chapter 322

Chapter 322:

– Hela –

Hela stood alone in the darkest chamber of her palace, hidden away in a place only she could access. Not even her beloved Layla was allowed beyond these walls. This was her sanctuary, a place where she could commune with her patron deity without interference, without prying eyes or wandering senses. Even for someone as close to her as Layla, there were things only Lady Death could hear.

She exhaled slowly and reached out with her power, summoning the presence of the one entity who had stood beside her since the beginning–Even if Hela had lost favor with her at a few points in her long life. The air grew heavier, thick with the scent of something both decayed and eternal. Shadows lengthened unnaturally, and a cold, familiar presence coiled around her spine.

Then she appeared.

Lady Death materialized before her, draped in flowing black, her otherworldly beauty as intoxicating as it was terrifying. Her lips curled in amusement as she gazed at Hela.

"Ah, my dear Hela," Lady Death purred, her voice like silk over steel. "I sense that my Champion has returned to Asgard. Tell me, did you summon me here because you desire a threesome with me and her? You have become quite bold, my dear, but I might be open to such an arrangement."

A chill ran down Hela’s spine, her composure faltering for a brief second. "That’s… not exactly why I called you here," she admitted, shifting slightly. Even she wasn’t immune to the sheer presence of Lady Death when she teased like that.

Lady Death chuckled, stepping closer. "Pity..."

Hela took a steadying breath, forcing herself back to the matter at hand. "Layla now has five of the six Infinity Stones," she pointed out. "I wanted to know what happens when she gains all six. Her power is already beyond anything I’ve ever seen. Hell, the entire multiverse barely holds beings who can compare."

Lady Death smiled at that, a slow, knowing expression that sent another shiver through Hela. Was that nervousness? Or arousal? Obviously it was both.

"Our beloved is quite impressive, isn’t she?" Lady Death mused. "The power she has gathered in such a short time makes even the most ancient beings I know green with envy. But you need not worry, Hela. The Infinity Stones alone will not change her. As she’s fond of reminding her enemies—Layla is simply built different."

Hela rolled her eyes at that. "She does say that a lot… Midgardians have the strangest phrases."

Lady Death smirked, clearly amused. "That they do."

Hela crossed her arms. "So, the Stones aren’t the end of it, are they? Layla is too ambitious for it to stop there. What comes next?"

Lady Death nodded approvingly at her foresight. "After she gathers the six Infinity Stones, she will need two more. The Life Stone, which is held by the Phoenix Force, and the Death Stone… which belongs to me. Only after obtaining all eight will Layla ascend as the Supreme Goddess."

Hela frowned at that. "And what exactly will that entail?" She didn’t like the sound of Layla throwing herself into more danger, even if she was damn near indestructible. Sure, Layla always came out on top, but no woman wanted to constantly watch their beloved run headfirst into cosmic-level threats over and over again.

Lady Death tilted her head, as if considering how much she should reveal. "I won’t lie to you, Hela. The trials she must overcome to obtain the Life and Death Stones will not be easy. They will test her will, her strength, her very existence. But more than anyone in this universe, I believe in her."

Hela huffed, crossing her arms. "Not more than me."

Lady Death’s lips curled in amusement. "We shall see."

Hela narrowed her eyes but let it go. "Fine. But there was something else I wanted to ask."

Lady Death arched a delicate brow. "Oh?"

Hela shifted slightly, suddenly uncharacteristically hesitant. She mumbled something under her breath, barely audible.

Lady Death chuckled. "Hela, my dear, you know I can hear everything. Speak plainly."

Hela exhaled and straightened her shoulders. "I wish to have a wedding with Layla soon! A real one. So she can be known as my wife in all ways. I want you to officiate the ceremony."

Lady Death blinked, her teasing demeanor shifting into something more serious—though there was still a trace of amusement in her expression. "Oh? I suppose that can be arranged. But then, who will officiate my ceremony when it’s my turn for a wedding?"

Hela opened her mouth, then paused. That was a good question. Who the hell would be worthy to preside over a ceremony between Layla and Lady Death?

"The One Above All?" Hela suggested after a moment.

Lady Death actually sputtered. Hela’s brows went high. She’d never seen that reaction before!

Lady Death composed herself quickly, shaking her head with a small laugh. "...You always know how to surprise me, Hela. Very well. I will officiate your wedding with Layla. However, I'd rather not get HIM involved. I have no doubts he knows about Layla after everything she's done, but if he has chosen not to involve himself then...what's the Midgardian phrase again? Yes, it's best to let sleeping dogs lie..."

"Probably a good idea..." Hela agreed. She then blushed slightly. "...So... About that threesome...?"

Lady Death sighed. "Too late, I can already sense my champion enjoying herself with the two Devil sisters."

Hela whined in jealousy!

– Layla –

"I’m so glad everyone’s okay!" Heather called out as she sprinted toward me, wrapping me in a tight hug. She had portaled over from her university the second she heard someone had dared to threaten her little sisters!

I hugged her back just as tightly, taking a moment to appreciate how much she had grown. Every time I saw her, she looked more radiant, more powerful. No doubt, that was because she was now a fallen angel.

Nearby, Hilga, Sia, and Lia were in the middle of a flying lesson with Rias, Serafall and Sona, but the moment they spotted Heather, all three of them abandoned their training and shot toward us like tiny missiles.

"Big sister!" they squealed in unison before colliding into Heather, nearly knocking her over. Their little arms latched onto her, hugging her as tightly as their tiny bodies allowed.

Heather let out a surprised laugh, adjusting to the sudden weight of three excited fallen angels/devil/asgardian children clinging to her. "Wow, okay! Didn’t expect a full-force tackle!" she said, ruffling their hair as they giggled.

I smirked at the sight. "Thanks for coming, Heather. The girls needed some cheering up."

"Of course, Mom," she said, her tone warm. Then her grin widened. "Besides, I brought presents!"

At the word "presents," my daughters perked up like tiny wolves catching the scent of fresh prey. Heather reached into her pocket space and pulled out an armful of Earth candy. Chaos immediately ensued! The girls let out high-pitched squeals of excitement, grabbed fistfuls of candy, and started tearing into the wrappers like their lives depended on it. The moment sugar hit their systems, I knew we were all doomed.

[Three tiny fallen angels hopped up on processed sugar. This'll be good...]

Yeah, this wasn’t going to end well. But it would be funny at least…

"Wanna see who can make the biggest Lightspear?" Hilga declared!

"Okay!" Lia chirped.

"I bet I’ll win!" Sia announced confidently.

Sona and Rias visibly paled as all three of my daughters summoned their Lightspears at the same time. Serafall, instead of being concerned, found the whole thing hilarious, giggling to herself.

The three girls pouted as they glanced at one another’s spears, realizing they were identical in size. Clearly, that wasn’t good enough for them.

"Whoever makes the biggest explosion wins!" Hilga said with a determined nod.

Before anyone could intervene, Hilga hurled her Lightspear at the ground like a little war goddess in training.

The resulting explosion sent a shockwave through the training grounds. Debris shot into the air, and a thick cloud of smoke followed.

Meanwhile, Heather and I stood well outside the blast radius, casually chatting as though this was completely normal--which it was when you had a supernatural family.

"So," Heather said. "What exactly have you been up to lately, mom? I know you don’t sit still for long."

I smirked. "Oh, you know. The usual. Possibly getting a new harem member, destroying an evil interdimensional organization. Oh, and you have a new little sister, by the way."

Heather, who had been nodding along, suddenly froze. "Wait, what?! I have a new sister and didn’t know?! How could you not tell me, Mom?!"

I winced. "I meant to... But then the TVA thing happened, and Asgard needed a few days to calm down. You know how things get."

Heather pouted. "That’s not an excuse."

I held up my hands in surrender. "Look, I was going to introduce Ten-chan to everyone properly, but things got hectic. Fortunately, Yasaka has been watching her for me, and she and Kunou get along great."

Heather let out a dramatic sigh but seemed appeased for now. "Fine. But I want to meet her soon."

"Of course," I promised with a chuckle.

…In the background:

“I win!” Hilga cheered.

"No fair!"

"Best two out of three!"

"Ok!"

"Boom!"

…The conversation between Heather and me shifted to something a little more serious. Heather wanted to know when we’d all be moving back to the penthouse in New York?

I hesitated at that. The whole reason I had brought my daughters here in the first place was to keep them safe. Two of them were half-devil, and with the newly merged Earth—Marvel and DXD combined—half the human population had a serious problem with devils.

But at the same time… I missed Earth. Sure, I knew I’d be spending more and more time in Asgard in the future, but Earth was still my home. I wasn’t ready to let it go either.

"I’m honestly torn," I admitted. "I want to go back, but I also don’t want to put the girls in danger."

Heather wrapped me in another hug, resting her chin on my shoulder. "You’ll figure it out, Mom. Your job is to do whatever keeps the family safe."

I chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Guess that’s the burden of being a mom."

Heather smirked. "Well, that and making sure your kids don’t turn entire landscapes into craters with Lightspears."

I sighed. "Speaking of which…"

I turned to check on Rias and Sona, who were still failing miserably at containing the whirlwind of destruction that was Hilga, Sia, and Lia. Serafall, to no one’s surprise, was not helping. Instead, she was rolling on the ground laughing her ass off.

"My three nieces are the best and so adorable! You all make Levia-tan so proud!"

I honestly found it funny as well, but I wasn't happy the girls weren't listening to Rias and Sona at the same time. Were they already reaching their rebellious phase!?

I blurred into the air. In less than a second, I had all three of my wild little fallen angels securely in my arms, their tiny bodies squirming in protest.

"Moooom!" Hilga whined. "We were still playing!"

"Yeah! I was gonna win!" Lia pouted.

Sia just huffed dramatically. "Not fair!"

I grinned down at them. "Sorry, my little troublemakers, but it’s dinnertime. You all need some proper nutrition, and not just sugar."

– Asia –

…Asia carefully set the table, placing the last dish down. "Dinner is ready," she said with a smile, stepping back to admire her work.

"Thank you, Asia," Susan said warmly, though there was still a faint awkwardness between them. Not tense, exactly—just the kind of residual hesitation that came from adjusting to a new, unexpected dynamic.

Asia had never imagined herself being part of a harem. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Living with Layla for as long as she had, she had considered the possibility. But this was different. This was her life now, and it involved John—better known to the rest of the world as the Doom Slayer—and his other girlfriend, Susan Storm.

Had it been awkward at first when John confessed his feelings despite already being in a relationship? Absolutely. But Asia had liked him back, and more than anything, she wanted to be part of his life. And surprisingly, Susan hadn’t been opposed. In fact, Susan had been... enthusiastic about it.

Asia’s face suddenly went bright red. Oh no. Why was she thinking about that now? About how Susan had very clearly had experience with other women in college? About how skilled she was when they were all in bed together—

"Asia?" Susan’s voice pulled her back to reality. "Are you okay?"

"I-I’m fine!" Asia stuttered, flustered as she hurried to take her seat.

John, sitting at the head of the table, raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t comment. Susan just gave her an amused, knowing smirk before picking up her fork.

They settled into dinner, chatting lightly about Asia’s progress in medical school. John, naturally, still acted as her personal bodyguard. As an angel—one well-known for her healing Sacred Gear—she was an obvious target for anyone looking to exploit her powers. Having John around made her feel safe.

Susan, meanwhile, had taken a job at the university. It allowed them to stay close during the day.

Despite the recent upheaval in the world, Asia had been enjoying the normal life she had going.

Which, of course, meant something had to ruin it.

A yelp escaped her lips as a portal tore open directly above the table.

Before any of them could react, a figure came crashing through, slamming into the center of the table with a heavy thud. Plates shattered, food flew in every direction, and their peaceful dinner was completely obliterated.

John had already reached for one of his guns, but he hesitated when the figure didn’t move.

The man was unconscious, covered in burns and cuts, his clothes tattered and singed.

Susan gasped. "Reed!?"

Asia blinked, still processing what had just happened. Wait. Reed? As in Reed Richards? Susan’s ex. The guy who was wanted internationally for terrorism. The guy who had also vanished for two years. And now he was passed out, bleeding all over what remained of their dinner table.

– Reed Richards –

An hour earlier…

In a hidden pocket dimension in the far corner of the multiverse…

The council of Reeds.

Reed’s hands clenched into fists as the chamber erupted into chatter and shouting.

Dozens of alternate versions of himself shouted over one another, arguing, theorizing, debating endlessly about what should be done. It was the same thing, every single time. He had been pleading with them for almost two years to help him kill Layla of the Fallen and reclaim his world from the supernatural forces that had overrun it.

“She already has five of the six Infinity Stones!” Reed bellowed over the chatter, his patience at its breaking point. “Somehow, she’s figured out how to permanently merge them with herself—making them work across every single universe! If we don’t stop her now, no one will be able to oppose her! We have to act!”

The shouting only got worse.

A few Reeds nodded in agreement, murmuring about the danger she posed. But the majority? They weren’t interested in fighting her. If anything, they were grateful.

“She destroyed the TVA,” one of them argued. “That’s something we’ve been trying to do for centuries!”

“She’s done more good than harm!” another added. “Antagonizing her is pointless!”

Reed’s jaw tightened. Fools. Every last one of them! Couldn’t they see the danger? He was the smartest man in the universe, in every universe, and he knew that no one should wield that much power alone who wasn’t as smart as he was!

Layla was going to be corrupted by it. It was only a matter of time!

The arguing stretched on for another half-hour. No matter what he said, no matter how much he tried to reason with them, the majority voted to leave Layla alone.

Reed’s fury boiled under his skin. Was he ever going to get his world back? Was he ever going to get Susan back?

Then—

“BOOM!”

The entire pocket dimension trembled as an explosion rocked the chamber. A ripple of panic spread through the gathered Reeds.

“What the hell was that?”

“We’re under attack!”

“Impossible! This place is untraceable!”

A section of the wall was obliterated, debris flying in all directions as a figure in a flowing green cloak stepped through the smoke like he owned the place.

“Well now,” the intruder drawled, his metallic voice dripping with amusement. “Isn’t this fucking quaint? All of my most hated people gathered in one room. Is it Christmas?” Victor Von Doom stood in the wreckage, arms folded behind his back, his masked face unreadable—but the amusement in his tone was unmistakable.

Reed’s stomach twisted. “Doom,” he spat. The question was, was this his Doom or one from another of the infinite Universes? Reed barely had time to process the horror of Doom standing there before another figure emerged from the smoke.

Kang the Conqueror. A being that the council feared more even than the TVA!

“How did you find this place!?”

“What are you doing here, Kang!?”

The Conqueror of numerous universes simply smirked at all the Reed’s in the room.

“...With the TVA gone, there's no one left to stop me. Well, no one besides you morons! Isn't it obvious, I'm here to kill you all! But first, this Layla person sounds fascinating, and I want to know everything there is to know about her.”

“...As for me,” Doom cut in. “I just like killing Reed Richards. Over and over and over again!”

‘Shit! I have to get out of here!’ Reed thought to himself. He once again realized that he was the smarted Reed there because when everyone else chose to fight, he was the only one that wisely chose to flee…

Unfortunately, he didn't get very far before an explosion completely surrounded him and bathed his world in pain and fire.

XXX