The grand hall of the Underworld shimmered with an unsettling, ethereal luminosity. It was a beautiful place to be honest, yet at the same time, maybe because of the people in it, it had a sort of suffocating aura around that gave you the impression that nobody here was normal. monsters all around.
Anastasia Takahashi stood among these monsters today. To her left were Gods whose names had shaped civilizations, to her right were Devils who had ruled the shadows for millennia, and Fallen Angels stood in uneasy proximity, moving through the hall constantly circling, constantly watching.
Yet, her expression remained cold stone, making sure to appear controlled, impenetrable, and deceptively calm. Her fingers tightened slightly around Ren's small hand, anchoring herself as she stood a step behind the Norse All-Father, Odin.
As they made their way into the mouth of the wolves, her husband didn't want them going into a while back.
Beside her were the others who came with her, the group was a strange, jarring mix of people. Lord Odin moved with a weary grace, looking like a drunk yet at the same time had this sort of balance that you just couldn't dismiss if you ever met him on the roadside, though his single eye missed nothing as he scanned the room, stroking his beard.
His Valkyrie bodyguard, Rossweisse, trailed him, looking nervous and a little high-strung from what she'd see of the girl, her hand twitching toward her hip every time a Devil laughed too loudly.
Ahead of her, Anastasia's own parents were there, she frowned a little. Right now, they were a source of irritation to her and, by the looks of it, to Odin also.
They were trying desperately to butter up the God King, it was a new experience for her seeing her parents like this. Growing up, they were like these immovable rocks that seemed to have the ability to kill all joy and never cared for anything but themselves, yet here, there were kissing someone else's shoe instead of demanding their shoes to be kissed.
Her eldest brother and sister followed close behind, looking around the hall with a hunger for relevance that made Anastasia's skin crawl. It seemed they too it was their first time coming to the underworld, and they were no doubt trying to see if they could form connections.
She turned her gaze toward her shadows, Merpha and Zeph. Kenji had left these two to watch over her when she first decided to meet her parents, and they were the only reason that meeting hadn't ended in her being "reclaimed" by her family's ambitions.
Her parents had tried everything, guilt-tripping her about her "duty" to her family, attempting to appeal to her sense of legacy, and finally trying to manipulate her into revealing Kenji's secrets.
When manipulation failed, they had even considered force, only to be stopped cold by the mere presence of Merpha's icy stare and Zeph's hand resting on his blade. They were silent, lethal reminders that Anastasia was no longer a piece on the family's chessboard.
Ren tugged on her hand, pointing with wide, curious eyes at the purple, swirling sky visible through the massive, arched windows. "Mama, look! The sky is pretty! It's like the color of your dress! It's different from when we're at home."
Anastasia managed a small, genuine smile for her son, her cold eyes softening for a fleeting second. "Yes, Ren. It's very different here."
She remembered her own shock upon arriving. The purple horizons and the strange, vibrant energy in the air would amaze anyone on their first trip to "Hell," and wasn't that a sentence she didn't think he'd ever say, 'a trip to hell', she snorted quietly.
Truthfully, she didn't even want to come when she was first invited. She had only accepted the invitation because her daughters had already run off here; she wasn't about to let them be alone in this den of vipers without a mother's watchful eye.
She was a little shocked when she was with her parents, when they got a visitor who apparently had been from the Norse god king, who invited her family since they served the Norse gods.
Her parents had been surprised at the invitation that told her that it wasn't their plan or something they knew about. It didn't take her long after meeting the god king to know what he was after. The man was fishing for information about Kenji.
As they transitioned into the main party hall, Sirzechs Lucifer, the Crimson Satan, turned toward them as they approached. His smile reached his eyes but never quite warmed the core of his presence.
He greeted Odin as they spoke before the man turned to her. Just looking at his eyes gave Anastasia a headache, there was a kind of presence to the man that just made you want to scream and flee the other way.
"Mrs. Takahashi, it is a pleasure to meet you again," Sirzechs said, his voice smooth, yet laced with a subtle respect that wasn't lost on the watching nobles.
Anastasia gave a polite, measured head bow. She was no fool, she was in the heart of his territory, surrounded by his people. "You too, Lord Lucifer." She'd just treat this like one of her businesses.
"I heard of the incident with my husband a few days ago," she continued, her voice steady. "I hope you can overlook it. He was simply worried for our children, he meant no harm to the peace of your realm."
She didn't miss the subtle twitch in Sirzechs' jaw or the way the surrounding Devils around Sirzechs tensed.
The "incident" had involved Kenji nearly killing their leaders, of course, Serafall Leviathan, wearing a costume that looked more like a magical girl outfit from a Saturday morning anime than the regalia of a Satan, stepped up.
She jabbed her staff at an imaginary enemy in the air. "Ah, water under the bridge, Taka-chan! I totally understand. I'd have done the same if my little So-tan went missing! "
"Thank you for your understanding, Lady Leviathan," Anastasia said, her eyes already scanning the crowd. "Have you seen my daughters? I heard they would be here today."
"Oh, they went to the secondary hall with Rias and Sona," Sirzechs replied, gesturing toward the grand staircase. "But they should be... ah, just in time."
"Mom!" Aoi's voice cut through. She and Ayaka rushed forward, weaving through the stunned devils. Aoi opened her arms wide and dove into her mother's waist, followed closely by Ayaka. Ren immediately joined the pile, giggling as the three siblings reunited.
The warmth lasted for exactly five seconds.
Anastasia's hands moved with the practiced precision of a mother who had dealt with stubborn children for years. She grabbed both girls by the tops of their ears and pulled upward.
"OW—! Mum, it hurts!"
"What," Anastasia growled, her voice dropping to a dangerously low register that made nearby Devils step back, "were you thinking? Running off to the Underworld of all places? Without a word? Did you think this was some vacation spot?"
"Mum, please! Stop twisting!" Aoi pleaded.
"Oh, does it hurt?" Anastasia replied flatly, giving the ears one more sharp tug before letting go. "Good. Then maybe the memory of the pain will act as a substitute for common sense next time."
Both girls immediately backed away, rubbing their reddened ears. They had already been through this with their father, but Kenji was a pushover compared to the cold fury of their mother.
"Ah, and who are these lovely young girls?" Odin spoke up, his single eye gleaming.
"Lord Odin, these are mine and Kenji's daughters. Ayaka and Aoi," Anastasia introduced. Both girls bowed politely. They knew who Odin was, even if it was only from name, the mythical King of the Norse pantheon, and even Ayaka knew better than to be disrespectful to a God in public.
"Mrs. Takahashi, how have you been?"
The voice made Anastasia's expression turn to ice. She turned to find Azazel standing there, looking as casual as if he were at a backyard barbecue rather than a peace summit.
"Azazel," she said, her tone flat and devoid of warmth.
"I never got to properly apologize for our previous encounter," Azazel began, putting on a bright, charming smile. "Truly, I don't know what came over me. I hope you can accept my apologies."
"I do not."
The words cut through the air. Azazel's smile faltered as he flattered.
"Do not mistake me, Governor general," Anastasia continued, stepping closer so that only those in the inner circle could hear the venom in her voice. "I will not cause a scene here and try to kill you as my husband would. But do not think for a second I will pretend to forgive you. If you ever try to touch my family again... forget Kenji. I will find a way to end you myself."
The space around them seemed to tighten. Even the nearby Fallen Angel leaders shifted uncomfortably. Azazel's smile turned strained. "...Noted."
"Let us not escalate matters on such a historic day," a warm, grounding voice intervened. Michael, the Archangel, stepped forward. His presence was unlike the others, it wasn't oppressive or sharp. It was like sunlight on a cold morning.
He turned and greeted Anastasia before introducing himself.
Anastasia nodded, though she couldn't entirely suppress the awe in her chest. Growing up, the idea of the Biblical God and his Angels was just a story. To see one, to see the golden light actually radiating from him, was mind-blowing.
When she first found out about the supernaturals, the most shocking was the confirmation that god was real, and now here was one of his angels.
"I was hoping to meet your husband", Michael said with a gentle smile. "Is he joining us?"
Anastasia saw the way the Devils and Fallen stiffened at the question. She nearly smiled. Kenji wasn't even in the building, and his shadow was already haunting their peace. "Sadly, no. My husband has other matters to attend to." That seemed to calm them down.
The formal ceremony began shortly after. Sirzechs Lucifer took the podium, delivering a stirring speech about unity, the end of the Great War's shadows, and a future where their children wouldn't have to bleed for ancient grudges. It was a beautiful speech, that devil silver tongue really was working overtime for the devil king.
Halfway through, Anastasia stopped really listening. She noticed Aoi and Ayaka had already slipped away again. She sighed, signaling Merpha to follow them. Her parents were still nearby, looking like they were about to cry blood because no one was paying them any attention anymore.
Odin stepped forward to sign the treaty. Then the fragile peace they had been putting up an act for was broken.
A loud, mocking laugh echoed through the hall. A massive magic circle, intricate and pulsating with a chaotic energy, tore open in mid-air.
A man stepped through. He was handsome, arrogant, and dressed in a way that Kenji had once described during a movie night as a "cultivation young master looking motherf***er."
"Well, well," Loki said, his eyes scanning the room with utter contempt. "What a lovely little gathering of cowards. I just came to stop something incredibly boring... like peace."
The room froze. Odin's face hardened into a mask of divine wrath. "Loki."
Anastasia didn't wait for the fighting to start. She pulled Ren into her shadow behind her, her protective instincts flaring. Zeph moved in front of her instantly, his hand on his weapon, eyes locked on the Norse God of Mischief.
Anastasia sighed. She'd pray to the gods, but when the gods themselves were the ones causing the mess, she realized she'd have to rely on the monsters Kenji had left to guard her.
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