NMHA Ch. 67 - Herald the Era's End


A/N: AKA the chapter where the chickens come home to roost. Let's keep rolling!


As the mists parted to reveal her to the rest of the room, Lunarunn was keenly aware of the way all eyes had turned upon her. Beings of supernatural inclination the world over had their eyes glued on her, eyes glinting with wariness from some, anticipation from others, and curiosity from the rest.

Considering how she'd crashed what was looking to be the conclusion of the summit by appearing in a cloud of mist from Dimension Lost, that was probably a given.

Even so, as she stepped forward, emerging from the mists in plated robes that mixed formality and functional armor, she did so without fear, without hesitation.

Luna could feel the presences of the various gods, mythological creatures, and otherwise wash over her briefly, such as the ancient strength - of magic as well as physical - that emanated from Odin, or the heady, intoxicating aura of Aphrodite, and too many more to count in short order. Not all were friendly. Certainly, she could feel the displeasure radiating from the six closest beings to the center of the hall.

If she was worried about stepping on toes, however, the brunette never would have come. She was, however, left with a sense of introspection as silence fell upon the room. Memories flashed before her eyes as some leaned forward, their interest piqued, while others tensed up, hands either shimmering with magic or on their respective weaponry.

Regardless of the intent of their attention, there was little doubt that all attention was now on her.

Good. To think that the time had finally come. All it took was-

"Fifteen years..." Luna murmured, blinking when she noticed that the others in the room she had intruded upon overheard her. She couldn't change the subject now.

Perhaps not the way she wanted to start, but she could work with this.

"Fifteen years," the brunette repeated herself, louder now, voice amplified with a runic array of her own, woven into her robe. "I know for many of you that's but a drop in the bucket. For some, it's not even that. But for someone like me? A decade and a half is basically a lifetime."

Her gaze turned upon the redheaded Devil in the room, and Luna's cool exterior nearly cracked under the blistering, abominable fury that spewed forth at the sight of him.

'Look at him, sitting there with that gobsmacked look on his face...!'

But even so, she had been ready for the anger and was able to maintain her composure. Instead of snapping the Worldweaver only narrowed her eyes.

"For fifteen years, I've wondered. I've watched. I've waited."

She turned to the side, the armored robes parting to let her prosthetic arm through its confines. Luna held it out, voice a silky, casual cadence.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Gods and goddesses. Youkai, Devil, Angel, or anything in between. Have you ever wondered, why?"

"Why?" Someone in the seats echoed.

'...Heh. Honestly, I'm amazed I'm not slipping up already. The pressure is intense..." But it wasn't because of the power of the individuals there. She silently thanked herself for spending hours - days, even - just practicing for this moment.

The Worldweaver's lips curled upward as she tilted her head and cocked a metallic finger-gun toward the individual who echoed her question. "Why, indeed? Why is it that we are but chaff before the mighty? Why is it that those in such positions as kings and gods are so unreachable, so untouchable, and we who lack such authority are so helpless before them?"

There was a brief pause, before she scoffed, arm slipping back beneath her gray robes, the prismatic sheen of her breastplate glittering in the light.

"Of course, all of you here are above that. You are the mighty. You are the kings. You are the unreachable."

She tilted her head, closing her eyes, continuing her dulcet speech. "I wonder, though. Why is it then that you rule? Is it through nobility recognized by your peers? Is it some divine birthright? Is it just because you're the strongest, and so there is nobody to contest you? Or, perhaps, you just got the luck of the draw?"

Luna scoffed. "A pity that Zeus isn't here. I'd have loved to give him a piece of my mind about that wonderful idea."

"And who are you, to deride the will of the Moirai?" Hermes called from his seat. "Though now that I think of it, aren't you the one that the Devils have been after? The one that blew up the town this place was fashioned after?"

"That's not even mentioning your ascent to power in the first place." Ajuka tacked on. "It is rather hypocritical to discuss the nature of rule when you yourself have built your legacy on corpses and the back of one of Hell's nobles."

There were murmurs at the accusation. There was some history here based on the chilliness in the level-headed Devil's voice, but it was another to see it unfold in such a public space.

She paid him a single, acerbic look before firing back with a single sentence. "I think it's because I'm privy to the hypocrisy that I know best how to address it, Ajuka."

Luna gave the Devil no further attention beyond that.

"As for who I am? Your questions will be answered in due time, Hermes." she answered instead, turning toward Odin. "Allfather. I see you've brought your shieldmaiden." Then, Luna smiled and bowed her head. "I take it you brought her along for her, shall we say, expertise?"

Odin met the brunette's gaze, narrowing his eyes faintly. "And how, pray tell, would you know what said expertise is? I brought her as what you would consider a secretary, and no more."

"And yet Rossweisse published a certain something that caught your eye ages ago. Considering your talks with the Abrahamic Trinity, her appearance here is obviously no mistake. Don't bother to hide the truth of your participation from me. I already know, and know much more beyond that." She pressed her finger up against her temple. "Only, I didn't need to give an eye to Mimir to acquire that knowledge."

There was silence at that declaration, Rossweisse turning to Odin with wide eyes and hushed whispers. He waved the Valkyrie down with elderly cantankerousness, instead choosing to pay full attention to the Devil before them.

"Then what did you give?" Susano'o finally stood from his seat, arms crossed. "Nothing is without a price."

"The price, Susano'o-sama?" The brunette lowered the metallic finger from her temple to her cheek, tapping it, falling silent for one, two, three seconds. "My dignity. My naivety. My family. My home. It wasn't a price I was prepared to pay, yet I was forced to do so all the same."

Her artificial hand stretched out to Sirzechs, palm open as though presenting the Super Devil. "All thanks to him."

"You seem rather unwilling to mention your past crimes, of which monetary fraud is just the start," Sirzechs replied easily.

Her eyes narrowed, but the brunette did not look in his direction again. "Because there was no such thing. You of all people should know that, Sirzechs. Besides, why would I need to cheat for pocket change when I already had everything that I needed? Your Sin is not mine, nor will it ever be."

Before he could reply, the brunette turned away. "But I'm not here for petty grudges. Nor am I here to talk idly about past disagreements. No, what I am here for, is to fulfill a purpose. The very same purpose that has driven me for the past fifteen years, ever since my mother and father were stolen from this world by the whims of a nobleman, by the whims of the 'powerful'."

Her head snapped to the nearest magical array, one she knew was televising her intrusion into the Summit, one getting close up, to perhaps better capture her details.

Luna beamed at everyone watching from the other side of the array. Serenely. Benignly. Warmly.

"The callous world we all live in today? The one that promises a peace based on complacency and lies? I'm going to splatter it across its own walls."


Greece

In Olympus, the sky burned.

Light clashed with light, moon with moon, and the elements themselves roiled.

Zeus was not a patient God. Nor was he one who oft cared for the results of his actions.

But he was the King of the Greek Pantheon, and though his fingers itched to level his thunderbolt at the aggressors and purge them from the heavens, he stood and waited instead.

This was an attack on his authority, after all. None would be so brazen as to attack Olympus with all its powers gathered.

But the gods weren't all present. Three, including Ares, were elsewhere, spectating the summit of the Trinity.

Pah. He hadn't liked the idea, and neither had Hera nor Athena, but Dionysus, Aphrodite, and Hestia had all talked them into it.

And look where they found themselves now. Two primary gods away, including their god of War, three more missing in action, and Athena-

The clouds above started thundering as Zeus's expression grew stormy as his thoughts went to the daughter of his mind.

No. This was premeditated. Had Hades finally chosen to follow through on his promise, after the whole Persephone debacle? Or maybe Dionysus wanted to spice things up, and Ares had agreed to play along?

Too many questions. Too little time. He would have to deal with whoever the traitor was later. Their punishment would put Prometheus's to shame.

A bolt of light shot past him and crashed into one of the twelve thrones, and though it did not break, the bolt of light certainly did, and inside it was the battered body of Apollo, bleeding golden down his blond brow.

Zeus immediately tracked the path that Apollo had taken, up to the form in the distance, glowing with the same power as Apollo himself, except... more severe? No, more intense.

This was less the light of the sun in life and fire, and more the light of the sun in its illumination? The deliverance of truth? These Domains, they were familiar, yet... different. New. Invigorated?

The god's eyes widened. How? Wasn't this pantheon all but an afterthought? They were relics of the past, an echo of a bygone era!

"Nemesis," he whispered, fury building further. "Were you the traitor all along?"

An eye for an eye. There certainly was one pantheon that they'd come into heavy conflict with back in the War Above the Heavens. It'd make sense that they would want vengeance.

He turned to the other god by his side. "Poseidon. Know that it galls me to ask you of this, but-"

"Say no more, brother dearest," the god of the sea replied, holding out an arm and summoning his trident. His normally jovial expression was gone, in its place a harsh scowl. "We have waited long enough. Let us show these motherless river kings that their defeat at our hand millennia ago was no mere whim of the Moirai. The sea shall lend the sky its might."

Zeus nodded, and lifted his thunderbolt into the air.

The skies opened up, rain and lightning spewing out in all the rage of a hurricane.


Summit

Luna's declaration was met with silence, then, a snort.

Her eyes shifted over to the culprit, the bespectacled man within the Hindu delegation letting out another. Then finally, he started laughing.

"Ahhh, ha ha ha ha haa!" He lowered his hand, staring at Lunarunn coldly. "You? 'Splatter' this 'callous' world? A girl whose only fancy trick is to blow up cities? Please, pull the other lever, it has tassels."

The brunette didn't rise to the bait, instead returning Indra's cold glare with an equally icy smile. "And yet I was beset by one of God's strongest renegades. I faced him not once, but twice. Yet here I am still. Azazel, I'm sure you know how powerful Kokabiel was, why don't you share with the class who the stronger between the two of you is?"

"And why should I even entertain your whimsy?" he instead replied coldly, with a lifting of his brow. "You come here, declare your intention to war with the world, yet expect us - who seek peace - to follow along? Truly, if you were expecting us to play your game, your naivety shows. I had high hopes for you, Lunarunn, but clearly that was another mistake among the many I've made."

"For someone who says he cares about family, you were awfully prepared to abandon them for the sake of appeasement." Luna's eyes slid past the Governor-General. "Remind me, who was it that demanded Kokabiel and his followers be 'brought to account': the Devils, for the crime of invading territory under the stewardship of Lucifer's sister? The Angels, for causing the death of tens of thousands of humans? The Youkai, for letting the fight spill over into their lands, despite knowing full well how set Kokabiel was in hunting me down? For someone who claims to care about his family, you didn't just not stand up to protect your siblings- you all but folded."

"They followed Kokabiel for their own reasons. It's not my place to dictate what my brothers and sisters can and should do. They made their choice, so they suffer the consequences of their actions."

"They joined because they thought they were doing the right thing. They thought killing me was more important to the safety of the world than keeping the peace." The Worldweaver's smile took on a particularly sharp kind of sunny. "Are you saying now that you'd accept them all back with open arms, now that they've supposedly been proven right? That you forgive them for the choice they made, even if they were supposedly led astray by your wayward brother?"

Azazel leaned forward, not noticing the way Michael and Gabriels' eyes had gone wide. "They made their choice. Whether or not the risk you obviously present is worth acting against, the fact that they got humans involved is unacceptable. I hated doing it, but if it means preventing more bloodshed then cutting them all loose is the least I would do."

That got mutters, and immediately the Governor-General's own eyes widened, swiveling to see Shemhazai with the same expression.

Luna chuckled, slowly enunciating her next words with succulence. "Like the Holy Father, like the prodigal son." She turned away as Azazel reared back, his face just as chaotic as the laughter, chatter, gasps, murmurs, and stony silence that warred in the air. "And to think, I haven't even gotten to you two."

"Enough of this," Sirzechs stood, face in a stern frown. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"And leave the job half-finished- sorry, third-way finished?" The brunette's eyes glowed. "Perish the thought."

"Amaterasu, we request that you please expel Lunarunn from your hallowed halls," Michael concurred with Sirzechs, standing up and turning to the sun goddess. "This is a peace conference, not a place to air grievance-"

He was drowned out by the outraged calls, though the Shinto faction in question was remarkably silent in the face of the request and subsequent protests.

Amaterasu stood, staring down at the crowds before lifting her hand.

The crowds quieted, letting the goddess of the sun soak up all the attention in the room for that moment.

She smiled, and spoke. Michael's expression paled.

"We recognize Lunarunn nee Bael's claim to the discussions, belated though they may be. We believe it would be most prudent for the sake of this summit, if the Dark Moon - an individual with a history between all three of the Abrahamics - states her piece. It is clear she has much to say, and We of the Shinto Faction wish to hear it."


Underworld

In the silence of the vast archives of the Bael family's personal library, Serafall Leviathan skimmed volumes upon volumes of history, both known to the public and hidden by familial privilege. Her eyes flicked from side to side, fingers running over lettering of documents and reports, their age showing in the yellow bodies of the scroll parchment that held them while her other hand shifted the purse she had brought. She moved quickly, quietly, propelled through the air between hexagonal shelves that towered like skyscrapers, before pausing as she came upon one of the many reports that the former Sitri had come for.

However, she could also feel the wards it was locked behind, fitting for something as damning as a genocide from centuries past. She wouldn't be able to break it out, not without triggering every alarm in the Archives and thus alarming the Baels themselves.

That's why she wasn't going to.

A quick gesture with one hand brought a silent guard over, the twin-tailed Satan turning to look expectantly, before holding that hand out. Immediately, her wordless request was rewarded, a key laden with the same sorts of enchantments falling into her palm before the guard turned around and flew back off.

As if the hand-off never happened.

She smoothly parted the wards protecting the old document with the proffered metal, the protections flickering out with a twist of the wrist, though not for long. Serafall quickly extracted the scroll, opening it quickly to review the contents, before closing her eyes, a small shudder running through her body at the grim reminder of the past.

Even now, she could remember it clearly. The bloodshed. The brothers, turning against brothers. The screaming. The helplessness in the eyes of those both forced to turn their blades on their own kind, and those forced to assist in the slaughter despite their own compunctions. Or worse, the fact that those who still lived were sealed to silence via Mentalist blocks.

Thankfully, she'd managed to... convince the one who had imposed those blocks on her to be slightly more accommodating. Good riddance that particular individual had come across an unfortunate accident though, before word could get out of what she had to do in return.

Mentalists weren't exactly held in the highest regard, even if the Dantalion Pillar fully embraced it all the same, and if Serafall's reciprocation had gotten out her reputation would have been torn beyond repair.

Still, the revelry that followed that massacre... The wrongness of it all still forced the maou to fight down the taste of bile, even after all these years.

To think she'd nearly succeeded in forgetting. She almost wished she had.

All for the sake of harvesting... what, exactly? Serafall was no scientist, but she was certain that whatever had prompted the Dantalion and Naberius families to gang-press her into supporting their actions was not worth killing so many Youkai and abducting the few, helpless survivors, regardless of how 'rare' they were.

Or how easy it was to get in their head... or how good it felt to just give in... just like she had time and time before. What harm would there be in doing so again?

'You're slipping,' a part of Serafall warned her, the part that she'd so carefully built up over the years to prevent her mind from tumbling back down that rabbit hole.

It ached to pull away from that pit, but she knew she had to, or else-

"-Serafall?"

The unexpected voice snapped her out of her internal struggles, gaze flickering over to a familiar face, whose own green gaze widened upon meeting face-to-face.

"Your eyes..."

"They were pink a second ago, weren't they?" she guessed, getting a nod from the bald Devil. Serafall beamed, but she could tell how shaky it was without needing to look into a mirror. "Hehe. Guess I'm not as over it as I thought I was, huh?"

"You know as well as anyone that such doors are difficult to seal, once they're created and reinforced," the Asmodeus Satan replied, his own eyes flickering down to the scroll currently in the crook of Serafall's arm. "Did the reminder trigger a relapse?"

"I... Almost. I think," she confirmed, pointedly not looking at the scroll in question, slipping it into her bag. "It probably didn't help that I had to 'visit' the guards around here."

"I was wondering why my own men seemed so insistent that I go elsewhere, even after I attempted to pull rank," Falbium commented, looking back. "Though I understand now why that might be."

"This is the black ops section of the Bael archives, anyone here is under suspicion." she stuck her tongue out briefly. "So, gonna ask why I brainwashed the patrols and have a bunch of scrolls stuffed in an enchanted pocket?"

"No, I think it's clear why you're here." Asmodeus glanced past her, toward the other towering shelves, several of which were missing scrolls. "You're trying to sneak that information out to release to the public."

Serafall grimaced. "Mou... and here I was hoping you'd say something like 'no, tell me Magical Girl Levi-tan-'"

"You know as well as I that I'm not overly fond of your stage persona," Falbium sighed, with a shake of his head. "Why you expect me to play along still eludes me."

The twintailed Devil pouted. "Lazy Falbi-kun, because it's more fun than just sleeping your issues away!"

"Funnily enough, I have not been doing that quite as much lately," When Serafall's eyebrow raised at the change in term, the bald Devil continued. "After talking with someone, I came to the realization that even if I close my eyes, the world will continue on without me. I may as well do something about it."

"Lunarunn?"

Falbium half-smiled. "Not... quite. Though her circumstances certainly cemented that realization."

"So... why are you here then, if it's not to help me perform the biggest betrayal since the Civil War?"

"Bold of you to say it outright."

"Well, we did sort of swear fealty to the new government, after all..." Serafall trailed off, shaking her head and shifting uncomfortably. "But I can't keep serving this sort of world. I know Sirzechs fought for his family, I suppose I did too."

Falbium just lifted a brow, silently prompting the 'magical girl' to continue.

"But this Underworld?" She trailed off quietly. "...This isn't what I fought for. I'm pretty sure you feel the same way; you helped Luna after Sirzechs, Ajuka, and I all turned our backs on her, after all."

"Not for purely moralistic reasons, I assure you."

"Of course not. We're Devils, after all." The twintailed Satan giggled. "So, that brings us back to my previous question."

"A similar purpose as you, actually," he admitted, closing the distance between them to reach over and pull out another scroll, tucking it into his own robes. "I seek to uncover the secrets of the Great King Faction. For those of us who care enough to see, it is all but apparent at this point that the only thing that truly happened was a change in the guard."

He gestured to her bag. "Case in point."

"So your plan is to... what, air it for the whole world to see?"

Falbium nodded, to which Serafall's lips spread in a conspiratorial grin. "In that case, why don't you conjure up a bag yourself, so we can get out of here long before the Baels suspicious?"

"There is little need to worry. We can take all the time we need."

"Eh?" Cerulean eyes blinked, glancing away toward another patrol, who flew by without noticing them, despite coming within several feet and clear view. "Did you do something, Falbi-kun?"

"You mean aside from diverting the guards from the Assembly hall during a full gathering? Not at all."

There was a beat that passed, Serafall blinking twice more to process what he said.

"...Excuse me?"

"If you're worried about anyone of importance or power stumbling upon us, there is no need. They will be... indisposed, for the foreseeable future."

"Wait." Serafall backed away, a chill running down her spine. "Indisposed? What do you mean by-"

"I think it's a clear enough descriptor," he replied, face completely straight. "The easiest way to win a battle is to either not fight at all, or if you do... strike in such a way that the enemy is dispatched in a single stroke."

Wait, did that mean he facilitated an attack on the Assembly gathering?

"Falbium," her voice lowered and hardened. "My sister is at that meeting."

"At ease." His head bowed, slipping his hands in his pockets. "Aesle is not one for indiscriminate murder. If she survived the initial ambush - and I have confidence that she will- Sona will be kept in protective custody. The heirs aren't the targets, after all."

"Aesle?" Serafall's eyes widened as prior talks with Ruval resurfaced, the color draining from her face. "Falbium, you're working for them?!"

"So you already know who I'm talking about. That simplifies things." The maou raised his hand, gaze tracking it, running that hand along the highest shelf he could reach without moving from his spot in the air. "One correction though; I'm not working for the Old Satans. I'm working with them to accomplish a common goal."

He tilted his head. "I was thrust into this war to change the Underworld, Serafall. What we have now though, it's merely a new shade of paint over the same diseased canvas. One way or another, I will see our old fight to its completion."

The Asmodeus Satan's gaze snapped over to Serafall, and in that instant she recognized the Devil in front of her. "And you said it yourself; isn't that why you're here too?"

This was no Asmodeus. No hint of the lazy Satan could be found in that emerald gaze.

This was Falbium Glasya-Labolas, the Inexorable Monolith.


Summit

"Thank you, Amaterasu-sama." Luna did a curtsy, bowing her head toward the Shinto goddess, before rising and turning to Gabriel and Michael, tilting her head.

'Damn... I feel bad for what I'm about to do to these two.' She pursed her lips. 'But in for a penny, in for a pound.'

"As for you two. I will admit, this is the first time I've seen either of your faces. For a religious entity with such a long reach, you're remarkably quiet."

"Heaven does not need theatrics to prove its point," Michael replied softly, swiftly regaining his composure after the spectators and Shinto denied his request to remove the Devil before all three parties. "We watch, and we act through the hands of our disciples, for the good of all living things."

"For the greater good," the Worldweaver replied, a wry smirk twisting her lips. "Or is it 'greatest good'? What is the greatest good anyway? Rather, what is it to you? Is it peace? Is it truth? Is it kindness? Is it the glory of the Holy Father, blessed may His reign be?" She winced as the feedback from Heaven's System drove home, amplified by the presence of such highly-ranked Angels, but her gaze didn't once leave the Archangel.

"Is that some sort of trick question?" Gabriel asked back, tilting her head. "Of course Heaven stands for everything you've specified."

"Really now?" Luna slid her hands behind her back. "I find that hard to believe. The Crusades are just one part of my skepticism. Then there's the religious unrest as a whole- the fracturing of the Abrahamic religions. You have Jews, you have Muslims, you have Protestants, Baptists, Catholics, Mormons, Evangelicals, and the list just goes on." she tilted her head. "Why is that? If you truly support peace and truth, all you need to do is show yourself. Show yourself, and show the way. Deliver unto them the Holy Truth, unto God."

Once more the feedback hit, but this time Luna only tensed up slightly.

"It is not our place to decide the path humanity takes," the Strongest Woman in Heaven replied. "It is our place to be the stewards of His world, to deliver His word."

"Yet here you are, discussing with the descendants of His vilest traitors, His prodigal children."

"Are the sons to bear the burden of their forefathers then?" Michael asked archly. "Azazel is one thing; he must make amends, but Sirzechs and his kin are not the Demons that betrayed Father."

"No, you misunderstand. I don't mean that the sins of the father should be the sins of the son. What I'm saying is, you're here." The brunette gestured to the halls, voice rising. "You're here, in these halls, putting on a show for the whole world to see, when you're so caught up in your service to Him that you're neglecting your own obligations!"

Silence reigned, then...

"Explain."

"I already did. The religions of the world, all the fractured Abrahamics." Luna's voice dropped. "Do you know how many you could save, just by sharing the True Gospel? By not letting man twist its words to justify their violence, but instead by being the voice to unite the people under? All you'd need to do is share the truth with the leaders of each religion."

She turned away, raising one arm into the air, finger pointed at nothing in particular while the other remained behind her back. "And yet either you don't, or you do, but you don't stick around to make sure they recite the words of God's servants. Prophet, Son of God, or whichever, even Jesus said that it is through Him alone that one receives salvation. So why do you have such divides, when your job is to ensure that the Holy Truth is delivered to the religious powers in all the lands?"

Luna's eyes shifted. "That's complacency. That's negligence."

A beat passed, before her lips quirked up. "Unless, of course, you're hiding something. But then, that would be anathema to your dedication to the truth, is it not? If you stand for truth, and if you stand for peace, you would personally ensure that humanity sees no difference between Islam and Christianity and Judaism and more. But yet... you don't."

"Because it's not our place to decide the path humanity takes-" Michael tried again, expression pinched, but Luna was having none of it.

"Is it His, then?" The Worldweaver archly countered, her raised arm pointing to the sky. "Because it's for the sake of guiding humanity more personally that the Grigori came to be. Yet, if it's His duty to decide what humanity's path should be, and one of Heaven's tenets is to bring peace to the world, then He would order you to do the very same thing I pointed out now!"

"But He hasn't, has He?" Ares mused aloud. "An interesting predicament, now that it has been brought up..."

"No, He has not." Luna inclined her head briefly to the Greek god of war in acknowledgement before returning her attention to Michael and Gabriel, the crook of her raised arm bending to rest her knuckles on her head. "Instead, the various religions of humanity are allowed to quarrel. They are allowed to kill, pillage, and do worse to each other, because God does nothing to mend the bridges between them. Instead of sending missionaries to spread love and kindness, the Vatican uses their vast income to fund the Exorcists and the Inquisitors. Instead of feeding the hungry, the Grand Imam uses food and terror as bartering chips for concessions. Under the table, of course. Instead of seeking a peaceful solution, the Jewish nation-state of Israel continuously encroaches on their Palestinian neighbors in violation of international law." She shook her head with a one-armed shrug. "To say nothing of what happens in the realm of gods and monsters toward those without strength. None of that is peace. None of that is kindness."

The brunette leveled her finger at the Angels once more. "So if you stand for peace and kindness, why is this allowed to exist? By setting everyone from the top of your religion in line and telling them what's what, so much of it all could be resolved over the next month! Is it that you choose not to act? If that's the case, you are also breaking the tenets of truth and even of glorifying Him, as this sort of religious violence and- more importantly- hypocrisy is the very reason so many are turning away from religion in this modern era."

She took a single step forward, tilting her body so that her arm was fully outstretched, head turned to look across her shoulder to the delegation of Heaven in what she thought was a suitably condemning pose. "So tell me again, tell us all, tell everyone watching: what is it that you stand for?"

Michael and Gabriel sat, quiet, but the silence spoke volumes.

The latter of the two angels sighed, softly.

"Allow me to reiterate," she said, rising and meeting Luna's eyes. "I stand for peace. I stand for kindness. I stand for truth. I stand for the glory of our Father. But I also stand by my family, my brothers, who work themselves to exhaustion and even into comas to fulfill our duty to the best of our ability. I stand by those who would be killed for their kindness, and those who are ready to die to make the world a better place."

"Gabriel-" Michael started, but stopped when the blonde reached out to touch his wrist, meeting his eyes with a small nod. A moment later, he nodded back.

"If there is one thing that Lunarunn is correct about, it is the need to speak the truth, instead of hiding it away." She turned her head, met the brunette's eyes. "Our forces are weakened. We bleed more angels every year. Heaven cannot be everywhere it needs to be, not for lack of will, but for lack of numbers. It is for that reason that such divides exist and persist."

"And what's stopping you from using your hands on earth, all the religions under God, to turn swords into plowshares?"

"Power, especially the kind that such things as religion and culture create, has the ability to draw out the worst in those that wield it." She met the brunette's gaze. "As someone who has seen both the best and worst of the Underworld, you should know that."

"I do, but that still doesn't answer my question." Luna crossed her arms. "Even if you don't have the ability to be everywhere at once, you have the ability to ensure that those at the very top of the hierarchy are true to the word of God, and to remove them if they are not."

Gabriel frowned. "That is not our decision to make."

"It's God's, sure. So why don't you ask Him? You all share the same house, after all." A beat passed, then Luna's eyes narrowed, despite her voice's deceptive innocence. "Unless there's some reason why you can't?"

Behind the brunette, Azazel and Sirzechs traded looks of alarm, as did Vasco and Griselda further back behind Gabriel and Michael. All the while, Xenovia and Irina stared on, both pale at the implication. Dulio, on the other hand, just looked away with a grimace. The two Seraphs winced as well, though Michael in particular had a pained expression.

"It's not like you have much room to talk," Azazel interjected. "Throwing stones in a glass house; you were born with a practically unlimited number of years, in a family that you could have lived a quiet life with, with a power that you could have trained in secret, received the attention of the Satans early on, then the attention of the most elegible bachelor in the Underworld, and even an opportunity to restore a Pillar. You had everything, but you threw it all away. And yet you have the stones to come and denigrate us for our decisions?"

"I never had the chance you say I did," The brunette replied, a solemn smile tugging at her lips. "You said it yourself. I was noticed by the Satans early. One way or another, they would have gotten me involved. I was new. I was interesting. I was unique. I was useful. I was naive. I was weak. Even then though, I knew from the start that if I didn't shape up, I'd wind up either a puppet or a victim. Despite the fact that I did become strong, I still paid a price I never wanted to. All because I wanted to pave my own way, rather than sink into the fold."

"And the rest?" he asked pointedly.

"I have never been interested in reviving old ghosts," Her smile dropped. "And neither did I ever ask to become the target of Ruval Phenex's affections. Accepting his offer to court was, however, the only way to protect myself, after what your friends the Satans did to me, Azazel."

"Funny you say that, when you're here attempting to revive open warfare between us all," Sirzechs commented.

The young Devil glanced back briefly. "So I am. But considering everything I've brought up so far, can you truly blame me? You're building this whole thing on a lie- and if there's one thing I've come to despise over the years, it's liars."

"Then why don't you share with us what it is, then, that you stand for?"

Luna slid her hands into her pockets. "I stand for truth. I stand for justice. I stand for the weak, because after being led around by my nose for years and then cast aside when I was no longer needed, because I was expendable? Well, I'm through with the world just pretending to be better than the animals that humans evolved from... when really, it's not."

She whirled around into a hand-pocketed lean, eyes blazing with every color under the sun toward Sirzechs as her prismatic wings shot out to each side, the wind from her rapid motion causing attire across the room to flap against the bodies they were worn by. "And I mean to show the whole world the truth; that this 'peace summit' is nothing more than a sham!"


Vatican City

As the guards of the Basilica of St. Peter peered out upon the streets of the city from the entrance, one of them yawned, leaning on his halberd as one would a traveling staff.

"What are you doing?" the other hissed. "Such behavior does not condone our duty!"

"Ah, my bad. I didn't sleep all that well last night," the first explained, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "There was a lot on my mind. I ended up spending much of the night in prayer, but there's still a feeling that something is not quite right."

"You and your superstitions," the other muttered, shaking his head. "Little wonder that you're in the Nineveh Division."

He got a frown. "Hey, don't diss the danger sense. I might just be a runt compared to a Nazareth Division officer like you, but God gave it to us for a reason, yeah?"

The other guard gave a scoff, shaking his head before returning to his ardent vigil.

More time passed in silence.

"Hey, Francesco," the other exorcist spoke up.

The higher-ranked exorcist groaned. "What is it now?"

The exorcist stood straighter, taking a few steps forward to the edge of the entryway. "Is it me, or are there not as many people out and about as there should be?"

Francesco paused, then took note of the tourists. There were still quite a few of them, and yet...

Now the hairs on the back of his own neck stood. Something about this wasn't quite right, so what was it?

Maybe the low-ranked Exorcist had a point...

"Mateo, go and inform Father Giovanni to assign additional exorcists to the perimeter of the basilica."

Mateo blinked multiple times, as if not completely understanding what he'd heard. "You sure?"

"You're the one that brought this to my attention, Nineveh. Now go, I will maintain my vigil."

"...Yes sir." Mateo turned to hurry off, a hand with all fingers outstretched thrown up as he hurried off, leaving Francesco to a lone watch.

Yet, as the minutes passed, the exorcist could only sigh.

Perhaps Mateo had gotten to him. From what Francesco could see, there was nothing that warranted an alarm-

His pupils dilated as a wave of magic washed over him, the sky turning a hue of green the very same moment creatures shot out from the shadows, bloodhounds of sorts, though they looked... off.

"Alla luce di Dio!" Francesco swore, his light saber snapping to life in his hand as he sliced out toward one of the strange dogs-

He yelled out as jaws closed around that same arm, his initial target somehow blurring through the blade, as though it were a shadow to the light itself.

Francesco was brought to the ground moments later by more of them, and try as he might, he couldn't escape the dogpile.

He died swiftly, blood evacuating his body through the cavity left in his throat by the shadows.


It left a sour taste in Masaomi's mouth to watch one of his former brothers be dispatched so ignobly as the exorcist turncoat's five minute mark passed, but he swallowed it as the culprit behind the Light Eater-type Anti-Beasts let out a soft breath, the creatures immediately speeding further inside, silent as the night.

He turned to the gray-haired axeman next to him, the other man having finished a brief communique with the other squads within Vatican City.

"You don't think we could have just knocked him out?"

"He was a Nazareth officer, Masaomi," Gil denied, even as they broke cover and started sprinting for the main entryway to St. Peter's Basilica. "You know better than any of us here that he'd have fought to the last breath anyway, and we don't have that kind of time!"

As much as it galled him to admit it, the descendant was right. They were on a clock before the mages powering the Bounded Space tired, and it was ticking. "Gh. Leonardo, suppress the angels before they can reinforce and amplify the exorcists, direct your Light Eaters against them!"

He'd made his choice anyway. No looking back now.

Leonardo nodded, even as bells - alarms Masaomi recognized - started clanging from inside the basilica and without, bursts of light and explosions of magic resounding across the Bounded Space meant to keep bystanders out of the line of fire. The wielder of Annihilation Maker threw out his arms, those same shadows he'd used already firing back out against the basilica, impacting against the golden wards that snapped into existence in response.

The shadows immediately reformed, this time into a more wyvern-like appearance, before lifting off to screech toward the gleams of light appearing in the air all around the basilica.

As they plunged into the building, immediately Masaomi's mind was filled with images of the serene atmosphere, of a time where God's worshippers would pray and meditate in peace.

None of that peace could be found now. He saw exorcists clashing blades with exorcists, a Nineveh-led revolt in full swing, bishops and nuns fleeing, yells and screams filling the air of the hallowed halls. The angels within, few though they may have been at this point in time, were struggling with Leonardo's conjured hounds, their light-element attacks proving less than useful against the shadows which flowed around them, yet as Masaomi ducked underneath one of the many blades he would have to contend with, the former exorcist knew that this was nothing compared to what they would face, further into the Vatican.

Masaomi drew his light blade, and let his instincts take over, ducking, weaving and slashing, a zephyr on the battlefield. His blade cut swiftly and cleanly, a bloody trail left in his wake. He didn't bother hiding his skill, not when it came to something like this, and in the bloodshed not even his long hair met any spilled crimson.

In bits of the chaos, Masaomi could see Gil plowing through swathes of Exorcists and Angels alike, each swing of the golden axe pulverizing everything in its path- nobody could stand against its raw power, and only the officers weren't blown away outright by the sheer force of the stone-shattering strikes. He was bleeding already, the heavy weapon not conducive to evasion in this type of fight. Judging from the grin on Gil's face, though, he didn't even seem to notice.

As they worked their way further in, Masaomi also saw Leonardo, who was currently piloting a spider-like machine, spitting metal and explosives from the ceiling before leaping down and crushing another exorcist beneath its mass, the remains spat across the hall as the wheels started spinning, turning the young wielder of Annihilation Maker into a lethal whirlwind.

In the face of such firepower and chaos, the former Vatican soldier stilled momentarily as more exorcists swiftly appeared in a line, scripts and rosaries in hand as they started chanting scripture.

Behind them, he could see a line of Powers flashing into view from bursts of light, clearly there to aid the reinforcements.

"SINAI INQUISITORS!" he bellowed, immediately diving for cover. Leonardo and the machine he was piloting disappeared behind a massive pillar of stone that sprang into existence without warning, crushing another exorcist in the process. Gil didn't do either, instead driving his axe into the ground, a hexagonal barrier of aurum light surrounding him.

"BURN THE HERETICS, PURGE THE BLASPHEMERS!" One of the Inquisitors roared, before even that was lost in the beam of holy fire that turned the hallway into a conflagration.


Summit

"And so you show your true colors." The redhead stood up, arms crossed as he stared at Luna imperiously. His aura, though still tightly contained, leaked through. Two decades ago, that alone was enough to put Luna on the ground, gasping for air.

A lot can change in two decades. The brunette turned to meet his gaze, unflinching, as the pressure served only to build the boiling heat within her chest.

"I think the whole world sees what you are now," he continued. "You come here, all but declare war on the entire world, all because of what you saw as a betrayal? You tear not into me, but into those that I would call friend, you attempt to undermine a diplomatic undertaking centuries in the making, all because of your own misbegotten grudges? This is petty revenge, and nothing more."

"And you expect anyone not of the Great King Faction to believe you when you say you were just 'putting me through the crucible'?" she bit back, careful to not let the acid in her chest spew out without good reason. "You're far from stupid. I have it on good authority that Gabriel chased you out of Heaven when you went to explain what was going on with the Reincarnation Anomaly. How you cut said Devil loose after leading her into the lion's den. How you turned your back on her, and let her sink or swim in the field of nobility when I had nothing else but your protection to keep me from being... shall we say, 'disappeared'."

"You forget to mention how we prepared you for it beforehand," Ajuka stood up in Sirzechs's defense, even as Gabriel gave the redhead a look that indicated she had not forgotten about that incident. "History lessons with Serafall, training with Sirzechs, and a warning from myself as we were going in."

"You mean a cover story for the Mentalist among you Satans to get in my head and put post-hypnotic commands there, a brief spar before telling me that Sirzechs wouldn't sponsor me for the Young Devils' Rating Game Tournament, and a half-hearted attempt to inform me that I was on my own? Which, by the way, was so vague that I only got the warning after you 'introduced' me to Hell, and triggered said commands!" Luna took a step forward, throwing one hand out to the side as if demanding a better explanation. "And that's your treatment of someone who you knew was willing to help get your and Serafall's sisters out of the line of fire for marriage contracts by taking the attention off them, Sirzechs! I was going to play along, I was there to help, but you went and stabbed me in the back anyway!"

Gasps, winces, and outraged shouts abound, but Luna's voice broke through the din with piercing force. Azazel looked distinctly uncomfortable. "How can anyone here, Fallen, Angel, or otherwise, trust that you won't hang them out to dry the same way you did me, when you had every opportunity not to?"

"And how can we take you at your word when you've already declared your intent to destroy the peace we've worked toward for so long?" Sirzechs demanded.

The brunette tilted her head up and scoffed. "Because unlike you; I have no dirty secrets to hide. I'm letting any skeletons I might have out, here and now."

Ajuka slammed a hand on the table and leaned forward. "Then when were you going to tell everyone that you were marked by the Beast of the Apocalypse!"

Utter silence. Luna paused, eyes narrowing. She didn't need to look to see that Rossweisse had recoiled, and that Odin was now far more wary. The tension that sprung forth from that single accusation was so heavy that she could have cut it with a knife.

'Damn it Mephisto. I was hoping to save that reveal for the climax.'

CONTACT.

'Oi, I'm aware that plans don't survive contact with the enemy, but that was a big part of the playbook!'

No matter. She could still spin this.

She also wondered how much of what was to follow would be censored out of the newsfeeds. Trihexa's existence had been hidden for a reason.

"Marked. Not possessed. Not claimed. Not even willingly. It would have done far more than mark me, if It could have." Luna shook her head slowly. "I am as much of myself as I have always been. The only difference is, thanks to the events you set in motion, I was cursed by said Beast."

She turned, gaze slowly breezing by each individual, voice soft yet hauntingly resonant. Even with its quiet tone, all in that room could hear it. "Do you know what it is like, to have to deal with whispers every day, speaking to the worst of your fears, the most insidious of your doubts? To have them amplified, every single time you would reach for your power? To be beaten down, to the point of giving up, over and over and over? Do you know what it is like to be tempted by that darkness? That urge to end it all, one way or another?"

Luna's eyes met one of the arrays she could tell were - from a glance - providing a feed for the supernatural world to watch from.

She smiled. "I do. I've seen the best and the worst of what this world has to offer. I've walked the greatest heights, I've met the darkest parts. I've seen behind the veneer of civility, to the dog-eat-dog nature of the realms we live in. Every day, Trihexa offers me the opportunity to not just destroy it, but end it... the same way I ended E̸̥̅l̷̨͙͒̑t̴̘̥̀͂r̷͓̄̆ė̶̡͍̑n̸͉͚͋̚ ̸̳̒͝N̵͚͋͝ă̶͚̿b̸͚̃e̴̡͒͗r̴͙̻̓͘į̵͎͂̿u̸̲̐s̸͎͐ when he killed my parents."

The words felt alien to her, but she knew them to be true, and she could see the less-powerful spectators stagger back as though struck, groaning as they tried to grasp the nature of a name no longer comprehensible by others of its world. Even the individuals, like Sun Wukong or Indra, cringed slightly at that same nature.

She gave them all a moment to recover. "Loedrick and Thelastia Bael. Two Devils that were as normal as a Devil could be. They had done nothing to deserve their fate. Yet they were killed - violently murdered - all the same, to get to me."

Luna took a moment to take in a deep breath, drawing herself back up and closed her eyes. "But ever since that day, I refused to give in to that darkness again, no matter how tempting it may be. Perhaps I started this path as a way to make Sirzechs pay for what he did to me, but as I traveled, as I learned, as I explored the world and saw its ugly underbelly, I wondered. Is petty revenge really worth it? In the end, I decided... no."

She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. "Instead, I would carry the memory of my family with me, and create a world where that would never happen again. A decent world. A kind world. Not the facade that Hell presents, and not the lie that Heaven perpetuates. It just so happens that interrupting this 'peace' summit is part of doing so."

"If that really was your goal, then wouldn't you be all for peace between our factions?" Michael asked.

In response Luna pointed to the Fallen. "The Grigori is guilty of gross negligence, to the point of the most significant incident a supernatural faction has had in centuries. Who loses a third of their people in a single stroke? Again; like Father, like son." Then, she pointed to the Angels. "Heaven is guilty of a complacency that makes me wonder how close you all are to actually Falling. Especially given a certain secret you have yet to share." Then finally, to the Devils. "And the Underworld is guilty of corruption that would make the Demons proud. I just wish I'd seen it sooner. Maybe then my parents would still be alive."

Her eyes shifted back to the two Seraphs.

"So, no Michael. I'm not for the 'peace' between you three that you're offering." The brunette shook her head. "You're just covering an infected wound. What needs to be done is to remove the infection first, even if it means burning it out. Since you're either too naive, or intent on just virtue signaling, that leaves the onus to me." Once more, her eyes shifted over to the Devils. "And well, if what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, then Sirzechs? You created a monster."

She spread both arms, one skin and one metal. "So allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Lunarunn Noname nee Bael. I am the Reincarnation Anomaly. I am the Bearer of Worldweave. I am the Maestra of Microcosms. I am the one Marked by the Apocalypse Beast. I am the Dark Moon. I am the Monster that Devours Monsters. And to those that would hide from the consequences of their actions, from the truth? I am the End..."

Lunarunn's cerulean eyes became a mosaic, the prismatic colors flickering wildly as they turned to meet the magical video array once more. "...and I am here for you."

Cataclysm Eclipse sprang into being, the pulse of negative energy heralding their full manifestation washing the room of any color, and Luna could feel a third pair of wings appear behind her back, right between the wings of Cataclysm Eclipse and Worldweave respectively.

In the main hall of the Kuoh-Takamagahara Abrahamic Summit, all hell broke loose.


Summit Outer Bounded Space

All around Asia and Irina, Youkai drew weapons, summoned magic, or simply turned to Devils in the area. A moment later, and those same Youkai struck, almost simultaneously, as shouts and outraged cries filled the air.

Neither of the girls were attacked, but instead the Devils in the area found themselves the targets of magic and weapons from all sides by the Japanese supernatural beings.

"What is happening?!" the Exorcist yelped, eyes flicking over to where one of the Devils and their Peerage were quickly surrounded, an oni lunging forward to clock the King in the head. He dropped like a ragdoll, while that Devil's Peerage was brought to the ground and restrained.

It was a scene that played out in similar fashion all around them, the Devils quickly being overwhelmed by the surprise attacks, though a few Youkai also went down in the struggle that ensued.

"What should have been done long ago," the red-and-blue-haired Devil replied, about to continue further before he was interrupted.

"Mephisto-taichou," a white wolf tengu ran up, quickly making a strange salute with curved sword in hand before she continued. "The outer Bounded Field has been secured. The Devils in the area have been brought into custody, with only minor casualties on both sides."

The Devil nodded her way. "Good work, Momiji-fukutaichou. And what about Kuoh proper?"

"The Abandoned Fallen have captured their Grigori siblings in the area, allowing us to oust the remaining Underworld presence from the city." Momiji glanced over to the two church girls. "It is good, however, that the Exorcists have chosen to not act in defense of the Devils after Lunarunn-dono revealed them as traitorous scum. If they had, casualties would have been far more significant."

Asia's eyes widened as the reality of their situation sunk in.

"Mephisto-dono, are you part of the war Lunarunn-san talked about?"

"I thought it was obvious at this point," he replied shortly. "Momiji-fukutaicho, please escort these two out of the Bounded Field."

"Absolutely not!" Irina pulled the ribbon on her arm off and pointed the ribbon - now a sword glowing with holy power - at Mephisto. "As a soldier of God, it is my duty to protect the innocent, and it's clear that you all are the aggressors!"

The Devil scowled. "Are you daft, girl? You would level your sword at a magician of my caliber? In a land that's home to the very people currently under my command?"

"Irina-san, don't-"

"If I have to, then yes." Irina's eyes narrowed. "Let them go, now."

"In case you weren't listening, that is as far from the plan as possible." He groaned. "For the Morningstar's sake... Look, we're under orders to leave the friends of the Red Dragon Emperor be, unless they strike first. Now, are you going to take the safe passage or will we need to bring you two into protective custody?"

"We'll come quietly, as long as the Devils are treated fairly." Asia pressed, regardless of Irina's look of shock. "Irina-san, do you truly believe you can face Mephisto-san on your own and win?"

"I'm not alone though, can't you help?"

"I'm not a fighter," Asia protested, "and we don't have to fight! Please, just think! What will happen if we get captured too?!"

"And we're supposed to let them get away with it?!"

"In one ear and out the other..." Mephisto grumbled. "Time is wasting. Make your choice, now."

Asia glanced over to the other groups, and how many of the Youkai present appeared to have teleportation arrays readied.

"...I think this was planned all along," she replied to Irina. "It's too well-executed. If Lunarunn-san really wants us captured, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, would we, Mephisto-san?"

She got a brief nod. Irina looked away, clenching her teeth, a white-knuckled grip on her holy weapon.

"But still...!"

"Irina-san..." Asia reached out to touch the Exorcist's arm.

Irina turned back to the former nun, before Asia shook her head, and continued. "What would Ise-kun do if we were targets? He'd be too worried... I don't want to be a burden to him."

More quiet, the brunette clearly thinking over the other girl's words, though at that point, the former nun had already made her choice.

"I'll take the safe passage," The blonde said, stepping forward to the white wolf tengu and bowing. "I will be in your care, Momiji-san."

The tengu tilted her head, then nodded once.

"Asia-san!" Irina's expression wore warring emotions, still not lowering the holy sword in her hand.

"I trust them to keep their word," she replied, glancing at the magician. "...Just like I trust that Ise-kun would save me if they don't."

There was a pregnant pause as the captured Devils around them were warped away by magical circles.

"For what it's worth," the red-and-blue-haired magician added, "We will treat the Devils we've captured with all due fairness. I'll see to that personally; I may hate their government, but they are still my people. They will be tried, and if they are innocent of wrongdoing, they will be released."

"And if they aren't?"

"Then they will be held accountable as such." Mephisto shook his head. "Last chance. Will you come along quietly, or do we need to make this difficult?"

Another long moment passed, with Irina slowly processing his words, determining if the leader of the Grauzauberer was telling the truth.

Just as the Devil was about to open his mouth again, Irina's lifted hand went back to her side, knuckles white.

"I... fine," she finally conceded, twintails swaying from side to side. "Alright, I'll come quietly too."

"Finally." Mephisto turned to Momiji. "Is your alarm array active?" At the tengu's nod, he turned to them. "Then by all that is good, get out while you can."

With that, he turned and started striding into the mist-covered building, leaving the girls alone.

Momiji eyed the sword in Irina's hand suspiciously, before jerking her head behind her. "Back to the portal, then. I will escort you from behind. No funny business, got it?"

"...Understood," Irina mumbled, the sword in her hand turning back into a ribbon, just wrapped around her hand this time. She started walking, as did Asia, followed by the Youkai behind them.


Underworld

Diodora, Shalba, and Katerea stared at the paused video feed, eyes wide at what had just transpired. The green-and-pink-haired young Demon could hardly believe what he saw. To think, that was the same woman that he'd tried to lend a hand to all those years ago.

"To those that would hide from the consequences of their actions... I am the End... and I am here for you."

The words echoed in his mind, filling him with both an inexplicable glee and an equally powerful sense of dread. On one hand, it seemed like he had a true ally in Lunarunn nee Bael, but on the other... what exactly did she see as worthy of condemning?

His eyes shifted over to Rizevim, wondering briefly if being associated with the son of Lucifer was equivalent to being Luna's enemy...

"Heh heh heh... Hahahaha..."

Then his wandering thoughts stopped as Rizevim started laughing. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, as his arms went to his stomach, doubling over with laughter quickly approaching madness, the mania in his voice more raw and visceral than practically anything that Diodora had heard from the Super Devil before.

"Ahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!" From what the Demon could see, were... were those tears glistening down Rizevim's cheeks?

Worse still, was the quickly-building urge to join him in his uncontrollable laughter, as though the very noise was infecting his mind. Already Diodora could hear Katerea giggling, and Shalba was fighting a losing battle in fighting off the smile off his face, though the Demon could see the panic building in the Beelzebub's eyes.

"Lord Lucifer?" he tried, reaching for the Devil that had saved him from madness so many years ago-

"Leave me."

All noise, all laughter, all thought cut off instantly. Without a moment's hesitation, Diodora stood, as did Katerea and Shalba, all three of them departing from the room without another word. Moments later, Rizevim was alone in the private theater.

It was a long minute before the sole remaining participant moved, or even made a sound.

Finally, however, Rizevim rose from his seat, walking over to the still image of the brunette, arms spread wide, three pairs of wings on full display for the world to see; one pair delicate, the other depraved.

But the third pair, between those two, was the most beautiful thing that the white-haired man had ever seen.

"You showed promise at first," he spoke to himself, as if to reaffirm what his eyes told him. "But after everything that happened, I thought that the ritual had failed again. I should have seen the signs sooner. I think I did. But I didn't want to believe it. I was wrong... I was so, so wrong."

He lifted a hand to the still image of those middle wings, stroking the new appendage on the Worldweaver gently, a wide, manic smile on his face even as tears continued to stream down it.

"Finally," Rizevim breathed, raw reverence cracking his voice. "Finally, it worked...!"


A/N:

We were on the rails of canon for a while, but now we buck it completely.

Early Merry Christmas. Hope everyone has a good one!

Tempura Wizard, out.