2 days after my little hangouts with the peerage, I was currently sitting down in class as Leia and Hel were sitting down next to me. In classic Kuoh Academy fashion, all of the boys immediately started thirsting for them like no tomorrow, which then led to a ton of glares when they found out how close I was to them.
They both registered as students on the same 3rd year status that I was in, and Hel in particular was registered as my sister in the school due to how young she looked, going under the name Hailey.
Usually, our teacher for the class was Rossweisse, but today was different due to a pretty significant stray devil report reaching Rias. So the rest of the peerage was out doing that.
Eventually the bell rang and lunch began as we all sat down at our own table.
"So, how are you feeling about this place?"
Hel took a bite out of her sandwich before swallowing and looking at me.
Hel: "Pretty exciting compared to life in Helheim, so I'm not complaining. The level of perverts in this place is definitely abnormal though..."
Leia nodded.
Leia: "Yeah...the subject of classes is certainly something I've never been exposed to in Alfheim, so I'd say I like it."
I nodded and smiled.
"That's good to hear!"
Hel: "So random question...why did Rias and Sona move their peerages here? Aren't devils more at home in their own underworld?"
"Ah, that. Well to be blunt, Sona and Rias were in pre-ordained engagements to other devils. They made a move away from the underworld to here to try and delay the inevitable...and also to find more peerage members."
Leia: "Ah, and I'm guessing they both got out of their engagements?"
I nodded.
"Sona beat her partner in a chess game to get out of it, while Rias took a little longer, but was ultimately broken out of it by Issei beating her partner in a duel."
Hel: "Is that why she has feelings for him?"
I frowned at the mention of it, but nodded.
"I believe so."
Leia: "Well then...at least she had a good reason to fall in love with him."
"Yeah..."
Both of them frowned at me as I nodded to myself. They all love him for a good reason...it's time to move on...so why can't I?
"Not that you guys have much experience in the romantic field, but how exactly do you move on from unrequited feelings?"
Hel: "Hm...well, I've never been in love before so I can't exactly say anything about it..."
Leia: "Well, what did those feelings mean to you?"
"Well...Rias, Akeno, and Koneko were all some of my very first friends. Even when I was just a kid I would try my hardest to make them happy when I was younger...they were my family then...I guess that familial affection developed into romantic infactuation as we grow..."
Hel: "Hm...childhood friends, that's not easy to break. Well the first thing to do is to set some boundaries between you and them. Not physical boundaries like distancing yourself, but don't allow them to do things that you feel would cause your affections to grow. Hanging out with everyone all at once may also help with that."
I nodded trying to take in her words. It was then that a strong wave of power hit all of us as we all tensed up and looked in the direction of the origin of the energy.
"I'm not the only one who felt that right?"
Leia: "Yeah...I felt it too...could it be the stray Rias was going after?"
Hel: "Possibly, although it was extremely similar to the blasts Eíthürr produces whenever he enters a spartan rage."
I turned to them.
"You think they could be fighting a being of a similar power class?"
Hel shrugged.
It was then that Sona made her presence known at our table and sat down with all of us.
"Ah Sona, what's going on?"
Sona: "I don't know, but I would like to request Ethan to do something for us."
I slowly nodded as I looked at her.
Sona: "Could you head out and check on the peerage? Rias was supposed to return two hours ago."
I raised my eyebrows. I was never aware that there was time limits for stray hunts—the fact that Rias' peerage consisted of pretty powerful individuals probably invalidated it.
I slowly nodded as I got up from my chair.
"Any idea on what kind of foe I'm facing?"
Sona shook her head.
Sona: "If anyone had that information, it would be Rias."
I nodded again as I walked out of the school and went all the way to the Hyoudou household. The entire walk to the house was unusually tense, because I felt that someone's eyes were on me the entire time. And if that wasn't enough, I could feel the power become stronger as I got closer to the house—it wasn't in the house, but it was closer to the household than it was to the school.
Eventually, I ended up sprinting into the house and donning all of my equipment before heading off in the direction of the power, since I thought if Rias was hunting a stray devil, it would've most likely been in the direction of the gigantic fucking power blast.
The walk towards the power source led me into a forest, where an unusual scent was up in the air. It was then that I came across a dead deer, hung up in the air by its intestines.
"Well this is...gross."
I looked at the ground to see...hoof marks on the ground? Whatever this stray was, it definitely had a strange body type judging that it's feet are akin to something I would find on a deer..
And then a branch snapped behind me.
I immediately pulled the Leviathan axe off of my back and pointed it to the source of the sound only to see...Irina?
"Irina? What are you doing here?"
Irina also had the same reaction I did and was pointing her excalibur fragment at me, it was only when she heard my voice she lowered the sword.
Irina: "I could ask you the same...although I think we would both have similar answers."
"Yeah, Sona wanted me to check up and see if everyone was doing well. You?"
Irina nodded.
Irina: "Pretty much same thing here."
"Alright then."
I put the Leviathan Axe on my back and then walked forward.
"Whatever Rias and her peerage were hunting, it certainly liked to kill animals...and blood."
Irina caught sight of the dead deer in the tree before quickly turning away.
Irina: "I don't want to see that! Ew!"
I chuckled at her behavior as I dragged her with me further into the forest. We kept on walking for about 30 seconds, at which we reached a clearing in the forest, in which a bunch of shit was splattered around. First off a dead Centaur was on the ground with its head clean off, meanwhile, ANOTHER stray was also dead on the ground, with a pretty big bruise in its stomach—either Koneko, Rossweisse, or Issei were responsible for that. Trees were also knocked down in one specific wall of the area, indicating something powerful just charged down the middle.
Irina: "What happened here!?"
"It seems that alongside the stray they were assigned to hunt, they also found a stalker...and something else."
Irina: "A stalker? What's that?"
"A centaur that worships Skaði. The norse goddess of hunting—who also happens to be a jötunn...seems this one went rogue."
Irina: "I can tell...and those scorched spots and craters indicate that Rias and the others were here."
I nodded with her in agreement.
"However, it looks like something big just charged in here with all those crooked trees, any ideas on what it could be?"
Irina: "It could be Issei with his balance breaker?"
"I doubt it..."
I looked towards the ground when something caught my eye.
"Irina! Look here."
Irina ran over to me and looked at the ground.
Irina: "Bear footprints?"
"Any knowledge of any bear deities or beings that you would know of?"
Irina shook her head.
Irina: "You're the one with all the knowledge on the norse world...So a bear just came through here, killed the stalker, and then started fighting the peerage?"
"That's definitely not a normal bear...but if it's able to stand up to Rias' peerage...then it looks like we have our hands full."
Irina: "I would concur with that."
Irina then walked over to another side of the clearing, where more scorch marks were present alongside some more broken trees.
Irina: "It must have barreled out through here, getting chased by everyone."
"Alright then, if they went that way, then we go that way!"
Irina smiled as she walked ahead of me through the path. We were walking for about 20 seconds when...
Irina: "Oh my god!"
Irina quickly sprinted ahead of me and I followed to see Gasper and Akeno on the ground, unconscious and covered in cuts.
"The bear did this to them?!"
I looked around to see everyone in the ORC on the ground, with the mark of bear claws on all of them in one place or another. Even Rias and Issei were unconscious.
"Irina, we need to send them back to the Hyoudou household! Without Asia's healing it's not going to be long before they bleed out!"
Irina: "Alright then!"
I heard a groan of pain behind me as I saw Xenovia wake up from...whatever the hell caused her to fall unconscious.
"Xenovia! Are you ok?"
Xenovia weakly nodded as she looked at me.
"What happened? Did a bear cause all of this?"
Again, the knight nodded. However, before I could ask her another question, the sound of crashing trees suddenly rang out and I heard the roar of a bear.
The next thing you know, I was underneath the largest bear I have ever seen in my life. Before it could get a bite on my chest though, I punched it in the snout and then flipped it over me, and punching it, launching it a good 4 feet away from me.
Irina: "ETHAN!"
Irina was suddenly right next to me as she stared down the animal.
Irina: "Are you alright?!"
"Yes! Now come on! We have to take this thing down!"
Irina readied her angelic magic while I grabbed the Leviathan axe off of my back. We both immediately rushed forwards and then landed a good amount of blows on the bears head and shoulders, yet...somehow the bear healed almost immediately from its wounds.
Irina: "It healed from its wounds just like that!?"
I was also just as confused, but before I could respond, the bear knocked me down before biting me on the shoulder and throwing me across the area with a strength that SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR A NORMAL BEAR.
"Woah then...you're not just a normal beast are you?"
The bear slapped Irina with its paw and sent her flying into a tree right next to Xenovia. The bear then switched its attention to me as I rushed forward and landed a slash on its head. It practically shrugged off the attack entirely as it quickly winded up a flurry of paw slams. Thankfully, it was moving just quick enough for me to be able to react to it, so I parried every single one of the paw swipes before jumping out of the way of the bear, who leaped forward and tried to pin me onto the ground again.
I looked at my shield fully charged and smiled at myself, which unfortunately was long enough for the bear to tackle me to the ground and bite down HARD on my arm, causing me to yell in pain.
Irina: "Let him go!"
Irina suddenly struck the bear in the shoulder causing it to let go of my arm and focus on her. Strangely enough, as they both fought, the bear seemed to stop attacking, mostly dodging and weaving from her attacks in a way one wouldn't expect from a normal animal.
Irina clearly was also confused by this, as she finally had enough and fired a beam of angelic light at the bear...
Only for it to stand on its hind legs...and ABSORB THE BEAM INTO ITS CHEST. Not even a second later, the bear slammed onto the ground, quaking it and unsteadying Irina before suddenly leaping onto her, tackling her onto the ground and beginning to maul her.
Safe to say, I got pretty pissed as I grabbed the blades of chaos and threw them onto the bear's shoulders before pulling myself to it, eventually causing me to land on it. Once there, I began to absolutely stab the shit out of the bear's shoulder. This time, noticeable wounds began to form from the barrage as the bear finished on Irina and threw her to the exact same tree Xenovia was laid upon before throwing me off its shoulders and charging at the two previous warriors of the church.
Knowing what would happen, I ran in front of the two as the bear crashed into me, biting on my neck before throwing me around like a ragdoll and then throwing me in front of them. It tried to reach charge both of them, but I quickly regained my footing and got in the way again, causing the bear to bite my right shoulder and giving me an opportunity to look back at the two of them.
Even in the condition she was in, Xenovia looked completely terrified, and Irina was struggling to get back up on her feet. It was then I got angry.
...Really angry.
"DONT...TOUCH...THEM! RRAAAAAAHHH!"
I suddenly felt the armor activate on me as I yelled in rage, releasing a shockwave that sent the bear onto the ground. I could still see everything around me, but all I felt was an overwhelming anger towards the beast that almost killed two of my friends.
I quickly dashed way faster than I ever did without the armor on and crashed onto the bear's head, forcibly shutting its jaws and slamming its face into the ground before throwing it 50 feet away from me through multiple layers of trees.
Shockingly, the bear seemed to shrug off the attack as it roared way louder than anything I've ever heard before as a blue blast of energy went out from where the bear landed. It's eyes and front paws were now glowing blue as it growled at me.
I wasn't thinking straight at the time, so I yelled back, the armor deepening my voice making it sound like I was roaring back at the animal.
I zoomed to the bear...but strangely enough, the bear zoomed back to me and instead of knocking the bear over, we clashed together, creating a huge shockwave and clearing a huge amount of foliage around us before we broke it of and flew by each other and landing on the ground on opposite sides of the clearing we created.
It was then I looked behind the bear and saw a portal created by Hel near where everyone in the ORC was. Eventually, Hel, and Leia walked through.
Leia: "ETHAN!? WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"
"GET RIAS AND THE OTHERS OUT OF HERE! NOW!"
They didn't say a single thing as they looked around and gasped at everyone's condition. Right at that time, I unleashed a flurry of punches onto the bear's head, causing it to slide back from the force. Unfortunately, the bear still was not even fazed in the slightest as it sent me flying with a single paw slap.
I landed after going through 20 trees, only for the bear to zoom up and bite on my shoulder and pin me on the ground. Not wanting my last name to be DiCaprio, I punched the bear in its eyes and then kicked it as hard as I could in its throat. The bear suddenly wheezed as it let got of me and gave me an opening to punch the bear's legs, causing it to flinch back.
That flinch gave me a good enough opening to jump onto its shoulders, knocking it down. It pushed me off for about a second before I jumped back onto its chest and started to absolutely punch the shit out of the bear's face before I wrapped my arms around its neck and tried to choke it out.
The bear slowly started to make sounds indicating that it was choking before all of a sudden, the end of the bear's hair started to glow blue. That blue resulted in an explosion that launched me away from the beast, with me eventually landing near the area where the peerage was before—which were no longer there due to Hel and Leia. Strangely enough, Irina was also with them. She was probably trying to restore them back in Issei's house.
???: "Not bad Eíthürr...not bad at all."
I looked back to see the bear slowly walking up to me as it strangely had the blue glow around its front legs and eyes...stop glowing.
The bear then stood on its hind legs (making it about 12 feet tall) and looked at me as I kept my guard up as I started to calm down at the sight of the animal no longer being hostile. Then strangely enough, the power I sensed from the bear suddenly vanished as I got back on all fours as blue magic surrounded the creature. I then heard a male groan and saw...
A man with white hair in a white suit of armor and cape that almost seemed to be the complete opposite of mine in terms of design with a smooth texture and elegant plating as opposed to the berserker armor, which looked like it was slapped together with a bunch of armor plates onto a piece of cloth.
???: "It's nice to finally meet you...Bróðir"
I closed my eyes and finally fully calmed down, deactivating the berserker armor and staring at the man before the realization of what he said hit me...Bróðir?
"...Loki?"
My brother smiled at me as he brushed his hair aside, allowing me to see his face in his entirely.
Loki: "I'd much rather be called Atreus, but I guess that's fine."
I stared at him for a bit, not sure how to react. I mean, he supposedly fought Rias' peerage and Vali's team at the same time—and my first impression of him was a bear mauling them practically to death.
"Why did you almost kill all of Rias and the others...again?"
Loki's expression dropped as I said again, but quickly shrugged it off.
Loki: "I wanted to test how strong you are. That spartan rage you have does not seem to be at its peak strength."
I raised my eyebrow.
"Why would you want to do that?"
Loki: "The gods of this world aren't just going to gloss over the fact that you got into a fight with Thor and Odin and lived to tell the tale without any major injuries. You need to be prepared in case some...less than pleasant faces cross paths with you."
"You say that like I am going to do that. I'm not looking for trouble."
Loki: "Oh...you're not, but your future enemies won't take any chances with you."
"Who are...?"
Loki: "You'll know them when you see them. Trust me, knowing what's going to happen in the future isn't going to change the outcome. I've tried."
I raised my eyebrow at how vague he was speaking but I shrugged it off.
"Well then, since you know I'm strong enough, I'm going to leave."
Loki: "Wait! I need to show you something."
I rolled my eyes and groaned.
"Make it quick. I need to check on my friends you almost murdered."
Loki: "The group with my future sister-in-law? Eh, they'll be fine."
My eyes widened as I looked at Atreus. What the hell?! They're all dating Issei!
"Who is that person exactly?"
Loki: "Why should I tell you? You're going to fall in love with her when the time comes...or who knows?...maybe you already love her."
"Shut up!"
I looked to the ground and shook my head. My brother is the god of trickery and mischief, I shouldn't be convinced of anything he says. Besides, they all like Issei, what could I do that could match what he did for them? It's just...not possible.
Loki: "Hm...well then, follow me."
I reluctantly followed my brother, still trying to put what he said out of my mind. Eventually we arrived at a collection of stones that looked exactly like the ones I used to enter Alfheim before. Just like me, Atreus pulled out a keystone and the stones formed into an identical door. However, when he set the destination—interestingly no realm seemed to be selected as Atreus opened the door and motioned me to enter.
I begrudgingly did as he followed me onto the Yggdrasil tree.
Atreus: "So you're probably asking 'Why do I approach you now?' to yourself, right?"
"Yeah..."
Atreus: "Well first off, I want to show you a place you may want to retreat to if the world becomes too much—you know, a little lounge."
I looked at him confused as another doorway appeared in front of us. I walked through it expecting to be spit out in some sort of random realm, but surprisingly, I found myself in a deeper area of the Yggdrasil, with a strange house built on a sturdy branch of the tree.
"Woah...what is this!?"
Loki chuckled at my words before he looked at the house and spread his arms in a majestic manner.
Loki: "Welcome to the home of Brok and Sindri. Hidden away from the eyes of the supernatural powers of the world."
"Why would they have to live outside the realms?"
Loki: "They've had some...less than pleasant experiences with the aesir. So they hid in the only place where the Asgardians would never think they could hide in."
"The realm between realms...nice!"
Brok then opened up the front door of the house and promptly smiled when he saw the both of us together.
Brok: "I told you the brothers would get back together!"
Sindri quickly rushed outside and smiled as well as we walked up to the door.
Loki: "Hey Brok, how time has passed huh?"
Brok: "No shit! You're as tall as your daddy now!"
Sindri: "This is giving me flashbacks of your childhood buddy!"
Loki chuckled.
Loki: "And I assume you've met Ethan before too right?"
Brok: "Yup. Met him in Alfheim when he and your middle son and daughter went to retrieve that elf princess."
Loki nodded.
Brok: "Speaking of which, how's our girl doing Ethan?"
"Ehm...she's fine now. She's staying with us in Midgard."
Brok: "Not that girl! The one you have on your back that I made!"
I smiled at the realization of what he was implying and held out the Leviathan axe in front of.
"She's been serving me wonderfully."
Brok: "Good! You gotta handle her special or she'll wreck beyond fixing! She's already gone through—what like 200,000 years of slumber?"
Loki—or Atreus nodded.
Loki: "It was that time both mother and father left this plane of existence...now they exist in the lake of souls."
I frowned at the news. Sure I should've already guessed they both were dead, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to learn.
Sindri: "Well then Ethan! Follow me for a second."
I followed the dwarf until he reached a corner of the house that looked exactly like a blacksmith's working area. Sindri dug around the room for a bit before throwing a heavy prosthetic hand to me. I caught it and looked at it confused.
"Ehm...Sindri? You do realize my arm grew back right?"
Sindri: "Oh we know that! But I wanted to test a little...connection you may have due to the armor you're wearing right now."
I looked back up at the dwarf.
"Connection?"
Sindri: "Since you already had a prosthetic hand whenever you first put on the armor, the souls should be used to your body structure you had back then without your arm...therefore, you should be able to slot the arm on like a glove, and the armor will simply make that prosthetic become like your normal arm again."
I nodded at Sindri's words before slotting the arm on. Just like he said, my left arm strangely turned into a red ball of energy in the form of of my arm as the prosthetic went on. Once the prosthetic was fully attached,I could move it just as freely as I could moved my arm and hand previously.
"That's something to get used to..."
Sindri: "That arm is made from the most potent mix of materials we could find in the 9 realms! Made from a mix of dragon scales, the power of bifrost, a gallon of sap from the Yggdrasil itself and a special material made from the combination of the Chilling Mists of Niflheim and the Raging Flame of Muspelheim directly from Sinmara and Surtr, it's a god-class weapon Brok and I have been working hard to perfect for a LONG time!"
I raised my eyebrow at Sindri's smiling face before gripping on a table with the prosthetic hand and giving it a light shove.
Unbelievably, the table went flying across the house and through the wall before landing in the front yard.
Brok: "HELL YEAH! Now you got some real power—curtesy of us!"
Loki: "Amazing...your interactions with the world due to armor have been fascinating to observe."
"No kidding..."
I looked at my arm before a feeling of unworthiness started to creep through me as I sighed.
"Why am I getting all of this stuff...I may be a god...but I certainly don't feel like one."
???: "You are a blessed individual Eíthürr. Not much beings can have a power boost as dramatic as yours. This power will also be your lifeline whenever dire times approach you "
I looked over to the source of the voice to see the Skeleton Knight from when I was at Freya's house on his horse inside the house.
Loki: "Ah, nice to see you again your majesty."
Skeleton Knight: "To you as well Champion of the Jötnar."
"What are you doing here?"
Skeleton Knight: "Your brother and these dwarves are an allied group with me fighting against the true threat of Ragnarök."
The room inside Groá's shrine came to mind. That strange abomination was what they were more than likely talking about.
"What exactly would that be? I have an idea, but not the full picture."
Skull Knight: "The group led by the infinite dragon god. More specifically, the group led by the white dragon emperor's grandfather."
"A faction of the Khaos Brigdade led by a descendant of Lucifer...that's either those dumb descendants of the satans, or Rizevim Livan Lucifer somehow created his own group."
Loki nodded.
Loki: "We suspect they're the biggest threat of Ragnarök's beginning. Or at least a part of the threat."
"How so?"
Loki: "Let's just say...there's a big possibility that Ragnarök is led by a foreign enemy entirely. We feel they're essentially being pawns to something larger."
I was shocked at the entire thing but then thought through everything. If the enemy they're facing is a foreign enemy, then it's no wonder I couldn't recognize the creature everyone was fighting against back in Groá's shrine.
"How do we stop it?"
Loki: "That's what we're trying to figure out."
Skull Knight: "However, causality seems to imply you're going to play a role in it. And it more than likely will not be minuscule."
Brok: "Ugh...all this talk about Ragnarök is about it make me hurl! Cmon Ethan! I gotta show you what that arm's capable of!"
"...yeah..."
My mind was racing with new information. So Loki wasn't trying to start Ragnarök, but rather prepare for it?And then there's the Skull Knight saying I'm going to be a part of Ragnarök...but then how does fate imply I'm going to be a part of it all when I show up in no more visions from the giants...and who the hell is my supposed wife going to be!? Like WHAT THE SHIT ATREUS.
Brok: "Alright then, first thing to note is that your arm is directly connected to your shield. As you collect energy within the shield from blocking, the more the arm gets powered up, once you feel you've connected enough energy in your hand....flick your wrist outwards away from your arm."
I did as he said...and my hand folded away from my arm to reveal a fucking cannon in my arm.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Brok: "Yes sir! That cannon is so powerful, we suspect it could really put the hurt on those stupid nincompoops called evil dragons and even other gods if you combine Sinmara's and Surtr's mist and flame."
I locked my hand back in place and was able to use it again like usual.
"Thank you Brok. I'm pretty sure this will come in handy a lot."
Brok: "No problem you thankful piece of shit. You gotta thank Faye and that uptight daddy of yours later in your dreams! Because I probably wouldn't have helped without knowing you're their child!"
I laughed at Brok's words.
"You got it Brok!"
Loki: "Hm...looks like you're having fun."
I turned around to see my older brother looking at me from within the house.
"I guess so...is Angrboda around here?"
Loki: "Ah...no, not now. She does live here with me though."
"Then what is she doing now?"
Loki: "Knowing her, probably keeping tabs on our oldest child and the Khaos Brigade in general."
"Ah, yeah...what the hell made you want to break your bond with your children? You know they hate your guts now...heck the only reason I'm relatively ok with being near you now is the little pep talk Angrboda gave to me about you in Alfheim."
Loki: "Yeah...I guess my clone did leave quite the mark on Rias and that Issei boy."
"No shit, you cursed them!"
Loki: "And yet they still got over them. Their love was reaffirmed for each other, and they all got stronger because of it."
Before I knew it again, my mood dropped as I heard the story I was far too familiar again. Atreus seemed to recognize that I didn't like the subject and immediately face palmed himself.
Atreus: "Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you or anything like that."
I shook my head while smiling bitterly.
"It's fine...I've been trying to move on from her for a while now."
Atreus: "You say that...but have you actually been trying to move on?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but then it dawned on me. I have done literally nothing to actually support what I was saying about moving on. No matter how much I tried to hide it, I still loved her...
"I guess I haven't."
Atreus: "Don't beat yourself too much over it Ethan. You just...need to find some good advice on how to move on since you've likely known her and the other two since...childhood..."
I clenched my jaw as I sighed again. Everything I know is telling me to just move on, find a different love interest, be happy for the love that they found with Issei—but why can't I just let it go?
"Do you have any advice on how to get over unrequited love?"
Atreus: "I met Angrboda when I was 14, and based on the family we had together...I don't have any helpful tips since we never split up...maybe you should ask someone who's a bit more experienced in love that's long passed?"
I shrugged. No adults really came to mind that had some sort of romance that ended in a break up. Zeoticus and Venelana, Sirzechs and Grayfia, Kratos and Laufey, I mean fuck, even my brother and Angrboda stayed strong throughout time.
"Maybe...nobody comes to mind however."
Atreus: "Keep faith up Ethan. Eventually someone who can help you will come by."
"Easy for you to say..."
Atreus: "I know. Trust me, fate's actually on your side looking at your story. Hell, you're actually one of the most blessed people when it comes to what the future will bring you."
"Then just tell me what the hell is going to happen for me!"
Atreus: "Aw, but that would ruin the surprise! Just trust me Ethan. Good things are coming for you. Just be patient."
I shook my head and I just chuckled at my brother's words.
"So then, how do you feel about Asgard and the gods living there?"
Atreus: "They're fine...Odin's a pervert that can rival Ddraig's current host. Thor is the honorable brute that loves to fight. Baldur is...eh? And Heimdall..."
At the mention of 'Heimdall', my eyes suddenly glowed golden again as a vision formed in front of me.
Xenovia and Irina were in a wedding dress, and at first I thought this was a good vision—but then they both turned to me crying.
Irina: "Ethan! Get us out of this!"
"What's happening!"
Xenovia: "It's Heimdall! He—"
I heard a sinister chuckle as a man stepped in between me and the two previous church members as a man in a white outfit, and with bright purple eyes walked up.
Heimdall: "Why hello my lovelies~hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long!"
Xenovia: "Stop this Ethan! Please!"
The vision suddenly changed again and I saw a glimpse of...some sort of area that was in complete disarray. The sun was blotted out, the ocean was violent and threatened to engulf everything. Tornadoes were present all over the place and a mountain was seen towering above all the rest.
"What the hell happened to this place!?"
The vision ended just as suddenly as it began, as I found myself on my hands and knees breathing heavily again.
Atreus: "...Are you done with the vision?"
I nodded while trying to catch my own breath, thoughts were racing through my mind. How will that vision come around—is there a way to stop Heimdall—and WHAT THE HELL WAS THE PLACE I SAW MYSELF IN?!
"I saw...Xenovia and Irina...with Heimdall?"
I clenched my fists as I could feel the armor starting to wrap around my hands. Atreus himself gave a frustrated sigh.
Atreus: "Of course that bumbling asshole has to try and interfere in your family's life..."
I forced myself to steady my breathing and calm down despite me wanting to rip him apart .
"Ok then...what do we do about him..."
Atreus: "Well, visions usually can be altered in how they actually portray in the real world. Odds are, if Issei can't beat him, what you say you saw will more than likely come to fruition."
"Is there anything special the aesir do to celebrate a wedding?"
Atreus: "A lot of drinking, fighting, and committing yourself to Odin's family...why do you ask?"
"Well, if Issei fought Riser to free Rias of an engagement...shouldn't a culture as centered around battle as the aesir have a similar thing?"
My brother seemed to take this in and think a little before nodding and smiling at me.
Atreus: "Yes...but it's more like you battle them to take the bride AWAY from the opponent so that you can marry them yourself."
Well there goes the idea of me saving them...
"So...is there anything we can do to help Issei ensure victory?"
Atreus: "Not yet, because he isn't even engaged to them. Besides, no weaponry has ever been created to hit Heimdall."
"Hit him? What does he have a special ability that prevents him from getting hit?"
Atreus: "Heimdall has the ability of foresight, meaning he can and will see and react to anything you throw at him—before you even start fighting him."
"So how the hell do you beat that?"
Atreus: "Fool his senses, overwhelm them. I only know that because he was a particular pain in my ass when he was hunting me when I was marked a fugitive."
"The god of trickery...yeah that sounds about right."
Atreus smiled at me.
Atreus: "Besides...Brok and Sindri have been trying to craft a weapon capable of hitting him..., hell, maybe even Skull Knight can do something about that."
I nodded taking it all in.
"Well then...if fate is going to force this to happen, I guess we have no choice but to go against it."
Atreus: "Now you're speaking my language Ethan!"
"Well then, what can I do from the ORC? I want to help out as much as I can."
Atreus: "First off, try to have them remain unaware of this little hideaway and everything you just learned. Mother may have told you to open your heart, but unless it's with someone who you can full heartedly trust with their actions in the future, I'd suggest you try not to reveal anything."
I nodded slowly. There was that saying "one often meets their destiny when they're trying to avoid it." I guess I'm not trying to avoid it by saying nothing...but it's better than setting the entire thing in motion trying to prevent it right?
"Alright then...I suppose it's time I head back to the ORC...I don't want them to worry about me."
Atreus: "Agreed."
Sindri: "Eíthürr—ehm, Ethan!"
I turned to see Sindri walking up to me with my own keystone, now with a special mark on top of it before tossing it to me.
Sindri: "I made some modifications to your realm travel key, so now you can select to travel here whenever you wish."
I looked at the keystone and smiled before turning back to the dwarf.
"Thank you Sindri. I'll make sure I come back soon."
Sindri smiled as he walked back into his house as I looked back at my brother.
"What will you do now?"
Atreus: "Prepare for the future as best as I can. Things are going to get dramatic pretty soon."
I looked at him uneasily and my brother just deadpanned at me.
Atreus: "You'll be fine Ethan. Come on now, you got some devils to return home to."
I nodded and gave a small smile at Atreus's tone before I walked up to the gateway and set my destination back to Midgard.
One trip through the realm between realms later, and I walked through the gateway in front of the Hyoudou household during the nighttime—officially back in Midgard. Now with a boatload more info dumped onto me.
"My goodness...how the hell is life going to play out now?"
I shook my head and walked into the house. Just like how I would expect, the entire place was quiet and empty. Not something you're used to seeing in a place filled with chaotic people such as myself.
I uneasily made my way up to Issei's room since, if anyone was going to be healed en masse in this place, it was more than likely going to be up in his room since his bed was just so damn massive.
Sure enough, once I opened the doors to his room, I found everyone sleeping together more than likely naked, but also covered by the blankets. It was actually a surprisingly comforting sight to see—everyone at peace together with the people they call family—all except for me.
I frowned at what I just thought to myself before I shook my head and tapped my temples in frustration. They all still see me as one of their own, Issei, Kiba, Gasper, Xenovia and Koneko all made sure to tell me that...and yet I was still upset? Come on Ethan, think with the brain in your head for once!
It was then I saw Gasper shuffle around in his sleep as his face turned towards the outside of the bed—or towards me in this case. Once I looked at his face I smiled, he was smiling just-so-slightly in his sleep, being obstructed by his hair falling in front of his eyes and forehead.
"I really am lucky to be able to call each of you family..."
I looked up to see the girls all surrounding Issei asleep on the bed. Irina must've told Leia and Hel to surround them around him. Looking at them though...I smiled at the peace they all had...but yet again, I felt a pang in my heart at the sight of them all.
"Look at me trying to act like I'm over you guys..."
I sighed to myself as I had my eyes lock onto Xenovia. She was in horrific condition before with Atreus' bear form, but it seems the nap has been taking its toll on her as most of her injuries were already healed.
"I know I still have to move on...but how do I do that without leaving all of you guys in the dust..."
Everyone remained asleep as I kept on looking at them all.
"Well...no matter how that happens in the future...I need to be there in order to protect all of you..."
I looked at the floor before firmly nodding and starting to turn away from the room. Once I was at the door, I turned back at them, looking at them one last time before I shut the door and left them asleep in the room.
It was then I walked into my room and saw Leia and Hel napping in their own beds. With one turn of my head, I looked over and saw that it was relatively early in the night—only 7:30 PM.
Knowing this, I creeped as quietly as possible through the room while putting my weapons and armor up and ended up on my own bed looking at the ceiling. The thought that always hit me was...I still wasn't over them. It wasn't healthy to keep on denying it, so finding someone to get help would be the most logical way to at least begin the process of moving on.
I sat up in my bed and looked over to my cellphone now given to me to be able to communicate with other devils since I could no longer use the ability to communicate with magic circles, and then proceeded to text Sirzechs.
"Hey Sirzechs, I recognize this may be a bad time to message you, but do you have the time to drop by the Hyoudou household soon?"
I put the phone down, not expecting him to respond all that quickly, yet strangely enough, it only took about 30 seconds.
Sirzechs: "I'll be done with my duties in about 30 minutes. Is there a reason you want me to come over? How's Rias doing?"
"She's been better, stray devil hunt took a lot out of her and the peerage today so they're asleep now. As for the second question...I want to discuss to you in person about something you might be able to talk about."
Sirzechs: "I see...I'll be there as soon as I can."
I gave a small smile at the text before I climbed out of the bed and went down to the living room due to the fact that if Sirzechs did come here, he would most likely arrive in here. Issei's parents were in their room watching some sort of movie together, which means that the living room was completely silent.
That feeling of loneliness only intensified whenever I turned on the lights and no sound of anyone reacting was heard. I slowly walked around the room until something on the walls caught my attention.
It was a small picture on the wall depicting all of Rias' peerage together. Even then I could see all the girls surrounding the red dragon emperor while me (before I ascended), Kiba, and Gasper were all sitting together away from everyone else. What made me upset was that in that picture, I had a pretty big fake smile on that I could recognize anywhere.
"All this change...and yet I haven't changed in arguably the most important department..."
I looked to see Rias, Akeno, and Koneko all smiling around Issei, looking the brightest they've ever been in a picture. Tears formed in my eyes at the sight...but I didn't dare let out a sob. This may just be the first part of moving on...who the hell knows.
Irina: "Ethan...? What are you doing here?"
I suddenly wiped my tears away and turned to see the angel of the ORC standing in the hallway walking into the living room.
"I'm just...waiting for someone to show up."
Irina's expression turned into a frown as she saw the tear stains on my face.
Irina: "What's wrong?"
"I'm just...doing some self reflection on myself..."
Irina's gaze turned to the picture on the wall behind me, and from there, she seemed to put the puzzle pieces together.
Irina: "You're still struggling with your feelings...aren't you?"
I nodded slowly while looking down ashamed of myself. I probably look like a foolish pervert or something like that.
"I'm sorry..."
Irina put her hand on my shoulder.
Irina: "You don't need to apologize for your feelings Ethan...I don't blame you either."
I looked up at her, now making direct eye contact with her.
Irina: "I've liked Issei ever since I was a little girl. I must admit...when I found out Issei had another love interest...I was heartbroken...I thought I lost the only boy I ever had an interest in."
I glared at her as I took her hand off of my shoulder.
"The thing is...you still ended up with him...all thanks to his dream of being the harem king...last time I checked, Rias, Akeno, and Koneko weren't looking for that..."
Irina remained silent as kept my back turned to her.
"You didn't need to move on from Issei...that's the unfortunate truth of what I need to face...so unless you want to give me some advice on how to stop or at least limit these feelings...I suggest you leave me alone."
Irina: "You know we're all here to help you..."
At this point I was getting angry as I turned to her, keeping the glare I sent to her earlier
"Yes I KNOW THAT IRINA. But how the hell are you going to help me out with this? You're an angel and a church fighter who's only romantic interest likes you back. What could you say to help me out?"
Irina looked at me quietly not saying anything as my shoulders drooped and I kept my head down.
"I just...want to be around them, to return to how things used to be...but seeing them with him now just hurts even more than it did previously...and I don't know why!?"
Irina: "Look...I may not have gone exactly what you're going through now..."
I nodded.
Irina: "But I can give you a guideline of what I would think to do in this situation...so can you just hear me out..."
I stayed silent for about 3 seconds before ultimately nodding again. I'm acting like a moody teenager right now...maybe I should actually do what I told myself to do—Engage more with everyone. Irina then sat on a couch in the living room and motioned me to sit next to her, to which I obliged.
Irina: "From what I understand, you're happy they're happy...but you're still upset that you're the one not making them happy?"
It was then I realized just how selfish I was...because what Irina just said was completely abhorrent for me to hear about myself.
"I...I guess so."
Irina: "That seems pretty selfish of you...however, we can try to manipulate it so that it can benefit you."
I frowned even more at Irina's implication.
Irina: "So...how about when one of them, or even all of them enter your mind, think up of a nice scenario between you and all of them, and absorb the feeling it gives you...but always remind yourself that the ship has sailed. You won't be able to shift reality to suit your wishes."
I looked at Irina for a split second before thinking through what she said.
Irina: "Just because they don't love you in the same way you love them doesn't mean they can't make you happy."
I thought of a memory of everyone back when we were all relatively young—about 10 years old. We often had this little game called "Hero" where someone would act like a damsel in distress(Gasper and Rias were the most common choices) and I would save them which was used to boost my confidence and make me happy if I was feeling down back then. They would always pick me up and then parade me around like I was a champion of some sort...
I smiled at the memory, it was right before I fell in love with Rias. And even then...that feeling of pure joy is something I could never forget. Before I could've even realized what was happening to me, I felt a drop of water onto my hand. Immediately snapping out of my senses, I wiped my face before exhaling.
"Sorry about that..."
Irina smiled at me as she hugged me.
Irina: "It's fine to let your emotions out Ethan...you don't need to feel like you need to feel some way. Processing your feelings will help everything go by much faster."
I smiled as a couple more tears dropped, again not really sobbing, but still feeling a bit sad.
Irina: "You're a god now Ethan...and if you want to live your life to the fullest now...you need to move on."
I finally looked at my friend, and her face was showing nothing but care and concern for me. After that, I couldn't help but give a small grin to her as returned her embrace.
"Thanks Irina...I needed that."
Irina let go of me before she started twirling her hair around her finger.
Irina: "No problem Ethan!"
"You know, Issei's lucky to have someone like you with him. You're an amazing person..."
Irina: "Aw! Now you're making me embarrassed!"
I smiled at her face as a blush crept across it.
"Ah...life is strange isn't it?
Irina nodded before she stood up and walked away from the couch we were both sitting on.
Irina: "Oh, Ethan?"
I looked up at her again as she had her back turned towards me.
Irina: "Thank you for protecting everyone from that bear...I dare not think about what could've happened if you weren't there with me."
"You guys are my family, I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides...that bear gave me a surprisingly good test of skill while in my spartan rage."
Irina looked at me and smiled.
Irina: "Yeah...it looks like you have that armor on lockdown. It's...humbling to see how much you would do just to stay around us...I know I feel that for sure..."
Irina looked down towards the ground and her expression changed to a noticeably thankful look as she turned to me. She said nothing, but...something about her eyes told me she was thankful all the same. Before I knew it I ended up staring into her eyes.
It took about 10 seconds, but I snapped myself out of the stare off I had with her. Gasper teased her and I about it before, and I did NOT want to complicate anything between Irina and Issei, so I just shrugged my shoulders and gave her a smile.
Irina at that moment seemed to snap out her stare as a blush suddenly formed on her face and she rushed out of the room.
I huffed a silent laugh as I shook my head and went back up to my room. Again, I entered my room and sat down on my bed, Hel and Leia still sound asleep. It was then I checked on my phone only to see another text from Sirzechs.
Sizechs: "Sorry for the inconvenience Ethan... but I don't think I can come by tonight. I'll send you a text whenever some free time pops up."
"Don't worry Sirzechs. I got what I wanted off my chest by talking to Irina. You don't need to come by anymore. Besides, I feel like Millicas would want to spend some more time with his father, don't you think?"
Sirzechs almost immediately responded.
Sirzechs: "If you say so Ethan...just remember to text me whenever you need me and I'll try my best to help you out."
"I will. Good night Sirzechs."
I shut off my phone before I buried myself underneath the covers of my bed and quickly fell asleep.