Disclaimer: Neither High School DXD nor Elder Scrolls belongs to me, all rights to their respective owners.
Chapter 72
— Ed, remember and keep this in mind. What sets us apart from wild beasts is self-control and compassion... the true monsters are those who let themselves be carried away by their instincts, causing suffering in others just because they can. —
Kodlak to Edzard when he was conversing with him in Jorrvaskr.
Before the eyes of the two young individuals stood one of the most horrifying and repugnant sights any human could witness. However, the odor accompanying that view only intensified the feelings of horror they experienced. The scent emanating from that room was the sickly sweet and cloying smell of death, which mingled with the stench of hundreds of decomposing bodies, all seasoned with the aroma of chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
The powerful combination of smells caused Karna, who possessed a normal sense of smell, to feel the worst nausea of his life. These waves of nausea were so intense that the young man was on the verge of vomiting… in fact, a few seconds after first perceiving that smell, he turned and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor.
Beside Karna, Edzard remained steadfast, but his face showed that he was making an extraordinary effort not to vomit. His heightened senses made him perceive everything intensely. Nevertheless, Edzard's eyes remained fixed on what was in the room.
The room had once been white, or at least it seemed so, but now it was covered in dark red stains everywhere. Those stains were from dried blood, as this room resembled more of a graveyard than a medical area… no, it was worse than a graveyard; this place looked like a slaughterhouse where hundreds of chickens had just been sacrificed. However, what had been sacrificed were not animals but what appeared to be human fetuses in various stages of development.
These fetuses were stacked on top of each other, creating authentic mountains of corpses. They exhibited diverse types of wounds, ranging from small cuts to dismembered bodies left like minced meat. Those mountains of corpses still oozed some blood, which flowed toward nearby gutters. The amount of dried blood in the gutter indicated that these embryonic remains were not recent.
'It seems these embryos have been here for over a week…' Edzard thought angrily as he looked at the bodies of small children who hadn't even taken a breath in this world. However, his anger turned to surprise when he noticed something peculiar. He began to walk and approached one of the dead fetuses, which seemed to be the most developed among those in the pile. Taking it delicately, he examined the corpse with determination.
'This golden skin tone… It's more than obvious; it's an Altmer!' he thought with surprise and, above all, astonishment upon discovering the identity of this unborn child. Gently releasing the fetus, Edzard took a step back, an action observed by Karna.
"Is something wrong?" the young man asked, seeing Edzard retreat.
Upon hearing the question, Edzard inwardly cursed himself for that oversight. It wasn't very common for him, but he wasn't always the perfect warrior and mage that many believed him to be. There were moments like these that made him seem like a young man his age.
"No… I was just surprised by what I saw." Edzard calmly replied as he looked back at the room.
Edzard's response didn't surprise Karna at all. According to reports from the few spies they had in the three factions, the heroes' faction had learned the personalities and ways of the most capable fighters in the Kuoh Pact. And those reports always detailed Edzard as someone calm, practical, and determined, especially when dealing with daedra. However, when he saw Edzard step back, Karna glimpsed for a moment that Edzard behaved like any human. Despite wanting to dwell on it, he couldn't, as he was forced to snap out of his thoughts when the dragon began to walk around the room.
Edzard moved through the room, searching for any clue that would help him understand how these Altmer fetuses had ended up here. The young dragon inspected everything within reach, examining shelves, corners, and other furniture.
Karna imitated Edzard's actions, although he didn't fully grasp what was happening. He began doing the same.
"What are we looking for?" the young human asked as he checked the drawers of a shelf.
"Any kind of document that indicates where all these dead fetuses came from." Edzard replied, examining a shelf full of medical records. Taking these files, the son of Akatosh quickly scanned through them.
With each word he read, anger began to surge within Edzard. These files were nothing less than the research records of the damned project designed by Euclid.
Day XX of XXXXXX, 20XX
The primary subjects of the project have shown little tolerance to the initial implanted genetic material. Their bodies have ended up generating highly unpleasant mutations, which have led to the death of all of them.
We will continue studying these reactions to find a way to eliminate them.
Day XX of XXXXXX, 20XX
We've made progress thanks to Euclid-sama's personal involvement in the project.
Out of the five hundred test subjects, only two hundred have died within the first twenty minutes. This indicates an increase in compatibility between the two species. However, it is still insufficient to meet the project's expectations.
Day XX of XXXXXX, 20XX
Eureka! After several days of continuous and arduous research, we have managed to create the first Nirmnian and Earthling hybrid that has survived the process. However, this hybrid is not very stable, and we fear it won't live more than two years after conversion.
Nevertheless, Euclid-sama insists that it doesn't matter because these hybrids are destined to be shock troops.
Day XX of XXXXXX, 20XX
Since the process to create Marcus took longer than expected, Euclid-sama has decided to use another method. For this, he has formed an alliance with a Daedric prince who has graciously provided us with twenty Altmer women.
We have extracted all their eggs, which were fertilized with sperm from human sperm banks. These embryos will undergo accelerated growth to reach perfect maturity for stem cell extraction.
After reading that last paragraph, Edzard closed the folder; he didn't need to be a genius to know what came next. Bringing a hand to his forehead, he let out a deep sigh. Karna heard the sigh and approached him, curious about what the dragon had seen to react that way.
"What happened?" Karna asked as he got closer to Edzard.
"This." the son of Akatosh replied quickly, tossing the dossier to Karna.
The young human easily caught the dossier, devilstrating well-trained reflexes. As Karna read through the document, his already pale face grew even paler with each page. When he finished reading, he turned his head to look Edzard in the eyes.
"Is this true?" the young man asked, his voice filled with disgust and complete surprise.
"I'm afraid it is." Edzard responded, watching as his answer caused Karna to fall to his knees, clutching his chest. Concerned, Edzard quickly approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Karna's response was a shake of his head; he felt far from okay. From the moment he read that some women had been used for this, something in his soul stirred, causing his body to tremble with pain.
Seeing Karna's reaction, Edzard was slightly worried about him. Deciding to help, he moved his hand and used a bit of Restoration magic to heal whatever was troubling him.
To Karna's total astonishment, he began to feel better. After a few seconds of healing, the pain had subsided enough for him to stand.
"Thank you." Karna expressed his gratitude, though he was confused about why Edzard had helped him and made it known.
The response he received was unexpected. Edzard rarely offered any explanation, especially to a young human like Karna.
"You're welcome." Edzard said calmly, then moved his right hand, creating a line of purple magic.
That purple line was the result of using the Clairvoyance spell, showing Edzard the path to find their objective. And what was their current objective? Only one thing: to find the Altmer women mentioned in the scientists' reports. Using this spell, he saw the direction they were in, so without wasting time, he began running toward that location, followed by Karna.
The two young companions sprinted at great speed, facing several enemies that appeared as they descended to the lower floors of the base.
"Run!" shouted one of the devils in the area, horror in its eyes.
Before the devil lay the bodies of its comrades those lucky enough to still have physical forms. Several had turned to ashes. The faces of all the corpses bore expressions of absolute terror and pain. They hadn't died peacefully; they'd been brutally murdered. Some had their heads smashed against the walls, others had their jaws torn off, and still others had holes in their chests, evidence that their hearts had been ripped out.
The devil tried to turn and flee, but it couldn't take a single step. A fire arrow had struck its shoulder.
"AAHHH!" the devil screamed in pain as the arrow slowly burned its skin, causing blisters to form near the impact site. The pain made it collapse to the ground.
"Where do you think you're going?" Edzard asked, standing behind the devil.
Edzard's hand was stained with intense red, evidence that he'd been killing devils with his bare hands. He walked slowly, as this was the last devil in the area. The devil tried to escape, but the pain from its shoulder wound prevented it from getting up. It attempted to crawl away, but it didn't get far before its skull was pierced by an ice lance, courtesy of the son of Akatosh.
Seeing the last devil, which was on the penultimate floor, Edzard continued walking.
"Was it necessary to kill them so violently?" Karna asked, approaching Edzard cautiously.
"Perhaps not, but it doesn't matter now." Edzard replied, walking down the hallway as if nothing had happened.
Karna shivered at Edzard's reaction but continued walking alongside the son of Akatosh.
The duo continued walking calmly, finally arriving at two doors that were unlike the rest in the base. Most of the doors here were typical automatic doors found in hospitals or laboratories, but these doors were different. Both doors resembled the ones found in high-security bank vaults—made of thick, reinforced steel.
Both young individuals stopped in front of the doors, but only Karna was surprised to find something like this here. Edzard, on the other hand, had expected it; it was common for beings in this world to use such doors to protect valuable objects.
"Is this it?" Karna asked, hoping this was the place he was looking for.
"Yes, what I'm searching for is behind both doors." Edzard replied, analyzing both doors and weighing which one to open first.
Edzard's response left Karna puzzled; he hadn't expected this. Usually, what someone sought was in a single room, but it seemed that wasn't the case here.
"Do you remember asking me why I was so violent with those devils?" Edzard asked as he walked toward one of the doors, specifically the one on the left. The young dragon didn't need to turn around; he knew Karna would nod, so he decided to show him the reason for his actions. Approaching the door, he infused his left arm with destruction magic specifically, frost. Stepping back, he delivered several powerful blows that hit the hinges of the door.
CRACK!
The sound of the hinges breaking due to the force of the blows, along with the ice formed upon impact, filled the room before the door fell, raising a cloud of dust.
"Let's go." Edzard ordered, walking forward.
Following his words, Karna followed the dragon. When he entered the room, he quickly froze like a statue. What he saw inside left him stunned.
Inside the room were the corpses of the twenty Altmer women mentioned in the dossiers they had read earlier. The women were naked, showing signs of physical torture, with various wounds ranging from scratches to bruising from blows. However, that wasn't the only thing these poor women had suffered, as Karna noticed they had been sexually abused multiple times, evidenced by traces of dried semen between their legs.
The scene caused the young man to feel anger welling up inside him, but before he could do anything, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his face, he saw that it was Edzard.
"It seems you are as I thought you would be." Edzard said calmly, causing confusion in Karna.
"What?"
"The reason I showed you this is to gauge your reaction. I thought that due to your past as a member of the hero faction, you might be indifferent to the lives of other beings, but I was mistaken." Edzard replied calmly, smiling comfortingly at Karna. "I will tell you where you will stay in my palace once this mission is over."
Karna's eyes widened, and all the anger he felt dissipated upon hearing those words. Doubt, along with surprise, began to surface in the human, as he hadn't expected this to be his test. Still, he didn't know how to react. However, before he could say anything, Edzard spoke again.
"Do you think you can help me wrap these women's bodies?" Edzard asked, moving his hand and pulling out some layers of black linen from his enchanted bag.
Upon hearing this question, Karna immediately looked at him before responding. "S-s-sure. I have no problem."
The young human's voice was accompanied by a slight stutter, as he was still processing what he had heard. After those words, he approached Edzard and, taking one of the layers, began to help cover the women's bodies.
Covering all the women took a little over half an hour, as they took care to place them as best as possible.
"We're done…" Karna said somewhat sadly, looking at all those dead women.
"No, not yet." Edzard pointed out, catching the young man's attention.
"What? Why do you say that?"
"Because what else interests me is next to this room." Edzard replied as he started to move away from the room. "Don't worry, they will have a dignified burial… I'll take care of that."
A smile appeared on Karna's face upon hearing Edzard's words, so without wasting time, he began to follow him. Finally, both were outside the room, observing the other door.
"Will you also tear this one down like the other?" Karna asked, preparing to see how the door would fall.
"No." Edzard replied, shaking his head. "That was to give more impact to what you would see there. For this one, I'll use a bit more subtlety."
After those words, Karna watched as Edzard approached the door. Placing a hand in front of it, he saw it glow with a golden color. Slowly, he began to move his hand, accompanied by the sound of the lock's gears shifting. A few minutes later, Edzard took hold of the doorknob and, pulling it, opened the door. A loud, high-pitched screech echoed as the hinges groaned while the door swung open.
"It seems we can enter now." Edzard said after fully opening the door. Following those words, the son of Akatosh and Karna entered the room, keeping their guard up in case there were enemies inside.
Upon entering, the first thing they encountered was darkness, as the place was completely unlit. However, before anyone could say anything, the automatic lights in the room turned on, illuminating everything.
"By Indra…" Karna murmured upon seeing what was inside the room.
The interior of the room resembled a conventional medical laboratory from the human world, except for one particular detail: its size. This room was extremely large. In Karna's eyes, it must have measured over two hundred meters.
"How is this possible?" Karna asked in total astonishment at the room's size. "How have they managed to have such a large space in what seems like such a small area?"
"Magic." Edzard replied simply, surprising Karna.
"What do you mean?"
"This place is larger because they use magic to expand the space within a structure. But that shouldn't surprise you." Edzard responded as he began to descend the stairs. "What should surprise you are those capsules scattered throughout the place."
Edzard's words made the young man look around and realize it was true, as the entire room was filled with rows and rows of various oval glass capsules.
"What are those capsules?" Karna asked, descending and approaching the one closest to his position.
"They are the final phase of Euclid's artificial hybridization project." Edzard replied, standing in front of one of the capsules.
The capsules were spheroid structures made of what appeared to be tempered glass. At the bottom, there was a rectangular stone base, but there were no wires or any technology only the stone engraved with decorations.
"So, this is the famous hybridization project mentioned in those dossiers…" Karna said in astonishment as he looked at the capsule, observing how it was filled with a thick red liquid that seemed to be blood. Squinting his eyes, the young human saw a body floating inside the capsule.
"Is that a…?" The question he was about to ask died in his throat when he realized that inside the capsule was a person, more precisely… "A child?! Why in the name of all that is sacred is there a child here?!"
Karna's cry caught Edzard's attention. He stopped looking at the person in the capsule in front of him, who was a woman in her twenties. Without wasting a single second, he ran to where Karna was and observed the interior of the capsule… upon seeing what was inside, Edzard's face turned somewhat pale, but a second later, he furrowed his brow and clenched his fists. Reaching into his enchanted bag, Edzard pulled out the artifact they used to communicate with the other leaders of the pact.
Pressing a button on the object, Edzard called Azazel, who appeared in a magical projection.
"What's happening, Ed?" Azazel asked sleepily as soon as he saw Edzard.
The leader of the fallen was dressed only in a robe, indicating that he had been relaxing until recently. Seeing him like this, Edzard furrowed his brow even more, as he had told Azazel to be alert in case, he needed assistance.
"I need you to send several trusted Fallen, along with several doctors." Edzard responded quickly and seriously, surprising Azazel.
"What happened?" the fallen asked, realizing that Akatosh's son was speaking very seriously.
"We found a base of Euclid's project… there are some subjects from the experiment. I need help to give them a medical checkup and determine if it's safe to move them to another location for interrogation."
Upon hearing that, Azazel furrowed his brow for a second but nodded.
"Very well, I'll send several teams… they'll go as fast as possible."
"Agreed, we'll be waiting."
While Edzard was in Africa uncovering the dark secrets of the Euclid project, in the Underworld, more precisely in Ajuka's laboratory, a meeting was taking place.
In Ajuka's personal office, the four Maous, that is, the leaders of the devils, were gathered. Unlike other occasions, this meeting was clandestine, as there was, and would be, no record of it.
"So, Ajuka. What have the doctors discovered? Is it possible to save Lilith-sama?" asked Sirzechs, hoping that his friend had good news.
Although only Sirzechs had asked the question, the truth was that the other Maous also wanted to know if the wife of the original Lucifer could be saved. Therefore, they were attentive to Ajuka's words.
The holder of the Beelzebub title looked at his friends while recalling what he had read in the latest report sent by the doctors responsible for examining the health status of the mother of the devils. Remembering every detail of that report, Ajuka sighed. This sigh caused some concern among his friends, but those concerns dissipated when they saw him smile.
"It seems we're lucky." Ajuka replied, infusing hope in his fellow Maous.
"How so?" asked Serafall, who had a joyful expression upon hearing those words.
"Apparently, there are chances that we can save her."
Ajuka's response made all the devils present feel like an enormous weight had been lifted from their shoulders. This was a consequence of them having the responsibility for any possible outcome regarding the mother of the devils. However, now that they knew there was a chance to save her, everyone felt more at ease.
"You're not joking, are you?" asked Falbium, who was in a state of mild denial, as he still couldn't quite believe what they had heard.
"You know I don't joke about matters like these, Falbium." Ajuka replied, moving his hand to conjure a holographic screen.
The screen, emerging from a magic circle, began displaying a wealth of technical information about Lilith's health status. With the screen now visible, Ajuka stood up and walked toward it. Standing beside it, he began explaining the information presented there.
"As you can see, the analyses performed on Lilith-sama's body have resulted in the confirmation that her body indeed has several areas with necrosis. The most visibly affected areas are parts of both her upper and lower extremities, with the upper ones having the highest percentage of necrotic tissue."
Ajuka's words were interrupted when Serafall raised her hand, catching the attention of the current Beelzebub.
"Yes, Serafall… What's the matter?" asked Ajuka, feeling that his friend had raised her hand just to playfully annoy him.
"How widespread is it? I mean, is it all concentrated in one spot, or is it distributed in smaller portions?"
Upon hearing Serafall's sensible question, Ajuka blinked in surprise, but after overcoming his initial shock, he smiled. Moving his hand, he caused the information displayed on the screen to change, focusing on the necrosis information in Lilith's extremities.
"As you can see, the necrosis itself isn't highly concentrated in one place; rather, it's dispersed throughout all four of Lilith-sama's extremities." Ajuka responded to Serafall's question.
"That's incredible… isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. This indicates that the necrosis hasn't fully spread through her extremities, which will prevent limb amputation." Ajuka replied, moving his hand again, changing the displayed information once more. "On the other hand, while several of Lilith-sama's internal organs are nearly in good condition, I'm afraid others have been affected by the necrosis."
The current information provided by Ajuka caused the calm they felt upon learning that the necrosis hadn't spread throughout Lilith's body to dissipate, plunging them back into worry.
"How severe is it?" asked Sirzechs, aware that Lilith's life was at risk due to the presence of necrosis in various organs. Still, the current Lucifer hoped that no vital organs were affected, or if they were, that it wasn't too severe.
"It's not extreme, but it is concerning." Ajuka replied, moving his hand again.
The screen displayed information, showing the list of affected organs along with the percentage of necrosis found in each one. The information was like a cold shower, as it devilstrated that several organs were affected, some of them being vital.
'Of all the organs, the least affected are the lungs, heart, and brain… but the most affected are the kidneys, pancreas, and uterus…' Sirzechs thought as he looked at the screen.
"Have the doctors given any verdict on whether we can treat the necrosis?" asked Falbium after recovering from his surprise.
The first response they received from Ajuka was that he remained silent. This worried the devils, as they feared there might be no cure. However, at that moment, they remembered that Ajuka had mentioned that luck seemed to be on their side. So, they began to think that their friend was merely teasing them with his silence.
"Ajuka… I hope your silence isn't a tasteless joke." Serafall asked, her cheeks puffed out, as she was starting to get annoyed by her friend's silence.
Upon hearing Serafall, Ajuka smiled, as it was true… he had wanted to play a small prank on them, but it was time to put that aside. So, feigning a cough, he once again drew his friends' attention.
"Well, to answer Falbium's question. The truth is that after running several simulations, the doctors have managed to find a way to save Lilith-sama from the necrosis, leaving her almost in the same state as when the original Lucifer was alive."
When they heard Ajuka's words, they were so surprised that they stood up from their seats.
"Are you s-s-sure?" Falbium asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"Falbium is right, Ajuka. Are you sure it's possible?" Sirzechs asked, pondering his friend's words. The mind of the current Lucifer was trying to determine if Lilith could indeed be fully healed.
"Yes..." Ajuka replied, capturing everyone's attention. "But... there's a slight issue..."
The mention of a potential issue caused them all to look at him again, hoping it wasn't something serious. However, what they heard was unexpected.
"To save her, we'll need to ask for Edzard's help."
When Ajuka mentioned the name of Akatosh's son, they all fell silent for a second, then sighed and sank back into their chairs.
"Hahhh... You scared me for a second there, Ajuka." Serafall remarked with a smile.
"Yeah, I thought we really had a huge problem to overcome, but it seems that's not the case." Falbium said, smiling.
Both devil leaders were calm, as they didn't consider asking Edzard for help to be very complicated. However, Sirzechs and Ajuka didn't share the same optimism as their friends. They knew well how Edzard operated. Yes, he had helped them with the Khaos Brigade issue, but that was mostly because daedras were involved. Yes, he had also helped Sairaorg's mother, but that was more due to empathy for the young devil. However, this was different with Lilith. The young dragon had no connection with her, nor did he have any need to help them, as this matter wasn't related to daedras.
Both devil leaders were so deep in thought that they didn't notice their faces starting to show signs of intense contemplation. This caught Serafall and Falbium's attention, confusing them, prompting them to speak.
The words of the two devils caught Sirzechs' and Ajuka's attention, and they began to share their doubts. Mentioning these doubts made the two most optimistic leaders about obtaining Edzard's help start to doubt how easy it would be to get this assistance.
"Do you think if we offer him gold and money, he will help us?" Serafall asked, hoping this would be enough.
"I don't think so." Ajuka quickly responded. "Remember, the guy is rich. I don't think he's very interested in having more money."
"So, what could we offer him?" Falbium asked, rubbing his temples.
The leader of the devils' words caused his friends to feel the same way, but in the midst of this reflection, some realized something.
'Why are we so worried about how to win over Edzard if we don't know what we need from him?' was the question they all asked themselves. It was at this moment that they all realized the horrible truth, so without wasting a single second, they looked at Ajuka.
The current Beelzebub noticed his friends looking at him, so he asked what was going on.
"Ajuka-chan... Why do we need to ask Ed-chan for help?" Serafall asked.
When Ajuka heard Serafall's question, he realized he had forgotten to explain everything. This was like a direct blow to Ajuka's psyche, who had never made this kind of mistake before. Thanks to this, the super devil went blank for a while, worrying his friends. However, he managed to come to his senses after a few seconds. When he finally came to, Ajuka explained why they needed Edzard's help.
"We need Edzard to agree to have his wife and the young Valerie help us cure Lilith-sama."
"Wait... Are you telling us that the help we need isn't from Ed-chan, but from Asia-chan and Valerie-chan?"
"That's right..." Ajuka replied, avoiding eye contact when Serafall asked the question. "We need the sacred gears they both have. According to the simulations we ran, using 'Twilight Healing' and 'Sephiroth Graal' can fully heal Lilith-sama."
Ajuka's confirmation made the devils present sigh, realizing they had been focusing their efforts on the wrong direction, as they needed to convince Asia and Valerie... at least they thought for a few seconds, then they realized something... Neither of them would do this without Edzard knowing, especially Valerie, who didn't use her sacred gear at all.
"So, we need to convince both Asia-san and Valerie-san... the former is easy to convince, the latter... I'm afraid not." Sirzechs said, recalling the information they had about Edzard's group, knowing that Valerie didn't use her sacred gear due to very personal reasons. This literally meant she wasn't willing to help them.
"We must convince them both... as only they can get Edzard to help us too." Ajuka said, catching his friends' attention.
"I don't understand, Ajuka. Aren't we supposed to only need Asia-san and Valerie-san for this? Why do you say we also need Edzard-san for this?" Falbium asked, starting to get confused by what his friend was saying. Though, he wasn't the only one, as the rest of their friends were also confused.
Upon hearing his friends' questions, Ajuka sighed again, but this time he began to explain what was happening properly. It turns out that while it was necessary for Asia and Valerie to use their sacred gears to heal her, it was necessary for Edzard to use mind magic to awaken Lilith's mind, as her brain activity was minimal due to the time she had spent in this state. Therefore, the doctors hoped that Edzard's mind magic would allow Lilith's mind to fully awaken.
Now that everyone knew the complete picture, they began to see that having Edzard's help was necessary. However, no one could come up with a solution capable of convincing them that Edzard would accept.
"This has no end in sight." Sirzechs said somewhat wearily, as despite the time they had spent thinking about a possible solution, they hadn't come to anything.
"I think the best approach to deal with this is the direct approach." Ajuka said, choosing this approach because he knew Edzard was someone who preferred not to beat around the bush when it came to important matters.
"Yes, I agree with Ajuka-chan." Serafall said with a smile. "Ed-chan is someone straightforward and sensible. So, if we explain what we need, I'm sure he will understand and help us."
"That's true. He is sensible." Sirzechs said with a smile, then realized something. Standing up, he looked at his friends. "And I know when we can talk to him without raising suspicions."
"When?" Falbium asked.
"At Ingvild's formal presentation to the underworld." Sirzechs replied seriously. "It's the perfect moment. I'm more than sure Edzard-kun will be at the ceremony, and since all eyes will be on Ingvild, we can talk to him about this. Does that sound like a good plan?"
Upon hearing Sirzechs' question, all the devil leaders looked at each other and after thinking for a few seconds, nodded.
"Alright, we'll talk to Edzard at Ingvild's ceremony."
The sun was shining high above Vatican City, the seat of power of the Catholic Church and one of the places where most Christians travel each year. While thousands of parishioners walked through the quiet streets of the smallest country in the world, all the high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church were gathered in the Sistine Chapel in the midst of a heated meeting.
"How is it possible that such a large number of exorcists dare to rebel against the holy Church at this time?!" was the cry of one of the cardinals presents.
"We don't know, but this cannot be allowed!" shouted another of the cardinals present as he hit the armrest of his chair, creating a loud noise. "If our enemies find out about this rebellion, we will be seen as weak!"
"And what do you propose?! Kill them?!" shouted another cardinal, who stood up as he yelled. "Doing that will only earn us a worse reputation! We must be smarter in this!"
"And what is your great idea for this?! Let them go as if nothing?! That's worse, we can't leave spearheads pointing at us while we're at war with extra-dimensional devils!"
The shouts of the cardinals continued, each giving ideas for what was happening. However, of all those gathered, there was one who was silent and that was Cardinal Vasco Strada. The old man watched what was happening and felt disappointment and above all, concern for what was happening.
The reason he felt this was simple, he was disappointed by what was happening. This was because the cardinals were shouting at each other like small children, throwing out ideas for stupid and meaningless solutions. The concern arose from the fact that what was happening at this moment was of great concern to all the forces that the Catholic Church had.
'Of all the times when this kind of division could arise, it had to be at this time.' The old cardinal thought as he remembered the news he had received before this emergency meeting of the Cardinals began.
The news that had caused all this uproar was simple, but at the same time dangerous... And that is that on that same day, a few minutes before dawn broke, more than twenty percent of the exorcists belonging to the various Christian churches had separated from the Church, announcing that they would no longer follow orders from anyone in the Church and that they would fight against it to return to the path of God.
That news spread throughout Christianity like a powder keg, causing meetings of all Christian branches to be taking place at this moment. That means, that at this very moment, all Christian churches were having their meetings to deal with this.
'We knew that the signing of peace between the three factions would cause this kind of division, but we also had the hope that the appearance of the daedras could mitigate these divisions by forcing us to focus on a common enemy... but it seems we were wrong...' the old cardinal thought with regret.
The reason that something as simple, and always infallible, as the search for a common enemy to leave behind old grudges had failed was because many of the rebel exorcists had begun to believe that the devils and fallen angels were conspiring with these daedras to destroy humanity. That was a more than valid reason, as it followed the paradigms that were held about devils in Christianity. However, the exorcists who were believing this had forgotten something important, the devils were also being attacked by the daedras.
The old cardinal's mind began to wander in the current events, but he was forced to return to reality when the current Pope raised his hand, thus silencing the room.
The current Pope was an old man, whose head was bald. He wore a pure white papal robe with the respective adornments used by someone of his status. He stood up with some difficulty, as his joints were not like in his youth. Even so, even though time had taken its toll on his body, the look and will he possessed had not aged a bit.
"My Cardinals." said the Pope in a firm voice, causing everyone to look at him. "This meeting has been held to seek a peaceful, coherent and sensible way out of the events that are currently happening in the world, especially with this rebellion by our exorcists. However, I do not hear solutions, but actions that will only bring more chaos to Catholicism... That is something unacceptable! The institution we represent is going through one of the biggest crises since the great schisms of old, and right now we are not giving solutions only actions that will bring more problems to our doors. Therefore, I ask that you think of real solutions to this problem."
Each of the words spoken by the Pope were blows of reality for the Cardinals, who lowered their heads in shame, as they realized that their words would not lead to anything good for the Catholic Church.
It was thanks to the Pope's words that the room of the Sistine Chapel fell silent, something that allowed the old Cardinal Strada to think of a possible solution. It is thanks to this, that he slowly began to rise from his chair, thus attracting the attention of all those present.
"Well, it seems that Cardinal Strada is the first to propose a possible solution." said the Pope in a calm voice, as he knew the old Cardinal and knew that he was not a charlatan, but a sensible person, something they needed at this moment.
"Your Holiness, fellow Cardinals and leaders of the exorcists." Vasco spoke forcefully, making his voice heard throughout the room. "I have heard everything you have been saying since this meeting began... And for me, all your points are valid. However, I believe we are losing sight of the fundamental point of what we could consider the objective of this meeting."
The words of the old Cardinal caught the attention of those present, who began to listen to him more attentively.
"As you know, our world is being attacked by the Daedras, immortal beings from another world that are more dangerous than many of the supernatural beings that inhabit here. They have shown that they have no qualms about killing or conducting their plans. If anyone can be given the suffix of devils, it is them. Therefore, every soldier we lose on our side is a potential ally of theirs. Therefore, we cannot allow the exorcists who have strayed from the Church to join them. However, that does not mean that I agree with the ideas of killing them all." said Vasco, observing the reactions of all the Cardinals and other leaders of the Catholic Church gathered. It was no surprise when he saw that some of them frowned, as it was clear that they wanted to kill the rebels. However, he also saw that others looked at him with a better face, as they did not desire deaths. Seeing that those who did not wish to kill these rebels were the majority, the old man felt more at ease. So, more calmly, he began to tell his idea. "Many of these exorcists have strayed from the path laid out by the Church because they have been persuaded to believe a vile lie. Yes, it is true that the fallen Angels and the devils of the underworld, like many other supernatural beings, are our enemies, but at this moment we do not have the time or the resources to engage in fights like these when at our doors we have armies of daedras waiting for the slightest moment of weakness to enter and destroy everything we know."
After finishing mentioning those words, the old cardinal began to walk until he was in the center of everyone.
"Yes, I can see it. Many of you think I am stupid for saying this." said Vasco seeing how several of the present frowned at his previous words. "But I want you to think about it... Many of these 'rebels' are more than veteran exorcists who have outstanding capabilities and abilities... Can we really afford to lose this workforce?"
Leaving the question in the air, Vasco began to see how the present began to react in many ways. The initial reactions were expected, some criticism from the most radical of those present.
"Shut up, old man!" / "That's why you talk, don't waste our time!" / "Your plan is shit!"
The shouts began to increase, causing the room to become chaos, especially when the conservatives and those who respected Vasco began to insult those who had shouted first.
"Shut up, you don't know who you're insulting!" / "Vasco's idea is better than all the shit you've been spouting!"
The shouts and insults began to go back and forth, causing some verbal fights throughout the room. Some of these verbal fights almost became physical fights, as some of those present were young with somewhat hot blood. However, luckily for everyone, the Pope was someone who did not enjoy such deplorable spectacles, so standing up, he shouted.
"SILENCE!"
The Pope's shout caused all the sounds and actions that were taking place in the room to stop abruptly.
All those present stopped doing what they were doing and looked at the leader of their church. Many of them shuddered at the moment when they saw how he looked at them as if they were ants. Many of those who looked at the Pope were so terrified that they were about to release the contents of their stomachs into their pants. However, by some divine intervention they did not, which prevented a special place like the Sistine Chapel from smelling like shit.
"The way you behave leaves much to be desired... What do you think our parishioners would think if they saw you like this?!" the Pope shouted as he looked at all those present. "I'll tell you... They would think that we are no different from the wild beasts that run around the world!"
That shout caused those present, except Vasco, to shudder, as they had not seen the Pope act like this in their life. Unfortunately, no one could say anything, as he looked at Vasco and ordered him to continue speaking, as he felt that his plan was the most sensible so far.
"So far your idea seems to be the most sensible, Cardinal Strada... but there is a problem... You have not told us what your idea consists of to deal with the rebel exorcists..." said the Pope, sitting back in his chair.
When Vasco saw him sit down, he knew that the Pope wanted him to continue narrating his plan, so without thinking twice, he continued.
"Thank you, your holiness." said Vasco looking at his companions, who had calmed down and were now sitting in their chairs. The old cardinal knew that he was about to gamble everything here, as he knew that if he failed, this whole affair could escalate into something more dangerous for the church. Even so, the old cardinal had information that not even the Pope knew, and luckily, he had received permission from the archangel Michael to use it.
The Pope's response to Vasco's words was a single movement of the hand, which was the signal for him to continue and tell his plan.
Looking at all his companions, Vasco took some air and began to speak. "Very well, since I have the permission of his holiness, I will begin to tell you, my plan. In essence, my plan is to bring the exorcists back to our side."
Vasco's forceful phrase made everyone look at him again, but this time no one said anything. Thanks to that, the old cardinal was able to continue speaking.
"Yes, I know that my plan seems crazy and simple, but it is the one that has the best chance of success to bring them back to our side avoiding that they die. And now, I am sure that everyone is wondering, how do you plan to do that? the answer is easy... they have received wrong information about the Daedra, but I know two people who have seen firsthand what they do..."
The new information provided by Vasco caused everyone present to look at Vasco. Everyone began to think about the identity of those two people, and they concluded that they were survivors of the Daedra attacks... however, the answer they were about to hear would not be what they imagined.
"Who are the people you mention, Cardinal Strada?" asked the Pope with curiosity in his voice, as he wanted to know who was so important in Vasco's plan.
The curiosity of the leader of the church in Rome was something shared by several of those present, especially those who knew Vasco, as they knew that the old Cardinal had a good eye for subordinates.
Seeing that he was in everyone's sights, Vasco just smiled as he prepared to drop a bomb that no one in this room would expect.
"The names of those two people are... first, the former Holy Priestess who was excommunicated for healing a devil with her sacred gear, the young woman who was given up for dead after being missing for several years... Asia Argento."
The moment Vasco's lips finished saying those words the room fell into total silence, as everyone was still trying to understand what the old Cardinal was saying. When everyone finally understood the old man's words, the silence in the room broke.
"What did you say?! How is that witch alive?!" shouted one of the main cardinals, who was in charge of the area of the church to which Asia had belonged in the past. The Cardinal had stood up, showing panic on his face, but not only that, but he also showed some disgust. "How can you even think that that witch can be useful for anything other than helping our enemies?!"
The Cardinal's shout caused others, those who thought like him, to join him, filling the place with shouts. However, despite the shouts, Vasco did nothing, he just stood impassive, as he knew that they had no idea who they were insulting.
Seeing that the whole room was still in chaos, the Pope was about to stop them, but to his complete surprise, Vasco raised his hand and pulled out the copy he had of the Durandal sword. The sacred aura of that weapon filled the place with sacred power, causing everyone to calm down.
"I hope you have calmed down and don't make me use this against you." said Vasco in a calm voice as he used some intimidation to solve this.
Seeing that everyone was silent, the Cardinal looked at who was the Cardinal assigned to the area to which Asia Argento's Church belonged. Frowning a little, he remembered how he tried to get there earlier to prevent Asia from being excommunicated, but he didn't make it. However, right now a part of him was somewhat grateful that he didn't, because if she had never traveled to Nirm, she would never have met her husband, and this world would not have someone like him to help in its defense. So, knowing that he had to speak, he put away his sword and opened his mouth.
"I see that you are calmer, so I will start answering questions. First, Cardinal Spinola... Yes, the young woman you call a witch is alive... and as a piece of advice, I recommend you not to call her a witch anymore. Now, about the other topic... Do I think she will be useful in this? ...well, yes... she is more useful than any of us here."
Vasco's new words caused everyone to be confused, as they did not understand well why the old cardinal was saying that. Therefore, the Pope himself, who was also confused, decided to ask Vasco why he was saying those words.
Upon hearing the question of His Holiness, the cardinal decided to look at him and tell a news that very few knew... for as strange as it seemed, only those who had been in the battle in Asia's hometown knew that she was alive...
"Your Holiness, Cardinals, leaders of the exorcists... Many of you knew about the attack of the daedras on that town in Tuscany, Italy... right?" The question that came out of Vasco's mouth was answered by nods, as all those present knew about that event. "But what I am sure is that no one knows the identity of those two individuals who stopped that invasion, right?"
The faces of those present turned pale as they understood the words Vasco was saying, as they began to understand what he meant.
"N-n-no... Y-y-you're wrong... You have to be! That witch can't be one of those individuals!" shouted Cardinal Spinola, who was an old man almost the same age as Vasco, except for the difference that he had a thick mane of white hair.
Cardinal Spinola's fear came from the fear of knowing that the brat he had excommunicated so long ago had become someone so strong. However, that fear he felt would not compare at all to what he was about to feel when he heard the next words Vasco would say.
"I'm not lying, Cardinal Spinola... That young woman that our organization threw out like a homeless dog for that mistake didn't die, but lived and not only that, but right now she is one of the people who can tell us the most about the daedras!" the shout that Vasco let out was the culmination of what he had felt when he saw helplessly that he could not help Asia years ago. "But that's not the worst, the worst is that the other person who can help with this is Asia Argento's husband!"
When the old Cardinal finished saying that, the whole room fell into a sepulchral silence, as no one, absolutely no one had been able to think that Asia was married.
"W-w-w-what?!" Was the only thing that could come out of the Pope's mouth, as he was still unable to believe that Asia was alive... this was because no one had told him this... it was thanks to this that he finally realized something, he had not been notified and was sure that his equals in the other branches of Christianity had also not been notified.
"What you heard." said Vasco Strada, as he didn't want to beat around the bush. "The young Asia Argento is alive, and she is married... to whom, for now I will only say that someone so capable that the leaders of the biblical factions consider him a kind of equal in terms of power."
If before everyone was amazed, now they were paralyzed, as the news that Vasco was dropping left, and right was causing several of them to be about to have an aneurysm.
Even so, despite the fact that many were amazed by what Vasco said, there were some who were still able to ask some questions... and the first thing they asked was why it had not been notified that Asia was alive and had married someone.
"The reason for this was simple, when we found the young Asia, all of us who were there witnessed her power. That was not much at that time, but right now, that is different. At that time, I could consider her on par with a middle-class devil, but now... the thing is different, she is at the same level as a high-class devil..." said Vasco remembering the report he had read about Asia.
The mention of Asia's level of power caused several of those present to shudder, as they did not understand how it was possible. This was because her sacred gear was one of support and not of attack. However, it was the Pope who asked the question this time.
Vasco's answer was simple, as he mentioned that Asia had achieved a balance breaker different from the expected for her sacred gear. This made everyone feel disconcerted, as they understood what must have happened for Asia's balance breaker to change like this. In the face of this, Vasco prepared to drop the bomb...
"The reason why Sister Asia's Balance Breaker is as it is, is due to the experience she has lived since her excommunication. What I am about to tell you is a secret that only the seraphim and some other select members of heaven and the Church know..." said Vasco, watching how anticipation became visible on the faces of those present. "Sister Asia has lived since the day of her excommunication in another world... a world that has been constantly attacked by the daedras for eons..."
The disbelief was painted on the faces of all who heard Vasco's words, as they did not expect that news. The minds of all of them began to work at a thousand revolutions per second, trying to make sense of it... however, despite their attempts no one could understand... at least that was until the very Pope realized what Vasco was telling them.
The mind of the leader of the church in Rome was completely in shock upon learning that he, the leader of Catholic Christianity had been excluded from the knowledge of this secret. Slowly, he began to stand up, as he wanted answers about this. However, before he could utter a word from his mouth, Vasco expected him.
"Many of you are surely wondering why you were not told or warned about this, right?" asked Vasco, earning several nods. "The answer to this is simple, the topic to be discussed was very delicate at that time... Think about it... We were witnessing the beginning of the invasion of the daedras, which at that time were unknown enemies... That's why heaven decided to keep the information in absolute secrecy, as there was no information about what was happening. However, the issue of information was solved when the meeting in Kuoh of the three factions took place, which allowed to declassify what happened in that place. Although, it was at that moment that Lord Michael decided not to say anything about Sister Asia."
"Why, Vasco... why did heaven decide that an excommunicated Holy Priestess deserved to be kept secret?" Asked one of the Cardinals presents, who was curious to know what the reason was why heaven had shielded the ex-Holy Priestess.
"For her husband..." Vasco answered frankly and quickly.
That answer reminded all those present that Vasco had mentioned that Asia's husband was someone whom the leaders of the three factions held in extremely high esteem. This ended up causing everyone to feel curious about it. Fortunately, Vasco gave them a quick answer, as he realized that they wanted to know who Asia's husband was.
"The husband of Sister Asia is..." the words of Vasco choked in his throat, as he did not know how to correctly express what the young man was. On the one hand he could not say that he was human, because he was not. On the other hand, he could not say that he was a dragon, because he was not... at least by the standards of this world... so, knowing that by mentioning what he was, he would have to open Pandora's box about what he knew, he took a deep breath, as he knew what was coming... "The husband of Sister Asia is named Edzard Rolandson and is a distant relative of hers, but not only that... the young man is originally from the world I mentioned earlier, a world that has been attacked by the daedras since the creation of this, according to their myths. The young man is a veteran of wars and is currently known by many in the supernatural world who have seen him as the "The third celestial dragon."
The mention of a title such as that was a blow of reality and a cold shower for all those present, who almost wet their pants. The truth was that they had heard about the so-called third celestial dragon, the Black emperor dragon, the dragon that killed Loki, but they had only heard rumors about him. However, now they knew the identity of this dragon... although, it was at that moment that they realized that Vasco had called the third celestial dragon a young human, which caused confusion in them.
"Cardinal." called the Pope, as he was the first to realize the way Vasco had called Edzard. "Why do you say that the third celestial dragon is a young human?"
The moment those words came out of the mouth of the leader of Catholicism, whispers began to fill the room. Most of the whispers were about why a celestial dragon was referred to as a human. This made Vasco prepare to tell everything he knew about Edzard, but before doing so he requested a vow of silence, as he did not want this, which was classified information of SSS rank to become public... At least not until the owner of this information decided to make it public.
As Vasco's mouth moved, releasing pieces of information related to Edzard, the expressions of each of those present in the room began to change, first changing from curiosity to terror. The changes in expressions were due to each piece of information they learned, first they learned that he was a human who was more powerful than an ordinary human, then they gave way to the title of hero of the Ancient Scrolls, something that left them completely terrified by the potential he had, finally with the dragonification he had undergone... all this caused more than one to wet the robes they were wearing, but despite this no one complained about the smell, as everyone was thinking the same thing.
'We must not anger this individual.'
After several minutes where no one said anything about this, the silence served as a response for Vasco who saw that he had fulfilled a second mission of his own in this. The second mission that the old Cardinal had given himself was simple, to make them see that Asia Argento was out of the influence limits that some of them could have. They might be scared now, but the old Cardinal knew that the Institution he belonged to was not the best and, it was only a matter of time before some fool tried to do something against Asia, just as not long ago a group of renegade Exorcists who had come across this information by the Khaos Brigade had done.
'I hope this serves as a deterrent, but from what I saw at first, maybe one or another will do something stupid... I will have to report this to Lord Michael, to prevent the young Edzard...' Was what the old Cardinal thought.
"You have made your point clear, Cardinal Strada..." Commented the Pope after overcoming his surprise. "This young man... Edzard, do you think he is worthy of a task like the one you are suggesting?"
"Of course." Vasco replied quickly as he stepped forward. "The boy has shown that he is willing to help in any way he can if it is about the daedras... I am sure that he will be able, in some way, to make these exorcists fight alongside us against our true enemy."
The way in which a figure as respected within the church as Vasco, who despite his status still had detractors within the institution, gave such a vote of confidence to someone outside the church, made several of those present realize the reliability of this young man. Without thinking twice, the Pope accepted his proposal. However, he made it clear that, if this plan failed, those exorcists would be judged according to what the ordinary law dictated, that is, they would be eliminated.
Upon hearing this, Vasco agreed, although the idea of eliminating exorcists who could be useful in these invasions did not, please him, he agreed to abide by the law.
"Very well... then, we conclude this meeting... Now, I want to know... When will you communicate this to both?"
The Pope's question revealed a problem, as it was not easy to contact Edzard at this time, since the last thing that was known about him was that he was in the middle of important missions. Fortunately, he had received information about an event to which both Edzard and Asia would be invited...
"I will communicate it to them soon, when I see them at a ceremony in the underworld."
Edzard was standing next to Karna, watching as hundreds of Fallen Angels moved the enormous number of capsules as best they could. The Grigoris had arrived a few minutes after Edzard's call to Azazel. They had arrived in an orderly manner and were being led by Akeno's father, Baraqiel.
The Grigori Corps had arrived and quickly organized their forces to start moving the capsules. Initially, several doctors and scientists, who made up fifteen percent of the angels sent, began to examine the capsules, and measure the vital signs of each of those inside the capsules. After almost three hours, they delivered a quick report, in which they affirmed that it was possible to move them with the capsules, as these were completely independent of any energy source.
For this reason, Baraqiel informed him that Azazel wished for them to be taken to the Grigori laboratories for the necessary medical checks.
Upon hearing this request, Edzard initially felt annoyed, but realized that he did not have the resources to conduct something like this, so in the end he ended up accepting. After accepting this, he decided to collaborate with the mobilization of the capsules, so he created a portal to the territory of the Grigori using his Shadowkey.
Thanks to this portal, the place was almost empty, leaving enough for three trips to be necessary for each of the Fallen in charge of moving them.
"How is the transfer going, Baraqiel?" asked Edzard calmly, while keeping the portal door open using his magic as if nothing.
The leader of the Grigori looked at Edzard before answering him. He was amazed by the boy's ability to address someone like him without using any kind of honorific. Even so, he understood that he had not received that kind of education, as in his culture only pronouns or honorifics were used when speaking to nobles.
"They're going well, we're almost done." said Baraqiel, who looked next to Edzard, observing Karna.
The Fallen Angel had seen the young man when he arrived and had been confused by his presence, as he had not seen him in the few times, he had seen Edzard. Therefore, he decided to ask him who he was and when he found out his identity, he almost fell backwards.
His first instinct had been to attack him, as he was a member of the Khaos Brigade, but Edzard had intervened saying that Karna no longer belonged to this organization and that he would answer for his actions. This action took him by surprise, so he stopped short, as he was not as reckless as to fight against Edzard. After that, he decided to ask him why he was doing this.
The answer he received was confusing, but at the same time enlightening. This answer allowed him to understand a little about Karna's situation, but even so, he was not sure to trust him. However, Edzard told him that the matter with Karna was now his problem, so he should not worry, because if he discovered something that gave the slightest indication of betrayal, he himself would tear the human's head off his body.
That expression made Baraqiel feel a slight chill, as Edzard's voice had been deadly and cold. But even so, he nodded, as he saw that he was not lying. After this, the Fallen informed why he had been there and they started the whole operation, but he never took his eyes off Karna.
"Good, that's good." said Edzard, then opened his eyes wide when his survival instincts activated, but it was not his normal instincts that activated, but those that only activated when a certain type of being approached. Upon realizing this, the former imperial general wasted no time and moving his hand, he created a sphere of magic, which he released in the form of a spell.
Edzard's action took Baraqiel and Karna by surprise, as they did not understand why he was doing this. However, they did not have time to say anything, as the whole place shone for a second in a blinding white light.
Author's Note:
To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading. To be honest, my English writing skills are not strong, and I'm relying on Google Translate and the dictionaries that come with Office 2019.
And chapter 72 is ready XD.
Well, here we go, trying to get back into the routine of writing.
In this chapter, we finally see how they obtain the stem cells for the matter of the artificial hybrid project... I must say that these scenes were meant to be more graphic, I even thought about placing some scenes where Edzard would find videos where those who were there recorded everything they did, but in the end, I decided not to put it.
We also see that there are some plots that are emerging, such as the rebellion of Exorcists, the issue of Lilith... but, well, those matters will be resolved later, in what I call the calm before the storm.
I apologize for any spelling errors. Please don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if there's something that needs improvement, or if you have any questions about the story. Any constructive advice is welcome. With nothing more to say, see you in the next chapter.