"What if I do it?"
Mitsuki put the book down, looking at Irina with disbelief in her eyes. Her? After what Issei had just done, she wanted to do it too? Did becoming angels and devils give the two a martyr complex? It seemed so to Mitsuki. After all, her two oldest friends were ready to throw their own souls into the deepest pits of Hell for her own sake.
"No." She put the book down and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Well, that's it then. I won't let you sell yourself back over and you won't let me sell mine. We're kinda out of options," Irina said, leaning back in her chair.
Mitsuki took a sip of her coffee. She had been into it lately. Ever since the arrival of the Norse and Slavic Gods, she had become addicted to caffeine. No, it wasn't just them. It was Issei's fault. Ever since her childhood friend had sold his damn soul to a demon to resurrect her, she had been up nonstop trying to find a way to save him.
"There has to be a way…" Mitsuki pulled out her AS. She expanded the screen, splitting it into multiple panels and did a multi-system search through the archives. "This can't be it."
"Mii…"
"I refuse to accept this," Mitsuki said.
"Maybe… we should listen to what Lady Asmodeus-"
"I don't care what Asmodeus says!" Mitsuki slammed her electrified fist on the table, sending cracks across the wood. "There's always a way. There's always a way around everything…"
"Maybe, this isn't one of those things that we can just find loopholes in," Irina said, feeling a little defeated.
Mitsuki didn't blame her. The amount of content and lore they had gone through would make even Azazel jealous. It had been a neverending task on compiling every piece of lore on a Faustian Bargain. The trademark soul-sucking deal of the Devil. However, there had been nothing on anyone who had been able to successfully break it. There were people who tried but they had never found a single story of someone surviving one.
"I… I'm not giving up. I can't. Aniki sold his soul for me. I'm not going to let him rot in some abyss in the lower levels of Gehenna for the rest of time," Mitsuki said, pulling another book to her.
"Well, we only have so much time. I have to meet with Lord Michael since Lady Raphael is going as Heaven's representative to the meeting. Blacklight wants me to guard her as part of our being the neutral arbiter there," Irina said.
Mitsuki nodded.
There was another thing that was limiting the amount of time they could spend, scouring the archives.
The meeting between the Slavs, the Norse, and the Three Factions.
The meeting place and date had been decided. It was going to be this Saturday in Asgard. A rather odd choice that benefited the Norse far more than it did the other two. However, Azazel appeared to not care nor did Serafall. The Three Factions had the backing of Izanami, the Great Evil of Retribution, in exchange for representing the Shintos at the meeting.
Her aunt had been busy in preparation for the day. And now, Mitsuki's work was beginning to pick up as well. As the captain of Lunar Raven Squad, she had to pick up on some of her aunt's work. Not to mention the data she and Ingvild had to go over regarding the destruction of Hong Kong and several locations with key Blacklight holdings.
"It's in 2 days. That's the shortest time crunch we've… I've ever had to deal with," she said.
Mitsuki felt like pulling her hair out at that point.
"Well, at least, you have us." Irina offered her a sympathetic smile.
"Yeah, at least I won't be alone in this. By the way… where is Issei?" Mitsuki asked.
"He's out there looking for Veles. Something about his Boundary?"
"Ah."
It was official. For someone who had the power to create technology from nothing, Azazel was useless when it came to locating other people. Mastema had suggested going to find Veles to find out more about Boundaries and Ascendants so that Issei might be able to manifest a Crown.
Whatever that was, Issei was going to find out.
Of course, that was easier said than done. The Slavic God proved to be harder to find than a solution to his current problem. Essentially, Veles's exact location and presence was akin to a needle in a cosmic haystack.
[Next time, we ask Raphael or Serafall.] Ddraig suggested.
"I understand Raphael but why Serafall? From what we know of her, she's just going to help us and then get lost even more than we are now," Mastema chimed in.
"We can't be more lost than we are now. We've combed the entire town and there's no sign of him. It can't be that hard. Mastema, you can sense Ascendants right?" Issei asked.
"Yes. Though, finding one as powerful as Veles is going to be hard even for someone as beautiful and powerful as me."
Issei sighed and continued walking down the street.
"Of course, I can think of a few places we can begin looking. Finding an Ascendant is hard even for other Ascendants. All of them resonate differently through Yesh. To search through the Kadmon for their specific frequency is… a bit like…"
"Okay, I think I'll just rely on my eyes because I did not understand one thing you just said," Issei said.
"Well, for starters, try the park."
Issei nodded.
"Wait, why the park?" he asked.
[Hmph, well the park probably reminds him of the Great Evil of Rebellion.] Ddraig answered.
The Great Evil of Rebellion? Wait, I've heard that name before. Kali mentioned it at the Devil Gathering once when she was dissing everyone, Issei thought.
He followed Mastema's words, making his way to the local park. A slight shiver ran down his spine. He hadn't been here since that incident with Raynare. Issei stood at the park's entrance, gazing down the path with some hesitation.
Issei took a few deep breaths before stepping foot upon the red brick pathway.
"This place… brings back bad memories, doesn't it? You haven't been here since the incident with Raynare," Mastema said.
"Yeah. It's… a lot different from what I remember," Issei said.
The warmth he once felt from coming to this park had vanished. One of the things Raynare had stolen from him the day she killed him. His relative trust in women and his ability to enter this one specific place in Kuoh. Of course, the second part was merely due to the trauma he suffered.
[Don't worry, Partner. Mastema and I are here this time to protect you.] Ddraig said.
Mastema's form manifested next to him. She floated in front of him and flashed a caring smile on her face. "You know… we don't have to come here if you feel uncomfortable. This place… doesn't really have any good memories for you."
"I'm fine guys. Thanks for worrying about me. But for now, if anything, maybe finding Veles can help me reverse this contract. Boundaries are absolute powers right? Then, they can sever the contract I have to that blue-haired devil," Issei said, flashing Mastema a toothy grin.
Mastema's eyebrows scrunched up in worry. She could see Issei's body shaking slightly. The trauma clearly affected him deeply. She floated over to him and drew him into a hug. To others, it looked like Issei was standing in one spot, but to Issei, he clearly felt it.
That motherly warmth that enveloped his entire body. He had only felt such warmth from his own mother… and one other. A vague vestigial memory from his time as an infant. The closest he came to feeling it again was from his former babysitter.
Mastema, I'm fine… really!
Mastema frowned and pulled away, relenting when she saw Issei give her a reassuring smile. She nodded and hovered next to him.
"Prez really did a good job of covering up the fact that I was murdered here," Issei noted, not seeing any trace of blood on the pavement.
Issei kept walking down the path, taking in the memories of that day. The day that set him on the path to what he was today. He clenched his fist slightly before moving forward.
"You said… Veles likes parks, right, Mastema?" Issei asked.
"Mmm. I said he might. I never said he did…"
"You… know a lot about Veles, don't you? Can you see Lilith's memories too? Is that what I dream about sometimes?"
Mastema remained silent, pondering how to answer his question. However, she didn't have to. Before she could even answer, Issei saw a familiar head of blackish-green hair sitting on one of the park benches. He was dressed far more casually than when Issei last saw him.
Issei walked up to him, gathering his words to greet the God.
"You don't need to say hi. I knew you were looking for me the moment you entered the park," Veles said, looking over his shoulder.
The god had the same cool expression he had the day Issei met him.
"Oh," Issei said dumbly. "Wait, if you knew I was here, why didn't you come find me?"
"I could have teleported you know. I came to the park because Azazel told me you were looking for me," Veles said, leaning back against the bench.
Issei sat down next to him, sitting in awkward silence next to one of the Slavic Pantheon's highest ranking deities. Even in his casual state, the pressure the God radiated was on a completely different level than anything Issei had felt. He could only compare it to Kali and he felt that not even Beelzebub could stand against him.
"So, kid. What did you want?" Veles asked.
The birds flew overhead. A few of them dove down, landing perfectly on Veles's shoulders.
"My Boundary."
Veles raised his eyebrow at his response.
"Teach me how to use it!" Issei turned to face the God with a resolute expression on his face. "I've gotten nowhere with it. And there's no one in our group that knows enough about them to be able to teach me-"
Veles cut Issei off. "What about Blacklight?"
"Blacklight. That was the first place I tried but all they have is lore and theory. Not even theory. Mitsuki told me that all they can do is guess about what Boundaries are since there are no Ascendants in Blacklight for them to study."
Veles closed his eyes and nodded. A soft hum came from his lips, drifting out into the world.
Issei watched as the sound became visible, causing ripples in the air that distorted the light.
"Do you know what a Boundary is? At least that, you have to know," Veles said, waving his fingers.
The sound wave moved and undulated in a serpentine manner, rising and falling in frequency erratically. The tone changed with Veles's fingers, twisting and distorting the fabric around it.
"I do. They're ideas, right? Weaponized ideas that let Ascendants control the world around them. Dantalion called them axioms and principles," Issei said, trying his best to remember how it was explained to him.
"I guess she can be right on that part but that's not everything about it. Come on. We need to go to a safer place. Today, we'll train your Boundary," Veles said, getting up.
"Eh? Really? That easily?" His words confused Issei. He thought he'd have a harder time getting help from the god.
"Well?" Veles asked.
"Y- Yeah!" Issei walked after him.
"Hold still."
Issei stopped. Veles placed his hand on Issei's shoulder and the two vanished from the spot in a flash of black and green light, leaving behind only the discordant tunes of music in their wake.
The next thing Issei knew, he was sent tumbling out onto the ground below. He coughed, feeling his stomach churning and the urge to vomit growing stronger. Issei looked up at the unfazed deity, who took a step forward.
"Where are… we?"
They were no longer on Kuoh. Issei wasn't even sure they were still even in Japan. He felt the chilly air biting into his skin and the sensation of fresh snow beneath his hands. "O-Oi! Where are we?" Issei shivered.
"Siberia," Veles said bluntly.
"S- Siberia? Did you bring me here to freeze to death?" Issei couldn't believe what he was hearing. Veles responded as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"It's better to show you here rather than back in Kuoh. We might accidentally sink the entire country into the ocean," Veles said.
"A- Accidentally?" Issei had an incredulous look on his face.
Just how powerful was this god that just a mere explanation and demonstration was going to level an entire country? Was this what Ddraig and Mastema were referring to when they talked about the Great Evils?
Come to think of it… Kali was like this too. She destroyed the entire inside of the Rating Game Space just by flashing a light from her hand, Issei thought.
An involuntary shiver ran up his spine. The fight with the Goddess of Destruction was one thing he would not want to relive in this lifetime or any lifetime.
"Come here."
Issei saw Veles standing by a small creek running through the frozen wilderness. He walked toward him, noting that the snow had melted around them. Veles must have been considering how Issei felt walking through this place.
"What Dantalion told you wasn't wrong but it wasn't everything," Veles said, seeing that Issei was now closer.
"Boundaries are… yes, they are axiomatic and basic in nature. They serve as the absolute truth that serves as the basis of all logic and illogic in the Universe while also being the conceptual basis for all phenomena that exist. But Boundaries are… merely extensions of an Ascendant," Veles said.
As if to demonstrate, he snapped his fingers and Issei heard a familiar tune beginning to play around him.
ZOOM ZOOM IYAAAAN!
"Oh dear…"
[Hah! Why!? Of all the songs he had to pick!] Ddraig wailed.
"Wait… are you using magic to play this song?" Issei asked.
Veles shook his head. "No. I added it to the composition of the reality. Think of it like I just edited a video and added background music. This song… is now an idea of existence. Everyone who's hearing this will think this has always been the reality of the world."
"E- Eh? Wait… everyone can hear this!?" Issei asked.
"Mmm. You think I localized it. Everyone in existence can hear this song-"
[Turn it off!]
The Boosted Gear flashed into existence in Issei's left arm. [I get it! Thanks for the demonstration but I'd rather not have this as the BGM to life for eternity!]
Veles blinked. "Ah, the Red Dragon Emperor. Hmm, I don't get why. This is a rather catchy song, despite its vulgar lyrics." He waved his hand and the song vanished.
Issei sighed in relief.
"Wait a minute… you just edited the entire universe and added background music! That's awesome! Can I do that with my Boundary?" Issei asked, realizing what Veles had just done.
"Mmm. Not that I know of. Ascendants are essentially an entire cosmos defined by their Boundary condensed into a singular form. Boundaries are parts of the Ascendant. Me for example. When I ascended, my entire existence became discord and harmony themselves, which is expressed through the Waves of the world. Essentially, to me, controlling the world is like manipulating music," Veles explained.
"W- Woah! That's insanely broken!" Issei gushed. "Then… what about the Shevirat Ha-Kelim!? What does that do?"
"Mmm. Even when I spent centuries next to Ellie, I never really understood what it did. All I know was it allowed her to create anything out of thin air and destroy everything all the same. The explanation she gave was a bit heavy though," Veles said.
"I see… so no one even knows what it does."
"Not necessarily. It is tied to "Origin."
"Origin?" Issei raised an eyebrow.
Veles nodded.
"Origin… is the Genesis and Finality of the world. The Beginning and the End of everything, even Eternity and Infinity. But beyond that, I never really understood what it meant," Veles said.
"I see…" Issei felt a smile grace his lips. The God was being far warmer now than he was the other day. Was it because they were no longer in combat?
"Now enough about that." Veles closed his eyes and turned to face Issei in full. His blazing orange eyes scanned Issei's figure. He nodded to himself before speaking. "You came here to learn more about how to control your Boundary. While I'm here, I'll give you some pointers starting now. But first things first, before we can even begin learning how to control your Boundary, you must first learn how to manifest a Crown."
A Crown? Come to think of it… I've heard him say that word before.
"What's a Crown?" Issei asked.
"I was sure Kali explained all of this to you but it seems that I have to start from the very beginning."
Issei watched with some fascination as an ethereal pair of horns resembling that of a stag appeared on Veles's head. The base of the horns curved around the skull, resembling that of a crown.
"A Crown is proof of an Ascendant's status and a sign of maturity as one. It means that an Ascendant has fully mastered their own existence, transcending to an even higher level where they can paint over the entire world with their Boundary. Having a Crown means you can use a Pleroma," Veles explained.
Pleroma?
"A Pleroma is the complete full manifestation of a Boundary. A Crown just signifies that an Ascendant can now form one," Mastema said.
"A Pleroma is… the outward complete manifestation of a Boundary. It is the expansion of an Ascendant's will, subjugating and rewriting all the Laws of the World to their whims and creating an entire world with functional laws. An Ascendant's Pleroma is as real as the Universe outside of it," he continued.
"So… it's like your inner world projected outward? Except bigger?" Issei asked.
"Precisely. But of course, ranges and effects differ from Ascendant to Ascendant. For example, let's use two friends of mine, Kali and Ereshkigal. Kali's Pleroma might encompass the whole of Japan while Ereshkigal's might just swallow all of Kuoh Town. The interiors can be vastly different in size too. Going off Kali and Ereshkigal once more, Kali's interior might be the size of the planet while Ereshkigal's can be vast enough to contain an entire night sky with several real-sized stars," Veles said.
Issei's eyes nearly bugged out at the explanation.
An entire world projecting itself outward? And it can be the size of an entire planet on the inside!? What kind of cheat code is this!?
"So… if Ascendants are basically walking worlds, then a Pleroma is the full form and power of an Ascendant, right?" Issei asked, finally understanding some of it.
"Mmm. The physical form of an Ascendant within the Pleroma is just an avatar. In short, because of an Ascendant's nature as a condensed cosmos, the Pleroma is merely an expression of that as an ability," Veles said.
"T- Then, can you show me yours!? I can't manifest a Crown yet but I can get there! I just want to see what a Pleroma looks like!" Issei said with stars in his eyes.
Veles placed his hand on his chin, trying to think on whether or not he should grant Issei's request. After seeing the boy's expectant eyes, he let out a sigh. This was going to go badly. Veles nodded.
Issei beamed at the fact that his request was being granted.
Veles took a few steps back from Issei. He closed his eyes.
For a few seconds, Veles was just standing there. At least, that's what it looked like to Issei and Ddraig.
Mastema manifested her form next to Issei. "Get ready," she warned.
Ready? Is it-
"[Pleroma: Nyavka.]"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Issei felt an instinctual change in the world around him. His nauseating shift in reality. His body was rejecting it yet the rejection was being overwritten by Veles's overpowering will. A discordant tune sang through the world, threatening to drive him mad as his mind tried to make sense of what he was listening to. Such an eldritch song could not be comprehended by anyone yet… for some reason, his mind had accepted it as truth.
A paradoxical state where his mind knew it was wrong yet accepted it all the same.
Issei staggered forward, trying to make sense of his surroundings. An endless meadow that stretched unto the distance. Above him was an iridescent sky filled with auroras that pulsated in accordance to this discordant tune. And at the center, there was a massive silver tower.
Veles had all but disappeared from his sight.
"Khh! My brain!" Issei fell to his knees. Blood trickled down his nose. As Issei's vision began to swim, the world's tune began to change. The discordant song began to harmonize. A serene song began to waft into Issei's ears, healing all the damage he suffered from merely listening to the song.
"You're alright."
He turned around and saw Veles standing behind him with his hands in his pockets.
"I… almost fucking died!" Issei said, gasping for air.
"Mmm. That is the initial state of this Pleroma. Every Pleroma has different effects and appearance but the mechanics are all the same. They are tied to the God's Ideal… mine was Discord and Harmony. It stems from my innate desire to create a peaceful world for the Dawn even if it means plunging the rest of the world into chaos," Veles said.
Issei went quiet.
The two stood in that massive field of flowers for a long time in relative silence. The only sound that could be heard was the solemn harmonious tune that echoed through the entire realm.
"What was she like?" Issei asked.
"Who?" Veles gave him a side-eyed glance.
"Lucifer. Kali said the same thing to me when we fought. She said that her will burned brightly inside of me but I don't know what she meant by that," he said.
Veles closed his eyes to think. Issei waited with bated breath on what the God could possibly say about her.
"Lucifer… Helel. Ellie, she was an idiot."
Issei raised an eyebrow.
Veles nodded, smiling softly while looking at the pulsating auroras above them. The flowers in the field turned with his gaze, singing softly with accordance to his mood. "Ellie was an idiot. A big idiot. She was someone who thought she could change the world just because she put her mind to it.
"Humans. The Underworld. If she wanted to change it and she put her mind to it, there was no stopping her. Call it what you will but she really lives up to what humans call her. The Angel who fell because of her own Pride.
"I guess in a way she's like you," Veles said.
"Like… me?" Issei asked.
"Kali told me about your little bout. The fact that you kept running headlong into that fight with her with no regard for your own safety. It reminds me of the old days when we fought against the Ancient Gods of Hell. Pfft, ahahaha! Ahh. Ellie ran headlong into that fight against Erebos after Ereshkigal took a blow for her. And let me tell you… I will never believe for a second that you can make the God of Darkness afraid of the dark but somehow she pulled it off," Veles said.
Issei remained silent, seeing the wistful smile on his face.
"I guess Kali saw the same thing in you. And I guess I'm beginning to see it too. You're an idiot, Issei Hyoudou," he said.
"H- Hey! Is that supposed to be a compliment!?" Issei asked.
"Yeah. Idiots and their stupid pride. Things that drive them forward. You and her both. You don't care about what others think. So yeah, you're both idiots. And idiots never give up," Veles said.
Issei looked at him with wide eyes. "T-Thanks," Issei said. He had never been complimented so earnestly by others before, even if it began as an insult. The only people who had ever honestly complimented him were Mitsuki, his parents, Irina, Asia, and Rias.
"Don't get all sappy with me, kid. Let's get to work. In this world, I've made it so that you won't tire out while we practice. By the end of the day, you should be able to manifest some semblance of a Crown," Veles said.
"Yeah!" Issei felt a fire in his belly begin to burn.
"Now, let's get started. The first step to manifesting a Crown is meditation…"
Rain hit the ground gently, creating a light pitter-patter effect akin to tiny feet. The meeting place was beyond the eyes of the Great Evil of Retribution. That was what they agreed upon. Loki made his way discreetly, inwardly disgusted that he had to intermingle with the sea of hairless apes.
He looked up, having seen that he had arrived at his destination. Loki pushed the door open, ringing the bell.
The human ape greeted him and he returned the greeting with a practiced smile on his face.
"Ah. Loki."
Loki turned around, hearing that suave tone that made him shiver. Sitting in a seat and sipping coffee, there was a man. He had golden hair, whose lustre was similar to that of the sun. The light of the cafe reflected off his white suit. The golden lapels on his cuff were annoyingly bright. Their yellow eyes met and Loki felt something instinctive inside of him warning him of this man. Even an Evil God such as himself was wary of this man. The danger he felt hiding behind that meticulously crafted smile.
Loki walked over and pulled the chair out, taking a seat across from him.
The man placed two sugar cubes in his cup and began to stir.
"Why have you called me here?" Loki demanded.
"Now, now, that's not a good way to start a conversation, is it?" the man replied. His nonchalant and relaxed tone, coupled with the amused expression, only made Loki aware that this man did not see him as a threat in the slightest.
"..."
The man finished stirring his cup and took a sip. "Ahh. Humans are always innovative when it comes to things. Comfort. Drinks. How to kill each other. Wouldn't you agree?" his poisonous yellow eyes glimmered underneath the artificial light.
Or perhaps, that was merely a trick of the light?
"..."
"Now, now, this conversation can't just be one-sided. You had a question, yes?" the man said.
Loki thinned his lips into a line. That damned affable smile. "Why did you call me here?"
"I'm here to let you know since the big guy is too busy… or rather he's too arrogant to let you know, the plan is moving forward. Remember our deal," the man said.
Loki nodded stiffly, sensing the threat behind his words.
"People always say that demons lie but that's not true. Not true at all." The man lifted his hands. Golden dust began to waft around his fingers, forming into a few pure gold coins. He shifted his gaze to Loki, who began to sweat under the force of his stare. "Demons honor every deal that they ever make. And you, benefactor, must hold up your end of the deal."
Loki let out a sigh. "I remember the deal."
The man smiled and nodded.
"Good. Then, we'll have no issues moving forward with this. At this time, on Saturday, we'll both get what we came here for. You will get Odin's head on a stick and I will get what I need."
Loki narrowed his eyes.
In the time he had begun working with this demon, he had been working with the assumption that there would be an exchange. However, so far, the man in front of him hadn't given him a clue as to what exactly it was that he wanted. In fact, Loki didn't even know his name.
Deciding that he needed to know, Loki decided to press forward.
"You want to know what I want, don't you?" the man said, folding his hands.
The expression on Loki's face was all he needed to know.
"Hmph. Very well, since you laid bare all your cards, it's only fair I reveal one of mine," the man said.
Loki narrowed his eyes.
"You simply need to buy me time," he said.
"Time?" Loki asked.
"Precisely. Your Ragnarok will buy me the time I need to get what I want," the man said.
"And… what is it that you want exactly?" Loki said hesitantly.
"Access. Access to Odin's most guarded place."
"Odin's most guarded place-!" Loki's eyes went wide in disbelief. This man was a madman. Him and that other God both.
"I see you know what I meant by that. So… in the end, all you need to do is play your part and we'll play ours. We'll both win in the end after all," the man said, standing up.
"You… What is it that you want exactly if that's your target?" Loki asked.
The man didn't turn around.
"Whether it be humans, angels, devils, or even Gods, the world suffers from a sin called Greed. What I want is to seek the apex of Greed. The ultimate thing that even Gods seek out. Paradise. An everlasting utopia," the man said.
"Paradise?"
"Don't worry about the details. Worry about the fixation of your own greed. For at this time today, Ragnarok will begin. Odin will lay slain and so will the Three Factions. And soon, you will be known as Loki, Chief God of the North."
The man glanced over his shoulder to look at Loki with his glowing, poisonous yellow eyes.
You all thought I abandoned this! NO! Just because I started a new fic doesn't mean this one is done! RE:Wind is just a connecting story to Azure and The Doomsday Option!
Anyway, yes, we are progressing smoothly through this arc. Yes, that thing from the Old Til Midnight is still here. People seeing Lucifer in Issei. In the old Til Midnight, it was the Archangels reminiscing about their siblings but now, it's the Great Evils reminiscing about their comrades. And yes, Izanami won't appear for a while. I keep mentioning her but she's not going to be here for a bit. But enough about the Old Til Midnight.
And I would like to reiterate that Issei and Mitsuki aren't twins in this. They're just childhood friends. They were just born the same day but three minutes apart. Mii calls Issei "Aniki" because Issei is older by three minutes.
Anyway, that's enough for now. Don't forget to check RE:Wind and Azure out! Also read "His Will Be Done" and "Cat Got Your Tongue". They're good fics that I'm into right now!