Chapter 58.

A name lodged in the hearts of all who hear it.

No sooner had I stepped into the front hall of the manor with my shopping bag on my arm than I was greeted by Hetvia with Mr Cuddles and Sparkles next to her. She looked at the bags in confusion before handing me the scanner. I take it and look at the screen. On it, through a cracked and broken window, was a man with greasy blue hair talking with someone we couldn't see. However, something I did recognize on the office wall behind the devil was a banner with the family crest of the old Beelzebub.

The knowledge that this was an OSF base made me zoom out the skull to see that this was taking place at a small, abandoned castle in quite a bit of disrepair. As the skull scanned the castle, the screen lit up with life signs, including multiple unknown beings that were being held in the castle proper. As I looked at the screen, Hetvia explained.

"I saw that initial devil on Thursday watching the train hard for six hours. He didn't greet anyone when it stopped at the station, and he was acting weird while watching it intently. When he returned the next day and started doing the same thing, I moved the skull closer to him and caught a partial conversation on a spell call. I only caught the tail end of it mentioning a no-show. He watched the train again for six hours and did the routine again yesterday. I hit him with a tracking dart, and he moved here when I got up this morning. This abandoned castle was once one of several of your family's properties abandoned during the Civil War and was never reclaimed. It is next to one of the three main roads to Aphorni."

 I continued looking at the screen, listening to this, and saw the total number of devils here was twenty-five strong. However, there was triple that in the unknowns, which looked to be an animal of some kind. The castle was also on a small hill overlooking a vast flat area with several ruined and abandoned villages nearby, and as I kept looking at the site, I sighed. I would be accompanying the kill

team on this mission.

"Good work. I'll get ahold of our kill team for this. I have to do a supply run for the camp anyway. By the way, this is for you."

Hetvia blinked before I handed her the bag with her books. She opened it and grinned massively, taking the guide to droids out. Then, she started a mini dance towards the basement with Mr Sparkles and Cuddles behind her. I give her retreating form a thank you before I sigh, looking at th scanner. A plan began to form as I set down Ingvild's Kindle on the kitchen countertop for later and texted Issari to ask where she was. I almost immediately got a reply that she was at our training camp doing a weekly report with Paula. I texted her to start gathering the kill team and to meet me at the teleporter at the camp before I started moving to get armor on.

When I stepped off the teleporter at the camp inside a spare room at the HQ, I was met by a worried Issari who eyed my power armor, boltgun, and power sword mechadendrites.

"Paula is getting the team together now. We finally found something?"

I give her a nod.

"We did in the underworld. It appears we have found an OSF outpost. Please show me the armory here. I have a delivery while we wait for them."

Issari leads me out of the building and out onto the grounds. There, I see a massive group of men and women doing laps around the courtyard, supervised by Renaud and two others I recognize as veterans from the battle. Issari led me past a group of ten recruits, and my power-armored boots thud. That noise made the group stop running temporarily and stare at me before Renaud made a whistle, making them move again. I kept my eyes on them as I followed Issari to a medium-sized building that was once a radio station. There were no windows on the building and only one door. Once at the door, I keyed myself to the gene lock and entered to find the inside was full of our equipment. Issari closed the door

and began moving the equipment that was falling out of a pocket spell to racks.

We worked in silence, putting away the equipment, and during that time, I was

making a plan to make up for the terrain disadvantage, and I sighed, realizing I

would probably have to call up some of my levies to help the kill team.

When we almost finished putting away gear, I told Issari with a sigh.

"The manufactorium that will make Legio equipment is almost done. I plan for it to be staffed by the end of next week, and I will have to find a way to have the goods brought here easier."

Issari shrugged.

"That's good news, at least. Have you heard from Jeanne recently?"

She was worried, and I shook my head.

"No, I haven't. The last contact I had with her was before the battle. She said she was moving through France from south to north."

Issari nodded before she asked in a soft voice.

"Can you get Mittelt out of her labs sometime this week to help me with bone and muscle enhancement?"

I give her a two-second look before sighing.

"When will you be doing it?

Issari was nervous before she said.

"I want to do it on Wednesday. Mom and Dad are off on vacation from then till next Sunday."

I need to talk to Mittelt anyway about Azazel and more possible upgrades of my own. I placed the last carapace helm on the rack before turning to her.

"I'll poke her later today on the Noosphere. It will be less bad than the nerves."

That got a relieved sigh from her before I turned my head to her, and the two of us began walking out of the armory. Issari locked the door before we started heading back to the HQ. On the way there, we passed by more of the recruits along with several more veteran skitarii, and Issari said with her eyes on them.

"Some of the Vanguard heard what we did. They also want to undergo a nerve rework."

I don't want them to do that, especially considering that we might soon be rushing into fights with the Brigade. Yet we also had more recruits, as was clearly seen by the runners who were still doing laps. I sighed and shook my head.

"Not until Mittelt can get it to where they aren't like how we were, and the mortality rate is near zero. It's sixty percent on regular humans, and I can't ask them to do that."

Issari looked at me understandingl as we watched the recruits run momentarily before she and I entered the command center. Just before we entered it, I saw a sign had been placed over the entrance to the building. HQ in English and Spanish. It read Camp Olympus Mons, and I only stopped for a moment before we continued on our way to the teleporter, where we ran into the kill team. The twelve members stood at attention to the right of the teleporter room next to Paula. Issari and I stopped before the thirteen, and Issari gestured to Paula to follow her. The two began moving off while I faced the kill team.

"We have found a Brigade base. I will be accompanying you on this mission as this base is well-defended."

Two of the human members looked worried about that, though Albert quickly stopped that. It was clear that he was the Alpha of the team.

"Where is this base, Herr?"

I looked at the twelve.

"This base is in the underworld in my family's territory. I will call up some of my levies to help us with this mission. Follow me. It's easier to show you all how we will get there than explain."

I began moving to the teleporter and was followed by the kill team. The moment we hit it, we disappeared.

Inside the underworld manor great hall, the kill team looks around in wonder before I lead them outside to the manor courtyard. People file out, and soon, the humans and the robots who must have been built in our topside base look at the purple sky in wonder. While they were doing that, I moved to the gate guard and told the man on duty I needed to speak with Trina quickly. The man saluted before rushing off. Less than three minutes later, Trina and her second met me at the raised gate, and when she saw the kill team behind us, she blinked.

"Milord, what are they doing here?"

I shrug.

"They are here to help me with an OSF base we discovered this morning. Get me fifteen of the levies."

That had been directed to Trina's second, whose cyborg eye flashed before he moved across the road while I asked Trina.

"Maybe you can make sense of this. What are these unknown things? I believe they are some animal, but I want your second opinion."

I pulled out the scanner and passed it to Trina, who blinked again. She was not used to this technology and squinted at it.

"Those are most likely hellhounds that are enslaved familiars, Milord. The OSF would often use them as first-wave attackers during the Civil War's later stages."

I don't like this idea or the far-away look in Trina's eyes as she said this. We were silent for a moment before a voice asked my captain.

"It's good to see you again,Trina. Vhat else can we expect from the OSF?"

It seemed Albert was done gawking at the sky, and his voice broke Trina from memory lane. She looked at Albert and smiled at him.

"It's good to see you as well, Albert. As for what to expect be ready for an extensive magical barrage of heavy-duty elemental spells after they let loose the hounds. They will then come in with blades to clean up what's left."

That sounds like a shock-and-awe battle doctrine with the hounds acting as meat shields and placeholders for the barrage. Albert thought the same thing and made mental notes for this battle. He glanced at the two castellans at the same time as me. At that moment, Trina's second returned with the fifteen levies all geared up to go. They had apparently been told their foe as they were ready and eager to fight with Trina and her second discussing who would lead them. A second later, it was settled that Trina would lead this while her second would take over guard duty. I gesture to her, the levies, and the kill team to huddle up. They do as I began laying out a battle plan for our people.

Ten minutes later, a portal opened in one of the villages close to the road, and our forces began moving out of it. I was the last to step out and open a vox channel for us before I told the robots in two zeros and one to get ready to move into position. My levy and the kill team discussed a few last-minute things near this village's broken, crumbling fountain. I was about to tell our people to get into position, but Albert turned to me.

"Herr, I have heard an interesting thing from Vanguard Marshal Issari called an Oath of Moment. She said it would help us in combat. I would like for us to do one before we begin."

The rest of the kill team and my levies looked confused when the Oath was mentioned. I wanted to sigh but it would help.

"I see. Gather around me and put out your main hand."

The twenty-six formed a circle around me, still confused about this, before I put my right arm in the middle of the circle. The others hesitated for a moment, but soon, their armored hands joined mine, along with the two clawed hands of the robots. I looked at the circle before explaining.

"In this moment, together as comrades in arms against evil, gather up all emotions you feel and leave nothing out. Then release them."

The group looked confused again before they started to do as instructed. As we stood silently, many emotions crossed their faces before their eyes widened one by one as they released them. They looked at one another and then up at the purple sky in shock as one, and I was also surprised by something. Some of the power that should have gone to the Machine God instead flowed into me, and it felt like I had downed five energy drinks. When I asked why, my patron shrugged.

"We are equals, my champion. This should help you just as much as it does me."

I was about to tell him to take my power when Albert broke the silence with a big smile.

"We will do this before each mission, and I will tell Paula to make this a tradition of ours."

That got echoes of agreement from the others in the kill team while Trina and the levies continued looking up at the sky in awe.

"I will make this something for us, too."

Trina said this, looking down from the sky and then at me while the other levies still stared at the sky in awe, mumbling in agreement. Everyone was silent momentarily before Albert ordered the kill team to take up positions. That got Trina doing the same for her people. In less than five minutes, our forces were helmed up and behind the robots in the center of a v formation with melee people drawing chainswords on their sides while our shooters fell behind them. I tell my levy over the vox.

"Please try to keep this outpost's commander or the second in command alive. We need more information on the OSF."

That got a stream of ayes before I gave the two robots a nod to move up. They tweeted in acknowledgment, and the two former skitarii spirits moved forward. Their clunking feet rang out across the flat grassy plain, and soon, we were leaving the ruined village.

We continued moving, and just as we crossed the crumbling cobblestone road, the clunking of the robots made a head poke over the walls of the parapets. It was a white-haired man, and his blue eyes looked at us in confusion for a second before they widened, seeing our approach as his head dropped back down. Then, a horn was blown, and the action made us move faster. I pulled out my boltgun from the magnetic holster on my back, and the loud noise of multiple chainswords roaring to life covered most of the next sound.

A deafening and pissed-off howl. That single howl was soon joined by more howls that began to sound off, and soon, there was a swarm of hellhounds charging out of the gatehouse and down the worn stone path toward us. As they get closer, what I see in them makes me sick. All of the pack are extremely thin, with their ribs poking out obviously from underneath their jet-black fur. Their eyes were full of pain-fueled berserker rage, and their mouths were foaming as the little red flames at the end of their tails flared. The sight of this made me pissed off as I remember the dog I once had. Wrath grew in me, and the sight of the hellhounds shook the kill team for a moment despite the war mask, while Trina's people must have seen

this often before as they got ready to fight.

The head of the thirty-strong pack was a big thing, almost the size of a Great Dane. Its brown eyes held such deep pain in them that I fired the boltgun at it to end its suffering. The bolt slammed into the hellhound's head, and it exploded in a shower of gore. The body tumbled and tripped several more hellhounds behind it, making them stumble,and my shot got the other shooters opening fire.

Las shots carved into themswarm of hellhounds, and more bodies fell with holes in them, yet it didn't slow the charge. The hounds kept charging us quickly, driven on in rage by starvation. The swarm charged off the downhill path and hit flat ground. I get ready to fire a bolt at another large hellhound, only in a second to point it at a new target. That target was the head of a devil that had suddenly popped over the white stoned parapets, ready to throw an electrical spell. More heads were joining him, so their faces of shock when the bolt drilled through the

stone parapet and into the man behind it, making him explode into a shower of

gore, put a smile on my face.

More of our shooters began firing las guns up to keep the OSF suppressed while the robots and melee people finally made contact with the hellhound pack. The dogs jumped forward with jaws, ready to bite out throats or chew off faces. Instead, they ran into chainswords or claws as our people started clearing them as we advanced. Bodies fell, missing limbs and or heads as we continued

moving forward. The dogs, even when being slaughtered, didn't retreat and

snapped at people trying to get through the carapace. I fired another bolt at a

devil who looked around the parapets, ready to throw a firestorm spell. The

bolt made him explode into pieces, feeding wrath, and I got the hellhounds a

bit of vengeance.

 We began moving through the piles of bodies, and in one of the dead hellhounds, I saw my first dog's face. He had always been a good boy like these hellhounds had been. We continued past more bodies, and the last three still living hellhounds were snapping their jaws across one of the robots' legs. It and the second robot were covered in bite marks. Two las shots and a chainsword swipe put the last of the hellhounds down as we continued moving up the pathway and toward the gatehouse.

The once white walls of the outer castle near the parapets were now covered in black scorch marks with several deep holes from hotshot las fire. Our advance continued with even more las fire that kept the OSF's heads down even though they tried to throw spells repeatedly at us. Soon, we hit the pathway and took on a block formation with robots in the center, chainswords on their flanks, and shooters behind them. I was in the middle of the formation with my head plate up as we climbed up the pathway. As we climbed, our shooters claimed another kill when a las shot hit the head of a woman, and my boltgun claimed another man next to her above the gatehouse.

We were midway up the pathway when another loud howl and the rushing of paws against stone was heard. This time, a twenty-strong pack of equally starved hellhounds charged around the corner from the gatehouse down the stone pathway. Their howls of pain and rage didn't stop the sudden sound of a metal gate slamming against stone. I tell the robots to get their first of two chassis additions ready. They tweet in unison and get their las cannons on their left shoulders spinning up along with their claws.

The hellhounds jumped halfway down the path at us again, going for throats and faces. Roars from chainswords and a few snap hisses made the hellhound's bodies begin piling up. This time, the pack was doing its job, as the pathway angle prevented us from doing suppressive fire on the OSF. This allowed the devils on the parapets to begin throwing spells down directly on us properly and get a look at us. One of them recognized a robot as a voice went up loudly to their comrades.

"It's the filthy halfbreed! Kill him, and the True Beelzebub will reward you well!"

That increased the spellfire, and I made the servo skull, which had been in a nearby dead tree, still looking like a bird, move. Tsuda flowed into the skull and flew the skull above the parapets before she dropped a frag grenade on top of a cluster of foes. The grenade went off a second later, and the sound of screams was heard over the snarls of the dogs for a moment. Then, a second grenade was dropped on them, silencing the screams as three life signs on the data feed flicked off. That distraction lessened the spell fire for a few moments and allowed us to clean up the rest of the hellhounds before we continued up the pathway. Just before we reached the gate, the robots' las cannons were fully charged, and the two approached the gate before firing as one.

The dual beams cut through the rusted metal gate's edges, and soon, the gate creaked before falling forward with a thud. No sooner had it done that then another howl was heard, along with more hellhound paws scratching against stone. Twenty-five hellhounds charged toward us from the manor house with these being far larger than the first two waves at Saint Bernard size. They were armored with chest and leg plates and a helmet this time. They were also well-fed, and ten devils were behind the pack on the other side of the courtyard. They were quickly joined by the remaining devils from the parapets, and all were throwing spells toward us. At the back of their formation on the steps to the white castle was the blue-haired man who had led us here and a shorter, fatter one with light black hair directing the defense.

The robots quickly moved forward to tank spells, giving us time to get through the gatehouse and into the courtyard properly. As our people flooded in, they formed a firing line, and melee people got ready to intercept the hellhounds; I made a call out over the vox.

"Kill-team; the intended capture target is the short black-haired man on the steps."

That got a series of ayes over the vox, and not a moment too soon as, the hellhounds slammed into the robots and the melee people, along with more spells flying above the dogs. Our forces took cover from the spells behind robots or the gatehouse sides while I fired a bolt at one of the devils who was bald. It hit him, and he popped like a balloon, showering his comrades in gore and bone shards. That made the OSF flinch badly from the sight and gave us a slight reprieve from the spell fire for a few seconds. A las gun snap hissed and blew off the left leg of the blue-haired man next to the commander. He screamed in agony falling over next to his former leg before another las shot ended him. His death pissed off three large hellhounds, who jumped for my head with foaming mouths. Three power swords move in sync and slice the dogs's heads off as bodies and heads drop to the ground, and the robots move.

They charged into the main swarm of hellhounds with claws spinning rapidly. These dogs were better trained, it seemed, than the other packs because only two were diced by the claws while the others dodged. The hellhounds then tried to bite at the backs of the soon-swarmed robots. Chainswords and las shots continue their work of killing the dogs or trying to pick off the OSF. Three more devils went down from las fire with holes in their stomachs toppling over. The barrage of red lights plus another bolt popping a blonde devil woman forced the OSF to take cover behind the stables, a statue, or a fountain in the courtyard. The hellhound pack was now down to only ten dogs, and despite their armor and training, they were getting cleaned up by the robots and chainswords quickly. Seeing those roaring swords and one of their own again exploding from a bolt round made some devils look increasingly nervous and get ready to break. More of the hellhounds fell and a loud snarl went up from the OSF commander.

"Anyone who kills the halfbreed filth will get thirty human slaves of their choice and a noble title! Show them the wrath of the True Beelzebub!"

That stiffened the forces asmore deadly and complex spells were thrown. Many of the spells were leaving dents in the robots' chassis, and one thrown by the commander badly dented a robot's chest. Despite the barrage of spells, our forces advanced inch by inch, dashing from cover to cover while putting down suppressive fire. We were halfway across the courtyard, getting closer to the inner keep before a shout went up from one of the kill team.

"For the Omnissiah, the Bringer of Light!"

That got echoing cries from the kill team people but was especially loud from my levies. The OSF grew grim as my melee people got ready for a charge, and it was then that Tsuda moved. She flew from where she had been sitting on the stables over the OSF forces. Once in position, she blared a war prayer of ones and zeros from the loudspeaker on the skull. The prayer made the OSF clutch their heads in deep pain, lessening the spell fire and giving our people the opening.

Our melee people charged across the courtyard with chainswords roaring before they slammed into the OSF behind the stables. Screams were heard as more of our people pushed forward, drawing swords for another charge to the fountain or laying down more fire. I say three zeros and ones to the robots to prepare to fire their capture nets as we start cleaning up foes.

The remaining OSF were now reluctantly drawing swords, even as they backed up and threw even more spell fire at us. However, two foes break and begin running towards the castle entrance. Las shots hit both would-be runners, sending them to the floor while the melee started and grew increasingly vicious. Swords were soon smashing into each other, and several OSF swords broke in half, hitting a chainsword, and it was clear to see that the OSF was not having a good time. The sight of the

battlefield steadily turning against them made the commander get ready to flee.

He was backing up the stairs, and it was then that the robots charged and made a beeline for the commander. They diced a devil in their path before the first robot fired his shock net. The net flew towards the commander, who quickly threw a spell of red light that cut the net to ribbons. He got ready to run as fast

as possible now as I made a call out to the kill team.

"Two shooters switch to hotshot and keep him pinned for the robots."

The order was followed as two shooters fired at the same time. The two shots hit on either side of the commander, blasting large holes in the stone stairs. The sight of those holes forced him to take cover behind another, this time a headless statue mid-way up the

staircase. He tried to make a run for it using the stone structure for cover. Just as he was about to flee, I fired a round at his soon-to-be flight path to pin him. The stone explodes and forces the commander to hide behind the statue as the robots advance.

It was then that the commander did something very unexpected. He, it seemed, also had a familiar as he made a summoning circle quickly that brought forth a massive Cerberus. The three-headed dog was almost half the size of the castle walls and landed on the stairs with a thunderous thud. The landing shook the castle grounds, and then the giant dog howled in rage. The size and sound shook our people and the castle walls

as they looked at it and, despite the mask, were filled with fear.

The Cerberus was well armored wearing full battle plate that gleamed as its six brown eyes held deadly rage zeroing in on my troops and howled again even louder. The sound and sight of the beast shook our people, making gunfire and the melee stop for a second, allowing the four remaining survivors of the OSF to start running behind the dog and to their commander in relief.

The robots recovered first, and one opened fire with their las cannon at the retreating OSF. The cannon blew a bowling ball-sized hole through a man and into the stairs, sending shrapnel into the air. That made the OSF stop the attempted retreat as they dove for cover. The second robot got ready to fire its cannon at the Cerberus, but the

wind-up was too slow as the Cerberus jumped from the stairs onto the robot. The

impact sent the robot into the ground making a crater in the center of the courtyard before the Cerberus bit down and through its dented chest piece. Then the Cerberus tore the robot in half as the legs of the robot went flying under the dog towards the stairs.

The top half of the robot flew and landed at my feet as its silver head plate dimmed, and the sight made our forces back up away from it. I gripped my boltgun hard before I make a call over the vox.

"Focus on the commander and his people. I'll take care of the Cerberus."

Trina and the levies looked ready to object before Albert's voice rang over the vox.

"One Mission One Purpose. Ve vill send some fire after ve finish them off."

Trina hesitated, as did my levies, and the Cerberus took advantage of that to charge across the courtyard toward our people, howling in rage as it crushed the fountain. That charge, along with stones and putrid water flying towards us, made the decision as people dodged

out of its path, including me. The kill team and my levies backed away or fell

to the ground on the left side towards the stables to avoid the charge while I dodged to the right toward what had been an old blacksmith. The Cerberus turned and got ready chomp down on the head of one of my levies and smash a kill team member into the ground before I take a shot at it with a las pistol on low power. The red light flew toward the Cerberus and hit its raised right paw. The

Cerberus howled in pain before all three heads turned my way, and its eyes narrowed

on me before it charged. Power sword arms move, and the blades hum to life. I level my boltgun and fired a shot at the advancing dog. The Cerberus was smart and seemed to understand the bolt's danger as it dodged the shot. That slowed its charge with my round flying into one of the castle steps. It exploded in them and sent shrapnel onto the remaining OSF people who had tried again to run. The fragmentation sent them back behind cover, keeping them suppressed

long enough for the kill team and levies to recover from the charge.

They began pouring fire on the OSF remnants, boxing them in while they advanced, and the other robot got his net ready. The Cerberus howled again and got ready to charge them before two low power las pistol shots hit the spaces between its heads making the dog whine in pain. The dog focused on me again and charged at me once more as I extended my devil wings, using them to lift off the ground and up onto the blacksmith building roof behind me. The silver wings shine in the light from the

artificial sun here, making my levies and the OSF gape as I land on the blue-tiled

roof and get ready to make my play.

The pounding of the Cerberus's paws against the stone was beyond loud covering up the sound of las shots and spells. The Cerberus was still taller than the building by a foot and a half, and I could see the dog was pissed. All three of its heads got ready to

chop at my position. I lifted off again just before the bites landed and glided

over the heads. The bite broke the roof of the blacksmithy, sending the blue tiles everywhere, and I turned mid-flight and fired downward at two of its heads.

Both bolt shots land on the heads on either side of the center head and drill through the plate armor and into the skulls before exploding.

 Gore and skull fragments were sent flying

across the right side of the courtyard. The Cerberus howled in agony, as I landed on the dog's back close to the back legs and wobbled from the landing. One skull piece from the Cerberus flew and decapitated one of the three OSF left who was trying to run from a chainsword, making him drop to the floor boneless. With its only head, the Cerberus went berserk and now tried to snap at me on its back. I dodge the bites by

jumping up and gliding momentarily before landing and hopscotching its back

towards the remaining head. The dog thrashed around, trying to get at me, which

wasn't making my next shot easier. I was at the midpoint of its back and got

ready to fire a bolt into its spine, but before I could do that, the Cerberus started spinning around ultra quickly, making me lose my balance and stop my almost lined-up shot.

The dog kept spinning in a circle, trying to throw me off its back while continuing to snap at me with its jagged teeth. I quickly extended my mechadendrites and sank two power swords deep into the dog's sides to keep myself steady. The swords go through the plate armor instantly, and the sudden pain makes the Cerberus howl again and stop spinning. I lined up a shot with the howling head and was about to pull the

trigger when the Cerberus snapped at my mechadendrites quickly and bit through the

two arms instantly before it bucked me forward.

I was thrown across the courtyard and somersaulted forward. My remaining sword arms slid into the stone beneath me and slowed down my momentum before I hit the castle staircase with a slight thud as I made a small crater. I was dazed by the impact and had Aquilas dancing above my head for a moment before I recovered and heard a scream come from my right of someone being electrocuted.

I shook my head and was about to look

in that direction, only for a loud howl to be heard. I faced forward, then realized the Cerberus was charging towards me in a blind berserker fury. Its teeth were covered in slobber, and it was about to crush one of my levies, who was trying to move out of the way.

I quickly gathered magic in my hand and threw a wind spell Ravel had taught me at the levy. They fly sideways just in time to avoid being crushed by the Cerberus. It was crossing the courtyard quickly, and I put my hand on the trigger before firing the bolt.

The round flew, and the Cerberus took the round head-on. The final head

exploded into gore and bone shards as its body continued the last action it had

made. The body slammed into me, sending me deeper into the stone staircase, and

I felt three ribs crack along with two breaking before I fell into unconsciousness.

My world became filled with colorful light and pain as I was shoved back against the wall extremely hard. The blow dazed me briefly before I glared at the other students, who clumped around me with threatening faces. They had done this daily for the last four years since the exam. I take a punch to the chestand gasp for air. The punches kept coming, and I again cursed them and the

teachers who did nothing to stop them. Then a punch comes and hits my stomach

hard, and I fall to the ground. I looked up into their bastard eyes and grinned

through the pain as while they had done this every day, I planned for vengeance.

I held onto feeling even as my world again became pain as colorful lights flashed

behind my eyes as something wet hit my face.

 That wetness made me slowly open my eyes to see the unhelmed faces of Albert and Trina looking down at me in extreme worry. My captain was trying to hold back tears from her eyes. I looked around to see that I was lying not in the crater but on the top of hay inside a building. Two more tears hit my face, making me look back up. When my

eyes met Trina's, she started crying properly.

"Oh, Machine God, praise be you, he is alive! I thought I failed him and you!"

My captain wept tears of relief, and Albert touched her shoulder. The kindness made Trina bury her head in the Bavarian's neck crook, still crying. I blinked a few more times before my voice crocked.

"I'm good Trina, you didn't fail me….."

Trina wept, interrupting me.

"I did, though! If I had let it crush me, you would have been able to kill it better and not be hurt! I resig….."

I interrupted her this time.

"Don't finish that word. I won't take it. You are beyond competent, and just as you and the others swore to look after me, I swore that

I would look after you. You all would die for me, and I would do the same for you."

Trina stopped crying and got ready to protest before I asked Albert.

"Was the target secured, Alpha, and how long was I out?"

Albert gave a nod.

"You were out for fifteen minutes. The target was netted and knocked unconscious by Oliver less than a minute before the hund charged. We were about to start helping you when it did and why Trina was in its path. We

have been getting rid of the bodies and checking our prisoner to make sure he

can't kill himself once he wakes."

I give Issari credit for choosing Albert as the leader of the kill team. Trina looked down in shame before she got ready to offer her

resignation again. I was about to tell her I wouldn't take it when Albert spoke.

"You are an amazing commander, Trina. You truly care about your people, and I would have loved to have a captain like you when I was in the Catholic exorcists."

Trina gapes at Albert, her eyes coming up to meet his. Something must have been in them because she blushes a pretty red, and her tears disappear. That was cute before I asked Albert and Trina as I started to get up.

"Have we searched the castle yet?"

Albert and Trina shook their heads, and my captain answered while still looking at Albert.

"No, we haven't. I'll get some of our people, and they can start searching. Milord, are you certain you won't…"

I cracked my neck to get rid of a cramp once fully upright.

"I won't take it, Trina. I'll help them search the castle."

That finally got through to her, and she let a tiny smile cross her face as she got out of the way. Albert did the same before the three of us entered the destroyed courtyard. The first thing I noticed was standing over near the entrance to the blacksmith was the final robot, four kill team members, and five of my levies. They were surrounded a net that holds the unconscious commander.

All of our people had helmets off and they turned our way before vastly relieved faces appeared seeing me. I gave them a small smile before Albert pointed at three of the kill team, telling them to help me search

the castle. Trina did the same with three levies, and the six saluted their

captains. Trina and Albert began talking as they approached the prisoner while

my six helped started moving across the courtyard with me. As we climbed up the

ruined stairs, I gave orders to them to split into pairs of one devil and one human

and be on the lookout for letters or some communication system.

The six paired off and got ready to enter the castle before I asked Tsuda to do one more scan of it just in case there were booby traps.

She does, and no traps were discovered that we know of, yet something else was.

That made me frown internally before I told the six to start the search and

meet back here in a half hour. Then, the seven of us entered the castle as the

unknown life sign continued to ping on my eyepiece. Tsuda couldn't make it out

properly thanks to something else in the same room, and it was interfering with

her Auspex scanner.

I was slowly making my way through this place's ruined stone halls, making sure to watch for possible traps. As I climbed up the ruined stone stairs to the second floor, I started to understand why Ajarkan had abandoned this place, as it was in terrible disrepair. I turned left from the stairs and

began walking down a hallway, all the while checking for traps as I walked past

rooms with rotted wood doors towards the room with the life sign. Finally, I reached

the end of the hallway close to a set of broken windows to find a wooden door

that was mostly intact and pushed it open.

Inside, I find a study with dimly lit candles, with a desk and chair in the center. Behind the desk was a half mirror that had magical

energy coming off it. I slowly moved around the desk and approached the mirror,

wondering what it was before I looked up to see the banner that had led us

here.

I think I know how the OSF got into our territory without arousing suspicion as Diodora's face appeared in my mind's eye. I stared at the mirror before I took a step forward to look at it more closely. However, that step seemed to trigger something. The mirror made a sudden and violent wailing sound before it shattered into a million pieces and began to crumble to dust at the foot of the mirror.

It finished that process in ten seconds, and I growled, now pissed. I knew one of the first questions I would ask our prisoner when he woke up, and it was then that a tiny, pitiful whine was heard. I looked in its

direction, and it was coming from behind a pile of crates in the corner of the

room. I approached the crates and moved one to the side to see a cloth covering

a small box. I lift the fabric to see an ultra-depressing sight.

Inside a tiny cage was a little Cerberus puppy with black fur that looked like they were nine weeks old. It was huddled miserably into a

ball at the back right corner of the cage with its back to the cage bars. My heart broke slightly after seeing this, and I remembered the hellhounds. Wrath filled my face for a second and I flared a bit of demonic power into the room, but it disappeared as soon as the puppy opened its eyes on the center head to show two sad yellow orbs. The two other heads weren't moving, and their eyes

seemed like they were asleep. It whined once more before shutting its eyes

again and curling up deeper into a ball. I again remember my dog and how good

he had been before I whispered to it softly.

"I'll get you out of there."

The puppy opened its eyes again and looked up at me like it understood what I said. It whimpered again before it huddled closer to the back of the cage. That sight and the sad sound made me search the desk for a key. As

I dug through the desk looking for it, I found that the papers I touched also crumbled into pieces, and that pissed me off even more. I understand more how the OSF has maintained its operation security and continued to be a thorn in the New Satan's side. Drawer after drawer was opened and searched, yet there was no key, and the puppy whined again sadly. I don't want to use my saw arm to cut it out unless I have to. More drawers were opened and searched, with each of the papers inside them crumbling into dust, and no key was found.

The puppy whined extremely loudly again as I opened the last drawer, and inside, I found

a scroll at the bottom of the drawer. As soon as I touched it, the scroll crumbled to dust. However, to my relief, it revealed a small iron key hidden under it.

I reached for the key and picked it up before moving over to the cage and inserting it into the lock. It clicked open, and the sound made the puppy look at me in shock before I gestured to it from a cage door that was

now open.

"Come here, boy."

The puppy was stone stiff for a moment, and then its little tail began to wag cutely.

Walking through the ruined halls of the castle, I soon learned something about this puppy. They weren't a good boy. They were instead a very good girl. This good girl was now gently dozing in my arms with a big

puppy grin. When I reached the courtyard, I found the six other searchers, the rest of my levies, and all but two of the kill team waiting on the steps. The crowd stilled, seeing me as their eyes fell on the puppy.

Then, everyone gave a quiet collective awe before they gathered around me. The good girl gave a tiny sleep yip in my arms, putting grins on everyone's faces before I turned my red eyes to the six searchers.

"Did you find anything?"

A woman from the kill team spoke up softly with a Southern American twang.

"We found nuttin' boss cept tons of cages for the dawgs. This base be lookin' like 'twas recently set up."

They got nods from the others, and despite that, I sighed.

"I don't think we would have found much intel here anyway. In what was most likely their command room, the papers inside a desk and a strange mirror self-destructed when I touched them. Is the cleanup done?"

 Albert, who was next to Trina, who was looking at the dozing Cerberus in awe with the other levies replied.

"We are Herr. Where did you find this little hund?"

Remembering where I found her made me momentarily angry before the Cerberus puppy yipped again in her sleep. The noise was too cute, and my wrath melted away.

"I found her in a cage that was too small for her in the corner of the command room behind some crates."

Me saying that made the puppy open their eyes on the center head before they looked around at the others here. Instead of being intimidated by the circle of unknown people she began wagging her tail fiercely and started yipping up a storm as if to thank everyone. That got more awwws before Albert said amused.

"Ze hund will be a little barking menace when she gets older."

That got nods of agreement from the others, and I absentmindedly said.

"She will be a little Barkspawn by then."

After hearing this, the puppy stopped yipping. Her yellow eyes looked up at me. Then her tail started wagging ultra-fast, slapping against my chestpiece loudly before she yipped more than ever. I smiled as I began petting the puppy.

"You have a big legacy to live up to with that name. Are you sure?"

 The Cerberus yippedagain before she stood up straight and tall, trying to act tough. The gathered people laughed at how cute this was, and the little Cerberus kept her stance as the American woman smiled ultra-wide before she looked at Albert.

"That would make a good name for our team, Al. Kill Team Cerberus."

The other kill team members seconded that as they petted the now-named Barkspawn, and Albert chuckled.

"Zat vill be our name zen. I vill get us paint when ve return to the camp so ve can put one on our armor. Now, let's get our prisoner

back to base. I vill speak with ze robot maker to get Solomon a new body before I turn my report in."

That got nods from the rest of the kill team and my levies as we began to leave this ruined castle. Meanwhile, Barkspawn was snuggling against my chest in glee, yipping while wagging her tail nonstop.

I came out of the armory here in the Ryza manor just in time to see the last kill team member going through the teleporter after saying goodbye to Trina. My captain was holding a wiggling and whining Barkspawn, who started yipping loudly, seeing me. The little Cerberus leaped out of Trina's arms, flying towards me, and I quickly caught her. Barkspawn began to snuggle into my shirt while licking my face, putting a slight smile on Trina. It became a big one, as I informed her while Barkspawn continued licking my face.

"Tell our people that they will get extra pay for helping today. I will have one of my pawns search more bases in the underworld inside our territory, and if we discover more, I might call your men up again."

Trina looked worried for a moment before she grew determined.

"We will be ready to help, but it will be difficult for us to do along with guard duty around the city."

 Barkspawn kept licking my face, and I chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Hopefully, we will have the beginnings of a civilian police force by the end of the week. Thank you again for helping Trina."

My captain smiled slightly before her eyes fell on Albert, who was coming up the stairs from the basement. She gave me a nod before she went over to talk to him. The two began talking while I held the still licking

me Barkspawn. As I stepped onto the teleporter, I remembered I still had a

delivery to make.

Climbing the stairs from the basement, Barkspawn was still licking me in a frenzy that grew with each step while her brown eyes watched everything with a deeply intelligent gaze. As she did that, I was worried about why only her center head was moving while the other two weren't and if the OSF had done something to her while she was in their 'care.' When we reached the top of the stairs, Barkspawn was now licking me so much that I was covered in dog slobber.

I heard four loud gasps as I turned toward the kitchen to see if we had some spare

meat for Barkspawn.

I moved my head away from Barkspawn for a second to see Rias, Ravel, Shirone, and Neri looking at Barkspawn in shock. Shirone

immediately hissed at Barkspawn, which got the Cerberus to stop licking me and

look at my princess. Shirone hissed at Barkspawn again with her tail standing

straight up. True to her name Barkspawn yipped playfully at Shirone before

returning to licking me. That got three loud awes from Neri, Rias, and Ravel as

they crowded around me. Ravel looked at Barkspawn in shock before she asked.

"Where were you, and how did you find a Cerberus?"

I frowned for a moment before Barkspawn started licking at my face again. That made Rias giggle as she started petting Barkspawn before I began explaining.

"Our skull at the underworld train station found something that led to an OSF base in Astaroth territory. I found Barkspawn here, trapped in a tiny cage inside that base, and she has been licking me nonstop since I

found her. Are they rare, and why is only her center head moving?"

The Cerberus started licking my face again in a fury, and the sight of this made a gentle smile appear on Ravel's face while Rias and Neri awwww again at the dog. Shirone narrowed her eyes at Barkspawn while Ravel started petting the puppy.

"Cerberus are extremely rare and highly sought after for familiars by devils because the OSF took all of the breed with them after their defeat in the Civil War. You will find no better guard dog than a Cerberus, and many

pillars used to have the dogs guard newborn children. They are beyond intelligent

to start with, and it's rumored that the dogs would gain even more intelligence

from their owner once they are bonded properly. As for why her other heads

aren't moving, it's because she is still young. They won't start moving till she is half a year old. The reason she is licking you so much is that she is trying to tell you that she wants to be your familiar."

Barkspawn yipped multiple times after Ravel said that and licked me faster. She kept up the licking storm, and that news shocked me. The licking grew even more fierce and were being joined by whines before I finally

shushed the whines with a pet.

"Are you sure, Bark? We can always find you another good home. I'm not the best person."

Barkspawn stopped licking me for a second before she looked at me with her brown eyes. She then did a single yip that was clearly a yes, and it was ultra cute getting more awwws from everyone save Shirone before I pet her again.

"Ok just please no more licks."

 Barkspawn yipped up a storm before I asked Ravel to teach me how to form a familiar bond. The process was not complicated. You extend a little demonic power to the animal in

question and then, for lack of a better term, form a hook with them. I blinked when

I realized I had accidentally formed a half-hook with Barkspawn. When the hook

was fully made with help from Ravel, I felt ghost images and thoughts flash for

me, and one of the images was of everyone in the room and what she thought of

them. One of those thoughts made a teasing smirk cross my face.

"Bark likes you, Shiro. She thinks you would be a great cuddle buddy, especially with your tail."

Shirone hissed again, and Rias and Ravel chuckled as Neri brought over a dried piece of jerky for Barkspawn. The Cerberus sniffed it for a moment before she comped down the jerky. Maéva offered Bark more jerky and

promised to get dog food for both manors and some toys. The next five minutes

became telling Rias and Ravel about the mission minus the unconscious part

while they pet Barkspawn as she ate.

Shirone glared at the Cerberus from the island's far end with her white tail wagging in agitation. Once Bark finished her meat,

Rias looked at the store bag I had left on the island earlier today.

"What's in the bag?"

I shrugged before smirking.

"Just a present for our guest, and I might have picked up something for you and Ravel."

Rias tilted her head cutely before an excited face appeared as she went to get the bag. As soon as she was back with it, holding her book and showing Ravel her's, Barkspawn yipped, and I could tell what she wanted to

do. I brought her close to the bag, and the puppy grabbed it with her mouth, holding the bag while wagging her tail.

Rias gasped loudly, holding her book before giving me a side hug and a thank you while Ravel kissed me on the cheek. Then the three of us, plus a still-watching Barkspawn, carefully Shirone, began making our way upstairs.

The Cerberus was extremely excited as we climbed the stairs, and her little tail wagged nonstop. That had gotten more awes of how cute she was from Rias and Ravel while Shirone watched the Cerberus with narrowed eyes. When the four of us reached the top of the stairs, Rias, Ravel, and walking backward, still watching Barkspawn Shirone, told me they were heading to their rooms to

take a few things to the underworld manor. When they were halfway down the hall,

Rias told me that she was going to trade Kiba to Akeno in fifteen minutes. As the three of them approached our bedroom, I moved to Ingvild's room and heard the faint sound of a television on.

I frowned, remembering Ingvild's tiredness yesterday, and my mood made Barkspawn still her tail. She looked up at me with

puppy eyes before I moved my hand to the doorknob.

I entered Ingvild's room to find the young woman awake with Raynare sitting in a chair, having dozed off. She was snoring a snot bubble, and while that was funny, that feeling left immediately when I saw Ingvild's

face. The bags under her eyes were now ultra-deep, and she looked beyond exhausted. The young woman was only staying awake by pure willpower. I was now extremely worried for her as I cautiously and quietly approached the bed so as not to wake up Raynare. Barkspawn was also mostly silent besides making a tiny whine, which got Ingvild's bird to look my way before it said in a low, tired voice.

"Hello, Gregor."

When I got to her bedside, I asked, worried.

"Ingvild how long have you been awake for?"

Ingvild stayed silent, and her orange eyes didn't look at me.

"I have been up since Thursday."

That news made my eyes widen, and Ingvild said robotically.

"I am fine."

She clearly wasn't and my eyes take on worry for her.

"Ingvild, you need to sleep. Staying up that long is not good, especially since you are recovering."

Ingvild didn't respond and instead looked blankly at the TV, which was playing Lord of the Rings extras. She continued her silence before I asked.

"Why?"

Ingvild remained silent, and she looked down at the bed, now refusing to answer. I was ready to press her when a tired voice came from behind me.

"Ing is terrified that she will never wake up again, my Great King, if she sleeps. Please don't be mad with her."

I glance over my shoulder at a now awake Raynare. Her face showed she was beyond tired, yet like me, she was worried for Ingvild. I turn my attention back on Ingvild and pity her as her audiobook desire now makes

horrible sense. It wasn't an entirely unreasonable fear, given everything.

Despite that, I get ready to try to convince Ingvild that she would wake up

again, only for Barkspawn to drop the Kindle bag and practically jump out of my

arms onto the bed, yipping.

I caught the bag and was about to scold Barkspawn, only to stop when I saw what she was doing. The Cerberus rushed to Ingvild's face, licking the purple-haired woman nonstop. Ingvild's orange eyes looked up at the puppy in shock, along with the Raynare and I. Ingvild took the licks, still

stunned, before a gentle smile crossed her face. Then, showing how the senjutsu

sessions were helping, she easily raised a hand to pet Barkspawn's head. Barkspawn started yipping happily as she was petted before she got closer to Ingvild's face.

Ingvild took a breath of air and froze. Barkspawn nuzzled Ingvild, licking her face multiple times before the purple-haired woman took another breath, and then something strange happened. Ingvild's eyes began to close as she relaxed and quickly fell asleep with her hand on Barkspawn's body.

Ingvild began snoring peacefully, which dumbfounded me until Raynare's voice

came softly beside me.

"She smells like my hero. I will wake up again as long as he is here."

I sighed before looking at Barkspawn before saying in a whisper.

"I have a mission for you, Bark."

The Cerberus yipped softly with her yellow eyes looking my way with her tongue out and tail wagging.

"You are to help Ingvild sleep till she is better."

Barkspawn whined softly, not liking that, before I gently petted Barkspawn's center head.

"You can have extra cuddle sessions with me if you do this, and I'll start training with you soon."

That got a happy yip from Barkspawn before her eyes grew determined, and she started laying down on part of Ingvild's pillow. Raynare awws at Barkspawn before she yawns, and I kiss her cheek while putting my arms around her to keep her steady.

"I'll help you to bed. Bark will get someone if there is a problem, won't you girl."

Barkspawn yipped an affirmative before she brought her little tail close to her body and started to doze. Ingvild kept her hand on

Bark, snoring away as my sneaker snuggled into my chest. With her leaning on me,

the two of us moved towards our bedroom.

A figure picked up an object with a massive grin on its face. The figure then peered at the object before a whine was heard. That hiss echoed in the space for a few seconds, and the figure frowned. The figure then grew mad as they had finally found what their ally had wanted to know. The object whined two more times before the figure growled and got ready to send the information the old-fashioned way.