*'Calamity'*

I opened my eyes and gripped my murky purple core. My breathing was heavy and erratic, as if I had woken up from a nightmare, something which I was usually dishing out.

"You dare get in my way, old man?" I asked, gritting my teeth. My arms spread out as I glanced at the red moon overhead. "There's nothing that you can do to stop me! Conrad and I have become one! I've won! Now, I'm coming after your precious creation. Everything you love will be reduced to ashes that even you can't make beautiful! I swear it!"

"Sounds like you've succeeded," a voice called out. I turned around and saw Mammon stagger toward me.

My eyes widened as I saw her face. It was that of Piedad's. The boy's heart, it was reacting to it.

"Mammon, cover your face," I said, turning around.

She pulled up her hood. "The boy's not completely submerged yet?"

I curled my arms into fists. "It appears not. Our father got in the way."

She gasped. "The Sky Father was here?"

"He was in Hanketsu's soul realm. The boy's wrapped in the embrace of his shadows. But I did manage to absorb nearly all of my angelic half's soul. Still, that old fool! He seeks to always get in my way!"

"Easy now," Mammon said, touching my shoulder. "Remember what you always say, emotions are for controlling our enemies. Don't let yourself be consumed by the rage you control."

I took a deep breath and lowered my arms. "Say, why are you back so early?"

She let go of me and turned away. "That boy's father discovered me and rooted me out."

"You met Azami?" I asked, amused. It had been years since I'd seen that guy. Other than Selena and Eiichi, he helped the most to bring me to where I stood now.

"Yes. Not that kicking me out of the palace changes the situation for his beloved brother."

I smirked. "You've succeeded in making Osamu your puppet?"

She looked up at the blood-red moon and laughed. "Yes." Her smile vanished. "But, it's a fragile hold. One as thin as the strand the king's life hangs by."

"You should go and retrieve my dear uncle," I said, grinning. "As for me, maybe I should go pay that deadbeat dad of mine a visit."

Mammon held out an arm in front of me. "Don't go. Your hold on that boy is still fragile. Besides, we have a meeting to attend. Or did you forget that you delayed it to seize the chance to capture the boy?"

I sighed. "Alright. I'll go."

She placed a hand on her chest. "I suggest you hide your face too."

"What? That husk is reacting?"

"Yes. The part of her soul I absorb contains her affection for that boy."

I laughed. "How ironic. We're the ones who split them up, and we're the ones who bring them back together."

"Well, our souls are bound. The sin and the righteous."

"Spare me the destiny talk." I tapped my head. "Remember, our job is to override fate. Or have you forgotten what our prophesized outcome is?"

"Right. That's why we've chosen to ally ourselves with that woman." She crossed her arms. "But is she truly trustworthy? She did betray her own people."

"Funny hearing you ask that since we did the same."

She rubbed her head. "Seems that this girl's feelings are getting to me."

"Yeah, it sounds as if I'm talking to a human," I said, passing by her. "Feelings are the strings we use to control overs. We must avoid tying ourselves up with them."

"I know," she said, avoiding looking at me.

I touched a button on my suit, causing a helmet with a vizor to cover it completely. This gives me an idea...

Mammon and I walked through the hallway until we came upon a large circle with a downward pentagon within. There were eight thrones of various colors arranged around the ring. A giant serpent was coiled around one of the thrones. It moved its head down. "Ifrit, why you ssmell like the Abyssmal King?"

I put a hand on my chest. "This body belongs to Reginald's grandson. I'm finally whole thanks to the help of your daughter, Margaret."

"Not true, you aren't whole," someone said. Leaning back on one of his seats was a guy with long red hair dressed in loose white clothes.

I narrowed my eyes and reached a hand toward him. "Right, I still have to absorb you."

He yawned. "You sure that's wise? You can be killed by Masayoshi's reincarnation if you do that."

I laughed and lowered my hand. "Right you are. That's why you should hurry up and stop him from being reborn, Belphegor."

Belphegor yawned again. "Sorry, too much work. If you want, absorb me."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Belphegor was smart, but he wasted his talents with his constant inaction. It was for that reason that he was among the weakest.

"Come on, Bel, you have to help out Iffy," a green-haired girl yelled as she jumped down. She gave me a tight hug. "I'm so glad that at least one of us has absorbed his angelic half's power."

"Yes. Wish this body, I can now attack Zionia at full power."

"Ahh, so strong!" she said, snuggling me.

"Let go of him, Anestarte," Mammon said.

Anestarte ran a hand across my chest and giggled. "I thought that you were greed, not envy, Mammy."

Mammon turned away. "This isn't the time for such spectacle. We need to move fast against Zionia. Both Abyssia and Zionia will march on us to retrieve Conrad. If we don't take one out at least one of them before that happens, we're as good as finished."

"Why don't we stall. According to Margaret, the pure-blooded abysmals are losing their power," Belphegor said, turning in his throne.

I rose up and sat down in the seat opposite of him. "Right you are, my dear lazy brother. But they are still powerful. I experienced that firsthand. Surely that king of theirs will take their waning strength into account."

"So, do we take out Abyssia first?" Anestarte asked, returning to her seat.

I glanced at Leviathan. "What do you say? You've roamed the seas of both Abyssia and Zionia. Which would be easiest to capture?"

"Thatss a hard deccission. My daughter and I will be taking care of the abyssmalss. With my forcess and herss, we would be able to put up a deccent fight."

"That should buy us time," Belphegor said, closing his eyes.

"Indeed. With Margaret and Leviathan fighting the Abysmal threat, the rest of us can focus on attacking Zionia."

"Plan seems sound," said the woman seated on the highest throne. Her golden hair shimmered under the crimson moonlight. "In a few days, we'll attack Zionia."

"Think we sshould retrieve my land and ssky counterpartss. Together, the three of us can open the gate to the uppermost heaven."

"Wonder what kind of food they have up there," Beelzebub said as he licked his greasy hands.

"Is food really all you think about?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Hey, don't get mad at me!" he said as he opened a bag of chips. Beelzebub behaved like a lesser demon by stealing food in the middle of the night. But, that served to his advantage. Many demon hunters had fallen victim to Beel, initially thinking of him as a mischievous spirit rather than one of the seven princes of Cianio.

I grumbled. "Belphegor, and you aren't taking this seriously at all."

"Let them be," our Queen said, crossing her fingers. "Leviathan will aid her daughter in her attempt to assume control of Abyssia, but who here is going to lead our forces in the Zionian front?"

"Of course, that'll be us," I said, pointing at myself and Mammon.

Mammon nodded. "Yes. We've spent years sowing the seeds of discord in that realm. It's about time that we watch the flowers of destruction bloom."

I smiled. "Very poetic. That said, I think you should retrieve your puppet before his strings are cut by those pesky doves."

Mammon scoffed. "Even if they free him from my control, the king will still not awaken. His will to live on is weak. Setsuko and Rosalba are the only reason he hasn't completely been swallowed into oblivion."

"This king is one of the rulers of one of the four great nations, no? If he's in our control, then that simplifies things."

"Sadly, Mammon here got discovered," I said, shrugging.

"What about you? Osamu's suspected of you for years."

I laughed. "Don't worry. I have an idea," I said, opening the vizor of my helmet.

Anestarte giggled. "Oh, I like where this is going."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

She clapped her hands like a child. "How grand!" She glanced up at our boss. "I'll be joining Mammy and Iffy in the Zionian theater too. Besides, I got someone that I'll like to pay a visit to." She held out a hand and wagged her fingers around as if she were spinning a ball around. "A puppet who managed to cut his own strings."

I smirked. "Think I know who you mean."

Anestarte moved her feet up and down. She gave me an equally playful smile. "Do you now?"

"Yes, there aren't many who you set your eyes on for a long time."

She laughed. "True. One of those few you occupy now. My dear Rabbit."

Right, she was infatuated with this boy. She was as much of a help as Azami, Selena, and her puppet.

"Who is this puppet you speak of? If it one of the other three monarchs?" our boss asked.

"No, but with the death of his father, he's bound to be influential," Mammon responded for Anestarte.

"Oh, so his suspicions were right. Poor thing, he's going to need me more than ever now," Anestarte said, wiping non-existent tears from her face. "But I'll be glad to provide him my shoulder."

"Thiss guy is one of thosse knightss, no? I ssenssed your scent on of them in Zionia. The one with the sspear," Leviathan said.

Anestarte grumbled as soon as Leviathan mentioned the guy's weapon. "That cursed thing. I need to get that spear out of his hands, then Eiichi will be a good obedient boy again." She hugged herself and giggled.

My eyes widened as a sudden rage flared up within me. The boy was reacting to the name.

"Are you okay?" Mammon asked.

I patted my core. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Don't worry, kid. You'll get your revenge on that guy soon. Like I said, you'll finally get payback on all those who wronged you-- Your mommy, your daddy, Eiichi, and even that brother of yours who failed to save you.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Thoughts? Predictions?**