And for the fifth time...

As I begin again, welcome dear readers.

This will be the fifth story of Kodori the Demon Fox. And if you've been keeping up, it will take her to the world(s) of Shield Hero.

Before that however...

If you're new here, I'll put in the standard warnings.

Kodori is a character with (goes to check) 2.7 million words of story behind her. Starting in Orario, moving to Highschool DxD, back to Orario, then to Gate (and so the JSDF wondered what just happened).

Yes, as I've done with every story after the first, I'm going to put in a turbo charged recap of what's gone on before, but that will be a minuscule slice of what's happened before this. Kodori started small, certainly, an Isekai'ed soul who had nothing but a lot of life experience and mental lint, to what she is today. So, please, if you haven't, go read from the start, so things make a little more sense.

Next warning, just because I still get the occasional salty comment about stuff.

This work is rated M. Especially with Shield Hero, and all the terrible things that go on in it. Yes, there are 'normal' mature things, like violence, bloody murder, occasional scenes of adult nature. But there is also slavery, acute racism, torture, people who get so immersed in their power trips that they start to embody the 'sins', graphic descriptions of just about everything...

So yes, THIS STORY IS RATED M!

Right, that's out of the way...

The next thing, is time.

This is a very long story. Starting from Kodori's arrival, not quite eight years have past. A LOT of things have happened in that time, and people have grown and matured. Young adults have become actual adults, children have been born, relationships have formed or fallen apart, fresh faced youths have started growing facial hair. Even one of the mascots of the Manor has had kittens!

I pay attention to time. Yes, with adventurers, some things take less time, but there are things you can't just 'fast forward' with random super powers. For things to 'work' in my writing, time must pass, and I count that time as closely as I can while trying (and usually succeeding) not to get too granular.

The last thing, and maybe the most important.

Reader (that's you, yes, you! The one looking at this text right now!) engagement. I like to involve my readers. Occasionally I'll have a vote on upcoming events. Other times I'll mention something, and someone will reply with a good suggestion. Sometimes I read a comment and redirect a little towards it. So yes, please, leave a comment! Join my Discord (link down at the bottom of every chapter)! Just don't mind the noise. Also, if there is enough desire for it, I might add to the 'Tails through the Trees' section, and do little short stories from time to time, just to give myself a break, and my readers something a little different.

Anyhow, getting a little long on the intro...

The Dermegil Works proudly presents...

A Demon Fox Production.

Book five.

The Fall of the Fox Hero

Chapter 1

A month.

It had been a month since the Gate had been closed again. This made it about six months since the JSDF had been returned to Earth, and the people of Earth had essentially signed an agreement with the Guild of Orario to be extra super especially good guests, and be allowed to send their own 'adventurers' through the Gate.

Hot on the heels of those (we'll get to how well they're doing in a moment) warriors from Earth, were reporters and scientists. A few days after that, as per the basically iron clad contracts between the Guild and the leaders of Earth who wanted a peek into all the shiny things Orario offered, were trade goods.

Except, Orario wasn't trading anything 'material' to Earth. Not yet at least.

The first wave of goods from Earth was in payment for the land the Gate House was on, and a sort of... medical insurance. As a sort of compromise for 'buying in' to let various countries send warriors into the dungeon, and to keep the Gods of Orario from squinting too hard at the Guild for letting 'outsiders' into their playground, the 'goods' from Earth had nothing to do with new technology or scientific advancements.

No, the 'Goods' from Earth were purely for entertainment.

Visual art ranging from abstract paintings to wood carvings. Musical instruments that were never invented in Orario. Plays with comprehensive explanations so they could be recreated in another world as intended. Styles of music ranging from Blues to Opera.

And of course. Books. With the Guild providing a Rosetta Stone of sorts to the people of Earth, and the help of modern mass production, heaps of books had been translated into Kione. Of course, because of 'the deal' between Earth and Orario, various books of Science had been left off the list. Some wondered why, but the Guild had quite firmly said that such things would disrupt the curve of growth that Orario was on already. The people of Orario would get to Earth's 'level' of advancement in its own time.

Regardless of the limits placed on what was brought over from Earth, the Gods were quite pleased with all the new entertaining things that had started to show up in the markets.

The markets, you might ask?

Orario, the Guild, the Gods, and even the adventurers, knew what Earth wanted. But, like everyone else, Earth would have to earn it. Those goods, as well as the efforts of the warriors that had been sent, were going towards buying the things Earth wanted. But what did Earth want that they couldn't just make or research?

Magic of course.

However, magic stone, the greatest source of magic, was forbidden from leaving Orario in its raw form. No amount of money or trade would lift that restriction. So, the people of Earth had to work around it a little, and buy the 'processed' items that used magic stone. Magically enhanced medicines were chief among the things Earth wanted. So were some of the metals that the smiths of Orario took for granted. But also batteries.

Sounded silly, since Earth had long ago learned how to store power. But even now it was inefficient, costly, and terrible for the environment. But the magic battery (nicknamed the Softy, for some strange reason) had the potential to solve that problem.

At least, if Earth could figure them out. But if nothing else, Earth was good at figuring things out.

As for the Warriors that had been sent to work in the dungeon... Well most of them were having difficulties. Limited to 'just being human', weapons that were plain steel, and (currently) forbidden from being given the gift of Falna from the Gods of Orario... They were not doing well.

Additionally, they lacked the most basic Adventurer ability of 'the good sleep'. Starting from their very first night as an adventurer, a good night's (or day's, adventurers weren't picky about when they slept) sleep could heal things from cuts to fractured bones, and it only got better as they advanced. Loss of limb was about the only thing an adventurer couldn't heal with a good sleep or two.

This meant any serious injury the Warriors from Earth suffered could leave them crippled until magically healed. And magical healing was expensive in Orario.

This led back to Orario's first instance of 'Health Insurance'. Even if they were from another world, anyone who fought in the dungeon was given aid if they needed it, even if they couldn't pay for it 'right then'. However, the countries who were sponsoring the squads of people they had sent, were the ones who were going to pay for that healing the next time the Gate was opened.

The payment? Raw materials. Or more specifically, iron.

There was already a railway (powered by a very large battery, a hot topic and a good example for just how useful the magic batteries were) leading north towards the largest network of mines in the known world. But there were still places that The People wanted to connect to.

Far west, almost two weeks by wagon, was Rakia. A major trade partner, they were still building the rail towards Orario, and iron was a bottleneck for the project. Far to the East, was... well, the Far East. It would be the next place the railway would go... once there was enough material, and money to do so. Southeast of Orario was Telskyura. And while a railway project was... possible... the relationship between Orario and the Amazon nation wasn't exactly the best. But hope sprang eternal.

So yes, for keeping the Warriors from Earth as fighting fit as possible without the gifts of Falna, the Guild was asking for payment in iron.

This encouraged the various Warriors to do well, and take the Guild seriously when it came to the dangers of the Dungeon. At least, they started to after almost every single one of them needed to be rescued by rookie adventurers in their first week.

Only one of the groups, a mix of what Earth would have considered Civilians, was actually profiting from going into the dungeon. They weren't doing much better, but they had entered with the proper attitude, worked together well, and had weapons that were personally forged for them, not mass produced junk that was made for the military. Not only that, they didn't instantly start setting aside money for whomever their sponsor was. No, they did what any smart adventurer would do, and invested in themselves first. Even if they were for 'rookies', they had discarded their old equipment, and invested in local-made weapons.

This instantly set them apart from the rest, and many of the Gods, and even some adventurers, were starting to take notice, and even had a small betting pool for how they would do.

Of course, the JSDF was running a close second to this strange civilian group, but they were still 'in the red' when it came to profits. But only just, and only due to a bit of bad luck. Since they'd been in the dungeon before, they also took things seriously, but the dungeon liked to play tricks, and even the most careful adventurer could be caught in a trap.

Another of the 'new things' in Orario, was the town on the way to the mines north of the city. Refugees from Falmart, or as Earth called it, 'the Special Region', almost every one of their fifty thousand or so (even the Guild couldn't really pin down an exact number, but it was growing) was a demi-human or beast-kin. Considering the dominant race of Falmart was 'human', and most of them had run away from 'second class' citizenship or outright slavery, it was no surprise that most of the people in this new town weren't human.

And while they'd been there a little while now, and the town was getting to the final stages of construction for all of the things it would need for years to come (roads, sewage, waterworks, various administration and public service buildings), it was slowly being targeted by the Gods of Orario.

The Gods of course wanted 'something new', and it had already been proven that these new people could take in the gift of falna and become adventurers. But even so, the Gods followed the... heavy suggestions of the one who had brought them all here in the first place, and weren't really hunting for talent.

But all the same, almost every Familia in the city save for the very small ones, had someone from the new settlement in them now. However! While some of the Gods tried to 'show off' their newest Familia members like prized animals, the people of Falmart shut that down extremely fast. They didn't complain, or walk away, or anything so... basic... No.

These were a people who were used to being toyed with by the Gods. They would not be paraded around like some trophy. Instead, every single one of them proved they were worth that 'prized' status. It might sound weird, one would think this Godly showboating would spoil things. But no. It motivated the newest children of Orario to prove they were worth that imagined status.

Of course, this also had the effect of making them too busy in the dungeon to be dragged around town by their new God or Goddess to be shown off. They were too busy earning that power and fame they were promised by the one who told them about how the Gods were different here.

Do great things, become greater. And in doing so, earn the respect of the God and their new Familia.

Past that, there were a few people from the new settlement who had taken up residence in Orario for other things. The Guild took some in, since they could always use more people to help keep the city together (the Pooka for example were oddly adept at math for example). Their were also many places in Orario that normal Citizens could work as well. This kind of 'visibility' was nothing but positive for the former people of Falmart, since it showed that they could be just as hardworking and intelligent as anyone else.

Speaking of intelligent, the literacy rate of the new settlement seemed to be climbing by the day. While some simply had no head for the common language of the world, many more people were soaking up their (mandatory) weekly lessons, and usually taking (voluntary) extra lessons just to fill that formerly unknown urge to learn things that the Gods of their former world had denied then.

The one behind nearly all of this, the one who had gathered, maintained, then used all their power to get these massive projects started and rolling, was actually quite content to skip the public acknowledgement. Even if she'd introduced new, useful and practical ways to do things. Even if she'd essentially smuggled in new and wonderful foods that the massive farms of Orario could grow to feed the city. Even if she'd started, worked on, and designed the Train that went all the way to the mines north of Orario. Even if (especially if!) she was the strongest in Orario...

She really just wanted to stay at home and watch her children grow up.

Oh, she still did an awful lot of things. Sadly much of it was still ceremonial or to show 'the people' she was still doing her duty to fight in the dungeon. But considering her fame, there were weeks where she was just as invisible as a Guild employee.

Today, on the day Earth calendars would number 'October 17', she was having a birthday party. She had complained (quietly) that it was too much trouble. Protested (gently) that they (everyone in the Hearthstone Manor) didn't need to do anything special. But in the end, Kodori's wife and their seven children (with a very young eighth who was being held up to her and tickled so she'd frown at her), gave her the big sad eyes, and finally (with a sigh) she relented to having a party.

Considering she'd gotten away with not having a party for her other seven birthdays, well, she was getting off lightly with just bunch of sad faces for trying to skip the celebration of the start of her ninth year in Orario. No, things had lined up just right, and Kodori couldn't get away with suddenly having things to do, or be down in the dungeon, or off in a literal other world and thus be 'unavailable' for a celebration.

And, just like her wedding, she was grounded and prevented from planning anything.

(Kodori)

I've had a few traumatizing experiences when it came to 'waiting for guests to arrive'. However, as much as I'd liked to have skipped the implied vanity of a party for myself, waiting for guests to arrive today wasn't that bad.

Eight years though... Just like surviving the lack of sleep that came with seven children all at once, I wondered how I survived. To be fair, there was a minute or two that I did not actually survive. But thanks to magic, fast action, and great friends, well, I did.

But I mean... The very first thing I tried to do when I arrived in Orario, was rescue someone, while I was naked, with nothing but a weak throwing arm and a couple pieces of fruit. Thankfully, the one I was trying to rescue was handy with a flower pot, and ended up rescuing me.

Then there was the frightening amount of bite marks I'd gotten from my rookie days in the dungeon. Being unable to use anything but my body and very specific magic to hurt things limited me, and well, at that range just about every monster with teeth from the first to tenth floor had broken off teeth in my flesh at some point. That was okay though, I lived, and teeth were pretty useful for weapon and armour craft, as well as alchemy.

Then there was Lilly (now a proud mother of a super adorable little boy who hasn't let his size stop him from getting into so much trouble...). The Soma Familia (yes that Soma, with the super addictive wine), was out of control, with the Familia members doing what ever they could for another taste of their God's wine. We rescued Lilly, the Guild straightened the Familia out a bit, and now we enjoy reasonably good relations with them. But I'd suffered second and third degree burns over most of my body for it. Everything but my tail was cooked to various degrees, and it took a small fortune in healing potions to keep me alive.

Later there was that time I punched a dragon. I gave it a slightly off target yet still very lethal snoot-boop, but managed to shatter my arm and dislocate my shoulder while doing it. That, as painful as it was, wasn't the thing that almost killed me. No, it was the wandering Minotaur using a super high class adventurer's weapon, that caught us all by surprise and nearly cut me in half. It had just missed my spine because Welf had nudged me away while he blocked it with his sword. That was the day Bell (who totally killed that jerk Minotaur) and I reached level two.

Fame in this city, like being the record holders for reaching level two in the shortest amount of time, caught the attention of Apollo and his Familia. He'd already had a thing for Hestia, and well, now she had two Children (Bell and I) who were also gaining a bit of sparkle in his eyes. So he tried to 'win' us in a War Game. Bell and I both hit level three for winning that and banishing Apollo from the city. I suspect I levelled because I'd 'invented' a glider, and used it to co-ordinate a castle siege. And Bell for beating the Apollo Captain, Hyakinthos, who was a level above him.

Rescuing Haruhime... Oh boy... Since around the time we'd rescued Lilly, I'd been getting sweet with another Renard (a fox half human race that likely descended from actual Kitsune). Well, shortly after the Apollo thing, we caught wind she was going to be used for what amounted to ritual sacrifice. We (Hestia and parts of Takemikazuchi Familia) survived, but only because the Freya Familia stepped in to send Ishtar (the one who was going to murder my girlfriend), back to Tenkai (this world's version of 'heaven'). Now free from any obligations to Ishtar, Haruhime and I became 'official' partners. Totally worth getting my ribs shattered, hand broken, and probably a few other things.

Of course, when a Familia gets their God sent back, the members of the Familia are put into a kind of 'orphan' status. Any God can accept them in to their Familia, but until then, well...

I hit level four while dealing with one of those orphans. Phryne, a level five Amazon who had fallen through the ugly tree. I still don't remember everything about how I managed that, but considering that my memory is nearly perfect and nobody would give me a straight answer on what they found where her and I fought, well... that's probably for the best.

After that though... Well more of the now disbanded Ishtar Familia came to take revenge on us. Or rather, Haruhime and I specifically. Being the stronger, I was targeted first, and... well, I still have nightmares about that. Not even my two lovers will try and restrain my wrists, even when I sleep.

Speaking of that though. The aftermath of that... incident... would have killed me. After most of a day of torture, the Amazons had cut off my tails. Without them, I fell into a coma that I would never have woken up from. My body wouldn't heal on its own, my organs would fail, and I would have died. But Haruhime supplied me with mana while the best doctors in Orario fixed my body. Then, she gave me her tail to wake me back up.

She trusted me with her life, so I could get back my own tails from the Amazons who took them. Well, something like that deserved my best effort. And only one of those Amazon survived. After that though, I came to a harsh realization. Life in this world was a little more 'traditional' to modern day Earth. Sure, same gender couples existed, but I knew Haruhime would want children one day, and no matter our love for each other she would have left me to have them.

So, I took it upon myself to find a way. After all we'd been through, and being in Orario, a place that is said to have anything a person desires (so long as they work for it)... Well, I did find a way! Ironically, and appropriately, it was an Amazon who had figured out how to temporarily fix that problem between two women. It required me to make bargains with two other Goddesses, learn how to read Hieroglyph (The God's writing), and then brew it. But I did.

We thought it was a one time deal however, so after we were officially married, well, our honeymoon was very exhausting. But since I didn't read the instructions (they were after the instructions on how to make the potion!) well, we'd both taken a double dose of the brew. This had a few... side effects... Nature took its course, and we became the proud parents of seven children. Little fox eared bundles of joy. Oh... And occasionally, a full moon will allow us a bit of a repeat of our honeymoon. Anatomy and all.

But recovering a long forgotten alchemy, bargaining with three Gods (two for 'ingredients' and one for the books the recipe was in), and actually going through with it? That brought me to level five.

Less than three months after they were born however... I'd ended up back on Earth due to a magical mishap. This was both very bad, but a bit lucky. Out of everyone in Orario, I was uniquely qualified to fix the problem that caused. Problem? Well, I wasn't the target of the magic, the dungeon was. And in essence, the dungeon had suffered a near permanent wound, with bits of it being taken away to Earth. I was just along for the ride so to speak. This put the dungeon into a monster spawning overdrive and threatened to destroy the city.

I spent the better part of a year recovering the dungeon fragments. Getting involved with the end of a three way war between Devils, Angels, and the Fallen. Being a 'person of power' in a world mostly starved of magic, well... I quickly found that for all my strength that would have put me in the top fifty or so of Orario, I was now, at best, a 2/10 on the power level.

I figured out a lot of things in the nine months I'd been there. Like how I was an actual Kitsune. Or how to enchant things properly. Or learning about politics. As much as I hated the last one, it became super important later. But by the end of all that, I'd probably gotten myself to about 5/10, maybe, of the strongest single beings on Earth. Probably closer to 4/10. But while I did so, I recovered the bits of stolen dungeon, sent back tons of stuff to help Orario grow and prosper even more, and finally returned.

But, if I was in the top 50 or so of Orario before I left, and was a 2/10 on Earth. Then came back as a 4/10 on Earth...

Yes, I'd moved up to an entirely new weight class, something unknown in Orario's history. It was difficult, and on the back of two days of near constant fighting. But after I got back I beat Orario's strongest Ottar of Freya Familia.

And that near year away, got me to level six, then later, seven. This shift in power, on the back of a dungeon disaster that had already stressed the city to a near breaking point, upset Freya a great deal. Ottar and her roster of top class adventurers had basically held the city hostage to her whims. Sure, she played by the rules when is suited her, but now that I'd returned and shown the city her Ace wasn't the strongest...

Remember when I said 'politics'? Well... dealing with, and learning from, people who had been masters of politics for ten thousand years, had given me a huge advantage when I had to unite Orario against Freya. And I did. Orchestrating that was probably what got me to level seven.

So now... The guild was in charge, really in charge, and the Gods and Goddesses of Orario were mostly free to do as they pleased without Freya Familia breathing down their necks.

And that was just what happened before the thing with the Gate.

But I think I just felt the last of the guests arrive at the Manor...

"Ko-san?" I heard Haruhime's voice from the other side of the door. Yes, just like before her and I got married, everyone had insisted (with almost all the sad puppy eyes the Manor had available standing around her) (oh, and one God who stopped smiling for a half second), that I stay in this room and wait.

"Yes love?" I called back. Thankfully, I didn't have to be alone, and the sudden break in silence had woken up Loaner (an actual spirit fox, gifted to me by Inari of Earth!). He had been snoozing next to me while I waited, and with a yawn and stretch, was starting to wake up.

"We're ready to start." Haruhime replied, the smile in her voice clear. But, since she wasn't entering the room meant they were plotting something.

Catching on to my stray thought, Loaner spoke in my head, (he was still a fox and couldn't 'speak' like a person, no matter how amazing he was), "Of course they are planning something. But no matter how wonderful your attention is, I will not tell you."

I stood, lifting Loaner up with me and holding him in my arms. Behind me, my nine tails swished into a slow, constantly swaying idleness, and I looked down at myself to make sure my nice battle kimono was wrinkle free. "Good. Hard to be a good messenger when you deliver the wrong messages. And you, my dear friend, are peerless."

"You honour me. Careful, else I might become spoiled."

"A little late for that. But service well rewarded I think." I shifted Loaner around a little in my arms so he was sitting imperiously in the crook of my elbow, and stepped out of the room.

The only kind of party I was ever really comfortable in, was an adventuring party. Be it on pen and paper, or in the actual dungeon, giving and taking orders, then taking action was what I was best at. The goals were clear, the dangers were expected.

But no matter how many 'social' events I went to, with the exception of... my own wedding, yeah, that was the only party I'd ever been at where I didn't have this little edge of discomfort. Most of the time, especially in this city, a party meant politics.

So, it was no surprise that I couldn't just enjoy myself. Just about every God or Goddess of the Alliance was here. They had all brought their 'Plus One' (their best, or most talented, or just whomever was available that day and didn't look like a slob) Child. This meant that no matter what, I had to be polite and proper.

Thankfully, all of the Gods in attendance were well aware of the 'rules' of the Manor, and aside from Loki somehow getting her hands on a keg of wine (and she'd brought Rori as her 'plus one' so she was no help getting her away from it), no one caused trouble, and thus was welcome. (Loki was still welcome, since by this point we'd usually set aside a 'sacrificial' keg for her to cling to).

Ganesha was his usual party animal self, hiding bits of actual conversation in all the GANESHA! And FLEXING OF THE PEOPLE silly poses. I was honestly surprised he hadn't just dropped the silly persona, even more so that nobody seemed to know he wasn't as much of an idiot as he pretended to be.

Dozens of minor Gods and Goddesses were there as well, getting along, getting a taste of what an 'upper middle class' adventuring Familia put on their table, and sharing their various talents with the other guests for entertainment. Like Ihy, who could play a melody to anyone's music. Or Jamil, who had donated some honey from the bees he kept. Or Enki, who's tiny little Familia had almost given up on the dungeon to compete with the Hostess of Fertility with their dessert menu. It proved that the dungeon wasn't everything, and that adventurers didn't have to kill monsters to provide for their God.

There was a guest however, who was here without their Goddess, and while I was surprised, the fact he wasn't making people nervous made me kind of happy.

"Ottar." I greeted, walking up to him. "Children, are you bothering our guest?"

Ottar was kneeling among my children, holding out his hand to 'defend' himself while all seven of them tried to move his arm. They were getting so big, yet it felt like only last week they were squinting up at me trying to find things in my nose.

But being the second strongest adventurer in Orario, Ottar was unmoved. He was however, smiling just a tiny bit as all seven of the children worked together to just... make him shift his balance, or move, or just show he was expending effort.

"We challenged him!" Yuki growled, using both hands to hold one of Ottar's fingers.

"And he accepted!" Tatsuo added, his arms wrapped around his forearm as he tried to pull his arm down.

"Can you help us, O-ma?" Toshi asked, arms wrapped around Tatsuo to try and help him pull down.

And this is why I didn't really like parties. Those simple, heartfelt words of a child, asking a parent to help them, meant something different to the people listening in. And since I was standing next to Ottar, someone I'd beaten nearly to death, and he was in turn near my children... Well, everyone in ear shot was hiding behind something, but still watching, to see what might happen.

So, I had to play 'politics' behind the innocent request of the children. I paced around the eight of them, hand on chin while I 'hmm'ed theatrically. I could help directly, and it might be seen as an attack on Ottar, and thus Freya. I could not help, and have my children pout at me until something distracted them. I could just tell them both to stop, and they would, meaning Ottar would (because he was a Guest) have to follow my order (a potential insult to Freya Familia), and the children would pout at me.

But, part of politics was deflecting the question to the appropriate person.

"Ko-san? Ottar-san? Children? Would you like some cookies? Weine just took them out of the oven." Haruhime once again came to the rescue.

The children all detached from Ottar's hand and wrist, and Kei (with the other six behind them) pointed up at Ottar, "We will call it a draw!"

"I agree." He said seriously, "Cookies are important." Also said seriously as he stood up, watching with me as the children mobbed towards Haruhime to follow her towards the kitchen.

I could almost feel the air pressure in the grand ballroom change as everyone let out a breath. "You'll accept any challenge, right?"

"I will." He nodded, walking with me as I started towards the promised cookies. I'd probably be needed to carry more food to the buffet table anyhow. Birthday or not, I would do the work if there was work to do. "They are getting stronger." He added as we left the majority of the party behind us.

"They still haven't gone into the dungeon, but they do take their lessons seriously." I said with a sigh, "I know I know, I should let them, maybe kill a goblin or two. I mean, the little Amazons we have here are pretty good for their age! But..." I looked up at him, "I'm surprised you're here."

His face, usually passive, shifted a little. A look that said 'I was expecting that'. "Someone sent an invitation. And I am scouting." He blinked in surprise when I returned the 'I was expecting that' look.

"I know Freya will be Freya." I said, my nose catching the scent of carob, a chocolate equivalent, "But if any of my children want to join her Familia, I won't stop them. But they're a little young to do that. Thanks for being honest."

That did make him frown, "I am always honest."

"I know. And I am thankful." I gave his shin the lightest of kicks, "Since you're here, I'm gonna have to ask you to carry stuff to the ball room."

"So long as I get a cookie first." His tiny smile returned, "I am glad my Lady never asked me to attack the Xenos. Little Weine makes the best cookies in the city."

I had a long long list of people to meet and greet at the party. I won't go over the list, but something was still bothering me, even with the genuine and sincere 'happy birthdays' I got from everyone. But as the day faded to evening, and people started to leave, I realized what it was.

Gifts.

I didn't get any.

Now, to most people, this would be an insult. Or at the very least, 'not normal'. But for me? I was thankful. REALLY thankful. To be perfectly honest, if anyone had given me something, it would have caused problems. Yet another 'political thing' spoiling what would normally be just a good party. Gifts given 'publicly' was really just having witnesses to a potential favour being owed.

But no. The only gift I'd gotten was a good party.

"Aha." Aisha, my favourite adult Amazon said from the other end of a buffet table she was helping me move. "I was wondering when you'd smile."

Strapped to her front in a kind of baby sling, was my favourite child Amazon, Kinza, a daughter between Haruhime and Aisha. Still quite young, the infant seemed oblivious to everything, "Just glad nothing weird happened." I said, mostly honest. "But something is still..."

"You're wondering why we tossed you into a room to plan, when it was basically like any other party?" She asked, two of us working the table around a corner and through the doorway of a storage room.

Leave it to the most socially adept person in the Manor to figure it out for me. "Yes!" I paused as a tiny fist wiggled out of the baby sling to flail at the sudden noise. "yes." I said much quieter, "that's exactly it."

She winked at me and walked beside me as we went back to the ballroom for another table. "Well, once we get cleaned up a little more here, the second party is due to arrive."

There are two 'groups' of friends. Friends who are close, and friends who are far. This can be split again into 'near' and 'far' friends, since 'distance' can have two different meanings when it comes to friendship.

And it seemed the second party was for close friends, who lived very far indeed.

"It's Aunty Akeno!" The children cheered as Akeno appeared in our library. Not in the flesh, since there was a good chance she would... 'translate' wrong into this world, and either become 'just human' or flat out die since two thirds of her would cease to exist.

No, Akeno was 'standing' in the middle of a prototype 'illusion field'. Using magic compatible in both worlds, some older proven ideas (like the Occulus and Tarot), and four little magic posts, we (Delly, Fels and Lelei from Orario, and Ajuka, Akeno and Gasper from Earth), had basically made a very limited 3D holographic telephone.

"I can hear you." Akeno replied, "Come, step into the square so I can see you too." Sadly, there was no other 'sensation' past sight and sound, but Lelei's work here would eventually find its way into the hands of the people of Earth, to better communicate between worlds while the Gate was closed.

The children all (carefully) got into the illusion field and did a little happy dance around Akeno. Behind them, Haruhime and I followed, standing at the edge of the field so we were out of the way, but on 'screen' for Akeno. "No-chan." Haruhime greeted, "Popular as ever." Followed by a little laugh behind her hand.

Behind Akeno, stepping onto the field as well, were Rias and Issei. It wasn't a huge area, the magic demands going up as the area increased of course. "Sensei, Haruhime-san." Issei greeted, kneeling not to us, but so he could watch the children do a dance around Akeno. "This is incredible. And they are getting pretty big too."

From 'off camera' close enough to the field for the audio magic to hear it, "Miss Lelei? I think one of your posts is a little out of alignment!" It was Gasper, "Can you check please?"

Lelei started a circuit around the field while Rias smiled at the children's antics, "I agree, this is quite interesting. Illusion magic has been used in communication for millennia here, but not across dimensions."

Lelei finished her tour around the field, her hand reaching town and turning one of the little pillars a few degrees. Just like that, the image sharpened up a little, becoming almost lifelike. "Did that correct it?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Lelei nodded, mostly to herself since she was still 'off camera', "This was much harder without the unique 'paired field' of the Occulus."

"Well, we're grateful all the same." I said, "Now now children, settle down a little so we can have a story time or something."

For a couple of hours, with mages on both sides checking on things, testing others, and generally puttering about while Akeno, Rias, Issei, Haruhime and I told stories for the children, and to each other. Just like earlier in the day, we hid a double meaning behind the stories, making it something the children could enjoy, but also telling the others from another world what was going on.

For us, instead of saying 'the people from Falmart were getting along and doing well', it was 'How the many people came together to speak to the Gods, and take on the Dungeon'.

For them, instead of saying, 'The magical community is still collectively crapping their pants at humanity realizing they exist' to 'how the half Demon, the Fairy and the Witch bargained with the King'.

Slowly, the magical things on Earth were very carefully peeking their heads out and getting in touch with 'normal people'. Most encounters went kind of like an attempt to hand feed a bird. The food was there, but the instant there was danger, the bird flew away. Other encounters were almost pure success stories. But there were a couple that ended up as tragedies, needing a daring rescue by the hidden guardians, or the dark defenders (angels and devils).

Once the children went to bed though, story time went to real talk.

"So, I'm sure you've heard the latest numbers?" I asked, feeling the presence of Haruhime and the Children get father away from me as they headed to bed.

"We have, unless they're inaccurate, it seems like the world powers will owe you a fair amount of iron." Akeno said, "All but one it seems."

"Who are they?" I asked, "I can't tell if they're a bit special, or just really into it. I've been tempted to go and talk to them, but that might give people the wrong idea."

"Well, you're half right on both. They called themselves the Joten-sons. From what we've gathered on them, they are a self sponsored team, and the single interview we have on video had the leader, Sangris son of Sangrigor, saying they all had the blood of giants in them." Akeno explained.

From just off camera, "yawn, to be fair, Lady Akeno, anyone native to that area of Earth has giant blood in them." Gasper said, "I asked one of the Valkyrie in my class about it."

Akeno stepped off screen, and there was a quiet 'eep'. A moment later, Gasper entered the field, Akeno hugging him to her front and making most of the the (still) adorable vampire's neck vanish in her cleavage. "Much better. Continue?" Akeno urged.

It took him a moment to stop stuttering, but he did, and didn't try and get away either. "I teach at Lady Rose's school, and the topic came up." He said, "She says Lord Odin has no idea about them, but..."

"But it's Lord Odin." Delly giggled from behind me, "Great look for you Gasper."

"Please don't tease me, miss Delly?"

"Nope."

"aww..."

Akeno took pity on the vampire boy, and let him go. But he only moved enough to reclaim the back of his head from her bust. "But, aside from them, they're all kind of... not doing well." I said, my tails capturing Delly, then tangling around her arms and legs.

"ack! All the fluffy!"

Gasper gave me a 'thank you' look and a smile while Akeno laughed, "But enough of all that." Akeno said, "Did our package get there? We were told about your birthday, and hoped to have it waiting for you when the day arrived."

"Package?" I blinked, "I... don't know?"

"tails don't go there! Ahh! It tickles!"

"Ko-san, be gentle with Delly-chan." Haruhime said as she entered the library again, summing up the situation as soon as her eyes passed over the scene, "Even if she was teasing someone."

"Ha-san? Did our package arrive?" Rias asked, also giggling politely behind her hand at poor Delly, "We sent it through with the big shipment when you had the Gate opened, but well... Not even Earth can be perfect with their postal service. Let alone to another world."

"Ah, we hid it." Haruhime said, stepping back into the field and just holding out her arms.

My tails obeyed her without my control and Delly was placed into her arms. "Good." Issei said, "When we heard your world wanted books and stuff, well, more than a few 'underground' groups gave us a hand in gathering up some great story books."

"Riser's flock was especially generous." Akeno said. "It's our gift to you, Ko-san. Ha-san?"

Haruhime set Delly down, gave her ears a scroofle, then left the field. I watched as she went to one of the book carts we used when moving text books to the classrooms down the 'orphan wing' of the Manor. This one however, had a big rectangle crate on top, easily big enough to fit a grown adult inside if they curled up a little. Carefully, she wheeled it into the Field, "Here you go."

I hardly needed a pry bar for a box made of wood planks. But I was careful in opening the lid since it was a solid looking crate and those were always useful. With a little tug, a pull, a wiggle, then a yank, the lid came off.

"Oh wow..." I said, "You got these..." I picked one up, 'The Brother's Grimm', read the title. The original, I knew, was old. But the cover on this one was much newer. Opening it, I was pleased to see it had all been translated to Kione.

"All of them should be translated." Akeno smiled, "Oh my, is she..."

Gasper hmm'ed, "I think she's sparkling."

"Even Sensei can do that?" Issei asked, "Hm, glad we asked for ideas."

"This is amazing." I said, doing a super quick flip through the book, setting it down and picking up another, then another, "Sherlock? Zelazney? Adams? Oh wow..." I looked up at them, feeling a massive smile on my face, then up further to our still somewhat bare bookshelves. "This is going to be fun."

"You will have to read them later." Haruhime said, giving one of my tails a gentle tug, "Even if it is your birthday, you should not skip sleep."

"If only Issei listened to me like that." Rias sighed, "But we're glad you like the gift. We'll tell everyone."

"Please do, but I'll have to talk to Riser's Girls myself too." I looked over to Lelei, but she was sleeping in Hagane's specially made chair. "Seems our mage has enough data for this as well."

"Heehee. She's worse than the Boss for skipping sleep." Delly said, leaving the illusion field and getting a blanket from a nearby shelf. Yes, the library was also the best place to nap, and instead of fighting it, we just made blankets available.

"Ah, then how do you turn this off?" Haruhime asked.

"Oh, one of the posts should have a button on top."

NOTES!

Ha! You thought I was going to have a cliffhanger, and just have her suddenly start her journey at the end of a chapter, then wait until next time for her arrival! No, not this time. :)

Thank you for reading! And if you want to see any full colour art, join the discord!

aKAQg4bnYu for the discord!

And my actual book, Were Too? is on Inkitt.

And! I'm looking into getting some story themed merchandise made. Join the Discord to find out more!