll need to make adjustments however." ...this as she saw with perfect eye, as Imladris kept parrying off attacks in several directions, until he got double blind sided, and tackled to the hideously blood-soppy ground of dead rock below. He found himself trapped by the grip of four bronze skinned warriors, and a fifth straddled unto his chest, the business end of a scythe upon his armor covered chest bone.

The milk color maned warrior, a head band of demonic chisel adorned as head jewelry, grinded like diamonds together in her teeth... "We are Horde! Such as I even speak to an Enemy of us."

Imladris cocked an eye, as the scythe blade, sharp along its entire dual sided lengths, was shifted towards his neck. "I remember one of you. Aye... one of a Pandemonium mission once. That, and that demon plaything I ended up cutting down."

The Horde leaned down her head close to his. "As do I outsider."

Imladris squint his eyes. His mind however didn't give time to consider this of memory. Instead, the ground erupted alive, with a powerful Incarnum energon burst! The empowered aura obliterating a dome of matter, as well as shoving Horde formats, all around for a good fifty meters! Hardly indeed that it did any grievous harm to the Horde types, but scalded the area of nominal demon soldier petitioners, in the same wake!

When the blast subsided, the same Horde found herself straddled herself, the tip of 'his' blue diamond blade, at 'her' neck apple.

"I'm not impressed." Imladris grinded back.

He about felt the Horde Captain's power spike, as her anger snarled, this as the other Horde began to approach with further inhumanity in mind, when they all heard a 'LOUD' clap of hands. The Horde looked up, and dropped to their knees in succession. Imladris felt his trapped foe, become otherwise, and to a similar kneeling position, upon her own Horde turn.

He didn't consider the means of escape conducted, as he angled his head up in annoyance, this as Hild imparted. "Enough foreplay, the tour is still young."

At this, he squeezed the hilt of his katana format blade, to the point the Horde Captain glancing over, saw blood seep down and out. Imladris just growled out in turn at the Captain. "They are trained well." ...and leapt back over the distance, landing out of sight of the Horde, behind Hild and Mara. He turned ever menacingly back to a waiting Hild, and a freaked out Mara. "They would have been more worthy foes, during my Galactic Campaign mission."

Mara frazzled, knowing well enough the insult, as Hild just replies. "They would have violated the Treaty, being on the mortal Planes. Not without 'valid' reason for their appearance beyond anyway."

Imladris turned away. "How terrible a problem that must be for them." ...this he shafted his blade, before suddenly feeling a finger wipe across his cheek. He spins around, and sees Hild suck on it in succession. He realizes from the sting on his cheek. "Hmm... salty... a touch of spice, of the holy kind too." Hild croons, as Imladris quickly wipes and sees the results of a cut mark. He growls and spins around, using a quick healing spell to cut off further 'enjoyment'. Hild smirks, with her finger in lips, rather erotic in look. She then removes it, and twirls it the same...

Another Planar leap, leaving the Horde Captain closest, to dabble the droplet of foreign blood to her own rare of rare enjoyment. Another purple maned version saunters up, flipping her scythe in a twirl. "Satisfied Anoxia?"

She looks over and smirks, echoing Hild's posture a moment prior. "Enraptured."

At that, a random Petitioner captain strides up, not yet of the accepted ranks of the Infernal Reserve Army. Not even close to the Guard ranks at that. Such to the ill turn of... "Was 'that' the one that defeated my army on Ereseth?" ...this Anoxia looks over blandly at. "Is that so?"

The spray of blood of failure, cut end to a supposed career most promising, as Anoxia just took her vile lust, unto the blade of her Scythe. This the Horde near her, enjoying the 'rain'.

In the middle of the crimson deluge. "We much make plans for a visit, someday."

A sea of dark purple 'space' was in sight next, with towering islands that floated unimpeded within the Great Void. A place of mixed negative energies, and positive infusions from newly acquired souls unto the Infernal webs. But this defied logic, as the unimpeded nature didn't seem to heed the gargantuan spider web network, with one 'butt' huge spider palace slithering its way across, between the island palaces.

Hild proudly acquiesced. "A palace for every copy of 'every' cursed and infernal artifact of power, ever created throughout all time and space. The same of prisoners we 'acquire', of enemies not unlike yourself. Ones you cannot hope to access. But more, a place where the vile of all vile makings, find their way at the end of use, most tragic to tale and note. It also all happens to make this place, an infernal library of demonic magicks as well. So you can guess the purpose of this place."

Imladris scoffed in tone of... "A sewage tract of infernal make?"

Hild just spun and leaned unto him in kind. "My, still snippety? The eyes we see, seem different of such."

Imladris hazarded a comeback, which made Mara fearful of a bad reaction, as he spout in turn. "I consider this a battle, through and through. Be showy all you like. It's still a 'lower' plane in comparison. All of it."

Hild felt the sting of this insult. Calling her Realm such, unconscionable it all was. And Mara sweated much of it.

And stopped when Hild replied. "Good. Resistance is futile anyway."

Imladris didn't care for that, and had thoughts switched unto when sight swirled to within one of the palaces. Within, the blue-violet interior, lit by the walls of same glowing color, from Nidhog runes alone, all over in neat lines that still ran in chaotic enough vectors, gave off enough of its own chills to the spine. All that ran to the central pillar of the chamber they were in. Mara saw and gasped. "So 'that's' where that thing ended up."

Imladris cocked an eye, as he trained sight upon, as Hild remarked unto his note... "This might interest you, this trinket, since We 'did' read your mind as soon as you arrived here."

Imladris grinded molars, but stopped as he saw with focusing sight, within a small aura of gold... "Eh? A ring."

"Yeessssssssss... or rather... 'the'... Ring."

Imladris didn't comprehend, then heard a 'strange' whisper in his head, or... from unto towards of said... "Eh?"

"You heard right." Hild whispered.

...and then heard his name, seethed out like a wheeze from a volcanic crack. He cocked an eye, and then took a few steps, reaching towards...

"Careful, it's still very potent." Hild 'cutely' put. He stopped, looked back, then unto, and saw upon closer inspection... and closer disbelieving inspection... "Are... are those..."

"'All' languages exist, even the language of Tengwar."

Imladris balls his eyes in shock in realizing. "You have GOT to be joking!"

Hild just dryly retorts back, flicking her hand about in the telling. "Please. In a Multiverse as infinite as ours is, even 'that' Ring can exist. We think your mind can comprehend the rest of that consequence. A million monkeys with typewriters, and all that."

Imladris felt a migraine coming on, and turned away. "I'll keep worry of that for another time. And 'that' thing well out of sight."

Hild smiles. "Smart boy." ...Mara nodding. "No kidding."

The three vanished as simply as becometh, leaving the Ring to its ancient solitude.

One waiting for its author to someday climb back out of the Void, somewhere on this planar level. Such an infinite torment indeed, upon this perceived space.

Imladris hoped time was going faster than he worried it was going. He remembered time was a commodity of morphemic make here, as he suspected Hild actively plumbed away upon. (I.e. it might as well been a week to the hour already, Hild knowingly stretching time for, more than fully realizing.) This hoping she forgot, while pointless to consider, was a theme of where they were now.

The tidal rush of a wide as infinite a river, blood purple in darkness, and glowing of teal and milky 'whitecaps', with frothing off rocks of some format here, the rocks gray as a forgotten mind, was of a sight that itself was meant to be forgotten.

Hild chimed out for fact of... "Styx. You know the rest."

Imladris sighed, and nodded. He looked in both directions, of the area they were in, an obvious major artery of the River of same name, as it flowed throughout the lower Planes, placed unto and where from, he didn't want to consider. He also didn't want to consider the figures he saw, as they waded in swamped positions of angst, on rocks, the sides of the river edges, and others wandering in empty gazes, all around in clusters, and others solitary, in their forgotten misery of subjected note.

"Cruel." Imladris whispered in a helpless tone most hollow.

"Well, another absolute of our reality." Hild offered... "A place we send our punished, the failures both demon and petitioner, where we... hehe... forget them." ...this the 'joke Imladris looks back viciously upon. This Hild continued heedless. "We usually drop them in, and leave the rest to the fresh waters here."

"Fresh?" Mara denounced. Hild blanched a response by hip shoving lightly at Mara, which nearly caused the Demon First Class forget she 'was' one! Mara just fought for balance, and shouted. "Watch it broad!" ...which Hild laughed at full expense thereof.

Imladris however looked away, and found his eye transfixed on one particular soul, as this female would fish herself out of the river, with a moan of forgetfulness that had no equal tone. She then patted at herself, and for some reason, then started muttering... "Wh... wha... where is it... it? That picture... did I...?" ...she then looks back at the river, and walks right back on in.

And does this several more times.

Which Hild allows long enough for the depression value of it all to settle in, nice and entrenched. "How long...?" ...he whispers out, which Hild remarks, with a finger to her lips. "Not sure. A day. Year. Years... eons... all of time. All of such are here, and will be forever. Their choices in life and all that. We don't make the punishments, we just provide them."

Imladris glares seriously back at Hild, whom just smirks and turns away, seeing... "Ah... our ride." ...and turns back to see him 'actually' trying to dip a finger in the river. She swat his head. "Sorry bub, that won't cancel our Contract. Nice try."

Imladris then feels himself 'popped' onto, all three as one, unto a rather character in place boat. Hild then pointed out... "Besides, you wouldn't want to forget that lil Valkyrie of yours, would you?" ...this Imladris slit his eyes at, knowing more was unsaid there, than imparted. Hild then just dropped a gold coin into the 'pilots' hand, and ordered... "Home." ...before looking back on her denuded guest. She felt the hooks of Nibelhiem taking very real and direct root.

Dour and deep.

And so whence they finally becometh unto. This within the CEO's lavish office penthouse suite, a palace of palaces to be sure, of true egotistical make. The infernal landscape of the business mode shown in panoramic splay, beyond dire crystalline windows of impossible size. Beyond, lay Her domain, as She stood before the crystal window, gazing, while considering her next move.

Mara waited, while Imladris grumbled, albeit passively so. Hild then suddenly imparts. "The Big Guy wants it to go 'that' far eh? After this long."

Imladris looked with reservation, as Hild turned to gaze at him. She then slowly rounded the huge, obsidian-marble desk, and drew in all too close, those of which defeated his own few steps backward. She cupped his right cheek in her opposing hand. "If indeed all become so, you need to be taught properly."

"What if I don't want to?" ...Imladris immediately put, but Hild in turn just pats the same cheek. "Contract miboy, Contract."

Mara felt too much a looking on bystander, as a dark sounding ring, chimed the infernal air. Hild smiled. "Ah, so here they are."

Imladris wondered, and let eyes follow the sound of an opening slide door. A Demon Secretary of black in black hair entered, as did two others, the escort announcing... "Horde Warlord Bellona, and Entropia, Norn."

"What?" ...Imladris struck out, about catching Mara's throat in a knot! He looked and saw a dark green haired Warlord, set in a more extravagant version of the same jumpsuit format he saw earlier on the Crimson battlefield. Of the other... a gray haired being that seemed to have all the demonic trappings of a certain Norn he called Cousin. One he could all but 'call' Belldandy, that had 'no' kindness in her eyes of any format, in any shape, of anything to the word. Imladris stuttered... "But... but there are only three... three Norns..."

Hild wrapped her body upon his shivering backside, Mara watching the cop-feel display, as... "There 'are' other Norns out there. No one said there were only those three. And this one fits our plans to a petrified T. Ones dealing with 'the end of times'." ...which shivered the knight, triply.

Bellona meanwhile just imparted of folded arms, of a plain, judging eye. "So this is the one? A legend in person?"

Hild just caresses Imladris ceaselessly, explaining. "You both know Our desires. Is the chamber prepared?"

Imladris blinks, as Entropia cocks back dryly... "Five or ten? Whichever time frame you prefer."

Mara blinks. "That many years?" ...this Imladris gasp... "Temporal chamber." ...Hild squeezes and squeals. "Splendid. Smart as proper. We can't very well teach you all you need, in a mere half day or so. Far too much to detail for that short a timeframe. And so to 'prod' things along, we'll use the same methods your dear 'Master' Thor used. The technology isn't unique to Intracel alone, after all." ...this as she started 'feeling' Imladris over. Imladris tried to blanch. "That kind of violation, what good will it do with me as I am now?" such he suddenly feels 'deep'... soul 'deep' of the goal. Hild fangs in venomous, if 'cute' sound of tone. "Perceptive. As you are now, even with the code embedded in those splendid nanites you acquired, you cannot be fully demonized, and therefore trained as We wish you to be." ...this Imladris 'feels' something fingering through his back. He then sees wings suddenly spread out, surrounding around his body, at decent length. Ones looking like... "Urd has that wing color..."

Hild smiles of an iconic moment most evil. "A daughter should, as half of her is Us in the end."

Slowly, the wings turn, and with them, the body most dark that parents such. Imladris sees and disbelieves the sight of... "An... angel?"

Hild smiles, as Mara is shocked to see the impossible. "What... I... I don't... the Ruler of Demons with an ANGEL?"

Hild smiles more, licking the knight's ear, whispering. "We were the first to fall, as We chose it when We dumped Him. That and that whole lovely bit with Power most sweet. Guess what that made Us beforehand. Meet Our true Soul."

Imladris saw it in full, no one else saw it without fail, as for all intents, it 'was' an Angel, all utterly true and full format. It was, as well, the version of Urd's World of Elegance, that did not have any trace of true light within it. Skin, wings, raven in raven hair, piercing red eyes of infernal glow, cloth gray in brown unfeeling. It's one delineation from the daughterly version, was a glowing red 'tattoo' that all spread unto the wings of void, those unto for Imladris to feel, for the last moment he truthfully could. A moment of shocked enrapture later, Hild whispered in open. "Our Oblivion, such she is a marvel of our true nature.

And all of it 'just' like the rest of our 'higher' brethren, all of whom are younger than Us, even my Doublet. The type of the Arch, to be certain. And of all such. this includes Melding, since We know you have twice now." Imladris freeze-sweats, as Hild imprints. "Yes. We feel your Receptor. You 'can' support one now, if you 'wanted'. So much love, so many goddesses, of so many Valkyries. How... fortuitous."

"No..." ...Imladris saw what was coming, and then 'saw' it come, as Hild struck. "And We can 'use' that to Factor your will to -US!-"

Everyone watched as Oblivion dove right into Imladris's armored chest, ignoring all such impediment outright, as Imladris felt his soul suddenly start to change in split moments! Hild winced, having to endure a moment of the scalding purity of his soul, before the Receptor was locked in upon, and from that, she began her Factor Conversion of the Lord Knight.

Mara stumbled back, Bellona gawking, and even Entropia shuddered a terrible fear, as Hild felt the mortal soul darken, Void unto itself, and swamp unto the emotions that suited her will.

As his eyes lost pupil dilation, so did the soul. Such as how the fall began.

As She opened the portal to begin the next Trail, of her Son's bidden demand, unto Her Will, she then felt the Conversion. So stark it was to Her Will's vision, beyond all ken, that Voluspa snarled in realization of fact occurring.

": If this be unto My Sight, then of My Sight, this will Fail, like all ELSE that is wrought before the Crime! The FOOL! :"

Nothing said, of a Vision shared by two Progenitors, of a moment that was both salvation, and damnation. All in one act. All As was Written.

And she shrieked her WAIL unto the torrent of her stolen 'kin'.

The rain in Heaven, darkened, that much more, there and then.

It was already dark, by the time the window to Keiichi's room began to glow again. Keiichi shot up, everyone heading out back, as everyone was waiting for something to go on. Frigurina and Belldandy had came up with a lot of contingency plans, all expecting Hild to use Imladris against them, in some fashion. (It twas too dang obvious.) But all of such, was dependant on what Lind came back with, which was now upon them. "Here she comes." ...Urd opens up, as the glow becomes rather bright.

Keiichi notes with an arm over his eyes. "Wow." ...before Belldandy pulls him back. "I think Gate is accenting the portal for Lind." ...this everyone pulls back, everyone well outside now, as the normal window to Keiichi's room, blares in power enough for everyone to feel the raw power within it.

Why appears on the other side of the window, as they all stare in disbelief, in the level temperature evening air. There they see with surprise. "Holy cow!" ...apt by Takano. This as Frigurina steps forth and nods. "You went all out."

Lind nods. "I made a promise." ...as she isn't alone. This by four more than just she, in Valkyrian integer, a number that nods in simult. "One that it's time has come." ...from a tone from Phosus.

Skuld notes over. "Lotta Axes." ...which Urd smiles a bit too gleefully. "Going to be a bang up fight."

Frigurina glums her eyes over, and imparts unto reminder. "Remember our discussion earlier. We are only doing a holding action against him. We only need to prevent him, and run the time out tomorrow morning. Somehow and some way."

Eihwa imparts... "Will we do it here?" ...this Frig shakes her head. "No." Belldandy in accent offers. "This place can be repaired again. But it's also too obvious."

Megumi asks in turn. "What of us?" Keiichi offers. "We should split up." Keima rubs his chin and offers... "I can drive us to Okinawa."

Peorth compliments with an attempt to wrap herself around Keima. "I can fly us there instead." ...which is straight arm blocked by a miffed, bland Takano. As such in Peorth's face. "He's a fine driver broad." ...unto which Keima flusters dearly at. Almost had a Peorth v. Takano match there, for a sec.

Belldandy then turns thought of... "I'll stay with Keiichi, as we each should with them each." Urd nods and imparts. "We better get packing then." ...this Frigurina shakes her head. "No threat until daybreak. We should sleep however we can."

Lind offers... "We'll keep watch otherwise." ...she looks back, as her four equal Commanders are present.

And this time Phosus and Demesus are amongst, as are two new faces, deities of Valkyrian. One with mixed, silver-blond hair of straight length in kempt. The other with glowing teal-blue in blue, set with braids within long free lengths, and a forehead lock with a full curl, thick and lavish. This Thrud and Tsuyana were presented.

Skuld for once gets of the former... "Hey! You're Thor's daughter!" ...and gets nicely hawked over. "Got a problem with that, Norn-child?" ...this Skuld just hands-up defensively meeks. "Should I?"

Belldandy then offers... "Back from Pandemonium Command Sector?" ...this Thrud nods. "A favor to Lind here. Plus even I want a part of this action." ...this Tsuyana elbows in kind. "She just wants to fight the guy Thor reared by hand."

Keiichi blinks, as Frigurina compliments... "And you Tsuyana. A rare leave from the High Planes Sector Host." ...this in turn, a bit kooky for a response. "Oh, it's just a fling for me. Eons with the Host needs a point to release tension." Phosus in turn blanches. "Give us a break." ...this Tsuyana eyes dryly in turn.

It's Demesus, to the point as always, that remarks. "Focus our fellow Valkyries. Our enemy won't allow us otherwise."

Lind just huffs, which strikes attention unto. "We'll dictate that." ...this Phosus nods. "That we will." ...this as Lind threw thought off of one 'other' Valkyrie, of sisterly mode, that wanted to partake, but such Lind bade dissuasion of. The fact the Generals weren't a part, said a LOT, about how powerful this troupe of Valkyries were, to be handpicked chosen for such a dangerous encounter. Only of pure focused power, and minds most tactical, were chosen here, from ALL of the vast Host.

Lind just steels her eyes, in looking at her equal numbers, of knowing it 'had' to e enough.

Nevermind another iota the Generals imparted to her, rather mysteriously, for why the Generals didn't come in part. Something Lind also shoved off, as Keiichi gulps, and creeps out... "Another big battle ahead, huh?"

"The most important of all." ...this Phosus replies, noting Keiichi for the first time. Lind nods. "Yes. One of 'us' is held hostage. We don't leave one of our own like that. Ever."

Keiichi just nods and looks to Belldandy. "Neither will we." Bell in breathing turn... "Agreed."

Everyone seemed gung-ho about it. If only they knew what was going on, at that moment. And in the hours that they managed bare and barren sleep...

Hild was there for all of it. She pressed, prodded, and did all the manner insult, before all manner of caress and seduction, to conduct her welding and remaking process. And all of it, knowing the years would be added to her own life.

As if that mattered. It didn't to her new Apprentice.

The interior of the temporal chamber was set in the nigh infernal landscape fashion, set to be its own abuser upon her Apprentice, as much as his 'trainers' would.

About as soon as she had him enter the chamber, kicking Mara out of the sessions, since it 'would' be incredibly brutal, she had her two 'helpers' enter, along with whatever 'tools': demons, petitioners, or anything else alike, and had them all sealed in.

A year for an hour.

She pushed it to thirteen. Nice, dark, and inappropriate a number. Seven had already passed by the time the mind was truly warping, Hild kept track, easily, and through this, the time she needed to ensure her corruption was complete.

Having used the same Factor Conversion of previous note that Mara tried with her Valentine fiasco, this version was without fail however. Imladris was turned utterly into a negative of himself. Such was the utter power of the CEO, in of itself.

The rest of it, was the 'new' mind, and the demonic access powers of the Apprentice. The mental games, much of it as serious as blood and death incarnate itself, was suffered upon her Apprentice. For one that professed not liking it rough, this flew in the face of such words, the way she wrought to wrench him, the former knight lord, into the vicious version she wanted to command.

Warlord Bellona, and her enforced Horde troops, assailed the Apprentice over and over, as Hild over and over chastised him to use demonic code powers properly. Of this, Entropia was used to induce full in brutal torture into the skin, mind, and soul of the Apprentice, both awake, and asleep. No dream was allowed to be of old, all of it was writing in darkness otherwise. And 'any' focused upon a certain Valkyrie, was scalded unto him, of the worst acids of torture of all. Lind faded from memory, by the fourth 'year'. The dark lord being wrought, began to 'hate' such, by the seventh.

And it was further done over and over, and over so on, and so on over. A nigh drudgery of tragedy, without remorse, and without release.

And yet the mental abuse never went past the erotic. Hild forbade it. She herself realized, despite the contradiction, that when the time came, he would return to normalcy. There 'was' a line that she knew passing would ruin all she had planned. She kept all things conventional, in the demonic, torturous sense. It was in the end, the same end she 'knew' Almighty was pursuing, the powers the Apprentice wielded, that she wanted him to perfect.

In any case, this was a blunt weapon in the end, one she abused without mercy.

The torture shown much of the time, was repetitive. Even when it seemed the Apprentice was well exceeding expectations, Hild ordered a vicious stripping of that power down, to induce an addiction unto it. She 'had' no qualms of going that far with this.

How else can one teach one not of evil make, how to be a legend amongst 'Her' kin, most infernal. As long as the Factor Conversion held, and through Oblivion, it did, the sessions held demerit. In the end, this would assure the assault to come, would be without remorse, and mental of hold in 'her' corner, beyond reach of those that would try so hard to reverse all this. It seemed despite the Contract, she intended to shear the rules, to her own whims. Unwittingly, for Hild's part, her lust of power over her prize, was blinding her again, ever so slowly.

As Hild put it at one saccloth point. "My dear Dark Lord to come, how else best to utilize, and crush the hearts that face him, to gain all things We seek. Train him, until he doesn't even see 'us' as friend, even if he wanted. We want no meaning of the word to twist unto his mind. The heavenly enemy won't hesitate to use that if we fail in this regard.

Break him, until he hates with passions that are 'not'. Mend him, with sew of rotted thread, ones that induce constant torture. He is an animal, until We find the being We want to rebuild. Tear down again, and again, and again, until the lesson is truly, well and taught! Make our Apprentice as one we can cry without tear, of a joy We won't feel."

The double talk had meaning only unto Her. The commands were carried out. The Apprentice did beget melded in such a heinous manner. And by the end of the thirteen 'year', the machinations were all but ready. And her minions were all but truly spent, as the Apprentice took all fury of pent up anger more and more amongst the even the demonic lords.

Hild knew it was time, when even 'she' was attacked outright, and was not easily halted. Only her fathomless powers put an immediate halt to this. And that is when the last 'weeks', of that last hour, were spent in the stratagem she wanted to flourish in his mind, for the final hours to come.

In the last hour of that hour, only Hild wasn't outright terrified of the creation they concocted. Hild said it best to her original words. "-I- have my wanted terror."

Mara was slumbering, in her version of comfort, on a side couch, near the temporal chamber arch. Hardly a comfortable place to be, so Mara wasn't either.

As such in a groggy state, she awoke with a start, when the chamber hatch suddenly clanked open, and hissed severely hard. Gray smoke flooding out, before a delicate looking CEO footsteps from it. Hild appears, waving the acrid mist away, seeing Mara jumping up.

"Oh, you're still here." Hild sees and bades off. Mara groaned, but then heard. "Well, at least you'll be the first to see the finished product." ...as Hild then floated aside, to the sound of rather heavy, clanking footsteps. Their approach is infernally joined by the sight of the dark, and tattered remains of a once proud knight. Mara gasps, seeing the normal knightly cloth and metal, all warped and smothered in ash and soot, shredded and cut in deep, in replete places. All of which seem to focus in on the skin and hair of length attached, all blackened into a hide leather, each, scarred, immolated and inhuman looking. It was like looking at a full body cauterization. His eyes were the worst, all as if opals were shoved into them, with a burning amber within.

Mara didn't like it. She did 'not'. "Nice work." Mara complimented anyway. Hild just flitted a hand. "Well, we try."

Bellona and Entropia walked out next, well and truly trashed as well, while a bunch of their minions began slinking out from both sides of the chamber opening, slunked up against each other along the way, in as much a comical way, as it was also disturbing. Bellona flat out asked. "Are we done ruining the best of my Horde?"

Hild snapped in kind back. "'Our' Horde. And you might as well, since we can't use you in the next phase of the plan." ...as she flipped open her watch, and took a gander. "Gee, only a few hours left." ...and clacked closed, to a twirl of it, like it was a child's yo-yo.

Mara just kept angling eye at the brute that was wrought, imparting... "Isn't this all cutting it close? The Contract will end, along with his Factor Conversion, at that time." Hild plainly twirled the watch. "We'll only need an hour and a half."

"Battles have taken less time." ...this Mara freaks out at, as an 'iron' vocal version of 'Imladris' tones out, as if it was pure animal speaking through the fangs. Hild just cutely compliments... "Exactly."

Mara gives a look at, and sees such reservation on Bellona's facade And then an ill look, as Mara sees only of ravenous lust on Entropia's. Mara just quips at her. "You ever going to act sane?" ...which is flat out ignored.

Hild simply then snapped her fingers. "And now to consummate the full measure to come."

Mara jitters... "You... you don't mean to..." ...which Hild 'stares' unto Mara dryly... "No... We're still a Lady, 'the' Lady, as far as you are concerned. Nay, we have a worse version in mind."

Her Apprentice meanwhile looked over at, and clenched his mangled right hand, the armor screeching. He kept doing it over and over. Mara gulped well and truly chilled to the apple.

Lind suddenly looked up with a start. "Wha...?"

Phosus blinked and floated over. "What is it?"

Lind looked at her, then at her own right hand. She tensed it for a moment. She then shuddered her words in fearful tone of... "I... I think it's beginning."

Phosus wondered, then remembered... "Meld link?"

"Yes."

Phosus nodded, and then looked over. The first halo of dawn creeping over the eastern horizon, over the Pacific. "We don't have long. We better wake them."

They both shoot off to find the other Valkyries, and enact their contingencies.

"Kill him."

The Apprentice looked over back, as Mara and Entropia watched, Hild only waving hand forth. He looked back, across the arena, one of infernal mode and architecture, one filled with demons, all kinds, all classes, even Horde and petitioners, all seeing across where the Apprentice did, of one other being facing towards him.

One frothing with insult and ego, all but manic in insanity. The Apprentice commented in the same reverberating-grinding tone. "Whom is this?"

"Our former choice as the Dark Lord of this Realm. One that once was as dear to us, as you are now. But unlike you, his is a failure of too long a time frame. One we see as your obstacle to the throne you are meant for." Hild then wordlessly floated herself, upwards, Mara and Entropia watching, as she croons... "Only one of you can be my Dark Lord of Nibelhiem. The other is ash to the Styx. Recourse is impossible, since a life 'will' fall here."

Mara and Entropia looked back, as the Apprentice 'begot it', and gave a vicious glare at his stated opponent. Mara just quips. "We might wana move." ...this Entropia just marvels... "Closer in." Mara just shoots up. "Whatever." ...this Entropia looks up, just in time to see Hild open her arms. "Our minions! The Test is at hand! Enjoy this spectacle, for the Throne of Our Dark Lord in Hand! Let them fight, for our pleasure!" ...unto which a blood curdling roar explodes from the crowd! Entropia gets the hint, and also finally shoots up to be near where Mara already landed. This as the Apprentice faces down his opponent, a name he cares not for at all to learn.

Of which was ironic. Mara just comments softly. "You think he suspects?" Hild just flicks a finger in 'shush'. "And he won't, since this will help get us 'around' the Contract end. And if not that, one other in mind 'will'." ...this as Hild already beheld the Seal itself in mind, one quickly forgotten in favor of...

Mara looked over, and tried to consider what that meant, just as an -IRON- roar spiked the air, as their 'animal' feeds off the blood lust in the infernal atmosphere, and in that alone, causes the 'incumbent' Dark Lord to stagger back.

They might as well have been clones, their armors, cloth, and faces so badly warped and distorted by their various infernal corruptions. Distinction seemed impossible, and was even less so as the Dark Lord charged the Apprentice. Both complying the other in short, vehement order!

Hild just smiles. "Yes. We are already pleased." ...this Entropia hears with a shiver, from the CEO.

Combat commenced, with the 'incumbent' charging with the first swing, with a warped iron blade, one seemingly equal to the weapon of the Apprentice. The Apprentice followed suit, and the first few strokes were testing each other out, this as a dark opal Morphemic blade parried the seemingly equal, dark iron version. The initial spar held in the middle of the arena, which became anything but, when the 'Dark Lord' under swung, and parried off, to give a follow up overslash in the severe!

One caught with brute force, but then given a more elegant response, by spin pushing off, and a MASSIVE low swing slash from the Apprentice, at his opponent's left leg! When the Dark Lord leapt, he got a -brutal- chest kick that crashed him all the way into the Arena wall!

Hild watched her Apprentice follow up immediately, miss a straight stab, but slashed through the black-brown wall, just only cutting the Dark Lord's cape in the follow through. Mara watched as the Dark Lord followed up 'that', with a double back push, and hard swing to the Apprentice's midsection.

One deftly caught, but not fully blocked, as the Apprentice ducked the remainder of the blunted blow, to deliver a second gut kick, that caused the same wall cracking effect!

Entropia watched as the Dark Lord recovered a second time, but this time saw the Apprentice approaching, far more slowly, and deliberately, a menacing effect she knew Hild had instilled. Apparently 'all' of Imladris's original social training had been factor reversed. It made Entropia lustful in the eye to see this.

The Dark Lord didn't wait, and made a quick lunge, their blades locking briefly as the Apprentice expected in some fashion. He however made further elegant use of parrying, by preventing the 'Dark Lord' from getting a solid shot in, the Apprentice twirling and expertly avoiding any real clash to keep his feet moving with.

This lasted to a point that frustrated the 'Dark Lord', which led to a sudden shout of anger, and a palm thrust burst of demonic energon right at the former knight.

One that was only blunted by a held in place move, as the Apprentice used his free left forehand to erect a demonic reflection barrier. The spell made its gross effect, as it bit back hard into the Dark Lord, with a horrendous yell to match!

Hild smirks. "Better. Such calm in the void." ...Mara glanced over, but struck gaze back, as she saw the end impact of a follow up under slash blow, that caught a good part of the prone Dark Lord's armor, and face alike! A good spray of blood shot out everywhere, as Mara gasped... "Brutal!"

"Perfect!" Entropia screeched, before Hild just shushed them both, in an off placed, comical fashion. "You're interrupting true art." ...this her two minions returned gaze, as the Apprentice kicked a third blow to the Dark Lord's head, and crashed him back into the same wall fracture, before punching him with the same spell enriched left hand, to the Dark Lord's face!

Hild loved it. "No compassion left. The old version wouldn't be this way, nay at all." Hild put too serenely to be such. This was exacerbated as the Apprentice grabbed at the Dark Lord's collar, and made a hard over head throw. One that didn't even start in momentum, before the Apprentice followed up with a 'quick' overspin heel kick, that crushed down onto the 'Dark Lord', impacting the sod into the caustic ground!

Hild was growing her own self reasoned lust, as the Apprentice spun back around from his backwards landing position, and proactively made a hard overswing of the Warped Blade. The 'Dark Lord' tried to counter with some fashion of senses, spinning around on ground and raise his own blade. And again the blade was only partially blocked, before the Apprentice caught the outstretched arm, and in a severe motion, cut through with his Blade, and severed the hand at the forearm, clean off! The tear of pain ripped the shocked crowd, not expecting such a severe display! Some of whom were shuddering all of a sudden now.

Hild watched, her glee at success all but confirmed. One so 'done', as the Apprentice looked down, and upon the cringing form that he noted familiar features... "You are not 'fit' to adorn Her seat of Power!"

Hild clenched her hands. "He's ours! Certain of certains!" ...this Mara had outright thoughts of blanching upon.

The Apprentice saw the sniveling form, and growled vehemently, lunge grabbing at the prone neck, and hefting it up with inhumane strength. The crowd was 'not' cheering now. The most of the lot were a lot more like their heavenly enemy than they would admit. Plus their ways were about trickery of souls, with the Horde used to the violence of only petitioners, the shadows of the mortals that they once were. Seeing one such in presence, in full fury, and venom, was 'unsettling' to them.

Only Hild seeing had the proper stomach. (Entropia was too insane to know better, so it seemed.)

As the Apprentice held his prey in complete mercilessness, he heard the CEO decry out, as much as command... "Now, Our new vessel of OUR Will. Deal with that failure as befitting the end of one line of dishonor, and bring unto me our desire. Fulfill my foreseen Sin of destiny, and take his place at Our side!"

The air was soaked in words that were more than, almost spell format they became, as the Apprentice glared the blackest stare he had. He saw the eyes, ones so familiar... and raised his blade.

...and felled it.

Lind fell to the ground. This as she was helping carry a sleeping roll for Keima and Takano, which caught the obvious eye of many around her. Keiichi yelped... "Lind?"

As several of her friends fell to her side, as she was clutching her heart, almost ripping at her bosom, such was the grip. Frigurina quickly asked... "Another one?"

"My... my heart... it feels it's been stabbed to death!" Frig gulps in turn... "It's getting worse. We need to leave 'now'!"

Takano nodded. "Get that Yokan in there!" ...Megumi shooting by! "Got it Mom!" ...this Takano didn't argue semantics and followed suit! Keima with Urd and Peorth helping after 'that'!

Belldandy nearby kneels down, as does Phosus, and asks despite... "Are you okay Lind?"

What Lind said next, creeped beyond creeped the rest listening all out of their code, and blood alike. "Felt like... I could hear his scream. Like he just died. Like 'he' was stabbed."

Keiichi GULPED, and hefted a backpack "Wait up Dad!" ...and scampered out fast!

Frigurina looked at Belldandy, and spoke, as Phosus readily took a shaking Lind in her arms... "What is she 'doing' to him?"

Mara didn't believe it. "I thought it was dead."

Hild smirked. "Nope. Just was wounded. And still viable, now healed in full." ...this Entropia watched with amazed lust. (All her expressions were in this insane manner.) Before them, the Apprentice, blood of his victory still caked unto his blade and reforming armor, one black as void now in turn, watched as he spoke of iron grating... "The Tenshigui, is it not?" Hild smiled. "Indeed."

Something made the Apprentice writhe with fury, as the half reptile, half insectoid demon writhed itself, in a rubicon colored energon 'holding cell'. One kempt as such, ever since it turned tail from the incident of accord. The Apprentice looked, as the 'thing' saw him, and flung it's antenna stalks at him, thrice each! All it hit was a demonic code shield wall, shimmering circles of red energy, off the clear 'sphere', where struck. The Apprentice just growled. "Another failure to rid of, My Lord?"

Hild replied nonchalantly. "Nay. We have another use for this one. A second chance as it were. This one actually did well, before even 'We' were surprised by events. Belldandy and Keiichi were more formidable foes than even we anticipated. This second time around will not have the same results." ...this as she fished in her all too revealing cloth of dress. She then commanded... "Turn unto us, and receive my intentions." ...unto this the Apprentice turned, in time to see Mara gasp!

Hild's hand, of focus, holds something 'else' she is about to breach dire protocol unto. The Apprentice snarled. "An angel egg? What tripe it such this?"

Hild 'tisks' a finger waggle, left hand of note. "Poor form, as you misread the coloration of 'this' version." ...of this Mara notes. "Why is it black?"

Hild smirked, as the egg was not just merely black, rather as if Void was suffused into the egg itself. It readily effected a wavering aura of this, just in even looking at it. Such was the egg's nigh evil incarnate. Hild calmly recited. "A displeasure from before my Fall, the original Sin that wrought us here, nevermind the Breakup, before We made Nibelhiem. What was the 'first' of eggs, but in end 'twas not. The used first came unto me, and then my Doublet the 'second', a story that was part of our Self wanted downfall." ...she caressed the pitiful, smooth object. "As such, this grew jealous, as it never should have, when it discovered it was Third in line of the Arch, doomed to relegation of never being used. Until now."

"Never used?" Mara echoed, as Entropia found her captivation of more sane note, a rarity itself. Hild smiled in kind. "When my former Boyfriend of All such, discovered the jealousy entrapped in this one, it was Sealed. An act to prevent it from being ever used. All other eggs from that point were both encoded to be goddesses use only, and all the rules and trappings that went with. All meant to be so 'good' and 'light', as was safer measure. And such since meant that no other egg could be of the Arch level again, such as mine and my Doublet's were. Of such the one He chose to supplant us, when We was seen as the fool of Power. All so such we of wounded heart find festering for our plans, especially unto now.

We have our vengeance now, when they overlooked the situation during our procurement of the Eater, originally. Such that We have it in our hand." Hild smirked... "Poor thing. All because there was no third goddess to receive it. She already rejected him after he Begot his 'Wisdom' from Her."

Mara didn't catch that. Anyone who did, would shiver to death on the formal thought. Hild however then remarked with a snarl of lust. "And 'this' we give to you, Our dear Dark Lord of Nibelhiem. This will be you're Ascension unto Descent. The step that makes you the power We wrought you to be, all this time, long in the short of it."

The Apprentice, however, hearing this, blanches. "An angel? Such a loathsome thing in 'me'?"

Hild smirked, then frowned a dark tone. "Don't be a fool. Your Receptor, and your Formatting, was 'meant' for this Sin. Some mortal you were before, when He was making you more than, to combat the mutual foe of us all. Now you shall show Him the folly of this decision, and make Our plan come of Dark!"

The Apprentice seems to balk at this, the Factor Conversion making him see the 'iota' of an angel, as if swimming in refuse of the End of Styx. Mara notes this, and quips. "Maybe you should just force feed him?"

Hild rolls his eyes. "We just may." ...and shoves it into the new 'Dark Lord's' hands. "But we won't need to." ...and imparts... "That is, if you wish Our favor, then curry it by Command, that of ingesting that, and feeling the Sin we intend from it!"

A halted look at the egg in his hand, and then so done with disgust.

And after was the raw rush of -power- that filled him, a second Void to add to the first, drowning in it, as much as savoring the outflow! All of it making him feel incredibly heavy. All of it weighing him down, as he wrenched control over the new beast within him. The motions of writhing agony, were too much for Mara for a moment, as she turned away. She looked back in time however for the results.

Hild didn't expect the results, as the shadow before her, of her Dark Lord, was joined by a second, monolithic, menacing shadow of a 'true' soul, exploding forth from the Dark Lord's rear! The pressure aura alone was too much for Mara and Entropia to stand, smacked to the far chamber wall! Hild managed with her usual ease, as she saw the second shadow writhe in agony. Hild formally realized on sight, as the Dark Lord clutched at his armor, in utter pain. "Didn't expect the Conversion, did ye our Angel of Death."

Meanwhile, as the new Dark Lord doubled over in further equal agony, the flooding of ages of endless suffering and lone torment, the Angel did likewise of the truth it experienced, of just how far in the False, the new host soul had begotten! And both wept of pain, before they cackled from the insanity of power being poured into each other's vessel!

Hild noted this, and acted fast. She snapped a finger, and the Eater's cage was disarmed! Mara had eyes as wide as Satellite TV dishes, as Hild commanded, her eyes as focused as if unto Battle's final End! "Meld to his new Angel, as you did to Lind's! NOW!"

Tenshigui reacted with a look at the Angel, still doubled over in both pain, and a growing laughter of mania, equal to the empowered host. It acted fast in result, and leapt unto, clutching the Dark Angel unto the back, the same as it did to Spear Mint originally! Hild however, as she leapt back near her prone minions, saw an entirely, unexpected reaction! The Angel wrenched at the grip of the Eater, and it's Host reacted by pulsing a dark aura, one that reflected back into the Angel, and pulsed into the Eater's body!

The Eater found itself trapped all of a sudden, in a hypnotic trance, and in moments, found itself the 'equal' of the one it was trying to control. And then it found itself being subsumed, and then overwhelmed...

Hild suddenly smacked her hands. "Not too far, my Dark Lord." ...this said evil Incarnite looked up, the eyes black of obsidian smoldering gaze. Hild imparted... "We need the Eater in 'some' control of its powers, or at least enough to react in concert with your Angel. You 'both' will be needed to combat the 'other' halves that you will now soon face."

Hild took a gleeful, lustful, dominant look at her true creation, as the Armor, and Robes were now fully reformatted by all the acts of corruption, unto a Nidhegic format, the mind utterly demonic, the powers completely clenched and mastered. She smiled, but then made a thoughtful look, anime and all, and again misplaced in cuteness, compared to the moment at hand. "Hmm... missing something here." ...this Mara creeps in tone over... "By all that is Hell, what could 'that' be?"

Hild considered that, but already knew what it was, as she snapped her fingers... "Yes. That would be it."

The Dark Lord looked up, and ground his opal encrusted-corrupted teeth.

The Twins never cried so much before. Never felt the suffocation from such extension. The description of such, met with outraged ears. The disbelief was in of so a reaction. The sorrow equaled it.

Lind's compatriots truly wondered if she'd hold up. Frigurina wondered, as she saw Takano and Keima drive off, with Takano waving. Above them, Peorth and Eihwa went off, just high enough to not attract attention. "I wonder if this is deliberate." ...this Keiichi and Belldandy look, the ones that would realize the most of the statement. Demesus notes. "That Hild would be using Lind as a window of some kind?"

"A horrible one." Lind pained out, finally steeling her nerves. Frigurina nodded. "Yes, I would agree to that."

Urd came up just then. "Meg's bike is set." Keiichi nods, and called out. "Sis! Time to go!" ...and then looked with a start, as they all saw Meg turn back, her eyes welled up badly.

Keiichi gulped, and then saw Belldandy rush over without a second thought, glomming onto the shaking Morisato dearly. Keiichi felt in mixed emotions at the sight, the sobs striking them all dearly. Skuld nearby, comments... "I can't believe there's this much stress, and nothing has happened yet."

"Here." ...Lind corrects, which just makes Keiichi's throat go dry.

"Hope we're going to get through 'this' one." Keiichi admitted. For once, even Frigurina couldn't answer against that one. Lind did that instead. "We all will. I still swear it." ...this Phosus near nods. "Against it all, we must still hold onto hope." ...this Belldandy nods in accent. "The Contract is nearly finished. We have to hold on until then."

Frigurina then imparts off this... "We better get going. It won't be long now." Urd asks... "Wonder how long exactly."

"Two and a half hours. More efficient than expected."

Mara just remarked... "A proud moment, is it?" ...this Hild looks over with her demonic glint. "No, just the act prior to such." ...as she looks at her placid looking monster, standing at the other side of her monolithic desk. She smirked... 'What a single day can wrought. What will tomorrow be, we wonder.'

She then smells the 'fresh' air, and looks a second time. "So much effort. It's been so long since I was into a project like this." ...this Mara looked, as she and Entropia, whom was in a manic delirium by this point, watched their Lord of Lady most heinous waltz up, and on a twirl, tap a finger without warning unto the Dark Lord's forehead.

She croons out. "There." ...as he feels his forehead burn some, as the others see a formal forehead Sigil, set in void black, of the same Sigil that 'had' been on the watch, the sword pointed down, and wings festooned to either side. This is joined by a formal demonic forehead Sigil to either side of the main Sigil, with accompanying cheek marks. The sign the corruption was complete. "Perfection."

The fact the Dark Lord didn't respond, didn't faze Hild in the least. Of course the next off placed, comedy of moment, which even Entropia even teardropped in annoyance, as Mara offered... "Maybe this can help too!" ...as Hild looks back, and 'urked' in equal annoyance. This as Mara holds a 'certain' looking helmet, all black and glossy and such. Hild just dryly remarks. "That's already been done, dope."

Mara just chuckles... "But he'll make those cool breathing sounds, and... eh?" ...she stops, seeing the Dark Lord react to 'that', walking up with a calm, menacingly manner, and then reaching out a hand to grasp the said helmet, taking it from her shaking hands. Mara... "Uh..." ...before they all see him outright -CRUSH- the item, barehanded, showering the place with black shards of polymer! Hild blinks, as Mara decries. "Jeeze, that's a bit 'too' harsh!"

Hild hears Entropia exclaim like a cat in heat. "Exactly! He's 'got' to be ready now!" ...which the Boss announces. "He is, but we aren't." Hild then looks at Mara. "Mind helping me with another improvement we have in mind?"

Mara blinks. "Uhhhh..." ...before Hild imparts... "Or we can have our Dark Lord, enforce cooperation instead."

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" ...Mara readily complies, scampering over like a chibi-doll. Hild just informs the others. "Do please wait here for a few more moments. After this, we're on the attack."

Upon this, Hild 'leads' Mara into a side chamber, leaving Entropia and the 'creation' alone, the latter whom only walks to the gargantuan window, and stands there, black of void cloak wrapped in monolithic form, the same in infernal thought. Entropia kept to herself, seeming calmer with the absence of Hild. She actually didn't want much part of the traitor next to her. She instead looked out unto the infernal landscape, trying to remember her own memories of her coming foes, ones she finally swore she'd pay back vengeance unto, for all of her suffering.

It all didn't last, as in quiet moments that pass later, a new scream, one of Mara's own chord, rips the air! This Entropia hears, the dark Lord barely acknowledging it all... "What the dark?" ...she spouts, before it all afar turns into a huffing set of screams, before turning into a long pained version that puts a cap on the terror of previous, and unto the passing day to come.

Meanwhile...

Something stirs 'very' deep within the suffocating Void. It's there, impossible to know of, even for Hild to detect. There as a tear drop somehow reverberates unto this singular point.

A break in the utter pitch.

The Dark Lord then hears and turns his stoic head, as Hild claps happily. "Alrighty kids, we're ready!" The Dark Lord just flaps his cloak around him. "Indeed."

Entropia just nods, as Hild smiles.

'They are celestial toast. This time for sure!'

Keiichi looked back, the haze of morning covering the last vestiges of a long beheld home. This as he's carried by two goddesses, mother and daughter alike, while Lind ahead, and Phosus behind, keep hawkish eye. He didn't say anything.

His mind did however... 'I hope we all make it.'

They all fade into the fog, one of spell induced make. This as the last group fades from all sight, as the sun fights to penetrate the haze, one most people below would give miscredit unto the local weather person for. This as they miss the opening of a demonic gate, missed in the heavy vapor.

"Back so soon." Hild smirks at this, just before her wrist suddenly seizes up. She looks angrily at the Seal marks, reasserting themselves as she returns to the mortal plane, this time in teenager format, just powerful enough to counteract all this, and who she'd likely face down.

"Damn Him." ...she seethes, and looks back, as a shaken Mara, a mania driven Norn, and her Tool, all look around. The latter most of whom already is walking about, crunching his dark, metallic boots along the ground. Meanwhile, Hild just looks around. Her tone was quite expected. "Huh, they are smarter after all."

"Escaped, have they now?" ...the Dark Lord grinded back. Hild just shrugged. "Like waiting around here for us would have benefited them. We'd wager there's more of them too."

The Dark Lord only clenches one of his armored gauntlets, the screeching sound most annoyed in tone.

Hild rubs her chin. "We doubt they've begotten very far, unless they lack for sleep, which only would hurt them." Mara just huffs out, her back sore as all heck. "H... how far, you think Mistress?"

Hild doesn't have to answer, her Tool responds... "Not far enough. They are not the 'only' ones we can use to draw them out." Hild in turn cocks an eye. "Oh? And whom would you consider?"

The word almost forms in his blood-black tongue, before they all hear the phone suddenly ring. They all exchange a look, as Entropia walks over, into the residence, and picks up the phone. A moment later... "A Chihiro for a Keiichi?"

"As I said." ...he imparts in kind, Hild smiling. "Nice, clean, and tragic. We'll wait here."

"You'll want to move first."

Hild cocked an unexpected eye at him.

"No." ...was all Chrono could utter out.

Frode saw it as well. The Hub as a whole saw it.

The Dark Lord hovered over a town that didn't realize the end had come. He wrought his monstrosity from within him, unto the open. Below a populace then heard of a tone that shattered steel and iron upon.

": There be but ONE power here. Dark. Suffusion. Choking. The power of the One Element over all others. Power from the start of Time itself, not at the END of Time Incarnite! Of this a call of the Black Well, I Sunder unto thee all. Now to Break all unto the Pillar! :"

The first spell of the forbidden erupts out. A populace barely got to utter their screams.

Lind suddenly stopped, as she felt it...

Frigurina and Belldandy halted, making Keiichi flailing his legs in midair! "What is it?" ...the latter asked. Lind held motionless for a moment, before they 'all' felt it. The dark pulse of energy was too fathomless to ignore. Phosus looks back, at the long clouded over haze of Chiba, and remarks... "What the heck?"

"Crap!" ...everyone shoots a look, as Keiichi's voice spikes. "Dear?" Belldandy shouts, before Keiichi quips... "I forgot to call Chihiro! She'll be calling back there at any time!"

"Oh crud." Frigurina bares her teeth at, just before the sky grows unto sudden 'twilight', as if a shadow was passing over them all, over all things. Phosus looks around. "What the light is..." ...before Lind gasps... "NO!"

Suddenly the clouds part with such quickness, as if from a pressure aura! Everyone is shocked at the speed this occurs, as when all of it clears, they see why. They look with such fear, such dismay, and such disbelief, they can't fathom how a dome of such immense size and power could have formed like that. One that they can 'feel' pulling at them!

"Jeeeeeeeezzzeeee." Keiichi hollowly says, as he sees the dome of void, contract, leaving a more transparent second 'burst dome', to expand to encapsulate a great portion of the visible prefecture. The center of such is all too easy to see of, what ground zero is. No black bolts, just clean, effectual spell power. Not even a nightmare that nuclear weapons could dare imagine of.

"Gravity spells. She gave him... gravity... spells..." Frigurina decries dearly at. Belldandy looks in confusion, as Lind looks with all shades of fear. "But... those spells are forbidden! Not even Almighty dares use them!" Belldandy shouts.

"I know what's causing them." Frigurina quickly answers with a sneer, as they watch the dome fully contract, leaving behind...

Hild was actually frightened. "Whoa... good thing We listened." ...this as she saw, her minions within her demonic shield shell, as an immense amount of debris was left about.

And all of it, frozen in place, with no life or format of gravity to affect it! This as a massive spell aftershock effect takes place. Yet all of it, not as much razed and ruined, as broken up, and then frozen in place, all space-time here frozen unto a moment of enforced forever! An act that reflected the Factor Conversion, at its most brutal level, where centered in location.

Somehow in the gravitational complexity of all that, certain touched beings wouldn't remain so, for long. Hild liked where this was going. "The ones whom know, get to see our way of doing things at last. And now We know what that Angel does." ...this as she looks down, at the center of a swirl-shredded Temple grounds, residence and all. All frozen in remains to come until the end of this affair. It of itself all short in coming.

Hild takes and flips open her watch. She grumbles... "If only we had more time. Oh well." ...and she shouts down. "If you're done down there, we need to get them all here now!"

Below, a Dark Lord looks up. Sneers, barely accepting her as his commander, and then accepts anyway, for the moment. Within, he agrees with his new 'true soul', their contempt of the demon queen. At this, they leap away, to find their bait.

As soon as he fades, Hild curls her lip, but then imparts back, in a 'cutesy' tone. "Let's set it all up. We'll have guests in very short order." Mara looks at her, then heads down. Entropia a split moment of hesitation more, which Hild sees more readily, before the Norn too heads down. Hild just shrugs. "Don't worry you fools, it's only less than two hours till it's over."

Of such unto herself whisper to add... "Which can lead to 'so' much more."

She wrings her hands, and saunters on down. A tea party to be had. The kind that Boston once had, to be at least sure. History showed where that tiff went. What of this one?

(End Act IX-a)