The Laboratory.

"The Avarice tiger's eye, in the Takamagahara of all places," Artemis muttered, his hands pressed on one of the console's while he watched the radars and search windows opening on the wide screen of his main computer.

'How are you planning to get back in there?' Goliath asked.

'Yes, you didn't exactly leave a welcoming impression last time,' Kuro hummed.

"Please, I am hardly at fault for their grievances; the conditions were clear, and they followed the." He tapped his finger on the table. "But I am well aware that won't stop their panic to irrationalize their thoughts, the best course of action would be to avoid crossing paths with the god of wind. Then again, it is highly unlikely that he just happens to have the one thing we're looking for at the moment."

'Don't jinx it,' the darkness dragon answered.

The red-head demon rolled his eyes, scoffing at the idea. "Don't be ridiculous, Kuro, there's no such thing as jinxing,"

'Mhmmm'

'Truly, how have you endured for more than a week with him?' The titan lion sighed.

"Like most people around me, it's an acquired tolerance." He stood up normally, pulling a chair as he watched a progress bar slowly fill up.

'You mean an acquired taste?'

"What I said is what I meant," He sat back down and crossed his arms.

'Your appreciating is charming as always.' Kuro growled through his teeth.

"I think we have had enough of this discussion; time is of the essence, as they say," he tapped the side of his head as he waited for the progress data to finish filling, his leg swinging lightly back and forth. "Regardless of who it is that has it, I already have a target for negotiation in mind."

'And that is?' Goliath asked.

"We already talked with the lower gods; it's time to take it up with the higher management," he said as the bar finally filled, an image directly broadcast from the heavens appearing. One of the silhouettes present during his last discussion with the gods was beside it; the image of a mural was displayed. "Gentlemen, we have our next objective."

'The god of storms and the sky.'

'Susano'o no Mikoto'

"Precisely," Artemis grinned as he pointed at the art depiction, "One of the three noble deities and holders of near the highest authority among the heavens. If there is someone who holds the knowledge of that gem's whereabouts among the gods, it will be one of them."

Kuro hummed. 'And is there a reason that you picked the god of the storms and the sea specifically?'

Goliath raised an eyebrow. 'You do remember you ended his brother's life, do you not?'

Artemis tapped his forehead twice. "Call it a premonition," He lowered his finger towards the keyboard. "Above all of them, he understands the most the risks and consequences that were taken that day." With that, he pressed a button in the middle, making a new window opening on the screen, one with golden edges, while the others closed down.

It was a direct broadcast to the room: he had discussed his previous deal with the gods, the holographic figures standing tall at the other end of the table, their glowing eyes fixed on the screen.

"What is the meaning of this?" One of them questioned, their eyes narrowing.

"Pardon the interference, but I needed to catch your attention, and I hardly think you'd appreciate the alternative of me showing up unprompted," Artemis spoke. The image of him in his lab showed through a mirage.

"The Raijin Slayer." Another of the figures mumbled as they looked at him; the tone had wariness and something lower laced into it.

Artemis' expression furrowed in annoyance for an instant. "I do have a name, so I would appreciate it if you spared me the titles." He closed his eyes, collecting himself, and opened them again with a composed smile. "Anyhow, I'll get right to the point. I want to talk with one of you. I believe that there is a discussion to be had after our last conversation, and sooner is always better than later, do you not think?"

"What kind of discussion, demon child?" the first figure inquired.

The red-head boy scoffed mentally, but kept up his calm expression on the outside. "Oh, nothing too grandiose at the time, simply a small arrangement to start our collaboration, that is all, after all, we cannot expect to move heaven and earth in a single day, can we?"

The second figure, the one on the left, lifted their head, staring down at him. "Speak clearly, boy, we do not want to waste our time."

"Speak my name clearly, and you'll get a clear answer," Artemis responded plainly, his hands tucked behind his back.

"Very well then, Artemis." They spoke, their eyes tightening. "What kind of discussions are you searching for?"

Artemis tilted his head to the other side, a content smile appearing on his face. "Better." He said in a matching condescending tone. "I want to talk about a deal, an exchange of something that was taken from my world in the war. However, speaking to any god won't do, no. A conversation 1-on-1 is imperative for communication to be free of filters or bias. So, I request that you allow me to speak with Susano'o no Mikoto today."

The second figure placed both hands on the table, standing up and intensifying their stare at the demon-boy. "You got some nerve demanding a private audience with one of us."

"I think my nerve was well established when I accepted your brazen god of lightning's challenge a couple of days ago." He hummed in an almost casual way while he placed his hands on his lap, his fingers interlaced with each other, with his thumbs pressed against each other. "Look at it this way. The three noble gods hold part of, if not the utmost authority, in these heavens, which means that you are all equal in your ponderations, are you not?"

".... Continue." The first figure stated before the second one could answer.

"With that in mind, it means that you should all trust each other with your thought process and that whatever my proposal is, one of you will be more than enough to considerate the details on it," Artemis added, leaning back into his chair while letting his words settle in.

"And can you assure us that this is not some kind of deception?" the second figure asked, their hands tightening on the table.

The red-head demon hummed in response. "If I wanted to deceive you, I would not be speaking with you directly. Have you not considered that if I am capable of opening a communication channel to you without your suspicions, I could have gotten any information I wanted right under your noses?" He brought his hand up, tapping his head. "It is not a complex thought. I am looking for collaboration, just as I said the first time I arrived here. My request is simple: meet my terms, and we can stall conversations about a resolution between our realms without all the past barbaric and frankly shameful measures from the past."

With that, he stood up and tugged his hands to his sides. "Do you accept my proposal?"

A couple of seconds passed, and the figures looked at each other, their expressions unreadable. Then, the third figure finally spoke, placing their hands on the table. "Very well then. We will allow you one audience."

He straightened his stance, a contented smile growing on his face. "Delightful, I will be in this same conference chamber in 10 minutes flat, I expect you to hold up your part of the deal and have Susano'o no Mikoto come here alone." He snapped his fingers, making the communication mirage close itself in front of them.

'You are either incredibly bold or entirely out of your mind for speaking to the gods like that.' Goliath said in a tone equally wary and amazed.

"Those who hide away from risks will never achieve discoveries," Artemis stretched his arms, exhaling and cracking his neck. "Time to get ready, gentlemen."

Ten minutes flat – the Takamagahara.

In the same regal conference room in which Artemis had made his proposition, a portal of shadow magic formed in the door. The red-headed boy walked through, the bandages now gone, and the injuries became scars. At the other side of the table, a tall figure stood waiting.

Larger than any human man should reasonably be, long and flowing black hair, light blue shining eyes, a golden crown adorning his forehead, and his clothing composed of white and blue colors, partially armored on his shoulders, forearms, and boots.

"Susano'o no Mikoto." Artemis bowed his head. "It is an honor to be your acquittance, god of the storm and the sword."

He inclined his head upwards, then bowed in return. "Artemis, the demon boy who killed a god." His voice had a soft echo to it, adding to its depth and the power it carried. "I must say, I did not expect you to seek us out again so soon, nor did my siblings. So, I have to assume there must be a good reason."

"Indeed," He swiped his hand, closing the portal behind himself and stepping closer to the table. "As I mentioned before, I am here to continue the negotiations between your realm and mine."

"That part I understand, but I want to know, what is your end goal with this conversation specifically, what kind of exchange could you possibly offer to start any sort of arrangement between us and demon kind?" The god of storms stated, his hands on his sides as he waited for his response expectantly.

"It's nothing especially complex. Not for today," Artemis placed a finger on the table, sliding it along its length, creating a projection that displayed the image of a deep emerald gem. "This is the Tiger's eye of Avarice; I trust that you are familiar with it."

Susano'o hummed, his eyes darting at the projection before turning back at the demon boy. "I am. What does it have to do with our business of the day?"

"You see, I have been speaking with the lords of the Jigoku about making arrangements for a more peaceful resolution of our way to long-lived conflict, and the lord of greed was the first to mention her... demands to be willing to listen." He pressed his hand on the table. "That demand is to retrieve this gemstone for her, as I was made aware that it was taken from her during the bouts of war."

"That would be correct." Susano'o hummed with his hands together. "But I must ask you, why should we hand over the gem? Someone who's shown as much insight as you wouldn't expect us to simply give it over just like that, right?"

Artemis snapped his fingers, making the projection disappear. "Precisely." He said and placed his hands together. "So, tell me, god of storms and the sea. "What is it that you seek in exchange for giving back the gem?"

The god of sword and battled hummed, rubbing his chin and tapping his foot. "Let's see... what kind of exchange could be a worthy arrangement... I know," He then pointed forward at him, "I want you to pass a test."

"Elaborate." The red-head boy tilted his head.

"Someone's true intention is measured by the glint in their eyes as they are tested on their abilities," Susano'o answered with his arms crossed. "If you want to get the Avarice tiger's eye, you must show me that your intentions for peace are true."

He hummed, straightening his stance. "What kind of test are we speaking about here?"

Susano'o chuckled a bit, his head rising a bit as he looked down at the boy. "I am the god of the sword and battle; I believe you can figure out what kind of test I would give you."

Artemis' eyes narrowed at his explanation, a small air of irritation lingering on his head. "Typical..." He muttered. "I assume there is no dissuading you from this situation." He exhaled. "Very well then. I will participate in your test."

The noble god grinned widely and clapped his hands. "Great!" he raised his hand, a whirling cloud surrounding it. "Let's get the rules set up." He said before he clasped his fist, suddenly making them both appear in an arena scenario.

The red-headed demon boy looked around for a couple of seconds, his expression not shifting as he turned his head back towards him. "Go ahead then."

"This duel will have standard rules; whoever cannot continue will lose." He then raised a finger. "In addition, I will not use my sacred weapon for this test, which will make this bout the fairest."

Artemis hummed, tilting his head once more. "Is that so? how noble," He scoffed, pushing some of his hair back while taking a deep breath. "In that case, I will not make sure of the fundamental beasts' magic for this test."

"Ah... what?" The storm god tilted his head in confusion.

He stretched his arms a bit, moving his fingers one against the other, with dim mechanical sounds as each of the fingers pressed against his palm. "As long as you limit yourself to the use of your divine blade, I shall only have the abilities that I build myself without external beings."

Susano'o blinked, looking at the boy in confusion. "I... do not think you understand the purpose of this condition. The idea of me not using my sword is to make this fight more balanced."

The young demon tilted his head to the side, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "On the contrary, god of storms. My response is in the same spirit in every way." He lifted his finger. "Quid pro quo: a phrase that humans like to use, roughly meaning, Something for something. In that mindset, the only logical thing to do is to limit myself to the same nature." He added, clasping his hand shut. "In the path of achieving a shared goal, we must work in equal conditions."

The god looked down at Artemis in a short-lived surprise, which then turned into a smile with lingering interest. "You are a usual one, Artemis." He took a battle position, firm and imposing, just by the very nature of who he was. "Okay then, let us see what you're truly made of."

"As you wish," Artemis answered, ready stance as his eyes set on the being in front of him.

When he blinked, the storm god was gone, appearing right in front of him within the next blink, his arm raised and ready to swing down, barely giving the demon boy time to form his arm into a sturdy mechanical structure before the fist smashed into him, behind his arm against his side, and sending him flying with a shrieking boom.

The demon boy gasped roughly in pain, his feet shifting into hooks to catch himself against the ground, the battered circuits on his arms quickly replacing themselves while his eyes darted from side to side. The moment Susano'o was in front of him, he placed his hands on the ground, emanating scarlet demonic energy from his hands. "Ascend." With that, a pillar of ground rose, lifting him away from the god's next strike.

In turn, he shattered the rock and made him fall, forcing Artemis to morph his feet and part of his back to keep himself afloat.

'Are you insane!? Fighting a noble god without our powers is suicide!' Kuro protested in his mind.

'I'll have to agree with the dark lizard this time, sticking to these kinds of rules is ridiculous,' Goliath added in a wary tone.

'Did I not tell you before?' Artemis responded, his hands clasped together, scarlet demonic magic oozing from every fingertip, separating the moment Susano'o appeared above him, his leg raised high.

'Those who hide away from fear...' as the god's leg came down against the strings of demonic energy. "Symphony!" he exclaimed, releasing a note of hellish magic that exploded into infernal soundwaves, creating blasts in the sky, yet the force of the kick still sent Artemis to the ground.

'Will never reach discoveries!'

As he fell, he transformed his legs into heavy boots, crashing into the ground and turning on small pulses of star energy to ease up his landing, the propulsion moving his leg in a circular motion for a kick behind him, where Susano'o was already charging a fist in his direction. The clash mangled the mechanical leg and shoved the young demon away.

Susano'o breathed out, feeling a small tingle on his hand. 'He knows he can't match a god's power without the power of the fundamental beasts... yet he still chooses to fight me with nothing more than his base magic.' He flew after him, watching as the mechanical implants worked to fix themselves.

'Yet this is still the boy who conquered the human world without any use of force, the one who talked the Dark dragon and the titan lion into a side, the demon who destroyed Raijin.' He covered his hand in a mix of wind, rain, and thunder. 'Underestimating this boy... no... this being...'

Artemis extended his hands, mechanical circles appearing on his hands. It projected a mantle of stardust energy, mixed with crimson demon magic, as his feet shifted, sharp hooks digging into the ground.

'Can become a fatal mistake, even for a god!'

He launched a fist forward, sending rumbles around the field and fracturing the ground beneath them until it lifted an enormous pillar of storm magic bellow them, when the terrain around them became unstable, the demon boy spread his hands wider, turning the barrier into a malleable veil, allowing the fist to advance, barely gracing his face and making a small cut across it. Yet, the magic wrapped around his hand, making it halt in place. The god of storms struggled for a moment before opening his hand and clenching again, shattering the restraining magic.

The bicolor-eyed demon stood a couple of feet away, blood still dripping from his forehead. He formed a tilted square with his fingers, centered on its midpoint. As he took a deep breath, a release of magic spread around the arena, lines forming from their figure until they painted the frame of a transparent, scarlet eye, a mystical swoosh echoing as it opened.

Artemis propelled himself towards the storm god, forming a curved blade from his arm with his implants and coating it with demonic magic. The god's eyes widened as he could feel his senses turning up like needles on the back of his neck, his hand coming up to stop the cutting attack, and yet before he could respond, the demon boy's hand had already returned to normal.

Not even a second later, he turned his elbow into a propulsor, turning around and covering his hand in heavy mechanical layers to form a hardened gauntlet, which the god was forced to enhance his movement with lightning to parry his attack with his forearm, only for Artemis to retreat mid-clash once more.

'What kind of sorcery is this...' Susano'o pondered as he looked from side to side, watching the demon boy move with a phantom-like swiftness, laughing, shifting attacks from his mechanical implants, each of them being just barely blocked before he disappeared again without giving the opportunity for storm good to respond.

'Did he perform some kind of power release... no, his strength has not changed, but he has become insanely faster.' his hand covered lightning moved ahead of time, throwing a punch forward, yet even then, Artemis jumped ahead of it, joining his hands with technological sounds, morphing them into a hammer, swinging down at Susano'o.

He blocked with both arms covered in storm magic, charging a release of power only for Artemis to move out of the way just before it was released, the mechanical implants on his arms shifting into a shield that dug itself into the ground. The impending blast scorching parts of the land around them, yet Artemis stood in place with partial burns on his body.

The red-headed boy exhaled, the shield dematerializing from his hands as he surrounded them with scarlet demonic magic, bolts of lightning, and currents of wind. At the same time, a damp atmosphere appeared behind him. His eyes turned to their corners, catching the teleport of the storm god. His hand opened, a robotic cylinder appearing around his hand. "Sear!" he commanded, a mix of scarlet and pearly energy releasing on the second Susano'o reappeared.

'He caught me again!' Susano'o stood in place, trying to reach toward the boy from within the blast, energizing his hand with storm energy while he grinned widely at such a display, but how?

An attack's direction is nothing more than probabilities, a chance that can be calculated through mathematical thoughts, yet the capabilities to make such calculations in the middle of a fight would be impossible except for Artemis.

From the moment he was born, the boy's brain was unlike any other to demon-kind or mortals alike. A brain that could process countless possibilities for scenarios in real time, going through an unthinkable number of variants in the span of seconds. However, there is one more problem. Nobody, no matter how powerful they are, can act in tandem with their brain's thoughts, as there will always be a delay between someone's brain signals and the time when their body will actually take said actions, making that kind of thought power a mere accessory.

That would be for anyone other than the demon boy Artemis.

One of the first things Artemis studied when he left for the human world was the magic of the mind, and through rigorous days of test and preparation he developed a special kind of spell. One that could make a 1-to-1 connection between his brain and his body. He called this spell.

The third eye of the mind.

This magic allowed Artemis to act at the exact moment that his mind decides, in other words.

It raises Artemis' speed to a level that can overwhelm even a god.

Artemis switched between different augmentations from his robotic implants, moving around the storm deity as if he were in multiple places at once, attacking him from numerous angles, yet even as the multiple strikes didn't seem to make any noticeable damage, the scarlet-haired body continued to weave through his attacks with premeditated movements.

Susano'o planted his feet firmly on the ground, reaching his arm forward through one of the combined blasts of demonic energy and stardust glow, attempting to grab him by his head. Yet, Artemis formed rockets from his shoulders, pushing him down away from the grab, his hands morphing into canons and shooting wide blasts to propel himself away from the god's range.

'He's anticipating my movements before I even do them. Just what kind of skills has this boy acquired? Susano'o looked from side to side, his eyes attempting to keep up with the boy's steps, yet his demon boy continued to shift around with blistering speed.

He crossed his arms, charging another pulse of godly storm magic, the power forming on him making the ground around them tremble at every corner of the arena, the clouds around him combining thunder and rain with currents of wind.

Artemis tried to jump back as the expanse wave spread through the arena, the combination of lighting, wind, and rain sending shockwaves from the fighting grounds. Yet after waves of destruction engulfed the area, there was no sight of the red-headed boy—only a hole in the middle of the ground.

The storm god didn't have much time to process the implications, and the sounds of broken rubble rang behind him, his head turning to see the demon boy emerging from a subterranean tunnel, a cannon formed on his arm. Still, this time, the energy in the center was different. Susano'o recognized the blue hue at first glance.

'That is my storm energy!!!'

He took a step back, his hand instinctively reaching for his waist when presented with an attack that could cause real harm.

The god of swordsmanship was forced to draw out his weapon.

The impact created a blast of magic that covered the entire arena in flashes of light and storming noises, the tremors spreading beyond the arena, felt the full expense of the heavens. The sizzling sounds remained, even seconds after the thick clouds of dust disappeared.

As it began to clear, a slash had severed the arena diagonally, a clean cut from corner to corner. And on the ground of the upper half, Artemis lay on the ground, a cut red on his chest. And yet, a grin spread on his face.

The redheaded boy let out a pained snicker. "Seems like conditions have been broken, god of storms,"

When the dust dissipated on the bottom half of the arena, Susano'o stood on a stood in place, sword out and held tightly, and a blackened but on his shoulder. His eyes moved to the injury; the rest of his body was still unmoving. 'That slash... where did it come from... was it some kind of trick spell...'

'No...that kind of damage could only have been made by a sword like mine... which means... he used the dark dragon's power to replicate my weapon.' He looked down at the boy as he lay on the ground. 'From the very start of the fight, he set up each and every movement to lead into this moment, making me use my energy enough times to absorb so he could force me to use my blade... all so he could copy my weapon and strike with something that could harm me.'

'Had I performed any other kind of slash, my arm could have been cut off.'

Dark Mirror.

He floated across the gap between both halves, standing over the downed demon. 'If this is how he acts upon a mere test...having this boy as an enemy... it would be a terrifying thought.' He extended his hand down, releasing a wave of storm magic that cured the injuries on the demon child. "Stand up, Artemis."

He groaned, jumping back on his feet and dusting himself off. "You seem to have learned my name," He fixed his hair. "Well then, we both used resources we had been advised not to use, but I assume you have a different reason to stop this test, no?"

Susano'o hummed. "What is your goal, demon boy?" he sheathed his sword. "You've told me that you're searching for collaboration, but tell me, what is the end goal behind all of this? What benefit is there for you if there were to be peace between our realms?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow, yet for a mere second, then he chuckled. "I seek one thing, and one thing alone, god of storms: Truth. I want to unravel the secrets that lie deep within the foundation of our cosmos, find solutions to the unsolvable, study the knowledge that has been hidden in every corner of the realm, and spread the word of evolution across all." He declared as he extended his hands. "Search for knowledge cannot advance without partnership, simple as that."

Susano'o stared at the boy for a couple of seconds, his eyes set on him, before he erupted into a broad laugh, arching his back and covering his eyes with his hand.

Artemis' eyes fell, his expression sharpening. "Did I say something humorous?"

"Oh no, not at all." He spoke between laughs as his hand fell. "You have spirit, I like that!" He added before he raised his hand. "If someone with these ideals were in the lead of Jigoku, I believe we could come to lay our trust in it." He snapped his fingers, and with a thunderous strike, a spherical green gem appeared on his palm.

The red-headed boy's eyes immediately darted to the gem. "I assume that means you'll be willing to persuade Takamagahara to cooperate?"

"I will share my thoughts over the encounter we've had today, but you will have to show us that the Jigoku is seeking peace as a unit, not only you." He lowered his hand, extending the gem to him. "Let's see if you can accomplish that, Artemis: seeker of truth."

Artemis' face softened for a second at the nickname. "I do not need your encouragement," he grabbed the gem and closed his eyes. "But I suppose I can allow that singular title, at the very least, is straight to the point." He stepped back.

Susano'o snickered with a wide smile. "I'll be waiting for our next meeting; cannot wait to see what surprises you'll bring next time."

The red-headed boy rolled his eyes, "Goodbye Susano'o no Mikoto, this was a... not unpleasant discussion." He opened a portal behind himself, disappearing in a vortex of darkness.

As the demon child left, the god of wind watched the encounter through a spherical mirage. "I can't believe it..." He muttered... "Susano'o really accepted a deal... with the demon who killed Raijin, and the other noble gods just... let him... this cannot be happening," he muttered as he tightened his hands on the table, gritting his teeth.

"Yes... unbelievable, isn't it." a distorted, echoing voice suddenly resonated across the room, the sphere's glow changing to a menacing white.

Fajin's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at the sphere, "What is the meaning of this... who are you?"

"Someone who's come to aid you. I've seen your rage, your resentment. And I can help you set things right," the image of a scribbled hand showed on the sphere. "Tell me, god of wind, wouldn't you want to avenge your brother... wouldn't you want... justice?"

The emerald-eye god stared at the image for a couple of seconds, completely in silence, the words lingering on his mind, as a dim current of winds came around his flowing hair, his fingers started to lift.