Pilgrimage of Heaven

by Mundatorem

The kindness of a man who wished only to be normal. The determination of a man who wants only to better his race. The arrogance of one who dictates life. A boy who desires to live his ideal life. Stories of suffering and parting, stories of love and hope. They shall all converge on their pilgrimage that is life.

26. He who aligned the stars: II

He who aligned the stars

II

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It wasn't long before the others started to file into the room, or rather, Wodime imagined that it would not be much longer. Cao Cao sat at the table directly opposite with his head down and staring at the desk, clearly working on something once again and allowing the silence to settle until the others arrived.

Ordinarily, Wodime would have called it rather rude to work on something while someone else was in the room with them at the time but it wasn't as though they had much to speak of outside of a professional capacity. Really, it would have made more sense if he had something at the time. He supposed he could ask what it was about but that might have been overstepping his bounds.

A hiss of the door from behind him had him twitch his head ever so slightly, though it wasn't truly necessary for him to turn around and see who had entered considering the fact that they were still in the middle of a conversation. Cao Cao looked up with a raised eyebrow but otherwise said nothing, content to merely watch the duo enter the room with a blank expression that made it clear he wasn't going to interrupt them any time soon.

Wodime was more than a little curious himself, so he elected to remain silent and listen as to what was being spoken about between the two of them.

"-rather quite interesting when you think deeply about it." The rather exaggerated voice of one Scandinavia Peperoncino flooded the room, "It's all to do with removing the old growth so the new can flourish!" there was a pause as they took in a breath before they continued onwards with a chuckle marrying their words. "Which is why I make it a habit of emptying my wardrobe out every odd month and getting something new in there."

A rather bewildered voice came next, though the fact that 'Siegfried' was even following the conversation at length was something that Wodime was more than a little impressed about. But he supposed it was only a matter of time before Peperoncino branched out and started going after the usually distant figure. "Well I…don't know all that much about fashion, to be honest with you-"

"Which is rather a shame." Came a sigh from Pepe "I think that there are quite a few designs that would work splendidly on you. Even if you avoid the bright colours and bold expression that announces you to the world, there are other outfits that can convey just as deep a meaning."

Wodime turned his head as he watched the pair walk around the table, briefly catching a glimpse of Siegfried's face as he turned and pulled out a chair, white haired man furrowed his brows ever so slightly as he gripped the seat and hesitated in his movements for a few seconds, his lips being pulled into a thoughtful frown. Red eyes danced around in their sockets. He looked between any number of things, then made a small noise as he pulled the chair out.

"That's…just not the sort of thing I'm all too interested or familiar with." He replied after a moment of silence, placing himself in the seat and dragging it forwards. Naturally, Pepe did not let the obvious inexperience perturb him, rather - judging by the smile that now graced his features - he was more than a little pleased about it.

Wodime idly noted that the taller person was wearing another flamboyant outfit, though this one was a touch less brightening than the last one he had worn, it was rather interesting to see how much neon a person could wear and still make it work in a bewildering sense. Not that he personally understood fashion either - he could empathise with Siegfried on that account - but it was something Pepe was passionate about, so it was fine.

"That's alright, there is such a thing as utility first and foremost." Pepe waved his hand from side to side, resting the other on the back of the chair directly next to Siegfried and pulling it out, placing himself down and assuming the seat next to the man. Receiving only a slightly confused look for his actions in response. "You're a sword fighter, so it would make sense for your outfit to convey all of that. Something that is functional and stylish."

Leaning back into his seat, Pepe raised an eyebrow "You do not truly intend to go into every encounter in the future wearing that old exorcist coat, do you?"

"Well there was never anything wrong with it." Siegfried defended, though he made a face after a moment. "Though, considering I'm not really an exorcist anymore nor am I affiliated with the Holy Church…it would be rather strange to continue wearing it, wouldn't it?"

Pepe raised his hands "Now, now. This isn't about how you look to other people, this is about how you look to yourself." he tapped his finger on the table, offering a intrigued smile "You have to ask yourself, first and foremost, when you look in the mirror, do you like what stares back at you?"

Wodime found himself blinking at the advice, then looked across the table and saw that Cao Cao was similarly in a state of puzzlement, his brows furrowed and his lips drawn into a thin line as though he was now considering the words as well. Or he was just confused as to how a conversation like this stemmed from whatever you were going to wear. He personally preferred lighter clothing but he'd gone with his current attire because it was expected of him to carry a grace of dignity about him.

Maybe that was what put people off engaging him in a more casual setting?

He dismissed it, returning to the act of listening in. Though it was hardly a private conversation in the first place.

"Now, what I will say is that you pull off the long coat rather marvellously." Pepe continued on, gesturing to Siegfried with a slightly more serious aura to his words but still keeping his tone light. "But I am just asking if you really want to wear that sort of coat in the first place. Though, it is hardly my decision. I'm just offering my advice."

"R-right…" Siegfried fidgeted in his seat, then glanced down at himself and the grey shirt and trousers he was wearing. Wodime didn't know what the man was thinking, especially when he started to pick at the shirt and pull it away from himself to examine the fabric, but he imagined that it was something that was pressing on his mind by now.

"Just so long as you put some thought into it." Pepe smiled once more, leaning backwards and then grinning just a little wider. "And if you ever find yourself in need of some fashion advice, I would be more than happy to give you some. I might not be a professional but I am confident in my ability to string together a few clothes to make a rather dashing outfit." a chuckle emerged once again, gesturing to himself. "Not to brag, but I feel as though the results can speak for themselves."

Siegfried looked up, then blinked "It's…certainly…colourful?"

"Why thank you!" Pepe beamed, turning to the table and leaning forwards with his arms resting on it. "I always like to put that extra little bit of effort into it."

Indeed, with a black undershirt being the tamest thing he was wearing, the waistcoat was a brilliant neon orange with a diamond shaped pattern running across the surface of it that was the same colour as the shirt, a set of white nylon trousers and heeled boots and a tie that was a bright shape of purple. While not the flashiest of things he had seen him wear, it was still rather colourful all the same.

The conversation died off for a few moments, at least until the door opened up once again with more and more individuals filing into the room at a steady rate. By the end of the wait, everyone from both sides of the group was now present in the room, Wodime glanced around his own side of the table and felt himself hold back a small frown as he noticed the seating placement. Though it was no surprise they were two different groups working closely together, he could see the clear divide between everyone which was rather pressing.

If they could all bunch themselves up together, perhaps switch around in the seating so it was less split down the middle, then perhaps it would be more beneficial for future team building but it was the way of things. It happened every other time they came to a meeting and it happened again, he just figured that the repeated interactions would have been able to chip away at this sense of differentiation between the two groups.

Only one seat was left unattended, he glanced in the direction of the chair on his left side that would have usually been occupied by Daybit. The fact it was still empty and there seemed to be no sign of his arrival meant that he clearly wasn't back from wherever he had gone. Something Cao Cao probably noticed as well, glancing in the direction of the man he caught sight of him staring at the empty seat with a hint of irritation flashing through his eyes before it was smothered away.

"Shall I open this meeting with the assumption that no one has seen Daybit return?" He asked, glancing around the room and leaning back into his seat, swivelling his chair from side to side as though he was sweeping all the people with his gaze. The expression on his face shifted into exasperation after a few moments of silence. "So I see. Someone be sure to note down the bullet points of this meeting and pass them along to him, considering there is little way of knowing when he would return."

Pepe chose that moment to speak up, an almost teasing smile on his face "I'm more hurt that he didn't think to invite me along on another of these mystery walks. The last time he went out it sparked that whole rumour." rolling his eyes, he shook his head from side to side. "He leaves to do things so infrequently but they're always so interesting when he does."

Someone cleared their throat, Wodime glanced in the direction of the noise and found that it came from the usually stern expression of Ophelia, the copper haired woman looked to Pepe with a look that was almost chiding, her one visible eye narrowed ever so slightly but without any real heat within it. "You may joke about such things freely, but this is still problematic. These meetings are not called frequently and what is discussed in them is vital."

"I was being quite serious though." Pepe blinked, though he raised his hands in a show of surrender "But I suppose you would be right that it is a little awkward to skip out on one of them. Though, I'm sure that Daybit is doing it with the best of intentions. He doesn't try to be rude."

"I am not commenting on his intentions, merely the results that lay before us. He is-"

"This is hardly something we should be arguing about at a time like this." He picked his moment to speak up, silencing the argument before it could really kick off. "Whatever and wherever Daybit might be is not the purpose of this meeting. I am certain that when he returns he shall be informed of what has been discussed. Further complaints shall be brought up in private."

He saw Cao Cao give him a single nod of the head, then the man cleared his throat and leaned forwards. "Thank you. Now then, since those of us who were immediately available have been assembled, we can begin the meeting in earnest. The first point being that the Sacred Gear Blaze Black Flare is now confirmed as missing by the Grigori. Our informants within the organisation have said that there has been no sign of the Gear since the initial disappearance."

That brought a frown onto Wodime's face, the disappearance of the Sacred Gear had initially occurred some months ago but it was otherwise considered a low priority. Judging by the fact that it was now being discussed within this meeting. He suspected he would not be alone in discerning that there was something wrong with all of this, a quick glance around his side of the table revealed that most were now looking slightly concerned.

"They not just run off or something?" The question came from Kadoc, he spared the white haired younger man a quick glance and saw that his rather sunken expression worsened when the eyes of everyone else fell onto him. He glanced about and fidgeted on the spot for a few seconds, then crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the table. "Or not."

It was a good question.

"Kadoc brings up a valid point." Surprisingly, it was Jeanne who spoke up in his defence, the blonde teenager leaned forwards and rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head ever so slightly. "Does this mean that the Sacred Gear user ran away?"

Cao Cao's disposition did not so much as twitch as he shook his head, which meant it was clearly troubling news. "No. Details have been sparse until recently, what we believed to have initially been the user - Kevin Lamb - running away from the Grigori is no longer the presiding theory. It would seem that the safehouse he had been stored in, around the region of Liechtenstein, was attacked instead. The Fallen who were said to have been protecting him were never discovered and have been theorised to have died. Combined with signs of battle and forced entry, I am told that the user is missing and presumed prisoner by whatever group took him."

"Devils." A large grey haired man in the corner of the room grunted, his expression dismissive, moving his arms to cross themselves over the front of his chest and stretching out his shirt to its very limits. Even with his posture loose, Heracles still cut a rather imposing figure. "That's who it would be."

"That is the current theory as well." Cao Cao nodded in assent "For the time being, we are left to assume that Devils are the ones responsible for the theft of the user. Though none of our…associates…claim to have seen nor heard of him during this period of time, I suspect it would only be a matter of time before he is revealed."

"That can hardly be considered a surprise." Ophelia pointed out with a raised eyebrow "Though I will admit the idea that Devils launched an attack on a safehouse to steal a Sacred Gear of such…limited quality. The risks far outway any of the rewards."

Wodime internally nodded his head, that was certainly an inconsistency. Furthermore, the fact that it was a safehouse implied there was some level of secrecy to it. Though it likely wouldn't be a closely guarded secret, it would still have been one important enough to warrant further investigation. That the Grigori had not yet been throwing accusations at the Devils and demanding recompense was another odd thing, though that could just as easily be answered with the lack of proof.

"It's a Sacred Gear. They're Devils." Heracles scoffed, making it clear that he wasn't going to even consider any other sort of answer. "What other reason do they need to steal one?"

That reasoning would have made sense in perhaps any other time, but now he was starting to get what Ophelia was referring to. Even if battling Fallen and recruiting Sacred Gears were both things that Devils were rather infamous for - aside from a number of others - that certainly did not mean that it would have been them alone that were responsible for it. For something like Blazing Black Flare, it seemed to be far too great a risk. He glanced to Ophelia to see if she was going to argue the point further.

Sure enough, she was sporting a frown that just screamed of doubt.

"Do not let your bias cloud your judgement on this." She sternly intoned, leaning forwards "While it is certainly something that the Devils would be capable of, when looking to the location and what was stolen, does it not make more sense that another group was involved in this?"

Heracles opened his mouth, probably to defend his position, but was cut off when Georg spoke up for the first time since he arrived.

"Miss Phamrsolone is quite correct, hence why Lord Cao Cao elected to inform us all during this meeting." He glanced to Heracles and raised his hand "While we are not dismissing the idea of Devils yet, as it could well be a rogue element and those in the old Satan Faction are just as likely to attack the Grigori as they are to attack the new Devil Government, it is possible that there was a new player involved in this situation." he finished by looking back to Ophelia "Though there is no proof of this beyond speculation."

"Speculation aside, this is certainly something to note either way." Wodime picked that moment to speak up once more. "At any rate, given the known proclivities of the Governor General, I doubt he would be willing to let any Sacred Gear slip through his fingers. If they have not yet made accusations towards the Devils, one can assume they do not suspect them of being responsible. Or, as you say, they do not suspect the current government of being responsible."

Cao Cao hummed "Lending credence to the rumours-"

"I believe it can be said to be more than rumours at this rate." Pepe drummed his fingers on the table, inclining his head in the direction of the man "It seems as though there's an awful lot of behind the scenes things going on between all three of the major factions. There have been no shortage of reports of the Satan's going off on vacations around the exact same time as one or both of the representatives of Heaven and the Grigori alike." there was a pause "Or one of those close to them at any rate. It might just be nothing but-"

"There has been no official aggression between them within the last six-hundred years." Siegfried remarked in a curt voice, shaking his head from side to side "With how long lived these things are and when one considers the position they were all left in after the end of the War, it would not surprise me at all if they are closing the ranks with one another." his expression shifted, becoming slightly more strained "Especially after the loss of the Florida Installation."

Wodime grimaced at that. While not a true setback in the sense it had been nothing more than a monitoring outpost, the fact it had still fallen victim to a Grigori raid was more than enough trouble for him to consider themselves now under scrutiny. Especially with the Fallen, they were nothing if not meticulous when it came to cases such as these.

"The loss of Florida is hardly pressing, as we covered last time." Cao Cao responded with a dismissive wave of the hand. Wodime would personally not be too quick to dismiss it, especially when one considered just how meticulous the Grigori were when it came to potential threats. He'd heard at length how sharp Azazel could be when he put his mind to something. "Though it should go without saying to exercise caution when venturing out on missions."

Clearing his throat, Cao Cao continued onwards "With that being said, we have identified several other locations for possible ritual sites." he gestured to Georg "With the aid of my friend here, we have complied them further and were able to find more than just locations, but allies as well."

Wodime perked up. "Allies?"

"It would appear that someone reached out to us through the aid of one of your friends." Cao Cao spoke the word with a clear smile upon his lips, one that most certainly did not reach his eyes in the least. Wodime recognised the smile well enough, he was always dismissive of their non-human allies at the best of times and it only got worse the further up the power scale it went. "Though they did not name themselves and requested a meeting."

A meeting? That was rather risky.

"That sounds risky." Jeanne voiced his thoughts aloud, the blonde girl furrowing her brows and frowning openly at the statement, glancing towards Cao Cao questioningly. "How do we know it isn't one?"

Cao Cao locked eyes with him from across the table. "We don't, not truly. All we have is the word of the one who passed along the message to base this off and I would not have raised it at all were it not for the fact I am certain they would have repeated the message to you directly."

Wodime remained silent, simply staring into the eyes of Cao Cao as the message hung in the air. He let the words buzz around in his mind. Was there a risk it was a trap? Not to him. If it came through the source he suspected it did, then there was little chance of something such as a trap passing through the notice of him. Especially given how much effort he had already put into this endeavour, to even consider the idea that they were being led into a trap would be laughable at this point.

"I am confident that it will not be a trap."

"...If you say so." Was the reply he received after a moment of silence, Cao Cao leaned back into his seat and flattened his features ever so slightly. "In which case, I would think it best that you meet with your friend to pursue the topic further with them. In truth, they have not led us astray thus far when it comes to resources but it would do you well to remember what the end goal actually is."

"I do not need reminding."

"Hmm." A hum was the response he received "In any event, the latest ritual sites have been selected." he looked down, pressing the clear screen in front of his desk. The lights in the room dimmed ever so slightly as the circular table came to life with a burst of blue light, the centre glowed and rose up. A spherical shape being sculpted from the light and rising about a foot off the surface of the table before halting its ascension.

Around a metre in diameter, the glowing sphere drew lines of white light upon itself as it separated its surface into very familiar shapes. Soon enough, a model of the Earth hovered before them. With a few more buttons pressed, Cao Cao spun the globe around and then focused on the eastern side of the planet. Enlarging the image until it showed a specific country. A single red dot appeared on it which prompted an eyebrow to be raised upon his head.

"Kyoto?" He was the first to speak up, glancing between the map of Japan and Cao Cao.

Cao Cao gave a single prideful nod of the head "In terms of Leylines, it is the second strongest in the entire country, not to mention that it is far enough away from the likes of the Devils that it will be conveniently overlooked by them on this section."

"Why settle for the second strongest?" Another comment by Kadoc, this one carrying Wodime's full support on the matter. "Isn't there another little town in Japan? The…uhh…"

"Kuoh." He supplied, not breaking eye contact with Cao Cao. He could sense that there was something more to this little suggestion of his. More so than the fact that Kuoh was now home to two of the current Satan's relatives. If he was making an argument on keeping a low profile, then he would be more than a little dubious. Especially when the target he suggested was the home of the Yokai faction and lay beneath the throne of Amaterasu.

That smile on Cao Cao's face was more than a little worrisome for his liking, as though he was aiming for more than just success. While he was not one to underestimate his opponents, he would argue that it would be a much simpler time to hide under the eyes of the two heiresses, rather than in the middle of an entire faction's headquarters.

"Kuoh is home to the largest leyline in Japan." He elaborated further, leaning forwards "And is a much simpler target than that of Kyoto. Especially considering that the power of the residents of that city far eclipse the current force within the small town which - according to my latest information - consists of only two Devil Peerages, both of which are barely a decade old and their Kings are teenagers even in human years."

"Secrecy is not something that we can afford forever, you know this as well as I." The man responded back smoothly, gesturing to the holographic map in front of them. "The truth of the matter is that establishing a ritual in Kyoto successfully is a victory on two fronts. It demonstrates the power of humanity. If we achieve a victory here, Kyoto is regarded as a seat of power for the Yokai in the entirety of Japan. If we can wrest control of it, even for a short time, then it serves as a moral boost to our forces and might rally more to our cause."

"There are ways of achieving victory that most certainly do not rely on ill-thought out displays of power." The words left his mouth before even a second had passed. What Cao Cao was describing was pure folly, plain and simple. At least, at their current power. "It might well be a great victory if we were to defeat the Yokai in their home as well as demonstrate that we are a force to be reckoned with, however it would be a pyrrhic victory. Not only would it show the entirety of the world what our aims are if we are discovered, but it would also signify that we are a threat they cannot ignore."

Heracles smirked "Good, it would be about time they recognised they can't push humans-"

"Are you stupid or something?" Kadoc blurted out with a baffled look on his face, to his credit he did not look that intimidated when Heracles turned on him with a hefty scowl. "Even if we were to win in the heart of Yokai territory, they are on decent enough standing with the Devils to allow them access to some of their territories. What happens when they request aid from the Devils and then Sirzechs Lucifer or Serafall Leviathan show up?"

"Those being the least of our problems." Wodime remarked with a shake of the head, then raised his hand when it looked like Cao Cao was going to argue. A prolonged debate on the matter did not interest him in the least. "That is not to say that the plan lacks merit. For when we are revealed in full, it would serve to investigate it further. However, until we are established and secure enough to begin moving, I would suggest we shelve this idea for the time being."

It was a fair idea that did have some merit, provided it was examined after several long sessions and multiple plans were drawn up. That would be the bare minimum he would accept before even attempting something on this scale. It was very much like launching an attack on the Underworld Capital of Lucifaad. Yes, it would be a great victory if they won.

If.

Until they could guarantee success, it was not something that could be considered a worthwhile endeavour.

Cao Cao frowned at him "To play it safe is wise enough, but there will come a point where we have to start making open declarations. We need to prove that we are powerful enough to match them in an open field, not simply skulking around in the shadows and striking at their weakest points. They will continually look down on us if that is the case."

He raised an eyebrow, did he consider that a bad thing?

"Good. The longer they spend underestimating our capacity, the more time we have to further our goals without intense scrutiny."

Another face by Cao Cao was his response, at this point he was starting to wonder quite what the intention behind the plan had been. It sounded more as though it had to do with beating his chest in some sort of threat display than any prudent strategy. Whether or not they could ensure success was irrelevant, it was whether or not they could maintain it in the aftermath.

"To that end, I would propose tabling this idea of yours until after we have already established the others first and foremost. Kyoto is well defended during peacetime and when there comes a point of our reveal, we can assume that the defences of the city will only be furthered. To that end, I would be more than willing to lend resources towards the scouting of the city to examine potential weak points that can be exploited in the event of a siege."

At least Cao Cao looked mollified by that, the man nodding his head up and down before smiling genially. "Naturally, I was not going to suggest launching an attack on Kyoto right this second. There are a number of calculations that still need to be confirmed, not to mention that there are certainly some powerful figures that we would need to best in different ways to single combat. Even without having met here, rumours of Yasaka's power is rather telling of itself that even the Satan's regard her as an equal in more than just a political capacity."

"I was referring to Amaterasu."

That wiped the smile from Cao Cao's face instantly.

Now it was replaced with clear incredulity, but Wodime could see the trepidation in the eyes of the man. It was to be expected, given her past when it came to Kyoto and the Yokai who resided there in the first place. He could understand the disbelief, perhaps even accuse him of being overly cautious about it, but it was better to be cautious than reckless.

Naturally, Cao Cao scoffed at his argument and allowed the confident look to spring back onto his face, though by this point, Wodime could see the hints of doubt in his eyes. "She has not been seen in centuries. Every single report implies that she has not left her own little throne world in all that time, not even during the great war between the three factions was there a single reference that she was active."

"That was when it did not directly concern her." He replied to the argument with a shake of the head "Even if she has not been spotted, I have it on good authority that she would still consider it a point of pride if the Yokai capital of the world was attacked and 'desecrated' by human hands. That is why I am suggesting that we shelve this idea until a later date. I am confident that discovering some method of curtailing Yasaka is well within your abilities. The likes of Amaterasu?"

He grimaced and shook his head from side to side. "I doubt that even the Longinus you wield would be capable of doing much more than scratching her."

Cao Cao was silent for a moment before his eyes widened ever so slightly. "You're not waiting until we can secure Kyoto." There was a hint of excitement now present in his voice, though he kept his features schooled so as not to let any emotion show, it was clear by now that the man had been able to deduce what the real goal would be if they attacked Kyoto.

"Attacking Kyoto and successfully holding it are two very different things." He explained as easily as he could. "While I had no idea that you would suggest this plan, I was certainly of the belief that once wind of our agenda caught the ears of the factions in Japan, they would work against us in force, especially those who are confident in their own abilities. Even if they did not consider us a threat, the pride of a God is not something that is easily wounded and just as swiftly mended-"

"Usually at the painful expense of the one who wounded it." Cao Cao managed to chuckle out, shaking his head from side to side and then leaning back into his seat. Though where his eyes had contained concern before, it was now replaced with clear ambition. Wodime could recognise it easily enough, it was partially why he had not been willing to discuss the matter until he had been able to come up with more concrete solutions, but he couldn't have predicted Cao Cao would opt for something like an attack on Kyoto of all things.

Indeed, invading Kyoto would be considered a direct challenge towards Amaterasu. Though he doubted the sun Goddess would even spare them something along the lines of a second glance, a single look would be more than enough to turn their bodies into little more than dust. There was a very good reason she was tied with Shiva for one of the most powerful beings on the planet without ever flexing her authority once.

Any attack on Japan would have to come with the absolute certainty that Amaterasu would become involved. It was why he had been partial to Kuoh, it was within Devil Territory so it would be under less scrutiny and while he was certain they would still attract the attention of the Sun Goddess, it would come at a much later time than if they were to attack Kyoto directly. It was far too much to accomplish early on and with their current strength.

"If that is the case, then I am more than willing to let the matter slide." Were the next words from Cao Cao, the man adjusted himself in his seat and looked very close to bursting out with laughter, from his perspective the man looked almost giddy. "Though I can understand now why you haven't said anything, one could only imagine what Vali would say if he heard about what you're planning to do…" he trailed off, then raised a curious eyebrow. "Though I must ask, how long have you considered this?"

"From the very beginning."

There was silence.

Then Cao Cao whistled, looking genuinely impressed "Then we can consider that a much later goal if you are working towards it with complete certainty." he nodded his head several times, then pressed his keyboard "In that case, we can officially consider the notion of a Kyoto operation 'pending review' before we look to the future-"

"Wait, wait!" Heracles spoke up rather loudly, silencing the meeting as a whole and bringing the attention of the room onto himself. Rather than appearing perturbed at the sudden focus he was receiving, the man glanced between him and Cao Cao several times with a bewildered expression before he spoke up. "So…we are going to Kyoto then?"

Cao Cao glanced towards him, then raised an eyebrow "Well?"

"Aiming for Kuoh is a much easier task, however, if we attack Kyoto at a later date with the means to assure success, then I have no qualms about doing so. Depending on how my meeting goes later, we shall speak of this at length."

With a nod of his head, Cao Cao returned his attention to Heracles and then gestured to Wodime "There we have it. We might be going to Kyoto but only when we're sure we can win."

"Alright." Heracles nodded his head up and down, lowering his arms back onto the table and getting a rather pleased look on his face. "And this is going up against Amaterasu? Now that is a battle I would consider worthy of my name."

"As would I." Cao Cao supported with a nod of his head, the focus returned to the room one more "For now, I was informed that there is a much more pressing danger towards us in the form of the Norse Pantheon, or specifically, their leader."

To Wodime's surprise, he gestured across the table towards Ophelia, the woman perked up at being pointed to and then - without looking down at her desk - pressed several buttons and brought up the map of northern europe.

Clearing her throat, Ophelia spoke up "Upon recent discussion of the Norse Pantheon, I have concluded that they represent our greatest threat for the current present." he caught her glancing at him out of the corner of her eye for a brief second. "To that end, I vote that we move to target them first and foremost. Ensuring that our goals remain hidden for as long as possible is key to the success of the operation."

"And the wisdom of Odin is legendary." Wodime supplied, if only so he could feel like he was contributing to the conversation. It was rather incredible for Ophelia to speak up at the meeting, let alone to lead a discussion on a topic, not that she was shy about giving her own opinions but usually they would defer to whatever he had suggested first. It felt rewarding for the roles to be reversed this time around. "Yes, that is a prudent course of action. The ability of the Runes of the Norse speak for themselves. There is no way of knowing if Odin is not already aware of our goal."

"Precisely." Ophelia nodded to him, then continued on "With that in mind, I would suggest that we assume Odin is not yet aware of our existence or - if he is - he does not yet grasp the full reach of our abilities and this provides us with a unique opportunity." she paused for a moment, her single eye swept across the table "The chance to assassinate Odin before he can turn his knowledge against us."

Kadoc made a noise "Wouldn't that just piss off every single member of the entire Pantheon?"

Rather than look surprised, Ophelia nodded her head "True. There is every reason to suspect that either Thor or Freya would become the next leader of the Norse. However, in either event they lack the wisdom and the knowledge to see through our true aim. For all intents and purposes, it would appear to be little more than a successful assassination and combined with the efforts of Cao Cao and his front, not to mention the actions of the other groups in our 'faction' we would appear as little more than simple terrorists."

Cao Cao looked as though he was going to laugh for a few moments before quickly schooling his features and holding himself back.

He wasn't sure what the man was going to laugh about, perhaps it was the fact they would be considered as 'simple' terrorists. Truth be told, it was a classification he did not care for either way but it would serve their purpose. A bunch of extremists who were seen as little more than a ragtag band. Though the death of Odin would certainly change that opinion, if Cao Cao used the Longinus during the attack - and was seen to have used the Longinus - then their threat would be solely attributed to him.

It would certainly keep much of the heat off the rest of their backs in that event, and as he had said earlier, the longer they remained ignorant, the better it would be for everyone involved.

"This is why I propose an immediate plan to enter the Norse Pantheon as well as concoct a plan to infiltrate Asgard and deal with the All-Father as swiftly as possible, while we still have the benefit of secrecy."

There was a cough from across the room, Pepe had his fist held in front of himself with a genuinely apologetic look on his face. "I do hate to be the bearer of bad news, honey." he began, then leaned forwards, pressing his hands against the table. "But if there is one thing the hanged man is famous for, it is his paranoia. The borders of the Norse are extraordinarily difficult to get past for even the most experienced of mages. This is me talking about entering the country as a human as well! I don't even want to imagine the sheer number of defences they have around Asgard itself."

Quickly raising his hands, he flashed her a carefree smile "Not that I am against the plan, it actually sounds as though it makes a lot of sense. Can't make a large house without securing a strong foundation first, and all that, but all the same. Do we have a method of getting into the Norse Pantheon undetected?"

Wodime hummed to himself, glancing towards Ophelia but not saying anything. This was her suggestion, after all, and while he did agree with it and would put his all into supporting her efforts. That did not mean he was going to presumptuously offer his own ideas without considering the idea that she had some of her own. He was rather interested into what she had come up with, especially considering the nature of Ophelia didn't really allow for her to be the one to take needless risks in these conditions.

He was almost certain she had more than a few plans of her own.

He was not disappointed, seeing her nod her head up and down several times.

"There were several plans that we suggested that have, thus far, gone under review for myself as I examined which ones were the most likely to be considered plausible. The first was to use a distraction to enter the realm of Asgard. Something that could be passed off as a pack of Stray Devils trying their luck on the edge of Norway would certainly attract the attention of the border defence in that region."

Jeanne made a face of understanding from across the table "And while they're distracted with killing the Devils, we sneak in, right? Pharmy-chan!"

"...Do not call me that."

"Whatever you say!" Wodime had to give credit where credit was due, it did not look as though Jeanne wasn't even so much as flummoxed by the clear rejection she just suffered from Ophelia, rather she maintained the same confident expression she had worn several seconds ago. He was a little envious that she was able to so easily cry out names like those without worrying about what people would say.

Ophelia stared at her for a moment longer, then glanced away "Though this plan is still under review. Especially considering the simplicity of the tactic being one that the guards will likely suspect at the very least, and actively search for in the worst case scenario. The use of Sacred Gears can also be considered out of the question, given their unique magical energy would be completely foreign to the land of the Norse and would instantly alert them to our presence."

Wodime frowned, there was an idea that he did have but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to phrase it in a way that did not sound rude or insulting to her. He internally shook his head. It was a stray thought and one that Ophelia would have most likely considered and rejected.

…Though, it might be worth it just to voice the idea.

"Have you considered a mundane method of entering the country?"

Ophelia, already midway through the beginning of another sentence, choked back her words with a slightly strangled expression on her face for a few seconds before she turned her head towards him and raised her eyebrow in a clear display of confusion. Not alone, considering that everyone else in the room was now giving him their undivided attention.

Gosh, it really was a little intimidating.

"Would you please elaborate, Lord Wodime?" The copper haired woman asked with her brows now furrowed at him, clearly at a loss as to what he had just said. He didn't think it had been that confusing, unless she really had overlooked it? Not that he would hold that against her. It was a method that would be considered out of the ordinary, he supposed. Certainly not one that many assassins would use.

"Entering the country in much the same way a tourist would." He elaborated further, sparing the room a single glance and noticing that Pepe was now sporting a rather amused smirk on his face for whatever reason. "Though using our real names would obviously be out of the question, creating fake passports would be a simple enough feat and from there we could enter the country through any of the methods available. I would suggest either by boat or by car."

He raised his hand, gesturing a single finger upwards "In which case, we would need to arrive in one of the neighbouring countries first and then secure passage to Norway from there. Perhaps we would also need some manner of disguise to hide our true appearance as well, but nothing magical so as to avoid detection by any of the elements present at the checkpoints or border posts."

Ophelia was blinking at him with her expression unchanged, now he was starting to feel quite the fool for suggesting something like that in the first place. It was clear that she had obviously considered that sort of idea-

"Your plan to infiltrate one of the most secure factions in the world." Kadoc spoke in a slow and rather disbelieving tone of voice, pressing his fingers against the desk and tapping out each word. "Is to…put on disguises and enter with a fake passport and under a fake name." inclining his head, he raised his brows ever so slightly and fixed him with a rather piercing look.

"Would it not be logical to exploit such an opening?" It made sense in his mind, the Norse were heavily focused on magical repellents that he was certain they would not be so quick to search for the common type of problem such as fake passports and disguises. It was one of the few lessons he had gotten from Da Vinci. Classics were classics for a reason, they could go years without changing. "If the Norse Pantheon is geared towards magical detection, then we use a method that is hidden to them."

It was at this time that Siegfried spoke up, the white haired man making a subtle noise as he glanced around the room. "It would be worth a shot as a test run, would it not? We still need to conduct some scouting inside the Norse territories anyway and if it does work, then we can consider it a method worth pursuing. If not? Then we have not truly lost anything. To that end, I would suggest we use individuals whose loss would not be too detrimental."

Were they now considering offering up sacrificial lambs? That wasn't what he had in mind and there were certainly other methods available to them. It would be much simpler to use someone from outside their selected group, perhaps one who was hired.

He snuck a glance at Ophelia, she was still staring at him with a rather odd expression on her face that he wasn't quite sure what it meant. It looked to him to be a mixture of surprise at bemusement, but he couldn't quite be sure and asking her about it now would probably be more than a little awkward, especially if it drew attention to her. Besides, he was sure that this method invited just as much scrutiny as others.

"It comes with risks, especially if we are discovered with fake passports." He spoke up after a few moments of silence "In which case, we would likely need to use magecraft to escape and then that would end up attracting the attention of the Norse Faction." he looked to Ophelia, then nodded his head once. "You spoke of other methods as well?"

"Yes." She recovered quickly, schooling her features almost instantly. "Another method would be to get an inside source to provide us aid into the country. Once the hidden beachhead has been established, we can then move forwards with methods of entering Asgard with a lesser degree of pressure upon us."

Georg hummed "It offers the greatest chance of success, but it is dependent on finding someone who would be willing to let us into the country…that being said, I suspect you are thinking of who I believe you are thinking of."

Ophelia nodded her head "Loki, while still considered an active member of the Norse Pantheon, is more or less estranged from the other members at this point in time. Though the cause for the divide is unknown, not even the Norse have been able to disguise the absence of the trickster God in the last few centuries. I believe that he would be far more willing to hear our aims, even if only in part."

Loki…that was certainly a bold move on the part of Ophelia. Though that came with risks of its own that he could pick upon with but a mere thought. For instance, there was a great difference between being estranged with one's family and flat out committing to a betrayal of your entire race. Even if it was something as simple as sneaking a group of their members into Asgard, it was still a betrayal and a God like Loki would quickly deduce that they were not present for benevolent purposes. To sneak into the Norse territories undetected was to all but announce their goals would work against the wellbeing of Asgard as a whole, even though Loki was famous - or rather, infamous - for being the Trickster God, this was a step above his usual legends.

Especially since Ragnarok had not come to pass, despite all the stories that Loki had been involved with in regards to it. Not to mention the fact that Baldur was still alive in the first place, once again, despite all the stories regarding to the fact that Loki reportedly was to play a role in his death…though the manner was never truly documented, a passive curiosity on his part, especially since Baldur was blessed with invulnerability to all threats, both physical and magical.

Furthermore, this was all dependent on trusting the word of a God who made a name for himself by being incapable of acting straightlaced for a prolonged period of time. He was known as the trickster God for a reason and would just as quickly turn his back on a promise as swiftly as he made it. Then again, perhaps he was letting his bias speak first and foremost. He was working off legends and old lore, most of which did not truly apply.

The fact Asgard still existed at all was proof that not everything in regards to the lore could be considered accurate. Then again, word of mouth from others who did have the pleasure of meeting the God had often told the same sort of tale. That he could only be trusted to further his own goals above any others, something that he could understand but at the same time, it made the deity rather dangerous in dealing with.

If Ophelia was presenting this as a solution, then it meant that she had more to offer than simple word of mouth. She would never make such a statement otherwise, which called into question what assurances she had that this method was even viable in the first place.

"Banking on the trickster God tricking his family for us?" Pepe looked just as surprised as he felt, the man leaned backwards and then made a noise somewhere between amusement and curiosity. "That's certainly a very poetic type of plan you have there, honey." The apologetic frown returned again, but only briefly before being wiped away by an almost predatory look. "But I take it this means you're very confident in this?"

Ophelia did not reply immediately, instead her brows pinched together and she glanced around the room for a few seconds of silence. Eventually, she let out a small breath and nodded her head up and down. "Of a sort, the plan did not truly originate from myself. After I presented him with some of the arguments for assaulting the Norse and dealing with the All-Father, he suggested that I look towards Loki as a method of entry. It was what led me to the information of his estrangement in the first place."

"Jedidiah suggested this?" Georg perked, looking rather curious now and something that Wodime personally shared in. "If he is to make a claim so boldly…perhaps he has seen something of interest in the future that is reliant on Loki?"

"I suspect as much, but he merely pointed me in the direction of the Trickster God and then said that all else would fall into place once we had made contact with him…" She trailed off, a slight flicker of annoyance crossing her features though it was barely present "Though he did not provide a method by which to contact Loki in the first place. Leaving me to assume that it will develop naturally and we may be sought out by him or stumble upon him. The vision provided to me by Jedidiah was not clear."

Cao Cao nodded his head up and down. "While I am in no true hurry to trust the word of a God who is, quite literally, regarded as the herald of treachery and deceit, if Jedidiah is confident that Loki will provide a boon for us, then I am willing to support this method in whatever capacity you require." A twitch of the lip "His visions have not led us astray thus far and if he has seen fit to dispense one upon you, then we can assume he is fully in support of dealing with Odin first and foremost."

The expression hardened "To that end, and with your assent, I move that we begin drafting up plans to deal with Asgard in full."

"I move that we involve Vali in the planning stages." Wodime stated the second Cao Cao had finished speaking. "He has already expressed a strong interest in fighting the Aesir and Vanir Gods, and when it comes to fighting the likes of Odin, we might very well find ourselves embroiled in a prolonged battle. Either by means of an escape or if we do not slay him quickly."

Cao Cao was silent, then nodded once "True. If we are caught off guard then it would never hurt to have the power of the White Dragon Emperor to support us." drumming his fingers on the table, a thoughtful look flickered across his face before he pinched his brows together "However, Vali might purposefully sabotage the surprise just so he has a chance to battle one of the Gods directly…I am not so confident as to fight the likes of Thor in an open field."

Wodime could understand the sentiment, he certainly wasn't one to do that either. That being said, this was a time for early planning so the details could be discussed over the course of the coming days and weeks. It was hardly as though they were going to come to a conclusion all on their own.

"I am certain the details can be refined at a later date." He replied to Cao Cao with a single nod of the head, one that was mirrored by his opposite. "To that end, I propose we adjourn this meeting for the time being. I clearly have business in the Underworld that may prove to our benefit, and with a goal in mind we can now devote our time towards achieving it. Unless anyone else has something they wish to bring up?"

He glanced around the table, looking at the expressions on the faces of everyone and seeing that not a single person was looking as though they were going to say anything. It was rather nice that they could wrap up the meeting without any real complications and he was privately elated at the news his request was finally going to pay off.