You may be in a truly big trouble, one that you didn't expect to be so utterly fucked as you are now as soon as you returned to Underworld… Your capture was imminent and impossible to avoid as your greatest allies immediately betrayed you because of an offer of snacks and extra hours of playing before having to sleep.
Dammit Neptune, what did you tell them?
[About her friends and where is her room, don't blame the loli for your personal faults]
Can't anyone blame you for thinking that someone is snitching on you?
You were sitting in a seiza position while Satsuki-Okan and mommy Olivia keep an eye on you while the council of mothers discussed something, it was same scene of years ago when you meet and piece Jack, and the feeling of it now was way worse with the extra shame of having your peerage observing and recording the situation.
Your mothers truly knew how to truly punish you.
Even now your intuition and senses couldn't pierce the wards around the table of motherhood, all while spoiling rotten Neptune as she just talked easily getting along so well with her in-laws and being adored as her antics were tamed compared to your other pieces.
Alwyn on the other hand was…
"Hahaha! You can't defeat me, little ones!" Was playing around with Rias and Grimmy.
Both toddlers were basically climbing on her body and trying to imitate your powerbomb to make the giant fall to the floor… It was impressive that Alwyn had the patience to do this when she was a Wrath devil.
"Do you know why we are disappointed in you?" The voice of your mother pierced your bones.
"I… Didn't buy milk?" Your response was weak; you didn't dare to ask your intuition for the answer to this.
"You are breaking the law by bringing humans to the Underworld." Your mom number twelve deadpanned.
Ah, they are going to be devils soon enough. Compa and IF are too good to just allow them to have a lifespan of a mere century, why would matter when is going to be fixed.
"No problems, they are going to be devils relatively soon and I already made our VISA and paperwork equivalents." You made sure to keep a few members of the Famiglia know and work about the immigration parts of the Underworld.
"That isn't the problem." Your mother took a deep breath, remembering your anthics. "You have more than enough Evil Pieces; it doesn't matter what you would have chosen there isn't doubt that you could have it all."
You don't see the problem, you're sure that So-chan, Marnie, and Ravel could piece them in your stead. Maybe not Ravel but you knew that Acchan could prepare Evil Pieces quite fast as you were friends with him and also the son-in-law that he always wanted.
And you explained your point of view, your peerage was incredibly twisted in terms of morals and personalities, Neptune and Alwyn fit pretty well but Compa and IF would end up having more difficulties adapting, there was also the issue of the expectations of the devil society and so many other reasons that had a basis on logics and your experiences. Underworld was never fair and even if you saw the potential and greatness of the two... it didn't stop other devils from being bastards.
You needed another peerage to take them, that is the conclusion that you reached.
But your parents' expressions didn't change.
"Kane, we raised you and know what you despise with all your heart." Your father opened his mouth to talk, weirdly enough you didn't notice him before. "Never once in your whole life have you shared a toy, your Greed is just too immense, tell us why you didn't piece someone that you clearly liked when…."
You cried, the last time you cried when you returned without Tonelico. There wasn't an excuse, your heart broke that day. A bit of you feels like it was torn apart and made you depressed that life wasn't the same anymore for a time.
But at this moment you didn't feel that.
You kept silence, there were many sweet words, there were many promises and excuses that you could have said to answer the questions of your parents, and there was one that you didn't allow yourself to say. You didn't love them with the same intensity compared to Tonelico, your time with them was too short for love to bloom as strong as it was with her.
But what was the core of the reasons why you didn't piece them beyond all the excuses that were truths and worries? Why aren't you using your pieces instead and just trusting your fiancees (and Marnie)?
[You made a promise.]
Ah, you truly are the greatest of the cockiest idiots for having so much fun without truly thinking about your greatest duty at the moment. You were working double time in contracts, you were going to train hard with Beowulf, you were planning on trying to gather good will from Acchan to help you in case of the worst…
…you were acting when it was in the bag already but faking until you made it, it was stupid and immature to put a brave face when you had someone to save and genuinely add into your peerage.
"I have 3 Mutated pawns and a singular normal one, a regular Rook, a Mutated Bishop, and my Queen." You listed the pieces that you left as half of your Peerage and World was completed. "I don't know if I am strong enough, I worked hard but I still don't feel that is enough."
You really haven't told anyone about your Queen piece, it… didn't feel good to use it but you were willing if it was necessary, this wasn't a thing that you are willing to fail. Not now that you are so close, so close that it drives you mad to have to wait as you tried to reduce the possibility of failure to zero, it burned so much to keep your desire at check…
"That is what you choose to explain your actions?" Your mother Venelana raised an eyebrow.
"Pandora comes first." You answered with the burning will in your soul igniting. "I can't use more pieces until she is added." Your eyes, the burning inferno of your Dying Will Flame were so strong that your deepest desires couldn't be denied.
You wanted to piece Pandora, you wanted to have her around, you wanted to enjoy living alongside her, you wanted to see her smile… you wanted to make so many memories with her and everyone in your peerage.
"I have until my time limit to become as strong as possible for it and she will become one of us." You just love her too much to have other choices.
You took a deep breath, and just rose up, you didn't really have time to lose, punishments and other things will be decided later but you first had to do what.
"I will go train with Beowulf." You just can't waste time anymore, and needed this reminder they gave you a total of half a year for the sake of piecing Pandora.
No more words were said and you retired from the room, you had about two months left before you had to kill Pandora if you couldn't piece her by then.
Jack gave you a nod and began to mobilize the famiglia as you were going to be busy again, you muttered a 'later' for Zest, Maria was going to play with Ravel as your fiancée was a little hot and bothered… future Kane will take care of it, Miyu is going to get her anniversary gift later when you visited Acchan's lab and Alwyn was still playing with your sisters.
Nezuko didn't care, she looked smug at everyone as she always was after you visited her family and married her.
And finally, you made sure to pretend not to see Pandora who was making her greatest effort to hide herself so you could talk in private with Compa, IF and Neptune. You needed to be honest with your feelings and actions, there wasn't a genuine relationship with your Knight if it was based on lies so the first thing that you did was tell Neptune using magic to keep in private that you weren't her boyfriend and…
[She pulled a Reverse Uno]
Apparently, Neptune knew that she wasn't your girlfriend; she just decided to use that excuse to claim you first, your bed, and eat your food. She was sly and smart like a cat; also answered to don't worry she will still do the same stuff just now officially instead of consistently fucking with you. You had mixed feelings, on one hand, you wanted to just push her to the floor and have your way with her for being so cheeky and, on the other, you were genuinely impressed to the point that you wanted to see how well she could play others as Neptune would be an excellent con-woman in your organization or PR specialist.
But at the moment you need to just sit in your office and talk with the girls of Gamindustri, they need to know everything.
Including the part that you are a sort of High-Class Criminal and the first Don of a very successful Famiglia that has been expanding the past few years including a big list of crimes that you made others look away by owning the rich devils' school, that you also were getting an education, by the balls.
Finishing with Pandora, your next piece.
"And that is why I can't piece you two." You were genuinely apologizing for it; you would already put your pieces to use and have more elements in your Sky but not now. You Prioritized Pandora over everything else.
"That is very sweet of you Kane." Compa, your life became a lot fluffier since she came [Nice] but you weren't sure what she was focusing on to make her think that you were doing something sweet.
You were being greedy in choosing Pandora over them.
"It was a nice tale, but who would we be joining?" IF looked a bit cool there crossing her arms and trying to make the conversation move.
[Translation: Stop seducing me! I already have my panties drenched. My body is ready!]
It left you confused, what part of you choosing to do right with Pandora was attractive for them? Neptune on the other hand.
"Are you trying to make a Vanilla and Mora split? Oh my how lewd~" That mischievous laugh of your Knight, strikes the perfect balance between smug and playful.
[You are going to marry this girl and give her a child.]
"Yes." Your desire was palpable. "You are already a waifu." You moved at your maximum speed.
"Nani-!?" The defenseless Neptune could only say those words before her sentence was cut.
You kissed her at that moment, deep and passionately there wasn't a struggle in her body and soon she put her hands around you while you kept holding her in place. Tasting and exploring every corner of her sweet addicted mouth as you keep your eyes on the other occupants of the room.
Your eyes, the windows of your soul made clear to them that abandoning the room was impossible and they were next.
Three weeks where they didn't truly have a chance to blow off the accumulated stream and passionately show how much they had truly affected him with all the tiny accidents, touches, and sheer sex appeal that they have used against him.
"Oh right, you are a harem protagonist." The dazed Neptune remembered before her eyes widened in panic! "Oh *censored*! He is a harem protagonist! Compa! IF! Run for your chastity!" She called for her friends as she figured out the correct tropes.
IF looked a bit red, her eyes moved from Neptune to you, constantly trying to choose what she should do as her mind was locked in the fight.
Compa moved to the door, and then a clicking sound came as the lock was put in place sealing the only possible exit as the magical security came into effect.
"No, no, Nep-nep you have to learn to share everything with your party." The sweet and beautiful Compa smiled at Neptune before she whispered. "Everything~"
Today you were reminded that nobody enters into the vocation of medic, doctor, and nurse by being just a cute face with a sinful body.
Your smile alongside the flame in your soul began to grow as you were preparing yourself, later there will be dicking but today you will just do Fi-chan's treatment-
"Squeak." A sound distracts you.
You and the girls began to move the eyes to the direction where it came meeting with a furry ball of absolute fluffiness.
"Squeak." The eyes filled with wisdom and knowledge beyond your understanding made you realize that this isn't a normal rodent.
So you used your Intuition to translate what this being said to you.
[Kane, you need to fuck em Kane. Impregnate them Kane, that's the only way to spread the bloodline Kane. It's a real shit in the ass that your daughter has so few siblings of her age Kane, you could've kept the bloodline pure with Runeas but beggars can't be choosers. So fuck them bitches, that is the only way Kane.]
"That is an interesting hamster." And Neptune understood it perfectly too.
"Elttil." You commanded your familiar to stop his activities of recording your 'activities' for something more important. "This is the Pope that my species needs, make him a bitching set of clothes." To make the uniform worthy of this Enlightened being born in the wrong species.
[I'm Boo, a Miniature Giant Space Hamster.] And not only was he is a truly enlightened creature, but Boo was also capable of fucking with you.
And Boo got a pope hat and robes.
"Sure you are, and I am busy." With those words said you put the future Pope of the Caellum Ardor inside a drawer.
Turning towards your girls as there were no additional interruptions.
It was time for a meal.
[XxxxX
It took a while but you managed to win, your blazer was torn into pieces but the three girls just lay there with silly smiles on their tomato-red faces born of exhaustion and an unconscious Neptune groping them… not that you could blame her as Compa has one of the softest breasts that you have feel in your life and IF deserves head pats.
"This power needs to be trained and nurtured." You admitted to yourself and the hamster in your hand, those hands were magical and Neptune was pretty much-attacking anyone in the vicinity of her.
"Squeak [If you plow silly Neptune first then she will sleep fuck another waifu, giving you an ally to double team or cover you while you put a baby in another]." The Hamster Pope words were filled with wisdom.
Your own familiar made a big pillow and put it on Neptune's arms, a feat that ended the era of Neptune's sleeping dominance over the other members of your harem.
"Squeak [You are going to get more of those, she will make you addicted to her if you underestimate her power]." Your friend the Pope Hamster advised you. "Squeak [Still being part of another harem isn't bad if you want to rest, too many waifus will ruin your laifu if you don't have enough big dick energy.]"
You are going to need more of those pillows but fuck the rest, that was quitter talk and your father has more wives than you without being a Dragon Slayer.
…You need to train again with Beowulf.
There wasn't doubt that you had your fun with your harem, but you needed power now. As fast as possible, if you had your tail... no, don't think about that Kane. You just have to wait, it will return and soon you will be completed again.
"Squeak [Then you should tell him about your soul, if anything Beowulf would know someone that can find a solution]" Boo once again proved his worth and that your choice of not feeding Nezuko with his carcass was a good one.
"You are right Boo, less than a day of meeting you and there isn't doubt that your wisdom is massive." You were having half a mind in just asking for training but you can't see any issues with asking your mentor for help.
Okay, why are the servants looking at you weirdly? Have they never seen a devil take advice from a greater mind? It was quite racist of them, Boo's species and vocal impairment don't stop him from being more useful to you than all of them combined.
Finding Beowulf was just a matter of smelling the blood in the air combined with sweat and pain, or just following the biggest amount of vitality of the entire manor using your Ki sensing ability… Whoa, you had options now, in the past year it was a pure gut feeling and pure dumb luck when you asked him for the first time to train you and your peerage when it was just made by three.
Now, it was only you who trained regularly with him as Jack just did her stuff while keeping an eye on you and Nezuko hunted with Beowulf instead of learning anything from him but her gramps and tribe took priority as she was mastering her own Sacred Gear.
Your nostalgia was burned away when your instincts began to involuntary awaken for the sharpening… Alwyn's blood was on the ground.
She was fighting now and you were already running to catch up with the situation before your brain even had time to think the paths of the world were revealed to you for the sake of reaching to your pawn.
Your brain rebooted at what you were watching.
It was a beating without, it was basically a toddler having their crap beaten out by a professional wrestler. But Alwyn had the happiest smile on her face, even though she bled and tried to heal herself the best that she could with Restoration spells.
You knew and understood what she was feeling, the sensation of doing your best to break your limits and fuck everything else. Her injuries almost made you try to heal her but considering that this was Alwyn, she pretty much was using herself to train Restoration spells.
"Squeak [Is like looking at a mirror.]" Boo saw the need to remind you that it was what you do.
Really? To you, it looked like Beowulf was beating a schoolgirl… Your familiar will have to make a replacement for the broken armor.
Beowulf noticed you two and moved his face… you feel your teacher looking at you with the most serious expression that he could make with a helmet in his face before giving a thumb up, Alwyn celebrated with a broken 'yay' while keeping healing herself, so there was something that you were missing.
"Bwahahahaha! Beowulf Jr! Look at her! Truly you found an amazing wife!" Thanks for saying the obvious Beowulf, but all your peerage is the same.
"Thank you for giving me your approval, Father-in-law!" Alwyn's response was immediately to try and fail to rise herself from being splattered on the floor and smile. "My lord, the most gratuitous news your second father has given its approval for my courtship and your ravishment!" Okay, you are man enough to admit that you're slightly turned on.
That only made Beowulf laugh even louder as he… genuinely felt happiness and approbation for Alwyn. What the hell? It took you a while to get used to Alwyn, how did Beowulf manage to not kill her?
"Beowulf jr, you may not feel it but it is just because Ladon's shadow is above you, the battle that you both are waiting for hasn't begun and your desire for blood is boiling under your skin." Did you trigger a hidden quest from Beowulf? …Neptune's talk was infecting you. "Not all the Dragon Slayers try to kill all the dragons, your aggression is unnatural linking with your latent Wrath."
"I am Greedy." You immediately responded.
"And bloodthirsty, war is in your body as carnage fills your mind with adrenaline while your soul ignites with the fervor of fighting against enemies and rivals. Your nature is always going for the kill, you never hold back that desire for you, a good kill is your faith and your religion is the battlefield." It was just a factual thing from his perspective.
It made you think for a second, were you like that and waiting for a war to implode? Meh, probably. There was always a need to crush the doves' skulls and you always felt curious if their wings tasted like chicken.
"Squak, queak… Squeak. [Well he wasn't completely wrong, but you found that existed a religion where they worshiped sexy girls in advanced magical girl outfits and a Dragon Slayer that became a God but keep his roots to the point of blessing you for the amusement opportunity... You have found a better religion with explosions and magical girls]" Boo commented with his enormous wisdom.
"I think that the hamster is right in his argument." You decided, this little guy was filled with wisdom and such great advices
"Squeak [And now I will go for the bitches in animal planet.]" Boo jumped out of your shoulder back to the mansion with your keys.
He is lucky that you wanted him as a pope, naturally the other two devils just looked at you with an expression that you didn't like.
"Any idea of how to calm down?" Kane Gremory used Distraction!
"You could fuck her." Beowulf used Unhelpful Advice.
"I support that plan!" Alwyn has recovered all her Health Points!
You rolled your eyes, as tempting as it was you needed true solutions, couldn't he tell you about something that you weren't going to do without any doubt? What else is going to advise you to drink water? Breath air? Or who knows maybe he will recommend you to eat food!
"Beowulf, I am already going to do that." You rolled your eyes, seriously is he really trying to help or just mock you? "My Pieces are my rings, my promises, my vows, and my word is the law in the land." So you reminded him.
Who the fuck need a priest or paperwork? You are a devil and pieces are for increasing the population, it is basic shit to understand your actions.
Okay, he is looking at you weirdly.
"It's too early for this shit without a few beers." The old Dragon Slayer decided.
"Do that make Rathvaaz my dowry?" Alwyn words almost made you stumble as your Intuition was… what was doing? The data was… what data? What were you doing? Ah, familiar time.
"You sure love that horse, I will teach you how to make a familiar bond later." You managed to say, as the headache grew worse.
"Thank you, Talos!" Alwyn celebrated and hugged you with a big smile on her face, it didn't matter the state she was in after the test of Beowulf you couldn't help but smile at her.
She was adorable, someone with such a sexy body shouldn't be so cute instead of seductive. Then again, Zest was just the cutest bunny and has a very buxom body that has been becoming sexier with the progress of the pregnancy…
"Who is this Talos?" Beowulf got curious and interrupted your deep meditation about Zest's milk-filled breast.
"Our God." Alwyn answered as someone asked her about the hour.
"There is a Dragon Slayer that became a God in the place where I meet Alwyn, quite cool and made me his Champion." You added with a 'what can you do expression' Talos was Talos and like every other dragon slayer that you had met the God was a weirdo.
The Berserker just looked at you two for a minute in silence.
"Really should have picked some beers before." Beowulf decided that alcohol was the answer to his problems of thinking too much. "We will talk about this 'Talos' and what he wants later, you have come to train with me again and there is much to do."
With Gods the phrase 'Is just amusement' isn't good enough to calm mortals, no matter who you deal with the Gods are the most volatile existence even if you put irregularities like Ares and Talos, there are hundreds more dangerous.
But Talos was a Dragon Slayer that somehow punched his way to Godhood by becoming too powerful by your reading. Being a God was secondary, the blessing was just him taking interest in the tale that you were making to see what you would do if he gave you the freedom to act.
It was quite meh that it was more of a rom-com for Talos, so he kicked you out of his world and will call you later.
Oh, right training,
Training, then piecing Pandora then plowing her silly.
After telling Alwyn to rest and heal the injuries that she had before she exhausted all her mana… then told her that if she wanted to get practice in learning how to heal when she recovers her stamina, there were always people to extract information with Alwyn there will more methods for Jack to try her hand while doing the interrogations of traitors.
Who knows maybe you could get a way to farm body parts for Nezuko if Alwyn gets good enough in the Restoration branch of the magic of her people
"Beowulf jr, I am going to teach you how to use fighting spirit, Touki or my personal favorite name Big C Energy." The tone of Beowulf means that it would involve a lot of fighting and sadly this time wouldn't work.
You winced a little, phantom voids inside your body felt like pits where your vitality escaped before you can try to gather it.
"I can't do it Beowulf." You admitted it, it was impossible with your soul being injured like this.
"No with that attitude." His aura burst forward, so much energy that you could see it with your eyes without the need for any concentration or emotion, he mastered it.
But Beowulf was wrong, you didn't need to learn anymore, it was that you couldn't use it.
To you Touki/fighting spirit/chi/qigong/etc was basically the art of becoming a water balloon, you move and the liquid inside moves with it but having too many holes didn't allow to explode outside in reaction to impacts, you didn't know how it worked for others but the method of guiding the energy that flows inside your soul was using your body.
It was a cycle, mind guided the body, the body commands the soul and the soul gives the mind the power and strength to command. Or something like that you weren't a poet and it was confusing.
"Nezuko's Gramps consumed many pieces of my soul. I can't train when my vitality just escapes before forming Touki." So you skipped all the bullshit and just told him the issue.
Beowulf summoned a bottle, then a dozen, and a barrel and in less than a blink all was empty before the smell of alcohol reached your nose. Then he was over you, his soul began to inspect yours, then cut the connection in less than three seconds.
"Fuck, you are basically a used chewing gum." Beowulf cursed and then looked at you with his serious 'don't pull shit Kane' face. "How have you been dealing with this?"
"It's a bit annoying, my tail has been missing for months now." You had to move to get drinks from the freezer.
"You haven't told anyone else?" Beowulf if anyone else knows Nezuko will get in trouble.
"It's going to grow back." Especially with the help of your Flames taking care of these 'Flaws'. "Is like a broken bone and torn flesh, if I have time then it's going to be fixed in some months of work."
Beowulf just took you like a sack of potatoes and began to run.
"We are going to visit someone." He said as he began to speed up. "For the moment your training will have to stop, the most important part is taking care of this." But you have to…
Wait! This is genius! Beowulf is going to help you eliminate the evidence so your Rook doesn't get into trouble. These injuries in your soul were temporary, self-inflicted for doing something that you shouldn't and wouldn't ever regret doing it.
(Even now you are thinking about how it would benefit who you love)
It was perfect!
Still… you spend a half-hour of your life moving at high speed, through a lake, a mountain, and a forest with Beowulf pretty much going only in a straight line breaking everything… if your body wasn't very tough and durable then without doubt that would have ended with Beowulf carrying a mass of smashed meat instead of a living devil.
Your nose began to smell something. It was so chaotic that you couldn't really describe it but beyond that was the smell of salt. Why does a Dragon smell like salt when the Underworld doesn't have seas? But was clearly the origin of the smell, so much salt that you noticed it first before anything else.
Why Beowulf took you to a Zoidberg? And dropped you to the floor? Doesn't he know that… well he probably knows and doesn't care about manners.
"What the fuck do you want Beowulf?" The zoidberd in question was a particular blonde woman in an apartment?
Who made an apartment in the middle of the forest? Don't the zoidbergs live in caves like homeless people and vam… bats?
(Is it a bad habit of yours to insult any species that you haven't found posses a cute girl to befriend?)
[It does have warming and cooling systems alongside all the modern applications]
Okay, is your intuition chastising you for almost insult Flandre's race or give you useless info.
"This is Beowulf jr, there occurred an issue with his Rook." Beowulf explained and you decided to take a good look at the woman in question.
She was a booby blonde and…
No... it was fake, her true appearance was different, it wasn't just her power that was hidden but her looks were different. She was blue like the seas, deep like that, the origin of life… so many meanings that you think were thrown away with the passing of time until just the draconian characteristics and those looks were left.
"So you came to get a replacement after the crazed Wendigo got euthanized?" The words of the Zoidberg took your attention back to her.
It pissed you off more than anything before, the world cracked instantaneously.
"Beowulf, who is this bitch? Can I kill her for insulting Nezuko? Please tell me that I can hurt her." You asked your mentor, rage boiled but was tempered, you need to be allowed to attack.
She has the smell of Beowulf over her, your mentor as dibs and you can't kill this zoidberg, it was against everything that you believed in. No Dragon Slayer would NTR another of their chosen prey is basically un-sportsmanship!
"Tsk, a Dragon Slayer in his period. There isn't a single bone of respect in this brat."
"You insulted my Nezuko." Nobody insults your peerage/harem/wives-to-be. "You are lucky that I haven't killed you already and be in the process of profaning your corpse."
"You. Sick. Brat." Snarled the Zoidberg. "What did you plan to do?"
"By putting mustard in your carcass and marinating it with mayonnaise." You will figure out a way to make it tasty but you make it the weirdest dish ever. "That is what you deserve, to be badly cooked that is going to be the weirdest taste ever made."
"Is this brat for real?" The Blue Zoidberg tone was flat.
"He married a Wendigo and gave her part of his soul as dowry." You could hear the grin and mirth of Beowulf; he was enjoying himself while you glared at the Zoidberg. "He is serious about cooking her meals, and learned to do it while they are alive."
"It's too early for this shit." As expected of Zoidbergs, lazy shits sleeping on a perfect day.
It took a few beers before the Zoidberg called herself Tia and decided to hear the story of how you ended utterly owned over by the Blood King without any chance of turning the tables as the gramps of Nezuko made you his bitch by existing.
"Now tell, what the fuck happened." It was an order, so fuck her, you will not give the story of your life.
"The Blood King feasted with my soul before I could marry my Rook and declare that I taste horrible and don't deserve to be food." You told her in the bluntest way possible to get the healing done and return to training, you don't have all the day.
"...Fuck. You aren't lying." This Lady shouldn't act like it hurts her brain dealing with you, the one that is injured isn't her.
"No shit." Beowulf continued, raiding the reserve of booze of the zoidberg when she got a headache.
"Ajuka is going to throw a fit. How did that thing manage, it wasn't sealed?" The next question is easy to answer.
(Who is Ajuka?)
"I visited the Wendigo inside Nezuko's Sacred Gear." You may do that on other Sacred Gears but your peerage doesn't have another to visit. "It ended pretty well in my opinion, Nezuko and me are married by their laws." Again you gloated at the middle age woman that is still single.
"Why?" She still maintained her expression while you smirked.
"It was quite lucky in my opinion that her gramps was awakened, otherwise I would have to visit again on a different date." You needed that Wendigo Overlord approval to marry her favorite descendant.
It saved you time and you appreciated not having to do extra tasks to be with Nezuko.
"It just took me having to bite my arm to get a good chunk out and kiss her to make her consume me." Sweet victory, you would have preferred kissing your rook without the blood but you can't have everything. "Nezuko unlocked a Balance Breaker too." You told Beowulf as they would hunt later.
[Error 404, Chaos Karma has found critical errors]
"What?" She repeated as her body shook.
Why did her eye become red and begin to bleed from her nose?
[She got an aneurysm out of sheer stupidity]
Alter touched her nose and saw blood coming out
"An aneurysm out of sheer stupidity?... so that's how I go out..." The Zoidberg apparently accepted her death. "Why? Just why did you do something so stupid?" Those were dying words.
But you didn't come to the house of a zoidberg just to be blue balled of what was yours and began to blast her with your Purification.
"Lady, I am in a very lovely relationship with all my Peerage." To you, it was the greatest bond that you had, and weren't blind at how possessive it was. "I know and understand that I fell in love with a Wendigo, she could eat me and enjoy it because I am sure that a Pillar devil is a rare treat for her kin just like the big game that everyone hunts for her."
"And even if she does end up seeing me as her food I will continue loving her, that feeling isn't going to change." You made that choice the day that you met her three years ago. "I love my Rook and it is my choice to act on it."
And will never regret loving Nezuko.
Love made you crazy, it didn't have any sort of sense or need to follow any sort of logic just act on it.
"At least you are more responsible than this asshole. Come, we are going to visit an old acquaintance." Well, you got help. Just had to give the finger to death itself once again. "If you survive long enough she will probably end up fixing you."
"Lahmu! Mommy is going to visit an old friend!" She shouted at her house only to be responded to by a 'kay' of a girl of your age… Spiritual age.
And if this Zoidberg called you brat while looking like a teenager then she is truly an old middle age woman by supernatural standards.
Then you noticed the biggest error that was missed… You really were polite with a Zoidberg all this time?
Fuck! Even when you win it still tastes like ashes!
[It will only hurt a minute.]
(What?)
That was your last moment of conscience before a fist came against your cranium.
XxxxX
You awoke after… [2.4 hours] right, fuck your head is a mess and there was a bandana around your eyes… you hope that it was a bandana at least and didn't dare to ask. You just knew that you weren't in the Underworld anymore and all the data that you were getting from your Intuition and the Flow was used to get the location.
"How did you wake up? That should have kept you down for the rest of the day." Tia, the zoidberg asked but Beowulf wasn't around. You could smell him but wasn't close enough to discover where he was hiding.
"Bitch." You just say those words and let her carry you.
The rest of your attention was on memorizing and discerning the place where you had been taken while unconscious, it was weird. You couldn't help but have all your focus on understanding everything around you was so silent, without air, without the light of the sun, without the small animals and insects, without plants or any source of… ah you finally get it. It was death but different from the sensation of all those times that you taste it, feel it, and are close to it. It was so different from what you fought against with your own Dying Will igniting and all the different battles you had, this sensation that this land brings into your soul was more like acceptance.
Dying doesn't seem so bad, if he could get in this place to rest after everything is done.
It was cold too, you could feel your breath escaping from your nose and mouth.
And you feel how your vitality is being drained at a faster rate than… no it wasn't your vitality but the lifespan that you had was being reduced but was related to something different as your eyes began to turn purple again under the bandage and saw a few paths forward.
A lonely person. Sadness, betrayal, and abandonment were there every day.
A lonely person. How many years has been since this land alone?
A lonely person. What makes them still live in this place?
A… single path, you didn't need more as you chose to meet them. Forcing your eyes more than you had before, this wasn't a single change but an accumulation of different factors. It hurts, your mind and eyes begin to ache but Purification keeps your eyes from the worst of overusing this gift from Cernunnos.
It was a meeting that was never meant to happen.
"Tia… what are you doing here?" A feminine voice was chilly, your bones began to tremble and your breath came off instantaneously.
You feel death itself staring at you.
[Don't get a boner, Don't get a boner, you are being carried by a Zoidberg don't get a boner… just because death is feeling awkward doesn't mean that you should interrupt]
And you were very tempted to ruin the atmosphere.
"I came to bring this brat here, his mentor will owe me one after this and our debts will be sated." Your transport answered immediately and you feel less pressured.
"Is that so?" A simple musing and the atmosphere became serious for a second. "What do you need from me?"
"His soul is a mess and half." The Zoidberg was pointing to your ass. "Repair it and I will be off." Rude.
So she was your doctor? She must be quite experienced to understand a soul like yours.
You separated yourself from the Zoidberg and enjoyed finally being on your own feet, the connection to the flow of this place was better when you connected to the ground, it felt infinitely better like this as you could see again.
It was a lady skeleton and pretty much a big cave/abyss in a subterranean zone. [Coordinates obtained] You could return later if you wanted now, fuck the zoidberd that tried to hide the position.
With that done you put your attention on the other lady, you recognize female bones after your activities… You were pro-equality of murder so you burned enough bodies to know genders through the bones and also from cooking... cooking humanoid was an art that you learned.
"Can I take this thing off?" You asked after translating it to a politer speech. So basically the same words with extra ass-kissing. "Or the identity of my healer is a mystery?"
It was incredibly amusing how the skeleton lady moved her cape like Owlman to cover her body, it was so… sooOOOOO!
"Be glad mortal as Ereshkigal, the Queen of Kur." Ereshkigal threw her cape making a pose of superhero. "…Is here in all of her splendor."
"A pleasure to meet you." You were proud of yourself for not cracking a smile at how this goddess was like a grown-up Fi-chan! "Can I take this bandana off to see you?" You heard a crack and knew that the Goddess forgot that you were blinded by an item.
It was as fun as teasing Fi-chan!
You could see how a little bit of her soul escaped from her skull that basically repeating the word 'dummy, dummy!' as she tried to recover from the blow.
"You can appreciate my appearance, mortal." Thanks Lilith, this bandana was itching. "Prepare yourself as you are worth of my time now and will fix your-" You tone her down and begin to do what was required for your treatment.
Naturally, that means that you began to undress yourself, orders of your doctor were absolute.
"W-Why are you undressing yourself?!" When was the last time that she saw a naked man to react like that?
[About nine centuries at minimum.]
Oh, that is… something.
"You are going to check my soul." You finished unbuttoning your shirt, you could use magic but you got used to doing strip tease on Mondays. "I don't know if the material that my mimic made would interfere or not with the checkup."
"I am Goddess born before your species was made, no material would interfere with my duty." Ereshkigal boasted as she put her bone-ly rotten hands in you.
…
"Do you want me to continue taking my clothes?" You asked after feeling the frustration of Ereshkigal, she may be a very experienced and skilled deity but was dismissed and her powers barely had the energy to fuel them.
"…It's probably necessary." She admitted, after a minute of silence. "This is a strange material that is resistant to aspects of… Why do I have to answer your doubts?! Undress so I can do my task mortal!"
And you did, slowly with the lessons of Shelia.
"…Why did you took everything off?" Ereshkigal apparently stared at Kane jr.
"My underclothes also are made of the same material." You answered with a thumbs up, you were impressive.
Ereshkigal was professional, even as she touched in a way no other woman has ever managed to do in your life, the sensations that were so damn good that you were proud of your massive willpower managed to keep Kane jr from reacting and your voice from doing the same sounds of Zest in a good night.
"Something wrong?" You asked as she paused her examination.
"You are cursed, there are so many curses interconnected in ways that should be impossible and fueled by your own soul and vitality." Oh, she is giving a good review of your craft! You almost feel a blush forming. "This piece of work is sadistic to the point that many criminals would have difficulties to breathe and your enemy truly hated, is going to take me hours to-" Say no more.
You flexed your flames and cleaned your soul from the curses that you crafted into yourself, training will continue later as she needs to see your soul without anything extra, you can't do anything about the flow of the world coursing through you… Kur was pretty nice so far and you didn't want to end offending this realm
"Don't touch the one against Fertility, I kinda need that one." You asked, it was being saved to impregnate a succubus or Pandora if you needed a nuclear option to her mental issues.
"…You cursed yourself. Why?" Huh, this is the first time that you feel genuine curiosity at that question, normally it was on the lines 'Why are you so damn stupid!?' when someone discovers your manner of training.
Why? That was a very packet question.
You smiled.
"I trust myself to never surrender, since the first day that I learned this branch because I wanted to be strong." You were a quite useless pillar devil, it was fair that you needed to do more to catch up. "And now I just didn't want to forget something important about myself."
You were the weak and so you never should be satisfied with the power that you have, keep working and advancing a step every day so you someday catch up with those that truly were great.
And so the treatment continued, sometimes Ereshkigal paused to ask something and you answered her questions the best that you could. So many experiences marked your soul from Bova to Mehrunes Dagon, to the bonds that you made as Fluffy and Talos gave you so you ended telling her a few bits of those experiences.
"What relationship do you have with the fae?" The question of Ereshkigal put ice in your beings as your whole existence ignited.
"I massacred every single one that tried to screw with me and my friends for almost an entire year of pure killing." Your temper was ranging, putting under control was "They never fu… hecking learned and eventually helped my friend Fluffy by eating the remains of their sins and cursed souls." The memory of what they did to Cernunnos always made you angry.
But it gave you something to focus on, the extra emotion was pushed into the flow so Kur felt your spite and let it help you to calm with the embrace of death… this probably is one of the weirdest things, a realm of Death giving you a hug and comforting you.
"All because whose idiots even in death couldn't stop ruining everything!" Satan, you hated Fae so much.
"I-I see." Did you make a goddess stutter? Fuck! You did!
[Fix it idiot.]
"Sorry, I lost my temper." You apologized for your lapse in control.
Silence permeated the realm as Ereshkigal continued her work without a single word, seconds turned into minutes and finally hours as you feel her inspecting you and judging your experiences, the life that you had until now.
"You have suffered much." Her judgment was given and decided, you feel a cold conform as her fingers caressed your Sky. "Your soul is filled with painful experiences, you have worked so much, almost died many times, was this why you came here? Because you are very unfortunate to have lived through all that?"
"Hmm, nope I think that I'm a very fortunate devil." You refused it, truly she didn't know you well enough to understand how truly blessed you were until now. "There are moments where it was scary, terrific, and painful but I am enjoying this life a lot."
"You are going to die. It will be a short life if you continue with the Blood King being just the latest…" She was… a kind goddess, those words were filled with care. "Don't you know what will happen after you die?"
"I don't know, never read what happens to the souls of devils." Maybe I would be put in a Sacred Gear, maybe my soul would dissipate or enter the circle of reincarnation.
"The only thing that I know is that I can't blame anyone but myself for that." It was after all the form that you chose to live and enjoy the time that you had. "If I die, do you think that I could come here?" It was a good place to rest.
"You want… to rest in Kur?" It's really that hard to believe Ereshkigal?
"Is a good realm, Kur is nice and all this time has been making me feel that I should drop and die." You laughed a bit as you felt its attention on you like a mother chastising you and being disappointed in a child's bad habits. "Is it a form of saying that I have done enough, that I could rest, and consoling me by saying that everything will be alright if I take a rest."
You feel so tired and your eyes closed without input but it wasn't something to fear, this realm was really leaving you dry but Ereshkigal was trustworthy enough to let her do what she wanted while you rest a little.
(I saw so many things, some were sad and some were happy, some were funny and others so frustrating… Kane what do you want to write?)
[You wanted to understand and connect with others. What about Ereshkigal?]
Do you want to know and connect with Kur and Ereshkigal? She counted in the list of those that you trusted completely. What others saw and you saw was different, she was like you were for months and endured much more than you. It was a sort of hell that you didn't want to repeat and to her it was her every day.
She mended your soul you understood so much about her with the connection made.
You didn't feel pity, there wasn't anything that was like that in your mind.
You didn't feel sympathy as you couldn't understand or know her.
You feel admiration.
Admiration and gratitude, she was an amazing woman.
No amount of begging or pleading came from her. No amount of crying or shouting, either. What she had was the duty of the caretaker of these empty lands of the dead that the sun will never touch, always taking care of the cages where a soul could end resting, always waiting and expecting nothing to change but she still continues with her duty.
She was a good Goddess.
But didn't open your mouth to say anything else as her treatment has reached the finish line and with the last touch you feel your whole soul returning to the flesh.
And then you were blind.
A world without color or sound, it was… hard to describe. It wasn't white or black, just nothing, there weren't shapes or figures, and there wasn't anything that can be described in a world that lost everything.
You were a blind devil and you accepted that because, without eyes, you still saw what truly was important and already knew. Your intuition gave you information, sounds and smells, the flow of nature, and even something extra that you couldn't name at the moment was enough, truly enough to interact with this world.
She was a beautiful existence.
You 'smiled' but hadn't lips for it, you had to separate and make a crack two pieces more than open a mouth with your breath embers of dying will escape instead of mist by the cold of Kur… not it wasn't cold but just a mix of luck and lifespan getting shaved off.
[Senjutsu can restore it but isn't fast enough to completely overcome it, the rate of degradation is more than twenty times the rate of restoration.]
[Different theories made… best steps are limiting the interaction for adaptation to the rules without damaging Kur by timing exposure to remember and develop a connection to the flow of Kur may refill it]
[Kur Potential: Dying Will, Senjutsu, and Divine Booty]
Faster, way faster recollection of data that you were used to on the different aspects of the problem, solution, and rewards. Different, interesting, and useful now if you could have eyes to… Ohhhh!
"Ohhhh." So many colors! So many things that you could see now!
Eyes! You were growing eyes! So many! Your perspective was expanded, they were five! Could you make more? You could! Every empty space could make one. Now how to close them, can you do it with all of them or individually? You don't think that is required to blink when you didn't have eyelids so it was hiding them?
So many questions to explore!
"You are having fun?" Oh right Ereshkigal, your excitement must have been very notable but you can save it.
"Just figuring out my new body part." It was the truth and with the newly discovered distortion of your voice, the goddess probably will not discover your embarrassment at being caught.
(It sounds like something cracking in the fire somehow making the required sounds) A little mini girl said?
She was pointing at your back and twisting your neck, you saw your very own tail moving excitedly from left to right in a very fast manner.
"Traitor!" You called your tail and the bastard stopped moving at that precise moment, then you saw smugness coming from it and were taunting you. "…I missed you." You continued and tried to smile, failing at that and then hearing bones crack as you hugged your own tail.
The taste/smell/feeling of death was interesting… That was your newest impression of Kur.
And now you saw the Goddess having a little fun at your antics, a moment that made your Greed truly begin to burn with desire.
Her soul was bright, like the sun.
A star is hidden in such profound darkness that Kur was greedily hiding away because it recognized her worth more than anyone else. It took your heartbeat, it took your mind and breath away as you couldn't truly stop this desire of yours to bring her into your Sky, to share her light with every bond that you had.
She was such a beautiful little star that refuses to extinguish and collapse no matter what, and you couldn't add her to your peerage.
"My true form is blind because I am blind even when I begin to see I still was blind to so many things." You mused aloud, as your head returned to its usual appearance.
At least you keep your hair in both forms, it would be a shame if you took after Baldy when you were in your true form.
"Do you need something?" She looked at you with her empty eyes like saying 'When are you getting out of my yard.'
You touched the skull and set your hand on Flames, and began to caress her.
"You must have been cold for a long while, isn't much but this is one of those tiny things that I can do for you." The only reason why you could touch her was that she still has her hands in your soul and could kill you if needed.
It would be fast and painless; your soul would have a nice prison as it rests for reincarnation or until it dissipates. She was one of the rare good ones and would be merciful.
"Caellun Ardor will always be your Famiglia and we are in your side." You promised her as you feel the last vestiges of your soul return to its natural place.
Stronger than ever, the image of your true form was covered in flames but you could see your arms, torso, legs, and internals were what was left.
Just four more pieces before you are completed.
"I am not going to betray my faction." Ereshkigal declared, even if it was a lie. You can't belong to a faction when they weren't treating you like part of them.
"Heh." You laughed a bit as amusement and the mirth of those words made you feel genuinely satisfied. "You are too cute."
That was a nice killing intent, but was more irritation than bloodlust as she thinks that you were making fun of her.
"I will be the one that offers you the world, not because I want anything but because you helped me and appreciate it." You declared pointing at yourself with your own thumb.
"…This is." She looked confused. "What do you want?" It was hard to read her expression in multiple manners.
(She got Shares from you, which is something incredibly important for a goddess.) Thanks you!
"Nothing, you were nice to me and that is enough to make an everlasting bond." She gave you back so many things and even showed you the beauty of the world that you were missing.
How would you truly ever pay back? You could truly see so much more and think… Fuck it, you will do the answer that always worked for you.
"But I will cuck your husband if you keep being so cute. You are just too precious to not spoil rotten." You weren't a saint, this was death shaped as the best girl and any warrior worth of salt has flirted with death… With you doing it way more than the average.
Cheating was a repulsive act but Kur gave you the thumbs up for it as this realm hated her husband and no worthy man would neglect this precious star without seeing back and doesn't deserve the gift of her company.
So you will take her for yourself! It wasn't like Ereshkigal liked the faggot!
Huh, why is the Goddess getting away?
(Look down) Why did the fairy covered her face?
You looked down and found a very hard Kane jr ready.
…
You have done worse, and with that realization, the chase began as you were chasing a star.
Tiamat.
"Why you-ack!? Get away you lustful creature!"
"Never! Receive my genuine appreciation."
"You have done more than enough!"
"This is only the beginning! AHAHAHAH!"
"Get that thing away from me!"
"Isn't like you have organs for it!"
This sort of bullshit comedy scene, doesn't that idiot know that his lifespan is being depleted? Why has he gotten so animated and even chased Ereshkigal while completely naked? No Tiamat stop thinking, it will only hurt you and get you a step closer to death, this devil brat has a death wish and is obsessed.
Unless…
"Is he a necrophiliac?" She asked… to the bastard that got her pregnant.
It was the only explanation that she could understand of why the brat genuinely is flirting with Ereshkigal, she wasn't the most pretty or stable goddess after centuries without the company of anyone or souls circling in Kur.
"He doesn't need the fetish." Beowulf let out a big tired breath. "His biggest flaw is put his dick in where he shouldn't."
"He is going to die if he continues." And Tiamat is going to prepare the biggest 'told you' of her life as she knew that it was a bad idea to deal with Ereshkigal but no, Beowulf wanted the best expert in souls that she knew.
"No." Beowulf denied it as he watched his apprentice follow the goddess; it was the look of a man with a mission. "Not yet at least, he hasn't fucked her and he isn't the type that would simp without reaching the goal."
In Beowulf's mind, Beowulf jr was going to make demigods and nobody is going to stop him.
And Tiamat, sadly knew Beowulf enough to read those throughs and feel that she should have ignored them and spent time with her child.
Dragon Slayers, never once these bastards make any sort of sense!
Note: Rolls were a chaotic blast, as usual, the only consolation that I have is that Kane didn't meet Tiamat's daughter and genuinely almost killed Tiamat with an aneurysm by his Kane-ness affecting her so much more by being a Dragon Tamer. All the general social stuff was done, so now Kane is free to the more specialized Social Links... He fucking managed to come clean and avoid drama caused by lies with gamindustri girls, then Compa did a best-girl move.
Then Alwyn goes Ultra Chadette and Beowulf married you off to her after she proved herself... Yeah, she did that in the few hours since she came to Underworld.
Kane likes Kur and adapted very fast to the true form of his head so immediately got to see best girl with Kur feeding him the info and like Muspelheim, its conscious knows that Kane can give true death to others and hates Nergal... Yeah, a realm is doing shipping games because of the traits of Kane. Eresh has to play nice because there are three gods that have their positive attention on Kane so she can't smite him.
Also, Boo is here and his 4th wall-breaking powers are real, Minsc isn't crazy.
Finally, you know the deal, errors will be fixed... Questing without Beta-reader is hard.
