L awoke slowly, at first she was not even aware she had reawakened. It was dead silent, her body felt as if it was floating in water. She felt no pain, despite the recent combat and struggle that had transpired inside of the city. She wondered if she was dead, she knew of no other explanation for her condition. "Not quite dead yet, no." L furrowed her brow, or rather, tried to. She could not tell if her body moved at all, so devoid of sensation as she was. She knew that voice, but had trouble placing it. "Don't worry, your soul simply needs time to readjust. We have the time." L struggled to remember who the male voice belonged to. Suddenly it hit her, this was the God of Honor. Surely, she was dead if she was hearing his voice again. Although, the last time she died it was quite a bit different. No disorientation, no apparent blindness, last time she died she was simply in-font of the God of Honor, being informed of her new condition.

"Where am I?" L attempted to ask, but no sound issued forth from her form. Even so she received a response. "It is funny you should ask that first. Because the answer is something that you could never understand. The best explanation I can give you is that you are in an "In-between." A location that both does and does not exist. Do not concern yourself with the specifics, your limited nature would never allow you to grasp your current situation. Your soul has traveled here because I prepared it to." L listened intently, trying to obtain some semblance of awareness or understanding of her body, location, or really anything to help ground her. "You prepared this? How? Why?" L was also struggling to understand the God of Honor's motives. When she first spoke to him, he made it clear that the God's direct interference with their game was almost entirely banned. If she was not dead, and therefore still part of the game, why would he contact her so directly? Or better yet, how?

"As quick to the point as ever. Before I answer your question, I wish to tell you that our conversation is already against the rules. There are certain things I cannot speak of, even here, lest some other God take notice." L struggled with the idea of the God of Honor willfully breaking the rules of the game he was a part of. It did not seem particularly honorable. A strained laugh came from the God of Honor. "I am sure you noticed, but upholding one’s honor is not always straight forward. You believe your honor dictates your servitude to the Champion of Motherhood, but if he started raping women and killing children, your honor would demand that you kill him. You can look at it one of two ways, correct? Firstly, you can believe that taking either action will result in your honor being broken. Secondly, you could believe that taking either action upholds your honor. I prefer the second interpretation. However, I will not try to sway whatever beliefs you hold on the matter. I believe there is honor in finding your own way, your own beliefs. The only way to offend me is to betray yourself. If you wish to believe that the God of Honor is himself, dishonorable, then you may feel free. I never demanded your belief, only your service."

L wrestled with the words spoken by her patron, she had always assumed his definitions of honor, service, and duty would be ridged and uncompromising. If the God of Honor could not be expected to be the absolute paragon of the concept, was there any meaning in the word honor? As L wrangled her thoughts, the voice continued. "It was not my intent to cause you a crisis of faith. Your path is your own, and you have followed it honorably, if that has any value to you. Regardless, with all that in mind, I will speak next of how you are here, and how we are communicating without the others notice. The class, skills, and the races my champion were given, were all carefully planned. First the mortal vessel. Even here in this location I cannot risk defying the rule discussing either half of the races used overmuch. That rule is too carefully watched over. What I am about to say is full of half-truths. Not to deceive you, but to avoid those who are watching for such rule violations."

L struggled to keep up with the God of Honors words, despite his claim that they had time for her to adjust to the situation, he was speaking rapidly. Although, he did much the same the first time they met, perhaps this was simply his nature. "On the world you now reside, there are stories of how the demonic race has the power to defy the Gods. While the stories are not entirely correct, there is a certain level of truth in them. If the Gods so desired, they could have slain the demons in an instant. We created them; we held the power to destroy them. They were however, created with the express purpose of subverting divine power, divine law. It is also an exaggeration to say that the entirety of their race carried that power. The Gods were bored, not stupid. Only the leaders of their race were created with that... gift. However, they were created without a soul, if their mortal body perished so did they. Not even the Gods had the power to resurrect a dead demon. We are also banned from creating new demons, it was an agreement made by ancient Gods. However, I discovered a loophole. A loophole that someone like the God of Honor, a God with little oversight, could exploit. While my companions were constantly looking over the shoulders of Deception, and Lies, and all manner of other Gods, few had eyes for the God of Honor. As long as I was technically following the rules, no one would notice. No alarms would be tripped. Demons have no soul. A creature that is made of demon, but has the soul of a mortal race. Surely that could not be called a true demon? Luckily, my perception of the truth, and the interpretation of the ban, triggered no red flags, no alarms with the Gods of law, justice, and order."

Her mind was reeling with the information being dropped on her. She was apparently a walking "Not technically" rule violation. However, she had little time to come to terms with this before the God of Honor barreled on. "However, a mortal soul is not suited to the powers of a demon. There was no way a mortal soul would be able to unlock the powers of a demon. Demons were born knowing who they were, who they will be, and why they exist. A mortal soul is born with nothing, forced to learn on its own. There was no mechanic, no reasonable way for a mortal soul to understand the flesh of a being that was normally born with absolute self-understanding. So, my loophole was useless. However, I then discovered a solution. In our Great Game, there are few classes that can utilize strengths that the user does not know they have, why would there be? After a bit of searching, I discovered a class that received an ability that worked regardless of the user’s self-knowledge, an ability that used every single resource that the wielder had. Even if they themselves were unaware. And so I settled on samurai. However, even still that was not enough. The demands that demonic powers would make upon a mortal soul would be immense, more than any mortal could normally handle. At-best the mortal would fall into an eternal sleep, their soul trapped in a body that was ill suited to them. Luckily that problem was easily fixable. I simply needed to give the mortal an immunity to sleep. Unfortunately, this was a risky element to the plan. As we were only allowed to grant a level two skill to those we sent to the game. I designed the mortal to gain sleep immunity upon the first extension of their soul, but this was only helpful if they received that skill before attempting to use the ability Last Strike. Otherwise, they would be trapped, unconscious, forever in their own body as it slumbered. Luckily, it seemed this all worked out as I had hoped. The demonic body, unable to sleep. The mortal soul, unable to rest. The increasing unlikely series of events allowed the mortals mind to travel here, to the in between. Normally one would be unable to remember their time here, as in some ways, none of this is really happening."

L grimaced internally. If she assumed that this was all true, and this was not actually some illusion, hell, or that she was otherwise delusional, this opened up many questions. Was every step of the game planned by the Gods? How many of the Champions were similarly a part of increasingly elaborate plans? Perhaps a more important concern is if she would be able to return to her body from this "In-between." She attempted to speak once again, "Assuming you speak true, am I trapped here? Can I return from this place?" A moment of silence passed before the God of Honor spoke again. "One hopes. The first hurdle you must clear is the death of your body. It is being tended to, but the damage was... extensive. If you die, you will obviously not be capable of returning. Secondly, we will simply have to hope that the demonic ability to subvert the rules will allow it to recall its mortal soul's consciousness once the body is healed." L nodded internally, something interesting she had picked up on was the God of Honors common use of the term mortal, often not referring to her directly when speaking of her demonic nature or powers. Perhaps she should be similarly vague? She imagined that it might help them avoid getting discovered. Somehow. She took a moment to laugh to herself, V was much more suited to this type of situation than she was. "Assuming... the mortal body awakens again. What was the point of all of this?" L tactfully inquired.

"Yes... well. There is a service I require of you. I was unable to speak of it at length when we first met, but here in the in between, there is just enough leeway that I can force my meaning past the restrictions placed upon me. Getting the mortal to the in between was only half of the reason their soul is held inside a demonic body. The other is because it is required to free a prisoner. Ages past there was a being trapped on the planet that the Gods hold their game. I cannot speak of why they were imprisoned, but know that it was to my great shame. It is the one lingering regret that constantly haunts me. Innocent, they were doomed to an eternity of torment they did not deserve. I could have stopped it, but I was young and cowardly at the time. Divinity was new to me and I was afraid to lose it. Only a being who can subvert the divine prison could free him, only a demon. Even the Gods lack the ability to free him now, as all those that had imprisoned him are dead, save me. Only I remain, and prison constructed by a multitude of dead gods. That is why the mortal was sent as a demon."

L wondered what possible scenario would have resulted in the eternal imprisonment of someone by "a multitude" of Gods. Also, why was it done specifically on the planet of the God's game? She suspected all of these questions would be pointless, and she lacked the ability to put them into terms that would subvert any laws or restrictions. "How would that mortal locate this prison?" To be honest, L did not really want to add another task to her list. "Surviving" was a full-time job. However, she felt a certain obligation to assist the God of Honor, as he was the one who plucked her from death's hands, and gave her new life. The voice was quiet for some time before responding. "It is my hope that the demonic body, once awakened, will be able to sense the prison. It is my hope that many things will become clear upon the mortal's initial lawbreaking." L marveled at the amount of "hope" the God of Honor was gambling on. This whole entire plan was so easy to ruin. Although, she figured, it seemed as if he did not have many options. "I must leave you now, as every moment I speak with you is an added risk. We will likely not speak again in this manner, once you return and speak of this to your master, the other God's will quickly learn of our conversation. I will not be punished, as I was not caught in the act. My violations will only come to haunt me should you die." a second of silence passed, L had thought she was alone, but the God of Honor spoke one last time. "Oh! That reminds me, a great many of the Gods would be appreciative if you found a way to kill the Champion of Madness. We cannot punish him until his Champion dies. You might even please enough of the Gods that they would make an exception to the rules, and allow you to break your slave contract with the Champion of Motherhood. On... that subject. Once you complete your task, I will no longer have any attachments to this game, or anything else for that matter. However, until then be careful. There are things about the Champion of Motherhood that are... dangerous. You cannot allow him to win the game until you complete your task. You may wish to consider what you would find more honor in. Carrying out your duty to serve him, or serving a much greater purpose, and slaying him after your task is done.