Chapter 22-Intermission 3: The Homefront

Earth, 2137, DMMO-RPG of YGGDRASIL, Wastes of Helheim

*SMASH!*CRASH!*

A giant white worm covered in spikes thrashed as a half-dozen Death Knights attacked simultaneously, and were all subsequently blown away by the creature's whip-like tail. Then a dark figure stepped out from cover with an opened console as it cast a spell...

"[Maximize Magic: Reality Slash]!"

The magical slice cut the creature in two before then blinking out of existence, and a wealth of YGGDRASIL coins and [Data Crystals] burst onto the spot where it once was. A fanfare played over the system's audio before a message displayed before the dark figure...

-CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE SUBDUED THE DREADED PRIMORDIAL GRABOID! THE PATH IS NOW CLEAR FOR TRAVEL! CLAIM YOUR REWARDS!-

The dark figure stepped forward, revealing itself to be the skeletal image of an Overlord with the dark raiments of a magic caster. This was the Overlord of Death and Guildmaster of Ainz Ooal Gown, Momonga. With efficient, practiced ease, he placed the spoils of his recent bout into the confines of his [Inventory] as he notes the prizes won aloud.

"Ah~ah. That should be enough to cover today's maintenance fees. Hmm... Some pretty decent [Data Crystals] too. I might save them if aren't any surprise intruders today... Yosh~! That should be it. Time to head back."

Opening his console, it only takes a second for him to locate the spell he wishes as he clicks its icon...

"[Gate]."

Stepping through the black-purplish portal, Momonga finds himself outside the entrance to the Great Tomb of Nazarick as he triumphantly strides forth. Once within the boundary of the guild-base, he activates the ability of the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown] to teleport directly to The Treasury to deposit his spoils as he tiredly speaks aloud.

"Aaaah~! I need to get to bed as soon as I'm done here. It's been a long day... Hm?"

Just then, an email notification flashes at the corner of his HUD. He promptly opens it and upon beginning to read its contents, he speaks to himself again in a casual tone.

"Oooh~! It's Akemi-chan! Let's see... Her sister Yamaiko-san is doing well at the middle-school she's teaching, and that... Hoh! Akemi-chan's engaged! That's great for her, I guess... Oh... She's saying this'll be her last day in YGGDRASIL, and that she won't be able to visit anymore..."

Momonga's tone grew distant and melancholy as his voice fades and he silently reads the rest of the message that sums up to "Wish you all the best~!", and "Let's meet again somewhere!", and other such platitudes. If he had to be honest Momonga, or rather Suzuki Satoru, did not care to read the rest of the message. Despite not belonging to the guild, he found himself always looking forward to Akemi's visits. Especially when her sister left the game.

Now? That same loneliness hit him again as he robotically deposited the latest spoils into The Treasury's coffers. He didn't even bother looking at the percentile of The Treasury's increase in funds as his thoughts drifted...

'I guess it can't be helped, can't it? The server is around a year-and-a-half away from being shut-down. People really started to leave YGGDRASIL around that time. How many members are still listed as "active"? Three maybe? Come to think of it, Bellriver-san stopped coming even before that, and hasn't answered any of my messages. I wonder what happened to him... Ah! That reminds me... It's been over a year since Gabriel-san and Alisha-san disappeared as well. I wonder how they're doing?'

As he reminisced of YGGDRASIL friends long gone, his thoughts briefly drifted to the "great mystery" that lit up the message boards over a year ago. Dracon's Keep, guild-base for the "infamous" anti-PK "Fun-Police" guild, disappeared without a trace from the servers. It became a huge mystery that drew in everyone who played the game at one point or another, regardless of their active status. Even those who had left Ainz Ooal Gown joined in on the conversation.

Some speculated that it was the effect of a supremely powerful [World Class Item], maybe one of the [Twenty], while others thought the "shitty-devs" where behind it. Perhaps they were in violation of some rules and got nuked from the servers? In the end though, none of the theories panned out, and even those toxic Players who celebrated their disappearance from the game lost interest. As did many other Players, who left the game afterward.

In fact, a great MANY Players left the game shortly thereafter. The YGGDRASIL Mercenary Clan of the Hateful Eights, which had always been on friendly terms with Ainz Ooal Gown, suddenly stopped logging in after Dracon's Keep's disappearance. The same also applied to Avalon, Kitty Kingdom, the Lunar Dragon Empire, and a few others. Truly, it was like their disappearance took the wind out of their sails. A sentiment that he could relate too.

Suzuki Satoru's thoughts halted as he realized he was finished with his task and was just standing around daydreaming. He prepared to activate his [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown] as one more thought crossed his mind...

'Well, even though they never said "good-bye" like Akemi-chan just now, I hope they're doing fine... Still, I wonder what happened to them?'

And with that, his Overlord avatar disappeared in a flash of blue light...

Earth, 2137, Unknown Underground Location

In the center of a dimly-lit room was a large, rounded table that could easily sit twelve people with elbow-room to spare. The dim, crimson-colored light did nothing to hamper the twelve, cloaked individuals seated, as various thin tablets were passed around in what was an official meeting. The room itself was of a circular design that held elevated levels, providing seating for dozens more cloaked individuals who likewise had their own tablets.

Several whispered murmurs from the crowd created a haunting cacophony echoing with a disturbing cadence that would have unnerved the average individual. Suddenly, the cloaked figure at the head of the round table took a round metal orb in a pale, clawed hand, smashing it against a stone impression, creating sparks as his rumbling voice drowned out all others.

"Silence! I call this meeting of the Hierarchy's Council to Order!"

This was the ruling body of the Vampire Hierarchy, simply named "The Council". However, in the time following Gabriel's Transfer, many things had changed. Where once it was a Council of nine, they have broken with tradition, expanding the membership to twelve, so as to create a new counter-balance to stave off power struggles and infighting.

The combined power of those in this chamber, be it physical, logistical, and political, could topple entire nations on Earth. The lead figure that called the meeting to order then motioned to the "4th-Seat", as his voice maintained its unusual rumble.

"Lord Quintus Salvius Sevso of the 4th-Seat, if you may begin." (A/N:Ch.4)

"Hm. Thank you, Lord 1st-Seat. It is with my sincerest regrets, that I must inform this Council that attempts at finding Gabriel Lee Drakes have proven fruitless after more than a year of effort. In all likelihood, the theories originally postulated by Alisha and some others may have had some credence..."

Before the 4th-Seat vampire could continue his briefing, an uproar of hushed whispers began to reverberate across the entirety of the wide circular room. The 1st-Seat once more smashed his metallic orb to quiet them down. Then a female voice sitting upon the 2nd-Seat of the table skeptically spoke.

"Lord Sevso, we are quite familiar with the theories that have been put forth. That the virtual recreation of the original realms of, "Old Yggdrasil", and the magic systems it once contained, could in fact be used to 'jump' worlds. IF there was sufficient 'resonance' with what the legends referred to as the 'dead Worlds Tree'. We even humored such research and allowed our top assassin to take part in that silly game. And yet, not a shred of hard evidence was found to support this claim. The fact that you would have the audacity to even think of bringing THIS topic into these chambers, is incredibly sad as to be comical."

At this jab, the 4th-Seat merely chuckled as he interlaced his pale, clawed hands.

"Then allow me to brook this more ominous possibility. Consider, the lycanthrope named 'Jon', upon preventing said assassin from carrying out his full orders, and subsequently killing many operatives in retaliation, had garnered the support of some 'other' powerful parties. Ones that would pose... issues for this Council?"

A near instant commotion overtook the chambers as cacophonous whispers once again bounced off the walls. However, instead of the 1st-Seat bringing the chamber to order, a roar of discontent from the 6th-Seat silenced the room.

"WHAT UTTER PREPOSTUROUSNESS ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!"

At this provocation, the 4th-Seat remained as cool as a cucumber as he smoothly spoke.

"Preposterousness you say, Lord Platen Adolf Konigsberg? I am merely putting forth all plausible explanations. Of course, if you wish to discuss 'preposterousness', we could always discuss the loss of your 'Inheritor' and our fellow seated member of this Council, the death cult he took control of, Project 'Ryujin', and of course the 'Three Sacred Treasures'..."

"YOU DARE...?!"

"That's enough."

A calm, male steely voice from the 5th-Seat between them, silenced whatever war of words was brewing. He continued to speak, but now with a tone of disappointment.

"Lord Sevso makes a valid point. We must consider all possibilities at this time, considering what we plan to do."

"Hmph. Well spoken, Lord Achim Giselher Blütgefallene. I knew there was a reason we revived you." The female 2nd-Seat said in a complementary tone.

"You have my thanks, Lady Chō." The 5th-Seat gratefully said with a head-bow.

"Putting Lord Sevso's however unlikely suppositions aside, you would do well to remember your own failures, as he rightfully pointed out, Lord Konigsberg. It is the reason why you were demoted from the 5th-Seat to 6th-Seat, and why Alisha's father took your place. Also, you would do well to continue to observe decorum in these chambers." The 1st-Seat menacingly pointed out.

"Hm. Indeed. My apologies." The 6th-Seat Konigsberg contritely acknowledged.

"Now then, on the subject, have we managed to ascertain the identity of the one responsible for such abysmal losses?"

"Indeed, we have. A Japanese man identified as 'Suzuki, Satoshi'." The 5th-Seat named Achim coldly replied.

The 1st-Seat continued the line of questioning, as each member of the Council chambers picked up and gave their tablets their attention.

"Hm. What do we know of him?"

"Formerly of the JSDF's military intelligence division. Including some of their more 'sensitive' materials. His father before him was a researcher, likely contributing to his chosen vocation. Formerly married to a 'Suzuki, Harumi', producing one male-child named, 'Suzuki, Satoru'. Abandoned them both shortly thereafter, joining the death cult that Lord Konigsberg and his late-protégé took control of to help further our goals. Of particular note was the fact that my late-daughter was likewise looking for this man."

Hurried murmurs filled the chambers at the end of Achim's verbal report, to which the 1st-Seat was quick to speak over.

"Any indication as to why she was looking for him?"

"Indeed there was, and sadly it has nothing to do with the crimes this man committed against us. Apparently, they had befriended his son within that 'silly little game', and merely wished to reconcile matters between them. Much like our efforts however, hers were no more successful in locating him, even before he betrayed and stole from us..."

Just then, the 2nd-Seat "Lady Chō" interjected in the conversation.

"That reminds me, didn't Gabriel assassinate Suzuki's ancestor during World War II? As I recall, it was an Imperial Japanese general responsible for the Yogg summoning in Thailand." (A/N:Ch.7)

"The very same, Lady Chō. I think we can all agree that Gabriel and my late-daughter did us a service in both those events."

Rounds of silent, agreeing nods were made throughout the meeting chamber at those words. It was truly the best possible outcome, as Imperial Japan's research into the occult during the Second World War was a threat to all. Especially when a Yogg of all things was summoned into this world. They were a threat that even the Hierarchy Council agreed needed to be prevented or failing that, stopped at all costs.

"Grhmph... Any indication that his son knows anything of worth? Or that Alisha or Gabriel shared with him knowledge of the supernatural?" The 1st-Seat abrasively questioned, getting their meeting back on track.

"None. As far as we can tell, he's a rather unremarkable Japanese working man. Although there are a few things to note. Firstly is that 'Watanabe, Hisashi', alias 'Bellriver' as he was known in that game, was among those marked for 'liquidation', after he discovered certain connections, between the mega-corporations and this Council. Second, a man that identities himself as 'Ulbert', both in the game and now, was 'Embraced' by our top assassin. Both of whom had affiliations with Suzuki's son in the game." (A/N:Ch.18)

"My, my. Quite the interesting set of coincidences there." 4th-Seat Sevso casually commented.

"Hmph! If you believe in coincidences. I do not..." 5th-Seat Blütgefallene stoically retorted, before 4th-Seat Sevso calmly continued.

"Indeed... Such as all of our human collaborators within the mega-corporations responsible for 'Bellriver's' death, having a long string of 'accidents' or medically induced deaths. After Alisha's death and Gabriel's disappearance of course."

"Yes, quite."

"Were Alisha's Acolytes behind these deaths?" 2nd-Seat Chō promptly questioned.

"Not according to our investigations. All of my late-daughter's Acolytes have renounced their affiliations, and are continuing their normal lives. No, all evidence points to one of her personal associates being responsible."

"Which now brings us to the main issue of import regarding the two of them; Where, are, their, children?" The 1st-Seat aggressively growled.

"Of that, we do not know. Alisha did well in hiding them from us." 4th-Seat Sevso replied with a much more serious edge to his voice.

"Hmph! Correction. She did well in hiding them from you. I cannot help but notice that you've yet to use the full resources of this Council in your efforts." 6th-Seat Konigsberg skeptically retorted.

A deathly silence permeated the air after those words were uttered without reserve. Minutes seemed an eternity, until 4th-Seat Sevso replied with a firm, clearly incensed tone.

"Are you trying to imply something, Lord 6th-Seat?"

The extra emphasis placed on the vampire Council member's rank was not lost on those in the room. To all present, it was a veiled insult, meant to provoke the recipient into making a mistake. This time however, the vampire Konigsberg did not take the bait, and instead replied with a relaxed, aloof tone.

"I will freely admit that the losses incurred under my watch were costly to this Council. There's no denying that. However, this Council was involved in every step of the way. It can be argued that this Council shares equally in all of my operations, successes and failures alike. As I have operated with their full knowledge, and access to their resources. But in operating by yourself, the failure in locating the Dhampir children is yours alone, and likely contributed to its failure. Is that not possible?"

Once again, silence. His words were like the finishing move in a duel, with Konigsberg standing victorious. Indeed, every member of the Council was a partner and a collaborator in varying degrees. Successes and failures were shared in this system, and thus one could not say that they had no culpability in whatever happens, positive or negative.

However, in acting alone, 4th-Seat Sevso was also alone in his failure. Though he acted alone as a security measure against any who were still sympathetic to Alisha and her bondmate Gabriel, his reasoning would matter not. Now that this topic was broached in open Council, it MUST be addressed regardless. While it was a counter-balance against power grabs and opportunism, it was a cunning use of that same system that worked to his advantage.

"Perhaps the point Lord Konigsberg makes is a fair one. Perhaps he would succeed where Lord Sevso has failed thus far." The hitherto previously silent 3rd-Seat matter-of-factly stated in a young male voice.

"Hrm... Seconded. Those children are far too important, given what they represent. I move that Lord Konigsberg be given the task of finding them. It would go a long way of erasing recent losses. All those in favor of putting it to a vote?" The also hitherto previously silent 7th-Seat stated in a firm, female voice.

The 1st & 2nd-Seats briefly looked at each other, before nodding in the affirmative. A round of *PINGS* sounded as votes were being tallied via each vampire's respective tablet, and the decision was swiftly made. The 5th-Seat could already tell where this was going. Despite the setbacks, Konigsberg still had plentiful supporters on the Council, and his own power could now easily rival the Top-5 seated members. The results were unsurprising as the 1st-Seat spoke.

"It is decided; Lord Platen Adolf Konigsberg will be taking charge of the search for the Dhampir children, with this Council's support. The extent of which to be determined after this meeting."

"Thank you, Lord 1st-Seat. You shall not regret this." The named vampire gracefully assured with a head-bow, before the 1st-Seat continued.

"Hm. Now then Lord Blütgefallene, what other topics are on today's agenda, requiring this Council's attention?"

"Yes, Lord 1st-Seat. The items on today's agenda includes the progress and projected timetable of our plans, the preserved dragon remains still in our possession, measures to be taken to the actions of Satoshi Suzuki, whether or not to make any overtures to Gabriel's 'ancestor', and ensuring the continued noninterference of the 'Ancient Ones'..."

As the briefing once again began in earnest, 4th-Seat Sevso could not help but feel that events were now spiraling down a path that would lead The Council to ruin. Especially when he noticed the smug smirk that subtly quirked 6th-Seat Konigsberg's lips. He knew that his old rival from days long past had greater designs than just washing away the stains of previous setbacks.

A human of all things stained his reputation, somehow making off with priceless and valuable resources, bleeding his protégé dry, and making a fool out of him. Sevso was quite impressed, and would have "Embraced" this human himself. If not for the dangers he represented, the cult he wrestled control over, and the ripples his actions caused.

He then looked over to his old friend, Achim Giselher Blütgefallene. After his death centuries ago, his remains were secretly recovered and preserved, without even Alisha knowing. Likewise for the fact that he was resurrected via Blood Magic. A fact that made him frown. It would have been better for him to remain dead.

Those revived through Blood Magic never returned as the same person, regardless of race. In this case, it made his pragmatism even more ruthless. The fact that he spoke of his daughter's assassination and death so easily was proof enough of this, for those that once knew him. His daughter meant the world to him once. Now? With her choosing of a human as her bondmate, it was like she was his daughter only in name.

What would that mean for him as an "old friend"? Perhaps it was time to start making certain arrangements for the future...

Earth, 2137, Spain, Hidden Underground Complex

Deep within a sanctuary in Spain, lay an expansive cavern of intricately carved walls. Lining them was a circuitous web of light fixtures, providing various types of illumination, depending on the time of day. Since the time was currently 7:20PM, the lightning provided was a dim dark-blue, refracted by an artificial mist created by those same fixtures.

Filling this artificially carved cavern were five extremely modern-looking homes, each two-floors tall, and spread out evenly with front and back-yards of short-cut grass. Additional vegetation was strewn about, providing a clean scent to the air. The homes have a connected network of paved walkways that all led to a central courtyard, where three figures stood.

The first was guildmate and friend to Gabriel and Alisha, Julia. (A/N:Ch.10) Her piercing, icy-blue eyes looked on as the two others to her front were finishing up their lessons for the day. If she had to be honest, despite being an only child and an orphan at that, she felt like a proud big-sister as she held her arms, one folded under the other and smiled.

The first was a young man with mid-length, silky-black hair he wore tied at the base of his neck. His skin glistened under soft light from the nearby "streetlamps", from not only a coating of sweat, but skin pigmentation was a rather pale Caucasian. It wasn't deathly or sickly pale. It was as if his skin had never been touched by the sun a day in his life.

His slightly pointed ears twitched as he executed an exceedingly swift series of slashes with a katana, then twirling 180° to face Julia. His eyes were an emerald-green, and possessed in-human slitted pupils. He panted briefly, before regaining control of his breathing. He wore simple gym-clothes, and as he stepped away to retrieve his sword's scabbard, the light revealed rather young and handsome features of a 17-year-old.

"Good job, Matthew. That should be all for today." Julia warmly said with matching smile.

"Phew... Yeah... Thanks. I'm dying to get something to drink. Then soak in a nice hot bath." The young man named Matthew states in a pleased, yet weary tone as he wiped sweat from his brow, with a small smile revealing a pair of slightly longer-than-usual canines.

"Heh... Well, don't expect me to volunteer to help you out with that.~" Julia teasingly jibed, just for the young man's pale face to flash crimson at her implications.

"N-N-No way! I-I've never... I mean, I wasn't...~!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha~! Oh, good God, kid. You're too cute when flustered." Julia boisterously mocked.

"Hmph! W-Whatever...!"

*PING*PING*PING*PING*PING!*

As the young man huffed at being made fun of, he winced as a series of metal-on-metal *PINGS* rang out. The third figure in their group wielded suppressed, semi-auto pistols with practiced ease, taking out distant targets 20-meters away. Impressive, considering the targets in question were no larger than a US-Dime. Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that the 17-year-old young lady didn't even take aim before firing her volley of shots.

Holstering her pistols, she turned to face them, revealing features much like Matthew's before her, and wearing similar clothing. Although she wore her long, wavy hair loose halfway down her back. She was a young, superlative beauty with rosy pink lips, which likewise had canines peeking out her lips as she smiled.

"Oh, come on, Julia.~ Please stop teasing my brother."

"Hm... Maybe I will. But only because you've shown so much improvement, Mirielle." Julia said with a smile and wink, getting amused chuckles from the sibling duo.

Meanwhile, they were being watched by two figures from an enclosed, glass balcony from the most prominent home of the five present. The first was Julia's lover Jon (A/N:Ch.10), whom smiled and chuckled at the antics below them.

"Hah! Oi! Seems like Julia's a' it again, Diego."

A light chuckle was heard behind him as a smooth, masculine voice with a Spaniard accent responded.

"Ah, that's to be expected. She's grown quite fond of Gabriel's and Alisha's children."

The voice came a tall male vampire named, Diego Salazar. He stood almost 2-meters tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular, athletic body. His blond, curly hair was shoulder length, with a few loose strands peeking out on either side. His crimson-colored eyes had slitted pupils, and he possessed bright-gray skin. He wore dark-brown shoes with golden lining, light-brown slacks with a black leather belt, which was decorated with a dark-red, heart-shaped belt-buckle with a spear in the center. On his torso he wore a black-colored, partially unbuttoned dress-shirt and a large dark-brown leather jacket over his shoulders.

"Aye. That she has. An' they her. Heh. Hells... Even I've grown attached to 'em. Kinda glad Lady Alisha sent us 'ere to look afta' 'em." Jon commented in a lighthearted tone.

"Hah! It's amazing to see just how 'conditioned' you and Julia have become to calling her 'Lady' outside of the game. Truly, I understand why Gabriel was so annoyed by the antics of so-called, 'role-players'." Diego comments with an amused snort and smirk.

At that, Jon awkwardly chuckles, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, unable to refute that "harsh" truth. Alisha did have a way of drawing people into her role-playing antics. Looking for a way out of that now awkward topic, Jon's line-of-sight glanced down to the twins, whom were retiring to their own home, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Say, we hadn't celebrated thur' birthday, right? Jus' how old 're those kids now?"

At this, Diego's humor fades as he walks up to Jon's side with arms folded, now speaking in a plain, matter-of-fact tone.

"Hm. They should be 12-years-old by now."

"..."

Jon was taken aback by the statement. He remained silent, staring owlishly at Diego as he blinked for several seconds before giving voice to his surprise.

"Wait... Fer' real?"

"Oh, yes. Their growth-rate is quite something. My assistants and I were also quite surprised. In a few more years, physically they should be on par with young adults before their aging stops. Though mentally and emotionally they'll still have room to grow."

"Well... Damn... Tha's somethin' else. Even natural-born vamps don't age that fast."

"Hmm... Indeed. We'll just have to wait and see how things progress from here..." Diego commented with a more distant tone.

"..."

Jon would have commented, when suddenly his senses perked up and sharply turned as the massive form of a white tigon casually sauntering in came into view. It possessed the mane of a lion, striped body of a tiger, and was the size a fully grown adult lion. It huffed and puffed in Jon's general direction. Jon didn't particularly care for the tigon's presence, and it seemed the feeling was mutual as the beast gave a subtle warning growl.

"Now, now.~ Behave, Pucchi."

Diego's voice had an almost hypnotic quality to it as he approached the tigon, speaking in a soft, soothing tone. To this the tigon gave what could have been a "purr" as it rubbed its head lovingly against Diego's clawed hand. Soon after, Julia casually walked in, unperturbed by its presence. On the contrary, she fondly caressed its mane as if it were nothing more than a big cat as she fondly spoke in playful voice.

"Aw, who's a good boy~? Yes, you are~! Yes, you are."

Jon could only sigh, rolling his eyes at the spectacle of a vampire and human treating a rather large tigon as if it were a house-pet. The wild animal in turn ate up the attention, huffing wildly as if it were laughing at Jon. Oh, how he wanted to throw that animal out of the window. Just to teach it a lesson. As if picking up on his hostility, Julia smirked at him as she sauntered over to his side with a sway of her hips.

"Now, now. Behave, Jonny-boy.~"

His brow twitched as she coquettishly spoke as if he were her pet. Although Jon knew that this was his lover's way of getting under his skin. As she came up from behind and wrapped her arms around him, Jon shook his head at her antics as he sardonically replied.

"Luv', could ya' not tease me right now?"

"Stop being so easy to tease and I'll think about it, wolfie." She sarcastically replied as she nibbled on his ear in that way that sent shivers down his spine.

"Heh-heh... I'm ready to record, if you two are going to go at it now." Diego's humored voice jibed as the tigon left the room in an annoyed huff.

"Oi, Spaniard! We ain't some 'xtras in one of yer' ol' porn vids." Jon retorted in irritation, while Julia gave the vampire a silent death glare that said, "Try it, and I'll shoot you."

"Ha-ha-ha~! Oh, I joke obviously! I've already made my fortunes in that 'industry' after all."

"..."

The human/werewolf couple wearily sighed at their comrade's antics as they rolled their eyes at him. Back in 2116, the vampire became an international sensation as a celebrity-leveled pornstar who's fame rivaled even Hollywood actors. Under the stage name of "Diego Mendez", he added to his already considerable fortune in not only his adult movies, but also self-help videos and supplements for men humorously called, "Heaven's Accession" line of products.

For those that knew his true nature, the concept was both hilarious and absurd in the extreme. A vampire as a pornstar-celebrity? It was so surreal. Like a bad plotline from a work of fiction. What's worse was the fact that Diego had relatives in the Hierarchy's ruling Council. The levels of embarrassment it caused couldn't be measured. Nor did Diego care. In fact, both he and his long-time friend Alisha cultivated their fair share of laughs from it.

After that fiasco, all overtures from those who wished to pass-on [Blood Magic] to him ceased entirely, and became a pariah in the Council. Which honestly suited him just fine. He had gotten as far as he did in over four-centuries of life by cultivating his own strengths and potential. Unlocking abilities that went forgotten by their kind, due to the quick and easy "shortcut" that [Blood Magic] provided.

"Ugh... Changing the subject. Any news from any of our other friends lately?" Julia asked in consternation.

"Oh, aye! I 'ctually got an email from Alcatraz. It seems like he's getting' remarried~! His son too!" Jon happily replied.

An amused chuckle was heard from Diego as he walked away to greet a beautiful long, black-haired, female human assistant with tablet in hand.

"He-heh-heh... Role-players. Are you truly incapable of using your real names outside of YGGDRASIL?"

"Oi! Issa' forc' o' habit, ya' wanker!" Jon frustratedly retorted.

"Ah, just ignore him, wolfie. And I didn't know they were getting married! When did this happen~?" Julia enthusiastically asked.

"O', this was recent! It's planned as'a double-wedding. One after th' other on the same day." Jon said with a smile, appreciating Julia's ability to drive a conversation forward.

"That's great~! I'm happy to hear that. After what they've been through, they deserve a happy ending."

"Yea'. They jus' wished that Gabe and Alisha were around fer' 'em. When they 'disappeared', they lost all motivation ta' log back inta' YGGDRASIL." Jon finished saying in a forlorn tone.

Julia tightened the grip of her embrace as they shared a moment of silence. A lot of friends missed them, and those that knew of their natures either figured that it was their time to "move on", or feared the worst. Just as their thoughts were slipping into melancholy, Deigo's harsh tone drew their attention.

"Mierda! Hijo de puta!"

"Oh, bloody hell. What now?" Jon wearily says.

He knew Diego well enough to know that the only times he ever reverted to his mother tongue like that was in moments of passion or anger.

"What was one of Alisha's favorite sayings? Ah, right... 'Good news can wait. Bad news will refuse to leave.' Tell us, Diego. What's wrong?" Julia says in a cold, professional demeanor, releasing Jon and stepping forward.

"Ah, Dios mío. I just received word from my contacts in the Council. Quintus Salvius Sevso has been taken off the search for the twins. The hunt will now be run by none other than Platen Adolf Konigsberg." Diego grimly informs.

"..."

Silence reigned in the room for a solid minute before Jon's exasperated voice broke it.

"Bugger. Me."

"Dear, God. If HE of all people is now on the hunt, then we can't stay here for long." Julia said, now visibly shaken and worried.

"Si... Although we have some time before it comes to that. Puta madre..." Diego growls through gritted teeth as his left-hand covers his face.

"Oi, now. Between yer' contacts an' Alisha's, we should still be able ta' stay a step ahead of 'em regardless, right?"

At Jon's question, Diego slowly, menacingly turns to glare at Jon and Julia. The air became oppressive as the vampire's voice became a growl.

"Don't. Be. Naïve. That man is relentless. And you need to stop having so much faith in Alisha's carefully laid plans."

This comment, made in a voice of hostility and warning, bred caution and confusion from the pair, before Diego's hostility faded. With a heavy sigh he sat down in a nearby cushioned chair, pouring himself some bloodwine before speaking in a pedagogical manner.

"Disabuse yourself of any notions that Alisha's plans are 'foolproof'. I knew her a long time before either of you. Yes, she can be clever, creating an ever-branching web of schemes, but she had a fatal flaw. She'd often become over-focused on her goals and plans, to the exclusion of much else. While we both wanted to change the Hierarchy, sometimes her plans exceeded her reach."

Jon and Julia glanced at each other and thought on this for a moment. Indeed, they both knew her long enough to know that despite how hyper-competent she was, Alisha would often have "tunnel-vision". Even more so when it came to interpersonal relationships. After all, they were present for a few of her verbal fencing matches with her husband/bondmate Gabriel.

"Is that why the two of you... stopped...?" Julia awkwardly and unthinkingly started asking, before stopping herself.

To this Diego simply chuckled before smiling broadly at her. He knew what she was implying. After all, he and Alisha were lovers "briefly". Which meant less than 100-years, before going their separate ways. And occasionally meeting up again for "fun". Of course, this was before she met Gabriel. It was always Julia's and Jon's private joke that she had a "thing" for blonds.

"That's why I like you Julia. You're direct... To answer your question, that's only partly the reason. But more to the point, her marriage and bond to Gabriel was only the start, of a long chain that led to the Hierarchy turning on her. And now we're left to clean up her mess." Diego said as his smile faded.

"You seem angry with her." Julia softly remarked.

"Ah, si. I am angry. Angry that it came to this. Angry that her children had to grow up without their mamá and papá. Angry that soon their time on the run begins, instead of staying in this sanctuary we created for them." Diego says in a mournful tone.

"Oi, Spaniard. One thing atta time, eh? This ain't tha' only place you guys set-up, an' we still got contacts. So how 'bout we start plannin' instead o' broodin'. We can do that later." Jon wearily groused.

Diego merely nodded and smiled in acknowledgement as his comrades hurriedly left. He set down his glass, staring blankly at it. He was worried. With this latest development, they could not simply take their time anymore. His mind was already quickly working out their prospects, and could guess with some certainty that they had at minimum 2-to-4 years. Beyond that? They would need a miracle...

*A/N: So! This marks the end of "Season-2". Ironic it'd start and end with an intermission chapter, but life is weird like that. Speaking of which, this COVID-19 madness is messing everything up. While I've been lucky and haven't lost anyone to it, friends of mine haven't been so lucky. So everyone be careful out there.

Now! On a less-depressing note (depending on POV), this'll now be on temporary hold, until the next Arc is ironed out. YES, it'll be back in the New World with Gabriel returning to Dracon's Keep. Also, for those of you with eagle-eyes, references to other fanfics was done with permission of their respective authors. Until next time, take care true believers!*