My great thanks to TodaBruh, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!

Center of the Void, Throne Room of the Eldritch Pantheon.

After going back to mingle with all the assembled gods, it didn't take long before I raised an eyebrow as Desna came towards me once more, leading a rather large group of people, some of which I recognized and made my other eyebrow rise as well.

Deciding to focus on the gods within the group for now, I looked at Desna with some amusement. "Lady Desna, we meet again. And with new companions, this time." I sent a meaningful glance at the gathered group before me.

Desna smiled. "I had some people eager to meet you, King Aeon. And considering that I am one of the goddesses worshipped by the Elven pantheon, I felt that it was only right for me to be there for this."

I chuckled gently. "Fair enough." I nodded towards Nethys, the healed god of magic grinning at me. "Lord Nethys. You look cheerful." I pointed out with an amused smile.

"Being healed from insanity does tend to make someone rather happy, my Lord." Nethys pointed out. "And having your support helped a great deal in allowing me to become an officially recognized Heavenly deity."

"I am aware. I'm glad that I was able to correct a great wrong when you were healed, Lord Nethys. As someone who went through Ascension myself, I understand all too well how hard the process can be." I told him gently.

"I thought I was ready… I thought wrong." The sigh he released then carried with it the pain and horror of millenia as a mad god. He shook his head then smiled at me. "But thanks to you, I am whole again. I said it before, but I will never forget the debt I owe you, King Aeon." He declared, deeply bowing his head towards me in respect and gratitude.

I nodded at him. "Raise your head, Nethys, while helping you was certainly the right thing to do, we both know that I certainly profit from it. My actions were hardly driven solely by selflessness, after all."

Nethys smirked slightly at that. "And what is wrong with that? If any mortal had managed to do what you did, I would have seen them made kings on the spot. For healing me, my loyalty is the least that you are owed… And I too, certainly benefit from your support, King of the Eldritch." he remarked.

"Fair." I agreed with an amused smile. "Enlightened self-interest… What a wonderful concept."

I glanced at the other gathered individuals, and Desna waved at the gods amongst them with a smile. "King Aeon, may I present to you the Elven Pantheon?"

"You may." I replied with a grin.

"Then, first allow me to introduce Lady Calistria, Goddess of Lust and Vengeance, one of the most worshipped goddess amongst the Elves and who is also respected by other species." Introduced Desna towards Calistria, who stepped forward with a sultry grin and a swaying body that hinted at some spectacular agility… in and out of the bedroom.

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last, King Aeon. The rumours about you don't do you justice in person, and they were very impressive to begin with." purred the goddess with eyes that all but screamed that she was mentally imagining me naked and in her bed.

My lips twitched in amusement, though I knew far better than to ever lower my guard around a goddess with a Trickery Domain.

"Lady Calistria. I too heard a great deal about you. You are an avowed enemy of the goddess of undeath, Urgathoa, are you not?" I replied.

Calistria raised an eyebrow, before nodding. "I do indeed. Has she angered you in any way, King Aeon?"

"She exists." I dryly replied, making more than a few of the gods around me blink. "She may have found a place to live in Abaddon, but she is no goddess I care to see in any of my realms… or any realms at all, frankly. I do not despise undead by their very nature, but I do despise Evil, and she is very much an embodiment of that." I smiled coldly at her. "Would you be willing to accept some support from some of my Aeons in tracking down her servants and seeing them sent to their graves, my Lady?"

Calistria raised an eyebrow, before a gleam entered her eyes. "I would be most delighted to accept a partnership against a common foe, King Aeon."

"Good. I suspect that she would have tried to use the upcoming wars against the Abyss and its allies to gather power, so I would appreciate assistance in fighting her off." I smirked coldly. "I'll make sure to reward you if you actually manage to kill her, too."

Calistria blinked, while Desna's eyebrows rose at my blunt words. "Killing a deity is no small feat, King Aeon…" Desna's expression hardened. "Though to be fair, I will hardly mourn that goddess' passing if Calistria succeeds…"

"I will look into it, King Aeon." said the goddess of vengeance, her eyes gleaming at the thought of the glory and rewards she could get from pulling this off. "A reward from you would no doubt be well worth the effort."

I smiled. "I'll make sure to not disappoint." I paused, then my eyes narrowed slightly towards her, my expression turning colder. "However, I feel that I must give you fair warnings, as well, on another matter."

"What matters, King Aeon?" asked Calistria, her body tensing as her instincts suddenly screamed danger at her.

"I am aware that you and the God of Crimes within Axis have worked together in the past." I said bluntly. "I will not stop you from doing so again, but I will say that, as he will inevitably try to use the upcoming war against the Abyss as an opportunity to increase his power, if I find you colluding with him in a way that will harm the war effort in any shape or form, I will make sure that you both get to enjoy becoming a tasty snack for the Crawling Chaos for the next billion years before I grant you the mercy of annihilating whatever shreds of your souls will be left by then. Am I clear?" I threatened with a voice so cold that Calistria's breath frosted over and she shivered as ice covered the ground around my feet, my eyes turning into two deep black voids staring deep into her soul and sending all of her instincts screaming in mortal terror.

"C-Crystal, K-King Aeon." she stuttered out, her skin as white as chalk as she shivered in dread.

I heard a muttered "Scary! He's scary!" from one of the mortals that accompanied the elven gods, though I ignored it for now, satisfied that my warning had been made clear.

Nodding in approval, I smiled once more at her. "Then with that said, I look forward to my children's work in helping deal with the goddess of Undeath."

Looking away and towards the next goddess, Desna cleared her throat and waved at her, doing her best to ignore what had just happened. "King Aeon, I present to you lady Yuelral, elven goddess of magic and jewelry."

The goddess smiled at me. "King Aeon, it is an honour. Tales of your magical abilities have spread across the cosmos…" she glanced at Nethys, her smile brightening even more. "With very clear evidence for all to see."

"It was my pleasure to help." I replied with a smile of my own. "I take it that you and Nethys have had opportunities to interact since his healing?"

"Indeed we have! And I must say, the ritual used to heal him was a thing of pure beauty. Even as gods of magic, the design for it was just…" she shook her head. "Pure genius, even for what parts of it I could actually understand! Why, the symbology, the connection with the cosmos, and the runic work was just! Just! Divine!" she exclaimed with excitement.

I blinked, caught off-guard by seeing an elven goddess act like a five year old on Christmas day, before smiling softly at her. "Feel free to keep studying the ritual if you desire, Lady Yuelral. I look forward to seeing what it inspires you to create."

"I'll do my best not to disappoint, King Aeon." she declared, radiating determination.

"I'm certain that you won't." I told her earnestly, because anyone with so much love for magic would undoubtedly work hard to create wonders through it.

We talked a little bit more, as I gave her some advice about the enchanted crystals upon her in order to make the spells within them even stronger, before she finally stepped back and let the next god step forward boldly.

Desna opened her mouth to introduce him, but I raised a hand to stop her, a smile crossing my lips as I cheerfully shook hands with Cernunnos, God of the Wild parts of nature… And also one of my biggest supporters in Nirvana.

"Lord Cernunnos! I was looking forward to meeting you, after you spoke up so often in support of myself within Nirvana!" I said brightly.

"Ahah! It is only proper, after all the help your children gave me and my people in the war against Evil!" The god said boisterously, a delighted grin on his face. "Many forests have been saved from corruption thanks to the timely warning of evil plots they gave me and my worshippers, and many foul fiends have been slain as a result! I can only look towards the future with hope brimming in my heart at what we can all accomplish together! And once the war starts in earnest, we may yet have the opportunity to deal a deadly blow against Evil as a whole from which they will never recover from! With you as King of Realty, the future looks bright, Great King!" he loudly declared.

I laughed warmly, swept up in his sheer enthusiasm. "May it be so, indeed! I swear to you, Lord Cernunnos, I will do everything in my power to ensure that never again will Reality have to fear the predation of the Abyss and its demons! Together, we shall strike down evil whenever it can be found and make all of Reality a better place in the process!"

"Yes! Exactly" shouted the god, grinning so brightly it was a wonder he didn't spontaneously become a god of the sun. "Too many evil souls thrive upon the material universe, but with your help we can finally put an end to it!" He gave me a big smile, his eyes dancing with joy, before his expression turned a bit more solemn. "I know that many within Nirvana and beyond hope for those fallen to Evil to find redemption, but… As much as I respect their hopes, I cannot in good conscience approve of putting the salvation of the souls of the Damned above that of safeguarding the lives and souls of the innocents. As incredible as successful redemption stories are, they are sadly rare, and too many evil beings simply refuse to see the light of Good. As such… We must do what we can to save those who do not deserve to suffer under the cruelty of evil souls, even if it condemns those damned souls to never finding redemption."

"Yes, that is my view on things as well." I agreed. "I respect, even admire those who can convince the Damned to find redemption, but all the same… Above all else, my duty is to protect the innocents from evil, not save evil from itself. I will gladly support anyone truly walking the path to redemption, but I will not go out of my way to try and save the souls of the damned if it puts good people at risk."

Cernunnos and I shared a look, a thousand words exchanged without any actual words spoken, before we smiled at each other.

Like recognized likes, and we two were very similar in our moral beliefs, so I could definitely see both of us working together a lot in the future.

We stepped back, both of us clearly satisfied that we got what we hoped for in this encounter.

"Well, I can clearly see that the two of you will get along very well." teased Desna, a grin on her lips as she looked at the two of us.

"I do believe so, yes." I confirmed. "Still, I know how eager you are to introduce more of the elven pantheon, so by all means." I waved her on, and she gave me a warm grin before putting a hand on an elf with a dog at his feet and a hawk on his other shoulder, his hair replaced completely with feathers, while his hawk-like eyes studied me curiously.

"This is Ketephys, God of the Hunt. Considering your own title, I figured that you might get along quite well." cheerfully introduced Desna.

I met the god's hawk-like eyes, both of us sizing the other up like only two Hunters could.

For a moment, we stayed silent, before Ketephys spoke up. "Do you dislike dogs?"

I looked at him thoughtfully. "What makes you say that?"

"From the moment you noticed him, you positioned yourself to keep him in view at all times, and your body tensed, as if ready to fight at a moment's notice." he remarked.

That made a few of the people watching blink, while I merely smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I have had bad previous experiences with dogs from when I was still mortal. I always ready myself for a fight when I see one these days."

The god of the Hunt tilted his head, saying nothing, but Desna spoke up. "Wait, really? What happened?" she asked, a flicker of concern and worry for me crossing her face.

I smiled thinly. "Mutated dogs rendered mad tried to tear me apart… and then there was that damn giant fire dog gliding on fucking lava-!"

I took a deep breath.

Exhaled.

"... Bad experiences, as I said." I smiled thinly again.

"... Giant dog gliding on lava?" repeated Desna, sounding bewildered.

"And spitting lava." I deadpanned. "And gliding on the walls… And on the fucking ceiling-!"

I paused.

Exhaled.

"Point is, I came to have an entirely healthy view of how dangerous dogs could be." I told them.

I looked back at Ketephys, once again smiling apologetically. "You'll have to excuse me, dogs happened to be one thing I have a lingering issue with." I paused. "Funnily enough though, I have no problem with wolves." I remarked with a shrug.

"I suppose that we all have our quirks." commented the god of the Hunt, sounding faintly amused.

I snorted. "We're gods. Our very existence is defined by those quirks. We call them Divine Domains."

Desna opened her mouth… and slowly closed it, a look of realization on her face. "... Huh." she muttered.

"In any case, feel free to ask for help if you require it." I told Ketephys. "I'm aware that you are fighting against the Demon Lord Treerazer, and that you managed to drive him off but have been unable to kill him for good. If you wish, you could ask for the support of some of my Aeons to help ensure an assault on his home territory will be successful."

"I'll consider it." Ketephys said firmly. "The sooner we can put the demon down, the better."

"Agreed."

I looked at the second to last goddess of the group, with Desna stepping forward once more to do the introduction.

"King Aeon, may I introduce to you Lady Findeladlara, goddess of Art and Architecture, Keeper of elven Traditions." she declared.

"King Aeon. It is an honour to be invited today for your coronation." Findeladlara bowed deeply, and I took a moment to properly look at her.

The bow was a textbook perfect bow of respect towards a foreign ruler, and her current clothes and jewels were specifically picked to both subtly send a message about deference yet independence.

Someone was both clearly being respectful while establishing boundaries.

I smiled thinly, more amused than anything. "Lady Findeladlara. I hope that your stay amongst my court was pleasant so far? I understand that it must be rather different from a traditional elven palace, in both architecture and people."

"The accommodations were more than satisfactory, King Aeon." She reassured me firmly. "Perhaps not my preferred examples of such, but I do appreciate that my quarters were clearly designed to be as close to traditional elven quarters as possible considering the circumstances."

I nodded, satisfied. "I understand that you do not desire worshippers from other races than elves. May I inquire as to why? The other gods do not seem to share your views."

The goddess tilted her head, then calmly answered "Because I am the goddess of the elven species."

My lips twitched upwards at the blunt, straightforward answer. "An unassailable argument. Thank you for indulging my curiosity."

"The pleasure was mine." she replied, bowing slightly.

I spent a few minutes asking a couple question about Elven art, since I did want to work more closely with the Elven gods in the future and there was few things as capable of establishing a good relationship than mutual interest in something, before I finally turned my attention on the last of the elven gods present.

Yet again, Desna stepped forward, presenting the goddess with a smiling mask at the back of her head.

"King Aeon, this is Lady Alseta, elven goddess of Doorways, portals, thresholds, and the transition from year to year."

"King Aeon. It is an honour." the goddess bowed deeply.

"Lady Alseta. From what I know of you, you have diligently worked to ensure that all that fall under the purview of your Domains is running smoothly, and even beyond that to things that technically don't fall under your aegis, for the sake of your people. Your dedication and hard work is worthy of praise." I said kindly. From what I knew of her she was barely worshipped yet still worked just as hard if not harder than many other gods, so the least I could do was praise her for her hard work.

Which certainly seemed to surprise, as she froze, her cheeks reddening at the unexpected compliment. "Ah… Thank you, King Aeon. I am merely doing my duties as a goddess, however."

I snorted softly. "If every deity in existence were as dutiful as you, I dare say that I'd need only to lunge in my throne all day because I would have nothing left to do. So raise your head, and be proud. Hard work and loyalty may be their own rewards, but I will still praise you for showing both."

"... Thank you, King Aeon. It is my honour to serve." she said softly, bowing deeper and the red on her cheeks not diminishing any.

I smiled, satisfied. As a Hunter I truly respected hard work and dedication, and especially in those often overlooked who nonetheless allowed civilization to run smoothly thanks to their devotion to their duties.

So I was more than happy to give words of praise to someone who clearly didn't get many of those.

"Now then…" My eyes went to the side of the gathered gods, towards the mortals waiting patiently on the side, my head titling with interest as I recognized them easily.

Desna, for the last time, stepped forward, a fond smile on her lips as she looked at the assembled mortals. "King Aeon, may I introduce you to several mortals who would like to volunteer their help to fight the Abyss in your name? I would like to present to you Lady Serie, The Living Grimoire. Lady Frieren, the Slayer. Her apprentice, Fern, and finally Stark the Warrior."

My gaze settled on them, Serie and Frieren not even blinking, while Fern tensed and Stark clearly gulping nervously.

"These mortals have come because of your stated desire to end the threat of the Abyss once and for all, and offered their help in any way they can to bring this outcome to fruition." finished Desna.

"I can most certainly make use of them." I agreed, looking at each of them. "The real question is, what exactly are you all after? Knowledge, training, power, blessings?" I questioned.

"Anything that helps kill demons." declared Frieren instantly.

Serie sent her a wry look at those words, as if thoroughly unsurprised those were her first words to me, while Fern and Stark smiled nervously. "Well, all of those sounds pretty good?" Stark said hesitantly, Fern nodding in agreement.

Serie looked back at me, her golden eyes narrowing and a hint of a smirk touching her lips.

"I care little about ending the Abyss. What I do care about is your stated claim that you are the greatest god of Magic in existence." she bluntly declared.

I smiled in amusement, having expected as much.

"You want to test me?" I asked. "Very well. How?"

"... First, answer me this: What is your favourite spell?" Serie asked me.

I tilted my head, my cosmic eyes looking thoughtfully into Serie's unflinching golden ones.

"That depends." I finally answered back. "On whether you mean in general, or in combat."

Serie frowned slightly, her narrowed eyes squinting at me. "Both, then."

"To the first…" I smiled softly, my expression turning gentle as I brought out the Lunar Tear flower from my Inventory that Oedon gave me all these years ago in Yharnam. I looked at it with a nostalgic, fond look, all the memories of our time spent together flashing through my mind at the sight of it. "Any spell that can create flowers like these, whether a field of it or just a single one. It's… a deeply personal reminder, I suppose… And a promise that I never intend to break."

I looked to the side, my eyes going into the distance, meeting Oedon's blood-red ones who had instantly shifted towards me the moment I brought out the flower. I smiled, taking in the scent of the Lunar Tear, and Oedon smiled softly at me, nodding once, before turning back to the conversation she was having with Kassogtha.

I put the flower back where it belonged, safely in my Inventory, ignoring the looks of interest and curiosity from both the mortals and gods around me, my eyes settling back on Serie who was watching me with a carefully blank expression.

"As for the second?" I continued. Then I leaned down towards her, my expression turning cold as ice. "Anything that gets the job done. I have no favourite spell in combat, for as long as it kills those I want to kill, that is all that matters."

Serie stared at me without blinking for a moment, as if trying to find any hint of doubt or lies in my words … And then a cold, wide grin spread out across her lips, her golden gleaming with approval.

"Acceptable. I will accept to learn from you, then." She declared, before stepping back, visibly satisfied.

I nodded at her, then turned my gaze towards Frieren.

"Can you teach me how to kill demons better?" she asked instantly.

"I can." I replied without hesitation. "I have the largest magical library in existence. Whatever you desire, you can find it within it."

Frieren's eyes narrowed.

"Even a legendary spell capable of creating the perfect ice cream?"

"Perfection doesn't exist… But I can teach you a spell that will give you the closest thing to it possible." I replied without missing a beat.

"Deal." She said happily, a silly grin on her face.

Fern instantly turned to glare at her, and Frieren instinctively flinched. "Don't look at me like that, a legendary spell like that is worth it!" she whined.

"I mean… perfect ice cream…" mused Stark, before flinching when Fern turned to glare at him next.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he instantly shouted in fear.

Those two are whipped, I thought in amusement at the sight, while Serie looked at the whole thing with a picture perfect deadpan expression, clearly wondering at the sanity of everyone around her.

Finally, Fern looked back at me, visibly hesitating and sending a quick, uncertain look at Frieren, before her expression hardened in resolve and she bowed. "We'll be in your care, then, master."

At the side, Serie seemed to almost pout at those words, a sudden spike of jealousy coming from her.

My own expression softened. "You don't have to call me that if you don't want to. I understand that Frieren is already your master… And the only one you'll truly see that way."

Fern barely hesitated before shaking her head. "It's the proper thing to do if we all learn from you."

I looked at her for a moment, before nodding. "Very well, but keep it in mind." I turned nostalgic, my eyes going unfocused. "I certainly know that I have only one person I'll ever truly see as a mentor, even if I had other teachers over the years."

"May I ask who?" Fern inquired softly, noticing the look in my eyes.

"... Gerhman, the First Hunter, the man who created the very concept of a Yharnamite Hunter." I replied. "And the man who mentored me in his institution's creeds, knowledge and beliefs when I first became a Hunter. He… Well. It's a long story, but… I hope that you'll get to meet him one day." I said softly, praying to myself that he will be willing to be brought back to life in his prime when I return to Yharnam.

I would absolutely understand if he wanted to stay dead and rest, but… I'd miss the old bastard.

Fern examined my expression for a moment before sympathy shone in her eyes, and she smiled warmly. "I look forward to that day, then." she declared, and I could tell that she saw me as a fellow student of a Great Person, which… was entirely correct.

"Yeah." I paused, then chuckled. "Though you might regret saying that. Gerhman is a good teacher, but he's an absolute hardass too!"

"Ah… Your master was harsh with you, too, huh?" mused Stark. "I guess that it just comes with being a teacher…"

"All the great ones are like that, I think." I told him. "It means that they expect only the best from us, and won't settle for any less."

That made Frieren, Fern and Stark blink, before Frieren and Stark turned thoughtful, and Fern glanced at Frieren for a second before nodding in agreement at my words.

"Did your master fear anything?" asked Stark, the question making Frieren focus on me, probably wondering if Gerhman was anything like her old dwarven friend who was a self-proclaimed coward.

"... He only ever feared failing his students and people." I replied, though I kept to myself And remaining trapped forever in the Hunter's Dream.

That was a conversation for later.

"A kind man?" asked Frieren, clearly wondering if he was more like Himmel instead.

I chuckled at that. "Kind… No. I would say more… Selfless, and dutiful." My expression turned sad at that last word. "Duty… Gerhman devoted himself to that word. Duty. It brought him immense pain and suffering, in the end… Still, I helped free him from his nightmare, and I hope… I hope that he'll get to live happier, now."

I fell silent, the memories of blades clashing and gun shooting echoing in my head.

The night, and the Dream, were long…

I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to lose myself in old memories.

"Well, in any case, I'll invite you all in my realm later to start the lesson, there's quite a few things I need to see to first before I can focus on teaching you." Like finally going back to Bloodborne and bringing the Earth there in this multiverse.

Fern's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How long will that take, exactly?"

I gave her an amused look. "Don't worry, I'd be surprised if it took me more than a month or two at most."

Fern nodded, clearly relieved that I didn't reply something crazy like "Fifty years" or something.

Having an elf for a teacher comes with… side-effects, clearly.

"Very well. I look forward to seeing if your library truly measures up to mine." Serie declared with an expectant grin.

"Hm. Think of all the Grimoires that can be found within a divine library!" said Frieren, her eyes almost sparkling at the thought.

Fern smiled. "Well, I suppose that, if nothing else, a near-perfect ice scream sounds really tempting…"

"Yeah! Just… Try not to go too hard on us, please?" Stark almost begged. "I really don't want to see you go all-out… That'd be really scary!"

I laughed. "Don't worry, I won't! The only mortal I ever went all-out against is…" I trailed off, a warm, fond smile on my lips. "The Strongest Hero, Saitama."

That made everyone blink, even the nearby gods watching who had stepped back to let me talk to the group of mortals in peace.

"Wait, King Aeon, you went all-out against a mortal hero?" asked Desna, visibly shocked.

"Did… did you kill him?" asked Stark, eyes wide.

That made me laugh harder. As if!

"Ahahah! Like I could, even if I wanted to!" I kept laughing, shaking my head. "Nah, I just challenged him to a spar when I first met him, because I wanted to see how strong the strongest hero in the omniverse truly was."

I grinned. "Turns out, more than strong enough to make even me call bullshit! Even Azathoth freaked out when she felt the shockwaves of our fight!"

That made everyone blink in shock, and quite a few go white in fear.

"Even Azathoth?" asked Serie in genuine surprise.

"What kind of magic did he use?" asked Fern with wide eyes.

"None." I replied in amusement, delighting in the growing shock on all of their faces. "Saitama doesn't have a drop of magical ability in his body. All he's got is pure human skills like punching things…" I paused, then chuckled. "Well, mostly. He's crazy strong enough to break the laws of Reality through sheer willpower, you see, so magic just… slides off him like water on a duck's back."

The blank, uncomprehending stares of everyone at the idea of a mortal man just… casually ignoring any and all spells through sheer willpower were utterly hilarious, and it took everything I had to not start laughing my head off at the sight.

Ah, if only they knew just how much I was still holding back on his BS!

Saitama is too strong, he's breaking the very gods themselves without even throwing a punch now!

"""What.""" Everyone declared blankly at the same time.

"Yup. And he's my son-in-law nowadays." I said smugly, before my expression softened. "Either way, I don't expect you to become even half as strong as that guy. He's just an anomaly, one that I don't ever expect to see repeated. Still, as long as you grow stronger and help in saving people from evil, I'll be satisfied."

"... Just like that, huh?" said Frieren, looking at me curiously. "You'd open your library, teach people that you have just met, all so that we can go and save people?"

"It's the right thing to do." I said simply.

Frieren stared, then smiled softly. "Hm. I think that He would have liked you."

I didn't ask who. There was only one man that Frieren could be thinking of right now.

Either way, Frieren nodded, satisfied, before looking at Fern and Stark with a grin. "Come on, let's go meet with Nethys, I want to see if I can badger him- I mean, convince him to give me a grimoire!"

"You totally said badger him, didn't you." flatly said Stark. "Frieren, you- eh, wait!"

But Frieren was already leaving, smiling cheerfully to herself.

Fern gave me a half-panicked, half-apologetic look, bowing deeply. "I'm so sorry about master, she isn't really good with nobility. Please don't mind us!" and with that said she quickly marched up to Frieren and began berating her.

I smiled in amusement, before looking back at Serie, who was looking at me with narrowed golden eyes.

"Do you intend to create an age of peace to Reality?" she questioned.

"There can never be an Age of true peace." I answered truthfully. "Free Will will birth Evil, and from that conflicts will inevitably arise. What I can do is merely… ensure that Good will always win the wars to come, and make sure that they have the tools they need to do so."

Serie tilted her head curiously. "Do you believe peace to be impossible?"

"I believe that lasting peace is impossible." I corrected. "So I may as well prepare for war accordingly."

"... You still yearn for it, don't you? That impossible peace." Serie remarked.

I said nothing. I didn't need to.

Serie's lips twitched. "I see. So that's the kind of person you are… How troublesome. Flamme would have loved to meet you. She was just as much of a fool as you are."

She turned and began to walk away, but not before I gave her a last parting shot.

"Better to be a fool and dare to hope than to live in despair all your life. And beside… Flamme was right, wasn't she? The demons lost, in the end." I whispered, loud enough for my words to still carry to her.

For a split second, so quick that a normal mortal would have missed it, Serie froze, before she kept going as if nothing happened.

It did nothing to hide the surge of old grief, pride, love and nostalgia that erupted from her at my words, however.

I smiled slightly. Ah, Serie, you can never be honest with yourself, can you…

"Sooo…" Desna said softly. "What was that about you and this hero called Saitama somehow managing to terrify Azathoth?"

I snorted. Oh, if only she knew what kind of glorious nonsense she was heading straight into with that question!

After leaving a dazed Desna behind, the poor goddess having difficulties comprehending the fraction of Saitama's feats I shared with her out of sheer amusement at her reactions, I continued to interact with a number of gods until a very specific deity finally came forward to meet with me, Damelone stirring at the sight, ready to be called forth instantly if need be.

I calmed her down. This was going to be a battle of words, not swords… Though one no less deadly for it.

"Lord Aeon. It is an honour to finally meet you face to face, your highness." came the dark, devilishly cultured voice of Asmodeus, King of Hell, while bowing just low enough to both show insult while not being enough to be called on it, a cup of dark red wine in his right hand.

"Lord Asmodeus." I replied in kind, making sure to not call him king, much like he didn't. "I must say, your reputation precedes you. I heard a great deal about you, after all."

Asmodeus gave me a smile sharp enough to put Damelone's edge to shame, his eyes glimmering with Hellish ambitions. "All good things, I hope, Lord Aeon." he replied pleasantly.

I chuckled, though there was little humor in it. "Powerful individuals are never without their critics, Lord Asmodeus. Why…" My lips curled upwards to show the barest hint of a cold smile. "I heard that many within Hells' greatest are rather divided on what to think of me." I said, putting some emphasis on "divided" as a clear jab towards Hell's current political situation.

Asmodeus' eyes glimmered darkly at my words, and I could feel his fury at the fact that some of Hell's leaders had been manipulated into fighting against him… Along with his cold determination to do anything required to keep his power and influence secure.

"A temporary state of affairs, I can assure you." he said smoothly, his cold fury not even showing a hint of itself in his voice even as he quickly implied that he would unite Hell again under him, by force if necessary. "It is not the first time that Hell has been divided on the best path forward, but we always overcome all adversity to ensure the prosperity of Hell as a whole." I'm not afraid of you, and your plans will fail, he was all but screaming at me.

I smiled pleasantly back at him. "Your confidence must be reassuring to many, Lord Asmodeus." But not all, and we both know it, don't we? "I look forward to seeing what decision Hell ultimately decides upon to solve the current crisis plaguing it." Which of us shall claim Hell, in the end? Only time will tell.

Asmodeus smiled back. "Your concern does you credit, Lord Aeon. Already hard at work in your new duties as God-King of Creation, I see." Do you intend to rule all like a Tyrant? He questioned. "Still, as I said, Hell can take care of itself. It has always done so, and always will, even where others falter." I will not let you claim Hell like you claimed Abaddon.

"The times are changing, Lord Asmodeus." I warned softly. "In these confusing times, who knows what is and isn't true anymore?" You cling to power, but fight the inevitable. Submit or pay the price. "Greatness awaits those who know to seize opportunities when they present themselves. It will require great insights to not make a wrong move." I can reward you. You're not capable of winning against me, so why not join me instead?

"Hell has always sought to show others how Greatness can be achieved. I would not be the ruler of my people if I did not already possess the insight necessary to lead them to victory, Lord Aeon." Asmodeus replied unflinchingly. Hell does not require you to be great. I will never submit, and neither will Hell, for I will guide us to victory, even against the likes of you.

"Your confidence is indeed a sight to behold, Lord Asmodeus." I mused, my smile turning softer, almost respectful. You have courage, I'll give you that. "I can only hope that Time rewards you for it. Confidence alone does not equal success." Pride comes before the Fall. Remember that, when your End comes, for Time is, quite literally, on my side.

"As you previously said, my reputation precedes me. I do not fear the challenges that the future brings." Asmodeus replied, staring fearlessly into my eyes without hesitation. You underestimate me. You will fail, as all who challenged me did.

"An admirable resolve." I acknowledged. But you will merely die braver than most. "A pity not all within Hell agrees with you."

Asmodeus opened his mouth… and then froze, his free hand going to his belly, a grimace of pain on his features. "What…?"

"It appears that you have been poisoned, Lord Asmodeus." I declared, while around me all the gods watching froze in shock at the sudden twist. "Ironically, the only reason you're noticing it is because you came here. Someone within your court has been poisoning you for a while, and building up the amount of poison in your body through a very slow acting poison meant to suddenly go off once you no longer received new dosages of it daily. As whoever the culprit is failed to give you a dose today, the poison went off before it can do too much damage, but-"

A loud growling noise echoed before Asmodeus' expression twisted in agony, fury and shame as a rather spectacular fart echoed all around us.

"-I certainly would not want to be you for the next few days. " I finished. "Still, as this is happening while you are guests of the Eldritch Pantheon, would you like my first wife to heal you, by any chance?" I politely asked.

"You…" Asmodeus' expression as he stared at me was a sight to behold, though I merely gave him a concerned glance, while Oedon suddenly appeared at my right, looking calmly at Asmodeus.

"Would you like me to heal you, Lord Asmodeus?" she asked, extending a hand towards him.

"If I were you, I'd accept." I told him. "You clearly have some… house-cleaning to do once back in Hell, and you can't properly do that in your current condition."

"No." he growled through clenched teeth, the dark ruler of Hell radiating fury like a dark supernova to divine senses as his rage burnt brightly even as he still held his stomach in pain. "I will deal with all of this myself."

I nodded respectfully. "As you wish. If you change your mind, my wife is but a call away. Furthermore, as this poison went off while you are my guest, the Eldritch Pantheon is willing to help you find the culprit behind your poisoning, if you so wish it."

"That won't be necessary." grunted Asmodeus. "As I said, I will deal with this myself."

With that said he turned on his heels and walked out, or at least tried to since he was bent over, holding his belly with a clear expression of pain on his face.

"How unfortunate for the poisoner that Lord Asmodeus came to my coronation." I said out loud. "He might have succeeded otherwise… Either way, it appears that Hell truly is more divided than ever, if even Asmodeus himself is not safe."

Oedon shook her head. "He should have accepted my help. He'd have been healed instantly."

"Hell and its Lords have their pride, my love." I said calmly. "We cannot help those who do not want to be helped."

"It's tragic, too. You seemed to have been enjoying yourself talking with him." she commented.

"What can I say? The wit of the King of Hell is renowned across the multiverse." I replied with a small smile. "I look forward to our next meeting. He'll be a very interesting individual to get to know better."

A moment later time froze, and Yog-Sothoth appeared on my left, a slight frown on her face.

"Was it wise to set off the poison early? We could have easily ensured it kept going and he would have remained ignorant of it for a lot longer." she asked, using the fact that Time was being sped up around us to ensure no one could listen in, amongst other precautions.

"No point." I replied with a slight shrug. "The poison was never strong enough to threaten his life, if it was his countless defenses and divination spells would have warned him about it. The only reason the poison wasn't detected from the start was specifically the fact that it is too weak to threaten his life, or his defenses would have warned him about it instantly. No, Yog, setting it off now was the best possible use of it because it strikes at the most important foundation of Asmodeus' rule: The fear and respect people have for him. He's a tyrant, Yog, and Tyrant needs both of those things to rule and keep ruling. And there are few greater poison to a tyrant's rule than humiliation and weakness… and this showed both to everyone watching."

I smiled coldly. "The most powerful beings in Creation are gathered here today, and they all saw the King of Hell's humiliation. It will spread like wildfire, and his power will turn to sand in his grasp."

"He's no fool, my king." warned Yog. "He will not be taken down so easily."

I laughed softly. "I know. He'll be cracking down on any dissidents to his rule heavily after this. Which is exactly what I want. The harder he squeezes, the easier it will be for me to whisper poison in the right ears about his fear of me, how he's losing control. That, combined with a few incidents where overzealous subordinates cross the wrong people in Hell will most certainly keep him on his toes for a good long while."

I paused, then shrugged slightly. "Also, it's not like he will find anything linking the poison to us. We had nothing to do with it or the Lord of Hell who came up with the plot, we merely… nudged things by a few blessings in Luck at the right time and place. No matter how hard he tries to find evidence against us, our hands are as clean and white as fresh snow."

"And his inevitable retaliation against you?" Yog asked.

I fell silent, considering the matter.

"My foresight isn't perfect against him." I grudgingly acknowledged. "Though it hardly matters. He will fight me in the Versal Council, seeking to oppose as many Laws I want to create simply because they are mine. He will try to divide us, turn our allies against us, and do everything in his power to weaken us. Evil is predictable by nature, the Devil is, as the saying goes, in the details. Of course…" my smile returned, cold and merciless. "It's also the perfect way for me to know accurately who I can trust and who will gladly sell us out in a flash, long before the war against the Abyss properly start."

"... You're using Asmodeus like-"

"A vaccine, yes." I nodded. "I want him to do what he does best: turn people against each other. That way, I too can do some house-cleaning within the Eldritch pantheon and kingdom. It is inevitable that he will get some measure of success. Entire civilizations might very well secede from the Eldritch Throne… But that is acceptable. You can't protect everything, that's one of the first rules of a defensive war. I'm entirely fine with losing entire worlds, systems, even civilizations entirely, because ultimately we will all benefit from it. And besides, so what if we lose control of a few civilizations? We are eternal. We can get them back eventually, after I've reforged the Eldritch Kingdom into a stronger, more united civilization. Nations wax and wane in power over time. Let him achieve meaningless victories and take a few bites out of the Kingdom. Let him soothe his wounded pride over pointless success. While he's busy gloating over whatever wins he can claim for himself, I'll be setting up the pieces of his Fall, one at a time."

Oedon smiled faintly. "Good Hunter, your ruthless side is showing. Please keep it down for today, this is meant to be a day of festivities, after all."

"Of course, dear. My apologies." I sent her a soft smile.

"It is alright." she replied. "It would just be potentially problematic if people see me staring at you with the desire to fuck like animals for hours on end when we are supposed to be acting dignified."

Yog choked slightly at those words, staring wide eyes at my wife.

Oedon's lips twitched in amusement at the look. "What? I am his wife. Of course seeing him so passionate and driven turns me on."

"She's not wrong." commented Azathoth, appearing from behind me to hug me and send me a brilliant smile. "That was very well handled, beloved. Eve Asmodeus is not going to enjoy the repercussions of what just happened." she giggled. "The look on his face was terribly funny!"

"Aza…" groaned Yog. "This is still the King of Hell we're talking about."

"Bah." Aza made a rude gesture with one hand. "He's been saying bad things about me for eons behind my back, and you know it. As far as he's concerned, I'm the ultimate evidence for why females in positions of power is bad, and he's not too shy about his views on things. There's a reason that so few women hold any power in Hell. Frankly, I think it's about time someone made him eat squids."

"The expression is actually 'eat crows', Aza." I corrected with amusement.

She blinked. "Why would anyone eat crows? They don't even have tentacles."

I blinked, then patted her head fondly. "You're adorable, and I love you."

She beams happily, almost shining like a sun.

"My queen, you're glowing."

"Oooops. Teehee~!"

With the matter of Asmodeus dealt with, and with the gods present currently fiercely whispering to each other about the latest piece of drama like a bunch of bored highschoolers, I decided to go see how my children were doing.

To my slight surprise, I found Sherry and my Pleromas talking with Jesus and the Archangels of Yahweh, apparently bounding over their shared love for their respective father, the duties given to them… and their general pleasure when they get to smash Evil in the face.

Well, Jesus was being his wole "Love and peace" self, but the Archangels were clearly entirely happy to share stories of Demon Lords they got to wreck back in the day.

"-And so it was that The Lord stood above the broken bodies of the demons and declared proudly 'GG EZ', before repeatedly crouching up and down upon them to better signify his victory, though we did not understand why he did so until millenia later and the advent of modern Earth gaming culture…" said Archangel Micheal, which…

Lol, Yahweh. Lmao even.

A point of view shared by Sherry, if the way her hand went to her mouth and she tried (and failed miserably) to contain her giggles were anything to go by.

"Seriously?!" she exclaimed, red eyes gleaming with mirth, with Micheal's own smile growing.

"Indeed. Why, it was not the only time He made references such as that, though to this day I do not understand why he considers the number 3 to be occasionally cursed… something to do with Half-lives and Portals…?" He muttered, sounding bewildered.

Archangel Raphael snorted and patted his brother on the shoulder. "Don't worry, the next time we have some free time I'll show you what the Lord spoke of." His face twisted. "Then you too can join us in cursing the lack of 3s…" he finished with a grumble.

So Yahweh and his Archangels play video games?

I now had the mental image of Yahweh having movie nights with his kids, and honestly the best part is that it probably happened…

"Hey, Father." grunted Uldatrex, the first to notice me coming, a lit smoke in his hand. "You comin' to see if we set anyone on fire yet?"

Everyone turned towards me, my children with smiles and the children of Yahweh with expressions of curiosity and interest on their faces.

"Well, considering how things went when I met Asmodeus, I might have essentially done that already." I joked.

Uldatrex' lips twitched into a cold smirk. "Yeah, we saw. The look on his face was something worth a thousand pictures. Damn shit's hilarious."

"I wouldn't put it as crudely, but it certainly was… unexpected." diplomatically said Micheal, his lips twitching once at the memories, his sky-blue eyes staring at me underneath golden blond hair with a look of cautious intrigue. "There will be consequences for this." he warned, which was kind of him, what with me being a pagan god and all.

"There will." I agreed. "But if fear of consequences stayed the hands of the righteous, Evil would have won long ago."

Micheal bowed his head at that, a flicker of approval flashing through his eyes. "As you say, King Aeon."

"Still, I can't believe someone actually managed to poison him… Did you-?" Sherry asked, but I shook my head.

"A Lord of Hell is behind it all, seeing an opportunity to try and claim power for himself with Asmodeus seemingly more weakened than ever before. Foolish really, the King of Hell is not so easily removed, but no one had ever accused Evil to be good at self-control before."

"Ah!" Archangel Uriel let out a barking laugh at that, a smirk spreading on his face. "Now isn't that the truth? I can't say I'm surprised one of Asmodeus' Lord tried to betray him, I'm just surprised that it actually worked even a little."

"The poison was relatively weak, enough that it didn't ping on Asmodeus' divination spells against attempts on his life. If it had been more potent he would have noticed instantly, but not in this case." I explained.

"Ironic." mused Uriel. "The poison's weakness was the very reason it could work in the first place…" he stayed silent for a moment before shaking his head and smiling at me. "But enough about that. How about we begin with some introductions? I'm Archangel Uriel."

"Archangel Micheal." said the blond-haired leader of the gathered Archangel with a slight bow.

"Hi! I'm the archangel Raphael!" cheerfully declared the brown-haired Archangel by his side, waving happily.

"And I'm archangel Gabriel." announced the golden-haired woman in the group holding a scroll, her expression kind and warm.

"Greetings. I am Archangel Jophiel. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Aeon." The brown-haired woman by the side of Gabriel said with a small smile.

"I am Archangel Azrael. Well met, Lord Aeon. Your children's help in safeguarding the souls of mortals is appreciated." declared the Archangel of Death.

"And I am Archangel Zariel. I must admit, talking with your pleromas has so far been an interesting experience." complimented the Archangel of Mysteries.

I glanced at the last two men who had yet to introduce themselves, one of them looking at me with curiosity, the other with warm kindness.

"I am Metatron." simply said the first man, before falling silent, his thoughtful gaze remaining fixed on me.

"And I am Jesus." said the second, the sheer kindness radiating from him almost acting as a physical weight upon the world. "I must say, I was looking forward to meeting with you, Lord Aeon. It is rare for mortals to rise high in the cosmic order, though-" his gaze flickered towards Metatron for a second. "-not unprecedented."

"Yes, I suppose that the fact a former human became the King of the Eldritch came as quite the shock to countless." I replied with some amusement.

Jesus gave me an amused grin. "To say the least. There was a great deal of confusion and disbelief when the news first came, though none can doubt the truth of the matter anymore."

His smile softened, a flash of sympathy and that same, ever-present kindness flashing through his eyes. "I heard a few tales of what you faced when you were still mortal. By the sounds of it, the suffering you went through exceeded even what I had to suffer."

I shrugged slightly. "That's debatable. I may have died often and never peacefully, but it also tended to be quick affairs, not drawn-out ones like your own death." I gave a pointed look at the circular scars on his hands. "By comparison, what you had to endure was far more lengthy in nature."

Jesus stared at me in silence for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Perhaps. Yet still, few indeed can claim to have died more than once in Mankind's name… And especially not as many times as your holy books said that you did." His expression turned sorrowful. "Is it true that you died over a hundred times to the evils of Yarnam, Lord Aeon?"

"It is." I said simply.

The Archangels and Jesus shifted at the Truth of my words echoed.

"To face such evils, such suffering, and remain yourself through it, unwilling to break before such trials… It is humbling to consider." mused Micheal. A small smile came across his lips. "May the Lord praise such strength of spirit, and may it prove ever-true in the eons to come."

"I actually met him already." I revealed, which sent ripples into everyone gathered.

"You did?" exclaimed Sherry in surprise.

"Hmm. Didn't take long." mused Uldatrex thoughtfully.

"How did it go?" asked Sydnotra, both my children and Yahweh clearly as equally curious about the answer.

I considered the question for a time. How did it go?

"... He was as I hoped and expected, and more." I replied. "And I was more than he feared, and less than he hoped." I chuckled. "He is Mercy. I am Judgement. Two sides of the same coin, occasionally merging and often disagreeing. Yet, bound in purpose and desires, walking in parallel more often than not. Different in methods and beliefs, yet fated to the same end goal."

I fell silent.

"... Reality could use more people like him." I finished quietly, though loud enough for everyone to hear anyway, my expression soft and sad, as if mourning the tragedy of knowing that so few could even come close to ever becoming even a pale reflection of Him.

The children of Yahweh's faces softened, sympathy and understanding clear on their faces, while mine sent me long, knowing looks, looking both happy and sad that Reality had both met my expectations and yet failed to truly exceed them.

"The Lord is unique amongst all the countless branches of the omniverse." declared Metatron, and I nodded in agreement.

"Should I rejoice that one such as him exists to begin with?" I mused thoughtfully. "Or mourn that he stands alone?"

The Archangels glanced at each other, clearly unsure on how to reply to my words, while Jesus merely smiled.

"Nothing stops you from trying to become a second light shining like his, Lord Aeon." he pointed out warmly.

I shook my head with a bittersweet smile. "I appreciate your words, but my path has been chosen long ago. I am the Good Hunter. That is the path I have chosen to walk… For good or ill."

Jesus stared at me, before his expression flashed with sudden realization, followed by a look of deep sorrow and sympathy.

"... I see. So that's what you meant by being both more and less than He hoped for…" he whispered, before he bowed his head. "I shall pray for you, for the path you walk is one of sacrifice and torment. May you one day find the peace that you rightfully deserve, Good Hunter."

His voice was a storm of emotions, carrying with it unfathomable sorrow, utmost respect and the kind of sadness that only staring at a developing tragedy that you know you cannot stop but truly, dearly wish to brings to your heart.

Then he straightened, and his expression returned to one of absolute kindness as he looked at me, though somehow it shone even stronger than before, as if strengthened by a newfound realization and resolve.

"I look forward to getting to know you better in the eons to come, Lord Aeon." Jesus declared, his words firm and warm. "If you ever have anything that you believe I can help you with, I will gladly be of assistance at any time you require it."

I stared at him… Before I smiled back, just as kind and warm.

"I shall remember that, Jesus." I said firmly.

"That went well." cheerfully said Pyhgmi, her smile almost glowing with happiness.

I chuckled. "Let's just say… That the son reminds me greatly of the father."

I looked at Jesus, and thought to myself

Or perhaps… The opposite?

A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue the events of Love Azathoth!

So first, the Elven pantheon… Followed by our favourite lazy elf and the Tsundere Elf!

Yes, those are my nicknames for Frieren and Serie, and I regret nothing.

Frieren's characters are going to be fun to write, especially since Aeon can see pieces of himself in all of them.

Frieren's love of magic and hate of Demons is very similar to his own (though he hates Beasts rather than demons, specifically.)

Fern is a prodigy of magic that is walking in the footsteps of old heroes… Like Aeon did as a Hunter in Yharnam.

Stark is a "coward"... in the same way that Aeon is one, if with some differences. Both are always worried about not being good enough, Aeon just compensated by going full "Back up plans of Back up plans" and aiming for a full perfectionist run. Stark doesn't have the mindset for that, but he can still learn some things from Aeon.

And Serie… Well, those two have a lot in common, honestly. They both seek to learn everything they can about magic, both have a view of magic that is very pragmatic and result-focused, they both care immensely for the people they teach…

And they are both so old that they are very familiar with seeing civilizations rise and fall.

Now, as for Asmodeus: Aeon used the Charlie Chaplin method of dealing with Tyrant, and set things up so that he could be relentlessly mocked. It was less about dealing physical damage to him, and far more about tearing holes into his reputation as an all-knowing mastermind. It worked up to a point, though obviously Aeon expects Asmodeus to retaliate. He even WANTS him to, because he's fully ready to counterattack as ruthlessly as possible, and he's also following Sun Tzu's advice that "He who shields everything, safeguards nothing", so he's already made peace with losing some parts of the Eldritch kingdom and its allies in exchange of setting up the pieces needed for ultimate victory.

And finally, about the Archangels: There's a lot of debate about the names of some amongst the seven, so I basically went with what felt right. Then add Metatron, who is a bit unique in Heaven's ranks, and last but not least Jesus, who… basically took 5 minutes to understand what Yaweh saw in Aeon, and promptly went "This guy needs a hug, a friend, and I'll be damned if I can't give both."

In other news, Jesus wants to hug everyone better, to absolutely no one's surprise.

Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, more gods, and maybe some mortal characters and expies will keep showing up!