Hades scoffed as he dodged another red and black sphere. The sphere engulfed his throne and erased it.
Power of Destruction. So this is a Bael? And not who I thought it was, Hades thought as he blocked his attacker's strikes.
The hooded figure growled as Hades easily deflected their attacks.
"Enough of this," the death god said as he blurred out of existence.
The figure looked around for the God only to look down and see the bident sticking out of their chest.
"To think that the Old Satan Faction might still be afoot. Either that or Lord Bael has gone insane to attack a God from another pantheon," Hades said.
"..." the figure remained silent.
Hades scoffed as he removed the bident and the figure fell to the floor unceremoniously.
"Now let's see who you are," Hades said as he reached for the hood. Just as he was about to pull it off, the figure's hand grabbed Hades' wrist. The hooded cloak was engulfed in flames.
"What the—!?" Hades' eyes widened as red flames shot from the hood and entered Hades' mouth.
The God of Death fell to the floor, writhing and spasming before going still. His eyes opened but they were no longer pitch black. His eyes were now blood red as magma like veins spread all over his body. His eyes flickered back to black and the magma faded from his veins.
Hades turned around and began to walk to where his throne stood. He lifted his hand and a violet seal that had the Tongue of the Old Times Runes from the rule of the Titans and the Protogenoi appeared on the floor. A set of stairs descended deep into the ground.
After a few minutes of walking, Hades was greeted by two Sparti. The skeletal warriors saluted him to which he nodded back. Hades carved in several runes in the Ancient Greek and the door opened.
In the room was a woman with white hair attached to a massive bulbous mass of flesh. Her pale skin was marred with blood while her golden eyes looked on lifelessly. Hades watched as a fully grown devil was formed from the biomass. In the room were also two devils. A man in his early twenties walked forward. He had slightly tanned skin, bronze hair, blue eyes, and wore a black bodysuit.
"Balberith," Hades addressed.
Balberith's head tilted slightly as another devil walked forward. This one was inhumanly beautiful and had long green hair. She had hazel eyes and smiled.
"Verrine," Hades greeted.
Suddenly, Balberith attacked him, forcing Hades to barely dodge.
"What are you doing?" Hades asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Hades said that we had to protect mother Lilith from all threats," Verrine said as a violet aura surrounded her.
"I am Hades," Hades yelled.
"You're not Hades. Hades doesn't feel like you," Balberith said.
Hades took a step back as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. He suddenly smiled and adopted a calm posture.
Verrine and Balberith both shot off with the intent of eradicating the God of the Greek Underworld when Hades' eyes flashed crimson.
The two devils fell to the floor, gasping for air as they felt their very essence being twisted and attacked. The pain they felt was unreal as the sensation of a thousand daggers that had been heated to the point where the blade was glowing and being stabbed into them spread across their body.
Hades walked up to Lilith and placed a hand on her cheek. She seemed to respond and nuzzled her cheek against his hand.
"What have they done to you?" Hades whispered.
A black and red sphere of energy formed in Hades' palm as he swiped it at the mass of flesh holding Lilith. She was cut free and fell to the floor. Hades snapped his fingers and a blanket materialized and covered her naked form.
"Be free," Hades said. "I'll see you soon."
His eyes glowed red as Lilith disappeared in a flash of black light. He sighed and turned around to the two struggling devils on the floor.
"You two won't remember what happened and neither will he. He won't even know what this room was used for. I'll leave you two behind and fabricate false memories that he had found you and taken you in but the rest of them I'll take," "Hades" said as he snapped his fingers. Every sleeping devil that was in the room disappeared, leaving just the three of them.
Hades placed a finger on their foreheads and the two devils fell asleep. He smirked before his head was thrown back and his mouth opened. A red and black mist poured out of Hades' mouth and dispersed into the air, leaving two unconscious devils and an unconscious God of the Dead.
Hyoudou Manor
Haru, Irina, and Asia reappeared in Haru's room. Haru collapsed on his bed as he heard two sets of footsteps running towards his room. Kiba and Naru burst in to see Irina, Asia, and Haru. Their gaze locked onto a box Irina was holding.
"Is that…?" Kiba asked.
Irina nodded and opened it. Kiba walked over to take a look and felt their pull. Curious, he reached his hand inside the box to pick up one of the pieces when he pulled his hand back suddenly.
"Wh- What? Is that what was inside of you?" Kiba asked, horrified at what just happened.
"What happened?" Naru asked.
"The piece just tried to drain my life force. I could feel it when I tried to touch it," he said.
"At least it's gone," Naru said, taking the box from Irina and closing it. She placed it on Haru's dresser next to the recorder.
"So what now?" Kiba asked.
"Well, I was thinking of finishing up the semester then going on a little trip. You know a break from all this… and to get away from them," Haru said.
Everyone looked at each other and nodded.
"Where are you thinking of going?" Naru asked.
"Well, I might go seek out Vali and his Team or maybe go to America. I've always wanted to go there," Haru said. "Become a member of the Ghost Adventures Team or something."
"That's it?"
"Yeah," Haru said.
"What about the tournament?" Naru asked.
Haru went silent.
"People will be expecting you to join as a member of Team Gremory," his twin reminded.
"I'm not going to," Haru said.
Everyone remained silent.
"But people will still expect you to be a part of it. You just disappearing out of nowhere will send the factions into a panic," Irina said.
"Then I'll leave a note because honestly, I deserve a break. We all do," Haru said.
"Okay," Irina said. Everyone looked at her.
"Really? You'll let me take off by myself just like that?" Haru asked. Asia, Naru, and Kiba nodded alongside his words. That was not a very Irina-like thing to do.
"Not by yourself of course. Together. Like we always do," she said.
"But what about?"
"End of the semester. You said that you'll finish the semester," Irina said.
"Well, if Haru is going on vacation then I'll go as well," Naru said.
"Count me in. Canada and Alaska are nice this time of year," Kiba said.
"What about you, Asia?" Haru asked.
"I think I'll stay here. Keep an eye on them. Something about what they did isn't sitting right with me," she said.
Haru looked at her for a few seconds before smiling mischievously.
"You want to stay with Kanata huh? Gonna make me and Naru a niece or nephew to spoil? Eh? Ehhh—OW!" Haru rubbed the back of his head as Naru stood next to him with her fist shaking.
"You have fun, Asia," Naru said. Asia merely smiled while trying to hold in her laughter.
"Hey, I was thinking. Why don't we participate as a team? When are sign-ups, Naru?" Irina asked.
"Lucifaad. In three weeks," Kiba said.
Haru looked at Irina, who gave him a small smile.
"I know that we can't pull you guys out of your teams so Haru and I wi—" Irina was interrupted by Naru.
"I can ask Seekvaira-sama if I can be on a team with Haru. Have an excuse like we want to be a twin tag team," Naru said.
"Are you sure about this Irina?" Haru asked.
"Of course! I'm not bound to a peerage and I'm sure Michael-sama won't participate… unless you don't want to form a team with me," Irina asked, her hair shadowing her face as her eyes glowed an eerie shade of violet. A sickly sweet smile adorned her face as an aura of killing intent surrounded her.
"Of course I want you on my team," Haru squeaked out.
"Good!" Irina said, her smile becoming calming and serene once more. Irina looked and saw Naru, Kiba, and Asia huddled together a few feet away from her.
"Then it's settled. In three weeks, we head to the Devil Capital and sign up," Haru said.