Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction ❯ Valkyrie's Knight ❯ Act IX - B ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Oh My Goddess! - Valkyrie's Knight

Act IX-b

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She shuddered when she heard a voice, gritty and dour, on the other end of the line. She dropped her cell phone when she heard it.. no!

No!

Did I just..?

She didn't get a chance to think further. This as the `weirdest' tremor she ever heard, started to shudder. She looked around, seeing only Keima nearby, who looked up. "“Eh? Was that a..?”

Thoughts ended at that point, as a shadow shot all around and about them, without warning. Chihiro considered, a point also nulled, when she caught glimpse of impossibility, rushing right at her, her shop..

..her town...

Just in time for all feeling to suddenly `shift', and go black.

---

...and then she woke up.

For a groggy moment, the Whirlwind owner felt her body, `floating', to a standing type landing. She blinked wearily. “Wow... did I knock off again?”

..this before she started to `see', and the reality of the impossibility around her, STABBED her mind. She gasped to the point of collapsing her vocal chords, as she swung her head all around. This several times, to get the picture to sink in of the surreal and abnormal.

All around her, as if in a stop motion caption, yet `too' real to think was magic, anything plain at that, was the immediate landscape, nearby buildings, and all matter that had anything to do with the panorama she was centered upon, all of it..

..as if in the midst of being torn apart to rubble, of the kind only Hiroshima and Nagasaki were inflicted.

She stood there stunned, a bit kooky looking with pipped eyes and all, as everything looked like it was `about' to be flattened, with debris held in midair. Torn off buildings, trees asunder of root, pavement gutted from bare ground, soil fissuring amidst grass.

Birds... animals... people... in huddled masses of `just' being tossed about, before the end `should' have hit them.

One could surmise Chihiro's mindset as a result. This as she.. walked up too... and raised a finger, to `push' a blade of in midair grass of blade. It `shifted' to the touch. But it didn't fall.

“Wow... uh... no more sake for moi.” ..she warbled out.

She then realized, that if... and in turning to look, saw to her horrified gasp, the `start' of the shredded ruins of her beloved Whirlwind. But worse, was that she saw her cousin, as Keiba was in the process of being tossed as well, just of, with a large chunk of aluminum frame, about ready to impale him dead through.

Chihiro dropped to her knees and broke a sob, the tears she didn't realize, didn't get impeded to the ground.

She kept sobbing anyway, wordless in realization of too many obvious things. Too many real sights that she was at the edge of her sanity thereof.

Just too much in one blow.

All of which crunched to a sudden halt, as her mind registered, and thrust her head a split moment later, at something that gutted her soul on sight. This as Chihiro looked up, and saw armored death, towering over her.

The tears and sobs, were now shudders and stutters...

..this as the Dark Lord clenched his angered worst, screeched in armored hand.

And yet, Chihiro somehow `knew' on sight....

“....is.... is that `you'?” ..wordless of whom she suspected. Worded in return that was scalding to the ears.

“You will come with `me' now, if you wish to live.”

Chihiro just blinked, and looked at... “Uh... w... why are you still all sci-fi like?” ..she half-joked, before she felt her shirt YANKED up upon, to stare in those Void filled eyes. In toned return most dire.. “Of such, nothing. Of myself, a truth you will now suffer unto!”

Chihiro's mind didn't last long beyond this. She fainted mercifully soon after. The Dark Lord just huffed in contempt, and then `packed' her like a potato sack, over shoulder, in rising into the devastated air. As he rose ever higher, he took in marvel of the power his spell commanded.

All sight, was indeed frozen. A stateless existence, that was now spreading it's last tendrils to the remainder of the world.

All the better to keep the mortal fools from meddling.

“All save for my prey.” ..he spoke unto himself, before passing into the stilled clouds that still looked of an air burst in action.

--------------------

Chrono never felt such fear. Not for the longest time at least.

“Temporal wake..... complete...”

Ex conformed.. “The phenomenon has encapsulated the entire sphere.” ..this as from behind, Hirund gulped. “What a mess.”

“:: Agreed. ::” ..comes from a reverberating voice of the One, all about the stilled Hub chamber. This as Almighty had eye on this all as well. Another of the Higher Seat Gods suddenly spoke up. “: This is unconscionable. What other than to call this, but a Treaty Violation! :”

“: To do what with Sir? :” ..the voice of Freyana asked.. “: Remind I must what you suggest to act `with'? :”

“: I suggest immediate measures! The damage is already too extensive! :”

Hirund listened to the two High Gods arguing, knowing no one of Heaven didn't hear. She felt cold knowing the causes of this all.

“Did we make a mistake... after all?”

“:: No. ::” ..Almighty reverberated into the Hub. Knowing it was directed at her, Hirund sweated. As in of cue, Thor thunders in.. “An awesome power not of his own true control! If `he' knew in truth, this wouldn't be occurring.”

“And yet it has.” ..Hirund whispers. A silence only broken by.. “: A response do we have? :”

Freyana's tone made Hirund shiver, down to her wine red mane. It seemed too obvious what had to be done. Even if it was, in all respects, her kith of upbringing.

“:: Hild has little time left over him. Such a measure would no benefit anyone. ::”

Freyana's voice shouted out, which made the goddesses hold their heads in mutual migraines. “: You MEAN to allow that whelp allowance to EXIST!? What damage could he else cause without `truth', if he is not halted!

I `question' the validity of such an off handed manner! :”

“:: Question you like, but you do not `see' what I endure. ::” ..a statement rather pointed in tone, which for some reason, gave Hirund a motherly like hope. Almighty then asked.. “:: How much time is left? ::” ..asked, even if it seemed needless. Hirund complied nevertheless and answered on the looking of the holo screens.. “About an hour and forty minutes. By that world's chronometer standard.”

“:: I will keep faith until that time has elapsed. ::” ..this which Freyana outright objected. “: That's FOOLISH MiLord!! :”

“:: It's my Will. Comply! ::”

Freyana for some reason didn't reply back. Hirund just whispered.. “Nice one.”

“: I heard that General. :” ..Freyana `did' respond. Which freaked out the elder General, and made the goddess operators below giggle some. Hirund just grumbled, as Almighty then imparted.. “:: The `Test' is nigh. An opponent of oneself, is where this all leads. Now watch the unfolding thereof, of what My mind always intended. ::”

Hirund didn't expect that, even despite the rumors from Thor, as of late.

And of course `whom' just spouted in kind.. “: Cocky, off-handed bastard. :” ..Thor joked quite openly. Almighty just chuckled, knowing the intent as ever.

Hirund just looked at the holoscreens, knowing her sisters were viewing the same in the Link.

She just prayed, in full posture mode. “Take my prayer, to be of strength to see this through.

My goddess-son.”

She wasn't soon very alone, in this....

--------------------

“Dis.... wha.... dis.... wha.... dis.... dis....”

Sora just creeped in the same tone. “Wha.. wha.. wha.. wha...”

Otaki just poked at things.. “Haha.. they're like weightless.” ..this Tamiya and Sora just shouted at him. “STOOP UT!! / STOP IT!”

Sora looked around, the remains of what `should' have been a classroom, where she and the twin twits here had been doing classes, finalizing, and remedial of respective note. (Sora wasn't the slacker to be sure.) All of this was however before they got hit with the same effect, everything else did.

They awoke to see the normally typical class room or college make, being `hard shifted' from left to right, from where their forward seats had been. It was like seeing the entire building being peeled apart in such vectors, solid brick, by solid brick.

If not also for the fact the cinder block bricks, stripped in particles of paint, were also being stripped themselves into chunks, this all in caption for the disbelief of them each.

Sora just quipped... “Shoulda brought a camera.”

“Yuh.” Tamiya just huffed, trying to piece together logic from this, and quite failing.

Just then, a crash of some kind makes them look towards the door, just before.. “Otaki?! Otaki-kun?!”

Said betrothed jumped out of in midst of a strange, hastily erected shelter, made of desks and chairs, so dine after (in midst of realizing even,) that they could still move things. Pointless, though forgotten an iota, as Otaki jumps out, knocking a bunch of in midair debris all about. “Sayoko?! Satoko puddin?”

Sora blanches.. “Puddin?”

Tamiya just cries as Otaki smacks his way through the `trash', wiping eyes to the tune of.. “Is's lost muh man partnur!”

Sora blanches at `him' in turn.. “Man partner?!” ..before Otaki and a badly shaken Satoko return. Sora and Tamiya see and forget their mindsets, and rush out, with Sora and Satoko embracing in a hug both need on instinct. This a second before Satoko does the same for Otaki. “Oh my kun, I'm so glad you're alright!”

“Is anyone else out there alright?” Sora just asks in a start, Otaki fearful for Satoko's mind state, yet responded to anyway by her.. “I.. I don't know! Everyone else is just frozen..

...everything... everything here is!”

“Jeeze.” ..Otaki betrays out, before Satoko just glom-sobs into his leather jacketed chest. As they let Satoko cry it out, the three realize they aren't dreaming any of this.

“Dis `is' bad.”

Just then, a `dark' sound cracks the air, like an artillery shot melded with plasma arcing. They all hear and look with a start, as beyond, out where the `shifted' wall of peeled out most, the bare opening to air, interspersed further up by wide spaced bricks, they see something `dark', in monolithic shape and form, rise higher, clearly into the frozen sky.

All they `can' do is look. They don't dare do further, suspecting of at least three of them present, what they are seeing in the demonic.

Otaki just quips in a low whisper.. “'That' is bad.”

--------------------

Light neko coughing waifs up from a bit of rubble, before a slender hand of bronze skin, reaches in, and heft the small `refuse' from under.

“Look what we found.” ..this as Velsper realizes and looks dourly. “Uh... -cough- ..oh..”

“You got it.”

“Him too?” Mara quips, as Hild looks over the neko form of a detested demon. She then just tosses Velsper over her shoulder, at Mara. Velsper lands, but sure doesn't remain that way, as.. “OW OW OW OW OW OW!!” ..Mara attests.

“He.. she... is still of us, after all. One wonders, do We, how many others there are, that are in the same state now.”

“Who cares.”

Hild looks back dryly, as Entropia just looks bored, stomping on the frozen in mid air debris, and just smashing much of them outright. Hild just huffs.. “Not a very elegant goddess, ever you were?”

Entropia just snarls back.. “As.. I.. said...”

Hild just shrugs. “You'll care, quite soon. Just keep the `others' busy, while my Dark Lord completes his work. We don't want him actually going out of control, as a surrounded animal would react. Such would harm our acquisitions.”

“Who `cares', said I.”

Hild has enough of that and clenches her open left hand at Entropia, dragging her outright into a choke hold. The strength hardly misunderstood, Hild just seethes in return at her gasping, choking audience. “Petulant child. That poor form is why we always detested you.

To think we gave Urd up for `you'.”

Mara and Velsper halt their `rummaging', as Entropia shudders under catatonic words. Hild just steels in of certainty. “And you `will' care, so that I gain my bounty. Les we fail, and give credence to my displeasure unto whom I detest, in our hand. Avoid this, by doing my Commandment, as I have said!” ..this she drops the Norn like coal. Hild turns and lets Entropia suffer the words, while she snaps to.. “Mara! Velsper!!”

“Yes'm!” ..she and Velsper the `same' jilt to attention, the latter in Mara's hands. Hild just imparts. “We want you two to be the extra eyes for Our Tool. He can't see all things, unlike certain `beings', such I loath in Eternity.

Can you two do `that' much?”

Mara and Velsper just yelp back. “Yes'm!!” ..and scurry away to some random direction. Hild allows such a self satisfaction of driven fear, drinking it in, to then just breathe in `serenely', to then turn around and clap cutely with.

“Well, better start preparations.” ..as she starts with a flick of her hands outwards. And starts moving about various `objects' all of about.

Entropia meanwhile recovers her anger from before, and while cursing `very' silently', her step mother, brushes her hand against, and seeing out of habit, and picks up a framed picture of the goddesses around Keiichi, before the time of the Wraith and the Knight.

She growls at it, and shatters it in hand with full jealousy.

Hild halts for a second, as Entropia then phase jumps out of sight. Hild then just shrugs, and returns to her redecorating.

--------------------

“I don't feel good.”

Belldandy looks over. “Dear?” ...this Keiichi quickly replies.. “Sorry, just not used to all that flying.” ..this Bell in turn cradles his face.

Frigurina notes this at a glance, and thanks Keiichi for being strong for her. Just then, she notes on the other side of her vision, their escorts landing. Both not with joyous facades.

Lind just remarks outright. “Everything has stopped.” ..this Phosus adds.. “Apparently all time around us.”

Frig dourly sighs. “Impressive.”

“Apology, but.... how...?” ..Phosus queries, almost demanding. Frig just sighs, as Lind pegs in further.. “...even..... even if he did do that.. even he shouldn't.

That much power would destroy him.”

“Alone yes. Previously yes.” Frigurina retorted in similar, held back tone. “But Hild apparently knows the truth that we do.” ..she speaks primarily to Lind of. Phosus hears, not in the loop just yet.

Bell and Kei exchange a confused look, as the former asks quickly. “Pardon me, but would this have to do with...”

“ATTENTION UNTO MY VOICE MOST COWLING!!!”

It wasn't just them in this small group, that heard, and felt their limbs shake. Lind no less, looking upon in fear. More than one kind at `that'.

--------------------

Chihiro's eyes snapped open at this tone, at this vocal ground zero! “HOLY JEEZE!!” She heard a screech of metal plates, and had her eyes locked back onto those soulless corneas.

“Oh... you...”

The Dark Lord stopped for a moment, then slowly craned his armored head, one adorned in a set of curved backward, serrated, `mohawk' like blades, with five side-wicked blades that took the place of the original angel feather versions, on both sides of the helm. Given the demonic monikering, and blade juts that covered them in vicious patterns, all over the remainder of the armor, the warped skin, oil in blood like hair, and everything else about him, the only thing Chihiro saw that were somehow recognizable..

..'were' those eyes.

Chihiro just dryly retorted. “You know, after the first shock, you get old looking in that. Dunno why.”

She felt the business end of his blade, pressed unto her throat, as a response to that, of which she just gulps.. “Old is good. Fine wines and antiques are like... -gulp- ..that..”

“Bring yourselves unto us, deity and mortal alike! As is Her Command!!!” ..Chihiro feels suddenly cold, as the Dark Lord continues his broad command voice, infernal and spiteful. “Her patience is infinite, but `not' her time!

You have in succinct, ten minutes, and that alone, to bring your entirety of persons, unto Her gaze!

Consequences...” ..Chihiro gulps, as the blade edge is pressed into her neck. “....for the Lady Chihiro, will be as dire as I am!”

“That won't... -gack- ..get you points for a raise, dude.”

Ignoring.. “Ten minutes... now `less'. Arrive as you may, care not I. But if you care less so, she `won't' soon after, at all!”

Chihiro just snaps.. “Come on! That stuff is..” ..and finds herself grasped at the neck, and in full face of her former friend. A blood chilling response comes of.. “I can lessen the wait, with a drop...

...if you wish it.” ..Chihiro blinks, and then realizes on looking down, the height they are currently. Such that are usually reserved for jumbo jets.

Chihiro just ekes back.. “No, I'm good.”

The Dark Lord just slits his eyes, and suddenly SHOOTS them right over to the in-progress flattened temple.

--------------------

“Great.” ..Urd quipped, rubbing her head, and aching ears.

Skuld agreed, doing likewise. “How'd Chihiro get involved?”

Megumi looked back down the road, where they had weathered the strange event, and now the warning. The lost time in the intern was actually missed now. Urd looked up and saw Demesus dropping back down like a rock.

“He's got that female he mentioned.”

Skuld just complains.. “I wana ask why, but it'll just give me a headache.” ..this Urd just remarks, her own migraine billowing. “It's likely everyone else heard.”

“We did.” ..this everyone looks up, as Peorth, Eihwa, Tsuyana and Thrud appear, Takano and Keima in between the sets of names mentioned, respectively, in the shoulder carry on method. The others note Keima is out cold. Megumi.. “Ummm..”

Takano just sighs.. “Keima didn't like the idea of being carried here and all, so I solved `that' problem for him.” ..with a rub of a sore right knuckle, adding back to the goddesses. “You gals sure fly fast.”

“First Class spell service actually.” ..Eihwa noted, given the number of note that `were' escorting.

Thrud just groaned. “Are we that boned?”

Demesus cocked an eye. “Aye, though `that' language isn't helping.” ..this Thrud slit her eyes in turn. Eihwa however snapped. “Ladies, we're on the clock!”

“Tha heck `do' we do then?” Takano exclaimed, as Keima started to moan back awake. Megumi remarked in kind. “Yeah, this is `so' a trap.”

“Invitation, more like.” ..Tsuyana, in her own way, corrected.

Urd just retorted to that. “Hild's style `shouldn't' be that harsh. She's really pushing something here.”

“Let's not dally then.” ..this as Frig's voice echoes the air, a moment before a second First Class teleport occurs, this one with the remaining party at hand. Frig at the fore, swirls her hands back to plain level, and adds.. “...Hild won't. I know that much, given `him' now.”

“What do we do then?” ..Peorth asked, none of the flair of fancy was in any of them at present. Seemed the magic of such things had left them all, leaving the bones of dismay.

Hardly a normal theme for the series.

A hard thud hits the ground, everyone looking at the pointed down axe, Lind has produced. She just growls in military kind.. “We fight.”

Phosus quickly nods. “Yes. We were going to do it anyway once we brought them to the hideouts.”

Bell however asks. “What of Keiichi and his family?”

“Don't know.” Urd offers.. “..however unless we know what we're up against, we won't know what danger Keiichi and the others will be in.”

Eihwa offers.. “A head on approach to this then?”

Phosus picks her own earring off.. “Our way of thinking.”

“Hild's too, most unlike her.” ..Tsuyana of her own earring. Thrud as well.. “We have to out number her forces, at the very least.”

Demesus groans, likewise of her own earring. “It's still Hild, numbers aren't equating power here.”

Lind picks a second earring off, for her second Axe.

“You forget her Seal, Almighty placed on her.” ..this Demesus wackily objects. “Forget what!? We don't know what we aren't told!”

Frig smiles, but imparts.. “Worry not. I'll deal with her. I always could.” ..with a fluttering of her right fingers.

Keiichi looked to Bell, before he heard in surprise. “We'll protect Keiichi and his family.”

“Add yourselves as well.” Takano added, which made a lot of the goddess smile. Keiichi just gives a thumbs up. “Nice one.”

A lot of nodding, before Lind remarked.. “Then we have one of our own to save.”

A nice two panel scene with them all together, looking nice and proud. It's a tear jerking experience. (Nevermind Keima is moaning in a delirium, while Urd is posing. “Hope they got my good side.”

Skuld: “Ask Father for something more reasonable.”

Urd: “I didn't ask for `you', quite unreasonable.”

Frig: “That's it! You kids stop, or no gaudy fight scene!”

Both: “Sorry Mom.” )

--------------------

“All done.” ..Hild claps her hands to her left cheek, and hops once, quite unsettling and all. Not that she expected anything of it all to be used. A plain looking tea set party getup, set in the demonic mode. Hardly all that inviting.

But at least one seat was occupied.

“You're one strange broad.”

Hild slit her eyes at a bound in seat Chihiro, left alone for the moment, while her captor was away for a few moments. The CEO just quipped. “Might as well call us `the' strange broad.

A rare note for a mundane muggle, like you, to be in such a presence.” .this Chihiro balked with bland eye at. “Whatever, miss `you-know-who'.”

The laugh that Chihiro heard in return, chilled her even worse than she was already feeling. This as Hild remarked in `kind'. “If not for the likes of me, the purity that `is' Evil, wouldn't have a basis to have such `legends'.

Fictitious or non.”

Chihiro just sighed. “And therefore the good guys wouldn't look so good.” ..this Hild made an ill light of, by flicking a curved, red spark from her left forefinger, at Chihiro's plate. Chihiro had to scramble back, a trick most hard, given her tied up state, as the empty plate suddenly had all a bunch of microbes all but `explode' from pure thin air. Chihiro falls unto back, as the plate `writhes', as Hild leans over her sweating head.

“Or the good guys wouldn't fall so hard, my dear prisoner.”

“How nice.” Chihiro warbled out.

A heavy THUD, garners Hild's attention, before the strides of hatred come over, and YANK Chihiro back to a sitting position. One done `all' too close to the nightmare plate.

“A problem My Lord?”

“Semantics `our' Dark Lord. Worry not.”

Said Dark Lord just comments.. “They are coming. Here in mere moments in fact.” ..this Hild hopped over and `glommed' onto the black effadice. (Something that makes Chihiro cringe.)

“Oh dear, they like knocking the front door down. Might as well go tell the others.

And I'll keep the tea warm. Infernally so.”

The Dark Lord just huffed and broke away brusquely, and then zapped out of sight, a towering black flame in his wake, such was a vehement way to depart. Chihiro gulped, her throat already dry from too much of this now.

“What... what `did'... you do to him?!”

Hild just fingered her lips, rubbing them in circles, a lustful tone answering back, since the eyes didn't.. “I made all his nightmares come true.

Funny, I went on my word, not to make him do anything. Such my poor form.” ..this as she turns, and brings out Oblivion, for a scared to the spine Chihiro to shake badly on sight of. Hild adds to this theme.. “Oh well, `our' poor form.

..and rapture alike of my Will.”

The laugh is so demonic, Chihiro wouldn't sleep soundly normally for days.

Ones in her own bed, as was about to be demonstrated.

--------------------

-A thousand kilometers above the Temple Tarikihongan

1:32:34

..:33

..:32-

For once, Velsper regretted being able to keep a conscious soul, as he floated with the aid of Blue Lance's wings, with sight of the monolith Hild corrupted. Mara next to him/her/something, was no less weak kneed.

To the other, left side of the Dark Lord, Entropia held her dementia, still badly ego-bruised from Hild's admonishment earlier.

And they had been like this for a few evil minutes, just watching. This of course the three didn't dare `enlighten' upon, since very little of the Dark Lord's responses, weren't calculated to feed of the fear, in result.

Mara and Velsper traded a look of.. This `is' a bad idea. But said not of it, dare not.

“Keep them occupied, the weakling deities, away from my tasks.” ..this he did finally speak, shaking them all out of annoyed doldrums. Mara quipped.. “The goddesses...”

“If you three are capable of Her infernal grace, you `will' accomplish this task. This as I deal with the more worthy foe of merit.

If I give that much credence unto.”

Velsper just held his/her tongue, as Mara only jittered out.. “Yes... yes sir.”

“When the time is proper, `I' will harvest the mortal chaff when they expect it the least.” ..he grinds the last out, so wretchedly sounding.. “...that will be how we break them. The rest My Lord will complete of her leisure and excellence.”

“So confident we are?” ..this they looked, two reserved, one venomously, as Entropia just blanches with...”All reports indicate that all other efforts here have failed.

Even my step-mother's attempts.” ..she drags the parental title out with, matching her disdain for all this.

Her `reward' for this, Entropia saw and `felt' his indelible shadow, eclipse her on approach.

He seethed out, all contempt infused.. “You are correct.

Strange that you should look as of one that I now detest.” ..this Entropia feels smaller by the second, in hearing. Worse so, as in viscous addition.. “We shalt not meet again, so as if you wish to avoid my mistake of you, as one of `them'.

So alike, and so impotent.” ..he raises a `caressing' hand to her right cheek, stroking it across from left to right of cheek, chin included, all of which tremble and chill of sweat. This before her collar is clenched stiffly.

“Yes, we `shalt' not meet again. If you wish to live. Doublet or Nor! Now fulfill Her Will without fail, in hazard of my warning otherwise!” Entropia is shoved back by the collar, leaving her in a further `bruised' state, while Mara and Velsper `really' wish they were not a parry to this all.

A sudden `crack' of a sonic boom however refocuses everything, as the Dark Lord notes. “And now it ends.

Begone!”

The other demons phase out of sight, leaving the hateful visage to start drawing his blade. He then reforms it into a long and twisted shaft, as of made from the Ash Tree root, in the same twisted format, snapping out a twin scythe blade at the two, opposing each other in a double curved `T', the bottom it's own deep angle curve blade with a second blade just upon the first.

And all of it held with a gauntlet, squeezing with such a hatred...

--------------------

The flight of Combat Wings went on ahead of the rest of the group. It was obvious showing up all together would just cause too much risk, given whom Lind saw in all too clear sight of, now less than five kilometers from ground zero.

Phosus of note, saw the devastation at it's most affected areas, and shivered a kind Valkyries don't normally espouse. It wasn't a singular version that swept most the others, save Lind..

..one whom was in a more rigid frame of mind, holding within the cage, memories of the one that she should be happy to be approaching.

Not terrified beyond rational recourse.

She had allowed herself a moment, one too long, to seep in a happy memory, one that seemed anything of, of the time of that bivouac exercise she was under his training command. An image of a soul that was growing into true form, if still rough and jittery with his commands at the time.

One she beheld her feelings, even if the other Valkyries `knew' otherwise.

One that was halted on cue of Thrud. “Watch it!”

Lind snaps her head up, eyes in war rigid mode, as they come up on the foe they dreaded to face. This as the five shoot up, and meet in full person finally..

Demesus: “Almighty preserve..............”

It took a lot to make `new' additional jitters of the kind that exacerbated the previous. They were before the cause `now'.

In turn, the Dark Lord `felt' that, seeing through eyes beyond Void within.

“Oh great..” ..this everyone notes on a shot of unexpected cue, as Mara, with Velsper on her shoulder, appears without authorization. This as Mara wanted to see the first of the foe, with Velsper more than raised of hair.

The Dark Lord edged eye over, as the Demon First Class judged. “..now `this' series has a `magical girl' team.” ..this in turn making the Valkyries growl at in perturbed kind.

“A loser and her cat.” ..Tsuyana cocked back, getting the same irked reaction in kind.

One snapped in black angered retort.. “I... said.... BEGONE!” ..with a raised hand of streaming black plasma in his raised left hand. Mara and Velsper didn't stick around to see what it could do.

And this Lind heard of the voice enough, in this nightmarish meeting, to quickly judge. “That `isn't' him.”

The other Valkyries look, and, despite disbelief, agreed.. “Aye.” ..they pretty much summarize of.

“Where are and be the mortal chaff!” ..in immediate antagonizing. Lind just snapped back.. “Here soon enough!”

“Her Will is ended of patience. So has time attached.” ..this as he `flips' the hand of left, from it's plasma state, to one holding a long needle, sheen of black metals unknown, and deadly to the eye alone. “The cost was already informed.”

Phosus yelled.. “You can't be serious!”

Lind just growled.. “Forget it. He won't listen. Look at the eyes for why.” ..this Phosus looks, and sees with all reason to not so!

“I `was' serious.” ..the Dark Lord slams in further voice, before twirling the needle to suddenly `throw' it backwards, knowing the Valkyries can see as easily as he throws. This as way back, Chihiro suddenly hears a ZIP above her right eyebrow and ear, before seeing a hair flutter down.

And then a trickle of warmth in a slight dribble after, in the same area of the head. (Hild sees and blinks in surprise.)

Even Lind is shocked, as the Dark Lord reiterates. “Very so. Like my `aim'.

Now bring them unto her Gaze!” ..forming a second needle from his powers, this time Lind sees as physical formatting of actual power. She stutters in mind... ..has it already gone too far?

But not in voice. “They're already here. If you care to look.”

So done, seeing them almost below his very feet. He then flat out demand. “Then they can hear me.

Surrender to Her Will NOW! Final chance!”

Lind responds, by suddenly flipping the business end of her Axes, right at him, to make a `point' of.. “We won't allow. No demand otherwise will prevent our defense!” ..this the other Valkyries point their Axes in likewise.

This in kind, the Dark Lord suddenly reforms the `needle', into the full format form of `his' dark Morphemic Scythe. He just growls in turn...

“Defend then. Protect unto death cometh!”

Lind felt her body shudder, as she braced herself.

--------------------

“Man, what a way to travel.” ..this Skuld whines, as Urd pilots a `large broom' like contraption, one the size of a bus, if a broom could be such a size, this carrying the rest of them along. Peorth just snips out to this.. “You should have stayed back there then! We need no pushovers for this battle.”

“And you're here too then?” Eihwa cracks, which gets a number of jitters nerves, frayed some more. Keiichi just screams.. “Cut it out! I can see the Temple!”

Keima looks around at the in close devastation, and gulps.. “Surprised we can see anything at all.” ..this Megumi ekes in the same tome. “No kidding. Too creepy.”

Urd just announces. “It's about to get creepier.” ...as they all see a dual of demonic teleports form dead in front of them, angled up a good dozen feet. Keiichi just yells.. “Mara! ..a... eh? Who?”

“NO!” Belldandy suddenly yelps, as does Urd, when they see the second `demon' that is with Mara. Only three in the group see who it `really' is, as Entropia sees with a black as saccloth glare, at her apparent kin. Frig sees, and immediately rears thoughts of the day her eldest daughter was exchanged for Urd, done one day apart from the other.

And done, that somehow even Belldandy truly never knew of Entropia's existence. Such still however encoded into memory, when a shadowy half-truth was told of a Norn that was of them, and yet not, by the same progeny of Almighty, that Urd had been.

Ever to keep the `balance' of the Systems intact. Ever such a tragic merit for the core of families in both celestial realms.

Urd just echoes this in word of.. “Entropia.”

“Our eldest sister of twin age.

..and not of twin upbringing.” ..the Dark Norn seethes out, words that cause Bell to shake greatly. Mara meanwhile just blabbers out.. “So wonderful to see you wretches again. Some more often than others, but the tragedy is still the same anyway! HAHAHAHA!!!”

Megumi just groans. “What a mouth.” ..which Mara hears to a renewed `irk'. Entropia however brings the matter in direct. “What fools.

You `are' here to surrender, as the Dark Lord commands, from my step-mother's Will?”

Takano and Keima, listening with as much confusion, as their kith Morisato kin do, hear Eihwa snap back. “No such thing. By now beloved is busy getting his memories back!”

Mara cocks an eye, as Keiichi sees Velsper on her shoulder. (Which brings another problem of light.) This as Entropia just snippets in acid fashion. “Memories?

Gee, I hope they were good ones. What since they are all `gone' now.”

Skuld shouts out on.. “SAY WHAT!?!?”

Entropia just mocks in laughing at them below, informing through a raised hand. “Let's say my step-mother knows her stuff. And that `stuff', is now holding another of your own hostage!”

Takano.. “Chihiro.”

Entropia further.. “And the Dark Lord's aim from even high above us now, is eagle eye. Infallible.”

Keiichi just pips his eyes, and realizes on noting further detail. “Why do you sorta look like Belldandy?” ..this said Bell looks over at, before Entropia FUMES at the statement! “DON'T you EVER compare me to the likes of that.... that....”

Frig raises up hands.. “Whoa.. whoa there goddess. We have a rating to maintain for this fiction.” ...this Entropia SCREAMS out in petulant fashion. “DON'T CALL ME A GODDESS!!” ..and even throws a bad tantrum to boot!

Whit not one not watching, don't teardrop unto. Mara: “Dang girl, lay off the caffeine.”

Bell gulp-fuddles a bit, while Peorth leans over to Skuld. “I take back `everything' I said about `your' temper.”

“Yeah... eh? HEY!”

Bell just shouts out to this.. “Please! I don't care what you think of me, but let Chihiro go and end this madness!”

Mara and Velsper for a split moment, agree to that thought, though Entropia hardly fiddles a moment on this.

“Something I won't do. Even `I' don't want the wrath of the Dark Lord unto me. Hild would enjoy such a punishment too much. And I've endured enough of them over the ages.” ..she then levels a dire glare unto Frigurina. “I should give `you' thanks for that.” ..and then a dementia infused glare at Urd. “And `you' for taking my happy life away in the first place!!”

Urd just spouts.. “It's not my fault!” ..added by Frig. “I had no choice! Hild forced it as much as Almighty did! I never wanted this to happen! I had no idea what Hild would do to you!”

A bared set teeth of angry in angry fangs, just barely manages words of fury back of.. “Too late... for regrets!”

Mara and Velsper gulp, as suddenly, to the shock of them all, Entropia suddenly SHOOTS out `her' angel, one all gray, from skin, to eye, to hair, to wings. And one with a glare as hateful as her mistress. This as even Frig is shocked to hear.. “Now my soul, my Gray, let's even these odds up a slight bit, shalt we!” ..this as she used her fallen Angel's singular power.

And Summons a quintet of dark beings of demonic mode. Skuld sees and gasps.. “Spawn!!” ..this as another heavenly counterpart, ones that look like the white Seraphim, but all black, with demonic red eyes, and their lower bodies forming into a scorpion like tail, nasty and barbed at the end!

Eihwa and Peorth leap up on immediate cue, and quickly shout. “We have this!” ..and both command of spell.. “Each unto us both, Sisters of Forever unto Testing, and Testing unto Forever, bring agents most pure and strong, replete each in equal number!” ..and in so doing, summon, despite not their forte, two Seraphim each!

Mara eeps.. “Point of no return guys!” ..before the air above them all BURSTS with energy and screams of war!

Just as the goddesses flare into combat jumpsuit mode, Keima swiftly judges.. “Move!” ..as Keiichi and Megumi act on it, with Takano hopping off after! Skuld follows, just as Mara and Velsper shoot away from the initial parry melee of both sets of celestial summons, when the Dark Norn roars! “Punish them!!”

Bell and Frig nod and then erect Holy Wall spells, while Urd starts throwing around Urd bolts!

At that point, all celestial heck breaks loose!

--------------------

Chihiro, still shuddering at the sting she's feeling on her right hand forehead, suddenly hears a strange explosion far off overhead. She looks, just before Hild is heard, sipping some of, one of Bell's favorite teas.

“Ick. Eh.. too sweet. We'll have to ask Belldandy dear about making a darker version of this stuff.” ..nevermind the tea was a bitter dark green variety. Sheesh..

Chihiro just glares blandly at Hild, whom seems completely oblivious of the sounds that are suddenly erupting in two far off directions, all at once! Another reason to seriously loathe her.

The `loudest' screech of metal she ever heard, about pops her eardrums a split moment later!

“Sounded like a rally crash or something!”

Hild just rubs the edge of her procured tea cup, still not really paying attention.

So it seemed..

--------------------

If not for being used to his speed, Lind wouldn't have seen the first assault coming, given how fast the Dark Lord struck at her!! She `wasn't' expecting the speed he broke contact, to then in succession, attack Phosus and Thrud in equal brutality.

Then just disengages and makes Tsuyana react to him, by `zipping; right up to her, and then doubling back above her! Demesus sees this and shouts! “Wait!! Lure!!” ..which comes a split second too late, with Tsuyana a bit too hasty in complying with just that.

Which leads her too far away when the Dark Lord leaps right back and makes a brutal SWAT of his scythe right at Demesus!! The hit lands hard, parried barely, and forces her downwards, which forces Lind to react, the first to recover in the next split second.

Which leads to a series of reactive chases to each half-parry attack, then leap away, and then slam a second round into a particular Valkyrie, whichever is far enough away from the others. Keeping them from aiding each other in these initial moments.

The tactic lasts only as long as the Valkyries keep playing dumb, so done as soon as Lind figures it out, and pairs up with Phosus. The other three pressing a pair of flanking attacks from whatever direction they can recover vector from. All the while the Dark Lord keeps pressing this attack pattern, for the moment.

This before Lind realizes. “Oh no you don't!” ..and SHOOTS in, Phosus in dead rear concert, both splitting off a short moment when the Dark Lord finishes a pressing parry on Demesus again. Phosus peels off from the rear, Lind to the right where Phosus goes left, and just catches him off guard enough to get clocked by Demesus on the chin!

And her in turn gets back handed down lower. An act that he has stopped as Thrud flies in HARD, and kicks just as so! He catches this, and then flips his scythe to twist Thrud in midair, and then flies off, to keep from being blindsided by a double backing Lind.

But runs a good ten meters to the east, into a roundhouse kick from Phosus!

And turns `that' into a rolling kick with scythe swipe in turn, both not caught in time, and smacks her back with a good scream!

And then turns in time to catch the SEVERE Axe slash, one caught to the deafening screech that tears through the stilled Prefecture!!

Lind locks eyes for a moment, and finally sees the animal eyes she wanted all along.

She `voices' her regret to that, by suddenly screaming a harsh war roar, and presses her next attack, with an under swing of the low end of her left hand Axe shaft!

And with his return twist, uppercuts his own weapon to smack her backwards in equal turn!

--------------------

Keiichi leads everyone towards an in progress, semi-blasted house. He hops over a diving old woman in a purple kimono.. “Excuse me..”

Keima.. “Pardon..”

Megumi... “Sorry..”

Takano.. “Sorry... Hey, I let her try some Yokan last week.” ..before Keiichi yanks at her with.. “Not the time Mom!”

Skuld skids at the opening of the `peeling' house, and looks back, just before.. “YEEK!” ...ducking a knife like black feather that smacks into the partially torn wall behind her! “WATCH THE AIM!!”

Skuld hides nearby, as the others try to keep a `low' profile as the chaos outside seems to grow more and more frantic!

“Dang! I thought the Eater thing a while back was a battle!” ..this Keiichi yelps, as a ZAP outside guts the stilled air! Keima growls.. “This is why I hate fighting! Too damn loud!”

A spell induced explosion rocks the nearby area, and `them' all, with Skuld just complaining.. “Bet we're making Hub go nuts, right about now!!”

--------------------

Frig kept back, keeping up the shield that kept attacks away from the house, the Morisatos were holed up in. Meanwhile, Urd kept on the main offensive, shooting off all sorts of Urd bolts here and there, while Entropia kept deflecting them. Eihwa and Peorth, with their Seraphim help, were all over the place against the uber fast Spawn. Energy bolts were flying everywhere, as Belldandy kept being torn between helping Urd, and shielding Keiichi.

“Witch!” Urd shot a bolt with.

“Goddess favorite!” Entropia in turn..

“Cur!!”

“Fake Sister!!”

“Heathen!!!”

“Potion addict!!!!”

They locked hands for a second, just sticking their tongues out at each other, before flying back, and Urd whipping World of Elegance out, and shooting off a Flame-thrower spell, this Entropia reacts back with, with a similar Hellfire spell!!

Meanwhile the Seraphim and Spawn keep assaulting each other, while Peorth and Eihwa look around.

“BontÃ© divine, where did those two get too?”

Eihwa looks, and then `looks', just before suddenly shoving Peorth and herself clear, just before a demon energy ball suddenly slams down from above! The two tumble to the ground, but leap roll up the same manner, to face a haughty laugh from Mara.

“Good, you two aren't as lazy as they say in Nidhog Central!”

Peorth growls, and reacts by suddenly shooting Gorgeous Rose out, and a whip vine in kind! Mara.. “GLEEP!!” ..and dives just as fast as she mocked of them of!! Eihwa smirks.. “Well you're just a joke in Heaven, aren't you demone-ragazza squillo!”

Mara leaps up and fires off another energy blast, but is in turn repulsed when Eihwa exposes Test of Purity, to suddenly throw up a reflection light-screen! Mara has to dive a second time, but then a third, just as Peorth follows up with a double vine whip attack!

Peorth just warns... “Fais attention monstre! I got a Vine whip and razor leaf attack with your name on them!!”

Mara growls, but then sees Eihwa look up. “Watch it!” ..with Peorth seeing and leaping in tine to avoid Velsper, with Blue Lance out and shooting off demon wind attacks!?”

“Logicamente impossibile!!” Eihwa shouts, as Velsper cracks.. “I `said' I still have powers. This baby ain't all that bad either. Just give it all up and we'll stop!”

Peorth just seethes dryly.. “You give it up! Can't you see what Hild is doing, is wrong?!!”

Mara just snaps in kind.. “Hey, were demons. We don't have to go with what you like.”

Eihwa just cracks back. “Don't think you got my gist broad.”

Mara just smirks, and then pulls her own `tryst' on all things. “Maybe `this' will change that.” ..and then concentrates, starting to `literally' wrench her `own' new ally, out from her back!! Peorth and Eihwa watch in SHOCK, as in painful order, Mara produces her own Familiar!!!

Urd afar sees and her wide eyes have small eye pips in them. “Oh crap.”

Mara huffs, still not used to producing a soul partner, the process more painful for demons, than the goddess versions. She just snarls in this tone of.. “So... time to meet my new partner.

Intimidator!!” ..this she suddenly throws her hand forth at the goddesses.. “Time to shine girl!!”

She stops however, and sees Peorth and Eihwa.. giggling? ..no.. laughing their arses off!

Mara cocks an eye, before she sees Velsper... eh? Urd too?

Even the summons are doing it?!?! “HEY! Stop doing that!!”

She looks at Entropia, whom is holding her own head in utter embarrassment, whom points for Mara to look behind her. She does so, in a wary fashion, and sees to her eye pipping dejection, when she sees a pink/gray looking demon, with twin pigtails in a braid that isn't all that healthy, as well as freckles and a jaw setup fit for a red neck hick!!

Mara just feels like she's been poisoned, such is her gray statuesque anime state for a moment.

“I... I get no respect.” ..as `Intimidator' just teardrops in kind.

Peorth just laughs out.. “Hahahahahaha.. Pippy Demon-stocking!! WHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Belldandy however just chimes out. “What a lovely Familiar, Mara!” ..this Mara reacts by rubbing the back of her head. “Gee thanks.” ..with Frig looking on again in further.. ..what is Hild's dang problem today? ..before seeing Mara react to all the laughing..

As she and her Intimidator, grow appropriate, anime devil eyes at the teasing!

“WILL YOU STOP THAT!!!!!!!!” ..she snaps, before she unleashes an unexpected demon water wall wave, one that shoots out like a thin bubble, and causes all the shocked and surprised to suddenly cringe, Bell shooting out Holy Bell to throw up a double strength Holy Wind shield, protecting the house behind her, from the incredible torrent that showers over everyone in the immediate area, for a split second!!

Eihwa, water drenched, her jumpsuit torn all of a sudden in places, with a Spawn and Seraphim each, splayed like wet carp on top of her, just moans. “Scusa Mara, scusa.”

Mara however suddenly doubles over from HEAVY fatigue, as Mara gasps out, her Familiar suddenly draping over her back in the same. “N... not us... used to all that.. yet.”

Entropia snarls.. “A fool.” ..before she's belted across the face by a hand slap from Urd! “Takes one to know one! Watch your manners!”

Entropia snarls double so, and leaps back.. “Watch THIS instead witch!” ..and suddenly throws her hands forward, and suddenly evokes.. “FIRESTORM!!” ..and shoots out heavy bolts, and balls, of fire based lightning, all OVER the place! Urd.. heck, about everyone: goddess, demon, neko-demon, summon, all just scatter like the four winds at this manic display of power!!

Entropia just laughs out in a craze! “Watch you all run! Watch you all scatter!! WHAHAHAHA!!”

..she doesn't see however, too focused on the brazen display, a gleam of light suddenly shoot in from the house, and smack an arrow of light into the ground below her!! She sees this a split second before..

“Wind Arrow Burst!!” ..as Belldandy's spell causes the arrow below Entropia, to explode and throw her in a shower of wind driven light, well a good few dozen meters away! Right into a telephone pole, such was the burst force!

Urd sees in amazement, then back towards the Present author, who shows Holy Bell holding her Light-bow, Bell a look of mixed relief and angst upon her faÃ§ade. Urd just nods, not espousing obvious nuances, and turns to Peorth. “Keep Mara busy, she can't handle that Familiar's power just yet!”

Peorth nods, while Velsper bounds over to a still stricken Mara and Intimidator. “Up broad, we can't stop for a nap.”

Mara however groans out, almost too tired even in tone.. “This... this isn't feeling good anymore.”

Velsper glimmers eyes of the same in fact, this Peorth sees from afar.

A `new' explosion overhead makes `everyone' look upwards!

Eihwa in particular sees and grimaces. “Cosa terribile...”

--------------------

Thrud and Tsuyana had their hands out thrust, looking at the results of another semi-effective attack, as their energy pulses were disrupted primarily by the black sphere that interceded. Behind, the barely visible `enemy' reacts to this, with a hard burst of the same bubble, not only throwing the two Valkyries back, but also Demesus and Phosus on the charge, sending them all harshly away!

Lind brunts the end force of this to come up from a far low to upward trajectory, and SLAM into the extended sphere, to do the same in diluted (barely) fashion against their dark opponent.

The Dark Lord takes a brutal chin smack, but uses the momentum to spin them both in a long tumble, before Lind breaks away to spin around to deliver a huge swing arc of her axe! The hit lands with great force, smacking him back into the swing of Demesus's own Axe, and from there, a pinball effect of all five Valkyries in twice succession, before Lind moves in to deliver a end attack pulse of her own.

SHHHRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Lind felt her soul frozen in an instant, as the sudden call of an angel SOS gutted the air, knowing it wasn't one from any of the angels around, the area. That lent to one, and impossible at that, cause!

“PHOSUS!!” ..she heard Tsuyana shout, just distracting her enough to get leveled by a punch shot of all things, from her former sparring partner!!

She realized what could be going on, but rather than see anything first, she acted on previous experience, and threw out both Mints, shouting.. “INCOMING!!”

The Dark Lord was seriously taken aback, as Lind suddenly uses a twin Ice attack, Cool Mint shooting off a beam at the same time Spear Mint exploding a halo blizzard attack! This gets a suspected intention, one Lind didn't want, as suddenly, the Dark Lord is thrust back again, and the beam attack clips the Angel Eater, as it was coming up on the distracted Phosus, her Burning Wrath saved on this split second action by the experienced Valkyrie Commander.

She sees over to a recovering Phosus, and then sees the Eater begin to be retracted along what looked like an elongated, dark gray and brown sheet of angel cloth, the kind from, and running up to, a sight she `never' expected to see.

The one with the Dark Lord form of her lover, hovering in waiting, for the Eater to fly back to his rear area.

Lind just shouts out.. “Bring `all' your angels out! It's the only defense against the Eater's sneak attack!”

Phosus with Burning Wrath, take spot behind Lind, as in procession, Demesus brings out Way of Gaea, Thrud unto Star Blade, and Tsuyana with Spell of Serenity, this as each angel looks more of standard note, compared to Lind's Twin Mints.

Of all whit, are witness to their foe, just standing there for a moment, in monolithic fashion.

Lind then hears to the chill of her code, in a dark, Mordor like tone of Tengwar. “Ilfirin rauta elye` mi mailea mahta! Mar ana Nis Selma!!”

Thrud reacts to this with a harsh.. “Avamme`!” ..Demesus accenting. “Hild will never have us, or your target. Not even the Eater will be enough to stop our defense!”

A blood curdling.. “Fools!” ..before they suddenly see `the' impossible moment of their ageless lives, as the Dark Lord suddenly clenches forward, as the Eater emerges in gross fashion, attached to the reason it is even here! Lind feels her actual code, chill, her angels weep, her hope fade, her companions as well, and many watching below now, as the author of the previous Singularity spell attack emerges.

A darkness of withheld jealousy older than most of known time, professed forth in the form of an Arch-Angel, one in full, dark cloak and cloth garb of black, complete with a cowl of black, and a full face mask the same, all of it with gold linings, reflecting an inner demonic amber within `those' edgings and trappings, echoed more primarily in the eyes of burning copper and bronze, of pigment most hateful, which runs outwards in a WIDE arc span, unto it's two `gargantuan' angel wings, of a fashion twice as long as the Dark Lord and Dark Angel combined are `long', smoldering of a physical profession of it's ancient hatreds and immolation, out in radiation from it's copper and bronze wings, darkened in the same smolder of a hatred that isn't meant for mortal realms.

It clenches it's gauntleted hands of black metals unknown, the same amber burn in gold edgings that screech as much together in clenching, as it's host's own. It's flowing robes flailed about, amongst it's angel cloth of wretched note, while the Eater, clutched in place behind this Angel of Death, though not in formal command in any real form, looked with it's stalk antennas flailing about.

The full sight of this, was too much for Lind to initially take, this as she all but sobs out.. “How.... how could she `do' this to you?!

You told me yourself who the `real' you was!!”

The Dark Lord didn't listen However `he' didn't need too. Something in that endless Void of a soul `did' hear, but couldn't react just yet. This as the Conversion effects were slightly cracking.. The Dark Lord just pointed a full arm point finger, left of note, held in hand with the wretched Morphemic scythe. He only commanded... “Surrender your fall unto Her WILL! Betray your salvation of this, NOW!”

Phosus just reacted, with an anime shotgun cock of her Axe shaft. (Still figuring out that one..) “Guess we'll have to beat some sense back into ya then.”

Demesus however comments.. “Hope so. This wasn't ever a scenario in training chamber, to ever face.”

Lind just raised her right hand axe over head, slanted down angle with the bottom tip to her right. She voiced her own judgement of this glaring lack of training. “We face new dangers in our Heavenly Host's name, this we of the Valkyrie Combat Wings `will' defeat this who faces us the same!” Her companions roar their equal challenge as one at this!

At that, both `sides' suddenly brute rush each other, joining battle most vicious, once again!

--------------------

Frig whispered openly on seeing this development from far below. “This is begotten completely out of hand.”

Belldandy, seeing the same, shudders with no ability to think of what to do for once. She however voices.. “Did Hild go `this' far to turn him? Not even I knew of other high angels in existence.”

“Well you should not. They aren't as stable as normal angels are, in obeying their goddess.” ..Frig then added.. “..and now a proto-god, this less so.” ..this Bell looks over, disbelieving a hint of what was apparently coming all this time.

Suddenly, Keiichi shouts.. “Belldandy!” ..this said goddess turns and rockets unto. “Are you alright dear?”

Keiichi nods. “We all are. But I think we need to start moving here. Start doing something too!”

Bell blinks as Frigurina hovers over. This Keima approaches, keeping a wary eye on the slightly less intense, but still active battle all around their area. He offers.. “We should try to rescue Chihiro.” ..this Bell responds in a grave voice. “But Hild will expect that.”

Frig however adds.. “I expect she will be seeing otherwise before hand. Myself in a fashion.”

Keiichi blinks as Takano and Megumi come up, pushing aside the poor `frozen' old lady in the kimono, Skuld looking out a nearby window with worry, and an ear as well unto, as Keiichi imparts. “Actually, we kinda.. um.. well..”

Frig smirks. “Using me as bait to lure off Hild? A ploy I wouldn't expect less of. My mind is the same therefore. Took you long enough in fact.” Keima just smirks, albeit nervously for feminine space reasons. “That was the idea. Just long enough to get Chihiro clear of that witch.”

Frig nods. “An excuse for us to have a little `chat'.”

Bell looks, no less as worried as Skuld is, just before a HEAVY aerial tremor smacks the area, the pressure wave causing the mortals to gasp for breath for a moment. Bell lunges over. “Keiichi!”

“I'm... I'm fine...”

Megumi/Takano: “What `was' that?!”

Frig just grimaces. “Time running out. I better get going then.” ..she then looks to her two present daughters. “I expect you to help protect them when you get there.”

Skuld balks. “EH!? I'm going too?!”

Belldandy just chides lightly. “We have to. Chihiro will need all the protection she can get, as well as Keiichi and his family.”

Takano just cocks an eye. “Who's family is it?”

Keima adds.. “Well I..” ..Takano just snaps back. “I was the one who said `yes' at the altar! It's `my' family!”

Keima just ends up kissing Takano's feet, while Megumi and Keiichi just look on.. “Can we divorce them, like some kids have?” Megumi quips. Keiichi just sighs. “Nope. That is one thing they `won't' allow.”

Bell and Skuld smile to each other, then look and then see.. “Mother?!”

Keiichi and Megumi look, as they see thin air! Keiichi just decries. “Geeze! Give us a bit of warning at least!”

Keima just appears beside again, and imparts.. “We better move, while everyone else is distracted.”

At that, the group (Caption: Team Cuddly Angel,) move off, while Eihwa and Peorth keep Mara and Velsper fully distracted. Urd and Entropia is nowhere to be seen, and the summons keep duking it out with decent ferocity. When they get far enough away, Bell re-summons the oversize broomstick thingy, and helps get them the remainder of the way, with speed.

--------------------

Sora points, as they drive along the partially obstacle riddled roadway, all the cars, trucks and such, in states of being blow away, all in the same direction, make for tricky driving as Otaki drives like a maniac, Satoko holding on inside the powder blue tri-wheeled truck, the all too small back holds Sora and Tamiya, as Sora's pointing is needless, the sight of all the fighting and energetic explosions easy to vector towards to.

Even from `this' far out, about half the city away still.

“Is this that Armageddon thing the books say about?” Sora just creeps out in tone, Tamiya just replies.. “Hopes not.”

Satoko just uses Otaki as a safety guard, as well as an emotional brace, the sight alone of the battle, enough to send her back to an `uncertain' mindset. Otaki just quips. “I just hope we get there in time dudes and dudettes!” ..just before he swerves around a large, in-progress tilted over truck!

Satoko nods. “I hope everyone else is alright.”

This as they head for the prefecture border, near an artificial channel runoff.

--------------------

Frigurina's hair fluttered about her, as she kept focus on one that she was about to meet. She grimaced at thought of what the heck Hild had been doing all this passing day of the Contract.

“I can't believe she would make a mistake `this' bad. Even for a lesson.”

At this, she shot forward even faster.

--------------------

Hild clacked her procured tea cup and sighed, both which drew an eye from Chihiro, who was still sweating at seeing all the explosions, most the weirdest she ever seen, reality or manga. Chihiro heard Hild just generally remark. “Guess it's our turn finally.

Been regretting this from the start. She never was a good listener.”

Chihiro just rolled her eyes, but then heard from Hild's echo, seeing the demon queen's lack of physical presence without warning. “Worry not child, your saviors are fast approaching.

As is the end game for all of this. Even with an hour to go, or about that much.”

Chihiro just sneered out.. “Who asked ya.”

Hild meanwhile appears a short distance away, above the wall slant below the street where the Temple is adjacent. This in time for Frigurina to appear, the glares along making for a `cute' greeting moment. Hild just seethed out, in a level tone.. “Hello my Doublet.”

Frig quips back in annoyance. “One of my few regrets that husband made regarding us.” The CEO in turn just flutters a bland hand back at.. “A lot of that from ol Big Boy these Eras, isn't there not?”

Frig keeps her eyes level. She then quips in a `cute' tone. “Aye, thank you for that.”

Hild suddenly snarls in turn. “Watch your language wench!!” ..which gets a good `thick' giggle back from Frig.

Suddenly yet `another' major explosion erupts behind Frig, as Hild angles her head over. “Oh gee, we guess our creation is having too much fun.” Frig retorts back in hardly a level fashion. “In this, you `are' a wretch, ancient hag.”

Hild just smiles rather deviously.

“Have I now? Yes indeed? Please tell us so more.”

Frig just keeps a bland stare at her `sister'.

--------------------

Lind kept hammering away at the Dark Lord, with every chance she could when not knocked away, the other Valkyries keeping him penned in place, and keeping him from going further down with the battle. This despite more and more gravity spells being used, which was making the goddesses around him worried, and exasperated all the same.

No less when Phosus's Holy Steam flood attack (from Burning Wrath,) met up with his gravity orb hand shields, which sapped up the energy, despite the scalding nature of the Valkyrian attack. Demesus followed up with an acidic smoke attack from Way of Gaea that got the same sapped treatment.

He didn't catch a hard blow from Tsuyana's Spell of Serenity, as a Dispel spell hits him, but he forms gravity bands, several that encircle his body, that sap up, and cancel the spell intended effect, despite the originating spell purpose!

Not even a double blade-hand format attack from Thrud's Star Blade, in concert with her own alpha assault got through, as the Dark Lord had Angel of Death and the Eater block the attack, sap it, and then blast them both away in successive order, each!

Lind just got fed up and shot in with a glowing hand of wrath! The Dark Lord turned unto after dealing off Thrud and heard.. “You are irking me severely off now!!” ..and hammered in, as her angels shot off twin ice spells of the powerful nature!

And in turn, Spear Mint was blocked by the Eater, Cool Mint grasped by the neck by Angel of Death, and Lind in turn, grabbed harshly at the attacking and energized wrist by her growing nemesis of ill want!

Lind heard to her sudden ire in turn.

“Your lack of compliance, is `not' impressive.” ..and then starts twisting at Lind's wrist, and Cool Mint's neck! “You lack of dark faith is also disturbing.”

Lind gasped, realizing she `was' in immortal danger. This Phosus suddenly shot in with a roaring Burning Wrath! “Get your corrupted hands off her, blast it!!”

Lind isn't let go, but sees instead, his response as he turns his free arm towards, and blasts off a major gravity spell orb, one that easily could encapsulate Phosus! Lind shouts! “NO!!” ...before Phosus sees and throws up a flame-steam shield in time...

..and in the explosion Frig and Hild noted, the orb still breaks through and shoots her all the way to the ground! Urd and Entropia the nearest, see Phosus slam to the ground, but then also see Phosus scream in agony, as the spell orb starts crushing her cells down to the atom!

Lind gasps.. “Let her go!” ..then feels her arm strained with a great wrench! The Dark Lord SNARLS back in turn.. “Surrender if you wish it!”

He gets knocked for a loop, all of a sudden, as Urd suddenly appears in the midst of the terse scene, with a bolt charged fist!

“Wake up you dummy!” ..this catching the Dark Lord harsh enough to break concentration of several forms, breaking Lind and Phosus free of the nasty traps therein.

Lind.. “Thank you, but this is getting worse.”

Urd nods. “Way.” ..before Entropia ZIPS up and snaps! “Don't ignore me!!” ..and tosses out a huge number of Hellfire bolts! Lind knocks Urd clear and easily absorbs the blasts into her hand glove gauntlets. The Dark Norn sees and realizes.. “You don't fear `my' power?”

Lind just huffs back.. “You aren't the one we're here to fight, or to save!!”

The Norn SNARLS, but then feels her body turn heavy and cold. This to the shock of Urd and the Valkyries, as the Dark Lord grabs Entropia's neck from behind.

“I warned you not to be seen by `my' eyes again!!!!”

Suddenly, several vastly powerful magnetic belts of black power, suddenly envelop her, as her body is painfully, and very visibly, polarized from head to toe! (As if looking at a planet's magnetic field in a visible fashion!)

Even Urd can't take this, as Entropia feels her very code become rigid, as it's pulsed in an alternating current fashion, back and forth through her body, over and over, essentially `shifting' her magnetic field several times. The intensity causes more than one kind of friction and energy pain, before Lind thrusts her arms out. “ENOUGH!!”

The next explosion of ice engrossed power that occurs, actually rips a slight, temporary subspace tear from sheer energy contact, as her ice powers shock the gravity spells that were inwardly focused on Entropia, to all an imploding rupture!! Everyone on high is suddenly caught in the huge blast, and one by one, slam down to the ground!!

It takes a few moments for all senses to recover from `such' a huge energy implosion, before Lind sees a Dark form stand over another prone body. When enough dust and spell haze clears, she realizes the Dark Lord is over Entropia's all but helpless body!

Entropia shakes with terminal fear, as the Dark Lord vehemently stares, and wordlessly forms a blast that `would' kill her on contact! Lind shouts.. “You can't!! ..and prepares to repulse the spell a second time with another similar attack!

“NEKO-BEAM!!!” ..everyone suddenly hears, as a simple looking laser beam suddenly shoots at the Dark Lord, connecting with enough power to skid the Dark Lord back a good few meters. By this time, the dust clears, and about everyone, goddess, demon and summon alike, are watching to see the reaction to this sudden attack, this as Mara leaps over and grasps a suddenly exhausted little demon-kitty.

“Velsper!?”

“Watch it broad.” ..Velsper snips back, only tired from using about all his stored power from him and Blue Lance in a salvation move. One that even Urd is surprised by. Mara sees, and then looks to see Entropia still shaking with utter fear.

She then shouts.. “I can't take it anymore!! We have to stop him! The Conversion...”

Lind shouts.. “The what?!?” ..both just before they endure the most angry roar of black hate that a being can utter, in kind of words most in most dire..

“BETRAYED!?!? YOU... WOULD... DARE!?!?!?!?!!?”

Suddenly, he sucks a dear amount of power from the hapless Eater, and then pumps back in a darker version, almost causing the Eater's skin to deform, even turn unlife in format! They all shudder as Mara snaps.. “He's taking full control of the Eater!”

About everyone, goddess and demon alike, suddenly realize that the Dark Lord has `no' side to be on, no loyalty to have utterly, and therefore the dire situation they all are in!! Lind shouts.. “HIT HIM HARD!!!” And all arrayed attack as one, as they `all', save Velsper, attack with full might, as even Peorth and Eihwa shooting in, realize and join in on one BUTT-KICKING alpha strike!!

They all muster their best assault attack, and assail the dark wall the Dark Lord erects, pushing all with what power they can!

And all of repulsed with `far' too much ease, as the Dark Lord reacts by exploding a heavy burst of gravity laced demon wind!! The sheer power of which tumbles all but Lind and Phosus. Velsper and Mara tumbling back both whine.. “Saw that coming! YIIIIIIIIIIPE!!!!”

When things settle down, only these three are standing, the others trying to recover from such power.

Lind, huffing rather hard from all this power use, holding Cool Mint's hands behind her, as Spear Mint holds her chin, all three equally huffing.. “Where's the limit on his power? Even `he' should have a limit, at least on the base format of original being.”

Phosus just remarks.. “Must be the extra power from the Angel and the Eater.”

“Mara..” ..Urd snaps.. “What did Hild do to him!!” ..this Mara outright answers.. “She...” ..and interrupted as the Dark Lord suddenly remarks..

“I see they already left this gathering.”

Lind feels her blood code chill again, as he snips in this oily tone. “And now no one is behind me to prevent now.”

Phosus gasps.. “Tricked? But..” ..before Lind shoots at.. “Oh no you..!!' ..and is suddenly forced to see the same Dark Lord suddenly SHOOT in the direction of the Temple!!

In short order, everyone else is chasing, but even Lind isn't fast enough, not even Peorth, not even if Velsper was normal in body and power, can hope to catch up in time, this as...

--------------------

Hild smirks.. “Getting closer...”

Frig gasps and looks down, then looks up back at.. “How can you be causing such reckless actions? Even `you' should know better than `this'!!”

Hild just levels a stone glare back.. “Who is so reckless here? We only am ensuring the `entire' lesson is learned, rather than your `Beloved's' diluted version. One which will help nay, when Voluspa starts her return to the mortal planes!!”

Frigurina however retorts to this of.. “Which wouldn't be so exacerbated, if you had left well enough alone! Husband's mighty work with the mortal was `not' meant to be rushed! If the Seer does come, it'll be because of `your' actions to speed things up, as they well should never have!”

Hild just growls in kind further. “Chide me as you will, you yourself in presence here, exacerbates the approach of Ragnarok, by having `this' many goddesses on this plane at one time! Voluspa grows impatient at this turning with each passing moment! She may already be on the move even!”

Frig just gulps, but keeps her tone bland and level, such as the response of.. “You forget your sending of the likes of Mara, and allowing Velsper to remain here as well. I doubt this fight is helping matters more..

..and then the `likes' of your corruption.”

Hild then sees Frig shudder with great wrath, roaring out in kind at the CEO, pointing even.. “Will you `ever' learn from your original Sin?!?!?!”

Hild just cops a cute crack.. “Nope. Not in my nature.”

Frig just seethes with a rare anger, even rarer shaking.

What happens next however, makes the fear a shared one, one even Hild cannot hide.

--------------------

Keiichi sees and shouts.. “We're here!” ..this as they shoot into the temple grounds proper, just in time to see Chihiro betray a gladdened look, one that ferments all of a sudden when Keiichi and Megumi hop off the `broom', Bell in close concert. Chihiro just snaps.. “If you say anything about damsel in distress, I'll kick your ass!”

Keiichi just chuckles/teardrops.. “Uh.. perish the thought.” ..as Megumi and Takano reach behind and manage to untie her. This while Keima looks around at the infernal tea party getup around them, amidst the ruination of the temple grounds.

“Someone has a gothic taste in style.” ..this Skuld in addition.. “Demons never had much taste.”

A sudden `vibration' of the very air, one that shudders more and more, makes them all creep out in unwanted anticipation. This as Chihiro actually shifts to be behind Keiichi.

“I... think he's.. coming.”

Keiichi gulps, as they all can `feel' the dark shadow physically approach! The feared moment all too readily appears, as does the Dark Lord in person! Keiichi sees and creeps out in the same tone all but Belldandy do! “CRIPES!!”

A split second after this, the Dark Lord shoves up a back hand of his right arm, causing a HUGE Dark Wall spell to form, based off pentagrams of satanic symbols, melded with black and red Nidhogic code runes interspersed within! Lind chasing, ends up running head long into the wall, and is effectively repulsed, causing all the rest behind to screech to a halt.

Urd just bares her teeth.. “This is bad.”

The ones on the wrong side of that wall, find reason to compile their fears, with the tone most darkly directed at them..

“We have you now.”

Chihiro cringes a bit further, while the others wonder what they `are' facing. Keiichi just remarks.. “What the heck is wrong with him?!”

Bell just shouts, Skuld behind her now.. “Cousin, what did Hild `do' to you!? This isn't the real you!”

All `that' gets in turn, is a renewed demand, this time the most dire of them all. “Under Her demonic Will, all other else is pointless! Surrender if you wish to survive this day any further!!!”

“Fat chance bub!” Takano just snaps, and then gets snapped back in turn!! “Then my patience is expired! As is your fate!!!!”

Lind prepares her next attack, just as suddenly, the wall falls without warning, and then starts trailing in a spiraling effect trail, that ends up going to his dark left gauntlet. What it does next, is something beyond their minds to comprehend, given the cruelty factor of it.

This as the dark energy starts forming into a separate body, as the Dark Lord evokes a release on a Dark Seal spell, and from that, the form of a person that makes Skuld sear with mindless fear! This as she screams.. “SENTARO!!!!”

None of them watching are false in their horror, as the Dark Lord holds the quite conscious, yet binded form of the very real boy of mortal name, in his `steady' right hand. One being squeezed to a visible effect!

Takano has to catch Skuld.. “Please don't hurt him!!” ..when she lunges at!

Sentaro just stutters out from the pain... “S... sku.. ld...”

“...as is his fate included.”

The all then hear the masterstroke voiced, as the Dark Lord imparts.. “Indeed. Not only he alone. But also several others that were approaching to gather him. The same now on approach even `here' now.

How many will it take to make your surrender complete!”

A moment of frozen apprehension, mindless and trapped for the rest watching! Even Entropia seeing from rearmost, can't comprehend the malevolence of this moment!

---

Frig `and' Hild are no less included. Hild just teardrops out.. “My... what a splendid move.” ..which Frigurina outright wrath tones back! “Are you serious?!?!”

Hild just bares her teeth, fighting against the uncertainty that is now gripping unto even her! She wavers out despite.. “If they cave in, it won't matter. ANY of it!”

Frig shoots a furious look at the CEO. “Then I may have to step in.” Hild shoots a glare in kind! “Do that, and `we' will have to fight it out!”

Frigurina only tones back in a dour, yet soft tone.. “Whatever it takes then.”

Hild suddenly braces herself, and almost brings out Oblivion at this. A SPIKE of angelic energies however, cuts this terminal moment short, as they see, Frig vocalizing.. “Lind?!”

---

A terse moment that ends with Keiichi begging. “Please.. you... you can't do this!

You'll regret it forever dude!!”

`Something' in the voice actually chisels through, as all of a sudden, the Dark Lord `feels' a vibration spike-warp through him, this as the crack within, widens with more light from out, approaching the Receptor somewhere within that suffocation of soul!

The rest for a split moment, see this as a rippling phase effect, as for a moment, thin lines of the `true' form, the Knight Lord, phase out from beneath the Darkness covering, before it starts to be pushed back down.

Enough time for Lind to act. This as she breathes once, and then lets go of her Axes. Phosus sees this and gasps..

..a split in split moment before Lind attacks the Dark Lord, outright slamming him free of Sentaro, and a good distance into the temple ruins! The rest see as Lind spins out of her Golden Eye assault! Sentaro falls, with Skuld on the spot to catch. “Oh Sentaro! Sentaro-kun!” Sentaro blaring his eyes. “Where am I?” ..in anime dizziness! Keima and Takano meanwhile exasperate. “That was fast!”

Lind lands and huffs, the attack taking a good wind of her for an instant! Mara just voices.. “Did it knock him...” ...before the ground suddenly TREMORS, killing the thought outright.

As well as obliterating a great portion of the temple ruins, as the Dark Lord gouges a great scour from the animal release of anger!! Lind gasps, as they all witness sanity reach it's precipitous terminator!

One incredible roar, and a `new' tower of black energon is exploded forth, piercing sky and ground alike like entropic daggers! All that rage froths out from it, as Lind shouts.. “He's nearing his limits!”

Megumi just screams.. “So is everything else!!”

Lind looks and gets acknowledging nods from her Valkyrian comrades. Urd and Mara nearest then hear a lot of thuds, and see a bunch of Axes suddenly hit the ground in quick succession. Urd yelps.. “HOLY!!”

Before they realize it, all five Valkyries suddenly unleash `all' their special attacks, enhanced with their mutual angels in concert, this as Lind's Golden Eye is joined by Phosus's Rubicon Slash, Demesus's Dimension Rift, Thrud's Phoenix Assault, and Tsuyana's Mana Bloom! In succession as a consequence, the Dark Lord is slammed no less than five times, each, from the fury of a spin attack, full body kick and arm slash, rupture to his code powers, burned by a full body energy beam, and finally internally `burned' of all present magicks that are remaining in his body, that comprise his powers!

The assault is so tremendous, debris and bodies are thrown about, mostly as the others dive for cover where ever they fricken can!!!!

And this now includes Hild and Frig above!!!

“Holy clouds!!!” Frig shouts, avoiding a HUGE boulder of debris! Hild just shouts!! “That's `holy SMOKES' you dim bulb!!”

Frigurina just snaps back!! “YOU'RE THE DIM WATT HERE, WITCH!!”

They both just reactively scurry away as a large piece of concrete roadway actually shoots up past them!!

Bell and Takano are covered by their respective loves, as Keiichi shouts out.. “We're breaking new barriers in anime violence here guys!” ..this Keima just exclaims, ducking a teapot and metal I-beam in that order! Bell just shouts.. “Everyone must be reaching their limits, even Cousin can't stand up to this much punishment for....”

..just as `everything' suddenly stops cold!! The chilling stillness is accompanied by a wretched sound of dark energies, as everyone one looks to the final horror of it all.

Bell remarks.. “What....?!” ..as all five Valkyries are suddenly held within a new kind of black energy field, one that is directed against the very law of inertia itself! Bell realizes and can't seem to move like she can, with the `lack' of the law of inertia to allow proper functioning movement!

Keiichi screeches.. “What the heck is this!? I've never felt this weird just moving!!”

Megumi tries to move as well, but gets `reflected' in both movements that cause up, down, inward, outward, and ripples the muscles so weirdly.. “WHOA!! I'm body feels like it's jelly!”

Suddenly from above, Frig shouts.. “STOP IT IMLADRIS!! YOU CAN'T HANDLE BREACHING THE PHYSICAL LAWS THEMSELVES! THE CONSEQUENCES.........”

“RUIN!!!!!!!!! RUIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” ..his false voice just spikes back against, as insanity fin ally takes hold!

Hild finally is frightened enough.. “I... no one has that power except...!!”

Frig just shouts back, an act that causes her encoded lungs to react `weirdly'! “You idiot! That's why that Angel was Sealed! Gravity controls ALL of Existence! Everything! It's power is too unpredictable in the hands of those that can't understand what Gravity `really' can do to everything!!”

“Marvelous!!” Hild shouts, snapping her mind in the `wrong' direction! In the next consequence, she voices to the effect..

“Now to complete the end result of Sin!”

Lind, meanwhile, trapped in a phantom of their minds by the lack of inertia existing on the planet at that moment, suddenly sees Hild appear in a dark flare of demon whirl! Frig above sees and suddenly chases down after!

“Hild, DON'T DO IT!!!”

This Lind sees as Hild cups the Dark Lord's strained face, one far more than just in physical look. The CEO then engrosses her self before her tragic action..

“Forget Contracts. This will blow everything out the rulebook.” ..and leans into to..

Lind gasps in emotions between jealousy, wrath, fear and anything in between, seeing Hild actually kiss him fully! Frig screams on seeing.. “That final Seal is forbidden!! He can't control it yet!!!”

Too late as the kiss, breaking the power over inertia, but then actually causing the Dark Lord's body to rupture phased beams of red and copper, all about his format body! Hild for a split moment, at this, holds her rapture.

The `next', she realizes far too late, the mistake she just made! This as on top of all the rest of the powers he was flooded with, now a `new' power of tenth dimensional make, suddenly ruptures forth! An actual rubicon light obscures all the dark features, as Hild is rebuffed back by the unleashing of actual deity level powers!

Hild just shouts in her own manic laughter of an insane driven moment of power unleashed! “I've done it! I've broken the Seal with Sin! His glory is... -SMACK- ..AUGH!!”

Frig finally is fed up, and decks Hild across the chin!

“You Sin wench of a dork!!”

Hild barely realizes this, when suddenly the first pulse of godly might explodes out from the broken seal within the overpowered form of her Contract! Ruby edged light just shines everywhere in a dark, terrifying brilliance as the power outright overwhelms the last sane vestiges of thought!

All there is for a moment, is the intense scream of a mind that loses comprehension, the nightmare come to tragic life, in the fore! Skuld covers Sentaro, as Peorth and Eihwa hear a sudden screech of tires! This as the powder blue truck careens out of control!

“JEEZZEE!!!” ..Otaki yelps, as his passengers all scream the same, before they are quickly saved by the seeing goddesses, and Seraphim still with, each! Shortly, the four and their vehicle are safe, though the sight of the screaming godling just kills normal small talk.

Sora sees as pulses of red energy just burst out, like a star going into it's death throes. “What's going on?!?”

“Is dat him?!” Tamiya shouts, as Peorth just equals in tone. “We have no idea anymore!”

Up close, everyone within the temple grounds are buffeted by severe energon driven winds and pressure, as Bell shouts.. “He's cascading! He'll lose containment over that power!”

Lind shouts.. “NO! HE CAN'T DIE!”

Hild however exclaims! “Still enough time to...” ..before they hear the first words that come from a godling's form.

“Fulfill the Contract Binding!! Sacrifice all to this Will!!!!”

Urd gasps.. “He shouldn't even be remembering that! Of anything!!!”

Hild cackles at this. “Marvelous isn't it! The raw potential of it all!!”

Frigurina just spins Hild around and barks.. “One he would never willingly accept!!!! You're killing him!!!”

Before they can all react, the godling suddenly `acts' and shoots right at the frozen Morisatos, as Belldandy tries to act, throwing all her power with Holy Bell's help. “Throw the Ultimate Wind, bind and spread into contraction, with no resistance that can sunder against this!

This to save with!!”

Suddenly a massive Holy Wall, the most her strength can muster, spreads out as a web like wall, in the last ditch to halt the insane godling. One that is all too easily torn through by the RAW power assailing against it! Bell screams and yells with horror! “Too powerful!”

“BAD!” Keima yelps, as he dives over Takano, Megumi and Chihiro on a pure whim, Skuld the same over Sentaro, and afar, the rest seeing the tragedy come of zenith!

Bell tries to throw herself over Keiichi, as the mad godling's hand reaches out to grab his intended target, a point that shows the power the Conversion had over him, and Hild's contract in of itself.

Both with pale in comparison to..

“YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL!!”

Everything just dead stops, when Keiichi's voice stabs at the godling, Belldandy having just braced her body to take the brunt of whatever incoming blow, when she hears this! She realizes, when the godling halts for ever a split moment, as Keiichi reacts further with. “If you do this, you'll regret it forever! You promised to protect us always! If you go through with this, you'll go against your own word!

You'll fail us all, Heaven and us alike!!!” ..this Keiichi's voice strikes a knife deep blow of chord, finished with...

“You're a Knight, not this Monster!!!!”

One split moment into this, Hild thinks Keiichi is mad.

The next, the cracks of light within the `finally' cascade from within, and finally are able to fight back! Without warning, the godling shoved backwards, and wrenches in an agony that has voice in equal tone to what Lind `can' recognize!

Suddenly, everything goes from a hopeless moment, to a renewed confused one, as the godling starts wrenching at his own head! As in so doing, some `light' colors start glowing forth through cracks about the red and dark colorations, a physical manifestation of the new fight taking place within!

Bell sees, as Lind exclaims.. “I felt him! He's fighting back!'

Hild shouts.. “WHAT!!? Even with...?!?!”

Suddenly that `last' scream, one that sees the godling suddenly leap back up into the air! this as he stabs out through the screams of agony.. “Qualme`, unquale`!! Tele oiale`!!!!!!”

Lind shouts! “No!!! Don't destroy yourself!!!” ..and shoots up at all at all remaining speed!

Hild gasps.. “He wouldn't!” ..before Frig smacks her around some more. “How many times do I have to say you are a DOPE?! You make him a god when he never wanted to be? Not ready beforehand, and now you don't think he won't react to this?!

You just did Voluspa a favor!!”

Hild... well.. the words can't describe the feeling of the mistake she's enduring.

And then the sight of something all but utterly foreign to the likes of the CEO, as the godling suddenly feels Lind clutch onto him above! Belldandy gasps.. “Lind!” ..as the godling `dark' side tries to react by throwing back out Angel of Death, but this in turn is restrained by the `light' side within, and then by physical measure from the Twin Mints!

Lind just exclaims out.. “I said I would save you, and I meant it!!!” ..and starts to dump all her power into starting to freeze the air around them! Peorth sees.. “She's trying to put him into stasis!!” ..this Eihwa exclaims.. “She'll die if she finishes that!!”

Peorth suddenly is shocked... and then all the rest that don't participate, in seeing the reaction of Eihwa and the four remaining Valkyries! To Lind equal shock, she feels Phosus, Demesus, Tsuyana, Thrud and Eihwa clutch onto in split succession order!

A strangely surreal, serene, tragic, and extraordinary moment all rolled into one!

This as the internal war within the godling's mind rages, Lind tries to sacrifice her life to stop him, and in turn, the other goddesses attached, trying to disrupt them both somehow! Lind shouts.. “Get away!”

“Never! We can't lose you both!” Eihwa cries out, visibly even, something in fact shared by all the adjoined goddesses, before Lind realizes she is doing the same!

Keiichi just exclaims.. “This is going to be.....!!”

..and then it.................................... stops?

Keiichi blinks... all around suddenly blink... and realize...

“Where's the boom?” ...Velsper quips, before they suddenly hear, instead of screaming agony...

..a `rather' plain...

“Ah..... ah? Eh? Huh?” ..this everyone looks, as `all' of a sudden, the `knight' is seen in place of the god! The blinking continues, as Hild gasps.. “What?!”

“Where.... where am.....” ..this as the voice that is `supposed' to be there, starts to sound out more normally. This as Imladris starts looking around in a daze.. “What the.... what is....?”

Frig blinks.. “Indeed what `is'...?”

For a moment, that confusion is replete over all seeing. This as Imladris feels his mind `clicking' back on, feeling his nanites engage, and he in full feel like he's waking from a long nap. This before he feels his chest, waist, and legs binded and pressed upon. He looks down at this, and sees the Valkyries and White Goddess, all but sewn into him!

He blinks about a hundred times, before he looks `thinks', and then gaffs.. “Okay, did Urd spike me a mickey or something last night?!?!?!”

Everyone not attached to the knight, facevaults in simult! This of course excluding Belldandy, whom realizes.. “He's back!

I think he's back!”

Hild and Frig both shout.. “HOW!??” ..as Hild suddenly yanks her pocketwatch out, and snap it open, shouting.. “Impossible! The Contract still had...”

That was when she and Frigurina saw the hands all at the zero hour...

..as well as the small set of fading spell rings of a light blue Intracel code of note. Ones that Frig recognizes and realizes...

“Well how about `that'!” ..and looks `up'. “Nice one Love!”

Hild BALKS! “WHAT!? NO!! My Contract!! AIIIEEE!!” ..this Hild heard Frig reply. “What Contract. I think all that before ruined even `that'.”

Hild just sighed, and closed the watch, now inert. “Yeah, you're right. Oh well.”

Keiichi below however seeing, asks.. “What do you mean he's back?” ..this Belldandy turns, as she, and they all hear and see, as Imladris is reglommed by Lind, this time in a `proper' glom of beloved note. This even the Valkyries that had been before locked in mind of most dire note, now gave full appreciation of a reunion, that seemed all too long, even years it felt like, in the coming.

Imladris just gulped.. “Wha..? Lind?” ..as said Valkyrie just cried with a joy she never thought possible. “You're back! You're really back!!”

He for a moment, not realizing, just allows the moment to flow.

..before he suddenly clutches his head from a SHARP pain! Below, Keiichi and Belldandy gasp as much as everyone else. Skuld just exclaims.. “Again?!!”

Bell warily remarks.. “I don't think so.” ..this as the still attached renew their worry! Phosus exclaims. “What is it now?” ..before the sharp rush of information induced pain subsides. Imladris feels this, as the nanites downloaded the memory files of the past day, into the mind that was too chaotic to remember otherwise.

This results in Imladris still holding his head, and for a moment, holding it `very' still.

Lind blinks.. “Love?” ..before a `new' growl suddenly spikes the close in area. Lind then `feels' the wrathful tremor that accompanied it. The other's attached then see his eyes open, and realize to Demesus's comment. “I `think' he's miffed.”

At this, Imladris swivels his eyes, before training them, and then his head in `creaking' fashion, towards the CEO.

And then the shudder of fury building. The memories all now too clear in recognition.

And from that...

“Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!”

Suddenly, the knight zips out from the grasp with decent ease, and then right in front of Frig, to stare at with a glare of the most Holy wrath unto, one he now detests beyond all measure of redemption!

Hild sees this, and tries to act nonchalant. “Oh please. So childish.” ..while inside her dark soul, `anything' but so. Imladris just keeps shaking with a growing anger he has no intention of holding back. Keiichi below, just voices to the same mind the rest are seeing with.. “I think he's seriously pissed!”

Imladris just shoots an arm at Hild, as Frig backs off a bit.. “You.....! You...........! YOU LIED TO ME!!!”

Hild `smirked', not realizing her sweating brow. “I told you, you would do all I asked.”

“Through enforcement! You essentially raped my soul!!! Forced me to harm when you said I would be then one to command such, and yet never DID!” He then huffs to the point of nearly hyperventilating! He yells in addition to this.. “And you made me kill another to accomplish your goal!!!”

Frig is even shocked to hear this, as Hild just warns.. “And what do you think you are going to do about it?! Fight me??! You think to...”

Imladris prepared to do just `that', as he didn't think about what power reserves he had left, not realizing he had an entire `light' side power reservoir to draw upon! (The dark version was now all but expended, but the Angel within didn't mind this `second' power form at all. And this didn't include other sources Imladris had knowledge of.) All this as the knight rips the energy into a visible tube of white energon, one that envelops his body in a oval shape! The air just rips of new sounds of tearing and sundering, from this buildup!

To think it would all turn into this in a span of five minutes!

Keiichi just yelps.. “This doesn't look any safer!” ..as Megumi jumps up and without really thinking.. “COME ON, KICK HER ASS!!”

Hild reacted by throwing out Oblivion to form her own power into an equal dark format attack to what was about to come upon her! Hild just seethes.. “Bring it then if you think you can!”

Imladris just roared in kind, not caring for the fact he `couldn't' actually defeat her! A different kind of `no longer caring' theme had overtaken him, as he snapped out... “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!!”

Without realizing it, his unwittingly attached Angel appeared, as Hild saw it, as anything `but' the `Angel of Death' she originally called of it. This as it helps focus what power the knight had..

..and then rammed it out in a massive beam of power!!!!

Hild did otherwise, as she shot out her own dark version beam of incredible power, both beams locking into one incredible tug of war! The beam actually turning the raw atmosphere into a plasma! Everyone below for a moment turns away from the effects of the locked blasts, before Keiichi yelps.. “Someone stop this friggen ride!”

Takano actually leaps into Keima's chest and arms! “This is insane!” ..causing them both to topple! Megumi gulps, as Chihiro feels utterly numb, seeing the great battle of good and evil in formal person! One that was despite all intentions, swiftly one sided, as Hild channels her much more fathomless power into her power beam!

The result, in seconds, is the dark end of the interlocked beams, pushing the light version back with wrenching effect. Hild just haughts out.. “You think you can attack and match US in battle!?!? FOOL!!”

Imladris just reacts with a renewed burst, and shouts to effect.. “I DON'T CARE! RUIN ME FOR ALL CARE OF ETERNITY!

I DON'T CARE, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” ..and dumps every last vestige of power he has to offer. Incarnum, Holy, Positive, Raw Soul Force, everything he can possibly muster! The result is the beam pushing back the dark beam, but also causing a visible strain on the knight, as his hands and arms blister from the same gout of power!

And yet Hild just snarls.. “Mock all you like, I'm still the better here!!” ..and increases her power to the limits allowed! The dark beam starts marching back at the knight, who gives no whit of inclination of the dire consequences if he should lose.

Hild of course isn't considering `that' consequences for the long term, not at that moment of flustered plasma shoved forth.

..and doesn't see the simple flick of Frigurina's fingers, one that causes the goddesses in general, primarily the First Class goddesses, to suddenly feel their own power code swell. Bell gasps at this, as Keiichi looks over.. “What? You okay Belldandy?!?”

Bell realizes, and looks at her Mother, whom is smiling of `note', and whom Bell nods back to. She then looks to Keiichi and promises. “Yes. Everything is going to be just fine.”

Keiichi blinks at this, then gasps, as Bell suddenly flies up.

Above, the dark beam is about ready to overwhelm the knight, whom shakes with the end of his rope, energy and life alike it seems. This as Hild laughs over and over, screaming in lust.. “I've never felt so...” ..and suddenly `stops'.

Imladris suddenly feels energy infusing from behind him. He feels it, and then looks back sidelong.

And is shocked to see.... “Belldandy? ...L.. Lind?

Wha?!”

...Hild sees all too readily.. “YOU CUR!!” ..shouted at Frigurina, who is only holding position away from the conflagration. Rather, she just notes as Imladris has `every' First Class goddess behind him, channeling their renewed slate of power into the knight! He then also sees Urd even a part of the attack..

..even Skuld!?!?

Hild blanches at the sight of Five Valkyries, and five goddesses, Norn and fanciful Sisters alike, all are holding their palms open, Intracel circle code set around their palms, and their energies channeling into one of their true own!

Imladris gasps at the realization, seeing no angel that he can see, retracted, the sight a marvel to the mortals below. Something never to be witnessed ever again!

Keiichi is as much fearful, as he is giddy at the glorious sight!

And Hild is no less vehement and terrified! Imladris in turn hears from Lind and Belldandy each.. “Take our power as your own!”

“Redeem for yourself and us all Cousin!!”

Imladris barely realizes, before he then acts on this with a nod, and then focuses all of that incredible power into a `new' pulse, one thrice as large as previously! The sheer force of it alone instantly shoves the dark beam back three quarters of the lost distance, as Imladris ROARS in final Wrath!

Mara realizes the situation, and tries to shoot in to push Hild away once again! “Mistress!!” ..and in so trying, can't even approach due to the pressure aura from the new beam! Velsper alone gasps.. “Whoa-boy!” ..as Entropia watches with feelings she's never `had'!

Hild realizes she has to up the card one more time, and shunts to dump even more power into her beam..

..and then feels her forearms suddenly sting!! Like burned into by flaming bees stinging they did, as Hild realized.. “The SEAL!!! Awww crap!!!” ..and realizes she can't extract any more power. Hild then realizes.. “That... that Big.... Big...” ..she manages to eke a look over at a `broad' smiling Frigurina, as the apparent nature of the Seal takes formal note! This as the Holy beam is about to overpower her restrained beam.

She realizes, and then sighs, realizing....

...just before the beam hits.

“Oh well. I lose.”

Keiichi dives as much as everyone else, as the largest explosion they've ever witnessed completely rips across the atmosphere for kilometers around! Entire air rings pulse burst out, several times, such was the detonation was so heavy. The wind pressure alone just keeps everyone below pinned in place, praying like they never knew they ever could!

--------------------

Ex, Chrono and Ere were furiously working their harp controls with all due speed! Ex shouts out! “The pulse is crashing the System controls again! At least a 43% area of effect just up here!”

Hirund just shouted out. “Engage the new safety protocols and suspend operations for the time being!”

Ere acknowledged, but added.. “It'll leave Dimension Three detached again.” Chrono however replied to that. “Not as long this time. The new System algorithms are designed to repair the System more quickly.”

Hirund just pressed on. “Do it, the others down below can survive for a day, two at the maximum this requires.” ..this all three Hub Operators nod. “Yes Ma'am.”

Hirund just sighed, as Thor's voice rang out. “: What a battle. Should I glorify it, or sunder it from Archives? :”

“: I warned you all. :” ..Freyana quipped.. “: ..say not that I did. :”

“: Oh zip the yap, as my apprentice once said. :”

“: Same to you! :”

Hirund just rolls her eyes. “Evolution is so grand.”

“: We heard that!: ” ..whit Hirund wilted at the voice of two High Gods. She then commented.. “Wonder how His Lordship is taking this.”

The lack of an answer got her curious. It only gre moreso with more silence.

--------------------

It takes a good minute for the explosion to even start dying down, but somehow, despite it all, save for a few minor cuts and scrapes, the watching and knowing below are no less harm of wear, than the rest of this traumatic battle had been.

Physically anyway. The mind was another matter.

One handled as the winds die down in the end, and Keiichi leaps up, and shouts up.. “Belldandy!!!”

Megumi does likewise, as Keima helps Takano up. Chihiro and Sentaro for their own parts, worrying if the explosion had it's intended result. Sora is helped up by an eye brow cut Tamiya, Otaki the same of cut chin, for Satoko.

They all look up, the summons, Seraphim and Spawn alike, equally curious, as first, Frigurina appears from the dispersing cloud, and soon, the goddesses, with their angels, and the `very' tired knight, one with an equally fatigued Arch-angel. Keiichi beams in exclaimed relief! “Bell! Oh thank god!”

Keima and Takano no less are relieved, though they then see Imladris was covered in `blisters', a byproduct of his full body beam of force. No one refrains from their gasps in seeing and realizing, before they then see what they think is impossible.

This as the last of the burst cloud fades, and Hild is seen hovering still, without fail!

Chihiro blanches out loud.. “What?! Just how many hit points does that broad have!?!”

Hild, however on closer note, isn't unscathed. Whole still for the most part, bodily undamaged, her extremities are however quite singed and roughed up. She also sports a good number of blister wounds as well. Frig sees and realizes.. She took a good brunt, the most she's seen in Eons.

Imladris just huffs, gasping for breath as he knows better to `actually' have had any real damaging effect on the likes of her. However judging by the wounds Hild `did' have, his expression of wrath had hit it's mark. Oblivion wasn't to be seen now either.

He just growls out.. “Wench.”

Hild just looks at her arms, shredded clothing, and feels her well ruffled hair. “Oh us. Well, at least the vacation to come will have a use.” ..this Frig afar just rolls her eyes. “What a moron.”

Lind from afar, is the first to however realize just how `much' power Hild really had, an estimation that would dig at their minds for many ages to come. Something remised upon, as Hild just remarks, with a cough, expelling some soot. “Well, you got me. Took all you all had, but it's still your victory.

Of course, destroying us, is impossible. As is destroying Evil in of itself, which We so very am.”

The others sigh at this truth, though Imladris himself didn't feel any glory from the victory. He instead seethed out in the next, a mind full of exasperated questions. All that came out first was.. “Why? Just............... why?”

Hild floats in, Lind on guard as much as her equal Valkyrian numbers, but see Hild just stop a few meters away, looking all as if she didn't pay heed to her injuries. Urd just huffs at the power of her mother, as Hild proscribes..

“In a word... Voluspa.”

Imladris felt an `old' animosity fill him, one easily felt by Lind. Hild noted the same in his eyes, and nods. “Yes. The name should fill you with anger. That wrath was `why' you were remade.”

Skuld blinks. “Remade?” ..this Imladris spats back.. “What of this? This better not mean...”

“We fear it does.” ..this Hild sighs out, then remarks with a finger pointed with indelible inference. “You'll learn soon enough why, though it should already be obvious to you, what since Voluspa is as powerful as We and my Doublet are.

And you had to use all you had, with help, to fight `me'. (Reduced and all even.)”

Imladris gulped, the inference indeed unsettling. Bell remarks to this.. “There `should' still be no rush to this all. It will take a lot for Voluspa to enter this dimension. Even she has to follow such rules.”

Hild just waves a hand. “Yes yes, the catalyst bit. For me it's Urd for the most part, Mara: that stupid CD and all. You goddesses utilize effects from Intracel to be here.

The same `will' come to pass for the Seer as well. We `all' need to prepare when the time will come.”

Frig appears behind Hild, and accuses. “Is `this' the excuse for all the brutality that came to pass this day?”

Hild smirks. “Well, I `did' need an excuse to mold our mutual tool to meet `both' of our needs. It takes a lot of planning to cause something that will meet with disapproval.”

Frig slits an eye, as Hild declares for all to hear. “Given that Caceroth is already on the move again, as we speak even, `in' this Dimension if such is missed, We decided to make our own knight of the same tool we all are counting as our salvation through this mess.”

Imladris felt... insecure, behind the walls that held the angers for the one being he hated with blind passion. More than even Hild here before him. The definition were in different leagues.

And apparently back to a real auspice to boot. Lind looked over and saw his face, as Hild imparted. “To this, we made our Dark Lord of Nibelhiem, of which is still placed as your title here and now, young knight.”

Imladris growled vehemently at that, enough to startle the rest around.. “I'll never use that title! NEVER!”

Hild just sighs, as Frig moans.. “Like she'll listen to `that'.” ..and Hild just imposes.. “Nonetheless, since we are in this same fight together, and in fact of if the Seer succeeds, we `all' die as one, that title is added now permanently to your own. And worry not actually of that `kill' that became the catalyst for the title to attach.

We just used a clone of you when you first arrived in Nibelhiem. A rather dumb one even. Killing it did us all a favor really.”

Imladris just felt chilled at hearing that, the vivid memory of `that' all too clear as it was. He just restates. “Still makes no difference, since I `won't' use it.”

“And yet we acknowledge it the same.” Hild stresses as well. “After all, it matches your own soul, a balance of light and darkness, with that marvelous mortality within, the one that broke through my... well.. it's one of those rare ones.” ..she then looks down and sees Keiichi, whom is sweating and clammy after seeing and hearing of Caceroth still being alive for certain. Hild just imparts.. “The ones that matter here. They need protecting from us all. Even `We' can appreciate that.”

Imladris blinks, and then looks down and sees Keiichi. He does so, both in renewed appreciation of such fact, as well as an internal dour that will ferment a deep regret to come. He sees it, from the eyes of the rest of his mortal kin.

One he tried to hurt, no matter what the excuse of cause.

Imladris just looks back at the CEO. “Did it require the harm I inflicted beyond my ken?!”

Hild just replied. “For one that hates the corruption of power, it takes an `actual' example of that to base oneself by, to `really' stand for things against. A circuitous way to say, you needed a kick in the ass about your true reality.

All for laughs and giggles. `Twas it not good fun?”

Imladris just blares as dry a look, as the other goddesses behind him do, (though in Bell's case, it's a rather heavy sigh.) Frig just remarks.. “I'll keep the version where he kicked your arse just now.” ..she then pokes at one of Hild's welts, which makes the CEO wince loudly. “EEYOWTCH!”

“Wow, he `did' hurt you.” ..Frig keeps poking with, making Hild wince in several shades of purple pain. Urd of anyone else here, just blandly yelps.. “This is unsightly!”

Imladris however then balks.. “Migoddess Frigurina, please...”

Hild just chuckles despite the pain, which would last for a lot longer than she would at first realize. Still, she imprinted to effect the end of all this. “Anywho, at least I made sure he can't just call himself a plain mortal anymore.

You'll see why when... eh?”

Imladris suddenly fidgets, when he `feels' something `WA-A-A-A-A-A-A-AY' off. He then realizes.. “What the.. ACK! YARGH!!” ..and actually starts wrenching at his back! Everyone else around backs off, as in a rather painful display Lind all too readily remembers, the knight (with angelic help,) managed to WRENCH the Tenshigui out from his back. The tearing sounds alone, from the display, makes Urd, Skuld, Peorth, and Demesus sick visibly as a result.

In the end, he holds the entire length and form of the Eater, like an oversized bug held by a kid. Lind gulps, remarking.. “Remember how `that' felt.”

Hild and Frig each are aghast at this display, just before Imladris, huffing in brand new pains not meant for common manga or fan fictions. He then growls from this, and winds up.. “Here! I think this is YOURS!” ..and chucks the mentally messed up Eater. (Or such, who can tell.) Frig dives clear, as Hild gets a full body slam from the dangerous creature. The sight of it makes the angels combined, cringe a bit, above their mistresses.

Hild is thrown back far enough, before Mara appears and catches her. “Gotcha My Lord.” This as Imladris loses midair balance and Lind shoots in to clutch onto. “Got you!” ..and nuzzles into his cheek, something not remised by the others.

Hild sneers at this, and floats off, hefting the Eater in her hand, the same Imladris did. Everyone then watches.. “Hmm.. guess this thing has caused enough trouble.” ..and causes a red Nidhog code globe around the Eater, and shrinks it down to the size of a small beetle. She then looks at it, and then infers.. “We'll decide how to dispose of it later.” ..and crushes her hand, causing the Eater to vanish in a manner that makes the goddesses wonder if it is still alive now.

The demon queen then looks `above' the knight, and remarks.. “Hmm.. guess `that' will be tougher to deal with. Oh well, a fitting addition we think.” ..this Imladris cocks an eye, then realizes `something' is behind him. This Imlade and Lind look up, the knight gasping...

Seeing `his' apparent Angel stuns him to the soul! Mind of the matter from the goddesses and mortals on below, is held short, when Hild then remarks. “Hmm.. guess we should deal with this other matter beside me.” ..this as she suddenly spin kicks Mara without warning, unto her rear, and sends her right at Urd and Peorth, by some measure! Urd yelps.. “What the!?!?”

“Hey!!” Mara just snaps, as Hild sneers.. “Keep your voice. You and Velsper alike betrayed our mission first, since you both didn't have the stomach for watching my Tool's works in the end.”

Mara grumbles, as Belldandy remarks. “Pardon?”

Hild explains.. “Too slow. We think Mara will be a better use as our emissary to.. well.. help, or something. We don't really care. Such to the effect of when the time comes of our mutual enemy's return to this arena of war. Besides, a second chance to rekindle a childhood friendship and all. I can have others deal with our market share, since there's plenty other demons on this Middle-Space of a plane. Earth and all included.”

Mara blinks, as Urd smirks, quipping. “Guess I get to beat you at karioke once more.” Mara just snuffs back.. “We tied the last time I remember.” ..this Skuld just frazzles. “You both still owe me a machine.”

Belldandy sees hope in this, before hearing Hild add. “I still have one other here to handle anyway, such as she...”

Frig suddenly spikes into this.. “No. I forbid this.”

Hild turns back, as Frig's voice is as dead cold as space. Hild slits her eyes, as Frigurina imparts, seeing Entropia now nearby, well away from the celestial gathering. “It's clear you never intended to give my true, eldest daughter, the same love that I gave `your' Urd.

In this case, I am taking my daughter `back'!”

Hild blinks, seeing Frig `really' huffed and bothered, enough to outright attack her even! She then sees behind that, the same caring of motherhood that she knows well of her own Urd.

Secretly, she was in some small way, glad Urd grew up in a more happy atmosphere. Something Hild more than readily admitted to herself, silently, could never truly provide. Hild wasn't `that' motherly in the end. The War of Souls bit, as well as the Sin of Power, her original reason for her Fall, was still far too important to her.

She then shrugged. “Well. I can place that as booty for spoils. She never pleased us anyway.” ..this afar, Entropia feels mixed emotions she detests overall. “But I'll leave that decision to my Dark Lord.” ..this Hild turns, and sees a mix of angst at the name, and surprise at the impetuous remarked. Hild just imparts.. “So, will you claim my step-daughter, as a trophy for acquisition? A handful she will be, We assure you, given the years of our torment unto.”

Imladris blinked, then looked back at the dour, displaced faÃ§ade of the Dark Norn, a face he couldn't read at all. And then a look at Frig's, `very, very' wanting face.

He sighed, and then remarked to this, understanding being a proper ally here. “I don't claim trophies. I free souls. Liberate and give hope. Even `despite' this battle. As such, `that' is how you shalt release said Norn unto her Mother's proper care.”

Hild just smirked at this, and fluttered her left hand at him. “Ever the magnanimous soul. We hope it saves us all, one day soon.”

Imladris gulped at that, then notes Lind giving a proud smile. Nothing actually occurred else, save Frig and Entropia exchanging a most uncertain look. At this, Hild decides. “Well, guess Our damage is done. -wince- I'll be working this off for awhile, as we mentioned.”

Imladris looks around, and suddenly sees the frozen state of the landscape, left by actions he knows he caused, again despite excuse of cause. He grimaces, vocalized enough to be of note to the goddesses.

Hild just rolls her eyes. “What a wuss.”

“Once too many times already.” Imladris puts, not explaining the fact he's `seen' landscapes this devastated before. Worlds, battlefields, from one life to the next, true mind or amnesiac, he's seen it all too damn much. He finds a hateful reason of himself again for it, which Lind grimaces in feeling of.

Skuld remarks to this.. “What `do' we do? There's too much damage.” Belldandy just exchanges a look with Frigurina, and then gives hope of.. “You need to have faith.”

This remark for a moment, leaves a preparatory silence, just before they `all' feel it. This as they look around on instinct, Peorth remarking.. “Do you feel that?” ..just before the sky suddenly turned into a pure, and heavenly fit sky, this as such that is such all around the planet! As such, Belldandy gasps with her hands to her mouth, one of rapturous joy this time. Such even despite her previous chime, she exclaims.. “Father!”

Below no less in amazement, they see the True work at hand, from the one that `can' repair the damage so wrought. Above as a starter, the sky suddenly has several `immense' heavenly cloud halos, ones that cause for one each, the vast Heavenly standard, the golden staff with IMMENSE angel wings that adorn each side, to shimmer down from on high, to ground level, easily thousands of meters tall and wide!! Peorth gasps, realizing the last time she saw them, it was that Norn driven spell after the events Celestine caused, done to recover all that temporal sheer energy, and restore the present timeline.

Now it seemed, they were to be used to restore much more.

And from out from these massive portals, long lines of blue-white Intracellic code sprout out, by the millions it seemed, as they form vast, interconnected, interworked Mandalas of the most incredibly vast size that even Hild has or would ever see or seen! (Prior unto or again!)

The sky seemed to start.. singing... of voices in a chorus that seemed to voices of all Existence at once, as the Mandalas link, and from them, the ground beneath them all, glows with a fierce, yet majestic haze! Keiichi gasps, never having seen the like in even dreams of imagination! You can guess the mindsets of the other mortals, not as yet fully indoctrinated as compared to Keiichi.

And yet, the goddesses and demons watching, are no `less' awed! Lind just chimed out in this tone.. “He is so Mighty!”

Imladris agreed, as `the' Restoration Spell, one that shook even Heaven, and Intracel to a shocked core, engaged!

At this, the goddesses prayed, and the demons swelled with fear, as the Work was conducted. Hild watched in an awe of a Power she could never understand. This whit Frigurina elbows in.. “You decided to Fall. You missed out on a lot as a result.” ..this Hild seriously grimaced, as the sight took a good while to complete.

Nothing was rushed. Many souls had to be `retracted', repairs made across an entire planet, time itself restored to the planar axis here. By the end of a certain `number' of hours however, the Work was done.

Enough time for the goddesses and mortals to recover senses. To start dealing with the messes of the day.

And enough time for Hild to get an earful from Urd. Frig just sighed at it all, but worried more about her estranged Norn daughter. An easy task, this would `not' be, whatever such task would become. Family or otherwise.

And by the Finish of the Work, it was a renewed day of same note, before the evocation of the Singularity spell. Whit no mortal knew better, and none was harmed, save for the minor wounds the `knowing' mortals present had endured.

Form such, the damage was repaired...

..visibly. Others would take longer.

And all sure not before...

--------------------

Hild just got fed up with it all. “This is too much `purity' for me to take in one sitting. I need evil. Lots of anguish and suffering.” ..this as she twirls a hand and her own power opens a new gate this time. Everyone watches uncertainly for a moment, as Hild just looked back at Urd. “Oh, and so you know daughter dear. This all didn't end `our part of the debt.”

“Don't bother.” Urd just spats back. Hild is however interrupted by Frigurina, as she zips over, and offers.. “Gee, I must say this has been a lively visit.

Thank you for all you did today!”

Hild holds her ears, Mara nearby doing no less! The CEO just shouts out.. “I said belay that wretched language!”

Megumi and Keiichi blinks.. “Eh?”

Urd then remembers, that even she has a problem with actually vocalizing thanks. Demons, don't `like' such things. A quirk as strange as the demon weaknesses to various forms of mortal music. Not that Urd doesn't see an opening her goddess side can't take.

Urd just waves an arm. “Yup, Thank you for coming today!”

The mortals just stand there, eyes pipped in anime confusion, as Bell just decries.. “You know she doesn't like that!” ..this just before Imladris gets it, and chuckles..

..and then feels about `every' remaining goddess, save for the aforementioned, cloister around him, waving the same, all as one.. “Thank you for coming Hild!”

Hild just loses it! “AUUUGGHHHHH!!! You goddesses never had any sense of decency for demon culture! I can't believe we all share a common ancestry! AIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!” ..and all but leaps up like crazy, into the portal! Urd just snickers at this.. “Hey, that actually felt good.”

Takano for the mortal's part, just remarks at all this. “Okay, `that' was weird.”

“A good bit of that right now Mom.” Keiichi remarks, before he's yanked by his shirt collar! “Danger's over! Back to not CALLING me that boy!”

Megumi just inches away, as Keiichi feels a `new' kind of hell take hold.

He still is glad for it. At least it's a more preferable version.

And soon after... (as the sky returns to nominal life..)

--------------------

...the world is unchanged, once more.

No grain is misplaced.

No one that doesn't know better, will ever know.

And yet one that does, has a separate `mess' to deal with. Imladris notes this, standing well away from all he previously thought were his own kin. Ones he can't look in the eye, turning away with even the slightest glance at him.

This as the next problems fester.

Ones he actually considers, then shoves that into acting, to rectify. He looks at them, then around at the goddesses, who for the most part, were `also' keeping a bit of distance now from him, before he exchanges a knowing look with Lind. At this, the knight takes a step forward.

Keima of note, sees this, and despite reservation, remarks.. “Here he comes.”

Keiichi and the other mortals look, their converse about their worry of well being for each other now focused on the approach of an expected apology. Belldandy for the goddesses of note, nearby, smiles. Good, he's acting in a responsible manner.

For his part, Imladris considered the full splayed and prostrated approach, before the ones he `did' care about, the ones he never meant to harm. Ones he wondered if all was now damaged beyond mending.

He still approached, considering how much was not enough, for a visible apology. He even considered some manic crying and some Ilmater worthy scarring, as he stepped closer and...

-snap-to-black-

Everyone looking saw Imladris suddenly freeze, and then smack to the ground! Lind shot over from her spot near the entrance, Phosus and Demesus in close, just reaching after he hits with a good thump! This as in a proper `icing' to the dour cake that was eaten this day, Frig holds a glowing `inspection' orb of Intracel code makeup, and sighs..

“He exhausted all of his energies. Even life force is at minimum. He's out of it for a few days.”

Keiichi just remarks. “He'll be alright, right?”

Lind just cradles Imladris and nuzzles him. She just promises.. “I'll make sure of `that'.”

If only the knight knew the smiles that Lind got for this statement. Eihwa just huffed. “Lucky goddess.”

Takano just moaned. “Guess he'll just have to apologize to us later then.” ..this Chihiro grumbles. “And then do a ton of makeup work for me.”

If only he had been awake for `that' much, it may have prevented what happened in the following days.

The rise, after the fall, wouldn't have been so traumatic.

Or special....

(End Act IX-b)

--------------------

Author notes: Not quite done with this all yet. Sure been a complicated road to get just `this' far. And yes I `know' I have a lot of dang characters right now. That'll be dealt with as the story progresses. Been planned out for the next volume series. (The next chapter will be final Act for this `volume', before going into more character spread Acts in the next `volume'.)

Probably will plan a clean-up review of my combined chapters, to ensure readability and plot stability, among other things. Course since I'm going through a few real life events in the immediate term here soon, things might be slow in that department. Kinda want to keep the stories churning out mainly, so bear with me grammar wise and all that.

I've realized I'm more of an `idea' writer, than anything a grammar teacher would ever truly approve of, not to mention the writing for the joy of the ideas that come out.

In the end, just have `purely' so, enjoyed doing all this.

Still, this is all in the end as well, non-canon writing, so where I start taking all of this, is intended as my version of celebrating a manga that gave me reason to even do all this. It really comes down to it being as simple as that, added to the lack of moolla I make in this same time and effort.

Just hope the `story' itself is what's focused upon. That's all I want.

And so, just so to chill out my writing at the end here...

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(Valkyrie Drabbles - Part Thirteen )

“Oh Keiichi, thank you!” ..mini-Bell squealed, as said mini-dope offered a simple bottle of soy sauce. Urd just dryly glanced at them, wondering.. “How can this manga survive with this little romance?” ..this mini-Skuld blares at.. “It's been the `perfect' amount all this time! Shut up!”

Urd just considers trading Skuld for Sasami, or another more `preferable' sister of anime fame, this before she then hears ol Imlade appear. He just remarks, all cute as a button as a chibi-dope. “Lind around?”

Everyone just points as one off towards an unseen area beyond the page panel, which creeps the bloke out some, this as Lind drags Gan-chan along, all tied up and such. she hops over, (smacking Gan's head on a rock, in so doing..) she then chimes. “I got him tied up this time. Want that XP now?”

Imlade just chuckles. “Nay. Here..” ..he suddenly offers, sweating for some nervous reason, as he hands over a card over to Lind. Said mini-Axe babe dumps Gan to handle the card, as if it was a diamond ring.

Everyone then suddenly sees Lind outright LEAP onto him, screaming! “I WANT YOUR CHILD!!”

Imlade.. “Wha!? It's.. WHAA! YACK!! -mumble-muffle-muffle-mumble-!!!”

Skuld runs away, as Keiichi looks away, seeing things he couldn't even dream doing with Bell! Bell in turn just quips, flustered for her part.. “Goodness, what did..?” ..as she and Urd hop over to pick up the tossed aside card, Urd having to watch her step, what with all those flailing limbs off the bottom of the panel.

Bell looks, and Urd `teardrops' on the same, as Bell remarks.. “It's a Library Card.”

Urd realizes. “Dang.” ..and looks back at a rather `tattered' scene. Urd just quips on this.. “Good thing it wasn't a gift card for Waldenbooks or Borders or such.” ..this as Imlade flails for dear life, and air.. especially air.

Suddenly, Urd and Bell hear a moan beneath them, in tone of.. “Hey.. girls.”

Urd looks down, and Bell hops off, Urd snipping. “What?”

“Get off me!”

Urd just prods her heel in.. “Whining again are we?” ..this Bell just smiles/sweatdrops.

Keiichi meanwhile just complains, looking back. “We're going to get rating complaints if this keeps up.”

(Fin Thirteen)

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(Valkyrie Drabbles - Part Fourteen )

Gan had to complain. “There's too many main characters here now. I'm getting even `less' speaking parts now!”

Skuld and Urd look back. “Oh.. did you say something?” .. “Who's the rat?”

Gan just goes rat-ape at the mini-goddesses, while a mini-Peorth just blanches at, in a finger pointing fashion. “Why is SHE here now!??!!?” ..this as a min-Eihwa with a mini-Test-o-Purity out in the mini-open, just quips. “Smettere incoraggiamento Peorth.”

Peorth just growls back.. “I'll yell how I want too! And stop confusing the readers already!”

Mini-Bell and mini-Keiichi just look back, as Keiichi quips. “You'll get looks if you keep it up.” ..this Eihwa ignores, all too busy keeping an arm on one side of her maschio trophy. Of course that means mini-Lind on the other arm, is just all but yanking mini-Imlade by the arm, in a near full drag, just to get mini-Imlade out of mini-Eihwa's reach!

It just means... “YEOW!! MY SPINE!!” ..pain, for.. well...

Keiichi just groans.. “No normal days here.” ..as Imlade spouts.. “I'm not liking this field trip today so far!”

Lind and Eihwa just mini-wildcat snarl at each other, shouting.. “She started it!!”

Peorth just groans as well.. “Why Father on High, why?”

Gan just comments.. “Where are we going anyway?”

Urd / Skuld: “Hey? Who are you?”

“CUT THAT OUT!!”

Bell just offers.. “I thought a nice walk would do us all good.” ..this Keiichi beams. “Works for me.”

Peorth cocked an eye, and wondered if the world would end, if Keiichi ever disagreed with Belldandy. She just shrugs, and then notes Eihwa shout! “LassÃ¹!!” ..and then suddenly drags Imlade with her, up the.. uh.. mini-road? Um.. and in so doing, the same to Lind who is still grafted onto Imlade's other arm!

Bell and Keiichi see this and blink in simult.

“That must hurt.”

Keiichi. “A lot.”

Peorth. “I want another Secur.”

Urd and Skuld look over Peorth's shoulders, to see Eihwa suddenly make a HARD right turn to cross the said road, this just before she in turn, is suddenly at the mercy of a Valkyrie yank of Newton's Laws!! They all look, as Lind suddenly pulls Imlade in the opposite direction, back across the road!!

“No! This way!!”

They all blink, as Imlade feels pain of the kind he still couldn't get away with in a birthing ward, (no matter the severity,) as Keiichi looks and then sees. “Oh... oh?”

Peorth sees, and MOANS.. “Pourquoi le Dieu Tout Puissant, pourquoi!?!?” ..this as Imlade is pulled in one direction towards a milk factory, the other towards a bookstore. Guess who's pulling whom apart towards where. (With their mini-angels helping even! Sheesh!!)

Keiichi just blinks, as Bell remarks.. “Interesting coincidence.” ..Keiichi adding. “Who the HECK did the city planning on this one?!?”

Urd and Skuld just quip, as Peorth wonders how to dispose of her Italien problem. “He sure goes through a lot.” .. “Better him than Keiichi.”

Gan.. “I no longer want a wife.”

Skuld/Urd: “Who are you?”

Gan: “WHAAAAAAHAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!”

Imlade: “Make it stooooooooooooooop!!”

(Fin Fourteen)