A New Sun Chapter 54 (Patreon)

Chapter 54

~ A New Sun ~

It didn't take too long to get down the teleporting thing.

So with a flash of golden light, beamed straight down from the Heavens, I appeared back home!

…on the roof of the palace structure, head first.

With an annoyed groan, I slid down the tiled roof and fell to the ground, limp like a ragdoll.

Not because of the force or anything, no, but because teleporting in such a manner was like leaping through several kaleidoscopes made of flashbangs.

Okay, so I mostly got the technique down. It's not perfect yet, but I'll get there!

But with this, I'll be able to go back to the places I've been previously without any travel time, merely a flex of my divine will and Holy Spirit Power.

Raising from the ground, I blink my eyes several times as my vision warps and twists around itself, over and over.

It nearly made me throw up, but that sensation was quickly replaced by a buzz in my eyes, causing my entire body to shiver as they started throbbing.

I quickly moved to rub them with my fingers.

After a moment, I let out a breathy sigh, before opening up my eyes again, blinking just a few more times for good measure.

Good. Mostly back to normal.

I say mostly…because that throbbing isn't part of my botched teleport.

It's the effect of whatever Amaterasu did to my eyes before I left.

She was curious about my eyes, of course she was, and asked for me to show them to her.

Upon seeing my fully matured, but not yet evolved, eyes, she got a big stupid smile on her face and asked if she could try something.

"...Sure, what's the worst that could happen?" I had said.

"Yaaayyyy~!" Was the last thing I heard before she touched my temples, and it felt like salt was poured into my eyes.

Not like it hurt or anything, it was just annoying. Since then, randomly, my eyes would start doing that…even when not active.

In any case, she apparently blessed my eyes, specifically, to enable them to ascend to their evolved form…like hers were.

Which to be fair, is really good. I was worried I'd have to watch Kuroka or Shirone die or some shit to evolve them.

Granted, last I looked in a mirror, they hadn't evolved yet, that was going to take time, or some form of catalyst, to force the evolution.

I had asked why she couldn't just grant the fully evolved eyes, to which she simply explained she'd never done so before and didn't want to blow my head up trying, which…fair.

I can't regenerate from that, I think.

She was able to piggyback off my inheriting a 'lesser form' of her eyes to start the evolution safely.

…She's already trying to earn that hug, huh?

Of course, in return for spicing my eyes, I called her 'evolved eyes' basic as fuck because that's exactly what they are.

No joke, there were just several more tomoe. Seriously, mother? For shame.

She did give a nice pout at that, at least.

Anyhow, being genre savvy as I am, I'll probably awaken the eyes during my upcoming fight against the Hero Faction, so I won't be waiting too long to punt a bitch or two with a skeletal fist made of Holy Spirit Power.

Or at least, that's how I think my Susanoo will work, only one real way to find out!

Another buzz as my eyes go through another throbbing fit brings me back into the present.

As I move to rub my eyes once more, I finally focus on my senses and realize that someone else is here, inside.

Or rather, still here, even though she should have gone home earlier with a certain pathetic old god.

I'm not surprised. Not truly. But still, I can't help the grimace I give as I make my way inside.

Luckily, by the time I make it to the living room where she is, my eyes have calmed down, so I walk in unperturbed, a soft small smile across my feet.

Now, what I am surprised about is Rossweisse herself.

In canon, after Odin left her behind, she was a crying sobbing wreck.

Here? She sat on my couch, with her legs squished against her chest, and arms tightly wrapped around them.

She looked pissed.

She glared, sternly, down at the ground, a frown locked across her face as she did.

Occasionally, one of her eyes would even twitch a little.

Behind her, Kuroka leaned over the couch, patting her on the head over and over, almost placatingly, and most definitely worryingly, like she was afraid if she stopped the white-haired valkyrie might turn that bundled-up rage on her.

As I walked in, Kuroka was the first to look at me, prompting sheer relief to flood over her features.

Meanwhile, Rossweisse turned robotically to level her glare at me, though I could tell none of her emotions were pointed at me specifically.

"Lord Odin left me behind." As Rossweisse suddenly talked, her tone clipped and cold, Kuroka stopped, looking at the Valkyrie in shock.

…Or I suppose the former Valkyrie.

"Nyah~? Really? It's been a little while since you showed up here though if he left…" Kuroka slowly began, eyes eventually widening in realization.

"Quite." Rossweisse answered for her, "If this was a fluke, he should have realized I'm gone by now, and sent…something, to someone, about me." She ground out, agitation rising, "As he has not? I've effectively been fired. I'm…" her whole body shudders, although I can't quite pin with which negative emotion, "f-fired…"

I sat down next to her, muttering, "One hell of a way to be laid off, ain't it?"

But then again, not exactly surprising, considering Odin.

Rossweisse bit her lip for a second, before shaking her head and returning to glaring down at the ground.

"I didn't want to believe it at first…a Chief God, the Chief God of my home, being so pathetic…" Rossweisse spat the word with a shocking amount of vitriol as tears began pricking the corners of her eyes, "yet, after this? T-This...horrible…he's horrible! Horrible and pathetic!"

Seeing exactly where this was going, I just shut my mouth, and patted her on the back, as she just seemed to break, like a dam.

Tears began streaming down her face, and she somehow shriveled into herself more.

"N-Now, now I can't even go home! I can't show my face to them now!" She exclaimed, voice breaking, "Returning after the one you're supposed to be escorting? That's a failure in general! B-But when your escort is the Chief God…!" She started actively sobbing, "The other V-Valkyries, the Aesir, I'd be a laughing stock! Then if I wasn't fired already! I'd certainly be then!"

She fell over, to my shock, nearly right on top of me, yet still perfectly curled up against herself…somehow.

"After all my time spent training, a-and studying!" Rossweisse continued ranting, unperturbed, "Skipping grades several times over to graduate early! Missing out on socializing with my peers and finding a..hnnghh!" She bites her lip, skipping that landmine at least, it seems, "All for a job to grant me 'stable' life…! It wasn't…It w-was…"

At that point, she just completely broke down into a sobbing, crying, incoherent wreck.

Kuroka tapped my shoulder, and as I looked at her, she shrugged helplessly, essentially asking me with her eyes, 'What do we do?'.

I put a finger to my lips and continued rubbing Rossweisse's back.

This has been a long time coming, I think, it's probably best to just let her get it out.

Sometimes, a good cry can go a long way.

Kuroka blinked at me, before shrugging once more and heading into the kitchen.

…She better not be eating all the food again while I deal with this!

I wasn't keeping count of how long it took for Rossweisse to eventually settle down to the point where she could speak once again, but I don't think it was too long.

"S-So…" She started up again, sniffling, "I came back here, because…well, I didn't have…anywhere else to go…I'm s-sorry for being a burden…I didn't mean‐"

It's at this point, that I finally speak up, cutting her off, "There's no need to apologize. You aren't a burden at all."

"B-But…! Surely, you must be tired after everything! A-And I…"

I pat her on the back, "Nah. I'm good. A little stiff from sitting on a bridge, but the couch is the exact opposite, and it's doing wonders…along with other things."

At that, I wrap my arm completely around her, bringing her into a sort of half hug.

She shivers, and as I look down, I see her face flush in realization at exactly what I just meant.

Slowly, timidly, she leans into me further.

Honestly. I'd like to say I have rizz, but thinking that when it's with Rossweisse makes me want to jump off a bridge.

The girl I'd simply too…new, to that sort of stuff. She'd fall apart at the most basic flirting.

That's not rizz. Not even a little.

"So," I continue, leaning down closer to her, "I presume then, that you're free for that job offer I talked about?"

Rossweisse stiffened.

"I…you r-really…" She stammered out, breathlessly.

"I really did mean it. Everything I said back then, still holds straight up to now. In fact? I'm even more impressed with you now!" She flushes harder and gives a small embarrassed smile as she shimmies her shoulders from up and down.

"Skipping grades to graduate early? Not going to lie, with the comments Odin had made, I thought you were in your 20s…but if you skipped grades, that means you're about my age, huh?"

Isn't that little tidbit of information a slap in the face when you're first reading the series?

Rossweisse is actually Rias' age, not older than the entire cast, yet she's mature enough to look that way, and even be a teacher.

Kind of insane.

Rossweisse nodded shyly at that, "Please don't say that, it's not that big of a d-deal…" She tried to deny it, but I scoffed.

"Nah. It is. Just shows how much of an idiot Odin truly is. Literally abandoning you like this." I shrug, "Ah well if he's going to be like that, I suppose I'll just have to snatch you up instead!"

"M-Mmm…saying it like that…!" She silently cried out, causing me to smirk.

Hmm, you know, I may as well bring this up…though I'm sure she'll deny it.

Still, just to be fair.

"You know, if you want, you don't need to take a job from me or something like that." I began, "I keep Kuroka around, and she doesn't do anything. I would be happy to have you stay, regardless."

Off in the kitchen, I get an outraged, "Nyah!?" for that.

Rossweisse blinks at my words, before finally looking up at me, face stern and frowning, "I couldn't possibly freeload off you like that, t-that, that's…inconceivable! And rude! And wrong…and just…!"

Huh. She seems legitimately outraged at the idea.

With a chuckle, I pulled Rossweisse in for a full hug to calm her down…and to freeze her up in embarrassment, "Okay, okay…I got it. I'll give you a job, alright?"

"...T-Thank you…" She manages to, barely, eek out.

I am not entirely sure what that would entail yet, though.

However, I have a few ideas. Maybe the Imperial Household Agency could be of some assistance here?

Definitely not going to ask for Inari's help…I would rather not subject the poor girl to Japanese work culture.

Even though she's totally a workaholic, and would take to it like a duck to water, I would rather not screw her over that way.

Eh…I'll think of something.

Kuroka pokes her head out from the kitchen, looking rather indignant, "I feel personally attacked, nyah~! I totally do stuff around here!"

"Such as?" I automatically respond, without thinking.

Far too proudly, Kuroka states, "I'm going to bear your children, nyah~!"

I facepalm.

Rossweisse merely goes, with all previous gone, replaced by pure and utter bafflement, "E-Eh…?"

"Sex doesn't pay the bills, you damn cat." I grumble in response.

"That's not what I said!" Kuroka mewled back in indignation.

"That's basically what you said." I fire back.

"P-Payment…in s-s-sex!?" Rossweisse stammered out, seemingly having only gotten that.

"Oi. Why is that what you focus on!?" I inquire, slightly worried.

"You know why, nyah~!" Kuroka comes back up to the couch, this time, with a blanket and…is that extra large pudding cup?

She throws the blanket over the blushing Rossweisse, causing the poor girl to slightly panic in surprise before I manage to wrap it around her properly.

Once she's all bundled up, Kuroka hands her the pudding cup.

"Anyway~!" Kuroka casually carries on like that whole bit didn't just happen, before throwing her arms around Rossweisse, "Welcome to the Team, Rose-chan~, nyah~!"

"A-Ah!?" Rossweisse cried out in surprise, "Umm…thank for h-having me, I suppose?"

Yeah, Rose, I know. I'm just as startled as you, although about something a tad different.

"Kuroka," I say, eyes narrowing on the blanket.

"Yesss~ darling?" Kuroka drawls, seemingly completely unexpecting.

"...why was there a blanket in the kitchen?"

Kuroka stilled for a moment, before waving it off with a single word, "Reasons~! Nyah~!"

Damn cat.

I scoffed and chuckled.

She thinks she's getting off the hook, but hah, no.

I'd just rather not pull her over the couch and start spanking and fucking her silly in front of Rose.

Might either turn her into a mega pervert, or traumatize her, either or.

In any case, I shoot Kuroka a glare to tell her exactly that this isn't over.

She shivers, before sticking her tongue out at me.

Fucking cat. Using Rose as a shield like that.

She'll get what's coming to her eventually.

Rossweisse starts picking at the pudding while Kuroka continues to hold her.

In the meantime, beyond planning Kuroka's imminent punishment, I start thinking about the future ahead.

Just a bit, up until the Hero Faction arrives. My plan for the immediate future.

It's not a whole lot of time, only around a month, so I won't be seeing any drastic power increases just focusing on raw training like I have over the much larger break.

Besides, even then, I'm confident I could take all of the Hero Faction. At once. Even if they all ganged up on me with their Balance Breaker.

Especially since I know they attack during the day at one point, in broad fucking daylight, in fact.

But hey! Their stupidity is my gain! And they demise, of course.

Unless Dimension Lost's, well, dimension, stops that, but there's only one real way to find out there.

The only one I'm mildly worried about is Cao Cao and his True Longinus.

As a deity, that spear's anti-divine property has the potential to seriously seriously fuck me up.

I mean, if it fucked him up, it would probably do far worse to me.

Not to mention his Truth Idea…

After all, who's to say the big man upstairs actually agrees with Cao Cao this time around, yeah?

Especially since I…

I…

I pursue my lips, narrow my eyes, and glare off at the wall.

I realize, off to the side, that Kuroka has suddenly stopped messing with Rossweisse, and both are staring at me.

But I'm not focused on that.

Instead, I'm trying to figure out…

Why can't I remember his name?

Well, no, it's not quite that, I know it, I know I do, I just can't quite draw it out.

It's on the tip of my tongue, like…

Big G.

The man in the sky.

The guy that was crucified.

Why can't I…!?

I can't even think his name! Any of them!

"D-Darling!" Kuroka suddenly calls out, snapping my attention to her.

She looks…very, very worried, all of a sudden.

I still as she speaks once again, "Your…nose is bleeding…"

Slowly, ever so carefully, I reach my thumb up and whip it across my upper lip.

"Ah," I state plainly, staring at the red blotch now on my thumb, "...so it is."

…I don't have an explanation for this.

I truly…what the hell…?

"Are you okay…?" Kuroka walks over to me, putting her hand on my face, with Rose quickly following suit…albeit she just crawled closer, she still looked just as worried.

Physically?

"I'm fine." I answer honestly, there.

Mentally, however?

I'm fucking reeling.

What does this mean? I haven't used that word since I arrived here, never even thought about it, and now…?

It's kind of like a geas. Or maybe a taboo?

I…guess the system could in theory instill such an effect?

It can, after all, instill Holy Power in crosses and Holy Water across the entire globe. If there's anything that could stop a word, or name, from being even uttered…

But I can't imagine Michael having the power to make that addition!

Unless…it's not Michael.

…I think finding out what's going on with Heaven and the angels just went up by several orders of priority.

"In fact," I continue, gaze steeling itself, "I think I know what I'm going to do next, there's someone I would like to go meet, back in Kuoh…a Ninja."

Both my cat girl, and the former Valkyrie perk up in interest at that.

Especially Kuroka.

And while I will admit, getting Kuroka…and Rose…in kunoichi outfits sounds incredibly hot, that's not the true reason I'm heading there.

Metatron. A Seraph in canon that is obsessed with ninjas, and trains specifically under a ninja, a supposed famous master of the art, right outside town.

If he's there, well…

I have a few questions.

Even if he's not, getting actual Ninjutsu…the martial art, not the jutsu…training, would help in putting me in the 'zone' so to speak to go and train my jutsus.

Much like how I went about training my breathing styles and perfecting sun breathing.

Sure, I've been able to use Shadow Clones in battle without worry as of late, but that's less specific training and more getting used to the technique.

I pulled off a Majestic Destroyer Flame on Vali, but that jutsu doesn't take skill more so that it just takes the standard Fireball, and pumps a shit ton of chakra into it.

Of which, I have plenty now. No one to compare it to, but after all this time, all this training, all this learning…I don't exactly need to worry about running out actively using it.

There really is no excuse for letting this part of my kit lag anymore.

That, and Senjutsu, which I've been putting on the back burner for a while…

Yeah. It's time to start ramping up training on that.

But first, I need to get Rose settled in, and then I need to actually find the guy I'm looking for.

Find. A ninja.

Ah…that's going to be fun!

~ A New Sun ~

Alone.

That is all Fenrir, the God-Devouring Wolf, feels at this moment, as he lies curled up on the ground.

Some time ago, he thought he'd heard his Father's call, just as was planned...and yet, nothing ever came of it.

Perhaps the loneliness is getting to him, and he's simply managing things.

Or maybe, it's the darkness.

Ámsvartnir, his prison, was always like this; dull, dreary, and pitch black.

Nothing but darkness as far as the eyes could see.

Well, darkness, and his broken chains, Gleipnir, which sat on the dark ground in pieces.

As they should.

After his Father had freed him, so as to not arouse suspicions, he was left here regardless, until the time was right.

The Aesir, in their boundless arrogance and idiocy, so confident in his chains, left his prison unattended, with no one to watch or check on the wolf.

Well, it wasn't always like that, but Fenrir tended to get rather…rowdy, with his wardens.

Especially if it was Tyr's turn.

Regardless, ages pass, and as the Norse Gods saw Gleipnir never weaken, while simultaneously Fenrir's rage never falters, they decided they need not risk their limbs any longer.

Which gave Father the opportunity he needed to free him from his binds.

Now, he awaits the call for Ragnarok to begin.

Yet…Father is taking a rather long time, isn't he?

Fenrir perked up, his head rising from the ground.

…Yet, nothing has happened.

He had thought he'd heard a distant rumbling, but no, that couldn't be it, could it?

Surely not.

And then, Ámsvartnir trembled.

It rumbled, shook, to the sound of…

Thunder.

Fenrir rose to his full height, a snarl on his lips, as Ámsvartnir, his dark prison, tore upon, and lightning fell like a missile from the previously darker-than-night sky.

It landed several dozens of feet away, yet even at this distance, he could see what the lightning brought.

A man, a large man, clad in a large fur-hooded cloak.

With a joyous, rumbling chuckle, the man pulled down his hood, bringing his electric blue eyes upon him.

The man, no, the Aesir God, had a head full of fluffy red hair, across his face and down the back of his head.

"Sup there, Fenrir." the God looked down at his broken chains, and grinned, "See your dear old Daddy managed to get you free while we weren't looking, huh?"

He smelled of storms and mead, causing Fenrir to merely wrinkle his nose in disgust at him, prompting the god to give another boisterous laugh.

"Hah! Come on pal! Don't be like that!" He shakes his head, before continuing with a smile, "I'm honestly kind of surprised you didn't jump me the moment I came through, what…don't tell me your anger has dulled over the centuries?"

It hasn't, not all.

And Fenrir let his displeasure at even the idea of that being the case none as he bared his fangs at the thunderer.

The god held out his hands, placatingly, and chuckled good-naturedly.

No, the true reason Fenrir didn't pounce right away?

This god…Fenrir almost couldn't believe it was him until he saw him.

The pressure…the absurdity of his divine power, even unreleased as it is now…

And this all before he's even drawn and holds Mjolnir in his hands?

The Thor he recalls from memory had never felt so strong before.

Strong enough to, perhaps, maybe, even beat him…

"Ah, well…shame that." He huffs, disappointed, "But! This is good, means I can tell you a little something before we begin here…"

Tell him…something?

"Loki failed." He stated.

Fenrir froze.

Thor's smile widened, "Oh yeah, he failed big time. Got his shit kicked in by a…uh…fuck, forgot the term, some deity in the East, of all places. Even lost an arm!"

Fenrir slowly let out a rumbling growl, as the thunderer continued speaking, realization building within his heart.

So that voice, that unfinished call, it was his Fathers!

His Father…failing…

"So! Here's the way I see it?" Thor continues, hand waving towards his chains, "You pick up those shiny little links, and wrap 'em around yourself…or…"

Thor flips back his cloak, revealing his side, particularly, what's on his belt.

A hammer. It doesn't look anything special, in fact, it looks like someone was trying to make a large, two-handed hammer, but failed to make the grip properly.

Despite that fact, Thor took the hammer from his belt, and Fenrir felt his ashen fur stand on end as the divine power in the air increased several fold.

The hammer, Mjolnir, lit up with coiling blue lightning, as Thor pointed it at him.

"I beat you down, and wrap them around your barely alive body." Thor's expression sterned, though remained jovial, "Please, make my day Fen Dweller."

…As if there's any other response to such a threat!

Fenrir howled, one of rage and contempt, and charged.

He will avenge his Father, and if not that, at least complete the task he set out to do in his stead!

"Alright! Hahaha!" Thor laughed uproariously in response, as he charged in to meet him, flying forward like a streak of lightning, "Come on big boy! Let's see if you got rusty stuck in here all this time!"

And so the gods watched Ámsvartnir begin breaking down as the two strongest of the Norse fought.

~ A New Sun ~

Chapter 54 End

And with that, the Norse arc closes. Fenrir, the final loose end of the arc, is being delt with by your friendly neighborhood hammer man.

Not gonna lie, writing Thor being Him makes me wanna write a Norse centric story, ala, Roots of Hope.

Eh. I'll think about it.

In other news...over 50 chapters. 50 chapters, I had to withhold myself, forcibly, from having Nori say "by God" or "Oh my God" or some variant of it, after the first chapter.

I don't blame you lot if you didn't catch onto that, by the way.

It was tough at first, not gonna lie, but it was good practice for the future Church focused fic I wanna do.

That being said...Nori now suspects some shit is up.

The next mini arc I'm calling the "Ninja Arc" for...a couple reasons, I'm sure you all can figure out.