(The Beginning of The End?)
-{Saint Peter}-
Saint Peter hummed wistfully, staring out at the white expanse of Heaven. The realm outside of the Gates.
His book was held aloft by his magic beside him, no names written on its surface, as had become the usual since the isolation of Heaven from the rest of the world.
He faintly remembered a time long past when he had greeted Gods and other such beings alike.
Peter looked up at the cannons lining the walls of Heaven.
He supposed things would be changing now his Lord was back.
Peter sighed, frowning. "I don't believe you were invited here."
His voice echoed through the space of Heaven.
There was no response for a moment, before the veil that had attempted to hide from his sight peeled away. Revealing multiple portals and a slowly filling space.
Saint Peter's face was firm, watching the rapidly amassing army.
There was a line at where Heaven's main barriers were set, those stupid enough to get close to it found themselves turning into ash.
Let it not be said that Heaven's barriers were as merciful as its occupants.
"Quite the audience." He spoke, his eyes watching the canons on Heaven's gate come to life.
There was no sound, no shouts that the Angels were alert. But Saint Peter knew they were. Even if they didn't show it, presumably to throw their enemy off.
A large man made his way to the strange force mixed with various different beings.
A God.
"Let me guess, you must be Peter." He gruffed, his eyes wild. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know an Angel named Kai?"
Peter kept his expression schooled.
Kai.
The name his Lord had decided to use.
"Leave." He simply stated.
The God chuckled, a hint of crazed anger entering his eyes.
He slammed his large hammer against the wards.
His effort was rewarded with his entire being blasted back. The force he had struck the barrier returning multiple fold.
Peter simply watched, his arms folded behind his back.
The God roared.
Peter scanned the gathering army.
Some of them were strange half machine monsters that looked like massive wolves, yet with the addition of three metal spikes enchanted with magic that was clear to see.
The only notable thing he could say about the stone soldiers was the enchantments woven into their bodies. Various other races were showing themselves and the amount of support Heaven had against it made his heart ache.
The proverbial ground shook. A larger portal forming to let a colossal construct step out.
The machine wasn't just large, it was colossal. A bipedal mech, towering above the tallest pine, covered in matte black plating with glowing blue circuitry running across its limbs like veins of power.
Its armour was thick, and plated in a way that suggested an easy deflection of any attack that was sent its way. Its metallic surface seemed to almost absorb the light and held an obviously magical aura.
Twin cannons mounted on its shoulders tracked independently, moving with eerie smoothness.
Sigils glowed faintly along its arms.
The sheer magical energy flowing off its frame was cause for concern.
A walking fortress.
He could see it had barriers of its own.
His Lord had been correct.
This invasion was truly cause for concern. Had the barriers not been up at full capacity already, he truly would have worried how Heaven would fare.
-{Kai}-
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.
A lance of coldness swept through me.
And despite all my preparations, for a mere moment I felt myself caught off-guard. Images flashed through my mind at dead Angels piled into mountains, treated as if they were mere trash.
I took a breath and focused, my fists clenching.
Gabriel was blushing, and she flinched back at my look. "I-Im sorry, I didn't-"
"We are under attack." I said firmly, grimacing slightly at the ruined moment.
The Heavenly System forcibly opened multiple Panels in front of me.
"Alert: Multiple God-class entities have been detected within the Mirror Realm!"
Gabriel saw this as well, her eyes widening before a deathly calm appeared over her.
"We need to go. Alert everyone that we are under attack." I immediately said, calming myself to the best of my abilities.
I needed to be rational and calm about this.
I went to go down to the first Heaven immediately only for Gabriel to stop me firmly.
"Kaiel, go to the Seventh Heaven and monitor from there. I shall gather the rest of the Arch-Seraphs and Seraphs who don't already know. An alarm should be sounding at any moment." She said, her voice calm.
"But-" I went to retort defiantly.
She wrapped her arms around me and the brief panic briefly left as she pressed her lips against mine in a soft kiss, her eyes conveying a sheer love that shocked me to the core.
Gabriel glanced away for a moment, seemingly shy before she regained her calm.
"No." She said firmly, pulling back. "You must remain safe, you can help more if you manage the Heavenly System, I'm sure there are more protocols that can be used and the church needs to be informed. The Holy Order must be deployed."
I stood, stunned.
Then as I registered her words, I scowled, and she put her forehead to mine soothingly.
"Please." She said desperately.
"Fine, stay safe." Was all I could manage.
I'd concede for now, and hope my presence isn't needed. As soon as things weren't going Heaven's way though I would be breaking this little deal. My Semi-Divine form was charged and ready to be activated.
She watched me leave up to the Seventh realm of Heaven critically, before she finally disappeared in a shockwave that tore at the surroundings around her.
I quickly made my way to the Heavenly Throne, my fists clenched tightly.
I fought at the worry worming its way into my heart.
This is what I had prepared for.
A breath left my lips and I opened up the Heavenly System, not wasting any time, screens and alerts filled my vision.
A massive Army stood outside in the realm of Heaven. They had already broken through the mirror realm but a search showed it wasn't without consequence as thousands of corpses were scattered.
My view shifted, intending to find Dulio in the church. Only to pause in sheer shock as I witnessed the Vatican under attack, fire burned wildly as a battle between the church and a force took place.
Smart.
They had taken out Heaven's only other support by keeping them busy.
Dulio was already in action, his face set in stone as he flashed around in gold, tearing any invader in his way. Elemental summons were floating around, shooting elemental attacks at any of the opposing forces rapidly.
I sent a mental message through the divine link and I watched as Dulio paused for a moment, his stony visage turning into a mix of pure shock and a surprising amount of rage.
A mental response was him asking to be teleported within Heaven to help, and I considered it for a moment before shaking my head.
The situation wasn't critical yet. The force attacking the church, while serious, could still be handled. Several God-class beings were stationed there, and with their power, it should be hopefully resolved quickly.
I sent a mental refusal and told him to try finish off the force attacking the church quickly, so he could be summoned here.
I felt the heartfelt gratitude in his heart at my show of care and the determination solidified on his face.
He burst into gold, summoning hundreds of more elemental beings to assist with his divine blessing.
Finally focusing back on the System Quest, I accepted it without preamble. My gaze focused on the multiple screens showing the force that was on Heaven's doorstep seriously.
-{The Architect}-
The Architect atop the massive mechanic fortress he had prepared just for Heaven, gazed atop his amassing forces imperiously. A faint emotionless smile playing on his lips.
Things were proceeding smoothly.
The machine he stood on was one that he had dubbed 'Jainim Garōdəmānahe'
Bane Of Heaven.
A rather boring name, but he hadn't decided to waste his time thinking of something more refined.
He closed his eyes, feeling the multiple-barriers that served to protect the massive machine.
"Prepare the artefact." He calmly ordered.
His two servants scurried to obey, allowing him to turn and appreciate the massive glowing orb of flesh and machine. Its surface glowing with an energy that would make any being uneasy.
"This will be your last warning." The man, who he had identified as Saint Peter warned.
He merely glanced at him from above. "Such ignorance. Your barriers won't protect you, leave while you can."
Saint Peter narrowed his eyes, focusing on him.
"Proceed," The Architect said, maintaining eye contact with Saint Peter.
The device pulsed, souls were consumed with the faint screams of those long-dead from the batteries around and a giant sickly orange encompassed the area. It came into contact with the many barriers of Heaven, quickly nullifying them.
It wouldn't last forever.
They had an hour.
Destroying the Barriers made by the Abrahamic God was never going to be done so easily. Temporarily disabling them though? That was doable with the artefacts provided to him by his friends and his own creations.
The Architect savoured the look of shock on Saint Peter's expression, watching the man take a few steps backwards.
He looked over to the chained man in his mobile fortress.
Spenta Mainya.
He had chains piercing his body, his expression weary. Spenta Mainya was only able to weakly stare back.
The Architect slowly walked, peeking over the balcony and witnessing that his army had arrived in full. Another moment was taken to enjoy the satisfaction of his long plans coming to fruition.
"Start the assault." He announced calmly.
"Yes Sire."
A horn sounded, and a cheer rumbled through the gathered army.
Saint Peter raised his hands, and the two massive twin holy Cannon's the Architect had heard so much about activated. Without any preamble they pulsed. A ball of plasma-like light formed and shot in a beam of light that briefly overlapped Heaven's natural light.
A button was clicked, Spenta Mainya screamed in pain and the blasts of holy light met a barrier.
A thunderous blast made the air vibrate, and a wave of heat breached the area around him. Besides that the massive blast was completely negated, a fact that made Saint Peter's face do wondrous things for his pride.
His army roared, those that could roar in any case and they took that as a cue to charge.
He spotted Ares looking at him, the God grudgingly adhering to his demands and sending him a questioning glance.
'Stay your hand for now my friend. Your chance to exact revenge will come forth soon.' He mentally said to the God Of War.
The God nodded slowly.
The Architect turned his focus back to his army's quick approach.
Heaven was caught unaware, weakened and with no support. It wouldn't be long until its gates breached and its people slaughtered. The deep vaults of Heaven would allow him to create great artefacts surpassing even his father's.
His smile dimmed slightly as he spotted eight new cannons on the massive wall of Heaven. The large cannons glowed with a bright red flame, before massive spires of flame shot through the sky.
The large monster wolves leading the charge could only widen their eyes as a red glow covered the area, and large explosions began erupting around them.
Howls of pain erupted from those who weren't instantly incinerated within the inferno. Some of the large wolves found themselves flailing about as fire lit their dark fur. While others lay uselessly upon the ground as they were promptly trampled upon.
The architect narrowed his eyes, a hint of anger entering his eyes. He hadn't been informed of such a cannon.
Regardless of the reveal of these new dragon fire cannons, the army was able to advance.
The monster wolves let out fearsome roars, nimbly dodging the majority of the cannon fire.
Their metal limbs sprung around them wildly.
They were able to make the most progress as they snarled with a rabid hatred, red crossed eyes darting around wildly.
Their black fur blew as they moved at high speeds.
Behind them, following a lot slower and making for much easier targets were the Golems.
In a tight formation, they marched forward with shields raised. Uncaring as they stared blankly at the gate, even as their fellow Golems were turned into nothing more than rubble by the Angels firing down spells upon them.
He was pleased to see the monster wolves or, more technically, the Valgrath doing as they were intended. The Valgrith was a creation of his combining the might of a magical Direwolf and half-machine, born from some bastard fusion of magic and his advanced tech.
They were made to be nimble and physically powerful.
The Valgrath quickly found themselves coming to a halt as another barrier made itself known.
It flared wildly, most of the Valgrath threw themselves against the barrier. Receiving holy burns that killed them within moments for their efforts.
Some of the older and smarter of their kind prowled behind them, only to be pushed forward by even older and stronger of their kind.
The barrier shimmered under the strain.
It held for nearly five minutes, but the numbers pressing against it were no longer in the thousands but had grown reaching into the tens of thousands and rising fast.
The Valgrith hit first.
They sprinted with machine-precise movements, tails cracking like whips, claws digging trenches through the dirt.
They didn't slow and didn't even show an ounce of hesitation. The first line collided with the divine shield with rapid and carelessness. They burned against its surface instantly.
The light devoured them. Screaming ended in less than a second.
More followed. Then more. The golems behind them marched forward without hesitation, stone and enchanted steel colliding with the radiant wall. Their bodies held longer, some even cracking through the surface before exploding in waves of dust and molten fragments.
The Architect had to admit he was impressed. But even with this deterrent, they continued coming like a dark tide against the blinding shield. Seemingly uncaring of their own health.
The weight of their numbers began to tell. The barrier pulsed. Bright lines spiderwebbed across its surface. Then, another surge. A few began to break through.
They hit the inner line, only to be struck by beams of light descending from above.
Angels atop of the walls of Heaven launched coordinated blasts, their golden blasts lighting the skies as they moved across Heaven's upper wall. Every intruder that broke the barrier was met with raw force.
Saint Peter stood in front of the gate, sending blasts of holy power at any who ventured too close.
The barrier finally cracked. The sound was sharp and unnatural, like shattering glass in reverse. A ripple tore outward. The Architect's army roared in victory.
The Architect watched with a lifted gaze.
The biggest problem that any invader faced with Heaven had been conquered.
With the Angels divided and unprepared it would be easy to sweep past them once they got past the gates.
That was his thoughts until the gates of Heaven opened.
A blinding light emerged from its confines, making his force screech. While even the Golem's momentarily paused. As the gates fully opened the nearest of his invading force were blown back by a shockwave.
For a moment, the word seemingly trembled as light power and holy energy came to spark in the air.
From the inner realm, a formation emerged.
The surface they stood on rumbled slightly, and the Valgrath looked suitably intimidated.
His cold heart briefly felt a lance of shock.
A wave of golden armour came forward, pearly wings spread behind them. Rows upon rows stepped forward, an endless sea of Angels invaded his sight.
He watched as the very aura shifted from the mere presence of the army. The air shifted and fear entered the eyes of even his closest subordinates at the sight.
His grip on the railings of the large balcony he stood upon clenched tightly. His eyes closed, and his face twisted.
They knew.
The invading force began retreating, terrified screeches left in their wake as they began running from what was certain death and he had to firmly order them to continue attacking.
He scowled.
"Elyarim toriel na Thalan!" A high-ranking Angel in robes shouted in Angelic tongue.
"Angels march to War!" The translation came swiftly.
A massive group of Angels formed rows of angelic circles.
Thousands of spears of light were hurled, spinning like missiles.
They glowed bright, trailing energy as they tore through the air. The first wave hit like a storm, spears exploding on impact. The front lines of the invading army were instantly torn apart.
Golems that were able to raise giant shields were sent skidding back, their shields destroyed almost completely. While the Valgrith that were able to dodge the powerful exploding spears remained without damage.
"Prepare the second Phase." The Architect ordered calmly, watching the proceedings
It was a good thing he had made plans.
He looked at the young man awaiting his command.
"Take Sobek and Camazotz"
Two divine presence filled the area, making their powers known as they appeared. Gazing at each other in intrigue. The two God's flared their power and looked at Heaven with palpable bloodlust.
The Egyptian God of freshwater and Mayan bat God of Death looked eager to participate.
The fact that the Abrahamic God had nearly killed the former and sealed Camazotz made both Gods uncaring of taking orders.
Cao Cao smirked a crazed smile. Cao Cao jumped without a word. His form streaked down like a missile through the air, trailing a pulse of corrupted power.
Sobek and the Camazotz followed closely behind, their descent sparking roars from the legions below.
As they fell, Cao Cao extended his spear and released a blast of dark energy. The spearhead flared with twisting shadows, corrupting the very light around it.
He aimed for the wall.
A single flare of golden light ripped through the sky and struck him square in the chest.
His body slammed sideways like a ragdoll, sent spiraling across the battlefield in a violent arc.
The Architect hummed.
So… a Seraph had finally arrived.
-{Seraphiel}-
Seraphiel landed hard on the lowest tier of Heaven's wall, knives already drawn.
A spear of light fired at Cao Cao still shimmered in the sky's edge, leaving trails like falling stars.
Her eyes narrowed at the two other powerful beings she could sense flying towards the gate.
Sobek and Camazotz hit the field a second later, their momentum turning into twin shockwaves.
'Isn't Camazotz meant to be sealed?' She thought with narrowing eyes.
The Mayan god landed in a swirl of flame and steel, snarling. Sobek hit like a boulder, water bursting outward as the ground fractured under his weight.
Seraphiel moved quickly. The Heavenly Army behind her.
Her knives were already glowing, threads of raw magic connecting to her fingertips.
She coolly observed her enemies for a moment and decidedly aimed for Sobek first.
The minor God raised a wall of water to block, but a crystal shot cut through it, fracturing the surface into glass-like shards. A slash across his side forced him back, the water around him sizzling from the stored energy of her previous block.
Camazotz rushed in from the side, his eyes alight with madness and bloodlust.
Seraphiel caught his flaming gauntlet with one knife and used the other to carve a small arc across his armor. It didn't pierce fully, but the impact let her plant a crystallization node into the enchantment.
One he didn't notice.
Sobek slammed a wave toward Seraphiel who deflected with a crystal shield only for the blast to be sent towards the Heaven army behind her.
"Al'thelaran carus antra!" A command was ordered over the legion of Heaven.
A shield of shared light energy formed. Rows of Angels locked their own shields, channeling a field of protection that shimmered as the water splashed harmlessly against it.
Seraphiel turned deftly and hurled a crystallization dagger at Sobek, aiming low. It latched onto his shin and began crystallizing up his leg.
He roared, trying to dispel it with a surge of magic.
Camazotz caught Seraphiel in a spinning rush, fist connecting with her side. Pain lanced through her briefly. She rolled across the ground and came up just in time to counter with another throw, this time catching him in the shoulder.
Cao Cao came back into view, bruised and snarling.
His corrupted spear, to which she realised in horror was the one that pierced her younger Brother on the cross, pulsed. His mangled body lighting up with various energies coming from different artefacts.
He let off a fiery orange blast of energy that made the air ripple. A crystal wall materialised and struggled to keep the blast at bay, quickly thinking she tilted the large crystal panel and made it blast into a part of the opposing army that was closing in on the Heavenly Army.
An explosion eviscerated those who could not dodge, as even those who shielded were engulfed in its destruction.
The Mayan God circled around, clearly intending to strike at Seraphiel only to be stopped as a figure of white and gold landed beside Seraphiel, ten wings behind his shoulders.
Raguel immediately engaged Camazotz in a flurry of fast, brutal exchanges that left small shockwaves erupting out.
That left Seraphiel with Cao Cao and Sobek.
She swirled her daggers, looking at them emotionlessly.
The two of them came at once.
She ducked under Sobek's swipe, driving a crystallization knife into his exposed stomach. He shot back through the air, roaring in pain.
The human's name she heard from her Father swung the spear down. She blocked, the blow was deflected off her daggers. Her knife caught the edge of his attack and stored it. She surged upward, releasing the burst point blank.
It caught him off guard, sending him sliding back, cloak smoking.
She formed crystal spears, sending them at the human and focused on the Egyptian God.
With only some difficulty she was able to beat back the two Ultimate-class beings, sending a glance towards the Heavenly army.
A new wave of forces came, stronger than the first. Practically blurring as they moved a lot faster than the first had.
They all seemed to be based on different animals, yet they all wore human faces.
Seraphiel looked confused as she identified one of the monsters from the Chinese Pantheon.
A Mafu, a Shan Hai Jing monster with the body of a tiger and the face of a human.
Just how deep did this Khaos Brigades connection go? To have even Chinese monsters at their disposal. Along with a Mayan God that was meant to be sealed for the extreme death and sacrifices he had performed.
The Egyptians being involved sadly wasn't too surprising.
Father had been rather harsh with them, not that they didn't deserve it.
As all sorts of monsters charged in what Seraphiel assumed was a second charge.
She looked over to see Michael had arrived.
The Legions of heaven perked up.
"Na Thalanor!"
-{Kai}-
"To combat!" Michael shouted.
I looked at Michael, who was quickly accompanied by Uriel.
I gripped the thrones armrest tightly. I hated having to stay back like this.
It was against the way I worked.
The new wave in the opposing army closed in with speed, it was obvious they were stronger than the fodder that had been sent at the start.
After Michael's order, the Heavenly Army dropped the wall of shields and assumed weapons.
"Artillery stay back and focus fire, shielded stay alert and protect the vanguard!" Michael ordered.
The two large holy cannons fired overhead, focusing on the incoming force and obliterating large sections of them. The dragon fire cannons did well to keep the majority at bay with a wall of Dragonfire, but many diverted and moved around the main focus of the Dragonfire.
It was only the sheer speed and ferocity of the force that helped.
As the force got closer, and the previous force was almost all but decimated. The Heavenly Army charged forward.
I stared stunned for a moment, watching them pool out like a wave of gold and white.
Anxiousness once more overcame me as they were on track to collide with this new wave coming forth. They hadn't actually been given a chance to even be hurt.
There was a stir back in the large army, and I focused on the force that was invading. With my Angels visible and not behind the safety of Heaven walls, it gave an opening for the wave of strange… darts? That rained down, moving close to the speed I imagine bullets travelled at.
They weren't normal darts, as they carried a purple streak behind them but they were still darts… it quickly became evident that they had some sort of anti-light power.
Instantly, the group behind the wave of Angels descending into battle fired up, explosions making groups of darts vaporise. The darts that got through were repelled by a large shield that formed over the entirety of the Heavenly Army.
It was crazy to think that it had only been fifteen minutes and yet it had felt so much longer.
The battlefield flickered across my Heavenly System panels. The army of Angels clashed with the invading tide with flashes of light and sparks of clashing weapons.
They were successfully repelling them, the sheer age and experience of each Angel proving to have its own value above just sheer power. Seraphs and Arch Seraphs had de-prioritised themselves in favour of upgrading weapons of other angels with elemental powers, traps and sentries.
Saving Brias had definitely paid back.
As this was not without cost.
From above, I watched wings fall.
Angels struck down mid-flight. Blades from the monstrous ranks carving through shields, claws dragging soldiers down into the chaos.
Beams of light lit up sections of the field as different angelic spells were fired, but already I could see the patterns forming, pockets of resistance.
The strange creatures that had come in the second wave were faring better than their previous wave.
My throat tightened as I saw one of my Cherubs carried from the battlefield by a pair of fellow angels, their armor shredded, blood spewing out from cuts.
I clenched my jaw.
A ping on the system drew my gaze. A golden shimmer showed my twelve personal angels, Avael was leading them away and had apparently found out we were under attack as they left through my sub-dimension into heaven.
I willed the connection open.
A portal appeared near the First Heaven, glowing with anchored holy glyphs. My twelve Angels stepped through, their weapons already drawn, armor flaring with holy power.
Their presence was noticed on the battlefield immediately, even as the army of Heaven continued pouring out in a slow formation.
"Fire wall!" Michael's voice echoed out.
Those at the front backed away and allowed shields to hold off the onslaught.
"Sanctus flamma." A resounding call of resides.
An inferno of golden fire reached up in a towering wall.
"Push!"
"Ignis Procellae!"
That wall of holy fire became a massive tornado of dazzling fire. An energy shield stopped any potential backlash.
That storm was pushed forward and I watched in amazement as thousands were killed in its wrath within a mere few seconds.
The collaborative spell had turned into a god-class threat. And it was then I understood why armies were so important.
With the combined shield they were stopping two God-class beings from being able to affect them, while simultaneously attacking the foes beneath them.
Despite my initial assumption, a battle on this scale wasn't just pure chaos. Maybe on the Architect's side it was since they were mostly monsters but Heaven was showing why discipline and order was such a deadly force.
Still…
I looked over to the being standing upon the massive walking fortress.
As if sensing my gaze, he looked up curiously.
My gaze travelled to the remaining army behind him.
I could only see a portion of it, they had cleverly set up a strange mist generation in the beginning to hide the rest of what was in store for Heaven and I had to admit… the sheer fact the Architect looked so relaxed made me feel like it was only starting…
I took another breath.
The entirety of Heaven had woken up. By the second I could see more Angels flying towards the gate quickly. Raphael was outside, fully dressed in armour and directing all the waking Angels.
This wasn't right.
Every Angel had a cold mask, weapons in hand they were given the green cloth in their arms to gain that healing boost.
As the Arch-Seraph of healing, Gabriel was in the tents tending to the many that were being dragged out of the battle.
Watching her expression so worried made me want to rage, even as she sent glances up to the upper realms of Heaven as if she expected me to fly down at any moment.
I should be down there… but would I be any help? The sheer training and experience every Angels possessed put me to shame…
My eyes flickered to Jeanne and Frieren who had just arrived. Jeanne looked concerned, and Frieren floated down with a frown on her face.
I let out a sigh of relief, my gaze flickering back down to the church. Metatron and Sandalphon had joined the battle at some point down there, with two God-class and an army of exorcists guarding Vatican City. It looked to be under control.
It was relieving to see all my 'Heavy-hitters' as Uriel had so aptly put it at the front of the gates with the rest of the awaiting army.
We were at the advantage.
They could only get in through the gate.
Which meant there was only one focus point, making an already hard task even harder.
I still wondered why none of them were entering the battlefield. Multiple God-class beings would be able to completely push them back… then again, we didn't know the extent of what we were facing.
I'd put my trust in Michael in any case who seemed to be coordinating the assault, his face serious and his commands firmer than I had ever seen the Arch-Seraph speak.
I focused back on the progress of my twelve Low-ultimate class Angels.
Where angels had begun to slow, my twelve moved forward. flaming spears raised and cutting through the ranks with a noticeable difference to the majority of the army.
Multiple beasts were sent flying in a flurry of decapitated limbs, every now and then a holy smite would be casted and a massive column of holy power would explode into the air.
I winced as Tamiel caught a blast from a jagged cannon and spun backwards, wings flickering with strain before stabilizing.
The side of the massive machine opened.
Ten massive shapes emerged.
One had a serpent's body and the head of a lion, draped in crimson chains. Another walked like a man but burned with internal magma, his ribs cracked open to reveal dozens of faces chanting in unison.
The third had no visible form at all, only a shadow with glowing runes floating around it like a shattered mirror.
They all snarled and instantly zoned in on my Angel.
Instantly, a large battle erupted between them as the newcomers showed they could easily keep up and even outmatch my Angels, the ten of the downright demonic-looking creatures being able to keep the twelve of them at bay.
Ares.
What…
I found myself speechless, what was he doing here?
He was laughing as he leapt high, flame coiling around his war axe, his momentum aimed downward at a formation of Seraphim already worn thin.
My stomach dropped.
Before I could react, a flash of golden light streaked from above.
Uriel.
He met Ares mid-air. Their weapons collided in a thunderous shock that split the skies.
Before that shockwave could disrupt the battle below, every Angel reacted as quickly as they could. A golden veil forming above them protectively, a shield of angelic power covering them like a dome.
Debris bounced off it. Stray beams were absorbed. Thousands of Angels were dedicated themselves solely to making the dome above them, even as they continued fighting the monsters below.
I watched as Uriel's blade clashed again and again with Ares, the two god-class striking at speeds I couldn't follow.
Ares roared.
Uriel answered with silence, his wings flaring behind him like banners of sunlight.
They climbed higher into the air, their battlefield now the storming sky itself.
I thought about Gabriel's words and shook my head. I wasn't going to sit by and allow others to fight for me mindlessly.
With that, I stood up.
-{Uriel}-
Uriel dodged, smacking the enraged God away with a powerful strike.
For a brief moment, as Ares recovered he made eye contact with what he was sure was this 'Architect.'
Uriel wanted to explode. He was infinitely grateful that his Father had been so wise to take this threat seriously.
Faintly he could sense divine energy emanating from the Architect who waited curiously.
A Demi-god.
He concluded.
Uriel was glad Michael was keeping all of Heaven's strongest at bay.
This attack had been sudden, as all attacks were.
As shameful as it was to admit, had there not been a warning in place they may have been overwhelmed before they could even mount a force.
There were multiple God-class threats within this strange army. Old enemies of his Father.
He glanced over all of the weapons that they had come with. Truly, it was if they had designed these for the sole purpose of destroying Heaven.
Uriel scowled, dodging and punching the war God in the stomach.
Ares activated what Uriel could sense was a Domain skill, making Uriel back off warily.
Quickly, he channeled a large amount of holy power. The War God charged at him, a red glow surrounding his form.
Already the air trembled with power.
He swiped his spear, his muscled arms straining as a massive slice of Holy Fire made the War God dodged only to be launched back by a massive beam of holy fire.
Uriel directed the fire to incinerate a large amount of the opposition's army.
The large machine hummed, and his eyes narrowed. He glanced at the large siege machine out of the corner of his eye.
Two large cannons on its back glowed red with power. The two cannons erupted, and two massive lasers erupted out.
Two massive spirals of red energy shots towards him and force him to dodge.
With Ares recovering, he took this time to charge at the large machine.
With grace and complete control he zigzagged, dodging the massive beams. The beams hit the walls of Heaven, making everything tremble from the sheer collision. But as always the walls showed themselves to be nigh-indestructible.
As he got closer his eyes widened, a strange field made his speed drastically slow and a force pressed against him.
He was forced to block as the two beams closed in on him, forming into a larger beam and sending him slamming back into the walls of Heaven.
Ares was in front of him in a moment, and he blocked the war hammer that slammed into the wall behind him. His spear swung and Ares blocked, only to once again get sent back by a beam of fire from his other hand.
He roared in fury, skidding across the barrier the Heavenly Army had created to seperate the two battles.
"Why do you attack Heaven, Ares?" Uriel calmly replied, keeping his fiery temperament down.
The God would meet his end either way, but it would be good to know why he had joined the assault against Heaven.
"I owe you no explanation." He scowled back.
Uriel merely used his spear to form multiple slashes, the metal boosting his holy fire.
Ares dodged, using another domain skill to form barriers in front of the fire slices he couldn't block with his bulky frame.
The rampaging God came in close, swinging his weapon that had turned into an axe.
Uriel opted to nimbly dodge.
He ducked under another swing, blocking a wild punch and returned with a punch of his own.
Ares charged again, his axe swinging in a brutal arc. Uriel blocked with his forearm, grimacing as the force cracked the air. He countered with a jab to the throat, making Ares stumble, then ducked under another wild strike.
Their fists collided.
Ares caught him with a hook to the ribs. Uriel grunted, then snapped his elbow into the god's jaw. Another blow hit his side, but he returned the favor with a knee to Ares' gut, followed by a straight punch that cracked the war god's nose.
Two quick jabs from Uriel made Ares reel back, a kick making him skid back with a wince of pain.
He charged back to Uriel.
Ares grabbed Uriel's arm, pulling him into a headbutt. Blood splattered. Uriel blinked through it and drove his fist into Ares' chest, sending him skidding back once more.
Before Ares could recover this time, Uriel dashed forward, using raw force to batter through his stance. A sharp uppercut sent the war god flying.
Uriel followed, grabbing him mid-air and spinning, slamming him hard into the barrier.
Ares swung wildly, a wild hit snapping Uriel's head to the side.
Uriel struck again, fists raining down like hammers. Ares managed a short burst of resistance, landing a punch to Uriel's jaw, but it wasn't enough.
Uriel re-summoned his spear and godly blood splattered as he sliced through Ares torso.
Ares roared in pain, getting sent far into the distance as slammed this but of his spear into his head with a swing.
Uriel wiped the blood off his face.
He glanced towards the large machine.
Looking down he saw hundreds of multiples piling to try to get to him. For a second Uriel wanted to commend their bravery, before he decided to teach them of their stupidity.
A swipe of his spear had multiple monsters cut in half and the entire pillar of monsters collapsed.
He aimed his spear at the massive machine.
Heavenly Domain Skill: Flames Of Judgment.
A ball of golden fire compressed in front of his spear and Uriel was forced to stabilise himself as the ball turned white, heat poured over the area in waves.
The very atmosphere began to burn around him and he saw the Architect's eyes gain a look of caution.
Uriel released the compressed ball. Light briefly left the area. A blazing miniature sun cracking through the air and exploding towards the large Machine.
Multiple barriers formed and were promptly broken through.
An explosion erupted and briefly the entirety of the battlefield was blinded.
Uriel's eyes widened as the smoke cleared.
Flame was held in the air, an invisible barrier holding it at bay.
The only result of the explosion had been the mile back; the large structure had been sent back from the sheer force.
There was no response for a moment. The large gatheri