(Anime Fanfiction) [Various] Throne of God (27) + Extra Chapter Lucifer didn't react as strongly as she did. From beginning to end, he loathed that archangel. Every time he saw him, he was reminded of being impersonated by a demon and even imagined as a lover or partner, which completely disgusted Lucifer. Even though angels have a habit of pitying the weak, Joyce was still on the Archangel's blacklist, and a permanently blacklisted one at that. Chapter 27 Even Jehovah, who didn't pay attention to Hell, knew that Samael's trip was destined to fail. While the Seraphim's strength was indeed powerful, in order to balance the darkness, he also endowed many dark creatures with extremely strong potential. In other words, the Seraphim were only the most powerful beings in the world on the surface. In this respect, even demons couldn't say that God was biased. Since the dragon Behemoth had carefully plotted against this archangel, he must have wanted to maximize Joyce's value. Perhaps the fact that he would fall was an unexpected bonus. The first angel in Heaven to betray God would have a huge negative impact on the future of Heaven and could easily cause a wavering of faith in him. Jehovah wandered for a moment, his fingers idly toying with a quill pen, pondering Raphael's question.
Raphael's ascension to Seraphim was stated in his Book of Creation, but this wasn't a predetermined future, nor was it revealed by the Book of Creation; it was merely a rumor from a past life. Therefore, whether a Seraphim Raphael would even exist in this world remained a question mark. However, the secret Joyce uttered during his fall revealed the future: in his dream, Raphael became an Archangel with six golden wings.
This was a tremendous irony for Joyce, who couldn't ascend due to his loss of virginity. How far was an Archangel from a Seraphim? Jumping from the second-to-last rank to the first—every angel in Heaven would be green with envy. It wasn't just a change in status and position, but also a difference in power. This meant Raphael's future was destined to be glorious, while Joyce, if she remained in Heaven, could only look up to him.
"Rank differences are unavoidable, but they can't be too rigid, otherwise there's no room for effort and struggle."
Holding a pen, he drew a simple triangular pyramid in the air before him. The ten steps represented the rank distribution of Heaven, with himself naturally representing the pinnacle. Jehovah thought for a moment, then a burst of holy light suddenly erupted from the tip of his pen, condensing into a mist-like pure white mist from the power of the Creator. Finally, he marked a cross at the summit.
"The granting of wings is imperative, but a catalyst is needed."
Don't even mention the contempt the higher rank angels have for the lower rank angels. Take the Seraphim, for example; under normal circumstances, they would never accept a lieutenant below the rank of Cherubim I. Granting wings, if it's merely a promotion from the lower three ranks to the middle three ranks, would be far too small a reward. Once the unique specialness of the higher three angels is broken through the system of punishment, even the Seraphim would likely have to be wary of their actions, lest they be stripped of their wings for violating Heaven's rules.
"Gabriel."
Recalling Gabriel's letter of repentance, and considering the current situation in Heaven, Jehovah's eyes lit up. He had come up with a good plan. Joyce's affair needed to be brought to a close in Heaven, and now it would be best to start by dealing with Gabriel.
Without hesitation, God's style was always swift and decisive.
The first thing Gabriel did upon meeting God was to repent. Last time, the Father had shown him leniency by canceling his exile punishment; this time, Joyce had been ungrateful, and Gabriel hated himself for arguing with the Father for the sake of an ingrate.
"Gabriel, do you know where you went wrong in this matter?"
Jehovah's gaze swept over Gabriel's slightly haggard face. He knew it was the result of his time in prison, but he didn't think the punishment was over. From the moment Gabriel dared to plead with him for a fallen archangel, he should bear all the consequences.
"I shouldn't have pleaded for an archangel who would harm his comrades, and I shouldn't have failed to notice Joyce's abnormality for so long."
"No, you still don't fully understand."
Jehovah looked at his beloved seraphim. The woman's expression held the disappointment of a superior towards a subordinate; she still hadn't grasped the root of the problem. Perhaps standing in the position of seraphim for too long had dulled their former sharpness. Jehovah was neither impatient nor reproachful. Beneath the holy light, God was as gentle and merciful as all angels, speaking calmly and unhurriedly.
"You said… you are willing to accept any punishment."
"My God, yes."
"Good, I hope that after the punishment is over, you can give me a satisfactory answer, Gabriel."
God smiled slightly, finally revealing his purpose. He beckoned Gabriel forward. Gabriel, bewildered, approached the throne of God, his blue eyes gazing at the deity with curiosity and awe. A warm, holy light was before them. The deity within it was so majestic, yet her aura remained so pure—the most profound impression the Seraphim were born with.
A fiery heat rose from her brow, and ripples of bright holy light rippled around her. The Seraphim's wings unfurled involuntarily, her white, holy robes floated in the air, and a necklace around her neck slipped from her collar. A single wing, carved from a transparent silver-purple crystal, faced God, touched her forehead with her fingertips. Gabriel closed her eyes in a submissive manner, as if in prayer, the holy power within her surging violently in her chest.
When the holy light vanished, the beautiful six-winged woman disappeared as well, and a small figure fell frantically from mid-air.
God's gaze seemed to soften. He gently raised his hand and caught the falling child. Her short, golden curls bounced up, her rosy cheeks puffed out, and her blue eyes were moist, as if she had been startled by the fall.
Finding herself naked, the child nestled shyly in the god's arms, the cool breath making her doze comfortably. Although the girl was an archangel in disguise, she lacked the six wings symbolizing a seraph, and her eyes lacked the maturity and rationality of Gabriel. Like a cub unfamiliar with the world, she could only cling to her father's arms, acting spoiled.
The child's completely different appearance made it impossible for anyone to imagine she was Gabriel. Of course, the real Gabriel wouldn't dare cling to God like this; the current little girl was the result of God sealing her power and appearance.
"Dominica, my child, this is your current name."
"Nika?"
The girl, no more than five or six years old, tilted her head, her fingers clinging tenderly to the god's white robes, genuinely wanting to be close to him. Then, gazing at the man in the holy light, she gave a sweet smile, simply repeating the sound, her golden curls falling over her rounded shoulders, adding a touch of playfulness.
"Not Nika, it's Dominika."
"Nika?"
"Dominika, don't be naughty."
Jehovah gently tapped the girl's smooth forehead with his finger, his expression as tender as a true father. The girl nestled against him, giggling, her soft, white bottom sticking up, a pair of tiny wings the size of a palm on her back, unmistakably proving her identity as a little angel.
"I'll have Lucifer come and take you to the Angel Academy."
Lucifer received God's message while in prison. When he tidied himself and arrived at the Great Cathedral, he was immediately startled, for even before entering the hall, he heard inappropriate laughter.
How could this be? How could there be a child in God's temple…
His first sight was of the empty throne. Having a premonition, Lucifer turned his head at the sound and was stunned to see God standing by the sacred pool on the left.
Sure enough, he saw a head emerge from the sacred pool on the left. A young angel was playing in the water, half a meter deep enough to submerge her head. The smiling girl stood on tiptoe, her tiny fingers tugging at the branches of the World Tree, seemingly trying to climb up and pick leaves.
The Archangel stood there silently, his complex expression reflected in the crystal floor of the Great Cathedral. Even the archangels dared not move freely; they hadn't expected their Father to allow a little angel to be so presumptuous.
"Lucifer."
Jehovah, in a good mood, snapped out of his reverie and, seeing his archangel hadn't spoken for a while, said somewhat strangely.
"My God, Lucifer is late."
Suppressing his inexplicably surging emotions, and no longer paying attention to the little angel, Lucifer bowed respectfully.
"Your punishment ends here. Samael has gone to judge that fallen angel. Don't let me find out about any more trouble caused by you."
Standing gracefully with his hands at his sides, God's silver hair cascaded down his back to the ground. A curious Dominica caught a strand from the holy light. The little angel leaned against the pool, laughing happily, as if holding a precious treasure.
Jehovah raised an eyebrow slightly, reaching out to tuck the strand of hair away. He hadn't expected Gabriel, after his memories and mind were sealed, to be so bold. Or were all little angels this playful?
Lucifer's gaze was almost imperceptible as he stared at the strand of silver hair. The silver hair held in the child's hand seemed to be imbued with the brilliance of moonlight; though a cold hue, it had become one of the most exquisite colors in the world. This was the first time God had revealed a part of himself from the holy light. Perhaps he would never find anything more silvery-white again, for the divine is unique.
"Her name is Dominica. Take her to the Angel Academy in the Eighth Heaven."
"Yes...My God."
Dominica, a child of God.
His head bowed respectfully. Lucifer's lips paled as he immediately thought of the name's meaning. He found himself wanting to ignore the god's gentle gesture towards the girl. He had always believed that God's favor towards Seraphim was unparalleled; he was wrong. If he hadn't witnessed this scene today, how would he have known that God would favor a lesser angel outside the Seraphim rank?
"God, who is he?"
"He is the Archangel—Lucifer."
Jehovah's indifferent voice betrayed no emotion. He led the little angel by the hand to Lucifer's side, instructing him to take Dominica away.
Chapter Twenty-Eight