No Need for (The) Conception

by Nena Camadera

Tenchi's life was pretty good. He spent his summers with his grandpa, he was entering his final year in highschool, and freed a 700 year demon from her prison. He even almost got a girlfriend, which was the real cherry on top. Then the world ended. "Life's a bitch, then you die." But sometimes you come back.

32. Lessons Learned

Vortex World

Minatogawa Stateside Town, Assembly of Nihilo, Urd's Well

Kagatsuchi 1/8 Waxing

Ryoko found Urd cleaning one of the tables, straightening a chair that had been knocked over, and cleaning up a spill that smelled like sour, day-old beer—the remnants of the previous bar patrons who'd fled in the wake of Belial's arrival. The silver-haired Norn swiped an arm across the wooden surface with a furious doggedness, as though in her cleaning, she was also trying to distract herself, attacking it with a sullen rage as if it were the source of her anger.

Or she was imagining the table was something, someone else.

"Urd."

The woman started, looking up at the space pirate with an auspicious snarl. Ryoko met it with an impassive expression of her own.

It was Tenchi, after all, who was the source of her anger. Tenchi and Belial.

For once, Ryoko was not the source of another's anger; a rarity for her, and one she hadn't the foggiest idea of how to react to.

The snarl on Urd's face fell into a tight grimace, and the woman looked away as she straightened. "Sorry." She muttered. "I—" She stopped herself, closed her eyes, and sighed before looking back at the space pirate. "What's up?"

Ryoko frowned, a look of her discomfort sliding across her face as she averted her gaze from the Norn's violet eyes. "I've been thinking," She paused, waiting for Marller, always in Urd's shadow, to bite back with some scathing remark like 'Don't strain yourself', or 'Did it hurt?'

Yet there was none.

Even Loki had left 'Urd's Well' to give the proprietor some distance.

As though sensing Ryoko's hesitation, Urd spoke up. "Marller stepped out." She said. "She…needed a break after that stint with Belial." The Norn paused, considering her words as she continued. "There are certain…customs and…courtesies where she's from." The woman bit her lip. "That ah…I may have…overstepped or ah…ignored with Belial's arrival. Things which…could have-can-get her into trouble."

"So she's pissed." Ryoko guessed, granting the woman a moment's respite and seeking clarity with Marller rather than Marller's background—and in that same respect, Urd's.

Yet still, a wave of weariness shrouded the goddess's violet eyes. "No." She said, and the word came heavy and quiet. "She's…terrified, Ryoko."

Ryoko held her silence, and Urd continued. "Things are…different where Marller's from Niflheim. The Land of Mists. A demon's dwelling which sits on a plane of existence above and separate from most of the Hells, resting on the tenth dimension." The woman paused and scowled, then waved the space pirate over towards the bar. "… Let's talk over a drink. I could use some sake."

"You have sake?" Ryoko looked at her in surprise.

"I save it for when I really need it," Urd replied. "It's an alternate energy source for me, so I try to use it sparingly."

Like my artificial gems. Ryoko thought, taking a seat on the patron's side as Urd slipped across to the other side, reaching under the countertop and withdrawing a large bottle from…somewhere. With the same magical sleight of hand, Urd produced a pair of ceramic sake glasses, one a deep and muddy red like old spilled blood, the other a black violet the shade of an old bruise. She poured the sake into each, then placed the red one in front of Ryoko.

The cyan-haired pirate wrapped a hand around the small ceramic and raised it, finding it warm beneath her fingers. Urd followed her in a silent toast, and the two downed the contents of their glasses together. A gentle fire, warm and inviting, trailed with the liquid, washing down the back of her throat and spreading to Ryoko's entire body. The space pirate looked at the cup appraisingly and held it out for another.

Urd continued as she poured them each another cup. "I'll spare the details but Niflheim is…a dangerous plane of existence. The most, if I were to say. It's ruled by a…demon….who is known throughout the planes of existence-the ten planes and those immediately under it-as a violent warmonger. It is a land where only the strong survive, and to show disrespect to those of a higher power or position than you can be seen as a…death sentence. To show weakness or vulnerability to a demon of rival power is…suicide." The woman pursed her lips. "We're in a Vortex World right now, so none of that technically applies here but…well, if Belial manages to survive this incarnation, he will carry those memories back with him to not only his layer of Hell, where he rules as a Prince, but also potentially to Niflheim, to speak with the Dai—with the demon who rules that plane." Urd sighed, staring into her sake cup with a dreary expression. "If word gets back to That One, Marller's life—or at the very least, her station, could be endangered."

"Because you challenged him?" Ryoko asked, keeping her own words light and flippant.

Urd didn't meet her eyes. "You could say that."

Ryoko nodded and didn't pry further. "Kind of brings me back to why I'm here." The pirate said instead, taking a sip of the sake and feeling its warmth slide across her tongue and down her throat, leaving a shadow of heat and life in its wake. She could feel the light haze of a gentle buzz creep across her mind and welcomed its company. "I'm taking Tenchi and leaving."

"Things get too real for you?" Urd asked, bringing the sake cup to her lips and peering over its edge at the space pirate.

Ryoko shook her head. "No." She said, "Don't get me wrong—Belial and you scared the shit out of me in a way I've never been before-consider that an accomplishment-but that ain't gonna scare me out of this place." The woman pursed her lips. "But…I have my own goals. You…aren't the Silver-Haired Demon I thought you were, and…after the past couple of…sessions with you, I need to think about what I've learned about myself."

"You being a goddess?"

Ryoko nodded. "And other things. What 'Abraxas' means. Kagato as either a-a Ho-mo-cu-lus or this…Broken Rebis you identified him as. My past self supposedly saw you during your walk. And…" The woman lapsed into silence, taking another long sip of her drink. Urd already had the sake bottle in hand as she downed it, and brought it to the cup's lip before Ryoko even had a chance to say anything.

She took it gratefully. "And…I don't think I want Tenchi to stay here while Belial's in the area."

"Ah." Urd hummed. "You don't like Belial's interest in Tenchi."

"I don't." Ryoko agreed. "That…prince makes every hair on my body stand on edge. I don't…" The woman fell quiet, shaking her head in disdain.

"And yet you still actively choose to seek out that Silver-Haired Demon," Urd murmured. "Does she not fill you with that same level of dread?"

Ryoko looked at her with a raised cyan eyebrow, then shook her head.

Urd sighed. "She's hiding her true nature from you." The woman muttered, "And she's doing it too damn well."

"You gonna tell me who she is?"

"Someone who makes a Prince of Demons like Belial looks human in comparison," Urd muttered. "Seriously Ryoko, she's dangerous. Anyone who's captured her attention should be running in the oppositedirection."

"So I gathered," Ryoko replied, and took a tiny sip of her drink, recalling Belial's words in their first meeting. Daimakaicho'ko—that was what he called Urd. 'Little Demon Lord.' And the way he addressed her as 'Cousin', like a relative Sovereign. And now this bit about the Silver-Haired Demon who rules an entire plane of existence.

She sighed, drumming her hands against the wooden countertop in thought. Kagato stole damn near everything from me, but the one thing he developed was my critical thinking; he couldn't stand an idiot machine. Urd's either taking my intellect for granted or has already deduced I've figured out her relation to this Silver-Haired Demon, this…'Daimakaicho'.

"Nothing I say is going to convince you to abandon your search for her, is it?" Urd asked.

"No." Ryoko agreed. "If anything, between what you've shown me and this Vortex World, I'll be honest with you Urd—I need to find her now."

"You may not like what you find."

"That's for me to decide," Ryoko replied.

Urd scowled, then shook her head. "Hypocrite."

"What?"

"You want to leave here to prevent Tenchi from falling in with the 'wrong crowd' with Belial nearby, yet you are actively seeking out the same crowd that you are barring Tenchi from." Urd narrowed her eyes. "Hypocrite."

"I know what I'm getting myself into."

"No. You don't. Urd sighed. "But nothing I say matters in the long run, I can tell already."

"She knows something about me," Ryoko argued. "Something about my origins that not even you're aware of. So yes, I'm seeking her out. She knew about the approaching Vortex World before anyone outside of the Zealot—"

"Lucifer."

"What?"

Urd sighed. "Your Zealot. His name is Lucifer. Helel. Or Louis Cyphre. Or Louisa Ferre. Or…" The woman paused, counting off on her fingers. "Hikaru, I think?" The Morning Star. The First Angel to Fall. That is your Zealot. Not as bad as the Silver-Haired Demon, but…to give you some perspective, Belial is subservient to him."

The cyan-haired woman stared at the Norn in shock, her mouth parting but no sound coming out.

Urd downed her cup and refilled it. "I walked your past seven hundred and fifty years, remember? I saw him. You've caught his attention too, which is bad enough, but now you add to that Tenchi and Belial and you and That Woman?" The Norn scoffed. "You're walking a thin rope, Ryoko. One fraying from both ends by rats who don't give two shits about what happens when that rope snaps. They're waiting to see you fall, and when you do, it'll be hard. The ground below is paved with obsidian stalagmites, and you'll find yourself skewered in your search for answers if you continue forward."

Ryoko shrugged as if in doing so she could shrug off her unease at the Norn's words. "I can fly." She said. "And I'll blast away any rats I see."

Urd eyed her, her frown soft, sad, and defeated. "There are worse creatures that walk these worlds than Kagato, Ryoko."

Ryoko held her silence.

Urd sighed, then ran a hand through her hair. "Fine." She grumbled. "If you're so adamant about doing this, there really is nothing I can do to stop you, just…know that you have a place here to return to when you need it."

"I see…thank you." The woman paused, "Why have you been so…accommodating towards Tenchi and I?"

"What do you mean?"

The woman scowled. "Don't give me that." She growled. "You helping us. You…offering us a room, being so…lenient to Tenchi and myself, despite me picking fights with damn near everyone in this bar and Tenchi bringing a fucking Demon Prince into your home. We haven't…we haven't done anything for you—if anything, we've caused you a load of trouble which you could have kicked us out for as quickly as you had Belial. So….why?"

Urd paused and fell silent, staring at the woman with a soft frown as she considered the space pirate's words. She looked into her cup, gently sloshing the contents inside and watching the liquid dance along the rim of the ceramic. "Maybe….I see something in you. Somethingthat…I recognize." She said. "Maybe I emphasize with you, Ryoko, as someone who'd grown up unaware of her origins and has some…darkness in her past. Maybe I see you as a kindred spirit, and want to be your friend." The Norn shrugged, looking up from her cup and meeting Ryoko's inquiring golden eyes with earnest violet. "Is that so strange?"

Ryoko looked away first. "…I'm not a good person to call a friend." She muttered.

"Who is?" Urd released a harsh bark of laughter. "My best friend—my lover—regularly attacked me on a daily-to-weekly basis before the world ended because we were on opposing sides of a war that's fallen into an armistice that will never know peace. The only way we could interact with each other without bringing higher authorities down on our heads—as either traitors to our side or as victims of the other—was by beating the ever-living shit out of the other and then getting shit-faced as we bandaged each other up afterward. You've suffered two thousand years of first enslavement, then imprisonment as a fucking space pirate, of all things, with only foxes and crows teaching you social skills at the tail-end of your sentence." She smirked. "Regardless of your genealogy Ryoko, you're a black sheep. Just like me. Just like Loki, who turned his back on his Jotun roots to become a bloodbrother to Odin, a historic enemy of his people. Just like Marller, who chooses the company of a goddess over her own kind, and is literally risking her life every time we interact peacefully. None of us have what I would call pristine social skills or, for lack of a better term, are 'friendship material'. You fit that mold though. You're one of us, for better or worse, so why not offer a hand in friendship?"

"A black sheep, huh?" Ryoko lapsed into silence, a surge of unfamiliar emotions constricting within her chest. It was strange hearing such words from another person. The Tengu had been teachers, instructors, and lecturers who had considered her as a student, but little else. Hiji was the exception, not the rule—and experience told her the tengu viewed himself closer to a servant of the demon lord rather than a friend who stood on equal footing with her; a familiar at her beck and call to command as she saw fit. Kokonatsu and Nanatsu had become close companions and eventual friends, but had never offered a hand of exclusive friendship; they were foxes at the end of the day and sought those things which would benefit them and their kin. While both had become multi-tailed and had gained both intellect and wisdom, Ryoko was aware that at their core they were still driven by their instincts. On some level perhaps they viewed her as less a demon, a person, and more a kitsune like themselves—weirdly shaped and locked in the form of a bipedal being-yet 'friendship' was not something that came naturally to kitsunes. Kachi had still been too new to be viewed as a friend—their's had been a mutually exclusive agreement first and foremost—and Achika had been someone who'd repeatedly appealed to Ryoko's better nature for sanctuary and wisdom. Tenchi had been similar up until her release, and while she still loved them all in their own individual way, a part of her was hesitant to call any specific one of them 'friend'; their companionship was dictated on pre-requested agreements which, at the end of the day, had been meant to set Ryoko free.

And yet here stood Urd, sharing a precious bottle of sake with her, who extended that hand of friendship to her and her alone; not because she knew Tenchi. Not because she wanted something from Ryoko that only the space pirate could provide. Not even because the Norn was ignorant of her history and perhaps in fact because of it.

Though she failed to put a name to it, Ryoko was touched.

…Maybe it was the sake talking.

"Thank you, Urd." She said and found she meant it. With her heart and soul and the slight, comfortable buzz she'd gotten from their shared drinks, she meant it. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Urd said and smiled brightly. Ryoko found herself returning the smile with equal enthusiasm, and together they shared another cup, celebrating the new stage of their relationship.

Urd then slammed her hands down on the counter, startling Ryoko into leaning back. "So!" She announced. "Let's get down to business."

The space pirate started. "What?"

"You're leaving this place, right? But you're planning on coming back?"

"Well, I mean, yeah?" Ryoko stammered. "I-I don't know of any other place that can combat Kagatsuchi's Frenzy."

"Then do I have the proposition of a lifetime for you." Urd's smile reminded Ryoko of a kitsune, long, slender, and filled with hidden intentions.

The pirate eyed her with fresh wariness. Maybe I misjudged her. She thought.

"Have I ever told you that I'm the oldest of three sisters?" Urd continued, "And that my sisters-one of whom is married to a mortal-are lost in this Vortex World like you and I?"

The self-proclaimed demon lord recoiled. "You did." She grumbled. "And the thought that there are more of you is terrifying."

"To an extent," Urd revealed. "Anyways I need someone like you-someone who is willing and able to wander the Vortex World while she's searching for her Silver-Haired Demon-to have the good graces to run into them by sheer accident and direct them to this tiny little nook at the end of the world."

"You seem pretty confident I'll just 'run into them'," Ryoko grumbled.

"I'd say it's the opposite," Urd replied. "We Norns have a small bit of the System Force working in our favor—because of our importance to Yggdrasil as the Norns of Fate, we normally aren't allowed apart from each other for too long; the System Force actively works to, shall we say…push us together, be it through chance or other people."

"Last I checked I wasn't a 'System Force'."

"No, but you'll likely be used by it through simple affiliation with me." Urd smiled brightly. "I bet you a bottle of premier sake that you or Tenchi or both of you will run into either them or someone who knows them and where they are. It's Fate. We're Fate."

"You're a cheating goddess is what you are," Ryoko muttered. "No bet."

"But, if you do happen to come across them, I'll reward you if you tell them how to reach me."

"With what and how would I know?" Ryoko asked. "You said when we first met your sisters don't look anything like you."

Urd leaned over the counter, pushing aside hers and Ryoko's drinks as she moved into Ryoko's personal space. "Oh, I got you." She purred even as Ryoko leaned back, trying to maintain some distance between them. "What if I told you I have a way to combat Kagatsuchi's Frenzy?" She murmured.

Ryoko froze.

The smile that overtook Urd's face was savage. "I have something. A cowl of my own design, spelled to 'hide' its wearer from Kagatsuchi's Eyes. They become invisible to Kagatsuchi, and cease to feel its effects even through the height of Frenzy."

The pirate narrowed her eyes, "What's the catch?"

"I've only made one, and it's untested," Urd revealed. "And for all its power…it remains simple cotton. If it's damaged, there's a chance that the magic's effects will end and you will be exposed to Kagatsuchi once more."

"Only one?"

Urd nodded. "Part of you going back out…that would also involve you not only testing the cowl's capabilities but finding more ingredients and materials which I need to make more of them. I'll fund your expedition of course, but…" The woman sobered. "I need those materials, Ryoko. For my sisters, who aren't here and are likely being victimized by Kagatsuchi even now. For Marller and myself if—when—things become too dangerous to stay any longer here in Minatogawa."

At this Ryoko straightened. "You think something will happen here?"

"Soon?" Urd shook her head. "No. This place is stable and the powers that be are still gathering their strength. But in the long term? We're sitting on a powder keg, Ryoko. All it needs is the right-or wrong-trigger, and this place will go up in smoke faster than Pompeii. But I can't leave this place in case my sisters appear, and Marller refuses to leave my side and Loki does as he pleases. So I need to outsource. I need logistics, and the people who can work beyond my range." The humor was absent from Urd's eyes. "I need someone strong enough and willing to get me the supplies I need and to communicate with my sisters if they happen to come across them, and for better or worse, right now that's you, Ryoko."

"Your sisters must mean a lot for you to put your faith in a demon space pirate and some demi-fiend like me and Tenchi," Ryoko remarked.

"Are you saying you would do anything different if the roles were swapped?" Urd countered.

The two regarded each other in a moment of silence before Ryoko sighed. "What do you need me to do?"

"For my sisters?" Urd shrugged as she leaned over the counter. "Just keep an eye and ear out. They'll find you-or their own proxies will-and you'll just need to pass my location to them. As for ingredients, I'll draft a list of materials and where and what you can find them. Some may be demons. Others may be a simple grocery run—Tenchi will help you there." She gestured Ryoko towards her with a hand, and against her better nature, Ryoko did as beckoned, leaning over the counter towards Urd in turn.

"Hold still," Urd murmured, and Ryoko felt the hair along the nape of her neck bristle in alarm as warm hands reached beneath either side of her lower jaw, drawing the woman close to the Norn.

"Wait, Urd—"

The woman drew close, and Ryoko could smell sake and plasma, could almost taste it dancing on her tongue, accompanied by the soft, gentle hiss of serpents. Ryoko felt the hair along her arms bristle as if accompanied by the faint trace of static electricity, and for the life of her couldn't distinguish if it was actual electricity or her proximity to the Norn.

And then Urd spoke. "I'm going to show you something." The woman's lips were right next to her ear, her voice a soft, husky whisper that made Ryoko freeze. "Open yourself to me." A breath, hot but gentle, danced across the flesh of her ear, and a jolt of electricity surged down the pirate's spine, leaving the woman shuddering in her seat.

And then an image, a sensation, a vision.

A woman, her clothes reminiscent of Achika's wardrobe as she grew older and moved away from the shrine; a plain, brown dress with little other than embroidered flowers along its sleeves. The dress matched her chestnut hair, which had been adopted into a color to better match the mortal plane of Midgard. She smiled as she stared at Ryoko, and it was with such warmth and love that it was almost too much for the space pirate, still new to such strange emotions, to handle. Not Achika nor even Tenchi, neither kitsune nor tengu, stared at her with such warmth and so much acceptance it seemed to leak from every pore of her being. "I am Verthandi," She revealed, "though it has been adapted to "Belldandy" to make pronunciation easier with those I interact with." She smiled, and Ryoko saw that her eyes smiled with the same light and love that rested on her lips. "I am with my husband, Morisato, Keiichi."

She gestured to her side, and a man approached, short for his stature-shorter even than Tenchi, who was by no means fully grown-a scruffy man who was cleanshaven but with wild and unruly hair. There was a subtle confidence in his movements-less of a warrior who trained day in and day out and more of a squat, practical mechanic's frame whose strength came from the repetition of tearing apart and repairing machines. He was dressed in a tracksuit labeled with a simple patch-one which read "K1" in simple characters, a picture of some kind of tornado on the back of his jacket with the Romanji for "Whirlwind" in elegant cursive. The man nodded to her, his face friendly, his eyes a brown which radiated kindness-a shade like Tenchi's before the Vortex World. "We were at a track meet when the world ended." He said, and though his voice was soft, there was a very slight hint of a smoker's growl beneath his words. He smelled less of cigarettes and tobacco and more of motor oil and grease with the strange undertone of sakura blossoms and earl gray tea-Belldandy's scent. "It was the two of us, Urd, and Skuld."

A child slipped out from behind Belldandy, and for a second Ryoko wondered if the child was their daughter before the child cast a scowl to Keiichi, grumbling discolored phrases beneath her breath before turning to look at Ryoko. For his part, Keiichi grimaced, a look of haggard resignation flashing across his face as he sent the cyan-haired woman a long-suffering look. The girl-she looked to have just entered her teens, crossed her arms with a huff, casting a glare at the pirate.

Ryoko thought she recognized her from somewhere.

"I'm Skuld, and don't you forget it!" The girl exclaimed with an arrogant bravado which the space pirate instantly disliked, only for it to vanish as a flash of unease slipped across her face. "I'm…also the most out of my element of all of us." She confessed. "My domain is the future and mechanical devices and…this stuff, this 'Vortex World' ain't it." She pursed her lips, for a second looking past Ryoko and to something behind her. "Good, she's distracted." Ryoko looked over her shoulder but saw nothing. "Listen up Pirate," the child's voice brought the focus back to Skuld. "Of all of us, I'm the one Urd is most concerned about, okay? Bell can fend for herself and Keiichi can't take a shit without him being within a stone's throw of her, but I don't have someone like Keiichi or even Marller looking out for me. I'm just some stupid kid with a penchant for innovation and invention, okay?" The girl moved forward, her brown eyes dancing with possibilities yet unrealized. "So you help Urd out, she helps you out. Win-win, right?"

Ryoko frowned as she stared at the trio. "What is this?"

"Urd's helping define who and what we are for you," The child, Skuld, said, "so that when you find us, there isn't a speck of doubt in your mind as to who we are."

"So is this her subconscious speaking to me?" Ryoko asked, "Her memories?"

"In a manner of speaking." Verthandi-Belldandy? Bell? Chimed in. "It is a connection born of intimacy. You have trusted her to witness your past, and so she is now trusting you with the images and knowledge of those most dear to her."

Ryoko pursed her lips. "Can I see something then?"

"Urd is trusting you with this image, however, it remains up to her subconscious on whether it chooses to reveal anything other than what you see here." The man, Keiichi, warned.

Ryoko shrugged. "No harm in asking then." She said. "Worst that happens is I get a 'no', right?"

She was met with silence.

"Can you show me the Daimakaicho?"

A look of unease passed through the faces of the trio present.

"Damn, and right after you had that tender moment too? You two really are meant for each other." Skuld snarked. "Too bad Marller's already got her claws in her. If she was out of the picture, you two would make a wonderful self-destructive power couple." The girl rolled her eyes.

"No cursing." Belldandy sent the girl a disapproving look. "Are you certain you wish to see her?" She looked back at Ryoko. "She is…not whatever perception you have of her, but Urd's own perception. The two are not on, shall we say, speaking terms."

"That's fine," Ryoko replied. "I just need to confirm something for myself."

Keiichi sighed. "As you like to say, 'Your sanity'."

They looked at each other with mixed emotions, and then Belldandy gave a small nod.

The trio vanished, and in its place appeared someone new.

Ryoko recognized her immediately. "Guess…this clears some things up." Before her, dressed in revealing regalia, hovered a woman whose power and darkness seeped from her in the same manner kindness and light had from Belldandy. The resemblance to Urd was uncanny, and it made Ryoko pause; that Urd took so closely after the Silver-Haired Demon and held almost no resemblance to her sisters was a confusing revelation and one she filed away for a later time to re-examine in privacy.

Before her, the Silver-Haired Demon, the Daimakaicho, narrowed violet eyes a shade darker than Urd's, the pupils slit like a cat.

Or a snake.

"My, you are a bold one, aren't you." The Silver-Haired Demon purred, yet where Urd would have been playful, the look on the Daimakaicho's face was one of baleful intensity, consideration, and cold cunning. "To think, one so trusted by my daughter would hold such a conniving streak to her. No wonder my counterpart holds an interest in you." She floated forward, and Ryoko felt what had to have been only a shadow of the Daimakaicho's power-an after trail, a fading scent, a lingering flame that burned with such ferocity it would have burned the retina of any who beheld it.

It was worse than KAIN.

It was thrice as bad as Belial.

"So tell me Child, what is it you've come seeking?" There was a scornful amusement in her voice that reminded Ryoko of Kagato. That same sensation of overwhelming power, that same arrogance, that same…

That same disregard for those beneath her.

Ryoko stepped back, a foolish action to do in front of any demon of Niflheim but made all that much worse in front of the Daimakaicho, as suddenly the apparition hovered directly before her. "Oh?" The woman's gaze was chilling. "Is that a moment's weakness revealed to me?" She scoffed. "Pitiful. You tremble before the subconscious perspective of the one you so seek and are found wanting. Perhaps it is best you return to whatever hole you crawled out of rather than pursue me further."

"No."

"No?" The woman tilted her head to one side, and before Ryoko could react found herself lifted off her feet as the Daimakaicho grabbed her by the collar. "You challenged Marller and survived the encounter because my daughter prevented her from devouring you." She laughed, and it was a sinister and decrepit sound. "You see me as a mirage. I am no mirage. If anything, I am worse than the real thing, for I am how Little Urd perceives me in my worst aspects. It's quite the compliment, really—a demon in the truest sense of the word…and one who cares little for the sake of the invader making a move on the subconscious I guard so carefully." She drew the space pirate close, and for a moment Ryoko thought she saw something else, something worse-as though all the worse predators of the known universe had congealed in one secular moment into the being that so gripped her, changing her features into a terrible, formless shadow of fangs and claws, horns and talons, and rows upon rows upon rows of teeth.

Ryoko grit her teeth, thinking of Belial and his interest in Tenchi-and his lesser interest in herself. She thought of the Silver-Haired Demon as she had appeared in her dreams. She thought of the world's end and the six-winged zealot who served as its harbinger. "Why did you call me?"

The Daimakaicho released her, yet rather than fall Ryoko also hovered, staring at the six-pointed sigil which rested on the Silver-Haired demon's forehead and refusing to meet her eyes. The demoness smirked. "For that, I have no answers." She revealed. "You speak to Urd's subconscious, not the real Daimakaicho. For your answers, you must speak with her directly."

"And how do I do that?" Ryoko asked.

The Daimakaicho reached a hand out, and to her credit and all of her will, Ryoko did not flinch away. The woman patted her head gently, yet somehow it felt as if the demoness was smashing a boulder over the space pirate's head with every tap. The cyan-haired woman grimaced but did not move.

"You'll find a way." The Daimakaicho revealed. "I suspect your subconscious already knows, and just needs, how to say…some encouragement. A good boot out the door like what you and my darling daughter are already agreeing to is a perfect start." The hand fell away from her head. "Now…be a good girl and get out of my daughter's mind before I personally break you in twain. And…if you know what's good for you, be a dear and keep your mouth shut."

And Ryoko opened her eyes, stumbling away from Urd and falling to the ground as she tried to distance herself from the Daimakaicho's daughter. She was panting and could feel sweat pouring down her back, darkening the fabric of her blue and gold dress. "Fuck!" She roared.

Urd stared down at her from the other side of the bar, blinking at her in intermingled surprise and confusion. "You okay?"

The space pirate climbed up on unsteady feet and felt the room spin in turn. For a moment it felt as if she was surrounded: as if before her stood not Urd, but the Silver-haired Demon, surrounded by the two Sisters and the strange human who had married into their family.

Her head was thrumming. The center of her forehead, right above the eyes—the same spot Urd's sigil sat-pulsed in rhythm to her heart. Warily, the woman squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, the apparitions were gone, and only she and Urd remained in the bar.

Her heart was racing.

The self-proclaimed demon lord swallowed and found her throat too dry. "Need water." She rasped and wanted to laugh. When had she ever reached for water over liquor?

Urd appeared at her side with a glass of water. "Never figured you for a lightweight." She joked, but Ryoko was aware of the concern drawn in the Norn's furrowed brows.

"I wasn't, last I checked," Ryoko grumbled, and downed the water all at once, gasping. The center of her forehead was still pulsing. "What was that?" She demanded, sending an accusatory stare at the goddess as she rubbed the pulsing area.

"Intimacy," Urd replied, pausing to regard the space pirate. "…Tenchi took to it a lot better than you did. I'd thought it'd be the opposite." She frowned, then muttered under her breath, "Should have gone a bit slower with you. You've always had a foot in the etheral planes, so I thought…" She shook her head.

"Tenchi doesn't have two thousand years of lessons from a psychopath drilling into his psyche that emotions are a weakness and intimacy is revolting," Ryoko growled. "Don't do that again. That…what you did—that was what Kagato would do whenever he needed me for…errands."

"I see." Urd sobered. "I didn't realize…" She stopped herself and then stood, helping Ryoko to her feet. "…I won't do it again without your permission. I promise."

Ryoko slumped, the tension which had started to rise in preparing for a possible flight leaving her with the Norn's sincerity. "…Thank you." She whispered, and Urd led them both to a booth, slipping Ryoko towards one as she moved to the other.

"You realize he's wrong, right?"

"Hm?" The space pirate looked up at the Norn in confusion.

"Kagato. And his stances on emotions and intimacy. He's wrong."

"Well yeah, no shit there." Ryoko scowled. "…Let me rephrase that…" She began, her words slow and deliberate. "…Conceptually I understand that. The damn crows would teach and re-enforce it to me every time we met."

"But you're still struggling to internalize that."

Ryoko sighed.

Urd nodded. "You're still healing." She observed. "Give it time."

"What, seven hundred years not long enough?"

"Would you call seven hundred years of mandatory isolation while imprisoned in a cave a good environment for an already damaged psyche to heal?" Urd raised an eyebrow.

"Fuck you."

"And like I keep saying, name a time and a place—but I don't think you've healed enough for that." Urd's smile was bittersweet. "It's no fun teasing you now."

"Tenchi said to grow I need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable," Ryoko grumbled. "…That's why I came back. But…I think that's also why I need to leave. I need answers, Urd, and every time I think I get one, more questions come instead."

Urd sighed, running a hand through her hair, then smiled. "Tenchi's good for you, you know that, right?"

The space pirate looked away, the slightest hint of a blush working its way into her cheeks.

The Norn leaned back in the booth. "You're different when you interact with him, you know. Kinder. Gentler. That concepts Kagato instilled regarding emotions? It dies whenever you're with him." The woman paused. "…Do you know that you're in love with him?"

Ryoko froze, the color draining from her face as she stared at the Norn with wide, stunned golden eyes.

She looked down at the table, shifting uncomfortably on the leather cushions. "…Kind of." Ryoko admitted. "It's…warmth. Affection. I care for him, I know that. I love him like I loved Achika but…" She shrugged. "Is that love?" She asked. "When I look at him, I see Achika and Ryo-oh-ki and I think, 'yes, this is love. These are the ones I care for who I want to protect.' But I always thought…with how Achika spoke of it, I always thought it was supposed to be different. More…intense. Overwhelming." She looked at the goddess before her with a soft frown. "Maybe I'm still just too broken to feel it. Maybe I never will." She shrugged, unconcerned.

Urd looked at her with a raised silver brow, then reached over the table and cuffed the pirate over the head with a closed fist.

"Oy!" Ryoko snarled, recoiling away from the Norn. "The fuck was that for?"

"Don't call yourself broken." Urd ordered. "You're a woman, not a machine, and you're healing. You feel anger pretty strongly, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, of course—"

"But unless it was for Ryo-oh-ki, you were never allowed to feel any positive emotions, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Urd sent her a long-suffering look, and Ryoko wondered if the woman was about to cuff her again. "You've just allowed yourself to start feeling an emotion that was once alien to you, of course you don't experience it strongly." The woman shook her head. "Plus, you do realize there is more than one type of love, don't you?"

Ryoko stared at her with a blank look.

"Of course not. You had beast-youkai teaching you humanity and mortality while you were still feral in a cave. Why would you?" Urd grumbled and groaned, running both hands through her hair. "Yggdrasil's branches, Freya and Inanna would have a field day with you."

"Who?"

"Don't worry about it." Urd dismissed it with a wave. "Listen, there is more than one type of love. The love you have for Ryo-oh-ki—one for a sister, a comrade, someone who's gone through the same hell as you have and still come out the other end supporting you—that's one type. There are others though. The love you have for Achika and Tenchi-one of gentle affection, one of guidance, one of like…a mentor and student—that's another. And there are more still. Friendship is a type of love, like the one you and I have-"

"I don't lo-"

"I know. Just listen for a moment. You don't feel anything because the friendship is still new. It's something that grows with time based on the relationship." Urd sighed. "Love isn't a simple sheet. It's multi-spectral, and not everything is going to align with you. And that's okay. You don't always need to feel every single type of one particular emotion. Some folks go their whole lives only feeling a certain type. Others experience all types on all aspects and are made better or worse for it." Urd shrugged. "I'm a goddess of love, and yet I've only experienced eros-romantic love-a handful of times in the past. I've maybe experienced pragma-the love between partners to stand with them through thick and thin, and I've happily never known mania-a love which comes from a need for survival-in my entire life." The last part was said with pride. "But philautia-self-love or self-compassion to love and care for myself and my needs? Philia and stoage—the love between close friends and closer family? Flirtatious ludus that is more playful than serious? The overwhelming unconditional love, Agape? I'm familiar with all those—but that's also because I understand what those types of love are and can identify them within myself. You feel them too-maybe not all of them, but definitely some of them, in your own intensity and your own way. You just need to learn to identify them."

Ryoko listened with a dubious raised eyebrow. "Okay self-proclaimed 'goddess of love', if that's the case, let's test it. Since you're so familiar with these subcategories, what types of love do you think I can feel since you walked my past?"

"Easy." Urd replied with a smug expression. "Achika and your youkai? Philia-born from close friends-for your tengu and kitsune, and stoage for Achika and Tenchi." She paused, thought for a moment then added, "You feel both for Ryo-oh-ki. No one knows you the same way that she does, and don't think I'm not aware that you want to see her freed from beneath the lake."

"I just need to find a way back-"

"And hope that the Magatsuhi you've absorbed will grant you enough power to connect with her, I know." Urd paused and chewed her lower lip. "…I don't know if it will work, to be honest with you. That connection you have with her seems to be at its most stable when you had those gems on you, and I have questions about those, but…that's a separate topic for another time."

"Agreed," Ryoko grumbled. "What else?"

Urd shrugged. "You're learning about philautia now that you're free from the cave and Kagato's influence, but that will take time. I'll say this though—once you've figured out how to love yourself—really love yourself, meaning…no negative comments towards yourself, you take pride in who and what you are, and you take the time to care for your own needs first without putting yourself into precarious situations…well, those other loves will start to open up for you as well. Do yourself a favor though, especiallysince you're still seeking out That Woman, and stay with Tenchi. He's doing you a lot more good than I think you realize and…I won't lie—I don't think either of you stands much of a chance separate from each other."

"Noted." Ryoko pursed her lips, leaning back in the booth as she contemplated the Norn's words. There was at least some level of truth in Urd's words concerning her and Tenchi's relationship; the kid brought out both the best and at times the worst of her, and she wasn't blind to how Ryoko herself had changed in the time since awaking in the Vortex World and finding Tenchi. The lillim had been a huge awakening to just how much she'd come to care for the youth, and the strange berserk rage that had overtaken her at seeing the demon's carnal play-mocking and predatory-with Tenchi had left her deeply perturbed; that had not been what Ryoko had thought of as a normal reaction for herself.

Guess she has a point. Ryoko mused, leaning her head back to look at the ceiling, speckled with rainbow rays of light from where the stained glass caught and channeled Kagatsuchi's light. I really don't know anything about love or what it means. I'm learning—healing like she said—and still have a long way to go.

The self-proclaimed demon lord sighed, closing her eyes. But then what is the extent of my relationship with Tenchi? While I was caged it was easy-he was like Achika, a familiar presence who gave offerings and interacted with me on the regular—something that I treasured and was frightened to lose. But was that really 'stoage' and 'philia' like Urd claims? Or was it something closer to that 'mania' she hinted at—something born out of a need for survival? She considered the thought for a moment. If Tenchi suddenly vanished from my life right now-walked out the door and abandoned me for say…Belial, how would I react?

Negatively.

Even now the thought brought with it a sense of black dread, one which made her stomach clench painfully, leaving her chilled and cold. Then…is this mania? Or fear for the sake of a loved one?

She didn't know.

Sighing, Ryoko opened her eyes and looked back at Urd, finding the dark-skinned goddess watching her carefully. "Let's put a pause on this conversation." She said. "I feel like I either need to be more or less drunk to be talking about this and right now I'm neither."

A slim smile flashed across the Norn's face. "Fair enough." She said. "So then, are you willing to keep an eye out for my sisters while you search for your Silver-Haired Demon?"

Ryoko shrugged. "With proper payment." She said. "The Badlands outside this place are dangerous, and those medicinal pills which work so well on Tenchi and I cost macca." She sent the woman a sidelong glance. "Besides, if I'm also going grocery shopping for you, you best believe I have a surcharge for risking Tenchi and me for shit we don't need. I don't work on charity."

"You talk more like a mercenary than a pirate," Urd smirked. Ryoko snorted. "Fine. Let's hash out prices and write out a contract. You do nothing for free, I make no agreements that aren't written and agreed upon by both parties. So with that in mind…"

Personal discussions placed aside for the time, the two began to talk business; a goddess with a demonic past and a demon with divine origins.

---

Vortex World

Minatogawa Stateside Town, Assembly of Nihilo, Urd's Well

Kagatsuchi 2/8 Waxing

"How long does the spell last?"

"UNTIL NEW KAGATSUCHI," Tsuki-Tsuki replied. "ALL SPELLS DIE WITH SLEEP."

Tenchi nodded from where he sat hovering three feet above the ground, the Inugami which had cast the elevation spell, Liftoma, drifting around him as it sought out his attention.

"So…with this, I can't touch the ground?" He asked, opening his arms as Tsuki-Tsuki curled up against his chest, embracing the demon as it turned to lick his cheek.

"YES. IS GOOD IN DANGER PLACE. STEALTHY. NO DEMONS HEAR YOU. NO TRAPS SET OFF."

Tenchi grunted, and as Tsuki-Tsuki curled around his shoulders, moved to stand, finding his feet still remained three feet off the ground. Experimentally, he stomped the air, yet felt nothing below his foot; it was as if he was striking into space. Yet when he took a step, he found his foot cushioned by an unknown barrier; a bubble of pressure that felt as dense as the wooden flood of the guest bedroom he was in. "This is weird." He said, and holding his hands out for balance, fearing each step might send him tumbling, made his way over to the bed. He reached for the mattress and found he could interact with it. Sitting down, he looked back at the hound curled around his shoulders. "So I can use this for stealth and to avoid traps. Do I have any control over it?"

"IS MY SPELL, NOT YOURS." The inugami growled.

Both of Tenchi's eyebrows rose in surprise, then he raised his hands and nodded. "Yeah, it's your spell." He agreed. "May I ask you for assistance with it?"

"NO." Tsuki-Tsuki barked. "TIRED."

"The spell itself drains you or manipulating it for my benefit tires you?" Tenchi asked.

"SECOND."

"Got it." Smiling softly, the youth scratched the hound's head and got a small lick in return. "I'll keep that in mind and try not to ask anything of you unless it's necessary."

Rising again, the demi-fiend jumped and found that he still landed three feet above the ground. "Wonder if this changes with elevation." He muttered.

"YES."

Tenchi looked at the beast. "You know your spell pretty well, don't you?"

Tsuki-Tsuki panted in agreement, nuzzling under the youth's chin, and smiling the Hitoshura moved to the guest bedroom door.

He paused, his hands resting on the doorknob, and debated on whether to open it and slip out. The teen had secluded himself from the others since the stint with Belial, and part of him wondered if it was yet a wise move to leave and face Urd's wrath. The goddess had been terrifying when she'd raged against the Prince of Hell, and the look of exhaustion and despair that had befallen not only her but Marller-who'd seemed incapable of such emotions until that moment-had left him wallowing in a pool of guilt. Even Ryoko had been content to leave him alone, looking rattled in a way not dissimilar to how she'd been on their way to his house; tense, spooked, and on the verge of losing control of herself.

"I'm not sure I want to do this." He mumbled and flinched when Tsuki-Tsuki whined and licked his cheek, sensing his trepidation. He smiled at the creature, taking strength in its concern, and took a deep breath. "Maybe I can sneak out and get some fresh air for a bit." He said. "Place some distance between myself and the others. It…might do me some good."

Tsuki-Tsuki's tail beat against his back in agreement.

Steeling himself, the youth twisted the doorknob and pulled it open a crack, peering outside and seeing no one in the hallway. Emboldened, the youth and daemon slipped out, closing the door behind them as the teen moved on silent, hovering feet towards the pub's staff entrance. He paused as he heard a voice near where the hallway opened to the bar side of the pub, and dropped to a knee, placing a hand on Tsuki-Tsuki's head to prevent the hound from rising and drawing attention.

He spied Urd and Ryoko at one of the booths farther in the pub, the two staring intently at a piece of paper between them as they discussed something in hushed tones. His curiosity getting the better of him, the youth eavesdropped, frowning as he heard Urd discussing where to find yeast packets in a grocery store. Is Ryoko interested in baking? He wondered and tried and failed to imagine the Demon Lord in a baking apron, making bread and pastries in an oven.

He shook his head. No, that can't be right. Maybe Urd is asking her to get yeast so she can bake. The next image came unbidden: one of Urd wearing a cooking apron—and nothing else—as she winked at him with a spatula covered in what he hoped was white cake batter.

He flushed, and shook his head, ridding himself of the image. You pervert.

Taking a breath, the youth peeked back around the corner, still seeing the two of them in deep discussion over whatever was on the paper. They were talking about zhen feathers now and how to safely acquire and transport them. Maybe they're going to poison the bread?

Tsuki-Tsuki huffed impatiently in his ear, and he pushed a hand down on the creature's muzzle, slipping back behind the safety of the hallway and dropping to all fours. The bar should hide my presence, so neither of them should see me. I just need to slip past them. Nodding to himself, the youth rose onto the balls of his feet, and leapt forward, rolling to the other side of the hallway.

Did they see me!?

The youth peeked out from the other side and spied both Ryoko and Urd staring intently at the paper before them, both having fallen silent as they stared at the form with severe concentration. Grinning to himself, he moved on, a cheerful beat in his step as he made his way to the exit, confident that neither woman had seen a young Hitoshura hovering three feet in the air make a piss-poor attempt at scrambling from one side of the hallway to the other with a floating demon dog-made all the more evident by its mostly white body-wrapped around him like a white scarf.

By the time he had reached the door, he was out of earshot of Urd pounding a fist on one knee and biting her lip to suppress her laughter, Ryoko gesturing wordlessly with one hand as she buried her face in the other, shoulders shaking.

It never occurred to him that Ryoko and in hindsight, Urd, could sense auras.

Smiling broadly, Tenchi's hand reached for the door handle only to feel it dip as soon as his fingers grazed it. His heart sank, and before he could retreat the door opened, revealing Loki, laden with bags, on the other end.

Loki blinked, staring at the youth in surprise as Tenchi flinched, recoiling with a grimace. The god smiled. "Going out?"

Feeling a flush of embarrassment slip into his cheeks, Tenchi looked away with a small nod. "Was ah…hoping to get some fresh air."

The man snorted. "In a land like this? You'd need an elemental for anything 'fresh'."

Tenchi's discomfort grew as the flush grew stronger, and the youth rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

Loki clapped a hand on the youth's shoulder. "Keep your head down." He said, his face warm as Tenchi met the god's bright blue eyes. "Word's spread that there's a Prince of Hell in town and the locals are riled up. Not everyone is taking it as easily as, well, you did, and after his visit to our tiny little establishment, Belial has no reason to hide his presence anymore. Many of the weaker denizens have gone into hiding and there's been an increase of infighting amongst the stronger daemons seeking refuge in the area challenging the Assembly's security."

Tenchi blinked. "It's that bad?"

Loki shrugged. "It's getting there. Doesn't help Marller's letting off some steam either, but at least her attacks are warning the other demons to stay away from the bar."

The Hitoshura began to sweat. "Do you know where she is?"

The redhead nodded "She's gone south where the more powerful Legions roam. They placed a stronger guard on the southern border after a raid from the Mantra Army several cycles ago, so she's painting the landscape red and glassing the sand."

"North to town it is." Tenchi's voice was tight.

Loki chuckled. "Here." He dug in his pocket and presented a folded slip of paper. "In case you're seeking a thrill."

Tenchi snorted, but took the paper, opening it and glancing at the address inside before pocketing it in his haori. "I'm trying to avoid thrills, not seek them." He grumbled.

"You never know." Loki's eyes danced with laughter. "Could do you some good. A man needs to cut loose now and then."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tenchi replied with a sigh, then paused, looking over his shoulder towards where the women still sat and starting when there was a sudden burst of loud, obnoxious laughter from the bar room. Even Loki was caught off guard, and the two men shared a startled look before looking back toward the bar entrance. "…I better get out of here before they catch me." Tenchi muttered, and slipped past Loki, half certain one if not both women would peek down the hallway and spot him. He paused at the threshold to look back at god. "Ah…Loki?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh…thank you. You know, for helping me out. With ah…Belial. And um…and Urd."

The man smiled kindly to him. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He said. "But I appreciate the thought." He winked, then shut the door as Tenchi made his way outside.

There was indeed a strange tension in the air as the Hitoshura made his way into town. Daemons who had before never spared him a glance now eyed him with suspicion and open hostility, and while none attacked him, there were times he saw them contemplating it, measuring the demi-fiend up as he passed and debating the ease of targeting him.

At one point, Tsuki-Tsuki shifted his position around Tenchi's neck, moving to watch the youth's back as he moved deeper into the market. Sometimes he heard the inugami growl, other times he'd bark in warning, and the teen would turn to observe a denizen stalking after him.

It left him debating on whether to return to Urd's Well or not. The youth wasn't trying to get attacked, nor place himself in a compromising situation which the more aggressive daemons could take advantage of. But…

"Maybe things will get better further in town." He grumbled.

Things grew worse when he entered the residential district.

Here he saw clashes between daemons; Eligor's legions battling daemons he'd not encountered before: massive, violet stingray demons who reminded Tenchi of Forneus, tiny yellow lion dogs which reminded him of the stone guardian Shisa he saw over local temples, massive men with vibrant colored skin who looked like Buddhist motifs come to life, and even angelic beings dressed in heavy armor and armed with Western broadswords.

They seemed focused on attacking each other, and while he knew some saw him, none sought to draw him into combat, their attention on their opponents as Tenchi and Tsuki-Tsuki slipped by.

Of course, his luck only lasted so long when one demon-a snake-man-was knocked towards Tenchi from where one of the massive Statue Men threw him. The naga groaned, bloodied, beaten, broken, and within the last moments of his life, and the green Statue Man charged after him, his face curled in an angry snarl as he bellowed.

Tenchi swore and retreated from both daemons, wanting no part in the battle, and was dismayed when he heard first the naga's death keel, then the thundering pound of the behemoth giving chase. He ran and watched other daemons in the throes of combat stop what they were doing to move out of his way, wanting no fight with the massive green-skinned daemon or its prey as both ran past.

They raced through the marketplace, passing junk shops, gem shops, and even the Cathedral of Shadows when the unexplored building's door opened and someone walked out.

Tenchi recognized Belial and shouted in warning, causing the Red Count to pause as he adjusted his hat and gazed towards the youth in consideration. His expression brightened with delight as red met gold. The Goetia laughed, took a step back, and as Tenchi ran past him, the youth found himself grabbed and pulled out of the way. He found himself in a room, and as the large, green-skinned daemon skidded to a halt, trying to turn his massive frame back to Tenchi, the door to the Cathedral of Shadow closed, bathing Tenchi and Belial in darkness.

Panting, Tenchi knelt over, resting his hands on his knees as his eyes adjusted to the room's darkness. Beside him, Belial dusted first himself off, then Tenchi, before removing his hat once again. "Well, this was quite the unexpected reunion." The Prince said, and in the dimness of the room, Tenchi could make out his eyes. They glowed with a strange, internal red light that illuminated his face, different from the red glow he'd seen attributed to other spirits in the past; his light was more confined and intense, like a pinprick of a red laser rather than the all-encompassing red glow of spirits. "Still seeking allies, Young Master?"

Tenchi was silent for a moment, catching his breath as his heart came to the slow conclusion that his life was no longer in danger. Straightening, he swallowed, and looked around, finding that while the building was dark, it wasn't void of light entirely; there was a strange, dim, violet glow coming from the room's center, and with it, an elderly man-at least in appearance-observed him and Belial in silence. The youth swallowed and looked back at Belial. "Thanks." He rasped. "I was-I was just trying to go for a walk."

Belial chuckled. "Do you always go for such adventurous walks? My, had I not already been preoccupied, I might join you for more of them! Certainly, they are of the entertaining sort."

The teen snorted, for the moment giving the Prince the benefit of the doubt despite the grief his arrival had caused. "Thank you for your assistance." He said and bowed deeply to the Goetia. Belial was, in at least some regard, an entity who was on par if not greater than the Emperor of his homeland, and hand enough strength in his presence alone to unnerve Ryoko of all people, who in Tenchi's eyes was not only a living legend but also a creature of such great power she sat on the same level of demi-gods.

Belial nodded, and though the light made it difficult to read his expression, his voice was both warm and kind, empty of the sardonic tone he'd taken in Urd's Well. "Think nothing of it, my boy! It was an unexpected pleasure to run into you so soon after departing! And in a fine mood as well; I just finished re-acquaintancing myself with some old comrades of mine for my lengthy stay here." He chuckled. "Why, I felt such grace that I left your pursuer live! Ah, I must be growing soft as a parent." He shook his head ruefully.

Tenchi felt himself break into a cold sweat.

Swallowing, the youth leapt at the opportunity to change topics. "Is that why you're here?" He asked.

"Oh yes! Yes indeed." The demon gestured to the elder who continued to watch them in silence, as still as a statue as the strange lights of the Cathedral played shadows across his features. "Come! Allow me to introduce to you Sir Mido of the Cathedral of Shadows." Placing a hand on the small of Tenchi's back, Belial moved forward, gesturing to the man, who observed them behind a pair of black sunglasses. "Sir Mido is one of the first Dark Summoners to stand upon the earth and a stalwart companion in both the fusion of souls and the summoning of those once encountered." Belial laughed. "Why, back in the olden days, you could rely on few such men who'd be willing to go through the efforts of not only acquiring the materials but also in preparing the ritual space necessary to summon a great Prince of Hell, let alone an evil spirit!"

Tenchi paused to look up at Belial in surprise, then back to the elderly man in shock. "Wait-he's-you're…human?"

"Once upon a time." Sir Mido breathed. His voice was scratchy with age but held an undercurrent of humor to it, and though his face was severe, when he smiled the atmosphere surrounding him eased. "Back when humanity was young and the earth was still quite green. My time in the physical world left me with perhaps one too many allies among the spirits as a Goetic, however, and in my passing, I found my spirit as last I lived." He paused, his head tilting up and down ever-so-slowly in observation. "What is your name, Daemon? Are you a servant of Prince Belial?"

"Daemon?" Tenchi started at the title. It was the first time that a human-or at least a spirit who was once human-had referred to him as specifically non-human. It left a strange feeling of dismay in his gut, and frowning, he bowed, if stiffly, to the man. "Ah…my name is Masaki Tenchi." He said. "I'm a ah," He glanced at Belial, whose own smile remained open and friendly. "An…associate of Belial-sama."

"An associate? One so young and tiny as you?" A brow, white with time, arched upwards, crafting fresh wrinkles against Sir Mido's forehead. "Is that so?" He looked over to Belial, who nodded with enthusiasm.

Sir Mido grunted. "Well, I suppose fatherhood changes us all in some ways." He sounded unconvinced. "Welcome to the Cathedral of Shadows, where daemons congregate." The man smiled. "Tell me, Masaki, what blasphemy do you seek? All is possible nothing is promised, within the Mansion of Heresy."

Tenchi stiffened, staring at the elderly man in alarm. "…What do you mean?"

"You come to that which borders on the realms of realities, the grand cathedral of blasphemous prophecy. Here nightmares and dreamscapes are one and the same, where the unreachable becomes found, where the dead are graced with life, where the spirit becomes the physical." Tenchi found he could see his reflection in the blue-garbed priest's glasses, and the image was refracted and distorted, leaving a monster staring back at him with inhuman eyes. "Where the souls of lesser beings are subjugated, where the bodies of the weak and mighty are cast in heresy to bring forth new life. Such is the ceremonial magic which you behold before you. Such is my place, as Goetic practitioner, to serve in this transitioning world. So what service shall I provide you, young master?"

"I…" Tenchi fell quiet, looking from Mido to Belial in apprehension. "I…didn't come here to-to use any of these, ah…techniques."

"Ah, but it is a good knowledge to acquire, and a better skill to use before venturing out on a great journey," Belial replied. He offered a hand. "Come, let me see what allies you've acquired. I shall teach you the principles of fusion."

The teen stared at the hand with pursed lips. "Is this…really necessary?" He asked, "I don't-I don't want to fuse my friends."

Belial smiled. "Dear Boy, you are a hitoshura. A demi-fiend. You have no friends—only those who serve you."

Tenchi felt cold talons wrap around his heart at the declaration, and his body went ridged. The air felt all at once too cool against his exposed skin, and he could feel the color drain from his face as he stared up at the Red Count, stunned into silence.

The Prince Of Hell clapped a hand on his shoulder, and with a gentle push, guided Tenchi forward towards Mido.

It was only at that moment that Tenchi discovered he honestly, truly, with all his heart, wanted nothing to do with Mido, Belial, or the room he was in.

I'd have rather faced the daemon. He realized, moving up to stand before Mido and feeling the hair on the nape of his neck stand on edge. The air here was different. Charged, like the air before a lightning storm, and he could feel the center of his forehead pulse to its current. I'd rather face Urd and Ryoko both, pissed off and terrified.

Mido grabbed his hand, and in his ear, he heard Tsuki-Tsuki first growl, then whimper, as if staring into the face of a beast thrice as powerful as him. Behind the Priest, Tenchi could spy the silhouettes of his allies, what few there were: the Kodama, drifting listlessly and without life. High Pixie, hovering like a dragonfly over the water, Shikigami, floating as light as a feather on the breeze. Inugami, who danced in the air, forever chasing its tail as it curled around itself despite Tsuki-Tsuki still resting on his shoulders. The Jack Frost, new to the team and untried in battle yet.

I don't want to be here anymore. Tenchi thought, and swallowed.

Belial hummed, his fingers drumming on the demon motif of his walking stick as he observed the shadows. "Only five?" He murmured. "And I see your lady is not among them."

"Ryoko's her own person," Tenchi whispered. "She's with me by her choice, not mine, and can leave at any time."

A frown flashed across Belial's face. "Shame." He stated. "I'd love to see what creatures would be born of her." He smiled. "There is a certain…limitless potential to her which could be an outstanding base in fusion. A Record of her attributes, a mitama, a gem, a Full Kagatsuchi…oh, the resulting daemon would be devastating, I'm certain." There was a terrible gleam in Belial's eyes that Tenchi hadn't noticed before, a darkness, a shadow, a hunger as he spoke, and it left the youth cold and afraid, his anxiety not for himself, but for the demon lord which remained safe in a bar, surrounded by gods.

"Let us see…who would you like to fuse, Tenchi?"

"No one."

Belial paused, and the smile on his face flickered ever-so-swiftly into a frown before it was masked again behind the image of a smiling, friendly man. "Ah," He said, and though his voice was light, Tenchi grew aware of a growing tension in the room. "You seem to be under the mistaken assumption this was a choice, young master."

A hand once more came to rest on his shoulder, and he looked at it, spying the white glove and feeling the nails beneath it dig into the fabric of his outfit. He felt it dig past them, and to the flesh, the muscle beneath, and with it came a smarting pain; a low sting that threatened to rise as it pulsed against the grip. "This is a lesson, my dear Hitoshura. No demi-fiend…no fiend can survive on this plane without understanding and utilizing fusion-or perhaps necromancy, should it suit you-to gain an army to fight alongside you. The daemons you recruit may be strong, but true strength requires sacrifice. You are to learn that lesson now.

"So tell me, who will you fuse?"

Tenchi swallowed, staring at the silhouettes before him in silent trepidation as he recalled Urd's rage, Ryoko's fear, and even Marller's panic. This is why. He realized. They knew. This is what they sensed.

I can't run away from this. And the knowledge terrified him.

The silence stretched into minutes. The minutes passed, and Tenchi did not answer. Yet that was fine, for it seemed Belial had all the time in the world, and Mido was in no rush either.

Tsuki-Tsuki whined in his ear.

He could hear his heart thrumming in his ears.

What am I supposed to do?

Memories of Hi P-teasing, taunting, teaching.

Memories of Paperball-a coward with a good heart whose efforts to save him had almost cost him his life.

Tsuki-Tsuki, a new friend, a new companion, who was now his lone source of comfort against the darkness of the Cathedral.

His eyes darted to two demons.

He was sweating. He felt cold.

Tenchi glanced back up at Belial, finding the man watching him with his terrible red eyes. "Does it…" His voice cracked, and swallowing, Tenchi tried again. "Does it hurt? Wh-when they fuse. It…kills them, doesn't it?"

A look of honest surprise flitted across Belial's face, there and gone again so fast that Tenchi wondered if he hadn't imagined it. "…My, what a gentle soul this Hitoshura is." The Red Count murmured, and shook his head. "Your predecessor was much more…turbulent in his actions." He shook his head. "No…no it does not hurt." He stated. "It is a dissolution of the physical body; of the Magatsuhi which the physical bodies are comprised of and a joining of souls into something new. A barren soul, empty of Magatsuhi, cannot experience pain or even thought. What awakens from their joining is their child; born of their shared experiences and made all the stronger for it, holding attributes of both parents but lacking their memories."

"You aren't just saying that…are you?"

"No. I have experienced it myself, though my memories of the time are no more. Daemons do not die when they are fused, if that is your fear, Young Man. It is a change of being, of existence; the physical shell degrades to nothing and the information and experience of it is used to craft something new with its partner: two parents which come together to birth a grander child that can reach greater heights. Yet a piece of the original shall always remain."

Tenchi eyed the demon in silence, then looked back to the demons behind Mido. His hand curled into fists, and the youth sighed, slouching on his feet. "Fine." He whispered, and sucked in a deep breath. "The Kodama and…the Jack Frost." He squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth so hard he felt his jaw pop with pain.

"An outstanding choice!" Mido announced, and raised his hand, a finger coming to rest against the center of Tenchi's forehead. "Behold, your demon…" Tenchi felt his forehead warm and pulse, and both saw and didn't see the image of a new demon overtake his vision. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Is this demon to your liking, Masaki?"

Dimly he felt himself nod. And heard Mido smile as he spoke again.

"Than as below, so above, it shall be."

Mido's hand dropped back to his side, and with it so too did his allies fade away.

All but two.

He turned away from Tenchi as the center of the Cathedral, where three massive pillars sat-two of the same level and one which rose into the abyss-a circle began to glow a brilliant white. Upon the two platforms the Kodama, still lifeless and drifting, and the Jack Frost, filled with vigor and life yet, appeared. The air seemed to thicken, and Tenchi felt his hair raise with static as though he were in the midst of an encroaching storm. The room, already ill-lit, darkened to the point where Tenchi could make out his brands through his clothes.

Small bolts of lightning, blue-white with heat, began to spark from the infinite abyss of the room's center, growing larger as the pressure of the room condensed and danced down upon the three pillars. With tense anticipation, Tenchi watched on, his gut churning and leaving him nauseous as first the Kodama, then the Jack Frost dissolved into plumes of black clouds that rose into the gathering storm. Arcs of electricity danced through the abyss like great and formless dragons, blinding Tenchi as he watched and leaving their imprint behind his eyelids.

The center pillar was struck with a massive bolt of lightning then, and Tenchi cried out, covering his face with his arms as the pressure in the room popped, deafening him in the same moment he was blinded.

He became aware of darkness and silence as his vision and hearing returned to him, and blinking, the youth grimaced, looking back to the three pillars with trepidation.

A daemon hovered atop the third pillar. A black silhouette, its form gradually condensed, and with it features became apparent in the poor lighting of the summoning circle. It stood at least as tall as a grown man, with features that were humanoid in nature-two feet, two arms, and a head. Yet as the shadows fell back, a pair of black wings revealed themselves too. It stood adorned in a grey-black outfit, hovering a foot off the ground, a massive Buddhist staff in hand then sang in the silence of the room.

It's face was covered, yet as it turned to stare down at the inhabitants, Tenchi knew immediately where its gaze fell.

"I am Hiji, Karasu Tengu of the Yoma Clan." The Tengu stated, and Tenchi was surprised by how soft Hiji's voice was. Not the harsh croak of a crow, but more like a a scratchy coo akin to a purr. The Tengu paused, staring at the youth in consideration. "…It's you." His words came out a disdainful growl. Tenchi flinched. "…I see…you've changed."

The demon vanished without another word, and Mido turned towards him. "A fantastic specimen, if I must say. A fine ally you have; may it serve you well until it can no longer."

Belial pat the youth on the shoulder. "Nicely done, Young Master." He released Tenchi, then turned away. "That will be all for today's lesson. I'd advise you return tothe Daimakaicho'kowhile Kagatsuchi's rays as still minor. More daemons will become emboldened as it grows towards completion, and though your allies are strong, I do not believe even your new Tengu ally can protect you from those that will wander in force soon. Return here with allies that have outlived their usefulness, and I'll teach you another lesson."

It was as much a dismissal as an opportunity to escape, and Tenchi grasped for it, rushing out of the Cathedral of Shadows as quickly as his legs would allow him without breaking into a sprint. He opened the door and slipped outside without a word of departure, and as soon as the Kagatsuchi's light touched him he turned and ran, barely seeing the daemons around him and blind to their cries.

Belial and Mido watched him go in silence.

"Such a child is an associate of yours?" Mido repeated his words from earlier. "He barely has the stomach for true magic."

"He is young, and blinded by what remains of his humanity." Belial replied, examining his cane and scratching at a mark before looking back to his long-time friend. "Young Alice was once the same when she first came to us. It takes time for a Fiend to develop both mentally and spiritually."

"His predecessor was adamant about fusing demons." Mido observed.

"His predecessor was a natural, and destined to become a True Demon in all manners." Belial reminded. "This one is still trying to understand himself and his place in the world. It will take time for him to develop."

"And do you intend to act in that capacity?" Mido asked.

"As time allows. For both him and myself. His woman has caught Daimakaicho Hild's eye, and she stinks of Lucifer." His eyes shined with fascination. "I would watch them both, Sir Mido. Whether they realize it or not, the Powers That Be have cast their gaze upon them both, and they are destined to either flourish under that attention or crash in a most spectacular array. Either way, their actions will change the course of this transient land, and very likely shape the world that follows it."

"For better or for worse, is that not the case?"

Belial nodded. "Yes, old friend. For better or for worse."

---

The greatest lessons learned through life are often the most painful.

Cathedral of Shadows

Naga (Hindu): Half-snake, half-human, they are divine beings in Hindu lore. Worshipped as bringers of fertility. They live in the bottoms of lakes and seas, and enjoy singing and dancing when they are not fighting

Daemon (Ancient Greek):a divinity or supernatural being of a nature between gods and humans they are an inner or attendant spirit or inspiring force. Also known as an archaic spelling of "demon".

Goetic Practioner (Ancient Greek): Originally a word for "Magic" or "Sorcery", the term "Goetic" has since become associated with Western Magickal practices of summoning the Ars Goetia, or the 72 Evil Spirits/Angels. Given Mido's age, it is uncertain if he uses "Goetic" Practitioner in the Ancient Greek sense-as a Sorcerer who works with spirits as part of his daily life, or if it is in the Western European framework of the 72 Goetia. Both he and Belial refuse to elaborate.

Karasu Tengu (Japanese): member of the Tengu race in Japanese mythology. It is said to have a beak like that of a crow. It attempts to corrupt people by haunting them.