My great thanks to TodaBruh, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!
Also, a lot of Royal "We" is used whenever Empress BelVeth speaks, so that's why she speaks as she does.
The Void, city of Null, capital of the Void Empire.
"So, this is the capital city of the mortal empire of the Void…" mused Sherry, as she and Tatsumaki were sent here to help prevent a religious crusade by the denizens of the Void against the rest of Reality.
All around them, countless citizens of the Void were welcoming their arrival in a grand celebration, as having family members of the new Eldritch King visit them was seen as an immense honor, especially when most of the local multiverse had yet to see her father's family in any way or form. Their presence here was thus a strong sign of how important the Void and its political concerns were to the new King of the Gods, which naturally was something the local people were very happy to see.
Of course… not everyone was happy to see them. Not when Sherry and Tatsumaki were here as agents of peace, not war, at a time where most people were leaning towards mass militancy, religious and military, towards the rest of Reality when it comes to spreading "the glory of the Void."
The city itself was certainly beautiful and awe-inspiring, if in a vaguely intimidating way. Most denizens of the Void preferred a color scheme which leaned heavily towards dark tones, and so the entire city was made of black or dark purple materials. Combined with the literal black and purple sun shining in the sky and the fact that the laws of physics were, at best, an amusing suggestion in this realm, it left the entire city full of tall buildings twisting in thoroughly unnatural ways, all of them casting shadows which moved and took forms that no natural shadow should ever take.
And then of course, there were the people. An impressive number of them weren't humanoids, but instead insectoids shaped in all manner of ways that defied the laws of biology. Those that were humanoid-looking might actually be hiding their true forms, as shapeshifting was an ability many of the locals possessed. Others still held forms that weren't even biological at all, from Void elementals made of raw Void energy, to more esoteric energy beings, and others far stranger still.
As a result, there was less cheering than in a human kingdom, as quite simply many of the local beings did not show their excitement in such a way. Sherry could still feel their emotions however, and see for herself how much of the entire capital was truly delighted by her and Tatsumaki's presence… along with those who were far, far less welcoming.
Even as they both made their way through the crowds, both envoys of Aeon could feel a number of beings staring at them with at best distrust, at worst outright hostility at their forms. Sherry didn't let it get to her, but she could see Tatsumaki shooting those people angry looks. Thankfully, the S-class hero was a lot calmer than she once used to be, or Sherry would be worried about her marching off towards those hostile individuals and starting a confrontation right then and there, which would be… less than ideal.
For now, they merely kept going, guarded by an honor guard of some of the deadliest soldiers in Empress Bel'Veth's service. Most of them were insectoids bearing armors and weapons all glowing with power in her eyes, and she was certain that the weakest of them could still fight some lesser, non-eldritch gods by themselves if need be.
In other situations she might have wondered if it was a subtle show of power from Empress' Bel'Veth's part, to have an entire honor guard escorting them with all members being at least potential god slayers in their own right, but she doubted it. The Empress, from what her father had told her, was quite bluntly too smart to think that something like that would work on either her or Tatsumaki, considering that they were here representing the King of the Eldritch himself.
Finally, they came in sight of the Outer Gates of the Imperial palace, a massive set of walls so tall that Sherry had to tilt her head up as high as it could go to catch a glimpse of their highest point. In a realm subject to the laws of physics, building something like that would be a near impossible challenge… But for a place like this, basic common sense suddenly took a very different turn.
Moreover, despite the walls being built of blackstone so dark it could give the center of a black hole a run for its money, to her eyes the walls were glowing with purple runes as far as she could see. Each of them burned with power enough that nothing short of throwing a good dozen nukes at a singular spot of the wall would make a scratch. And even then, she could already tell that it wouldn't be enough, as standard nukes lacked the supernatural element to give an extra metaphysical boost to their destructive power.
As they went through the massive gates that opened up for them, it still took them an hour of walking before they went from the outer gates to the inner gates of the Imperial palace. The number of people watching had not decreased, though Sherry could tell that the raw power of those watching was now steadily growing, as the closer to the center of the Imperial palace they came to, the more important the local people became… And more often than not, personal power matched their power in the Empire itself.
From beings that were essentially basic mortals, the locals steadily became more and more powerful, glowing to her eyes with inner purple stars of Void magic, the strength of those stars growing the closer to the Empress and her Court they were. At first the locals became strong enough to destroy buildings with ease, but that quickly jumped to beings that could annihilate cities, then more, then more to the point they could ravage entire countries with ease, then more and more…
And then they reached the Imperial palace, a long stairway leading up to the front doors where the Empress and her court lay waiting.
Sherry's lips pursed slightly, and Tatsumaki tilted her head as they took their first look at the Court of the Empire of the Void.
There were their local allies, Kai'sa and her father Kassadin, the leaders of the pro-peace faction, which stood for peaceful coexistence between the Void and the rest of Reality. Both of them radiated relief and hope at the sight of Sherry and Tatsumaki, along with nervousness and anxiety born from the gamble that was allying themselves with outsiders from the Void at a time where the entire political situation was… delicate.
Among the more neutral factions stood Vel'Koz and Kog'Maw, the leaders of the more scholarly part of the Court, leaders of those interested in simply studying the realms beyond the Void in whatever ways they could. They were neutral in the sense that they had very little interest in war or religious preaching, and cared only about opportunities to experiment and learn more about Reality as a whole. On the other hand, a crusade might give them ample opportunities for subjects of studies… and test subjects, so this group was made of beings that could be convinced to support a war relatively easily.
And then there were those who supported a war. Cho'Gath, the leader of the military of the Empire, who eagerly wanted to expand the Void by military force. Kha'Zix, the spymaster of the Empress, whose battlelust Sherry could easily feel even from afar, as his personality profile made it clear he was someone who eagerly lusted for battle against those few capable of matching his skill. And of course Malzahar, the religious leader of the Empire, who zealously sought to convert, by any means necessary, all the souls of Reality to the worship of the Gods, either Eldritch as a whole or of the Void itself.
Last but certainly not least, at the center of all those standing at the entrance of the palace was the inhumanly tall form of Empress Bel'Veth, looking at Sherry and Tatsumaki like they were particularly interesting insects, ones that she wanted to find the secrets of. There was no warmth in the eyes of her humanoid form, only a cool, detached curiosity, as she waited tall and proud for them both to come to a stop before her, her body floating slightly in the air. To someone who didn't know better, they might believe that her humanoid form was her true form… But Sherry and Tatsumaki did.
Sherry's eyes flickered between all the people of the Court, noticing their respective power level. To her utter lack of surprise, the Empress was by far the strongest, powerful enough to qualify as at least a relatively weak Great Old One. In other words, someone still strong enough to challenge an entire lesser pantheon of Earth by herself and give them a massive challenge, if not most likely win outright.
The others weren't as strong, but they all fell into at least Elder Gods territory. Which, considering the lack of divinity in all present, was very much impressive, since that meant that they could fight most Earth gods 1vs1 and win.
When they both came to a stop before the Empress, they bowed respectfully, though not too deeply, as they were diplomatic envoys, not her subjects. The Empress nodded regally back at them both, her facial expressions showing not a hint of her emotions on her face.
"Welcome to Our empire, representatives of the King of the Eldritch." the Empress declared, her tone polite but not overly respectful either. Sherry did not miss how she also called her father the King of the Eldritch, not the King of All, which might be a deliberate remark to show the Empress' refusal to bow to her father's authority… or it might not. Her emotions did not give any clues, as she was shielding herself well enough there that even Sherry would only be able to use her Empathy on her if she discarded any attempt at subtlety… which would not be well received. Moreover… It was subtle, but her voice did not match the movements of her lips, as there was always a slight disconnect between the two. It was as if her humanoid mouth was only mimicking true speech… and failing. "It is an honor for such esteemed representatives of the Great Celestial Sultan to come visit us."
Sherry smiled respectfully and calmly replied "It is our honor to be here, Empress Bel'Veth. My Father knows that the Empire of the Void is currently facing internal concerns about its path into the future, and sent us here to help in whatever ways we could to aid ensure the continuous stability and prosperity of this realm."
The empress inclined her head, a gleam in her eyes showing that she caught the way that Sherry said "This realm" rather than "your realm." If the Empress didn't want to recognize her father's authority, well, two could play at this game.
"I am Sherry Starlight-" a name changed from the original because of her father, after it became clear he was going to become the new Ruler of the Cosmos. Originally, her mother had come up with the fake last name her father used as a mortal, but now that he had become King, he had decided to take on a more… fitting last name for his new rulership. Sherry herself was still getting used to the new name, but then again she was still getting used to the fact her father was now God-King. "-and this is Tatsumaki Starlight, one of my Father's wives." she waved at the green-haired psychic woman, who was staring at the Empress with the slightly narrowed-eyed look of someone unsure if they approved of who they were looking at.
"Your majesty." Tatsumaki said in greetings, nodding her head slightly, though her voice carried a distinct lessened amount of respect that Sherry's own had. Sherry was just happy that it had at least some respect in it, considering Tatsumaki's rather… strong personality.
The fact that Empress Bel'Veth was as powerful as she was was probably the only reason that Tatsumaki was willing to show any respect at all to begin with. The green-haired psychic was a fervent believer that respect should be earned, not freely given, and that could lead to issues with nobility.
But her father sent her there anyway, and she trusted him to know what he was doing.
"Lady Starlight." The Empress' voice also lacked much respect, though it was still hard to say if that was deliberate. The Empress was just that good at not showing any emotions. "To have not only the King's daughter, but also one of his wives sent as envoys to Our Court is a show of great trust and importance towards Us and Our Realm. We are most pleased to welcome you both."
Some more pleasantries, a short speech to the masses assembled and then the Empress, her Court and the two envoys finally moved towards the Throne Room, with Sherry and Tatsumaki taking the time to enjoy the sights along the way. They had seen incredible things during their years with Aeon, but this was still a literal alien palace, and they couldn't help but enjoy the sight of the vast wealth, decorations and arts marked by the influence of the Void in display all around them.
"We see that you enjoy Our palace. You have good taste." commented the Empress, and Sherry smiled.
"It's an incredible place." she said honestly, admiring a painting infused with the Void she was currently looking at, her superhuman eyesight allowing her to see colors and hidden shapes most humans could not imagine even existed. The painting showed a landscape covered in purple flowers, with a black sun shining its strange light in the sky. To her eyes, ripples of purple energy flowed from the sun towards the flowers on the ground, creating wondrous if physics-defying patterns as they did.
"We are sure that you must have seen better in your Father's Realm, no?" questioned the Empress, and before Sherry could reply Tatsumaki spoke up.
"Of course."
Sherry held back a sigh, because that was a very undiplomatic answer-
"But I'll admit, the fact that a good number of those paintings were done by your hands is impressive."
Sherry blinked. She'd noticed the same, but she hadn't expected Tatsumaki to notice it.
Her surprise must not have been well hidden, because Tatsumaki turned towards her with a shrug.
"Your dad likes to paint, sometimes. Cosmic landscapes most of all, but not always. I… learnt a thing or two about paintings from him over the years." she admitted before looking away, as if embarrassed, and Sherry smiled. Her dad did like to paint cosmic landscapes sometimes, though admittedly those paintings had a tendency to turn into literal doorways into the Cosmos…
"Either way, you're not too bad at it." acknowledged Tatsumaki towards the Empress, which was glowing praise coming from her.
The Empress smiled for the first time, but her eyes still lacked any kind of warmth.
"We are pleased to hear that Our own efforts are enough to gain the approval of one of the Eldritch King's wives."
The empress began asking questions about her father's work in paintings, and Sherry took the moment to subtly glance at the members of the Court following them.
Kassadin and Kai'sa were doing their best to not show it, but Sherry could tell that they were still very nervous, and desperately hoping that her and Tatsumaki's presence would help prevent a wide-scale crusade against the rest of Reality.
Vel'Koz and Kog'Maw were clearly incredibly curious towards them both, and Sherry could almost feel their eager desire to start asking all sorts of questions. Despite that, their respect (or fear) of Empress Bel'Veth was high enough to not speak a word, seemingly content to wait for more opportune times to start asking questions.
Sherry had been given a number of things that her father believed would be enough to secure both of their approval of his plans for the Void Empire, and through them the countless people supporting them. Some might consider it bribery, but really it was just diplomacy at its finest: get something, and in exchange they'll be willing to do something in return.
As for the remaining three Court members, Cho'Gath was barely restraining his bloodlust, the massive Void being clearly eager to challenge Sherry and Tatsumaki in a fight and test their mettle in person. Kha'Zix was not much different, though with an added eagerness to eat and taste their flesh on top of that.
And as for the last, Malzahar…
Sherry was too well-trained to blink in surprise, but internally she was still surprised by the complex mix of emotions within the zealot. On the one hand, he felt disgruntled by the clear fact that her father was against a Void Crusade, considering that both Sherry and Tatsumaki were present here with the full understanding of all parties that they were in support of peace. And yet…
And yet, he also felt shockingly calm and willing to talk things out. There was a surprising lack of actual anger or frustration in him, and it felt more like he was… waiting.
But for what?
Sherry was tempted to try and look deeper, but this was no powerless mortal, but a true High Priest of Eldritch Gods. She had no idea what his reaction to her trying to see him would be, but more likely than not he would at least detect what she was trying to do if she attempted anything.
So for now, she chose to wait as well. Time would reveal the truth, if nothing else… And there were other means of investigating his plans if need be.
In any case, the Throne Room was finally coming into sight, giant doors big enough to fit entire buildings in them and covered in incredibly life-like iconography of Void creatures and Gods all over their length opening up to reveal a large room with several seats in a semi-circle around a Throne made of concentrated Void energy.
Show time, Sherry thought as the Empress strode towards her throne.
Tatsumaki stared at the people gathered in the throne room, her face outwardly calm while on the inside she was carefully noting everything going on.
These weren't jumped-up human rulers. These weren't weakling with an overinflated sense of importance. Everyone present in this room radiated power, casually releasing it like it was the most natural thing in the world, even as Void energy covered everything like a heavy blanket that would be either fatal or very dangerous to most mortal beings.
If a normal human being was to simply stand in this room without protection, the most likely consequence would be them dying horribly as the Void energy in this place sucked all of their life-force near-instantly. If they didn't die, then they would probably go mad from the Void energy seeping into their body, mind and soul.
Maybe, just maybe, they would be merely mutated by the Void, changed forevermore in various ways to better fit the host as a receptacle of Void energy. In a way, that would be the best outcome, as at least that way they would still live… perhaps even with most of their sanity intact.
Of course, neither she nor Sherry were normal humans. Sherry was her parents' daughter, and beyond her eyes glowing a bright purple from the moment she arrived in the Void, nothing else had changed.
As for Tatsumaki herself… Her studies into Entropy had given her a certain connection to the Void. She was in the middle of both worlds, neither in the full Light of Creation, nor in the Void beyond it.
As it was, Tatsumaki was definitely going to need to meditate on everything she had picked up from the energies of this realm once the mission given to her by her husband was over. There were fascinating insights into the nature of Entropy and its connections to the Void that were flitting in and out of her thoughts by her just being here, and she couldn't wait to be able to sit down and properly contemplate them.
But for now, she had a job to do, and this was without a doubt the most important task that Aeon had ever given her, so she would play nice.
For now. After all, there was a reason that Aeon had sent her here, and what she had learnt about these people made her eager to finally get to the good part…
"As you no doubt know, Our realm is in a time of change." declared the Empress, now sitting on her throne and looking at her and Sherry with no emotions in her eyes. "We are not surprised that the new King of the Eldritch has his own ideas about the future of Our Realms, to better fit his own long-term plans. By your presence here, ambassadors, are We correct to presume that His will is to be made clear?"
"Essentially." agreed Sherry. "As you know, the Peace faction of this Court has reached out to my father in order to help prevent a grand Crusade of the Empire of the Void against the rest of Reality, since he is now King of the Eldritch, and De Facto Ruler of all of Reality by the will of Azathoth."
The Name of the God-Queen of the Eldritch left her lips with a shockwave of power that saw their surroundings ripple like water after a stone had been thrown in a lake for a second, and the entire Court, even Empress Bel'Veth, bowed their heads in acknowledgement of the Power invoked.
"Praise be Her Eternal Name." even muttered the zealot of this place, his head bowed deeply.
"And what is the will of the Queen's chosen King, then?" asked the Empress a moment later.
"First, I believe that a clarification needs to be made." said Sherry. "Despite what our presence may imply, King Aeon is not completely against a military mobilization of the Void Empire."
Looks were thrown at Kassadin and his daughter, but the two of them didn't react, having already been informed of the particulars of Aeon's plans.
"I presume that the King implies by that that he has specific targets in mind for such a Crusade." declared the Empress, her expression not budging a millimeter.
Tatsumaki nodded. "Bluntly speaking, despite the Abyss having been sealed for now, there still remains countless worlds and even entire civilizations out there who support the Abyss for various reasons. The demons may be sealed, but many of their allies or mortal followers still live, free to cause chaos. Aeon wants them gone, and he does not particularly care who does it. If the Void Empire wants to expand its borders and convert people to the worship of Eldritch or Void gods, then he's got an entire list of places he's willing to authorize a military crusade towards with his full blessing."
"A literal blessing?" immediately asked the zealot, perking up at those words.
"The details of such things are, naturally, up to my father to decide." said Sherry, and the zealot bowed his head immediately.
"Of course." he muttered swiftly, and Tatsumaki had to hold back a sneer at the display of submission. Even if she was the wife of a God, she had never and will never approve of simpering fools like that.
"Isn't the new King the one who forbade the sacrifice of sentients? And yet now he's willing to see entire civilizations burnt to the ground?" growled Cho'Gath.
Sherry pursed her lips, hesitated, but finally replied.
"Actually, the specific wording of his new law was that the sacrifice of innocent sentients was forbidden on pain of death. It says nothing of people whose souls are literally Damned… like worshippers of the Abyss and its demons."
Tatsumaki swore the zealot almost squealed from excitement at those words, considering the way he violently jerked in his seat.
"Now that you mention it, you are correct!" he muttered frantically to himself, before speaking up. "By what definition does he consider one innocent, exactly?"
Tatsumaki once again had to hold back a sneer at the way the zealot quite clearly was already thinking of how many people he could get killed with full Divine approval.
Sherry, on the other hand, merely snapped her fingers, a book appearing in her hands before teleporting in the zealot's hands.
"That should answer your questions on the subject matter." she calmly replied, and only long experience with the woman let Tatsumaki see that she was somewhat disturbed at the zealot's eagerness towards divinely sanctioned murder.
"Wonderful." whispered the zealot, who was holding the book and staring at it like it was a holy object…
Huh, actually it technically was since it was written by an actual god.
Tatsumaki was still honest enough with herself that she wasn't going to judge him any less for being a creepy weirdo, even if it was a holy book.
"So the King wants us to do his dirty work for him, huh?" growled Cho'Gath, disdain clear in his voice.
Tatsumaki scowled at him. "If it gets you your war, does it matter to you?" she coldly told him.
The giant bug stared at her with contempt and hunger.
"I heard that the King fought the entirety of Abaddon and won… and yet, here he is, not even coming in person while making demands. What's he gonna go if we go to war with species he wants to protect? Send a weakling like you at us? Hah!"
Tatsumaki froze, her eyes glowing green as she stared at the literal bug who dared to call her weak.
"What did you just say?" she hissed softly, her voice carrying far across the room despite not coming out above a whisper.
The bug seemed to smile mockingly at her, purple eyes glowing in preparation for a fight. "I said-"
"Enough, Cho'Gath." spoke Vel'Koth for the first time. "While seeing you two fight would be fascinating, this is not the time for that experiment. Wait until after this meeting is done… and preferably until as many recording equipments have been prepared first."
"Agreed." spoke Sherry. "We are discussing matters that will affect countless lives. This is no time for a pissing match." Despite her face staring at the bug, Tatsumaki could feel the weight of Sherry's attention upon her.
So she huffed, crossed her arms, and scowled. "Whatever. The bug gets to live another day, I suppose."
The bug twitched. "What did you just-"
"Enough."
This time, it was the Empress that spoke, and everybody twitched as her power crashed on top of them, forcing obedience.
"These are important matters to the future of Our Realm. We will allow no further infantile disruption." she coldly threatened, a measure of actual displeasure in her voice, one of the first emotions she actually displayed so far.
"Thank you, Empress Bel'Veth." respectfully said Sherry. "For those interested, here is the list of targets my father had in mind."
She took out a small device, then let it float in the middle of the room, where an holographic display showed the very, very extensive list of targets across the local multiverse the King of the Eldritch had earmarked as worthy of destruction or conquest by the Void.
"That's… a remarkably extensive list." said the zealot, sounding rather awed.
"Indeed." muttered the Empress, a note of curiosity and interest in her voice as her eyes quickly scanned the list and its quintillions of names's worth of planets, civilizations, regions of space or entire species.
Sherry smiled thinly. "It is an infinite multiverse, after all."
"What are the King's thoughts on experiments on sentient lifeforms?" questioned Vel-'Koz, his great eye leaving the list for a moment to stare at Sherry.
"For the most part, same as those on sacrifice of sentients." Sherry replied.
The two leaders of the neutral factions stared at the list with renewed interest.
"Then… Everything on that list…?" questioned Kog'Maw.
"Indeed."
The two leaders of the neutral faction glanced at each other for a moment.
"And what about more… specific targets?" asked Kha'Zix, the spymaster finally speaking up for the first time.
Sherry snapped her fingers again, and a datadisk appeared in his hands, showing a holographic list.
A moment later, he was rapidly looking through it, an expression of absolute focus on his face.
"From this, are We to conclude that the King of the Eldritch wants the Void Empire to go to war?" said the Empress.
Sherry shook her head. "It would be more accurate to say that my father sees a way to mutually benefit from the… militaristic and religious fervor currently suffusing the Void Empire."
"And the peace faction is alright with that?" questioned the Empress, turning towards Kai'sa and her father.
"We would prefer a complete lack of war." admitted Kai'sa… before she sighed softly. "But, if there is to be war, then there are worse wars to fight then against people who threaten all of Reality with their evils."
"And you would be willing to fight in those wars?" inquired the bug, sounding incredibly dubious.
Kai'sa opened her mouth but her father spoke first. "No." he said firmly, before softening. "But we can at least safeguard our homes while others fight."
The bug scoffed at that, but Tatsumaki noticed that Kai'sa had looked annoyed before she covered up her feelings. Was the daughter more martially inclined than the father, after all? At least to some degree? Tatsumaki's empathy seemed to indicate it…
"The Void has little presence in many of those realms." declared Vel'Koz, his deep voice sounding pleased as he read through the list. "A crusade in those areas would allow for many experiments on worlds untouched by the Void."
"I agree." said Kog'Maw, sounding delighted. "So many new savors to experience! Oh, I hunger at the mere thought of it…" he trailed off, the voidspawn looking like Pig God at the thought of an entire feast.
It was something that had left Tatsumaki baffled when she first heard of it, but the reason why Kog'Maw was on this council wasn't just his raw power… but the fact that he was the greatest chef of the Void Empire.
Aeon had explained to her that, as a direct result of Void energy being so hungry, Voidspawn were born with a natural hunger far beyond most other species. As a result, those with the skills to prepare food the best, and also those who had tasted the greatest different kinds of food, were highly respected in their culture.
The end result of that was Kog'Maw: a Voidspawn dedicated entirely to tasting as many different savors of food as possible, without caring overly much if those foods were made of raw energy, or even from plants, animals… or sentient beings.
From what Tatsumaki knew, he was like Pig God on crack: capable of eating anything, from rocks to raw energy, as long as it was something new. All that mattered to him was experiencing new sensations when eating, and he had gained a truly staggering following amongst the Void Empire, and even beyond, as one of the foremost experts on food in all of Existence.
If Vel'Koz sought knowledge in all of its forms, then Kog'Maw was interested only in what things tasted like. Nothing was beyond his curiosity (and ability to eat) as long as it was something different that what he was used to. For the guy, he wouldn't even hesitate to go to war and wipe out entire species as long as he got to experience all the ways that species could be eaten first.
He wasn't even malicious about it, either. He just… didn't see anything wrong with eating people. As far as he was concerned, all that mattered was the taste. It was a sort of alien, Eldritch mindset, in which morality only mattered as long as it helped him eat new things.
No, it was more like his morality revolved entirely around his ability to experience new taste.
And Vel'Koz was the same, if with knowledge in general. The Voidspawn's Void beams could disintegrate something so utterly even the soul could be erased, and through doing so Vel'Koz would gain a perfect understanding of all that which he had annihilated… or very close to it.
That was why the "neutral" faction was truly neutral: they didn't care about conquest, about destruction, about politics even beyond the fact that it could help or hinder them in their personal pursuits.
Species could live or die, civilizations crumble and unholy horrors be unleashed upon reality, as long as it wouldn't get in the way of their own goals, they and the people supporting the neutral faction just didn't care. All that mattered was their research.
Tatsumaki exchanged a look with Sherry. On the one hand, their lack of common morality meant that any appeal about the horrors of a Void Crusade against the rest of Reality was worse than useless.
On the other hand… It meant that bribery could work very, very well on those two.
And Aeon had prepared them quite the secret list of things he'd be willing to offer those two in exchange for their political support in making sure the Void Crusade wouldn't get out of control.
But that was for later. For now-
"I believe that this is a good time for a recess." declared the Empress, her eyes fixed on the holographic list of potential targets. "There is much that we must all consider. Let us regather tomorrow, shall we?"
Nobody disagreed with the Empress, obviously, and everybody left the room, several guards showing Sherry and Tatsumaki to their quarters for the duration of their stay.
Once in their rooms, Sherry casted several spells for privacy before sighing and sitting down on a bed made of strange material that glowed slightly every so often.
"Well, that went well so far." she mused.
"The peace faction is in our corner, though…" Tatsumaki frowned. "Did you catch-"
"Kai'sa not fully supporting her father when it comes to staying out of the Void Crusade? Indeed." agreed Sherry. "We'll have to investigate that further. If the political party that is effectively our biggest allies are split, we need to know where and why."
Tatsumaki nodded, before sighing. "Honestly, playing diplomat… What was Aeon thinking when he asked that of me?"
"He didn't tell you?" Sherry said in surprise.
"No. If anything, he just told me I was perfect for the Void empire… whatever that means." she grumbled.
"He really didn't tell you anything?"
"Only that I should be myself, when the time comes." Tatsumaki huffed. "What does that even mean?"
Sherry tilted her head, staring at her with a blank but intense expression that reminded Tatsumaki of her father at his most Eldritch. That "I see more than mere mortals" look that he sometimes had, which could send chills down the back of most people who weren't used to it. Her eyes glowed red, yet they weren't staring at Tatsumaki so much as they were seemingly staring through her, at something only she could see.
"What?" Tatsumaki asked, and Sherry blinked, emotions- humanity returning to her face and eyes as she did. The woman smiled, a hint of something knowing in her eyes.
"Nothing. I trust dad though."
Tatsumaki grunted, floating to her own bed and falling down on top of it, her shoes flying off to rest against a nearby wall.
"So do I. I just wish he took less amusement from being omniscient sometimes."
Sherry's face turned thoughtful. "He's pretty honest about most things… When he's deliberately hiding things, that's usually because he trusts us to succeed without him holding our hands. Because he wants us to succeed and grow by ourselves."
Tatsumaki held back a grunt of agreement, well used by now of her husband's ways, no matter how infuriating some of them might be.
"What about the neutral? It looked like we might not even need to buy them off with what Aeon was willing to offer for their support. The list of acceptable targets apparently was enough to interest them greatly." She pointed out.
Sherry however shook her head.
"They were interested, but they will quickly point out that an unrestrained crusade would allow far more opportunities for experiments than a restrained list of targets. That list was a compromise, and a proof of willingness on our part that we can be negotiated with. No, if we want their support, we'll have to offer them something that makes being constrained worth it."
"Reminds me why we have to negotiate in the first place? Isn't Aeon God King and all that? Can't he just tell them not to go on a fucking rampage?" grumbled Tatsumaki.
"It's about hearts and minds." explained Sherry. "Dad told me he has a simple plan to completely get the Void Empire on his side. But it's not just about making these people willing to obey, it's about making them eager to obey. So yes, Dad apparently has a plan to quickly make the Void Empire fall in line, but the more of the people of the Void Empire we can convince to agree to a deal created by all of us by the time dad brings out the "I win" button, the better."
Tatsumaki turned to lie on her stomach, her feet swinging in the air as she thought deeply.
Despite everything, she didn't want to make Aeon disappointed, and she wanted to show he was right to put his trust in her in something so important. Diplomacy wasn't her strong suit, she knew that, but for his sake she still wanted to make their mission a success.
So with that being said…
"What about the Pro-War factions? That bug is going to be a problem." she said with a scowl.
"You mean Cho'Gath?" asked Sherry.
"Yeah, that bug." Tatsumaki waved her off, emphasizing her own nickname to the asshole who dared to call her weak.
Sherry frowned, looking thoughtful. "He's going to be a problem, I agree. He's a perfect example of one of the issues within the greater Eldritch Kingdom, from what dad and the Eldritch Goddesses I talked to said."
"Which is?" asked Tatsumaki.
Sherry's frown deepened.
"Eldritch society, as a whole, is pretty dismissive of mortal beings. For them, the Gods are the only things that matter. Dad's in a bit of a complicated situation, as he's a mortal who became an incredibly powerful Eldritch God. Some people are going to dislike him for his mortal origins… But on the flipside, the fact that Azathoth loves him means that even those people will be far more tolerant than normal. Everything that happened with the Abyss and Abaddon since dad first appeared here only furthered the respect many naturally show to Eldritch Gods. Even so…"
Sherry sighed. "Even so, Eldritch culture is such that the Gods' will matter more than anything else for them. To put it bluntly, eldritch culture can be simplified by saying that the Gods speak, the mortals obey."
"Shouldn't that mean that the damn bug obeyed us, because Aeon's the one who sent us to speak for him?" questioned Tatsumaki.
Sherry smiled wryly at that. "But we are not him. If dad had shown up, there would be no negotiations. Eldritch culture would have seen the Empress bow and ask for how best to carry his will, and that'd be the end of it. Our mere presence here is a sign to all that dad is not going to rule as a tyrant, unquestioned by all. Ironically, nobody would have batted an eye if that was how he wanted things to go. Because again, Eldritch society is all about following the wills of the Gods. But, and that's where things matter most: We are not gods. Even if we are here on dad's behalf, even if we are daughter and wife of the God-King of the Eldritch, neither of us are actual gods… and thus, Cho'Gath can actually say whatever he wants without too many issues. Moreover, he argued that we are weak, which as we are not Gods, is in fact the common view of most Eldritch towards non-gods."
"But you're the adopted daughter of two Outer Gods!" Tatsumaki argued.
Sherry nodded. "And that is why he targeted you, not me, with that comment. I might not be a goddess, but I'm the adopted child of two Outer Gods, the greatest Eldritch Gods in existence, and I have their blood running in my veins. That alone gives me weight… But you are just the wife of a god, even if it is the God-king. You're a softer target…" Sherry smiled coldly. "Or so it appears."
Tatsumaki froze.
She was far from stupid, and she knew that Aeon didn't like the fact that Eldritch society saw mortals as lesser beings, even if most did so without malice.
And who did he send to the first diplomatic envoy that members of his family would take part in? Sherry… and her, Tatsumaki.
The most powerful of the humans he had taken as his wives.
"He wants me to show off my power." she realized, and Sherry smiled, her eyes staring at her again with that detached, inhuman gaze who saw so much more.
"Change must come from somewhere. Who better than a symbol to force people to reconsider their viewpoint?" she declared.
"... What about Saitama, then?" Tatsumaki couldn't help but question. "He'd be even more of a symbol of overwhelming power than I am."
It wasn't easy for Tatsumaki to admit that anyone was stronger than her, but Saitama was… Well, Saitama.
That baldy was just crazy strong, to such a level that even Aeon was just throwing his hands in the air and calling bullshit when trying to make sense of… Well, him.
Sherry smiled at the thought of her lover, before shaking her head.
"I love him, but even I have to admit he'd be horrible in a situation like this where he has to sit still and stay focused on politics. And besides… He might be a bit too much, in this case."
Sherry laughed softly. "No offense, but even you are already far, far beyond what most people believe mortals to be capable of. I don't know what the local multiverse will make of Saitama, but he's just… so strong they might just write him off as one one-off impossibility, and that wouldn't prove anything to anybody."
Tatsumaki nodded. She wasn't wrong, after all.
"So, you think Aeon planned for me to put that damn bug in his place?" asked Tatsumaki, a sharp smirk on her face at the very thought of it.
"Possibly." mused Sherry. "The Void has a weird fixation on food… but it has also a far more expected fixation with power. It's something that is present in most supernatural societies, and the Void Empire is no different. You must have felt it too, how powerful the members of the Empress' Court are. If you, a mortal woman that was thought to be weak, were to completely crush in raw power someone like Cho'Gath, the leader of the Void Empire's armies, then…"
"Then our political position would be immensely strengthened, wouldn't it?" finished Tatsumaki, and Sherry smiled.
"Exactly."
Tatsumaki smirked, imagining the many, many ways that she could crush that damn bug into the dirt where it belonged… before frowning.
"What about the other members of the pro-war faction?"
"Malzahar…" Sherry trailed off. "He's weird. I thought him to be a zealot eager for war, and he definitely is, but there's more there. He didn't feel as angry as I would have expected someone like that to be about the fact he might not get to wage a religious crusade across all of Reality in the name of his gods."
"You think he's hiding something?" Tatsumaki questioned.
"Maybe." mused Sherry. "Or maybe it's something obvious that we're not catching up on because we're still unused to Eldritch worshippers. Either way, we'll have to keep an eye on the guy."
Tatsumaki grunted.
"And what about that spymaster guy? Kha'Zix? He felt like he wanted nothing more than to fight us."
Sherry frowned. "From what I know of the guy, he's someone who enjoys a challenge more than anything else. The crusade is nothing more than a good opportunity to face off against dangerous threats he can test himself against. He's loyal to Bel'Veth, but he's like everyone: he has his weakness, and his is a desire to fight strong opponents. He's a hunter in the sense that he feels alive only when he's putting his life in danger against a deadly foe."
"A curious quirk for a spymaster." mused Tatsumaki.
"He's someone who enjoys cunning and deception. To defeat an enemy through outsmarting them is just as valid a way for him to enjoy killing and winning as if he took to the field personally… Though I'm sure he prefers the second option more." replied Sherry.
Tatsumaki frowned. "A natural killer, huh… Yeah, that makes sense."
"As for how to get him on our side… Well, the same issue arises than before: We need to convince him that a limited crusade is better than an unrestrained one, which… Isn't going to be easy." admitted Sherry.
"Do we even need to? As long as the majority of the Empress' Court side with us, it should be enough, right?"
Sherry pursed her lips at Tatsumaki's words. "Technically, you're correct. But if we can convince him, that'll make things run more smoothly."
The green-haired esper nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, let's put a pin on that one for now. Which leaves…"
"The Empress herself." finished Sherry.
"What do you think of her?"
Sherry bit her lip. "I'm not sure. She's very good at hiding her emotions, and from what I've learned she also has remained shockingly neutral over the entire Void Crusade issue so far, preferring to let her people debate amongst themselves on the matter. Or, at least, that's the official story. What dad told me makes it clear she supports the idea of a crusade, as she apparently has been aiming for it for a long time now. Except… Dad also told me that the Empress wasn't necessarily an opponent for us. He didn't give me the details, since he obviously wants us to succeed at this mission by ourselves as much as possible… But he told me two things: to not underestimate her, and to not make her an enemy if possible, as she's as likely to side with us than against us, depending on how we do things."
Tatsumaki groaned. "Great. Politicians. It's not even been a day, and I already have a headache."
Sherry laughed softly.
"Well, on the bright side you still might be able to hit someone with your powers, if Cho'Gath gets in our way as we think he will."
The Void, City of Null, capital of the Void Empire, personal chambers of the Empress.
"My Empress. You have called for me."
Kha'Zix kept his head bowed low as the Empress' humanoid face remained silently staring at the holographic display of the list of potential targets given to them by the envoys of the new King of the Eldritch, choosing to stay silent and let his sovereign gather her thoughts before the Empress finally spoke.
"We have, indeed. Our Realm is about to enter a new Age, and We intend to ensure it is a prosperous one."
"What is your bidding, my Empress?" obediently asked the spymaster, bowing lower.
"First, do the monitoring spells in the guests' quarters work?" she questioned.
"No, my Lady." apologized the spymaster. "None of our attempts at spying have given any return, and as ordered, I quickly gave the order to stop trying."
The Empress nodded, showing no surprise whatsoever.
"Of course. The daughter and one of the wives of the Eldritch King himself would be well-trained to easily counter such things. It was always near impossible that it would work, but that doesn't mean that the attempt itself was worthless. Make sure to send me a full report on what we can glean of their ways to hide themselves from our mentoring attempts as soon as possible."
"Of course, my Lady." he swiftly promised. "Do we need to worry about them bringing up our attempts to spy on them?"
"Have they left their quarters to complain about it?" she questioned, and he quickly replied no. "Then no, we should not. Such casual attempts at spying are to be expected in such diplomatic matters. If anything, us not trying might have made them more suspicious."
"What are we to do now, then, my Lady?" the spymaster asked.
The empress stared at the list for a second more, before finally closing up the hologram.
"The new king is playing an interesting game." she mused. "If he's as knowledgeable as he appears to be, then him sending those two, of all his people, to Our Realm is no coincidence. He has to know Our plans, at least in part, and this is as good an open offer of cooperation as he could have sent Us. The list is just the most obvious part of it. The ones he sent to Us is the second layer of his message to Us."
"In what way, my Empress?" Questioned Kha'Zix. He had suspicions and theories of course, but if his Empress was feeling talkative, far from him to ignore the chance to gather her wisdom.
The empress turned to face him, her humanoid eyes looking at him with a hint of some emotion even he couldn't recognize.
"The fact that he didn't come in person is a way of showing that he's willing to compromise and negotiate, the List itself is his opening move, the first of his cards that he's willing to show. That he sent two mortals as his representatives is a way of showing he supports at least some of Our plans and viewpoints. The choice of those representatives also speaks a lot."
She floated towards a black and purple coloured seat, the purple colors glowing brighter as she sat upon it. She waved a hand, an illusion of Sherry Starlight appearing, frozen in the act of presenting the holographic list.
"His daughter is the open hand, a show of trust, of the importance he is showing to these negotiations, and of his willingness to negotiate in the first place. She's the real diplomat of the two, the reasonable one, the one who will do most of the talking and debating in these negotiations."
Then her gaze drifted to the side, and a new illusion appeared, that of the green-haired woman with psychic power.
The eyes of the Empress' true form narrowed as she took in her appearance, even as her humanoid face remained blank and unfeeling.
"Cho'Gath is usually no fool, but he's proud to the point of arrogance at times. He's zealously loyal to the Empire, for good and ill both. And as we both know, Eldritch culture as a whole looks down on mere mortals… like, say, both of the King's envoys. But Sherry is the adopted daughter of two Outer Gods, their blood running through her veins. Even he can feel the love of the gods permeating her entire being, a clear showing of their divine favor upon her… and a silent threat to all who would wish her harm. But the other? She's mortal, touched by the King and claimed by him yes… but she doesn't radiate the same kind of divine favor and warning that Sherry does. And Cho'Gath foolishly came to believe it made her lesser in some ways."
"... And she isn't." finished Kha'Zix, though with a measure of hesitation in his voice. He had felt his instincts twitch uncomfortably at the sight of her, but he couldn't tell how strong she was. She was very, very good at mastering her power, to the point that even he had a hard time coming to any firm decision on her threat level.
But the fact that the Empress considered her a greater threat than the literal adopted child of two Outer Gods…
"And she isn't." coldly confirmed the Empress, her eyes never leaving the illusion of the green-haired esper. "She's the clenched fist to the open hand that is Sherry Starlight. The warning of death and destruction to all who oppose the King, of their inevitable end. Proud, bloodthirsty, willing to crush all in her path… Moreover, she's meant as a direct counter to not only Cho'Gath, but all who think and support him. No, she's more than that… She's also a warning. A warning that a war against mortals will not be as easily won as many might believe it would be. That the Void's superiority is not as absolute as many would like to think it is. And a warning towards Us, as well."
Kha'Zix froze. "A warning directed to you too, my Lady?" he hissed with rising anger.
The Empress, to his surprise, actually chuckled at that.
"Oh, absolutely. But… There, too, that message has layers. It's not just a threat."
Her eyes seemed to gleam at her next words, her voice gaining actual emotion:
Anticipation.
"It's also a way of showing to Us… that Our goals can succeed."
Cho'Gath left the palace in a mix of a foul mood, and with a feeling of eager anticipation.
The new King of the Eldritch was playing some strange games sending weak mortals to the Void. Well, his adopted daughter was one thing, the divine favor glowing over her soul was quite clear in the consequences of all who opposed her.
But the other… The green-haired human woman was barely touched by the divine. There were hints of the King's favor upon her soul, but they were strangely faint and hard to feel, much less see.
Perhaps she was less favored than others… Or something else. It did not matter.
What did was that Cho'Gath saw it as an opportunity. The new King of the Eldritch was strong, and not afraid of war. And yet, he seemed unwilling to let the Void crusade as they wanted to. Why?
He did not know, nor did he know the King's long term plans. What he did know was that the list of targets they had been given focused a great deal on civilizations and factions with links to the Abyss. He couldn't be sure, but he suspected that the King wanted to test what the armies of the Void could do against pro-Abyssal factions. If the crusade went well, then the Void could be trusted to be sent towards the most vicious battlefields when the true war against the Abyss started.
If that was the case, then it was up to him, as leader of the armies of the Void, to prove their strength. The targets of the list were a good opportunity…
But on a personal level, this Tatsumaki could be useful as well. If the king's favor towards her was low, and so was her power, then perhaps by defeating her in a duel he could show to all the power of the Void. Even the God-King would take notice of him that way!
Besides, she was only mortal. How much of a threat could she truly be?
It wouldn't be too hard to convince her to go for a duel. That mortal quite clearly had too much pride in herself and a temper quick to rise to anger, a combination that would make her easily manipulated. Her reaction to him calling her a weakling was all he needed to know how easily it would be to bait her into being the architect of her own destruction.
Cho'Gath wanted to scoff. A foolish mate like that was a waste to have by the side of the King. At least the adopted daughter of his king seemed to be smarter, and more emotionally composed. He couldn't tell how strong she was, but Cho'Gath wouldn't so easily underestimate someone holding so much favor from two Outer Gods.
Arriving at his fortress, he gruffly made his way through every corridor full of powerful warriors and deadly traps ready to be sprung on anyone foolish enough to try and infiltrate or assault this place before coming to a stop in the war room.
"Lord Cho'Gath. How did the meeting go?" asked his second in command, Kha'Gath, a powerful voidspawn with as much ambition and almost as much raw power as himself… and also his nephew.
"Could have been better… could have been worse." he growled back.
A quick application of Void magic saw a copy of the List given to all in the meeting be shown through a holographic table, allowing his nephew to read through it.
"Some interesting targets…" mused his nephew. "Not all of these are actually allied with the Abyss, though all are dangerous realms in their own right."
Cho'Gath growled approvingly. "These targets are clearly designed as asset denials for when the true war starts. The king wants us to remove as many potential allies to the Abyss while they are weak and helpless without the demons to save them from our wrath."
His nephew stared at the list for a moment, before turning towards him.
"There is more, isn't there?"
Cho'Gath grunted, then explained the entire meeting so far, and his own observation.
His nephew stayed silent for a moment, before speaking again.
"It's a dangerous gamble to push for a duel with one who holds the King's heart." he warned. "It could very easily backfire on us. Even you can't truly tell how powerful that green-haired esper is."
Cho'Gath scoffed. "She's mortal. She will fall before me." he glared at his nephew. "Unless you believe me to be weak?" he hissed threateningly.
His nephew tilted his head upwards, showing his throat in a show of submission.
"Never, uncle. But our King is a warrior. He would not have taken a weakling as a wife, mortal or not."
Cho'Gath kept glaring at him, before grunting and looking away.
He stayed silent for a moment, thinking hard.
"... Perhaps. Since his rise to power, our king has already shown both his willingness to go to war, and his personal strength when he fought the entirety of the realm of Abaddon by himself and won… with nothing but his own body to fight with, no less."
Despite himself, a measure of awe entered his voice. Such an achievement was worthy of immense respect, and the lack of any magic used to perform it only proved his abilities as a true warrior even more.
Cho'Gath was not blind to the fact that Void magic was powerful, same with other forms of magic, but he was a physical warrior at heart, and he knew it. To him, raw strength and martial skill will always trump any other form of power… Though of course things tended to get more complicated when the Gods were involved.
Queen Azathoth, Praise be her Name, was hardly what one would think as physically strong, but nobody in existence was foolish enough to think of her as anything less than the greatest lifeform to ever exist.
"It doesn't matter." he finally decided. "If I win, then the King will see that we have the strength to conquer the Multiverse in His name. If I lose, then all will see the strength of those he had blessed by claiming as his mates, and that is a victory as well."
He turned, staring at the flag of the Void Empire hanging from one of the walls.
"We all live to serve the gods, nephew. As long as their glory shines for all to see, there are no sacrifices too great to bear! Hail to the Empire! Hail to the Old Gods!"
"Hail to the Old Gods!" shouted his nephew and the other soldiers in the room, and Cho'Gath nodded approvingly.
This was the truth of the Eldritch Kingdom, after all.
Only the will of the Gods truly mattered.
It was the entire reason they were pushing for a crusade, for what greater purpose was there in life than to kill or be killed for their glory?
And if they could show the blind mortal races of the cosmos the glory of the Void and their way of life on top of that, well, so much the better.
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue the events of Love Azathoth!
This and the next few chapters will be dedicated to the Void and its people/politics, as I finally get to exploring the details of some of Aeon's new kingdom, in all of their horrors and wonders.
The Void Empire is the biggest "mortal" empire within the Void, though not the only one. However, it has effective power over most voidspawns who aren't taking direct orders from gods. Its people are still heavily religious however, a fact made all the more true when one considers that, at the "center" of the Void stand Azathoth's own Throne and her Court. The Void is the true home of the Eldritch, and as a result its mortal (or closest equivalent in this case) inhabitants tend to be very, very faithful and proud of their connections with the Eldritch Pantheon.
Right now, that (un)fortunately led to a surge in popular support for a wide-scale crusade across "Reality", one meant to subjugate as many neutral or evil civilizations as possible under the control of the Void empire… and through it, the Eldritch Gods.
Aeon sees this as both a problem and an opportunity. An out-of-control war isn't what he wants… but if it's targeted at factions supporting the Abyss? A crusade waged against evil by a population already eager for bloodshed? Well, why not strike two birds with one stone, right?
As for the Empress herself, I'll get into her motivations over time, but she's both a potential ally and potential headache for Aeon. Politics being what they are, they are as likely to get into political opposition as they are to work together to get their desires into reality.
Also, the whole thing with the Voidspawns being obsessed with good food is a bit of an amusing twist I thought of over my lore about Void magic. I always described Void Magic as "Hungry", and I just took that to its logical conclusion. As a result, voidspawns tend to have a lot of respect towards good cuisine, and of course those capable of creating good cuisine.
So remember: if a voidspawn ever threatens to eat you, and you're really good at cooking, offer to cook for them instead! As long as you make it clear that you aren't the food, of course…
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, more politics, as I delve into what exactly each of the members of the Empress' Court want out of these negotiations, and possibly also show a closer look at the "ground-level" thoughts of the Eldritch people of the Void over everything that is going on…