Chapter 19
DxD Universe-23 - Erebos Demon Capital
The spy mission that the native Angels had mentioned and asked them to assist with was just about to start.
Gabriel was now, completely unlike her usual self, dressed up exactly like her Fallen Angel counterpart. Looking more than a bit uncomfortable in the black dress that was showing off her large breasts and legs.
She and the others had already been informed about the details of the mission by the native Holy Angels.
The topic of the mission was to infiltrate the estate of one of the three Highlords of the Erebos Empire. And to find out any possible information they could about the Empire´s current plans.
They had after all a nearly perfect double of this world´s leader of the Fallen Angels on their hand.
Except for the fact of course that Gabriel still possessed her divine blessing. That they were however able to hide temporally with Issei´s help.
Gabriel however was not the only one of them who would be playing a greater role in this mission.
One other person that the Angels showed particular interest in for this plan was Rias.
Because her own double in this world was living at the estate of this particular High Lord... as a slave.
xxx
The one of the three Highlords who had been chosen as the target was the Erebos High Lord called Meloch.
Like his family name suggested, he was related to the same being named Meloch who had thousands of years ago been worshipped as a god by a few canaanite tribes and who was also mentioned in the Bible.
And who was known to have children sacrificed and burned in his name.
Ironically however, most if not all of this child-sacrifices were not actually performed on order of this particular ancestor, who had once laid the seed to that religion. By the time the bible mentioned, the Erebos Demons had long been overthrown by the Devils and disappeared from most Earths of the DxD Universe Cluster.
But by human followers who continued it thousands of years after the Demons had been banished.
In many other aspects however this new Meloch seemed to be living up to his name. He was the one who had the reputation of being the most decadent and corrupt out of the three High Lords.
Rightfully as this world´s Michael and the other Angels admitted.
He was also, in his position as the Lord in charge of the `internal state matters´, the one of them least involved with the latest military operations. That meant the infiltrations and finally invasions of alternate realities.
While Pazuzu and Ninlil were basically the two military arms of the Demon Empire, he was responsible for a great part of the civilian part of the infrastructure. Which included the management of the slave population.
He was also, in theory at least, ultimately responsible for the education system, the media and state propaganda. In reality however this areas were lead by lower ranked subordinate officers.
Privately he was gorging himself in luxuries of all kind, slaves and sex.
That however didn´t mean that he was incompetent. Otherwise he would have been killed a long time ago. He was still a sufficiently capable manager to get results (or maybe at least intelligent enough to keep people around him who got the job done. They were not entire sure about that.)
To say it plainly, the Emperor didn´t care what Meloch did in his free time, as long as he delivered results.
In opposite to Pazuzu or Ninlil this however also meant he was the Highlord least familiar with the Empire´s military and so the least likely to have information about Darkseid´s current plans.
It however also meant that he was the one least familar with alternate versions of people and so the most likely to fall for their deception.
What was also important was of course the current location of the actual Gabriel of this world. It would of course been inconvenient if both Gabriel´s would be seen at the same time.
But in this aspect they were lucky. The Fallen Angel Leader had not made any offical appearances since the `change in command´ in the Demon Empire.
xxxxxxx
And so a group was now on their way to Lord Meloch´s castle. A group consisting of Gabriel, Rias, Akeno, Raynare, Kiba and two Exorcists from this world with the names Giovanny and Andrew that the native Michael had send with them.
Aside from that they were several years older, this two acted a bit like male versions of Irina and Xenovia.
Akeno and Raynare were acting as the `Fallen Angel Leader´ Gabriel´s personal entourage. For that role they had not even needed to switch their clothes and were simply in their usual battle-gears.
Rias and Kiba were disguised as Devil slaves accompanying them, with them wearing somewhat ragged looking grey cloaks and their hoods deep over their faces. Beneath that, they were also wearing a metallic ring around their necks.
As they were told this rings were devices that blocked the flow of the supernatural energies of the slaves and prevented them from ever using their powers. Most slaves were wearing the since childhood, so that their powers never had the chance to properly develop in the first place.
The ones Rias and Kiba had around their necks however were dummies.
But even if they were not, they had already become far too powerful as that their powers could be suppressed by this things.
The two actual Church Exorcists with them finally were playing the role of Stray Exorcists who were working for the Grigori and were now accompanying Gabriel as additional guards. Both of them had actually commented about the irony of this.
They were now appearing a short distance in front of Lord Meloch´s castle.
Their presence was of course noticed very quickly and a small entrance next to the larger main gate was opened and a small number of Demon guards left the building.
They could have teleported outside, but obviously even the Demons considered it waste of magical energy of teleporting over a few meters, when you could just open the doors and walk the short distance.
This guards were visibly surprised to see the Fallen Angel Leader of their reality before them.
"Lady Gabriel," one of them, who was wearing an officer´s symbol, greeted her.
"Yes," she responded.
"We were not informed about your visit," he said.
"Of course not," Gabriel replied. "I have come here unnoticed. I want to talk with Lord Meloch, privately."
"Privately?" the guard repeated.
"Yes - tell it to him exactly like that," she said more than a bit suggestively.
Inside she was feeling sick, but she had to stay in her role. "I want to talk with him about the current situation... and how we can best react to it, together."
"We will inform him that you are here Lady Gabriel," the guard told her. "Go," he said to one of his comrades, who quickly teleported away to inform the Highlord.
A few seconds later Meloch himself appeared before them. The Demon Lord had the physical appearance of a man in his late thirties. He was not very tall, but sturdy build and had short blonde hair.
"Lady Gabriel - welcome at my home," he greeted her. "You should have send a message beforehand, so that I could have better prepared for a guest like you."
"As I already explained to your guard," Gabriel replied with a played haughty voice, "I want my visit here to stay a secret. And as you know the official channels are... not exactly secure in certain aspects."
Meaning that the high-command of the Demon Empire was monitoring these channels. They all knew that.
"Given the sudden change of the Empire´s ruler and the unpredictable changes it might bring, I want to offer to form a personal alliance with you."
The way she said it left little doubt of how the term `personal alliance´ was meant.
xxxx
Michael, Azazel and the others had shown her recordings of her counterpart to see how her other self talked and behaved. She hated acting this way. The complete arrogance, the sexual aggressiveness and open lewdness, the selfishness and disregard of other beings.
But as it turned out, she had no problem at all to put up the act. And somehow this unsettled her even more.
Was this what she would become like if she should ever fall?
Purely logical she knew that that was not the case. Michael and Azazel had told her how her other self had gone through thousands of years of corruption and moral decay.
xxxx
And by the way Meloch looked at her now, he was certainly imagining a certain part of this `personal alliance´. One that included both of them in bed together.
He was not exactly what Gabriel would call attractive - yet not exactly ugly either, more mediocre. And that despite that, like most supernatural beings, the Demons could use magic to alter and improve their appearance.
To be straight, given his reputation and supposed excesses, that was probably the only reason he was not downright fat.
But it was not really because of his physical appearance that Gabriel nearly instantly felt revolted by this man.
It was the mindset that she was sensing from him and the mental image of lust, greed and corruption that was practically radiating from him.
Gabriel might be considered as something like `the incarnation of innocense´, but she was a powerful Seraph who had been around for many thousands of years. So it was hardly the first time she encountered something like this.
She had felt similar impressions from some of the more vile Devils she had met over the time and also from a few other beings. But she abhorred it in these beings back then, just like she did in this Demon here now.
But she did not let it show. She didn´t let her act slip.
Lord Meloch´s raw power by what Gabriel and the others sensed, and he made no real effort at all to hide it, seemed to be about regular Satan Level.
He was probably taking his pride in how weaker beings reacted to him and was in simple words `showing off´.
Whatever, while his power would be terrifying to most beings, it was nothing impressive to either the members of Issei´s team or Gabriel, who were dealing with far stronger and more dangerous creatures than this guy regulary.
In fact by what they were able to sense, his power was most likely comparible to Rias and Raynare´s current level, maybe even behind them. It was hard to say, since they had not really seen him fight and going all out.
But with their current level and the abilities they had learned from the Guardians, they were pretty sure that they could take him without great difficulty. Maybe Irina, Xenovia and Kiba could as well.
"Which means a secret alliance," Gabriel clarified. "Something that others don´t need to know about."
"I see," Meloch said.
He looked at one of the two Demons who had first greeted them.
"Spread the word to the other guards and the servants," he said, "if any knowledge about Lady Gabriel´s visit becomes known to the outside, your families will die. The ones who don´t have any families will loose other things dear to them."
With this completely neutral spoken words he had now also added casual cruelty to his negative trates in Gabriel´s mind.
"Yes My Lord," the guard replied.
"Please come inside," Meloch told Gabriel and her `entourage´.
They followed the Demon Lord and the guards into the palace.
xxxxxxx
In some not too great distance away, Issei and the others were waiting and keeping their (metaphorical) eyes - actually it were their supernatural senses - open for signs that something was wrong.
"I still don´t like this," Xenovia said.
"None of us does," the native female Vali commented. "But it was the most logical choice to send only the ones of you in who can pass as Gabriel´s guards or slaves."
"Should that not include her?" Kuroka-06 said, pointing at Serena. Who was a Demon warrior after all.
Xenovia and Irina looked at her, seemingly agreeing with Kuroka.
"I am now a known defector," Serena reminded them. "There is no way the high command and the military had not spread the information about me joining you by now, along with pictures of my face. So it would make it only more dangerous if I went with them."
"I understand," Kuroka gave in.
"I also don´t like the idea of having Raynare, Rias, Yuuto and the other in the castle of this pervert," Issei said. "The same goes for Gabriel. But they can take care of themselves. And we can also interfere instantly if something happens."
"Issei - are you really in the position to call anyone a pervert?" Irina asked him sarcastically.
"Yes - isn´t that a bit funny coming from you?" Asia said as well with a grin.
"I remember you declaring yourself a pervert, along with your two friends nearly every day back when we were in school," Murayama reminded him.
Issei sighed.
"I might have many girlfriends... and am open to other women as well," he said.
"Yes - we have an open relationship... very open," Asia commented smiling.
"But I am not a rapist who owns a slave harem like that guy over there," Issei continued, sounding completely serious for a moment.
Then he grinned too.
"As you remember, I won you all over quite willingly," he said.
"Ahm - excuse me," the female Vali interrupted them, "don´t you think you should concentrate on the mission and on our comrades over there?"
"What do you mean?" Irina responded. "We were concentrating on them the entire time as we talked. Just because we are bantering about with each other does not mean that we don´t."
"Our senses were directed at the palace the entire time," Issei stated as well. "If we were that easily distracted, we had the wrong job."
"You are really quite different from my Issei," Fem Vali said. "Well - he didn´t have an harem for once. But sometimes we were exchanging jokes during missions too."
They had been told before that this world´s Issei and Vali´s female - counterpart/clone? whatever she was - had been a couple. But somehow they had simply not longer thought about that fact until she just remembered them about it.
Issei´s counterpart from this world had after all died nearly two years ago, so they never actually met him. That and just too much had happened during the last few days.
xxxxxxx
Meloch´s Palace
The meeting between Gabriel and the Demon Highlord went on.
Which meant technically that Meloch had inviting and was now sitting with Gabriel, along with Raynare and Akeno-23 for dinner.
They were sitting together at a long table, with the palace´s maids serving them dishes and drinks. It was a scene that was quite similar to the household of many Devil Families, some other supernaturals or even a few traditionalistic rich humans.
Gabriel was trying to act like she enjoyed the time and did her best to show a mix of serious acting and flirtious. While Raynare and Akeno were just sitting with them with sober expressions.
They hoped the `negotiations´ would be quick.
xxxxxxx
Rias, Kiba and the two Exorcists had separated from them and were brought to the part of the palace meant for the staff and servants where they were meant to stay for the night.
That meant the two Exorcist were led to a small room with quite spatanic beds and furniture that they would be sharing together.
Rias and Kiba on the other hand were just brought into a large completely undecorated and unfurnished cellar, with naked stone walls and, going by the smell, filth rotting somewhere in the room.
Here twelve other Devil slaves, mostly males and two of them females, were already lying on spread out dirty blankets or old worn out mattrasses on the ground.
The room was only dimply lighted by a single artificial light-source.
Rias did her best not to show her irritation. In House Gremory even the lowest servants were sleeping better than this. Well, they would not stay long anyway.
"Goodnight - halfblood scum," one of the Demons said behind them right before he closed the door.
So far so good.
"New ones," one of the slaves said. "Where do you come from?"
"We came with our Master Lady Gabriel," Rias replied. "We only stay here for this night."
"You must be lucky. Being slaves of a Fallen Angel instead of a Demon," a female slave said.
"Maybe," Kiba admitted, "by the way it looks here."
"I would not call it especially lucky," Rias admitted.
"You can easily talk," the same female Devil told her. "I bet they are treating you like pets, instead of like dirt, like us. You must have it good.
Maybe even like this `personal slaves´ of the Lord up there. Getting fucked rotten nearly every night sure. But for that they are also sleeping in a real room and even in a bed and clean clothes and food."
"Hey - why don´t you sleep with me tonight?" one of the males asked Rias. "As pretty as you are one of the higher ups will take you anyway sooner or later, if they hadn´t already. So not do it with one of your own kind instead?"
"She is not interested," Kiba stated flatly.
"Oh - is he talking for you? You should know that I am the strongest here. I could protect you."
He put his hand on Rias shoulder. But she just removed it with her own and pressed it.
"Ahh!" the male slave cried out in pain.
"As you see I don´t need your protection," she stated. "You might be the strongest here, but that is just because you are all weak."
"A-alright," he said.
"Does he try something like this with you too?" she asked the two females.
"Not - not against our will," one of them answered. "But, you see, he works in the kitchen and sometimes steals a bit of the food that he shares with us."
"You prostitute yourself for a bit of food?" Rias asked.
"I would not call it prostitution. We just repay him a bit for risking this for us," she said. "And besides, the guards are having their way with us all the time anyway. So why not?"
"Of course," Rias said resignated.
She and Kiba took a closer look at this pitiful creatures.
They all were wearing the same kind of rings around their necks that they themselves did. Only in their case they were not fakes. Beside that, it was clear that they all had been kept weak and none of them had ever even learned to use their powers in the first place.
Some of them had visible injuries, obviously caused by their masters.
They also looked malnourished. Something that normally should hardly be possible. But with their energy permanently disabled it was also not possible for them to use magic to keep their bodies healthy and young, like Devils normally did.
It was also clear that they did not possess an inch of the pride that Devils normally did.
On the first look, Rias and Kiba could barely believe that they and them were the same species. They were worn down and crippled in every way possible, in body and mind.
But they were the same, except for what became of them because of the Demons. And this could happen to their people too, if the Erebos Demons ever succeeded in conquering their reality.
xxxxxxx
"Now Lady Gabriel," Meloch said to her. "Please clarify a bit more what goals you have in mind for this alliance between us."
He asked this with a mix of interest and hesitation.
With other words he was asking her: `Are you are planning a coup or not?´ Gabriel thought. But it was not as if he would say this aloud. He was playing it careful.
She however answered in the same manner.
"Well - I would not propose any `drastic measure´, unless there is simply no other choice," she said.
Like rebellion, treason, going rogue, she thought - but just like him, she did not speak this words out and left her opposite guessing.
"For now, I would just wait and see how things are turning out. For all we know our new ruler might turn out reliable, despite his, ahm strange heritage," Gabriel stated.
"By the way, you do not know anything about the plans our new ruler has, do you?" she asked him seemingly casually.
"Maybe," Meloch replied.
"I would be very thankful if you would tell me what you know," Gabriel told him.
xxxx
Suddenly a picture appeared inside her mind.
A picture of herself bend over a table - this table here - with her skirt pulled up over her back, her panties removed and her legs spread and Meloch standing right behind her with his pants down and thrusting his dick into her brutally from behind like he was possessed.
She realized that this was Meloch, who was not only letting his fantasies leak out freely, not even trying to hide them, but even projected them into her mind. She knew that Raynare and Akeno must have seen them as well.
Gabriel did her best to steel herself and let neither his perverted lust corrupt her or let her own anger about his behavior get to her. Or it might infect her own purity.
And she tried her best to keep the blush from her face.
xxxx
"Well," Meloch stated, "I don´t know much, but our new Emperor is gathering energy, his own and that of others, an extreme amount of it. We have actually gathered a large number of slaves for that purpose alone," he explained.
"Do you know for what he is planning to use that energy?" Gabriel asked.
"Not exactly, but I have heard pieces about opening an Portal, a very large one," Meloch said.
"An Dimensional Portal," Gabriel repeated. "So another invasions?"
"Maybe not," Meloch replied. "He might be preparing a portal, but I have heard nothing about military preparations for an invasion. Pazuzu and Ninlil had not mentioned anything either. So what he is planning to use that portal for? I have not idea."
"I understand," Gabriel said. "Still - thank you for sharing this with me."
"Don´t mention it," Meloch answered, seemingly polite. "Now let us return to your proposel."
"Of course. Like I said, if our new ruler´s actions work out like we hope for, there will be no need for us to interfere," she stated.
"But what if things go wrong?" she suggested. "What if it turns out his goals are not in our interest... or even endanger us?"
"Well - I guess that depends on the situation," Meloch replied. "The new Emperor is incredible powerful after all. More than any other being I have ever seen."
"If he should really turn on all of us, there would be not much to decide, right?" Gabriel pointed out smiling.
"And if it were not all of us he turned against?" Meloch questioned. "If he for example only decided to get rid of the alliance with the Fallen Angels and to subjugate you like the other races?" he asked.
"This would not really be the Demon´s business, right? I mean I could hardly risk the lives of my subordinates only for the interests of the Fallen?"
Of course, always looking out for oneself, they all thought.
"At least not without you offering a bit more," Meloch added.
"And what do you have in mind?" Gabriel asked him. `Aside from having sex with me?´ she thought.
"Shared leadership of the Grigori Faction between us," he said, "with all it´s resources and manpower, combined with my own holdings of course... and yourself."
"You want to marry me?" Gabriel asked.
"Not officially of course, at least not now," he clarified. "That would draw too much suspicion. Let us just say we would form a contract about this," he explained.
And of course you would be acting as my concubine, from the moment on the contract is signed, given your reputation I don´t think that would be a a great effort for you." He smirked.
Gabriel tried her best not to feel insulted. She remembered who exactly her counterpart was.
"Along with two of your female officers," Meloch stated.
"Maybe it could even the two right here. Yes - they would surely do." His eyes were gliding lustfully over Raynare and Akeno.
Meloch was lucky that the two were holding back from throwing multiple light-spears into various parts of his body right there.
With other words he wanted half of `her´ authoritiy and essentially become King of the Grigory and he wanted her body? And two others on top of that?
All that for a promise to assist her against a potential threat against all their safety, in case that the monstrosity that was currently ruling over the Demons went rogue. She guessed that would be what people called an impertinently high price.
"If you allow it, I will take some time to think your offer over and talk about it with my... adjutants," Gabriel said looking to Raynare and Akeno. "It is already late anyway. So I will spend the night here at your castle. I will then give you the answer tomorow."
She once again hated the fact that she was the one who had to do this. Well, she had wanted a change from her boring life in Heaven, right? she thought sarcastically to herself.
"Of course Lady Gabriel, think about it carefully," Meloch told her smiling. Bastard.
Gabriel, Raynare and Akeno-23 were standing up and leaving the room and followed the servants to the quarters that were given to them for the night. They all tried not to show their disgust.
Still, they had already gotten one, possibly valuable, piece of information. The question was what exactly was Darkseid looking for?
xxxxxxx
A short time later
"It is time." Rias and Kiba heart a telepathic message from Raynare.
Rias only send a look along with a mental command at the other Devils in the downridden and filthy room and they all passed out instantly. This was not even partly difficult, given how weak and mentally broken they were.
Then she finally blasted the door open.
They two guards patrolling the corridor reacted a few moments later.
"Hey!" One of them called out.
But they were nearly as quickly dealt with like the Devil slaves.
Kiba used his Sacred Gear, those presence had been concealed before to materialize a sword and moved to struck one of them down.
Rias fired a blast of Destruction Power at the other one.
Both Demons had been taken completely by surprise and killed instantly. Obviouly they would have never expected two `slaves´ to have this kind of abilities.
They also did not seem to be the best trained men under Meloch´s troops in the first place. Guarding a bunch of broken down slaves was probably the equivalent of a second rate job that did not require any significant skills, Rias thought.
She used her powers to disintigrate the body of the Demon Kiba had just killed, leaving no trace of either of them.
Then Rias used magic to restore the door behind them. Nobody would notice that they had broken out, unless they were looking for them.
And then she magically transformed her shabbi slave clothes into another outfit that only consisted of a small black top, an very short red and black shirt, stockings and high heeled black shoes and some kind of very short and transparent cape around her shoulders, that being see-through, only draw more attention to her body instead of hiding it.
She knew from the information the native Angels gave them that this was the kind of outfit people in the same `occupation´ as her counterpart usually wore.
So if someone saw her, they would just mistake her for her counterpart walking through the castle at night. Probably being called for some `activities´.
xxxx
Rias Gremory and also her mother Venelana Bael, were both living in this castle, not as regular slaves, but as Lord Meloch´s `personal slaves´ - which meant simply sex slaves. It was a piece of information that she had understandably found particular disturbing as she heard it.
`Well - what goes around comes around,´ a particular cynical part of her thought. She remembered how many High Class Devils had used the Evil Piece System and their Servants for exactly the same purpose.
This had been an open secret in Devil System, long before the `great reform´ under the pressure of the Guardians. Only then however the true number of how many had suffered under this kind of abuse became public. Not that it should have surprised her.
So here it were simply `pureblooded Devil ladies´ (halfbreeds) like her, who were being fucked till exhaustion, if they wanted to or not.
Rias felt guilt and shame. She had turned a blind eye to the same kind of abuse for years.
xxxx
Then Rias send out a telepathic message.
`Raynare... Issei - do you hear me?´
`Of course´, she responded.
`Yes,´ Issei replied as well, from outside the castle.
It seemed the barriers and wards around the castle were no match for their telepathic link.
`Have you already found out anything?´ Issei asked them.
`A bit. Meloch told us that their new ruler has ordered the Demons to search the Multiverse for something. Just a few people seems to know what exactly. And that Darkseid seems to be gathering energy and in great masses.´
`I see. So some big project,´ Issei stated. `And Rias - anything from you?´
"No sorry. Me and Yuuto have just broken out from the slave quarters, so we have not found out much yet," she said with a bit sarcasm. "All what we can tell is that the Devils here are in a truly sorry state and are treated horrible. But we already knew that before."
`Okay,´ Issei replied. `Look around in the castle. But be careful. Call us when something is happening.´
`We should be able to deal with anything here on our own quite well,´ Raynare responded. `Even this Lord Meloch seems not that much of a threat to us.´
Rias had to agree on that point.
`Don´t be so sure about that,´ Issei told them.
With this they ended their mental conversation.
And Rias and Kiba were starting to move stealthly though the corridors of the castle.
Just like Raynare, Gabriel, Akeno-23 and the two Exorcists were doing it in another part of the castle from their rooms.
While Issei and the others waited on the outside, ready to move in if needed. Just in the unlikely case the other High Lords, the Devil Hunters or Darkseid himself suddenly showed up.
xxxxxxx
Erebos Imperial Palace
Far away in Kyoto, the `New Emperor´ - a.k.a Vali from the Devil Hunters, possessed by Darkseid - was thinking about the progress of his plans.
`Vali´ had just been standing up from his bed that he was still sharing with `his´ versions of Kuroka and Koneko.
Something that he only did to calm the urges of his host body. At least that was what the Darkseid part of him told himself.
It was not as if Darkseid - as if he - didn´t have many concubines before in his long existence. And this two had not only volunteered but literally begged for the position.
He tried to force down the actual feelings Vali had for Kuroka and Koneko.
The orders he had given for his new project were already being executed. He could sense it. The were creating everything exactly by his designs.
Very soon he would open the greatest time-space portal that this pathetic universe he had ended up in had ever seen.
Soon he would have everything back he had lost.
"Vali - are you coming back to bed," Koneko asked behind him from the bed.
"Don´t... call me that," he hissed.
"Okay," she replied, "... Lord Darkseid."
He moved back to the side of the bed and grabbed her by the throat.
Kuroka was trying to interfere with a shocked expression. But she was being held in place by an invisible force.
"Let me make one thing clear you two. Your beloved Vali is no more. Just a few remains of him inside me, a few memories and thoughts left. That are the only reason I keep you two around," he told them.
That and the fact that you are quite strong and useful. You should better remember that."
That was a lie, he admitted to himself. He needed this two around to keep this this vessel and their merged minds stable. So why was he rejecting them like this? Why?
Then suddenly he released them. He himself looking visibly distraught, as he looked into Kuroka´s and Koneko´s horrified faces.
"What...?"
What was he doing? Vali/Darkseid thought. He had not intended to act like this.
Ah - yes, a temporally loss in control, he told himself. Since he had not adjusted to his new vessel yet. That had to be it.
And this vessel was powerful. He could feel Vali´s spirit trying to break away from him and trying to subdue him - to subdue him.
There were just a few creatures across the Multiverse who would even dare to try that. And he was sensing it all the time.
"Just leave me alone," he said to Vali´s lovers.
He was walking out of the room, leaving his two concubines behind.
Very soon he would not need this body anymore. Soon he would not need Kuroka and Koneko anymore.
He would have Apocolypse back. Or at least a version of Apocolypse that had not been destroyed during the Great War with the Guardians. And a version of his old self that he could inherit.
Soon everything would be back as it should be.
The Devil Hunter incarnations of Kuroka and Koneko were looking at each other as he left.
"This is not Vali," Koneko said.
xxxxxxx
Meloch´s Castle
Rias, closely followed by Kiba was walking through the corridors to meet with the others. They all had gotten information about the general lay-out and a map of the castle. At least as much as was known to this worlds Heaven and the Resistance.
Their allies admitted however that they had only a rough idea about the interior of the castle and that there were parts of it they knew nothing about.
Rias and Kiba had avoided a few more patrols of guards and used the chance to look into a few rooms, before they met with the others.
After a short time they had come across an unlocked door that led into a room that was clearly a torture chamber.
xxx
Gabriel, Raynare and Akeno-23, along with the two Exorcists were meanwhile doing the same thing. But so far nothing.
Of course they were also not even sure what exactly they were looking for. Information, sure - but in what form? A data file, a book, a notice on a piece of paper.
"The palace´s bibliotheca is a short distance in that direction," the Exorcist Giovanny told them.
"Meloch will hardly keep secret information inside his official library," Raynare retorted.
"You never know," Akeno-23 replied.
"Aside from that we are looking for all kind of useful information," Giovanny said. "Knowing more about this new project of this Darkseid that Lady Gabriel had mentioned would be good. But if it comes down to it, the Church and Lord Michael would also settle for any other information about the Demon´s plans."
"We should also look for Lord Meloch´s private office," Andrew, the second Exorcist, stated. "We don´t know where in the castle it is. So you should tell Lady Rias and Sir Kiba to look out for t as well."
"Allright," Raynare replied.
She send Rias a mental message, repeating what he had just told her.
At the same moment they had reached the bibliotheca and they entered the room.
What they saw was not really what they would have expected.
"This is the bibliotheca?" Gabriel questioned.
"Yes," Andrew replied.
"Well... don´t call me old-fashioned," Gabriel said, "but... I would have expected, well - books, at least a few of them."
"Or at least one or two," Raynare added.
Except for a few pieces of futuristic looking machinery, connected to a line of six metallic seats in the middle of it, the room was entirely empty.
"While some actual books still exist in the Demon Empire, they are generally locked away somewhere as `historical valuables´," Akeno-23 stated. "Information-hubs or in this case bibliothecas work generally entirely virtually. They are also connected to the world-wide techno-magical network."
"So that would be the Demon´s version of the internet?" Raynare stated.
"If with `internet´, you mean a world wide connection of computers, then yes," Akeno-23 replied.
They were just reminded that here the Human World had been invaded decades ago and a good third of it occupied by the Demons and Fallen Angels since then. It was good possible that the internet like they knew it never came up in this universe. Or that Akeno, living in occupied territory, at least never knew it.
"Virtually you said? How do you access this?" Gabriel asked.
"You just sit down in the seats and connect your mind to the network," Andrew stated.
"What?" Gabriel said. "Is that save?" she could not help to ask as she was looking at the strange device.
"The connection is one-sided in the sense that it allows you to give comments and manipulate the data," Giovanny explained. "But it can not influence your brain functions. There are also several safety measure to keep that from happening.
It is save. At least as save as any technology from the Demons can be." He grinned.
"Very funny," Andrew commented to his partner´s attemp of a joke.
"Information of military or political importance is usually also secured through access-codes attached to defense-mechanisms and alarms," Akeno-23 mentioned. "So it would be better if you leave this to me and Giovanny and Andrew, since we know the technology."
"Wait," Raynare said. "I am curious. And taking a closer look at this technology is probably also worth it."
"Okay," Akeno-23 replied. "You just have to sit down in one of the seats and the connection will build up automatically."
"Allright." Raynare did what she said. After she had sat down in the seat at the left, she actually felt the mental connection form.
Pictures and symbols appeared in her sight before her, forming some kind of screen. She realized however that she was not truly seeing this. It was instead projected inside her mind.
At the same time she also shared this mental image with Issei, Irina and Asia who were still outside the castle.
Raynare was now connected to the device.
And then... nothing happened.
"What do I have to do now?" she asked.
"Just concentrate on one of the symbols to activate them," Akeno-23 stated. "But concentrade on the right ones."
"I don´t even know what half of this symbols mean," Raynare responded.
The written words were translated into what her mind could understand, but...
`Up´ `Down´ so much was obvious.
But what meant `Clearing´ - clearing what?
and `Next Level´ and `Lower Level´.
`History´ Did that mean the `reading history´ of the user or the history of this world?
The three symbols in the middle, `technology´, `politics´ and `space and worlds´ were scientific topics, right?
Raynare´s head begann to hurt and her eyes were swimming.
And she literally jumped out of the chair.
"Are you alright?" Gabriel asked her.
"I - I am okay," she said.
"if you try to concentrate on too much at once, it can confuse your senses," Akeno told her.
"Yes," Raynare replied quietly. "You could have mentioned that earlier."
"Sorry. We all are so used to this technic that this had never crossed my mind," Akeno responded. "I guess it is truly better if we do this," she said, looking to the Exorcists.
xxxxxxx
Kyoto
Darkseid/Vali had gone outside and was now wandering around on an outer walkway on one of the upper levels on the palace. He was looking up into the night-sky.
He had of course already noticed that he was not alone.
"I see you are here by yourself My Lord," the figure who was just approaching him said.
"Gabriel," he greeted her. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to talk to you," she replied. "I just saw you leave your quarters."
"Ah - so this is the point where you flatter me and try to seduce me and offer to have sex with me, to try to secure your place in this little Empire, right? Just like you did with the last Emperor."
For a split-second the Fallen Gabriel looked gobsmacked and a bit insecure at his blunt statement.
But then she smiled.
"Yes," she admitted. "We Fallen are the Erebos most important allies after all. And I would do everything to make sure that our relationship stays that way."
She leaned against the railing, in a pose that let the long slit in her dress show off her legs.
Vali/Darkseid only looked at her amused.
"We both know that lip-service aside the alliance between the Demons and your kind was never an equal one," he pointed out. "They have the resources of more than one world, you have not. They have the technology to travel between them, you don´t. Do you want me to continue?"
Gabriel frowned. This was not how she had wanted this conversation to play out. And she certainly did not want to be reminded that in fact the Fallen were the weak link in this alliance.
"But don´t worry," Darkseid/Vali said, "you are a powerful being after all. So I still have use for you."
"Yes?" she responded.
"And you don´t even need to sell yourself for it. But on the other side, Vali Lucifer´s body is quite attractive. So maybe you are all too eager to do it," he baited her.
"Maybe," she replied with a strange mix of seductiveness and annoyance. "And if you allow me this question, what do you think of my body?
For a moment a thought, a memory flashed through his mind. Of himself - no the old Erebos Emperor Dagon, lying in bed together with her mostly naked, with him lying on top of her, her legs bend around him and thrusting into her sharply.
Dagon, he remembered that he had absorbed his soul as well. He had thought that it had already disappeared into the next dimension.
But if it had not? Could this be one of the reasons for his strange mood swings and lack of self-control?
Three souls trapped inside the same body. All of them of powerful supernatural entities.
How long could that go well?
He needed to enact his plan as quickly as he could.
Darkseid/Vali/(Dagon?) groaned and held his hand unto his face, as he stumbled lightly.
"My Lord?" Gabriel-23 said, sounding concerned.
"It... is alright... I am alright. Just leave me alone," he told her. "Stay loyal and keep supporting me and you will have a place at my side when my plans become reality. Betray me and you will die. And maybe worse than that. Do you understand me?"
"Yes."
"Good," he said.
xxxxxxx
Meloch´s Castle
Rias came to another door. She was about to open it, but she heard noise coming from behind it.
But not any noise.
She heard grunts and moans. And in between...
"Yes - you are good," she heard a male voice saying, "Gabriel!"
Rias froze in surprise. What? That was impossible.
Rias could not help herself but open the door.
Inside the room she saw Lord Meloch with his back turned to her, grunting and moving eratically. This was probably his private study, they had been told of.
And in front of him was a young woman with blonde hair, bending over a table. Who was wearing a black dress that was looking nearly exactly like the one Gabriel was wearing. Her skirt was lifted up messily and her legs spread as he was thrusting into her hard and savagely.
The girl moaned and cried out, in pain or pleasure, played or real, Rias did not know.
"Oh Gabriel - you are so good. Your tits and you ass, they are perfect. I can not get enough of them," he murmured.
But that could not be, Rias thought. The Gabriel of this world could not be here or they would have already heard it and theirs would not let him do this?
Who was that? Some kind of double?
Meloch squashed one of her breasts brutally, while he kept on thrusting into her body without holding back. The table was shaking beneath them. It was probaly magically enhanced or it would have already broken.
This time Rias felt the pain coming from the girl in her mind.
There seemed however something that felt strange about this woman, something familiar.
Rias had picked up her thoughts so easily.
Who was this?
Rias stepped closer. She was now standing right behind Meloch. But she moved very quietly and hid her presence. He had not noticed her.
Then she recognized the girl Meloch just had his way with, as she moved her head to the side and Rias saw her face.
And she froze.
It was her mother Venelana (or at least this world´s version of her), with her hair turned blonde with magic and wearing a dress looking like Gabriel´s.
Rias had been holding back her anger the whole time she had been here. But now...
She barely realized it herself, as she had already in a moment of blinde rage charged up her Power of Destruction...
... and unleashed a blast with all her power at Meloch standing right before her.
He noticed her in the last moment and turned around to her with an expression of shock.
But it was already too late... for both of them.
Meloch was being engulfed in her attack, with the entire wall behind him being blown away along with himself...
... and Rias only now fully realized the consequences.
There was no way anybody had not noticed this, Rias knew - as she looked at the gaping hole in the castle.
"Rias - What, what have you done?" The counterpart of her mother, who Rias had made sure not to hit, but who had also moved away in the last moment, asked her as well terrified.
She was now sitting on the ground next to the table, with her legs visible, the dress in a completely disarranged state, one of her breasts hanging half out and her slip hanging next to her at the side of the table. But the slave did not seem to notice or care about any of this.
She was of course mistaking Rias for own daughter, who was a fellow (sex-)slave along with herself. After she had recovered from the first shock of seeing what Rias had just done to their `master´.
But that didn´t matter right now, Rias. She had just spectaculary blown their cover.
xxxxxxx
Kyoto - Demon Capital
Darkseid/Vali was still standing on the high gangway on the Emperor´s Castle.
"There you are," he said quietly as he sensed the explosion at Lord Meloch´s castle in the distance.
The next chapter is the beginning of the final part of the current story-arc.
And with that the final of the climax of the Erebos-storyline.
It will however not be the end of this story. It will come at least one arc more afterwards.