The Seraphic System
Chapter: 104
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 Devil Heir)
{Name: None}
{Description:
A colossal twenty-foot construct forged by Michael, Raphael, and Uriel as a guardian for Heaven. Built from holy relics and angelic script, the Sentinel was designed as a living fortress, part artefact, part creation of the Annihilation Maker.
It's a hybrid monster built specially for the armour it wears.
Core:
Angelic Energy: 100%
{Abilities:
Holy Fire Projection: Can release concentrated blasts of purifying flame from its frame, devastating both physical and spiritual entities.
Metal Manipulation: Full command over metallic matter in its vicinity, allowing it to bend terrain, weapons, or armour to its will.
Weight adjustment: Embedded stones allow adjustment of effective weight. The construct can become immovably heavy or deceptively light depending on combat needs.
Barrier Creation: Generates holy barriers capable of resisting physical and magical assaults.
Raw Power: Its mass and reinforced frame grant colossal strength and durability. Its form as a living weapon makes it especially durable and strong.
Holy Integration: Inscribed with angelic script that channels holy energy, effectively functioning as a pseudo-Sacred Gear.
{Materials:
Nullstone: Translucent grey mineral that negates and repels all energy types. Grants a heavy resistance to magical attacks.
Nethrium: Dark, flexible metal renowned for its extreme durability and resilience under strain. Forms the base reinforcement of the armour.
Radiant Smile (fragment): Orange crystalline metal donated by Uriel. Greatly amplifies offensive capabilities and enhances stored energy release.
Graviaery Stones: Embedded within the construct's core. Manipulates its effective weight and balance, allowing adaptability in different terrains.
Angelic Script Inscriptions: Holy runes woven throughout the armour. They stabilise power flow, grant barrier creation, and channel divine energy.
What a deadly creation.
The materials alone were staggering. I recognised them from Uriel's lessons.
The design itself was a masterwork and I could see it would probably possess a surprising amount of agility.
"Have you tested its combat ability?" I asked.
"Not yet. It was only finished recently," Raphael explained. "Though it can store knowledge and learn from experience."
I grinned.
Perfect.
"I want to fight it."
Michael's smile froze. Raphael's eyes went wide.
"Father, that's..." Raphael stepped forward, almost protectively. "That's not what we built it for."
"I know," I replied instantly and with an easy smile. "But it would be good to get a measure of its abilities, I can't deny I'm excited. I can see the vast amount of resources within it. No wonder it took you so long."
Michael opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, clearly torn between his loyalty and his concern. "If Father wishes to test it..." he began hesitantly.
Raphael looked at him with exasperation.
"No, absolutely not," Raphael interrupted, stepping between me and the Sentinel. "The construct hasn't been properly tested yet. We don't know its full capabilities or how it might react to combat situations."
"I've dealt with worse," I dismissed easily, completely unperturbed. "I highly doubt it's able to harm me if it truly hasn't learnt anything and you can always just tell it to stop."
Raphael's features shifted into bemusement. "While the safeguards are in place, and Michael maintains control over the being that the armour is bound to, this defeats its purpose. We created it for protection and strategic deployment, not combat testing."
She paused, glancing at Michael and sighing fondly.
"Michael… Please interject. You're making me look bad in front of Father."
"Ehm. Indeed." Michael coughed. "You understand our worries and understand why we act the way we do."
I raised an eyebrow. "I'm aware…"
I doubted that would be a problem, but I found myself hesitating when I thought about the situation they must feel.
A quick look with my chakra eyes confirmed the construct held massive reserves of power. The craftsmanship was flawless, every component was worthy of the effort of multiple Arch-Angels.
But I was stronger. Far stronger than anyone at my level had any right to be.
And that was before accounting for my skills and combat experience
"Theoretical design and practical application are different things," Raphael insisted. "We built it to protect Heaven from external threats, not to spar with its ruler."
Raphael lowered her head slightly. "It's not about your strength… it just feels wrong to us to ever create something that would even fight you."
I smiled at their worry.
"If that's your wish, but I do want to see how it works," I replied with a hint of amusement.
Raphael smiled gratefully.
Michael cleared his throat. "Yes, let us demonstrate its capabilities in a controlled environment first?"
Raphael lit up once more.
"I had been planning on doing so, I'd like to measure how much control the Sentinel has on its implanted abilities so far," Raphael said, turning her gaze to the large figure.
"Alright, show me what you've been working on."
We moved to a larger section of the laboratory, where Raphael activated several monitoring devices. The Sentinel stood motionless, awaiting commands.
"Sentinel, assume a combative stance," Michael said, his voice turning commanding.
Instantly, the construct shifted its posture. The plates of armour folded and shifted with an ease that left me genuinely astonished. And its stance had become widened, arms came up in a defensive position and the glow in its eye slits intensified.
"Let's start with its Holy Power Projection shall we?" Michael suggested, turning to Raphael who nodded excitedly, looking at a panel of her own.
The testing room was interesting, with walls covered in angelic inscription and enhancement properties. The only entry point was a barrier which was watched through.
"Sentinel, raise your arm and gather a moderate amount of holy fire into a ball," Raphael commanded, her eyes glowing as she seemingly activated one of her Heavenly Domain Skills.
The Sentinel raised one arm and holy fire began to gather at its palm. The energy built steadily, creating a sphere of brilliant white golden flame that pulsed with contained power.
It held the position perfectly, waiting for further instruction.
I observed the energy gathered. The blast would be powerful and the control it displayed was above a master level. Even if it was a basic formation, the way it gathered showed as much.
"Release," I commanded, wondering if it would obey me.
The beam was released and fired into the wall, resulting in a combustion of flames. The flames spread out and a powerful barrier reinforced by Michael had to be formed.
Raphael blinked. "Well, I hadn't quite planned on releasing it just yet. But it seems it can gather stable attacks."
Michael looked on in amusement.
"Oops," I replied bashfully.
Raphael let out a short laugh. "I was going to do it in any case, preferably with the barriers power charged up."
I looked over the Sentinel, thinking about just how this had essentially come from nothing.
The best part was that it was disposable.
Don't get me mistaken, I wouldn't want it to be destroyed but having support at that level which could act as a shield would do wonders.
"So it can use holy fire manipulation?" I questioned with unrestrained curiosity.
"In a sense, yes. But it can't form complex attacks and they can't be controlled outside of its body, which is to say he can't control it once the attack is released." Raphael explained. "It's mainly designed to fire from its hands, head and feet if needed."
"Feet?" I asked.
The fire finally stopped its rampage and the chamber revealed an unharmed Sentinel.
"Michael wanted to give it a way to fly." Raphael clarified.
Michael shot me a slightly embarrassed look. "I thought they could work as thrusters. Since Raphael told me that I couldn't add wings onto its back."
"I was speaking about the design you made, the one specifically trying to recreate Father's wings…" Raphael pointed out.
Michael blushed slightly.
"Ehem-the next up is something Uriel was quite proud of. The Weight adjustment demonstration," Michael announced next, allowing Raphael to speak up next to him with a roll of her eyes.
"Sentintel, reduce your weight," Raphael said clearly, stroking a strand of her brown hair behind her cheek.
The large Sentintel glowed, the shine of gravity magic, which I could sense, outlined its form with a spark of power, a flow seeping through the slits in its armour.
I didn't have to see it move to know there was an aura of gravity decreasing its weight.
"It can't go too far, but activating this through the channelling of Graviaery helps with both speed and mobility," Raphael explained, watching the scene with a critical eye.
"It can increase its speed at the cost of a lowered mass," Raphael continued. "Which means less power behind its strikes."
"You said it also has Metal manipulation?" I asked, wondering how that would work.
Most Metal around wouldn't do much, excluding tampering with the enemy's armour and weapon, which was admittedly still useful but I imagine there would be a way to resist that.
"That's mainly for its own armour," Raphael answered. "So even if it breaks, the Sentinel could use Metal manipulation to allow it to stay attached."
"That's… smart," I admitted, thinking about that properly.
It was a unique way to use it.
It was Raphael's turn to blush. "Thank you. I thought about it when considering that the armour is technically the sentinel's shell."
"It can still be used for an outward attack in the right environment though," Michael added. "And can release an aura that makes weapons harder to direct, an idea from that field that the Architect had around his mobile Fortress."
"Useful and definitely uncommonly found. It'll be weapons that are his biggest worry to piercing his armour as well." I responded with a nod.
Whoever fought the Sentinel was going to be in for a nasty display.
"Sentinel, display your ability to manipulate metal," Raphael called.
A slightly more complex command that would show if it had some sort of mental capacity. Since it wasn't exactly a simple order.
I now noticed the metal shards that had been laid around, in what I assume was for this exact moment.
The Sentinel extended its free hand toward a collection of metal debris in the corner. The pieces rose smoothly into the air, reshaping themselves into various forms.
"I imagine its uses don't stop there." I pondered. "Though I'm assuming it wasn't designed with that in mind."
"No, though I did play around with the idea of giving it a weapon made from metal fragments," Raphael replied, giving me a brief glimpse into how smart she was.
"Perhaps I can help," I suggested. "I was wondering what would happen if I added Mithril to the creation. With its boosting capabilities, I imagine we could create quite the monster."
Raphael lit up and jumped on the idea. "I'd love that."
"I may be able to help with my expertise…" Michael said, looking at both of us like an excluded puppy.
I laughed.
It would never fail to amuse me, since I knew just what a monster he was to everyone outside of Heaven.
"Of course."
"I believe Gabriel wanted to help as well, regarding adding some sort of healing blessing to the monster itself," Raphael commented.
"She can do that?" I asked with a hint of surprise.
"Yes, we all can with our Heavenly Domains," Michael replied. "It's not something we do often as we can't give out too many. It goes beyond just power."
"What does this blessing do?" I asked curiously.
"It's mostly an attribute booster unless we add more power to it, granting potential one or more skills depending on how well it takes," Michael explained.
As I stared at the large armoured Sentinel, a thought occurred to me.
I used soul sight and sure enough, instead of a soul I found something different. Not quite a soul but something akin to it. As I expected it with interest, I noticed someone else.
Azrael's gaze, I didn't make any move to look like I noticed it. And I could feel an almost sombre feeling from her.
For a moment, I was confused. But then a thought that was so hilariously mundane occurred to me, that I had to actually think about it for a few seconds.
It didn't take a genius to realise why, but for such a powerful and old angel… well, that was what made them an Angel wasn't it? A part of it anyway, being a part of the family.
"Perhaps Azrael can help," I suggested. "I'm sure she could add a lot. Especially since she was apparently travelling for all that time, I imagine she came into contact with multiple Pantheons."
Raphael smiled, as if she had been searching for a way to spend time with Azrael. "That's a wonderful idea, she's been rather distanced lately."
I felt her gaze momentarily become surprised before she seemed to notice that I could see her and promptly vanished.
Michael agreed with an equal enthusiasm and I almost felt like he could sense her as well, with a small but slightly strange smile adorning his features. His eyes reflected a strange contentment.
"So, what's the next ability?" I asked, curious to see what else they had managed.
"The next ability to showcase is its Barrier generation," Raphael said next. "It's rather basic since most can form an energy shield with magic."
We went through various other abilities that had been made with a mixture of Michael and Raphael. I was left wondering if Briares could add something, maybe that elemental enchantment of his.
"I'm surprised at how reactive it is. Then again, I suppose this is the power of the Annihilation Maker mixed with immensely powerful and rare materials." I said, looking at both of them.
They both looked pleased. "Along with the angelic script inscriptions that allow for instantaneous command interpretation," Raphael explained, clearly proud of their work. "It can essentially adapt its combat style based on the situation."
"And does it have some sort of learning capacity?" I questioned. "It could be tedious to keep commanding him and while the power is impressive, combat experience is its own power."
That much I had learnt.
A stronger being could be defeated by a weaker being. It's how I existed.
"It observes and stores combat data. Each encounter makes it more effective," Michael added. "It could become more skilled than any individual fighter given enough experience."
I watched the Sentinel return to its neutral stance, the various displays of power ending as smoothly as they had begun. The construct was impressive, there was no denying that.
"This will serve Heaven well," I said, mostly to myself as I thought about what I could add.
Honestly, I couldn't make something like this yet and you only had to look at the very few instances of other Factions being able to pull off many feats like this to realise its achievement.
The God Realm would make any singular being a true player.
"When it's needed, we'll have a guardian that can stand against significant threats without risking any more Angels."
It reminded me that I wanted to get more angelic summons from Overlord. I just needed to find the correct character to download. I suppose it would have to wait after my current download.
Both Michael and Raphael visibly relaxed at my approval.
"Thank you, Father," Michael said, preening. "We wanted to create something that would give you confidence in Heaven's defences."
"You've succeeded." I smiled, feeling reinvigorated.
We spent another twenty minutes discussing potential upgrades and modifications before I finally left them to their work. Both were energised by the project, and I was content to let them run with it.
"Before I go, is there anything else to be done?" I questioned Raphael.
The meeting would be happening soon, and I wanted to visit a certain Devil before that. So we could go over what the plan was with the Devils, which everyone seemed to think I had.
Raphael paused. "Well… there is something I've been wanting to consult with you about."
"Yeah?" I urged.
"I have come up with a solution for the problem regarding sparring at your level of power without destroying too much," Raphael responded hesitantly.
Michael perked up. "You finally figured it out?"
"I wouldn't go that far but I've definitely been able to recreate it," Raphael responded.
"What are you talking about?" I asked curiously.
"I took up a project that I had stopped working on when you told me about your desire to train, your breakthrough fighting is something that can rearrange the very landscape around you," Raphael said.
Michael laughed lightly. "She got inspiration from you."
Raphael sent him a dirty look. "In any case, I managed to somewhat recreate the Devil's technique in creating a temporary pocket dimension for rating games, I've been meaning to try it."
I looked at her in surprise. "You managed to recreate it?"
"I think so," Raphael replied with a smile.
"When can I try it?" I asked with barely contained excitement.
She paused.
"Now, if you have someone willing to spar with you," Raphael said uncertainly.
Michael vanished.
And I shook my head in exasperation.
"I think I know someone who would be up for it," I said with a smile.
I hadn't spent much time with Tiamat lately after all.
-Scene Break-
I smashed through a building and through the icy ground beyond that, sliding and hitting against the reinforced bounded field that shimmered around the entire area.
Outch.
Tiamat floated, looking down at me with a hint of concern. "Was that too much?"
"No, it's perfect." I grinned.
Currently, we found ourselves in a rather strange environment. One crafted by Raphael to serve as a test of her experiment.
It also helped that I finally had a place to spar that could hold up against my level of power.
A bounded field or a pocket dimension, essentially the same thing the Devils used for the rating games.
The scenery was certainly strange, with a village on a pillar of ice surrounded by an icy wasteland.
I rose, sweat covering my form in one of the rare times I trained.
You Have Gained 1 STR.
I nodded, wiping a bit of dirt from the corner of my face as I pushed myself up from the crater I'd just created in the training ground's reinforced surface.
Breaking the God-class barrier had made gaining stats exponentially easier. It was still hard, but actually doable whereas I had genuinely found myself stuck before. Even with the help of Heaven's resources to be able to actually train, there had been a barrier.
I'd decided to focus on physical power, since it was sorely lacking when compared to my sheer magical power. Which was far above the rest of my stats and reaching into the middle of the God-class.
It was why I could keep up with beings so far above my level of power. Beyond my belief that power levels were a decent way to measure power, ultimately it couldn't be trusted.
After all, with my chakra, I essentially had double the energy I should have. With my newly gained Rinnegan, I finally had a way to channel all that power beyond a mere rather minor enhancement of my physical might.
Tiamat circled me in her human form, her pale blue hair flowing like water in an unfelt breeze. "Are you ready for more?"
She wore a grin once she realised I was fine and seemed to be enjoying this.
The strongest of the Five Dragon Kings moved with predatory grace, those cold dark blue eyes never leaving mine. Her navy blue clothing rippled with barely contained draconic power and I could feel the weight of her aura pressing against the bounded field's reinforcements.
She wasn't holding back now that I could stand it without being crushed.
I shot into the sky once more and I activated my Rinnegan, the rippled pattern blazing to life in my eyes.
She gave me some time before she moved.
The air around her cracked as she launched forward with God-class speed.
I raised my hand, channelling the Deva Path's power.
The repulsive force erupted from my position, a wave of invisible energy that should have sent her flying. The town behind her was erased as a massive amount of chakra blew it off the strange ice mountain it had been on.
Tiamat twisted mid-air, her form blurring as draconic scales manifested across her skin. She absorbed the impact with a grunt, using the momentum to spiral around the attack.
Blue fire exploded from her mouth. The heat warped the air. The ice around us began to melt rapidly and I crossed my arms, my angelic light flaring outward in a protective shell.
The dragon fire crashed against my barrier, steam hissing where the opposing energies met. Through the flames, I saw her already land in a crouch, already preparing her next assault.
The moment the fire died, she was moving again.
Blasts of gravity erupted out and she dodged them with ease, only backing away as a massive column of holy light exploded towards her.
A thin aura of purple surrounded me as I let my gravity magic cover me.
A blast of blue fire naturally followed and another stream was quickly blown out in another direction, attempting to limit my mobility through the air.
I moved towards her in a burst of speed. I avoided the smouldering ball of draconic fire. And sent my own attacks which she crushed with her draconic power.
I passed her, making her raise an eyebrow until my hand whipped out.
The attractive force seized her mid-stride, yanking her toward me with irresistible pull. I fired a massive mass of fizzling holy light that forced her to create a powerful barrier.
She was pulled through my attack and I could see she was genuinely impressed. Though, that had taken a massive amount of chakra to actually drag her towards me.
Still being pulled, instead of fighting it, she used my own technique against me, accelerating into a vicious straight punch aimed at my solar plexus.
Illusions warped around me and I twisted, letting her momentum carry her past me while my hand shot out to grab her wrist.
"I can see why you wanted to train, you've been developing some nasty abilities." She laughed. "Finally found a way to use that secondary energy of yours?"
I released her wrist and backstepped.
"Something like that."
Light erupted from my palm, a beam lanced toward her as she spun to face me. A kick lashed out and a barrier quickly formed, shattering but working to reduce the sheer force. Which still sent me through the air with ease.
I hit the boundary edge. Quickly recovering to avoid another blast of fire.
Yeah, my Angels would never do this with me.
It was a good thing I had Tiamat around.
"You know, I don't believe I remember such an ability even existing," Tiamat said. "An eye-based ability that can open up such a magnitude of powerful techniques."
"I'd be surprised if you had," I replied easily.
I was mainly focusing on training my chakra-based attacks in this battle.
"You should be careful, many would try to pluck those eyes out of you for the sheer power I'm witnessing," Tiamat replied calmly.
"I doubt I'd be around someone who wants to pluck out my eyes," I replied slyly, launching another powerful light attack that warped the air.
She was forced back, scales forming over her arms as a massive explosion rang out. The bounded field shuddered at the force. She swiped her hand and a slicing arc of fire pierced through the air, forcing me to dodge.
A massive wave of fire clashed against the boundary behind me.
I summoned more chakra, feeling the massive reserves flowing through my system. The Rinnegan's power coursed through me as I prepared to escalate.
A sphere of gravitational force erupted above us, black and hungry. Debris began flying upward, chunks of ice, pieces of the training equipment, anything not nailed down. The technique was designed to create a miniature moon, to seal away threats too dangerous to fight conventionally.
"Uh, Father. You're destroying the bounded field." Raphael commented, a magical circle attached to my ear communicating her voice.
Tiamat grinned widely. "Such power."
Gravity began pulling her up into the hole, which she resisted. The area behind her was bending as it tried to force her up.
Her hand gathered a massive ball of fire that rained down on me, a powerful wave shooting down at me.
I pumped a massive amount of chakra. My veins burned.
An invisible force immediately pushed back and caused a visible ripple. The massive beam of blue fire that would probably kill me if it hit was sent back, washing against her form which had become scaled and pushing her back up into the massive mass in the sky.
I let out a breath.
The Rinnegan required insane amounts of chakra to operate.
As she flew back, I wasn't idle.
Angelic magic surged out of me and multiple attacks immediately shot towards the sky.
Her human form began to shift. Scales erupted across her skin as she partially transformed, her size increasing dramatically. Wings of pale blue membrane unfurled from her shoulders as she launched herself skyward, directly at my gravitational prison.
Dragon fire met gravitational force in a spectacular collision. Draconic power radiated out and the technique stood no chance against the unfazed Dragon King.
The Chibaku Tensei warped and twisted under her assault, its perfect sphere becoming something chaotic and unstable. She tore through the debris field like it was paper, her claws leaving trails of blue energy in the air.
I deactivated the technique before it could collapse catastrophically, letting the gathered debris rain down around us. As she descended toward me, I gathered my angelic magic and chakra together, preparing for the collision.
We met and I was knocked back in a collision of force, her strength far superior to mine. She blurred with movements that could only be tracked by the Rinnegan assisting me.
The bounded field around us began to buckle. Warning lights flashed as the containment matrix struggled to hold our escalating power levels.
Raphael's voice echoed from an angelic circle.
"That's enough. The field is showing signs of collapse."
We nodded and found ourselves pulled out, watching as the bound field held for a few seconds. Then reality reasserted itself with a sound like breaking glass, and we were thrown backwards as the containment matrix collapsed around us.
"Well," Raphael's voice came from the exit, surveying the wreckage of his training facility, "I suppose that confirms the field needs more reinforcement."
The bounded field gave one final, spectacular collapse behind us as we walked toward the exit, reality folding in on itself where our energies had exceeded the containment parameters.
That was fun.
I knew she wasn't close to going all out but she was fighting above my power level.
My thoughts travelled to the new perks I had found in my perks section.
It turned out that the God class truly was a transformation of power that went just beyond being stronger.
[Magical Core] (Passive)
Description: The user's body becomes a generator of magical energy.
[Magical Aura] (Passive)
Description: Provides substantial resistance to hostile magic and significantly enhances physical capabilities. All incoming magical attacks and effects are reduced in potency when targeting the user.
[Breakthrough] (Passive)
Description: All statistical improvements and power gains acquired by the user above 300+ are amplified by a factor of 1.5.
Looking at the additions when I checked my perks was startling. There had been no notification and I hadn't gained any perks in a long time. It confirmed that the power level I had reached was significant.
The first two perks were logical. My energy studies supported this. I now generated my own power, which showed in how quickly my magic recovered. My angelic magic used to take up to a day to fully regenerate
. Now that had accelerated considerably. This led to what I assumed was my body becoming saturated with magical energy, creating a natural defensive aura.
I did have to wonder what would happen if someone broke through that level with pure strength.
In any case, it was the last perk that caught my attention. It made me realise just how much more magic I had gained. And why my semi-divine form still felt so much more immeasurably powerful.
The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, and I found myself grinning despite the aches.
"That was incredible," I said, glancing at Tiamat. "I haven't had a spar like that in a while. It's also good to spend time with you since you've been busy lately, I barely see you around anymore."
Tiamat's expression softened, a hint of something almost bashful crossing her features. She tucked a strand of pale blue hair behind her ear.
"Ah, well..." She shrugged, hands sliding into her pockets. "You know how it is. Dragon King stuff. Lots of, uh, meetings and... things."
"Things?" I raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Very important things," she insisted, but her lips twitched upward. "Secret dragon business. You wouldn't understand."
"I run Heaven."
"Not much of a secret then is it?" She bumped my shoulder playfully.
Before I could press further, Raphael approached us, her expression bright with excitement despite the destruction we'd left in our wake.
"That was a great success!" she announced, practically bouncing on her feet. "Though I have to admit, watching the field collapse was rather nerve-wracking."
"You had safety measures," I replied.
We weren't in any danger.
"Yeah… did you have to hit Father that hard?" Raphael said, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice.
Tiamat snorted. "He told me too."
"Well, let's just say I found many areas for improvement. I never anticipated someone would use gravity magic of that magnitude inside a bounded space." Raphael said with a sigh.
Michael who had been watching silently finally perked up.
"Father," he said, his tone formal in a way that made both Raphael and me straighten. "Are you ready?"
"Well, I'll probably get going, I still need to train your adorable twelve Angels," she said and I caught the faint hint of reluctance in her voice.
"Of course," I replied brightly, my muscles still burning. "We should do this again soon. It was... enlightening."
I turned to Michael.
"Take me to him."
My pleasant voice dropped into a hint of the icy feeling I felt within my chest.
Michael nodded solemnly.
That was the next task on my mind.
Speak to the Devil who had forcibly reincarnated multiple Holy Maidens.
It was perhaps a prime example of why things couldn't stand to remain. The prayers of many flashed in my mind. To have people devoted to me be treated in such a manner genuinely angered me.
I was led to a room and eventually found myself staring down at a bound Devil passively.
The only Devil who had participated in the attack on Heaven. A Devil I knew. And a Devil who had former maidens of the church in his peerage, which had all been confirmed forcibly reincarnated by Gabriel.
The Maidens were being taken care of in Heaven with more being revealed about their experience under the Devil by the day.
To put it plainly. They had been manipulated, mentally broken, assaulted and tortured. Which was why they were within Gabriel's care. Along with a few other Angels.
I had meant to be getting around to this.
I had only spoken with Ares out of the multiple prisoners we had managed to capture. From what I knew, Michael had been dealing with it for the most part.
But there were certain things an Angel couldn't do.
Diodora Astaroth looked considerably less smug chained up in a special containment room. One that Raphael had created a few when it was clear Cocytus wasn't under their control anymore.
The Devil glared up at me, wincing slightly at the holy bindings. Which burned against his skin with a steady golden light, ensuring he couldn't access his demonic power or attempt an escape.
I'm sure he was getting an unhealthy dose of holy power poisoning.
"You're making a grave mistake." The Devil finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" I questioned with disinterest.
My uncaring disposition seemed to immediately enrage him.
He gritted his teeth. "I am heir to the Astaroth clan. My family will not stand for this treatment. You should release me now and I won't pursue this any further."
"I mean, even if you thought I cared. Do you think they even know you're here?" I questioned curiously.
He flinched.
"I doubt you told them of your dealings with this Faction. I mean, attacking Heaven as well." I replied slowly. "And unlike you devils, my Angels are all loyal."
Without a doubt.
I had to contain my anger when looking at him.
He had attacked Heaven. Taken multiple maidens of the church and tortured them. And he still thought he was in any sort of position?
"No one gives a shit about Heaven." The Devil spat. "The time of Heaven is over. I'd be rewarded for being a part of this."
"Yeah… how's that working out for you?" I asked.
Diodora practically shook with rage.
"Do you understand what you've done?" Diodora continued, his tone growing more desperate as my silence stretched on. "You've kidnapped Devil nobility. This will start a war between our factions."
"I took a prisoner that had decided to join a foolish attack, launched by someone whose current excuse was that Heaven is weak," I replied with a smirk. "Even if they asked for you back I wouldn't return you."
The Devil's face twisted with rage and a hint of desperation.
"You think you can go against the Devils now? Fresh out of a rather large battle might I say. I can't imagine how many died." Diodora said "Didn't I see one of Heaven's own Arch-Angels fall out of the sky-"
I pressed my finger into his face and channelled a massive amount of angelic power, which further transformed into a condensed point of holy light on the edge of my finger.
He screamed and I watched with a minor amount of fascination as golden veins lit through his face, his skin burning yet perfectly contained to not kill him or fry his organs.
I pulled back.
"Your limited information is comforting at least." I hummed.
"What limited information," Diodora replied with a hiss. "You think I didn't do my research? I've looked at the way my Faction has dealt with yours. There's no way you're stronger."
Instead of getting annoyed, I genuinely wanted to laugh.
It felt good, this feeling.
I had made Heaven into a force to be reckoned with once more. It felt like my hard work and downright abuse of the system had paid off.
This threat might have once made me hesitant.
"How about you think for a moment, you came here with multiple major Gods and quite the force. And yet Heaven won?" I said calmly. "What does that tell your little devil mind?"
Diodora actually paused and his expression became passive, though something entered his eyes. A realisation.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with," he tried. "The Architect has plans that go beyond your pathetic little realm. This was just the beginning. You think this will be the end?"
"Of the Architect's plans? Yeah. He won't be doing much until I get around to speaking to him." I replied with a nod. "That's why I want to know more about the organisation behind it."
Diodora grimaced
Now we were getting somewhere.
"Tell me about the Architect," I said, leaning forward slightly. "How did you end up working for him?"
Diodora's eyes darted around the room, clearly weighing his options. The holy bindings pulsed brighter and he winced.
"How did Heaven get so strong? This wasn't supposed to happen." He finally said.
I rolled my eyes. "Not the answer I wanted."
My finger lit with holy power.
"Do you think I'm going to answer you?" Diodora asked.
"Yes…?" I replied incredulously. "It's just about how much pain you can take. We will slowly ramp it up together and see what it takes for you to start speaking."
Diodora shifted, shrinking away slightly. I could see his mind race. His eyes became reluctant and thoughtful.
"Is this how far Heaven has fallen? Is this how you treat your prisoners? Do you think your Father would approve of this?" Diodora questioned. "I heard he had made you all Angels noble and kind beings. It seems his vacation has made you no better than us."
I could see what he was trying to do, it probably would have worked on a normal Angel was the sad thing. It was quite a sensitive topic after all.
"Who do you think I am?" I asked with a hint of amusement.
"A Seraph? An Arch-Seraph? What does it matter?"
I let my power consume him, the air trembled and his face shook.
A look of terror was dawning on his face.
"No, not quite," I said, using my Voice of God to freak him out.
Then I relaxed.
"Truthfully, I want you to resist," I admitted darkly, staring at him intensely.
Diodora was frozen still for a second before I tapped his forehead, not with holy power but I didn't need to know.
"He approached me a few years ago." the Devil instantly spoke. "He promised me an in with this new Faction. One that would take over the supernatural world by storm. He showed me how deep they had their fingers in each Faction and Pantheon. How could I deny it? They promised power, resources and safety."
"So they're even accepting beings like you?" I asked flatly, slightly disappointed he had folded so easily.
I felt the Divine Shard shift and make its disapproval known, but soothed it with the fact that I had given him a chance with my words.
His face flushed with anger. "He understood my needs. Said Heaven had grown soft and weak, that Angels would make better servants than those pathetic human girls."
I felt my jaw clench. The casual way he spoke about it made my skin crawl.
"He promised you Angels?"
It wasn't a question that needed answering.
I had seen that last-ditch attempt to capture my Angels.
He didn't answer.
"Answer," I commanded with the Voice of God.
A simple question like this didn't require too much power and since he was relatively weak, it wasn't hard.
"A few for my personal collection. He said once Heaven fell, I could have my pick." His eyes gleamed with sick anticipation. "Imagine having real Angels to break instead of those fake holy maidens."
My eyes closed.
I had to actively suppress the urge to incinerate him on the spot.
It was just plain evil and without any sort of cause.
Is that why they had targeted Gabriel?
It took me a few seconds to speak.
"What else do you know of the organisation behind the Architect?"
"Not much," Diodora admitted, his bravado fading as he realised how little he actually knew. "He kept things compartmentalised. I knew there were other factions involved."
"What about the Khaos Brigade?"
He let out a breath and winced at the burns on his face. That was going to burn for a while.
"Various supernatural groups that want to overthrow the current order. The Old Satan Faction, a few groups with humans and some Yokai who believe in some Demon Fox." He shrugged as much as his bindings allowed. "The Architect used them as muscle, but he made it clear they were expendable."
"And you thought you weren't?"
He scowled but didn't reply.
"What's going to happen now? I've answered your questions. You don't need to cause problems by keeping me. I've learnt my lesson and I won't pursue anything for the damage you've caused me." His words were smooth and finally, the Devil came out.
"You won't be causing any problems that the Devils aren't already causing. You'll stay here until I find a use for you." I replied, turning to leave.
He wasn't leaving Heaven alive.
"What about my peerage?" He asked hesitantly. "They're mine and a part of the Devils."
"They are being taken care of. In fact, I heard they're making a lot of progress. It seems their time with you will just be a small phase in their life." I replied with a cheerful smile. "We didn't even need to remove their memories. But we will anyway, not because we need to but because I want to."
Diodora practically shook with rage.
I left just before he could shout, nodding to myself.
That just left my lesson with Gabriel before the conference.
I needed a mood booster after that and Gabriel would definitely help.
-{Diodora Astaroth}-
What?
Diodora's mind reeled. The searing pain in his cheek was the only thing keeping him grounded.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
God was back. Actually back. And nothing like the naive, forgiving fool he'd thought him to be.
When he'd first been captured, he hadn't worried. The Devil Faction would retrieve him. He'd face punishment, sure, but nothing that would truly harm him. Such was the Devil's way. Political manoeuvring. Negotiations. Trades.
Now he realised he'd walked into the worst possible situation.
His family didn't know he was here. His own foolish decision to operate alone had seemed clever at the time. Heaven was weak. Fractured and easy prey in terms of Factions.
He didn't delude himself too much, but I had looked like a sure thing that Heaven would fall.
Except Heaven wasn't weak anymore.
And he was alone with a merciless God who had no reason to show mercy.
Diodora's jaw clenched. He needed to play this carefully. Find an angle. Some leverage.
But even as he thought it, he knew something was deeply wrong. The Holy Maidens he'd corrupted were already being healed. His carefully laid plans, years of work, unraveling in days.
He had no cards left to play.
Unless he found a way out.
Diodora shivered.
-{Kai}-.
"Gabriel," I said, walking toward her. "Sorry about the delay. Got caught up with some things."
Gabriel turned, her face lighting up.
"No need to apologise." She smiled. "It's good to see you."
I sat beside her. She immediately leaned into me, her weight settling against my side. Her hair tickled my neck.
"So you're my teacher now, since you asked so eagerly."
A blush colored her cheeks.
"Healing is invaluable. Rare. Highly sought after." Gabriel's tone became more confident. "I'm Heaven's most prominent healer. You should have the best."
"I know." I wrapped an arm around her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Her smile softened.
"You won't need me for long though." She laughed quietly. "You want to learn about the Holy Grail, right? Michael mentioned you've been studying soul manipulation with Azrael."
"I have. Though I doubt I'll be able to do anything interesting with it for now." I replied thoughtfully. "I'd like to learn more about the healing aspect of its power though."
"I'm glad." She beamed, her eyes shining with a gentle joy. "The Holy Grail's true healing capabilities go far beyond simple restoration. While many consider the Longinus to be most powerful because of its destructive might, the Holy Grail is unmatched in its utility."
I nodded, listening keenly about the one Sacred Gear I had a surprising affinity with.
I had regeneration, which had become a lot stronger over time. It is related to my vitality stat, but that had proven limited when faced with opposing energies and poison. Though not a lot of poison worked on me with my toxic immunity perk.
Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "In truth, I'm not sure how the cups' abilities work, I'd like to teach you techniques and see if they can be used in the same manner."
"How do you intend to teach me how to use them?" I questioned curiously. "My regeneration is pretty quick if we are going to try on me."
Gabriel looked positively aghast at my suggestion.
"What? No, Kaiel. Don't harm yourself!" Gabriel said, touching my forearm almost protectively. "I intend for us to practise differently for now and if we are going to heal anybody it'll be my foolish siblings who hurt themselves during training."
"Oh? I see. So what are we learning first?" I questioned amusedly.
Gabriel sighed. "First, I want to see if you can access healing energy, which is the most basic of healing. Merely holding this energy over a wound will cause it to seal."
She demonstrated by creating a small manifestation of this healing energy, which took form in a soft emerald glow akin to Asia's Sacred Gear.
So a bit like how I channel that energy to interact with the soul dimension.
"This is the most basic of healing in a sense, since it doesn't require much other than a bit of guidance. But it only works on basic wounds. Which doesn't include wounds that are cursed or have other volatile energies within them." Gabriel gently explained.
Her hand came to cover my own and I felt her channel healing energy through it, a soft tingle accompanied by a soft green glow forming in front of my palm.
"Get a taste for the energy." Gabriel guided. "Don't attempt to do anything with it, just try to mimic the feeling."
The Holy Grail appeared, blazing with power.
I focused on the sensation, attempting to recreate what she was showing me.
"Healing energy wants to heal. That's its nature. You don't command it so much as guide it where it's needed."
I nodded, adjusting my approach. Instead of trying to control the energy, I let myself become a conduit for it. The green glow steadied, becoming brighter and more focused.
I concentrated and the healing energy grew, spreading across my entire palm.
Gabriel smiled, her hand still resting on mine to help guide the flow.
As we worked together, I found myself appreciating not just her knowledge, but the way she moved, the gentle confidence in her voice, the warmth in her presence.
There was something deeply comforting about having her here, sharing this knowledge.
Our hands touched as she guided me through a particularly complex manipulation of holy energy. The contact sent a warm sensation through both of us.
Oh dear.
I took that moment to realise the intimate position we had formed, closely leaning into each other as we were. Gabriel had stopped talking, staring at me with her large soft emerald eyes.
The light shone through her long curly golden hair and I found her leaning into me.
Without a word, she leaned in and her soft lips pressed against mine.
Her beauty was mesmerising up close. Those large, soft emerald eyes, framed by lashes, fluttered closed, but not before I caught the spark of something vulnerable and profound within them.
Her long, curly golden hair cascaded around us like a halo of sunlight, strands brushing against my cheek with the softness of feathers.
It wasn't long until she was fully leaning into me and the lesson had found itself discarded. The world around us faded as the stunning Arch-Seraph found herself on my lap, kissing me deeply.
The Holy Grail vanished, I focused on the supremely beautiful Arch-Seraph in my arms.
There goes the lesson.
-Scene Break-
I walked through Heaven's corridors, my mind still processing the healing lesson with Gabriel.
Which had been rather… Intimate. Our bond had been rapidly progressing, deepening at a frighteningly rapid rate.
It was probably going to take a few healing lessons to learn more, but even learning how to summon healing energy was amazing. It took focus and quite a bit of time to summon, but I was quickly getting better at it.
I pushed those thoughts aside.
There were more pressing matters to attend to.
The meeting room doors were ahead. I could already sense the gathered presences beyond them, a collection of power that would have been unthinkable just months ago.
My seraphim, the arch-seraphim and Aphrodite had all assembled at my request.
The topics we'd be covering today would shape Heaven's immediate future and everyone in that room knew it. I had a lot of subjects to go over regarding the recent threat.
My talk had Diodora hadn't given me much but it had added to the gathered knowledge I had. Along with subjects I knew some of the Arch-Seraphin wished to go over.
Heaven was taking its second step back into the supernatural world and this meeting was a lot more important than I was probably treating the situation.
I pushed open the doors and stepped inside, meeting the eyes of those already assembled.
The feeling of the new God-class Seraphs made me want to smirk deviously.
It was time to get this show on the road.
-END-
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