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"Even if we forget the faces of our friends, we will never forget the bonds that were carved into our souls."
- Otonashi Yuzuru (Angel Beats)
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<(Atem POV)>
"Home Sweet Home," I muttered to myself with a satisfied smile as I landed on the roof of the tallest building in Neo Genosha. "Who the fuck needs a palace in Asgard when you own a penthouse in your own private building in the most sought-after prime real estate area in the world?"
Hela, who had followed me through the Hush Tube, raised an eyebrow at my words before looking at me not-so-impressed: "I admit this city indeed looks beautiful, but neither the castle nor the city is as lavish or as big as Asgard's. So, your comparison doesn't really make sense. However, if you truly want a palace like Odin's, I will gladly construct one for you after we take over Asgard. Maybe I will build it for you on top of the ruins of the current royal palace."
"... It's a different kind of beauty and comfort. Odin might have a castle made of gold as his private home, but I doubt he has a plumbing system even near as good as mine. I dare you to try one of the Japanese toilets installed everywhere in this building. They are so cutting-edge and well-thought-out that you will absolutely fall in love with them the moment you try one of them. They even have automatic massage seats that can get warm to the exact right temperature and give your butt the best massage you have ever received. Anyway, on top of those miraculous toilets, we also have digital entertainment systems with every movie and song ever made, along with all the latest and classic video games and so much more. Believe me, this place is much better than our dad's." I snorted, making it clear how insulted I felt that she even dared to compare my little piece of Heven with a useless piece of a big medieval golden castle.
"Oh, I see. Then maybe I should try out some of those video games you spoke of... But I do have a question. Why do you speak so highly of a toilet when gods like us don't even need to use them? I mean most normal Asgardians need to release the wastes from their bodies every once in a while, but stronger gods like me, Odin, and Heimdall, and I am sure, you are above those earthly needs. Our bodies are too efficient to produce any waste after all." She asked with a curious tilt of her head as if finding my words weird.
"... It's a wonderful experience, okay? One can't ignore that just because they themselves can't experience it. I know we never have to use the washroom, but if we ever had to, then this penthouse would have been a hundred times better than the Asgardian royal palace." I grunted before heading inside, Hela following after me with a confused look on her face.
The two of us were on a schedule... at least, I was since I needed to literally go to hell. I had given my word to Doom a long time ago that I would help him rescue his mom's soul from Mephisto's grasp, and I intended to keep it. I was sure that the Latverian King wasn't so keen on staying my loyal servant forever, but his owing me a favor would perhaps make sure that he would at least slightly hesitate to backstab me the first chance he gets. I mean, an unhappy servant who thinks of killing his master all the time was more or less useless. So, might as well help him with this. Furthermore, to speak the truth, I was kind of curious about how strong I was when compared to a Hell-lord in a fight to the death.
I mean, if I could give Odin a tough time in a one-on-one battle and threaten Hela's life in Hel, chances are I would be able to beat Mephisto as well.
But again, one could never be sure. That was why I was here: to better prepare for it.
"Sir, you are back already? But I thought that you were away on an important... business trip. You should have informed me so that I could have prepared for your return. It's fortunate that I was cleaning up this place; otherwise, you would have to return to a dust-covered penthouse." A familiar red-headed woman, clad in a white shirt and pencil skirt, exclaimed with a pleasantly surprised look on her face as she placed the duster on the desk in my office room with a smile and gave a small bow.
