(The Tepes Clan)
Galadriel had awakened.
I watched with bated breaths, feeling the sheer amount of energy she had gained radiate off her without my Chakra Eyes activating,
My Astral Serpent stretched its body, showing hard scales akin to those a dragon possessed. Her two large slitted eyes had noticeable white rings within them, far more prominent than the usual rings one gained when receiving the Two Trees' blessing.
Galadriel had noticeably grown even larger than her previous form, and as she coiled I could see the faintest hints of the pure power she now possessed physically.
'Appraisal.'
{Name: Galadriel}
{Title: The Heavenly Serpent}
{Race: Amnûr Divina}
{Domain: Astral}
{Current Power level: 6,300}
{Power level: 16,500}
"…"
I registered multiple things at once.
So that's the domain she had received? That made it official, the golden apple had turned her into something akin to a God. However, her race didn't reflect that, besides the name change.
The other thing that caught my notice was the second power level, indicating she now possessed her own divine form.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, approaching her with a smile.
That was another powerful addition within Heaven's power and my power in turn, considering she mostly stuck with me.
Galadriel gilded towards me after stretching and seemingly getting used to her new body. When she reached me, her large head came to nuzzle me with a strength that forced me to ground myself, lest I be pushed off my feet.
"How amazing, I don't believe a golden apple has been used in this manner before," Hestia said excitedly. "I can sense a Domain within you, and I can feel your energy has turned into divine power."
Sure enough, her power had turned into the potent power of divine energy.
Aphrodite stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So you have given Galadriel the golden apple the Fates gave you?"
It was posed as a question but she already knew I had.
"I did. I thought it would empower her at the very least, but it seems that luck was on my side." I replied.
Luck had been on my side.
I felt a strange tension as I smiled at Galadriel.
Sariel came closer to inspect Galadriel further, his head tilting at a slight angle as he carefully inspected the newly ascended snake.
"This patterning…" he muttered more to himself than anyone else. "How rare, I don't believe I've seen a species like yours. How fascinating, you have now joined the list of serpents with divinity. A rather powerful one at that."
He crouched slightly, observing her unique scales. "Father, do you know what species Galadriel is of?"
"I do, Galadriel evolved into something called an Amnûr Divina? which I assume has something to do with the divine power she now possesses," I informed the curious Seraph.
Sariel blinked. "A new race, then… possibly singular. That would explain the strange filament markings along her sides. As expected of Fathers familiar."
"She really is a Heavenly Serpent now." Raguel chuckled from nearby, arms folded as he observed Galadriel from beside me.
Galadriel flickered her tongue out happily, clearly happy to receive the praise.
Hestia stroked her scales, as did Sariel and Aphrodite once she glanced at Hestia doing it.
"Makes you wonder if she qualifies for draconic classification. I mean, she's practically a divine-level beast now. She's at the Seraph level in power. Which makes her stronger than a High-class Dragon." Raguel wondered.
"You probably shouldn't say that in front of Tiamat or any other Dragon in that case." Sariel flatly replied from his position.
"What why?" Raguel replied confusedly.
"Calling a Dragon a snake is racist," Sariel responded.
"That's not what I said!" Raguel defensively replied.
"Yeah, but you implied it." Sariel retorted.
Raguel huffed. "All I was saying is, due to her scales she would probably be classed as a Dragon. Since Snakes usually have weaker scales and strength, which is what separates them."
"Yeah, that and being an entirely different race, with a different energy source, a different biology-" Sariel went on.
"Again! You're missing the point, Sariel!" Raguel replied. "I'm just talking in terms of Dragon classifications."
I watched the two go on amusedly.
Raguel abruptly stopped. "Speaking of problems," Raguel added casually, turning towards me. "Metatron and Sandalphon just left. They're investigating some strange magical fluctuations near the Vatican."
I nodded once, storing that piece of information away.
"Keep me informed if anything escalates," I replied casually. "Gabriel told me that the church was becoming more active, conflicts were bound to arise."
Raguel nodded.
Hestia slowly ran her hand along Galadriel's upper spine. "I wonder what domain you have, I can sense it's a unique and powerful one," she muttered aloud.
"It's Astral."
She sent me a surprised glance.
"I'm connected with Galadriel, which enables me to see that her Domain is Astral," I explained briefly.
She nodded, looking thoughtful and even more excited.
"Is that a good Domain?" I couldn't help but ask.
Hestia giggled at my question.
"Every Domain is good, but if you are referring to its power. Then I can't say I know, I don't believe I've yet to hear of a God with that domain." Hestia said thoughtfully.
Aphrodite remained silent, one hand lightly trailing along Galadriel's smooth body. Her expression wasn't overly jealous, but the slight pinch in her lips was clear enough.
Frieren appeared, stroking the Serpent's scales as well.
"She's beautiful," Frieren said eventually.
"It leaves me wondering what Domain Skills she will develop," Hestia commented.
I decided to check Galadriel's skill list, the benefit of her being my official familiar. A Quick Look showed that she had kept her usual skills but at the end of the skill list were two new abilities.
[Domain skill: Interstellar Lockdown]
[Description: Establishes a localized divine Domain area centred around the caster. Within this domain, all teleportation and dimensional abilities are suppressed. Powers from such attempts are absorbed and used to maintain the interstellar domain.]
[Domain Skill: Starfire Baptism]
[Description: Unleashes divine fire imbued with the weight of the Domain. The divine fire ignores most magical resistance.]
Talk about a powerful Domain…
I had to wonder why she had only two. Was it due to her power? Or did she have to connect with her Domain further in some way akin to the way I connected to my Shard?
Aphrodite had shown to have a lot more skills than her after all.
Galadriel shrunk rapidly, coming to attach to her favourite spot. Which was me.
Aphrodite perked up. "Ah, I must go. Zeus has called for a council meeting."
The words were spoken with no small amount of disappointment.
"You have free access to this dimension now, you don't need to live here," I said, somewhat amusedly.
She nodded and vanished in a burst of pink power.
Frieren quickly departed to continue training with Medusa, who she had taken as some sort of apprentice. While Sariel and Raguel had to leave for their own duties.
Which left just me and Hestia.
I looked at Galadriel.
In truth, I wanted to test her skill… and I think I had just the idea of how it could be used. There was something I had been wanting to do for a while now.
The Holy Grail. It was powerful and would no doubt be incredibly useful to Heaven.
I knew two parts of it were just waiting to be collected.
While I could just retrieve it with the System, I didn't want to risk not being able to find a user for it when I could easily secure the loyalty of the girl in question herself.
With the way she was currently being treated, I doubted it could be too hard, then again her soul was damaged from overuse of the Holy Grails power.
"What are you thinking?" Hestia asked curiously.
"What?"
"You've got a thoughtful look, which normally means chaos…" Hestia pointed out.
"That isn't true…." I denied.
"Well, you only gain that look when you're thinking deeply," Hestia replied, linking her arm with mine.
"I'm thinking about the Vampires," I answered.
She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"They have a Damphire who possesses a Longinus, specifically a part of the Holy Grail," I replied.
"And you want to get it back," Hestia concluded.
"Yes, I also think it would be a good chance for Galadriel to test out her new abilities," I answered.
She giggled wildly. "See? Chaos."
I gave her an affronted look and she simply turned away.
I thought about it for a moment and decided surely Hestia would know more about the Vampire Faction.
"What can you tell me about them? I must admit I don't know a lot beyond the blood-sucking part." I asked.
She hummed, leaning into me slightly. "They are a rather weak Faction, mostly because they are perhaps the most divided Faction in existence. Beyond those who have now fallen."
I listened intently.
"But can't they easily turn humans into vampires?" I asked curiously.
"They can." She conceded. "But their method of gaining power ranges between blood consumption and ageing. While it sounds powerful, the blood-consumption part is less than one percent per human and moving around the human world killing obscene amounts of humans is hard. It'll quickly get you killed by a Human organisation or a supernatural one."
"The ageing part of their power essentially means they are always catching up to Gods and other such beings, except for a few sealed ones that have been around since the age of Gods. I would say there are probably only three God-class Vampires awake. With perhaps a dozen in the entire Faction that is in the ultimate class." Hestia said, using terminology that I was familiar with.
"So they are divided?" I clarified.
If so, then that was good. It would make it much easier to go in and take Valorie.
"Yes. They are divided into clans, mostly descendants of old powerful Vampire Lords." She informed me. "Which one has this mystery Holy Grail user of yours?"
"Her name is Valorie Tepes and she's been held captive, forced to use her Sacred Gear against her will. Which is why I'm not simply using the Sacred Gear System to rip it out." I explained.
She nodded in understanding, a knowing smile on her face. "Really playing that hero role, aren't you? Especially going against the most infamous clan among Vampires."
"I wouldn't say that she has a high compatibility rate. I don't want to risk not finding another user."
"If that's what you wish to think." Hestia teased.
We went back and forth on that subject, spending a few hours together until Hestia had to return to Olympus.
Now all I needed to do was find Michael.
-{Pope Hadrian}-
Hadrian stared out at the building on the other side of the Vatican with a peaceful smile.
He wore plain cheap clothing that wasn't befitting of his status. Nothing about his appearance suggested he was the most powerful man in the Church.
Only Dulio, Heaven's chosen Saint, held authority equal to his own, possibly more, not that the young man seemed aware of it. The young man was as timid and reverent as a child in front of him.
Hadrian chuckled at the thought.
His eyes dropped to the silver ring on his finger.
A holy relic, gifted to him personally by Lord Metatron. One of many he had received once the church had been cleared of corruption.
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Enter," he said lightly.
The door opened and in walked Teo, the only successful half-angel in existence. A unique child born of an old, near-forgotten experiment to bolster Heaven's dwindling numbers. It had failed across the board, except once.
By some twist of fate and a huge amount of luck that hadn't been able to be replicated, Teo had survived.
Hadrian's face lit up. "Teo, how are you feeling today?" he asked warmly.
"I'm good, Pope Hadrian," the boy replied with a bright smile.
"Please, my boy. Just Hadrian will do." He insisted for the dozenth time.
"Nope," Teo said, grinning.
He sighed.
A half Angel shouldn't be deferring to him in such a way…
Hadrian chuckled in the next moment and motioned for him to sit.
"I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to speak with you recently, as you know the church has been quite busy" he said. "The Lord's return has seemingly set everything in motion. Especially after Lord Michael enacted the purge."
He kept his tone light, but there was no hiding the edge in his voice.
Michael's sudden shift from the peaceful, almost innocent child-like Angel had shown himself to the merciless General of Heaven that had just wiped all corruption from the church.
"I heard Uncle Michael did that," Teo said, nodding quickly. "Good riddance."
"Now, now. Do not judge the dead, they are in his hands now." Hadrian chided gently.
Teo nodded, his face lowering as he became slightly shy.
Hadrian smiled faintly. "As for the reason I brought you here…"
"Gabriel has reached out to me recently. She asked how your training was going." Hadrian continued.
Teo blinked, then looked down with a slight blush. "It's going well, I think."
Hadrian nodded, pleased. "I won't pretend to understand the thoughts of higher beings, but I believe she may want to bring you to Heaven. Perhaps she feels it's time."
Teo's eyes widened.
"Am I going to see the Lord?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Hadrian smiled faintly at the boy's question. "If the Lord wishes to see you, then yes… but that is His decision, not mine."
Teo sat still for a second, taking in the weight of the idea. "I'll just have to get his attention by training even harder," he said, more to himself than Hadrian. "Can you let me back with the rest of the Exorcists? I heard that movement had increased drastically and that people are pushing back at our reclaiming of church territory."
"Who keeps telling you these things?" Hadrian sighed. "No, Teo. It's best if you focus on getting stronger. Especially with what's to come."
"What's to come?" He asked, frowning.
Hadrian sent him a sombre look. "Remember this Teo, with great light comes darkness that follows it. The Lord is back. By some mysterious miracle, he performed a feat no other God could."
Teo listened intently.
"With his return, the church has come back into action. The corruption has been purged. The current Cardinals left are unified for the first time in so long. Great progress has already taken place, human deaths by the supernatural have begun lowering."
Teo smiled dazzlingly. "Grandfather truly is amazing."
Hadrian looked at the boy softly. "With that progress are those who wish to destroy. The darkness will follow. As you've heard, activity among the darker sides of the supernatural has become more active."
"I'll train harder," Teo said determinedly.
"I know you will. You've always done your best, my boy," Hadrian replied with a nod. "You may go now. I'll have someone bring you lunch later."
Teo stood, bowed respectfully, and then left without another word.
The door closed behind him with a soft thud.
Hadrian leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the desk.
Not all of the Church's recent activity had gone smoothly. While faith had surged and their people had grown stronger, it had not been without consequences.
There had been retaliations. Isolated attacks across regions they had begun to reclaim. Exorcist teams had reported unexpected resistance in territories that had been abandoned during the decline.
At first, it was minor. A sudden pack of Stray Devils. One or two cursed spirits appeared in formerly sanctified zones. But now… there was a clear pattern.
The number of Stray Devils wasn't just increasing. They were appearing in coordinated areas.
Someone was organising it.
Hadrian frowned.
A part of him wanted to send a formal message to Heaven.
Michael or Gabriel would no doubt listen. The Lord Himself might even glance at the warning.
But he didn't.
This was a chance for the church to show its worth without relying on Heaven's might. He was one of the few humans who knew Heaven was weakened, and furthermore. Possibly the only human that knew God had been temporarily weakened.
They were building. Reorganising. Heaven was being reborn. And he wouldn't be the one to throw petty problems at their feet.
Hadrian closed his eyes and whispered a small prayer, asking for clarity and strength.
The relic on his ring glowed faintly, a soft warmth brushing over his skin.
The church was reborn anew. The world and humanity suffered from the actions of those who saw humans as cattle.
It was time for the Paladin Order to return.
-{Kai}-
After searching for a while, I found Michael walking through the Sixth Heaven, with a few Cherubs in toe obeying his orders as he interacted with them seriously.
"Michael," I called.
He perked up at my voice, turning to meet me. "Father?"
"I want you to gather a force. We're going to raid a Vampire castle. Specifically belonging to the Tepes." I announced.
"May I ask why?" Michael questioned confusedly.
"They have someone that I want. A Dhampir named Valerie Tepes," I replied. "She holds two pieces of the Holy Grail in her Sacred Gear. She's being held and abused by the Tepes to exploit her Sacred Gear."
Michael considered it only briefly before nodding. "Understood. The Vampires are fractured. It won't spark any new war. Since they are already enemies of Heaven."
That… made the situation much more acceptable. It meant I didn't have to hold back.
I stepped back and gave him a simple nod.
"Prepare a suitable force," I said, giving him the chance he wanted to prove himself.
While I could just call the twelve low-ultimate class Angels I had created, I had known that Michael had been wanting to prove himself for a while. It was almost like he was a born general and was dissatisfied I hadn't given him the proper chance yet.
"I will Father!" He said determinedly.
He left with the Cherubs in toe. As he disappeared to prepare, I made my way to the throne room.
I didn't intend to stay idle while I waited for him.
I made my way to the Heavenly Throne, my mind still on the topic of Sacred Gears. I wanted to see if any of the Sacred Gears I had been able to freeze in the cycle of selection had any compatible users.
As I sat on the throne, I didn't waste any time. Opening the system, and travelling to the familiar Sacred Gear system.
I spent the next twenty minutes going through the process of trying to find any compatible users.
My eyes carefully glided over the compatibility rate that Avael would have with the Dimension Lost before moving on. I had a strange feeling in my gut and I didn't want to be wasteful with the Sacred Gears any further.
As I suspected.
Compatibility rates were rare.
I had looked through the list again, and while there had been more to remove. I hadn't simply because they were purely human.
The Divine Shard pulsed with agreement.
My focus was on those being abused by the Devil Faction, and those that had been stolen. The numbers certainly weren't low when you considered more non-humans were using them than humans.
I continued going through names. Naturally, I started with Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael.
Uriel was able to use a Sacred Gesr called Shield Knight. Which could be used for enhanced durability and resistance to attacks. It wasn't a Longinus level of power, but I still found it incredibly valuable.
I moved on to the Holy Order. I went down the list, checking for any new potential pairings. It was rare, but a few small matches appeared.
I opened the file on the Annihilation Maker.
This was a Sacred Gear that I wanted to find a user for, it was up there with the Holy Grail. What we lacked right now was soldiers, and I admit I didn't want to see my own Angels die. Having a Sacred Gear able to create fodder soldiers for my real soldiers to rely on was something I wanted.
I could have quality which came with my Angels, who could probably beat multiple devils of the same level of power due to their sheer skill, and I could have quantity.
Annihilation Maker: Allows the creation of any creature the user imagines.
That was a pretty broad term. I could even have them be formed into knight-like creatures to keep Heaven's appearance.
I went through the motions of attempting to find a candidate with a high compatibility rate.
But… as expected no current candidates exhibited suitable compatibility.
Annoying.
On a whim, I checked Michael's compatibility.
Which brought about an unexpected surprise.
A 96% match.
My eyes widened slightly.
I don't know why, but I hadn't expected Michael to have such a high compatibility rate.
I'd have to speak to him about this after we successfully retrieved Valorie.
At that moment Gabriel walked in.
"Kaiel." She stated.
"Gabriel." I nodded.
Good.
I was just about to go find her.
"Why is Michael preparing a small force of Cherubs?" She questioned suspiciously.
"I ordered him too, there is a girl named Valerie Tepes being held by vampires. I want to retrieve her." I explained for the third time.
"And I'm guessing you're planning to go as well?" She asked, her eyes squinting at me.
"I do, on that subject. I was just about to come find you. Will you come with me? Michael is going but I knew you would probably appreciate coming along as well." I asked casually.
Her demeanour did a complete 180 change as she blushed slightly. "Y-yes I would love to."
"Perfect."
We spoke for a while more, awaiting Michael as we went through the Sacred Gear system together until finally arrived.
Michael entered proudly, his obscenely powerful sword at his side and his back straight. "Father, I have gathered sufficient force."
I looked at Gabriel.
"Let's get started," I said, standing up only to pause.
I realised there was a big problem.
I didn't know where the Tepes Castle was…
"Michael," I questioned.
"Yes?" He replied innocently.
"You wouldn't happen to know where the actual castle is would you?" I questioned.
I could probably find out through the system, but I didn't actually get the location of any Sacred Gear users…
"I do." He smiled. "Metatron performed many inquiries into them in case they ever colluded against Heaven."
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Gabriel smiled, staring at the side of my face.
With Gabriel beside me, we exited the throne room and I had to pause as I was greeted by two hundred Cherubs.
All of them were adorning white armour made from Heavenly Metal and were equipped with long spears that all held a golden tip. They didn't speak, but they all perked up when I arrived.
A quick appraisal showed that every Angel was within the high class…
This was a serious force.
I had come to learn that in Faction terms High-class was considered elite material.
Michael stepped forward beside me. "The Tepes Castle is located deep in the Carpathian Mountains. The Church tried to infiltrate it once, Metatron's unit gathered the entry routes. We can appear just outside the teleportation-block zone."
I took a moment to appreciate the sight.
It was one thing to have so many under you, and another to see a powerful force ready to obey your command.
I liked it.
I grinned.
I stared out over the assembled force.
My force.
There was something cold and powerful about watching hundreds of elite soldiers wait on your word. There was reverence as they focused solely on me.
Despite that, I felt a connection with each one of them.
They were mine.
I smiled. "Teleport us."
Michael didn't hesitate.
A massive golden magic circle spread beneath our feet, large enough to cover the entire force. With a sound like rushing wind and a flicker of divine pressure, we vanished from Heaven.
The world around me changed, giving way to tall cliffs and cold winds. The Carpathian Mountains loomed like jagged bones. The entire army landed in synchronized silence, the only sound being the shuffle of metal.
We were surrounded by forest.
The Cherubs moved instantly, forming a protective dome around us.
I couldn't see anything. Not yet. But when I activated my chakra eyes, the fog cleared.
I saw it.
A layered cloaking barrier shimmered faintly in the air, like oil on water. It was covering the castle from sight.
Michael saw it too. "There is an illusionary barrier hiding the castle from sight."
He reached for his sword, already channelling power to cut through.
I raised my hand. "Let me. I want to try out my new sword."
Michael watched on.
I opened my inventory and retrieved the weapon I'd forged not long ago.
My cursed sword.
It felt good in my hand. I'd already tested with it a bit but I hadn't tried it against any sort of magical defences.
It hummed when I poured angelic magic into it. As I did, something stirred. A dark purple light coated the blade and imprisoned within it was a golden-white light.
The energy cracked around me.
I swung once.
The air trembled as a wave of dark purple light, mixed with imprisoned holy brilliance, exploded outward. The cursed light screeched through the air, slamming into the barrier and tearing through it like paper.
One barrier. Two. Three.
Three barriers were overwhelmed and partially destroyed as the cursed light simply ate through its structure.
There was a moment of silence…
Then Alarms blared from the mountainside as the barrier's failure echoed.
I felt the drain immediately. It had taken a chunk of my peak ultimate-class reserves.
Even so, I grinned. I knew it.
When I first encountered this strange version of light in the forest. It had been incredibly destructive, with this sword meant to use it, I didn't receive any of the backlash either.
"Ok, I think I'm down Michael. Can you handle the rest?" I said calmly, gesturing to the other barriers that had been set up. The last two seemingly quite powerful.
Without a word, he stepped forward, raising his hand.
A massive beam of light enhanced by a purple glow which symbolised his Heavenly Domain over power amplified his attack, the rest of the barriers were shattered from outright power.
The entire mountain trembled for a moment as night became day, and then it settled down.
The mountain became truly alive. With hundreds of vampires pouring out from the shadowed castle now revealed above us. Some flew while others charged at us.
Red-robed vampires began flinging vampiric magic, acid-like red energy that hissed as it struck the trees nearby.
Michael instantly took control.
The Cherubs moved in response.
Michael gave one command and they split instantly: one line forming a phalanx, shields raised for impact. A second formed a dome above us, defending against ranged fire. A third group aimed their weapons, forming a wall of spears pointed forward.
I raised a hand before they fired a bombardment back.
"Wait." I stopped them once again. "Let Galadriel use her Divine Skill first."
Michael nodded, clearly eager to see what Galadriel had gained as well.
There was still a bit of time as the vampires charged at us.
Galadriel shifted on my shoulders. She had been still the entire time, coiled quietly around me. Now, she slithered off and dropped to the ground. Her body glowed faintly, her divine presence beginning to radiate outward.
I watched in anticipation as she became her own source of light.
She rapidly grew to her full height and as the vampires began closing in on us Galadriel opened her mouth and white fire gathered in front of her, she aimed to the sky and a ball of scorching fire was sent skywards.
Streaking into the air like a miniature star before it expanded into a massive ball. Like a second sun, the Vampire screeched at the heat and Michael formed a barrier around us.
Smaller balls of white fire began raining down indiscriminately a moment later, and I could only gawk at the absurd skill.
All of my cherubs shifted, looking at my familiar with renewed eyes. Even Michael looked at her approvingly.
"It seems that time she had spent sleeping within the cocoon was well worth it," Gabriel commented, standing closely to me as Galadriel shrunk back down.
The massive ball of fire in the sky wouldn't last for long though, as a new presence made itself known.
A vampire in a black robe shot a wave of shadows towards the large slowly diminishing white ball of fire and the portion it touched darkened into shadows.
What was left was half of the large fireball still raining down balls of fire but much slower.
Two new robed figures joined the other.
"Prepare for standard light bombardment." Michael's voice cut through the air, just as the large ball of white fire collapsed. Ceasing all the balls of fire that had been raining down.
Michael seemed utterly unconcerned by the display.
A hundred high-class Cherubs raised their spears and all of them launched basic explosive light spears on Michael's command.
The regathering vampires could only look up in sheer fear, as even the ultimate-class vampires looked taken aback.
Shadows rose and formed a large dome, a dome that was quickly pushed back as light spears exploded on its surface. Forcing the two other ultimate-class vampires to join in.
I got my first look at the worth of an army.
Even three ultimate-class were struggling against the might of one hundred High-class cherubs.
The bombardment erased all the lower vampires around them and the vampires that had been coming out of the castle promptly retreated inside its confines.
As the bombardment came to an end, the ultimate class vampires didn't waste time. Finally getting a look at the location we were in, they responded in kind.
One formed a bow made of shadows, while another outright sent waves of darkness towards us and the last one formed a massive blob of that weird liquid-like red mass that was sent overheard. All of these attacks were sent in a way that they wouldn't interfere with each other.
The cherubs responded, light attacks coming to shoot back towards the wave of darkness and a powerful dome of light coming to surround us.
Curiously enough, every time they sent an attack back the attack phased through the shield. Which was a good thing for the continued health of all of them involved.
Michael and Gabriel were letting things play out, keeping their presences sealed to prevent these poor ultimate-class vampires from fainting in fear.
An arrow of shadow impacted against the shield as the wave of darkness was successfully repelled. The red-like liquid power that tried to splash on top of us couldn't get past the strong barrier as my Cherubs showed expertise in working together.
Then came the counter.
My angels spread out, with fifty Cherubs remaining to protect us.
The first group focused their light through a single large angelic circle, launching it as a thin concentrated beam that sliced toward the bow-wielding vampire.
He tried to dodge, but another squad of Cherubs looped their attack from the opposite side, another beam going diagonally and cutting off his way back, forcing him into its path.
He took the hit dead on. His robes evaporated, and he screamed before collapsing in on himself, disintegrating in a burst of black smoke.
The second vampire flinched but still retaliated with jagged walls of darkness, stabbing forward to impale the nearest Angels. One Cherub would have been hit if not for the light barrier that cracked from the force.
Together, another squad of cherubs formed a triangle. In sync they sent multiple light slashes that exploded on impact, the sheer amount forcing him back and making him screech inhumanly. That was cut off as a brutally cold beam of light came from another group who had been waiting.
He was sent spiralling into the forest, his body burnt. He could only raise a wall of darkness as many dozens of light spears shot towards him quickly.
A fourth team hurled their spears into the cracks forming in the vampire's defences. They didn't kill him immediately, but they shattered her footing. One of the spears landed near her face and detonated, throwing him to the ground.
The rest of the Cherubs surged forward, turning him into ash.
All of this made the final vampire make the first smart decision he had since we had arrived. He turned around without pride and bolted. He didn't try to cast, just turned and ran toward the castle gates, his cloak trailing behind him.
No one chased.
We watched in a somewhat stunned silence as the man gave it all he could to run back to the castle.
I blinked. I was stunned, to say the least.
Watching my Cherubs so brutally beat down three middle-ultimate-class vampires had been. Interesting.
No wonder Heaven had been such a force, I should have expected they would be good soldiers. Beyond that even, they hadn't shown an ounce of fear or hesitation. Simply cold calculation as they beat back three vampires stronger than them.
-{Don Trevino}-
He ran for his life, not even sending a glance back at the army of monsters that had just turned his long-time friends into ash.
He cursed.
The boss was away. With such a force they had been the trump card against them.
Who could have known they were such monsters?
The way they had looked at them, so cold and uncaring…
He still didn't know…
A revelation struck him.
Light magic, white armour… wings…
His heart raced and it suddenly made sense.
He had always thought that the vampire's constant desire to fight Heaven was going to bite them one day. Even as old as he was there are certain forces you just didn't mess around with…
Those were Angels…
Instead of going back to the castle he outright fled, planning to tell the boss a good excuse when he came back.
-{Kai}-
The Cherubs didn't hesitate once the last ultimate-class vampire had fled.
Michael gave a single nod, and like a tide of white, the Cherubs began running forward, spears and light spells flashing through the night.
"If you find a blonde-haired Dhampir do not harm her," I ordered quickly.
The remaining vampires inside the castle, low to mid-class, barely had time to react.
Some fired off desperate bursts of vampiric magic. Others turned to run.
Even some high-class vampires couldn't stand up to a single high-class cherub.
The first wave of Cherubs moved through the entrance hall, holy spears piercing flesh and tearing apart spells. Blood and screams filled the dark halls.
All the while I watched as the Cherubs moved. There was no passion in their fight, or more accurately no emotion as they simply stared apathetically at the scene around them.
Spells carved through the furniture, splitting the floor and shattering support beams. Vampires burst into ash mid-scream, their robes disintegrating as light washed over them.
By the time I stepped inside, accompanied by Gabriel and Michael, the front hall most of the place was clear. Only the smell of burnt blood and the faint hiss of holy residue remained.
I could see vampires running out of the mansion in the hundreds, attempting to flee as the Cherubs simply opted to spend powerful exploding light spears their way instead of giving chase.
"That leaves the search for Valerie," I commented.
Michael motioned to a group of Cherubs who broke off and began checking the nearby halls.
I walked deeper in, eyes scanning the walls.
The castle felt wrong, dark in a way that clung to your skin. The entire place was built to be dark, so it wasn't a surprise that someone who uses primarily light wouldn't feel at home.
We passed down three halls before I stopped. My chakra eyes opened and past the ambient dark energy, a barrier covered a door. A rather powerful one.
That'd be Valorie.
Michael noticed it as well, as did Gabriel a moment later.
"Here," Michael said, walking forward before Gabriel pulled him.
He sent her a confused glance, and she pouted slightly. "I want to do it this time."
Michael sent me a glance and her a glance as if realising something.
"It's all yours, Sister." He said, taking a step back.
She moved toward the sealed iron door at the far end of the corridor.
She pressed her hand forward, and the door was able to surprisingly withstand her attack on its surface before it outright shattered as she didn't hold back.
One thing I have come to learn about barriers is that they could be outright broken with pure power.
The room was dimly lit. A single chair sat near the far wall, and a small bed was placed in the corner. A girl sat with her back straight on that bed, blonde hair draped over pale shoulders, red eyes watching me in perfect silence.
She didn't flinch at the arrival, merely blinking. "So that was why there was so much noise."
Valerie Tepes.
"Hello," I said calmly, stepping in.
She blinked. "You're not one of them."
"I'd hope not," I joked. "I have come to take you from here."
Her gaze didn't move. "Who are you?"
"I am Kai." I decided. "Or well, The current King Of Heaven."
"Ah… you are God?" Her eyes fluttered to Gabriel and Michael. "That makes you Angels. Why have you come here?"
"Because you're suffering. And because I can offer you peace… and safety." I didn't raise my voice. I kept it gentle. "You hold power you were never meant to carry. I intend to help you."
"And if I don't want help?"
"I won't force you," I lied effortlessly. "But you wouldn't be in this state if you were being treated well."
She looked down at her hands. "I'm tired,"
"it must have been hard," Gabriel said, coming to the rescue.
Gabriel showed why so many humans worshipped her as she showed a genuine compassion that silenced me.
After Gabriel was done, Valorie studied me for a long time. Then finally stood. "I don't want to stay here."
I nodded. "Then come with us. Heaven is safe. You would find yourself surrounded with those that have the best intention for you in mind."
She would also be a useful asset if we could get her to permanently become a part of Heaven…
Gabriel offered her hand and Valerie took it without question. Gabriel wrapped an arm around the girl's back, her beautiful wings partially opening to shield her like a cloak.
"Let's take her home," I said.
With that, we promptly retreated with Valorie in hand. We left the anti-teleportation field and left before any other attack could be made on us.
-Time Skip (2 Day)-
I stood comfortably on a balcony in the large palace that resided on the Sixth Heaven.
There was a soft breeze that I enjoyed as I overlooked a massive dip down into the clouds.
I had found myself coming to this little spot more and more over the days, even if I didn't sleep in the palace often.
Heaven had its own day and night cycle, slightly different from Earth's but ultimately the same. Angels didn't need sleep, but it was good for them. As it was for most creatures.
If Heaven was eternally in daytime mode that wouldn't be possible. Since Angels naturally being creatures of light gained energy from any light source nearby.
I thought about the past couple of days…
Valorie had settled it without much of an affair, the damage to her soul had been evident by her seemingly lack of care for anything. I hadn't outright asked her to do anything for now. I didn't want to push her yet.
I had also given Dulio upgraded tempest Chakrams and the Saint Armour. I believed the Tempest Chakrams would work well with his Sacred Gear and I wouldn't need them anymore with my new sword. I had decided to give Ascalon to Jeanne because she needed something that wasn't a sacrificial offence.
Tiamat had finally returned, with a boy named Ouryuu. Who apparently held something called the Yellow Dragon? Which was almost referred to as a Sacred Beast.
He had joined the training with the twelve Angels I had created.
As for Michael…
-{Flashback}-
Michael approached me curiously. "You called for me, Father?"
"I did." I nodded. "What are your thoughts on the Annihilation Maker?"
He looked confused at my question but answered nevertheless.
"In my opinion, it's probably one of the most powerful Sacred Gear Father has ever made," Michael stated confidently.
"Oh?"
"The only problem as most Longinus' Sacred Gears had shown was the user. Not that humans are not capable but they normally don't have enough energy to sustain and bring out the true power of the Annihilation Maker." Michael said.
"That's true, but why do you think it's the most powerful?" I questioned curiously.
"Due to the simple fact that it can make you a one-man army." He said confidently. "When coming down to it, even a God-class can be felled by simple numbers. Being able to create your own army out of nothing with the only limitation being your imagination and magic reserves."
I agreed. From what it looked like you could even make the beings of your creation gain certain attributes with enough effort, such as hardened skin and physical empowerment.
"May I ask why you're asking me this?" He questioned.
"Because I've found a user for it."
His eyes widened in shock. "That's amazing, are they a part of Heaven? If so, this could dramatically help Heaven's ascent back to its former glory!"
"You think?" I asked with a grin.
"Absolutely." He said as if it was a fact. "Especially if they are strong, they could be trained and Raphael could even draw templates for working beings that could be created. Having another force purely to help the main force would save a lot of Angel lives."
He looked ecstatic. "There's never been a member of the church with the Annihilation Maker."
"Well, they aren't members of the church," I said with a chuckle.
"The only suitable user with a compatibility rate of ninety-six… was you." I revealed.
"W-what?!"
Michael lost his composure.
"I didn't know Angels could even have an affinity towards them." He said quickly.
"Not if they aren't directly assigned by the owner, if I had let it be reassigned it would have found another human host…" I said. "But you were here all along."
"What do you intend to do?" He questioned.
"Give it to you?" I said, his eyes widening even further in surprise. "I had called you here to see if you would be interested, it seems that coming across users is incredibly rare but I didn't want to assign it to you without speaking on it further first."
"You would trust me with one of your Sacred Gears?" He said, his tone becoming slightly vulnerable.
"Of course," I said.
He didn't know how to react and I laughed.
With that the ancient general of Heaven, slayer of many powerful foes. The Arch-Seraph found himself flushing in embarrassment.
-{Kai}-
Receiving it hadn't been eventful, he had simply bowed and promised he would make me proud before disappearing for a day.
He hadn't been able to make anything that could move yet but he was getting the hang of it quickly.
At that moment my thoughts came to a halt as I felt Gabriel flare her presence behind me gently, letting me know she was here without startling me.
"Hey." I greeted her.
"Hello." She replied softly, coming to stand next to me.
"How is Valorie doing?" I asked.
"The damage to her soul is extensive, the sheer overusage of the Holy Grail has done its toll." She replied with a sigh.
"Do you think it'll be able to be fixed?" I questioned.
"No, soul manipulation is something that only you and Azrael had possessed, and Azrael only had a limited version of it so only when you recover fully will she be able to be helped." She explained.
"I see," I replied.
So I would have to increase my progress with the shard…
Her eyes examined me. "What is troubling you?" She asked after a moment. "You normally enjoy sleeping."
"I'm not sure…" I replied with a frown.
Something was making me anxious.
Gabriel nudged me, giving me a warm smile. "It's not like you to be so anxious."
"I guess not," I replied. "I've been feeling this way for the last two days."
"Perhaps you need a break." She mused.
I observed her, watching her face drift off and I realised something. Gabriel stayed quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the horizon. I could feel her hesitating, which was rare.
"Enough about me," I said amusedly. "What's wrong with you?"
She flinched slightly, and I grew slightly concerned.
"What?" She asked quickly.
"You're good at hiding from others, but I know you quite well," I replied.
Gabriel was silent for a moment.
She said hesitantly. "It's probably not appropriate... I just can't seem to help it."
I raised an eyebrow. "You can tell me anything Gabriel, I hardly think there's anything you could do to alienate me."
She remained silent for a moment, closing her eyes. "I've been feeling… something for a while now," she said, voice low. "I didn't know how to bring it up. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I should."
"You don't need to hide anything," I said, frowning slightly. "Not from me."
"I know," she said, her smile wavering. "That's why I want to be honest. I don't know what's happening to me. It's strange. Being around you feels… different now. Not just because you're our Lord again."
She paused, then looked down.
"I'm not expecting anything from you. I just wanted you to know. I'd rather tell you than keep pretending it isn't there." Gabriel continued. "I can't say I've felt like this before, which is why I find myself at such a loss."
There was no way this was happening right?
I didn't speak right away. My thoughts were still catching up.
I couldn't deny that something had been there, but I didn't exactly know what to do with it. I considered Gabriel my closest friend due to that weird connection.
Even when I was an Angel to her she had been special.
She took a small step closer, the distance between us almost gone now. Her hand brushed mine. Her eyes searched mine for a moment longer, then she leaned in slightly.
I felt her shaky breaths.
Just as I felt myself lean forward in response, a sharp pulse echoed through my system.
A System alert.
[Quest Generated]
[Emergency Quest]
The Beginning Of The End?
Description:
A force marches to conquer Heaven. Including the Architect's forces, old enemies of Heaven and those who wish to enslave Angel kind for themselves.
If not stopped, Heaven will fall. Its Treasury looted, its population enslaved and its legacy wiped from history.
Objective: Defend Heaven.
Warning: Failure will result in Death.
Reward: ???
[Accept/Decline]
The panel appeared in front of me, blinking into existence without a sound.
I flinched back. My eyes widened, and I vaguely heard Gabriel's concerned voice.
The Heavenly System forcibly opened multiple panels in front of me.
Valorie had settled it without much of an affair, the damage to her soul had been evident by her seemingly lack of care for anything. I hadn't outright asked her to do anything for now. I didn't want to push her yet.
I had also given Dulio upgraded tempest Chakrams and the Saint Armour. I believed the Tempest Chakrams would work well with his Sacred Gear and I wouldn't need them anymore with my new sword. I had decided to give Ascalon to Jeanne because she needed something that wasn't a sacrificial offence.
Tiamat had finally returned, with a boy named Ouryuu. Who apparently held something called the Yellow Dragon? Which was almost referred to as a Sacred Beast.
He had joined the training with the twelve Angels I had created.
As for Michael…
-{Flashback}-
Michael approached me curiously. "You called for me, Father?"
"I did." I nodded. "What are your thoughts on the Annihilation Maker?"
He looked confused at my question but answered nevertheless.
"In my opinion, it's probably one of the most powerful Sacred Gear Father has ever made," Michael stated confidently.
"Oh?"
"The only problem as most Longinus' Sacred Gears had shown was the user. Not that humans are not capable but they normally don't have enough energy to sustain and bring out the true power of the Annihilation Maker." Michael said.
"That's true, but why do you think it's the most powerful?" I questioned curiously.
"Due to the simple fact that it can make you a one-man army." He said confidently. "When coming down to it, even a God-class can be felled by simple numbers. Being able to create your own army out of nothing with the only limitation being your imagination and magic reserves."
I agreed. From what it looked like you could even make the beings of your creation gain certain attributes with enough effort, such as hardened skin and physical empowerment.
"May I ask why you're asking me this?" He questioned.
"Because I've found a user for it."
His eyes widened in shock. "That's amazing, are they a part of Heaven? If so, this could dramatically help Heaven's ascent back to its former glory!"
"You think?" I asked with a grin.
"Absolutely." He said as if it was a fact. "Especially if they are strong, they could be trained and Raphael could even draw templates for working beings that could be created. Having another force purely to help the main force would save a lot of Angel lives."
He looked ecstatic. "There's never been a member of the church with the Annihilation Maker."
"Well, they aren't members of the church," I said with a chuckle.
"The only suitable user with a compatibility rate of ninety-six… was you." I revealed.
"W-what?!"
Michael lost his composure.
"I didn't know Angels could even have an affinity towards them." He said quickly.
"Not if they aren't directly assigned by the owner, if I had let it be reassigned it would have found another human host…" I said. "But you were here all along."
"What do you intend to do?" He questioned.
"Give it to you?" I said, his eyes widening even further in surprise. "I had called you here to see if you would be interested, it seems that coming across users is incredibly rare but I didn't want to assign it to you without speaking on it further first."
"You would trust me with one of your Sacred Gears?" He said, his tone becoming slightly vulnerable.
"Of course," I said.
He didn't know how to react and I laughed.
With that the ancient general of Heaven, slayer of many powerful foes. The Arch-Seraph found himself flushing in embarrassment.
-{Kai}-
Receiving it hadn't been eventful, he had simply bowed and promised he would make me proud before disappearing for a day.
He hadn't been able to make anything that could move yet but he was getting the hang of it quickly.
At that moment my thoughts came to a halt as I felt Gabriel flare her presence behind me gently, letting me know she was here without startling me.
"Hey." I greeted her.
"Hello." She replied softly, coming to stand next to me.
"How is Valorie doing?" I asked.
"The damage to her soul is extensive, the sheer overusage of the Holy Grail has done its toll." She replied with a sigh.
"Do you think it'll be able to be fixed?" I questioned.
"No, soul manipulation is something that only you and Azrael had possessed, and Azrael only had a limited version of it so only when you recover fully will she be able to be helped." She explained.
"I see," I replied.
So I would have to increase my progress with the shard…
Her eyes examined me. "What is troubling you?" She asked after a moment. "You normally enjoy sleeping."
"I'm not sure…" I replied with a frown.
Something was making me anxious.
Gabriel nudged me, giving me a warm smile. "It's not like you to be so anxious."
"I guess not," I replied. "I've been feeling this way for the last two days."
"Perhaps you need a break." She mused.
I observed her, watching her face drift off and I realised something. Gabriel stayed quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the horizon. I could feel her hesitating, which was rare.
"Enough about me," I said amusedly. "What's wrong with you?"
She flinched slightly, and I grew slightly concerned.
"What?" She asked quickly.
"You're good at hiding from others, but I know you quite well," I replied.
Gabriel was silent for a moment.
She said hesitantly. "It's probably not appropriate... I just can't seem to help it."
I raised an eyebrow. "You can tell me anything Gabriel, I hardly think there's anything you could do to alienate me."
She remained silent for a moment, closing her eyes. "I've been feeling… something for a while now," she said, voice low. "I didn't know how to bring it up. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I should."
"You don't need to hide anything," I said, frowning slightly. "Not from me."
"I know," she said, her smile wavering. "That's why I want to be honest. I don't know what's happening to me. It's strange. Being around you feels… different now. Not just because you're our Lord again."
She paused, then looked down.
"I'm not expecting anything from you. I just wanted you to know. I'd rather tell you than keep pretending it isn't there." Gabriel continued. "I can't say I've felt like this before, which is why I find myself at such a loss."
There was no way this was happening right?
I didn't speak right away. My thoughts were still catching up.
I couldn't deny that something had been there, but I didn't exactly know what to do with it. I considered Gabriel my closest friend due to that weird connection.
Even when I was an Angel to her she had been special.
She took a small step closer, the distance between us almost gone now. Her hand brushed mine. Her eyes searched mine for a moment longer, then she leaned in slightly.
I felt her shaky breaths.
Just as I felt myself lean forward in response, a sharp pulse echoed through my system.
A System alert.
[Quest Generated]
[Emergency Quest]
The Beginning Of The End?
Description:
A force marches to conquer Heaven. Including the Architect's forces, old enemies of Heaven and those who wish to enslave Angel kind for themselves.
If not stopped, Heaven will fall. Its Treasury looted, its population enslaved and its legacy wiped from history.
Objective: Defend Heaven.
Warning: Failure will result in Death.
Reward: ???
[Accept/Decline]
The panel appeared in front of me, blinking into existence without a sound.
I flinched back. My eyes widened, and I vaguely heard Gabriel's concerned voice.
The Heavenly System forcibly opened multiple panels in front of me.
"Alert: Mu