The Order of the Mortal Knights

By Javier Delgado R.

Fan fiction, inspired by "Oh my goddess" by Kōsuke Fujishima.

Partnership

CHAPTER XLIX

Sitting in a comfortable bamboo chair under a tree in the garden of the Tarikigonhan temple, the lady of Hell was posing with a majestic attitude (or at least she was trying), this was possible thanks to a series of cushions strategically placed to disguise her weaknesses. In her hand was a fan that closed and opened to mark her words, and which also served to hide her face when she felt she could not hide her exhaustion. Beside her, Keiichi and Belldandy were sitting, attentive to her condition.

In front of here there was a young demon in a position that had a high resemblance to the Japanese Dogeza. No one who knew about the Japanese formalities would find fault with it. Knees 15 cm apart, face 5 cm from the ground, and hands with palms flat on the floor and slightly pointing toward the center. Keiichi could appreciate those details, but he realized it was not the right time to mention it.

The frightened demon was prostrated and tried to explain how it was that in the absence of the Daimakaicho a meeting had been agreed between her and what seemed to be a rebel movement from heaven. Nothing less with one of the most important gods of the heavenly council and to add to the insult, he was already on the way to the Temple.

At the end of his story there was an awkward silence, as Hild pondered what had happened. Walharen froze, trembling at what might happen to him.

Hild suddenly laughed out loud and ordered him.

- "Walharen, get up and come closer. Kneel down next to me "- The demon stood trembling and obeyed, then put one knee on the ground and lowered his head. At that moment he felt a strong tud on his head. Hild had hit him with the fan. Surprised he turned to look at her, and faced some furious eyes- "Listen to me well. You've been very helpful to me in the past, that's why I raised you in the ranks and I have approved some promises that you made and are out of your rank… Yes, I am aware of everything you have done and have promised to your subordinates "- Walharen shuddered again-" But I allowed it because I realized that it was not for personal gain, but for fulfilling your mission. "- At that moment Hild hit the demon again with her fan - "But NO MATTER WHAT, never do things like this again without consulting me first. You and Marler made the right decision, just for that I will let them stay alive. Do you understand?"

The terrified demon could only say.

-"Yee... Yes ma'am!".

- "Well now that we are in agreement, you must go with my daughter Urd. Ask her to give you the potion I requested. After you drink it, you will feel sick for a few hours, so you must go to your assigned room and rest. After you are recovered I need you by my side, at the earliest, but not before you are well. I DO NOT want the gods to see a sickly looking demon".

- "Yes ma'am! ... bbb... but …!"

Hild raised an eyebrow ... And the demon withdrew without daring to say more, imagining that a new punishment awaited him.

As soon as he got inside the temple, Belldandy spoke in a soft voice:

-"I think that young man has done a great job. He assumed a great responsibility and risked your anger. He needs to be corrected, not scared".

-"Oh, Bell chan. I see that you agree that he must be corrected, it seems that having been Kamisama has taught you the value of responsibility. That young man must learn the balance between taking responsibility and being reckless ".

-"Something I also learned is that if you inspire fear, few will dare to tell you the whole truth. It is a mistake I made after letting myself be dominated by external forces, so I began to distrust everyone. You shouldn't make that mistake. "

Perhaps it was because of her current weakness, but surprisingly Hild was silent at the goddess's comment.

Keiichi meanwhile was checking his cell phone.

-"I am informed that Wotan is already on the way. The gods will arrive in two hours more. Chancellor Myr is currently on a tour at the Chiba University and from there they will be taken to the plant where the bracelets are made. He tells us not to be concerned, since he is aware that his arrival was unexpected. And Chrono comes along with him, that makes me feel more at ease that there will be no misunderstandings ".

-"So it's Myr?" Hild whispered slowly, the name brought her back old memories and old suspicions, then abruptly ordered.- "Kei Chan, I need to see Urd. I have to explain to her a lot of things about Myr before he comes. "

-"Is something wrong? The chancellor saved Belldandy's life and I found him to be an honorable person when we meet.. "

-"You meet him? How is that possible? Someone of his level would never come before to the mortal world. Something extraordinary must happen for him to do so."

-"I met him when I entered Yggdrasil. Chancellor Myr and Peorth helped me there. I had a confrontation with the avatar of Belldandy's father, and somehow Myr convinced him not to attack me.. "

-"You faced Tyr? That's impossible, even as an avatar his power would be beyond the power of a common god and you are only a mortal... "- Hild looked seeking Belldandy confirmation and she nodded, Hild raised an eyebrow in an attitude of astonishment -" From Belldandy's expression it seems that you are telling me the truth".

Hild was visibly shocked and speechless. At her reaction Belldandy approached Hild, knelt beside her and said in a reassuring voice.

-"My father had hidden a part of him within Skuld and within me, just as he did with Urd. He was trying to control us to conquer heaven, earth and Hell. That was the real purpose of the Nornas. The old council must have been aware of that, that would be the only way to authorize having three daughters, one of them with you. "

-"Yess!"- Hild answered with hate-" He hid a part of him within Urd. But I also did the same. When he reappeared to try to control her my avatar woke up to fight him, and they destroyed each other. A part of me died along with him, it was my punishment for being deceived. "

-"But Myr was able to convince him that he was doing wrong, after that Tyr's avatar sacrificed himself to save Keiichi's life."

Hild sank limp into the bamboo chair, what Belldandy had told her was extraordinary. Trying to reassure her, Belldandy took her hands. Keiichi scratched his head and asked

"-But what kind relationship do Myr and Tyr have?"

-"Myr is Tyr's brother, he is my uncle."- Keiichi looked at her in surprise. He didn't know anything about Belldandy's family- "Hild, I imagine you want to warn Urd, because you suspect it had to do with my father's death".

-"I can't imagine any other way." - Hild answered in a tired tone- "Both were very ambitious. I cannot imagine that it could be otherwise. I know he gave the order that got Myr and your mother to confront them with a group of renegade demons. Before dying, one of them revealed under torture that they received a message from heaven about the place they would be.

-"Dear Hild, You are wrong, Myr felt responsible for it, but he was not to blame. When I was Megamisama and had power, I entered into his mind. So I know he is innocent and only wished the best for everyone. I had to alter his mind to cure him of his guilt. I am sure he comes here because I asked him to seek contact with Hell, but I never expected him to seek direct contact with you. "

-"Bell chan, you surprise me. Did you alter the mind of a god? I think I will start to like you. "

Hild smiled wearily and her eyes seemed moist with emotion. Suddenly she cried out, freeing herself from Belldandy's hands. Her beautiful face was filled with anger.

-"What's going on? I shouldn't have these feelings. Why am I being like this? What have you done to me? You the one called Galileo, what did you do to me?"

A calm voice was heard from Keiichi's phone.

-"Milady Hild, we have only modified the same routines as you did in Miss Skuld. I can detect some new changes in you, however those have nothing to do with miss Urd's potion. "

-"Then what is happening to me. I don't want to have these feelings, they cloud my mind. "

As Hild trembled at a series of emotions that overwhelmed her, Belldandy took her hands to reassure her and said softly.

-"I think I know the reason and the culprit, but I did not expect it to work for you, too."

-"You have to tell me the did you let it happen? "

Belldandy smiled and reached out for Keiichi, and pulled him in front of Hild.

-"Here is the culprit, if we could call it that. Yesterday when you couldn't hold yourself up, Keiichi carried you in his arms. Did you know that all the gods that have been in contact with him have changed? It is a gift that Keiichi has. But I didn't expect that as a demon you would be affected. "

Hild glared at him, however, despite her will… she couldn't keep it…

-"I cannot have feelings, I am the absolute leader of Hell. I can't be weak, I need you to explain how it works to counteract it. "

-"It's a long story. You know, I found that meeting Keiichi was not an accident. Also, that he is a special mortal is not. This was planned long before he was born. There are many things you do not know. Carefully kept secrets that no god knew. And now I must deliver them to you, as they can affect everyone's destiny, even Hell's destiny. Now that you can't hide your emotions, I know I can trust you. Let's share our memories and you will understand ".

-"Belldandy ... "- Hild smiled weakly-" And now you start to scare me... that's not good. But if I can understand what happened to me, maybe I can counter it. Give me your secrets. In return I will have to give you some that you don't know either, but I was keeping them as a hidden card ".

Keiichi watched as they began to trace magic circles and decided to leave them alone. Wotan would be arriving soon, and Hild had given the order to make him take the potion as well. Only Urd would be able to force him to do it... He nervously touched his medallion, hoping that it would not be necessary to use it.

On the floor of an industrial ceramic manufacturing complex, Chancellor Myr and Chrono watched in amazement at the painstaking process used to make the moon bracelets.

Despite modern automation this is a type of manufacturing that still retains some artisanal elements. At the entrance to the factory were mounds of what looked like simple multi-colored dirt. The dusty and noisy cellar didn't seem like the right start for something that was in a way an offering worthy of the gods. Even though Tyr understood the Earth language perfectly, Chrono needed to constantly explain to him ideas that were completely foreign to him. In his perfectly ordered world the apparent chaos of the plant was incomprehensible.

With a certain distaste for his aesthetic senses, Myr could see how the dusty clays were mixed in noisy and muddy machines in the proper way to obtain the right proportion to obtain first a milky liquid and then a soft clay mixture.

Looking at his curious look about the result, the proud factory manager spoke to one of his employees and he extracted a portion of that material. Reluctant at first knowing that it came from the mounds of dirt he had first seen, he marveled at its freshness and softness. With an almost childish smile, he played with the moist clay for a while. The way his hands directly shaped matter fascinated him.

Later they saw a row of employees using machines for cutting pieces of clay in identical sizes, then they placed them in molds. There the bracelet began to take shape. Later they would be subjected to certain special conditions of pressure and temperature, and irradiated with special radiations. Finding the right combination had taken the Chiba University Materials Lab many weeks. But now the process was done at the industrial scale.

At the end of the tour, the proud director presented his final product to his important (he did not suspect how important) visitor. Myr touched the bracelet in wonder. It was hard for him to imagine that it had been created without magic. In fact his magic was unable to duplicate them. He tried it on and again and felt the curious taste of the energy that came from the mortal world. Now he knew the reason for it. It was the human presence. That energy had the taste of life. Meanwhile the director explained excitedly:

"-I don't really know how it works, but they tell me that these bracelets have a special formulation that prevents your people from getting sick. My company was about to fail. All this not only saved us, but I also have the satisfaction of helping many people. I appreciate you giving us this opportunity. " -The director bowed gracefully, called a gray-haired woman with a traditional kimono, who approached him with a beautiful ceramic figurine in her hands. The director took it and offered it to Myr with all due respect. "- I started in the ceramic business because my wife is an artist. This is one of her works and I hope it is to your liking. "- His wife bowed her head respectfully.

Myr took the simple, yet surprisingly elegant piece, created by the director's wife. Not only was it attractive, but at the touch he received a whole wave of feelings, put there by the creator of the piece. After carefully examining it, he smiled and handed it to Crono so that she could appreciate it.

-"It's beautiful , I have never seen anything like this. It conveys so beautiful feelings to me. I wish I had time to talk to its creator but today we have an appointment. Would you please receive us another day? Besides that, you has no idea how many lives your work has saved. Our debt is huge. I hope to find a way to compensate".

Myr watched the couple. In his world of eternal youth, age was seen as a symbol of decadence. But this graying-haired couple smiled happily and could see that they had a beautiful aura.

-"I don't know how to thank you for what you have done for our people and for what you have taught me. At least I wish to leave you something. "- Myr spread his arms and murmured a brief incantation, which seemed to mortals like a beautiful song, in the beautiful baritone void of the god.- " Þær austr ok dress, enda falo…."

At that moment the couple felt an intense peace, and as the fatigue of their old bodies faded. Their appearance didn't look very different, but they both felt several years younger. Not knowing what had happened, they both bowed respectfully to their visitor.

After a brief chat, their guides, two young graduate students, indicated that it was time to continue on the path. They had already made enough time for them to be welcomed into the Tarikigonhan temple.

Behind them was the director and his wife, amazed at the aspect and dignity of their visitor. Little did they suspect that they had earned the appreciation and thanks of a greater god.

At the Tarikigonhan Temple, Hild was lying on her back, with her eyes closed. Belldandy's revelations were shocking. There was a mysterious entity residing at Yggdrasil and possibly the same entity was residing at Nidhogg. From there it had been manipulating gods and demons. In a hidden way it had caused the death of Myr, and possibly many other actions to maintain hatred between gods and demons. But there had also been another force that he had been trying to counter, that force had resulted in the existence of Keiichi, Shugahara and Sentaro, as a way to counter Myr's plan and face the hidden threat. She learned about what Keiichi had discovered when entering Yggdrasil and the nature of that being they called Galileo, she also knew what mortals had discovered about the multiverses. All this was beyond her former suspicions about the threat he felt hovered over Hell.

What was going beyond her, breaking with everything she had lived, she knew it was a threat that she could not face alone.

Then she heard some insecure footsteps. Wotan was approaching with shaky steps, along with Walharen, who also had a pale face, he was helping him.

-"What a pair of ridiculous demons you are. I warned you to have some rest before coming here. We will have visitors soon and I don't want you to be seen like this. "

-"But Hild" - protested Wotan- "I don't understand why you ordered me to drink that potion. Your daughter is almost as powerful as you and she forced me to drink it, I feel terrible... and she enjoyed it".

-"And I ordered that you should have some rest until you recover."

-"I can't do it as long as I don't understand what's going on, I need to know the reason for this. Please Hild, explain it to me".

-"Very well. I'll do it. Walharen helped him sit up. "- She pointed to another bamboo chair that was next to her- "Belldandy darling, please make more of those cushions. He also will need them".

-"Also? err... What do you mean by that?"

-"I also took the potion and also I am weak. I also ordered Walharen to take it, but he seems to be recovering much faster. ALSO I gave Urd orders to make enough for all of our people to take. "

The two demons looked at her, without further protest Wotan sat down with the help of Walharen and Belldandy. They also placed cushions for him so that his weakness was not as noticeable.

-"Wotan. Do you know what happened when you lost your mind and tried to destroy the temple? "

-"They explained to me that some old security directive was activated when mortals began to reveal hidden secrets. But I don't get it. Who put into me that directive ".

-"Wotan. Those directives exist in all gods and demons. A few days ago a young Walkiria was about to destroy many humans when the directive was activated and yesterday young Skuld was also a victim of it. The closer we get to the truth, the easier it will happen again. "

-"But who gave us that directive? What is it that protects? "

-"You know ancient legends. Try to remember them "accurately". As you are able you will understand why so few gods and demons want to remember them. "

The astonished god closed his eyes and thought for a few moments. Suddenly his eyes widened in terror.

-"The ancient legends are fake! Now I can remember it. How come we had that block? "

-"Because of our common origin, gods and demons we have a collective memory of the past, but most of it is blocked or erased and any attempt to break it and find out the truth can trigger protective actions, such as the one that led you to try to assassinate the inhabitants of this temple".

-"Now what do we do next?"

-"We will have to tell the whole truth to our people. It also means that my days of Hild the absolute ruler of Hell are numbered".

-"Hild!,are you sure what you are going to do? I have not agreed with many of your actions, but I think you have been the best ruler for our world. "

-"Thank you for your words, Wotan" - The demon looked at her in amazement at this unusual word in Hild vocabulary- "I do not plan to stop ruling, but we will talk about it, at the moment we have other concerns. Chancellor Myr is on the way, and you can't transform into the good-natured old demon you used as disguise, so he'll recognize you. What do you think about facing the brother of your old rival? "

-"Myr? I wish he would consider me dead and forgotten. Okay then I better... ".

Myr tried to get up, but a headache made him collapse. Belldandy and Walharen rushed to help him to lie down.

-"That is why I didn't want you to come, but there is no time left. I don't have much strength either so you will have to stay. Bell chan, Keiichi, please help him… "

Shortly after giving Wotan a more dignified posture, Keiichi received a message on his phone, after a quick glance at the entrance, he announced.

-"Our visitors are here."

A few minutes later the gods approached, escorted by the students. Myr was puzzled by the sight. The powerful lady of Hell, who he already knew, but she was now dressed in a light summer dress along with a muscled demon dressed in a yukata... and with them another person who thought would be dead.

-"Belldandy ...?Is that you?"

He exclaimed in amazement. The goddess approached him, and before saying a single word she hugged him.

-"Yes, it's me. I thank you for saving my life".

-"But... Kamisama blocked all your powers and your memories". I saw you turned into an old woman and about dying. And what about those marks? They are not those of a god ".

-"Mortals saved me. They broke Kamisama block and the earth is now the one that gives me energy. "

-"What? Are you telling me that mortals broke it? That's impossible. Not even a god could have done that. That's very serious, explain to me what's going on."

-"Myr sama, that will have to wait. There are important people you should talk to. You already know Hild, great Daimakaicho from Hell and Wotan his adviser, whom I think you also know by the name of Odin. "

-"Odin?" - Myr exclaimed with barely contained hatred- "I thought you were dead. You did everything possible to harm Tyr and keep him away from Hild!, what are you doing along with her!".

-"When Hild chose Tyr, I accepted her decision, and I have been supporting her since then. I decided to hide my presence as not to interfere with her public image. I have nothing against you. I know you have many hatreds that we will have to overcome. But right now there are more important issues. "

Belldandy interrupted them.

-"Myr, remember what I revealed to you. Wotan had nothing to do with my fathers death, meanwhile, Wotan and Hild suspected that you had been the culprit. "

-"Odin!, how can you accuse me of harming my own brother? I would never have hurt him, we were rivals, but I would never do something like that. What evidence do you have? "

-"Myr, listen to me well. A group of renegade demons received an open broadcast from heaven, revealing where Tyr and his wife would be. Before being executed we obtained their confession. So we suspect that someone with a very high rank in heaven had betrayed them. "

-"It is not possible!" - Tyr exclaimed weakly- "A traitor in heaven. I never…"

-"Belldandy already explained everything to us. Now we know that you are not guilty. We will talk and then I hope you accept that I am not either. "

Then they heard a sweet voice... that was able to produce chills, Hild was not pleased to be ignored.

-"Dear Tyr, darling. Will you not greet your other sister-in-law?. "

Still shocked by the revelation, Myr slowly approached Hild, and dropped to one knee.

Hail Hild sama, great Daimakaicho. I thought I would never see you again ... I. "

-"Enough, please have a seat. There is a lot to discuss here. Meanwhile, Belldandy can serve us some Tea. I assure you, in heaven you have never tried anything like this. "

As Myr took a seat Belldandy approached Chrono and hugged her fondly-

-"It's so good to see you again. I see that you have grown a lot, but for me you will always be the little Chrono ".

The young goddess felt her eyes moisten.

-"I'm so glad you're doing well. I thought being exiled to earth would be like a death sentence. I cried so much that day".

-"I am better than ever, thanks to Keiichi, to whom I owe everything." - Keiichi had approached and also hugged the young goddess.

-"Glad to see you again, so much has happened."

-"What happened to Lind? How is she?" - Asked the young goddess worried- "Did the mortals help her? ".

-"Lind is very well... Although it would be a bit difficult for you to recognize her. But I think the change is for the best. You will not be able to see her at the moment, she is currently on a mission. I cannot tell you more at the moment ".

The young goddess hugged Keiichi tightly.

-"Thanks for saving her. I was hoping you could save her. Please give this to her, in case I can't see her. "

She handed Keiichi two small egg-like objects. Keiichi recognized them immediately, as he had once carried them.

Are they Spearmint and Coolmint?"- the goddess nodded-" Lind's twin angels! She will be happy to have them again. She is no longer a goddess, but I think we will find a way to get them back to her.

A voice distracted them.

-"Myr, we have to discuss some confidential matters. I will have to ask that young Valkyrie to leave. Walharen, please take her to her assigned room and see that she doesn't leave the temple until we're done... I don't think it will be hard on you, I have certain memories that I took from you that make me shure from it ".

Walharen blushed looking at Chrono, then looked at Hild without daring to speak. Then Hild instructed her to come closer and whispered to him.

-"Walharen, you have been useful to me… and I can also reward those who help me. Now ... go with her. "

-"Yes! Ma'am".

Chrono looked nervously at Myr, who smiled and gave him a signal to be left alone. Then the two young couple left for the temple.

Hild suddenly stretched out her hand as if to say something to the young demon, but then withdrew then at realizing that it was an unworthy gesture… then she just smiled mischievously.

Belldandy did not miss the gesture and asked.

-"Hild-sama, is something wrong?"

-"Oh... I just forgot to warn Walharen of the intoxication of life, the last time he was only a few hours on earth so he must be unaware. But I think he will figure it out on his own, it will be fun. "- Then she turned to see the god- "We need to speak. First, What are you doing here? What is happening in heaven? First you expel your greatest Valkyrie and then the one who had been chosen as Megamisama. That looks to me like a case of high treason."

-"Hild sama. What happens in heaven is confidential information and… "

-"Enough! I know you are a diplomat, and you can go around the issues and never touch it. We don't have time for those niceties. I'll start with something for you to see that you need to tell me everything. A few days ago a valkyrie called Ghadril tried to destroy a mortal installation that would have killed hundreds of mortals".

-"Ghadril? That's impossible. She is one of the most powerful Valkyries after Lind. That goes against all the directives of heaven, it is impossible ".

-"The mortals managed to seal her before she could cause damage and have asked me for help to control her, but that is not all. Yesterday young Skuld was affected by the same thing. We managed to stop the directive before it did any harm. "

Directive? What directive? That nonsense. There is no directive in heaven that would order the murder of mortals. "

Hild continued without paying attention.

-"Before that Wotan was also affected by the same thing. That same directive was activated and he tried to destroy this temple. "

-"But ... that's impossible ... no ..."

-"And finally, trying to heal Skuld, that same directive was activated in me. I had to fight hard to stop it, I would not have done it without the help of mortals."

-"No!, I don't understand!. What is that directive you are talking about. How can it exist in both demons and gods. It is impossible! You have to explain it to me. "

-"I can't tell you yet ... possibly that would trigger the same directive on you, or even on Chrono!".

-"But… but…! You must prove that. It is too incredible to accept".

-"So we're going to have a little experiment. I hope it works or we will have problems. Keiichi, my dear, please place yourself behind Tyr, at my command you must hug him "

-"What? what are you scheming?"

-"You do not have to fear, Keiichi is just a mortal, there is no way he could hurt you."

-"Okay, but I don't want more games."

-"Well, do you know the old legends about our origin?"

-"Of course!"

-"Fine. Belldandy, although she is no longer a goddess, still cannot lie. Let her tell you. "

-"Myr, listen to this. All the legends, all the history that we know of our past, is a lie. Our memories were altered and blocked. The same was done to gods as demons. Now with that thought in your mind, try to remember the past. "

Myr looked at Belldandy in disbelief. But he could sense that there was no lie in her words. Anguished, he closed his eyes ,concentrated on remembering the past ... Suddenly he put his hand to his head and felt himself collapse.

-"Now Keiichi, hug him"

Keiichi hesitated for a moment, but he obeyed Hild, then slowly Myr began to recover. Finally, even with an anguished face, he sighed.

-"What was that?"

-"The directive began to activate within you. Keiichi has a strange power, he can penetrate the consciousness of a god and cleanse it of certain thoughts. "

-"That was the directive? Did Keiichi block it? "

-"Unfortunately no, he only altered your state of mind, enough to prevent it from being activated at the moment."

-"Is that why you can't tell me anything? Will the directive be activated? "

-"Exactly." We need to apply a "patch", as humans say. Urd was able to develop a potion to do so. We should NOT speak further on this subject until you are released from it. "

Myr looked at her, his hands still were trembling, but nodded. At that Keiichi interrupted them and whispered in her ear without Myr hearing.

-"Hild sama. It seems to me that Urd's potion only works with demons. If I understand correctly, they are using your encryption key ".

Hild laughed coquettishly and whispered back.

-"My dear Keiichi. Speak with Dr Kawazu. Now that Belldandy gave me her memories, it seems to me that he is hiding something very important. "

-"Kamisama´s encryption key?"

-"Exactly." I think he told you that he had broken the encryption, but I think instead he managed to retrieve the encryption key and with that he was able to free her. "

Tyr straightened up scared, he had managed to listen to the last part.

-"A mortal holds the encryption key from the supreme Kamisama! Noooo..!"

He tried to get closer to Keiichi, but before that, the cumulation of emotions for one day overwhelmed him, so he collapsed.

It was night in the temple. Walharen was alone in his assigned room. Everything he saw was strange. He was unaware of almost everything about the human world and the traditional Japanese decoration of the room could not reassure him. As a demon he didn't need to sleep, although if he wished he could. He got up from the futon and decided to head out into the main hall.

Everything was silent, but at that moment he heard a knock on his door, and then he saw Belldandy.

-"Good evening Walharen San. you can not sleep?".

-"I'm not used to sleeping. I don't think I could do it now ".

-"You're not the only one. Please come with me".

-"Excuse me. How is Chancellor Myr? I don't want anything to happen to him, Chrono seemed to be very concerned. "

-"He's just exhausted. In heaven we gods are not used to strong emotions and poor Myr received too many in one day. Don't worry, a few hours of rest will be fine for him. I think I can do something for you. Please, come with me".

Walharen sighed in relief. Belldandy smiled and took him to the temple kitchen. Accustomed to obeying the young demon, simply went with her.

-"I have been told that you enjoy tea very much. I will prepare some, and then please join me in the Garden. "

Thank you very much, milady. It has been a great discovery for me, I was not used to flavors ".

-"The mortal world is a place very rich in flavors. I hope you have time to get to know some more".

The goddess boiled water and with skill and precision mixed some herbs in a bowl. After she finished preparing everything, she placed the kettle and some cups on a tray and motioned for Walharen to follow her.

It was a moonless night. The stars were seen in all their splendor. For Walharen accustomed to life in the subterranean world of Hell, it was an overwhelming sight. Furthermore, the cool night air made his body shudder, not because of the cold, but it was as if it made him feel more than alive.

Belldandy smiled as they walked. They went toward a small pond where they could see a figure sitting and looking spellbound at the fish.

-"You are not used to this world. It is full of energy that at first can overwhelm you if you have no way to discharge it. So this little meeting seemed like a good idea. "

Hearing the footsteps, the figure in the pond turned to see them.

-"Belldandy sama ... and ... Walharen? "

-"Chrono?"

-"I'll leave the tea here. Enjoy it and enjoy the night. Today the stars are even more beautiful. When you are done, please leave everything in the kitchen. You have nothing to worry about, no one will come to disturb you. I'll see to that".

Without saying more Belldandy smiled and left behind two nervous youngters.

It was dawn in the Tarikigonhan temple, Myr slowly opened his eyes. it was the first time in millennia that he had slept and the feeling was unnerving. He breathed in slowly, the air was full of strange smells. The smell of plants, a little incense coming from the temple shrine, the smell of old wood, and a strange smell that seemed very pleasant to him. At that moment he heard a happy voice.

-"Good morning, Chancellor. Don't even try to get up. You are not used to sleeping and need to give your body time to respond. "

-"Chrono ?, is that you ... I did not understand what you told me. What does a good morning mean? How can a day be good? "

-"Oh, it is a common expression on earth, it is a greeting that mortals make when they meet after awakening."

-"Was I sleeping? I don't remember much of what happened. "

-"You should not force yourself to remember. You had an emotional overload, you must wait for the memories to come alone. Sleep is a way to accommodate memories, so they will come to you little by little. "- The chancellor closed his eyes, once Chrono could observe that his breathing was regularized, she leaned down to help him- "I think you are ready, let me help you sit down". - The god yawned and reached out for help.

-"You seem to know a lot about this sleep phenomenon. I feel surprisingly good, as if a weight had been lifted from me, not unpleasant at all. I begin to remember that Hild told me many strange things... and that she ordered me not to reveal them to another god or demon ... I don't remember correctly, but something tells me that I should do as she says. Come to think of it, tell me, how do you know what's wrong with me? "

-"When the attack on the council occurred, I was on the ground with a squad of Valkyries, the last thing we knew was that there was an indigo code, and that meant having to live as a mortal. So we were studying the mortal world and the phenomena that occur in it. The need to sleep was one of the issues. "

-"I see that you deserve the trust Lind placed in you. All right... I'm puzzled, I don't know what to do now. Not What I Expected

-"Belldandy told me that as soon as you were ready, she would be pleased if we joined them for breakfast."

-"Breakfast? It seems to me that is something that mortals do. Does it have to do with eating food? But the gods don't need food. "

-"In case of need we could take advantage of them, but there are other reasons for consuming food in addition to having energy. There are flavors that we can enjoy ".

-"Flavors? Oh, if I remember they gave us something called tea, does breakfast include tea?"

-"Belldandy is a specialist in tea, but there are also other flavors that you should know."

-"Chrono, I think you are very happy today. I see you full of energy and with a big smile. Did you sleep too? "

The young goddess looked at him nervously... and blushed... she began to move her arms in alarm, like a windmill.

-"No, no, no, I didn't sleep... I mean, I was with... no, no, not that, err... it's not important, Belldandy is waiting for us."

-"Well, let's see what they call breakfast."

Moments later they entered the kitchen, which in consideration of the extra visitors had been mysteriously enlarged with the magic aid of Belldandy. Sitting at one end of a Japanese-style low table was Keiichi, who watched nervously as the number of inhabitants of the temple had grown. Hild, Wotan and Walharen were already at the table. Wotan had explained to the young demon how he should apply honey to some pancakes, and he was fascinated by the thick golden liquid. There were also Urd, Shugahara. Also fully recovered was Skuld and Sentaro.

With a gentle smile Belldandy indicated two places available. Myr bowed to Hild, while Walharen squinted at Chrono, only to blush in turn.

-"Good morning Tyr! I see that you have fully recovered."

-"Greetings Hild sama. Are we going to continue our conversation from yesterday? "

-"In the mortal world it is customary to say good morning, and not to speak of important matters during breakfast. I think it is a custom from the mortal world that I would like to take to Hell. "

-"I don't understand. Is it some kind of ritual? "- Hild sighed in exasperation

-"You could consider it like that. Why are the gods so tight? The earth offers many pleasures and this is one of them. After this we will talk. We have two weeks before the next delivery of the moon bracelets. In a few days there will be a meeting with the main leaders of the mortals and you have to be there as a representative from the gods. "

-"What? Do you want to reveal our secrets to mortals? What craziness is that?, I will not allow it "

Hild started laughing, amused by the god's disbelief.

-"I think you misunderstood. Mortals currently know more than you think, on the contrary, it seems to me that they are the ones who are going to reveal secrets to us about what is happening. Don't make that ridiculous face, sit down and enjoy breakfast. "

Chrono looked worriedly at the god, then at Hild and then met Walharen's gaze... who replied in return with a big grin ... Chrono replied the same. Then the young Valkyrie looked at the god in exasperation and forced him to sit down.

Familiar with mortal customs, she began to guide the god through the rituals of breakfast. Soon the god had in his hand a fork with a piece of pancake that was draining somewhat thick... he looked nervously at the young Valkyrie and she indicated that it was okay to eat it.

The god put the piece in his mouth and began to chew with caution, then... his face lit up with happiness.

-"Oh my, this is delicious. Can I consume more? "

-"Chancellor Myr, everything on that plate is meant for you. You can consume it as much as you want ".

Shortly afterwards Chancellor Myr had a beatific face, as if he really were... in heaven. Half an hour later he was interrupted by Hild who was telling him.

-"Now that you have been able to appreciate this ritual, it's the time for important matters. Tea is the appropriate brew for it. Finally, will you tell me why you are here?Why do you want to see me? It's time to stop the detours "

Myr looked around nervously, beginning to regret his actions. Keiichi understood what was happening.

-"By agreement of the three races the Tarikigonhan temple was declared a sanctuary. Even Kamisama would not dare to break that agreement. This place is safe. "

-"Three races?. Okay-" he said nervously, and looked around- "But the young people must go. If the council finds out what's going on, I'll be sentenced to death. I don't want to involve others. "

Hild nodded and motioned for the younger ones to come out, Skuld tried to protest, but Sentaro took her hand. Walharen and Chrono also came out. Shortly after, Belldandy signaled to Keiichi and Shugahara, who took their medallions and created a physical barrier to isolate the place. Myr watched them amazed at the feel of the barrier.

-"I don't want to imagine what would happen if Kamisama could see this." - He gave a long sigh and finally looked at Hild- "I have to inform you that Kamisama is planning to invade Hell".- A collective sound of astonishment was heard, however Hild only supported her chin on her hand while adopting a thoughtful expression.

-"So that's what this is about, I suspected something like this, my spies warned me that there was something strange, but I lost contact with them. If that young Valkyrie is responsible for maintaining the communication block, I must say that she is quite good. "

-"Do you have spies in heaven?" - Exclaimed the surprised god.

-"Of course, just like you have spies in Hell, or at least that's what you think. I ordered them to submit reports to heaven exaggerating our weakness, and they apparently swallowed the hook. But explain everything that happened, the reports that I have are somewhat incredible. "

Myr sighed

- "So… did you set us up?" - The god turned pale at the implications, and continued with a trembling voice- "I think I made the right decision, my betrayal that will avoid many deaths. During the council attack, when a treacherous god committed suicide by releasing his energy, Kamisama managed to suppress part of the destruction, but he was terribly wounded, powerless and on the verge of death. You probably don't know this, but for millennia we have been storing a large amount of reserve power destined for Kamisama. Should a war break out, Kamisama could take that energy and use it to win. But when Belldandy was recognized as Megamisama, the system gave her that energy, and she used it to rebuild our world, and to cure insanity. With her last reserve, she cured Kamisama and saved his life. During that time Belldandy was acting strangely and the Valkyries council initiated the Ragna code. "

- "Ragna code? Seriously?, that was a really desperate measure.- "Hild responded furiously, but Belldandy interrupted her"

- "Hild, You took my memories, You know that it was Lind who invoked it and did it to save me. My father hoped that one day I would be chosen as Megamisama, so by absorbing that energy I activate the avatar that had hidden within me, and he attempt to control me. However, the energy I received was contaminated with the madness, while I managed to avoid it, it infected the avatar, who went crazy and eventually it did the same with me. The more energy I used the more it affected me. Lind realized this and used the Ragna code to free me from madness. The valkyries gave their lives to save me".

-" I understand "- Hild said moved -" For this reason all the high-ranking Valkyries had to be executed ... with the exception of Lind who was exiled and devoid of powers. And without the power of the great Valkyries, are they really planning an invasion? How stupid can they be?.

Myr visibly moved continued.

- "The fact that the Ragna code was invoked and made to lose the great Valkyries caused the heavenly council to lose confidence in Belldandy. When the council learned that Belldandy had ordered information to be shared with Hell and with the mortals, Belldandy was declared a traitor and an exile. But Kamisama failed to regain the reserve power. Belldandy had used it all to save us from the threat of insanity. That is one of the reasons for his hatred. He now possesses only a fraction of his power. By telling you this I am becoming a traitor to Kamisama, but I cannot leave this behind. He has become obsessed with power. Without power, he no longer has absolute control over our people, so he is planning to blame Hell for everything that has happened to us. He hopes that hatred will unite us under his control and thereby gather enough support to launch an attack, and then to be able to absorb your power. Currently he can only depend on power from the bracelets that the humans give us and that makes him feel humiliated. "

-"That insane god. So they were hiding power for an eventual attack. I suspected something along that but I refused to believe it. What made you decide to warn us? "

-"We are enemies, but Kamisama is not acting for the good of our people, but to regain his power. I am not a military man, I knew that many would die for it, I wanted to avoid it, and now I know that the invasion is based on the belief that you are weakened. He is dedicating himself to creating hatred and that same hatred clouds reason. "

-"Myr, now I realize that you are an honorable god. I think I've been wrong about you all these years. Our world also suffered great damage, but we have managed to recover. Let me tell you that we still have great energy reserves, but we avoid using them because we risk reactivating the madness, but at least we know the cure. You rejected our help and that of mortals, so if you are forced to get the energy from Yggdrasil, the madness will return. "

-"So it is true?. Do you really have the cure? Kamisama insisted that it was a hoax. "

-"Mortals helped us find it. We owe those two mortals in front of you the power to get it. They offered their help and because of your stupid pride you can now lose everything. "- Myr looked at the two mortals who had shown that they could do powerful magic and shuddered

-"I cannot understand it, that mortal, the one named Keiichi, managed to enter the Yggdrasil by circumventing our security measures, and said something about being a judge... but that is impossible."

Hild hit the table furiously. and it fell apart… Belldandy with a gesture had to use magic to restore it, then Hild pointed at Myr and with flaming eyes said.

-"You don't even know that? You know the doublet system was suspended. That can only happen if a judge from the third-race sanctions it. These mortals have been recognized by heaven and Hell as supreme judges of the third race. They are to be known as The order of the mortal knights That gives them high-level access to Yggdrasil and Nidhogg. Forget about that patronizing attitude towards them. They are now your peers. "

-"I did not know" - finally said the god with a defeated attitude- "If mortals are then the third race, I have the obligation to treat them as equals. Now I understand. So it really is my obligation to appear before that mortal council".

-"Well now you are ready for the most important news."

-"Is there still more?" - exclaimed the god with terror.

-"I just spoke to one of those mortals, Dr Kawazu and although at first he denied it he finally confirmed what I told you yesterday and you surely forgot because of fear. Mortals have managed to decode and break Kamisama's encryption key. "

-"Ahhh!"

That's all Myr could say before he lost consciousness again, Hild smirked. She found all the terror Myr had experienced to be very comforting, it was her small revenge for what she had been through. Finally she spoke to Kenji.

-"Here he goes again" - Hild exclaimed with resignation- "Judging from the previous time, he will be asleep for several hours before recovering. I can't believe the gods are so weak, but I think that judging them all by the Valkyrie we knew was a mistake. We need to remove the directive before he wakes up, otherwise it can become a danger if I tell him the truth. Urd has to prepare a potion with Kamisama encryption key, so that it can work in a god ".

-"But we would be doing it against his will. To me this is wrong.

-"Remember that right now your will is gagged. We are actually going to release his will. "

-"Alright. Urd and I will go with Dr Kawazu. He does not want the encryption codes to leave the installation or to be known to exist. "

-"He seems to be a very wise mortal. I like him and his hackers. I will go with you " - Hild reached her hand to one of her earrings and took out a small jewel. - "I will give him this as a reward, it is a password at Nidhogg, at and technician admin level. Later I will ask Walharen to explain him its use. I think that is a reward that he would appreciate. Now let's take this weak god to his room. "

-"But, Chrono will suspect something is going on..."

At that moment Belldandy interrupted them with a big grin.

-"Don't worry about that, I asked Skuld and Sentaro to take them to the amusement park, taking advantage of the fact that they didn't have any instructions to stay here. They will arrive in the afternoon ".

Bell chan, you are learning to be cunning.

-"Oh... nothing like that, just that I think they make a good couple. This will be their first date! "

Belldandy clasped her hands excitedly and with dreamy eyes. At the sincere emotion of the goddess Hild looked at her with surprise and then with a gesture of displeasure.

-"You must not forget that Walharen is my subordinate, and furthermore, if we fail to stop Kamisama, those two will have to fight as enemies."

-"Hild, I trust you, I know that won't happen."

Hild just raised her eyes in exasperation and then left the room.

Somewhere in northern Europe, in the sisterhood gathering center, a young woman was inspecting the data screens surrounding the room. Despite her youth, Gyrid Admundsen had a dignified demeanor, yet at the moment she looked concerned.

She had just read the latest reports. Being the hidden power behind humanity did not please her. Although she was satisfied with everything she had accomplished, for all the wars, conflicts and famines she had avoided, she knew that deep down she was acting on her own judgment, as a dictator. As benevolent as a dictator could be, it will never cease to be one. So she had begun to contact world rulers to inform them of her works and doings. It had been difficult, more than one had acted with fury knowing that humanity was manipulated, but with a bit of Urd's potions their memory had been erased, in order to repeat the process with another more receptive NEXT ruler... something they could well help make it happen!. According to reports, so far 54 countries had recognized her, and were aware of what the sisterhood had done, and now they were proposing the formation of a true world government with her as first president.

It was an idea that was not without merits... or fears. After all, her ultimate purpose was to raise awareness of the existence of demons and gods and to openly engage with them and have open contact. Fortunately the organization of the so called "primates" had been working in the dark in recent years preparing the way. In a huge exercise in social engineering they had been manipulating human societies to be more receptive to that idea. They realized that contact between the sisterhood and the primates had been beneficial to both groups. They complemented each other in an elegant way.

She looked at the women who were sitting in the room. Some members were missing. At that moment a gray haired woman entered with a slow and wobbly step. Then she remembered that contact with primates had produced other kinds of fruits.

-"Frieda" - She said with concern- "This is already your ninth month..!. At any time you can give birth, you do not have to attend this meeting. You're not young anymore".

-"Nonsense, nowaday being 50 years old is no longer a bad age to have children. My health is excellent. Besides, there is still a week to go ".

-"Okay, but don't overdo it. And please congratulate Dr Srhivapathi on my part. I didn't even have a chance to prepare a wedding gift for you, and now seems the baby party will have to be after the birth. "

-"You have too many concerns, so I never informed you. But now I think I should give you a warning, you will have to add a nursery to these facilities… since we will soon have some other surprises ".

Most of the women present laughed out loud, except for a few who were slightly flushed.

-"Good" - Gyrid interrupted them with a wide smile- "Now let's move on to important matters. I have just been informed that a high god from the heavenly council is currently on earth and on his way to the Tarikigonhan temple"

-"A god of the supreme council? What is he doing on earth?

-"Keiichi did not dare to give me many details and that worries me. He is not someone who likes to keep secrets. But we know that the god came to earth to meet Hild. Not only that, Hild had previously made a request for a meeting with the world's rulers, so I am reviewing the list of governments that already know the truth. "

Murmurs spread across the room. Until now, disclosing the existence of gods and demons had been one-sided. That Hild asked to speak to the mortal rulers was extraordinary.

-"Almost a third of the nations of the earth are ready. I will ask them to send representatives. I must also go, with some of you, and of course, along with the 'primates'. A high god and the ruler of Hell reunited cannot be a coincidence ".

-"Do you plan to continue with the creation of an armed group?" - asked a voice in the background.

-"Yes, at this moment it will be a supra-national elite unit. Not being an army, but what they call a battalion. It should be just people very highly trusted. I have spoken with Mr Valois ".

-"Is he Ms. Rosenthal's husband?"

-"Indeed, he had combat experience until an injury cut short his career. I don't think we need to look any further, he knows everything from the beginning. He was involved in the desert incident against terrorists and is a regular visitor to the Tarikigonhan Temple, so he is aware of everything. I don't think we can choose someone better. "

-"Who will be part of our battalion?"

-"Mr Valois tells me that he will contact the participants of the previous operation, who already know the power of a Valkyrie."

-"And the weapons?"

-"Keiichi has designed something, but at the moment it is not clear to us who our possible enemy is. I think we'll find out soon. Who will go with me? "

Several hands were raised, but Gyrid stopped smiling.

-"Frieda? I think this is not the right time to travel ".

That nonsense. I was also about to travel to Japan. MY husband is waiting for me. I promised that adorable goddess, Belldandy, to visit her to bless my daughter. This is the appropriate time. "

Gyrid sighed. In the past, Frieda had gone through the greatest tortures and had never given up her will... so she knew not even her could manage to change her mind ..

-"Okay, but if contractions start ... you stay here."

Dr Kawazu, Hild, Keiichi, Urd and other investigators were in the basement of the Chiba University basement in front of the blast door of the security vault. Dr. Kawazu was sweating copiously at Hild's impatient gaze. She exclaimed furiously.

-"What does it mean that the vault opens by time? I ordered you to open it immediately. "

"It is just impossible, it was scheduled to by time to ensure that only authorized personnel could enter."

-"I am Hild, the great Daimakaicho, that is not an obstacle for me."

Hild raised her hand and produced a magic circle and with a brief spell she threw it at the door to make it disappear, and then to everyone's surprise, nothing happened. Surprised, the ruler of Hell I tried again, this time she create a more powerful spell and hit it towards the door. Again nothing happened.

-"What does this mean? What have you done?".

-"It is an anti magic shield. It is something that we have been developing although we have never been able to test it. "

-"Anti magic armor" - exclaimed the lady from the underworld with flames in her eyes ,then she approached the doctor Kawassu and clutched him tightly by the neck- "You must explain to me how you did it."

-"It is something we have learned by analyzing the magic from gods and demons. We found a way to block the execution of magic codes. The information found in this vault is too important, so we installed a barrier so that no god or demon can get it. "

To everyone's surprise Hild started laughing almost hysterically. After a few moments she calmed down, then released the professor neck and with a flirtatious attitude began to caress his face and body, the scientist swallowed at the contact. After all, the mistress of Hell was a most beautiful woman by any human standard and no mortal woman could compete with her in sensuality.

-"Tell me doctor, would you not like to work for me? For thousands of years we have tried to develop something like this and no demon or god has succeeded, with that we can have a great advantage over the gods." - Hild turned to address the Keiichi, and asked coquettishly - "please...Tell me can I keep him. Come one, Let's say yes. It would be a huge help".

Keiichi gaped at her, but finally his attitude turned to exasperation, he had long since become used to Hild's whims.

-"Sorry, we can't give it to you, we need it so much here on earth. It will also be beneficial to you. It is better to continue with this mission and it will not be long before that door opens. "

-"Oh!, what a pity!. Professor Kawasu san, the offer still stands, if you get bored from the Earth you have a place in Hell, surely we can find someone to your liking in my world, you can choose be it male or female".

Meanwhile Professor Kawazu´face had gone from a pale color to a deep blush. Seconds later, an alarm was heard and the professor slipped out of Hild's arms to the biometric identification station in order to enter the vault.

A few minutes later the professor came out and went with Urd to hand her a small memory unit.

-"I think you know better than I what could happen if this falls into the wrong hands, please use it and then we will return it to its safe place."

-"Don't worry, it won't be long and mother... Under no reason will I give you this. "

Surprisingly, the ruler of Hell kept silent. She had realized the implications of everything she had seen in the last days, whether by external threat or by the new knowledge from mortals, the world that gods and demons had known was about to end.

xxx

End of chapter