Time passed like a gentle breeze on a spring day—soft, fleeting, and deceptively swift.
Immersed in analyzing Heaven's System, Yuuji never once lifted his eyes from the countless holographic screens floating before him. His fingers moved in calculated motions, shifting panels, tracing runes of divine architecture, and recording every strand of information that flowed through the chamber.
By the time he paused to take a breath, an entire day had already passed since he first stepped into the deepest chamber of the Seventh Heaven—the very core of Heaven's divine administration.
The chandelier above him still shone with an ever-glowing radiance, bathing the room in ethereal white light. Yet beyond the crystalline walls, where the bright sky of Heaven once stretched endlessly, the heavens had dimmed into a breathtaking night. A starry tapestry now glittered softly, each star a fragment of divine power twinkling peacefully in the firmament.
Yuuji didn't need a clock or a window to know how much time had passed. His sharpened perception and flawless memory made him acutely aware of every minute, every shift of the world around him. Even if he closed his eyes, he would still know the exact hour.
He knew how much time had passed. But despite it, he had no intention of stopping.
For someone of his caliber, rest and food were luxuries rather than necessities. His magic alone would sustain him indefinitely, keeping him youthful, tireless, and at peak condition. Every second was another opportunity to learn, and he intended to use every one of them.
He had already informed the girls and his friends. He would be staying one extra day to study Heaven's System before returning to prepare for the second Tri-Summit meeting.
And before departing on that mission… he hoped to help Michael restore the system's stability.
'Hm… There's still a lot to learn… But I think I've grasped the general layout.'
He hadn't yet ventured into the more complex subsystems—those governing the intricate details of the distribution of blessings, the creation of miracles, and the pronouncement of divine judgement. Still, he now understood the structure, interactions, and purpose of each section well enough to navigate the divine architecture.
As for the Sacred Gear system… he had barely scratched its surface.
Their creation process, distribution patterns, spiritual resonance, and power output—there were layers upon layers of divine engineering he hadn't yet explored.
Naturally, it interested him.
But he first prioritized the parts of Heaven that dealt directly with humanity: blessings, miracles, and judgement. Those that would directly affect humanity's faith in Heaven.
Sacred Gears, for all their divine prestige, were still functioning sufficiently in their current state. The only true issue lay in the Balance Breaker—an anomaly that exceeded the system's safety restrictions, risking harm to its wielders.
In contrast, the distribution of blessings could have immediate effects. And Yuuji already had ideas.
To nurture humanity's faith, Heaven could grant small, subtle blessings to those who prayed sincerely—not enough to be a miracle, but enough to gently lighten their burdens.
Their prayers would manifest as strength. Their sincerity would convert into luck.
And those who truly embodied Heaven's ideals—those whose kindness and devotion remained unwavering even in hardship—could receive greater blessings. They would become saints. Protectors of faith. Living proof of Heaven's compassion.
Miracles, however, needed to be handled carefully. If too grand, they would sow doubt, not belief. A miracle should feel like grace, not impossibility—something bestowed upon those who walked a righteous path even when surrounded by darkness.
Judgement required similar subtlety. Heaven could not smite openly—it would cause panic, not repentance. But misfortune, failed attempts at wrongdoing, and unseen deterrence… These were punishments that corrected without revealing the divine hand.
Still, Yuuji would not implement anything without consulting the Seraphs—especially Michael.
He was here to help repair Heaven's system, not rule over it.
With that thought, he resumed his analysis.
But at the edge of his awareness… he felt her.
Gabriel.
She stood a short distance away, hands clasped gently above her heart, her posture serene like a statue carved from pure devotion. Her eyes shimmered like golden stars as she watched him. A soft blush warmed her cheeks, and her parted lips curved into a gentle, radiant smile.
She had been standing there for quite some time.
Yuuji didn't know exactly when she had appeared—his focus had been too intense—but once he noticed, she was already there, gazing at him with an expression that could only be described as awe.
He had tried asking what she was doing, but she didn't seem to hear him at all—lost in a reverent daze as she continued to stare.
So he simply returned to his work and focused… At least as much as he could while still feeling the piercing gaze of Heaven's most beautiful woman behind him.
"Yuu—Oh? Sister? What are you doing here?"
Michael had just finished his duties for the day. Expecting to find Yuuji alone, he stepped into the chamber—only to stop mid-sentence when he noticed Gabriel standing several meters ahead.
But the response he expected never came.
Gabriel didn't even turn toward him. She simply stood there, frozen in place… staring at Yuuji.
Her emerald eyes were lowered slightly, glowing faintly with reverence, fascination, and something Michael had never seen before—an emotion deeper and warmer than her usual divine kindness. A rosy blush colored her cheeks, and her soft pink lips were parted, as if she had forgotten how to breathe.
She looked entranced. Like someone gazing at a miracle.
Then, as if waking from a dream, Gabriel blinked, her lashes fluttering lightly before she finally turned to Michael. Her lips curved into a radiant smile that could melt any heart.
"Ah, brother~ Welcome back~"
"Thank you, Gabriel." Michael returned her smile, though curiosity flickered in his eyes.
"So, what are you doing here? Were you… watching Yuuji?"
She nodded at once, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons as her smile brightened further.
"Mm! He's so incredible~ I… I just can't stop watching him."
Michael's eyes widened—just slightly, but enough.
Gabriel had always been the embodiment of perfect serenity. Smiling, gentle, compassionate… her heart opened to all beings. Even in the Great War, when devils and fallen angels raised blades against Heaven, she never showed anger. Only sorrow for their suffering, and hope that one day, they could be saved.
But now, the expression on her face…
Michael had never seen her smile like this.
It wasn't the smile of an archangel.
It was the smile of a woman.
Following her gaze, Michael turned toward Yuuji—and the breath he hadn't realized he was holding escaped him.
'It's only been a day… How is he already manipulating the system like this…?'
Dozens of screens hovered around Yuuji, revolving in slow, rhythmic circles. Divine runes—runes only archangels could perceive—glided through the air like strands of living light. They spiraled around him in patterns eerily reminiscent of the divine providence that once surrounded their Father, the God of the Bible.
And in the center of it all stood Yuuji—calm, focused, eyes sharp as he dissected Heaven's inner workings.
Michael could see it clearly now.
Blessing distribution. Miracle formation protocols. Judgement execution pathways.
The most complex and deeply protected subsystems in all of Heaven—subsystems that even he had struggled to comprehend when Father first taught him—were now unfolding before Yuuji like a blooming flower.
Yuuji wasn't simply studying Heaven's system.
He was understanding it. Deeply. Instinctively.
As if it was natural to him.
'This level of access… This depth of comprehension… even the Seraphim require special authorization just to enter those segments. Unless—'
Michael's thoughts froze.
'Gabriel didn't authorize him… did she?'
He glanced at his sister. No—her expression made it clear she'd done nothing of the sort.
Which left only one possibility.
'Then how…? Unless—'
His brilliant mind worked through every possibility, every theory, until only one—
Absurd. Impossible. Unthinkable. Yet it fit.
'Could Yuuji have been created by Father as well…? Or perhaps… Does he carry Father's blood…?'
If Yuuji shared even a fragment of the God of the Bible's divine essence, Heaven's system would naturally recognize him as a Seraph-level entity.
Even if it sounded impossible… It was the only explanation that made sense.
'No matter the truth… Yuuji-kun might be the key to saving Heaven.'
Hope—that fragile, long-faltering thing—bloomed in Michael's chest once more.
He would never force a destiny onto Yuuji. He would never force love onto his sister.
Such actions would defy everything Father taught them.
But…
If Gabriel truly held romantic feelings for Yuuji. If they naturally grew closer. If they chose each other of their own free will.
Then Yuuji would remain connected to Heaven. Remain close. Remain with them.
And Heaven—broken, incomplete, struggling—would finally have the support it needed.
Michael smiled gently.
"Gabriel," he called softly, "I came to speak with Yuuji-san about the system. Would you like to join me?"
Her wings fluttered—slightly, beautifully—like a startled dove.
"Eh? May I, brother? Would… would I not be a bother to you or Yuuji-sama?"
Her voice trembled with hesitation—but her eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement.
Michael's heart warmed.
"Of course," he said softly. "Let's go together."
Gabriel beamed, joy bursting from her like rays of sunlight piercing clouds.
"Yes~! Thank you, brother~!"
And with a light, excited step, she moved to follow him—her gaze naturally drawn back to Yuuji.
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
Estelle knelt on one knee at the center of her opulent office—one of the highest points in the glittering metropolis below.
Her posture was flawless: back straight, head bowed, wings folded in perfect submission. Her dark, velvety feathers draped elegantly behind her waist, a deliberate sign of reverence rather than fear. The white horns crowning her head glimmered softly under the warm lights—pristine, innocent in color, devilish in shape—framing the cascade of golden silk that flowed down her back like liquid radiance.
Through the glass walls that formed three sides of the office, the city stretched endlessly. Its countless lights sparkled brighter than the stars scattered across the night sky above. It was a sight mortals would call breathtaking—but Estelle barely acknowledged it.
Her Goddess was arriving.
At the appointed moment, the air trembled. A vortex of darkness tore open space itself, swirling with abyssal grace. And from that void, she emerged.
Albedo.
The Supreme Overseer. The Sister of the Primordial Demoness. The Goddess who had remade Estelle's very soul.
The being who had granted peace to Estelle's long-dead parents… and consigned the one who ruined her happiness to a fate far worse than death.
"Welcome, my lady."
Estelle lowered her head even further.
Albedo rewarded her with something she would never waste on lesser beings:
A nod. A gesture of acknowledgment—one Estelle cherished as sacred.
Only those who had proven themselves beyond doubt were worthy of such recognition. Estelle had clawed her way into that elite circle not through talent alone, but by being shaped—reborn—under the hands of Yuuji, Aika, and Albedo themselves.
Albedo walked past her with the serene supremacy of someone who ruled by nature rather than authority. She sat on the luxurious couch at the center of the room, her presence filling the office like an overwhelming tide of dark divinity.
Understanding the silent command embedded in that simple nod, Estelle rose gracefully and stepped to the table before the couch.
"My lady, shall I begin my report?"
"Go on."
Albedo picked up the stack of files neatly placed before her. Her golden, slitted eyes scanned the contents with frightening speed as Estelle began to summarize.
Her voice flowed continuously—calm, precise, unbroken—as she relayed updates on dozens of projects, mergers, expansions, supernatural negotiations, and world-spanning operations. Linked Horizons had its hands in everything: human markets, mythological factions, shadow economies, and divine infrastructures.
Nearly an hour passed, and Estelle never once faltered.
Finally, as her report neared completion, her tone shifted subtly—enough to signal a change in topic.
"And lastly, my lady… a request has arrived from one of the Four Great Demon Kings."
"Hm?"
It was the first time Albedo looked up since entering. Her gaze locked onto Estelle's own golden, slit pupils—mirrors of her Goddess's gift to her.
Estelle immediately lowered her head again.
"Demon King Ajuka Beelzebub has requested a joint research initiative on reincarnating beings into pure-blooded devils. They hope this will solve the rapid decline in true devils within their ranks."
Albedo's eyebrow rose, and her lips curled in a disdainful sneer.
"So he finally noticed. Quite the slow one, isn't he?"
"Indeed, my lady." Estelle nodded. "He appears to have wasted centuries on that archaic, incomplete Origin Transformation method."
Linked Horizons' upper echelon were chosen with extreme scrutiny—those worthy enough to serve the Supreme Being and His divine wives. Those who could be reshaped into something far greater.
Yuuji's "Blessings of the One True Light" had turned many into true angels or devils—pure-blooded, not half-step imitations like the Evil Pieces allowed.
Aika's "Fallen Seed of Lust," the Harbinger of Depravity's exclusive skill, reshaped others into true succubi—beings of perfected allure, magic, and vitality.
Estelle alone had received both blessings.
She had surpassed mortality, surpassed normal supernatural limits, and ascended to a state comparable to heavenly royalty.
And Ajuka Beelzebub—the so-called greatest genius of devilkind—was only now beginning to suspect that something more potent than his own Evil Piece System existed.
But even then, as Estelle's report showed, it was only a hunch.
No wonder Albedo found him slow.
"Accept the request," Albedo said, uncapping her pen to sign one of the pages. "Give them scraps. Just enough to tantalize them, and ensure their dependency grows."
"As you wish, my lady."
Estelle bowed deeply, then continued:
"And what about Heaven? Once devils show progress, Heaven will inevitably seek the same."
Albedo's expression changed.
Her smile became genuine. Warm… Affectionate.
Her golden eyes curved into beautiful crescents.
"Do not worry about Heaven. My love will take command of it soon enough." She spoke with absolute confidence—as if it were already an established fact.
"He will grant divine miracles and blessings to those he deems worthy. Let the devils scramble for his favor and kneel before his will. For in the end, it will be the only path that can save their race from extinction."
Estelle lowered herself once more, pressing a hand to her chest.
"My lady…"
Her voice trembled with reverence, admiration, and something close to worship.
She bowed deeply. In her silence, endless devotion and absolute loyalty.
To her Goddess. And to her God.
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!