Overlord of biblical proportions: Return of the Biblical God (9)

Yasaka-no-Kyubi loved traveling across Japan, despite being a ruler who, by tradition, should have been sealed away forever in the main stro

Yasaka-no-Kyubi loved traveling across Japan, despite being a ruler who, by tradition, should have been sealed away forever in the main stronghold of the Youkai, bound by seven seals. After all, Yasaka was also the strongest combatant of the entire youkai faction, so remaining motionless at the heart of her power seemed outright foolish. Especially given the fragmented nature of the youkai clans, united solely by external threats from other factions rather than shared ambitions and goals. 

Such a fragile alliance bred overly ambitious leaders eager to pursue their own agendas. Thus, Yasaka's presence was necessary to remind them that the youkai only have one capital and one leader. The privileges of self-governance granted to them should not be mistaken for indulgence from the heir of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Of course, one might argue that, technically, the youkai were a sub-faction, answerable to the Shinto pantheon. But Yasaka had met her divine patrons only twice in her life, the last meeting being many years ago, and thus many Youkai scarcely acknowledged that fact even if Yasaka had to pay lip service to the fact. 

Despite the fact that she is the Head Miko for Amaterasu, the chief Goddess of the Japanese Pantheons, she scarcely ever had to fulfill her ‘role’.

Because of how many Shinto deities had withdrawn from conflicts with other religions, preferring to retain the fragments of their former power rather than facing annihilation like the old gods, Yasaka had become the true sovereign of all Japan.

Besides, she simply enjoyed traveling. 

Japan still harbored many sites of power and ancient shrines where Yasaka could briefly connect with the energies once wielded by Earth’s supernatural denizens, not to mention her appreciation for the beauty of untouched nature and wild landscapes. Yet Yasaka still had no desire to visit her current destination – what once was a traditional youkai territory, was now claimed by Devils who arrogantly dictated who could enter. Even Yasaka herself needed permission to be able to enter. 

What an insulting joke.

So, she had deliberately bypassed formal or even informal channels to notify the Devils of her arrival, instead opting to frame her visit as a ‘detour’ with less than a day’s notice. A show of force? A laughable notion, given that she still had to send some notification. 

Still, the Devils would hardly appreciate the gesture, especially with Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, the much doted on younger sisters of two Maou residing in the city. But Yasaka had no qualms about straining her nonexistent ‘good relations’ with the Devils. 

How could one risk what they did not possess, after all?

“We’re arriving,” The driver announced, stating what Yasaka had already observed as the sleepy architecture of the small Japanese town came into view. He then fell silent, leaving her to watch as the proof of human civilization slowly filled her vision. 

Tradition dictated that she should arrive in a palanquin flanked by her guards, officials, and servants, but since she was only on a ‘casual’ visit, such pomp felt excessive. Traveling by palanquin across all Japan, not just Kyoto, was impractical anyway, while teleportation, while faster and more convenient, lacked prestige. Hence, the compromise of a car, a modern, Japanese-designed vehicle, at least.

Yasaka still considered it faintly absurd, her, an archaic ruler touring in a luxury sedan, but at least she could justify it as supporting domestic industry. A flawed compromise, masked as tradition and nationalism, but much better than just blatant disrespect.

“Any response from the Devils, yet?” Yasaka glanced towards the nezumi beside her, the attendant that she had brought with her. The rat youkai shook its head slightly, prompting a frown to appear in Yasaka’s face. 

The Devils usually responded swiftly to notices about any arrivals in Kuoh, no one wants to risk the safety of the two Maou’s siblings, after all. 

Their silence felt… unusual. 

If her notification had been lost in some kind of pile, her ‘casual’ visit could escalate into a diplomatic incident, where a Head of a Faction, unauthorized, barged into a rather sensitive Devil territory. 

Sure, if the Devils were then to blame her for their own negligence? It would grant her, and the Youkai, somewhat considerable political leverage in future negotiations. But sadly, no matter how many political points the Youkai could score, they are woefully weak when compared with the Devils, who have the likes of Sirzechs and Ajuka, who could single-handedly destroy the Youkai, if not Japan.

Vae Victis as the saying goes, Woe to the Vanquished. The Youkai could cry foul all they want, but when push comes to shove, the Youkai could be very easily bowled over.

Soon enough, the rows of houses continued until she finally reached her destination, yet her attention was instantly seized by the Nezumi. "I don’t see anyone watching Yasaka-sama."

Yasaka blinked, before tensing slightly. Discovering spies and lookouts of the Devil faction, yet more proof of the Devil’s encroachment on her former territory, would be unpleasant. But finding none at all? Was simply strange. 

Of course, Yasaka had heard of the news of the Fallen attacking the Devils in the Underworld, attacking the Gremory even, provoking a quick and fatal retaliation from the Crimson Satan. But, based on her own intel, the events hadn’t directly involved Kuoh – even if the Lucifer and the Leviathan had withdrawn their relatives from the city, they certainly wouldn’t have abandoned its defense or surveillance. 

They hadn’t seized Kuoh just to discard them over an incident in another dimension entirely… 

So, why?

***

Demiurge, having concluded his meeting with his followers, had just managed to issue his last orders before spotting a flickering figure beyond the church’s stained-glass. After delivering a final admonition and ordering them to leave the main hall, he threw one last lingering glance at the throne he had crafted earlier.

He had nearly succeeded in retouching the bones of humans, youkai, and sinful Fallen Angels beneath the wood, carving all the requisite litanies into them to make them suitably holy and divine. Regrettably, it was not yet a throne suited for his Lord – he’d left the throne imperfect, the silks draped on the wood were still bare. 

He had hoped Lord Momonga would overlook this unworthy creation until he could embroider sacred chorales onto the fabric, yet Lord Momonga had chosen this flawed vessel of Demiurge’s labor as his throne in this church. Though the church itself was hardly worthy of Lord Momonga, nothing was, the mere fact that he had selected it, had sanctified both the church and the throne as a relic. 

Could Demiurge dare alter a sacred relic now?

Of course not. Demiurge had studied the Gnostic texts before delving into apocryphal ones – he knew of the Demiurge of legend, a curse on his namesake, who had blasphemed beyond belief. That Demiurge had warped the All-Father’s perfect mercy with his flawed mind, instead blasphemously seeking to equal God and ‘correct’ His plan. 

Thus, Demiurge would not follow the cursed path of his predecessor, and had left the throne as it stood. If Lord Momonga had declared that his mission to create a throne complete, then Demiurge could only bow in gratitude, for only the Lord has the true Wisdom to declare when Demiurge’s work was truly finished.

Having dismissed his subordinates, Demiurge retreated to the chambers, where a Hanzo awaited him.

“Lord Demiurge,” The Hanzo knelt on one knee until Demiurge nodded for him to rise and deliver his report. 

“I’ve confirmed the arrival of the Yasaka-no-Kyūbi’s convoy at the city’s western border. She had brought along her personal driver, bodyguard, and a youkai I believe to be her advisor and intelligence specialist — the one Vis had mentioned…”

The Hanzo paused, and Demiurge understood why. Vis, the Kyoto youkai, had proven to be a valuable source of information, even earning a semblance of patronage from Shalltear, or at least, surviving his encounter with the Vampire. Quite the feat, to say the least. 

His loyalty to Nazarick’s ideals and the True Faith, however, remained dubious, but he was still useful for now. Regardless, resolving Vis’s future fate paled in urgency compared to Yasaka’s arrival.

“Hmm, She had arrived slightly early…” Demiurge nodded to himself. 

Naturally, he’d known that Yasaka was coming after receiving the intel from Vis and the purged criminal youkai, yet the exact reason for her visit remained uncertain. The criminals sadly don't travel in high enough circles to know such things. Not that such a paltry thing would stop Demiurge.

He’d prepared for twelve possible scenarios with her, at least the ones where Demiurge would enter into a dialogue rather than more violent ends, along with fifty contingency plans for any shift in dialogue. Even so, the optimal path for guiding their interaction eluded him.

Demiurge had assumed that Lord Momonga would arrive to negotiate with her, however, Lord Momonga had left, and naturally, the Lord could not have been unaware of Yasaka’s impending arrival. Which implied that Yasaka was not a significant enough figure and factor for Lord Momonga’s plans, and that he trusted Demiurge sufficiently to entrust him with such a trivial matter. 

This was unsurprising of course, Lord Momonga had already shown his trust by granting Demiurge his blessing through his actions regarding Le Fay, indicating his satisfaction with Demiurge’s original plan, while merely seeking to expedite its execution. 

This also meant that Demiurge could negotiate with Yasaka according to his own judgment and initial strategy.

“Very well, I will receive them,” Demiurge nodded, glancing at the Hanzō. “Lead them to the church… without revealing your presence, of course.”

“As you command, Lord Demiurge,” The Hanzō replied before vanishing into the shadows to carry out his orders.

Left alone, Demiurge paused in contemplation, then nodded to himself.

Truly, the time of the end approaches, a time when all shall be judged by His Mercy and Wrath…

And if not all angels are worthy of mercy, perhaps that also means that not all monsters will face His punishing sword?

***

Yasaka felt her unease grow as she watched the blur of buildings outside her car window without anything happening. 

She had arrived in Kuoh five minutes ago, yet there had been no formal reception from the Devils – no welcoming delegation, no curious glances, not even a show of Devil presence. While the possibility of an ambush lingered, and even strengthened, it is still very unlikely. 

Her vehicle was publicly known, and Devils were not inclined to attack unannounced visitors on their territory. Moreover, Yasaka is traveling through crowded streets, through the city’s traffic, a setting Devil would avoid for an unprovoked strike without first attempting contact no matter how twitchy they are right now.

“A Mage in front of us, by the sidewalk, left side, observing,” Nezumi’s voice snapped Yasaka to attention, drawing a faint exhale of relief. A single mage was hardly a fitting welcome for Kyoto’s ruler, but even this was preferable to total silence.

The mage Yasaka spotted moments later was a familiar one, the European had arrived in Kuoh after its ‘conquest’, an officially contracted mage to the Gremory family, acting as Kuoh Academy’s Principal, tasked with overseeing the Devil heiresses. The two of them had crossed paths briefly at formal events, and his recognizable face, along with the discrete signal he flashed to guide them, eased her tension even more. 

Sure, she loathed being directed like a trained dog, but proper etiquette, and her displeasure, could wait for safer circumstances. 

The fact that Kuoh’s de facto leader, even if not by de jure as that would be the two Heiresses, is meeting her personally, with no spies or other Devil intercepting her earlier, suggested the situation here was already unusual. And that is without adding her unexpected presence to the mix – the fact that they would be picking up said Devil leader by the side of the road was even more puzzling..

Yasaka is looking forward to having her answers.

Her sleek vehicle, drawing stares from passersby, slowed to a stop near the Principal, with the nezumi opening the door, inviting him inside. The director entered without any trouble or hesitation, a reassurance to Yasaka that this was no trap, as sacrificing such a high-ranking figure would be unthinkable for the Devil.

Of course, the risk still exists, but Yasaka was not without recourse.

“Welcome to Kuoh, Lady Yasaka-no-Kyūbi. I apologize for the delayed response to your arrival. Unfortunately, circumstances here have… It has changed significantly since your last visit,” The mage bowed deeply while Yasaka’s expression remained impassive. Though the mage had resided in Japan for a while, his grasp of its customs was clearly lacking, riddled with errors too numerous to count. 

Regardless, she had far weightier concerns than how the mage had not bowed the correct depth when greeting someone like Yasaka. 

No, what is more important was that the mage had already revealed critical details about Kuoh’s current state. Now was not the time to dwell on etiquette or the subtleties of addressing Yōkai nobility.

Yasaka nodded to the mage, both accepting his apology tentatively, while allowing him to continue speaking. Yasaka had more things that she wanted to find out, and the mage did not disappoint. 

"Lady Yasaka, I would like to invite you for a discussion… in Kuoh’s Church."

Yasaka was almost ready to immediately agree to the mage proposal. After all, if the situation was truly so unexpected that even the Devil’s higher-up in Kuoh himself saw no shame or trouble in involving an external element like Yasaka and her faction, then refusing the meeting would be unwise. Even if the meeting were to be held in his office, his place of power. 

However, the mention of the meeting place being a church shocked her enough that she stared at the mage in incredulity, the urge to question whether this was some bizarre joke on the tips of her tongue. 

Inviting a representative of a rival faction into the stronghold of another religion was undiplomatic on its own, but for the Devils to do so was especially strange. She knew full well that Devils found it uncomfortable even to be near holy grounds – let alone negotiate there, such a scenario was not just diplomatically but physically untenable for all parties.

Yasaka fixed the mage with a look, silently demanding further explanation. He exhaled and spread his hands as much as the confines of the car allowed as if saying ‘what can I do about it?’. 

"As I said, conditions in Kuoh have changed significantly since your last visit."

Yasaka pondered for a moment at the strangeness of it all before finally nodding, at her silent gesture her driver started driving again, smoothly guiding the car forward. Still, even as her driver and bodyguard silently re-sheathed their hidden weapons, She raised an eyebrow at the mage. 

"I assume you’ll explain what exactly happened in Kuoh once we arrive?"

"Indeed, Lady Yasaka," The mage nodded, then paused, before apologetically lowering his head. "Though… I suspect I will not be the one to deliver that explanation."

Yasaka’s brow arched again, even higher this time at the strange remark, but the mage offered no reply, offering only an apologetic smile. 

She turned her gaze to the blur of buildings outside the window until they neared the small church on Kuoh’ outskirts, its only one. To Yasaka’s knowledge, the now dilapidated structure had existed since Christianity’s cultural expansion into Japan but had never garnered meaningful support. Before, when the Youkai held the land, the Vatican only showed minimal interest, but after the Devils claimed the territory, it had fallen into complete disrepair. So much so that it had apparently become a haunt for Fallen Angels.

Yet when the car finally neared the location of where the church was supposed to be, the sight before her starkly contradicted her expectations that she had thought that her driver had driven to a different location. But no, the location was just as Yasaka had remembered it, and yet the building she had remembered from the past looked nothing like the church in front of her now.

The church appeared newly built, pristine and gleaming with grand stained glasses far too lavish for such a remote Church. Even the cross atop its spire was unfamiliar, while cultural variations in Christian iconography often surprised even the Youkai, a feat for the varied species, this cross struck her as peculiarly alien.

Just as equally unusual was the figure standing at the church entrance, a man? A Devil? In a tweed jacket and large round glasses, his spiked metallic tail coiled around his legs as he watched Yasaka approach.

“A Devil?” Yasaka wondered, though it was no surprise since it is Devil territory, it did nothing to answer why he stood here now, on the grounds of a seemingly renovated holy site. Moreover, this Devil was unknown to her, and Yasaka, by duty if not inclination, was well-acquainted with most prominent Devil and their lineages.

She glanced at the nezumi beside her, who averted his eyes and shook his head slightly, a sign saying that he could not read the Devil before. Troubling – if even her information specialist could glean nothing, it spoke volumes, and yet also too little, about the situation.

The car came to a halt without entering the church grounds. As per standard protocol, Yasaka’s bodyguard first opened his own door, circled the vehicle, and then opened the door for Yasaka, who stepped out alongside the nezumi and the mage, where the Devil awaited them. Upon Yasaka’s arrival, the Devil inclined his head in a shallow bow, a bow far more polished than the director’s, allowing Yasaka to confidently conclude that this individual knew exactly what he was conveying. 

Respect, yet not a hint of servility.

“Lady Yasaka?” The speaker’s voice was syrupy, melodic, and magnetic – charismatic, dangerously so, like an iron jaw that ensnares once touched. 

“Please, follow me, the guest room is this way… I expect our conversation will be lengthy and… thorough.”

***

Demiurge had no intention of revealing his identity, nature, or abilities to the just arrived leader of the youkai. Trust was earned through blood and tears, and Yasaka and her entourage had yet to spill enough of either to merit such trust. That said, for his plans to properly unfold, he couldn’t negotiate without divulging some information. 

His intelligence networks were still slowly spreading across the world, but all reports indicated that Yasaka was marginally smarter than the average fool – the kind who wouldn’t accept claims from a new political force without question. Thus, his first scheme hinged on balancing lies and truths. 

Granted, even if he wanted to be kind about it, a ruler merely ‘smarter than mediocre’ was no genius demanding true intellectual combat from Demiurge. This was less a battle of wits and more… A guided hunt to corral Yasaka’s mind to the correct conclusions. 

Though, of course, the hunter’s mercy should never be mistaken for carelessness.

After dismissing Johan, an unnecessary variable in the upcoming dialogue, Demiurge settled into the sofa in his small office, across from Yasaka. The room, recently repurposed from a priest’s quarters, was far from the opulent settings high society etiquette demanded. But Yasaka needed to see his ‘sincere’ attempts to make the shabby space fit her august status. 

Her witnessing the poor conditions would reinforce his feigned lack of resources would be the first strike in this ‘war’. 

Let her believe his position weak; surrendering fake advantages would make her overestimate her own strength, the essence of intrigue.

As another method of raising this false perception, Demiurge raised his hand towards the nun that was placed in the room for that reason. It was to be a gesture for the nun to bring refreshment, or at least that is what it’s supposed to look to Yasaka. The Kyubi simply raised her eyebrow as Asia nodded. 

 “Enough of the formalities. I believe we have weightier matters to discuss.”

“As you wish, Lady Yasaka.” Demiurge bowed, mentally confirming the accuracy of the intel on her personality, then straightened before dismissing Asia. It was a hint of audacity on Demiurge’s part, using a saint marked by Lord Momonga Himself in these manipulations… But as the Supreme One had blessed his plans, even Asia’s presence here serves His will.

As Asia left, the doors behind Yasaka went shut with a sense of finality, sealing the church from the outside world, ignoring, of course, Demiurge’s undetectable surveillance spells. 

‘It is time to begin with Phase One.’

“Allow me to introduce myself properly, Lady Yasaka, and my apologies for not doing so earlier.” Demiurge clasped his hands. “I trust you’ll understand my caution. My name, or rather, my lineage — is of the Marbas. The Great Governor Gargamel Marbas.”

Yasaka’ gaze immediately sharpened, looking at Demiurge now with an even more considering look, Demiurge who simply bowed again, hiding a smile in the depths of his soul.

“I’m certain that you have questions, but I ask you to hold them until I finish.” He met her eyes. “You are familiar with the official history of the Great War of course, Lady Yasaka — the clash between the Devils, Angels, and the Fallen? Specifically, the annihilation of many of the Pillar Devil clans… To which, until recently, yours truly was officially counted among the deceased.”

“Hmmph, that is quite the claim, though it is true that the Great Way had claimed many lives. Especially among the Devils, especially as one of the main belligerents of the War.”

“That is correct, Lady Yasaka… Though, while this information holds truth to a degree, it remains incomplete. I assume it would not surprise you to learn that not all Devils desired the bloodshed of the war. After all, the conflict was ignited by the arch-traitors Lucifer and Azazel, while some Devils and Fallen Angels opposed the carnage. As the leaders indulged in their selfish ambitions and greed, generations of children born knowing only the war and dying for it, leaving only ashes in their wake. The Devil Civil War was far from the first attempt to halt the senseless bloodshed on all sides.”

Demiurge subtly pressed on the topic of children, leveraging his knowledge that Yasaka herself was a mother deeply devoted to her daughter. Yet he avoided overt emphasis, as even someone like Yasaka could see through that. Instead, Demiurge weaved a story out of lines of half-truths that lacked concrete evidence but sounded horrifyingly ‘logical’. 

His fabrications mirrored real, documented events after all, planting seeds of doubt in Yasaka’s mind. No matter how intelligent or wary she was, her mind now grappled with the possibility – and if something was ‘possible’, why could it not be ‘real’?

“My lineage, the House of Marbas, was not alone but the most influential among those seeking to end that futile slaughter and establish ties with the Heavenly Host. As you know, the Great war did not conclude happily, our house’s effort failed. Eventually, the Lucifer learned of our actions…” Demiurge winced slightly here, brushing a hand over his elbow as recalling something unpleasant, then offered Yasaka an apologetic smile. 

“Oh, how easy it was to annihilate a political rival amidst battle and then blame one’s enemies for it?”

Another ‘perfectly normal practice’, a lie of course, but Yasaka, who understood politics well, especially under such conditions, could believe it more easily. It wouldn’t surprise Demiurge if it was a tactic that the Kyubi had used in the past.

Thus, another ‘realistic’ possibility entered her mind. 

Some believed lies grew weaker the more ‘facts’ the more details that they relied on to be considered the truth. Yet, a lie corroborated by countless other ‘truths’ became an unshakable lie.

“What followed was exile… and Devils finding refuge in the Church’s embrace. A cruel irony, no? Betrayed by our comrades, only to receive absolution from the enemy? To be betrayed by Devils and find solace in the Church. Kehem, my apologies — my philosophizing is irrelevant to our current situation.”

Demiurge needed to craft an image for Yasaka to observe – personalizing details painted the scene convincingly, so long as they didn’t distract her from the narrative. 

Yasaka remained calm, nodding as Demiurge painted a beautiful picture, he noted her doubts, skepticism as expected of a leader, but she had accepted the plausibility of his tale. After all, stranger things had occurred in this world, she had just bear witness of two happening just now after all. 

Seeing a Devil in a church, conversing with a Nun – those things forced her to trust her own eyes and judgment, a false picture they might be.

“I’ll spare you the saga of my noble house and my own trials. Yet of course, as the leader of a large Faction, you’re aware that God had perished battling Lucifer, taking the arch-traitor with him.” Demiurge had to fight his visceral reaction — uttering such words felt blasphemous, and he resolved to later beg Lord Momonga for penitence. But the plan demanded that he should swallow his revulsion. 

Especially when it was time to bring in the crux of his talk with Yasaka.

“However, Gods… Gods have a habit of returning to after their demise. Thus, hope endured for the Heavenly Host… and for us, who had been sheltered by them.”

This time, Yasaka did not nod, sensing that they were approaching the crux of their discussion — and thereby completely overlooking an important, albeit minor remark. The fact that Demiurge had classified himself and the angels as part of the same faction. To focus on the ‘important’ part of the conversation, she took the ‘unimportant’ portion at face value, incorrectly judging what was significant under the circumstances. 

The minds of lesser beings were indeed so flawed.

"For us Devils who seek peace, and for the Angels, there are ample reasons to assume the Biblical God’s rebirth will occur in the near future — and that is precisely why we’ve chosen to emerge from the shadows…" Demiurge paused for a moment, feigning a slight grimace — another polished false reaction. 

"However, alas, this is not the sole reason for my actions, nor for all unfolding events in the world at present. I suppose you know what I am referring to now? Has anything unusual occurred in your territory recently?"

After Yasaka accepted the ‘truth’ of Demiurge’s narrative — it was time to draw her deeper into the conversation, building a tower of half-truths atop a foundation of lies through collaborative deception.

"It has," Yasaka winced as if recalling the memory was like a toothache, but refused to divulge further details to Demiurge. Not that he needed them — he was far more informed about Shalltear’s actions in Kyoto than Yasaka herself, after all.

"Then I presume you’ve already glimpsed the handiwork of those responsible," Demiurge tilted his head slightly as if to give the name more gravitas 

"The Khaos Brigade."

This time, Yasaka reacted more visibly, raising a hand to massage her temple — truly, who else could be blamed but the cross-factional terrorist alliance, so tangled and splintered that they could plausibly be behind any scheme simultaneously. 

The perfect scapegoat.

"I knew they would act eventually," Yasaka finally conceded slightly to Demiurge’s words, gradually becoming even more ensnared. 

"Do you have any concrete intelligence or evidence of their involvement?"

"Some. They’re too fragmented to track each of their various group’s activities. What concerns me more directly however…" Demiurge sighed, then met Yasaka’s gaze solemnly. 

"Forgive my boldness… but what do you know of the Old Gods Faction and Jaldabaoth?"

Hook, line and sinker.