Disclaimer: See the prologue
Extraneous: Ditto

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! The following chapter contains a few plot spoilers from Disgaea 2. If you don't mind, then read-on. If you DO, then hit the little arrow button to the right of the chapter title, near the top of your screen. You won't miss much, except for a rather amusing battle. WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

After arriving in the Makai,
but before all could be introduced,
the Oricaltos once more departed.
His destination was Veldime:
another location in an alternate timeline.
His task: to convince the Overlord,
along with the entire populace,
that the Oricaltos did exist...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines CXXXVII-CXLIV

Chapter 2: Blast from the Past, Visions of a Future
What happened before:

Shortly after their arrival in the Makai, Saito asked the leaders to accompany him to see the Oracle. However, one obstacle stood in their way: Alexander, the God of Destruction. He threw an Omega Thunder in Saito's direction before Pram realized what was going on. Her angry yell caused the Overlord to beat a hasty retreat, and allowed the mage and his allies passage into the Hall of Prophecy. Once they had reached Pram's study, Alexander once again confronted Saito, calling him a mere "speed bump". After the Oracle had finished clarifying that Alexander was still sore at Zetta and wanted to get-even, Saito laughed at the turquoise-eyed man before telling him, "If you think that Zetta is more powerful than me, then you've got another thing coming." The God of Destruction was unimpressed, and he demanded that the diralec back his claim. In return, the mage challenged Alexander to a fight, and even encouraged him to bring along as many vassals as he wanted, since it wouldn't matter in the end. Alexander agreed.

Before the two duelists could depart, another special young woman arrived. This was Trenia, a rather slender turquoise-haired young lady who happened to be the true soul of the Sacred Tome. She requested that the Oricaltos find a way to return Zetta to his body, without forcing her back into the Tome. Saito willingly agreed to honor her request before walking out of the room and heading southwest. He had a battle to win.

Forty-five minutes later, Alexander (with just a little help from Zetta) had assembled a sizable force. Unfortunately, he also provoked Saito's wrath by brainwashing all of the clerics who had journeyed from the Netherworld with him. It took fifteen agonizingly painful minutes, but Saito was able to override the control devices by utilizing some painful mental images to appeal to his own cleric's rational side. To say the least, Maria (Saito's cleric) was horrified by her own actions, and she quickly restored the rest of her fellows to sanity before agreeing to aid Saito in combat. Twenty minutes later, Alexander's forces were in shambles, and he had been flattened by the Oricaltos, breaking two ribs and several other bones in the process.

While Pram and Trenia were busy tending to the foolish Overlord's injuries, Zetta offered his congratulations to the mage. Too soon, however, the group was interrupted by the great serpentine Overlord, Babylon. Something was wrong in an alternate timeline, but only Saito could be the one to fix it. After explaining the possibility of the other leaders encountering themselves (and confirming that he had no double in any time period), the diralec led the way into the portal. However, let's now go and see exactly what the situation is...

Dark Assembly: Adell's Castle: Veldime
Time: Ten minutes before the arrival of the Oricaltos

"ORDER!" the crimson-haired man at the podium roared, and the senators gradually fell silent. "That's better. Now, where was I?" "You were trying to convince us that this so-called 'Oricaltos' actually exists!" one of the Chaos Soldiers yelled from the upper gallery, and Adell slowly shook his head. (SPOILER WARNING!) It had been several long years since he had learned about his demonic heritage, and defeated the false Overlord Zenon. He also learned that the real Zenon, who had grown tired of the endless bickering, had transmigrated into a female body, and was masquerading as the false Overlord's daughter. Rozalin (as she was now called) had saved Adell's life numerous times, and the two fell in love, without caring for their near-brushes with disaster. (END SPOILER) In the end, the two were married, and they had been living together happily for several years. As she was back during the fiercest fighting, Rozalin remained her husband's support pillar on even the roughest of days.

"Just ignore that idiot, Adell. He has nothing better to do than to bother us," the blonde-haired, red-eyed woman whispered, and the Overlord smiled briefly before running his hands through his slightly messy hair. Crystal-blue eyes glittered dangerously as he returned his wife's whisper. "I've been trying for the past several days, but Saul just refuses to shut his trap! I may be forced to teach him a rather painful lesson..." He trailed-off ominously, his eyes already scanning the rows of seats, looking for one particular woman. "Does anyone else have an opinion on this matter?" he called, and a rather calm voice answered from his left. "If he existed, then there would be evidence in the Sacred Tome," the young woman stated rather easily, running slender fingers through her long, snow-white hair. "I have been searching for quite a while, and yet have located nothing concrete." "Thank you, Oracle," Adell sighed, the resignation clear in his voice. Damn you, Saul. Once again I've been outsmarted by that former vassal of Krichevskoy. He was about to turn and exit the assembly when another voice rose from the main floor. It was a voice that Adell had never before heard in his life, but the tone of authority was unmistakable. He was immediately certain as to exactly what the speaker was.

"Did you try looking in the prophecies, Oracle?" a rather casual voice called from the center of the floor. Pram looked down, rather surprised to see a slender young man staring-up at her. He was surrounded by nearly thirty robed figures, and his right hand was easily resting on the Makai Gate. The red-eyed, white-winged Oracle of the Netherworld sputtered for a few moments, and then shrugged. "I didn't bother, since I thought that there would be no useful information there." Saito narrowed his eyes, allowing his draconic pupils to become visible. "Then do it," he rumbled, and Veldime's version of Pram quickly pawed through the book, frantically scanning the pages. "Where is it?" she muttered, and was given quite a shock when someone mentally answered. You might want to start at page 751. What in the...? How do YOU know? Just trust me, okay? ...Okay, but how could you be so certain? I just KNOW these things. But how? She heard a sigh, and then came the most shocking twist of all. Because you and I are the EXACT same person, young lady, Pram called, slightly exasperated, at the Oracle of Veldime.

The woman froze in her seat, nearly dropping the book. "Be careful," it hissed at her, and the Oracle nervously jumped. "Sorry about that, Zetta. It's jut that I am a little confused as to how this could be happening." Have you ever heard of alternate timelines, young lady? EEP! Don't do that! I'm sorry, but you haven't answered my question yet. Oh. Sorry about that, and yes, I have hear of alternate timelines. But what does that have to do with anything? It has EVERYTHING to do with the current situation. You see, we came from another timeline. ...Hmm. Now it makes perfect sense, another voice interjected, causing Saito to pause for a moment. It was a male voice, full of authority. However, the fact that Saito had been unable to sense that he was listening was a little worrisome. HUH? I could have sworn that this was a private conversation! Is it really my fault that you're broadcasting? ...Good point, man. Why, thank you. Do you mind if I ask you a question? Why should I? Go right ahead. How long have you been listening to us? Long enough. Now, please forgive my manners, but exactly WHO are you? I could ask you the same thing, but that would be rather rude without answering first. I am known by many titles, but chief among them are "Oricaltos" and "King of Dragons". My full name is Saito Alexander Daniel Michael Nathaniel Alan Jeffrey Onago, but for the sake of my own sanity, PLEASE just call me Saito! The man on the other end laughed once. That works for me! My name is Adell Kailadus, and I am the Overlord here. Are you the red-haired man at the podium? Yup, that's me! I'm the guy with his hand on the Makai Gate. OH. That explains it. Explains WHAT? Never mind...

Saito nodded at Adell, but then his gaze began to wander the assembly hall. He was looking for one particular demon among the senators. However, the demon spotted him first, and sneered at the hybrid. "Be gone, you fool! You have absolutely no authority here." "Who says that besides you, Chaos Soldier?" the Overlord of Veldime retorted, causing Saul to fall silent. He gathered his thoughts for a few moments, and was about to spew a rather vile comment when the Oracle rose from her seat, clutching the Tome to her chest. "Do I have leave to speak, Overlord?" "Go right ahead, Pram. What did you find in the Tome?" The female Overlord cleared her throat before speaking once more. "After a thorough search, I was able to conclude that there is nothing in here about the Oricaltos..." Saul abruptly rose to his feet, laughing hysterically. "Did you hear that, Saito? There's nothing in ther..." He fell silent when he realized that everyone in the Dark Assembly was giving him rather strange looks. That, and the Oracle was impatiently tapping her right foot. "I was not finished, Saul. Now sit down, and keep that big mouth of yours shut!" The orange-haired Chaos Soldier fell silent and did as he was told. Pram stared at him for a second longer, and then turned back to Adell. "Please restart from the beginning, Oracle." "Yes, sir. As I was saying, before being so rudely interrupted, was that there is nothing in the Tome about the Oricaltos, except for an entire prophecy." There was momentary silence, and then Saul promptly exploded. "WHAT? That's impossible!" The diralec laughed aloud before calling-out in reply. "No, you idiot. It's called the Prophecy di luce e di ombre. Get it right, man!" This comment caused nearly half of the senators to crack-up. Once all of the laughter had died down, several of the more supportive senators rose to their feet, applauding the bold actions of the Oricaltos.

The applause ground on Saul's nerves until the former Divine Majin finally snapped. Turning away from the floor in disgust, he pulled-out his cell phone and placed a call. "This is the Dark Court. May I ask who is calling?" "This is Saul." "Oh, hello again Senator! How may I be of assistance?" "I need you to send a particular team to abduct three members of Saito's entourage." There was a brief pause on the other end of the connection. "Did you just say Saito? As in the Oricaltos Saito?" "Yes! Is there a problem with my orders?" "Nooo..." "GOOD. Have them here in twenty minutes." "We'll do our best, sir. Have a pleasant session in the Dark Assembly!" Click! The Chaos Soldier closed his phone with a smile. Twenty minutes. That's how much time Saito and his friends have left before everything goes straight to Hell...

Back on the floor:

Adell was in the process of introducing his wife to Saito when a black-haired young woman sprinted into the room. "Adell! We have a major problem..." "What is it, Yukimaru?" he asked, and the kunoichi glanced at Saito before answering. "Saul summoned an abduction team." "What do you mean by that?" Saito asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow, and Yukimaru stared at him, slightly startled. "You don't know what an abduction team is?" "No." "Have you been living under a rock for the past twelve years?" "No. It's just that I'm not from around here," he snarled, resentment glittering in his eyes. "Oh," the blue-eyed young woman exclaimed lightly, lightly running her hands through her waist-length hair. "I'm sorry for being so rude." The Oricaltos shook his head and smiled. "That's okay. You had no idea. Now, do you mind explaining?" "Nope! Not at all. It's a group of people that are specially trained to kidnap high-profile targets in public places." Saito nodded in understanding, and then Yukimaru turned back to Adell, her eyes creased with worry. "Adell, he summoned them," she stated, and the Overlord swore under his breath. DAMN HIM! Why did he have to call them? Uh, who are you talking about? Adell sighed once before explaining. We know them as "Team Netherworld". It consists of several people that I'm certain that you are familiar with. Such as? Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Marjoly, Priere, and the Prinny Squad, Saito finished with a curse. "It looks like some of my allies will be facing themselves sooner than I anticipated."

Adell nodded in agreement before looking worriedly towards the ceiling. "I think they just arrived," he commented before covering his ears as a loud explosion blew-out part of the roof. Saito narrowed his eyes as the figures dropped into the room. Laharl, prepare yourself, and tell the others to do likewise. Yes sir. Permission to engage? Granted, the Oricaltos called, as he shifted towards his left, preparing to defend Pram. Knock them out. "With absolute pleasure," the young Overlord responded as he stretched his wings under his scarf. He lifted from the floor, scanning the faces of the descending figures, hoping to find a worthy opponent: himself. It didn't take long to notice that the leader of the group had blue hair, and Laharl kicked-off the ground, his right hand already starting to blow a brilliant red. He grinned as the alternate Laharl's eyes grew wide, just before the first blow landed. "Blazing Knuckle!"

What in the name of the Netherworld...? Each of the alternate versions of Laharl, Etna, and Flonne were older and taller than their contemporaries. However, that did not mean that they were more powerful, and Saito's allies were determined to prove it. The alternate Etna could only shake her head when faced with her counterpart. I can't believe that I was flat back then, she thought as she drew her spear. "Ready to lose, Flatty?" she mockingly called, and the other Etna's eyes narrowed to blood-red slits. "No one calls me flat and gets away with it!" she snarled, not even bothering to draw her spear as she conjured a fireball in her right hand. She glared at her alternate self, and the older woman laughed. "I'll call you whatever I want, Fla.." "Hellfire!" the younger one yelled, launching the multi-fireball spread at her counterpart before drawing her spear. The older Etna dove away, just barely dodging. That's impossible! How is she capable of doing that? By using a Bullet Soul. What the...? Allow me to explain. Bullet Souls were discovered in 2035 by a young man going by the name of Soma Cruz. Wait a second. Did you just say "Cruz"? Yes. As in the Lord of Chaos? Yes... You actually know about him? About him? Sweetheart, let me tell you something. I personally know him. But why does it matter to you? I heard stories about the "War of 1666", and was wondering if they were true. Saito shook his head and smiled. I can tell you from personal experience that those events DID in fact occur. Oh really? Then what were the words that Soma Cruz spoke after killing Shaft? "'In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen,'" the weredragon called, causing the older Etna to stop and stare directly at him. "You really are the Oricaltos." "Naturally," he responded with a grin.

His eyes drifted towards the main group, but then the mage frowned. Something was amiss, but he couldn't clearly see what was wrong. He counted the number of people still on the floor, and then it dawned on him: three were missing. Saito's eyes narrowed terribly as he swept his gaze around the Assembly, finally managing to locate the Prinny Squad before they could make their escape. Among the zombie penguins were three prone, robed figures, and as the Prinny Squad vanished, the diralec swore that Saul would pay dearly for taking three of his group members from him. The mage's eyes then set-about, wandering the remaining duels, hardening as he thought about what he would be doing to the Chaos Soldier who was stupid enough to defy him.

Priere was dueling with her alternate self, and, with a little help from Culotte, she was winning the uphill battle. Marjoly and her counterpart, on the other hand, were busy flinging spells at one another, hoping to get lucky. Neither was having much success, and the rebounding spells kept many of the senators on their toes. Aramis was trying to help his older sister, while the two Fallen Angels were busy having a discussion with the Seraph about women's role in the Catholic Church. You can never remove the angel from the Fallen Angels, right Michael? You bet, the Seraph responded, prompting Saito to shake his head and smile. Meanwhile, Laharl was engaged in an all-out brawl with his alternate self, and the Oricaltos chuckled upon seeing that one. His grin grew even wider when the smaller Overlord shot into the air, hovering over his opponent.

"If you're so confident, then show everyone something that I dare not reveal," the older Laharl snarled at his counterpart, the glee evident on his face. In that moment, the Overlord realized what he was being challenged to reveal, and he smiled at his alternate self before leaning forward. "I am not afraid," he whispered before kicking his counterpart in the stomach. The older dhamphir doubled-over in pain while the younger one shot into the air. He then paused, hovering over his opponent before looking directly at Saito. The next few actions and words were deliberate, and the Oricaltos grinned, suddenly realizing what Laharl was doing and why. "Do you mind holding this for me, diralec?" the young Overlord asked as he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck before tossing it in the mage's general direction. "Not at all, Overlord," Saito replied with a smile as he caught the long piece of red fabric in his right hand.

The second that Laharl's scarf left his throat, every single eye in the Dark Assembly was fixed on him. All of the women in the room (with the lone exception of those who accompanied Saito) gasped at the spectacle. There had been many rumors about whether or not Laharl was a full demon, and the answer came as quite a shock to many. He was not, and his wings proved it. They were pitch-black, a sign of exactly how powerful he was, but no one really noticed that. All that they saw was overshadowed by one simple fact: Laharl's wings bore feathers. Feathered wings were practically unheard of in the Netherworld, unless the bearer was only half-demon, which was rare. Still, as long as every eye remained on Laharl, the Oricaltos did a quick check as to who was still present. Damn Saul, and damn the Prinny Squad as well! What is it, Saito? Pram is gone. WHAT? She's not the only one, either. Both Maria and Senrael are also missing. That sucks, man. You have NO idea, Adell. Um, an introduction would be more helpful. Sorry about that. My name is Adell. I take it that you're the Overlord here? Yes. Do you have any idea as to where they were taken? I have a hunch, but nothing concrete yet. Then get to work! Yes, Saito.

The Flonne from Veldime looked from the hovering Laharl to the grounded one, and then asked her question. "What about your wings, Laharl?" The older dhamphir looked away in shame. "They're still stunted." "But why?" "Because he never used them as much as I did," the hovering Overlord responded, earning a glower from his counterpart. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you!" the older Laharl snapped as he prepared to leap into the air. The airborne one merely swept his wings back, ready to counter. Just as his opponent left the floor, Laharl struck. "Wing Shards!" he yelled, sweeping his wings forward and watching in satisfaction as the needle-sharp projectiles shot downwards. However, he was disappointed when the six-foot tall version of himself made it through the barrage unscathed, his weapon aimed at the young Overlord's head. The dhamphir drew his sword and blocked the thrust before he swung at his adversary's throat. The elder Laharl blocked, and the brawl restarted where it had left-off.

Kurtis was relaxing in the center of the room when he noticed something that caused him to freeze. A chartreuse-colored Prinny had just entered the Dark Assembly, closely followed by a tall man with waist-length black hair. The Prinny gazed around, but then his eyes settled on the scientist. He raised a flipper, causing the other man to fall-back. "The android is mine," he snarled, and Kurtis narrowed his eyes. "Who says that I'm an android besides you, Kurtis?" the man snarled in response before drawing Valmanway and spreading his wings. The Prinny glowered slightly at this new development before shifting to his left and motioning his companion forward once again. "Deal with him, Fubuki. We will see whether he's telling the truth or not." "With pleasure, Kurtis," the Ninja Master responded, drawing his sword before charging with astonishing speed. Kurtis blocked before backpedaling, mentally calling to the Oricaltos as he did so. Saito! What is it, Kurtis? My counterpart thinks that I'm an android. Well then, prove him wrong. And exactly how should I go about doing that? Allow my big brother to land a few blows. HUH? Who are you? My name is Yukimaru. Pleased to meet you! Likewise. Anyway, exactly WHY should I let your older brother take a few pieces out of my hide? He won't believe you unless you spill blood. You see, General Carter...

The Oricaltos interrupted the young kunoichi. CARTER? You mean that he's still alive? Yes Master Saito. Why does it matter? Saito instinctively winced at Yukimaru's comment. I don't deserve the title of "Master", yet. I need to earn it. Oops! Sorry about that! Nah, it's okay. Anyway, Carter died in our timeline at MY hands...so you never had to deal with anything like this? Nope. But how come your Kurtis is human? He finished his penance early. Okay! I just wanted to be sure. AHEM. You were saying, Yukimaru? Sorry about that, Kurtis. Don't worry about it. General Carter created several androids that resemble you, except that their hair-color is different. So he thinks that I'm just an android who dyed his hair? Yup! Heh. Well, he's about to see how human I really am! Thanks for the tip. You're welcome! Yukimaru responded, and Kurtis slowly shook his head, a smile creeping across his face.

Fubuki saw Kurtis smile and once again pressed his attack. This time, much to the Ninja Master's surprise, he managed to land a few blows. The scientist winced slightly as he ducked under a blow meant to remove his head. Kurtis' movements were starting to slow-down, and he was cursing himself for not considering all factors. Yukimaru! Since when did your brother start putting poison on his weapons? ...SHOOT! I knew I forgot to warn you about something! Never mind. I'll just deal with this on my own, the scientist responded, activating his Giant Slug soul and neutralizing the poison flowing through his veins. Focusing for a few seconds, Kurtis conjured a fireball in his left hand before turning to glare at Fubuki. "I am not an android!" he snarled, lunging at the Ninja Master, only to have his blade once more turned aside by the raven-haired man. At that point, Yukimaru decided to intervene. "Enough, brother," she called, forcing her elder brother to turn and look at her. "Why should I stop?" he asked, but it was at that moment that he noticed what was flowing from Kurtis' wounds. Blood. "Maybe it's because I am human?" the scientist managed to groan out before collapsing to the floor. As he was falling, Kurtis hurled the fireball with pinpoint accuracy, sending it careening directly at his Prinny counterpart. Unfortunately, it hit an invisible barrier before reaching the alternate, and dissipated.

Abruptly, Fubuki found himself being hauled into the air by his throat. Looking into the blazing eyes of the Oricaltos, he realized almost too late that Yukimaru had a very good reason for stopping him. "If he dies as a result of those injuries, then I am holding you personally responsible," Saito snarled at the Ninja Master. The man nodded rather nervously, and the Oricaltos set him back down before motioning to Rena. "Bind his wounds as best as you can." "No...need," Kurtis whispered, and Saito looked at him, slightly puzzled. "Why?" "Cross-Fusion," he responded, his aura glowing a brilliant shade of green, and the Oricaltos nodded in understanding. "Are you truly prepared for this?" "Yes," Kurtis responded, and then Saito moved away before crossing both arms before him. His palms glowed white for a moment, and then a beam of light emerged from each one. The light from his right hand connected with the scientist, while the beam from his left hand hit the Prinny, who was glowing with a forest-green aura. The diralec then began the intonation. "All powers, both light and dark, I ask that you grant me this request: Fuse them together in mind, body, and soul, so that they may be perfect in all aspects. CROSS-FUSION!" Saito roared as he uncrossed his arms and took two steps back. The scientist and Prinny collided before the Oricaltos in a blinding flash of light that lasted for several moments.

Inside of the light at the point of impact:

"What the hell...?" The Prinny Kurtis was anything but amused. "What are you?" he questioned, and the human scientist responded with the truth. "I'm you, just from a different timeline." "Okay... What makes your timeline so different?" "Well, for starters, General Carter is dead." "WHAT? How?" "The Oricaltos killed him." "...Okay, but that doesn't really explain anything." "To tell you the truth, we are supposed to be combining into one being. However, since there are two different species involved, there are a few complications..." The Prinny Kurtis scratched his head, but then it dawned on him. "In other words, we need to decide whether the body is going to be human or Prinny, right?" The human scientist nodded before adding, "I don't really care." "Well, I don't really care for this body anyway. Human sound good to you?" "Human it is."

Back outside:

The light gradually faded, leaving a human shape behind. Saito smiled before calling-out to the man. "Hey Kurtis! How are your injuries?" "What injuries?" the scientist called cheerfully, walking towards the Oricaltos. Indeed, all of his wounds had been healed. Adell nodded his approval before turning to Saito. "Nice job. Is it possible to do that for everyone else that has a duplicate here?" "Yes, but it can't be done right now." Laharl was beside himself in anger. "Why not?" he demanded, and the Oricaltos shook his head. "Because, my dear Overlord, our Oracle is gone. Without the Oracles being combined, then none of the other Cross-Fusions will work." Laharl nodded rather sullenly as Saito turned to Adell. "Speaking of our missing Oracle, were you able to locate her and the others?" The Overlord of Veldime paused momentarily before deciding to tell the truth. "I have both good news, and bad news. The good news is that I have located your Oracle." "And the bad news?" Michael asked, and Adell hung his head. "You need to pass two bills through the Dark Assembly, but only one may be passed by force." Laharl looked crestfallen, but Saito smiled before raising his right hand into the air. Immediately, all of the ricocheting spells stopped and shot directly to the mage's palm, where they combined into a multi-colored sphere. The Oricaltos then closed his fist, absorbing all of the energy of the spells. "It's time to get started, then." With that, Saito approached the podium where Adell had been standing moments before. It was time to address the Dark Assembly.

Author's note1: Well, another day, another night, and another chapter done. What sort of obstacles will Saito face when trying to pass a bill? Why is Adell so unhappy? And where in the Netherworld are Saito's missing companions? Find out the answers to these questions and more when my next chapter, Facing the Dark Assembly and the Dark Court, is posted. Until then, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.