Bjorn had come a long way from the Chaos Land Skylands. He survived the warping of the word, the breaking of many parts of reality, the ire of calamities made flesh. He did all of that alone, well not alone. Failsafe, his ever-present companion and Isin, his previous life now turned into a split personality, were his allies.

Crazy as it sounds the strangest companion came from an unexpected tear in reality spat out a devil's egg. It of hatched but where he expected ruin or some untold beast he instead gained a daughter. Anasuya the níðhöggr, a True much like himself but also far different. She clung to his back as they saw a massive machine sputter and die beneath the combined wrath of Tanisha, Fuyumi and Aurelius.

"They've gotten stronger." Failsafe said in Bjorn's head.

"Yeah, you can say that again." Bjorn said.

"It's okay, Ana," Isin hissed in the hydra tongue, his tone serpentine and low. "They are good ones."

Anasuya closed her eyes tighter, pressing her small head against his neck.

"Scary," she hissed back.

Bjorn didn't take his eyes off of Tanisha even as Isin and Failsafe, both in control of one of his four heads scanned the area. What he saw was a warrior. More an entity of war than a girl and he wondered if she was the same girl he had come to know.

Then she jumped down from the top of the destroyed robot and ran to him. In that moment the warrior broke away and what he saw was just her. She nearly tripped a few times as she drew closer. She took off her helmet and it vanished into her inventory. Bjorn ran to her as well and the two collided somewhere in the middle.

Tears rolled down Tanisha's face as he held on to him like a lifeline. He was bigger now, slightly larger than a horse shoulder to shoulder. Still he collapsed into her as she held onto him. The moment was brief as the machine sputtered back to life. Aether was expelled in a violent burst. The cannon gathered energy as it attempted a final assault. Tanisha turned to intercept but Bjorn was faster.

Juggernaut Stampede sent Bjorn forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The impact alone tore into the S-17 followed by his claws tearing away metal like wrapping paper. He felt his magic in his core like molten metal rising in his throat. He opened his four mouths and out spilled fire. It was wide and blooming at first, erupting volcanic and unstoppable. Then it narrowed, focused into beams of poisonous flame, each one carving through armor like acid through silk.

It wasn't graceful, it wasn't beautiful, it was primal, savage and all consuming. The beams cut through the remaining protections and armor in a roar of fury. When Bjorn was done four smoldering holes cut through the S-17 and the machine died this time for good.

Bjorn dropped down from the wreckage, heat still shimmering from his scales. Tanisha was there, hands already on him, grabbing each head one by one, pressing her face into them with fierce, unashamed affection.

"I missed you, Big Man," she whispered, voice trembling. "So much. So much."

"Bjorn's back!" Fuyumi said as she pet his side. "You've gotten bigger."

"Just in time," Aurelius added, sheathing his blade. "Good to see you, buddy. Let's get back to Ivoi's Lab. We'll figure out what happened and maybe she can translate Bjorn's speech like Laxy used to."

"Good idea." Fuyumi said.

"Right, let's go." Tanisha said. "Follow us Bjorn."

Tanisha didn't leave Bjorn's side as they moved through the corpse of the city. The streets were a graveyard of iron and stone, emptied by battles long over yet still echoing with their violence. Even in the oppression of the atmosphere she was alight. Her smile was so bright it was as if were a direct defiance against the ghosts of these streets.

She was different now. More than he remembered. More presence, more power and confidence in battle. She moved like someone that had honed themselves on an endless grindstone. Yet beneath that, beneath all of that warrior exterior she was the exact same girl, now a young woman, he had come to know.

She spoke as they walked, her voice spilling into the Familiar Bond and into his ears alike. She told him about her new magic. The S-Series machines they had fought. Her grimoire and armor, the way Laxy and Ivoi had taught her to shape aethertech into something alive in her hands. Their years apart had been hard, but she had carved her strength from the struggle. Her happiness in his return wasn't loud but it radiated. It moved through the bond like warmth through winter, and Bjorn found it impossible to turn away.

Isin, the ray of sunshine he was, didn't share the warmth. He looked out over the city, his eyes scanned the skyline without focus. He saw only the scars of war, he saw the loss, the emptiness. Where Bjorn saw family, Isin saw ghosts.

Bjorn didn't remember this place yet. He had not gained any new memories of Helmforað. Only the upper facility before this underground city, no, necropolis was built. Still he wondered what happened to him, his family, his wife. Was this their grave?

But Isin remembered enough to know what might have been here. His people. His wife. His home. And if this ruin was their grave, then it was his failure that buried them.

He closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to see the bones of it any longer.

"You know," Failsafe's voice slid into the mental silence, "the fact humans are still around today means that you didn't fail."

"Are you reading my mind?" Isin muttered.

"No, but I don't have to when you look like a kicked puppy." Failsafe said.

"We leveled up again." Bjorn said. "Our new memory may shine some light on what happened, Isin. I doubt this was the end. You saw the city in our final memory before you died. You saw the glimpses of things to come after this place. We both know this was only one part of our story. Even I see that."

"So you think I shouldn't morn?" Isin snapped. "Walk though this destruction like it wasn't part of us?"

"That isn't what I said," Bjorn's voice was calm. "Don't get lost in it. Morn that's fine but know that we have to move forward."

"We? I am stuck as a part of this." Isin hissed threateningly "You may be able to move forward easily. Living as her pet, her kept beast. But I am the past. Maybe it is where I should have stayed."

Way to bring down the mood, guy.

There were no further words from Isin after that. He turned back to Tanisha, letting her words draw him in again. She was laughing now, retelling some half-reckless, half-brilliant fight she'd survived, her hands sketching shapes in the air as if she could rebuild the memory right there in the ruins.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Her joy was a lifeline and right now, Bjorn chose to hold it.

***

Bjorn found the Xenobiology Lab unlike anything he'd imagined. The air hummed faintly, a mixture of ozone and herbal tinctures, vivariums in the walls seemed almost alive with flowing aether circuitry. More impressive than the lab itself, however, was Ivoi. She was in the form of a cernunnos and could almost pass as Tanisha's older sister if not for the large mechanical wings.

On Bjorn's back, Anasuya had cloaked herself in maya so thoroughly that to most eyes she was simply another contour of his golden-brown scales. Her control of maya was improving rapidly and her ability to disguise herself grew with each passing day.

As soon as Ivoi's bright blue eyes settled on them, a smile curved her lips. She crossed the lab in a skipping stride, ignoring Tanisha, Aurelius, and Fuyumi entirely. Her smile only widened further when she looked at Bjorn's back obviously seeing through Anasuya's cloaking.

"When they said they had a true Hydra on their team I didn't realize it was you, Lord Isin." She spoke in the hissing language. "You have become such a magnificent specimen… I mean… a magnificent being. And you have brought such a cute little hatchling with you."

"You can see her?" Bjorn hissed.

"Of course, she is not the only Devil species we have information stored on." Ivoi replied in the same serpentine cadence. "Though it is my first time seeing one. And what is your name, little one?"

Anasuya didn't respond, instead she tucked herself closer to Bjorn.

"Don't be rude, this is Auntie Ivoi. She is Laxy's sister. Do you want to make her sad?" Bjorn hissed gently.

"Anasuya." she hissed her name shyly.

"A lot has happened and now she is my daughter. Adopted of course." Bjorn said.

"Ivoi? You didn't even give us the chance to introduce you." Tanisha's voice cut in, spoken in Muaian.

"I noticed they call you Bjorn. Do they know what you are?" Ivoi hissed.

"True Hydra, yes. Reincarnated Isin, no, not yet. I would prefer to keep it that way for now." Bjorn said.

"As you wish. It is good to see you, it has been a long time." she replied in hissing speech, before turning back to Tanisha in Muaian. "I have been thoroughly acquainted. Such a wonderful True Hydra and cute Devil."

"Devil?" Tanisha questioned.

"Yes," Ivoi said, gesturing toward Bjorn's back. "The one hiding there. Quite adorable. You didn't know she was with him?"

Everyone leaned around Bjorn to take a look at his back; they seemed to focus on a spot that looked not quite the same color as his golden brown scales.

"Hello?" Tanisha said questioningly.

"Her name is Anasuya. She seems quite shy and is definitely still a hatchling." Ivoi said.

"Where did he find a Devil?" Fuyumi asked.

Aurelius frowned. "Isn't that a Divine Demon?"

"Yes. One of the True Demons." Tanisha said.

"Bjorn said she is his adopted daughter." Ivoi added. "I recommend giving her some space as she seems overly stimulated."

The group obediently stepped back, giving Bjorn and Anasuya a few paces.

Tanisha crossed her arms. "Daughter? That makes me… a grandmother? You are too young to be adopting children!"

"She calls you Aunt, not grandmother." Bjorn hissed and Ivoi translated.

"That is besides the point, young man!" Tanisha said her voice got softer as she talked. "You go off to get material to save the world and you come back with a daughter? Worst I can even see her? What does she look like? I need to be able to see her to give her the proper love and make sure you are taking care of her!"

"I think we have more pressing issues," Aurelius interjected. He stepped forward slightly, speaking to Ivoi so his words could be carried across the language gap. "It's good to meet you, Anasuya. I'm Aurelius. This is Fuyumi, and of course your Aunt Tanisha. Now, Bjorn, can you tell us what happened? Were you able to get the materials? How long will it take for you to make the Angel Core?"

"Oh, he is wearing an angel core." Ivoi said as she pointed to the collar on one of his necks. "The form may look different, this is undoubtedly an Angel Core."

Bjorn couldn't help but raise his heads slightly, letting the silver-gold masterpiece catch the light. Instead of a hovering sphere, he had forged it into a chain collar, his name etched into the tag in fine calligraphy. The Angel Core was the single most complex magical implement in this facility. Creating it was the entire point of his journey.

"Okay everyone sit down." Bjorn said and Ivoi translated. "Tanisha told me about your adventures, let me tell you about mine."

Bjorn told them about his long adventure through the Chaos Lands. The monsters he encountered and the crazy phenomenon caused by the Mana Hurricane. Ivoi was particularly excited about the descriptions of the monsters. She added context and proper names to some of them. The group was more interested in the skylands which formed thanks to the Mana Hurricane and where he spent the majority of his time.

They were completely silent when Bjorn talked about the small tear in reality that was spitting out abyssal maya. The fact that a hole like that existed at all was not good news as it meant the Divide was severely damaged. Their remaining time might be far shorter than they dared hope.

The fact that monsters were sucked in and an egg was spat out meant that closing the warp would collapse any other tear in reality that may have formed out in the Chaos Lands. Other beings may get pulled here from the Infernal Planes. Demons wouldn't be an issue as there are plenty of them and a nation of demons. A Devil though, especially one that isn't as docile as Anasuya, would be, for lack of a better word; bad.

"You went through so much." Tanisha said. "Wait, the vision I saw of flying landmasses crashing into each other was real?"

Bjorn nodded, though her mention of visions caught him off guard. He had no idea she'd seen such things.

"Is that because the bond has gotten stronger?" Bjorn asked mentally.

"I think so," Failsafe replied. "We're still a Delta familiar, but that's only because she doesn't know the ritual to move us to the next stage. The bond itself is growing stronger by the day."

"Great. So soon we'll have another mind in here?" Isin muttered.

"Well, if we find a way to lose one I wouldn't be too torn up about it." Bjorn shot back.

"I'd welcome it." Isin said.

Bjorn hissed his displeasure. "You aren't the only one."

Aurelius took charge of the room once he saw Bjorn was done explaining his side of things.

"We need to find the S-16 and put an end to this." Aurelius said. "We were already going to unleash a monster tide, now we may also be unleashing Divine Demons into the mix."

"We should go back up to the Training Room." Fuyumi said.

"Why? We are right here at the end. Every second matters." Aurelius said.

"It does." Fuyumi agreed, raising a hand to keep him from interrupting. "But we haven't had Bjorn on our team in years. We need to make some plans to implement him to our team cohesion. Or do you want us to go into battle unprepared. I want to live long enough to actually see the sun again."

Aurelius exhaled deeply from his nose as he set his jaw.

"We all know we are on a time table here." Tanisha said. "So, let's make sure we make the next push the last one. Then we will deal with the Monster Tide and anything else that will come out of this."

Bjorn felt Anasuya shift on his body, part of her face becoming visible as she looked at the group.

"See, they aren't so scary are they?" Bjorn hissed.

"No." She hissed back shyly.

"Do you want to really meet Tanisha now? She is the one that raised me." Bjorn said.

Anasuya made herself completely visible, the maya that cloaked her dissipated into the air like a red smoke. Bjorn didn't have to get Tanisha's attention; her head snapped over the moment she could sense the maya. And her eyes and mouth opened in surprise.

"Oh my True!" Tanisha squealed. "She is adorable! Can I approach?"

Bjorn nodded and she carefully walked over to Anasuya. Ivoi was already floating overhead observing everything. Bjorn laid down on his stomach so she could get a better view. Anasuya was a Níðhöggr and in her current form she looked almost like a wide eyed baby lizard with wings. She had a red and gold ribbon tied around her neck in a large bow. It was a magic item that would change with her forms.

"Hey there cutie." Tanisha said as she carefully picked her up. "You are much cuter than Bjorn when he was a baby."

Bjorn hissed indignantly as Ivoi translated for Anasuya to understand. To Tanisha's shock maya swirled around Anasuya until she became a little human girl being held up under the arms. Tanisha's eyes widened as she looked over the child that looked suspiciously like a young version of Laxy's human form. The bow had transformed into a simple red dress.

"Wow. Anasuya Scalebound, welcome to the family." Tanisha said.

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