Author's Note: Before we begin, I have to point out that I forgot to write a scene last chapter in which Pandora heals Cornelia's wounds with her Cosmo shortly after their first meeting when she realizes the British princess was about to keel over due to her injuries. It slipped my mind at the time due to the usual time constraints I'm commonly under, so I simply forgot about it due to being in a hurry. Anyway… Just making the observation of this.

Also, I'm not sure if you lot have realized this by now. But some of the women come with freebies attached to them, as in some of the CYOAs you can peruse online sometimes you can get two characters for the price of one, as an example: If you were to buy Max Caulfield from Life is Strange, you would automatically be getting Chloe Price too as a bonus.

So, yes… Some of the women (Not all) arrive with plus twos as is the case with Presea who comes alongside with her daughter Alicia. And these hangers-on are not part of the main 108 women who are officially part of the harem.

Lastly, I will be adding musical accompaniments at times to enhance certain scenes. In the Saint Seiya Anime, music plays an important role since it can imprint a certain desire mood to a scene. So I will attempt to do the same, therefore I truly recommend for you people to open a secondary tab and watch the link I include in Y-0-u tube.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; copyrights to the different series and/or franchises that appear in this fic belong to their respective owners.

THIS CHAPTER IS UPLOADED ON THE 10/10/2021

Prologue

IN THE COMPANY OF THE DEAD

Part 3

Teresa woke up with a start, gulping great heaves of air as result of having functioning lungs again… Her sense of direction being thrown into whack but for a moment at such a sudden resurrection, leaving her completely dumbfounded about her surroundings. The last thing she could remember was her soul being sacrificed at Mount Killaraus by the Lord of Calamity as part of a scheme to awaken the four Empyrean in an attempt to curtail the power of Innominat, right after being slain and devoured alongside her…

… ! …

"OSCAR!" Teresa exclaimed out loud as she began to frantically glance at her surroundings in search of his brother. A sudden groan coming from down on her left side quickly answered her cries.

"Owww! I'm here sister…" Oscar Dragonia said, struggling to lift his back from the ground with his elbows and into a sitting position.

Teresa's face lighted up like the sun at seeing her dear brother alive once more. She didn't question how such a miracle was possible, fearing a little on the inside that it was all just an Illusion, and threw herself at her beloved brother with arms wide open. "OSCAR!"

"Ouch!" The Praetor-rank exorcist exclaimed at having the entire humanity of his sister slamming into him and sending both half-siblings into the ground again. Theresa did not care about this in the least and was simply delighted at having her brother safe and sound with her again as she tried to hug him for all he was worth.

Oscar was not fully in agreement of such course of action, however. "…!... Kn-Knock it out Teresa! I am glad at seeing you alive again, truly! But now is not the time for heart-felt reunions… We must try to get a sense of our surroundings and see if we can find any clue as to why the both of us are alive again…" He stated as tactfully as he could, trying to pry his suddenly over-affectionate sister away from him.

Teresa frowned her disapproval at the idea as she kept hugging her brother but knew deep down, he was right. Therefore, she had to try and rein her joy for now. "You… You are right Oscar… I'm sorry dear brother, is just that I was so happy at seeing you alive again that I forgot all sense of decorum for a moment…" The premium-blond haired woman clad in a white dress with blue accents said as she released her brother and tried to recompose herself.

Oscar chuckled a little at her sister brief break in propriety, but quickly became serious and began to scan their surroundings. "Where are we anyway…?" He said, glancing all around him as he rose to his feet and offered a hand for his sister to take. Which she did and allow herself to be foisted back up. The attention of both half-siblings was suddenly drawn to a throne in which a pretty red-headed boy was sitting with two women at attention flanking his sides.

!

Fasalina opened her eyes, taking a moment for her mind to make sense of her surroundings, she felt a warm body drawing breath beneath her and the sensation of someone's head pressing between her chest. A groan told him exactly who that someone was…" Michael…" The long black-haired woman whispered, looking downwards in search of her lover.

"Fasalina…" A pretty shoulder-length haired brunette boy said in response as he started to become awake. "Are- Are you alright?" He asked with concern towards the purple-clad woman holding him close.

The golden-eyed woman seemed caught off guard by the question for a moment, but quickly recomposed herself. "I… Now that you mention it… I feel completely fine, no pain or injury whatsoever... How curious, didn't a boulder fell atop us during the destruction of the Claw's base?" She asked with obvious puzzlement.

Michael answered with a nod as he began to disentangle from the curvaceous woman. "Yes… Just how is it possible for the both of us to be unharmed after going through such ordeal? It should be impossible… Are we even still alive?" He said as he struggled to his feet before assisting Fasalina in doing the same.

"I know what you mean… But this feels too real to be a dream, though if it is indeed a dream, I hope it is one I'll never wake from…" She said with a kind smile, before approaching Michael and enveloping him in a hug, pressing his face to her bosom. They stood there for a long moment before breaking the hug and separating.

"But you are right… We should try to get some answers… Perhaps some of the other people in this place might help us…" Fasalina said, turning to look towards the other people in the room, specifically at a red-headed boy sitting on a throne.

!

Clementine awoke with a scream, swatting her limbs all around in a frenzy only to suddenly stop in cold due to the lack of hostility directed at her, feeling as if she had just gotten out of a nightmare as her eyes zipped around on all directions. Cold sweat ran down the back of her neck and she began to frantically pat her body in search of any injury. That abominable black knight had killed her after trapping her in a bear hug, she was sure of it, crushed her intestines and snapped her spine in half. With that said, how is it for her to still be alive after that?

It all had seem so simple at first, help Khajiit finish his ritual by activating the Crown of Wisdom and cause quite the nice bit of chaos in E-Rantel before making her quick escape after the fun was over, which necessitated for her to kidnap Nfirea Bareare and have him wear the Crown to trigger its powers. She hadn't expected to have been tracked by what at first glance appeared to be a goody-two shoes adventurer despite her best efforts to leave a false trail. Inconvenient, but such things tend to happen in her line of work, especially when magic is involved.

She thought the Black Knight to have been just another easy victim, another medal for her collection. Only for the so called 'Knight' to reveal the monster that dwelled beneath the armor. A skeletal nightmare that proved immune to every single of her more powerful attacks, weathering pinpoint accurate strikes that would be instantly fatal to anyone else. He simply mocked all of her hard-earned skills, caught her by the waist… And squashed her like a bug.

That was without a doubt the worst experience she has gone through in her entire life… Not something she was inclined to do again any time soon if she had any say in the matter. As she began to calm down and her nerves settled, Clementine began to ponder on her current situation.

Without a doubt some great magic had to have been employed to explain her resurrection, she had heard rumors about the existence of powerful healing spells among the other members of the Black Scripture capable of bringing the dead back to life. Not the illusion of fake life that Necromancers like Khajiit are able to impart to their walking dead, but true resurrection of the flesh as depicted in the holy accounts of the Six Great Gods' miracles... Such magic is considered rare and hideously expensive if she remembered right…?

The short-haired blonde assassin shook her head, there's no point for her to be wasting time wondering as to how she was alive again, better to go and find the answers on her own. With that thought, she turned towards the other people in the room with her, her gaze focusing upon a boy in a throne…

!

Scarlet gasped and blinked in a daze, having no sense of recognition of her immediate surroundings. The last thing she remembered was piloting the Proud Clod alongside that dunce Heidegger in an attempt to finally put an end to that group of eco-terrorists from Avalanche, only for those annoying worms to prove as hard to kill as always and defeat her precious war machine, causing it to explode with her still inside… Bastards…

Damn Avalanche… And damn Heidegger for hindering her efforts with his idiocy in what should have been her moment of greatest triumph! She hoped that cunt was burning in hell for that stunt…

The thought of eternal torment prompted her to consider whether she was still alive or had passed into the afterlife already. She didn't feel particularly dead at the moment, but she couldn't think in a reasonable explanation as to how she would have been able to escape what was practically her certain demise unharmed. Perhaps the other people in the room with her could offer her an answer, so she turned towards the throne being prominently displayed in the middle of the hall.

!

Okatsu gasped as she rose to a sitting position and clutched at her chest, becoming confused for a moment at not finding the bullet wound that had claimed her life, which was odd. She knew for a fact she had been killed, a lapse in her judgement brought about by her arrogance at having the upper hand after successfully ambushing and restraining weapon master Kakei of the Brave ten from behind despite almost succeeding in freeing himself from her illusions, only for the weapon master to surprise her with his determination by shooting himself through his own arm with a pistol in order to punch a hole in her torso.

The beautiful dark purple-haired woman didn't have more time to dwell in the implications as she heard a gasp besides her from a voice she knew pretty well. "Kaiyo!? Sister, is that you!?" The woman in a light-pink kimono declared as she turned sideways in search of the sibling she hadn't seen for some time.

"Okatsu!? You're alive!" A beautiful woman with spiky dark purple-hair of the same tonality as Okatsu and light purple eyes who was also wearing makeup and a short white dress with a matching long white cape said, struggling to lift herself from the ground as she stared at her sister with surprise and awe at seeing her sibling alive.

"Yes… I too am just as surprised like you about that… I don't know which Kami is behind this miracle, but you can be certain there will be a lot of praying on the closest temple from my part in the near future. But never mind that for now…" The Kimono wearing beauty said with a shake of her head as she turned to assist her sibling. "Let me give you a hand dear sister, and you can take the opportunity to tell me what happened to you. You're looking a little haggard in my opinion…" Okatsu stated, as she passed one of Kaiyo's arms over her shoulders while gripping her by the waist in order to pull her up.

"Ugh… It's because of the poison of that damnable Sarutobi Sasuke! I tried to get revenge upon him and weapon master Kakei for having killed you after I got tasked with taking them out under orders by the Iga clan…" The alluring woman in white dress exclaimed with no small amount of scorn. "Suffice to say I failed in my mission and Sarutobi managed to inject me with a lethal poison when he caught me in some vines of his…"

"No need to say more, dear sister, I think I can get a clear picture already…" Okatsu interjected, interrupting her sibling mid-sentence as she tried to support her weight.

Kaiyo appeared distraught for a moment, before addressing her sister again. "Okatsu… I think I died too… That poison was clearly designed to kill while making its victim go through a great deal of agony. It was without a doubt the worst torture I've experienced in my whole life, and the worst thing was that I couldn't even lift a single finger to try and save myself. I was paralyzed in my entire body as I felt my very life slowly ebbing away, even now my body still feels numb by that poison. Hell, even that bastard Kakei felt pity at my predicament and decided to put me out of my misery. He was about to shot me with his rifle when I suddenly appeared on this place…" She declared, trying to gesture to their surroundings with an arm but failing miserably due to the weakness of her body.

"Yes… I can relate with you on that last part… After Kakei shot me through the chest, I slumped into the ground before suddenly appearing in here…" Okatsu said as she glanced around the throne room while holding her sister. "And see… No bullet wound whatsoever…" She said as she patted her considerable bosom.

The only response she got to that was a grunt from Kaiyo. "So… What is the plan, dear sister…?"

"Please Kaiyo, do try to remember your lessons. What is the first thing a Kunoichi must do when she suddenly finds herself in either unknown or potentially hostile territory?" Okatsu asked figuratively…

"Nhhh… Try to blend with your surroundings and do not do anything that might draw attention towards yourself…" Kaiyo griped, still having trouble shaking off the effects of the poison.

"And…?" Okatsu prompted.

"…!... Scout the area, and attempt to get some general information from the locals…" The spiky-haired woman said as she turned her head in the direction her sister was looking at, a throne with a red-headed youth sitting on it that was being flanked by two women.

"Just so, oh dear sister of mine, just so…"

!

Chizuru rose with a scream, clawing at her chest, only to stop in cold all of the sudden at not finding the stake that had ended her life. Taking a moment to settle her nerves, Chizuru attempts to make sense of her situation, pressing a hand to her temple. All she can remember is that she died, murdered by those fucking villagers after that son of a bitch Toshio deceived her into going to a date at the village's festival. To think she had considered the idea of granting them her gift of turning them into Shikis and have them join her in her eternal life. Fucking ingrates… Should have never come to Sotoba in the first place.

In her anger, her eyes black as midnight blazed in outrage while her small red irises began to shine like two ominous stars, her canines lengthening into an unnatural size and sharpness as her pretty face became a hard mask of rage. Her fury abated for a moment as she detected the presence of another fellow Shiki awakening with a howl of despair besides her, allowing her to push through the red haze over her mind.

It was a beautiful young teenager with pink hair and an hourglass figure wearing a strapless dress with a black ruffle skirt. Chizuru recognized her as the first victim she decided to impart her gift of unlife when first arriving in Sotoba. The girl wailed in seemingly agony, until she caught sight of Shizuru's presence, causing to immediately stop her racket. "Oh!? Kiri… Kirishiki-san…?" The girl tentatively inquired in surprise, showing an understandable guarded semblance after her recent death experience.

"You're that girl I fed from… Megumi-chan is your name isn't it… So… You turned into a Shiki…?" Chizuru remarked with some delight and fascination, joining her hands together by the tips of her fingers, her previous anger discarded for now in the presence of this new pleasant development.

The girl, Megumi, began to tear up, and suddenly she threw herself at Chizuru. Grabbing the older Shiki by the waist as she sobbed helplessly in her bosom, catching the elder blonde completely off-guard. "It was horrible Kirishiki-san! Those! Those damn villagers! They killed me! They chased me into a rice field and crushed all my limbs by ramming me over several times with a tractor before driving a stake through my heart! Motherfuckers! I hate them! I hate them! Should have killed them all when I was first reborn as a Shiki!" Megumi exclaimed through tears of outrage, her eyes completely black.

Shizuru began to pat the Pinkette in the head, realizing another one of her kind had suffered under the hands of the villagers. "Shhh! Shhh! It's alright my dear… I know how you feel… I too was caught and murdered by those villagers. I too harbor a great deal of hate for what they did to me…" The blonde bombshell stated with a dangerous edge on her tone as she kept trying to reassure the younger Shiki.

After a few more moments of crying inside the embrace of her elder, Megumi finally began to calm down and proceded wipe her tears off. "So… So… If we both died at the hands of the villagers. Then how are we alive (?) right now, Kirishiki-san? In fact, where exactly are we…? What is this place?" The younger Pinkette inquired aloud, rubbing her eyes before breaking the embrace she had with the older Shiki before she began glancing at her surroundings.

Chizuru was caught unprepared by that question and she too joined her progeny in her attempts to trying to identify their surroundings. "I… I don't know… Perhaps we should ask one of these people to see if they know something about what happened to us. Let's start with the red-headed hottie sitting over there…" She exclaimed amicably, pointing towards a certain youth atop a throne.

!

Masane awoke with a grimace, for a moment she had no idea where she was as she glanced at her new surroundings in incomprehension. That is until a voice she never expected to hear again called towards her. "Amaha…! You are here too…?"

The pretty short-haired buxom brunette turned in surprise towards the source of the voice and was left gaping at seeing a long-haired Violette wearing a red shirt & skirt combo, pantyhose and red high heels that she had thought dead. "Reina! You… You're alive!"

The stern-looking but attractive woman simply shook her head in dismissal at that observation. "Never mind that for now… Tell me, what happened to Rihoko…? Is my daughter alright!?" Reina demanded, progressively losing her composure until she was all but screaming at Masane's face.

Masane blinked in stupefaction at the sudden and uncharacteristically show of emotion from the Violette, but considering the nature of the topic she couldn't fault Reina from dropping her self-control for a moment, so she recovered quickly from her surprise and proceeded to answer the question posed at her.

"Rihoko is alright, I made sure she would be safe by sacrificing my life in order to destroy the Witchblade, so that she would never had to become the next host of the blade and have her life suck out by it… You well know what the fate of each wielder of the blade is…" Masane explained with outmost seriousness.

A visible expression of relief fell upon Reina's face at hearing those words, and she nodded at Masane in appreciation. "Thank you, Amaha… I really appreciate that you were there for my daughter when I couldn't…" She declared honestly, with some sadness creeping into her voice by the end.

Masane simply shook her head. "Think nothing of it… I did promise I would look after her after all…" The brunette in jeans and yellow sweater then began to glance at her surroundings again. "So… Since I know for a fact both of us are dead, does that mean this is the afterlife…? It certainly is nothing like I had expected…" She idly commented as she kept her perusal.

Reina was about to give her opinion, when a new voice interrupted her as it loudly proclaimed the arrival of a newcomer… "REINA-SAMA! YOU ARE HERE TOO!" It was all she was able to hear before Reina had a different short-haired buxom brunette smashing into her and capturing her in a glomp that almost sent her to the ground.

"Shiori… I see you've made your way to this place too…" A bemused inexpressive Reina said plainly as the newly identified Shiori rubbed cheeks with her with a content expression, leaving a rather dumbfounded Masane staring at the two of them.

Another woman then appeared, trailing behind Shiori before announcing her presence. "Soho… So, you did actually manage to get yourself killed in the end. As I knew it would happen…" A blonde woman in a blue office dress with a small red tie said, causing Reina's expression to harden as soon as her eyes fell on her. It was pretty clear that the Violette in red was less than enthused by the presence of this latest newcomer.

"Nora…" Reina said with undisguised suspicion, completely ignoring the gestures of affection from Shiori as her entire attention focused on the blonde. "Of all the people I expected to meet after death, you I could have done without…"

Nora replied to the Violette's animosity with a hostile stare of her own. "The feeling is mutual Soho. Why did you have to come to make my existence miserable after death? Didn't you cause me enough suffering when you took my life…!?" She demanded with an expression of utter loathing.

Shiori suddenly stopped her cuddling with Reina and turned towards the blue-clad blonde with a serious demeanor. "Nora, can the attitude and stop bothering Reina-sama before I decide to kick your ass! I will not let you ruin our happy tearful reunion! Besides, the hell you are doing mouthing-off at Reina-sama? Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to pick a fight with her, she put you down so fast and easy like the trash you are…" The brunette said with derisive smile.

If the expression on the blonde's face was one of contempt just a moment ago, now her face was a mask of pure undiluted scorn as her hatred was left clearly exposed for all to see. But Nora was left simmering in her anger unable to do anything but click her teeth as she knew pretty well she was not strong enough to win in a straight confrontation against Reina, least of all when she also had Shiori to back her up. Something that the short-haired brunette was also clearly aware of if her smug derisive expression of triumph was any indication. "Tsssk…"

Masane decided to intervene before the situation came into blows. "Wait a minute girls! We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves! We should try to find some answers about what this place is? How did we get here? And most importantly, how is it that we are even alive when it was clear that every one of us died beyond all doubt… I don't know you, but I find those questions much more important than trying to rekindle old grudges…" She declared in a serene way, interposing herself between the hostile parties while gesturing with her hands for them to stop.

Shiori actually seemed to consider her fellow brunette's words but was unwilling to back down in the face of Nora. Eventually, the buxom beauty clicked her teeth in annoyance and purposefully turned her gaze away from the blue-clad blonde. "Whatever…" It was all she said before speaking out loud without looking at Nora. "She better learn to keep that mouth of hers shut if she knows what's good for her…"

Nora scowled, but was unwilling to get tangle in a confrontation she couldn't win. "Your words are not without merit Amaha… Just keep your distance from me and I'll make sure to do the same…" The cold-looking blonde stated, turning towards Reina who simply replied with a stiff nod.

"Agreed…"

Shiori lifted her arms and placed both of her hands at the back of her head in a rather deliberately carefree manner, pushing her unquestionably impressive bust forward in display and shrugged. "So, Masane… Since you are the one with the grand ideas, what do you think we should be doing as our next course of action…?" She lazily asked.

The, also well-endowed, fellow brunette in yellow sweater and jeans was caught by surprise for a moment at the sudden question. "You're asking me…!?" She asked back in astonishment, turning to both Reina and Nora for their input and receiving nothing more but expressionless stares for her trouble. Seeing how no one was stepping forward with ideas of their own, Masane had to actually put some serious thought on how to answer that question, bringing a hand to her chin in reflection.

"Well… Since we have no idea where we are, perhaps we should try to find someone we could ask for directions…?" She began to say a little unsure as her eyes roamed throughout the entire room, until they focused on a seated figure atop a throne. "Perhaps we could ask that boy over there…!?" She declared, pointing towards the seated red-headed youth with a dainty finger, causing the other three cloneblades with her to turn in the direction signaled by her digit.

!

"Seems everybody is already up and aware…" BB drawled in a seemingly bored tone as she uninterestedly glanced at the different groups and individuals scattered across the throne room eye each other with suspicion while making their way towards her master's throne.

Pandora stepped forward without a sideway glance. "I'll take care of this and make the introductions…" She declared without waiting for an answer as she walked to the front of the dais where the throne was atop, right where the small steps where Cornelia was cradling her sister ended.

The black-dressed violet-haired maiden just stood there as she fixed her gaze towards where the different sorts of people were approaching, before raising a single hand forward to signal them to stop on their tracks. "Mortals! Stop! All of you! You are approaching the seat of my master… The sole sovereign of the land of the dead and king of the Underworld… Hades…! The God of Elysium and the afterlife. On your knees, for you are in the presence of the Divine who in his infinite benevolence has allowed the lot of you to walk once more among the living… So, make sure to show the proper gratitude for this blessing that has been given to you all…" She declared Grandiosely, as she gestured for everyone to take a knee while she rooted them in place with a fulminant gaze that gave clear warning that they better do as she says less they suffer the consequences of their… disobedience…

"Hades!? The Greek God!? Are you serious!? So, does that mean we truly died and passed on to the afterlife!?" A rather alarmed Masane exclaimed out loud with a bewildered expression. She wasn't the only one, since the cloneblades with her and some of the other women present were also dumbfounded by this revelation.

"You were dead, every single one of you, that is indeed true… But as I said, in his eternal mercy, Milord Hades breathed life back into your cold dead bodies and resurrected you… It is by his very will that you are able to stand in here and speak in front of me…" Pandora explained, being gracious enough to answer any questions the newly resurrected might have despite their lack of deference, chalking it up simply to the confusion most mortals have after unexpectedly being brought back to life.

"Oh…? Is that true? That's so nice of him…" Chizuru said in a playful tone as she smiled, keeping Megumi by her side as she passed an arm behind her to grab her by the shoulders. "Suddenly I'm feeling the need of showing my personal gratitude…" She commented in a flirtatious tone.

"Tsk! And who in the seven hells are you, lady?" Clementine inquired rather rudely with her arms crossed.

Pandora's Cosmo flared up in an instant, cowing everybody into silence at the sudden unexpected overwhelming pressure emanating from the violet-haired maiden. It was as if staring at the fire of the sun, a scorching heath so intense that made impossible for anybody to stand in its presence for long as a visible burning corona of energy momentarily enveloped Pandora's form. "Watch it! Curb that filthy tongue of yours before I find myself in the need of relieving you of it! I will not tolerate any disrespect in the presence of Milord!" The girl in the black dress warned, before releasing the hold on her Cosmo and assuming a collected semblance again.

"As for your question… I am Pandora, the first woman created by the gods whom since the age of Myth has been loyally serving at Milord's Hades side as her Emissary and spokesperson. The representative of his will on Earth, who commands his armies in war and ensures his will is properly executed and obeyed at every turn without fail…" She declared with unshakable certainty, as if saying one of the primordial laws of the universe before pointedly staring at the blonde assassin. "Is that enough of an answer for you…?"

Clementine needed a moment to shake her shock, as she hadn't expected for the seemingly frail maiden in front of her to be able to exude so much power at the drop of a hat. "I… Y-yes…" She managed to squeal at large through her awe.

"Now… Enough of your stalling…! I have tolerated your impudence long enough in account of your understandable turmoil for being unexpectedly brought back to life after death, but no longer! Kneel! All of you! Now! Or suffer the consequences of your impertinence!" Pandora demanded in a tone that brooked no room for argument as her Cosmo began to rise again and left to seethe just right under the surface, ready to lash out at the Violette's command and causing the temperature to start ascending again into uncomfortable levels. Not enough to cause a negative reaction, just enough for any listener to feel it and acknowledge the warning for what it was.

"WHAT!? Why do we have to kneel!?" Scarlet protested in a rather loud voice. "And to some boy we know nothing about!" She exclaimed as she gestured towards Hades atop his throne with a rather haughty disposition despite her disbelief. "How do we know that what you are telling us is the truth? How can you expect us to trust in your words without any kind of evidence…?"

"Are you seriously asking such a question or are you just daft…?" Pandora retorted with some incredulity. "You are in the presence of a divine being! He who is responsible for you to have awaken from the sweet embrace of death! Do you truly wish to test my words and question Milord's Divinity!? When he can easily take back from you the gift of life he bestowed thanks to his benevolence if you were to try his patience? Do you truly wish to take that chance…?" The violet-haired maiden declared in way of challenge as she focused her gelid stare upon the now unnerved Scarlet as her Cosmo flared up again to everybody's disquiet before simmering down.

Clementine assumed a thinking pose for a moment as she glanced between the redheaded boy atop the throne and the unmoving threatening form of Pandora. "You know what…? I'm not going to question what is happening and simply do as you are asking; it would be foolish to look a gift horse in the mouth at this point without having a clear picture of what is going on in this place beforehand..." She said before bending the knee, correctly figuring out it would be detrimental for her health to pick a fight with the maiden in front of her when she has no knowledge regarding the mysterious energy, the Violette is capable of manipulating. She could bide her time for now until she could get some more answers that might give her an advantage, after all she is not keen of experimenting dead again anytime soon right after being resurrected, former member of the Black Scripture or not.

Clementine was well aware that Gods once walked the land alongside humans just a few scant centuries ago before departing from the world, all the sacred writings of the Slane Theocracy and the accounts collected across the years were very clear about this fact, so she couldn't completely disprove the assertion that the girly-looking boy might actually be a god until she finds evidence of the contrary. But regardless of him being an actual deity or not, if the red-headed boy truly is responsible for her to have a second chance at life, then she would be grateful and might even consider about repaying the favor… If not… Well… She is still carrying her favorite daggers with her…

Pandora deign herself to spare a glance at the blonde assassin at the sight of her compliance. "Hmmmph… You are much smarter than you look then for accepting Milord's authority without further argument, clearly your survival instincts are well trained…" She said with a considering hum before turning to the rest of the crowd again. "Now… The rest of you! Follow her lead…"

At the sight of the first person acknowledging the order from Pandora and bending the knee, a lot of the previous present resistance dissipated and one by one they all began to follow the example set by Clementine.

First were Kaiyo and Okatsu. "My sister and I are grateful for having been given a second chance at life, so we have no problem in showing some deference in gratitude." The snake charmer in the pink Kimono said as she assisted her sister in taking a knee besides her.

"Oh? We are truly grateful that's for sure…" Chizuru said in a sultry tone and a rather unnerving smile as she kneeled while tugging at Megumi into following her lead.

Fasalina turned to glance at Michael, and after receiving a nod from the younger boy, the two of them got to their knees as they held their hands together. "We too wish to convey our appreciation at Lord Hades for having brought us back to life."

Theresa and Oscar stared at each other for a moment, before the Praetor exorcist nodded and seized his sister's hand on his own as he turned to address Pandora. "My sister and I will do as you say, we are your guests in this place after all." He declared in subservience before the two half-siblings bent their leg-joints in the same deferential manner they had been taught to do when in front of one of the high-ranking church officials like lord Arcturus. From their point of view, there was nothing out of the ordinary since they believed they must have reached the realm of some unknown Empyrean that rules over death after their souls were sacrificed at Mt. Killraus, so for all intents and purposes it was right for that redheaded boy to be addressed as a god and demand fealty from those who have reached his kingdom.

Masane simply glanced between each of the Cloneblades accompanying her, who by their expressions clearly didn't know what to do, and so she demurely tried to call Pandora's attention by raising a hand.

"Speak…!" It was the command from the Maiden in black dress.

"If we do this you are demanding of us and agree to kneel, will you give us some answers about what is going or how did we get in here?" Masane asked in the most polite manner she could muster.

Pandora simply made a dismissive gesture with her hand as response. "You will have the chance of gaining an audience with Milord Hades which you can use to ask him any question you might have pertaining your situation if you so desire, but you need to kneel first before I give you leave to approach him…" She simply answered, reaffirming her demand.

The short-haired brunette glanced briefly towards her companions before turning back towards Pandora with a sigh of defeat. "Alright… We will do as you want and kneel…" It was all she said before she prostrated herself in front of the unwavering Violette, the cloneblades with her following suit at seeing they had no other choice despite not being that keen on bending the knee if they could avoid it.

That leaved only Scarlet on her feet, and she was made perfectly aware of that as Pandora focused her merciless gaze upon the red-clad blonde. The weapon-designer could do nothing but sigh helplessly in a manner similar like Masane. "Guess I have no other choice, do I?" She said as a rhetorical question. "Alright fine…! I'm only doing this since I too wish to get some explanations." She said with a huff before getting down to her knees.

Now that every single one of the newly reborn people inside the throne room were in their knees did the Lord of the dead finally deigned himself to speak. "Well done, Pandora… You have proven once again that my trust into appointing you as my emissary was not misplaced. You may again take your place at my side, sister of mine…" He declared with a dismissive wave of the hand. Pandora offered no reply and simply did as her lord commanded of her, going back to stand besides him at the right of his throne.

Now Hades spoke directly to the kneeling crowd. "Mortals… You may rise and air your concerns if you so wish… I assume you must have lots of questions regarding your current situation. But make sure not to try to approach my throne without permission, or the consequences for such an offense will be… Less than pleasant to say the least…" He announced, with a clear warning regarding what he was not in the mood of tolerating.

Masane was the first to get back to her feet and ask a question before anyone else. "What is this place? Did you brought us in here after we died…?" She said without any kind of demand or accusation on her voice, sounding as unthreatening as she could. After witnessing the mysterious power that Pandora had displayed, she wasn't of the idea of trying to disparage someone that seemed to possess her entire subservience. "And…? What's up with the baby…?" The buxom short-haired brunette added, blinking in puzzlement as she pointed at the cute little form of baby Hotaru, happily sitting on Hades' lap.

"Those are some good questions…" Clementine commented with a serious expression, as she kept her entire attention focused upon the sitting red-headed boy. "Except the last one about the baby! Who cares about that!? What's wrong with you, woman!?" She scolded in addendum, turning to glare at Masane, who could not help but wince under the sinister gaze of the blonde assassin.

"It was not me who brought your dead bodies to this place, but I did indeed return the gift of life back into your inert flesh. As for this place… It is but a small room of a much greater city that currently lies in the dark space between dimensions…" Hades said in an unconcerned tone.

Obviously, that was not an answer that most people could comprehend. "What…!?" It was Masane's eloquent reply.

"I'm afraid a more thorough explanation will have to wait… You are not the only people that have suddenly found themselves awakening inside this city… So I would like to wait for all of your fellow newcomers to find their way into this throne room before I can give a clear answer, I do not wish to be repeating myself every time a new face walks from between those doors." Hades stated, pointed at the large set of double doors on the other end of the room.

"Then what can you tell us!? What the hell are we even doing here standing like idiots if you are not going to be giving us a straight answer!?" Scarlet exclaimed with a smidge of annoyance, crossing her arms under her bosom as she shrugged.

Hades ignored the red-clad blonde's outburst with practiced ease, as easily as one would do to the tantrum of a petulant child. "For your third question… This one right here is my daughter Makaria, Goddess of the blessed death who has finally made her way back to me after many centuries of believing her lost by reincarnating in a human form…" The king of the Underworld declared, gesturing towards her daughter who happily gurgled some baby noises in response.

None of the listeners had expected that kind of answer and were left puzzled as to how to react in response, well all except Chizuru who seemed to be entirely focused on a single fact. "Ara!? You're a father already!? But you look so young! Children today are being so irresponsible and trying to mature so fast! That's not how it was back in my day!" She declared in an overly exaggerated manner that made everyone glance towards her and stare incredulously at the strange blonde woman with creepy black eyes; even Pandora and BB were left stumped at such a reaction.

Hades correctly presumed the best course of action was to ignore such ridiculous exclamation and continue with his account. "As for the reason as to why you are all here, or to be more specific, why I took the trouble of bringing you all back from the death? It was simply so that I could pose a choice to each and one of you…" The king of the underworld simply declared affably.

That seemed to catch the attention of his listeners. "What kind of choice…?" Shiori asked out loud.

The lord of the dead didn't answer immediately, taking his sweet time in picking his words at his leisure. "I am Hades… God and ruler of the dead, King of the underworld and the eternal paradise of the Elysian Fields… My divine appointed duty is to oversee upon the souls of the deceased that have made their way towards my sunless realm to become my subjects for all time and impart upon them my judgement for the actions they committed in life. If they lived a righteous pious life where they honored and showed the proper respect expected towards the gods, then they are allowed entrance into Elysium… The eternal Paradise where those who have been blessed by the gods are allowed to live untouched by any sorrow and enjoy a life without tears, where the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit that flourishes thrice a year so that those of good heart that have kept their oaths and kept their souls free of any wrongdoing need not to toil and scrap the earth with the strength of their arms, nor the water of the sea, all for the sake of a poor sustenance. Instead they are rewarded with an existence unburdened by any mundane concern and are free to revel in their bliss in the presence of honored gods…"

Hades paused for a moment to let his words sink in before proceeding. "However… If you have led a life of sin instead, and rejected the gods by going against the edicts they imposed to keep humans from straying from the path of righteousness, and knowingly yielded to bestial appetites, violence or perverted your human intellect to fraud and malice against your fellow man… Then you will be condemned to one of the nine circles of the underworld to spend an eternity enduring the torments therein as penance for your transgressions."

"The hell!? Who are you to judge any of us for what we might or might not have done during our lifetimes!? What gives you the right!?" Scarlet asked in a rather appalled tone of voice.

Pandora fixed a disdainful stare upon the red clad woman, as if she were looking at a particularly disgusting piece of trash. Before she could say anything, a gesture from Hades kept her from acting as the lord of the dead chuckled heartily at Scarlet's words, like an adult hearing a particularly foolish statement from a child. "Spoken like a true sinner, an innocent person would have nothing to fear from the tortures of hell, as he or she would be safe in the comfort of their own righteousness… The guilty are always so quick to complain…" The king of the underworld stated in a sinister tone, staring a Scarlet and causing a chill to run down the blonde's spine despite her desire to do otherwise.

Hades then stopped his laugh and continue with his explanation. "As for your question… I dare… Because I'm a god… It is by my divine right that I can pass judgement upon you feeble humans. And of course, I should… Your race is foolish, violent and destructive; there's no telling how much irreversible damage you lot will inflict upon the Earth if left to your own devices. That's why you must be taught that if you were to do evil then you will be condemned to an eternity of suffering when you die. It is only thanks to the constant fear of hell that I have imparted upon your species that they have managed to keep from straying into sin and allow the world to endure as long as it has…"

"That does not sound right…" Masane was able to utter, barely capable of believing what she was hearing.

Hades ignored that comment and moved on. "Regardless… As I've said, I am the lord of the dead and King of the underworld and each end every one of you were already dead when I found you. Meaning… Your souls already belong to me by default, you are all mine to do as I please and there's nothing any of you can do about it… It is because I wished it so that you are again capable of standing and walking of your own volition…"

"Are you saying you are going to judge us for us sins and send us to hell…!?" A rather apprehensive Megumi stuttered with open nervousness, fearing that maybe it would have been better for her to had remained dead if a great deal of further unpleasantries are waiting for her in her near future.

"And what of the choice you said you would give us…?" Theresa spoke out loud completely unconcerned about the reservations being displayed by several of the other petitioners in the room.

The lord of the dead took notice of her distinct lack of fear, much to his approval. "As I've said… It was not me who brought your corpses into this place, I simply brought you all back to life. And just like you… I too found myself whisked into this place against my will, and inside this mortal vessel you see in front of you that allows me to exert my influence upon the world…" He said as he pressed a hand to his face before slowly bringing it down. "Which leaves me in a somewhat precarious position since, besides Pandora, every single of my loyal servants that normally attend to my wishes are currently beyond my reach. Therefore, taking into consideration this unusual situation and the fact I had made no plans nor did I expected to have to pass judgement upon your souls anytime soon; I will give you all this one-in-a-lifetime offer…" Hades elaborated before pausing for a moment for dramatic purposes.

"You could either enter my service as part of my retinue to replace all of the retainers I have lost and have the chance for a second lifetime without having to worry about the torments of hell… Or you could simply decide you have no interest about living again and would wish to move into your afterlife. In which case, I will simply pass my judgement upon you here and now and ease your soul into your just reward without delay… Whatever it might be…" The King of the underworld proclaimed at last making his offer.

There was a brief silence after Hades made his declaration as those listeners pondered upon his words. But it didn't last long before Clementine decided to break the quiet. "And what would we get if we were to accept into becoming your minions…?" She asked rather unruffled, as she was no stranger to recruitment offers during her lifetime and knew how best to respond to them.

Pandora again began to glare none-too-kindly at hearing such a question. "You should be honored that milord Hades has deign himself to raise you back from the dead and give you a chance to serve under his exalted presence instead of leaving your corpse to rot by the wayside. Such ungratefulness from your part should be paid with your life…" She threatened, pointing towards the bronze-clad rogue as her Cosmo began to rise again.

Clementine gritted her teeth as a thin drop of sweat fell from the side of her brow. She began to wonder if perhaps she had made a mistake by being unnecessarily antagonizing and tried to figure out if she could be fast enough to throw a dagger at Pandora and make her escape before the maid of the black dress could use that terrible power exuding from her body.

Luckily for all, Hades put a stop to any rising confrontation by placing a hand on Pandora's shoulders and snuffing out her anger with his touch. "Easy there, dear sister of mine, I do not mind having to answer questions regarding the specifics of our agreement. It shows these mortals are smart enough to consider their actions before entering into a deal with a god. Only fools would jump blindly into a contract without asking questions first…" He reassured, before letting go of the Violette and turning once again towards his audience.

"As to what I would offer to you all in exchange for your servitude. It will be the very same thing that I have granted to every single of my Specters that have sworn their loyalty towards me since the time of myth…" Hades elaborated affably with a pause.

"Oh? And what would that be…?" Reina inquired, speaking for the first time since the group of resurrected approached Hades.

"Freedom from death…" It was the simple answer from the ruler of the underworld.

"Excuse me…?" Masane blinked in puzzlement.

"It is as I've said, by swearing eternal loyalty to me as my retainers, you will all be spared from the chain of death's shadow. The fear that all mortals share over the inevitable end of their fleeting lives will stop being a concern to any of you. No longer will you have to worry about violence or injury of any type. As if ever the occurrence of you being struck were come to pass, you will simply rise back up no worse for wear, with no evidence upon your person that might reveal the slightest indication of the misfortune that befell you or mar your visage in any way… The ravages of time will hold no sway upon you, and you will be exempt from the decay of age. Fearing not the feebleness brought by senescence nor the loss of your faculties with the turn of the years. You will always be and look as you are now, forever young, vibrant and beautiful…" Hades stated in a matter-of-fact tone, like saying the sun rises from the east and sets on the west.

"Wait… You are saying that in exchange for our servitude you will make us all ageless and immortals…!?" Scarlet stated, becoming visibly intrigued by the proposition.

Hades simply nodded in response. "Correct… As the lord of the dead, this is the greatest gift I am able to grant to those who have decided to serve me out of their own volition. I've always prided myself of being a just king towards my subjects, and the mere thought of some unexpected misfortune befalling those brave few and loyal who have pledged their entire lives to me is something simply too dreadful for me to fathom. Thus, in my endless benevolence I decided to make it so that nothing in the universe would be capable of harming my cherished specters…" He elaborated unconcernedly.

Cornelia suddenly spoke, her attention momentarily away from her sister as this was the first time she was hearing about this particular clause. "Wait a minute…! Does this mean I am incapable of dying now since I gave you my soul in exchange for my sister's life…?" She asked with obvious surprise, which is something she shared with her sister since also began to experience a similar reaction at hearing what the Fuchsia-haired princess had been up to for her sake.

"What!? Cornelia! What have you done!?" The Pinkette exclaimed in astonishment, trying to demand an answer from her elder sibling.

Cornelia was incapable of facing her sister and turned her gaze away from her. "I'm sorry, Euphy… But it was the only thing I could do to keep you safe…" It was all that the eldest sister could say in appeasement.

Hades cared not for the quarrel between the sister and simply proceeded to answer Cornelia's questions as he nodded in confirmation for a second time. "Indeed, my dear Cordelia… By willingly surrendering your life and soul as my property, and accepting me as your sole ruler and master, you became worthy of my blessing. It is nothing more but the just reward for those who acknowledge their proper place under the guidance of the Gods…

Cornelia's train of thought was brought to a sudden screeching halt, leaving her incapable of giving any response due to the impression. She clearly hadn't even entertained the idea of gaining immortality when she had decided to sell her own soul to spare her sister from the torments of hell. She needed a few moments for her brain to reboot.

"Woah! It looks like you broke this woman with that news!" Shiori exclaimed out loud, rather impressed by Cornelia's reaction.

The Fuchsia-haired princess rapidly began to blink in order to snap out of her stupor and tried to formulate a response despite the unwillingness of her own throat to vocalize words. "I—I… Y-you didn't make any mention of this Milord Hades when we struck our deal…" She finally managed to state through her bewilderment.

"True… But then again, it was not I who proposed such accord in the first place. You were the one to raise the subject, and I was simply abiding by the terms you yourself stipulated… Consider this a… side benefit from my part." Hades replied rather blasé.

Cornelia remained dumbfounded for a moment more, still needing some time to process such revelation, but then she raised another subject. "But my sister… What about Euphemia…?" She declared, gesturing towards her sibling she was embracing, who suddenly developed a look of perplexity.

"What about her…? As per our deal, I promised I would spare your sister from the torments of the nine circles in exchange for your eternal servitude. As long as our pact stands, just like you she has no need to fear death…" The Lord of the underworld elaborated with noble bearing.

"And does she also have eternal youth like me…?" Cornelia dared herself to inquire despite the danger of displeasing the Olympian God if she were to prove herself too demanding for his liking.

"Ah! So, you do have an eye for detail after all…" Hades exclaimed, unbothered by the question. "I suppose I could also extend the same courtesy of my blessing to your sister as I did to you. It costs me nothing to do so, and a willing given soul from a still living person holds much greater value than the common souls of the departed that pass through the gates of my realm every day. So, to make matters fair with our deal, I could grant you this late amendment, it makes no difference to me. But do not dare ask me for any further concessions if I were to do so…" He cautioned, gesturing with the fingers of his right hand that was pressing on the armrest of his throne.

"So be it…!" Cornelia was quick to proclaim.

"No! Cornelia! Don't do it!" Euphemia called out in alarm, but her warnings fell on deaf ears as it was already too late to do otherwise.

"Then I will simply collect and take possession of what is owed to me…" Hades simply stated before his Cosmo began to flare from his body. A dark aura manifested from his frame, exuding such a stifling malevolence as to take the breath away from every single of the newly resurrected inside the room; except with the marked exception of both Chizuru and Megumi, as the Shikis seemed to be left enthralled at the display of power from the King of the Underworld. It was the black cold embrace of death itself what could be felt emanating from the form of the lord of the dead.

Cornelia began to choke as the dark miasma enveloped her and seeped inside of her body, smothering her entire profile with its haze. She brought her hands up to the sides of her head and grunted in pain as she tried to stifle the skull-splitting headache that began to wreck inside her brain. Her eyes suddenly flared with an otherworldly light as Hades symbol appeared in a blaze in the middle of her forehead, marking her as his property.

"You belong to me in mind, soul and body, now and forever more until the end of time itself and beyond…" Hades simply stated, not making any fuzz about what could be considered eternal enslavement as the contract was fully enforced before moving on with to another subject. He turned his head to glance once more at the supplicants in front of his throne. "So, what say you humans…? Will you accept my offer of eternal servitude, or would you chose oblivion…?" He asked, focusing his pupiless eyes upon the resurrected, causing a chill out of all of them due to the sheer inhumanity of them.

Clementine attempted to shake out her fear by putting a brave front, an assumed a thinking pose. "Let me see… Either we chose between a life of slavery but with the bonus of eternal youth, or an eternity of torment in hell…?" She succinctly surmised as she began to weight her options, her face going through a series of expressions that clearly told she wasn't entirerily pleased with her choices but that she was most likely going to end up accepting nonetheless despite her misgivings, and she was pretty much berating herself internally because of it.

Scarlet just stared at her fellow blonde with a plain face and said. "You are seriously considering accepting his offer don't you…?"

Clementine slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Yes…! Gods dammit! Yes! I know it's fucked up to believe turning yourself into a slave might be a viable option. But the offer of eternal life is just so damn tempting…!" She exclaimed much to her shame as the image of a certain skull appeared inside her mind's eye.

Scarlet simply nodded at that. "Indeed… Many would find the thought of becoming slaves in exchange of immortality a fair deal to be accepted without a second thought. You would have to be truly mad in order to reject such a gift, as since time immemorial mankind has strived to find an effective way to cheat death."

Hades made no visible reaction and limited himself to comment. "Does this mean you agree to my terms, mortals?"

Clementine stood ram-rod straight a scowl marrying her features, but she bled all tension out of her body and kneeled at the feet of the dais' steps in submission. "I accept… I will be your personal dagger in the dark or whatever else you might want of me… Just tell me who you want to see dead and he will die…" She declared as she lowered her head.

Scarlet followed suit and she too kneeled at the feet of the dais. "I accept too, I might lack the penchant for close and personal violence my friend here might have, but I can create marvelous and terrible mechanical wonders to enforce your will. Weapons of such terrifying might to inflict fear upon the hearts of your enemies…" She stated as she placed a hand over her heart.

Okatsu and Kaiyo were the next ones to bend the knee. "My sister and I are Kunoichis, killers that stalk in the shadows trained and bred to accomplish any type of assassination, sabotage or espionage mission in the name of our lord. Using either blade, poison or seduction; or whatever other method necessary in order to carry out our orders. We died in the service of our Daimyo, since you are the one we have to personally thank for raising us back to life, we have no issue with you becoming our new master… Use us in whatever way you see fit…" The elder sister in the pink Kimono declared, her sister simply nodding along in agreement.

The Shikis were next… "I already said I would like to personally thank you for returning me back to life… (Giggle) So I don't mind if you want to turn me into your little precious pet… It will be fun…!" She declared coquettishly, causing every single person in her immediate vicinity to turn towards her with a gob-smacked expression, scowls immediately appeared in the two women flanking Hades at such declaration.

The Lord of the dead turned towards the seemingly shameless woman and frowned. "Woman… Just what manner of creature are you…? You feel like a corpse to my senses, yet it appears you still seem to hold a semblance of life and animation in you… Or at the very least, the pretense of it…" He then raised a hand and pointed at the blonde pale woman with a single finger. "Come forward, and let me take a closer look at you… Your pink-haired companion too since I can sense she is of the same nature as you." He ordered without leaving room for complaint, motioning towards the other girl with flick of his neck.

"Oh…? So, you are able to detect my true nature with a single glance? I am impressed…" The woman stated with another giggle as she made her way to the front of the gathering of resurrected. "But where are my manners…? Allow me to introduce myself… My name is Chizuru, Kirishiki Chizuru at your service…" She said with a curtsey before reaching back to the pink-haired girl alongside her and pulling her forward to finish the introductions. "And this is Shimizu Megumi… And what we both are, well… We are Shikis… The chosen few that were able to rise back from the grave after passing away and were blessed with eternal life and endurance, immortal and beautiful… Though cursed to shy away from the light of the sun and feed upon the blood of humans in order to survive…"

Masane blinked before jerking back away from Chizuru with a startle and addressing the woman with an incredulous expression. "Wait a minute! Are you saying you two are vampires!?" She declared while pointing at the two Shikis.

Besides Hades, were none of the supplicants could hear, BB mouthed under her breath the words: 'Dead Apostle'…"

Chizuru cooed as she assumed a seemingly oblivious thinking pose. "There have been some who have called us as such in the past… Oh well, not that it matters…!" She declared joyfully before making her way closer towards the lord of the dead as she pushed Megumi along, purposefully ignoring any further questions her fellow resurrected might have.

Pandora just stared as the undead being made her way towards her lord, sashaying over the red carpet without a care in the world, she narrowed her eyes with an unamused expression and challenged the newcomers once they were almost within arm's length. "Mind your manners when in the presence of Milord, creature! Try anything funny and I will turn the both of you into ashes on the spot!"

Even though Chizuru didn't doubt for a moment that the pretty Violette was more than capable of fulfilling such a threat, her nature simply didn't allow her to refrain from teasing. "Tut, tut, tut, tut… Such needless hostility my dear… I've said it enough times already, the only intention I have is to show my appreciation to your lord for having returned me back to life… (Giggle) You should be careful about constantly scowling with that beautiful face of yours or you'll developed wrinkles you know… You humans are not so immutable as we Shikis…" She declared before offering her best smile to Hades' emissary, her long canines in full display as the black pools of her eyes glinted with two pinpoints of red light that served as her pupils.

Hades was completely unfazed by the inhuman display in front of him, if anything he was curious. "So, this is your true nature… Interesting…" He gestured for Chizuru to approach him with his fingers. "Come… Step closer and let me take a good look at you… You too girl…" He commanded with authority, including Megumi too as an afterthought.

"Oh, you really know how to make a girl feel desired Lord Hades…" Chizuru teasingly piped in, causing Hades' escorts to hiss at her. 'The feeling was mutual' She unkindly thought as she approached and brought her fellow Shiki along closer to the lord of the Dead.

Hades refrained from commenting and limited himself to take both undead by their chins and examine their faces from all angles, his clear plupiless eyes focusing on the visages of the two Shikis. Chizuru felt a shudder make its way down her spine at having those otherworldly eyes centered on her, they were like the bottomless depth of a lake, making her feel as if they would swallow her forever in its endless darkness. It was like having the specter of death itself coming over to take hold of her in its cold embrace.

Chizuru loved the shivers that Hades' gaze caused her, Megumi seemed to be of the same opinion too from what she could spy from the corner of her eye, the girl wringing her legs together under her miniskirt. Oh, so that's how it was…?

As his inspection advanced over the course of several minutes, a scowl appeared in the expression of the King of the Underworld. "You two are reanimated corpses inhabited by your own deceased spirits through what I suspect to be some unknown method of mystical origin. A facsimile of life, probably the failed attempts of some other mage to find a way to cheat death. I can feel that whatever procedure made you into what you currently are to be incomplete…" Hades declared with thinly veiled dislike.

Chizuru had to blink in puzzlement at that revelation. "What do you mean by that Lord Hades…?" She asked with curiosity.

"I find this imperfect state of the both of you to be not to my liking, so I'll fix this failure caused once more by human deficiency…." He declared, ignoring Chizuru's question, before releasing a fraction of his Cosmo and pushing it inside the bodies of the two dead women he was holding by the chin.

Both Shikis were caught off-guard by the sudden release of Cosmic Power, but soon enough the feeling of trepidation was replaced by one of wonder and ecstasy as the boundless darkness of Hades' spirit was much to the liking of the two undead females. Causing some rather euphoric reactions that bordered in the orgasmic as the Lord of the dead forced changes within the two women bodies with his very will alone…

Chizuru smiled wildly in delight as she felt the all-encompassing smothering darkness playing merry havoc with her innards, it was unlike anything she had ever experienced in both life and unlife. A low animalistic growl of ecstasy escaped from her mouth as she felt herself being raised into new heights, she never thought to have been possible before.

The look on the faces of the women flanking the lord of the dead turned into outright masks of disgust. "Dirty Harlot…" Pandora stated with a headshake of disapproval.

Chizuru didn't care all she wanted was the for the feeling of beautiful death killing her slowly from the inside to never end, sadly that is what all good things must come to sooner or later. And just like that, the feeling was gone as Hades retracted his dark will back into his vessel, leaving two disappointed Shikis craving for more.

The blonde woman blinked, feeling as if things were different from before and glanced down to stare at her own arms who were now of a more healthy skin-tone instead of the usual corpse-like pallor and was left mighty surprised by the change. She began to examine herself further, only to have Megumi pull her out of her thoughts.

"Shirishiki-san, your eyes…!" The Pinkette said, drawing the older Shiki's attention, who immediately detected what the younger undead was talking about.

"Yours too…" Chizuru said, taking Megumi by the face and using a finger to push the skin of her cheek down to better reveal the Pinkette's eyes. What greeted her where normal looking white-sclera eyes that couldn't be differentiated from those of normal humans, despite the rather unusual golden irises that could simply be passed off as an exotic color.

Chizuru recognized this type of eyes; they were the very same eyes she always stared at when speaking with Tatsumi… She turned towards the King of the underworld, placidly seating at his throne, with a look of complete astonishment. "You've turned us into Jinrous...!" She declared mouth agape.

"A what…?" Pandora inquired a little lost.

"Jinrou… A superior breed of Shiki, almost indistinguishable from normal humans, faster, stronger, capable of forsaking their need for blood if they would wish it for, and most important… Capable of walking under the sun…" Chizuru elaborated with a look of adoration in her face.

"Ah great… Day-walking Dead Apostles, just exactly what the world needed…" BB sarcastically stated in a less than enthused tone.

"I simply took care of dealing an aberration displeasing to my eyes… Just to make the point again that humans should not encroach in the realm of the gods… Now you are a truly resuscitated being brought completely back to life, not some lost soul that was abandoned midway on the road between life and death. Be grateful for my mercy towards my own subjects, woman… Anyone else would have struck you down where you stood, for your entire existence is an affront against the gods…" Hades simply declared matter-of-factly as was customary of him, opening his eyes to stare at Chizuru again.

The former Shiki (Now Jinrou) felt another shiver run down her spine at having the clear gaze of the Lord of the dead upon her again. She couldn't help but smirk in relish at that. The Kirishiki matriarch playfully blew a kiss at Hades before offering a kneeling bow. "Thank you for your gift Milord Hades… We are but your humble servants now and ever…" She declared loyally, as she tugged at Megumi to do the same, the Pinkette complying without a fuss. Hades symbol appeared, glowing eerily on their foreheads.

The red-headed boy just nodded, and then turned his attention back towards the gathered supplicants. "Now… Where were we…? Ah yes… Anyone else wishes to accept my offer?" He inquired in a rather blasé manner.

The rest of the resurrected gathered were rather unnerved after having a glimpse of Hades true power, it was not something for humans to witness. But each of the supplicants managed to compose themselves on their own with time.

Michael addressed Fasalina. "What do you think Fasalina…?"

"I don't care what happens as long as we are together Michael… I don't mind if we are to be slaves until the end of time as long as we are not apart from each other…" The kind-looking black-haired woman declared resolutely.

The ginger boy simply nodded in response. "It will be a proper punishment for our failures…" He simply said before turning towards Hades and kneeling with a bow, Fasalina following his lead. "We will accept your offer lord Hades…"

Theresa turned towards her brother. "What do you think Oscar…? I'm okay with whatever is that you decide." The platinum blonde said to her sibling.

The Praetor-rank exorcist frowned and turned to address the King of the underworld with a bow. "We would like to know more about your plans before coming to a decision Lord Hades." He said respectfully.

Masane, on the other hand, tried to speak, but couldn't voice a single word. She was simply left there stammering in place. The short-haired brunette had to struggle to rein her anxiety down, but eventually managed to do so somewhat and address the Lord of the dead. "Can we have some time to think about it…? Your offer is a very life-changing proposition, we need a moment to put our thoughts in order and give it some serious consideration…" She requested with an unsure smile.

Hades simply grinned at the petitions. "The dead have nothing but time… Very well, I'll grant your request. You have until the rest of the people who were transported to this place alongside you, make their way into this throne room and have the same offer I've just given to you be extended to them… That will be the moment when all my plans will be revealed… Make sure to have an answer by then…" The Lord of the Dead simply declared and considered the matter close.

He then addressed BB without turning towards the plum girl. "BB proceed with the orders I've given you…"

"Yes, Master Hades. I'll be sure to bring those piggies back to their pens…" She declared with a giggle as she bowed.

Pandora turned towards her lord. "What now Milord Hades…?"

Hades refrained from answering for a moment as he pressed a finger upon one of Hotaru's cheeks, earning a giggle out of the baby. "Now, we wait for the rest of the supplicants to arrive my dear Pandora…" It was all he said as he kept playing with his returned daughter using only the tips of his fingers, much to the baby delight…

"That's it! We just stay standing in here and wait!?" A rather incredulous Clementine stated, reining much of her usual bite to avoid offending the lord of the dead.

Again, Hades refrained from answering, but after a moment he addressed his emissary again. "Pandora…"

"Yes, Milord Hades…!?" She bowed.

"It's been some time since I last heard the sweet chords of your harp… I would like for you to play one of your personal renditions…" It was all he said as he kept entertaining his daughter.

"At once Milord!" Pandora declared before turning towards the smaller dais where her harp and trident were resting without further word. The only thing that could be heard in the now suddenly quiet throne room was the sounds of her heels clicking upon the marble floor.

Once she reached the dais and took her seat upon the single stool, Pandora grabbed her trident and placed her carefully besides herself before proceeding to delicately play the strings of her harp. Soon enough, a sweet pleasant sound began to be heard, echoing through the entire throne room.

(BGM: Arpa de Pandora) /watch?v=HNhz-05BVwU

As the chords from Pandora's recital reverberated from every corner of the hall, the listeners had to admit that the violet-haired maiden had some serious talent, despite her less than friendly disposition. Even though the resurrected were still a little uncertain by the latest string of developments they had to undergo through, pretty soon they started to relax despite themselves and soon enough simply decided to listen to the impromptu concert and wait for any further developments before deciding in a course of action.

Baby Hotaru sniggered happily as she clapped, liking the sounds of the Harp. Hades kept toying with his dear daughter with the tips of his fingers, founding her sounds of merriment quite pleasing to his ears. "Yes, that's right my little Makaria, Pandora does indeed has quite the musical talent isn't it…?" He said with a faint smile gracing his lips as his daughter cooed in agreement.

Chizuru, who had stepped away from the lord of the dead after being dismissed simply stood there in her spot staring at the King of the underworld with a look of complete adoration. BB huffed and rolled her eyes before materializing her interface and deciding to focus on the task assigned to her.

That's it for now, took me a while to have this chapter ready but I was finally able to finish it.

First of all, I can't for the life of me remember whether or not Chizuru was aware that Megumi had turned into a Shiki, can't remember if they ever shared a scene together after Megumi's embrace. It's been some time since I watched the series and it was just the one time, haven't watch it again since then; I do recall however she was present during the meetings of the Shikis in Sotoba, but that was after Chizuru's death when the Shikis were planning their offensive against the villagers, gonna have to rewatch the series to solve this inquiry.

As always, leave a review and tell me what you think. Recommend this story to your friends, and visit my Pa- t. re-on if you feel like tossing a coin my way and I'll read you all next time…