×Chapter 183×Story Of Hope

~~~~

*Dxd World*

*Human World*

*Japan*(Kyoto)

*Youkai Kingdom*

*Yasaka's Room*

Yasaka remained in the exact same position as before, appearing unmoving and unfeeling like a zombie, her eyes no longer held the golden light of life-force it once had within, it was now dark, cold and a shell of its former self.

*Whooshh*!

A heavy gust of wind blew by shaking the balcony doors, it brought with it a new presence, Haile came in now standing infront of Yasaka looking down at her.

Looking at her honestly pained Haile's heart, his own golden eyes gazed into her dull ones, he knelt on one knee infront of her."Yasaka."He said gently bring his hand to her cheeks.

Yasaka didn't respond, at least not verbally, silently tears fell down her face as she looked off into blank space.

."I am sorry Yasaka, forgive me."Haile spoke softly, he hugged her in his arms tightly."Forgive me."

More tears came from Yasaka's eyes at his words."..you promise...you promise....you promise..."She said over and over again like a broken record, the pain in her voice could make one's heart ache.

And it did, Haile was still in a state of disbelief, he couldn't believe that such a thing could have happened under his watch, he cannot believe it.

."...Forgive me.."Haile said as he sighed squeezing her tightly."Forgive me."

Yasaka cried out as she put her face in his chest, she cried and cried bawling her eyes out like a baby, the sound of her voice as it twisted into a gravelly painful heart-wrenching shriek pulled at one's own heartstrings.

All the while Haile did hit best to comfort her in his embrace as he too dripped a tear without even his own notice, Yasaka's cry was just to unbearable.

~~

*Next Day*

*Friday*

*Morning*(7:59am)

*Yasaka's Room*

Haile was still on Yasaka's bed but now laying down with her wrapped in his arms, she cried the entire evening and night, she only stopped when she fell asleep at around 3 in the morning.

Haile stayed with her not letting her go for even an instant, he honestly felt bad, the guilt was eating him alive, he was supposed to protect her but he failed, miserably so.

He never thought it would happen to him, he never would've thought it, Haile clenched his teeth as anger rushed to his brain before he made himself be calm again forcefully.

Haile look down at Yasaka's sleeping face plastered with tears, seems even in her dreams she was crying, he gently wiped under her eyes with his finger.

."Who ever they are, they have committed a great sin against a God, for that, they will suffer for all eternity, never to gain relief, never to experience reincarnation, never again to feel happiness, I will break them, shatter their souls, destroy their body, devour their children, erase their bloodlines, dismantle their heritage, when I am finish they will cry out to God, then they'll see me."Haile spoke calmly as his eyes glowed brighter, he was truly enrage in this moment, he wanted to tear it all apart.

Haile gazed out the balcony doors, then he felt a slight movement in his arms as he looked down at Yasaka.

."".....Kunou.....K..Kunou...mama..is..sorr..y.....mama..is...Kunou..pleas..don't..go....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh NOOOOOOO AHHHHH PLEASE NO...DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME Haa haa haa haa....Kunou..mama is here can't you see her....yes..mama loves you very much...hahaha yes you can have the ice cream...let's go to the city and play wit-.....huh...where'd she go..Kunou?"".

Haile watched and listened in silent pain as a sleeping Yasaka went through a mental breakdown in his arms, this was the third time for the morning.

.""Huh, sir Haile?"".

Yasaka opened her eyes a bit confused and delirious, she held up and looked down at him."What are you doing here, not that I mind but...oh..."She spoke but then like she was kicked in the head all the painful memories came flooding back in all at once and her puffy red eyes became clouded.

."*Sob* please tell me it's*sniffle* it's not true....please..."Yasaka said dejected as she cried dry tears as all was already gone from crying the entire night, she put her face in Haile's chest..

Haile sighed."..I'm sorry Yasaka, it's my fault, if only I had given her my ring to protect her sooner none of this would have happen."He turning his face away with annoyance.

Yasaka remained silent at that, if she was being honest with herself she did indeed blame him a little bit, he said he would take her in and take care of her, now, but she can't put all the blame on him, it would not be fair, she is Kunou's mother, she is responsible.

."Yasaka, can you please take me to see her one last time, maybe that way I can see who did it."Haile said as he frowned he felt a bubbling rage once again as agitation met resentfulness.

Yasaka opened her mouth then close it back, she opened again but nothing came out, she was deciding if she should really tell him that, he already blames himself so much.

Haile's frown deepened at her hesitation then he sighed again."Is it to much to ask, I'm sorry if it is out of line, it is my fault afterall."He said taking full blame upon himself without hesitation.

."...no, it is not your fault, I am Kunou mother and protector, it is not up to you to protect her, *sniffle* it was I who failed her."Yasaka said as she rubbed her face in his chest."....The last time I saw Kunou she...she had ran away from home hoping to find you, I haven't seen her since *sob*."

Haile's eyes widened abit at this revelation.'Trying to find me.....and I didn't show up did I Kunou..."He thought, he really did fail her, she must have been horrified in her last moments, suddenly his eyes widened.

."Wait, so you don't have her here, so how did you find out what happened?."Haile said as a bit of hope escaped from his eyes.'Maybe, only maybe.'

Yasaka thought back hard, her mind was kind of in a blank state right now, for some reason she was calmer than she should be and she doesn't understand why it was happening, was she going crazy.

."If I remember correctly, one of my attendants came to me and show me that Kunou's life-force bead had shattered meaning that her.....life-force...it was gone.."Yasaka said sadly, she still can't believe her baby is gone, she half expects for her to just show up out of the blue and say she was pranking mama.

Haile sat up with Yasaka as a thought popped up in his mind."How does this bead work exactly Yasaka."He asked her with uncertainty and doubt.

."Well, you put your life-force in the bead and the bead will always remain whole unless you die or the bead.....is..broken....*gasp*...could it be?!?!?!."Yasaka stopped as she came to the same conclusion as Haile, her heart started to beat faster in her chest, she could hear it in her own head, it was the sound of hope.

Haile focused as he rearrange the information."I don't want to say definitely, but yes there is a possibility that one, she was just kidnapped and the person skillfully plan this and thought to break the bead to throw the Youkai Kingdom into panicked confusion or the kidnappers have the ability to cut this connection bringing the same effects."He said, he doesn't know for sure but he has ways to find out, why would someone just kill Kunou, she is way more valuable as a kidnapped pawn.

."Yasaka, come with me, we have to go somewhere now, to meet all my people."Haile said as he stood up from the bed."We can go freshen up quickly and be on our way so we can get to the bottom of this."

Yasaka nodded as she wiped her eyes.

~~

*Somewhere In Japan*

*In A Forest*

Wet rocks, trees, bits of bush and caves, the perfect hiding place for a slimy villain that has committed a many of heinous crimes and it was indeed so.

Going deeper into one of the many maze like caves one would come across a set of jail like cells that ever so often sparked with electric arcs of intense proportions.

It was like these cells were built to hold something other than human, but so specific in their structure there was only two of them standing side by side bringing a strange eerieness to the atmosphere.

Inside of the left cell was a small girl, not looking any older than maybe 13 year old she appears to be knocked out cold as her head rest stilly on the chilly hard floor.

This girl was Kunou, the one who's supposed death almost cause the end of the world or even the entire universe.

.""~Wakey Wakey, you've slept enough, woo woooo wooo~"".

A discomforting ghost like voice sounded in the once frighteningly quiet cell, Kunou being disturbed by the nasty sounding tone wrinkled her cute face as she stirred awake.

.".MmM..yawn..good morning...Huh..why is the bed so hard big brother...or is this your chest.."Kunou said as she sat up sitting down rubbing her eyes still half asleep, she surely had a great dream last night, she smiled as she opened her eyes.

Her heart froze instantly, her face paled, eyes constricted like needles and her stomach clenched, face to face and eye to eye with her was the same scary shadow that had attacked her before."...Ahhhhhhhhh!."She screamed loudly as she fell back passing out again foaming at the mouth.

The large shadow man with big eyes stared at her as he felt a little hurt inside."Awe man, am I really that ugly, *sigh* I guess mama was right, I really am an ugly bastard like my father."He said as he turn around walking right through the cell and into the open space before kneeling down.

."My lord, the mission is complete."The shadow man said with reverence kneeling towards a large throne carved into a big stone, it was way to big for a human to sit on comfortably so it must belong to something else.

For a few seconds it was silent then suddenly a red teleportation circle appeared on the throne bringing with it a man like monster who sat calmly.

.""*Growl* shadow, your success pleases me, speak, what is it that you wish to ask of me!"".

The shadow man glanced up slightly at his master, his master was a marvel of nature, a body built like a human and shaped like a God, the head, feet and sharp claws of a primordial lion, it's thick tail that could usher winds and teeth that could rip apart the world.

The very first and progenitor of his kind, the Divine Lion Youkai, King of the primordial lions and strongest of the Youkai race, Lion God Mofusa.

."It is my honor to work in your name my lord, to ask for a reward would be blasphemous."Shadow said as he cried a bit on the inside, his sweet sweet reward, but he can't ask for it straight upfront less he dies for greed, the Gods love to do that.

The lion God Mofusa smiled slightly showing his sharp teeth built like divine swords."Mmm, I am beginning to like you more and more, come now, consider it a gift, speak, what is your wish."He asked once again sounding very pleased this time.

Shadow remained calm on the surface but he was jumping for joy on the inside."*Ahem* if-if my lord insist, then I uh have no choice but to comply, thank you for this opportunity, my lord my wish is to have a human form, from as long as I could remember, I've always looked like this, so scary and ugly, I can't deal with it anymore, the villagers in the past would throw rocks at me, curse at me and starve me calling me a bad omen, even my dear old mother I love so much would stab me with the rusty sword back home, I think I'm ready for a new start."He said all with a calm expression as he looked to the ground.

Lion God Mofusa nod as he listened to the story as well."You are also a pitiful being I see, I too had a similar experience, slightly different but, the way you see me now, I did not always look like this, this form is after a great humiliation those thousands of years ago."He said as he looked off into empty space reminiscent of the past.

Shadow instinctively looked in the same direction he was looking before getting embarrassed and turning away.

.""I was the first amongst my kind, the Lion Youkai, I had a place serving beneath the Gods and Goddesses, I was a kings, a great ruler sitting on the throne of champions, 500 meters large, claws like mountains, even Gods feared me, Lion King Mofusa, hahaha it was glorious"".

.""But seems it's true, nothing good ever lasts forever....eventually it all came to an end, all on that accursed day, when she was born, the 9 Tailed Fox, so beautiful, so majestic yet so vile, it's rise became my downfall"".

.""She rose above the stars like the legends of the Phoenix, enchanting the Gods with her beauty, even a king like me was taken in, *sigh* but that is when it crumbled, in a matter of days, the entire Youkai world was at my throat and that..that..monstrosity of a bitch..*growl* was sitting on MY THRONE, she had won, the accursed bitch had won"".

Mofusa clenched his fist with bitterness and outrage."But, it was not over for me, even being the enemy of an entire race, I am a king, divine was I, I wait 2000 years in training and meditation, then I rushed into her capital and slaughtered them like lambs hahahahahHAHAHAHAHAH....yes I had succeeded but at what cost, I regained by force my position as king amongst the court but."

.""By then I was a broken being, it did not cost me a little fight against a race, my power right now is not even 0.1% of what it use to be"".

Shadow raised his hand."My lord if I may ask, when does this little girl you had me fetch come into play, am I missing something?."He ask curiously as he was now sitting on the ground eating some freshly picked up rocks like popcorn.

.""Hm, oh I was getting to that shortly, uh where was I..ah yes, before I killed her, I proposed a deal, I with my foresight knew that in those 2000 years she had cunningly instill a reverence and fierce loyalty into the people, so in order to rule them properly I proposed that she married me and became my wife"".

Shadow swallowed a handful of dirt."*Gulp* so it wasn't because you were still enthralled by her, seem pretty stupid to make her your wife after all that uh I mean *cough* I'm sorry."He realized what he said and sat up quickly choking on the dirt.

.""Nevermind that now, at this point it was peace,....I'm not going to lie, I was indeed still infatuated with her, a hundred years past and everything was looking good for me, until I found out she had a secret kid by some monkey jackass that is, man I was furious, I killed both her and the man but because I became so weak I was beaten and chased out of the kingdom I had built"".

.""To get this over quickly fast forward to maybe a few thousand years, the daughter had all grown up now, I had yet to see her as I had not went back to the kingdom since, so I had at that point only heard tales of the 9 tail fox's daughter, but in the rumor I heard she was just as enchanting"".

."I couldn't keep my curious down, luckily I am not a cat, I snuck into the capital again and I saw her, I was instantly in love, in that moment I decided, if I can't get the mother I'll go for the daughter instead"".

.""I concocted a great plan, using illusion magic from the witches and size reduction I would disguise myself as a powerful wanderer and fight for her hand in marriage, by this time they were many people across the kingdom and even other races who wanted her hand in marriage also, man we fought hard, but as always about.."".

Mofusa stopped and glanced at the cage at Kunou."About a decade and some ago as I had won her hand in marriage, I found out she was pregnant also, I could do nothing, I had spoken to her once before and I told her that I loved her, but she said she was not ready for a relationship"".

."But then I see you pregnant, fuck you and your mother, if I can't have you or your daughter then I'll have the grand daughter then, this time I'll train her up good from a child, this time I will win, I have it all planned out this time, I won't fail."Mofusa said as he opened his mouth feeling salty.

Shadow nod his head.'Nice story and all but I still want my gift, the hell about your life, I don't care that much.'

~~

*Haile's House*

Everything in and outside of Haile's house remain absolutely the same or at least similar, everything, meaning when he said that to not move, everyone present took it to heart.

All of Haile's women and servants were sitting down on their chairs, thrones and platforms as they had little conversation casually amongst themselves.

The likes of Odin was seat in a chair by a tree with a small table infront of him having tea, Rossweisse was standing behind him on guard and serious as ever.

Sirzechs, Michael, Ajuka, Grafia, Azazel and Falbium were seated on chairs themselves, Serafall was with the other girl's.

The armies in the sky were still up their not daring to come down and the others didn't make them either.

Meanwhile Ophis was sitting in the doorway of the house monotonously watching everything, if Asia or Haile were here now they would see that she was in actuality very angry at all of them for interrupting her and Haile.

."Mm."Ophis looked to a certain direction and his eyes glint looking almost happy once again.

As if on que a large golden circle appeared in the middle of everyone who watch on with surprise at the suddenness, Haile and Yasaka hugging his arm stood on it.

."Huh, who are all these people?."Yasaka asked looking around surprise, then she became even more surprised as she started to recognize some of them.

Haile looked at his harem with a smile."All of these are my Goddesses, you can say hello another time, girls I'm sorry about yesterday, I wasn't thinking straight didn't mean to have you stay up all night."He said apologetically feeling upset with himself.

The girls were slightly surprised, he seemed gentler somehow, they wondered if he was really hit that hard by the news, Aika was extremely worried about that, what if he doesn't want to get rough with her anymore.

."It's alright my lord, I'm sure everyone is willing to wait even longer for your return, did you manage to find out any information?."Guhna asked as she came forward ready to fight, she was in Godmode.

Haile remembered why he came back here."Oh yeah, I don't want to raise the hope too high but I have found that Kunou may infact be alive, hopefully, for everyone else."He said as his eyes turned menacing.

~~~~{Teaser}(Chapter 184)

*Dxd World*

*Human World*

*Japan*(Kuoh Town)

*Friday*

*Morning*

Everyone was shocked at that, even Tiamat looked surprised and for some reason happy, but someone was even happier, Sirzechs who almost jumped with joy but controlled himself, that was news that he and the others couldn't ignore.

."So do you have a plan Haile?."Sirzechs ask as he stood up, his heart slightly relaxed feeling like they were about to avert a disaster.

Haile walked over to Odin."I apologize oldman, forgive my disrespect."He said apologizing to him, the oldman treated him like his own son he didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Odin nodded with a smile as he pulled his beard."Haha you know I wouldn't take it seriously, besides, I knew you were troubled, I hope she is find also."He said standing up patting Haile on his shoulders.

Sirzechs eye twitched as he was so painfully ignored, Grafia behind standing behind his chair shook her head.'Unfortunately for you, he is already in another plane of power, your only choice is to kneel before him now.'She thought as she looked at Haile's figure.

For a few minutes Haile went around apologizing to everyone but Sirzechs, Ajuka, Michael and the 3 armies, the ones who received his apologie were rather stun.

Hera had a worried expression on her face, Aika, Guhna and Akeno were also worried sick at this sudden change, why is he being so nice to everyone all of a sudden, they all went to him

."Husband are you really ok?."Hera came up to him first holding his hand gently, she gazed into his eyes softly trying to convey her feelings.

Haile sighed."I am fine, really, I just thought that I had more time is all, but today I realized I was wrong, dead wrong, the only way to have more time is to make more time and to make more time I need more power, Omnipresence, that is what I want now, if I am to keep all of you safe and happy, I must ascend once again and surpass my Godhood."He said looking to the sky.

Everyone remained silent at that, but Guhna wasn't having none of it, she step forward."Are we that useless, am I, I promised you, one day you will never have to fight again, please give me a chance to prove that to you, I can't fail you now."She said kneeling on the ground, her teeth was clenched painfully as she asked for another chance.

Haile looked down at her calmly, he raise his hand making all the girls flinch.....