Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Serena POV. – September 30, 2008
I sighed for the hundredth time as I stared at the stadium in front of me. I was completely invisible beneath Aria. I really, really didn't want to be here. I didn't even know how it had happened.
I just remembered Michael was about to ask me for something after the talk show, and Lucius was mentally yelling at me to accept immediately without hesitation. He seemed almost frantic. I had no reason not to, especially since Michael had taken the time to attend the talk show when I asked him. So I had accepted.
Although perhaps it would have been better to wait until Michael finished speaking. Now I'm here, at the three-faction sports day, as part of the Los Angeles group.
I… just didn't feel like thinking about it.
I sighed wearily as I ran my hand over my face once more. Then I had Aria deactivate her invisibility and started to approach. Just as I expected, I began to attract everyone's attention almost immediately.
The talk show the other day was a complete success, according to Ravel. The audience level we had was incredible, and after several days, we were still trending. Especially when Serafall and I sang "Free."
I had nothing against publicity. If I could just stay in my lab doing things, obviously. But to be here in front of all three factions to participate in a sports day. Yeah… I don't even know how this happened.
"Serena!" Michael exclaimed with a wide smile as he raised his hand. I stifled another sigh before walking toward them.
"Michael." I said as a greeting. Michael just smiled broadly before dragging me along.
"Come on, let me introduce you to the others!" Michael said excitedly, dragging me toward the group of angels waiting in the stadium.
"Michael, I see you brought... the succubus." An angel said as we approached. No... a seraph, I could easily tell.
"Uriel!" Michael said cheerfully. "Let me introduce you to Serena Prince." Michael presented me to the other Seraphim, almost proudly. Uriel just stared at me as if trying to solve a puzzle. I could only manage an awkward smile.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Uriel," I said tentatively. Uriel didn't even blink as he looked at me, then glanced at Michael almost accusingly, and then looked back at me once more.
"Now you're part of the angel group. Don't hold us up; we have to overcome the devils and the fallen angels." Uriel said tensely before turning and walking away. I could only stare at him, confused. Michael, beside me, chuckled softly.
"Don't pay him any mind. Uriel is quite competitive. Especially against devils and fallen angels. Let's just have some fun." Michael said with a wide smile. I could only nod.
"You are Serena Prince," said a woman's voice behind me. I turned around to see the bright, innocent eyes of the seraph Gabriel. To my surprise, Gabriel simply smiled broadly before embracing me tightly. "Oh, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, dear Serena! Everyone in Heaven enjoys the series you and Michael did! Even the souls in the third heaven greatly enjoy your wonderful work!"
"Our dear Father has truly blessed you with the gift of music!" Gabriel practically shook me from side to side with happiness. I could only blink, completely stiff at the totally unexpected display of affection. And part of me was enjoying it, even though I was trying to push it down.
"Um... thanks?" I said, confused. Gabriel finally let go of me and smiled broadly.
"Don't thank me! Thank our father for such a wonderful gift!" Gabriel said with a completely innocent smile, then turned slightly serious. "And Michael, I've noticed I should be extra affectionate with you. As a succubus, you're extremely tactile. You're the first succubus I've met face-to-face and haven't killed. So tell me if I'm doing this right." Gabriel said, completely serious and determined.
I could only blink in disbelief at her words, some of them quite dangerous, and I could only look at Michael. He simply gave a thumbs-up with a huge smile, as if he were completely pleased with himself and patting himself on the back for a job well done.
I almost wanted to close my eyes and sigh as the headache began to creep in, and this hadn't even started yet.
"Ha! My dear Gabriel, and where's my hug?" Azazel asked cheerfully as he approached with open arms, almost hopeful. Gabriel looked at him with disgust before turning and walking away. Azazel winced in pain.
"Even I felt it," I told Azazel playfully. Azazel just glared at me.
"Damn lucky succubus! Do you know how precious Gabriel's hugs are?! I hope you took full advantage of that one! They say Gabriel's breasts are the softest and most perfect in all of Heaven!" Azazel growled in annoyance, glaring at me with a hint of jealousy in his voice. I just blinked slightly, then smiled smugly, but said nothing. "Damn it!"
"You'll pay for this, Serena! It's not fair! At least share the memory with me! I know you can do it! I'll be satisfied with a secondhand memory! No! Not even with a detailed account! I'll give you whatever you want!" Azazel said, almost insane. I just mocked him.
"Now, now, Azazel, there's no need to humiliate yourself. The fallen angels will have plenty of that by the end of the day." Sirzechs interjected as he approached. Azazel's eye twitched slightly.
"Don't think you're important, Sirzechs; just because you stole Issei from me doesn't mean anything!" Azazel accused firmly. Sirzechs only laughed lightly.
"They're really lively," I said dryly. Michael laughed beside me.
"Come on, we have to say hi to everyone else," Michael said as he started walking back and forth, greeting everyone. At one point, we even ran into Irina and Rias's group.
Finally, after several greetings, the sports day properly began following declarations of war from all the leaders. I could only watch with amusement as everyone else seemed genuinely excited. It seemed that since infighting between factions was no longer permitted, everyone needed an outlet, and they had chosen sports day as their battleground.
The events were practically taken from a Japanese sports festival. There was an extremely dangerous obstacle course with attacking animals and dragons, and a "borrowing item" race where participants took an envelope containing an object they had to find and carry to the finish line.
A ball-throwing game, where you had to fill a basket with balls of corresponding colors, turned into an open war as holy and demonic energy were shot back and forth.
A human cavalry battle ensued. The riders on top wore hats the others had to steal, but there was less theft and more open fighting once again. This time they didn't even try to hide it; they simply started fighting each other without any restraint.
And many more. And I was forced to participate in many of them. I must admit, I was having more fun than necessary. But it was fun having targets to de-stress from all this, so… it served its purpose. I even deflected Issei's Dress Break. Although maybe it was a bad idea to throw it back at them, especially at their shoulders. I shuddered slightly at that, but I wasn't going to let that spell hit me.
"Oohhh... so we'll also be taking a lunch break." I muttered to myself as I looked around while everyone got ready.
"Of course, didn't you expect it?" Michael asked, confused, beside me. I shrugged.
"I mean, none of us really need to eat very often. Some of us, like you, just don't need to," I said easily. Michael laughed beside me.
"We might not need it, but it's part of the event. This event is supposed to strengthen bonds. So it's something Azazel and Sirzechs came up with." Michael said with a smile. I just nodded absently.
"I mean... it would help if the factions mixed a little more," I said almost dryly as I looked around. Even though everyone was really having fun, the groups barely mingled. I think they were more amused by the idea of beating the other groups, even if it was in a sporting competition. Michael could only laugh awkwardly.
"Yes... it's a work in progress," Michael admitted with a sigh.
"So... the food? Who made it?" I asked Michael. Michael's ever-present smile froze awkwardly.
"I mean... you said it yourself, we don't need to eat, so... we really don't know how to cook?" Michael said, tilting his head awkwardly. I just stared at him incredulously as Michael laughed awkwardly. "But! We made sure someone else did!" Michael said quickly. "Irina!" Michael exclaimed rapidly. I could hear a panicked squeal from the crowd. Irina slowly got to her feet and squirmed as she approached us.
"L-Lord Michael." Irina said awkwardly while looking everywhere but at Michael.
"Ah, Irina. My dear and precious Ace. I hope you had everything ready." Michael said with a bright smile. Irina shuddered slightly. Panic surged across her face, and then she bowed deeply.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Michael!" Irina apologized, almost shouting. "I tried to cook for everyone, but the church and the exorcists didn't teach me how to cook, and I couldn't make anything that wasn't burnt!" Irina apologized in a panic without looking up. Michael's smile froze and trembled slightly.
"Now, now, Irina, don't worry, I'm... I'm sure it wasn't all that bad." Michael said calmly and compassionately. Irina lifted her head and looked at him, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Then she clumsily pulled out a box of food and opened it. I shuddered at the sight of the completely blackened food. It wasn't just a little burnt; it was completely and irreparably charred. From here, it almost looked like charcoal.
"I'm sorry!" Irina said once again, almost on the verge of tears. Michael just sighed.
"Don't worry, Irina, I should have asked you before asking," Michael said gently. He almost seemed depressed about not being able to join the meal. I just sighed wearily and ran a hand over my face.
"I'll take care of the food," I told them both. They both turned toward me, confused.
"Do you have food?" Michael asked, confused. I just nodded.
"I have plenty of food. I cook for my Peerage. But I have... a bad habit of getting lost in my research in my lab or getting easily distracted, for hours at a time. So to prevent the others from going hungry, I always prepare a lot of food and store it with some stasis spells that the others can grab when they're hungry."
"Once they come out of stasis, the food will still be hot and freshly prepared, ready to eat. Just... get everything ready. I need to have enough for all the angels." I said easily. Irina looked at me, her eyes wide and shining with excitement and gratitude. Michael just stared at me in surprise.
"A meal prepared by- by-" Michael almost looked like he was about to cry.
"it's just a meal." I said, completely confused. Michael just looked at me and then smiled broadly and brightly. Once again, his halo shone intensely. Then he grabbed me and pulled me along with him.
"Come on. Let's eat!" Michael said cheerfully. Then he led me to the group of angels. I could see them all sitting on tablecloths, waiting patiently. I sighed as I started taking food out of my inventory and distributing it among the angels.
Finally, I ended up sitting with Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Irina. I divided the food among us. I could see all the angels holding the food in front of them. I just sighed and started eating first.
"Let's bless the food!" Gabriel said cheerfully. I choked on mine. Michael looked at me, amused, while Uriel gave me a disapproving look. I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Thank you, Father, please bless this food we're about to share, and bless the hands that prepared it. Amen!" Gabriel said cheerfully. I could hear a chorus of "Amen" from all around, and I grimaced. None of the angels actually pushed me to say it, which I was grateful for. Still, with the blessing said, all the angels ate at the same time and stopped stiffly.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, frowning.
"This... this was blessed!?" Gabriel exclaimed in shock. "The food was blessed! It's the only explanation for why the food is so delicious!" Gabriel said as he raised his plate of food to Heaven.
"Father has not abandoned us, He is always with us!" cried an angel from the crowd. And everyone roared. I just stared in disbelief.
"It's just food." I muttered to myself. Yes, I may have Faery Feast to enhance the food. And Emiya's template to cook and enrich it. And also my Six Eyes to prepare it perfectly. And also my Sky Flame, which, oddly enough, also comes in handy for certain cooking preparations. But to call it a blessing from God is a bit much. I snorted dryly.
"It's the food Serena makes," Michael said proudly, almost boastfully. Gabriel turned her head and nodded, completely serious.
"It seems Father blessed you not only with the gift of music, young Serena! But also with the gift of food! It's truly extraordinary." Gabriel said, completely captivated. I could only sigh.
"I'm sure it's some kind of succubus trick. She must seduce her...prey with food." Uriel said with a grimace as he eyed the food warily, though his mouth was slightly drooling.
"Happy stomach, happy heart! This is simply wonderful! It really is a divine flavor!" said Irina as she ate with eagerness and pleasure.
"It's just food." I sighed wearily again. Michael beside me had a wide grin that somehow only grew with every bite he took. I sighed once more. "At least the other groups are looking at us with envy," I muttered playfully. Apparently not quietly enough, as everyone straightened up and glared at the devils and fallen angels, their meals blazing.
Then everyone started getting extremely vocal about how much they were enjoying the food. To my surprise, even Uriel. I guess competitiveness mattered more than the wariness he felt toward me. I chuckled.
After that, the sports day continued where it had left off, but with renewed competitiveness. The Angels were recharged and fully motivated, while the Devils and Angels simply wanted revenge and to make them lose. I just watched, amused, as the three groups battled each other.
I suppose it was fun from a certain point of view. Finally, the sports day ended with a relay race, and I ended up participating once again.
"Thanks for coming," Michael said as we walked away after the festival day. "We won thanks to you," Michael said happily. I sighed.
"It would have been fine without me," I said, shaking my head. Michael just laughed.
"Maybe, but it was more fun this way," Michael said, his eyes sparkling. I just snorted in amusement.
"It was fun. Barely." I said dryly. Michael just smiled broadly and nodded.
"I'm glad you had fun," Michael said warmly. I just nodded.
"I did, but that doesn't mean we'll do it again next year," I said curtly. Michael just smiled mysteriously.
"We'll see," Michael said playfully. I rolled my eyes.
"By the way, can I ask you a somewhat... personal question?" I asked Michael with a hum. Michael looked at me, confused, but smiled and nodded.
"Ask whatever you want," he said with a broad smile.
"Actually, I wanted to ask about God's system," I said easily. Michael tensed slightly.
"What... did you want to know about it?" Michael asked cautiously. I just waved my hand.
"Nothing important. Just your connection to the system," I said easily. Michael looked at me, confused.
"My connection?" Michael asked, confused. I just grimaced.
"I really tried to ignore it, but... it's annoying to see," I said with a grimace. Michael almost looked hurt.
"Annoying?" Michael asked, almost pitifully.
"Your connection." I clarified for Michael. "I think I've mentioned this. But my eyes are special. They can see so much more and absolutely everything around me. Magic, divine power, any supernatural power. But I can also see things like connections, power flows, energy distribution, and anomalies. I can see the soul of things and their spiritual networks. There are… very few things my eyes can't see."
"If I concentrate hard, I can see and study something completely, given enough time. And it's always on. I've tried to ignore it, but... the connections you have—God's system—seem to be made so... crudely. How you're able to work with those connections is simply a miracle."
"Redundant connections, irregular resonance, overload on your body and soul. It's simply a completely amateurish job. It's so tangled and forcibly connected that it hurts to watch." I shuddered slightly. Michael just stared at me, mouth agape, completely confused.
"Excuse me, what?" Michael asked awkwardly and very uncomfortably. "I... as you know, when... Father died, we needed to keep the celestial system active. Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and I managed to activate it, and the other seraphim decided that I would be the center of the system."
"I'll admit that the system, unfortunately, is far inferior to what it was when Father was running it, but that's due to my own shortcomings. Is there... something wrong with the system?" Michael asked cautiously, a little alarmed. I wrinkled my nose.
"Not with the system itself. With the connections. Think of it like… like a pipe. Instead of having a nice straight, well-connected pipe, you have a pipe full of bends, valves, loops, and some small leaks, which are sealed with tape. It's not completely broken, and it works; it's fully functional."
"But... it's a complete waste. Unpleasant to look at. And it wastes so much." I said with a grimace. Michael still didn't seem to understand what was going on. I just sighed. I pulled out some long, thin, small hemalurgic prongs from the godmetals. "Can I fix it?" I asked gently, seeking permission. Michael stood completely still, his eyes seeming to wander and glaze slightly as he considered it. Michael finally nodded cautiously.
"Please... be careful," Michael said, tensing up completely. I nodded gently.
"I won't touch anything I shouldn't. Just... a few minor adjustments." I murmured as I took out a gold medallion to begin healing the connections and placed it in Michael's hand. "Don't let go." With that said, my eyes began to absorb everything I saw. Every tiny detail, every small flow, down to the smallest sacred power, was visible to me. I took a deep breath and began to move my hands around Michael.
Michael shuddered slightly at my intrusion, but said nothing. I began to walk around Michael as my hands quickly blurred around him. My hemalurgic barbs grasped the connections and repaired them, discarding the unnecessary ones and joining the important ones, and then they healed thanks to the feruchemical gold of the medallion.
With each thing I moved and dragged, the flow became more stable, more abundant, simply… more each month. This reduced losses, eased Michael's stress, and helped him maintain the system better. After several minutes, I simply allowed myself a slight smile.
There were many things I couldn't do. This was pure, divine, holy power. One small mistake, and if I immersed myself too deeply, I would disintegrate instantly. And besides, I couldn't manipulate the divine power of the god system. I could only make minor adjustments. But it was more than enough.
"Ah... much better. That crooked thing you had kept bothering me throughout the entire sports festival." I said, completely satisfied, while sighing with relief. That thing had been nagging at the back of my head forever. I could usually ignore it; my time with Michael was never long enough, or we were always busy, like when we were filming K-pop Demon Hunter, for it to bother me enough to do anything about it.
But what about a long day of sports, one where I didn't have to concentrate so much? Yes, I hadn't been able to stop focusing on Michael's connections all day. I may not be Severus Snape, but I was sure I had a very faint trace of his undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding the perfection of things. His was regarding potions; mine was practically everything. I smiled slightly, satisfied, and looked at Michael once more.
Michael's eyes were wide open, almost incredulous, as he stared at me as if I now had three heads.
"Everything alright?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I... the pressure is gone. Not all of it, but... a large part of it is gone. The burden I've borne for centuries... has just been relieved. The... the system is there. I can feel it, but... I can feel it clearly. It's... I feel incredible." Michael said incredulously. I just nodded as I put away the hemalurgic spikes.
"Well, I'm glad it worked. That thing was bothering me. I couldn't look away from that connection without flinching." I shrugged. "It was fun, Michael, but I still have things to do," I said simply before turning away. Michael was completely stunned and frozen in place, his eyes glazed over, not moving. I shrugged and hummed softly as I started to think quickly.
It was really interesting working with God's system. It gave me some ideas for working on the angelic heart. I created a portal directly to my lab. I needed to write a lot of things down.
Author's Notes: Once again, I wasn't sure whether to add this. But here we are. I considered it for several minutes and ended up writing this.
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