Epilogue

The next morning

"[Good morning, Behemoth]", Natasha greeted the large black cat the moment she saw him on a low stone wall, deeply engaged in his morning grooming. "[I didn't expect to see you so early in the morning.]"

"Paying respects is important", he replied as he raised his head a few moments later, scanning the visage of the woman who dared to interrupt him, his eyes moving from her sandal-clad feet, through her brightly red kimono with wide, almost ground-reaching sleeves, through the make-up that only subtly underscored her eyes, to her definitely Japanese-inspired hairdo that looked a bit odd on her straw-colored hair. "I see you already look the part, good. But please don't use our speech here; it is disrespectful to the dwellers of this place."

"I thought that'd be appropriate", she explained as she took a look down at her clothing. "But since when are we so reverend towards gods to forego our language?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We're on their grounds", Behemoth explained with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You'd do well to remember that it took quite a lot of diplomatic effort on messire's side to negotiate our presence here. Have you forgotten that messire is not forgiving if you ruin his work? Especially by doing something stupid?"

"Aren't we cranky", she chuckled in response, mimicking the mouth-covering gesture she has been seeing among Japanese women. "You really don't like to be here, do you?"

"I like it here", he replied. "I don't like the now", he added with a shrug.

"That I can get behind", she nodded with understanding. "Why were we supposed to be here so early, really? We always leave by the moon and the stars, why the hurry now?"

"It's not a matter of hurry, it's a matter of scheduling", he explained with a shrug. "There's some minor ceremony happening later, and messire doesn't want to bother the locals when they are, well, working. That's the whole secret."

"That makes sense", Natasha nodded. "Where is–oh. Good morning, messire", she bowed.

"Good morning, Natasha, Behemoth."

"I see, messire, that you went with the classic look again?" Behemoth remarked, giving Voland's suit a good look; it was, just as before, composed of elements from across two centuries of men's fashion and supplemented with the cane.

"The only proper one, Behemoth", Voland replied with a smirk. "I see you became fond of the local apparel, Natasha?" they turned to the witch.

"Yes, messire", she replied with a smile. "It's an interesting experience. And it simply looks good on me."

"Indeed", they confirmed. "Did you read on the customs?"

"Yes, messire. Enter on the left or the right of the torii, leaving the middle for the gods, unless you are sure they are already inside", she started to recite. "Bow on the entry and whenever the host makes their presence known. Perform the purification rite at–"

"Enough", Voland interrupted with a smile. "Shall we, then?"

Natasha bowed her head with a smile – doubly justified as she noticed a smile and a hint of recognition in Behemoth's eyes as he followed Voland. This was not much – but it felt good.

...

To say Auset was panicking would be an exaggeration – but to say she was concerned would be an understatement. She was, realistically speaking, tense and somewhat anxious; she was going to say her farewells to her companions soon, and that meant that she would stay here alone, a stranger in a strange land, with the entire responsibility for the observation resting on her shoulders. Her successes that Natasha already pointed out to her – that she succeeded in both finding out and delivering important information and managed to detect and properly handle an attempt to watch her – were not enough to put her at ease.

Now her task was to observe, get information out of people, pen and send reports via simple magic, and – if things went really bad – call for help. And for now, it seemed that while the task would require attention, it would not require much skill.

That conclusion came to her when she was sipping a bubble tea in a small café, her back against the wall no more than two meters from a table where the three pilots were making plans – very chaotic plans, she had to say.

"Moving everything is a priority!" the redhead insisted. "It's unbecoming for you to live like that anymore!"

"Misato-san has not given us the green light yet", the boy pointed out.

"Well, then we'll just move everything that is not a necessity to our apartment and then work from there", the girl countered. "The sooner, the better! What do you say, Ayanami?" she turned to the other girl.

"I do not own anything that is not a necessity except a few mementos", the addressed girl replied in a familiar monotone voice. "And I do not wish to part with the mementos until I can be sure they will not become misplaced."

"What do you mean by – oh", the redhead's tone dropped. "{Shit. Right.}"

"It worries me that I start to understand German better with every day", the boy chimed in with a hint of exasperation in his tone. "And Asuka… Misato-san is on our side here, but could we not antagonize her? If you want Ayanami-san to spend less time there, a good idea, then maybe we can ask for permission to have a sleepover first? To make her accustomed to Ayanami's presence?"

"What is a… sleepover?" the quiet girl asked.

"Huh. You have good ideas sometimes", the redhead admitted. "Sold. Sleepover it is!" she decided.

"If you want that, that is", the boy turned to the quiet girl.

"What is a sleepover?" the quiet girl repeated her question, now with a bit more confidence.

"It's when you visit your friends and stay for the night", the boy explained. "Or when they come to you. It's usually a social activity, with playing cards, board games, and such."

"Would that not disrupt your homework?" the girl asked, a dim hint of concern in her voice.

"We can do those together if you wish", the boy replied. "Assuming, of course, that Misato-san agrees to the sleepover in the first place", he said, giving the redhead a cautioning glance.

The exchange and planning continued for a while; Auset was committing the details to her memory, noting whom and when she would need to follow. Once they were done with their talks, desserts, and drinks, the redhead stood up. "Okay, let's go. We have a Major to pressure!"

Auset let out a small sigh of contention; she had heard enough, and now was ready to move to check on others before–

"Goodbye, Auset-sensei", spoken in the soft, monotone voice of Rei Ayanami brought her back to reality with the effectiveness of a punch to her face. She managed to mumble some courteous response before concluding that her invisibility was still active – and she should, by no means, be seen by anyone.

Unaware of the panic she had just caused, the quiet girl continued on her way, no longer paying any attention to her. 'So much for not requiring skill…' Auset mused quietly with a hint of desperation in her mind. 'And there goes my plan of shadowing them… shit indeed.'

She finished her bubble tea in one gulp, threw the cup away with a shaking hand, and left the café while looking around herself nervously. The plans regarding those three dearly needed reevaluation – but before she could start thinking about that, she had one last appointment she did not intend to miss.

...

The sadness of the night descended upon Tokyo-3 as the whole retinue assembled at the terrace above the city for the last time, looking at the gleaming lights and screens, listening to the distant sounds of trains and cars, smelling the dimming fragrances coming from the food stalls and fumes.

"[I'm going to miss that place]", Behemoth spoke, his tone wistful.

"[What happened to 'dull', cat?]" Voland chuckled quietly.

"[It grew on me, messire. Like a mold, I suppose…]" Behemoth mused. "[I've seen worse cities, now that I think of it.]"

"[Don't you get sentimental, too]", Azazello rolled his eyes as he turned towards Behemoth and away from the witches.

"[I'm not sentimental, you oaf]", Natasha scoffed at him and returned her attention to Auset, lowering her voice again so that only the girl could hear her. "[Remember what I told you?]"

"[I'm not alone, I'm independent]", Auset recited. "[And I must not fear, since they can do me no harm. And that you and Hella trained me for this long ago.]"

"[Exactly]", Natasha confirmed, smiling reassuringly. "[You'll do just fine. Just keep your eyes and ears open – and be careful around those that can see more. You already handled one crisis, that means you can handle any other.]"

"[Let's go, Natasha]", a firm voice called for her. "[She will manage. I would not be leaving her here otherwise.]"

"[See? Even messire believes in you]", Natasha winked at Auset and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "[Good luck!]"

"[Thanks, big sis]", Auset smiled back as Natasha ruffled her hair before turning away.

"[I am ready, messire]", she approached Voland, now holding the reins of a horse blacker than the night surrounding them; everyone else was already sitting on theirs. As Voland nodded, Natasha took the reins of the last horse and climbed it gracefully in a movement exercised a few times already.

"[The watch is yours, Auset]", Voland spoke to Auset in a deep tone.

"[The watch is mine, madame]", Auset replied with all the confidence she could muster, bowing deeply.

Voland bowed their head slightly in a reply, climbed their horse without any further words, and slowly led the cavalcade across the terrace and off it, into the darkness and over the invisible path in the air – and soon after, Auset was left alone on the terrace.

She let out a wistful sigh and reached for her faithful broom. Granted, she was used to responsibility, but this was the first time she was entrusted with so much of it. 'It's so funny that everyone has more faith in me than I have in myself', she mused as she straddled the broom, called upon her invisibility, and departed in the direction of the school. 'Perhaps Tasha is right? Perhaps I have to pretend until it becomes my second nature…?'

The city, illuminated by the numerous lights, was quickly passing underneath her, oblivious of her presence, slowly going to sleep, only to be ready for tomorrow – tomorrow when it would be free from the dark forces that only desired evil – but eternally did good.

...

The black horses were now walking slowly, having tired on their long way between the odd reality of Tokyo-3 and their destination. The riders remained silent, as it was a custom on those journeys: only the newcomers, the strangers, and the curious – only those spoke on the darkness-shrouded paths. And none were with them this time.

The forms of the travelers changed, no longer beholden to the laws of the reality they were in. Natasha, her hair now fully red again, her skin pale and gleaming in the moonlight, far too perfect to be natural. Timmy, his looks of a fourteen-year-old gone and replaced with a younger yet far harsher-appearing body and face, small flat bumps marked with tattoos on his neck and hands now visible, his gaze no longer that carefree. Azazello, now once again cold and pale, with his eyes now deepest pits of darkness, his fang and odd features gone, his appearance more fitting his desert origins and his lethal nature. Behemoth, now the perfect demonic page again, a slim young man of unknown yet ancient origin, older than recorded history, a jester who had heard every joke in existence, a trickster that led untold souls astray, and yet – rarely smiled himself. And finally, Voland, their form and shape now fluent, presenting every possible appearance associated with them at once – and none of them at the same time, their very presence shaping the path they were following into their domain.

The cavalcade rode on underneath the cold light of the moon, knowing that while they were not taking anyone with them this time, this had been a very successful endeavor. After all, they did save the world from destruction – or at least from becoming very, very dull.

...

The moon was slowly rising over Tokyo-3 and Acting Commander Misato Katsuragi was pondering whether it was a good moment to wrap her work up and go home where, in most likeness, a hot and tasty dinner was already waiting for her – or to pick up another thing on her very long list and spare herself a few minutes – or hours – of work tomorrow. She pondered that issue for a few moments, weighing her options carefully – until a decisive, irrefutable vote was suddenly cast by her growling stomach, reminding her in a very direct and unmistakable way that the bento Shinji prepared for her this morning became nothing but a fond memory a few hours ago and her only options for food were either the cafeteria or – more realistically – one of the vending machines. Having quickly enough concluded that she was already hopelessly addicted to Shinji's quality cooking and neither of those local options was really an acceptable substitute, she reached for the terminal's OFF button – and paused the moment she saw the NEW MAIL icon light up on her screen.

She let out a sigh of annoyance. Many things could wait until tomorrow – but she knew herself all too well: leaving this unread would gnaw at her too much. Thus, disregarding the incessant and insistent growling reminders provided by her stomach, she clicked the icon – and a moment later, she was not sure whether she was supposed to laugh or panic from both seeing who the sender was – and what it contained.

"Commander", the message started, "I am happy to inform you that the United Nations Ethics Office has found the performance of your organization as flawless as it was expected to be. You will receive the report proper within a few days. In the meantime, please carry on; I wish you nothing but success in your new station. Kind regards, Insp. Alex Voland."

After a few seconds of staring at the screen, she let out a confused chuckle and shook her head, at the same time stopping herself from saying even a single word; her previous experiences have proven that sometimes it summoned more attention than she wished for right now. She just turned the terminal off, secured the office, and in a relatively short time – at the negligible cost of defying a few traffic laws – was she home and behind the table. There, her hunger was sated – primarily for food, but more importantly, also for the company that cared about her.

She knew that the closer she would get to those kids, the harder working with them would be, especially when it came to battles to come. But right now, she did not care; this was a problem for Some Future Misato to solve. She did not even ask why Rei Ayanami was at the table as well and was not at all surprised when Asuka "nonchalantly" sprung a question about an "impromptu" sleepover. She just told them to be good kids, not to wake her, and to behave in general – and could only chuckle when Asuka solemnly reassured her that she would defend Rei's innocence from Shinji with her life.

In the following confusion – coming mostly from Rei and Shinji – and amusement – coming mostly from Misato – nobody really noticed a figure that was hiding in the balcony – not even when said figure, clearly satisfied with the results of observations, finally picked up a broom and flew away.

...

A screeching voice addressed Voland as they were walking through the corridors of their domain with Natasha next to them. "[The guests sent here by your assassins have been seated as you commanded, my liege]", a human-sized rook in a gray uniform spoke. "[They are ready for you.]"

"[Ah, great]", Voland nodded and smiled. "[Come, Natasha. I want you to witness their fate… and learn something]", they said as they pushed the door.

"Good morning, my honored guests", Voland spoke in a serious tone, greeting the assembly inside: a few serious-looking people sitting at a table that would not be out of place at some political conference anywhere on Earth. "I am sure you have a few questions regarding your current condition", they continued as all the eyes, just confused as they were defiant, focused on them. "If I recall correctly, you have been members – and de facto leaders – of an organization called SEELE… a catchy name, I must say, somewhat appropriate, considering how many souls you have sent into oblivion prematurely… but this is all past now; you are, right now, my guests–"

"Excuse me, stranger", a scratchy voice with an odd accent interrupted Voland. "You speak as if SEELE was gone. This cannot be, and our presence here proves–"

"All it proves, good sir", Voland interrupted in turn, a mean, toothy smirk emerging on their face, silencing the man better than any threat would, "is that you feared that not much good might await you in your afterlife. And, I must say, you were right to fear. You are quite correct: your organization carries on… but it carries on without you. There is no return to that life, not with your memories, anyway, not as exactly yourself. This will, simply, not happen; making it happen is outside your power. What is in your power, though, is what will happen to you now", Voland paused for a moment, now sure that the entirety of the attention was focused on them. "There are two doors in this room: the one you and I entered through; those are for me and mine alone from now on and will never open for you again", Voland gestured to the door behind their back, "and the one you can use to leave", they continued with a gesture to the door on the other side of the room. "Any of you can leave through this door… as long as everyone else in the room agrees to let that person leave. The vote will be conducted in secret, you can call for it at any time. My servant here", they indicated an unassuming, old man in a butler uniform standing in the corner, a stack of small pieces of paper on the table next to him, "will handle the details when you tell him to. There are no other conditions. Questions?"

"Why?" a large man with an odd visor-like contraption in place of his eyes, asked in his low voice. "Is this some kind of a joke?"

"I assure you, Mr. Lorenz, I am quite serious about this", Voland replied in a confident, almost reassuring voice. "There are no strings attached. At all. Once everyone agrees that the person in question is absolved and everyone confirms it via their votes, that person can open that door and leave; otherwise, the door will not open. And in case any of you get ideas… I strongly advise against trying to open it by force. And now, I'm leaving you to your deliberations", they said as they bowed, almost mockingly, and retreated, followed by Natasha.

...

"[I don't understand, messire. This is… this is barely a punishment]", Natasha started the moment the door closed behind them. "[What stops them from just leaving? Simply voting that they all are allowed to leave right now?]"

"[Nothing]", Voland replied with a smirk. "[Nothing at all. Except each other, of course.]"

"[So… they get a pass because ambition is good in your eyes?]" she tried, her brow furrowed.

"[Oh, no]", Voland chuckled. "[Ambition is not subject to morality – only the actions driven by said ambition. They get… a chance. They get a chance that they had never given to billions sacrificed in their failed attempt at gaining divinity, an attempt that had been based on a lie and had been a folly from the very beginning – not that they know that part, of course. They had failed in their plan; there is enough blame to go around. They still paid for that in untold lives; there's enough guilt to go around. And they are ambitious, driven people; there's enough envy to go around. I will check on them in a decade, perhaps in a century… and I'm quite sure very few of them – if any – will be gone by then. I have shown them the way, and all they need is to take it… and let each other take it. You're free to put any mortal philosophy to that]", Voland finished with a smirk. "[But I think you don't have to anymore… do you?]"

A mix of clarity, realization, and cruel amusement crept on Natasha's face. "[They have nothing but each other right now. Forever.]"

"[Indeed]", Voland confirmed with a smirk Natasha knew quite well, one of satisfaction. "[Isn't the human soul its own worst enemy?]"

Natasha giggled in reply; becoming a witch as she did, without the burden of death or guilt, had its advantages – but its major disadvantage has always been the need to learn all the nuances in other ways. And such lessons were always – for the lack of a better word – a blessing. "[Thank you, messire. Can I… watch them from time to time?]"

"[Oh, by all means]", Voland chuckled. "[Feel free to enjoy their predicament… just do not interfere in any manner. That would ruin the beauty of it, wouldn't it?]"

"[Of course, messire]", Natasha agreed with a wide smile on her face.

"[Now, what was the next point on the current agenda?]" Voland asked – and Natasha happily started to fill them in.

...

There could have been many endings to this story.

Some would say it should end when the Angel threat no longer existed – but considering the promises made by one of the Angels, this could mean a very long time.

Others would suggest that this should end once the fate of everyone played out to the end – but when would that be? Some fates some of them agreed to reach even beyond death, after all.

Yet others would say this should end only after the dust from the newly formed relationships settled and at least the consequences of the pacts were made clear – but the truth is that no relationship ever remains unchanged, and as such, such a point in time does not exist.

Therefore, since none of those options apply and because this story began on the day on which several strangers came to Tokyo-3, it ends on the night they left.

Devil might be gone from Tokyo-3, God is far away – but for now, all was right with the world.