Chapter 35: Married vs Single

Grigori Headquarters, Somewhere in the Underworld

November 23rd, 1992, 8:26 PM - British Time

Erik's sudden appearance immediately alerted the two guards at the gates.

"HALT! YOU ARE IN GRIGORI'S TERRITORY! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

One of the guards yelled to Erik, who just gave an eye roll to the guard's antics. Like he didn't know where he was.

"My name is Erik Ravenclaw, I have a meeting with Governor General Azazel."

Erik spoke, identifying himself and the motive behind his visit. The one guard who had yelled before didn't recognize the name, but the other one had wide eyes after hearing the name. The last one tried to talk, but was interrupted by the loud one first.

"Like Lord Azazel would meet with a human, you can…"

*BANG*

The second guard had given a heel kick into the head of the loud first guard, making his head meet the ground with a loud bang. The second guard bowed profusely to Erik.

"I ask for forgiveness for my companion's behaviour, Lord Erik. He is a new recruit and didn't know who he was talking to."

He said in a kinda desperate tone.

"Don't worry about it too much. I'm certain that you will teach him well to not be disrespectful to visiting guests."

Erik said to the bowing fallen guard.

"I certainly will, Lord Erik. Thank you."

The fallen guard replied to Erik. The trio stood in silence for some moments in front of the gate, until Erik decided to remind the guard of why he was there.

"So… That meeting that I said that I have with Governor General Azazel… ?"

The still bowing guard abruptly went back to a standing position.

"Yes! Sorry again, Lord Erik. You can pass, I will warn Lord Azazel's secretary of your arrival. At the building lobby, take the elevator to the highest floor."

"Thanks. Have a nice day~"

The fallen guard said quickly, explaining to Erik how to reach Azazel's office. Erik then thanked the guard and walked into the building. As his figure disappeared inside the building, the guard quickly opened communications with his superior.

"What is it?"

A rough voice came from the device that he had in hands.

"Lord Baraqiel, this is the gate's guard. I'm entering in contact to warn that Lord Erik Ravenclaw has arrived at Grigori to meet with Lord Azazel."

The guard said while giving his guard companion a kick to wake him up.

"Ah, yes. We were expecting him. Send him up."

Baraqiel's voice said from the communication device.

"Already did, my lord."

The guard said, giving the other guard another kick, managing to wake him up this time.

"Good job."

Baraqiel said and closed the communication. The second guard then secured back his communication device while the first guard recovered himself and tried to get up, moaning in pain.

"Argh… What was that for?"

The first guard asked his companion while he caressed his head, still letting out some moans of pain.

"That was for your own good, you numbhead."

The second guard said while going back to his position and glaring at the first guard.

"What?! How can I get kicked in the head for my own good?!"

The first guard said while glaring at the second one.

"You were just about to offend Lord Erik Ravenclaw, also known as the 'Good Doctor'."

The second guard said to the first, who immediately took a pale complexion. The second guard had a smug grin on his face.

"Yeah… Are you still angry about me kicking you in the head?"

The first guard shook his head quickly.

"No, no. Thank you, elder brother."

The first guard said and thanked the second guard.

"No problem newbie. You just have to think more before you try to offend people. No one would be able to save you if you had said that to one of his wives."

The second guard said to the first one, and they went back to their duty in guarding the gates of Grigori.

While that conversation happened at the gates, Erik was already inside one of the building's elevators. He watched with calm while the display showed the floors changing, until it reached his destination. The elevator's doors opened with a soft slide and bell sound.

Erik exited it just to meet with a waiting purple long-haired beauty with strong looking eyes and large breasts.

"Welcome to Grigori, Lord Erik."

The purple long-haired beauty said, welcoming Erik to their organization. He recognized the woman, of course. She was the main reason that Azazel was so unhappy sometimes. Her name was Penemue, a cadre ranked fallen angel that worked as the secretary for the Governor General office. She was responsible to keep Grigori's paperwork flowing and could be a slave driver sometimes. And that was mainly the reason for Azazel's unhappiness, the man hated the boring paperwork.

"Thank you, Penemue. Is Azazel available?"

Erik tanked and asked the fallen angel.

"Yes, he is, Lord Erik. I made sure that his paperwork was in order so he could stop at any given time."

Penemue replied, giving a small smile while mentioning the paperwork and gesturing to Erik to follow her. She seemed to like making Azazel work with paperwork to the bone. Erik gave a chuckle at Azazel's secretary antics and followed after her. The interior of the building was very modern. It reminded Erik of offices in the human world, just that the floor that he was on right now was for the most important positions in Grigori. Penemue guided Erik through the place, passing by an empty desk and arriving at a pair of closed doors. She knocked on it twice, before opening the doors and entering. Erik followed her inside the office and was met with Azazel, seated at his own desk, talking with Baraqiel, who was standing by Azazel's side.

"Erik!"

Azazel said while getting out of the desk and walking to Erik. He extended his hand to greet Erik, who accepted the given hand and shook it.

"Azazel, good to see you."

After shaking hands, Baraqiel extended his hands to Erik.

"Hey Erik, how are you doing?"

Baraqiel greeted. Erik accepted Baraqiel's hand and shook it.

"I'm good. Just some minor problems to solve, but nothing that grave. And you, how is married life treating you?"

Erik answered Baraqiel's question and asked one himself. The rough fallen angel, Baraqiel, the lightning of God, gave Erik a smile at that. His injuries from a battle some time ago had let him meet a shrine maiden, who treated him and helped him heal his wounds. During the period, he fell in love with the shrine maiden and she fell for him too. After a short time, both had married and he now was father to a very cute baby girl. Just remembering his cute little girl waiting for his 'papa' to come home was enough to put a smile into the rough fallen's face.

"Life is good, Erik. Akeno is growing fast, and Shuri is amazing as ever. Here, look."

Baraqiel replied to Erik, who was smiling back at the man. Baraqiel then took a wallet from inside his blazer and showed Erik a family photo. Erik looked at the photo and saw Baraqiel posing in it with a beautiful black long-haired woman by his side and a cute little toddler with a head full of black hair being held by the couple. The woman, even through the photo, transmitted a feeling of noblesse to those who looked at her.

"Ok, ok, you both. Erik, I believe that you have an artifact for me to look at."

Azazel spoke, interrupting the talk between the two married men. Erik gave the man an eye roll and retrieved from a pocket inside his blazer a leather pouch. A mokeskin pouch to be more precise.

"You are just jealous of us, Azazel. That we have a beautiful wife warming our bed at home."

Erik said, teasing Azazel. Baraqiel snickered at that. It was rare for him that someone could tease Azazel like this. Erik then retrieved from inside the mokeskin pouch the corrupted Diadem, and presented it to Azazel.

"Why you little…"

Azazel stopped talking when he saw the artifact. His face went serious when he felt the foul magic emanating from it.

"I already removed the madness curse from it. It should be safe to touch it if you have good mental shields."

Erik said. Azazel nodded.

"Let's go to my lab."

Azazel spoke to Erik, Inviting him and walking to a hidden closet inside the office. Azazel opened the closet doors and entered it. Erik kept the diadem back and followed Azazel inside the closet. Baraqiel stood behind, he still had some work to do.

"My offer is still up, Baraqiel."

Erik spoke as he entered the closet.

"I will talk with Shuri today about it and give you an answer. Thank you, Erik."

Baraqiel replied to Erik while giving him a nod with the head. Azazel then activated the carved transportation circle and transported him and Erik to his personal lab in a flash of yellowed light.

Moments later, Azazel and Erik appeared in a very well lit room. This was Azazel's personal research laboratory. It was a big room full of advanced equipment and computer stations everywhere and high white walls. Azazel walked through the diverse stations, inviting Erik to follow him.

"Follow me. The equipment for analysis of the artifact is ready."

Azazel said, and Erik followed behind him with the mokeskin pouch still in hands. Soon, they arrived at a big station that had a platform with a lot of antennas that were being held by mechanical arms pointing to the middle of it.

"This is one of the various pieces of equipment that I utilize to examine Sacred Gear users."

Azazel explained what the machine was to Erik.

"Put the artifact in the middle of the platform."

He then asked Erik, who retrieved the Diadem from inside the mokeskin pouch and carefully put it in the middle of the platform. Azazel watched Erik and went to the nearby computer station. He started typing into the keyboard, preparing the machine to scan, while Erik walked to his side. With some final adjustments from Azazel, the mechanical arms holding the antennas moved and adjusted the aim of the antennas to the diadem in the center of the platform. As the movement stopped, Azazel hit the big 'START' button on the screen and the equipment started to buzz and blink with a magic circle like light appearing and going up and down slowly though the diadem.

With the scan initiated, Azazel pulled two chairs, offering ine to Erik and seating in the other. As both sat, Azazel relaxed a little and talked.

"Thank you, again, Erik. I mean, for what you are doing for Baraqiel."

"Don't worry about it, Azazel. I know the value that family has for long lived beings like us. If I can help a friend to protect his family without any cost, then I will do it gladly."

Erik said to Azazel.

"Thank you again, anyway. There were already some talks about Baraqiel's new family within the more radical groups within Grigori. Kokabiel being the loudest one."

Azazel said. Some fallen angels had this sense that their race was above all the 'mortal' ones and would deen them unworthy of their attention. There were a lot of cases in the past where a fallen angel had fallen in love with a human and as result a hybrid was born, just for said fallen angel come back to his house and find his entire family, spouse and children, murdered. That, when said fallen angel was not killed together with them.

*sigh*

"It's always Kokabiel. One would imagine that he would have changed his ways after the beating that he received during World War Two from that Vasco guy."

Erik let out a sigh and spoke. Kokabiel had always been one of the more radical fallen angels. That he had strength and was war hungry, wanting to restart the biblical conflict, didn't help too. Azazel nodded at Erik's comment.

"It doesn't help too that Shuri, Baraqiel's wife, was the female heir of the Himejima Clan."

Azazel spoke.

"Those five clans have a very disturbed sense of family. They reject violently anything that does not match their sense of 'right'. I imagine that they will start to hunt her, if they haven't already started."

Erik said. Azazel nodded his head, keeping an eye on the monitor.

"They had. Her uncles are already looking for her."

"You better warn Baraqiel then."

"I already did. Just hope that they take your offer."

Azazel finished, letting only the noise emitted by the scanning piece of equipment fill the lab.

"So, how is your school?"

Azazel asked, changing the subject.

-------------