Word count 9,026
I sighed. "I'm afraid that Professor Moriarty has judged you a liability- and decided to cut his losses where you are concerned. So tell me: How does some time in the tropics sound, Miss Adler?"
She stared at me for a long moment.
"Holmes…"
I gave her a smile. "You've got two choices, Miss Adler: stay low until Holmes takes out Moriarty, or try and help him out directly. The choice is yours."
She stared at me for a long time, obviously thinking furiously- side with the man she loves and risk death, or run from the man she feared and leave the man she loves to face the danger alone?
She took a sip of her tea, her hands trembling slightly.
"Do you think Holmes can win? Truly?"
I nodded. "He will. It will be hard, but he will, in the end."
I chuckled. "Despite everything, Holmes does care about those few people he is close to- and he is willing to sacrifice much indeed to protect them. So the question, then, is simple: how much are you willing to sacrifice for him?"
She exhaled a shuddering breath, looking at her tea for a long moment.
"How much help are you willing to offer in this conflict? Not once since we met have you ever been wrong. Even… Even Blackwood's death went exactly as you said it would go. So, now that Holmes and Moriarty will truly clash, what are you willing to do to ensure Holmes' victory?"
I gave her a long look, not missing that she was trying to give further support to the man she loved- but that she had yet to answer my question.
Very well then. In that case…
"I am willing to personally take to the field."
Her eyes widened, and she stared at me- until now, I've never implied anything like this as a possibility.
"I take it you have some measure of combat experience, then?" she questioned, not sounding all that surprised by that- I did look quite imposing.
I gave her a look… and then smiled.
Adler immediately locked up, staring at me in utter terror as my perks, and just a hint of my true self, pressed down upon her.
"Miss Adler, let me put it this way. I am, bar none, the most terrifying man you will ever meet. I could bring about the Apocalypse upon this world, such that even Moriarty would know only terror and despair."
I leaned forward, looking into her fear-filled eyes.
"I have fought and slain monsters greater than you could ever imagine in the name of Humanity, Miss Adler. This whole… game of shadows between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty is just an entertaining side-show, a vacation for me at best. Only the stakes at play here force me to get involved. Moriarty wants chaos across the world, while I want prosperity for humanity. But make no mistake, Miss Adler. Between Moriarty and myself, I am, by far, the greatest monster. And it is a good thing indeed that even Moriarty is barely worth my attention, because you do NOT want me to get serious, Miss Adler."
I relaxed in my seat, taking a sip of my tea.
"After all, the last time this happened, gods died."
Then I smiled at her, once again the picture of charisma and noble bearing.
"So, with all that said, what is your choice, Miss Adler?"
She swallowed.
Then she took a deep breath, and nodded.
"I'll fight, then."
My smile turned softer, more respectful. That was some good loyalty to Holmes, right there.
Though the fact that she feared me more than Moriarty probably helped.
Well, as long as it was mixed with respect- even some gratefulness for helping her and Holmes with Moriarty- that was alright.
I mentally chuckled while imagining Holmes as the good cop to my bad cop.
"Very well then. In that case, how about we start this war by faking your death? It won't fool Moriarty long, but every little bit helps."
I took out a vial out of my coat, and put it before her.
"This is an antidote to the poison Moriarty will use on you during your meeting with him once this whole mess with the package is over with. I suggest taking it discreetly before entering the restaurant where you will meet him- he's got the place bought out, so don't expect any help once within it."
I put another vial in front her.
"And this is the same poison Blackwood used to fake his death- again, take it before meeting Moriarty, or you won't fool him."
She took the vials, putting them in her bag.
"You expected me to fight." she whispered.
I smiled. "I was hoping for it, to be specific. I had everything ready should you have chosen otherwise, but your love for Holmes is both your biggest weakness… and your biggest strength. As a married man myself, I can only approve of such strong love."
She looked at the ring on my finger, whose supernatural elements were hidden behind illusions.
"She must be quite the lady."
I smiled fondly, looking down at the ring myself.
"She is."
"Do you fear for her safety, because of Moriarty?" she wondered.
I laughed loudly at that.
"Ah! Trust me, if my wife were to meet him, I would feel bad indeed… But it wouldn't be for my wife." I declared with a sharp smirk.
Then I shook my head, got up, and discreetly put the cup of tea back in Inventory.
I smiled and bowed slightly towards Adler.
"Until we meet again, my lady."
And with that, I turned around a corner and teleported.
Adler immediately went around the corner, and upon seeing no one, narrowed her eyes at the empty corridor.
"One day, I'll find out how he does that, because I know that there are no hidden entrances here."
I reappeared before a restaurant, sometime later in time, after the whole package and attempt murder on Adler, who was currently back in her apartment.
Not really somewhere she could afford to stay in for long, but with Moriarty being personally present to see her "death," it actually was pretty safe right now, because he had stopped sending men to keep an eye on the place.
In any case, I once again sat at a table with only Sherlock Holmes, who stared at me for a moment before his eyes widened.
"Well, now. It's been some time since we last met, my mysterious friend who did not give me a name…"
I smiled. "It's Aeon, though I doubt that Miss Adler hasn't mentioned me at least once."
He hummed, eyes narrowed.
"Speaking of her, you'll have to excuse her for missing out on this dinner. I did just help her survive an assassination attempt by giving her advance warning that our dear Professor Moriarty had ran out of patience with her. She's alive, but for the time being, she'll try to stay out of the way, at least for now. She does want to help you against Moriarty, after all, but considering that he thinks she's dead, it's better to keep him thinking that way for now."
I grinned at Holmes, who had stiffened when I told him of the near-death of Adler.
"She's quite… loyal to you, you know."
He cleared his throat, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Is that so?"
I scoffed. "That woman is head over heels for you, and we both know it. I'm not surprised that, between an offer to run alone or fight with you, she would decide to stay by your side."
He swallowed, a flash of emotion passing through his eyes at that news before his self-control crushed it.
"Well. It appears I owe you one, then. I hadn't expected Moriarty to try and kill Miss Adler yet."
I shrugged slightly. "I expected it. Her love for you is both a strength and a weakness, and with Moriarty's plans coming closer to their end goal, he can't afford agents of dubious loyalty anymore."
I grinned at him. "Especially one so closely affiliated with you, the greatest threat to his plans."
He smiled back. "You give me too much credit. After all… I've been looking into you, Mister Aeon. An interesting name- Eternal, really?- and you are the closest thing to a ghost I've ever seen. And that's despite your rather striking appearance. I know you took over the Temple of the Four Orders, and that in the last few months they've been using their influence to strike down many criminal organisations. And that's without considering the rather impressive amount of money thrown at various researchers, philosophers, and much more. The Temple is more influential than it has ever been, despite their part in Blackwood's plot, though all but Lord Coward got away scot-free from that mess. Indeed, Lord Standish got even more influence by revealing what Blackwood was really planning to the whole Parliament."
He took a sip of his wine, looking at me cautiously.
"And then there's you. As I said, you're a ghost. No one knows where you were born, or grew up, or if you have family… beyond being married, of course." he pointed out, his eyes flickering toward the ring on my hand.
"By all standards, you don't exist. Even your name, Aeon, is probably not your birth name, and the closest thing I learned about that name was, admittedly, rather… intriguing."
I chuckled. "Intriguing, you say? By all means, then. Let's hear it."
Holmes' eyes narrowed. "Aeon. Variations of the name repeat itself across various cults around the world throughout different points in human history. Always either a god of war, love, or something along those lines. A benevolent god, but also a merciless one, who strikes down evil whenever it may be found. A guardian of knowledge, but also of forbidden lore, whose secrets would be revealed only to those worthy. Married, though who he is married to, the accounts diverge. Some link you with the name Lucy, others Oedon. Always a powerful being- though there are tales it wasn't always so, and that his power was gained by defying the gods and casting them down when they turned against humanity. And now, here you are, a ghost with a god's name, knowing much about many things, and standing up against the likes of Moriarty- well enough that from what I know, he doesn't even suspect your existence as of yet."
He took another sip of his wine, his eyes fixed on me.
"I think you are the leader of a secret religious cult, whose influence spread across the world. Born from parents who were deeply connected to the cult, you rose to power- and took on the name Aeon when that happened. But what I am really curious about, it's your end goal. Certainly, you appear benevolent… But how true is that, really?" he questioned softly.
I smiled, looking at him respectfully.
"Not bad, Sherlock Holmes. Not bad at all. Alas, not entirely correct. Your mistake is simple. There are more things in Heaven and earth, Holmes, than what is dreamt of in your philosophy. But I'll give you that much, you did your research, and did it well."
I hummed, before smiling.
"As for what my end goal is? Simple. The continued prosperity, and freedom, of humanity, from all that would see it enslaved or otherwise brought low because of their own selfish ambitions."
The look in my eyes darkened. "I have fought a war, Mister Holmes, one more terrifying that you could ever imagine for the right of humanity to survive- to be free and to prosper in peace. It is one none of the people of this world will ever know- but it left its marks on me all the same. And as such, I promised myself to forevermore protect those who could not protect themselves from the damnation those with power and lacking humanity could bring unto those without power. There is no great, secret plan, no secret ambition. There is only one man, fighting his war against those who so changed him in the past, so that none have to suffer as he did. I am Aeon, the Good Hunter, and my war is eternal. For as long as free will exists, so will evil- and thus, so will there be the need of men like me to stand up and fight, for the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. And I refuse to sit back and do nothing, not after everything I've seen and done."
Holmes stared at me for a moment, before finishing his wine.
"Nice speech." he declared. "Especially when you genuinely meant every word."
I grinned. "But that hardly means you'll trust me much more than before it, am I right?"
He grinned back. "Naturally. I just can't help but being suspicious of those with power- they tend to prove themselves worthy of that suspicion more often than not, after all."
I laughed. "Spoken like a true detective, Mr Holmes! Suspect everyone, especially those who appear innocent."
I got up, tilting my hat at him. "Have a good evening, Mr Holmes. I certainly enjoyed our discussion."
"No last words, this time? Your words of wisdom did help, last time." he questioned.
I mused that for a second, before nodding. "Beware the obvious. Moriarty is a master of misdirection, and if it looks like he is targeting somewhere, more likely than not he will strike elsewhere instead."
He hummed. "Anything else?"
I gave him a grim look. "What is Miss Adler's greatest weakness… And what is yours, Mr Holmes? A weakness that Moriarty does not possess?"
I turned away, while behind me Holmes' face turned grim.
I had all but told him Moriarty was going to try and kill Watson and his fiancé, after all.
Adler and myself sat in the middle of a train, waiting patiently.
Then I tilted my head, and nodded.
"Time to move. The attack is starting."
We got up, Adler bringing out a gun from her pocket while I took out two.
We made our way towards one of the cabins, the sound of struggle coming from it growing as we came closer, until we heard a scream.
"Holmes has entered the battle, I see." I remarked calmly, Adler snorting at my words.
Then the first traitorous soldier appeared, and before he could react to armed people going his way one of my guns fired and splattered his brain all over the walls.
Adler sent me an impressed glance.
"Sharp reaction time."
I grinned. "Experience is a wonderful teacher." And so is being a Gamer, I thought but did not say.
The cabin door opened, and for a moment, Holmes looked out, and then froze, staring at Adler.
Who froze and stared back.
"... Why are you dressed like a woman?" she questioned slowly.
He blinked. "Necessity." he replied.
"Necessity." she repeated flatly.
"A most unfortunate necessity." He declared, before looking at me.
"Well, I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Aeon. Ready to get your hands dirty with the rest of us?" he questioned with a grin.
I smiled grimly. "Always, Mr Holmes. This is, in fact, my true area of expertise. Do watch out for Mr Watson. I know you already have an… exit strategy for his wife."
Then a bunch of soldiers under Moriarty's payroll showed up, and I began walking towards them, my guns firing at every step.
"If you would excuse me, I'll deal with them- you go and have your long-awaited reunion and everything." I said calmly over the sound of my guns firing.
I turned across a corner, and a soldier tried to stab me with his bayonet.
Time slowed down, and I took in the corridor and the soldiers within it with a glance, before calmly deflecting the incoming thrust with my left gun, putting the right one beneath his chin and firing.
Then I used his falling corpse as cover to shoot the ones behind him without worry of being shot myself, uncaring of the explosions of blood coming from the falling corpse being shredded by the bullets of the other soldiers trying to kill me
Nodding at the line of corpses I made, I then kept walking forward.
Behind me, Holmes had already thrown Mr Watson's new wife into the river, to be found and rescued by his brother, and now he and Watson were fighting over whether he killed the latter's wife or not by throwing her off the train, with Adler just watching while shaking her head at the spectacle.
I, meanwhile, came around yet another corner to stare at the machine gun the traitorous soldiers put in my way.
They fired, and I stopped the bullets in mid-air before me.
There was a moment of stunned silence, as we all stared at one another, memories of Yharnam and the surprising amount of machine gunners I had to deal with flashing in my mind.
Then I nodded. "Just for that, you get to die extra hard."
And then I summoned one of the cannons in my Inventory.
The soldiers boggled at the appearance of the cannon, but before they could do anything, I had already checked that there were no innocents nearby.
There wasn't.
So I fired.
The spat between Watson and Holmes stopped when the sound of a cannon went off, and all three came rushing in to stare at the devastation I made. The cannon was nowhere to be seen, but the same couldn't be said for the now destroyed train.
Three pairs of wide eyes went from the destroyed parts of the train to myself, standing before the devastation before me with a satisfied look on my face.
Then I nodded, and turned to look at them.
"If you would excuse me, there are some more on the other side of the train."
And then I passed by their frozen forms, taking out both of my guns out of my coat as I did.
For a long moment, they stared at the corner I disappeared from, before looking at one another.
"If I had any doubt about being quite happy that he is on my side, they are now gone." declared Adler drily.
"Excellent observation, Miss Adler." replied Holmes cheerfully.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on here? And Holmes, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO WITH MY WIFE?!" shouted Watson.
Needless to say, once all the soldiers were dead, I teleported out.
They could handle things from there.
I also really didn't want to get involved in THAT mess of a group.
This was, without a doubt, one of the most dysfunctional groups of people I ever saw.
And I came from Yharnam.
"... so the fisherman muddies the water, confuses the fish, and it doesn't realize until too late that it swam into a trap."
*BANG*
The man sneaking up behind Holmes fell over dead, and Moriarty turned around in shock, before stiffening when he finally noticed me stepping out of the shadows, gun in hand.
"Hey, Holmes. You look like you could use some help." I declared with a slight smirk, my eyes not leaving Moriarty.
Holmes, who was sitting nearby, blinked, looked behind him at the now dead man, before turning back towards me with a smile.
"So it appears. Much appreciated, as always."
I chuckled. "Of course. Now then…" I grinned at the evil mastermind before me.
"Professor James Moriarty. We finally meet. I've been following your exploits for quite some time now, though I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me for not showing up sooner. I, too, prefer working through intermediaries- at least, in a game of shadows like this one."
Moriarty narrowed his eyes at me, his mind running at full blast.
"Interesting… It appears that there is one more player in this game of ours than I had anticipated. Hm… I did hear of Miss Adler surprising survival, and wondered if you had something to do with it, Mister Holmes, but perhaps it was someone else who saved her, Mister…?" he questioned, fishing for a name.
I smiled at him.
"It was indeed me who saved Miss Adler's life. I knew that you were going to kill her, being a liability and loyal to Holmes to boot. You thought to remove one of the greatest pieces of Mister Holmes as a sort of… opening strike to the endgame of this war between you- as an… ally of sorts, it was only natural for me to try and prevent that from happening."
"Much obliged." interjected Holmes.
My smile widened. "Indeed. And it appears that you made good use of my warnings, too- though only partially, alas."
Holmes grimaced, while Moriarty's eyes shone with a glint of triumph at one-upping him.
"I stopped the bomb, but I wasn't able to stop the murder of Alfred Meinhard- it's a rare man capable of making the shot who killed him, and I hadn't anticipated such a good shooter to be laying in wait."
I nodded. "Indeed. A rare man- and thus, an easily recognizable one. Which brought you here, in this military factory preparing countless weapons for a world war."
I gave Moriarty a look.
"One that would kill millions- but also make you the richest man in the world. Considering just how much money you have already invested throughout the world, you would effectively be holding the world by the throat."
He smiled.
"Quite right. And what do you plan on doing now? Kill me?" he waved at the gun in my hand.
I shook my head, putting the gun back in my coat.
"No, you aren't mine to deal with." I replied, glancing at Holmes. "That being said, I'm afraid that this is where we must part ways. After all…"
*KA-BOOM*
"... Mister Watson has joined the conversation with quite the smashing entrance." I finished, looking dryly above us at the falling half of the tower falling straight at us that Watson shot with an artillery piece.
I had to admit, shooting a sniper with an artillery piece at near point blank range was quite the impressive "Fuck you."
Less than two seconds after, the top half of the tower crashed on the building we were in.
Ten seconds later, the many explosives I put all over the factory before confronting Moriarty blew up.
It was, to put it mildly, not a good day for James Moriarty.
None of Holmes' friends could argue it made for a wonderful distraction to get away, though.
And speaking of distraction…
I took out a little red notebook out of my pocket.
"I put the other one in Moriarty's pocket." I declared with a smirk, looking at Holmes.
He blinked, putting a hand in one of his pockets, then looked at me with some shock when he finally noticed the absence of the decoy notebook.
"I believe we now know the true identity of the fisherman in Moriarty's little story, don't we?" I pointed with amused smugness while throwing him the notebook containing all of Moriarty's secret data for his criminal empire.
"When... "
I shrugged. "You aren't the only one capable of using disguises."
Though mine were helped further by magic, I thought but did not say.
"As for Moriarty? Well, the tower falling on us knocked out Moriarty just long enough for me to do the swap."
And with that, the only thing left was the peace conference- and Holmes dealing with Moriarty.
I entered the room where the peace conference in Switzerland meant to try and prevent a world war was to take place, Oedon by my side.
"Gentlemen, let me introduce to you my wife, Oedon." I declared, smiling at the assembled group made of Watson, Holmes and his brother, Miss Adler, and a few more people who either worked for one of the people present or had personal reasons to be here.
"Well, you certainly found someone up to your size, Aeon." replied Holmes, looking curiously at my wife.
Some of the people around threw him looks at his bluntness, though they obviously didn't disagree.
We were, after all, by far the two tallest people here.
She grinned at him. "Mister Holmes. I've heard much of you from my husband."
"Oh truly?" he questioned, perking up in interest.
Her smile widened. "Indeed. Something about you being a mix of incredible genius, utmost antisocial behavior, with an utter lack of manners and tact for good measure."
Watson started coughing to hide his laugh, while Holmes blinked in shock.
He turned to look at me, but I merely smirked at him.
"It appears your reputation precedes you, Holmes." declared Irene Adler with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying this.
"Right. Well, should we focus on the issue at hand?" questioned Holmes, obviously trying to change the subject.
"Speaking of which, you've got what I've given you, correct?"
He nodded, gathering a few looks, but neither of us said anything on the matter.
His brother thus began briefing us on the various factions in the room.
As expected, the room had an invisible wall dividing the people within into two groups, who would no doubt ally with one another should war be declared.
And our job was to stop an assassin, the brother of one of the women of our group, to publicly kill one of the attendants.
"I feel that I must warn you. Our assassin, from what I was able to find out, has been given extensive reconstructive surgery by the late Hoffmanstahl. So keep that in mind, as we make our way through this meeting. We only have-"
I looked at Holmes' brother.
"35 minutes until the group photograph shoot, when we expect the assassin to strike." he informed us.
I nodded in thanks.
"35 minutes to save the world from a world war."
"No time to lose, then." cheerfully declared Holmes, before taking the assassin's sister out to a dance to better assess the room.
I grinned at Oedon.
"Shall we?"
"With pleasure." she replied, and soon enough we began dancing in the ballroom, enjoying ourselves while the fate of the world hung in the balance.
It was hardly impressive for both of us after Yharnam, after all.
Holmes and Moriarty eventually left to play a game of chess on one of the balustrades of this building, leaving Watson and the assassin's sister, Simza, to locate the killer.
The room erupted in chaos not long after, but thankfully it was controlled chaos, since they were successful in locating the killer.
Once I saw that, I left Oedon for a moment, walking behind the soldiers who were forcefully escorting the would-be killer out.
The moment I crossed the doors of the room, I turned, stabbing the person leaning against the nearby wall with a poisoned dart I had discretely taken out of Inventory.
He seized, staring at me in shock while tightly holding the armed cane he was holding where, ironically, a poisoned dart was hidden, meant to silence the assassin, whether he succeeded or failed.
Making sure it looked like the new corpse was simply sitting and leaning on a nearby chair, I nodded, then returned to the ball room, giving a nod to Watson that all was well before returning to Oedon.
Oedon stared at the retreating back of her husband, taking a sip of the excellent champagne this place possessed.
Honestly, she had little to do in this place, since this was the middle of a hunt, if one rather different than those of Yharnam, and thus more her husband's specialty and interest than hers.
But he had pointed out that they could always enjoy themselves anyways once Moriarty was taken care of, and Oedon was always interested in experiencing new things, such as attending a high-class event where the fate of this world would be decided.
So here she was, looking curiously at the assembled men and women, most of which could bring life or death to millions if they so choose.
True, in the grand scheme of things that her and Aeon now existed at, this was basically insignificant, but Aeon's ties to humanity would not allow him to sit back and do nothing when someone was about to plunge his old species into chaos out of personal greed for wealth and power.
"So, you are his wife? I have to admit, you are certainly as striking as he is."
Oedon glanced curiously at Irene Adler, who was smiling at her, her eyes shining with curiosity.
She smiled. "Indeed, I am his wife. And I thank you for the compliment. Most people seem to agree that Aeon and I are both very beautiful people… well, the word they use in my husband's case is handsome. He tends to grumble a bit when he is called beautiful, for some reason."
Irene snorted, her amusement clear. "Yes, men don't really like being called beautiful. They consider it too feminine a word for them." she explained, smirking. "Though I'm surprised he actually is bothered by anything. He always seems in control, never surprised by anything, much less bothered."
Oedon grinned. "That's because he is considering you more of a subordinate than anything else. You are working for him after all, so he tries to remain… professional. Trust me, he can be a lot more relaxed and easy-going. But as long as he is on the hunt, he will try to remain serious and focused."
Irene hummed. "Gives the impression of always being in control, in order to give others confidence in him and his capabilities? I see. Yes, it's one of the basics of leadership, never show doubt or weakness, for if the leader is weak, how can anyone be expected to follow?"
She took a sip of her own drink, before sighing.
"I'd have preferred he'd be a bit more relaxed, though. He can be quite… intense, sometimes."
Oedon looked curiously at Irene, waiting for her to elaborate.
The woman in question seemed to hesitate, before looking Oedon in the eyes.
"He claimed to have killed gods, at one point. And he was able to know where and how Lord Blackwood would die long before it happened. So… can I ask what's up with that?"
Oedon smiled. "Did he now? Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? We both are gods ourselves, naturally."
Irene stared at Oedon.
The ascended Great One then looked into the mortal's eyes… And for a single moment, Irene Adler witnessed a fraction of what lied hidden behind the illusion of humanity standing before her.
She froze, turning white as snow as she truly, finally understood exactly what stood before her, and what kind of being had hired her.
What kind of being even now was staring straight at her, green eyes soft and kind but unquestionably holding power enough to reshape the very foundations of reality with only a thought if she so wished.
"Fear not, Irene Adler. I am not one to pass judgment upon others, and my husband has taken you under his protection, rather than judging you for your sins. As long as you never turn into a beast worthy of his attention like Moriarty has, you never need to fear the Good Hunter's wrath. Quite the opposite, in fact, for has not he already gone out of his way to protect and save you, having seen potential in you to stand by the forces of good against those of evil? Potential you have proven, by choosing to be here on this day, even with the risks caused by being so close to Moriarty?"
Oedon finished her drink, before smiling again at Irene. "If you would excuse me, I'm going to find myself some more champagne. They've got a very good selection right now."
And thus did Oedon turn around and walked away, leaving behind the wide-eyed, frozen form of Irene Adler who kept staring at the back of the living goddess walking amongst mortals.
Eventually, she nodded to herself, before leaving to find the strongest drink she could find here, her hands shaking around the empty glass she held tightly.
At the very least, she thought in relief, Iknew I most definitely chose the right side to work with in this shadow war.
Meanwhile, Holmes and Moriarty kept playing their game, the war now averted, at least until Holmes revealed that, thanks to getting his hands on Moriarty's little red notebook, Scotland Yard had been able to seize his entire fortune and put it into anti-war charities.
The two then began fighting, both reading each other's moves before they even did anything, fighting a mental battle of superiority, my intervention in the factory ensuring that Holmes was physically perfectly healthy, instead of wounded at the right shoulder.
However, both sides found themselves at a stalemate… until one too many comments from Moriarty went too far.
I had said that Holmes was willing to sacrifice much for the sake of his loved ones.
In the original timeline, he would take hold of Moriarty and throw both himself and him into the cliffs and river below, Holmes only surviving thanks to a respirator he had found, belonging to his brother and secretly put into one of his own pockets.
He still had it. The only difference was that I gave Holmes a little something he had actually been working on for a while now.
That is to say, I smuggled in and gave him a gun with a silencer on it.
The look on Moriarty's face when Holmes brought the gun out and shot him in the head without a sound to alert the peace conference outside was one of utter shock.
A look that stayed when his body fell backward, dropping down into the cliffs below.
And thus, a world war averted for the time being, the greatest criminal mastermind of the generation killed by the greatest detective… with a bit of help from myself.
All in a day's work, I thought with a smile while dancing with Oedon as the peace summit came to a close.
I threw a quick look at Holmes, now dancing with Irene Adler, their eyes shining in relief at having won, and both of them looking forward to the mischief they would now be free to get into together.
I looked back at Oedon, banishing all thought of the future of the world and of anything else for the time being.
I had my own beautiful woman in my arms, after all. With this little game of shadows finally over, I could now focus for the rest of the night on what was truly important:
That is to say, the woman I loved.
Lucy, Oedon, and myself sat around a table in the Hunter's Dream once more, relaxing in our seats while having dinner.
I could have taken Lucy to a restaurant, but well, any food I made would be a thousand times better, so why bother?
"So... we're done here?" questioned Lucy.
I smiled. "Indeed we are. Moriarty is dead, the world will know peace for a few decades more, and all around our various objectives have been achieved. I've played around with megaprojects, Oedon played around with creating life, and you've had some badly needed vacation time after your recent Ascension. In other words, it's time to continue our travels."
"And where will we go?" she wondered.
I chuckled. "Ever played video games, Lucy? Have you heard of the Resident Evil series? Or, for that matter, the Prototype series?"
She tilted her head, her eyes flashing an unnatural, glowing blue for a second.
Then she blinked. "Hm... quite the departure from dealing with a setting like this one."
I shrugged. "Not really. Mankind is still under threat, it's just that it's by remorseless medical companies playing around with things they really shouldn't instead. Oh, and there are zombies too, which I suppose will be fun for me to deal with. This whole affair was interesting to keep an eye on, but lacked opportunities to actually let loose."
Lucy snorted. "Only you could see the risk of a zombie apocalypse as an opportunity to have some fun."
I smiled. "I've dealt with a lot worse than even a few armies' worth of zombies in the past."
"Well, since we're almost done here, how about a toast?" wondered Oedon.
I nodded at her. "By all means."
She got up, then raised her glass of wine.
"To a safe, free and prosperous humanity! And to eternal adventures to us all, may they never fail to entertain us!"
"To Humanity and Adventures!" I cheered, a chuckling Lucy doing the same.
We drank, before putting the glasses down.
Then I sighed, and turned serious.
"Alright. Beyond having this dinner to celebrate our latest success, there was something else I wanted to talk about, specifically concerning you, Lucy."
She frowned slightly, looking curiously at me.
"My husband speaks of where you want to go from here, and what you want to do now that you had some time to rest and think things through." explained Oedon.
She hummed, before looking at me.
"So that's why you kept your distance. You wanted me to be free to relax and think without having you nearby, pressuring me into one path."
I nodded. "Free will. After what you went through, I worried that you would try to cling to us as the only beings close enough to you to really understand you. I wanted to give you space so that, whatever decision you take, it would yours alone."
She nodded slowly. "I'm suspecting you now have a speech prepared?"
I grinned. "Sort of. The way I see it, you've got options. You can go on your own journey, until such time you find what you want to do with yourself. You can do whatever you like, really- unless it's turning into a tyrant, but I don't think you're interested in that."
She snorted. "Not really, no." she replied dryly.
"Thought so." I declared with a smirk, before turning serious again.
"Or you could continue to join us. I am going to eventually create a nation, one which will exist across all of Reality, a true Multiversal Empire, one dedicated to peace, prosperity, Sciences, Magic, and much more. I'd… like to have you help me and Oedon create that Empire and handle its day-to-day management."
She whistled. "Not thinking small, are you?"
Oedon laughed. "My husband is many things- ambitious is certainly one of those traits, though it is firmly kept in check by his kindness. This empire wouldn't be just for him- but for the people of Reality too, so that as many as possible may live in peace, without fear of the monsters waiting in the darkness of Creation."
Lucy raised an eyebrow at me. "How noble."
I chuckled. "Make no mistake, I'm certainly going to enjoy being king, or whatever title I end up taking. But…" I fell silent.
"But I saw personally, fought personally against the worst of horrors. I SAVED humanity from extinction. I will not let it happen again on my watch. I will create an empire the likes of which has never been seen in all of Reality's history. Worlds where billions will be able to live in comfort and safety, stars surrounded by Dyson Spheres capable of creating enough materials to colonize entire universes with ease, as well as bring victory in any war that needs to be fought. I will ensure Good triumph over Evil, Lucy, and whether or not I need to fight by myself or at the heads of armies and fleets capable of darkening the skies of any world to do so matters little to me. I am the Good Hunter, and as hunters must hunt, so shall I hunt forevermore. For as long as Evil exists, so too shall my hunt be eternal."
I took a sip of my wine, my eyes glowing with power capable of bringing creation or destruction to countless multiverses staring straight into her own, unflinching, unyielding, and with a will capable of putting all of Existence to the torch if it was what it took to create a better reality.
"I will not create a utopia, Lucy, but I will create a civilization so advanced, the differences will be negligible. I will create a bastion of Good at the center of Reality, one which all others will seek to emulate, and by so doing create something that stands forevermore as an example to pursue for all to see. A living monument, proof that Evil will not, cannot triumph- no matter how great, how powerful, or how cunning it may be. It is said that Evil cannot truly die. If that's true…"
I smiled coldly. "Then let them come. As many times as they dare. For I shall always be ready, and I will ensure Reality is, too."
Lucy stared at me for a long moment.
Then she finished her wine, and stared at me in the eyes.
"Count me in."
I raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"
She shrugged slightly. "Don't forget, I too had some experience with evil doing whatever they want with you unopposed." she pointed out, referencing her kidnapping and the fact that she was used as a drug mule against her will, her blue eyes darkening at the memories.
"So I'm all for kicking Evil where it hurts. Beyond that… Look, I told you before, I didn't ask for these powers but I'm not going to shy away from them, either. And being part of something as incredible as what you are describing… That's something I can only dream of, even as I am now. So yes, I'm extremely interested."
She paused.
"The fact that you are extremely good-looking helps." she finished with a smirk.
"So, does that mean we can go for... dessert now?" Oedon implied with half-lidded eyes.
Lucy and I stared at her.
She blinked. "What? That's the euphemism for sex, correct?"
Lucy snorted while I chuckled. "Yes, my love, yes it is."
We shared a look, before I smirked, raised a hand, and snapped my fingers.
A second later, we were all in the bedroom, all three of us naked, and Lucy bound in an X-position on the bed.
She blinked, before giving me a flat look.
I grinned cheerfully at her. "Well, you're the one who said that you were fine with it, as long as I bought you dinner and a drink. Well, I bought the ingredients for dinner and bought you a drink, so here we are!"
"You really should have seen this coming. This is Aeon we are talking about. Obviously he was going to take your words literally." pointed out Oedon, who had sat next to the bound Lucy and was now caressing her right leg, slowly going up as time went by.
I nodded, utterly shamelessly. "Obviously. It's the more entertaining choice, after all."
Lucy snorted, before looking down at my cock, which stood over 25 cm long.
She whistled. "Okay, I thought Oedon was exaggerating, but apparently not…"
I gave a look at my lovely wife, only barely surprised she ended up talking about my penis to another woman.
I both dreaded and looked forward to the day she and Luna Lovegood met with one another.
It was a good thing indeed that I had effectively endless stamina.
In any case, I stepped forward, putting my right hand on Lucy's belly and the other behind her head, before kissing her deeply.
Lucy kissed back, moaning slightly when Oedon's fingers finally found her clit and went inside.
My right hand, meanwhile, went up, caressing her belly until I came across her right breast, squeezing it firmly and earning another approving moan from her.
For a while, we kept going like this, Oedon playing with Lucy's clit while I kissed her and played with her breasts, before I broke the kiss, exchanged a look with Oedon, and we changed positions, me putting my cock just before her pussy and Oedon kneeling atop Lucy's head, facing me.
Lucy chuckled from underneath Oedon.
"Bound to your bed, with both of you on top of me… I feel like I should be concerned about my future." she said dryly, but I could feel her lustful anticipation, easily noticing the way her body shivered with desire, the way her hips were trying to jerk forwards toward my cock.
She wanted the real fun to start just as much as Oedon or myself.
I grinned at her. "Don't worry, you'll love it."
"That's not reassuriIIING~!" She replied, before squealing when I thrusted into her.
Oedon put her pussy over Lucy's mouth, muffling her squeal with a moan, before beginning to play with Lucy's impressive pair of high D-cup breasts.
Meanwhile, chuckling at Lucy's lust-filled shout, I began pumping in and out of her.
Oedon let out another moan when Lucy began eating her out, twisting one of Lucy's nipples in approval, which made the bound woman convulse on the bed.
Then she smiled at me, green eyes shining with lust and desire.
"So tell me, dear Aeon- should we go gentle with Lucy, or instead show her exactly what sex with Eldritch gods is like?"
I hummed, while underneath Oedon, Lucy said something, or tried to, at least, since her words were quite muffled right now.
I hummed some more, dragging Lucy's anxious anticipation further… before grinning.
"Showing mercy is not the Hunter's way."
Oedon grinned back, green eyes twinkling, while Lucy's muffled words grew in intensity and panic.
Naturally, I promptly brought out the tentacles.
Oedon let out a long moan when Lucy screamed into her sex as one of my tentacles began to fuck her ass, while my cock grew even longer and thicker, smaller tentacles appearing all along my length to strike at all her best spots.
More tentacles went all around Lucy's body, caressing her or binding her limbs even tighter, while two went around her breasts, squeezing them, until the tips of both opened like flowers to reveal mouths-like entrances that latched onto her nipples.
Not long after, Lucy convulsed in her bindings as an orgasm made her moan loudly, Oedon following suit not long after with me as the third, flooding Lucy's ass and womb with cum.
Naturally, we didn't stop, and I began thrusting in and out of Lucy again, Oedon's moans restarting not long after when Lucy returned to eating her out.
My wife smiled, eyes closed in bliss. "So that's what sex feels like with a woman… Oh!" she gasped, before giggling. "You're doing quite well, Lucy! Right there, don't stop!" she moaned.
I smiled at the sight, before using my right hand to go behind Oedon's head and bring her forward into a deep, passionate kiss she happily returned.
Then I broke the kiss, grinning. "Enjoying yourself?"
She grinned back. "Immensely… Though we could do even better." she purred.
My eyes twinkled… And then my wife gasped as a clone of me I just created took her from behind, making her moans louder as she was now double-timed by my cock in her ass and Lucy's tongue in her pussy.
"Time to get serious, I think." I declared with a smirk… and then I turned into my true form, the tentacles going from flesh to something more along the line of cosmic cut-outs of the universe, distant stars and more being visible within them.
I also picked up speed and strength, fucking both Lucy and Oedon with godly skill and passion, both women writhing in lust and letting muffled moans and squeals of pleasure and ecstasy as I gave them the fucking of a lifetime.
Over and over again, I fucked them until they could barely think, though I occasionally let my wife join in in breaking in Lucy, Oedon taking obvious pleasure in looking into Lucy's well-fucked, almost blank eyes, my wife using her own powers to know exactly what and when to do something that would drive Lucy to the breaking point and beyond.
"You're certainly enjoying helping me fuck Lucy silly." I commented at one point, not stopping my thrusts into Lucy's body, who now had a tentacle fucking each of her holes.
Oedon, who had one hand playing with Lucy's clit and another on her right breast, playing with her nipple, smiled, a hint of mischievousness in her glowing green eyes.
"Well, if you are going to end up with more lovers, I might as well make it clear from the start who is the top wife here, right? And what better place to start than in the bedroom?"
I snorted, throwing Oedon a look before looking at Lucy.
"Well, I did get a sex dungeon from one of the perks…"
Oedon's smile widened. "Oh, trust me, I know…"
Lucy let out a muffled squeal as she came hard once more, before throwing a wide-eyed look at Oedon.
Obviously, she had heard just what we have been talking about.
Oedon looked into Lucy's wide blue eyes, smiling softly.
The glint in her green eyes betrayed that kind smile, however.
It honestly made me remember the times where I used the Runes tool back in Bloodborne, and she kept me still, smiling softly and lovingly even as I screamed in agony…
I shuddered and banished said memories. Those experiences were just too disturbing for my peace of mind.
"Don't worry, dear Lucy. I'll make sure you enjoy yourself immensely. But I do need someone to use to learn how to best please women, since it will no doubt be an important skill in the future, so I thank you for volunteering for helping me out with that."
Then she glanced at me, the twinkle in her eyes growing. "On a completely different subject, do you think I would look good in a dominatrix outfit, dear Aeon? After all, some of the women you will take as your lovers might have strong personalities, and as I mentioned, I might need to make a few facts clear to such women, and again, what better place to start with than in the bedroom?"
I stared wide eyes at my wife, before grunting when I came once more.
The mental images in my head were just far too hot to resist.
I threw a long glance at my dear wife, who was grinning widely at me.
Then we turned to look at Lucy, who stared at Oedon with the wide-eyed look of someone knowing they got suspicious of the wrong person and were now going to pay for it.
I chuckled. "Just as long as we've got the hierarchy of power clear." I said, giving Oedon a firm look.
Her grin widened. "Don't worry, you made it quite clear already. But that doesn't mean I can't have my own fun, you know? Before meeting you, I could have never discovered how fun the pleasure of the flesh could be. But now… now, I intend to fully enjoy myself."
I laughed. "We really are perfect for one another… Just remember what I said about free will. Now then…" I looked at Lucy's trembling form, staring at us with dread-filled anticipation mixed with an equal amount of lust, and both myself and Oedon stared at her like two lions would stare at a juicy piece of meat.
"Let's have some fun, shall we?" I declared, smirking widely.
Lucy gulped.
Of course, she would have been far more convincing in making us stop if we literally couldn't feel just how turned on she was right now.
As it was, I felt absolutely no compulsion to hold anything back.
By the time we were done, Lucy was completely passed out and laying exhausted on part of my chest, but the sheer look of peace and satisfaction on her face made it clear she fully enjoyed herself, as if her emotions throughout the sex hadn't already told us that.
We had kept a close eye on her feelings, making sure we wouldn't do anything Lucy wasn't actually comfortable with.
It said something of her trust in us that no such moment appeared.
Well that, or she had some serious kinks. Could be either or both.
I glanced at Oedon, no less satisfied-looking, though still conscious.
She took the other half of my chest, looking up at me with a smile as I put one arm behind her naked back.
"That was fun. Though I look forward to when even more lovers will join our bed…"
I deadpanned at her. "We just finished fucking Lucy, and you are already thinking of more?"
She tilted her head innocently. "I heard that humans believed that 'the more the merrier.' Was I mistaken?"
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
"... You looked that up on the internet, didn't you?"
She grinned. "It's a very interesting place."
I tried not to think too hard of what else she learned from it.
Especially since she was technically omniscient, which meant that she could know about the ENTIRE internet.
I shuddered at the thought. Some things, even gods weren't meant to know about.
I was pretty sure my True Self had put mental barricades in the way of some of the things he learned...
"My love?" I say calmly.
"Yes?"
"Please go to sleep." And stop giving me nightmare fuel, I thought but did not say.
She looked amused at me. "Of course, dear Aeon."
And then she put her head on my chest and began snoring softly not long after.
Meanwhile, I stared blankly at the ceiling, mentally imagining both Oedon and Luna on the internet.
And the sheer chaos that those two could bring without even trying.
I fell asleep not long after, dreaming of Luna and Oedon, unleashing countless magical creatures on unsuspecting worlds.
My dreams were soon filled with Crumple Horned Snorkacks, Nargles, Wrackspurts, singing spiders, and more, running around countless worlds and baffling utterly just as many civilizations.
The rest of reality truly had no idea what was heading its way...