Chapter 21.
Through the destruction of our enemies do we earn our salvation!
Librarian Isador Akios Blood Ravens M 41
Unknown location underworld Saturday afternoon.
Issei exited the portal from the game and was met by a simple devil pawn. The other man was dressed in modern clothing and was a little nervous but hid it well. Beowulf looked at the Red Angel. The pawn could respect the other.
Beowulf pulled the scroll and map out from a pocket spell and the handed it to the Red Angel.
"Your reward. My king appreciated your help. The deed to the agreed amount of land and the decree to its independence. You are a good warrior. I do not want to fight you."
Issei took the deed and examined it. Nothing was cheated. Everything agreed on was there. Issei nodded to the other man. His voice sent shivers up Beowulf's spine.
"Tell you king thank you for not attempting to cheat me. I do not want to kill Satans. But I will. I am not afraid of him or the rest. Good day."
Beowulf bowed and then entered a portal he summoned leaving the other man. Three minutes later a squad of guard devils came from another portal. They had established a small base in the nearby town for this purpose. That base would be sold to a Devil family who was extremely poor.
The price was free. The family was a single mother and a small child who had lost the bread winner of their family. The father was a footman who had died in service to a pillar house belonging to the GKF. The mother could barely support her son. The pillar had thrown the family to the streets. The sacrifice of her husband had meant nothing to the lord.
The mother was willing to do anything for the devil who was handing her the deed to the home. The reincarnated soldier had simply smiled in kindness. The soldier and the single mother connected. The little boy liked the big strong man who helped them. The boy saw the Aquilla. He would never forget that. The two adults would try dating. The boy adored the other man. That boy would join the guard like his future stepfather.
That was their future.
The future stepfather opened a portal for his lord to the location of the land. The two other devil guards followed the sergeant and their lord through the portal. It closed.
Underworld land of the Emperor. Saturday afternoon.
Issei and the trio of devils exited the portal. The land was empty. There was a lot of that in the underworld. The Great War and then the civil war had depopulated massive chunks of the landscape for devils and the fallen. This land was enough to be the size of the country was comparable to the old Austria-Hungry. Issei planted the Aquilla. It was his land now. Sona and Ravel would bring more land to this new nation. The Phenex's and The Sitri had territory on opposite ends of the border. Issei nodded to his sergeant.
"Spread the word to the legion. It is time."
The devil sergeant and his men made the bird. They would spread the wings of the Imperium here.
Underworld Devil territory.
The call went out. The Alpharius's felt it. Their long hidden vox transmitters chimed. The migration would start soon. Many commoners and the reincarnated would come. The game had lit the first spark. People had hope. It would be a small trickle at first. But a nation is not built in a day.
A devil building company loyal to the Aquilla started to build the first building. A teleportation pad and loading docks. The machines would be smuggled in parts here. The next building was the beginning of a forge.
Houses would follow. Then more businesses and relaxation places. A building was started for the administration. The Inquisition would get bases later. Guard training bases with barracks and tank depots would be next. Finally, the Imperial Palace. It would start humble. But it would grow with time. A church to Neoth would be built. It will become the center of the faith. The spark begins.
City of Kuoh Issei's home Saturday evening.
When Issei entered his home after being jumped through several bases and then through a portal to earth that was controlled by a cadre of fallen who had their wings of gold spread for their Emperor. What hit him was a woman possessed.
Sona slammed into her betrothed, knocking him to the ground. The heiress kissed her other fully. It was the best feeling that either had ever felt. A cheer went up from those in the crowd in the front room. A camera clicked and the moment was immortalized.
Daliea was bouncing with camera for her parents. Cawl was supporting his sister. Sona's peerage cheered for their king and friend. Murayama and Katase awe at the two. Ellen and her brother clapping for the love. Asia fights down jealousy but understands that her crush and Sona clicked well. Caroline pats her daughter. Asia feels doubt. Before she steels herself. She will try and build that with him.
Sona after touching Issei's face makes her next demand.
"Teach me to shoot. Teach me to use a sword. I will not leave you alone there either. I love you till the stars die."
Issei gives Sona a true smile. He touched her cheek.
"Whatever you want to learn I will teach you. I love you fully. I will never stop trying to prove that to you."
They kiss again. Sona wants this for eternity. She will never leave him. Antony supports the Emperor.
"When his grace is busy my Empress I will step in to help. I swore my soul to the imperial family. It goes to you and the others to come."
Sona has tears in her eyes. She knows what pain the Custodian is going through to protect them. His body is slowly growing, and his nerves hurt. This man was giving up his baseline nature to serve them for eternity. To protect her and the sons and daughters to come.
"I will take your offer Ant. You will never be pushed to the edges. My son will know his uncle and the future Custodians. Please call me Sona. I understand what you have given up in service to us."
Antony Valdor had liked his Empress before. Now he loves her like he did the Emperor.
"As you wish Lady Sona."
Issei shocked Sona with his next words.
"I will introduce you to Lady Yasaka tomorrow. You will never be left out of our Imperium. We can begin the next phase in it and together. I love you Empress of Light!"
The rest of the crowd in the home chants Sona's title.
Phenex manor Underworld Saturday evening.
Lord Phenex is in his office listening to his wife, his eldest and his youngest. He wanted to scoff at their tale. A human has the ability to fix their fertility problems. That is such shit. Ravel wanted to marry this human. His daughter claims they will become more powerful than the Satans. He thinks that is shit too. What had infected his daughter while she was in the human world last weekend?
His wife and heir, however, supported Ravel. Ruval claims that the drug is being made right now. Annel demanded to her daughter to show her father the children that would come. Lord Phenex openly scoffed at his family. He was about to tell them all they would be looked at by mentalists. But the visions come.
Lord Phenex sees it all. The grandkids he wants. Ravel wearing her crown. The human is in his own. An empire that they rule that will cover star systems. Trillions of humans and others will one day kneel to his daughter and this human. He sees Riser proudly standing with the banner of his branch house. He sees the great void vessels that will travel the stars. Some will belong to their house.
The old and tired Lord sees the galaxy respect their name. Not the typical reverence. No. It will be utter love and it will leave a legacy that will last forever. When the visions end Lord Argel Phenex looks to his family again. They were not touched in the head. This contract to the immortal human will propel them to heights though impossible.
Argel reads the contract again. Seriously this time. He had been about to throw a fire spell at it the first time. But his wife had threatened to take his manhood and make sure it will never regenerate if he follows through with the action.
The contract gives land to the human. A decent amount of land. But it will not hurt them at all. Eight minor houses of theirs would swear new oaths to the human. Argel corrected that to nine. Riser would get his house. If this drug was real then he would have no problem with Yunabella becoming his son's wife. He did like her. She was good for Riser. There were a few things that stuck out.
They would have to join the NKF. No trying to wiggle out of that. Argel was conservative. But they would gain more. The human would get to talk with them as an equal. Again, not too bad. But the last thing struck a hint of resistance. Phenex troops were to be given the option to join this so called imperial guard. That would ruffle feathers. But he could deal with that.
"I will support this only if the drug is real and shows evidence that it is not snake oil. I will meet with this human. I will demand that you do nothing till there is proof."
Ravel shrugged and then smirked evilly. Annel and Ruval join her. Argel does not like that. He raised a blonde eyebrow.
"Done. Thanks father for choosing the best timeline for us. I can see those. My dear can too. He now knows and he accepts. The drug will be ready in two weeks. Pick volunteers. Might I suggest Riser and Yunabella? They can marry now. As soon as they are off the beds my dear put many many of them on."
Argel pales. Oh no. That means that. The trio of now imperial Phenex's began laughing evil cackling. Annel was doing an incredibly happy jig while laughing. Argel gets up from his chair and goes to a corner. He curled up into a fetal position and begins crying.
Ravel is laughing so smugly with her superiority of this victory!
Ruval imagined his baby. Oh, she will be his princess and pride.
Annel continued to dance. Grandma Annel is coming to smother her grandchildren!
Riser and his peerage most still unconscious from the game all wake violently and they then start sneezing horribly. Someone was thinking hard about them!
Ruven and his lover of five years are enjoying themselves just watching a movie together. They were in Ruben's secret hideout. They did not see the game. Ruven's lover was a fallen angel who loved her other so very much. They could not get married. They suddenly froze and then started sneezing badly. Ruven was not stupid. He knew who had caused this.
"Dear. Pack your bags. Mother is thinking about grandchildren! We are in trouble!"
The fallen angel was named Geria. She, however, was thinking something else. She touched a pendant that her mother had given her. It was a two headed eagle. Geria listened to the voice that spoke a reasonable amount of sense.
"My flame falcon. We are going to a place that will let us marry. No running. Or else. I would like to officially meet your family and my mother-in-law. She will get one soon anyway."
The fallen watches her man freeze. Then he gulps before he starts gushing over his soon to be wife! They will travel to the new country in the underworld to get their marriage certificate.
City of Kuoh Sunday morning.
Sona was dressed in a reasonably stylish dress that was a gold like Issei's eyes. It was modern for Japan. She smiled when a knock came. Sona smiles more then moves to answer the door. Issei is dressed in a handsome suit that makes his looks stand out more.
The two look at each other. Sona wants to kiss him more. Issei clearly feels the same. He extends his arm to her.
"You look beautiful So. Yasa will be cowed by you."
Sona giggles and she takes his arm. They walk down the stairs to the front room where Antony is in his indomitable golden armor. His helm is shaped like an eagle. His weapons to guard his Emperor and Empress is a power sword and a bolt pistol.
The trio make their way down the stairs and to the basement wall. Issei had taught Sona how to speak some high gothic. Sona appreciates that. The wall goes up and the trio make their way to the teleporter. They cross the platform into the forge of dreams before they hit the second teleporter to the palace of Lady Yasaka.
Camp of Light China same time.
The tank commander from the United States meets with the three other captains for their four griffin tanks. The devil captain was there with a Youkai tengu man and another human woman. Their crews were getting the griffins ready for combat.
Commander Elsu White-Owl gave orders to his three captains. They would have their own Vox channel and would support the Terran Janissaries. The regiment was deploying a hundred of their number to this mission. With another fifty coming in the second wave if needed.
Elsu and his captains made with their crews the oath of moment. The Janissaries were also doing the same. The OSF would burn in the fire of the griffins las cannons.
Imperial magicians had gathered to make the portals for this attack. The base the OSF was using was in the Mongolian steppes. The tanks would have room to maneuver. The new fifth member of the tank crews was an adept of the Mechanicus.
Mongolian Steppe operation Khan.
The OSF base here in the ass end of nowhere was pretty secured. No one but the true Satan faction knew where it was. It was a massive base with easily three hundred devils and seventy enslaved magicians. The OSF also had eight war golems.
The purpose of this base was to make more of these golems. They would need them to beat the false Satans. The base commander was a third cousin to the true Lord Asmodeus. She would not fail him.
A squad of ten devils was patrolling the perimeter of the base when they heard very strange noises. It sounded like treads of some kind? They cautiously sent an enslaved hell hound familiar to investigate. The demon dog howls in delight to probably kill something. It is probably just a lone human.
The hound moves towards the noise and comes over a hill to then stop in shock. There coming this way were four massive tanks and behind them was a formation of infantry each clustered behind the behemoths.
Commander White-Owl sees the hound. He gives his first order in the guard to his anti personnel gunner who is using a heavy bolter.
"Target the scout. We march for Terra."
Mark 001
The gunner immediately targeted the hound who was still in shock. The bolter fired the first shot. It was also the first kill.
The hound exploded into a million pieces and the noise of the bolter made the devils coming to investigate the growing noise and watched the hound die. They really do not want to go up that hill now. The captain of the squad calls for reinforcements. He had heard a rumor that a base of theirs was attacked in China. This might be them if that was real.
Two more patrols answered the call. They portal in to their comrades and get to them before the first griffin and its infantry block crest the hill. The captain of the tank is the Devil woman. She gives the order.
"Target the captains with the bolter. Captain Owen give them a volley of the wall."
The infantry captain relayed the order to his men and women. The tank and the wall fire the las guns and the bolter.
Mark 002-004
The bolter shell slammed into the first captain and the man exploded showering his comrades with his bloody body parts. The las fire hits the still shocked devils, and a squad goes down their bodies have holes in the center of mass. The heavy bolter fires again and another captain this time a woman explodes. The remaining devils begin fleeing to the base and the comm devil opens a spell to the base commander.
"Lady Asmodeus! We are under attack! They have tanks and fucking laser guns! We need reinforcements now!"
Mark 005-007
Another tank and its block move forward over a second hill followed by two more tanks and blocks. Another group of devils on the far left have two golems powered up and trailing them.
Lady Hevina Asmodeus gets more golems and more troops moving forward towards the enemy. The first contact force is now down to five as another weapon was unleashed against them.
A team of long las snipers target devil captains and magicians that are trying to form a battle line to face the enemy.
The first las cannon from the tank on the right powers up and the tengu man gives the order to fire.
The griffin fires its dual cannons, and the laser is sent flying into a golem. The war construct explodes into a thousand pieces and the metal shrapnel flys into the devils clustered round it claims more lives.
The front line commander for the OSF watched the shot. He gulps. That golem was the strongest one they had. It was made of magical enhanced devil steel.
A war cry blares from that killer tank.
"We are the army of light! Prepare to die swine!"
The enemy army intensified their fire.
Mark 007-011
The front line of devils is holding together under the punishment that is being shot their way. A second golem had exploded, and more devils had been killed or wounded. The tanks had been targeted by the enslaved magicians on mass, but they could not breach the hulls.
The bolters from the tanks and the precision las fire was letting the infantry blocks move forward slowly but steadily. A tank charged its cannons and then fired. The lance smashed apart a squad of devils and three magicians and the center now had a hole. The tanks moved forward. The blocks followed.
The first block closest to the now wavering line pulled their pins and threw krak grenades and the resulting explosions made more holes. Two heavy bolters fired a new barrage into the gaps. More bodies exploded and this makes the first squad of devils run. They flee and that creates another gap.
A roar comes from the tanks as their treads move forward and the guard advances more. Heavy weapons came to support the advance. The Janissaries were beginning to prefer plasma guns for their heavy weapon of choice.
Balls of death flew forward and killed more devils and their slaves. The line broke. The devils flee on mass.
Mark 012-017
Two golems explode covering the retreat. Half the runners are dead. The other half are behind the reinforced walls surrounding the base. Devil reinforcements have come up with the four remaining golems. Three more half made golems are being pushed into service.
The tanks line up and begin powering up their cannons. Plasma teams and grenadiers move up and then the krak grenades fly. Neoth pushes them further. Devils explode into pieces and the four tanks fire all at once. The red lights broke the walls into two separate holes and the guard now began the next advance.
Plasma guns again fire and the white balls claim devils. A golem fired a beam of magic, and the shot hits a griffin. The smoke cleared and the tank returned fire and that golem exploded. The devils and their pets try to fall back again. More runners have limbs blown off and chests caved in.
The guard begins to enter the base. The tanks crush walls on the flanks and the bolters begin barking again.
Mark 018-021
Devils flee into buildings and the three unfinished golems toppled with holes in their bodies.
The guard advance from cover to cover krak grenades and plasma break strong points.
Lady Asmodeus tried to rally her troops having not seen the carnage firsthand. She sees it now and understands why they want to flee. Those tanks and the guns the infantry uses are terrifying!
Devils begin to flee the base. Some running on foot. Others through portals to other bases.
Lady Asmodeus begins her own run. The failure stings so badly. But she needs to warn her cousin. She needs to warn the true Satans!
Another golem exploded near the Lady and her leg gets filled with shrapnel. Hevina goes down screaming and her bodyguards leave her to die. She tried to crawl to cover. A guardsman squad comes upon her, and one draws a chainsword revs it and prepared to kill Hevina.
The pendants on the guard squad burn and they know this is their rare prisoner. Two guard keep their guns on Hevina. The magician in the squad with the chainsword user made the pure blood stay still and the magician slammed the devil into the ground. They then place a bracelet on the devil and the magic in her body shuts down.
The magician speaks to Hevina.
"Your incredibly lucky pig. A god thinks your useful. I still want to put you to the sword. You fuckers took my sister from me. But I know the fate that awaits you is worse than a chainsword to the guts."
Hevina whimpered at that. She does not want to know what to think other than terror. The guard does not inflict anymore damage on her. They drag her to another squad that is guarding a portal. Out of that portal comes troopers wearing a new symbol. That symbol makes Hevina more terrified.
The captain of the troopers is un helmed and she stares at the scene in disinterest. The magician un helms and it is revealed to be a Russian man. He makes the symbol of a bird.
"Storm captain. We have a prisoner for your Ordo. She is the commander here."
The woman looks at Hevina with the same disinterested look.
"I see. I will have her dragged to the inquisitor. He is extremely interested in what the OSF have."
That false name pissed off Hevina. She takes courage despite her injury.
"We serve the true Satans you disgusting ape! They will come and rip you apart!"
The other woman does not seem to care about the statement of defiance. She simply gestures to where the last golems are being blasted apart by the tanks.
"Those tanks are the first of their line. Future ones will have more destructive weapons. You are nothing against him on earth. We will be legions. We humans are no longer things to play with. Your stubborn relics of the past. We are the future. You will talk. You will live longer if you do. I do not feel an ounce of pity for dogs like you."
The humans cheer at that. Hevina is now terrified to the core. Those tanks were the first model! What the fuck will be on future ones! The devil tried to make herself as less threatening as possible.
The Russian man is grinning. The storm captain gestures to two of her troopers.
"Try to keep her alive. I have standards. As does the Inquisitor."
The mark ends with the last four devils in the camp being roasted by a plasma gun.
Kyoto Japan Sunday afternoon.
Issei is guiding Sona through the streets of the youkai half of the city. Antony walks behind his rulers and he is always ready. The trio are covered by a Psychic bubble that keeps them unnoticed. They reach the gates and the guard on duty sees the Emperor. He is in the know. He saluted and then lowered the wards for them.
Issei nodded his thanks to the tiger man. The trio moves on. Sona has never been to the youkai capital and she asks a few questions about various things she sees. Issei smiled and tells what he knows.
Yasaka knew her friend was here. She had felt him and two others entering her palace. One was a devil. The third was something she had never felt before. Kunou was jumping up and down in extreme excitement. Her knight was back!
The teen kitsune was so very eager to see him again. Her feelings about him had changed dramatically over the years. First it was a kit crush. Then as she grew to know Issei more she slowly began to absolutely love him. She was jealous of her mother when she flirted with her knight.
Kunou had not begun to get her looks. But she had heard something one day when her mother and Issei had been enjoying tea near a small koi pond. The teen had been hiding near a small blind spot in the garden.
"I do want that Yasa. You know me well enough now to know why."
"I understand Issei. It is not uncommon in our world. I know you two would be a great couple. I do the flirting to make sure that Kunu really does feel that for you. You saved her. You preserved her innocence longer. I would be happy to call you my son-in-law. I know you hate the jealousy."
"I do. My lines with her are many. I want her to be happy too. I will have others. The jealous will hurt everyone. I will never play favorites."
"You are a good man here. Your other ones are good too. Just a bit more inappropriate. I will tone it down. Just please give Kunu a true chance. I might not have your gift for lines. But even I can see that. Kitsune do not mature till about sixteen. That is next year."
Kunou had realized her mistake. She also realized that she had not been thinking of him when she was jealous. He would have others. That hurt. But he had said he would never play favorites. The maturity of her birthday this year had shown her that.
The kitsune was now more developed mentally and physically. She wanted to be with her knight utterly. But they needed to truly connect. So Kunou had begun poking her mother for more information about Issei. Her mother had given her a knowing look. But she had supplied the information. The kitsune would try to win his heart.
Yasaka smiled when Issei entered into the great hall of her palace. On his arm was a devil woman with black hair and glasses. She was exceedingly kind looking. Her dress was beautiful and it compliments Issei's eyes. His suit complemented hers.
Her guards shake upon seeing the guard behind her friend. The man was big. Bigger than any man that Yasaka had ever seen before. His armor was gold and his helm was intimidating. His eagle wings on the sides of the face guard were more interesting.
Kunou looks at the big man with surprise. Before her eyes settled on her knight. The woman on his arm is beautiful. In body and in mind. The jealous monster rises. Before it is crushed. Win his heart. Not drive him away. The devil woman looks at Kunou. A small kind smile comes upon the face.
Issei bowed in respect to his friend. Sona followed. Antony stared down the guards. Yasaka had after the day of feathers replaced her traitor tengus with tiger men. The tengus who had stayed loyal had been rewarded well and they now had better positions at court. Her new guard captain was one such tengu. The champion Oni was the only one besides that captain that was not intimidated by the Custodian.
"Issei. Welcome back to Kyoto. I do appreciate that you agreed to my request. Captain you may have your men leave. I and Kunou are safe. Your men deserve a break."
The tengu nodded. The tiger men rushed out. The captain and champion stay. Issei smiled softly.
"As gracious a host as ever Yasa. Allow me to introduce my betrothed. This is Sona Sitri. She is an amazing woman. And my truly greatest friend."
"It is an honor to meet you Lady Yasaka. Ise has told me a lot about you."
Yasaka smiled in her usual teasing way.
"I see I have been replaced. I will want more of your tea as tribute for the slight."
Issei smiled bigger.
"You can have all you want. I do own that brand you like so much. How about a free supply for a year to make up the slight."
"Two years. Plus, a hug from my friend. I have missed you. Come let us enjoy lunch in the gardens. Your big man does eat food yes?"
Antony huffed in amusement. He liked this fox. Issei smiled more.
"My Captain-General is an excessively big eater. He might eat all your food. But I am eager to catch up with you both. I did bring another gift for you. The recent ratings game I participated in was decent fun. But I prefer to be with friends."
Yasaka smirks. She liked Serafall Leviathan. The devil was an amazing diplomat. The nekoshou incident had been bad. But the ring leaders for the slaughter had been turned over to her. She had them screaming by the end. Still seeing devils get their comeuppance was nice. Sona did not look fazed by that. Her race were utter bastards sometimes. She sees that now more than ever before.
The group moves to the gardens. Kunou falls into step with Issei.
"You are handsome today. I have come to tell you that the thing you hate will be pulled to the roots. I want to try with you. I realized that you deserve to get what you want too."
Issei smiles at the kitsune.
"We will see Kunou. I am happy that you are trying. Sona is my second. But there is always a chance. I also have to connect with my first. You would like her. Very funny."
Kunou sees what he means. He wants to build his relationships together with the other. Before she would have been angry. Now she sees that he wants the deeper stuff. She smiled.
"I would like to try. I know that I am at a disadvantage. But you are the man I want to enrich my life. Please let me show you that."
Issei touched the kitsune teenager's hand with his free one.
"You are not at a disadvantage. You are at the same level field as everyone else who will try. Sona and I almost did not happen. We built this together. And we will never stop building each other up. Her dreams are mine."
Sona kisses her betrothed's cheek.
"And your dreams are mine. I am willing to talk with you today princess. Ise has told me of how you two met. I do not blame you for calling him your knight. I do like what I hear. We can talk when we both have free time. I have an email I use for my private stuff. I will share it with you."
Kunou beams. Sona was nice. She felt better knowing she was not at a disadvantage. Yasaka had been listening and had giggled at how happy her daughter was. The birthday had really helped her.
The gathered sat in a room overlooking a koi pond. Servants brought tea and food. Sona and Kunou begin talking about dreams. Yasaka and Issei talk about the imperium.
"I am still curious about much of what your people can do. Do you truly have people who pray to machines?"
"I do. They have a strong following. They are better than the other."
Yasaka had long grown used to visions of other trees. The other mechcanicus were horrible. They forsake the flesh. They do not see life as important unless you have knowledge. She does feel extreme pity for the skitarii. They who suffer so much.
"Never let yours become them. I do like the titans. Impractical but pretty awe inspiring."
"They are. But we will need them. Yasa. I have finally seen the Xenos. The first is not going to be a challenge. The second are beyond evil. They have untold legions of slave soldiers. They have vast armadas. We are badly outnumbered. We will need them."
The xenos are shared. Yasaka gasps. They are indeed bad. She understands why the Captain-General was made. They would need every advantage. They had time. The barrier was protecting them. The Shinto had been informed by those who were in the god club. The Shinto were very unique. They were not infighting. Their days of that were over.
They had united after the Second World War. They had begun to repair bridges. There was still some tension. But that was going away. They did not like Neoth. Or Issei. He had technically been the Shinto's to start with. Having been born In Japan. But they understood what he was doing. He had saved their avatar's daughter.
Yasaka was like Issei. She was the nine tailed fox. She was the avatar on top of that. It was a reason they had connected. Yasaka had seen that he had that before he knew. She had let him discover it. He had been a bit miffed when he found out she had known that.
But it had gone away amazingly fast. Yasaka knew he hated religion. They never fought over that. She was deeply devoted to the Shinto. They had told her to pass along a message to the other avatar.
"My gods will help Neoth. They still hate him. They dislike you. But they see that you do care for people. They wont join the senate that is forming. They just ask that they be allowed to continue. Your patron is immensely powerful in such a brief time. Even my people are not immune to his ideas. But please protect this. I make this request for myself your friend and as their avatar."
Issei understands the request.
"I will encode the right of the religions that help us. I hate the prick too. We will never be just one faith. You know my curse. I will never let his people overturn that right."
The Shinto had been in their avatar's body listening. It was a true oath. The fact that the new's avatar hated his patron softened the Shinto towards the other. They still disliked him. They still think he is a traitor to his family who had once been devoted to them. But he is ok.
Yasaka thanks her friend for her and them.
"You are a really good man Seei. I see why you will be the Emperor beloved by all. I am slightly disappointed that I cannot be with you here. Some of the others are incredibly sweet and they do sweep me off my feet. But I take comfort in the fact you are not like that one tree. That you is very evil. She is a monster. I am glad that the evil ones are a very hefty minority."
Sona takes note of that. Another bad tree? Kunou had long known about other tree's. But Issei would not show them to her. He said it was because she deserves to be happy and not see some of them.
Sona thinks of Dark Moon. That tree was rotten to its core.
The conversation moved to questions about Antony. The Custodian had scared the servants by scarfing down food with no end in sight. Kunou had watched him eat in shock. Yasaka giggled at the sight of the man downing so much food. The Oni and the tengu captain both sweat dropped.
Sona chuckled. Issei had made a particularly good joke.
"My Lord-Commander is actually worse. He goes through a lot more. But his birth fucked with his genes. His makers were unbelievably bad geneticists. I fixed as much as I could. Their process was so very unstable. His siblings also will have weird quirks. One who is an adept of Mars has a slight problem with hearing. Not crippling. But she needs to be poked more. The man that came with her has a slight trembling in his right leg. The youngest however got it the worst."
Kunou asked the question.
"What did the youngest get?"
Issei looks incredibly sad for this youngest.
"She somehow got her psyker gene activated. Her problem is that she is a remarkably high class one."
Forge of dreams Sunday afternoon.
Akio sat across from the prisoner captured today. She was very scared of him. He did not like the fear. But it was needed. Ellen was next to the devil. Her blank nature was making the devil shake. The partial warp nature of devils made the blank hit that fear trigger. Devils who believe in unification and or Neoth were safe from the effect.
Akio had no pity for this woman. He saw the crimes she had committed against everyone that was not a pure blood noble. Ellen did not either. The blank had actually wanted to let more of her mutation forward to make the prisoner feel worse. But Akio said they would not torture her that much.
"Talk. I will have my acolyte move back if you do. You do not. She gets closer. I feel nothing from her. But you will feel worse with each step closer."
Ellen reinforces that statement. The devil feels the hollow nature. She is now trying to move the chair backwards. The chair is bolted to the floor.
"Talk or this gets worse. She wants to unleash more of her nature on you. You are a disgusting person. But I have a tiny bit of compassion. Take the olive branch. Talk and we will not have to make this worse."
Hevina breaks. The thing next to her has no soul. She does not know how she knows that. But the other woman scared her more than the tanks did.
"Please. Make her go away. I will talk. The others will kill me. But it will be better then her. Make her leave! I cannot think!"
Akio nodded his thanks to his acolyte. Ellen just shrugged before leaving the vicinity of the devil. The blank is still in the room.
"Good. Tell me the number of bases the OSF has. And if you try to deny the title you will feel her again."
Underworld Gremory manor Sunday evening.
Zectus and his wife were sitting opposite Rias. This needed to happen. Their daughter had been standoffish with them since the game. Rias has her peerage surrounding her in support. Velelana sighed.
She and Zectus deserve this. They do not know where to start the first brick. Rias surprised them.
"I do not hate you both. But you have made me mad, especially your mother. You did not care what I wanted. You helped your son. But not me. I do not want to sunder myself from the family. But I will if it means I get my dream. You have Millicas as a spare."
That hurts that it was true. On all of it. Zectus tried the first attempt.
"Ok. Ria. What do you want? I understand we both screwed up. But we do not to make this into a valley of resentment from us and you."
Rias sees that her father means it. She places the brick.
"I want to explore our galaxy. I want to see the beauty of it. I want to see alien worlds. That is what I want. I want to build a legacy for myself. I used to want glory in the games. But this glory I get will be made for gathering knowledge about the unknown. This is my new dream."
That confused Zectus and Velelana. Explore the galaxy? That was not possible. Why this dream? They see the pendant on their daughter's neck. It is the two headed bird of the red angel. They are still confused and now concerned.
Rias can see that. She puts the feeling in her parents to rest. She takes her pendant off.
"I have found God. I was broken by your second to last refusal not to cancel the contract. I almost did something that would have been extremely bad. But I had no fear while doing it. This god I found. He accepted all of me. The greed. My spoiled nature. My anger with you. But I was given a chance. He is not perfect. But he is a god that believes in being better than what we once were. I can enter his churches. I can wear this and his symbols without pain. I can pray without feeling judgment. I do not want to be the game's greatest player anymore. I want to build my fellow beings of my planet up. I earned my victory by not having doubts. I will earn my dream by having faith. Touch it and see what I am saying is possible."
Velelana feels something when she looks at the bird. Hope. Zectus feels it too. They do not know what to think. Velelana feels the hope of family remade. Of family trying to be better. She gently takes the pendant. There is no burning. No pain. Only cautious optimism.
The Gremory matriarch sees Rias. Her daughter is older. She is wearing a uniform that has the bird and their house coat of arms. She has another person with her. Velelana cannot see their faces. But the person loves her daughter unconditionally. Like how she loves Zectus. They are on a ship. A void vessel that travels the stars. She sees three children between Rias and the unknown. They all have the red hair of the Gremorys.
Velelana sees her daughter exploring worlds that are all so quite different. She will plant a standard on many of them. The worlds will be settled by humans. No. They will be settled by every being on earth. She sees an empire that spans solar systems. The people of this empire love her daughter. The first explorer. She will inspire more people to explore. Her glory is eternal. She will make Sirzechs look like an old leader of the past.
Their family will be remembered for not being the seduction focused family of the devils. They will be an inspiration to the beings of this empire. A symbol of pride and respect. Velelana also sees the dream. The god. He looks at her. He does not instantly reject her like so many gods do. He touched her face. It is like the feeling of pure acceptance for all of who Velelana was. It speaks to her.
"This is your daughter's future. Try for her. You will get what you want. She will get her ship. Rias wants to build. Build with her. Help him on earth. He who is my avatar. The one who will make your race born in darkness into one of light. He will make dreams reality. Lay the brick. Build your family back up. Believe."
Velelana returned to her family. Tears are present. She holds the pendant closer to her chest. Rias won because of faith in herself and others. She will win her family back by the same.
Zectus watched the emotions cross his love eternal's face. Hope. His wife is crying now. It is tears of becoming something greater than you were before. Rias pulls out another pendant.
Velelana believes now utterly. She too has found God. Him on earth. It was the red angel. He was the avatar. Velelana will help him. For Rias. He did not have to help her daughter. But he did. He gave men and women the desire to dream again. He will make those dreams come true for so many.
Rias extended the pendant to her father. Zectus is wary of it. But his wife now puts the first pendant around her neck. It is there with pride.
"I march for Terra. For him on earth. We will make your dream reality Ria. Forgive me."
Rias smiled along with her peerage. Velelana does not see the hug her daughter gives her mother come. Zectus wonders what they saw. Velelana looks at her husband. Her eyes are filled with the hope now.
"Take the pendant. You deserve happiness too Zec. You will see it. This is real. Her dream is real. My dream of a large family will be real. Please."
Zectus Gremory sees the pendant his daughter is offering him. He takes it.
Forge of Dreams Sunday evening.
Akio was pleased with the interrogation. Hevina had leaked five more bases to them three were regular camps. One was a black site containing more information. The final was a hospital. There was something important there. The lines tell him that.
Fleur is here. Next to her is a new storm captain. It is the Solar Bear captain who had been dismissive of Fleur, who had worked with them before. He and his five man squad now serve the rosette. They saw the secret war. They knew they were needed.
Dohnaseek was here. His now girlfriend had come into the service too. She was a decent shot with her holy magic. But her path was actually starting to show that she was an incredible strategist. She would be making battlefield plans.
Akio looked to his battle acolyte and his two trooper captains. They will hit the hospital tonight. They needed bodies for it. Diego had seconded a squad of five sisters of battle to this operation. Their captain was a woman from Poland an exorcist turned sister. She was also in the room with her power armor that the sisters would be using. She has a new mark of bolter that will be extremely useful for the sisters.
"We are hitting this hospital. There is something there that is extremely important. Fleur. You and your troopers will secure this objective. I cannot see what it is. We are incredibly lucky that we have an Alpharius there. He has offered several options. You and the troopers are to secure as many of these as possible. Sister Superior. Please help where you can. We will need your squad in the center. Your armor will be the juggernaut. Dohnaseek. Your in overall command. Begin the mark when ready. This hospital is in the Australian out back. No armored vehicles for you. They are still being made or repaired."
The four nodded. Fleur and the new captain, who was named Ahmed, went to get the troopers the Sister followed. Dohnaseek stays for a clarification.
"Will the enemy have many fighters? We are dealing with to many unknowns. This primary objective. What is the best you can give me?"
"It is a powerful object. Something is fucking with the lines there. I cannot see it. The emperor probably could. But he is busy today with our first ally. She has been sending us a lot of what we started with."
This was bad. But Dohnaseek had faith. He knew that the Inquisitor would not hold information back.
"Rodger. I will see what I can do. We will get the objective. We will begin the mark."
Australia Out back Very early Monday morning.
The portals opened and the storm troopers and the sisters moved. Their armor was painted black. This hospital was an old and thought abandoned facility from the Vietnam war. The OSF had taken it after they found that the place was isolated and that it had reliable soil for several plants for their medical division.
The hospital was near a canyon and that is where the Inquisition entered. The troopers had made their oath of moment. The Sisters had done theirs and had made a prayer circle. Neoth gently touched them and reassures doubts for their first combat mission.
Dohnaseek was nervous. He had an unbelievably bad feeling here. But the three stormtroopers squads and the sisters had faith. He would share that with them. They moved to the edge of the facility. Fleur waited for her magicians to crack the ward. They did. They seized control quickly. None would run. The next trooper cut the barb wire for the fence and then they began moving.
Mark 001-003
A small patrol of the late night shift was slowly moving. They enjoyed being stationed here. They were hearing new and terrifying rumors coming from other bases. Yesterday many devils from a base in Mongolia had flooded into other bases and were half mad with fear. They claimed that the base was destroyed and that they had been attacked by something that called themselves the army of light.
The supposed attackers had weapons that could kill war golems. They had laser guns. They had swords that roared with teeth that would cut chunks of your flesh off. They had guns that made you explode into a million pieces. The weapons were wielded by fanatics.
The commander here did not believe it. Neither did many other base commanders. Many of the half mad had been shifted here to rest. The survivors of that battle however were ultra insistent that they were not mad.
The sergeant leading this squad was an exceedingly rare thing. He was a reincarnated that believes that the OSF were right. He had fled his peerage and had joined the OSF. He was now a rook for an OSF devil here with the extremely hard to get evil piece system sets.
He enjoyed working for them. He was looked down upon. But his vicious nature and the fact he had broken four different fuckers legs for trying to intimidate him with an eager glee on his face made the pure bloods here with more open minds like him immensely. He would never be higher than a sergeant. But he was a battle fanatic.
He had three familiars out with his squad of four. They liked their sergeant. He did not care if they abused his former kin. The hospital would routinely kidnap humans for experiments. When they were done being used the guards had their fun.
A small noise is heard by a devil. She looks in the direction of the noise. Her eyes see nothing. Probably just the wind from the canyon. One of the familiars, however, seemed to catch something. The bat barks and then moves to investigate. The devils and two other familiars move on. The bat will catch up.
The bat seems to think that something is there. It flys lower and then a small near impossible to hear bark happens. The bat exploded.
The sergeant feels his familiar's death. He snarls.
"Something is here. Turn around now! Investigate that area!"
The six move backwards. They find a piece of the bat. A single wing. Six new barks happen. The devils and the familiars all explode. The sergeant is the only one to live he lost his leg.
He tries to open a portal and his arm making the spell gets blown off with a red hot light. He wants to scream. Another snap hiss the light takes this evil reincarnated devil's head.
The Inquisition moves forward. The Sisters and two storm troopers did the kills. They move towards the entrance.
Mark 004-007
Two more devils are standing guard at the entrance. They are both bored. They want to do something fun. The hospital got three more humans today. They should be used by tomorrow afternoon. Two lights from the darkness outside the range of the entrances overlooking light slammed into the devils. They both die.
The first squad of troopers moved up. They plant an explosive. The other squads are targeting two other doors. Dohnaseek is with one. The sisters with the other. The explosives all count down and then go off. They blow the doors open.
The sounds of three explosions rocked the hospital. Devil guards move to secure the three floors. Enslaved magicians are forced by their owners to make headway to the entrances. Two devils tried to open portals to get reinforcements. Neoth is incredibly happy to break them. These fuckers deserve the death coming to them. On the third floor the Alpharius was making himself a defense position around the person he had learned only fifteen minutes ago was hidden here.
On a bed in that room was a nineteen year old young woman with purple hair. She was unconscious to the world.
Mark 008-015
Devils and their pets spotted their enemy. They were in armor painted pure black. On their right shoulder pads was a symbol of a capital I with a skull in the center. The battle began when a magician threw a fire spell. The spell is about to hit a trooper. But a new sound of growling pistons comes, and a new warrior intercepts the projectile. The new one has a helm with a cross on it and its red helm eyes scare two devils into backing up. The power armored user raises a bolter. Two barks and the devils fleeing explode into a shower of gore.
The sergeant gulps. His men also back up. Another black armored figure moves to support her sister. This one has a chainsword. She revs it. The roar echos through the hallway of this first contact.
The stormtroopers and the two sisters roar a war cry.
"Hear the roar of our fury! For him on Earth!"
The devils are now reluctant to advance further. That roaring blade seems to smirk like a shark. The troopers and the first sister fire their weapons and the devils grab cover. The chainsword user advances with her comrades protecting her push. She knows no fear. Her pendant burns as the faith in herself and her comrades her god and the Emperor push her forward. Two more devils see the advance and target her with spells. A magician joins them. The spells slammed into the sister. She is pushed back a single step. She finally activated her joints. She flys down the hallway with a speed that is comparable to a beginning high class knight.
She brings the blade across the head of one of the devils targeting her. The head rolls to the floor. The roar from her sword and now the dead body shakes the small devil defenders force.
How the fuck was that thing so fast! That is the last thoughts for many. The troopers advance and they lay fire into the devils. The first Sister targets the sergeant. He exploded. His right arm hits a devil woman in the back of the formation. She runs towards the staircase to the second floor. That is the only survivor. The rest fall to the chainsword and the hell guns.
The same battles are happening with the other squads. The Sisters, not with the first two are making for a possible objective. Inside a room on the first floor there are four devils beating on a human. They finish the young man off. They are smirking. They turned to see their next kill. Two more humans are cowering in a cage. A man and a woman who have watched their son die. They are crying tears of rage and fury at the devils. Two devils prepare spells and will gut the woman. The light comes.
The sisters have their bolters raised and the Sister Superior fires a round into the door. The door exploded and the devils turn in shock at the shrapnel that flys and hits them. The humans are protected by Neoth and the devils' bodies. The first Sister entered the room. She has her chainsword revved and roaring. The humans are scared by that, but they see that sword and the Aquilla on it and feel hope rising.
The Sister sees the dead teenager. She will never forget that. She roars a war cry and makes his killers bleed for taking a life from the world before his time.
"I am the sword of the Emperor of Man! I deliver his righteousness and fury for his glory!"
The Sister fired her pistons and closed the gap bringing her blade down on the strongest devil. She breaks his hastily raised sword and then bisects him in half. Another devil slammed her short sword into the attacker. It snapped. The Sister turns her hate filled eyes on the now defenseless devil. The sword roared again, and the devil loses her legs with the swipe and then bleeds out. The other two Sisters enter the room and fire bolter rounds at the other devils. The third one had been trying to escape. She exploded.
The last devil loses a leg and screams. The humans look up at the Sisters with awe and fear. The sword user cuts their bars open. They are free! The devil is whimpering and trying to crawl away from these things. The mother sees her and her husband's rescuers. They are scary. But they had brought vengeance for their boy. Her husband wants payback on the last devil. He moves forward out of his family's cage.
He does not like their rescuers, but they were saving them. They had to be humans. He wants the kill on this devil. He had been the one to make the killing blow on the father's only son.
The devil is now terrified of the Sisters and the advancing man he had been about to kill. The devil is in the corner. The sword user sees the desire of the father. But the mother has more hate for the devil. She wants to be like these warrior women. She feels faith. The mother moved forward and pushed her husband back.
"I will kill this fucker. He took my baby from me. I want vengeance! He will feel a mother's fury!"
Her husband is supremely surprised. He feels his love for her triple. He nodded. This was her kill. The Sister with the sword hands it to the mother.
"Deliver justice. Your son will be remembered. What was his name? I will carve his name on my armor. To show me why I fight."
The mother makes the bond with her new sister of battle.
"His name was Nate. You are no longer a stranger. You are my Sister."
The new Sister of Battle holds the sword. It is light. But she feels more powerful than ever before. She will join these Sisters. She will make her son and their situation never happen again. This woman named Jane raised her blade.
Mark 016-022.
The first floor was secured. The second was beginning. Jane stays with her new Sister and her husband. They move Nate's body.
The Sisters who saw the event relay it over the vox. The troopers and the other Sisters along with Dohnaseek feel new hate and vengeance hit their hearts.
They charge the second floor entrance from the stairwell. The door had been barricaded. A squad of troopers and a Sister moved to the third floor. Dohnaseek is with them.
The door to the second floor is blown open by the Sister with the second trooper squad. Her chainsword is roaring for vengeance. She and the troopers have a new war cry.
"For Nate! Vengeance for our Kin!"
They swarmed the devils holding the door. This floor had the portal room. At the end of the hallway the only free magician in the entire base is demanding that the two others with them get portals up now!
Neoth crushed the attempt. He sees Sanguinius in the new soul that he has moved to his afterlife. Nate is touched that these strangers have saved his family and have given his mother and his father new purpose to fill the one before. Neoth touched this boy. Nate accepts the hand. His mother will get her vengeance. They will be something.
The Sister and her fury on the second floor is enhanced by Neoth to new heights. She will get her new Sister her vengeance from these pigs. The blade she carries cuts down a devil man and he screamed before he died. A trooper had joined her in the melee. He cuts down a magician. The Inquisition pushed forward with devils now trying to run to the portal room hoping to hope that the portals are open. The few devils who had survived the battle in Mongolia now wish they died there. These warriors were worse than the tanks.
The runners are being hit with hell gun fire and many go down with holes or limbs blown off. The few that make it to the portal room barricade the door and the devils consider extremely hard if they should jump out the window.
They will have a chance to live. One does the move. He jumps. But he exploded hit by a Sister of Battle. The first squad of troopers and the remaining Sisters are watching the windows. The devils will not get away. This hospital of horrors and the deeds done to humans and others will burn.
The family and the first Sister are near extraction in the canyon. Jane hears the barks and the snap hisses. Her husband is now an imperial too. He looks at the sister.
"I will serve the Emperor. Place me wherever your boss wants me. I will bring more. I have friends here in Australia. I recognize the bird now. I will get them to vote for the Australian Unification Party. I am with him on Earth."
The Sister takes the acknowledgment.
"Do what you are only able and willing to do. There is no part of our work where you will be undervalued. We march for Terra."
Jane takes the words. She will fight the secret war. Her husband will fight the public war.
"I am willing to fight with your order. I march for Terra. I will never let my son who died here be killed in vain."
The sister nodded to her battle sister.
"What is your last name? Nate will go on the wall of Martyrs."
"Jane Elizabeth Shepherd."
The husband will say his.
"Mark William Shepherd. I march for Terra. I will join the AUP. I will run for a seat in the parliament. I will tell people my story. They will know the truth one day. But I will never back down."
The mark ends for the second floor when a grenade is tossed under the door and the few devils inside blow into pieces. Neoth protects the second objective. It's a full ward scheme manual for the OSF.
Mark 016-26 third floor.
The Alpharius hears the war cry echoing down the hallway. The imperials are advancing. He hears the swords and the las fire coming too. He looks to the final objective. He feels so much regret.
He was a pure blood like nearly all the devils here and in the OSF. He had been a sworn bannerman to the Lady of House Leviathan. But he had served in his youth with fervor. He had done terrible things. He regrets them all. His penance had begun here.
He was a guard. But he had helped many of the prisoners here get a painless death. He had written every single one of their names in a small book he kept on his person. He will never be forgiven for his crimes. He had joined the hydra to get a way out. He expected to be tried for his crimes. He would pay his dues. Helping this unconscious woman be free would be his latest work.
She had been hidden so incredibly long and well. He had been horrified to learn why and her identity.
This was Ingvild Leviathan. She had been hidden here because the current Lady Leviathan had one tiny hint of mercy for the unconscious woman. She had been moved many times. This was just her latest place. She had been unconscious with sleeping disease for a hundred years. She was kept alive by special machines.
The devil named Malgun worries what will happen to her when the imperials get here. He will protect her from them if he needs to. She is just a kid. He had read her medical file. He did not care that she was a half breed. No one deserves the sleeping disease.
The imperials are coming. The sword and guns are getting closer. He prepared to make the sign of the Aquilla. Malgun stands in front of Ingvild. He will not let them hurt her. He knows no fear.
The last of his comrades die screaming outside the door and they had tried to open it desperately. The Sister Superior stands looking at the door. She breaks the barricades. She is ready to be done. The devil man inside sees the sister. He makes the bird.
The Sister Superior sees that he has a guard uniform for this hospital. She wants to kill him regardless. But she feels her pendant burn. She looks at the room more closely. She sees the woman on the bed. She sees the machines. He was protecting her. That cools the rage. Her god tells the sister his story.
The Sister Superior hates a lot of it. But this Malgun was trying to be a better man. She accepted the bird. He will stand trial. But he was truly repenting.
"We will not hurt her. You have my word as a servant of The Emperor who will be beloved by all. You will stand trial for your actions. Hands on the wall."
Malgun does as she says. He is relieved. He hears the sister make an open order of the vox.
"Acolyte. I have found the last objective and the one who is Alpharius. We cannot destroy the building like we wanted to. The third objective is an unconscious woman around nineteen years. The Alpharius was guarding her. He is a bad man. But he will be brought to the Emperor for judgement. We need a magician to get portals open here. The woman is hooked up to devices keeping her alive highly likely."
The vox cracks and the acolyte understands.
"Report confirmed. I will get the portals made. The Emperor has seen our work. Guard the Alpharius. The Emperor will be here with The Empress of light in a half hour. They are free for two days."
"Copy."
Two stormtroopers heard the open order they come in and then escorted Malgun to a room across the hallway.
Dohnaseek makes an order to the troopers and thanks the Sister Superior.
"Gather the bodies. Burn them. Have our first and second Objectives moved to the Inquisitor's office."
The troopers begin the work.
Old OSF hospital now imperial strong point Monday morning thirty minutes later.
Issei and Sona come through a portal onto the grounds of this place. Antony is with them. They move together. Sona is honored that Issei is bringing her with him on this. She will not disappoint him or herself. They are wearing casual clothes. The custodian is in his armor.
Sona remembered the bond she had begun to build with Kunou and Yasaka. She liked the older fox. The teenager and her, however, had built the beginnings of a friendship. They had talked about hobbies and Sona learned that Kunou liked poetry. It was a secret pleasure of Sona's. They bonded over that.
The two rulers were free from School for two days because of a holiday and then because the Teachers got a paid day off.
Issei and his Sigillite and Custodian make their way to a door. Two troopers are guarding the door. They make the sign of the Aquilla to their rulers. Sona and Issei take the salute. Issei sees something from a male trooper and says.
"I can get the memories of your work lessened. Do you want that?"
The man wants to cry. He had been having trouble sleeping. His comrade saw that genuine kindness in their lord. The troubled trooper nodded to his eternal lord.
"Please milord. I have trouble with one memory. It is hard to forget. I want to keep serving on the front. But I do not want this memory."
Issei nodded. He touched the trooper's hand. The man is still for a moment before he looks better than before. The trooper let a tear show.
"Thank you milord."
Issei retracted the hand.
"Your service is commendable trooper. Please let the guard who have their own problems with the memories know that I and a new psyker will be free tomorrow. We will help you who serve us. I am the master of mankind. But I will never forget my army. We will have a center established in the camp and the forge for you brave warriors."
The man nodded true tears coming forward. He loved the Emperor. Sona speaks up in support of Issei and this man.
"I will bring mentalists to these centers. You and the others are important. I am not yet Empress. But I will never forget your sacrifices. You who will be the wall."
The trooper cries more. He had heard the title given to Sona by the reincarnated. He had a grudge against devils for a personal reason. But he lets that go forever by the kindness of the Empress of Light. He kneels to his Empress. The other trooper who is a Muslim with a similar feeling kneels to her too.
Sona tells them to rise. They do. This tale would spread. A new title is made by the Muslim for her.
"Thank you Mother of the Mind."
Sona accepted the title. She would help these warriors. Issei and Sona enter the building. Sona sees the scorch marks from where hell guns have hit surfaces. She understands more why the trooper had asked for the memory to be lessened.
When they reach the third floor Sona sees the first sister of battle. The woman is touching her pendant and saying a small prayer. With her are two troopers. They join her in prayer. When Issei and Sona reach the end of the hallway they see two sisters one guarding the two doors. Dohnaseek is standing talking with captain Fleur. Issei asked the situation.
"Where is our prisoner."
Donhaseek gestures to the door on the left. Issei and Sona moved united. The sister draws her sword and then opens the door.
Malgun is sitting on the bed. He had been nervous and relieved. Nervous for his fate to come. Relieved, his nightmare was nearly over, and he could begin to pay for his crimes. The door opened and one of the warrior women entered her sword was drawn but not on.
The woman took a position facing Malgun. He did not like the red eyes on the helm. Two more people entered the room and Malgun is surprised that they are young. One is a pure blood like him. The other is the Emperor.
Issei studies Malgun. He sees so very much. Malgun had done a lot of evil in his life. He had many crimes. But he had begun the path to redemption. He had held prisoners here and helped them escape the cruel experiments. Death was the only way he could help them, but it had been done out of mercy. Malgun was a bad man. But Issei saw the soul.
Malgun's was turning gold. He was not a believer in Neoth. But he had made the sincere effort to be better than his birth. Sona gives the man a pity look. But she will support her betrothed in his decision. Issei began to speak.
"Malgun. I see your crimes. They cannot be hidden from me. They are many and long. You caused much suffering in your youth. You are indeed an awfully bad man."
The room is silent other than Issei's words and breathing. Malgun knows the Emperor is not lying. But he does not deny the words. He accepted them.
"I did many terrible things. I understood that even then. I will pay for my crimes. I will not resist your judgment. I only ask that the Lady across the hall be helped. She has been alone for a century. I helped get her to you. That should absolve nothing. I ask for no mercy for myself. You are a man of justice. Make the punishment reflect the crime."
Issei sees the lines. Only two end well for Malgun. But he accepts the punishment regardless. Issei takes the best for them both.
"You will be conscripted into the service of the Inquisition. You will be imprisoned for three decades. You will do anything the Inquisition asks of you from your cell. You will when out of your cell add every single name to the wall of martyrs. You will look at the wall. You will reflect on your crimes until you gain redemption. This I say as my first judgment of justice in my Imperium."
Malgun is surprised by the verdict. So is Sona. But the more they think on it the more it is an attempt to get the man redemption while acknowledging his crimes. Malgun had never forgotten those he killed here. He will never forget them for eternity. The devil man wants to weep. He sees the justice.
The line straightened.
"I accept your judgment."
Issei turned to the sister.
"Escort him to the forge. I have a basic prison set up. We will move him to the prison in the underworld when it is built. Let him feel the shame. But let him continue the path towards the light."
The sister nodded in acceptance. Malgun gets up off the sitting position on the bed and then follows the sister out of the room. Sona touched her other.
"You choose the best line. I know you. You are an exceptionally good man. The woman across the hall. Did she affect the decision?"
"No. Malgun is transforming. His soul is becoming something else. Your race will be like that too. Here."
Sona gasped as she saw her soul. It was gold too.
"How?"
Issei touched her again.
"Your people will not need to always feed your sins. They are becoming better. I will look at the others. But this line makes all of you better. So. The third is possibly across the hall. She has a new Longinus. There are now fourteen."
An. Well there we go a new record for me now. There is so much to say. The soul. The devils who are swearing to Issei are changing. They are rising up from darkness. They will be like the fallen who are also transforming back. The sins are significantly lessened. They are still there. But it will be very different.
Ingvild. She is a possible third. Kunou is trying to be better. Yasaka being the avatar of the Shinto. That was not originally intended. But I think it is another bonding point between her and Issei. The family here in the hospital. They are minor characters in that they will not be focused on too much. It is probably a one off line.
The land grant. Originally it was just a town. But I realized I needed more space. So, it is a country now. The deal has been altered pray I do not alter it again. Without that meme though I think it gives me more wiggle room for what I have planned.
Ann. to the kind reviewer asking about dreadnaughts. possibly they are indeed very cool. but also dark. a part of know no fear that i didnt like was the dreadnoughts. i felt really bad for them. but we will see. i might be a mecahnicus simp but marines are cool too.
The poll is up and in my profile. eager to see the end results.