The Seraphic System

The Seraphic System

Chapter: 84

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story. However, all original characters, plotlines, and worldbuilding 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.

(Heaven's Third Realm)

The woman's eyes slowly opened.

Her eyes were clear and calm but with a kind of tiredness deep inside them. She looked at me for a moment like she was assessing everything about me. 

She didn't look at all surprised as she found herself in a new terrain. 

"Welcome," I said simply.

She blinked once, then glanced around the clearing without moving her body much. Her head barely tilted up, taking everything in.

"Hello." She replied, in her voice completely relaxed. "I was summoned," she said in a voice that was soft but direct. "To this world."

"You were." I confirmed. 

She watched me silently.

I continued. "I am Kai. The King of Heaven." I replied, slightly hesitant to address myself as such. "Do you know why you were summoned?"

"I do." She replied. 

Then, almost absently, she brushed some hair behind her pointed ear. "There are demons in this world?" she asked.

"Yes…?" I responded.

That got me a small, almost unnoticeable smile. 

"What do you know?" I questioned curiously, she didn't seem to be like Jeanne which was a given. 

{Name: Frieren}

{Titles: The Slayer / The Great Archmage / Aureole-Touched Seeker}

{Race: Elf}

{Power Level: 31,380}

She was stronger than Jeanne. 

"I know that you are the arch-enemies to Demons and that you are a God in the making." She said, her voice still completely calm despite the absurdity of it. "You also possess an entirely different magical system." 

"Yes," I said. "Among other things." I watched her carefully. I didn't rush her.

"For summoning me, I will fight for you." she said, stepping forward, her bare feet making no sound on the flattened grass. She stood directly in front of me. Staring up.

She was a little shorter than I expected. Smaller frame. She is undeniably beautiful and cute. Seriously… what was with the legendary summon token summoning beautiful woman. 

This wasn't some sort of weird hidden desire, was it?

She turned and began inspecting the clearing with the same detached calmness

"I like the feeling here." She stated, before pausing. "Is that your presence? Oh, it is. I like your feeling."

I sent her a flat stare. 

She came to stand in personal space. "Mm, I like it. Now… What magic does this world possess?"

I sent her an amused smile. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." 

The title Archmage was suggesting she was good with magic. It was probably powerful magic too if her power level was anything to go by. I wondered if I could learn any spells from her.

She blinked. Once.

Then, for a moment, there was a flicker of pure excitement. 

"I don't mind," she said. "I like magic."

Then she sat down without warning, right on the grass. Legs crossed. Hands resting in her lap. She looked up at me expectantly.

I joined her, and what followed was a lengthy, well-worded explanation of how her world's magic worked. It was fascinating and much different to any in this universe. 

There were three types of magic in her world. 

Visualization magic used by humans and elfs

Curses the inherent magic of demons who spent almost their whole life honing in a single spell and mastering it.

Magic of the Goddess by priests or those with faith and holy focus like holy scriptures and symbols of Goddess. 

She explained that later in her lifetime she had gotten the blessing of a Goddess which had definitely helped to master visualization magic quickly and the usage of the magic. 

So apparently she had met a God before, that god being the Goddess of Creation according to Frieren, which she hadn't believed existed. The magic she primarily used out of three types was Visualization magic. 

It was still below having outright manipulation of the elements but many things could be done creatively. 

After she finished speaking, I noticed how different she seemed. She was much more vibrant and relaxed. 

I decided to educate her on this world's magic. 

"In this world too," I started, "magic isn't locked to one system. There are multiple sources. Which can mostly be branched off from respective energies with different aspects, Holy energy, Divine energy, Then there's demonic energy among many other energies…"

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Each energy has had some sort of magical system or skill set built for itself, either built upon or from the energies aspect. This world has many different magics due to that. All with different focus and special attributes." I explained. 

I leaned back. 

"Beyond using magical systems. We also use elemental bending. Not spells but a much purer and more controlled magic usage specifically designed for each element." I continued. 

She tilted her head.

"Elaborate."

I lifted a hand. A ball of light sparked, created by a chantless angelic spell. "Normal spell," I said. Then I clenched my fist. The light twisted into a complex spiral. Shot upward. Broke apart midair into sparks that scattered without a trace.

"No formula?"

"Nope."

She stared at my hand.

"That's unique," she said. "But… free. Creative. I can feel how much purer and powerful the light became, and how much more control and versatility it gained. It could even be called a higher form of magic."

"You get it." I noted. 

She looked back at the light. "I do."

Then she moved. The gap between us shrank. "Can this elemental manipulation be taught?"

"No, elemental manipulation is special. While it can sort of be gained through divine inheritance or blessings. It's not necessarily within everyone. It's the same with energies, we can't switch between them." I explained to best of my ability. 

"Elemental bending being a lower form of manipulation, yes?" She asked, her eyes gleaming. 

"Yes."

"Then as for the magical systems, as I said before they are close with the energy it was based upon, to the point the same magical system can't be used with those that don't have that energy. So I am unsure how your mana would do with them. I can teach you angelic spellcraft though. A magic that is holy and based on light magic." I said, smiling.

"I would like that." She said, sending me a small smile back. For some reason I had felt like some sort of test had been passed as she stared into my eyes. 

"I'm afraid you'll have to stay in this little section for a while though, I need some time before I introduce you to everyone. Your rather complicated summoning is somewhat of a secret." I replied bashfully. 

"I understand, that's fine. While the magic of how you summoned me here is something I would like to learn about. I like it here." Frieren replied. 

After a moment, I glanced over. "You like it here?"

That was good. I doubted anyone would dislike this.

"This place?" she asked. "Yes."

"Why?"

"It feels… nice." She paused. Then she looked at me. "Oh, perhaps I mistook that. What a large amount of magic you have. This is your presence, isn't it?"

I shrugged. "Maybe."

Yeah, the heavenly system was still pumping my presence to every corner of Heaven it seemed. 

It worked in making my Angels feel comforted. 

"I like it," she said, once again. "though may I ask where we are, exactly?" she asked.

I looked around the clearing. "A private sector of Heaven."

She turned to me. "Oh yes, Heaven. How curious. You said that you're becoming the God of this realm?"

"It's complicated but, yes. I will be one day." I replied hesitantly.

"Perfect." She said, her voice still blank despite her words. 

"So, I have a few hours to spend before I have to leave." I revealed. "I'm afraid that a potential attack became known a few months ago, so I rarely have too much time that's not dedicated to that."

"Oh? That's why you summoned me, yes? Will I be needed?" She questioned, not sounding bothered by the prospect. 

"Yes."

"Would the attackers happen to be demons?" She questioned, her tone slightly more anticipatory.

"No, but they are linked. I believe." 

That wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly true. 

"I see." She replied, her lips curving. "Do you know when it will happen?"

"Unfortunately not, and Heaven isn't in a great position. We've just started truly recovering from the old war that happened between us and the Devils, a lower form of demons. Since my… return. So this attack is proving to be more dangerous by the day." I said, sighing.

She didn't reply, merely sending me another smile which was larger than the last.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, you simply reminded me of someone for a second." She replied, tucking a stray hair behind her long ear. "Since we have time, I'm curious to see if you can learn the magic system I use. Would you be willing?" 

I grinned. 

"I would love too." 

-Scene Break-

I played with the Golden apple in my mind, considering what to do with it. 

I had just left Frieren after a long gruelling session of trying to use her way of magic. It had succeeded in some efforts…

[Visualisation Magic] (LVL: 3/25) {Novice}

[Magic in this world is built on deeply ingrained incantations and long-term study, often requiring years of discipline and memorization. Each spell is a distinct, named formula that must be learned, internalized, and practiced until it becomes second nature. 

True mastery lies not in raw strength, but in versatility, creativity, and a profound understanding of magical theory.]

[Passive Effect: Slightly reduces the time required to chant basic spells]

This had been hours worth of work… The magic she used was insanely useful and powerful, covering a wide variety of subjects and yet it was just so hard to master. 

I had the imagination part down by the magic theory was going to take a while. It was something that was going to take time. A currency I didn't seem to have a lot of these days. 

Seriously, even a year would be appreciated. 

After leaving the small area hidden within the Garden Of Eden, I travelled back to my sub-dimension. Which led to now as I considered what to do with the Golden Apple. 

I had a few options.

First most was the most obvious answer and the one my mind had instantly gone too, eating the Golden apple in chance that my Semi-Divine form would become a Divine form. 

Which I hoped would boost its power massively or even if it just prolonged its usability time, it would be a massive advantage. 

Then my mind went back to the chances of that happening. 

30%

I would still receive a boost in the other aspects provided but it still would be a waste. 

There was also the fact that it might be considered that I've already got a divine form, even if it's apparently not completed and simply not done anything. 

That led onto the next option of giving it to Raphael to examine and hopefully potentially produce. This was the smartest move. Which was why I had already done it. 

The result? Raphael said it can't be copied. The apple's not just enchanted or layered with basic magical blessings, it's saturated in Gaea's unique domain blessings. It's essentially a unique blessing from the Greek Pantheon. 

She didn't use spells or runes for making golden apples. Raphael had explained. It had the very powerful blessing of Primordial. Which made sense. It reminded me that the Golden apples were essentially Primordial creations. Gaea's wedding gift to the Queen of Olympus.

Raphael had gained a lot of insight from it though and had determined to try to grow something similar. 

That's why no one can recreate it. Besides the one who made it. All Pantheons had their own special fruits and secrets, so I wasn't too surprised. 

All in all, she didn't have the capacity to make something of the same effect. 

I also had Sariel check the fruit, due to his domain being that of nature and fruits. Together Raphael and Sariel had decided to try to create something similar for Heaven, but ultimately they couldn't copy the Golden Apples effects. 

That had left me to toy around with my last idea…

My gaze traveled towards Galadriel resting around me, her giant form coiled behind me protectively.

I smiled faintly. 

My oldest friend.

I watched Galadriel's iridescent scales shimmer in the light. 

The massive Astral Serpent had been with me before anyone else had even if she hadn't exactly hatched by that time, she had been loyal and protective through every battle. 

If anyone deserved this gift, it was her.

Anyone who saw what I was about to do with the legendary and very powerful fruit would probably have been horrified at my decision. From what little I knew, the Golden Apples were extremely rare. 

Even among the Gods, and they were heavily guarded. 

The Fates had essentially given me one of these for what was a very large threat. That alone showed its value, the fact Aphrodite and Hestia didn't argue about the reward showed they thought it was as valuable as it sounded.

"Galadriel," I called softly.

The giant serpent stirred, her massive coils shifting like flowing water. 

Her eyes opened slowly, those giant slitted pupils focusing on me with affection. She lowered her large head until it was level with mine, a gentle rumble vibrating from her throat.

"I have something for you," I said, holding out the golden apple. "I want you to eat this."

Galadriel's tongue flicked out, tasting the air around the mysterious fruit. 

She seemed curious.

With surprising grace for a creature of her size, Galadriel barely needed to open her massive jaws as she carefully took the apple from my palm. 

She swallowed the small fruit whole.

For a moment, nothing happened. I leaned forward, watching intently. 

Had I made a mistake?

I didn't know if this had some racial restrictions but it shouldn't. I didn't see a difference in the legends of Humans using the apple to become Gods and animals.

The only difference I saw was the level of consciousness and Galadriel seemed more conscious than most people I had met. 

Then it began. 

A golden wave of power erupted from within her, spreading across her scales like wildfire. Galadriel's body coiled tightly as she thrashed, her large slitted eyes widening in alarm. 

I stepped back, anxiety gnawing at my insides.

"Galadriel?" I called out, unsure if I should try to help or stay clear.

The Astral serpent didn't respond. 

Instead, she slithered rapidly toward the large trees surrounding the sacred pond. 

Before I could follow, she submerged herself in the water. Golden light illuminated the pond from within as something began to form around her…

A cocoon…? 

And then... nothing.

Once the cocoon formed all sound and movement ceased. 

I waited by the pond's edge for a while, watching the motionless cocoon with anxiousness. The water remained still, giving no indication of what was happening inside. 

I sighed and stood. There was nothing more I could do here.

I went over to the house and found Medusa.

"Nxyera," I called as I approached the house nearby. 

The gorgon appeared in the doorway, her serpentine hair writhing gently.

"Could you keep an eye on Galadriel by the pond at the bottom of the Two Trees?" I asked, nodding toward the pond. "She's entered some sort of cocoon."

Medusa nodded. "Of course. I'll keep an eye out my Lord."

With that, I made my way back to Heaven. 

I had barely passed through the gates when a figure materialized directly in my path. 

The long curly blond hair was the first thing I saw as Gabriel stood before me, her posture rigid and her eyes blazing with an intensity that stopped me in my tracks. 

Ah. 

Yes.

That…

"Kaiel." She stated, her voice bordering on being emotionless. 

Yeah, she was pissed. Even this was basically the equivalent of human rage. 

"Gabriel." I said, smiling at her somewhat awkwardly. 

Her facade almost seemed to break in that moment before she doubled down. "You went on the quest." She stated once more, her arms crossed.

I felt the sheer intensity of her gaze, somehow both cool and fiery

"I did," I admitted, seeing no point in denying it.

I did feel bad and I had seen this coming, she had gone to all the effort to try to get me to stay in Heaven… But having another legendary summon was too invaluable to Heaven's power. 

Gabriel's perfect composure finally cracked. "How could you accept a quest from the Fates? And for what? Some foolish reward? They were obviously not thinking about your safety and it's below your station" Her voice rose slightly, the equivalent of shouting for Angels. "You risked yourself, Kaiel. For nothing."

"It wasn't nothing," I protested weakly. 

I mean, it wasn't. But I didn't want to argue with her. 

"Even so, It was reckless," she countered, pacing now. "The Fates obviously wouldn't care about you, do they even know who you are?"

"I know, and I'm sorry," I said softly, deciding not to answer that last question. "But I wasn't alone. I had many with me."

"Many?" She stopped, turning to face me. "As if numbers matter against what dwells in those places. Michael said that there were multiple God-class threats and one harnessing a Primordial's power to make things even more absurd."

She took a calming breath. 

"I know, but Michael came with me and the quest was hardly any trouble with the force I brought with me," I offered. 

Her expression softened marginally. "Yes, well. Michael can hardly disobey you at the best of times. So I'm not surprised and while it may have gone well. That's mostly because Michael is… Michael and you were lucky the goddess seemed to somehow mess up using such power."

"That's not what I meant-"

Gabriel suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between us. 

Her hands reached for mine, and I felt a jolt as our fingers intertwined. The vulnerability in her eyes briefly stunned me.

"Don't you know what you mean to me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't seem to understand."

"I'm sorry." I apologised truthfully. "I'm simply don't want to risk Heaven on the ooo

She sighed, and then she gave me a relieved smile. "I'm sorry as well, I shouldn't be so harsh. I'm glad you're okay."

"No, I do deserve it. Go- who knows how much trouble I would be in if I didn't have my Angels to pull me back." I replied softly.

One only needs to look at my previous shenanigans to know someone in the cosmo's was against any peace revolving around me. 

She leaned into me. 

I stood there, momentarily speechless. Then I deadpanned at the look in her eyes. 

"You're not going to allow me to move around alone, are you?" I asked flatly, already knowing the answer.

Her smile widened, now cheerful and slightly mischievous. "Of course not."

I decided to disregard her change in attitude. 

I considered what to do for a moment. 

"In that case, would you accompany me to the third realm of heaven?" I decided to ask.

It would be best to spend some time with her, because despite the happy act she was putting on her emotions were… erratic. 

Gabriel's eyes widened slightly, then she nodded. "Of course."

I didn't waste any time. I stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

She offered me a pretty smile as zaps began to gather around us. A zap of energy coursed through me as we disappeared from where we stood, the world blurring momentarily before reforming around us.

When my vision cleared, we stood upon the third realm of Heaven. The Heavenly System had helpfully showed me this place so I could travel to it with zapping light. 

It was time to learn more about Heaven and one of the main parts of it. 

The souls that reside in Heaven. One of religions' key staples in drawing on belief. 

Before I could take in the surroundings, a small group of Angels noticed our arrival and immediately flocked toward us.

"Father!" several called out, their faces lighting with joy and reverence.

They surrounded me, voices overlapping as they greeted me. 

I raised my hands hurriedly, offering them a reassuring smile. I had admittedly forgotten that many simply waited in the place between Heaven's realms. 

It seemed that many had left to focus on other things though. 

After a while of consoling them, time I didn't mind spending. They dispersed reluctantly, casting glances back at us as they departed. 

Gabriel sent me an amused smile. "You're getting better at this."

I shrugged. I watched them go, feeling that familiar mix of affection and exasperation. I was trying to slowly integrate myself back into Heaven's general populace but it was about as hard as you would imagine. 

We entered the third heaven and I was met with what I could only describe as endless space made manifest. 

The realm stretched beyond comprehension, it was like an image of what would be a gentle stream flowing through lush forests. In other spaces, relaxing waves lapped against pristine shores. Breathtaking vistas of mountains and valleys extended in impossible directions.

Yet, it was all captured in crystal. A strange crystal that obviously wasn't the same standard of the crystals I knew from my human life. It was beyond that and it was something that couldn't fully be described.

The crystal was solid and it wasn't. 

The entire scene felt like a picture but one that I could enter at any time. The beings I saw within were seemingly moving in slow motion and couldn't seem to even perceive us. 

It was trippy… and at the same time I had to wonder just what sort of being could make this? I doubted any God could make such a thing. So it had to be beyond that right? 

Gabriel gently held my hand intimately, and guided me towards the crystal lands. 

There was a path that cut through, the only real thing I felt I could trust to be solid. It stretched just as endlessly as the horizon and I had to wonder just how Heaven could contain something like this.

I had seen many things of beauty and wonder since being reborn. Olympus, Heaven, Eden and even the underworld's palace. This was definitely up there with them. 

Despite this, what caught my attention were the individual spaces, personal heavens where souls dwelled. Some appeared as cozy homes, others as vast libraries, still others as places of activity and creation. 

I felt like I could enter at any time, and I noticed the world was constantly shifting. 

This was Heaven? 

The place that was promised after death for a life lived well? It felt… deserving. It definitely lived up to what I had been imagining. I'm assuming the crystal was keeping them contained in some sort of false reality while Angels could watch from the outside? 

I wondered just how many would become saints if they knew that this existed? 

That left a question I wanted answered. 

"How does this system work?" I asked Gabriel as we walked. "The souls. How do they come here?"

Gabriel gestured to the place around us. "The souls are tied to believers. They don't necessarily have to be hardcore believers, but giving any source of belief is enough. That gives them the potential to live here for as long as Heaven remains…"

"And they get judged?" I prompted, noticing her expression growing more complicated.

That had always been a thing with the Abrahamic religion, judgement. I even had a skill from God named after it. 

She nodded, her pace slowing. "They do by the collector of souls, which is up to the Angel of Death."

"Angel of Death?" I frowned in confusion. "I haven't heard of such a person before."

Angel of Death? That felt like someone who would be an Arch-Seraphs for sure and certainly powerful if they are roaming around in the supernatural world.

So why didn't I know of her? 

Gabriel turned to face me, her eyes reflecting something ancient and sad. "She is widely thought to be dead. But she was in charge of collecting souls for Heaven. She was incredibly powerful and didn't participate much in the war."

Ah, That made more sense.

Still…

This was new information to me. "But the souls are still coming up. How?"

"It is widely thought that her shades are still active," Gabriel explained, before pausing at my confused look. 

Shades?

"Collecting so many souls as one Angel is impossible, especially when our Fathers insisted on having a hand in general human affairs." Gabriel replied. 

I wanted to raise an eyebrow at how she was acting. Was that a hint of jealousy? No. Gabriel was kind and she had a genuine love towards humans. 

Michael had told me about the many times she had gone out of her way for human children. I must be imagining it. 

I focused back in on the words being spoken. 

"So she created strange beings called shades in mass to help her. The shades aren't powerful, but they can touch souls and don't take physical damage." She finished. 

I pondered this, watching a group of souls in the distance enjoying what appeared to be perpetual happiness. 

It seemed sad and strange that someone so important was no longer alive, yet her work continued without her.

"What about the souls here?" I asked, gesturing to the expanse around us. "Are they aware? Conscious?"

Gabriel's expression softened. "They are what could be best described as semi-conscious and living happily. They experience what brings them joy, what they most desire in life. To a certain extent anyway. Some commune with others, some prefer solitude. All find peace here."

She gently pulled on my hand and we entered the strange crystal world. 

We watched on for a while. They didn't seem to notice us yet, but we were standing quite a bit away.

"What about Angel souls?" I suddenly asked. 

Gabriel paused. "I am not sure… our souls are different. They are more powerful than normal humans by a lot. So this realm doesn't apply to us…"

I perked up.

"Did our newly resurrected Angels say anything? We should ask them." I said after a moment.

"We took the liberty of doing that. A long time ago actually. Not many Angels were revived during the Great War. It's why Heaven was in such a bind and many were lost. Devils learnt of what God could do from Lucifer and began burning the bodies of Angels." Gabriel revealed a complex tone in her voice.

My fists clenched tight. My eyes closed and I had to force down an unexplainable anger that rose up within me. 

I knew Heaven hadn't come out completely unscathed. The resurrection skill I had required a body. 

I supposed Yahweh's did as well. 

"When we die, we simply see nothing. When revived, it's as if we are there one moment and not in the other." Gabriel admitted.

That sounded terrifying.

"In truth, I think I prefer that then living in some sort of afterlife. I assume this is the same for Gods as well. I think sleeping eternally lest we ever fail would be better than living in a world without you." Gabriel said, and I sent her a glance.

I hadn't expected her to say something so heavy.

Damn it.

Now, I was feeling worse. 

"I'm guessing you don't have Azrael's body?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

By the sounds of it, having the Angel of literal Death would be invaluable. Though I don't know if could revive her, even with my semi-divine form. 

"No, we could never find it or her." Gabriel said with a soft sigh. "Our elder sister simply vanished."

The flaming sword has something to do with her right? I had found a fragment of it in the underworld. 

Perhaps her body had been there as well? 

We continued watching on as I asked questions about various subjects regarding Heaven. 

We watched the crystal landscape for a little while longer. 

I kept asking questions, mostly to kill time and take Gabriel's mind off what I had done. 

Eventually I decided it was time to go.

That left the next thing I wanted to do. 

"I think I want to visit the Garden of Eden," I said, turning to her. 

"There's something and someone I want to check."

A certain cherub I'd like to see.

"The Tree of Knowledge." I said, answering her questioning look. 

Gabriel tilted her head. "Raivel?" she asked, already knowing the answer. 

She hadn't forgotten the name of her sibling. 

"Yes."

Her eyes softened. 

I didn't need her to tell me that she would continue tagging along. 

A zap of energy gathered around us. We disappeared from the third realm, and in a moment, the familiar warmth of Eden greeted us. 

This place still held its calm. Gentle winds brushed the trees, soft golden grass shifting around us.

I smiled. 

Frieren was still within the hidden pocket in the forest, presumably inspecting the area and learning from the angelic magical spells I had given her. 

She was probably one of the best people I could have summoned. A relaxed but incredibly powerful elf who seemed content to simply obey. 

We walked in silence. The Tree of Knowledge wasn't far.

As we stepped into its grove, a blur of light dove from above. Before I could react, I was tackled into a hug.

Raivel. 

"Raivel," I said, not surprised.

"Father!" she shouted into my chest. "I knew it was you!"

Gabriel laughed softly beside me. "Still as energetic as ever."

Raivel flinched, and looked over to Gabriel. "Elder sister?" 

"Hey, Raivel." Gabriel said, giving the girl a kind smile. 

I stared at her briefly, watching her smile with a small smile of my own. 

Gabriel soon found herself wrapped in a hug of her own. 

"Hey, Raivel. How are you doing?" Gabriel asked kindly, her attention taken by the girl.

"I'm feeling much better." She replied, sending a not-so-very discreet glance in my direction.

Gabriel rubbed her back. "I'm surprised you're still here in all honesty, I heard Michael was reaching out to all our siblings who have chosen a life like yours."

Raivel looked up. "Michael was here not so long ago, he did offer and inform me of Father's return. But I already knew."

I patted her head. "You know you can leave with my permission right?"

She shook her head. "I like it here, though, if you need me. I will come right away."

Raivel said, the last part making her twiddle her thumbs expectantly. 

I looked up at the tree.

"If that's your wish."

She beamed and Gabriel laughed openly. 

I approached the trunk, pressing my hand against it. A hum of energy ran up my arm. 

But nothing else.

No visions. No cryptic messages. No insights. No quests. 

I let my hand fall.

I suppose I wouldn't be getting any insights today. Of course. There were only so many times I could pull wisdom out of this place. It had already helped me multiple times with quests.

Oh well. It was worth a try. 

I turned back to the two of them. 

Raivel had latched onto Gabriel's arm now, babbling something about a sparrow she had fed.

I let myself smile.

-{Azazel}-

Azazel leaned back in his office chair, enjoying the brief reprieve. 

He really couldn't decide if his Father's miraculous return was a good thing or not. 

The whole thing was making him feel oddly reminiscent. Feeling that presence had locked a part of his personality that he had buried for what he thought was good. 

The problem was the infighting happening with the Fallen. Even the various smaller sub-factions within the Fallen Faction overall had gone radio silent. 

He poured himself a drink. He could tell big things were coming. 

An explosion rattled the entirety of the small city that was owned by the Grigori in the underworld. 

He sighed tiredly. 

A group of Fallen were fighting. 

This was a common occurrence in the few cities that the Grigori possessed. Azazel spotted one of the stronger Fallen that served as the main peacekeeping force, quickly flying out. 

Azazel stared at the half-empty glass in his hand, swirling the amber liquid slowly. 

The muffled thump of another distant explosion made his office lights flicker for a second before stabilizing. He didn't even flinch. Just another day in Grigori.

The door opened without a knock. Shemhazai stepped in, dressed in a standard Grigori coat, clipboard in one hand.

"Another fight?" she asked casually, though her tone carried that familiar edge of disappointment.

"Yep," Azazel muttered, rubbing the side of his head. "Looked like one of the city blocks this time."

Shemhazai didn't sit. He stood near the window, watching the smoke rise faintly in the distance. "You know you're going to have to give everyone more than just a false peace agreement meeting, right?"

Azazel sighed, long and slow. "I know."

That "meeting" had been a stalling tactic. something to keep the restless Fallen from jumping ship or tearing each other apart. Most of them didn't care about diplomacy. They just want answers. Or revenge. Or forgiveness.

"Any word from Heaven?" Azazel asked, breaking the silence.

Shemhazai finally turned away from the window. "No, and yes. Heaven itself hasn't responded. But the church, yeah. They've changed. Drastically."

Azazel raised an eyebrow.

"Activity's gone up by over five hundred percent. Exorcist units, artifact retrieval, blessing renewals, even crusader movements. All coordinated. And all of our spies? Gone. Every single one."

Azazel clicked his tongue, leaning back in his chair. "Eager to get back into Pops' good graces, huh?"

Shemhazai nodded once, expression unreadable. "They're acting incredibly boldly."

Azazel leaned forward again, resting his arms on his desk. "Makes sense. Can't blame them."

Shemhazai didn't respond immediately. 

Azazel looked at his longtime friend. "How are the others holding up?"

"Worse than us. Barakiel barely talks. Penemue has stopped attending high command briefings. Kokabiel's off the leash again."

"And Armaros?"

Shemhazai shrugged. "He's stable. But he's watching everything like a hawk." 

Azazel grunted in response. "Better than sulking, I guess."

Shemhazai shifted his expression tense. "Do… Do you think Father's going to be angry?" 

Azazel pursed his lips, his hands subconsciously clenching the armrest of the chair he was seated on. 

That would be bad…

"I don't think so." He replied, taking a moment to think about it. 

They would have felt it by now. Everyone felt the very rare event where Father lost his temper. 

"Why do you ask?" Azazel questioned. 

"My wife, Azazel. If anyone's going to feel Father's wrath it'll be the Devils first." Shemhazai said, his tone was laced with a small amount of worry. 

"That… would be a problem." Azazel said, rubbing his forehead. 

"Do you think Father would accept us back?" He asked, pacing around. 

He didn't like seeing his long-time friend like this, it was rare Shemhazai worried. Age and exposure to what the world was truly like tended to do that. 

Yet, at this moment Azazel felt like a child again. 

Knowing his Father had a punishment in line. 

The Grigori had hardly been perfect, he would say they weren't far off the Devils in terms of the amount of pain they had caused. He was sure everything would come to light in front of Father's gaze.

When the Evil piece's existence had been found out by the rest of the Faction's, the Fallen took it as a challenge and had done some truly horrendous things to keep up. 

"Perhaps some of us, like Penemue. But I'm afraid the rest of us may truly be damned." Azazel replied with a frown.

Shemhazai remained silent for a while. 

"Do you miss it?" He asked hesitantly.

Azazel snorted. "In some parts, if the old man wasn't so fussy we would be up in Heaven as we speak. But if you're asking if I would go back? Of course I would."

Shemhazai sent him a shocked look.

"Don't look so surprised." Azazel chuckled tiredly. "Don't get me wrong. Getting laid is awesome and being able to have sex with my perfectly crafted siblings is extra awesome."

Shemhazai groaned. 

"It wasn't worth the constant paradise and the constant small moments we had with our family. Laughing with Lariel, hanging out constantly and talking with everyone…" his voice trailed off. "If I had known, it wouldn't have happened."

Memories flash through his mind, lounging around in Heaven. Hanging out with everyone on the clouds Father had made before couches were a thing. 

Heaven had been peaceful and most of all had a safety that couldn't be replaced. Azazel remembered when he had tried to help his Father with a few Sacred Gears. Which was why he had an insight into how to make cheap knock-offs to this day. 

Not that he could ever compete with his Father in all truth. 

He let out a breath. 

Shemhazai watched on, a sympathetic look in his eyes as he knew exactly what Azazel was experiencing. The moment moved on as the lights flickered again, this time from another minor blast downtown.

Shemhazai raised an eyebrow. "You want me to handle it?"

"No," Azazel said, getting up slowly. "I'll take care of it. It might help to be seen."

-{Ryuzi Kamoza}-

He couldn't say this was the reality he thought he would be living when he had found out he was a wielder of the infamous assembly of powerful soul-bound artefacts dubbed Sacred Gears.

Perhaps it was all the anime and gaming he had done that has given him this idea of being some sort of protagonist. 

Yeah…

With above average intelligence and what he had thought was a very powerful Sacred Gear, he had created plans. 

Back at the time he had known of the supernatural world. Or well, the existence of other magical beings. 

Mostly because of the way his sacred Gear had activated. An attack from what could only be described as some monster had activated it when it had tried to kill him.

The only reason he was alive was because the way it had played with him, enjoying his fear right up until a bolt of lightning had hit its head, promptly ending its life.

After coming to terms with the horror and how he had narrowly escaped, which had taken a few days of staying curled up in his bed. 

He had become excited. 

He had gone around feeling very powerful. 

Each day he trained his nameless Sacred Gear he had gotten better and stronger. 

It felt amazing.

He had gone around masquerading as some sort of anti-hero. That was to say he went around beating people up and robbing stores. A mix he considered both good and bad to cancel each other out. 

Money had come in. No signs of this supernatural world he had thought existed. It was like they were invisible and it had remained that way for multiple months…

Right until he had come across what could only be called the supernatural underworld. 

It hadn't been a hard fight. That was to say for his opponents. 

When he had first come into contact with them he was excited to finally test himself. 

The strange force had come out of nowhere. The first hint of a supposed supernatural world he has seen since the first fight. They wore masks and carried electric batons. 

The fight went well, despite the number advantage he had proven himself. 

Taking down six of them, using lightning blasts and using what he called his lightning armour. 

The electricity hadn't even done anything, the only advantage they had was the combat experience as even his body had been enhanced by the Sacred Gear. 

Then what he now know as the head enforcer had come and performed what could only be described as a beat-down. 

The middle-class enforcer had been quick, and incredibly strong. He had only gotten one powerful last ditch lightning blast off on him before he was made unconscious.

After that? 

He had wished he hadn't gotten his Sacred Gear or even could die but that too as a slave isn't his choice. He covered his sleeve with the slave brand burnt into his skin, focusing on the large man chatting to his son. 

He stood next to the head-enforcer as his second-hand man. 

"I'm telling you it's not possible, brat." The large man huffed.

"And I'm asking again why it's not?" His son asked, lounging on the couch.

The only reason the spoiled man in his early twenties hadn't become paste was due to his status as the boss' son. 

The boss was incredibly powerful. A descendant of a Dragon long-dead. It was said he had a foot within the High-class realm. A level of power that would give them a massive step up against the other criminal families. 

"Because Heaven has started kicking up a fuss and we can't afford to gain even a single exorcist's attention." The boss replied patiently. 

Joining what could be called a supernatural criminal family had revealed a lot. Heaven, Devils, Fallen and many other Factions existed. 

Colossal Titans in the supernatural world. 

Ones that would only require one small report from a low-ranking administrator to send a squad that would wipe the powerful crime family off the map without a trace.

It was disheartening. Knowing that he wasn't worth much. All his dreams had faded and he had decided to simply accept his fate.

"Don't we have a contact for that?" The son boredly questioned.

"Yes, but as I told you he hasn't been responding." The boss replied.

The son huffed. "I don't want to leave my penthouse just because we may step on some toes."

The boss let out an irritable sigh. "Kazos, read me the report again."

The head enforcer nodded. "Exorcists have been poking around the nearest black market zone."

The boss nodded. "And that's only a few mere miles away from your apartment!"

"Fine, I'll agree to keep a guard on me at all times." The son lazily waved. 

The boss finally glared at his son. "You need to leave. Tonight."

"But father-"

The conversation halted as the doors to the penthouse suite exploded inward in a shower of splinters and light.

I didn't even flinch. 

They flowed into the room like living shadows. Six figures in pristine white gear trimmed with gold sigils that seemed to burn against the fabric. They held weaponry that looked advanced and shone with light that pierced the darkness. 

Exorcists. 

"By the authority of the church, you have been dubbed harmful on the local populace and thus in need of apprehension," announced their leader, a woman with close-cropped silver hair. 

The boss looked taken aback as if he couldn't believe this had happened.

He wanted to shake his head. They hadn't been subtle. 

"Kill them!" roared the boss.

The room erupted into chaos. 

Underlings poured in from side doors, at least twenty of them, armed with enchanted weapons and their own supernatural abilities. 

He stepped back against the wall, making no move to join the fight

The first exorcist moved quickly. He sidestepped a fireball, dropped into a sweeping leg motion that took down three opponents, then sprang up with a palm strike that sent another flying across the room. 

The sigils on his gloves flashed with each impact.

Two more exorcists worked in tandem, their movements synchronized like dancers. 

One created an opening, the other exploited it. 

They wove through the crowd of underlings with precision strikes to pressure points that neutralized supernatural abilities. Bodies dropped to the floor with each blow.

Kazos, the head enforcer, roared as he charged two exorcists, his fists glowing with energy. For a moment, he seemed to have the upper hand. His massive frame moved with surprising speed, forcing the exorcists back.

His triumph was short-lived. 

One exorcist feinted low while the other vaulted over her partner, descending on Kazos with a spinning kick that connected with his temple. As he staggered, they pressed their advantage. 

A flurry of strikes followed by restraints that glowed with some sort of light energy, nullifying his powers.

The boss' son barely had time to react before an exorcist materialized behind him, applied a precise chokehold, and rendered him unconscious in seconds.

Only the boss himself posed a real challenge. 

The boss' Dragon heritage became evident in the scales emerging across his skin, he unleashed a devastating blast of force that caught five exorcists in its path. 

They slammed into the walls, a barrier barely protecting them as power was unleashed. By now the entire room was a wreck and the building was alight on fire. 

The battle continued outside. Multiple buildings getting caught by stray dragon fire. 

The lead exorcist stepped forward. 

She raised her hand, and light streamed from her palm. 

Not a single beam but thousands of pinpoint rays, like miniature guns raining down holy energy. 

The boss raised a shield of power, but it began to crack under the assault.

Another exorcist unsheathed what looked like an ancient short sword. When he thrust it forward, it extended into a spear of pure light that pierced through the boss' defenses, pushing him back against the wall.

The exorcists moved as one, surrounding and restraining the now subdued boss.

He watched in pure admiration. There was no will to fight. How could he? The crime family had been subdued in a matter of minutes. A peak-middle class being restrained. 

How was that even possible? 

Throughout it all, he hadn't moved. 

When an exorcist approached him cautiously, hand on his weapon, he simply held up his hands.

The young man paused, studying his face. With gentle movements, he pushed up his sleeve, revealing the slave brand that marked him as property.

His expression changed from suspicion to something else. Understanding. Compassion.

The exorcist's tactical glove dematerialized as he extended his bare hand to him. 

His smile was small but genuine.

It was enough to make him want to cry. 

Years of captivity due to his foolishness as a teenager and saved by a church that didn't even know his story. 

The ridiculousness of religion seemed a lot less ridiculous. 

-END-

if you wish to read up to sixteen chapters in advance among my stories and other things please visit pa/t reon * / Snipez818, the app is charging a lot more for some reason so I suggest using the website. 

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