A room covered in frost, where no light can enter. There sit a girl with blue hair and frosty eyes, staring emtpy at her own reflection in the mirror.

  "You you think she will come?"

  "No."

  "But she is my friend."

  "You are her entertainment."

  "That's not it, I know she will come and help me."

  "Don't be so optimistic."

  "Don't be so premistic."

  "That monster won't come."

  "Charlotte isn't a monster, and she will come."

  "Why are waiting for your death?"

  "I am not waiting for my death, I am waiting for my friend."

  "She will abandon you, that is the kind of person she is."

  "I'm telling... Charlotte won't abandon me!!"

  She punched the mirror, shattering it.

  "Shut up and let me in control... you stupid split.", She exhaled a breath of mist, then she grit her teeth.

  "She will come for me... I just know it. I believe in her."

  The door slid open, and a maid wearing a veil over her face kneeled down to greet Mitsuki.

  "Lady Mitsuki, the Onmyoji Yuugure wishes to see you. Please make preparations to depart to Fukushima.", the maid stated.

  "Ha... more work.", Mitsuki sighed, her eyes gring at the maid, sending a shiver down her spine, "Prepare the car, I will depart soon."

  "Y-Yes, my dy...", she bowed and left.

  "Annoying..."

  "That I agreed."

  =0=0=

  "So let me expin the current situation.", Kra cpped her hands, smiling brightly, "The Onmyoji Bureau is in a meeting at the moment, the Demon Syer Union has a lot on their pte since this month's Parade of a Hundred Demons is drawing near."

  "So they are useless.", I stated.

  "Yup! So it's only us three, and Asanagi will join us once she got everything scouted.", she nodded while going towards Prydwen.

  "So we are going to attack the Okita residence?", Enna asked, who somehow got her hands on a pte of sushi. I won't even question it.

  "No, that would be terrorism.", she giggles, "Well, I already requested the help of Mitsuki so she should be here tomorrow or the day after. Meanwhile, Asanagi will be investigating the Okita resident."

  "Who is Asanagi anyway?", I tilted my head, asking.

  Kra think about it for a bit. She smiled, "A sweet old dy who used to be the worst war criminal ever."

  Reverie?

  Finally! My real function~! You see Asanagi, or her real name, Oda Megumi, who was responsible for many atrocities of the Japanese during the Great War. She was known as... Reincarnation of the Demon King Oda Nobunaga.

  Reincarnation of the Demon King, huh. She's stronger than I expected. And... a war criminal in our organization, really? Well, I guess Seria is in here too.

  When putting up a team to protect mankind, you can't be picky, can you?

  Anyway, we reached Prydwen. Kra was staring in awe at the ship.

  "It's huge... how did you get here so fast?", she turned to me.

  "I am bound to go fast when traveling at 500 knots. Anyway, why are we here again?", I asked.

  "We need a base of operation, correct?", she waited for my confirmation. I nodded. And she continues, "It's best to have a mobile base for ease of travel. We can hit different pces at the same time, as well as make a quick escape through the shore."

  "You want to ride on a ship, don't you."

  "I wanted to ride on a ship.", she didn't even give an attempt to deny it.

  Well, ships are cool. I can understand that. But there is one person who doesn't like going on a boat. I gnced at Enna.

  "No, I won't ride on the ship.", my Angel shook her head, "Either steady ground or flying. There is no in-between!!"

  I sighed, putting down the coffin, and walked up to Enna.

  "Why do you hate boats so much?", I asked her a genuine question.

  There was fear in her eyes when the topic of ships came up, it wasn't simply dislike, but full-on terror.

  I held her hands, and smiled, "Talk to me, I won't be able to understand you if you don't say what's wrong. Or I will pluck your eyes out if you don't talk."

  She escaped my grasp, fpping her wings to get far away. Well, that was rude.

  "You were supposed to comfort me!! Not threaten to make me blind!!", she yelled out her compint.

  Oops, I unintentionally let my intrusive thoughts leak out.

  "Hahaha! You two are really interesting people!", Kra cpped her hands, "Miss Silvi, please, if someone doesn't want to talk about something they are uncomfortable with, don't force them. Can't you be more considerate?"

  "No.", I replied. I don't wanna think about other people.

  She widens her eyes, "Well damn, you really are a bitch.", she pouts and puts her hands on her hips.

  "I get that a lot.", I agreed with her. It's much easier to be an asshole than to be a good person.

  "Ha... well, since I have met you I'll go and get some food for you guys, you must be hungry after a long ride here. So behave until I get back, okay?", she cpped her hands and disappeared.

  I saw something burned inside her right sleeve just then. Must be a Talisman, the most common way to use Spiritual Edict. Requiring soul to use and make.

  Right, China has that problem. As it is the country that relies on Talisman the most for producing energy and heating. Since Talismans are easy to carry and store.

  But... it required human souls, using blood and ritual to make them. That's the reason why China has the second highest mortality percentage in the entire world, just behind Brazil and its annual Purge event.

  "So.", I gred at Enna with my azure gaze, I could feel fear. I smiled, "Tell me, why are you so afraid of ships?"

  "You should really learn to be considerate of others.", Enna still tries to defy me.

  "But you are my sve.", I stated the fact.

  "That isn't a good reason for you to be so abusive!"

  "Ha...", I rolled my eyes, "You don't understand, do you? At my current strength... you can never defeat me."

  This isn't like a few months ago. I now have almost all my powers... I am sure that I can beat Ennael, even without using Anima Pactum.

  I grabbed Ouroboros Omniscia with my right hand, and then I held out my left, ordering Prydwen to turn back into a shield.

  The ship began to disintegrate into silvery mist, and then it flew around me, leaving Quirinus lying on the ground inside its briefcase with my other luggage.

  I don't need my nce to fight her.

  "You are cocky, you know that?", she took her crimson sword out.

  The mist reformed into a shield, "I know, Pride is my Deadly Sin after all."

  She closed her eyes and then opened them. Those hazy golden eyes, she doesn't want to fight.

  "If you say you are stronger than me, why do you need a shield? Why use something to protect yourself?", she made an attempt to mock me.

  Well, I'll bite.

  "Who said I will be using it as protection?", my smile got even wider.

  I threw the shield at her, deliberately aiming off-target.

  "Prydwen."

  "What the fuck—" BOOM!!

  The shield instantly turned into its ship form, crashing into the ground and shooting up the ground. Hehahaha~ this is how you use a shield! As projectile!!

  "Return."

  The ship became mist once again and reformed on my arm.

  "I can use this as many times as I want, without even tapping into my reserve. Can you handle getting hit by a ship?"

  Enna just gave me a dazed look, as if this was something crazy.

  "Who the fuck uses an entire ship as a projectile?!", she screamed.

  "I do.", I replied, "There is a saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, except artillery, artillery will fuck you up."

  "Are you fucking kidding me?!", she turned her sword back into a key, then aggressively walls towards me.

  I can see the disbelief in her eyes. Well, it's bound to explode somehow.

  "Charlotte, we really need to have a serious talk about your conduct.", she pced her hands on my shoulder, which I allowed.

  I stare at her worrisome expression. Despite all the things I put her through, all the abusive things I put her through in this master and sve retionship...

  She still cares for me.

  But that doesn't matter to me, just another brush on the canvas that is me. I didn't say anything, I just turned away and headed for the sea.

  Throwing Prydwen into the water, turning it into the ship form. I don't feel like dealing with these emotions today.

  "I'll be on the ship waiting, so do whatever you want until Kra comes back.", I gred at her one st time before picking up Quirinus and jumping onto the deck.

  Urgh... I need something to distract me...

  Heading into my quarter, I put down the coffin and the briefcase. I y down on my bed, searching for something to keep my mind from feeling frustrated.

  Let's think... the fighting style of The Pale Court. It's hard to believe something like that exists, something that fits me so well. No mercy, just pure brutality...

  Then the Records of Venus, Londinium. I wonder... what it feels like to serve someone else, because bowing to other people makes me feel uncomfortable. It is my nature to object and defy.

  I cannot become a Herald, I don't want to become a bigger hypocrite than I already am.

  Let's think more... my eyes id on Ouroboros Omniscia... right, Sincir delivered that to me by using an interdimensional delivery service. Heh, the universe is truly vast, who would have thought there was something like that?

  That golden dude said he was a Servant of the Golden Order, the Fourth Harbinger of Life. If there is a first and a fourth, there must be more Harbinger of Life.

  "Reverie, any information on the Harbingers of Life?"

  Nope~! Only the data on Shemiss Aluqdim was added recently~ you gotta ask the person with the most amount of knowledge~

  Who would that be...

  The Crawling Chaos. The Crawling Chaos has that knowledge.

  Oh, thanks, Survive.

  Hey! Stop stealing my light!

  I don't care.

  While Reverie and Survive were bickering, I dialed Nyar's number. They picked up after ten seconds.

  [&@&#:#^@
  "Hello, Nyar. I can't understand what you just said."

  [?@%@> Ehem, is this better?]

  "Yup. I want to pick your brain a bit."

  [Err... figuratively or literally? Can't be too safe around you.]

  I chuckled, "The former, I want to know more about the Harbingers of Life. How many are there?"

  [Hmm~ I guess this information is fine as long as you don't leak it to the public, you know, finding out there are actual Eldritch Gods in the universe and your own Eldritch God is a genocidal-maniac-that-has-an-extinction-boner would bring forth the colpse of civilizations.]

  "So?"

  [There are in total Nine Harbingers of Life.]

  Huh, that was easier than I thought

  "Why are there nine?"

  [Well, because each of the nine has a different Tempte of Life. Heliosol, The Pale Court, as you already know is the First of the Nine Harbingers of Life.], they waited for my confirmation.

  "Keep going."

  [Before I continue, I would like you to know that only Heliosol gatekeep his Tempte of Life, since it's the basis for all other Temptes. Theirs also called the Tempte of Organic Life for that reason. Either because they're an asshole or mentally deranged by Eldritch God standard.]

  "I get it.", I rolled my eyes, "I know I am very simir to Shemiss Aluqdim."

  [Ehem, I'll move on to the next one. The Second Harbinger of Life, Pacmalinn Emvist, The Machine Overlord. They hold the Tempte of Inorganic Life, so with that Tempte, it can bring machines to life, as long as that piece of technology satisfies a few conditions, that being... most of the material must be inorganic, it must have a functioning circuit, and have more than two functions.]

  "The Machine Overlord... Pacmalinn Emvist. Does it have anything to do with the Sanctum of Steel?", I asked them.

  Those who worship the machine, those who repce themselves with machinery... rejecting the human body... they are my enemy.

  [Not exactly, no... the correct answer is we don't know. Since we can't detect their presence at all. Due to Pacmalinn Emvist being the only Eldritch God capable of producing Heralds, no... Machines as strong as Heralds on their own, we have no way of detecting them.]

  Machines as strong as Heralds... interesting. I smiled. I wonder if I can fight one of them.

  I am motivated.

  "Onto the next one."

  [Sure. The Third Harbinger of Life, The Necro Lord, Lichtma Balisk...]

  Oh, finally. A normal-sounding name.

  [Holding the Tempte of Undead. Life after the end, is pretty simple. It just takes what remains of the body and beefs up the remnant— Well, I'll have to get into Imprints and all of that bullshit. So let's leave it at that.]

  "What?"

  Nyar proceeds to ignore me and continue.[Next up is the Fourth Harbinger of Life, The Golden Order, Qaeidat Dhahabia. They are the owner of the Tempte of Divinity. Like Azathoth... they can 'touch' concepts and give them sentient. One Closest to The Slumbering Ruler is another title of theirs. Well, that sounds pretty impressive right?]

  "No, not at all.", it's nothing original. Azathoth already did that.

  [Eh... well, you are right. It's nothing impressive since a life created by The Golden Order has only one-third of the power of a Herald. And they can't create a Herald for whatever reason.]

  We had different reasons, but still unimpressive by my standards.

  "...why does they own an interdimensional delivery service?", that's my biggest question. Why does something on their level have that?

  [Well, remember what I said about Attribute?]

  "Yeah?", every Eldritch God have Attributes, their core value, and what determine their personality.

  [The Golden Order has two Attributes, Order and Exchange. It isn't known what they want, since all the Harbingers of Life have a screw loose somewhere, but I can say it's a type of currency. They're a greedy fucker from what I know.]

  "So capitalism."

  [Yup, their Attribute could be considered Capitalism. Delivering products from across space and time, from system to system. That is how The Golden Order operates.]

  What price did Sincir pay to get that coffin delivered to me? More mysteries...

  I got what I needed... information about The Golden Order. But... there are still five left. I don't have much time though, css will begin soon. But I am also curious about the st ones.

  "Lightning round for the st five."

  [Hmm? Alright! Fifth Harbinger of Life, The Stelr Express, a mobile Star that travels across the universe and takes in anyone who wants to board it.]

  [Sixth Harbinger of Life, The World Border, creates living structures, the Dungeons and Spires in Korea are the product of their power.]

  [Seventh Harbinger of Life, The Enigma Code, original creator of what you know as Angels.]

  [Eighth Harbinger of Life, The Starlight Psychopomp, lord of all Spirits and Souls, preserving the souls of the dead in a new form and life.]

  [And the Ninth Harbinger of Life, The Pgue Garden, the master of all sentient fungal life and has total control over all types of disease.]

  [Phew! That's the lightning round done! Any more questions?]

  "Do the numbers indicate their level of strength?"

  [No, it's just the order they appear in. But there is a basis of power, like The Stelr Express, being a mobile Star, can just ram another Star and call it a day. Skipping the whole process of fighting the manifested Eldritch God, since The Stelr Express travels at 2 light years to 10,000 light years. Its hard to see them coming]

  "Damn... can The Stelr Express attack The Pale Court?"

  [Well, they are from the same faction so unlikely.]

  Eldritch Gods have Factions?

  I lit another cigarette, "By the way, out of curiosity. Where are you right now?"

  [Oh, not anywhere special...]

  =0=0=

  "...just in the Bermuda Triangle, nothing to worry about.", Nyarthotep smiled.

  Their top half is that of a naked human woman, but a part of their face was made of tendril and fog. But from the waist down...

  A mountain of bck tendrils and purple mist, rubbing against each other, overpping in a disgusting manner. The sound of slimy tentacles moving, sticking, and detaching at the same time, was like a horrific mess beyond imagination.

  And beneath that mountain was a giant blue squid with ten eyes, trying desperately to escape the grasp of The Crawling Chaos. It was The Kraken, the Herald of The All Blue.

  [Oh, then go back to whatever you were doing. Goodbye.]

  "You can call me any time you like, Charlotte. I'm always ready to help.", they happily replied.

  Charlotte ended the call, forming a wry smile on Nyarthotep's face.

  "Honestly, that girl is quite cute with how she goes around, asking me about the secrets of the universe.", they chuckled, which sounded like a howl of a bear inside a cave.

  The Kraken squirmed and hummed, which made The Crawling Chaos frown a bit.

  "You wouldn't get it, squid boy. A loner like you wouldn't understand how great socializing is all about~", they shrugged with a smug.

  Another strange hum came from The Kraken, making Nyarthotep burst out ughing.

  "You are funny sometimes! Well, not that it would change anything..."

  Their smile vanished and their humanoid top melted into the mass of tendrils and mist.

  "Fun is over, so... I will say this once and only once. Where did you hide The Nuclear Reign?"