Journey Into Cocytus IV

Time had unceremoniously passed. Eventually, the former Stormbringer felt his mind stir as his consciousness brought him to wake from his slumber. As his eyes began to open, he felt a gracious amount of warmth over his body. It was not the kind of warmth that could come from the softest of sheets and blankets alone. No…it was much warmer than that and had more mass to it. Granted, whatever this was had a certain kind of softness that led to a particular kind of elastic feeling. In addition, it felt like he was wrapped by this object as opposed to being covered by it. Most of the warmth was on his right side of his body, even blanketing his face as a sweet fragrance emanated from the surface of the mass whilst tickling his senses.

As his eyesight adjusted to the illumination of the room, he found himself reaching with one hand in front of his face. He grabbed something organic almost like a marshmallow and squeezed it. Suddenly, he heard a slight moan echo in his ear.

"E-eh? What is…this?"

The youth squeezed again before another noise rang out in his ear. Then whatever was next to him began to stir.

"Oh my, Master…are you having fun?" a voice echoed out.

The person lying next to him was none other than Morana. As he took in the sight of her being so close, he instantly realized what he was grabbing onto and swiftly let go. Before he could even attempt to jump away, he felt like his body was pulled even closer to her.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch you like that. W-Wait…what are you doing in my bed anyway? E-Eh…how long was I even out?" the Son of Mercer panicked. Morana merely placed a finger over the boy's lips.

"You are fine. You merely passed out from the fatigue your soul has acquired. As for the current situation, your body…well spirit, but body is just easier to say. Anyways, you were cold so I decided to keep you warm. Besides, you should be used to women randomly sleeping in your bed at night with your harem and all," the Sovereign of Purgatory justified.

"Eh…you mean you…"

"Yes, I know all about your little escapades with those ladies. Just because I was stuck in a scythe does not mean I was not able to observe things."

"I…I have no words…"

"That is okay…I only request that you let me indulge as well. After all, we are partners bound by our very souls."

"W-Well…when you put it like that…it's not like I have room to argue. But still, it feels just a little wrong. I mean…this isn't taking advantage or anything right?"

"Master, you do realize I am the Queen of this realm right? You are sleeping in my personal bedchamber in my palace. I have every right to enact my authority in my decision of whom I choose to share a bed with at night. Of course I am only speaking of this from a technical standpoint. What I am trying to say is to hell with those who do not like this. Our bond is unique."

"Well…okay…valid argument."

"I know…now be quiet and let me cuddle you. You make for quite the soft pillow. And do not be afraid of my breasts or any other of my parts touching you…I do not mind since it is you."

"Morana…it's too early for that kind of talk…mou…"

"Coming from the one who had morning sex in the shower…"

Without anything else to say, Raizo just allowed Morana to have her way. The female cuddled the youth close once again with a smug expression on her face celebrating her little victory. A few seconds of silence passed before she went to say something. It was then that a brilliant blue light flashed inside the room.

"Onee-chan, how is the…oh my," Garuda interrupted as she caught sight of the pair, "I hope I am not interrupting anything…yes? Though, I am quite envious of my queen right now."

"Rudy-chan…there is no need to insinuate anything," the dark-skinned female sighed before sitting up in the futon pulling her kosode tightly across her chest.

"Oho? Forgive me when I say this, but I find that rather hard to believe when the most beautiful woman in Purgatory is disrobed and sharing the bed with a naked youth. The perks of being the Celestial Goddess of Death never cease to amaze me, yes?"

"Mou…I was only keeping his body warm. The trauma nearly sapped him of all of his strength. Even if he is a soul, it is important to treat his ethereal form just like a human vessel."

"Yes, yes, I understand. Although next time, I would request to join in on this 'cuddling' fun. I believe my body would definitely assist in keeping this child warm~" she playfully winked at Raizo.

"E-Eh? R-Rudy-san...like I said hours ago…we just met. I…I don't think that's um…morally correct and all."

"Just forget it, Master. She has officially set her sights on you. It will not be easy to get rid of her by reason," the queen shook her head as she got out of the futon to get dressed.

"Indeed, we Yakshini are not easily deterred once we have pinpointed a person worthy of our affections. Though I may have come across as bold, my heart is not easily swayed. Sure I have had one or two nights of promiscuity, but the affairs and affections of the heart are truly separate," Garuda explained.

"I hardly feel worthy of that sort of attention from you, Rudy-san. I mean…it's not like you know everything about me or have seen my struggles to know whether or not I am worthy," Raizo countered.

"Ah dearie, you still have much to learn. I am not one bound by logic that humans like to use. As I have said before, I am a Yakshini. Our minds operate entirely differently. As for knowing about your life…well you see…being a soul in Purgatory allows those of a certain authority level to do some investigative research. I am a bit of a Librarian after all."

"You know…you are only making yourself sound like a creepy stalker, Rudy…" Morana said whilst shaking her head.

"Ara…well it is not like I plan on jumping the child's bones when he least expects or I am going to start confessing my love to him every day until he accepts it. Yakshini are advocates of patience. Some wait decades on their chosen to return their affections or even acknowledge. Others have gone millennia without knowing the touch of their loves. What I am trying to say is that I am only interested in this young man. I would never do anything to disrespect him or his boundaries, nor you for that matter."

"Of course, and I am sure my Master knows that you are teasing him with your rather…suggestive comments."

"Well…I'm trying to get used to it. But…given everything I just heard about…Yakshini…right? I kinda feel bad for you all. Going nearly an eternity without having the benefit of knowing love sounds awful," Raizo confessed as he ruffled his hair.

"Yes…but I am the last of my kind so I am sure my sisters have all found peace. That is only what I am left to believe. At least I have Morana-sama and the others we call our allies."

"I…I'm sorry to hear that. And um…others?" the youth tilted his head.

"Ah, I did not mention this. Garuda is one of four elite generals that guard the different gates of Purgatory. You will have the opportunity to meet the others sooner or later," Morana implied.

"Fair enough…" the red-eyed male responded in a distant tone.

"Anyway, getting back to the reason I came here. I was able to synthesize a tonic to help alleviate the effects of Purgatory on Raizo-kun's current mental state. It will temporarily halt all of the growing side effects and lingering curses. However, should the opportunity arise when he returns back to his body on Earth…"

"Yes…Cthulhu-san already emphasized that much."

"Ara…I hope you did not slap Squid-dono too hard over his blunder, yes?"

"No…but I would like to slap Goetia around since he was the one who forced my Master here to begin with. If I ever find him or just a fragment of his soul, I intend to unleash the full nightmare of Purgatory's madness upon him," Morana vowed.

"Now that would be a sight to behold, but for now…" Garuda turned her attention to the boy as she pulled a purple vial from her cleavage.

"Raizo-kun, it is imperative that you drink this as soon as possible."

She grabbed the young man's hand and placed the mysterious tonic in it. Knowing where it came from, the boy blushed as he felt the warmth on its glass surface. Looking over to Morana, he was searching for her approval over whether he should drink it to which the woman curtly nodded. As a result, he popped the cap off of the case and gulped down the contents. His lips churned as sourness mixed with a mysterious cherry flavor afflicted his taste buds. The liquid spiraled down his throat into the pit of his stomach. It was at this moment he felt a strong tingling sensation stir up within him which caused him to hold his belly for a moment.

"Well? How do you feel?" Garuda asked.

"I feel…kinda different. Like I'm not weighed down as much…and my nerves feel a little more at ease," Raizo answered.

"It would seem the potion is working then. Do you feel any fatigue?" Morana inquired to which the youth shook his head no.

"How about a burning desire to consummate with the woman in front of you or the need to indulge in your deepest and darkest urges? You have fallen madly in love with me, yes?" Garuda pressed with the utmost interest.

"E-EH??!!! W-What the? I thought that was just a medicine…m-mou what did you just give me?!" Raizo whined beginning to freak out.

"Rudy-chan…" the Queen uttered as her eyebrows furrowed.

"Ara…it was just a joke to lighten the mood. Relax. Such underhanded tactics would damage my pride as a Yakshini~" she playfully winked with her tongue poked out.

"Better not try anything on my Master…I will protect what…"

"Belongs to you, Morana-nee? Goodness, you are laying your claim firmly."

"W-Wha…n-no, do not be ridiculous! I would never sputter such nonsense about this boy in such a rude manner. Hmph!"

"Ara, that tsun-tsun side is showing. Now I see the relation be-…"

"SHUSH!" Morana quickly placed one hand over the woman's mouth.

"That topic has yet to come up…" the long-haired female whispered.

Garuda nodded in understanding which drew Raizo's curious eye.

"Um…is there something wrong that I need to know about?"

The two females shared a quick glance before separating from each other.

"No, nothing at all Raizo-kun. I was just taking my joke a bit too far, apologies. Anyways, now that this is all taken care of, I suppose the next order of business…oh my," Garuda stated before her thought was cut short.

"It would seem the others are on their way. Rudy-chan, head down to the throne room to greet them. I shall be down there shortly once I get Master squared away," Morana requested.

"Understood, Onee-chan…well…back to the formalities then, yes…" the sorceress sighed heavily before she walked over towards the transponder console and teleported out of the room.

"Formalities?" Raizo tilted his head with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes…Rudy only refers to me as her older sister when we are alone and I only relax and joke around with her in the same way. The reason being is that I do not wish to show favoritism amongst my other retainers. Everyone who chooses to follow me I consider equal. The only difference in status I acknowledge is rank and even that does not diminish one's worth in my eyes."

"I see…though it may seem like you are denying affection, you desire to keep unity with those who serve under you. You value the lives of everyone equally. That sounds like a heavy burden for you to bear. Your subjects must respect you greatly."

"I do not wish to rule, but I will not hesitate to lead. That has always been a part of my creed. The idea of being a queen is just a title that those of this realm gave to me when I conquered Purgatory eons ago. It was not something I sought after. Even with the throne I sit on and the acts of people bowing before me in my presence, I do not expect it nor do I personally desire it. However, I just accept it since that is the level of respect the residents of this realm have for me. Personally, I do not see myself sitting on top of a summit casting a judgmental gaze over everyone below. Instead, I just view myself walking alongside everyone. That is just who I am."

"Heh…it amazes me how much you sound like the rest of the family," the boy chuckled as a sullen expression fell over him.

In that moment, the faces of all the members of Team AKARA flashed through his mind alongside his Mom and Dad, Vesta, and all of the other comrades he's gained recently. A numbing pain caused his heart to ache threatening to bring tears to his eyes.

"Will I ever see their faces again? I messed up…and it cost me dearly. Why am I always like this?"

As if reading his mind, Morana had suddenly rushed down to his side and embraced the boy. She held him tightly and supportively trying to alleviate his thoughts.

"Do not torment yourself, Master. Goetia was the one who did this, not you. And Indra did not make matters any easier," she said.

"I know…but…why? Why does it feel like it's my fault? Why do I feel like I ruined everything? Why does it hurt so much?" he cried out, tears beginning to stream down his face.

"I just wanna say I'm sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean to mess up like this!"

"Master…" Morana muttered whilst holding him closer. She knew that he needed to just let it out. His heart was in disarray and he had not come to complete terms with his current reality. Everything must have been overwhelming and confusing for him.

"If you only knew just how much I relate to your feelings, Master. This was exactly how I felt when I was cursed to this place."

The memories of how Morana first arrived in Purgatory came to mind. It was something she accepted; however, the pain occasionally assailed her heart on some nights.

After a few minutes, the sobbing stopped as the woman peeled away from the boy.

"Master, allow me to get you dressed. Perhaps meeting my other followers will help distract you from the numbness in your heart. Would that be okay?"

"S-Sure I guess…anything to get these thoughts out of my head."

"Good…now then…stand up for me."

"E-Eh? But…I'm…naked and all of that."

"I know, but I carried you here naked and it is not like I have not seen your body before so…do it."

"Wait…what? Hang on…"

"Master…if you do not get yourself up out of that bed, I am going to spank you…and not in a pleasurable way."

"W-whoa hold on what the heck is that supposed to mean?! Tch….whatever…fine…"

Reluctantly, the youth flipped the covers to the side and stood up. Instinctively, he still covered up his crotch area with his hands whilst blushing as his figure was rendered viewable before the taller woman.

"That shyness of yours never ceases to amaze me. Regardless, hold still," she declared before staring intensely at the youth's body for a brief moment. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers causing a green aura to rush out and cover the physique of the male for an instant. This phenomenon led to a brilliant flash of white before fading away.

In that moment, Raizo found his body covered in clothing that mimicked Morana's except his was a karate gi outfit that was white for the torso and black for the pants capping off with a pair of wooden sandals.

"Better. Now then, let us be off," Morana nodded approvingly before reaching out to grab her master's hand and escorting him over to the transponder. In the next instant, they were gone.

Meanwhile in the throne room, Ashura Gozen, Yaten-douji, and Zion had reunited with Garuda.

"Damn Rudy, were ya here all night?" the Dragon of the East inquired with a cocked eyebrow.

"Morana-sama requested something from me that involved my knowledge of the mystic arts. So I pulled a bit of an all-nighter, yes?" the Bird of the South shrugged casually.

"You should get some sleep sooner or later. Lack of rest will catch up to you eventually," the Oni remarked.

"Indeed," the armored giant stoically agreed.

A bit of banter carried on between the four generals before Morana entered the room with Raizo lingering behind her. As the queen casually walked towards her throne, the boy just stood back in the shadows shyly for a moment. The four figures kneeled down before bowing their heads thus paying their respects before lifting them again.

"Everyone, I am pleased that you all have gathered as I would like to formally introduce you to someone," the Queen began as she turned her head.

"Come on, no need to be shy."

Instigated by her invitation, the heterochromia haired male stepped forward from the shadows and out from behind the throne. Three of the generals were surprised given how just a few hours ago the male was naked and unconscious.

"Go on…introduce yourself," the woman pressed further.

"Er…hello…I'm Raizo…" he said briefly before going quiet once again.

"Ehhh…he's awake?! That was quick!" Shugo called out in a gasp before coughing, "I uh…sorry where's my manners? Name's Ashura Gozen, pleased to meet'cha."

"Well then, he looks strong enough to tear the eyes out of a Scylla. Anyways, nice to meet you boy, my name is Yaten-douji," the Oni bellowed.

"I am called Zion," the armored Kappa said.

"And you already know who I am, yes…" Garuda chuckled softly.

"Eh? Wait…a sec, so that's why you stayed behind?" Shugo asked with a tilted head.

"Yes, I had to develop a little restorative tonic to help in the child's recovery. He is looking quite healthy, no?"

"Hmm…guess so…looks like Old Lu's little bag of tricks have worn off…then again. Oi kid, mind comin' closer so I can get a good look at ya?" Shugo requested.

Raizo merely looked over to Morana who nodded in approval. As he walked towards her, he soon discovered that the draconian female was rather taller than he expected. In addition, she wore even more revealing clothing than the sorceress. He swiftly distracted himself from noticing this by comparing his height to the others around him. Just then, the Ryu-jin stepped closer thus cutting his concentration for a moment.

"Hmm…yeah doesn't look like anythin' bad is goin' on here. Heh…ya know, you're not too bad lookin' either. I mean…you're not really my type or anything but I won't deny the fact that you are kinda cute. Hm…in a way I feel like I could see ya as my little sibling," Shugo analyzed whilst extending her hand to gently pat the boy on the head.

"M-Mou…why am I always getting this kind of treatment?" pouted the Son of Mercer.

"Heh I am sure the females of my clan would treat this one the same way. Some of them have a hidden weakness for 'cute' things," the masked male chuckled heartily.

"Now we know whom we are charged to protect at all costs, I see," Zion remarked off to the side.

"Indeed, and my Master has officially met the Cardinal Four," Morana nodded approvingly.

"I see…wait…Cardinal Four?" the boy tilted his head again.

"Yes. That is the title given to the four of us in connotation with the four directions that we are each in charge of protecting in Cocytus. The Turtle of the North, the Dragon of the East, the Tiger of the West, and then there is myself—the Bird of the South," Garuda pointed out to each of her colleagues and herself respectively.

As the light-hearted atmosphere carried on for a brief moment, the positivity was broken by a foreign source of power leaking into the realm. The aura was heavy with murderous intent and vengeful vibes. Instantly, the four generals' expressions shifted to seriousness. The woman seated upon her throne stood up prepared for a fight.

"It would seem someone has decided to break the taboo and enter my domain. I suppose it was a matter of time until it happened given the circumstances," the sovereign sighed with discontent.

"Yeah we knew it was gonna happen. Guess whoever had the balls to cross really has a death wish," the Ryu-jin remarked with excitement.

"I agree with you, Shugo-chan. It would seem that our boredom is about to be remedied for once," the Oni flexed in delight.

"How foolish of them," the armored Kappa said.

"Ara, I suppose we should greet them, yes?" the sorceress surmised.

"Without question…they dare step foot into this realm I have made into a home in a vain attempt to go after my Master. I shall not stand for their audacity. Cardinal Four, come…let us properly dispatch these intruders with extreme prejudice," Morana directed.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" they cried out in unison. In the blink of an eye, the quartet vanished from the throne room leaving only the former Stormbringer and the Queen of Purgatory to remain.

"Master, with all due respect, I must insist that you stay here. Intruders in this realm are an extremely rare occurrence. I know that this is only happening because your soul was sent here. I shall return shortly," Morana summarized.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to be of much help anyway. I don't even have my powers. Guess I can just sit here or something," Raizo responded whilst shrugging his shoulders.

Morana wiped her hand through the air thus summoning a small square that observed the outside of the castle and the entirety of her kingdom. She slid it over towards her throne before inviting the boy to sit upon it.

"You can watch from here. Do not be dismayed. This shall only take 5 minutes at the most, Master."

"Right…" the boy nodded as he walked over towards the imposing chair only to take a seat.

Morana was about to turn to leave when suddenly…

"Hey, you know you don't have to address me as Master right? It…kinda makes me feel like I own you or something which isn't the case. We're more like partners. Plus…I mean…having a Queen of basically super Hell calling me that just makes me feel awkward so…yeah."

"I see…then I suppose I should take the time to determine a proper way of addressing you. Hmm…I will think about this. For now, just relax until I return."

"Eh…I mean…you could just call me by my name…"

Morana disappeared in that moment before the boy could finish his thought.

"Mou…even the spirit in my scythe is difficult. What is up with my luck and women? Tch…this perplexes me too much."

***

To the edge of the eastern domain was the location where the intruders elected to make their appearance. There were six individuals in all, five of which appeared like demonic knights with black devil wings. The sixth appeared like an ordinary human girl. She had burgundy hair with bangs that hung to her chin on either side of her face with the rest of it bound in a ponytail. She donned leather over a white corset with a purple skirt revealing her pale thighs with brown knee-high boots to match. Her emerald eyes were radiant and appeared innocent, but that was merely a deception for deep down she oozed with envy and vindictiveness. This woman led the five demon knights into Purgatory without fear. As they walked across the surface of the harsh tundra, their auras, comparable with the likes of the upper echelon of the demon gods, was like a beacon for others to challenge them. That declaration would be met as the Queen of Cocytus and the Cardinal Four appeared to greet them.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to descend from the lofty tower to greet her honored guests. It seems like eternity has been treating you a little too well, Morana-chan~" the female called out in a taunting voice.

"Lilith, Lucifer's greatest mistake and the harlot of hell, I am truly amazed you managed to take a break from bouncing between the houses of the 72 pillars to breathe let alone do something as stupid as coming here. Then again, what else could you do after your husband got tired of your used goods? Or…father rather, it is hard to keep track. Is your well all dried up now? Then again, you did take a new form I see. You must be ready to die if you have come here so brazenly," Morana responded nonchalantly.

"Your sense of humor and insolence never ceases to amaze me. This body was the perfect vessel to achieve my mission. I heard the bastard child of the Mercer household was sentenced to rot for all eternity here by Goetia-sama. Given how he did murder my husband, I wanted to toy around with him for a bit before I torment him. He does have a taste for redheads no? This vessel was very compatible…wicked and deceitful, spreading a lie about a hero to get him condemned by an entire nation, such an angel this girl is."

"You always were a coward. Using others' bodies to carry out your whims and stir up chaos when everything settles down, truly you have not grown up. But alas, you made a fatal mistake by coming here…and by targeting that boy. I promise you, I will erase you on this day. You and the last of the Seven Evils of Humanity shall perish by our hand."

The Sovereign made sure to include the compatriots behind the woman. Though the five individuals were wearing identical armor sets, they each had their own names and roles: Belphegor, Sin of Gluttony; Abaddon, Sin of Sloth; Apollyon, Sin of Wrath; Beelzebub, Sin of Envy; Mammon, Sin of Greed; and then Lilith whom was the Sin of Lust. Their leader was Lucifer, the Sin of Vanity (or Pride), whom was already deceased.

"You fool…you think your Cardinal Four can stand against the true seven deadly sins? Surely you jest. Dispose of them my dears, I shall take on the bitch myself," Lilith ordered.

Without delay, the demon knights had charged in.

"My loyal retainers and trusted comrades, dispose of them as you see fit."

In that moment, the battle began…only to be settled in what was just a fraction of a second.

Belphegor was the first to charge in. The demon's fate would be sealed by the Oni of the West. The general rushed forward first as his arms split into four. In that moment, his hands glowed with crimson and gold energy as four unique weapons materialized. One was a polearm with a giant hooked blade, the second was a double-sided axe, the third was a giant broadsword, and the fourth was a spiked war club. Meeting the demon knight in the air, Yaten-douji smiled with excitement.

"Warlord's Pride!"

In that instant, time seemingly froze around Belphegor's body. The towering Oni unleashed four powerful swings, one with each weapon, upon the target before finishing off with one mega spike using all of the weapons simultaneously. As time then resumed around the knight, the body of the demon was compressed into a perfect cube before it was shattered into dust particles scattered through the air. The large mass of muscle landed on the ground with his weapons dissolving into nothingness, his arms merging back into two as he rolled his head around to crack his neck.

"Bastard!" Abaddon cried out before charging at the male.

"Nah, you're mine!" Ashura Gozen declared whilst rushing across the ground like a shadow that infinitely surpassing her target's reaction speed.

"Lemme soak my claws with your blood—Hysteria!"

In that instant, the fingertips of her gloves extended with razor-sharp, silver blades and a white aura circulated around the female's body. She disappeared in a flash as the whooshing noise of her body warping through the air echoed aloud. A whirlwind of slashes were unleashed when the woman began tearing away at the knight's body bit by bit. It was almost as if Abaddon was caught in a blender and it only took less than a few seconds before the knight's body was hacked into a bloody mess.

"Guess that'll have to satiate my pallet for now," Shugo remarked whilst coming to a stop thus flicking the blood off her claws. Her aura disappeared and her claws retracted before she cracked a small grin over her little display.

Apollyon and Beelzebub elected to rush at the woman together in that moment. It was then that the black armored general brushed by ever so casually to meet them.

"I need no technique to deal with the likes of garbage," he declared boldly.

The two knights were unimpressed by the male's intimidating size and continued their advance. As their projected paths arced closer and closer, the giant merely raised his left arm and swung it back. The force behind that casual yet decisive swing was enough to shatter a multiverse. The two demon knights were reduced to red paste after that.

"My brothers…I shall avenge you all at once!" Mammon declared.

The knight aimed his spear in the air as a giant ball of concentrated destructive energy appeared. However, that would not matter.

"Such feeble tricks are always amusing, yes?" Garuda remarked, "But you should not play with things you do not understand."

Indicative of those words, the concentrated mass of energy began to destabilize in the control of the demon knight. Suddenly, the power began to breakdown into smaller orbs that floated overhead like snowflakes seized by time.

"Takeover," uttered the voluptuous sorceress whilst raising her staff in the air. A brilliant orange color illuminated from the gemstone grafted in the spiral head as the power of the demon knight was stolen.

"Now then, let it rain."

The energy that was gathered in the air fired down upon Mammon like a barrage of bullets. The hailstorm bypassed the armor without delay as the innumerable balls of destructive force assailed him. After a few seconds, only a small crater remained.

"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! NO! I REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS!" Lilith screamed out in disbelief.

As her confidence faded away, the female attempted to retreat. However, Morana was not about to let her go.

"Do you really think you can escape? Your efforts were thwarted and you dare show cowardice? You dishonor your fallen companions. Truly you are the epitome of scum."

"Shut up, you know nothing! I was left alone with no one else! Because of that bastard child, I lost everything! Vengeance was all I had left! You bitch, you fucking bitch! Just die!"

"How pathetic of you, coming into my domain with your silly two-dimensional hatred, dirtying my lands with your unworthy feet and tainting the air with your rotten breath…did you really think I would just let you leave? Not only did you insult this place, you tried to insult my retainers, you continue to insult me, but worst of all, you insult the name of that child…no…in this moment, you have truly sealed your fate."

The sound of chains rattling around the woman had resonated once again. However, in that moment, those mystical bondages had shattered as a dense aura mixed with crimson, black, purple, and cerulean blended together around her. The outfit that the woman had worn transformed into an entirely different set of clothes indicative of her seriousness over the situation.

She had on a red and black kimono that was cut short around the mid-thigh region. The top portion of the blouse covering her breasts was the black colored portion that had an inverse V-cut exposing her cleavage. The rest from the end of the sternum down was the red colored area with gold patterns of fabric along the threading. She donned a western style black, high-collared coat that had golden trim along the sleeves, the outer folds and along the edges of the color. In addition, it had white, shark teeth-like shapes along the bottom on the outside of the coat. Long, black fingerless gloves were lined from her palm, up the forearm to the elbow with matching black, leather, knee-high boots. These boots also had armor along the outside covering from the knee down to the shin. Lastly, the soles of her shoes were ridiculously long, stiletto heels that raised her height another 4 inches or more off the ground making her 6 foot 8. These armored boots also had golden trim along it. Flipping her lengthy hair out to the side, the logo of the mysterious tree in her throne room was grafted on the back of her coat. She then extended her right arm out to the side.

"Come forth, Kanemitsu!"

In that instant, a mixture of black and vermillion flames with crimson electricity appeared before an elongated silhouette of dense energy appeared. Seconds later, the weapon of the sovereign had materialized. It was a katana that measured about five feet or so in length while still being encased in its sheath. The scabbard had a smooth black finish with golden trim along the outside edges and down the middle of the case to the tip where a rectangular, golden pommel remained holding a massive garnet jewel in the middle. The handle of the weapon was at least a foot long. Seven inches of it was black and gold like the sheath with a unique four-pronged, black cross guard taken from a rapier.

The woman gripped the handle of the blade tightly as her fearsome gaze locked on her intended target. Then she pulled the handle away from the sheath as a white gleaming light emanated from where the blade should be. However, the honed edge of the sword was nowhere to be seen.

"W-Wait…all of that show and there's not even a sword there?! HAHAHA what foolery is this?!" Lilith mocked.

"Oh the blade is here, it just has not materialized yet. For you see, my scabbard contains an entire Omniverse within it just for the storage of my weapon. After all, it was forged by the Goddess-Above-All herself so it breaks conventional rules of logic," Morana smirked.

In that moment, the spiraling of crimson electricity began to spark around the handle before the air around the blade literally cracked apart as if something was tearing into space. In that instant, a seven foot long steel blade had appeared dyed in black with a long ruby trail running down the middle; its aura was dyed in garnet almost like the edge was bleeding.

"It would appear that you have come at just the right time, Lilith. It has been eons since I possessed 100% of my true potential. Congratulations, you shall be given just a small taste of it before you die."

"W-Wait…hang on…just let me go okay? Y-You wouldn't kill me inside an innocent human's body right?!"

"You said it yourself right? The vessel you chose was a manipulative little bitch like you. I would probably be doing her world a favor. Beg for forgiveness or pray to whatever god you believe, no one can save you from me."

Morana tightly gripped her blade whilst tossing her scabbard to the side. She then began to concentrate a dense amount of aura within the intimidating edge as she sought to erase her opponent's existence.

"I invoke the might of the Resolute Blade Arts…to consume everything in an instant. Fire Stance – Yume no Haretsu!"

Before Lilith's eyes could blink, the sovereign had disappeared. She gathered an intense amount of power within her weapon and rushed directly at the demoness occupying the red-headed human girl's body. In the following fraction of a second, the long-haired female reappeared as the black-edged sword was brought down upon the target like a chainsaw going through the trunk of a tree. In that instant, the girl was cut in half before her body was erased into dust. In addition, the soul of Lilith was eviscerated from the planes of existence that tied her to the acknowledgement of life in the present.

The Yume-no-Haretsu technique—also known as the Dream Rupture in the common tongue—was one of the queen's signature moves that mimicked an ancient style of combat she created when developing her technique with the sword called the Resolute Blade Arts. In comparison, it was much like the Kieru-sen technique that her master used as a finishing move…only much simpler in execution yet much grander in scale.

Whereas Raizo concentrates the might of Cosmic Foundry into his blade to be discharged upon impact with his opponent's body, Morana's technique functions differently. She channels the elemental arts contained within her dense aura directly into her sword before discharging it at her foe in a single slash attack that bypasses durability and attacks not only her opponent's physical vessel, but their soul as well. Out of the Omniverse level aura that emanated from her body, she only used enough energy to infinitely surpass the Kieru-sen technique at Raizo's most powerful moment when he fought against the King of Heroes. As a result, the devastating blow was quite literally more than enough to thoroughly destroy her opponent.

"Target eliminated," she muttered before reaching her empty hand out. The scabbard she tossed away flew back to her as the blade of her sword had disappeared. She tucked the handle back into the sheath before sliding it in the ribbon attached to her hip. Turning on her platform heel, she walked back towards the others.

"Come, let us return home. I have a feeling that this little interruption is just the beginning."

Witnessing the awe-inspiring display of raw power, her retainers were rendered speechless. They could only nod in acknowledgement before following after her. As Raizo witnessed this display from afar in the castle, he too felt that this was far from over.

*****

Year: 4250 A.D., 14th of October

Time: Unknown

Location: The Void

In the depths of the empty, white void that was severed from all conventional definitions of space and time; was a certain location where two deities currently resided. Their plans were entering the final phase, all that was left to do was to bide time.

"Rest, Arayashiki. A trip to the root should serve to calm your mind and further the reach of your great power," Indra advised.

"Your words carry great wisdom. Very well, I shall go. However, please do remember to keep an eye out for the… Well you know who."

"Are you serious? No mortal could measure up to a Primordial God like myself," Indra arrogantly remarked in a dismissive tone.

"Whether or not you choose to heed my words is irrelevant to me. All you need to recall is that this is the "mortal" I served not long ago."

Not giving the thunder god a chance to respond, Arayashiki vanished into thin air. Indra had truly grown powerful after absorbing Agni, stealing Raizo's and Vesta's powers, and attaining the essence of his father, but his unchecked ego still proved to be his greatest weakness.

As the former self-proclaimed King of Heaven continued his work on charging the Arcana Crystal, a voice called out to him from the depths of his mind

"You shall not succeed…you do realize that correct?" spoke the feminine disembodied voice.

"Of course I will Dear Sister; it was always a part of the plan. It is in our DNA to live for this moment. You are just the only one who chooses to deny it, Agni," he responded.

"Indra, you and our other siblings never did try to change. All of you chose to act on selfishness and futile attempts to grab power. This is why we collectively failed time and time again. Destruction, vengeance, chaos, control, and pride…you all are just mirrors of each other."

"And you chose the path of stagnation and idleness. It was no wonder why you split in two! You were the most ruthless among us all. Not even Kali with all of her dark ways could hold a candle to you at your peak potential. Durga never tried to get on your bad side which is why she favored you so much. Funny how that favor even extended to the vessels you occupied. Though you may have denied our purpose, you unconsciously fell into line with the endgame goal. Now it is time for our Reunion…except we shall be playing by my rules. Durga is too short-sighted for what I have in mind for us all."

"Even so, all that awaits you is complete and utter defeat. All shall be made right once more. Humanity will be restored, the Counter Force will reactivate, and everything will reset before Goetia's destruction occurred. Your time is limited…brother."

"We shall see," Indra remarked with a smug grin on his face before focusing on his work.

A few hours passed whilst the deity worked, the warning that he failed to heed by Arayashiki paid off in consequence as the dark figure of the Devil Queen stood before him. Her eyes radiated an insidious glow as her sinister aura gripped the Thunder God's body in place. Just the mere presence of the woman was enough to cause chills to be sent up and down his spine.

"How ironic…you bear his face but are the sum of his failures. If only he realized just how much you manipulated him throughout his entire life, then the situation might have been different. Then again, I suppose you and your kin are all alike in that regard," Hikari smirked mockingly whilst twirling around the sword she used like a cane.

"I do not know how you came to this place, but I am afraid I must insist that you leave. I have work to do and I do not wish for my lab to be stained," the male said whilst his body shook with fear.

"Oh this will not take long if you just answer one question of mine: Where is Raizo Mercer?"

"Oh, you have not heard? That boy is no longer in this world. He is dead and gone. I suppose you shall have to live the rest of your life knowing your desire for revenge is unfulfilled," Indra replied arrogantly, however Hikari merely shot him a wicked glare.

"That is not the answer I was hoping to hear. So I shall ask again…where is Raizo Mercer?"

"Tch…of course a filthy mortal such as you would be hard of hearing…"

"Wrong again," the Devil Queen uttered as she appeared before the Thunder God's face in a flash.

In that moment, she took her sheathed weapon and gripped it like a bat before slamming the end of it into his gut.

"Answer me…"

"Uuhgh….you wretched…bitch…"

From there she slammed the end of her weapon into his foot causing the bones to break.

"Wrong again…where is he?"

"GAH…to…hell with you…" he muttered trying to avoid falling over.

"Goodness…such a simple task is apparently difficult for you to complete. Very well, I'm not opposed to beating it out of you then."

"Go ahead and try…you miserable cu-…"

Before Indra had the chance of finishing his sentence, Hikari took her weapon and slapped him across the face with the butt of her blade. As the deity was sent reeling backwards, the woman continued her advance by walking after him. She grabbed him by one of the wings and pulled him back towards her as she began to slap him around with her sword.

Over and over again, the woman swung her sheathed weapon like a baseball bat never striking the same place twice. With each brutal blow, a different bone was broken sparing no effort to hold back her attacks. It was a one-sided beating that the infamous Thunder God could not do anything to avoid. After a few more brutal lashings, Hikari picked up Indra by his face and slammed him on the cold hard ground.

"Are you going to tell me what I wish to know or do I need to keep going?" she asked with a bored tone.

"Kuhh..I…refuse to…succumb…to you…mortal bitch…" Indra coughed whilst spitting out blood.

"Very well, I was getting tired of wasting my arm strength on you anyways. Joou no Me…" the savage ruler uttered

In that instant, her devilish mystic eyes radiated with a vermillion glow as her ocular ability—known as the Queen's Eye—activated. Her perceptive ability of the world around her changed in that moment as those insidious eyes seemingly pierced through the core of Indra's being. She could easily break the pathetic deity and send him to Hell, but her goal was not to kill. She needed information and since this man was being so uncooperative, she would have to rely on her personal favorite method—torture.

Reality had dissipated around the Thunderlord. He felt his body chained across a wooden table in an X-shape. Around him were various tools and devices used to break even the bravest of heroes with ease. Hikari walked around the male without a care in the world as a grin crept upon her face. She fiddled with a nearby tray of tools trying to determine which device to use first. It was then that she grabbed something simple before holding it over the deity.

"A potato peeler, is that really it?" Indra scoffed at the idea of it.

"Increase sensitivity to pain 100-fold," Hikari uttered whilst ignoring the taunts.

She grasped firmly onto Indra's left arm and pressed the metallic item down. Increasing the pressure, she broke the skin before pulling it across the length of the arm. In that moment, she cut about three layers of skin simultaneously before pulling off an entire strip and tossing it to the side. With each and every inch peeled, Indra felt like his body was being skewered by a blade dipped in molten lava.

"AAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"Nice vocal range…let's keep it going shall we?"

From there, the hell truly began. Hikari continued to make use of the potato peeler. She kept skinning Indra's arm until it was completely barren of skin on the left and right side. From an observational standpoint, one could make out the details of the musculature beneath the skin along with the surrounding tendons. The mix of blood and damaged tissue already decorated the surface of the table. Getting bored with the tool, Hikari tossed it to the side before going back to the table to grab something else.

At this point, it became a game of bait and switch. Hikari used a variety of tools to inflict insurmountable physical and psychological trauma on the deity since he refused to divulge the information requested of him. She grabbed a scalpel to carve words like: "failure", "bitch", "weak", "pathetic", "mistake", "cum stain", among other insulting remarks along the deity's abdomen before finishing off the torso work by slicing off his nipples and taking off chunks of the man's pecs.

When she grew tired of that tool, she took hedge clippers and cut off each one his toes one after the other as his blood splashed in the air like little water fountains. After that tool, she reached for a sledge hammer and brutally smashed his legs in seven different places on both sides flattening them like pancakes. Next up was a small, metal mallet. As the deity was helplessly spread on the table, she just leaned over towards his crotch.

"I wouldn't be surprised if these didn't exist," she joked before she swung downward and smashed the man's balls with them. A high-pitched yelp of pure unadulterated terror escaped from his lips in that next moment as he could not help but to cry profusely.

"Wow…so they did exist. Well then…here lemme add insult to injury," she said whilst replacing the mallet with a box cutter.

She tore away the fabric covering the genitals of the man before reaching in and grabbing the deity's shriveled sex organ. With one swift motion, she hacked off the cylindrical object with ease before tossing it to the side.

"Not like you were going to use it anyway…"

Indra had screamed and cried so much that his vocals were all but gone. The table he was chained to was dyed with so much blood that the surface appeared to have a new golden finish to it.

"Okay so…shall I use a heated hook blade to hack off your wings one by one, rip your eyeballs out of your socket, brand your entire body or toss you into an iron maiden? Oh better yet…I'll just do all of it!" the girl clapped her hands together excited.

After an agonizing 20 minutes had passed, she performed all of the actions she described as Indra was rendered nothing more than a mess of mangled flesh and meat. As brutal as the girl's treatment was, she took special care to make sure the man was still alive.

"This pain you feel…it means nothing to me. You gods have no regrets whatsoever. You come into our lives, promising us the world if we worship you, manipulate our hearts, take away what we love, and destroy anything you dislike that offends you just because you can. You exert the kind of privilege that is so sickening and heinous that you should be the ones wiped from existence. You get caught up in your own arrogance and now we mortals are catching up. People like me attain the power necessary to kill people like you so that we can be free. But alas…that is a debate best served for another time," Hikari stated before taking a deep breath whilst brushing her hair off to the side.

"I am going to ask you one last time. If you fail to answer, I will use my powers to heal you only to adjust the pain sensitivity to 1000%. If you don't cooperate after then, then it'll be 10,000% and I'll keep going until you do give me what I want. Before that, here is your way out. Where is Raizo? I know for a fact that he is not truly dead."

"Pur…ga…to…ry…" Indra muttered in bated breaths.

"Could you say that again? I cannot really understand you with all of the bitchery leaking from your lips. A little louder, please?"

"He's…in Purga…tory…."

"One more time, 'kay?"

"Goetia sent his soul to Purgatory! He knew…that killing Raizo would be…too easy…so he sent his soul to a place…where resurrection…is just a dream…"

"Heh…ya see? That wasn't so hard. If only you would have said this sooner then all of this would not have needed to happen. Then again, it was pretty fun for me so….oh well. Thanks you miserable waste of divinity. I have no use for you now," Hikari smiled before snapping her fingers.

The realm around Indra had shattered and all of the immense damage done to his body had disappeared. He still had a few cuts and bruises from when Hikari used her sword to wail on him, but the torment that his body endured was gone. Everything he saw, felt, and endured was just an extremely realistic illusion. Before he could say anything else, the Devil Queen disappeared from his sight.

"That was truly an enlightening experience. He wasn't the real thing, but with that face, the entertainment value was worth it. Now then…it's time to find the genuine article. Looks like I'll be the one coming to save you, Raizo…because nobody is allowed to kill you but me."

With that, Hikari Hanate crossed through dimensions to reach Inferno where she would then enter Purgatory for the sake of the Seventh's liberation.