10 Solitary Shrine

[𝐀𝐣𝐮𝐤𝐚'𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛, 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫]

"What's up old man?"

As a Satan, Ajuka kept to a strict schedule. For that to change was both odd and ominous. If it was anybody else in Noel's shoes, a bit of worry would be expected. Luckily—or unfortunately to some—Noel was the same as always, the knocked over train set revealed that clearly.

"Have you heard what's happening next month?"

Ajuka's voice was more solemn than Noel had ever heard from the man and the frown on his face only made it more clear that something was wrong. Considering what was coming up, that wasn't a good omen.

"Something's happening at the Banquet Hall?"

The devils had created many traditions over the years but the oldest was the Banquet Hall. It existed from the time of Lucifer and the original Four Satans and marked a changing of direction of the Underworld.

Each child was taught about these banquets or more specifically what they caused. Each time a banquet was called a horrific or otherwise notable event was caused. Most famously, a banquet was called for just before the Great War began.

"No, not to the hall itself."

Responding vaguely on purpose Ajuka created a wall of intricate designs floating in the air, each one more complicated than the most experienced mages could see through. Noel was no slouch in magic but he could only make sense of a fraction of a percentage of it all.

"These are the defenses inlaid upon the Banquet Hall and they would be more than sufficient even if an entire faction were to attack us even if only for a short while. Despite that, the council is requesting that I enhance them further. More specifically, they want this."

Discarding all the previous circles only one remained in front of Noel. It was simple enough that Noel could understand it with a single glance but the further you looked the more mystical it became. It was like an abyss of knowledge masquerading as a normal separate space barrier.

"You managed to incorporate magic nullification with such an intricate separate space barrier?"

Gazing at Ajuka with as much surprise as his slovenly features could manage Noel was well and truly impressed. Magic nullification was difficult to put into spells even for the best mages because of its nature. Absolute nullification of magic was a powerful thing but it was an unruly power, a beast that simply couldn't be tamed.

Most spells didn't actually tame its nature but instead manipulated it, pushing its ire in the direction the spell maker wished. To do that, they needed the spell to be as hard to notice as possible. In other words, the spell needed to have a weak yet efficient output, the exact opposite of Morgan's fighting style.

But Ajuka's spell pushed past that line of thinking and ran. A separate space barrier was one of the most cost heavy and noticeable spells there were, to mix that with the magic nullification effect was akin to making a black hole push things away. A literal impossibility.

"It was decently challenging. I only managed it because of the Yata no Kagami."

The strength of the Yata no Kagami lay within its ability to trap, contain, and release which were easy enough concepts to merge into a separate space. After that, it wasn't a matter of taming the nullification but instead delicately controlling where exactly it was released.

"Congrats."

Throwing away his shock much quicker than Ajuka would have liked Noel didn't attempt to hide his intently focused eyes. He was memorizing the spell, with shocking speed at that. Ajuka thought he knew Noel's limits well but apparently, he had room to be surprised.

"I owe it to your good fortune. But we've gotten off topic. The council wanted me to inscribe it onto the banquet hall to further bolster the defenses as a 'show of strength'."

"They're scheming something again."

Groaning in annoyance Noel couldn't claim he was surprised at the council's actions. The council was the control or die type and Noel wasn't one they could control. They couldn't outright kill him because of his two teachers but with them out of the pictures that wasn't an issue anymore.

"Indeed. I don't know what it is they're planning but be on your guard. Falbium will stay so call for him if you require help. Though, as my student you probably won't need it will you?"

Shooting his student an awfully familiar smirk Noel just returned the gesture. Since the underworld can't exactly send all the Satans—their greatest defenders—away they left at least one. Noel wasn't particularly close to Falbium but he trusted they could get along well.

"Alright, I'll keep my eyes open."

"That's all I ask."

[𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫]

"It's the beach~!!!"

Squealing in pure glee Morgan ran into the water without hesitation, her head dipping under the water where it would stay for at least the next ten minutes if not a few hours. Morgan enjoyed exploring the ocean and looking at the fish and had a track record of losing track of time.

Not even a few days ago Ajuka and the other two Satans had gone to the banquet which meant that Noel was officially in the greatest period of danger in his life. Despite that, he determined that it was the best time to take yet another vacation.

"I missed you."

While Morgan played in the water Noel was in a much more enviable position in which his lovely bishop lay across his legs and Rias rested her weight onto his back. The Gremory heiress sighed in relief as she felt stress and exhaustion wash away as she melted into his touch.

"The Gremory clan is busy huh?"

Smirking his usual smirk at his second betrothed, Noel watched as she blushed under his inquiry. The Gremory clan was no busier than the Purson clan and yet he only saw her once or twice a week at most. The reason was because she was loved. Her parents didn't want their little princess to leave them already and Sirzechs didn't even need to be mentioned.

"Don't bully me."

Pouting with crimson ears Rias felt her heart flutter at his laughter. When she first met him she thought his laugh was annoying as it radiated pure smugness and unadulterated confidence that couldn't be shaken. It was shocking how much love could change someone.

"Yeah, only I can bully Rias."

Stabbing the parasol into the ground Akeno gave her two cents, a grin no less sadistic than Noel's own on her face. As Rias' queen and best friend, she had all the right in the world to bully her while he, her husband, may be kicked to the couch if he did. She was in the best position!

"Did I ever tell you how I met Rias?"

It didn't even take a second for Noel's words to sink in and less than an instant for Rias' hands to clasp over his mouth. Looking at Rias in unhidden interest and amusement, Akeno made her intentions clear but before she could even say anything Akeno found herself teleported away.

"Noel!"

Whisper shouting in a fluster Rias tightly gripped Noel's shoulder, an ocean of embarrassment in her eyes. She didn't hate what they did but she wanted to take it to her grave! It was too embarrassing to admit that after only a few minutes of meeting they…!

"Rias! You can trust me, I promise!"

Sauntering over with plenty of the ocean dripping from her curvaceous form Akeno didn't even care for the fact that Rias teleported her under the sea. She was much more interested in what could possibly make Rias Gremory, the nudist and most shameless woman Akeno had ever met, blush so much.

Abruptly freezing in place the two women tried their best to move and yet they found it to be impossible. Their body would not listen to them and their demonic energy was as thick as concrete. All they could manage was instinctive functions such as breathing or blinking.

"Amaris is sleeping."

Placing a finger on his lips Noel made his intentions clear, the ability to move returning to them a few moments later. Giggling softly Akeno dropped the topic, her half lidded eyes filled with appreciation and lust. 

"How domineering~!"

Holding her shoulders and swaying her hips, Akeno made her arousal clear, an almost daily occurrence. Akeno enjoyed pain and Noel was skilled at giving pain so their relationship had naturally developed as such much to Rias' ire.

"Sorry."

Rubbing the back of her head awkwardly Rias couldn't help but glance at Amaris who slept on Noel's knees. Although Rias also took care of her peerage's paperwork she could recognize the absurd workload she had to bear.

Managing and expanding the Naberius funds, regularly training under Grayfia—a feat in and of itself—and Ajuka, and so much more that she couldn't even begin to list it all. Noel was a troublesome man and Amaris was the one cleaning up his messes.

"You trust her a lot."

But Noel could only be reckless and stupid because of Amaris. If it was just him and Morgan he would have to restrict himself and that was far from what he wanted to do with his time. He was a man of freedom even when he should be caged up. If he had to willingly restrict himself, to willingly trap himself in a cage, it would be a shame. 

"Is it that obvious?"

Unlike his usual stupid sexy smirk, Noel wore a much more approachable and warm grin on his face as she ran his fingers through his bishop's hair. While Morgan was his partner in crime Amaris was the one supporting him from the back. Without her, his life would be a boring mess.

"I think you should take the first move. She isn't the one that'll do it after all."

Unlike what one would assume, Rias was actually very willing to be the third wife—second lawfully but that didn't count. Morgan had been by his side for much longer and Amaris, while shorter than the former, was no less important to Noel. They earned their spots.

Morgan was fine, she was so energetic that even without a push from Rias she would act and she had long since done so. Amaris though was very different. In general, she was an odd girl because of her upbringing. Despite how eager she is to have Noel touch her, Amaris is very wary of being touched. It took months for Rias to be allowed to touch her.

Noel and Morgan were different as they saved her but anyone else was not allowed to touch her easily. It was troublesome but Rias understood where she was coming from. All things considered, it wasn't actually that bad.

"You too huh?"

Humming to himself lightly Noel grinned at the two sides that gave him the same advice without knowing. Morgan had also told him to do something similar. She had tried to push Amaris to act—it was why she was acting lovey dovey with him around her—but it didn't work.

He couldn't blame them either but both he and Amaris knew what they wanted. Amaris didn't want to put a label on them, she was too scared of relationships to do that, but she wanted all the benefits and flaws that came with it. And Noel was more than willing to deliver.

"Go swim for a while."

Teleporting the two girls away from him Noel returned his attention to the girl lying atop him. It was a similar thing to what Kuroka and Shirone often did—the two had stayed home for today considering their destination—but there was something amusing about it.

"…"

Even with her best attempts, Amaris couldn't stop her ears from turning the same shade of red as Rias' hair. She had been asleep at first but ultimately woke up soon after with all the ruckus Rias and Akeno caused.

"How long are you going to pretend to be asleep?"

Abruptly slapping her rear just hard enough to get her attention she shot up, her eyes wide open as she blushed up a storm. Turning toward him in a mix of embarrassment and anger she lightly punched his chest before dropping her head into his chest to hide her face.

"…Isn't what we have now fine?"

Truthfully, it was. Noel wasn't aiming for a single lady so she had no worries of losing her spot and her bishop piece ensured that she wouldn't be kicked out any time soon so why worry about it? There wasn't any reason much less when they were so young. 

Fifteen and seventeen respectively. They weren't quite children anymore but they weren't adults either. Even for humanity, it was too young to make a choice as intense as that let alone for devils with nigh infinite lifespans.

For what reason would she rush? Why would she need to push herself when what they had was fine? Or rather, why had her companions done just that? Morgan was engaged to him but she had no need to push their relationship to a physical level and Rias didn't have to fight to keep their engagement alive. 

It wasn't that she couldn't understand either of them, the issue stemmed from the fact that she did understand them. Noel was a charming man whether he meant to be or not, a passing storm that if you didn't take the first step would pass you by. She understood them so much it hurt. 

"It is."

She desperately wanted to see his face, to see how sincere he was about this, but she couldn't bear it. She didn't know what face she was making but she was sure that it would embarrass her for years to come.

She felt so relieved as though a mountain had come off her shoulders and she felt like crying but she didn't. She shouldn't cry about something so good. Despite not wanting him to see her face she didn't fight it when he lifted her head, her violet eyes locking onto his face.

The confident grin that was so cocky it was annoying, mysterious enough to be pretentious, and the slight narrowing of his eyes that almost made him seem predatory. It was all there. He wasn't tricking her, he wasn't lying to her face, he meant what he said.

"Don't bother comparing yourself to those two. They're unusually proactive even for devils. We can develop at our own pace."

Crashing her head into his chest she remained silent for a few minutes. It was because of this that she loved him so much. That charm, that kindness, and that stupid sexy smirk trapped her from the very first time they met. She was caught in a trap and she didn't want to escape.

"Ok…"

Her voice was weaker, more emotional, and softer than she would have liked but she couldn't help it. It was a miracle that she hadn't started bawling her eyes out already. It was 𝘴𝘰 relieving to know that she didn't have to play catch up. It was 𝘴𝘰 relaxing to know that she didn't have to push herself to be somebody she wasn't. It was all 𝘴𝘰 good.

The atmosphere turned bright and pink in an instant, the two content with just sitting in silence and enjoying each other's existence. They were happy with this level of distance and there was no reason to push each other into something more prematurely.

However, abruptly that atmosphere crashed and burned as Noel stood up faster than ever before and looked to the west with wide eyes. A moment later, Amaris felt it as well. The malevolent aura poring over the horizon, the killing intent that seemed to demand their deaths, and the ominous rainbow like aura flowing through the sky like the northern lights.

"What the hell?"

 Noel's usual confident voice was tainted with bewilderment, his eyes wide as his vision swirled and soared through the air until he saw the source. He had only been there once before but its imposing form remained etched into his mind. 

The building was one of security, a building that not even he could break into easily. That place, the greatest prison in the Underworld, that symbol of eternal damnation for the sinners… Inferno had fallen.

"Noel!"

Awakened by his bishop's shout Noel returned his attention to his surroundings, the horrified and fear filled eyes of Amaris reminding him of his status. Momentarily disregarding the biggest and most dangerous prison break in Underworld history Noel waved his hand. 

Immediately magic circles manifested into existence with his companions emerging from their depths. All of them wore similar looks of fear and worry, their beautiful expressions tainted by horror. Taking a deep breath Noel calmed himself, for their sake. He was the one their eyes would go to for hope, if he couldn't act confident they were doomed to fail.

"We're going to the Asmodeus territory."

Making the command he was met with confused albeit relieved eyes though none of them quite understood the situation. With Inferno having fallen it was enough for Falbium—the one in charge of military affairs—to call for a war council but during this time? It wouldn't even take an hour for all the major Underworld players to convene for the council.

"Noel… what's going on?"

Worriedly clutching his shirt Morgan asked the question they all wanted answers to. They had never seen Noel so worried, his ever calm expression tainted with an underlying worry. It was impossible for them not to be worried even if he calmed down quickly.

"We're going to war."

[𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫]

When somebody imagined the illustrious war hall of the Underworld there were many words that came to mind. Dignity, solemnity, wisdom, knowledge, foresight, and so on. But the sight in front of them all did not resemble that image in the slightest.

Shouts and insults were being thrown across the room like curses, magic energy filled the tension thick room as many devils bordered on the edge of combat, and hostility was palpable between each family no matter if they were allies or enemies. Inferno had fallen, an act that could only be done by one of them. They were all suspicious of one another.

In this room filled with anger and hostility, a rare few stayed out of it entirely. The Purson clan kept their silence, the Gremory family tried and failed to calm things down, and the Sitri clan was deep in thought. There were more but Noel didn't get time to think about them before a shout reverberated through the halls.

"SILENCE!" 

The lord of the territory they inhabited, the unbreakable shield, the representative of all war efforts, and the only Satan remaining, Falbium Asmodeus shouted in an uncharacteristic act of power. He, much like Noel, was a lazy man who lived off his own free will. Yet, that sloth was nowhere to be seen on his current grave expression.

Immediately the hall fell silent and all eyes landed on his imposing form. Even his baldness—something he was often criticized for—couldn't impede the powerful atmosphere radiating from him. Out of the Four Satans he was often overlooked, treated as the weakest, and ignored, and yet now that image was shattered in Noel's mind. Falbium was no weakling.

"Inferno has fallen. This is a matter of national security so keep your wits about you."

That was as much a warning as it was a request. In times of warfare or similar issues such as this, the minister of military affairs had the authority to punish those who didn't assist or showed an attitude undeserving of their status. In effect, it meant he had the right to cease their assets if they didn't act appropriately.

With the unspoken threat shoved down their throats, they all ceased their meaningless chatter, their eyes narrowing in a mix of indignation and solemnity. Many of the remaining pillar families were foolish nobility that inherited their parent's positions but their education did befit their status. They knew well enough that pointless arguing was just that.

"A total of 627 prisoners have escaped Inferno. Four nearby cities have already been captured by them and thousands have already been slaughtered. We have no time to discuss fault. That can come later. For now, we'll divide our forces and retake our land. Our priority is the city and its populace. We can capture them all at a later date."

It was a risky decision to prioritize the people, one that many of the nobility disagreed with. Even if they didn't think lowly of the common devil it was undeniable that these people were not to be ignored. Even if only a fraction were from the lower levels of Inferno they were all the worst criminals in the long history of the underworld.

In an attempt to recapture the people a large number of them could be captured, there was no doubt of that, but what if the remaining? If they numbered even in the single digits they would kill dozens more, their slaughter continuing for years longer. It was a matter of the losses now or the losses then. It didn't take a genius to know that the longer they had the more they'd kill.

"These four cities are all ruled by the six worst criminals in Inferno and have now become lawless places. Our goal is to capture the leaders and force the rest out of the cities to recuperate."

Those words may seem insignificant to solve the people's worries but it was anything but. The six mentioned had a legend that reached even the youngest of years and fear still surrounded those names. If they were the targets, everything made sense.

"Where is Vartes?"

Interrupting the murmurs of agreement was the first head of the Bael clan, Zekram Bael. He had retired long ago but even he felt the need to attend the meeting upon hearing the news. Of the six worst criminals Vartes was the biggest threat. 

"He along with Nufrien are in Mystus."

Among the six, Vartes and Nufrien were the only group which left a question in the air. Where was the last one? Among the six, two were together in one city but that left three more. There was one criminal left unaccounted for.

A magic circle abruptly appeared in the center of the room, the small movement of Falbium that preceded it the only warning needed. Sinking into the table it disappeared leaving only a detailed map regarding the four cities, their inhabitants so far, and Inferno. 

Mystus—a city on the outskirts of the Oriax clan—was inhabited by Vartes the Plague Doctor and Nufrien the Immutable. The capital city of the Balam clan Grastus was controlled by Ihaben the Destroyer while the cities of Fraton and Prutim were under the dominion of Yultran the Puppeter and Saldun the Royal respectively.

'Ryrindus…'

The last of the six as well as the most worrying of them all, Ryrindus the Pandemonium, remained in the destroyed remains of Inferno. Of the six he was the strongest or at the very least had a legend that would last even longer than the rest. If his current location was taken into consideration, Noel would think he was quite enigmatic as well.

"You'll all be split into four groups shortly so wait for your summons. For now, you're dismissed."

Commanding the group of nobility with shocking efficiency Falbium looked directly at Noel, his intentions to talk clear. If they were being split into four groups it meant one of four things, they were either ignoring one of the six or Falbium was fighting the others alone.

Normally, the latter wouldn't even be a possibility. He was their ultimate shield as well as their commander so he logically shouldn't be anywhere without guards. However, they didn't have the forces to spare for such a thing.

Of the remaining 32 pillar clans, the heads of over half were attending the banquet hall. Some didn't attend such as the Sitri and Purson clans but most did—really, it would be strange if most didn't wish to attend. Even the Gremory clan was lacking its patriarch and eldest child.

Motioning for his companions to return for now and glancing at his parents Noel remained where he sat. He didn't know what the current Asmodeus wanted for him but he could easily guess. After all, how many things could a man heading to war alone wish for?

"I don't think we've had the chance to talk before Noel Purson. I'd like to talk in better circumstances but we don't really have the time. I have a request.

[𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫]

Floating above the skies of Mystus was an army—if such a force could even be called such a thing—of less than fifty. In its ranks were the nobility, their peerages, and any powerful individuals they could scavenge at such short notice.

Spearheading the operation was one man, a man with a renown that rivaled that of the Four Great Satans themselves. Known as the Great King and the first of the Bael blood the leader of the operation to retake Mystus was Zekram Bael a legend in devil form

"He's as hideous as always."

Spitting out those words with venom in his tone Zekram was disgusted as he gazed down into the once lively of Mystus. It was never the largest city yet it held an impressive population and Zekram had heard many good things about it.

Yet that warm city had been reduced into a lifeless wasteland, thick green smog covering the city like mist. Each city was supposedly controlled by one of the six as well as roughly one hundred and fifty criminals whose names have been lost to time. But Zekram found that hard to believe with them around. In all likelihood, all six hundred had gone to the other three cities.

"How many of you are resistant to poisons?"

At his inquiry, all hands were raised. It was hardly a surprise really. Falbium was no fool, he certainly knew that Vartes was a master of poison but Zekram wouldn't put it past the man to underestimate that fact. Only those alive at the time could possibly understand the fear, the age of silence and death created by this monster.

"How many can endure the poison before us for more than an hour?"

Instantly half the hands fell. It was impossible to know the true effects of the poison but those who had poison resistance often had a sixth sense with regards to what they can or cannot endure. Despite that, Zekram was confident half would die regardless.

"You all stay. Those who lowered your hands, join the other forces."

His command was received with a few dissatisfied groans but most agreed. While it was a purely logical decision that wasn't the reason there was no complaint. In reality, they were afraid of what lay ahead of them. Poison was almost always thicker at the point of origin—even a child would know such a thing—and yet it was so fearsome at the edge.

The thing that separated the six from the normal criminals, the thing that made them monsters that had to be trapped not only inside Inferno but also in another reality—a prison they escaped from—was their traits.

Despite none of them hailing from a clan or reputable bloodline, they all possessed traits. They all had personal traits, a worrisome thing in its own right, which they controlled with extreme finesse.

Personal traits were not only stronger but also more potent than those of their more common brethren. To make up for this, they were rare to the extremes and limited more than the average clan trait but that did not mitigate their strengths.

"Do not waver. Our opponents are murderers and slaughters who destroyed this beautiful city out of their twisted sense of joy alone. Do not spare them any sympathy for they will not give you the same honor."

His speech, while inspiring, was not required. While all of the six had a legend larger than any other it was undeniable that Vartes had the most famous of them all. With his personal trait—Pathogenesis, the ability to create and spread poison—Vartes had killed millions of people over the span of only five years.

The list of crimes he committed was long enough to fuel entire countries if written in paper but the most immediately recognizable was the pestilence he inflicted upon the world. While it spread all throughout the myriad realms it was mostly humanity that suffered from it.

Strange swellings would cover the body, bursting and leaking blood and pus, before grave fevers alongside a slew of other symptoms would attack the victim. It was known as the worst epidemic in the history of humanity.

"The Plague Doctor claimed nearly one hundred million people seven hundred years ago. We will not allow him to do the same now."

Zekram had lived through that time. He had lived through deafening silence, the fear, the horrible angst. He had experienced the loss of his closest friends, family, and allies to this scourge. He knew the horror that was Vartes and his Black Death.

"Today we kill those that threaten our families!"

The words that leaked from his lips were filled with so much wrath that even Zekram doubted they were his own words. The shouts that followed were filled with an equal amount of emotion as they signaled the beginning of this bloody war.

[𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞]

"Why now? Why not hundreds of years ago?"

Sitting atop the ruined halls of Inferno there was an odd building, one incredibly common on Earth yet never seen before in the Underworld. Perhaps as an act of foolish devotion or petty rebellion, a church had been built atop the ruins of the underworld's greatest cage.

Within this church, it was eerily quiet with only the sounds of pages being flipped and the lingering question. Within this ominous church, there were only two people, a man who personified the word legend and another who had made his name as a sinner.

"I apologize if I'm prying however I must know."

The light shining through the stained glass was strange, its rays peering through yet illuminating nothing. Yet there was a single candle lit ablaze, the warm glow of the flame revealing two figures in the otherwise empty church.

Half his form was hidden in darkness yet the handsome man reading in the dark was unmistakable. He was a tall man with long black hair and a face so serene it almost seemed fake. He wore expensive priestly garbs—an oddity in and of itself—and held a bible in hand without issue despite his species. 

Turning toward his momentary companion the man's aqua blue eyes landed on his companion, a gentle smile that would make any women swoon gracing his features. Closing his book the man turned toward the stained glass that shimmered iridescent light.

"I suppose… I wished to see the young hero."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey there, Express_007 here. Hope you liked the chapter.

Finally we've gotten into the thick of it! I'm extremely excited for what's coming up and I hope you all are as well! I feel as though I've rushed into a little but there wasn't much else I could, the entire point of this was to be abrupt after all. Ideally, it would have caught you off guard so let me know if I succeeded or not.

As always, if you're interested in supporting the creation of this novel I made a patre*on. Just look up Express_007 and you should find it easily enough. You don't have to support but it'd be much appreciated.