Absolution [High School DxD God SI]

Prologue
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Prologue

    Waking up to an unfamiliar bedroom was something he never expected to experience in his lifetime. Gone was the small, but comfortable, bed he slept on every night as he laid atop a large four poster bed in the middle of an equally unfamiliar room wearing nothing but a long white toga; though they were admittedly comfortable so he did not mind them overmuch. The room lit up as the light of dawn filtered in through the ornately decorated window on the left of the room. He had no idea where he was right now.

    He looked around the room to look for clues on where he was and what happened last night, finding himself in a large room that would fit better in the Edwardian era rather than the modern time with all the exquisitely carved wooden furniture made of ebony along with the noticeable lack of anything vaguely electrical. There was neither a socket nor light bulb in this room. In fact, there was only a silver candlestick sitting atop the white bed stand beside his bed.

    He wanted to get up and investigate but he was far too comfortable to do so. He felt like he was sleeping atop a cloud as he practically sunk into the bed he found himself in. The equally fluffy pillow where his head rested upon wasn’t helping either. He decided that he wasn’t going to waste this chance to sleep in as he tucked himself in and closed his eyes.

    The next time his eyes opened, the room that greeted him was the very same room that he found himself in earlier. “So, that wasn’t just some fever dream …” He said out loudly only to blink as he found his voice higher than normal. He sat up and looked around, wondering if there was someone else but there was no one but him.

    “What the hell?” He asked once more only for his voice to remain this young boyish tone. Confusion soon gave way to shock as he bolted off the fluffiest bed he’d ever had the privilege of sleeping in to look for a mirror. He looked around, wondering where the bathroom was and found two sets of doors. One was a large double door while the other was a door by the side of his room.

    He took the door by the side. Thankfully, despite the lack of electrical lighting, the room was well lit… from somewhere. He shook off that thought as he grabbed the edge of the mirror and looked. Long silken blond hair and bright blue eyes stared back at him. He would have had difficulty trying to figure out if he was a boy or a girl if not for the adam's apple bobbing up and down his throat. Still, despite waking up looking like a completely different person, it wasn’t that which caught his attention. No, what caught his attention was the large golden halo atop his head.
    He shakily reached up for the floating halo and grabbed it, yanking on it only to find that the thing was attached to his head through some unknown means as he pulled his own head along with it. “Note to self, do not yank the halo.” He breathed out shakily as he pressed his forehead against the mirror. Thankfully, the halo seemed to phase through solid matter, but not his hands.

    Did he die in his sleep? Was he an angel? What in heaven's name happened to him? He shove those thoughts to the back of his head for now as he decided to just do his morning routine and act as if this was normal. Eventually, he’d get over this… hopefully. He washed his face and started cleaning himself.

    After doing his business, he exited the bathroom and muttered about his current situation, “I really wish there was someone that I could talk to right now so I can figure out my current situation. There isn’t even a St. Peter to welcome me at the pearly gates. It’s just boom, you're now in a strange room with a halo atop your head. Didn’t even get to have a cool pair of wings or anything.”

    He was looking at his hands so he did not notice the person he bumped into before they were in his face while he walked back to the bed he’d found himself in. Blinking as he backed off pretty quickly and pulled himself free of the cloud of feathers he’d face planted into. There, in front of him, stood a woman with six pairs of large feathered wings upon her back and a golden halo atop her head, though the halo wasn't as ornate as the one he had on his head. The golden haired woman wore a functional maid outfit with a long skirt and equally long apron and looked too be busy fluffing up the pillow he used earlier.

    “Oh, sorry about that. Let me just fold this blanket.” the woman replied as she was too engrossed in fixing the bed that he messed up. “I swear, someone just had to sleep on this particular bed. They could have used any other bed but no, they had to use this one.”

    He winced as he chuckled nervously at that. “Sorry about that miss, the person who slept there would be me, but never mind that; I need your help. I think I might have died?” He replied as he scratched the back of his head, he really wasn’t sure anymore.

    “Well, you're not dead but you’ll soon wish you were when my brother hears about this! You have a lot of explaining to do, mister! I don’t care that you’re just assigned here for the first time but sleeping on God’s… bed.” The woman replied as she finished fixing the bed and turned towards him with a righteously pissed expression in her face before trailing off as her eyes landed on him. He would have been left speechless with how beautiful the woman was if not for the fact that she froze in front of him. He became increasingly concerned by the fact that she looked like she was holding her breath and that angry look faded away, now looking like she saw a ghost

    “Ummm, miss. Are you ok?” he asked as he waved his hand in front of her after she just froze. He snapped his fingers but there was no response and she still hasn’t moved worried. Slowly, he poked her cheeks to try and get her to snap out of it.

    The woman’s eyes rolled up their sockets before she promptly collapsed and passed out from shock. He cursed as he quickly knelt down to check on her. “Miss? Miss! Come on, don’t pass out on me now!” He shouted in panic. Thankfully, he didn’t see her hit her head. He shook his head as he decided to lift her up to the bed and get her comfortable there so he could go search for help.

    He hooked his arms beneath her and found that she was uncomfortably light. Either his new body was stronger than it looked or she needed a sandwich or three. Just as he was about to set her down on the bed, the large double door opened as a maid with five pairs of wings peeked out and asked, “Miss Gabriel, we finished cleaning the throne…room”. The bespectacled woman trailed off as she saw the woman he was currently holding

    “Call a doctor or something! She just collapsed and-” His request was cut off as the woman screamed and ran off. Fear gripped his own heart now as the sound of people outside did not seem friendly. He quickly set her down and started pacing around and started thinking of what he could do now.

    He could barricade himself inside the bathroom but that would only delay the inevitable. He could barricade the room but that would only make things worse. He could stay but he wasn’t sure if the angels, and he was pretty sure they were angels, were as friendly as they were depicted so the only choice of action he knew where he wouldn’t die was to flee. He turned towards the window and nodded; he had a way out.

    He walked up to the window and threw it open. He expected to see heaven and he was really expecting it to be beautiful but he really wasn’t ready to actually see the heavenly kingdom above the sky. Large pillars of cumulonimbus clouds rose high up while white washed temples and buildings dotted the surface. Between the valleys of these mountain sized clouds were the highways where angels flew by without a care in the world. He blinked as a large castle floated close by, sitting atop a sizable cumulus cloud. It was so close that he could see children playing on the grounds around the castle. With the uniform the angelic children were wearing, it looked like it was a school. It didn’t take long for one of the children to notice him and wave at him excitedly. He waved back weakly as he looked around dumbstruck at everything.

    “Wow.” He breathed out a whisper of surprise as he saw everything. It wasn’t just the sight that amazed him but the cold crisp air blowing against his face. The smell of flowers filled the air while the sound of singing could be heard in the background. He was… at peace at the sight.

    His sight seeing was disturbed, however, as new found instincts flared and screamed at him to turn around. His halo flared brightly as he spun around and reached out for the shaft of the spear aimed at his back. His heart thundered in his chest as he stared down the tip of a very sharp and dangerous spear made of light wielded by an equally pissed angel with six pairs of wings and he didn’t come alone as two other angels came with him, armed with a sword and an actual shepherd's staff respectively.

    His eyes shifted to the spear wielder who’s look of anger quickly faded to a litany of other emotions. First came bewilderment as his eyes widened. Then came denial creeping into the beautiful man's face as his jaw hung open and his grip slackened on his spear. Finally, it morphed into that of immense sadness and relief as he let go of the spear and fell down on his knees. Tears flowed down the angel's face and before the reincarnation could even think of what to say, the angel threw himself at him and cried his eyes out.

    “It’s… ok? I forgive you?” He said in a bewildered tone but that only made the man cry all the harder as the two angels dropped their weapons as well before they threw themselves at him. He called out for help as he found himself buried under three angels only for the woman from earlier to wake up.

    “Father!” She cried out as the reincarnated man felt her weight adding on top of the three. He panicked as he tried getting them off but they held onto him like he was going to disappear if they let go. Thankfully they let go before he passed out from the lack of breath, a very uncomfortable discovery he made when the edge of his vision darkened for a brief second beneath all four of them.

    “Let’s give father some space everyone. He must be confused right now.” The angel who thrusted his spear spoke with a shaky yet authoritative tone as he pulled away from him reluctantly and wiped the tears of his eyes. Yes, he was very confused right now alright.

    “It’s just… father’s back!” Cried out the woman as she sobbed openly, only confusing him further. Father? Did he lose his memory as well? That didn’t make any sense as he clearly remembered his life before this. He even remembered the meal he made yesterday. Still, for a brief second, he wanted to reach out and pat the woman's head but he held back as that would be highly inappropriate since he didn’t even know her name.

    “Father? You must be confusing me with someone else. I just woke up not knowing how I got here.” He replied honestly. He must look like someone these angels knew because he’d remember fathering four angels though something niggled at the back of his head that they were familiar, that he knew them.

    “Oh no, it happened again.” The sword wielder replied with a worried tone. ‘What happened again?’ The reincarnated man asked himself as he stood there frozen in fear and disorientation at the situation he found himself in. With those words uttered, the four angels burst into action as the reincarnated man found himself lifted up above the head of the spear wielder.

    “Wait! Put me down!” He protested and flailed around but the spear wielders had him firmly in his grip as he carried him out of the room. He did not like being carried around like a sack of potatoes but he was far too shocked to pry himself off the man.

    “Uriel! Grab Father’s Diary!” The spear wielder commanded and the sword wielder saluted as he ran off to the foot of the bed where a chest was and started rifling through its contents trying to find this diary that they spoke of.

    “Where the hell are you taking me!” He shouted, trying to get their attention but they ignored him as he found himself carried off to God knows where. The long hallway outside was just as richly decorated as the room he found himself in.

    Exquisitely carved statues lined the hall while masterfully painted scenes of various dragons, monsters and the sexiest devils he’d ever seen being vanquished by a heavenly host. What was more shocking was the all too familiar face in all these paintings. It was the same face he saw in the mirror. “Is that me?!” He shouted in confusion.

    “It's worse than I thought.” The staff wielder muttered as he stomped ahead as he cleared the way. Uniformed angels of various wings numbers jumped out of the way as the look of awe and worship dawned on their faces. All the reincarnated man could do was look around in bewilderment.

    “Gabriel, cancel everything! Father’s having one of his episodes again. He needs our help remembering things. I’m sure the church will understand once Father’s back to his old self.” The spear wielder pointed at the woman who saluted.

    “I’ll call everyone as well Michael! Metatron will be extremely happy!” The woman replied happily with a salute before she barked, commanding the various maids and servants back to their task as she flew off to a branching corridor.

    “Don’t worry father, we’ll get this all sorted out. We won’t fail you again. Raphael, call the kitchen. Tell them to prepare Father’s favorite meal.” The now identified Michael said as the staff wielder nodded before flying off. At this point, the reincarnated man gave up and just allowed himself to be taken.

    “Can you at least tell me why you’re calling me father?” He asked as he sagged on Michaels shoulder while they ascended a flight of stairs. As to why they weren’t flying, he did not know but he noticed the other angels walking up the stairs as if they were carrying a great work.

    “You’re our Father of course. You are the Most High. You are Adonia. You are YHWH.” Michael replied as they finally got to the top. It was a large circular room filled with various angels attending to all sorts of tasks. It wouldn't be out of place of a busy government office except for the large pearly gates in the back.

    All the angels stood in attention as they entered. “I am who now?!” He shouted as the angels around him stared at him in awe.

    “Oh father, you always had a fun sense of humor.” Michael laughed out as he marched straight to the door and opened it. A cold blast of air escaped from the room behind the door as he beheld a relatively spartan room. Unlike the rest of the building, it was just a simple throne atop a monolithic stepped platform made of marble and surrounding it was a tiered ring of seats along with various carved columns where torches could be placed. The room was ornate yes, but there hung an air of disrepair and disuse. Cracks spread from the throne while some of the columns were broken. Cauldrons sat atop platforms, unlit and unused from millenia. It was also painfully empty, without a living soul in sight.

    Michaels steps echoed inside the empty room as he marched atop stairs. For some reason, The reincarnated man could feel a sense of familiarity as he stared at the chair. It beckoned to him, like an old friend just waiting all this time. He remained silent as he was carried up the steps and there at the top of it, the very top of heaven as he would soon find out as the starry sky stretched across the sky while the city atop the clouds stretched as far as the sky could, he was promptly deposited into the empty seat.

    At first, he was confused as he sat on the deceptively comfortable seat, not knowing why he was placed there... until it hit. A flood of memories filled his head, instincts flooding him as an all mighty headache formed inside his skull. The room was drowned out by a loud hum as well as a veritable flood of golden light as his halo started to sing with power. For the very first time in his life, he felt his eyes open and there he beheld eternity and it stared back with a tired smile.

    ”It’s your turn now. Good luck” A voice whispered into his ears as the presence in the throne faded to nothingness. He was left panting and breathless as his fingers gripped the side of his throne. Michael was knelt before him while a heavenly host of angels assembled around his throne. Cracks no longer marred the beauty of the room as golden veins spread from his seat. Pillars miraculously repaired themselves as phantasmal light flickered and burned in the cauldrons surrounding his throne.
    “I… am God?” he whispered as he stared ahead sightlessly, yet he was peering into the world below with the unlimited sensations of omniscience.

    The Archangel smiled as a lone tear flowed down his cheek. “It’s good to have you back, father.” He replied as the host cheered and praised him.

    There atop the world, he exuded power yet he felt nothing but dread inside. ‘I’m now responsible for the literal fate of billions. God help me now.’ He thought to himself before the prayer echoed in his ears as if to mock him. He not so gently knocked his fist against the back of his throne at that.

    A/N:

    As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page.
     
    Chapter 1: Who Am I?
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Who Am I?

    He gritted his teeth in frustration as he leaned back against the throne. Slowly, he reached for his nose and pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt the looming headache rear it ugly head. Oh, he couldn’t actually have a headache as he was God, but the sentiment still stood as he found out exactly where he was; and he wasn’t sure if he should be elated or be in despair.

    There he sat as he listened to his seraphs while they brought him up to speed on the current situation they were in. To say that it was dire was an understatement, “Without your guiding hands, things have fallen into disrepair and none more so than the Sacred Gears,” The Archangel Michael despaired as he knelt down to his knees in supplication.

    Sacred Gears, God’s, or rather his, gift to humanity. The power of the supernatural sealed in the form of tools the children of god could use. Given how Heaven itself looked like it was falling apart before his ascension, he could only guess at the state of the autonomous systems his predecessors made.

    “Your gift to humanity, poached by the Devils of hell. The best of humanity is stolen away and their gift taken out of the cycle until they’re freed through death, an unlikely thing given how the Devils give those they convert their unnatural longevity,” Michael lamented before he went down to bow on all fours, taking him aback by surprise as he rose up from his seat.

    “Father forgive me. It is I that was responsible while you were away yet even with the throne, I failed the most basic of tasks. Please, don’t take your frustration upon my brothers and sister. It is I who failed you so please, just punish me alone,” He begged him as he heard him choke on his own tears.

    Beside him, the three other Seraphs currently present in heaven knelt down as well. Frustration and anger slowly melted away as shame and sadness filled his heart. He could feel his chest tighten at the sight of Gabriel crying her heart out while Uriel and Rapheal were not doing so well. He felt horrible, yet powered on and faced the reality that he found himself in for their sake. He was not their father but damn him if he didn’t try his best to be the one they deserved.

    Slowly, he walked over to Michael as he held back his own tears. The angels flinched as he stepped down his throne. Silence descended upon the empty room as he stood before them. Kneeling before the archangel, he reached out and gently placed his hands upon his head before he started stroking his hair, “There’s nothing to apologize about Michael. I should be the one that should be the one begging for forgiveness,” he cried out with a smile on his lips even as tears fell down his eyes.

    Before he could even react, he was enveloped in a warm feathery embrace. He froze as all four of the Seraphs wrapped their hands around his form. He didn’t know them, he wasn’t close to them, hell they were practically strangers but all he wanted to do now was just to hold them. And so he did, “I’m sorry, I’ll never leave you again. I promise.” He whispered to them. His heart might not be set in being a god, as he could easily run away, but all he needed, what they needed, was for him to lie until the lie became the truth.

    Eventually, he pried himself away from their holds, else he would just be stuck there for who knows how long. He had his duties to attend to and a throne to go back too. It wasn’t just Heaven he had to attend as the flock needed help as well, “You’ll be good ok? I need to work now since we have a backlog,” He chuckled out nervously. Calling it a backlog was an understatement, calling it a backlibrary might be a more apt description.

    “Oh before I forget, I need you four to do something for me. Is that all right?” He asked them. With how things were, he needed something to make them busy. He couldn’t have them see him struggle with all the things he needs to do. They needed a savior but all they got was him.

    “Anything for you father!” They answered eagerly, ready to snap into action at a moment's notice. Nodding, he then turned to Gabriel as he made his first request.

    “Oh, I know Gabriel called everyone, but can you have them return to their station?” He asked her, making the woman pout as she glanced out to the clouds below the throne. Only the four of them were here, where were the 6 other Seraph? “No! I don’t hate them for not showing up as I understand they might be busy with their tasks. Just have them come when they have time, alright?” He reasoned with her as he did his best to calm her down.

    The seraph sighed before huffing, “As disappointed as I am of my siblings, I understand father. I should however remind them that a call from above should always be answered,~” She replied with a not so pleased tone. The glint in her eyes had him shiver in terror. Before he could even plead to her for the health of the others, she was already gone. He glanced over to the other three who refused to look at Gabriel’s direction.

    Sighing, he turned to Uriel, “Uriel, can you set a meeting with the church? I don’t have a date but make sure that they know that I want to talk to them. It’s been a while,” He needed to talk to them about a lot of things like how they were divided and how some of them were doing some unspeakable things. He needed to have a word with them.

    “I’ll do it father. You can count on me!” Uriel eagerly answered as he flew off to do as ordered.

    Turning to the staff wielder, he grinned as the man gulped as he waited with bated breath, “For Raphael, I was promised a breakfast,~” he teased the man who became flustered at the reminder. Even as god, it seemed that he needed sustenance.

    “Forgive me father! I shall retrieve your breakfast as soon as possible!” The man shouted as he bowed. He chuckled as he ruffled the man's hair. They might be angels, his angels, but teasing them was just way too entertaining.

    “I was just teasing you, lighten up a little,” He assured him as he sent him off with the others. Now, it was only him and Michael left in the throne.

    Even after their little heartwarming moment, Michael was a bit down, crestfallen really. He still looked like he wanted a punishment so he gave him something that could be seen as one in a certain light. “As for you, Michael,” he called out, making the Archangel look up at him in attention.

    “Yes father?” the man asked.

    “I need you to take a rest,” He requested the most powerful of his host. Yes, he could have him do many things like hunt down people, save certain people, do his will, but hasn’t he been doing that all this time? This man had been at the helm ever since god had died, but now he was here and he was going to help him no matter what.

    “But father! I don’t understand. I can-!” The Archangel protested but he cut him off as he raised his hands. The man closed his mouth even as he looked like he wanted to continue.

    “Michael, when was the last time you had a vacation?” He then asked him, prodding him about his situation. Oh he might have an idea about that. Even if he hadn’t read about this world, he knew damn well how much responsibility this man had shouldered.

    “... Centuries? I’ve forgotten…” The man answered with a frown of confusion. He shook his head at that, it was worse than he thought.

    “This is exactly the reason why I need you to rest. I don’t want you to burn out. Go explore the world, do as you will. This is my reward for you, the freedom from the burden of duty. It is only temporary but even the best need a break. Just look at me, all rested up!” He joked as he gave the angel a pat on the shoulder. His “rest” might have taken centuries. He wondered just why, but at least he was now here to help things.

    The angel looked at him bewildered before he smiled and nodded, “Of course father. How can I say no when you lead by example?” The angel replied with a soft smile spreading across his face. He grinned as he finally got him to loosen up.

    “Mhmmm, now go before I change my mind,” He ordered while pushing him off the room. The man only laughed as he walked off. Grabbing the great doors of the throne room, he pulled it close and shut it behind them. Now, in the privacy of this room, he sagged as he finally relaxed. It seemed like he had a lot of things to do before he could live up to the old man. If he was tired just from dealing with them, how much more when he had to deal with the unruly ones like the Fallen?

    Going back to the throne, he frowned as he mulled over the words of his greatest child. He then blinked as he shouted to the heavens above “Wait… did he just sass me!?”

    -x-x-x-
    Staring at the plain, black, leather-bound book in his hands, one would think that it was just some other random old book but there was more to it than meets the eye. He held it up sideways and allowed the pages to fall. Page after page of writing, thousands of years of thoughts and expression written in the fine vellum, flipping endlessly with no end in sight. Here in his hands was God’s, or rather his own, very diary.

    He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it when Uriel gave it to him but it all became clear when he opened it. He might have the memories of the ones before him, but that doesn’t mean he knew why they did things as they did. The diary gave him insights to not only their thought process but also their stories, feelings, and failings they lamented on mixed in with the triumphs and joys they had. It certainly gave a lot of context to what he had now.

    This book was the key to how to operate the throne that refused to answer to his command. All he could do upon this throne was to hear the voice of the world yet here he was, unable to do anything. He could also repair heaven but he knew it was superficial at best. He needed the deeper features of the throne yet he did not know how. He needed answers so he turned to the words of his predecessors.
    In his readings, he found out that it wasn’t just him and his predecessors; there were others before them. Flipping through the book, he found three distinct writing patterns which his predecessors had come to name to separate himself from the other two. His predecessor called himself Testament while he named the two other reincarnations before him as Genesis and Elohim.

    Quickly flipping through the pages, he scanned through Testament’s and Genesis’s writing before stopping at the single entry that Elohim, the original one, left for them. His hands traced the words written upon the nearly tattered piece of vellum before he uttered the question he left behind, “Who are you?”

    “Just work already!” ”He grounded in frustration as he banged his fist against the backrest of the throne yet it remained quiet. He found no answers but those same questions written in the very first page of Genesis and Testament’s entry. The first entry should have given him some clue but all it gave him was a stupid question.

    “Who am I?” He whispered as he looked up at the heavens above. He knew who he was but was he who he thinks he is. Was his old life just a dream? Who was he really?

    “You are Him,” A woman answered and he almost jumped out of his skin when he realized who it was. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he gazed upon the most beautiful woman in heaven. She smiled up to him as she held up a tray filled with various cheese, vegetables and fish. A simple meal, yet the scent was heavenly.

    “Oh Gabriel, it’s just you. Where’s Uriel?” He asked her as he peered behind her to find no one else as she closed the door to the room.

    “He’s currently visiting the other Seraphs.” She replied as before giggling as he gazed up to her questioningly. That was supposed to be her job yet here she was, serving him his breakfast. “I have my ways,~” She answered him as he shook his head in amusement.

    “You can leave the tray beside the throne.” He then said as he gestured to the table beside him. He had burrowed the table from the office outside as he found the lack of a table in the throne room offending his senses. Where was he going to place his stuff? Down on the floor?

    “You seem frustrated father, is there anything I could help you with?” She inquired as she gazed down on him with worry.

    He clenched his eyes once more as he heard the cries of terror as injustice was committed down below, yet their cries were mixed in with all the others before them. He was tired, he was confused and more importantly, “I-I don’t know,”.Some omniscient god he was, not knowing the answer.

    “Hmmm, it seems like you're having one of your funks again. Would you like to have breakfast with me father?” She then asked as she beamed at him with those innocent blue eyes and wide joyful smile; She was his angel.

    With no progress to unlocking the throne and growing frustrated by the second, he decided the best course of action was just to stop for now. “... Sure.”

    And so, they sat there together. He sat on the throne while she sat on the wide armrest and sat on it like it was her spot. Given how adorable she had been so far, he would give her this spot. He munched on the eggs while he mulled on how he could get this throne to finally work. Could the question in the diary be the answer? It couldn’t be that easy right?

    “So father, what’s bothering you right now? You have that frownie face when you’re all frustrated and angry,” Gabriel prodded as she poked at his checks. He blinked as he felt his brow before he reached up and massaged his aching temple.

    “I’m just… confused,” He admitted. He was a bit stumped. There were no controls to the damn thing. Just him, the throne and nothing else. Even speaking to it didn’t help with all the complaints he had about it.

    “Would… would you like me to sing you a song? You always smile whenever I sing for you,” Gabriel then offered. He pursed his lips, thinking about it before nodding. Maybe something to ease his mind could help. As frustrated as he was, he couldn’t exactly use that energy if he didn’t have the direction or outlet to let out on.

    “That would be lovely,” He nodded as he listened to her song. It was just a simple song yet her lovely voice carried it supremely. For the first time in a while, he felt his heart settle as he was absorbed into the melodies of the music echoing in the inner throne room.

    As Gabriel sang, he felt at peace. All his worries seemed to melt away, all the voices asking for his help fading just a bit as he found some peace and solace with the seraph. He didn’t realize just how they drowned out his thoughts. The need to answer every last one of them wasn’t so overwhelming now and finally he could concentrate.

    “Who are you?” A voice asked him as he sat upon the throne of god.

    Who was he? Why was he even here? He was a nobody. They could have picked out anybody else but here he was. Would he be able to do a good enough job? So many questions flooded his mind, doubt creeping in from within his own heart. He was just a mere phony yet… he was a phony in the place of god.
    “Who are you?” The voice asked once more and he felt his hands clench in rage. He was him but he who once was should no longer apply to his current situation. What was also clear was that he certainly was not him.

    He might not be him but he certainly damn well knew what he wanted to do now that he was in his shoes. He wanted to help people, he wanted to fix this world and if only this damn chair would respond to his will but… how can he help this world if he couldn’t answer one question. Who was he?

    He… he really didn’t know his name and who he really was but he had a purpose. If he couldn’t name himself using the old identity he once had then he’ll name himself after his goal. For a brief moment, he felt the power he felt when he sat on the throne well up once more. Gabriel squeeked out as the winds around them whipped up into a gale. His throne shining brightly as the gears grinded against one another. He could feel it yet as he focused on it, it faded back. He didn’t have the key, he needed the key and there, he realized that who he is was the key.

    He breathed in, letting the embers of this power burn inside him and through him as he focused on the one thing he needed to do, his purpose in this earth. He focused on those words, he willed those words to be and then he uttered them, letting the heavens know who he was and what he wanted to do.

    “I am him, I am Absolution”

    With those words, the flood gates holding back the tide of power; the doubts, the confusion, and indecision, melted away as power once more flowed through the throne of heaven. The heavens trembled as golden light spread out from the throne room and out into his realm. Long forgotten mechanism kicked into gear as the countless bells of heavens rang together, spreading his power wide down in the world below.

    He blinked as his will was done just as he wished. He was Absolution and his purpose was to forgive so the world could move on.

    -x-x-x-

    When people heard the ringing, the world stopped. Many gazed up wondering what it was. Many a wise man thought it was just some weird natural phenomenon while some simply blew it off as mass hysteria. Still, the golden lights that danced in the sky were undeniable and the voice that called, was heard by everyone.

    For one Asia Argento, she cried out in her cell as her prayers were answered. He forgave her.

    -x-x-x-

    Further abound, the supernatural stirred. Those that were hunted when the heavenly host was abundant scattered to the four winds. Others, meanwhile, roared out in challenge. The gods of those areas now claimed by christianity stirred as he woke up once again. Many panicked just as the lesser creatures before them. but some relished upon the call. None more so than a certain goddess from the new world, who grinned as the usurper returned.

    Those outside the realms of christianity? Some merely returned to their daily lives. A certain king among gods in the southern realms of Asia, however, met it with much fanfare. “It certainly took you a while boyo! I hope you didn’t lose your touch for Nirvana is not for you to claim,” The arrogant god howled out in laughter.

    -x-x-x-

    Deep within the earth, it was pandemonium. For a brief instant, bells rang and they knew agony. He called out to everyone and they heard him loud and clear. While the populace tended to the sudden and brief headache, the heads of the 72 pillars convened. In a show of force, every last one of them showed up. Despite their clashing allegiances, they tolerated each other as they listened to the 4 satans of the underworld.

    “He has returned,” Sirzechs Lucifer grimaced as cries of dismay and anger rose up from the room as the information about his brief death, and clearly a temporary one at that, was spread around.

    A/N:

    Well, Absolution certainly made a splash so he can't hide and play in the shadows. Everyone knows he's here when he pulled the stopper blocking his throne and he has to act fast. For the identities two gods~? Well, one is canon while another is an expy from a certain Fate game. I intend this fic to be a God fic where God takes an active role and what better way to have it with an equally powerful foe in the horizon. Oh btw, the 2nd Chapter is up in my patreon so go visit it~

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor for helping me stay positive. He really does stop the doom spirals. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

    Rashomon, victor a lopez-barron, Nick, Banh Bao, Alex Wierzbicki, cailk, Lapiver, Just_a_Knight, Alexander Cullison, Biigoh, WorkForFood, Alex, Logan Williams, Brody McDermott, Baron_Dio, thefrobro, Zach, GWSwift, Sammy88, John Michael Funelas Bueno, Boris Bondar, Nathan White, scott murray, Thordur hrafn, Klever Kilvanya, xedex, Lurker number 5, Alina, Laurence wu, Gabriel, asdo, Lost Story of winds, Christopher LaFerney, Sharp, Ruben Melchor, Sandy Ruiz, Invalid, Drain, Hyrdro4C, taylor smith, Tjark Niehues, Jmatt890, Sover_Invic, Maelstrom232, anthony turner, Daniel King, Germayne Martinez, ethan maloney, Jonald Theodore Cuyos, Joshua Guderian, Andreyebidu, toxic badger, TheForgottenKing, HyperionTheWatcher, ShyGuy42, Austin Fisher, the fallen, Connor Worsnop Quirk Cardcaster, Alex Ibarra, vrumagen, LordVendingMachine, Rampage, Vlagroth, Wargrunte,Coolman59223, Rimgaudas, Om V, Nicholas Louese-Bunch, Gareth T, Noctis117, TheFourfather 123, StriderAnarchy99, Wolfdog, Mathias Jackson, john Mendes, Ignis8565, V3c4, Valyndral, Snugglepuff

    One last thing. I really want to wrrite a Reincarnated as Slime fic now cause Milim is fucking adorable and has been living inside my head for the past few days. Fic idea involves Skill Copying, Milim, Orcs, and Cooking. Would probably involve building a nation around Milim as you can't really have a food industry going if you don't have a nation to support it right? Hey, civilization was made to have regular access to booze and good food, something Milim would probably like. Anyone interested?
     
    Last edited:
    Chapter 2
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Chapter 2

    His name was Absolution and he was absolutely spent right now. He sighed wearily as he slumped against his throne. After that rather embarrassing display where he had basically opened up the well of power deep within him and having it burst out like a shaken cola bottle, things had more or less settled down.

    “Your coffee my lord,” A two winged angel whispered reverently as came in with a pot of coffee, some cups and a whole lot of treats to chew on. From light and fluffy pastries to hard and chewy sweets, heaven truly had everything.

    “Oh, thank you, just place it down on the table please,” He replied appreciatively as he gave her a smile. The woman blushed as she bowed and hastily flew away leaving him in peace to work on his problems

    Yes, he had unlocked the powers of his throne but all it did was add more responsibilities down upon his lap. His little show of power might have some unintended consequences like there being no more single winged angel in heaven. He had to make new angels on top of all the other duties he had. Now that he could answer all these prayers, he found that it wasn’t as simple as just making it happen. One little push could send things spiraling into chaos. After all, there were consequences to his actions.

    With billions under his banner, there were bound to be prayers that just can’t be answered. Why? It was rather simple, those prayers were in conflict with each other. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as two warlords down in the dark continent prayed for the others' destruction.

    “Ophanim#42, please gather some of your friends and sabotage these two numbskulls. Oh, and make sure to give them all the bad luck like stubbing their toes and having their weapons jam,” he commanded as a form coalesced before him. Rings within rings floated before him and stared at him with countless eyes. The cute little thing chimed as it floated away to do its thing.

    He found that ophanims served well as a stop gap to his current lack of angels. Yes, he could make angels, but making an entire being required him to come up with the soul which means personality and all sorts of things he needed to make which required a lot of attention. Far too much effort. Ophanims were mechanisms, heavenly beasts, that served well to help angels in their daily task. He sighed happily as he watched a flock of Ophaims fly down to the earth below to mess with the people he found annoying.

    While it was simple to go biblical and wipe them off the face of the earth, it wasn’t something he wanted to do. Was it the fear of going too far or was he afraid of his own powers going to his head? He wasn’t sure, but there were better ways, ways that were just and righteous. He could change them, alter their very minds; but he stayed his hands. Free will was something sacred but that didn’t mean he was just going to stand by and let people suffer.

    Besides, giving the soldiers that were about to descend upon these evil men the bravery to keep fighting and giving wisdom to their leaders by having angels be with them was far better. He smiled as he watched his cute little biblically accurate creation descend upon the poor souls while they were attacked by the forces of good. Of course, there were some problems he just needed to meddle with directly like healing the sick, smiting assholes that are just too good at hiding and that one problem that had been occupying the back of his mind for a while: The Sacred Gear System.

    He sighed as he reached out and pulled out one of those tools that had been waiting to be cycled back. Lifting up the large and ornate golden axe, tossing it in the air before catching. This was the Regulus Nemea, one of the legendary Longinus his predecessor made before passing on. When he got his powers back, he recalled just about every single Sacred Gear that had gone autonomous or had taken over and killed their wielders.

    Some gave quite the fight and none more so than the lion that this weapon had become. To think that the user would have bonded to their partner that they manifested and slaughtered the people that killed his master. He almost felt bad pulling him up but… he can’t have him fall to the hands of devils, not when the Sacred Gears were meant for humanity.

    He really didn’t hold any hate for devils, this was just a side effect of their pursuit of regaining their population, but did they really have to poach all those people? Sacred Gear users were tempting to grab… and it would no longer work now that he was here, not when he could disable it if they joined or send some angels their way. Was it petty? Yes, but he just didn’t like how the best of humanity was getting poached.

    He scratched the back of his head as he tossed the Longinus back into the timeout corner for his system, or rather their own little corner in heaven. “I’m sorry about taking from your master. I just had to check if you were ok,” He apologized as the lion was reunited with their partner.

    There’s still the matter of the other gears. Yes, reincarnated devils are still human in their very core, but these tools weren’t meant for them. These were for humans to protect themselves. It was a rather vexing problem all things considered. He wanted them back but he didn’t want to kill people since that’s part of their soul. Then, there were those in the hands that annoyed him like a certain descendant of a great hero. There were also the humans that were held prisoner and used for their abilities. It was a mess, one that could be solved, but first he needed his angels as he was about to do something insane.

    “It really is true… father.” Speaking of his angels, finally the rest of them arrived. Flanked by his Four Seraphs, the rest of the Seraphim knelt before him in supplication.

    “F-father?! Father, you're alive!” An unknown, yet oh so familiar female voice called out before he found a red haired rocket slamming against his stomach. He felt the wind get knocked out of him as a young looking girl nuzzled against him and held him tightly. He sighed as he stroked the girl's hair while Gabriel fumed in anger and envy.

    “Metatron! Get down here this instant!” Gabriel sputtered out while Michael hid his smile with the rest of the seraphs giving the ninja various looks of exasperation, amusement and frustration. Sendalphon, who looked like a more masculine version of Metatron without the oriental garb, could only hide his face in embarrassment.

    “No! I don’t want my father to go away! Not when he came back from buying milk!” Metatron cried out as he felt sweat drop down his forehead. He looked up and turned his attention at Michael who pointedly refused to meet his gaze. He squinted before he continued petting Metatron.

    “I’m sorry it took so long but I’m back,” He apologized as he felt the dampness on his stomach. He really had a lot of fixing to do huh?

    After a bit of sweet talking and promises to pry Metatron off him, he could finally talk to them in peace. With all ten standing in front of him, Uriel then stepped forward as he introduced the six newcomers, “Father, the Ten Seraphs, just as you ordered.”

    “Father, we have returned and heed your call,” They voiced out as they knelt before him once more.

    “Up, all of you. I don’t want this much formality when it’s just the eleven of us here.” He scolded them lightheartedly as a smile graced his face. There before him were Sandalphon, Raguel, Sariel, Remiel, Raziel and of course, the ever so lovable Metatron. They were a lovely bunch and, surprisingly, half of them were girls. ‘God, you sly dog,’ He thought to himself with a shake of his head.

    “It’s good to see you alive and well, father.” Raguel replied as he stood up. Clad in heavy armor and armed with an executioner's sword, he was a big and terrifying angel to behold. A fitting look for someone who dispensed justice.

    “If I may be so bold, might I ask why you gather us here?” Raziel asked as she tilted her head at him in confusion. Even with her hood on and her near perpetual refusal to open her eyes, it was clear that she did not know why she was there.

    “Oh, that. Can’t a man see his children every once in a while?” He asked them. He also wanted to see them and know them better. He might have memories about them but he really didn’t know them.

    “F-father!” Gabriel stammered, scandalized yet the smile she sported was all too happy. They were his angels and he was God. To recognize them as his children might look bad but, can’t he just spoil them just a bit?

    Chuckling, he then said, “And I kinda want you to be around when I talk to my followers. I have some announcements and changes I want to make. It’s been a long while since I last talked to them directly”. They nodded in understanding. Maybe it was a bit of a power statement but he wanted everyone to be there just so no one would complain, “Oh yeah, that and I need your help with a little plan of mine,~” He added, making the Seraphs look at him in concern.

    “Father’s doing one of his genius ideas again…” Metatron deadpanned which had him all flustered as he tried to defend himself.

    “H-hey! Don’t give me that look and I need you here cause the newcomers might need help going around.” He reasoned with a pout to which his angels looked at him in confusion.

    He smirked as he cracked his knuckles and prepared the throne for what he’s about to do. If he couldn’t have those gears, he'd just disable them; every last one. He might not have the knowledge to tear it off without causing great harm just yet, he did hold the proverbial console. All he did was flip off their switch.

    He took in a deep breath as he allowed his power course through him and had it stretch his senses out to the world. He could feel every last one of them, every Sacred Gear user be they human, half humans, or a converted human. He felt their gaze as they heard his call. With the reincarnated devils now in the mix, he made sure to temporarily stop them from feeling any effects from his divinity. There were some half devils he had interest in and he didn’t want them to be hurt.

    “Ohayo~! I’m sorry to call you but I need your attention for a sec,” He called out cheerfully, surprising everyone. He allowed his divinity to mix in with his presence to reinforce the point.

    “To all Sacred Gear users, Heaven would like to announce that we’re rolling out a new patch for our Sacred Gear system. It has come to our attention that several third party companies have acquired our product without consent from the manufacturers so we are announcing that within 24 hours, we will be disabling every last sacred gear in circulation.

    Do not fear, however, as this only serves as a measure to block some tampered devices. To disable the lock down, simply call us at Heaven Co. We only require you to call us by simply praying, even if it's not sincere, as to discern if the product is still being used by the intended users. The following races are the ones that are the intended users of this product: Humans and Half Humans.

    We are also rolling out a banlist from now on. The names that I’m going to utter will be permanently barred from ever using the system. The individuals are the following: Cao Cao, Leonardo, and Georg. These individuals have abused their privileges and are now being barred from ever using their tools.

    Finally, we would like to announce that heaven will be providing customer support from now in. If the individual possessing this Sacred Gear is in danger or in need of help, please call God. Thank you!”

    With those words, he cut off his connection to his sacred gears and watched the ensuing pandemonium. It was a bit cruel subjecting those converted humans to his voice, but it was fun seeing them panic. He could feel some of these devils trying to pray to him, powering through the pain, but he ignored their cries. He’d deal with them later.

    Oh, some of them might be soon cast out but it was exactly what he wanted. It would make it easier for him to separate those that were only converted for their gears to those that actually willingly converted. It might take a while, but no one could hide it for too long, especially when most relied on this very same gear to hold their status. What will happen if they’re no longer useful to their masters?

    It didn’t take long for others to call him as well. Countless people from all walks of life talking to him. He accepted their praise and their curses in equal measure. This gift could be both a curse and a blessing for the power it gives. As much as it helped countless people, it also hurt hundreds more. Sometimes he wondered if his predecessor was right to give them out, but seeing the world as it is, humans do need it and even those humans that possessed these tools needed saving too, sometimes.

    Countless cries of help soon called out from the world below and he listened to every last one of them. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he forced himself to listen. Amidst the whirlwind of voices, two stood out.

    “Please… save me.” A hollow voice called out in pain somewhere in Transylvania.

    “Will you even listen to a devil?” Another called out as they fought against the haze of sleep.

    “Raphael, ready the kitchen. Gabriel, please get ready to tend to the sick and wounded,” He asked shakily as he wiped away the tears falling down his cheeks. The two didn’t hesitate as they flew off to do as he willed.

    With power flowing through his veins, he could feel his throne waiting for his will. The wind howled as light flooded the room. Even his Seraphs were having difficulty keeping themselves from being swept away as they knelt down and buried their weapon down on the floor for support. Still, doubt clouded his mind. Healing the multitude was one thing, but taking everyone in? To pull them all up to heaven, with a few being in the depths of hell itself? Shaking his head, he steeled his resolve as he cleared his mind. He was God and was he so cruel to deny those earnest requests?

    “To those in need, I provide Sanctuary!” He declared as light flooded the room. The very heavens themselves shook as he once more performed a miracle. His Archangels gasped as hundreds of humans, half humans, and even some reincarnated devils came dropping to the floor of his throne room. They looked up at him and his angels in wonder with the reincarnated devils and half devils patting themselves in confusion. There were also some non sacred gear users mixed in as he pulled in those that were in the same dire situation as those that he had personally saved.
    “Like I said, I provide sanctuary. I would be a poor host if those that I took in burned in my presence,” He explained reassuringly as they gave him a look of dumbfoundment.

    “Are you really him… have you really taken us away?” A small voice then asked out from the multitude. He turned his gaze upon the voice and there sitting on the floor was the broken dhampir who held the holy grail, Sepiroth Gral. Her empty eyes watered as hope shimmered beneath the surface and he felt his own eyes water once more as the rest asked him who he was.

    “Yup! I’m God. Nice to meet you!” he replied with a grin even as he tried to hold back his tears. “Also, no, you’re not dead. Hey, give me a bit of credit here,” He then joked as he tried to lighten the mood.

    It was then that the flood gates broke as Valerie Tepes cried her heart out and the rest followed suit as loved ones held each while those that were torn between crying and thanking him. He rubbed his eyes as he did his best to look dignified yet the reality was that he really wasn’t the best with hiding his emotions, “What do we do now…” One of them then asked.

    “Well, you rest. Let’s figure out what’ll you do later,” He answered as stood up from his throne and walked down to join the angels helping them. Metatron was already on her knees helping some of the younger ones while the rest checked on the older visitors, “My seraphims, will you guide our temporary residents to their quarters?” He asked them as they nodded before they shepherded them away.

    While it did take a while to get everyone some room, it was well worth it even; if he was a bit late for his meeting with the church. After all, it was his people that made up the church. He was sure that they’d understand why he was getting a bit late.

    -x-x-x-

    “Man, did we really gather here for a no show?” A blue haired swordswoman complained as she stood in guard for the congregation before her. While it was interesting seeing Imams, Rabbis, Priest and various other wise men speak amicably without trying to kill each other, it wasn't what she was here for as a very special occasion was about to occur.

    “Xenovia, Please don’t speak about the lord in such a manner,” Her companion scolded as she fiddled with her hair band and checked herself for the nth time.

    “What? I’m just stating the truth here.” Xenovia scoffed but cringed back in fear as she felt her mentor's stare bear down on her from behind. She raised up her hands in surrender and sighed out, “Fine. I’m sorry. I’m just so excited you know. It’s not everyday that God gets to speak to us. When was the last time he did?”

    Truly, this day was a special one as it was the first time in centuries that the lord himself would speak to his followers. Everyone was here and when she meant everyone, it was everyone. From the Miaphystes, the Catholic Pope, the various Protestants denominations, the Orthodox to even the Jews, along with the Shia and Sunni Muslims were here. It was an unprecedented gathering, so much so that the hidden meeting place deep within the temple mount was feeling rather cramped as she stood shoulder to shoulder with her fellow guards. The fact that the Ark of the Covenant itself was laid down in the middle of the room was quite the occasion all on its own.

    I believe it was a few hundred years ago,” An Imam answered her as the priest beside him started discussing with him when it actually happened.
    “Xenovia, please stop bothering the Imam,” Griselda Quarta, her mentor, scolded her. She sighed as she leaned against the wall and waited. She yawned as weariness overtook her but she didn’t stay tired for too long as light poured down from the heaven above. A hush fell upon the room as everyone fell to their knees and bowed down.

    The bluenette felt excitement fill her veins yet she held back from looking up and staring up before the Lord. Even when she heard the beats of wings along with the beautiful voice of the Seraph Gabriel singing, she held her head down. Eventually, the fan fare died down and all of them got up to their knees. Only then did she decide to take a peek. The smiling visage of the lord looking straight at her had her quickly look down on the floor once more.

    "Greetings my lord, your angels have called and we answer. How may we serve you?" The pope welcomed the lord as she watched him descend and sat upon the Ark. He was not flanked by just the Archangels but all ten of the Seraphs. She swallowed as she fought the urge to tap her floor. What was the lord doing here with all his angels?

    "Hi everybody! I'm sorry I was a bit late. Had to do some last minute savings. You may now rise. You know it would be uncomfortable to stay too long on your knees," A young and androgynous voice called out which threw her quite in a loop. She did not expect the lord to sound like this.

    "The lord's mercy and magnanimity knows no bounds.” The gathering of priests called out.

    "So, is everyone here?" God then asked.

    "Your children have gathered to hear your words.” She, and the rest, replied as they listened to him intently. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks at the soothing voice of their lord. Even if she couldn’t look up to his face and despite the overwhelming brightness emanating from him, seeing him made her quiver in excitement.

    "Good. Now everyone, please gather around cause I'm making this quick. I'm a bit busy now but I want to tell you this directly rather than having my angels say it to you all." Their lord called out and everyone scooted a bit closer.

    "In two weeks' time, I want you to gather every last priest and scholar of note from your various sects and have them gather in Mount Sinai at the foot of Mount Sinai. I want everyone that could pitch in ideas to be there." He declared causing the gathering to murmur about what this could possibly be about. Still, they kept to themselves and refused to ask anything directly about it?

    "Understood my lord, we will do as you command. Should we also bring those you blessed with your gifts?" The mountain of a man, Vasco Strada then asked.

    "Oh right, thank you for reminding me. Bring every last Sacred Gear user and Holy Sword user there. I want to bless them and tell them they're doing great!" God replied and Xenovia had to bite her tongue to stop herself from squealing out. Even Durandal felt happy as it let out what she could only describe as a happy hum. But before she could celebrate in peace, her lord changed his mind, "You know what, just invite everybody that you guys want there. I'll provide Water, Manna, and Quill, just like last time!"

    She couldn’t help but gasp at that. Truly, God was generous beyond measure. Maybe she could even invite her family if her finances allowed it? Given everyone that would be gathering, ticket prices might shoot up…

    "So, any questions?" Their lord inquired as an uncomfortable silence descended in the hall. There was still the question of what this gathering was for and even she couldn’t muster up the courage to ask. There were looks and ribbing but none spoke, that was until a lone Rabbi raised his hands to catch everyone's attention, “Yes, you there, with the big well groomed beard.”

    "Umm… if I may be so bold my lord, what is the purpose of this gathering?" The rabbi asked as he stroked his big bushy beard. With those words, the room descended into anarchy.

    "Ishmael you old goat! How dare you question the lord! I should have you lick the soles of my shoe!" One priest shouted as accusations and threats were thrown at each other. Heretics and Non Believers were the lightest of these words. She along with the rest of the guards grabbed on to the nearest priest as punches were thrown. Thankfully, the lord was quick to act as he clapped his hands which had everyone returning to their stations if a bit ruffled and bruised.

    "I'm glad you asked. I actually want to go down to earth and see you all!" The lord shouted and Xenovia could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. She gasped as she stared up at the lord in horror and confusion, feeling a leaden weight settle within her stomach at the lord's declaration while her legs felt like jelly. One unfortunate soul, an old cardinal, dropped face down on the floor while everyone, along with the seraphs, looked at God with unease. God in turn looked at them in confusion.

    "Should… I bring out the trumpets?" Gabriel hesitantly asked.

    A/N:

    Accidental Revelation is terrifying and Absolution keeps making splashes as he started dragging people up to heaven. Hey, they have his Sacred Gear inside him so they're connected to heaven in some sense. Also, hah, get wrecked Cao Cao. I kinda want to write him now but I want to save him for much much later. Also, yes, I'm bundling up every single abrahamic religion into one banner and yes, I did drag those two as for who's the other one~ I do hope you lore lovers would know her~

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor for just being there when I need him. He really does stop the doom spirals. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

    Rashomon, victor a lopez-barron, Nick, Banh Bao, Alex Wierzbicki, cailk, Lapiver, Just_a_Knight, Alexander Cullison, Biigoh, WorkForFood, Alex, Logan Williams, Brody McDermott, Baron_Dio, thefrobro, Zach, GWSwift, Sammy88, John Michael Funelas Bueno, Boris Bondar, Nathan White, scott murray, Thordur hrafn, Klever Kilvanya, xedex, Lurker number 5, Alina, Laurence wu, Gabriel, asdo, Lost Story of winds, Christopher LaFerney, Sharp, Ruben Melchor, Sandy Ruiz, Invalid, Drain, Hyrdro4C, taylor smith, Tjark Niehues, Jmatt890, Sover_Invic, Maelstrom232, anthony turner, Daniel King, Germayne Martinez, ethan maloney, Jonald Theodore Cuyos, Joshua Guderian, Andreyebidu, toxic badger, TheForgottenKing, HyperionTheWatcher, ShyGuy42, Austin Fisher, the fallen, Connor Worsnop Quirk Cardcaster, Alex Ibarra, vrumagen, LordVendingMachine, Rampage, Vlagroth, Wargrunte,Coolman59223, Rimgaudas, Om V, Nicholas Louese-Bunch, Gareth T, Noctis117, TheFourfather 123, StriderAnarchy99, Wolfdog, Mathias Jackson, john Mendes, Ignis8565, V3c4, Valyndral, Snugglepuff, Cheyenne, Leisercom, Surge1301, No, Nathan Thex, Connor Ferguson, urdead2nite, Matthew Hurt, Eskeal Efrem, ProtagNeptune, bcall092, Sednack, Gregory, Justin Miller, Steven, Nikolai Herup, Montaque Searcy
     
    Chapter 3: Cleaning House
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Cleaning House

    Absolution could only scream inside as he faced a room of panicking believers. Some shouted and begged for him to delay the apocalypse while others were starting to panic. With the room on the verge of descending into pandemonium, he had to act fast. Raising his hand, he assured them “No! There will be no apocalypse anytime soon. Not when you guys just got to the moon a few decades ago!”

    He could only sigh in relief as their panic looks turned to one in relief. He should have really thought that one through, “I’m sending over an avatar,” he further clarified. Yes, he originally wanted to go down himself but that was something he couldn’t quite do personally thanks to his predecessor's promise. At least he could still feel things through said avatar; so he could in essence go out without actually ever leaving his throne.

    Clapping his hands together and letting all emotions melt away from his face, he then continued, “As for why I’m sending an Avatar? I’m going to be honest. How you guys worship me is getting out of hand,” He paused for a bit, letting his followers digest his words before he pointed at a plain looking evangelist, “You! How many denominations are there?”

    The man jumped in surprise as he stood up and tried to formulate a response only for his words to fail him. Thankfully, he managed to sputter out a response.“U-um, I’m not exactly sure my lord! Forgive me!” He apologized profusely as he became as white as a sheet.

    Absolution stepped off his perch before patting the man’s shoulder and smiling at him. The man could only look back at him with slack jawed wonder as he plopped back on his seat, “See! You can’t even count them all!” He shouted as he looked around the room. He could barely keep track of every branch in the room.

    “Just to be clear, I don’t think most of you are wrong with how you interpret my words but the context has changed. You guys aren’t really the same after nearly two thousand years. You came a long way,” he elaborated and praised them. From the memories he received from his predecessors, they had really changed which comes to no surprise as countless generations had passed ever since Abraham walked this very earth, “Like hell, I don’t have to look down and see entire cities being slaughtered in my name,” he joked.

    Some of those that gathered looked away in shame while he gave them pointed looks behind the smile now grazing his face. Of course, there were rotten apples but that was about to change, especially with what he had planned, “As to why I didn’t come down to clarify things much earlier? I thought you’d fix it yourself. You’ve grown so much over the centuries and I don’t want you to rely on me for everything. I know it can suck at times but I want you to grow. Still, it was irresponsible of me to let this run for too long,” He then apologized. His predecessors had been hands off, choosing prophets; but with how fragmented the Abrahamic faith had become it was best to set things right personally.

    “That point I’m making is, it's time that my word is updated. There are just some rules from the past that wouldn’t fly in this day in age. Please, just try to be reasonable and know that my words aren’t so strict as to be literal. There’s a reason and I want that reason to be clear for future worshippers.” He reasoned as he gazed upon the most traditional of his followers.

    “In one week’s time, I want you to prepare for a great renewal. I want you to gather the greatest of your people and make things right,” He ordered as he returned back to his seat. If he was to save this world, he needed to clean house first. With all the corruption that had built up over the millennium, it was tempting to start with a clean slate; but he still believed there were still some pieces worth saving, thus he’d have his followers trim away the excess and pin down what it really meant to be his follower.

    “We will not fail you my lord! We now see our failings and wish to atone,” His followers declared as they gazed up at him in repentance.

    “Do know that I’m not scolding you for this, I’m merely guiding you back to the path that I have set but don’t think you’re off the hook just yet,~” He teased them yet the look of determination burning in their eye warmth his heart and made him smile; His faith in them was not misguided. They were good people, they just needed a little nudge in the right direction. He’d know since he was once one of them. His smile was short lived however as there was something he needed to address.

    His gaze soon fell upon the current pope of the catholic church who fell to his knees, “Some of you have been very very naughty, like forcing the creation of a miracle. I will be punishing you; but my punishment won't be given out till our meeting in Mt. Sinai. I suggest you handle all your important matters before that, and don’t think of running away,” He stated before looking around and letting them all see his disappointment. Every last one of them had skeletons in their closet but that stopped now, “It’ll only make things worse,” he then warned them as a wide smile spread across his face. He half hoped that some of them would actually try running as hunting them down would be quite cathartic.

    “I-I would like to step down as the successor to Saint Peter’s post. I-I have failed,” The Pope then whispered in his broken tone. He gazed down upon the floor as the weight of his sins seemingly aged him on the spot. The weariness and guilt in his eyes was almost painful to behold.

    He could only smile wider as he replied, “Nope! I refuse!” After all, how can he deny clemency to those that were truly remorseful. He was the head of his flock, yet he accepted the fault as his own which showed his character. The guilt upon the man's shoulders was palpable, good. If he didn’t show any remorse then he would have struck him down.

    “B-but!” The man blabbered in response as he looked at him in surprise. He could only snicker as the rest of his followers looked at him in surprise.

    “No buts! I want you to make things right,” he replied not only to him but to every last person in this room. If they were really going to atone for their sins, they needed to fix their wrongs. They would find no peace if they were to remain unrepentant, that he promised to himself.

    “I understand my lord,” The man replied reverently as he prostrated down in supplication before him.

    “Up! I refuse to see my followers so humbled when they’re doing what's right,” he commanded him. He didn’t want them to self flagellate to the point that they never got things done. Humility was a virtue, but there was a point where it was too much.

    The man wiped the tears off his face as he knelt up and bowed before going back to his seat. He let them have some respite to let their hearts settle. Their meetings were short but he still had some things to say. After a few minutes, he then continued, “Now, to two other matters. I might have lied there a bit as there was an apocalypse on the horizon, but it would not be by my hands.”

    There were some gasps of surprise as his followers murmured among themselves. “If not by your hands, then who my lord?” A pastor from the midwest asked.

    “Trihexa,” he uttered out and hush fell upon the room. Trihexa was sealed, yes, but they still remained active all this time. Their seal could be weakened if someone was dumb enough and, unfortunately for him, some were. Yes, his predecessor might have beaten that thing back then but it cost them dearly, enough so that there was a large delay between resurrection.

    “Is the seal broken, my lord?” An imam asked fearfully. Even now, thousands of years in the future, the name of the beast still brings fear to the hearts of men.

    “Thankfully, no. The seal is as strong as ever, but Trihexa is still a problem.” He reassured them.

    “I could hold back Trihexia one more time but… it took a toll on me the last time I did it.” He admitted, refusing to elaborate any further. Anymore and he might make them panic like earlier.

    Sighing in weariness, he then said, “The Beast has to be dealt with one way or another and I want you to prepare. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road and we must deal with this once and for all,” To seal the beast was a temporary measure at best. So long as it lives, the danger that they posed would forever hang upon their heads like a sword of Damocles. It only took one idiot to bring it crashing down upon them all.

    “I will be creating a host to handle this creature and I want humanity to be there with me when the time comes. It might come next year or maybe even a century from now, but we will have to face Trihexa and we will win.” He then announced as he brought up his plan. He couldn’t do it alone and even if he wanted to keep this fight with just him and the angels, he doubted he could get strong enough to fight the beast in a reasonable time frame. He needed the help of not just humanity but everyone, which brought him to his next point.

    “I also want to remind you that while I want you to strengthen yourself, I do not want you to be killhappy with other creatures if you can help it. Remember that you should use your heart and not just your mind when dealing judgment upon those who are not human.” He advised them as he then brought up the plan he had brewing up, “Do note that it wouldn’t be just humans and angels that I want in this host. This is a matter that the whole world is involved with and, thus, I’ll be gathering the help of all those who would join; even if they do not worship me as their god.”

    As much as he wanted humanity to succeed, he did not want them to go down the path where they’re the only one that remains. He wanted them to remain compassionate even when faced with the prospect of having to live with those not of their species. Once upon a time, this would have been an impossible request, but now?

    “If this is the will of the lord, then shall it be,” The Ecumenical Patriarch replied before the rest of the congregation affirmed their agreement. With how humanity was today, he could dare dream that such a reality could be possible.

    “Sometimes, we just have to swallow our pride so that we can see your children smile without the looming threat of armageddon,” He uttered hopefully, pleading silently that they actually listen. The tiny steps heading to peace and harmony were rocky, but will be well worth it in the end.

    Changing the subject, he then asked them, “Now, as some of you might have heard, I banned some Longinus wielders from my gift.” The nods that followed showed him how fast the news had spread. It had been only hours since he banned them yet almost everyone knew. Now, he needed to strike it while it was still hot, “I have judged them and I find that they pose quite a threat to the stability of the world. I’ve only banned three, with two being of immediate danger while the third is sealed temporarily.”

    Banning the three was an easy decision to make. Yes, they were powerful, but the amount of chaos that they would cause far outweighed what they’d bring to the table. They needed to be dealt with and now he had his followers to listen to his words.

    “Their goals might have been noble at first, but the methods and actions are detestable. More bans will be rolling out, but for now I’ll let them stew in the knowledge that their past actions are catching up to them,” He announced, letting the question on who they were hang in the air.

    From the looks of some however, they already knew as some fidgeted where they stood and he knew who they were. There were people that funded them, people who helped them along and now he was to judge those they supported.

    “Who might be these misguided fools?” Vasco Strada asked. While his face remained serene, the way his fist was clenched told otherwise and he pitied not the other cardinal that was close to fainting beside him.

    “The Hero Faction,” he announced before the room exploded to curses and shouting. Those same people that supported the faction of fanatics either turned against them or tried their best to defend them to the best of their abilities. He raised his hands as he silenced them.

    “Oh don’t be surprised. There are some good eggs there, but it has become rotten to its core. As such, I’m imposing upon them my judgment,” He hissed out as the memories of those they have wronged filtered through his mind. With their sacred gear as their witness, he found them lacking.

    “For their crimes against humanity, I call upon my followers to destroy the Hero Faction. You shall root them out like farmers pull upon the weeds of the field for they have grown twisted and virulent. Their members are to be captured if possible and sentenced to death if they resist. To those that surrender or are captured I shall grant clemency. To those that fight, I shall give no mercy,” He declared, silencing the room as he imposed his will upon those who were clearly at fault. Truly, the road to hell was paved with good intentions. Some wept while others tried to flee but they soon found there was no way out as the door was blocked by Gabriel while their artifacts and abilities failed them.

    “Raguel and Remiel, I want you to lead my flock in their fight against the Hero Faction. Make sure to separate the innocent and those that were forced to fight from your true targets.” He ordered them as the guilty would find chains wrapped around their wrists. The first of many to be judged were taken away with a flash, leaving extra leg room for the shaken occupants.

    Taking in deep calming breaths, he let go of his anger as he smiled once more. ”Well, enough with the doom and gloom. I have one last thing I want to ask of you before I go,” He then said, with how much had happened in the past few minutes, he feared that any more announcements might prove to be too much for his followers. Glancing to Raphael, he nodded as his angel healed those inside and gave them back the years that he might have taken.

    “See, there’s this one being that I want to contact that would really help us in our future fight with Trihexa, but I might have pissed her off when I rang my bells a little too hard,” He chuckled nervously. He might have screwed the pooch when it comes to first impressions of this particular individual, but there was still hope.

    “Please don’t tell us… you’re really considering asking the help of the Infinite Dragon?” Xenovia choked out from the back of the room.

    “Bingo bongo! I actually need her help on this one. I need some volunteers to go seek her out. I know where she is, but I’d rather not get near her now. I want to avoid turning mountains into hills due to collateral damage.” He honestly replied, but he might have understated the amount of damage that could result from such a clash. Maybe continents getting shattered would be a more apt description of what could happen.

    “So! Any Volunteers?” he then asked but was met with silence as the occupants of the room looked to their neighbors, waiting for someone to put their hands up. Was this that much of a suicide mission that his followers were second guessing?

    “I’ll be your sword my Lord!” Thankfully, both Irina and Xenovia proved their faith and declared their intention.

    “Great! I know I can count on you Irina. Now I just need a few more of you so I can get this little gift of mine and this invitation to her,” He replied as he gestured for them to come before him; Xenovia looking a bit down trodden as he didn’t say her name, but it was not yet her task.

    He then reached out and plunged his hands in between into the dimensional gap. He was quick to grab what he could as he felt the great dragons gaze upon him, but he was out before they could even react. His followers flinched, with some crying out in pain, as they beheld Nothingness.

    He was quick to bundle it up within a magical barrier before fashioning a protective and decorative frill. What he now had in his hand looked like a crystal ball, but in truth it held Nothing. “Remember, your life is much more important than this mission. If you think you're in any danger, drop the gift and run. I can make dozens more of these but I can only have one of you,” he reminded her, making the girl blush intensely as she took the sphere.

    Turning to Xenovia who perked up and stood ramrod straight to hide the trembling in her limbs, he then said, “As for you Xenovia, I have another task for you…”

    Before he could give her his task, a voice called out from beyond the seas, “God! I need help! My crazy ex-girlfriend wants to kill me!”

    He felt ice fill his veins as he grabbed Xenovia who shouted in confusion before pushing her to the hand of a confused Archangel. “No time to explain! Michael, I want you to take her to Japan and save the Boosted Gear user! I’ll fill in Xenovia’s mission after you save him!”

    Without so much as any hesitation, the loyal angel grabbed hold of a screaming Xenovia and flew away. While he could still feel Issei fighting on, he could also feel him slowly fading. It was now a race against the clock to see the boy saved before he could even start his journey.

    Issei liked to believe he was a simple man with simple dreams. Yes, he was the wielder of a powerful divine artifact, or so Ddraig claims, but he was still an ordinary schoolboy at heart. He just wanted to have a harem so he grabbed on to the first opportunity to start his very own harem story. When he got to this date, even after all the warnings his partner gave him, he hoped that things would go great. He just had to believe in himself and give Yuuma the time of her life. Things shouldn’t have gone off the rails but here he was fending off his Ex? With nothing but his Boosted Gear and a stick.

    “You! You fucking dick!” Yuuma growled out as she clutched her chest. He took a step back as the once sweet girl he shared coffee with earlier now gazed up at him with such hate, “You hit me in the boobs!” She screamed out in anger.

    Well, yes, there was that but this was self defense! He barely had time to think as all those months being used as dodgeball targets by the Volleyball team allowed him to dodge the spear that plowed through the tree behind him, “You started it! Why did you have to go all psycho and try to stab me! I’m no longer looking at other girls damn it!” He screamed out as tears started streaming down his face.

    “What the hell are you blabbering about?!” His beloved asked as another one of those spears made of light formed in her hands.

    “BOOST!

    He felt his muscles scream when Yuuma launched herself at him. His hands moved and his stick struck true as it exploded into splinters after it hit the shaft of the spear that was about to plunge into his chest. He flinched as the spear grazed his shoulder but Yuuma shouted in surprise as she was sent off careening to the side. D-did he just parry her? He asked himself before the pain of forcing his body to move took its toll.

    “Come on boy, don’t get distracted. As alluring as she is with her eight out of ten chest, she still tried to kill you. I can only give you so much until your body breaks!” His partner, Ddraig the Welsh Dragon, warned him as adrenaline and power coursed through his veins. He never felt so fantastic in his life and he was only at two boosts!

    Still, Yuuma was still trying to kill him and he knew exactly why. Turning to his lover, he then shouted, “You are a yandere right?”

    “W-what?” The girl stuttered as she picked herself up.

    “I mean, the BDSM clothing kinda threw me off a bit but you definitely are one with the big ass sword,” He pointed out. It was the only reasonable explanation he could think of right now. There must have been something he did wrong, “What the hell did I do wrong! Just tell me so we can work things out!” he begged her, hoping to at least salvage the situation. Yes, she was a yandere but anything is fine for him if he was going to at least gain her love!

    “W-what! I’m not a yandere! Don’t you dare call me that!” The girls sputtered out while he could hear Ddraig trying not to laugh at the back of his mind.

    “A tsundere dominatrix then?” He then asked. Maybe he should have trusted his gut instinct earlier. This display of violence should just be her showing her affection right?

    He could only cringe as Yuuma let out an ear piercing scream of anger before she threw herself at him again. He could only dodge this time around while Ddraig laughed at his misfortune. “Boy, you might not be the strongest partner I have had by a long shot, but you are by far the funniest one! Just look at her go!” His partner roared out as he dodged like his life depended on it, which it did right now. Still, he couldn’t help the perverted smile that stretched across face as his eyes watched the fallen angel's breast jiggle despite her sinfully tight outfit.

    “You insufferable little hellion, I’m going to kill you!” She screamed out and it was then that his luck ran out. All it took was one hit, one hit and felt his ribs breaking and his spine nearly folding in half as Yuuma swiped at him with her spear.

    He could only thank god that it was only the shaft that hit him and not the tip as he was launched against a nearby tree. He nearly blacked out as he started feeling numb. Even as he puked out blood, he felt nothing and that scared him more than anything else. Was this really it? Was this where his story ends?

    “BOOST!”

    He nearly lost hope until he felt his own hand slap against his cheeks. He blinked as reality started to come back into focus with the pain coming back in full force. It sucked, it sucked so bad, but it still didn’t beat the time when the football team descended on his crotch, “Don’t you dare give up! You’re my wielder so have some pride. Even in your pitiful state, you’re still standing up to her. Fight! Fight until you have nothing left to give!” His partner shouted as he started to move.

    Yuuma laughed ever so cruelly as she walked up to him, her eyes lighting with sadistic joy as she licked her lips. No, he refused to give up now. He raised his gauntleted fist and struck at the ground. He refused to give up! He refused when the price was so much greater than his life.

    “BOOST!”

    “I won’t give up loving you!” He roared out to the heavens as he forced himself. Even as his legs shook beneath him, he powered through and forced himself to stand up straight. Even Yuuma was taken aback as she took a step back. Good, he was getting through her at least.

    “Not what I was going for, but what the hell! Go for her kid! Beat her and then claim her!” Ddraig encouraged him even as he felt like he was being torn apart at the seams yet he held onto the love he had for Yuuma.
    Yuuma sneered at him as she raised her spear once more, “Well too bad you’re going to die! It’s a shame that I can’t extract your Sacred Gear with God watching us more intently.” She growled out before he gave her that same smile she gave him when he first said yes. He felt his heart skip a bit only for it to shrivel up and die at the words she soon uttered, “If only you were a bit more cooperative then I would have just brought you over to Azazel-sama!”

    He cried, cried out in agony as his love, stolen once more by someone probably good looking. “Fuck you and your sex cult! As kinky as it sounds, I do not want to get my ass fucked by some riajuu! Fucking netorare again!” He despaired as he fell down to his knees. He felt his heart shatter into thousands of tiny pieces and only his new found hate for a certain riajuu kept him together.

    “Ouch. Even I feel that. Don’t worry partner, once you beat her, she’s technically yours,” His partner's reassuring words comforted him as Yuuma stared at him like he was some scum who needed to die.

    “...She’s too fucking strong! I need help!” He mumbled out as he wiped the tears off his face. Even with everything he had, he was still in trouble. He needed someone to help him, someone who could turn to… “Wait, that’s it!” he shouted as he knelt down on his feet and begged.

    “God! I need help! My crazy ex-girlfriend wants to kill me!” He prayed with all his heart.

    “I’m not your ex-girlfriend!” Yuuma screeched out as her face twisted to that of rage, “And I’m totally sane! Saner than those bimbos clinging to Azazel-sama!” She raged on but it only made her look more deranged. He could only flinch back as the woman's eyes became unfocused before she went on a tirade.

    “Would those bimbos go out into the field and actually get their hands dirty just for him?! No! They fucking wont! It’d just be me! Raynare!” She laughed, screaming at the sky and cursing her father for everything that had happened to her.

    “Partner, I take what I said back. She’s crazy, wayyy too crazy. Her craziness just went past her hotness and it’s no longer looking fun. I won’t risk getting my dick sucked by that kind of crazy,” Ddraig whispered as he felt his lust for Yuuma dry up. Yes, he liked a certain level of crazy but she had reached crazy he had never seen until now.

    He tried to move but he could only limp now with his torn muscles sending waves of pain up his spine with every movement he made. He needed to get up, hell, he just needed to crawl away, just anywhere but here especially now that Yuuma's attention was back on him. He cowered as she shouted, “Fucking die!”

    Life flashed before his eyes as time seemed to slow down. He remembered the first time he laughed, the first time he cried and the first time he ever dreamed. ‘I’m sorry Oji-san, It looks like I’ll never achieve that dream after all,’ He whispered to himself as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable but it was not to be.

    “No,” A powerful voice replied and Yuuma screamed out as she was tossed aside by an angel that had descended from the very heavens and blocked the killing blow. His jaw hung open as he beheld the six pairs of pure white wings upon the angels broad back.

    “No way,” He whispered as he gazed upon the face of the angel before him and memories of his time with Irina flashed by his eyes. All those times Irina’s father entertained them with pictures of the various seraph came flooding back to his mind. He could still remember the stylized picture of the greatest of all of God's angels, the highest ranked among the Seraph.

    “Who the hel-!” Yuuma growled out as she picked herself up only to choke out as she gaped at the man before him, “A-archangel Michael!”

    “Ah Raynare, It’s been so long,” The Archangel greeted with a smile before he asked her, “How’s Azazel doing these days?”

    That seemed to be a hot button topic for her as whatever fear she once had melted away as she hissed out, “Don’t you dare look down on me! Don’t you dare!”

    “Oh thank god you're here. Please help me!” Whatever fear he had as well disappeared as god actually listened to his call like he told him he would. While he wasn’t a christian, he should probably visit his shrines and maybe give a donation.

    “Worry not my child, for the lord has listened to your prayer.” The man whispered and he could feel the pain fades away as a golden glow spread across his body. “I do have a request for you however,” The angel then asked.

    “Anything! Just keep me away from her!” He answered back.

    “Can you please take care of her while I discipline my former junior? I’m unused to carrying mortals around and she might not be in the best of shape to fight.” The man replied as he turned and handed him a girl that took his breath away. She was just as beautiful as the beauties of his school and her striking blue hair, it was distracting enough that he almost didn’t notice how green she was in the gills.

    “I think I’m going to hurl…” She wheezed out as she gagged. He hurriedly grabbed her and guided her to the nearest trash can.

    “There’s a trash can you can use! Wait! Not now nooooo!” He despaired as the woman puked all over him. He could only cry as his nicest clothes were ruined even more. First they were torn up by Yuuma and now there was puke all over him? How was he going to explain things to his parents without coming off like he was hiding being a Yakuza!

    “Now, Raynare, the Lord is merciful and has commanded me to spare you for now. You might have spurned our lord's guidance, but he still sees some good in you,” The Archangel said as he lifted up his spear at Yuuma.

    “Leave now and tell your master that our Lord Father wants to meet with his prodigal children after he has unified the humans.” He warned her before he looked up at the treeline. Issei followed his gaze and found three other angels waiting up there. He felt his throat clamp up as he realized that even if he miraculously beat Yuuma, he would have to face three more of these black winged angels, “Do remember that I could still have your subordinates carry the message instead.”

    “I hate you,” the woman hissed out before she and her friends fled from the scene. As the archangel lowered his spear, Issei would find the adrenaline coursing through his veins fade away. He stumbled as his vision darkened before he fell face forward as everything that had been keeping him together ebbed away. The last thing he saw was the woman he helped early catching him and trying to shake him awake.

    A/N:

    Damn it Michael, you didn't have to murder the girl when did your entrance. He's such a sassy angel here and I love him for it. Man has no chill and he's not going to let a brat like Raynere get away unscratched. I had fun writing Issei here. Yeah, he's over done to hell and back but he's a nice kid despite all that lewdness. He needs a good bop on the head and well, Xenovia has that covered. Let's pray for the young woman sanity however.

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor for his relentless work in correcting my punctuation's... I suck hard in that area. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

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    Chapter 4: The Parable of Asia Argento
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    The Parable of Asia Argento

    The day finally came and all the children of God, or rather his children, gathered beneath the feet of Mount Sinai once more. Under the cover of night and much like the Israelites of old countless peoples from all walks of life and from every corner of this earth marched through the desert while guided by a pillar of fire along with a few of his angels with them. Large caravans of vehicles and people who were just willing to walk all the way headed to his hidden adobe and they were being tailed.

    He could already see some journalists trying to follow the spiritual leaders of his people at this seemingly insane recreation of Moses' journey but they'd soon find their equipment failing, their vehicles breaking down, and all around bad luck befalling upon them. His ophanims had set their sights upon them and they were powerless to fight back against such an invisible horde. He forced them back as he rather not have them see the supernatural just yet.
    He pet a purring Ophanim as he sat upon his throne, watching over the multitude as they were guided to the true location of his mountain and to see why it's true location had been hidden all this time. Hidden deep within a series of mountain ranges and far from civilization was a holy barrier unlike any other. It glowed with an intensity much like the sun yet it did not burn the eyes. This was the barrier that Genesis made after he made his covenant with their people and only the faithful could see it with their own two eyes.

    Reaching down from the heavens with his pillar of fire, he parted the barrier and allowed his people to behold the wonders that had been hidden from them all these years. As the barrier parted, a lush and beautiful valley appeared before them. It was a rich oasis amidst the desert landscape filled to the brim with all sorts of animals and plants. Bathed with the light of heaven above, they grew and thrived in an abundance like no other. It was a paradise that harkened to Eden and in the middle of it all was the mountain of legend itself, Mount Sinai in its lonesome; a tall towering mountain of red sandstone.

    "Ladies and Gentleman, this is your God speaking. You're now approaching Mount Sinai. Please gather at the foot of the mountain and await further instructions," He called out from above as his people gaped in awe at the wonders before them.

    As soon as the people passed the edge of the barrier, the first of his many gifts were bestowed upon them. The blind could finally see, the deaf could finally hear, and the mute could finally speak. All sorts of ailments were cured as they were bathed with the holy energy of this land. The innocent? The guilty? It did not matter as all sorts of incurable diseases and injuries healed; all thanks to the properties of the valley.

    This place wasn't just where Moses received the ten commandments, no this place was far more special. This was the closest physical place to his plane of existence and this was where he shall remake his religion.

    As they got to the foot of the mountain, his people started pitching their tents as they set up camp. With his angels helping them along and arranging them in an orderly manner, a temporary city was erected before him. There was a site dedicated for cooking, for housing and even a prison for those that he would be judging soon enough. LIke the stories of old, a place was set aside for him; a tabernacle. He could only chuckle at the angels having to break up a fight on how long is a cubit as they tried to recreate it as closely as possible.

    His attention would soon be called upon as he heard the voice of a particular maiden praying to him. He closed his eyes and listened closely, picking up her voice amidst the sea of prayers. "Heavenly father, today was a wonderful day. Today, I got to meet the bravest little girl I've seen. She was a tiny little thing, frail and balding from the medicine administered to her." The girl started to feel her devotion pour from her. Faith was powerful, not only augmenting what he had but empowering the very wishes they had. Truly, this world ran on the faith and will of its people.

    "She was expected to die this month as nothing could beat back the malignance afflicting her. I wasn't not even sure the gift you entrusted me could beat it back, for her very own body had turned against her, but she didn't give up. She still believed in you and when all hope seemed lost, you came there to save her just like you saved me, She recounted, giving him pause. Half forgotten, and almost drowned out by the others, he felt the voice of the tiny girl call to him as well.

    "Thank you! Thank you so much. I knew you did it when I healed her weakened body. This might not mean much but seeing your miracles reminds me why I want to help people. The smile you bring to those you've helped warms my heart," She then thanked him and he held it close to his heart. Her prayers reminded him why he kept going. If just one person smiles from his effort, then it was all worth it.

    "This prayer is probably getting too long so I'll have to cut it here. Before I go, however, I just want to ask you to keep watch over little Fatima. She's the girl I talked to you about. She's still recovering and your gift could only push her body so far. Please, please don't take her just yet," She begged him; and who was he to deny such a heartfelt plea?

    Opening his eyes, he then held up his temporary companion. The heavenly mechanism blinked as its inner rings spun within. To this ophanim, he whispered the girl's name and tasked it with one task; watch over her. As he released the angel, he then reached out to Asia and promised her, "Don't worry Asia, I'll be sending an angel to guard over her."

    He could feel her beaming with such happiness even from all the way to his throne as the girl cheerfully thanked him, "I hope you have a good night!" With that the prayer ended and he couldn't help but feel but smile at the warmth he felt in his heart. Hopefully, his command would have her released. He wanted everyone there and she should be there. The fact that she was healing someone earlier filled him with hope. As much as he wanted to check on her, however, he had to hold back as he still had duties to attend to. He then directed his attention back to his followers once more.

    Jumping off his throne, paced around as he wondered how he should approach his followers. He could just lie and step down physically before them but that could injure them with his presence, so that was not a course of action he'd want to take. He could project his image as he had planned but it was far too boring and impersonal; so he came upon a compromise. He could simply just be there but not really be there at the same time.

    Gathering the clouds and heavenly energy of his throne room, he fashioned himself a copy. Letting his body guide his hands, he created a form for him to control. It was a weird experience overall. To create something, he needed only will it. It's just a thing that happens, but it was not something he'd truly mastered just yet. His body might know how to do it but his mind had yet to catch up with what he could do. He would compare it to suddenly being given the console commands of a game without a guide. He had to keep experimenting to relearn old tricks (for his body at least) but with its limitless potential, he wouldn't be getting tired of it anytime soon.

    Soon, the amorphous blob of heavenly matter turned into something vaguely angel-shaped. It was a lumpy approximation of his shape, but it was good enough. With a simple breath, he gave this facsimile his presence and it started to melt and take shape. Cloud turned into flesh as an angelic avatar complete with wings stood before him.

    "Not to self, either get used to having two bodies or keep only using one body at a time," He said to no one in particular as he blinked and stumbled around. Seeing things through two sets of eyes was disorienting but it quickly faded as he closed the eyes of his doppleganger.

    He hummed as he examined his copy, testing it around as he had it walk around. It still looked like him but his presence was extremely muted and he sported wings. It was a perfect replica, at least for as far as this task went, but now he had to put it to the test. Feeling the presence of his seraphs closing in he smiled mischievously as an idea popped inside his head.

    Fashioning himself a set of false wings to mirror his copy, he then stood before it and closed his eyes. Opening the eyes of the double, he dismissed the wings before dampening the aura of his main body. Flaring the aura of his duplicate, he turned just in time for Gabriel and Metatron to enter the room. He smiled as his avatar waved at him.

    Immediately upon setting eyes upon him, a red haired rocket crashed into his winged form, "So cute! Your Avatar looks so much like you! I just want to pet him and cuddle him all day long,~" She squealed out as he felt her touch him all over. He had to bite his lips as Metatron nuzzled against him, not knowing it was him.

    "Metatron no!" Gabriel shouted in alarm as she flew up to try and pry her off but Metatron clung as tightly as she could.

    "Metatron Yes!" The younger looking Seraph shouted in glee as pressed her cheeks up against him. He couldn't help but laugh as he cut off his connection to the copy who was looking at them with exasperation and allowed it to fall limp.

    The two angels cried in alarm as his copy fell to the floor but they soon realized something was up as they turned to his grinning visage while his "wings" turned to motes of light, "To think my own daughters would not recognize that it's merely a facsimile of my true self. Truly, I am hurt," He lamented, feigning heart break as he clutched his chest. He had to look down to hide how he was holding back his laughter.

    "F-father! I didn't mean to-" Metatron stammered out as she pulled away, looking all lost and confused as she looked back and forth between his two forms in concern. With that, he let out a full bellied laughter as he reached out and patted the angel on the head. He really should stop teasing them.

    "Just kidding,~" He replied as he pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly. He could feel the girl sag in relief as his real form held on to her, "Besides, if it's good enough to fool you then it's good enough to be my body," And in flying colors did it manage to pass in its purpose to be his body. If his own angels thought it was him, it should serve him well enough to be his avatar down below.

    "It never fails to amaze me how good you are at making things father," Gabriel whispered in awe as she poked the copy on the cheek while it laid prone on the floor. The way his copy's face scrunched up almost made it look like he was asleep but it was merely just an automatic response, a way to sell the illusion further.

    Unlatching from him, Metatron then walked up to the copy before lifting him up. His body double dangled from her hands as she asked him, "Can I keep your spare body in my room if you're not using it?"

    "..." He paused as his mouth hung open at the woman's brazen request. She even started feeling him up, but before it could get a little bit too spicy he called upon his favorite daughter to correct this wayward angel, "Gabriel? If you please."

    "Certainly father," Gabriel replied as a Metatron suddenly found her head being grabbed by her older sister before the two met with an earth shattering headbutt. Metatron dropped his body and fell down on the floor, clutching her forehead while Gabriel helped the double to stand up once more.

    "Ow! Ok ok, I get it. Jeez," She groaned out in pain as she looked up and pouted at Gabriel in betrayal and petulant anger. Gabriel only stuck her tongue out to her in response. Rubbing the bump on her forehead and healing it with her heavenly magic, she then asked, "So, you're going down as an angel, Father?"

    "Yup! It's as personal as I can go without melting their faces," He replied as he gave the body a pat on the shoulders, "Of course, there are times when I'll have to go to some places in person but this body should be good enough for exploration and fun," he then added. Oh he was definitely going to have fun, but first he needed to learn how to use multiple bodies at once.

    Walking up to his throne, he then said, "Before I go, any word from Azazel?" He had instructed Michael to spare Raynare and have the woman pass on his message. The silence that met him all but confirmed his suspicion. Did Kokabiel really want war that much?

    "Nothing huh? Should have expected that," He muttered as he sat down on his chair. It was a shame he couldn't just send a message directly to the man. There was a reason why the Fallen were not all smote and it was all thanks to Azazel. He had to give where credit was due as his limited omniscience couldn't find the man, which forced him to go the old fashioned way.

    Shaking his head, he turned to Metatron and instructed her, "Can you get Sandalphon to send this to Azazel? I feel like there's a certain rat sabotaging my efforts. Best to bypass him altogether." The kunoichi nodded before she disappeared. He would have appreciated the girl's effort at recreating the body flicker if his mind wasn't preoccupied with what he needed to do with the fallen angels. He had a feeling that he'd be meeting Kokabiel very soon and he had some choice words for the manchild. "Oh, before I forget. Gabriel?" He then started as he turned to his other daughter.

    "Yes?" The woman perked up as she stepped forward.

    "Can you go to Kuoh Town and take over Michael's talk with the devils there? The man should be on vacation but I accidentally dropped a job right on his lap," He asked her, hoping to relieve Michael of the burden he gave him. He shook his head at how stubborn the man was. That boy was on break and he chose to follow him around for it which landed him a job as soon as an emergency popped up. He needed someone to stop him from being a smart ass and Gabriel just so happened to be the best girl for the job, "You have my permission to pester him until he gives up."

    "Metatron would be far better at pestering Michael," the woman mused out loudly, taking a jab at Metatron.

    "Oy!" The kunoichi cried out in protest from behind a pillar, making him snort in amusement.

    Gabriel giggled as well before she continued, "But you can rely on me father!"

    He was soon left alone on his throne as Metatron and Gabriel squabled about the latter ruining the ninja's exit. They were quite the lovely bunch, he admitted, but now his attention fell back to his followers once more. It had only been a few hours but they had settled down and erected their tent city without much problem. He could now visit them.

    Turning to his copy, he had it walk up before him before he started pouring his essence to it. Closing his eyes, he filled the angelic body with his essence and soon his consciousness left his original body as it took residence within this new form. Blinking, he raised his arms and moved and found that his movement was smooth and fluid, almost as if he just simply changed his shirt rather than transfer to a new body. It was far weaker than his original but it was never really built for war, it was, after all, built so that he could talk face to face with his followers.

    Extending his many wings, he left his throne and flew down to the world below. Escorted by his host, he descended upon the central tent. People gawked and pointed at him but he paid them no heed as his feet touched the ground below. Arrayed before him was the kneeling form of the highest priests of each of the major sects.

    "My lord, your earthly adobe is prepared and ready for you to inhabit." His followers declared as they bowed down low before him.

    As a jest, he asked, "Does it have Wifi?" They looked all too serious and he wanted to tease them.

    The priest looked among them in confusion, but, surprisingly, their attendants nodded confidently. He blinked in surprise as the attendant knelt before the patriarch of Constantinople, bedecked in his plain black robes, and whispered to his ears. Smiling, the man looked up and happily replied, "Yes. Yes my lord. We placed the router inside the tent."

    He laughed at the absurdity of the situation, but he did ask if an internet connection was available for use, "Remind me to give each of you a gift after we create the new covenant," He chuckled as the various priests before him sighed in relief.

    "Your generosity knows no bounds, my lord," They praised him as they stood up in attention.

    Looking around, he noticed that they'd kept the tabernacle separated from the crowd gathered around his dwelling. He'd find that there was also a distinct lack of people inside, aside from the priest and the various attendants inside the its walls, "Now, before we draft the new laws, I want to meet those that I blessed! Where are they?" He inquired, wondering where they were. He had been looking forward to having Asia greet him as well, but she was nowhere to be found

    "This way my lord," The pope gestured at the entrance before they led him to a jubilant crowd that cheered as he walked out. He waved at them as he soon found those who were blessed with his system. Separated from the crowd who stood a fair distance away, they knelt before him. They were those lucky enough and faithful enough to be born with Sacred Gears or wield holy swords made in his name.

    He should have been happy but the more he looked around, the more he grew disappointed. "Is this all of them like I asked?" He asked, as he tried feeling her presence in the crowd yet she was still nowhere to be found.

    His followers seemingly picked up his mood at the Pope's harried response, "Of course. My lord. These are all those that volunteered to become your soldiers my lord. They were your warriors, your holy maidens, wielders of powerful relics and sacred gears alike," He turned to find his followers sweating but he held back his disappointment for now.

    "Hmm… someone's missing," He said out loud as he closed his eyes and extended his presence, trying to find the one person he had been meaning to meet.

    "W-well, some of those condemned and to be judged held sacred gears so that might be why. There are also some currently on important missions so they couldn't attend," The man reasoned out as he fumbled with his words.

    "No, not them. There's someone in particular, some one I've been meaning to talk to." He waved him off as his senses reached out beyond the valley and into the surrounding country; Asia was still absent. He frowned as frustration soon started to well up his veins.

    "Can we ask who they might be, my lord?" The man then asked.

    He frowned as he turned to the man. Had he not been clear with his instructions? "The purest holy maiden I've yet encountered in this day and age, Asia Argento," he then said, hoping he wasn't wrong.

    There was a pause as the various heads of his faith looked between each other. Worry and dread filled their faces as they turned back to him and asked,"I beg your pardon, my lord?"

    "Asia Argento," He repeated as he looked at them expectantly, hoping that they listened to him. It was a simple instruction, and while he didn't specify her, she was supposed to be included. "She's been a very good girl and I wish to pat her on the head," he explained, hoping that they weren't going to be obstinate. That was when his headache started to grow as the pope's face turned ashen.

    "Asia Argento… is currently under house arrest for her sins my lord," The man mentioned before he slowed drifted off as he looked down and turned his gaze away from his own.

    A strained smile soon graced his face as he grounded out, "That shouldn't be a problem. I told you to bring everyone and when I told you to bring everyone, I meant it," Frustration welled up inside him as he took stock of the situation. One thing was clear and that was Asia was already in trouble and he was a dumbass for not actually checking on the girl.

    He had arrived far too late to influence the events leading to her getting in trouble but why was she so happy when she talked to him? That was when he realized that the girl was far too pure to even get angry at anyone. This was the girl that healed a devil on her own volition simply due to that fact that said devil was injured. This girl was in trouble all because of how deeply his people believed in the mission to fight the devils that they're willing to punish one of their own even when what she was doing was good.

    "But my lord, she's currently punished? She's to be judged for her crimes against humanity," The pope argued as if to punctuate his point even further.

    He could correct the situation and have her released but that did not solve the root of the problem in the first place. So deep were these people in their dogmas that they didn't bother to think with their hearts and mind. She was simply following his predecessors' teachings with her heart like she was supposed to, but it ran up against the hard line and literal interpretation.

    Yes, the devils were the enemy but did they hate for them to forget his very teachings? He could correct it all he wanted, but situations like these would prop up over and over again if he didn't solve it at its very base; he needed them to think not only with their mind but also with their heart. But how? How would he have them think and realize that yes, you can go against his literal word if it meant those very words made you an ass.

    Inspiration soon struck him as he realized that the victim of this problem could very well be the solution. He had something planned, and it could be cruel, but it might just snap them out of this thinking. But first, he needed to set the stage. Schooling his expression to mirror the seriousness of the situation, he then asked him, "Oh? Do tell what her sins are then."

    He gazed at him in challenge, daring the man to explain himself before him. Even now, the people around him could sense where the wind was heading as they inched away from the head of the Catholic Church and glared at accusingly, but it only made his headache worse as she wasn't only the one; just the one currently worst off and that he knew of.

    Swallowing and wetting his lips, the pope reached for his pockets and dabbed at the sweat dripping down his forehead before he answered, "W-well, she healed an injured devil spawn." He saw the man shaking like a leaf before him, but he powered on as he slowly poured his essence into his avatar and had those who stood before him feel the weight of his presence.

    "And?" He asked leadingly, wishing for him to elaborate even further.

    The man nearly buckled yet he managed to catch himself. He almost felt bad for the man, but he steeled his heart as he listened to what he said, "That's about it my lord."

    He took deep calming breaths as he pinched the bridge of his nose. All of this was caused by such a simple thing, "So you're telling me that even when she did something fundamentally good, healing out of the goodness of her heart, she sinned against mankind and deserved to be punished?" He questioned the man pointedly as he flinched before him. If glares were being thrown at him earlier, now it was full-on jeers as his fellow priest called for his head, "To think that you will be so blinded by your hatred that you fail to see the purity in her intentions." He whispered as the man finally collapsed to his knees.

    "I… don't deserve the mercy you gave me my lord. I thought I was heading down the right path but I failed once more. Please, have mercy," The man begged, but the old ways were what caused this, so he'd just have to show them the errors of the ways they had grown so used to following without question.

    Looming over him, he fired back, "I'm not the one you should be asking for mercy. Now, if you can back up a bit. I need to pick up your judge."

    The man scrambled away with a whimper as he closed his eyes and returned back to his throne. There, he reached out to Asia and found her deep inside the wards of the Vatican. She was in her room but she was guarded by two halberd wielding priests, "Asia?" He prodded her away, doing her best not to disturb her too much,"It's time to wake up." He whispered into her ear as she stirred and did as told before he whisked her away.

    With merely a thought, he pulled her from the resting place of St. Paul to the base of his mountain. His followers gasped as the maiden appeared before him. He almost dropped character at the sight of the sleepy blonde wearing her floppy bunny ears and her comfortable looking pajamas.

    The girl stretched before rubbing the sleep of her eyes. A bleary stare looked up at them as she yawned out, "Oh, I'm dreaming all over again. Hello, your holiness and… I'm terribly sorry but I don't know who you are."

    The pope awkwardly waved back as Asia teetered and stumbled up to stand before them. He waited for her to dust herself off before he replied, "It's fine, Asia. I'm sorry for whisking you away while you were asleep, but I think you wouldn't want to miss what's happening here,"

    Immediately, recognition hit her as her eyes flew wide open and stared at him, "Eep!" she cried out in surprise before scrambling to kneel before him, "M-my lord!"

    "Now now, you've already prayed enough to me. No need to bow," He assured her as he gave her a pat on the head. It was just far too tempting and the way she brightened up lightened his heavy and weary heart.

    He helped her stand up, he asked her as he gestured at the trembling man before him, "Now Asia, you are familiar with the one before you right?"

    The nun puffed her cheeks as she glared at the man. For a second, he thought was actually angry before she opened her mouth, "Why yes, Father Vittorio, how's your hip doing? I hope you didn't throw them off again after I had just healed you last month! You should be more careful, you know," The girl scolded the man as she walked up to him and helped him up. The man gave her a bewildered look but Vittorio resisted not as he stood up.

    Shaking his head, he smiled sadly as he replied, "Unfortunately no my child. It has come to my attention that Vittorio has done a great misdeed not only upon yourself but also unto me." He had failed him for the second time and while he would have forgiven him, this would always mark him, even if he did change, and he needed to remove that stigma.

    The girl blinked as she dusted off the dirt that clung to the man's pure white vestments. "He did? I'm sure he didn't mean no harm," She defended him without any hint of hesitation. As soon as she said those words, accusations soon ran out as those around them declared the man's crimes. Even through their conflicting shouts, their words were clear; he had sinned yet still the woman asserted his innocence, "No! He must have not realized something was wrong."

    "Asia, I asked him to gather all those whom I blessed with my relics and he had failed. Not only that but he also kept you locked away. Is he not worthy of punishment?" He asked her, yet she was adamant in her beliefs as she shielded the man with her body, "He stands before me as a condemned and it is upon your shoulders that I give the honor of deciding his fate. Will you have him be stoned? Exiled perhaps to march ever ceaseless like Cain? Maybe even turned a pillar to a salt? He has wronged you, now I give you his life. How shall he die?" He then declared and the girl almost cried as she shook her head.

    "N-no, I refuse to pick! Please don't hurt him, my lord! If he needs to be punished, then have his punishment be commuted unto me!" The girl implored him as she knelt down and grabbed on to him. Tears now streamed down her face as she willingly threw herself into the proverbial execution stand.

    "Please Asia, do not do this for me. You have your whole life ahead of you, please don't throw it all away," The man pleaded for Asia to see sense yet she refused once more as he clung to him.

    "No! There must be another way!" She shouted and there he knew he made the right choice.

    "Even after all he had done to you? You would still forgive him?" He asked.

    "Yes my lord. Please forgive him. I've forgiven for what he had done. He was merely serving you to the best of his abilities," The girl cried; she was all too willing to forgive.

    "Would you still stand for him even if I were to declare that his sins are worthy of death?" He tested her resolve, seeing if she truly was the one that could break this cycle of ignorance.

    "You will never do that my lord, I know you wouldn't!" She wept as she sobbed. Twice more she defied him, remaining true to what was right.

    "Why? Why defy me? Would you really throw everything away just to save one life?" He questioned her as he did her best to cast doubt upon her will, yet she remained resolute with her answer as thrice she denied him.

    "Please Asia, see some reason! You don't have to do this!" One of them cried out, pleading to her.

    "Because it's the right thing to do my lord and I know deep in my heart you are a just and forgiving god so please, please don't do this," She begged with all her heart. Despite all the voices calling her to just let the man die for his sins, she remained true to her heart. She would not be swayed nor convinced of anything other than what is just.

    "You really are far too pure for this world," He whispered in awe. If only there were a few more of her here in this world. Laying his hands upon her, he once more petted her as he smiled down upon her, "And so he shall be saved thanks to you," He proclaimed as she cried out with tears of happiness.

    Helping her up, she clung on to him as if holding for her dear life. Rubbing her back, he then called upon his flock, "Now you see why I crown her as the purest before all. She was willing to stand up for what was right even if it meant having to defy me thrice. Never once did her resolve falter,"

    Turning to the once condemned who stood there, stunned at what had happened, and reached out to him, patting him on the shoulder, "Vittorio, now you see why you have sinned. You have allowed your flock to be blinded and become close minded. You have allowed hate to close your hearts. Did I not teach you to become good neighbors to everyone? Even the Samaritan chose to help a stranger, so why won't you?"

    He then turned his attention and glared upon the priest that cried for the man's head, "And to you, shame on you! You're no better than the Priest and Levite! You could have stepped in at any time yet to forsake him and refuse to stand up for what was right just because you were afraid of who sentenced your fellow brother," He chastised them and they too knelt as the weight of his presence flared, "I know of your sins yet I forgive you because I know you can change so please, please don't close your hearts when making such harsh judgements," He pleaded. He would rather have an unruly bunch of followers than a flock of mindless sheep if it meant that they could think for themselves.

    "Praise be, praise be the lord," Vittorio cried out as he wept openly before him.

    He shook his head before gesturing to the girl in his arms. "Don't thank me, thank my little angel over here," He replied, hopefully, they learned their lesson. He could feel his hands shaking as he held on to Asia for support. He wasn't really the best at this, but he had to power on for their sake.

    Sniveling and wiping at her tears, Asia then asked him,"Please don't do that again."

    He chuckled before reaching out and ruffling the girl's hair much to her annoyance. Holding back his hands from pinching, he replied, "I had to play the role of Solomon to drive my lesson home, you know," He could have done this better but he was still learning. He would fumble along the way, but for now he believed that he did right, "Now Asia, why don't you sit beside me while I bless all these people?"

    Asia was all too happy and having her there helped him calm down. Despite all that happened, she still sported a smile as she greeted friends and forgave them. There was some scolding, but Asia was far too soft to hurt them so he sat back and let her vent on them. With her by his side, blessing them all felt like a breeze. They need only his words to help strengthen their hearts.

    After a long night, he finally talked to those all who were gifted along with a couple hundred more people who were in desperate need of reassurance in their lives. Asia was slowly nodding off after staying up almost all night long to help him. She even went so far as to deny his blessing so that she could see that everyone got a turn with him.
    Shaking her awake, he whispered, "Asia, stay up just a bit longer. I have something to give you."

    "But you already blessed me," The girl groaned out as she started nodding off.

    "No silly, not that. I wish to grant you a wish for being such a good girl," He chuckled as the girl perked up, "Simply ask what I shall give you."

    He could feel the girl's indecision as she bit her lip while mulling over such a boon. Only a few people had such a wish granted. She could ask for anything and he would give it to her. Wisdom? Wealth? Power? He cared not for he knew what was in Asia's heart and he knew it was good. What she asked for, however, shocked even him.

    "I-I know it might be selfish but… I wish to be by your side!" She shouted, taking him aback at such a simple request. Truly, she was such a wonderful girl.

    He nodded before he stood up and called out to the crowd before them, "Now everyone, I want you to close your eyes. This might get a little bit bright."

    Was he really selfish for what he planned to do? Probably, but seeing her in person, he could now say for certain that he would not regret his actions. And so, he showed her his true form and the world trembled. It was but a mere fraction of his true self with this avatar as a conduit yet his flock were forced to their knees, but not Asia who was so pure of heart.

    She stared in wide eyed wonder as she stood there without flinching. He had found someone worthy of standing before him and he couldn't be any happier to what she wished. Extending his hand out to her, he asked, "Asia, would you like to take my hand?" And so Asia walked with god and she was no more; for god took her and made her an angel.

    A/N:

    Asia was a treat to write. She's just so pure that I can't help but whisk her away. While in the original series, Asia really didn't have that much impact (though this is coming from someone who just enjoys the fanfic but can't finish the first few episodes of DxD so feel free to correct me on this one), she's certainly going to have one now given how public her miraculous ascension is. As for the scene, hopefully this drives home the idea that Absolution is a forgiving god and please stop following the old way so literally. Think people think! Next up, well, it's time for Absolution to review some laws and let's just say he'll have a few headaches.

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor for being there to remind me to be rational. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

    Rashomon, victor a lopez-barron, Nick, Banh Bao, Alex Wierzbicki, cailk, Lapiver, Just_a_Knight, Alexander Cullison, Biigoh, WorkForFood, Alex, Logan Williams, Brody McDermott, Baron_Dio, Zach, Sammy88, John Michael Funelas Bueno, Boris Bondar, Nathan White, Thordur hrafn, Klever Kilvanya, sam thomas, Lurker number 5, Alina, Laurence wu, asdo, Lost Story of winds,, Sharp, Ruben Melchor, Sandy Ruiz, Invalid, Drain, Hyrdro4C, taylor smith, Jmatt890, Sover_Invic, Gabriel, Matthew Moore, Daniel King, ethan maloney, Jonald Theodore Cuyos, Joshua Guderian, Andreyebidu, toxic badger, HyperionTheWatcher, ShyGuy42,, the fallen, Connor Worsnop Quirk Cardcaster, Alex Ibarra, LordVendingMachine, Rampage, Wargrunte, Coolman59223, Gareth T, Noctis117, StriderAnarchy99, Mathias Jacobsen, john Mendes, V3c4, Valyndral, Snugglepuff, Cheyenne, Leisercom, Surge1301, Reader1997, No, Nathan Thex, Connor Ferguson, urdead2nite, Matthew Hurt, Eskeal Efrem, ProtagNeptune, bcall092, Sednack, Gregory, Justyn Miller, Steven, Nikolai Herup, Montaque Searcy, Narasan, Dicky wongsonegro, Robo, AUSO, michael, Pbc98, Nick, Qewin, Logan Vingris, Shirokama, Veniat, Francisco J Guzman, Kaj, RJKY, Fire_Fox2590, Xavier Austin Cohen, Bryan Whidbee, Howard, Shane Jestis

    Hmm... got an idea where I'd do a Nagatoro x DxD crossover with Nagatoro as a devil and Senpai as an SI being tormented by said Devil. I already have a humanity fuck yeah story in Absolution so why not the other end of the spectrum? Just thinking how fun it is for Nagatoro to gather a full roster of "useless" humans and other races without any sacred gear or broken abilities but she and the MC manages to train everyone up to the point that they're punching way above their weight. Just grit, brains and sheer determination carrying them along the way.

    I also have this idea of a Naruto fic where the SI decides to say fuck it and just become a wizard. Being a punch wizard is cool and all but being a pure wizard is at it at. Why spend so much of his "stat points" (he's not really a gamer but he's just a massive chuuni) on AGI, STR, and CON when he can pump it all in INT and WIS? Just having this fun time imagining a kid with a pointy hat and cloak casting Fireball. This may or may not have been inspired by Megumin and Hinata having a costume swap.
     
    Chapter 5: Reformation
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Reformation

    Absolution had expected that reforming a global spanning religion that had billions of followers would be a monumental undertaking but he did not expect how tedious it would all be. Yes, the greatest theologians of the land were here but that didn’t help and, in fact, it actually made things so much worse. So there he was, sitting atop the Ark with Asia by his side while surrounded by his Archangels and people as they bickered about their grievances against one another. Not even Asia’s comforting pat could help take his mind off what was happening before him.

    He had to remind himself that the same people he was trying to unite hated each other but it didn’t stop him from pinching the bridge of his nose, “Enough!” He yelled out, cowing even the most ardent and fiery of the bunch to silence.

    “While I understand that you all have your grievances you still have a task at hand,” He reminded them, pausing for a bit before he continued, “Now, since you guys can’t decide on how we should start this, let me set up the goal for the reformation.”

    There was really no going around it, if he needed them organized in a timely manner, he needed to get involved himself. Yes, he wanted them to decide for themselves but it would take far too long and he couldn’t be bogged down here.

    Holding up three fingers, he then started, “I want three things done by the end of this week. The first thing I want you to agree on is how you all want to be organized together. I don’t care if you hate each other, but I do not want you to be divided by such frivolous lines such as how you worship me. All of you will be under one banner one way or another.”

    They were divided and it would simply not do. He needed them united as one and their combined worship of him wasn’t enough. Thankfully, his followers had taken his lesson with Asia to heart as one of them immediately raised his hands, “Do you have something in mind?” He questioned the man who was sweating as he slowly stood up,

    “Must it be a centralized authority, my lord? While we do want to be united under one banner, we do have disagreements on how we want to be organized,” The man asked, giving Absolution pause. Did he really need them to be centralized?

    “No, it does not,” With a shake of his head, he answered. A centralized authority might not be the best course of action.
    “Can it then be a loose union perhaps?” The man then suggested.

    “You know, that’s a great idea. Somebody write that down,” Absolution praised the man who smiled as he sat down once more, “You can even keep some of your doctrines. You might be all divided but you must stand together as brothers and sisters,” He lectured them.

    He waited for the murmuring and whispers to die down before he continued, “The second thing I want you to do is cut down on some of the unnecessary teachings and laws as well as give context to the laws that were established thousands of years ago,” Much needed context was lost in the complicated, multi generational game of translation telephone but now that was going to be fixed.

    “My lord, what are some of the unnecessary laws that you have in mind?” Another man asked for clarification.

    “I’m glad you asked. Some of the laws encoded in the holy books were the cultural laws of the hebrews. Those laws were useful in far more barbaric times, but now they are longer needed. Not all of you are Hebrews so you can scrap that,” He explained before he started stroking his chin. He could just keep the old laws and give them modern context but he could also take a far more radical approach.

    With a goal in mind, he then pushed on, “Actually, I’m scrapping most of the laws entirely. You guys have some well defined laws and are doing great without my church having to guide you all so let’s remove most of those laws. I approve of the separation of the church from the state and as much as I can see some of you wanting a theocracy, it's best that the affairs of mortal men be their own.”

    While having the church meddle on the affairs of government could give him far more power, he did not need it to further influence his people.

    His attention was soon called upon a finely dressed Imam as the man asked, “Does that mean we can no longer have a caliphate my lord?”

    He shook his head in negative as he answered, “A caliphate is just no longer viable in this day and age. Back when people were much more savage, such a central authority would be needed but now people are enlightened,” It was a relic of a bygone era, and as much as people dreamt of having one it simply would not work in such a modern setting. Having one around would be akin to a dictatorial government.

    Speaking of the right to rule in his name, he had one topic he had to touch upon, “I will no longer bless kings and give them the right to rule, but I will bless the laws of your people,” He quickly brought up. It should be the law that the people believe in that should empower the government, not him.

    There were some that were disgruntled by such changes, but he was not one to step back. This was one thing he had set his mind on and he was only giving up tasks and responsibilities that were no longer his to do in the first place. His people had already grown to take care of themselves.

    Powering through, he shifted the topic to the third and final task he had set for them, “The last thing I want you all to do is learn to forgive each other because this will be a long week if you don’t,” The time frame he gave them was short, but he thought that putting them under pressure would help speed things up, “No one is getting in or out of the tent city until the task at hand is complete. Got it?”

    Everyone nodded even as some looked at their neighbors uneasily. Either they all killed each other by the end of the week or they’ll come up with something. It was a toss up on which is more likely but he had faith in them, “Any more questions? Good, you have all the time in the world to finish this, but don’t go on tangents or Asia would be disappointed,” He asked once more before he gestured at his four winged companion.

    Stepping down from his perch, he then lifted up the lid of his Ark and pulled out one particular stick before he handed it over to his newest angel, “Asia, whack them with this stick if they get rowdy.”

    “E-eh?!” the flustered girl shouted as she fumbled around with Moses’ staff. His priests shied away as the staff hissed at them. Was he cruel to tease them like this? Yes. Was it funny? Most definitely.

    It was tedious, yes, but they had a week to prepare before this meeting and they did have a rough idea of what they all wanted. The unification of the church had been a pipe dream for some of the major churches for a long time so they were ready for it. Yes, he wanted a unified church but he did not want an all encompassing central authority, thus the council of priests was established. In the end, however, his people got their act together and came up with something brilliant.

    On the second day of his meeting with his followers the Abrahamic Council was created. Stylized as a parliamentary system with him as the head, it was to be the sole governing establishment of the church. There were going to be a thousand seats all in all in this council with each seat representing a tiny fraction of the population of the flock. So long as that denomination had at least 0.1% of the population, they would get a seat.

    There were also some considerations, such as the Jews who were severely under populated, but due to their sheer age and history they still got a seat. He tried to get everyone a seat, but some denominations were just too small. In the end, the council was dominated by the Sunnis, the Catholics, the Orthodox, and the coalition of Protestant churches.

    It certainly has its flaws given how it gives more power to the bigger denominations, but more seats means more of the budget comes from them. More responsibilities, not just power was given. It also served as a compromise as the Council would serve only to direct the major issues that his followers wanted to pursue such as diplomacy, military affairs, and research to name a few. At least now they had direct dialogue with each other. Hopefully, it’d serve as a catalyst for further integration between the various sects.

    With the church essentially united for the first time in a thousand years they could move on to much more productive areas of discussion. Unfortunately, there were times that his followers went off on tangents and he himself was sucked in.

    One of the first things that got brought up was the topic of what it meant to be a priest. While he would have chalked it off and had each denomination do their own thing, he had to pause as having a baseline on being a priest would help in giving them all something in common. So he sat there, listening to how they’ll go about it. He only intervened when the topic of women in the priesthood were brought up by the protestants.

    “Female priests are now allowed!” He declared as he placed his foot down just as their voices were raised. He was immediately met with cries of protest from his far more traditional worshippers.
    “But-!” an Imam cried out in protest only for him to be silenced as Absolution raised his hands.

    “Do you want to hear what the ancient Israelites said when I brought up the topic of priestesses?” He threatened as he dug up memories of his meeting with the Isrealites in this very mountain. He smiled as he was met with looks of confusion, “It starts off with them saying how girls have cooties and impure…” He trailed off much to the horror of the rabbi’s who looked towards the imam pleadingly. Even the Protestants themselves cringed as he brought up the muted illusion of the ancient Israelites.

    Thankfully, the man couldn’t stand the second hand embarrassment as he relented, “... No, my lord,” The man whispered as he sat down and with that he cut off the memory. Oh the Israelites’ arguments were far more nuanced, but he didn’t have to tell them that. After all, he was merely correcting ancient wrongs that were long overdue. The fact that he liked seeing priestesses did not affect his decision, not at all!

    “You are all equal in my eyes. Don’t you forget about that,” He then admonished them lightly. While people could try to justify the superiority of men, in the end they should be treated as equals.

    He wasn’t one to put them down all the time so he decided to throw them a bone, “You guys can get married as well” He declared much to the shock of some of his catholic followers. “Look, I did not force my Rabbi’s to be celibate nor did I make my imam’s celibate so why should you? While Celibacy does have its merits as a spiritual practice, I do not want it to be a requirement,” He pointed before elaborating further on celibacy, “I’m not forcing you to take on the vow of celibacy but if you still want to go through it, I’m not going to go against you.”

    There were murmurs of agreement and he could even see sighs of relief among some of the cardinals. Naughty, but he did say that celibacy was no longer a requirement. His attention was soon called upon once more as a man brought up another topic, “Speaking of marriage my lord, are the vows made by nuns binding?”

    He was about to shake his head only to pause as he felt Asia’s expectant gaze upon him. He turned slightly and saw the girl fidgeting as she held the staff. The eager and expectant look the girl had was just too much to resist so he did the next best thing to answer his question, “Yes… a woman can still make a vow to me when they do not want to get married to another,” He said, obfuscating his answer to cover his ass.

    “But that does not answer the question my lord,” The man pointed out, but he was not having any of it.

    “Moving on!” He blurted out as a blush crept up his face, much to the annoyance of Asia who pouted after not receiving a straight answer as well as to his followers' amusement as they gave him encouraging smiles and thumbs up. Bastards, the lot of them.

    “My lord, how many wives can a man truly have?” A man finally questioned him as they navigated through the intricacies of marriage. Man was truly such a horny creature, he should know for he once was one after all.

    To this, he answered the only answer worthy of such a great question, “Yes.”

    He was quickly met by a swift bop on the head by a flustereds Asia as she and the rest of the female angels blushed up a storm while his male followers nodded in appreciation. He received it as he snickered at their expense. “... Truly, your wisdom is profound,” One of them praised him.

    “A woman can also have as many husbands as they want,” He then declared, catching everyone off guard. Asia looked like she was about to faint as she tugged at the collar of her dress. If he was to declare harems were to be a thing, he’ll have it be both ways. Let it not be said that he did not follow what he preached.

    “Oh my,” The normally quiet and reserved Raziel whispered as she brought up her long sleeve to cover the smile she had.

    He snorted at their reaction as he then asked them, “Good luck on getting them all to agree though. They are still your wives and husbands and do you really want to go with all the effort of trying to get all of them to agree just to have more people to make love with?”

    Harems were high maintenance as it didn’t just add onto the complexity of a relationship, it multiplied it. Still, he wasn’t going to be a killjoy about it as there were some instances that such a relationship can work, especially with where he was. So long as they were not being immoral about it, he was not one to deny his followers such simple pleasures.

    All this talk about marriage quickly led to another topic, that of interspecies marriages, “Yes, you can marry any species. Angels, Devil, Yokai’s, hell, even goddesses if you somehow can. So long as you can make them agree to my worship, go for it!!” He encouraged them much to their delight as they nodded eagerly. It’s not like human traits were buried, it’s always dominant. This would also serve as a way for him to spread his worship and, thus, his protection and blessings upon those outside of humanity. He dreamed of a cosmopolitan religion accepting all.

    “What I don’t care about is what gender role you wish to play,” He then segwayed as he broached upon the topic of gender. It was a hot button issue given how homosexuality was seen by his people but frankly, he did not care.

    “What a person does in the bedroom is not something we meddle with. If they decided to become bottom, so be it. Top? No problem. What I do have problems with is age. So long as it's not too extreme, I will approve,” He then said as he brought up the one topic that he had problems with.

    “But that excludes us from marrying long lived beings,” One of his priest’s brought up. He did have a point at least.

    “Of course, there should be a case by case basis but what’s important is the maturity of the species,” He agreed as they further elaborated on how such things should be handled. It eventually all boiled down to maturity of said individuals.

    With all the talks about marriage, sex was inevitably brought up. Of course, there are times that he ind, “Yes, extra marital sex is a thing before marriage. After marriage, it becomes a group decision. You will regret it if you don’t have the right attitude to it,” He declared. Was he playing fast and loose with such things? Yes. Why was he removing the taboo on it? Simply put, having no taboo on it made it all the less exciting for those that treat it as a thrill.

    “That does not mean you can go fuck whoever you like. Have some common sense here. There will be consequences. You have condoms for crying out loud! Use them!” He was quick to warn them, much to embarrassed nods. He might be lewd but he was being reasonable about it.

    “Also, I will allow the separation between couples. As sacred as marriage is, there are times when you guys really fuck up so much that it’s best for both parties to just part ways,” He then said as he blitzed through another hot button topic. With how things were it was simply unavoidable. Best to set it off now rather than have it fester and linger.

    “That’s… quite reasonable my lord. While I do have reservations about it, we shall follow your words,” A catholic cardinal relented.

    Eventually, the topics of sexuality and marriage soon ran out and they could move on to other pressing matters, “My lord, what do you mean when you say suffer not the witches to live?” an exorcist asked as the topic of magic was brought up. Magic in DxD was quite the interesting thing. Why was there no magic that stemmed from his authority? Turns out, there is.

    “It’s a mistranslation,” He clarified before further elaborating, “I am not against magic practitioners, in fact Solomon was quite powerful with the ones that I taught him. I’m just against those that use magic to be assholes and assholes in general. Poisoners, necromancers, all the evil stuff is something I will not tolerate. Magic to heal and create? Magic that’s actually useful for mankind? I say go ahead.” Of course, magic was a tool so technically all magic could be used for good, but he was getting ahead of himself.

    “You taught Solomon magic, my lord?” A rabbi asked excitedly. When Solomon asked for his Wisdom, Genesis did not hold back.

    “He did ask for my Wisdom,” He replied with a cryptic smile. “Which reminds me, I’ll probably work on something in the future. Having your most talented magicians go to the devils needs to be fixed.”

    That was another thing that was bugging him. Why were devils and other pantheons the sources of magic? Why were his followers left behind? Yes, magic could be extremely destructive in the wrong hands, but was he going to deny them such a powerful tool? They will burn their hands but how else were they going to learn when handling such a powerful force.

    Everything was discussed, even the very commandments themselves were brought up. They were the cornerstones of his religion, the very tenants that all his people follow. As simple as they were, there were still some holes left to cover and now he was here to fix that, “I’m revising the ten commandments! I’m adding several new ones! Now listen closely,” He shouted as his followers stopped what they were discussing and listened intently to what he had to say.

    Clearing his throat, he said, “First new rule, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself’," While it seemed innocent at first, it was an all encompassing command. Hate was to be discouraged and there were a lot of acts of hate, even in the very priesthood that worshiped him. Discrimination, sexism and plain old racism (or should it be specism?) to name a few. Did you really love your neighbor if you did them wrong?

    His followers of course were more than happy to agree as they nod along. Counting down, he continued, “Second new rule, ‘Thou shalt seek enlightenment for God works in mysterious ways’.” This, on the other hand, earned him looks of confusion and uncertainty. He was quick to follow up and clarify as he added, “The world is your oyster. Explore it, master it, but don’t go breaking it too hard and yes, breaking physics is totally ok.”

    Almost immediately a young deacon raised their hand and he couldn’t help but smile as they asked, “My lord, why is the speed of light a thing?”

    From his memories, he wasn’t the one that created the world. He was merely a result of it along with his fellow gods, but this was well within what he knew from his time at the throne, “Because things would get fucked really badly otherwise,” He replied before he reached for his pockets. Pulling out some lint, he formed a vacuum atop his palm before forcing the lint to collapse in on themselves. From the lint he made stars as he had them dance along his palm.

    With a prop in hand, he lectured them, “Ok, let’s go with your formula of E=mc^2. If you tweak the value of the speed of light, things are far more energetic and traveling much faster. It just sounds that the universe would be in fast forward until you go look at the stars and see that fusion isn’t working correctly,” With a simple tweak in the local space, the small start vibrating until it tore itself apart in a violent pop breaking his audience out of their stupor, “Also, do you really want some asteroids zipping around at 1.1c?” He then added as he waved off the temporary vacuum he made. It was a miracle that reality itself could still hold itself together with all the things going on inside.

    “...You make it sound that the universe runs on spaghetti code my lord,” The deacon muttered.

    He gave the deacon a long hard stare before he asked,“When is it not?” As much as it pained him, this universe was held together by hopes and dreams, literally. Clapping his hand, he smiled once more as he added, “Now that concludes my science lesson.”

    He didn’t dwell too much on the revelation as he made his final commandment, “As for what my final rules shall be, ’Reflect upon my words and see its true meaning’.”

    Overall, his experience with his followers felt like he was pulling a tooth. It was a necessary pain to organize the titanic religion he now headed. At least the discussion here was civil, unlike his judgment upon those that supported the Hero Faction.

    With the discussions on laws coming to an end the time for judgment was now at hand. There before me were the condemned and the guilty, those who supported the Hero faction. Thousands knelt before him, some beaten and bloodied while some trembling in fear yet unharmed. One thing was universal, however, and it was that all of them came before him in chains.
    Surrounded by the multitude they were made to kneel on the hard ground at the base of the mountain with nothing but rags to cover them. They came in all shapes and forms, from the lowly scribes up to the bishops and even some cardinals among them. The catholics were not alone as every last denomination was represented before him. From the far off lands of the east to the new world, to the deserts and mountains of the cradle of civilization, and even to the new world itself, none was spared from such a purge. They who wronged him were gathered and now they must be judged.

    As he stared at the gathering before, he asked one thing, “Why?” Why did they support such an organization? Was it ignorance? Was it misguided faith? Was it desperation for salvation? He needed to know what pushed them to such acts. As one, they cried out and spoke true in their hearts. None dared lie as they basked at the light of the heaven itself as it shone oppressively upon them.

    “I did not know that they would stoop this low my lord!” Most of them cried. These were the ignorant and there he forgave them for they did not know better, but he kept quiet.

    Others, meanwhile, showed that they were simply misguided, “I thought I was doing what was right, my lord. It was supposed to be for the greater good but now I see that I was wrong. Please forgive me!” A couple of them cried. They were those who were those who lost faith but could still be redeemed. They merely wanted what was best and chose to close their hearts to what was righteous.

    Then came those who stood proudly. They who stood up with their heads held their heads high and proclaimed to the world, “They deserved it!”

    Silence befell the gathering as they stared at these proud few, these horrible creatures. There before him was the dark heart of humanity. While most repented, they merely smiled as if they were students showing their teachers the work that they had done, “Speak your mind now or forever be damned for all eternity,” He spoke out, in vain hope that they merely lied, that they really didn’t mean what they said.

    Alas, they showed just how hate could utterly corrupt and twist those that believed they are righteous, “They deserved it! Every one last one of them! They are the witches that poison, demons that corrupt, heretics that disobey, you should see through their lies and be done with them!” One of them cried, a balding, well built man cried out with such vitriol that he was taken aback.

    With a sad smile, he asked them once more, “Is that really what your heart says is true? Do you not feel guilty for those you have condemned to die? Do you not feel pity for the innocents that you have dispoiled and subjected to cruelty?”

    What another asked broke what little illusion he held for them, “What innocence my lord? There is no innocence in them, they are but monsters to be destroyed or tools to be used,” One of them answered.

    “Your hatred for those not like you has turned you into the very thing that you hunted down, monsters,” He whispered as the man looked at him in confusion. Walking to the ignorant, he beckoned them to stand up.

    “You who are merely ignorant, go, return to your flocks and reflect upon what you have done. The blood of innocents now stains your hands and from now on you shall wrap your hands in red cloth,” He sentenced them. While he could be unforgiving and ruthless, he stayed his hands for them. He let them back into the flock, but they were now shamed for their actions.

    Moving on to the misguided, he reached down from the ground and grabbed a handful of red clay. He clenched his hands, letting his nail dig upon his palm until the blood of his avatar mixed in with the fine dirt. With the liquid in hand, he marked their foreheads and they cried out in pain as a curse was laid upon them, “For those that have been misguided, I give upon you the mark of Cain. Forever shall you walk this earth till the weight of your sins no longer taint your souls.”

    It was a heavy punishment as well as a gift upon them, “You who seeked to protect mankind at any cost shall now protect it with your bodies and soul. So long as I deem it, you shall find no rest. Go! Walk upon this earth and seek out the weak and the innocent. You shall become their sword and shield. The church might provide you food and water but you will find no sanctuary within,” He condemned them to never ending torment. Some cried out for clemency but they were forced to walk into the unforgiving wild with all the supplies they needed to return back to civilization.

    Finally, he stood before the proud few and he had little words for them, “To the unrepentant, I grant you mercy,” He judged them as he turned his back upon them and walked away to his tent.

    He was met with silence until it was broken by the blood curdling scream of pain, “My lord! What have we done! It hurts, it hurts so much!” They begged him as he turned around once more and saw what he had done. The people who stood up were now rooted in place as their legs turned to salt. Flesh crystalized while blood flowed into their transmuted flesh.

    “This is my mercy. You who had abandoned your humanity and indulged upon unspeakable sins all under the guise of following my words are no longer fit to be humans,” He replied as what little control he had for his hatred broke, “I curse you! You shall be stripped of the humanity you so callously tossed aside and live out your lives in torment till judgment day.”

    He was a merciful god, but only for those that deserved it.

    In the end a dozen or so pillars of salt now stood before his followers. The screams of agony they held in their final moments forever immortalized as they became something that was neither living or dead. He had them divided and carted off to all the corners of the world and ordered them to be displayed inside the monasteries and convents that trained his future followers. Those who wished to follow in their footsteps needed only gaze upon them.

    As horrible as their fates were, he felt both cathartic and hollow inside. Did he really make the right choice? He asked himself as he closed his eyes and reached out for those that had passed on under the care of Michael. Feeling the thankful gaze of those that died directly from the actions of the so called heroes set his heart as ease as they passed on to the next big adventure.

    Returning back to the present, he smiled as he walked up to his followers. It was now the 7th and final day of this gathering. He and his followers had been cooped up and now it was time to let them all go, “It’s been a long week, but we managed to finish a preliminary draft in that time!” He declared and was met with cheers and applause. They themselves looked tired and weary, with most of them sporting dark bags beneath their eyes.

    The Core tenant of the church had been reaffirmed with the 10 commandments, or rather the 13 Commandments now, and most of the issues are now settled. Overall, it seemed like a good start. With the institution created, he could finally sit back and get to other pressing matters. All that was left to do was consecrate it and make it binding.

    “My high priests, come forth!” He called out to the same priest that had met him at the start. The pope still standed with them, if a bit humbled, a bit wearier looking. The smile he sent him lifted up what little spirit he still had left after the ordeal.

    “We answer your call my lord,” They knelt before him once more.

    “The original tablets of Moses?” He asked as he held out his hands. Immediately, the levites came bearing the Ark of the covenant with them. Walking up to the ark, he reached inside and pulled out the original tablets that Moses carried.

    He raised them high up in the air before he smashed them upon the ground. The old and heavy stone broke in twine, much to the horror of those that stood before them. He merely smiled as he reached down and picked up the pieces. With stone in hand, he remade the tablet and codified the changes he made. The cracks were still visible but they were mended by the same silvery metal that Sacred Gears and Holy Swords were made off, “With this act, I renew my covenant with you my people. From the remnants of the old I shall carve the new laws of my people and their faith in me shall be reforged,” He declared before he gave the new tablets to his followers.

    “Rise my people for all of you are my children!” He then cried as he tossed out his hands and he was received with an even louder cry of jubilation. With those simple words, he dispelled the myth of a specific race of people that would serve as his people.

    Turning his attention back to his priests, he then reached inside his pocket and pulled out a dozen rings, enough for every major denomination, “As promised, you shall all receive gifts,” He said before dividing the rings and giving them each a ring. He might have ripped off Fate when it came to making these rings, but it served well to show that he had no favorites among them, “With these rings, you shall have my blessing. So long as you have faith in me, they shall be your sword and your shield. Use it wisely,” It wasn’t much, but they served as powerful conduits for his power. So long as they had faith in their heart, they could call upon his system to perform his miracles in his stead.

    “Now rejoice for today is the day of Sabbath. Rest your weary souls and make merry for tomorrow shall be full of new challenges,” With those words, he ascended and left his congregation.

    Finally, after a week of work, he could finally do less of it. Storing his angelic body for later, he slumped into his chair. He had sent off Asia to keep those he gave sanctuary company. He reminded himself that he needed to go to them later. For now, however, he would rest.

    It would soon be cut short as he felt Sandalphon’s presence enter heaven once more. Making a beeline for his throne, the youthful looking twin to Metatron knelt before him as he gave him the news he carried, “Father, Azazel has received your message.”

    “Ahh, good. I take it that he is amenable to talk?” He asked

    “He is willing to negotiate,” His angel replied.

    He let out a sigh of relief. That was one less problem he had to deal with. It seemed that the bridge between Testament and Azazel was still present and had yet to break down. Now all he had to do was mend the bridge and he’d have all the extra angels he needed for the upcoming battle. But first, he needed to actually meet with his wayward sons and that meant breaking whatever wards he had.

    He reached out for a passing cloud and fashioned it to a picture in the likeness of Gabriel wearing almost nothing. Sandalphon squawked in surprise as he averted his gaze but even he almost couldn’t resist as the tiniest of blemishes appeared in his wing before it turned pure white once more; another problem he had to deal with in the future. Slipping the photo inside an envelope, he then gave it to the seraph, “Sandalphon, give your brother this letter. Tell him that if he ever wants to see what’s inside this envelope he must agree to meeting me before the negotiation.”
     
    Interlude 1
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Interlude 1

    The Fool (Humans)

    When the leaders of the Abrahamic Religions announced that they were to gather in Jerusalem, Billions set their eyes upon the holy city. Never had such an occurrence of this magnitude been seen since the very birth of the religion. With it coinciding after what many called the "Voice of God" and the recent rise of miraculous events happening in the world, the world was gripped with a sense of wonder. Was this gathering related to the wondrous events that had been recently happening around the world?

    Even with the announcement of their intentions, that being to open dialogue between the various groups that effectively worshiped the same god but in different ways, speculation ran rampant. Some saw a conspiracy in the making, a cabal of the powerful convening to affirm their grasp on society. Others, meanwhile, thought it was the group acting upon the changes that happened around the world. Many more, however, thought it was simply what the religious figures said, a simple meeting where bonds could be remade and strengthened. After all, the news did show the leaders talking and meeting like old friends.

    What the world didn't expect was for the leaders of the Abrahamic faith to take to the desert and make their way down south. It started off innocuous enough, the faithful declaring their intention to journey to the mountain where god met his chosen and it was covered extensively. The PR stunt that people expected only to last for days turned into an actual trek through the desert as many faithful followed their leaders to the wilderness.

    Some called it madness, others called it a simple demonstration of faith, or rather a PR stunt, but as the crowd gathered many questioned if it was a shared hysteria brought about by the changing weather or some disease. After all, what could have compelled them to make their way down to Mt. Sinai like Moses and his followers? They did ride in various vehicles and on mounts, but the sheer numbers slowed them to a crawl.

    Many questioned their decisions with some even attempting to stop them, but they were rebuffed as they marched onward, ever ceaseless aside from making camp and resting. Despite the ceaseless questioning, they remained cryptic with their answer, "God has called upon us and we answer the call," They claimed and they were derided about it.

    These words soon ceased as Mana soon fell from the sky to feed the multitude as they made their way to the Sinai Peninsula. Scientists gathered in droves to the country to sample such a biblical occurrence but they'll soon be frustrated with the divine food's legendary inability to be stored. The fact that it followed the crowd only made it harder to study.

    Cries of alarm soon rang out as the mother of all sandstorms now brewed in the desert. There was so much interference that not a single journalist, scientist, or those not explicitly invited could continue; yet the multitude walked through unscathed and unbothered. They would be lost to the sands and many feared the worst for, as soon as the sandstorm subsided, none of them could be found.

    Days turned to a week and all began to worry their fears had been confirmed until a glint caught the eyes of one of the rescue choppers searching for them. They had returned and they brought with them an Ark that was long thought lost to history. They had returned and they brought with them changes that would resound across the world as the Ark of the Covenant was brought over to temple mount.

    Details would remain scarce about what happened in those lost days, but one thing would be clear to all. The Abrahamic religion might have been divided but they now stood together as one. They still retained their doctrines, but they now convened as a council to discuss matters of faith. The Abrahamic Religion had become whole once more and echoes of what they had decided on in that fateful week still echoed to the far future.

    It could only be described as a Reformation for the modern age. The various holy books were updated and new commandments were spoken. What was more intriguing was they proclaimed it as a whole, they who hated each other now talked to each other as if they were brothers. The changes were liberal and far reaching.

    With their unification a call for peace and understanding was sent out into the war torn regions. Conflict was to cease as the new age of understanding and cooperation was to begin.

    Why did they unite? Why now of all times when they had remained divided all these millennia? A simple answer was sent out as they echoed each other's sentiments, "When we set out for the desert, we wanted to call upon the world and see our conviction to our faith. It would soon be tested when we became lost in the desert.

    There we realized that we were not so different. When the veil of countless generations of dogma was lifted, we realized that our conflict was meaningless. Why do we fight over our interpretation when we could work together and take action upon those messages we interpret?

    Maybe it was our god that brought us together or perhaps just simply been chance, but our meeting brought us not only closer together but also allowed us to rediscover the lost Ark," Pope Vittorio declared to his followers. Many would note that he wore a peculiar ring, as well as having his hands wrapped in red cloth, but many did not pay it mind after the pope explained that it was to show the blood that had stained his hands for inaction for so long.

    These changes were met with confusion and apprehension. What did it mean that they now stood as brothers at arms? It soon became clear as the churches, mosques, and synagogues were opened to each other. Holy sites that had religious restrictions were lifted and interfaith marriages were all but encouraged.

    Liberal change aplenty, an updated book for each religion, and so much more. While their combined weight was concerning, the religions affirmed that they would not meddle with the affairs of the state. There were even reports of the Pope attending a Hajj, much to the amusement of those that saw it on the internet. Forged through the tribulation in the desert, they have been effectively made one.

    Some decried the changes, calling upon false prophets among the leaders to misled the multitude. There were even some denominations that broke off to continue their old ways. Many more, meanwhile, welcomed these changes; though some only reluctantly due to the far looser restrictions they had. Still, despite their unity, they were separate entities with their own agendas. They still answered to their people, they simply had an avenue to voice their grievances.

    As far reaching as the changes were, the leaders assured the people that it was not the end times; which was met with much laughter. News would soon die down as the novelty of such a monumental event faded. Even the rediscovery of the Ark as well as the proposal of the Third Temple going underway with the Dome of the Rock being integrated to the architecture would soon become yesterday's news as the world moved on, albeit a bit more hopeful for the future.

    Wars still happened in the region, but it now took a far more political and cultural stint now that the religious figures were vehemently against it. There are still conflicts between the denominations, but now they had an avenue to pursue it constructively. Conflict arose as always and life went on. What many didn't realize was this was merely the start of a new era, an era where the lines between fantasy and reality started to blur.
    As the days went by reports of men and women of various backgrounds appeared all over the world. They spoke of courageous stands and selfless acts where these heroes would soon disappear. A bit concerning, however, was the mark upon their foreheads; but many paid it no heed for the good they brought. These men and women, whoever they were, came and went seemingly without purpose, throwing their lives into danger for the sake of what was right.

    On the side of science and discovery, the recent strings of miraculous recovery soon brought about new data for scientists to work upon. There was a mechanism that the body could use but they couldn't quite access it, it was as if they were missing something that could help it. As for the Mana gathered, some pieces were frozen enough that they lasted long enough for its structure to be studied and there had been headways on recreating it in the lab.

    As for the supernatural aspects of life, strange and stranger things were appearing. While it was normal for the world to see a grainy video or two of the supernatural along with those that claimed to have made contact with them, none could quite compare to the strange wheeled beings that seem to grip the attention of the internet. They seemingly popped into existence only for the briefest of seconds before those that were taking the video either stumbled into a fortunate event or were saved from an unfortunate one.

    Even with all these strange things occurring, things were looking up for once. The world had truly become weird, but maybe it was for the better.

    The Tower (Devils)

    Deep within the bowels of hell stood its beating heart, Lilith: a modern wonder in sharp contrast to the far older cities nearby. It was not only a testament to the prosperity brought about by the New Satan's but a symbol of their mission, that of peace and change. Gone was the iconography of old and in came the new. Reincarnated Devils roamed the street along with those naturally born in hell. It was paradise for these people, yet an uneasy air hung in the air for their way of life was now threatened for God had awakened.

    Faced with an existential crisis the families were forced to convene, but such an event brought about conflict. On one side were those clinging to the old ways, bedecked in their traditional armor and garb. They were of the older, more storied families that survived the war. On the other side were those who followed the new ways, who'd abandoned their old regalia in favor of a more modern style with cleaned pressed suits and technology brought by the reincarnated devils in full display.

    Both sides bayed at each other, demanding that they're sides' solution was taken. War for the Old Satan Faction while Peace for the New Satan's faction. Considerations were made but an accord could not yet be reached. With the failure of the session, the factions both walked out as soon as the current meeting ended, both refusing pleasantries as they retreated to their homes within the capital. Hostility was in the air as they were in a deadlock.

    Left to themselves, the Four Satan's convened on their own as they decided on the fate of the devil kind. In the privacy of Sirzechs room, they talked and discussed the matter at hand. Even the normally sleepy head of the military, the devil who claimed the title of Asmodeus, was wide awake and drinking coffee.

    "Mou.~ Holding court to such a rowdy crowd was a pain. It would have been fine if the big man just woke up but no! He had to stir the pot and mess everything up. Having to deal with all the complaints and trying to calm everyone down is just so much of a hassle," The woman who claimed the title of Leviathan complained. Dressed in an outfit far more suited to that of a magical girl, she was out of place, yet her companions treated her as an equal, "How can you stay so calm through all that Ajuka-chan?" The girl pouted as she turned to her fellow ruler.

    "It is the price we have to pay for taking up the mantle of the rulers of hell, Serafall," The green haired man replied with a chuckle. Serafall could only sigh and wondered if it was worth it, but as he turned to the city she was reminded of why it was. Not too long ago, this was but a mere medieval bastion, but now a glinting modern city stood. Free from the shackles of the old ways, they could actually pursue far more constructive avenues.

    "But it's making it hard for me to schedule some sisterly bonding time with So-tan! I need to be there with her especially with that feathered bimbo around my sister!" She whined, lamenting the fact that she couldn't be there with her sister, especially after such a tense situation happened over at Kuoh town. She loved her people but her heart still belonged to Sona. Raising her fist in the air, she shouted, "Curse you Gabriel and your lovely figure! True love shall triumph against such base emotions!"

    "Ah yes, the Kuoh Town incident. Having two of the greatest assets of heaven tied up in that town is quite the consolation prize for all the trouble they brought, but we'll have to talk to them eventually. We can only drag our feet for so long and I dare not risk two heiresses against those two," Ajuka replied with a sigh. Even she didn't expect the Boosted Gear user to be in Kuoh Town.

    Technically, the angels were in the wrong there as this was territory that the Devils had negotiated with the Yokai's for, but there were considerations to be made due to the fact that the Fallen Angels were involved and the fact that Boosted Gear wielder prayed for help. If they were to pursue legal action it could lead to a precedent that a devil's territory is theirs and theirs alone, depriving lesser devils of the chance to grow as this call was similar to their own.

    This, thankfully, didn't become an international incident due to Rias's and her own So-tan's quick thinking of keeping it under wraps and made it a personal matter to which only the four Satan's knew about. Now, if only Michael and that bitch Gabriel didn't have to get personally involved.

    "You should! That's my So-tan and Sirzech's Rias-chan you're talking about," She growled out in warning. She felt uneasy due how close it was to her sister.

    "Thankfully, that incident didn't set off the powder keg we've currently found ourselves in. We can only hold back our subjects for so long until emotions overwhelm their reasoning," Ajuka then said as he leaned back on his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. She could only wince at the reminder of the volatile situation they were in.

    "The fact that many of the troublemakers suddenly lost their precious pieces only made it all the harder to reign them in. The only saving grace we have is the fact that they're far more disproportionately affected from God's changes to the Sacred Gears. It still requires an answer, however, due to the nature of such a move and most of these idiots will want war, a war that would be quite costly. Troublesome," The greenette muttered to which the three of them nodded.

    There were a lot of changes that had happened, but the most damning thing of all was the fact that God locked down the Sacred Gear system. A lot of young devils were affected as many of their peerages suddenly lost their power. Even the older ones were affected, but not to an extreme extent given that Sacred Gear poaching was a recent trend. Technically, it was their fault for trying to take advantage of the situation. It was the nature of the Evil Pieces to be used to recruit the best and brightest of other species and Sacred Gear users often were the best of humanity.

    Turns out, trying to use the weapon that heaven specifically made to fight them was a bad idea even if they could subsume it. It was powered by the System and remained attached to it even after they became devils. Ajuka could close that backdoor, but that also meant effectively cutting out a vast majority of the Sacred Gears power and the damage was already done. They couldn't act upon it as most, if not all devil Sacred Gear users, lost their primary tool. Some devils even lost their peerage, but investigations were showing signs of abuse and those devils were trouble makers for the current regime anyways.

    "Troublesome is putting it lightly," Serafell groaned. That didn't stop those idiots from complaining and they had deep pockets and deeper connections, "Speaking of war, what's taking him so long anyway? He's just sitting there all prim and pretty while he had our citizens running around like headless chickens. It's honestly frustrating as hell!" She shouted with unease clearly in her voice. She couldn't help it, especially with how the big man was acting.
    "He doesn't want a war," Falbium suddenly interjected, surprising her. The laziest of them all was working, truly things were taking an unexpected turn.

    "I don't know Falbium. He's seeming pretty hostile to me," She gripped out in frustration before adding, "He even messed with my So-tan's peerage! That big meanie took away the toys from my sister's peerage!" Yes, everyone was equally affected but this was her sister. Even Sirzech's sister was affected and she might have been hit the hardest with her entire peerage weakened.

    Ajuka hummed as he stood up and paced around the room, "No, Falbium is right, Serefall, whatever misfortune befall your little sister was merely a side effect," The man reaffirmed their lazy comrades' observation and he quickly started to explain, "All the actions he has done so far are reactions rather than actions. It wasn't so long ago when sacred gears made reincarnating some people hard until it didn't."

    "The only moves so far that I can say for certainty is a move he pursued all on his own was his reformation, and even then it's an inward looking approach rather than being aggressive," The man further elaborated. Framed in such a way, it did make sense that it was merely a side effect rather than the intended result of the action, "A reasonable move given how he has effectively been forced out of the game for a few turns only to come back to a whole new board. He's consolidating his forces rather than actively going to war footing."

    "I still don't trust him. We have word that he actually stopped the active witch hunts and incidents involving devils are at an all time low, but there's something we're missing here. Something doesn't quite make sense," She worried, hoping that it wasn't true. Yes, she didn't have the stomach for a war but she was being realistic to their current situation.

    "If you don't trust his words, trust his action or rather his lack of them," Falbium fired back.

    "Oh, do tell what he hasn't acted upon then, Falbium?" She then questioned him.

    "He hasn't made any move to invalidate or break any of our treaties with heaven," Falbium easily answered; and she couldn't refute it. The fact of the matter was, when God died, the Angels picked up the slack and with them came the peace treaties. They were made in his name and, so far, they were actually being respected and even further enforced.

    "That he hasn't. These treaties were made in his absence so they should be invalidated, but they have not been and it's simply business as usual," Ajuka pointed out and that was when the fight left her.

    "Hmmm… you do have a point there," She relented as she slumped on her seat. Was she overthinking it? Maybe the stress of the current situation was getting to her and she hadn't had her alone time with So-tan in weeks, "What do you think of this Sirzech? Think the big man lost his appetite for war or is he merely bidding for time?"
    If there was anyone she'd trust to lead them all, it was Sirzech. He had led them through the rebellion and he had yet to fail them once. With the matter discussed to its entirety, it all depended on the man's decision on what their next course of action would be, "Ajuka, what are the chances that we can win a war against heaven?" The man who claimed the title of Lucifer asked.

    "Before his awakening, I'd say we had a 60% chance of winning, but now? 1%. Why? Simply put, with God back at the helm, they can actually take on the losses of a potential war," The man reported. The forecast he made brought grim tidings but the facts were undeniable. They no longer had the Queen of Hell, Lilith, to replenish their numbers. They simply had to rely on the Evil Pieces and their own birth rate, which admittedly was abysmal, pun not intended.

    "We can attack now, win every single battle, defeat every single angel that heaven throws at us but we would lose the war in our current state as we would be unable to keep up with heaven's pace. Eventually, they'd grind us down and we would be forced to the table at a disadvantage," The man admitted as a pained look graced his face. Winning the battle but losing the war? It was arguably a worse fate compared to losing out right. Being given a glimmer of hope only for it to be snatched away? Truly a cruel fate.

    "But it'll cost far too much for heaven to pursue that path. Like I said, he does not want war. It's simply the worst choice right now," Falbium reminded them, giving them a much needed balm to ease their minds. A war now would be catastrophic, something that Heaven couldn't afford. It would be what the humans called 'mutually assured destruction.'

    "Indeed. The mere specter our forces project is far better than actually using them. So long as we have our forces at tip top shape, the calculus of war makes it costly to actually act upon us," Ajuka added in agreement. A paper tiger was a far more daunting prospect to fight if one didn't see through its illusion just yet.

    Still, there was the matter of answering heaven's actions. She reminded them, "Even if he doesn't want war, we can't simply just stand here and do nothing. What are we going to do?"

    "We simply buy ourselves more time. Prepare for war," Sirzech declared making them all freeze but the easy going smile he sported eased their minds. Their friend had a plan so they listened to him intently, "Heaven might not want war, but it must be reminded that we can still bite back if they dare tread upon us. It'll help with the loudest of the warhawks for now at the very least and I have a feeling that we'll soon need those soldiers anyway," He explained. 'So that's what he meant', she thought. They were indeed going to be buying them back if they were to look busy enough, but their friend brought up the matter of foreign intervention.

    "Oh? Why's that?" She asked, wondering who among the Divine had a bone to pick with the big man upstairs. He had a lot of enemies, but few would dare fight him.

    "Just a gut feeling that someone or some group would want to strike now. Heaven is at its weakest in centuries even with him back at the helm and while we might not win, that's not to say other forces couldn't," Sirzech replied before he stood up.

    "Serafall, I want you to go to Kuoh Town," He then ordered as he turned to her, "Talk with Gabriel and Michael. Get as much information as you can. If they want something aside from what they already have, delay them and keep them distracted," and keep their sisters safe, remained unsaid between the two as she nodded and smiled back.

    "You can count on me!" She declared with a wink. With a goal in mind, she felt more at ease. The fact that she could go up to the human realm and talk to her baby sister was a huge plus. "I'll make sure your sacrifice is not in vain," She whispered to which her fellow siscon could only shake his head in wry amusement.

    Turning to the general, he then ordered, "Falbium, raise the banners but delay as long as you can."

    The Lazy Devil laughed as he asked him with a smirk on his face, "Are you really asking me not to do my work?"

    "Do you really want more work, Falbium?" Sirzech teased the man who held up his hand in surrender. Turning to the scientist, he then asked, "Ajuka, I'll need you to appease some of those that have their pieces lost due to god's actions. They might be an annoyance but they still lost their pieces."
    "It will be costly in terms of material but I can see what I can do," The man nodded. They were in full damage control mode and, now, it was up to them to keep everyone calm.

    "I'll deal with the families. Getting my relatives to reign in the Old Satan Faction should be doable," Sirzech then said as he walked up to the window overlooking the city they had built. They could lose this all if things come to blow. Never again, never again should blood be spilt, "If we are to keep the peace we won, we have to buy ourselves as much time as we can," he declared, a sentiment all of them echoed.

    The Star (Fallen Angels)

    The camp of the fallen angel was astir today as leaders among the Grigori, Azazle, and Kokabiel faced off inside an arena before their followers. "Is this really the hill you want to die on Kokabiel? Are you really going to piss me off just to show the world that your dick's the biggest there is?" Azazel asked as both men circled each other. While Kokabiel looked tense with his wings outstretched and in full display, Azazel looked at ease as his wings remained hidden while his spear dragged at the ground, marking it as they passed.

    "So what? I intercepted a message from heaven. What use are their words to our cause anyways? They cast us out from heaven when we were merely following the natural order of things. It's not our fault that humans are far too helpless for their own good," Kokabiel spat out heatedly. There were murmurs of agreement but it didn't phase the blonde one bit.

    Azazel could only snort out as he briefly looked to the stands to see the four that were involved in this incident. Through Kokabiels order, Raynere and her compatriots kept an important message from him and now he had to deal with the vampiric looking weirdo.

    "Cut the bullcrap Kokabiel, you're too much of a tryhard to go with such an angle anyway," Azazel fired back as he lifted up his spear and aimed it at the man, "Also, don't lump me with your pitiful cause. You rebelled due to your weird superior race kink bullshit, I, on the other hand, rebelled because breasts are the best! The only reason you're here is because you're mildly useful, but your recent actions are making me reconsider," He openly declared. He was a pervert, but he wasn't the type of pervert Kokabiel was. He was only annoyed at the fact that people actually listened to the man, but then again he was part of the original rebellion.

    The man scowled as he growled, "You've grown soft Azazel, maybe it's time for a change in leadership," Azazel had to hold himself back from rolling his eyes at the man's spiel. He almost toned the man out if not for the fact that he needed to hear him out for appearance sake, "If you surrender now, maybe I'll be merciful and cast you out instead of killing you where you stand. What do you say, old friend?" The man then offered, at which Azazel laughed.

    Grinning at the man, he gave him an answer that was worthy of such a dismal and quite frankly insulting offer, "If."

    It was all over in a flash. As soon as Kokabiel took his paltry bait, his fate was sealed. His fellow fallen angel dashed towards him with murderous intent, his spear pointed straight for Azazel's heart, yet he did not move. He merely smirked as the ground before Kokabiel glowed before it exploded upward with the force of a thousand suns, all thanks to the runes left behind by his spear. Half blinded and off-balance from the explosive runes that Azazel etched on the ground, he was left exposed. It was then Azazel lashed out.

    Kokabiel screamed as his arm was lopped off and sent tumbling away. With the dismembered limb still clutching his weapon, Kokabiel was figuratively and literally disarmed. The man fell to his knees as he clutched at his bleeding stump only for him to be sent flying backwards as his face met Azazel's boot.

    "Come on Kokabiel, is that it? I know you have some Phenex tears on you. Why don't you use it? I'll even wait for you to attach your arm back before we continue our fight," Azazel taunted the man as he stalked forward, his spear of light still slick with the blood of his fellow fallen angel.

    The bloodied and beaten man let out a high pitched scream of terror as he scrambled backward but he soon ran out of ground when his back met the wall of the pit. He almost felt pity seeing the wretch try to get away, almost, "Please, mercy! I give! I was wrong!" The man begged as he cried. All his bluster and pride melting away now that he was defeated.

    For good measure, Azazel kicked the fallen once more, sending him skidding across the arena floor, "Cross me one more time and it won't be just the arm that's coming off," He warned the man as he gestured for the medics to treat him, "Take him out of my sight," He spat out as they took the gibbering mess away.

    As much as he hated the man's guts he still needed him especially, with the old man coming back into play. He needed every last fallen angel working in concert if they were to survive this decade. Jumping up to the stand, the four cowered as he loomed over them, "Now, what will I do with you four idiots? Did you really think that I'd have Kokabiel carry out my will?" He asked them with an exasperated tone in his voice.

    "Azazel-sama! Please forgive us! We didn't know!" The smallest and youngest of the foursome folded first and soon the older of the two quickly followed, "You have to believe us Azazel-sama! We were merely following orders!"

    He honestly couldn't blame them as, after all, they were attached to his troublemaker: Raynere. He waved them off without a word, just wishing for them to go away so that he could deal with them later. They, however, were frozen in indecision and he was forced to shout at them, "Now, fuck off while I'm still in a good mood!"

    The trio quickly scattered, leaving him and Raynere alone. By this time, they were the only ones left in the Arena. Sighing tiredly and crossing his arms across his chest, he then asked, "So what's your excuse this time Raynere? What hare brained scheme were you pulled into this time."

    Under his disappointed stare, the girl broke into tears as she cried out for forgiveness, "I-I'm sorry," She whispered as she tried to stem the tide of tears only for them to fall nonetheless.

    "Oh now don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry. You're a big girl aren't you?" Azazel asked as he crouched down low and looked her in the eyes before he placed his hands on top of her head. The girl tensed up but quickly relaxed as he started stroking the girl's long silky hair.

    "Y-yes," the girl whispered, sniveling as she looked down in shame.

    "I'm not mad really. I'm just… disappointed. I know you're really doing your best but maybe the front line missions might not really be your thing," He then said, easing her in for his judgment. Raynare was just far too eager for her own good.

    "N-No! Please don't cast me away! No, not like this please!" The girl then pleaded.

    Grabbing her by the shoulders, he then assured her, "Raynere, I'm not casting you away. I'm merely going to be pulling away from the front and sending you somewhere safer, somewhere you'll be of great use to me," He could practically see the gears turning in the girl's head as fear gave way to the same enthusiasm that had him falling for her once upon a time.

    "Anything! Anything for you Azazel-sama!" the girl exclaimed.

    "Good. I need you to go back to Kuoh Town and apologize to the owner of the town along with the boy you almost killed. Go make yourself useful to them, offer them your help. Can you do that for me?" Azazel then ordered her. Ruffling her hair, he then stood up as he gazed upon the stars of the underworld. With God waking up, the cadre was packing up. After staying in this spot for so long, he had to admit that he's going to miss these stars, "You really had to go for the Boosted Gear user, huh? You know Vali would have gone after you if you pulled that thing off the kids soul and used it," He joked as he turned back to his wayward angel.

    "I can apologize to the two devils, but that pervert! That pervert punched me in the chest!" The girl fumed and he couldn't help but laugh at her misfortune. The girl pouted as she looked away.

    "No buts, I need some eyes there and best to mend relationships with those two. I don't want the actions of Kokabiel painting the Grigori as power hungry idiots," He then explained, hoping the girl could see his intentions. It wasn't her fault, it was that racist asshole's fault.

    Thankfully, the girl relented, "If that's what Azazel-sama wishes…"

    After sending her on his way with his blessing and a letter of apology, he went back to his tent to pack up the last of his belongings. There, however, he'd find a particular angel munching upon some of the apples he always kept near his person, "I have to say Azazel, you haven't lost your touch one bit. She was practically like putty in your hands," The red headed twin to a certain ninja said as he leaned against the support pillar.

    "Oh shut up, Sandalphon. I'm just trying my best to defuse her," He fired back as he walked up to his chair and slumped against the backrest. Running his hands across his face, he then added, "I really shouldn't have made her fall," He was horny and drunk and this particularly eager angel who had just gotten her wings somehow found him. The rest was history and here he was, dealing with such an emotional angel.

    "You reap what you sow," Sandalphan jabbed at him with a shit eating grin across his face.

    "Fuck you," He cursed him, flipping the bird at him to which he angel merely shrugged off, "I swear I would rather spend time with your twin sister rather than your smug ass. At least I can talk to her without insults, even if most of our talks are about ninjas and father," He groaned out. The headache he felt could only get so much worse.

    "You wound me," The boyish seraph replied as he feigned being hurt by his words.

    Still, the boy had a purpose and he could only tolerate him for so long, especially with the events that had happened today, "What does father want this time around? Getting them all to agree to talk is annoying as is so he can shove any more demands up his ass," He growled out threateningly as his patience was running thin.

    "So you probably don't want to see what's inside this letter then. As much as I want to take another peek inside, it's far too dangerous. Let me use your fireplace and burn these pictures," The boy then said as he waved a letter in front of him. His senses tingled as his eyes locked upon the photo-like imprint upon the folder.

    "Wait, wait wait, let's not get too hasty there," He called out as he got out of his seat to stop the boy. Quickly snatching away the letter, he quickly found the scent of his father all over it. Even buried under so many seals, he could feel that the letter was more than what it appeared. Still, he had an inkling of what was inside, and if their father was so desperate to use this to call him, something was up, "I'm listening."

    "Same old Azazel," Sandalphon replied before he gave his message, "Anyways, if you want to see the contents of this letter. Father asks for an audience with you before the meeting."

    "God fucking damn it old man, you're really forcing me here," He groaned out in frustration as his hands moved to throw the letter to the fire but… he held back and held the letter close.

    "You can take it or burn it, the choice is yours," The boy reminded him as he circled around him.

    Glaring at the seraph, he then asked, "Why the hell are you still here anyways?"

    "Watching you suffer is funny," Sandalphon chuckled as he spread his wings and backed away.

    "Fuck off, will you?" He waved him away, wishing for some time to think.

    "I'm glad that I got to see you again Azazel. Cyao,~" The seraph bid his goodbye and disappeared in a flash of light leaving him in his tent.

    Checking his tent for any spell or bug to spy on him, as well making sure that he was truly alone, he found nothing. Now finally and truly alone in the privacy of his tent once more, he could let loose and inspect his wings once more.
    Stretching his wings, he found the same twelve wings he had all his life with their dark feathers, save for the last pair which were now as pure as the day he was born. No longer were they stained and he could only point to one being responsible. If he wanted answers, he had to call him. With little choice left, he walked up to his chair once more. There was no use calling him when he wasn't comfortable.

    For a second he hesitated but he was quick to make up his mind as he tore open the letter before letting it down on his desk. Turning around, he came face to face with the man that threw him out of heaven.

    "Good evening father," He greeted the deceptively young looking God before his eyes wandered to the serpentine like spear clutched in his hands, "I see you brought him along."

    The Hierophant (Hero Faction)

    Deep within the Black Forest, the camp stood hidden from the greater world. Runic scripts and magical circles were carved upon the wooden palisade, hiding it from outsiders. While impressive in size and organization, it was merely a temporary camp as its inhabitants were always on the move. After all, they were the men and women who willingly joined the Khaos Brigade. These were the supposed heroes and heroines of the world, yet they had to hide like thieves for the church now hunted them with a passion equal to their hunt against those that threatened mankind.

    Amongst the camp followers, segregated and made to camp near the edge of the camp itself, was a lone man who trained even as his compatriots rested and regrouped. His form was impeccable, each movement without waste, as he struck with a dull and rusted spear which had seen better days. He flowed through the movements, his attacks striking true against his imaginary foe, yet he struggled as he forced himself to strike as many times as he could even when his form gave emphasis to the first strike.

    Up in the trees, a divine being watched the mortal man as he worked and modified his stance, adjusting his ways to strike with ceaseless energy, "Boy, why do you insist on training with a spear when your sacred gear has been locked away?" The god asked the man who kept training.

    "In fact, why train at all when, now, you're just a mere human. Without your spear, you are nothing but a burden," The god questioned him in an almost teasing manner with a smirk that spread across his face as he jumped down from his perch to observe him. The divine walked towards him, heedless of the potential danger that he could pose with the rusted, but still very sharp, weapon in hand, "You don't even attempt to use some of the last snakes specifically set aside for you. The only reason you haven't been cast out of this camp is due to me. Even your so-called friends have abandoned you. You're crippled, give up," The god derided him, discouraging him even further.

    It was only then did the man stop as he let out a sigh. Resting his weapon against his shoulder, the man then asked the god, "Do you really believe that the Longinus is what defined me, Lord Indra?" Even before the god, and with respectful tone, with how he spoke he showed no reverence as he gazed at the divine with boredom and apathy.

    Indra quirked a brow at the cocky man before firing back, "Am I not wrong Cao Cao?" Cao Cao could only sigh as he gazed down upon the spear that was once an active True Longinus. Once, it was a god killer, a spear capable of striking any being down but now it was nothing more than paper weight. It even took a more rusted and disused appearance now after its abilities were sealed.

    "Before the Christian god locked away my Spear, that might have been true. So blinded was I by its power, believing that the very world itself granted me such a gift to become a hero, that I did not realize I was more than just the wielder of such a powerful weapon. I had become arrogant and complacent, I had forgotten what I truly am," The man lamented as he clutched the spear before returning to work on his stance. His strike became sharper, his movement less hesitant as he trained his body to handle the new stance he adopted.

    "What are you then? Who are you really? Do you claim to be more than just the wielder of the True Longinus? Do you claim to be better than the very creation of gods?" The divine being questioned him, judging the man before him. Gone was the joviality in his tone as his gaze sharpened, his eyes narrowed as if daring him to say otherwise. Unfortunately for him, he was talking to no mere man.

    With conviction burning in his heart, the man shouted for all to hear, "Yes, for I am Cao Cao and I am the one that dares to strike against Heaven and claim what is rightfully mine!" Without a hint of hesitation, he turned against the divine that dared claim that he was done. He might have lost his weapon but he was still Cao Cao. With all his strength, he lashed out at Indra and the god dodged his attack.

    He could only smirk as the divine ran his hand across the thin line over his skin as the spear tore through his shirt starting from where the heart was over to his shoulder. The god scowled as he inspected the damage made against his being, "You have some guts boy, destroying my favorite shirt with a strike like that," Indra growled out as he glared up at him but he was unrepentant, proud of his actions. It was then that the god laughed and Cao Cao joined him, "But I like that. At least I know that such trivial matters didn't break the spirit of such a powerful hero in the making," The divine praised the man.

    "You doubted me, Lord Indra?" Cao Cao asked mirthfully as his smile now reached up to his eyes. Gone was the cocky young man that dared talk against the arrogant god, as now they stood as equals.

    "Just making sure is all. Now, how about you deal with those Exorcists that are bothering your friends," The god explained before he gestured at the walls of the camp that glowed a deep unsettling red as tongues of fire licked against the wooden palisade. Cries of warriors rang out as weapons clashed against one another while spells were thrown with reckless abandon.

    "Of course," The boy bowed, this time more respectfully, before he marched up to battle with a confident gait to his step.

    "Oh before you go, catch," The god called out and Cao Cao turned to find the god handing him the shaft of a mighty spear. He looked up at the god in surprise as the god pressed it into his hands before adding, "You still need a proper weapon. I'm sure you're familiar with Vasavi Shakti? She might not be my favorite spear, but she had served only one worthy master and that could soon change."

    Cao Cao smiled as he buried the tip of the True Longinus on the ground before testing the spear that Karna had once used and found it agreeing with him. The spear crackled with energy, singing a deadly hum as Cao Cao wielded it like he had used it all his life, "I'll be sure to make great use of this, my Lord," The man reassured him before he jumped into the fray.

    "You better," The god reminded him as he watched the ensuing carnage. With the longinus left behind, the god reached out to grab it only to find it crumbling under his touch. He could only scowl as the weapon turned to dust. The weapon was still there, but it had been hollowed out which explained how easily the man took the weapon of the gods without him writhing in pain, for Vasvi Shakti was a jealous spear that wished only itself to be used and nothing else. Still, he did gain a warrior out of it, which was plenty good enough in his eyes.

    A/N:

    Ain't this a beefy chapter. Almost went overboard with it packing as much detail as I can here. Thankfully, I just stopped shy of 8k words. Atleast now we have a picture on the worlds reaction or at least the relevent onces so far. Humans are confused and excited about the changes with some loud minorities being angry as expected. The devils meanwhile are in a pickle as they needed to respond to not look weak but not be forceful to go agains their own goal of peace. The fallen meanwhile shows how united and the heriophant? heh. Do you guys like him being in the mix? Let me your thoughts know down on the comments below.

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor. I need to remember to give him something nice later this year. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

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    Chapter 6: Doubt and Guilt
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    What is my Purpose?

    Absolution gazed upon the world as his angels sang him praise. He was God almighty and this was the world he governed. With the rising of the sun at the east, a new day dawns upon the heavenly kingdom and with it comes his duties as a ruler. The horns of heavens rang out, calling upon the souls of those who believed him. They came in their multitude, shepherded by his many angels as they were made to kneel before him.

    Young and old, the weak and strong, all stood before him as equals and each judged to the best of his abilities. At first, he breezed through the judgments, tossing those with sins into purgatory for their souls to be cleansed while those who lived righteous lives were allowed to pass through the pearly gates of paradise. Those who lived truly wicked lives, however, were forced down to the depths of hell where his love no longer reached.

    As more passed through, however, he started to falter. It took him more and more time to judge yet even as he started stumbling upon his words, they were forced through without care. He tried to reach out for those souls that were cast in the wrong place yet more were to be judged, making him unable to do so as he started making mistakes. He wanted to just stop and take a break, yet he'd find no respite as they kept coming, their voices blending in until all he could hear were the screams of everyone.

    Just as everything blurred to an almost incomprehensible mess, it stopped as he found himself face to face with a pale ghostly child, "Why didn't you save me?" She asked, cutting through the din and silencing all those within heaven. They stopped dead in their tracks as they turned towards him, staring at him,
    "W-what?" He choked out as he felt their judging eyes upon himself. He could feel himself shrink into his seat as sorrow gripped his heart. Why couldn't he save her? Why out of everyone else that he already saved, could he not add her as well?

    As this question gnawed away at his soul, another would soon follow as the bloody image of a boy now stood beside the girl, "Why? Why did you let evil exist? Why did you let them kill me and get away with it?" He questioned him in an accusatory tone even as his blank eyes stared right at his very soul. He flinched at the accusation, feeling its weight upon his shoulder as the boy continued, "They're still alive down there, living their lives in peace while I stand here before you."

    Before he could muster a response, the girl asked him once more. Tilting her head until he heard a sickening snap, she asked, "Aren't you god? Aren't you supposed to be omnipotent and omniscient? Shouldn't you know everything and do everything?"

    He screwed his eyes shut as he clutched on to his ears, hoping to block out these horrible words yet he'll find no respite. Despite his efforts, he was made to face them and he was forced to answer, "I-I'm trying! I haven't left my seat in ages. I couldn't even stand the last time I stood up!" He replied, trying to excuse himself yet he knew it rang hollow. He could have done something yet he didn't. He had just sat there, doing everything in his power yet more and more of the dead called upon him.

    "Trying?" The multitude hissed out as the angels around him frowned and slammed the butt of their spears on the floor which had him jump in surprise.

    "Are you, perhaps, not really God?" The girl asked him as she walked up to him, stepping upon the stairs leading to his throne.

    "I-I, I am!" He frantically claimed. He could not tell a soul that he wasn't god, that he wasn't who they thought he was. He could not let this illusion fail else his people would lose hope. Why would they listen to him if they knew he lied? Despite his best efforts, however, the damage was already done as the angels raised their spears and leveled them against him.

    "Why do you lie?" The boy asked as he followed his companion. In desperation, he fired a blast of energy at them yet all that came out was a mere trickle of light that washed over their form like a drop of water against solid rock. He stared in horror at his shaking hands as the twelve seraphs landed around him, surrounding from all sides.

    "You should just leave, you're not worthy of his seat," Michael spoke to him as he looked down upon him in barely concealed anger. He wanted to run, to just hide and never look back yet he was frozen in his seat, unable to even muster up the strength to stand up.

    His eyes looked around frantically, searching, begging for help before they landed upon the crying visage of sweet Gabriel, "Don't you feel ashamed?" She asked him with a whimper that cut through his very soul.

    "Faker," Raphael accused him with a disappointed shake of his head.

    "Fraud," Uriel sneered at him as they looked away in disgust at his deception.

    "Liar!" Metatron screamed out at him as tears streamed down her face. He wanted this to end, he wanted everything to stop. He didn't want any of this in the first place. The only reason why he kept up the act was he wanted to help. He just wanted to give everyone the smile they deserved.

    As the boy and girl now stood before him, he felt dread well up to his chest. His heart thundered inside his chest as it threatened to burst out. He wanted to look away yet his eyes were locked upon those empty pits that were the windows to their souls, "You should just die. Don't worry, let us help you," The girl whispered as Uriel gave her her sword. Raising the flaming blade high, it loomed overhead, threatening to split him in twine.

    Just as the girl was about to strike him down, a figure suddenly burst into the scene. He watched as small dainty hands wrestled the blade away from the ghostly figure before him before the mysterious figure screamed at him, "No! Don't listen to them! Wake up!"

    Absolution jolted awake as Asia looked at him in concern as she grabbed hold of his shoulders, shaking him awake. He looked around frantically, eyes searching for the figures in his dream yet he found no one but Asia as he found himself on the floor of his workshop.

    His heart was pounding while his ears rang and the very walls of his room seemed to loom over everything. Terror gripped his heart as he looked up at Asia, but he didn't find accusatory eyes looking back at him. All he saw was a look of concern before she pulled him into a tight hug.

    He felt himself freeze in her hold until he realized how frantic his breathing was. Screwing his eyes shut, he took deep calming breaths to steady his heart. Slowly, his heart settled down. His hands stopped shaking and the ringing stopped, leaving him with only the soothing hum of his angel with the world coming back into focus. He hated how he clung onto her for his dear life but he needed this. Just a month in god's shoes and he was already starting to show cracks, some deity he was.

    "Everything's alright, there's nothing to be worried about," The human turned angel whispered soothingly as he felt her hands stroke his back. He felt ashamed that he needed to be calmed down and comforted like a scared kid, but that was what he was truly inside. Despite all the time he had growing up, he was still that kid that was afraid.

    "You know, I should be the one comforting people, not the one being comforted," He choked out as he tried to make light of the situation. He couldn't afford to let them see weakness, but here he was, close to tears. He felt cold yet the warmth of Asia's hug melted away the fears and doubt and allowed him to forget.

    "Oh hush you, you deserve just as much love as any other being, even if you're god," She scolded him without heat as he laughed weakly. With Asia, he felt all his worries melt away. With no expectations to live up to, he could be himself for once and let go of the mask he had been made to wear.

    They held each other with Asia refusing to let go until he finally stopped shaking. With heat returning to his checks, he finally pulled away and Asia helped him up so that they could sit somewhere more comfortable than the cold floor.

    Together, they sat in silence, just enjoying each other's presence in the privacy of the room attached to his bedroom. This was his study and here they were surrounded with nothing but rows upon rows of books of all manners, topics, and languages. Now that he was no longer trapped in his nightmare he remembered exactly why he was here. To think that he'd fallen asleep trying to learn as much as he could about devil kind. If Asia didn't come to his aid when she was bringing him his breakfast, he didn't know what else he could have seen in his nightmare.

    Before he could put himself down any further, Asia cut through the silence as she suddenly spoke up, "You know, the teachers in my school had me believing you're a benevolent king, wise beyond measure and all powerful," She recounted with a soft smile upon her face while she stared off into the distance, no doubt remembering much simpler times.

    He could only sigh and smile sadly at her as he replied, "I'm not living up to expectations, huh?" Some god he was, unable to solve things that he should. He could solve everything… if only he just pushed himself just a bit more.

    "Nope!" The girl all too happily replied, which had him almost reeling in pain. What he didn't expect was the words that followed, "You actually exceeded mine," she admitted as she gave him the widest and brightest smile that she could possibly make.

    He could only turn to her in surprise as he stared at her, wondering if she was merely joking, yet he found no falsehoods nor lies in those innocent blue eyes of hers. She was just being herself, speaking out what she had in her heart.

    "I thought you were going to be a distant man, but it turns out you're far more human than I thought you would be," She admitted, making him panic for a bit only for him to calm down as she elaborated, "Maybe that's why those who first worshiped you followed you. Because you understood them, because you could be with them and be happy with them."

    The words that soon followed had him nearly brought to tears once more. "I'm glad that you're you," she said to him. He pursed his lips, doing his best to hold back the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks as he rubbed them out of his eyes.

    Why did the first followers of God choose him over all the others? There were many more people as powerful as he was in that part of the world, as his new memories would remind him. He had yet to grow up and become the power house that he was now. There were even times that the Egyptians were the masters, yet they kept their belief in him. Was it truly as simple as God being willing to walk with them?

    "Am… Am I doing enough?" He then asked. Despite Asia's comforting words, some of the doubt still lingered inside him, eating away at him. There were angry prayers, yes, but there wasn't yet one cursing him for doing nothing. He feared the day that he had to face someone who he and his predecessors failed.

    "I'm doing the best that I can but it feels like I'm not doing enough. I could do so many things but here I am, stuck in my study trying to solve a problem," He shared it with her openly. His own senses could only take him so far as devils were living things, living beings with souls just as complex as any others. They had their wants, their needs, their aspirations. If he were to solve the problem heaven and humanity had with the devils, he needed to understand them.

    "Yes," Asia all too easily answered.

    "But-" he tried to reason with her only for her to hush him as she placed a dainty finger upon his lips.

    Giggling, her fingers traced down to his chest as she began, "It doesn't matter how many you saved nor who you saved, what matters is that you're doing your best to save people," Her fingers soon settled upon his heart as she added, "When you're deep in the dark, having someone reach out to you and pull you up means the world to everyone so please, don't be sad."

    He was awestruck, unable to even reply as Asia pushed all his doubts away. At that very instant, he knew deep in his heart that he did good. Unable to hold himself back, he reached out and grabbed on to Asia. His hands wrapped around her as he pulled her into a tight hug even as she panicked, "Thank you Asia, thank you for everything," He thanked her.

    "My lord! This is improper!" the girl squawked in protest but he laughed as he nuzzled close to her.

    "Nope! You deserve all the hugs in the world," He exclaimed as joy filled his heart once more. Asia might not know it but her words meant the world to him.

    After a bit, he finally let go of the flustered angel as she straightened the feathers she had. Now that he could get a look at her, he noticed that she sported an extra set of wings from her initial four. She was already growing strong, even after just being an angel for a short time.

    All things soon came to an end as he heard a call from within the castle proper. The voice of Sariel reached out far and wide for all to be heard. The training of God's flock was to start and there was hell to pay for any late comers.

    "I'm terribly sorry, but Sariel wants me in the training yard. With Gabriel out on a mission, my training falls to her and well… I'm not sure I'm living up to her expectations," Asia apologized as she clutched onto her wings for comfort.

    "You'll do fine, I believe in you," He cheered her on as he gave her a pat on the head. She looked like she wanted to protest even more with her burning cheeks but she merely kept quiet as she just let him pet her.

    Asia soon excused herself once more before leaving, finally giving him privacy once more. He turned back to the half forgotten tray of food by the wayside. With a nod, he grabbed the food and ate it with gusto, even if it had long since become cold and stale. He still had more work to do and the problems of the world weren't going to fix themselves if he didn't get to work.

    Sweat dripped down his forehead as his fingers approached a drop of blood atop a glass slide. While from a distance it seemed innocuous, up close it was anything but that. Dark particulates of solidified magic congealed the sanguine liquid, turning it into some form of viscous jelly. This was the blood of a demon afflicted with the dread sleeping sickness and so far it had been resistant to his attempt to remove it from the person.

    His digits trembled despite his efforts to keep it steady. Aiming it as the drop, a ray of light then shot out for the briefest of seconds as the drop jiggled. For a moment, nothing happened and he thought he had severely underpowered his shot until the blood cleared and became liquid once more.

    He nearly jumped in joy as he pumped his fist. Finally, progress! His celebration was short lived however as a burning smell permeated his workshop and he turned to find the blood burning up. He slumped against his seat as he attempted to heal demonic flesh. While he could stop his holy energy from interacting with select individuals, when the time came that it had to interact with it in any way… things started to burn.

    "I'm sorry Ingvild, it seems like my treatment isn't working," He apologized to his patient as he pushed her bed back to Raphael's hospital. He might be god, but Raphael had far more experience with healing with his focus upon that of heavenly art.

    He then pushed his wheeled seat away as he spun around, wondering where things went wrong with his treatment. He was still unsuccessful in treating the symptoms. While he knew where this malaise came from, that from the very soul of a devil itself, he couldn't quite interact with it in fear of burning them up from the inside out. It was a miracle unto itself and a testament to the great genius of the Sacred Gear that it somehow integrated well with the soul of a half-devil without burning them up in the process. He should probably look in that.

    Speaking of soul stuff, he turned around and stared at the pile of crystalline chess pieces he had taken out so far. Taking them out was easier than he expected. With all the holy magic he had in his disposal he managed to heal the literal hole he made ripping them out. The problem was that the thing that filled up the hole was neither human nor devil but something more akin to what Ingvild had. He lacked the know-how to deal with devil physiology, but at least now he just had a bunch of confused half devils instead of a bunch of scared reincarnated devils.

    Closing his eyes, he opened them up to see that Raphael was checking on them along with a whole host of angels. None so far seemed to have mutated into monstrosities, but they were shadowed by an angel after the procedure. Satisfied with what he saw, he closed his eyes once more and his consciousness returned to his main body.

    He threw up his hands in frustration as he decided it was not worth pursuing this avenue any further until Raphael had more information on Devil, or at least Half Devil, Physiology. Heaven didn't exactly envision a time when the enemy was in need of a care that the other side couldn't provide all on their own, which led to an empty library concerning devils that wasn't about how to deal with them and defeat them.

    Leaving Ingvild to rest for now, he turned to the one thing he knew he could do without problem. Walking up to a certain shelf, he pulled on one book and a door nearby soon came into being. Looking around and making sure no one else was watching, he opened it to reveal a dark and dusty staircase that went on without seeming to end.

    Descending down the hidden passage, he soon entered a room long hidden from even his most trusted Angels. Down he went with the steps going on until he finally arrived in front of a door. Looking up, he saw the seemingly infinitely deep room just a floor below. Turning back to the door, he opened it to reveal one of the most important rooms in all of creation. There, beneath heaven, was the forge where the Sacred Gears were made.

    It was but a humble forge whose fire never seemed to go out, even with the lack of coal to power it. In contrast to heaven above, the dark soot covered walls had seen better days. The lack of windows, low ceiling, and the dim lighting from the fire of the forge serving as its only light source made it quite a claustrophobic experience. The half finished weapons and materials inside told of a different story, however.

    They were unlike any other mortal or divine creation. Even without focusing on them, he could feel them thrumming with power. Metals glowed with an unearthly power as the souls of great creatures and beings that had succumbed to the might of heaven were stored in the very fires of the forge itself.

    This was where the true sacred gears were made ,and here he shall make a weapon that would be essential for the future, call it a contingency plan if you will. He was courting Ophis with his little trinket, so it was best to have something to protect himself just in case. The fact that it would deny his enemies a tool that they could use against him later was just icing on the proverbial cake.

    With a snap of his fingers, the torches lining the walls of his forge lit up while the fire burned even brighter. The soot and dust covering the walls faded away while the tools left around returned to their proper place. Even the walls and floor stretched, providing him far more room to stretch and even fly around if he wished. Walking around, he found that it was far more agreeable. He could finally get to work.

    Closing his eyes, he reached in deep into his core. The burning light of his divinity shone as he reached out across time and space, far beyond the realm of heaven and further than the mortal planes. He reached out further, letting his light touch the deepest darkest hole where his predecessor hid a great evil. For the first time in ages, his voice echoed through that desolate place as he gave his command, "To you my accursed creation, I call upon you once more. Rise, Samael!"

    The light of the room dimmed as darkness started to bubbled from the cracks in the cobble stone floor before him. It crawled outwards, creating a hole from which no light could reach the bottom. Chains then shot out from deep within, burying themselves upon the roof of his forge as his prisoner was winched up.

    As soon as the chains started creaking, he felt the hair behind his neck rise up. He could feel his teeth hurt from the deep sound and the feeling of revulsion only got worse as he felt the twisted, tainted blood coming from below. He almost gagged as bile rose up to his throat as a deep unsettling feeling of revulsion overcame his senses. He almost didn't catch his hands as he grabbed a sword by instinct, but he caught them just in time to stop himself from cutting the chains holding this thing that he was pulling up.

    From the depths of Cocytus came God's worst mistake, the angel Samael bound in all his glory. As the cross to which that Angel was nailed and chaine too came to view, he could finally see the creature that made man destroy Eden so as to spite humanity for taking what they so arrogantly claimed as theirs. Half angel and half dragon in appearance, this creature represented the very idea that all things come to an end, that there is no infinity in this world, there is only extinction waiting at the finish line and his body hated it with every fiber of his being.

    "Hello, Samael," He whispered as he walked up to the bleeding and wretched creature before him. With his eyes gouged out with large iron spikes and his mouth gagged with thorny plants, he was but a shadow of himself, but even in his state the creature forced its body to look at him. He struggled at his bonds, his screams of anger muffled while tears of blood started dripping down their faces.

    Memories of the time of the fall of Eden came to him unbidden. All the senseless death brought about by that cataclysmic event. The death of paradise, of how man broke free and was pushed on the destructive path they tread today. All of it, brought about by a single angel who whispered to man's ears of how to kill and destroy.

    Despite their tongue cut out and their mouth wrapped with ever regrowing plant vines, he could still make out the question that they had been meaning to ask him all this time. 'Why? Why have you forsaken me? Why did you abandon me for these humans? They who destroy without care, they who hate and lie,' the fallen angel hissed out through their bindings as blood dripped down to floor. The air around the creature rippled as if it was burning while the floor and ceiling bubbled and melted from the mere proximity to the once holy being.

    "You know full well what you did. You could have just let them be, you could have watched them grow with me yet…" He spoke to him, letting all the words that his predecessors come to him. He could still feel the hate that lingers in his heart, the anguish of losing his hard work to this being, "You chose to trick them and have them turn against the Eden we made. You had them destroy paradise," He accused him, letting the weight of the crime fall upon their shoulders yet they only answered with hate.

    'They chose that path! Death! Death to all these flawed and filthy humans!' They spat out as they redoubled their struggle, wanting nothing more than the destruction of all he held dear, that of humanity.

    He laughed at their futile attempt which only served to anger them even more, "You call them flawed, yet all I see in them is the potential to grow and prosper further than any being ever could. They have their faults, yes, yet for all their misgivings they strive to change and be better. Even after destroying Eden, they still strive to achieve that impossible dream once more," He fired back. As destructive as humans became, despite all the knowledge they possessed leading them down a dark path, they still strove to correct themselves. They still wanted to be good.

    "You, on the other hand, remained hateful. Not even imprisonment could change you. So consumed are you with your hate that it poisoned even your very blood," He spat out as the creature bit through the vines and roared out, only for his cries to be muffled once more as the vines filled his open mouth.

    "For all your faults, however, for all your failings, and all of what you have done, I refuse to be like you," Absolution continued, refusing to turn away from the monster that his predecessor made. As much as his past self wanted to bury this fault, to hide it away and not let the sun reach it, Samael would still remain. He could move him to a far more secure prison, maybe even end him, but for what? He was a problem that had festered for far too long, it was time he ended this once and for all.

    With a wave of his hands, the chains fell away and Samael fell down to the floor writhing in pain. The spikes driven into eyes were pulled out while the thorns that served to silence him were removed. The man was left panting and shaking as the thousands of years of anguish ended. Without a minute of hesitation, he leapt at him with murderous intent but Absolution merely accepted his hate and all that he was for his word was final.

    "I… I forgive you," he said, making the half blinded man freeze in his step just as he was about to drive his hands into his throat. He could see the man's jaw slackened as his hands trembled. The angel's fist opened up and for the first time in ages, a semblance of sanity returned to him.

    He reached out to him and he pulled the creature in his embrace. As repulsed as he was, as much as his hands wanted to rip them apart, he held back as he pushed forward, "No longer will you be chained for all eternity. No longer shall you experience anguish. Your stations beside me shall be restored," he announced as he felt the angel tremble in his hold.

    Their confusion would short lived as the light started pouring into their twisted body, filling him with the holy energy he had long rejected. The fallen creature screamed in agony as they tried to get away but he kept hold of him, refusing to let go, "Yet… you will feel nothing, for your body will no longer house your essence. While I have forgiven you, your sentence has merely been changed," he declared and upon his words, their body started to crack and warp.

    "I recognize that you will never change and thus, your nature shall be put to better use!" He shouted as the creature was pulled in on itself, forced into an unnatural shape as their very flesh and blood became lustrous metal, "Your bones and flesh shall be turned to gold and steel so that they may be shaped. Your wings shall be bent and broken so that they can become the blade to which my enemies shall bleed," he commanded and reality followed as he reformed the murderous creature.

    There was fear in the creatures eyes as what little sanity they had left surfaced, but he couldn't stop now, now that he had stripped them of their shell and revealed their very core, "That hate which has become your very being shall become the poison which weakens and kills all those whom I strike. Your very being now, even distilled down to a deadly point, shall be used to serve humanity," He uttered and, thus, the fallen was silenced and in his hands was a weapon fit for a hunter, a spear of bone and metal decorated with the teeth of a dragon.

    He held onto the spear, letting its form settle until all their essence was bound to this new form, "Rejoice Samael, for you shall fight with me once more," He whispered as he clutched the spear close to himself even as the once living being became nothing more than a weapon in his hand.

    "I'm sorry Samael, I shouldn't have tossed you aside," He apologized once more as his heart finally let go of the hate, of the anguish and the sorrow. The past had long since past, now he moved forward and so too shall his soul.

    For the first time in ages, he felt Samael still as the spear in his hands became whole. While his wayward angel could no longer speak, he could still feel his emotions now that his very soul was in his hands. From spiteful hate down to begrudging acceptance, his weapon accepted him wholeheartedly as its master.

    "It's good to have you back," He whispered with a soft smile across his face as he slung the spear over his shoulder. He was about to find himself a strap to which to attach to his new found weapon when something called upon his attention.

    He turned around as his gaze reached out to the place where the fallen hid as his beacon flashed into being. It was small, minute, and almost imperceptible to the senses as to avoid alerting his prodigal children's enemies, but still distinct enough for his own that he could pick it up even as he felt it pulse in the depths of hell. His gaze might be obscured by the powerful wards they had erected, but now that his gaze fell upon them, he could see them in their totality.

    He blinked as the walls melted away to be replaced by the luxurious tent of a general out on his campaign. Gone were the crummy walls of his forge as the scenery was replaced with that of resplendent gold ornaments and luxurious silk. The smell of sex and alcohol hanging in the air had him feeling heady as it mixes with the incense burning over the braziers.

    Sitting by the fireplace was a man with a mop of blonde hair that elicited both fondness and disappointment in his heart. Turning around, the man gave him quite the sardonic smile. Finally, he could finally talk to him and end this stupid fight once and for all.

    "Good evening, father," Azazel greeted him before the fallen angel's eyes wandered over to his new weapon, "I see you brought him along."

    "I felt like it was appropriate for this family reunion of ours," He fired back as he walked over to a nearby weapon rack and placed it upon the highest perch. Now disarmed, he turned around and gestured towards one of the cleaner seats in the tent, "Mind if I take a seat?"

    Azazel sighed as he reached up for the bridge of his nose and pinched it, "Be my guest," the man grumbled. At least he wasn't met with hostilities he thought as he plopped down on the large beanie bag.

    A/N:

    Going to admit, this one took a damn while to make. With the end of that mini arc, I found myself picking up the old pieces I laid down and trying to make something coherent. There was a lot of stuff going on but thankfully, I managed to wrangle it to this. I had to delay Azazel's meeting for next time as I really couldn't fit that in. Far too good of a scene to waste on just a few words. Also, it might have been better to slice last chapter into two pieces cause you guys missed Samael. I really thought you guys would notice him but then again, there was a shit ton of stuff.

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank vyor who is the reason why my shit is readable . I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

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    Chapter 7: Rebellion and Regrets
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Rebellion and Regrets

    Absolution sighed as he leaned in against his seat, taking in deep calming breaths to tame the anger and disappointment that came unbidden when he gazed up at Azazel. As much as he wanted to think he was in charge, he still had remnants, the burning embers, of those before him inside his heart. All the pain and sorrow just bubbling to the surface, threatening to spill over. Still, he did not let it win, forcing it down as he reminded himself why he wanted to talk to Azazel; he wanted to end this rebellion.

    "So what can I get you old man? Whisky, Vodka, Absinthe, or just plain old wine?" Azazel asked as he walked up to a rather erotically decorated alcohol cabinet, with carvings of nuns doing it with angels, and riffled through the selection, "I know I have some Judean vintage around here. Remember Solomon? Good times, good times."

    "I'll have some Absinthe if you will. I've always been curious about what it tastes like," He replied honestly. He really was curious about what it tasted like and all he'd ever had in heaven was wine. Besides, riding the green dragon seemed like a fun idea. Who knew, maybe it could ease him up for later.

    The man paused as he looked back at him before snorting and cracking a cocky grin, "Looks like someone's feeling adventurous today," The man chuckled as he pulled out a green tinged bottle, some short stemmed glass with bulging bottoms, a perforated spoon, and some sugar cubes. With a snap of his finger, a small decanter appeared with mist wafting from its surface as it came into contact with the air inside the tent.

    He watched in fascination as the Fallen Angel placed the sugar cube atop the spoon before letting water from the decanter wash over the sugar as it was held over the drink. He leaned closely as the man stirred the drink, producing a milky liquid from the previously clear drink they had, "One order of Absinthe, on the house," The man then said as he offered the drink.

    He smiled back as he grabbed the drink and without a second of hesitation, downed it. That might've been a mistake, however, as he ended up coughing; the taste of licorice flooding his mouth. He blanched at the taste as he set it aside. It looked cool, but it was more of an acquired taste from the feel of it.

    The fallen angel laughed at him while he could only pout back in response, "Maybe something more familiar," The man then said as he picked up the drink and downed it without any problem before pouring Absolution a cup of wine.

    The man returned to his seat, nursing himself another cup of Absinthe while he was left with his cup of wine. With drinks served and the tension in the room easing up, they could finally talk. The jovial look on the gruff looking man slowly faded away as his gaze hardened, his eyes watching him while Absolution drank his wine to wash away the taste of his first drink, "Let's cut to the chase, what the hell do you want, old man? You clearly need something from me if you're using that, so spill," He asked him as he took a sip from his cup.

    Absolution felt a grin spread across his face as he answered, "I'm going to allow Angels to have sex with someone outside of marriage." Oh he was going to tell him about the truce, but it felt like it would be better for his hedonistic son to hear some good news before they got to some of the heavier stuff. The coughing fit the blonde had was just a happy coincidence.

    "W-what?!" The man coughed out, wiping away a stray tear from his eyes as he looked at him in surprise while he pounded on his chest.

    "Well, I'm actually lowering the restrictions I have on angels such as falling due to the slightest hiccups because I just realized how restrictive it was, but yes, it's mostly for sex. Angels can now have sex outside of marriage if there's no cheating or any depraved shit involved," He explained. The system in place was truly insane. Yes, Angels were different from humanity but this wasn't humane. He did not need that much control over the lives of angels when he already had enough with humans.

    "I swear you did that on purpose," The man growled out without heat in his tone as he tried to clear his throat before asking, "If that's your pitch to get me back to your side, you have to offer something better."

    Absolution quirked an eyebrow at the man as he asked him in turn, "Was it that obvious?" He had to remind himself that despite all the hedonistic tendencies and easy going attitude that the man exuded, he could be surprisingly sharp when he wanted to be.

    Fixing his coat and leaning back on his seat, he replied, "Let's state the obvious shall we? You asked for a meeting with us, the Grigori, your sons that rebelled against you. You then asked for a private meeting with me before our official meeting and you offered this to me, the Seraph who specifically fell because of a woman. Tell me it's anything else other than a bribe," Once he listed it out, his intentions were far more obvious than he had intended.

    Raising his hands in surrender, he admitted, "Yes, if you look at it from a certain point of view, what I offer is nothing short of a bribe."

    "At Least you're being honest this time around," The man replied with a wry smile stretched across his face. Leaning back against his seat and getting comfortable, he gestured to him to continue as he added, "So, let's hear what you got, old man. Maybe this time, it'll be different eh?"

    Forcing down the anger he felt from the slight, he sat up straight and squared himself up. Looking back at the fallen angel, he then opened up, "Azazel, I want this war to end. It's been going for way too long. I'm tired, we all are. It's time we stop this."

    Azazel frowned, his eyes narrowed as he kept quiet, refusing to speak; but he was still listening, his attention to him unwavering. Absolution's eyes soon trailed to the man's back, finding the lack of his wings all the more apparent with all the angels walking outside with their wings outstretched. It seemed that his intent was already bleeding into the system, even if he hadn't implemented it just yet.

    "You've seen your wings recently?" He prodded, wondering if his hunch was right, that the man's wings had started to shed some of its stained color.

    With sigh, the man extended his wings and, sure enough, one of them was as white as the purest of clouds, "Ahh, so that's why. Getting soft, old man? I have to admit, I'm a bit touched but I liked my wing when it was a little bit darker," the man fired back as he cradled his changed wings, the colors slowly fading away and even some revealing the feathers underneath.

    He smiled softly as he nodded. He wanted not only this war to end but for his fallen return under his fold. This wasn't just a war between two factions but between brothers and sisters and this wound had festered for so long. Looking up at the man with pleading eyes, he then asked him, "I know my words might ring hollow but please, more than enough blood and tears have been shed. Do we really need more to end this?"

    This war had gone on almost as long as he had been worshiped down below, maybe even before the start of his war against Devil kind, but it was so far behind it was getting hazy. Still, the momentum of the war could change and it would not be in the favor of the Fallen. He knew that Azazel was quite aware of it, how the fallen would not gain more followers with his loosened hold on his host. It was not out of naivete that he was letting them be but out of love, love and the trust that all children should have when making their own decisions.

    This war would not last through this decade, or maybe even this year, if things went as he intended. He could end it right now, but he did not want it to end in bloodshed, he did not want siblings to keep on fighting when they could be together once more.

    Even his more pragmatic side told him that having the fallen would be far more beneficial than having them wiped off the earth. Even if he had to imprison the irredeemable monsters and keep them on a tight leash, the sheer number of experienced angels he could add to his force far outweighed the benefits of winning the war through force. Hell, Kokabiel could be an asset despite his bias telling him he should be removed from the equation through violence.

    "I'm going to give the Grigori a way out. Anyone willing to repent can return. I can forgive the causes of the fall, but I can't forgive what those under your banner did afterwards. If they want to return, I need to hear that they know their faults. I need to know that they're willing to change," He then offered. Yes, he was going to take them back in, but he wasn't blind to the fact that the Grigori made and sheltered some monsters.

    He still understood why, however, it was simply due to sheer pragmatism. If one was against a force like heaven, one had to be quite ruthless to even survive, and survive they did. If he was to offer them a way out, a way to finally end this backed against the wall mentality, he could ease them back into becoming true and proper angels and have one less bastion for the wicked to hide under. So long as they're willing to change and, despite his own interest, he needed to forgive.

    Leaning closer and locking eyes with his wayward son, he then said, "And I need you to accept this Azazel. I know I can't turn back the clock as such, I can't undo what has been done, but we can work on what's before us." As it stood, only a few of the fallen would truly listen to him, those that were far too tired or had just recently fallen. If Azazel was to accept, however, more of the fallen would as well.

    The man flinched away, indecision creeping in his eyes as he clenched them tight before he opened them up and all he saw was sorrow, "As tempted as I am old man, I can't," The man replied sadly as he clenched his fist tight until it became white.

    "Just like you said, so much blood and tears have been shed. Countless people, both angels and alike, died all because of the crime that we fell in love," he growled out as images of a world drowned under the weight of a flood unlike any other came to mind. The dying pleading, clinging onto the side of an ark, praying to him only to be silenced forever more as the cold embrace of the water took them. He remembered and there was nothing he could say to ease the pain in the man's eyes, "Even after all these years, it still hurts."

    "Far too much blood has been spilled and to let it all go with us crawling back to you on our knees?" He spat out, chuckling bitterly as he shook his head. "I just can't… I can't accept it in good faith," He whispered as Absolution stood there, looking at the broken man before him. As much as he smiled, as much time had passed, there were still bits and pieces that had yet to be glued back into place.

    "We've done this before, old man," He then said tiredly, his voice cracking a bit before he poured himself a whole glass worth of the green liquid, downing it without a second thought. He leaned back, remembering the times that his incarnations tried. They tried to make it work but it failed, it always failed, "You make your offer, yet all that is just that, meaningless words without action. What guarantee do we have that you will not just turn on us once we're back under your fold? What assurance do we have that you will not wipe us all out once you gather us all up?" He questioned him, his hackles raised as heat filled his tone.

    "We've done this song and dance twice already, and this one's the third time. What makes this one so different? Why should I accept your offer?" He asked him through tired eyes. What could he do? What could he offer? He was God, he could easily give something, anything, but he could just as easily take it away. For a man burnt before, Azazel was no fool. How could he fault him for not trusting him when hostilities between the fallen and Heaven had yet to cease?

    "I can't… I don't know anything that could offer to change your mind," He admitted, defeat coloring his tone. Even if he were to change his mind, even if he were to make the angels free, what would stop him from taking it all away? What could they do aside from falling all over again but this time, Heaven was far more prepared for them. He simply had nothing to give.

    Standing up, he apologized to the man, "I'm sorry I wasted your time," He felt ashamed of himself to think that he could fix this with such half baked proposals. In the end, he wasn't better than those before him

    "You know the way out," The man said coldly, gesturing at the part of the tent where he appeared.

    With a heavy heart, he grabbed on to Samael as he prepared to leave but he stood there rooted, his heart still warring. As much anger he had in his heart, there was still regret in it. He could leave and never look back, never talk to the man again out of respect, but there were still words he had yet to say, that God had yet to say to his child. If this was going to be one of the last times he'd see Azazel, best to make it last.

    "Before I go, I'd just like to tell you something, something I should have told you all those years ago," He spoke up as he turned to the man who looked back at him dispassionately. He tried to speak up but he found himself unable. He wanted to speak yet he couldn't, but he would not be cowed, he would not be bowed. Steeling himself, forcing the pride that was in his heart down, he then said, "I-I was wrong Azazel. I was so fucking wrong."

    The man's eyes widened in surprise as he sat there, mouth slightly agape at the words he spoke. It hurts to admit it, his heart aching but he fought it every step of the way as he powered on, letting the regrets of long past spill forth to one of his once most beloved, "I should have listened to you, I shouldn't have punished you so severely when you brought me your firstborn child. I should have supported you, but instead, in my arrogance, I lashed out."

    These hands he now had were not clean, they were merely hidden away, his eyes refusing to see what was always there, "I was blinded by my own hubris, it was my mistake yet I punished you instead of myself," He admitted and he knew peace. As much as his body refused to speak, once those words were uttered, he felt a weight upon his shoulder lighten. He was no longer bound with regret, one more specter of the past moving on.

    Wiping away a tear from his face, he turned around and reached out to heaven once more. He had been gone long enough, it was time for him to return to his throne and shepherd the living as was his duty forever more. He stopped, however, as Azazel called out.

    "... Hey old man, why do you really want us back? You know you have the upper hand. Most of the upper cadre's dead already and you can easily just crush us with all the angels you can make," the man asked, making him turn back. There was still pain in those eyes but they had been tampered with curiosity and just a smidgen of hope, "Just satisfy my curiosity for once ok?" The man asked as he averted his gaze while scratching the back of his head.

    "Honestly?" He replied, his mind coming back to all the faults that both of them made, "I just wanted to fix an old wrong. Everyone should have the chance to turn their lives around and I have to remind myself that I can make mistakes too. I needed to face the consequence of my actions," He then said. Azazel wasn't the mistake, he was simply the result of his predecessor's bungled policy. Could he really hate the man who only fell in love?

    "I fucked up, we both did, and I kinda want both of us to correct those mistakes together," He continued with a self depreciating smile on his face. While he didn't fuck up himself, per say, he was still here and he could atleast do his best to fix it.

    "I should have realized all those days ago that I could have done better. I really shouldn't have forgotten underneath all that you became, you're still that curious little angel who wanted to make toys with me," He said, his mind showing him long buried memories, precious scenes of a boy climbing up his lap as he made the first weapons to bind a monster so that mankind would no longer fear them.
    The man's face immediately lit up as panic overcame his sorrow, "O-oy! I told you not to bring that up ever! That's so fucking unfair!" He shouted, making him laugh in turn. Times like this made him remember that his angels were his children. He wondered if this was what it truly felt like to be a parent. To be so angry yet still love them with all their heart.

    Looking out of the tent, his gaze landed upon these Fallen who, despite their failings, were still angels at heart. Even as they packed things, they helped each other as siblings ought to do. There was ribbing and heckling, but they were just being their truest selves.

    "I also don't want to make more angels just for the purpose of war. If I'm going to make more of you, I'm gonna give them a purpose worth living for, something to keep them going even when I go away," He told him, making a silent vow to never force an angel into being with sapience for the sole purpose of being a tool, "I want to make angels that bring not only joy to this world but also themselves," He whispered longingly, hoping that he would not betray those ideals he had right now. He wished he could remain just, even if hope seemed lost.

    Shaking his head, he let power course around him as he prepared to get back to heaven, "Well, I've already overstayed my welcome, so goodbye," He smiled brightly at Azazel as he bid him farewell. At least their meeting went off on a good note this time around.

    Azazel took a deep breath before he hesitantly replied, "About what you said… I'll think about it. I can't promise anything old man, you know how we are. We're just a band of fallen angels trying to live the lives that we want. As much as I style myself as their leader, I'm just the big brother that picked up the slack and was responsible for my siblings. Somebody has to keep feeding and clothing them," He gazed back at him, returning the smile he had with his own, he then added, "I'll see what I can do."

    He nodded as his form slowly faded away into motes of dust, his body returning to heaven once more, "Just so long as you try, it's ok."
    Just as he faded away, he heard Azazel call out to him, "Hey Dad… I'm glad you're ok."

    "You too son. You too," He whispered back as he found himself once more in the throne. He wiped away the tears spilling out of his eyes, trying his best to stem the tide of a thousand years of sorrow being lifted to no avail. He simply had to let it out until nothing was left.

    Azazel stared at the spot where his father left, his heart aching despite his attempts to drown it out with alcohol. He found himself transfixed, unable to have anything else in his mind aside from his talk with his old man. As he poured himself another glass, he paused as he gazed at the bottle. With a shrug, he pressed his lips against the tip of the bottle and tilted his head back, letting the burning liquid fill his throat.

    He sighed out, finding the burn no longer that satisfying after all this time as he reminisced on the times gone by, "You know, I kinda miss the time when both of us just hated each other. Why did the world become so complicated?" He mused out loud as he reached out and tapped a seal linked to his closest friend.

    It didn't take long before a silver haired beauty entered the room. His silvers eyes bored yet mirth danced behind them as he asked, "So, I take it that he came here? It smells far too much of incense and wine here not to be."

    He nodded, unable to hide anything from him, and it wasn't not like he wanted to hide it either. Scratching the back of his head, he replied, "Hey man, I think pop's a changed man… maybe… just maybe we can actually end this. I need you to call Baraquiel, I think we can work something out with heaven to end this once and for all."

    The man smiled happily as he bowed and disappeared with nary a word or whisper, leaving Azazel alone in his thoughts on how to best proceed from here on out. His father came here in person, with a weapon that could kill him at arm's reach yet he lowered his defense and made him vulnerable. He could have truly ended him but… was there really another way now that he had changed?

    It didn't take long for the day that he was to meet the Fallen officially to come, and in came the demands from them if he wanted to talk. He stood there, staring at the list while he cupped his chin. There in his hand was a one way ticket to a location hidden from his sight, and all that they demanded from him was to come there with only one person to guard him. The Fallen claimed that four Fallen Angels would meet him, a simple yet deceptively harsh response. This didn't feel like one that came from Azazel, it felt like it came from someone who did not want this to happen.

    It was sensible to come with more guards, to break this demand as he was one with the upper hand, but unfortunately for this person he was lacking in sense. With a grin across his face, he pulled himself up from his throne and walked to the angel that he would bring along for the trip down below.

    The eight present seraph knelt before him, their expressions turning into panic as they realized what he was about to do, "Father, please reconsider. Without Michael, we can't condone such hasty actions!" Ever so dutiful Sariel said as she bowed down, hoping to sway him, "Giving into the demands of the Grigori is unsightly. We can't risk having them turn against you!" She reasoned. We can't lose you now, came unsaid as she pleaded for him to stay.

    "Please, take at least another one of us along. Metatron can easily hide in your shadow," Raguel advised, siding with his sibling. The two were the closest after all, one was the judge while the other was the one dedicated to bringing those who wronged to justice. Even the others agreed with them, even if they remained silent.

    Walking up to the woman, he gave her a pat on the head as he replied, "Come on guys, I'll be fine. So long as I have Uriel by my side I know I won't get hurt. Besides, having more than the allotted bodyguards would show that, not only are we afraid, but also that we don't trust their word," Uriel squeaked in surprise but he managed to remain composed as he stood up.

    Even as Sariel was red faced in embarrassment, she was still quite unsure, "Also, have a little more faith in Azazel. Yes, he's made some mistakes, but he's a changed man," He reassured them, hoping that they at least had some faith in his judgment. It was quite a hopeful judgment, but he felt no malice from Azazel when they met and talked. He knew he could trust him, he just had to believe in him.

    Finally, they relented as Raphael spoke for them, the wise looking and ancient angel speaking out, "As you wish father. Just know that Remiel and Sariel are on standby and will come to your aid with a cadre of angels with but a command," Both angels stood at attention, banging their fist against their armored chest to show they were ready.

    "I'll keep that in mind," he replied, nodding and smiling as he was reminded so much of puppies. They were such cute and eager children. He wished he could pamper them more, but his duties called.

    With Uriel at his side, a pathway to the underworld was opened up. The dimension was big enough that all the major religions could easily carve a territory to call their own. Even the devils could only hold so much. As for where they were? The foggy and gloomy winter forest and the ever so oppressive and depressing atmosphere surrounding them told him exactly where they were; they were in Helheim, or at least the outskirts of it else Hel might have already met them at this point. They were simply passing by and this was technically international territory, or the equivalent of it.

    As he walked forward, guided by his senses, he found himself in a clearing where a large circular table was set for them. Keeping to their word, he could only feel four fallen angels before him, but something felt off. It felt like there were less angels before him, which was weird, but he simply chalked it off as one of the obfuscating spells affecting his senses; especially now that he wasn't on the throne. That as well as the very nature of Helheim and its nasty habit of keeping those within it forever lost in its constantly snowing forest.

    Azazel stood there, giving a cocky grin at a quietly fuming Kokabiel, but Absolution did not miss the glare leveled at the angel as well. He quickly recognized the silver haired Shemhazai who's gaze landed on him, his stance cautious but intrigued, while the rough looking Baraquile tensed at his presence. All had their wings hidden even as they wore their finest armor, the blackened and dented plate of their former station up in heaven… all except Kokabiel, who flared his wings for all to see, black as the night sky above.

    Here before him were the highest ranked among the Fallen, the few who dared say that they did not want to live beneath an oppressive and tyrannical father. Uriel leveled a glare at Azazel but kept quiet as he stood dutifully behind him, his hands at the pommel of his sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

    Turning his attention to him, Azazel curled his lips as he said, "Huh, you really did come through even with the unreasonable demands. Kinda thought you'd bring another one with Michael and Gabriel being busy at Kuoh town."

    Absolution couldn't help but groan out at that piece of news, "... Is Michel negotiating with the Devils? Please tell me he's not working right now," He asked. He could have checked on them from his throne, but he felt no alarm or distress from his children so he let them be and gave them some privacy. From what Gabriel was reporting, there was nothing he needed to be worried about anyways.

    "Oh he's not doing official heaven business there, but he kinda decided to take a job as the Academy's PE Teacher," He told him, surprising Absolution about the Archangels choice. The workaholic found a job, who would have thunk, "Something about taking in a certain Longinus Wielder as an apprentice and whipping them up to shape," He added, making Absolution snort out in amusement.

    Wasn't that quite the monumental undertaking he'd saddled himself with. As much as he wanted to scold the man, this was his decision and it's not the worst thing he could do. Having eyes there wouldn't be half bad as well, considering how two heiresses lived there. The fact that the Archangel could hold a job in devil territory bode well for his future plans with them.

    "Of course he's going to find a way to work even out on vacation," He muttered. Well, it could have gone worse but as much as he liked to chat, they still had things to do today.

    "It is simply his nature after all, to be responsible unlike a certain someone," Uriel hissed out through gritted teeth as he glared at Azazel who rolled his eyes at that.

    "Hey, I'm plenty responsible, you know," The man countered as he shook his head. Gesturing to the seat that remained clear of snow, he then said, "So, how about we get to business?"

    "Of course," He replied as they all took their seats yet he couldn't help but have his eyes wandered to the severe looking Kokabiel. His features were oddly… still, far too collected to an unnatural extent despite the emotions he tried to show.

    The meeting started out nice enough as they gave their pleasantries, with Uriel showing restraint as he held back from making any more veiled insults. As he made his proposal, the reception was quite well received with no back talk, aside from some clarifying questions. He almost thought it was going to go on without a hitch until he heard Kokabiel suddenly drop face down, his body shaking with some spasms.

    Concern filled him as he stood up to reach out for the man until Kokabiel reared up, bent backward far enough that he heard bones break before letting out an ear piercing, soul-shaking screech. He reared back in surprise and only just at the nick of time as the man lashed out with a knife dripping with a viscous liquid that had the hair on the back standing up. As adrenaline filled his veins, he could only watch in horror as the liquid coating the knife ate through the solid stone table like nothing was there, and it was aimed right at him.

    He felt horror as he tried to get away, his senses telling him to dodge as Uriel, along with the rest of the angels, pulled out their weapons; horror painted across their faces as Kokabiel launched himself with unnatural speed. He felt sickened as he watched muscles bursting from the sheer force only to reform while black veins filled his form. He struggled to move but he couldn't go fast enough, panic overwhelming his senses as he tried desperately in vain to fend his attacker off.

    He thought he was going to get hit until a cloud of mottled monochrome feathers filled his sight, another loud screech filling the air. His mouth hung agape as he watched Azazel, with his wings outstretched for all to see, lop off the arm holding the blade. Kokabiel was launched back as Uriel's blade bit down on his chest, forcing him back and giving them some space. A javelin of light found itself embedded upon the Fallen's chest as Shemhazai and Baraqiel stood there with Azazel and Uriel, forming a barrier between him and Kokabiel.

    "What the fuck Kokabiel! Have you gone nuts?!" Azazel roared out as the creature before them struggled against the weapon pinning them in place, their chest burning and bubbling at the contact. It was then that Absolution realized that this thing wasn't a Fallen Angel.

    "He's not Kokabiel!" He shouted, alerting them of the creature's true nature as his eyes struggled to pierce the ever shifting veil in front of him.

    Shemhazai frowned as he sent out a ball of light that washed over the creature's form, and it was then that the veil was lifted. There before him was not an Angel, nor anything remotely divine, but a demonic creature; a foul chimeric being whose caprine features were mixed in with draconic wings and a snake for a tail, "Demon!" Uriel roared as he threw himself at the creature, the three fallen quickly coming to his aid.

    Despite the demonic beast's prodigal regenerative abilities it was no match to four divine beings, ganging up on it as they unloaded their fury on its mortal form. All that was left afterwards was a slowly crumbling form that broke down, the twisted soul holding it together finally giving out. As it faded, he saw the form of a snake inside its chest until it too faded away. He frowned as he realized that Kokabiel's actions were not just his own.

    "That fucking rat! When I find him, I'll skin him alive!" Azazel fumed in rage, his anger overwhelming him as he kicked the tainted snow where the beast had laid just before it died. Baraqiel and Uriel made sure that no trace remained as they bathed the area in light while Shemhazia prodded the blade left behind with a light construct which started to burn and bubble upon contact.

    "Something's not right… How can Kokabiel have access to such a beast? It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. This weapon would have definitely left a mark if it were to strike you my Lord," The fallen replied respectfully as he pulled out some tongs and grabbed the hilt of the knife, "And such an illusion, quite well crafted to almost fool everyone," He noted as he frowned.

    It even fooled himself for quite some time. He smelt foul play, or at least someone trying to fuck things up. While Azazel had a lot to gain from his death, the following retribution would be far too great even for him. It was one thing to fight a Heaven who wanted to bring him back to heel and another who wanted him dead for such an afront.

    "We'll find out soon enough once I squeezed it out of his followers," Azazel fumed through gritted teeth before his attention was called upon by a flash of light and a blonde fallen stumbling and holding a broken arm.

    "Azazel-sama! Azazel-sama!" The blonde, Mittelt his mind reminded him, called out as she fell to her knees. Red blooming over a gaping wound to her side.

    Immediately, Absolution got to her side and steadied her. The girl flinched in his holds, eyes fearful until relief overcame her as he started to fix her up. He could already see the burns from the holy weapon. Even light could be turned against a Fallen Angel if the attacker using such an element was strong enough.

    "Mitilet? What the hell happened to you?" Azazle asked in concern as he rushed to her side as well.

    "The camps are on fire! Kokabiel's men sold us out," young looking girl told them as she tried her best to steady herself. "Our camp was attacked, but most of us escaped, but not all of us," She added, tears brimming in her eyes as she tried to hold them back. Absolution pulled her for a hug, comforting her as she cried out.

    Azazel stood there, hands clenched and shaking as he took deep calming breaths. Turning to Absolution, he admitted, "Hey old man, our answer to your offer was already decided on before this meeting. The reason why you only have one bodyguard was Kokabiel throwing a tantrum," He could see the regret in his eyes as knelt before him, "I thought nothing of it because I thought he wasn't dumb enough to pull something, but he proved me wrong alright."

    "I'll make it short, we the Grigori formally surrender and accept what terms you have laid before us. All that we ask now is to have Kokabiel's punishment be by our hands," Azazel asked him as he made his pledge as the two other Fallen knelt before him. Their wings as well no longer as black as the night, a patchwork of white feathers filling their wings.

    Anger filled his veins, his own emotions overwhelming the embers left inside for Kokabiel's initial act of rebellion. This was simply unacceptable, and now his life was forfeit, "I accept," He replied as the last of their feathers returned to their pristine condition. Kokabiel was a dead man walking and he vowed he would have him on a pike by the end of it all.

    A/N:
    Welp, somebody's going to get a spanking next chapter. Also, sorry for the late posting. I'm not feeling well lately and not sleeping soundly. There is some slow down in typing but hopefully, not to bad.

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor for sticking with me even if I can annoy him at times. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Please consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me. It means a lot to me if I can keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

    Btw, I've been commissioned to do some stuff! After my ASOIAF Commission, another one came by and this time it's a Cyberpunk X RWBY crossover where Weiss Schnee finds herself in Night City! Lewds in the first chapter hehe. Here's the link: Just a Lonely Girl in Night City [RWBY/Cyberpunk Edgerunner]
     
    Chapter 8: Opening Shots
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Opening Shots

    To say that Kalwarna was having a shitty day would be the understatement of the century as she fought against an attack on her camp. All around her, the battle raged on. Thick, billowing smog rolled over them, covering everything in its acrid smell and blocking out what little light hell offered. From this fog came these monsters, demonic creatures in the shape of monkeys who bayed and screeched for angelic blood. For once they found themselves on the defensive as now they fought for their lives as the demonic horde descended upon them

    Blood and sweat poured down her forehead as she fought on with only the dim glow of their tents burning and the radiance of the weapons used by all Fallen Angels serving as illumination for the battle at hand. Not even the harsh light coming from her own spear could help her see past her own hands. It was frustrating that she was pushed back as she tried to fend off the monsters attacking them.

    To think it started out so great. Everything was going fine until things just didn't. How did all of this begin? How was the camp of the Grigori itself under attack? Looking back, maybe things were a little bit too good for fate to not mess up.

    "Die!" She roared in anger as she charged at one of the creatures attacking their camp. Their huge gangly form and surprisingly nimbleness made it awkward to fight them as they swiped at her with their longer limbs, forcing her to duck low under the blow.

    Her eyes widened as another blow came swinging at her, and with a ferocity unlike any other they attacked her with reckless abandon. She danced around the blows, backing away as she realized that her foe was much stronger than they appeared. Gritting her teeth, she raised her spear, her limbs shaking as she caught a blow from the monkey. She cursed, tears falling down her face as she looked back on how all of this started.

    She could still remember the day that Azazel declared his intentions to them all. It was not every century that God himself reached out to Azazel and asked for forgiveness. What was more, the offer extended to them all; an offer of clemency and the chance to return to their posts in heaven. It was a deal that was almost too true to believe in if not for Azazel's words. What truly shocked her and others was that Azazel, a man that had chaffed and fought so hard, was taking it.

    Of course, there was a vote and everything to decide the future of the Grigori. There was much fanfare between those who sought war and those who sought peace and, by a narrow margin, the doves won. The Grigori as they knew it was officially over. She wasn't happy, considering that she voted against it, but Kokabiel himself offered to take those who were not joining the journey back with him. The camp was divided, but no one was getting forced; not everyone was going.

    While she did vote against the measure… she was not fully against it. In the end, she was going as all of them were tired of fighting, leaving only a handful to join Kokabiel. It was a sad sight, but she didn't think of it much. Maybe she should have in hindsight. If she had only looked into their eyes she could have seen the anger that burned behind them as she helped them move and pack up their things.

    Maybe she could have stopped this.

    "Traitors!" One of her sisters screamed, breaking the hold her memories had over her and reminding that she was in the midst of battle. She watched as the lone fallen aimed her spear at the traitors before them, who marched against them and led these creatures into battle, and threw with all her might; nailing one of them and causing a new branch to sprout from their chest.

    She might have shed tears for her own, but not for them, they who turned against them. They were former allies and friends, brothers and sisters with whom she had joked and made merry with just moments ago, now turned against them. They, along with robed magicians, led the ceaseless horde flooding from beyond the mist.

    What little victory they had was quickly turned around as now, without a weapon, the girl was unable to fight off the horde coming for her. Kalawarna could only turn away, her own blades locked against the jaws of these terrible creatures, unable to help nor even able to strike the traitors hidden behind the wall of flesh that were these creatures. Their grim and saddened gaze made her blood boil. It was as if they were the one betrayed and not those they were cutting down.

    "There's too many of them!" Another one of her brothers cried as they backed away, their legs shaking before they flew away.

    "No! Don't!" She didn't have time to warn them before their form was swallowed up by the fog leaving them with one less spear to defend the camp. It was all only the start of their troubles as the very air itself turned against them.

    Her distraction would prove to be her undoing as a blow caught her in the stomach, launching her off a good distance. She groaned and felt her body protest as she forced herself up. Fortunately for her, she'd landed close to her siblings; something that gave her some breathing room, though that mattered little given the smoke that still hung.

    "I c-can't breathe!" came the gasping breath of one of the younger ones, scratching at their chest as they gasped for air only for their lungs to fill further with smoke. She was not immune as she coughed, wheezing as her lungs filled in with acrid tobacco smoke.

    Each breath was a struggle as she stumbled through pitch black darkness surrounding their camp. She was by no means a stranger to tobacco, being a casual smoker herself, but this was different. It was far heavier and harsher, smelling more of battery acid than the relaxing scent she was used to. Its cloying scent scratched away at her lungs, sapping her strength the more she breathed in as she was forced to fight their attackers in such harsh conditions. If the smoke wasn't bad enough, what it did to their light was a thing straight from their nightmares.

    "M-my light! What's happening to my light!" Panic was starting to set in, the light of their soul, their very existence, started to flicker. Hope slowly faded from their eyes as fear gripped their hearts, "H-help! Anyone!" They cried, calling the wrong sorts of attention towards them as spells rained down on their now powerless forms. Why didn't they run? Why were they forced to fight?

    The first lesson that any Grigori would teach to those who had just recently fallen was that discretion was the better part of Valor. They should just retreat, abandon the camp and regroup so they could fight another day. If only that were possible she wished silently as she had to dodge a falling body, the form landing inside their defensive circle, their flesh withered and dried out. The smoke was already bad enough, but the barrier made escape impossible.

    It kept not only them trapped inside but within the smoke as well. There was simply nowhere for them to run. With their backs against the wall, all they could hope for was to stem the tide and last long enough for reinforcements to come, but that was getting harder and harder to do as their enemy flooded their camp. What was worse was the purpose of their attack. They sought not their destruction but their capture as these creatures dragged away those who fell in battle.

    At this rate, they were going to be picked off one by one, taken as prisoners for whatever horrible machination that awaited them at the other side. They needed to regroup, they needed to act as one.

    Forcing herself to rise fully, she drew on her core, pulling in the light once instilled inside every last one of them at the moment of their birth and called upon a spear to fight against the dark. Her light blazed into life, its razor's edge singing as she held it in her hands.

    Raising her spear and letting her faltering light shine, she called out to her comrades, "Shieldwall!" And, as one, they answered. Their panic melted away as purpose filled their eyes, shields blazing to life as those that could not defend themselves were pulled in deep inside the wall. "Defensive positions! Grab what weapons you can! Don't waste your light any further!"

    "Raise those shields, raise them damn you all!" Her voice was soon drowned out as those stronger than her gathered their wits. Finally, she could turn her attention back to fighting.

    "Hold your ground! Don't you dare turn your back or I'll personally castrate you myself!" Kalawarna shouted, rallying those who'd managed to shake off the initial surprise and locked shields with her. Before them were her enemies and now there was no way out but to fight.

    As much as she hated the traitors and the creatures before her, she had to admit that they couldn't have picked a better time to strike. With their leaders away and their camp in the middle of packing up, they could not muster an effective defense. Their enemies caught them with their pants down and they struck hard.

    "There's too many of them!" One of her brothers cried as he threw a spear at the creature's leg, pinning them down, holding them down for just a second for the spear of another to jam right inside the roof of their mouth; their skin might've been iron but their insides were all the same as everyone else's. The demon shuddered before it fell slack, its brain turned to ash as it fell forward.

    "They have us surrounded! They'll just cut us down if we flee now!" She shouted as she braced herself, locking her knees as the horde charged at them. She buckled as they crashed against them like a ceaseless tide, pulling at their shields, but she held form. With a roar they pushed as one before they lashing out with their spears, "Just hold on! Mittelt's going to come back with reinforcements any second now!" She shouted, snarling as her spear found no purchase in the enemy before her.

    She was no slouch in terms of combat, having been a field operative before she was grounded due to some unfortunate decisions she made, but she was finding it difficult to fight these demons in such a dark and hostile environment. She struck out at them with her spear of light, aiming at the creature's crotches and bellies but the blows did not find purchase, merely sliding off their hairy skin.

    The very same mist that blot out the light served as their armor, wrapping around them and deflecting the weapons which they wielded. With such powerful protections surrounding them, and the monster's own considerable physical capabilities, she was forced to strike at them to merely keep them at bay.

    Still, they were not fully invulnerable for her strike had gouged through the misty armor and revealed mortal flesh beneath. The eyes and mouth served lied uncovered as well, lest the smoke blind them. Seeing kinks in their armor she struck once more, driving her weapon deep before pushing them away with her shield. The creature she fought screeched, tugging at the spear lodge in its chest, heedless of the blood pouring out of its wound, but their cries would soon be silenced as the spear bulged and released the light held inside its form, catching those nearby in the blast.

    She grinned, watching the pieces of the creature fall down upon the fires of heavenly light burning around them. Using her spear in such a way was an expensive use of her own flagging stamina, but seeing just one of them getting ripped apart from the inside out made her spirit soar. These creatures could be made to bleed, they could die.

    Her celebration would be short lived as the flames flickered away revealing the charred form of those she fought. Even as those caught in the explosion burnt, their flesh flaking as the light ate away at them, they did not slow down. They only seemed to become even more frenzied, driven by some bestial instinct to fight to the very last breath.

    "Fuck…" she breathed out, faltering as she took a step back, her limbs shaking as she tried to force out another spear from her taxed reserves. That however was cut short as spells shrieked across the air and arced towards them. "Shields!" she shouted in alarm, diverting her reserves to her shield instead.

    The shield wall lit up, tanking the shots. They might have survived this attack but how about the next? Sweat poured from her body as she tried to think of a way for them to last longer, to just hold on but she was coming out blank. She was no Azazel nor was she strong like Baraquile. She was just herself. How the fuck were they going to win against this? How could they win against all of this? So absorbed was she in her own worries that she almost missed a shrill cry from just beyond her vision.

    Looking around, she quickly found the source. There at the edge of the haze, just out of reach from her formation, was one of the younger girls surrounded by the beasts who tore at her with their large, steak-like teeth. The girl howled in pain as one bit down on her calves before roughly pulling her away, dragging her into the fog.

    "Oh no you don't!" She roared out as she pushed forward, a blade forming in her hands as she sliced through the ceaseless horde, but there was no end to them. Like a hydra, cutting one down only seemed to spawn two more to take its place. Like an endless tide, they crashed against her and her cohort, pushing them back with the young one being pulled further away.

    "No! Get away! Help!" The girl cried out, reaching up to her with bloodied and raw fingers as she clawed at the ground. For all of Kalawarna's power, she could not reach her. All seemed hopeless until a rallying cry rang from above them.

    "To arms!" Shouted a lab gown clad angel with five sets of wings as he threw the brightly burning spear in his hands at the creatures dragging the girl. The deadly comet streaked through the air before it pierced the skull of the creature, detonating into a deadly sea of holy fire which left the young one unharmed while those around her were reduced to ashes.

    She cried out, raising her reformed sword above her head and answered his call, feeling strength return to her limbs as she grabbed the wounded girl before pulling her back to their line. Things were finally looking up, for once they were actually killing more than the demon's reinforcement could replenish their numbers. That hope, however, would soon turn to horror as a bright bolt of magic crashed against the winged form of Sahariel, downing them in just one hit.

    She cried out in horror as she watched him fall, a robed figure stepping from the shadows, one hand still steaming from the magic while the other holding on to a grimoire with the face of a laughing man carved into its cover, right alongside none other than Kokabiel himself.

    "Capture as many as you can. Even if they betrayed the cause, they will still have use for us," The thrice damned traitor commanded, sneering at them as he kicked the unconscious body of Sahariel over to the feet off the hooded figure. She could only watch in horror as the magician opened up a dark portal from which a large clawed skeletal hand reached out, dragging the fallen inside.

    "You bastards, I'm going to kill you!" She roared out, launching herself at the attacker with reckless abandon before she could even think as pain and anguish filled her heart. How could he? How could he! How could he even excuse himself for what he had done. Kokabiel turned on them, selling them out, and for what? Whatever it was, she'd just had to beat it out of them.

    It was then that the hooded figure noticed her and aimed his palm at her. Before she could even react, her world twisted and she found her face to face with the massive fists of the demonic beasts attacking them. Her vision swam as she was launched into the side of a burning crater, wincing as she felt her nose break, but she did not have time to mourn it as the same demonic beasts leapt at her.

    Her world exploded into pain as one of the creatures hammered its fist down her stomach before more attacked her, mobbing her and cutting her off from the rest. She held out her right arm only for another to bite down hard, breaking bones as they left her dominant arm a mangled mess. She was unable to fight back, forced to curl up and protect herself.

    Eventually, they stopped as the fight left her and she was dragged away along with the rest. Even with her swollen eyes, she could still see her brothers and sisters fighting, but it was a losing fight. As she passed by Kokabiel, all she could ever whisper now was a simple question, "Why?"

    The man turned, hearing her question before gesturing to the beast to stop. They promptly dropped her by the traitor's feet, a broken and bloody mess. He knelt down, gazing upon her with pity in his eyes as he whispered back, "I wish it didn't have to end like this Kalwarna, I really do."

    Disgust welled up in her guts as she was forced to listen to the man's rambling, "All I wanted was for our peoples' freedom, yet our brothers were willing to throw it away all for a promise. Everything that we have achieved outside of heaven, everyone we lost, all down the drain. We were the masters of our own fate, yet the allure of returning to heaven, to be forgiven by a despicable man, was too great for Azazel."

    She gazed away, refusing to acknowledge his point. Yes, they were effectively surrendering, but they had their reasons. They were a mere shadow of what they once were. This had him grinning as he pressed on, "He is a fool, blinded by the Tyrant's words, but I will not be swayed. I can see it in your eyes, the pain, the anguish, the false king up on his throne, he caused this."

    Reaching for her chin, he forced her gaze up to him, letting her see the bottle of phoenix tears in his hand. "Join me Kalwarna, stand by my side. Do not listen to his words. They will lead you astray, they will shackle you and bind you. Stand tall, refuse to bow down," He offered her, holding the bottle so tantalizingly close.

    Hands shook as she gazed upon the vial longingly, the sharp pain in each and every breath she took reminding her of her mortality. She hated it, she hated being so weak. She could simply give up, give in, and yet…

    "The only one who betrayed the cause was you!" With the last of her strength, she formed a blade of light in her left hand and struck with all her might, aiming it at the man's temple. It was all for naught as the man easily caught her hand, the blade trembling in her hold as it hovered just inches away. The man's beautiful face twisted into a scowl as her left arm snapped under his grip. She laid there, screaming as agony coursed through her veins, crippled and unable to fight any longer.

    "You shouldn't have bothered. You knew how it was going to end anyways," A hooded figure said as he stepped out from the shadows, the stinking scent of brimstone clinging to his form.

    "True, but I could have always been wrong," The man casually replied as he reached down and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up to the air. She kicked at the man's chest but all it did was make her run out of breath faster as he tightened his grip, "I tried my best to convince more of you to join my side, but you're far too blinded with Azazel's guile to think. It was a shame really, you were one of my favorites."

    Kalwarna was many things. She was a slut, a corrupter of holy men, a sadistic bitch, but she was not a backstabbing whore. If it meant that she had to die by this monster's hand, so be it. She stared back defiantly, glaring at the man even as her vision faltered, the darkness creeping in as he slowly crushed her neck.

    "Just make this quick, we have places to go. Also, as good as stray devils are, I doubt they can put a dent in the old man," The man then said as he walked away, leaving her and Kokabiel alone.

    She struggled as hard as she could, flailing her broken arms, yet the man's grip was like iron; cold and unyielding. Panic overcame her sense as the reality of the situation started to sink in, fear gripping her chest as she could not get him to stop. As much as she wanted to pull away she was far too weakened and injured to do so. Eventually, even her limbs grew too heavy to move, instead dangling beside her.

    So this was the end? Was this how her tale was to stop? To die like a dog by the hand of someone she once looked up to? Were all of her struggles worth it? As her limbs hung down at her sides, her body getting colder while her heart struggled to beat with no air to fuel her body, she realized she was going to die there. She could only bitterly smile as she gazed up at the heavens above. In the end, she didn't amount to much, but at least… she'd managed to buy her brothers and sister a few seconds.

    As the darkness closed in, she saw a little twinkle of light up in the sky cutting through the darkness as it shone down on her. It was almost blinding in its radiance as its light rained down upon her, bathing her in its warmth; which reminded her of days long gone. Was this the light at the end of the tunnel that mortals spoke off? She never knew it could be so pretty and so peaceful.

    Her fingers slipped from the hands around her neck and out towards the light, welcoming it as the darkness crept in. She struggled to keep her eyes open, committing the light to her memory as she stared deep into its brilliance. From that light, a hand reached out and, deep inside her heart, she knew who it was. She smiled, crying at her creator's lie. He had casted them aside in their rebellion yet his love still shone through even in the end. He truly never stopped loving them.

    Closing her eyes, she felt his touch surrounding her in its entirety, his presence made known to all as the trumpets of heaven blared out until the song became a loud roar filling her ears. She felt herself floating as a force slammed down upon from above, yet all she felt was bliss as it washed over her. The pain melting away as the voice of her creator spoke to her once more.

    "I AM HERE!"

    Absolution stepped upon the land which he had forsook and it burnt. Hell heaved, burning in a brilliant flare of white fire as his light shone once more on a land that had long rejected his very being. It recoiled at his presence and the land before her turned to dust in the fire. The air screamed as hell came apart at its very seams, cracks spreading out from the crater within which he stood whilst he shielded the broken form of one of his own.

    Gritting his teeth, he reeled in his light, pulling it deep into his being as his radiance subsided. What use would all his power be if he destroyed the very land on which they stood on. With the powers he held tempered, the land held firm, merely losing its colors as he stood there. Now that the light clung to him, he could smell hell itself; but what filled his lungs instead made him grimace.

    He scowled as the scent of tobacco and blood clung to the very air, trying to snuff out light itself. This smoke and the darkness it brought clawed at his light, eating away at him, but he held firm, keeping it at bay as he turned his attention to his child. It might have blocked his light and even refused to call his heed, but he had his children to attend to.

    He reached down to her and pulled her up, cradling her as his Seraphs descended from the hole he made in the blasted barrier. He could already feel it healing, shutting out the light from hell's own skies once more, leaving him as the sole source of light strong enough to beat back the dark.

    The girl's eyes opened as he cradled her protectively. Stirring, she reached out to him and whispered, "M-my lord," before she paused as she started coughing, bent over in pain but she powered through. "T-they've taken my brothers and sisters as prisoners. Kokabiel, he leads them-!" She groaned out before curling as pain wracked her body.

    Still, as detrimental as it was, he did not take it out just yet. It trapped people in, yes, and kept people out, to a degree that he was forced to step in, but it would take far too long to topple; precious time he could spend on healing those affected by this raid like the woman he held instead.

    "It's all right, you can rest now. Let me handle this," He whispered as placed his hands upon the girl's forehead and pushed his Light into her. The woman gasped as she was made whole once more, her wounds closing and her limbs healing. The darkness in her wings was pushed away as a pulse of light radiated out of her. It washed over the field, making the demons rear back, the fallen who turned against them scream in pain, and those they'd hurt finding their strength returning.

    Climbing up from the crater, he looked around and his heart ached at the sight. His angels, those entrusted to him, were hurt, their forms ragged as they gathered around him, looking at him in reverence, while those who turned their blades against them cowered back. He turned his eyes away, tasting ash for his failures as he gave the woman he held to the angels that attended to him. He had yet to earn their worship, not when his biggest opponent stood before him.

    So busy was he in trying to mend ties with Azazel that he had neglected the man. Now, it came to bite him back as he was now forced to deal with him. He should have known, he already knew that the man wanted war but he held onto the hope that they would not do something so foolish, yet here they were. He had wanted to end this bloodlessly, yet now he had been forced to turn his arms against him.

    His twice forsaken son laid atop a large crater at the end of a long furrow, groaning as smoke wafted off his form. Despite the damage, however, he remained whole, his clothes singed but his body protected by smoke and shadows which quickly started wrapping around his form once more. While the Fallen was a bit worse for wear, the same could not be said for his companion.

    He frowned, noticing the figure beside the fallen still standing despite half their form having been blasted away. It shifted like smoke as they became whole once more, giving away their true nature. An illusion? Too early to tell, especially with how the smoke was messing with his senses. Still, he could sense the demonic taint from him as well as the particular taste of ember and trickery wafting from the grimoire they held.

    "I'd be lying if I said that I did not expect a being like you to betray your own kind, but here we are, Kokabiel," Uriel spat out as she landed beside him, quickly followed by Azazel and the other cadre members with the hole in the barrier closing behind them.

    "You fucking rat, you've really done it this time!" Azazel roared out as he landed hard behind him, his glistening armor crackling with energy as he marched towards Kokabiel.

    This only served to infuriate Kokabiel as forced himself up, "You're the one I should call a rat! I can see how you've already abandoned our cause and sided with him!" The man raved, veins bulging at his temples as he pried himself from the hole he was buried in, his form shaking while he stood on unsteady feet, "Why did you accept him! He was our tormentor! Our enemy, but you forgave him!"

    He then pointed at him, his eyes wide open and crazed. "And You!" Kokabiel hissed out, his voice dripping with venoms, "You! Why couldn't you just have stayed dead?! Why do you wish to torment me, why do you wish to take away those I cherish?!" he screamed at him, practically foaming at the mouth as he flared his wings.

    Gone was what little was left of anything holy in him as he fully embraced the dark, rejecting Absolution with every cell in his being. There was no longer any connection between him and Kokabiel. All that remained was darkness where light once lied and it clung to his form, wrapping around him. An aura of smoke surrounded him as he drew a sword from that darkness, its edge drinking what little light was left.

    Uriel sneered at the man in disgust before turning away towards Absolution, bowing low as she reported, "Father, our forces are alerted, they are already on their way."

    He nodded, feeling at ease knowing that more would soon come as aid. Grimacing, she then added, "However, the devil who's land the Fallen are technically squating on is causing quite the fuss. We still have treaties to uphold and they have their rights. We have alerted the Satans of this incident, however, and they're sorting things out." It was unfortunate, but it was their land. Even if he was there to save his children, his actions could still be viewed as that of a trespasser. He needed to open dialogue now.

    "Good, make sure to emphasize why we're here and why we need them here as well," He replied as he glared at Kokabiel. Anger filled his heart at the sight of the man as much sorrow weighed upon him.

    "Have you forgotten about them?! Those who we cared for, those that we loved and cherished. Our friends, our lovers, our children!" The man raged and Absolution felt their cries once more, "Did you forget everything we worked for?! All the blood and sweat we shed in our quest to find peace, and you're going to throw it all away?!"

    For all his claims, however, all Absolution saw was the desolation he'd made. He claims to champion those he'd lost, yet all he brought was more suffering.

    "I never forgot them Kokabiel, but I did not let my grief consume me; unlike you," Azazel hissed back as he drew his weapon, his blazing spear taking on a harsh white glow as his wings were spread wide. He let all see his snow white wings as they glowed against the darkness surrounding them, his armor once again whole as he stood there not as a Grigori but a Seraph renewed.

    Pointing his weapon at Kokabiel, who took a step back, he asked him, "If you believe the cause so much, then what the hell are you doing?! Look around you, look at all the destruction you've caused, all the blood you spilled when you betrayed us! And for what? To satisfy your vengeance? What is this Kokabiel?! Tell me!"

    "All of it will be worth it once I have his head on a pike," Kokabiel growled as he raised his blade, Azazel raising his in turn. They now approached the point of no return as it became clear that Kokabiel wanted to fight. He was going to stand before him and the host with what little forces he had.

    As much as he hated him, as much as he wanted him to be brought low now, he held onto the hope that there was reason still in the fallen angel, "Azazel, I promised you his head," He called on his son, "But there is something I wish to ask him first before I give the right to render judgment upon him."

    Azazel's jaw clenched as he looked back at him but Absolution met his glare. His son relented as he lowered his blade, moving aside as Kokabiel bared his teeth at him. Turning to the crazed man, he asked, hoping to reach out to what little reason he held, "Kokabiel, I know you hate me, but this is going too far!"

    "Please Kokabiel, tell me that you're just merely under a spell, that you're just being controlled. This isn't what you are!" He cried out, begging him to tell him he was wrong. He felt nothing from him, yet there he stood, frothing like a mad dog as the world around them burned.

    The man looked at him confused before he started laughing, doubling over as if he had just heard the funniest of jokes. Wiping his eyes, he replied, "Oh old man, if you think that I am being controlled then I pity you, for your vision has only gotten so much worse."

    Pointing his sword at him, he mocked him, "You were blind to why we, your angels, should be allowed to rule this world instead of letting the bunch of ignorant mongrels that is humanity run itself. We were your greatest creation and yet you cling to humanity!" The darkness around him flared, almost swallowing him in its presence as he continued, "Now you fail to see that I'm saving my people from the weakness that you will inflict upon them! You, who force us to kneel before humanity, are not worthy of our worship!"

    Chuckling, the man stalked forward and Azazel stepped forward, pushing Absolution back behind him, "Still, there are some that would not listen to my word no matter what. No matter, they'll still have their uses once I hand them over to my partners," He added without missing a beat.

    Absolution's hand clenched as he heard those words come out of the man's mouth. The angel before him was no great prometheus nor a misguided fool, but a monster in all its meanings. Still, as much as he hated him with all his being, he could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

    "Uriel, keep father away from the fighting. I'll handle this myself," Azazle whispered before he squared off against Kokabiel.

    The crazed angel spreads his arms, daring Azazel, "You know what, to make this interesting, how about you make the first move. Here, go ahead, give it your best shot. I won't even move!"

    As Uriel pulled him back, Absolution couldn't help but feel that nothing about this made sense. Kokabiel might've been a fool, but he was by no means stupid. Why would he choose to fight on what were practically even odds. Why face off against him when he could have run and taken off with the people he had with him. Why couldn't he peer under the hood of these people? He had so many questions.

    Then everything clicked together and a dawning horror seized his heart.

    "Azazel!" he called out to his child, breaking free from Uriel's grip as Azazel dashed forward. Calling on to Samael, he made a mad dash for his son, reaching out for him as the shadow behind Kokabiel moved.

    "Get away from my son!" He roared out as he grabbed Azazel by the collar of his armor and pulled him back, the man crying in surprise, before he lashed out, striking at the being that had been hiding there all this time. His blade met the shadows and it nearly drove Samael out of his grip as his blade met an immovable force.

    He pulled back, heart pounding Azazel shouted, "What the hell, old ma-!" His words would be cut short as the scent of blood lingering in the smoke filled air became heavy, almost palpable to the point he could taste it. The battlefield stilled once more as the hair on Absolution's body stood up as he felt their presence; a being of smoke, blood, and earth calling out from the abyss. Laughter soon followed, its cruel and sadistic notes promising nothing but pain and misery for all that heard it.

    "Huh, so that's what I've been smelling all this time. So, who's your new master? Is he the guy behind you?" Absolution asked Kokabiel as he turned to Azazel, clenching his jaw as he saw the hole his son was feeling upon his armor. A large chunk of the golden armor that the man had crafted was simply torn off, as though bitten by some terrible beast.

    "It seems that I've been found. You don't have to worry about this any more, Kokabiel, let me handle this," A voice called out as the shadows behind Kokabiel shrunk and a clawed, emaciated hand reached out, grabbing onto the shoulders of the grinning Fallen; a masked figure pulling itself from the shade. Blood red eyes peered out from a jade colored skull mask as he loomed behind Kokabiel, their hunched over form glaring at him as he held on to Kokabiel protectively.

    The feathers of the mask gently bobbed in unseen wind while the pelt covering his form wrapped around him, hiding the man's deceptively thin frame. A black shield with a mirror center was strapped to his arm, its smooth surface drinking up light as not a single ray of it bounced off its surface.

    He knew this man who stood before him, this lord of blood and mirrors. He knew him, the man that was the ruler of the night sky, the great warrior from the north. His body remembered their bloody scent anywhere; for he was in the presence of no mere supernatural being, he was in the presence of a divine. He was before a god.

    "Tezcatlipoca," Uriel whispered, and Absolution knew that he had now a fight on his hands.

    A/N:

    And we're back! Took me a while but hey, they say thirds time the charm (I reworked this but the second version did non pan out well). Tried to set things up a bit more rather than just slap Tezcatlipoca in. Still kinda scared to set this out in the wild but I have to do this. Hopefully, this time around, I actually do things right. I'm really sorry about last time, hope this makes up for it.

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @Vyor for making this possible. Like, this would be borderline unreadable with out him :V. If you want to support me and help me continue writing, you can drop Patreon and Ko-Fi. I'm also currently doing a vote for the next Weekly Snippet so why not drop by? Also, interested in reading some Command and Conquer Fic or some Battletech Fic? You're in luck cause I made a crossover. Here's the link to the fic. First one's always free:


     
    Chapter 9: Crown of Thorns
  • SirBearington

    Well-known member
    Crown of Thorns

    The battlefield stilled, with none daring to breathe, as the Absolution faced off with a fellow deity. Even the demonic beasts that attacked his children remained quiet, bowing before the foreign god as he stood beside Kokabiel.

    He grit his teeth, clenching Samael's haft until his knuckles turned white, as he found himself in an unenviable position. He knew that eventually he'd come face to face with those that could claim to be his peer, those wielding the crown which was divinity, but he did not expect one to be his foe so early. Worst of all was the identity of the god before him and the obsidian mirror he wielded.

    Tezcatlipoca, his foggy memory told him, was an unknown for all intents and purposes. He knew the jaguar lord but he did not know him like Azazel and Kokabiel. Hell, he knew more about Issei's friends than the god before him. He did not know him, thus he did not know what to expect. Still, he had some inkling of what he was. He merely had to rely on the memories his body had.

    They… they knew each other, all gods do in a sense. All of them could feel each other's domains and the god before him had one of the most distinct scents. No wonder the place smelled heavily of Tobacco and blood, and why it now clung to Kokabiel as well. He was having difficulty seeing through the blasted fog and breathing in the miasma his fellow divine brought forth unpleasant memories from both his previous lives and his own.

    He coughed, grimacing as tobacco smoke filled his lungs with each lung full of air. He could feel it stealing his breath away, sapping away at his strength. Worst of all was how it clung to him and his light, smothering him as it grew heavier with the other gods' presence. This… this was not good. Was this why Kokabiel refused to flee? Was this all a trap?

    Kokabiel laughed as a crazed and blood thirsty grin stretched across his face, "Surprised father? Did it not occur to you why you couldn't peer through the darkness? Why you are finding it harder to breathe each second?" His former angel mocked him as he gave him a look of pity and disgust, "You really are getting old, which makes what we have planned for you all the more fitting."

    "Cheeky little brat, don't get ahead of yourself. Remember who here asked for help," The man rasped out, chuckling darkly as his pale blue eyes locked onto Absolution's. All the lord saw was sheer and unbridled rage simmering just under the surface, "Besides, I'd rather not spoil the fun that we have stored for your old man,"

    He kept quiet, not rising to the bait as his mind raced; his heart pounding hard against his chest. He could feel the blood rushing in his ears, his hands trembling and legs locked even as he reminded himself that he stood above him… yet the man before him held a certain menace, like some beast sizing up his next victim.

    It was Uriel that would break that silence as they stepped forward, wings flared, and questioned the god before them, "Tezcatlipoca, Lord of the Near and the Night, you have trespassed into my father's domain," They declared before pulling out his flaming sword and pointing it at the man, "You who broke the sacred covenant between all the gods, what do you have to say for yourself?"

    There was a reason why gods in this world rarely fought one another, why christianity had spread despite the presence of the other divines. A fight between gods shouldn't normally happen, often discouraged even… but here he was.

    The man smiled, barring his sharpened teeth as he fired back, "Oh? Claiming what's not yours I see. For shame Jehova! For shame!" Shaking his head in mock dismay as he walked forward with his arms wide, gesturing at the blasted land around them, "Do you not recognize the lords of this land? Do you now claim the citizens of this domain as yours by right of conquest?" He asked, challenging him to refute him.

    Yes, this was part of his domain, but he was no lord of its people. They might've fallen under his banner; but they were not his and he was right. He was just a trespasser to the denizens of hell. Even the very ground he stood on rejected his very presence.

    Tezcatlipoca sneered at his silence, spitting upon the ground as he then said, "Considering your track record, it should really come as no surprise,"

    Baraquiel, who had remained quiet all this time, could no longer hold himself as he stepped forward, lighting arcing between his hands, "You dare!-!" The man who towered over his companions growled out as he stomped towards the god, but Absolution stopped him, hand barring the man's way.

    Absolution was afraid of what was happening right now, of the god who stood before him. He was terrified and he knew it, but he could not let it rule him. As scared as he was of the unknown, scared of what they had planned, this man dared lay his hands on his children. If the man wanted a fight, he was more than willing to give it to him.

    "Cut to the chase Tezcatlipoca," He spat out, taking a deep calming breath to steady his beating heart as he stared back into those hateful eyes, "You stepped into my domain and touched my children. You better have a damn good explanation for this or I swear not even the heavenly truce between all gods will save you."

    The god reared back in mock fright, holding his hands over his heart as he asked "Oh me?" Absolution clenched his fist, holding himself back as he let the man explain himself, "I'm merely doing my job, you see. The lord of this land asked me to deal with an infestation and, when I heard who was the cause of it, I just couldn't resist," He replied, smiling widely as he taunted him.

    Absolution felt a leaden weight fill his stomach at his words. Uriel themself couldn't hold back any longer as they shouted, their emotions running hot, "I swear if I see even a single scratch on my siblings I'll-!"

    Tezcatlipoca tutted, shaking his head in disapproval, as cut him off, "I'm not sure that's the proper tone you should use while speaking to me when I have something of yours that you really don't want to break," The god purred as the veil of smoke obscuring the battlefield was lifted and Absolution felt them. The cries of his children filled his ears as they were held captive, half buried under shadowy claws. Their hands and feet held aloft by magical chains while the light from their body streamed out from them into the barrier above.

    He shook as he felt their terror and their pain. It was all too much seeing the naked terror behind their eyes. He… he stood there in frozen indecision. His angels, his children that he had come to love after they were entrusted upon him, were now in mortal danger. He started to move only to stop as shadow tentacles wrapped around the necks of his children, squeezing down and making them cry out.

    "I wouldn't do that if I were you, and don't bother even trying to speak out and command my shadows. Do you really want to test your control against my mastery?" Tezcatlipoca warned him, forcing Absolution back.

    He could force them here, keeping them in place but his adversary still had his children hostage and he didn't have the might at hand to force him to give them up. His angels would soon come to his position and so would the devils, but could he distract him long enough for them to not turn against his children? He needed time to think.

    "I was simply going to remove the infestation one by one but… removing the source of it is a far more effective use of my time," He chuckled as his eyes turned on him, boring into his very soul, "So here I am, partnering with your little angel to lure you out and make it look like a family affair. There were no gods involved… After all, a god that just woke up from his slumber is often at their weakest point. It wouldn't be out of the question to have one taken out so easily."

    "Kokabiel you sick fuck! You sold us out to another god for this? Revenge?!" Azazel raged as he held himself back, tears streaming down his cheeks. The light of his soul blazed, flaring with the anger now burning in their chest. Their anger was palpable, and their pain visible for all to see. "You're a dead man Kokabiel! You hear me? Not even your new boyfriend over here could save you once I get my hands around your neck!"

    His rage however was met with a mocking grin as Tezcatlipoca pointed at him, "Hah! I like that one. It's always the feisty ones that are the most fun to drain at the altar." Looking over to Kokabiel, he then asked, "Our employer would probably love their skull beside a certain someone."

    Ice flowed in Absolution's veins as he felt his time running short. He listened to their words, letting them flow so that his mind eye could find falsehoods, yet all he found were twisted words. It was true that Tezcatlipoca was affiliated with a lord of hell but… it was not a full truth. He did not fully lie either, however. He had a few people that fit such descriptions but…. Was he really sure? Could the devils find his return so disturbing that they're willing to call upon such a bloodthirsty god to do their bidding?

    "Did Hell really betray us?" Shemhazai whispered as doubt crept into their tone. Hell was still his natural enemy, even after the tenuous peace set up by Sirzechs and Michael, but he knew better than to doubt his son's judgment.

    "No, Michael rarely ever makes a mistake," He whispered back, shaking his head. He refused to listen to such a notion. If Micahel would believe Sirzechs' word about wanting peace then he had every reason to believe him. The man was a siscon but not a warmonger. Not him nor any one of the current Satans of hell. Even the bald one was simply the embodiment of sloth.

    "As much as I hate the pretty boy and his perfection, dad's right. Sirzechs is a pretty nice guy so long as you don't break your word," Azazel growled slowly as his eyes flashed around, looking for something amongst the crowd, "Those two are stirring shit, I swear."

    Absolution nodded in agreement as he turned back his attention to the two. As it stood, there were simply too many unknowns. He was angry, he was afraid, but he couldn't let it cloud his judgment and add confusion to the already volatile mix. He simply had to have faith, because that was all he had right now.

    "As if I'd let you, you old codger. Remember our deal," Kokabiel laughed as he swung his sword, letting its blade cut through the fog, "I'll be dealing with him personally while you get to have those that did not follow me… and of course you can deal with my father,"'

    Thankfully, their goals made his task all the easier. They were after him, so that was easy enough, he needed to disarm them… but Kokabiel made it all the more complicated. It was clear, however, that the two, while allied, held no love and respect for each other. They were merely working together. Maybe he could use that.

    "So it's a fight that you want then…" Absolution whispered slowly before he turned to his traitorous son. "Before that, however, I wish to talk to my son one last time?" He asked, seeking answers from the man himself.

    "By all means, have a shot at it," Tezcatlipoca replied with a dismissive snort as Kokabiel quirked a brow at him.

    "Kokabiel… Why?" He simply could not simply comprehend why he'd turn against him. Did he really hate him so much that he'd turn to another god for help? Was there more to this than simple revenge?

    Kokabiels smile melted away to be replaced with confusion before it gave way to that of anger. Frowning, he asked him, "Are you going deaf as well old man?" All that remained behind Kokabiels eyes when he stared at him was hate, hate and disgust for everything that he was. "I want you dead, but I know I'm not strong enough to kill you. Thankfully, someone reached out to me that could."

    Spreading his arms wide as if daring Absolution to strike him down, he smirked once more as Absolution remained silent, "Seeing that you haven't killed me yet and how you have only free'd a single angel from our grasp, I think we've made the right choice jumping ship. At least they can appreciate my talents."

    Absolution frowned at his words. Who were the 'they' that he spoke of? It soon became clear to him that this wasn't just a one god vendetta, there were more involved. The dagger of such potent poison, the illusion that hid the twisted devil, the barrier of magic that survived his power, the beasts that surrounded them, the chains that held his children? Could multiple gods work in concert against him or would it be just one god?

    Looking around, all he felt to have some substantial weight behind them was the robed figure standing by the wayside. They might smelt of divinity, but they did not claim it, it merely clung to them. A divine item perhaps? The book they held certainly had a unique presence, but it wasn't one of his own. There were simply far too many magic wielders to pin them down.

    He closed his eyes, scolding himself for letting them get the best of him. They had taken one of his sons and turned him so thoroughly against him that he wasn't even sure he'd listen to his words, yet the little voice in the back of his head wanted him to speak out, to reach out and hopefully turn things around even if it was mere naive wishful thinking.

    "Kokabiel," He called out and the man glared back at him. Bowing his head, he gave one last plea; his one last shot in the dark, "I'm sorry that I'm not able to make amends with you. I'm sorry that I couldn't set things right." They were not truly his by blood, this was not his sin yet…he still took it upon himself. He set out to make things right and he would die upon that hill. Kneeling down, he begged the man even Tezcatlipoca looked at him in disgust, "Please Kokabiel, don't do this."

    For a second, he could see the man falter, his eyes betraying his emotions. He saw in them shame for one's self and the love that he once held, but those were mere embers that were smothered as hate took hold once more. Hate and anger burnt brightly as the man spat out, "You had your chance old man but it's too late, several thousand years too late!"

    Marching up to one of the hostages, he growled out, "They're intended to be my payment to them so that I can continue to fight, but I can just as easily replace one once you're dead for good." Grabbing one of his sons by the hair, he lifted up their necks as he held his blade against them. His angels cried out as he felt the embers of those before him writhe in fear and pain and wept, a tear rolling down his cheeks as he stood up.

    "Kokabiel," Tezctalipoca called out warningly, yet the man refused even his own ally's council.

    It served only to enrage him further, madness now swirling behind his gaze as he shouted, pulling back and making the angel he held captive cry out in pain, "Now I'll make you feel what I felt when you took everything from me, starting with him! You want that? Huh?!"

    With those words, Absolution knew that he had lost Kokabiel fully and utterly. There was no turning back at that moment. The man before him had abandoned everything for the sake of revenge. He had allowed it to consume him and where once was an angel was nothing more than a beast in angelic guise. "At least now I know I wouldn't feel bad for what I'm about to do," Absolution whispered as he wept, hardening his heart for the task at hand.

    Kokabiel snorted, tightening his grasp before asking, "What are you gonna do? Beg for-!" His raving would be cut short as he let go, staggering forward as cried out in agony. The fallen on his side cried in alarm as the man's face contorted to that of pain. He choked out a cry of mercy as he doubled over before bending backwards, his bones creaking as light started to stream out of his body, draining from every cell until all that was left was his core.

    As the light from even his core faded, leaving nothing but a blackened and cold heart, Kokabiel would find momentarily relief. This, however, would prove to be just a brief respite as his gaze turned to watch a lone feather. Turning around, he watched in horror as his wings started to fall apart.

    "No, no, no!" He cried out as he grabbed his wings, trying to use the light that he once held, but he'd find none. Without his light, Kokabiel's wings started to wither. Black glossy feathers started to rot before falling off and were replaced by leathery membranes. "M-my wings!? W-what have you done?!"

    "I did nothing to you Kokabiel." Absolution would simply shake his head as he replied, "I stopped doing anything towards you." Kokabiel was no longer a fallen angel, he had become something else. As Kokabiel had rejected him, so too would he reject him in turn.

    "When I cast you out of heaven, it was in my misguided attempt to make you learn to be a good man. I have now realized that I made this mistake and I offer my apology." He then paused as he turned his gaze towards the angels that were in the clutches of the evil god before him. "I expected to be shouted out, to be cursed, and maybe even spat upon, but you! You out of all your brothers and sisters decided to betray not only me but your very own siblings," The anger that had been burning in his chest swelled, turning into rage against Kokabiel.

    Looking straight into one of his… creations, he gave them his judgment, "For your actions, for the sin of betrayal, you are no longer my son. I cast you out, Kokabiel! I cast you out into the land never to rest! You will find no refuge on the land upon which you will tread, this I swear!" He declared, letting it become the law of his very being, a parting gift for he was now on his own.

    Kokabiel roared in anger, cursing him as he knelt there trembling. Absolution could not even muster the strength to feel pity, his heart ringing hollow, as he stared at the man. He had chosen poorly. His cries would soon be broken as laughter echoed in the field. "Hah! Such ruthlessness, such cruelty! Now that's the god that spat upon me and my siblings. That's the god that destroyed my land!" Frowning, he then pointed at him, "Now I see why he hates you so much."

    Kokabiel rose up, blackened sword in hand, only to stumble as his legs failed him. Tezcatlipoca's shadows caught him in their grasp, holding him in place as he struggled against the god's hold. "Stand down Kokabiel, you are in no state to fight. I've made my promise and I intend to keep it," The man growled before sneering at Absolution, "Not unlike your creator and his angels over here."

    This struck a chord in Uriel as the angels shouted, "We've kept the word of the law! It was all purely mortal matters, nothing more and nothing less!" It was how things were supposed to be between the gods, they kept to themselves while merely observing their followers, "When you asked for a council amongst the gods, we heeded your call-!" They added before they were cut off by an enraged Tezcatlipoca.

    "And all we met was your precious Archangel!" The god roared as his shadow roiled, his angels crying as he squeezed even harder. Absolution gritted his teeth, feeling his time growing shorter and he had yet to find a way through. "If not for your weapons, my people would not have died wholesale. Your tools broke the spirit of the law you yourself set and you know it!"

    "Your son was right, you are not worthy of anyone's worship, which will make my revenge all the sweeter," The god growled out as the shadows around them grew darker, their form growing larger as they squared up against Absolution.

    Absolution faced them head on, refusing to be bowed now as he replied, "Tezcatlipoca, I know we have our differences, but please reconsider this. You have your grievances against me, grievances that I'm willing to pay for, but this is not the way." He was willing to give him a way out, a way to end this peacefully. He did not want to shed blood over such simple matters. "Release my children and go. I will forget your trespass, I will forgive you for the wrongs that you have done to me, I will even let you have Kokabiel, but let my children go. This is the mercy I grant you,"

    Silence reigned between them for a moment before the world trembled as the very shadows themselves boiled. The monsters that his enemy brought with him flinched back, crying in terror while the fallen that stood with the foreign god scrambled into the air, fleeing from the darkness that rose up from the earth itself. Even Kokabiel reared back, taking to the skies in his new wings. Only Absolution's light kept the darkness at bay as it consumed the camp, leaving nothing but an island amidst a sea of darkness.

    "Mercy? Mercy!" Tezcatlipoca raged, teeth gnashing in anger as the rage hidden beneath welled up to the surface. Veins popped in his head as he shouted at him, "Where was your mercy when your champions cut my people down! Where was your mercy when you trampled upon the spirit of your laws! Where was your mercy when we begged you to reign in your champions?"
    Absolution flinched as he could not muster an answer. How could he when the people of the god before him died under the blades of the conquistador? How could he even answer the questions he asked?

    Tezcatlipoca breathed heavily, straightening himself as he stood to his full height. "Yes. That's right…" He breathed out, trembling at the rage he had barely reigned in, "You remained silent and so did your right hand man. All we heard was silence," He whispered, "You are a cruel and spiteful god,"

    Forcing himself to look back at the man, he shouted, "Killing me or my children will grant you no peace!"

    Tezctalipoca nodded, stepping back as he melted into the shadows until only his eyes and the reflection of Absolution on their mirror remained. "Yes, killing you would not bring them back, all the millions that died from the conquerors," tThe man whispered as the world around Absolution started to spin, the screams of the damned echoing in his ears, "But they'll finally be silenced."

    Absolution reeled, forced to his knees as a wave of emotion overcame him. Pain, sorrow, hate, anger, all of it mixed as the world around him faded, his senses overwhelmed as the cries of people, countless people dying from famine, disease, and war called out from the darkness.

    "Father?" Uriel and his angels called out but he could barely hear them as he saw them from just beyond the shadows, the souls lost from the conquest of the new world. There from the shadows they came, pulling themselves up as they wailed and cried out. His angels flinched back as they noticed the shadows surrounding them and cried out to them.

    "Can you feel it Yahweh?" The god called out, his mocking laughter echoing before it faded into the cries of the multitude, their terror seizing his heart. He clutched his chest, the pain, suffering and anguish forced upon him overwhelmed him. He felt their pain and, for the first time since he stepped into this world, he knew agony. "Can you feel the pain and suffering you've caused, all the lives you've snuffed with your inaction calling to you? And they demand blood!"

    "W-wha-!" He slurred out, crying out as more of them came forth. Hundreds become thousands and those thousands become millions and all called out for justice, justice for the wrongs that had been caused. "No! I didn't do it, I never wanted anything about the conquest to happen! Listen-!" He begged them but they could not be swayed.

    "Oh they're listening all right! They've been here all this time, they've been waiting in the darkness, seeing what kind of tyrant you are!" Tezcatlipoca roared through the din as the sea of souls around them roiled, circling around them and forming a storm of tortured spirits. "Feel the anguish they felt when they were cut down by your four horsemen, feel the pain and sorrow that you've caused! All these years they've been waiting to talk to you, so hear them!" The storm screamed and he screamed with them as visions of their final moments were forced into his mind.

    "Father!" Azazel cried out, breaking through the din. He could barely make him out as he found himself on the ground, unable to feel anything but the emotions amidst the storm. "Shields! Protect father at all costs! Let not a single misbegotten soul reach past our formation!" His son cried out as his angels converge around him, raising their shields and forming a barrier that numbed the pain, if only a little.

    "What's wrong Adonia, can't handle a little heartbreak? It's just a few thousands years worth, what's this to all that you've caused?" Tezcatlipoca mocked them before a great force struck the barrier. His angels cried out, with some falling to their knees as blood poured out of their eyes and mouth before the barrier buckled.

    The souls soon followed, clashing against the barrier before squeezing down. Their hands reaching out to him, their eyes staring back accusingly as his nightmare came to life. Why couldn't they be saved, why did they have to die, they roared at him.

    "N-no, I can't, I can't do this anymore," He tried to answer as he forced himself up before reaching out, forcing what little light he could muster to help his angels; trying to force back the multitude banging at the gates, demanding entry.

    "You said you were willing to pay for the crimes that you have committed against my people? That you wanted to atone for the sins caused by your inaction?" Tezcatlipoca shouted, demanding an explanation as a second blow came rocking the barrier and Absolution's knees buckled once more. "Then pay for it! Pay for it a thousand fold with your blood so that my people can finally find peace from not just their death but for the future you have taken away!" He roared out and the souls roared as one, their cries piercing the barrier he held up.

    Absolution puked as the world around him melted together. His vision wavered while the cries of his children were drowned out by the curses and the vitriol of those who died. It hurt, it hurt so much that all he wished for was for it to end. He no longer wanted to fight, but to flee, to run away and hide from it.

    Why did he accept this post? Why did he choose to carry this burden? He could have fled, he could have told the truth the moment he was thrust onto the throne, yet he lied, he accepted the post knowing he was not worthy of it. Why did he choose to carry it when all it gave him was trouble and problems to fix. He had all these people relying on him, worshiping him and praying to him yet could he answer them all? Could he really be the god that they needed?

    In his moment of weakness, he closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare. He shouldn't have shouldered the weight of the world when he could have just simply not accepted it.

    And are you going to let them down? A voice called out and there, through the gaps of his angels as they closed in on him, back against the proverbial wall stood a figure not unlike his own. He did not know if it was his own delusion from the pain he felt or another being, but there in the middle of the storm stood someone who he knew but couldn't recall. The being stared back at him before shaking his head and fading away.

    He reached out to them but he stopped as he felt Uriel's heel against his palm. "Hold! Don't let them get through! Our father needs us! Do not fail him, never again!" They cried and, in that moment, he felt the angel's belief in him, in the being he was supposed to stand for. There in his moment of weakness he was reminded why he decided to claim the crown of heaven.

    Pulling back, he pushed against the hard unforgiving ground beneath him. He was knocked out, he remembered, laying down upon the filth he puked out. Samael was no longer in his hands but in the hands of Azazel, using it to channel the light around them. Why was he on the ground? He had been forced to his knees, but it was ok. He simply needed to stand up.

    Through the haze of the pain he pushed, forcing himself to stand. He did not resist it, but instead accepted it, letting it into his heart. He heard their cries and pleas and he listened. As he got up, he staggered, the barren earth beneath him gave way and for a second he thought he would be knocked down until he saw the earth spring to life beneath him as the light he held shone brightly.

    Standing up, he looked up and saw the light of his children shining so brightly, their belief in him being their shield against the darkness. How could he deny them their belief, how could he tear their faith apart just for a fleeting sense of relief. What was a little pain for the joy they would have with him. He accepted the crown of heaven because it was simply the right thing to do, to wish joy for others even if one had to lie or experience a little hardship. He had to fight for their happiness because who would if not he?

    "My children, I'm sorry for what I am about to do," He whispered as he pushed forward, slipping past surprised angels and past their lines. As he reached out for the barrier, a hand held on to him, stopping him in his tracks. Looking back, he'd find the tear streaked face of his angels staring back at him. Uriel, Azazel, Shemhazai, and even the stoic Baraquil held on to him, refusing to let go.

    "Father no! Please no, not again!" Uriel begged him, unable to hold back tears any longer.

    Absolution smiled back as he held their hands before pulling them away, "It'll be alright," He promised, holding on to their hand before letting go and plunging into the raging torrent of souls.

    He stepped through the barrier and the souls flinched away, giving him space as he walked to his adversary. There he stood before him, grinning as he stood there without his weapon.

    "Finally found the courage to face me, have you?" Tezcatlipoca taunted as he peered from the shadows, his form wreathed by the souls of those who worshiped him. Their form leered at him as they launched themselves at him, making him stagger as he took them in without resistance and soon the sea crashed against him. "I promise it'll be quick… or not!" The god laughed out before he was drowned out by the souls of the dead.

    The pain was intense as he felt himself being ripped apart. The souls around him might've been tiny and faded compared to his own, but they were numerous and ceaseless, all seeking to have their pound of flesh. Still, he powered on, standing amidst the storm as he shouted, "Tezcatlipoca, I accept your terms."

    Gritting his teeth, he knelt down, unable to bear the weight as they bit and tore away at his very flesh. Gold ichor dripped down his form as his very essence was being ripped from him yet he ignored it as he continued, "I accept the price you ask from me, that your people have their share of my blood and flesh. I offer myself to their judgment!"

    He cried yet he held firm, his gaze locked on to the halo, this crown of thorns he had been carrying all this time as it shone through the darkness like the morning son. It felt so warm and inviting even as it hovered just inches above his head with its deadly spikes.

    "Hah! You fool! You sacrifice yourself for their sake?" Tezcatlipocaj jeered at him as he gestured at his angels who stood helpless, unable to get near him even as they tried to power through the storm, "What kind of god are you to stoop so low, to be a mere lamb for the slaughter?!"

    Absolution smiled as he reached out for the crown and seized it, grabbing it with both hands even as its many spikes dug into his skin, tearing at his flesh with an ease that not even Samael or the Longinus could replicate. Holding on to it, he whispered, "A loving god that wants to rid this world of pain."

    Closing his eyes, he pulled down and placed the crown atop his head and the world around them exploded into light. Even as the spikes dug into his flesh, he found peace as the souls around him stilled. Like a ripple, his light spread out, slowing down the storm as all eyes were now on him.

    "W-what?!" Tezcatlipoca gasped as the shadows around him melted, revealing his form. Seizing one of the souls, he threw it at Absolution yet none would heed his words as they stared into the light that Absolution held. "He's just standing there! Stop him! Tear him to pieces!"

    With shaky hands he pulled back from the crown, letting it rest upon his head while golden ichor flowed down his form. Clasping his hands together even as he trembled, his mind slipping as the memories flowed to him, he prayed, "To the Mexica, I speak unto you. Hear my words and my plea for I ask forgiveness! I kneel before you, oh people of the new world, and ask that you open your hearts and listen and see that my plea is of pure heart,"

    "They will not heed your words, Yahweh, for they are my people!" Tezcatlipoca shouted as he reached out to him only to find the light blowing him away, keeping him at bay while the souls of those who perished started to converge towards Absolution; the shadows wrapped around their souls melting away to reveal the men, women and children beneath it all. From the mightiest of chiefs, to the humblest of peasants they gathered, heeding Absolution's call.

    "I offer you my flesh and my blood as my sacrifice! Accepti it so that you can have your fill, so that we may become one in communion and truly one at heart," He called out and they came, reaching out to him and he welcomed them. They went to him, becoming one with him before passing through him to the world beyond. He accepted them all, refusing no entry. Even the conquistadors that walked with them, those trapped by the souls of the damned, were let through as they filtered through purgatory.

    He heard their wishes, their apologies and their dreams and he smiled. "Through my flesh and blood, I become a sacrificial lamb. Let go of your sorrows and pain so I may carry them and make you pure!" With their joy came their sorrow, he carried it all so none would ever be burdened with it as they moved on. He engraved their names upon his soul, remembering them even as they faded away into the light.

    "No!" Tezcatlipoca cried but it was too late as he pulled in their souls and shadows, letting it into his heart. Slowly, the captives the god held were freed as their captors joined their fellow brothers and sisters. "No! Stop! Don't listen to him!"

    "You are not just the people of his land, but my people as well!" He called out and he became one with them, forming communion with those long past so that they would no longer haunt the living. As they stepped through, his light reached a fever pitch and the barrier holding everyone in started to break, cracking as it was unable to hold him back.

    "You are all my children regardless of your creed and nation, of your blood or race. I accept all within me and I give all my love regardless," He declared as each memory passed by, their lives melting into one another as he relieved their experience with these souls. "Through me you shall find redemption and through my love, I seek Absolution!" The light flared, becoming blinding as it shattered the barrier before fading away, revealing all around.

    It was over in an instant and all that was left in the rapidly fading haze were Absolution and those who'd witnessed his miracle. Tezcatlipoca staggered forward, feeling his body for any injuries but finding none before looking at him and shouting in panic and despair, "What have you done?! My followers! My believers! My people!"

    "I-I accepted them Tezcatlipoca," He answered as he held his hands close to his chest, smiling s he felt the warmth left behind by all those that had passed, "You in your grief made them feel sorrow eternal. I took their pain and in turn gave them hope. They no longer are bound to Xibalba for they are free to choose."

    Smiling widely at the god who stared back at him in confusion, he added, "Don't worry though, some of them still loved you till the very end, so they remain!"

    It was then that the adrenaline started to fade away and the temporary strength he found melted away. Getting down to his knees, he coughed, panting as he said, "F-fuck that took a lot out of me, but fuck it," He did not remain on the ground for too long, however, as he picked himself up, standing tall once more as he raised his hand and clenched his fist. His people were free and his enemy neutralized, but he still had business he needed to settle.

    "It's just you and me now," He then said as he wiped the blood out his eyes before he challenged the god, "It's me that you wanted, right? How about we drop the weapons and let's settle this the old fashioned way, just the two of us and no one else. How does that sound?" He was injured, the souls having taken a chunk of his light that had yet to recover, but he would not back down, not when he had the smiles of his angels and all those who believed in him to protect.

    Tezcatlipoca dropped his shield as he roared back in challenge, muscles straining as he shouted. Even without his shadows, he was a formidable foe and Absolution met him head on, waiting for him to make the first strike. "Don't fuck with me!" He shouted, running at him at full speed before taking a swing.

    Absolution's knees buckled, head turning, and bone creaking as the punch landed flush against his cheeks but he remained standing. Taking in his pain, he reared back, cocking his fist before he lunged forward and used up everything he had left. Hips twisting, knuckles clenched tight and aimed right at the man's face. The air screamed as he threw his punch and it was Tezcatlipoca who blinked first.

    He grit his teeth as his fist clashed against the shield of Tezcatlipoca after the good recalled it. He recoiled, jolting as he felt the force of his punch reflected back at him, forcing him to step back and cradle his aching fist. He was in pain but he'd won. "H-hah! Made you flinch," He laughed as Tezcatlipoca cowered behind his shield.

    The god blinked as he looked at the shield he now held before he took a step back. He then gazed to the horizon as the light of the angels and the darkness of the devils came into view, reinforcement had arrived. Growling as he spat out, "This isn't over!"

    The shadow beneath his feet stretched, wrapping around his form and those of his allies as they sunk in and Absolution found himself spent, unable to muster anything to stop them. His angels, on the other hand, were not. "Oh no you don't!" Azazel shouted as he gave chase, Samael in hand as he struck out, yet he was far too late. They had gotten away.

    Azazel cursed while Absolution shook his head, giving his son a comforting pat. Pulling away, he hobbled forwards as he faced into the sky ahead. Breathing in deeply as he shouted, "If you want war, then I'll give it to you!" He allowed his voice to be heard, letting his declaration be carried to the four winds.

    With those words, his legs finally gave way under him. His strength leaving him as he collapsed, falling to his back and finding the sweet embrace of the ground. Breathing heavily as he laid there. With a pained wince, he called out to his angels, "I… can't move. Please help."

    A/N:

    Thus, the first battle of a war was fought and won by the side of Heaven. Absolution also got tested for the first time but he pulled through. He's not just a pretender to the throne as he shown he can throw hands with another god and take it as well. With his enemies making themselves known, how will Absolution answer? How can he show that he's not someone they can mess with. Well, better tune in next time cause we're going to be meeting a few devils~

    With that out of the way, I'd like to thank vyor for making this possible. I also should not make his life any harder by creating a backlog that's too big :V. Speaking off, the other two chapters of this is up in my Kofi and Patreon. If you see it in advance and want to help me continue writing, you can drop Patreon and Ko-Fi.

    One last thing, to my long time readers... anyone here remember Scrapyard Angels? Well, I made a Noxian Spin Off of that idea. If you want to read a Noxian SI (Technically), you might want to read this. Like always, the first chapters always free to read.


     
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