~{ Interlude: }~

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Mortis stood in what could only be described as an Office. Dimly lit out of the window you could see that this place was a Tethered Space, the window looking out into the Void. He looked up at the man he recognized as his Coven leader; Dante Hades, their battle plans spread out upon the simple wooden desk.

"I told you we couldn't trust the Custodies Veritas." He growled lowly looking up at the man.

"Watch your tone boy, or do I need to remind you of your place?" 

Dante snapped black, his Carnelian eyes flaring in the light. He loomed over Mortis, his seven foot frame dwarfing the Dragon when he wasn't in his armour, while his Italian skin was a patchwork of scars, his obsidian colored hair framing his face which was twisted in a mask of anger.

"Need I remind you that you may control my host, which I might add you do not do through your key, out of respect! I however, hold no such respect so be carful how you speak to me Demon!" Mortis yelled out through his rune as apposed to his host.

"Now now boys please control yourself." Came the voice of a pale skin toned woman.

She was a Nekomanius, there was no doubting that given her peach fuzz covered ears and tail,  her blazing magenta eyes, showing that once upon a time she had been a Neko-Human but she was by all accounts a Nekomata. Her fangs protruded from her mouth in a wicked snarl. The woman had leaned fully into the sexual side of the Nekomata, constantly wearing a full face of make up befit a high class escort,  her ample bosom highlighted by the black leather Cocktail dress she wore, while she wore knee high black leather platform boots. The smell of Cherry Blossoms filled the room, as if it was dripping from the very walls, as her perfume hit the arguing men.

She walked over to Dante, caressing his cheek with the elbow length leather gloves she wore saying, "He has a point my dearest Dante, we shouldn't have expected humans to be able to do the task of Demons."

"I put my fucking neck out to invite them into the school, what if they trace it back to me?" Mortis growled angrily.

"If you have done your job right they won't." Dante replied coldly. "However, if they do you are welcome to come here."

Mortis huffed at the statement, he didn't like working with Dante. In truth he hated working with any Demon, but if the war ended then he'd have to find a new source of Nexus Energy and that didn't bode well for them, Mortis rather like this host, and the host liked being alive.

"I'm curious Akuma, how did you know the Custodies Veritas were going to attack?" Mortis asked turning on the Nekomata.

"I have my sources and that's all you need know." She replied holding Dante close.

Mortis didn't respond to that simply walked out of the room, slamming the door behind himself. 

"I don't trust him," Dante hissed pulling away from Akuma.

"You don't trust anyone my love," She spoke, kissing his neck with a seductive purr.

He smashed her hard across the face at the comment, well he tried but before he could she moved out of the way, anger flaring in her eyes, her fangs elongating as her anger grew, her eyes glowing with Tainted-Magic, giving their magenta look a deep red hew for a moment. With very little effort the five foot woman lifted the almost eight foot tall Dante to into the air, crushing his throat just enough to make breathing hard for him.

"Remember Dante, this coven may be under your command but you are under mine. I was the one who put you in contact with the vampires to assault Broken Fall. I was the one who helped you forge the alliance with Eve. Were it not for me you wouldn't even have half of what you are owed."

"Ye... Yes... my.... my queen..." He stammered out genuine fear in his eyes.

 Had he better control over the other half of Valimus' soul, then maybe  then he would be a match for her. But the half of his Valimus soul he had inside him was a feral beast, were it not for Akuma he would have been lost to the curse of the last. Sure she had him firmly back under her control Akuma drooped Dante to the floor.

"Now that unpleasantness is out of the way love," She spoke sitting back down in his lap stroking his chin. "How goes the preparations?"

"Thanks to the assistance we are getting from your contacts, we should have an army soon enough. We'll just need a target. Who exactly is getting you this help?" He asked looking at her.

"I know her as Lady Death, her group is a cabal who although they all have different reasons want the same thing; the War to continue." She spoke, a slight sigh to her voice. 

"Good, at least I know they are competent warriors then, any luck securing me Ambrosia so I can actual make my coven Demons?" He asked coldly, he had no love for Akuma . 

Truth be told he couldn't stand the Nekomata, but she was useful. They had become husband and wife yes, but it was a mutually beneficial thing, the Matriarchal Bound she had formed with him helped keep the rabid beast inside him in check through it's psychic influence, while he was able to keep the more baser instincts that come with being a Nekomata suppressed. Add to that the fact that they were both wanted criminals, him by the Grey her by the Fallen, and they watched each others back. His little Coven, which he had called Verumi Hadria, or True Hades, had largely been assembled thanks to her. They weren't a true Coven in the sense of the word, given that he lacked the Ambrosia to make the Key's, but he found it useful to maintain the same structure. Right now it was him as it's head, technically Akuma as his Sworn-Blood, Eve's son; the Dark Angel Kaine as one of his Knights, along with the Custodies Veritas Exorcist they'd picked up thanks to Eve's failed assault, and finally Mortis as one of his Rangers. It wasn't an army, and he needed one to retake hell, but all his allies from the Broken Fall Slaughter were either dead, in hiding or refusing to help.

"What other help can we get Akuma?" He asked, now no one was present he wasn't holding up the pretense of loving couple.

"I do not know at this time, The Riders keep us all in the dark." She replied not locking eyes with him.

The entry way to the little space lit up and he walked through. A boy by all accounts, only eighteen, he was the near spitting image of his mother, if Eve were male he'd look like this boy. The only defining feature was in fact the metal wing he bore in place of his right, having lost the right to a Custodies Veritas Combat Operative.

"Greetings my lord," He replied bowing before them. "My mothers cult will be ready to fight, you just only need say the word and I'll have them do it." 

"Good, we will need them, I do not trust this army my love is providing for us, so having more cannon fodder will be useful." Dante growled. "Now we just wait until the time is right, then we will show the damned Sovrans and their new allies that Verumi Hadria will rule the Underworld, or burn it to the fucking ground."

And Peace Be With You-The Daemonic Rebirth #3Where stories live. Discover now