After a few hours of travel, we arrived at a somewhat secluded temple in a small village under the care of the Aozaki clan.
"This way, Dante-dono," Ryojin guided me up the mountain to the temple.
I simply followed him with Kiss-shot; taking advantage of the overcast day, she walked without an umbrella.
When we arrived at the temple, we were greeted by two maidens, one older and one much younger.
"It's a pleasure to see you, Ryojin-sama. I hope Maya-sama and her children are well," said the older maiden with a bow, followed by the younger one.
When the maiden looked at Kiss-shot, she opened her mouth in surprise, only to close it immediately.
"Oh, she's the temple's saint," said the younger one, looking at Kiss-shot in amazement.
I just stared at the girl, about seven or eight years old, who was looking at my wife, probably mistaking her for my daughter.
Honestly, you could say Kiss-shot and Helena are clones; the only difference is their eye color, and that my daughter likes being taller than average, standing at exactly 1.93 meters, while Kiss is about 1.82.
Kiss-shot looked at the girl and smiled.
"I'm no saint, but you could say I'm related to her," she said.
"Hmm," the girl thought, "Her sister?"
At that moment, the older woman gently tapped her on the head to snap her out of it.
"Chouko, behave yourself," the woman scolded.
"Yes, Grandma," the girl said, returning to her side and standing still.
"I imagine you've come to see her. Follow me," the eldest maiden said, leading us down a somewhat hidden path.
The four of us followed without much trouble.
"We're almost there..." the woman couldn't finish her sentence, as a loud noise was heard.
"Really? "I said, somewhat stunned, just as I used Rankyaku to intercept an energy attack from the direction we were walking.
My attack was destroyed by the energy blast, but I managed to coat my hands with Haki and tank the attack, preventing it from harming the maidens and the Ryojin.
At that moment, a blur of speed and a giant sword attacked us. Using the palms of my hands, I stopped the slash, bringing it to a standstill. I only had to glance at the sword to recognize it immediately; it was the Fusion Sword.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from your father." With that said, she spun around to kick me, which I blocked, grabbed her, and forcefully threw her to the ground.
This created a shockwave that sent all three of them flying backward, except for Kiss-Shot, who remained still, watching everything.
Without wasting a second, using my arm like a sword, I placed it against her neck, forcing her to freeze.
"You're out of shape, Helena." When I said that, I didn't mean she was fat but rather that she was weaker than she should be.
"It's been ages since I last fought," she replied, standing up and ignoring my help. At that moment, she looked at the others, then ran over to Kiss-Shot and hugged her, a hug the vampire returned. She then looked at the others: "Oh, little Ryo, it's been a while."
"That's right, Helena-sama," I said to him.
"Well, follow me to my home; it's on me," she said, pointing in the direction we were going.
"Hey, Lena?" I called to my daughter, making her stop. "Quick question, why are you here and not with the other true ancestors?"
As I recall, she was very good friends with someone named Altrouge, and she went with her to their base with the other vampires and all that.
"Oh, yes, well... it's a bit of a long story," I said, a little nervously.
...
"So, you fought with her, pretended she killed you, found the Aozaki ancestor, and made a deal: they would keep you hidden in exchange for a clan extermination, since they were going through a crisis with other clans. As a token of the agreement, you gave her the only one of the ten rings you possessed," I summarized the entire story Helena had told me.
"Exactly. I was having some problems with my ideals and the arrival of her younger sister, which led to a fight with her. When I wanted to leave, I fought her and let her hit me with one of her most powerful attacks by faking my death," she confirmed.
"At that time, my clan was in conflict with other clans, and Helena-sama's help was invaluable in winning the war," Ryojin added.
"At that time, my clan was in conflict with other clans, and Helena-sama's help was invaluable in winning the war." With all that, I could already create a mental map of everything that had happened, and with what I already know, I can make a timeline.
The existence of Arcueid and knowing that the old man from the magical girls is also a vampire makes me realize that the multiverse is connected to the world of Tsukihime, but there's also the world of the Holy Grail War, with the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einsbern families, along with everything that entails.
I don't know if this is good or bad; maybe it's just something, period.
"So, what's up? Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life?" I asked Helena.
"Maybe, but honestly, I'm getting bored here," she replied, sounding a bit disheartened. "Tell me, Dad, don't you have something you could keep hidden so you can go out into the world without that crazy woman finding me?"
In response to his question, I started thinking about various objects that could make someone invisible, but that wasn't enough; something was needed that would also make them undetectable.
"I could look for something that fits your needs," I told him.
"Thank you, Father. I knew you'd do me this favor. You're my favorite dad," he replied.
"If I remember correctly, I'm your only father so far." As I said that, I remembered something. "Wait a minute, do you know what happened to the Devil Fruits I had?"
I had explained to her how Devil Fruits work, and then I died, so the fruits must have reincarnated somewhere else.
"Right," she said, snapping her fingers.
With that, she went to a corner of the room and took out a bag.
She opened it and threw it on the floor, revealing two Devil Fruits.
Looking closely, I saw that they were the Death Fruit and the Dark Fruit.
"I ate the Mother Fruit, which sadly meant I could no longer touch the sea, but I don't care about that," she said, gesturing dismissively. "I never found the Alchemy Fruit, but I know someone in the Clock Tower had a similar power, but I never saw it since they were still alive after my fake death."
I see she remembers what happened with those Devil Fruits; surely Counterforce and Gaia would have searched for her and/or taken charge of her.
...
And so the days passed at the Aozaki residence, living as guests at first.
During this time, we spent our time adapting to the new era and getting used to the times.
While all this was happening, we asked Ryojin to also help Chiaki learn the basics. Since neither Kiss-shot nor I had any foundation in sorcery, nor a goal like reaching the root and creating an object similar to a divine contract, we couldn't guide her toward a familiar objective, so she would have to find one for herself.
This led to Chiaki accompanying Shuji during his training. At first, it was difficult, as the two hated each other and just wanted to fight, but as the days went by, that hatred gave way to a feeling of being able to tolerate each other's gaze.
And with all that, I could proceed with my plan.
"Do you want me to invite you to the Tower of Reeds?" Akane asked, seeing that I was practically ready to accompany her on her trip to England.
"Exactly, I need to know where the scythe might be, and what better place to start than the base of modern-day sorcerers? Not to mention, I need to learn sorcery, since I can't use the magic I knew without feeling like I'm being watched by an entity from beyond this dimension," I explained, describing my situation.
I still remember when I tried to create a teleportation portal with magic, and while I was doing it, I felt like the Counterforce and Gaia were on the back of my neck, watching to see if I did anything that would affect the world or humanity, so I couldn't finish it.
With a sigh, Akane just looked at me, somewhat defeated.
"It's okay, just don't disappoint me," she said.
"Don't worry about when I've disappointed you," I replied; she just looked at me doubtfully.
...
*Several weeks later*
"What memories," I said as I stepped off the plane with Akane and Elena, Akane's current boss.
Elena was holding a pallet fork while staring at us intently.
"If Athena was the one who sealed your weapon, then we must start with her city," she declared, walking with an elegant air.
I just looked at her, a little weary, since from the day I met her I could only describe her with one word: bossy.
However, her disdain for the True Ancestors had led her to clash with Kiss-shot on more than one occasion, losing each time. But this only fueled her hatred, though right now it was very much contained.
I also had some trouble with her, mistaking me for one of those guys, but after she'd given me a more thorough look, I can only say she's a little afraid of me since walking next to a potential Beast candidate isn't exactly reassuring.
"From what I understand, there are several places where they might be sealed here on the surface," Akane commented.
"The problem isn't really that, but how to get it out of there, since it needs to be protected and monitored. Stealing it would be the last resort, and frankly, I wouldn't want to get into trouble for that," Elena said, sounding somewhat displeased with the topic.
"Well, that's why we asked for your help, to avoid things getting to that point, and I hope it works out, since I'd rather owe you a favor than that weird old man," I told her, to which she just glanced at me and carried on as if nothing had happened.
"I think she likes you a little more now," I said, Akane beside me.
"I think she's putting up with me a little more," I corrected her, continuing to walk to the first place I thought she'd be.
*One month later*
Opening her fan, Elena launched herself into the air, the wind whipping her face.
"I don't think the artifact is on the surface of the earth," she declared as if it were a fact.
Right now we're in the desert, in the last place where my scythe could possibly be sealed.
"Boo, what a waste of time," Akane complained, wiping away her sweat. "There really isn't anywhere left to check; I don't know if there's some secret place or something."
Elena just shook her head.
"A weapon capable of separating the soul from the body is too powerful to be hidden from view, so if it's not here, perhaps it's on Olympus, and by default, on the other side of the world," he explained, his logic running through his mind.
I heard all of this, but I was looking to the side.
I was reviewing both my story and what had happened.
"He was always against Athena, in one way or another," I said, drawing the attention of the two women.
"What are you talking about, Entity?" Elena asked, somewhat annoyed.
"I think I have another place to look for the artifact," I said confidently, making them exchange glances.
"And where would that be?" Akane asked.
...
As we traveled in the boat alongside a large group of workers, Elena was already preparing the spell to make these men forget everything they saw.
"Go a little further to the right," I instructed the captain, who nodded to do as I asked.
Akane gazed at the sea in awe.
"Is Atlantis really around here, Dante?" she asked, somewhat fascinated.
"Obviously, old lady, I've been there alone so many times; how could I not know where it is?" I explained proudly.
"So how is it possible that it's never been seen before?" one of the workers asked.
"Yeah, and how come you've already been there?" another questioned. I decided to ignore them; there was no point in telling someone anything who would lose their memory afterward.
"It's here, stop," I instructed the captain, doing as I asked.
The moment the ship stopped, I looked out at the sea and, without thinking, jumped in.
"Hey, wait," I heard the captain say, but it was too late. I had already jumped in, and transforming magically into a shark, I plunged into the depths of the sea.
There were many ways to reach Atlantis, but that was in the age of the gods. Now most of those paths no longer exist, but not all have disappeared.
Now transformed into an eel, I entered a small sea cave and began to swim slowly until I finally reached a place that looked like a sunken city; it was Atlantis, hidden among reefs, caves, and the darkness of the sea.
With my objective in sight, I only had to search the place.
First, I checked the surroundings: the castle, the throne room, and finally, Poseidon's chambers.
After a moment of discouragement at not finding anything, I remembered another possible place: the treasure room.
With a quick trip there, I arrived at where Poseidon kept his treasures, and as soon as I got there, I saw it.
It was the same figure I touched when I was a Servant, when I activated my Noble Phantasm.
It was a little different from the first seal they had made, but surely after my death they modified it and made it harder to open.
Overwhelmed with excitement, I almost started dancing, only to stop abruptly.
How was I going to move this thing to the surface?
...
*Two years later*
After a grueling ordeal, we brought the pillar containing the sealed sickle to the surface.
(Note: How did I get it out? For this kind of thing, a mage did it.)
Once we had it up, the three of us were stunned by the seals and the other things attached to it; it still retained a strong divine quality.
So we decided not to send it to the clock tower and instead moved it to the Aozaki residence.
There, Akane, Ryojin, Shujin, his sorcery master, and I spent days and nights trying to remove the seals, only to conclude that it couldn't be done, at least not with what we knew.
This was incredibly slow; surely deciphering the seals on the pillar would have been easier at the clock tower, but there was a risk of theft, both of the pillar and the divine contract.
To avoid taking any risks, since I could use the system to bring him back, they could create another seal; even if I did, I'd lose him forever in this universe.
So now we were here trying to free the scythe from its pillar-shaped chest.
After several months, we would each stop trying to decipher this and go our separate ways.
Akane would travel to find other ways to remove the seals, Ryojin would continue his research, Shujin would stay with Chiaki for her training, and I went to the clock tower with Kiss-shot to study seals and alchemy.
I should mention that I thought about using items in the system's shop that could break the seals, which they do have, but there are several drawbacks to doing so, such as the high cost or the fact that Counterforce would ruin my life.
Damn Counterforce, it ruins all the fun in life.
Well, as I was saying, studying pillar seals and alchemy to be able to do something to remove the seals—from my point of view, it was one or the other.
So I ended up joining the Creation and Chemistry department. I also tried to join the Seals and Law departments, but they wouldn't let me since I was already in the others. I first had to rank up in the Clock Tower if I wanted to join more departments.
In the end, I'm still only at the Cause rank, which is a little higher than Novice, but considering I've been doing this for less than two years, I think I'm doing alright.
Since my research is based on something that could break the seals, I was stuck in my own area, and since I needed to make progress in that department, I started doing other things. With the help of the Alchemy Fruit, you could say I'm a prodigy, just like the head of the Creation department.
Funny.
There's also the matter of my public persona. At first, I was quite the celebrity, but things calmed down over time. Well, to a certain extent.
There were quite a few witches or sorceresses who had tried to woo me, bewitch me, or curse me.
So far, they haven't succeeded, but I know their research is focused on how to mentally control me to make me their human sex toy.
It gives me the creeps; there are always strange women in every world and strange men too, but these guys didn't mind-bend me, so I didn't have a problem with them.
"My husband, stop daydreaming; if you keep this up, we'll miss our trip to Japan again," Kiss.shot scolded me in my mind.
"Right, it'll be New Year's soon, and then there won't be any more tickets to Japan," I remembered, grabbing my suitcases to leave the apartment where I lived. "I wonder how everyone else is doing; I think Chiaki is old enough to come live with us in England and study at the Clock Tower."
(Note: I remembered there are no airplanes in this era, but since I never specified where they would travel, I decided not to change it.)
While thinking about the future, I only complained that I still can't make a sorceress so I can teleport.
...
"I'm so glad everything's alright, Dante-dono," Maya said as she placed some cookies on the table for me.
"Yeah, I wonder what it's like up there in the clock tower; since Altrouges was fighting with that old man, I never went there, so I don't know," Helena commented.
"A castle, gothic atmosphere, the usual," I said, dismissing the situation.
At that moment, the doorbell rang, followed by hurried footsteps approaching.
A hysterical Shuji appeared, staring at me.
"My sister arrived with a fiancé; I won the bet." That made me drop the cookie I was about to eat.
I had bet a good amount of money with this brat that Akane would never get married.
"Damn, I won't believe it until I see it," I said, getting up to go see if it was true.
"I want to see little Akane's fiancé too," Helena said excitedly.
Thus, the years passed at the Aozaki estate as I tried to remove the seals from the pillar so I could fulfill my promise to Akane to take her to the Root.
---------------------------------------------------------------
In the next episode, we'll begin with the most violent time jumps and the newest member of Dante's harem.