Ryoiki: Return to The Beyond (6)

PROLOUGE: Bells toll for Blood.

Jack dashed through the halls quickly.

An emergency meeting had been called; all of the gods were summoned.

Jack ran past many of the lower ranking Ryoikian gods, noticing a few like Sean, Spira, and Uwe.

As he neared the door to the meeting room, he noticed Omega, and the Ryoikian god of tricksters, a mysterious man named Magnus Geist.

He was slightly shorter than Omega, with black hair and pale skin, wearing a fancy black and purple suit. Complimented with a nice top hat.

Omega noticed Jack and nodded at him, with Jack nodding in return, before walking into the main meeting room.

The room was large, with 3 main levels.

The highest level was for all the lower ranking gods.

The middle level was for those with more importance, like Omega, the elemental gods, Alice, and Jack.

The final, lowest level was for the major set of gods...the original children of Ita. Along with Kuta, Nuzgul, Marcy, and Ita themselves.

Jack stared down at the roundtable at the bottom of the room...

Ita stood with their arms crossed, a serious and contemplating look on their face.

Kuta and Marcy stood nearby, with Kuta in a uniform reminiscent of a police officer, with a large cape made of purple feathers hanging over his shoulders.

Marcy wore a fancy black dress, adored with images of turquoise skulls.

Neither had appeared to age at all.

Nuzgul stood the furthest away from the table, leaning up against a wall in his detective uniform.

Jack recognized the other gods standing around the table.

Amaterasu Oraki, vessel to Taiyo, goddess of the sun. with her white wolf ears and white hair, and red and white kimono.

Next to her stood Hollow Iskandar, vessel to Tsuki, Goddess of the Moon. Letting the hood of their jacket down.

Next was Sakuna Koeta, vessel to the goddess of light Hilkariko. Who hadn't changed at all since Jack had seen her last...minus the collar of her black leather jacket being propped up.

The now aged Bruce Hachno, vessel to the god of knowledge, Chishiki, was the only one sitting down...he looked healthier than when Jack saw him after his incident.

Next to Bruce, stood Xernes Mosaka, vessel to the God of Souls, Tamashi.

He was the most recent addition to the new generation of awakened gods.

He was tall, with broad shoulders, tanned skin, and natural light blue hair. The sides shaved into a poofy mohawk.

He was wearing a casual blue button up and some shorts, but Jack knew he worked as a farmer.

Finally, the last god standing...

Trinity Weskar, the vessel to the goddess of technology, Tekugami.

She was the only god to not be reincarnated yet.

She wore red and gold robes, most of her natural body and flesh replaced with metal, and robotics...

In Jack's research of her, he had found out she led a small group of 'Mechanicus', people who believed metal was stronger than flesh, and constantly worked to upgrade their cyborg selves.

But Jack looked up to see two more people, not sitting at the table...but near it.

A 14-year-old girl with red hair, and orange eyes, dressed in a simple tank top and jeans.

Vicky Smith...vessel to the Goddess of Space, Uchu.

Next to her sat Yumemiru Eyeland, a 12-year-old girl with red eyes and black hair. Wearing a blue dress with a small red overcoat.

She was the vessel of the Goddess of Love, Anio.

From what Jack understood, the two kids had...some bad upbringings.

Once the two awakened, Ita had rescued both from their past lives and practically adopted them.

...Jack felt bad for the kiddos.

But the sudden ringing of bells told Jack it was time, and he took his seat.

It took a few minutes for all of the gods to make their way in...then Ita began speaking.

"....I'm certain most of you have seen it by now." They began.

"Last night, Merna 13th, Osiris sent out a public broadcast...this was its contents."

A large projection began to play from the center of the roundtable, assuring all the gods could see it.

The shot was of Osiris, standing in a room with a lot of mechanical equipment...and a deep layer of purple gas.

Sakuna twitched at seeing the jackal headed bastard, she still wanted to get back at him for Fern...and Kamryn.

"People of Ryoiki, I, Osiris. Come to you today to announce one thing..." The video began.

"Me, and my army, are going...to attack Adronous. I will aim to SLAUGHTER THE WHOLE CITY! I expect good resistance...and the GODS to appear!!!"

Osiris began to laugh in the video, the gas filling the background as strange zombified creatures began to swarm...

The video cut.

"...Due to this direct call out of us, the gods, and the threat of an attack on a major Solarian city..." Ita continued...but Nuzgul walked into view, taking over.

"We will provide support, all of us."

And...there was a cheer.

The gods weren't going to let some bastard wreck a city.