Loki's Arrival

Human World, Japan, Kuoh.

"Master, are the preparations complete?" James asked as Scathach entered the room James, Vali, and the rest of James' peerage were waiting in.

Three days have passed since the conversation with Midgardsormr occurred. In that period of time, the date for the signing of the treaty was decided. Also, Odin brought an upgraded version of Gleipnir to assist in the attack that Loki would certainly make during the alliance treaty's signing. And as it would so happen, today is the date of the treaty signing. Which coincides with the expected time of Loki's attack.

"Yes." Scathach replied with a nod. "Once Loki shows up, Sona and her peerage only have to inject their demonic energy into the runes that I set up."

The runes Scathach mentioned were the countermeasure prepared for Loki's eventual attack. Set up around the building, a five-star hotel owned by the Gremory Group, where the treaty would be signed was a teleportation circle. Stationed around the perimeter of the runic circle were Sona and her peerage. When Loki showed up to interrupt the signing of the treaty, they would inject their demonic energy into the runes that supplied energy for the teleportation. Then, James, Rias, who was stationed in a room of the hotel like James, Sona, Vali, and the three peerages would be teleported to a barren location along with Loki.

"Good, now all we have to do is wait." James said with a nod and a smile.

"Wait." Vali said, interjecting himself into the conversation. "I know about the rune teleportation and where we're fighting. But why are we teleporting the faction leaders with us as well?"

"*Sigh* That Azazel..." James said with a tired sigh. "Is that really all he told you?"

"Judging by your tone, I guess there is more to it than that." Vali said while shaking his head. "And to answer your question, yes. That's all he told me."

James sighed again after he heard Vali's answer. Then, he looked up and made eye contact with his rival.

"Before setting up the runes, Master registered everyone's energy signature." James said, beginning to explain the rest of the plan to Vali. "With those registered energy signatures, Master added a runic sentence to the teleportation circle that would exclude certain signatures from the teleportation. The faction leaders and those responsible for making sure there are no issues with the treaty, to be exact."

A look of realization crossed Vali's eyes. Then, he looked at Scathach with an impressed and respectful gaze.

"I can only imagine how much Le fay could improve if she had a teacher like you, Master Scathach." Vali said in sincere amazement.

"Who is this Le Fay?" Scathach asked curiously. "A talent with runes? Or a talented magician. Those are the only two possibilities I could think of, based on the context."

"She's a talented mage and part of my team." Vali replied.

Scathach only nodded, not even for a second considering taking the magician under her wing. Vali, who also noticed that, dropped the subject.

'Oh well, Arthur can't get mad at me.' Vali thought with a mental shoulder shrug. 'I tried to do something nice for his little sister. Not that I really cared about the outcome.'

With that, James, Vali, and his peerage chatted until the time for the faction leaders to arrive was upon them. When the first of the faction leaders, Sirzechs and Serafall, arrived, James, Rias, and Sona were notified. Then, along with their peerages they all went on high alert. A few minutes later, A bright flash appeared in front of the hotel's entrance. When the flash dimmed, Michael in his usual outfit appeared. A moment later, he entered the hotel and made his way to the meeting room.

"It's the middle of the night." James said exasperatedly. "Do the people from heaven have to do things to draw attention to themselves, no matter what?"

Hearing James' complaint, Scathach chuckled.

"I can understand your annoyance, my disciple." Scathach said. "But you should know that that flash can only be seen by those with high supernatural sensitivity. So, instead of drawing attention, that flash places everyone in the surroundings with low supernatural sensitivity under an illusion."

"Oh?" James exclaimed with interest. Then, he gestured for Scathach to continue.

"The illusion each angel uses may differ slightly, but they all make normal humans believe that the angel arrived in a normal way."

"I see." James replied with a nod. Then, while stroking his chin he continued. "I should learn something like that. I could make a pretty bad ass entrance."

Scathach shook her head with a small smile on her face. Meanwhile, Mizore, Moka, Flora, and Shion joined James in excitedly discussing what kind of entrance he could make. Watching this stupid conversation, Vali clenched his fists.

'How did I lose to someone like that?' Vali wondered angrily. 'I feel like I'm losing brain cells just listening to that dribble.'

"You shouldn't underestimate them." Dante said after approaching Vali. "Aside from Shion, they're all highly intelligent."

Hearing that, Vali turned toward Dante. After looking him over, Vali spoke.

"Then why would they carry on such a stupid and pointless conversation?" Vali asked with a frown.

"It's to lower tension before the battle." Cu Chulainn said, also approaching Vali. "It's just how they keep their states of mind in an optimal condition before a serious battle."

"If they're that nervous before battle then I severely overestimated them." Vali said while shaking his head.

"If that's what you think, then you're even less of a threat than I thought." Ayame said from behind Vali.

Jumping in response, Vali looked over his shoulder and noticed the bespectacled white-haired beauty standing behind him.

'When did she get there?' Vali thought while keeping his expression under control.

"Anyway." Dante said, interrupting the current conversation. "James told me that Vergil joined you. What's he been up to since the Temen-ni-gru was resealed?"

"I'm not too sure." Vali said with a shrug. "We found him wondering around an island fighting all the monsters he could find, with the goal of getting stronger."

"Sounds like something Vergil would do." Dante said with a nod.

"When I promised him that he could get stronger with us and he would have a chance to fight you again, he joined us without hesitation."

"*Sigh* He's got such a one-track mind." Dante said in a tired tone.

"It's better than being dead broke all the time." Lady said, cutting into the conversation.

"That's not my fault, James is withholding my earnings." Dante said, trying to defend himself.

"If you weren't in debt, James wouldn't be doing that." Lady replied with a disdainful gaze. "On top of being broke, you're a deadbeat, too."

Like that, Dante forgot about his conversation with Vali and began to bicker with Lady. Vali just looked at this blankly. Noticing the blank look in Vali's eyes, Cu Chulainn patted him on the shoulder which drew Vali's attention.

"Are they always like this?" Vali asked while glancing at Dante and Lady's argument from time to time.

"*Sigh* Yeah." Cu Chulainn replied as he also glanced at the two. "I don't know why they haven't just started dating, yet. I mean, seriously, the sexual tension is palpable at this point."

"Shut the hell up, Lancer!" Dante and Lady shouted simultaneously.

Then, out of nowhere, James appeared next to Vali and Cu Chulainn with a smile on his face.

"Oh, what do we have here?" James asked with a mischievous smile. "You two are so close. You're even speaking in unison. So, when is the wedding? I have to start working on my best man's speech."

"Like I'd ever marry this deadbeat/sadist!" Dante and Lady shouted in unison again. Then, they glared at each other. A moment later, they turned away simultaneously.

A moment later, Dante turned toward James and glared once again.

"And why do you think you would be my best man at my wedding?" Dante asked.

"I was wondering that, too." Vali chipped in.

Ignoring Dante's glare, James turned to the curious Vali.

"Look at this guy." James said as he pointed at Dante. "Does it look like he has any friends other than Lancer and me? And if he chose his brother, the wedding would never happen."

Vali then looked at Dante. After a moment he nodded his head, agreeing with what James had to say.

"Good, now that we've established that Dante doesn't have any friends." James said with a smile.

"What the hell!?" Dante exclaimed.

James ignored Dante's shout and looked at Cu Chulainn.

"The only other choice for best man is Lancer, here." James said then patted Cu Chulainn on the shoulder. "To be honest, no one would give Lancer the chance to speak publicly, especially at an event as big as a wedding."

Hearing that, everyone in the room, other than Vali, nodded in agreement.

"What the hell does that mean?" Cu Chulainn asked with a pout.

"It's a well-known fact that you have the habit of sticking your foot in your mouth." James said in a solemn tone. "No one wants to test their luck on their big day."

Once again everyone nodded. And seeing that Cu Chulainn did not refute James' statement, Vali also nodded his head.

"So, in conclusion." James said while turning back to Dante. "What choice do you have other than me?"

Dante just looked away in response. He already knew that James was just messing with him from the beginning. However, he could not help but react to James' teasing.

'That bastard is way too good at getting under people's skin.' Dante thought.

Then, the group continued to chat about everything and nothing until all the faction leaders arrived. And as they thought, it did not take long for Azazel to arrive with his usual shit eating grin on his face. A few moments after Azazel, Odin, Rossweisse, and Baraqiel also arrived. Then, they joined Azazel who was waiting for them in the lobby.

"Well, it shouldn't be too much longer." James said as he watched Odin, Rossweisse, and Baraqiel enter the hotel. "I hope Akeno will be all right during this fight. You included Baraqiel in the fighting force right, Master?"

"That is correct." Scathach replied. "But I think she will be fine as long as you are there."

James smiled at Scathach in reply. Then, the group continued to chat lightly. The time they expected Loki to show up was close. And just as they expected, not even half an hour after the faction leaders sat around the meeting room's table, a tear in space opened directly above the hotel. While watching the security feed, Vali could not help but ask his next question.

"How strong is his mastery over space?" Vali asked seriously. "Tearing space like that to travel isn't easy, right?"

Hearing that question, everyone else looked toward Scathach to hear her opinion as the most knowledgeable and most experienced person in the room.

"His mastery over space seems to be less than ordinary to this Scathach's eyes." Scathach replied. "The Trickster God added that effect to his teleportation circles in order to add an extra bit of intimidation."

With Scathach's explanation, everyone exhaled a breath of relief. Then, they all readied themselves for battle.

"Sona, start the teleportation." James said as he raised a communication magic circle to his right ear.

Meanwhile, Loki was looking down at the hotel where the four faction leaders were discussing peace.

"Those fools." Loki said. "Don't they know that peace is nothing more than illusion? Peace is simply the period used to prepare for the next war."

After that, Loki began to lower himself toward the roof of the hotel. However, just before he could set foot on the roof, he felt the space around the hotel freezing. Then, he was forcefully teleported away from his location.

Human World, South China Sea, Uninhabited Island.

When Loki gathered himself from the forceful teleportation, he scanned his surroundings. What he found was that he was in the middle of a desert and surrounded on three sides. When he noticed that he was surrounded by a bunch of youths, Loki smiled disdainfully. Until he noticed Scathach among them, that is. Then, he watched as Scathach slammed the butt of her spear on the sand.

With that, a magic circle with a radius of 1.25 miles (approx. 2 km) lit up around them with Scathach at its center. Looking around, Loki's disdainful smile was still present on his face. In fact, it grew even wider.

"A space locking runic circle, huh?" Loki said. "If I were fighting you alone, this might be a problem. However, do you really think that you and these children are enough to stop me, Scathach? Especially when I brought him and his two sons with me?"

Then, Loki spread his robe, from its interior a giant wolf, about 33 feet (approx. 10 m) tall, with ash grey fur leapt forth. Following Fenrir were two smaller wolves, Skoll and Hati, who also leaped from the interior of Loki's robe.

"Now, what else can you do but wait for your own death, Scathach." Loki said with a disdainful smile. "Honestly, you should have died during the Great War. Now, I will rectify that oversight."