This work is a piece of fiction. While inspired by real events, cultures, and practices in human history, the story blends factual history with fictional characters, dramatizations, and creative interpretation.
It is not intended to promote, glorify, or encourage any illegal activities, substance use, or harmful behavior. All depictions of sensitive topics are included solely for narrative and historical context.
For the effects of the story, all characters are to be considered above the majority age.
Reader discretion is advised.
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DxD Multiverse, Urakyoto, Japan.
Under the covers of the misty vapor of an open-air natural bath, and the comfortable warmth of its opalescent waters, Ophis in a slug-like state, Yasaka with natural floaters, and Kunou comfortably nestled in Aragorn's arms, enjoyed the clear starry night sky.
With a listless expression, Kunou enjoyed the head support that Aragorn's female body provided while she softly ran her fingers through a handful of her damp fur.
"How did it go with the Maou's sister?" Yasaka asked.
"I collected the data I needed and corrected a few bugs in performance issues," Aragorn replied. Her mellifluous voice was something to envy.
"I understood nothing," Yasaka declared.
"Ah, right," Aragorn voiced out after he realized she hadn't shared with Yasaka the purpose of her visit. "I placed something inside of her. I made contact with her to evaluate the findings and information stored in that something. I also found some small issues with it that needed correction."
"This 'something', what is it? Like a spell, or maybe some curse?" Yasaka asked, her interest stemmed not only from Rias' status but also from the motives behind Aragorn's actions.
"It's a core, a System Core," Aragorn said.
"Mmmm, I don't know what that is," Yasaka confessed.
"Like a Sacred Gear," Ophis, in her slug-like state, managed to comment.
"Like a Sacred Gear?!" Yasaka's eyes bulged with the statement.
"In a way, yes," Aragorn nodded after some consideration. "But it is not the type of Sacred Gear that would give an outward tell. It's more like a tool that would help the user in a particular field. The one I implanted in the redhead devil was more of the general variation."
"I, have one," Ophis proudly declared.
"You do, Ophis-sama?" Yasaka asked.
"The Cooking System," Ophis preened with uncharacteristic boldness.
"A cooking Sacred Gear?" Yasaka asked with a twitching smile directed at Aragon.
"It will help Ophis develop critical skills in the field of cooking. It's not omniscient in the field, but it has all my years of knowledge in the related vocation," Aragorn explained.
"And the one you gave the girl was a general Sacred Gear? Including fields like combat?" Yasaka was now panicking.
"Yes, but her System is the Grinding System. It's different, less lenient than the one I made for Ophis," Aragorn explained, trying to quell the fox's unnecessary worries.
"Grinding?" Yasaka asked with a blush.
"Ah! No Horny!" Aragorn made a psionic soft bat and 'bonked' Yasaka in between her ears.
"Ouch!" She rubbed her head with unshed tears.
"Not that type of grinding, you horny MILF!" Aragorn shook her head in disapproval. "It's more about grinding oneself to perfection, about putting effort in personal growth and leaving behind worldly distractions. She has to work for the System's rewards."
"My head," Yasaka complained. "I felt like my brain was rattled," she said with a reproachful look. "You should have named it the Training System, or something of that nature. It's not my fault the name is so misleading."
"Sure, you pent-up fox with a Kunou's age-long dry spell," Aragorn mockingly smirked. "Tell yourself whatever lets you sleep at night."
"How dare you!" Yasaka gekkered like a fox. But amidst her snapping, she began to think and then settled down... Indeed, it had been since Kunou's conception.
"~Hahahaha!" Aragorn's feminine laugh chimed like a bell. "Actually... Now that I think about it," she focused on Yasaka with rapt attention, making the embarrassed fox ponder what madness was going to come out next. "You could help me with something that might break your dry spell."
"What? I'm not doing anything with you," Yasaka said with uncalled-for determination.
"Not me, idiot," Aragorn shook her head. "One of my Selves is always near to my Noona, I'm not missing any coitus whatsoever," she declared with an air of superiority.
"Alright," Yasaka said while dragging her words. She didn't know how that worked, so it confused her; however, she didn't question it. "If not you, then who? Phoenix? I'm not particularly into women, but I won't deny a part of me is curious."
"Well, Phoenix might take up on the offer, and she is like me, so you wouldn't have a 'docking' incompatibility issue, but I didn't mean her, I meant that slug-like Dragon God over there," Aragorn pointed at Ophis.
The slug, miraculously, perked up at her mention and gave a questioning look back to Aragorn.
"Eh, I know Ophis-sama is older than me, but even so... It would be impossible," Yasaka said. Ophis, as a candidate, didn't even cross her mind.
"Ophis, can you assume my humanoid form you saw earlier today?" Aragorn said.
Ophis took a pensive stance for a moment before her body was covered in a cocoon of her power, and then a handsome man of Asian features replaced it.
"... I see," Yasaka said while blushing.
"I've been meaning to teach Ophis some 'ancestral' teachings, but well... You know how our dear Ophis is towards anything that is not sweets- or silence-related," Aragorn said. "I mean, I'm not telling you to devour our innocent Dragon God just like that, but maybe try to introduce him/her to some of that mature allure you exude."
Yasaka didn't confirm or deny Aragorn's suggestion, but the interest in her eyes and the swaying of her damp tails was enough of a tell.
Kunou, all the while, had been protected from the adult topics by Aragorn's careful censoring of their conversation by disrupting the soundwaves, but upon seeing Ophis change forms, her interest was undoubtedly piqued her interest.
She doggy paddled to Ophis and asked, "Ophis-sama?"
"Uhn," Ophis replied. A masculine grunting sound that she copied from Aragorn's voice.
"Can you hold me?" Kunou extended her arms to Ophis.
Ophis nodded listlessly and held Kunou in the same position Aragorn had her before.
There was an unmistakable innocence that was easily recognized by Yasaka in Ophis, regardless of her now handsome and masculine form.
"A work in progress," Yasaka commented.
"Indeed," Aragorn nodded while dragging her fingers through her long translucent hair. "I barely managed to show her what evil was today, and she nearly panicked."
"Evil? How did you show her evil?" Yasaka asked.
"I shared a memory of something I did," Aragorn said; her long, marbled fingers breaking through the surface of the water in a lazy, dragging gesture, her dark, iridescent nails reflected a multicolor gleam. "Even though he looks calm now, she almost lost it when she imagined what the people she shared her power with could do with it."
"I dread the thought," Yasaka spoke with a shiver.
"It'll be fine," Aragorn shrugged, the moment made her breasts jiggle to the physics of the world. "I'm sure once we finish creating her dimension, she'll recall her shared fragments."
"That's not good, is it?" Yasaka said.
"It is as you presume," Aragorn agreed with Yasaka's implied conclusion. "The Khaos Brigade will go berserk and come out of the shadows."
"Right now, the confidence that Ophis' snakes will take them to their goals is what's keeping them in the shadows, festering their power, but as soon as you take away that confidence, the less sane—which is probably the majority—will lose all that patience," Yasaka commented.
"I believe, by then, I would have done enough for this world by taking Ophis' snakes off the streets," Aragorn said. "What remains to be done, that's your responsibility, along with the other inhabitants of this world."
"It'll be a headache," Yasaka pouted. "Should I take it up to Amaterasu-Omikami?"
"Maybe, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Khaos Brigade has someone inside the Shinto Pantheon," Aragorn said. "Be careful. Ophis and I will only protect Urakyoto, nothing more."
The day ended as usual, Yasaka and Kunou being floated out of Aragorn and Ophis' room late at night, and Ophis finding her silence in Aragorn's void stomach.
The next day, Aragorn took care of breakfast with his crew of now-faithful cooks. Midday, while Ophis was being taught about common sense by a kitsune teacher Yasaka had arranged for her, Phoenix returned in all of her flaming glory. Except, she was not alone.
"..." With a look of critical concentration and laser focus, Aragorn crouched in front of the unconscious cargo. "Where did you even find this kid?"
"I first went to visit the humans Ophis told me about—The Hero Faction, they are called—they were not very friendly, but after I burned them to a crisp and back a few times, cooperation proceeded swimmingly," Phoenix spoke as if retelling an everyday occurrence.
"I studied enough of their Sacred Gear to feel confident in creating my own with a shard, but I was missing some examples of dormant Sacred Gears," she said. "So, I remembered you mentioned this mortal in Kuoh Town with an unawakened one."
"Uhmmm, but why did you abduct him?" Aragorn asked. "Are you learning from me? That's not a very commendable path for an honorable Abstract such as yourself, Phoenix Force!" Aragorn chided like a disappointed father.
"Shut up!" Phoenix snapped. "I wasn't done with studying him, and some fallen angels were snooping around."
"Eh? Already?" Aragorn asked. "Maybe some things are happening sooner after our display in the Dimensional Gap."
"Not only that," Phoenix said. "I read their minds, your devil girl's recent actions have put them on edge."
"Rias' actions?" Aragorn pondered. "But she's only been targeting stray devils."
"Maybe they took that as war preparations, I don't know nor care, mortals make a fuss out of everything," Phoenix shrugged.
"Well, I guess we'll see what happens," Aragorn shrugged too. "Are you sure you can deal with him?" He pointed at Phoenix's abduction victim. "He's the absolute Oppai Pervert, and you have breasts."
"... You're correct, I might burn him dead in irritation," Phoenix said pensively. Her body was wreathed in flames for a moment, and then a handsome redhead man became her new form.
"Is it one of your previous hosts?" Aragorn asked with interest.
"It's Jean LeGris, a male counterpart of Jean," Phoenix said.
"Jean the Grey?" Aragorn asked. Phoenix nodded.
"Yeah, that form will do," Aragorn nodded. "Should we tell Yasaka?"
"That woman is very forthcoming about sexuality; she'll probably not mind," Phoenix said.
"Yeah, that MILF can be frisky," Aragorn nodded.
"Ddraig?" Ophis asked after teleporting next to the Aragorn and poking at Issei Hyoudou, she was crouching next to him.
"I believe so," Phoenix replied.
Ophis looked from the passed-out human to Phoenix, back and forth, and asked while looking at Aragorn, "Evil Phoenix?"
"It depends," Aragorn said with a chuckle. "Her actions were driven by selfishness, but even then, the boy would have died if she had not 'commandeered' him. So, are her selfish actions evil or not?"
"..." Ophis pondered in silence.
"What is this about?" Phoenix asked while pocking at Aragorn's mind with her telepathy.
Aragorn understood what she wanted and allowed her to read his memory.
"Ah, she had a brush with evil," Phoenix nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, she's not all there yet, but she is learning," Aragorn patted the head of the thinking dragon.
Phoenix carried the passed-out oppai pervert to Aragorn's room, and later Aragorn and Ophis joined her while she studied the dormant Sacred Gear.
Around mid-afternoon, a kitsune servant knocked on the door.
"Is it about the deity that just arrived?" Aragorn asked after he opened the door.
"Affirmative, Aragorn-sama," the kitsune servant nodded while furtively swaying her tail forward. Aragorn reached for the offered treat and did his magic. "Yasaka-sama would like to have Ophis-sama and your personage appear in the upcoming meeting."
The kitsune was so professional that, even under Aragorn's petting, contrary to her erotic master, she managed to keep her composure against the will of her body.
"Sure, Mei, we'll be there in a minute or two," Aragorn replied.
After lingering for a second more than needed, she reluctantly pulled her now lustrous and extra-fluffy tail back and parted.
"You indulge them," Phoenix remarked, judgingly.
"But the tails, the softness," Aragorn said with a pleading look.
"Furry idiot," Phoenix said beneath her breath.
"Let's go, Ophis," Aragorn ignored Phoenix and addressed Ophis.
"Is she evil?" She spoke while gazing in the direction where surely the goddess was.
"How about you judge by yourself after meeting her?" Aragorn suggested.
She thought for a moment and then nodded.
The two, side by side, walked the short distance to the meeting hall. A servant opened the sliding door for them before bowing respectfully. Inside, while standing up, Amaterasu-Omikami awaited them next to Yasaka.
Amaterasu was like some of her descriptions went according to her myth. White, straight, long hair, fair skin, nine snow-white wolven tails, eyes with the bright warmth of the sun, and a beauty that outclassed all those not divine.
Visibly, she had the composure and grace expected of a goddess, but to Aragorn's empathy, anxiety wouldn't even begin to describe what she was oozing. After sensing her distress, Aragorn made the conjecture that Yasaka possibly didn't panic as much as she should have.
"Ophis, did you do something to the girl?" Aragorn asked out loud, without the decorum of waiting for proper introductions.
"... No. I, don't think so," Ophis replied after a moment of thought.
"Ara, how careless of me to be seen straight through upon our first encounter," Amaterasu replied, wearing her fake composure as her armor.
"Aragorn?" Yasaka asked. Their interaction had flown above her.
"She is panicking worse than you did," Aragorn spoke flatly while approaching the goddess who—upon seeing him approach her—wanted to bolt out of the mortal world.
Aragorn paid nothing more than a passing glance at her panic and slowly reached for her with his hand.
Using psionic energy to forcibly calm her down, Aragorn believed it was more intrusive than biokinesis for a first meeting. Hence, he was reaching for her.
Clenching her fist under the long, flowing sleeves of her divine regalia, Amaterasu forced herself not to react to what felt like the blade of a guillotine. But the judgment she expected upon his touch never came. Instead, she felt as if she had been submerged in the comforting warmth of a bath after he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"T-Thank you, Aragorn-sama," Amaterasu said after understanding what he was doing.
Aragorn nodded and went to sit opposite her and Yasaka, with Ophis by his side.
"I'm here as an add-on," Aragorn said after noticing the conflict in the goddess' eyes. It was clear that Ophis found more interest in something beyond the meeting that Amaterasu could not comprehend, and while Aragorn appeared to be approachable enough, Yasaka had informed her beforehand that he was only temporarily in Urakyoto.
"Ophis-sama, it's an honor to have you in our territory," Amaterasu said to break the ice. She bowed respectfully to the loli.
"Nn," Ophis nodded with little interest but observed Amaterasu as if judging whether she was evil or not.
Amaterasu noted this and, with an uncomfortable yet gracious smile, turned to Yasaka. Yasaka, like a parent watching their child attempt their first bicycle ride, nodded encouragingly at the goddess.
Amaterasu, in a disbelieving mood, brought out a plate of Sakura mochi using spatial storage magic.
Instantly, without hesitation, Ophis perked up and left behind all notions of Amaterasu being evil. No one who liked sweets was evil; that was an absolute truth in Ophis' life paradigm.
Seeing the immediate spark of interest lighting up in Ophis' eyes, Amaterasu bore a twitching smile.
"The success of the Youkai, as part of the Japanese Mythology Faction, is the success of the Shinto Pantheon," Amaterasu said while pushing the Sakura mochi forward. Ophis picked one mochi and ate it in one unmannerly bite.
Immediately after, her interest began to wane.
"It is my understanding that your pact with Yasaka-san extends only to Urakyoto," Amaterasu said, and to not lose Ophis' interest, she brought out another plate of Sakura mochi from storage.
She pushed the new plate forward.
"It is not my will to make amends to your pact, nor is it within my power to do so. However, given that we stand to benefit from it, I want to extend to you the cordiality of our unlimited support should you need it," the goddess said.
Ophis, after finishing the mochi, put on a thinking mien before asking, "Are you the strongest?"
"As the head of my pantheon, I am the strongest," Amaterasu nodded.
"..." Ophis dragged a silence while thinking and then said, "Not enough," in a somewhat disappointed tone.
"It may be so under the eyes of the Infinite Dragon God-sama, but can I inquire as to where your question comes from?" Amaterasu asked before pushing forward another Sakura mochi.
"My Silence," Ophis said without elaborating more.
Seeing as it appeared as if she was not getting any more answers from her, she turned to Aragorn with a questioning look.
"Ophis is looking for allies to fight Great Red off the Dimensional Gap," Aragorn explained.
Cough! "I apologize, but that task is beyond my pantheon," Amaterasu said.
It wasn't only a matter of power; the Shinto Pantheon and most other deities were too established and immovable to join a fruitless war. Ophis, despite her airhead, knew this, and that's why she sought those desperate for power. Had Amaterasu not been the strongest, then Ophis would have evaluated that the Shinto Pantheon would have been worth enough to insist.
Ophis cared not about her denial; she had mochi to eat, and after Aragorn exposed her to evil, she was not so sure about continuing with her reckless approach.
"Is the purpose of this meeting to ask permission to spread rumors about Ophis' new affiliation?" Aragorn asked.
"That's a precise deduction, Aragorn-sama," Amaterasu implicitly confessed.
"I figured that even if the rumor says that Ophis is now affiliated with Urakyoto, so long as you are the one spreading it, you can make it seem as if it is connected to your pantheon," Aragorn explained.
"Normally, it would not matter who spreads the rumor, but since this is about Ophis-sama, I contacted Amaterasu-sama," Yasaka interjected.
"Okay," Aragorn replied before turning to Ophis. "Do you care?"
"Should I?" Ophis asked.
"The Shinto Pantheon will stand to gain from you, so they are asking to avoid a deadly misunderstanding later on," Aragorn explained.
"I, don't care," Ophis said. "Can I get more of this?" She pointed at the empty plates beside her.
"~Fufu, as many as you desire, Ophis-sama," Amaterasu replied with a graceful chuckle.
"Nn!" Ophis actively nodded.
There were other matters to discuss, many of the non-pressing variety. After bidding the goddess farewell, Yasaka returned to her job as the leader of Urakyoto, and Ophis and Aragorn returned to observe Phoenix's little observation experiment.
"I'm surprised you didn't latch onto her tails," Phoenix commented after they returned.
"She would have feinted," Aragorn said with a chuckle. "But, mark my words, I'll get to those tails."
"Yeah, no, I don't doubt it," Phoenix scoffed. "You can be manipulative that way."
"Hey, I can also be charming like that," Aragorn rebuked.
"Didn't you manipulate Yasaka through her daughter to get to her tails?" Phoenix asked with a knowing look.
"... Maybe I can be a little manipulative," Aragorn said, looking away. "But it is all for the greater good!"
Phoenix didn't deem it worth a response.
The following day began just as usual, except for the addition of a very panicked teen.
"W-What's going on?" Issei Hyoudou muttered under his shaking breath, looking left, right, up, and down at the living myths he could spot all around Yasaka's residence.
"Did I die?" It was not exactly heaven, but it was otherworldly enough to merit the doubt.
"What is the last thing I remember?" he asked out loud.
"I went to that store with the oppai manager, then I was on my way home. I passed the park where that tall oppai lady walks her dog, after that I took a shortcut passing by that gym with the oppai mothers, and... and? What happened next?" Issei racked his brain trying to piece together the last day he remembered, but his memory made little sense, otherwise—
"Why would there be flaming oppai? Who would even dare to sin so greatly?"
Yes, the last image he remembered was not Phoenix, but her breasts wreathed in flames.
"That's some one-track perverted mind you have there, boy," Aragorn commented from behind him.
"Ack!" Issei jumped in fright from behind his cover. "Who—No! What are you?"
His eyes locked on the eternal flame and draconic features of Aragorn.
"I'm... Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil," Aragorn spoke with a charming smile.
"EEK! I'm in hell!" The young adult went into a panic attack. "Was it those videos I saw? Maybe the Oppai? No, no, oppai is life, it can't be that! Maybe because of that time, I fapped 28 times in a row. Agh! It's gotta be those hentai doujinshi I rubbed it to! I knew it, I shouldn't have done it to Saki-chan! Oh, no! What do I do now? Is it too late to start praying? Isn't God about forgiveness? No, but if there's a Hell, then maybe it's forgiveness after trial. Are they gonna assault my asshole now?! They are totally gonna do my butt! Eek! What do I do? My butt is gonna be turned into an onahole for the devils' barbed dicks! What do I do? What DO. I. DO? WHA—"
Thump!
"Eh? He passed out? And what the heck was that specific as hell shit?" Aragorn poked it with his foot. "For real? Just like that?"
It didn't take long for Phoenix to arrive looking for her specimen, Ophis tailing her, when the two saw the unconscious teen and Aragorn poking at him with his foot, they spoke no words. Ophis because she cared very little, and Phoenix because she knew Aragorn enough to imagine what he did.
━━━━━━━ ● ━━━━━━━
Kuoh Town, Occult Research Club.
Ever since the change in Rias Gremory, the Occult Research Club had been in an upheaval. From training together every morning, to attending classes during the day, and hunting stray devils after classes, they had little time to unwind and spend time leisurely.
However, an event changed that.
Sona Sitri and her queen, Tsubaki Shinra, sat across Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. The rest of their peerages were spread around the room. Although not actively participating, they listened attentively.
"It was only for a moment, but I felt one of the presences from that day," Rias carefully explained. "We were hunting probably the last stray in our territory, and I think they teleported around the residential area close to that park and then teleported away."
"How would you know if they went away?" Sona asked. "They could have chosen to mask their presence after arriving at Kuoh."
"... Is that possible? Do you think they are still here?" Rias asked, there was a faint tremble in her voice.
She wasn't the only one concerned about the prospect; the others were simply hiding it better.
"It's possible," Sona nodded somberly. "My sister said that the Oroborus Dragon is normally indistinguishable from common folk unless you actively peer at them."
"If this being is at the same bracket of power," Tsubaki interjected. "It's entirely possible they can mask their presence just as well."
"This is not good," Sona continued. "We need to contact our siblings."
"Do we?" Rias asked, reluctant.
"Stray devils aren't the only ones stirring after that day," Sona commented. "Grigori has been snooping around the Dimensional Gap, looking for traces of the two unknown entities of the clash, but nothing says they are limited to the Dimensional Gap."
"We encounter some traces of fallen angel light magic," Akeno admitted with disgust. "But nothing indicates an increase in their numbers, just their movements."
"Even so, the fallen angels aren't the only worry," Sona shook her head. "According to my sister, as of this moment, the entire supernatural world is hunting for those two entities."
"Why are they making such a big deal of it?" Rias asked.
"Because the sudden appearance of a being at the Dragon God level could mean a new player or the birth of a new Dragon God-level entity," Sona explained. "And if it is the latter, then everybody is hunting for them because a newborn, no matter how grown up and capable, is perfectly influenceable. And there appear to be two of them."
"Ugh, this can't be happening," Rias complained. "We're gonna get pulled back to the Underworld."
"That has probably been on their minds ever since that day," Sona muttered. She was not happy about returning to the Underworld either. "The sighting only makes it a certainty."
Sona's sister wasn't wrong with her explanation; every faction, and even some daring and/or crazy individuals, were hunting for Aragorn and Phoenix. They had an inkling of an idea about it, so before Amaterasu arrived, they had made sure to coat themselves in Ophis' aura to avoid possible bloodstained headaches.
While the affiliation of these 'mysterious' entities couldn't be determined, much less their purpose, the leading sis-cons of this Multiverse would see no other 'logical' choice but to pull their sisters back to the Underworld. Especially so once they hear the news of Phoenix's sighting.
Meanwhile, in Rias' mind, not only was she reluctant to return because that would mean fewer chances to find potential members for her peerage—at least not the type that would approach her for her last name or her brother—but she was beginning to think about the creator of the Grinding System.
'System, is the Dragon God of Systems one of these entities?' Rias asked in her mind.
⌈Information about unrelated matters to those of the System's functions and objectives can be acquired through the use of Scales. The host's current balance—240 Scales—is insufficient to purchase information about ultimate, existential-level beings.⌋
'No, but that's more or less a confirmation,' Rias thought. 'Should I tell Onii-sama? No, no, one simply does not speak about one's system.'
"It's not fair," Rias grumbled under her breath.
Not even an hour later, after they had contacted their respective older siblings, Grayfia Lucifuge walked out of a teleportation circle with two devils.
"Hello, Ojou-sama and Sona-sama," Grayfia greeted with a servile bow. "These are Lysander Corvin and Kaelen Vance," she gestured to the two devils accompanying her. They bowed deeply to the two princesses of the clans they served.
"Until further notice, they act as representatives of the Gremory and Sitri clans, respectively," Grayfia said. "Ojou-samas, your siblings eagerly await your return."
"Thank you for picking us up, Grayfia-san," Sona replied. "I'll have my peerage ready in half an hour more."
Grayfia nodded in acknowledgment, "Take your time, Sona-sama."
"Grayfia-san, can you help me move Gasper? The others should be ready to move soon, but you know how Gasper is," Rias said.
"Of course, Ojou-sama," Grayfia nodded.
As scheduled, after about half an hour, the Sitri and Gremory peerage were ready to move out. Magic, especially storage and teleportation magic, made moving an easy task.
Both groups, due to their number, decided to take the Underworld Express, with Grayfia accompanying them and acting as their escort.
Along the way, Rias, seated near a window, reached out to Aragorn through the DevilNet.
[RuinPrincess: Kyomu-sensei, are you aware of the recent unrest in the supernatural world?]
[KyomuRyomen: Is it about the possible appearance of two other Dragon Gods?]
[RuinPrincess: That's correct, sensei. There's reason to believe that one of them showed up at Kuoh. My peerage and I are moving temporarily back to the Underworld.]
[KyomuRyomen: ... Is that so?]
Back in Aragorn's room—now recognized by the mansion's staff as the guests' shared room—he turned to Phoenix and asked, "Did you get spotted in Kuoh while kidnapping the boy?"
Phoenix, in her male form, stared at the uncomfortable and trembling teen's soul fixedly, paused her observations, and put on a pensive expression before saying, "I don't believe anyone saw me."
"Really? Because I've got a certain devil girl moving realms. She said that one of us was spotted recently in Kuoh, and it sure wasn't me," Aragorn said.
"No, I'm sure no one saw me... but, now that I think about it... I was returning from my visit to the Hero Faction, so maybe some of my aura was lingering on for a moment before I masked it," Phoenix said.
"Yeah, that would do it," Aragorn nodded.
"Is it a problem?" Phoenix asked.
"No, not really. It derails the entire story I knew of this place, but if I'm curious enough, I can just take a peek at the future," Aragorn said dismissively.
"I think the moment I enlisted my pervert assistant over here," she pointed at Issei, "that story derailed beyond recovery."
"You're not wrong, but now I don't know how to approach Rias to monitor the development of my system," Aragorn said thoughtfully.
Luckily for him, he didn't have to come up with a convoluted plan.
[RuinPrincess: Yes, Kyomu-sensei. Please be careful, it might be prudent to leave town until things settle down.]
[KyomuRyomen: Thank you for your concern, my lady.]
[RuinPrincess: This is the least I can do. By the way, I shared some of the last class' ice cream with my mother and she loved it.]
[KyomuRyomen: That's high praise for my work. I'm overjoyed that Lady Bael appreciated my work.]
[RuinPrincess: Yes, for that matter, if it's not a problem, I wanted to invite you to continue our lesson in the Gremory residence. My mother has already authorized the visits. She also said she would like to join our class, if it isn't a problem, Sensei. Of course, we would cover all expenses, and Mugen-chan is welcome as well.]
"Huh?" Aragorn voiced out.
"What happened?" Phoenix asked.
"I think—if I'm not reading too much into this—the Gremory household wants me to become their contracted magician... or contracted chef magician," Aragorn said.
"Isn't that good for your plans?" Phoenix asked.
"Well, yes, but it'd be very convenient for me... and Rias. Maybe it is true what I once read," Aragorn said. "Rias's luck is her plot armor."
"It wouldn't be the first time we encounter someone blessed with luck, would it?" Phoenix said with a chuckle. "That cat of yours you love and adore has one of the most outstanding luck I've ever seen."
"Yeah, Kitty's luck is a thing of legend," Aragorn chuckled. "She was within striking distance of Thanos, and a collapsing black hole saved her from retaliation after she mocked him."
[KyomuRyomen: It would be my pleasure, but is it alright? I know the Underworld can be rough for humans.]
[RuinPrincess: The Gremory clan will be your backing, sensei. No one will dare, even less after they get a taste of your art.]
[KyomuRyomen: You flatter me. I'll make my way down there tomorrow, then.]
[RuinPrincess: Excellent. Have a nice day, sensei.]
"Eto..." Issei voiced out, immediately drawing the eyes of Aragorn and Phoenix.
"Yes?" Phoenix asked.
"Could I return home after whatever this Sacred Engine business is done?" he asked in a nervous tone matching his countenance.
"You're technically not a captive," Aragorn said.
"I'm not?" Issei made a confused expression.
"Technically, you're in forced protective custody," Aragorn said with a chuckle.
"If I had not taken you, the fallen angels snooping around would have killed you for your Sacred Gear—not Sacred Engine," Phoenix explained.
"A-Are my parents safe?" Issei asked, concerned.
"They don't have Sacred Gears, so they should be as safe as they have always been," Aragorn said.
"And me? How long will you stay here? And what about afterward? Won't my parents panic and contact the authorities?" Issei asked, shading away some of his panic upon seeing that his captors were receptive to answering his inquiries.
"I'll be done in a day or less," Phoenix said. "As repayment for your unwilling collaboration, I can get you set up."
"Set up, as in?" Issei asked.
"It could be riches, or if you're worried for your safety, I can set you up with Yasaka," Phoenix said. "She is the leader of this place; she would not decline to gain a Sacred Gear user under her faction. Also, don't worry about your parents. For the moment, they'll act as if you didn't ever existed."
"No, that last part worries me, it worries me a lot!" Issei exclaimed, sadly, neither cosmic entity paid much attention to it.
"Or you could join Grigori or the devils," Aragorn interjected. "But you have to be careful with your choice. From Grigori, only its leader wouldn't treat you like a maggot, and from the devils, only a couple of selected clans wouldn't treat you like livestock."
"The church is also an option, but just like with the mentioned factions, you'd have to be careful of not getting swindled into chattel slavery," Phoenix added. "You might take your shot with the deities too, or you could go to the Dragon God lounging over there," Phoenix pointed at a relaxed Ophis in a corner of Aragorn's futon.
"Her?" Issei asked, for he saw not an ounce of reliability in Ophis.
"Of the previously named factions," Aragorn chuckled, "she is the strongest even if on her own. Not to mention her terrorist organization."
Issei's eyes went wide and turned like a broken machine to Ophis.
"Nn," OPhis voiced in affirmation. "Powerful," she added.
Seeing the smugness in her listless face, combined with the flat tone of her voice, plus her pointing at herself lazily with her thumb, Issei couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with the world.
Aragorn, knowing this from his reaction, added, "Us three, plus one other, embody the peak of the world."
To this, Issei's only response was, "Oh, God," in a tone that hid not his concerns.
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Earth-199999.
~80 BE (Before Emergence) ~ 1943 CE (Current Era).
Love... What is love?
Is it a highly adaptive evolutionary mechanism for pair bonding and species perpetuation?
Is it a disposition of being, an existential choice, or a fundamental mode of relating to the world and others?
Is it an attempt to overcome the solipsistic isolation inherent in human existence, a striving for authentic connection that acknowledges the other's radical freedom?
Is it a magnificent delusion spun by the neural machinery?
Conversely, if it is a choice, a volitional act of the self, can true love ever be spontaneous, or must it always be a deliberate, perhaps even arduous, construction?
Or maybe, it is the twisted desire to become both the poison and antidote in another's life, the overwhelming greed for them to become part of you and for you to become part of them, the need to feel them inside you while being inside them, of possessing them while being owned?
Johann Schmidt didn't know the answer, for he didn't know love. He knew greed, power-lust, hunger, desire, and possessiveness, yet none of these in any healthy expression whatsoever.
How could he, when he could never perceive others as anything else but resources, tools, or obstacles?
Johann Schmidt knew no empathy. It was he, and the rest of the things that were yet to be his.
Yet now... Now, something strange was stirring in him.
What would happen if a stratified self of an eldritch terror loved a mortal?
Would the outcome be a grotesque perversion of any understandable affection, leading to a profound and utter obliteration of the mortal's being as it is known?
Would it be an alien form of obsessive fascination, a cosmic collecting impulse, or a deep, cold interest in the mortal's unique properties? Perhaps their capacity for dread, their fragile consciousness, or their specific "data" signature in the fabric of reality.
Would it be an overwhelming, omnipresent attention that devours individuality, a desire to possess the mortal utterly, to absorb them into its incomprehensible existence, or to reshape them into something more aligned with its alien aesthetic?
Would it operate entirely outside human concepts of good or evil, care or cruelty?
In essence, an Eldritch Terror's "love" would not be a blessing but a condemnation. A relentless, consuming force that, in its attempt to express affection, would utterly annihilate the mortal's humanity, leaving behind only a husk imbued with cosmic horror.
But what about Aragorn's love?
Aside from a certain manic cat, and ignoring specific unnatural practices and habits of the Therions, can't the objects of his love not be considered functionally normal?
Sure, it's impossible to overlook the quirkiness of their nature, but even so, aren't they rather normal individuals?
So, if that was the case... Why was Johann Schmidt losing his mind?
Why would he see his reflection in the mirror as a fluffy version of himself?
Why would he cast a bright glow that only he was apparently able to see?
Why is it that he couldn't find his shadow anymore, yet his subordinates could?
Why is it that now his dreams were filled with incomprehensible realms filled with dragons, foxes, cats, rabbits, deer, dogs, wolves, and all manner of mammals?
Why is it that he could sometimes see an ethereal object inside the others that he could innately understand as a soul?
Why is it that suddenly his mind could find thousands of hours of footage of grooming thick, soft, lustrous pelts?
Why is it that no matter how much he tried to deny it, he could feel the call of death? Why did he crave death so longingly?
Why did he have bouts of empathy in which he would experience the emotions of all those who perished at his hands?
Why did it feel like he had become a husk of himself, and that at any moment now, he would fall into the abyss of fluffiness and shine?
In a dark room, where the light of the incandescent lightbulb barely made for an adequate light source, this mortal, the first to ever gain the more damning aspects of Aragorn's love, stood with an expression akin to the collapse of a mountain in front of a mirror.
His skin was a deep, unnatural scarlet hue, resembling raw flesh or scorched bone. It was pulled tautly over his facial bones, giving him a skeletal, almost desiccated look. His Nose was completely absent, leaving a dark cavity.
And his eyes... Aside from being deeply sunken in... They would flicker in and out from slitted white pupils.
Was he experiencing delirium? Was the draconic entity playing with his mind? Was it trying to drive him crazy? Or was it all really just the side effects of its love?
The reflection suddenly became a man covered completely in soft, glossy crimson fur. Then, just like it came, it went away, and the red skull returned.
"ZUM TEUFEL MIT DIESEM SCHEISS!" {A/N: To the devil with this shit!}
Johann Schmidt punched through the mirror and the wall behind it.
"It can't be, no, he doesn't harm humans, no, but he does harm those who attack him, no, but I didn't attack him, no, but I gave the order, no, but he said he would not kill me, no, but this isn't death, I just crave for it, but not because I'm suffering, I simply feel like surrendering myself to her, no, why would I think of death as a female? No, this is not the problem, no, this is part of the problem, no, what's happening to me, HELP! No, I need no help, no, I... I... I... What's happening to me?"
Johann Schmidt was a broken human, a product of Hydra, a product of his infancy like all humans, and a result of his traumas. But now, after Aragorn began to love him, he became an undone being.
"I... I can't stop... I should not stop... I can't give up... I can overcome this... I must remember who I am... I must identify these changes and not let them murk my sense of self... I must persevere... I must achieve my goals... I have the cube, I can't be stopped... I won't be stopped... And when I have the world in the palm of my hand... I'll demand it undo what he did... Yes, this is the only path... ... ... Yes, the only path."
Was it resolve? Was it because he was broken beyond a certain point? Was it the manifestation of indomitable will? Was it character development? Was it mind control? Was it logical thought winning over emotional response?
Who knows, but what was certain was that Johann Schmidt had a goal to pursue. And that goal was—
"Yes, these unenlightened peasants will know the blessing of des Flauschs and des Glanzes! And for that, I must conquer this planet!"
—World domination for the sake of educating the ignorant on the blessings of the Fluff and the Shine, of course.
"What a nasty thing to do," a honeyed, raspy, and low voice rang in a phase of existence that a mortal could not recognize.
"It gets boring to kill all pests that approach me," an equally tantalizing voice, yet distinctly female, replied. "These are the modern times, I can't go erecting monuments after brutalizing every human that annoys me."
"~Fufufu, my Love. We both know you don't care about 'times' nor do you lack the motivation to brutalize every human that annoys you," Death said with a chuckle.
"Maybe... I was curious about what sharing the darker spectrum of my love would do to a mortal human," Aragorn confessed.
Hidden, out of the mortal phase of reality, Death, with the appearance of a black-haired man, was hugging Aragorn in her female form.
Death's thick and firm arms possessively hugged Aragorn from behind like a constrictor snake.
"Why the change in forms, Noona?" Aragorn asked. "Or should I call you Oppa?"
"I wanted to try something different, but—" her body shifted to her female form, "—I prefer to be the little spoon," she said before changing spots with Aragorn.
Aragorn, understanding her desire, shifted to his male form and embraced her from behind like she had been doing to him.
"Yes, this is it," Death voiced out in contentment while shifting her butt to position Aragorn's member between her buttocks. "What do you think will happen to him?"
"I'm not sure, but the first changes already happened," Aragorn said while peering into his soul.
"His soul morphed into something I can feel has a familiarity to you," Death narrowed her eyes at Red Skull.
"Yeah, I also have the impulse to eat him," Aragorn commented. "As if a steaming piece of fried chicken had been paraded near my nostrils."
"~Hahahaha," Death laughed. "Why fried chicken?"
"I don't know," Aragorn shrugged. "To my sense of smell, his soul smells like a very succulent fried chicken thigh."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Death said mirthfully.
"No, well, the nonsensical nature of it all is not lost on me," Aragorn said before kissing the top of her head.
"My Love," Death said, her tone shifting. "Have you prepared the spell to sever Gaea's link to Earth?"
"Yes, I finished last week," Aragorn affirmed. "I uploaded it to the Grand Repository of Knowledge then, but it took all this time to complete the upload. It's quite the complicated masterpiece."
"I think I'll retire to one of our realms to learn it," Death said. "How long do you think it would take to master it?"
"For you, maybe 1500 years," Aragorn said thoughtfully.
"Lend me your heart then, My Love," Death said. She turned around and, without waiting for a reply because it was not needed, sank both hands into Aragorn's upper abdomen.
Inside his chest cavity, she eagerly reached upward for his heart and pulled it out in a fluid motion. Her hands made it out of his abdomen, all the blood and gore staying inside him, and a pristine, crystalline heart in her grasp.
"It should refill with void energy so long as I am here, in the same reality," Aragorn said, not at all bothered.
"Thanks, My Love," Death said with a grateful expression. She tiptoed and planted a thankful kiss on his lips. "I've been thinking, after we are done with whatever mess awaits us, I'd like to take some time, just the three of us."
"Sure, Noona," Aragorn said. He placed a soft hand on her left cheek—Death leaned onto it with a dreamy expression—and gazed at her eyes with tender care. "We can explore the dimension we made for our Chocolate together."
"Yes, I'd very much like that," Death nodded happily. "Bye, for now."
She disappeared after that.
Aragorn followed Schmidt for a few more hours as the human(?) went about becoming something else. Once bored, he returned to the camp where he had escorted the survivors of Hydra's attack.
His large, translucent, draconic frame landed deceptively softly for his side near the main entrance to the camp.
He seamlessly shifted into his humanoid form and gazed down at the muddy soil.
After a moment of thought, he decided to keep the mud away with his telekinesis instead of hovering a few centimeters above the ground.
"Mr. Abner," the soldiers at the entrance saluted.
"At ease," Aragorn waved his tail dismissively. "I'm not even part of your military's roster, no need for all of that ceremony and fanfare."
"We could never, Sir!" they all declared.
Sigh, "Whatever," Aragorn said with a sigh.
He found it meaningless. If he were to care about such things, he understood that objectively, due to the class of being he was, they would not even be allowed to stand in his presence or exist, for that matter. So, why care at all?
A certain sorcerer super-spy back on Earth-5H1N3 was ever grateful for this. In part, for this same reason, he found no issue in the blatant racism the average Haloan displayed for Earth.
"Mr. Abner, Colonel Phillips would like to meet you at his tent at your earliest convenience," one of the soldiers reported.
If Aragorn cared, he would have smitten the mortal who dared to summon him to their tent. Alas, Aragorn truly paid it no mind.
"I'll go there now," Aragorn replied with a nod.
The camp was a swarm of activity that, in a way, reminded him of the Vladarionic Era, when the Duskari waged war against the Deviants before they became something like National Animal Symbols.
Making his way to Chester Phillips' tent was a trifling task, as his inhuman features granted him a face pass to everywhere in the world.
"I heard you were looking for me," Aragorn announced.
"Mr. Aragorn, please take a seat," he gestured to the chair at the other side of his workstation. "Would you like some tea? Or maybe something with a kick in it?"
"Ah, I recognize the tells," Aragorn said with a chuckle before sitting down. He used his telekinesis to prepare a cup of tea. "You want something from me."
"In the middle of this war? He wouldn't," Phillips said. He didn't bother with the futile effort to masquerade his intentions.
"Don't worry," Aragorn said, his cup of tea floating to his mouth. "So long as it isn't a bother, I'm doing what I can to prevent human loss."
"I know that the pencil pushers upstairs may not see it, but I do. I don't judge you for your ties with Hitler. I know that your end goal, contrary to that of some of my compatriots, is to preserve human life, not play sides," Phillips said.
"It's alright," Aragorn waved his tail dismissively. "Even if the whole world saw me as their enemy, I would remain unfazed."
"Thank you for that, Mr. Abner," Phillips said with a subtle nod of acknowledgment. "My request is for an extension of your stay at my camp. I received a message stating that the 107th Infantry Regiment had met with heavy resistance from the Wehrmacht and HYDRA in Azzano. The survivors are on their way here as we speak."
"Ah, I see. They got pinned down by the new weaponry of Hydra," Aragorn commented.
"I can't confirm that, but based on what the survivors you brought here described, it's possible," Phillips said.
"Mmmmm," Aragorn mulled it over for a moment. "Okay, but I'll borrow her during my extended stay," Aragorn pointed at Margaret Carter.
Her eyes widen at his demand.
"That's... not the type of business we are, but..." Phillips made an uncomfortable expression. "It's not impossible."
Margaret Carter clenched her fists.
"That's a strange direction to take for this conversation," Aragorn commented with an unimpressed scowl.
"Ah, Mr. Abner, I apologize, it was not my intention," Phillips immediately corrected himself upon understanding he had misunderstood.
"Maybe the wording was not appropriate," Aragorn shrugged, much to both humans' relief. "She is quite the interesting mortal. I wish only to speak with her."
Phillips turned to her, but whatever was interesting in her, he couldn't see it.
"It shall be my honor," Margaret Carter replied.
"Then come with me," Aragorn said, standing up. "Have a pleasant day," he addressed Phillips before gesturing for Margaret Carter to approach him.
She did so hesitantly and then had to pull back in her reactive recoil when Aragorn placed a hand on her shoulder. Before she could question the gesture, she found her surroundings had changed.
If she were to describe it, it would be as if she had suddenly found herself in heaven.
As far as she could see, clouds decorated her view. Clouds and Obelisks.
"Is this the topmost floor?" Margaret Carter asked.
"Yes, it's the upper floor of the Obelisk that the camp is built across," a feminine voice answered her.
Margaret Carter turned to the new speaker and found... herself(?).
But different. She was dressed in clothing she could not recognize its style, and her hair was black, the darkest black she had ever seen. Her pupils were slitted and her irises were of a brown so dark that she could not distinguish them from black.
However, the most striking difference was beauty. It was so... divine that she felt a natural sense of suppression.
"Hey, Peggy." Aragorn's voice brought Margaret out of her stupor.
She saw another sight that she had trouble believing. Aragorn, the creator of empires, the collapse of the arrogant, the death of infidels, the salvation of humanity, the guiding hand of humanity's father, the one known for his unemotive and emotionlessness character, was approaching a look-alike of hers with tenderness in his voice and with a bright smile.
She saw him wrap his arms around her look-alike, his tail coiling around her waist, and planting a kiss oozing a deep, abiding storge between family members. She was left agape after seeing her look-alike return the hug with the same care.
"Margaret Carter?"
"What? Huh?—I apologize, Sir." Margaret Carter rebooted after hearing her name called.
"Take your time," Aragorn said.
Margaret didn't know if he was addressing her or her look-alike. She followed him with her eyes as he plumped himself on a bean bag and began to play with a holographic projection of what she recognized as the Halo around the Moon.
"Nice to meet you, Margaret." The voice of her look-alike called to her. "I'm also Margaret, but you can call me Margarita (Latin) or Margareta (German, Swedish, etc)."
"I'm... I don't understand what's going on. Could you be one of the nigh-divine, my lady? Is it possible you lord over a divine field related to mirrors or the like?" Margaret Carter asked.
It was understandable that Margaret Carter would believe so. On the southern face of the South Scale, Aragorn emblazoned the likeness of all Therions. However, he left vague the facial features of his deities. Hence, Margaret Carter believed that it was more likely that she was being passively affected by the divinity of the woman standing in front of her than for them to share so many similarities.
"No, I stand as I am here," Peggy said. "This will come as a shocking revelation, but I asked Aragorn for this chance because I felt it was my duty. Or maybe, like him, I might have some 'directives' that sometimes move me to act," she said in a thoughtful tone.
"Regardless..." Peggy locked eyes with Margaret Carter. "Would you listen to my story? I promise you won't come out losing."
Margaret Carter, still riding the shock, nodded.
Peggy brought her over to a lounge area in the room and began to tell her story. More than once, she had to pause to allow her mortal counterpart a respite to process the new input.
And as the story progressed, Margaret Carter found herself absorbed in it.
When the umbra had claimed the white sea of clouds and the Milky Way made her astonishing presence known across the night sky, their talk ended.
Margaret Carter went to sleep the revelations off in a room she was lent, and Aragorn and Peggy were left to themselves.
Aragorn was coiled around Peggy's neck like a scarf after having assumed a serpentine form and size.
"Do you think she'll take it?" Peggy asked.
"It's a matter of selfishness," Aragorn said. "Cold logic says she should, but her character and morals will oppose it."
"Do you think I'm meddling in what I shouldn't?" Peggy asked. "It's impossible to take away the suffering of all my counterparts, and even if it were possible, I know it's not a good idea."
"Is your self-doubt why you spoke to her about this before she fell in love with Rogers?" Aragorn asked without replying to her question.
Had Peggy offered the same path immediately after Captain America had turned into Capsicle, she had no doubt she would have taken it.
"I felt like it would have been unfair of me. Manipulative even," she replied.
"I see... I think you're allowed to meddle as much as you like. It is meddlesome, but so what? Do as you please, Peggy, and do so confidently with my blessing backing you up," Aragorn said.
"You're so sweet, but I don't think you're the most appropriate guide for moral dilemmas," Peggy said with a faint smile while petting the elongated body of Aragorn around her neck.
"I think she'll wait until she finds out if she'll also love Rogers," Aragorn said. "Maybe she'll try to avoid falling for him. I believe that depending on how much she loves him at the moment of separation, she'll follow the path of righteousness or selfishness."
Sigh, "You and my soldier said the same," Margaret said.
"Steve knows you the best, so it's no surprise," Aragorn affirmed. "I doubt she'll follow a path of self-mutilation after falling for Rogers. I think the real bet is whether she'll fall for him or not."
Peggy hummed in agreement.
The next day, Aragorn teleported to camp with a still thoughtful Margaret Carter. This time, upon arrival, it wasn't Chester Phillips who received them, but Howard Stark.
"Good morning," Aragorn greeted. "Or is it a good night for you?"
"Stark," Margaret Carter greeted coldly upon seeing the disheveled state of the arms dealer.
"Hehe, there were some lovely gals I met last night, we discussed the terror of war, and I decided to calm their hearts... all night," Howard Stark spoke with equal parts pride and awkwardness.
"..." Upon seeing the unresponsive reaction of the crowd, he felt like digging a trench and hiding in it.
"I've been married since before the first dinosaurs prowled the Earth, I'm not new to intercourse. Don't stop your recount of your war exploits on my account," Aragorn said. His flat tone did nothing to dispel Howard Stark's awkwardness. "I know all about coitus, literally."
"Ha,ha,ha," Howard Stark chuckled awkwardly, and Margaret Carter gazed at him with schadenfreude. She was openly enjoying his trying to crawl out of the hole he dug himself in.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Aragorn motioned to the incoming ailing soldiers.
Watching Aragorn part, Stark turned to Margaret Carter.
"Ms. Carter, was there a need for that?" Howard Stark asked.
"I believe I don't quite follow," Margaret Carter replied with a smug grin.
"Right, right, and I'm not a genius inventor," Howard Stark rolled his eyes like a pouty teenager. "By the way, where did he take you to?"
"Above," Margaret Carter replied while turning to the top of the Obelisk.
"You went beyond the public floors?!" Stark shrilled like a teenage girl.
"Now, Mr. War Veteran," she said with a chuckle while eyeing the lipstick marks on his neck. "If you'll excuse me. I have a job to do." She left after Aragorn, leaving Howard Stark simmering in his unquenchable curiosity.
"Oh, you can't do this to me!" Howard Stark followed after her.
Seeing them entering the medical tent, Aragorn raised an eyebrow at Howard Stark. "I didn't know you had medical skills."
"Eh... I can handle a mean suture," Howard Stark replied.
"... I guess that's fair enough," Aragorn shrugged.
The early morning was spent with Howard Stark annoying Margaret Carter for details about the upper floors of the Obelisk. Aragorn had not restricted her on what information to share, aside from the obvious, and she managed to trickle down the information slowly enough to keep Howard Stark handling sutures throughout the entire morning.
Came afternoon, and most of those who could be saved or healed had been seen to, but this did not assuage the depressing mood shared by the survivors of the 107th Regiment.
However, despair not for command counted with a secret weapon... One of Captain America's USO Shows.
"..." Aragorn and Howard Stark observed the show from a distance in silence.
"I think it's obvious who the real stars of the show are," Howard Stark commented.
"Poor kid," Aragorn commented after hearing the servicemen of the 107th boo Steve Rogers and demand the Star Spangled Singers return to the stage.
"It's the legs," Howard Stark commented.
"Legs?" Aragorn asked, not sure about his point.
"Yes, the gals' legs are leagues above the kid's," Howard Stark joked with a barely restrained grin.
"I suppose, in matters of posteriors, he has them beaten," Aragorn added.
"... What?!" Howard Stark exclaimed while turning to him.
"What?" Aragorn asked in his usual flatness. "If we are discussing and judging the quality of the lower body extremities, then his Super Soldier Ass was engineered to peak performance, as I'm sure you know given your participation."
"... Is this a joke? Are you joking, Mr Abner?" Howard Stark asked.
"Why would I?" Aragorn lied. "You were the one who brought up the comparison between Steve Rogers' legs and the singers'."
"No, no, you can't be truthful. I meant it as—" Howard Stark stopped his defense when he saw the semblance of a smirk and his eyes turning gold. "Goddammit, you were pulling my leg!" he exclaimed and laughed. "I thought you had no sense of humor!"
"No, I do," Aragorn chuckled before returning to his normal expressionless stoicism.
"Not to overstep, but you should crack a smile once or twice in a human lifespan," Howard Stark said.
"I joke around my family and the Duskari, but not around humans... normally," Aragorn said.
"Could I ask why?" Howard Stark asked, intrigued.
"You die too quickly, why would I get attached?" Aragorn said.
"... That's not something I can debate," Howard Stark said after his comment blew away any laughing humor in him.
"It's alright, I don't get attached," Aragorn said.
"..." Howard Stark remained silent for a while before commenting, "We must look like headless chickens to you, don't we? Our lives are already ephemeral in your eyes, and then we go and do this," he gestured to his surroundings, "and end each other even sooner."
"Not really," Aragorn shrugged. "Are you disappointed in your machines when it's time to replace their wear parts?"
"No, that's their nature and purpose," Howard Stark shook his head.
"It's the same for me," Aragorn said. "Just as you expect to replace the consumable parts of your machinery, I expect humans to wage war."
"..."
They shared no more words after this.
Later that night, Aragorn saw Margaret Carter, Steve Rogers, and Howard Stark exit the camp in one of the military vehicles.
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{A/N:
Please check out my P@treon account! There are already 10 chapters ahead for premium members, which is at least 100,000 words. Premium members also gain access to a new chapter every week.
[email protected]/ExistentialVoid
Free Members get access to all free chapters, and I upload free chapters about 12 hours earlier on P@atreon.
==================================
Hey, to speed up past these chapters that are split, I can upload a bonus chapter on Wednesday in exchange for a bunch of Power Stones. I don't know how many, though. Usually, this story makes about 150-200 Power Stones per week, so let's say that you duplicate that by wednesday and I'll upload a chapter.
}