“Bloody hell, it’s like they stole a chapter right out of Dad’s old playbook,” said Seren Kaylan, speaking to Tau Kaylan, the current Mister Gray, as well as Seren’s younger brother. The two of them currently gazed at the broken and shattered remains of a galaxy cluster. Those worlds that hadn’t been reduced to ash and free-floating plasma, were naught but cold and lifeless rocks that slowly floated towards the remains of the galaxy cluster’s equally dead stars.

“Mn, true. It’s as impressive as it is a little scary,” said Tau. His current form was that of a mobius strip made of golden snakes with black holes and collapsing stars in place of their scales.

Their father was a being that existed with the innate ability and purpose of altering fates and probabilities. So, seeing the effects of a probability bomb in their enemy’s territory, almost made the two immortals wonder if their old man hadn’t decided to secretly do something on the House’s behalf, regardless of the rules against intermeddling by those who now presided in the higher-planes.

“You guys uh...You guys ‘did’ set some defenses in place to keep something similar from happening in ‘our’ neck of the woods, right?” said Seren.

“Of course, the mums and dad worked on it together, and I’ve been improving on it, as I understand more about how our powers work,” said Tau.

“Phew...Okay, then,” said Seren. Sighing in relief as he turned his sober gaze to the twisted, scorched, and frozen remains of a spaceship that had been some group of mortal’s futile attempt to escape the effects of a war between ancient undyings.

Cosmic beings of all forms and sizes tore their way past a crumbling wall made of living sound. The involvement of the Calloways and the Shattered Heavens ended, where the part of the House of Antipodes and the Division of Cosmic Artifice began. The House’s forces and the Division’s forces tore their way into the territory of their ancient foes with an ease that surprised even them. They’d been preparing for an eventual clash between themselves and the Dark Bell Orchestra for eons, but they’d never accounted for a situation where their ancient foe would be so sorely battered, that it’d feel like they’d declared war on an already plundered nation.

“Agh!... Is it too late to spit back what we’ve eaten?” groused Director Seren Kaylan. Walking into a large office space that seemed to have somehow been placed in the middle of a cool moonlit forest.

“Pft, do you think our mothers won’t descend from the higher-planes, to force us to swallow back that throw up, if we try? And don’t even get me started about the old-timers who are still keeping an eye on the House’s activities,” said Seren’s largely identical, fraternal twin, Dana Kaylan. She shared the same tall, slender, and elegant frame. She had the same red hair and blue-green eyes. She was a bit curvier, and she only occasionally wore glasses, but overall, dress her as a man, and maybe give her a dusting of fake facial hair, and most folk would need to take a second look to know for sure they weren’t dealing with Seren.

“Tch...Fuck, I guess I have to suck it up then,” sighed Seren. Looking downtrodden, as if he hadn’t just triumphantly returned after destroying and consuming several beings, nigh-omnipotent, who’s true-forms lay beyond description.

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“Pretty much...But look on the bright side. We can’t die from overwork…” said Dana. Smiling tiredly.

“Yeah, wait! Doesn’t that mean we’ll still be working long after we’ve wished for the sweet relief of death?!” said Seren.

“Huh...I guess that’s true too,” said Dana. Frowning as if she hadn’t considered that angle of things.

“Is it too late to quit?” said Seren.

“Yes, but I’ve thought of another silver-lining for us,” said Dana.

“What?”

“Well, we’re bosses, right? Then we should do what bosses do and delegate,” said Dana.

“They can’t complain if they’re properly compensated for their efforts,” said Seren. Smiling evilly.

“En, we can just let them keep the territory they’re watching for us, as an additional payment,” said Dana. Nodding calmly.

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Elsewhere in the Shattered Heavens, a certain enclave of young immortals would soon be receiving a missive from the august House of Antipodes. A message that would inform them that in addition to their current holdings they were being “firmly encouraged” to take charge of several multiverses worth of real-estate and living beings. There would be a broad variance in terms of responses, ranging from happy dances, to emphatic cursing.

I would be amongst the group that was cursing. I’d gone out of my way to avoid taking any sapient life forms as part of our household’s living loot. Jack, on the other hand, was doing her “queen of the world”-dance. It looked like an odd cross between a samba, some kind of folk dance, some capoeira, and old country step-dancing.

This was the worst possible wedding gift that our bosses in the Division of Cosmic Artifice could have given Kal and I. Kalpana kindly patted me on the shoulder, and informed me that the Empty-Harvesters would be ready to help with the management of our new territories, once the time came.

Meanwhile, I have an entire Host of Angels that have parked their home above my home and refuse to leave for some reason. This particular decade has gone from being full of awesome to being full of suck, in quite the hurry. It's almost as if I “wasn’t” able to completely dodge the negative karma from deep-sixing countless universes, but I’m trying to stay positive about this.

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A little ways away from the Empty-Mountain controlled by the Calloways and their allies, was a mountain belonging to Dragon Empress Kian. Technically, most of the mountains in the Prism Spine belonged to her, but this particular mountain was privately Kian’s rather than being another asset of the state. Kian went there whenever she needed to escape from the pressures and plotting for the imperial court.

The only person she allowed on the mountain beside herself, and a few non-sapient spirits, beasts, and constructs that served as servants and guards, was her right-hand and personal maid, Lorelai.

“So it seems that our Dragon Empire’s territory has grown again, your majesty,” said the violet-scaled dragon-maid.

“Ugh...Leave that to the muscleheads in the military, for now, I’ll formulate a proper plan of action tomorrow,” said Kian. Who’d ages ago learned the importance of compartmentalizing and sticking to her intended schedules and plans of action.

“Very well, your majesty. Shall I bring up the chart for our plan of action for seducing Lord Calloway?” said Lorelai.

“C-, Could you not put it that way, please? Just call it girl talk…” said Kian. Blushing.