Author's Note: Apology in advance for any grammatical/spelling mistakes. Been really busy lately which is why the chapter is late. Didn't have the opportunity to do the usual number of passovers.

This chapter marks the beginning of the a new arc, a totally unique one to my story, but still very much a part of the DxD Universe. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 29: A Cold Reception

The tree line abruptly faded away and structures of steel and concrete rose around the small limousine. The change of scenery drew Tatsumi's attention out the window. A deafening roar of a jet's engine shook the vehicle as it soared past them, casting a dark, fleeting shadow across the ground. It felt as if it was about to land on them. It almost was. They were at the Narita International Airport to catch a flight to Athens, Greece.

Even though it had been his idea, he was having second thoughts.

There had been plenty of options available. Sona and Serafall had both offered to teleport him over. Athena had offered a gateway. He'd declined them. Tatsumi hadn't been seen publicly since that press conference and, as the Prime Minister had rightly pointed out, silence made people nervous. He needed to reassure the people that he was still here and doing something. A public appearance, if only brief, would be enough.

Still, this wasn't without risk. Tatsumi wasn't oblivious to the rather large and obvious target he'd painted on his back due to his actions over the past year. There was some risk to the general populace. It was why even though he was making a public appearance, he wasn't taking a commercial flight. He'd travel to Athens in style upon a private jet offered by the Prime Minister.

There was also the slight issue that there were no direct commercial flights to Athens from Japan or vice versa and Tatsumi didn't want to have any layovers. Still, even on a private jet the chance of being intercepted was high. The crew on the flight would be minimal at best. A single pilot and two stewards, all three who knew and accepted the risk that came with flying Tatsumi anywhere.

"You going to be alright?" Tatsumi asked his companion.

Mine looked away and sniffed the air delicately. "Of course not. I'm just not looking forward to being gawked at by thousands of humans."

"Sorry," Tatsumi said. "This mission for Athena is going to require a degree of stealth and people that can defend themselves. You're the only one I could bring with me."

Mine, despite her bright pink dress, knew how to keep quiet and hidden. A lifetime of persecution and discrimination from other Fallen Angels, before Azazel found her, had taught her everything she needed to know about keeping a low profile.

The others weren't particularly stealthy. Akame would have been perfect, and indeed had been his first choice until the Prime Minister had reminded him that he needed to make at least a few public appearances. He didn't want the world to know about her yet. A secret card he kept in his back pocket for when secrecy was of the utmost importance. Only those present at the Peace Conference knew she existed, and none save he and Najenda, knew what she was truly capable of.

Mine wouldn't be the only one he took on this mission though. According to Athena, Bennia was on Mount Olympus. Bennia could be stealthy when there was need. That was the entire reason Tatsumi was flying to Athens instead of straight to Copenhagen. It also had another benefit in that once in Athens, Tatsumi and the others could sneak to their destination. Arriving in Greece might make it seem like they were concentrating on an issue there and not with the Norse Gods. A little misdirection could go a long way.

It was going to be hard enough to get across the Bifrost without the Norse Gods suspecting Tatsumi was there for them.

Mine just shook her head as she gave him a deadpanned look. "You're not the issue, Tatsumi. I understand your reasoning." She shifted her gaze back out the window as the car started around a sharp bend. A massive crowd of people appeared near entrances of the Airport's Terminal One building. "I just don't like them. They're not a superior human like you, Akame and Najenda."

Superior human, Mine's term she used to describe anyone from this other world. She was quite adamant in her opinion that they were only as good as they were because they weren't from this world.

The car shifted as Tirade, his butler, eased them over to the far-left lane. Tatsumi turned his attention out the window once again and grimaced at the thick, dense crowd out front of the Terminal. While he wasn't as averse to the crowd as Mine, he wasn't looking forward to this either. He didn't like being this exposed.

"This is going to be annoying," Mine muttered when she noticed the crowd.

Tatsumi didn't respond as Tirade pulled up to an open area. A section of the terminal had been cleared for him. A low, metal barrier had been erected and a wall of police officers stood at attention along either side. As the short limousine came to a stop the energy of the crowd picked up with everyone clamoring and pushing against the barrier. There were so many camera flashes going off Tatsumi was half afraid he'd go blind the moment he stepped out.

"It's still not too late to tell Tirade to drive back home," Mine offered quickly. "I could take you to Greece myself!"

"It was too late the moment the Prime Minister asked us if we were ever going to do something," Tatsumi said dryly. Tirade wasn't even in the car anymore. The butler had moved over beside his door and was waiting for Tatsumi to give him the signal to open it. "He presented a hero to the people and he expects that hero to do hero like things."

Or at the very least, be visible where people could see him.

Oh, he was not going to look forward to going back to school. Strange how much a single summer could so drastically change his opinion of that place.

"Then let's just get this over with," Mine grumbled irritably.

"Here's to hoping the Tyrant can't go blind from camera flashes," Tatsumi muttered under his breath and knocked on the window.

The din of the crowd became thunderous as Tirade opened the door and Tatsumi stepped out of the limousine. He stood there for a few moments for dramatic effect. It was at that exact moment that realized why every major star did the same thing when they stepped onto the red carpet and why they frequently stopped to pose.

It was so they could blink the bloody spots out of their eyes!

When the thousand tiny little lights dancing in his eyes finally decided they wanted to dance out of his vision he took a couple steps away from the limousine and waited for Mine. The cameras shifted from him to Mine the moment she stepped out and she

"Stop that!" Mine snapped irritably at everyone before turning to him. "How can you humans stand this? All that blinking and flashing is annoying!" she whirled around and glared at the crowd. "Stop taking my picture you stupid humans! Don't make me shove those cameras down your throats!"

Tatsumi couldn't help but wince as the flashing stopped and a hushed, stunned silence fell across the crowd. He had to act fast, that wasn't the sort of impression he wanted everyone to have of Night Raid. Thankfully, he was in Japan, and had the perfect way to defuse it.

"Don't read too much into it, she's a tsundere."

"Ohhh!" Everyone said at the same time as a collective understanding fell upon the crowd. The cameras lit up once more, possibly even more frequently than before. A real life tsundere right in front of them! One that looked like she could have been plucked straight from their anime with her pink hair and pink eyes.

She flushed in embarrassment at being called out like that and glared at him. "Tatsumi! I am not a tsundere!" She pounded her fists off his chest. "Don't give them the wrong idea!"

She couldn't have proven his point better if she had admitted it with her own words. The crowd were completely into it now. Tatsumi could feel the energy about them, the excitement and eagerness, the near constant flash of cameras.

Tatsumi just gave Mine a patient smile as he took her arm. "Let's go get catch our flight."

"Che! Anything is better than being out here," Mine snapped as she clamped her hands on his arm and all but dragged him towards the sliding glass doors. Behind them followed two airline stewardesses with their luggage.

Their hope of getting out of the limelight quickly was dashed before they made it even halfway to the doors. The patient smile on Tatsumi's lips faltered and slid off even as Mine stiffened at his side.

"We can't win, can we?" Tatsumi said quietly under his breath. Mine just groaned.

There were two people walking out of the doors that were completely, unequivocally, undeniably… not human. They both looked human, but even the blind could tell they were something else entirely.

Tatsumi recognized Athena instantly. The beautiful Greek Goddess walked with that certain deadly grace that no one else Tatsumi knew could quite mimic. A white, Greek toga clung to her shoulders and cascaded down her immortal perfection. She didn't wear her golden helmet, but her spear was held easily in one hand and her golden buckler strapped across her back. One might have been able to mistaken her for an exceptionally beautiful cosplayer, if it weren't for the luminous, divine glow that infused her being. It emanated from her like an aura, giving her this presence that even the blind could feel.

Walking beside her was someone Tatsumi didn't recognize but knew was quite possibly just as powerful as Athena. It was a tall, Japanese woman with long, luscious black hair that reached her legs. She wore what could only be described as a beautiful and overly decorated shrine maiden outfit of red and white. Unlike Athena there was no halo or aura about her body, there didn't need to be. Her eyes were endless pools of energy. It was like the woman had captured a pair of suns within her eyes. Pure, liquid flame undulated about her body in streams that all consolidated at a singular point just above her head, creating a brilliant, blazing orb of fire. Her very presence caused the air about them to heat up to almost uncomfortable levels.

A hushed, stunned silence fell across the crowd as everyone gaped at these two immensely powerful beings. Neither of them seemed to care, or even notice, as they walked up to Tatsumi and Mine.

The moment he saw them it hit him like a bolt of lightning. He knew why they were here. It brought back an old conversation the first time Tatsumi meant Lord Phenex just after his encounter with Esdeath.

…are all pawns in one scheme or another. What matters is how much personal benefit we can derive from being used by others, and in turn enact our own schemes that use them. It's called life, Tatsumi-san, something you'll have to grab hold of yourself soon, lest someone else takes control of your life….

They were entering a new age. An age where the mystical and the unknown were no longer myths and legends, but reality walking amongst you. If the power of a God was derived from the strength of their legend, their mythos. Then being seen in public could only strengthen that power.

There were probably still rules though, restrictions and risks. Perhaps the reason the world wasn't flooded with the divine and the mystical was that they needed some reason to come down to the mortal world and weren't allowed to just waltz about it on a whim?

Tatsumi honestly didn't know what rules and laws governed the immortals.

Whatever the case may be, unless Tatsumi wanted to remain purely a pawn, he had to do as Lord Phenex said long ago. Derive as much benefit from this as he could.

"Good morning, Athena," Tatsumi said politely, tilting his head respectfully to the Goddess. "I thought you had gone back to Mount Olympus with Zeus and Hera after that meeting with Odin, Michael and the others."

Name dropping. It was all he could do at the moment. Let everyone think he was privy to divine knowledge. It was pitiful, really, but he was trying to build up his 'reputation.' It was for a very terrible reason too. The more people revered him… the more he'd be able to get away with. If he could push it to the point where he could openly kill and people would simply accept it because they assumed that person deserved it…

He knew it was terrible way to think but also invaluable if he ever managed to reach that level.

Athena smiled lightly, seeing straight through to the heart of what he was doing. "That meeting only took place here because we wished to speak with the Japanese Gods and Goddesses as well. Unfortunately—"

"I will not have anything to do with Odin or Zeus," the second woman stated in a voice like a raging inferno. "Those two are the biggest perverts in all existence. Any discussion between our pantheons will be done without them!"

"As you can see, Amaterasu doesn't care much for Zeus," Athena said, laughing heartily. "He does have a bit of an oriental fetish right now and we don't need war breaking out because that man tried to sneak a peak up Amaterasu's dress. I stayed behind to discuss things with them on Zeus' behalf while Hera took her husband home. A Valkyrie by the name of Rossweisse stayed behind for Odin."

"Ah," Tatsumi said, nodding sagely like he completely understood what the two of them were talking about. "That explains why you're still here in Japan, but not why you're here." He gestured to the airport. "Is there something the two of you need of Night Raid?" he asked, glancing back and forth between the two powerful women.

"We have the same destination," Athena said, gesturing to him. "It is a simple matter to return but joining you would give us some time to… talk, privately."

Mine stepped out in front of him protectively. He couldn't see her face but he didn't need to, to know she was scowling at the Goddess. "What are you scheming?"

Athena blinked at Mine in surprise as if noticing her for the first time before letting a soft chuckle escape her lips. "Nothing you need to worry about, child."

The camera flashes were back now. The people in the crowd were snapping pictures so fast now Tatsumi heard a few of them break.

Tatsumi placed a hand on Mine's shoulder and stepped forward before she could snap back at the Goddess. He could see her face going red with anger at being called a child. They didn't need an argument out here.

"And you, Amaterasu?" Tatsumi asked the Japanese Sun Goddess. "What brings you down from the heavenly realm?"

"The one you know as Bennia," Amaterasu said lightly. She reached within the voluminous folds of her robe and pulled out a sealed letter. Tatsumi accepted it when she offered it to him. It looked like any other letter, save that there was an old-fashion wax seal that glowed bright orange with Amaterasu's divine power. "When I heard you were travelling to Mount Olympus to retrieve her from Themis I saw this as an opportunity to send a message. You're the only one I can trust not to open it first." Amaterasu gave Athena a sidelong glance. "I know you Athena, it wouldn't be in your hands five minutes before you had it read."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Athena said without missing a beat.

So, he was to be her errand boy. She could have just as easily given it to him on the plane in private but that, of course, wouldn't give Amaterasu an excuse to flaunt her divinity in front of her people.

"I'll see that she gets it," Tatsumi said, tucking the letter into a large pocket on his pants. "Anything else?"

"Yes, a verbal message to pass on if you ever have the chance," Amaterasu's eyes narrowed dangerously and her divine power flared about her. It brought everyone around them to their hands and knees. Tatsumi barely managed to remain standing beneath such pressure. "If you ever run into Bennia's father, Orcus, tell him I do not appreciate being snubbed for some busty tavern wench! If he ever steps foot onto Japanese soil again I will burn out his very existence!"

And with that Amaterasu disappeared, shooting upwards in an enormous ball of flaming light before disappearing into a rift in space and time.

"That's Amaterasu for you," Athena said, laughing softly. "She's nice enough, until you cross her the wrong way. Then there isn't a more unforgiving individual in any pantheon." She gave Tatsumi a wide smile. "Shall we be off?"

Tatsumi could only swallow hard and nod. He could already tell that this was going to be a trip he would never forget.

~o~

The private jet the Prime Minister had chartered for Tatsumi was luxurious to say the least. Their seats were more suited for a posh living room than an airliner with their soft, leather cushions. They were arranged around a crystal table that was probably worth more than Night Raid's total earnings to date. The place even came with a large, flat screen TV embedded in the left wall that displayed local news. The floors were carpeted and there were several full bathroom suites complete with a full sized bathtub! There were several bedrooms, multiple lounging areas, a bar, kitchen, and so much more.

It was more like a flying house than an airplane. It was many times more luxurious than the home he'd shared with his parents before Kokabiel turned it into a crater.

"I knew it was going to be nice but this is…" Tatsumi marveled as he took a seat next to the window. His eyes were everywhere and he wasn't ashamed by it in the least. Even Mine and Athena both seemed rather surprised by what they saw, although they kept their gawking to a minimum. "This almost feels too nice."

"Humans certainly have come a long way when it comes to luxury," Athena admitted as she set her spear and shield down beside her seat and sat across from him. She crossed one leg over the other and smiled. "You might some day match reach our level."

"I'm not sure I can take much more luxury than this," Tatsumi said honestly. "I'm afraid I'd get fat if I'm pampered anymore than I already am." He gave Athena a sidelong glance as Mine took a seat next to him. "How do you combat that?"

Athena blinked innocently. "I'm a Goddess. I can eat whatever I want. Man's belief in me keeps me fit and thin."

"I hate you!" Mine snapped at the Goddess. "You're the enemy of all womankind then! Do you know the sacrifices I have to make to keep looking like this?"

Athena just smiled. "Not my problem."

Mine continued to glower at the smug Goddess as a stewardess came to check up on them. She didn't tell them to buckle in, but suggested they should since they were about to take off. Tatsumi did as asked and Mine, reluctantly, followed suite. Athena didn't bother. After making sure they were comfortable she left them to their conversation.

The jet engines revved up and the plane shifted as it pulled away from the terminal. It bumped and rocked as it sped across the runway before it tilted sharply back and roared off into the sky. Flying like this was interesting, especially since there wasn't any real fear of crashing. All three of them could fly on their own.

"So, Athena," Tatsumi started, drawing the Goddess' attention. Now that they were in the air and in, relative, privacy, there were some things he hoped Athena could answer. "How much do you know about the Norse mythology?"

"Not as much as your probably hoping," Athena said, "but a great deal more than what's written in those books and poems."

"That's what I was hoping to get a grasp on," Tatsumi said. He'd read everything about Norse Mythology in preparation for this mission. The problem was how much of what he read was real and how much of it was pure fiction? "What are the differences between fiction and reality?"

"A lot less than most other mythologies," Athena admitted. "Greek and Roman mythology is almost entirely made up, aside from names and epithets. Norse Mythology is much more accurate."

"In what ways?"

"For one, Asgard is on a separate plane of existence, separated from Earth, or Midgard as they call it, by the Bifrost. Getting across the bridge without Heimdall noticing you, or at least getting permission to cross, is going to be your single biggest challenge."

"Are there no other ways into Asgard?"

Athena shook her head. "No. If there are other ways in and out of Asgard from Midgard, I don't know it. The Bifrost is the only way. They're very much sticklers about people going to and from the mortal plane. Now, if you were speaking between Asgard and the other seven realms, oh yes, there are countless dimensional portals and teleportation shrines that go between them. You can even walk between Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim and Nidavellir."

"What about the Gods and Goddesses?"

Athena scowled. "Very hit and miss. Some like Loki, Tyr, and Freya, are exactly as described in legend. Others such as Thor and Odin, not so much. Heimdall himself will surprise you. He likes to rap and he's not very good at it."

Tatsumi had a very hard time picturing the guardian of Asgard rapping atop a rainbow bridge.

"He also likes playing cats-craddle with himself."

"Right…" Heimdall sounded like he was going to be a very interesting individual.

"As for Thor, she's not at all like what's told in the stories. Like her father, Odin—"

Tatsumi quickly held a hand up, stopping Athena. Something about that sounded off. It wasn't until he went over her words a couple times that it finally clicked. "She?"

Athena nodded, "yes, Thor is female and gets very upset when someone mistakes her for a boy. She goes to extreme length to design armor and weapons that help emphasis her female assets." The Goddess' went flat for some reason. "She and Freya have often competed to see who could wear the least while still being considering decent."

"I'm finding that as hard to imagine as the rapping guardian," Tatsumi muttered.

"Don't mistake her dress for thinking she's easy though," Athena warned him. "She wants to be seen as female, but mistake it not, she's not interested in men."

Thor was a lesbian.

Tatsumi had no words to describe the level of 'what the fuck' he was feeling right now.

"Try to stay away from Freya," Athena said seriously. "She will rape you in the street. It's pretty much accepted in Asgard. If she sets her eyes on you she will ravage you until she's drained you dry. It's just something people have come to accept in Asgard, and why few meetings involve her or even take place in Asgard. Freya always interrupts them at the worst times in the worst ways." A faraway look came to her eyes and a short chuckle escaped her lips. "You should have seen the one time she set her eyes on the biblical God. That didn't end well."

"What happened?" Tatsumi asked, almost dreading to hear the answer.

"The Christianization of Scandinavia. It took awhile for Michael to get around to fulfilling God's wish after he died, but he did eventually make good on it."

"Oh." For the first time Tatsumi was honestly doubting the purity of Heaven. Michael, on behalf of his dead God, converted an entire religion. He'd stolen every worshipper of another pantheon just to satisfy a grudge several millennia old that formed for little more reason than because Freya wanted God's dick. "You immortals get uptight about the strangest things."

"If you live for a thousand years and you don't pick up strange quirks of your own, you're allowed to talk," Athena said lightly.

"He already has some!" Mine said, laughing sharply.

"Hey! I do not!"

"Right…"

The conversation quieted as the stewardess returned with a smile. "Would anyone like some tea or coffee?" she asked politely.

"I'll have some tea," Mine said.

"I'm fine," Tatsumi said.

"As am I."

The stewardess smiled at Mine, "I'll be back with some tea then." She swept that smile across all of them. "Lunch will be served in an hour." And with that she disappeared further into the plane.

"Nice child, that one," Athena murmured. "Sometimes I forget how full of life humans can be. They don't have thousands of years of regrets dragging behind them, and an eternity before them to collect more."

"It's something worth protecting," Tatsumi said. Athena murmured her agreement and even Mine started to nod before she caught herself. "Anyways, is there anything else about Asgard I should be aware of?" So far he knew the Bifrost was the only way in, Heimdall was a rapper, Thor a lesbian, Odin a pervert, and to stay as far away from Freya as possible.

"Not much else, I'm afraid," Athena said. "At least not anything that will be of use. Although Odin's palace is the tallest structure in Asgard. His quarters are at the top." Her lips curled down into a scowl. "He's tried to invite me in on a number of occasions."

"A question on the item we're to retrieve," Tatsumi said, "I don't know what sort of condition it is in when I find it. Is there going to be a problem if…" he trailed off.

"You won't be able to tear it," Athena promised him. "Trust me, not even Themis could put a tear in it. No, there's no need to worry about it being damage nor do I expect it to be clean." She shivered in revulsion. "I know Odin, that man has probably already used it any number of times."

"What are we retrieving?" Mine asked suspiciously.

Athena looked surprised. "You didn't tell her?"

"No, and I'm not going to unless I have to," Tatsumi said. He wouldn't laugh at what he needed to retrieve, neither would Mine or Najenda, but the others? He knew Mine, even his Mine would have made a snarky comment. He'd tell Mine if and when it was necessary.

"I don't think I want to know what it is," Mine said cautiously. "Anything Odin would use is something I don't want."

The airline staff returned with Mine's tea, a gentleman this time. "Your tea, m'lday," the familiar man said as he set the tea down on the crystal table. A lovely scent wafted up from the tea that almost made Tatsumi want to order some. Whatever it was, it smelled heavenly.

"Thank you," Mine said as she picked up the tea and took a long sip. "Finally, something decent. The Japanese stuff is too weak for me."

Something tickled at the back of Tatsumi's mind as he watched Mine sip her tea. Something strange, off almost. He didn't know what it was. The tea looked and smelt normal. Mine hadn't noticed anything wrong with it and you'd have to be insane to do anything in front of a Goddess like Athena.

So why was the familiar steward with that cross shaped scar across his face just standing there like he was expecting something…

Tatsumi's eyes snapped wide in alarm. "Don't drink that!" he snapped as he knocked the tea out of Mine's hands. The seat belt was ripped from the seat as he rushed to his feet. "Syura!"

"Who?!"

"Too late Tatsumi!" Syura laughed loudly as an bubble of crackling divine energy erupted around Athena. The former member of Gregorious' peerage pulled a strange, twisted golden staff out from behind him. Athena's eyes went wide with horror as she pounded on the barrier. Her divine aura flared about her but all her divine strength availed her nothing as she beat at the barrier from the inside.

There was a bright flicker of light from the crystal orb that topped the golden staff and Athena disappeared.

Tatsumi pulled Incursio out of it's sheath and pointed it at Syura, cautious of what the man might try. He had no idea what that staff was capable, or what Syura had in mind. Someone that could teleport anyone, or anything, anywhere, as quick as thought wasn't someone you could simply charge at and hope to win. "What are you doing here, coward?"

"I have a new master," Syura said, laughing. "She's much more understanding than Gregorious Abaddon. I almost have to thank for you ridding me of that man. I'd grown bored of being chained to him anyways." His eyes twinkled with true amusement as if everything was going his way. "Fallen Angels are so much better than Devils anyways. Easier on the eyes in most cases too." His gaze dipped to Mine. "Present company excluded."

"You bastard," Mine roared as she jumped to her feet, and promptly keeled over into Tatsumi with a startled yelp. There was a look of incomprehension in her eyes as she looked down at herself. "W-What?"

"A little brew I concocted," Syura said. "Not my recipe, I don't care for such weak methods. Don't worry, it won't kill you, although you might wish you were dead once it kicks in full."

"I'm going to hang you with your entrails!" Mine shouted and then gasped sharply, her face twisting into a mask of pain as she held her stomach.

"How unoriginal," Syura scoffed, "Tatsumi already did that to Gregorious Abaddon." He gave Tatsumi a little smirk. "Excellent work there, by-the-way. I approve."

Tatsumi cradled Mine protectively against his chest as the girl grew weaker by the second. He never took his eyes off Syura. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here," Tatsumi said, hoping to extract even more information from Syura.

"Some entertainment," Syura said, "but the real question isn't why I'm here." Suddenly the entire plane jumped and twisted as if it had been ripped from the air and thrown somewhere else. Gravity shifted violently sending Tatsumi and Mine tumbling across the cabin. Screams kicked up from the elsewhere in the plane as it did a nose dive. "But where are you?" And then he was gone, his laughter lingering on the air.

Tatsumi held Mine tight to his chest as he threw a glance out the window. It was difficult, the plane was rattling so badly Tatsumi couldn't get a clear look out it. All he could make out was that it was dark, snowy, and for some reason, the plane was missing its wings.

This wasn't good.

"Brace for impact!" Came a panicked cry across the intercom.

There was no time to brace. A terrifying crunch resounded throughout the entire plane. The roar of shattering steel and glass followed on its heels. Tatsumi barely had time to wrap both his arms around Mine before the plane around him crumpled around him. Pain flared across his body like a thousand knives were digging in from every direction. A thunderous boom deafened him as the plane exploded, sending fragments of the jet across the landscape.

Tatsumi was thrown airborne, ejected from the point of impact in a storm of shattered glass, melted plastic and warped steel. The storm of destruction was consumed by an even larger and more ferocious howl of wind and snow. Bitter cold deeper than anything Tatsumi had ever experienced consumed him, wrapping about him with the howling wind.

He opened his eyes in time to see a snow-covered mountainside rushing towards him. He twisted in midair so that he would cushion Mine during the impact. The snow did nothing to lessen the impact of a human body travelling at over three hundred miles per hour. A scream of pain was ripped from his throat as all the plane fragments in his back were driven deeper by the impact and for a moment he blacked out.

Coughing, forced himself back into consciousness. He struggled up out of the snow and glanced around hastily for Mine, she'd been ripped from his grasp when he blacked out. He found her easily enough a dozen feet to his right curled up into a tiny ball coughing and shivering as she held her stomach.

"Mine!" Tatsumi shouted over the howling, bitterly cold wind. He ignored the searing pain racing up and down his back as he clawed his way through the snow to her side. "Mine!"

"I-I c-can h-hear y-you!" Mine snapped angrily through chattering teeth.

Mine was still being Mine, good, that made Tatsumi feel so much—

She disappeared.

"Ah, I can't let things end that easily," Syura's voice drew his attention upwards. The bastard was hovering above him, gloating down with a look of superiority on his face. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as he saw the bastard holding Mine by her throat. "I couldn't care less that Gregorious Abaddon is dead but I do care about being forced to run! I'm going to enjoy this!"

"Let her go!" Tatsumi roared. Where was Incursio? He'd lost it when the plane crashed! Fears plagued his mind about what Syura would do to Mine. Visions of her naked, violated body, brutalized and broken hanging in some dank, dark dungeon consumed him.

Syura smiled and Tatsumi's fears intensified. They only grew when he spoke. "Sure."

He tossed her aside, away from him. Tatsumi knew this wasn't over but he rushed for Mine anyways. He had to do something! He never reached her. The ground beneath him bucked violently, throwing Tatsumi from his feet. He quickly activated the shroud of Longinus, creating a pair of blue gossamer wings and took to the air. Faster than a bullet he shot towards Mine.

It wasn't quick enough.

An enormous clawed hand ripped through the frozen ground, swatting Tatsumi from the sky. He smashed into the mountain side in a massive cloud of snow and could only watch in horror as an enormous, serpentine dragon burst from the ground. It had scales as black as midnight with light underbelly and four enormous, bat-like wings.

One of it's enormous claws snatched Mine from the air and slammed her into the ground. The air was shattered with her blood-curdling scream of agony.

Tatsumi saw red. Power surged through his body, infusing every fiber of his being and chasing away the bitter chill of the mountain like it had never existed. The air steamed about him, snow sublimated into gas before it ever reached him. All about him the snowy mountain melted. The heat built inside his chest, growing every larger until he could no longer contain it. It raced up his throat and out his mouth as Tatsumi unleashed an inferno upon the black dragon.

It erupted right in its face in a massive explosion that lit up the sky and instantly vaporized all the snow within a fifty-meter radius. If the dragon noticed the heat, it didn't give any indication. It was all Tatsumi could do without the transformation though, and it was more than enough to blind the dragon.

It gave Tatsumi the time he needed. He blasted through the air, a stream of superheated air and vaporized water trailing behind. "Get off Mine!" He roared as he hammered his fist into the offended appendage that held her down. He didn't care that he wasn't transformed. He didn't care that the dragon was many times larger than him. All that mattered was Mine. "NOW!"

The air was shattered by a powerful shockwave. The black scales shattered beneath the force of his blow. His fist continued on through, plowing through the softer flesh beyond until he slammed into the thick bone.

It shattered beneath his strike.

The black dragon felt that one. It reared back, roaring in pain. The massive leg and claw was pulled away splattering blood all over the rocky, super-heated ground. Tatsumi ignored the dragon for the moment and dropped to Mine's side. A sharp gasp escaped his lips when he saw her condition.

Her dress was ripped and torn, exposing her sensitive skin to the cold. He could see bruises forming all across her body, broken bones and more, even as the skin itself started to turn bright red from the cold. The worst of all was her face. Blood streamed down her face and where her beautiful pink eyes had once been were now nothing more than gaping holes filled with blood and gore.

"No…" Tatsumi whispered, horrified.

"I'll let you and Nidhoggr become acquainted with each other," Syura called from above. "Please try not to die. My master's master would be rather upset if this is all you amounted to." And then he was gone once more, his haunting laughter clinging to the wind.

That fucking bastard!

"I was only doing this because the Infinite told me to, but now it's personal!" Nidhoggr roared, his thunderous voice bouncing off the mountain causing it to rumble and shake as avalanches were triggered everywhere. "She doesn't matter! Only you do! I'm going to enjoy devouring her before your very eyes!"

Tatsumi glared up at Nidhoggr. The enormous, black dragon glared down at him with dark, malevolent eyes. Vile, acid dripped from its jaws, steaming and spitting as it encountered the rocky mountain side below. He wanted to murder that dragon, obliterate from existence, but Mine came first. If he wasted time trying to kill it, and he wasn't sure he even could, she would die.

He had to stabilize her and that meant running.

Tatsumi picked Mine up and cradled her against his chest before he rushed across the ground and back out over the snow. He knew where Incursio was, he could feel it, pulsating softly in the deep snow.

"Are you running you coward?!"

Tatsumi didn't even look behind as he heard the dragon take to the air. His eyes were glued to the place he could feel Incursio. He urged the Shroud of Longinus to carry him faster even as he fought against the violent crosswinds that surged across the mountain.

He sensed more than saw Nidhoggr dive for him. He swerved sharply to the right and then to the left, sweeping out from under the massive dragon as he slammed into the mountain side. Tatsumi twisted in the air and dove into the snow. Using one hand to hold Mine tight he reached out with the other and grabbed Incursio's by the hilt.

"Incursio!" Tatsumi roared as he used the blade as a focal point.

He felt the change erupt from within. Bones shifted, thickened, and elongated. Muscles grew larger and new ones formed, wrapping themselves around the old. A pair of enormous draconic wings erupted from his back even as the Shroud of Longinus, like so many times of before, shifted and evolved to become a second pair. The shift was different this time though. Tatsumi knew what he needed to survive. The human, Tatsumi, may never have felt cold this bitter, but the Tyrant had, long ago. Instead of thick scales, a thick carpet of blue fur erupted all over his body, covering every inch. Mine, still held to his chest with one large, clawed hand, all but disappeared inside the thick carpet of fur.

"GWAHAHAHAH! That's more like it! Now you're worth devouring!" Nidhoggr roared with laughter. "And now I know why the Infinite cares so much! Now the real fun can begin!"

"No, it won't," Tatsumi spat out in a deep, guttural voice. "We will settle this, Nidhoggr," he vowed as he glared up at the large dragon, "I will break you in half and burn you inside out so that I can feast on your flesh! But not now, not today."

Incursio's trump card in the old world had been restricted by its human host. Only a fraction of its ability could be brought forth. But here, now, with Tatsumi as he was. Its full potential could be realized. The greatest survival ability the Tyrant had.

Total presence concealment. He disappeared from sight, scent, hearing, and even another's ability to sense his presence. At that moment it was impossible for anyone to directly sense or track him. He could hide even from Heimdall's omniscient sight.

The Tyrant took to the air and, cradling Mine to his chest, took off into the night sky, looking for a place to hide and tend to her wounds.

Behind him Nidhoggr raged impotently as his prey escaped.

~o~

Tatsumi didn't know how much time had passed since he'd found the small cavern. Time didn't seem to have any meaning wherever he was.

At least they were out of the wind and the snow. The cave was a frozen wonderland of indescribable beauty. Ice and rocks and minerals came together to create fantastical shapes that could steal away one's breath. Any other time under any other circumstance, Tatsumi could have admired it for days. Unfortunately, the beauty was utterly lost upon him, and even more so upon Mine. Tatsumi was too worried about his companion to care, and the other no longer capable of gazing upon anything at all. Icicles the color the sea dripped fresh, clear water upon the frozen, icy floor with a soft little tinkle, like chimes dancing in the wind. It trickled across the icy floor towards a small spring that meandered its way through the cavern, both its origin and destination somewhere else deeper within the mountain.

A small fire sparkled brightly within a small hollow in the ground, a section of ice that had been melted away to reveal the hard rock beneath. Its cheerful light danced across the cavern, reflected over and over by the countless clear icy sculptures. Tatsumi huddled in front of it, holding Mine tightly to his chest where she could be warmed by both the fire and his own body heat. There was nothing to burn here, only ice and rock. Tatsumi had to feed the flame with nothing more than his own desire, breathing fire periodically from his mouth into the small hole in the ground, making sure the rock was hot enough to produce heat to keep them warm.

In here, out of the wind, the cold wasn't so bad, but it was still ruthless compared to the winter's Tatsumi lived through back in Japan. Only by going into the deepest recesses of the Tyrant's memories could he ever find a place that had cold this bitter.

It had been a sanctuary at the very edge of the world where humans couldn't survive.

He shivered slightly as the fire dimmed and the cold crept back in. More fire was breathed into that pit, chasing the chill away for the moment.

This was not how Tatsumi envisioned their mission starting. Trapped in some unknown frozen hellscape for who knows how long. It felt like days, but it could have been far longer or far less. It was perpetually night here. A faint light came from somewhere up above, the snow reflected it in just such a way that there was enough to see by, but not much else. There was no warmth to be found in that light.

He'd spent the entire time desperately flew about for a safe place to hide from that dragon, Nidhoggr. Hide and seek with a bloody thirsty dragon that wanted to eat Mine. Not Tatsumi's idea of fun, not that hiding curled up in the corner of this cave was any better.

Aside from Nidhoggr, Tatsumi hadn't seen a single shred of life anywhere. Not even insects.

It was too dangerous to keep going with Mine in this condition. He glanced down at the small woman he had cradled in his arms. Blood still trickled periodically down her cheeks, slipping out from beneath the pale blue makeshift bandage he'd wrapped around her eyes. The upper half of her dress had been completely wrecked by Nidhoggr, so Tatsumi had ripped the upper half away from the skirt and used what he could from it to clean her injuries. Fresh, clean water at least wasn't something they were going to have to worry about. She looked better, but her chest was still a criss-crossed with half-healed lacerations and more bruises than Tatsumi could easily count. Her breathing was harsh and labored, but at least she wasn't shivering anymore, or turning blue.

Tatsumi wasn't without injury either. Fabric similar to what Mine had wrapped around her eyes were wrapped around his left arm. He couldn't move it very well, large chunks of flesh had been carved from it and the cold and hunger was slowing his ability to heal.

"Uhhh…" Mine moaned softly as she shifted in his arms.

Was she waking up or was she just moving in her sleep? Tatsumi didn't know but he knew she'd be hungry once she woke up. With his good arm he reached over and grabbed a long, flat rock he'd found nearby and laid it over the fire pit. He breathed into the pit, stoking the flames higher. It didn't take long for the long thin rock to start to glow red. Tatsumi grabbed a chunk of raw meat sitting beside him. It was large, thick, and meaty, about the length and width of a man's hand. One of a dozen hunks of meat, all he could provide in his current state. He hoped it'd be enough.

He placed it upon the super heated rock and instantly it began to sizzle, filling the cavern with a strange, thick smell. Tatsumi couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust. Still...

Tatsumi didn't know if it was the noise or the smell, but Mine let out another groan as she was roused from her sleep. She shifted in his arms, one hand stretching out blindly before her as the other felt its way across his chest. He could see her eyelids blinking behind the makeshift bandage.

"Tatsumi?" she called out weakly, her voice hesitant and filled with something he'd never heard from her before, fear.

"I'm here," Tatsumi said, squeezing her gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Your voice…"

"Breathing fire out of a human throat causes one to go hoarse, who knew?" Tatsumi said, trying to make light of their situation. Which reminded him. He leaned forward a bit and breathed more fire into the pit before reaching over to flip the hunk of meat.

"That heat, that was fire," Mine whispered weakly. She started to quake in his arms and tears joined the blood leaking from her eyes. "This pain and I couldn't… it's all dark. Tatsumi… I'm…"

She was blind. She knew she was blind but couldn't say the words.

"I know," Tatsumi said as he held her tighter. "I know, it'll be alright."

"Damn it… damn it… damn it…" Mine cursed and wept as she clung to him. Her body shook with each word she spoke. His own eyes started to mist over as he held her, his heart clenching painfully as he held the proud Fallen Angel in his arms. "Damn it all."

"Maybe once we get back someone can heal you," Tatsumi offered hopefully. "Gabriel or Michael, maybe there's a Greek God or Goddess that can do something."

"There's a limit and you damn well know it," Mine bit out between wracking sobs. "There has to be something there to heal… I can't… I can't feel anything!" She pounded against his chest. Blows so weak he barely felt them. "They're just empty! I'll never see anything ever again!"

She was probably right. She'd been alive longer than him, she'd know more about that sort of stuff.

Even the most powerful healing item he knew about, a Phenoix's Tear, could replace what was lost. Every method of healing Tatsumi knew of required something to be there to heal. It was more like it aided the body in healing itself.

"I've heard Themis can see without sight," Tatsumi whispered quietly, grasping onto anything he thought might help. He'd heard about that from Athena earlier. "Maybe there's some other way to see?"

"Maybe?" Mine sounded unsure of herself but at the same time she sounded better than before. That meant that there was a chance. There was no way to heal her, but perhaps there was some other way for her to regain some sort of vision. "What does it matter? That Titan won't give her secrets out. She's never told anyone how, why would she tell someone like me?"

"Because I'll nag her incessantly until she does," Tatsumi offered. "Or maybe I'll sic Bennia on her."

Mine just scoffed at him, regaining a sliver of her former self. "She'd just swat the both of you like flies and then flick you back to Japan." There was a hint of bitterness in her voice now. "If she doesn't just squash you on the spot."

"You're worth trying."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop being nice to me!"

"Can't do," Tatsumi said as he leaned forward and breathed into the fire pit again. He grabbed the chunk of meat and brought it over to Mine. "Here, some meat. It's not very well cooked, probably still raw inside." The thing was still raw on the inside, which was half the point. A little bit of blood still trickled from the deeper cuts. "But it's something."

Mine wrinkled her nose in disgust, "what is that? It smells like the inside of my shoes."

"You don't want to know," Tatsumi said honestly. If she knew, she probably wouldn't eat it. No, he knew she wouldn't eat it. "But it's literally the only thing I've found that you can eat so it's this or go hungry."

"Can I go hungry?"

Tatsumi was actually a little offended by that. "You'll have to eat it eventually, unless you'd rather starve."

"Might be a better fate if it tastes as bad as it smells," Mine grumbled under her breath. She really knew how to hit him with those jabs. "Fine, feed me."

Tatsumi's lips quirked up into a smile. The old Mine was starting to show through. He knew it would. Even if she wasn't his Mine, she had most of her traits, including her strong will and capability of pushing ahead through even the most difficult of situations.

"I can't guarantee the taste," Tatsumi said as he brought the half-cooked hunk of meat up to her lips.

"Ya, ya," Mine grumbled as she bit into the meat. It was tough, chewy. She fought with it for a bit, shaking her head slightly before she finally managed to rip a piece of it off. A frown creased her face as she chewed and chewed before she finally she gave up and swallowed most of it. "Are you sure you cooked this properly?"

Tatsumi couldn't tell her the truth. "No, I didn't cook it properly. I don't have what's necessary to cook it properly."

"It's still bloody inside and its tough," Mine complained bitterly. She opened her mouth and leaned forward to rip off another bite. A few more chews and she swallowed again. "You're lucky it tastes a lot better than it smells."

"Tastes like chicken?" Tatsumi teased.

"Strangely? Better," Mine said as she leaned forward again for another bite.

Tatsumi just smiled as he helped Mine eat, taking the meat back to the fire at one point to heat it up again. It took the better part of an hour, but Mine finally managed to finish the whole thing. It helped that they had an endless supply of fresh water to help wash it down. It hadn't taken much to make a few hollowed-out rocks and fill them with water.

Just eating and drinking something caused Mine to already look better than before. A little of the proper color had returned to her cheeks and it even some of the bruises were a little less dark than before.

"How bad is it?" Mine asked softly.

"How bad is what?" Tatsumi asked as he leaned forward and breathed more fire into the pit sending a new wave of heat rolling over them.

"Don't tell me you haven't looked," Mine snapped irritably. Her voice was still weak, but it was nice to hear the fire back in it. "You've been ogling my breasts this whole time, I know it. So how is it? How's my chest! How… how bad is it. Everything hurts so I… I can't tell."

"I don't think even Issei could get aroused by this, it's just that bad," Tatsumi said honestly. While Mine did have nice breasts, they weren't nearly as small as her clothes made them seem, it was hard to get aroused when they were varying shades of blue, purple and yellow. "I did what I could to clean the wounds but I needed something. The upper part of your dress wasn't doing much to protect your modesty as it was."

"It hurts to breath." She took a deep breath and a sharp gasp was ripped from her throat.

"At least your lungs don't appear to be punctured," Tatsumi pointed out. She'd be coughing up blood if they were.

"Just everything else," Mine fired back. She shakily reached up and touched the makeshift bandage around her eyes. "What is this? It feels… different. There's some sort of energy flowing through it."

"I didn't have much to work with," Tatsumi said honestly. "I ripped that off the Shroud of Longinus." The rest of it was wrapped around his left arm.

Mine froze, her mouth open as she gaped blindly up at him. When she finally managed to get her voice back it was filled with utter disbelief. "You destroyed a divine artifact just to bandage my eyes?!"

Tatsumi shrugged. It wasn't that big of a deal. Ya, sure, it had divine power flowing through it and it could help him fly without transforming, but that didn't really compare to Mine. "Yes. It's just an artifact."

"It's one of a kind! It can't be duplicated or ever recreated again!"

"You're one of a kind as well, and a fair bit more important to me than some piece of cloth that lets me fly."

Mine buried her face into his chest and pressed her fists into his chest. "I don't get you." Tatsumi barely heard the words. They were barely more than a whisper. He felt fresh tears roll down his chest. "You're insane."

"I'll become as insane as I need to be so long as it gets the two of us out of this place," Tatsumi told her.

"I hate you!" There was no heat in her words. "I hate you. I hate you." She kept whispering those words over and over again until she drifted off asleep again.

"Hate me however much you want, Mine, I'll always protect you," Tatsumi whispered softly.

~o~

Tatsumi awoke to Mine's shivering. He blinked in surprise and realized he'd fallen asleep at some point. The fire in the pit was out but the rocks, glowing hot red from the heat of the flame, had kept them warm for some hours afterwards. That heat however, didn't last forever and the last vestiges of it were fading away.

His body heat in his human form alone wasn't enough to keep Mine warm in this cold, god forsaken cavern. He leaned over her shoulder and breathed deeply into the pit once more, pausing a few seconds before repeating the action, heating the rocks up once more and rekindling the flame that had been burning there before.

Mine's shivering quickly stopped as the air about the warmed up to normal temperatures. It was also enough to rouse the small woman. She groaned as she came took, rubbing her head against his chest from side to side.

"You feeling better?" Tatsumi asked softly.

"Yes, but I still hate you," Mine mumbled as she pushed back just enough to bring them face-to-face. There was a strange expression on her face, like she was trying to figure out just who or what he was and how he fit in the grand scheme of the world. "Who does that? Michael and Gabriel are going to—"

"Do nothing," Tatsumi cut her off. He honestly didn't expect either of them to do more than smile. "If they raise an issue about me destroying an artifact so that I could help save a life… doesn't that sort of go against everything that they stand for?"

"Well, maybe, I guess," Mine said, her voice trailing off. "They are partially insane for giving you it in the first place, and then there was that incident when Gabriel lent you her circlet…" Mine was referring to that battle against Esdeath that ultimately changed everything. She shook her head. "You know, you might be right."

It was nice hearing Mine speak with strength again. She was definitely stronger than before.

"Nothing to worry about now in any case," Tatsumi said. They had far more important things to worry about than a possibly irate Seraph. He grabbed another hunk of meat from beside him and placed it on the long flat stone that stretched across the pit. It began to sizzle immediately filling the frozen cavern with a thick, pungent smell. "How about a bite to eat before we go?"

"Ugh, that really does smell repulsive," Mine grumbled as she wrinkled her nose. "You would never guess it tasted so good."

"It's cooked with love!" Tatsumi said jokingly.

She turned to face him, staring at him with those bandaged eyes. "Searing both sides has got to be the most half-assed love I have ever seen."

"Eh, it fills your belly," Tatsumi said, shrugging lightly. He paused, hesitant to ask. He hoped it worked but the chances were slim. "How… are you feeling?"

She muttered a few choice curses under her breath before she pushed away a bit further, allowing him to fully examine her naked chest. It still looked like someone had stained her chest was blueberry jam but she did look better. Some of the larger lacerations were noticeably smaller and the larger bruise on her left breast, the one over her heart, was now a faint yellow.

"Everything still hurts, but not as much as before," Mine said, "I think I can actually point out parts of my chest that don't hurt now." She paused for a moment before continuing, "we can't stay here forever. We need to find some way back."

"I know, I was waiting for you to be well enough to travel," Tatsumi said as he pulled her close and breathed over her shoulder into the pit. He reached for the hunk of meat and flipped it over onto the other side, causing a fresh batch of popping and sizzling to fill the air. "I can keep you warm enough as we travel, but I need you to be strong enough to hold on, just in case Nidhoggr shows up."

He was down an arm so he needed the other one to fend the dragon off. He couldn't afford to cradle Mine anymore.

"I'm well enough. I won't be babied anymore," Mine said firmly. "After I eat this putrid smelling thing, we can leave."

Tatsumi rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Well, if you insist," he grabbed the hunk of meat off the superheated stone and held it up to her face. "Yum."

It was almost adorable how Mine wrinkled her nose. "It's not even as cooked as last time, is it?"

"Nope."

Mine grumbled but went at it anyways, tearing chunks off the hunk of meat. She was definitely stronger than last time as she managed to chew her way through it this time. There was fresh water to help wash it down as well. It only took Mine a few minutes to go through it this time and with one last gulp of water they were ready to set off.

"So how are we doing this?" Mine asked as Tatsumi helped her to her feet. Her legs trembled and threatened to give way until she glared at them, or at least tried to, and forced them to stop. "As much as I wish otherwise, I don't think I'm going to be able to fly."

"Especially without a top," Tatsumi added. Mine flushed and moved to cover her chest until she realized that it was far too late to worry about something like that and let it drop to her side. "No, I'm going to do the travelling. You just need to hold on."

"Hold on to what?"

"Just wait," Tatsumi said as he wrapped hunks of meat up in what was left of Mine's top. It was dirty but they had no other choice. He pressed them gently against Mine's chest. "Hold onto these for me."

"They smell like…"

"It's dinner, and all we'll have until we get out of this place," Tatsumi said.

He hoped it would be enough to last until they escaped. Tatsumi was very much trying not to think about the possibility that there was no escape. He didn't know where they were. For all he knew Syura dropped them in the middle of the Antarctica. It was summer now in Japan which meant the south pole experienced six months of total darkness. The temperature matched, the snow matched, the perpetual darkness matched...

If the snow storm would just clear up or if the stars would bother to show, both of which had yet to happen, Tatsumi would be able to a clearer idea of where they were.

Until then, he was literally fumbling around in the darkness.

He grabbed the short blade that was Incursio's key and held it out before him. "Giving up is not something Night Raid does."

"Of course not," Mine said, sounding confused by his words.

"Incursio!"

The change happened rapidly as his Tyrant body erupted from within. The frozen cavern was filled with grunts and cracks as Tatsumi morphed and shifted, becoming an enormous dragon like creature covered in thick blue fur and a pair of draconic wings. The Shroud of Longinus that had been wrapped around his left arm shifted as well with the transformation. To Tatsumi surprise instead of expanding to cover the wound, it entered the wound, morphing into a new set of muscle and sinew, serving as a replacement for what had been lost.

"Well that's interesting," Tatsumi rumbled as he flexed his front left leg. There was still some pain, aches and sharp pricks whenever he shifted the muscle in a new and different way, but the strength was all there.

"What is?" Mine asked, looking this way and that despite not being able to see.

"Ah, it's nothing," Tatsumi said quickly.

Mine growled at him. "You can't say it's interesting then say it's nothing! That's a contradiction!"

"Are we going or not?" Tatsumi asked, shifting the subject quickly. He didn't want her to worry about him. She needed to focus on taking care of herself.

Another grumble escaped her lips along with a choice curse or two. With one hand clutching the meat to her chest she reached out with the other, feeling for him. Her hand came upon his fur and she jerked back involuntarily. She reached out again and this time didn't pull away. He could see the surprise on her face as her hand, wrist, even her entire forearm, sank into his fur before her cold hand met his warm skin.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise and wonder.

"I evolve with my surroundings," Tatsumi said easily. "This isn't the first time I've had to survive cold weather like this. The fur keeps me warm, and in conjunction, it will keep you warm as well, so long as you stay beneath it."

"Wish I could see it," Mine whispered.

"Sorry," Tatsumi said.

"Why are you apologizing?" Mine snapped angrily. She grabbed some of his hair and yanked on it causing him to yelp in surprise. "It's that stupid Nidhoggr! I'm going to roast him over a spit!"

"I already called dibs."

"You're going to have to share."

The two paused, staring at each other before they started to laugh. The mood significant lightened after that and Mine allowed Tatsumi to pick her up and set her on his back. She quickly crawled her way up his back and nestled between his shoulder blades and wings, burying herself in his fur. He felt her legs curl around the base of his wings tightly as her hands grasped onto his fur.

"You really are warm," Mine murmured softly. "It feels like I'm wrapped up in a warm cocoon. Why did we need a fire when I could have just had this?"

"Food?"

"Oh, right, that putrid stuff."

Tatsumi just chuckled as he lumbered towards the entrance. It was barely large enough to fit his enormous form and snow had covered it while they had stayed. "It's going to be cold and windy out there, be sure to hang on tight."

"I know how this is done," Mine returned flatly. "I am older than you… wait, am I older than you?"

He could see how it would be confusing. Tatsumi had only lived for thirty-four years, but he wasn't just Tatsumi. He was also the Tyrant, and the Tyrant had lived for much longer than thirty-four years. "If you just count Tatsumi, yes, but what I am now has lived for far longer than you."

"Huh, that's interesting. This isn't so bad then."

Tatsumi paused just shy of the entrance and glanced over his shoulder at the small woman clinging to him. "What's interesting?"

"It's nothing," she said, a wide smile growing on her face. She enjoyed throwing his words back in his face.

"Alright, here we go," Tatsumi rumbled before surging forward.

The snow proved to be no barrier at all. It exploded outwards in an explosion of snow that was quickly swept away by the powerful wind howling in from above. He felt Mine's grip tighten as he rushed across the side of the mountain, kicking up a wave of snow in his passage.

He had no plan, no direction, no goal. He only hoped that by going in one direction that he would eventually end up somewhere that wasn't just mountain, snow and howling wind. The snow helped with that at least. Even though it erased his tracks, his size left a mark long enough for him to ensure that he really was going straight.

It wasn't just one mountain they had to contend with. Every so often the mountain he was on would dip, angle downwards and in the distance, another would rise up. Sometimes they met quickly and Tatsumi could leap across the rocky ravine that separated the two. Other times there was a large gap between the two mountains, and Tatsumi found himself burrowing through the snow.

It was too dangerous to fly. Aside from the winds being even stronger up above, it made them too easy to be spotted.

"You're leaving a very obvious trail!" Tatsumi heard Mine shout over the howling wind at one point.

He knew. It wasn't just the tracks in the snow. His body heat was so intense it was causing the snow that fell on him to melt. In effect it caused streams of water vapor to curl about his form. He stuck out like a sore thumb. That heat had been what Nidhoggr had been able to track him with, even through the total concealment.

"Nothing I can do about it," Tatsumi called back.

The ground rumbled slightly, causing Tatsumi to freeze and Mine to clam up. Nidhoggr was still out there. Was he on the move or was it something else? They paused, waiting, listening. Nothing. Keeping a cautious eye on the sky and his senses open to even the slightest vibrations in the ground, Tatsumi started forward again.

Rumbles came and went several more times as Tatsumi romped across the side of the mountain. It wasn't natural rumbles, Tatsumi knew that after the third time. It felt like it was following them, waiting for just the right time. He sensed that Mine felt the same. She kept quiet but he could feel a slight pulse coming from her chest, as if she was bringing whatever divine power she could muster to the front, just in case.

Their travel was suddenly halted as the mountain came to a sharp end. The entire side of it was sheared off like some enormous sword had cut through it. The mountain that should have been in front of them was gone and the one after that in the distance had suffered a similar fate as the one they were on now.

Between the two carved out mountains was just a large plain of snow. The wind howled across it, picking up and dumping snow in equal amounts as it swept along its way.

"You might get a little wet," Tatsumi rumbled as he stared out across the vast snow plain. If that was as deep as it looked, it would go over his head.

Mine peaked over his shoulder and stared blankly forward before remembering she could no longer see. "I hate this…" he heard her grumble before she ducked back down beneath his fur. "Just do whatever. I want out of here."

With that confirmation Tatsumi spread his wings wide and leapt off the side of the mountain. He struggled against the wind as he used his wings to glide down to the snow below, fighting against the wind's insistent desire to push him to the left. He didn't know what was over there and didn't want to find out. The snow stretched on for as far as he could see until it was swallowed up by the blizzard.

When his feet touched the snow he curled his wings back and dropped. His enormous weight fell through the snow, and kept going. Over his shoulders, head, and more. He kept sinking into the snow and he was about to leap back into the air when he finally stopped, the snow compressed enough to support his weight.

"How deep is this!?" Mine gasped as snow fell across Tatsumi's back. It only lasted a moment before his own body heat melted it.

"Over my head," Tatsumi said as he glanced up. The surface was easily a good thirty or forty feet above his head. "By a lot." At least there wasn't any wind down here.

Tatsumi turned from the surface to the wall of snow in front of him. He'd need to dig their way to the next mountain so that Nidhoggr wouldn't find…

He blinked in surprise. Why were there a pair of ruby red eyes peering up at him from the snow? Realization dawned on him a moment later.

"Shit!" Tatsumi cursed as he jumped back slamming his enormous form into the wall of snow behind him.

"Boo!" Nidhoggr roared as he erupted from the snow below them. The black dragon wasted no time rushing at Tatsumi, putrid smelling saliva dripped from his gaping maw filled with razor sharp teeth.

Tatsumi quickly threw himself to the side, tearing a massive gaping hole in the snow walls in his desperation to escape those teeth. The black dragon didn't slow but simply burrowed into the far snow wall far faster than Tatsumi thought he could, faster than Tatsumi was able to react. Nidhoggr's serpentine body was far more suited for burrowing through this snow than Tatsumi's bulky, muscular one.

"It's him isn't it!?" Mine shouted.

"Yes!"

"I'm going to kill him!"

The snow suddenly shifted beneath him. Tatsumi leapt up just in time to avoid those jagged teeth. He was more prepared this time. His wings snapped wide and hastily beat the air once to hover in place. A thick, fur covered hind claw slammed into Nidhoggr's jaw, snapping it shut and knocking the dragon to the side.

There wasn't much strength behind it and the black dragon recovered almost immediately. The dragon curled around the edge of the basin of snow. It's claws effortlessly grasping at the floor and wall and somehow, not causing it to cave in.

Nidhoggr knew how to traverse this landscape. It was like the bloody dragon lived here.

"I will devour you both!" Nidhoggr roared as it surged forward.

Only to get a face full of pink light. A powerful explosion detonated in the dragon's face, causing more confusion and disorientation than actual pain. The shockwaves shook the deep hole, causing the sides to cave in from above. Snow cascaded down upon them from every direction.

"You can see him?" Tatsumi shouted in surprise as he quickly capitulated on the distraction. He dropped to the snowy floor and dove beneath the long, serpentine body. He raked his front claws across Nidhoggr's soft, exposed underbelly. Warm, fresh blood spilled from the gaping wounds across the snowy battlefield, staining it red.

"I don't need to be able to see him!" Mine shouted back, barely heard of the roar of anger and pain erupting from Nidhoggr's mouth. "I can smell his breath! It's worse than that meat you cooked!" She emphasized that point by firing several more pink lances of light up at where she thought Nidhoggr was. Some of them missed and punched their way up through the snow into the sky beyond, but most of them hit their target.

Unfortunately they didn't do much more than annoy the dragon. Tatsumi leapt out of the way as narrowly avoiding a large, clawed hand as Nidhoggr tried to rake his face. Another claw came at him and Tatsumi grabbed the forequarter before it could land. He struggled, holding it at bay within his own clawed grip. Nidhoggr was strong but Tatsumi was stronger still. He flared his life force, touki surged through his body, strengthened his muscles. The air around him became super heated, causing the snow the vaporize beneath him. A boiling pool of water atop what seemed like an endless pit of snow. Every second the two dragons sunk deeper into the snow as the boiling water melted more and more snow, creating an ever deeper and larger pool of water.

Even the snow raining down from above shifted, melted before it reached them became a gentle rain instead of blowing snow.

Nidhoggr wasn't to be outdone by just that however. If one claw was immobilized, so what? It had three more. It slithered through the rapidly rising pool of water, striking at Tatsumi with all four claws. Tatsumi quickly found himself on the defensive as he batted away, dodged and redirected Nidhoggr's attempts to tear him limb from limb.

The water bubbled and steamed as the two fought back and forth. Wrestling across the makeshift pond. Rain fell from above, the sides of the snow pit melted and froze, and melted again. Water was whipped about in streams and waves. It was all Mine could do to hold on.

So focused on the claws Tatsumi never noticed the tail until it wrapped around his leg.

"Got you now!" Nidhoggr roared triumphantly as he whipped Tatsumi around the bubbling pool and through him into the side of the snow pit. The wall gave in, compressing beneath Tatsumi's massive weight and size.

His heart was seized by a cold fear as a sharp cry of pain was ripped from behind him.

Tatsumi quickly leaned forward and threw a hurried look over his shoulder. "Mine, are you alright?"

"Gah! Ow! I'm totally going to kill that piece of shit!" Mine cursed and coughed. He could feel her body tremble in pain against his back. She was not alright.

"No, I'm going to eat you, and it's going to be the most delicious thing I've had in centuries," Nidhoggr said as it swam towards them.

They were at a disadvantage here. From what he'd seen, he could beat Nidhoggr, but he needed room, space, and more importantly, not to have Mine clinging to his back. His options were too limited with her there. He couldn't take risks, and even the smallest mistake could kill her in her condition.

Seeing Nidhoggr swim towards him gave Tatsumi an idea. He burst out from the pit in the wall and splashed across the water. Nidhoggr surged forward, his mouth wide, acid dripping from his wicked teeth. Tatsumi threw himself into the air, narrowly avoiding that gaping maw. Nidhoggr twisted in the water and tried to follow but Tatsumi had other ideas. He twisted around the black dragon and slammed him back into the water, forcing the entire length of twenty-meter dragon beneath it.

Perfect! Nidhoggr roared painfully as Tatsumi's claws punched through his scales and dug into his flesh.

With all his strength Tatsumi leapt from the impromptu lake once more only this time he kept going. He soared up out of the deep pit of snow with Nidhoggr gripped tightly within in his claws. The black dragon tried to twist around to snap at him, use his own four wings to redirect Tatsumi, but Tatsumi was far stronger. The Tyrant's full strength pushed beyond the limit by touki was more than what Nidhoggr could fight against.

He wasn't without options though, and Tatsumi hissed in pain as the dragon twisted around and bit his hind leg. Sharp pain lanced across his chest as Nidhoggr's claws dug deep gouges into him.

It was too little, too late though. They erupted from below the surface and were once again fully exposed to the storm. Tatsumi released Nidhoggr and blurred around behind Nidhoggr so quickly he left behind an after image. Before the ancient wyrm could react Tatsumi grasped Nidhoggr by the tail and spun.

"Freeze!" Tatsumi roared as hurled Nidhoggr as far away as he could.

Tatsumi was heat personified right then. The air couldn't freeze him. Wet, even as they were, his body temperature was such that the frigid air couldn't make the water more than simply unpleasant.

Nidhoggr was different. He wasn't particularly warm, he was just immune to the cold.

He could see the look of shock and then horror on Nidhoggr's face as the completely soaking wet dragon was consumed by a frigid blizzard intense enough to freeze the water on his scales in an instant. It was more a giant block of ice than a black dragon that fell to the ground. When it slammed into the snow covered ground it sank deep, disappearing from sight.

Tatsumi contemplated going after him, seeing if he could finish the dragon off, but decided not to. That ice was little more than a temporary prison. Nidhoggr was still fine beneath it. They needed to find another place to hide before Nidhoggr broke free.

But with that menace temporarily taken care of, there was no longer any need to crawl through the snow. Tatsumi turned to face the far mountain and took of towards it. Right now, haste was more important than stealth.

~o~

Tatsumi couldn't tell if they were lucky or not. They were trapped in some unknown frozen hellscape with a dangerous, powerful dragon hoping to eat them constantly chasing them all over the place. Not something most people would consider lucky, and Tatsumi was the same, yet finding another cave like the first so soon after leaving a frozen Nidhoggr behind wasn't just fortuitous, but damn near miraculous.

The entrance was just there, gaping up at him from the side of the mountain as if it was inviting them inside.

If they weren't so desperate for any sort of shelter, Tatsumi would have avoided it out of pure suspicion. But they needed to get out of the wind and the snow. He needed time to rest a bit. That fight with Nidhoggr had taken more out of him than he thought.

A by-product of having nothing to eat since leaving Japan. He couldn't let Mine know and kept his stomach under strict control. He needed her to think that he was eating just fine.

Tatsumi quickly got to work inside the cave. Melting the icy floor until he found a nice spot. A small dip in the ground that put his back against rock. He dug a deep pit in the rock where he could create fill with flames. Mine climbed off him, allowing him to transform back into a human form.

"Another cave," Mine said as she twisted her head this way and that. A habit from when she could still see. "Is it any different than the other?"

"An ice cave is an ice cave," Tatsumi said, as he wrapped an arm around Mine and pulled her close against his chest. He eased the both of them down into a sitting position beside the fire pit. "There's no wind, plenty of fresh water, and there's a pit for me to make a fire. Can't really ask for much more than that."

"Right," Mine said as she set the wrapped up hunks of meat beside them. "So now what? Do you have any plans for that stupid dragon?"

"Run until you're strong enough not to need me to carry you, then cook it from the inside out." Tatsumi didn't really take himself as a cannibal, but he was willing to make an exception this one time.

"I get first bite."

It helped that Mine shared his opinion about eating Nidhoggr.

"Probably won't taste good," Tatsumi mused before blowing more fire into the pit, stoking the flames higher.

"It's not about the taste, it's about the principle," Mine said haughtily. She suddenly started to shiver violently. "G-g-getting e-eaten after t-t-talking about e-e-eating s-s-serves him r-r-right!" Her teeth chattered with each word.

Tatsumi quickly wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her up and down. "You're freezing!" Was he and the fire not enough? The air was almost too warm for Tatsumi.

"I-I-It's n-n-not m-m-my b-b-back you d-d-dummy!" Mine chattered. She twisted around in his embrace and pulled at her dress. "L-L-Legs… c-c-cold!"

Tatsumi understood. Her clothes were soaking wet. They needed to be dried out. Wearing them was only causing that to take longer, and keeping her cold in the process.

"I'm sorry, Mine," Tatsumi apologized as he grabbed the skirt of her dress and pulled it down her legs. She simply flushed in embarrassment and looked away, making no effort to stop him. He pulled her boots and stockings off, setting them next to the fire pit before going to her panties. There he stopped, unsure.

"Coward," Mine snapped as she grabbed her own panties and pulled them down her legs. She dangled them in the air in front of his face. "Dry them with the others."

Tatsumi could only swallow hard as he took her wet panties and set them beside her skirt. He became overwhelming self-conscious of the fact that Mine was utterly naked in his arms.

"Aren't you supposed to warm me up?" Mine demanded imperiously. "Some man you are. You're the one with hands like a furnace!"

"Sorry," Tatsumi said. He was apologizing a lot today. This entire situation made him uncomfortable. With Mine like this, naked in his arms, Tatsumi couldn't help be reminded of another Mine. Where did this one end and that one begin? They were so similar in so many ways that naked like this, Tatsumi couldn't tell the difference.

"Your hands aren't moving."

Tatsumi swallowed and forced those thoughts down. That wasn't important. There was a comrade in his arms freezing to death. He had to do what he could for her. His hands rubbed across her body, pausing only briefly before they dipped over her rear and down her legs. Her entire body was chilled and Tatsumi did what he could to fix that. His hands roamed everywhere, her feet, calves, thighs, and even between her legs. She didn't complain, simply letting out soft, pleasant moans as his hands brought warmth back to the cold and intimate places of her body.

He only hoped he'd survive the night without giving into his urges.

Author's Note: Shit's starting to hit the fan again! Things have been going well enough long enough. Time to make things rough again. He himself doesn't have much left to lose, save for the people he cares about. So… will Mine survive? If she does will she be crippled forever? What shall happen?

Let me know what you think in a review!