The Seraphic System
Chapter: 89
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story. However, all original characters, plotlines, and world-building elements created in this story are my own.
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance.
(The Battle Of Heaven)
-{Uriel}-
Uriel narrowed his eyes, sending a look back to Michael who was equally as serious.
The flesh tower pulsed.
A grotesque eye tore open near its peak, flooding the sky with a crimson veil that bled over Heaven's white glow. The mist recoiled as if afraid, replaced by an oppressive red that carried weight far beyond light.
Uriel's steps didn't falter, but he felt it. The cold press of despair threaded through his chest. An attempt to try to make any opposition-run in fear and abandon all order.
The army of Heaven didn't falter, shaking it off with the thousands of years of experience being alive for so long allowed for.
With the mist's retreat as it was overlayered by the strange corrupting power, Uriel was finally able to get a glance at what awaited Heaven. The last wave of this strange army.
Perhaps calling the truly massive force a mere wave was an understatement.
Uriel had to quietly rethink his opinion of this Architect and the danger the Khaos Brigade presented.
An army of this scale didn't go unnoticed. It was obvious they had been taken from multiple Pantheons to make a larger force. Like most of the monsters he had seen today, they all seemed to belong to known Pantheons or Factions.
So they hadn't appeared from nowhere. They had been leached from multiple Factions and Pantheons.
With the mist drawn back, the cheers and slow march of the army could finally be heard.
At the front was a species of Oni that he knew to be separated from Yakasas and Nurarihyon clans.
Around a thousand of them stood in a long row like a dark ride as they wore blackish armour with red markings engraved on its surface to match the equally fearsome tattoos painted on their bodies.
Every individual Oni warrior possessed a fiery red aura around them that matched the strange pulsing domain the flesh tower had spread out to encompass the encroaching army.
Behind them, were large furred beings. With large maws and thick arms coming out to spread into sharp claws. They barely seemed able to stay in formation as they shifted around, bestial eyes looking around wildly.
Werewolves.
Uriel squinted his eyes, observing them carefully.
It seemed they were Lunari Feralis.
That was good.
The true Werewolves getting involved would be strange and a further hindrance. They were a secluded race that was notoriously powerful. Even the weakest of them was guaranteed to be in the middle-class realm of power.
It seemed this was the other type of werewolves, the cursed ones. They were considered more of a virus.
In normal circumstances, they could only turn during the night of a full moon, as was the limit of the curse. Unlike the true werewolves, they could turn others by providing blood and then killing their victim.
In the werewolf form they possessed, they were essentially low to middle-class beasts depending on their physique.
Uriel could see what the Architect had done, and he had to admit they served as a perfect force.
It seems they had found a way to recreate whatever triggered the curse.
Further behind that was a large force of Arachean spiders.
Uriel wanted to sigh.
The Architect had somehow obtained an Arachean Spider Queen.
They were a rarity these days, only being found in the most famous magical forest in supernatural history.
The Fey wilds.
They had been driven from the world long ago, not because of a single battle, but because of the overwhelming numbers and the chaos they brought with them. Wherever a queen appeared, a swarm of powerful spider spawn was sure to follow.
Feeding them became such a problem that entire farms had to be repurposed, dedicated solely to breeding livestock just to keep up with the growing hunger of the spider horde.
All of this made for the fearsome sight that Heaven laid eyes upon.
Surrounded by the slowly moving domain that had made Heaven look like a hellscape, a black streak of energy occasionally crackled through the air. The Oni warriors roared, raising weapons. The werewolves snarled with a bestial fury only an animal could possess.
While at the back, varying in sizes and colours were the Arachean spider spawn. They skittered and clicked their mandibles with a force that made the sound travel to his ears.
All of them were covered in the strange red fiery glow that the tower was emitting.
He didn't waste time, his thoughts coming to a halt as he raised his spear.
A red dome instantly came to mimic the actions of Heaven's army. The army was covered from any attacks he would send.
Even then, his spear sparked with holy flame as he aimed at the flesh tower. The flames at the tip of his spear crackled with raw holy pressure as Uriel levelled the tip toward the grotesque flesh tower. His eyes narrowed, ready to let loose a barrage of fire that would burn through its corrupted frame.
At that moment, within the strange domain, a tear opened bypassing the wards.
A violent screech reverberated through the heavens as thunder cracked unnaturally, red lightning splitting the clouds. From that tear, a figure descended in a spiral of sand and rage.
Uriel's aim faltered.
The being landed just above the battlefield with a quake of sand and shadow. The very air quaking as a powerful being that hadn't been seen in many a year appeared.
Set.
The Egyptian God of Chaos, Disorder, and Deserts.
"…Set?" Uriel muttered.
He should be sealed…
This wasn't good.
Uriel immediately went on full alert. While his experience made him stronger than most that were around his level. Set was a very powerful God in his own right.
The jackal-headed god stood with a twisted grin, his form wrapped in linen-like dark cloth that rippled with cursed energy. His eyes burned with what could only be described as pure malevolence.
He cracked his neck, stretching his arms.
"Uriel," he sneered.
"You escaped your imprisonment?" Uriel calmly asked, regaining his bearings.
"Didn't I tell your father long ago? Locks mean nothing in the face of true chaos."
Before Uriel could respond, Set roared and raised his hand. Yet, before he could attack the already building attack Uriel had been forming exploded out of the tip of his spear.
Sand infused with a chaotic purple that crackled across each grain of sand power rose like a tsunami around the enraged God. The beam of fire made the world around them shake as it collided with the sand's surface.
The beam of fire began pressing through, only for the sand to form a strange tunnel that allowed the flame to pass through instead of pushing against it.
The purple power shone brighter and let out defeating cracks across the sand's surface, inside the holy flame that was being swallowed by sand promptly found itself covered in purple power.
The holy flames became chaotic and turned a chaotic reddish-pink, the almost perfectly controlled fire beginning to rage wildly as it was led through a circling tunnel that circled back towards Uriel.
Strangely enough, the purple fire felt cold instead of hot. A layer of frost began to surround the area as it travelled towards him, his spear gradually becoming colder.
Uriel replied with a massive holy fire construct that formed into a massive beast, the fire beast consumed the strange chaotic flame and fought against it internally even as it carried an incredible amount of power back to Set.
The massive holy fire exploded as golden and purple flames mixed in the air, nullifying the massive gathering of sand Set had been building as it happened.
Four concentrated blades of holy fire cut though not even a moment later.
Set dodged, sending gathering sand to nullify two of them, only for the other two to explode into multiple smaller blades that sent Set flying back with a scowl.
Blood leaked from the impact zone on his body.
He whipped out his arms, divine power erupting out of him in copious amounts.
A truly massive amount of sand came to form as a giant wall was formed, briefly covering the entirety of the army that was advancing behind him.
Uriel merely shook his head, forming a condensed beam of fire in response that shot and instantly burnt a hole through the sand wall.
"You're getting rusty," Uriel commented.
The stronger you get, the more compact your attacks should be. There was a reason Uriel and the other God-class beings fighting weren't simply doing large-scale attacks that would consume the skies. The more your energy spread the less power it contained.
Set roared.
A storm of lightning and sand quickly came to form around him. The large sand wall came to spiral around him along with sparkes of purple energy that crackled.
In the middle of it all, Set's body became huge.
Divine energy crackled and the air bent even further under the weight of his full power.
Uriel spun his spear, gathering momentum as holy power sparked. As he thrust his spear out, a laser of holy fire streaked through the air in an instant like a cut in reality.
Even as sand came to gather, the resulting collision made the beam part and turned most of the sand into chunks of glass that were falling below every moment.
A spiral of sand wrapped in cursed glyphs surged forward.
Uriel was forced to cut off his attack as he dove to the side, blocking the incoming whip of sand with a sweep of his spear.
The blow still staggered him through the air.
Uriel didn't have time to retaliate before Ares suddenly burst back onto the field with a scowl, landing beside Set like a returning plague.
"Of course," Uriel muttered. "The warmonger couldn't stay down."
"You didn't finish me," Ares snapped.
Before they could both converge on him, a golden blur intercepted Ares mid-charge.
The God of War blinked as he caught the woman coming towards him with his superior strength.
Jeanne.
Her flag met Ares' war hammer with a clang that shook the air, the sheer force blasting winds across the battlefield.
She didn't say a word, her gaze focused, cold, righteous.
Uriel sent her a glance.
She was meant to stay back… Michael wanted most of Heaven's strongest fighters to remain on standby as to not give the opposition any insight to their preparations.
This was also why Tiamat, Hestia and Aphrodite weren't joining unless it was absolutely necessary.
They didn't want anyone knowing of Heaven's new allies.
A moment later, Ares thrust his hand out and punched her. Only for a holy barrier to absorb the blow as she swung her spear expertly. Ares was able to move his hammer in time, showing he was much stronger in the process.
He grinned. "I'm going to have fun with this one."
The massive body of Set merely sent him a derisive snort as their battle was taken elsewhere.
Uriel sent her a glance.
"Aw. Are you worried for the girl? I'm sure Ares will take good care of her, he's got a rather good track history with women like his father." Set taunted. "Even if he has tried to make everyone think that's not the case."
A second later, another divine presence flooded the sky. The air dimmed for a moment as a man clad in feathers, war paint, and golden regalia appeared with a boom.
Uriel quickly identified the God.
Huitzilopochtli. Aztec god of sun and sacrifice.
He descended like a meteor through the sky, his obsidian blade dragging divine sparks through the air. Uriel instantly flared his wings and ascended, narrowly avoiding the solar slash that scorched a crater in the clouds.
Below, the attack impacted the shield.
Which briefly drew his attention.
The battle had become a true war. Angels clashed with Oni shock troops, holy weapons against bone-cleaving blades. The werewolves charged in chaotic formations, tearing through soldiers. The Arachneans cast silk traps and poison with cold precision. The lines were being pushed.
Angels fell.
His heart twisted.
Above, Huitzilopochtli raised his blade again, only for it to meet another.
Michael.
Uriel heard the clash before he saw it, Michael, blade of light drawn, stared down the Aztec war god without hesitation. A truly massive shockwave danced between them.
The Aztec God was flung away.
Michael sent him a look and he nodded firmly.
Uriel took the moment to hover midair, thoughts dark and quiet.
He noticed a pattern now. All of these gods were enemies of Heaven. Evil Gods who had been sealed by Father. And now they were being used by the Architect.
Set cackled. "I bet you're wishing your daddy melted me down into a gear instead of sealing me like some prisoner who could be redeemed."
Uriel looked back up at the powerful God.
"You aren't worth the materials," Uriel replied flatly.
The grin vanished from Set's face as he scowled.
The three-way sky battle resumed with terrifying force, Ares striking against Jeanne who was on the back foot. Michael fighting Huitzilopochtli, moving like twin meteorites in the sky as they clashed.
Set slashing the sky with cursed sands, Uriel fought back as he kept an eye on the battle below.
-{Jeanne D'Arc}-
Jeanne could admit her decision to leave the gates of Heaven hadn't been one made with much thought.
She couldn't help it, she had always been slightly reckless in regards to her own life. Seeing beings of such darkness perverting the lands of Heaven had made something deep within her turn.
A barrier formed in front of the brute known as Ares admittedly powerful punch, a shockwave briefly pushing the air away from the impact.
In one hand, she held Ascalon. Its powerful aura surrounded her entire arm, and in the other, she held her flag.
Ares continued with a look of true hostility, collisions sounded through the sky as she was forced to defend herself from the much stronger opponent.
Jeanne blocked another blow, her entire arm shuddering from the force.
She activated her defence aura which condensed the barrier to surround her form, so it was essentially an armour instead of having to only block without a chance to attack.
Ares didn't let up, each strike was brutal, fast, and meant to crush.
She kept moving, luckily her speed seemed a bit closer to his than his pure strength and magic. His hammer tore through the space she'd just left, the pressure alone enough to rupture the air.
She raised her flag in time to deflect a side strike. The fabric shimmered under the Ares pure power but held.
Her eyes tracked his stance, high elbow, wide swing, and predictable aggression.
Jeanne let him come again. She tanked a hit with her barrier, then dropped low and twisted sharply.
She acted mostly on prediction. Ascalon surged with energy. The holy blade carved forward, catching Ares across the side. Golden blood sprayed.
Ares roared in pain. His body lurched back, pain flashing across his expression, but it didn't last. The wound barely slowed him.
"I'm going to hang your head atop-"
Jeanne took that chance to send a wave of holy power that was amplified to a degree that allowed her to gain another hit on Ares.
He sneered, his eyes glowing a baleful red.
His aura exploded outward, crackling red and black. The sky warped behind him. A ghostly, metaphysical axe manifested above, shaped from divine power. It descended like a meteorite.
Jeanne raised both weapons, bracing.
The impact slammed her down, punching through clouds and sending her crashing into the lower battlefield. The huge barrier that covered the top of both armies smashed into her back, and she was forced to recover quickly as Ares descended.
She quickly stuck her staff down and a barrier briefly forced Ares back, his body bouncing off the sudden barrier. She deactivated it and slashed Ascalon, getting another cut on the God.
He charged at her, and she quickly dodged.
Ares looked to be getting more wrathful by the second and as he slammed down once more, the insanely powerful barrier merely wobbled slightly even as a massive shockwave pushed her back.
His hammer gained a bright glow and he was able to spin it around, smashing into the side of her body and sending her far back from the sheer force of the hit.
She rose quickly, armour scorched, lip bleeding. Her hands were trembling, but her grip didn't falter.
As she attempted to send another attack, she was forced to continue blocking as Ares didn't let up.
Attack after attack coming in quick succession.
She could only hope her presence wasn't needed anywhere else, for she found herself barely surviving the encounter with Ares.
-{Michael}-
Michael's blade carved through the air, meeting Huitzilopochtli's obsidian weapon in a clash reverberating through the sky. A brief shimmer surrounded them as the very air was parted.
The Aztec god was strong, as was expected for a powerful God of his stature who was reaching the higher end of the God class. That still didn't help with Michael having millennia of experience and sheer power as he was able to combat him without much damage.
He pressed forward, his sword blazing with concentrated light that forced the war god back.
The light shone like the heart of a star, briefly blinding the God every time he attacked.
"If you leave now, I shall allow this to go unpunished" Michael said, driving his blade in a precise arc that shattered the god's guard.
He knew the God wouldn't accept, but just as his Father had he would feel better if he gave the God a choice.
Huitzilopochtli snarled, raising his weapon for another strike, but Michael was already moving.
A concentrated beam of light that contained enough energy to easily decimate a city punched through the god's defences, sending him spiralling toward the barrier serving as a ground below.
Michael's eyes swept the battlefield quickly.
Jeanne was holding her own against Ares, but barely and she was starting to gain wounds. The Greek god's superior overall power was showing itself, each blow driving her further back.
Jeanne was powerful, but she was mostly defence-based and at the lower end of the God-class.
While Ares in his divine form was at the higher end. It made sense that the sheer power gap was showing itself, especially since she was mainly defence-based.
Michael sent her a soft look, even as he was forced to avoid another blow and focus back on the powerful Aztec God that was trying to kill him.
Originally she had been meant to stay at the gate to keep anyone from powering their way through, but She'd left her position at the gate when she saw another god moving to flank Uriel.
She couldn't be blamed for her compassion and it warmed Michael's heart. But that didn't change the fact that she was being beaten back.
Jeanne kept her condensed barrier up, sparks flying as Ares continually smashed into it with his large war hammer. Shockwaves billowed out every second as a strong force met an immovable object.
He caught Frieren's attention with a sharp nod.
The ancient Elven mage understood immediately, breaking away from her position by the gate to assist Jeanne.
Michael still didn't know what to make of the Elf.
She was undoubtedly a genius in magic. The Elven girl had started opening up more as she spent more time in Heaven. Michael had seen at the very least that she had not regretted her decision to join Heaven.
The elf shot through the air, white garments fluttering in the wind as a staff appeared with a casual flick into her left hand. But before Frieren could reach her, a second figure emerged from the swirling, corrupted mist, a god, unfamiliar and materializing in a wave of power.
Michael frowned at the sight of yet another powerful God.
Frieren found herself intercepted, forced into her own battle as dark energy clashed with her magic.
-{Frieren}-
Frieren raised her staff immediately, avoiding another attack from the God who had attempted to catch her by surprise.
Mirrors floated around him, creating some sort of field where the air visibly waved unnaturally.
"Zoltraak." She uttered, pointing her staff at him.
An insanely powerful high-speed beam lanced out and shattered two of the mirrors. It should've hit him, but his figure flickered, absorbed into one of the panels. He emerged from behind her.
She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming.
"Fliegen." She teleported back midair, inches from a clawed hand made of dark energy.
His strike missed, tearing into the empty sky and passing by Uriel's fight.
The God countered fast. From several mirrors, identical black tendrils surged toward her. They moved with erratic speed, curving unnaturally midair, tracking her like live wires.
She raised a shield spell,
The tendrils slammed into it and splashed off in a burst of smoke.
"Is this the extent of what a magic God can offer?" I vaguely heard Frieren say.
He scowled in fury. "Insolent-"
Frieren moved again, mid-air acceleration with "Verstärkung" followed by another "Zoltraak." This time the beam tore through one of his shoulders. The speed of the spells was so fast that he was having trouble reacting.
But his Domain twisted the damage.
The mirror behind him shattered, and the wound lessened, displaced into the broken fragment like it had been stored elsewhere.
So that's how he worked.
It wasn't completely healed but a good chunk of that damage had been negated.
Frieren floated there, calm.
Her staff spun slowly in her hand.
He raised his weapon, a jagged axe that dripped mirror-fluid, like living mercury. The blade extended and slashed through the air.
One of the reflections behind Frieren duplicated the motion, slashing her back.
She narrowly avoided it, her cloak torn.
He grinned.
Then she raised her hand.
"Sturm."
A violent pressure blast fired from her palm. Not one spell, but five, linked in a rhythm. Wind, ice, heat, pressure, and arcane pulse. She moved like she was solving a calculation mid-fight.
He blocked most of them but his right side was frozen solid. Frieren fired a second "Zoltraak" into the weakened spot and cracked it wide open.
Then came the sound.
A warping howl.
More mirrors formed in the air, not just reflecting Frieren, but duplicating her magic. A cursed mimicry. He was able to cast weaker versions of her spell back at her.
She redirected, spell-cancelled, and dodged all in real time. Her expression didn't change, briefly coming to meet his gaze, an identified emotion in her eyes.
Then she dove in, closed the distance mid-air, and placed her palm flat against his chest.
The blast ripped the space apart. I could feel the tremor from here.
He flew backwards, crashing through two of his mirror constructs. Blood sprayed, and a hole burned through his robes.
The God was breathing harshly, and I could see the bewilderment on his face. "Just what are you?"
"Slightly bored." She replied. "I am enjoying your special magical skills though. Have you any more of those to show me?"
He looked at her in disbelief. "Don't act like you're not struggling!"
Frieren smiled lightly. "You're certainly persistent."
"Eisspeer." She said lightly.
An ice spear formed and yet it felt oddly powerful.
It quickly launched faster than sound. He didn't block it, he simply let a mirror consume him and appeared from a different point.
The spear froze midair inside the reflection, embedded in stasis.
He pointed.
The spear reversed and shot back at her.
Frieren flicked her staff. A barrier deflected it, but not without effort.
Then her mana surged.
Dozens of magic circles spun behind her in a layered formation. Colours shifted in quick succession.
Blue, gold, violet.
"Grossen Zoltraak."
She fired the enhanced beam. It ripped through several mirror planes, each one slowing the spell but unable to stop it entirely. It struck him in the chest.
He grunted in pain, smoke coming from his burnt flesh. His reflection, one she hadn't seen, grabbed her ankle.
He was behind her again.
Frieren twisted in midair and threw a fast, basic fire spell into the mirror behind her. It detonated, breaking the chain. More tendrils came, this time laced with memory magic. She shook as one scraped her arm, trying to rewrite her casting rhythm.
She muttered, "Mind-clearing: Fokus."
The interference stopped.
"Genug."
Her staff slammed into her palm as she activated her full casting protocol. The air around her cracked with layered magic. Ten separate spells charged at once, ice, fire, gravity, light, force, chains, anti-domain, disruption pulses.
He raised both hands. The mirrors all around turned black, then reversed. Each one copied a spell, slowed it, twisted it. It was like fighting herself in broken fragments.
But Frieren pressed forward.
"Durchbrechen."
The word hit like a hammer. A spell broke past the mimicry system, disrupting the domain for just a moment. At that moment, Frieren shot forward, eyes locked on him.
She cast with hand signs alone.
A thin beam fired straight into his shoulder.
The god froze mid-cast.
Frieren appeared before him in the next instant, hand glowing red.
"Magisches Siegel – Versiegelung."
A direct seal, raw force plus mana compression.
He screamed as it dug into him.
He lashed out with wild dark energy, and they were thrown apart again.
Smoke poured from his back. One eye burned shut. His axe was gone.
He shouted and Frieren felt the full extent of his divine power for a moment, forced to spend a considerable amount of her magic to escape the blast radius.
The god chased her down, forming mirrors to surround her. His face was burnt and steaming as he glared daggers at her.
-{Raphael}-
Raphael stood near the archway of Heaven's gate, her hands raised as lines of glowing script circled her fingers.
The barrier held, for now.
Thousands of Angels were dedicated to that task alone.
Those battles needed to stay separated.
This was a common practice.
While God-class beings had been felled by armies alone in the past when you had a level of power throwing attacks randomly. The death outweighed the cost of simply sending your own God-class being to fight.
The best tactic was for the God-class fight to go on till either side beat the enemy's army and then command the army to begin a focused attack on the God-class being.
She adjusted its harmonics as another blast from above exploded into the outer wall.
The sky above was chaos.
Raphael's two older brothers fought against God-class beings and traded blows with enough force to tear apart landscapes. Each shockwave threatened to spill into Heaven itself.
It was her job to make sure that didn't happen, especially since wards of Heaven were affected by that fleshy domain.She turned briefly to glance at the row of healing zones just inside the gate.
Gabriel knelt over a wounded Cherub, her palms pulsing with holy energy. Her movements were quick but tense, eyes flickering up more often than they should.
"Stop worrying," Raphael said, her voice clipped but not unkind. "Focus on healing."
Gabriel bit her lip and nodded, returning her focus to the Angel in front of her.
Raphael sighed fondly for a moment.
She knew what this was. Gabriel had been quiet about it, but she had always watched Kai a little too closely. A crush, Raphael figured. Understandable, considering everything.
She shook the thought away. Now wasn't the time.
She extended her arm, runes flaring. Dozens of signals lit up in her mental interface.
She rerouted three support legions, directing them to reinforce a collapsing flank. Two groups of shielding units were ordered to fall back and reform under new command.
Every second, more were injured and more casualties.
Her mind moved quickly.
"Focus fire on the enemy's machine," Raphael commanded.
The artillery force that had mostly been intercepting attacks from the other side burst into action.
Ten Angels poured angelic magic into special magical formations made by Raphael herself.
Large pillars of light that shone through the sky began making their way to the enemy's obvious centre of command.
Many of the beams found themselves interfering in the battles going on in the sky, while the few that made it were interrupted by miniature barriers that formed.
"Focus fire on the Oni swarms," she muttered to the command nodes. "Legion Thirteen reroute to Sector Five. Do not wait for approval. execute."
There were a few different role categories that Heaven followed.
The distinctions among the angels were evident, marked by subtle variations in wing colouration and the coloured armbands they wore. These identifiers denoted the five categories established by Father when forming Heaven's armies to oversee the Seven Realms.
The Guardians specialized in protective spells, serving as the primary defence in combat situations.
The Healers possessed abilities to mend wounds and restore infections.
The Scorching Host comprised those adept in close-range magic, delivering powerful attacks on the front lines.
The Artillerists focused on long-range spells, providing support from a distance.
Lastly, the general combat force included Spearbearers, Swordbearers, and occasionally Axebearers.
Of course, there were many special forces and different legions, but these were the core talents of the general Angelic army.
Her thoughts were cut to a sudden halt.
A mental communication prodded at her mind, and she allowed it to pass into her consciousness.
A voice entered her mind directly.
Seraphiel.
'Raphael, I need your help.'
-{Uriel}-
Uriel dodged, a massive scorching explosion of fire left in his wake.
Set opened his massive palms and cursed sand attempting to turn the area into a miniature desert with the barrier below stopping the sand from falling on the armies.
Uriel kicked his legs, pure holy fire erasing the sand and turning it into glass while massive fists of flame shot up towards the God.
Uriel soared through the skies, his wings cutting through the dense clouds of smoke and ash that blanketed the battlefield.
Set pursued relentlessly, his form a blur of dark energy and ancient power. Even with his large form, he seemed to retain most of his speed.
Without hesitation, Uriel unleashed a barrage of holy flames, each burst illuminating the darkened sky.
Set deftly evaded, countering with tendrils of cursed sand that sought to entangle and erode.
Uriel manoeuvred.
The two clashed mid-air, the impact sending shockwaves that rippled across the heavens.
Uriel's spear, imbued with holy fire, met Set's obsidian staff, the collision producing sparks that rained down like meteors.
Each exchange was felt by the others.
Uriel sent a sneaky glance towards Michael and was wondering what he was up to.
Michael sent a glance back, and Uriel nodded with a grin.
"Stop grinning you fool!" Set scowled.
Uriel sent him a larger grin for his efforts.
This fight was never going to be easy.
The Egyptians were old.
They had been around for a long time so Uriel didn't have the normal skill advantage one gained with living so long. Set somehow also had more pure power in magic and strength.
He had also apparently found himself quite the host with just how well it was handling his power.
"You Angels have always been such an annoyance. You dabble in a realm that should be reserved for Gods and play judgment as if you have any place to stand. I'm going to enjoy wiping that smug little smile off your face when I burn Heaven to the ground." Set said, his face alight with pure rage.
"Well…" Uriel said, dodging the rabid blast of cursed sand. "You can't do any worse than your last attempt, can you? Getting sealed into a jar was just adding salt to the wound that was your formly functional broken pantheon."
Set's face heated up, blood rushing to his face as chaotic magic ripped around him.
Uriel shifted tactics.
He feigned a retreat, drawing Set towards a predetermined location.
As Set advanced, Uriel sent a blast of fire to stop him from proceeding.
A triangular crystal structure materialized around underneath him, momentarily halting his pursuit.
Seraphiel, stationed nearby, concentrated her energy, reinforcing the crystal prison.
Sariel and Raguel joined, channelling their powers to stabilize the structure. Uriel sensed the subtle influence of Raphael's Heavenly Domain skill, enhancing their cognitive functions and synchronizing their efforts.
The three points erupted and the Seraphim poured most of their energy into the formation.
Set looked shocked as crystal shimmering with golden power erupted into a triangle that imprisoned him. The crystal quickly seemed to fill its hollow insides filled up with liquid crystal that quickly solidified.
He could only watch in shock as the trap was activated in mere moments, catching him completely off guard.
His form stood frozen, the crystal shimmering brightly.
Then his power erupted, and cracks of red began slowly weaselling there way around his body.
The Seraphim, breathing harshly from the trap nodded at Uriel, who sent them a warm grin.
Seizing the opportunity, Uriel summoned a concentrated beam of holy flame that took a good chunk of his massive reserves, directing it at Set with unerring accuracy.
The impact made the crystal explode from the sheer power and sent Set hurtling backwards, the force dissipating the remnants of the crystal prison that Seraphiel had summoned.
She had contacted him a while prior, sensing his struggle with the stronger god. She had set up a spot with Remiel, Raguel and Sariel. Making the trap and tasking Uriel with leading him into it.
Raphael had helped them, by giving them the ability to perceive the battles happening above the barrier.
He imagined the headache they were experiencing wasn't pleasant.
Remiel and Raguel grinned back. While Seraphiel sent him a tired smile and Sariel looked concernedly at him. With their objective achieved, the Seraphim retreated swiftly, returning to the safety of Heaven's confines along with three sealed opponents.
Uriel didn't stay passive, even as the large form of Set shrunk slightly as he flayed in the air.
The god managed to balance himself, allowing Uriel a perfect view of what his attack had achieved. His skin was burnt and a hole was under his left armpit, oozing a concerning amount of blood.
He mentally nodded to his three younger siblings, just like that.
The large god's left arm had been neutralised and Uriel had gained even more of an advantage.
-{Kai}-
I descended to the first heaven, my sword in hand. Already, it began gaining a glow. Apparently, I had multiple beings that hated me within the vicinity.
The gates of the First Heaven loomed ahead, and I flew towards them. I watched as Angels were still gathering outside the gate of Heaven. Several Angels I hadn't seen since making my announcement were armoring up.
I was easily noticeable, my angelic form surrounding me as I flew. My arrival didn't go unnoticed.
Angelic warriors stood at the ready. Thousands of angels turned, their armor glinting as they laid eyes on me. The moment they recognized me, several Cherubs stepped forward instantly.
"Father! My Lord!" one called. "Please, you must not approach the battlefield!"
"We're under strict orders to protect you!" another added. "If the enemy goal is what we think..."
I raised my hand and they halted, instinct overriding command. I could see it in their eyes: the hint of fear and desperation. Not for themselves, but for me.
"I'll be fine," I said, hoping it sounded soothing.
I looked beyond the open Gates Of Heaven.
It was carnage.
Multiple explosions rang out on the bottom layer every second, bright flashes of lights and colours spiralling chaotically as spells were fired.
That wasn't even to speak about what was happening above the barriers.
Even from where I stood, at the peak of Ultimate class, I could barely make out the figures moving through the sky.
Dozens of blinding lines crisscrossed the skies of heaven, each one releasing a high-powered attack that shredded the air and levelled massive sections of the sky.
If I stepped into that space without my Semi-Divine Form, I'd be dead in under a second. That much was obvious.
I stayed where I was and watched. Around me, I could feel the tension ripple through the ranks of my Angels, even as new legions of angels formed and slowly moved out.
They didn't speak it, but I could sense their worry over me being so close to leaving the confines of Heaven. It was evident by the way they had to stop themselves from soaring up in the sky.
I smiled faintly as I felt their determination. There wasn't a single hint of fear, not for themselves in any case.
By now, tens of thousands of Angels had already entered the large battle.
As I was trying to make sense of the battle without entering my Semi-Divine form. A streak of golden light caught my eye. Something was falling from the aerial battle above.
My heart stopped.
Jeanne.
My chakra eyes activated, squinting past the absurd amount of power that practically dominated the air space.
Sure enough, it was her unique power, and the red blur that had been fighting her moved towards Michael.
My heart clenched in worry.
My Semi-Divine form blazed to life.
Pure power flooded my veins in the addictive way it did.
The world slowed.
The chaotic battle above became crystal clear.
Instead of mere streaks of light that flashed around. I could see the figures of those who fought.
I could see every clash, every explosion, every detail of the war raging in the sky.
Ares was being slammed through the air by Michael, his war hammer spinning away from his grip.
My eyes focused on Jeanne.
Her body tumbled through the air, her armour cracked, her pure blonde hair dyed red with blood and her facial expression barely conscious.
Blood trailed behind her like a comet's tail.
Rage.
"Wait!" The Cherubs tried to call behind me.
I ignored them, my form streaking upward. Gabriel's face turned toward me from across the battlefield, her expression shifting to one of pure fear.
Not fear of the enemy. Fear of me fighting.
The shame hit me like a physical blow, but I pushed it aside.
I caught Jeanne just as her barely conscious form that had began to plummet toward the ground. Her armour was shattered, blood seeping from dozens of wounds.
Her breathing was shallow, ragged. I'd never seen her this broken.
My hands shook slightly as I held her.
I quickly flew back down, which resulted in a large shockwave exploding around me and some of the close-by Angels accidentally getting sent back.
I placed her gently before Gabriel. The Archangel immediately began her healing work, holy light flowing over Jeanne's battered form.
Gabriel gave me a pleading look, even as she focused on Jeanne.
I looked back at Ares
He was hurt, but as he met my eyes he seemed to regain all his energy.
With hesitation, I flew with my full speed towards him.
With everyone else fighting, It was about time I get involved.
-{Michael}-
Huitzilopochtli scowled, then held out his wrist and stabbed himself.
Michael felt the distinct feeling of a Godly Domain skill being activated.
A frenzied black glow spread across his skin as red tattoos formed.
His speed spiked. He spun, blade igniting with heat as he swung wide.
A golden arc of burning solar power slashed outward. Michael dodged sideways, the beam tearing into the ground behind him.
Huitzilopochtli didn't let up. He raised his arm, and a miniature sun exploded into existence overhead.
The heat dropped like a hammer. Mist evaporated instantly as the field warped from the pressure.
Michael reacted without hesitation.
Hundreds of glowing tactical nodes snapped into place around the battlefield, invisible formations clicking into motion.
His awareness sharpened. Movement prediction, angle control, and terrain awareness all flooded into his mind.
Huitzilopochtli lunged again, tattoos glowing, obsidian blade trailing solar flames.
Michael blocked high, pivoted, and slammed a boot into the god's chest. The impact was amplified by a rear-positioned node, doubling the force.
The god was sent flying but rolled midair and landed hard, raising his sword as the artificial sun burned brighter.
He pointed his hand at the sun. A beam of compressed holy energy shot upward and detonated it mid-charge. The blast wave burned away the edges of the field.
Michael shot forward, his glowing golden wings leaving a streak behind him and slashed. His blade ran across the god's shoulder and down the arm.
Holy energy flared on contact.
Huitzilopochtli roared. Glyphs on his body flashed as he slammed both feet into the barrier below.
Huitzilopochtli recovered, launching himself back into the air with a roar. Solar fire wreathed his blade as he brought it down in a devastating arc.
Heavenly Domain Skill. Wartime seal: Release.
Three of his tactical markers detonated simultaneously, creating a triangular field of holy power that met the attack straight on. The explosion lit up the sky like a second sun. When the light faded,
Huitzilopochtli was coughing, his divine form smoking and blood leaking from his body.
A glance over to Uriel showed he was in a brutal battle with the Set.
"Keep… your… focus." Huitzilopochtli sneered.
Divinity transformed into solar energy.
Just as Michael went to focus on the damaged Aztec God. The large machine that had remained idle hummed with power, its two cannons glowing red before two twin lasers shot at him.
Michael quickly dodged, zigzagging in the air as Huitzilopochtli was given a chance to recover.
The two lasers were powerful, and they travelled through the air quickly.
He faintly saw multiple magical formations at the base of twin cannons.
Michael's eyes narrowed, and he became serious.
His eyes met those of the Architects.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, and the very air around it began to shimmer. The space surrounding the blade twisted unnaturally, folding in on itself in flickers of distorted light and shadow.
A low hum resonated from the weapon, deep and ominous as if reality itself groaned beneath the pressure.
His eyes narrowed with focus, irises gleaming as he focused fully.
Then, he whispered a phrase that hadn't been spoken since the Great War.
The light around him dimmed for an instant as if the world itself was holding its breath.
There was no swing. His arm didn't move in any traditional sense, it ceased to exist in one space and reappeared a few meters away, mid-rotation.
The motion was so precise, so absolute, it defied natural physics. Time itself seemed to stutter as the blade followed, completing the rotation in a violent flash of gold and silver.
There was a silence before the moving fortress that housed the Architect found the large roar of an explosion against its surface. Both of the twin cannons that had been held aloft like two tails were promptly severed.
Michael's cold eyes met the Architect's, watching the pure surprise overcome his features.
He couldn't focus much longer on that, as a glance out of the corner of his eyes showed Huitzilopochtli gathering a large attack.
'They were able to deflect it. Impressive.' Michael mentally praised, before focusing on the angry god in front of him.
-{Dulio Gesualdo}-
The sky was dark red as monsters broke through the outer walls of the church.
Screams echoed through the courtyard while stone and glass shattered. Bodies of holy warriors and exorcists were scattered near the steps.
Dulio stood in the centre of the sky, sword drawn, facing Baalberith, a twisted being with black skin, four arms, and eyes like molten tar.
The "God" had introduced himself after slaughtering many who had approached him, even sending Father Vasco through many buildings when he had first confronted him.
Behind Dulio, the outer layers of the Vatican City burned.
He activated his Blessings of the Saint. Light formed around his body.
Four elemental spirits appeared at his sides: fire, wind, earth, and water, each shaped like a humanoid beast. Dulio's mana dropped sharply, but he didn't hesitate. They charged the waves of minor demons attacking the Vatican.
Baalberith raised one hand and summoned a rain of cursed spears.
Dulio blocked them with the Shield of Seraphim, the golden shield flashing once before it cracked, then exploded in a shockwave of holy light, scattering debris and monsters.
Lightning sparked around Dulio's body. With Holy Empowerment, each swing of his blade left trails of light. He forced Baalberith back, able to occasionally win a cut into his flesh, but the evil god healed the cuts slowly.
Each time Baalberith tried to curse or infect him with his strange abilities, the Blessed Fortitude blessing nullified it.
Dulio's eyes stayed focused. He wanted to finish this. He wanted to get to Heaven and help the others.
Around them, Vasco Strada fought hordes of monsters barehanded, holding the line. Far behind, Lord Metatron and Lord Sandalphon guarded the Vatican's inner sanctum.
Baalberith landed a heavy blow that sent Dulio skidding across the stones, coughing blood.
He spun and slashed his Chakram multiple times, blades of light forming and forcing the God to dodge. The "god" spewed out a purple power that turned into a mist.
In response, having seen this attack before Dulio neutralised it with a large wave of holy power.
The mist acted like an acid but could be burned away by holy light due to its dark properties.
Dulio launched himself close, slashing down and meeting strange bone mace of the "god".
Who merely smiled creepily at his attempts.
Baalberith held out his mace and aimed it towards a random group of Holy Warriors.
Dulio merely sent a slash of holy light that forced him to block.
The air around him crackled, and he raised his blade and gathered thick bolts of lighting. A golden storm formed in the sky as the lighting formed into holy lightning.
He swung his blade and a truly gigantic bolt of lights swept over the area.
Baalberith brought an equally dark amount of power together, attempting to meet his attack in a clash of power.
The air shook and the holy light enveloped the dark energy, pushing Baalberith as his skin was seared from the holy power.
Dulio shot forward, and Baalberith merely grinned savagely.
His hand rose and a face formed on its surface.
"Hopeless."
The words echoed and the face gained two purple glowing eyes.
Dulio felt his emotions attacked and realised what was happening immediately.
Briefly, he considered the point of what he was doing and if it was worth before he snapped out of it immediately. He continued his charge, bringing down his blade and narrowly missing.
Baalberith met him in a clash of weapons, and Dulio quickly realised Baalberith was faster than him.
He performed a feint and sent a bolt of lightning that the God dodged only to flash lightly through his arm. The holy energy coating his sword burnt the "god".
Who shivered, and bone erupted out of his arm.
Dulio looked at him in pure disgust.
As bone erupted out in spirals and shot towards him like blades, Dulio could only block and glance at how Vasco was doing.
It was only him that was erasing the massive amounts of monsters in quick succession besides Lord Metatron and Sandalphon. So he couldn't come to his immediate help.
Dulio focused back on the evil "God", determined to beat him and quickly join his Lord up in Heaven.
-END-
Note: Hope you enjoyed it. Apologies if this feels like a cliffhanger, but unless I make you wait a couple of weeks for a large chapter then it'll have to be this way.
if you wish to read up to sixteen chapters in advance among my stories and other things please visit pa/t reon * / Snipez818,
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