Deceiver

The soul-searing cold seeped into Eren as he stared at the laughing face in the ice.

"Let's hurry this up, boss!" Herc yelled, teeth chattering. "I'm freezing my balls off here!"

"Not like you use them for anything," Jeanne teased, though her face was also wholly red from the cold.

Despite being cold himself, Cao Cao joined Eren in looking down at one of the prisoners in Cocytus's freezing waters, careful not to let his magic bring him too close to the Underworld's river.

Even with the True Longinus and his body reinforced by the Grail, touching the glacial torrents would freeze him solid if he wasn't careful.

"You told him he'd fail," Cao Cao said with a vindictive smile. "Serves the crow right. He could have worked with us."

"He served his purpose," Eren said simply, not a flicker of emotion in his voice. "We all do."

"Why do you think he's laughing?" Georg asked curiously, being the caster of the spell to carry himself and Eren. "It must be excruciating in there."

"Who knows," Eren muttered, turning away from Kokabiel and directing Georg to where they needed to go.

If anyone had been around in this, the lowest and coldest layer of the Underworld, they might have seen the flash of lighting and watched a titanic figure rise from the depths of Cocytus's waters.

They might have seen it carry a half dragon, half fallen angel abomination, crucified and sealed, out and over the water to lay it at Eren's feet.

But nobody was around to see any of this.

All the usual guards had been diverted and subverted by the Lord of the Dead and were conveniently away. Not a Grim Reaper to be seen around.

Once the Titan's body of white bone and flesh dissolved, no trace remained that the Poison of God had been taken from its eternal prison.

********

Given how tense everything was in the enormous hall, someone could be forgiven for believing a war could break out at any moment.

They could also be forgiven for running for their lives, given the sources of that tension.

But nobody could run.

Either because they had been threatened into coming to this meeting, because a reward they needed had been promised, or because they were trying their very best not to attract the attention of the prominent figures in today's meeting.

Whether by coincidence or design, the two seats closest to the end of the table had been segregated from all others...

Then again, it could be that nobody wanted to sit anywhere near two of the Top Ten existences in the world.

It was almost as if power had determined placement... no, that was definitely the case.

With the skeletal Hades, garbed in his gold and black robes and holding his skeleton staff on one side of the long table and the relaxed form of Indra, in his floral print shirt and sunglasses on the other, it was almost a test of a sort to see where someone dared to sit.

Near the front, fellow gods, such as Loki and Angra Mainyu, still maintaining a respectful distance. Beyond them were the influential members of large factions, such as Kokabiel, or just strong enough to qualify as a faction on their own, like Crom Cruach.

Despite their displeasure, Shalba Beelzebub and the descendants of the Old Satans sat further down the table from that group. While they considered themselves just as powerful if not more so, than Kokabiel, they were also not stupid enough to insist on sitting next to the strongest Evil Dragon.

The Old Satan Faction acted almost as a gate, far from the truly powerful and far from those too weak to have any actual say in a meeting like this.

Far, far in the back were the more minor, weaker factions. Black magic societies, representatives of magical terrorist organizations, and a mighty wanderer or two without affiliation.

Altogether, the beings in this room represented a significant portion of all the power in the world. Outcasts. Rejects. Villains. Monsters. Evil Gods and Dragons.

They were the dark side of the supernatural world, those discontent with current systems, rulers, or laws.

They were carrion who would feast more on death and destruction rather than try to ensure peace and stability.

And they all, to a one, hated each other.

Thus, the tension.

Still, nobody wanted to make the first move when so many other powerful forces were present and thus, a quiet peace of sorts had settled, maintained by Hades' and Indra's continued silence.

They, for their own part, kept quiet because they were waiting. Their eyes scanned over Rizevim Lucifer, who had been the one to 'invite' them. The Super Devil sat not at the table but to the side.

Perhaps even his arrogance faltered at the idea of taking the head of the table with so many powerful beings present.

From Rizevim, their focus switched to the 'guards' lined along the walls. All of them were human, many young, but the aura of the spear leaning against their leader's shoulder kept many of the weaker guests in check and the Old Satan faction quiet while simultaneously intriguing the stronger ones. 

Whoever could use the holder of the True Longinus as a guard would be interesting, no doubt. Indra, in particular, was keen on finding out who such a being was and his patience led to Hades keeping quiet for the moment. It wasn't like he was without time, after all.

If Rizevim had planned this, the Lord of the Dead would grudgingly give the bat some respect for how well he had planned it.

Even if the idea of being here because of a bat angered him.

The tense silence lasted for a minute or so after the last arrival found a seat. A representative of Nilrem, who almost had a heart attack and hurried to hide in the back when he noticed who else was present, found a seat.

Things finally began when a teleportation circle appeared near the head of the table, and six people stepped out.

Perhaps everyone had been holding their breath, but the release of tension at the sight of six... children appearing in front of this august group led to more than a few noises of surprise and confusion.

"Sorry we're late," a monkey yokai said, trying to sound casual. Almost everyone there could hear the nerves in his voice as he and his companions were stared down by some of the world's strongest and most dangerous beings. "A bit, uh, delayed."

Barely anyone paid attention to the nervous young man as another advanced to take the seat at the head of the table.

The teenager didn't seem to care that almost everyone stared at him in shock as he casually sat down.

"My name is Eren Yeager," the boy said without emotion as he stared down some of the strongest beings in the world. Rimmed in odd curving markings, his dead grey eyes did not give anything away. "We are now a unified organization, and I am your leader. You will do what I say, and you will succeed. Do not, and you will fail and die."

Perhaps the sheer shock, or maybe curiosity, stopped anyone from doing anything when the boy waved his hand.

The four-tailed nekomata, visibly more nervous than the boy but with the barest hint of a smile, advanced and passed him three sheets of paper, which he slid across the table to stop in front of Indra, Hades, and Crom Cruach.

By the time they stopped, though, the shock had worn off.

"What-"

"Who do you-"

"Are you-"

"A human-"

"HA! You think-"

"Enough."

One word and a burst of power was all it took to silence everyone in the room.

That was what it meant to be in the Top Ten.

Not even other gods like Loki or Angra Mainyu could stand up to the displeasure of Hades, Lord of the Dead.

"Bat," the Skeleton God barked out, displeasure clear in his voice as he addressed Rizevim, who had been watching all this with a smirk from his seat in the corner. "You better have a reason for this."

He didn't bother looking at the paper in front of him.

"Hey, hey," the Super Devil held up his hand in lazily, his smirk widening. "I just invited everyone. This is all Eren's show. I'm not the one doing all the work. I'm just a... Silent partner of sorts."

"Rizevim will have no place in day-to-day operations," Eren continued voice just as dead and empty as ever. As if the weight of displeasure from Hades was nothing. "My orders will be relayed by my team here or from the Hero Faction you see around you."

"Why should we listen to you?" Shalba Beelzebub, bolstered by the presence of Lucifer's son, spoke up. He didn't draw closer for fear of angering the stronger beings higher on the table, but he did stand up. Creuserey Asmodeus and Katerea Leviathan joined him to leer at the seated boy. "You are a human, surrounded by humans, half-breeds, and Stray rats."

Everyone heard the crackle of lightning.

Everybody saw and felt the explosive displacement of air.

The weaker members, further down the table, flinched and backed away. The more vigilant readied weapon and spell for battle.

The truly strong those closer to the head of the table just watched curiously as an enormous figure erupted from below the table in an explosion of wood and concussive force.

Weirdly, the destroyed part of the table stopped right before reaching Crom Cruach and the lesser forces, as if it had been planned beforehand.

Most didn't notice that fact, too busy staring at the odd summoned being.

Shaped like the upper torso of a human, only meters large, it shattered the table with its appearance, massive jaws clamping around the legs of the Beelzebub descendant.

With enormous white eyes, rows of teeth that split the face in half, and skin and hair made of some sort of white material, it looked like some sort of chalk sculpture carved into the vague form of a human's upper torso by a demented cartoonist.

The titanic being, even just the shoulders and up, took up almost the entire space of the enormous meeting room, leaving only a meter between it and the ceiling.

Credit where it was due, the three descendants of the original Satans were not strangers to conflict and had been on edge since before their arrival.

The suddenness of the attack meant Shalba was trapped in its mouth, sharp teeth digging painfully into his thighs, but neither Katerea nor Creuserey wasted any time unleashing their power upon the monstrosity.

Blasts of demonic power struck the giant and did nothing as a haze of Ki surrounded it.

"ARGH!" Shaba screamed as the humanoid... thing started putting even more pressure on his leg.

"This is a Titan," Eren said, voice not wavering in the slightest at the sudden bout of violence.

He even went so far as to rest his head on one hand, leaning against the table as if bored.

"I can create them at will. Only a few of those gathered here are strong enough to pierce my Senjutsu. You are not among them."

As he spoke in that empty voice, more attacks had landed on the monster to no avail. Shalba, after getting over the surprise and pain, managed to grit his teeth and unleash his own power.

King of Flies, the ability inherited from the original Beelzebub, conjured forth an army of demonic flies. Each was a monstrous creature in their own right, and these small manifestations of demonic power formed a magic circle of their own, rivalling the other descendants' power and unleashing them all on the Titan.

A rain of explosive destruction fell upon the white monster from the innumerable flies and Katerea and Creuserey.

To their credit, all working together, they pierced further into the Touki than before, but only so deep as to mark the white skin.

Another crackle of lightning and another Titan, only six meters tall but fully formed, appeared in the hall. The humanoid figure, shaped like a skinny man with a broad smile, advanced toward the three devils.

Katerea and Creuserey took further to the air, gaining some distance from the Titans and leaving Shalba trapped. They tried to attack the new arrival but had no more success than before.

Another crackle of lightning and another white titan.

This one was bulkier and larger than the six-meter one, but because it walked on all fours, like some sort of cross between a toddler and a spider, it still only reached seven meters tall.

"You've made your point," Creuserey called out through grit teeth down at Eren. "Cease this, and we will talk."

"I haven't proven anything yet," Eren said without inflection.

To prove his point, a fourth crackle of lightning filled the room.

This Titan was the largest yet. It was shaped like an anorexic man, unnaturally thin but so tall that it sat hunched against one of the side walls, legs splayed out before it on the ground and back hunched against the ceiling so it loomed over the room.

Enormous, bulbous eyes looked down at Shalba Beelzebub, still trapped in the first Titan's mouth, with almost childlike curiosity.

The second Titan had reached the devil by then, ignoring the continual attacks on it by the army of flies, it reached up and grabbed one of the devil's arms and dragged it towards its mouth.

"AAAARRRRGGGG" Shalba screamed again. This Titan's teeth were human, meaning the front ones were flat. The sound of bones grinding was almost swallowed by the screams. Almost. "Stop! Stop!"

"No."

Desperate to stop the pain, as well as save his life, Shalba Beelzebub tried everything. He tried to fly away, teleport out, and reinforce himself with magic. Anything at all.

Nothing worked.

Through the haze of pain and terror, the old devil realized something.

Eren could have killed him instantly. Could have these, these, these monsters kill him with a simple Senjutsu-powered punch.

He was choosing not to. Choosing to inflict pain and terror on him before killing him.

Rage, mad, frothing rage unlike any he had ever felt, welled up in Shalba's chest. Never had he felt such anger, not in the Civil War or since, when the usurper took Shalba's rightful position and title.

So mad was he that when the descendant of Beelzebub felt the third Titan grab his free arm with its jaws, he gave up all pretense of escape or defence.

Instead, he decided he would kill the bastard who thought he could end him, a descendant of Beelzebub, without consequences.

All the summons conjured by the Lord of Flies turned and unleashed everything they had upon Eren Yeager.

A rain of Demonic Power fell upon where Eren Yeager sat.

Eyes widened as the boy simply sat without moving, instead of blocking them with Senjutsu or trying to dodge.

Most had been spread out in a net to prevent evasion, but a few still landed.

They tore into him, carving bloody holes through his body. His right shoulder was blown off. Another blast carved through the table, destroying his heart. 

The third and most deadly struck his head. He had been leaning at an angle, so it did not take it off completely, but the entire top half of his face was blown away.

Blood and flesh fell, and from the hole in his skull, the remains of his brain fell onto the ground with a wet SPLAT.

Many believed the boy's arrogance meant he didn't expect a surprise attack in return.

Some believed it to be an illusion.

The more observant noted how none of the 'guards,' the teens with Eren, or Rizevim Lucifer, reacted in any way except to wince slightly, grimace in disgust, or give a knowing smirk.

Except for the blond man with the Holy Sword. He covered the younger girl's eyes with one hand.

Shalba Beelzebub didn't notice any of that.

His entire focus was on the bloody corpse, not even falling over due to how suddenly it had died.

"HA!" The devil barked out a triumphant laugh. "That's what happ- ARGH!"

The third Titan bit down on his arm and began to tear.

Through the tears of pain and surprise, Shalba saw the impossible.

The mangled corpse moved.

There was a haze of Ki around the body as flesh and bone regrew. In a flash of Ki and steam, the gruesome body was replaced with the human boy, looking as dead-eyed and empty as ever.

As if nothing had happened.

Shalba Beelzebub screamed.

Eren blinked, and spikes of white bone pierced every one of his flies instantly.

The giant Titan lowered its head toward where Shalba Beelzebub was held aloft.

"If you want us to work for you," Katerea Leviathan snarled, but her voice shook with fear. "You'll let him go."

Shalba saw an enormous mouth, larger than his entire body, open above him.

"I do not force anyone to work with me," Eren said simply. "If you want to leave, you can. I won't attack or even fight you. You will just fail. It's your choice to stay. But while you stay, you will do as I say, when I say it. Attempts to argue, fight back, or undermine me will end with your death and the complete failure of all your goals."

With surprising delicateness, the teeth closed around Shalba's screaming head. Not crushing it, just grasping it.

"We didn't do anything like that!" Creuserey tried to argue. Eren didn't answer, so he turned to another avenue. "Lord Lucifer! Can you please control your pet!"

The enormous Titan's hand wrapped around the torso not in the first Titan's mouth, and held him fast.

"As I said," Rizevim responded with a smirk. "I'm just here to watch. This is Eren's show. If you want to kill him, go ahead. And if he kills you? That just means you weren't devilish enough."

All four Titans began to pull.

"The Old Satan faction might be the largest of those here," Eren said plainly, voice carrying over the screams of the devil slowly being torn apart. "But you are also the one I like the least. I don't need all three of you to lead your faction."

The screaming ceased with a disgusting crunch.

Bloody limbs and the pulped remains of what was once the last scion of the Beelzebub family fell in a shower of visceral bone and brain matter.

The four white titans fell over as if they died with their prey and began to steam and dissolve.

They left a silent room behind.

A few had tried attacking the Titans when they first appeared, on reflex more than anything, but once it became clear only the devil who spoke was the target, many had sat back and watched.

Devils generally weren't liked, and the Old Satan faction, in particular, was not well regarded, so nobody was going to risk their necks to save them.

It might have something to do with their highly outspoken desire to kill or enslave all other races, but that was just guesswork.

The silence also came from the sense of shock. Not at the power the boy displayed. Many here had seen Senjutsu before, and the 'Titans' were just odd summons.

No, it was the regeneration that shocked them.

To anyone here, decapitation or the destruction of their heart would be fatal, even to Indra.

To be sure, it was almost impossible to do that to the gods, given how strong their bodies were. A hallmark of a powerful being was how tough it was to damage them, either through pure power, racial traits, or the like.

But regeneration was exceedingly rare. Regrowing a limb was almost unheard of.

What Eren Yeager had just done, regrowing his brain and heart without apparent effort was impossible.

For the first time, some began to consider the boy might have a reason to have his confidence.

The silence didn't remain long.

"That is was the stick," Eren said simply. "Here is the carrot. In a few years, the three factions will sign a peace treaty, officially ending the Great War once and for all."

That got noise from the room.

Everyone here was familiar with death and destruction. Most had even committed brutalities far worse than what they had just witnessed, but to hear that the longest and deadliest war in history would be officially coming to an end was something they could not, would not, believe.

"You lie!" Kokabiel snarled.

Both Katarea and Creuserey, with looks toward the bloody remains, had retaken seats at the long table. They were notably further down, leaving Kokabiel, the only member of the Three Factions present beside them and Rizevim, to speak up.

"I do not," Eren answered calmly.

"If you think that killing a devil or two will get me to believe something like that, you are mad," Kokabiel leered over the boy, all his wings flared to their full extent. "You do not understand of what you speak, boy! The Great War is something a human mind cannot even begin to comprehend!"

"I know more about war and death than anyone in this room." Eren said it simply, calmly, as his empty eyes flitted from Kokabiel's to Loki's, to Hades' and finally resting on Indra's. "And you will believe me because I can see the future."

A pause.

Then a snort.

"'See the future?'" Loki snorted in laughter. "You put on a good show. I'll give you that. But nobody can see the future."

"He's telling the truth."

Loki's laughter died with Indra's words.

The God of War's face had lost the lackadaisical smile as he stared at Eren.

Indra held up the paper that had been placed in front of him facing down the table so everyone could see it. Three words were written clearly across the page.

'Read my mind.'

"I've seen this entire meeting happen a dozen times, from start to end, in his mind," Indra said seriously. Then, he faced a different direction, addressing one of the guards. "Is this truly your path, Cao Cao?"

"It is," the wielder of the Longinus met the gods' eyes with a firm conviction. "This is the type of Hero I will become. A future I choose."

"An illusion he witnessed beforehand, then," Loki explained away. "It's not hard to predict the bats will act up, and he'd kill them."

"Do you think I can't tell the difference between an illusion and a memory," Indra asked with a casual smile, and Loki visibly shivered.

Not everyone was cowed by the Hindu god, though,

"Hey," Crom Cruach spoke up, his voice casual as he held his own page in front of him. "Why did I get a paper?"

The paper in front of Hades remained face down on the table, and the god of the dead made no move to look at it.

"A gesture of respect for the Top Ten members in the room," Eren said simply.

All eyes but that of Indra and Hades snapped to the Evil Dragon in surprise, who just grinned.

"Haha, you know about that?" Crom Cruach laughed, not denying it.

"I know a lot of things," Eren nodded simply. "As you are now, you're stronger than Hades but weaker than Indra."

Even Hades turned to look at the dragon mid-way down the table now, though his skeletal expression was unreadable.

"I've been practicing," Crom laughed again. "I'm always looking for the next fight. What do you say, White Dragon Emperor? I want a rematch with Albion."

"I wish I could," Vali sighed, sounding genuinely regretful.

"I guess you'd need a few years to grow a bit more before it would be interesting," the dragon shaped like a man muttered. "Still, if you know how strong I am and can see the future, why did you give me this?"

Like Indra, Crom Cruach held up his paper for everyone to see.

Once again, three words were written on it.

'You will die.'

"Because no matter what I do or say, you will try and fight me," Eren answered simply.

"And you think you can kill me?" There was an eagerness to the dragon's words as he leaned forward.

Members in the back of the room left their seats again to back up from the power he was getting off.

"If you challenge me, you will die because of me," Eren answered with a nod.

"Crom," Indra said seriously. "Do not. He does not care about your rules of engagement, and you will not enjoy the battle. If you ever challenge him, you will die."

The dragon's grin got ever wider.

"When you put it like that, I gotta try, don't I?" Crom Cruach said, standing from his seat. "I'll be coming after you and Shiva soon enough. Can't back down here. I'm a dragon, after all."

Indra sighed sadly.

"Even when you try, nothing will change the future. All you do is ensure it will happen. I have already seen it," Eren told the god. Then he faced Crom Cruach again. "This is your choice. You know the consequences."

"You invited me here to kill me," Crom's smile was all teeth. "I'm curious how you will do it."

"Your death will be a catalyst for the creation of the Chaos Brigade," Eren said simply, his voice as dead as it had been this whole time. "But you can still leave. Nobody here will interfere if you leave or fight. I won't hurt you or harm you. You won't, but you need to know you can."

In response, Crom Cruach let loose all the power he had been keeping suppressed.

The building shook.

The back end of the table was destroyed as the weaker members threw up what shielding they could.

The front half maintained its form only because the gods there spread their own power to counter the pressure from the dragon. 

Not even the 'guards' were unaffected, and Le Fay quickly threw up a magical barrier to keep the pressure from bringing their members to their knees. It began to crack within seconds.

Parts of the walls of this building, created just for this meeting, started to collapse, revealing the wall of mist from Georg's Sacred Gear. 

Even Dimension Lost seemed to vibrate under the power of Crom Cruach, an Evil Dragon who had spent centuries training to surpass the Heavenly Dragons.

"Well," Crom asked, his very being radiating enough magic and pressure to make even the gods frown. "Shall I fight like this or in my true form? I'm just as strong in either."

Eren, whose only action so far had been to support himself and his chair with Senjutsu, sat up straight once more.

He tapped the table once. A saucer of white bone appeared in front of him.

Eren held out his hand, and Kuroka stepped forward. Unlike the boy, she was shaking from the pressure, but that didn't stop her. The Stray handed the boy something, which Eren placed on the plate.

He flicked the saucer toward Crom Cruach, and it slid. The shaking ground nudged it, so it stopped perfectly before the Evil Dragon.

Bemused but interested, Crom didn't attack the boy as he did all this. He wanted a fight. An ambush like that would only spoil things.

A spell ended around the saucer, and the scent of a freshly baked cookie met everyone's sensitive noses.

Confusion didn't have time to spread.

Barely had anyone had time to register the human's odd behaviour, then Crom Cruach's power completely disappeared.

Everyone froze.

From Eren to Indra, from Rizevim to the weakest magician present, everyone found themselves unable to move.

A little girl appeared over the table.

It was not teleportation. They just willed themselves into this dimension through the Sacred Gear and every magical protection in place.

Every bit of magic and power was ruthlessly blown away. Or perhaps carelessly was a better word. The creature before them probably didn't even notice a Top Ten contender's magic.

After all, neither of the Divine Duo were on the Top Ten list for the simple fact that either of them eclipsed the whole thing alone.

"I, am here for you," the little girl said with only the barest hint of emotion as she stared down Crom Cruach. "Help me beat up Great Red."

"Ophis."

Crom Cruach breathed out the name with so many complicated emotions.

Awe. Fear. Eagerness. Shock. Wonder.

Even in this new form, he would recognize the power of the Ouroboros Dragon anywhere. It was literally Infinite.

This was one of the dragons he hoped to challenge one day.

"Crom Cruach." Ophis 'greeted.' It was more like it said it to recognize his existence. Then she turned, looking around the room and noteing all the faces frozen in terror. Her placid eyes turned to the head of the table. "Indra. Albion. Hades. Help Crom Cruach help me beat up Great Red."

"Ophis."

With all his power, with all the Senjutsu he could muster and all reinforced strength, that was all Eren could say, unlike Crom, who, while frozen, could still speak under his own power.

Eren mouth tore, cheeks splitting, and teeth shattering to get that one word out under the immense pressure of the Infinite Dragon God.

That was enough to grab the little girl's attention for a split second.

It looked at the unfamiliar, weak human in front of it, eyes briefly scanning and judging him useless in a moment.

Then its eyes fell on the piece of paper held aloft by a spike of white bone next to the human's face.

The same piece of paper placed in front of Indra was pierced through, but the writing was still legible, even as the material started crumbling.

'Read my mind.'

It did so without a care and just to satisfy a moment's curiosity.

Its eyes widened a fraction of a millimetre in shock.

"I, see."

Ophis turned back to Crom Cruach, face completely impassive.

"You are in the way."

The Evil Dragon realized what was going to happen right before it did.

Realized that this had all been a show, a trap. He and his power had been the bait for Ophis.

His death would solidify this organization around Eren Yeager and Ophis.

Crom Cruach exploded in power like never before in that moment of shock and anger.

For the first time in centuries, millennia of life, he was sure he was going to die, and that gave him something he had never had before.

Desperation.

Crom Cruach, in that split second, unleashed everything he had, everything he was.

For that one instant, he was the strongest he had ever been.

Or ever would be.

Because all his training, all his desperation, and all his rage did not matter in the face of the Infinite.

Ophis didn't even move as it protected the area from the Evil Dragon's transformation.

It just raised a hand casually, forefinger extended, and lowered its thumb.

"Bang."

The geyser of purple-black power obliterated the Evil Dragon that had accidentally called in the first place.

Crom Cruach, in his last, most desperate moment, held on for a second against the Infinite Dragon God.

Then he was gone as the unending torrent of power tore through him, the wall, the dimension, and into the void of the Dimensional Gap beyond.

His one consolation was that he died to another dragon, as he had always wished.

Nobody moved.

Ophis was no longer holding them in place, but nobody so much as blinked for fear of something similar happening to them.

Ophis dropped from the table with a little hop, landing where Crom Cruach once stood. She reached for the saucer and picked up the cookie.

Looking at it for a second, sniffing it slightly, she hesitantly took a bite.

Her eyes widened significantly, and she devoured the cookie with gusto, getting crumbs everywhere.

A white bone tendril carried over a clothe and started wiping her face clean.

She allowed it without complaint.

"Here is how this will work," Eren spoke into the silence. "Anyone who wishes to leave can do so without fear, with only one requirement. Complete secrecy. So long as secrecy is kept, I will not come after you."

His point was further enunciated when Ophis appeared beside him, looking up at him with eager eyes as she tugged on his shirt.

He gave her a banana without looking at her.

"Those who wish to join will follow my orders, passed to you through the humans you see around you."

Ophis looked at the fruit in confusion. Then she bit into it, peel and all.

Her face scrunched up slightly in distaste.

"I have invited you all because you are those who are dissatisfied with peace. Those who will not be happy with an end to war. Your goal is simple. Spread chaos."

A second banana was held in front of the Dragon God in the shape of a little girl, and Ophis watched curiously as strands of white bone peeled it.

She took the bare fruit hesitantly, looking between it, to the peel on the floor, and up at Eren who was still speaking to the room.

She bit into the soft fruit.

"You do not need to work together except when I tell you to, but you will not work against each other. Ophis will pass out parts of her power to those who need it to succeed. I will ensure you have all the tools you need for your goals. Preparing for war, researching forbidden magics, eliminating an enemy, or whatever else. So long as you let this world know that if it wants peace, it will have to wrench it from our cold, dead hands."

"What did you do to it?" Hades asked, the first to speak up since Crom Cruach's death. The light in his empty eye sockets were locked on the Dragon God.

"I showed her a memory of the future I saw," Eren answered in his empty voice.

"Eren will kill Great Red," Ophis muttered through a mouth full of banana. "Do what he says."

Eren eyes did not leave the Skeleton god's.

Staring at the upstart human, Hades reached forward, and bony fingers finally flipped the paper in front of him over.

It was completely blank.

Eren looked around the room once more, dead eyes staring at and through everyone here to the future and past.

"Any questions?"