WIEDERGEBURT Act VI: Chapter 46

“Did you hear?! Lord Tyr apparently didn’t challenge Lord Tor to a duel!”

“I heard he ambushed Lord Tor with his army outside of Ásgarðr.”

“That’s what I heard too!”

“If this is true, it’s despicable. How could a man of honor like Lord Tyr do something so heinous?”

“Are you sure he did it though? I hear this was a rumor being spread by the Valkyries because they favor Lord Tor since he is Lady Fray’s cousin.”

I listened to the many conversations taking place around us, channeling the wind element through my ears to increase my sensitivity to sonic vibrations.

Our plans to spread the knowledge that Tyr had ambushed Lord Tor during a mission outside of Ásgarðr and forced him to retreat with his army was going relatively well. There seemed to be mixed opinions about this matter, but that was expected. Not everyone was going to just take what others said as the gospel truth. Critics would always be skeptical over matters like this.

“Seems people are fucking talking a lot. Can’t keep their fucking mouths shut.”

I glanced at my partner that day. She was sitting beside me at the bar, her hair once again cut short but not boyishly so. It seemed she had changed her style to one that was more functional and yet still retained hints of feminism.

While Tora normally wore slacks, a shirt, and armor, today she was decked to the nines in a red dress and heels. The dress was a wraparound that looked like it wound around her body starting from the left shoulder. Her right shoulder was bare, revealing a slender shoulder and well-defined biceps and triceps. Since the dress was skintight, I could see the way her abdominals were accentuated. She looked gorgeous.

I would never say that out loud, though.

This woman was not my wife.

Not yet at least.

“That just means our friends are doing their job,” I said.

“Yeah. I fucking know that. I was just saying.”

“I understand.”

The two of us were sitting inside of a bar located in one of the more well-to-do districts of Ásgarðr, a rather ritzy place with warm lighting and a good mood. The clean tables had numerous patrons sitting around and chatting as they ate and drank. Nobody was acting the fool, though. This was a high-class bar meant for lords. The only reason we were allowed in was because Fray happened to have a VIP pass that allowed her entrance into this establishment, which she had given to us.

“Hey, do you think I look bad?” Tora suddenly asked.

I tugged at my bangs. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Because you haven’t fucking said anything,” Tora snapped. “I got all dressed up for you, and you have barely even looked at me. I mean, what the fuck did I get dressed up for?”

I rolled my eyes. “Isn’t it because we’re at a high-class bar for the wealthy and influential and trying to blend in?”

Even I was dressed up. My black slacks were finely pressed and creased, made from a fabric that was so soft I couldn’t even quantify it. My undershirt shirt and doublet were likewise made from the finest materials money could buy. The shirt was white, while the doublet was a dark green that complimented my hair. Even my boots were brand new and polished to a shine.

“That isn’t the fucking point! I don’t care about these shitstains! I dressed up because I wanted a fucking compliment, so compliment me already!”

Tora was glaring at me, her shoulders and chest heaving as she shouted loud enough to make the other tables nearby take notice. I tried not to let their attention bother me. Most of these people would not recognize me anyway since I had only made one appearance and then disappeared. Tora, likewise, was not that well-known since she and Tyr were estranged.

As she realized what she said, Tora looked away and blushed. Then she tried to backtrack. “I mean… it’s nice to hear a compliment every once in awhile…”

Now that I was looking at her as she blushed and tried to pretend she wasn’t looking at me, I could appreciate how… oddly cute this woman could be. Her embarrassment was different from Fay. Tora was loud, proud, and crass. That she could act embarrassed like this was somehow endearing.

I was just about to say something when someone walked over and sat at the table directly behind us.

“You two make an awfully cute couple. Are you enjoying the night so far?” the person asked. They were female, their voice a little older and more mature than most women I associated with. It made me think of a matron scolding her children.

I didn’t turn around as I switched mental gears. While Tora was stewing in anger and embarrassment beside me, I remained calm.

“It’s been okay. There isn’t that much to see anymore. If you’ve been to one bar, you’ve been to them all. The recent rumors help make life more intriguing though.”

“If you’re interested in rumors, then here’s one you might like,” the woman said. “A couple of men are gathering for a little get together two days from now. They plan on enjoying a high-class stripclub called the Asgardian Goddess. Getting a private booth, ordering some nice booze. You know. Living it up. Your lover won’t be able to come, but might you be interested?”

I made a show of thinking about it, but we all knew what my answer would be.

“It does sound nice. I could use a good chance to unwind.”

“In that case, just show this to the bouncer at the front.” A slip suddenly materialized on the table before me, the image of a naked woman dancing on a pole its most obvious feature. I took the slip as Tora scowled. “That will get you in. I should mention, these men are willing to meet you, but whether or not you can make friends with them will be entirely up to you.”

The woman stopped talking to me after that and instead hailed a waiter to order some food. I ate the rest of my meal with Tora stewing in silence. She seemed… upset. Not that I couldn’t understand why, but I thought her glare was unnecessary. It was not like I wished for our informant to ruin the moment.

After eating our meal, drinking some win, and dealing with my partner’s glares, I paid for our meal and left with Tora in tow.

We stepped onto the still crowded streets of Ásgarðr. Even night could not diminish the activity that happened in this section of the city. So many people were wandering the streets, entering and exiting the numerous bars this section was famous for, bars that were lit up with signs created from monster core lights and appeared positively gaudy. A large variety of scents hit me all at once--mostly perfume. I was fortunate the smell was not unpleasant.

As I walked side by side with the still fuming Tora, I glanced at the woman, whose face was red, cheeks filled with air and giving her the appearance of a squirrel with too many acorns stuffed in her mouth. I thought about saying something. However, at this late in the game, I believed any compliment I could give would ring hollow.

So I remained silent.

We made our way down several levels. This district was on the fourth level and located in a well known section of the city where everyone from the rich to the poor came to spend their coin. I was a bit surprised to realize Valis were the currency used here as well.

As we made it to the second level, I stopped walking. The hairs on my arm were tingling and my scalp prickled. I looked left, then right, frowning as a sensation I was very familiar with by now came over me.

Tora had continued walking until she realized I was not following her. She looked back at me with her eyes narrowed and a frown on her face.

“The fuck is wrong with you? Hurry up.”

I shook my head, walked over, and leaned in close so I could whisper in her ear. “I sensed a Sekbeist.”

Tora’s cheeks flushed at our proximity, but my words made her pale. “Here? In Ásgarðr?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“I wish I were.”

“Can you find them?”

“I’m doing that right now.”

I let a trickle of Spiritual Power run through me. With so many people of incredible power congregating around me, there was little chance someone would notice me using a Spiritual Technique like this. Spiritual Perception did not require much.

Immediately after my technique took shape, the world around me became dull gray, a monochrome that was only eclipsed by the bright Spiritual Auras that appeared in my senses like a flame. In this realm where so many people do not know how to use the seven elements, Spiritual Auras appeared vastly different.

If someone understood the Concept of Life, their flame would appear as a pure white. Death was black. Dimension looked almost black, but it was actually more of a dark purple, while those who understood space looked like starburst flames. Time was a colorless flame. The Concept of Creation created a prismatic flame, and the Concept of Negation was the absence of a flame.

I was looking for a section that was either a gap in my perceptions or someone who had the darkness element.

Finding them only took a second.

“They’re traveling down an alley to our left,” I said at last. “There are five of them.”

“Then what the fuck are we waiting for. Let’s get those fuckers,” Tora said as she spun around to race off and almost tripped over her heeled shoes. She swore like a sailor as she kicked off her shoes, tore her dress to make it moveable, and raced off.

I raced after the woman as she ran down the alley I had indicated. Her speed was increasing as the atmosphere around her grew heavy with Spiritual Power. The ground beneath her feet cracked, creating an indent in the shape of her toes like she was pushing off with incredible force.

We took another turn and found several… members of the God Race? They looked like Guddomelig. However, their presence in my Spiritual Perception suggested they were beings who had a strong presence with the darkness element. That was rare among humans, nevermind the Guddomelig.

“Those people are Sekbeists in disguise!” I shouted to Tora, who nodded and, with a sudden burst of Spiritual Power, increased her speed until she was so fast her body had become a blur.

She slammed into her first enemy like a SS-Rank Demon Beast, bringing up her foot and cracking the figure across the face with a powerful kick that snapped their neck like a twig. That person flew into the wall, bounced off like a broken doll, and dropped to the floor. Tora was already attacking the second person.

Her second opponent did not fair much better. Tora slammed her foot into the ground, cracking the stone beneath her, and put all of her weight into a punch that caused the person’s chest to cave in. It was brutal to look at. Several ribs splintered out of their ribcage from the force of her blow. Her opponent didn’t scream though. He was already dead as she struck the ground and skidded across it.

I flashed into existence beside her, blocking an attack aimed at her head. The person who attacked was swinging a dark blade. With my fake arm raised, I let the weapon clang off, then shoved to throw them off balance. As they were falling, I kicked them in the torso hard enough to break all their ribs and lift them into the air. They flew up, came back down, and struck the stone floor with a splat. Blood oozed from their mouth, and I could already tell they were dead.

Two loud explosions like something had detonated in my ear made me wince. I turned to find Tora launching a powerful double kick into the last Sekbeist, her attacking launching them down the alley for a good twenty meters before they stopped. The other Sekbeist was already lying at her feet. Their body was impaled with several dozen swords. I shook my head as I realized that in the time it took me to kill one opponent, she had killed four.

I ignored Tora for the moment as she swore about how her feet were now killing her and knelt before one of the people we had attacked and killed. He looked like a normal person, a male of indeterminate age with red hair, green eyes, and a smattering of freckles. There didn’t seem to be anything that suggested this man was anything other than human.

“Hey, Eryk. You sure these fuckers are human?” asked Tora.

“Pretty sure…”

“You don’t sound fucking sure.”

I didn’t respond as I reached out to touch this person’s face, feeling it out. A frown crossed my own face as I channeled Spiritual Power and realized something.

“This skin is made from the skin of other people…”

“The fuck you say?”

I took a deep breath, let it out, and channeled the fire element into the skin. The acrid scent of burning flesh made my nose wrinkle. Tora covered plugged her nose. Gritting my teeth, I watched as the flesh slowly burned away, revealing a noseless face with vomit green skin, thick brow ridges, and blood red eyes. This particular Sekbeist had an overbite, so his jaw looked off. Oh, but that could have been because this was the one Tora kicked.

“Fuck me sideways,” Tora breathed as she stared at the now revealed Sekbeist in horror.

I stood up, my mind in disarray. I had so many questions. What were the Sekbeist doing here? How did they get here? I remembered we had come across some in the Asgardian Mountains. Did that mean there had been more of them that we didn’t run into, and they had found one or more of the secret passages leading into the city. In that case, how many Sekbeist had snuck into the city? More importantly, what were they after?

“Let’s inform Fray and Tor about this,” I said. “They will need to know that their are Sekbeist inside the city. For now…”

I stomped on the ground and channeled Spiritual Power into the earth, which rose up like giant mouths and swallowed the corpses whole. Pushing more Spiritual Power into my elemental manipulation, I buried the Sekbeist corpses deep in the earth, where no one would find them.

With that done, we began walking off, heading back toward our base in the slums.

“What do you think the Sekbeist want?” asked Tora.

I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I know it’s not anything good.”

“No shit. Even I fucking knew that.”

Because I knew her words weren’t said out of maliciousness, I didn’t get angry, but I didn’t have much to say in response. I glanced at the woman as we walked side by side. Her dress was now torn to reveal her pale and toned legs. She no longer wore heels, having kicked them off, so now her small feet pressed against the stone floor. I wondered if I should carry her so she could avoid getting her feet dirty…

“The fuck you looking at?” asked Tora.

“Nothing.” I smiled at her, showing my teeth. “I was just thinking about how you look a lot sexier when you’re kicking ass instead of trying to act prim and proper.”

My words were rewarded when the woman blushed bright red. I was almost surprised when I didn’t see steam rise from her forehead.

“W-what the fuck are you saying?! Hey! Are you listening to me?! The fuck did you mean?! Answer me, damn it!!”

***

I informed Fray and Tor about my discovery. Both were shocked and horrified to learn there were Sekbeist in the city, and Fray immediately went to inform Chloe of this problem and ask the Valkyries to keep their eyes out. With luck, they would be able to discover more about the Sekbeist’s incursion and put a stop to them.

Since we still had to remove Tyr from power, I focused all my efforts on preparing my argument that would hopefully convince the four men willing to meet me that they should switch sides. All I had to go on was their names and a basic personality profile. It was unfortunate. However, while I was not Kari and lacked her diplomacy, I had been trained by her to deal with others. I was sure I could think of something.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. I found myself once more dressed in high-class clothing and walking toward the stripbar called the Asgardian Goddess.

The outside looked like any other establishment here in Ásgarðr, the exception being this place had an actual bouncer. I’d never seen one before since I didn’t travel to establishments like this. I never had the need. My wives were prettier than any stripper, and they had voracious sexual appetites.

I was allowed to enter after showing my pass to the bouncer. Walking in, the first thing that hit me was the sound and lights. Multi-colored monster core lights hung from the ceiling, casting the ground and people in reds, greens, blues, and yellows. It was enough to make my eyes hurt. Music played in the background, a quick and sensual drum beat as flutes, harps, and other instruments I couldn’t name accompanied it.

Walking through the crowded floor, I began my search for the group I was looking for. They were supposedly in a VIP lounge. It took me a few minutes, but it turned out I needed to show my pass to one of the women wandering the floor, dressed in an outfit that made them look like a bunny girl. What an odd place.

The VIP booths were located in the very back. We traveled through a hallway and the sound immediately cut out. I was led to a door, and as the woman opened it, I stepped inside to find four men sitting around a low table where a young woman with large breasts, wide hips, and a slim waist was dancing naked.

I ignored the woman and focused on the men, who were all in excellent physical shape that spoke of military training. Two of them had blond hair and looked like identical twins. Another sported purple hair that was shaved on one side. He had a scar going across the bridge of his nose, making him look like a punk. The last man was older-looking, his graying hair and salt and pepper beard giving him a distinguished look that made him seem very out of place next to his younger counterparts.

“It seems our guest of honor has arrived,” the purple-haired man said, grinning at me. “Welcome. Take a seat and enjoy yourself.”

I shrugged. “Don’t mind if I do.”

There was only one seat left on the couch, next to the blond twins, so I sat myself down. The nearest blond eyed me with suspicion and curiosity.

“Eryk Vanir,” I said as a greeting.

“I know who you are,” the man spoke in a deep voice. “Gustav Mora.”

“I’m Sigfried Mora,” the other blond added. “But most people call me Sig.”

“Tch. Guess I gotta introduce myself too.” he purple-head rubbed his neck and scowled. “The name’s Gewalt Strom.”

“Lowe. No surname,” the oldest-looking one said.

The woman continued to dance naked and turned her attention to me. Her smile was salacious, but I didn’t feel a thing as her breasts jiggled in my face. She was… attractive, I guess. Long blonde hair. Fine features. Firm hips, a taut belly, and a large chest. But despite her beauty, I did not find myself attracted to her at all.

“You not into women?” asked Gewalt.

“I have four wives,” I said with a shrug. “When you regularly sleep with four women, it is hard to find yourself attracted to other women who aren’t as pretty.”

The woman scowled at me, but the men found themselves oddly impressied.

“Nice! Nice!” Sigfried said. “I’ve only got one wife myself, but she’s let herself go lately. Getting fat. I’m not into that, so I often come here to get my fix.”

I pursed my lips and said nothing. There was no way I would ruin my chances by telling him that if his wife was getting bigger, it was probably because he wasn’t being faithful.

As the woman continued dancing, I was offered a drink, and I pretended to enjoy the show with the others. At a signal from Lowe, Gewalt dismissed the woman with a wad of cash, a wink, and a smack on the ass. The young woman drank in his attention. She squealed and sent him a naughty look that I interpreted as “come see me again.” I could have been mistaken though.

“Down to business then.” Gewalt placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward. “I’ve heard a bit about you from the Valkyries. I have an idea about what you want. I just don’t know why I should do anything for you when I could go straight to Lord Tyr, tell him, and get rewarded for it. I’m sure your head would fetch a nice price with him.”

So he was going straight into threats? That was fine. I’d dealt with this type before, and I could play the game just as well.

I smiled. “I’m sure you could try and do it… assuming you managed to leave this room alive.”

“You think you can stop me?” Gewalt asked with a snarl.

“Not think. I know I can kill you before you even stand up from your seat.”

My smile was still in place, but the killing intent I was releasing caused various reactions in the men. Gustav and Sigfried were the closest. They leaned back, faces rapidly paling as if they were being confronted by an apex predator. Lowe had narrowed his eyes. The creaking of leather echoed around the room as he clenched his gloved hand.

The only one who didn’t show any blatant discomfort was Gewalt, who narrowed his eyes at me and matched my Spiritual Pressure with his own. I could feel him trying to overpower me. Increasing my output, I let our Spiritual Pressure clash to create an intense atmosphere that could have probably caused a normal person to die from a heart attack. I remember stopping someone’s heart with my Spiritual Pressure alone once.

Then the man smirked. “Nice power. Okay. I’ll bite. What do you want and why should we help you.”

Knowing I had passed this man’s test, I relented on my Spiritual Pressure and told the group about my wife’s plan. It honestly didn’t require any extravagant details. By the time I was finished, none of them looked like they knew what to think.

“So… all you want us to do is put carry in some strange ball and pump Spiritual Power into it? That’s it?” Gewalt looked like he wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

“That is it,” I said with a nod.

The four men looked at each other like they weren’t sure what to do. I could see the questions in their eyes. They were probably wondering about the control modules I was talking about.

“And why should we do this for you?” asked Lowe. “What is in it for us?”

Thanks to the profiles I had on these people, I knew a bit about what kind of ambitions they had, what kind of people they were. While this didn’t completely help me, it at least gave me enough to create incentive that would help.

“That would largely depend on you, but… well, I’m sure you realize that when Tor is placed back in power, a lot of people in the Four Cardinal Divisions will be removed from their positions and demoted if not outright arrested and thrown in jail for treason. There are going to be a number large roles to fulfill.” I could see them perking up at the mention of “fulfilling roles” and knew I had them interested. “Each of you is a squad captain with a good deal of power and experience. You were not chosen at random. You were chosen because if the commanders need to be replaced, Tor is going to need people who are not only loyal but experienced.”

There it was. The offer laid on the table. If they accepted, they would be elevated to the role of commander, a prestigious position no matter who you were. While Gustav, Sigfried, and even Gewalt looked excited, Lowe leaned forward and eyed me with a frown.

“Before I accept, I have a question for you,” he said.

“Ask away then.” I gestured for him to continue.

“What happened to Commander Klaue?” he asked. “Lord Tyr replaced him recently, but he gave no reason why.”

“Because he’s dead,” I said bluntly.

“Did you kill him?” asked Lowe.

“I did. Does that bother you?”

The other three had gone silent and were now staring at me in shock. Gewalt looked a little sick as he realized the man he’d been testing had killed a commander. These people were all strong, but they were not as strong as the current commanders right now. Each commander had been in charge of their divisions for at least one thousand years. They had power only a few people could dream of.

“I don’t have a problem with it.” The man smiled. “I am actually grateful. That man… a few years ago, he took an interest in my little. Thank you… for avenging her.”

He didn’t need to go into details about what happened to his daughter, and I was grateful that he didn’t say anything more.

“You’re welcome,” I said, then eyed the other three. “Are you guys in?”

I let them discuss this amongst themselves, not paying too much attention anymore. I’d said everything I wanted, told them what they could gain, and now it was in their court. A few moments passed as the men quietly debated among themselves. Another moment went by before they finally turned to me.

“We’re in,” Gewalt said.

I hid my smile behind a nod. “In that case, you four should head over to the Iron Maiden and ask for their latest in rune technology. They will give you the devices I want you to take into your division’s headquarters. You will activate them in two days time at dawn.”