I, Necromancer Chapter 26 (Patreon)

The story that Zeus tells me is… Tragic.

It shows how their arrogance, and dismissal of possible danger signs leads to regret, and causes further mistakes down the line.

It reminds me of a series of books from my old world, the Percy Jackson series. How Zeus refused to acknowledge the return of his father until the very last moment. Stubborn arrogance and overconfidence that led to the bad guys achieving all of their goals and nearly bringing the Gods down.

Twenty years ago, the Gates started appearing- Or that is when they were first encountered. Their epicenter is deep in No Man's Land, where they likely had time propagate like a virus until the Space-Time waves created by their presence started reaching the lands where people lived in the Underworld.

First, the Low Class Gates. Easy, just a chore. An annoyance, even. People disregarded them, but made use of them for resources from monsters and the lands beyond the Gates, or from the Superimposition ones.

Then, slowly, they started ramping up. First in numbers. A few each month, a few each week, a few day, dozens, then more- Then Middle Class Gates. Rinse and repeat.

Months ago, when I joined Fleurdelys' Peerage, the Satans had handled an Ultimate Class Gate that had appeared in their territory. Made a show of it, even.

Not the first recorded, but the previous one had appeared months prior… If we don't count the many other ones recorded by the other factions, or the Maou Class Gate that was the Eternal Forest we helped the Chinese Faction conquer.

Usually, the previous Class had to become common before the next one started to pop up more and more often. And yet, Ultimate Class Gates barely had time to settle before a Maou Class popped up.

And a Heavenly Dragon Class showed itself not much later not that far from populated areas.

Either way, when Gates first showed up, they didn't set off no alarm bells, just roused the greed of many.

But when they started to become more common in numbers, the first one to get worried and understand what was coming was Hades himself.

Among the ten strongest beings in the world, and the God of Death with the greatest and biggest territory in the whole underworld, dwarfing all others put together by more than three times if not more.

So Hades was hit the hardest, and saw the biggest number of Gates across his lands, all handled by his faithful Grim Reapers.

The deaths of those monsters and their Souls raised his strength, joining his ranks and vast armies, but his lands kept being assaulted, invaded, and ravaged… Until he decided to march upon Olympus, and request the aid of his brother.

Send minor Gods down into the Underworld, have Ares bring his armies so to assist him in quelling something Hades knew was going to grow dangerous and far beyond his scope to handle.

And what did Zeus do in the face of that plea? He laughed, and mocked his brother.

In the end, Olympian armies and Demigods descended down to the Underworld- But not to assist Hades. They took shares of the Underworld's lands beyond the God of Death's own as their own, just so they could gather the resourced.

It led to much bickering. To Zeus and Hades coming to blows on several occasions… Until Hades' fears came true.

A Maou Class Gate. First ever recorded… Right in his lands.

The beasts that came out swept through his armies of Grim Reapers and Undead, far too vast and mighty to be stopped. The boss was even worse, a walking calamity that alerted Hades instantly, but not before disaster struck.

Persephone, worried for her husband and alerted by the immense devastation, had arrived to the site of battle before Hades, thinking to find her husband there… But she didn't.

In an effort to assist the Grim Reapers contain the situation and battle, the Gate Boss struck her down, cleaved her in half at the waists and stabbing through her heart soon after just as Hades arrived.

His wrath and despair were terrible. The Gate Boss was torn apart… And then Hades marched upon Olympus once more, but this time not to request help.

Zeus leans to the side, moving his white robe to reveal a muscular chest. I take a sharp intake of air at the ghastly sight. His right side, from pectoral to waist, was tainted a vile, pulsating black.

A curse. One meant to inflict pain. Horrible amounts of pain. And yet, Zeus didn't seem to even wink anymore, clearly used to it by now.

"I was blind… And a moron. And a fool." Zeus chides himself, eyes dim and lacking the power from before, "Bringing her back won't right my wrongs… But it might bring back my brother, and we need him."

I lean back, letting out a slow breath through my nostrils, "I don't know if I am capable of bringing her back, though." I reach out with one hand, summoning the golden Graal into my grasp. Milky white mist flows out of the cup, then a deep black one, "I've tried to grasp the Soul of a God recently, but it is… Complex. Far too complex."

It is different than with the God of the Bible, after all. With them, I needed to basically give their Soul enough energy to kick-start it, and let them access the immense stored amounts of Faith within their Throne- Which already could assist Their recovery.

Plus, each God is different, their Souls hold literal Concepts that make up their existence. Their Domains.

Some had parents, like Zeus, who was born from a Titan, who in turn was born from a Primordial. Some achieved Apotheosis, and many more just came to be from nothing.

Hell, some weren't even given birth through the conventional method, like Athena.

So yeah, each of their Souls is incredibly different, and I could help Big G recover because the damage to their Soul was done by the Sephiroth Graal in the first place, the final suicidal gamble from the Morningstar.

"Don't underestimate the power of Principles, kid." Zeus reassures me, gaze hard, before he jerks his head towards the seated form of God on my right, "The lady over there created the world using the Principles of Supremacy and Domination, after all."

I blink at that, and turn towards the breath-taking and towering form of Yah, the golden dress woven from golden light hugging her figure in ways that was… Quite mouth-watering.

I think have a thing for very, very tall women.

"What exactly are these 'Principles'?" I ask, because I remember Ddraid and Albion mention them once. Specifically, the one of Supremacy and Domination. It was part of their Sacred Gears Juggernaut Drive, I think?

"They are Concepts given power through Belief, or during times where that exact Concept's presence is extremely excessive." Yah's ethereal voice explains, smile radiant and warm, "Like the Dream and Infinity, but they are outliers, for they gained sentience."

One of her hands rose, waving to herself, "Back before each Pantheon had just started, Supremacy and Domination was all that was happening. Gods claiming their territories, their Domains, their slices of Reality- Thus, it gave allowed the Principles of Supremacy and Principles of Domination to come to be."

Zeus snorts and clicks his tongue, "And ya snatched 'em so damn fast…" Yah turns a raised brow his way, and Zeus just turns away, grumbling profanities under his breath.

So, if I am piecing things together right, Yah created Earth- But the other Dimensions and realms of existence, like Olympus, Heaven, Yggradsil and the Nine Realms, they all already existed, carved out of Reality itself, one way or the other, until their respective Gods anchored them to Earth when it was made.

That's… Fascinating.

And I now have access to one- No, two such Principles, those of Life and Death, and their fused version. All because of the Sub-species that should have never been born.

"Alright, I'm willing to bet on this." I nod towards Zeus, making his shoulders rise and square. It clearly delighted him, but hopefully he tempers his expectations, "I'll need an in with Hades, though."

The former chief of Olympus nods and stands from the couch, "You leave that to me, boy. Give me a day." His beard ruffles, a smile visible beneath the white hair, "And… Thanks. I mean it." With that, Reality squeezed inward and he disappeared with the distant sound of rumbling thunder, clearly in a hurry.

I flop back against the back of the couch once his presence vanishes, releasing a soft breath, "Think I can do it?" I ask, tilting my head towards Yah. She was still sat down beside me, neither too close or too far, posture neither too relaxed nor too swift.

Her radiant golden eyes soften, "You still have to disappoint me." I blink, then chuckle softly at that.

"I guess I do enjoy impressing breath-taking women…" I sigh out, brushing a hand through my long white-black hair. They've grown down to my middle back since I was out in No Man's Land, huh? Wonder if I should cut them.

Yah laughs softly. It was a lovely sound, "Plus, consider this an opportunity." I blink and tilt my head her way once more.

"An opportunity?"

Her gaze turns soft and knowing, "For you Apotheosis, of course."

I freeze, then snort softly and shake my head, "Only my Peerage and the two Dragons know about that goal of mine." Guess I shouldn't be surprised that she somehow pieced that together… Though she wouldn't bring this up for nothing. "A hint, huh?"

I lean back, noticing the way Yah's eyes widen, then narrow in an almost passionate and adoring way, "I way for me to achieve Apotheosis lies in also helping Persephone come back to life…" I'll admit that I am now thoroughly stumped.

A way to heal her, that can also elevate me to Godhood. I doubt it is an instant effect, but it'll likely lay a foundation that will slowly be built upon for my ascension.

I'd effectively become the first Human-Devil God, and the Principles of Life and Death may shape my Domains. Or maybe my actions will.

"I knew there was a reason you were so fascinating." Yah sighs softly, earning a light chuckle from me. Having God's interest is… Amusing, and very flattering too.

"Say, are there more Principles out there?" I question, and Yah surprisingly shrugs.

"There may be, but they can be hard to sense and find. Supremacy and Domination were born close to my Heavens, while Life and Death came to be from Jesus' blood." A low hum flows past her supple lips, "I know Kronos once wielded the Principle of Time before he was butchered, but all Principles run out of power."

I pause at that, then my gaze falls on the golden cup still in my grasp, "Life and Death may be among the last to lose power, after all, life and death shall have to cease to be completely for them to vanish." Yah reassures me, almost as if sensing my thoughts.

That's nice, I still need to rely a bit on the Sephiroth Graal to master my Necromancy arts, after all. I used them too much as a crutch before, doing the same mistake as Euclid and Rizevim, but having a talk with Jesus helped a lot.

Speaking off that man, "Oh right, I do have a gift for you…" I point out, standing up and calling out the other available Graal inside my Soul. Yah blinks, surprise flashing by her eyes as she stands, towering over me, and making me aware of how just divine – pun not intended – her body is.

Gods am I glad to not be led by lust…

"A gift?" Yah sounded curious, maybe even a tiny bit eager, making me wonder if she ever received gifts throughout her long life. "You really shouldn't have-"

My power flares, the two cups activating and glowing brightly. One cup pours out a milky white mist, while the other a deep black one.

They pour down, overflowing onto the floor, mixing together like the Yin and Yang, before I call upon my Balance Breaker for the very first time, "Thine Sinful Cross." With that chant, the mist rippled, and an object slowly floated out of it.

Old, aged wood marred with dried blood. A sad feeling emanated from it, making one want to prostate themselves before it.

Yah's breath hitches as the cross towers over both of us, lacking nails and a corpse, but otherwise being full and intact.

I pat the old wood, brushing my fingers against it, feeling thin shards prick and try to pierce tough flesh, "The talk we shared was quite eye opening. He is truly a wonderful human being." Yah gulps softly, feet slowly stepping forward.

A hand raises, shaky yet sure, and her fingers brush over the dried blood with a sad but proud, loving stare, "What does this do?" She asks softly, and I step back with a gentle smile.

"A much deserved second chance. A way to atone for one's sins, and make it so that it matters." Her golden brows furrow in confusion, before her breath hiccups. Her eyes blow wide open, genuine hope and joy rising within her gaze.

"You mean…?"

My palm slaps the old wood, "Fallen Angels can become Angels again this way, by atoning for their sins." My smile twitches softly, "Albeit it'll be… Well, painful, depending on how severe they are." Which, I guess, is quite fair.

Jesus died upon the cross in a most horrible, painful and slow way. Each breath was agony, both drawing it in and releasing it, with his back scraping against old wood each time, tearing at the skin and forcing shards beneath.

Not to mention this was right after he had dragged the heavy cross himself to where he would then be hung upon it.

"You…" Yah's eyes shined, tremors going past her lips and hands, "You'd give up more power… For this?" Her voice was low, like a whisper, and full of raw emotion.

I shrugged with a grin.

Fallen Angels are like the Balance Breaker of Sacred Gears. A Flaw, one that shouldn't have been possible, but it happened and persisted because Helel started it.

It should have never happened, in truth. Angels should have remained obedient, following the Lord's commands and the rules he imposed upon them.

They weren't supposed to be broken, but alas… When a System is too great and too vast, glitches are bound to happen, especially when it isn't looked after properly for centuries.

Funnily enough, Helel is the reason behind Balance Breakers. Sort off. He killed God, which caused the System to start glitching even more, and not properly regulate Sacred Gears.

Again, Yah gulps softly, then pulls away from the aged cross and bites her lips, "May I… Hug you?" I blink at her request, before tentatively nodding.

Slowly, she steps forward and embraces me. My face, of course, ends up between two rather massive and soft mountains. She smells of white lilies.

Her embrace was soft and warm, like the embrace of a thankful mother. It was… Nice.

When she pulled back, her eyes were red, and she gazed at the cross with hope. It may not save all the Fallen, but I have a feeling Yah might just beat them with the cross if they refuse.

The Grigori are, unfortunately, the weakest link in the Underworld currently. If they fall and the next Beast Tides swarm past them, the monsters will be able to attack the settlements that are past the block, and will also be able to attack other groups from behind. That can lead to immense disaster and death.

Thus, if Yah can claim that territory for the Angels and reinforce it, it'll be a lot of pressure being relieved. I know that Azazel has a whole school of Sacred Gear users and whatnot, but not all of them can handle a constant army of beasts.

"There was something I wanted to talk with you about." Yah starts, voice soft, a radiant smile crossing her lips as she regathers her composure, "I am putting together a strike team with the best of the best from each Pantheon, meant to strike at the Anchor Gates across the Outer Edges of No Man's Land."

Turning her head, her golden eyes meet mine, "I would like for you to join them. Help the leader keep arrogant mutts in check, and assist them however you see fit." Her head tilts softly, "You've met them already, I believe. Augusta is her name."

Augusta… Oh, the beautiful warrior woman that was raiding the Khaos Brigade bases at the same time as me.

"Oh yeah, I know her. Been months from our first meeting, though." Wonder if she even remembers me… Oh well, I don't mind. "I should be free soon enough to join her, just have to take care of a few things."

My eyes widen when I suddenly remember one of the things I want to take care off, "Your help on one of these matters may actually accelerate it." There's no reason for me not to share this matter, after all.

So I tell her what Mugen discovered in the Dimensional Gap. Mainly, the corpses of Great Red and Ophis.

Ophis' blood had been used to likely cause the previous Beast Tide, causing a scare that sent waves of beasts crashing in our direction. But it was uncoordinated, and reckless. A proper Beast Tide will likely be far more devastating.

I share my plan to retrieve them, and make use of them to empower my army, but also Ddraig and Albion's new bodies.

Yah cups her chin in thought, gaze intense as she stared at the ground, "I presume you already have a location to store them?" I nod. My personal Dimension beneath New Haven was enormous enough to house both corpses, if just barely due to how immense they are.

"I may be able to create Sacred Gears with the power of Dreams and Infinity. It could be a massive force multiplier." Her eyes narrow faintly, before she sighs, "I still have parts of Ddraig's and Albion's old bodies, make sure to study them too."

I blink and tilt my head at that, "How so?" It likely has to do with the Principles the two stole in the past, before their death.

"When they stole the Principles during their last battle, they used their remaining energy to empower themselves. Ddraig acquired Dominance over his own body and energies, that would have made it so he could have Boosted as many times as he wanted."

"Albion instead acquired Supremacy over all Energies, thus making his Divide able to even contest Divine Powers. It is why I had to strike them down right then and there."

Jeez… Those two were truly crazy. I don't think they even planned for that to happen. It just did.

"Let me handle the retrieval of the corpses, just to be safe. We cannot let those creatures acquire a way to reach us, after all." Yeah… I know Mugen is good, but he isn't Yah's level of good just yet.

Just to make sure there are no mistakes and loose ends, I think it is best I let Yah handle such an important matter.

"Do you think they are dead?" I ask all of a sudden, drawing her gaze to me, "Great Red and Ophis, I mean."

Her teeth bite on her lower lip, "I don't know… They may have just destroyed each other's bodies, but they could have simply created new ones right after. The Dream can just imagine it into existence, after all, and yet they haven't…"

So for them to not have a body back yet is weird. Whatever, not like I'd have expected them to help. I'd actually expect Ophis to make a worse mess to get her 'Silence', the damn brat.

"Either way, please be careful. Those machines and the beasts they are fighting are… Something else."

Yah gazed at me, gaze gentle and understanding. She clearly wanted to ask how I know so much about the machines, but decided otherwise, which I am thankful for.

"I will have the parts of Ddraig and Albion's bodies delivered as soon as possible, by the end of the day, preferably." Turning her head, the towering woman smiled softly just as another voice joined in.

"Grandma?" I turn my head, watching as Fleurdelys descends down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her hair was a mess, and she was wearing one of my shirts, which barely went past her navel.

I raise a brow at her calling Yah 'grandma' though. But thinking about it, she isn't that wrong. Helel is basically Yah's child, and Fleurdelys is Lucifer's child, thus…

Yah welcomed Fleur into a warm and tight hug, brushing her fingers through the horned beauty's messy hair, "I'm sorry for not visiting more often, honey. Alas, the duties of a God are many…"

Fleurdelys shook her head and pulled back with a warm smile, "That's alright. My beloved is back, so I'll be… Preoccupied." The look she throws my way is quite arousing, and also brings back the ache in my hips. How this Lich Body could feel ache in its hips, I do not know.

Yah sighs softly and pinches Fleur's cheek, "Such vulgarity… No children before marriage, you hear?" Fleurdelys, of course, instantly points at me.

"Hey, tell him! He is the one that can control his fertility!" Yah's gaze instantly snaps towards me.

Thus, I decide to peace out. I make a victory sign and grin, then teleport back to the Dimension beneath New Haven to take here of some other projects, while also letting the two bond and spend some time together.

My gaze sweeps through the immense and dense layers of Necrotic Miasma with ease, finding Mugen and Lu Bu close by. The towering was sat on the ground, blackish-red Touki rumbling around him like thunder.

He seemed to be meditating, and his skin had lost that dark gray luster to it, and now looked as if he was a living being. A look at his Soul showed to me that it was overcharged and digesting the immense energies poured into it, but that would take a bit of time.

"My Lord." Mugen inclines his head at my approach, a Sephiroth Graal floating in his free hand, "As you can see, the process is going well. Lu Bu should awaken in the next few days." I nod, eager to see his how strong the warrior will be once he awakens.

Still, my mind strays back to the hint Yah had given me. A way to achieve Apotheosis that can also help Persephone recover… What might that be?

I shake that thought away for the moment and turn towards Mugen, "While Lu Bu digests the energy, I have some training for you to do too, Mugen." The towering Sorcerer turns and inclines his head, "Take the Lich I defeated and a new Soul, and put it through the wringer, then devour the Soul once it has mastered all the Spells of the Lich."

That may take a while, so I'll have to ask Changli to vacate a time dilated bubble for a while so that Mugen could achieve this as fast as possible.

Mugen paused, "You do not wish to bring the Lich back, my Lord?"

I shake my head, "I have no reason to. You are my Magnus Opus, far greater than he'll ever be." And I can't have all my Undead Minions slots be filled by mages, after all. "I'll devour its actual Soul soon, so that I can learn its Undead Creation ways. Our group only needs one Necromancer and one Sorcerer."

Plus, I know for a fact that Mugen can unleash those Dungeons and Dragons Spells with far greater power with his nigh-infinite reserves.

"I won't let you down, my Lord." Mugen bows deeply, pure devotion in his deep voice. I smile and pat his shoulder, before turning my gaze away.

I look towards the distance, out of the Dimension, and towards the far unseen horizon. The numbers of Souls had nearly doubled in just a few days, huh…?

My head turns towards my immense army of Jianqshi. Towering warriors in deep, dark armor releasing immense Necrotic auras. Now that my Cores have upgraded, I can reinforce them even more, make their own Jianqshi Cores much greater, and give them the liquid Qi variant.

I look down at one of my Sephiroth Graals, split off a third of the energy from the countless Souls stored, and then divide it equally among Vali, Ddraig and Albion.

It'll be a bit before I can properly bring them back, but that doesn't mean I can't empower them as they take some much deserved rest.

Now, for another Undead Minion… I have a Power Type, and Mage Type. I don't have the spots just yet, but I'd like to create a Fortress Type, one that is immense in scope, can fly and move around to carry my army.

It'll do wonder for moving around No Man's Land in the future, after all.

Another one I need is a Defense Type. Tough and capable of taking immense damage. I want to cover all of my bases, after all.

I know for a fact that Gates won't be our only challenge. Crom Cruach, Azi Dahaka, and countless other former 'comrades' of Rizevim, likely all awaiting to become problems.

Crom can be handled with ease. Once Ddraig and Albion are back, then the Evil Dragon won't even be a match for even one of them and will be trashed with ease. At that point, he might join our side so to fight more.

If he doesn't, I'll just kill him and turn him into an Undead so I can put him to better use.

But what Minion can I make… "Mugen." The Sorcerer instantly appears at my side, falling into steps with me as I paced around, "Any opinion on what sort of Comrade you want to join you and Lu Bu?" Might as well ask him. I'm not so arrogant as to refuse advice from my subordinates, after all.

Mugen hums, free hand moving beneath his dark veil to cup his chin, "What about an all-rounder, my Lord?" I perk up at that, and he explains further, "Lord Lu Bu wields immense physical might. I myself wield immense Magical might. I'd say we require someone capable of… Doing all, but also shine in one specific field. Pure killing power."

My own hand rises to cup my chin in thought. An all-rounder, capable of covering all bases but shining in killing power… That would require a form of shape-shifting, I'd say.

My head flashes through countless Souls of monsters I had slaughtered in No Man's Land.

A giant monster frog that could shoot its spit across thousands of kilometers with impeccable precision, with the projectile flying at elevated Mach Speed and crossing said distance in seconds.

A black Dragon that released lightless black flames with its roars, capable of erasing anything, and wielding mighty scales and claws that gave Ddraig and Albion a good challenge.

A chameleon-like beast that could perfectly hide its presence until just before the moment it struck.

A fleshy abomination with a skeleton made of multiple joins, giving it the ability to strike and move at sound-shattering speeds.

A monster that could hide in shadow, one that could spot the weak points of its prey, one whose senses could cover countless kilometers- Put all this with the Clan Traits I have available…

"Mugen, you are a genius." I grin, slapping the arm of the towering Sorcerer, "I'll be busy for a while. Let me know if anyone is looking for me."

The minion bows his head deeply, hand over his chest, "I await your success, My Lord."

Now, the question is… I can graft flesh and bone bodies perfectly now.

But can I graft Souls?

~XXX~

Hades was, and is, many things.

He is the God of Death, the Lord of the Underworld, Son of Kronos.

...And he was a brother. A Husband. Once upon a time.

Not that family ever mattered in that twisted world known as Olympus. That accursed mountain was no home. It housed no Throne for him, not a spot among the many beneath the Sky.

No, his place was beneath the earth. Within the darkness, devoid of light.

But he had a light, a long time ago. Years, yet it felt like eons by now. He had a radiant light like no other, so stunning and so bright even the Sun was worthless in comparison.

Those smiles, that soft laughter, the flowers that turned his dreary castles and lands from a scary place to a… Slightly less scary but colorful one.

And now he lost it all. That sun of his, those smiles, the laughter, the damn flowers, all because his supposed family refused to listen like always.

"I don't care, Hestia." His voice rumbled out like thunder, shaking the grand hall of his dark castle. The burning blue flames upon the torches swayed with the blast of his voice, but the minute woman at the bottom of his steps didn't even flinch. "I care not for what Zeus has to say, or what he wants, or what he sends. He is no brother of mine. I've long since severed ties with Olympus."

Hestia's face scrunched in pain, which twisted the last bit of Hades' heart that was still left and beating after the death of Persephone. Two eyes akin to twin burning suns stared up at him, gentle and full of sorrow and love.

Hestia was and will always be the best among the Gods of Olympus. The most adored and cherished Goddess among their Pantheon, even.

And Zeus, that bastard, had sent her ahead to talk to him in his stead. Again, what a bastard. Hades considered marching on Olympus and cursing that old fool with erectile dysfunction just to be petty.

"Just this once, Hayhay." Somehow, Hades' skull actively twitched at that old nickname being used by his eldest sister. The sight was quickly caught by the small red haired gremlin, who grinned that cheeky, bratty smile of hers, "Do it for me, pretty please?"

Hades had no eyes, but they somehow still twitched. He drew in a deep breath, palmed his face, cursed all the Gods in existence – but also thanked them – for having given him this damnable goofball of a sister.

"Fine." He spat out that word like it was poison, dropping his free hand onto the armrest of his throne, "One chance, then enough." Hestia nodded, smile radiant. He didn't know why there was so much hope within her eyes, but he disliked it.

The knock on the grand doors came soon after. A series of three powerful, deep bangs. Hades lifted a single hand, causing the large doors to groan open, ancient metal dragging across deep black obsidian.

In floated one of his most loyal Grim Reapers, Pluto. Cape billowing, features hidden, enormous scythe hanging from from his back.

Behind him, a young man walked in calmly. Magic mutated eyes flicked around, twin blood-red crosses making for his pupils. Long white-black hair, and a powerful, deep and foul aura perfectly contained within.

But Hades saw more. A Soul that was tethered to a corpse that was but a puppet. A Lich. And… The God of Death gazed lower, into the shadow of the Lich before him.

There, something gazed back at him with the eyes of a predator. A hunter. It was… A twisted, haunting being. It's Soul was a horrid yet perfect creation, a fusion of tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of Souls. A being that was one thing, but also countless more.

It was… Beautiful. Grafting, was it? Hades had never thought of such a thing. It was a disgusting practice of Necromancers, fusing flesh with one another or into themselves to gain its strength, but this was on a whole new level. Far beyond flesh and bones and that dealt with the Soul itself, a most fragile thing.

Interest roused, Hades leaned forward slightly while Pluto bowed deeply, "I have brought you our guest, Lord Hades." The Grim Reaper announced, voice like a distorted echo.

Hades nods and waves his hands, "Thank you, Pluto. Return to your duties." The Grim Reaper faltered, clearly unwilling to leave his Lord's side unguarded, but departed soon after.

Even if they came to blows, Hades knew well the outcome. That monstrosity in the Lich's Soul could shred apart all of his Grim Reapers with laughable ease.

"A most beautiful creation, I must say." Hades start, leaning against his staff, burning flames of his eyes visible past his helm, "That being within your Soul, I mean."

The white and black haired man smiled, unbothered at having his creation be noticed so fast, "Thank you, Lord Hades." His right arm waved, and his shadow deepened. From it emerged a humanoid figure, feminine and with blood-red eyes, but her body was completely pitch black, as if she was a shadow itself, "This is Hunter, a new creation of mine."

"You grafted Souls together to make her, I presume?" Hades question, free hand cupping the bone of his jaws, his voice a drawl of interest.

The Lich's eyes widen, his smile deepening, "Indeed! It took a lot of trial and failure to figure out the proper pattern, but in the end I managed to achieve this amazing result."

Hades hummed softly, "But how did you achieve this? So many Souls grafted together… They should have collapsed upon themselves."

Hestia blinked, looking between the two, twin sun-like eyes wide and surprised.

"The solution to that was to graft Souls of beasts that were similar. Lizards with lizards, dragons with dragons, wolf with wolf, so on and so forth, then graft them all at the same time into a blank Soul, far stronger than all of them combined."

"Fascinating! That would cause the much stronger Soul to easily subdue and assimilate all the grafted components with ease, with no waste."

"Yes, and that would also lead to it retaining all the instincts and skills learned by the beasts throughout their life."

"Hah! That's a massive time saver! Training new Grim Reapers is such a chore and takes so long…"

"I can imagine. My army has been able to grow in number and skill because New Haven is guarded thoroughly-"

A gentle cough silenced the animated discussion, and two pair of eyes land on Hestia, small fists on her hips, gaze unimpressed yet amused.

Hades froze, then coughed on his fist, "Mhm, apologies. We got distracted."

The Lich bowed his head, "And I did not introduce myself. My name is Scaith, a Necromancer, as you can clearly tell." Hunter returned to Scaith's shadow, her lack of presence clearly screaming at how deadly she is. "I have been… Recruited by Lord Zeus, for a lack of a better word."

The God of Death hums, stroking his chin while staring down at the Necromancer, "And what are you here for, Scaith?"

The Lich raised his head, gaze intense, "First, is a request I hope you'll grant me if I achieve the goal I came here for; Your Blessing." Hades perked up at that. He couldn't remember the last time he had granted a mortal his Blessing. The Blessing of Death itself.

It was a powerful boon, especially with how strong he had become in recent times with all the Souls he was devouring as they poured out of the Gates.

"Very well." Hades stood, staff clicking onto hard obsidian, "And what is it you are here to accomplish, then? What has Zeus put you up to?"

Smiling, Scaith reached towards his chest, and Hades watched as white mist flowed out. Three small cups made of weathered gold soon flowed before Scaith, white mist pouring out of one, black mist out of another, and white and black mist out of the last one.

Hades' froze at the sight, because how could he not recognize the power before him. The Principles of Life and Death, things that would make even a God of Death like him look like nothing.

A finger of his twitched for but a moment against his staff, the thought of stealing them flashing across his mind but for a split second… A split second that was enough to be sensed by the abomination within the Lich's shadow, which made its murderous gaze lock upon Hades with the intensity of an apex predator having found a worthy prey.

Hades discarded that thought as soon as it came up, and walked down from the throne while Scaith smiled softly, "Some time ago, I've brought back the God of the Bible." Hades stills, burning flames for eyes flickering in shock.

He hadn't really kept tabs on the outside world since… He just had no interest. To think that the creator of the damn doves was back- His breathing halts, and his mind connects two and two.

His head whirls towards Hestia, and the small Goddess gives him a soft, hopeful smile.

The God of Death turned back towards Scaith, the Lich wielding the Sephiroth Graal holding the Principles of Life and Death. His hands trembled, even his knees did.

A shuddering breath left him. This is what Zeus had sent him? Why? Why would he care? Why even do this?

"Come with me." Hades wasted not a moment. He whirled around and waved his staff, his Divine Might causing the palace and its lands to shudder. The stairs of his throne groaned, parting and vanishing, revealing a staircase leading downward, into abyssal darkness.

Hades hurried down the steps first, but slowed when Hestia joined his side and took his free hand in hers, her radiant eyes warding away the darkness, and her presence keeping him as composed as he could be.

At the bottom of the staircase lay a massive chamber. Empty and dark, with countless wilted flowers having been plucked and placed upon the aged floor, all surrounding an altar holding a large, sky-blue sphere.

Within the sphere was a flickering Divine Spark, like a candle about to go out. The essence of a God, their Soul.

Hestia wilts at the sight of it, "Oh, Persy…" Her eyes grow red, while Hades grips her small hand tightly. Each time he looked at that Divine Spark, he always felt like a piece of his heart was being torn out in the most agonizing way possible.

Scaith slowly steps beside him, eyes aglow as he stared at the Divine Spark. "...What happened to her?" He asked, seeing the damage done to the Divine Soul.

Hades' knuckles creak while the wood of his staff snaps and cracks, "The monster that killed her… It was an Asura, sort-off. It poisoned everything in its surroundings, no matter what it was. Be it Magic, land… Or Divinity itself." His skull nods towards flickering Soul, "She was struck twice, and it took me years to slowly remove that poison from her Soul."

And now, she wasn't healing anymore. Gods could heal from anything, even Death.

Once killed, they would take time to reform. It could take decades, or centuries, depending on how much Faith they still had saved from their Golden Age, but they never came back whole.

Something was always missing, and that would stack. It would get worse over time… Until there was nothing left of that God.

Hades had seen it happen across the many eons of his existence. He had seen Gods be forgotten so thoroughly that even he couldn't remember their name.

And honestly? He'd rather Persephone fade away and have a normal human death, then slowly lose parts of what made her his Persephone.

He wouldn't be able to remain sane, otherwise.

"May I…?" The God of Death nods, slowly, letting Scaith advance towards the crystal. With a flick of his wrist, the three cups started swirling and spinning around the container of his beloved's Soul, white and black mist pouring over it like a waterfall.

Millions of Souls soon poured out of the Graal, all from beasts from beyond the Gates. The Souls were then unmade, their pure Soul Essence gathered and then poured into the Divine Spark like a tidal wave.

Hades' breathing stopped as the flickering of the Spark became slower and slower… Until it halted completely, and the shine of that radiant Soul came back, growing brighter with each passing moment.

When the Soul Essence was exhausted, Scaith stepped back with a light smile, watching as the Soul was now aglow and complete.

…

The smile slowly turned into a frown when nothing else happened, and Hades stared at the Soul quietly, the grip on his staff having gone slack.

"...Why isn't she back?" Hestia asked softly, small hand gripping Hades' own hard enough to make the bones creak. "It's whole, isn't it? Her Soul, I mean."

Scaith stared at the Soul, gaze flickering with a heavy frown, "No… No it isn't." His shoulders slump, "She has no Faith to draw upon, no strength to use to assimilate all the energy I gave her." He lifts a hand, teeth chewing on the nail of his thumb, "I'm missing something, but what…?"

Hades sighs, shoulders slumping, the flames of his eyes growing dimmer. Another piece of his heart was torn away, and not much of it remained now.

His hand releases Hestia's as he turns to gaze away from the now radiant, but still Soul. His Persephone had grown weaker, had Scaith come sooner perhaps the outcome would have been different.

"It's fine, young man. You have my thanks for this, but…" Another deep, weary sighs, "I didn't hold much hopes in the first place." Even the Principles of Life and Death weren't omnipotent, it seems-

"Tithes."

Hades pauses, then slowly turns towards Scaith, "What?"

The Lich turns, eyes widen, nearly manic, "That's how you Gods gained Faith in the past, right? Tithes. Offerings tossed into the flames in your name. That built Faith, no?"

Hestia's eyes slowly widened, hope renewing within her sun-like eyes. "Worship helped, but Tithes always built more Faith than it."

Hades' trembled, and he hated how that damnable feeling of Hope was crawling back in what remained of his heart, "But we don't have any mortals worshiping us anymore-"

Scaith smirks and points at himself, "Leave that to me, Lord Hades." His gaze shines, nearly feral, turning towards the horizon, "We've got plenty of willing Tithes not too far from here."

Hades followed his stare, past the walls and his lands, and towards the horizon, where the mad Gate Beasts kept multiplying and growing in number.

And Hades understood.

In the past, young warriors and heroes used to slay monsters and toss them into the flames, giving them as offering to the Gods whole instead of in pieces, just to request a minor blessing from their Domains.

Getting a good harvest, a tithe for good weather, a tithe to request strength, or to seek good health for one's children.

Genuine, pure laughter bubbled out of Hades, the pieces of his heart slowly coming back together, "Oh, I am not missing this. What do you need, young man?"

Scaith grinned. It was a feral, dangerous, and quite excited grin.

"Just a very, very big pyre."

Hades found it oddly cathartic.

The filth that took away his beloved, would now gladly help him bring her back to him.

Oh, he was looking forward to this.

A.N. Time for Scaith to upgrade his Class again.

His next requirement will be quite enormous, but eh, it'll be easy.

The next few chapters will be focused on the Beast Tide and more character interactions, since I haven't done that in a bit here, and I look forward to it.

Man, am in a huge Necromancer writing mood recently, what the hell…

Hope y'all enjoyed the chappy!

Toodles!