Il Passato Bello (Rei, Tomo)

[seki]

It was, Seki reasoned, rather stupid to walk unprotected through the seventh layer of hell when there was a kill on site order for any of the Deus in effect.

He was taking for granted, however, the possibility that he might be excused from this order in this layer as he was in Rei's. He hoped that Tomo would forget his current status as one of the unfortunate members of said project and would grant him the time of day that he desperatly needed from her and from the only one her Kings that he beleieved she still completly trusted.

They were the only two who's motives he could actually be assured of if his loyalties were called into question at some point, as he knew they would be.

Despite the fact that he was technically no longer a Hellion King, he was treated with the respect of one and was still referred to by his title as the Sound King, Oto-ou and he was still considered one of the infernal realms elite fighters.

That being said, his main goal at the moment had to be the certainty that he was in complete and utter agreement with whatever scheme the Rai-ou and Yami-ou were currently working on, and in the process acertaining whether or not he would have any place in the upcomming battles or not.

And not just for himself did he want to be sure. Not anymore. Yuki and Ryuichi were also counting on him to make sure of their old comrades plans.

Yuki wouldn't get involved if it meant the possibility of getting herself killed and thus leaving her child to be raised by the Genbu chokkei. And Ryuichi wouldn't get involved if it meant the possibility of getting himself killed for his own entirely selfish reasons.

As usual.

So it was this mission in mind, representing three of the Ma-ou from Hell's golden age, that he stood in front of the gates to the Seventh Layer and exerted a considerable amount of spiritual force in order to push them open, praying to gods that didn't exist anymore that he wouldn't be elimated on the spot.

Or at the very least, that someone wouldn't try.

[Sanada Tomo]

And immediately, as soon as the doors to Tomoyo's castle groaned with magical force, Symphony was there, placing the intruder--whose undead aura could be felt for miles--in a headlock shortly after taking into consideration who it was.

The move wasn't fatal, and even though she's restraining Seki, Symphony smiled and said, "Tomoyo...will be glad to see you..." the smallest flicker of a smile appears on her face, and for the first time since her creation--and the creation of Hell--she looks remotely emotional. But the blank look is still in her eyes, and it contradicts her expression.

Sanada Tomoyo appeared not too long after, in a form that the former Oto-ou wouldn't recognize--her heavenly one. Long, white hair and matching robes, accompanied by striking blue eyes were the brightest things in the castle.

There was a small, sweet smile on Tomoyo's face as she approached Seki. Behind her was Avalon, actually looking rather confident--a contradiction to his usual behavior--as he stood there.

Personally, Tomoyo felt that the Deus--the ones not created by her, at any rate--were abominations to be restored to their original forms: dead. Nayanae's Project had been the most foolhardy thing she had heard of or seen in years.

However, on the other hand, he had already accepted Yomi back as a Hellion King.

But, Tomoyo thought, Seki is another matter entirely.

With all of Yomi's thoughts and feelings, she was linear, so it was easy to figure out what she wanted. Seki. She was trustworthy in all things that didn't involve Seki.

Seki, on the other hand, was more complicated, and therefore less credible. Tomoyo loved Seki as a brother, but because of Rei's previous advice, she was leery of the Deus and all that they could possibly represent. What if they were under someone else's control and didn't know it?

"...hello Seki," she said, not bothering to tell Symphony to let go of him. "...what is your purpose here?" she was more serious ever before--the War had taught her not to be as trusting as before--and she was not playing games at the moment.

[seki]

Well, Seki mused as he was trapped in Symphony's headlock I wasn't exactly expecting a welcomming party now was I?

He didn't attempt to struggle, he knew the servan was likely under orders to decapitate him if he did, but made sure to growl a little about it, just to show that he wasn't quite the pushover that Tomo seemed to think and that even though he knew that it would be futile, he stil wanted to struggle. That she hadn't broken him, just temporarily disabled him.

Grasping Symphony's arms so he loosen them and allow himself enough oxygen to properly speak, he sought to reply to his former comrades question.

"I've come to offer the assistance of Ohtori Yuki, Suzuki Ryuichi and myself in the upcomming war. I want to ensure your goals before we commit to helping you but regardless of whether we do or not, we won't go against you. I won't go against you or anyone allied with you or Rei. I'm not even necessarily asking you to accept my existance in this form as you have with Yomi but rather to consider the power I could lend to your forces if you temporarily put up with it. Believe me, I think the Deus are just as much of an abomination as anyone, but you have to admit that having undead warriors on your side can be a bit useful."

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo was surprised that Seki had actually bothered to call himself, along with his past-potential wife and friends abominations.

However, there was a difference between him and Yomi; when Seki was alive, they had actually been pretty close.

Tomoyo did not want to accept him, or anyone else who was not supposed to be alive after death--especially after the time she had spent in the Spirit Realm with Anubis before she had created Hell--she understood now, more than ever, the precocious balance that the Shijin had created for this world. And while she had brought back Yomi, Tomoyo knew that she could kill her just as easily.

On the other hand, the Shijin themselves had created the element of Spirit, so that such anomalies could be allowed without fuss--Tomoyo was just sure that too many of them were occuring on the battlefield.

She sighed. "You were created as a Deus, and not of Tsubasa and her corruption of Satori. Therefore, I have no choice but to accept you; no one else died in order for you to live; and therefore I cannot fault your existence."

Tomoyo's voice echoed, deep and melodic as she spoke; she had begun to feel old, lately, and tired of the War. Her task now was to work with those on her side to stop the War from growing to full-scale, Realm consuming battle. Right now, things were going according to plan, but the Yami-ou could not shake the feeling that something deeper was going on--something that she wouldn't be able to stop.

Honestly, she wanted out. She didn't want to do this anymore. She was tired of her lack of judgment, her mistakes; she wanted to live in an existence that would not allow her so much leeway to hurt others--a place where she would not have the opportunity to try and test her own values.

She had killed the mother of her children, a transgression that was now emotionally crushing her since Chiyo had decided to return. She hadn't seen Chiyo in a while--the woman had taken their children and fled; that sorrow was one that Tomoyo could not quell, could not rationalize and forget in herself.

Bringing her thoughts back to the man in front of her, she said, not bothering to conceal all of the things that were weighing on her, "...I am tired. Do what you will. But keep in mind. You did not develop your powers while you were dead. I have. I will not hesitate to kill you if you do something I cannot forgive."