Olga stood in the summoning chamber inside Chaldea, nervously tapping her foot as she said, "You're sure, Castiel? Tet is sending us some backup, right?"
Inside her mind, the calm voice of Castiel replied, "Yes, I'm sure. They should be here momentarily."
A kaleidoscopic portal suddenly opened in front of her, swirling with light and color. Out of it stepped seven people—and one pig.
Leading the group was a small boy with long, wild blonde hair. He gave her a confident grin and said, "Yo! The name's Meliodas. Nice to meet you."
Next to him, a tall man with spiky white hair smirked. "I'm Ban. What's up?"
A smaller man with glasses fidgeted nervously before speaking. "I—I'm Escanor."
Another man, also wearing glasses but with a calmer expression, added, "I am Gowther."
Floating slightly above the ground on a pillow, a boy with short brown hair said, "I'm Harlequin, King of the Fairies—but everyone calls me King."
A tall woman with brown hair tied into twin tails waved cheerfully. "Hey! I'm Diane!"
Then, a graceful girl with long white hair stepped forward and smiled warmly. "And I'm Elizabeth."
Finally, the talking pig trotted to the front and said enthusiastically, "I'm Hawk! Nice to meet you!"
Olga blinked in surprise at the strange assortment before her. If this had been before she'd been joined with Castiel, she would have thought she'd been scammed. But now, she could feel just how powerful these individuals were. Straightening up, she gave them a polite bow.
"I am Olga Marie Animusphere. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and thank you for answering our call for reinforcements."
Meliodas grinned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, saving the world sounded like fun. Plus, we were promised a reward for helping out."
Olga smiled faintly, then called out, "Sylvia, could you come in here, please?"
A moment later, Sylvia entered the chamber, saluting briskly. "Yes, Director?"
"Please show our guests to their rooms," Olga instructed.
"Of course," Sylvia replied, turning to the group with a polite smile. "If you'll please follow me."
As the group departed—Hawk trotting happily behind them—Olga was about to leave the chamber herself when Castiel's voice stopped her.
"Wait. There's another coming."
Olga turned back toward the portal just as it shimmered open again. Out stepped an absolutely stunning woman with long, flowing blonde hair and radiant blue eyes. She wore a long white dress and matching heels, and above her head floated a golden halo. From her back spread twelve magnificent white wings that gleamed with divine light.
"Good evening," the woman said in a soft, melodic voice. "I am the Archangel Gabriel."
In that instant, Olga's eyes began to glow bright blue. Angelic wings unfurled from her back, and a halo of light appeared above her head. Kneeling reverently, Olga—now speaking with the tone and presence of Castiel—said, "Lady Gabriel, it is wonderful to see you."
Gabriel blinked in surprise, her expression softening before shifting to one of confusion. "Castiel? Is that you? Wait—no, you're different. You must be another Castiel from a different Earth." Her tone turned cheerful again. "Oh well! It is still a pleasure to see you, my sibling."
But then, her cheeks puffed up in mild anger as she crossed her arms. "I'm upset, though! Why are you possessing this poor girl? How could you do such a thing?"
Castiel quickly raised a hand in calm explanation. "Please, allow me to explain. On my Earth, angels cannot descend without a willing host. Olga consented to my presence."
Gabriel's eyes widened, then softened with understanding. "Oh… I see. So the angels where you're from need a willing host to descend. That's so sad." She frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."
"It is alright, my lady. You didn't know," Castiel replied kindly.
Gabriel smiled again, her mood brightening. "Well then, with that out of the way, please—show me around!"
Castiel chuckled softly. "Of course. Right this way."
And with that, she led Gabriel through the corridors of Chaldea, the faint shimmer of their halos illuminating the path ahead.
After the tour was finished, Ban made his way to the cafeteria, whistling casually as he pushed open the doors. Seeing no one working behind the counter, he shrugged, hopped over the serving line, and began rummaging through the kitchen. Within moments, he had pots clanging, pans heating, and ingredients spread across the counter.
He was halfway through seasoning a slab of meat when a startled voice called out, "Oh no! You're a guest here—we can't ask you to cook!"
Ban looked up from the stove and saw a girl standing a few feet away. She had gentle blue eyes and neck-length purple hair, her outfit neat and proper—a black shirt, white jacket, black skirt, black leggings, black shoes, glasses, and a red tie. She looked both surprised and concerned.
Without really thinking, Ban reached out with a grin and rubbed her head affectionately. "It's all good," he said, his tone easy and warm. "I love to cook, and I was bored anyway. So you just sit back and let old Ban take care of it, okay?"
For a moment, Mash froze, wide-eyed from the unexpected gesture. But then, to her own surprise, a small, genuine smile formed on her lips. "Okay," she said softly. "Thank you."
She took a seat at one of the cafeteria tables, folding her hands in her lap as she watched him work.
As the smell of sizzling meat filled the air, Ban glanced over his shoulder. "So," he called out, flipping a steak with practiced ease, "what's your name, kiddo?"
"My name's Mash Kyrielight," she replied politely.
"Name's Ban," he said with a friendly nod. "Nice to meet you, kid."
Mash tilted her head thoughtfully. "Ban… like the King of Benwick?"
Ban froze mid-motion, his eyes widening in surprise before he looked over at her with a curious grin. "Well, that is where I'm from—but I ain't no king."
Mash smiled faintly, her tone half teasing, half wondering. "Oh, maybe it's just not happened yet."
Ban let out a hearty chuckle and shook his head. "Alright, little lady, I get it—there's probably another me in this world's history. But I'd like to know as little about him as possible, just in case my life ends up like his, okay?"
Mash nodded with understanding. "I understand."
After a few more minutes, Ban plated the meal—a perfectly cooked steak with carrots and potatoes, simple but hearty—and brought it over to her. "Sorry it's so simple," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't got much in the way of ingredients right now. I'll look into getting more later."
Mash took a bite, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "No, this is incredible," she said sincerely. "Thank you."
Ban grinned, pleased. "Glad you like it."
He turned back toward the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves and whistling again as he started preparing more food—completely in his element.
Later that day, King floated into the room, his pillow levitating gently as he looked toward Ban, who was lounging on a couch with his feet kicked up on the table. "So," King began, crossing his arms, "I noticed you being super nice to that girl, Mash. You don't usually warm up to people that quick."
Ban glanced up at him, a faint, almost puzzled smile tugging at his lips. "I know," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just… I feel like I know her, you know? Not only that—I feel insanely protective of her, and I can't explain why."
King floated down to stand beside him, frowning thoughtfully. "I get it," he said after a moment. "I feel the same, actually. I wonder why…"
Before either of them could say more, a sudden flash of kaleidoscopic light filled the air. When it faded, a sealed letter hovered between them, shimmering faintly.
King blinked in surprise before grabbing it and unfolding the parchment. He read aloud, "Dear Ban and King, to answer your question—it's because that girl is the genetic clone of Sir Galahad, Ban and Elaine's grandson in this universe. So technically, she's Ban's granddaughter and King's great-niece."
Both men froze, eyes wide. Ban stared at the letter for a long moment before letting out a slow whistle. "So I've got a grandkid…" he said, a grin spreading across his face, equal parts shock and pride.
King's expression hardened instantly, his brows furrowing. "I'll kill anyone who hurts her," he declared, his tone dead serious.
Ban barked out a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. "Oh, King, that's only if I don't get there first." Then his grin turned a little sheepish as he added, "But if that's one of my grandkids—and yes, I'm completely ignoring the clone thing—then who the hell is my kid?"
King threw up his hands, exasperated. "How the hell should I know? They've got your other self's history written down somewhere—we could go look it up!"
"Hell no," Ban said immediately, waving the idea off. "I'd rather that be a surprise."
As the two continued their banter, the door opened and Meliodas strolled in, his usual mischievous grin in place. "There you guys are," he said, hands resting on his hips. "Come on, we're about to be briefed on the next mission."
Ban pushed himself up with a stretch, his joints popping as he rolled his shoulders. "Alright, we'll talk about this again later, King. Let's go see what's happening."
King sighed but followed after him, wings flicking once before he hovered beside Ban. Together, the two trailed after Meliodas, heading down the hall toward the briefing room.