Eldritch 40

The days passed peacefully for the King and Queen of the Eldritch. With things quieting down, to their perspective at least, their behavior could be mistaken for a couple in the honeymoon phase. Every day felt like a date of its own. It was not just them, of course. Be it the other Eldritch or the local devils, they found friendly company a plenty.

And as the days turned into weeks, one might forgive Issei for relaxing a bit too much.

"Kungur."

Issei opened one eye from beneath the tree he rested again, looking at Yog who looked uncharacteristically serious. "Well, that look doesn't bode well," Issei said as he sat up. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing new," Yog said with a head shake. "Aza needs to tell you something. We've been putting it off so you could both have time together."

"Perks of a time goddess as your advisor, you know it wouldn't have mattered much if you had been told earlier," Issei murmured. "Where is she at?"

"She decided to be a bit cliche and go to the roof of your school," Yog said with a small smile.

"On a Sunday?" Issei asked rhetorically, amused as well as he stood up. "Alright, thanks. I'll just head there on my own. Any advice?"

Yog didn't say anything, just smiling as she vanished.

"You're right, that does not bode well," Ddraig said morbidly as he made his presence known on Issei's hand.

"Hey, Ddraig. Enjoy your hibernation?" Issei asked as he stood and stretched.

"I try to give my wielders privacy when they're intimate," Ddraig said uncaringly. "You're growing scales on your shoulder again.

Issei sighed deeply. "I'm glad that tearing this off doesn't hurt that much."

"Oh, it does! You're just learning to ignore pain in a very literal sense," Ddraig retorted.

"Don't tell me that! I might actually try starting to feel it subconsciously," Issei complained.

"Please. Your subconscious is not a masochist, and it is only a sadist when presented with a masochistic lover," Ddraig countered, getting a weird look from Issei. "What? Privacy or not, one tends to notice these things in our situation."

With that conversation out of the way, Issei continued to the mostly empty school. He jumped the fence rather easily, and only needed two leaps to jump from the ground to the rooftop. 

"Issei!" Aza greeted warmly.

"Aza, Yog said you had something important to tell me, and it didn't seem good," Issei greeted. He knew if he allowed to get wrapped up in Aza's affection, they'd both put the conversation off for as long as possible.

Aza's shoulder slumped. "Right, so. Back while you were dealing with Nycrama, I received word of a message, one sent by another goddess. It's about who's behind several things going on here on earth," Aza explained with some reluctance. "Seals wane, shrouded by the madness of rage and hate. The Kungur must know."

"Well, that's not ominous at all,:" Issei said under his breath. "I'm guessing that means something specific to you?"

"Unfortunately," Aza said with a frown as she looked to the side.

"....Aza, what's wrong?" Issei asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You know about Nyarly and some of the other parts of the family. But there are some I try not to talk about at all," Aza said before pausing. "One of them is Ngyr-Korath."

Issei paused as he felt something at that name. He looked over Aza's shoulder and swore he felt something glaring in the unseen and impossible distance.

He glared back.

"This one like Nycrama?" Issei asked with a frown.

"Worse," Aza explained. "Korath is Lord of the Mad Gods."

"Strange title for Eldritch Gods," Issei mused.

"While they are crazy even by our standards, we mostly mean "mad" as in "pissed" when we speak of them," Aza explained, still not looking up. "Most of them want to destroy reality, or something equally mad."

Issei frowned and stepped closer, cupping her chin. "Aza, talk to me. Why do you look so sad right now?"

"Aza mauled the subject a bit before answering. "Korath was my grandson."

Issei blinked. Not at what she said, but how she said it. "Was?"

"Of all the Eldritch Gods, Ngyr-Korath was the only one I ever truly disowned," Aza admitted with a scowl. "He wants to destroy all mortal life. Even the eldritch races, even the simplest beasts."

Issei frowned in understanding. "And me being a former mortal, he probably hates me more than anything else."

Aza nodded, looking up with a sigh. "I threw him out of the Universe long ago, but he's been able to sneak his way back in. He's powerful enough that he can even hide things from Yog and Shub. Mainly because Korath is their half-sibling."

Issei looked shocked by that one. "Their....Okay, Yog has implied some things about her parents. I'm starting to not like the picture."

"Trust me, that has nothing to do with Korath," Aza said with a head shake. ""I'm sorry I never mentioned this before. I didn't think he'd be acting up so soon."

"Everyone seems to be getting closer to human timeframes ever since we became a couple," Issei remarked idly. "I don't blame you. If you told me about every dangerous eldritch, you could have started when we first met and still be telling me today."

"Oh, it'd be a lot longer than that," Aza agreed thoughtfully. "After all, there really isn't any "not-dangerous" Eldritch."

Issei couldn't refute that if he tried.

Still, Korath. That was the new one to look out for.

Meanwhile

"Lord Odin, are you sure it's wise to lower our guard already?"

The King of the Aesir waved off the Valkyrie's words as they walked through the halls of Asgard. "It's been over a month, Rosseweise. On their own, the Eldritch are unlikely to act. Not as a group. The few pests we've had to deal with have proven decent practice for the Einherjar."

Rossweisse sighed and admitted that he did have a point. "Are you not worried about someone provoking them though?"

"Oh, he is definitely worried about that."

Both stopped to turn to a beautiful woman with silver-blonde hair, smiling at them with sharp chestnut eyes as she leaned against the wall.

"My Lady Frigg!" Rossweisse greeted in surprise, quickly bowing in respect.

"Ahh, there you are, Frigg," Odin greeted, smiling with casual warmth.

"Rossweisse. I hope my husband hasn't bothered you today," Frigg said with a smile, only her eyes moving.

The Valkyrie chuckled awkwardly.

Frigg's eyes shifted back to Odin. "I saw you coming, husband. My eyes are sharp enough to see through time, but even now, I can't see what you're going to ask me."

Odin chuckled. "I seem to recall that helped gain your attention when we first met," he said before frowning. "Wife, regarding the Eldritch?"

"Yes, the last time we spoke of them, you asked if I could see if this love between the Daemon Sultana and this former human was genuine," Frigg recalled, glancing up in remembrance. "And as before, that love is an eternal fact of the universe. Time itself would not dare to get between them."

Odin nodded. "I wouldn't ask you the same thing twice, least of all that. Tell me, Frigg, have you seen anything of Loki?"

"Our God of Mischief," Frigg remarked, her eyes glazed over slightly. "You're wondering if he will not antagonize them. I don't need to see the future to expect that."

"That fool would unleash something worse than Ragnarok if he did," Odin said with a sigh.

"Time is generous to me. I do not see the end of this world or the destruction of Asgard. Destiny may not be set in stone, but at the least, the King of the Eldritch will not avenge himself upon us if Loki decides to cause trouble," Frigg remarked.

Odin seemed relieved by that, if only somewhat. Frigg's prophecies were not like those of the Greek gods, being the hallmark of tragedy if any attempt to avoid them was made. No, Frigg's prophecies were in likelihood. Could the Eldritch bring war to them? Perhaps. But it would not be caused by Loki at least.

Assuming, of course, Frigg's visions weren't compromised. Neither said it, but both he and his wife knew it. There were Eldritch of Time, and there were those that could fool time. Nothing was certain, but it would only cause unease if that spread to the others.

"Umm...?" Rossewisse spoke up, getting both to look at her. "Forgive me, Lady Frigg? But you said the King? Not the Queen?"

Frigg had a dark look about her eyes. "I saw the Wrath of the Eldritch Queen when those foolish fallen angels made the mistake of targeting her lover. Survival might not be preferable if that were to be unleashed upon us."

"Luckily, we have a few allies among the Eldritch. Though, I constantly question if Loki doesn't work for the Black Pharaoh in secret," Odin remarked with a huff. He was joking, but it was less than half-joking.

"If he did, even I would not be able to tell until it was too late, for us or for him," Frigg said with a headshake, her brow furrowing. "There is a knot.."

"Hmm? What do you mean, Lady Frigg?" Rossweise asked in confusion.

"Frigg often views the timeline as a thread or rope," Odin explained. "What she sees as a knot, means that point in time is uncertain. And its unraveling could affect everything."

Frigg nodded mutely. "The Queen is tempered by the King. The legions of the unknowable are leashed by the King. Slowly, many factions gather around him."

Odin scowled as he gripped his staff knowingly. "And the more people are involved, the stupider they can become. Those from different factions, more so," he said, looking at Rossweisse. "We may not be directly attacked, but we can easily become collateral to them."

Collateral. He was talking about Asgard, the whole Norse faction perhaps, becoming "collateral" in some future unrest. It was an alien concept to Rossweisse, solidifying the scale of things.

"Rosseweisse," Frigg spoke up with a smile. "I need to borrow you from my husband."

"Huh? Me, My Lady?" Rossweisse said in surprise.

"Hmm?" Odin tilted his head but didn't speak more.

"There is a certain something I need you to look into. Don't worry, it should be harmless," Frigg assured with a smile.

"Oh. Of course, My Lady!" Rossewessei said with a bow. "Where shall I be heading to?"

"A forest in England called Wychwood. I see there we might find something that will grant us favor with the Eldritch," Frigg explained mysteriously.

"I'll prepare at once, My Lady. Umm, assuming you have no objections, Lord Odin?" Rosseweisse added on, embarrassed that she had almost forgotten him for a second.

Odin waved her off. "Go, go. If Frigg says you should go, then Hel help you if you don't," he answered casually, waiting for the valkyrie to leave. "Do you even know what you're sending her after?"

"No, but as I might remind you, dear husband, I am Goddess of many things," Frigg said, leaning down with a sensual grace. "Motherhood, being one of them."

"Motherhood and Eldritch don't always have a pleasant result," Odin reminded firmly. "You're sure this...task is harmless?"

"Such doubt from you," Frigg said with a sigh as she stood back up. "The task is harmless. But there are things even Time itself cannot perceive in such periods like this. Another Eldritch could always show up, or one aligned with them. But I am confident that Rossweisse would not be easily bested."

Odin sighed. "Deities of Wisdom we might be, but the Eldritch have always been able to make us feel like children playing in someone else's sandbox."

"Sandbox, pool. I'm sure they have their own analogies for us," Frigg said with a chuckle. "Don't fear, my Grim husband. After all, even the Eldritch themselves are adjusting to the sandbox having a new, or rather, an additional owner."

Odin chuckled. That was true. He wondered sometimes how those Outer Gods and all their many limbs and eyes took it when they found out they had a new monarch to listen to?

He liked to imagine they were just a little shocked at first.

Meanwhile

Getting back to the regular contracts had been a somewhat slow thing for the Devils. After all, with everything going on with the Eldritch, some things just took precedence.

Still, even Rias had gone back to answering some of her own. 

She narrowed her eyes after she passed through the teleportation circle.

The Devil Princess recognized the house and furniture as her client, but...

It was filled with blood and gore, dead bodies that had been eviscerated and torn apart.

But what's more, there were flickering candles and terrible runes drawn all over the place.

....And the blood on the floor was moving.

Moving like serpents and towards a spot behind Rias, to be exact.

"Don't turn around, please."

Rias raised an eyebrow at the voice, one she recognized. "Lady Yi? Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

Something...sloping and flopping moved in the background. Meaty and wet. Rias decided not to imagine what it might be.

"I imagine it would ruin your appetite if you did," Yidhra answered honestly. "I apologize for not stopping them before they summoned you."

Rias looked down to see a severed arm, the hand still holding the seal to summon her. "I rather liked this woman. She was a lonely sort that liked to pretend I was her daughter while she combed my hair."

Bones snapped and twisted in her ears before Yidhra answered. "My condolences. One of our wayward cults got a hold of her. They told her that they could bring back her daughter after sacrificing you to Cthulhu."

"Why would he want me sacrificed?" Rais asked with a frown.

"He doesn't," Yidrah answered with a yawn that was almost a roar.  The blood stopped moving. "You may look now."

Rias turned and found the mortal guise of the Outer Goddess meeting her gaze.

"That woman was fond of her time with you as well," Yidrah remarked idly, as the memories filled her. "There are always cults trying to go further than we desire. Ambitious, overzealous, even just hijacked by mortals with their own agenda. Some think that the "honeymoon" of the Sultana and her Sultan cannot properly begin until the Ending of the Earth."

"I suppose every faction has their radicals, even Eldritch Cultists," Rias mused, tilting her head. "Why are you dealing with this personally, might I ask?"

Yidra hummed as she moved around the room, the blood and flesh gathering to her still, moving up her legs and vanishing into her form skin. "I thought it was a good time to get myself...updated. Absorb a few of them, make sure I'm not getting too out of touch with the current state of the mundane world."

"I see," Rias said in morbid understanding. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, actually," Yidrah answered with a yawn. Her teeth still had a rather inhumane element to one side, too jagged and misshapen. "Your kitten has a sister."

Rias didn't react. "Yes, a rogue devil named Kuroka. What about her?"

"Do the devils have any interest in her besides her capture?" Yidrah questioned with a head tilt.

".....We would appreciate knowing her final fate, but otherwise, no," Rias answered with a suspicious tone. "Why?"

"Allow me to rephrase. Do you believe your kitten will take any interest in her well-being?" Yidrah asked.

Now Rias blinked in confusion. "No offense, but don't you already know? You have seen inside her mind."

"I saw a flash of many conflicting emotions and, with all the healing I was doing, I'm not sure which feelings for her are current or in the past," Yidrah explained.

"....Then only Koneko can answer that, I imagine," Rias decided. "Has she been causing trouble for your faction?"

"She treads where she should not," Yidrah answered vaguely. "If your kitten desires any say in her sister's fate, she should speak soon."

"I suppose I should thank you, for taking Koneko's feelings into consideration," Rias said, still confused by the entire exchange. Just what was Kuroka up to, why would she risk provoking the Eldritch?

Yihrah merely nodded before her flesh began to ripple like shadows before vanishing from the room entirely.

Rias sighed. "Well, I hope I had the most interesting night out of everyone."

As if the universe answered her, a communication spell circle went off. "Rias?"

"I'm here, Kiba. What's going on? Is Koneko okay?" Rias asked curiously.

"What? She's fine, and right here," Kiba answered in confusion. "Sona was trying to reach you. There's a situation."

"What kind of situation?" Rias asked with a furrowed brow. At least this wasn't to do with Koneko and her sister, but just what else was going on tonight?

"Apparently, Godzilla is attacking?"

If she had been holding a phone, she would have dropped it. "....I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, there is a giant creature off the coast, and it....looks like Godzilla, apparently?" Kiba answered.

"Is the situation contained? Or is this on the news?" Rias asked with a frown.

"It's contained, somehow. It wasn't us or Sona, but it's already been concealed by a barrier. And an unknown party is attacking it," Kiba explained.

Godzilla. How does one respond to that? "I'll be there in a moment."