Day 2
Wooden flooring creaked under the weight of the Praetor Suit as the scenery changed, the outdoors of Lilith's stone entrance morphing into the indoors of the city's prized Citadel. There was a proceeding flash of colorful light from behind the Slayer, then the immediate cessation of the inherent energetic hum that came with magic. The Slayer's thoughts swirled as Tannin's Dragon Gate dissipated, misting away into nothingness.
He had four reasons for being here. At first, the only inclinations for his presence were to inquire about information regarding his lost belongings. But now, after seeing the extent of Sentinel-esque technology in this city and possibly all of devil civilization, he had to know more about it, and about the agenda of the devils as a whole. On top of that, he was secondarily interested in what the top brass had to say to him.
The Slayer assessed his surroundings with laser focus as his companions walked past him.
Starting with the room's structure, the entirety of the room was meticulously designed to be half office, half laboratory. On the left, main side of the room, the flooring was a dark, reddish-brown vinyl, the walls a plain white, and the ceiling: an array of black reflective tiles with lights lining the borders of each individual tile. The ceiling was low, only about ten feet in height. Halfway across the room, on the other side of a wall of glass, the structure changed from the cozy modernistic design to a sterile laboratory white. There was an array of cabinets and drawers, and an island in the middle of the laboratory, atop which sat several technological devices.
On the office side of the room, near the center was a lounge setup consisting of a two-by-six foot monobloc coffee table on which either side sat comfortable-looking three-seating contemporary sofas. Tiamat approached the nearest one, her tail lazily dragging across the floor.
Near the back of the room was a single L-shaped desk, atop which sat a stack of papers, a computational device, and a small potted aloe plant.
Eventually, the Slayer's gaze fell behind the desk. There, a young-looking man sat, hands concealed by green aristocratic robes in stark contrast to the environment that surrounded him. His green hair was slicked back, and his eyes held a certain glint in them as he stared down at a thick stack of documents.
It was Ajuka Beelzebub, a Satan. Powerful in politics, economy, and supposedly in battle. Sole creator of the Evil Pieces.
The Slayer's eyes narrowed slightly. From what Tiamat's memories told him, the Evil Pieces were tools used to reincarnate different races as devils in order to replenish the dwindled devil population. The Evil Pieces were also tools of enslavement. It was unfortunate, but almost every civilization in the multiverse has had slaves at one point. Whether the Slayer did anything was dependent on how the slaves were treated.
Suddenly, Ajuka raised his head as he took notice of the new presence in the room, and the lour look on his face became a practiced smile as Tannin approached him. However, as he opened his mouth to say something, he turned his head just slightly, and for a mere instant, the Slayer's gaze met his. When the devil froze in place, only the Slayer noticed.
Fortunately, after a brief moment in which the Satan and the Slayer stared one another down, Ajuka took a subtle breath and looked away, an utterly confounded look on his face. The Slayer inwardly frowned at that.
If there was one thing he lamented about this universe so far, it was the fact that the denizens of this world could sense auras and energy, something that he himself could barely do. He didn't even know what his own looked like, but from the reactions of those he'd met so far—monsters included—it was enough to make people go ballistic—and damn was that annoying.
The Slayer continued to observe Ajuka as the devil came upon the same revelation that Tannin had. Rather than showing fear or apprehension, however, Ajuka's eyes twinkled in excitement.
His attention was taken off the Slayer when Tannin stopped in front of his desk. "Ah, Tannin, you're back—"
He was cut off when Tannin slammed his claws down on the desk. "Do. Not." he growled. "You owe me."
Ajuka blinked "Er...what happened?"
Tannin huffed. "All you need to know is that over five-hundred are unconscious, more than fifty of whom are High-Class devils and one of whom is an Ultimate-Class. Two Blood Marines and a Crimson Giant are out of commission, and half a kilometer of sector eleven's defenses have been totally obliterated, including two U-Class EBCs. Worse than that, we have a massive political storm brewing in our hands that is likely to explode very soon. Had I not been there, things would have been much, much worse." The dragon took a deep breath to calm himself. "Miraculously, nobody died."
There was a pregnant pause as Ajuka processed the information. A less-than-regal smirk manifested on his face. "Really now? Better and better..." He gave the dragon a knowing, sympathetic look. "What do I owe you?"
Tannin rubbed a claw under his chin roguishly. After a moment, he gave Ajuka a grin. "Get me a six-pack Fourteen-Hundred Sixty-Two BCE Dragon Apple Aqua Vitae on our next outing to the Sinner's Circle. Then I'll call us even."
"What!? You can't be serious. What happened out there?"
Tannin grunted. "I prevented our Armageddon is what happened. Frankly, had you informed me of the matter before sending your own men into a potential meat grinder, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Oh," Ajuka uttered, deflating slightly. He shrugged. "I suppose it can't be helped then; Fine, I'll get you that fixing of yours."
The Slayer raised a brow at their conversation. Clearly, Tannin and Ajuka had more than just a relationship between coworkers.
Tannin grinned. "Wonderful. Now." He turned halfway towards the Slayer and Tiamat. "I'll give a full report to Falbium later, but enough about that. I've got a migraine to still, and you've got to go on and greet your guests. It would be rude otherwise, no?"
"Of course." With that affirmative, the Satan faced his guests. The Slayer stared at Ajuka as the man went over to Tiamat, who now sat relaxed on one of the couches.
"Tiamat," he started amicably. "It's been a while. How are you?"
Tiamat grinned. "I've done well enough. Things have been getting more exciting recently. What about yourself?"
There was a noticeable pause in the conversation as Ajuka stared at Tiamat analytically, his lips parted slightly. The Slayer could see the surprise in his eyes, but at what, he wasn't sure. The excitement grew further.
"Good. I'm doing fine," The Beelzebub replied. "I see that you've kept well on your promise."
"Please, it was all too easy. Even Master was able to hold back against them," she said smugly. "Oh, right." She looked over her shoulder, quickly zeroing in on the Slayer. "Master, over here please," she beckoned.
The Slayer grunted, finally being addressed for the first time since he'd entered the room. He walked over, his gaze never leaving Ajuka's form. The man only smiled cautiously.
As the Slayer stood himself adjacent to Tiamat, the dragon woman rose and placed herself between the Slayer and the Satan. She cleared her throat. "Master, this," she gestured toward the Satan, "is Ajuka, a Satan of the Underworld. Ajuka, this," she gestured toward the Slayer, "is my Master—the Doom Slayer."
"I figured as much," Ajuka quipped. Finally, he faced the Slayer, incandescent with excitement. "Greetings, Doom Slayer. I am Ajuka Beelzebub—Chief Advisor of Technology here in the Underworld. I formally welcome you to Lilith. Hopefully, we will walk away from each other on good terms."
The Slayer stood there for a moment. He looked the man up and down without moving his head. Before the silence became awkward, the Slayer nodded.
Satisfied, Ajuka hummed. "You don't talk much, do you...? Now, I'm sure you're wondering why you're here. Obviously, it has to do with your arrival and the...problems that it caused. But, before we start, my colleagues should be here in just a minute, so please, make yourself comfortable while we wait."
Colleagues? The other Satans.
The Slayer huffed an affirmative. He turned when he felt a tug on his gauntlet, and he looked over to see Tiamat rubbing the spot next to her with a kind smile on her face.
"Come sit next to me, Master. Don't make your familiar sit alone."
The Slayer complied with a huff, begrudgingly making his way over. The moment he sat down the sofa made a concerning groan under their combined weight. Tiamat crossed one leg over the other and stifled a soft giggle at that. Ajuka settled himself on the sofa across from them, an amused but intrigued look on his face.
When Ajuka caught the Slayer's stare, he waved in a placating manner. "Oh don't mind me, I just..." His amusement soon became apprehension. "Can I discuss something with you, Doom Slayer—may I call you Slayer?"
The Slayer nodded.
Ajuka licked his lips. "Okay, let me start with this. You...are absolutely fascinating." The excited gleam in Ajuka's eyes suddenly made sense. "Now, I'm normally never this open with people I first meet—I like to keep a mysterious, devilish appearance," he chuckled.
Tannin groaned in the background.
Ajuka ignored it. "But I have a feeling that you are a really straightforward man."
Ajuka could feel the Slayer squinting at him.
"Right...I'll be honest—you are the most interesting thing that has ever happened since Rias's eighteenth birthday party, and I am absolutely invested. I've never even heard of you until today, and after Tannin explained some, I decided to dig up some old texts to figure out who you were. Lo and behold, I found one particularly interesting text among the rest. One that details about a man from beyond the stars coming to rip and tear the darkness from our world."
Tiamat suddenly straightened in her seat. She raised a brow. "Someone wrote a book about Master?"
"Well...to be honest, they never actually name the man in the book, and it's less of a book, more of an old journal," Ajuka replied sheepishly. With a wave of his hand, the object in question appeared from a green magic circle in his palm. It was small and worn out, and looked like it could fall apart at any moment. "I don't know why, but it jumped out at me, and from what little Tannin told me, I managed to connect the dots. Careful, it's fragile and ancient."
Without a word, Ajuka got up and handed it to Tiamat before sitting back down. The dragon's eyes widened slightly at the cover. "What the... This is written by the original Lucifer."
"I know—strange isn't it?" Ajuka admitted, gesturing into empty space. "Who knew someone like him would keep a journal, especially in those times."
"I knew about it." Everyone looked at Tannin, who now stood behind Ajuka with his arms folded, eyes closed. "You know, Ajuka, I have told you earlier, didn't I? I was there. In fact, I had to fight side-by-side with Lucifer himself to survive."
Tiamat tilted her head. "What are you talking about? When did you ever fight alongside Lucifer?"
"You don't know? That journal was written during the Invasion, Tia," Tannin explained. Tiamat let out a near-silent gasp. The journal almost slipped from her fingers.
Tannin huffed when he saw that she understood. "Lucifer never intended for it to be seen, because he never thought we'd survive long enough for it to be read. I only managed to glimpse it once when we had been sitting next to each other at the last stronghold. You know the one—you were there after all. He decided that since we were going down anyway, he might as well tell me about it."
"Huh? But why didn't you say anything then?" Ajuka asked, perplexed. Tannin's eyes opened. There was a fiery intensity in them. The Slayer immediately felt some kind of kindred spirit within them.
"Because, Ajuka, those are memories I never wanted to dig up," he growled. "But. I suppose it can't be helped now that the Slayer has returned." He looked at Tiamat, who seemed upset. "Will you still read it, Tia? Even if Lucifer detailed on everything that happened? I guarantee there will be some...unpleasant memories in there."
At that, Tiamat silently swallowed. "I...on second thought, I think I'll pass. Here you go, Ajuka."
The devil in question blinked when Tiamat set the book on the table in front of him. "Oh. Sure."
With a wave of his hand, it disappeared. He cleared his throat. "Um, where was I?"
"Something about ripping and tearing darkness?" Tannin grunted.
"Ah, right," Ajuka nodded. It took him a moment to get his bearings and return his attention to the Slayer. "At first, I thought you were just another supernatural. But when I read about the Invasion... In his journal, Lucifer sporadically wrote about this recurring figure who would randomly appear. Seemingly a man, he'd face off against entire armies of the damned alone and wipe them out without a sweat—something the strongest beings at the time could barely manage. After that, he'd disappear for a time, only to reappear time and again to save thousands from a fate worse than death."
He shook his head. "It was hard to imagine, but here's what really got me—this man, whoever or whatever he was, single-handedly stopped an invasion that managed to pretty much destroy the world, but instead of stopping, he throws himself through a dimensional portal, leaving no trace of his existence behind. He didn't stop for tea or a break, he didn't even get a reward or a thanks for saving the planet. He just up and left like it was all ephemeral to him." As he spoke, Tannin walked sat down next to him. The Dragon gave him a look, but he didn't notice. "Clearly, there was something going on. Nobody in the world knew who this man was were before the Invasion, and from the way he fought, he had a history with these monsters. That brings up so many questions—what was his deal?"
The Slayer didn't move. When he stayed silent, Ajuka kept going. "What I'm getting at is that we know that you are the man in the journal, Slayer, and you seem to be a very complex individual. When you appeared yesterday, you showed us that you were full of malice and hate, and yet despite how malicious you feel, you have the Chaos Karma Dragon as a traveling companion. On top of that, you managed to consensually obtain the offspring of a dryad, a feat impossible for anyone without a pure heart."
He paused. "You did receive a dryad seed, did you not?"
The Slayer stared for a moment. Slowly, he pulled the seed from one of his hip pouches. The runes glowed brightly in his hand.
Ajuka stared intensely at it. "Fascinating."
He cleared his throat as the Slayer deposited the offspring. "Now, when we put this all together, we get this confusing jumble of a story with a ton of questions. Where did you go for five-thousand years? Why have you returned? Where are you from? Why are you so angry? And the biggest question of all, who are you?"
Ajuka raised both hands placatingly before the Slayer reacted. "Now I know this story isn't going to be chucked into my lap. But since you, Slayer, are a real, genuine good guy—something that's rare among the supernatural nowadays, I want to be there as the mystery of the question unravels. I want to see who you are, Slayer, I want to see what motivates you, what brings you to this world, because you are a very interesting specimen, and I like to keep interesting company."
"..." The Slayer took a moment to process what Ajuka said. It sounded like he just regurgitated words all over the place without actually constructing any meaningful conclusion. Questioningly, he gave Tannin a look.
The dragon sighed. "I should have warned you—Lord Ajuka always gets like this when he's bored. What he is trying to say is that, despite only having just met you, he'd like to befriend you. You see, in this world, you can never have enough allies. There are many powerful players in the field, and they are always moving around—it's good to keep an eye on them, but it's hard sometimes to tell what they will do. Even your allies are prone to turning around and stabbing you in the back if it's to their benefit."
He crossed his arms. "But you, Slayer, you are new here. A fresh player, and an extremely powerful one at that. One that I'm sure will shake the world with his movements. But as you are new, you have no ties, but your motivations, both past and present seemed noble. To make an ally of you would be an outstanding move, and since your past actions during the Invasion and your possession Dryad Seed proves your goodness, Ajuka has faith that you aren't one of the greedy bastards out there—you're a genuine 'good-guy', a blessing in this cruel world. Also, he is fascinated by your story and the mystery that surrounds you, so he'd like to jump on the train and see where it takes him."
The dragon looked down and closed his eyes. "And if I were honest, so would I. It would be an honor to be allies with someone as noble and righteous as yourself, Lord Slayer."
Ajuka rolled his eyes. "Yes, basically what he said. As I said earlier; I hope that we can walk away from the meeting today on more than just good terms."
The Slayer gave both devils a distant stare. His thoughts swirled, piecing together their thoughts and intentions. After everything he'd been through, he had at some point become a good judge of character. Both Ajuka and Tannin seemed okay, but still. He nudged Tiamat after a moment. That dragon raised a brow at him, then nodded in understanding.
Tiamat looked at Ajuka and Tannin. "How can he be sure of your own intentions? How can he know that you won't attempt to manipulate him?"
Ajuka looked caught off guard for a second. "I...I know what you must think of us devils. We are, of course, beings born of sin. My word means nothing to you, I'm sure of that also. But at the end of the day, you could always rip my arms off if you were so displeased."
The Slayer huffed at that. That was true. And it wasn't like he was asking to be a political ally neither. Just an ally like...a friend.
A friend, huh? That's a word the Slayer had never attributed to someone in a long, long time. He suddenly remembered his realization from when he'd met Tiamat—the realization that he could finally find companions once more without running the risk of inevitably losing them in his crusade against the demons.
"..."
The Slayer looked at Tiamat once more. She nodded in understanding, then turned back to Ajuka and Tannin.
"Master has no qualms with making companions. He is willing to befriend you, but know this—though he'd be willing to aid you in endeavors here or there, trust comes with time." Suddenly, her tone became a snarl. "Betray his trust, attempt to use him in any way, and he won't hesitate to RIP AND TEAR!" She used her dragon voice for that last part.
Both the Beelzebub and the Blaze Meteor Dragon jumped in their seats at the sudden outburst.
"Erm...well understood, Slayer," Ajuka replied, recovering quickly. "So, you'd be willing to make companions so easily?"
The Slayer merely shrugged. Was there an issue with something like that? Beyond his inherent rage, pessimism, and cynicism, of course.
"Huh. Well then, if that's truly the case, how about we make this the start of a beautiful friendship?" Ajuka smirked, "Tannin and I are going to be attending a rating game that has been, well, with your arrival, delayed until a week from now. Would you like to join us? You'll get VIP seating~" he sing-songed that last part. "On top of that, Tiamat will be there as security—It's her job. You will, won't you Tiamat?"
The dragon blinked. "Huh? Oh, yes. I will be there. The one between Diehauser Belial and Bedeze Abaddon, correct?"
"Yes, that is the one."
Rating games? Aren't those the arena sports that devils had? That sounded like it could be enjoyable. The Slayer huffed. He felt like rolling his eyes for even entertaining the idea of doing this.
He had to remind himself; the demons are gone, Hell is destroyed, Davoth is dead. His mission is over, and with that, he had nothing left to lose—only things to gain. Why not relax and have a bit of fun, make some new companions along the way, even if his inherent rage mitigated that to a degree? On top of that, if Tiamat must be there, then why not he as well?
Almost sighing, he gave a final nod. At that, Tannin and Ajuka grinned at one another. The Slayer immediately pondered whether this was some kind of setup. Regardless of whether it was, he would see it through.
After a short amount of time in which Tannin and Ajuka chose to have an argument over the difference between a hotdog and a sandwich, there was a sudden, heavy knocking against the front door that grabbed everyone's attention.
"Juka-tan! We're here!" a cheery, feminine voice chimed through the door. The Slayer tilted his head at the voice. It sounded like a child's, yet also an adult's at the same time.
"Ah, that is quite the horrible timing," Ajuka frowned. "I was just about to win the argument."
Tannin crossed his arms. "As if you were."
Ajuka opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off by the sound of another, harder, much more querulous boom against the wooden door, its hinges rattling as the material bent. The Satan shot to his feet, the Slayer slowly standing with him out of curiosity and slight alarm.
"C'mon, Juka-tan! Open the doooooooooorrrr."
"Ajuka," another voice, this one definitely male and mature, yet still young, spoke, "I recommend you open up, or Serafall will turn your door into splinters."
"Zexy-Zechs is right y'know. I won't hold back."
Was there a child behind that door? Or an adult?
Ajuka paled, then brushed past the Slayer. Tannin chuckled knowingly as the Slayer faced the door fully, taking a single step from the couch.
"Hold on! I'm coming—be patient," Ajuka cried, hand on the door-knob. Hastily, he pulled the door open.
"Finally!" The Slayer watched curiously as a short young woman in her late teens with black hair tied into twin tails and blue eyes entered the room, accompanied by a tall, armored man with shoulder length crimson-red hair and blue-green eyes, the girl almost dancing excitedly, the man smiling in amusement. "Now, where is he..."
It took only a second for the girl to zero in on the Slayer. The moment her eyes fell on him, they widened comically, presumably due in no small part to the Slayer's quasar-like energy. But immediately after recovering from the blinding light, rather than backing away or quieting down, she stepped forward.
"YOU!" she shouted, pointing a finger, her eyebrows knit like a child's.
"..."
It was at this moment that the Slayer realized that this girl—this woman had been dubbed Serafall by the red-haired man, and that Serafall, according to Tiamat's memories was the Great Satan of foreign affairs. The Slayer's immediately proceeding thoughts were that this girl had bigger balls than everyone he'd met on this world so far. That, or she was stupid.
"Oh dear," Ajuka muttered.
Serafall ignored anything and everything, her angry eyes set solely on the Slayer. The Slayer did nothing but stare back, fists clenched, prepared for anything.
"YOU!" she reiterated. "I'm not sure whether to be excited or angry—on one hand, you're an actual, honest to Lucifer space marine. Gah, that's so cool!" she squealed, her frown morphing into a grin. The Slayer nearly flinched at the annoying sound.
Just as quickly, her smile became a frown again. "Do you know how many problems you've caused!?" she cried, slowly approaching him. Out of the corner of his eye, the Slayer noticed Tiamat stand suddenly. From across the coffee table, Tannin was attempting to stifle laughter. "Ever since you've appeared on our world, I've had to work twenty-four hours a day! TWENTY! FOUR! And that's not healthy y'know? I mean, look at me!"
The childish Satan ran her hands along her petite frame. "I'm tiny! And yet YOU have placed such weight—the stress of political responsibility on these little stick-shoulders." She pouted in a supposedly cute and endearing manner. "I feel like I might snap like a twig, y'know?"
The Slayer said nothing, prompting her to pout harder. She began pounding her fists on the Praetor Suit. It was here where the Slayer's annoyance truly began to rise.
"Ne, aren't you supposed to apologize and tell me you'll make it up to me, or something!?" she cried. This was one of the Satans? He had no words. And yet, when he looked into her eyes, beyond the mischief he saw a gleam indicative of heightened intelligence. "C'mon, I'm a cute magical girl—Sera-tan! Cut me some slack. Hey, say something man—"
Swift, the Slayer stopped both of her teenage fists with ease, a twitch in his brow. He made to push her back, but was halted by a loud crack. He let go, and Serafall stumbled back voluntarily, whimpering as she clutched her smoking head.
"Ow...who did that!?"
The Slayer turned to Tiamat, nonplussed to see her hand also smoking. She clicked her tongue. "Calm down already."
Her tone was like a mother's chastising her child, despite the blow that could've killed any normal man.
Against the Slayer's expectations, when Serafall's eyes fell on the dragon, they lit up excitedly. Were those literal stars in the Satan's eyes?
"Tia-tan! You're safe!" Serafall pounced on Tiamat, wrapping her arms around the woman in a loving, excited hug. "And your boobs are still big and squishy! They haven't started sagging yet—I'm glad."
At that point, Tannin proceeded to fail at stifling his laughter.
Tiamat put a hand on Serafall's head and tried to push her off. "And you're still annoying. And short."
The Slayer blinked. What the hell was happening?
As the hugging between Serafall and Tiamat devolved into a wrestling match, the Slayer's attention was drawn away by the crimson-haired man, who approached with a smile.
"Don't mind Serafall—she's just excitable like that," he said. The Slayer looked at him in a dry, questioning manner. The man laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it given enough time."
The Slayer looked at the woman again. She was currently riding piggy-back style on Tiamat's back. He looked back at the red-haired man, who pretended not to notice the ongoing rodeo in the background.
"Anyways, I am Sirzechs Lucifer, but you can just call me Sirzechs."
The Slayer's tilted his head ever so slightly. So, this was the Devil King himself? He looked into the man's eyes, but saw only an intrinsic compassion behind a strong, calculative, and powerful gaze. From what he'd seen so far, the Slayer wasn't surprised.
Even so, the juxtaposition of such an idea made him want to punch something. He didn't show it.
The man fidgeted in place slightly. "I suppose I should say it's an honor to meet you, Doom Slayer. I mean, really it is. My parents are...big fans of yours."
"..."
"Honestly, you are a nearly forgotten legend among the Gremory clan. It was only because it was driven into my head that I know our family owes you a great deal," Sirzechs praised. "See, I know about the Invasion—I did my research. Personally I wanted to thank you. Your efforts saved my parents from certain death."
"..."
The Slayer merely gave a nod. Pleased, Sirzechs replied with his own.
"Hey, Sirzechs." Both Sirzechs and the Slayer turned to Ajuka, who stepped around the quarreling Tiamat and Serafall. "Where's Grayfia?"
At those words, Sirzechs blanched. "Er...don't tell her I'm here. She'll chew me up for sure!" he pleaded, waving his arms. "Anyways, shouldn't we get this meeting started?"
The Slayer found himself more than willing to agree.
After separating the clash between dragon and Satan, Serafall properly introduced herself, a process that involved an abundance of pink and an absolute cornucopia of sparkling, glittering particles. It didn't take too long for everyone to settle down after that, and eventually the impromptu meeting was under way.
Once again, the Slayer found himself on one sofa with Tiamat while the three Satans sat on the other, Tannin standing nearby. Apparently the fourth Satan refused to come—for what reason, it was unclear.
Compared to before, the atmosphere was now much more significantly consequential, serious expressions all across the board, even on Serafall's. It seemed that when it came down to it, the Satans were still professional political leaders, and for that, the Slayer found himself much thankful.
"We'll make this meeting very quick, because time is not on our side," Sirzechs spoke, the face of gravity. "Here's the deal, Doom Slayer. Malevolent or not, your arrival on this world has upset a certain balance between factions. As I'm sure you know, when you first appeared, you let out a burst of malicious energy that brought the jeopardized the peace. Before we continue, you must make it clear. Was this intentional?"
The Slayer shook his head. Had it been intentional, he wouldn't be having this conversation for sure.
Sirzechs's expression didn't change. "Very well. As I was saying, the burst of energy jeopardized the peace, and now every last faction, including the vampires and even the yokai, are currently on the brink of war with one another. Without clear information on the origins of the 'attack', factions have started blaming each other, and in the past two days, things have only gotten worse. If something isn't done soon, we might see a full-scale global war soon—in all dimensions."
The Slayer's fists clenched. He caused that? Fucking hell.
When it comes to warfare between two nations, the Slayer refuses to take any part in it. The quarrels of different countries are between those countries only. But if a war is about to begin because of him? Something must be done.
"Essentially, what I'm saying is that if you don't take responsibility for the incident—there will be blood." He said. "For now, what we need from you are two little things: One, we need to know what your true intentions are. Two, we must know what Tiamat's intentions are. Three, we must know if you'll take responsibility. If so, Serafall can help you with that—without any political ties of course. That is all."
The Slayer and his familiar looked at one another at the same time, a silent conversation passing between them. There was no need to think too hard about it. They'd already been through this with Tannin after all.
Tiamat cleared her throat. "Beyond the return of his belongings, Master seeks only to purge the evil from the world. Otherwise, he wishes to live as he pleases. That is all. As for me, I only wish to live and grow with Master, and see where our adventures may take us. When it comes to taking responsibility for this mess," she waited for her master to nod, "as long as his name is tied to no nation, he is willing to do it."
"Are you sure?" Serafall asked suddenly. "Although I can help with your debut, I must advise you. Your earlier skirmish with the guards on Lilith's walls have sparked much political unrest amongst devil society, especially in aristocratic society. With a name and face to pin the blame on, they will undoubtedly send after you. We will not be able to stop them, but we won't assist them either. The same goes for the rest of the supernatural world."
The Slayer merely cracked his knuckles, the pops rebounding off the walls raucously, a cold, unforgiving glare in his eyes. Despite barely being able to see his face, the devils in the room shuddered. If anyone came at him with a malicious intent to kill, then he would retaliate without mercy. In fact, there are a few scumbags out there that he'd totally be willing to contend with. When he's done with them, the world will be a better place. It's as simple as that.
"Very well," Sirzechs smirked. "We will begin preparations for your debut immediately. The quicker we can get this mess solved, the better—"
"Wait." Tiamat splayed her fingers in a halt. The devils looked at her. "In return for helping you, Master has a couple requests as well."
Sirzechs grunted, his eyes finding the Slayer. The Slayer huffed. "Fair enough. Fire away."
"First, what is the overall goal of the devils?" she inquired.
"Easy," Tannin stepped in. "Survival. Nowadays, the devil population wears thin, so it is in our best interest to stay well away from conflict and focus on replenishing our numbers since the last war. Otherwise, we seek the peace, prosperity, and the expansion of our people."
Good answer. Tiamat looked over at her master, and he gave an affirmative. "Next, Master requests any and all knowledge on the whereabouts of his belongings, or equal ability to access such information."
Ajuka hummed. "And what exactly are your belongings, Slayer?"
"The Relics of Doom."
Save for Tannin, all of the devils froze, their faces whitening. Immediately, Ajuka turned to Tannin in alarm. "Tannin! You didn't inform me about this!"
Tannin grunted. "Apologies. I was simply too caught up in the realization that Lord Slayer had returned from his crusade."
"That's a tall order, Doom Slayer," Sirzechs argued, eyes narrowed. "Obtaining such information would be very costly and dangerous, even if they belong to you as you claim. But...it is not impossible." He sighed. "I cannot help you myself, but I can give you access to the Citadel's private library—the largest library ever built in the Underworld. You might find what you need in there."
The Slayer was less than satisfied. Even so, he gave a nod. But he wasn't done yet.
"Is that all?"
The Slayer held up a single digit indicative of his remaining requests. Slowly, he stood from the couch, and the devils watched him, apprehensive. Even Tiamat was unaware of what was to come. Then, a smoking, sparking chunk of scrap metal appeared in his hand. He tossed it onto the monobloc coffee table, where it unceremoniously slid to a stop. The devils studied it carefully, and after a moment, they realized what it was.
The head of a Blood Marine.
With a steady hand, the Slayer pointed at the technology. He tilted his head in inquiry. It was Ajuka who realized what was wrong first.
"Unbelievable..." he muttered.
Sirzechs looked at him, as did Serafall. "Care to elaborate, Ajuka?"
"I see it too." The aforementioned devils turned to Tannin. "Look. The design of the armor is very reminiscent of the Slayer's own, though the metals, colors, and technology are slightly different." He raised his eyes and stared into the Slayer's visor, arms crossed. "You are saying that these designs were stolen from you?"
Close enough. To that, the Slayer gave a huff and a nod. The dragon hummed.
"I see," Ajuka frowned. "As a Satan, I can't tell you much, but I will say this: though I am the Chief Advisor of Technology, the designs of the Blood Marines and the Crimson Giants are highly classified, inaccessible even to me; I only ever approved of their use and distributed them to Falbium. However, it isn't private information that the designs were originally conceived by the Great King Faction, less than a century ago. Do with that information what you will."
The Slayer grunted in satisfaction. Finally, he had a place to start. Soon he might have a lead on the whereabouts of his belongings and insight into the workings of this Great King Faction.
"Is there anything else you require?" Sirzechs asked hastily.
Pleased, the Slayer irrevocably shook his head no.
With that, Sirzechs smiled. "Good. This meeting is now over." He stood up, as did the others. "Now officially, you are welcome here as a neutral party. Do what you want with our facilities, just try not cause trouble. Anyways, you should get moving. The longer we wait, the worse it will be. I hope we see each other again, Doom Slayer."
The Slayer only gave an affirmative huff at that. Along with Tiamat and a very excited Serafall, he made to leave the room. Before he did, Ajuka called out to him.
"Slayer." The Slayer peered over his shoulder. "When you go to research the Great King Faction, call me. I'd be...interested to help. Oh, yes, make sure to meet Tannin and I at tavern called the Sinner's Circle, three in the afternoon one week from now. I'll see you there."
The Slayer stood there for a second. Then, without a reply, he left the room to prepare.
Across dimensions and across all forms of supernatural media, time came to a halt. Broadcasts were disrupted, messages were cut off, and screens blacked out. The public reaction was unanimous and immediate; from the elevated plains of Heaven's clouds to the majestic rocks of Mount Olympus, confusion was the most prominent. People of all different walks of life, each with their own facets of technology, tapped at their screens and scratched their heads in puzzlement. Within the governments of each civilization, the higher-ups grew panicked as communications were inexplicably cut off, and it was soon determined that whatever happened must be related to the malicious incident from days before. Soon, the same could be said about the general public, paranoia set in the minds of many.
Then, across all forms of aforementioned media technology, there was static. Some jerked in surprise as the harsh sound pounded into their ears. The cacophony of noise crescendoed and reached a peak, but eventually the buzzing quieted, only for the ear-grating sound to be superseded by an immensely loud, heavy, metal bass drop that rumbled so hard that the Earth vibrated. And where the static white noise once existed, there stood a man clad in green plate, his form shrouded by the Empyreal Flames of Judgement, brighter than any star, the jarring sounds of At Doom's Gate blasting the bass away.
"Welcome home, Great Slayer."
CODEX ENTRY - Argent Energy:
Argent Energy is the supreme energy of the multiverse. Its power is derived from the Primevals, the godlike beings that created all of reality and beyond—the laws of nature itself were conceived by them, as was the very concept of physics itself. But what wonders these supreme gods work is all done with their Primeval power—Argent Energy. Only a few times have mortals ever wielded such power, and only then had a mortal ever had the right to claim that they could break physics and manipulate, for Argent Energy is inherently metaphysical in nature. Just one example of its amazing properties is its ability to produce temperatures beyond the Planck Temperature, or 1,420,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 degrees celsius, the temperature at which physics ceases to function. Just a single 21st-Century car battery filled with such power could support more than ten-thousand homes for an obscene duration of time.
And yet the Primevals wielded it like nothing. The Slayer himself, having fought the abominations of Hell for eons and slaying countless world devourers, has absorbed their power and now as a Primeval, produces his own Argent Energy. Only a being as powerful as the creator of the multiverse could ever hope to stand a chance against him.
A/N: Hello.