While the three brothers were having their small moment, a new presence entered the clearing, causing all three of them to turn toward it. It was none other than the Queen of the Gods, Hera, approaching them with her usual elegance. The goddess's eyes briefly swept over the destroyed field before settling on the three gods.
The Goddess of Marriage offered a small nod to Hades and Poseidon. Both responded in the same manner before Damon began walking toward her with a smile.
Over the past few days, especially after meeting Amaterasu, the Goddess of Marriage had been spending more time than usual around him, seeking out his presence even when he was spending time with Aphrodite and Grayfia. On several occasions, the goddess had also become noticeably more attached to him.
Honestly, Damon was not upset by it. Why would he be? He greatly enjoyed the goddess's presence. Damon emerged from his thoughts as he stopped in front of her and extended both arms with the clear intention of hugging her. Hera raised one hand before he could take even two more steps, forcing him to stop.
Hera raised an eyebrow and slowly looked him over, from his mud-covered hair to the dirt clinging to his chest, arms, and pants. Damon glanced down at his own body before returning his attention to her. "Come on, not even a small welcome hug?"
"I would give you one, but right now you look like something that crawled out of the deepest parts of the Underworld," the goddess replied, looking to the side.
Hades, upon hearing her, let out a faint scoff.. "That is how I know you know nothing about the Underworld. It is far cleaner than any place in the mortal world," Hades replied, clearly somewhat offended. He took his realm seriously and would never allow it to become a dumping ground.
"You mean the Underworld is much cleaner than Damon?" Poseidon asked with a small laugh.
Damon gave both of his brothers a tired look before turning his attention back to Hera. "Fine. I understand when I am not appreciated."
"I am sure you will survive," Hera replied, although a small smile appeared on her lips. Damon sheathed his katana and began walking beside her toward the edge of the field. Before they could get too far away, Hades's voice sounded behind them. "Do not forget what I told you about Tartarus."
Damon looked over his shoulder. "I will go when I have time. I have not forgotten. Right now, I have a Neko to reunite with her sister," the redhead replied, making it clear that he still had other matters to handle first.
Hades nodded, accepting the answer for the time being. "Then I will see you later, brother," Poseidon added, raising one hand in farewell.
"See you," Damon replied without stopping.
Damon and Hera kept walking away from the training field, but just before they vanished from sight, a thought suddenly crossed the redhead's mind. "By the way, good work with Sally and Percy!"
Poseidon opened his mouth to respond, but Damon and Hera had already disappeared in a flash, leaving him behind with Hades among the remains of their battle. "What the hell did he mean by that?" Poseidon wondered aloud.
"He meant exactly what he said. Do not overthink it," Hades replied dismissively as he began walking away.
Poseidon watched him for a moment before catching up to him in a burst of speed. "Hey, hey, are you leaving already???? We could use this opportunity to make up for some lost time as brothers." The God of the Sea walked beside him with a smile. "I know our last conversation did not exactly begin on the right foot, but there is always room for a fresh start, right?"
Hades continued walking without changing his expression. "I have things to do."
Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "What could possibly be more important than spending time with your favorite brother?"
"My children," Hades replied dryly as he thought about Nico and Bianca.
The God of the Sea stopped dead in his tracks. "You have children? Demigods?"
Hades rolled his eyes before turning toward him. "Poseidon, we all have children."
"Yes, but you never speak about yours," Poseidon replied, recovering from his surprise. "Wait, who are they? I can come with you. Maybe you could use someone with more experience."
"No," the black-haired god cut him off.
"Come on, you do not even know what I was going to say," Poseidon complained.
"Yes, I do, and the answer remains no." Poseidon opened his mouth to insist, but Hades interrupted him again before he could speak. "You have your own affairs to handle, and I have mine. Go deal with yours and stop being a nuisance."
Before Poseidon could respond, Hades's body disappeared in a dark glow, leaving him completely alone in the middle of the destroyed field.
The God of the Sea remained still for several seconds before releasing a sigh. "Damn, what a difficult and closed-off man. I wonder how Persephone manages to deal with him," he muttered before disappearing from the field as well.
XXXXXXXXXX
Grigori
Inside one of Grigori's main bases, a large meeting chamber was occupied by several of the most important figures within the Fallen Angel faction. A long, dark table stretched across the center of the room, covered with documents containing information about Japan and several yokai factions.
Azazel sat at the head of the table with a relaxed posture, reviewing several pages without showing much concern and seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Shemhazai sat to his right, paying much closer attention to the discussion, while Penemue kept both hands pressed against the table with a visibly irritated expression.
Kokabiel had settled several seats farther down beside Armaros and Tamiel. The three of them appeared to be taking the situation far less seriously than the others. Sahariel was also seated nearby, remaining silent, although his sour expression made it clear that he shared many of Kokabiel's opinions.
Lastly, Vali stood against one of the walls, away from the table with his arms crossed. He had no obligation to attend meetings like this, but Azazel had allowed him to remain, and no one was particularly interested in opposing the White Dragon Emperor. Most political conversations bored him, although they occasionally revealed information that could prove useful to the Khaos Brigade.
"To make this completely clear," Penemue began, breaking the silence within the chamber. "Yasaka canceled the meetings scheduled for the next several months and restricted the movement of our agents around Kyoto."
Shemhazai picked up one of the documents in front of him and continued the report. "The yokai have also increased surveillance in the surrounding territories. Three of our agents were expelled before they managed to enter, while two others were followed until they completely left the region."
Azazel emerged from his thoughts and released a sigh. "I do not know why we are even having this conversation. It is not as though something similar has never happened before. Do not worry. Everything will return to normal within a few days," Azazel replied, not giving the matter much importance.
Penemue gave him an irritated look. "Stop talking nonsense, Azazel. It is obvious that Yasaka does not want us anywhere near Japan, and this time she is serious. As Grigori's governor, you should understand that this has become a problem we need to resolve." The purple-haired woman paused briefly before continuing. "After all, I am certain everyone here knows who keeps causing us so many headaches with the yokai." Her gaze moved directly toward Kokabiel, Armaros, and the other leaders seated near them.
Kokabiel noticed the accusation and released a small laugh. "If you have something to say to me, Penemue, then say it. I am all ears, dear," the Cadre mocked.
Penemue made a disgusted expression. "First, do not speak to me that way again. Second, you know perfectly well that you and your subordinates are the ones who continue approaching yokai territories and organizing operations that were never approved by this council," she replied without looking away. "Now all of us are paying the consequences."
Armaros rested one arm on the table. "Do not be ridiculous, Penemue. We did nothing that justified ending every relationship we have spent years building with the yokai."
Penemue narrowed her eyes. "Oh, really? Then tell me, what book says that entering someone else's territory without permission is not enough to cause discontent?"
"Pff… The yokai have simply become too sensitive," Kokabiel commented. "We have operated within Japan for years without any major problems. Now Yasaka wants to pretend she has absolute authority over every supernatural being who steps foot in the country. Please…"
"Because it is her territory, and it falls under the authority of the Shinto Pantheon. Are you missing a brain?" Penemue shot back, clicking her tongue at the black-haired Cadre's obvious lack of tact.
Kokabiel shrugged as though the answer did not matter. "Let her continue pretending she is in control. A few threats should remind her of her place. Maybe I should personally visit Kyoto and teach that fox a much more pleasurable way to negotiate." An unpleasant smile appeared on Kokabiel's face. "After all, she is nothing more than a bitch in heat."
Armaros burst into laughter at the comment, while an appreciative smile appeared on Sahariel's face, his mood immediately improving at Kokabiel's words.
Penemue rose from her seat so quickly that the chair scraped several inches across the floor. "Speak about her like that again, and I will tear out your tongue."
A deathly silence fell over the chamber. Kokabiel turned his full attention toward Penemue, although his smile only widened, revealing his sharp teeth. "I did not know you cared so much about the fox."
"I do not need to feel any affection for Yasaka to understand exactly what you are suggesting," Penemue replied coldly. "If you lay a hand on her, you will not only provoke the yokai of Kyoto. You will also create a mountain of problems with the Shinto gods."
Kokabiel let out a scoff. "The Shinto gods? You mean the same gods who have spent centuries hiding behind diplomacy, tradition, and every other piece of nonsense related to peace? They will not start a war over one woman."
"That woman is the leader of one of the most important yokai factions in Japan," Penemue reminded him seriously.
"And Japan is far too valuable for us to abandon our operations simply because she decided to take offense," Kokabiel continued, leaning forward. "There are Sacred Gear wielders, supernatural resources, and humans with incredible potential. We can use all of it to strengthen Grigori without answering to anyone's restrictions."
Tamiel slowly nodded. "From an economic perspective, losing access to Japan would be a considerable blow. Several of our commercial networks and recruitment centers depend on maintaining open routes throughout the country."
"Exactly," Kokabiel replied before returning his attention to Penemue. "Yasaka will complain, the Shinto gods will demand a meeting, we will offer an apology, and everything will return to normal. That is how it always works."
Penemue stared at him with a reddened face, as though she had just heard the stupidest statement of the entire meeting. The purple-haired woman was about to explode again, but Azazel intervened before she could.
"First of all, everyone calm down. Second, Kokabiel, do not do anything stupid," Azazel said while resting his head against one hand.
The room calmed for several seconds. Penemue waited for Azazel to add something else, but unfortunately for the Fallen Angels, that was not the case.
"Is that all you are going to say?????" Penemue asked, one eyebrow twitching.
Azazel gave her a reassuring look. "I already told you not to worry. Yasaka is simply angry. She will get over it, and everything will return to normal."
Penemue gritted her teeth. Azazel's calmness irritated her even more than Kokabiel's arrogance.
"While I understand the situation, I must admit that all these restrictions are also becoming rather annoying," Azazel continued as he adjusted himself in his seat. "I was conducting an investigation inside Kuoh, and now it is much more difficult to move agents around without causing problems."
Penemue gave Azazel an incredulous look. "You still have agents operating there after it was announced that the territory would be transferred to the Greeks?" she asked, staring at him as though he were the most irresponsible man in the world.
"I understand why you are angry, believe me, but you need to understand that we detected signals connected to an extremely powerful Sacred Gear. There is a possibility that it is a Longinus."
The chamber fell silent for a moment. Even Kokabiel's eyes widened with interest.
The news also caught the attention of a certain white-haired young man. Vali had shown very little interest in the conversation until then, viewing it as little more than a fight between monkeys, but the possibility of a Longinus existing within Kuoh was far more relevant to him than any discussion involving Yasaka.
"What kind of Sacred Gear?" Tamiel asked seriously.
"We do not know yet," Azazel replied. "The signals are unstable, which means its wielder has probably not discovered their power yet. That is why I need to keep the investigation open. If I can discover who they are, there is a possibility that we can bring them over to our side."
Penemue shook her head, not caring in the slightest about any of that. "Azazel, as your secretary, I cannot support this. You need to withdraw our agents. Anything connected to the Greeks means trouble. Did you not see what happened to the Devils?"
Azazel released another sigh, showing a small sign of irritation for the first time."Penemue, you do not need to lecture me. I understand the risks perfectly well, probably better than you do. Obviously, I am not going to provoke Damon. I have been conducting investigations like this for years. Damon is not the first powerful being I have dealt with," the governor replied, now visibly exasperated.
Shemhazai crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced."The Greeks and the Shinto Pantheon publicly announced an alliance. It is only natural for there to be some concern."
"It is only a political alliance," Azazel replied. "That does not mean Damon is involved in every decision made by the Japanese gods. We have no evidence connecting his actions to Yasaka or the new restrictions around Kyoto."
The leaders present did not know the truth. The public alliance with the Shinto Pantheon was important, but there was no apparent reason to believe that the Greek god had any personal interest in the yokai or Japan's internal affairs.
Penemue remained silent for several seconds before rising from her seat. She had nothing more to say. If Azazel refused to listen, then he would have to face the consequences of his own decisions.
"When this blows up in your face, do not expect another apology to be enough." Without waiting for a response, she left the chamber. The door slammed shut behind her with enough force to send a sharp impact throughout the room.
Shemhazai watched her leave for several seconds before giving Azazel a brief look, silently asking whether that was truly his decision. Grigori's governor simply nodded. It was not the first time Penemue had left a meeting while disagreeing with him, and it probably would not be the last.
Azazel knew that Kokabiel always talked far more than he acted. He had spent centuries insulting gods and anyone else who crossed his path, but he rarely did more than shout and make threats. Because of that, Azazel saw no reason to provoke an internal conflict.
One by one, the leaders began leaving the chamber. Armaros remained near Kokabiel, speaking quietly about the need to restore the influence Grigori had lost over the years.
Vali remained against the wall as he watched the two leaders. Kokabiel was an idiot. Provoking an entire faction purely out of pride was not a demonstration of strength, but a quick way to attract unnecessary problems.
Even so, Vali could not deny that part of him understood the desire to challenge powerful opponents and use every battle to continue growing stronger. The name that had been echoing throughout the supernatural world returned to his mind.
Damon... His instincts screamed at him to challenge that man.
"You should not approach him," Albion warned from within his mind, pulling the young man from his thoughts.
Vali raised an eyebrow slightly. "Do you know him?"
"I know enough to tell you to stay away. He is not someone you can play with," was all the Heavenly Dragon said before cutting off the connection. The warning did not have the effect Albion had expected. On the contrary, a small smile appeared on the face of Lucifer's descendant.
Vali possessed the Divine Dividing, the power of one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, and secretly carried the blood of Lucifer. If Damon was truly as powerful as the rumors claimed, Vali wanted to discover that for himself—and defeat him.
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Thank you for reading )
P@treon; Brotato up to chapter 171
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