General Heinrich Eisenfaust's POV
"Eh? You're going back?" everyone said, surprised at Peorth's news. I was in the corner of the living room as usual, listening.
"It's a directive from heaven," Peorth explained.
"You can't," Urd and Skuld said simultaneously.
"You can't go back yet," Skuld added, tears welling up in her eyes.
"That's right," Urd agreed with a sad expression.
"We haven't beaten you in Mah-Jong yet!" Skuld exclaimed, earning a chuckle from me.
"I've beaten her," Belldandy said.
"So did the General," Peorth added.
After a while, we were all gathered outside to bid Peorth a proper farewell.
"Thank you for a very fun vacation," she said, thanking us.
"Skuld, you'll definitely become a splendid first-class goddess," she told Skuld.
"Urd-san, even now, I think you're a fitting first-class goddess," she told Urd.
"And Belldandy and Koiichi-san, take care, you two," she told them.
"And finally... General Heinrich, thank you for your wisdom and calm presence. You've always been a steady pillar amidst the chaos. I have no doubt that you'll continue to guide everyone here with the same unwavering strength."
I nodded in acknowledgment, appreciating her words. Peorth had been a unique addition to our dynamic, and despite the occasional disruptions, her departure would leave a noticeable void.
"Take care, Peorth," I said, my voice steady. "May your journey back to heaven be as smooth as possible."
"Take care," we all told her as she prepared to leave.
"Farewell, everyone," she said.
"Begin recall, gate open," she commanded as she knelt down, but nothing happened.
"First-class goddess, second category, unlimited license Peorth has returned," she announced, probably thinking she was in heaven.
"What are you doing?" Urd asked her, clearly confused, as were the rest of us.
"Why are you guys here?! Even Koiichi-san too?!" she yelled. "This is an unthinkable protocol violation!"
"Hey, take a closer look around..." Urd told her, bringing her back to reality. She was still on Earth.
"Seems the gate didn't open, huh," Urd said.
"My apologies, allow me to try again," Peorth apologized.
"And now, everyone, farewell," she said, trying again. This time, it worked.
"She really left this time..." Koiichi said.
"Somehow, even though only one person left, it feels so empty... but it's just one person though, right?" Koiichi muttered somberly.
"It's because of what that one person left behind. The proof of happy times we shared," Belldandy said, to which I could only agree. We all stood there in somber memory until we heard a loud crash. We rushed inside to the source of the noise to find Peorth.
"I thought it was you!" Skuld yelled.
Later, we learned that there was some kind of issue with the gate.
"It's unfortunate, but the gate is being rather peevish," Peorth told us.
"What a mess..." she mused.
"If that's the case, then there's no helping it. Why don't you stay here a bit longer?" Urd urged Peorth. I decided to return to my usual activities, leaving them to figure this whole mess out. Heaven's bureaucracy and systems were neither my department nor my interest.
After a while, I heard a loud crash outside. It seems they have a breakthrough, I thought to myself, making my way outside to the source of the commotion. While passing the living room, I saw that everyone was gathered there.
"Stop stalling!!! Why did you start the strike?!" Peorth yelled at a young child.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat to catch everyone's attention.
"May I inquire what's going on here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"This is the gate, she's on strike, which is why Peorth couldn't go back to heaven," Koiichi explained.
"Don't call her a child, that key really hurts to be hit with," Koiichi warned me in a whisper.
"Duly noted," I replied.
"So you are the General?" the gate asked.
"Affirmative," I responded.
"It's interesting to meet the one that managed to capture the heart of the most brutal Valkyrie," the gate mused, reffering to Lind.
"Yes, that would be me." I confirmed, I did not miss the mischevious glint in Urd's eye.
"Hey, stop stalling again," Peorth said, irritated.
"Oh, that... the reason is this," the gate told Peorth while holding up the cup of tea she was drinking.
"Tea?" Peorth asked.
"Information," the gate corrected.
"I need more information," the gate simply explained.
"Information?" Koiichi asked.
"Yes, information," the gate repeated. Feeling like this was going to go on for a while, I left for my scheduled training, disinterested in the whole ordeal.
After a while, I heard a commotion yet again. It's never a quiet day with this lot, I thought to myself. As I was walking down the hallway, I saw Koiichi and Belldandy running my way before turning to hide in his room for some reason, shortly before seeing the gate running through the hallway as well.
Putting two and two together, I deduced that they were running from her for some reason, so I pointed her in the opposite direction of where they went.
"They went that way," I simply said while walking past her to the yard, where I found Peorth, Urd, and Skuld basically passed out, or at least it seemed that way. Before I could further investigate, I heard a yell from Koiichi from inside. That was quick, I thought to myself as Koiichi ran out past me with the gate hot on his tail.
Koiichi carefully ran over Peorth, taking care not to step on her, while the gate showed no such mercy.
"Inexcusable!" Peorth said, now pissed.
"Is everyone okay with this?!" she asked Urd and Skuld.
"Of course not," they responded in unison.
"This is not acceptable at all," Urd said.
"I haven't even done this with Sentaro-kun yet," Skuld muttered to herself.
"What did you say?" asked Urd, turning to her.
"Nothing!" she responded quickly.
They all then made a circle on the ground as Koiichi ran over it and the gate followed. The circle ensnared the gate, immobilizing her. I merely continued to observe. Before Urd, Skuld, and Peorth could continue, Koiichi rescued the gate.
